Dear Bernice,

Thank you for your question.

Answering your question, Dr. Mohsen Haredy, PhD in Islamic Studies and Former Executive Manager and Editor-in-Chief of E-Da`wah Committee in Kuwait, states:

Muslims believe that the Quran is the word of God. It was revealed via Angel Gabriel to Prophet Muhammad over a period of 23 years in response to particular situations at the time.

Muslims believe that the Quran is the only scripture which has been preserved intact through written and oral means.

Thousands of people memorized the Quran from the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) until today. The Quran was written during the lifetime of the Prophet under his direction and supervision.

Muslims believe that the order of verses in each surah was instituted by the Prophet. There is no dispute among Muslim scholars regarding this issue.

Hadith Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim 

Ibn Abbas narrated that:

“I said to Uthman bin Affan: ‘What was your reasoning with Al-Anfal – while it is from the Muthani (Surah with less than one-hundred verses), and Bara’ah while it is from the Mi’in (Surah with about one-hundred verses), then you put them together, without writing the line Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim between them, and you placed them with the seven long (Surah) – why did you do that?’ So Uthman said: ‘A long time might pass upon the Messenger of Allah without anything being revealed to him, and then sometimes a Surah with numerous (verses) might be revealed. So when something was revealed, he would call for someone who could write, and say: “Put these verses in the Surah which mentions this and that in it.” When a verse was revealed, he would say: “Put this verse in the Surah which mentions this and that in it.” Now Al-Anfal was among the first of those revealed in Al-Madinah, and Bara’ah among the last of those revealed of the Quran, and its narrations (those of Bara’ah) resembled its narrations (those of Al-Anfal), so we thought that it was part of it. Then the Messenger of Allah died, and it was not made clear to us whether it was part of it. So it is for this reason that we put them together without writing Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim between them, and we put that with the seven long (Surahs).'” (At-Tirmidhi)

No Shifting

Ibn Az-Zubair narrated that:

I said to Uthman bin Affan (while he was collecting the Quran) regarding the Verse:– “Those of you who die and leave wives …” (2:240) “This Verse was abrogated by another verse. So why should you write it? (Or leave it in the Quran)?” Uthman said. “O son of my brother! I will not shift anything of it from its place.”  (Al-Bukhari)

Order of the Chapters of the Quran

With regard to the order of surahs (chapters) of the Quran, there is a difference of opinion among scholars. The majority of scholars maintain that the order of chapters was a matter of the Companions’ Ijtihad. While, other scholars view that the order of chapters was instituted by the Prophet .

Ibn Faris, a scholar of the Quranic sciences, said:

“There were two aspects to the compilation of the Quran. One was putting the surahs in a certain order, such as putting al-Sab’ al-Tiwaal (the seven long surahs) first, and following them with the Mi`in, which is what the Companions did.

The second aspect is the compilation of the verses within the surahs. This was instituted by the Prophet, who recited them as he was told to by Gabriel, on the command of his Lord.”

Al-Karmani, another scholar of the Quranic sciences, said:

“The order of the surahs as it is now is the same as that in al-Lawh al-Mahfuzh, The Preserved Tablet, which is with Allah. This is the order in which the Prophet used to review the surahs of the Quran he had received so far with Gabriel each year.”

Role of  Zayd ibn Thabit

With regard to the role of Zayd ibn Thabit, he collected the portions scattered with different people. Then, verified the texts and put them in the order assigned to the verses and chapters by the Prophet Muhammad  himself before his death. Abu Bakr As-Siddiq was the one who preserved and kept the whole Quran.

Umar ibn Al-Khattab entrusted this copy of the Quran to his daughter Hafsah.

After the expansion of the Islamic state, people learned the Quran according to their dialects. Therefore, Uthman ibn Affan supervised the process of making a standard version of the Quran. The process was assigned to Zayd ibn Thabit and a number of other companions of the Prophet.

This version was in accordance with the order of verses and surah that was instituted by the Prophet.

Uthman ordered that all other copies be destroyed to protect the Quran from being tampered with, and to avoid any chaos or confusion over reading it.

We hope this answers your question.

Keep in touch.

===================

Source: www.aboutislam.net

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Dear Andrew,

Thank you for your question.

Prayer constitutes one pillar of Islam and is considered the foundation of religion.

It is an instinct of man to be inclined to adore the great beings, and to aspire to lofty goals. The greatest being and the loftiest goal of all is God. The best way to cultivate in man a sound personality and actualize his aspirations in a mature course of development is the Islamic prayer.

To neglect prayer is to oppress the good qualities in human nature and unjustifiably deny it the right to adore and love, the right to aspire and ascend, and the right to excel in goodness and achieve noble aims. Such oppression and denial constitute a very serious and destructive offense. Here lies the significance and vitality of prayer in the life of man.

