Quran

context: Muslims believe the Quran was verbally revealed by God to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel (Jibril), gradually over a period of approximately 23 years, beginning on 22 December 609 CE, when Muhammad was 40, and concluding in 632, the year of his death. Muslims regard the Quran as the most important miracle of Muhammad, a proof of his prophethood, and the culmination of a series of divine messages that started with the messages revealed to Adam and ended with Muhammad. The word "Quran" occurs some 70 times in the text of the Quran, although different names and words are also said to be references to the Quran.
qas: answers: Gabriel
question: Which angel is believed to have communicated the Quran to Muhammad?

answers: 22 December 609 CE
question: On which date did Muhammad begin receiving the Quran?

answers: 632
question: In which year CE did Muhammad die?

answers: Jibril
question: What is the Arabic variant of Gabriel?

answers: 70
question: How many times is the word "Quran" used in the Quran?

context: According to the traditional narrative, several companions of Muhammad served as scribes and were responsible for writing down the revelations. Shortly after Muhammad's death, the Quran was compiled by his companions who wrote down and memorized parts of it. These codices had differences that motivated the Caliph Uthman to establish a standard version now known as Uthman's codex, which is generally considered the archetype of the Quran known today. There are, however, variant readings, with mostly minor differences in meaning.
qas: answers: companions of Muhammad
question: Who first recorded Muhammad revelations?

answers: Caliph Uthman
question: Who first standardized the earliest versions of the Quran?

answers: Uthman's codex
question: By what name is the first standardized version of the Quran known?

context: The Quran assumes familiarity with major narratives recounted in the Biblical scriptures. It summarizes some, dwells at length on others and, in some cases, presents alternative accounts and interpretations of events. The Quran describes itself as a book of guidance. It sometimes offers detailed accounts of specific historical events, and it often emphasizes the moral significance of an event over its narrative sequence. The Quran is used along with the hadith to interpret sharia law. During prayers, the Quran is recited only in Arabic.
qas: answers: Arabic
question: In which language is the Quran spoken during prayer?

answers: sharia
question: The Quran is used in the interpretation of which form of law?

answers: Biblical scriptures
question: What accounts are form the basis of much of the accounts in the Quran?

answers: Quran
question: Which religious text calls itself a book of guidance?

context: The word qurʼān appears about 70 times in the Quran itself, assuming various meanings. It is a verbal noun (maṣdar) of the Arabic verb qaraʼa (قرأ), meaning "he read" or "he recited". The Syriac equivalent is (ܩܪܝܢܐ) qeryānā, which refers to "scripture reading" or "lesson". While some Western scholars consider the word to be derived from the Syriac, the majority of Muslim authorities hold the origin of the word is qaraʼa itself. Regardless, it had become an Arabic term by Muhammad's lifetime. An important meaning of the word is the "act of reciting", as reflected in an early Quranic passage: "It is for Us to collect it and to recite it (qurʼānahu)."
qas: answers: qaraʼa
question: From which Arabic verb might "Quran" be derived?

answers: qeryānā
question: What Syriac word might be related to "Quran"?

answers: reciting
question: The words from which the name "Quran" might be described are related to which act?

answers: qaraʼa
question: Which word do most Muslim scholars point to as the origin of the Quran's name?

context: The term also has closely related synonyms that are employed throughout the Quran. Each synonym possesses its own distinct meaning, but its use may converge with that of qurʼān in certain contexts. Such terms include kitāb (book); āyah (sign); and sūrah (scripture). The latter two terms also denote units of revelation. In the large majority of contexts, usually with a definite article (al-), the word is referred to as the "revelation" (waḥy), that which has been "sent down" (tanzīl) at intervals. Other related words are: dhikr (remembrance), used to refer to the Quran in the sense of a reminder and warning, and ḥikmah (wisdom), sometimes referring to the revelation or part of it.
qas: answers: kitāb
question: Which term used in the Quran to indicate itself means "book"?

answers: sūrah
question: Which term does the Quran use to refer to itself as "scripture"?

answers: wisdom
question: What meaning does the Quran take when it calls itself hikmah?

answers: waḥy
question: What name does the Quran use for itself that means "revelation"?

context: The Quran describes itself as "the discernment" (al-furqān), "the mother book" (umm al-kitāb), "the guide" (huda), "the wisdom" (hikmah), "the remembrance" (dhikr) and "the revelation" (tanzīl; something sent down, signifying the descent of an object from a higher place to lower place). Another term is al-kitāb (The Book), though it is also used in the Arabic language for other scriptures, such as the Torah and the Gospels. The adjective of "Quran" has multiple transliterations including "quranic", "koranic", and "qur'anic", or capitalised as "Qur'anic", "Koranic", and "Quranic". The term mus'haf ('written work') is often used to refer to particular Quranic manuscripts but is also used in the Quran to identify earlier revealed books. Other transliterations of "Quran" include "al-Coran", "Coran", "Kuran", and "al-Qurʼan".
qas: answers: umm al-kitāb
question: Which term meaning "the mother book" does the Quran apply to itself?

answers: mus'haf
question: What term is used in the Quran to indicate previous revelations?

answers: al-kitāb
question: What is the Arabic term commonly used to refer to works like the Torah or the Gospels?

answers: the guide
question: What is an English translation of huda?

context: Islamic tradition relates that Muhammad received his first revelation in the Cave of Hira during one of his isolated retreats to the mountains. Thereafter, he received revelations over a period of 23 years. According to hadith and Muslim history, after Muhammad immigrated to Medina and formed an independent Muslim community, he ordered many of his companions to recite the Quran and to learn and teach the laws, which were revealed daily. It is related that some of the Quraysh who were taken prisoners at the battle of Badr regained their freedom after they had taught some of the Muslims the simple writing of the time. Thus a group of Muslims gradually became literate. As it was initially spoken, the Quran was recorded on tablets, bones, and the wide, flat ends of date palm fronds. Most suras were in use amongst early Muslims since they are mentioned in numerous sayings by both Sunni and Shia sources, relating Muhammad's use of the Quran as a call to Islam, the making of prayer and the manner of recitation. However, the Quran did not exist in book form at the time of Muhammad's death in 632. There is agreement among scholars that Muhammad himself did not write down the revelation.
qas: answers: Cave of Hira
question: In which mountain cave did Mohammad experience his first revelation?

