(The Quran as a Source of Arabic Language and Literature, Introduction to Qur’an, The Revelation of the Qur’an, Compilation and the Preservation of the Qur’an, The Holy Qur’an as a Literary Source, The Influence of the Qur’an on the Arabic Language, The Holy Qu’ran’s Influence on Arabic Literature, The Qur’an’s Influence on Various Fileds of Science, Historical Value of the Qur’an)
The Quran as a Source of Arabic Language and Literature
The Quran as a Source of Arabic Language and Literature
The Early Islamic Period refers to the period from 622 AD to 661 AD. In other words to say it began with the migration of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Median in 622 AD and ended with the assassination of Hazrat Ali, the fourth and last rightful Caliph of the Islamic Empire. During this period, the Arabic language and literature gained new strength, momentum, and philosophy. With the advent of Islam, the influence of the traditional Arabic language and literature gradually declined and a new tradition began which we can call the Islamic tradition. The literary sources of the early Islamic period are the Qur’an, Hadith, Qur’anic commentary, Fiqh, history, poetry and prose literature. Among these, the Qur’an and Hadith are considered to be the main sources. The Qur’an as a source of early Arabic literature is briefly discussed below.
The Quran as a Source of Arabic Language and Literature
Introduction to the Qur’an
The Qur’an is the last divine book. This was revealed to the last Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It contains all the codes (principles) of life necessary for mankind to lead a peaceful life. People who live according to its guidelines are called ‘Muslims’ The Qur’an was first written and preserved by Allah on an iron tablet and later revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) part by part.
The Quran as a Source of Arabic Language and Literature
The Revelation of the Qur’anÂ
The Qur’an began to be revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in 610 AD in the month of Ramadhan at the Heera Cave, three miles away from Mecca. Its revelation ended on June 8, 632 AD. In total, the Qur’an took 22 years, 2 months and 22 days to be revealed in its entirety. The Qur’an contains a total of 114 Surahs (chapters) and 6,666 verses (sentences). Of the 114 Surahs of the Qur’an, 93 were revealed in Mecca in 13 years and the remaining 23 were revealed in Medina. The Surahs revealed in Mecca are called Makki Surahs and the Surahs revealed in Medina are called Medini Surahs. The first verse of Surah Al-Alaq was the first revealed verse of the Qur’an.
The Holy Qur’an was revealed to Allah’s last Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the following four ways:
(a) Revelation through the Angel Jibril
(b) Revelation through inspiration.
(c) Revelation through dreams.
(d) Revelation as spoken words behind a veil.
The Prophet immediately memorized the messages he received from Allah and made his Companions memorize them. In addition, the Prophet had forty-four writers (scribblers) who wrote down the messages on animal bones, palm leaves, animal skins, flat stones, etc. as taught by the Prophet.
The revelation of the Qur’an was completed 80 days before the death of the Prophet. The Qur’an was not compiled in book form during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as it was revealed in fragments.
The Quran as a Source of Arabic Language and Literature
Compilation and Preservation of the Qur’an
On June 8, 632 CE, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) died. He was succeeded by Hazrat Abu Bakr as the Caliph of Medina. After the death of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), chaos began again among the Arabs. Some Muslims left Islam and returned to paganism. Some deviated from the basic principles of Islam. On the other hand, a few people claim to be prophets. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) took a very strict policy against them. This led to several rebellions and battles. One of those battles was the Battle of Yamama. This battle took place with the hypocritical prophet Musaylima. The Caliph sent a huge force against the rebels under the command of Khalid bin Walid. This battle was very terrible and bloody. About 1200 (twelve hundred) soldiers of Islam were killed in the battle. Most of them were ‘Hafiz of the Qur’an’ (Qur’an memorizers). Hazarat Umar was alarmed to see the Hafiz of the Qur’an killed and advised the Caliph Abu Bakr to collect the scattered fragments of the Qur’an and compile them in a book form. At first, Abu Bakr refused to do this and said that he could not do what the Prophet had not done. Later, Abu Bakr agreed to compile the Qur’an and appointed Zayd ibn Thabit, a prominent Ansari, to collect the scattered Surahs of the Qur’an and compile them on the basis of trust.
