revelation

These two lines of calligraphy in elegant muhaqqaq script are from chapter 40 (Sura al-Mu'min, The Believer) of the Qur'an. The fragment on which they are written was once part of a Qur'an manuscript that is probably the largest ever produced. Originally, each page included seven lines of script copied on one side only. A double-page would fit perfectly into the gigantic stone Qur'an stand made for the congregational mosque of Bibi Khanum in Samarqand and commissioned by a grandson of Timur (Tamerlane, d. 1405). Its calligrapher was likely the renowned 'Umar Aqta'. Historical sources tell us that 'Umar tried to impress Timur by writing a Qur’an so small that it could fit under a signet ring. When the sultan was unmoved, 'Umar wrote a Qur'an so large that it had to be brought to Timur on a cart.

Ayah

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...

Page from a Koran, Near East, Abbasid period, late ninth-early tenth century

I’jaz

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...

Comparison of a 21st-century Quran (left) and the Birmingham Quran manuscript

Birmingham Quran Manuscript

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...

Recto side of the Stanford '07 folio. The upper text covers Quran 2 (al-Baqarah).265-271.

Sanaa Manuscript

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...

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Chronological Order Of The Quran

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...

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Prophets In The Quran

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...

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The Essentials of Prophethood

The Essentials of Prophethood According to Muslim theologians, the essentials of Prophethood are truthfulness, trustworthiness, communicating of God’s messages, intelligence, infallibility, and freedom from all bodily and mental defects. These are found in every Prophet. Truthfulness Truthfulness is the cornerstone of Prophethood. No lies or deceit, whether explicit or implicit,...

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Characteristics Of Prophets

Characteristics Of Prophets This article covers the characteristics of prophets. Total Dependency on Revelation and Submission to God Although every Prophet was intelligent and endowed with a comprehensive understanding and a pure soul, these play no role in God’s choice of a Prophet. Most Prophets, including Prophet Muhammad, were unlettered...

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Prophets And Messengers In Islam

Prophets And Messengers In Islam This article covers the prophets and messengers in Islam. Prophets in Islam ( ٱلْأَنۢبِيَاء فِي ٱلْإِسْلَام‎‎, nabī, ‘prophet‘ pl. الأنبياء,نب‎ anbiyāʼ) are individuals who Muslims believe were sent by God to various communities in order to serve as examples of ideal human behavior and to spread God’s message on Earth. Some...

meditation

Prayers For Enlightenment

Prayers For Enlightenment We have collected some of the best prayers for enlightenment to use in request to God. May these prayers for safety bring you comfort and peace of mind. May these prayers for strength encourage your spirit and strengthen your faith. Enlightenment is the “full comprehension of a situation”....

An 11th-century North African Quran at the British Museum

History Of The Quran

History Of The Quran The history of the Quran refers to the oral revelation of the Quran to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and its subsequent written compilation into a manuscript. It spans several decades and forms an important part of early Islamic history. According to the Muslim belief and Islamic scholarly accounts, the revelation of the Qur’an began...

The cave Hira in the mountain Jabal al-Nour where, according to Muslim belief, Muhammad received his first revelation

Muhammad’s First Revelation

Muhammad’s First Revelation Muhammad’s first revelation was an event described in Islam as taking place in 610 AD, during which the Islamic prophet, Muhammad was visited by the archangel Jibrīl, who revealed to him the beginnings of what would later become the Quran. The event took place in a cave...

In Roman Catholic settings, the traditional style of confessional allows the priest, seated in the center, to hear from penitents on alternating sides.

Confession In Religion

Confession In Religion This article covers confession in religion in detail. Confession, in many religions, is the acknowledgment of one’s sins (sinfulness) or wrongs. A confession is a statement – made by a person or by a group of persons – acknowledging some personal fact that the person (or the group) would ostensibly prefer to keep...

The Quran, The book from Allah

Wahy

Wahy Wahy (وحي‎) is the Arabic word for revelation or inspiration. In Islamic belief, revelations are God’s Word delivered by his chosen individuals – known as Messenger prophets – to mankind. The Quran In Islam, the Quran is considered a wahy given to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. The word awha (أوحى, awḥá) occurs in a number...

Muhammad In Mecca

Muhammad In Mecca This article covers the life of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in Mecca. Muhammad was born and lived in Mecca for the first 52 years of his life (570–632 A.D.). Orphaned early in life, he became known as a prominent merchant, and as an impartial and trustworthy arbiter...

Tatar children learning Qur'an in Crimea.

Esoteric Interpretation Of The Quran

What Is Esoteric Interpretation Of The Quran? Esoteric interpretation of the Quran, taʾwīl (تأويل), is the allegorical interpretation of the Quran or the quest for its hidden, inner meanings. It was a synonym of conventional interpretation in its earliest use, but it came to mean a process of discerning its most...

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Comparisons Between Quran And Modern Civilization

Comparisons Between Quran And Modern Civilization This article covers three Comparisons Between Quran And Modern Civilization. A parable to understand the fundamental differences between the Quranic wisdom and human philosophy: Once, a religious and skillful, renowned ruler wanted to write the Quran as beautifully as required by the sacredness of...

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Quran’s Wisdom And Modern Scientific Thought

Quran’s Wisdom And Modern Scientific Thought If you want to compare the fruits of the Quran’s wisdom and modern scientific thought and philosophy, and their instructions and teaching and the degrees of knowledge they provide, then heed the following: With its penetrating explanations, the Quran of Miraculous Expression removes the...

Birmingham, The Quran manuscript

Is The Quran Word Of God?

Is The Quran Word Of God? This article covers the answer to the question: “Is the Quran Word Of God?” Let us begin by affirming that the Quran is unique among scriptures in two very important respects which even the Quran’s opponents are obliged to acknowledge. Firstly, we have the...

The Holy Quran

Reiterations In The Quran

Reiterations In The Quran This article covers the Persuasive Responsive To Objections About Reiterations In the Quran. The Quran demonstrates itself also to be a book of supplications and invocations, and a call to eternal salvation and declaration of God’s Unity, all of which require reiterations. The Quran aims at the...