Uloom Al Quran An Introduction
By Navaid Aziz | 2026-01-16T17:53:48.699339+00:00 | Topic: Quran
Uloom Al-Quran: An Introduction
By: Navaid Aziz
Opening
Brothers and sisters, from the greatest miracles that Allah descended upon the Prophet ﷺ was the Quran itself.
The Quran, the very speech of Allah is the greatest miracle sent to the Prophet ﷺ. And it is through the Quran that Allah preserved many, many things in this religion.
Through the Quran, Allah preserved the Arabic language. Through the Quran, Allah preserved the deen of Islam. Through the Quran, Allah preserves the rules and regulations pertaining to our daily lives.
Now, just looking at it from this angle, we can suffice to say that it is the most important book that every Muslim needs to study. Now, putting this aside, let us take a look at a statement of the Prophet ﷺ where he said:
"I have left behind amongst you two things. If you stick to them, then you will never go astray."
A hadith recorded both by Imam al-Bukhari and by Imam Muslim. The Prophet ﷺ emphasizes that if you want to remain guided, then stick to these two things: to the book of Allah and his sunnah.
So, keeping this in mind, I thought this would be an ideal time to take a deeper look at the Quran and at the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. And bi-ithnillahi ta'ala this will be our discourse for the next two days.
Introduction to Uloom Al-Quran
Now, when discussing any topic at hand, whether it be academic or whether it be a religious science, one always needs to define parameters and take a look at the definitions of the subject matter.
So, starting off with the Quran. In the Arabic language, or when you study any science in Arabic, you are usually given two definitions: one what they call a ta'rif lughawi (تَعْرِيفٌ لُغَوِيٌّ - ta'rif lughawi) and another what they call a ta'rif istilahi (تَعْرِيفٌ اصْطِلاحِيٌّ - ta'rif istilahi).
As for the ta'rif al-lughawi, then this is a linguistic definition. And as for the ta'rif al-istilahi, it is commonly translated as a conventional definition. But what they actually mean is that when you take the linguistic definition, how does this linguistic definition apply to the actual science that you are studying itself.
Linguistic Definition of the Quran
So, let us take a look at these two types of definitions and how they relate to the Quran and its sciences. As for the Quran linguistically, there are four common opinions:
First Opinion
The first opinion is that of Imam al-Tabari, and likewise, the majority of the scholars who discuss the science of the Quran follow this opinion as well. That the word Quran is a verbal noun, or what they call in the Arabic language a masdar (مَصْدَرٌ - masdar) from the fi'l or the verb (قُرَأَ - qara'a), which means to read or to recite.
So they say that the Quran is the verbal noun from (قَرَأَ - qara'a) to read or to recite. So the Quran is thus that which is read or that which is recited. And this is the opinion of the vast majority of scholars who discuss the sciences of the Quran.
Second Opinion
A second opinion, and this was the opinion of Imam al-Shafi'i and the reciter known as Ibn Kathir al-Makki. Ibn Kathir al-Makki that we mentioned over here is not Ibn Kathir, the author of the famous tafsir, but rather he was one of the reciters of the Quran who was famous in Mecca.
So their opinion was that the word Quran is not derived from any word in the Arabic language. But rather just like the word Tawrah (تَوْرَاة - Tawrah) and Injili (إنجيل - Injil) it is a word that is unique in its own sense. It has no origin in the Arabic language. And this is a title that Allah has given by Himself.
Third Opinion
Thirdly, there is a third opinion that mentions that it comes from the word (قَرَنَ - qarana), to join or to associate.
When most of us go for hajj, and you study the ahkam of hajj, you notice that a person can perform three types of hajj: hajj al-tamatu' (حَجُّ التَّمَتُّعِ - hajj al-tamatu'), hajj al-ifrad (حَجُّ الْإِفْرَادِ - hajj al-ifrad) and hajj al-qiran (حَجُّ الْقِرَانِ - hajj al-qiran). And it has the same origin as the word Quran if one gives preference to this opinion. And it means to join or to associate.
So in hajj al-qiran, you are joining your hajj with your umrah.
Fourth Opinion
And the last opinion is that the word Quran comes from the word (قَرَائِن - qara'in) which means to resemble and to be similar. Now why would they say that the word Quran comes from the word (قَرَائِن - qara'in)? This is due to the fact that if one were to actually take a look at the surahs and the layout of the Quran and the structure of the Quran, you would find many similarities.
That all of them start with (بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ - bismillahi ar-rahman ar-rahim) with the exception of one surah. That all of them are split up into verses, and all of them have common characteristics amongst them. Thus they mention that the word Quran comes from (قَرَائِن - qara'in) because one part resembles another and is similar to one another.
Conventional Definition of the Quran
Now as for the conventional definition, after having given preference to the opinion that the word Quran comes from, is the verbal noun from (قَرَأَ - qara'a) to recite and to read.
As for the conventional definition, and this is something we need to be very precise and meticulous about. And when you actually study in the books of uloom al-Quran, you will see that there are a lot of definitions. And
each of them have minute differences, and at the end of the day it just comes down to wordings. Whereas the general meaning given from these definitions is the same.
The conventional definition is:
The Quran is the Arabic speech of Allah which He revealed to Muhammad in wording and meaning, and which has been preserved in the mushafs and has reached us by mutawatir transmissions.
To repeat that: the conventional definition is that the Quran is the Arabic speech of Allah which He revealed to Muhammad in wording and meaning, and which has been preserved in the mushafs and has reached us by mutawatir transmissions.
Breakdown of the Definition
So now let us take a breakdown of this definition.
