A Brief Introduction of the Qur’an
This transcript is based on the audio recordings of Late Dr. Israr Ahmad (Rahimahullah) and paraphrased for clarity
What is the meaning of the word Qur’an?
Qur’an is an Arabic word. It is a verbal noun derived from the verb “qara’a” which means to read or to recite. That is, Qur’an literally means “a reading or reciting.” The word Qur’an is of the category of words that describe a state of excessiveness in doing something. For example, we have the word Rahman, which is one of the names and attributes of God, meaning exceedingly merciful. Therefore, Qur’an gives the meaning of something that should be read or recited over and over again. The word Al-Qur’an is a proper noun that refers to God’s last and final revelation. There were divine revelations that had come before the Qur’an. The Qur’an speaks specifically about the scrolls (suhuf) of Ibrahim (AS), the Zabur given to Dawood (AS), the Taurat revealed to Musa (AS) and the Injeel given to ‘Isa (AS). The Qur’an is the Word or the Speech of Allah. This has been asserted by Allah Himself in the Qur’an.
وَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ اسْتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرْهُ حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ أَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهُ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
“If any one of the polytheists seeks asylum with you, grant him asylum so that he may hear the word of Allah; then convey him to a place of safety. That is because they are a people who have no knowledge”(al-Tawbah, 9:6).
A similar claim can be found in Surat al-Fath
يُرِيدُونَ أَن يُبَدِّلُوا كَلَامَ اللَّهِ
“They want to change Allah’s word.” (al-Fath, :48:15)
How is Qur’an described in the Qur’an itself?
We have in Surat al-Shu’ara,
وَإِنَّهُ لَتَنْزِيلُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ () نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ () عَلَى قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنْذِرِينَ () بِلِسَانٍ عَرَبِيٍّ مُبِينٍ () وَإِنَّهُ لَفِي زُبُرِ الْأَوَّلِينَ
Truly it is revelation sent down by the Lord of all the worlds. The Trustworthy Spirit (Jibril) brought it down upon your heart that you may be one of the warners; in a clear Arabic tongue; it is certainly in the scriptures of the previous peoples (ash-Shu’ara, 26:192-196).
What are some of the names and attributes of the Qur’an?
There are many names and attributes of the Qur’an that remind us of what Allah has said about the Book. These names and attributes allude to various dimensions of the Book of Allah—its meaning, its purpose, and its direction. Moreover, plurality of names signifies eminence, honor, and distinction. Some of these names are:
- Al-Kitab (The Book): The Qur’an is named as Al-Kitab for it gathers numerous narratives, signs, news, and legal injunctions in a most excellent manner.
ذَلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لا رَيْبَ فِيهِ
“This is the Book; there is no doubt in it. (al-Baqarah, 2:2)
- Al-Huda (The Guidance): There is indisputable evidence of true guidance that it provides. But it is the God-conscious who benefit from this guidance.
هُدًى لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
“In it there is guidance for those who are God-conscious” (al-Baqarah, 2:2).
- Al-Nur (The Light): It enlightens the rugged path of life, and helps us to distinguish between the lawful and the unlawful.
قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُبِينٌ
“A light has now come to you from God and a clear Book.” (al-Ma’idah, 5:15)
- Rahmah( Mercy): Certainly there is mercy from understanding and acting upon the Qur’an as it comes from the Creator of the heavens and the earth, who is the most compassionate; the most merciful to His creatures.
جَاءَكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ
“Now a clear sign, guidance, and mercy have come to you from your Lord.” (al-An’am, 6:157)
- Mau’izah (Exhortation, preaching, and direction):
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُمْ مَوْعِظَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ
O mankind! There has certainly come to you an exhortation from your Lord (Yunus, 10:57).
- Al-Dhikr (The Reminder): The Qur’an reminds man of what he had been told previously by other prophets and what he had forgotten.
وَأَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
“And We have sent down the Reminder to you so that you can make clear to mankind what has been sent down to them so that hopefully they will reflect.” (a Nahl, 16:44)
- Majeed (Sanctified and Honorable): The Qur’an is a noble Book. It deserves our utmost respect in terms of glorifying it, reciting it, understanding it, and acting upon it.
بَلْ هُوَ قُرْآنٌ مَّجِيدٌ
“It is indeed a glorious Quran.” (al-Buruj, 85:21)
- Al-Furqan (The Criterion): It enables one to distinguish between right and wrong; between good and bad. It separates and differentiates between what is true and what is false, between Muslim and kafir, and believer and hypocrite.
تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَالَمِينَ نَذِيرًا
“Blessed is He who revealed the criterion on His servant, so that it serves as admonition to all people.” (al-Furqan, 25:1).
- Tanzeel (Revelation): It was revealed by Allah through Jibril (AS). Jibril came down with it to the Messenger and conveyed it to him.
وَإِنَّهُ لَتَنْزِيلُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“Truly it is revelation sent down by the Lord of all the worlds.” (al-Shu’ara, 26:192).
- Shifa: It is a spiritual healing and cure for the believers. It is a remedy from the sickness of kufr, nifaq, and other spiritual diseases of the heart.
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
“We send down (stage by stage) in the Qur’an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe.” (al-Isra’, 17:82)
The Qur’an is also commonly known, particularly in the Arab world as al-Mushaf or the book that contains suhuf or pages between two covers.
What was the medium of revelation of the Qur’an?
The Qur’an was transmitted in an oral tradition to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). The revelations were not given in a written form as Muhammad (SAW) was unlettered. He did not know how to read or write. Muhammad (SAW) would then convey the revelations to his companions orally, and this legacy of oral transmission continues till this day and will continue to be so despite the other numerous media of communication such as the print, the digital, and the electronic media. A person who memorizes the Qur’an is called a Hafiz, meaning one who protects the Qur’an in letter and spirit.
The prophecy of spoon feeding the Prophet (SAW) with Allah’s words can be found in the Torah or the Old Testament in the Book of Deuteronomy, chapter 18, and Verse 18.
“I will raise up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” (Deuteronomy, 18:18).
This prophecy is talking about the Qur’an and Muhammad (SAW) upon whom it was revealed. According to Islamic tradition, the brethren of Bani Israel are Bani Ismail. The two branches of the progeny of Ibrahim (AS) are Ishaq and Ismail. From Ishaq came Yaqoob, and his twelve sons, who were called Bani Israel. Muhammad (SAW) came from the lineage of Bani Ismail.
Preservation of the Qur’an
Unlike the previous scriptures, the old and new testaments, the Qur’an remains intact without any change. The final Word of Allah (SWT) will never change.
لاَ تَبْدِيلَ لِكَلِمَاتِ اللّهِ
“No change can there be in the Words of Allah” (Yunus, 10:64).
History proved that earlier scriptures got subjected to fabrication and manipulation by followers of the prophets on whom they were revealed. The Qur’an is considered to be the last edition of Allah’s scriptures and meant to give guidance to the entire mankind unlike the case of the previous scriptures that were meant for the Prophets’ specific people. Allah has taken upon Himself the responsibility of protecting His last and final message to humanity.
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ
“It is We Who have sent down the Reminder and We Who will preserve it.” (al-Hijr, 15:9).
Miraculously, the Qur’an (the Arabic text), since its revelation some 14 centuries ago until this day remains intact without any changes. The script did change but not the words. Dots and shapes denoting vowels on the letters were added later to help among others, non-Arabic speaking Muslims, recite the Qur’an correctly. The same Qur’an that was recited then is recited today.
Allah (SWT) makes it very clear that His final word, the Qur’an, can never be attacked.
لَا يَأْتِيهِ الْبَاطِلُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَلَا مِنْ خَلْفِهِ تَنزِيلٌ مِّنْ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيدٍ
“No falsehood can approach it from before or behind it: It is sent down by One Full of Wisdom, worthy of all Praise.” (Fussilat, 41:42)
In other words, the text as well as the essential interpretation of the Qur’an shall always be protected and preserved from any fabrication, manipulation, addition, deletion or any alteration. There will be a difference of opinion regarding its interpretation; however, the essential meaning will remain the same. In other words, the basic final message to humanity is protected and can never change. In summary, there are two very important principles in the Muslims’ beliefs (aquida or dogma) regarding the Qur’an: (1) It is the absolute True Word of God, and (2) It is preserved and can never be corrupted or changed.
What should be the Muslims’ stance regarding the Bible
It is related by Abu Huraiarah (RA) that the People of the Book used to read the Torah in Hebrew and translate it into Arabic for the Muslims. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said,
لَا تُصَدِّقُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ وَلَا تُكَذِّبُوهُمْ وقُولُوا: آمَنَّا بِاللهِ وَمَا أُنْزل إِلَيْنَا
“Neither confirm nor reject the people of the Book; rather, say, ‘We believe in Allah and in what was sent down to us.”
