The Quran Karim is a compilation of the verbal revelations given to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) over a period of twenty two years. The Quran Karim is the Holy Book or the Scriptures of the Muslims. It lays down for them the law and commandments, codes for their social and moral behaviour, and contains a comprehensive religious philosophy. The language of the Quran is Arabic.

Besides its proper name, the Quran is also known by the following names:al Kitab The Book;al Furqan The Discriminant: al Dhikr The Exposition; al Bayan The Explanation; al Burhan The Argument; al Haqq The Truth; al Tanzil The Revelation; al Hikmat The Wisdom; al Huda The Guide; al Hukm The Judgment; al Mau'izah The Admonition; al Rahmat The Mercy; al-Noor The Light; al-Rooh The Word

Surahs And Verses

The Quran Karim is divided into 114 Surahs or Chapters and each Chapter consists of individual Ayaat or verses. There are in total 6,348 verses in the Quran Karim. The Surahs are of varying lengths, some consisting of a few lines while others run for many pages. Surah al Baqarah (Ch.2 ) is the longest Chapter comprising 287 verses while Surah al Kauthar( Ch. 108) is the shortest with only four verses including the tasmia.

The text of the Quran Karim has remained unchanged over the past 1400 years. The millions of copies of the Quran circulating in the world today are all identical down to a single letter. And this is not strange since God says in the Quran Karim that He Himself will guard this book:

"Surely it is We Who have revealed the Exposition, and surely it is We Who are its guardians" (15:10)

What Does The Quran Karim Contain

To the Muslims, the Quran is the Word of God and contains complete guidance for mankind. Much of the Quran is about God, His attributes and man's relationship to Him. But it also contains directives for its followers, historical accounts of certain prophets and peoples, arguments for accepting Muhammad as a genuine Prophet and good news for the believers and warnings for the disbelievers. Broadly speaking, the contents of the Quran Karim fall into five main categories:

1. Nature of the Spiritual World
2. The Law and Commandments
3. Historical Accounts
4. The Wisdom
5. The Prophecies

The Quran - History of Text

Unlike the Old and the New Testaments, the Quran has been preserved in its entirety. The Quranic revelations were memorised and recorded immediately and simultaneously upon their revelation. The Quran was revealed by God to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) over a period of about 23 years. The revelations were conveyed to the Prophet in small segment by the angel Gabriel who made the Prophet recite the revealed verses in his presence. (>> article detail)

The Nature of the Quranic Teachings

Islam, like the other great religions, more particularly the other two semitic faiths, Judaism and Christianity, with whom it has much in common, bases itself on revelation. But there is a vital distinction. The Holy Quran is a record solely of the verbal revelations received by the Holy Prophet of Islam during a period of over twenty years. It is thus, according to Muslim belief, the Very Word of God. The Holy Prophet's own interpretation and exposition of the revelations are not set out in the Quran. These are contained in other collections. (>> article detail)

Reflection on The Holy Quran and Science

The human body is a marvel of science. It is able to exist in a variety of circumstances, and adapt to its environment appropriately. This is done through numerous balance of mechanisms within the body which help to maintain a healthy equilibrium. Here, the author looks at this amazing balancing act in the light of Qur'anic revelations, and shows how the body itself is a proof of the existence of God. (>> article detail)

Unity of God in the Light of Surah Ikhlas

This Surah (chapter), which is the one of the last three Surahs of the Quran, is called Surah Ikhlas, as the pure Tauheed (unity of God) which has been stated in this Surah, is not seen proclaimed anywhere else as proclaimed here. Unity of God has been proclaimed in the Quran but it is scattered in different chapters. The way the Tauheed is proclaimed in a perfect and continuous manner in this short chapter is not found in any other chapter. (>> article detail)

Quran Karim, Adam & Original Sin

Quran Karim teaches that man's physical creation and development are the result of a process of evolution and in the same way his intellectual development is also the result of a process of evolution. Hadhrat Adam as. was not the first human being but was the first human being whose intellect was capable of accepting and bearing the responsibility of revelation. (>>article detail)    

Islam & Terrorism

According to the Islamic Holy Book - the Quran Karim, God has bestowed honour on every individual irrespective of skin colour, race, nationality, etc. Freedom is one of the great favours of God and its deprivation is a great misery. Under the Islamic dispensation, no one can be made a captive without a just cause. Prisoners can only be taken in the event of a regular declared war or battle and not for any other reason or under any other pretext. (>>article detail)

Jesus, Prophet of God

It is clear, therefore, that Jesus consistently put himself forward as one who had been sent by God, that is to say, as a messenger of God. In fact, his function as a messenger of God was de fined even before his birth by Divine direction as set out both in the Gospel and in the Holy Quran. The angel that appeared to Mary and told her that she would bear a son whom she should name Jesus also informed her that God will give him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob.... (>>article detail)

Fasting: Fourth Pillar of Islam

The idea of the fast has been inculcated in all religious disciplines which are based on revelation, though strict conformity to the ordinances relating thereto is no longer insisted upon. Indeed, within some disciplines, the fast has been reduced to a purely symbolic observance. In Islam, the ordinances relating to the fast are clearly stated and defined and to the degree of their applicability, they are strictly observed. A tendency towards greater rigidity is sometimes encountered and has to be checked and countered through exposition of the true purpose of the fast and of the meaning of the regulations and their spirit. (>>article detail)

Fasting

Fasting is another form of worship found universally in the world religions. Although there are vast differences regarding the mode of fasting and the conditions applied to it, the central idea of fasting is present everywhere. Where it is not mentioned clearly, it is likely that it may gradually have either been discontinued or have petered out through gradual decay in practice. (>>article detail)