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The Qur’ān ^[1] (Arabic: القرآن al-qur'ān, literally "the recitation"; also sometimes transliterated as Quran, Koran, or Al-Qur'an) is the central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe the Qur'an to be the book of divine guidance and direction for mankind and consider the text in its original Arabic to be the literal word of Allah,^[2][3] revealed to Muhammad by Gabriel over a period of 23 years^[2][4][5] and view the Qur'an as God's final revelation to humanity.^[6][7] A Mushaf is a Arabic word that literarly means cover, as in a book cover. ... Sura (sometimes spelt Surah , plural Suwar ) is an Arabic term literally meaning something enclosed or surrounded by a fence or wall. ... Ayah ( , plural Ayat ) is the Arabic word for sign or miracle. ... Quran reading is the reading (tartil, tajwid, or taghbir) aloud, reciting, chanting, or singing of portions of the Quran. ... TajwÄ«d (تجويد) is an Arabic word meaning proper pronunciation during recitation, as well as recitation at a moderate speed. ... Tarteel (Arabic: ترتيل ) is an Arabic term that is wide in meaning but is commonly translated in reference to the Quran as recitation. ... A manzil (منزل, plural manazil, منازل) is one of seven parts of roughly equal length into which the Quran is divided for the purpose of reciting the entire text in one week. ... A juz (جزء, plural ajza, اجزاء) is one of thirty parts of roughly equal length into which the Quran is divided for the purpose of reciting the entire text in one month. ... A hizb (حزب , plural ahzab,احزاب) is one half of a juz and thus comprises roughly one 60th of the text of the Quran. ... Hafiz or Hafez (Arabic: حافظ قرآن حافظ), literally meaning guardian, is a term used by Muslims for people who have completely memorized the Quran. ... It has been suggested that Qari be merged into this article or section. ... Rasm is an Arabic term that signifies: drawing, sketch, trace, graph, pictures, outline, pattern, mark, notes, design, regulation, form, rate. ... Translations of the Qurán are interpretations of the holy book of Islam in languages other than Arabic. ... This is a sub-article to Translation of the Quran. ... The study of the origins and development of the Qur’an can be said to fall into two major schools of thought, the first being a traditionalist Muslim pious view which argues that the Quran is a religious text revealed by Allah to Muhammad, this assertion to be taken... The Madinan suras of the Quran are those suras which were revealed at Madina, after Muhammads hijra from Makka, when the Muslims were establishing a state rather than being, as at Makka, an oppressed minority. ... The Makkan suras are the chronologically earlier suras of the Quran that were revealed at Makka. ... A tafsir ( (Arabic: تفسير) tafsÄ«r, Arabic explanation) is Quranic exegesis or commentary. ... Some of the Quranic verses are said to be revealed pertaining to some specific person. ... Justice, truth-telling, various virtues and sins the prohibition of purjury in the Quran are repeated many times: // And eat up not one another’s property unjustly (in any illegal way e. ... Asbāb al-nuzÅ«l, an Arabic term meaning occasions of revelation, is a a secondary genre of Qurānic exegesis (tafsir) directed at establishing the context in which specific verses of the Qurān were revealed. ... Naskh, an Arabic language word usually translated as abrogation and alternately appearing as the phrase al-nāsikh wal-mansÅ«kh (the abrogating and abrogated [verses]), is a technical term for a major genre of Islamic legal exegesis directed at the problem of seemingly contradictory material within or between the... The Quran, the central religious text of Islam, contains references to over fifty people also found in the Bible, typically in the same or similar narratives. ... Tahrif (Arabic: ‎ corruption, forgery; the stem-II verbal noun of the consonantal root , to make oblique) is an Arabic term used by Muslims with regard to words, and more specifically with regard to what Jews and Christians are supposed to have done to their respective Scriptures. ... Bakkah (Arabic: ‎) is a place mentioned in surah 3:96 of the Quran. ... A tree diagram of the Quranic initial letters, labelled with the respective numbers of occurrences. ... An esoteric interpretation of the Qur’an is an interpretation of the Qur’an which includes attribution of esoteric or mystic meanings to the text by the interpretater and in this aspect its method is different from the conventional exegesis of the Qur’an called tafsir. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Ibn Baz was a follower of the Muslim scholars Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab and Ibn Taymiyya; he belonged to that current of Muslim thought sometimes called Salafism and sometimes called Wahabbism. ... This is a sub-article to Quran and Islamic view of miracles. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... This is a sub-article to Shia Islam and Quran The Shia view of the Quran has some differences from the Sunni view. ... Muslims believe that the Quran is the literal word of God (Allah) as recited to Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel. ... Quran desecration means insulting the Quran, the holy book of Islam, by defiling or disfacing it. ... There are two verses named Surah of Wilaya and Nurayn that are claimed to be included in the Quran. ... For the novel by Salman Rushdie, see The Satanic Verses. ... Tanazzulat, or descents (Arabic تنزلات, plural of Tanazzul, تنزل), refers to the act of descent of the pre-existing Quran through different Realms. ... The Qisas al-anbiya (قصص الأنبياء) or Stories of the Prophets refers to various collections of tales adapted from the Quran. ... Beit Al Quran, Hoora Beit Al Quran (Arabic: بيت القرآن) means House of Quran in Arabic. ... Arabic redirects here. ... Due to the fact that the Arabic language has a number of phonemes that have no equivalent in English or other European languages, a number of different transliteration methods have been invented to represent certain Arabic characters, due to various conflicting goals: A desire to stay consistent with traditional usage... “Scripture” redirects here. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Allah is the Arabic language word for God. ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... This article is about the archangel Gabriel. ...