Where is the Original Qur’an?
The Qur’an we have with us is the certified attested copy of the original Qur’an, which is in the preserved guarded tablet with Allah (SWT) in the seventh heaven.
بَلْ هُوَ قُرْآنٌ مَّجِيد فِي لَوْحٍ مَّحْفُوظٍ
“It is indeed a glorious Quran; inscribed on the Guarded Tablet” (al-Buruj, 85, 21:22).
The original Qur’an is hidden and protected in a Book that can only be touched by the most purified of Allah’s creatures—the angels.
إِنَّهُ لَقُرْآَنٌ كَرِيمٌ () فِي كِتَابٍ مَكْنُونٍ () لَا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ
“Indeed it is a noble Qur’an in a hidden book. None can touch it except the purified ones” (al-Waqi’ah, 77-79).
The word used to describe the angels is al-Mutahharun, which means those who are pure, not to confuse with the word al-Mutatahhirun, which means those who purify themselves such as men. The Muslim jurists have deduced from this ayah a legal injunction that no Muslim should touch the Qur’an in a state of impurity. Actually the Qur’an is part of a larger book called Umm ul-Kitab (Mother of the Book), which also contains the previous divine revelations.
وَإِنَّهُ فِي أُمِّ الْكِتَابِ لَدَيْنَا لَعَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٌ
“And surely, it is in the Mother of the Book, in Our Presence, high (in dignity), full of wisdom (al-Zukhruf, 43: 4).
How did the Qur’an come down?
Was it revealed all at once or in stages? Actually, the Qur’an was sent down to us from the hidden book in two stages. In the first stage, the whole Qur’an was sent down in one piece to the first heaven (al-Sama’u al-Duniya).
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ
“It was the month of Ramadan when the Qur’an was sent down.” (al-Baqarah, 2:185).
The night in which the whole Qur’an was sent down is called al-Lailat ul-Qadr or the Night of Power.
إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ
“Indeed, we sent it down on the Night of Power.” (al-Qadr, 97:1).
This is believed to be in one of the last ten nights of Ramadan.
Anzala / Yunzilu in Arabic means to bring something down at once in one piece.
The second stage of revelation was done piecemeal. The Qur’an was revealed gradually in stages over a period of 23 years of the Prophethood of Muhammad (SAW).
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْآنَ تَنزِيلًا
“It is We who have sent the Qur´an down to you little by little (gradually)” (al-Insan, 76:23).
Nazzala / Yunazzilu in Arabic means to send down something gradually. Why was the Qur’an revealed gradually? It was done so in order to strengthen the resolve and determination of the Prophet (SAW). We have in Surat al-Furqan,
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآَنُ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً كَذَلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلًا
Those who disbelieve say, ‘Why has not the Qur’an been sent down to him all at once?’ Thus it is, that we may strengthen your heart with it, and We have recited it [to you] in a measured tone (al-Furqan, 25:32).
What was the period when the Qur’an was revealed?
Muhammad (SAW) began receiving revelations when he was forty years of age in the year 610 CE and continued to receive revelations until shortly before his death in 632 CE. The first five ayat revealed to Muhammad (SAW) were:
اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ () خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ () اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ () الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ () عَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
“ Read! In the name of your Lord, who created: created man from a clot. Read! Your Lord is the Most Bountiful; He Who taught by the pen; taught man what he did not know” (al-‘Alaq, 96:5).
As for the last ayah, it is generally believed to be ayah 3 of Surat al-Ma’idah that contains the words,
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا
“Today I have perfected your deen for you and completed My blessing upon you and I am pleased with Islam as a deen for you” (al-Ma’idah, 5:3).
Some other scholars say it was ayah 281 of Surat al-Baqarah which says,
وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا تُرْجَعُونَ فِيهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
“Fear the Day when you shall be made to return to Allah; then every soul shall be paid in full what it has earned; and they shall not be wronged” (al-Baqarah, 2:281).
Where was the Qur’an revealed?
It was revealed in a small part of the Arabian Peninsula called al-Hijaz that includes the cities of Mecca, Medina, Taif, and Tabuk. Jeddah is not part of al-Hijaz. Nearly two-third of the Qur’an was revealed in Mecca. For nearly ten years Muhammad (SAW) kept teaching, preaching, and conveying the message of Islam to the people of Mecca. After the tenth year of revelation, and after death of his uncle Abu Talib who had protected him all through, Muhammad (SAW) went to Ta’if to seek refuge because of the death threats against him. The people of Ta’if rejected him and drove him out of the city. Allah (SWT) instructed him to migrate to Medina. The pre-migration period of 13 years is called the Meccan period. It was in the post migration period that the other third of the Qur’an was revealed. This is called the Medinan period.
