QURAN
Etiquettes of
the Qur'an
Imam Muhammad ibn Ahmad Qurtubi
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
By Him we seek Assistance.
Some people consider that it is lawful to handle the Holy Qur'an when not in the state of wudu. As we shall see, this view is contrary to the practices of the real Salaf as-Salihin.
In Summary
It is unlawful (haraam) for someone not in the state of wudu to carry a Qur'an, even by a trap or in a box, or touch it, whether its writing, the spaces between its lines, its margins, binding, the carrying strap attached to it, or the bag or box it is in.
The opinion expressed in Fiqh al-Sunnah that it is permissible to touch the Qur'an without ritual purity is a deviant (shadh) view contrary to all four schools of jurisprudence (fiqh) that is Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali and is impermissible to teach (except to teach that it is deviant). It is permissible to carry books of Sacred Law (Shari'ah), hadith, or Qur'anic tafsir, provided that most of their text is not Qur'an. One should not use saliva on the fingers to turn the pages of the Qur'an. When one fears that a Qur'an may burn, get soaked, that a non-Muslim may touch it, or that it may come into contact with some filth, then one must pick it up if there is no safe place for it, even if one is not in the state of wudu or is in need of the obligatory bath, though performing the dry ablution (tayummum) is wajib if possible. It is haraam to use the Qur'an or any book of Islamic knowledge as a pillow.
Imam Muhammad ibn Ahmad Qurtubi says in al-Jami' li ahkam al-Qur'an [Taken from Reliance of the Traveller] it is the inviolability of the Qur'an:
1. Not to touch the Qur'an except in the state of ritual purity in wudu, and to recite it when in a state of ritual purity;
2. To brush one's teeth with a tooth stick (siwak), remove food particles from between the them, and to freshen one's mouth before reciting, since it is the way through which the Qur'an passes;
3. To sit up straight if not in prayer, and not lean back
4. To dress for reciting as if intending to visit a prince, for the reciter is engaged in an intimate discourse;
5. To face the direction of prayer (qiblah) to recite
6. To rinse the mouth out with water if one coughs up mucus or phlegm
7. To stop reciting when one yawns, for when reciting, one is addressing one's Lord in intimate conversation, while yawning is from the Devil
8. when beginning to recite, to take refuge from in Allah from the accursed Devil and say the Basmala, whether one has begun at the first surah or some other part one has reached
9. Once one has begun, not to interrupt one's recital from moment to moment with human words, unless absolutely necessary
10. To be alone when reciting it, so that no one interrupts one, forcing one to mix the words of the Qur'an with replying, for this nullifies the effectivness of having taken
refuge in Allah from the Devil at the beginning
11. To recite it leisurely and without haste, distinctly pronouncing each letter
12. To use one's mind and understanding in order to comprehend what is being said to one
13. To pause at verses that promise Allah's favour, to long for Allah Most High and ask of His bounty; and at verses that warn of His punishment to ask Him to save one from it
14. To pause at the accounts of bygone peoples and individuals to heed and benefit from their example
15. To find out the meanings of the Qur'an's unusual lexical usages
16. To give each letter its due so as to clearly and fully pronounce every word, for each letter counts as ten good deeds
17. Whenever one finishes reciting, to attest to the veracity of ones's Lord, and that His messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) has delivered his message, and to testify to this, saying: "Our Lord, You have spoken the truth, Your messengers have delivered their tidings, and bear witness to this. O Allah, make us of those who bear witness to the truth and who act with justice": after which one supplicates Allah with prayers.
18. Not to select certain verses from each surah to recite, but rather the recite the whole surah
19. If one puts down the Qur'an, not to leave it open
20. Not to place other books upon the Qur'an, which should always be higher than all other books, whether they are books of Sacred Knowledge or something else
21. To place the Qur'an on one's lap when reading; or on something in front of one, not on the floor
22. Not to wipe it from a slate with spittle, but rather wash it off with water; and if one washes it off with water, to avoid putting the water where there are unclean substances (najasa) or where people walk. Such water has its own inviolability, and there were those of the early Muslims before us who used water that washed away Qur'an to effect cures.
23. Not to use sheets upon which it has been written as bookcovers, which is extremely rude, but rather to erase the Qur'an from them with water
24. Not to let a day go by without looking at least once at the pages of the Qur'an
25. To give one's eyes their share of looking at it, for the eyes lead to the soul (nafs), whereas there is a veil between the breast and the soul, and the Qur'an is in the
breast.
26. Not to trivially quote the Qur'an at the occurrence of everyday events, as by saying, for example, when someone comes, "You have come hither according to a decree, O Moses" [Qur'an 69:24]
or, "Eat and drink heartily for what you have done aforetimes, in days gone by" [Qur'an 69:24], when food is brought out, and so forth
27. Not to recite it to songs tunes like those of the corrupt, or with the tremulous tones of Christians or the plaintiveness of monkery, all of which is misguidance
28. When writing the Qur'an to do so in a clear, elegant hand
29. Not to recite it out aloud over another's reciting of it, so as to spoil it for him or make him resent what he hears, making it as if it were some kind of competition
30. Not to recite it in marketplaces, places of clamour and frivolity, or where fools gather
31. Not to use the Qur'an as pillow, or lean upon it
32. Not to toss it when one wants to hand it to another
33. Not to miniaturize the Qur'an, mix into it what is not of it, or mingle this worldly adornment with it by embellishing or writing it with gold
34. Not to write it on the ground or on walls, as is done in some new mosques
35. Not to write an amulet with it and enter the lavatory, unless it is encased in leather, silver, or other, for then it is as if kept in the heart
36. If one writes it and then drinks it (for cure or other purpose), one should say the Basmala at every breath and make a noble and worthy intention, for Allah only gives to one according to one's intention
37. And if one finishes reciting the entire Qur'an, to begin it anew, that it may not resemble something that has been abandoned.
http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/misc/eofq.htm
QURAN
Your Gateway to a
If we are like most Muslims, we probably have a copy of the Quran somewhere in our home. We may not know where it is, but that is only because we never needed to look for it. Most often, it occupies the top shelf in any stack of books (ensuring maximum accessibility!), or found wrapped in multiple layers of decorated cloth (ensuring optimum visibility!). More likely than not, it's the one book with the most dust on it and the one we are least likely to pick for our night-time reading. There is a reason we treat this 'holy book' in such a disgraceful manner: we do not know why we have it and why we need it in the first place.
By our indifference, we have ignored its awesome power to change people and transform societies. By our misguided love for the physical Book, we have made it "untouchable", suitable only for occasional mouthing of its syllables, but otherwise to be stored away. By our overemphasis on minute details, we have erected barriers between the Quran and ourselves, counting on someone else to tell us how to understand it, so that we hardly ever interact with it personally!
The Quran as Reality
"Allah. There is no god but He, the Ever-living, the Self-subsisting [by whom all subsist]. He has sent down upon you the Book with the Truth ... as a guidance unto mankind" (3: 2-3)
For those who heard it for the first time from the lips of the Prophet, blessings and peace be on him, the Quran was a living reality. They had no doubt that, through him, Allah was speaking to them. Their hearts and minds were therefore seized by it. Their eyes overflowed with tears and their bodies shivered. They found each word of it deeply relevant to their concerns and experiences, and integrated it fully into their lives. They were completely transformed by it - both as individuals and as a community - into a totally new, alive and life-giving entity. Those who grazed sheep, herded camels and traded petty merchandise became the shepherds and leaders of mankind!
How do we make the Quran, again, a living, relevant force, as powerful for us now, 1420 years away, as it was then? Only by entering the world of the Quran as if Allah were speaking to us through it now and today, and by fulfilling the necessary conditions for such an encounter.
Encountering the World of the Quran
Firstly, then, we must realize what the Quran, as the word of God, is and what it means to us, and bring all the reverence, love, longing, and will-to-act that this realization demands. Secondly, we must read it as it asks to be read, as Allah's Messenger instructed us, as he and his Companions read it. Thirdly, we must bring each word of the Quran to bear upon our own realities and concerns by transcending the barriers of time, culture and change.
The
As you come to the Quran, you come to a new world. No other venture in your life can be so momentous and crucial, so blissful and rewarding, as your journey to and through the Quran.
It is a journey that will take you through the endless joys and riches of the words that your Creator and Lord has sent to you and all mankind. Here you will find a world of untold treasures of knowledge and wisdom to guide you on the pathways of life, to mould your thoughts and actions. In it, you will find deep insights to enrich you and steer you along the right course. From it, you will receive a radiant light to illuminate the deeper reaches of your soul. Here you will encounter profound emotions, a warmth to melt your heart and bring tears running down your cheeks.
Undertaking the Journey
To remain determined and steadfast on our road to its discovery, and to derive the maximum benefit from our undertaking of studying the Quran, we must approach it with certain convictions.
First, our lives will remain meaningless and ruined unless they are guided by the Quran, the word of God.
Second, the Quran, being the eternal guidance given by the Ever-living God, is as relevant for us, today; as it was fourteen centuries ago, and will remain so forever.
Third, we almost have a right, in some sense and measure, to receive its blessings today as its first believers did; provided, of course, that we come to it and move in it in a manner that may entitle us to share its rich harvest.
Fourth, every Muslim has a duty to devote himself to reading, understanding, memorizing and implementing the Quran.
Fifth, one must abandon oneself totally, in thought and deed, to whatever the Quran has to offer. Any pride, arrogance, sense of self-sufficiency, reservation, or ingenuity that can mistakenly be read into it, is fatal to its understanding and would shut the door to its blessings.
Sixth, the path of the Quran is the path of self-surrender, of practising what it tells you, even if one learns only one Ayah. One Ayah learnt and acted upon is better than a thousand explained beautifully but which do not impart any beauty to the reader's life.
Obedience, after all, is the real key to understanding.
Living the Quran
Reading the Quran will be of little benefit to you, it may even bring misery and harm, unless you, from the first moment, begin to change and reconstruct your life in total surrender to God who has given you the Quran. Without the will and striving to act, neither the states of heart and enraptures of the soul, nor the ecstasies of mood, nor intellectual enrichment will be of any use to you. If the Quran does not have any impact upon your actions and if you do not obey what it enjoins and avoid what it prohibits, then you are not getting nearer to it.
Reading the Quran should induce faith inside your heart; that faith should shape your lives. It is not a gradual piecemeal process, by which you first spend years reading the Quran, then understanding it and strengthening your faith, and only then act upon it. All things take place simultaneously: as you hear or recite the words, they kindle faith inside you; as you have faith inside you, your life begins to change.
What we must remember is that to live by the Quran requires a major decision on our part: we have to completely alter the course of our life, irrespective of what may be the dominant thought-patterns around us, or what our society may be dictating, or what others may be doing. This decision requires major sacrifices. But unless we, as believers in the Quran being the word of God, are prepared to take the plunge, not much good will come out of the time spent with the Quran.
O people! There has come to you an exhortation from your Lord - a healing for what is in the hearts, a guidance and a mercy for the believers. Say: In this bounty of Allah, and in His mercy, in it, let them rejoice!" (10: 57-8)
Let us rejoice then and re-acquaint our selves with Allah through His Book
http://youngmuslims.ca/publications/quran.asp
| The Opinions of European Writers |
Excerpted from "Dictionary of Islam" by Thomas Patrick Hughes © 1886
The late Professor Palmer, in his Introduction to the Qur'an, remarks: "The Arabs made use of a rhymed and rhythmical prose, the origin of which it is not difficult to imagine. The Arabic language consists for the most part of triliteral roots, i.e. the single words expressing individual ideas consist generally of three consonants each, and the derivative forms expressing modifications of the original idea are not made by affixes and terminations alone, but also by the insertion of letters in the root. Thus zaraba means' he struck,' and qatala, 'he killed,' while mazrub and maqtul signify 'one struck' and' one killed.'
A sentence, therefore, consists of a series of words which would each require to be expressed in clauses of several words in other languages, and it is easy to see how a next following sentence, explanatory of or completing the first, would be much more clear and forcible if it consisted of words of a similar shape and implying similar modifications of other ideas. It follows then that the two sentences would be necessarily symmetrical, and the presence of rhythm would not only please the ear but contribute to the better understanding of the sense, while the rhyme would mark the pause in the sense and emphasize the proposition.
"The Qur’an is written in this rhetorical style, in which the clauses are rhythmical though not symmetrically so, and for the most part, end in the same rhyme throughout the chapter.
"The Arabic language lends itself very readily to this species of composition, and the Arabs of the desert in the present day employ it to a great extent in their more formal orations, while the literary men of the towns adopt it as the recognised correct style, deliberately imitating the Quran.
"That the best of Arab writers has never succeeded in producing anything equal in merit to the Qur’an itself is not surprising.
"In the first place, they have agreed beforehand that it is unapproachable, and they have adopted its style as the perfect standard; any deviation from it therefore must of necessity be a defect. Again, with them, this style is not spontaneous as with Mohammed and his contemporaries, but is as artificial as though Englishmen should still continue to follow Chaucer as their model, in spite of the changes which their language has undergone.
With the Prophet, the style was natural and the words were those used in everyday ordinary life, while with the later Arabic authors, the style is imitative and true ancient words are introduced as a literary embellishment. The natural consequence is that their attempts look laboured and unreal by the side of his impromptu and forcible eloquence.
"That Mohammed, though, should have been able to challenge even his contemporaries to produce anything like the Qur'an, "And if ye are in doubt of what we have revealed unto our servant, then bring a chapter like it. But if ye do it not, and ye surely shall do it not, . . ." is at first sight surprising, but, as Noldeke has pointed out, this challenge really refers much more to the subject than to the mere style, to the originality of the conception of the unity of God and of a revelation supposed to be couched in God's own words.
Any attempt at such a work must of necessity have had all the weakness and want of prestige which attaches to an imitation. This idea is by no means foreign to the genius of the old Arabs.
"Amongst a people who believed firmly in witchcraft and soothsaying, and who, though passionately fond of poetry, believed that every poet had his familiar spirit who inspired his utterances, it was no wonder that the prophet should be taken for a soothsayer, for 'one possessed with an evil spirit,' or for 'an infatuated poet.'"
Mr. Stanley Lane Poole, in his Introduction to Lane's Selections from the Qur'an remarks:
"It is confused in its progression and strangely mixed in its contents; but the development of Mohammad's faith can be traced in it, and we can see dimly into the workings of his mind, as it struggles with the deep things of God, wrestles with the doubts which echoed the cavils of the unbelievers, soars upwards on the wings of ecstatic faith, till at last it gains the repose of fruition. Studied thus, the Qur'an is no longer dull reading to one who cares to look upon the working of a passionate troubled human soul, and who can enter into its trials and share in the joy of its triumphs."
"In the soorahs revealed at Mekka, Mohammad has but one theme - God; and one object - to draw his people away from their idols and bring them to the feet of that God. He tells them of Him in glowing language, that comes from the heart's white heat. He points to the glories of nature, and tells them these are God's works. With all the brilliant imagery of the Arab, he tries to show them what God is, to convince them of His power and His wisdom and His justice. The soorahs of this period are short, for they are pitched in too high a key to be long sustained.
The language has the ring of poetry, though no part of the Qur'an complies with the demands of Arab metre. The sentences are short and full of half-restrained energy, yet with a musical cadence. The thought is often only half expressed; one feels the speaker has essayed a thing beyond words, and has suddenly discovered the impotence of language, and broken off with the sentence unfinished. There is the fascination of true poetry about these earliest soorahs; as we read them we understand the enthusiasm of the Prophet's followers, though we cannot fully realise the beauty and the power, inasmuch as we cannot hear them hurIed forth with Mohammad's fiery eloquence. From first to last the Qur'an is essentially a book to be heard, not read, but this is especially the case with the earliest chapters.
"In the soorahs of the second period of Mekka, we begin to trace the decline of the Prophet's eloquence. There are still the same earnest appeals to the people, the same gorgeous pictures of the Last Day and the world to come; but the language begins to approach the quiet of prose, the sentences become longer, the same words and phrases are frequently repeated, and the wearisome stories of the Jewish prophets and patriarchs, which fill so large a space in the later portion of the Qur'an, now make their appearance. The fierce passion of the earliest soorahs, that could not out save in short burning verses, gives place to a calmer more argumentative style.
Mohammad appeals less to the works of God as proofs of his teaching,and more to the history of former teachers, and the punishments of the people who would not hear them. And the characteristic oaths of the first period, when Mohammad swears by all the varied sights of nature as they mirrored themselves in his imagination, have gone, and in their place we find only the weaker oath 'by the Qur'an.' And this declension is carried still further in the last group of the soorahs revealed at Mekka. The style becomes more involved and the sentences longer, and though the old enthusiasm bursts forth ever and anon, it is rather an echo of former things than a new and present intoxication of faith.
The fables and repetitions become more and more dreary, and but for the rich eloquence of the old Arabic tongue, which gives some charm even to inextricable sentences and dull stories, the Qur'an at this period would be unreadable. As it is, we feel we have fallen the whole depth from poetry to prose, and the matter of the prose is not so superlative as to give us amends for the loss of the poetic thought of the earlier time and the musical fall of the sentences.
" In the soorahs of the
Mr. Rowell, in his Introduction to his Qur'an, says:- " The contrast between the earlier, middle, and later Suras is very striking and interesting, and will be at once apparent from the arrangement here adopted. In the Suras as far as the 54th, we cannot but notice the entire predominance of the poetical element, a deep appreciation (as in Sura xci.) of the beauty of natural objects, brief fragmentary and impassioned utterances, denunciations of woe and punishment, expressed for the most part in lines of extreme brevity. With a change, however, in the position of Muhammad when he openly assumes the office of ‘public warner,' the Suras begin to assume a more prosaic and didactic tone, though the poetical ornament of rhyme is preserved throughout. We gradually lose the Poet in the missionary aiming to convert, the warm asserter of dogmatic truths; the descriptions of natural objects, of the judgment, of heaven and hell, make way for gradually increasing historical statements, first from Jewish, and subsequently from Christian histories; while, in the 29 Suras revealed at Medina, we no longer listen to vague words, often as it would seem without positive aim, but to the earnest disputant with the enemies of his faith, the Apostle pleading the cause of what he believes to be the Truth of God. He who at
"The Suras, viewed as a whole, strike me as being the work of one who began his career as a thoughtful enquirer after truth, and an earnest asserter of it in such rhetorical and poetical forms as he deemed most likely to win and attract his countrymen, and who gradually proceeded from the dogmatic teacher to the political founder of a system for which laws and regulations had to be provided as occasions arose. And of all the Suras it must be remarked that they were intended not for readers but for hearers - that they were all promulgated by public recital - and that much was left, as the imperfect sentences show, to the manner and suggestive action of the reciter.
It would be impossible, and indeed it is unnecessary, to attempt a detailed life of Muhammad within the narrow limits of a Preface. The main events thereof with which the Suras of the Qur'an stand in connection, are" The visions of Gabriel, seen at the outset of his career in his 40th year, during one of his seasons of annual monthly retirement, for devotion and meditation to Mount Hira, near Mecca, the period of mental depression and re-assurance previous to the assumption of the office of public teacher -the Fatrah or pause during which he probably waited for a repetition of the angelic vision - his labours in comparative privacy for three years, issuing in about 40 converts, of whom his wife Khadijah was the first, and Abu Bakr the most important; (for it is to him and to Abu Jahl the Sura xcii. refers) struggles with Meccan unbelief and idolatry followed by a period during which probably he had the second vision, Sura liii. and was listened to and respected as a person 'possessed' (Sura lxix. 42, lii. 29) the first emigration to Abyssinia in A.D 616, in consequence of the Meccan persecutions brought on by his now open attacks upon idolatry (Taghout) increasing reference to Jewish and Christian histories, shewing that much time had been devoted to their study - the conversion of Omar in 617 - the journey to the Thaquifites at Taief in A.D. 620 - the intercourse with pilgrims from Medina, who believed in Islam, and spread the knowledge thereof in their native town, in the same year - the vision of the midnight journey to Jerusalem and the Heavens - the meetings by night at Acaba, a mountain near Mecca, in the 11th year of his mission, and the pledges of fealty there given to him - the command given to the believers to emigrate to Yathrib, henceforth Medinat- en-nabi (the city of the Prophet), or El-Medina (the city), in April of A.D. 622-the escape of Muhammad and Abu Bekr from Mecca to the cave of Thaur-the FLIGHT to Medina in June 20, A.D 622-treaties made with Christian tribes-increasing, but still very imperfect acquaintance with Christian doctrines - the Battle of Badr in Hej. 2, and of Ohod- the coalition formed against Muhammad by the Jews and idolatrous Arabians, issuing in the siege of
"While, however, there is no great difficulty in ascertaining the Suras which stand in connection with the more salient features of Muhammad's life, it is a much more arduous, and often impracticable, task, to point out the precise events to which individual verses refer, and out of which they sprung.
It is quite possible that Muhammad himself, in a later period of his career, designedly mixed up later with earlier revelations in the same Suras - not for the sake of producing that mysterious style which seems so pleasing to the mind of those who value truth least when it is most clear and obvious - but for the purpose of softening down some of the earlier statements which represent the last hour and awful judgment as imminent; and thus leading his followers to continue still in the attitude of expectation, and to see in his later successes the truth of his earlier predictions. If after-thoughts of this kind are to be traced, and they will often strike the attentive reader, it then follows that the perplexed state of the text in individual Suras is to be considered as due to Muhammad himself, and we are furnished with a series of constant hints for attaining to chronological accuracy.