answers: Medina
question: Where did Mohammad move to found a separate Muslim community?

answers: Badr
question: Prisoners from which battle are thought to have helped Muslims learn to write?

answers: date palm
question: Vegetation from which tree served as an early recording medium for the Quran?

answers: Quran
question: When Muhammad dies, what had not yet been compiled as a book?

context: The Quran describes Muhammad as "ummi", which is traditionally interpreted as "illiterate," but the meaning is rather more complex. Medieval commentators such as Al-Tabari maintained that the term induced two meanings: first, the inability to read or write in general; second, the inexperience or ignorance of the previous books or scriptures (but they gave priority to the first meaning). Muhammad's illiteracy was taken as a sign of the genuineness of his prophethood. For example, according to Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, if Muhammad had mastered writing and reading he possibly would have been suspected of having studied the books of the ancestors. Some scholars such as Watt prefer the second meaning of "ummi" - they take it to indicate unfamiliarity with earlier sacred texts.
qas: answers: illiterate
question: What is the most common interpretation of the word "ummi" that the Quran applies to Muhammad?

answers: earlier sacred texts
question: Because Mohammed was "ummi," what would he not have known about that lent credence to his prophethood?

answers: ummi
question: What term does the Quran use to describe Mohammad's lack of exposure to scripture?

answers: writing and reading
question: What skills would have made others more suspicious that Mohammad was not getting his revelations in the way he said?

context: Based on earlier transmitted reports, in the year 632, after the demise of Muhammad a number of his companions who knew the Quran by heart were killed in a battle by Musaylimah, the first caliph Abu Bakr (d. 634) decided to collect the book in one volume so that it could be preserved. Zayd ibn Thabit (d. 655) was the person to collect the Quran since "he used to write the Divine Inspiration for Allah's Apostle". Thus, a group of scribes, most importantly Zayd, collected the verses and produced a hand-written manuscript of the complete book. The manuscript according to Zayd remained with Abu Bakr until he died. Zayd's reaction to the task and the difficulties in collecting the Quranic material from parchments, palm-leaf stalks, thin stones and from men who knew it by heart is recorded in earlier narratives. After Abu Bakr, Hafsa bint Umar, Muhammad's widow, was entrusted with the manuscript. In about 650, the third Caliph Uthman ibn Affan (d. 656) began noticing slight differences in pronunciation of the Quran as Islam expanded beyond the Arabian Peninsula into Persia, the Levant, and North Africa. In order to preserve the sanctity of the text, he ordered a committee headed by Zayd to use Abu Bakr's copy and prepare a standard copy of the Quran. Thus, within 20 years of Muhammad's death, the Quran was committed to written form. That text became the model from which copies were made and promulgated throughout the urban centers of the Muslim world, and other versions are believed to have been destroyed. The present form of the Quran text is accepted by Muslim scholars to be the original version compiled by Abu Bakr.
qas: answers: Abu Bakr
question: Which caliph decided to preserve the Quran as a single book after some of Muhammad's companions were killed in battle?

answers: Zayd ibn Thabit
question: Which scribe led the production of the first written Quran?

answers: 634
question: In which year did Abu Bakr die?

answers: Hafsa bint Umar
question: Who took possession of the first Quran manuscript after Abu Bakr?

answers: Uthman ibn Affan
question: Which caliph ordered the Quran manuscript copied and standardized?

context: In 1972, in a mosque in the city of Sana'a, Yemen, manuscripts were discovered that were later proved to be the most ancient Quranic text known to exist at the time. The Sana'a manuscripts contain palimpsests, a manuscript page from which the text has been washed off to make the parchment reusable again—a practice which was common in ancient times due to scarcity of writing material. However, the faint washed-off underlying text (scriptio inferior) is still barely visible and believed to be "pre-Uthmanic" Quranic content, while the text written on top (scriptio superior) is believed to belong to Uthmanic time. Studies using radiocarbon dating indicate that the parchments are dated to the period before 671 AD with a 99 percent probability.
qas: answers: palimpsests
question: What is the term for recycled parchments used in ancient manuscripts?

answers: 671 AD
question: Before which year were the Sana'a manuscripts produced?

answers: Uthmanic
question: What version of the Quran was the scriptio superior of the Sana'a manuscripts?

answers: Sana'a, Yemen
question: In which city was evidence of pre-Uthmanic Quranic writing discovered in 1972?

context: In 2015, fragments of a very early Quran, dating back to 1370 years ago, were discovered in the library of the University of Birmingham, England. According to the tests carried out by Oxford University Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, "with a probability of more than 95%, the parchment was from between 568 and 645". The manuscript is written in Hijazi script, an early form of written Arabic. This is possibly the earliest extant exemplar of the Quran, but as the tests allow a range of possible dates, it cannot be said with certainty which of the existing versions is the oldest. Saudi scholar Saud al-Sarhan has expressed doubt over the age of the fragments as they contain dots and chapter separators that are believed to have originated later.
qas: answers: Hijazi
question: What script were the Birmingham Quran fragments written in?

answers: Arabic
question: Which modern script descends from the script on the Birmingham Quran fragments?

answers: dots and chapter separators
question: What feature of the Birmingham Quran fragments' text make some doubt that it is older than other known versions of the Quran?

answers: 1370
question: How many years old were the Quran fragments discovered in Birmingham in 2015?

context: Respect for the written text of the Quran is an important element of religious faith by many Muslims, and the Quran is treated with reverence. Based on tradition and a literal interpretation of Quran 56:79 ("none shall touch but those who are clean"), some Muslims believe that they must perform a ritual cleansing with water before touching a copy of the Quran, although this view is not universal. Worn-out copies of the Quran are wrapped in a cloth and stored indefinitely in a safe place, buried in a mosque or a Muslim cemetery, or burned and the ashes buried or scattered over water.
qas: answers: 56:79
question: Which section of the Quran inspires some Muslims to ritually wash themselves before touching their copy?

