Unit 7 · What the Qur'an Teaches

Long ago in Mecca, people prayed to many gods. Statues stood around the Kaaba, the square building in the middle of the city. Muslims believe the Qur’an came to change this. Its biggest message is short: there is only one God.

The Arabic word for this idea is tawhid. It means "making one" or "oneness." Muslims believe God made everything, God has no partner and nothing is like God. The Qur’an says it again and again, in long surahs and in short ones.

One tiny surah says it best. Surah 112, Al-Ikhlas, has only four ayahs. Muslims believe it sums up the whole idea of one God. Many Muslim children learn it by heart when they are very young. You will read it in the next lesson.

Surah 112 is called Al-Ikhlas. The name means "sincerity" or "pure faith." It is near the very end of the Qur’an. It is so short you can read it in one breath. Muslims say it many times a day in prayer.

The surah says four things. God is one. God needs nothing, but everything needs God. God was not born and did not have children. Nothing is like God. Each ayah is one idea. An ayah is a line, or verse, of the Qur’an.

Muslims believe this surah answers a question people asked Muhammad: "What is your God like?" The answer does not describe a shape or a face. It says what God is not like. Muslims say that is the point: God is not like anything we can picture.

Muslims believe God has many names. Each name tells one thing about God. The Qur’an says that the most beautiful names belong to God, and that people may call on God by them (7:180, Al-A’raf). Muslim tradition counts 99 names.

The two names heard most are Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim. They mean the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful. Both come from a root word that means mercy. Nearly every surah opens with them, in the line called the Bismillah.

Other names are the Kind, the Just, the Creator, the Wise and the Giver of Peace. Some Muslims learn all 99 by heart. Some count them on a string of beads. The names are found in the Qur’an, but the list of 99 comes from later Muslim tradition.

Right after telling people to worship one God, the Qur’an often adds a second rule. Be good to your parents. In Surah 17, Al-Isra, ayahs 23 and 24, the two ideas sit side by side. Muslims say this shows how important parents are.

The passage speaks about parents who grow old. It says not to say even a small word of anger to them. It says to speak to them with respect. It says to be humble and gentle, and to pray for them, because they cared for you when you were small.

Muslim children often learn a short prayer from this ayah. It asks God to have mercy on their parents. Many Muslims say it every day. The Qur’an does not say parents are always right. It says to treat them with kindness.

The Qur’an says a lot about honesty. It tells people to speak the truth even when it is hard. It tells sellers to give a full measure and a fair weight. Surah 83, Al-Mutaffifin, warns people who cheat when they weigh things for others.

The Qur’an also says to keep a promise. In Surah 17:34 it says to be true to every promise, because a person will be asked about it. In Surah 2:177 it praises people who keep their word when they give it. Muslims believe God sees every promise made.

Muslim tradition says people in Mecca called Muhammad al-Amin, "the trustworthy," before he ever spoke of the Qur’an. They trusted him to keep things safe. Muslims say this is why honesty matters so much in their faith.

An orphan is a child whose parents have died. Muslim tradition says Muhammad was an orphan himself. His father died before he was born, and his mother died when he was small. The Qur’an speaks about orphans many times.

Surah 93, Ad-Duha, says: do not treat the orphan harshly, and do not push away the one who asks for help. Surah 107, Al-Ma’un, says a person who pushes the orphan away and does not feed the poor is not truly good. Muslims read these as strong words.

Surah 2:177 gives a list of what being good looks like. It says to give money you love to relatives, orphans, the poor, the traveler and those who ask. Muslims believe that giving is not extra. It is part of being a good person.

To boast means to brag, to talk big about yourself. The Qur’an says God does not love boasters. In Surah 31:18, Luqman tells his son not to turn his cheek away from people in scorn. He tells him not to walk with a proud strut on the earth.

Surah 17:37 says something like it. It says not to walk on the earth proudly, because you cannot split the ground open or grow as tall as the mountains. Muslims read this as a gentle joke. A proud person is still just a person.

Surah 49:11 adds another rule. Do not make fun of other people, and do not call them mean names. The people you laugh at may be better than you. Muslims say a good person is modest: quiet about their own good points.

Surah 31 is named for Luqman. The Qur’an says God gave Luqman wisdom, the skill of knowing what is right and doing it. Muslim tradition tells many stories about him. Some say he was from Africa. Some say he was a carpenter or a shepherd. The Qur’an does not say.

In ayahs 13 to 19, Luqman speaks to his son. He calls him "my dear son." He is not angry. He is teaching. Muslims point out that the Qur’an chose a father talking to a child, not a king giving orders, to teach these lessons.

The first thing Luqman says is the biggest: do not set up any partner with God. The Qur’an calls that a great wrong. Muslims say the rest of the advice grows out of this first idea. If God is one, then be humble before God and kind to people.

