Quran

Q: How to know that the holy Quran is Allah's book ?
A: Because Hazrat Muhammad (sallallaho alaihe wassallam) said : it is a book of Allah and it was revealed to him by Allah. Its teachings and its style of expression are unparalleled and elude human skill and wisdom .

Q: Was the holy Quran revealed to Hazrat Muhammad (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) all at once or in parts ?

A: The holy book was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) in parts, sometimes one ayat (verse), sometimes two or more Ayah and sometimes one whole Surah (chapter) was revealed. This was done according to the need.

Q: How long did the holy book take for its complete revelation ?

A: Twenty-three years .

Q: How was the holy Quran revealed to prophet Muhammad (sallallaho alaihe wasallam)?

A: The holy Quran was revealed through the angel Jibreel . He would come to the prophet (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) and recite before him one ayat or one Surah which the prophet (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) would remember and then get it written by some one .

Q: Why did the holy prophet not write himself ?

A: Because the holy prophet (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) was Ummi.

Q: What is Ummi ?

A: A person who did not learn to read and write from any human being is called Ummi . Though the prophet (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) did not receive any customary schooling yet Allah bestowed upon him the knowledge , the like of which is not to be found in the world .

Q: Who is angel gabriel ?

A: An angel who brought Allah's order to his prophets and messengers . 

Q: It has been said in Islamic Aqaid that the holy Quran took 23 years to be revealed in fullness. In the holy Quran Allah has said:

(shah ro ra ma da nal la zi un zi la fi hil Quran.)

the month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran (ii.185)

In another place in the Quran it is said:

"in na an zal na hu fi lai la til qadr"

Lo! We revealed it on the night of power. (Surah xcvii)

Q: These three things seem to contradict each other; which of these is correct?

A: All these three things are correct. There were two stages of the revelation of the holy Quran.

first, the holy Quran was sent as a whole to the heaven from loh-e-mehfuz, then it was sent to our prophet in parts from time to time as the need arose. Thus in these two ayat of the holy Quran, the first stage of revelation is the one in which the holy Quran was sent from loh-e-mehfuz to the first heaven. This was a night in the month of Ramadan. Revelation in 23 years means the second stage of revelation when the holy Quran came to the holy prophet from the first heaven in 23 years. Thus all these three things are correct and they are not contradictory.

Q: when did the revelation of the holy Quran begin and at what place the revelation of the holy Quran commenced?

A: there is a mountain near Makkah which is called Hira. There the holy prophet used to go in a cave and offer prayers to Allah and would remain there for days. When his provision of food would finish he would come back home and take back provisions of food for days, and would offer prayers to Allah in loneliness there. It was in this cave if Hira that the revelation of the holy Quran began.

Q: how did the revelation of the holy Quran began?

A: once when the holy prophet was in this cave, Hazrat Jibreel appeared before him and said to him, "iqra'," (this is the first word of sura 'alaq meaning read.) The holy prophet replied, "i am not educated." this happened three times. Then Hazrat Jibreel read out these lines:

iq-ra bis-mi rab-bi kal-la zi kha-laq. Kha-la-qal in sa-na min 'alaq, iq-ra wa'rab-bu-kal ak-ra-mulla-zi'al-la-ma bil-qa-la-mi 'al-la mal insa-na m-lam y'a-lam.

hearing this from Hazrat Jibreel the prophet also repeated it. These lines were the first to be revealed to our holy prophet (peace be upon him).

Q: if the revelation of the holy Quran began from these first lines of sura 'alaq, then was the holy Quran not revealed in the order in which we have it now?

A: no, the present order is not according to the order of the revelation of the holy Quran. Revelation was according to the need and occasions. But when a sura was revealed, the holy prophet would instruct that it should be written before and after certain Sarah's. In the same way when an ayat or many ayat were revealed, he would instruct to write them before and after certain ayat. Thus the present order in which the holy Quran appears is not in the order as it was revealed but set according to the holy prophet.

Q: did the holy prophet (peace be upon him) maintain the order of the holy Quran and get it written as he wished or gave directions according to the order of Allah? 

A: the number of Sarah's, their beginning and end and the number of ayat in every sura and their beginning and the end; and in the same way the present order of the holy Quran was made known to Hazrat Jibreel informed the holy prophet (peace be upon him) the same was made known to us.

Q: it is more than 1300 years since the holy Quran was revealed, what is the proof that it is the same Quran as was revealed to our holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) ?

A: there are many proofs of this that the present Quran is the same holy book as was revealed to our holy prophet. Here we tell some of the obvious proofs.

