Al-Qur'ani za a iya bayyana shi kamar haka:

The Qur'an can be defined as follows:

Maganar Allah, wadda aka saukar wa annabinsa na ƙarshe Muhammadﷺ, ta hannun Mala'ika Jibril, cikin ainihin ma'anarta da ainihin kalmominta, wadda ɗimbin mutane suka isar mana da ita ta hanyar tawatur, duka ta baki da ta rubutu.

The speech of Allah, sent down upon the last Prophet Muhammad, through the Angel Gabriel, in its precise meaning and precise wording, transmitted to us by numerous persons (tawatur), both verbally and in writing.

Kalmar 'Alƙur'ani' ta samo asali ne daga tushen qara'a, wanda yake da ma'anoni dabam-dabam, kamar karatu, [Suratu 17: 93.] karantawa, [Suratu 75:18:17: 46.] da sauransu. "Alƙur'ani" suna ne na aiki, saboda haka yana nufin 'karatu' ko 'karantawa'. Kamar yadda aka yi amfani da kalmar a cikin Alƙur'ani kansa, tana nufin wahayin Allah a ma'ana mai faɗi, [Suratu 17: 82.] kuma ba koyaushe ake takaita ta ga rubutacciyar sigar littafi kamar yadda muke da shi a yau ba.

The Arabic word 'qur'an' is derived from the root qara'a, which has various meanings, such as to read, [Sura 17: 93.] to recite, [Sura 75:18:17: 46.] etc. Qur'an is a verbal noun and hence means the 'reading' or 'recitation'. As used in the Qur'an itself, the word refers to the revelation from Allah in the broad sense [Sura 17: 82.] and is not always restricted to the written form in the shape of a book, as we have it before us today.

Sai dai, yana nufin wahayi ga Muhammad ﷺ kaɗai, yayin da wahayin da aka yi wa sauran annabawa aka kira shi da sunaye daban-daban (misali, Taurat, Injil, littafi, da sauransu).

However, it means revelation to Muhammad only, while revelation to other prophets has been referred to by different names (e.g. taurat, Injil, kitab, etc.).

Wahayin da Allah ya saukar wa Annabi Muhammad ﷺ an kira shi a cikin Alkur'ani kansa da sunan qur'an (karatu), haka nan kuma da wasu sunaye, misali:

The revelation from Allah to the Prophet Muhammad is referred to in the Qur'an itself by the name qur'an (recitation) as well as by other names, such as e.g.

Furqaan (ma'auni, duba Al-Furqan 25: 1).

 Furqaan (criterion, see 25: 1).

Tanzil (an saukar da shi, duba 26: 192).

 Tanzil (sent down, see 26: 192).

Zikiri (tunatarwa, duba Suratul Hijr: 9).

 Dhikr (reminder, see 15: 9).

Kitab (littafi, duba Al-Anbiya' 21:10).

 Kitab (scripture, see 21:10).

Sauran ambaton da ake yi wa Alqur'ani sun haɗa da kalmomi kamar Nur (haske), Huda (shiriya), Rahma (rahama), Majid (mai daraja), Mubarak (mai albarka), Bashir (mai bayar da bushara), Nadhir (mai gargaɗi), da sauransu.

Other references to the Qur'an are by such words as Nur (light), Huda (guidance), Rahma (mercy), Majid (glorious), Mubarak (blessed), Bashir (announcer), Nadhir (warner), etc.

Duk waɗannan sunaye suna nuna wani ɓangare na maganar Allah da aka saukar.

All these names reflect one of the various aspects of the revealed word of Allah.

[Don neman ƙarin bayani game da hadisi, duba: A'zami, Muhammad Mustafa: Studies in Hadith Methodology and Literature, Indianapolis, 1977.] Kalmar hadisi na nufin labari, rahoto ko ruwaya. A cikin wannan ma'ana ta gaba ɗaya ne ake amfani da kalmar a cikin Alƙur'ani. [misali:

[For details on hadith see: A'zami, Muhammad Mustafa: Studies in Hadith Methodology and Literature, Indianapolis, 1977.] The word hadith means news, report or narration. It is in this general sense that the word is used in the Qur'an. [e.g.

