Qu’ran – First Source of Jurisprudence

Qu’ran – First Source of Jurisprudence

The word “Qu’ran” is derived from the Arabic kara'a. i.e to read to recite. It is designated “al-Furqan” [the distinguisher], Kalamul-lah [the word of God], the Kitab [the book], Nur [the light] and al-Huda [the guidance]. It has a large number of other names, some mentioned in the Qu’ran itself and others were given by Muslims. The Qu’ran is held in the greatest respect by all sects of Islam. It is never touched without ablution performed beforehand. it is considered the eternal miracle of Islam, as the expounder of the most sublime truth; as superior to what was laid down by all past religions as the best guide for seeking God and for obtaining emancipation; the perfection of all moral codes; as the word of God, uncreated in its origin and existing before being conveyed to the Prophet; as noble and complete in itself. It has been revealed in parts at different times during a period of twenty-three years, as necessity demanded it. Some chapters were revealed in complete form; others in portions. It was divided into thirty parts, containing 114 chapters, known in Arabic as Suras, were very long and others very brief. The chapters were arranged under the personal direction of the Prophet, who used to ask the scribe present to insert revealed passage in a particular chapter and before or after a particular verse of the chapter. It was neither arranged in chronological order nor at random, but as commanded by the Prophet himself. The Order of Abu Bakr, a copy of the Sacred Book having been left in the custody of Hafsa, the widow of the Prophet and daughter of Omar, the second Khalifa. The third Khalifa, Osman, ordered the revision and comparison of the various fragments in the possession of different people with the original copy, and the arrangement of the whole -Sacred Book into its chapters under the supervision of the following experts: -

1)  Zaid ibn Thabit, who also was the first compiler.

2) 'Abdullah ibn Zubair

3) Sa'id ibn Al-As.

4) 'Abdul-Rahman ibn Haris.

With the exception of the first, the other three belonged to the Quraishite tribe. The work was complete. The work of compilation was first undertaken by after careful scrutiny and comparison with other fragments and presented to the Khalifa who caused a number of copies of it to be made and sent to the different centres of Islam, and these became texts for all subsequent copies of the Glorious Qu’ran. The fragments in possession of different people were recovered and burnt. As a number of companions such as 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud; Salim: 'Ali [the fourth Khalifa]; Mu'az ibn Jabal; Ubayy ibn Ka'b; 'Abdullah ibn Omar, had committed the whole Qu’ran to memory and a large number had each got by heart a big portion of it, hardly any difficulty was experienced in the matter of securing a correct text or in arranging it as required. The Prophet used to encourage his companions to write and learn the text of the Suras by heart. The attachment of the Muslims to the Sacred Book is so great that it has retained its purity, without the least change, for the last one thousand, four hundred and thirty years. Its contents were revealed in the Makkahn dialect of the Koraish, and the object of ‘Osman was to make people read it in this self-same dialect.

A Muslim believes in the Qu’ran as the word of God uttered in a manner which is unsurpassable in the beauty of its language and in the declaration of the truth of the doctrines inculcated by it. Non-Muslim writers and critics in Europe are unanimous in admitting its high literary merit. George Sale, whose translation of the Qu’ran is well known, writes: - “So strongly captivating to the minds of his audience that several of his opponents thought it to be the effect of witchcraft and enchantment.”

Omar the second Khalifa, before embracing Islam, was an opponent of the Prophet; and once he left his place with the intention of killing him. On his way he met his own sister, who had embraced Islam, and found her reading some passages from the Qu’ran. He took these passages and read them, and was so much affected by them that he immediately became a Muslim.

In describing the great world Flood [Deluge], the passages in the Qu’ran describing it became extremely figurative and sublime. According to Arab writers on rhetoric, the following few lines taken from these passages contain twenty-three figures or speech in them. These lines cannot, for obvious reasons, retain their original beauty in the translation offered here: -

“And the ark moved in with them amid waves like mountains. And Noah called out to his son [when] he was apart. 'O my child!  Embark with us, and be not with unbelievers’. He said “I will betake myself to a mountain, that shall save me this day form God's decree, save him on whom he shall have mercy, and a wave passed between them and he [the son] was drowned and it was said [by God]; 'O Earth! Swallow down the water and O Heaven! Withhold thy rain; and the water abated and God’s decree was fulfilled and the ark rested on al-Judi [a mountain]” [11:42-43].

Such is the style of the Qu’ran, most beautiful fluent, concise, persuasive, possessing great force of expression; in some instance composed for hearing rather than for reading; magnificent when describing the majesty and sublimity of God, encouraging to warriors, seekers of the truth and undetermined hearts. It is composed neither in poetry nor in simple prose. The sentences generally end in rhyme; words being well selected and beautifully placed. Each chapter has its own rhymed words, coming at the end of each sentence. Apart from the beauty of its composition, it contains original ideas especially in connection with the unity of existence or the Oneness of God.

Divisions of the Qu’ran

The Chapters of the Qu’ran are divided into Makkahn and Medinite. The Makkahn chapter are usually in brief sentences, full of enthusiasm, poetical, lofty and brilliant; denouncing idol worship, promising paradise and threatening with the fire punishment of hell; describing the unity and majesty of God, the day of judgment with allusions to some of the earlier prophets and the events of their time; rich in eloquence, with appreciation of objects in nature; and with most of them beginning with one or a number of oaths, very attractive to Arabs as in the following:

By the sun and his noonday brightness;

By the moon when she followeth him;

By the day when it revealeth him

By the night when it enshroudeth him;

By the heaven and Him who built it;

By the earth and Him who spread it;

“By a soul and Him who perfected it, and inspired in it [with] what is wrong and what is right for it” [91-1-8]. [1]

The Medinite Chapters narrate the same subjects but generally in greater details, the verses being more prosaic and the chapters much longer. They are chiefly noted for the addition of:-

1)      civil and criminal laws;

2)      directions and rituals, such as prayer fasting, giving alms, making the pilgrimage, etc.;

3)      social reform;

4)      moral regulations;

5)      brief description of some of the important battles fought with the Koraishites and the Jews;

6)      criticism and condemnation of hypocrites who professed Islam but worked against. it;

7)      exhortation to defend the cause of Islam; and

8)      a brief description of past Prophets, and events illustrating the fundamental principles of Islam.