QURAN | Page 3

from AllŒh,and all praise is due to Him.
2Taúreef:
A
pplying
an
allegorical
meaning
which
will
inevitably
be incorrect since it is not based upon knowledge.3TaÔ‹eel: Desertion of the concept altogether or denial that AllŒh would have such an attribute or quality.4Takyeef: Attempting to explain how a certain attribute or quality could be, while such knowledge lies only with AllŒh.5Tamtheel:
S
upposing
that
divineattributes
resemble
those
of
creation, while AllŒh has said, "There is nothing like unto Him."(42:11)

v
FOREWORD
Scholars
have
definedthe
QurÕŒn
as
"the
words
of
AllŒh6
revealed
to
Muúammad
(),
the
recitation
of
which
is a
f
orm
of worship."7 This definition can be applied to no other book or speech.Reading
and
recitation
of
the
QurÕŒn
is an
important
form
of worship
for
which
a
Muslim
can
expect
reward
and
benefit
in the
Hereafter.
There
was
a
definite
purpose
behind
the
strong encouragement
given
by
the
Prophet
()
in
several
authentic úad¥thsfor recitation of the QurÕŒn.8 That purpose is clearly stated in the QurÕŒn itself:
﴿ﹺﺏ
ﺎ
ﺒﻟَ
ﻷﺍ ﺍﻮﹸ
ﻟﻭﹸ
ﺃ 
ﺮﱠ
ﻛﹶ
ﺬ
ﺘ
ﻴ
ﻟ
ﻭ 
ﻪ
ﺗﺎ
ﻳﺁ ﺍﻭ
ﺮ
ﺑ 
ﺪ
ﻴ
ﻟ 
ﻙ
ﺭﺎ
ﺒ
ﻣ 
ﻚﻴﹶ
ﻟﹺ
ﺇ 
ﻩﺎ
ﻨﻟ
ﺰﻧﹶ
ﺃ 
ﺏﺎ
ﺘ
ﻛ﴾
"A
blessed
Book
which
We
have
revealed
to
you,
[O Muúammad],
that
they
might
reflect
upon
its
verses and that those of understanding would be reminded."9
﴿ﺎ
ﻬﹸ
ﻟﺎﹶ
ﻔﻗﹶ
ﺃ ﹴ
ﺏﻮﹸ
ﻠﹸ
ﻗ ﻰﹶ
ﻠ
ﻋ ﻡﹶ
ﺃ ﹶ
ﻥﺁﺮﹸ
ﻘﻟﺍ ﹶ
ﻥﻭ
ﺮ
ﺑ 
ﺪ
ﺘ
ﻳ ﹶ
ﻼﹶ
ﻓﹶ
ﺃ﴾
"Then
do
they
not
reflect
upon
the
QurÕŒn,
or
are there locks upon [their] hearts?"10
﴿ﺍﻭ
ﺪ
ﺟ
ﻮﹶ
ﻟ
ِﷲ
ﺍ
ﹺﲑ
ﹶﻏ

ﺪﻨ
ﻋ
ﻦ
ﻣ
ﹶﻥ
ﺎﹶ
ﻛﻮﹶ
ﻟ
ﻭ
ﹶﻥ
ﺁﺮﹸﻘ
ﻟﺍ
ﹶﻥ
ﻭ
ﺮ
ﺑ
ﺪ
ﺘ
ﻳ
ﹶ
ﻼﹶ
ﻓﹶ
ﺃ ﺎﹰ
ﻓﻼ
ﺘﺧﺍ
ﻪ
ﻴ
ﻓ
ﺍ
ﲑ
ﺜﹶ
ﻛ﴾
"Then
do
they
not
reflect
upon
the
QurÕŒn?
I
f i
t
had been
from
[any]
other
than
AllŒh,
they
would
have found within it much contradiction."11
6"AllŒh"
is
the
proper
name
of
God
and
is
not
used
to
denote
any
other being. Therefore, this name is retained in translation to other languages.7Al-Qa‹‹Œn, MannŒÔ, MabŒúith f¥ ÔUl´m il-QurÕŒn,p. 21.8The
recitation
whose
merits
are
mentioned
in
the úad¥thsis
that
of
the actual
words
of
AllŒh
in
their
original
Arabic
form.
N
evertheless,
any effort toward understanding the QurÕŒn's meanings in order to increase faith, obtain guidance and live by its ordinances is in itself a deed of great merit.9S´rah êŒd,38:29.10S´rah Muúammad,47:24.11S´rah an-NisŒÕ,4:82.

vi
Shaykh
al-IslŒm Aúmad
bin
Taymiyyah
pointed
out
in
his FatŒwŒ that even the ordinary words of men are spoken or written for
the
purpose
of
being
understood
by
the
listener
or
reader
and that the QurÕŒn is surely more worthy of being understood than the words of men. Many scholars have stated that it is the responsibilityof
all
Muslims
to learn
the
Arabic
language
in
order
to
understand the
QurÕŒn.
I
bn
Katheer,
author
of
the
well-known
Arabic tafseer,maintained
that
it
is also
the
duty
of
Muslim
scholars
to
make
its meanings known to the people.No person can afford to be ignorant of theQurÕŒn, for it is the constitution revealed by AllŒh to regulate and govern human life. It speaks
with
the
perfect
knowledge
of
the
Creator
about
His creation. It exposes the truth and invites man to the way of truth. It contains important information about human destiny and that of the individual.
I
t
educates
and
raises
men
to
the
highest
moral, intellectual
and
social
level
when
they
strive
to
comprehend
it
and apply its teachings to life.
Moreover,
it
is t
he
actual
words
of
AllŒh –not
created,
butrevealed by Him through the angel Gabriel to a human messenger, Muúammad
bin
ÔAbdullŒh
(),
for
the
benefit
of
humanity.
I
t
is an
eternal
miracle
given
to
the
final
prophet,
Muúammad
(),
as proof of his prophethood and a challenge to all succeeding generations.It
is of
unique and
inimitable
quality.
R
evealed
fourteen
centuries ago, it remains today completely intact and unaltered in its original Arabic form.What does one discover when he understands the meanings of the
QurÕŒn?
T
he
answers
to
this
question
can
be
classified
in
four main categories:
1.That he can know his Creator as He has described Himself2.That he can know the purpose of life on this earth and what is expected of every person during this life3.That he becomes aware of the consequences of his attitudes and his behavior
4.How
he
should
relate
to
all
things –to
AllŒh
by
worship and
obedience,
to
his
fellow
man
by
justice
to
all
or
by

vii
iúsŒn(a higher degree),12and to the universe in general by putting those things under his control to