The Holy Qur'an, by Elizabeth Gehringer

The Islamic faith is a monotheistic religion. In Arabic, the word “Allah” means God, which is derived from the Holy Qur’an. The Holy Qur’an is the final revelation of Allah according to Muslims and is His word related to the prophet Muhammad. Muhammad comes from a long lineage on Gods, which is described in the Holy Qur’an. Muslim’s refer to the Holy Qur’an for guidance in their faith. The Holy Qur’an consists of 114 chapters, 360 parts, 6,616 verses, 77,943 words and 338,606 letters (Smith 1). It is a rather extensive book, yet many Muslims have much of the Holy Qur’an memorized. The Qur’an is written and spoken in Arabic which is taught through a process called the Haddith. It is believed by some Muslims that the Holy Qur’an should be read every night, although it is also stated in the Holy Qur’an that the amount read is decided by the reader. Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq has said that the minimum daily reading of the Qur'an should be fifty verses or one-fourth of the part, which is approximately five minutes reading depending on the reader.

One unique concept that the Holy Qur’an expresses is the “Jinn”. Jinn are used to describe good or evil spirits. The Jinn were created to worship Allah; however, in a later verse, the Holy Qur’an relays they were created for Hell. It is said in the Holy Qur’an the Jinn worked for King Solomon, bringing him whatever he desired. Many of our novels in class have represented the Jinn, including Palace Walk and Pillars of Salt. In Palace Walk, Amina recites verses of the Holy Qur’an to ward away the Jinn, or the spirits of Hell. Maha, in Pillars of Salt, also refers to the Jinn as evil spirits.

Another unique fact about the Holy Qur’an is that it is said to be protected by Allah himself. No man can corrupt or harm the Holy Qur’an. Surprisingly, the Holy Qur’an has remained unaltered for approximately 1,400 years (Smith 1). In each of the novels read thus far, the Islamic faith has been the common ground. The characters in the novels read in class have an immense belief and faith in the Islamic religion. They have such strong beliefs because of the value stated in the Holy Quran. Adel S. M. Reza, and S. M. Hosseini Maasoum, authors of "The Quran As Intertext: A Critical Relection," state, “What we can confess is that it has come from God and the carrier of this holy message is without any dispute, Mohammad, peace be upon him” (48). True Islamists believe the Holy Qur’an to have come from Allah Himself. Because of the spiritual connection Muslims have with the Holy Qur’an, perhaps this is why Muslims possess such piety and prove to be true to their Islamic faith.