Zayd ibn Thabit followed Abu Bakr’s instructions and began to do this with great caution. He met the Hafizes of the Qur’an, listened to their recitations, collected the Surahs of the Qur’an written by various people, and after much research, he compiled the Holy Qur’an in book form in a completely accurate and perfect manner. He completed the compilation and handed it over to the Caliph Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA). A few days after this work was completed, Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) died. Then Hazrat Umar (RA) was elected the Caliph of the Islamic Empire and the compiled Quran was placed under his care.
Hazarat Umar ruled the Islamic Empire for ten years and was martyred. The Qur’an was later entrusted to his daughter Hafsa (who was one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad). During the reign of Hazrat Umar, the Islamic Empire expanded considerably and Islam spread
Hazarat Uthman succeeded Hazarat Umar as the third Caliph of the Islamic Empire. Disagreements arose among the newly initiated Muslims over the ’tilwat’ (recitation) of the Qur’an. Hazarat Uthman then collected a copy of the Quran which was in the custody of Hazarat Hafsa to put an end to this controversy and commissioned Zayd bin Thabit to produce several copies of the compiled Qur’an. ‘Abdullah ibn Zubayr, Sa’id ibn al-‘Asha and ‘Abdur-Rahman ibn Haris assisted Thabit in this work. If there was any disagreement about a verse of the Qur’an, it was ordered to be recorded in the Quraysh dialect. As a result of their sincere efforts, six copies of the Qur’an were produced in 651 AD and sent to four centers of the Muslim world at the time. Hazarat Uthman was given the title of ‘Jami’ul Qur’an’ (Preserver of the Qur’an) for his initiative.
The Quran as a Source of Arabic Language and Literature
The Holy Qur’an as a Literary Source
The Qur’an occupies an unparalleled place in the treasury of Arabic literature. Its language is a wonderful combination of prose and verse. It was written in a manner that was unprecedented and incomparable. Its language-word choice, ornamentation, etc. had a profound influence on the Arabic language and literature of the time and gave a new impetus to the Arabic language and literature by giving it stability and universality. It is considered the main source of the Arabic language and literature of the Islamic period. The Qur’an contains the religious instructions of Islam, information about the major prophets of the past, and the social, political, and moral aspects of the Arabs of that time.
The Quran as a Source of Arabic Language and Literature
The Influence of the Qur’an on the Arabic Language
Qur’an is a linguistically incomparable book. Its influence on the Arabic language is as powerful and revolutionary as it is on the religion. The following is a brief discussion of the influence of the Qur’an on the Arabic language:
(a) The language of the Qur’an is a unique combination of prose and verse. It has not only given a balance to Arabic prose but also united the various branches of the Arabic language and made it universal. As a result, Arabic has become one of the most prestigious languages ​​in the world today.
(b) The Qur’an has reformed Arabic prose and given it eloquence and simplicity.
(c) The Qur’an has greatly enriched the vocabulary of the Arabic language by creating new words, phrases, etc. and giving new meanings to old words.
(d) It is because of the Qur’an that the Arabic language has gained a universal form today. At Present, Arabic is the official language of about 26 countries in the world. The main reason for this is that it is the language of the holy book of the Muslims.
(e) Many non-Muslims are also learning Arabic with great interest to understand the basic messages of influential Islam in the original Arabic language. As a result, the status of the Arabic language has increased many times over.
(f) Before the revelation of the Qur’an, poetry had a significant influence in Arabic and there was almost no prose literature. However, after the revelation of the Qur’an, the influence of poetry in Arabic gradually declined and the influence of prose increased rapidly. As a result, the aspect of human knowledge became easier and simpler.
The Quran as a Source of Arabic Language and Literature
The Holy Qur’an’s Influence on Arabic Literature
The Holy Qur’an, the main religious textbook of Islam, has not only provided the world with a pure religion but has also had a powerful and revolutionary influence on Arabic literature. The following is a brief discussion of the influence of the Qur’an on Arabic literature:
(a) The Qur’an is the main book of Islam. This is a compulsory book of study for Muslims. Therefore, each word requires proper meaning, interpretation, analysis, etc. and to meet this need, grammar, dictionaries, rhetoric, etc. of the Arabic language were formulated. As a result, the Arabic language and literature have acquired a stable format.
