The Koran (Qur'an) | Jewish Virtual Library Tweet The Qur'an (in Anglicized form: Koran ) is certainly the greatest literary work in classical Arabic and for all Muslims stands as the definitive word of God (in Arabic: Allah ) spoken to the prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel. When reading the Qur'an , you should realize that, for all Muslims, the text you are reading is quite literally the voice of God; because the Qur'an is the direct speech of God in Arabic, translation of the work is seen as blasphemy, as an unforgivable tampering with God's own speech. Nevertheless, the Qur'an has been translated into Turkish and Farsi (the language of Iran) in this century and is recited in these languages in religious services in Turkey and Iran. The Muslim community tolerates this but just barely. For all practical purposes, to be Muslim, then, means almost universally to be able to read and understand classical Arabic, despite what one's native language is [Ed. a Muslim reader noted that many Muslims do not understand the language, but they must only read or say the words correctly]. The recitation began one night in the year 610 A.D.

Muhammad was sitting alone in the wilderness near Mecca when the Angel Gabriel appeared to him. The Angel called out to him with the command, "Recite! Recite! Recite!" Muhammad responded "I am not a reader." The angel recited three verses to him and when he awoke he had these verses, as he said, inscribed in his heart. These revelations continued for 10 days. Islamic scholars believe that the first revelation occurred on the night of the 27th day of Ramadan. This night is called the Laylat-al-Qadr (Night of Power). And according to the Quran, this is when God determines the course of the world for the following year. 1 From that point on, Muhammad believed himself to be a prophet and messenger of God, the last in a line of seven prophets (beginning with Abraham and ending with Jesus Christ, who was prophet number six) and responsible for inscribing the last and most important of God's direct messages to the world, the Arabic Recitation, which is the full name of the work. The people of God, that is, the Jews and the Christians, were going astray; the purpose of the Arabic Recitation was to restore God's faithful to the proper path.

At different times in Muhammed's life the recitations would come to him; he would then repeat what he had heard and these would be memorized by certain people trained in remembering verses; some of these verses were written down on whatever was at hand. All these writings were collected in the caliphate of 'Uthman and the canonical text was established around 650 A.D. The writings were collected into a group of surah's and ordered according to length (each surah is meant to be a single recitation), though all Muslims also know the chronological or der of the recitations. The Qur'an is organized into separate chapters called surahs. The order of the surahs, however, does not reflect the chronological order of the Quranic verses, nor does the surah structure reflect the nature of the original Quranic revelation. During his lifetime, Muhammad would have individual verses revealed to him; these revelations occurred unexpectedly and in surprising places. Typically, revelation would put Muhammad in a trance-like state. He, and others, would memorize the revealed verses and, under the guidance of Gabriel, Muhammad organized these verses into the existing surahs.

The intervention of Gabriel in ordering the various verses in Islamic history is meant to guarantee not only the sanctity of the individual verses, but the religious validity of the organization of these verses in the Qur'an. The Qur'an was an oral text throughout the lifetime of Muhammad; it was also a fluid text. The complete text resided only in the memories of Muahmmad and his followers. As he added verses and reorganized the text, his followers would rememorize the text in the light of the additions or edits. This means that the Qur'an was a living text during the lifetime of Muhammad. Certain verses revealed to Muhammad were later repudiated by him as "satanic" verses revealed not by Gabriel but by Satan. These verses were expunged from the text that so many had memorized. After the death of Muhammad, the text of the Qur'an was written down in the caliphate of Abu Bakr . Until 'Uthman, one and only one written text existed. For more than a decade after the death of Muhammad, the Qur'an remained primarily an oral text in the memories of the faithful.

In Islamic accounts of the history of the Qur'an , this oral text was entirely faithful to the original verses  this is entirely possible, but Western historians generally agree that some corruptions must have produced slight variations throughout the Islamic world. Nevertheless, the military expansion of Islam led to two direct consequences concerning the integrity of the Quranic text. First, large numbers of the faithful were dying out in the various military expeditions. Each time someone died who had the Quranic text memorized, that meant that one copy of the Qur'an disappeared forever. Second, the expansion of Islam swelled the ranks of the faithful. Many of these new converts spoke other langagues and the original Arabic of the Qur'an began to corrupt. Faced with these two threats to the integrity of the Qur'an , 'Uthman orderd a rescension of the text to be made and to serve as the definitive written version of the text. A rescension is a version of a text that is assembled from all the variant versions of that text. 'Uthman, however, relied on two sources: the written text that had been ordered by Abu Bakr and that still existed, and the various oral texts of Muslims who memorized it during the lifetime of Muhammad.