And it may be remarked in passing, that a belief that the end of all things was at hand, may have tended to promote the earlier successes of Islam at Mecca, as it unquestionably was an argument with the Apostles, to flee from ‘the wrath to come.' It must be borne in mind that the allusions to contemporary minor events, and to the local efforts made by the new religion to gain the ascendant are very few, and often couched in terms so vague and general, that we are forced to interpret the Qur'an solely by the Qur'an itself. And for this, the frequent repetitions of the same histories and the same sentiments, afford much facility: and the peculiar manner in which the details of each history are increased by fresh traits at each recurrence, enables us to trace their growth in the author's mind, and to ascertain the manner in which a part of the Qur'an was composed.
The absence of the historical element from the Qur'an as regards the details of Muhammad's daily life, may be judged of by the fact, that only two of his contemporaries are mentioned in the entire volume, and that Muhammad's name occurs but five times, although he is all the way through addressed by the Angel Gabriel as the recipient of the divine revelations, with the word SAY. Perhaps such passages as Sura ii. 15 and v. 246, and the constant mention of guidance, direction, wandering, may have been suggested by reminiscences of his mercantile journeys in his earlier years."
7 tips for improving your relationship
with the Quran
Are you one of those people who rarely touch’s the Quran? Or do you read daily, but don't find it is having the impact on you that it should? Whatever the case may be, these are some simple tips that can help you connect with the Quran.
- Before you touch it, check your heart. The key to really benefiting from the Quran is to check your heart first, before you even touch Allah's book. Ask yourself, honestly, why you are reading it. Is it to just get some information and to let it drift away from you later? Remember that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was described by his wife as a "walking Quran": in other words, he didn't just read and recite the Quran, he lived it.
- Do your Wudu (ablution). Doing your Wudu is good physical and mental preparation to remind you you're not reading just another book. You are about to interact with God, so being clean should be a priority when communicating with Him.
- Read only 5 minutes everyday. Too often, we think we should read Quran for at least one whole hour. If you aren't in the habit of reading regularly, this is too much. Start off with just five minutes daily. If you took care of step one, Insha Allah (God willing), you will notice that those five minutes will become ten, then half an hour, then an hour, and maybe even more!
- Make sure you understand what you've read. Five minutes of reading the Quran in Arabic is good, but you need to understand what you're reading. Make sure you have a good translation of the Quran in the language you understand best. Always try to read the translation of what you've read that day.
- Remember, the Quran is more interactive than a CD. In an age of "interactive" CD-ROMs and computer programs, a number of people think books are passive and boring. But the Quran is not like that. Remember that when you read Quran, you are interacting with Allah. He is talking to you, so pay attention.
- Don't just read, listen too. There are now many audiocassettes and CDs of the Quran, a number of them with translations as well. This is great to put on your Walkman or your car's CD or stereo as you drive to and from work. Use this in addition to your daily Quran reading, not as a replacement for it.
- Make Dua (supplication). Ask Allah to guide you when you read the Quran. Your aim is to sincerely, for the love of Allah, interact with Him by reading, understanding and applying His blessed words. Making Dua to Allah for help and guidance will be your best tool for doing this.
Arabic
The Key to Understanding the Qur’an
Fatima Barakatullah
We all feel touched when we open up a good translation of the meaning of the Qur’an and we ponder and wonder at the beauty of the words and the deep meanings within. But in reality we are just seeing a glimpse of the real treasure that the Qur’an is.
Imagine how you would feel if you could understand the words of Allah in the form in which they were sent down and not just rely on a translation of the meaning in English. Imagine the power of the words and the directness of the message then! The potency would be awesome!
The Qur’an is the word of Allah; a direct message from Allah to us His creation and Allah chose the Arabic language as the language of this message. Indeed Allah tells us this in the Qur’an emphasizing to us that to understand the message in its fuller form one must understand the language:
“Indeed we have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an, in order that you may understand” (Yusuf: 2)
Arabic and the message of the Qur’an cannot be separated and translators throughout the ages have tried to convey to the non-Arabic speaking people the beauty of the meaning of the Qur’an but have always called it ‘The translation of the meaning of the Qur’an’, emphasizing the fact that the Qur’ans direct translation is not possible, because so much of the potency and splendor of the words and their meanings which are inextricably linked to the Arabic language are lost in English or any other language. Indeed to even appreciate the poetic beauty of the Qur’an one needs to have an understanding of Arabic.
Remember that for the Arabs in the time of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wassalam), who were masters of eloquence and poetry, the words of the Qur’an itself were so unique compared to the poetry of the most eloquent of them, that many came to Islam recognizing that the Qur’an could not be the handiwork of even the best human poet, rather it could only come from Allah. The language itself was one of the miracles of the Qur’an. Allah challenges mankind:
“And if you are in doubt about what we have sent down to our servant, then produce a chapter like it and call your witnesses besides Allah if you are truthful. But if you do not do it, and you can never do it, then fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the disbelievers” (al-Baqarah: 23-24)
The Preservation of the Arabic Language
Languages usually evolve. Just look at the difference between Shakespearean English and modern day English. In many ways they seem like two totally different languages and a man from
Arabic unified the Muslim countries as it spread to every land that embraced Islam. This is why it is seen that those Muslim societies that are ignorant of Arabic are in general less knowledgeable about Islam. This ignorance has in turn made them more prone to stray from the straight path.
The enemies of Islam know this and have worked hard to tear the Muslims from the Arabic language and the Qur’an. During the French occupation of
“We will never be able to overpower the Algerians as long as they read the Qur’an and speak Arabic. Therefore we must remove the Arabic Qur’an from their midst and abolish the Arabic language from their tongues.”
And unfortunately this is exactly what the secular leader of
Today you will find that although Arabs throughout the world unfortunately have different colloquial dialects, they are still taught the Classical Arabic in their schools and Classical Arabic is the standard written Arabic in every Arabic newspaper and book. So it has been preserved by Allah as He promised in the Qur’an:
“Indeed we have sent down the Reminder and surely we will preserve it.” (al-Hijr: 9)
A Priority for all of us
Scholars throughout the ages, from the Companions to the present day, encouraged the Ummah to learn the Arabic language. Ubay ibn Ka’b (radi allaahu ‘anhu) said,
“Teach Arabic like you teach the memorization of the Qur’an!”
Abu Bakr (radi allaahu ‘anhu) said:
“That I recite and forget (a portion of the Qur’an) is more beloved to me than to make a grammatical mistake!”
And ‘Umar (radi allaahu ‘anhu) once passed by a group of archers who missed their targets.
He admonished them and they responded that they were only beginners, but in answering back they made a grammatical mistake in their wording. He told them, “Indeed, your mistakes in Arabic grammar are more difficult to bear than your mistakes in archery!”
Imam ash-Shaafi’ee (rahimahullah) said:
"Therefore it is imperative that every Muslim should strive to learn Arabic as hard as he can, so that he can testify the shahada, and recite the Book of Allah and say the invocations that are mandatory upon him, such as the takbeer, tasbeeh, tashahud and other prayers. And the more he learns the language that Allah Himself chose to be the language of him who sealed the Prophets (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam), and to be the language of His final revelation, the better it is for him!”
The great 8th century scholar Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) even went so far as to say that:
“The Arabic language is part of the Religion, and knowing it is an obligation.”
Unfortunately, we have become comfortable with simply relying on translations and spending all of our time and efforts in studying other things, (other languages even!) which may not even benefit us in the hereafter and have forgotten that the Qur’an is in a very approachable language and we all have the ability or rather the responsibility to study and understand it. If you knew that Allah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) had a message for you, personally, then would you not want to understand it in its original form? Think about it… We have the last revelation to mankind, the only communication from our Lord and Master, which is preserved in its original form, and yet in a 70 odd year life we do not give it the attention which it deserves. We should realise that Allah has honoured us with the Qur’an and chosen for us the noblest of languages. Attention to Arabic is attention to the Book of Allah so we should make learning it a priority.
I remember the feeling of tasting the sweetness of Allah’s words in my salaah when I first embarked upon my Arabic studies. I just repeated the same aayah of the Qur’an again and again savouring the words and suddenly feeling a deep emotion that I’d never felt before though I had read the same aayah many times before studying Arabic, it was as though a light had been lit for me and I’d suddenly discovered a new part of a house that I’d been living in for years. One of the definite benefits of learning Arabic is that it aids Khushoo’ or consciousness in salaah and helps us to improve all of our worships. Taraweeh prayer in Ramadan becomes a new experience!
Practical steps towards learning Arabic
Alhamdulillah with all the teaching aids and easy access to information that we have, learning Arabic does not necessarily mean traveling on arduous journeys to distant lands as it once used to. With discipline and commitment, the student can study much in his own time.
Here are some tips to help you along them way:
1. Make Du’a (supplication): As with everything we work towards, we should ask Allah to help us and make learning easy for us. We should ask Allah to purify our intentions so that we truly learn Arabic for the better understanding of the Qur’an and deen.
2. Discipline yourself! Put a set amount of time aside every day or twice a week for your Arabic studies and stick to it. Remember a little study regularly is better than hours of study once a month.
3. Know your basics well: Going step by step is the best way to master any language, concentrating on improving your basic reading and writing is the first step in learning Arabic, even if it is repetitive. Then you can build on that firm foundation.
4. Invest in a good dictionary and Arabic books: A good dictionary is the Hans Wehr or Al-Mawrid dictionary, available in most Muslim bookshops and on the Internet too! Arabic words are usually arranged under their three letter roots. Get used to looking up words often and compile your own personal vocabulary dictionary. Some good three-book sets you can start working through are the three Madinah university books or the Kitaab-ul Asaasi books.
5. Enrol into a summer course: There are a few around every summer and they are a great way to kick-start your learning. They can be quite intensive so remember to revise and keep up your study afterwards.
6. Study Arabic as part of your full-time degree: If you are going to study a degree, why not study a degree in Arabic or one with Arabic as part of it?
7. Study under an Arab friend or tutor: The importance of a good teacher cannot be stressed enough. Although there is a lot of self-study involved, a friend who knows Arabic or an Arab brother or sister who you could go to regularly for guidance would be very valuable. You could even start going through your Arabic books with them.
8. Organise a class locally: There must be like-minded Muslims in your area who would like to study Arabic too. Maybe you could get together and pay for a teacher to teach you Arabic together at the local Masjid or in one of your homes. Studying with friends is a good way to stay motivated.
9. Study abroad in an Arab country: There are various good courses running in countries such as
10. Expose yourself to as much Arabic as you can: You can listen to Arabic lecture tapes, visit Muslim countries, read some Arabic everyday, and maybe get an Arab newspaper when you become more proficient.
11. Speak Arabic whenever you can: One of the biggest obstacles to speaking Arabic is being shy about making mistakes in speech and so not speaking at all. You must overcome this shyness and use whatever you know whenever you can. This is how you will eventually improve insha’Allah. Maybe you could meet some Arab brothers or sisters who only speak Arabic. This way you’ll be forced to speak what you know and they’ll be pleased that you’re making the effort.
12. Relate your knowledge back to the Qur’an and other worships: Don’t forget that your aim is to understand what you recite of the Qur’an especially in your salaah and other adhkaar. Try to recognise Arabic words as you come across them in the Qur’an and apply your knowledge in understanding the Qur’an. Ponder over and pay attention to the words in your salaah.
INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF
THE QUR'AN
Syed Abul A'la Maududi
I
We are accustomed to reading books which present information, ideas and arguments systematically and coherently. So, when we embark on the study of the Qur'an, we expect that this book too will revolve around a definite subject, that the subject matter of the book will be clearly defined at the beginning and will then be neatly divided into sections and chapters, after which discussion will proceed in a logical sequence. We likewise expect a separate and systematic arrangement of instruction and guidance for each of the various aspects of human life.
However, as soon as we open the Qur'an we encounter a hitherto completely unfamiliar genre of literature. We notice that it embodies precepts of belief and conduct, moral directives, legal prescriptions, exhortation and admonition, censure and condemnation of evildoers, warnings to deniers of the Truth, good tidings and words of consolation and good cheer to those who have suffered for the sake of God, arguments and corroborative evidence in support of its basic message, allusions to anecdotes from the past and to signs of God visible in the universe. Moreover, these myriad subjects alternate without any apparent system; quite unlike the books to which we are accustomed, the Qur'an deals with the same subject over and over again, each time couched in a different phraseology.
The reader also encounters abrupt transitions between one subject matter and another. Audience and speaker constantly change as the message is directed now to one and now to another group of people. There is no trace of familiar division into chapters and sections. Likewise, the treatment of different subjects is unique. If a historical subject is raised, the narrative does not follow the pattern familiar in historical accounts. In discussions of philosophical or metaphysical questions, we miss the familiar expressions and terminology of formal logic and philosophy. Cultural and political matters, or questions pertaining to man's social and economic life, are discussed in a way very different from that usual in works of social sciences. Juristic principles and legal injunctions are elucidated, but quite differently from the manner of conventional works. When we come across an ethical instruction, we find its form differs entirely from anything to be found elsewhere in the literature of ethics.
The reader may find all this so foreign that his notion of what a book should be that he may become so confused as to feel that the Qur'an is a piece of disorganized, incoherent and unsystematic writing, comprising nothing but a disjointed conglomeration of comments of varying lengths put together arbitrarily. Hostile critics use this as a basis for their criticism, while those more favorably inclined resort to far-fetched explanations, or else conclude that the Qur'an consists of unrelated pieces, thus making it amenable to all kinds of interpretations, even interpretations quite opposed to the intent of God Who revealed the Book.
II
What kind of a book is the Qur'an? In what manner was it revealed? What underlies its arrangement? What is the subject? What is its true purpose? What is the central theme to which its multifarious topics are intrinsically related? What kind of reasoning and style does it adopt in elucidating its central theme? If we could obtain clear, lucid answers to these and other related questions we might avoid some dangerous pitfalls, thus making it easier to reflect upon and to grasp that meaning and purpose of the Qur'anic verses. If we begin studying the Qur'an in the expectation of reading a book on religion we shall find it hard, since our notions of religion and of a book are naturally circumscribed by our range of experience. We need, therefore, to be told in advance that this Book is unique in the manner its composition, in its theme and in its contents and arrangement. We should be forewarned that the concept of a book which we have formed from our previous readings is likely to be a hindrance, rather than a help, towards a deep understanding of the Qur'an. We should realize that as a first step towards understanding it we must disabuse our minds of all preconceived notions.
The student of the Qur'an should grasp, from the outset, the fundamental claims that the Qur'an make for itself. Whether one ultimately decides to believe in the Qur'an or not, one must recognize the fundamental statements made by the Qur'an and the man to whom it was revealed, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), to be the starting point of one's study. These claims are:
1. The Lord of the creation, the Creator and Sovereign of the entire universe, created man on earth (which is merely a part of His boundless realm). He also endowed man with the capacity for cognition, reflection, and understanding, with the ability to distinguish between good and evil, with the freedom of choice and volition, and with the power to exercise his latent potentialities. In short, God bestowed upon man a kind of autonomy and appointed him His vicegerent on earth.
2. Although man enjoys this status, God made it abundantly plain to him that He alone is man's Lord and Sovereign, even as He is the Lord and Sovereign of the whole universe. Man was told that he was not entitled to consider himself independent and that only God was entitled to claim absolute obedience, service and worship. It was also make clear to man that life in this world, for which he had been placed and invested with a certain honor and authority, was in fact a temporary term, and was meant to test him; that after the end of the earthly life man must return to God, who will judge him on the basis of his performance, declaring who has succeeded and who has failed.
The right way for man is to regard God as his only Sovereign and the only object of his worship and adoration, to follow the guidance revealed by God, to act in this world in the consciousness that earthly life is merely a period of trial, and to keep his eyes fixed on the ultimate objective - success in God's final judgment. Every other way is wrong.
It was also explained to man that if he chose to adopt the right way of life - and in this choice he was free - he would enjoy peace and contentment in this world and be assigned, on his return to God the abode of eternal bliss and happiness known as
3. Having explained all this, the Lord of the universe placed man on earth and communicated to Adam and Eve, the first human beings to live on the earth, the guidance which they and their offspring were required to follow. These first human beings were not born in a state of ignorance and darkness. On the contrary, they began their life in the broad daylight of Divine Guidance. They had intimate knowledge of reality and the Law which they were to follow was communicated to them. Their way of life consisted of obedience of God (i.e. Islam) and they taught their children to live in obedience to Him (i.e. to live as Muslims)
In the course of time, however, men gradually deviated from their true way of life and began to follow various erroneous ways. They allowed true guidance to be lost through heedlessness and negligence and sometimes, even deliberately, distorted it out of evil perversity. They associated with God a number of beings, human and non human, real as well as imaginary, and adored them as deities. They adulterated the God-given knowledge of reality with all kinds of fanciful ideas, superstitions and philosophical concepts, thereby giving birth to innumerable religions. They disregarded or distorted the sound and equitable principle of individual morality and of collective conduct and made their own laws in accordance with their base desires and prejudices. As a result, the world became filled with wrong and injustice.
4. It was insistent with the limited autonomy conferred upon man by God that He should exercise His overwhelming power and compel man to righteousness. It was also inconsistent with the fact that God had granted a term to the human species in which to show their worth that He should afflict men with catastrophic destruction as soon as they showed signs of rebellion. Moreover, God had undertaken from the beginning of creation that true guidance would be made available to man throughout the term granted to him and that his guidance would be available in a manner consistent with man's autonomy. To fulfill this self-assumed responsibility God chose to appoint those human beings whose faith in Him was outstanding and who followed the way pleasing to Him. God choose these people to be His envoys. He had His messages communicated to them, honored them with an intimate knowledge of reality, provided them with the true laws of life and entrusted them with the task of recalling man to the original path from which he had strayed.
5. These Prophets were sent to different people in different lands and over a period of time covering thousands and thousands of years. They all had the same religion; the one originally revealed to man as the right way for him. All of them followed the same guidance; those principles of morality and collective life prescribed for man at the very outset of his existence. All these Prophets had the same mission - to call man to his true religion and subsequently to organize all who accepted this message into a community which would be bounded by the Law of God, which would strive to establish its observance and would seek to prevent its violation. All the prophets discharged their missions creditably in their own time. However, there were always many who refused to accept their guidance and consequently those who did accept it and became a "Muslim" (Muslim would be anyone obeying God) community gradually degenerated, causing the Divine Guidance either to be lost, distorted or adulterated.
6. At last the Lord of the Universe sent Muhammad (peace be on him) to
If we remember these basic facts about the Qur'an it becomes easy to grasp its true subject, its central theme and the objective it seeks to achieve. Insofar as it seeks to explain the ultimate causes of man's success or failure the subject of the Book is MAN.
Its central theme is that concepts relating to God, the universe and man which have emanated from man's own limited knowledge run counter to reality. The same applies to concepts which have been either woven by man's intellectual fancies or which have evolved through man's obsession with animal desires. The ways of life which rest on these false foundations are both contrary to reality and ruinous for man. The essence of true knowledge is that which God revealed to man when He appointed him his vicegerent. Hence, the way of life which is in accordance with the reality and conducive to human good is that which we have characterized above as "the right way". The real object for the Book is to call people to this "right way" and to illuminate God's true guidance, which has often been lost either through man's negligence and heedlessness or distorted by his wicked perversity.
If we study the Qur'an with these facts in mind it is bound to strike us that the Qur'an does not deviate one iota from its main subject, its central theme and its basic objective. All the various themes occurring in the Qur'an are related to the central theme; just as beads of different sizes and color may be strung together to form a necklace. The Qur'an speaks of the structure of the heavens and the earth and of man, refers to the signs of reality in the various phenomena of the universe, relates anecdotes of bygone nations, criticizes the beliefs, morals, and deeds of different peoples, elucidates supernatural truths and discusses many other things besides. All this the Qur'an does, not to order to provide instruction in physics, history, philosophy or any other particular branch of knowledge, but rather to remove the misconception people have about reality and to make that reality manifest to them.
It emphasizes that the various ways men follow, which are not in conformity with reality, are essentially false, and full of harmful consequences for mankind. It calls on men to shun all such ways and to follow instead the way which both conforms to reality and yields best practical results. This is why the Qur'an mentions everything only to the extent and in the manner necessary for the purpose it seeks to serve. The Qur'an confines itself to essentials thereby omitting any irrelevant details. Thus all its contents consistently revolve around this call.
Likewise, it is not possible fully to appreciate either the style of the Qur'an, the order underlying the arrangement of its verses or the diversity of the subjects treated in it, without fully understanding the manner in which it was revealed.
The Qur'an, as we have noted earlier, is not a book in the conventional sense of the term. God did not compose and entrust it in one piece to Muhammad (pbuh) so that he could spread its message and call people to adopt an attitude to life consonant with its teachings. Nor is the Qur'an one of those books which discusses their subjects and main themes in the conventional manner. Its arrangement differs from that of ordinary books, and its style is correspondingly different. The nature of this Book is that God chose a man in Makkah to serve as His Messenger and asked him to preach His message, starting in his own city and with his own tribe (Quraysh). At this initial stage, instructions were confined to what was necessary at this particular juncture of the mission. Three themes in particular stand out:
1. Directives were given to the Prophet on how he should prepare himself for his great mission and how he should begin working for the fulfillment of his task.
