Treasures of the Qur'an: Surah al-Fatihah to Surah al-Mai'dah

THE QUR’ĀN: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION

1. What is the Qur’ān?

The Qur’ān is the greatest blessing of God for mankind as it guides humanity to the path of righteousness. It is the culmination of the revelation that started when God created the first human being, Ādam. The Islamic belief is that God, the Creator, has not only brought about the creation, but also continues to sustain and direct it. He has provided many forms of guidance, indeed, a system of guiding principles, of which the laws of nature are a part. But God has also granted a special form of guidance for mankind. This guidance comes through the prophets, whom God continuously sent to mankind from the start of the creation until the last messenger, Muḥammad (peace be upon him), received the final guidance – the Qur’ān. According to the Islamic teachings, the Qur’ān contains the words of Allah sent down to the last Prophet (peace be upon him) through the Archangel Jibrīl. It is inimitable and unique and protected by Allah from corruption.

2. Names of the Qur’ān

The Arabic word Qur’ān is derived from the root qara‘a which means to read or to recite. The Qur’ān is a verbal noun and hence it means reading and recitation. The revelation from Allah to the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him) is referred to in the Qur’ān itself by the name of al-Qur’ān as well as by many other names. Jalāl al-Dīn Suyuṭī (d.911/1505), in his outstanding book al-Itqān fī ‘Ulūm al-Qur’ān, has compiled a list of fifty-five names and even this may not be complete as he does not include the name ‘Burhān’ in the list. From the Qur’ān’s self-given names, we can observe crucially important aspects of its characteristics and its sublime message. By declaring itself Kalām Allāh (Speech of God) it affirms in the hearts of the people that the Qur’ān is sent down by the Creator of the Universe and is precisely His speech. The other name often used is al-Hudā (Guidance). This clearly explains the prime purpose of the Qur’ān. The Qur’ān also characterizes itself as al-Dhikr (The Reminder, or The Remembrance), thus reminding its audience of the real purpose of their lives on this Earth. The Qur’ān is both Maw‘iẓah (Exhortation) and Bushrā (Glad tidings) as well as Raḥmah (Mercy) for all mankind. It is also al-Nūr (The Light) emanating from heaven to illuminate human minds and hearts with divine sparks. In this way it is also called Shifā’ li mā fī al-Ṣudūr (Healing of the Diseases of the Heart) which are of course doubts, hypocrisy, envy, pride, evil desires, corrupt motivations and the like. However, apart from al-Qur’ān, the most used name to designate the revealed Book is al-Furqān (The Criterion). It means that it distinguishes the truth from falsehood, right from wrong, the sound from the corrupt and the beneficial from the harmful. The only other name commonly used is al-Muṣḥaf (The Sacred Book) which is derived from the Qur’ānic word Ṣuḥuf (Scriptures). Thus there are three specific names: al-Qur’ān, al-Furqān, al-Muṣḥaf or al-Kitāb which are applied to no other book. Other attributes of the Qur’ān could be applied to other books depending on the context in which they are used.

3. History of the revelation and compilation

The Qur’ān was revealed piecemeal over twenty-three years during Prophet Muḥammad’s prophetic mission. This covers his thirteen year period of stay in Makkah and the rest of it in Madinah. It was memorized during the life of the Prophet and also written down on velum, parchment, bones, palm risps and other material as dictated by the Prophet. The sequences of the āyāt (verses) and sūrahs (chapters) were learnt directly from the Prophet.

The Qur’ān could not have been put between two covers in its final form during the Prophet’s lifetime, as the revelation kept coming as long as he was alive. Final compilation was possible only when he died and the last verse was recorded.