Muslims regard the Qur'ān as the culmination of a series of divine messages that started with those revealed to Adam — regarded, in Islam, as the first prophet — and including the Suhuf-i-Ibrahim (Scrolls of Abraham),^[8] the Tawrat (Torah),^[9][10] the Zabur (Psalms),^[11][12] and the Injil (Gospel).^[13][14][15] The aforementioned books are recognized in the Qur'ān,^[16][17] and the Qur'anic text assumes familiarity^[18] with many events from Jewish and Christian scriptures, retelling some of these events in distinctive ways, and referring obliquely to others. It rarely offers detailed accounts of historical events; the Qur'an's emphasis is typically on the moral significance of an event, rather than its narrative sequence. Details to historical events are contained within the Hadith of Muhammad and the narrations of Muhammad's Companions (Sahabah). For other uses, see Adam (disambiguation). ... For other senses of this word, see Prophet (disambiguation). ... The Suhuf-i-Ibrahim (Scrolls of Abraham/Ibrahim) (Arabic: صحف ابراهيم) are part of the religious scriptures of Islam,and are believed to be lost by some. ... For other uses, see Abraham (name) and Abram (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Template:Jews and Jewdaism Template:The Holy Book Named TorRah The Torah () is the most valuable Holy Doctrine within Judaism,(and for muslims) revered as the first relenting Word of Ulllah, traditionally thought to have been revealed to Blessed Moosah, An Apostle of Ulllah. ... Zabur (Arabic: زبور) is the holy book of the Seboun (Ar:صابؤون, Grk:Σεβομενοι) which is equated by some scholars with Psalms, is, according to Islam, one of the holy books revealed by God before the Quran (the others mentioned in the Quran being the Tawrat and Injil). ... Psalms (from the Greek: Psalmoi) (originally meaning songs sung to a harp, from psallein play on a stringed instrument, Ψαλμοί; Hebrew: Tehilim, תהילים, or praises) is a book of the Hebrew Bible, Tanakh or Old Testament. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Gospel, from the Old English good tidings is a calque of Greek () used in the New Testament (see Etymology below). ... Hadith ( transliteration: ) are oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad. ... In the Islamic religion, the Sahaba (Asahaaba,الصحابه) are the companions of the Prophet Muhammad. ...