Part 1: The Quran is Arabic Speech
The first part of this definition is that the Quran is the Arabic speech of Allah. Allah mentions in 11 or more specific verses that the Quran is in Arabic.
Allah says in the second verse of Surah Yusuf:
"Indeed, We have revealed it as an Arabic Quran" (Quran 12:2)
That indeed we have revealed the Quran in Arabic, or we have descended upon you an Arabic Quran. So the first thing is that the Quran is in no other language except in Arabic.
So these translations that we have, they are not considered the Quran. And likewise, one cannot use them to recite the Quran as some people do. But rather the Quran is in Arabic alone.
Part 2: The Speech of Allah
The second part of the definition is that it is the speech of Allah. Now this is a very critical point as it caused much controversy amongst the earlier sects.
That it is the speech of Allah, meaning that Allah Himself spoke these words. And through it, Jibreel brought them to the Prophet ﷺ.
So now as for what this excludes from the definition, then this excludes any speech that comes from men, from jinn or from the angels. But rather the Quran is the speech of Allah alone and no one else. So if a person brings a hadith, he cannot claim that this is the Quran.
And likewise, if a person claims that a statement of Jibreel was brought forth, he cannot claim that this is the Quran. But the Quran is only that which is the speech of Allah.
Part 3: Revealed to Muhammad ﷺ
The third part of the definition: it was revealed to Muhammad ﷺ.
And indeed this is one of the greatest miracles. That the descent of the Quran upon the Prophet ﷺ began his prophethood. And likewise when the revelation ceased, it shortly thereafter the Prophet passed away as well.
So it played a very big role in the life of the Prophet ﷺ. So when the Quran was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ, this excludes any speech that Allah spoke to other than the Prophet ﷺ. So when Allah spoke to Musa عليه السلام in Mount Tur, or he spoke to any other Prophet, or revealed any other books to any of the previous messengers, this cannot be included in the Quran.
But rather the Quran is only that which was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ.
Part 4: In Wording and Meaning
The fourth part of the definition is that it is revealed to the Prophet ﷺ in wording and in meaning. And again this is a very critical point because again the earlier sects in Islam differed over this.
They claimed that the Quran was just the meaning which was given to the Prophet ﷺ, whereas the actual wording was either brought out by Jibreel or by the Prophet ﷺ. Because they claimed that Allah could not speak. And if you claim that He speaks, then you have given to Him man-like attributes.
So we as Ahlul Sunnah, we proclaim that the Quran was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ in exact words and in exact meanings. So there is no difference of opinion as to what the words mean, or what words were given to the Prophet ﷺ and what they could possibly mean. But rather they were all given from Allah to the Prophet ﷺ.
Part 5: Preserved in the Mushafs
The fifth part of the definition is that it is preserved in the Mushafs. And we can add to this that it is likewise preserved in the chest and in the hearts of mankind as well.
That as Muslims, one of the noblest deeds that we can do is memorize the Quran and learn the Quran and teach the Quran.
As Uthman رضي الله عنه narrates in Sahih al-Bukhari:
خَيْرُكُمْ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ وَعَلَّمَهُ
"The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it to the people." (Sahih al-Bukhari)
So the Quran has been preserved in the Mushaf and in the chest of the people. Now what does the word Mushaf actually mean? Mushaf has the same origin as Sahifa (صَحِيفَة - Sahifa). And both of them mean a form of those papers or a form of collected papers.
That's all it means. As for what we mean by it when we use it in the terms of the science of the Quran, it is those papers that the Quran is written upon. So these green binded books that we have which we refer to as the Quran
are actually Mushafs. And the Quran is that which is written on it and that which you recite. Whereas the book itself is referred to a Mushaf. So again, that which is between the two binded sides is the Quran.
So Allah preserved the Quran between the two Mushafs. Now something particular to this is when we add in this definition that it is preserved in the Mushaf, there is a more specific meaning to it. Meaning that the Quran is that which is preserved in the Mushaf of Uthman.
We will soon be discussing the preservation of the Quran and the three stages that it went through: during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, during the time of Abu Bakr, and during the final stages during the time of Uthman. And then from the time of Uthman till our time today, it is the same Quran. It went through no changes thereafter, or very minimal changes at least, which were mainly printing changes.
So what was specific to the Mushaf of Uthman? One thing that was specific to the Mushaf of Uthman was that it had 114 surahs.
If we take a look at the previous Mushafs, let's just say from Ubayy ibn Ka'b and Zayd ibn Thabit, Ubayy ibn Ka'b had less than 100 surahs in his Mushaf. Meaning that the Mushaf that he compiled from the Prophet ﷺ only had 100 surahs. And the Mushaf of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud رضي الله عنه only had 106 surahs.
So there were parts missing from their Mushafs. Even though they had memorized the Quran in its totality, they did not have it preserved in written form. And the Quran in its complete written form was compiled during the time of Uthman as we will shortly discuss.
So when we refer to the term Mushaf, we are not referring to any Mushaf, but rather we are referring to the Mushaf of Uthman specifically. So the Mushaf of Uthman, again another particular point pertaining to it, is that it excludes all of those ayat which were mansukh or abrogated before the death of the Prophet ﷺ. So you would see that the Mushaf of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud and Ubayy ibn Ka'b, they didn't exclude those ayat that were abrogated before the death of the Prophet ﷺ, but rather they were left in.
And again we will get into a further discussion of this as we take how the Quran was preserved. So that was the fifth point.
Part 6: Mutawatir Transmission
And the sixth point is that it has reached us in a way of mutawatir transmission.
