What is the Holy Quran. Koran: what is it? History of the Quran

The Koran (in Arabic: أَلْقُرآن‎‎ - al-Qur’ān) is a religious book sacred to adherents of all Islamic schools. It serves as the basis of Muslim legislation, both religious and civil.

Take it to yourself:

Etymology of the word Koran

There are several points of view regarding the etymology of the word Koran:

The word "Quran" is a common Arabic verbal noun, that is, masdar, from the verb "qara'" - "to read."
According to other scholars, this word comes from the verb “karana” - “to bind, connect” and is also a masdar from this verb. According to Islamic theologians, the verses and suras of the Koran are interconnected and the text of the Koran itself is presented in a rhymed poetic syllable.
According to modern researchers, the word “Quran” comes from the Syriac “keryan”, which means “reading, lesson of the Scriptures”. Syriac, like Arabic, belongs to the Semitic group of languages.

Origin of the Quran

In secular sources, the authorship of the Koran is attributed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), or to Muhammad and a group of people who codified the Koran.
In the Islamic tradition, these revelations are perceived as the speech of Allah himself, who chose Muhammad for the prophetic mission.

Compilation of the Qur'an

The Koran as a single book was compiled after the death of Muhammad; before that, it existed in the form of separate suras, both written on paper and memorized by the companions.

By decision of the first caliph Abu Bakr, all the records, all the verses of the Koran, were collected, but in the form of separate records.

Sources from this period state that twelve years after the death of Muhammad, when Othman became caliph, various parts of the Koran were in use, made by famous companions of the prophet, in particular Abdallah ibn Masud and Ubayyah ibn Ka'b. Seven years after Othman became caliph, he ordered the systematization of the Qur'an, relying primarily on the writings of Zayd, the companion of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon them). In the order in which the Prophet Muhammad himself bequeathed.

Collected together, compiled into one list, during the reign of Caliph Osman (644-656), these revelations constituted the canonical text of the Koran, which has survived to this day unchanged. The first complete such list dates back to the year 651. Many attempts over the course of one and a half thousand years to make changes to the sacred text of the Koran have failed. The first Koran is kept in Tashkent, in its original form, which is proven by DNA blood on the Koran left by Caliph Osman, who was killed while reading the Koran.

Seven ways of reading the canonical text of the Koran were established by Abu Bakr.

The Koran consists of 114 surahs - chapters (see list of surahs of the Koran) and about 6500 verses. In turn, each sura is divided into separate statements - verses.

All suras of the Koran, except the ninth, begin with the words: “In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful...” (in Arabic: “بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم (Bismi-Llahi-R-rahmani-R-rahim...)”).

According to the generally accepted Islamic view, based on the “authentic” hadith, that is, the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad himself and his companions, the Koran was revealed to Muhammad over a 23-year period. The first revelation came when he was 40 years old, and the last in the year of his death, at 63 years old. Surahs were revealed in different places, in different situations and in different times.

There are a total of 77,934 words in the Quran. The longest sura, 2nd, has 286 verses, the shortest - 103, 108 and 110th - 3 verses. The verses have from 1 to 68 words.

The longest verse is verse 282 of the 2nd sura (Ayat about debt).

The Koran retells the stories of the main characters and some events of Christian and Jewish religious books (Bible, Torah), although the details often differ. Such famous biblical figures as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus are mentioned in the Koran as Prophets of Monotheism (Islam).

The outstanding artistic merits of the Koran are recognized by all experts in Arabic literature. However, many of them are lost in literal translation.

In addition to the Qur'an, Muslims recognize other scriptures, but traditionally they believe that they were distorted in the course of history, and also lost their role after the revelation of the Qur'an, which is the last of the Scriptures and will be the last Scripture until the Day of Judgment.

He sent down to you the Scripture with the truth to confirm what was before Him. He sent down the Taurat (Torah) and the Injil (Gospel), (Quran, 3:3)

Say: “If people and jinn gather to create something similar to this Qur’an, then they will not create anything similar to it, even if some of them help the other” (Quran. Sura “al-Isra’” 17: 88)

This Qur'an cannot be the composition of anyone other than Allah. He is a confirmation of what came before him, and an explanation of the Scripture from the Lord of the worlds, of which there is no doubt. (Quran, 10:37)

The Koran contains information that has not been described in the books of any religion. The details of the rituals of worship (fasting, zakat and hajj) and the methods of performing them, according to some apologists of Islam, have no analogues in previous religions. However, the hadiths provide clear evidence of the ceremonies of the pre-Islamic period, which then became part of the sacred practice of Muslims.

The most important surahs and verses of the Koran

Sura 1. “Fatihah” (“Opening the Book”)

The most famous surah "Fatiha" ("Opening the Book"), also called the "Mother of the Qur'an", is repeatedly read by Muslims in each of the 5 obligatory daily prayers, as in all optional ones. This surah is believed to include the meaning of the entire Qur'an.

Sura 2, verse 255, called "Verses on the Throne".

One of the most striking statements about the universal dominion of Allah over everything that he created. And although Surah Fatiha is highly valued by Muslims, it is this verse, according to Muhammad, that comes first in the Koran:

Kill b. Ka'b said: "The Messenger of Allah (may he rest in peace) said: 'Abu-l-Mundhir, which verse from the book of Allah do you consider the greatest?' I replied: “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said: “Abu-l-Munzir, which verse from the book of Allah do you consider the greatest?” I said: “Allah - there is no deity except Him, living and self-existent from eternity.” Then he hit me on the chest and said: “May knowledge be joyful for you, Abu-l-Munzir.”

Sura 24, verse 35, “Verses about Light”

A mystical verse describing the glory of God, which was highly valued by the Sufis.

Allah is the light of heaven and earth. His light is like a niche; there is a lamp in it; lamp in glass; the glass is like a pearly star. It is lit from the blessed tree - the olive tree, neither eastern nor western. Its oil is ready to ignite, even if it is not touched by fire. Light on the light! Allah guides whomever He wills to His light, and Allah gives parables for people. Allah is knowledgeable of all things!

Sura 36. "Ya-Sin".

Its name is made up of two letters (ya and sin), which are not explained in any way. In calligraphy, the first verses of this surah are drawn with special artistic skill. In the teachings of Islam, this surah is the “heart of the Koran,” and everyone who read it has read the Koran ten times. "Ya-Sin" is included in Muslim prayer books, and is often printed as a separate prayer.

Sura 112. The very short chapter “Ikhlas” is a kind of “creed” of Islam.

Its name means “Pure Confession.”

In the name of Allah, the merciful, the merciful! Say: “He - Allah - is one, Allah, eternal; He did not give birth and was not begotten, and no one was equal to Him!”

Muhammad said that this surah is equivalent to one third of the entire Koran. Therefore, Muslims read it regularly. One day the prophet asked his followers whether at least one of them could read a third of the Book in one night, and after they expressed bewilderment, he repeated once again that this surah was “equivalent to one third of the entire Koran.”

Surahs 113 and 114.

Surahs are spells, by pronouncing which Muslims seek the protection of Allah. Sura 113 “Falyak” appeals to the Lord of the Dawn from sorcerers and envious people. Sura 114 (“People”), seeks refuge with Allah as the Lord of People, from the evil of jinn (demons) and people.

Aisha, one of Muhammad’s wives, said that every night after reading these two surahs, he folded his hands in the form of a bowl and, blowing over them, rubbed his hands three times with all parts of the body that he could reach, from top to bottom. When he was ill, he read these suras again and blew on his body, and Aisha, also repeating the suras, rubbed his body with her hands, hoping for a blessing.

Responsibilities of a Muslim before the Koran

For more than a billion Muslims, the Koran is a holy book that requires special treatment: all conversations while reading it are condemned.

According to Sharia, a Muslim has the following obligations to the Koran:

Believe that the Noble Quran is the Word of Allah Almighty and learn to read it in accordance with the rules of pronunciation (tajweed).
Take the Koran in your hands only in a state of ablution and before reading, say: “A’uzu bi-l-Lahi min ash-shaitani-r-rajim!” (“I resort to the protection of Allah from the evil emanating from Satan, driven by stones”), “Bi-smi l-Lahi r-Rahmani r-Rahim!” (“In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful!”) When reading the Koran, one should, if possible, turn towards the Kaaba and show utmost respect both when reading and when listening to its texts.
The Qur'an must be read in clean places. You should not read the Qur'an near people engaged in other activities or near passers-by.
Keep the Quran on high (shelves) and clean places. The Quran should not be kept on low shelves and should not be placed on the floor.
Strictly follow (to the best of your ability) all the Precepts specified in the Koran. Build your whole life in accordance with moral principles Holy Quran.

Take it to yourself:

Quran and science

Some Islamic researchers claim that they have noticed the correspondence of the Qur'an with the data obtained by modern science. The Koran contains information that was inaccessible to people of that time.

There is an opinion that many scientists of the 20th century converted to Islam after, having made their next discovery, they saw that this was reflected in the Koran 14 centuries ago.

An ancient hand scripted Quran

The Koran is the holy book of Muslims, a collection of revelations sent by Allah to Muhammad from above, the basis of Muslim doctrine. Based on the basic provisions of the Koran, social, economic, political, legal and family relations are built in Islam. The Qur'an was revealed on Arabic. The Qur'an is a book containing more than 500 pages of text and 114 chapters (surahs). Significant portions of the text of the Quran are rhymed prose.

According to the doctrine of Islam, the Koran is an uncreated book that exists forever, like Allah himself, it is his word. Judging by the data of the Muslim tradition, the revelations of Allah were transmitted to the Prophet Muhammad around the years 610-632, and their recording, collection and compilation of the book lasted for for many years. And for almost 14 centuries this book has lived and retained its significance not only as a religious, but also as a historical and literary monument. In countries where Islam is the state religion, many sources come from the Koran. legal acts, take an oath on the Koran, take an oath. The study of the Koran and its interpretations (tafsir) is one of the main religious subjects educational institutions a number of countries.

What does the word “Koran” mean?

The title of the Muslim holy book is usually translated as "reading". But this does not mean reading in the literal sense of the word. After all, Muhammad read his sermons not from a written text, but from memory. In addition, Muhammad delivered his sermons rhythmically, as if reciting them. The word “Quran” is often used with the article “al” - “Al-Quran”, which means a holy book, which, like the Bible, the Torah, is intended to be read aloud, by heart. According to Muslim tradition, the Koran cannot be translated into other languages. Muslims whose native language is not Arabic memorize the most important parts of the Qur'an. Reading or listening to the Koran in Arabic means for a Muslim to listen to the speech of God himself.

The famous scientist, orientalist, translator of the Koran into Russian I. Yu. Krachkovsky writes that the Koran is very difficult to understand, many manifestations spiritual world people of that era were forever lost to our time. Since translating the Koran into other languages and printing it was forbidden, it is therefore very for a long time The Koran was just being copied.

Being illiterate, Muhammad did not write down his sermons, but many of his followers memorized them because they were similar to poetry. Those who knew the entire Koran by heart were called hafiz. However, some passages of the Koran were written down by literate Arabs on palm leaves, parchment, flat bones, and clay tablets. Part of the holy book was written down by Muhammad's personal scribe, Zayd ibn Thabit.

After the death of the prophet, the first caliph, friend and relative Abu Bakr, decided to collect all the texts and compile a collection of Muhammad's sermons. The first version of the Koran (Suhuf) appeared, but the final book of the prophet, prepared under Caliph Uthman, was called “Mushaf” and was canonized. This book was large sizes and written on parchment. Several copies were made of the Mushaf, one of which is kept in the Kaaba next to the black stone. Another copy of the Koran is kept in Medina, in the courtyard of the Prophet's Mosque. It is believed that two more original copies of the Qur'an have survived: one is in Cairo, in Egypt. national library, the other is in Tashkent.

The Koran for Muslims is a guide to action and life. It is addressed to Muslims and gives them advice on how to live, work, and relate to people. The Koran is a guide in which a Muslim finds answers to many questions that interest him. Being predominantly a religious-philosophical work and a legislative book. The Koran is a unique historical and literary work, by reading which we learn about geographical features Arabian Peninsula, about life and everyday life, the activities of the Arabs, historical events that era. In the Koran you can read about the moral culture of Muslims, their behavior, and relationships. Dwelling on the contents of the Koran, we note that Muhammad’s sermons present various subjects - traditions, myths, legends of Arab tribes. The fight against polytheism, the affirmation of monotheism, that is, the unity of God, is the main idea of the Koran. The Koran presents some religious information about the immortality of the soul, about heaven and hell, about the end of the world, about the Day of Judgment, about the creation of the world and man, about the fall of the first people - Adam and Eve, about global flood and others.

A distinctive feature of the Koran is that Allah speaks in it in the first person - this is the first and most significant difference between the Koran and the Torah and the Gospel. Most of the Koran is a dialogue between Allah and people, but always through Muhammad, through his lips. Since the Koran is a difficult work to understand, there are different interpretations of it. The most authoritative scholars were and still are allowed to interpret the Koran; it is unacceptable to distort the meaning of a single verse of the Koran. Unfortunately, these days we see how different terrorist organizations and sects, in their own way interpreting and distorting the meaning of the Koran, call illiterate people to war and to commit all kinds of crimes against humanity.

Also amazing and attractive in the Koran is the imagery of presentation, emotionality, and the wealth of poetic techniques and vocabulary. The verses of the Koran worried many famous scientists and poets. The great Russian poet A. S. Pushkin wrote about the role of the Koran:

The list is given from the heavenly book

You, prophet, are not for the obstinate:

Calmly proclaim the Quran,

Without forcing the wicked!

And the great Tatar poet G. Tukay noted: “The Koran is a true stronghold.” Let us remember the words of B. Pasternak regarding the Bible, but they are surprisingly applicable to the Koran: “... this is not so much a book with hard text as a notebook of humanity.” The texts of the Koran are ancient, but ageless, accepted by past generations and awaiting acceptance by future generations, feeding followers of Islam, scientists, and poets with living thought...