The Qur'anic text itself proclaims a divine protection of its message: Surely We have revealed the Reminder and We will most surely be its guardian.^[19][20]

The Qur'anic verses were originally memorized by Muhammad's companions as Muhammad recited them, with some being written down by one or more companions on whatever was at hand, from stones to pieces of bark. In the Sunni tradition, the collection of the Qur'ān compilation took place under the Caliph Abu Bakr, this task being led by Zayd ibn Thabit Al-Ansari. "The manuscript on which the Quran was collected, remained with Abu Bakr till Allah took him unto Him, and then with 'Umar till Allah took him unto Him, and finally it remained with Hafsa bint Umar (Umar's daughter)."^[21]An original copy of the Uthman's standard version of Quran from his time is on display at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... For main article see: Caliphate The Caliph (pronounced khaleef in Arabic) is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, or global Islamic nation. ... Abu Bakr As Siddiq (Arabic ابو بكر الصديق, alternative spellings, Abubakar, Abi Bakr, Abu Bakar) (c. ... Zayd ibn Thabit was the personal scribe of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. ... Abu Bakr As Siddiq (Arabic ابو بكر الصديق, alternative spellings, Abubakar, Abi Bakr, Abu Bakar) (c. ... Allah is the Arabic language word for God. ... For other uses, see Umar (disambiguation). ... Hafsa bint Umar was the daughter of Umar ibn al-Khattab and wife of Muhammad. ...

Etymology and meaning

The original usage of the word qur`ān is in the Qur'an itself, where it occurs about 70 times assuming various meanings. It is a verbal noun (maṣdar) of the Arabic verb qara`a (Arabic: قرأ), meaning "he read" or "he recited", and represents the Syriac equivalent qeryānā—which refers to "scripture reading" or "lesson". While most Western scholars consider the word to be derived from the Syriac, the majority of Muslim authorities hold the origin of the word is qara`a itself.^[22] In any case, it had become an Arabic term by Muhammad's lifetime.^[2] A verbal noun is a noun formed directly as an inflexion of a verb or a verb stem, sharing at least in part its constructions. ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Syriac is an Eastern Aramaic language that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. ...

Among the earliest meanings of the word Qur'an is the "act of reciting", for example in a Qur'anic passage: "Ours is it to put it together and [Ours is] its qur`ān".<sup>[23]</sup> In other verses it refers to "an individual passage recited [by Muhammad]". In the large majority of contexts, usually with a definite article (al-), the word is referred to as the "revelation" (tanzīl), that which has been "sent down" at intervals.<sup>[24]</sup> Its liturgical context is seen in a number of passages, for example: "So when al-qur`ān is recited [by Muhammad], listen to it and keep silent".^[25] The word may also assume the meaning of a codified scripture when mentioned with other scriptures such as the Torah and Gospel.^[26] Definite Article is the title of British comedian Eddie Izzards 1996 performance released on video and CD. The video/DVD and CD performances were both recorded on different nights at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London, England. ... A liturgy is the customary public worship of a religious group, according to their particular traditions. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The term also has closely related synonyms which are employed throughout the Qur'an. Each of the synonyms possess their own distinct meaning, but their use may converge with that of qur`ān in certain contexts. Such terms include kitāb ("book"); āyah ("sign"); and sūrah ("scripture"). The latter two terms also denote units of revelation. Other related words are: dhikr, meaning "remembrance," used to refer to the Qur'an in the sense of a reminder and warning; and hikma, meaning "wisdom," sometimes referring to the revelation or part of it.^[22][27] Synonyms (in ancient Greek, συν (syn) = plus and όνομα (onoma) = name) are different words with similar or identical meanings. ... Ayah ( , plural Ayat ) is the Arabic word for sign or miracle. ... See also: Sura (disambiguation). ...

Quran has many other names. Among those found in the text itself are al-Furqan ("discernment"),Umm al-Kitab (the "mother book", or "archetypal book"), al-huda ("the guide"), Dhikrallah ("the remembrance of God"), al-Hikmah ("wisdom'), and Kalamallah ("the word of God"). Another term found in the Qur'an is al-Kitab ("the book"), though it is also used in both the Qur'an and the Arabic language for other scriptures, such as the Torah and the Gospels. The term mushaf ("written work") is usually used to refer to particular manuscripts of the Qur'an but is also used in the Qur'an to identify earlier revealed books. ^[2] Template:Jews and Jewdaism Template:The Holy Book Named TorRah The Torah () is the most valuable Holy Doctrine within Judaism,(and for muslims) revered as the first relenting Word of Ulllah, traditionally thought to have been revealed to Blessed Moosah, An Apostle of Ulllah. ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... ...

