The Quran
Traditionally attributed to divine revelation through the Prophet Muhammad (650)
“The foundational text of Islamic civilization: a 114-chapter revelation that fuses law, poetry, narrative, and prophecy into a single literary architecture unlike anything in the Western canon.”
Short Summary
The Quran is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be the literal word of God (Allah) revealed to the Prophet Muhammad over approximately 23 years (610-632 CE). Organized into 114 surahs (chapters) arranged roughly by length rather than chronology, the text moves between theological declaration, legal prescription, prophetic narrative, eschatological warning, and lyrical praise. It retells and reinterprets stories from the Hebrew Bible and Christian Gospels, situates Muhammad within a lineage of prophets stretching from Adam to Jesus, and establishes a comprehensive moral and legal framework for individual and communal life. The Quran is not a narrative in the Western sense but a sustained address from God to humanity, shifting registers constantly between mercy and warning, intimacy and cosmic scale.
Detailed Summary
The Quran emerged in the Arabian Peninsula during the early seventh century CE, revealed in Arabic to Muhammad ibn Abdullah, a merchant from the Quraysh tribe of Mecca. The revelations began around 610 CE in a cave on Mount Hira and continued until Muhammad's death in 632 CE. The text was compiled i...