In Islam, the Quran is the holiest book. Muhammad claimed that it was revealed to him through the angel Gabriel. He would recite various verses that were then memorized and or written down on various materials. The Quran is supposed to confirm what came before it (Surah 3:3), be free from error (Surah 4:82), and is true guidance (Surah 2:2-5).  Its laws and wisdom are supposed to be perfect.  However, the Quran is far from perfect. It teaches a man’s seed comes from his chest (Surah 86:5-7) and that Mary was the sister of Aaron (Surah 19:27-28).  Is it from God?

1. A guide to mankind
   1. Surah 2:185, “Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur’an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if anyone is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful.”
2. Assembled by four men
   1. Narrated Qatada: Anas said, “The quran was collected in the lifetime of the Prophet by four (men), all of whom were from the Ansar: Ubai, Muadh bin Jabal, Abu Zaid and Zaid bin Thabit.” I asked Anas, “Who is Abu Zaid?” He said, “One of my uncles.” (Sahih Bukhari, Book #58, Hadith #155)
3. Assembled by Uthman
   1. Narrated Anas bin Malik: Hudhaifa bin Al-Yaman came to Uthman at the time when the people of Sham and the people of Iraq were Waging war to conquer Arminya and Adharbijan. Hudhaifa was afraid of their (the people of Sham and Iraq) differences in the recitation of the Qur’an, so he said to ‘Uthman, “O chief of the Believers! Save this nation before they differ about the Book (quran) as Jews and the Christians did before.” So ‘Uthman sent a message to Hafsa saying, “Send us the manuscripts of the Qur’an so that we may compile the Qur’anic materials in perfect copies and return the manuscripts to you.” Hafsa sent it to ‘Uthman. ‘Uthman then ordered Zaid bin Thabit, ‘Abdullah bin AzZubair, Said bin Al-As and ‘AbdurRahman bin Harith bin Hisham to rewrite the manuscripts in perfect copies. ‘Uthman said to the three Quraishi men, “In case you disagree with Zaid bin Thabit on any point in the Qur’an, then write it in the dialect of Quraish, the Qur’an was revealed in their tongue.” They did so, and when they had written many copies, ‘Uthman returned the original manuscripts to Hafsa. ‘Uthman sent to every Muslim province one copy of what they had copied, and ordered that all the other Qur’anic materials, whether written in fragmentary manuscripts or whole copies, be burnt. Said bin Thabit added, “A Verse from Surat Ahzab was missed by me when we copied the Qur’an and I used to hear Allah’s Apostle reciting it. So we searched for it and found it with Khuzaima bin Thabit Al-Ansari. (That Verse was): ‘Among the Believers are men who have been true in their covenant with Allah.’ (33.23)  (Sahih Bukhari, Book #61, Hadith #510)
4. Collected on various materials
   1. Abu Bakr said, “By Allah, it is (really) a good thing. So I kept on arguing with him about it till Allah opened my bosom for that which He had opened the bosoms of Abu Bakr and Umar. So I started locating quranic material and collecting it from parchments, scapula, leaf-stalks of date palms and from the memories of men (who knew it by heart). I found with Khuzaima two Verses of Surat-at-Tauba which I had not found with anybody else, (and they were):– “Verily there has come to you an Apostle (Muhammad) from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty He (Muhammad) is ardently anxious over you (to be rightly guided)” (9.128) The manuscript on which the quran was collected, remained with Abu Bakr till Allah took him unto Him, and then with ‘Umar till Allah took him unto Him, and finally, it remained with Hafsa, Umar’s daughter.  (Sahih Bukhari, Book #60, Hadith #201)
   2. Stop reciting it if you can’t agree on its interpretation
      1. Narrated Jundub: The Prophet said, “Recite (and study) the Quran as long as you agree about its interpretation, but when you have any difference of opinion (as regards its interpretation and meaning) then you should stop reciting it (for the time being)’  (Book #61, Hadith #581)
5. Confirms what came before it
   1. Surah 3:3, “It is He Who sent down to thee (step by step), in truth, the Book, confirming what went before it; and He sent down the Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this, as a guide to mankind, and He sent down the criterion (of judgment between right and wrong).”
   2. Surah 2:89, “And when there comes to them a Book from Allah, confirming what is with them – although from of old they had prayed for victory against those without Faith – when there comes to them that which they (should) have recognized, they refuse to believe in it but the curse of Allah is on those without Faith.”
   3. Surah 5:48, “To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety: so judge between them by what Allah hath revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging from the Truth that hath come to thee. To each among you have we prescribed a law and an open way. If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (His plan is) to test you in what He hath given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to Allah. It is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which ye dispute.”
6. Don’t approach it hastily
   1. Surah 20:114, ” High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth! Be not in haste with the Qur’an before its revelation to thee is completed, but say, “O my Lord! advance me in knowledge.”