Structure

Main articles: Sura and Ayah

The first chapter of the Qur'an consisting of seven Ayat.

The Qur'an consists of 114 chapters of varying lengths, each known as a sura. The title of each sura is derived from a name or quality discussed in the text or from the first letters or words of the sura. Muslims believe that the Prophet himself, on God's command, gave the suras their names.^[2] In general, the longer chapters appear earlier in the Quran, while the shorter ones appear later. As such, the arrangement is not connected to the sequence of revelation. Each chapter, with the exception of one, commences with the bismillah Al rahman Al rahimm,^[28][29] Sura (sometimes spelt Surah , plural Suwar ) is an Arabic term literally meaning something enclosed or surrounded by a fence or wall. ... Ayah ( , plural Ayat ) is the Arabic word for sign or miracle. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Fatiha. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Fatiha. ...

Each Sura is formed from several Ayahs or verses which originally means a sign or portent sent by God. The number of the ayahs aren't the same in various Suras. An individual ayah may be just few letters or several lines. The ayahs are unlike the highly refined poetry of the pre-Islamic Arabs in their content and distinctive rhymes and rhythms, being more akin to the prophetic utterances marked by inspired discontinuities found in the sacred scriptures of Judaism and Christianity. Since the beginning of Islam, the proper number of ayahs has been a controversial issue among Muslim scholars, some recognizing 6,000, some 6,204, some 6,219, and some 6,236, although the words in all cases are the same. The most popular edition of the Qur'an, which is based on the tradition of the school of Kufa, contains 6,236 ayahs.^[2] Ayah plural Ayat (آية respectively آيات) is the Arabic word for sign or miracle. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Kufa (&#1575;&#1604;&#1603;&#1608;&#1601;&#1577; al-Kufa in Arabic) is a city in Iraq, about 170 km south of Baghdad, and 10 km northeast of Najaf. ...

There is a crosscutting division into 30 parts, juz's, each containing two units called hizbs, each of which in turn is divided into four parts (rub 'al-ahzabs). These divisions facilitate the reading of the Qur'an over periods of different lengths. The Qur'an is also divided into seven stations, or manazils, for reciting the whole text during one week.^[2] A juz (&#1580;&#1586;&#1569;, plural ajza, &#1575;&#1580;&#1586;&#1575;&#1569;) is one of thirty parts of roughly equal length into which the Quran is divided for the purpose of reciting the entire text in one month. ... A hizb (&#1581;&#1586;&#1576; , plural ahzab,&#1575;&#1581;&#1586;&#1575;&#1576;) is one half of a juz and thus comprises roughly one 60th of the text of the Quran. ... A manzil (&#1605;&#1606;&#1586;&#1604;, plural manazil, &#1605;&#1606;&#1575;&#1586;&#1604;) is one of seven parts of roughly equal length into which the Quran is divided for the purpose of reciting the entire text in one week. ...

The text of the Qur'an seems outwardly to have no beginning, middle, or end; its nonlinear structure is like that of a web or a net.^[2] Some critics have also commented on the arrangement of the Qur'anic text with accusations of lack of continuity, absence of any chronological or thematic order, and presence of repetition.^[30][31]

Literary structure

The Quran's message is conveyed through the use of a variety of literary structures and devices. In its original Arabic idiom, the individual components of the text — surahs and ayat — employ phonetic and thematic structures that assist the audience's efforts to recall the message of the text. There is consensus amongst Arab scholars to use the Quran as a standard by which other Arabic literature should be measured. Muslims point out (in accordance with the Quran itself) that the Quranic content and style is inimitable.^[32]

Richard Gottheil and Siegmund Fränkel in the Jewish Encyclopedia write that the oldest portions of the Qur'an reflect significant excitement in their language, through short and abrupt sentences and sudden transitions. The Qur'an nonetheless carefully maintains the rhymed form, like the oracles. Some later portions also preserve this form but also in a style where the movement is calm and the style expository.^[33] The Jewish Encyclopedia was an encyclopedia originally published between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. ... Consulting the Oracle by John William Waterhouse, showing eight priestesses in a temple of prophecy An oracle is a person or persons considered to be the source of wise counsel or prophetic opinion; an infallible authority, usually spiritual in nature. ...

