6 Things You Didn't Know About the Quran

Shutterstock.com

The Quran is the holy text of the Islamic faith, and the centerpiece around which 1.6 billion lives revolve. It is also a subject of grave misunderstanding for much of the Western world.

Too often, we associate Islam with negatives—with things like violence, incivility, and an antiquated way of life. We make assumptions based on the actions of a select few, but we seldom look deeply at this text that is the source of the Muslim lifestyle.

The Quran is a book full of surprises for those who are unfamiliar with its pages. As you delve into this Islamic holy book, you’ll soon find your preconceptions being challenged, even shattered, by the words within.

If everything you know about the Quran is based on the evening news, you’re in for a few surprises.

This is not a book of violence. This is a book full of surprising kindness, wisdom, and guidance. This is a book that employs beautiful language to teach timeless lessons.

It’s also a book with a long history, one that is steeped in tradition, fascinating stories, and unexpected facts. Learn a bit more about this ancient holy book with our list of 6 things you didn’t know about the Quran.

An Angel is Said to Have Delivered the Quran

Renata Sedmakova/Shutterstock.com

Many of us are familiar with Gabriel, the angelic messenger who appears at least three times in the Christian Bible. First, he appears to Daniel in Daniel 8:16, and then to the priest Zechariah in Luke 1:19, and finally to Mary, telling her that she was to bear Jesus in Luke 1:26-38.

This is, traditionally, the angel who visits those who have a particularly important part to play in God’s overall plan. But did you know that Gabriel plays a fundamental role in the Quran, as well?

In Islamic tradition, it was Gabriel who delivered the Quran to the prophet Muhammad, who then disseminated it to the rest of the world.

When Muhammad took a contemplative trip to an isolated cave, he was visited by Gabriel, who commanded him to recite a set of verses. When Muhammad protested out of fear, Gabriel grabbed him and repeated the command.

Finally, Muhammad relented, reciting the verses, the first of many revelations Gabriel would bring to Muhammad—revelations which would be written down and bound up as the Quran.

Who knew that one of the most important angels of the Christian Bible was also the founding angel of the Quran?

There Are Rules For Handling it Properly

Shutterstock.com

Polite society thrives on unspoken rules. We say “Excuse me” when we brush past others. We know not to ask personal questions of a new acquaintance. Our culture thrives on these rules.

And so, if another culture writes these rules down, is it any different?

Islamic tradition prescribes the etiquette of handling the Quran—there is a right and wrong way to treat this holy book. While there are many rules to observe, we’re going to go over a few of the most important.

First, and most importantly, a person must be in a “clean” state by performing ritual purification, also known as wudu. This involves a ceremonial washing of the body, and the refraining from certain unclean acts which could invalidate the state of cleanness.

If someone is not in a state of wudu, they cannot even carry a Quran in a container.

A reader may not use saliva to moisten their fingertips in order to turn the pages of the Quran, nor may they use the Quran as a pillow.

Also important is the requirement that if a reader finishes the Quran, they must begin it anew, so that it does not resemble something that has been, or will be, abandoned.

These are just a few of the requirements Islamic culture dictates concerning the use of the Quran, but all of the rules for the handling of this sacred book serve as a reminder of its holiness.

It Encourages Kindness

Shutterstock.com

While many might think that the Quran encourages acts of terrorism and violence, the reality may surprise you. The Quran actually encourages kindness toward others.

Surah 49:13 of the Quran says that, “If anyone kills a person, it is as if he kills all mankind, while if anyone saves a life it is as if he saves the lives of all mankind.”

Muhammad, who served as the greatest example of a life lived by the Quran, once endured daily abuse from an old woman, according to a traditional Islamic story. Each day, this woman threw trash at him as he walked from his home. But one day, the old woman fell ill, and Muhammad rushed to her aid without hesitation.

So impressed by Muhammad’s compassion and ashamed of her own actions did she become, that she converted to Islam.

No one exists entirely apart from other people, and when we hurt those around us, we harm ourselves, as well. This is what the Quran teaches.

It Embraces Free Thought

Shutterstock.com

Some critics of Islam feel that the Quran teaches conformity at the expense of all else, that it encourages adherents to blindly follow a certain way of life without thought or critical thinking.

It may surprise you to find that this is not true.

In fact, the Quran, in 8:22, says that “Indeed, the most disliked created beings in the Sight of God are the deaf and the dumb who do not use their intellect.”

Further, the Quran acknowledges the faculties humankind possesses—things like the ability to think, reason, and question. In 17:36 of the Quran, it is written that “You shall not accept any information, unless you verify it for yourself. I have given you the hearing, the eyesight, and the brain, and you are responsible for using them.”

There is no command here to surrender your mind—just the opposite, in fact. Muhammad wrote of using the mind we have been given to work out our faith and make good, informed decisions of our own free will.

It Teaches Acceptance of Other Beliefs

Shutterstock.com

Another common assumption about the Quran is that it teaches adherents to be intolerant of other faiths. But while this holy book does claim that God will judge those who are not in touch with God, it does not command Muslims to harm or mistreat those of different beliefs.

The Quran, in 2:256, says that “There is no compulsion in matters of faith.” Add to this 10:99, which reads that, if God, Himself, did not compel humankind to faith, then “Would you then, compel people to become believers?”

Look at the life of Muhammad. He waged wars to defend himself and his people, but not to force Islam upon the world. Any sane person knows that faith can never be forced through coercion—it can only come from God-given free will.

In this way, the Quran teaches the acceptance of other beliefs, leaving any judgment and punishment up to God.

It’s Surprisingly Scientific

Shutterstock.com

It’s easy to associate religion with a backwards way of life—after all, belief in the supernatural necessarily foregoes the scientific process. But the Quran is surprisingly scientific in its claims, historically describing the world in ways that wouldn’t be confirmed for hundreds of years.

One of these descriptions lies in Quran 51:47, which says that “it is We who have built the Universe with power and keep expanding it.” The expansion of the universe was a fact not discovered until the 20^th century—long after this verse was written. Although up for interpretation, this statement seems to agree with what we know today about the universe’s movement.

Not only this, but the Quran also seems to acknowledge the motion of the sun and planets, the fact that all living things are comprised mostly of water, that the atmosphere protects the earth, and that the mountains have roots in plate tectonics.

Each of these claims is suspiciously similar to what we now know of our modern world, seemingly refuting the idea that to believe in the words of the Quran is to forego modernity.