And what we mean by this, for those of you who have studied the sciences of hadith, you will see that there are two forms of transmission or two ways of narrating. And those are ahad (آحاد - ahad) and mutawatir (مُتَوَاتِر - mutawatir). Now there is no specific definition for either of them, but rather they go hand in hand and they relate to one another.
As for the definition given to mutawatir, the scholars say that mutawatir is that there are so many narrators in each level of narration that it is not possible for them to agree upon a mistake or to agree upon a lie. So again, they define mutawatir as that it is so many narrators in each level that it is not possible for them to come together to agree upon a lie or to agree upon a mistake.
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"Whoever lies upon me intentionally, then let him prepare his seat in the Hellfire."
This hadith is narrated by over 70 companions of the Prophet ﷺ. And from those 70 companions, they each narrated it to many of the successors or the tabi'een. And from those many tabi'een, they narrated it to even more people. So this is an example of mutawatir.
Meaning that there are so many people who learnt the Quran from the Prophet ﷺ, and so many people learnt the Quran from the sahaba and likewise their own, that it was not possible for anyone to introduce a new ayah or introduce a word or even take out a word. Because there were so many people who had memorized the same text, that if one person made a mistake, then he would have so many more people correcting him. So the Quran reached us in a form which is mutawatir.
And one of the topics of uloom al-Quran, which sadly we will not be discussing due to a shortage of time, is the different recitations of the Quran. But just to mention a brief point, there are 10 qira'at of the Quran which are mutawatir. There are 10 different recitations of the Quran which are mutawatir.
And there are 4 which are ahad, which are usually called shaadh (شَاذّ). And it is not permissible to derive ahkam or rulings from these ahad narrations. So when we mention that which is mutawatir, those 4 recitations, which even though they carry many similarities with the 10 qira'at, they cannot be used as an evidence. And likewise, they are not included in our definition because they do not reach the level of mutawatir.
Important Books on Uloom Al-Quran
So that having been said, we have taken a definition of the Quran, linguistically and conventionally, and how it will apply to our discourse through this day.
So now that having been said, let us take a look at some of the important books that have been written on uloom al-Quran.
Throughout history, you would notice that the sciences of Islam, from aqidah to fiqh to hadith to usool al-fiqh to mustalah al-hadith, and any other science, it had no beginning at the time of the Prophet ﷺ, or the companions in written form. But rather it was just oral transmission.
All they had was the Quran and the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, and they automatically understood these rules that applied to aqidah and fiqh and hadith and anything else. And it was only during the time of the tabi'een that they saw a need for books to be compiled, as many people were entering into Islam, and the ummah was expanding and converts were coming in, and we didn't have the same understanding of the Arabic language that the sahabah رضي الله عنهم had. So they saw a need for books to be compiled on particular subjects.
So you would see that books of aqidah started to be written during the time of the atba' at-tabi'een, or the successors of the successors. And likewise, books of hadith started during the time of the tabi'een, and there on and so forth.
The Beginning of Uloom Al-Quran
So now when did the sciences of uloom al-Quran actually begin? The sciences of uloom al-Quran actually began with hadith itself.
And you will see that uloom al-Quran, there is no particular definition to it, but rather people will include in it anything that relates to the Quran, whether it be tajweed, whether it be the recitations of the Quran, whether it be how the Quran was preserved, whether it be the nasikh and mansukh, or those ayat which abrogated one another, or whether it be which ayat were makki and madani. All of these things, they will include in uloom al-Quran, so there is no specific definition.
And you will see that these portions of uloom al-Quran, as all of it is a part of uloom al-Quran, are included in the various books of hadith. That if you looked in the likes of Bukhari and Abu Dawood and al-Tirmidhi, you will see a portion of the book that is allocated for the abrogation of ayat, that this ayah was abrogated with this ayah.
Or you will see in the Sunan of Abu Dawood, the compilation of the Quran, that he mentions how the Quran was preserved during the time of Uthman رضي الله عنه. And this is how we know how Uthman رضي الله عنه came to preserve the Quran. So along with the sciences of Quran, along with the sciences of hadith, the sciences of the Quran were preserved in a similar manner.
Development of Books
And each person didn't write a specific book on the uloom al-Quran, but rather as time went on, they started writing separate books on separate portions of the Quran. So you will see the likes of Ali ibn al-Madini, as we mentioned yesterday, the Sheikh of Imam al-Bukhari رحمه الله that he wrote a book on Asbab al-Nuzul (أَسْبَابُ النُّزُولِ). So in the year 231, you have a book on Asbab al-Nuzul, or the reasons behind revelation.
And likewise there were other books as well. But the first complete book that encompassed all of these things that we mentioned, the Makki and Madani verses, what was the first revelation, what was the last revelation, which ayat were abrogated by one another, was by al-Zarkashi. And he wrote the book al-Burhan (الْبُرْهَانِ
So this was the first complete book that encompassed the various chapters pertaining to the sciences of the Quran. It was written by al-Zarkashi, and he called it al-Burhan.
Then as time went on, people commented on al-Zarkashi's book, and tried to edit it, and tried to make some additions, and no one attempted to actually rewrite another complete book, or make it very different or distinct from al-Zarkashi's book, as this was considered the mother of all books in Uloom al-Quran, until the time of Imam al-Suyuti.
And Imam al-Suyuti died in the year 911, and he called his book al-Itqan fi ulum al-Quran (الْإِتْقَانُ فِي عُلُومِ الْقُرْآنِ. He called his book al-Itqan fi ulum al-Quran. And in 911, this book is approximately 4 to 5 volumes, depending on the prints that you buy. He compiled this book, and he included approximately 30 more chapters than al-Zarkashi did.