During the time of the first Caliph, Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, all of the scattered pieces were brought together. This task was done under the supervision of Zayd ibn Thābit, who was among the best memorizers of the Qur’ān, assisted by the most prominent Companions. Thus an authentic copy of the Qur’ān, called ṣuḥuf (pages collected between the covers), was compiled. This copy was kept under the guardianship of the Caliph himself. After the death of Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq it remained with ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, the second Caliph, who assigned it to his daughter, Ḥafṣah, the wife of the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him) at the event of his passing. During the time of the third Caliph, ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān, six major codices were prepared from the ṣuḥuf of Abu Bakr and copies of this were sent to the main cities. This version of the text is called the Muṣḥaf ‘Uthmānī. It is the only authentic version, of which four copies are still extant and from this all copies of the Qur’ān down to the present time have been prepared.

4. Structure of the Qur’ān

4.1 The Āyah

The smallest unit of the Qur’ān is an āyah, which is usually translated as ‘verse’. The word āyah (pl. āyāt) has many meanings such as: sign, token, mark, miracle, wonder, marvel, prodigy, model, example and paragon. Hence, the word āyah is used in different meanings in the Qur’ān. Its wide usage can be gauged by the fact that āyah and its derivatives have occurred 385 times in the Qur’ān. As a keyword āyah is often used for the Qur’ānic verses. The reason is that each verse is a sign from Allah establishing its divine origin. People are urged to reflect on the Qur’ānic verses to attain insight. However, I think ‘verse’ is not an accurate translation as the Qur’ān is not a book of poetry.

The other extensive use of the word āyah is for providing proof and evidence of the existence of a Creator and the inevitability of the Hereafter. For this purpose the entire universe and the creation including man himself are used as signs confirming and vindicating these truths and realities. ‘Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are Signs for people of understanding.’(Āl ‘Imrān 3: 190)

The term āyah is also used for the miracles shown to people or performed by the prophets. For example: the birth of Prophet ‘Īsā (Maryam 19: 21); the camel sent to the people of Thamūd (al-A‘rāf 7: 73); the nine clear signs given to Prophet Mūsā (al-Isrā’ 17: 101); the saving of the drowned body of Pharaoh (Yūnus 10: 92) and many other miracles performed by other prophets.

Finally, the word āyah is used as a specific sign or an indication given about the occurrence of a future event; for example the Prophet Zakarīyā (peace be upon him) was reassured by a sign that a son would be born to him in his old age (Maryam 19: 10); similarly the defeat of the Quraysh in the Battle of Badr, paving the way for the triumph of Islam, was termed as an āyah. (Āl ‘Imrān 3: 13)

An āyah can be one letter, like Ṣād or Qāf, or it could be very long, like verse 282 of Sūrah al-Baqarah, containing several sentences. Hence the determination of an āyah is not based on any grammatical consideration. According to Mawlānā Sadr al-Dīn Iṣlāḥī the length of an āyah is not based on the completion of the sentence but to maintain the rhyming. This is for two reasons: first, rhymed prose is considered to be an attractive attribute in Arabic literature and was much appreciated by the Arabs; secondly, this, like poetry, helps to memorize the passage. Hence in order that the Qur’ān can be easily memorized it is in rhymed prose.¹ In short an āyah could be defined as a thematic unit or sentence.

There is a specific term used for this. It is called ‘tawqīfī’, which means it is mawqūf (it rests) with the Prophet (peace be upon him).

The number of āyāt is based on the traditions related by the Prophet (peace be upon him). There are some differences in counting them. One of the reasons is that some count bismillāh, which is at the beginning of each sūrah, as a separate āyah. However, if we ignore these differences then, all told, there are 6,236 verses containing 77,933 words, which are composed of 332,015 letters.

4.2 The Sūrah

A collection of a number of āyāt forms a sūrah. The word sūrah is from s-w-r meaning fortification/city walls. Thus, a sūrah is a surrounding wall which separates a high structure from other lofty edifices. Each sūrah marks a separate entity that distinguishes it from the other.