It should always be borne in mind that God does not need man’s prayer, because He is free of all needs. He is only interested in our prosperity and well-being in every sense.

When God emphasizes the necessity of prayer and charges us with any duty, He means to help us; because whatever good we do is for our own benefit, and whatever offence we commit is against our own souls. Here, too, man is the center of gravity, and his common interest is the main concern.

The benefit which man can derive from the Islamic prayer is immeasurable and the blessing of prayer is beyond imagination. This is not just a ‘theory’ or conventional assumption; it is a fascinating fact and a spiritual experience. Here is an explanation of the effectiveness of the Islamic prayer:

1. 1. It strengthens the belief in the existence and goodness of God and transmits this belief into the innermost recesses of man’ s heart.
   2. It enlivens this belief and makes it constructive in the practical course of life.
   3. It helps man to realize his natural and instinctive aspirations to greatness and high morality, to excellence and virtuous growth.
   4. It purifies the heart and develops the mind, cultivates the conscience and comforts the soul.
   5. It fosters the good and decent elements in man and suppresses the evil and indecent inclinations.

When we analyze the Islamic prayer and study its unique nature, it will reveal to us that it is not merely a physical motion or a void recital of the Gracious Book; the Qur’an. It is a matchless and unprecedented formula of intellectual meditation and spiritual devotion, of moral elevation and physical exercise, all combined.

It is an exclusively Islamic experience where every muscle of the body joins the soul and the mind in the worship and glory of God. It is difficult for anyone to impart in words the full meaning of the Islamic prayer yet it can be said that it is:

1. 1. A lesson in discipline and willpower;
   2. A practice in devotion to God and all worthy objectives;
   3. A vigilant reminder of God and constant revelation of His Goodness;
   4. A seed of spiritual cultivation and moral soundness;
   5. A guide to the most upright way of life;
   6. A safeguard against indecency and evil, against wrong deviation and stray;
   7. A demonstration of true equality, solid unity, and brotherhood;
   8. An expression of thankfulness to God and appreciation of Him;
   9. A course of inner peace and stability;
   10. An abundant source of patience and courage, of hope and confidence

This is the Islamic prayer, and that is what it can do for man. The best testimony to this statement is to experience the prayer and avail oneself of its spiritual joys. Then one will know what it really means.

Hope this answers your question.

_________________________

 The answer is excerpted from Dr. Hammudah Abdalati’s Islam in Focus.

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Dear Curt,

Thank you for your question.

Answering your question, Dr. Mohsen Haredy, PhD in Islamic Studies and Former Executive Manager and Editor-in-Chief of E-Da`wah Committee in Kuwait, states:

Thank you also for showing interest in knowing more about Islam and its divine Book, the Quran.

First, we would like to invite you to take the time to read the Quran or at least listen to it. At this link, you will find the Quran available in different platforms. Just choose one of the options and you will enjoy a unique experience with the Quran.

Briefly, Islam is not a new invention or a new religion. Islam is the religion of all the prophets who came before Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them all).

All the previous Prophets and Messengers came with one true message, i.e. to worship the One True God (Allah). Therefore, Islam is a continuation of the previous messages.

As you put it, all books have an audience and a message. The Book which contained the divine message of God is called the Quran.

The Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad via Arch Angel Gabriel over a period of 23 three years.

Muslims believes that the current Quran is the same Book that prophet Muhammad received over than 1430 years ago. No word was added, deleted, or changed in the Quran over this period of time. Muslims believe that the Quran will remain the same till the Day of Judgment.

Muslims also believe the hands of scribes and translators have touched the other Scriptures. Therefore, Muslims believe that the other Scriptures have been altered and distorted.

The Quran defines itself in the following verse:

It is (the Quran) but a reminder to the worlds. (Quran 38:87)

Allah the Almighty addresses Prophet Muhammad who received the Quran in the following manner:

And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds. (Quran 21:107)

Thus, the Quran is not for a specific group, nation, country, or people. The Quran is for all.

Also, Trhe Quran is not for a certain time or place. The Quran is limitless. The message of the Quran is a universal message.  

Allah says in the Quran:

And We have not sent you except comprehensively to mankind as a bringer of good tidings and a warner. But most of the people do not know. (Quran 34:28)

Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His Servant that he may be to the worlds a warner. (Quran 25:1)

The Quran is unlike ideologies or ideas. The Quran does not belong to a certain category of the society.

When the Quran says, for example: “This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah” (Quran 2:2), it means that those who follow its teachings will be the guided ones.

The Quran does not represent a certain class or defend its rights.

The Quran defines its message in the following verse:

We have already sent Our messengers with clear evidences and sent down with them the Scripture and the balance that the people may maintain [their affairs] in justice. (Quran 57:25)

Thus, the message of the Quran is to establish justice among all people.

