The Qur'an ("Qor-Ann") is a Message from Allah (swt) to humanity. It was transmitted to us in a chain starting from
the Almighty Himself (swt) to
the angel Gabriel to
the Prophet Muhammad (saw). This message was given to
the Prophet (saw) in pieces over a period spanning approximately 23 years (610 CE to 632 CE).
The Prophet (saw) was 40 years old when
the Qur'an began to be revealed to him, and he was 63 when
the revelation was completed.
The language of
the original message was Arabic, but it has been translated into many o
ther languages.
The Qur'an is one of
the two sources which form
the basis of Islam.
The second source is
the Sunnah of
the Prophet (saw). What makes
the Qur'an different from
the Sunnah is primarily its form. Unlike
the Sunnah,
the Qur'an is literally
the Word of Allah (swt), whereas
the Sunnah was inspired by Allah but
the wording and actions are
the Prophet's (saw).
The Qur'an has not been expressed using any human's words. Its wording is letter for letter fixed by no one but Allah.
Prophet Muhammad (saw) was
the final Messenger of Allah to humanity, and
therefore
the Qur'an is
the last Message which Allah (swt) has sent to us. Its predecessors such as
the Torah, Psalms, and Gospels have all been superseded. It is an obligation - and blessing - for all who hear of
the Qur'an and Islam to investigate it and evaluate it for
themselves. Allah (swt) has guaranteed that He will protect
the Qur'an from human tampering, and today's readers can find exact copies of it all over
the world.
The Qur'an of today is
the same as
the Qur'an revealed to Muhammad (saw) 1400 years ago.