Alif Lam Meem. This is the Book! There is no doubt about it – a guide for those mindful of Allah [2:1-2]

The Quran is a guidance for mankind, for those who believe and those who have the potential to believe. It is the most widely read book but also one of the most misunderstood, both by Muslims and non-Muslims. The Quran is in Arabic and requires wudu (ablution) to read it. Translations are not considered “the” Quran.

Definition

• It is the Arabic Divine Word of eternal linguistic miracle, unable to be imitated.
• It was revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
• Its recitation is considered worship. Every letter has a reward, no other book has this.
• It has been passed on through multiple corroborated paths of narration (tawatur), is unchanged in its form and not fabricated.

Revelation

The Quran was revealed during Ramadan with clear messages for mankind to distinguish between right and wrong [2:185]. Revelation was received by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ over 23 years from the age of 40 until his death. The first revelation was surah Al Alaq [96] and the last surah An Nasr [110].

There are 86 Makkan surahs and 28 Madinan surahs. Opinions differ as to whether this classification refers to the place of revelation or whether the discourse is addressed to the Makkans or Madinans. The majority opinion is that surahs are classified according to time either before or after the Hijra, the migration of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from Makkah to Madinah.

Makkan period 

During this timeframe, the Muslims were a small nascent community, under constant oppression. Revelation focused on the fundamentals of the religion, the Oneness of Allah SWT, stories of prophets and nations and resurrection of the body. The surahs were short with a certain receptive tone and feel to the ear and soul, enabling one to feel the Majesty and Glory of Allah SWT. This helped to comfort and consolidate the Muslims, engendering patience against the opposition to the message.

Madinan period

Following the Hijra, the Muslim community grew larger and became established with freedom to practice their religion. Revelation now addressed issues of law, governance, behaviour, living together as a community, warfare and peace and commented on the early battles between believers and non believers. The surahs were long, calm and thought provoking referencing the Quran and Sunnah as the ultimate sources of authority.

Receiving Revelation

The process of receiving the revelation would take its toll on the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. It would press down upon him like a heavy weight, causing him to perspire profusely and shiver intensely, as the divine words seized his entire body. The sound of the revelation was like the ringing of a bell, heard throughout the heavens. It was so powerful, that it even caused the angels to faint. The Companions could hear a humming sound around the Prophet ﷺ during revelation.

The revelation of surah Al Anam was accompanied by 70,000 angels descending from the heavens. At over 20 pages long, it was revealed all in one instance whilst the Prophet ﷺ was sitting on his camel. When it reached him, the camel’s knees buckled due to the sheer weight of the surah.

Had We sent down this Quran upon a mountain you would have certainly seen it humbled and torn apart in awe of Allah [59:21]

Once the transfer of revelation was complete, the Prophet ﷺ would instantly return to normal. The Quranic ayats would settle within his heart and he would be able to recite them smoothly and perfectly.

Compilation

Early Compilation

Quranic ayats were revealed according to their need. For example, certain events prompted revelation to clarify matters or give instructions to the Muslims. Once the complete Quran had been revealed, the order of ayats and surahs were determined according to Allah SWT and communicated to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through Jibril AS. The surahs were named by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions, the names having no divine meanings. Some surahs have more than one name.

At the time of revelation, designated companions referred to as kuttab al whay, were tasked to write down the ayats. These were those who were literate and included Abu Bakr RA and Umar RA. They preserved the Quran through memorisation and writing it down on stone tablets, paper and bones. These copies were left at the house of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from which the companions made personal copies. Thus there was no single completed volume of the Quran during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

The Prophet ﷺ recited the book before Jibril AS every year in the month of Ramadan, and in the month in which he died he recited it before him twice [Bukhari]

Later Compilation

There was no complete written book of the Quran until the caliphate of Abu Bakr RA. At this time, 70 Muslims who had memorised the Quran (hafiz) died in one battle. This threatened the preservation of the Quran, so Umar RA advised Abu Bakr RA to begin the process of documenting the Quran.

Zayd al Thabit was tasked with compiling the Quran. He was meticulous and precise and required someone who had memorised and someone who had written the Quran to agree on the exact wording and delivery. A copy of the complete and authenticated Quran was kept at Dar al Khilafa, a place of governance in the 12th year after hijra with the objective to preserve the Quran.

