What is the Qur'an ?
A personal letter from God.
There have been many incredible works of literature such as Shakespeare’s plays and fantasy epics like Lord of the Rings. What ties these works together is that they are the product of great human minds.
As amazing as these works are, can you imagine how much more amazing a book would be if God Himself authored it, surely it would be the greatest book ever produced. Moreover, imagine that God answers all the important questions that human beings have about life, such as why we are here, what is our purpose or what happens after we die etc.
Imagine if God authored this book with YOU in mind, a book that addresses YOU as an individual.
Wouldn’t YOU want to read this book?
The Qur’an is exactly that book. The word "Qur'an" is Arabic for "recitation". Indeed one of the many things that make the Qur'an unique is that it claims to be the literal speech of God. The Qur'an was dictated to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ by God Almighty through the Archangel Gabriel over 1,400 years ago, revealed gradually over a period of 23 years during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, from the age of 40. He was an unlettered man from 7th century Arabia, who spend his 40 years preoccupied with shepherding and trade, chosen by God Almighty to convey the inimitable message to humanity, including YOU. Remains unadulterated and stands the test of time, for YOU to benefit, today!
God Almighty reserves the ownership and authorship of The Qur’an revealed.
“This is a blessed book which We have revealed to you (O Muhammad), that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded…” (The Qur’an, Chapter 38, verse 29)
It may surprise readers to learn that the Qur'an contains the same core message as other divinely revealed Scriptures, such as the Torah of Moses and Gospel of Jesus (peace be upon them) and Muslims believe that in their original form, these previous Scriptures were also sent from God.
The Qur'an informs us that Muhammad ﷺ is the final Messenger in a long line of Messengers that God sent before him, such as Abraham, Noah, Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them all). This is another of the unique aspects of the Qur'an; it acknowledges all of the Abrahamic faiths and all of the Prophets sent by God.
Say, [O believers], “We have believed in God and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in obedience] to Him.” (The Qur’an, Chapter 2, Verse 136)
The Quran is a book of persuasion – it is a book that speaks to you like a friend. Stories of famous people or previous nations or events are mentioned to prove a point, laws are few and are connected with trying to make you a better person. Poetic phrases become beautiful ways to remember sound advice and good teachings. You can open the book at any page, start reading and learn something useful.
An Instruction Manual
Let's examine mobile phones. Mobile phones are obviously not as sophisticated as human beings, but we share many things in common. We both have a life span, we both require energy to function correctly, and we can both be damaged if we are not taken care of properly. When mobile phones develop a problem, the first thing most people do is to refer to the instruction manual of the mobile phone. Why? Because it has been produced by the maker of the instrument in hand, and we rightly listen to the experts! The creator of the phone knows the best way to use that phone and they have imparted their knowledge to us in the form of instruction manuals.
Similarly then, the Quran is like an instruction manual for humanity as it is from the One who made us. God, our Creator, knows us better than we know ourselves and this is why His knowledge and guidance to how we should live will always surpass any human invented philosophies and ways of life. The Noble Quran is a book of guidance to the rest of humanity since revelation and for spiritual progress.
This book outlines the values and beliefs that can make you the best person you can be. It teaches a way of thinking that is positive, progressive and solution-oriented. Any person who adopts the worldview of this book becomes a person who believes in justice for all, equality for all and personal responsibility.
The impact of the Qur'an on the world is not just historical. What must be noted is that although the Qur'an was revealed in 7th century Arabia, its message is meant for the whole of mankind to come. In fact, there are over 1.5 billion Muslims in the world today because of the Qur'an. Just to give you a practical demonstration of just how many Muslims there are in the world- at any given moment on any day someone, somewhere, is praising God by reciting the Qur'an in their prayers. You may be wondering, what is it about the Qur'an that has made such an imprint on the hearts of over a billion Muslims?
The Qur'an is also unique in history in terms of the revolutionary impact it had on society. Pre-Islamic Arabia was not a very pleasant place to live in. Given the tribal structure of Arab society, any disputes often led to blood feuds between tribes that would consume whole generations. Slavery was an economic institution of the Arabs. Male and female slaves were sold and bought like animals, and they formed the most depressed class of the Arabian society. Arabia was a male-dominated society to say the least. A man could marry any number of women and when a man died, his son “inherited” all his wives except his own mother. Women, as a general rule, had virtually no legal status: fathers sold their daughters into marriage for a price and women had little or no property or succession rights. The most powerful class of the Arabs was made up by the capitalists and money-lenders who took 100 per cent interest on loans. Infanticide, particularly the burying alive of female infants, was a norm. Finally, illiteracy was common among the Arabs, as were alcoholism and adultery. I think you can appreciate why this period of Arab history before the dawn of Islam is known as the period of ignorance!
