What Is Ayah? In the Islamic Quran, an Ayah (آية; آيات āyāt) is a “verse,” one of the statements of varying length that make up the chapters (surah) of the Quran and are marked by a number. The word means “evidence,” “sign” or “miracle,” and in Islam may refer to things other than...
What Is I’jaz? In Islam, I’jaz, or inimitability of the Qur’an is the doctrine which holds that the Qur’an has a miraculous quality, both in content and in form, that no human speech can match. According to this doctrine, the Qur’an is a miracle and its inimitability is the proof granted to Muhammad in the...
Birmingham Quran Manuscript The Birmingham Quran manuscript is a parchment on which two leaves of an early Quranic manuscript are written. In 2015 the manuscript, which is held by the University of Birmingham, was radiocarbon dated to between 568 and 645 CE (in the Islamic calendar, between 56 BH and 25 AH). It is part...
What Is Sanaa Manuscript? The Sanaa Manuscript or Sanaa palimpsest (also Ṣanʿā’ 1 or DAM 01-27.1) is one of the oldest Quranic manuscripts in existence. Part of a sizable cache of Quranic and non-Quranic fragments discovered in Yemen during a 1972 restoration of the Great Mosque of Sana’a, the manuscript was identified as a palimpsest Quran in 1981; as...
Chronological Order Of The Quran The Qur’an is not in chronological order but arranged roughly the longest surah (chapter) to the shortest. The following lists the chronological (or revelational) order of the Qur’an. Chronological Order Surah Name Number of Verses Location of Revelation Traditional Order 1 Al-Alaq 19 Mecca 96 2 Al-Qalam 52...
The Holy Quran’s Invitation To Christians This article covers the answer to the question: “What is the Holy Quran‘s Invitation to Christians?“ “Say: “People of the Book! Come now to a word common between us and you, that we serve none but Allah, and that we associate not aught with...
What Is Sadaqah? Sadaqah or Sadaka (صدقة, “charity“, “benevolence”, ṣadaqāt صدقات) in the modern context has come to signify “voluntary charity”. According to the Quran, the word means voluntary offering, whose amount is at the will of the “benefactor”. Etymology and meaning ‘Sadaqa‘ literally means ‘righteousness’ and refers to the voluntary giving of alms or charity. But...
Prophet Muhammad As A Husband And Father This article covers the life of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad as a Husband and Father. The Prophet And His Wives Prophet Muhammad personifies the roles of perfect father and husband. He was so kind and tolerant with his wives that they could not...
Miracles Of Prophet Muhammad This article covers the Miracles of Prophet Muhammad. You will find some of Muhammad’s miracles out of many in different subjects. Acceptance Of The Messenger’s Prayers The authorities of Tradition including, notably, Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim, unanimously report that whenever God’s Messenger prayed for rain,...
The Ethos Generated By The Messenger Muhammad This article covers the ethos generated by the Messenger Muhammad. Ethos is a Greek word meaning “character” that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology. It is difficult for us to understand Prophet Muhammad fully. As we...
A Tribute To The Prophet Muhammad This is the tribute of Alphonse de Lamartine, a French historian, to the Prophet of Islam: “Is there any man greater than Muhammad?” Never a man set himself, voluntarily or involuntarily, a more sublime aim, since this aim was superhuman: To subvert superstitions which had...
Muhammad’s Mildness And Forbearance This article covers the Islamic prophet Muhammad’s Mildness and Forbearance. Mildness is another dimension of his character. He was a bright mirror in which God reflected His Mercy. Mildness is a reflection of compassion. God made His Messenger mild and gentle, thereby allowing him to gain...
Muhammad: The Prophet Of Universal Mercy This article covers Muhammad: The Prophet of Universal Mercy. The beginning of existence was an act of mercy and compassion without which the universe would be in chaos. Everything came into existence through compassion, and by compassion, it continues to exist in harmony. Muslim...
Joseph In Islam Yūsuf ibn Yaʿqūb ibn Is-ḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm (يُـوسـف ابـن يَـعـقـوب ابـن إِسـحـاق ابـن إِبـراهـيـم) is a Nabi (نَـبِي, Prophet) mentioned in the Qurʾān, the scripture of Islam, and corresponds to Joseph (son of Jacob), a person from the Tanakh, the Jewish religious scripture, and the Christian Bible, who was estimated to...
Prophets In The Quran All messengers mentioned in the Quran are also prophets, but not all prophets are messengers. The following are named as Prophets in the Quran. In Islam, every prophet preached the same core beliefs, the Oneness of God, worshipping of that one God, avoidance of idolatry and sin, and the belief...
Mahdi The Mahdi (ٱلْـمَـهْـدِي, al-mahdī, meaning “the guided one”) is an eschatological redeemer of Islam who, according to some Islamic traditions, will appear and rule for five, seven, nine or nineteen years (according to differing interpretations) before the Day of Judgment (yawm al-qiyamah, also known as “the Day of Resurrection”) and rid the world of evil....
Islamic Holidays Eid Al-Fitr is celebrated at the end of Ramadan (a month of fasting during daylight hours), and Muslims may invoke zakat (charity) on the occasion which begins after the new moon sighting for the beginning of Shawal. The Eid al-Fitr celebration begins with prayers the morning of the 1st...
What Is Umrah? The Umrah (عُمرَة) is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Hijaz, Saudi Arabia, performed by Muslims that can be undertaken at any time of the year, in contrast to the Ḥajj (حَـجّ) which has specific dates according to the Islamic lunar calendar. In Arabic, ‘Umrah means “to visit a populated place.” In the Sharia, Umrah...
What Is Eid al-Adha? Eid al-Adha (عيد الأضحى, Feast of the Sacrifice), also called the “Festival of the Sacrifice“, is the second of two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year (the other being Eid al-Fitr), and considered the holier of the two. It honors the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice...
What Is Eid al-Fitr? Eid al-Fitr (عيد الفطر ʻĪd al-Fiṭr), also called the “Festival of Breaking the Fast“, is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting (ṣawm). This religious Eid (Muslim religious festival) is the first and only...