Here are Luqman’s seven pieces of advice, in simple words. One: worship one God only. Two: be good to your parents. Three: know that God sees even a tiny thing, small as a mustard seed. Four: keep up your prayer.

Five: tell people to do right and stop wrong, and be patient when hard things happen. Six: do not turn away from people in scorn or walk proudly. Seven: walk at an easy pace and keep your voice low. The Qur’an adds that the loudest voice of all is the donkey’s.

Many Muslims say this list is a whole way of life in seven lines. Teachers in Muslim schools use it. Parents read it at bedtime. Some readers note that the advice moves from God, to family, to how you act with strangers on the street.

The Qur’an speaks about angels. Muslims believe angels are beings God made from light. They do not eat or sleep. They do what God tells them. Surah 2:177 lists belief in angels as part of being a good person.

The angel named most is Jibril (Gabriel). Muslims believe Jibril brought the words of the Qur’an to Muhammad, a little at a time, over about 23 years. Surah 2:97 names Jibril. Another angel, Mikail (Michael), is named in 2:98.

Muslim tradition also speaks of angels who write down what each person does. The Qur’an mentions two watchers in 50:17–18. Many Muslims picture them on the right and left shoulder. Muslims believe angels exist; other people believe differently, and both study the text.

The Qur’an speaks often about a Day of Judgment. Muslims believe that on that day every person will stand before God. Each one will answer for the good and bad they did. The Qur’an says a scale will weigh people’s deeds (21:47, Al-Anbiya).

Muslims believe good people will go to paradise. The Qur’an describes it as gardens with rivers flowing under them, cool shade and fruit (for example, 2:25). It also describes a place of fire for people who did wrong and never turned back.

The Qur’an also says God is forgiving. Surah 39:53 says people should not lose hope in God’s mercy. Muslims believe a person can say sorry and change at any time. Christians and Jews also have beliefs about a judgment and an afterlife, told in their own ways.

A pillar is a strong post that holds up a roof. Muslims use this word for five main practices of their faith. They call them the Five Pillars. The list comes from a saying of Muhammad in Muslim tradition (a hadith). The Qur’an speaks of each one.

Here are the five. Say the shahada, the short statement of faith. Pray five times a day. Give zakat, a share of one’s money, to people in need. Fast in the month of Ramadan. Make the hajj, the journey to Mecca, once in a lifetime if you are able.

Sunni Muslims usually list these five. Shia Muslims list the same practices but often group them a little differently. In this chapter you will meet each pillar and find the ayahs Muslims point to for it.

The first pillar is the shahada. The word means "witness" or "statement." It is one sentence: "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God." Muslims believe a person who says it, and means it, is a Muslim.

The two halves come from the Qur’an. Surah 47:19 says to know that there is no god but God. Surah 48:29 says that Muhammad is the messenger of God. The shahada puts the two ideas together. It makes one short line.

Muslims say the shahada many times. It is in the call to prayer. It is said in every prayer. Many Muslim parents whisper it into a newborn baby’s ear. Muslims hope to say it as their last words. It ties the idea of one God to the messenger who Muslims believe brought the Qur’an.

The second pillar is salah, the daily prayer. Muslims pray five times a day: before sunrise, midday, afternoon, sunset and night. The Qur’an says to keep up prayer many times, for example in 2:43 and 2:110. It speaks of prayer at the two ends of the day and at night (11:114).

The names of the five prayers and their exact times come from Muslim tradition, not straight from the Qur’an. Muslims say Muhammad showed how to pray, and his companions passed it on. The prayer has standing, bowing and touching the forehead to the ground.

Muslims all face the same way when they pray: toward the Kaaba in Mecca. This direction is the qibla. Surah 2:144 tells Muslims to turn their faces toward the sacred mosque in Mecca. In a mosque, a small arch in the wall shows which way that is.

The third pillar is zakat. The word means "to make pure" or "to grow." Zakat is a share of a person’s savings given each year to people in need. Muslims believe giving makes the rest of their money clean.

The Qur’an names prayer and zakat together many times, such as in 2:43: keep up prayer and give zakat. Surah 9:60 lists who may receive it: the poor, the needy, people in debt, travelers and others. Muslims say zakat is a duty, not a gift.

How much? Muslim tradition sets it at about one fortieth of a person’s savings, if they have more than a certain amount. Children and the poor do not pay. Giving more than zakat is called sadaqah, a free gift. The Qur’an praises this kind of giving too.

The fourth pillar is fasting in Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. Muslims believe it is the month when the Qur’an first came down. For the whole month, adult Muslims do not eat or drink from dawn until sunset.

Surah 2:183 says fasting is prescribed for Muslims, as it was for people before them. Surah 2:185 names the month of Ramadan and says whoever is present in it should fast. It adds that the sick and travelers may make up the days later. It says God wants ease, not hardship.

