WCDARC

1400 Years since the First Revelation of the Quran

The Quran is the most widely-read book in the world. According to the Gregorian calendar Allah revealed it to Muhammad on August 10th 610. Muslims worldwide cherish this book as the final revelation of God and affectionately recite the quotes from the Quran, memorize and pursue them. The authenticity of the Quran may easily be ascertained, and its verbal text has been preserved into only one Authorized Version into Arabic language. The Holy Quran was first communicated on the Laylat al-Qadr during Ramadan, the month of fasting.
“In the Cave of Hira the Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) appeared and said ‘Read!, to which Muhammad replied ‘I do not know how to read’. The Prophet added “Then the angel caught me forcefully and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it anymore’. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, 'I do not know how to read.' Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read but again I replied, 'I do not know how to read (or what shall I read)?' Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said, 'Read in the name of your Lord, who has created (all that exists) has created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous"… up to … "that which he knew not." (Quran 96.15)

Ramadan is the month when the Muslims intensify their religious life, the apex being the Laylat al-Qadr.

The Quran was repeatedly revealed to Prophet Muhammad in different time periods and this revelation process lasted for approximately twenty-three years. It was revealed part by part, ayet by ayet and occasionally as whole chapters. It consists of 114 chapters and more that 6.000 ayets (quotes). The first thirteen years since the revelation of the Quran are known as the Mecca period, whereas the remaining ten years are known as the Medina period of revelation. The Mecca period is characterized by the fact that the revealed ayets and parts of the Quran predominantly consist of the fundaments of Islamic faith and beliefs, such as:

- Faith in Allah
- Faith in angels
- Belief in the holy books
- Faith in Allah’s messengers
- Belief in Judgment Day, etc.

On the other hand, the Medina period is characterized by norms and laws pertaining to the ibadet (paying reverence to worship, prayer), rituals and legislation.

Mohammed, Allah’s messenger, memorized the whole Quran and bestowed it onto the ashabs (his companions). They would learn it by heart, write it down and verify it together with the Prophet Mohammed. Its verses would be written on palm tree leaves, on stones, on dried animal skins and any other handy material suitable for writing purposes. Every year Mohammed repeated the Quran together with the Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) and twice during his last year of life. Since the revelation of the Quran a vast number of Muslims have been memorizing the whole verbal text. It is such an easily memorable text that even pre-school children may learn it by heart.

One of the most crucial and extraordinary features of the Quran is that it contains numerous quotes – ayets that mention and explain the diverse phenomena in different fields of science, such as embryology, meteorology, astronomy, geology, oceanography, history,… Scientists have ascertained that the descriptions therein are astonishingly and inexplicably accurate given the fact that this holy book dates back to VII century, and many of the processes and functions explained in the Quran have been revealed only recently. In addition to this, the Quran encourages people to take advantage of and use their intelligence. Some of the scientific quotes in the Quran present a remarkably accurate description of the embryogenesis in the first 40 days. They also give fascinating explanations that the mountain roots are like pegs stabilizing the crust of the earth; that there are natural barriers where two bodies of waters – two seas meet. This barrier divides the two seas so that each sea has its own temperature, salinity and density; that the darkness in a deep sea is covered by waves, above which are waves, above which are clouds and that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation). Nevertheless, having considered all this, the Quran should not only be treated as a scientific manual. No matter whether it reveals the miracles of nature or lessons of history, its ayets – quotes make us ponder the grandeur of God.

The Quran speaks about peoples that lived in the past and their descendents. In addition to this, it contains norms and laws that regulate the relations among people. It is also an information source when it comes to people that lived before us, about messengers, nations, different individuals, and various historic events. The Quran speaks about the future and the Judgment Day as well as about the accountability of all humans before God. Moral, cooperation, righteous conduct, economic-financial exchange, rituals and laws related to individuals and the community, are only a part of the Quran’s contents. In this respect, the Quran is a genuine milestone on the long way of human history and sheds light onto humans by guiding them. The Quran teaches about the adoption of the highest values on the passage from sin to kindness.