First proof:-- the tawatur of the holy Quran. It has continuity since the time of the holy prophet, without a change or break. A thing which is proved by such a continuity is absolute and above suspicions.

Q: what is meant by mutawatir and tawatur? 

A: a things which is quoted in a similar way by a large number of persons for whom common sense tells us that they all cannot tell lies, is called "mutawatir", its constant citing in a similar way is called "tawatur". Thus the holy Quran has been quoted so much by so many persons since the time of our holy prophet, that a man of even ordinary intelligence would say that surely all these men have not been telling lies.

second proof:-- millions of persons have been learning the holy Quran by heart since the days of the holy prophet. Even today there are hundreds of thousands of Muslim children, young and old men who have the whole book safe in their hearts. (they are called hafiz.)

A book which had been safeguarded and learnt by heart by so many people since its revelation should not be subject to any doubt in its being safeguarded and pure.

third proof:

in the holy Quran itself Allah has said: (in na nah no naz zal naz zikr ra wa in na la hu laha fizun")

Thus when Allah himself has taken the responsibility of safeguarding the holy Quran it is necessarily proved that the present book is the same as was revealed to the holy prophet (peace be upon him). As Allah promised to safeguard it, it is safeguarded till today and god willing, it will remain so till Qiyamat.

Fourth proof:-- it was claimed by the holy Quran, when being revealed that nobody can equal its text and style. This is true till today. Nobody has succeeded in presenting the match of the holy Quran as it exists to this day, nor can one ever match the text and style. This is an open proof that the present book is the same holy book as was revealed to the holy prophet.

Virtues of the holy Quran

By: shaikhul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zikariyya

Hadith

Hadhrat 'Abdul Rehman ibn 'auf (Radiallahu Anhu) narrates that RasoolALLAH (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "on the day of judgment, three things will be under the shade of the Arsh (Allah's throne). One, the holy Quran which will argue with men--the Quran has both an exterior and an interior. The second will be amaanat (trust). The third will be kinship, which shall proclaim, 'o, Allah! Have mercy on the person who upheld me, and deprive him of your mercy who-so ever severed me.'''

"three things will be under the shade of the 'Arsh" signifies their utmost nearness in the sublime presence of Allah. "the Quran will argue" means that it will plead the cause of those people who read it, respect it and act upon its commandments. It will intercede on their behalf and solicit the upgrading of their rank. Mulla 'Ali Qari has narrated on the authority of 'Tirimzi' (a book of Hadith) that, in the presence of almighty Allah, the holy Quran will beg Allah to grant an apparel to its reader. Almighty Allah will give him a crown of honor. The Quran will again beg for additional favors for him. Thereupon almighty Allah will award the reader a complete robe of honor. The Quran will again beseech Allah to be pleased with him, and almighty Allah will express his pleasure to him.

we find in this life that the pleasure of the beloved is considered to be the most coveted gift. Similarly in the life hereafter, no bounty shall stand comparison with the pleasure of our beloved almighty Allah. And in case of those who ignore their duty towards the Quran, it will challenge them saying, "did you care for me? Did you fulfill your obligations towards me?"

it has been reported on the authority of imam abu Hanifah (rahmatullah alaih) in 'Ihya' that it is the due right of the Quran that it should be read completely twice a year. Those of us who never care to read the Quran should first consider how they will defend themselves against such a strong plaintiff. Death is inevitable and there can be no escape from it. 

the meaning of the expression "exterior and interior of the Quran" is evident. The Quran has an apparent meaning which can be understood by all, but the deeper spiritual significance is not understood by everybody. It is in this connection that RasoolALLAH (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has said: "whosoever expresses his personal opinion in respect of anything in the Quran commits a mistake, even if he be right in his opinion."

some scholars hold that the word 'exterior' , refers to its words, which can be recited properly be everybody and the word 'interior', i.e., spirit, refers to its meanings, and its underlying ideas, the understanding of which varies with the ability of the readers.

Hadhrat ibn Masood (Radiallahu Anhu) said, " if you seek knowledge, you should meditate on the meanings of the Quran, because it embodies the history of former as well as of latter times." it is, however, essential to observe the pre-requisites for interpreting the Quran. An unbecoming present-day fashion is that even those who possess little or no knowledge of Arabic vocabulary offer their personal opinion on the holy Quran should be well versed in fifteen subjects. These, as briefly given below, will show that it is not possible for everybody to understand the underlying significance and real meanings of the holy Quran.

