What
is Quran Pak?
Praise
be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds,
Who has said in His Noble Book:
"There
has come to you from Allah Light and a Perspicuous Book."
(5.15)
And
may peace and blessings be upon the Seal of the Prophets,
Muhammad, who has said that:
"The
best among you is he who learned the Qur-ãn and
then taught it." (Narrated by the six except Muslim)
May
the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his family
and all his Companions.
The
Glorious Qur-ã is the Book of Allah, the Wise
and Worthy of all Praise, Who has promised to safeguard
it from any violations in its purity. It becomes incumbent
upon each and every person who seeks the dignity of
this world and the bliss of the Hereafter to regulate
his life according to it, to implement its commandments
and to pay homage to the magnificence of the One Who
revealed it. This can be an easy task for those favored
with guidance from Allah, especially those blessed by
an understanding of Arabic, the language of the divine
communication. But for those not acquainted with Arabic,
their ignorance is a barrier between them and this source
of guidance and illumination. A translation of the message
of Allah is thus a task not to be taken lightly or performed
superficially.
The
Glorious Quran is the Book of Allah, the Wise and Worthy
of all Praise, Who has promised to safeguard it from
any violations in its purity. It becomes incumbent upon
each and every person who seeks the dignity of this
world and the bliss of the Hereafter to regulate his
life according to it, to implement its commandments
and to pay homage to the magnificence of the One Who
revealed it. This can be an easy task for those favored
with guidance from Allah, especially those blessed by
an understanding of Arabic, the language of the divine
communication. But for those not acquainted with Arabic,
their ignorance is a barrier between them and this source
of guidance and illumination. A translation of the message
of Allah is thus a task not to be taken lightly or performed
superficially. The Qur-ãn enjoys a number of
characteristics unique to it alone, some of which are
as follows:
this
is the actual Word of Allah; not created but revealed
for the benefit of all mankind.
"Blessed
is He Who sent down the Criterion to His servant, that
it may be An admonition to all creatures." (25.1)
It is complete and comprehensive. The Almighty says
"Nothing
have We omitted from the Book." (6.38)
In
another place we read,
"And We have sent down to thee the Book explaining
all things." (16.89)
It
is a theoretical and a practical Book, not only moralizing
but also defining specifically the permissible and the
forbidden. The importance of understanding the message
of the Qur-ãn is undeniable, but simply reciting
it with the intention o f seeking Allah's pleasure and
reward is also an act of worship and meritorious in
itself. Allah Almighty says:
"So
take what the Prophet gives you, and refrain from what
he prohibits you."(59.7)
Allah
has perfected His religion for all mankind with the
revelation of this Book. He says:
"This
day have I perfected your religion for you, completed
My favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your
religion." (5.3)
It
is Allah's eternal miracle revealed to the Prophet Muhammad
for all succeeding generations. In response to those
who doubt the authorship of the Qur-ãn, Allah
Almighty has challenged the most articulate Arabs to
produce a whole book, ten chapters or even one solitary
chapter which can be remotely comparable to the Qur-ãn.
But to this day, no one has succeeded in meeting the
challenge of the Almighty. The critics of the Qur-ãn;
have been struck dumb by its ineffable eloquence and
surpassing beauty.
"Say,
if the whole of mankind and jinns were to gather together
to produce the like of this Qur-ãn, they could
not produce the like thereof; even if they backed-up
each other with help and support." (17.88)
The
Almighty also says:
"Or
they may say: 'He forged it.' Say: 'Bring ye then ten
chapters forged, like unto it and call (to your aid)
whomsoever ye can other than Allah, if ye speak the
truth." (11.13)
And
again
"Or
do they say: 'He forged it'? Say: 'Bring then a chapter
like! Unto it and call (to your aid) anyone ye can besides
Allah, if it be ye speak the truth." (10.38)
It has been revealed to re-establish the sincere worship
of Allah alone, without association of any partners
with Him.
"This
is a Book with verses basic or fundamental (of established
meaning), further explained in detail, from One Who
is Wise and Well-Aware. (It teaches) that you should
worship none but Allah." (11.1-2)
"And
they have been commanded no more than this: to worship
Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true in
faith, to establish regular prayer and to give Zakat,
and that is the religion Right and Straight." (98.5)
It
contains a complete code which provides for all areas
of life, whether spiritual, intellectual, political,
social or economic. It is a code which has no boundaries
of time, place or nation.
"Verily
this Qur-ãn doth guide to that which is most
right." (17.9)
Allah
Almighty has taken upon Himself the duty of preserving
the Qur-ãn for ever in its entirety, as He says:
"We have without doubt sent down the Message, and
We will assuredly guard it (from corruption)."
(15.9) So well has it been preserved, both in memory
and in writing, that the Arabic text we have today is
identical to the text as it was revealed to the Prophet.
Not even a single letter has yielded to corruption during
the passage of the centuries. And so it will remain
for ever, by the consent of Allah.