The Centrality of the Qur'an to Islam

By Greg Noakes

The Qur'an, the sacred text of Islam, is the fundamental basis of the religion and the cornerstone of the faith. While there are often vast differences of interpretation among Muslims, no one can deny the Qur'an's authenticity as divine revelation and still remain within the Islamic community. Sometimes attributed to Muhammad by non-Muslims, for believers it is nothing less than the word of God as conveyed by the angel Jibril to the Prophet. Its centrality to Islam is similar to that of Jesus to Christianity; both are held to be the Divine Word made manifest in this world. The Qur'an, its text unchanged and its power undiminished for nearly 14 centuries, is a source of guidance, solace, inspiration and faith for almost a fifth of humanity.

Before the revelation, Muhammad had already rejected the polytheistic religion of Meccan society and often practiced solitary prayer and meditation in search of spiritual enlightenment. When he was about 40 years of age, Muhammad received his first revelation while meditating in a cave on Mount Hira, outside Mecca. Told by a voice that he was the Messenger of God and commanded to recite, Muhammad was at first frightened and dismayed. He informed his wife, Khadija, of his experience. She comforted and encouraged him and, when Muhammad was again visited by Jibril, she became the first person to accept Islam and become a Muslim. She was followed by the prophet's nephew, Ali, and Muhammad's close friend, Abu Bakr. Over time, the community of believers gradually expanded.

As the revelations continued, Muhammad's fear subsided and he grew accustomed to the presence of Jibril and the experience of the revelation, though this was often wrenching. "Never once did I receive a revelation, " the Prophet is reported to have said, "without thinking that my soul had been torn away from me."

Muhammad apparently received the revelation in three different ways. The first was in the form of visions. Second was a series of auditory experiences similar to human speech. Third and most difficult was an intense ringing sound like a bell which at first was unintelligible but which, after Jibril had departed, would resolve into the words of the revelation. (In addition there is the aspect of prophetic inspiration which, although it is not textual and does not form part of the Qur'an, must nevertheless be regarded as revelation. It is this inspiration which separated Muhammad, as well as the prophets who came before him, from other men and which informed his actions and practices, which are collected in the hadith, or Traditions of the Prophet.)

The Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet over the final 23 years of his life. As new verses were revealed to and recited by Muhammad, his Companions would transcribe and memorize them. Any dispute over the text or its interpretation was referred to the Prophet for resolution. Muhammad's death marked the end of revelation and the completion of the Message.

The Qur'an is a text which is meant to be not merely read, but recited.

Abu Bakr, the first khalifia ("successor") to the Prophet, became concerned because of the death in battle of many of the memorizers of the Qur'an, and thus commissioned Zayd Ibn Thabit, Muhammad's principal scribe, to compile a complete copy of the Book.

This was done in consultation with various Companions of the Prophet, and was completed within two years of Muhammad's death. As Islam spread, however, disputes arose over the proper pronunciation, intonation, and order of the suras, or chapters, of the Qur'an. Uthman, the third khalifa, had the various copies of the Qur'an collected and replaced with a standard text, which is still used today. Though the Muslim community has long been fractured, there are no differences in terms of the accepted text of the Qur'an. There is no such thing as a "Sunni Qur'an" or a "Shi'i Qur'an"; all Muslims hold the same book to be sacred.

Great importance is attached to the task of preserving the integrity of the text of the Qur'an. Muslims who have memorized the entire Book are held in great esteem. With the large number of Qur'ans in print, this may seem to be of little practical concern. This view, however, neglects the oral nature of the Qur'an, for it is a text which is meant to be not merely read, but recited.

Many of the subtle nuances of meaning and interpretation are accessible only when the Qur'an is properly recited. One can begin to understand the significance of this if one looks at the printed transcript of an address delivered by a powerful orator like Martin Luther King, Jr., or Malcolm X, and then contrasts this with a sound recording of the same speech. If, in a sense, inflection is the key to meaning, then it is crucial that not only the correct text but also the proper intonation of the Qur'an be preserved for future generations of Muslims.

The Qur'an, which is approximately the same length as the New Testament, consists of 114 suras of varying lengths ranging from 3 to 286 verses. These are arranged roughly in order from longest to shortest, though the seven-verse Sura Al-Fatiha is the first chapter. Paradoxically, the earliest verses also tend to be the shortest, so in a chronological sense the Qur'an is backwards. Indeed, within some suras later verses are inserted among earlier verses. The Qur'an is not a narrative of events like the Gospels or much of the Old Testament. Although some events from the past are related in a number of different suras throughout the Qur'an, these are intended not primarily as historical accounts, but as didactic tools and as examples for the believers.