This is interesting:

English Islamic scholar William Watt writes: “When Arab studies, Arab thought, Arab writings are presented in full, it becomes clear that without the Arabs, European science and philosophy could not have developed at such a pace. The Arabs were not just transmitters, but also genuine carriers of Greek thought. The Europeans had to learn everything they could from the Arabs before they could move forward." (L. I. Klimovich “Book about the Koran, its origin and mythology.” - M., 1986)

Among all the books that today are called Divine revelation, there is only one scripture that is still ready to defend this right. We are talking about the very last of all those books that have ever been called Divine.

This book is the Koran!

From the very beginning of its appearance, the Qur'an is recognized by people as a message from God without human mediation in this matter. That is, if the basis of faith in the previous scriptures were the Messengers themselves, who, having left this world, left these books without any argument or defense, then Muhammad (pbuh), who brought the Koran to people, played this role in relation to the disseminated scripture , never played. In other words, the proof by which people at all times had reason to trust the words of the Messengers and Prophets, in the case of the Koran, became the property of the Book itself. Muhammad (pbuh), who, like all previous Messengers, once left this world, was not initially the decisive argument in favor of the Quran. And more needs to be said, namely, that people believed in him, as the Messenger of God, indirectly, on the basis of the Koran. Those. It was not Muhammad who, through some miracles, proved the Divine origin of the Koran, but, on the contrary, the Koran became the basis of people's faith in the Messenger mission of Muhammad.

But what kind of argument is this? What evidence does this scripture contain?

Why has no one been able to refute the truth of this revelation for fourteen centuries? For a more substantive reflection on the questions posed, I propose to return to the judgments of previous chapters and remember that faith is nothing more than a solid understanding based on irrefutable facts. When we are asked to believe and follow any postulates, our mind tends to doubt until evidence that convinces the mind is provided. The question of belief in the Divine origin of this or that scripture also requires facts.

But what should this evidence be?

After all we're talking about not about what the weather is like today, but about our connection with the One who created us, and not only us, but this whole world and everything that fills it and everything that is more and less than this! What should these arguments be, while our whole life depends on the solution to this issue? What can convince us so much that we are, overnight, ready to change our previous views, values, ideals and goals? Certainly! You are right, it must be something provocative, extremely visual, objective and, at the same time, absolutely impossible for anyone, even the most genius man! More must be said, these facts must be such that anyone reasonable person regardless of his level of education, he could see their persuasive power.

Yes! And you are right again - it must be a miracle!

But what is a miracle? This is a very important question, because often this word is used to denote a completely different reality than the one we are talking about now. For example, having designed a new and improved car model that meets the requirements of the most stringent standards, its developers can say that this car is a miracle of technology, etc. Terminology is a necessary, but still a separate topic for a completely different conversation, I just want to clarify that, speaking about the evidence of the Messengers and the Divine Scriptures, we are talking about a miracle in the literal sense of the word.

Miracle is something supernatural, unusual and impossible for humans. Moreover, not just for someone in particular, but for a person as such, i.e. for all people.

Miracle is something before which even the immutable laws of the universe lose their force.

Miracle is something that cannot be learned and cannot be achieved, even with the participation of all people on earth in this matter, and even with their use of the entire arsenal of scientific, technical and other achievements. Remember the stories about Musa (Moses), who turned lifeless objects into living creatures, or about Isa (Jesus), when he, born of a mother without a father, spoke like an adult in a cradle, revived the dead, and with the touch of his hand healed blindness, leprosy, or about Ibrahim (Abraham), how he, in full view of people, while in the fire, did not experience pain or injury. It is not surprising that the sparkling, pious people of their people, to whom they were sent, had little difficulty discerning in their actions the signs that only the Messengers and Prophets of God himself can have. Perhaps some of the Jews and Christians reading this book, having heard the last lines, will feel reassured that their choice was correct. But this is false reassurance, because the miracles of the Messengers I mentioned are not tangible today. I foresee a logical question about why I, “who doubt the miracles of the previous messengers,” so confidently present stories about them on the pages of my own reflections.

I will answer as follows: “I testify to my belief that both Musa (Moses), who brought the Taurat (Torah), and Isa (Jesus), who transmitted the Injil (Gospel), were Messengers of the One God, the Lord of the Worlds. I believe in their former existence on earth, as well as the existence of many other messengers and prophets of God like Ibrahim (Abraham), Isaac (Isaac), Nuh (Noah). My faith in these messengers and prophets, and also in the fact that words from God himself once came from their lips, differs from the faith of those people who position themselves as supporters of their teachings. The difference is that they think they believe, but I truly believe, and this is because I base this on indisputable evidence. This proof is the Koran. The only Book that, over many centuries and to this day, retains the purity of revelation from the Lord who created us all.

But why do I think that relying on the Koran is reasonable and reliable, but referring to the Torah and the Gospel is thoughtless and groundless?

Here, I am forced to repeat myself and say that the Divine origin of the Torah and the Gospel was proven by the messengers who brought them, who left this world long ago, and their books remained not only without evidence, but also without protection from deliberate distortion. But the Divine origin of the Koran is proven through a miracle that is contained in this scripture itself, and which, after the departure of Muhammad from this life, did not disappear with him, but, on the contrary, continues to remain an indisputable fact to this day!

But what is this fact?

What is the miracle of the Quran? What is the proof of his Divinity? These questions concern not only people of our generation. After Muhammad (pbuh) proclaimed to the people about his prophetic mission, and that revelations were sent down to him from the One God for all, he met fierce resistance from the polytheists. Muhammad called on the people to believe in the One God and recognize His leadership as the basis for the life of not only an individual, but also the entire society. Naturally, this did not please the nobility of his people, who built their power on the principles of polytheism. From the very beginning, they entered into an ideological struggle with Muhammad, trying to accuse him of lying, and also of the fact that the Koran, which he preaches, is nothing more than his own invention. In response to these accusations, the Almighty sent down words in the Koran that became the very indestructible basis for the understanding that the Koran is not the work of man, but the speech of the Lord of the worlds.

The Almighty challenged them, and with them all those who will ever doubt the truth of the Koran. This challenge is for people to compose something like the Quran:

Say: “If people and jinn were to come together to compose something like this Qur’an, they would not be able to do it, even if they helped each other.” (17:88)

Intensifying the challenge of the Koran, the Almighty demands that they provide only a few surahs:

Or they say: “He invented the Koran.” Say: “Bring ten fictitious surahs like these, and call upon whomever you can besides Allah, if you are truthful.” (11:13)

Then He asks them to bring the least, that is, one surah:

Or they say, “He made it up.” Say: “Compose at least one surah like these, and call upon whomever you can besides Allah, if you are truthful.” (10:38)

If you are in doubt about what We have revealed to Our servant, then compose one similar surah and call your witnesses besides Allah, if you are telling the truth. (2:23)

What is this challenge?

What does it point to and what does it oblige you to? The point is that the Qur'an is presented in such a way of speaking that it cannot be imitated by man. That is, if anyone wants to answer the challenge of the Koran, he will have to present his thoughts in the same way as in the Koran, in other words, the new text should become similar to the text of the Koran in the way it is presented. Here, it should be noted that not one of the texts existing in the world that has ever been written by man does not bear the sign of inimitability. We can take two works that will differ from each other in eloquence, but the way the language is used in these texts can be absolutely identical. This will be either one of the methods of versification, or some version of prose. There is no third option!