Can you imagine being tasked with reforming such a society? Have a think about how long it would take one person to cure all these social ills. One generation? Perhaps several generations? You may even view it as an impossible task. Just to give you an idea of the scale of the challenge, let's look at an attempt in recent Western history to eradicate just one of these social ills, alcoholism. In 1920 the United States government passed a nationwide law to ban the sale, production, importation, and transportation of alcoholic beverages for moral and health reasons. This is commonly known as Prohibition and although consumption of alcohol fell at the beginning of Prohibition, it subsequently increased and led to other problems such as corruption and organised crime. The law was repealed in 1933.
This failure of one of the most powerful governments in the world to tackle just a single social ill should make us reflect on the Qur'an. The Qur'an managed to completely reform not only alcoholism but all the social ills of Arabian society in a single generation, just 23 years! This was a revolution the likes of which the world has never witnessed.
The Message
The distinctive approach of the Quran is that its spiritual message includes practical injunctions aimed at the general welfare of individuals, society and the environment in which we live.
The Quran’s message is eternal and universal, transcending our differences in race, colour, ethnicity and nationality. It provides guidance on every facet of human life – from economics and the ethics of trade to marriage, divorce, parenting, gender issues and inheritance.
Monotheism is a prominent theme of the Quran, affirming that God is One without any partners. In a concisely-worded Quranic chapter, God commands,
“Say, ‘He is God the One, God the eternal. He begot no one nor was He begotten. No one is comparable to Him’” (The Qur’an, Chapter 112)
A foundational message in the Quran is its emphasis on righteous conduct built on firm belief and love for God. The Quran acknowledges human desires while reminding individuals to cultivate their souls. In addition, God calls on humans to use their intellect and reflect on the world around them. The Quran encourages humankind to recognize the signs of God’s existence in the precise order of the universe and the careful placement of every object in the grand scheme of creation. The Qur’an is:
The Last Testament of God
The Most Positive Book in the World
A Fountain of Mercy and Wisdom
An Assurance to those in Doubt
A Proclamation to Humanity
A Warning to the Heedless
A Guide to the Erring
A solace to the Suffering
A Living Linguistic Miracle
A Hope to those in Despair
Read by Billions, Memorised by Millions
God Almighty confirms in the very beginning of the Chapters of The Qur’an-
“This is The Book, without any doubt, a guidance to those conscious of God ….” (The Qur’an Chapter 2, Verse 2)
Allah (The God- One worthy of worship in Arabic) explains in the Quran, that He will be its guardian which is why it has stayed preserved and unchanged.
“Indeed, it is We who sent down the Quran and indeed, We will be its guardian.” (The Qur’an Chapter 15, Verse 9)
An Eternal Challenge
An Eternal Challenge, to produce even one chapter like the Quran (smallest being of 3 verses)-
“And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant [Muhammad], then produce a single chapter like it and call upon your witnesses other than Allah, if you should be truthful.” (The Qur’an, Chapter 2, Verse 23)
“Do they not ponder over the Qur’an? Had it been from any other than God Almighty, surely there would have been many contradictions in it.” (The Qur’an, Chapter 4, Verse 82)
The concept of putting ideas to the test is encouraged by the Qur’an. So too is the use of witnesses in order to validate conclusions. It must be noted that no other religious text challenges its reader in such ways; the use of falsification tests is unique to the Qur’an.
Assuredly if these revelations were inspired by a man then the best poets and masters of the Arabic language could recreate something similar. Nothing in likeness to the rhythm, structure and eloquence has been written or spoken and its every beautiful sentences remains unaltered.
Experience The Blessings
“And this is a Book which We have revealed as a blessing: so follow it and be righteous, that you may receive mercy.” (The Qur’an Chapter 6, Verse 155)
To summarise these concepts that the Qur’an puts forward with regards to knowledge: using our senses to observe the world around us, thinking and reflecting on what we observe, putting ideas to the test and providing witnesses to validate our conclusions. If these concepts seem familiar to you it’s because they resemble the modern scientific method. Today, it is understood to students of science that everything must be proven. You cannot make claims about scientific theories based on assumption without experimentation.
In short, the Quran is asking you to become something more than you thought you could be, someone whom God loves and someone who loves His world so much that he or she will do everything in their power to take good care of it.
A translation of the meaning of the Quran is not the same as the original Arabic Quran. You can use translations to get at the meanings and message of the Quran, but in the original Arabic text is where the message truly resides.
Take advantage of the free road map to life your Creator has provided. You’ll unlock the secret to living peacefully by conscious obedience to your Creator, as well as gain keys to self-improvement.
The Quran is truly a treasure chest of useful information just waiting to be applied.
May your search bear fruit and may the message of the Quran guide your way for the rest of your days.
(ﷺ- Salutations in Arabic calligraphy- peace and blessings of God be upon him)