The Holy Quran (also written as Koran) is the eternal and literal word of God. Prophet Muhammad ( an Arab and a descendant of Abraham) received these divine revelations (The Holy Quran) over a period of 23 years in the seventh century of the Common Era (C.E.). Each revelation was written down by the Prophet's scribes according to the Prophet's instructions. The current order and organization into the 114 chapters (surahs) of the entire revelations were therefore given to us by the Prophet himself. Additionally, the Prophet and many fellow Muslims (sahabah) had committed the entire Quran to memory. The practice of memorizing the whole Quran continued throughout the centuries. There are thousands of such Muslims, known as Huffaz, usually one for each Mosque in Muslim countries. In order to gain a proper understanding of many verses in the Holy Quran, it is important to understand and know the historic context of the revelations. So many revelations in the Holy Quran came down to provide guidance to Prophet Muhammad and the fellow Muslims based on what they were confronting at that time. "Alif, Lam, Meem. This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt, a guidance unto those who ward off (evil). Who believe in the Unseen, and establish worship, and spend of that We have bestowed upon them; And who believe in that which is revealed unto thee (Muhammad) and that which was revealed before thee, and are certain of the Hereafter. These depend on guidance from their Lord. These are the successful. As for the Disbelievers, Whether thou warn them or thou warn them not it is all one for them; they believe not. Allah hath sealed their hearing and their hearts, and on their eyes there is a covering. Theirs will be an awful doom." (Surah Al-Baqarah, Chapter 2) Calling the Quran amazing is not something done only by Muslims, who have an appreciation for the book and who are pleased with it; it has been labeled amazing by non-Muslims as well. In fact, even people who hate Islam very much have still called it amazing. One thing which surprises non-muslims who are examining the book very closely is that the Qur'an does not appear to them to be what they expected. This page contains a list of articles about the Holy Quran (Koran), the Holy Book of Muslims. The original text of the Quran, in Arabic, is widely available throughout the world. The Holy Quran is the only revealed text still extant today in its original language and form. The Quran has been translated into every major language. The English translations by Abdullah Yusuf Ali and Muhammad Pickthall are two popular translations. We have made these translations available to our readers on this page. We recommend the translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali with commentary as a first reading. Maulana Maududi's translation and commentary on the Qur'an "The Meaning of the Qur'an" ranks as one of the best such works in existence today. Unlike many early translators, Syed Maududi uses the standard technique of providing an explanation of the Qur'anic verses from the Sunnah of the Prophet including the historical reasons behind the verses. - (Islam 101)