2. A fundamental knowledge of reality was furnished and misconceptions commonly held by people in that regard - misconceptions which gave rise to wrong orientation in life - were removed.
3. People were exhorted to adopt the right attitude towards life. Moreover, the Qur'an also elucidated those fundamental principles which, if followed, lead to man's success and happiness.
In keeping with the character of the mission at this stage the early revelations generally consisted of short verses, couched in language of uncommon grace and owner, and clothed in a literary style suited to the taste and temperament of the people to whom they were originally addressed, and whose hearts they were meant to penetrate. The rhythm, melody and vitality of these verses drew rapt attention, and such was their stylistic grace and charm that people began to recite them involuntarily.
The local color of these early messages is conspicuous, for while the truths they contained were universal, the arguments and illustration used to elucidate them were drawn from the immediate environment familiar to the first listeners. Allusions were made to their history and traditions and to the visible traces of the past which had crept into the beliefs, and into the moral and social life of
1. A few people responded to the call and agreed to join the ummah committed, of its own volition, to submit to the Will of God.
2. Many people reacted with hostility, either from ignorance or egotism, or because of chauvinistic attachment to the way of life of their forefathers.
3. The call of the prophet did not remain confined to Makkah, it began to meet with favorable response beyond the borders.
In spite of the strong and growing resistance and opposition, the Islamic movement continued to spread. There was hardly a family left in Makkah one of whose members at least had not embraced Islam.
During the Prophet's long and arduous struggle God continued to inspire him with revelations. These messages instructed the believers in their basic duties, inculcated in them a sense of community and belonging, exhorted them to piety, moral excellence and purity of character, taught them how to preach the true faith, sustained their spirit by promises of success and Paradise in the Hereafter, aroused them to struggle in the cause of God with patience, fortitude and high spirits, and filled their hearts with such zeal and enthusiasm that they were prepared to endure every sacrifice, brave every hardship and face every adversity.
This stage was unfolded in several phases. In each phase, the preaching of the message assumed ever wider proportions, as the struggle for the cause of Islam and opposition to it became increasingly intense and severe, and as the believers encountered people of varying outlooks and beliefs. All these factors had the effect of increasing the variety of the topics treated in the messages revealed during this period. Such , in brief, was the situation forming the background of the Makkan SURAS of the Qur'an.
It is now clear to us that the revelation of the Qur'an began and went hand in hand with the preaching of the message. This message passed through many stages and met with diverse situations from the very beginning and throughout a period of twenty-three years. The different parts of the Qur'an were revealed step by step according to the multifarious, changing needs and requirements of the Islamic movement during these stages. It therefore could not possibly possess the kind of coherence and systematic sequence expected of a doctoral dissertation. Moreover, the various fragments of the Qur'an which were revealed in harmony with the growth of the Islamic movement were not published in the form of written treatises, but were spread orally. Their style, therefore, bore an oratorical flavor rather than the characteristics of literary composition.
Furthermore, these orations were delivered by one whose task meant he had to appeal simultaneously to the mind, to the heart and to the emotions, and to people of different mental levels and dispositions. He had to revolutionize people's thinking, to arouse in them a storm of noble emotions in support of his cause, to persuade his companions and inspire them with devotion and real, and with the desire to improve and reform their lives. He had to raise their morale and steel their determination, turn enemies into friends and opponents into admirers, disarm those out to oppose his message and show their position to be morally untenable. In short, he had to do everything necessary to carry his movement through to a successful conclusion. Orations revealed in conformity with requirements of a message and movement will inevitably have a style different from that of a professorial lecture.
This explains the repetitions we encounter in the Qur'an. The interests of a message and a movement demand that during a particular stage emphasis should be placed only on those subjects which are appropriate at that stage, to the exclusion of matters pertaining to later stages. As a result, certain subjects may require continual emphasis for months or even years. On the other hand, constant repetition in the same manner becomes exhausting. Whenever, a subject is repeated, it should therefore be expressed in different phraseology, in new forms and with stylistic variations so as to ensure that the ideas and beliefs being put over find their way into the hearts of the people.
At the same time, it was essential that the fundamental beliefs and principles on which the movement was based should always be kept fresh in people's minds; a necessity which dictated that they should be repeated continually through all stages of the movement... If these ideas had lost their hold on the hearts and minds of people, the Islamic movement could not have moved forward in its true spirit.
If we reflect on this, it also becomes clear that the prophet (pbuh) did not arrange the Qur'an in the sequence in which it was revealed. As we have noted, the context in which the Qur'an was revealed in the course of twenty-three years was the mission and movement of the prophet (pbuh); the revelations correspond with the various stages of this mission and movement. Now, it is evident that when the prophet's mission was completed, the chronological sequence of the various parts of the Qur'an - revealed in accordance with the growth of the prophet's mission - could in no way be suitable to the changed situation. What was now required was a different sequence in tune with the changed context resulting from the completion of the mission.
Initially, the prophet's message was addressed to people totally ignorant of Islam. Their instruction had to start with the most elementary things. After the mission had reached its successful completion, the Qur'an acquired a compelling relevance for those who had decided to believe in the prophet. By virtue of that belief they had become a new religious community - the Muslim Ummah. Not only that , they had been made responsible for carrying on the prophet's mission, which he had bequeathed to them, in a perfected form on both conceptual and practical level. It was no longer necessary for the Qur'anic verses to be arranged in chronological sequence. In the changed context, it had become necessary for the bearers of the mission of the prophet (pbuh) to be informed of their duties and of the true principles and laws governing their lives. They also had to be warned against the deviations and corruptions which had appeared among the followers of earlier prophets.
It would be foreign to the very nature of the Qur'an to group together in one place all verses relating to a specific subject; the nature of the Qur'an requires that the reader should find teachings revealed during the Madinan period interspersed with those of the Makkan period, and vice versa. It requires the juxtaposition of early discourses with instructions from the later period of the life of the Prophet. This blending of the teachings from different periods helps to provide an overall view and an integrated perspective of Islam, and acts as a safeguard against lopsidedness. Furthermore, a chronological arrangement of the Qur'an would have been meaningful to later generations only if it had been supplemented with explanatory notes and these would have had to be treated as inseparable appendices to the Qur'an. This would have been quite contrary to God's purpose in revealing the Qur'an; the main purpose of its revelation was that all human beings - children and young people, old men and women, town and country dwellers, laymen and scholars - should be able to refer to the Divine Guidance available to them in composite form and providentially secured against adulteration. This was necessary to enable people of every level of intelligence and understanding to know what God required of them. This purpose would have been defeated had the reader been obliged solemnly to recite historical notes and explanatory comments along with the Book of God.
Those who object to the present arrangement of the Qur'an appear to be suffering from a misapprehension as to its true purpose. They sometimes almost seem under the illusion that it was revealed merely for the benefit of students of history and sociology!
The present arrangement of the Qur'an is not the work of later generations, but was made by the Prophet under God's direction. Whenever a Surah was revealed, the Prophet summoned his scribes, to whom he carefully dictated its contents, and instructed them where to place it in relation to the other Surahs. The Prophet followed the same order of Surahs and verse when reciting during ritual Prayer as on other occasions, and his Companions followed the same practice in memorizing the Qur'an. It is therefore a historical fact that the collection of the Qur'an came to an end on the very day that its revelation ceased ...
Since Prayers were obligatory for the Muslims from the very outset of the Prophet's mission, and recitation of the Qur'an was an obligatory part of those prayers, Muslims were committing the Qur'an to memory while its revelation continued. Thus, as soon as a fragment of the Qur'an was revealed, it was memorized by some of the Companions. Hence the preservation of the Qur'an was not solely dependent on its verses being inscribed on palm leaves, pieces of bone, leather and scraps of parchment - the materials used by the Prophet's scribes for writing down Qur'anic verses. Instead the verses came to be inscribed upon scores, then hundreds, then thousands, then hundreds of thousands of human hearts, soon after they had been revealed, so that no scope was left for any devil to alter so much as one word of them.
When, after the death for the prophet, the storm of apostasy convulsed
The Qur'an that we possess today corresponds exactly to the edition which was prepared on the orders of Abu Bakr and copies of which were officially sent, on the orders of Uthman, to various cities and provinces. Several copies of this original edition of the Qur'an still exist today.
The Qur'an is a Book to which innumerable people turn for innumerable purposes. It is difficult to offer advice appropriate to all. The readers to whom this work is addressed are those who are concerned to acquire a serious understanding of the Book, and who seek the guidance it has to offer in relation to the various problems of life. For such people we have a few suggestions to make, and we shall offer some explanations in the hope of facilitating their study of the Qur'an.
Anyone who really wishes to understand the Qur'an, irrespective of whether or not he believes must divest his mind, as far as possible, of every preconceived notion, bias and prejudice, in order to embark upon his study with an open mind. Anyone who begins to study the Qur'an with a set of preconceived ideas is likely to read those very ideas into the Book. No book can be profitably studied with this kind of attitude, let alone the Qur'an which refuses to open its treasure-house to such readers.
For those who want only a superficial acquaintance with the doctrines of the Qur'an one reading is perhaps sufficient. For those who want to fathom its depths several readings are not even enough. These people need to study the Qur'an over and over again, taking notes of everything that strikes them as significant. Those who are willing to study the Qur'an in this manner should do so at least twice to begin with, so as to obtain a broad grasp of the system of beliefs and practical prescriptions that it offers. In this preliminary survey, they should try to gain an overall perspective of the Qur'an and to grasp the basic ideas which it expounds, and the system of life that it seeks to build on the basis of those ideas. If, during the course of this study, anything agitates the mind of the reader, he should note down the point concerned and patiently persevere with his study. He is likely to find that, as he proceeds, the difficulties are resolved. (When a problem has been solved, it is advisable to note down the solution alongside the problem). Experience suggests that any problems still unsolved after a first reading of the Qur'an are likely to be resolved by a careful second reading.
Only after acquiring a total perspective of the Qur'an should a more detailed study be attempted. Again the reader is well advised to keep noting down the various aspects of the Qur'anic teachings. For instance, he should note the human model that the Qur'an extols as praiseworthy, and the model it denounces. It might be helpful to make two columns, one headed 'praiseworthy qualities', the other headed 'blameworthy qualities', and then to enter into the respective columns all that is found relevant in the Qur'an. To take another instance, the reader might proceed to investigate the Qur'anic point of view on what is conducive to human success and felicity, as against what leads to man's ultimate failure and perdition. In the same way, the reader should take down notes about Qur'anic teachings on questions of belief and morals, man's rights and obligations, family life and collective behavior, economic and political life, law and social organization, war and peace, and so on. Then he should use these various teachings to try to develop and image of the Qur'anic teachings vis-à-vis each particular aspect of human life. This should be followed by an attempt at integrating these images so that he comes to grasp the total scheme of life envisaged by the Qur'an.
Moreover, anyone wishing to study in depth the Qur'anic viewpoint on any particular problem of life should, first of all, study all the significant strands of human thought concerning that problem. Ancient and modern works on the subject should be studies. Unresolved problems where human thinking seems to have got struck should be noted. The Qur'an should then be studied with these unresolved problems in mind, with a view to finding out what solutions the Qur'an has to offer. Personal experience again suggests that anyone who studies the Qur'an in this manner will find his problem solved with the help of verses which he may have read scores of times without it ever crossing his mind that they could have any relevance to the problems at hand.
It should be remembered, nevertheless, that full appreciation of the spirit of the Qur'an demands practical involvement with the struggle to fulfill its mission. The Qur'an is neither a book of abstract theories and cold doctrines which the reader can grasp while seated in a cozy armchair, nor it is merely a religious book like other religious books, the secrets of which can be grasped in seminaries and oratories. On the contrary, it is the blueprint and guidebook of a message, of a mission, of a movement. As soon as this Book was revealed, it drove a quiet, kind-hearted man from his isolation and seclusion, and place him upon the battlefield of life to challenge a world that had gone astray. It inspired him to raise his voice against falsehood, and pitted him in grim struggle against the standard-bearers of unbelief, of disobedience of God, of waywardness and error...
One after the other, it sought out everyone who had a pure and noble soul, mustering them together under the standard of the Messenger. It also infuriated all those who by their nature were bent on mischief and drove them to wage war against the bearers of the Truth.
This is the Book which inspired and directed that great movement which began with the preaching of a message by an individual, and continued for no fewer than twenty three years, until the
Then, and only then, does one meet the various experiences encountered at the time of its revelation. One experiences the initial rejection of the message of Islam by the city of
This will be an experience different from any so-called "mystic-experience". I designate it the "Qur'anic mystic experience". One of the characteristics of this 'experience' is that at each stage one almost automatically finds certain Qur'anic verses to guide one, since they were revealed at a similar stage and therefore contain the guidance appropriate to it. A person engaged in this struggle may not grasp all the linguistic and grammatical subtleties, he may also miss certain finer points in the rhetoric and semantics of the Qur'an, yet it is impossible for the Qur'an to fail to reveal its true spirit to him.
It is well known that the Qur'an claims to be capable of guiding all mankind. Yet the student of the Qur'an finds that it is generally addressed to the people of
... If, while addressing the people of a particular area at a particular period of time, attempting to refute their polytheistic beliefs and adducing arguments in support of its own doctrine of the unity of God, the Qur'an draws upon facts with which those people were familiar, this does not warrant the conclusion that its message is relevant only for that particular people or for that particular period of time.
What ought to be considered is whether or not the Qur'anic statements in refutation of the polytheistic beliefs of the Arabs of those days apply as well to other forms of polytheism in other parts of the world. Can the arguments advanced by the Qur'an in that connection be used to rectify the beliefs of other polytheists? Is the Qur'anic line of argument for establishing the unity of God, with minor adaptations, valid and persuasive for every age? If the answers are positive, there is no reason why a universal teaching should be dubbed exclusive to a particular people and age merely because it happened to be addressed originally to that people and at that particular period of time.
... Indeed, what marks out a time-bound from an eternal, and a particularistic national doctrine from a universal one, is the fact that the former either seeks to exalt a people or claims special privileges for it or else comprises ideas and principles so vitally related to that people's life and traditions as to render it totally inapplicable to the conditions of other people. A universal doctrine, on the other hand, is willing to accord equal rights and status to all, and its principles have an international character in that they are equally applicable to other nations. Likewise, the validity of those doctrines which seek to come to grips merely with the questions of a transient and superficial nature is time-bound. If one studies the Qur'an with these considerations in mind, can one really conclude that it has only a particularistic national character, and that its validity is therefore time-bound?
Those who embark upon a study of the Qur'an often proceed with the assumption that this Book is, as it is commonly believed to be, a detailed code of guidance. However, when they actually read it, they fail to find detailed regulations regarding social, political and economic matters. In fact, they notice that the Qur'an has not laid down detailed regulations even in respect of such oft-repeated subjects as Prayers and Zakah. The reader finds this somewhat disconcerting and wonders in what sense the Qur'an can be considered a code of guidance.
The uneasiness some people feel about this arises because they forget that God did not merely reveal a Book, but that he also designated a Prophet. Suppose some laymen were to be provided with the bare outlines of a construction plan on the understanding that they would carry out the construction as they wished. In such a case, it would be reasonable to expect that they should have very elaborate directives as to how the construction should be carried out. Suppose, however, that along with the broad outline of the plan of construction, they were also provided with a competent engineer to supervise the task. In that case, it would be quite unjustifiable to disregard the work of the engineer, on the expectation that detailed directives would form an integral part of the construction plan, and then to complain of imperfection in the plan itself.
The Qur'an, to put it succinctly, is a Book of broad general principles rather than of legal minutiae. The Book's main aim is to expound, clearly and adequately, the intellectual and moral foundations of the Islamic program for life. It seeks to consolidate these by appealing both the person's mind and to his/her heart. Its method of guidance for practical Islamic life does not consist of laying down minutely detailed laws and regulations. It prefers to outline the basic framework for each aspect of human activity, and to lay down certain guidelines within which man can order his life in keeping with the Will of God. The mission of the Prophet was to give practical shape to the Islamic vision of the good life, by offering the world a model of an individual character and of a human state and society, as living embodiments of the principles of the Qur'an.
QURAN
Your Gateway to a
If we are like most Muslims, we probably have a copy of the Quran somewhere in our home. We may not know where it is, but that is only because we never needed to look for it. Most often, it occupies the top shelf in any stack of books (ensuring maximum accessibility!), or found wrapped in multiple layers of decorated cloth (ensuring optimum visibility!). More likely than not, it's the one book with the most dust on it and the one we are least likely to pick for our night-time reading. There is a reason we treat this 'holy book' in such a disgraceful manner: we do not know why we have it and why we need it in the first place.
By our indifference, we have ignored its awesome power to change people and transform societies. By our misguided love for the physical Book, we have made it "untouchable", suitable only for occasional mouthing of its syllables, but otherwise to be stored away. By our overemphasis on minute details, we have erected barriers between the Quran and ourselves, counting on someone else to tell us how to understand it, so that we hardly ever interact with it personally!
The Quran as Reality
"Allah. There is no god but He, the Ever-living, the Self-subsisting [by whom all subsist]. He has sent down upon you the Book with the Truth ... as a guidance unto mankind" (3: 2-3)
For those who heard it for the first time from the lips of the Prophet, blessings and peace be on him, the Quran was a living reality. They had no doubt that, through him, Allah was speaking to them. Their hearts and minds were therefore seized by it. Their eyes overflowed with tears and their bodies shivered. They found each word of it deeply relevant to their concerns and experiences, and integrated it fully into their lives. They were completely transformed by it - both as individuals and as a community - into a totally new, alive and life-giving entity. Those who grazed sheep, herded camels and traded petty merchandise became the shepherds and leaders of mankind!
How do we make the Quran, again, a living, relevant force, as powerful for us now, 1420 years away, as it was then? Only by entering the world of the Quran as if Allah were speaking to us through it now and today, and by fulfilling the necessary conditions for such an encounter.
Encountering the World of the Quran
Firstly, then, we must realize what the Quran, as the word of God, is and what it means to us, and bring all the reverence, love, longing, and will-to-act that this realization demands. Secondly, we must read it as it asks to be read, as Allah's Messenger instructed us, as he and his Companions read it. Thirdly, we must bring each word of the Quran to bear upon our own realities and concerns by transcending the barriers of time, culture and change.
The
As you come to the Quran, you come to a new world. No other venture in your life can be so momentous and crucial, so blissful and rewarding, as your journey to and through the Quran.
It is a journey that will take you through the endless joys and riches of the words that your Creator and Lord has sent to you and all mankind. Here you will find a world of untold treasures of knowledge and wisdom to guide you on the pathways of life, to mould your thoughts and actions. In it, you will find deep insights to enrich you and steer you along the right course. From it, you will receive a radiant light to illuminate the deeper reaches of your soul. Here you will encounter profound emotions, a warmth to melt your heart and bring tears running down your cheeks.
Undertaking the Journey
To remain determined and steadfast on our road to its discovery, and to derive the maximum benefit from our undertaking of studying the Quran, we must approach it with certain convictions.
First, our lives will remain meaningless and ruined unless they are guided by the Quran, the word of God.
Second, the Quran, being the eternal guidance given by the Ever-living God, is as relevant for us, today; as it was fourteen centuries ago, and will remain so forever.
Third, we almost have a right, in some sense and measure, to receive its blessings today as its first believers did; provided, of course, that we come to it and move in it in a manner that may entitle us to share its rich harvest.
Fourth, every Muslim has a duty to devote himself to reading, understanding, memorizing and implementing the Quran.
Fifth, one must abandon oneself totally, in thought and deed, to whatever the Quran has to offer. Any pride, arrogance, sense of self-sufficiency, reservation, or ingenuity that can mistakenly be read into it, is fatal to its understanding and would shut the door to its blessings.
Sixth, the path of the Quran is the path of self-surrender, of practising what it tells you, even if one learns only one Ayah. One Ayah learnt and acted upon is better than a thousand explained beautifully but which do not impart any beauty to the reader's life.
Obedience, after all, is the real key to understanding.
Living the Quran
Reading the Quran will be of little benefit to you, it may even bring misery and harm, unless you, from the first moment, begin to change and reconstruct your life in total surrender to God who has given you the Quran. Without the will and striving to act, neither the states of heart and enraptures of the soul, nor the ecstasies of mood, nor intellectual enrichment will be of any use to you. If the Quran does not have any impact upon your actions and if you do not obey what it enjoins and avoid what it prohibits, then you are not getting nearer to it.
Reading the Quran should induce faith inside your heart; that faith should shape your lives. It is not a gradual piecemeal process, by which you first spend years reading the Quran, then understanding it and strengthening your faith, and only then act upon it. All things take place simultaneously: as you hear or recite the words, they kindle faith inside you; as you have faith inside you, your life begins to change.
What we must remember is that to live by the Quran requires a major decision on our part: we have to completely alter the course of our life, irrespective of what may be the dominant thought-patterns around us, or what our society may be dictating, or what others may be doing. This decision requires major sacrifices. But unless we, as believers in the Quran being the word of God, are prepared to take the plunge, not much good will come out of the time spent with the Quran.
