The Language of Quran: Easier than English

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Traditionally great emphasis was put on children memorizing the 6,200+ verses of the Quran, those succeeding being honored with the title Hafiz. "Millions and millions" of Muslims "refer to the Koran daily to explain their actions and to justify their aspirations," [xiii] and in recent years many consider it the source of scientific knowledge. [81] [82] Sufi interpretation, according to Annabel Keeler, also exemplifies the use of the theme of love, as for instance can be seen in Qushayri's interpretation of the Quran:

xxiii] Cf. the radical novelty theory concerning Quranic language advanced by Bassam Saeh ( The Miraculous Language of the Qur’an, tr. Nancy Roberts, London: International Institute of Islamic Thought, 2015): he argues that its miracle actually consists in the fact that the Qur’an can be understood despite nearly every phrase being unprecedented in Arabic. This theory has its own problems which I will not elaborate here. Other sources which al-Suyūṭī lists in his introduction [x] as having been eclipsed by his new compendium include Funūn al-Afnān by Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201), Jamāl al-Qurrā’ by al-Sakhāwī (d. 643/1245) and al-Murshid al-Wajīz by Abū Shāma (d. 665/1267). Unlike these published works, many of the sources cited by al-Suyūṭī are now lost – a point which underscores the value of his efforts. A serious study of the Itqān also reveals the unfairness of those among his contemporaries, and some modern scholars, who characterised him as “a compiler without originality”! [xi] Fortunately, some of the author’s key sources for the chapters in the present volume (whether accessed directly or via al-Zarkashī’s Burhān) are extant and published, so I consulted them whenever possible to clarify points in the Itqān: not least Mughnī l-Labīb by Ibn Hishām (d. 761/1359). This ARABIC LANGUAGE COURSE will provide you the knowledge to understand the Qur’an in its ORIGINAL MATN (original Arabic Text).Qur'anic revelations are regarded by Muslims as the sacred word of God, intended to correct any errors in previous holy books such as the Old and New Testaments. Origin A different structure is provided by semantic units resembling paragraphs and comprising roughly ten āyāt each. Such a section is called a rukū`. The Qur’an contains the exact words which Allah revealed to our beloved prophet-pbuh and the exact words which the Prophet recited. Nothing added or deleted.

The Quran is also broken into 30 equal sections, or juz'. These sections are organized so that the reader can study the Quran over the course of a month. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims are recommended to complete at least one full reading of the Quran from cover to cover. The ajiza (plural of juz') serve as a guide to accomplish that task.xx] Thus argues Ibn ‘Āshūr ( al-Taḥrīr wa-l-Tanwīr, 1/198) concerning the designation in Sūrat al-Fātiḥa of “the objects of anger” as the Jews, and “the straying ones” as the Christians. xxvii] Al-Tirmidhī, Taḥṣīl Naẓā’ir al-Qur’ān, pp. 19-24. This was apparently a response to Muqātil b. Sulaymān (d. 150/767), al-Wujūh wa-l-Naẓā’ir. The reductionist approach of Jabal, following Ibn Fāris (d. 395/1004) and others, was mentioned above. The Holy Quran was revealed by God Almighty in the Classical Arabic language to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). I have written elsewhere about the ‘ uṣūl gap’ observed by scholars working on tafsīr today, and how the materials to consolidate Quranic hermeneutics should be extracted from a range of genres including ‘ulūm al-Qur’ān works. [xiii] By perusing the topics covered in al-Suyūṭī’s compendium, we can see how many of them have direct bearing on exegesis, and which of them may be considered supplementary to that craft. Jane Dammen McAuliffe summarises the architecture of the Itqān thus: Modes of revelation > Collection and transmission > Textual dynamics (comprising: Articulation, Lexicology/morphology, Rhetoric, Textual structure) > Miscellaneous > Commentary. [xiv] In addition to and independent of the division into chapters, there are various ways of dividing the Quran into parts of approximately equal length for convenience in reading. The 30 juz' (plural ajzāʼ) can be used to read through the entire Quran in a month. Some of these parts are known by names—which are the first few words by which the juzʼ begins. A juz' is sometimes further divided into two ḥizb (plural aḥzāb), and each hizb subdivided into four rubʻ al-ahzab. The Quran is also divided into seven approximately equal parts, manzil (plural manāzil), for it to be recited in a week. [11]

According to Tabatabaei, there are acceptable and unacceptable esoteric interpretations. Acceptable ta'wil refers to the meaning of a verse beyond its literal meaning; rather the implicit meaning, which ultimately is known only to God and can not be comprehended directly through human thought alone. The verses in question here refer to the human qualities of coming, going, sitting, satisfaction, anger and sorrow, which are apparently attributed to God. Unacceptable ta'wil is where one "transfers" the apparent meaning of a verse to a different meaning by means of a proof; this method is not without obvious inconsistencies. Although this unacceptable ta'wil has gained considerable acceptance, it is incorrect and cannot be applied to the Quranic verses. The correct interpretation is that reality a verse refers to. It is found in all verses, the decisive and the ambiguous alike; it is not a sort of a meaning of the word; it is a fact that is too sublime for words. God has dressed them with words to bring them a bit nearer to our minds; in this respect they are like proverbs that are used to create a picture in the mind, and thus help the hearer to clearly grasp the intended idea. [135] [137] History of Sufi commentaries The Quran presents itself with a number of names and descriptions which are worth reflecting on. Here are just a few:

