| Quran or Koran: the holy book of Islam. For Muslims it is the very word of Allah, the absolute God of Islamic faith, and was revealed to the prophet Muhammad. The angel Gabriel is said to have spoken Allahs words into the Prophets ear. According to Muslim tradition, after this ecstatic experience Muhammad was able to recite exactly what he had been told. The term Quran, which means "recitation," occurs several times in the text itself; the term refers either to a fragment of the revelation or to the entire collection of revelations that are known as the Quran.Oral recitation of the Quran is believed by Muslims to be the believers most direct contact with the word of God. The art of recitation, known as tajwid or tartil, is consequently highly valued among Muslims. Heard day and night on the streets, in mosques (Muslim houses of worship), in homes, in taxis, and in shops, the sound of the Quran being recited is far more than the pervasive background music of daily life in the Islamic world. Recitation of the Quran is the core of religious devotion. The sound of voices reciting the holy book inspires much of Muslim religious and social life. Participation in recitation, whether as reciter or listener, is itself an act of worship, for both acts are basic to a Muslims religion and invoke a tradition beginning with Muhammad that transcends the particular occasion. |
