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The first sura (or section) of the Qur’an, al-Fatiha, which is an essential part of the ritual prayers, is learned and read in Arabic by Muslims in all parts of the world, and many other verses and phrases in Arabic are also incorporated into the lives of non-Arabic-speaking Muslims.
Muhammad was born in Mecca in about the year 570 CE.
The religion of most people in Mecca and Arabia at the beginning of Muhammad’s lifetime was polytheism.
Muhammad was in the habit of taking regular periods of retreat and reflection in the Cave of Hira outside Mecca. This is where the first revelation of the Qur’an came to him in 610 CE, when he was 40 years old.
The hostility of the Meccans soon graduated from gentle ridicule to open conflict and the persecution of Muhammad’s followers, many of whom Muhammad sent, from the fifth year of his preaching, to seek refuge with the Christian king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
The Prophet experienced the event known as the Night Journey and Ascension to Heaven, during which Muhammad was accompanied by Gabriel from the sanctuary of Mecca first to Jerusalem and then to Heaven.
Muhammad also made a larger pact between all the tribes of Yathrib, that they would all support one another in defending the city against attack. Each tribe would be equal under this arrangement, including the Jews, and free to practise their own religions.
Soon after his return to Medina in the year 632 CE (AH 10), the Prophet received the last revelation of the Qur’an and, shortly thereafter, died.
His role as leader of the Islamic state was taken over by Abu Bakr (632–4 CE), followed by ‘Umar (634–44) and ‘Uthman (644–56), who oversaw the phenomenal spread of Islam beyond Arabia. They were followed by ‘Ali (656–61). These four leaders are called the Rightly Guided Caliphs.
After ‘Ali, the first political dynasty of Islam, the Umayyads (661–7...
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The Islamic state stretched by the end of its first century from Spain, across North Africa, to Sind in north-west India. In later centuries it expanded further still to include large parts of East and West Africa, India, Central and South-East Asia, and parts of China and southern Europe.
Muslim migrants like the Turks and Tartars also spread into parts of northern Europe, such as Kazan and Poland.
When he explained that he could not read,3 the angel squeezed him strongly, repeating the request twice, and then recited to him the first two lines of the Qur’an.4
When he experienced the ‘state of revelation’, those around him were able to observe his visible, audible, and sensory reactions. His face would become flushed and he would fall silent and appear as if his thoughts were far away, his body would become limp as if he were asleep, a humming sound would be heard about him, and sweat would appear on his face, even on winter days.
it talks to the Prophet or talks about him; never does the Prophet pass comment or speak for himself.
The first revelation consisted of the two lines which began the Qur’an and the mission of the Prophet, after which he had no further experience of revelation for some while. Then another short piece was revealed, and between then and shortly before the Prophet’s death in 632 CE at the age of 63 (lunar years), the whole text of the Qur’an was revealed gradually, piece by piece, in varying lengths, giving new teaching or commenting on events or answering questions, according to circumstances.
By the end of the Prophet’s life (632 CE) the entire Qur’an was written down in the form of uncollated pieces.
Abu Bakr, ordered that a written copy of the whole body of Qur’anic material as arranged by the Prophet and memorized by the Muslims should be made and safely stored with him.
About twelve years later, with the expansion of the Islamic state, the third caliph, ‘Uthman, ordered that a number of copies should be made from this to be distributed to different parts of the Muslim world as the official copy of the Qur’an, which became known as the ‘Uthmanic Codex.
In the Medinan suras, by which time the Muslims were no longer the persecuted minority but an established community with the Prophet as its leader, the Qur’an begins to introduce laws to govern the Muslim community with regard to marriage, commerce and finance, international relations, war and peace.
We also see here discussion of the ‘People of the Book’ with particular reference to Jewish and Christian communities, both those contemporary with the Prophet and those in the past.
The Qur’an contains some 6,200 verses and out of these only 100 deal with ritual practices, 70 verses discuss personal laws, 70 verses civil laws, 30 penal laws, and 20 judiciary matters and testimony.
A central feature of Qur’anic style is contrast: between this world and the next (each occurring exactly 115 times), between believers and disbelievers, between Paradise and Hell.
The Qur’an clearly defines its relationship with earlier scriptures by saying: ‘He has sent the Scripture down to you [Prophet] with the Truth, confirming what went before: He sent down the Torah and the Gospel earlier as a guide for people’ (3: 3–4). Indeed it urges the Christians and the Jews to practise their religion (5: 68, 45, 47). They are given the honorific title of ‘People of the Book’, and the Qur’an appeals to what is common between them: ‘Say, “People of the Book, let us arrive at a statement that is common to us all: we worship God alone, we ascribe no partner to Him, and none of
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The Qur’an forbids arguing with the People of the Book except in the best way and urges the Muslims to say: ‘We believe in what was revealed to us and in what was revealed to you; our God and your God are one [and the same]’ (29: 46).