The word sūrah is used in this sense in various places in the Qur’ān. For example Sūrah al-Nūr starts as: ‘This is the sūrah which We have revealed …’. (al-Nur 24: 1) It also occurs in Sūrah Muḥammad: ‘The believers used to say: Why is a sūrah (that would ordain fighting) not revealed?’ (Muḥammad 47: 20). The word sūrah is here translated as chapter.

A sūrah can consist of just three āyāt like Sūrah al-‘Aṣr or 286 āyāt like Sūrah al-Baqarah. The usual criticism of the Orientalists or non-Muslim scholars about the structure of the sūrah is that āyāt are disjointed and lack coherence. This is due to a lack of appreciation of the methodology and style of the Qur’ān. We will deal with this issue later on.

Altogether the Qur’ān is divided into 114 sūrahs, each of which varies in length. About two-thirds of the Qur’ān (ninety sūrahs) were revealed in Makkah and are called Makkan Sūrahs, while the remaining one-third (twenty-four sūrahs) were revealed after the Hijrah to Madinah and are called Madinian Sūrahs. It is to be noted that if a particular sūrah originated in Makkah it is still called Makkan even though it was later completed in Madinah.

The word sūrah is usually translated as chapter, but this should not be mistaken for a chapter in the conventional sense. Each sūrah is a separate entity in itself.

Each sūrah has a name given to it by the Prophet (peace be upon him). Some sūrahs are known by more than one name. For example Sūrah al-Tawbah is also called Sūrah al-Barā’ah and Sūrah al-Isrā’ is known as Sūrah Banī Isrā’īl. Looking at the names of the sūrahs we see that sometimes the first word of the sūrah is chosen as its name, for example Ṭā’ Hā, Yā’ Ṣīn and Qāf. Often a prominent word occurring in the sūrah is selected, such as al-Baqarah, al-Naml, al-Zukhruf and al-Zumar. But occasionally, it also indicates the topic of the sūrah, as in al-Fātiḥah (The Opening) or al-Ikhlās (Sincerity). As the names of the sūrahs are their proper names, translating them does not make much sense – rather it confuses readers who assume that chapters entitled The Cow or The Ant will be discussing that animal or insect.

4.3 The seven Manāzil of the Qur’ān

During the time of the Companions another grouping of the Qur’ān was formed. The Qur’ān was divided into seven manāzil (sing. Manzil meaning station) or aḥzāb (sing. Ḥizb meaning group), so that one manzil can be read every day and the whole Qur’ān can thus be completed within a week.

This division was beautifully made. Groups were not exactly the same size, otherwise the sūrah would have been broken. Hence although the manāzil are of different lengths, they maintain the structure of the sūrah. Although it could not be said that this arrangement is tawqīfī, yet its grace is the reflection of Allah’s ḥikmah (wisdom).

If we leave aside Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, which is the Introduction of the Qur’ān, then the first Manzil consists of three sūrahs (al-Baqarah, Āl ‘Imrān and al-Nisā’).

•   The second Manzil (al-Mā’idah to al-Tawbah) consists of five sūrahs.

•   The third Manzil (Yūnus to al-Naḥl) consists of seven sūrahs.

•   The fourth Manzil (al-Isrā’ to al-Furqān) consists of nine sūrahs.

•   The fifth Manzil (al-Shu‘arā’ to Yā Ṣīn) consists of eleven sūrahs.

•   The sixth Manzil (al-Ṣaffat to al-Ḥujūrāt) consists of thirteen sūrahs.

•   The seventh Manzil (Qāf to al-Nās) consists of sixty-five sūrahs.

Note that sixty-five is a multiple of thirteen (thirteen x five = sixty-five).

4.4 Rukū‘

Later on further divisions like rukū‘ were made for ease of reading in ṣalāh (prayers). Long sūrahs were divided into several rukū‘, e.g. there are forty rukū‘ in Sūrah al-Baqarah. The division into rukū‘ was probably made during the reign of al-Ḥajjāj Ibn Yūsuf. It was done with great care so that one subject should be covered in a rukū‘. Hence the division was done keeping the meaning and flow of the subject intact.