Sura 12:101.] A rigon ma'ana, kalmar hadith (jam'i ahadith) tana nufin musamman rahotannin (na baki da na rubutu) game da sunnar Annabi Muhammad ﷺ. Rahotannin hadith game da Annabi Muhammad ﷺ suna da nau'o'i kamar haka:

Sura 12:101.] Technically, the word hadith, (pl. ahadith) means in particular the reports (verbal and written) about the sunna of the Prophet Muhammad. Hadith reports about the Prophet Muhammad are of the following kinds:

Abin da ya faɗa (qaul).

 What he said (qaul).

Abin da ya aikata (fi'l).

 What he did (fi'l).

Abin da ya amince da shi cikin shiru (taqrir) a ayyukan wasu.

 What he (silently) approved (taqrir) in others' actions.

Akwai kuma rahotanni game da shi, wato game da yadda yake (sifa).

There are also reports about him, i.e. about what he was like (sifa).

Akwai yarjejeniya tsakanin mafi yawan malaman Musulunci cewa abubuwan da ke cikin sunna ma daga Allah suke. Saboda haka sun siffanta ta a matsayin wani nau'i na wahayi. [Don cikakken bayani duba kitab al-risala, na Imam al-Shafi'i, Cairo, n.d., musamman shafi na 28-9. A Turance: Khadduri Majid, Islamic Jurisprudence. Shafi'i's Risala, Baltimore, 1961, babi na 5, musamman shafi na 121-2.] Duk da haka, abubuwan da ke cikin sunna ana bayyana su ta hanyar kalmomi ko ayyukan Annabi ﷺ da kansa, alhali a game da Alkur'ani, Mala'ika Jibril ne ya kawo wa Annabi ﷺ ainihin kalmomi da abubuwan da ke cikinsa, shi kuwa ya karbe shi a matsayin wahayi, sannan ya isar da shi a daidai yadda ya karbe shi.

There is agreement among most Muslim scholars that the contents of the sunna are also from Allah. Hence they have described it as also being the result of some form of inspiration. [For details see kitab al-risala, by Imam al-Shafi'i, Cairo, n.d., especially pp. 28-9. In English: Khadduri Majid, Islamic Jurisprudence. Shafi'i's Risala, Baltimore, 1961, chapter 5, especially pp. 121-2.] The contents of the sunna are however expressed through the Prophet's own words or actions, while in the case of the Qur'an the Angel Gabriel brought the exact wording and contents to the Prophet, who received this as revelation and then announced it, in the very same manner that he received it.

Bambancin da ke tsakanin waɗannan nau'uka biyu Suyuti ya kwatanta shi (yana bin Juwaini) ta wannan hanya:

The difference between these two forms has been illustrated by Suyuti (following Juwaini) in the following manner:

Wahayin magana na Allah yana da nau'i biyu. Dangane da nau'i na farko, Allah yana cewa wa Jibril: Ka gaya wa Annabi wanda na aike ka gare shi cewa Allah yana gaya masa ya yi wannan da wannan, kuma Ya umarce shi da wani abu. Sai Jibril ya fahimci abin da Ubangijinsa ya gaya masa. Sa'an nan ya sauko da wannan zuwa ga Annabi ﷺ ya kuma gaya masa abin da Ubangijinsa ya gaya masa, amma kalmomin ba su ne kalmomi iri ɗaya ba, kamar yadda sarki yake cewa wa wanda ya dogara da shi: Ka gaya wa fulani: Sarki yana gaya maka: ka yi ƙoƙari a cikin hidimarsa, ka tara sojojinka domin yaƙi ... sa'ad da manzo ya je ya ce: Sarki yana gaya maka: kada ka yi sakaci a cikin hidimata, kada ka bar sojoji su watse, kuma ka kira zuwa yaƙi, da sauransu, to, bai yi ƙarya ba, kuma bai rage saƙon ba ...

'The revealed speech of Allah is of two kinds: As to the first kind, Allah says to Gabriel: Tell the Prophet to whom I sent you that Allah tells him to do this and this, and He ordered him something. So Gabriel understood what His Lord had told him. Then he descended with this to the Prophet and told him what His Lord had told him, but the expression is not this (same) expression, just as a king says to someone upon whom he relies: Tell so-and-so: The king says to you: strive in his service and gather your army for fighting ... and when the messenger (goes and) says: The king tells you: do not fail in my service, and do not let the army break up, and call for fighting, etc., then he has not lied nor shortened (the message) ...

