Introduction to the Quran

Introduction to the Qur’ ā n 6 our Creator. We may not see God but we may be able to experience Him by appreciating the ways He speaks to human beings. Genre of the Qur’ ā n The Qur’ ā n is a literary masterpiece which stands unparalleled in the realm of human literature. If conventional classifications are used, it is indeed difficult to categorize the genre of this book. However, its closest similarity is to a book of dialogues between real characters of 7 th century Arabia. These characters appear in a spec ific m ilieu and converse with one another. Scenes and Acts change to bring one or more of these characters on s tage. These changes signify a shift in the discourse. The Almighty Himself is the author of these divine dialogues. The word q ā la (to say) and its declensions which frequently appear in the Book are a testimony to this dialogue-nature of the Qur’ ā n. Similar is the case with the frequent mention of the invocative y ā ayyu (O you …). At other instances, the speaker and the spoken to, have to be ascertained through the occasion and the context. In conventional dialogue works, the name of the speaker is written by the author. In the case of the Qur’ ā n, this has to be understood by the reader. Dialogues of the Plato, Dante’s “Divine Comedy” and Sir Mu ḥ ammad Iqbal’s “J ā ved N ā mah” are some works in the human sphere that can be cited as parallels yet very rudimentary examples of the genre of the Qur’ ā n. As far as the characters of the Qur’ ā n are concerned, they can be specified as: www.javedahmadghamidi.com www.al-mawrid.org "All rights of this book are reserved for the publisher and the author. This copy is for reading purpose only. This copy cannot be uploaded on any website except those of the publisher and the author."