Quran - Holy Quran Academy
Koran(ar. القرآن [al-Ḳur'ān]) - Holy Scripture of Muslims, revelation ( wahy) of Allah, sent down to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ between 610 and 632 years through the angel Jibril (Gabriel) [ ; …] . The Qur'an consists of 114 chapters (suras), each of which consists of verses (verses).
Etymology
Word ḳur'an in modern Arabic means "reading", "what is said, read and repeated".
Lexical meaning of the word ḳur'an comes from the Arabic verb ḳara'a(ar. ﻗﺭﺃ), which means “add”, “attach”. The noun comes from this verb. qira'a(ar. ﻗﺭﺍﺀﺓ), which means “addition”, “attaching letters and words to each other” (that is, “reading”).
Earliest attested use of the term Qur'an found in the Koran itself, in which it is mentioned about 70 times in various meanings. Word al-qur'an(ar. ﺍﻠﻗﺭﺁﻥ) can be used both to refer to the Scripture itself, sent down to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and to a passage from Scripture.
The Qur'an has various names for this scripture: al-Kit±b("Book") ; at-Tanzil("Sending down"); aẕ-Ẕikr("Reminder") ; al-Furqan("Distinction"); al-Huda(“Guide”), etc. The Koran is also denoted by the word Mus-haf("scroll") and a number of other terms that are not found in the text of the Qur'an.
Sura al-Fatiha("Opening").
Structure of the Quran
The Qur'an consists of 114 chapters, called suras, which consist of a different number (from 3 to 286) of rhythmic and semantic units - verses (ar. آية - ayaẗ).
Surahs in the Holy Book are placed not according to the content and not according to the time of their appearance. Basically, the suras in the Qur'an are arranged depending on the number of verses in them, starting from the longest and ending with the shortest. The first sura of the Qur'an is al-Fatiha("Opening"), and the last - an-Nas("People").
The longest sura al-Baqarah(“Cow”) contains 286 verses, and the shortest are , and suras, in which there are only three verses. The longest verse has 128 words (with prepositions and particles - about 162), and in the sura al-Kawsar("Abundant") only 10 words (with prepositions and particles - 13). In total, in the Koran, according to different methods of counting, from 6,204 to 6,236 verses (Cairo edition), from 76,440 to 77,934 words and from 300,690 to 325,072 letters.
The traditional Muslim chronology divides the suras into "Meccan" (sent down in Mecca in 610-622) and "Medina" (sent down in Medina in 622-632), which are mostly longer than "Mekcan". There is no exact data on which suras are Meccan and which are Medinan. The Cairo edition of the Qur'an lists 90 Meccan and 24 Medinan suras.
Meccan suras tend to be more poetic; they are dominated by doctrinal themes (monotheism, eschatology); more attention is paid to the idea of the omnipotence of the One Allah and the fear of the Day of Judgment.
The Medinan suras are dominated by legal issues, reflect the controversy with Jews and Christians, and outline the duties of Muslims. Most surahs are composed of passages from various revelations ( hand ‘), which are loosely related to each other thematically and are pronounced at different times.
The needs of the recitation of the Qur'an also correspond to other divisions of its text into approximately identical parts: into 7 manzilev(for reading during the week) or 30 juzes(for reading during the month). Further each juz divided into two hizba("parties"), which, in turn, are subdivided into quarters ( rub') .
First 5 verses of the Surah al-‘Alaq("Clot").
Sending down the Quran
The sending of the first revelations began when the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was 40 years old and continued until his death. The sending down of revelations began with a good vision in a dream. After 6 months, the angel Jibril brought the first five verses of the sura al-‘Alaq("Clot").
The Quran descended from Allah to the near heaven in its entirety on the Night of al-Qadr, and then gradually, by the wisdom of Allah, it was transmitted to the Prophet ﷺ in parts. The place in the near heaven where the Qur'an descended is called Bait al-'izza("House of Majesty"). In the month of Ramadan, the angel Jibril read to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ all the verses of the Qur'an that were sent down over the past year. Then the Prophet ﷺ read them, and Jibril listened to him, after which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ read these verses in the mosque to the companions, who in turn memorized them. This process has been named ‘arda(ar. عرضة). In the last Ramadan of the life of the Prophet ﷺ, this process was performed twice.