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Muslims believe the Quran to be God's final revelation to humanity, a work of divine guidance revealed to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel. [18] [76] The Quran most likely existed in scattered written form during Muhammad's lifetime. Several sources indicate that during Muhammad's lifetime a large number of his companions had memorized the revelations. Early commentaries and Islamic historical sources support the above-mentioned understanding of the Quran's early development. [25] University of Chicago professor Fred Donner states that: [64] The Library's buildings remain fully open but some services are limited, including access to collection items. We're

More generally, it is possible to observe these technical grammar debates and move past them to ponder on a deeper meaning intended by the word choice. I share a beautiful example from Muḥammad ‘Abd-Allāh Drāz (d. 1958) under the discussion on ka-mithli in 42:11. The method here is to notice the issue at hand, and consider whether there is an alternative to waving it away as ziyāda, ta‘āqub or majāz; or a good explanation for those features to be employed. For example, it may simply be stated – as here in Chapter 40 – that yurīdu in 18:77 means yakādu, in that the wall was “about to collapse”, as it cannot be said to “want to collapse”; but this should not prevent us considering the imagery in portraying this wall as though it were an old man on his last legs! [xxx] Whilst the majority of Islamic scribes were men, some women also worked as scholars and copyists; one such woman who made a copy of this text was the Moroccan jurist, Amina, bint al-Hajj ʿAbd al-Latif. [170] Following Muhammad's death in 632, a number of his companions who knew the Quran by heart were killed in the Battle of Yamama by Musaylimah. The first caliph, Abu Bakr (d. 634), subsequently decided to collect the book in one volume so that it could be preserved. Zayd ibn Thabit (d. 655) was the person to collect the Quran since "he used to write the Divine Inspiration for Allah's Apostle". Thus, a group of scribes, most importantly Zayd, collected the verses and produced a hand-written manuscript of the complete book. The manuscript according to Zayd remained with Abu Bakr until he died. Zayd's reaction to the task and the difficulties in collecting the Quranic material from parchments, palm-leaf stalks, thin stones (collectively known as suhuf, any written work containing divine teachings) [49] and from men who knew it by heart is recorded in earlier narratives. In 644, Muhammad's widow Hafsa bint Umar was entrusted with the manuscript until the third caliph, Uthman ibn Affan, requested the standard copy from her. [50] (According to historian Michael Cook, early Muslim narratives about the collection and compilation of the Quran sometimes contradict themselves. "Most ... make Uthman little more than an editor, but there are some in which he appears very much a collector, appealing to people to bring him any bit of the Quran they happen to possess." Some accounts also "suggest that in fact the material" Abu Bakr worked with "had already been assembled", which since he was the first Caliph, would mean they were collected when Muhammad was still alive.) [51] According to this view, it has also become evident that the inner meaning of the Quran does not eradicate or invalidate its outward meaning. Rather, it is like the soul, which gives life to the body. [140] Corbin considers the Quran to play a part in Islamic philosophy, because gnosiology itself goes hand in hand with prophetology. [90] :13

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The proper recitation of the Quran is the subject of a separate discipline named tajwid which determines in detail how the Quran should be recited, how each individual syllable is to be pronounced, the need to pay attention to the places where there should be a pause, to elisions, where the pronunciation should be long or short, where letters should be sounded together and where they should be kept separate, etc. It may be said that this discipline studies the laws and methods of the proper recitation of the Quran and covers three main areas: the proper pronunciation of consonants and vowels (the articulation of the Quranic phonemes), the rules of pause in recitation and of resumption of recitation, and the musical and melodious features of recitation. [152] xxxii] See on this topic: Ghānim al-Ḥamad, ‘Ulūm al-Qur’ān bayna l-Maṣādir wa-l-Maṣāḥif (Markaz Tafsir, 2019). Belief is a fundamental aspect of morality in the Quran, and scholars have tried to determine the semantic contents of "belief" and "believer" in the Quran. [112] The ethico-legal concepts and exhortations dealing with righteous conduct are linked to a profound awareness of God, thereby emphasizing the importance of faith, accountability, and the belief in each human's ultimate encounter with God. People are invited to perform acts of charity, especially for the needy. Believers who "spend of their wealth by night and by day, in secret and in public" are promised that they "shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve." [113] It also affirms family life by legislating on matters of marriage, divorce, and inheritance. A number of practices, such as usury and gambling, are prohibited. The Quran is one of the fundamental sources of Islamic law ( sharia). Some formal religious practices receive significant attention in the Quran including the formal prayers ( salat) and fasting in the month of Ramadan. As for the manner in which the prayer is to be conducted, the Quran refers to prostration. [25] [110] The term for charity, zakat, literally means purification. Charity, according to the Quran, is a means of self-purification. [85] [114] Encouragement for the sciences Chapter 36 also throws up the problem of synonymy. While it is a point of debate, there is a common view that there are no true synonyms in the Arabic language, particularly in the vocabulary of the Qur’an. [xxi] This is the basis for one of the sections in Chapter 42 in this volume. In contrast, Ibn ‘Abbās is seen here to explain one word through another, as though they are equivalent. These could be understood simply as approximations to the meanings, which in turn implies that other explanatory glosses could be as good, or better. [xxii] We should also compare the contents of this chapter to alternative explanations for the same words and verses, in other chapters. Is hayta/ hi’tu lak (12:23) to be understood as an Arabic root as we would understand in Chapter 36, or as a loanword as claimed in Chapter 38? Consolidation and further research are required.