There are two ayat of the Qur’an that were revealed during the Prophet’s night journey and ascension (al-Isra wa al-Mi’raj). These are the last two ayat (285 & 286) of Surat al-Baqarah.
What is the language of the Qur’an?
It is common knowledge that the language of the Qur’an is Arabic. Allah (SWT) says,
إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآناً عَرَبِيّاً لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an in order that you may fully understand. (Yusuf, 12:2)
Arabic like any other language has many different dialects and accents. There are different slangs and colloquial expressions that change from one place to another. The Qur’an was revealed in the language of the Bedouins of Hijaz. Hijaz is a region of northwest Saudi Arabia. It includes the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. This can be inferred from Surat al-Shu’ara.
وَكَذَلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ قُرْآَنًا عَرَبِيًّا لِتُنْذِرَ أُمَّ الْقُرَى وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا
And thus we have revealed to you an Arabic Qur’an that you may warn (the people of) the Mother of the Towns and those around it (al-Shura, 42:7).
What is the Style of the Qur’an?
None of the traditional styles can describe the Qur’an. It is neither that of prose, nor that of poetry. Certain parts of the Qur’an do have rhyme and rhythm patterns; however, we cannot say that it is poetry. Actually Allah (SWT) testifies that it is not poetry.
وَمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ الشِّعْرَ وَمَا يَنبَغِي لَهُ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ وَقُرْآنٌ مُّبِينٌ
“We have not taught him any poetry nor would it be fitting for him. This is merely a Reminder and a clear Quran” (Ya Seen, 36:69)
The Qur’an is not an essay, a play, a drama, or a novel. The definition of a book cannot apply to the Qur’an. A book contains chapters. The chapters of a traditional book usually don’t repeat subjects that were discussed in earlier chapters. However, the same subjects may be found in more than one surah. The story of Adam and Iblis, for example, appears in seven surahs of the Qur’an. Although one of the names of the Qur’an is the Book (al-Kitab), but this is not in the traditional sense of a book. The word Kitab derived from kataba / yaktubu actually refers to something prescribed or ordained by way of command. In Surat al-Nisa, there is a command to establish prayers.
فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَّوْقُوتًا
“Believers are under the obligation to say their prayers at the prescribed times” (al-Nisa’, 4:103).
Prescribing the fasting, the Qur’an says in Surat al-Baqarah,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُم لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you — so that ly you may have taqwa (self-restraint; righteousness, piety; God-consciousness)” (al-Baqarah, 2:103).
The Qur’an is unique in its style. The closest to its style is that of a sermon (khutbah) or oration. One may regard the Qur’an as a collection of divine orations or khutbas. Just as a sermon may discuss different subjects, so is the case with the Qur’an. Same subjects are usually repeated either for emphasis or for introducing a new idea to the same subject. The Qur’an was revealed on the heart of the Prophet (SAW). A khutba too should appeal to the hearts of the people. The Qur’an is a collection of Divine khutbas comprised of ayat, signs or symbols.
Who are the addressees of the Qur’an?
Primarily, the first addressees are al-Ummiyeen, the unlettered, the Bedouin Arabs, and secondly the addresses are the people of the Book, the Jews and the Christians. Muhammad (SAW) addressed the people of the Book directly when he was present with them.
Thirdly, the whole of humanity is the addressee of the Quran. The Qur’an addresses mankind in many places. It has been sent down for the entire mankind; not just for the Muslims. Muslims are the people who believe in it.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُمْ مَوْعِظَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَشِفَاءٌ لِمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ
O mankind! There has certainly come to you an advice from your Lord, and a cure for what is in the breasts (Yunus, 10:57).
Division of the Qur’an
Unlike a book that is divided into chapters and each chapter is further divided into paragraphs and further each paragraph is a set of complete sentences, the Qur’an is divided into surahs and ayat.
