The Quran ("The Recitation") is the central religious text of Islam, held by Muslims to be the literal, unmediated word of God (Allah) as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel (Jibril) over approximately 23 years, from 610 CE until Muhammad's death in 632 CE. It is regarded within Islamic tradition not merely as a source of teaching but as a miracle in itself — inimitable in its Arabic language and form.
Illustration: a book on a rahle, the folding stand traditionally used for reading the Quran
The Quran's 114 chapters, called surahs, are traditionally divided into Meccan revelations — earlier, generally shorter, and centered on theology, monotheism, and the Day of Judgment — and Medinan revelations, delivered after Muhammad's migration to Medina in 622 CE, which are typically longer and address law, community organization, and social conduct. Rather than being arranged chronologically, the surahs in the final compiled text are ordered roughly from longest to shortest.
While a strong oral tradition of memorization (hifz) and precise recitation (tajwid) accompanied the revelations from the beginning, a standardized written text was compiled under the third caliph, Uthman ibn Affan, around 650 CE, in order to resolve regional variations in recitation and establish a single authoritative version.
Tawhid — the absolute oneness and uniqueness of God, the Quran's most fundamental theological claim
Prophethood — Muhammad as the final in a line of prophets that includes Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, figures also recognized in Judaism and Christianity
The Day of Judgment — accountability for one's deeds in the afterlife
Guidance for daily life — ethical, social, and legal instruction covering prayer, charity, family life, and community conduct
Recitation itself is treated as a devotional art form; the practice of tajwid governs the precise rhythm, pronunciation, and melodic delivery of the text, and memorizing the entire Quran (earning the honorific hafiz) remains a widely pursued achievement across the Muslim world.
The Quran shaped classical Arabic language and literature so thoroughly that it remains the benchmark against which Arabic style is measured. It is the direct foundation of Islamic law (sharia) and jurisprudence, and it sparked a vast tradition of theology, philosophy, and mysticism — from the philosophical rationalism of thinkers like Avicenna and Averroes to the poetic, ecstatic devotion of Sufi mystics such as Rumi, already explored elsewhere on this site.
Structure: 114 surahs, Meccan and Medinan revelations
Related Topics: Tawhid, sharia, Sufism, the Hadith
Quran on Wikipedia · Britannica: Quran · Quran.com (read with translations)