In this sense, any, even the most unique literary masterpiece written by a person, has a huge number of “twin brothers”, written in the same language, in the same style, using the same way of presenting speech. The Qur'anic text, from the very beginning to the end, does not obey the existing rules of versification and prose - Its style was not known to people from among the Arabs and non-Arabs either before the Qur'an or after. Therefore, the challenge of the Koran is not that people would be able to express something as beautifully as it looks in the Koran, and not even that this new speech would carry unique laws of politics, economics, education, or be filled with precise scientific data, which is widely presented in the Koran.

No, the challenge of the Koran lies only in the fact that one of the people, or all people taken together, composed a few lines in the same way of presenting speech as the entire Koran was presented. At one time, the polytheists from among the Quraish, many of whom were fluent in all styles of the Arabic language, were powerless to bring a similarity to the Koran.

There was no way they could ignore this challenge, since the Holy Qur'an constitutes the basis in confirming the truth of the prophetic mission of Muhammad (pbuh). But he was not just calling for one more of the many religions that existed in Arabia; on the contrary, armed with the ideas of the Koran, Muhammad entered into an ideological struggle against the dominant political system. He condemned and publicly condemned the very basis of existing religions and the laws flowing from them. Therefore, the leaders of Mecca accepted the challenge of the Koran - they could not help but accept it, they entered into this struggle, tried to answer the challenge, but failed.

To illustrate the events that took place then, it is appropriate to recall the dialogue that took place between the Quraish nobility and al-Walid ibn al-Mughiyra, who was considered one of the best experts in the field of versification. So the enemies of Muhammad asked Ibn al-Mughiyira to catch Muhammad in a lie and prove that the speech of the Koran is nothing more than eloquent poetry. In response to this, al-Mughiyra told the people: “I swear to God, I don’t know anyone among you who knows poetry, rajaz (poetic meter) and qasida better than me. I swear to God, what he says is nothing like that. I swear to God, there is sweetness and grace in the words he speaks. These words are “covered with leaves above and abundant with moisture below.” They rise above them, and nothing can rise above them."

That is, even the most sophisticated people in the art of language could not provide any arguments to attribute the speech of the Koran to the speech of Muhammad. This phenomenon from the perspective of linguistics is described as follows: “In the presentation of the Koran, it is observed that the style of using words and expressions in it was not known to the Arabs both in the era when Muhammad (pbuh) lived and before him. It is inconceivable that Muhammad (pbuh), as a human being, could express his thoughts in such a way of speech, the like of which he had not previously heard, for the mind rejects the possibility of this. Thus, it is absolutely impossible that the style of Quranic expression, in its words and sentences, came from Muhammad (pbuh), who had never experienced them before. After all, Muhammad (pbuh) is one of the Arabs, and no matter how brilliant a person is, he is still in his era and cannot go beyond it. If all the people who know Arabic turned out to be powerless, then Muhammad (pbuh) also turned out to be powerless, since he is one of them. Moreover, a huge number of his own sayings have been transmitted from Muhammad (pbuh), and if we compare the speech of Muhammad (pbuh) with the speech of the Quran, then there is no stylistic similarity between them, which indicates that The Quran is not the speech of Muhammad (pbuh). Besides this, the beginning creative activity all poets, writers, philosophers and thinkers, begins in a way of presenting speech in which there is some weakness. Gradually their ability to present speech develops, and one day reaches its highest limit.

Therefore, their works, in their strengths and weaknesses, are different, not to mention the presence in their presentations of awkward thoughts and broken expressions. This absolutely cannot be said about the Quran, which from the first day of its revelation, from its first verse to its last, uses the same method of speech, presented in the highest eloquence, both in the sublimity of its thoughts and the power of expression. There is not a single broken phrase in it, and not a single awkward thought, and it is all one. The whole Qur'an, in its way, as a whole and in detail, is as if one sentence, which indicates that the Qur'an is not the speech of man, which is prone to be subject to contradictions in expression and meaning."

Therefore, after some time, the Quraish, abandoning attempts to make something similar to the Koran, switched to a brutal power struggle. They tried to destroy the spread of the ideas of the Koran through murder, torture, expulsion and blockades against all those people who declared their adherence to the Koranic teachings. They spent enormous efforts and resources to drown out the speech of the Koran, while it was enough to simply answer the challenge that existed in it, bring a semblance of at least one, the smallest surah, and that would be all - it would all be over. However, they were unable to do this!

So the great words of the Koran prevailed over them, although this was their language, which they knew perfectly well, and mastered all its rules and subtleties. It was a language in which they themselves wrote a huge number of works, which in their sophistication and eloquence repeated each other, but were not at all similar to the Koran. All this clearly indicates that the Qur'an is the speech of the Almighty, and that it is the truth obliging every person to obey His commands.

Perhaps someone will object and say:

“If we talk about the miraculousness of the Quran, then its understanding is limited to those who know Arabic and, understanding its subtleties, can realize its miraculousness. How, then, can the Koran be considered proof for all mankind and oblige them to practice Islam? Here you need to understand that awareness of the miraculousness of the Koran does not rely on mastery of the Arabic language, which even many Arabs do not know perfectly. In order to answer the challenge of the Koran, yes, you need to know Arabic, but in order to understand its wonder, it is not at all necessary to know the language. Because this awareness is based on factors not directly related to knowledge of this language, but, on the contrary, are available to every reasonable person.

So what do you need to pay attention to, what are these factors?

There are three of these factors:

1) Existence of a challenge. From the moment of its revelation until the end of the world, the Quranic challenge continues to exist before all humanity so that people would compose something similar to the Quran. To answer this challenge means to be able to express any thoughts in the style of presentation of speech as presented in this scripture. After all, if the Koran was written by a person, it means that something similar can happen to someone else. To answer the challenge of the Koran means to destroy Islam, faith in which is based on the recognition of the divine origin of this religion.

2) Availability of incentives to respond to the challenge of the Koran. Islam, which is based entirely on faith in the Koran and the prophetic mission of Muhammad, is an ideology that constantly lays claim to world leadership. Islam does not recognize the right of any people to make laws for humanity. Islam, offering humanity all the systems of concepts, norms and laws necessary for life, encourages its supporters to wage an unyielding struggle to establish the power of Allah over people. More than ten centuries islamic state was the most influential and powerful state in the world, and this power was built on the Muslim faith in the divinity of the Koran and the strict implementation of His guidance. Considering that Muslims have a huge number and inhabit territories with colossal reserves of strategic resources, we can say that there have been plenty of incentives to refute the Koran at all times.

And today, when the Islamic people, based on faith in the truth of the Koran, began to once again strive for unification and a return to the rule of Sharia (Divine legislation), this challenge continues to cause insomnia among all politicians who, one way or another, support the colonial policies of large states such as America, Russia, France, England and Germany. It was this trend, crushing for their colonial essence, that prompted them to unite and launch a new crusade against Muslims, which they called the fight against world terrorism. The interest of the above large states in the destruction of Islam, as the only factor in opposing their colonial policy in Muslim lands, is clearly visible in many statements, which has recently been increasingly heard in the statements of their leaders and responsible persons. Again, as before, they spend countless resources and efforts, suffer huge losses, but still they have not come up with anything better than gross acts of violence, although, as before, it is enough to simply put together a dozen words in such a way that it would be looks like the Koran.

3) Lack of response to the challenge of the Koran To this day, not a single person has answered the challenge of the Koran, despite the fact that the Koran was compiled in purely Arabic, with all the rules to which all the letters of this language are subject. Arabic was not a new language at the time of the revelation of the Quran, and is not forgotten today. Millions of Arabs and non-Arabs, philologists and orientalists are fluent in Arabic. Their speeches can be compared with the speeches of the most famous poets of that time, when the culture of the Arabic language had reached the perfect heights of its development, but all of them taken together still remain powerless to compose a few lines in the manner demonstrated throughout the Qur'an.

Listen to the statements of some famous philologists...

...of the Arabic language, who studied the phenomenon of the Koran:

“Indeed, among all the rich and prolific Arabic literature there is not a single work of poetry or prose that can be compared with the Koran.” Alfred Guillaume, from the book "Islam", 1990

“...My attempt to create some kind of similarity, even remotely reflecting the sublime eloquence of the Arabic sound of the text of the Koran, which, along with the very essence of the Divine message, is a literary masterpiece of all mankind with its euphony and rich rhyme, turned out to be very faded in comparison with the Koran. Almost all translators of the meanings of the Koran have neglected, as the Muslim Pickthall put it, “the unique harmony and euphony” of the Koran, so it is not surprising that when comparing the translations with the amazingly embellished text of the original, the first look dull and ordinary-sounding. Arthur J. Arberry, "Translation of the Koran" Oxford Research Centre, London, 1964

“Although the best linguists have repeatedly tried to create some kind of Quran, using rules corresponding to the most commonly used expressions and grammatical forms of the Quran, not one of them has yet achieved success in this field” F.F. Arbuthnot, The Construction of the Bible and the Koran, London. 1985, s.5.

“All those who are familiar with the Qur'an in the original Arabic sound are unanimous in praising the literary beauty of this religious book. The splendor of its form is so unique that it cannot be adequately conveyed and preserved in any of the European languages, to which he was transferred." Edward Montet, from the book Translation of the Koran into French, Paris, 1929.

“The Koran shocks and amazes anyone who listens with the beauty and attractiveness of its original Arabic sound. His laconic, expressive and excellent style, mostly rhyming text, short sentences", filled with many deep meanings, which are very difficult to convey in literal translation, have a powerful impact and explosive energy" John Naish, from the book "The Wisdom of the Qur'an", Oxford, 1937.

“The morality and ideology of the Quran, its language, style and rhyme, have influenced all literary works to one degree or another. Certain language features could not be faked either in the prose of the next century or in future ones literary works. Thanks to the grace and flexibility that the Koran introduced into the structure of the Arabic language, this language began to develop rapidly and soon began to meet all the needs of the Arab Caliphate, which was rapidly gaining political and social weight, the power of which was extremely great.” Famous linguist, researcher of the Arabic language Hamilton Gibb, Oxford.

Thus, from a detailed consideration of these three factors, it follows that these circumstances are sufficiently applicable to become evidence in the matter of the miraculousness of the Holy Quran for any person. That is, the challenge of the Koran was thrown fourteen centuries ago, at all times and today there are those who have a perfect knowledge of the Arabic language and those who crave the destruction of Islam, but they still fail. Experts and great specialists in the field of Arabic have not been able to provide anything that would invalidate the miraculousness of the Qur'an. There are all the necessary reasons and incentives for such attempts. There is nothing that would prevent you from doing this. But they didn't! Consider whether understanding this reality does not prompt us to confidently recognize that the speech of the Qur'an is unusual, supernatural and beyond the reach of man. After all, if the Koran had been composed by Muhammad himself, or someone else from among the Arabs or those who knew the Arabic language, then there would certainly be someone else who would be able to destroy this daring challenge - which is possible for one person, sooner or later late becomes possible for many others too!

But this has not happened to this day!

Truly, the speech of the Koran is precisely what cannot be learned and what cannot be achieved, this is the very miracle that is direct proof that the Koran is not an invention of man, but the last appeal of the Creator to his creations.

Koran(ar. القرآن [al-Qur'an]‎) - Holy Scripture of Muslims, revelation ( wahy) of Allah, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ between 610 and 632 years through the angel Jibril (Gabriel) [; …] . The Qur'an consists of 114 chapters (suras), each of which consists of verses (ayat).

Etymology

Word kur'an in modern Arabic means “reading”, “that which is spoken, read and repeated.”

Lexical meaning of the word kur'an comes from the Arabic verb kara'a(Ar. ﻗﺭﺃ), which means “to add”, “to attach”. The noun comes from this verb kira'a(Ar. ﻗﺭﺍﺀﺓ), which means “addition”, “attaching letters and words to each other” (that is, “reading”).

Earliest attested use of the term Qur'an found in the Koran itself, in which it is mentioned about 70 times per different meanings. Word al-qur'an(Ar. ﺍﻠﻗﺭﺁﻥ) can be used both to refer to the Scripture itself, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and a passage from Scripture.

The Qur'an has various names for this Holy Scripture: al-Kitab("Book") ; at-Tanzil(“Sent Down”); az-Zikr("Reminder") ; al-Furqan("Discrimination"); al-Huda(“Guide”), etc. The Koran is also denoted by the word Mushaf(“scroll”) and a number of other terms that are not found in the text of the Koran.

Sura al-Fatiha(“Opening”).

Structure of the Quran

The Koran consists of 114 chapters, called suras, which consist of a different number (from 3 to 286) of rhythmic and semantic units - ayats (Ar. آية - ayat).

The suras in the Holy Book are not arranged according to their content or according to the time of their appearance. Basically, the suras in the Qur'an are arranged depending on the number of verses in them, starting from the longest to the shortest. The first surah of the Quran is al-Fatiha(“Opening”), and the last one is an-Nas(“People”)

Longest surah al-Baqarah(“Cow”) contains 286 verses, and the shortest are surahs, which have only three verses. The longest verse has 128 words (with prepositions and particles - about 162), and the sura al-Kawsar(“Abundant”) only 10 words (with prepositions and particles - 13). In total, according to different calculation methods, the Quran contains from 6,204 to 6,236 verses (Cairo edition), from 76,440 to 77,934 words and from 300,690 to 325,072 letters.

Traditional Muslim chronology divides the suras into “Meccan” (revealed in Mecca in 610-622) and “Medina” (revealed in Medina in 622-632), which are mostly longer than the “Meccan” ones. There is no exact data on which surahs are Meccan and which are Medina. The Cairo edition of the Qur'an contains 90 Meccan and 24 Medinan suras.

Meccan suras tend to be more poetic; they are dominated by doctrinal themes (monotheism, eschatology); more attention is paid to the idea of the omnipotence of One Allah and the fear of the Day of Judgment.

The Medina suras are dominated by legal issues, reflect polemics with Jews and Christians, and set out the duties of Muslims. Most suras are compiled from fragments of various revelations ( hand'), which are loosely related to each other thematically and are spoken at different times.

Other divisions of its text into approximately equal parts correspond to the needs of recitation of the Koran: into 7 Manzilev(for reading during the week) or 30 juzov(to be read within a month). Further each juz divisible by two Hizba(“parties”), which, in turn, are divided into quarters ( rub‘) .