Ancient manuscript of the Quran
Quran writing
During the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the Qur'anic revelations were transmitted mainly orally, from memory. Experts of individual passages of the Qur'an were called "guardians" (hafiz). In Mecca, revelations were written down on the initiative of the companions themselves, and in Medina - most often at the direction of the Prophet ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ announced in which sura and in what order these verses should be written. For this, at different times, about 40 secretary clerks were with him. According to Zayd ibn Thabit, after the secretary wrote down the revelation, the Prophet ﷺ made him read the revealed verses again. If he noticed errors in the pronunciation of a clerk, he immediately demanded that they be corrected in the text, and only after that he allowed his companions to read Divine revelations. Due to the fact that during the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ paper was not widely used, the revelations received by the Prophet ﷺ were recorded on date leaves, pieces of flat stone, animal skin, etc. At the same time, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was not content with writing the Qur'an and insisted that the Companions memorize the revelations.
Some revelations were temporary and later canceled by Allah. The collections of hadiths contain stories about how, by order of the Prophet ﷺ, changes were made to the text of the Quran and some verses of the Quran were replaced by others. The Qur'an reports that the changes made in it were made by the order of Allah [ ; ; ] . In some records of the verses of the Qur'an, there was no consistency, which is inherent in modern publications. In order to move from fragmentation to systemicity, the companions, in the presence of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, sequentially placed verses in the suras of the Koran. This sequence was dictated by Divine command by the angel Jibril. For this reason, it is forbidden to read the verses of the Qur'an in a different order than the one indicated by the Prophet ﷺ (for example, from the end to the beginning of the sura).
Most medieval Muslim scholars believed that the language in which the Qur'an was revealed was at the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ the oral language of the Quraysh, as well as the language of "classical Arabic" poetry. The Quraysh and pre-Islamic poets were supposed to have preserved the pure Bedouin language ( al-a‘rāb). Western Koran scholars (Nöldeke, Schwalli) argued that the language of the Qur'an was not the oral language of any tribe, but was to some extent an artificial "standard language" (Germ. hochsprache), which was understood throughout the Hijaz. In the late 1940s, three European researchers H. Fleisch, R. Blacher and K. Rabin came to the conclusion that the Quranic language was far from the spoken dialect of the Quraysh or the "standard language" of the Hejaz, but was simply the "poetic koine" of classical Arabic poetry, with some adaptation to the speech of the Meccans. This view has been accepted by the majority of Western Arabists.
For a more accurate understanding of the Qur'an by non-Quraysh, some verses of the Qur'an were sent down in other dialects of the Arabic language. The mushaf of Abu Bakr contained various versions of the verses of the Qur'an. However, in the process of collecting the Qur'an, only the verses written in the Quraysh dialect were included in a single book by the order of 'Uthman.
The language of the Qur'an is full of epithets and extended comparisons with a relatively small number of metaphors, metonyms, etc. A significant part of the text of the Qur'an, especially the early suras, is rhymed prose (ar. سـجـع [saj‘ ]). The syntax of the Quran is determined by the form of dialogue in which the presentation is conducted, and which is characterized by the absence of introductory sentences and descriptive phrases.
Most of the Qur'an is a polemic in the form of a dialogue between Allah (speaking either in the first or third person, or through intermediaries) and the opponents of the Prophet ﷺ, or the appeal of Allah with exhortations and instructions to Muslims. The central theme of the Qur'an is the affirmation of Islamic principles regarding the duties of believers towards God. A certain place is occupied by ideas about the Universe, the Earth, flora and fauna. Some anthropological ideas are also reflected, a brief history of mankind and prophecies about its future (the resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment, etc.) are given. The Koran contains sermons of an eschatological nature, ideas about Hell and Paradise. It also reflects such issues as social justice, the economy, international and family relations, moral values, etc.
