About 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 someone.

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: 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 does not exist 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.

www.onlinequran.pk