Quranic Sciences

Bismillahi’r-rahmani’r-rahim {In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful} Among various peoples and communities, there is a custom of beginning an important work with the name of one of the leading figures of that community who is res...

Bismillahi’r-rahmani’r-rahim {In the Name of Allah...

The Holy Qur'an says: We will grant a blessed happy life to a believer, whether male or female who is virtuous, and will repay such people according to their deeds" (Surah al-Nahl, 16:97) "O you who believe! Respond to Allah and the Messenger when he...

The Holy Qur'an says: We will grant a blessed happ...

'And were it not for Gods repelling some men with others, the earth would certainly be in a state of disorder, but God is gracious to the creatures' (2:251). In the theory of Islamic law, war is not an end in itself, but it is regarded as the final m...

'And were it not for Gods repelling some men with ...

The first and second copies of the Qur'an were written in Kufic script at the time of the Prophet. The very basic nature of the script, without diacritical marks, was suitable for the reciters, relators and scholars who had learned the Qur'an by hear...

The first and second copies of the Qur'an were wri...

The first group of reciters were those companions who were engaged in learning and teaching the Qur'an during the time of the Prophet. Among them was a group which mastered the whole Qur'an; one of this group was a woman by the name of Umm Waraqah bi...

The first group of reciters were those companions ...

As we have pointed out above, the verses and chapters of the Qur'an were in oral use amongst Muslims at the time of its first and second compilation into one volume. They were extremely careful in preserving what they had learnt by heart. Moreover, a...

As we have pointed out above, the verses and chapt...

Many of the verses are connected with events and circumstances which took place as the Prophet called the people to Islam, for example "The Cow". Other chapters, like "The Tribe", refer to the exile of the Banu al-Nadir and the chapter "The Coursers"...

Many of the verses are connected with events and c...

The Order in which the Verses of the Qur'an were RevealedThat the chapters and verses were not revealed in one place but rather in stages over a period of twenty-three years during the Prophet's mission is authenticated not only by historical evidenc...

The Order in which the Verses of the Qur'an were R...

In verses too numerous to mention, the Qur'an invites one to reflect upon the signs Of creation: the heavens, the shining stars and their astonishing celestial movements, and the cosmic order which rules over them all. Similarly, the Qur'an urges one...

In verses too numerous to mention, the Qur'an invi...

The reality of revelation is hidden from us. What is clear is that the aim of the programme of life, outlined for man by the Creator, cannot possibly have been put together by the intellect; there must be another way of understanding, of perceiving, ...

The reality of revelation is hidden from us. What ...

The path of revelation is part of the Creator's programme. He never makes mistakes, neither in His Creation nor in the system of belief and the laws of the shari'ah, which are delineated for man through revelation. God says in LXXII:26-28, (He is) th...

The path of revelation is part of the Creator's pr...

In chapter II:213, God says, "Mankind was one community and God sent (to them) prophets as bearers of good news and as warners and revealed to them the book with the truth that it may judge between mankind concerning that in which they differed." Her...

In chapter II:213, God says, "Mankind was one comm...

Man, like the rest of creation, naturally seeks his own well-being and happiness as he lives out his life. Since, by his very make-up, he has a variety of natural needs, he has no alternative but to live in society in order to fulfill these needs; hi...

Man, like the rest of creation, naturally seeks hi...

The guidance we are considering here is that which emanates from the wisdom of the Creator; this wisdom has created man and alloted him his goal of well-being just as it has assigned a path and goal to all creation. This goal of happiness and well-be...

The guidance we are considering here is that which...

No one would deny that men are social beings who co-operate with each other to better meet their daily needs. We may wonder, however, whether men desire this co-operation from their natural feelings; are they naturally inclined to undertake an action...

No one would deny that men are social beings who c...

The difference between the animal and plant kingdoms and man is that the former react according to their inherent knowledge or instinct, while man, also possessing an inherent knowledge, is equipped with an intellect and the capacity to use or recogn...

The difference between the animal and plant kingdo...

In the beginning of this book we explained that each created entity, whether mineral, plant or animal, is endowed with an inherent force which enables it to develop in accordance with its own innate design and nature. Thus we read in chapter XX:50, "...

In the beginning of this book we explained that ea...

We should repeat at this point that we do not intend to prove or disprove here the truth of Islam or the validity of the Prophet's invitation of the people to Islam. Rather, we simply want to state that the second of the modern non-Islamic explanatio...

We should repeat at this point that we do not inte...

According to the explanation of certain modern writers, prophethood is the rising up of a man from amongst his people in order to undertake social reform in accordance with the call of his conscience. The Qur'an, however, gives a different meaning to...

According to the explanation of certain modern wri...

According to the explanation of contemporary non-Muslim writers, angel is the name given to forces in nature which represent goodness, and happiness and devils are forces in nature representing evil and unhappiness. What we under- stand from the Qur'...

According to the explanation of contemporary non-M...

Scholars who explain the power of revelation and prophecy using the above explanation, attach great importance to the Science of nature and the visible world, and claim that everything in the world works according to the laws of nature. They view his...

Scholars who explain the power of revelation and p...