The Qur'an is sometimes divided into 30 roughly equal parts, known as juz'. These divisions make it easier for Muslims to read the Qur'an during the course of a month and many will read one juz' each day, particularly during the month of Ramadan. Translations Looking through the material in this chapter, it is clear that it goes beyond simple explanations of vocabulary. In some cases, Ibn ‘Abbās is seen to identify a vague referent, clarify a figurative expression or a point of grammar, and so on. Many of the word explanations are particular to the verse at hand, which shows that they are exegetical rather than simply lexical. The variety of possible word meanings reflected in Chapter 39 (Polysemy) should be kept in mind here. There is also a question that deserves pondering: are many of these items not clear enough? Why was there a need for someone to ask (perhaps), and for Ibn ‘Abbās to clarify?

Muslims believe that the Quran was orally revealed by God to the final prophet, Muhammad, through the archangel Gabriel [15] [16] incrementally over a period of some 23 years, beginning on Laylat Al Qadr, [17] when Muhammad was 40, and concluding in 632, the year of his death at age 61–62. [11] [18] [19] Muslims regard the Quran as Muhammad's most important miracle, a proof of his prophethood; [20] and as the culmination of a series of divine messages starting with those revealed to Adam, including the Tawrat, the Zabur ( Psalms) and the Injil (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. [21] Chapter 40 is the most technical, and perhaps the most valuable chapter for interpreters and translators of the Qur’an. It concerns particles and other grammatical agents, outlining the variety of their usages; like the wujūh in the previous chapter, the distinctions between these categories are sometimes debated and may be overstated. The Quranic verses cited under each type of bā’, or lām, or min, etc., are worth memorising as exemplars, just as the exegetes have the habit of citing the same verse to exemplify a usage or rule. In this discussion, linguistics are intertwined with tafsīr and sometimes fiqh (substantive law), and the reader will be rewarded by making frequent reference to the sources and diving into the debates. The chapter is a fine summary of the Mughnī of Ibn Hishām, who gives much greater space to exceptional cases. [xxviii]

xxxii] See on this topic: Ghānim al-Ḥamad, ‘Ulūm al-Qur’ān bayna l-Maṣādir wa-l-Maṣāḥif (Markaz Tafsir, 2019). More generally, it is possible to observe these technical grammar debates and move past them to ponder on a deeper meaning intended by the word choice. I share a beautiful example from Muḥammad ‘Abd-Allāh Drāz (d. 1958) under the discussion on ka-mithli in 42:11. The method here is to notice the issue at hand, and consider whether there is an alternative to waving it away as ziyāda, ta‘āqub or majāz; or a good explanation for those features to be employed. For example, it may simply be stated – as here in Chapter 40 – that yurīdu in 18:77 means yakādu, in that the wall was “about to collapse”, as it cannot be said to “want to collapse”; but this should not prevent us considering the imagery in portraying this wall as though it were an old man on his last legs! [xxx] According to Tabatabaei, there are acceptable and unacceptable esoteric interpretations. Acceptable ta'wil refers to the meaning of a verse beyond its literal meaning; rather the implicit meaning, which ultimately is known only to God and can not be comprehended directly through human thought alone. The verses in question here refer to the human qualities of coming, going, sitting, satisfaction, anger and sorrow, which are apparently attributed to God. Unacceptable ta'wil is where one "transfers" the apparent meaning of a verse to a different meaning by means of a proof; this method is not without obvious inconsistencies. Although this unacceptable ta'wil has gained considerable acceptance, it is incorrect and cannot be applied to the Quranic verses. The correct interpretation is that reality a verse refers to. It is found in all verses, the decisive and the ambiguous alike; it is not a sort of a meaning of the word; it is a fact that is too sublime for words. God has dressed them with words to bring them a bit nearer to our minds; in this respect they are like proverbs that are used to create a picture in the mind, and thus help the hearer to clearly grasp the intended idea. [135] [137] History of Sufi commentaries Committing the Qur'an to memory acted as a great aid for its preservation and any person who is able to accomplish this is known as a hafiz. Respect

This article is about the central religious text of Islam. For other uses, see Quran (disambiguation).An important issue underlying this chapter is the relationship between grammar and meaning. The maxim has it that i‘rāb is a function ( far‘) of meaning, i.e. it follows from it and is secondary to it. This may be understood by charting the communicative process as one in which the speaker conceives of a meaning and constructs a grammatical utterance; then the hearer processes this grammatically to derive meaning. Therefore, while meaning at the last stage depends on grammar, the grammatical analysis seeks to describe the meaning intended by the Divine Speaker. This is why, at times, the imperatives of meaning (especially when theological stakes are high) overrule the dictates of formal grammar. The longest chapter of the Qur'an is Surah Baqarah (The Cow) with 286 verses and the shortest is Surah Al-Kawther (abundance) which has 3 verses. The astrophysicist Nidhal Guessoum, while being highly critical of pseudo-scientific claims made about the Quran, has highlighted the encouragement for sciences that the Quran provides by developing "the concept of knowledge". He writes: [115] :174