answers: buried or scattered over water
question: What is done with the ashes of burned copies of the Quran?

answers: Worn-out
question: In what state are copies of the Quran sometime wrapped in cloth and buried?

answers: a mosque or a Muslim cemetery
question: Which are the safest places to inter an older copy of the Quran?

context: Inimitability of the Quran (or "I'jaz") is the belief that no human speech can match the Quran in its content and form. The Quran is considered an inimitable miracle by Muslims, effective until the Day of Resurrection—and, thereby, the central proof granted to Muhammad in authentication of his prophetic status. The concept of inimitability originates in the Quran where in five different verses opponents are challenged to produce something like the Quran: "If men and sprites banded together to produce the like of this Quran they would never produce its like not though they backed one another." So the suggestion is that if there are doubts concerning the divine authorship of the Quran, come forward and create something like it. From the ninth century, numerous works appeared which studied the Quran and examined its style and content. Medieval Muslim scholars including al-Jurjani (d. 1078) and al-Baqillani (d. 1013) have written treatises on the subject, discussed its various aspects, and used linguistic approaches to study the Quran. Others argue that the Quran contains noble ideas, has inner meanings, maintained its freshness through the ages and has caused great transformations in individual level and in the history. Some scholars state that the Quran contains scientific information that agrees with modern science. The doctrine of miraculousness of the Quran is further emphasized by Muhammad's illiteracy since the unlettered prophet could not have been suspected of composing the Quran.
qas: answers: I'jaz
question: What term indicates that the contents of the Quran cannot be reproduced in speech?

answers: Day of Resurrection
question: Until what day is the Quran believed to be in effect?

answers: 1013
question: In which year did the Medieval Muslim scholar al-Baqillani die?

answers: al-Jurjani
question: Which Muslim scholar studied the Quran's inimitability until his death in 1078?

context: The Quran consists of 114 chapters of varying lengths, each known as a sura. Suras are classified as Meccan or Medinan, depending on whether the verses were revealed before or after the migration of Muhammad to the city of Medina. However, a sura classified as Medinan may contain Meccan verses in it and vice versa. Sura titles are derived from a name or quality discussed in the text, or from the first letters or words of the sura. Suras are arranged roughly in order of decreasing size. The sura arrangement is thus not connected to the sequence of revelation. Each sura except the ninth starts with the Bismillah (بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم), an Arabic phrase meaning "In the name of God". There are, however, still 114 occurrences of the Bismillah in the Quran, due to its presence in Quran 27:30 as the opening of Solomon's letter to the Queen of Sheba.
qas: answers: sura
question: What is a chapter of the Quran called?

answers: 114
question: How many suras are in the Quran?

answers: Meccan or Medinan
question: What two city-related categories divide the Quran's suras?

answers: Bismillah
question: Which Arabic phrase opens almost all suras?

answers: size
question: What determines the order in which suras are placed in the Quran?

context: In addition to and independent of the division into suras, there are various ways of dividing the Quran into parts of approximately equal length for convenience in reading. The 30 juz' (plural ajzāʼ) can be used to read through the entire Quran in a month. Some of these parts are known by names—which are the first few words by which the juzʼ starts. A juz' is sometimes further divided into two ḥizb (plural aḥzāb), and each hizb subdivided into four rubʻ al-ahzab. The Quran is also divided into seven approximately equal parts, manzil (plural manāzil), for it to be recited in a week.
qas: answers: juz'
question: What division of the Quran is used for a month-long reading?

answers: 30
question: How many ajzā cover the entire Quran?

answers: two
question: How many ahzab are in a juz'?

answers: rubʻ al-ahzab
question: What is the term for a subdivision of a hizb?

answers: manzil
question: What division is used for a week-long recital of the Quran?

context: The Quranic content is concerned with basic Islamic beliefs including the existence of God and the resurrection. Narratives of the early prophets, ethical and legal subjects, historical events of Muhammad's time, charity and prayer also appear in the Quran. The Quranic verses contain general exhortations regarding right and wrong and historical events are related to outline general moral lessons. Verses pertaining to natural phenomena have been interpreted by Muslims as an indication of the authenticity of the Quranic message.
qas: answers: natural
question: Quranic verses concerning which phenomena are thought by Muslims to authenticate its contents?

answers: historical
question: What types of events are related in the Quran in support of its moral teachings?

answers: Muhammad's
question: Historical narratives from whose time period are unique to the Quran among holy books?

context: The doctrine of the last day and eschatology (the final fate of the universe) may be reckoned as the second great doctrine of the Quran. It is estimated that approximately one-third of the Quran is eschatological, dealing with the afterlife in the next world and with the day of judgment at the end of time. There is a reference to the afterlife on most pages of the Quran and belief in the afterlife is often referred to in conjunction with belief in God as in the common expression: "Believe in God and the last day". A number of suras such as 44, 56, 75, 78, 81 and 101 are directly related to the afterlife and its preparations. Some suras indicate the closeness of the event and warn people to be prepared for the imminent day. For instance, the first verses of Sura 22, which deal with the mighty earthquake and the situations of people on that day, represent this style of divine address: "O People! Be respectful to your Lord. The earthquake of the Hour is a mighty thing."
qas: answers: one-third
question: What fraction of the Quran deals with eschatology?

answers: the final fate of the universe
question: What general topic is eschatology about?

answers: earthquake
question: Which natural disaster features in Sura 22?

answers: afterlife
question: What topic do suras 44, 56, 75, and 101 have in common?

context: According to the Quran, God communicated with man and made his will known through signs and revelations. Prophets, or 'Messengers of God', received revelations and delivered them to humanity. The message has been identical and for all humankind. "Nothing is said to you that was not said to the messengers before you, that your lord has at his Command forgiveness as well as a most Grievous Penalty." The revelation does not come directly from God to the prophets. Angels acting as God's messengers deliver the divine revelation to them. This comes out in Quran 42:51, in which it is stated: "It is not for any mortal that God should speak to them, except by revelation, or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger to reveal by his permission whatsoever He will."
qas: answers: signs and revelations
question: In what form does the Quran say God sends his messages to people?