Surah: What is meant by surah? In English we call it chapter. But the word surah in Arabic means an enclosure or a fence. It is derived from the root letters seen-waw-ra—sa-wa-ra which means to surround something within a wall. The surah of the Qur’an has the ayat within it. There is another word from sa-wa-ra, which is siwar (bracelet). Bracelet is worn to adorn a person. The bracelet has gems that are joined together. Similarly, a surah joins together the ayat, and is a collection of ayat. Another meaning of surah is an ‘elevated plane’; a piece of land that is raised up high from the rest of the land that is around it. The raised land immediately gets your attention. Every surah of the Qur’an is elevated more than any other speech in the world, and every surah deserves our attention and our reflection. There are 114 surahs in the Qur’an.
Ayah: The word ayah (plural: ayat) has been used in several different ways in the Qur’an. The first meaning is ‘a sign. The second meaning is ‘a lesson’. An ayah denotes a sign or symbol of divine knowledge and wisdom. In English, it is generally understood as verse. There are over six thousand ayat in the Qur’an. We have in Surat al-Baqarah,
وَلَقَدْ أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ آَيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ وَمَا يَكْفُرُ بِهَا إِلَّا الْفَاسِقُونَ
We have sent down Clear ayat (signs) to you and no one rejects them except the transgressors (al-Baqarah, 2:99).
Lafz: Ayat contain words. In Arabic, a word is called lafz; la-fa-za means to throw. Lafaza al-Bahru samaka means ‘the sea threw out the fish (on to the shore). So lafz is that which is thrown out; which is spoken; which is enunciated. There are less than 2000 distinct words in the Qur’an. There are, however, about 78 thousand words when all repeated and various combination of words are taken into consideration.
Harf: Lafz is made up of letters or huroof (plural of harf) or letters. There are about 324 thousand letters or huroof in the Qur’an.
Juz: Muslim scholars have further divided the Qur’an into nearly 30 equal parts called Juz in Arabic or Para / Sipara in Persian. Unlike the early Muslims who used to recite the Qur’an in seven days, each day a Manzil, dividing the Qur’an into 30 parts enabled a devout Muslim to recite the entire Qur’an in a month particularly during the month of Ramadan. This division was made much after the death of the Prophet (SAW).
We find that in the days of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) the word Hizb or Ahzab was used to refer to a section of the Qur’an. Today we call them Manzil or Manazil. Surahs were grouped together to make nearly seven equal parts of the Qur’an. It was customary that the companions of the Prophet (SAW) to complete reciting the entire Qur’an every week. The Hizb division allowed them to recite one section every day. If we take Surat al-Fatiha to be the preface of the Qur’an, and exclude it from the seven Ahzab or Manazil, then the division into seven parts is as follows:
Manzil 1 Surahs 2, 3, and 4
Manzil 2 Surahs 5 to 9
Manzil 3 Surahs 10 to 16
Manzil 4 Surahs 17 to 25
Manzil 5 Surahs 26 to 36
Manzil 6 Surahs 37 to 49
Manzil 7 Surahs 50 to 114
Another division is Ruku’ Scholars of the Qur’an divided each Juz into a number of Ruku’ which consist of a few ayat capturing an idea or a subject, thus making it easy to memorize. Each Ruku’ is marked with the ‘ain (ع), with the number of the Ruku’ over it written on the margin.
What is the status of the Qur’an?
Calling the revelation of the Qur’an as grace and mercy of Allah, we are told that it is better than all the wealth that people collect.
قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ
Say, With the grace of Allah and with His mercy (this book has been revealed). So they should rejoice in it. It is much better than that (wealth) which they accumulate. (Yunus, 10:58)
What is the purpose of sending down the Qur’an?
It is to bring people from darkness to light.
الر كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَى صِرَاطِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ
Alif Lam Ra! This is a Book We have sent down to you so that you can bring mankind from the darkness to the light, by the permission of their Lord, to the Path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy. (Ibrahim, 14:1)
When one moves around in darkness, and does not know one’s way about, one could hurt oneself. Ignorance has been described as darkness.
What are some of the characteristics of the Qur’an?
It is upright. There is no deviation or mistake in it. We have in Surat al-Kahf,
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ عِوَجًا
Praise be to Allah Who sent down the Book to His slave and has put no crookedness in it (al-Kahf, 18:1).
It is guarded and protected from any fabrication or manipulation.
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ
It is we Who have sent down the Reminder and We Who will preserve it (al-Hijr, 15:9).
It is the truth.
إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ
We have sent down the Book to you with truth (az-Zumar, 39:2).
It is a blessed message. Something blessed (Mubarak) is that which is full of goodness.