O people! There has come to you an exhortation from your Lord - a healing for what is in the hearts, a guidance and a mercy for the believers. Say: In this bounty of Allah, and in His mercy, in it, let them rejoice!" (10: 57-8)
Let us rejoice then and re-acquaint our selves with Allah through His Book
http://youngmuslims.ca/publications/quran.asp
How do you know that?
The Quran is really from God?
Muslims have something that offers the clearest proof of all – The Holy Quran. There is no other book like it anywhere on earth. It is absolutely perfect in the Arabic language. It has no mistakes in grammar, meanings or context. The scientific evidences are well known around the entire world, even amongst non-Muslim scholars. Predictions in the Quran have come true; and its teachings are clearly for all people, all places and all times. No one has been able to produce a book like it, nor ten chapters like it, nor even one chapter like it. It was memorized by thousands of people during the lifetime of Muhammad, peace be upon him, and then this memorization was passed down from teacher to student for generation after generation, from mouth to ear and from one nation to another. Today every single Muslim has memorized some part of the Quran in the original Arabic language that it was revealed in over 1,400 years ago, even though most of them are not Arabs. There are over nine million (9,000,000) Muslims living on the earth today who have totally memorized the entire Quran, word for word, and can recite the entire Quran, in Arabic just as Muhammad, peace be upon him, did 14 centuries ago.
IT IS NECESSARY TO READ QURAN WITH UNDERSTANDING?
By
Shams Peerzada
Muslims believe that Quran is the Book of Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammed (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) and that it will continue till the end of the world to admonish and guide the entire humanity, irrespective of nation, country, time and space. It is not only a source of remembrance and guidance for the believers but also a healing mercy. This belief demanded that Muslims should have developed a conscious relationship with it, understood it, pondered over its verses, derived the light of learning from it, followed it sincerely and should have fulfilled the responsibilities placed on them by this book. But the case of Muslims is strange. They do not even feel the necessity of reading this book with understanding. They are satisfied merely with believing in and reciting it. In consequence their relationship with Quran has actually been weakened. The central place of importance which should have been occupied by this book and the traditions (Sunnah) of the prophet (peace be upon him) for Muslims is taken up by other personalities and their books or that they have become independent to follow their own free will. This state of affairs is not such that we may just pass over it. Cursorily, but there is a need to analyses the cause and remove the mental bocks pertaining to this.
EXCUSE OF NOT KNOWING ARABIC
Generally people think that since Quran is in Arabic and they do not know Arabic, it is not necessary for them to know the sense and meaning of the Quran. This excuse would have been acceptable if there were no resources available for understanding its meaning and message. But what does this excuse mean when every kind of resource to understand its meaning and message is available? In modern times education is common and the new methods of printing has provided immense resources for publication and dissemmation of knowledge, and so far as Quran is concerned its translation is available in many, and commentary in quite few, languages of the world. Then what prevents us to receive benefits from them?
Today how much a person has to read to launch his career; a college student reads a lot of books, studies them in depth and devotes a precious part of his life for acquiring knowledge. How difficult is his task! All these hardships are borne to achieve the worldly gains, but to achieve the benefit of the Hereafter none attends to the study of Quran. Allah’s Book is the only exception for him for learning which he does not have time. On the other hand the case should have been that when many languages are hand the cases should have been that when many languages are being learnt, some way should have been found to learn Arabic also, so that the ability to understand the Book of Allah directly would have been developed and when Quran is recited in the prayer (Salat), its meaning would have been understood and its sweetness would have further strengthened faith.
People read news papers as soon as they rise from bed. They read books and magazines of their choice. They have plenty of time to go through the worldly books, but they do not have time to read the Book of Allah with its translation. What a great tragedy it is! Is it not possible for them to devote half an hour after the morning prayer to recite the holy Quran, to study and ponder over it? What sort of preoccupation is this that they have time to understand everything of the world but no time to understand the divine book!
If a person receives a letter from his friend in a language not understood by him, he makes some one else read it in order to understand it. But he does not care to know the message sent by the Lord of the word for His slaves.
IS THE UNDERSTANDING OF QURAN ONLY FOR THE SCHOLARS (Ulema)?
A section of Muslims feels that the understanding of Quran is meant only for the religious scholars. For the remaining masses it is sufficient to read the books written by the scholars or the saints. Such a thought is not only wrong and baseless but it also deprives the people of the light of Quran and has driven them to the wrong practice of saint worship.
Who does not know that the very revelation of the holy Quran begins with the word “Iqra” which means “Read” and reading here implies the reading of Quran only. It includes reading with understanding because Quran is a purposeful book and how can its benefits be derived without understanding it? The command for reading is given to every person through the Prophet (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam); whoever receives Quran, whether he is Muslim or non-Muslim, whether belonging to the classes or the masses, whether a scholar or an ordinary person, with no reservations at all.
Quran explains the purpose of its revelation as “So that you understand”. Hence it is wrong to think that only the scholars (Ulema) can understand it. Quran itself explains its own simplicity and comprehensibility.
“And we have made Quran easy for admonition. Is there then any seeker of admonition?”(Qamar:17)
Despite this clarification by Quran it is wrong to say that this book is meant for the understanding of scholars only. The fact is that who ever studies Quran with the sincerity of purpose is bound to be benefited by its reading, no matter how less knowledgeable the person is and this is the foremost object of Quran.
“And expound His revelations to mankind that they may be reminded”.(Baqarah:221)
“And we have put forth for man in this Quran every kind of parable in order that they may receive admonition” (zumar:27)
“Nay, verily this is an admonition so whoever will may heed it” (Muddatthir:54-55)
What to talk of scholars, Quran is not restricted to even Muslims; It is a book of guidance for the entire mankind, and it demands that people study it and think over it.“Ramadan is the month in which was revealed the Quran a guidance for mankind.” (Baqarah:185)
“This is a book We have sent down to you blest so that the people may ponder over the verses thereof and the wise may be admonished (Sad :29).
“Those who conceal the clear signs We have sent down, and guidance, after we have made clear for the people in the book, on them shall be Allah’s curse and the curse of the cursers. (Baqarah :159)
“Do they not ponder over Quran or their hearts are locked thereof.” (Mohammed:24)
Quran commands that its verses be read to the infidels:
“Say: Come I will tell you what things your Lord has prohibited” (An’am :151)
“And I am commanded to recite the Quran. Whosoever accepts the guidance would be doing so for his own advantage.” (An-Nami : 92)
Even if in the battle field any non-believer seeks refuge in order to hear the Book of Allah, then it is commanded to give him shelter to enable him to hear the Book of Allah:
“If any of the polytheists seeks asylum with you, then give him protection till he may hear the word of Allah. They convey him to the place of safety. That is because they are the people who know not.” (Taubah : 6)
However it is strange to see that a section of Muslims wishes to shut the door of understanding of Quran for Muslims. It says that the people would fall a prey to mischief if they read the translation of Quran, as if there is no danger of Muslims falling a prey to mischief if they read Quran without understanding it. They feel that Muslims would fall a prey to mischief if they read Quran with translation. This is a wrong logic that they are presenting. If their apprehension is correct, then the question arises as to why the scholars have taken all the trouble of translating Quran. Are the translations done only for the benefit of scholars? Shah Abdul Qadir Saheb, Moulana Mehmudul Hasan Saheb, Moulana Ashraf Ali Saheb Thanavi, Moulana ?Fateh Muhammad Saheb Jalandhari, Mufti Muhammad Shafi Saheb and other distinguished scholars have made valuable contribution to the translation and commentary of Quran. For whose benefits did they make such serious efforts? Were they meant for Arabic knowing persons or for the urdu knowing? Had there been any danger of mischief in translation, these Ulema would not have undertaken this work. There may be slight differences in different translations, but if the correctness of the translation is assured, then minor differences, due to different understanding of the translators, need not be given undue importance, to the extent that the people are advised not to read the translation at all. There are lots of Muslims today who are deriving benefit from new and old translations. What mischief is caused by their reading Quran with translation? What are not the people who fear mischief from the translation of Quran apprehensive of any mischief in reading and making others listen to the books of their Ulema when these writings contain many controversial things, and there are books containing weak and fabricated Hadith, exaggerated encomium of the Saints, baseless stories and wishful dreams which have damaged the very fabric of the religion. Hence there is a need to stress on the importance of the holy Quran compared to the books of the Ulema of the respective schools of thought. The work for reformation would be easier if the relationship of the people is strengthened with the holy Quran. When they would read Quran with understanding, they would achieve the light of learning and they would not place their confidence in the books written by men.
RELIGIOUS GATHERINGS SANS QURANIC LESSION.
It is odd that the books of Ulema are read at the religious gatherings organized in the mosques with due attention but lessons from Quran are not arranged there. Any satisfactory translation or the commentary can be read if no competent person is available to impart lesion from the Quran, in order that the word of Allah can be presented to the people with its meaning and comprehension. And this can be more effective and beneficial compared to other things. But those who pay lip service to the virtues of the holy Quran do no to see this virtue of the Quran. They do not take interest if the teaching of Quran is imparted any where. However they take a lot of interest when a book of their own school of thought is read out. It is worth consideration what position we have given to Quran and what position it deserved.
IS IT NOT PROPER TO OFFER TRANSLATED QURAN TO NON-MUSLIMS?
With a view to propagation when the holy Quran is presented to non-Muslims with the translation and commentary some people raise objections saying that it is essential to be clean while handling Quran. The etiquettes which are prescribed for handling Quran for Muslims are not prescribed for non-Muslims. A Muslim is forbidden to enter the mosque in the state of uncleanness unless he takes a bath. But this condition is not applicable to non-Muslims. Accordingly the Prophet (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wasallam) had ordered Thamama Bin Athal, an infidel, to be tied to the pillar of the Masjid-I-Nabavi when he was brought as a captive. Similarly the letters sent by the Prophet to the Caeser and khasrau (Persian Emporer) contained Quranic verses. Thus it is clear that a portion or the whole Quran can be presented to non-Muslims for Dawah purposes. It is their responsibility if they disrespect the same. However it should be avoided when it is known that instead of taking benefit from it they would be disrespecting it. The rapid progress of printing in the contemporary world has made accessible the translated version of the Quran quite easily. Non-Muslims can obtain the copies of the holy Book from various book stalls. Should the book sellers and the publishers then be prohibited from selling it to non-Muslims? The fact is that Quran is printed in the press it to non-Muslims? The fact is that Quran is printed in the press belonging to non-Muslims, and non-Muslim publishing houses publish the same. All this is tolerated. But some persons object to the translated version of Quran being offered to non-Muslims to acquaint them with the message of Quran. This objection of theirs becomes an obstacle in the progress of Dawah efforts.
DOES NOT RECITATION OF QURAN EARN (DIVINE) REWARDS?
What is stated above is not meant to convey the idea that the recitation of Quran is not worth while. It would be wrong to say such things in view of the virtues and importance given to recitation and memorization of Quran in Quran and the Hadith. We should avoid excesses in religious matters and adopt moderation. We have written a note on the “Recite this book which has been revealed to you” (Ankaboot:45 ) in the commentary of Dawatul Quran explaining this ayah, as under:
“The command for the recitation of the Quran and establishing prayers, in the above referred to struggle of truth and falsehood, to the Prophet and through him to his followers hints at the direction: let these non-believers do so if they want to waste their lives. It is for you to cultivate a quality in your self which would adorn your lives and make you successful in the Hereafter, and that quality is your strong relationship with Allah. And strong relationship with Allah is established through recitation of the Quran and establishing the prayers.”
Full benefit from the recitation of Quran can only be achieved if the recitation is done in a manner which is its due implies: to believe in, to understand it, deliberate over it, take lesson from it and accepting its guidance to shape his life in accordance with its teaching. But it does not mean that the non-Arabic knowing Muslims should always read Quran with the translation. This is not possible because in the prayer (Salat) only recitation is done. The question of reading the translation does not arise. The main point is that Quran being the word of Allah, its recitation itself is worship and the means of nearness to Allah, because when a person having faith in this book recites it sincerely, he remembers Allah, and it develops humility and fear in him and this is a great spiritual wealth. Therefore he reading of each and every letter of Quran is rewarded and hence the importance of the recitation (Tilawat) of the holy Quran cannot be minimized. It would be as much rewarding as it would be read. The inducement for reading it is given in the Quran as well as in Hadith. People who recite Quran often but never make an effort to understand it are like the people who offer prayers (Salat) but do not make an effort to know what do they read in this, so much so that they are not even aware of the meaning of the surah Al-Fatiha or what they read in ruku’ and sajdah, nor do they know what do they affirm and deny in the prayer (Salat). Though such prayer is said to be duly performed but it remains defective from the viewpoint of its effects, blessing and rewards. Similarly the recitation of Quran does give the benefit of the worship but the negligence towards its meaning and sense not only reduces the reward of the worship but such person is not fully benefited from Quran and he fails to establish a relationship with Quran for attaining purity and guidance and this a big loss. Do such people think that the Al-mighty Allah will not ask them as to why they did not try to understand the Book of Allah when it was with them? Was the book revealed only for recitation or was it revealed so that people may receive light from it? (Tafseer Dawatul Quran)
Those who are accustomed to read Quran without understanding should also ponder over this Hadith:
“Whoever completed the reading of Quran in less than three days did not understand anything” (Tirmizi-Abwabul Qirat)
Obviously the person who completes the reading of Quran in less than three days would be reading it without paying due attention to its meaning. The hadith referred to above disapproves of such a recitation by an Arabic-knowing person. By this it becomes evident that the reading of Quran not only requires the uttering of words from the tongue but it also requires understanding and comprehension of the same.
Then it is not only sufficient to understand Quran but it is also equally essential to follow it and translate it into action. Quran clarifies repeatedly that the success in the Hereafter is for those who do good deeds having accepted faith. Therefore it is unwise to rest content with formal recitation of Quran and not try to understand it and act upon it. The Jews who were given the book of Allah were not its worthy bearers in the true sense of the term. They were described as donkeys laden with the books.
“The likeness of those who were entrusted with the Torah and they bore it is not is as the likeness of a donkey laden with books.”
What a pity that the majority of Muslims is satisfied with the recitation of Quran without understanding despite the presence of all the resources to understand Quran and seek knowledge from it. Quran is revealed so that man should surrender his rein to it and prepare himself in its light for his salvation in the Hereafter. But Muslims have made it a medium to get the sins of their dead relatives forgiven and for this purpose gatherings are arranged for the recitation of Quran. Does not this warning of the hadith become applicable to them that they do the work which they were not commanded to do?
THE BENEFITS OF THE STUDY OF QURAN
The benefits flowing from the study of Quran do not need any description. Nevertheless it is necessary to point out certain things in view of the prevalent negligence in this connection.
The very first thing is that the Quran is a book of guidance and in this age, when misguidance and straying concerning beliefs have become common, returning to the original source of guidance and to derive benefit from it is absolutely essential. On the one hand the materialistic theories have created doubts about God and the here after which has adversely influenced the educated section of our society. And on the other hand, despite the presence of eminent Ulema guiding to the right path, there is no death of the Ulema who are set to create distortions in the belief. Those who have elevated the saints to the status of “Ghauth” (listner of grievances) and ‘Mushkil kusha’ (Reliever in troubles) are these Ulema only. The ‘shirk’ which is non-excusable very scholars by their interpretation. Their argument is that they do not say that the saints relieve one’s miseries but Allah has given them certain powers to help the sufferers. But the person who reads Quran with an open mind is bound to find that it is a blatant lie and clear falsehood attributed to Allah because Quran has not said anything of this kind anywhere regarding the saints. On the contrary Quran clearly asserts that it is polytheism to invoke any one other than Allah for the help and relief and in the very first surah (Surah Fatiha) the prayer is taught in this way. “You alone we worship and, You alone we ask for help”. This invocation does not contain any medium or means which are hotly discussed by these very scholars. Hence the new Shariah in the shape of ‘Nazro Niyaz’ (offering), ‘Dargah’ (mausoleum), ‘Urs’, ‘sandal’ and the ‘bidaat’ of ‘Gyarhveen’ and the ‘khichda’ of Muharram which have been introduced is in sharp contrasts with the shariah laid down in Quran and the Sunnah. Therefore if any one reads Quran, with the help of its translation, with the sincerity of purpose, would find pure and strict Tawheed in a refined way and would save himself from polytheism which is the primary condition of salvation in the world of the Hereafter.Secondly the study of Quran enables a man to obtain real and solid knowledge, his ignorance is removed and the light of knowledge is attained by him. He understands the very purpose of life and realizes what are his responsibilities. He achieves recognition of Allah and His fear is created in him. He achieves the knowledge of the realities hidden from our eyes and a sense of accountability in the Here after is also developed in him. He becomes aware of the commandments of and the laws prescribed by Allah and he is prompted to follow them and enforce them.
The third thing is that in the matter of religion it is not sufficient for man to be knowledgeable only because there is a danger of his falling a prey to his passions and committing sins. In order to make him desist from sins and keep him doing good deeds, frequent remindings and exhortations are necessary. By study of Quran admonition and remindings come frequently before him and he over comes his desires and passions.
Fourthly Quran is a remedy for the diseases of the heart. “And it is healing for the diseases which are in the hearts.” (Yunus:57). Therefore Quran is the best means to purify the heart from evil thoughts, doubts, arrogance, hypocrisy, inclination towards sins, jealousy, rancour and other evils and it creates good qualities and promotes them. For purification of self it is not necessary to have a saintly person of “Tariqat” as a “Peer”, but to study Quran and sunnah and to adhere to them would suffie.
The fifth thing is that benefit of companionship is a very important and effective factor in man’s reformation and right training. It is a speciality of Quran that it presents the chronicles of the prophets repeatedly, as if the reader is taken in the company of the prophets, so that he may derive benefit from it. The company of the prophets, so that he may derive benefit from it. The various aspects of the excellence of the character of the pious persons with the ideal virtues and their greatness comes before the reader of Quran. He is indeed impressed.
But a section of Muslims instead of stressing on the study of Quran and getting benefits from the references and chronicles of the prophets, emphasizes the benefits of the company of saints cannot be a substitute for the benefits of the company of saints cannot be a substitute for the benefit flowing from the company of the prophets which is available in Quran. Secondly we would hardly find any saintly person in the present times who may be sincere, having correct beliefs, a custodian of Quranic thoughts, really pious and God fearing, scrupulous follower of the sunnah and who may fulfill at the individual and collective responsibilities and refrain from Bidaat and excesses. Now just think over to which saint cores of people are to be sent whose company would give them maximum benefit and is it practicable?
Then what is the purposes of minimizing the importance of a practicable thing and stressing on things which are not practicable? The intention behind our assertions is not that the company of the saints, scholars and righteous persons should be considered as useless. But our object is to emphasize that the company of the prophets should be sought whose chronicles are found in Quran in a way as if the listener of the reader is observing the same. And the pious life of the Prophet (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wasallam) preserved in Quran and Hadith is quite sufficient to provide benefits to the seeker of his pious company
Sixthly Quran is the book to bestow elevation as stated in hadith:
“Allah will raise many nations by this book and will lower many”. (Muslim)
Would this elevation be achieved by simply reciting Quran or is it necessary to become the follower and the standard bearer of Quran? If it is necessary to become the follower and the standard bearer of Quran, then it can only be achieved by understanding Quran, by observing its knowledge, and by practicing what it teaches.
If Muslims wake up and establish a conscious relationship with Quran, they can then glorify themselves and can offer everlasting life to others. They can be successful in this world and also in the next world. May Allah bless Muslims to understand this.
RISE WITH THE MESSAGE OF QURAN AND AWAKEN THE PEOPLE OUT OF SLUMBER
QURAN IS THE WORD OF ALLAH AND ITS DEMANDS ARE:
- Arrange to read Quran with understanding. This can be arranged by allotting at least half an hour, if not more, for Quran after the Salat-I-fajar (morning prayers). First of all recite a few verses then read their translation and deliberate over them. In this connection help can be sought from a reliable commentary.
- Encourage your children and family members to read Quran with understanding, for which necessary arrangement should be made. Every house should have a Quran with translation.
- Teachers are content with teaching merely to recite Quran, thought they make students memories poems in praise of Prophet, and other poetic compositions. If small children are made to memorize small Surahs like Surah Fatiha, Surah Ikhlas and Surah Asr with translation then it will create an impression in the children that the Quran is a book to be read with understanding. And the translation of Surah Fatiha must be memorized by every child, for it is recited in every ‘rakat’ of the prayer.
- Circles for teaching of Quran be organized at different places. Every mosque should have Darse Quran (teaching of Quran) and it should be given top priority over all other books in religious gatherings, so that Allah’s Book is presented to the people with its meaning and sense.
- Translation of Quran preferably with simple translation should be propagated among Muslims as well as non-Muslims so that the message of Quran reaches every house and negligent people come to their sense and Allah’s message is conveyed to the disbelievers convincingly, which is the very object of the existence of the Muslim Ummah.
