The irony of reality
Reality is shown to be highly ironic by the Koran, because before Allah had revealed himself to Mohammad, Mohammad was hopeful and suspicious about the nature of reality, but once he had an encounter with the divine, he was permanently changed. His perception was altered so thoroughly that what he had concerned "objective reality" before was like the premise of a joke, to which the dominion of Allah was the punchline.
The artistry of time and nature
One might imagine a struggling religious man in crisis, desiring to "see God" or meet Allah, which is Arabic for God. They might even become frustrated, wanting to know why Allah had not revealed himself to humans more openly. For Mohammad, this desire is an irony, because after his encounter with Allah, he writes about nature and time as demonstrations of God's aspect. Through metaphor, he explains that Allah has spoken through the beauty and artistic design of each living animal, each plant, and the whole universe through the passage of time.
The irony of loneliness
Although Mohammad was imbedded in a community, he was particularly lonely. Sometimes, he found himself becoming a literal recluse, dwelling in caves and meditating. He is alone, often intentionally, because he anticipates some important encounter with his creator. Ironically, he couldn't explain his feelings to his community until one day, he received a holy command that told him to write the Koran. This irony is redoubled by the fact that afterward, his revelation was the bedrock for a new faith with a central focus on community.
The irony of known stories
Mohammad belonged to a religious community that believed common variants on the Abrahamic folktales, but when Mohammad hears from Allah, he retells those stories with poetic design that certainly implies a sacred message. This ironic retelling of known stories in a new way constitutes much of the plot of the Koran, and among the most powerful are the stories of Moses, Abraham, and Jesus the prophet.
The irony of truth and loyalty
One might think that because all of human life seems to involve narrative or the hero's myth, the Koran might be about becoming the hero, or attaining one's destiny, but ironically, the book portrays a unique kind of heroism: having the integrity to be honest about one's beliefs, having the loyalty to deeply consider the sacredness of one's life. The book is continually reminding its readers to be loyal to their sense of life's sacredness. There is even an injunction to not take one single life in warfare beyond what is absolutely necessary—not even a leaf from one enemy tree, because Allah owns all of it.