Michael Sells, citing the work of the critic Norman O. Brown, acknowledges Brown's observation that the seeming "disorganization" of Qur'anic literary expression — its "scattered or fragmented mode of composition," in Sells's phrase — is in fact a literary device capable of delivering "profound effects — as if the intensity of the prophetic message were shattering the vehicle of human language in which it was being communicated."^[34] Sells also addresses the much-discussed "repetitiveness" of the Qur'an, seeing this, too, as a literary device. Michael A. Sells is currently the John Henry Barrows Professor of Islamic History and Literature at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago. ... Norman Oliver Brown (1913, El Oro, Mexico – 2002, Santa Cruz, California) was an American intellectual of wide ranging interests. ...

"The values presented in the very early Meccan revelations are repeated throughout the hymnic Suras. There is a sense of directness, of intimacy, as if the hearer were being asked repeatedly a simple question: what will be of value at the end of a human life?" ^[35]

Origin and development

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Main article: Origin and development of the Qur'an

9th century quran

According to Islam, Muhammad received the Qur'an as a series of revelations from God through the angel Gabriel (see ^{[Qur'an 10:37]}), and is reported to have had mysterious seizures at the moments of inspiration. Welch, a scholar of Islamic studies, states in the Encyclopedia of Islam that he believes the graphic descriptions of Muhammad's condition at these moments may be regarded as genuine, seeing as he was severely disformed after these revelations. According to Welch, these seizures would have been seen as convincing evidence for the superhuman origin of Muhammad's inspirations by the people around him. Muhammad's enemies, however, accused him of being a man who was possessed, or of being a soothsayer or magician since his claimed experiences were similar to those made by those soothsayer figures well known in ancient Arabia. Additionally, Welch states that it remains uncertain whether these experiences occurred before or after Muhammad began to see himself as a prophet^[36] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x561, 575 KB) Photograph of PD-by-age material Other versions original File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Quran Metadata This file contains additional information, probably... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x561, 575 KB) Photograph of PD-by-age material Other versions original File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Quran Metadata This file contains additional information, probably... The Encyclopedia of Islam (EI) is a scholarly encyclopedia covering all aspects of Islamic civilization and history. ...

The Qur'ān speaks well of the relationship it has with former books (the Torah and the Gospel) and attributes their similarities to their unique origin and saying all of them have been revealed by the one God.^[37] Template:Jews and Jewdaism Template:The Holy Book Named TorRah The Torah () is the most valuable Holy Doctrine within Judaism,(and for muslims) revered as the first relenting Word of Ulllah, traditionally thought to have been revealed to Blessed Moosah, An Apostle of Ulllah. ... Gospel, from the Old English good tidings is a calque of Greek () used in the New Testament (see Etymology below). ...

Based on Islam and nature of pre-islamic Arabia it is generally accepted^{[citation needed]} Muhammad could neither read nor write. He was seen as an intelligent and wise man who would simply recite what was revealed to him for his companions to write down and memorize. However some scholars (mostly Western)- (Maxime Rodinson, William Montgomery Watt, Christoph Luxenberg, etc.) - have argued that the claim that Muhammad was not able to read and write at all is based on weak traditions and that, because of many details concerning Muhammad's biography and teachings, it is not convincing. Maxime Rodinson (26 January 1915–23 May 2004) was a French Marxist historian, sociologist and orientalist. ... William Montgomery Watt is a English Islamic scholar. ... Christoph Luxenberg is the pseudonym of the author of the 2000 book Die Syro-Aramäische Lesart des Koran: Ein Beitrag zur Entschlüsselung der Koransprache (in English: The Syro-Aramaic reading of the Quran: a contribution to the decipherment of the Quranic language). ...

