23 April, 2024

14 Shawwal, 1445 H

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"Silence saves you from regret"

- Imam Ali (as) -

Learning
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Core Curriculum
Section 1 - God, Religion and Islam: An Introduction

  • Topic 1.1 - God, Allah and Religion

  • Topic 1.2 - What is “Religion” and What’s the Point of it Anyways?

  • Topic 1.3 - Introduction to Islam

  • Topic 1.4 - A Brief Introduction to the Prophet Muhammad (s), the Prophet of Islam

Section 2 - Foundations of Islam - Theology

  • Topic 2.1 - Satan, Jinns and Angels: Their Influence in the World

  • Topic 2.2 - The Islamic Concept of the Nafs: Battling the Human Ego

  • Topic 2.3 - The Sharīʿa: Purpose and Practice

  • Topic 2.4 - Nubuwwa: The Purpose of Prophethood in Islam

  • Topic 2.5 - Tawhīd: The Unity and Oneness of God in Islam

  • Topic 2.6 - The Usūl al-Dīn: The Fundamental Beliefs of Islam

  • Topic 2.7 - Adala: Divine Justice in Islam

  • Topic 2.8 - Entering Islam: The Shahada

  • Topic 2.9 - Maʿād: The Day of Judgment in Islam

  • Topic 2.10 - Imāmah or divinely guided leadership in Islam after the Prophet Muhammad.

Section 3 - Foundations of Islam - Obligatory Acts

  • Topic 3.1 - Accepting Islam: Putting Faith into Action

  • Topic 3.2 - The Furūʿ al-Dīn: The Fundamental Practices of Islam

  • Topic 3.3 - Salāt: Obligatory Ritual Prayers in Islam

  • Topic 3.4 - Fasting in Islam, its Purpose, Dos and Don’ts

  • Topic 3.5 - The Hajj Pilgrimage

  • Topic 3.6 - The Purpose of Zakat and Khums in Islamic Law

  • Topic 3.7 - Jihād in Islamic Law and Spirituality

  • Topic 3.8 - Commanding the Good and Forbidding Evil in Islam

  • Topic 3.9 - Tawalla and Tabarra, its Basics and Purpose

  • Topic 3.10 - The Five Categories of Islamic Law

  • Topic 3.11 - Niyya: Religious Intention as the Foundation of Islamic Practice

  • Topic 3.12 - Ritual Purity in Islamic Law: Understanding Tahāra and Najāsa

  • Topic 3.13 - Other Obligatory and Forbidden Acts in Islam

Section 4 - Prophethood in Islam

  • Topic 4.1 - A Brief Biography of the Prophet Muhammad (s): The Prophet’s Childhood (PART I of III)

  • Topic 4.2 - Bio: The Prophet Muhammad as a Prophet of God (PART II of III)

  • Topic 4.3 - A Brief Biography of the Prophet Muhammad (s): The Prophet’s Character (PART III of III)

  • Topic 4.4 - The Prophet Muhammad (s) as Messenger and Teacher

  • Topic 4.5 - The Prophet and his Relationships

  • Topic 4.6 - The Prophet’s Sunnah and Hadith

  • Topic 4.7 - Ghadīr and Arafah: The Two Last Sermons of the Prophet

  • Topic 4.8 - Jesus and Mary in Islam

Section 5 - The Qur'an and Hadith

  • Topic 5.1 - Islam and Other Religions

  • Topic 5.2 - What is the Qur’an? A Short Introduction to Islam’s Holy Book

  • Topic 5.3 - The Structure of the Holy Qur’an

  • Topic 5.4 - The Quran and Islamic law

  • Topic 5.5 - The Qur’an, Allah and Humankind

  • Topic 5.6 - Hadith and Sunnah, difference and variations

  • Topic 5.7 - The Reliability of Hadiths

  • Topic 5.8 - A Reflection on Verses of the Holy Qur’an

  • Topic 5.9 - Hadith al-Thaqalayn

  • Topic 5.10 - Imam Ali (as) and Nahj al-Balagha.