answers: Angels
question: Who intermediates between God and prophets?

answers: 42:51
question: Which part of the Quran describes God's use of intermediaries between himself and his prophets?

answers: Prophets
question: Which humans are the messengers of God?

answers: identical
question: How does the Quran describe the similarity of messages God has delivered throughout human history?

context: Belief is a fundamental aspect of morality in the Quran, and scholars have tried to determine the semantic contents of "belief" and "believer" in the Quran. The ethico-legal concepts and exhortations dealing with righteous conduct are linked to a profound awareness of God, thereby emphasizing the importance of faith, accountability, and the belief in each human's ultimate encounter with God. People are invited to perform acts of charity, especially for the needy. Believers who "spend of their wealth by night and by day, in secret and in public" are promised that they "shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve". It also affirms family life by legislating on matters of marriage, divorce, and inheritance. A number of practices, such as usury and gambling, are prohibited. The Quran is one of the fundamental sources of Islamic law (sharia). Some formal religious practices receive significant attention in the Quran including the formal prayers (salat) and fasting in the month of Ramadan. As for the manner in which the prayer is to be conducted, the Quran refers to prostration. The term for charity, zakat, literally means purification. Charity, according to the Quran, is a means of self-purification.
qas: answers: Belief
question: What mental state is the foundation of morality as described by the Quran?

answers: usury and gambling
question: What finance-related acts are forbidden by the Quran?

answers: salat
question: What is the name of the formal prayer proscribed by the Quran?

answers: Ramadan
question: Which month is designated for fasting in the Quran?

answers: charity
question: The Quran uses a term that also means purification for what social act?

context: The astrophysicist Nidhal Guessoum while being highly critical of pseudo-scientific claims made about the Quran, has highlighted the encouragement for sciences that the Quran provides by developing "the concept of knowledge.". He writes: "The Qur'an draws attention to the danger of conjecturing without evidence (And follow not that of which you have not the (certain) knowledge of... 17:36) and in several different verses asks Muslims to require proofs (Say: Bring your proof if you are truthful 2:111), both in matters of theological belief and in natural science." Guessoum cites Ghaleb Hasan on the definition of "proof" according the Quran being "clear and strong... convincing evidence or argument." Also, such a proof cannot rely on an argument from authority, citing verse 5:104. Lastly, both assertions and rejections require a proof, according to verse 4:174. Ismail al-Faruqi and Taha Jabir Alalwani are of the view that any reawakening of the Muslim civilization must start with the Quran; however, the biggest obstacle on this route is the "centuries old heritage of tafseer (exegesis) and other classical disciplines" which inhibit a "universal, epidemiological and systematic conception" of the Quran's message. The philosopher Muhammad Iqbal, considered the Quran's methodology and epistemology to be empirical and rational.
qas: answers: Nidhal Guessoum
question: Which astrophysicist has written about the ways the Quran encourages scientific thinking?

answers: proof
question: Verse 2:111 of the Quran supports which aspect of scientific thought and practice?

answers: Ghaleb Hasan
question: Whose scholarship on the concept of proof in the Quran does Guessoum cite?

answers: Muhammad Iqbal
question: Which philosopher believed the Quran had a rational and empirical basis like science?

context: It's generally accepted that there are around 750 verses in the Quran dealing with natural phenomenon. In many of these verses the study of nature is "encouraged and highly recommended," and historical Islamic scientists like Al-Biruni and Al-Battani derived their inspiration from verses of the Quran. Mohammad Hashim Kamali has the stated that "scientific observation, experimental knowledge and rationality" are the primary tools with which humanity can achieve the goals laid out for it in the Quran. Ziauddin Sardar built a case for Muslims having developed the foundations of modern science, by highlighting the repeated calls of the Quran to observe and reflect upon natural phenomenon. "The 'scientific method,' as it is understood today, was first developed by Muslim scientists" like Ibn al-Haytham and Al-Biruni, along with numerous other Muslim scientists.
qas: answers: 750
question: Nature and its phenomena are mentioned in approximately how many of the Quran's verses?

answers: Quran
question: Al-Battani is an example of a Muslim scientist who drew inspiration from which text?

answers: Mohammad Hashim Kamali
question: Who recommended science as a way to achieve the goals of the Quran?

answers: Ziauddin Sardar
question: Who argued that the Quran inspired the first practitioners of the scientific method we use today?

answers: Muslim
question: Al-Biruni is a example of a scientists of which religion?

context: The physicist Abdus Salam, in his Nobel Prize banquet address, quoted a well known verse from the Quran (67:3-4) and then stated: "This in effect is the faith of all physicists: the deeper we seek, the more is our wonder excited, the more is the dazzlement of our gaze". One of Salam's core beliefs was that there is no contradiction between Islam and the discoveries that science allows humanity to make about nature and the universe. Salam also held the opinion that the Quran and the Islamic spirit of study and rational reflection was the source of extraordinary civilizational development. Salam highlights, in particular, the work of Ibn al-Haytham and Al-Biruni as the pioneers of empiricism who introduced the experimental approach, breaking way from Aristotle's influence, and thus giving birth to modern science. Salam was also careful to differentiate between metaphysics and physics, and advised against empirically probing certain matters on which "physics is silent and will remain so," such as the doctrine of "creation from nothing" which in Salam's view is outside the limits of science and thus "gives way" to religious considerations.
qas: answers: Abdus Salam
question: Which physicist quoted the Quran in his address after receiving the Nobel Prize?

answers: 67:3-4
question: Which verse from the Quran did Abdus Salam quote at his Nobel banquet?

answers: Ibn al-Haytham and Al-Biruni
question: Which two Muslim scientists did Salam celebrate as inventors of empirical methods?

answers: metaphysics
question: Salam suggests physics and science be kept separate from which topics which are more suited to religion?

