I Who gave the Qur’aan this name? Praise to be Allaah, You have answered your own question, as it were, because it is Allaah who gave His Book this name, "Qur’aan." Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’aan . . ." [al-Baqarah 2:185] "Do they not then consider the Qur’aan carefully . . .?" [al-Nisaa’ 4:82] "So, when the Qur’aan is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy . . ." [al-A ‘raaf 7:204] "Verily, Allaah has purchased of the believers their lives and their properties, for the price that their shall be Paradise. They fight in Allaah’s Cause, so they kill (others) and are killed. It is a promise in truth which is binding on Him in the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel) and the Qur’aan . . ." [al-Tawbah 9:111] "And this Qur’aan is not such as could ever be produced by other than Alaah, but it is a confirmation of (the revelation) which was before it, and a full explanation of the Book wherein there is no doubt from the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)" [Yunus 10:37] "Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’aan in 1
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Transcript
I
Who gave the Qur’aan this name?
Praise to be Allaah,
You have answered your own question, as it were, because it is Allaah who gave His
Book this name, "Qur’aan."
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’aan . . ." [al-Baqarah 2:185] "Do
they not then consider the Qur’aan carefully . . .?" [al-Nisaa’ 4:82] "So, when the Qur’aan is
recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may receive mercy . . ." [al-A ‘raaf 7:204] "Verily,
Allaah has purchased of the believers their lives and their properties, for the price that their shall
be Paradise. They fight in Allaah’s Cause, so they kill (others) and are killed. It is a promise in
truth which is binding on Him in the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel) and the
Qur’aan . . ." [al-Tawbah 9:111] "And this Qur’aan is not such as could ever be produced by
other than Alaah, but it is a confirmation of (the revelation) which was before it, and a full
explanation of the Book wherein there is no doubt from the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind,
jinn and all that exists)" [Yunus 10:37] "Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’aan in
order that you might understand" [Yusuf 12:2] "We relate unto you [Muhammad] the best of
stories through Our Revelations unto you, of this Qur’aan. And before this, you were among
those who knew nothing about it (the Qur’aan)." [Yusuf 12:3]
"And indeed, We have bestowed upon you seven of al-Mathaani (the seven repeatedly
recited verses, i.e. Soorat al-Faatihah) and the Grand Qur’aan." [al-Hijr 15:87] "So when you
want to recite the Qur’aan, seek refuge with Allaah from Shaytaan, the outcast (the cursed one)."
[al-Nahl 16:98] "Verily, this Qur’aan guides to that which is most just . . ." [al-Israa’ 17:9] "And
We send down from the Qur’aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe, and it
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increases the zaalimoon (wrongdoers) nothing but loss." [al-Israa’ 17:82] "Say: ‘If mankind and
the jinns were together to produce the like of this Qur’aan, they could not produce the like
thereof, even if they helped one another.’" [al-Israa’ 17:88] "And (it is) a Qur’aan which We
have divided )into parts), in order that you might recite it to men at intervals. And We have
revealed it by stages." [al-Israa’ 17:106] "We have not sent down the Qur’aan unto you [O
Muhammad] to cause you distress" [Ta-Ha 20:2] "Then High above all be Allaah, the True King.
And be not in haste (O Muhammad) with the Qur’aan before its revelation is completed to you,
and say: ‘My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.’" [Ta-Ha 20:114] "Ta-Seen [These letters are one
of the miracles of the Qur’aan, and none but Allaah (Alone) knows their meanings]. These are
the Verses of the Qur’aan, and (it is) a Book (that makes things) clear" [al-Naml 27:1] "And
verily, you (O Muhammad) are receiving the Qur’aan from the One, All-Wise, All-Knowing."
[al-Naml 27:6] "Verily, He Who has given you (O Muhammad) the Qur’aan will surely bring
you back to the Ma’aad (place of return, either to Makkah or to Pradise after your death) . . ." [al-
Qasas 28:85] "By the Qur’aan, full of wisdom" [Yaa-Seen 36:2] "And indeed, We have made the
Qur’aan easy to understand and remember, then is there any that will remember (or receive
admonition)?" [al-Qamar 54:40] "That (this) is indeed an honourable recital (the Noble
Qur’aan)." [al-Waaqi’ah 56:77] "Had We sent down this Qur’aan on a mountain, you would
surely have seen it humbling itself and rending asunder by the fear of Allah . . ." [al-Hashr 59:21]
"or a little more; and recite the Qur’aan (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style." [al-
Muzzammil 73:4] "Nay! This is a Glorious Qur’aan" [al-Burooj 85:21]
Can there be any doubt after reading all these aayaat that it is Allaah - and not Abu Bakr
(may Allaah be pleased with him) or anyone else - Who has given the name "Qur’aan" to the
Book which He revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?