(b) Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the founder of Islam and the Holy Book of this religion, the Qur’an, was revealed to him. Therefore, Muslims have to follow the biography, philosophy of life, commandments, etc. of their religious leader. In addition, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) reflected the words of the Qur’an in his life. Therefore, Muslim scholars have compiled the books of Hadith by collecting the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. The language of the hadiths was pure Arabic. As a result, the Arabic language and literature have improved considerably through the books of Hadith.
(c) The Holy Qur’an contains religious rules and commandments as well as many descriptions of the previous prophets in various contexts. Later, some Muslim scholars were encouraged to write biographies of the previous prophets. Resultantly new genres of literature such as biography and history came into existence and thus the Arabic language and literature became rich.
(d) The books of Tafseer (explanation) of the Qur’an were written to properly understand the Qur’an and later the scriptures of Fiqh were created as a result of the efforts of several Imams. Thus, the treasury of Arabic literature was greatly strengthened.
(e) Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims from all over the world gather in the holy city of Mecca every year to perform the Hajj. It becomes necessary for them to know about the routes, localities, etc. in order to perform Hajj from distant places to Mecca. Geography was created to meet this need.
(f) In addition to containing all the religious, moral, and necessary laws for mankind, the Qur’an also contains some accurate conclusions about science. Later, these scientific signs in the Qur’an were discussed. As a result, other branches of human knowledge such as chemistry, physics, astronomy, algebra, medicine, etc. developed considerably and various books were written on these subjects. Thus Arabic language, literature, and various branches of science developed extensively.
(g) After the revelation of the Qur’an, the tradition of Arabic poetry also changed. Pre-Islamic Arabic poetry was often obscene. However, after the revelation of the Qur’an, it influenced Arabic poetry and gave decency, clarity of language, and proper use of words. The content of poetry is also clearly influenced by Islamic philosophy.
(h) The Arabic script was incomplete until the revelation of the Qur’an. After the revelation of the Qur’an, its influence also reformed the Arabic script. Some signs (harakat) are added to the Arabic language to make the reading of the Qur’an and the pronunciation of words pure and universal. This has simplified the Arabic language and thus it became easier for the Arabic language to become one of the most prestigious languages ​​in the world.
Thus, the Qur’an has had an unprecedented influence on the Arabic language and literature.
The Quran as a Source of Arabic Language and Literature
The Qur’an’s Influence on Various Fields of Science
Although the Qur’an is primarily a religious book, it also contains brief accounts of the major prophets of the past, various events in their lives, descriptions of various examples of Allah’s glory, and some scientific conclusions. Later, deep thought and research on these subjects of the Qur’an began, resulting in the birth of various branches of science. The influences of the Qur’an on various branches of science are briefly discussed below.
Phonology:Â The phonetics of Arabic was influenced by the Qur’an. The seven methods or tunes are permissible for the study or recitation of the Holy Quran. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “The Qur’an has been revealed in seven tunes, and recite it in the melody that you find easiest. The word ‘ahruf’ indicates variations in pronunciation and vowels. Muslim scholars gave birth to phonetics in Arabic to explain these variations.Â
Rhyme:Â The Qur’an is written in rhyme. There are also differences in rhythm from verse to verse. Therefore, rhyme is born in Arabic to ensure that there is no distortion of the meaning when reading it correctly. Abul Aswad Addawali gave birth to the science of Arabic rhythm by analyzing the rhythm of the Qur’an.
Miscellaneous Sciences: As mentioned earlier, the Quran has some scientific conclusions. For example, the Qur’an contains conclusions about embryology, hydrology, astronomy, black holes, the theory of resonance etc. There is no explanation for these conclusions in the Qur’an, but the conclusions inspired thoughtful individuals to research them. As a result, extensive research in various fields of science took place in the Islamic countries during the Abbasid period, and consequently, various branches of Science such as chemistry, mathematics, physics, astronomy, etc. were born.
Philosophy:Â The Qur’an also had a significant influence on the development and spread of philosophy. Al-Ghazzali, for example, wrote several valuable works on various Quranic topics with philosophical perspectives. Similarly, philosophical books on the universal relevance of the basic principles of the Qur’an have been written in different parts of the world. Today’s philosophy is incomplete without a discussion of Islamic philosophy based on the Qur’an.
