The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1)

The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 4

Thus, by seeking the protection of God while reciting the Quran we pray, firstly, that we may not miss any teaching of the Quran through weakness or negligence or in consequence of our sins, or under the influence of evil company; secondly, that we may not fail to correctly understand it any teaching of the Quran; thirdly, that, having understood it, we may not relapse into ignorance. The prescribed words for the prayer are: a secl "I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the rejected," which must precede every recitation of the Quran. The Meaning and Significance of the Word Sūrah A chapter of the Quran, and there are 114 of them, is called a Sūrah. The word Surah rendered into English as 'chapter means: (1) rank and eminence; (2) a mark or sign; (3) an elevated and beautiful edifice; and (4) something full and complete (Aqrab & Qurtubi). The chapters of the Quran are called Surahs because, (a) one is exalted in rank by reading them and attains through them eminence; (b) they serve as marks for the beginning and the end of the different subjects dealt with in the Quran; (c) they are each like a noble spiritual edifice, and (d) each of them contains a complete theme. The name Surah for such a division has been used by the Quran itself as in 2:24 and 24:2. It has been used in Ḥadīth also. Says the Holy Prophet: "Just now a Surah has been revealed to me and it runs as follows" (Muslim). From this, it is clear that the name Surah for a division of the Quran has been in use from the very beginning and is not a later innovation. 4