alQuran

The Quran, also spelled Qur’an or Koran, Arabic: al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe it to be the literal word of God, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel over about 23 years (610–632 CE). It is written in classical Arabic and is regarded as God’s final revelation to humanity.

The Quran is organized into 114 chapters, called surahs, which are further divided into verses, or ayahs. The surahs vary greatly in length and are generally arranged roughly from longest to shortest, rather than in chronological order. They are classified as Meccan or Medinan depending on where Muhammad is believed to have received them. The content covers theology, guidance for worship and conduct, moral and social law, narratives of prophets, and eschatological themes.

Tradition holds that the text was gathered from oral and written fragments in the early Islamic period; a standardized edition was compiled and distributed under Caliph Uthman ibn Affan around 650 CE to unify textual transmission. The Arabic text is preserved through widespread memorization and manuscript copies. Translations exist in many languages but are widely regarded as interpretations rather than replacements for the original Arabic text.

In Islam, the Quran serves as the primary source of theology, law, and ethical guidance, used in daily prayer and study alongside the hadith and other sources. It is studied for linguistic and rhetorical features and for guidance on personal conduct, worship, and social life, with extensive tradition of commentary and interpretation known as tafsir. Memorization and recitation, or qira’at, remain important practices for many Muslims.