THE QURAN.
Abstract.
THE NATURE OF ALLAH.
Allah is the one true God, the sole Creator and Lord of all worlds. He is the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, the Ever-Living, and All-Sustaining. He is the First and the Last, the Originator of heavens and earth, possessing absolute authority over them. His knowledge is perfect and encompasses all things, both seen and unseen, including the secrets of hearts. He is All-Powerful, All-Wise, All-Hearing, and All-Seeing. Nothing in creation is like Him. He has no offspring, mate, or partners, and is Self-Sufficient, needing nothing from His creation. All praise and glorification are due to Him. His command is absolute; when He decrees a matter, He says, "Be," and it is. He has taken mercy upon Himself, and His mercy encompasses everything. He guides whomever He wills and leaves others to stray. All matters return to Him for judgment, which is swift and just. He is the ultimate Protector and Helper.
REVELATION AND SCRIPTURE.
Allah reveals His guidance through messengers, sending down scriptures as a light and a standard for humanity. He revealed the Torah to Moses and the Gospel to Jesus, and ultimately the Quran to Muhammad, confirming and superseding previous revelations. The Quran is a clear, perfectly explained book in the Arabic language, containing no crookedness. It serves as a reminder, a warning, a guide, and a mercy for believers. Its divine origin is proven by its inimitability; humans and jinn together could not produce its like. Allah has guaranteed its preservation. Those who deny or ridicule its verses face severe punishment. It is not poetry or magic, but the word of the Lord of all worlds, delivered by the trustworthy spirit, Gabriel.
PROPHETS AND MESSENGERS.
Allah sent messengers to every community to warn them and call them to worship Him alone. He chose Adam, Noah, Abraham, and the families of Imran and Jacob, favoring them above others. Prophets, including Moses, Jesus, Ishmael, Job, Jonah, Solomon, David, Lot, and Muhammad, were all human beings who received revelation. They did not possess treasures, know the unseen, or claim divinity. Their duty was only to deliver the message clearly. They were often rejected, mocked, and persecuted by their people, with some being unjustly killed. However, Allah's promise is that His messengers and their followers will always prevail. Muhammad is the final messenger, sent as a mercy to all worlds. Abraham is presented as an upright role model, who was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but a submitted monotheist.
CORE BELIEFS AND THE HEREAFTER.
True faith is belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day. All souls will taste death, and the Hour of Judgment is inevitable and its knowledge rests with Allah alone. On that Day, the earth and mountains will be crushed, the sky will split open, and all will be resurrected to stand before Allah. Deeds will be weighed on scales of justice; no soul will be wronged. Each person will receive a record of their deeds. The believers will receive it in their right hand, rejoice, and enter Paradise. The wicked will receive it in their left hand, lament their fate, and be cast into Hell. No ransom, intercession, or friendship will avail on that Day, except by Allah's permission. This worldly life is a fleeting enjoyment and a test, whereas the Hereafter is the eternal home.
HUMANKIND: CREATION, PURPOSE, AND DIVISIONS.
Allah created humanity from a single soul, Adam, from clay, and then from a sperm-drop. Humanity's purpose is to worship Allah. Humans are given free will to choose between gratitude and ingratitude. Those who believe and do good are promised forgiveness and the finest reward: Gardens of Bliss with pure spouses, where they will reside forever, enjoying whatever they desire. Their faces will be bright, and they will have no fear or grief.
Disbelievers, who deny Allah's signs and the Hereafter, are driven by arrogance, falsehood, and blind following of their ancestors. Their deeds will be rendered void, and they are promised a severe and humiliating punishment in Hell. They will be dragged on their faces, given boiling water and pus to drink, and their skin will be replaced as it burns. They will have no helpers and will remain there forever, filled with regret.
Hypocrites are those who profess belief but conceal disbelief. They seek to deceive Allah and the believers, spread discord, and avoid struggle. They are cowards who ally with disbelievers and rejoice in the believers' misfortunes. They are promised the lowest depths of the Fire.
DIVINE LAW AND GUIDANCE.
Allah has ordained a way of life, with laws for guidance. The foremost command is to worship Him alone, associating no partners with Him. Devotion is shown through prayer, charity (alms-tax), fasting, and pilgrimage to the Sacred House in Mecca. Believers must establish justice, even against themselves or their kin. Righteousness includes kindness to parents, relatives, orphans, and the poor.
Dietary laws forbid carrion, blood, swine, and that which is slaughtered in another's name. Intoxicants and gambling are great evils. Rulings are provided for marriage, dowry, and divorce, emphasizing honorable treatment. Inheritance laws detail the specific shares for relatives. The law of retaliation is prescribed for murder, though pardoning and accepting blood-money is a mercy. Fighting is permitted in self-defense against aggressors and persecution, but transgressing limits is forbidden. Oaths must be honored, and promises fulfilled.
STORIES OF PAST NATIONS.
The Quran recounts stories of past peoples as lessons. The people of Noah were drowned in a flood for rejecting him. Ad and Thamud were destroyed by a furious wind and a mighty blast for their arrogance. Pharaoh and his armies were drowned for persecuting Moses and the Israelites, who were then delivered. The people of Lot were destroyed by a rain of brimstone for their shameful deeds. The people of Shu'aib were overtaken by an earthquake for their dishonesty. These societies were destroyed for their wrongdoing after messengers came to them with clear proofs.
SATAN AND EVIL.
Satan (Iblis) is a sworn enemy to humanity. He was one of the jinn who, out of arrogance, refused to prostrate to Adam when commanded by Allah. He was cursed and vowed to mislead humanity by tempting them with false hopes and inciting evil, indecency, and discord. He has no authority over true believers who put their trust in Allah. Believers are commanded to seek refuge in Allah from Satan's whispers and not to follow his footsteps.