  • Topic 5.11 - Taqlid and Tawḍih Al Masail Genre of Literature

Section 6 - Measuring Good and Bad in Islam

  • Topic 6.1 - Guidance According to Islam

  • Topic 6.2 - Life and Death in Islam

  • Topic 6.3 - Heaven and Hell in Islam

  • Topic 6.4 - The Effects of Our Actions in this World

  • Topic 6.5 - The Gray Areas of Islamic Law and Morality

  • Topic 6.6 - Benefits of Islamic Law in this World

  • Topic 6.7 - Good and Bad Deeds: The Spiritual Consequences of our Choices

  • Topic 6.8 - The Effect of Culture and Environment in Shaping our Religious Choices

  • Topic 6.9 - Fate and the Consequences of our Choices in Islam

  • Topic 6.10 - Trivializing the Harām

  • Topic 6.11 - Sinning Against Others and their Delayed Punishment

  • Topic 6.12 - The Three Kinds of Rights in Islam

  • Topic 6.13 - Major Sins in Islam

  • Topic 6.14 - Repentance and Forgiveness of Sins in Islam

  • Topic 6.15 - Kufr in Islam

  • Topic 6.16 - Why Allah Allows People to Sin

Section 7 - The Legacy of the Prophet Muhammad (s) and his Ahl al-Bayt (as)

  • Topic 7.1 - Islam and Knowledge: the Importance of Islamic Education

  • Topic 7.2 - The Ahl al-Kisa

  • Topic 7.3 - Imamah in the Qur’an

  • Topic 7.4 - Fatima al-Zahrah (as)

  • Topic 7.5 - A Brief Look at the Lives of the Imams (Imam al-Hasan until Imam Muhammad al-Baqir)

  • Topic 7.6 - A Brief Look at the Lives of the Imams (Imam Jafar al-Sadiq until Imam Hasan al-Askari)

  • Topic 7.7 - A Brief Look at the Life and Importance of Imam al-Mahdi (aj)

  • Topic 7.8 - Salawat and Atonement in Islam

  • Topic 7.9 - The Companions (Sahaba) of the Prophet According to the Qur’an

  • Topic 7.10 - Clerical Hierarchies in Muslim Communities

  • Topic 7.11 - Mosques in Islam

  • Topic 7.12 - The Philosophy of Karbala and Majalis

  • Topic 7.13 - A Brief Biography of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as)

  • Topic 7.14 - The Battle of Karbala: A Brief History

Section 8 - Islamic Relationships, Sects and Conflicts

  • Topic 8.1 - Islam and Rights

  • Topic 8.2 - Islam and Religious Conflicts

  • Topic 8.3 - Major Sects of Islam

  • Topic 8.4 - Sunnism and Shi’ism, beginnings and historical developments.

  • Topic 8.5 - Misconceptions about Shi’ism

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Special Topics
Section 9 - Independent Topics

  • Topic 9.1 - Muslim Converts – Welcome to Islam!

  • Topic 9.2 - Basic Dos and Don’ts of Being a Muslim

  • Topic 9.3 - Halal Food and Zabiha

  • Topic 9.4 - Modesty in Islam

  • Topic 9.5 - Family, Parents and Marriage in Islam

  • Topic 9.6 - Marriage in Islam

  • Topic 9.7 - Islam and Sex

  • Topic 9.8 - Women’s Menstruation in Islam

  • Topic 9.9 - Music, Alcohol, Drugs and Pork in Islam

  • Topic 9.10 - Islam and Science

  • Topic 9.11 - A Reading List of Islamic Knowledge

  • Topic 9.12 - Islam and Sufism

  • Topic 9.13 - Ritual Prayers and Supplications in Islam

  • Topic 9.14 - Death & Burial Rituals in Islam

  • Topic 9.15 - The Battle of Armageddon: An Islamic View

  • Topic 9.16 - The Muslim Calendar

  • Topic 9.17 - Muslims and non-Muslims in the Shariah

  • Topic 9.18 - A Timeline of Major Events in Islamic History

  • Topic 9.19 - Introducing the Qur’an: Why it is the way it is

  • Topic 9.20 - The School of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq

  • Topic 9.21 - Major Fields in Islamic Studies

  • Topic 9.22 - The Caliphate in Sunni and Shia Islam

  • Topic 9.23 - The Spread of Islam: After the Prophet until the Ottoman Empire

  • Topic 9.24 - Islam, Racism and Anti-Semitism

Section 10 - Islam, Religion, and Modern Controversies

  • Topic 10.1 - Modern Fallacies about God: where Theists and Atheists Agree

  • Topic 10.2 - Tawhīd: The Muslim God according to the Prophet Muhammad and the Ahl al-Bayt (as)

  • Topic 10.3 - God’s Existence: The Argument From Being (Wujūd)

  • Topic 10.4 - God’s Existence: The Kalam Cosmological Argument

  • Topic 10.5 - God’s Existence: The Argument From Design

  • Topic 10.6 - The Problem of Evil, Suffering and Pain

  • Topic 10.7 - Why did God Create Us? The Purpose of our Creation

  • Topic 10.8 - Why Humans Need Religion according to Islam

  • Topic 10.9 - Jahl and Spiritual Ignorance in Islam

  • Topic 10.10 - Faith in Islam: Belief without Evidence?

  • Topic 10.11 - Do Non-Muslims Go to Hell?

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Introducing the Qur’an: Why it is the way it is

Abstract

 The Qur’an is the revealed book of Allah. It is the foundational book of Islam and contains all the necessary principles to lead an Islamic life. The Qur’an is a unique book that needs to be understood on its own grounds. 

INTRODUCTION 

 

Bismillāhir Rahmānir Rahīm, As-salāmu ʿAlaykum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh. Peace be upon you brothers and sisters. 

 

Welcome back to the Muslim Converts Channel. The Qur’an is the revealed book of Allah. It is the foundational book of Islam and contains all the necessary principles to lead an Islamic life. Like anything in this world, the Qur’an has its own story and history.  

 

In this lesson, we’ll go over some brief facts and pointers on the Qur’an. We will look at where it came from, what its about and what our responsibilities towards it are. 

 

BODY OF TEXT 

 

The Qur’an’s Background 

 

The Qur’an was God’s revelation to the Prophet through the medium of His archangel Gabriel (as). The process of the revelation took a little over two decades. Towards the end of the Prophet’s (s) life, the Qur’an had all been written down.  

 

It was only after the Prophet’s (s) death that, by the order of the Messenger of Allah (s), Imam Ali (as) compiled the Qur’an into a standard edited manuscript.  

 

Imam Ali (as) offered that book to the ruler of his time, Uthman bin Affan. The work was accepted, but Imam Ali’s (as) commentary was not. The rulers took the copy and declared it as their own official copy.  

 

Although the refusal to acknowledge Imam Ali’s (as) hard work was unfortunate, his endeavor made sure that the Qur’an’s message would remain preserved, unaltered and unchanged. This is why the Ahl al-Bayt (as) always accepted what came to be known as the “Uthmanic Codex” for it was really compiled by Imam Ali (as). 

 

How the Qur’an is divided 

 

The Qur’an has 114 chapters called Surahs. The first chapter of the Qur’an is called al-Fatihah and the last one is called al-Nas. It also has 6, 236 verses called Ayat which literally means “signs.” This makes it just about the size of the New Testament in Christianity.  

 

It is a common myth that the Qur’an has 6, 666 verses. This myth was invented by some extremist Christians who were hostile to Islam. What they were trying to do is to associate Islam with the devil given that the devil’s number in the Bible is 666.  

 

The Qur’an has 30 equal sections called Juz. These divisions don’t fall evenly in chapters and they usually break from one another even in the middle of a chapter. The purpose of this is to make reading easier during the month of Ramadan. In other words, we’re encouraged to read the Qur’an every day, and as Ramadan has 30 days, its good that the reading gets divided up evenly.  

