Muslim beliefs hold a number of sacred books. For this religion, said books are derived from a common book that is the Koran. It is the sacred text of Islam because it takes up the word of God (Allah). It mainly contains religious texts that should lead Muslims to preach Islam in its entirety.
The Koran, sacred text of Islam
The Koran or called Al-quran in Arabic, is the sacred text of Islam. This sacred book is, in the characteristics of its specificity, inimitable in the beauty of its structure, but also in its ethical and moral principles. According to Muslims, it takes up the word of God, and they present it as the first work in Arabic. In this wake, it is the oldest authentic literary document known in Arabic.
The Koran, according to Muslims, constitutes and groups together the words of God, that is to say the revelations made to the last prophet and messenger of God, Mohammed (pbuh) by the angel Gabriel (from 610 until his death in 632). In its constitution, the Koran is divided into “suras” which are 144 in number, themselves composed of verses called “Ayatollahs” or “Ayats”. It is for Muslims, the attribution of Allah addressed to the whole of humanity despite the controversies residing in its acceptance of uncreated. This generates non-unanimous interpretations of the texts of the Koran.
Interpretation of Koran texts by Muslims
The study of the Koran has made it possible to determine that it has more than 6000 verses. From there, will be born the Koranic science which consists of the memorization of the Koran as well as the knowledge of the keys of its texts. This science is accentuated around the syntactic analysis of verses (the Ir’ab), its explanation in the “literal” sense (tabyin), or its interpretation (tafsir). This last point constitutes a point of divergence for many Muslims.
Some Muslims, non-reformers, consider that the Koran legislates over all eras and for all societies. Others will support his emancipation today; that is, an interpretation based on modern science.
However, it should be known that these divergences of ideas are caused by the fact that the Koran contains a certain number of “ambiguous” verses alongside those which are “clear” with illustrations at the very heart of its text. However, the fact remains that the Koran remains an essential element in religious practice.
The Koran in religious practice
The Koran is recited and quoted in many events and circumstances of life: daily prayers, family holidays, Ramadan, religious holidays. Without a doubt, this shows the importance of the Koran in the life of every Muslim. The texts of the Koran are chanted, especially when reciting or reading it as part of a prayer in the mosque.
Thus, we are faced with a liturgical use of the Koran to which all Muslims devote themselves on a daily basis. Hence, it would seem that the Koran is designed for liturgical use and for recitation purposes, that is to say that its texts are intended to be read during public or individual community prayer.
However, it has been observed that certain texts of the Koran are used for talismanic or “magical” reasons. The most perfect illustration is the ruqiya, which is a healing technique by reciting Quranic verses.