وَهَذَا ذِكْرٌ مُبَارَكٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ أَفَأَنْتُمْ لَهُ مُنْكِرُونَ
This is a blessed reminder which We have sent down. Will you then deny it? (al-Anbiya’, 21:50).
It is our connection with Allah.
According to a hadith, The Messenger of Allah came out one day to his Companions and proudly proclaimed: Rejoice! Rejoice! Do you not testify that there is none worthy of worship save Allah and that I am His Messenger? When the Companions responded saying “of course we do,” the Prophet proceeded to tell them: Verily this Qur’an—one part of it is in the hands of Allah and the other part in your hands. Therefore, hold on to it, and you will never go astray, nor be destroyed after that.” According to another hadith, the Book of Allah is the Rope of Allah extending from the heavens to the earth.
What is the virtue of learning and teaching the Qur’an?
There is a hadith that says, “The best among you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it to others.” There is another hadith that says, “Never do a group of people gather together in one of the houses of Allah reciting the Book of Allah and pondering over it except that peace descends upon them and mercy surrounds them and the angels encircle them and Allah remembers them in His gathering.” According to another hadith, “Verily Allah has chosen people amongst men—they are the people of the Qur’an.” Who are these people of the Qur’an? They are those who recite the Qur’an; who study the Qur’an, who memorize the Qur’an; who practice the Qur’an, and who hold on to the Qur’an.
The Qur’an can be understood from two perspectives: Tazakkur and Tadabbur
Tazakkur in the Qur’an means to understand its meaning as provided on the surface, and this is not difficult. In this sense the Qur’an is an easy book to follow. Allah tells us four times in ayat 17, 22, 32, and 40 of Surat al-Qamar,
وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآَنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِنْ مُدَّكِرٍ
“And We made the Qur’an easy to learn. Do any of you wish to learn?” (al-Qamar, 54:17).
For this, a basic knowledge of Qur’anic Arabic is required, and this is easy to acquire with a little effort.
Tadabbur in the Qur’an is to dive deep into the Qur’an for the purpose of discovering the hidden treasure of knowledge and wisdom from the Qur’an. In this sense, it is the most difficult book because it is unfathomable. No one can claim to have found all the treasures of the Qur’an, even after devoting his whole life to its study.
Two modes of interpretation of the Qur’an
One level of understanding of the Qur’an is to keep it connected with the context of the time and place of its revelation, i.e., the historical context. To whom the Quran was talking to, what were their ideas, customs, and traditions? How people understood these ayat? The Qur’an was being revealed bit by bit in accordance with the environment and the events that were taking place. The book is eternal, but the book was being revealed in a particular time and space context. This is what, in the terms of tafsir or exegesis of the Qur’an is called Al-Ta’Weelul Khas or the specific mode of interpretation.
The other mode of interpretation is the general mode of interpretation, Al-Ta’weel’ al-’Aam. This is to ponder upon the general meaning of the ayah by putting aside the specific mode of interpretation, because the Quran is for all times to come. How does the ayah that was revealed 1400 years apply today? In some cases we’ll begin to appreciate some of the ayat more than those who first received them because humanity at that time was still evolving. The knowledge of this material world that humanity has acquired over this period of time adds another dimension to the beauty of the ayat that explained those physical phenomenons more than 1400 years ago. The Qur’an is guidance for the whole of humanity for all times to come. At the time of the Prophet (SAW), there were Persian philosophers and intellectuals. There were Romans with their own intellectual history.
Main Subject of the Qur’an is man
The main subject the Qur’an deals with is man. It discusses the aspects of his life that lead either to his real success or failure. The central theme that runs throughout the Qur’an is the exposition of the reality and the invitation to the right way based on it. The Qur’an points out that all theories contradictory to the reality invented by people about God, the universe, man and his relation with God, and the rest of His creation are all wrong and that all the ways of life based on them are erroneous and lead to ruinous consequences. The aim and object of the revelations is to invite man to that right way and to prevent clearly the guidance which he has lost because of his negligence or has perverted because of his wickedness. Ayah 10 of Surat al-Anbiya’ says,
لَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ كِتَابًا فِيهِ ذِكْرُكُمْ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
“We have sent down upon you a Book that mentions you. Do you not understand?” (al-Anbiya’, 21:10).