In Islamic history, there is no variation between these two sources, so the Uthmanic "rescension" is largely a codifying of a single version of a text. This version, the 'Uthmanic rescension, is the version of the Qur'an that has remained, unchanged, the central holy text of Islam. The Qur'an has one overriding theme, endlessly repeated and elaborated throughout the text: complete submission (in Arabic: islam ; muslim means "one who submits") to the word and the will of God, who is one God and the only God. The God of Islam is both a stern judge and endlessly forgiving; obedience to God wipes away all transgression. This submission, however, must be fully and rationally given; faith (iman ) is a rational consent to the truth of the word of God. Therefore, much of the Qu'ran concerns the word of God and how it is received and believed, or not received and believed as the case may be. What language was the Quran originally written in? | Reference.com What language was the Quran originally written in? A: Quick Answer The Quran was originally written in Arabic.

It is the primary religious text for Muslims, and it is considered the literal word of God as spoken to the prophet Muhammad. Full Answer Muslims believe that the angel Gabriel delivered the word of God, or "Allah" in the original Arabic text, to Muhammad. It is believed that this recitation was given in the Arabic language, so some Muslims view any translation from Arabic to be a corruption of God's speech. Although this is considered a form of blasphemy, some translations have been tolerated to an extent. For example, there have been translations into Turkish and Farsi, for Turks and Iranians, respectively. Complete Quran in English language online Home - Quran in Urdu and Arabic - Quran in English - Quran in Chinese - Quran in Spanish - Subject-Wise Quran - Tafseer ibn Kathir - Seerat Nabwi Tibri Kathir Khaldoon - Hadees Bokhari & Muslim - 40 Hadees Qudsi and 40 Ahadees-e-Nabvi - Islamic Dua - Suicide - FAQ - Women - Fatwas - Zindagi - Names - World Map - Mecca and Madinah - Glossary - Download - .

Calendar - Azaan - Urdu Keyboard Quran in English Language Welcome to 3 comparative Quranic translations in English language by three different translators to give you a better and more understandable view of Quran for those whose native language is not Arabic. Note that any translation of the Qur'an immediately ceases to be the literal word of Allah, and hence cannot be equated with the Qur'an in its original Arabic form. In fact, each of the translations on this site is actually an interpretation which has been translated. This is an electronic version of The Holy Qur'an, translated by M.H. Shakir and published by Tahrike Tarsile Qur'an, Inc., in 1983. The text was provided by the Online Book Initiative and subsequently marked up at the HTI in SGML. Like all the versions of this text derived from the Online Book Initiative, it is not free from errors and represents the text as published. We will strive to correct any transcription errors pointed out to us. What does Islam say about reading the Quran in a language other than Arabic? - Islam Stack Exchange What does Islam say about reading the Quran in a language other than Arabic? up vote 18 down vote favorite 4 Is it necessary to read the Quran in Arabic?

I have learned from elders and also seen many videos stating that understanding the meaning of the Qur'an is more important than just reading it. As i don't understand Arabic i would like to read the Quran in a language that i understand like English. So is it permissible that i read the Quran in english (or any other language) while not reading the Arabic part? Let us assume that the translations are 100% correct. 4 I had 3 experiences, Arabic, Persian and English translation. Translations are correct but they cannot traverse same volume of information and feel in compare with Arabic one! Please read my answer – Yasser Zamani Jun 22 '12 at 6:26 3 "Let us assume that the translations are 100% correct." Impossible. And that's nothing specifically to do with the Quran. Translations are never 100% correct. – TRiG Jul 5 '12 at 18:18 up vote 17 down vote accepted I understand you well because I have a situation like you. My native language is Persian but we learn Arabic and English too in our education process. So I can read and compare Quran in both Arabic and Persian, English translation.

I strongly recommend you to read Quran in Arabic. Do not worry about learning Arabic, you don't have to learn Arabic completely. Quran's Arabic is really simple and understandable. Quran describes huge concepts just by simple words and grammar. I myself cannot read any Arabic text except Quran. Because Quran's words are optimized to a small collection and it's grammar is simple and integrated in whole of it. But why Arabic? I have 3 experiences, Arabic, Persian and English. But the Persian and English translation does not have any effect on my heart! you say why? because the translated one is no longer in it's original harmonic provided by God and also consider you want to drink water and compare drinking with a glass or with a plate and a spoon. The water is same but the structure which keeps the water is very important. In same way, I think Arabic structure and grammar can traverse more information and feel with always fresh optimized words and sentence length.

Please see also [19:97] فَإِنَّمَا يَسَّرْنَاهُ بِلِسَانِكَ لِتُبَشِّرَ بِهِ الْمُتَّقِينَ وَتُنذِرَ بِهِ قَوْمًا لُّدًّا So, [O Muhammad], We have only made Qur'an easy in the Arabic language that you may give good tidings thereby to the righteous and warn thereby a hostile people. Another very important thing is that understanding Quran in next stage after language, needs a clear heart. So anyone which can read Quran in Arabic does not mean that he/she understands it well.