God addresses Muslims, Jews, and Christians with the following: ‘We have assigned a law and a path to each of you. If God had so willed, He would have made you one community, but He wanted to test you through that which He has given you, so race to do good: you will all return to ...
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The first British Muslim to translate the Qur’an, however, was the novelist and vicar’s son Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall. He undertook a new translation (published in 1930) after observing that some of the earlier translations included ‘commentation offensive to Muslims and employed a style of language which Muslims at once recognise as unworthy’. Although his language may now seem almost artificially archaic, his translation keeps close to the original Arabic, and is still very popular among Arabs and Muslims.
28How can you ignore God when you were lifeless and He gave you life, when He will cause you to die, then resurrect you to be returned to Him?
60Remember when Moses prayed for water for his people and We said to him, ‘Strike the rock with your staff.’ Twelve springs gushed out, and each group knew its drinking place. ‘Eat and drink the sustenance God has provided and do not cause corruption in the land.’
62The [Muslim] believers, the Jews, the Christians, and the Sabiansa—all those who believe in God and the Last Day and do good—will have their rewards with their Lord. No fear for them, nor will they grieve.
84We took a pledge from you, ‘Do not shed one another’s blood or drive one another from your homelands.’ You acknowledged it at the time, and you can testify to this. 85Yet here you are, killing one another and driving some of your own people from their homes, helping one another in sin and aggression against them.
We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear signs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit. So how is it that, whenever a messenger brings you something you do not like, you become arrogant, calling some impostors and killing others?
God chooses for His grace whoever He will: His bounty has no limits.
115The East and the West belong to God: wherever you turn, there is His Face.
‘We believe in God and in what was sent down to us and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and what was given to Moses, Jesus, and all the prophets by their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we devote ourselves to Him.’
141That community passed away: what they earned belongs to them, and what you earn belongs to you. You will not be answerable for their deeds.
190Fight in God’s cause against those who fight you, but do not overstep the limits:c God does not love those who overstep the limits.
195Spend in God’s cause: do not contribute to your destruction with your own hands,c but do good, for God loves those who do good.
We gave Jesus, son of Mary, Our clear signs and strengthened him with the holy spirit. If God had so willed, their successors would not have fought each other after they had been brought clear signs. But they disagreed: some believed and some disbelieved. If God had so willed, they would not have fought each other, but God does what He will.
263A kind word and forgiveness is better than a charitable deed followed by hurtful [words]:
267You who believe, give charitably from the good things you have acquired and that We have produced for you from the earth. Do not seek to give the bad things that you yourself would only accept with your eyes closed:
286God does not burden any soul with more than it can bear: each gains whatever good it has done, and suffers its bad—‘Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make mistakes. Lord, do not burden us as You burdened those before us. Lord, do not burden us with more than we have strength to bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our Protector, so help us against the disbelievers.’
The story of Zachariah, Mary, and Jesus is given in verses 35–64 and the fact that Jesus was unfathered, just as Adam was created without a father, is accentuated.
3Step by step, He has sent the Scripture down to you [Prophet] with the Truth, confirming what went before: He sent down the Torah and the Gospel 4earlier as a guide for people and He has sent down the distinction [between right and wrong].
Ask those who were given the Scripture, as well as those without one, ‘Do you too devote yourselves to Him alone?’ If they do, they will be guided, but if they turn away, your only duty is to convey the message. God is aware of His servants.
31Say, ‘If you love God, follow me, and God will love you and forgive you your sins; God is most forgiving, most merciful.’
45The angels said, ‘Mary, God gives you news of a Word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, who will be held in honour in this world and the next, who will be one of those brought near to God. 46He will speak to people in his infancya and in his adulthood. He will be one of the righteous.’ 47She said, ‘My Lord, how can I have a son when no man has touched me?’ [The angel] said, ‘This is how God creates what He will: when He has ordained something, He only says, "Be", and it is.
48He will teach him the Scripture and wisdom, the Torah and the Gospel, 49He will send him as a messenger to the Children of Israel: "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I will make the shape of a bird for you out of clay, then breathe into it and, with God’s permission, it will become a real bird; I will heal the blind and the leper, and bring the dead back to life with God’s permission; I will tell you what you may eat and what you may store up in your houses.b There truly is a sign for you in this, if you are believers. 50I have come to confirm the truth of the Torah which
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52When Jesus became aware that they [still] did not believe, he said, ‘Who will help me in God’s cause?’ The disciples said, ‘We will be God’s helpers; we believe in God—witness our devotion to Him. 53Lord, we believe in what You have revealed and we follow t...
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55God said, ‘Jesus, I will take you back and raise you up to Me: I will purify you of the disbelievers. To the Day of Resurrection I will make those who followed you superior to those who disbelieved. Then you will all return to Me and I will judge between you regarding your differences. 56I will make the disbelievers suffer severely in this world and the next; no one will help them.’ 57As for those who believe and do good deeds God will pay them their reward in full but God does not love evildoers.
