|
The Quran (Qur'an or Koran) is the holy
book of Islam, the word of Allah revealed to the prophet
Muhammad. The term Quran means recitation; the word refers
either to a section of the revelation or to the full collection
of revelations. The major theme of the Quran is God's rapport
with humankind. The principal doctrine in the Quran is that
only one God and one true faith exist. All people will endure
a final judgment, with the just being rewarded and the sinners
being punished. When humanity turned from truth, God sent
prophets to show the way back. The greatest of these prophets
were Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. God sent the prophet
Muhammad and the Quran to teach people how to live a moral
life. The subjects of Quran contain God, creation, prophets
from Adam to Jesus, Muhammad as a preacher and as a leader,
Islam as a faith and as a code of life, society, law. The
majority of Muslims do not speak Arabic, so the Quran in
its original idiom is not accessible to them. Many Muslims
have by tradition objected to the translation of the holy
book, however. Islamic scholars who advocate translation
argue, nevertheless, that the message of the Quran is universal
and implies a duty to translate and transmit its message
to non-Arabs.
|
