Introduction to the Quran - Study Guide and Glossary

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards detailing Quranic sciences, modes and terminology of revelation (wahy), principles of exegesis (tafsir), linguistic classifications, and core theological concepts.

'Aqidah / 'Aqa'id

Islamic creed; fundamental beliefs focusing on Tawhid (monotheism), Risalah (prophethood), and Akhirah (the afterlife).

Ahkam

Legal rulings, commandments, or laws in the Quran.

Qisas

In Quranic sciences topics, stories of past prophets, peoples, and future events; distinct from qisas as legal retribution mentioned in $2:179$.

Amthal

Parables or illustrative examples utilized in the Quran.

Wahy

Divine revelation; technically the direct speech of Allah revealed upon a prophet (lexically: a quick, private indication).

Ilham

Strong spiritual inspiration placed directly into the heart of a wali (saint); not foolproof or binding on others.

Kashf

Spiritual unveiling; the rarer experience of perceiving, seeing, or hearing realities that are normally unseen; not foolproof.

Matlu

Recited revelation where both the exact wording and the meaning are directly from Allah, constituting the text of the Quran.

Ghayr matlu

Unrecited revelation where the meaning originates from Allah while the wording is formulated by the Prophet (comprising hadith).

Hadith Qudsi

A sacred narration in which the Prophet quotes Allah directly, distinct from recited Quranic scripture.

Taqrir

Tacit approval by the Prophet expressed through his silent assent upon witnessing or learning of an action.

Inzal

The act of sending down revelation all at once in its entirety, such as from Lawh al-Mahfuz to Bayt al-'Izzah on Laylat al-Qadr.

Tanzil

The gradual, piecemeal sending down of revelation to the Prophet over the span of $23$ years.

Lawh al-Mahfuz

The Preserved Tablet wherein the primordial decreed text of revelation is safeguarded.

Bayt al-'Izzah

The House of Might located in the lowest heaven, to which the entire Quran was descended on Laylat al-Qadr during inzal.

Fatrat al-wahy

The initial $3$-year pause or cessation in revelation that caused distress to the Prophet.

Namus

The title used by Waraqah ibn Nawfal when referring to the angel of revelation, Jibril.

Noor

Divine spiritual light transferred directly from heart to heart, exemplified when Jibril embraced the Prophet at Cave Hira.

Tawatur / Mutawatir

Mass continuous transmission by such a vast number of narrators in every generation that collusion on an error or fabrication is impossible, yielding qat'i (certain) knowledge.

Mushaf

The physical, written compilation or volume containing the Quranic text between two covers.

Salaf

The righteous forebears representing the first three exemplary generations of Islam: Sahaba, Tabi'un, and Tabi' Tabi'un.

I'jaz

The unique, inimitable quality of the Quran that renders all human attempts to match it entirely incapacitated.

Mu'jizah

An extraordinary, inimitable miracle granted to a prophet that incapacitates rivals and detractors.

Tahaddi

The explicit divine challenge directed at detractors to produce a text comparable to the Quran (such as $17:88$, $11:13$, and $2:23-24$).

Nazm

The precise compositional arrangement, structure, and order of words, verses, and surahs within the Quran.

Balaghah

The classical science of Arabic rhetoric, consisting of three main branches: 'ilm al-ma'ani, 'ilm al-bayan, and 'ilm al-badi'.

Tafsir

The scholarly explanation and exposition of the meanings of the Quran; derived from the root f-s-r meaning 'to open or clarify'.

Mufassir

A qualified exegete possessing the specialized scholarly prerequisites required to interpret and explain the Quran.

Ta'wil

Principled, qualified allegorical or context-dependent interpretation of scriptural passages by trained scholars.

Tafsir bi-l-ra'y

Quranic exegesis grounded merely in unqualified personal opinion, which is strictly prohibited.

Tawqifi tafsir

Exegesis transmitted directly from the Prophet to the Companions without room for personal deduction.

Tawfiqi tafsir

Exegesis arrived at through the independent reasoning and personal interpretation of the Sahaba, which may allow for scholarly differences.

Isra'iliyyat

Judeo-Christian narrative traditions and historical reports transmitted from the People of the Book.

Isnad

The unbroken chain of authorities and narrators linking a report back to its original speaker.