During the Meccan period, the main goal of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was to attract as many pagans as possible to Islam. For this reason, the Meccan suras place great emphasis on the doctrines of prophecy, eschatology, spirituality, as well as ethical issues. There are a large number of dramatic scenes in the Meccan suras, usually associated with death, the Last Judgment, the joys of Paradise, and the torments of hell. Dramatic scenes are nowhere fully or systematically explained. Most of the Meccan suras deal with theological topics: signs of God, messages from earlier prophets, etc. These suras can be classified as sermons.
During the Medina period, Islam became the state religion, and therefore, in the Medina suras, greater importance is given to social, legal issues, problems of war and peace, economic issues, family relations, etc. That is, the verses of the Koran were sent down taking into account the situation that existed at that time, where the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions were. The early Medinan suras are often addressed to the Jews, both "sons of Israel" and "People of the Book". In later Medinan suras, the appeal "O believers" is more common, but sometimes "O children of Adam" or "O people."
What is Quran - Quran Academy
In a number of cases, Divine commands were sent down gradually, from lighter forms to more complex ones. In accordance with the real circumstances, Allah could send down one revelation, which was temporary, and then cancel it and replace it with a new one. The sending down of the Qur'an gradually, in parts, also contributed to its better perception by the people.
The Koran tells about such ancient prophets as Adam, Lut (Lot), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), 'Isa (Jesus), etc., gives information about various events from their lives, sometimes different from what is written in the Bible. At the same time, he also tells about events that should happen in the future. The Qur'an tells about the problems of the origin and essence of being, various forms of life, cosmology and cosmogony [ ; ; ]. It contains the general principles of all aspects of individual and social life, as well as divine commands regarding service ( ‘ibada), various public transactions ( muamalat) and penalties for misconduct ( ‘ukubat) . There is no complete code of conduct or list of duties for Muslims in the Qur'an; each legal provision is dealt with separately, usually in several different places in the Qur'an.
All suras except at-Tawba("Repentance"), begin with basmala In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Merciful!. In 29 suras after the basmala, one can find the so-called "scattered letters" ( ḥuruf muḳaṭṭa‘a), which are written together but read separately. The meaning of these letter beginnings is unclear and is the subject of research by many scientists. Most Muslim scholars believe that the scattered letters at the beginning of the suras refer to obscure, difficult to understand verses of the Koran ( muthabihat) and are a secret that Allah has hidden from people.
Muslims usually refer to the surahs by their names rather than numbers. Since the names of the suras were not established during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and did not become part of the text, most of the suras became known by several names. The Egyptian standard edition of the Qur'an has had a significant impact on the uniformity of sura titles, and most of the alternative titles are no longer used. Most sura names are taken from a key term or headword that would identify the suras to those who memorize them. This suggests that the names of the suras originated in an oral rather than a written tradition.
The place of the Quran in Islam
For Muslims, the Qur'an is more than scripture or sacred literature in the Western sense. The Koran occupied and occupies an important place in the religious and socio-political life of the Arab-Muslim world. It is the basis of Islam and the primary source in matters of Islamic law ( fiqh) and beliefs ( ‘aqida). The "book-centrism" of Islam is expressed in the fundamental meaning of the Koran both in Muslim theology and in the everyday life of Muslims, law, cult, social and ethical doctrine. The Quran was also central to the theological debates of the early centuries; all directions of Arab-Muslim philosophy are repelled from his theological provisions. In some countries, the state and legislative structure, the way of public life are strictly consistent with the Koranic principles and norms.
According to Islamic doctrine, the Qur'an is the last Holy Scripture sent down by Allah; the uncreated Word of Allah, existing eternally, before the beginning of time. In the 9th century, disputes arose about the historicity (“eternity” or “creation” in time) of the Koran, which resulted in the “Inquisition” carried out in the Caliphate ( mihna). The dispute ended with the triumph of the position about the eternity of the Koran as the embodiment of the divine Word (Logos), about its heavenly archetype, recorded on the "Safe Tablet" ( al-Lawh al-Mahfuz) .
