The Islamic Faith in Quran Analysis
The Qur’an is a sacred religious text that is considered to be Allah’s messenger that is passed to humankind through Prophet Mohammed. Consequently, Muslims believes it is the word of Allah. In particular, the Quran comprises verbal revelations that were given to Prophet Mohammed over a span of twenty-three years. The Quran is regarded as the epicenter of the Islam faith. This is due to the fact that it contains commands and laws that are biding to all the true adherents or believers of the Islam faith. For instance, it contains codes of social behavior that guide the Muslims on how they relate to other Muslims and humankind in general.
The Quran also speaks volumes about God, His attributes and His relationship with the human beings. It also contains the historical accounts of certain prophets. In a nutshell, the Quran can be said to contain four themes. These are the nature of the spiritual world, the laws, and commandments of Allah, the historical accounts of the prophets and prophecies.
Muhammad was forty years when he received the first revelation of the Quran from angel Gabriel (Jibril). The revelation occurred when he was on a retreat at a cave known as Jira that is located on the mountain Jabal an –Nour near Mecca. The revelation occurred during the holy month of Ramadhan. The revelation of the Quran was not a onetime affair. On the contrary, it was revealed in parts, verse by verse over a period of twenty-three years.
The Qur’an sees itself as a guiding light to all the people who are in spiritual darkness. As thus, it is by reading the Qur’an that one becomes spiritually enlightened and he or she will be set free from ignorance and deception. In reference to the Old and the New Testament, the Qur’an sees itself as a confirmation of the original revelation that had been passed across by the prophets of Allah. In particular, the Qur’an seeks to confirm the teachings of some in both the Old and the New Testament. In particular, it seeks to confirm the Torah that was given to Moses (Musa), the Zabur (Psalms) that was given to Daud (David) and lastly the Injil (Gospel) that was given to prophet Isa (Jesus Christ).On the other hand, the Muslims see the Qur’an as a religious and holy text that as a source of the truth that prevents the faithful from being misled by the corrupted and distorted versions of the Old and New Testament. Consequently, by reading the Qur’an, a Muslim is able to know the parts and books of the Old and New Testament that is a true reflection of Allah’s word. It is against this background that only selected texts of the Bible are accepted by the Muslims as the word of God.
Surah 1 is one of the most famous Surah in the Qur’an. This particular Surah emphasizes the nature of God. In particular, it stipulates that Allah has a wide range of attributes. For instance, He is merciful, sole creator of all that is in the world and sustainer of all forms of life on earth. In addition, the role of Allah in determining the fate of humankind upon their death is showcased. In particular, Allah is depicted in this Surah as having the powers of punishing the wrongdoers and rewarding His faithful followers during the judgment day. Lastly, Allah is portrayed as being gracious to the Muslims.
A number of literary devices have been used in Surah one. One of them is symbolism. Symbolism has been employed to portray the attributes of God. In the Surah, God is said to be the guiding light of all the Muslims. This basically means that Allah is the custodian of morality and the Muslims must, therefore, adhere to the laws and regulations that he has set through his prophets. A deviation from the Quran’s code of ethics and laws is therefore akin to moving away from the guiding light. The second case of use of symbolism in the Surah occurs where the Muslims are urged to follow the straight path. A straight path is therefore used symbolically to mean that a Muslim must adhere to all the rules in the Quran strictly without any deviation. A deviation from the laws in the Quran is therefore akin to following a crooked path that can only plunge one into spiritual darkness.
Lastly, the use of light in this particular context is symbolic. Light is used as a symbol of enlightenment and as a way of overcoming ignorance and sin. As thus, the Surah depicts Allah and the Qur’an as a gateway to spiritual nourishment and enlightenment. Finally, the verse that states that Allah is the master of judgment is symbolic. This statement means that every Muslim will be judged by Allah in accordance to his or her deeds on earth,