So al-Zarkashi had approximately 40 chapters, or 40 different subjects that he discussed in Uloom al-Quran, and then Imam al-Suyuti came, and he included approximately 70 different chapters. And then as time went on, no one developed or progressed in the sciences of Uloom al-Quran, but rather they stuck to the main books that were written before.
Until our time today, you will find a lot of books on Uloom al-Quran, and most of them are just summaries of either al-Burhan or al-Itqan, or usually we'll take a bit from both and put it together.
Contemporary Books
So some of the books in our times, and one of the books that I refer to the most for our discourse today, is Manahil al-Irfan fi Ulum al-Quran (مَنَاهِلُ الْعِرْفَانِ فِي عُلُومِ الْقُرْآنِ. And in all honesty, this is one of the greatest books I have come across pertaining to the sciences of the Quran. The book is called Manahil al-Irfan fi Ulum al-Quran.
This was written by Muhammad Abdul Azim al-Zarqani. And this book is in two volumes, and it was written in the 1940s, I believe, if I'm not mistaken. I believe it was the 1940s.
And it is the most extensive book in the Uloom al-Quran, meaning that he is very thorough in his research, he has gone through the various books of the Salaf, and he is very precise in mentioning the correct opinion when there comes a difference amongst the different books.
And likewise, there are other books which are commonly used as textbooks, the likes of Mabahith fi Ulum al-Quran (مَبَاحِثُ فِي عُلُومِ الْقُرْآنِ) by Manna' al-Qattan, and it's probably the most famous book in our times in the Arabic language, pertaining to Uloom al-Quran. And the benefit of this book, it is very simple in its reading, the language is very easy to understand, and likewise, it doesn't mention too much of a difference of opinion when it mentions the different subjects.
So this is a brief look at the books pertaining to Uloom al-Quran, and how it was actually preserved from the time of the Prophet ﷺ until our times today.
Difference Between Quran and Ahadith Al-Qudsi
Now, going back to the definitions, to the conventional definition that we mentioned, we mentioned that the Quran was the speech of Allah. And people often ask, what is the difference between the Quran and Ahadith al-Qudsi?
Ahadith al-Qudsi are those Ahadith that you will find in all the books of Hadith, the likes of Bukhari and Muslim, and other than them, where the Prophet ﷺ says that Allah said.
So he is quoting something directly from Allah. An example of this Hadith is where Allah says in Sahih Muslim, or as narrated by Imam Muslim, is: "O My servants, I have made injustice haram for Me, and I have made it haram between you. So do not be unjust to one another."
That Allah made dhulm (ظُلْم) haram upon Himself, and likewise made it haram upon mankind. So Allah orders us not to be unjust towards one another. So this is an example of Hadith al-Qudsi.
Five Main Differences
And there are five main differences between Hadith al-Qudsi and the Quran.
First Difference:
Firstly, and this is again, we'll mention something that most of the people who study or have a discourse on the Quran mention, and then we'll mention a critique of it, that they mention that the first difference between the Quran and Hadith al-Qudsi is that the Quran is the word of Allah, in word and in meaning. That the Quran is the word of Allah, in word and in meaning.
Whereas the Hadith al-Qudsi is only a meaning that was given to the Prophet ﷺ, and the Prophet ﷺ worded it. So when you mention something from the Quran, it is permissible to say that Allah says:
But when you're quoting Hadith al-Qudsi, you cannot quote it directly. But rather, you have to say that the Prophet ﷺ said, that Allah said.
And this is for two primary reasons. One is so that the Quran is not mixed with the Hadith. And this is something which is understood and is very clear.
Whereas the second point of distinction is that these scholars of Uloom al-Quran, they mention that the wording was given to the Prophet ﷺ in meaning only, in the Hadith al-Qudsi. Now if one was to look at the various texts, and study all of the Hadith al-Qudsi, and study the understanding of the companions when it came to Hadith al-Qudsi, you will see that there is no mention by any of them, that the Hadith al-Qudsi were given to the Prophet ﷺ in meaning only.
And this seems to be the correct opinion, that along with the Quran, the Hadith al-Qudsi were given to the Prophet ﷺ in wording and in meaning.
And the most clearest of evidences is what Allah mentions in Surah al-Najm:
"Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed." (Quran 53:3-4)
That he does not speak of his own desire, but rather it is a revelation that is given to him. So both the Hadith al-Qudsi and the Quran are the speech of Allah, in wording and in meaning, and this seems to be the correct opinion.
Second Difference:
Now the second difference between the Hadith al-Qudsi and the Quran, is that Allah put a miracle in the Quran, and puts a challenge in the Quran. Meaning that Allah, He challenges the Quraysh and the Arabs of the past, to bring forth something like the Quran, in its style, in its prose, in its content. It is an open challenge for all of mankind, up until today, those people who criticize the Quran.
Our simplest challenge to them is just bring something like it, in its poetic form, in its content, in its meaning. Just bring something like the Quran, and we will accept it. But no one was able to do so, even from the time of the Arabs.
Whereas the Hadith al-Qudsi, they do not hold this miraculous nature. They do not come in any form of rhyme, and even their content, most of it is found in other Hadith, or in the Quran itself. So Allah did not bring about this challenge, in the Hadith al-Qudsi.
Third Difference:
Thirdly, Allah promised to preserve the Quran, but he did not promise to preserve the Hadith al-Qudsi. So Allah, He promised to preserve the Quran for this Ummah. Whereas the Hadith al-Qudsi, he did not promise to preserve them.
And focusing on this point, and getting into some detail, this is again a very very big favor upon the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ. That if you look at the previous books which were sent down, and revealed to the previous nations, Allah did not grant them the favor of preserving their books for them. But rather it was their own initiative, and they had to take care of it on their own.
So they didn't have the help of Allah in preserving it. Whereas when it comes to the Quran, Allah promises the Prophet ﷺ, that we will send the Quran upon you, and likewise we will be the ones who protect it. Meaning that Allah and the angels are the ones who will protect the Quran.
Whereas if you look at Surah Al-Ma'idah, when Allah talks about the rabbis and the priests, he mentions that the responsibility of preserving their books is upon their shoulders, and they will not have any particular help from Allah. So the third point again is that Allah promises to preserve the Quran, but he does not promise to preserve the Hadith al-Qudsi.
And this shouldn't be mistaken as that Allah will not preserve the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, but rather we are speaking of a specific portion of it, and that is the Hadith al-Qudsi.
Fourth Difference:
The fourth difference between the Quran and the Hadith al-Qudsi is that the Quran is mutawatir. Meaning that it was revealed by Allah to the Prophet, and the Prophet ﷺ taught it to so many of his companions, and they taught it to so many of their successors, that in each level, it is impossible that anyone could have forged a lie, or introduced something to the Quran that wasn't from it, or taken away from the Quran that which is from it.
Whereas the Hadith al-Qudsi, they were not preserved in such a manner. Sometimes you will find a Hadith al- Qudsi which is ahad, or sorry, the vast majority of Hadith al-Qudsi are ahad. Meaning that the Prophet ﷺ only mentioned this Hadith to 2 or 3 companions, who taught it to 2 or 3 of their successors, who taught it to 2 or 3 of their students as well.
So the transmission of the Hadith al-Qudsi is not to such a degree of that of the Quran where it is mutawatir, but rather the vast majority of the Hadith al-Qudsi and the Hadith al-Nabawiya from the Prophet ﷺ are ahad, and very select and few of them are actually mutawatir.
Fifth Difference:
Now point number 5, and this is a point that some scholars include in the definition of the Quran, is that we worship Allah in reading the Quran. That in the reading of the Quran is the worship of Allah. And thus it is the only thing you can read in Salah.
You know when you are reciting while you are standing in Salah, you recite Surah al-Fatiha and you recite another Surah as well. One could not recite the Hadith al-Qudsi if he wanted to. He is only allowed to read the Quran alone. So thus Allah has given the Quran this distinction.
The Blessing of the Quran
Thus Allah has given the Quran this distinction. And if you notice, and let us expand a little bit on this point, the barakah and blessing that Allah gave in the Quran.
The famous Hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud رضي الله عنه that he narrated from the Prophet ﷺ, that he said: "In each reading of the letter of the Quran are ten hasanats. And I do not say that Alif, Lam, Meem is one letter, but rather Alif is one letter, and Lam is one letter, and Meem is one letter."
So the understanding of this Hadith is that when we recite these three letters at the beginning of the Surahs, most specifically in Surah al-Baqarah and Surah al-Imran, (أفلام ميم - Alif, Lam, Meem) just by reading these three letters, you get thirty hasanats.
This is something clear and understood. But now let us relate it to other acts of ibadah. Another act of ibadah which is profound in Islam and is highly recommended and is beloved not only to the Muslims, but to Allah as well.
It is so beloved that Allah ordered us to spread it amongst ourselves. And that is the giving of salam, or the giving of the greetings of peace to one another. And again this is another blessing that Allah blessed this
Ummah with, that they have a prescribed greeting that we greet one another with.
So in the Hadith mentioned by Abu Dawood rahimahullah ta'ala, he mentions that the Prophet ﷺ was sitting with his companions one day. And a man came by and he said, "Assalamu alaykum," to which the Prophet ﷺ said "ten." Then another man came and he said, "Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullah," to which the Prophet ﷺ said "twenty."
And then a third man came and he said, "Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh," to which the Prophet ﷺ said "thirty."
Now the companions, being the enthusiastic and inquisitive people that they were, wanting to learn all good and wanting to implement all good, they asked, "Ya Rasulullah, what is it that caused you to mention these numbers after each person entered?"
To which the Prophet ﷺ replied, that the person who says "Assalamu alaykum" will have ten rewards. And the person who says "Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullah" will have twenty rewards. And the person who says "Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh" will have thirty rewards.
Now look at the immense blessing of the Quran. That this long phrase, of "Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh," as blessed as it is, and as much good as it brings about, and as much love as it spreads amongst the ummah, Allah only gives thirty rewards for it.
Whereas if one says (أفلام ميم - Alif, Lam, Meem) he gets the exact same amount of rewards. And this is something to contemplate upon, brothers and sisters. But when we think about good deeds to do, we often think about, okay, I'll give some money in charity, or I'll pray some extra salawat, or I'll go make umrah, or I'll go do something.
Allah has blessed us with a great miracle in front of us. A blessed and enormous miracle, and that is of the Quran. That if you want to obtain rewards, learn the Quran, memorize the Quran, teach the Quran to the people.
And each time you teach the Quran to the people, and someone learns it and they recite it, then you likewise will also get their reward as well. So this is something very important to keep in mind, on how fortunate we are as Muslims, to have this book, which is preserved from the time of the Prophet ﷺ till our time today. Where if we recite even a few letters of it, we get the reward of doing greater actions as well as we just mentioned.
Names of the Quran
Now, talking about the Quran, if one was to study the Quran, they would see that Allah gives several names and descriptions to the Quran. And this will be our topic of discussion now. There are many names of the Quran, and we will take six of them, bi'ithnillahi ta'ala, and these are the six most common of them.
