About The Holy Quran

The Holy Quran (القرآن الكريم, literally "The Recitation") is the direct, uncreated, and infallible Word of Allah (God) revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) through the Archangel Jibreel (Gabriel). Revealed in the purest Arabic language, it is the ultimate, unchanged divine miracle that serves as a universal compass for moral, spiritual, legal, scientific, and societal life. The Quran describes itself as *Hudan li-n-Nas* (Guidance for Mankind), *Shifa* (Healing for the hearts), *Nur* (Manifest Light), and *Furqan* (The Criterion between truth and falsehood).

The revelation of the Holy Quran began in the month of Ramadan in 610 CE on the night of *Laylat al-Qadr* (The Night of Decree) in the Cave of Hira on Mount Nur near Makkah. The very first revelation comprised the opening five verses of Surah Al-'Alaq: *"Read in the name of your Lord who created..."* (96:1-5). The divine text was revealed piecemeal (Munajjaman) over a period of approximately 23 years (610 CE – 632 CE) responding directly to the historical situations, ethical questions, spiritual milestones, and social needs of the growing Muslim community.

The Makki (Meccan) period spanned approximately 13 years (610 – 622 CE) before the Hijrah to Madinah. During this phase, 86 of the 114 Surahs were revealed. The Makki revelations are characterized by their powerful, evocative rhythms, profound linguistic majesty, and concise verses. They focused primarily on the foundational pillars of Islamic faith: Tawheed (the absolute Oneness of Allah), Refutation of Idolatry, Prophethood, the Unseen world (Angels, Jinn), the Day of Judgment (Al-Qiyamah), Paradise and Hellfire, patience during persecution, and personal moral refinement.

The Madani (Medinan) period spanned approximately 10 years (622 – 632 CE) following the Prophet's migration (Hijrah) to Madinah. 28 Surahs were revealed during this period. As Muslims established a sovereign community and peaceful commonwealth, the verses shifted towards detailed legislation, civil and criminal law, economic justice (Zakat, prohibition of Riba), family and inheritance laws, international treaties, warfare and peace ethics, interfaith dialogues with People of the Book, and governance principles based on justice (Adl) and mutual consultation (Shura).

Allah Himself promised the eternal preservation of the Quran: *"Indeed, it is We who sent down the Quran and indeed, We will be its guardian"* (Surah Al-Hijr 15:9). Preservation occurred through a dual system unmatched in human history: (1) Oral Transmission (Hifz) where thousands of companions memorized the entire text word-for-word with exact pronunciation; and (2) Written Transmission where official scribes of revelation (Kuttab al-Wahy), including Ali ibn Abi Talib, Ubayy ibn Ka'b, and Zayd ibn Thabit, recorded verses immediately upon skins, parchment, palm leaves, and stone tablets under the direct supervision of the Prophet.

During the Caliphate of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (RA), following the Battle of Yamama where numerous Huffaz (memorizers) were martyred, Umar ibn Al-Khattab (RA) advised collecting the written manuscripts into a unified manuscript. Zayd ibn Thabit (RA) led this rigorous committee, demanding two independent witnesses for every written verse. Later, during the Caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan (RA), as Islam spread across distant civilizations, standardized official copies (The Uthmanic Mus'haf) were transcribed in the Quraishi dialect and dispatched to major metropolitan centers (Makkah, Madinah, Kufa, Basra, Damascus), establishing universal textual uniformity.

The Quran is divided into 114 chapters called Surahs, arranged not chronologically but according to divine instruction (Tawqifi). It contains 6,236 Ayahs (verses). For convenience of recitation and systematic study, the Quran is partitioned into 30 equal sections called Juz (or Para), and 7 Manzils for weekly reading cycles. Additionally, Surahs are grouped into thematic paragraphs called Rukus (totaling 558). 14 or 15 specific verses contain Sajdah at-Tilawah (prostrations of recitation), marking moments of supreme adoration of Allah.

• Longest Surah: Surah Al-Baqarah (286 Ayahs, 48 pages).\n• Shortest Surah: Surah Al-Kawthar (3 Ayahs, 10 words).\n• Longest Ayah: Ayah ad-Dayn (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:282, The Verse of Loan).\n• Greatest Ayah: Ayat al-Kursi (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:255, The Throne Verse).\n• Heart of the Quran: Surah Ya-Sin (36).\n• Surah with two Bismillahs: Surah An-Naml (27) contains Bismillah at the beginning and in verse 30.\n• Surah without Bismillah: Surah At-Tawbah (9).\n• Only woman mentioned by name: Maryam (Mary), who has Surah 19 named after her.\n• Only Companion mentioned by name: Zayd ibn Harithah (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:37).