· Lughat, i.e., philology of language, which helps in understanding the appropriate meanings of words. Mujahid (rahmatullah alaih) says, "one who believes in Allah and the day of judgment should not open his lips in respect of the Quran, unless he is thoroughly conversant with the philology of the Arabic language. Quite often an Arabic word has several meanings. A person may be knowing only one or two of them, though in a given context the actual meaning may be quite different."

· Nahw, i.e., syntax, a branch of grammar, which helps in understanding the relation of a sentence with another and also of i'raab (vowel sounds) of the letters of a word. A change in i'raab often means a change in the meaning.

· Sarf, i.e., etymology, a branch of grammar, which helps in knowing the root words and conjugations. The meaning of a word changes with the change in the root and with a change in its conjugation.

ibn Faris (rahmatullah alaih) says, "one who loses the knowledge of etymology loses a great deal." 'Allama zamakhshari (rahmatullah alaih) mentions that, when a certain person set to translate the ayat.

On the day that we shall call each and every people after their leader, 

He ignorantly rendered it thus: "on the day what we shall call each people after their mothers." he supposed that the singular artic word 'imam' (leader) was the plural of the Arabic word 'umm' (mother). If he had been conversant with etymology, he would have known that the plural of 'umm' is not 'imam'.

· Ishtiqaaq, i.e., derivatives. It is necessary to have the knowledge of derivatives and their root words, because if a word has been derived from two different root words, it will have two different meanings, e.g., the word 'Maseeh' is derivable from 'masah' which means to touch or to move wet hands over, and also from 'Masahah' which means measurement.

· Illmul ma'aami i.e., knowledge of semantics, because phrase constructions are understood from their meanings.

· Ilmul bayaan, i.e., knowledge of figures of speech, like similes and metaphors, due to which expressions or shades of meaning or similes and metaphors become known.

· Ilmul badee', i.e., knowledge of rhetoric, the knowledge which reveals the beauty of language and its implications.

the last three are the branches of Ilmul balaghah (knowledge of oratory), and are considered very important subjects, which a commentator should master, because the glorious Quran is a perfect miracle and its amazing constructions can only be understood after mastering these subjects.

· Ilmul qir'ah, i.e., knowledge of the art of pronunciation. Because different methods of recitation sometimes convey different meanings, and sometimes one meaning is to be preferred over the other.

· Ilmul aqaa'id, i.e., knowledge of the fundamentals of faith. This is necessary to explain certain analogies. The literal meaning of certain ayat referring to almighty Allah is not the correct one. For example, the analogy in the ayat. 

(the hand of Allah is over their hands)

Will have to be explained because Allah has no physical hands.

· Usoolul Fiqah i.e., principles of Islamic jurisprudence. These are necessary for reasoning out and finding arguments in the basic support of statements.

· Asbaabun nuzool, i.e., the particular circumstances which caused revelation. The meaning of an ayat will be better understood if we know how and when it had been revealed. Sometimes the true meaning of an ayat is understood only if we know the circumstances in which the ayat had been revealed.

· An Nasikh wal Mansookh, i.e., knowledge of commandments that have subsequently been abrogated or changed, so that abrogated commandments may be distinguished from the standing ones.

· Ilmul Fiqah, i.e., knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence, because it is only through this knowledge that we arrive at a complete understanding of general principles.

· Knowledge of such Ahadith that happen to be commentary on certain brief verses of the Quran.

· The last but most important is the wahbi ilm, or the gifted understanding, bestowed by almighty Allah upon his selected ones, as is referred in the Hadith.

Whosoever acts upon what he knows, almighty Allah bestows upon him the knowledge of things not known to him.

it is this special understanding that was implied in the reply of Hadhrat 'Ali (Karamullahu wajhou) (may Allah be kind to him) when he was asked by the people if he had received from RasoolALLAH (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) any special knowledge or instructions which were not received by others. Hadhrat Ali (Radiallahu Anhu) said, "i swear by him who made the paradise and created life that i possess nothing special, except the clear understanding which Almightily Allah bestows upon a person in respect of the Quran."

ibn Abid Dunya (rahmatullah alaih) says that the knowledge of the holy Quran and that which can be derived out of it are as vast as a boundless ocean.

the branches of knowledge described above are like tools, i.e., essential pre-requisite for a commentator. A commentary written by a person who is not thoroughly acquainted with these branches of knowledge will be based on his personal opinion, which is prohibited. The Sahabah (companions of the holy prophet (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) already had Arabic language as their mother-tongue, and they reached the depth of the rest of the knowledge by means of their illuminating contact that they had with RasoolALLAH (sallallaho alaihe wasallam).

