The Quran — Selected Surahs
c. 610–632 CE (revelation); compiled c. 650 CE · Early Islamic Period (7th century CE) · Mecca and Medina, Arabian Peninsula
Surah 1 — Al-Fatiha (The Opening)
Surah 2 — Al-Baqara (The Cow) — Verses 255–257: Ayat al-Kursi and On Faith
Surah 24 — An-Nur (The Light) — Verse 35: The Light Verse
Surah 55 — Ar-Rahman (The Beneficent)
Surah 96 — Al-Alaq (The Clot) — The First Revelation
Surah 112 — Al-Ikhlas (The Unity)
Surah 113 — Al-Falaq (The Daybreak)
Surah 114 — An-Nas (Mankind)
notes
The Quran (Al-Qur'an — "the Recitation") is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a direct revelation from God (Allah) delivered to the Prophet Muhammad (c. 570–632 CE) through the angel Gabriel over approximately 23 years, from 610 CE until Muhammad's death. It was compiled into its current standard form under the third Caliph, Uthman ibn Affan, around 650 CE, and consists of 114 surahs (chapters) ranging in length from 3 verses to 286. We present here selected surahs of particular historical and literary significance: Al-Fatiha (the opening prayer, recited in every rakat of the daily prayers); Ayat al-Kursi and the "no compulsion in religion" verse from Surah al-Baqara; the celebrated Light Verse (Ayat al-Nur) which has generated centuries of mystical commentary from al-Ghazali to Ibn Arabi; the rhythmic refrain of Surah Ar-Rahman; the first revealed verses of Surah al-Alaq; and the three short concluding surahs (Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, Al-Nas). The Quran was among the earliest works of Arabic prose to appear in codified form. Its influence on the Arabic language is comparable to Luther's Bible on German or the King James Bible on English, but more absolute: for Muslims the Quran is not a translation of anything, and it is Arabic. Translations are generally called "interpretations of the meaning of" the Quran, to preserve the theological point that a translation is not the Quran itself. Translation: composed from George Sale, "The Koran, Commonly Called The Alcoran of Mohammed," London, 1734, and E.H. Palmer, "The Qur'an," Sacred Books of the East, vols. 6 and 9, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1880. Both public domain. We present this text with reverence, as one of the most important religious documents in human history. Muslim readers seeking canonical liturgical text should consult authoritative Arabic sources.
currently held: Historical manuscripts: Sanaa Manuscript (Yemen), Topkapi Manuscript (Istanbul)
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