The Religions Book

256

A

ccording to the Islamic

faith, God has revealed

his will to humankind

through nature, history, and, most

importantly, his word. Nature, or

God’s creation, is a sign pointing

to God’s existence. In history,

the rise and fall of empires are

signs of God’s sovereignty over

humankind. But of greatest

significance is that God’s will

is revealed through his word and

conveyed by his messengers.

In Islam, God’s ultimate word

and will are contained in the

Qur’an, the book that was revealed

to the Prophet Muhammad, chosen

by God as His final messenger

(pp.252–53). Within it are ayat—

verses, or signs, that reveal to the

world what God desires and

commands. Another name for the

Qur’an is al-Tanzil, the Downsent.

For Muslims, the Qur’an is God’s

literal word that has been sent

down to humankind from heaven.

The recitation

According to Islamic tradition,

Muhammad spent many days

meditating in a cave on Mount

Hira overlooking Mecca. One night

the angel Jibrail (the Arabic name

for Gabriel) appeared to him in

the cave, summoning Muhammad

to prophethood and demanding

that he “Recite!” (p.253). What

followed was the first revelation of

the Qur’an. The whole of the Qur’an

was revealed to Muhammad at

intervals over a prolonged period

of time so that he could gradually

recite it (the Arabic word qur’an

means recitation) to others.

The revelations, many of which

Muhammad was to receive in a

trancelike state, began in

610 CE and continued over the

next 22 years. At first, Muhammad

memorized the revelations and

GOD REVEALS HIS WORD AND HIS WILL

IN CONTEXT

KEY TEXT

The Qur’an

WHEN AND WHERE

610–632 CE, Arabia

BEFORE

c.2000–1500 BCE Muslims

believe Moses is given the

Torah on Mount Sinai.

10th–9th century BCE Dawud

(King David of Israel) receives

the Zabur, a second holy book,

from God; this may be the

biblical book of Psalms.

1st century CE In Islamic

tradition, God bestows a book

of revelation and truth on Jesus.

AFTER

c.7th century CE The

companions of the Prophet

produce the first Qur’anic text.

8th–9th century CE The

scholar al-Shafi‘i enshrines

the Qur’an as the primary

reference for shari’a, or

Islamic law.

... is transmitted by

God’s angel Jibrail

to Muhammad...

... and therefore

remains the perfect

expression of...

... and transcribed

by his followers

in book form as...

... which retains its

miraculous connection

to its heavenly prototype...

The Word of God The Noble Qur’an

Recite! In the name

of your Lord who

created, created man

from a blood clot. Recite!

Sura 96:1–5