During the caliphate of Uthman RA, Islam had spread rapidly to many different regions. A single standardised copy of the Quran was made from the original with the objective to distribute and ensure the correct recitation across all the different regions. All other scripts and personal copies were then burnt. Four prominent companions made a committee to verify and authenticate the copying of the Quran in the 25th year of hijra.

During the caliphate of Ali RA, vowels were added to the Quranic script.

Structure

Composition

The Quran has 6,236 ayats (verses), 77,437 words and 312,000 letters. It is composed of 114 surahs (chapters) and is arbitrarily divided into 30 Juz (parts) on the basis of approximate equal length. Each Juz is further subdivided into 8 parts for ease of recitation and memorisation.

Surah Baqarah [2] is the longest surah containing 286 ayats and surah Kauther [108] the shortest containing 3 ayats. Ayah 2:282 is the longest and there are many short ayats, some containing only letters. The shortest ayah containing a word is 55:1. Approximately 10% is dedicated to Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) which deals with laws and rulings. The remainder is about history of mankind, morals, ethics, tawheed (Oneness of Allah SWT), Judgement Day and Akhira.

Thematic

Many topics are often intertwined either in one surah or even one ayah. Surahs are also interrelated, with themes in one surah continued upon in another. This arrangement reflects the complexity and integrated nature of life and ensures the whole Quran is read. If individual topics were arranged in surahs, one may be tempted only to read the topics of interest to them.

A thematic discussion requires extraction of all ayats on that topic throughout the Quran to provide holistic and complete guidance on a particular topic. The Quran often explains, clarifies and expands upon ayats in one surah elsewhere in another surah.

Style

The Quran speaks about itself. It tells us there is no doubt in it. It is guidance for the God conscious and for mankind at large, a healing and a mercy for the believers. The Quran challenges jinn and mankind to produce anything similar to it, an impossibility as it cannot be imitated. It asks us to ponder over its verses, contemplate and reflect and to listen to its recitation.

Will they not contemplate over the Quran? Do they have locks on their hearts? [47:24]

Repetition

One of the key features in the Quran is repetition:

• Repetitive themes such as the Oneness of Allah SWT, the resurrection of the body, the horrors of Judgement Day and comparisons between Jannah and Jahannam (reward and punishment). This style emphasises the points being made, often providing more details.
• Repetitive phrases also serve to reinforce the point being made, for example, “Then which of your Lord’s favours will you both deny?” in Surah Ar Rahman [55] and “Woe on that Day to the deniers!” in Surah Al Mursalat [77].
• Repetitive stories such as of the Prophets Musa AS and Ibrahim AS, each time focusing on a different aspect of their lives.
• Some words are linked together as phrases and repeated often:
  • Prayer and charity – akimusalatah wa athuzakata.
  • Belief and good deeds – amanu wa amilus salihathi.
  • Gardens of Paradise and rivers flowing beneath – jannahtin tajari min tatihal anhar.

Rhetoric

Sarcasm is used when referring to the views of the disbelievers and the promises of their fate. Emphasis is also commonplace in the Quran. Words such as, ‘certainly’, ‘indeed; and ‘surely’ are used often. Some ayats are consecutively repeated. Allah SWT takes an oath by any of His creation such as the heavens and the earth, the sun and the moon to emphatically confirm the truth.

The intellectual capacity of a language is determined by how many words are conceptual. The Quran was revealed in Arabic which is extremely conceptual resulting in many layers of meanings in the Quran. One should strive to learn Arabic if possible as translation does not always capture the nuances of understanding the multiple meanings of the words.

Timeless

The Quranic revelation is dynamic across time; as human knowledge is increased, new meanings contained within its ayats become apparent. It is Allah SWT’s speech, a direct address to individuals. We should “live the Quran” and understand it as a personal message for us, to inform our view in all spheres of life.

The Messenger ﷺ said about our relationship with the Quran: “O my Lord, my people have indeed received this Quran with neglect” [25:30]. Much of our current individual and communal issues relate to a migration from the Quran, a lack of understanding and contemplation over its message.