Memorizing the Quran
From the Book of Abdur-Rahman Abdul Khaaliq's
"Al-Qawaaid adh-Dhahabiyyah lil-Hifdh il-Quran il-Adheem"
My Brother and Sister Muslim - there is no doubt that you know of excellence of memorizing the Quran and the excellence of teaching it. The Messenger of Allaah (sas) said: "The best amongst you is the one who learns the Qur'aan and teaches it."
Presented to you are some rules which will assist in memorizing the Qur'aan, may Allaah benefit us by them.
The First Rule: Ikhlaas - (Sincerity)
The purification of ones intention and correcting ones desire is obligatory. It is likewise for making ones concern with and memorization of the Quran for the sake of Allaah, the Sublime and Exalted, and for gaining success with His Paradise and obtaining His pleasure.
Also for obtaining those mighty rewards which are reserved for those who recited the Quran and memorized it. Allaah the Exalted said:
So worship Allah, making the Deen sincerely for Him. Is it not to Allah that sincere worship is due? [Zumar 39:2-3]
He also said:
Say: I have been commanded that I worship Allah making the Deen sincerely for H im. [Zumar 39:11]
And the Messenger of Allaah (sas) said: "Allaah the Exalted said: I am so self-sufficient that I am in no need of having an associate. Thus, he who does an action for someone elses sake as well as Mine will have that action renounced by Me to him whom he associated with Me." [Bukhaaree and Muslim]
Therefore, there is no reward for the one who recited the Quran and memorized it to show off and to be heard of. There is also no doubt that the one who recited the Quran desiring by it the world and seeking some sort of worldly reward for i t is sinful.
The Second Rule: Correction of ones Pronunciation and Recitation
The first step in memorizing the Quran after that of Ikhlaas is the obligation o f correcting the pronunciation of the Quran. This does not occur except by listening to a good reciter or a precise memorizer of the Quran. The Quran is not learned except by acquiring it (from another). Thus, the Messenger (sas) who is the most eloquent of the arabs in speech, took it from Jibreel (as) orally. The Mes senger (sas) himself used to recited the Quran to Jibreel once in every year and in the year that he died he recited it to him twice. [Reported by Bukhaaree]
Likewise, the Messenger taught it to the Companions (ra) orally and those who ca me after them heard it from the Companions and so on for each generation after them.
Taking the Quran from a good reciter is obligatory. Likewise, correcting ones re citation firstly and not depending on oneself in its recitation even if one is knowledgeable of the Arabic language and of its principles, is also obligatory. T his is because in the Quran there are many verses which occur in a way that is o pposed to what is well known in the rules of the Arabic language.
The Third Rule: Specifying a Daily Limit for Memorisation
It is necessary for the one desiring to memorize the Quran that he sets himself a daily limit for memorizing. a number of verses for example, perhaps a page or two pages or even an eighth of a juz (one thirtieth of the Quran). So he begins, after he has corrected his recitation and set his daily limit, to learn by frequent repetition. It is also necessary that this repetition is done melodiously a nd this is so that a person follows the Sunnah firstly and that it the memorization is made firm and strong secondly. Melodious recitation is pleasing to ones hearing and also assists in memorization. Furthermore, the tongue will always ret urn to a specific tone (of voice) and as a result of this it will become familiar with any mistake whenever the balance in ones recitation and familiar tone becomes disordered or imbalanced. The reciter will know therefore, that his tongue will not comply with him when he makes a mistake and that if the tone is wrong o r out of tune, his memorization will return to him.
All of this is because reciting the Quran and beautifying it with ones voice is a matter which has been commanded. It is not permissible to oppose this command due to the saying of the Messenger (sas): "Whoever does not beautify the Quran ( recite it melodiously) he is not of us." [Bukhaaree]
The Fourth Rule: Not Surpassing One's Daily Limit until You Have Perfected its Memorization.
It is not permissible for the memorizer to move to a new portion of the Quran until after he has perfected the memorization of his previous limit. This is so that whatever he has memorized is firmly established in his mind. There is no doubt that amongst those things which aid the memorizer is his occupation with what he has memorized through the hours of the day and night. This occurs by reciting it in the silent prayers, and if he is the imaam then in the loud prayers. Also in the superogatory prayers (nawaafil) and in the times when one is waiting for the obligatory prayers. By this method the memorization will become a lot easier. In this way it is possible for a person to practice it even if he is occupied with other matters and this is because he does not simply sit at a specific time for memorizing the Quran. Thus the night will not arrive except with those verses memorized and firmly established in the mind. And if there is something which has occupied the memorizer during this day, he should not move onto his next portion of the Quran, rather he should continue on the second day with what he h ad started with the day before until the memorization becomes perfected.
The Fifth Rule: Memorise Using the Same Copy (Mushaf) of the Quran
Among the things which aid the memorization is that the memo riser should keep for himself a specific mushaf (copy of the Quran) which he should never change. This is because a person memorizes using the sight just as he memorizes using the hearing. The script and form of the verses and their places in the mushaf leave an imprint in the mind when they are recited and looked at frequently. If the memorizer was to change his mushaf from which he memorizes or if he was to memories e from a number of different copies the places of the verses would be in different places and also the script may also be different. This makes the memorization difficult for him. Therefore it is obligatory for the one memorizing the Quran that he does so from a single script and mushaf and he should never replace it.
The Sixth Rule: Understanding is the Way to Memorising
Among the things which greatly aid the process of memorization is understanding the verses that one has memorized and knowing their relationship and link, one t o another. This is why it is necessary for the memorizer to read the tafseer (explanation) of those verses which he desires to memorize and that he knows their connection, one with another. Also, that he brings this to mind when he is reciting. This makes it easier for him to memorize the verses. Having said this, it is also necessary that he does not depend on knowing the meaning of the verses al one in memorizing them. Rather the repetition of these verses should be the foundation. This should be done until the tongue can recite the verses even if the mind is occupied with other than the meaning of these verses. This is sign that t he verses are firmly established in the mind. As for the one who relies upon the meaning alone then he will forget often and his recitation will be disjointed d ue to his mind being scattered and occupied with other things. This occurs frequently, especially when the recitation is long.
The Seventh Rule: Do not move on from a Complete Surah until you have connected the first part of it to the last
After one surah from among the surahs of the Quran has been completed it is desirable for the memorizer that he does not move onto another surah except after having perfected its memorization and connecting its first part to its last so tha t his tongue can flow in reciting it, from its beginning to its end. He should b e able to recite it without having to think or go through trouble in remembering the verses. Rather it is a must that the memorization (and recitation) of these verses is like (flowing) water and that the memorizer recites these verses with out hesitation, even if his mind is occupied with more than one thing, away from m the meaning of these verses. It should be as a person recites Surah Faatihah without any difficulty or having to think about it. This occurs by repeating these verses frequently and reciting them often. However the memorization of every surah of the Quran will not be like that of Surah Faatihah except rarely but the intent and desire should be to try to make it as such. Therefore, it is necessary that when a surah is completed it is firmly established in the mind, with its beginning connected to its end and that the memoriser does not move onto another surah until he has memorised it with precision.
The Eighth Rule: Reciting to Others
It is necessary for the memorizer not to depend on himself for his memorization. Rather he should test his memorization by reciting the verses or surah in quest ion to somebody else, or he should recite them by following the mushaf. And how excellent this would be if a person had with him a precise memorizer (who would test his memorization). This is so that the memorizer becomes aware of the possibility of his being forgetful or confused in his recitation (without knowing it) . Many individuals amongst us who memorize a surah make mistakes and a person ma y not realized that until he looks into the mushaf. Furthermore, the one who desires to memorize may not realize by himself at which place he makes an error in his recitation despite the fact that he may be reciting from a mushaf. For this reason making others listen to his recitation of what he has memorized from the Quran is a means of perceiving and knowing these errors and being constantly aware of them.
Islamworld.net
Obligations Muslim Owe to Quran.
By: Dr. Israr Ahmed
The pathetic and disastrous condition of the Muslim Ummah throughout the world is due to the abandoning of the Holy Qur´an by the Muslims. The attitude of indifference that we constantly show towards the last of the Allah´s Revelations, along with our hypocritical lip-service, is tantamount to ridiculing it. Instead, we must clearly understand our responsibilities towards the Holy Qur´an and try our very best in fulfilling them. We can neither expect any improvement in our worldly state of affairs nor hope for salvation in the Hereafter, unless we carry out all the obligations that we owe to the Qur´an.
The Qur´an makes five demands from every Muslim, which are as follows:
1- A Muslim is required to believe in the Qur´an;
2- He is required to read it;
3- He is required to understand it;
4- He is required to act upon its teachings;
5- He is required to convey its teachings to others.
The central axis and pivot of the Muslim Ummah is the Holy Qur´an. It is the Divine Revelation that provides the Muslims with a unifying source of guidance, consolidating them in the form of a singular force despite all their secondary differences and minor disagreements. The evil of sectarianism, therefore, can only be done away with the sword of the Qur´an. This is because human beings who have a common goal tend to unite and associate with each other. People with similar interests, ambitions, and priorities are automatically attracted towards each other. No artificial effort or external coercion is needed to unite them. Since the Holy Qur´an is common to all of the various sects, it has a tremendous potential for uniting them together. If we succeed in making the Holy Qur´an the center and nucleus of our lives, then all strife, disharmony, and sectarianism will disappear from the ranks of the Ummah. Insha Allah.
The Challenge
Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips 3
The Qur’aan is not only unique in the way in which it presents its subject matter, but it is also unique in that it is a miracle itself. By the term "miracle," we mean the performance of a supernatural or extraordinary event which cannot be duplicated by humans. It has been documented that Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) challenged the Arabs to produce a literary work of a similar caliber as the Qur'aan, but they were unable to do so in spite of their well-known eloquence and literary powers. The challenge to reproduce the Qur'aan was presented to the Arabs and mankind in three stages:
l. The Whole Qur'aan:
In the Qur'aan, Allaah commanded the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) to challenge all of creation to create a book of the stature of the Qur'aan, "Say: 'If all mankind and the jinn would come together to produce the like of this Qur’aan, they could not produce its like even though they exerted all and their strength in aiding one another.’" [Soorah al-Israa’ (17):88]
2. Ten Soorahs:
Next, Allaah made the challenge ostensibly easier by asking those who denied its divine origin to imitate even ten soorahs of the Qur’aan: "Or do they say that he has invented it? Say (to them), 'Bring ten invented soorahs like it, and call (for help) on whomever you can besides Allaah, if you are truthful." [Soorah Hood (11):13]
This final challenge was to produce even a single soorah to match what is in the Qur’aan,whose shortest soorah, al-Kawthar, consists of only three verses: "And if you all are in doubt about what I have revealed to My servant, bring a single soorah like it, and call your witnesses besides Allaah if you are truthful." [Soorah al-Baqarah (2):23]
These challenges were not just empty words with no one caring to prove them wrong. Prophet Muhammad’s (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) call to monotheism, to the abolition of idolatry in all its forms, and to the equality of slaves and their masters threatened the whole socio-economic framework of Makkah society in general, and the position of the ruling Qurayshee tribe from which the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) came in particular. Makkah, the trading center of
However, Allaah enabled the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) and his followers to flee Makkah and join a new band of converts who had arisen among the tribes of a city to the north called Yathrib. Islaam spread rapidly through the clans of Yathrib, and within a year Muslims became the city's majority. Prophet Muhammad was then made the ruler, and the name of the city was changed to Madeenah an-Nabee (The City of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam), which was then shortened to "Madeenah." Over the next eight years, the clans of Makkah and its neighboring lands mounted a series of unsuccessful battle campaigns against the emerging Muslim state in Madeenah, which ended with the Muslim invasion of Makkah itself.
All of this bloodshed could have been avoided if only the Quraysh and their allies had been able to produce a mere three lines of poetry or flowing prose similar to the shortest soorah of the Qur'aan. Hence, there can be no doubt about the inimitability of the Qur'aan's literary style, about the miracle of its rhyme and the marvel of its rhythm.
It has been suggested that the inimitability of the Qur'aan is not necessarily unique, for great English poets like Shakespeare, Chaucer, or great poets in any language tend to have distinctly unique styles which set them apart from their contemporaries. However, if, for example, some leading poet of today were to make an in-depth study of Shakespeare's writings and write a sonnet in Shakespeare's style in old ink and on old paper, then claim that he had discovered a lost poem of Shakespeare's, the literary world would probably accept this claim, even after careful study. Thus, even the greatest of poets could be imitated, no matter how unique his style was, just as the famous painters have been imitated. [In fact, some English scholars consider much ofwhat has been attributedto Shakespeare to have been written by his contemporary, Christopher Marlowe.] The Qur'aan, however, is way above this level, as attempts to forge chapters have been made throughout the ages, yet none has withstood close scrutiny. And, as was mentioned before, the incentive to imitate the Qur'aan was more intense during the time of its revelation when literally skills were at their peak than at any other time, yet there was no successful attempt.
The Qur'an, Knowledge
and Science
Note: All translations of the Qur'an in this article are based on several translators including Yusuf Ali, Marmaduke Pickthal, T. B. Irving, and N. J. Dawood. However, there are some differences which the author felt made the English closer to the Arabic. The author is indebted to Dr. M. Zerroug for reviewing this article.
The Description of Knowledge in the Qur'an and by the Prophet (PBUH)
There are plenty of references to knowledge and the pursuit of knowledge in the Qur'an. The general feeling they leave the reader with is that the possessor of knowledge or wisdom has been given a very powerful gift, and that the pursuit of knowledge is something which should be done actively by everyone. Here are a few verses on the subject:
[96:1-5] Read! In the name of your Lord who created - Created the human from something which clings. Read! And your Lord is Most
These five verses make up the first passage revealed from the Qur'an to mankind through the Prophet Muhammad 
. It is interesting that of all the things which Allah chose to begin His revelation with is related to the actions of reading and writing, especially the latter. The ability to write and store information is described by Professor Carl Sagan in his book COSMOS: "Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people, citizens of distant epochs, who never knew one another. Books break the shackles of time, proof that humans can work magic." [21]
[2:269] He [Allah] grants wisdom to whom He pleases; and he to whom wisdom is granted indeed receives a benefit overflowing. But none will grasp the Message except men of understanding.
[20:114] High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth. Do not be in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation to you is completed, but say, "O my Sustainer! Increase my knowledge."
[3:190-191] Verily in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day - there are indeed signs for men of understanding; Men who remember Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the creation of the heavens and the earth (with the thought) "Our Lord! Not for nothing have You created (all) this. Glory to You! Give us salvation from the suffering of the Fire."
These verses are a clear demonstration that 'science' and 'religion' were NOT meant to be fundamentally incompatible with each other by Allah. In fact, verses [3:190-191] strongly imply that "contemplating" the world around us is an integral part of faith.
[29:20] Say: Travel through the earth and see how Allah originated creation; so will Allah produce the second creation (of the Afterlife): for Allah has power over all things.
There are also references in the Qur'an describing the value (in the sight of Allah) of a knowledgeable person as opposed to an ignorant person. They are not equal:
[39:9] ...Say: Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that remember (Allah's Message).
[58:11] ...Allah will raise up to (suitable) ranks (and degrees) those of you who believe and who have been granted knowledge.
The first source of Islam is the Qur'an - and we have seen some verses above on the subject of knowledge. The second source is the life of Prophet Muhammad . Here are a few of the Prophet's sayings on the subject of knowledge:
"Upon a person whom Allah desires good, He bestows the knowledge of faith." - from the hadith collections of Bukhari and Muslim
"A person who follows a path for acquiring knowledge, Allah will make easy the passage to
"A Muslim is never satiated in his quest for good (knowledge) till it ends in
The Relationship Between the Qur'an and Modern Science
Modern scientific theory today finds itself quite close to the Qur'an. There are at least two reasons behind this observation. The first is the lack of inconsistencies between the Qur'an and observable natural phenomena. Science has not been able to produce theories or experiments that fundamentally contradict the Qur'an. Had our science done so, either our understanding of the Qur'an or of the world would have been to blame: the Qur'an itself is true for all times. The second reason for the remarkable harmony between the Qur'an and science is the presence in the Qur'an itself of very clear and positive encouragement to contemplate and investigate the world around us. As the verses quoted above indicate, Allah has not forbidden man to question, and in fact, it seems He wants us to do so.
However, the Qur'an goes beyond simply encouraging all human beings to be aware of the natural world. It also contains widely dispersed references on a variety of subjects which are not only scientifically accurate, but in some cases, quite advanced relative to the time of the Prophet Muhammad . For the Muslim who reads and understands these references, they serve to strengthen his or her faith of course. For the non-Muslim who questions the authenticity or authorship of the Qur'an, these references provide some interesting answers. One possible reason for these Qur'anic verses which describe the natural world can be found in the following verse:
[41:53] Soon will We show them Our Signs in the (farthest) horizons, and within themselves, until it becomes manifest to them that it is the Truth...
The historical event which this verse alludes to is the conquest of Makkah. However, almost every verse in the Qur'an carries a historical and a universal meaning, and therefore one possible interpretation of this verse is that it refers to the gradual discovery of greater and greater natural "evidence" of the Creator's involvement in our world. Two of the most important and most fascinating goals of modern science are to peer farther and farther out to the edge of the universe, and to look deeper and deeper into the structure of the human body. It is in these two areas that we find the "signature" of Allah's creative power at its strongest.
A Selection of Qur'anic Verses which Comment on the Natural World
A. - On the ongoing process of creation
[16:8] ...and He creates other things beyond your knowledge...
[24:45] ...Allah creates what He wills...
These two verses, among others, indicate that Allah has not 'finished' creation; rather, it is an ongoing process. This is very significant from a scientific point of view because we are gradually beginning to observe and understand certain natural phenomena which are still in a process of formation. One prime example is our observation of still- emerging galaxies from huge clouds of nebulae. Another is the evolution of species, with its associated evidence of strange and exotic "intermediate" life forms turned into fossils. These two examples are just the tip of the iceberg; the following excerpt from the physicist Paul Davies' book The Cosmic Blueprint underscores the growing awareness of continuous creation:
"An increasing number of scientists and writers have come to realize that the ability of the physical world to organize itself constitutes a fundamental, and deeply mysterious, property of the universe. The fact that nature has creative power, and is able to produce a progressively richer variety of complex forms and structures, challenges the very foundation of contemporary science. 'The greatest riddle of cosmology,' writes Karl Popper, the well-known philosopher, 'may well be...that the universe is, in a sense, creative.'" [21]
B. - On pollution and the wasting of natural resources
[30:41] Rottenness (decay/corruption) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned, that (Allah) may give them a taste of some of their deeds, in order that they may turn back (from evil).
[7:31] O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer; eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for Allah does not love those who waste.
The importance of understanding the ecological consequences of our actions as individuals or as a society was not fully appreciated until this century. We now understand that we cannot alter the face of the earth indiscriminately without paying some penalty, which may be disastrous. We also understand that caution ought to be applied globally, not just locally but truly "on land and sea". Ecological awareness does not imply asceticism however. According to the Qur'an, we are not forbidden to take pleasure in this life, however we are forbidden from wasting resources needlessly.
C. - On the dual nature of iron
[57:25] ...And We sent down iron in which is mighty harm, as well as many benefits for mankind...
Iron is one of two metals found abundantly on the earth (aluminum being the other). It was known to many ancient civilizations, and is the most important metal we use today. The general description of it in the Qur'an was accurate in the time of the ancients, and it is even more so today: iron is the basis for most weapons of war and most of the everyday tools which we work with.
D. - On the origin of life in water
[21:30] ...And We made every living thing from water...
[24:45] And Allah has created every animal from water...
Modern scientific theory on the origin of life was not firmly established up until the last two or three centuries. Prior to that, the predominant theory on the origin of life was based on a concept called "spontaneous generation" where living creatures literally popped out of inanimate matter spontaneously and continuously. This view was discredited with the work of many Renaissance scientists including Harvey and Redi, and in the 1850's, Louis Pasteur's research on bacteriology sealed the coffin on this theory. Starting with the work of Huxley up to the present day, an alternative theory has been proposed where life is understood to have emerged from a long, increasingly complex chain of chemical reactions. These reactions are believed to have begun in the depths of the oceans because the atmosphere was not sufficiently developed to protect living organisms from ultraviolet radiation:
"...it is believed that early forms of life developed in oceans or pools...It has been suggested that the colonization of land, about 425,000,000 years ago, was possible only because enough ozone was then produced to shield the surface from ultraviolet light for the first time." [20]
This idea of life originating in the oceans is strongly supported by the two Qur'anic verses quoted above.
It is important to note however that the Qur'an does NOT contain an exclusive endorsement for evolution. While the verses quoted above indicate beyond any doubt that Allah created all living things from water, there are many other verses that emphasize His Absolute power over everything.
[41:39] "...For He (Allah) has power over all things."
[3:47] "...when He has decreed a matter, He only says to it, 'Be', and it is."
E. - On the diversity of mankind
[30:22] And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colors; verily in that are Signs for those who know.
[49:13] O mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him...
The racial and linguistic differences between humans are not meant as reasons to discriminate. Allah simply describes this diversity as a part of His creative power, and He does not single out any race as being inherently superior to the others. The emphasis in [49:13], in fact, is to learn to communicate with one another.
