Final answer:
The Qur'an is considered the greatest literature of the Islamic world according to Muslims. It is not only a religious guide but also an exemplar of Arabic literary excellence. Works like the Persian epic poem Shahnameh also hold significant cultural importance within Islamic literature.
Step-by-step explanation:
The greatest literature of the Islamic world according to Muslims is indisputably the Qur'an. The Qur'an is the central religious text of Islam, which is believed to be the verbatim word of God, or Allah, and is seen as the culmination of a series of divine messages that started with the teachings given to Adam and ended with Muhammad. The significance of the Qur'an extends to all facets of Muslim life, both as a source of spiritual guidance and as the epitome of the Arabic language's literary excellence.
The manuscript holds a special place in the hearts of Muslims due to its contents, which encompass aspects of law, theology, and personal conduct. While interpretations and teachings can vary across Islamic sects, the universality of the Qur'an's divine message remains central. Literacy, especially in relation to reading the Qur'an and other Islamic texts such as the Hadith, played a crucial role in both spiritual and temporal contexts during the Islamic Golden Age. This emphasis on literacy had positive effects on technological progress and commercial prosperity in the Muslim world.
Beyond religious texts, Islamic literature also enjoyed a tradition of rich poetry and philosophical works, many of which were influenced by previous cultures such as the Greeks. Among these, the Shahnameh, a Persian epic poem, stands out for its historical and cultural importance as well as for the artistic tradition of manuscript illumination it inspired in the Islamic world.