Do they then not reflect on the Quran? Had it been from anyone other than Allah, they would have certainly found in it many inconsistencies [4:82]

Recitation

The Quran is beautifully smooth and fluent in Arabic when moving from one topic to another. This is sometimes lost in translations. Before the recitation of each surah, one recites:

• Aouzobillah – I seek refuge in Allah from the rejected accursed Shaytan.
• Bismillah – In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate the Most Merciful.

Basmalah

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful, is also known as the Basmalah. It occurs as a definitive ayah in Surah Al Naml [27:30], and is therefore a part of the Quran. It is also written before all the 114 surahs in the Quran, except surah 9.

With the exception of surah Al Fatihah, the opening surah of the Quran, most scholars agree that the Basmalah is a separator and not part of the surah. With respect to surah Al Fatihah, the schools of thought differ:

• Shafi’i believe it is an ayah of the Quran and recite it aloud.
• Hanbali believe it is an ayah of the Quran but recite it silently (with a low breath, moving the vocal cords and tongue, not just in your mind).
• Hanafi and Maliki do not believe it is an ayah of the Quran and recite it silently.

The Quran tells us to remember and to bless Allah SWT and the name of Allah. We glorify and exalt Allah SWT and the name of Allah, but we worship only Allah SWT. Muslims recite the Basmalah prior to any action. It is an incomplete sentence as it does not contain a verb; the subsequent action completes the sentence.

The Basmalah is used for three primary reasons:

1. Ikhlaas: Sincerity, the action is for the sake of Allah SWT alone.
2. Barakah: Blessing, seeking His help and blessing for the action.
3. Qabool: Acceptance, that Allah SWT accepts and is pleased with our action.

No action is complete without saying this phrase. For example, eating, drinking, reading, working and so forth. The mere mention of the name of Allah SWT will bring blessings. Reciting the Basmalah negates our ego and acknowledges that all actions and capabilities are from Allah SWT.

Sajdah Tilawat

Recitation, or hearing the recitation, of certain ayats requires compulsory sajdah (prostration) as a great act of attaining nearness to Allah SWT and weakening the influence of shaytan. This type of sajdah is referred to as sajdah tilawat.

Once a person prostrates after reading a verse requiring sajdah tilawat, the shaytan starts crying and wailing in a corner saying, “Alas! The children of Adam were enjoined to perform sajdah and they carried it out and became entitled to enter Jannah and I refused to do so and was condemned to Jahannam.” [Muslim]

Once you have recited a verse requiring sajdah tilawat, you should go down for sajdah with Allahu Akbar and rise from sajdah with Allahu Akbar, which may be performed sitting, though it is preferable to prostrate oneself from the standing position [Muslim]. No raising of the hands and no salutation (as salaam alaikum wa rakmutala) is performed [Abu Dawud].

There are15 Ayats in the Quran that require sajdah tilawat:

1. Al A’Raf [7:206]. Surely those angels nearest to your Lord are not too proud to worship Him. They glorify Him. And to Him they prostrate.
2. Al Ra’d [13:15]. To Allah alone prostrate whatever is in the heavens and the earth – willingly or unwillingly – as do their shadows, morning and evening.
3. Al Nahl [16:50]. They (angels) fear their Lord above them and do whatever they are commanded.
4. Al Isra [17:109]. And they (faithful among People of the Book) fall down upon their faces weeping and it increases them in humility.
5. Maryam [19:58]. Those were the prophets who Allah has blessed from among the descendants of Adam and of those we carried (in the ark) with Noah and of the descendants of Abraham and Israel and of those we rightly guided and chose.  Whenever the revelations of the Most Merciful were recited to them, they fell down, prostrating and weeping.
6. Al Haj [22:18]. Do you not see that to Allah prostrate all those in the heavens and all those on the earth, as well as the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees and all living beings, as well as many human beings, while many are deserving of punishment.  And whoever Allah disgraces, none can honour. Surely Allah does what He wills.
7. Al Haj [22:77]. O believers! Bow down, prostrate yourselves, worship your Lord and do what is good so that you may be successful.
8. Al Farqan [25:60]. When it is said to them “Prostrate to the Most Merciful” they ask in disgust “What is the Most Merciful? Will we prostrate to whatever you order us to?” And it only drives them away.
9. Al Naml [27:26]. Allah – there is no God worthy of worship except Him, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.
10. As Sajdah [32:15]. The only true believers in Our revelation are those who – when it is recited to them – fall into prostration and glorify the praises of their Lord and are not too proud.
11. Sa’d [38:24]. David ruled, “He has definitely wronged you in demanding to add your sheep to his. And certainly, many partners wrong each other, except those who believe and do good – but how few are they!” Then David realised We had tested him, so he asked for his Lord’s forgiveness, fell down in prostration and turned to Him in repentance.
12. Fussilat [41:38]. But if the pagans are too proud then let them know that those angels nearest to your Lord glorify Him day and night and never grow weary.
13. Al Najm [53:62]. So prostrate to Allah and worship (Him alone).
14. Inshiqaq [84:21]. And when the Quran is recited to them, they do not prostrate (in submission).
15. Al Alaq [96:19]. Again, no! Never obey him (O Prophet) rather (continue to) prostrate and draw near to Allah.