4.5 Juz’

There is a further division of the Qur’ān into thirty juz’ (parts; called Pārah in the Indo-Pakistan sub-continent) so that reading can be completed in one month. This was done much later and unlike manāzil and rukū‘, it was an arbitrary division not based on sūrah divisions. It was done by just counting the pages of the Qur’ān and then dividing them into thirty equal parts so as to facilitate reading the complete Qur’ān in one month. We can see how illogical this is by observing that the first āyah of Sūrah al-Ḥijr is in the thirteenth Juz’ and the rest in the fourteenth. The Qur’ān published in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries differs in the division of juz’ from those printed in the Indian sub-continent. The fourteenth juz’ starts with Sūrah al-Ḥijr. Some Arab countries have no division into juz’.

4.6 Ḥizb

The Qur’ān published by the Saudi government started using a division of the juz’ into two ḥizb and then dividing each ḥizb into four equal sections. We do not know what the rationale or authority for this division is, as this too is an arbitrary division.

5. The arrangement of the Qur’ān

The arrangement of the Qur’ān is not in the chronological order of its revelation. Again this is tawqīfī – that is how the Prophet was instructed by Allah to arrange it. Some of the sūrahs were revealed as a whole and hence their internal arrangement is the same as revealed. But many were revealed over a period of time and according to the Prophet’s instruction were inserted by the scribes at appropriate places as indicated.

Similarly the sūrahs too do not follow a chronological sequence. Perhaps it would have been interesting to see the order in which the revelation was received. The first addressees of the Qur’ān, who had not yet accepted the faith, needed convincing proofs regarding the basic beliefs. Thus there was greater emphasis on the ‘aqā’id (beliefs) addressing the issues raised by non-believers. The earlier revelations were short sūrahs explaining and emphasizing the basic beliefs. Later on, when the Muslim Ummah came into being, the first addressees were Muslims and thus the arrangement was to meet their needs. And so the Madinan sūrahs, which deal with social, economic and political situations, now come at the beginning of the Qur’ān.

However, the arrangement is not one in which longer sūrahs come first and shorter ones at the end, as has been asserted by many Western scholars; nor is it a haphazard mixture of Madinian and Makkan sūrahs. During the last century Mawlānā Hamīd al-Dīn Fārahī (d.1930) did splendid work on naẓm (the internal order) of the sūrahs, carrying forward the work of his predecessors in this field – like Abū Ja‘far ibn Zubayr, Sheikh Burhān al-Dīn Biqā‘ī, Jalāl al-Dīn Suyūṭī, Imām Fakhr al-Dīn Raẓi and Makhdūm Mahā’mī – and tried to establish that there is coherence in its arrangement. Each sūrah has a central theme and all āyāt are related to this theme in a logical way – just as a necklace is formed by an invisible string joining all the pearls together. His work was further extended by his disciple, Mawlānā Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī. Mustansir Mir has provided a detailed study of Iṣlāḥī’s contribution in explaining the naẓm in the Qur’ān and assessing the significance of this new approach.² Then the sūrahs are in the form of twins. This is very clear in some cases like the last two sūrahs of al-Baqarah and Āl ‘Imrān or al-Muzzammil and al-Muddaththir. One complements the other.

In the last century Mawlānā Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī did some pioneering work in explaining the arrangement of sūrahs. He divided the Qur’ān into seven meaningful groups of Makkan and Madinan sūrahs. Each group starts with one or more Makkan sūrah and ends with one or more Madinan sūrah. Thus in each group Makkan sūrahs are first followed by Madinan sūrahs. Each group has a specific topic, the Makkan sūrahs providing one aspect and the Madinan sūrahs another aspect of the same topic.

5.1 Group one (Sūrahs 1–5)

Al-Fātiḥah to al-Mā’idah. Al-Fātiḥah is Makkan and al-Baqarah, Āl ‘Imrān, al-Nisā’ and al-Mā’idah are Madinan.

