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Stewart Kelley Professor Blake History 1500 October 21, 2013 QURAN The Quran is a sacred religious text recorded and scribed by the scribes and followers of the prophet of Islam, Muhammad. It was transcribed during the years of 610 632 C.E., in the cities of Mecca and Medina, known today as Saudi Arabia. There are one hundred and fourteen Suras (chapters as we know it). To understand the Quran, one must first know the background of how it came to be and about the prophet, Muhammad. The prophet of Islam, Muhammad was born in Mecca approximately 570 C.E. and was a member of the powerful tribe, the Quraysh. His mother and father were killed while he was a young boy. Later, he was adopted and raised by his uncle who was a well-respected merchant and a ranking member or the tribe. When he was just twelve years old Muhammad made a travel to Syria, where he was influenced and impressed with the Jewish and Christian peoples by their following of their sacred bible and their beliefs in monotheism. By age twenty-five he fell in love with a wealthy widow in the merchant business, by the name of Khadija. From time to time, he liked to leave the city and walk into the hills of Hira outside of Mecca where he could be alone and think clearly. One day towards the end of the month of Ramadan (when people came to Mecca to give offerings and thanks to Pagan idol gods), the prophet Muhammad was praying in a cave when the angel Gabriel spoke to him and told him to read. Since Muhammad did not

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read or write, he would recite what the angel had told him to scribes. The angel Gabriel was bringing the revelations of Allah (God) to Muhammad so he would convert the people of Mecca and the world from worshiping many different Idol Gods, to believe in just one true God and to follow the revelations spoken to Muhammad from Gabriel and from Allah himself. During the writing of the Quran more and more people from the city of Mecca started to follow and believe in the prophets teachings, with Kahdija his wife being the first of his followers. The people that would follow the prophets teachings were called Muslims, the people of Islam. The book took over twenty-two years to compose, from 610 to 632 CE. The Quran is a book of rules or laws and virtues for the people to follow. During the era of 600 CE, there were people worshiping Idol gods and being corrupted by money and survival of the fittest. Not all the people were happy about Muhammads teachings and, after his uncle and wife died in the same year (year of mourning), he was run out of Mecca in 622 CE and went to the city of Medina where he unified the city, gathered his followers and prepared for his return to Mecca in ten years time. The Quran opens each and every Sura with, In the name of God, the Compassionate, the merciful. The most important of all the Suras is Sura number one. Mecca, Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds! The compassionate, the merciful! King of the day of reckoning! Thee only do we worship, and to Thee do we cry for help. Guide Thou us on the straight path, The path of those to whom Thou hast been gracious;- with whom thou art not angry, and who go not astray. (Rodwell. P3) The reason this Sura is considered the most revered is because it is the prayer recited before all other prayers. The people of Islam believe that without reciting this Sura first then the other prayers will not be heard.

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For the purpose of this document analysis I will be discussing ten of the one hundredfourteen Suras. Starting with the aforementioned Sura, in addition to Suras 4 Women, 9 Immunity, 12 Joseph, 14 Abraham, 17 The Night Journey, 19 Mary, 47 Muhammad, 106 The Koreisch, and Sura 114 Men. In Sura 4, Women, it is revolutionary since prior to the Quran women had no official status. It explains how women are precious and the givers of life. It dictates how to give women their due worth. It breaks down the rights and wrongs of who to marry and how to disperse the property when there is death or divorce. At first glance, to western current era time it is often misunderstood. It is viewed as keeping women suppressed when, in actuality, during the time, it was revolutionary. It actually allowed women more rights than any other time in history. In short, it was the first womens rights movement. In Surah 9, Immunity, Muhammad had made a ten year-treaty with Mecca to not attack and to live in exile, in Medina, for ten years. After only four months Allah had prophesized that the people of Mecca, worshiping their Pagan gods could weaken Allah. After the treaty, the Pagans will suffer in shame and the people of Islam should take over Mecca and kill those who try to stop them and all will be forgiven for killing. They will be allowed immunity for their sins as justified in the eyes of Allah. Surahs 12, 14, and 19 discuss three of the seven prophets and their teachings, Starting with Abraham, and ending with Jesus, (6th prophet), and with Muhammad, being the 7th and last and final of the prophets. They describe how to view the other prophets. 4, Joseph, is about truth and 14, Abraham, describes how Allah directs all affairs of man and the judgment of man is solely Allahs duty. Sura 19, Mary, describes her as the mother of Jesus the prophet and not the son of God. It is taught that there is no son of God and God is all-mighty to have a child of an earthly woman. It describes Mary, as a virgin mother of Jesus, but not to confuse it as Gods divine child, but that he was sent to be a prophet. Surah 17, The Night Journey, explains

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when the prophet had many followers within Arabia, but was not favored by the ruling class of Mecca. So, Muhammad gathered up all his followers and went to Medina to round up all the fractioned Muslims and unite them as one under the protection of Medina. Sura 47, Muhammad, The theme of the surah is Jihad, and it is stated that it has to be performed with great enthusiasm in order to defeat the enemy or the non-believers. It states that Allah protects his believers and to follow unto him. It simply says the people that defend the word of Allah with their lives will be rewarded by Allah in the life after this one. Surah 106, Koreisch, states that those who worship Allah will be given food and shelter and free from attack. Sura 114, Men, the last of the Suras in the Quran, it teaches to seek refuge with Allah and his believers, those from Jinn (heaven) and those of mankind. When reading the Quran, we must first put ourselves in the trying times in which the revelations happened. The times were spread with corruption, murder, an outright mistreatment of humankind. It is often misinterpreted as subjugating women or people of other faiths. It is not a book of hate (as seen in some western cultures), but a book of guidelines to keep humanity headed in the righteous direction of Allah. The teaching in the Quran is designed to help its followers to reach Jinn with Allah.

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Works Cited

Rodwell, J.M. The Koran. Upper Saint Martins Lane, London: Phoenix, 2001.