context: The language of the Quran has been described as "rhymed prose" as it partakes of both poetry and prose; however, this description runs the risk of failing to convey the rhythmic quality of Quranic language, which is more poetic in some parts and more prose-like in others. Rhyme, while found throughout the Quran, is conspicuous in many of the earlier Meccan suras, in which relatively short verses throw the rhyming words into prominence. The effectiveness of such a form is evident for instance in Sura 81, and there can be no doubt that these passages impressed the conscience of the hearers. Frequently a change of rhyme from one set of verses to another signals a change in the subject of discussion. Later sections also preserve this form but the style is more expository.
qas: answers: rhymed prose
question: What description of the writing in the Quran highlights its poetic aspect?

answers: earlier Meccan suras
question: Which suras in the Quran are particularly rhythmic?

answers: subject of discussion
question: What often changes along with the rhyming of Quranic verses?

answers: Later
question: Which parts of the Quran are the least poetic?

context: The Quranic text seems to have no beginning, middle, or end, its nonlinear structure being akin to a web or net. The textual arrangement is sometimes considered to exhibit lack of continuity, absence of any chronological or thematic order and repetitiousness. Michael Sells, citing the work of the critic Norman O. Brown, acknowledges Brown's observation that the seeming disorganization of Quranic literary expression – its scattered or fragmented mode of composition in Sells's phrase – is in fact a literary device capable of delivering profound effects as if the intensity of the prophetic message were shattering the vehicle of human language in which it was being communicated. Sells also addresses the much-discussed repetitiveness of the Quran, seeing this, too, as a literary device.
qas: answers: continuity
question: What is lacking in the arrangement of the Quranic text?

answers: Norman O. Brown
question: To which critic does Michael Sells refer on the subject of the Quran's disorganization?

answers: a literary device
question: How does Sells describe the Quran's repetitiveness?

answers: Michael Sells
question: Which scholar believes the Quran's fragmentary writing style is an effective literary device for a prophetic message?

context: A text is self-referential when it speaks about itself and makes reference to itself. According to Stefan Wild, the Quran demonstrates this metatextuality by explaining, classifying, interpreting and justifying the words to be transmitted. Self-referentiality is evident in those passages where the Quran refers to itself as revelation (tanzil), remembrance (dhikr), news (naba'), criterion (furqan) in a self-designating manner (explicitly asserting its Divinity, "And this is a blessed Remembrance that We have sent down; so are you now denying it?"), or in the frequent appearance of the "Say" tags, when Muhammad is commanded to speak (e.g., "Say: 'God's guidance is the true guidance' ", "Say: 'Would you then dispute with us concerning God?' "). According to Wild the Quran is highly self-referential. The feature is more evident in early Meccan suras.
qas: answers: Self-referentiality
question: What metatextual character does Stefan Wild focus on in his discussion of the Quran?

answers: Divinity
question: What quality does the Quran claim in the different ways in which it refers to itself?

answers: naba'
question: Which term that the Quran uses for itself means "news"?

answers: early Meccan suras
question: The Quran is more self-referential in which of its suras?

context: Tafsir is one of the earliest academic activities of Muslims. According to the Quran, Muhammad was the first person who described the meanings of verses for early Muslims. Other early exegetes included a few Companions of Muhammad, like ʻAli ibn Abi Talib, ʻAbdullah ibn Abbas, ʻAbdullah ibn Umar and Ubayy ibn Kaʻb. Exegesis in those days was confined to the explanation of literary aspects of the verse, the background of its revelation and, occasionally, interpretation of one verse with the help of the other. If the verse was about a historical event, then sometimes a few traditions (hadith) of Muhammad were narrated to make its meaning clear.
qas: answers: Tafsir
question: What is the name of the activity of explaining what Quranic verses mean?

answers: Muhammad
question: Who was the first practitioner of Tafsir?

answers: Tafsir
question: What is the Arabic term for Quranic exegesis?

answers: Companions of Muhammad
question: Who were 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas?

context: Because the Quran is spoken in classical Arabic, many of the later converts to Islam (mostly non-Arabs) did not always understand the Quranic Arabic, they did not catch allusions that were clear to early Muslims fluent in Arabic and they were concerned with reconciling apparent conflict of themes in the Quran. Commentators erudite in Arabic explained the allusions, and perhaps most importantly, explained which Quranic verses had been revealed early in Muhammad's prophetic career, as being appropriate to the very earliest Muslim community, and which had been revealed later, canceling out or "abrogating" (nāsikh) the earlier text (mansūkh). Other scholars, however, maintain that no abrogation has taken place in the Quran. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has published a ten-volume Urdu commentary on the Quran, with the name Tafseer e Kabir.
qas: answers: classical Arabic
question: In which language is the Quran recited?

answers: nāsikh
question: What is the Arabic term for the cancellation of one part of the Quran by another?

answers: Tafseer e Kabir
question: What is the name of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community's published Quran commentary?

answers: mansūkh
question: What is the term for earlier portions of the Quran that may have been superseded by later parts?

answers: Urdu
question: In which language is the Tafseer e Kabir written?

context: Esoteric or Sufi interpretation attempts to unveil the inner meanings of the Quran. Sufism moves beyond the apparent (zahir) point of the verses and instead relates Quranic verses to the inner or esoteric (batin) and metaphysical dimensions of consciousness and existence. According to Sands, esoteric interpretations are more suggestive than declarative, they are allusions (isharat) rather than explanations (tafsir). They indicate possibilities as much as they demonstrate the insights of each writer.
qas: answers: Esoteric
question: What is another term for Sufi Quranic interpretation?

answers: zahir
question: What Arabic word describes the aspects of Quranic verses that Sufism tries to push beyond?

answers: isharat
question: What is an Arabic term for allusions?

answers: allusions
question: Sands says Sufi interpretations tend to use which literary device rather than direct explanation?