As established earlier, the Qur’an is neither a book of poetry nor of history. It is neither a book of biology nor of astrology. It is not a book about creation and it is not a book about science. References to these subjects and almost all kinds of sciences are mentioned in the Qur’an. Stories from the past as well as news of the future and of the unseen can be found in the Qur’an. All these references are to enhance the character of man who is Allah’s vicegerent. Therefore the main subject of the Qur’an is man—and not the physiology or anatomy of man but rather his attitude, thinking, behavior, philosophy, and his character. God guides man at two distinct levels.
- The guidance of man at the individual level: The Qur’an addresses all the questions a man encounters during his life time. Who am I? Where do I come from? Is there life after death? What is good? What is evil? Are moral values permanent or do they change? What is knowledge? What is the human mind and how it works? The Qur’an addressed questions concerning metaphysics which deal with the nature of existence. What is the physical world? And are there any other worlds? All these subjects are central to the subjects of the Qur’an.
- The guidance of man at the social level: The Qur’an deals with the social life. What is a family? What is a society? What is the relationship between parents and children? What are the social values? What is social evil? What is permissible (halal) and what is impermissible (haram)? The Qur’an also addresses the economic structure as well as the political structure. The criminal law, the laws of inheritance are other subjects mentioned in the Qur’an. All these subjects, and more are discussed in the Qur’an. Therefore the subject matter of the Qur’an is man and his search for the truth.
Sequence of the Qur’an
During the life of the Prophet (SAW) (570-632 CE), he used to recite the Qur’an before angel Jibreel (Gabriel) once every Ramadan, but he recited it twice (in the same order we have today) in the last Ramadan before his death. Each verse received was recited by the Prophet, and its location relative to other verses and surahs was identified by him. The verses were written by Scribes, selected by the Prophet, on any suitable object – the leaves of trees, pieces of wood, parchment or leather, flat stones, and shoulder blades. Scribes included Ali Ibn Abi Talib, Mu’awiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan, Ubaiy Ibn Ka’ab, Zayed Ibn Thabit, and others. Several hundred companions memorized the Qur’an by heart.
During the caliphate of Abu Bakr (RA) (632-634 CE), Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (RA) (579-644 CE) urged Abu Bakr (RA) to preserve and compile the Qur’an. This was prompted after the battle of Yamamah, where heavy casualties were suffered among the reciters who had memorized the Qur’an. Abu Bakr (RA) entrusted Zayed bin Thabit (RA) with the task of collecting the Qur’an. Zayed (RA) had been present during the last recitations of the Qur’an by the Prophet (SAW) to Angel Jibreel (Gabriel). Zayed (RA), with the help of the companions who had memorized and written verses of the Qur’an, accomplished the task and handed Abu Bakr (RA) the first authenticated copy of the Qur’an. The copy was kept in the residence of Hafsah (RA), daughter of Umar (RA) and the wife of the Prophet (SAW). The name chosen for the compilation was al-Mushaf as proposed by Abdullah bin Zubair (RA).
Script Finalization
During the caliphate of Uthman (RA), (644-656 CE), Uthman (RA) ordered Zayed Ibn Thabit, Abdullah Ibn Al Zubayr, Saeed Ibn Al-Aas, and Abdur-Rahman Ibn Harith Ibn Hisham to make perfect copies of the authenticated copy kept with Hafsah (RA). This was due to the rapid expansion of the Islamic state and concern about differences in recitation. Because of the different accents of people, there was a possibility of changes from accents into scripts. So, the script was standardized. Copies were sent to various places in the Muslim world. The original copy was returned to Hafsah (RA), and a copy was kept in Medina. This took place within 25 years of the death of the Prophet (SAW).
Diacritical Marks were put to facilitate reading of the Qur’an by non-Arabs
A complete system of diacritical marks (damma, fatha, kasra) was applied at the time of Hajjaj bin Yusuf (661-714) during the Umayyad Rule, following the rule of the righteous caliphs. This was done to make reading of the Qur’an, easy, especially for the non-Arabs.
Grandeur and Glory of the Noble Qur’an
An ayah in Surat al-Hashr tells us,
لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى جَبَلٍ لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
“Had we sent down this Quran on a mountain, you would certainly have seen it falling down and splitting asunder, because of the fear of God. We set forth these parables to men so that they may reflect.’ (AL-Hashr, 59:21).
Our Obligations to the Qur’an
The Qur’an demands of every Muslim five obligations. A Muslim is required (1) to believe in the Qur’an, (2) to read it (3) to understand it, (4) to act upon its teachings, and (5) to convey its message to others.
