Quran is the last book of Allah which was revealed on the last Prophet Hazrat Muhammad within twenty three years according to different situations and necessities. This is a very purified and Holy Book. There is a message for the righteousness of all mankind in this book. There were some other divine books besides Quran which had been revealed in olden times to the different prophets such as Torat, Zabur, Ingeel. Some other scripts (Sahaif) were also revealed to other messengers . In all divine books, the basic commandments such as Tauheed, Shirk, morality and worship were same but all those books were for a specific age. Those were not sent to whole humanity; therefore, most of their commandments were for certain period of time and not practicable for other era. However, The Holy Quran is such a comprehensive book which guides in all spheres of life and its guidance is for all mankind till the day of judgment. The Holy Quran is the last divine book revealed on Holy Prophet Muhammad and there is no need of any other Divine book after The holy Quran.
"Quran is derived form 'Qirat' which means 'to read'. So, Quran means a book which is read repeatedly or a book that is mostly, read. This is in fact the most read book in this world".
i. Names of Holy Quran:
There are many sayings of scholars about the names of The Holy Quran, Kitab Al Burhan is also mentioned regarding this issue. There are fifty five such names of The holy Quran Kareem which have been taken from Quranic verses. Some names are given from those verses in the following list.
Al Kitab: Among all books of the world, which deserves to be called the book is Quran..
Al Furqan: Criterion between truth and falsehood.
Nur:Showing light and straight path.
Shifa:Spiritual healing and message of health.
Tazkara:Source of advice and lesson.
Al-Ilm:This book is the greatest source of knowledge and recognition.
Al-Bayan:Every educational aspect is presented in detail in this book.
ii. Names of The Holy Quran based on its attributes:
Allah has mentioned a few characteristics of Holy Quran: For instance;
Hakeem: Full of wisdom.
Majeed: Senior
Mubarak: Full of blessings
Al-Aziz: All-Honourable
Mubeen:The distinguisher of right path
Kareem: Blessed and respectable
iii. Revelation of The holy Holy Quran:
The Holy Prophet's was forty years of the age when he started to receive the revelation of The holy Quran. He used to live alone mostly at that stage of his age. He' used to visit cave of Hira for worship. Once, when he was busy in worship, then Hazrat Jibraeel came at mouth of the cave and he said, Read 'O' Muhammad. He said, "I am not read". This questioning answering happened. Third time, Hazrat Jibraeel embraced him and left, then he read these five verses of surah Al Alaq.
إقرأ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ : خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَى اقْرَا وَرَبُّكَ الأكْرَمُهُ الَّذى عَلَم بِالقَلَمِ عَلَمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمُ (العلق : 1 تا 5 )
Translation: Recite in the name of your lord, Who created man form a clinging substance. Recite and your lord is the most generous who taught by the pen. Taught man which he knew not.
iv. Soothing of Hazrat Khadijah R.A to Holy Prophet:
The start of revelation became quite heavy on Holy Prophet and he started shivering. He went straight to his home and told the whole story to his wife Hazrat Khadijah His obedient wife supported him with these words. Allah will never make you unsuccessful. You join relatives. You endure the burden of people's difficulties. You, give wealth to beggars and you are hospitable. In reality these words of Hazrat Khadijah serve as a lesson for us that whoever among us adopts these traits in practical life, then he/she should firmly believe that Allah will never let him/her get fail in life rather He will make him/her get out of difficulties.
v. Warga Bin Nofel Testifying Prophethood:
After soothing the Holy Prophet, Hazrat Khadija took him to her cousin Warqa Bin Nofel, He was a Christian and who had translated Bible from Hebrew to Arabic. He was very old and blind then. Hazrat Khadija asked him, O my cousin listen to talk of your nephew. Warqa asked 'O nephew what is the matter?' Then Holy Prophet narrated the whole event of Cave of Hira. After listening the whole event, Warqa said:
هذا النَّامُوسُ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى مُوسَى
Translation: This is the same angel who was sent to Prophet Musa by Allah J. Warqa Bin Nofel witnessed his Prophet hood and he predicted that the people of the prophet's nation would deport him from his territory. Warqa wished that were he lived by that time and helped the Holy Prophet.