context: Moses, in 7:143, comes the way of those who are in love, he asks for a vision but his desire is denied, he is made to suffer by being commanded to look at other than the Beloved while the mountain is able to see God. The mountain crumbles and Moses faints at the sight of God's manifestation upon the mountain. In Qushayri's words, Moses came like thousands of men who traveled great distances, and there was nothing left to Moses of Moses. In that state of annihilation from himself, Moses was granted the unveiling of the realities. From the Sufi point of view, God is the always the beloved and the wayfarer's longing and suffering lead to realization of the truths.
qas: answers: Sufi
question: Beloved is a term for God used by which style of Quranic interpretation?

answers: 7:143
question: Which Quranic verse describes Moses' encounter with God at the mountain?

answers: longing and suffering
question: In Sufi thought, what experiences bring one closer to truth?

answers: Qushayri
question: Who wrote that Moses had lost the Moses in himself along the way to his encounter with God?

context: One of the notable authors of esoteric interpretation prior to the 12th century is Sulami (d. 1021) without whose work the majority of very early Sufi commentaries would not have been preserved. Sulami's major commentary is a book named haqaiq al-tafsir ("Truths of Exegesis") which is a compilation of commentaries of earlier Sufis. From the 11th century onwards several other works appear, including commentaries by Qushayri (d. 1074), Daylami (d. 1193), Shirazi (d. 1209) and Suhrawardi (d. 1234). These works include material from Sulami's books plus the author's contributions. Many works are written in Persian such as the works of Maybudi (d. 1135) kash al-asrar ("the unveiling of the secrets"). Rumi (d. 1273) wrote a vast amount of mystical poetry in his book Mathnawi. Rumi makes heavy use of the Quran in his poetry, a feature that is sometimes omitted in translations of Rumi's work. A large number of Quranic passages can be found in Mathnawi, which some consider a kind of Sufi interpretation of the Quran. Rumi's book is not exceptional for containing citations from and elaboration on the Quran, however, Rumi does mention Quran more frequently. Simnani (d. 1336) wrote two influential works of esoteric exegesis on the Quran. He reconciled notions of God's manifestation through and in the physical world with the sentiments of Sunni Islam. Comprehensive Sufi commentaries appear in the 18th century such as the work of Ismail Hakki Bursevi (d. 1725). His work ruh al-Bayan (the Spirit of Elucidation) is a voluminous exegesis. Written in Arabic, it combines the author's own ideas with those of his predecessors (notably Ibn Arabi and Ghazali), all woven together in Hafiz, a Persian poetry form.
qas: answers: Sulami
question: Who was an important esoteric interpreter of the Quran in the 11th century?

answers: Truths of Exegesis
question: What is the English name of Sulami's major work?

answers: Persian
question: In which language did Maybudi write?

answers: Ismail Hakki Bursevi
question: Which Sufi commentator wrote the Spirit of Elucidation?

answers: 1273
question: In which year did the poet Rumi die?

context: Commentaries dealing with the zahir (outward aspects) of the text are called tafsir, and hermeneutic and esoteric commentaries dealing with the batin are called ta'wil ("interpretation" or "explanation"), which involves taking the text back to its beginning. Commentators with an esoteric slant believe that the ultimate meaning of the Quran is known only to God. In contrast, Quranic literalism, followed by Salafis and Zahiris, is the belief that the Quran should only be taken at its apparent meaning.[citation needed]
qas: answers: zahir
question: What is the Arabic term for the surface-level aspects of a text?

answers: ta'wil
question: What Arabic term applies to interpretations aimed at the deeper, esoteric meanings of a text?

answers: God
question: Who is the only one who ever knows the full meaning of Quranic verses in the esoteric view?

answers: Salafis and Zahiris
question: Which two groups are examples of Muslims who advocate a very literal reading of the Quran?

context: The first fully attested complete translations of the Quran were done between the 10th and 12th centuries in Persian. The Samanid king, Mansur I (961-976), ordered a group of scholars from Khorasan to translate the Tafsir al-Tabari, originally in Arabic, into Persian. Later in the 11th century, one of the students of Abu Mansur Abdullah al-Ansari wrote a complete tafsir of the Quran in Persian. In the 12th century, Najm al-Din Abu Hafs al-Nasafi translated the Quran into Persian. The manuscripts of all three books have survived and have been published several times.[citation needed]
qas: answers: Persian
question: In which language was the Quran first translated?

answers: Tafsir al-Tabari
question: Which work did scribes from Khorasan translate in the 10th century?

answers: Abu Mansur Abdullah al-Ansari
question: Whose student wrote a Persian tafsir of the Quran in the 11th century?

answers: Najm al-Din Abu Hafs al-Nasafi
question: Who wrote a Persian translation of the Quran in the 12th century?

answers: Samanid
question: To which dynasty did the king who commissioned the first translation of Quranic texts belong?

context: Robert of Ketton's 1143 translation of the Quran for Peter the Venerable, Lex Mahumet pseudoprophete, was the first into a Western language (Latin). Alexander Ross offered the first English version in 1649, from the French translation of L'Alcoran de Mahomet (1647) by Andre du Ryer. In 1734, George Sale produced the first scholarly translation of the Quran into English; another was produced by Richard Bell in 1937, and yet another by Arthur John Arberry in 1955. All these translators were non-Muslims. There have been numerous translations by Muslims. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has published translations of the Quran in 50 different languages besides a five-volume English commentary and an English translation of the Quran.
qas: answers: 1143
question: In which year was the Quran first translated into a Western language?

answers: Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
question: Which organization offers versions of the Quran in 50 languages?

answers: Andre du Ryer
question: Whose French translation of the Quran was the model for the first English version?

answers: Robert of Ketton
question: Who completed the first Latin version of the Quran?

answers: English
question: In which language was Alexander Ross' version of the Quran published in 1649?

context: The proper recitation of the Quran is the subject of a separate discipline named tajwid which determines in detail how the Quran should be recited, how each individual syllable is to be pronounced, the need to pay attention to the places where there should be a pause, to elisions, where the pronunciation should be long or short, where letters should be sounded together and where they should be kept separate, etc. It may be said that this discipline studies the laws and methods of the proper recitation of the Quran and covers three main areas: the proper pronunciation of consonants and vowels (the articulation of the Quranic phonemes), the rules of pause in recitation and of resumption of recitation, and the musical and melodious features of recitation.
qas: answers: tajwid
question: What discipline concerns the way the Quran is correctly recited?

answers: pronunciation
question: Tajwid deals with what aspect of the phonemes in the Quran?

answers: pause in recitation
question: Tajwid describes rules for what noiseless aspect of articulating Quranic verses?

answers: musical and melodious
question: Rhythm is an example of which features of Quranic recitation covered by tajwid?

context: Vocalization markers indicating specific vowel sounds were introduced into the Arabic language by the end of the 9th century. The first Quranic manuscripts lacked these marks, therefore several recitations remain acceptable. The variation in readings of the text permitted by the nature of the defective vocalization led to an increase in the number of readings during the 10th century. The 10th-century Muslim scholar from Baghdad, Ibn Mujāhid, is famous for establishing seven acceptable textual readings of the Quran. He studied various readings and their trustworthiness and chose seven 8th-century readers from the cities of Mecca, Medina, Kufa, Basra and Damascus. Ibn Mujahid did not explain why he chose seven readers, rather than six or ten, but this may be related to a prophetic tradition (Muhammad's saying) reporting that the Quran had been revealed in seven "ahruf" (meaning seven letters or modes). Today, the most popular readings are those transmitted by Ḥafṣ (d.796) and Warsh (d. 812) which are according to two of Ibn Mujahid's reciters, Aasim ibn Abi al-Najud (Kufa, d. 745) and Nafi‘ al-Madani (Medina, d. 785), respectively. The influential standard Quran of Cairo (1924) uses an elaborate system of modified vowel-signs and a set of additional symbols for minute details and is based on ʻAsim's recitation, the 8th-century recitation of Kufa. This edition has become the standard for modern printings of the Quran.
qas: answers: Vocalization markers
question: The absence of which language feature made early Quranic recitation more diverse?

answers: Ibn Mujāhid
question: Which Baghdad scholar identified justified seven different Quranic readings?

answers: 8th
question: Which century produced the seven readings selected by Ibn Mujāhid?

answers: ʻAsim's
question: Which recitation is the original basis of the Quran of Cairo?

answers: Kufa
question: Which city corresponds to Asim's recitation of the Quran?

context: Before printing was widely adopted in the 19th century, the Quran was transmitted in manuscripts made by calligraphers and copyists. The earliest manuscripts were written in Ḥijāzī-type script. The Hijazi style manuscripts nevertheless confirm that transmission of the Quran in writing began at an early stage. Probably in the ninth century, scripts began to feature thicker strokes, which are traditionally known as Kufic scripts. Toward the end of the ninth century, new scripts began to appear in copies of the Quran and replace earlier scripts. The reason for discontinuation in the use of the earlier style was that it took too long to produce and the demand for copies was increasing. Copyists would therefore chose simpler writing styles. Beginning in the 11th century, the styles of writing employed were primarily the naskh, muhaqqaq, rayḥānī and, on rarer occasions, the thuluth script. Naskh was in very widespread use. In North Africa and Spain, the Maghribī style was popular. More distinct is the Bihari script which was used solely in the north of India. Nastaʻlīq style was also rarely used in Persian world.
qas: answers: calligraphers and copyists
question: Who created Quranic manuscripts before the 19th century?

answers: Kufic scripts
question: What is the name of the thicker-stroked writing used for the Quran beginning in the 9th century?

answers: naskh
question: Which was the most widely used script by copyists in the 11th century?

answers: North Africa and Spain
question: Where was the Maghribi script most commonly used by Quran copyists?

answers: Bihari
question: Which script was only used to copy the Quran by people in northern India?

context: In the beginning, the Quran did not have vocalization markings. The system of vocalization, as we know it today, seems to have been introduced towards the end of the ninth century. Since it would have been too costly for most Muslims to purchase a manuscript, copies of the Quran were held in mosques in order to make them accessible to people. These copies frequently took the form of a series of 30 parts or juzʼ. In terms of productivity, the Ottoman copyists provide the best example. This was in response to widespread demand, unpopularity of printing methods and for aesthetic reasons.
qas: answers: ninth century
question: In which century were vocalization marking added to the Quran?

answers: mosques
question: Where were Quran copies kept for those who could not afford their own?

answers: juzʼ
question: What are the parts of the Quran called that are 30 in total?

answers: Ottoman
question: Which group of Quran copyists produced the most in-demand manuscripts?

context: According to Sahih al-Bukhari, the Quran was recited among Levantines and Iraqis, and discussed by Christians and Jews, before it was standardized. Its language was similar to the Syriac language.[citation needed] The Quran recounts stories of many of the people and events recounted in Jewish and Christian sacred books (Tanakh, Bible) and devotional literature (Apocrypha, Midrash), although it differs in many details. Adam, Enoch, Noah, Eber, Shelah, Abraham, Lot, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Jethro, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Aaron, Moses, Zechariah, John the Baptist and Jesus are mentioned in the Quran as prophets of God (see Prophets of Islam). In fact, Moses is mentioned more in the Quran than any other individual. Jesus is mentioned more often in the Quran than Muhammad, while Mary is mentioned in the Quran more than the New Testament. Muslims believe the common elements or resemblances between the Bible and other Jewish and Christian writings and Islamic dispensations is due to their common divine source,[citation needed] and that the original Christian or Jewish texts were authentic divine revelations given to prophets.
qas: answers: Moses
question: Which Biblical character is the most often mentioned person in the Quran?

answers: Sahih al-Bukhari
question: Who has claimed that Christians and Jews had heard and discussed the Quran before it took on its standardized Arabic form?

answers: Syriac
question: Which older language is thought to strongly resemble that of the Quran?

answers: Mary
question: Which relative of Jesus appears more often in the Quran than the New Testament?

answers: common divine source
question: What do devout Muslims believe is the reason for the overlap of events and characters in the Bible and Quran?