Likewise, Allah also gives many descriptions, but the descriptions are many, and we will just suffice with a couple of them as well.
First Name: Al-Quran )الْقُرْآن(
So the first name that Allah gives for the Quran is Al-Quran. Allah calls the Quran Al-Quran in various verses. But an example of them is in Surah Al-Insan, where Allah says in verse number 23:
"Indeed, it is We who have sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Quran progressively."
That Allah says that we have revealed the Quran upon you, O Muhammad, as a form of revelation, meaning that it descended upon you, and it came down to you. So Allah refers to the Quran as Al-Quran, and this is in Surah Al-Insan, ayah number 23.
Second Name: Al-Kitab )الْكِتَاب
Likewise, Allah calls the Quran Al-Kitab.
Allah says in Surah Al-Nahl, ayah number 89:
"And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things and as guidance and mercy and good tidings for the Muslims."
Allah says in Surah Al-Nahl, we have sent down upon you the book, a clarifier for everything, and a guidance, and a mercy, and a glad tidings for those who submit. So Allah in this noble ayah calls the Quran Al-Kitab. And this ayah in particular is an ayah that one should focus on.
Allah in this particular ayah, He mentions some of the objectives of revealing the Quran. Allah says:
وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ تِبْيَانًا لِّكُلِّ شَيْءٍ
We have sent down the Quran upon you, O Muhammad, as a clarifier for all things. Now what does Allah mean by this? One of the objectives of revelation is that people will come to the Prophet ﷺ with various questions.
If you look at Surah Al-Isra, they ask the Prophet ﷺ about the Ruh. What does the word Ruh mean? What is the spirit? And if you look at Surah Al-Baqarah, they ask the Prophet ﷺ about the menstrual cycle of the woman and rulings pertaining to it. So people used to come and ask the Prophet ﷺ various questions.
And thus Allah would answer these questions for the Prophet ﷺ through the Quran. So thus Allah explained everything that needed to be known through the Quran.
Then the second portion of this ayah, Allah mentions (وَهُدًى - Wahudan), meaning that it is a guidance.
So now the Quran likewise, just as it is a clarifier for all things, it is the ultimate guidance as well. That if a person were to read and reflect upon the Quran, they would find guidance in it. That if you want to see what is the objective of your life, you find it in the Quran.
Allah mentions in Surah Adh-Dhariyat:
"And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me."
That I did not create the jinn and mankind except for my worship. And obviously this is the greatest common question amongst the philosophers. Why did Allah, or why were we created? To them they don't believe in Allah, but rather they just believe in creation itself.
They believe, they ask why were we created? What is our purpose upon this earth? Again Allah in His infinite wisdom and knowledge reveals the answer to this question. That we were not placed upon this earth except to worship Allah alone.
And going on to the third part of this ayah, Allah mentions that this Quran is a rahma )رَحْمَةٌ( and a mercy and a bushra )بُشْرَى(. Meaning a giver of glad tidings to the Muslims.
So now how is the Quran a rahma? And how is it a giver of glad tidings? As for the Quran being a rahma, then if one were to reflect upon the ayat of the Quran again, Allah mentions in various ayat how the believers, that if they are to do righteous deeds then they will have lives of ease and prosperity.
Allah mentions in Surah An-Nahl, I believe it's ayah 97:
"Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life."
That whoever does a good deed, whether he is a male or a female, as long as he is a believer, then we shall bestow upon him a good life.
That Allah promises ease and prosperity and comfort to those people who come with iman and come with good deeds. Now, let us take the example of the exact opposite. Those people who turn away from the remembrance of Allah.
Actually, we'll leave this for the fourth name of the Quran when we get to it. So Allah mentions in the last portion of this ayah that the Quran is a bushra for the muslimin, or a giver of glad tidings to the believers. And in it He gives them glad tidings of Jannah, and He gives them glad tidings of lives of ease and prosperity.
And He also gives them glad tidings of that any injustice or any wrong that was done to them, that Allah will bring about its fixing and will bring about the justice on Yawm al-Qiyamah.
Third Name: Al-Furqan )الْفُرْقَانِ(
So a third name given to the Quran is Al-Furqan. And this is seen in the very first ayah of Surah Al-Furqan.
Allah says:
تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ
That Allah says, Blessed is the one who sent upon his slave Al-Furqan. And Furqan can be translated as the this criterion or criteria in which things are criterion, or the criteria. So Allah sent upon Muhammad ﷺ distinguished and things are categorized.
And what do we mean by distinguished and categorized? We see this by those people who believe in the Quran and those people who reject the Quran. This is one form of criteria. That those people who believe in the Quran are the believers, and those people who reject the Quran are disbelievers.
And likewise we see that Allah sent the Quran as a criterion, likewise in their punishment and reward. That those people who believe in the Quran will be rewarded, and those people who disbelieve in the Quran will be punished. So thus the Quran was a criterion.
That to distinguish between the believers and the disbelievers is the descent and iman in the Quran. That if you don't believe in the Quran, and you don't believe that it was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ, and you don't believe in Allah as the revealer, then you are not a Muslim. So thus it was a distinguisher between the believers and the non-believers, as well as other things as well.
As Allah blessed the Quran, and he blessed those people who read it. So those people who read the Quran frequently are not like those people who read it seldom or rarely. So thus Allah, He differentiates with the Quran those people who are raised to the highest levels of Jannah, and those people who are left at the lowest levels of Jannah, due to the recitation of the Quran that they had.
