beautiful manifestation of God’s beauty

What can be a more beautiful manifestation of God’s beauty than the book, revealed to the Prophet (PBUH) to show the people of Makkah and to others the path to beauty, ie the path to God? A miracle in itself, it is beauty encapsulated in the highest of books, revealed to God’s beloved Prophet.

The creation of humans is upon a basic nature or fitra: an instinctive, intuitive understanding of the differences between right and wrong and a desire for justice. When this is developed and man’s arrogance and Satan’s temptations are controlled, humans demonstrate higher and higher levels of beauty.

The Quran entails us to do ihsan (the best in morality), command the ma’ruf (that which is right) and forbid the munkar (wrong deeds). In each of these commands, the Quran instils the spirit of beauty of our souls. It asks us to be on the side of justice and speak the truth, even if it goes against us and our families.

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activity of humankind

ALLOWING our senses to open up to the majesty of the universe, we are struck with its beauty and grandeur.

The activity of humankind in pursuit of livelihoods during the day and its coexistence with other species, the silence and comfort of the night as darkness engulfs the world; the companionable sounds of birds with the change of seasons and the rustling of leaves as they swing in the wind; the rows of farms and the colour of fruit, cereal and vegetables that have been sown; the water bodies that provide the lifeline for all living beings; the hills and mountain peaks covered in snow in winter that melts and runs down as fresh water, are but a few signs of the inherent beauty of this world.

In the galaxies, the Quran mentions seven skies, each with its own earth and the lowest sky has been graced with “lamps”: the sun, moon and stars. Each is set in its orbit and revolves within it according to a set of principles. While almost all surahs depict the beauty of God’s creation, it is perhaps Surah Rahman that provides a magnificent picture of the favours of the Most Merciful.

Immersing oneself in Quranic verses brings a sense of peace and tranquillity.

According to a hadith, “God is beautiful and loves beauty” (Al-Mujam Al Ausat, 6902). As per the contemporary scholar Khaled Abu El Fadl, what is a temporary sign of God’s beauty shall perish, but His perennial beauty is eternal (Quran 55:26-27).

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Muslims as a miracle of speech

The Qur’an has been regarded by Muslims as a miracle of speech. Its inimitable style, idioms, and perceived unity are seen to be proof of its divine origin for Muslims. Its interpretation (tafsir) has occupied some of the best minds of the Muslim community. The study of its grammar and language, eloquence, similes and metaphors, parables, stories, and precepts have evolved into a venerable science. Likewise, its recitation, whether in a simple chant (tartil) or highly developed artistic musical rendition (tajwid), has attracted the best voices and talents of Muslim society throughout Muslim history. It is in the recitation of the Qur’an that its power and beauty are felt by pious Muslims. Qur’an reciters have, therefore, occupied a special place of honour in the Muslim community.

The Qur’an has set the standard of excellence for Arabic literature. It has, moreover, permeated the literature of all other Muslim languages. Muslims greet each other with the words of the Qur’an and, with its words and ideas, they express their own feelings and ideas. The Qur’an is believed to have been sent down to Prophet Muhammad and through him to humankind "in clear Arabic speech" (Qur’an 16:103). Although the Qur’an has been translated into most of the major languages of the globe, it is recited in its original language. The Qur’an is translated and its meanings interpreted into other languages only for the purpose of studying and understanding its teachings. To know the Qur’an in all its dimensions, it must be studied in its original language.

This goal has motivated many non-Arab-speaking Muslim scholars to excel in the study of the language of the Qur’an. For centuries, Arabic was the international language of Muslim literature, philosophy, and science. The Qur’an has been the symbol, source, and framework of Muslim unity.

Islam has spread over a vast geographically and culturally diverse area of the world. It has been adapted to suit the needs of various peoples and cultures. In the process, however, it has assumed many and widely different characters and expressions. The Qur’an underlies this great diversity and provides a fundamental unity in worship practices, literary expression, and popular culture. This paradoxical unity and diversity of Islam and its grounding in the Qur’an is its perceived strength. The principle of unity of the human family is an important Qur’anic principle: Humankind, fear your Lord who created you all from one soul, from it He created its partner, and from them both He scattereth many men and women (Qur’an 4:1). The principle of diversity is also a Qur’anic principle. Difference of race, colour, and creed are divinely preordained.

