Overview

The Quran is a unique book, and unlike most other books, it does not have a beginning, middle, or end. It is not arranged according to different topics or subject matter. The traditional Quran is arranged in accordance with the inner requirements of its message as a whole and not in the chronological order in which the individual passages were revealed. The seemingly abrupt transition from one subject to another is also in accord with the Quranic principle of deliberately interweaving moral exhortation with practical legislation. This in pursuance of the teaching that man's life-spiritual and physical, individual and social-is one integral whole, and therefore requires simultaneous consideration of all its aspects if the concept of the good life is to be realized. In accordance with the system prevailing throughout the Quran, a lengthy passage dealing with purely moral or ethical questions is usually followed by verses relating to social legislation and this with a view to bringing out the intimate connection between man's spiritual life and his social behavior. Rearrangement according to the Subject Matter The Quran as written was meant for the common people to read in its original order and to immerse themselves in it. But for scholars, lawyers, and anyone who needs to study a particular issue, it would be handy to have it arranged by subject matter. For example, the subject of divorce is discussed in the Quran in chapters 2, 33, 58, 60, and 65. Compiling all the verses about divorce in one place gives the reader a quick reference.The Quran for the Western ReadersThe Quran in its original format is likely to be confusing to a Western reader. Thomas Carlyle's a renowned Orientalist described the Quran as a wearisome confused jumble, crude, incondite; endless iterations, long-windedness, entanglement; most crude, incondite [sic]; - insupportable stupidity, in short! Carlyle was by no means an Islamophobe; as a matter of fact, his essay The Hero as Prophet was a rare objective analysis of Muhammad's life. A discussion of varying subjects within the same chapter appear unconnected and may cause confusion and misunderstanding, especially for those not familiar with the uniqueness of the Quran. For the Western readers, the Quran according to the subject matter will be much easier to read and understand. Al-ghaybThis Divine Writ-let there be no doubt about it-is [meant to be] guidance for all the God-conscious who believe in [the existence of] that which is beyond the reach of human perception. (2:2-3) Al-ghayb, commonly and erroneously translated as the Unseen, is used in the Quran to denote all those sectors or hidden realities that lie beyond the range of human perception and cannot, therefore, be proven or disproven by scientific observation or even adequately addressed within the accepted categories of speculative thought. The concept of the existence of a realm that is beyond the reach of human perception, constitutes the fundamental premise for understanding the call of the Quran. It is, indeed, a basic principle of almost every religion, for God Himself belongs to the realm of al-ghayb. All truly religious cognition arises from the fact that only a small segment of reality is open to man's perception and imagination, and by far the larger part of it escapes his comprehension altogether. For instance, metaphysical subjects such as God's attributes, the ultimate meaning of time and eternity, the resurrection of the dead, the Day of Judgment, paradise and hell, the nature of the beings or forces described as angels and Jinn, and so forth, all fall into the category of al-ghayb. Only a person who is convinced that the ultimate reality comprises far more than our observable environment can attain a belief in God and, thus, to a belief that life has meaning and purpose.

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