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Qur'an: Muhammad Asad
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The Qur'an is the last scripture that has been revealed to mankind by the Lord Creator and Protector. It was through the last messenger, Muhammad (pbuh), that the world first heard of it. It certainly the Divine scripture that is to be accepted by all, up to the very last man. The term 'Qur'an' has the meanings of 'the recitation', or 'that which is to be recited' and of 'that which is recited.' Indeed, the Qur'an itself has employed the connotation 'the scripture that is recited' in connection with this term (13:31). Unlike the earlier scriptures, the Qur'an is never a compilation of legal pronouncements or code of laws (Taurat), or hymns (Zaboor) or a collection of Gospel of good news (Injeel). It is highly probable that the Qur'an has been named as the last scripture because each one of its words is to be repeatedly read by thousands upon thousands of its believers and is to be so etched into their hearts as to mould their very lives according to its guidelines. As for the actual reason, it is the Lord Who sent it Who knows the answer thereof.
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The Qur'an (Koran - Arabic for "recital"), is the Sacred Scripture of Islam. Muslims believe that the Qur'an (Koran) was dictated verbatim to the Prophet Muhammad between c. 610 and his death (632). The text contains 114 chapters (suras), arranged -- except for the opening sura -- approximately according to length, beginning with the longer chapters. The Qur'an, termed glorious and wonderful (50:1; 72:1), describes itself as a healing and mercy, as light and guidance from God (17:82; 27:77; 41:44; 42:52), as the absolute Truth (69:51), and as a perspicuous Book sent down from heaven in Arabic (12:1-2), part by part (17:106; 25:32), upon Muhammad. Presented as a blessed reminder and an admonition to people everywhere (21:50; 38:87; 80:11-15), it calls for grateful recognition of the many signs, around us and in us (51:20-21), of the goodness of him from whom all good comes (4:79) and urges a total commitment to him who alone is God (112:1-4). Announcing Judgment Day as the final fulfillment of God's threat and his promise (21:97-104), it warns evildoers and those who are ungrateful (17:89; 25:50) but brings good tidings to those who accept the guidance to the straightest path (17:9) and who live in accord with its message and its commandments (regarding marriage and divorce, children and inheritance, lawful foods, spoils of war, and so on).
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The Qur'an [or Koran], is a collection of the speeches made by Muhammad, remembered by his followers, and collected, written down and edited after his death. For Muslims Muhammad is in no way the author of the Qur'an, which is understood as the direct word of God given to Muhammad. Although scholars have some idea of the order of the speeches, the standard text is organized in a remarkable way. Divided into chapters, or surahs , after the first - short - surah, each surah is arranged according to length, the longest coming first. Muslims' early education often consists in learning large parts of the Qur'an and so this arrangement presents little difficulty. For new readers it can make the text somwhat confusing.
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For Muslims, the Qur'an is literally the word of God dictated to the Prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel. (The word Qur'an is derived from a pan-Semitic root which means both "to recite" and "to read.") The words were remembered by Muhammad's followers and written down after the Prophet's death. The text is made up of 114 chapters, or suras. Muhammad received God's word over an approximately twenty-three year period of time (from 610 to 622 C.E.), and ... different suras reflect different periods of Muhammad's life. The organizing principle of the Quran is not, however, chronological order, but rather length. The first sura is the longest and the last sura is shortest.
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The Qur'an is organized into separate chapters called surahs. The order of the surahs... does not reflect the chronological order of the Quranic verses, nor does the surah structure reflect the nature of the original Quranic revelation. During his lifetime, Muhammad would have individual verses revealed to him; these revelations occurred unexpectedly and in surprising places. Typically, revelation would put Muhammad in a trance-like state. He, and others, would memorize the revealed verses and, under the guidance of Gabriel, Muhammad organized these verses into the existing surahs. The intervention of Gabriel in ordering the various verses in Islamic history is meant to guarantee not only the sanctity of the individual verses, but the religious validity of the organization of these verses in the Qur'an.
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The Qur'an was revealed in pure Arabic to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) over a period of twenty-three years ending in 632 A.D., the year he passed away. The first revelation was only five verses, the first five verses of Chapter 96. Among the very early revelations are Surah 73, 74, 80 and 97. The revelations were sent by Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala (SWT), the creator and sustainer of the universe, and transmitted to him by the Archangel Jibril (as) (Gabriel). The revelations he received were sometimes a few verses, a part of a chapter or the whole chapter. Some revelations came down in response to an inquiry by the nonbelievers.
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Muhammad Asad