The Noble Quran is the final and complete book of Allah Almighty revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This topic covers the types of revelation (Wahi), the first revelation, stages of com...
Linguistically: Wahi means "to signal, to secretly convey, to inspire."
Islamically: Wahi is the speech of Allah Almighty that He sends down to His prophets, either through an angel or without an angel.
| Type | Method | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Wahi (Wahi Sarih) | Without any veil, while awake | On the night of Mi'raj, the Prophet ﷺ saw Allah (Sahih Muslim) |
| Inspiration to the Heart (Wahi Qalbi) | Casting inspiration into the heart | The Prophet ﷺ was given knowledge without an angel |
| Through Dreams | True dreams (Ru'ya Sadiqah) | For the first six months of prophethood, revelation came through dreams |
| From Behind a Veil | Hearing Allah's speech without seeing | Prophet Musa (AS) heard a voice at Mount Tur |
| Through an Angel | Jibreel (AS) coming (most common) | Jibreel (AS) would come in different forms (as a companion, as the sound of a bell) |
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Cave of Hira (near Mecca) |
| Date | 610 CE, on Laylat al-Qadr in Ramadan (at approximately 40 years of age) |
| First Five Verses | Surah Al-Alaq (96), the first five verses |
Translation:
"Read in the name of your Lord who created. Created man from a clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous. Who taught by the pen. Taught man that which he knew not." (Al-Alaq 96:1-5)
The Prophet's State after the First Revelation: The Prophet ﷺ became very distressed and returned home. He said to Khadijah (RA): "I fear that I have become possessed (mad)."
Waraqah bin Nawfal's Response: He said: "This is the same Namus (Jibreel) who was sent to Musa (Moses)."
The Noble Quran was compiled into book form in three stages:
The Quran was written on various materials: palm branches, white stones, leather, bones, cloth.
The Prophet ﷺ himself would dictate to the scribes of revelation (Kuttab al-Wahi).
Famous Scribes of Revelation: Zaid bin Thabit (RA), Ali (RA), Uthman (RA), Ubayy bin Ka'b (RA), Mu'awiyah (RA).
The Quran was completely written but not compiled into a single volume.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Cause | In the Battle of Yamamah (against Banu Hanifah), 700 Huffaz (memorizers) were martyred. Umar (RA) advised that the Quran should be compiled. |
| Order Given By | Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (RA) |
| Responsible Person | Zaid bin Thabit (RA) – he collected from loose parchments, leather, bones, and from the memories of people. |
| Result | The Quran was compiled into a single volume (Mushaf). This Mushaf was kept with Hafsa (RA). |
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Cause | The Islamic empire expanded. In Syria, Iraq, and other regions, people began reciting the Quran with different readings (differences began to increase). |
| Task | Uthman (RA) borrowed the Mushaf from Hafsa (RA) and ordered Zaid bin Thabit, Abdullah bin Zubair, Sa'id bin al-As, and Abdur-Rahman bin al-Harith to prepare copies. |
| Major Work | All copies were written in the dialect of the Quraysh (the language in which the Quran was revealed). |
| Result | 4 to 6 Mushafs were prepared. One was sent to Mecca, one to Kufa, one to Basra, one to Damascus, and one was kept in Medina. |
| Burning of Old Copies | People were ordered to burn any old copies so that only one unified version of the Quran remained. |
| Theme | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Tawhid (Oneness of Allah) | Allah's oneness, His attributes, avoiding shirk | Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Baqarah verse 255 |
| Prophethood (Nubuwwah) | Stories of the prophets, their attributes, command to obey them | Surah Yusuf (complete story), Surah Maryam |
| The Hereafter (Akhirah) | Day of Judgment, reckoning, Paradise, Hell | Surah Al-Qiyamah, Surah Al-Waqi'ah |
| Laws (Ahkam) | Prayer, fasting, zakah, hajj, inheritance, marriage, divorce, halal and haram | Surah An-Nisa (inheritance), Surah An-Nur (legal punishments) |
| Morals (Akhlaq) | Truthfulness, avoiding immorality, rights of orphans, respect for parents | Surah Luqman (advice), Surah Al-Hujurat (avoiding gossip) |
| Stories (Qasas) | Stories of previous nations (as lessons) | Surah Al-Kahf (Companions of the Cave), Surah Nuh |
| Surah | Number | Juz | Importance / Famous Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Fatihah | 1 | 1 | "Umm al-Kitab" (Mother of the Book), "Sab' al-Mathani" (Seven Oft-Repeated Verses), essential in every prayer |
| Yaseen | 36 | 22, 23 | "Qalb al-Quran" (Heart of the Quran) |
| Ar-Rahman | 55 | 27 | "'Arous al-Quran" (Bride of the Quran) – every verse is followed by "Which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?" |
| Al-Ikhlas | 112 | 30 | Summary of Tawhid, reciting three times equals the reward of reciting the whole Quran |
| Al-Falaq | 113 | 30 | One of the Mu'awwidhatayn (two surahs for seeking refuge), recited morning and evening |
| An-Naas | 114 | 30 | The other Mu'awwidhatan (surahs for seeking refuge) |
Arabic Text (Transliteration):
"اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ"
Translation:
"Allah! There is no god worthy of worship except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what will be after them, and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great."
