Defining the Koran (part 1)

To start it is necessary to define the Quran, from this definition we will know what is allowed to be read in prayer and what is not. What is a proof in Hukm Shariy and what is not. Also it will tell us what will make somebody a Kafir by denyin and what does not constitute disbelief. So when we define Quran we mean the Quran as e!idence in "i#h. The definition of the Quraan $t is the word of Allah that is re!ealed upon his sla!e %uhammad in the Arabic ton ue $t is a miracle &'$(aa)* in e!en the shortest Surah, it is written down and narrated to us throu h Tawattur &multiple chains of transmission*, throu h which we worship Allah by readin it, it starts with Surat al+"atiha and ends with Surat Al+,aas. &See Al+$hkaam by Sayf ul+-een al+Aamidi ./01 and 2awdat al+,athir by $bn+ Qudama al+%a#disi ./.31*. "rom this definition many points come to mind. The definition e4cludes any 5ook that is not the word of Allah, or re!ealed in the Arabic ton ue. $t also e4cludes any narration that has not reached us !ia a %utawattir chain of transmission. Also it e4cludes anythin that is not miraculous or beyond human ability because of this other forms of re!elation is not considered a miracle such as the Sunnah. "irstly6 $t is the word of Allah. The e!idence that it is the Word of Allah is the fact it is miraculous i.e. '$(a). The '$(a) in the Quran is outstandin elo#uence that is beyond human ability. ,ow as it is from Allah it becomes a proof, to follow in rulin s. Also when we say it is the word of Allah it e4cludes other forms of re!elation such as the Hadith Qudsi or other statements of the 7rophet. Secondly6 All the Quran is in Arabic. $t is completely Arabic and contains no forei n ton ue. $maam Shafi says in his 2isaala 8The Quraan indicates that there is no portion in the 5ook of Allah that is not in the Arab ton ue. He who e4pressed such an opinion 9concernin forei n words in the Quraan: may ha!e found some 9men: who accepted it by 9sheer: submission &ta#lid* to his authority, lea!in the matter of proof up to him and to those who ha!e disa reed with him. Howe!er, by mere submission they ha!e ne lected 9their duty:; Allah for i!e them and us. 5ut, perhaps, he who e4pressed the opinion that there are in the Quraan 9words: which are not of the Arab ton ue+and his opinion was accepted by others meant that there are certain particular 9words: which are not understood by some Arabs< "urthermore the i norance of the Arabs about some words of the Quraan is not an e!idence that the Quraan contains forei n words. 2ather there is a possibility that some non+Arabs learned some Arabic words and then it became wide spread in their lan ua e. 5ecause of this some of their words may correspond to some words mentioned in the Quraan, or maybe some forei n words entered in the Arabic lan ua e. And hence it became part of the Arabic lan ua e itself and therefore cannot be considered a forei n word anymore as the Arabs used it as part of their lan ua e, e!en if its root is forei n. %any !erses point that the Quraan is completely in Arabic such as 8=erily it is the

