IEQ is for both Muslim and non-Muslim readers, whether they are serious seekers of in-depth knowledge of any aspect of the Qurʾān or academic specialists working in the field of Qurʾānic studies. A general reader will find articles which explain fundamental themes and concepts of the Qurʾān in accessible language. Academic scholars whose work focuses on the Qurʾān will discover a much-needed and, to date, unavailable reference work that taps into the vast corpus of Muslim scholarship produced over the last millennium and a half. For those who work in the general field of Islamic studies, IEQ presents references to hundreds of classical works that are otherwise scattered over a vast body of often inaccessible texts.

IEQ is a useful starting point for new research on the Qurʾān as it will bring to the academic world well-referenced articles covering all concepts, persons, places, things, and events mentioned in the Qurʾān. Readers will discover a wealth of classical material, opening to them fourteen centuries of Muslim reflection and scholarship on the Book that is a guide and a luminous reminder to all humanity that there exists an eternal life of bliss in the shade of His Mercy for all who pay heed to its message and follow the Straight Path.

IEQ assumes serious engagement but no prior knowledge of Arabic or of the Qurʾān. It employs English-language lemmata and its extensive cross-referencing facilitates research.

IEQ draws its entries from the thematic structure of the Qurʾān, integrates fourteen centuries of Muslim scholarship, and presents a breadth of authoritative knowledge about the Qurʾān which is not found in any existing reference work in a Western language.

IEQ is simultaneously a classical and contemporary work. It brings to the academic world a wealth of new material ranging from bibliographic resources to specialized texts on the Qurʾān.

IEQ addresses all concepts, persons, places, and things mentioned in the Qurʾān in approximately 600 articles, amounting to over 4000 pages in seven volumes. The seventh volume of IEQ, devoted to indices including those organized by subject, author, proper nouns, themes and place names, is conceived as a unique and comprehensive guide.