"Fatratul Wahee ":"
After first wahee, ( Revelation) the revelation of wahee discontinued for some time. That period is called Fatratual Wahee. Its duration according to some traditions is two and half years and in some three years. Then initial verses of Surah Mudasar were revealed. Allah says:
ياتها المديرة قمْ فَانْذِرَة وَرَبِّكَ فَكَيرَة وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهَرَةُ وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرة
( المندثر: 51)
Translation: '74/1-5 1. O You (Muhammad Sal-Allaahu 'alayhe Wa Sallam) enveloped (in garments) !2. Arise and warn! 3. And Your Lord (Allâh) magnify! 4. And Your garments purify! 5. And keep away from Ar-Rujz (the idols)!
After revelation of verses of Surah Mudassar. The arrival of "wahee" was continuous and it remained till the death of the Holy Prophet. On the occasion of ^^Hajjatual Wida^^, the (following) verse was revealed in plane of Arafat regarding completion of "Dean'. It is saying of Allah .
اليوم المَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَثْمَتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِيناء (المائدة: 3)
Translation: This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed my favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.
vi. Surahs and verses of Holy Quran:
The Holy Quran consists of 114 surahs, and every surah consists of sentences which are called verses (Ayat). It is plural of 'Ayat' that means sign or token. Every ayat is a sign for any of Allah's eternal laws. There is بسم اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ written at the start of every surah except surah Tauba. In Holy Quran surah Baqara is the longest surah, and surah Kausar is the shortest surah, it has three verses. There are seven Manazil of Quran. These are fixed for the convenience of people who wish to complete the recitation of the holy Quran within seven days. In The Holy Quran, there are 14 Sujud, 558 Rukuh and total verses are 6666 as said but the real number of verses is 6236,
vii. The characteristics of surahs of Holy Quran:
ording to their revelation, surahs of Holy Quran are distributed into two parts: 1. Makki surahs 2. Madni surahs
Makki surahs:Those surahs which were revealed before migration to Madina in Makkah and its surroundings are called Makki surahs. Their total number is 86.
Madni surahs:Those surahs which were revealed after migration to Madina in Madina and its. surroundings are called Madni surahs. Their total numbers is 28.
viii. Characteristics of Makki surahs:
Holy Prophet passed thirteen years in Makkah. During this time he faced enormous difficulties because the acquaintances whom he expected would accept faith became strangers. They did not like to listen his call towards Tauheed as they were involved in a shameful act of shirk. After a lot of consultation, they decided that they would not accept the Holy Prophet's invitation to Islam and would strongly oppose him. In this opposition, they used to put thorns in his path. When he recited Quran, they started shouting so that people didn't listen Quran. They used to beat those who believed in Prophet. This span of thirteen years was the time of great difficulties and hardships. The characteristics of surahs revealed during this phase are as following:
'Mostly these surahs are short and brief.
In these surahs, there are commandments on believing in beliefs tauheed, risalat, angels, divine books and the life hereafter.
In these surahs, people have been addressed as"يا أيها الناس
In these surahs, the stories of previous ummahs and messengers have been described.
In Makki surahs, there is advice and order of patience and steadfastness.
ix. Characteristics of Madni surahs:
After migration when the Holy Prophet arrived in Madinah, the situation was quite different. His preaching had already started there before his arrival and many of the people of Madinah had become Muslims with the help of Mahajirs and Ansars, So he established an Islamic state there. During this period, the Quranic verses and surahs revealed on different occasions have the following characteristics.
Madni surahs are long.
In madni surahs, mainly social, economic, political aspects and issues are discussed.
- In these surahs, there are expressions of address as يا أيها الناس
- In these surahs, the hypocrites and their characters have been highlighted.
- In these surahs, there is guidance provided on Islamic governance system, rules and international directions.
