Qur'an
| Part of a series of articles on |
| Beliefs and practices |
|
Oneness of God |
| Important people |
|
Muhammad |
| Texts & Laws |
|
Qur'an • Sunnah • Hadith |
| Types of Islam |
|
Sunni • Shi'a • Ibadi |
| Muslim culture |
|
Academics • History |
| See also |
The Qur'an, sometimes spelled Koran, (Arabic: القرآن) is the holy book of Islam. The Qur'an is considered by Muslims to be "The Word of Allah (God)". This book is different from other religious texts in that it is believed to be written directly by God, through the prophet Muhammad.
It has been written and read only in Arabic for more than 1,400 years. But, because many Muslims around the world do not understand Arabic, the meaning of the Qur'an is also given in other languages, so that readers can understand better what the Arabic words in the Qur'an mean. These books are like dictionaries to the Qur'an - they are not read as part of the religion of Islam, to replace the Arabic Qur'an. Muslims believe that these translations are not the true Qur'an; only the Arabic copy is the true Qur'an.[1] The Quran is used with the hadith to interpret sharia law.
Contents |
History [change]
Muslims believe the Qur'an was first revealed to Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel in a cave on the mountain of Hira in Mecca, and then over a period of twenty-three years until his death.
The Qur'an was not written all together in book-form while Muhammad was alive; it was kept by oral communication and brief written records. The prophet did not know how to read nor write, but according to Muslims, the prophet's friend Abu Bakr, among others, used to write the texts on something when Muhammad was alive. When Abu Bakr was caliph, he had the Qur'an written down as a book. Uthman, who was the third caliph, further refined its written format.
The Elements, Suras, Verses, Revelations [change]
There are 30 parts in the Qur'an, which make 114 "suras" (chapters). Each sura has a different number of verses.
According to the Muslim teachings[source?], 86 of these suras took place in Mecca, 24 of these suras took place in Medina. The suras which took place in Medina are Al-Baqara, Al Imran, Al-Anfal, Al-Ahzab, Al-Ma'ida, An-Nisa, Al-Mumtahina, Az-Zalzala, Al-Hadid, Muhammad, Ar-Ra'd, Ar-Rahman, At-Talaq, Al-Bayyina, Al-Hashr, An-Nasr, An-Nur, Al-Hajj, Al-Munafiqun, Al-Mujadila, Al-Hujraat, At-Tahrim, At-Taghabun, Al-Jumua, As-Saff, Al-Fath, At-Tawba, Al-Insan.
The First And Last Verse [change]
The first verse revealed is:
Read (commencing) with the Name of Allah, Who has created (everything). He created man from a hanging mass (clinging) like a leech (in the mother’s womb). Read and your Lord is Most Generous, Who taught man (reading and writing) by the pen, Who (besides that) taught man (all that) which he did not know.[2]
The last verse revealed is:
Who believe! fulfil (all) obligations. Lawful unto you (for food) are all four-footed animals. Dead meat, pigs, blood, any food which has been blessed by a (false) god other than Allah; an animal whose death resulted from strangulation, bludgeoning, arrows, falling, or bloodloss; an animal which was partly consumed by a wild animal or an animal which is sacrificed on a stone altar are forbidden. However, if faced with starvation, exceptions are allowed.
References [change]
- ↑ Qur'an, retrieved on 8 January 2009
- ↑ This can also be found in the Quran (chapter 96:1 - 5)
Other websites [change]
- Al-Quran project with more than 145 translations in 35 different languages
- The Quran School