   2. Surah 75:16, “Move not thy tongue concerning the (Qur’an) to make haste therewith.”
7. Easy to understand
   1. Surah 44:58, “Verily, We have made this (Qur’an) easy, in thy tongue, in order that they may give heed.”
8. Free from error
   1. Surah 4:82, “Do they not consider the Qur’an (with care)? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy.”
9. Full of wisdom
   1. Surah 36:2, “By the Qur’an, full of Wisdom”
10. If in doubt about the Quran, ask those who read the Bible
    1. Surah 10:94, “So if you (O Muhammad) are in doubt concerning that which We have revealed unto you, [i.e., that your name is written in the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] then ask those who are reading the Book [the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] before you. Verily, the truth has come to you from your Lord. So be not of those who doubt (it).”
11. If not from Allah, there would be discrepensies
    1. Surah 4:82, ” Do they not consider the Qur’an (with care)? Had it been from other Than Allah, they would surely have found therein Much discrepancy.”
12. Its laws are right and straight
    1. Surah 98:3, “Wherein are laws (or decrees) right and straight.”
13. Inscribed in a preserved Tablet
    1. Surah 85:21-22, “Day, this is a Glorious Qur’an, 22 (Inscribed) in a Tablet Preserved!”
14. Last quranic verse revealed to Muhammad
    1. The last Verse (in the quran) revealed to the Prophet was the Verse dealing with usury (i.e. Riba). (Sahih Bukhari, Book #60, Hadith #67, Narrated Ibn Abbas)
    2. “The last quranic Verse that was revealed (to the Prophet) was the final Verse of Surat-an-Nisa, i.e., ‘They ask you for a legal verdict Say: Allah directs (thus) About those who leave No descendants or ascendants as heirs….’ (4.176)  (Sahih Bukhari, Book #80, Hadith #736, Narrated Al-Bara)
       1. Surah 4:176, “They ask thee for a legal decision. Say: Allah directs (thus) about those who leave no descendants or ascendants as heirs. If it is a man that dies, leaving a sister but no child, she shall have half the inheritance: If (such a deceased was) a woman, who left no child, Her brother takes her inheritance: If there are two sisters, they shall have two-thirds of the inheritance (between them): if there are brothers and sisters, (they share), the male having twice the share of the female. Thus doth Allah make clear to you (His law), lest ye err. And Allah hath knowledge of all things.”
15. No one can alter the words of Allah
    1. Surah 6:34, “Verily, (many) Messengers were denied before you (O Muhammad), but with patience, they bore the denial, and they were hurt, till Our Help reached them, and none can alter the Words (Decisions) of Allah. Surely there has reached you the information (news) about the Messengers (before you).”
16. None can change the words of Allah
    1. Surah 18:27, “And recite what has been revealed to you (O Muhammad) of the Book (the Qur’an) of your Lord (i.e., recite it, understand and follow its teachings and act on its orders and preach it to men). None can change His Words, and none will you find as a refuge other than Him.”
17. Not merely from Muhammad
    1. Surah 69:43-46, “(This is) a Message sent down from the Lord of the Worlds. 44 And if the apostle were to invent any sayings in Our name, 45 We should certainly seize him by his right hand, 46 And We should certainly then cut off the artery of his heart.”
18. Produced by Allah
    1. Surah 10:37, “This Qur’an is not such as can be produced by other than Allah; on the contrary, it is a confirmation of (revelations) that went before it, and a fuller explanation of the Book – wherein there is no doubt – from the Lord of the worlds.”
19. Revealed in Arabic
    1. Surah 12:2, “We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an, in order that ye may learn wisdom.”
    2. Surah 20:133, “Thus have We sent this down – an arabic Qur’an –  and explained therein in detail some of the warnings, in order that they may fear Allah, or that it may cause their remembrance (of Him).”
20. Revealed in the Quraish dialect
    1. (The Caliph ‘Uthman ordered Zaid bin Thabit, Said bin Al-As, ‘Abdullah bin Az-Zubair and ‘Abdur-Rahman bin Al-Harith bin Hisham to write the quran in the form of a book (Mushafs) and said to them. “In case you disagree with Zaid bin Thabit (Al-Ansari) regarding any dialectic Arabic utterance of the quran, then write it in the dialect of Quraish, for the quran was revealed in this dialect.” So they did it.  (Sahih Bukhari, Book #61, Hadith #507, Narrated Anas bin Malik)
21. Sent down during Ramadan
    1. Surah 2:185, “Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur’an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if anyone is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful.”
22. True Guidance
    1. Surah 2:2-5, “This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah; 3 Who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them; 4 And who believe in the Revelation sent to thee and sent before thy time, and (in their hearts) have the assurance of the Hereafter. 5 They are on (true) guidance, from their Lord, and it is these who will prosper.”
23. What is the real Quran?
    1. “Hudhaifa was afraid of their differences in the recitation of the Qur’an…Uthman sent to every Muslim province one copy of what they had copied, and ordered that all the other Qur’anic materials, whether written in fragmentary manuscripts or whole copies, be burnt,” (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith, vol. 6, Book 61, #510, Narrated Anas bin Malik).
24. Verses are explained in detail
    1. Surah 41:3, “A Book, whereof the verses are explained in detail;- a Qur’an in Arabic, for people who understand.”