First 5 verses of the sura al-‘Alaq(“Clot”).

Revelation of the Qur'an

The sending of the first revelations began when the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was 40 years old and continued until his death. The sending of revelations began with a good vision in a dream. After 6 months, the angel Jibril brought the first five verses of the sura al-‘Alaq(“Clot”).

The Quran descended from Allah to the near sky in its entirety on the Night of al-Qadr, and then gradually, in the wisdom of Allah, was transmitted to the Prophet ﷺ in parts. The place in the near sky to which the Koran descended is called Bayt al-'izza("House of Greatness") In the month of Ramadan, the angel Jibril read to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ all the verses of the Koran that were revealed over the past year. Then the Prophet ﷺ read them, and Jibril listened to him, after which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ read these verses in the mosque to the companions, who in turn memorized them. This process was called ‘arda(Ar. عرضة). In the last Ramadan of the life of the Prophet ﷺ this process was performed twice.

Ancient manuscript Koran

Recording of the Quran

During the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Quranic revelations were transmitted mainly orally, from memory. Experts in individual passages of the Koran were called “guardians” (hafiz). In Mecca, revelations were written down on the initiative of the companions themselves, and in Medina - most often at the direction of the Prophet ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ announced which surah and in what order these verses should be written. For this purpose, at different times he had about 40 clerk-secretaries with him. According to Zayd ibn Thabit, after the secretary wrote down the revelation, the Prophet ﷺ forced him to read the revealed verses again. If he noticed errors in the scribe’s pronunciation, he immediately demanded that they be corrected in the text, and only after that did he allow his companions to read Divine revelations. Due to the fact that during the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ paper was not widespread, the revelations received by the Prophet ﷺ were written down on date leaves, pieces of flat stone, animal skin, etc. At the same time, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was not content with writing down the Koran and insisted on the companions memorizing the revelations by heart.

Some revelations were temporary and were later canceled by Allah. Collections of hadiths contain stories about how, by order of the Prophet ﷺ, changes were made to the text of the Koran and some verses of the Koran were replaced by others. The Koran reports that the changes made in it were carried out by order of Allah [; ; ] . Some records of the verses of the Koran lacked the consistency that is inherent in modern editions. In order to move from fragmentation to systematicity, the companions, in the presence of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, sequentially arranged the verses in the suras of the Koran. This sequence was dictated by Divine command by the angel Jibril. For this reason, it is forbidden to read the verses of the Quran in a sequence other than that indicated by the Prophet ﷺ (for example, from the end to the beginning of the sura).

Most medieval Muslim scholars believed that the language in which the Qur'an was revealed at the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was the oral language of the Quraysh, as well as the language of the poetry of "classical Arabic". It was assumed that the Quraish and pre-Islamic poets preserved the pure language of the Bedouins ( al-a'rab). Western Koranic scholars (Nöldeke, Schwalli) argued that the language of the Koran was not the oral language of any tribe, but was to some extent an artificial “standard language” (German. Hochsprache), which was understood throughout the Hijaz. In the late 1940s, three European researchers H. Fleisch, R. Blacher and K. Rabin came to the conclusion that the Qur'anic language was far from the spoken dialect of the Quraish or the "standard language" of the Hijaz, but was simply the "poetic koine" of classical Arabic poetry, with some adaptation to the speech of the Meccans. This view has been accepted by most Western Arabists.

For a more accurate understanding of the Quran by non-Quraysh, some verses of the Quran were revealed in other dialects of Arabic. In Abu Bakr's Mushaf they were kept various options verses of the Koran. However, in the process of compiling the Qur'an into a single book, on the orders of 'Uthman, only verses written in the Quraish dialect were included.

The language of the Koran is full of epithets and extended comparisons with a relatively small number of metaphors, metonymies, etc. A significant part of the text of the Koran, especially the early suras, is rhymed prose (Ar. سـجـع [saj‘]‎). The syntax of the Quran is determined by the form of dialogue in which the presentation is carried out, and which is characterized by the absence of introductory sentences and descriptive phrases.

Most of the Qur'an is a polemic in the form of a dialogue between Allah (speaking sometimes in the first, sometimes in the third person, sometimes through intermediaries) and opponents of the Prophet ﷺ, or Allah's appeal to Muslims with exhortations and instructions. The central theme of the Qur'an is the affirmation of Islamic principles concerning the duties of believers towards God. Ideas about the Universe, Earth, flora and fauna occupy a certain place. Some anthropological ideas are also reflected, given brief history humanity and prophecies about its future (resurrection of the dead, Last Judgment, etc.). The Koran contains sermons of an eschatological nature, ideas about Hell and Paradise. It also reflects issues such as social justice, economics, international and family relations, moral values, etc.

During the Meccan period, the main goal of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was to attract as many people as possible to Islam. more pagans. For this reason, the Meccan suras place great emphasis on the doctrines of prophecy, eschatology, spirituality, as well as ethical issues. In Meccan suras large number dramatic scenes, usually associated with death, the Last Judgment, the joys of Paradise and the torment of hell. The dramatic scenes are never fully or systematically explained. Most of the Meccan suras deal with theological topics: signs of God, messages of earlier prophets, etc. These suras can be classified as sermons.

During the Medina period, Islam became the state religion, and therefore in the Medina suras higher value is devoted to social, legal issues, problems of war and peace, economic issues, family relationships, etc. That is, the verses of the Quran were revealed taking into account the situation that existed at that time in which the Prophet ﷺ and his companions were located. The early Medinan suras are often addressed to the Jews, both the "children of Israel" and the "people of the Book." In the later Medina suras, the appeal “O believers” is more common, but sometimes “O children of Adam” or “O people”.

What is Quran - Quran Academy

In a number of cases, Divine commands were sent down gradually, from easier forms to more complex ones. In accordance with real circumstances, Allah could send down one revelation, which was temporary, and then cancel it and replace it with a new one. The revelation of the Qur'an gradually, in parts, also contributed to its better perception by the people.

The Koran tells about such ancient prophets as Adam, Lut (Lot), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), 'Isa (Jesus), etc., gives information about various events from their lives, sometimes different from what is written in the Bible. At the same time, it also tells about events that should happen in the future. The Koran tells about the problems of the origin and essence of being, various forms of life, cosmology and cosmogony [; ; ]. It contains general principles all aspects of individual and social existence, as well as Divine commands regarding service ( 'ibadah), various public transactions ( muamalyat) and penalties for offenses ( ‘ukubat) . The Qur'an does not contain a complete code of conduct or list of duties for Muslims; each legal provision is dealt with separately, usually in several different places in the Qur'an.

All suras except at-Tawba(“Repentance”), begin with basmala In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful!. In the 29 suras after the basmala one can find the so-called “scattered letters” ( Khuruf mukata'a), which are written together but read separately. The meaning of these letter beginnings is unclear and is the subject of research by many scientists. Most Muslim scholars believe that the scattered letters at the beginning of the suras refer to unclear, difficult to understand verses of the Koran ( mutashabihat) and are a secret that Allah hid from people.

