The Original Holy Qur'an: Chronologically Sorted by the Order of Revelation

The Holy Quran is the sacred book of Islam. It is the word of Allah (The God) whose truth was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel over a period of 23 years. As it was revealed, so it was committed to memory by his companions, though written copies were also made by literate believers during the lifetime of the Prophet. The first full compilation was by Abu Bakar, the first Caliph, and it was then recompiled in the original dialect by the third Caliph Uthman, after the best reciters had fallen in battle. Even though The Holy Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad sequentially over 23 years time, it was not compiled in chronological order. When The Holy Quran was finally compiled into book form under Caliph Uthman, the suras (chapters) were ordered from longest to shortest with no connection whatever to the order in which they were revealed or to their thematic content. As the result, those who have just started to pick up The Holy Quran may find it difficult to understand. Often, in order to find out what The Holy Quran says on a given topic, it is necessary to examine the other Islamic sources that give clues as to when in the Prophet Muhammads lifetime the revelations occurred. This book presents the suras chronologically, in a time-sequence accepted by scholars at one of the world's chief centre of Islamic learning, Al-Azhar in Cairoin English. Muslims believe that the truths of The Holy Quran are fully and authentically revealed only in the original classical Arabic. However, as the influence of Islam grows and spreads to the modern world, it is recognised that translation is an important element in introducing and explaining Islam to wider audience. This translation, by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, is considered to be the most faithful rendering available in English.