Qur'an

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Part of a series of articles on Islam     History of Islam

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Muhammad Abu Bakr • Ali Household of Muhammad Companions of Muhammad Prophets of Islam

Texts & Laws

Qur'an • Sunnah • Hadith Jurisprudence • Theology Biographies of Muhammad Sharia

Types of Islam

Sunni • Shi'a • Kharijite

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See also

Vocabulary of Islam • Islamophobia

The Qur'an^[1] (in Arabic: القرآن) is the holy book of Islam. It has been written and read only in Arabic for more than 1,400 years. But, because many Muslims around the world do not understand Arabic, the meaning of the Qur'an is also given in other languages, so that readers can understand better what the Arabic words in the Qur'an mean. These books are like dictionaries to the Qur'an -- they are not read as part of the religion of Islam, to replace the Arabic Qur'an.

[edit] History

Muslims believe the Qur'an to be the word of God that was given to Muhammad, by the archangel Gabriel, over a period of twenty-three years until his death. It is believed that Gabriel spoke to Muhammad, in the cave of the mountain of Hira, the first words of the Qur'an:

“

Read... in the name of God Who made man from a drop of blood... God is Most Rewarding... He Who taught man to write with pen... and taught man what he knew not.[2]

”

[edit] Notes

1. ↑ The name Qur'an is sometimes spelled Koran by foreigners
2. ↑ This can also be found in the Quran (chapter 96:1 - 5)