Please see [56:79] إِنَّهُ لَقُرْآنٌ كَرِيمٌ ﴿٧٧﴾ فِي كِتَابٍ مَّكْنُونٍ ﴿٧٨﴾ لَّا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ ﴿٧٩﴾ تَنزِيلٌ مِّن رَّبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿٨٠﴾ Indeed, it is a noble Qur'an (77) In a Register well-protected; (78) None touch it except the purified. (79) [It is] a revelation from the Lord of the worlds. (80) 1 Great answer. I already upvoted. But, I do have a question: I have been told that it is Sunnah for one to read the entire Quran during the month of Ramadan. Does reading the entire Quran in English (or another language) count towards this?

– Dynamic Jun 22 '12 at 23:54 1 Well, Sunnah is to read in Arabic. Prophet PBUH did not have access to non-arabic Quran. However, if you are reading in another language, you will get some 'ajar' for it, as 'Niyaat' or intentions are good. Perhaps, someone else can point you to a scholarly opinion. – Nasir Jun 23 '12 at 0:39 Thanks @Dynamic, unfortunately my info about Islam's jurisprudence is low because their existence philosophy is not well understandable for me. An example is what you cited. Shi'a also has this in Ramadan but I personally cannot force myself to read specific amount of Quran in distinct time period! because this tires me and force me to read fast and in result skipping thinking about their concepts! I personally think that tanzil.net/#73:20 confirms me :) – Yasser Zamani Jun 23 '12 at 5:46 up vote 4 down vote Asalamu wa alaikum, It is Mustahab to read the Qur'an in Arabic because it is the language which it was sent down.

When it is in other languages sometimes the full meaning is lost, and is not the Quran anymore, rather a Tafseer and the words of men, so it is good to read in Arabic it's language. if you can't than try to learn Arabic. but it is not haraam to read it in other languages, you are not kept from that. (Mustahab) means it is loved or liked, example if you have a choice of reading the Qur'an in Arabic or English than it is more liked to read it in Arabic. Better definition: Mustahab (مستحب) recommended form of worship or action. Doing a mustahab activity will be rewarded by Allah but not doing a Mustahab activity will not be considered sinful. Haram means forbidden. The word usually refers to what food we eat, ether it is halal/permissible or haram/forbidden. But it can also refer to a action. up vote 2 down vote Surely it is best to understand what the Quran teaches. Prophet Muhammad was a walking Quran. Many of today's translations capture the meaning very well. I translated the Quran, did my best to keep the meaning intact, and made it easy to read.

It is posted here: up vote 2 down vote No it is not necessary. I saw a Hadith that in any language Quran is read, angels take it to Heaven in Arabic language. Although understanding the meaning of the Quran is more important than just reading it but just reading it has high reward and has good spiritual effects for example Satan will be away from your home and your home will be seen like star by angels. But you know Arabic is like an ocean and no translation can transfer all meanings of Quran. It is recommended you have a plan for learning Arabic little by little and may Allah help you. related question: islam.stackexchange.com/questions/426/… – goldPseudo♦ Jun 22 '12 at 16:05 @Ahmadi +1 for the link. Also Madinah Arabic is good for learning Arabic online. – Mohammad Yaseen Jun 26 '12 at 10:12 up vote 2 down vote Briefly, yes, it's permissible to read (not talking about salat) the Quran in english, while not reading the Arabic part.

I think that even if a person reads in Arabic, that person will understand the Quran by his limitations in the Arabic language. Most of the translations are translated from a certain type of understanding of the Arabic language. So, even when reading the QUran in Arabic, does the person really understand its (real) meaning? Let us assume that the translations are 100% correct. This cannot be true. To be true, you must understand the Quran 100% correctly. So the real question would be "do we understand the Quran 100% correctly?" Only then can we start arguing about a translation being 100% correct. I agree, as many states, that much get lost in the translation. Words and rhetoric phrases in Arabic, that does not have the same strength as it has in the translated language. I would argue that, if the translation is good (what is a good translation of the Quran?), it's better to read it and understand the Quran rather than reading the Quran in Arabic, thus not understanding a word. 1 Oops, it can be deemed as a significant and remarkable point as you pointed out So the real question would be "do we understand the Quran 100% correctly?

/ Well done, dear mate. – Shia_Sunni___________UNITY Dec 29 '15 at 17:37 up vote 1 down vote I strongly agree with @YasserZamani's these two paragraphs: I understand you well because I have a situation like you. My native language is Persian but we learn Arabic and English too in our education process. So I can read and compare Quran in both Arabic and Persian, English translation. I strongly recommend you to read Quran in Arabic. Do not worry about learning Arabic, you don't have to learn Arabic completely. Quran's Arabic is really simple and understandable. Quran describes huge concepts just by simple words and grammar. I myself cannot read any Arabic text except Quran. Because Quran's words are optimized to a small collection and it's grammar is simple and integrated in whole of it. I'm exactly in the same situation with Yasser Zamani. I only understand Quran, I don't understand any other Arabic text. And I want to add something more: You cannot make perfect translation of any text from one language to another. Because, the translated words will not have the exact same same meaning.