re!elation of the >ord of the world, brou ht down by the faithful spirit, upon thy heart, that thou mayest be of those who warn, in a clear Arabic ton ue &Q.???=$, .@0+.@A* 8Thus We sent it down as an Arabic >aw< &Q.?$$$, B3* 8And so We ha!e re!ealed to thee an Arabic Quraan in order that thou mayest warn the %other of the towns and the people of its !icinity 9Q.?>$$, A: 8An Arabic Quraan with no crookedness in it, perchance they will be Cod fearin < 9Q.444i4, 0@* 8$f We made it a forei n Quraan, they would ha!e said6 Why are not its communications made distinctD What, forei n and Arabic 9Q. ?>$, EE: Also the 5ook of e!ery prophet is in the ton ue of his people, as for non+Arabs they they ha!e to learn the Arabic lan ua e. $maam Al+Shafi says 8$t is obli atory upon e!ery %uslim to learn the Arab ton ue to the utmost of his power in order 9to be able: to profess throu h it that 8there is no Cod at all but Cod and %uhammad is His ser!ant and Apostle< and to recite in it 9i.e. the Arabic ton ue: the 5ook of Cod, and to utter in mentionin what is incumbent upon him, the Takbir, and what is commanded, the tasbih, the tashahhud and others< The translation of the Quraan is also not considered the Quraan howe!er accurate it is. 5ecause of this we cannot use the translation to deri!e rules from !erses, also there is no prayer readin the translation, nor is there worship by readin the translation. Thirdly6 The Quraan is narrated to us !ia Tawattur i.e. the transmission that benefits certainty, it has come to us by oral and written transmission since its re!elation to the prophet of Allah until this day. When the re!elation be an to come there was those who use to write the re!elation and at the same time it was memori)ed by many companions. This continued and was passed down from one eneration to another and hence it is impossible that they can all conspire to lie, add, chan e or remo!e anythin from the Quraan. This is uni#ue to the Quraan in comparison to pre!iously re!ealed books such as the Torah and $n(eel. As the Quraan completely has come throu h Tuwattur it hence means that it benefits certainty and therefore it is definite proof. As for the Shaath readin s of the Quraan or the Hadith Qudsi then they are not considered Quraan. Also the definition states that the Quraan is only what has come throu h %utawattir transmission which remo!es any narration that has come throu h AahFad narration &sin le narrator*.

Defining the Koran (part 2)

The Shaath readings of the Quraan The scholars differed whether the narration of the Quraan throu h the sin le narrator &Aahaad narration* &such as the %ushaf of $bn %asood* is Quraan or not. The Shaath readin of the Quraan is the narration that did not reach the le!el of Tawattur. -espite that it is Saheeh in its chain of transmission. The scholars a reed that the se!en readin s of the Quraan are all %uttawatir by $(ma. These are the readin s of Abi+'Amr, ,afi, 'Aasim, Ham)ah, Al+Kisaai, $bn Kathir, and $bn 'Aamir. As for beyond that up to ten readin s then the scholars differed. The other three readin s

differed on are Gaakoob, Abi+Hafar, and Khalaf. $n these three e4tra readin s some scholars said it reached the le!el of Tawattur and some held it did not. As for readin s beyond the ten mentioned then they are considered Shaath by the a reement of the scholars. The Hukm of the Shaath narrations What has been narrated by the sin le narrator is not Quraan. 5ut the scholars differed , can it be used as an e!idence D + The Hanafi and Hanbali scholars say it is an e!idence based on con(ecture, because it is narrated from the 7rophet &e* and e!erythin that is narrated from him is a proof. The e!idence that it is heard from the prophet &saws* is that the narrator is morally upri ht and trustworthy. Therefore they held it is a Sunnah that must be acted upon. + The %aliki and Shafi mathhab held that the Shaath narration is not an e!idence. The e!idence they held for their position is that it is not %utawattir and hence not QurFaan. Also it is not an e!idence as Sunnah because it was narrated as Quraan and not Sunnah. 5ecause of this they held it is not considered as an e!idence. Is the Basmalaa a erse of the Quraan! The "u#ahaa differed on the 5asmalaa is it a !erse in the be innin of e!ery Surah or is it independent and re!ealed to separate between Surahs D They a reed it is a !erse of the Quraan in Surah Al+,aml, but differed in the be innin of other Surah. + The Shafi %athhab held it is a !erse from e!ery Surah whether Al+"aatiha or other Surah e4cept Surah Al+5araaa &see Al+%ustasfa by $maam Cha)aali !ol.. pa e IA and see Al+$hkam by $maam Al+Aamidi ./1E*. Also on another note $bn+%ubarak said 8Whoe!er left the 5asmallaa then he has left ..B !erses< + The %aliki %athhab held it is not a !erse whether in Surah Al+"aatiha or others. + The Hanafi %athhab state it is a !erse from the Quraan but not in e!ery Surah whether it is Surah Al+"aatiha or not. They held it was re!ealed to separate each Surah &see "awaatih al+2ahamoot 0/.E*.