Muslims usually refer to suras by their names rather than by numbers. Since the names of the suras were not established during the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and did not come to be considered as part of the text, most suras became known by several names. The Egyptian Standard Edition of the Qur'an had a significant impact on the uniformity of surah titles, and most of the alternative titles are no longer in use. Most surah names are taken from a key term or headword that would identify the suras to those memorizing them. This suggests that the names of the suras arose in an oral rather than a written tradition.

The place of the Koran in Islam

For Muslims, the Qur'an is more than Scripture or sacred literature in the usual sense. Western world sense. The Koran occupied and occupies an important place in the religious and socio-political life of the Arab-Muslim world. It is the foundation of Islam and the primary source in matters of Islamic law ( fiqh) and beliefs ( ‘aqidah). The “book-centrism” of Islam is expressed in the fundamental meaning of the Koran both in Muslim theology and in everyday life Muslims, law, cult, social and ethical doctrine. The Qur'an has also been central to theological debates early centuries; All directions of Arab-Muslim philosophy are based on his theological provisions. In some countries, the state and legislative structure, way of life public life strictly consistent with Qur'anic principles and norms.

According to Islamic doctrine, the Quran is the last Holy Scripture revealed by Allah; the uncreated Word of Allah, existing from eternity, before the beginning of time. In the 9th century, disputes arose about the historicity (“eternity” or “creation in time”) of the Koran, which resulted in the “Inquisition” carried out in the Caliphate ( mikhna). The dispute ended with the triumph of the position about the eternity of the Koran as the embodiment of the divine Word (Logos), about its heavenly archetype, written on the “Blessed Tablet” ( al-Lawh al-Mahfuz) .

Faith in the Quran, along with faith in all the Holy Scriptures, is one of the six pillars of Iman (faith) [ ; …] . Reading the Qur'an is worship ( 'ibadah). Ayats and surahs of the Koran are used by Muslims in prayers (namaz) and in supplication ( du'a) .

According to Islamic dogma, the peculiarity of the Koran is its miraculousness and inimitability ( i'jazz) in form and content. The concept of i'jaz arose during the prophetic activity of Muhammad ﷺ. During the Meccan period, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called on his opponents to create “something like” the Quran [; ...], however, the Arabs, despite their eloquence, were unable to cite even one sura similar to the Koran. In the 8th-9th centuries, the theme of the inimitability of the Koran was at the center of not only intra-Islamic polemics, but also polemics with Judaism and Christianity. During it, Muslim theologians developed the idea of “miracles” and “signs” perceived by the senses ( hissiya) and comprehended by reason ( ‘akliya). Among the arguments for the miraculousness of the Koran were “messages about the unseen” ( akhbar al-ghayb). The development of the theory of i'jazz took place with active interaction with philological disciplines. By the beginning of the 11th century, a synthesis of the doctrine of the inimitability of the Koran and the theory of the doctrine of figures and specific techniques for constructing speech was determined ( badi‘). The concept of i'jaz is associated with the doctrine of the untranslatability of the Qur'an. However, Muslim theologians accepted translations of the Koran in the meaning of “commentary” ( tafsir) provided that the translation does not replace the original text.

The grammar of the Qur'an became the standard for classical Arabic, which replaced other languages in the Middle East and North Africa. The Arabic script, with some modifications, was adopted by Persian, Turkish (until 1928), Urdu and other languages. The Quran significantly influenced the art of Arabic calligraphy, becoming one of the main decorative motifs in Islamic religious art and architecture. Mosques, madrasah schools and other public buildings are decorated with quotes from the Koran. Muslims wear quotations from the Koran as amulets, and in their homes they hang them on the walls or place them in a place of honor.

In Islam, “etiquette” has been developed in detail ( adab) in relation to the Koran. Before touching the Holy Book, a Muslim must perform a ritual ablution. When reading the Koran, it is advisable to: read it expressively according to the rules of Tajweed, cover the awrah, turn your face to the Qiblah, etc. The Koran should be kept above other books, foreign objects should not be placed on it, or taken into dirty places (toilet, bathhouse, etc. .), treat it carelessly, etc. Unsuitable for reading, non-canonical copies of the Koran are buried in the ground or burned.

Decorating the interior of a mosque with quotes from the Koran

Qur'anic sciences

Islamic culture developed such disciplines studying the Koran as: interpretation, chronology, history of the text, sound structure, stylistics, “cancelling and abrogating verses” ( nasikh va mansukh), “circumstances of sending down” ( asbab al-nuzul), "the inimitability of the Koran" ( i'jazz) etc., known as the "sciences of the Qur'an" ( ‘ulum al-Qur’an)

Interpretation of the Koran ( tafsir) is one of the important areas of the “science of the Quran” ( ‘ulum al-Qur’an). Works of this genre played a vital role in the formation, development and spread of Islam. The genre of tafsir began to emerge during the formation of the sunnah and developed for a long time within the framework of works devoted to the biography of the Prophet ﷺ. Over time, special commentaries began to appear devoted to the interpretation of the Koran, inheriting the already developed research procedure and the existing thesaurus. Since its inception, tafsir also began to serve as an ideological weapon in the political struggle between various Islamic movements. This struggle led to the split of the Islamic community into supporters of the literal ( zakhir) and “hidden” ( batin) understanding the Quranic text. In the context of this controversy, disputes flared up about the methods of interpreting the Koran, about the boundaries of what is permissible when searching for the “hidden” meaning. In the context of the ban on translations of the Qur'an, detailed commentaries in different languages played an important role in familiarizing Muslims who do not speak Arabic with the Qur'an.

The Islamic commentary tradition has studied the Qur'an from philological, legal, philosophical, theological and mystical points of view. The most famous and authoritative tafsirs are the works

Every seventh inhabitant of the planet professes Islam. Unlike Christians, whose holy book is the Bible, Muslims have the Koran. In plot and structure, these two wise ancient books are similar to each other, but the Koran has its own unique features.

What is the Koran

Before you figure out how many surahs are in the Koran and how many verses, it’s worth learning more about this wise ancient book. The Koran is written in the 7th century by the prophet Muhammad (Mohammed).

According to followers of Islam, the Creator of the Universe sent the Archangel Gabriel (Jabrail) to convey his message through Muhammad to all humanity. According to the Koran, Mohammed is not the first prophet of the Most High, but the last one whom Allah ordered to convey his word to people.

The writing of the Koran lasted for 23 years, until the death of Muhammad. It is noteworthy that the prophet himself did not collect all the texts of the message - this was done after the death of Mohammed by his secretary Zeid ibn Thabit. Before this, followers memorized all the texts of the Koran and wrote them down on whatever came to hand.

There is a legend that in his youth the Prophet Mohammed was interested in Christianity and even intended to be baptized himself. However, faced with the negative attitude of some priests towards him, he abandoned this idea, although the very ideas of Christianity were close to him. Perhaps there is a kernel of truth in this, since some of the storylines of the Bible and the Koran are intertwined. This suggests that the prophet was clearly well acquainted with the holy book of Christians.

Like the Bible, the Koran is at the same time a philosophical book, a collection of laws, and a chronicle of the Arabs.

Much of the book is written in the form of a debate between Allah, opponents of Islam and those who have not yet decided whether to believe or not.

Thematically, the Quran can be divided into 4 blocks.