Translating a text into another language is actually is not translating it; it is writing a text in another language whose meaning approximates to the original one. When you translate a text, you truncate its meaning by quantizing it to the words of the other language. This quantization error is always neglected in the translation of other daily ordinary texts. But you cannot ignore it in the case of Quran. Quran is a book sent by Allah. Its every detail is precious. The orders of words, precise meanings of words, grammar, usage of synonymous of words, details which come with the characteristics of Arabic, like gender of words, counts of objects, prefixes for emphasizing, etc. All of detail are definitely required in order to understand the deep meanings of Quran. All of these detail construct a supernatural book for which a similar one cannot be written by Man. If you keep reading Quran always from its translation, after a time, you will probably think that you understood it all, and for the worst case, you will stop reading it. If you read it in Arabic, you will see that its meaning is so vast and profuse that there is no way of understanding it completely even if you spend your entire life on it.

As long as you keep studying it, you will keep understanding new things, there is no limit of learning from Quran. There is also a minor reason. Actually, it is a big reason, but it look minor when compared to the ones I counted until this paragraph. Current Quran translations are terrible. The translator translates the way he understands. If the actual meaning of a sentence or phrase in an ayat does not mean anything to the translator or he just doesn't understand it, he translates it with a different meaning, with a meaning he find chooses in his mind. I used to have a Facebook page in which everyday I shared translation errors of several ayats. But I finally fed up of doing it, because there was no end to it and image editing was taking too much time. I hope I made a few more important points. up vote 0 down vote Salam-on-aleikom, It is not necessary but only encouraged, and if you want the truth it is quite very encouraged, mention that God himself has stressed on his book being in Arabic and that of course has quite many reason why God has done that, e.g.

Arabic is mobin, it is the only language wherein a real relation exists between the words with the same root such that studying why God has chosen a word for a notion would lead you toward a true scientific discovering process (e.g. Adam is a name available in many languages, but it has meaning only in Arabic, if I am right, meaning made from Adim, dust on the upper layer of the earth, so is about Samaa'--sky-- which has the same root as Maa'--water-- and means the resource of water, and so on …). It should also be mentioned that only the Arabic Quran can be considered the words of Allah, the miracle of prophet Muhammad,PBUH ! You read Quran in other languages, fine, better than not reading it at all, it would still touch your hearth by sure, however, that's not actually Quran, as it is! Hope that I have not discourage you from reading Quran, although in other languages, as I was only trying to encourage you read it in Arabic and think about its words and etc., difficult for the first time reading but it is worth bearing that difficulty thrust me.

Allah may help you up vote 0 down vote The Holy Quran is a book of Guidance (Hidaya). If one does not understand Arabic since he/she is of a different nationality, he/she should be able to read and easily understand the message and meaning in their own language. The goal is to understand the message Allah is conveying to HIS creation and act upon it. Language should not be given so much emphasis. Allah Almighty does want hardship on his followers, but rather ease and comfort. Holy Quran was revealed to the prophet in Arabic because that is the only language he knew, therefore it was easy for him to understand and teach to His followers. Why wasn't the Quran revealed in Persian or English etc.? I leave it to your imagination. However, if one an has the desire, time and will to learn Quran in Arabic, more power to them, but the idea is to understand the message and live upto it. up vote 0 down vote It is very important to remember few things when we discuss if Quran should be read in Arabic or in any other language. First, Quran was revealed in Arabic because it was the language of the Arabs and Holy Prophet was born there. God has revealed many scriptures before Quran in the languages of the adresse people.

Second, Muslims should try not to make God an Arab God. He is Almighty who knows what is in your heart so language becomes secondary than intentions. Third, there are only 20 % Arabic speaking Muslims while rest of the Muslims have their own languages. You can teach them to read Quran in Arabic but they would not understand what it says.Is it not important that people understand the message in a language, they can follow and master than recite it like a parrot just to read it? I have read Quran in many languages and believe me, it is wonderful to know what you are reading. Yes, Qirat is beautiful for the ears but Quran must be understood by the brain. That will help Muslims to move on in this complex world we live in. up vote 0 down vote Salaam, this is the same problem with me and I've heard on peace tv that we should read the Quran in the language we understand better. There are many good translation books available in many languages that we can trust on.

It is a hadith that “if you recite one aya of Quran with understanding it is better than 100 nafl rakats" In 1 rakat we recite 5 verses of surah fatiha an if we calculate the hadith says that it’s better to recite one aya of the holy Quran with understanding than to recite 500 aya without understanding So, get one and start reading and understanding it. The Aramaic Language of the Qur'an - Google Groups The Aramaic Language of the Qur'an Showing 1-20 of 20 messages For the first time in history a book is written to show that the language of the Qur'an is Aramaic, not Arabic. The Aramaic language of the Qur'an renders interpretations that are totally different from those rendered by Muslim commentators in the last fourteen centuries. The Eastern Syriac dialect of Aramaic is dominant in the Qur'an, and many chapters are borrowed from the Hebrew Bible and Syriac Peshita (Fshito), but were interpreted erroneously by Muslim commentators. The Qur'an states that its language is Arabic, but Arab speaking people have difficulty understanding the language of the Qur'an.

