The Quran
It is the literal word of God, revealed in Arabic over 23 years. Here's what it is, how it's built, and a taste of what it says.
What the Quran is
The word Quran means “the recitation”. It is God's own speech, delivered to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through the angel Gabriel between 610 and 632 CE, not a biography of Muhammad ﷺ, not a book written by him, but a direct message addressed to every human being: the exact words of God.
Its subject matter is largely what you'd expect from a book claiming that purpose: who God is, why we exist, how to live justly, the stories of earlier prophets (Adam, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses and Jesus among them), and what comes after death.
How it's organised
The Quran contains 114 chapters, called surahs, ranging from three verses to nearly three hundred. It isn't arranged chronologically or by theme, reading it feels less like a novel and more like a series of sermons that circle back to core themes from different angles. Muslims recite portions of it daily in prayer, and millions have memorised the entire text word for word, a tradition unbroken since the Prophet's ď·ş lifetime.
“Hasn't it changed over time?”
A fair question, and the answer is genuinely remarkable. The Quran was written down during the Prophet's ď·ş lifetime, and standardised within a generation of his death, and it has been memorised en masse in every generation since. Manuscripts from the first Islamic century, like the Birmingham folios carbon-dated to around the Prophet's ď·ş lifetime, match the text Muslims read today. Whatever one believes about its origin, the Quran's textual stability is well documented. No other religion claims that its scripture survives today in its original form and original language; the Quran does.
One honest nuance: Muslims consider only the Arabic original to be “the Quran”, the exact words of God. Any translation, including the free one we offer, is only a rendering of its meaning in the words of the translator, which is why translations differ in wording while the Arabic stays fixed. The exact words of God remain in Arabic alone.
A few short passages
Out of 6,000+ verses, here are four that Muslims return to constantly.
“In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is for God, Lord of all worlds, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgement. You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help. Guide us along the straight path, the path of those You have blessed, not of those who have earned Your anger, nor of those who have gone astray.”
Quran 1:1–7, the opening chapter, recited in every prayer
“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day are signs for people of understanding.”
Quran 3:190
“Be just, that is nearer to righteousness. And be mindful of God; surely God is aware of what you do.”
Quran 5:8
“It is He who created me, and He guides me. It is He who feeds me and gives me drink, and when I am ill, it is He who heals me.”
Quran 26:78–80
The best way to judge a book…
…is to read it. If you live in the United States, we'll post you a complete English translation free of charge, no strings, no follow-up. You can also read The Clear Quran online (theclearquran.org) right now.
Read it yourself, free
A complete English translation of the Quran, posted to your door in the US at no cost.