The Qur'an did not exist as a single volume between two covers at the time of Muhammad's death in 632. According to Sahih al-Bukhari, at the direction of the first Muslim caliph Abu Bakr this task fell to the scribe Zayd ibn Thabit, who gathered the Quranic material "collecting it from parchments, scapula, leaf-stalks of date palms and from the memories of men who knew it by heart". (Bukhari 6:60:201).^[38]. Copies were made, and as Islam expanded beyond the Arabian peninsula into Persia, India, Russia, China, Turkey, and across North Africa, the third Caliph, Uthman ibn Affan, in about 650 ordered a standardized version to be prepared to preserve the sanctity of the text and to establish a definitive spelling for all time. This remains the authoritative text of the Qur'an to this day.^[39][40] Events Abu Bakr becomes first caliph or Successor of the Prophet, leader of Islam Abu Bakr defeats Mosailima in the Battle of Akraba. ... The authentic collection (Arabic: الجامع الصحيح, al-Jaami al-Sahih [1]) or popularly al-Bukharis authentic (Arabic: صحيح البخاري, Sahih al-Bukhari) is one of the Sunni six major Hadith collections (Hadith are oral traditions recounting events in the lives of the Prophet Muhammad ). Sunni view this as their most trusted collections. ... Abu Bakr As Siddiq (Arabic &#1575;&#1576;&#1608; &#1576;&#1603;&#1585; &#1575;&#1604;&#1589;&#1583;&#1610;&#1602;, alternative spellings, Abubakar, Abi Bakr, Abu Bakar) (c. ... Zayd ibn Thabit was the personal scribe of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. ... ‘Usman ibn ‘Affān () (c. ... Events Arab conquest of Persia, establishment of Islam as state religion Hindu empire in Sumatra Croats and Serbs occupy Bosnia Khazars conquer Great Bulgarian Empire in southern Russia building of St. ...

Adherents to Islam hold that the wording of the Qur'anic text available today corresponds exactly to that revealed to Muhammad himself: as the words of God, said to be delivered to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel. The Qur'ān is not only considered by Muslims to be a guide but also as a sign of the prophethood of Muhammad and the truth of the religion. Muslims argue that it is not possible for a human to produce a book like the Qur'an, as the Qur'ān states: Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... This article is about the archangel Gabriel. ...

"And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Sura like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides God, if your (doubts) are true. But if ye cannot- and of a surety ye cannot- then fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones,- which is prepared for those who reject Faith. ^[41]

Literary usage

11th Century North African Qur'an in the British Museum

In addition to and largely independent of the division into surahs, there are various ways of dividing the Qur'ān into parts of approximately equal length for convenience in reading, recitation and memorization. The Qur'ān is divided into thirty ajza' (parts). The thirty parts can be used to work through the entire Qur'an in a week or a month. Some of these parts are known by names and these names are the first few words by which the Juz starts. A juz' is sometimes further divided into two ahzab (groups), and each hizb is in turn subdivided into four quarters. A different structure is provided by the ruku'at (sing. Raka'ah), semantical units resembling paragraphs and comprising roughly ten ayat each. Some also divide the Qur'ān into seven manazil (stations). Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3072 × 2304 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3072 × 2304 pixel, file size: 2. ... The British Museum in London, England is one of the worlds greatest museums of human history and culture. ... A juz (&#1580;&#1586;&#1569;, plural ajza, &#1575;&#1580;&#1586;&#1575;&#1569;) is one of thirty parts of roughly equal length into which the Quran is divided for the purpose of reciting the entire text in one month. ... A hizb (&#1581;&#1586;&#1576; , plural ahzab,&#1575;&#1581;&#1586;&#1575;&#1576;) is one half of a juz and thus comprises roughly one 60th of the text of the Quran. ... The Arabic word rakaah (pl. ... A manzil (&#1605;&#1606;&#1586;&#1604;, plural manazil, &#1605;&#1606;&#1575;&#1586;&#1604;) is one of seven parts of roughly equal length into which the Quran is divided for the purpose of reciting the entire text in one week. ...

