Form, Language and Style

An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur’an
Ahmad Von Denffer

CHAPTER 4: Form, Language and Style

DIVISIONS OF THE TEXT

Aya and Sura

Aya (pl. ayat) actually means ‘sign’. In technical language it is the shortest division of the Qur’anic text, i.e. a phrase or sentence. The revelation is guidance from God to mankind and it is therefore not at all surprising to find that its smallest divisions are called (guiding) ‘signs’. The term ‘verse’ is not appropriate since the Qur’an is not poetry.

Sura (pl. Suwar) means literally ‘row’ or ‘fence’. In technical language, it is the passage-wise division of the Qur’anic text,i.e. a chapter or part, set apart from the preceding and following text.

The Qur’an has 114 suras of unequal length, the shortest consisting of four and the longest of 286 ayat.

All suras (with the exception of Sura 9) begin with the words bismillahir rahmanir rahim. This is not a later addition to the text, but was already used, even before Muhammad’s call to prophethood. ‘ [See Sura 27: 30.]

All 114 suras in the Qur’an have names, which serve as a sort of heading. The names are often derived from an important or distinguishing word in the text itself, such as e.g. al-anfal (8) or al-baqara (2). In other cases it is one of the first few words with which the sSra begins e.g. ta-ha (20) or al-furqan (25).

Order and Arrangement

Both the order of the ayat within each sura and the arrangement of the suras were finally determined by the Prophet under guidance from the Angel Gabriel in the year of his death, when Gabriel twice came to revise the text with him. [See above. transmission of the Qur’anic revelation, p. 31.]

Scholars have also grouped the suras into four kinds:

• al-tiwal (long ones): 2-10.
  
• al-mi’un: suras with approximately 100 ayat: 10-35.
  
• al-mathani: suras with less than 100 ayat: 36-49.
  
• al-mufassal: the last section of the Qur’an beginning with Sura qaf: 50-114.

The Qur’an in Manuscript and Print

An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur’an
Ahmad Von Denffer

CHAPTER 3 : The Qur’an in Manuscript and Print

THE QUR’ANIC SCRIPT

Writing, although not very widespread in pre-Islamic time, was well-known among the Arabs. The script used in the seventh century, i. e . during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad, consisted of very basic symbols, which expressed only the consonantal structure of a word, and even that with much ambiguity.

While today letters such as ba, ta, tha, ya, are easily distinguished by points, this was not so in the early days and all these letters used to be written simply as a straight line.

From this very basic system of writing there developed over the ages, various types of script, such as Kufi, Maghribi, Naskh, etc., which spread all over the world.

The later invention of printing with standardised types has contributed to formalising the writing.

However, as far as the actual script of the Qur’an is concerned, there were two important steps which brought about the forms in which we have the Qur’anic text as it is today. These were the introduction of:

• Vowelling marks (tashkil).
  
• Diacritical marks (i’jam).
  

Tashkil

Tashkil is the name for the signs indicating the vowels in Arabic scripts. They were apparently unknown in pre-lslamic

times. These signs help to determine the correct pronunciation of the word and to avoid mistakes.

When more and more Muslims of non-Arab origin and also many ignorant Arabs’ [Yaqut reports in his book irshad that al-Hajjaj b. Yusuf himself once read ahabba in 9: 24 wrongly as ahabbu, see GdQ. 111, 124, note 6.] studied the Qur’an,

faulty pronunciation and wrong readings began to increase. It is related that at the time of Du’all (d. 69H/638) someone

in Basra read the following aya from the Qur’an in a faulty way, which changed the meaning completely: :

That God and His apostle dissolve obligations with the pagans (9: 3).

That God dissolves obligations with the pagans and the apostle (9: 3).

The mistake occurred through wrongly reading rasulihi in place of rasuluhu, which could not be distinguished from the written text, because there were no signs or accents indicating the correct pronunciation. Unless someone had memorized the correct version he could out of ignorance easily commit such a mistake. [See also fihrist, 1, pp. 87-8.] The signs or accents to prevent such problems were introduced not long before the i’jam and then got the shape they have to this day: [Hughes,T.P.: A Dictionary of Islam London,1895 p.687.]

Transmission of the Qur’anic Revelation

An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur’an
Ahmad Von Denffer

CHAPTER 2: Transmission of the Qur’anic Revelation

The revelation contained in the Qur’an has been transmitted to us by numerous persons in two ways: orally and in written form.

MEMORISATION AND ORAL TRANSMISSION

Memorisation by the Prophet

Oral transmission of the revelation was based on hifz or memorisation and the Prophet Muhammad himself was the first to commit a revelation to memory after the Angel Gabriel had brought it to him:

‘Move not thy tongue concerning the (Qur’an) to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it and promulgate it; but when We have promulgated it, follow thou its recital’ (75: 16-19).

‘… an apostle from God, rehearsing scriptures, kept pure and holy …’ (98: 2).

Memorisation by the Companions

The Prophet then declared the revelation and instructed his Companions to memorise it. The case of Ibn Mas’ud, who was the first man to publicly recite the Qur’an in Makka, shows that even in the very early phase of the Islamic umma recital of the revelation from memory was practised by the Companions:

‘… the first man to speak the Qur’an loudly in Makka after the apostle was ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud. The Prophet’s Companions came together and mentioned that the Quraish had never heard the Qur’an distinctly read to them … When (Ibn Mas’ud) arrived at the maqAm, he read “In the name of God the Compassionate the Merciful”, raising his voice as he did so. “The Com- passionate who taught the Qur’an …” (55:1) … They got up and began to hit him in the face; but he continued to read so far as God willed that he should read … [Guillaume, E.: The Life of Muhammad (abbr. as Ibn Hisham), London, 55, pp. 141-2; Ibn Hisham: Sira al-nabi, Cairo, n.d., 1, p.206.]