The difficulty stems from the fact that its language was not and has never been Arabic.The language of the Qur'an has been and still is Aramaic. In the seventh century, the written language of the Near East was Syriac, not Arabic. The discovery of the Nabataean and Palmyrene inscricptions in Transjordan and Syria shows that the written language of those Arab-origin kingdoms was Aramaic, not Arabic. The Qur'an: Misinterpreted Because of the language barrier, Muslim commentators interpreted erroneously many Qur'anic verses. Their inability to understand the Aramaic vocabulary of the Qur'an had them render erroneous interpretations. The Qur'an admits that Jesus is the "Messiah". The Qur'anic verse"Wama qataluhu wama salabuhu" does not mean 'they did not kill him and did not crucify him'. Aramaic"wma"means 'what'. Contrary to the popular Muslim interpretations,The Qur'an does say that Jesus was "killed and was crucified". The Qur'an admits that Jesus "cured the blind" and "raised the dead". Muslim commentators undermine this Godly act. Who other than God is able to cure the blind and raise the dead?

The Qur'an also admits that Jesus is a 'deliverer', it calls him "Wajeehan", Aramaic "ghh" means 'to deliver'. Muslim commentators interpreted erroneously the Aramaic Qur'anic word as 'honored'. The Aramaic language of the Qur'an commands Muslims to treat women with decency; it does not state that virgin women having 'sexy eyes' are waiting in heaven for the Jihadists. In Aramaic, the language of the Qur'an says: "there are bright raisins and water springs". The Qur'an: Mistranslated Muslim commentators are unable to render a translation to many Qur'anic words. Their inability to understand the Aramaic vocabulary of the Qur'an, prohibited them from giving any translation to many vocabulary. Among those are the following examples: The Qur'anic word "kalalat" was transliterated into English as "kalalat", Syriac "kalto, kalta" meaning 'bride'; the Aramaic Qur'anic word "Ra'ina" has been transliterated into English as "ra'ina", they did not understand that this word is Syriac "re'yono, re'yana" meaning 'shepherd'.

The Aramaic Qur'anic word "sijjin" was transliterated into English as "sijjin", Syriac "sagiyeen" meaning 'many'. The Aramaic Qur'anic word " 'iliyyun" has been transliterated into English as " 'iliyyun", Syriac " 'eloyone, 'elayana'. The reason why Muslim commentators were unable to translate these and many other Qur'anic words into English is because they did not understand that these are Aramaic vocabulary, not Arabic. The Qur'an: Misread For the last fourteen centuries, Muslim commentators misread the Qur'an. Their lack of knowledge in Aramaic, mainly its Syriac dialect, made it impossible for them to render meaningful interpretations of the Qur'an. For example: God of Israel "Yahweh" is mentioned in the Qur'an, but Muslim commentators did not understand its meaning, so they twisted the name of God "Yahweh" and gave it different meaning, they call him, erroneously: 'evil desire'. In another example, the Qur'an states the following: "Waja'alna laka qusuran", Q.25: 11.

Muslim commentators give the following interpretation: 'We assign you mansions'. In Syriac the Qur'anic word "qusuran" does not mean 'mansion', it means 'reap the fruit of righteousness'. The Qur'anic verse is not talking about 'assigning mansions', the Qur'an is saying: 'the righteous will reap the fruits of his deeds'. Aramaic is not only the dominant language of the Qur'an, it is the language of the Qur'an. Without Aramaic, the Qur'an could not be deciphered.It is about time for the Arabic departments in colleges and universities, especially those institutions that deal with Islamic studies, to shift their attention to the study of Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic, in teaching the Qur'an rather than Arabic. Islamic institutions are no exception. The Aramaic language does give more meaningful interpretations to the Qur'an. Isn't the language of all sacred scripture, Quran, Bible and Torah, unique to their religious tradition? Isn't the meaning of a word or phrase then ascribed to the usage given to it by Muslims or Christians or Jews? For a neutral example, isn't Coptic a unique liturgical and theological language confined to that particular Church's adherents?

