Organization for Islamic Learning

What is the Qur'an?

The Qur'an consists of the revelations the Prophet received intermittently from the time of his call as the messenger of God in 610 C.E. until his death in 632 C.E. Muslims believe that the Qur'an was directly communicated by God through the archangel Gabriel, and accordingly, it is regarded as inerrant and immutably preserved. It has served as the source for ethical and theological doctrines and principles for the public organization. The Sunna (meaning "trodden path"), has functioned as the elaboration of the Qur'anic revelation, providing details about each and every precept and deed, traced back to the Prophet's own precedent. The narratives that carried such information are designated as hadith. In the ninth century, Muslim scholars developed an elaborate system for the classification of these hadith-reports to ascertain their reliability and to derive from them the beliefs, practices and ethics for the community.

© Organization for Islamic Learning October 2007