Al-Fātiḥah is the introduction to the Qur’ān and one of its names is al-Kāfīyah, meaning ‘the Self-Sufficient’, thus it stands alone. It is in the form of a prayer seeking guidance, which is presented in the rest of the Qur’ān.

The principal addressees in this group are Ahl al-Kitāb (People of the Book) and Muslims, although the message of the Qur’ān is universal. Thus, after a brief introduction in Sūrah al-Baqarah, verse twenty-two proclaims:

O Mankind! Serve your Lord Who has created you as well as those before you; do so that you are saved. (al-Baqarah 2: 22)

The central theme of the group is conferring the honour of being ‘the best nation brought forth for mankind’ on the Muslim Ummah (Āl ‘Imrān 3: 110) and replacing Banī Isrā’īl. This was already indicated when the direction of the qiblah was changed from Bayt al-Maqdis, Jerusalem, to Bayt al-Ḥarām, Makkah, and thus ‘appointing you to be the community of the middle way so that you might be witness to all mankind and the Messenger might be witness to you.’ (al-Baqarah 2: 143) Hence the Law given to Banī Isrā’īl was abrogated and a new Shariah was given. A complete code of life was promulgated in the four sūrahs.

The sūrahs in this group addressing Ahl al-Kitāb (the People of the Book) highlighted their deviations from the right path and invited them to accept the Messengership of the Prophet (peace be upon him) who has brought the same message given to the earlier prophets in whom they believe, which in fact was Islam, as ‘The true religion with Allah is Islam’. (Āl ‘Imrān 3: 19)

However, the principal addressees are Muslims who are warned about the pitfalls into which the People of the Book stumbled. They were instructed to hold firm to the Shariah and perform the task for which this ummah was created: commanding good and forbidding evil. Then the final tidings were given: ‘This day I have perfected for you your religion, and have bestowed upon you My Bounty in full measure.’ (al-Mā’idah 5: 3)

Incidentally, the Islamic State in Madinah was still in its nascent form and there were those who had ulterior motives for sabotaging it from within. In particular these were Jews of Madinah and some hypocrites who supported them. There are some oblique references in Āl ‘Imrān about their activities, however in al-Nisā’ they were fully exposed and publicly warned and their fate in the Hereafter was that they ‘shall be in the lowest depth of the Fire’. (al-Nisā’ 4: 145)

5.2 Group two (Sūrahs 6–9)

The first two sūrahs, al-An‘ām and al-A‘rāf, are Makkan, and al-Anfāl and al-Tawbah are Madinan.

The principal addressees in this group are the Quraysh, unlike the previous group which was directed at Ahl al-Kitāb (the People of the Book) and the Muslims. Al-An‘ām is a long sūrah which deals comprehensively with the three basic beliefs: Tawḥīd, Risālah and Ākhirah. It flatly rejects shirk as illogical and proves that there is only One Creator of the entire Universe. If people reflect on the daily occurrences happening around them they will reach the logical conclusion, like the Prophet Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him), and will proclaim: ‘I have turned my face in exclusive devotion to One Who originated the heavens and the earth.’ (al-An‘ām 6: 79) Prophet Ibrāhīm’s example is fitting as the Quraysh were proud to be his descendants. This emphasizes that the Prophet (peace be upon him) is presenting the same message. The salient points of this message are beautifully summarized in verses 151–153. Thus al-An‘ām concludes with Itmām al-Ḥujjah (the perfection of the proof) against the Quraysh.

While in al-An‘ām the arguments presented were from reason and nature, al-A‘rāf contains dire warnings of the consequences of rejecting the Prophet’s message. It narrates in detail the history of earlier nations to whom the prophets Nūḥ, Hūd, Ṣālīh, Lūṭ, Shu‘ayb and Mūsā were sent, and as these nations