In Arabic, the word "Qur’an" comes from the word meaning al-qar’, which means
"gathering" and "putting things together." It is so called because it is a collection of all the siwar
(plural of surah). It was also suggested that it is so called because it combines the fruits of the
previously-revealed books, or because it combines all kinds of knowledge. (See al-Itqaan by al-
Suyooti, 1/162-163).
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Finally, we advise you to check what you read so that you do not get confused by
unreliable sources in books and magazines that may cause you to doubt the truth. May Allaah
bless you and us with beneficial knowledge and help us to perform righteous deeds.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
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II
Is it true that there is no evidence of a Qur’aan being written in the 7th century?
Praise be to Allaah.
This is a false and incorrect statement made by those who try to find faults with Islam so
as to put people off this religion. It is sufficient to know that Allaah has guaranteed to preserve
the Qur’aan, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur’aan) and surely, We
will guard it (from corruption).” [al-Hijr 15:9]
Moreover, the fact that the transmission of the Qur’aan by memory and in writing was
mutawaatir – narrated by groups to groups [to such an extent that so many people could not
conceivably have agreed upon a lie] – is well known to anyone who has the slightest
acquaintance with Islamic knowledge, especially knowledge of recitations and reciters.
There are still many people nowadays who have learned the Qur’aan orally, with isnaads
directly going back to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
One of the miracles of Allaah’s protection of the Qur’aan is the fact that those who try to
tamper with it are always found out.
The point is, everything that was revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) was written down in front of him straight away, and some of the Sahaabah had
masaahif (written copies of the Qur’aan). After the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), the first khaleefah, Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him)
gathered the Qur’aan in written and kept it. Then the third khaleefah, ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan
(may Allaah be pleased with him) compiled it in mus-hafs that were based on the mus-haf
compiled by Abu Bakr, in addition to what had been memorized.
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When we realize that the Qur’aan was written down and compiled by the Sahaabah, and
‘Uthmaan sent copies of the Mus-haf during his reign to all the main centres of Islam, so that it
would be a reference for them, and there were no disputes concerning them, then how can we say
that there is no written trace of the Qur’aan in the seventh century? Moreover, there are several
ancient manuscripts of the Qur’aan in libraries and museums which bear visible testimony to the
fact that nothing has been changed in the Book of Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“And verily, it is an honourable well-fortified respected Book (because it is Allaah’s
Speech, and He has protected it from corruption). Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or
behind it, (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise (Allaah).” [Fussilat 41:41-42]
And Allaah knows best.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
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III
What do Islam and Quran say about the big problem we have in the world so called
"global warming"? Does the science in Quran tell something about this?
Praise be to Allaah.
The problem of global warming is regarded as one of the most serious environmental
problems of our time, concerning which experts have held many conferences and published
many articles about its dire consequences. These experts attribute this rise in temperature to the
accumulation of gases in the atmosphere that is caused by factories, power stations and car
emissions, which has led to a rise in air temperature and ocean temperature, which threatens to
melt the ice-caps and cause flooding of land, which is expected to change the features of some
countries completely and to change the climate of vast areas on earth.
We could not find anything about this in the Qur’aan and Sunnah, apart from one hadeeth
which some scholars who are specialized in sharee’ah and environmental sciences say has to do
with this topic, and some of the most prominent specialists in the world agreed with them, which
is that the Arabian Peninsula will again become meadows and rivers. They attribute that to a
complete change in the earth’s climate and the melting of the Arctic ice cap due to global
warming.
What we think is that Arabia becoming meadows and rivers again is something
concerning which there is no doubt, but we cannot be certain that it will happen because of the
melting of the ice cap, because that is known only to Allaah. But we mention this view because it
is relevant and because it has been said by some specialists, both Muslims and kaafirs.
The hadeeth is, it was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Hour will not 6
begin until the land of the Arabs once again becomes meadows and rivers.” Narrated by Muslim
(157). Meadows refers to spacious land with a great deal of vegetation.
1. Dr. Zaghloul al-Najjaar says:
This hadeeth is a scientific miracle that describes a natural fact that was not understood
by scientists until the late twentieth century, when it was proven by definitive evidence that the
Arabian Peninsula was meadows and rivers in ancient times. Climate studies have also indicated
that the arid desert is now on its way to becoming meadows and rivers again, because the earth
throughout its long history passes through climatic changes that take place gradually over long
periods of time, or they may be sudden and swift.
Climate studies indicate that we are coming into a new rainy period, the evidence of
which is the shift of the ice-cap in the northern hemisphere towards the south, and a noticeable
fall in winter temperatures.
The fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) referred to this ice
age in his hadeeth “until the land of the Arabs once again becomes meadows and rivers” is proof
of his Prophethood, and shows that he was always connected to divine revelation, and was taught
by the Creator of the heavens and the earth. End quote.