Thus, the Qur’an, despite being a religious book, has made a significant contribution to the advancement of modern science. Research is still being conducted around the world on various subjects mentioned in the Qur’an. Therefore, the Qur’an can be considered to be a precious book of inspiration for scientific research by thoughtful people.
The Quran as a Source of Arabic Language and Literature
Historical Value of the Qur’an
The Qur’an is primarily a religious book. It is neither a book of history nor a book of science. However, Allah has used many examples, quotations, hints, contexts, etc. from the pages of history to explain various issues such as religious rules, human behaviour, the benefits of obeying Allah’s commandments, the consequences of disobedience, etc. As a result, much of history is included in the Qur’an. The following is an assessment of the Qur’an as a book of history.
First, in the Qur’an, we find detailed accounts of the birth and lives of the first human being, Adam (AS), and the first woman, Eve, their disobedience to Allah’s commands, and the consequences of their disobedience
Secondly, the Qur’an tells the story of Abel and Cain, the sons of Adam, the killing of Abel by Cain, the trial of him by his father Adam, etc.
Thirdly, the Holy Qur’an is the basis of historical stories such as the story of the Great Flood in the days of Prophet Noah, the tragic consequences of the unbelieving servants of Allah who died in the flood, and the consequences of the Prophet’s disobedient wife.
Fourthly, the Qur’an gives a detailed description of the sins of his people in the time of Prophet Lut (AS) and the consequences of their sins.
Fifthly, the Qur’an contains details of the social and religious aspects of the time of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and his son Ishmael (AS), as well as the details of the sacrifices of the two prophets, the reconstruction of the Kaaba by them etc.
Sixth, the Qur’an contains a detailed description of Prophet Moses (pbuh), his brother Aaron, Pharaoh and the Jewish nation.
Seventh, the Qur’an contains the solution to the mystery of the birth and death of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). In addition, the Qur’an contains references to the last Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the behavior of the Arabs of his time, their betrayals and battles with the Prophet.
In addition, the Qur’an contains many stories and parables as warnings to mankind in a concise form.
In short, although the Qur’an is not a history book, we can learn many things about history from reading the Qur’an. Later, many biographical books have been written based on various stories in the Qur’an. The Qur’an also provides many sources for the history of mankind today.
Therefore, although the Qur’an is primarily a religious book, it can also be considered to be a brief history of mankind due to its many historical stories and details. 0 0 0. The Quran as a Source of Arabic Language and Literature
Read More: A Brief History of Arabic Literature: Pre-Islamic Period (500 AD-622 AD)
Note: The article ‘The Quran as a Source of Arabic Language and Literature’ originally belongs to the book entitled ‘A Brief History of the Arabic Literature: Early Islamic Period (622 AD -661 AD)’ by Menonim Menonimus. The Quran as a Source of Arabic Language and Literature
The Quran as a Source of Arabic Language and Literature
Related Searches:
- Arabic Literature-The Qur’an
- The Noble Qur’an
- The Qur’an-Article
- Criticism of the Quran
- The Origin of Arabic Poetry
Books of Literary Criticism by M. Menonimus:
- World Short Story Criticism
- World Poetry Criticism
- World Drama Criticism
- World Novel Criticism
- World Essay Criticism
- Indian English Poetry Criticism
- Indian English Poets and Poetry Chief Features
- Emily Dickinson’s Poetry-A Thematic Study
- Walt Whitman’s Poetry-A Thematic Study
- Critical Essays on English Poetry
- Tawfiq al-Hakim’s Novel: Return of the Spirit-An Analytical Study
- Tawfiq al-Hakim’s Novel: ‘Yawmiyyat Naib Fil Arayaf’-An Analytical Study
- Analytical Studies of Some Arabic Short Stories
- A Brief History of Arabic Literature: Pre-Islamic Period (500 AD-622 AD)
- A Brief History of Arabic Literature: Early Islamic Period (622 AD-661 AD)
- The Quran as a Source of Arabic Language and Literature …
A Brief History of Arabic Literature: Early Islamic Period
