"Alif Laam Raa. A
book which we have revealed to you (Muhammad) so that you may lead the people
from out of the darknesses into the light by their Lord's leave to the path of
the All-Mighty, the Praiseworthy." [Quran 14:1] The Holy Quran.
The Quran is a Message
from Allah to humanity. It was transmitted to us in a chain starting from the
Almighty Himself (Subhanaho Wataala) to the angel Gabriel to the Prophet
Muhammad. This message was given to the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) in pieces
over a period spanning approximately 23 years. The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him)
was 40 years old when the Quran began to be revealed to him, and he was 63 when
the revelation was completed. The language of the original message was Arabic,
but it has been translated into many other languages. Prophet Muhammad (Peace
Be Upon Him) was the final Messenger of Allah to humanity, and therefore the
Quran is the last Message which Allah has sent to us. Its predecessors such as
the Torah, Psalms, and Gospel have all been superseded. It is an obligation -
and blessing - for all who hear of the Quran and Islam to investigate it and
evaluate it for them. Allah has guaranteed that He will protect the Quran from
human tampering, and today's readers can find exact copies of it all over the world.
The Quran of today is the same as the Quran revealed to Muhammad (Peace Be Upon
Him).
Al Quran’ is unique in
its composition and style. ‘Al Quran’ does not conform to the normal conception of a book. It is a book that is not like any
book ever written. The chapters of ‘Al Quran’ consist of verses that deal with
a mixture of subjects and miscellaneous topics. It is for this reason that the
title or name of a chapter would not reveal the total information and contents
in that chapter. The information contained in a chapter of the Quran is woven
together and laid down in a mosaic form that might give the feeling of lack of
continuity and order. Interconnection between the verses and the continuity of
the subject might not be apparent or existing. Varied information within the
same verse can also be found. It is reasonable to think of a chapter of ‘Al
Quran’ as a beautiful flower bouquet, each of its flowers has its unique color
and smell.
THus, for one to
understand ‘Al Quran’, one should first free the mind from the preconceived
notion of a “regular” book, and then concentrate on grasping the meaning of
each individual verse in the chapter. Verses that have obvious and clear
connection should be studied together. After one reads a chapter more than
once, one is able to comprehend all the important lessons in that chapter. It
is important that, for deeper and more understanding of ‘Al Quran’, the reader
should visit any index, commentary, or notes, if available in the translation.
It is difficult to
understand the complete meaning and grasp all the wisdom of ‘Al Quran’ after
one reading. As a matter of fact, one needs to read ‘Al Quran’ over and over
again with complete concentration and meditation before one can fully discover
its hidden treasures. Because you gain new meanings and perception each time
you read ‘Al Quran’, you might feel as if you never read such verses before.
Amazingly, these realities, about re-reading ‘Al Quran’ often, hold true for
all people regardless of their level of education. Fortunately, Allah rewards
us generously for reading each and every letter of this great divine book
