The Quran

According to Islamic tradition, Gabriel, an angel sent by Allah (God), appeared to the Prophet Muhammad. Through many revelations, Gabriel revealed to Muhammad what Islam teaches is the last of Allah’s revelations to human-beings. The collection of these revelations are written in the Quran (sometimes spelled Koran), the holy book of Islam.

Objectives:

• describe the composition of the Quran
• recognize significant stories, events and teachings in the Quran
• interpret the messages and meanings communicated in the Quran

The Quran is the Islamic sacred text, and it literally means ‘the recitation’ or ‘reading’. Throughout history, the Quran was both recited orally and written down in book form. The Quran is meant to be read aloud and melodiously, and the verses were written as an aid to memorizing and preserving it.

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 aaya, literally ‘a sign.’  Like the Bible, the Quran is divided into discrete units, referred to as verses in English. These verses are not standard in length or meter, 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.  The shortest of the surahs has ten words, and the longest surah, which is placed second in the text, has 6,100 words.  The first surah, the Fatihah (“The Opening”), is relatively short (twenty-five words).  From the second surah onward, the surahs gradually decrease in length, although this is not a hard and fast rule.  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 Bisillah 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.

Since the various chapters are of various lengths, the Quran was divided by scholars in the 8th century into thirty roughly equal parts, each part is called a juz’ in Arabic.  This division of the Quran was done in order for people to memorize or read it in a more organized fashion, and it has no influence on the original structure, as they are mere marks on the sides of the pages denoting the part.  In the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan, one juz’ is usually recited every night, and the entire Quran is completed in the thirty days of the month.

To learn more about the structure of the Quran, watch the video below.

Translations

There is a distinction between the Quran and Quranic translations which are not considered the exact word of God. It is believed that the words spoken by God, revealed to Prophet Muhammad by Gabriel, were Arabic.  “Indeed, I revealed it as an Arabic Quran.” (Quran 12:2) A translation in another language is an explanation of the meanings of the Quran, because the true meaning is lost in translation. Therefore, recitation of the Quran is always done in Arabic. In addition to the Quran, yet second in importance, are the sayings of Mohammed, which are known collectively as the hadith, or ‘narrative’.

Revelation of the Quran to The Prophet Muhammed

The Quran is believed to be revealed to Mohammed by God between 610 and 632. The prophetic tradition in the Qu’ran begins with the first human being, Adam, and ends with the Prophet Mohammed, and the Qu’ran presents Islam as the universal faith of all the prophets and believers in the One God.

Abraham

The story of Abraham in the Jewish Torah is significant in Islam because Abraham represents obedience and devotion to the One God. Ka’ba in Mecca is considered the first place of worship, and it is believed to have been built by Abraham and his son Ishmael. To learn more about the significance of Abraham, watch the children’s cartoon below.

Adam

Âdam or Aadam is believed to have been the first human and nabi (prophet) on Earth. Adam is revered for his role as the father of the human race. Adam’s wife, Hawa, is revered as the “mother of mankind”. Adam is considered the first Muslim on Earth, as the Quran states that all the Prophets preached the same faith of Islam. In the Quran Adam is given the name by God known as the (Adam-I-Safi) or The Chosen One. to learn more about the significance of Adam, watch the children’s cartoon below.

Five ‘Pillars’ of Islam

There are five basic pillars that are essential to Islamic practice. These include:

• Shahada: to declare one’s faith in God and belief in Muhammad. In Sunni Islam, the Shahada has two parts: lā ʾilāha ʾillā llāh (None has the right to be worshipped except God), and muḥammadun rasūlu llāh (Muhammad is the messenger of God), which are sometimes referred to as the first Shahada and the second Shahada. The first statement of the Shahada is also known as the tahlīl. In Shia Islam, the Shahada also has a third part, a phrase concerning Ali, the first Shia Imam and the fourth Rashid caliph of Sunni Islam: وعليٌ وليُّ الله (wa ʿaliyyun waliyyu llāh, which translates to “Ali is the wali of God”.

• Salat: to pray five times a day (at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening). Salah (“Daily prayer or worship”, from Arabic ‏صلاة‎; pl. ‏صلوات‎ ṣalawāt), also called salat and namaz (from Persian: نَماز‎),is an obligatory religious duty for every Muslim. It is a physical, mental, and spiritual act of worship that is observed five times every day at prescribed times. One must face to Mecca, towards the Qiblah. In this ritual, one stands, bows, and prostrates oneself, and concludes sitting on the ground. During each posture, one recites or reads certain verses, phrases, and prayers.