It is also reported that Abu Bakr used to recite the Qur’an publicly in front of his house in Makka. [Sira Ibn Hisham, The Life of Muhammad]

An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur’an

By Ahmad von Denffer

Introduction

The Qur’an contains the revelations of Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, to mankind. It is the message from God to man and therefore of utmost importance to us. To properly grasp a message, one needs first of all to understand its contents exactly, and for this purpose one must study the Qur’an deeply and in detail. In fact, some people do spend their whole lives studying the Qur’an, reading and reflecting upon it and, as they grow and develop, both physically and spiritually, they discover for themselves new meanings and implications.

Secondly, some special knowledge of the circumstances that surround the message is also necessary for fuller understanding of its meaning and implications. Although some part of this special knowledge can be derived from the Qur’an itself, there remain other areas of knowledge that can only be discovered by wider study and research.

Muslims have from earliest times, applied themselves not only to the message from Allah the Qur’an but also to its setting and framework, and the preoccupation with these ultimately developed into the ‘sciences’ of or ‘knowledge’ about the Qur’an, known as “ulum al-qur’an’.

The proper approach to the Qur’an, in my humble view, can be described in three stages. You must:

• first, receive the message of the Qur’an, by hearing or reading it;
  
• second, understand the message of the Qur’an by reflecting upon it and studying its meanings;
  
• third, apply the message of the Qur’an by ordering your personal life as well as the life of society according to its message.
  

The branch of knowledge, called ‘ulum al-Qur’an may be used as a means for the accomplishment of the second stage, understanding the message of the Qur’an, by understanding its setting and circumstances.

The 99 attributes of allah – based on the work of Imam al Ghazali

To the best of my understanding these are from his book the 99 names of allah. some of the definitions repeat them self because they encompass more than one attribute.

Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (radiallahu ‘anhu) that the Prophet sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: Allah has ninety nine names, one hundred minus one; and he who counts them all will enter Al-Jannah (the Garden Of Heaven), and Allah is “witr” (One) and loves the witr (i.e. odd numbers). [Al-Bukhaari, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasaai, Ibn Majah]There is a consensus among the scholars that Allah’s names are not confined to the number mentioned by the Prophet sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). His sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) statement simply tells us that a Muslim who properly believes in and applies those ninety nine names will surely enter Al-Jannah. It does not negate the existence of other names for the Almighty. The Prophet sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) told us about entering Al-Jannah, not about the total number of Allah’s names.

The proof that there are other names which the Creator did not reveal to us, is the following hadeeth of the Prophet sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam): If any Muslim afflicted with distress or grief makes this supplication, his supplication will be accepted: ‘Oh Allah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your maidservant. My forehead is in Your hand. Your command concerning me prevails, and Your decision concerning me is just. I call upon You by every one of the beautiful names by which You have described Yourself, or which You have revealed in Your Book, or have taught any one of Your creatures, or which You have chosen to keep in the knowledge of the unseen with You, to make the Qur’aan the delight of my heart, the light of my breast, and remove of any grief, sorrows, and afflictions’, Allah will remove one’s affliction and replace it with joy and happiness.” The Companions, then, said; “Do we have to learn these words?” The Prophet sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) replied: “Yes, any one who heard them should learn them. [Ahmed, Abu Awaana, Abu Ya’la, Al-Bazzar]

Attributes of Allâh

” We shall show them Our Signs upon the horizons and within themselves until it is clear to them that it is the Real (the Truth)” (41:53).

Allah Self-disclosed through the manifestation of the Most Beautiful Names of which one Hadith relates the following Ninety-Nine Names of Allâh

Allâh

“He is Allah; there is no Allah but He….” (59:22)

Allah is unique in terms of true Being. No other being can be said to exist `of itself’. In fact, “Everything perishes except His Presence (Face)” (28:88). It is probable that the name Allâh occurs to indicate the Absolute in the same way that proper nouns denote particular things. Everything that can be said, however, in respect of the origin of the word is from the human point of view, that is, relative and arbitrary.
As Allah breathed His Spirit on the human form it can aspire to actualize Allah’s Qualities but the possibility of this occurring is limited and relative to our own natural disposition–which Allah gave us–and the extent of our directing our motivations and perceptions towards this goal. However, gaining knowledge of Allah’s Most Beautiful Names and assuming them as noble or praiseworthy character traits whatever possible makes us in no way comparable to Allah’s likeness. The Qur’an clearly states, “Naught is as His likeness” (16:74) nor should one consider that sharing in every quality means a likeness. Likeness is defined as sharing in a specific thing and in essence. A horse and a human being may both be swift but their likeness ends here.

The meaning of the name Allâh is so specific that it is inconceivable that there could be any sharing of the Name whether it be metaphorically or literally. In view of this, the rest of the Names are described as being the Names of Allâh and are defined in relation to Allâh. One may say that the Patient, the Compeller, and the Sovereign are among the Names of Allâh but one cannot say that Allâh is one of the Names of the Patient, the Compeller, the Sovereign. This is because the Name Allâh, is more indicative of the true nature of the meaning of divinity and is, therefore, more specific. As a result, one dispenses with trying to define it by something else whereas the other Names are defined in relationship to the Name Allâh. As the Qur’an says, “Do you know of any other that can be named with His Name?” (19:65)