The Qur'an

• Qur'an


  The word of God, the first source of authority in Islam
• Qur'an


  • The sacred words of God in classical Arabic
  • Only these words are considered the authentic Qur'an
  • Presenting issues for Muslims today who need to understand the meaning of the text in modern Arabic and other languages in different parts of the world
• Revelation of the Qur'an

  1. Started on the Night of Power

  2. Continued over 23 years

  3. Progressively revealed to Muhammad

  4. First verses formed Sura 96
• Islamic tradition suggests that Muhammad could not read or write, so the verses given to him were a miracle
• As the word of Allah, nothing can come above the Qur'an
• Earlier revelations were thought to have been corrupted; the Qur'an restored monotheism over idol worship and completed the revelations for all time
• Nothing could come after the Qur'an
• Treatment of the Qur'an


  • Muslims wash before touching it
  • They place it above other books and never on the floor
  • They keep it clean and perform ablutions (wudu) before touching it
• Recitation of the Qur'an


  • The words themselves are recited during every prayer
  • Some Muslims go on to learn the text in the original Arabic off by heart (hafiz), believing this grants them seven generations of paradise
  • Special Taraweeh prayers in Ramadan commemorate its revelation
• Translations of the Qur'an


  • Considered interpretations, rather than direct translations
  • The literal word of Allah cannot be changed in any way
  • All translators add a degree of interpretation in their choice of words to reflect meaning
• It is important for Muslims to understand the meaning of the Qur'an
• In Islam, the intention behind any action is all-important; those who do things without meaning were criticised in Muhammad's time
• The context of revelation is considered important for understanding the meaning and what other verses might be relevant
• Scholars have written commentaries (tafsir) to help explain the verses for Muslims to follow