Wouldn't it then be unrealistic for non-members of this Church to impose wild exegetical interpretations on Copts because Coptic is derived from the (pagan) Greek alphabet and influence? Which raises the altruistic question, shouldn't we carefully distinguish the 'language of religion' (liturgical and theological) from its secular, vernacular and lingua franca derivatives? Ask yourself, how many "Hamito-Semitic" (Afro-Asiatic) languages had a religious form that is now extinct like the "Biblical Aramaic Language"? Does anyone know the answer? -- Peace -- If language is not correct, then what is said is not what is meant; if what is said is not what is meant, then what ought to be done remains undone. [Confucius] Please don't just cut and paste ridiculous advertisements to this newsgroup, pretending that they're actually your own commentaries. Think for yourself instead. Exercise your own reasoning to support your arguments. It's good practice. Your "posting" is actually an ad for Gabriel Sawma's weird book that pretends to have discovered that the language of the Qur'an all these centuries has actually been Aramaic, not Arabic.

This should come as a pretty big surprise to the world's very large Arabic-speaking population, who thought they were speaking Arabic all these years. NEWSFLASH: THE QUR'AN IS IN ARAMAIC! BAH HAH HAH! Let's put Sawma's hilarious theory to the test. If what his silly book says is true, then an Arabic-language verse from the Bible and an Aramaic one placed side-by-side will be so close (natural variations aside) as to be virtually interchangeable. Here is the Lord's Prayer in both languages, transliterated for clarity (noting that there are unfortunate variations even in this firmly established prayer): ARAMAIC litakun mashii'atuka &ala~l-'arDi a kamaa hiya fi~s-samaa'i khubzanaa kafaafanaa 'a&Tina~l-yawma wa~ghfir lanaa dhunuubanaa kamaa naghfiru naHnu lil-mudhnibiina 'ilaynaa walaa tudkhilnaa fii tajribatin laakin najjinaa mina~sh-shirriiri Wow! I can't even tell the difference!

Of course, all Arabs will immediately understand "abwuun de-bwashmaaya"! Why, they say that every day! If they're drunk out of their minds... Hey, I'm having trouble finding the simple word "ismuka" ("your name") in the Aramaic. Oh, there it is: shmakh. Yes, Arabs will immediately recognize the question, "Maa shmakh?" Of course, they're actually more used to "Maa ismuk?" But if they're really, really drunk, it might come out sounding like Aramaic. Alternatives to "Maa shmakh?" that might be heard among very drunk Arabs include: Happily, most Arabs don't get drunk. This means that there is very little Aramaic (or even Klingon) spoken by accident among Arabs. Seriously though, Arabic is much older than Aramaic, or Hebrew for that matter. This does not mean that the *oldest Semitic writings* that can be found are in Arabic. In fact, measured from earliest extant writings, Arabic looks relatively young (and is often so reported).

What it means that Arabic is older than these other relatives is that Abraham (most significant to this newsgroup, admittedly) spoke a language much closer to Classical Arabic (i.e., the Arabic of the Qur'an) than to either Aramaic or Hebrew.

You can tell by comparing these languages to the much older Akkadian language, with a few sample words, as follows: AKKADIAN: (1) 'akhum, (2) shunum, (3) reeshum, (4) &iinum, (5) lishaanum, (6) napishtum, (7) 'erSetum, (8) kalbum, (9) muu, (10) malkum, (11) daamum, (12) 'amtum, (13) 'eshshum, (14) shinnum, (15) shamuu, (16) kakkabum, (17) qashtum, (18) 'aqrabum ARABIC: (1) 'akhun, (2) ismun, (3) ra'sun, (4) &aynun, (5) lisaanun, (6) nafsun, (7) 'arDun, (8) kalbun, (9) maa'un, (10) malikun, (11) damun, (12

) 'amatun, (13) Hadiithun, (14) sinnun, (15) samaa'un, (16) kawkabun, (17) qawsun, (18) &aqrabun ARAMAIC: (1) 'akho, (2) shema, (3) reeshaa, (4) &aynaa, (5) leshaan, (6) nafshaa, (7) 'arqo, (8) kalbaa, (9) mayyo, (10) malka, (11) dema, (12) 'amtaa, (13) Hedat, (14) shennaa, (15) shemayyaa, (16) kawkebaa, (17) qashtaa, (18) &aqrebaa HEBREW: (1) 'okh, (2) sheem (3) roosh, (4) &ayin, (5) laashoonn, (6) nefesh, (7) 'ereS, (8) ke

leb, (9) mayim, (10) melek, (11) daam, (12) 'aamaa, (13) Haadaash, (14) sheen, (15) shamayim, (16) kookaab, (17) qeshet, (18) &aqraab ETHIOPIC: (1) 'ekhw, (2) sem, (3) re'es, (4) &ayn, (5) lesaan, (6) nafes, (7) [unknown], (8) kalb, (9) may, (10) 'amlak, (11) dam, (12) 'amat, (13) Hadiith, (14) senn, (15) samaay, (16) kookab, (17) qast, (18) &aqrab ENGLISH: (1) brother, (2) name, (3) head, (4) eye, (5) tongue, (6) soul, (7) earth, (8) dog, (9) water, (10

) king, (11) blood, (12) bondwoman, (13) new, (14) tooth, (15) sky, (16) star, (17) bow, (18) scorpion I got these words from because it was the first site that I found with a sample from each of these languages.