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THE QUR’AN AS INSPIRATION

Above all, the Qur’an is "a book of guidance to the God-fearing" (Qur’an 2:1-5). The faithful are enjoined to ponder the Qur’an, study both the meaning and applications of its verses, and be guided by them in their daily conduct. The Qur’an is intended to be the basis of Muslim society. The Qur’an regulates the filial relation of a child to parents and their responsibilities toward the child. It regulates the relations of a Muslim to fellow Muslims and non-Muslims, the relationship of a subject to the state and its ruling authorities, and the relationship of a human being to God. It regulates the life of society in times of war and peace, and even stipulates the reasons for and rules governing war. The Qur’an is, in short, a school for Muslims; it disciplines them physically, morally, and spiritually.

 

THE QUR’AN AS INSPIRATION

The Qur’an is essentially a series of self-contained statements, parables, stories, injunctions, and prohibitions. However, Muslims believe that underlying this diverse grouping is a unity of purpose, message, idiom, and style. The Qur’an in Arabic has been rightly described by Muslims and non-Muslims alike as a symphony of words. Not only the teachings and ideas of the Qur’an but its words and phrases have permeated the lives and speech of Muslims, regardless of differences of language, race, and culture. With the words of the Qur’an a Muslim expresses satisfaction and gratitude to God for success when exclaiming: Tabarak Allah (Blessed be God) or Alhamdu lil-lah (Praise be to God). With the words of the Qur’an a Muslim also expresses sorrow and acceptance of God’s will when losing a loved one or in encountering death by saying "To God do we belong, and to Him we shall return." With the words of the Qur’an, and especially with the pronouncement of its opening chapter or sura, marriages are blessed, agreements are sealed, and fear and danger believed to be averted.

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THE QUR’AN AS RECITATION

THE QUR’AN AS RECITATION

The Qur’an for Muslims is a source of divine blessing and merit, tranquillity and guidance. With it, a child is greeted at birth, by it he or she is guided through life’s journey, and with it, sent to the final abode. This long journey through life with the Qur’an is to include a recitation of the entire Qur’an over a specific period or a week, a month, or longer in accordance with divisions of the sacred text for daily recitation. This process is known as Khatm al-Qur’an or completion of its recitation. On special occasions, such as the fasting month of Ramadan, the pious undertake to recite the entire Qur’an by dividing it up into thirty equal parts that correspond with the thirty nights of the Muslim sacred month. Prophet Muhammad is said to have called such a person who journeys through the Qur’an "the sojourning traveller". This is because when the reciter comes to the end of his or her recitation, he or she must start over at the beginning again.

Muslims find the recitation, memorising, copying or possessing a copy of the Qur’an in their homes a source of great blessing. Indeed, it is believed that on the day of resurrection, the status of a Muslim man or woman in paradise will be determined by the number of verses of the Qur’an that he or she has memorised during their earthly life. An even greater source of merit and blessing for Muslims is found in studying and understanding the principles and precepts of the Qur’an. The Prophet is said to have declared: There are no people assembled in one of the houses of God to recite the Book of God and study it together but that the sakinah (divine tranquillity) descends upon them. The term sakinah is possibly derived from the Hebrew term sheckinah, which means "to the glory of Jehovah." Such a derivation may have been the result of contact Prophet Muhammad had with both Jews and Christians prior to and during his revelations. "Mercy covers them, angels draw near to them, and God remembers them in the company of those who are with him." The reciters of the Qur’an, those who memorise its words and live by its precepts, are said to be heirs to the Prophet. The Qur’an is believed to sanctify the heart and home of the Muslim and make him or her a partaker of Divine revelation. Its word inscribed on a building, a business, or vehicle is believed to invoke a blessing or protection.