Recitation

The very word Qur'ān means "recitation", though there is little instruction in the Qur'an itself as to how it is to be recited. The main principle it does outline is: rattil il-Qur'ana tartilan ("repeat the recitation in a collected distinct way"). Tajwid is the term for techniques of recitation, and assessed in terms of how accessible the recitation is to those intent on concentrating on the words.^[42]

To perform salat (prayer), a mandatory obligation in Islam, a Muslim is required to learn at least some suras of the Qur'ān (typically starting with the first sura, al-Fatiha, known as the "seven oft-repeated verses," and then moving on to the shorter ones at the end). Until one has learned al-Fatiha, a Muslim can only say phrases like "praise be to God" during the salat. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Sura (sometimes spelt Surah , plural Suwar ) is an Arabic term literally meaning something enclosed or surrounded by a fence or wall. ... Surat Al-Fatiha (The Opening or The Exordium) is the opening chapter of the Quran; it consists of a short 7-verse prayer which Muslims repeat at the beginning of every rakah of salat. ...

A person whose recital repertoire encompasses the whole Qur'ān is called a qari' (قَارٍئ) or hafiz (or in the case of a female Hafaz) (which translate as "reciter" or "protector," respectively). Muhammad is regarded as the first qari' since he was the first to recite it. Recitation (tilawa تلاوة) of the Qur'ān is a fine art in the Muslim world. It has been suggested that Qari be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Hafiz (disambiguation). ... Recitation means a repetition of what has been said before. ... Quran reading is the reading (tarteel, tajwid, or taghbir) aloud, reciting, chanting portions of the Quran. ...

Schools of recitation

Main article: Qira'at

Page of a 13th century Qur'an, showing Sura 33: 73

There are several schools of Qur'anic recitation, all of which are possible pronunciations of the Uthmanic rasm: Seven reliable, three permissible and (at least) four uncanonical - in 8 sub-traditions each - making for 80 recitation variants altogether^[43]. For a recitation to be canonical it must conform to three conditions: Qiraat, in the context of Islam, means literally the readings, that is the method of recitation. ... Image File history File links Quran_fragment_33,73-74. ... Image File history File links Quran_fragment_33,73-74. ... Section from verses 73 and 74 of Sura al-Ahzab Surat Al-Ahzab (Arabic: سورة الأحزاب ) (The Clans, The Coalition, The Combined Forces) is the 33rd sura of the Quran with 73 ayat. ... Rasm is an Arabic term that signifies: drawing, sketch, trace, graph, pictures, outline, pattern, mark, notes, design, regulation, form, rate. ...

1. It must match the rasm, letter for letter.
2. It must conform with the syntactic rules of the Arabic language.
3. It must have a continuous isnad to Muhammad through tawatur, meaning that it has to be related by a large group of people to another down the isnad chain.

These recitations differ in the vocalization (tashkil تشكيل) of a few words, which in turn gives a complementary meaning to the word in question according to the rules of Arabic grammar. For example, the vocalization of a verb can change its active and passive voice. It can also change its stem formation, implying intensity for example. Vowels may be elongated or shortened, and glottal stops (hamzas) may be added or dropped, according to the respective rules of the particular recitation. For example, the name of archangel Gabriel is pronounced differently in different recitations: Jibrīl, Jabrīl, Jibra'īl, and Jibra'il. The name "Qur'ān" is pronounced without the glottal stop (as "Qurān") in one recitation, and prophet Abraham's name is pronounced Ibrāhām in another.^{[citation needed]} The more widely used narrations are those of Hafs (حفص عن عاصم), Warsh (ورش عن نافع), Qaloon (قالون عن نافع) and Al-Duri according to Abu `Amr (الدوري عن أبي عمرو). Muslims firmly believe that all canonical recitations were recited by the Muhammad himself, citing the respective isnad chain of narration, and accept them as valid for worshipping and as a reference for rules of Sharia. The uncanonical recitations are called "explanatory" for their role in giving a different perspective for a given verse or ayah. Today several dozen persons hold the title "Memorizer of the Ten Recitations." This is considered to be a great accomplishment among the followers of Islam.^{[citation needed]} Arabic redirects here. ... The isnad (Arabic اسناد or in Quranic era Arabic اسند) are the citations or backings that establish the legitimacy of the hadith, which are the sayings of Muhammad, Prophet of Islam. ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... Mutawatir is an Arabic term meaning agreed upon. ... Arabic is a Semitic language. ... Hamza () is a letter in the Arabic alphabet, representing the glottal stop . ... This article is about the archangel Gabriel. ... For other uses, see Abraham (name) and Abram (disambiguation). ... The isnad (Arabic اسناد or in Quranic era Arabic اسند) are the citations or backings that establish the legitimacy of the hadith, which are the sayings of Muhammad, Prophet of Islam. ... This article is about Islamic religious law. ... Ayah ( , plural Ayat ) is the Arabic word for sign or miracle. ...