Faith in the Koran, along with faith in all the Holy Scriptures, is one of the six pillars of iman (faith) [ ; …] . Reading the Quran is worship ‘ibada). Ayats and suras of the Qur'an are used by Muslims in prayers (namaz) and in supplication ( dua) .
According to Islamic dogmatics, the peculiarity of the Koran is its miraculousness and inimitability ( i'jazz) in form and content. The idea of id'jaz arose in the course of the prophetic activity of Muhammad ﷺ. During the Meccan period, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called on his opponents to create “something like” the Koran [ ; ...], however, the Arabs, despite their eloquence, could not bring even one sura like the Koran. In the 8th-9th centuries, the theme of the inimitability of the Koran was at the center of not only intra-Islamic polemics, but also polemics with Judaism and Christianity. In the course of it, Muslim theologians developed an idea of "miracles" and "signs" perceived by the senses ( hissiya) and comprehended by the mind ( ‘akliya). Among the arguments for the miraculousness of the Qur'an were "messages about the hidden" ( ahbar al-ghayb). The development of the theory of i‘jazz proceeded with active interaction with philological disciplines. By the beginning of the 11th century, a synthesis of the doctrine of the inimitability of the Koran and the theory of the doctrine of figures and specific methods of constructing speech was determined ( badi'). The concept of i'jazz is related to the doctrine of the untranslatability of the Qur'an. However, Muslim theologians allowed translations of the Qur'an in the meaning of "commentary" ( tafsir) provided that the translation does not replace the original text.
The grammar of the Qur'an became the standard for classical Arabic, which replaced other languages in the Middle East and North Africa. The Arabic script, with some changes, was adopted by Persian, Turkish (until 1928), Urdu and other languages. The Qur'an significantly influenced the art of Arabic calligraphy, becoming one of the main decorative motifs in Islamic religious art and architecture. Mosques, madrasah schools and other public buildings are decorated with quotations from the Koran. Muslims wear quotes from the Koran as amulets, and in their homes they hang them on the walls or put them in a place of honor.
In Islam, "etiquette" is elaborated ( adab) in relation to the Quran. Before touching the Holy Book, a Muslim must perform a ritual bath. When reading the Quran, it is desirable: read it expressively according to the rules of tajvid, cover the avrat, face the Qibla, etc. The Quran should be stored above other books, foreign objects should not be placed on it, carried to dirty places (toilet, bath, etc.) .), treat it carelessly, etc. Unsuitable for reading, non-canonical copies of the Koran are buried in the ground or burned.
Mosque interior decoration with quotes from the Quran
Qur'anic sciences
Islamic culture developed such disciplines that study the Koran, such as: interpretation, chronology, history of the text, sound structure, style, "cancelling and canceling verses" ( nasih wa mansuh), “circumstances of sending down” ( asbab an-nuzul), "the inimitability of the Qur'an" ( i'jazz), etc., known as the "sciences of the Qur'an" ( ‘ulum al-Qur’an)
Interpretation of the Quran ( tafsir) is one of the important directions of the "science of the Qur'an" ( ‘ulum al-Qur’an). The works of this genre played an important role in the formation, development and spread of Islam. The genre of tafsir began to emerge during the formation of the sunnah and developed for a long time in the framework of works devoted to the biography of the Prophet ﷺ. Over time, special commentaries began to appear on the interpretation of the Koran, inheriting the already developed research procedure and the existing thesaurus. Since its inception, tafsir also began to serve as an ideological weapon in the political struggle between various Islamic movements. This struggle led to a split in the Islamic community into supporters of the literal ( z±hir) and "hidden" ( b̄ṭin) understanding of the Quranic text. In the context of this controversy, disputes flared up about the methods of interpreting the Koran, about the boundaries of what is permissible in the search for a "hidden" meaning. Under the conditions of the ban on translations of the Quran, detailed commentaries in different languages played an important role in familiarizing Muslims who do not speak Arabic with the Quran.
The Islamic commentary tradition has studied the Qur'an from a philological, legal, philosophical, theological, and mystical point of view. The most famous and authoritative tafsirs are the works