F. - On the Water Cycle
Most of us are familiar with the water cycle from our classes in middle school, where we learned how a drop of seawater evaporates, then becomes a drop of rainwater, and then finally returns to the sea via rivers or underground channels. The first person in modern times to understand this process was Bernard Palissy who described it correctly in 1580 [10]. Prior to him, most of the ancient Greek and Roman scholars had various incomplete or incorrect theories on the water cycle (Plato, for example, believed that precipitation eventually descended into the abyss called Tartarus and from there it fed into the oceans [10]).
The Qur'an does not give a complete description of the water cycle from start to end, however there are a few precise references to specific stages. Perhaps the most fascinating of these references are the following two verses on rain clouds:
[30:48] It is Allah Who sends the winds, and then they raise clouds: then He spreads them in the sky as He wills and makes them dark, then you see the drops issue from the midst of them...
[24:43] Don't you see how Allah drives clouds with force, then joins them together, then makes them into a heap? - then you see the drops issue from the midst of them. And He sends down from the sky mountains (of clouds) wherein is hail: He strikes therewith whom He pleases and He turns it away from whom He pleases. The flash of His lightning well-nigh snatches away the sight.
The two verses are describing the stages in the formation of rain clouds, which is in turn a stage in the water cycle. A close examination of these two verses suggests that they make reference to two different phenomena, one of "spreading" the clouds and the other of "joining" them together, two different processes by which rain clouds might be formed.
Modern meteorology has come to this very conclusion within the last two centuries. [17,18,19]
There are two types of clouds which can yield precipitation, and they are classified by their shape: stratus (layer-type) and cumulus (heap- type). The precipitative layer clouds are further subdivided into stratus and nimbostratus (nimbo meaning rain). The first verse above on rain clouds ([30:48]) precisely sums up the formation of layer rain clouds. It is known today that these types of clouds are started under conditions of gradual, rising winds:
"...and then they [winds] raise clouds..." [30:48]
Next, the cloud takes on its distinctive shape, that of a layer:
"...then He spreads them..." [30:48]
If the conditions are right (i.e. low enough temperature, high enough humidity, etc.), the cloud droplets further condense into (larger) rain droplets, and we observe this effect from the ground as a darkening of the cloud layer:
"...and makes them dark..." [30:48]
Finally, drops of rain fall from the cloud.
"...then you see the drops issue from the midst of them..." [30:48]
The second type of precipitative cloud is the heap type, and it is subdivided into cumulus, cumulonimbus, and stratocumulus. These clouds are characterized by being puffy-shaped and piled upon each other. Cumulus and cumulonimbus are the true heap clouds - stratocumulus is a form of degenerated, spread-out cumulus [18]. The second verse above on rain clouds ([24:43]) describes the formation of heap rain clouds. These clouds are formed under conditions of strong updrafts (thermals) and downdrafts of air:
"...drives clouds with force..." [24:43]
As the puffs of clouds form, they may unite into a single giant cloud, all piled up on top of one another:
"...then joins them together, then makes them into a heap..." [24:43]
At this point, either a cumulus or a cumulonimbus cloud has formed - either of which can yield rain. The rest of the verse is applicable to the case of a cumulonimbus (which is familiar to all of us as the towering thunderstorm cloud). If the heap cloud assumes large vertical proportions, then it can appear to the observer on the ground as a huge mountain or hill, but more importantly, by extending high into the atmosphere, the upper cloud droplets can freeze and thereby yield hail [17, 18]:
"...And He sends down from the sky mountains (of clouds) wherein is hail..." [24:43]
Finally, cumulonimbus clouds (i.e. thunderstorms) can have one last vivid property: lightning [17, 18]:
"...The flash of His lightning well-nigh snatches away the sight..." [24:43]
Other Qur'anic verses deal with more stages in the water cycle.
[23:18] And We send down water from the sky according to (due) measure, then We cause it soak into the soil. And We are most certainly able to withdraw it.
This is a single verse stating that rainfall is absorbed into the ground and that it can eventually be removed (drained).
[13:17] He sends down water from the sky, and the rivers flow, each according to its measure...
[39:21] Don't you see that Allah sends down rain from the sky, and leads it through the springs in the earth?...
Two methods by which absorbed rainfall is moved are described here: surface and underground rivers.
There are other references in the Qur'an to the water cycle (e.g. [40:13], [23:18], [25:48], [29:63], and others) , and all of them have the same property as the verses quoted above: modern scientific findings are fully compatible with them [10].
A few other verses also deal with water but in a slightly different context. They are not nearly as numerous as the verses on the water cycle.
[56:68-69] Do you see the water which you drink? Do you bring it down from the cloud or do We?
This rhetorical question emphasizes our inability to fulfill one of our oldest dreams: to control the rain. The fact is we cannot make it rain unless a pre-existing cloud is in the vicinity - and then only under the proper conditions, and even then we are not assured of success. The cloud should have different sized cloud particles, a high rate of condensation from the rising air, and good vertical development. If all of these characteristics are present, then we MAY coax some more rain out through cloud seeding and various other techniques. However, modern meteorologists are unsure of its effectiveness. Regardless, it is the presence of the necessary preconditions which we have no control over, and this ultimately stops us from arbitrarily bringing down the water of any cloud in the form of rain [10].
The following verse describes a property of large rivers.
[25:53] It is He who has caused to mix freely the two great bodies of water, this one pleasant-tasting and sweet and this one salty and bitter, and He made between them a barrier and a forbidding ban.
A description of the estuaries of large rivers is supplied by the verse above. These estuaries are relatively unusual because the outgoing fresh water of the river does not immediately mix with the salt water of the sea into which the river empties. Instead, the fresh water penetrates deep into the salt water body before any mixing occurs, far from the mouth of the river. Small rivers do not have this property. [10]
Finally, one more reference to clouds.
[52:44] And were they to see a piece of the sky falling down, they would (only) say "Heaps of clouds!"
Another reference to clouds but this time in the context of responding to a challenge by an earlier peoples who ridiculed a prophet by asking him to cause a piece of the sky to fall on them, apparently thinking it to be a solid cap around the earth. Allah refutes their challenge here, declaring that they would only find a pile of clouds, something all of us would understand today. [10]
G. - On Human Embryological and Fetal Development
The Qur'an has an extensive amount of information on the growth of the human embryo and fetus, especially the former. Before presenting this information, it may be helpful to provide a brief outline of human development in the womb as modern science understands it. [10]
1. An unfertilized egg is produced by the female, and is subsequently placed in her Fallopian tubes.
2. The male cohabits with the female, and a single sperm cell fertilizes the egg.
3. The fertilized egg retreats into the uterus, and attaches itself to the uterine wall.
4. Embryological growth (roughly 3 months).
5. Fetal growth (6 months).
6. Birth
We will examine some of these stages in greater detail as the verses in the Qur'an require. First, however, two verses which give a general overview of human development:
[71:14] ...seeing that it is He (Allah) Who has created you in stages...
[35:11] And Allah created you from dust, then from a drop...
The first verse is a very general, yet accurate description of our creation as coming in stages (see the six-step outline above). The second verse puts some perspective on the whole affair: how man originally came from dust (Adam), and then from a drop.
There are at least four specific details regarding human development in the Qur'an which modern science has revealed only within the last few centuries, and in some cases only in this present century. The first concerns the emission of semen:
[75:37] Was he (man) not a drop of semen emitted?
In spite of the large amount of liquid which can be produced by a man during human intercourse, this verse emphasizes that only a small drop of it is important.
The second important detail in the Qur'an on human development is the description of the fertilizing liquid (i.e. semen):
[86:6] He (man) is created from a gushing liquid.
[76:2] We created the human from a drop which is a mixture...
[32:8] Then He (Allah) made his (Adam's) progeny from a quintessence of a despised liquid.
The second and third verses relate to the contents of semen. Modern science has established that semen is in fact a composition of different secretions which come from four different glands during ejaculation: the testicles, the seminal vesicles, the prostate gland, and the urinary tract glands. The actual sperm cells come from the testicles; the other three glands produce no fertilizing agents. The Qur'an goes farther than just informing us that semen is a mixture of liquids. It tells us in [32:8] that only the "quintessence" of the liquid is used (the "despised" comes from the fact that semen is emitted from the same place as urine, and thus may be despicable in some people's sight). The Arabic word for "quintessence" in this verse signifies extracting the absolute best out of something. The numbers tell the story: a normal ejaculation involves about 3 ml of fluid containing between 120,000,000 and 150,000,000 sperm cells. Of these cells, only one fertilizes the egg in the female, and this is the point which [32:8] alludes to [15].
A third detail of human development mentioned in the Qur'an concerns the newly fertilized egg:
[75:37-38] Was he (man) not a drop of semen emitted? Then he did become something leech-like which clings...
Recent observations of the fertilized egg in the womb have revealed that the egg literally implants itself into the uterine wall. It "clings" in the strongest sense, and it remains like so in the early stage of development. On top of that, the developing organism acts as a leech on the female host in the sense that it draws its sustenance directly from its mother's body [10].
Finally, the Qur'an gives a fascinating account of embryological development (the first three months) in the following verses (certain words have been transliterated directly from the Arabic):
[23:14] ...We made the drop into an ALAQAH (leech-like structure), and then We changed the ALAQAH into a MUDGHAH (chewed-like substance), then We changed the MUDGHAH into IDHAAM (bones, skeleton), then We clothed the IDHAAM with LAHM (flesh, muscles), then We caused him to grow and come into being as another creation.
[22:5] ...We created you out of dust, then out of a drop, then out of a MUDGHAH, partly formed and partly unformed...
Verse [23:14] divides embryological development into four stages. The first stage picks up right after fertilization ("drop"), and is characterized by an ALAQAH or "leech-like structure" which describes how the egg implants itself into the uterus (see above). The second stage describes the embryo as evolving into a MUDGHAH which means something which has been chewed (especially a piece of meat), or which has the appearance of having been chewed. This seemingly crude description is in fact quite accurate: after the fertilized egg lodges itself in the uterus, it begins to receive its first nutrients and energy from its mother. Consequently, it begins to grow especially rapidly, and after a week or two it looks like a ragged piece of meat to the naked eye. This effect is enhanced by the development of small buds and protrusions which will eventually grow into complete organs and limbs.
The next two stages described in verse [23:14] tell of bones being made from the MUDGHAH, followed by the "clothing" of the bones with flesh or muscles. If we follow the progress of the embryo with our own eyes, we find that after approximately four weeks, a process called 'differentiation' begins, where groups of cells within the embryo transform themselves to form certain large organs. One of the earliest structures to develop in this stage is the cartilaginous basis of the human skeleton (in subsequent months, the cartilage hardens or ossifies). It is followed soon after by the appearance of a host of other organs including muscles, ears, eyes, kidneys, heart, and more. This maintains the order described in the Qur'an. Verse [23:14] concludes with the growth of the organism in the womb (and simple growth is the primary characteristic of the fetal stage) followed by its birth.
Verse [22:5] adds one more interesting note on the embryo. In this verse, the MUDGHAH is qualified with the phrase
"partly formed and partly unformed."
As alluded to above, our modern observations of embryological development have revealed how different structures and organs develop one after another through differentiation. This gives rise to unusual situations where the embryo is unevenly formed (i.e. lungs but no ears for example). [11,16]
H. - On Cosmology
Of all the references in the Qur'an to scientific matters, the most numerous are on the creation and structure of the universe and the earth. This area is singled out in several verses like the one below as an example of Allah's creative power:
[45:3] Verily, in the heavens and the earth are signs for those who believe.
For a much more detailed exposition of the Qur'an and cosmology (and science in general), interested readers should consider reading M. Bucaille's book 'The Bible, The Qur'an, and Science' [10]. Below, a brief summary of some of the more powerful verses.
First, a verse which makes a small note regarding the age of mankind with respect to the universe:
[76:1] Has there not been over Man a long period of Time when he was not yet a thing thought of?
The Arabic word for "Time" in this verse is "Dahr" and it can mean either all of eternity or simply a tremendously long time. Modern science can help us understand this verse better. The first appearance of humans on this earth is estimated to have occurred on the order of one million years ago. The age of the universe, on the other hand, is estimated at roughly fifteen billion years. If we normalize the age of the universe to one day, then man would be less than six seconds old.
The following verse deals with the creation of the heavens and the earth.
[50:38] And We created the heavens and the earth and all between them in six days, and nothing touched us of weariness.
Notice the sharp counterpoint to the Bible at the end of this verse regarding whether Allah "rested" after the sixth day from tiredness. However, a more subtle yet perhaps vastly more important difference is brought out when we look at the first verse in the Bible, Genesis [1:1]:
Bible [1:1] In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
There is no mention of "and all between them", as opposed to the Qur'an (which refers to this in several verses, no less). Modern science has just within this last century discovered that much of the mass of the universe is contained in the vast spaces between galaxies and stars (ignoring for the moment the possibility of 'dark matter' which would only make a stronger point). In spite of having only a single hydrogen atom every few cubic meters on average (interstellar material), the universe is so huge that the "empty" space may account for more of the total universe's mass than all the stars combined - at the very least, it is a significant amount. Thus, it is an important omission to leave out "all between" the earth and the other stars and galaxies ("heavens").
As to the debate which has wracked Christianity and Judaism for centuries regarding the meaning of "six days", the word "days" in classical Arabic has a secondary meaning of a "very long time" or an "era" [12]. The Qur'an, however, presents a conclusive answer to this question via the following three verses scattered throughout the text:
[22:47] And yet they ask you to hasten on the Punishment! But Allah will not fail in His promise. Verily a Day in the sight of your Lord is like a thousand years of your reckoning.
[32:5] He (Allah) directs (all) affairs from the heavens to the earth: in the end will (all affairs) go up to Him on a Day the space whereof will be (as) a thousand years of your reckoning.
[70:4] The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a Day the space whereof is (as) fifty thousand years.
It is clear from these verses that a "day" in the Qur'an can easily have different meanings in different contexts, and is thus not constrained to mean a strict 24-hour period.
The next two verses address certain details of creation.
[21:30] Don't those who reject faith see that the heavens and the earth were a single entity then We ripped them apart?...
[41:11] Moreover, He applied His design to the heavens, while it was (yet) vapor,and He said to it and to the earth, "Come (into being), willingly or unwillingly." They said, "We do come in obedience."
Verse [21:30] foreshadows the modern cosmological theory known as the Big Bang theory wherein all matter is presumed to have originated from a violent explosion. Verse [41:11] refers to a later stage in creation, one in which a cosmologist would describe the universe as filled with a nebulous gas undergoing a slow coalescence into gross structures such as clusters, galaxies, stars, and so on. The words of these two verses may seem coarse and simplistic to the modern eye, but this does not detract from their general accuracy.
Then there are verses that speak of the sun and the moon.
[25:61] Blessed is He Who put in the heavens constellations, and put in it a lamp and a light-giving moon.
This verse emphasizes the sun as a direct source of light ("lamp"), whereas the moon is not given this title. Man has long since established that the moon's light is simply reflected sunlight.
[55:5] The sun and the moon follow precise courses.
The meaning of this verse is obvious, and we have known the mathematical description of these "courses" since Kepler and
[21:33] It is He Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon: all swim along, each in its rounded course.
This verse supplements the previous one: here, we learn that the sun and moon follow "rounded courses." It is significant that the Arabic word used here - "falak" - does not mean circular course, just rounded. Kepler was the first European astronomer to realize that the paths of the planets and the moon are elliptical. It was not until later, though, that astronomers also realized that the sun has an orbit as well - around the center of the Milky Way.
The Qur'an contains a number of verses on the structure and contents of the universe. There are too many to list here, but the following three form an interesting sample:
[51:47] And the heavens We did create with Our Hands, and We do cause it to expand.
Flatly stating what Einstein refused to believe at first, this verse anticipates Hubble's discovery of the expanding universe by approximately thirteen centuries. This verse makes a very clear point that the expansion is continuous (until the Day of Judgement, which is guaranteed by Allah to come upon us unexpectedly).
[42:29] And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the living creatures that He has scattered through both of them...
[45:13] And He has subjected to you (man), from Him, all that is in the heavens and on earth: behold, in that are signs indeed for those who reflect.
These two verses are extremely interesting. Not only does the first one very strongly imply the existence of living creatures on other planets throughout the universe, but the second tells us that the heavens are "subject" to us. With a little imagination, we (or perhaps our children) can begin dreaming of the possibility of interstellar travel - and not just confined to our own solar system!
Bibliography
[1]. The Qur'an
[2]. At-Tabari. Abridged Tafseer (commentary) of the Qur'an. Arabic
[3]. Ali, Abdullah Yusuf. The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an. Amana Corporation,
[4]. Asad, Muhammad. The Message of the Qur'an. Dar-Al-Andalus Limited,
[5]. Irving, Thomas. The Noble Qur'an. Amana Books,
[6]. Pickthall, Mohammed. The Meaning of the Glorious Koran. Penguin Books,
[7]. Dawood, N. J. The Koran. Penguin Books,
[8]. Nadvi, Syed M. Muslim Thought and its Source. Ashraf Press,
[9]. Kazi, Mazhar. Guidance from the Messanger. Islamic Circle of North America,
[10]. Bucaille, Maurice. The Bible, the Qur'an, and Science. American Trust Publications,
[11]. Moore, K., A. Zindani, M. Ahmed. New Terms For Classifying Human Development
[12]. Wehr, Hans. Arabic-English Dictionary. Spoken Language Services,
[13]. Steingass, F. Arabic-English Dictionary.
[14]. The Holy Bible - Revised Standard Version
[15]. Sussman, Maurice. Developmental Biology.
[16]. Bodemer, Charles. Embryology, Encyclopedia
[17]. Chandler, T. J. The air around us. Natural History Press,
[18]. Kotsch, William. Weather for the Mariner. Naval Institute Press,
[19]. Battan, Louis. Fundamentals of Meteorology.
[20]. Sagan, Carl et. al. Life, Encyclopedia Brittanica. Encyclopedia Britannica, Chicago, 1992
[21]. Davies, Paul. The Cosmic Blueprint.
[22]. Sagan, Carl. Cosmos. Ballantine Books,
The Status of the Arabic Language
In Islam
Shaykh al-Islam Taqi Al-Deen Ibn Taymiya (d.728H)
As for becoming accustomed to talking to one another in a language other than Arabic, which is the symbol of Islam and the language of the Qur‘an, so that this becomes a habit in the land, with one’s family and household members, with one’s friends, in the marketplace, when addressing government representatives or authority figures or when speaking to people of knowledge, undoubtedly this is makrooh (disliked), because it involves being like the non-Arabs, which is makrooh, as stated previously.
Hence when the early Muslims went to live in Syria and Egypt, where the people spoke Byzantine Greek, and in ’Iraq and Khurasan, where the people spoke Persian, and North Africa (al-Maghrib) where the people spoke Berber, they taught the people of those countries to speak Arabic, so that Arabic became the prevalent language in those lands, and all the people, Muslim and Muslims alike, spoke Arabic. Such was also the case in Khurasan in the past, then they became lax with regard to the language and got used to speaking Farsi until it became prevalent and Arabic was forgotten by most of them. Undoubtedly this is disliked.
The best way is to become accustomed to speaking Arabic so that the young people will learn it in their homes and schools, so that the symbol of Islam and its people will prevail. This will make it easier for the people of Islam to understand the Qur’an and Sunna, and the words of the Salaf, unlike a person who gets used to speaking one language, then wants to learn another, and finds it difficult.
Know that being used to using a language has a clear and strong effect on one’s thinking, behaviour and religious commitment. It also has an effect on making one resemble the early generations of this Umma, the Companions and the Tabi’een. Being like them improves one’s thinking, religious commitment and behaviour.
Moreover, the Arabic language itself is part of Islam, and knowing Arabic is an obligatory duty. If it is a duty to understand the Qur‘an and Sunna, and they cannot be understood without knowing Arabic, then the means that is needed to fulfil the duty is also obligatory.
There are things which are obligatory on all individuals (fard ‘ayn), and others which are obligatory on the community or Umma (fard kifayah, i.e., if some people fulfil them the rest are relieved of the obligation).
This is the meaning of the report narrated by Abu Bakr Ibn Abi Shaybah who said: ‘Isa Ibn Yunus told us from Thawri from ‘Umar Ibn Yazid that ‘Umar wrote to Abu Musa al-Ash’ari and said: “Learn the Sunna and learn Arabic; learn the Qur‘an in Arabic for it is Arabic.”
According to another hadith narrated from ‘Umar, he said: “Learn Arabic for it is part of your Religion, and learn how the estate of the deceased should be divided (fara‘id) for these are part of your Religion.”
This command of ‘Umar, to learn Arabic and the Shari’a combines the things that are needed, for Religion involves understanding words and actions. Understanding Arabic is the way to understand the words of Islam, and understanding the Sunna is the way to understand the actions of Islam…” [1]
Notes:
[1] Iqtida Al- Siratil-Mustaqeem (2/207)
100 Questions on Quran
1) What is the meaning of the word "Qur'an"?
A) That which is Read.
2) Where was the Qur'an revealed first?
A) In the
3) On which night was the Qur'an first revealed?
A) Lailatul-Qadr (Night of the Power)
4) Who revealed the Qur'an?
A) Allah revealed the Qur'an
5) Through whom was the Qur'an revealed?