Virtue: Whoever recites Ayat-ul-Kursi at night will be protected by Allah from Satan until morning. (Bukhari)
“آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ ۚ وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ (285)
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ ۖ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ (286)”
Translation (Summary):
"The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. All of them have believed in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers, saying: 'We make no distinction between any of His messengers.' And they say: 'We hear and we obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the final return.'
"Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity. It will have the reward it earns, and it will bear the punishment it incurs. Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord, do not place upon us a burden like that which You placed upon those before us. Our Lord, do not burden us with that which we cannot bear. And pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy upon us. You are our Protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people."
Virtue: The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever recites the last two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah at night, they will be sufficient for him." (Bukhari)
| Etiquette | Details |
|---|---|
| Perform Wudu (Purity) | It is better to recite after wudu, although one can recite without wudu (except a menstruating woman cannot recite) |
| Face the Qiblah | It is recommended (mustahab) to face the Qiblah while reciting |
| Use Miswak | Cleaning the mouth before reciting is Sunnah |
| Recite Ta'awwudh and Basmalah | Before starting, recite "A'udhu billahi min ash-shaytan ir-rajeem" and "Bismillah ir-rahman ir-raheem" |
| Recite softly or audibly | Recite loud enough to hear yourself – but not too loud to disturb others |
| Reflect and ponder (Tadabbur) | Not just recitation, but understanding the meaning and acting upon it |
| Try to weep | When reciting verses of punishment, feel fear; when reciting verses of mercy, feel joy |
| Make supplication after recitation | Du'a is accepted after completing the Quran |
| Can recite anywhere | Mosque, home, market, travel – except bathrooms (toilet) and impure places |
| Respect | Keep the Quran in a high place, not on the floor. Do not place anything else (e.g., shoes) with it. |
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Al-Quran | The thing that is read |
| Al-Furqan | The distinguisher between truth and falsehood |
| Al-Kitab | The written book |
| Adh-Dhikr | The reminder and advice |
| At-Tanzeel | The thing sent down |
| An-Nur | The light |
| Ash-Shifa | The healer |
| Ar-Rahmah | The mercy |
| Al-Mubeen | The clear and manifest |
| Al-Huda | The guidance |
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Surahs | 114 |
| Total Paras (Juz) | 30 |
| Total Verses (Ayat) | 6,236 (some say 6,666) |
| Total Ruku' | 540 |
| First Surah revealed | Al-Alaq (first 5 verses) |
| Last Surah revealed | Al-Ma'idah (according to some, An-Nasr) |
| Longest Surah | Al-Baqarah (286 verses) |
| Shortest Surah | Al-Kawthar (3 verses) |
| Makki Surahs | 86 (revealed in Mecca) |
| Madani Surahs | 28 (revealed in Medina) |
| Verses of Prostration (Ayat as-Sajdah) | 14 (where prostration is obligatory or recommended) |
| First Mushaf (book form) | Compiled in the era of Abu Bakr (RA) |
| Copies of Mushafs | Prepared in the era of Uthman (RA) |
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where did the first revelation come? | Cave of Hira |
| First word of the first revelation | "Iqra" (Read) |
| Surah of the first revelation | Al-Alaq (96) |
| First Caliph to compile the Quran | Abu Bakr (RA) |
| Caliph who prepared copies of the Mushaf | Uthman (RA) |
| Central themes of the Quran | Tawhid, Prophethood, Hereafter, Laws, Morals |
| Called the "Heart of the Quran" | Surah Yaseen |
| Called the "Bride of the Quran" | Surah Ar-Rahman |
| Summary of Tawhid | Surah Al-Ikhlas |
| Which Surah contains Ayat-ul-Kursi? | Al-Baqarah (255) |
| Virtue of the last two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah | Sufficient for protection at night |