Each evening families break the fast, often with dates and water first. This meal is called iftar. Before dawn they eat again. Many Muslims read one part of the Qur’an each night, so they finish all thirty parts by the end of the month. Ramadan ends with a holiday, Eid al-Fitr.

The fifth pillar is the hajj, the journey to Mecca. Surah 3:97 says that going to the House, the Kaaba, is a duty people owe to God, if they are able to make the trip. Muslims who can afford it and are healthy try to go once in their lives.

The hajj happens in the last month of the Muslim calendar. Millions of people come. They all wear simple white cloth so that no one looks rich or poor. They walk around the Kaaba seven times. They stand together on a plain called Arafat.

Muslims connect the hajj to Ibrahim (Abraham). The Qur’an says Ibrahim and his son Ismail raised the walls of the Kaaba (2:127). Muslims retell his story as they walk. The hajj ends with the holiday of Eid al-Adha, which Muslims all over the world share.

Before praying, Muslims wash. This washing is called wudu. Surah 5:6 describes it: wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet up to the ankles. If there is no water, the ayah says clean earth may be used instead.

Muslims can pray almost anywhere that is clean: at home, at school, at work, even in an airport. Many also pray together in a mosque. The Arabic word is masjid, "a place of bowing down." People take off their shoes at the door.

Inside a mosque there are no chairs and no statues. The floor is covered with carpet. A small arch in one wall shows the qibla. Many mosques have a tall tower called a minaret, from which the call to prayer is given. Chicago has dozens of mosques, large and small.

Friday is a special day for Muslims. Surah 62:9 says that when the call to prayer is given on Friday, people should leave their buying and selling and hurry to remember God. The surah is even named Al-Jumu’ah, "Friday" or "the gathering."

At midday on Friday, Muslims gather at the mosque. A leader called the imam gives a short talk, the khutbah. Then everyone prays together in rows. The next ayah, 62:10, says that after the prayer people may go back out and go about their work.

For Jews the special day is Saturday, the Sabbath. For most Christians it is Sunday. For Muslims it is Friday, but it is not a full day of rest in the Qur’an. In many Muslim countries, though, Friday is a day off from school and work.

Eid means "festival" or "holiday." Muslims have two big ones each year. The first is Eid al-Fitr, "the festival of breaking the fast." It comes the day after Ramadan ends. Families dress in new clothes, pray together in the morning and share sweets.

The second is Eid al-Adha, "the festival of the sacrifice." It comes about ten weeks later, at the end of the hajj. Muslims all over the world join in, not just the pilgrims in Mecca. It remembers Ibrahim (Abraham). The Qur’an says he was ready to give up his son for God (37:102–107).

On Eid al-Adha many families give meat to the poor and to neighbors. On both Eids, people say "Eid Mubarak." It means "blessed holiday." The dates move about eleven days earlier each year. That is because the Muslim calendar follows the moon.

Halal means "allowed." Haram means "not allowed." The Qur’an says most foods are good to eat. Surah 2:172 tells believers to eat the good things God has given them and to give thanks. Then 2:173 gives a short list of what is not allowed.

The list includes meat from an animal that died on its own, blood, pork and meat offered to idols. Surah 5:3 gives a fuller list. Surah 5:90 tells Muslims to stay away from wine and other strong drink. Surah 5:5 says the food of the People of the Book, Jews and Christians, is allowed.

Many Muslims look for a halal label on meat. It means the animal was killed in the way Muslim tradition sets out, with God’s name said. Jews have similar rules called kosher. In Chicago, many stores and restaurants sell halal food, and some school lunches offer it too.

Take a boy named Idris, age nine, in Illinois. His day starts before sunrise. His mother prays the dawn prayer; he sometimes joins her, sometimes sleeps. At school he eats lunch that is halal. After school he prays the afternoon prayer at home, then plays basketball.

On Saturdays Idris goes to a class at the mosque to learn to read Arabic and memorize short surahs. On Fridays his father goes to the mosque at lunchtime. Some of Idris’s Muslim friends do all these things. Some do a few. Families choose in their own ways.

His year has its own shape. Ramadan comes and the family eats iftar together every evening. Then Eid al-Fitr, with new clothes and gifts. About ten weeks later, Eid al-Adha. Some years his family sends money so a cousin can make the hajj. Each year the dates come a little earlier.

About one in four people on Earth is Muslim. Common estimates say around 1.9 billion; estimates vary. Most Muslims do not live in Arab countries. The countries with the most Muslims are Indonesia, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, in Asia.

Muslims are not all alike. Most are Sunni. About one in ten is Shia. They share the Qur’an and the pillars, but differ on some history and some practices. Muslims speak hundreds of languages. Many learn Arabic only to read the Qur’an.

Chicago has one of the largest Muslim communities in the United States. There are mosques on the North Side, the South Side and in many suburbs. Families come from South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Bosnia and elsewhere, and many are African American Muslims whose families have been here for generations.