A Series of Parables and Commands

Many non-Muslims who attempt to read the Qur'an from beginning to end are quickly disoriented, as there is no narrative thread to the Book. One must understand that the Qur'an is not organized to tell a story: one can start as easily from the back or middle as from the beginning. Rather, it is a series of exhortations, warnings, parables and commands, sent down by God to direct and guide the human community.

Muslim and non-Muslim scholars alike have tried to arrange the verses of the Qur'an chronologically, although the evidence is sometimes contradictory and differences of opinion remain. For non-Muslims this has been largely an academic exercise, while for Muslims it is important not only in understanding the development of the revelation, but also in determining which verses modify or abrogate earlier verses.

There is general agreement on whether certain verses were revealed before or after Muhammad's hijira from Mecca. The earlier Meccan verses tend to be shorter, more poetic and passionate, and are concerned with larger theological and moral issues. The later verses, revealed at Medina, continue to deal with these issues, but also take up more mundane matters of jurisprudence and correct practice. This should not be surprising: correct practice is important only after one has come to understand that what is at stake is the well-being of one's soul, while divine ordinances are sensible only within a larger theological framework.

The Qu'ran was revealed to Muhammad in Arabic, the principal language of the Arabian peninsula. Because the Qur'an is the Word of God, changes in the text are strictly prohibited. The Qu'ran used today is the same as that recited by Muhammad. There are no , , revised editions" or attempts to update the Arabic text. In large part because of the preservation and continued use of the Qur'an, Arabic has not been transformed over time to the same extent as various European languages. The Qur'an is intelligible to a modern Arabic speaker in a way that the originals of Bede or even Chaucer (both centuries younger than the Qur'an) are not to a contemporary Anglophone.

Translations as Approximations

Translations of the Qur'an are allowed, with the understanding that the translation is no longer the Qur'an, but merely an interpretation or approximation of it. Certain connotations present in the Arabic are lost, as are the rhythm and rhyme of the text. Very simply, it is no longer the Word of God. Although translations can bring much of the message of the Qur'an to the non-Arabic speaker, a good deal is also lost.

This is better understood in light of the aesthetic impact of the Qur'an. It is regarded by Muslims and non-Muslims alike as the masterpiece of Arabic letters. Indeed, the Qur'an is considered to be a miracle. In Sura Al-Baqara God challenges the disbelievers to "produce a sura like it and call on your witnesses besides God if you are truthful. " The poetry and sound of the recited Qur'an have a powerful hold over believers, and recitation is a serious artistic and intellectual endeavor in the Muslim world. Artists have also made use of the sinuous forms of Arabic

The Qur'an is regarded as the masterpiece of Arabic letters.

orthography in adapting Qur'anic verses to a variety of applications, whether in manuscripts or architectural friezes. In many parts of the Muslim world there is a folk belief in the power of verses copied out and worn as amulets, although this is frowned upon by orthodoxy.

The Qur'an is both an historical and an ahistorical document. It was revealed in human language at a certain time and location in human history. Many of the verses refer to contemporary people and events, and came to the Prophet when he was faced with a particular dilemma or problem. In this sense it is a part of this world and, by extension, is an historical text. At the same time, it is otherworldly, as it has been sent down by God. It was produced by a force outside of the confines of history, from an omnipotent and omniscient source who is beyond either human cognition or the constraints of time.

One of the questions which preoccupied Muslim theologians and at times split the Sunni community involved the nature of the Qur'an. The Mu'tazili school held that the Qur'an was created, and would therefore disappear at some point. The Ashari school, which came to dominate, believed that the Qur'an was uncreated and therefore eternal.

Such theological speculation lies outside the scope of interest for the majority of Muslims. For them the Qur'an's significance is both more immediate and more sublime. It fulfills a variety of liturgical functions, and is recited at various points throughout the day . Muslims can turn to the Qur'an at times of difficulty and hardship or of joy and celebration. It is the first basis of the sharia, or Islamic law, and the foundation for the rest of the faith. In the Qur'an, Muslims find God's directives and guidance for men and women in this life, and His promise of hope for the next.

Greg Noakes, an American Muslim, is the advertising director for the Washington Report.