We hope this answers your question.

Keep in touch.

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Dear Eugenia,

Thank you for your question.

With regard to your question, Dr. Ibrahim H. Malabari, a well-known Islamic researcher and author of many Islamic books, states:

The claims that the Prophet Muhammad suffered from epilepsy rests on a number of shaky assumptions not supported by medical research.

They are based solely on the many different descriptions of his state during his reception of revelation.

First, Prophet Muhammad first received revelation when he was forty years old. This would mean that the Prophet suddenly developed epilepsy later in life as it has never been reported that he suffered from such experiences before. This is highly unlikely from a medical perspective.

Moreover, epilepsy is seen as one way of explaining the Prophet’s visions and spiritual experiences.

Prophet Muhammad was not reported to have suffered from any such physical or mental conditions except during his reception of revelation.

This would mean that the Prophet’s epilepsy occurred only when he was inspired by verses from the Quran. This would be a medical anomaly as epilepsy is not consistently associated with such experiences.

Untreated epilepsy also leads to mental damage and difficulties. The Prophet Muhammad received revelation for 23 years and it was never reported that his memory or mental faculties suffered in any way.

If we consider the entire life history of the Prophet, one sees very clearly the integrity and consistency of his personality and qualities.

He transformed the belief, practice and mindset of a corrupt and backward people to a moral and civilized one. He became the father of a nation in a manner unparalleled in human history.

From his family life to his public persona, the details of his life were transparent. And what emerges from a fair-minded look at his personality is that all his achievements cannot be reduced to some single medical reason.

Unlike many of the great figures of history, what the Prophet did, said and sanctioned is recorded authentically and even more so after he received revelation.

Indeed the thousands of pages that have been written on his life reveal not a trace of erratic or irrational behavior.

The idea of the Prophet being an epileptic was first advanced by Orientalists whose arguments both from a scientific and historical view are very flimsy. Since then, the argument has been rehashed by propagandists and critics who care little for the basis of their claims.

From the above, it is clear that when one looks fairly at the life of the Prophet, it is hard to take such an argument seriously.

Source: Taken from the author's Ten Questions and Answers about the Prophet Muhammad.

We hope this answers your question.

Keep in touch.

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Dear Daniel,

Thanks for your concern to know about Muhammad, the last Prophet of God.

Muhammad ibn Abdullah was a descendant of Prophet Abraham though his son, Ishmael, and was from the prominent Arab tribe of Quraysh.

He was not the founder of Islam but its final Prophet and the last Messenger sent by God to the world as a mercy to mankind.

Every detail of his private life and public speech has been documented and carefully preserved up to the present day.

During the 23-year period of his Prophethood, he changed the entire Arabian Peninsula from paganism to worship of the one true God, from tribal warfare to national unity, from anarchy to disciplined living, from barbarism to the highest standard of moral excellence.

At the time of his death, most inhabitants of Arabia and the southern regions of Iraq and Palestine had voluntarily embraced Islam. To posterity, he left a creed of pure monotheism that included comprehensive legislation based on a balanced system of moral values.

No other man in history excelled him in so many different aspects of life. He not only taught and established the true religion but founded a state, initiated numerous political and social reforms, built a powerful and dynamic society, and completely revolutionized the realm of human thought and behavior - all within just over two decades.

His coming was foretold in previous scriptures, and he was described therein. The honest and open-minded among the Jews and Christians recognized him from those descriptions and believed in his message. But the message he communicated was not meant for a particular people, place or period; it was a global message. Muhammad (peace be upon him) was appointed to instruct all of mankind and invite humanity to the same objective as did the prophets before him: the worship of God alone without associates or intermediaries.

There is explicit evidence for the prophethood of Muhammad. As the revelation descended upon him, his companions noticed certain effects on his body; however, he never lost consciousness or showed any signs of illness. His life was protected by God during times of severe danger throughout the entire period of his prophethood until the divine message was complete.

Like the Prophets (peace be upon them) before him, Muhammad (peace be upon him) was supported with miracles, but by far the greatest of them was the Qur'an, an eternal miracle containing evidences for people of intellect for all time to come.

Prophet Muhammad was chosen by the Creator of the universe and of mankind to invite all people to correct beliefs and follow the pure way of life preferred by Him, and to demonstrate the measures and methods leading to His acceptance. He spared no effort and no sacrifice in carrying out this duty for the benefit of mankind. Through him, God made known truth from falsehood and wisdom from error. And through him He showed man how to attain eternal Paradise. Thus, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) directed humanity to the one divine source of values and rules of conduct.

We hope this answers your question.

______________ 

Source: This answer is based on the book of Clear Your Doubts about Islam by Sahih International.

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