260
reason it is frequently carried
in a bag to avoid damage. If it
should accidentally fall, then it is
honored, sometimes with a kiss,
and returned to safety. Some
Muslims will make a charitable
donation in cases where they have
handled the Qur’an carelessly.
The sacred respect shown
towards the Qur’an is maintained
for old and worn-out copies as well,
which may not be thrown away,
but instead should be disposed of
through a respectful burial. This
can be done in any appropriate
place for a burial, including at sea.
Some Muslims will also allow a
disposal by fire.
Stipulations for the disposal
of the sacred text are also meant
to apply to any paper, jewelry,
decoration, or other material on
which verses of the Qur’an have
been written. For this reason, some
Muslim-majority regions provide
special disposal bins so that such
material can be collected and
disposed of properly.
Many of these rules of respect
apply not only to the written text
of the Qur’an, but also to its oral
recitation. Since the Qur’an is
perceived as God’s literal word, it
is thought to come alive when it is
recited. As a result, many Muslims
cover their heads when it is read
aloud and sometimes even during
their personal study of the Qur’an.The role of language
The belief that the heavenly
prototype of the Qur’an is written
in Arabic makes Qur’anic Arabic
not only the sacred language of
Islam, but the language of God as
well. For Muslims there is therefore
a very real sense that the Qur’an
loses its status as divine revelation
when it is translated into other
languages. Due to this belief,
translations of the Qur’an are
frequently accompanied by the
Arabic text, and even then
these texts are considered mere
interpretations or translations of
the meaning of the original Arabic.
They are in no way substitutes or
equivalents of the Arabic Qur’an.
Since Qur’anic Arabic is
considered a divine language, other
aspects of Muslim life and thought
are further shaped around the
language. For example, Muslims
throughout the world memorize the
Qur’an and their prayers in Arabic,
regardless of whether or not they
understand the language.
Perhaps most importantly, the
text of the Arabic Qur’an, since it is
holy, shares certain characteristics
with God, its author. Thus, it is
perfect, eternal, uncreated, and
unchangeable. Known as i‘jaz
al-Qur’an (the miraculousness or
inimitability of the Qur’an), this
doctrine means that the language,
literary style, and ideas revealed in
the Qur’an are irreproducible and
cannot be matched by any humanGOD REVEALS HIS WORD AND HIS WILL
Printed and bound copies of the
Qur’an are checked meticulously for
accuracy before being distributed—here
by a 600-strong team of readers at the
King Fahd printworks in Saudi Arabia.
endeavor. Everything about it, from
the grammatical constructions
of the Qur’an’s Arabic, to the
sound of it when it is read and
chanted, and the prophecies it
foretells, is considered miraculous
and matchless. According to
Muslims, any attempt to equal or
surpass the Qur’an will surely fail.
Another aspect of the Qur’an’s
miraculous nature is its unique
repetition of basic themes.
Opening the Qur’an at any section
will often yield a treatment of the
book’s essential message. This
formulaic, and almost abbreviated,
style is challenging for non-Muslims,
or those familiar with the narrative
structure of other holy scriptures.
For Muslims, however, this style
is a mysterious testament to the
Qur’an’s unparalleled beauty.
The Qur’an is not only the
most sacred book of Islam, but is
also considered by Muslims, and
even many non-Muslims, as the
crowning achievement of Arabic
literature. As such, the Qur’an
is studied for its poetic prose as
much as it is read for its divine
guidance. But the respect,Falsehood cannot come
to it from any direction,
it is preserved by God
Who said: “Verily, We, it is
We who have sent down the
Qur’an and surely, We will
guard it from corruption.
Sura 15:9