context: According to Tabatabaei, there are acceptable and unacceptable esoteric interpretations. Acceptable ta'wil refers to the meaning of a verse beyond its literal meaning; rather the implicit meaning, which ultimately is known only to God and can't be comprehended directly through human thought alone. The verses in question here refer to the human qualities of coming, going, sitting, satisfaction, anger and sorrow, which are apparently attributed to God. Unacceptable ta'wil is where one "transfers" the apparent meaning of a verse to a different meaning by means of a proof; this method is not without obvious inconsistencies. Although this unacceptable ta'wil has gained considerable acceptance, it is incorrect and cannot be applied to the Quranic verses. The correct interpretation is that reality a verse refers to. It is found in all verses, the decisive and the ambiguous alike; it is not a sort of a meaning of the word; it is a fact that is too sublime for words. God has dressed them with words to bring them a bit nearer to our minds; in this respect they are like proverbs that are used to create a picture in the mind, and thus help the hearer to clearly grasp the intended idea.
qas: answers: acceptable and unacceptable
question: What are the two type of ta'wil?

answers: Unacceptable
question: Which type of esoteric interpretation involves a transfer by proof of a verse's meaning?

answers: Acceptable
question: The implicit meaning of a Quranic verse that is known fully only by God is which type of ta'wil?

context: The Quran most likely existed in scattered written form during Muhammad's lifetime. Several sources indicate that during Muhammad's lifetime a large number of his companions had memorized the revelations. Early commentaries and Islamic historical sources support the above-mentioned understanding of the Quran's early development. The Quran in its present form is generally considered by academic scholars to record the words spoken by Muhammad because the search for variants has not yielded any differences of great significance.[page needed] University of Chicago professor Fred Donner states that "...there was a very early attempt to establish a uniform consonantal text of the Qurʾān from what was probably a wider and more varied group of related texts in early transmission. [...] After the creation of this standardized canonical text, earlier authoritative texts were suppressed, and all extant manuscripts—despite their numerous variants—seem to date to a time after this standard consonantal text was established." Although most variant readings of the text of the Quran have ceased to be transmitted, some still are. There has been no critical text produced on which a scholarly reconstruction of the Quranic text could be based. Historically, controversy over the Quran's content has rarely become an issue, although debates continue on the subject.
qas: answers: his companions
question: Who had begun memorizing Muhammad's revelations in his lifetime?

answers: standardized
question: What was done to the Quranic text early in its history leaving few markedly different variants?

answers: University of Chicago
question: Which which university is Fred Donner affiliated?

answers: Muhammad
question: The Quran is widely accepted by historians to contain a relatively accurate record of whose words?

context: Sahih al-Bukhari narrates Muhammad describing the revelations as, "Sometimes it is (revealed) like the ringing of a bell" and Aisha reported, "I saw the Prophet being inspired Divinely on a very cold day and noticed the sweat dropping from his forehead (as the Inspiration was over)." Muhammad's first revelation, according to the Quran, was accompanied with a vision. The agent of revelation is mentioned as the "one mighty in power", the one who "grew clear to view when he was on the uppermost horizon. Then he drew nigh and came down till he was (distant) two bows' length or even nearer." The Islamic studies scholar Welch states in the Encyclopaedia of Islam that he believes the graphic descriptions of Muhammad's condition at these moments may be regarded as genuine, because he was severely disturbed after these revelations. According to Welch, these seizures would have been seen by those around him as convincing evidence for the superhuman origin of Muhammad's inspirations. However, Muhammad's critics accused him of being a possessed man, a soothsayer or a magician since his experiences were similar to those claimed by such figures well known in ancient Arabia. Welch additionally states that it remains uncertain whether these experiences occurred before or after Muhammad's initial claim of prophethood.
qas: answers: seizures
question: What physical symptom accompanied Muhammad's revelations?

answers: two bows' length
question: What measure of distance described the nearness of the Angel's approach to Mohammad?

answers: Encyclopaedia of Islam
question: In which work did Welch express his belief that Mohammad's physical reaction to the revelation was historically accurate? 

answers: a possessed man, a soothsayer or a magician
question: Which people would Mohammad's critics have compared him to at the time?

context: Muhammad Husayn Tabatabaei says that according to the popular explanation among the later exegetes, ta'wil indicates the particular meaning a verse is directed towards. The meaning of revelation (tanzil), as opposed to ta'wil, is clear in its accordance to the obvious meaning of the words as they were revealed. But this explanation has become so widespread that, at present, it has become the primary meaning of ta'wil, which originally meant "to return" or "the returning place". In Tabatabaei's view, what has been rightly called ta'wil, or hermeneutic interpretation of the Quran, is not concerned simply with the denotation of words. Rather, it is concerned with certain truths and realities that transcend the comprehension of the common run of men; yet it is from these truths and realities that the principles of doctrine and the practical injunctions of the Quran issue forth. Interpretation is not the meaning of the verse—rather it transpires through that meaning, in a special sort of transpiration. There is a spiritual reality—which is the main objective of ordaining a law, or the basic aim in describing a divine attribute—and then there is an actual significance that a Quranic story refers to.
qas: answers: "to return" or "the returning place"
question: What was the original meaning of ta'wil?

answers: a spiritual reality
question: What can interpretation find that lies the behind the apparent events referred to in a Quranic story?

answers: hermeneutic
question: What philosophical term corresponds to the type of interpretation in ta'wil?

context: According to Shia beliefs, those who are firmly rooted in knowledge like Muhammad and the imams know the secrets of the Quran. According to Tabatabaei, the statement "none knows its interpretation except God" remains valid, without any opposing or qualifying clause. Therefore, so far as this verse is concerned, the knowledge of the Quran's interpretation is reserved for God. But Tabatabaei uses other verses and concludes that those who are purified by God know the interpretation of the Quran to a certain extent.
qas: answers: imams
question: Who do Shia Muslims believe can approach Quranic truths besides God and Muhammad?

answers: God
question: According to Shia Muslims, who is the only one who can fully know the a Quranic interpretation?

answers: purified
question: How must God have treated those who are qualified to know Quranic sectets?