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Islam’s Three Holy Books
The Qur’an, Hadith and Sunnah
Qurʿān
History of the Text
The Qur’an has been called a unique phenomenon in religious history. It is held by its adherents to exist beyond the mundane sphere as the eternal and immutable word of Allah, “a glorious Qur’an [preserved] in a well-guarded tablet” (85: 21–22). It is also an earthly book whose history is intimately tied to the life and history of an earthly community.
Although it was shaped by the Muslim community, the Qur’an in fact created that community and remains the foundation stone of its faith and morality. Some of its verses were circumstantially determined by the social and religious conditions and questions of the Prophet’s society, yet the Qur’an is believed to transcend time and space.
Revelation
The Qur’an is for Muslims the literal word of their god (Allah) revealed to the prophet Muḥammad through the archangel Gabriel. As was customary for some Arabs, known as ḥanīfs, who rejected the idolatrous and immoral ways of their people, Muḥammad periodically left his home for solitary prayer and meditation (taḥannuth) in a cave on Mount Ḥirāʿ near Mecca. During one such retreat in his fortieth year Muhammad said the angel Gabriel appeared to him while he slept in the cave after one of his meditations. Taking hold of him, the angel pressed Muḥammad so hard that he thought he was dying. This Gabriel repeated three times with the command “Read” (iqrāʿ ). Muḥammad finally said, “I cannot read.” The angel then recited the first verses of sūrah 96, which are traditionally considered to constitute the first revelation of the Qur’a
Hadith
Hadith are reports of the words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad and other early Muslims. After Muhammad’s death, his companions carefully noted all of his teachings and actions, which they studied as the ideal model for Muslim behavior. They recounted these teachings to other Muslims so that the memory of the Prophet’s life and works might influence the community of believers. Hadith (the word may be used as singular or collective) are a central part of Muslim culture. After the Qur’an, they are the most important source of guidance for Muslims.
Sunnah
Since pre-Islamic times, the Arabic word sunnah has referred to a body of established customs and beliefs that make up a tradition. In Muslim legal and religious thought, the term became associated more specifically with the actions and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. Inspired by Allah to act wisely and in accordance with his will, Muhammad provided an example that complements Allah’s revelation as expressed in the Qur’an. His actions and sayings became a model for Muslim conduct as well as a primary source of Islamic law.
Islam’s Three Holy Books
621 – 007a
https://discerning-Islam.org
Last Update: 04/2021
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