Library Islam Faith and Reason Brief Answer
Brief Answer
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Brief Answer
The Qur`an is the eternal miracle of the Prophet Muhammad (ص). It is a book that illuminates all things. Though it is composed of simple words and phrases, it is stated in a high literary style and conveys ideas that soar far beyond the comprehension of a normal human being. To perceive its essence and accurately derive laws from it, is immensely difficult. Thus, despite the fact that the Qur`an is “clear,” to properly understand it and act upon it takes great effort.
The prerequisites to understanding the Qur`an are of two kinds:
Exoteric: One must have a firm grasp on
a. The ‘Arabic language with all its intricacies;
b. The history of Islam;
c. The circumstances that surrounded the revelation of the various verses;
d. Narrations that are directly relevant to the exegesis of the Qur`an;
e. The general verses and the specific ones; the unqualified verses and the qualified; the verses that abrogate and those that are abrogated.
Esoteric
a. One must have the spiritual purity that comes from the fear of Allah (awj).
b. One must not be arrogant.