Disjoined Letters

There are 29 surahs that begin with either a single letter or a combination of 2-5 letters. Known as Muqattaʿāt, the disjoined, disconnected or mysterious letters, they do not form any recognisable word. In total there are 79 of these letters within the Quran, composed of any combination of the following 14 letters: 

alif أ, hā هـ, ḥā ح, ṭā ط, yā ي, kāf ك, lām ل, mīm م, nūn ن, sīn س, ʿain ع, ṣād ص, qāf ق, rā ر.

The most commonest combinations are Alif Lam Meem (6 times), Ha Meem (6 times) and Alif Lam Ra (5 times). There are 3 surahs that have only one letter as an opener: Sad, Qaf and Noon. Four surahs are named after their Muqattaʿāt: Ta Ha, Ya Seen, Sad and Qaf.

In all but a few of the 29 surahs, the Muqattaʿāt letters are almost immediately followed by ayats referring to the Quran. Specifically, in 8 cases the following verse begins, “These are the signs…”; in another 5 it begins, “The Revelation…”; another 3 begin, “By the Qur’an…”; and another 2 begin, “By the Book…”

There are multiple opinions from learned scholars as to what these letters represent, some of which include:

• Allah SWT’s attributes.
• Names of surahs as chosen by Allah SWT.
• Reference to the content of the surahs.
• Describing the miraculous nature of Quran.
• Allah SWT using letters we understand to form words that we cannot.

The fact is, on many matters we have been given only a little knowledge and understanding. The truth lies with Allah SWT. We must humble ourselves and accept we will never know everything about everything and realise the amazing attribute of Al Alim, the All Knowing.

Rewards for Reciting and Memorising the Quran

There are multiple hadiths extolling the benefits of reciting and memorising the Quran:

• The highest ranks in Jannah for the one who memorises the Quran.
• The highest honour for the parents of the memoriser.
• The best person is the one who learns the Quran and teaches it.
• The memoriser of the Quran is worthy of envy in this world.
• Every letter of the Quran recited is rewarded ten times.
• The Quran will intercede for the reciter on the Day of Judgement.
• A crown and garments of honour for the memoriser and his parents.
• The memoriser will be saved from the Fire.
• Double rewards for those who try to recite or memorise the Quran and find it difficult.

Tips for Reciting the Quran

The Word of Allah SWT is a message for all of humanity, the guidance that we need to keep on the Straight Path. We should therefore strive to recite is as it deserves to be recited:

• Read the Quran daily. Make it part of our routine. Read small amounts regularly rather than larger sections less frequently.
• Try to memorise as much of the Quran as possible.
• Recite the Quran with correct pronunciation (Tajweed) and in a good voice. Beautify the Quran with your voices, for sweet voice increases the beauty of the Quran [Al Jami].
• Read the Quran with concentration and understanding. Resolve to study its message and meanings. There are many Quranic translations and tafsirs (exegesis) which provide a deeper commentary.
• Recite as much of the Quran in salah as possible, in particular during the night prayers.
• Recitation of the Quran at Fajr time is witnessed (by the angels) [17:78].

Say, (O Prophet) Believe in this Quran, or do not. Indeed, when it is recited to those who were gifted with knowledge before, they fall upon their faces in prostration and say “Glory be to our Lord! Surely the promise of our Lord has been fulfilled”. And they fall upon their faces weeping and it increases them in humility [17:107-109].