 

Why the Qur’an doesn’t follow a chronological order 

 

We all know how books are. They have a beginning, middle and end. They have an introduction and some kind of conclusion. If these aren’t there, at least they have some kind of chronology. One thing that stands out with the Quran is that it doesn’t obey any of these rules. 

 

For someone who just started reading the Qur’an, he or she will notice that there is no beginning and no end. The first chapter was not the first chapter revealed, and the last chapter was not last. While reading the Qur’an, you will notice that while the book is talking about one subject, it will suddenly switch to another one. Although some people will be frustrated, there is actually a reason why the Qur’an is ordered like this.  

 

As the great 20th century Muslim scholar Ayatollah Abu al-Qasim al-Khu’i once remarked, not everyone has the luxury to sit and read a whole book in a short time span. The Qur’an is not a story, nor a book of history, like many chapters in the Bible are. (think of the book of exodus for example). It is a book of guidance. This means that the Qur’an must be optimized in order to meet this goal. 

 

The way the Qur’an is structured is that if you read one regular sized Surah, you will find a mishmash of different subjects so that in one sitting, you can really take the gist of what Islam and its fundamentals are really about. If you read just part of one Surah, you will learn that God is one, you will learn about the general moral and social principles of Islam, and you will also learn about some of your duties towards God and how to develop a relationship with Him.  

 

When it comes to other books though, you usually have to read a lot of it until you get what its essence is really about. The Qur’an is structured in such a way where this doesn’t happen, any short reading will give you a very straight idea of what Allah has in mind for us with His revelation.  

 

So What’s in the Qur’an? 

 

The Qur’an was revealed in the Arabic language. Its primary message is tawheed or the absolute unity of God. This means that God is one and undivided and the creator of all the universe. It also teaches us to take the prophets, and especially the Prophet Muhammad (s) as our role models in the religious life.  

 

The Qur’an teaches us how to develop a good relationship with God by trusting Him. It teaches us on how to lead the moral life by being humble and helping the poor and needy. It teaches us not to judge other people and to always be kind to them. It teaches us that nature, and particularly animals are conscious beings who worship God and as such, we are to respect and cherish them. 

 

In short, it is a manual on how to live a life that is pleasing to God. 

 

How to Read the Qur’an 

 

If you don’t know Arabic, you can always read a translation of the Qur’an. A good translation out there is Ali Quli Qara’i’s wonderful work. It’s a simple phrase by phrase translation that is ideal for those who want to memorize the Qur’an after they’ve learnt the Arabic script.  

 

If you want to learn how to recite verses in their proper way, please go to http://www.recitequran.com where you can learn how to recite the Qur’an word by word with translation.  

 

Until Next Time, Thank you for watching. As-salāmu ʿAlaykum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh 

 

Surah

Chapter of the Qur’an 

Ayah (pl. Ayaat)

Verse of the Qur’an 

Juz

Section of the Qur’an, there are 30 Juz in the Qur’an. 

Uthmanic Codex

 Imam Ali’s (as) compilation of the Qur’an which the Caliph Uthman spread to the Islamic world.  

 

Q1

Does the Qur’an follow a chronological order?

No

Q2

How many chapters are there in the Qur’an?

114 

Q3

How many verses are there in the Qur’an?

6, 232 

Q4

Is the Qur’an the words of the Prophet Muhammad (s)?

 No, they are the words of God which the Prophet repeated 

Q5

Did the Qur’an change over time?

No, the Qur’an we have today is the same one that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (s) with nothing less and nothing added to it.  

Q6

Who first compiled the Qur’an into a standard book format?

Imam Ali (as) 

 

Qur’an
Quran
Surah
Ayah
Ayat
Juz
Equal Sections of the Qur’an
Abu al-Qasim al-Khu’i
how to recite Qur’an
revealed book of Allah

http://www.recitequran.com