The Qur'an (2024)

Muslims believe that the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, was revealed to Muhammad over a period of twenty-three years, starting with the initial revelation at Mount Hira. After the Prophet's death, his successors compiled these divine revelations in a manuscript.

The Qur'an contains prayers, moral guidance, historical narrative, and promises of Paradise. It opens with a short prayer called the Fatiha, the most widely recited passage, and is divided into 114 chapters (suras) organized in descending length. For binding and reading purposes, manuscripts of the Qur'an are often divided into thirty equal parts, called juz'.

Every chapter of the Qur'an (except one) begins with the bismillah, the collective name for the invocation "In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful." Muslims often repeat this phrase at the start of an event or task—before giving a speech, beginning a meal, or even boarding a bus. Thecalligraphic bismillah is frequently written on both religious and secular objects. (See also Arabic Script and the Art of Calligraphy.)

The Qur'an places Muhammad at the end of a long line of prophets that began with Abraham. Although narrative is not central to the Qur'an, it includes the stories of Noah, Moses, and Jesus. It recognizes Jews and Christians as "People of the Book"; as a result, Muslims accept many of the teachings of the Jewish Torah and Christian Bible. Many of the great Islamic empires (like those in Spain, Iran, India, and Turkey) were tolerant of religious minorities.

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The Qur'an (2024)

FAQs

What is the Quran about? ›

The Qur'an contains prayers, moral guidance, historical narrative, and promises of Paradise. It opens with a short prayer called the Fatiha, the most widely recited passage, and is divided into 114 chapters (suras) organized in descending length.

What does the Quran stand for? ›

The Quran describes itself as 'the discernment' (al-furqān), 'the mother book' (umm al-kitāb), 'the guide' (huda), 'the wisdom' (hikmah), 'the remembrance' (dhikr), and 'the revelation' (tanzīl; 'something sent down', signifying the descent of an object from a higher place to lower place).

Why do Muslims use the Quran? ›

It is believed that the Qur'an enshrines the literal word of God and that it was revealed to Muhammad by the Archangel Gabriel. With its unique composition and style, the Qur'an is also considered the pre-eminent literary masterpiece of the Arabic language and one of the earliest extant Arabic literary sources.

What is the main message of the Quran? ›

The Quran emphasizes the oneness of Allah, the importance of faith, and the concept of monotheism. It outlines the purpose of human existence, which is to worship and obey Allah. The Quran provides guidance on moral values, such as honesty, justice, kindness, and compassion.

Are the Quran and Bible the same? ›

While the stories told in each book are generally comparable, there are also some notable differences. Often, stories related in the Quran tend to concentrate on the moral or spiritual significance of events rather than the details.

What does the Quran say about Jesus? ›

Islamic theology. Muslims do not worship Jesus, who is known as Isa in Arabic, nor do they consider him divine, but they do believe that he was a prophet or messenger of God and he is called the Messiah in the Quran.

What does Quran mean in the Bible? ›

The word qurʾān, which occurs already within the Islamic scripture itself (e.g., 9:111 and 75:17–18), is derived from the verb qaraʾa—“to read,” “to recite”—but there is probably also some connection with the Syriac qeryānā, “reading,” used for the recitation of scriptural readings during church services.

Is the Quran scientifically proven? ›

The Quran is not a science book at all. Most of the grand claims of scientific stuff in Quran are post-hoc made by stretching meanings of vague verses till they can somehow be made to match current scientific concepts. And some of the claims of such scientific foreknowledge are outright bizarre.

What religion uses the Quran? ›

The Quran also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God.

What is the real purpose of Islam? ›

Islam enjoins man to purify his soul and to reform his daily life - both individual and collective - and to establish the supremacy of right over might and of virtue over vice. Thus Islam stands for the middle path and the goal of producing a moral man in the service of a just society. A Complete Way of Life.

What is Quran in simple words? ›

The Qur'an (Arabic: القرآن) is the central holy book of Islam. The Qur'an is considered by Muslims to be "The Word of Allah (God)". This book is believed to have been revealed to the prophet Muhammad. Some Muslims call it the Final Testament.

What Quran tells us? ›

The Quran is a book that tells us of the life and mission of Muhammad, the prophet. The book specifically denies that Christ was the Son of God or that there is otherness in the Godhead. Yahweh and Allah is not the same God. In the Quran, Christianity as such is simply rejected as having no validity.

What is the Quran in a nutshell? ›

The Qurʾān demands absolute submission (islam) to God and his word, and it serves as the primary source of Islamic law. It is regarded as immutable in both form and content; traditionally translation was forbidden.

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