Qur'án

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Contents

Versions of the Qur'án

Indexes for the Qur'án

Audio Versions

English

Arabic or English

Study of the Qur'án (by verse) from a Bahá'í Perspective:

  • [2] organizes Bahá'í references by Qur'ánic verse (and the versions and notes of Sale and Rodwell)
  • [3] organizes Bahá'í references by Qur'ánic verse
  • [4] compares Shoghi Effendi's translations in the Kitáb-i-Íqán to those of Rodwell

Aspects of the Qur'án from a Bahá'í Perspective:

Authenticity of the Qur'án

"The Qur'án is...more authoritative than any previous religious gospel..."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, quoted in Lights of Guidance, vol. iii, p. 498)

"The Bible is not wholly authentic, and in this respect is not to be compared with the Qur'án, and should be wholly subordinated to the authentic writings of Bahá'u'lláh."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, quoted in Lights of Guidance, vol. iii., p. 502)

"In regard to your question concerning the authenticity of the Qur'án. I have referred it to the Guardian for his opinion. He thinks that the Qur'án is, notwithstanding the opinion of certain historians, quite authentic, and that consequently it should be considered in its entirety by every faithful and loyal believer as the sacred scriptures of the Muhammadan Revelation."

(From a letter dated July 6, 1934 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)

Importance of studying the Qur'án (though not required to acquire a mastery unless desired)

"The truth is that Western historians have for many centuries distorted the facts to suit their religious and ancestral prejudices. The Baha'is should try to study history anew, and to base all their investigations first and foremost on the written Scriptures of Islam and Christianity."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, in Lights of Guidance, p. 497)

“Shoghi Effendi wishes me also to express his deepfelt appreciation of your intention to study the Qur’án. The knowledge of this revealed holy Book is, indeed, indispensable to every Bahá’í who wishes to adequately understand the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. And in view of that the Guardian has been invariably encouraging the friends to make as thorough a study of this Book as possible, particularly in their summer schools.”

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith, no. 122)

"The Qur'án should be to some extent studied by the Bahá'ís but they certainly need not seek to acquire a mastery over it, which would take years, unless they really want to."

(Shoghi Effendi, Unfolding Destiny, pp. 453-454)

Need to unravel mysteries of the Qur'án in teaching

""Although," Abdu'l-Baha, in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, has written, "in most of the states and cities of the United States, praise be to God, His fragrances are diffused, and souls unnumbered are turning their faces and advancing toward the Kingdom of God, yet in some of the states the Standard of Unity is not yet upraised as it should be, nor are the mysteries of the Holy Books, such as the Bible, the Gospel, and the Qur'an, unraveled. Through the concerted efforts of all the friends the Standard of Unity must needs be unfurled in those states, and the Divine teachings promoted, so that these states may also receive their portion of the heavenly bestowals and a share of the Most Great Guidance.""

(Shoghi Effendi, Advent of Divine Justice, pp. 57-58)

Need for Qur'án to be taught in Bahá'í Summer School

“With regard to the school’s program for the next summer; the Guardian would certainly advise, and even urge the friends to make a thorough study of the Qur’án, as the knowledge of this Sacred Scripture is absolutely indispensable for every believer who wishes to adequately understand, and intelligently read the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. Although there are very few persons among our Western Bahá’ís who are capable of handling such a course in a scholarly way yet, the mere lack of such competent teachers should encourage and stimulate the believers to get better acquainted with the Sacred Scriptures of Islám. In this way, there will gradually appear some distinguished Bahá’ís who will be so well versed in the teachings of Islám as to be able to guide the believers in their study of that religion.”

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith, no. 125)

“Shoghi Effendi wishes me also to express his deepfelt appreciation of your intention to study the Qur’án. The knowledge of this revealed holy Book is, indeed, indispensable to every Bahá’í who wishes to adequately understand the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. And in view of that the Guardian has been invariably encouraging the friends to make as thorough a study of this Book as possible, particularly in their summer schools.”

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith, no. 122)

"The beloved Guardian stressed that one of the important purposes of Bahá'í summer schools is to deepen the knowledge of the believers in the history and Teachings of the Faith so that they can become better teachers. To this end he emphasized the study of Islám and Qur'án so that the friends would have a background against which to study the Bahá'í Writings..."

(On behalf of the Universal House of Justice, in Lights of Guidance, vol. iii, p. 559)

How to Study the Qur'án

"It is certainly most difficult to thoroughly grasp all the Surihs of the Qur'an, as it requires a detailed knowledge of the social, religious and historical background of Arabia at the time of the appearance of the Prophet. The believers cannot possibly hope, therefore, to understand the Surihs after the first or even second or third reading. They have to study them again and again, ponder over their meaning, with the help of certain commentaries, and explanatory notes as found, for instance in the admirable translation made by Sale, endeavor to acquire as clear and correct understanding of their meaning and import as possible. This is naturally a slow process, but future generations of believers will certainly come to grasp it. For the present, the Guardian agrees, that it would be easier and more helpful to study the book according to subjects, and not verse by verse and also in the light of the Bab's, Bahá'u'lláh's, and Abdu'l-Bahá's interpretations which throw such floods of light on the whole of the Qur'an."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, August 22, 1939: Bahá'í News, No. 134, pp. 2-3, March 1940, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1666)

Discussion of individual Súráhs:

Note: Outlines might be adapted from public domain outlines such as those at http://www.bahai-library.com/quran/quranoutlines.html to put at the page of each Suráh (the latter's verse numbering would need to be adjusted, however, to match those at http://bahai-library.com/writings/quran ).

Suráh No.: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114

See also

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