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### The Quran and its Names
The Holy Quran is the miraculous speech revealed as revelation to the Prophet (PBUH), transcribed in the *Mus-hafs* (codices), transmitted via *tawatur* (mass consecutive narration), and whose recitation is an act of worship. God Almighty chose for this miraculous speech, which He revealed to His Prophet, names distinct from those the Arabs used for their own speech, both in general and in detail.
He named it **”Al-Kitab” (The Book)**. God Almighty says: *”This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah.”* (Al-Baqarah: 2)
He named it **”Al-Quran” (The Recitation)**. God Almighty says: *”And it was not [possible] for this Quran to be produced by other than Allah, but [it is] a confirmation of what was before it and a detailed explanation of the [former] Scripture, about which there is no doubt, from the Lord of the worlds.”* (Yunus: 37)
The attention given to establishing specific names and new terminology for the Holy Quran aligns with a broad trend followed by Islam: defining a new method for expressing the concepts and matters it introduced. Preferring to create terminology that aligns with its general spirit, rather than using terms common in pre-Islamic (*Jahili*) customs, was done for two reasons:
1. **Incompatibility:** The terms common in *Jahili* customs were difficult to use to faithfully convey Islamic meaning, as they were products of *Jahili* thought and its needs. Thus, they were unfit to express the concepts and matters brought by Islam, which had no connection to that mode of thought.
2. **Identity:** Creating specific terms and names helps Islam distinguish itself and aids in establishing its own unique character, creating clear markers between Islamic culture and other cultures.
In naming the Divine Speech “Al-Kitab,” there is an indication of the cohesion between its contents and their unity in purpose and direction, in a way that renders them a single book. On another level, this name points to the gathering of this noble speech within lines/pages, as writing is the gathering of letters and the delineation of words.
As for naming it “Al-Quran,” it points to its preservation in hearts as a result of frequent recitation and repetition on the tongue, for “Quran” is derived from the source (masdar) of “reading” (*qira’ah*), and in reading, there is memorization and mastery of the text. Thus, the noble Divine Speech possesses the qualities of both being written and being memorized. It was not deemed sufficient to rely solely on writing for its preservation, nor solely on memorization and recitation; therefore, it is both a *Kitab* (Book) and a *Quran* (Recitation).
Among the names of the Quran is also **”Al-Furqan” (The Criterion)**. God Almighty says: *”Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His Servant that he may be to the worlds a warner.”* (Al-Furqan: 1). The root of this word conveys the meaning of differentiation/separation; thus, the naming indicates that the Quran is what differentiates between truth and falsehood, as it is the Divine standard for truth in all subjects it addresses.
Another of its names is **”Al-Dhikr” (The Remembrance/Honor)**. *”And this is a blessed message [Dhikr] which We have sent down.”* (Al-Anbiya: 50). Its meaning also encompasses “honor,” as in the verse: *”We have certainly sent down to you a Book in which is your honor [Dhikr].”* (Al-Anbiya: 10).
There are also numerous terms applied to the Holy Quran as descriptions rather than formal names, such as *Al-Majid* (The Glorious), *Al-Aziz* (The Mighty), and *Al-Ali* (The Exalted), in the verses: *”But this is a Glorious Quran,”* (Al-Buruj: 21); *”And indeed, it is a Mighty Book,”* (Fussilat: 41); and *”And indeed it is, in the Mother of the Book with Us, Exalted and full of wisdom.”* (Az-Zukhruf: 4).
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### Quranic Sciences
Quranic sciences encompass all information and research related to the Holy Quran. These sciences differ based on which aspect of the Holy Book they address. The Quran has multiple facets, and each of these facets serves as a subject for specialized study.
* **Tafsir (Exegesis):** This is the most important and foundational of the Quranic sciences. It studies the Quran as speech conveying meaning, explaining its connotations and purposes.
* **Ayat al-Ahkam (Verses of Rulings):** The Quran is considered as a source of legislation. This science focuses on the verses of rulings and studies the types of laws that can be derived after comparing them with other legal proofs (*Sunnah*, consensus, and reason).
* **I’jaz (Inimitability):** The Quran is treated as proof of the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH). This science explains that the Holy Book is Divine revelation and provides evidence for this through the qualities and characteristics that distinguish it from human speech.
* **I’rab al-Quran and Balagha (Grammar and Rhetoric):** The Quran is treated as an Arabic text following the rules of the Arabic language. These sciences explain how the Quranic text adheres to the rules of Arabic grammar and rhetoric.
