What Is the Qur’an?

اقرأ بسم ربك الذي خلق

Recite! In the name of your Lord who created all

The Quran is the recitation of Allah’s speech that was revealed over the course of twenty-three years to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The word quran, or “recitation,” comes from the same Arabic root as the first word of God’s revelation to the Prophet: iqra, “Recite!” Elsewhere throughout the revelation, Allah refers to the Quran as a kitab, or “book”; a furqan, or “criterion”; a huda, or “guidance”; and a dhikr, or “reminder.”  The Quran therefore plays many roles in the life of a Muslim. But it is experienced most pristinely as an aural recitation that calls believers to a life of remembrance of God and adherence to His guidance and laws.

One of the greatest challenges for newcomers to Islam in familiarizing ourselves with the Quran is that it defies many of our expectations of scripture. Unlike the Bible, it has relatively little narrative and it does not proceed in chronological order. The great Scottish historian, Thomas Carlyle, despite speaking highly of our Prophet ﷺ, described the Quran as the most “toilsome reading as I ever undertook. A wearisome confused jumble…. Nothing but a sense of duty could carry any European through the Koran.” Indeed, the Quran challenges its readers and listeners. It exposes us, with all of our human limitations, to the limitless speech of God. In it, God speaks directly to us, calling us to belief in Him, pointing to His signs throughout creation, and describing aspects of the unseen beyond our direct observation. Moreover, the Quran is often conversational, asking us questions meant to draw us into states of deep reflection—“So which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?” It is unique among God’s revelations to humanity. So how should we approach it?

Fortunately for the readers of this blog, sincere intention is what carries one through the Quran, allowing us to swim in its oceans rather than sink in its depths. God describes the Quran at the beginning of its second chapter, Suratul Baqarah, saying “that is the book in which there is no doubt, a guidance to those with God consciousness.” Simply put, those who approach the Quran seeking God will find Him. God’s speech reflects back to us the contents of our own heart. By the same token, God informs us that those who approach it with impure or self-serving intentions will not find guidance in it: “as for the disbelievers, they argue, ‘What does Allah mean by such a parable?’ Through this test, He leaves many to stray, and guides many. And He leaves none to stray except the rebellious.” This is one of the meanings of the Quran’s title, al-furqan, the criterion. It distinguishes its readers and listeners into separate camps based on the intentions they bring to it.

Unfortunately, the difficulty many sincere people encounter is questioning their own sincerity! So let’s look at an example of God’s response to genuine struggle with His revelation. Some of the Prophet’s Companions once came to him complaining that the Quran had so few stories in it, i.e. not enough easily digestible content. Allah responded to them directly with the verse from Suratul Waqiah, “I swear by the positions of the stars, and this is a vast oath if you but knew, that this is a generous Quran.” Anyone who has been blessed to witness the night sky in an area with no light pollution knows that it is a marvelous experience. But it is also overwhelming! The stars first appear as a random scattering of lights with no apparent order. Yet anyone intimately familiar with the night sky can use the position of the stars to navigate the ocean (or the desert) with amazing precision. To the trained eye, the night sky is neither random nor confusing; it is a generous guide. The Quran is like this. With careful study, deep patterns emerge that unlock its secrets and guide us directly to our Lord.* God’s response to the companions was a hint at this connection, and an encouragement to persist in studying His revelation. We experience humility when confronted with our limitation. But with humility, the gates of understanding begin to open.

One incredibly practical piece of advice that I would like to offer to newcomers to the Quran is to start with its final chapters and work backwards. This too allows us to experience the Quran in roughly the same way as the Companions, may God be pleased with them. Every chapter in the Quran is categorized by the place of its revelation, Makkah or Madinah. Most of the final chapters are in fact from the earlier, Makkan, revelations, which spanned the initial thirteen years of Islam. These chapters introduce us to the revelations with which God attached the hearts of the early Muslims to Himself and His Messenger. They describe God Himself, His signs throughout creation, as well as the unseen and the life to come. In short, they expose us to the Quran as that overwhelming vision of the night sky. Bring nothing but your desire for God and the beauty of these chapters will captivate you until your eyes adjust and the deep patterns in His revelation emerge.

*I am deeply grateful to Sh. Hamza Yusuf for this insight into Suratul Waqiah.