The presence of these different recitations is attributed to many hadith. Malik Ibn Anas has reported:^[44] Hadith ( transliteration: ) are oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad. ... Malik ibn Anas ibn Malik ibn Amr al-Asbahi (Arabic مالك بن أنس) (c. ...

Abd al-Rahman Ibn Abd al-Qari narrated: "Umar Ibn Khattab said before me: I heard Hisham Ibn Hakim Ibn Hizam reading Surah Furqan in a different way from the one I used to read it, and the Prophet (sws) himself had read out this surah to me. Consequently, as soon as I heard him, I wanted to get hold of him. However, I gave him respite until he had finished the prayer. Then I got hold of his cloak and dragged him to the Prophet (sws). I said to him: "I have heard this person [Hisham Ibn Hakim Ibn Hizam] reading Surah Furqan in a different way from the one you had read it out to me." The Prophet (sws) said: "Leave him alone [O 'Umar]." Then he said to Hisham: "Read [it]." [Umar said:] "He read it out in the same way as he had done before me." [At this,] the Prophet (sws) said: "It was revealed thus." Then the Prophet (sws) asked me to read it out. So I read it out. [At this], he said: "It was revealed thus; this Qur'ān has been revealed in Seven Ahruf. You can read it in any of them you find easy from among them.

Suyuti, a famous 15th century Islamic theologian, writes after interpreting above hadith in 40 different ways:^[45] For other uses, see Umar (disambiguation). ... Surat Al-Furqan (Arabic: سورة الفرقان ) (The Criterion, The Standard) is the 25th sura of the Quran with 77 ayat. ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... Imam Al-Suyuti (c. ...

Many reports contradict presence of variant readings:^[46]

• Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami reports, "the reading of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Zayd ibn Thabit and that of all the Muhajirun and the Ansar was the same. They would read the Qur'an according to the Qira'at al-'ammah. This is the same reading which was read out twice by the Prophet (sws) to Gabriel in the year of his death. Zayd ibn Thabit was also present in this reading [called] the 'Ardah-i akhirah. It was this very reading that he taught the Qur'an to people till his death".^[47]
• Ibn Sirin writes, "the reading on which the Qur'an was read out to the prophet in the year of his death is the same according to which people are reading the Qur'an today".^[48]

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi also purports that there is only one recitation of Qur'ān, which is called Qira'at of Hafs or in classical scholarship, it is called Qira'at al-'ammah. The Qur'ān has also specified that it was revealed in the language of the prophet's tribe: the Quraysh (^{[Qur'an 19:97]}, ^{[Qur'an 44:58]}).^[46] Abu Bakr As Siddiq (Arabic &#1575;&#1576;&#1608; &#1576;&#1603;&#1585; &#1575;&#1604;&#1589;&#1583;&#1610;&#1602;, alternative spellings, Abubakar, Abi Bakr, Abu Bakar) (c. ... For other uses, see Umar (disambiguation). ... For other uses of the name, see Uthman (name). ... Zayd ibn Thabit was the personal scribe of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. ... Muhajirun (Arabic: المها