Preface: Recently a copy of the Quran was returned to the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania where it had been printed in 1835. Exactly what is the Quran and what is the importance of the "document" is my story today with a story tomorrow telling about the return of the "document" to the city of Lancaster where it was printed. Throughout my high school and college career I never enjoyed history, but I have found a new interest in it and learning about the Quran and its attachment to my home town of Lancaster was extremely interesting.
It was an ordinary day. Reading a story about the Quran, also romanized as Qur'an or Koran, which is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized into 114 chapters which consist of verses. It is widely regarded as the finest work in Arabic literature and has significantly influenced the Arabic language. Muslims believe that the Quran was orally revealed by God to the final prophet, Muhammad, through the archangel Gabriel incrementally over a period of some 23 years, beginning in the month of Ramadan, when Muhammad was 40. It was concluded in 632, the year of his death. Muslims regard the Quran as Muhammad's most important miracle; a proof of his prophethood; and the culmination of a series of divine messages starting with those revealed to Adam, including the Torah, the Psalms and the Gospel. The word Quran occurs some 70 times in the text itself, and other names and words are also said to refer to the Quran. The Quran is thought by Muslims to be the literal word of God. But, Muhammad didn't write the Quran since he didn't know how to write. Several of Muhammad's companions served as scribes, recording the revelations. Shortly after the prophet's death, the Quran was complied by the companions, who had written down or memorized parts of it. Caliph Uthman established a standard version, now known as the Uthmanic codex, which is generally considered the archetype of the Quran known today. The Quran describes itself as a book of guidance for mankind. It offers detailed accounts of specific historical events and it often emphasizes the moral significance of an event over its narrative sequence. Supplementing the Quran with explanations for some cryptic Quranic narratives, and rulings that also provide the basis for Islamic law in most denominations of Islam, are Hadiths which are oral and written traditions believed to describe words and actions of Muhammad. During prayers, the Quran is recited only in Arabic. During the month of Ramadan, which is April 1 to May 1, Muslims typically complete the recitation of the whole Quran during tarawith with prayers. The Quran consists of 114 chapters of varying lengths, each known as a sūrah. Chapters are classified as Mecan or Medinan, depending on whether the verses were revealed before or after the migration of Muhammad to the city of Medina. Chapters are not arranged in chronological order, rather the chapters appear to be arranged roughly in order of decreasing size. Some scholars argue the chapters are arranged according to a certain pattern. Before printing and the printing press were developed, the Quran was transmitted in manuscripts made by calligraphers and copyists. The Quran has been translated into most African, Asian and European languages. The first translator of the Quran was Salman the Persian who translated it into Persian in the seventh century. The first fully complete translations of the Quran were done between the 10th and 12th centuries in Persian. The first translation into a Western language was in 1143 for Peter the Venerable. By 1936, translations in 102 languages were known. The central theme of the Quran is monotheism. God is depicted as living, eternal, omniscient and omnipotent. God's omnipotence appears above all in his power to create. He is the creator of everything, of the heavens and the earth and what is between them. All human beings are equal in their utter dependence upon god, and their well-being depends upon their acknowledging that fact and living accordingly. According to the Quran, God communicated with man and made his "Will" known through signs and revelations. Tomorrow I will share with you how my city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania came upon a copy of the Quran that was printed in the city in 1835. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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