Ulumul-Quran INTRO

ULUMUL-QURAN – Quran Sciences  

عِلْمُ الْقُرْءَانِ  The Science of the Quran (singular)
عُلُومُ الْقُرْءَانِ   The Sciences of the Quran (plural)

Ulumul-Quran = Any knowledge associated with the Quran :

(1) Quran Recitation with Tajwid
[Surah Al-Muzammil: 73:4]  أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ تَرْتِيلًا
"or a little more—and recite the Quran ˹properly˺ in a measured way."

The Quran is to be recited with the implementation of Tajwid (˹properly˺ in a measured way). Reciting with Tajwid is Fardhu 'Ain. Reciting Quran is not the same as reading Arabic. Reading Arabic is without implementing Tajwid Rules.

(2) Tajwid Terminologies & Rulings

Scholars had compiled the proper way of Quran recitation into a Science called Tajwid. There are many Terminologies for Tajwid Rulings and Letter attributes to learn. In most countries, a person can only be an authorized Quran Recitation Teacher if he has already attended Tajwid lessons and passed the Tests. Learning Tajwid Rules is Fardhu Kifayah.

Tajwid Rules are needed in the preservation of the correct recitation of the Quran. A person who knows the Tajwid rules will be able to provide proofs of the correct recitation to a person who is in doubt.

The Mushaf of today added many "signs" representing Tajwid recitation rules. A student following these signs and following the recitation pattern of his Quran Recitation Teacher, will be able to recite Quran properly without him attending any formal Tajwid Class. 

(3) Memorization 

It is an Islamic tradition in the Muslim world to produce millions of Hafiz for decades. A Hafiz is one who has memorized the whole Quran. Many students attended schools designated specially for the memorization of the Quran in Tahfiz Institutions throughout the Muslim World. Those who had graduated will have an official Certificate of Sanad (chain of Teachers up to the Prophet s.a.w). Sanad certificate is given to a full Memorizer of the Quran and not for a person who merely has "Khatam" the Quran with a Mushaf. 

If you do not attend any Tahfiz School, you may personally start memorizing on your own the shorter Surahs in Juz 30 (the last Juz) and increase your memorization year after year.

(4) Qira'at

Versions of Quran recitation = Many ways of recitation of the same Quran.
Learning the various styles of Quran recitation based on the 10 official Reciters. Each reciter (Qari) had two students that propagate the way their teacher recite the Quran. Refer here in this website.

(5) Taranum

A structured framework for melodious Quran recitation. Melodic modes or musical scales in the recitation of the Quran based on the official Maqamats of Quran.
The effort to recite beautifully was encouraged by several Hadith such as this one: [Sunan an-Nasa'i 1015]
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Make your voices beautiful when you recite Quran.'" 

The list of 6 Popular Maqamats (there are others): 

1.  Maqaam al-Bayyaat (Bayati)

2.  Maqaam ar-Rast (Rast) 

3.  Maqaam an-Nahaawand (Nahawand) 

4.  Maqaam as-Seeka (Sikah) 

5.  Maqaam as-Saba (Saba) 

6.  Maqaam al-Hijaaz (Hijaz) 

These Maqamats were compiled by artistic people of the past. Some came from Persia and places in Turkey. These Maqamats are the main ingredient in Quran recitation competitions. Some scholars disallowed reciting Quran in this manner as in those competitions because of the over "stretching" and over "singing". 

(6) Quranic History

The history such as :
- How the Quran was revealed
- How the Quran was written during the Prophet's time.
- How the Quran was compiled during Abu Bakr's and Uthman's time.
- Any other Quranic history.

(7) Arabic Grammar = Nahu and Sarf

Learning Arabic grammar may help you in understanding the Quranic word by word translation better. Once you got hold of the basics, it is a good advantage when you start memorizing the Vocab in the Quran.  

Nahu = Arabic Grammatical Rules
Sarf = Words Morphology

Refer here in this website.

(8) Word by Word Translation

Start to memorize the vocab and after sometime whenever you hear a Qari recites a passage from the Quran you will get to understand the meaning in real time. Learning Arabic grammar will help you better in the word by word translation. 

(9) Tadabbur

Tadabbur is to go through ayah by ayah and contemplate whether you can relate it to yourself in your life. However, having read Tafsir Books by popular Scholars (like Ibn Kathir) will help you to relate and understand the context better of the ayah.

(10) Tafsir

This is an extensive learning of the Divine messages and will take you a whole lifetime. There were so many Tafsir books written by many Scholars of the past up to our contemporary Scholars. Hours and hours of reading or watching videos of Tafsir classes that seems to never end.

The people who did Tafsir of the Quran were known as Mufassiruun.
After the Prophet s.a.w passing, 3 companions of the Prophet s.a.w was known for their knowledge of the Tafsir of the Quran. They were:
1. Abdullah ibn Abbas (in Makkah)
2. Ubay bin Ka'ab (in Madinah)
3. Abdullah bin Mas'ud (in Kuffah) 

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What is the Quran? 

The Quran is Allah’s divine message to all mankind. The words are His words. The Quran was revealed to the last Messenger for mankind. There had been previous Divine Messages (such as the Torah and Injeel) before the Quran which were limited to one nation at a time. 

How the Quran was sent down
The whole of Quran was sent down from Lauh Mahfuz (the preserved tablet) in the heavens to the worldly sky "Baitul-‘Izzah" on the night of Al-Qadr.  (Lauh = Tablet, Mahfuz = Preserved)

From "Baitul-‘Izzah", the Quran was revealed to the Prophet s.a.w ayah by ayah by Jibril a.s. for 23 years beginning on 17th Ramadhan when the Prophet was 40 years old at the Hira Cave on Jabal Nur. Revelations ended at the passing of the Prophet s.a.w at 63 years old of age.

The first Surah
The first Surah to be revealed was the first 5 ayaat of Surah Al-'Alaq. The rest of the ayaat for this Surah were revealed at other times. 

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