Following a few simple rules of equivalence (i.e., identical consonants and long vowels count for one point, identical short vowels count for half, single<>double consonants count for half, m<>n counts for half, sh<>s counts for half, w<>u counts for one quarter, o<>u counts for one quarter, i<>e counts for one quarter, ii = y, and uu = w), we have the following computed average strengths of relationship, based on this random sample: I get a kick out of how often I hear the aficionados of the Aramaic language pretend that their favorite language preceded all other Semitic languages. They did not even have sense enough to hold onto the original Bible! (They use a translation from Greek instead.) The gall of anyone who tries to foist a bizarre theory that the Qur'an is really in Aramaic is mind-boggling, but it makes sense from one perspective: the myth that Aramaic is the ancestor of all other Semitic languages. It is one of the most arrogant positions that one finds regarding studies of the early Semitic languages.

What is saddest about this gross misrepresentation of history is that a knowledge of old Aramaic can indeed add some helpful context to some of the more interesting passages of the Qur'an. Certainly, one's knowledge of Arabic helps so much *more* to understand Aramaic or Hebrew (because Arabic maintains the old root system almost entirely in its original form, unlike Aramaic and Hebrew, whose root systems were shattered beyond all recognition through multiple migrations and clashes with other cultures). The author's approach, however, rather than persuade the reader through balanced rhetoric that some phraseology in the Qur'an might benefit from some background in Aramaic, instead quite obtusely attacks all of the old Muslim commentators as essentially being stupid morons who did not know what language they were reading. Here is a simple example of what the author thinks is a mistranslated verse: [25:10] <...wayaj&al~laka quSuuran> First, the author writes, "Waja'alna laka qusuran" and cites 25:11 as the verse, which really should warn any reader that there is a screw loose somewhere in this author's head.

But ignoring that, the author writes: "Muslim commentators give the following interpretation: 'We assign you mansions.'" He then goes on to say that in Aramaic (or Syriac) the word "qusuran" does not mean "mansion," but rather "reap the fruit of righteousness." Thus, this author thinks that by finding a word in Aramaic that looks like a similar word in the Qur'an, he can redefine the latter. Let's complete this analysis. Does the word <quSuuran> exist in Arabic? Of course it does. It is a well established word. It has been around for centuries. It comes from the radical reflecting the idea of a "limit." The singular form, <qaSr>, can mean mansion, palace, utmost limit, or the utmost of one's power. The idea of limit, and in particular of falling short of a limit, is central to the radical: <qaSara> - to fail, to be expensive, to confine, to limit <'aqSara> - to shorten Now, does Aramaic have this radical? Let's see. Aha!

Yes indeed, the same radical exists in Aramaic: <qaSret> - to reap; to be short; to be distressed But what about <quSuuran>? It is nowhere to be found in Aramaic. That was a wild leap by the author, nothing more. The author recognized the radical, allowed for a few vowels that differed from those found in his Aramaic glossaries, forced a foreign interpretation into a perfectly good Arabic text, and then proclaimed that Arabic-speaking Muslims had gotten it wrong for centuries. And this author can't even quote the verse correctly! You can buy the book new off of Amazon.com for $49 if you're really feeling charitable. But really, I think Mr. Sawma needs to go back to school for a while and try again. Abu Jamil Interesting read indeed! I have heard of this book (site even!), and I would admit that it makes some intrepid claims about the Qur'an and Muslim history. Nevertheless, the author (like Gunter Luling before him) must assume the very conclusion for the emendations to work. If the conclusion of the deduction must be assumed in order for the new interpretations to have argumentative inertia, then we come full circle (i.e.

petitio principii). Take this statement: >The Aramaic language of the Qur'an commands Muslims to treat women with decency; it does not state that virgin women having 'sexy eyes' are waiting in heaven for the Jihadists. In Aramaic, the language of the Qur'an says: "there are bright raisins and water springs". < While this "might" very well be the case, the conclusion (an Aramaic Christian reading) is assumed. What external information may we select for our understanding of the data? Why not accept Gunter Luling's reading of the verse as "underworld" maidens? Not even Luxenberg goes as far as impressing his Syrian reading on hur-al-ayin. I can't say too much about the book given that I have yet to read it. However, from the few terse readings of some of the emendations offered the book seems to overstate its case and often accepts the very conclusion it's trying argue for. BBC - Religions - Islam: The Qur'an The Qur'an Last updated 2011-07-14 This article covers some basic information about the Qur'an and provides some sections spoken aloud in Arabic.

