The Quran - The Final Revelation to Mankind
What is the Qur'an?
The Word of God
The Qur'an is the literal word of God, The Almighty (Allah in Arabic), reve=
aled to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) through the Angel Gabriel.
"The revelation of The Book is from Allah, the Mighty, the Wise." Qur'an 39=
:1
Guidance for Mankind
The Qur'an is "a guidance for mankind... and the distinction (between right=
and wrong)."Qur'an 2:185 It provides direction to help mankind judge betwe=
en right and wrong, without which, man would surely be in loss.
The Final Revelation
The Qur'an is the last scripture revealed by Almighty Allah (God), confirmi=
ng what little truth remains in parts of previous scriptures and refuting a=
nd correcting fabrications and additions which have crept into current day =
versions of such scriptures.
"O you who have been given the Scripture! Believe in what We have revealed =
confirming what is (already) with you..."Qur'an 4:47
How was the Qur'an Revealed?
The Qur'an was revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him) and exists only in =
the language in which it was revealed - Arabic. However, the translation of=
the meaning of the Qur'an is available in many languages.
The Qur'an was not sent down as a complete book in one revelation; rather, =
the revelation spanned over a period of 23 years.
For this reason, it is essential to know in what circumstances the verses w=
ere revealed, in order to have a proper understanding of the Qur'an; otherw=
ise, its teachings could be misunderstood.
How do I know that it is from God?
Preservation
The Qur'an is the only religious sacred text that has been in circulation f=
or a lengthy period, and yet remains as pure as the day it was revealed. No=
thing has been added, removed or modified from it, since its revelation ove=
r 1400 years ago.
"We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will certainly guard=
it (from corruption)."Qur'an 15:09
Not only has the Qur'an been preserved in written form, but also in the hea=
rts of men, children and women. Today, millions of people have memorised th=
e Qur'an from cover to cover.
Scientific Miracles
The Qur'an does not contradict modern science but rather, supports it. One =
of the most remarkable aspects about the Qur'an is that it contains many ve=
rses which accurately describe natural phenomenon in various fields such as=
embryology, meteorology, astronomy, geology and oceanography. Scientists h=
ave found its descriptions incredibly accurate for a book dating back to th=
e 7th century.
"We shall show them Our Signs in the Universe and within their own selves, =
until it becomes clear to them that this is the Truth."Qur'an 41:53
In fact, many of the scientific miracles mentioned in the Qur'an have been =
discovered only recently, through the modern advancement of technological e=
quipment. Consider the following:
The Qur'an gives a detailed description of the development of the human emb=
ryo. These details were unknown to the scientific community until recent ti=
mes.
The Qur'an states that the astronomical objects (stars, planets, moons etc.=
..) were all formed from clouds of dust. Previously unknown, this fact has =
now become an undisputed principle of modern cosmology.
Modern science has discovered the existence of barriers that allow two seas=
to meet yet maintain their own temperature, density and salinity.
These signs of God were clearly stated in the Qur'an more than 1400 years a=
go.
Uniqueness
Ever since its revelation, no person has been able to produce a single chap=
ter like that of the Qur'an in its beauty, eloquence, splendour, wisdom, pr=
ophecies, and other perfect attributes.
"And if you are in doubt as to that which We have revealed to Our servant, =
then produce a chapter like it and call on your witnesses besides Allah if =
you are truthful."Qur'an 2:23
The people that rejected Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) failed this c=
hallenge, eventhough they were extremely eloquent in the language of the Qu=
r'an. This challenge remains unanswered to this very day.
No Contradictions
When people write, they are bound to make mistakes such as spelling and gra=
mmar, contradictory statements, incorrect facts, omission of information, a=
nd other various errors.
"Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely, have found in it (th=
e Qur'an) many contradictions."Qur'an 4:82
The Qur'an has no contradictions whatsoever - be it in scientific explanati=
ons of the water cycle, embryology, geology and cosmology; historical facts=
and events; or prophecies.
Couldn't Muhammad have authored it?
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was known in history to be illiter=
ate; he could not read nor write. He was not educated in any field that cou=
ld account for neither the scientific and historical accuracy, nor the lite=
rary beauty of this magnificent Book. The precision of historical recounts =
of previous peoples and civilisations mentioned in the Qur'an is also too g=
reat to be authored by any man.
"And this Qur'an is not such as could ever be produced by other than Allah.=
"Qur'an 10:37
Purpose of Revelation
To Believe in One True God
"And your god is One God. There is no god but He, the Most Gracious, the Mo=
st Merciful."Qur'an 2:163
The most important topic mentioned throughout the Qur'an is the belief in t=
he One, True God. God informs us that He has no partner, no son, no equal, =
and that none has the right to be worshipped except Him alone. Nothing is c=
omparable to God and none of His creation resembles Him. The Qur'an also re=
jects the notion of attributing human qualities and limitations to God.
To Reject All False Gods
"And worship Allah and associate none with Him."Qur'an 4:36
Since Allah alone is the only One worthy of worship, false deities and fals=
e gods must be rejected. The Qur'an also rejects the notion of attributing =
divine qualities to anyone or anything other than Allah.
To Narrate the Stories from the Past
The Qur'an contains many narratives with beneficial lessons, including the =
true stories of previous Prophets such as, Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jesus and M=
oses. Of these stories, Allah says,
"Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of understanding."Qur'a=
n 12:111
To Remind us of the Day of Judgement
This Noble Book reminds us that everyone will taste death and will be held =
accountable for all their actions and sayings:
"We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgment, so that not a s=
oul will be dealt with unjustly in the least..."Qur'an 21:47
To Fulfil the Intended Way of Life
Importantly, the Qur'an teaches that the purpose of life is to worship God =
alone, and live one's life according to the way of life prescribed by Him. =
In Islam, worship is a comprehensive term that includes all actions and say=
ings (whether private or public) that Allah loves and is pleased with. Ther=
efore, by doing what Allah commands, a Muslim is worshipping God and fulfil=
ling his purpose in life. The following are examples of worship from the Qu=
r'an:
To pray:
"O you who believe! Bow down and prostrate yourselves and worship your Lord=
, that you may succeed." Qur'an 22:77
To give charity:
"...And spend, it is better for your souls; and whoever is saved from the g=
reediness of his soul, these it is that are the successful."Qur'an 64:16
To be honest:
"Cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when you know (what =
it is)." Qur'an 2:42
To be modest:
"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their=
modesty. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze =
and guard their modesty." Qur'an 24:30-31
To be thankful:
"And Allah has brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers- you did no=
t know anything- and He gave you hearing and sight and hearts that you may =
give thanks." Qur'an 16:78
To be just:
"O you who believe! Stand firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even as =
against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (agains=
t) rich or poor..." Qur'an 4:135
To be patient:
"And be patient, for indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of =
those who do good." Qur'an 11:115
To do good:
"Allah has promised to those who believe and do good deeds (that) they shal=
l have forgiveness and a mighty reward." Qur'an 5:9
Conclusion
In summary, the Qur'an teaches mankind how to worship the One True God, hen=
ce fulfilling their true purpose in life, and attaining success in both thi=
s world and the next.
"Verily, We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) the Book for mankind in trut=
h. So whosoever accepts the guidance, it is only for his own self; and whos=
oever goes astray, he goes astray only for his own loss." Qur'an 39:41
Don't you owe it to yourself to at least read this Noble Book?
http://islamicpamphlets.com/the-quran-the-final-revelation-to-mankind/
http://www.quranexplorer.com/quran/
Thank you