The Qur'an (from the Arabic qara'a, "to recite") is the holy book of Islam. Muslims believe it is the literal word of Allah - perfect, unchanged and final.

Revelation

The Qur'an was revealed to Muhammad over 23 years, beginning in 610 CE when the angel Jibril appeared to him in the Cave of Hira near Mecca and commanded: "Recite!" Muhammad memorised each revelation and passed it on to his followers, who also memorised and wrote it down. After his death, the verses were collected into a single book during the rule of caliph Uthman.

Structure

The Qur'an has 114 chapters called surahs, made up of verses called ayahs. Surahs are arranged roughly by length (longest first), not in the order they were revealed. The opening surah, al-Fatihah ("The Opening"), is short but is recited in every prayer.

Language and Memorisation

The Qur'an is written in classical Arabic. Muslims believe translations are useful but only the Arabic original is the true Qur'an. A Muslim who memorises the entire book is called a hafiz - a great honour. Children often begin learning Qur'anic Arabic at a young age.

Respect for the Book

Muslims handle the Qur'an with great care: they make wudu (ritual washing) before touching it, place it on the highest shelf in the room, and rest it on a wooden stand called a rehal when reading. It should never be put on the floor or touched with dirty hands.

Y9 Islam

The Qur'an - Word of Allah