You are on page 1of 2

The Quran is, like the world, at the same time one and multiple.

The world
is multiplicity which disperses and divides; the Quran is a multiplicity which
draws together and draws to Unity. The multiplicity of the holy Bookthe
diversity of its words, sentences, pictures and storiesfills the soul and thus
absorbs it and imperceptibly transposes it into the climate of serenity and
immutability by a sort of divine "cunning". The Quran is like a picture of
everything the human brain can think and feel, and it is by this means that
God exhausts human disquiet, infusing into the believer silence, serenity and
peace. (Schuon, Understanding Islam)

Islam and the Quran are clearly appreciative of diversity and dissimilarity in
many aspects such as creation, culture and belief within human world. The
Quran describes all human beings as part of one super unit which is
humanity. Generally speaking, the Quranic content is concerned with basic
Islamic beliefs including the existence of God and the resurrection. Narratives
of the early prophets, ethical and legal subjects, historical events of
Muhammad's time, charity and prayer also appear in the Quran. The Quranic
verses contain general exhortations regarding right and wrong and historical
events are related to outline general moral lessons. Verses pertaining to
natural phenomena have been interpreted by Muslims as an indication of the
authenticity of the Quranic message.
The central theme of the Quran is monotheism. God is depicted as living,
eternal, omniscient and omnipotent. God's omnipotence appears in his
power to create. He is the creator of everything, of the heavens and the
earth and what is between them. All human beings are equal in their utter
dependence upon God, and their well-being depends upon their
acknowledging
that
fact
and
living
accordingly.
The
Quran
uses cosmological and contingency arguments in various verses without
referring to the terms to prove the existence of God
On the other hand, according to Tafsir, which represents the earliest
commentaries on the Quran and the most extensive literature for Quranic
interpretation for both Sunni and Shii Muslims, there are eight genres of
interpretation. These are yet to add more diversities to the list.

They include interpretations such as:


-

Linguistic

Hadith-based (collected reports of the sayings


Mohammad)
Historical
Legal
Theological
Ethical commentaries
Commentaries on the Quran itself
References to the occasions of revelation

and actions

of

Surah 3:7 states: It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the
Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book
- and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth],
they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an
interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation
except Allah. But those firm in knowledge say, "We believe in it. All [of it] is
from our Lord." And no one will be reminded except those of understanding.
According to which there are basically two levels of interpretations:
-

The so-called Muhkam (representing the determined interpretation)

The so-called Mutashabih (representing the symbolic interpretation)

In addition, the language of the Quran has been described as "rhymed prose"
as it partakes of both poetry and prose. The Quran seems to demonstrate the
diversity by explaining, classifying, interpreting and justifying the words to be
transmitted. The diversity is also evident in those passages where the Quran
refers to itself as revelation (tanzil), remembrance (dhikr), news (naba'), and
criterion (furqan), for instance.

You might also like