Allah
sent revelation through
The Qur'an
Why Muslims Believe the Qur'an Is From God
Discover what the Qur'an claims about itself, how it was preserved, and why Muslims believe it is revelation from God.
Revelation From the Creator
Revelation
Jibrīl (Gabriel)
to
Muhammad ﷺ
who conveyed it to
Humanity
as guidance
The Qur'an is the speech of Allah, revealed to His final Messenger, Muhammad ﷺ. Allah sent the angel Jibrīl (Gabriel) with the revelation, which the Prophet ﷺ received and conveyed to the people.
The Qur'an states that it is a revelation from the Lord of all worlds, brought by the trustworthy Spirit to the heart of Muhammad ﷺ in clear Arabic. It was revealed progressively during the Prophet's mission rather than authored or composed by him.
Qur'an 26:192–195 · 16:102
Its Central Message
Worship the Creator alone.
Know your CreatorWorship Him aloneLive with purposePrepare for the HereafterReturn to Allah
The Qur'an addresses many subjects—belief, worship, morality, family, justice, history, life, death, and the Hereafter—but its greatest message is Tawḥīd: that Allah alone is the Creator and that He alone deserves worship.
It calls people away from worshipping created things and toward worshipping the Creator directly, without partners or intermediaries.
The Qur'an also teaches that human life has purpose, that our actions matter, that death is not the end, and that every person will return to Allah for judgment.
One Message Through the Prophets
The Qur'an places Muhammad ﷺ within the same line of prophethood as those who came before him.
Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and the other prophets were not presented as founders of competing religions. They were servants and messengers of the One God who called people to submit to Him.
The Qur'an therefore confirms the original divine revelation given before it while serving as the final revelation and authority by which previous religious claims are judged.
Secondary Details
01
Revelation
Recited and taught by the Prophet ﷺ
02
Memorized & Written
Preserved by the Companions during his lifetime
03
Collected
Gathered into a written collection after his death
04
Standardized Copies
Authoritative mushaf copies distributed during the caliphate of ʿUthman رضي الله عنه
The Qur'an was preserved from the earliest Muslim community through both memorization and writing. The Prophet ﷺ recited revelation publicly, taught it to his Companions, and had Qur'anic revelation written during his lifetime.
After his death, the Qur'anic material was gathered into a collected written form. During the caliphate of ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān رضي الله عنه, authoritative copies were prepared from the existing collected manuscripts and distributed to Muslim regions to maintain unity in the written muṣḥaf.
At the same time, Qur'anic recitation continued to be learned and transmitted from generation to generation.
"Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will be its guardian."
Qur'an 15:9
For Muslims, this promise of preservation accompanies the historical transmission of the Qur'an through recitation, memorization, writing, and teaching.
Moses
Torah
Jesus
Gospel
Muhammad ﷺ
Qur'an
Muslims believe Allah truly revealed scripture before the Qur'an, including the Torah given to Moses and the Gospel given to Jesus.
The Qur'an does not teach that God began speaking to humanity with Muhammad ﷺ. Rather, Muhammad ﷺ was the final messenger in a long succession of prophets.
The Qur'an confirms the truth of the revelation that came before it and describes itself as an authority over previous scripture. For Muslims, the Qur'an is therefore the final and preserved criterion for distinguishing what is true concerning God's revelation.
Arabic Qur'an
The revealed text
Translation
A translation of its meanings
The Qur'an was revealed in Arabic. The Arabic text is therefore the Qur'an itself, while translations communicate its meanings for readers of other languages.
A translation allows someone who does not know Arabic to understand the message, but translators must choose words to represent meanings that do not always map perfectly between languages. This is why translations can differ slightly in wording while referring back to the same Arabic Qur'anic text.
You do not need to know Arabic before you begin reading the Qur'an.
Read a reliable translation and learn. Muslims who are able should also continue growing in their understanding of the Qur'an's Arabic.
Why Muslims Believe It Is Revelation
01
Its claim and message
The Qur'an consistently identifies itself as revelation from Allah and calls mankind to worship Him alone. It does not elevate Muhammad ﷺ to divinity; rather, it presents him as Allah's servant and messenger and repeatedly directs worship toward God alone.
02
Its consistency
The Qur'an was revealed progressively during the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ mission, through changing circumstances, yet maintains a coherent foundation of belief, worship, morality, accountability, and the Hereafter.
"Do they not then reflect on the Qur'an? Had it been from anyone other than Allah, they would have certainly found in it many inconsistencies."
Qur'an 4:82
03
Its preservation and transmission
Its text was memorized, recited, written, collected, copied, and transmitted from the earliest Muslim generations. Qur'an recitation remains a living practice across the Muslim world rather than merely a text recovered from surviving manuscripts.
04
Its challenge and Arabic discourse
The Qur'an repeatedly calls its hearers to consider its revelation and challenges those who claim it is human speech. Its Arabic has occupied a distinctive place in the Arabic language and Islamic scholarship from the earliest generations.
For someone who does not know Arabic, ISA should not ask you simply to accept claims about its language. Read its message, examine its claims, consider its preservation and teachings, and judge the evidence fairly.
More Than a Book to Muslims
Recited
Read daily in prayer and worship.
Memorized
Carried in memory across generations.
Studied
Learned for meaning, law, and guidance.
Lived
Applied in belief, character, and action.
The Qur'an is not reserved for scholars or religious ceremonies.
Muslims recite it in each of the five daily prayers. They memorize it, study its meanings, teach it to their children, seek guidance from it, and strive to live according to it.
But Islam does not teach that recitation alone is the goal. The Qur'an repeatedly calls people to listen, understand, reflect, believe, and act upon its guidance.
Facts About the Qur'an
114 SurahsRevealed in ArabicRevealed progressivelyMakki & Madani SurahsNot arranged chronologicallyMemorized & written from the earliest Muslim generationRecited in every daily prayerFinal revealed scripture
Don't Stop at What Others Say About the Qur'an
Whether the Qur'an is truly revelation from your Creator is too important a question to decide from stereotypes, social media, or what Muslims—or critics of Islam—say about it.
Read it. Consider its message.
Ask what it teaches about God, about you, and about where you are going after this life. The Qur'an itself repeatedly calls people to think and reflect.