The Holy Quran

The chapters and verses were revealed over a period of 23 years often in response to happenings in the life and times of the early Muslim community. However, the order of the chapters and verses of the Quran was known to Prophet Muhammad. When the Angel Gabriel would reveal the divine words of God, he would also issue instructions as to what verses and chapters belonged where

Quran mentions: “Verily! I am Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but I, so worship Me...” (Quran 20:14)

This chapter contains the genealogy and description of Allah, the Most Merciful. It was revealed by Allah to refute beliefs attributed to Him by misguided people concerning His similitude, form, origin and offspring. For example, those who paint pictures or make statues of Allah are claiming similitude, those who worship others besides Him claim similitude, and those who attribute some parts of His creation to others besides Him claim similitude. However, nothing is similar to Him in His Attributes, His Dominion or His Divinity. Therefore, only He alone deserves to be worshipped by His creations.

Allah says in the Quran: “Say (O Muhammad): “He is Allah (God), (the) One.
“Allah-us-Samad Allah (God) the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks).
“He begets not, nor was He begotten.
“And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him.”
(Quran 112:1-4)

The first verse represents Allah’s own affirmation of His unique monotheism, His inimitable oneness. Thus, the first verse is a command to the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, and whoever reads or recites this verse to affirm Allah’s unique oneness. He is one like whom there is no other. There are many unities in this world, but they all are not unique as each unity has others similar to them

“Indeed, I revealed it as an Arabic Quran...” (Quran 12:2)

The authenticity of Quran is established in several ways. The most important way we can be sure that the Quran is authentic is the fact that when God revealed the Quran, He promised to preserve it.

Allah says in the Quran “It is We Who have sent down the remembrance (i.e. the Quran) and surely, We will guard it from corruption.” (Quran 15:9)

The longest surah in the Holy Quran is Surah Al-Baqara, the last sixty surahs take up about as much space as the second. Some of the longer aayahs are much longer than the shortest surahs. All surahs, except one, begin with Bimillah hir-Rahman nir-Rahim, ‘In the Name of God, the Most-Merciful, the Compassionate'.

Each surah has a name that usually mentions a key motto within it. For example, the longest surah, Surah al-Baqara, or 'The Cow', is named after the story of Moses commanding the Jews to offer a sacrifice of a cow, which begins by God saying: “And remember when Moses said to his people: ‘Allah commands that you sacrifice a cow…’” (Quran 2:67)

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was in solitude in the cave on Mount Hira. He was startled by the Angel of Revelation, Gabriel, the same who had come to Mary, the mother of Jesus, who seized him in a close embrace. A single word of command burst upon him: ‘Iqra’ - ‘Read!’ He said: ‘I am not able to read!’ but the command was issued twice more, each with the same response from the Prophet. Finally, he was grasped with overwhelming force by the angel. Gabriel released him, and the first ‘recitation’ of the Quran was revealed to him:

“Read in the name of your Lord who created - created man from a clot. Read: for your Lord is Most Bountiful, who teaches by the pen, teaches man that which he knew not.” (Quran 96:1-5)

The authenticity of the Quran is established in several ways. The most important way we can be sure that the Quran is authentic is the fact that when God revealed the Quran, He promised to preserve it.

Allah says in the Quran “It is We Who have sent down the remembrance (i.e. the Quran) and surely, We will guard it from corruption.” (Quran 15:9)

“And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) the Book (this Quran) in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it and trustworthy in highness and a witness over it (old Scriptures).” (Quran 5:48)

“And We have sent down to you the Book (the Quran) as an exposition of everything, guidance, a mercy, and glad tidings for those who have submitted themselves.” (Quran 16:89)

“… had it (the Quran) been from any other than Allah, they would have found therein much discrepancies.” (Quran 4:82)

The Quran is composed of 114 parts or chapters of unequal length. Each chapter is called a surah in Arabic and each sentence or phrase of the Quran is called an aayah, literally ‘a sign'. The Quran is divided into discrete units, referred to as verses in English. These verses are not standard in length, and where each begins and ends was not decided by human beings, but dictated by God. Each one is a discrete act of locution of closed signification, or ‘sign’, denoted by the word aayah in Arabic

Revelation comes to Allah’s Messengers either directly or through an intermediary. In the case of an intermediary, it is the Angel Gabriel who brings the revelation.

In the Quran it is mentioned that Allah speaks to the angels. Allah says: “And (remember) when your Lord revealed to the angels: ‘Verily I am with you, so keep firm those who have believed’…” (Quran 8:12)

Revelation is where Allah imparts whatever knowledge He wills to those whom He chooses to receive it. Allah gives this knowledge to them in order for them to convey it to whomever else He wishes.

All the Messengers of Allah experienced revelation. Allah says in the Quran: “Verily, We have sent Revelation to you (O Muhammad) as We have sent Revelation to Noah and the prophets who came after him. We had sent revelation to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, the Tribes, Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon. And to David We gave the Psalms. And Messengers We have told you about before, and Messengers We have not told you about - and to Moses We spoke directly.” (Quran 4:163)