'Allama Suyuti says that those who think that it is beyond the capacity of a man to acquire wahbi ilm, or gifted understanding, are not right. To get this knowledge from Allah, one should adopt the means to this end, e.g., acting upon the knowledge that one has acquired, and disinclination towards the world.

it is stated in 'Keemiyaa-e-sa'adat' that three persons are not blessed with complete understanding of the Quran. First, one who is not well versed in Arabic, secondly, one who persists in committing a major sin or indulges in act of religious innovation, because these actions blacken his heart, which in turn prevents him from understanding the Quran. Thirdly, one who is a rationalist, even in the matter of faith, and feels embarrassed when he reads an ayat of the Quran which he is not able to fully rationalize.

May Allah protect us from all such sins and evils.

Virtues of Quran:-

Hadhrat 'Abdul Rehman ibn 'auf (RadhiALLAHu Anhu) narrates that RasoolALLAH (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said. "on the day of judgment, three things will be under the shade of the Arsh (Allah's throne). One, the holy Quran which will argue with men--the Quran has both an exterior and an interior. The second will be amaanat (trust). The third will be kinship, which shall proclaim, 'o, Allah! Have mercy on the person who upheld me, and deprive him of your mercy whosoever severed me.'' 

"these things will be under the shade of the 'Arsh" signifies their utmost nearness in the sublime presence of Allah. "the Quran will argue" means that it will plead the cause of those people who read it, respect it and act upon its commandments. It will intercede on their behalf and solicit the upgrading of their rank. Mulla 'Ali Qari has narrated on the authority of 'Tirimzi' (a book of Hadith) that, in the presence of almighty Allah, the holy Quran will beg Allah to grant an apparel to its reader. Almighty Allah will give him a crown of honor. The Quran will again beg for additional favors for him. Thereupon almighty Allah will award the reader a complete robe of honor. The Quran will again beseech Allah to be pleased with him, and almighty Allah will express his pleasure to him.

we find in this life that the pleasure of the beloved is considered to be the most coveted gift. Similarly in the life hereafter, no bounty shall stand comparison with the pleasure of our beloved almighty Allah. And in case of those who ignore their duty towards the Quran, it will challenge them saying, "did you care for me? Did you fulfill your obligations towards me?" 

it has been reported on the authority of imam abu Hanifah (rahmatullah alaih) in 'Ihya' that it is the due right of the Quran that it should be read completely twice a year. Those of us who never care to read the Quran should first consider how they will defend themselves against such a strong plaintiff. Death is inevitable and there can be no escape from it.

the meaning of the expression "exterior and interior of the Quran" is evident. The Quran has an apparent meaning which can be understood by all, but the deeper spiritual significance is not understood by everybody. It is in this connection that RasoolALLAH (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has said: "whosoever expresses his personal opinion in respect of anything in the Quran commits a mistake, even if he be right in his opinion."

some scholars hold that the word 'exterior' , refers to its words, which can be recited properly be everybody and the word 'interior', i.e., spirit, refers to its meanings, and its underlying ideas, the understanding of which varies with the ability of the readers.

Hadhrat ibn Masood (RadhiALLAHu Anhu) said, "if you seek knowledge, you should meditate on the meanings of well as of latter times." it is, however, essential to observe the pre-requisites for interpreting the Quran. An unbecoming present-day fashion is that even those who possess little or no knowledge of Arabic vocabulary offer their personal opinion on the basis of vernacular translations of the Quran. Specialists have laid down that any one attempting a commentary of the holy Quran should be well versed in fifteen subjects. These, as briefly given below, will show that it is not possible for everybody to understand the underlying significance and real meanings of the holy Quran.

(1) Lughat, i.e., philology of language, which helps in understanding the appropriate meanings of words. Mujahid (rahmatullah alaih) says, "one who believes in Allah and the day of judgment should not open his lips in respect of the Quran, unless he is thoroughly conversant with the philology of the Arabic language. Quite often an Arabic word has several meanings. A person may be knowing only one or two of them, though in a given context the actual meaning may be quite different."

(2) Nahw, i.e., syntax, a branch of grammar, which helps in understanding the relation of a sentence with another and also of i'raab (vowel sounds) of the letters of a word. A change in i'raab often means a change in the meaning.

