 The Qur'an ("Qor-Ann") is a
Message from Allah to humanity. It was transmitted to us in
a chain starting from the Almighty Himself (swt) to the
angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (saas). This message
was given to the Prophet (saas) in pieces over a period
spanning approximately 23 years (610 CE to 622 CE). The
Prophet (saas) was 40 years old when the Qur'an began to be
revealed to him, and he was 63 when the revelation was
completed. The language of the original message was Arabic,
but it has been translated into many other languages.
The Qur'an is one leg of two
which form the basis of Islam. The second leg is the
Sunnah
of the Prophet (saas). What makes the Qur'an different from
the Sunnah is primarily its form. Unlike the Sunnah, the Qur'an is quite
literally the Word of Allah, whereas the Sunnah was inspired by
Allah but the wording and actions are the Prophet's. The
Qur'an has not been expressed using any human's words. Its
wording is letter for letter fixed by no one but Allah.
Prophet
Muhammad (saas) was the final Messenger of Allah to
humanity, and therefore the Qur'an is the last Message which
Allah has sent to us. Its predecessors such as the Torah,
Psalms, and Gospels have all been superceded. It is an
obligation - and blessing - for all who hear of the Qur'an
and Islam to investigate it and evaluate it for themselves.
Allah has guaranteed that He will protect the Qur'an from
human tampering, and today's readers can find exact copies
of it all over the world. The Qur'an of today is the same as
the Qur'an revealed to Muhammad (saas). |