Our first obligation is to have faith in the divine origin of the Qur’an. Faith or Iman has two phases: (1) verbal profession (iqrar bil-lisan) and (2) heart-felt conviction (tasdeeq bil-qalb). To believe in the Qur’an means to verbally profess that the Qur’an is the Word of Allah (SWT), as revealed by Him through Angel Jibril (AS) to the last of His Messengers—Prophet Muhammad (SAW). But verbal attestation is not enough. We also need to develop a conviction that the Qur’an is truly from Allah (SWT) and that it has been sent as the ultimate source of guidance for all of humanity. Only then our hearts and minds would come under the guiding light of the Qur’an. The conviction of the companions of the Prophet (SAW) that the Qur’an is the Word of Allah created in them a love and devotion for it. They accepted it as absolute truth.
Since our faith is weak, we do not turn to the Qur’an for guidance. We need to check ourselves to see if our belief in the Qur’an is a mere dogma that has nothing to do with practical life or we truly believe in the Qur’an as the ultimate source of guidance for all of humanity. If the Qur’an is studied and its meanings pondered upon in a quest for truth, all the veils of darkness shall be lifted from one’s heart and the soul will be illuminated by the light of true faith. Faith is not something that can be planted in us from the outside. It is a conscious realization of fundamental truths that already exist deep inside our souls. To be able to do justice to the other four obligations we have to the Qur’an, we really need to fulfill the first obligation first.
The second obligation is to read the Qur’an. To be able to recite the Qur’an properly, we should learn the basic rules of Tajweed. We should also try to beautify our voice during recitation. We should begin our recitation by seeking Allah’s refuge from the accursed Satan by saying “Audhu billahi min ash-shaytanir rajim”. We should also recite with Tarteel, i.e., with slow, measured rhythmic tone, and finally, we should memorize as much of the Qur’an as we can. To be able to fulfill this obligation, we need to establish a daily recitation schedule and recite as much as we can on a daily basis. Just as our bodies are in constant need of food for sustenance, our spirits are also in perpetual need of proper nourishment. Just as the food for our bodies is derived from the earth, the nourishment for our spirits is obtained from the Word of Allah—the Qur’an.
The third obligation to the Qur’an is to understand it. If we read it without understanding, how can we put it into practice? For those of us who have not yet learned Arabic, we should start by reading translations and exegeses (tafsirs) in the languages we know best. We should however strive to learn Arabic because translations will never do justice to the Qur’an. After all, we are responsible for the amount of effort we put in toward understanding the word of Allah.
The fourth obligation we owe to the Qur’an is to follow its teachings; not partially but fully. This is crucial. We can’t pick and choose and only follow the commands that are easy or appealing to our nafs. Allah warns the people who do this:
أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ فَمَا جَزَاءُ مَنْ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ مِنْكُمْ إِلَّا خِزْيٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَى أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
“Do you believe in one part of the Book and reject the other? What repayment will there be for any of you who do that except disgrace in this world and a severe punishment on the Day of Resurrection. Allah is never unaware of what you do.” (al-Baqarah, 2:85)
We need to be determined to follow everything in the Qur’an and modify our character accordingly. Otherwise, if we read from the Qur’an but do not follow it, then we will be inflicting harm upon ourselves. For example, if we read the first verse of Surat al-Mutaffifin which says, “Woe to those who give less in measure and weight” or we read the first verse of Surat al-Humazah which says, “Woe to every slanderer and backbiter” while we ourselves are guilty of these sins, then we become the target of these warnings! We need to be very careful. We don’t want the wrath of Allah upon us! To avoid it, we need to strive to follow the teachings of the Qur’an. That will cause our character to be transformed. Our best example is that of our Prophet Muhammad (SAW) about whom the mother of the believers, ‘Aisha (RA) said, “His character was the Qur’an.”
The fifth and final obligation that we owe to the Qur’an is to convey its message to others. This task was first assigned to our Prophet Muhammad (SAW). This is mentioned many times in the Qur’an. One example is verse 67 of Surat al-Ma’idah, where Allah says,
يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ
“O Messenger, deliver whatever has been sent down to you by your Lord. If you do not do so, you will not have conveyed His message.” (al-Ma’idah, 5:67)
After the demise of the Prophet (SAW), this responsibility of conveying the message falls upon the shoulders of his Ummah. In his farewell sermon, the Prophet (SAW) said, “Those who are present should convey (Allah’s Message) to those who are not.” He also said, “Convey from me even though it be a single verse (ayah).”