Mawdu'

A completely fabricated, forged, or spurious narration falsely attributed to the Prophet.

Mukallaf

A legally accountable individual who is both mentally sane and has reached the age of maturity.

Taklif

The state or assignment of religious and legal responsibility imposed by Allah upon individuals.

Asbab al-nuzul

The specific historical events, contexts, or inquiries that occasioned the revelation of particular verses.

Qira'at

The established, transmitted variant canonical modes of reciting the text of the Quran.

Ahruf (seven)

The seven distinct dialects or modes in which the Quran was revealed, predominantly understood by scholars as seven categories of textual differences in words.

Shadh

An anomalous or irregular recitation that fails to satisfy the stringent conditions of canonical transmission.

Muhkam

Clear, precise, and foundational verses whose meaning is unambiguous and straightforward (e.g., $1:2$).

Mutashabih

Ambiguous verses or expressions with concealed or non-obvious meanings whose ultimate nature is known fully to Allah, such as the disjointed letters.

Mujmal

A passage whose intended meaning is ambiguous or summarized, requiring supplementary textual evidence to clarify.

Mufassar

A passage that has been fully clarified, explained, and detailed by textual evidence.

Haqiqi

The primary, literal use of a linguistic term.

Majazi

The non-literal, figurative, or metaphorical application of a linguistic term.

'Amm

A general linguistic expression that encompasses all individuals or items within a category without restriction (e.g., 'every soul tastes death').

Khass

A specific linguistic term or ruling restricted to an individual, a distinct subset, or a particular situation.

Takhsis

The legal and hermeneutical process of restricting or delimiting the broad application of a general ('amm) ruling.

Mutlaq

An absolute, unrestricted term applied without descriptive condition or qualification (e.g., freeing an unspecified slave).

Muqayyad

A conditioned or qualified term limited by a specific attribute (e.g., freeing a believing slave).

Mantuq

The explicit, directly uttered meaning that is explicitly verbalized in the text.

Mafhum

The implicit meaning derived from the deeper context or implication of a text.

Mafhum al-Muwafaqah

An implicit harmonious meaning (argumentum a fortiori) where the unstated situation shares or surpasses the ruling of the stated one (e.g., forbidding 'uff' to parents in $17:23$ naturally forbids hitting).

Mafhum al-Mukhalafah

An implicit contrary meaning, where the absence of a stated condition implies the opposite ruling.

Naskh

The abrogation, lifting, or replacement of an earlier legal ruling by a later revealed legal injunction.

Nasikh

The subsequent text or ruling that repeals and replaces a prior ruling.

Mansukh

The earlier text or ruling that has been superseded and abrogated.

Qat'i

Definitive, certain, and conclusive, precluding any doubt or secondary probability.

Zanni

Probable, presumptive, or speculative, carrying plausible alternative interpretations.

Thubut

The historical certainty and authenticity of transmission of a text.

Dalalah

The clarity, precision, and decisiveness of the meaning conveyed by a textual expression.

Ijma'

The unanimous consensus of qualified Islamic legal scholars of a particular era on a religious ruling; one of the four sources of law.

Qiyas

Analogical legal deduction, establishing a ruling for a new case by comparing it to an original case sharing the same effective cause ('illah).

Tanween

Nunation (the double short vowel mark); linguistically capable of expressing grandeur, insignificance, replacement, or specification.

Ayat al-Mukhasamah

The genre of Quranic verses formulated to engage, debate, and refute the theological arguments of adversaries.

Shirk

Polytheism; associating partners, equals, or rivals with Allah in His essence, attributes, or worship.

Kafir

An unbeliever who openly rejects or disbelieves in the foundational articles of Islamic faith.

Fasiq

A transgressor who possesses faith in the fundamental tenets of Islam but regularly commits major sins or disobeys divine commands.

Munafiq

A hypocrite who outwardly presents themselves as a Muslim while inwardly harboring disbelief and conspiracy against Islam.

Ruqya

Spiritual cure and healing sought through the recitation of Quranic verses, prophetic supplications (adhkar), and the names of Allah.

Wali

A righteous, devout devotee and intimate friend of Allah (a saint).

Ma'arif al-Quran

An $8$-volume simplified commentary of the Quran authored by Mufti Muhammad Shafi' designed to address contemporary needs.