Islamic Center of Irvine

Status of the Qur'an

Khatib :	Sadullah Khan
Khutbah No:	151
Khutbah Date:	05/27/05

إِنَّ هَـذَا الْقُرْآنَ يِهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُوَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًاVerily this Qur'an guides to that which is best, and conveys Glad Tidings to the Faithful who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a magnificent reward. [Qur’an 7:9]The Qur'an as scripture forms the bedrock of Islamic ideology and teachings. Muslims believe that the Qur’an contains the commands of Allah, is considered the criterion for truth, the standard for justice, and the balance between right and wrong ...Names of Qur’an Reflects Status of Qur’anThere are numerous names by which the Qur’an is referred to by Allah. Each of these reflect the status of the Qur’an. Among the many named are …

al-Huda ~ Ultimate Source of Guidance for humanity
al-Furqaan ~ the Criterion
al-Kitaab ~ the Book. Muslims do view ‘The Book’ as much greater than the sum of ink on paper. It is the musical score of Muslim spirituality, a Book whose mere recitation is considered an act of worship. Encyclopedia Britannica attests to the Qur’ans linguistic excellence,"The best of Arab witness have never succeeded in producing anything equal to the merits in the Qur'an... To compose such revelations at will was beyond the power of the most expert literary artist."
Al-Dhikr ~ The Reminder. Considered to be the last divinely revealed missive sent to earth, completing the spiritual arc of revelation given to Messengers starting with Adam, passing through Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and concluding with Muhammad. A small portion of the Koran pertains to sacred law. The rest speaks of God, humanity's origin, purpose, and ultimate return to God himself. It serves as a reminder of the universal principles that were referred to in previous scripture, it also serves as a historical document testifying to past events.
Al-Quran ~ The Reading / that which is recited. It is the scripture Muslims turn to for guidance, calm, and perspective. Muslims view the book as much greater than the sum of ink on paper. It is the musical score of Muslim spirituality, a book whose mere recitation is considered an act of worship. The Qur'an is a source of guidance for humanity; is the most often read, the most memorized and perhaps the most quoted book in the world. It is the only book that has a science (tajweed) that evolved to facilitate its rhythm and musicality. It is the last of Allah's revelation conveyed to humanity through the final Messenger, Muhammad (pbuh). Muslims consider the commands and wisdom found in the Qur'an to be a constant guide in all principle matters of daily life.

Relating to the Qur’anIn order to truly benefit from the Qur'an we have to be able to relate to the Qur'an in a practical way, every day of our lives. Great scholars of Islam have advised us to keep our relationship with the Qur'an effective by maintaining the following five responsibilities:

Belief and Honor - iemaan wa ta'zeem We regard the Qur'an as the words of Allah and believe it to be the best book of guidance for those who want to live righteous lives. We respect its message and honor it above all other books.
Reading and Recitation - tilawah wa tarteel Since the Qur'an was communicated to the Prophet through Gabriel orally and the Prophet in turn conveyed it to his companions orally we should learn to read the Qur'an properly and recite it correctly. There are great blessings (barakah) in reading the Qur'an in the correct manner.
Understanding and Reflecting - tafakkur wa tadabbur Many Muslims learn to read the Qur'an but few strive to understand its meaning. Since the Qur'an is mainly a book of guidance, we have a responsibility to understand its message and reflect on what it says.
Implementing the Guidelines - hukm wa iqamah One of the greatest duties we have is to live by the commands of Allah. The primary reason why Allah sent revelation was to guide human beings to be good and to be of benefit to the world, not to do wrong, nor to harm the world.
Conveying and Clarifying - tableegh wa tabyeen Each Muslim has the responsibility of conveying the message of Islam to others. If we believe in the Qur'an, respect the Qur'an, read it how it is supposed to be read, recite it properly, understand its message and live by its commands then our behavior will reflect the Qur'an. The Prophet's wife, was asked to describe the Prophet's character and conduct and she responded; "his character is the Qur'an." This means that the Prophet lived his life according to the message of the Qur'an. The best way to attract people to Islam is to live as good Muslims, to live like the Prophets, to live according to the Qur'an.

Addendum: WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT THE QUR'AN "On the whole we find in it a collection of wisdom which can be adopted by the most intelligent of men, the greatest of philosophers and the most skilful of politicians... But there is another proof of the Divinity of the Qur'an; it is the fact that it has been preserved through the ages since the time of its Revelation till the present day... Read and reread by the Muslim world this book does not rouse in the faithful any weariness; it rather, through repetition is more loved everyday. It gives rise to a profound feeling of awe and respect one who reads it or listen to it... It was therefore, neither by means of violence of arms, nor through the pressure of obtrusive missionaries, that caused the great and rapid diffusion of Islam, through the fact that this Book, presented by the Muslims to the vanquished with the liberty to accept it or to reject it, was the Book of God" [Italian archivist of manuscripts – [Dr. Laura Veccia] "The Qur'an admittedly occupies an important position among the great religious books of the world. Though the youngest of the epoch making words belonging to this class of literature, it yields to hardly any in the wonderful effect which it has produced on large masses of people. It has created an all but new phase of human thought and a fresh type of character. It first transformed a number of heterogeneous desert tribes of the Arabian peninsula into a nation of heroes…[Writer and Historian, Prof. G. Margoliouth] "By a fortune absolutely unique in history, Muhammad is a threefold founder of a nation, of an empire, and of a religion. The Qur'an is a Book which is a poem, a code of laws, a book of common prayer, all in one and is reverenced by a large section of the human race as a miracle of purity and style, of wisdom and of truth. It is the one miracle claimed by Muhammad 'his standing miracle' as he called it, and a miracle indeed it is." [Reverend Bosworth Smith] فضل كلام الله على سائر الكلام كفضل الله على خلقهThe superiority of the Quran over human words are like the superiority of the Creator over creation. [Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)]إِنَّ هَـذَا الْقُرْآنَ يِهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُوَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًاVerily this Qur'an guides to that which is best, and conveys Glad Tidings to the Faithful who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a magnificent reward. [Qur’an 17:9]

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