A) Through Angel Jibraeel (Alaihis-Salaam)
6) To whom was the Qur'an revealed?
A) To the last Prophet, Muhammed (Sallahu Alaihi Wasallam)
7) Who took the responsibility of keeping the Qur'an safe?
A) Allah himself
8) What are the conditions for holding or touching the Qur'an?
A) One has to be clean and to be with wudhu (ablution)
9) Which is the book which is read most?
A) The Qur'an
10) What is the topic of the Qur'an?
A) Man
11) What are the other names of the Qur'an according to the Qur'an itself?
A) Al-Furqaan, Al-Kitaab, Al-Zikr, Al-Noor,Al-Huda
12) How many Makki Surahs (chapters) are there in the Qur'an?
A) 86
13) How many Madani Surahs (chapters) are there in the Qur'an?
A) 28
14) How many Manzils (stages) are there in the Qur'an?
A) 7
15) How many Paara or Juz (parts) are there in the Qur'an?
A) 30
16) How many Surahs (chapters) are there in the Qur'an?
A) 114
17) How many Rukoo (paragraphs) are there in the Qur'an?
A) 540
18) How many Aayaath (verses) are there in the Qur'an?
A) 6666
19) How many times is the word 'Allah' repeated in the Qur'an?
A) 2698
20) How many different types of Aayaath (verses) are there in the Qur'an?
A) 10
21) Who is the first 'Haafiz' of the Qur'an?
A) Prophet Muhammed (Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam)
22) At the time of the death of Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) how many Huffaz were there?
A) 22
23) How many Aayaath (verses) on Sajda (prostation) are there in the Qur'an?
A) 14
24) In which Paara (part) and Surah (chapter) do you find the first verse about Sajda (prostation)?
A) 9th Paara, 7th Chapter-Surah-al-Araaf, Verse 206
25) How many times has the Qur'an stressed about Salaat or Namaaz (prayer)?
A) 700 times
26) How many times has the Qur'an emphasized on alms or charity?
A) 150
27) How many times in the Qur'an, is the Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) addressed asYaa-Aiyu-Han-Nabi?
A) 11 times
28) Where in the Qur'an has Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) been named 'Ahmed'?
A) Paara 28th, Surah Saff, Ayath 6th
29) How many times has the name of Rasool-ullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) been mentioned in the Qur'an?
A) Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)-4times Ahmed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)-1 time
30) Name the Prophet whose name is mentionedand discussed most in the Qur'an?
A) Moosa (Alahis-Salaam)
31) Who were the Kaathibe-Wahi (copyists of the revelations) of the Qur'an?
A) Abu Bakr (Radhiallahu Anhu), Usman (Radhiallahu Anhu), Ali (Radhiallahu Anhu), Zaid Bin Harith(Radhiallahu Anhu) And Abdullah bin Masood(Radhiallahu Anhu)
32) Who was the first person who counted the Aayaath (verses) of the Qur'an?
A) Ayesha (Radhiallahu Anha)
33) On whose advice did Abu Bakr (Radhiallahu Anhu) decide to compile the Qur'an?
A) Omer Farooq(Radhiallahu Anhu)
34) On whose order was the Qur'an compiled completely in written form?
A) Abu Bakr (Radhiallahu Anhu)
35) Who confined the recitation of the Qur'an on the style of the Quraysh tribe?
A) Usman (Radhiallahu Anhu)
36) Out of the copies of the Qur'an compiled by Usman (Radhiallahu Anhu), how many and where are they at present?
A) Only 2 copies. One in
37) Which Surah of the Qur'an was Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) reciting while praying, that Hazrat Jabeer Bin Muth'im Listened to and embraced Islam?
A) Surah Thoor
38) Which was that Surah of the Qur'an which the Prophet Muhammed Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) had recited when one of his enemies Utba after listening to it fell in Sajda (prostation)?
A) The first five Ayaaths of Ham-Meem-Sajda
39) Which is the first and the most ancient Mosque according to the Qur'an?
A) Kaaba
40) In Qur'an mankind is divided into two groups.Which are those two groups?
A) Believers and disbelievers
41) Who is the man about whom, Allah has said in the Qur'an that his body is kept as an admonishing example for future generations to come?
A) Fir'aun. (Pharaoh)
42) Besides the body of Pharaoh, what is that thing which is kept as an admonishing example for future generations to come?
A) Noah's
43) After the wreckage of Prophet Noah's
A)
44) In the Qur'an the name of which companion of Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is mentioned?
A) Zaid Bin Harith.
45) Who is the relative of the Prophet Muahmmed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)whose name is mentioned in the Qur'an?
A) Abu Lahab
46) In the Qur'an there is a mention of a Prophet who has been called by his mother's name. Who was he?
A) Jesus [Prophet Isa (Alahis salaam)] is mentioned as bn Maryam.
47) Which was the agreement that was titled Fath-hum-Mubeen' without fighting a battle?
A) Treaty of Hudaibiya
48) What are the different names used for Satan or Devil in the Qur'an?
A) Iblees and Ash-Shaitaan.
49) Which category of creature does the Qur'an put 'Iblees' into?
A) Jinn.
50) What were those worships and prayers that were ordered by Allah to the
community of Bani Israeel and which were continued by the Muslim Ummah also?
A) Salaat and Zakaat. (Al-Baqarah:43)
51) The Qur'an repeatedly warns of a certain day.Can you say which day it is?
A) Youmal Qiyamah.(Doomsday)
52) Who were those people with whom Allah was pleased and they were pleased with Him, as mentioned in the Qur'an?
A) Companions of Prophet Muhammed.(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)
53) In which Holy Book of Non-Muslims the Qur'an mentioned repeatedly?
A) In the Holy Book of Sikh Community-Granth Saheb.
54) In which year were the vowels inserted in the Qur'an?
A) 43 Hijri.
55) Who were the first serious students of the Qur'an?
A) As-haabus Suffah.
56) Which is the first
A) Masjid-e-Nabvi.[Mosque of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)
57) By what name did the Qur'an address those noble and pious people who were selected by Allah to convey His message to mankind?
A) Nabi (Prophet) and Rasool (Messenger).
58) What type of a person does the Qur'an want to make?
A) Momin.
59) What is the scale or measure of one's dignity according to the Qur'an?
A) Thaqwa. (Piety)
60) What according to the Qur'an is the root cause of the evil?
A) Alcohol.
61) What are the two most important types of kinds of Aayaath (Verses) found in the Qur'an?
A) Muhakamaat and muthashabihaath.
62) Which is the longest Surah (Chapter) in the Qur'an?
A) Surah-al-Baqarah.
63) Which is the smallest Surah in the Qur'an?
A) Surah-al-Kausar.
64) What was the age of Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) when Qur'an was first revealed to him through Jibraeel (Alaihis-salaam)?
A) 40 Years.
65) How long did Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) receive the revelation of the Qur'an in Makkah?
A) 13 Years.
66) How long did Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) receive the revelation of the Qur'an in Madinah?
A) 10 Years.
67) Where was the first Surah revealed?
A) In Makkah.
68) Where was the last Surah revealed?
A) In Madinah.
69) How many years did it take for the complete revelation of the Qur'an?
A) 22 years,5 months and 14 days.
70) Which Surah(Chapter) of the Qur'an is to be read compulsorily in each raka'at of the Sallat (Namaaz)?
A) Surah-al-Fatihah.
71) Which is the Surah, which Allah taught as a Du'a(Prayer)?
A) Surah-al-Fatihah.
72) What is the reason of keeping Surah-al-Fatihah in the beginning of the Qur'an?
A) It is the door to the Qur'an
73) What is the Surah (Chapter) revealed completely and found first place in the Qur'an?
A) Surah-al-Fatihah.
74) Who was the only lady whose personal name is found in the Qur'an?
A) Mariam(Alaihis-salaam).
75) In which Surah (Chapter) of the Qur'an do you find maximum instructions?
A) Surah-al-Baqarah.
76) When and Where did the Prophet Muhammed Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and Jibraeel (Alaihis-salaam) meet for the second time?
A) On Friday,18th Ramadan,in the
77) What was the interval between the first and the second revelation?
A) 2 years and six months.
78) Which is the Surah (Chapter) that does start without Bismillah?
A) Surah-al-Taubah or Bara'ath.
79) In which Surah (Chapter) of the Qur'an Bismillah is repeated twice?
A) Surah-al Naml.
80) How many Surah (Chapter) in the Qur'an have the titles named after different Prophets?
A) 6 Surahs (Chapters):
a) Surah-al-Yunus. b)Surah-al-Hood.
c) Surah-al-Yusuf.
d) Surah-al-Ibraheem. e)Surah-al-Nuh.
f) Surah-al-Muhammed.
81) In which part of the Qur'an do you find 'Ayat-ul-Kursi'(Verse of the Throne)?
A) In the beginning of the third Part .(Chapter2-55)
82) How many different names of Allah are mentioned in the Qur'an?
A) 99
83) Who were the three non-prophets whose names are mentioned with due respect in the Qur'an?
A) Luqman,Aziz of
84) At the time Abu Bakr (Radhiallahu Anhu) how many companions had compiled the Qur'an in the form of a book?
A) 75 companions.
85) Which is that only book which is completely memorized by millions of people in the world?
A) Al-Qur'an.
86) What did the Jinns who heard a few Aayaath Verses) of the Qur'an say to each other?
A) We have heard a unique discourse which shows the right path, verily we believe in it.
87) Which are the most popular translations of the Qur'an in English?
A) Translation by Muhammed Marmaduke Pickthall and by Allama Yusuf Ali.
88) Into how many languages of the world has the Holy Qur'an been translated?
A) Nearly 103 languages.
89) Who was the first translator of the Holy Qur'an into Urdu?
A) Moulana Shah Rafiuddin Muhaddis Dehlavi.
90) What will be our condition on 'The day of the Judgment' according to the Qur'an?
A) Everybody will be in a state of anxiety.
91) Who was the Prophet mentioned in the Qur'an whose three generations were prophets?
A) Ibraheem (Alaihis-salaam).
92) What is that book which abolished all old rules and regulations?
A) Al-Qur'an.
93) What does the Qur'an say about property and wealth?
A) They are tests of one's faith.
94) According to the Qur'an who is "khaatamun Nabiyyeen" (the last of the Prophets)?
A) Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)
95) What is the name of the book that tells us clearly about the reality of the beginning and the end of the world?
A) Al-Qur'an.
96) In the Qur'an what other name is given to the city of
A) Bakkah and Baladul Ameen.
97) According to the Qur'an what other name is given to the city of
A) Yathrib.
98) Whose Generation is known as "Bani Israeel" according to the Qur'an?
A) The generation of Prophet Yaqoob(Alaihis salaam) who is also known as Israeel.
99) Which are the mosques that are mentioned in the Qur'an
a) Masjid-ul-Haram.
b) Masjid-ul-Zirar.
c) Masjid-ul-Nabawi.
d) Masjid-ul-Aqsa.
e) Masjid Quba.
100) The name of which angels are mentioned in the Qur'an?
a) Jibraeel Ameen.Alaihis salaam)
b) Meekaeel.(Alaihis salaam)
c) Haroot.(Alaihis salaam)
d) Maroot.(Alaihis salaam)
Qur'anic Prophecies About the Future
Author: Abdul Radhi Muhammad Abdul Mohsen
These are numerous but we will see the following examples.
1 - The prophecy about the victory of the Romans:
The Almighty Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala, says:
"The Romans have been defeated. In the nearest land [
Seven years later this prophecy became true, and the Romans defeated the Persians.
2 - Prophecy that both al Waleed ibn al Mugheerah and Abu Lahab would die as disbelievers
The Almighty Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala, says about al Waleed:
"Leave Me alone [to deal] with whom I created lonely [without any wealth or children, i.e. Al Walid ibn Al Mughirah al Makhzumi]. And then granted him resources in abundance. And children to be by his side. And made life smooth and comfortable for him. After all that he desires that I should give more; Nay! Verily, he has been opposing Our Ayat [proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations]. I shall oblige him to [climb a slippery mountain in the Hell-fire called As-Sa`ud, or] face a severe torment! Verily, he thought and plotted. So let him be cursed: how he plotted! And once more let him be cursed: how he plotted! Then he thought. Then he frowned and he looked in a bad tempered way; then he turned back, and was proud. Then he said: "This is nothing but magic from that of old. This is nothing but the word of a human being!" I will cast him into Hell-fire. And what will make you know [exactly] what Hell-fire is? It spares not [any sinner], nor does it leave [anything unburned]!" [Qur'an 74:11-18]
And about Abu Lahab, He, subhanahu wa ta`ala, says:
"Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab [an uncle of the Prophet] and perish he! His wealth and his children will not benefit him! He will be burnt in a Fire of blazing flames!" [Qur'an, 111:1-3]
3 - His prophecy of coming back to Makkah which he left for Madinah. The Almighty Allah, `azza wa jall, says:
"Verily, He Who has given you [O Muhammad] the Qur'an [i.e. ordered you to act on its laws and to preach it to others] will surely bring you back to Ma`ad [place of return, either to Makkah or to
And the Prophet, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam returned to Makkah in the year of the conquest.
4 - The prophecy telling that the Prophet, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, and the Muslims would enter Makkah in security:
"...Certainly, you shall enter Al Masjid al Haram, if Allah wills, secure, [some] having your heads shaved, and [some] having your head hair cut short, having no fear..." [Qur'an, 48:27]
This prophecy became true and the Muslims conquered Makkah and entered al Masjid al Haram in complete security.
5 - The Prophecy about granting the Muslims succession and authority.
The Almighty Allah says:
"Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to [the present rulers] in the land, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practice their religion which He has chosen for them [i.e. Islam]. And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear [provided] they [believers] worship Me and do not associate anything [in worship] with Me." [Qur'an, 24:55]
The Almighty Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala, has fulfilled His promise to the Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam and his nation. He made them successors of great kings and powerful rulers, whose lands and properties were inherited by the Muslims.
The Message of the Quran
Translated and Explained by Muhammad Asad
SYMBOLISM AND ALLEGORY IN THE QUR'AN
When studying the Quran, one frequently encounters what may be described as
"key- phrases" - that is to say, statements which provide a clear, concise indication of the idea underlying a particular passage or passages: for instance, the many references to the creation of man "out of dust" and "out of a drop of sperm", pointing to the lowly biological origin of the human species; or the statement in the ninety-ninth surah (Az-Zalzalah) that on Resurrection Day "he who shall have done an atom's weight of good, shall behold it; and he who shall have done an atom's weight of evil, shall behold it" - indicating the inelucctible afterlife consequences of, and the responsibility for, all that man consciously does in this world; or the divine declaration (in 38:27), "We have not created heaven and earth and all that is between them without meaning and purpose (baatilan), as is the surmise of those who are bent on denying the truth."
Instances of such Quranic key-phrases can be quoted almost ad infinitum, and in many varying formulations. But there is one fundamental statement in the Quran which occurs only once, and which may be qualified as "the key-phrase of all its key-phrases": the statement in verse 3:7 to the effect that the Quran "contains messages that are clear in and by themselves (ayat-e-muhkamaat) as well as others that are allegorical (mutashabihaat)". It is this verse which represents, in an absolute sense, a key to the understanding of the Qur'anic message and makes the whole of it accessible to "people who think" (li-qawmin yatafakkarUn).
In my notes on the above-mentioned verse I have tried to elucidate the meaning of the expression ayaat muhkimaat as well as the general purport of what is termed mutashabih ("allegorical" or "symbolic"). Without a proper grasp of what is implied by this latter term, much of the Qur~an is liable to be - and, in fact, has often been - grossly misunderstood both by believers and by such as refuse to believe in its divinely-inspired origin. However, an appreciation of what is meant by "allegory" or "symbolism" in the context of the Quran is, by itself, not enough to make one fully understand its world-view: in order to achieve this we must relate the Quranic use of these terms to a concept touched upon almost at the very beginning of the divine writ - namely, the existence of "a realm which is beyond the reach of human perception" (aI-ghayb). It is this concept that constitutes the basic premise for an understanding of the call of the Quran, and, indeed, of the principle of religion - every religion - as such: for all truly religious cognition arises from and is based on the fact that only a small segment of reality is open to man's perception and imagination, and that by far the larger part of it escapes his comprehension altogether.
However, side by side with this clear-cut metaphysical concept we have a not less clear-cut finding of a psychological nature: namely, the finding that the human mind (in which term we comprise conscious thinking, imagination, dream-life, intuition, memory, etc.) can operate only on the basis of perceptions previously experienced by that very mind either in their entirety or in some of their constituent elements: that is to say, it cannot visualize, or form an idea of, something that lies entirely outside the realm of previously realized experiences. Hence, whenever we arrive at a seemingly "new" mental image or idea, we find, on closer examination, that even if it is new as a composite entity, it is not really new as regards its component elements, for these are invariably derived from previous - and sometimes quite disparate - mental experiences which are now but brought together in a new combination or series of new combinations.
Now as soon as we realize that the human mind cannot operate otherwise than on the basis of previous experiences - that is to say, on the basis of apperceptions and cognitions already recorded in that mind - we are faced by a weighty question: Since the metaphysical ideas of religion relate, by virtue of their nature, to a realm beyond the reach of human perception or experience - how can they be successfully conveyed too us? How can we he expected to grasp ideas which have no counterpart, not even a fractional one, in any of the apperceptions which we have arrived at empirically?
The answer is self-evident: By means of loan-images derived from our actual - physical or mental - experiences; or, as Zamakhshari phrases it in his commentary on 13:35, "through a parabolic illustration, by means of something which we know from our experience, of something that is beyond the reach of our perception" (tamtheelan li-ma ghaaba anna bi-ma nushaahid). And this is the innermost purport of the term and concept of al-mutashaabihaat as used in the Quran.
Thus, the Qur~an tells us clearly that many of its passages and expressions must be understood in an allegorical sense for the simple reason that, being intended for human understanding, they could not have been conveyed to us in any other way.. It follows, therefore, that if we were to take every Quranic passage, statement or expression in its outward, literal sense and disregard the possibility of its being an allegory, a metaphor or a parable, we would be offending against the very spirit of the divine writ.
Consider, for instance, some of the Quranic references to God's Being - Being indefinable, infinite in time and space, and utterly beyond any creature's comprehension. Far from being able to imagine Him, we can only realize what He is not: namely, not limited in either time or space, not definable in terms of comparison, and not to be comprised within any category of human thought. Hence, only very generalized metaphors can convey to us, though most inadequately, the idea of His existence and activity.
And so, when the Quran speaks of Him as being "in the heavens" or "established on His throne (al-arsh)", we cannot possibly take these phrases in their literal senses, since then they would imply, however vaguely, that God is limited in space: and since such a limitation would contradict the concept of an Infinite Being, we know immediately, without the least doubt that the "heavens" and the "throne" and God's being "established" on it are but linguistic vehicles meant to convey an idea which is outside all human experience, namely, the idea of God's almightiness and absolute sway over all that exists. Similarly, whenever He is described as "all-seeing", "all-hearing" or "all-aware", we know that these descriptions have nothing to do with the phenomena of physical seeing or hearing hut simply circumscribe, in terms understandable to man, the fact of God's eternal Presence in all that is or happens. And since "no human vision can encompass Him" (Quran 6:103), man is not expected to realize His existence otherwise than through observing the effects of His unceasing activity within and upon the universe created by Him.
But whereas our belief in God's existence does not - and, indeed, could not - depend on our grasping the unfathomable "how" of His Being, the same is not the case with problems connected with man's own existence, and, in particular, with the idea of a life in the hereafter: for, man's psyche is so constituted that it cannot accept any proposition relating to himself without being given a clear exposition of its purport.
The Quran tells us that man's life in this world is but the first stage - a very short stage - of a life that continues beyond the hiatus called "death" ; and the same Quran stresses again and again the principle of man's moral responsibility for all his conscious actions and his behaviour, and of the continuation of this responsibility, in the shape of inescapable consequences, good or bad, in a person's life in the hereafter. But how could man be made to understand the nature of these consequences and, thus, of the quality of the life that awaits him'? - for, obviously, inasmuch as man's resurrection will be the result of what the Quran describes as "a new act of creation", the life that will follow upon it must be entirely different from anything that man can and does experience in this world.
This being so, it is not enough for man to be told, "If you behave righteously in this world, you will attain to happiness in the life to come" , or, alternatively, "If you do wrong in this world, you will suffer for it in the hereafter". Such statements would be far too general and abstract to appeal to man's imagination and, thus, to influence his behaviour. What is needed is a more direct appeal to the intellect, resulting in a kind of "visualization" of the consequences of one's conscious acts and omissions: and such an appeal can be effectively produced by means of metaphors, allegories and parables, each of them stressing, on the one hand, the absolute dissimilarity of all that man will experience after resurrection from whatever he did or could experience in this world; and, on the other hand, establishing means of comparison between these two categories of experience.
Thus, explaining the reference to the bliss of paradise in 32:17, the Prophet indicated the essential difference between man's life in this world and in the hereafter in these words: "God says, 'I have readied for My righteous servants what no eye has ever seen, and no ear has ever heard, and no heart of man has ever conceived"' (Bukhãri, Muslim, Tirmidhi). On the other hand, in 2:25 the Quran speaks thus of the blessed in paradise: "Whenever they are granted fruits therefrom as their appointed sustenance, they will say, 'It is this that in days of yore was granted to us as our sustenance' - for they shall be given something which will recall that
[past]": and so we have the image of gardens through which running waters flow, blissful shade, spouses of indescribable beauty, and many other delights infinitely varied and unending, and yet somehow comparable to what may be conceived of as most delightful in this world.
