Part 4 - Definition of the Qur'aan

The best way to definie Qur'aan in a comprehensive manner is as follows:

'The Qur'aan is the Arabic Speech (kalaam) of Allah, which He revealed to Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) in wording and meaning and which has been preserved in the mus-hafs, and has reached us by mutawaatir transmissions, and is a challenge to mankind to produce something similar to it.'

Breakdown of the definition implies the following:

1) The Qur'aan is in Arabic language and a translation of the Qur'aan cannot be considered the Qur'aan.

“And indeed we know that they (polythiests and pagans) say: “It is only a human being who teaches him (Muhammad SAW).” The tongue of man they refer to is foreign, while this (the Quran) is a clear Arabic tongue” (Translation of the meaning of the Qur'aan by Muhsin Khan – 16:103)

“Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Quran in order that you may understand.” (Translation of the meaning of the Qur'aan by Muhsin Khan – 12:2)

“And thus We have revealed to you an Arabic Qur'an that you may warn the Mother of Cities and those around it and warn of the Day of Assembly, about which there is no doubt. A party will be in Paradise and a party in the Blaze.” (Translation of the meaning of the Qur'aan by Sahih Internation – 42:7)

2) The Qur'aan is the Speech (kalaam) of Allah, that He spoke in a manner that befits Him. This serves to exclude all speech from men, Jinn and angels.

3) This limits the Qur'aan to being the part of His Speech that He revealed to Muhammad (SAW). The Kalaam of Allah is infinite as the Qur'aan says:

“And if all the trees on the earth were pens and the sea (were ink wherewith to write), with seven seas behind it to add to its (supply), yet the Words of Allah would not be exhausted. Verily, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.” (Translation of the meaning of the Qur'aan by Muhsin Khan – 31:27)

Therefore the Speech of Allah that He spoke to other Prophets is not considered part of the Qur'aan.

4) Since Qur'aan was revealed in wording and meaning to Prophet Muhammad (SAW), this eliminates any possibility that the words are not from Allah, as this excludes even Jibreel or Muhammad (SAW) as being innovators of the Qur'aan.

5) A Mus-haf is a written copy of the Qur'aan and specifically refers to the copies that 'Uthmaan (RA) ordered to be written. This excludes the verses that used to be part of the Qur'aan but were later abrogated by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) before his death.

6) A transmission is called mutawaatir when it is reported by a large number of people such that they could not all be mistaken or intentionally forge a lie. In other words in each geneartion so many people narrated it that there is no question of its authenticity. There are some readings that have not reached us in mutawaatir form and are not considered to be part of the Qur'aan.

7) The challenge to makind to produce something similar to the Qur'aan highlightes the miraculous nature of the Qur'aan and also serves to exclude Hadeeth Qudsee as part of the Qur'aan(if one believes Hadeeth Qudsee to be inspired in meaning wording).