Fourth Name: Al-Dhikr )الذِّكْر(
Now a fourth name that is given to the Quran is al-Dhikr. And this is mentioned in the ninth ayah of Surah al- Hijr.
Allah says:
"Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will be its guardian."
Again a very important ayah, and an ayah which we will be discussing in quite some detail.
Allah says, that indeed we have revealed the Quran, and indeed we have revealed upon you al-Dhikr, and indeed we are the ones who will preserve it. So Allah mentions:
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ
That indeed we are the ones who have revealed al-Dhikr. Now let us break down this ayah.
In the very beginning Allah mentions إِنَّا نَحْنُ )Inna Nahnu) - that indeed we, as a plural, have revealed the Quran. There are two opinions pertaining to what this "we" actually means.
First Opinion:
The first opinion, and this is the opinion of the vast majority is that the نَحْنُ and the إِنَّا the plural of أَنَا is that it is ta'dhim (تَعْظِيم) of Allah and magnification or glorification of Allah.
As even is known in the English language, if you were to see how the Queen speaks in England, she always refers to herself as we. And even prime ministers when they speak, they always refer to themselves as we. Meaning that they are glorifying themselves, and magnifying themselves to be great human beings.
So thus when Allah speaks and He mentions نَحْنُ it means that Allah is glorifying and magnifying Himself. And this was the opinion of the majority of scholars.
Second Opinion:
But there is another opinion, and Allah knows best, that this is even more accurate. And that opinion is that when the term نَحْنُ is mentioned in the Quran, that Allah is referring to Himself and the angels. Now how do we see this?
We see this that when Allah mentions the acts of creation (إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا - Inna Khalaqna), Allah says, "Indeed we have created." And in this ayah Allah mentions that indeed we have sent down.
In all these actions there are people or creations other than Allah that actually are a part of it. Like in the descent of the Quran, Allah didn't directly speak to the Prophet ﷺ in revealing the Quran, but rather he revealed it to Jibreel who brought it down to the Prophet ﷺ. And even in the acts of creation, Allah created Adam with his own two hands.
But when we are created, we come through our parents. And likewise in other things as well. So Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, he mentions that this is the opinion that is closer to the truth.
And how we distinguish this is, is that when Allah talks about worship, he doesn't mention "and worship us." Why is it that Allah doesn't use the plural over here, out of glorification and ta'dhim? But rather he only says, "worship me."
So this shows that Allah is distinguishing between the two. Because if Allah wanted to glorify and magnify Himself, he could have said, "and worship us." And obviously that would have meant Allah.
But Allah is very meticulous in His words and very precise in His words. So that's when it came to words or actions that include other creation, like the angels or other men, Allah mentions "we."
And when it comes to worshipping, Allah refers to Himself alone. And this is more befitting for Allah, and Allah knows best. So this is the first part of the ayah.
The Meaning of Al-Dhikr:
Allah says:
And dhikr meaning the reminder or that which is remembered. So now Allah mentions a very scary ayah in Surah Taha. And that ayah or those ayat go as follows:
Allah says:
"And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind. He will say, 'My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?' [Allah] will say, 'Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten.'" (Quran 20:124-126)
Whoever turns away from my reminder, then for him shall be a life of hardship and congestion. And he will be raised on Yawm al-Qiyamah as someone who is blind. And he will say, "O my Lord, why is it that I have been raised as someone who is blind when I was able to see?"
And Allah will then rebuke this individual and will rebuke this person and say, that thus our ayahs, thus our signs, thus our verses came to you. فَنَسِيتَهَا - Fanasitaha - You forgot them, you were negligent of them, and you turned away from them. وَكَذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمَ تُنسَىٰ - And thus likewise today, you will be neglected, you will be ignored, and you will be turned away from.
May Allah protect us from having such an abode.
O brothers and sisters, let us reflect upon the solution of this. Allah mentions at the very beginning of this ayah:
وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي
And whoever turns away from my remembrance. And this remembrance is none other than the Quran. As Allah refers to the Quran in the ayah of Surah Al-Hijr as Al-Dhikr.
So brothers and sisters, if you want to be of those people who get to see the noble face of Allah, and you want to be of those people who taste the fruits of paradise, and you want to be of those people who are not neglected and ignored on Yawm al-Qiyamah, then indeed turn back to the remembrance of Allah by reciting His Quran. And what a great reminder this is for the believers.
The Promise of Preservation:
So going back to the ayah that we mentioned where Allah says:
So this is where we mention that the Quran is preserved by Allah as a promise. Allah revealed in the Quran as a promise that we will preserve the Quran. And we mentioned previously that this is one of the greatest blessings that the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ has been granted.
That Allah took it upon Himself and put it as an amanah upon the angels to preserve the Quran. Whereas the previous religions did not have their books preserved with the aid and help of Allah. And rather it was something they had to do out of their own accord.
So Allah blessed this Ummah by promising to preserve the Quran. And it is upon us again to read the Quran and understand the Quran and implement the Quran. This is what Allah expects from us.
And left the difficult task of preserving the Quran up to Himself. So if Allah fulfills His side of the obligation, then why is it that we are heedless of our side of the obligation?
Fifth Name: Al-Tanzil (التنزيل)
The fifth most common name of the Quran is Al-Tanzil. And this is mentioned in Surah Ash-Shu'ara ayah 192.
Allah says:
"And indeed, the Quran is the revelation of the Lord of the worlds." (Quran 26:192)
That indeed it is that which is descent from the Lord of all the worlds. Al-Tanzil comes from نَزَلَ - Nazala, means that which comes down. And نَزَّلَ - Nazzala, which is a superior form of the verb, which means that Allah sent it down.