However, this possibility of an intellectual comparison between the two stages of human existence is to a large extent limited by the fact that all our thinking and imagining is indissolubly connected with the concepts of finite time and finite space: in other words, we cannot imagine infinity in either time or space - and therefore cannot imagine a state of existence independent of time and space - or, as the Qur'~n phrases it with reference to a state of happiness in afterlife, "a paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth" (3:133): which expression is the Qur'anic synonym for the entire created universe. On the other hand, we know that every Qur'anic statement is directed to man's reason and must, therefore, be comprehensible either in its literal sense (as in the case of the dyãt muhkamdt) or allegorically (as in the ayat-e-mutashaabihaat); and since, owing to the constitution of the human mind, neither infinity nor eternity are comprehensible to us, it follows that the reference to the infinite "vastness" of paradise cannot relate to anything but the intensity of sensation which it will offer to the blest.
By obvious analogy, the principle of a "comparison through allegory" applied in the Qur~ãn to all references to paradise - i.e., a state of unimaginable happiness in afterlife - must be extended to all descriptions of otherworldly suffering - i.e., hell - in respect of its utter dissimilarity from all earthly experiences as well as its unmeasurable intensity. In both cases the descriptive method of the Qur'ãn is the same. We are told, as it
were: "Imagine the most joyous sensations, bodily as well as emotional, accessible to man: indescribable beauty, love physical and spiritual, consciousness of fulfilment, perfect peace and harmony; and imagine these sensations intensified beyond anything imaginable in this world - and at the same time entirely different from anything imaginable: and you have an inkling, however vague, of what is meant by 'paradise'." And, on the other
hand: "Imagine the greatest suffering, bodily as well as spiritual, which man may experience: burning by fire, utter loneliness and bitter desolation, the torment of unceasing frustration, a condition of neither living nor dying; and imagine this pain, this darkness and this despair intensified beyond anything imaginable in this world - and at the same time entirely different from anything imaginable: and you will know, however vaguely, what is meant by 'hell'."
Side by side with these allegories relating to man's life after death we find in the Qur'ãn many symbolical expressions referring to the evidence of God's activity. Owing to the limitations of human language - which, in their turn, arise from the inborn limitations of the human mind - this activity can only be circumscribed and never really described. Just as it is impossible for us to imagine or define God's Being, so the true nature of His creativeness - and, therefore, of His plan of creation - must remain beyond our grasp. But since the Quran aims at conveying to us an ethical teaching based, precisely, on the concept of God's purposeful creativeness, the latter must be, as it were, "translated" into categories of thought accessible to man. Hence the use of expressions which at first sight have an almost anthropomorphic hue, for instance, God's "wrath" (ghadab) or "condemnation"; His "pleasure" at good deeds or "love" for His creatures; or His being "oblivious" of a sinner who was oblivious of Him; or "asking" a wrongdoer on Resurrection Day about his wrongdoing; and so forth. All such verbal "translations" of God's activity into human terminology are unavoidable as long as we are expected to conform to ethical principles revealed to us by means of a human language; but there can be no greater mistake than to think that these "translations" could ever enable us to define the Undefinable.
And, as the Quran makes it clear in the seventh verse 3:7, only "those whose hearts are given to swerving from the truth go after that part of the divine writ which has been expressed in allegory, seeking out [what is bound to create] confusion, and seeking [to arrive at] its final meaning [in an arbitrary manner]: but none save God knows its final meaning."
This Darned Arabic Language
Author: Tatyana Krueger
This is the phrase our professor would repeat whenever he began explaining a seemingly unfathomable aspect of Arabic grammar. It was his kind way of acknowledging the puzzled faces scattered around the classroom. He knew that his beloved language presented difficulties for students. Sometimes it was simply his enthusiasm for Arabic that kept us coming back to class. His voice always contained a great deal of affection when he cursed that “darned language”.
Why Study Arabic?
As Muslims we have a direct connection to the Arabic language. It is the language of the Qur’an; a fact referred to in the Qur’an itself in the following passages:
* ‘This (tongue) is Arabic, pure and clear’ (16:103)
* ‘We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an in order that ye may learn wisdom’ (12:2)
While the message of the Qur’an is available to many Muslims through translations, in order to achieve a full understanding of the meanings one must have knowledge of the Arabic language. However, it is important to make the point that those who know Arabic are not necessarily better guided by the Qur’an than those who do not know it. A common misconception is that those who speak Arabic are somehow “better” Muslims. The following passage shows us that guidance comes only from Allah:
This is the guidance of God: He giveth that guidance to whom He pleaseth of His worshippers’ (6:88)
Recitation of the Qur’an holds many merits for Muslims. This is how we listen to Allah for the Qur’an is the speech of Allah. We are told in the Qur’an that the best occasion for recitation of the Qur’an is at night while standing in prayer. All recitation must be done in Arabic. Reading a translation of the meaning in another language is not reading the actual Qur’an. The true power of the message can be felt only when read aloud in its original language. A great number of Arabs converted to Islam upon simply hearing the Qur’an.
Mastering enough of the Arabic language to be able to read the Qur’an can be done in a fairly short period of time with some effort. One must learn to read and pronounce the alphabet and know some other aspects of the Arabic script to get started. This can be achieved in a class setting or with books, cassettes, and other study aids.
Many Muslims end their study of the Arabic language once they are able to properly read the Qur’an. There is nothing wrong with this. However, we should take into consideration the other areas of Islamic studies that knowledge of the Arabic language makes available. To this day many of the greatest works of tafsir (interpretation of the Qur’an) do not have complete English translations; for example: tafsir Ibn-Kathir and tafsir al-Tabari as well as books on Islamic jurisprudence, Islamic Shahriah, Qur’an and Hadith sciences, Sirah, etc. Many books of the great Muslim thinkers and reformers can be found in Arabic only. These reasons compel many to continue learning.
Characteristics of the Language
People are frequently scared away from learning Arabic because the script looks so different. Most agree that it is beautiful especially in calligraphic form but also find its looks intimidating. Those who are feeling that way may be encouraged by the fact that the Arabic language has an alphabet made up of twenty-eight letters that are connected to each other in a way similar to English cursive writing. A difference is that Arabic is written from right to left. Most students will tell you that the script is much easier to learn than it appears. Some will say that it is the least of their problems and that the grammar is really tough.
Most Americans are ill-prepared for the study of grammar because English grammar is not emphasized in schools. These days a teacher who makes students diagram sentences is quite rare. Learning any foreign language forces us to look at our own grammar structures. This is particularly true regarding Arabic because the written language includes certain symbols that one must write at the ends of words which mark their syntax and provide other information. The grammar has rules and exceptions to the rules that even some Arabs find tedious. However, many of the rules are based on logic that is understandable.
Pronunciation can be a challenge at first. Arabic contains ten sounds that do not exist in English. Some letters are rather harsh sounding to Americans and make some people reluctant to pronounce them. It takes practice to master them. Some students have recommended practicing in front of a mirror in the privacy of one’s own home.
Certain aspects of the language do exist that make it an easy one to learn. For example, Arabic is phonetic. That is, you pronounce every letter you read and you spell words exactly as you hear them. There are a couple of small exceptions to this but you certainly do not find all of the silent letters and peculiar spellings as in English.
The Arabic language is often celebrated for its incredible flexibility. Most of the vocabulary sprouts from three letter “roots”. From these roots many verb forms are derived in a systematic manner and from there come nouns and verbal nouns and adjectives. New words can be easily formed making the language incredibly vast, dynamic, and poetic. One can also guess at the meanings of words if he or she knows its root.
Students are often surprised to find that Arabic conversation is not emphasized in their classes. The reason for this is that Arabic is really more than one language in a sense. One type of Arabic is used for writing and formal lectures. This is known as Classical Arabic and is the language used in books, newspapers, formal speeches and broadcasting. The rules of grammar for classical Arabic are derived in large part from the Qur’an. Spoken, or colloquial, Arabic is the language native Arabs speak at home, in the street, and use in informal speech. There are many regional variations and dialects of spoken Arabic but all are based on the classical language. This is why spoken Arabic is usually taught separately from classical Arabic in universities here in the
Some Advice
Muslims should study the Classical Arabic in order to read and understand the Qur’an, gain access to Islamic books written in Arabic, and facilitate aspects of worship such as prayer and supplication. Spoken Arabic alone will not be helpful in these areas. Spoken Arabic will be beneficial if the Islamic community begins to use Arabic as the main language of communication both verbal and written among all of its worshippers. This is indeed a worthy goal. However, for Muslims who have no knowledge of Arabic it seems prudent to give priority to learning Classical Arabic.
If you have a choice, avoid studying Arabic through the use of transliteration (using English letters for pronunciation of Arabic words). If you must use transliteration always keep it your goal to eventually learn the Arabic script.
Be clear about your purpose in studying the language. If you want to learn to read the Qur’an, make the appropriate goals. If you want to be able to read and understand the Qur’an, you must expand those goals. Some objectives require a lifetime of learning. You can decide for yourself what you want to achieve.
Always seek Allah’s help by supplicating Him to make the learning process easy for you. Many Muslims who attempt to memorize the Qur’an find that with each verse the work becomes easier.
‘We have indeed made the Qur’an easy to remember: but is there any that remembers it?’ (54:17)
At one time or another we all encounter challenges while learning. Is it not the struggle for which we are rewarded? Those who find the language of the Qur’an a constant struggle may take comfort in the following hadith:
Aisha (R.A.A.) says that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) said: “A person who recites the Qur’an and reads it fluently will be in the company of the obedient and noble angels, and he who reads the Qur’an haltingly and with difficulty will have a double recompense.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Source: www.themodernreligion.com
The Miracle and Challenge of
The Qur'an
"We shall show them Our signs on the horizons and within themselves until it will become clear to them that it is the Truth. Does it not suffice that your Lord is Witness over all things?" The noble Qur'an, Fussilat(41):53.
Muslims are taught that throughout the ages, Allah Almighty has sent a prophet to every nation as a warner and a bearer of glad tidings.
"Verily! We have sent you (O Muhammad) with the Truth, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner; and there is not a nation but a warner has passed among them,"
The noble Qur'an, Fatir(35):24.
Each prophet was wisely selected by Allah in order to be the best person for the job. He was then provided by Allah with miracles as proof of his truthfulness and his message. These miracles were wisely selected by Allah in order to be in the same field as that which these people excelled in so that they could fully comprehend the magnitude of these miracles.
For instance, the people during the time of Moses excelled at magical trickery. Their rulers used to surround themselves with the most powerful of these wizards as a sign of power. This is why Allah made the miracles of Moses (pbuh) similar to their magical trickery (changing a stick into a snake, parting of the sea... etc.) but of a much greater magnitude than anything they could ever hope to accomplish. For they were not tricks, but actual physical miracles.
The people at the time of the prophet Jesus (pbuh) excelled in matters of medicine. For this reason, his miracles were of a medical nature (raising of the dead, healing of the blind...etc.), but of a degree that they could never hope to imitate. Similarly, one of the major miracles of Islam was a new and unheard-of type of literature similar to the Bedouin's poetry but far beyond anything they could ever hope to match. Although they did indeed try. This new literature was called "The Qur'an."
The Arabic language, as can be attested to by any of it's scholars, is a very rich and powerful language. The Bedouin people of the
The Arabian Bedouins took great pains to make their poetry as compact and picturesque as humanly possible, constantly expanding the language along the way. A single word could convey complete pictures. The Qur'an, however, has put even these great efforts to shame. You will notice that when a Muslim translates a verse of the Qur'an he usually does not say "the Qur'an says so and so" but rather "An approximation of the meaning of what the Qur'an says is so and so." You really need to know the language to comprehend this.
In the English language, we find that the words: "mustang," "colt," "mare," "pony," "stallion," "bronco"... etc. all refer to the same thing; a horse. Each one of these words conveys a slightly different mental picture. The mental picture we get when we hear the word "colt" is slightly different than the picture we get if we hear the word "mare." In a similar manner, the Arabic language progressed in such a fashion as to make it possible to convey such mental pictures in as concise and picturesque a format as possible. It is not at all uncommon to find over three hundred words that refer to the same thing in the Arabic language. Each one of these words gives a slightly different picture than the others.
Many centuries of this constant refinement eventually lead to a very complex and rich vocabulary, and the primary miracle of Muhammad (pbuh), the Qur'an, was in exactly this field
In the noble Qur'an we find a challenge from Allah to compose a literary work on a par with this Qur'an it is indeed the work of mankind. They could not. The Qur'an continued to reduce it's challenge until the challenge finally became: "compose only a single verse comparable to this Qur'an and you will have won." They still could not. This in addition to the fairness, justice, and logic of the Qur'an eventually won them over and slowly more and more people became Muslims.
[Note: The least challenge posed in the quran is "a single surah" (10:38 & 2:23) as well as "whole Quran" (17:88) and "ten verses" (11:13).]
"Well then, if the Koran were his own [Muhammad's] composition other men could rival it. Let them produce ten verses like it. If they could not (and it is obvious that they could not), then let them accept the Koran as an outstanding evidential miracle"
Mohammedanism, H. A. R. Gibb, Oxford University Press, p. 42
"From the literary point of view, the Koran is regarded as a specimen of purest Arabic, written in half poetry, half prose. It has been said that in some cases grammarians have adopted their rules to agree with certain expressions used in it, and though several attempts have been made to produce a work equal to it as far as elegant writing is concerned, none yet has succeeded"
Glimpses of the Noble Qur'an, Muhammad Azizullah, Crescent Publications, pp. 104-105
"In making the present attempt to improve on the performance of my predecessors, and to produce something which might be accepted as echoing however faintly the sublime rhetoric of the Arabic Koran, I have been at pains to study the intricate and richly varied rhythms which - apart from the message itself - constitute the Koran's undeniable claim to rank amongst the greatest literary masterpieces of mankind... This very characteristic feature - 'that inimitable symphony,' as the believing Pickthall described his Holy Book, 'the very sounds of which move men to tears and ecstasy' - has been almost totally ignored by previous translators; it is therefore not surprising that what they have wrought sounds dull and flat indeed in comparison with the splendidly decorated original."
The Koran Interpreted, Arthur J. Arberry, Oxford University Press, 1964, p. x.
"The Koran admittedly occupies an important position among the great religious books of the world. Though the youngest of the epoch-making works belonging to this class of literature, it yields to hardly any in the wonderful effect which it has produced on large masses of men. It has created an all but new phase of human thought and a fresh type of character. It first transformed a number of heterogeneous desert tribes of the Arabian peninsula into a nation of heroes, and then proceeded to create the vast politico-religious organizations of the Muhammadan world which are one of the great forces with which
G. Margoliouth, Introduction to J.M. Rodwell's, The Koran,
"A work, then, which calls forth so powerful and seemingly incompatible emotions even in the distant reader - distant as to time, and still more so as a mental development - a work which not only conquers the repugnance which he may begin its perusal, but changes this adverse feeling into astonishment and admiration, such a work must be a wonderful production of the human mind indeed and a problem of the highest interest to every thoughtful observer of the destinies of mankind … Here, therefore, its merits as a literary production should perhaps not be measured by some preconceived maxims of subjective and aesthetic taste, but by the effects which it produced in Muhammad's contemporaries and fellow countrymen. If it spoke so powerfully and convincingly to the hearts of his hearers as to weld hitherto centrifugal and antagonistic elements into one compact and well-organized body, animated by ideas far beyond those which had until now ruled the Arabian mind, then its eloquence was perfect, simply because it created a civilized nation out of savage tribes, and shot a fresh woof into the old warp of history."
Dr. Steingass, quoted in T.P. Hughes' Dictionary Of Islam, p. 526-528.
Many claims have been made against Muhammad in that day and this. Among them are the claims that he was a lunatic, a liar, or deceived by the devil. If Muhammad was a lunatic or a liar then we have to wonder how all of his prophesies came true?. Further, if he was a deceived by Satan then we are faced with another problem. For we know that all Muslims are taught that when reading the Qur'an they must first begin with the words "I seek refuge in Allah from Satan the stoned* one." and then follow this up with the words "In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful" So we have to wonder if Satan would "inspire" a man to teach mankind to seek refuge in God from Satan? Indeed this is the exact same accusation which was made against Jesus (pbuh). Let us read how Jesus responded to this claim:
"But some of them (the Jews) said, He (Jesus) casteth out devils through Beelzebub (Satan) the chief of the devils. And others, tempting [him], sought of him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house [divided] against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub."
Luke 11:15-18
It has been the case throughout the ages that with all previous prophets, their miracle was separate from their book. Although we may claim that we have the "Torah" of Moses, still, it is not possible now to bring Moses' (pbuh) staff and see it perform miracles as it did in his time. Similarly it is not possible today to see Jesus (pbuh) raise the dead as he did so many centuries ago. However, since the message of Islam was the final message of God to mankind, therefore, the book of Islam itself was made the main miracle of Islam and it has continued to renew it's challenge to mankind throughout the ages.
What does this mean? Nowadays, the number of people who can appreciate the literary content of the Qur'an has dwindled and this challenge no longer has the same impact it did fourteen hundred years ago. However, as we have seen in the verse quoted at the beginning of this chapter, Allah Almighty has promised to continually renew the challenge of the Qur'an throughout the ages. So how will it be renewed?
Recently, a new field of study has opened up to scholars. People nowadays are fascinated with science. This is the age of technology and scientific discovery. For this reason, mankind has begun to study the religious scriptures of mankind from a scientific point of view in order to challenge the scientific claims made in these scriptures. Many works have been published on this topic. In this chapter I will give a brief taste of these matters and then leave it up to the interested reader to learn more from any one of the many books which have been published in this regard (see list at back of this book).
As mentioned previously, Muhammad (pbuh) lived among tribes of people who were for the most part illiterate. He himself was also illiterate. These people used to live extremely simple lives. Some were traders and businessmen, others were farmers, and yet others were nomadic sheepherders who traveled from place to place depending on where they could find grass for their sheep to graze. When Muhammad (pbuh) brought them the Qur'an, the believers found in the Qur'an the command to go out, seek knowledge, and confirm the presence of their Creator by studying His creation. Muslims began to fulfill this command of the Qur'an and this resulted in one of the greatest explosions of scientific advancement mankind has ever seen. All of this was going on during a period that the West calls "The Dark Ages," wherein the scientists of the West were being persecuted and killed as sorcerers and wizards. During this period, Muslims scholars introduced into the world such things as:
* Mathematical evolution of spherical mirrors
* Rectilinear motion of light and use of lenses
* Refraction angle variations
* Magnifying effects of the plano convex lens
* Introduced the concept of the elliptical shape of cosmological bodies
* Study of the center of gravity as applied to balance
* Measurement of specific weights of bodies
* Rule of algebraic equations
* Solutions to quadratic and cubic equations
* Work on square roots, squares, theory of numbers, solution of the fractional numbers
* Solutions of equations of cubic order
* Wrote on conic geometry elaborating the solution of algebraic equations
* Determined the Trinomial Equation
* Avicenna's "Canon of Medicine." He is know as the Prince of Physicians to the West
* Wrote the first description of several drugs and diseases as meningitis.
* Treatment of physiological shocks
* Expertise in psychosomatic medicine and psychology
* Al-Biruni mentions fifty six manuscripts on pharmacology
* Credited for identifying small pox and its treatment
* Use of alcohol as an antiseptic
* Use of mercury as a purgative for the first time
* First to describe the circulation of blood.
* "Holy Abbas" was, after Rhazes, the most outstanding Physician. His works were authoritative till the works of ibn Sina appeared
* Writings on Cosmology, Astrology, Science of numbers and letters
* Proved that the earth is smaller than the sun but larger than the moon.
* Final authorities on Chemistry for many Centuries
* Classified metals into three classifications
* Laid the basis of the Acid Base theory * Distillation, calcination, crystallization, the discovery of many acids
* Cultivation of Gold - is a continuation of Jabir's work
* Theory of Oscillatory motion of equinoxes
* Addition of ninth sphere to the eight Ptolematic astronomy
* Discovered the increase of the suns apogee
* Gravitational force
* Responsible for the discovery motion of the solar apsides
* wrote ' On the Science of Stars '
* Determination of latitudes and longitudes
* Determination of geodetic measurements
* Described the motion of the planets
* Solved the problems of spherical trigonometry
* First to study the isometric oscillatory motion of a pendulum
* Invented the instrument ' Sahifah "
* Responsible for the proof of the motion of the apogee of the sun with respect to the fixed stars.
* authorities on the theory of the system of homocentric spheres
* Prepared a calendar that was more accurate than the Gregorian one in use today.
...............and much, much more.
All of this began with a single illiterate Arab from the desert fourteen hundred years ago. The book that was brought into the world by such a man cries out to be studied from a scientific aspect. We will now give you a glimpse of the results:
"So ask the People of Knowledge if you do not know"
The Qur'an, Al-Anbia(21):7 Source: www.TheModernReligion.com
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