• Zakat: to give to those in need. Zakah is a religious obligation for all Muslims who meet the necessary criteria of wealth. It is a mandatory charitable contribution, often considered to be a tax. It is based on income and the value of all of one’s possessions; 2.5% (or 1/40) total savings and wealth above a minimum amount known as nisab, but Islamic scholars differ on how much nisab is and other aspects of zakat. According to Islamic doctrine, the collected amount should be paid to the poor, the needy, Zakat collectors, those sympathetic to Islam, to free from slavery, for debt relief, in the cause of Allah and to benefit the stranded traveller.

• Sawm: to fast during Ramadan. Also commonly known as Rūzeh or Rōzah (Persian: روزه‎)), it is the practice of abstaining, usually from food, drink, smoking, and sexual activity. During the Islamic holymonth of Ramadan. Sawm is observed between dawn and nightfall when the evening adhan, call to prayer, is sounded.

• Hajj: to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, the holiest city, at least once during a person’s lifetime if the person is able. In Islamic terminology, Hajj is a pilgrimage made to Ka’aba, the “House of God”, in the sacred city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The rites of Hajj are performed over five or six days, beginning on the eighth and ending on the thirteenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the lunar Islamic calendar. Ihram is the name given to the special spiritual state in which pilgrims wear two white sheets of seamless cloth and abstain from certain actions. The state of being physically and financially capable of performing the Hajj is called istita’ah, and a Muslim who fulfills this is called a mustati.

To learn more about the five pillars of Islam, watch the video below.

Major Islamic Holidays

• Al-Hijra: Islamic New Year. Marks the end of Mohammad’s journey from Mecca to Medina.
• Eid al-Adha: Festival of Sacrifice celebrates the Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son for Allah. It takes place on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah (when Hajj takes place) and lasts for four days. Most invoke an act of zakat and friendship by the slaughter of a sheep and distributing its meat in 3 parts: among family, friends, and the poor. Muslims are also encouraged to be especially friendly and reach out to one another during this period.
• Prophet’s Birthday: Celebration of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad.
• Ramadan: Muslim Month of Fasting. In celebration of the revelation of the Quran to the prophet Mohammed, fasting is a purifying experience to gain compassion and deepen faith in Allah. The act of fasting represents the condition experienced by the needy, who although already hungry must also fast for Ramadan. Muslims fast by abstaining from food, water and all related sexual activity with spouses, but people with chronic diseases or unhealthy conditions such as diabetes, and children are exempt from fasting. Travelers, and women who are menstruating or nursing a baby, are exempt from fasting as well during their special situation but are required to fast later. A person’s observance of fasting can be negated by religiously forbidden acts such as Ghibah (backbiting others) and deceiving others.
• Eid al-Fitr: End of Muslim Month of Fasting. In celebration of the conclusion of Ramadan.

Interpreting messages and meanings in the Quran

This lesson described the composition of the Quran, introduced significant stories, events and teachings in the Quran, and presented messages and meanings communicated in the Quran. The ancient text not only documents the history of early Islam, literature within the Quran also provides a framework for contemporary Muslim beliefs, practices, and everyday living. Although globalization and diaspora have contributed to the diversification of distinctly different Muslim communities throughout history and around the world, the Quran is the text that binds the Muslim community, ummah, together.

References & Resources

• https://www.islamreligion.com/
• IQRA Cartoon
• Islamic Holidays and Observances, Webster University
• No god but God: the origins and evolution of Islam

For discussion: Select one of the stories, symbols, or rituals in the Quran. (Feel free to browse the collection of children’s videos from IQRA cartoon to make your selection.) Research at least one additional scholarly article about the story, symbol or ritual. Using the theoretical frameworks presented in the Introductory module in this course, interpret the messages and meanings conveyed by the story, symbol or ritual you selected. Post the video in discussion with your interpretation using the format below;

1. Introduction: Introduce the ritual or story (not the video) and make a declarative thesis statement using a specific theoretical perspective (Be sure to cite where the ritual or story is located in the Quran.)
2. Body: Interpret the ritual or story – what are the messages and meanings? What role does it play and why?
3. Conclusion: Tie your thesis back to what was presented in the body.
4. References: cite the additional article in a proper format

(min 500 words) Be prepared to discuss the story, law or ritual in class.

When you complete the discussion, move on to the Global Islam lesson.