- There were commandments of worship, fasting Hajj, Zakah and Jihad revealed in these surahs..
x. Order of The Holy Quran:
The order of Holy Quran is of two types:
(i) Nazuli Order (ii) Taufeeqi Order
Nazuli Order:It means that arrangement of Holy Quran in which it was revealed. This order of the revelation of Holy Quran is called Tarteeb Nazuli'. The first revealed verse is Iqra”اقراء" and the last verse is اليوم اكملت
Taufiqi Order:The present order of Holy Quran is Taufiqi. It means that Hazrat Muhammad himself arranged it according to the commandment of Allah J. When a surah was revealed then Allah's Prophet used to direct scribes to write that verse at the start or end of any surah. Sometimes, when verses were revealed, then Holy Prophet would direct them to write with the specific surah. In the light of this account, Muslims have always believed that order of surahs is taufiqi. There were some scribes among companions of Holy Prophet and four pious caliphs (Khulafa-e-Rashideen) were among them as well..
xi. Protection of Holy Quran:
The divine books revealed before Quran are not available in their original form and there are many amendments in them with the passage of time. This is quality of Holy Quran that it is available and revered in its real form and it will be preserved till the Day of Judgment. Allah has taken the responsibility of protecting Quran himself: Allah says:Translation: Indeed, it is we who sent down the Quran and indeed, we will be its guardian.
xii. Three important aspects of the mentioned verse:
Three important points have been discussed in this verse:
i. Munazil
ii. Quran Majeed - Zikr.
iii. Responsible of its Protection - Allah Himself
It is a fact that the sublimity with which the Holy Quran has been revealed, it is preserved in its real form without any amendment. Although, a long time has passed after it was sent down to the Holy Prophet but, its language, fluency and comprehensiveness venues, rules and regulations and commandments are established firmly. The Holy Quran guides human beings in all ages irrespective of how much time has passed and how much demands have changed. The Holy Quran can not be eliminated and the attempts of evil forces go in vain against it. Though the promise of safeguarding Quran by Allah is being fulfilled so amazingly and clearly that all the opponents were humiliated in their efforts against Quran. Even, the enemies have confessed that Holy Quran is completely a secure book..
In different museums of the world, the copies of Quran Kareem kept there are the clear evidence that it is secure even today as it had been revealed fourteen hundred years ago. It is said in another verse:
Translation: Move not your tongue with it (O Muhammad) to hasten with recitation of the Quran. Indeed, upon us is its correction and its recitation. So when we have recited it, then follow its recitation. Then upon us is its clarification.
In above mentioned verse, Allah has taken three important responsibilities:
- To make Holy Quran learnt by heart.
- To Make regular The recitation of the Holy Quran.
- To Make understand its meaning and then to preach it.
xiii. Two important modes of Protection of Holy Quran:
(i)' Hifz-e-Quran (ii) Writing Quran
Hifz-e-Quran: Learing Holy Quran by heart
Allah has mentioned in surah Al Qamr about the learning of Quran by heart as His blessing and He has said it repeatedly:
ولقد يسرا القُرْآنَ لِلذِكرِ فَهَلْ مِنْ تُمل كر (امر : 17)
Translation: And we have indeed made the Quran easy to understand, and remember, then is there any that will remember (or receive admonition).
xiv. Virtues of memorizing Quran in Ahadees:
On the Day of Judgment, it will be said to a person, who would have learnt the Holy Quran by heart, Ascend to the grades of paradise and recite slowly as you have recited slowly in the world. Your status is that where you reach on the last verse, (Abu Dawood).
The noblemen and respectable of my Ummah are those people, who learn Quran. (Bukhari, Muslim).
The person, who teaches Nazira Quran to his child, his all sins are forgiven and the one who let his child learn Quran by heart, on the last Day he will be raised like that of the full moon. His son will be told to recite, when the son will recite a verse, one rank of his father will be raised unless the whole Quran will be completed in this manner. (Tibrani).
Since the age of the Holy Prophet there have been many hufaz in this world, who are the proof of protection of Quran and this chain will continue till the Day of Judgment.
