Introduction to the Quran: Complete Study Guide

Comprehensive practice flashcards defining essential vocabulary and technical concepts from the Introduction to the Quran study guide.

Hiss

The five physical senses that take in information about the surrounding world; limited in scope and capable of error.

'Aql

The human intellect and rational faculty that begins where sensory perception ends, moving the mind from the unknown (majhul) to the known (ma'ruf).

Wahy (Shar'i Meaning)

The technical Islamic definition denoting the direct, super-rational speech of Allah revealed upon a prophet (nabi) from among the prophets.

Wahy (Lexical Meaning)

The linguistic definition meaning to indicate something quickly and privately, or to speak to someone in total privacy.

Mumkin

That which is rationally possible; anything that can be conceptualized by the intellect without containing an inherent logical contradiction.

Mustahil

That which is rationally impossible; a concept containing a logical contradiction that the human mind cannot logically conceive (e.g., a four-sided triangle).

Ilham

Divine inspiration consisting of deep recognition and knowledge placed into the heart of a wali (friend of Allah); unlike prophetic wahy, it is not foolproof.

Kashf

Spiritual unveiling wherein a person sees or hears realities normally inaccessible to human senses; rarer than ilham and not infallible.

Wahy Matlu

Recited revelation where both the exact wording and divine meaning originate from Allah, embodied exclusively in the Quran.

Wahy Ghayr Matlu

Unrecited revelation where the underlying meaning and guidance are inspired by Allah, but the wording and eloquence are from the Prophet (SAW), embodied in Hadith.

Hadith Qudsi

A sacred hadith in which the Prophet (SAW) directly quotes speech or proclamations from Allah Himself.

Taqrir

Tacit approval by the Prophet (SAW), demonstrated when he remained silent upon observing or learning of an action performed by a Companion, confirming its legal permissibility.

Salsalat al-Jaras

The ringing of a bell; the most physically demanding and painful mode through which wahy descended upon the Prophet (SAW).

Inzal

The descent of divine revelation all at once, as occurred from Allah to al-Lawh al-Mahfuz and from al-Lawh al-Mahfuz to Bayt al-'Izzah.

Tanzil

The gradual, piecemeal sending down of divine revelation over a span of $23$ years to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

Bayt al-'Izzah

The House of Honor located in the heavens of this world to which the Quran was revealed entirely at once on Laylat al-Qadr.

Fatrat al-Wahy

A three-year pause or gap following early revelations during which the Prophet (SAW) received no wahy, causing him significant emotional grief.

Al-Furqan

A title of the Quran meaning 'the criterion' because it decisively distinguishes and separates truth from falsehood and right from wrong.

Al-Dhikr

A name of the Quran meaning 'the remembrance' or admonition, highlighting that it is made easy to memorize and take heed from.

Tawatur

Mass continuous transmission of a text or report by such an overwhelming number of reliable individuals in every era that collusion on a lie or error is impossible.

Salaf

The pious first three generations of Muslims: the Sahaba (Companions), the Tabi'un (Successors), and the Tabi' Tabi'un (Successors of the Successors).

I'jaz

The inimitable nature or act of incapacitating others, demonstrating their inability to imitate or rival the Quran.

Mu'jizah

An inimitable miracle performed by a prophet that incapacitates anyone else from reproducing it, serving as clear proof of authentic prophethood.

At-Tahaddi

The Quranic challenge issued to detractors and disbelievers to compose something comparable to the Quran, ten surahs, or even a single surah.

Tawaffi

The unique Quranic term for death signifying 'to receive in full,' denoting a transition into the Akhirah rather than a total, permanent annihilation.

'Ilm al-Ma'ani

The subfield of Arabic rhetoric (balaghah) dealing with linguistic pragmatics and semantics—selecting fitting words with clarity to match the context.

'Ilm al-Bayan

The branch of Arabic rhetoric (balaghah) centered on figurative language, metaphors, and expressing the same conceptual idea through varied imagery.

'Ilm al-Badi'

The branch of Arabic rhetoric (balaghah) focused on stylistic embellishments, verbal beauty, and auditory effects such as symmetry (muqabalah) and rhyme (saj').

Nazm

The inimitable composition, ordering, and structural harmony of individual words, verses, and surahs throughout the Quran.

Ijma'

The authoritative consensus of qualified Islamic legal scholars on a specific religious ruling.

Qiyas

Legal analogy in Islamic jurisprudence, where an established legal ruling is extended to a new case due to a shared effective cause ('illah).

Tafsir

The systematic explanation and elucidation of the meanings of the words and verses of the Quran, rooted in the Arabic term for opening or making clear.

Tawqifi Tafsir

Exegesis from the Companions (Sahaba) that is directly received and bound to what was taught by the Prophet (SAW), devoid of their personal opinion.

Tawfiqi Tafsir

Exegesis where the Companions (Sahaba) applied their own reasoned interpretive ability, permitting legitimate scholarly differences among them.

Isra'iliyyat

Judeo-Christian historical traditions and narrations transmitted from the People of the Book, incorporated with strict conditions into tafsir literature.

Asbab al-Nuzul

The specific historical events, questions, or occasions during the prophetic mission in response to which Quranic verses were revealed.

Muhkam

Clear, decisive Quranic verses whose legal and conceptual meanings are readily understood and leave no room for ambiguity.

Mutashabih

Ambiguous or allegorical Quranic expressions whose precise meaning is veiled or known only to Allah, such as the disjointed letters (huruf muqatta'at).

Haqiqi

The use of a word in its literal, primary, and conventional sense.

Majazi

The metaphorical or figurative use of a word, departing from its primary literal meaning.

'Amm

A general word or legal phrasing that applies comprehensively to all members of a specific set or category.

Khass

A particular or specific word designating a limited number of items within a category, thereby restricting the general scope of an 'amm term.

Mutlaq

An absolute, unrestricted textual expression that applies unconditionally without any descriptive qualifications.

Muqayyad

A restricted textual expression that is conditioned or limited by a specific descriptor or qualification.

Mantuq

The explicit meaning derived directly from the pronounced words of a textual ruling.

Mafhum al-Muwafaqah

An implicit meaning that agrees with the explicit ruling, extending the judgment a fortiori to an unmentioned case sharing the same rationale.

Mafhum al-Mukhalafah

An implicit meaning implying the exact opposite legal ruling when an explicitly stated condition or qualification is absent.

Naskh

The formal abrogation, cancellation, or alteration of a previous Islamic legal ruling by a later revealed divine proof.

Qat'i al-Thubut

Textual transmission that is authenticated with $100\%$ absolute certainty through mass transmission (tawatur), as with the Quran.

Zanni al-Dalalah

A scriptural text whose meaning or interpretation is open to multiple valid linguistic derivations and is not definitively singular.

Ayat al-Mukhasamah

Quranic verses dedicated to disputing and refuting the doctrines of four adversary groups: polytheist idolaters, Jews, Christians, and hypocrites.

Al-Tamanu'

The classical rational theological proof of divine oneness (Tawhid), asserting that multiple gods would inevitably conflict in will, causing universal ruin.