(3) Sarf, i.e., etymology, a branch of grammar, which helps in knowing the root words and conjugations. The meaning of a word changes with the change in the root and with a change in its conjugation.

ibn Faris (rahmatullah alaih) says, "one who loses the knowledge of etymology loses a great deal." 'Allama zamakhshari (rahmatullah alaih) mentions that, when a certain person set to translate the ayat--

on the day that we shall call each and every people after their leader,

He ignorantly rendered it thus: "on the day that we shall call each people after their mothers." he supposed that the singular Arabic word 'imam' (leader) was the plural of the Arabic word 'umm' (mother). If he had been conversant with etymology, he would have known that the plural of 'umm' is not 'imam'.

(4) Ishtiqaaq, i.e., derivatives. It is necessary to have the knowledge of derivatives and their root words, because if a ward has been derived from two different root words, it will have two different meanings, e.g., the word 'Maseeh' is derivable from 'masah' which means to touch or to move wet hands over, and also from 'Masahah' which means measurement.

(5) Ilmul ma'aani, i.e., knowledge of semantics, because phrase constructions are understood from their meanings.

(6) Ilmul bayaan, i.e., knowledge of figures of speech, like similes and metaphors, due to which expressions or shades of meaning or similes and metaphors become known. 

(7) Ilmul badee', i.e., knowledge of rhetoric, the knowledge which reveals the beauty of language and its implications.

the last three are the branches of Ilmul balaghah (knowledge of oratory), and are considered very important subjects, which a commentator should master, because the glorious Quran is a perfect miracle and its amazing these subjects.

(8) Ilmul qira'ah, i.e., knowledge of the art of pronunciation. Because different methods of recitation sometimes one meaning is to be preferred over the other.

(9) Ilmul aqaa'id, i.e., knowledge of the fundamentals of faith. This is necessary to explain certain analogies. The literal meaning of certain ayat referring to almighty Allah is not the correct one. For example, the analogy in the ayat--

(the hand of Allah is over their hands)
will have to be explained because Allah has no physical hands.

(10) Usoolul Fiqah i.e., principles of Islamic jurisprudence. These are necessary for reasoning out and finding arguments in the basic support of statements.

(11) Asbaabun nuzool, i.e., the particular circumstances which caused revelation. The meaning of an ayat will be better understood if we know how and when it had been revealed. Sometimes the true meaning of an ayat is understood only if we know the circumstances in which the ayat had been revealed.

(12) an Nasikh wal Mansookh, i.e., knowledge of commandments that have subsequently been abrogated or changed, so that abrogated commandments may be distinguished from the standing ones.

(13) Ilmul Fiqah, i.e., knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence, because it is only through this knowledge that we arrive at a complete understanding of general principles.

(14) knowledge of such Ahadith that happen to be commentary on certain brief verses of the Quran.

(15) the last but most important is the wahbi ilm, or the gifted understanding, bestowed by almighty Allah upon his selected ones, as is referred in the Hadith--

whosoever acts upon what he knows, almighty Allah bestows upon him the knowledge of things not known to him.

it is this special understanding that was implied in the reply of Hadhrat 'Ali (KaramALLAHu wajhou) (may Allah be kind to him) when he was asked by the people if he had received from RasoolALLAH (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) any special knowledge or instructions which were not received by others. Hadhrat Ali (RadhiALLAHu Anhu) said, "i swear by him who made the paradise and created life that i possess nothing special, except the clear understanding which almighty Allah bestows upon a person in respect of the Quran.

ibn Abid Dunya (rahmatullah alaih) says that the knowledge of the holy Quran and that which can be derived out of it are as vast as a boundless ocean.

the branches of knowledge described above are like tools, i.e. Essential pre-requisite for a commentator. A commentary written by a person who is not thoroughly acquainted with these branches of knowledge will be based on his personal opinion, which is prohibited. The Sahabah [companions of the holy prophet (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) already had Arabic language as their mother-tongue, and they reached the depth of the rest of the knowledge by means of their illuminating contact that they had with RasoolALLAH (sallallaho alaihe wasallam).

'Allama Suyuti says that those who think that it is beyond the capacity of a man to acquire wahbi ilm, or gifted understanding, are not right. To get this knowledge from Allah, one should adopt the means to this end, e.g., acting upon the knowledge that one has acquired, and disinclination towards the world.

it is stated in 'Keemiyaa-e-sa'adat' that three persons are not blessed with complete understanding of the Quran. First, one who is not well versed in Arabic, secondly, one who persists in committing a major sin or indulges in act of religious innovation, because these actions blacken his heart, which in turn prevents him from understanding the Quran. Thirdly, one who is a rationalist, even in the matter of faith, and feels embarrassed when he reads an ayat of the Quran which he is not able to full rationalize.

may Allah protect us from all such sins and evils.