An Introduction of the Quran
The Quran is a book of God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. It did not come to him in the form of a complete book, but in parts over a period of 23 years. The first verses were revealed in 610 AD, when the Prophet Muhammad was in Makkah. Subsequently, different parts continued to be revealed regularly, the final portion being revealed in 632, when the Prophet was in Madinah.
The Quran comprises 114 chapters of varying lengths, containing approximately 6,200 verses. Upon revelation, its verses were recorded on diverse materials such as parchment, palm-leaf stalks, and thin stones, while also being memorized by individuals. After the Prophet’s passing, a complete written compilation of these revelations was prepared during the caliphate of Abu Bakr (r. 632–634), using papyrus (known in Arabic as qirtas).
During this process, people committed the verses to memory, thus the Quran continued to be simultaneously memorized as well as written down. This method of preservation continued during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad. In this way, the Quran was preserved during the lifetime of the Prophet.
If you read the Quran, you will find that it deals with all of the subjects relating to human beings. The Quran lays great emphasis on patience (39:10), reconciliation (4:128), forgiveness (42:40), avoidance (7:199), contentment, and so on.
Why all these teachings? These teachings apparently seem to advocate passivity. But that is not so, for they embody great wisdom. The Quran tries to build that kind of mind which is able to manage all the affairs of life on the basis of spirituality. It is not passivity that is advocated but skill in the proper management of life’s problems. The purpose of this formula – indeed, it is the Quran’s greatest concern – is to concentrate on high goals and one who wants to achieve high goals has no option but to foster the aforementioned qualities. He has to try to effectively manage all undesirable situations. Otherwise, he will become preoccupied by trivial issues and will fail to continue his journey towards higher goals.
The purpose of this compilation is to give an insight to the reader into the spiritual wisdom contained in the Quran. Leaving aside technical and legal discussions, the focus here is to enlighten a person about the creation plan for human beings as envisaged in the Quran, the nature of life and death, the principles for managing individual and societal issues, and dealing with life’s vicissitudes.