Basic principles of Islam.
The laws, traditions and rituals of Muslims, on the basis of which the moral and legal code of the Arabs was subsequently created.
Historical and folklore data of the pre-Islamic era.
Legends about the deeds of Muslim, Jewish and Christian prophets. In particular, the Koran contains such biblical heroes as Abraham, Moses, David, Noah, Solomon and even Jesus Christ.

Structure of the Quran

As for the structure, here too the Koran is similar to the Bible. However, unlike it, its author is one person, so the Qur'an is not divided into books according to the names of the authors. Moreover, the holy book of Islam is divided into two parts, according to the place of writing.

The chapters of the Koran written by Mohammed before the year 622, when the prophet, fleeing the opponents of Islam, moved to the city of Medina, are called Meccan. And all the others that Muhammad wrote in his new place of residence are called Medina.

How many suras are in the Koran and what are they?

Like the Bible, the Koran consists of chapters, which the Arabs call suras.

In total, this holy book consists of 114 chapters. They are not arranged in the order in which they were written by the prophet, but according to their meaning. For example, the very first chapter written is considered to be Al-Alaq, which talks about the fact that Allah is the Creator of everything visible and invisible, as well as about man’s ability to sin. However, in the holy book it is recorded as the 96th, and the first one is Surah Fatiha.

The chapters of the Qur'an are not equal in length: the longest is 6,100 words (Al-Baqarah), and the shortest is only 10 (Al-Kawthar). Starting from the second chapter (Bakara Sura), their length becomes shorter.

After the death of Mohammed, the entire Koran was evenly divided into 30 juzes. This is done so that during the holy day, reading one juza per night, a devout Muslim can read the Koran in full.

Of the 114 chapters of the Koran, 87 (86) are surahs written in Mecca. The remaining 27 (28) are Medina chapters written by Mohammed in recent years life. Each sura from the Koran has its own name, which reveals a brief meaning of the entire chapter.

113 of the 114 chapters of the Quran begin with the words “In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful!” Only the ninth sura, At-Tawba (from Arabic means “repentance”), begins with a story about how the Almighty deals with those who worship several gods.

What are verses

Having found out how many surahs are in the Koran, it is worth paying attention to another structural unit of the holy book - an ayat (analogous to a biblical verse). Translated from Arabic, “ayat” means “signs.”

The length of these verses varies. Sometimes there are verses that are longer than the shortest chapters (10-25 words).

Due to problems with dividing suras into verses, Muslims count different numbers of them - from 6204 to 6600.

The smallest number of verses in one chapter is 3, and the maximum is 40.

Why the Quran should be read in Arabic

Muslims believe that only words from the Koran in Arabic, in which the sacred text was dictated by the archangel to Mohammed, have miraculous powers. That is why any, even the most accurate translation of the holy book, loses its divinity. Therefore, it is necessary to read prayers from the Koran in the original language - Arabic.

Those who do not have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the Koran in the original, in order to better understand the meaning of the holy book, should read tafsirs (interpretations and explanations of holy texts by the companions of Muhammad and famous scholars of later periods).

Russian translations of the Koran

Currently, there is a wide variety of translations of the Koran into Russian. However, they all have their drawbacks, so they can only serve as an initial introduction to this great book.

Professor Ignatius Krachkovsky translated the Koran into Russian in 1963, but he did not use commentaries on the holy book of Muslim scholars (tafsir), so his translation is beautiful, but in many ways far from the original.

Valeria Porokhova translated the holy book into poetic form. The suras in Russian in its translation rhyme, and when read, the holy book sounds very melodic, somewhat reminiscent of the original. However, she translated from Yusuf Ali's English interpretation of the Qur'an, not from Arabic.

Quite good, although containing inaccuracies, are the currently popular translations of the Koran into Russian by Elmira Kuliev and Magomed-Nuri Osmanov.

Surah Al-Fatiha

Having figured out how many suras are in the Koran, we can consider several of the most famous of them. The chapter of Al-Fatihah is called by Muslims the “mother of Scripture”, since it opens the Koran. Surah Fatiha is sometimes also called Alham. It is believed that it was the fifth written by Mohammed, but scientists and companions of the prophet made it the first in the book. This chapter consists of 7 verses (29 words).

This sura in Arabic begins with the traditional phrase for 113 chapters - “Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim” (“In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful!”). Further in this chapter, Allah is praised and also asked for His mercy and help on the path of life.

Surah Al-Baqarah

The longest surah from the Koran is Al-Baqarah - it contains 286 verses. Translated, its name means “cow”. The name of this sura is associated with the story of Moses (Musa), the plot of which also appears in the 19th chapter of the biblical book of Numbers. In addition to the parable of Moses, this chapter also tells about the progenitor of all Jews - Abraham (Ibrahim).

Also, Surah Al-Bakara contains information about the basic tenets of Islam: the unity of Allah, pious life, and the upcoming Day of God's Judgment (Qiyamat). In addition, this chapter contains instructions on conducting trade, pilgrimage, gambling, age for marriage and various nuances regarding divorce.

Bakara Sura contains information that all people are divided into 3 categories: believers in Allah, those who reject the Almighty and His teachings, and hypocrites.

The “heart” of Al-Bakara, and indeed the entire Quran, is the 255th verse, called “Al-Kursi”. It talks about the greatness and power of Allah, His power over time and the Universe.

Surah An-Nas

The Koran ends with Surah Al Nas (An-Nas). It consists of only 6 verses (20 words). The title of this chapter translates as “people.” This surah talks about the fight against tempters, regardless of whether they are people or jinn ( evil spirits) or Shaitan. The main effective remedy against them is to pronounce the Name of the Almighty - in this way they will be driven to flight.

It is generally accepted that the final two chapters of the Qur'an (Al-Falak and An-Nas) have protective powers. Thus, according to Mohammed’s contemporaries, he advised reading them every evening before going to bed, so that the Almighty would protect them from the machinations of dark forces. The prophet’s beloved wife and faithful companion said that during his illness, Muhammad asked her to read the final two suras aloud, hoping for their healing power.

How to read the Muslim holy book correctly

Having learned how many suras are in the Koran, as the most famous of them are called, it is worth familiarizing yourself with how Muslims usually treat the holy book. Muslims treat the text of the Koran as a shrine. So, for example, from a board on which the words from this book are written in chalk, you cannot erase them with saliva, you must use only clean water.

In Islam, there is a separate set of rules regarding how to behave correctly when reading surahs. Before you start reading, you need to perform a short ablution, brush your teeth and dress in festive clothes. All this is due to the fact that reading the Qur'an is a meeting with Allah, for which one must prepare with reverence.

While reading, it is better to be alone so that strangers do not distract you from trying to comprehend the wisdom of the holy book.

As for the rules for handling the book itself, it should not be placed on the floor or left open. In addition, the Qur'an should always be placed on top of other books in the stack. Leaves from the Qur'an cannot be used as wrappers for other books.

The Koran is not only the holy book of Muslims, but also a monument of ancient literature. Every person, even those very far from Islam, after reading the Koran, will find in it a lot of interesting and instructive things. In addition, today this is very easy to do: you just need to download the appropriate application from the Internet to your phone - and the ancient wise book will always be at hand.