That it didn't come down on its own accord, but rather Allah sent it down. And again, a lot of these ayat, they have meanings behind them, which the average person will not notice. Now in this ayah, how does this ayah relate to Aqidah? This ayah is very pertinent to our Aqidah, but we won't pay attention to it.
When Allah mentions:
That it is indeed something that Allah revealed down. So we claim that the Quran is the speech of Allah. So this ayah indicates where Allah is.
That Allah is in ultimate highness. He is in 'Uluw (عُلُوّ) meaning in highness. And Allah is above His creation. And it is only by being above your creation that you send something down to them. So this ayah again is very pertinent to Aqidah as well.
So if you take a moment to reflect upon the verses of the Quran, you will find that Allah indicates and hints at various things through the Quran, even though the average person may not notice them.
Sixth Name: An-Nur (النور)
A sixth name of the Quran, and this is the last name that we will suffice with. As we mentioned, there are many names of the Quran, but these are the six most famous, either the most repeated, or those that are most common upon the tongues of the people. And that name is An-Nur.
And this is mentioned in Surah An-Nisa ayah 174.
Allah says:
"O mankind, there has come to you a conclusive proof from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear light." (Quran 4:174)
That Allah says, O mankind, there has come to you from your Lord a clear proof, and we have sent upon you a bright light. That Allah is referring to the Quran as An-Nur. And this is mentioned in Surah An-Nisa ayah 174.
Now the Nur of the Quran, and this is something again, which Allah has blessed the people of the Quran with. That Allah has blessed the people of the Quran with a light, that is radiant upon their faces, and brings a charm or a charisma upon their tongues.
Again, a blessing that Allah gave specifically to those people who recite the Quran often, and try to understand the Quran and implement the Quran. That Allah reveals this light to them.
And it can also be understood that when Allah refers to the Quran as An-Nur, it is in the form of a parable, that prior to the Quran, mankind was in darkness. And when the Quran was revealed, then out of that darkness came light, the light of the Quran. And with the light of the Quran came Tawhid, and Iman, and the Ahkam of Islam, and everything else.
So these are the six common names that the Quran is referred to.
Attributes of the Quran
And likewise, we mentioned that the Quran is given many attributes as well. The most famous of them is Ash-Shifa (الشفاء) that it is a cure. That Allah offers a cure through the Quran.
And this cure is a cure for many things. Firstly, the Quran is a form of cure, meaning that it can be used as Ruqya. And by Ruqya, we mean that the Quran cures and heals.
And this is by certain ayat that are recited. The most common of them are Surah Al-Fatiha, Ayatul Kursi, Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Falaq, and Surah An-Nas. These are the most famous of them.
That when a person recites this surah, or these ayat upon himself, or upon another individual, he can cure, by the will of Allah, such a person.
And likewise, the Quran is a cure to ignorance, right? Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, mentions in An-Nuniyyah, and I can't recollect the actual ayat or the actual verses right now, but he mentions that:
وَالْجَهْلُ دَاءً قَاتِلٌ وَشِفَاؤُهُ أَمْرَانِ فِي التَّرْكِيبِ مُتَّفِقَانِ نَصٌّ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ أَوْ مِنْ سُنَّةٍ وَذَاكَ عَالِمٌ بِذَلِكَ الرَّبَّانِي
Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, mentions in these verses of poetry, that indeed ignorance is a deadly disease. And its cure lies in two things.
نَصُّ مِّنَ الْقُرْآنِ أَوْ مِنْ سُنَّةٍ
That it comes from a text of the Quran or a text from the sunnah, and likewise the doctor is that 'alim which is al-rabbani, meaning that he is the scholar that nurtures his students upon a good upbringing and a good understanding.
So likewise when the Quran is described as ash-shifa, it is ash-shifa from ignorance. That ignorance is a disease, and likewise Allah cures individuals from ignorance with the Quran.
So that is one of the most famous attributes given to the Quran.
Conclusion of This Session
And bi-thnillahi ta'ala we'll take a small break right now insha'Allah, as I usually don't like to go over the one hour time frame, without having questions and answers and taking a small break for myself and likewise for the audience as well. So if there are any questions, bi-thnillahi ta'ala we'll take them.
And if not, then we'll have a ten minute break thereafter.
Question and Answer Session
Question:
You said that on the Quran, that Shaykh al-Islam is upon the meaning of إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا that Allah and the angels... where can I find this?
Answer:
This is mentioned in Majmu' al-Fatawa, but Ibn Taymiyyah mentions this specifically in Minhaj al-Sunnah. If you look it up in Minhaj al-Sunnah, it's mentioned there specifically.
To repeat the question, the questioner asked that we mentioned in the ayah where Allah mentions إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ that نَحْنُ over here has two possible meanings amongst the scholars.
That نَحْنُ can mean the glorification and magnification of Allah, that He refers to Himself in the plural. Or it can mean that Allah is including the angels in this act. That the angels were used in the revelation of the Quran and in the creation of mankind.
Whereas when Allah talks about His worship, Allah doesn't use نَحْنُ or doesn't use the plural. But rather He uses the singular form where He always says "and worship me."
So Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله تعالى - rahimahullah ta'ala) mentions that the wisdom behind this is that the angels are involved in the acts of creation and in the acts of revelation. Whereas in worship, it is only Allah alone that is worshipped.
So with that we'll take a 10 minute break and we'll come back insha'Allah at 3:52 bi-ithnillahi ta'ala. Let's try to stick to the time frame insha'Allah. Because we started a bit late and let's make the most of our time.
So we'll end off with that.
(وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ - was-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh)
END OF DOCUMENT