* **Asbab al-Nuzul (Occasions of Revelation):** The Quran is studied in its relation to specific events during the time of the Prophet (PBUH).
* **Rasm al-Quran (Orthography):** The Quran is studied based on its written form, focusing on the script and method of writing.
* **Qira’at (Recitations):** The Quran is considered as spoken speech, studying the vocalization, movement of letters, and the method of recitation.
All these studies converge and share the Quran as their subject of study, differing only in the specific aspect of the Holy Quran they observe.
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### The Urging to Reflect on the Quran
There is severe urging in the Holy Book and the authentic *Sunnah* to study the Quran, reflect on its meanings, and ponder its purposes and goals. God Almighty says: *”Then do they not reflect upon the Quran, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?”* (Muhammad: 24). This noble verse contains a great rebuke for failing to give the Quran its due care and reflection.
In a hadith from Ibn Abbas, the Prophet (PBUH) said: *”Refine the Quran and seek out its wonders.”* Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami said: “Those who used to teach us from the Companions told us that they would receive ten verses from the Messenger of God (PBUH) and would not take the next ten until they understood the knowledge and action contained in the previous ones.”
It is reported from Uthman, Ibn Mas’ud, and Ubayy that the Messenger of God (PBUH) would teach them ten verses, and they would not proceed to the next ten until they had learned the action required in them, thus learning the Quran and its implementation together.
The traditions regarding the virtue of reflecting on the Quran and encouraging Muslims to do so are numerous. Our Sheikh Al-Majlisi mentioned a large collection of these narrations in *Bihar al-Anwar* (Volume 9). It is natural for Islam to adopt this stance and drive Muslims toward studying and pondering the Quran with every possible means of encouragement. This is because the Quran is the eternal evidence of prophethood, the fixed constitution from Heaven for the Islamic nation in all affairs of life, and the book of human guidance that brought the world from darkness into light, established a nation, provided it with creed, empowered it, raised it upon noble character, and built for it the greatest civilization known to man to this day.
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### History of Quranic Sciences
During the time of the Prophet (PBUH), people would listen to the Quran and understand it through their pure Arabic intuition, referring to the Messenger (PBUH) to clarify what was difficult for them to understand or what required detail and expansion. Quranic sciences were thus typically received and transmitted through dictation and oral narration.
Years passed after the death of the Prophet (PBUH), and Islamic conquests expanded. Signs emerged calling for fear regarding the preservation of Quranic sciences, and a feeling grew that relying solely on oral transmission was insufficient. This was due to the relative distance in time from the Prophet (PBUH) and the mixing of Arabs with other nations who had their own languages, ways of speaking, and thinking. Consequently, a movement began among aware Muslims to codify Quranic sciences and establish the necessary guarantees to protect and preserve them from distortion.
Imam Ali (AS) preceded others in sensing the necessity of taking these guarantees. Immediately following the death of the Prophet (PBUH), he dedicated himself to collecting the Quran. In *Al-Fihrist* by Ibn al-Nadim, it is stated that when Ali (AS) saw from the people what he saw after the Prophet’s death, he swore he would not cast his cloak from his shoulders until he had collected the Quran. He sat in his house for three days until he had gathered it.
The fear for the integrity of the Quran and the thought of establishing necessary safeguards began in the minds of aware Muslims immediately after the Prophet’s death, leading to various activities. The result was “Quranic Sciences” and the research and work they necessitated.
Thus were the beginnings of Quranic sciences, established at the hands of the Companions and the vanguard of Muslims in the early era who realized the consequences of the temporal distance from the Prophet’s era and the mixing with various peoples.
The foundation of the science of *I’rab* (Arabic grammar) was laid under the supervision of Imam Ali (AS), as he commanded Abu al-Aswad al-Du’ali and his student Yahya ibn Ya’mar al-Adwani—the pioneers and founders of this science. Abu al-Aswad was the first to place dots (vowel/diacritic markers) in the *Mus-haf*. A story is narrated about this subject indicating his intense zeal for the language of the Quran: he heard a reader recite the verse: *”That Allah is free from [claims of] polytheism and His Messenger”* (9:3), but read it with a *kasra* (genitive case) on the letter *lam* of the word *Rasulihi* (His Messenger), which would mean “Allah is free from the polytheists and [from] His Messenger.” This solecism alarmed Abu al-Aswad, who said: “God is too Exalted to be free from His Messenger.” He resolved to set specific marks to protect people in their recitation from errors. His diligence led him to make the sign for *fatha* a dot above the letter, *kasra* a dot below, *damma* a dot between parts of the letter, and a *sukun* two dots.
