Qur'ani inaweza kufafanuliwa kama ifuatavyo:

The Qur'an can be defined as follows:

Maneno ya Allah, yaliyoteremshwa kwa Nabii wa mwisho Muhammad ﷺ, kupitia Malaika Gabriel, yenye maana yake sahihi na maneno yake sahihi, yaliyotufikia kupitia wapokezi wengi (tawatur), kwa kinywa na kwa maandishi.

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.

Neno la Kiarabu 'qur'an' limetokana na mzizi qara'a, ambao una maana mbalimbali, kama vile kusoma, [Sura 17: 93.] kukariri, [Sura 75:18:17: 46.] na kadhalika. Qur'an ni nomino ya kitenzi na hivyo maana yake ni 'kusoma' au 'kukariri'. Kama linavyotumiwa ndani ya Qur'an yenyewe, neno hili linarejelea ufunuo kutoka kwa Allah kwa maana pana [Sura 17: 82.] na halizuiliwi kila wakati kwenye umbo la maandishi katika mfumo wa kitabu, kama tunavyokiona leo mbele yetu.

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.

Hata hivyo, neno hilo linamaanisha ufunuo kwa Muhammad ﷺ pekee, ilhali ufunuo kwa manabii wengine umetajwa kwa majina tofauti (k.m. Taurati, Injili, kitabu, n.k.).

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.).

Wahyi kutoka kwa Allah kwenda kwa Nabii Muhammad ﷺ unatajwa ndani ya Qur'ani yenyewe kwa jina la qur'ani (usomaji), pamoja na majina mengine, kama vile n.k.

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 (kigezo cha kutofautisha, angalia 25: 1).

 Furqaan (criterion, see 25: 1).

Tanzil (imeteremshwa, angalia 26: 192).

 Tanzil (sent down, see 26: 192).

Dhikr (ukumbusho, angalia 15: 9).

 Dhikr (reminder, see 15: 9).

Kitabu (maandiko, ona 21:10).

 Kitab (scripture, see 21:10).

Marejeo mengine ya Qur'ani yanatajwa kwa maneno kama Nuru (mwanga), Huda (uongofu), Rahma (rehema), Majid (tukufu), Mubarak (yenye baraka), Bashir (mtoa habari njema), Nadhir (mwonyaji), n.k.

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.

Majina haya yote yanaakisi mojawapo ya vipengele mbalimbali vya neno lililoteremshwa la Allah.

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

[Kwa maelezo zaidi kuhusu hadithi angalia: A'zami, Muhammad Mustafa: Studies in Hadith Methodology and Literature, Indianapolis, 1977.] Neno hadithi lina maana ya habari, taarifa au simulizi. Ni katika maana hii ya jumla neno hilo linatumika katika Qur'ani. [kwa mfano

[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.] Kitaalamu, neno hadith, (wingi ahadith) linamaanisha hasa taarifa (za kinywa na maandishi) kuhusu sunna ya Mtume Muhammad ﷺ. Taarifa za hadith kuhusu Mtume Muhammad ﷺ ni za aina zifuatazo:

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:

Alichosema (qaul).

 What he said (qaul).

Alichofanya (fi'l).

 What he did (fi'l).

Alichokikubali kimyonya (taqrir) katika matendo ya wengine.

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

Pia kuna riwaya kumhusu yeye, yaani kuhusu alivyokuwa (sifa).

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

Wanazuoni wengi wa Kiislamu wanakubaliana kwamba yaliyomo katika sunna pia yanatoka kwa Allah. Kwa sababu hiyo wameeleza kwamba ni matokeo ya aina fulani ya wahyi. [Kwa maelezo zaidi tazama kitabu al-Risala, cha Imam al-Shafi'i, Cairo, bila tarehe, hasa kurasa 28-9. Kwa Kiingereza: Khadduri Majid, Islamic Jurisprudence. Shafi'i's Risala, Baltimore, 1961, sura ya 5, hasa kurasa 121-2.] Hata hivyo, yaliyomo katika sunna yanaelezwa kupitia maneno au matendo ya Mtume ﷺ mwenyewe, ilhali katika kesi ya Qur'an Malaika Jibril... Correction to the above, keeping the angel's name in its Swahili form per the rules: Wanazuoni wengi wa Kiislamu wanakubaliana kwamba yaliyomo katika sunna pia yanatoka kwa Allah. Kwa sababu hiyo wameeleza kwamba ni matokeo ya aina fulani ya wahyi. [Kwa maelezo zaidi tazama kitabu al-Risala, cha Imam al-Shafi'i, Cairo, bila tarehe, hasa kurasa 28-9. Kwa Kiingereza: Khadduri Majid, Islamic Jurisprudence. Shafi'i's Risala, Baltimore, 1961, sura ya 5, hasa kurasa 121-2.] Hata hivyo, yaliyomo katika sunna yanaelezwa kupitia maneno au matendo ya Mtume ﷺ mwenyewe, ilhali katika kesi ya Qur'an Malaika Gabriel alimletea Mtume ﷺ maneno na yaliyomo kamili. Mtume ﷺ alipokea hayo kama wahyi, kisha akayatangaza kwa namna ile ile aliyoyapokea.

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.

Tofauti kati ya aina hizi mbili imefafanuliwa na Suyuti (akimfuata al-Juwaini) kwa namna ifuatayo:

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

"Maneno yaliyofunuliwa ya Allah ni ya aina mbili: Kuhusu aina ya kwanza, Allah humwambia Jibril: Mwambie Nabii ambaye nimekutuma kwake kwamba Allah anamwambia afanye hivi na hivi, na amemwamuru jambo fulani. Basi Jibril akafahamu kile ambacho Mola wake alimwambia. Kisha akashuka kwa Nabii ﷺ na hili, akamwambia kile ambacho Mola wake alimwambia, lakini usemi si huu (huu huu) hasa, kama vile mfalme anavyomwambia mtu anayemtegemea: Mwambie fulani: Mfalme anakuambia: jitahidi katika utumishi wake na ukusanye jeshi lako kwa ajili ya vita ... na mjumbe anapokwenda na kusema: Mfalme anakuambia: usiache kunitumikia, na usiruhusu jeshi livunjike, na uite kwenye vita, n.k., basi hajasema uongo wala kupunguza ujumbe ..."

[Kwa utangulizi wa somo hili na mifano teule ya maandishi, tazama kwa mfano: Ibrahim Izzuddin na Denis Johnson-Davies: Forty Hadith Qudsi, Beirut, Damascus, 1980.] Qudsi maana yake ni takatifu, au safi. