Basic Beliefs • 45prophets. These words have been turned into books: the Torah of the Jews
(consisting of the first five books of the Bible), the Gospels of the Chris¬
tians, and the Quran of the Muslims. They also believe that God's earlier
revelations, in the form we know them, were corrupted and had to be cor¬
rected by the Quran. Modern scholarship has shown that the books of the
Bible were written down only after some time had passed since they were
revealed. Muslims ask, therefore, whether Jews changed some passages of
the Torah to depict themselves as God's chosen people (a concept rejected
by Islam) or whether Christians rewrote the Gospels to prove the divinity
of Jesus of Nazareth (for Muslims maintain that no human can be God).
The Quran, however, is God's perfect revelation. It has existed in Heaven
since time began. It will never be superseded. After Muhammad's death it
was carefully compiled ("from scraps of parchment, from thin white
stones, from palm leaves, and from the breasts of men," wrote an early
Muslim) by his followers. Some parts had actually been written down
while Muhammad was still alive. If any passage had been misread, a Mus¬
lim who had heard Muhammad give the passage would surely have put it
right. Seventh-century Arabs had prodigious memories.
The Quran is not easy reading. It is the record of God's revelations, via
the angel Gabriel, to Muhammad. It contains laws, stories from the past,
and devotional pieces intended for guidance and recitation, not for liter¬
ary entertainment. Most of its 114 chapters bring together passages re¬
vealed at different times. The chapters, except for the first, are arranged in
order of length. Those revealed in Medina, filled with injunctions and pro¬
hibitions, tend to precede the Meccan chapters, which stress God's power
and warn of the coming Judgment Day. Because the Quran was revealed in
Arabic, most Muslims do not think it can or should be translated into any
other language. As its usage reflects that of seventh-century Meccans, even
Arab Muslims may now need help to understand parts of what they read.
The Quran's language is rhymed prose (not metrical like poetry), but it
can sound lyrical when chanted by a trained reciter. Try to hear one. Mus¬
lims venerate the Quran for many reasons: Its language and style are inim¬
itable; the book sets Islam apart from all other religions; and its teachings
have stood the test of time. The speech and writing of pious Muslims are
studded with Quranic expressions. No other book has affected so many
minds so powerfully for so long.
Messengers
God's books were revealed to mortal men called prophets or messengers.
Although Islam stresses that Muhammad was the last of the prophets,