On this page The Qur'an A copy of the Qur'an © The Qur'an is the holy book for Muslims, revealed in stages to the Prophet Muhammad over 23 years. Qur'anic revelations are regarded by Muslims as the sacred word of God , intended to correct any errors in previous holy books such as the Old and New Testaments . Origin The Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by God in Arabic. Some Qur'anic fragments have been dated as far back as the eighth, and possibly even the seventh, century. The oldest existing copy of the full text is from the ninth century. Although early variants of the Qur'an are known to have existed, Muslims believe that the text we have today was established shortly after the death of the Prophet by the Caliph Uthman. Contents There are 114 chapters in the Qur'an, which is written in the old Arabic dialect. All the chapters except one begin with the sentence Bismillahir rahmanir raheem, 'In the name of Allah the most merciful and the most kind'. This is the thought with which Muslims should start every action.

The longest chapter of the Qur'an is Surah Baqarah (The Cow) with 286 verses and the shortest is Surah Al-Kawther (abundance) which has 3 verses. The arrangement of surahs does not correspond to the chronological order in which they were revealed. The Qur'an is sometimes divided into 30 roughly equal parts, known as juz'. These divisions make it easier for Muslims to read the Qur'an during the course of a month and many will read one juz' each day, particularly during the month of Ramadan . Translations Translations of the Qur'an exist in over 40 languages but Muslims are still taught to learn and recite it in Arabic, even if this is not their native language and they cannot converse in it. Translations are regarded by Muslims as new versions of the holy book, rather than as translations in the conventional sense. Qur'an page © Memorising the Qur'an At the time of the revelation of the Qur'an, books were not readily available and so it was common for people to learn it by heart . Committing the Qur'an to memory acted as a great aid for its preservation and any person who is able to accomplish this is known as a hafiz.

Respect The Qur'an is treated with immense respect by Muslims because it is the sacred word of God. While the Qur'an is recited aloud, Muslims should behave with reverence and refrain from speaking, eating or drinking, or making distracting noise. Sunnah and Hadith In addition to the Qur'an, the other sacred sources are the Sunnah , the practise and examples of the Prophet Muhammad's life, and the Hadith , reports of what the prophet Muhammad said or approved. Both the Hadith and Sunnah must adhere to a strict chain of narration that ensures its authenticity, taking into account factors such as the character of people in the chain and continuity in narration. Reports that fail to meet such criteria will be disregarded. One famous example is that of the scholar of Hadith literature, Imam Bukhari, who travelled several hundred miles on horseback to acquire a Hadith. When he arrived, he saw the man that knew the Hadith deceiving his donkey into thinking there was grain in a sack in order to induce him to move forward. Imam Bukhari promptly left without approaching the man because he was not willing to allow any individual with a questionable personality to join a chain of narration or contribute knowledge that would define the practice of the religion.

Audio readings Imam Misbahi reads passages from the Holy Qur'an. In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions English translation: This is the Book. In it is guidance sure, without doubt to those who fear Allah, who believe in the unseen, are steadfast in prayer and spend out of what we have provided for them, and who believe in the revelation sent to you, and sent before your time and in their hearts have the assurance of the hereafter. They are on true guidance from the Lord, and it is these who will prosper. In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions English translation: Say: "We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Ibrahim , Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in the books given to Musa , Isa , and the prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will in Islam.

" If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him; and in the hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost all spiritual good. In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions English translation: And when they listen to the revelation received by the messenger, you will see their eyes overflowing with tears, for they recognise the truth. They pray: "Our Lord! We believe; write us down among the witnesses." In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions English translation: It is he who created you from a single person, and made his mate of like nature, in order that he might dwell with her in love. When they are united, she bears a light burden and carries it about unnoticed. When she grows heavy, they both pray to Allah their Lord, saying: "If you give us a goodly child, we vow we shall ever be grateful." In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed.

Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions English translation: Relate in the book the story of Mary , when she withdrew from her family to a place in the East. She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then we sent to her our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects. In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions English translation: These are verses of the Wise Book, a guide and a mercy to the doers of good, those who establish regular prayer, and give regular charity , and have in their hearts the assurance of the hereafter. These are on true guidance from their Lord: and these are the ones who will prosper. In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions English translation: So also was Jonah among those sent by Us. When he ran away like a slave from captivity to the ship fully laden, he agreed to cast lots, and he was condemned: Then the big fish did swallow him, and he had done acts worthy of blame. In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed.

Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions English translation: The revelation of this book is from Allah, exalted in power, full of knowledge, who forgives sin, accepts repentance, is strict in punishment, and has a long reach in all things. There is no God but he: to him is the final goal. In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions English translation: And before this, was the Book of Musa as a guide and a mercy: And this Book confirms it in the Arabic tongue; to admonish the unjust, and as glad tidings to those who do right. In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions English translation: So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance. It is he who has spread out the earth for his creatures: Therein is fruit and date-palms, producing spathes (enclosing dates); also corn, with its leaves and stalk for fodder, and sweet-smelling plants. Then which of the favours of your Lord will you deny?

Question: The Koran was written in what language?
Answer: Arabic