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Arrangement of the Qur’an

Arrangement of the Qur’an

The Qur’an was subsequently written down and memorised by professing Muslim men and women. Yet, when the Prophet died in 632 CE, ten years after the Hijra, that is, his migration from Mecca to Medina, the Qur’an as it is known today, did not exist. The verses and chapters, or suras, were at that time scattered fragments of the writings of Prophet Muhammad’s scribes, preserved on privately collected pieces of parchment, stone, palm leaf, and leather, in addition to words preserved in human memory. It was during the reign of the third Muslim caliph (or religious leader) Uthman, who governed the existing Muslim community several generations after Prophet Muhammad’s death, that the Qur’an was given its standard form, which remains unchanged to this day. The suras were arranged so that, generally, there would be progression from the longest chapter to the shortest. It is that arrangement that has been preserved as the authoritative version of the Qur’an.

It is essential for every pious Muslim to memorise as much of the Qur’an as possible. A Muslim prayer in the solitude of a room or in a congregation begins with the words of the Qur’an’s opening sura (Al-Fatihah). Prayer is considered to be a way for Muslims to appropriate the word of Allah. This divine-human interchange is eloquently expressed in a hadith qudsi, a saying of the Prophet quoting God:

I have divided the prayer (salat) between me and my servant, and my servant shall have whatever he prays for. For when the servant says: ‘All praise be to God, the Lord of all beings,’ God says: ‘My servant has praised me’. When the servant says: ‘The All-Merciful, the Compassionate,’ God says: ‘My servant has glorified me ... this is my portion and to him belongs what remains’. (M. Ayoub, The Qur’an and Its Interpreters).

The Fatihah, the opening sura of the Qur’an, is considered by Muslims to be the perfect prayer. The first three and one-half of its seven verses is a prayer of praise. The rest of the sura is a prayer for divine guidance and grace. Not only the Fatiha but the entire Qur’an is a Muslim prayer. It is also a divine address to Muslims. Thus, in every prayer, God is believed to reveal Himself and the Muslim believer is to receive the word of God. Muslim prayer is the human connection to God through the Qur’an.

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consciousness into human words

The Qur’an is said to have been communicated to Prophet Muhammad in two ways. Muslims believe that it was communicated through the Angel Gabriel. These communications were revealed in small portions: single verses, groups of verses, and entire chapters or suras over a period of twenty to twenty-two years. The Qur’an for Muslims is not only words that can be uttered, heard, and recorded; it is also the heavenly archetype of which the recited and written Qur’an is only an earthly copy. The Qur’an in its heavenly archetypal form is for Muslims the source of divine revelation throughout human history and is eternally preserved by God. It is the covenant of God with humankind which He established with the children of Adam when they were but ideas or essences in the divine realm. Prophet Muhammad also professed to have experienced this heavenly Qur’an, in addition to having been the recipient of revelation. He would experience a profound spiritual state, shivering on a hot summer day or sweating on a cold winter day, hearing sounds like the ringing of a bell. These sounds transformed themselves in his consciousness into human words, which he memorised and had recorded.

Muslims also believe that the Qur’an was also sent down in part, to Prophet Muhammad’s heart on the "night of determination" (Qur’an 44:3 and 97:1), a blessed night for all Muslims. This event sanctified his life and made Prophet Muhammad an example for Muslims to follow. In the Qur’an, God asked: Am I not your Lord? and those who chose to worship God affirmed as Lord responded with the words: Yes, we bear witness... (Qur’an 7: 172). The Qur’an is the seal and testimony to this covenant. Its message is, for Muslims, a powerful affirmation of divine lordship and Muslim commitment.

The Qur’an as an earthly text has been inextricably bound to Muslim history. It served as an answer to the problems of the Arab society in Prophet Muhammad’s time. The Qur’an was also a response to Prophet Muhammad’s questions about the meaning of human life and the mystery of creation, and was closely linked to the history of the nascent Muslim community in Mecca and, later, in Medina. Many of the Qur’anic verses are said to have been revealed in answer to specific questions or life situations. The answers given are seen by Muslims to be general principles, moral imperatives, or precepts applicable to all times and places. The family of the Prophet, which the Qur’an directly addressed (see Qur’an 33:32), is seen by Muslims to be a model for all families and all societies in the world.

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