اَلْقُرْآنُ‎
The Noble Reading

The Holy Koran is a divine book brought down from heaven by the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and its message is the key to paradise.

The Koran has four main themes:

The bulk of the Koran details the essentials of belief and places them in the broader framework of God’s attributes and the mission of human beings on earth. Among the many messages the Koran delivers, if one has to be picked as the main message, it is that human beings are created to know and serve the one true God, and are tested during their life on earth. They will be sent to their destinations of Heaven or Hell, depending on their actions in this life.

The Koran uses cosmological and contingency arguments in various verses without referring to the terms to prove the existence of God. Therefore, the universe is originated and needs an originator, and whatever exists must have a sufficient cause for its existence. Besides, the design of the universe is frequently referred to as a point of contemplation.

The central theme of the Koran is monotheism. God is depicted as living, eternal, omniscient, omnipotent, unique and one and only. God’s omnipotence appears above all in his power to create. He is the creator of everything, of the heavens and the earth and what is between them. All human beings are equal in their utter dependence upon God, and their well-being depends upon their acknowledging that fact and living accordingly.

The doctrine of the last day and eschatology (the final fate of the universe) may be considered the second great doctrine of the Koran. It is estimated that approximately one-third of the Koran is eschatological, dealing with the afterlife in the next world and with the day of judgment at the end of time. There is a reference to the afterlife on most pages of the Koran and belief in the afterlife is often referred to in conjunction with belief in God as in the common expression. A number of chapters are directly related to the afterlife and its preparations. Some chapters indicate the closeness of the event and warn people to be prepared for the imminent day. The Koran is often vivid in its depiction of what will happen at the end time.

The Koran does not assert a natural immortality of the human soul, since man’s existence is dependent on the will of God: when he wills, he causes man to die; and when he wills, he raises him to life again in a bodily resurrection.

According to the Koran, God communicated with man and made his will known through signs and revelations. Prophets, or ‘Messengers of God’, received revelations and delivered them to humanity. The message has been identical and for all humankind. The revelation does not come directly from God to the prophets. Angels acting as God’s messengers deliver the divine revelation to them.

Belief is a fundamental aspect of morality in the Koran, and scholars have tried to determine the semantic contents of “belief” and “believer” in the Koran. The ethico-legal concepts and exhortations dealing with righteous conduct are linked to a profound awareness of God, thereby emphasizing the importance of faith, accountability, and the belief in each human’s ultimate encounter with God. People are invited to perform acts of charity, especially for the needy. Charity, according to the Koran, is a means of self-purification.

It also affirms family life by legislating on matters of marriage, divorce, and inheritance. A number of practices, such as usury and gambling, are prohibited. It is estimated that this category constitutes less than one-tenth of the Koran.

The Koran is a magnificent document that has been known for fourteen centuries because of its matchlessness or inimitability. A clear strain runs through its message and the intent of this translation is to permit everyone, Muslim or non-Muslim alike, to understand the sacred document itself, even though they do not understand Arabic.