Historical Perspective

Prophet Muhammad: born ca. 570 CE, died 632 CE

• receives first revelation in 610 CE, during the last third of the month of Ramadan; archangel Gabriel commands Muhammad to read / recite: Qur'an means literally Recitation
• Muhammad begins pubic preaching in the year 613 CE
• Muslim community is persecuted by polytheist establishment of Mecca
• persecution leads to a first emigration of Muslims to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in 615 CE
• Muslims emigrate to the city of Medina in the year 622 CE
• Muslims conquer city of Mecca in the year 630 CE
• Muhammad dies in the year 632 CE


The Qur'an is "collected" in the following years:
 

• According to traditional Muslim accounts, Muhammad himself assigned the different revelations to different Suras / Chapters
• Muhammad's early successors, the first three Caliphs, were instrumental in collecting the revelations in written form
• Most scholars agree that by the time of the third caliph (Uthman), who died in 656 CE, the collection of the text was complete.
• Qur'an is originally written in a script that has no signs for vowels (scriptura defectiva); vowel signs are added to text later.

• According to traditional Muslim theology, the Qur'an
• is the word of God in a rather direct way.
• in its heavenly form has existed with God before all times

• uncreated in sense and meaning
• created in word and sound

• is inimitable (i.e.: humans cannot produce verses with such divine beauty and power)
• is untranslatable