[Don neɗaɗɗen gabatarwa ga wannan maudu'i da wasu misalai zaɓaɓɓu, duba misali: Ibrahim Izzuddin da Denis Johnson-Davies: Forty Hadith Qudsi, Beirut, Damascus, 1980.] Qudsi na nufin mai tsarki, ko tsarkakke. Akwai wasu rahotanni daga Annabi Muhammad ﷺ inda yake faɗa wa mutane abin da Allah ya faɗa ko ya aikata, amma wannan bayani ba ɓangare ne na Alƙur'ani ba. Irin wannan rahoto ana kiransa hadisi qudsi, misali:

[For an introduction to the subject and select sample texts, see e.g. Ibrahim Izzuddin and Denis Johnson-Davies: Forty Hadith Qudsi, Beirut, Damascus, 1980.] Qudsi means holy, or pure. There are some reports from the Prophet Muhammad where he relates to the people what God has said (says) or did (does), but this information is not part of the Qur'an. Such a report is called hadith qudsi, e.g.:

Abu Hurairah ya ruwaito cewa Manzon Allah ﷺ ya ce:

Abu Hurairah reported that Allah's messenger said:

'Allah, Maɗaukakin Sarki kuma Maɗaukaki ne, Ya ce: In bawana yana son haɗuwa da Ni, Ni ma ina son haɗuwa da shi, kuma idan ya ƙi haɗuwa da Ni, Ni ma ina ƙin haɗuwa da shi.' [Forty Hadith Qudsi, Beirut, Damascus, 1980, No. 30.] Duk da cewa abin da hadisi alƙudusi da Alƙur'ani suka haɗu a kai shi ne dukkansu sun ƙunshi kalmomin Allah waɗanda aka saukar wa Muhammadﷺ, manyan bambance-bambancen da ke tsakanin Alƙur'ani da hadisi alƙudusi sune kamar haka:

'Allah, Mighty and Exalted is He, said: If My servant likes to meet me, I like to meet him, and if he dislikes to meet Me, I dislike to meet him.' [Forty Hadith Qudsi, Beirut, Damascus, 1980, No. 30.] While the common factor between hadith qudsi and the Qur'an is that both contain words from Allah which have been revealed to Muhammad, the main points of difference between Qur'an and hadith qudsi are as follows:

A cikin Alkur'ani, kalmomin ainihi daga Allah suke, yayin da a cikin Hadisin Kudsi kalmomin Annabi Muhammadu ﷺ ne suka bayar da su.

In the Qur'an the precise wording is from Allah, while in the hadith qudsi the wording is given by the Prophet Muhammad.

Ba a kawo Alƙur'ani wa Muhammad ﷺ sai ta hannun Mala'ika Gabriel, yayin da hadisin kudsi kuma yana iya kasancewa an yi masa wahayi ta wata hanya daban, kamar misali a mafarki.

 The Qur'an has been brought to Muhammad only by the Angel Gabriel, while hadith qudsi may also have been inspired otherwise, such as e.g. in a dream.

Al-Qur'ani ba shi da kwatanci kuma yana da keɓanci, amma hadisi qudusi ba haka yake ba.

 The Qur'an is inimitable and unique, but not so the hadith qudsi.

Saboda haka, babban banbanci tsakanin Alkur'ani da duk sauran kalmomi ko rubuce-rubuce shi ne cewa Alkur'ani magana ce daga Allah, wadda aka saukar da ma'anarta da lafazinta daidai ta hannun Mala'ika Jibril, wadda mutane da yawa suka ruwaito, wadda ba a iya kwaikwayonta, ta musamman ce, kuma Allah da kansa ya tsare ta daga duk wani gurbatawa.

The most important distinction between the Qur'an and all other words or writings therefore is that the Qur'an is the speech from Allah, revealed in its precise meaning and wording through the Angel Gabriel, transmitted by many, inimitable, unique and protected by Allah Himself against any corruption.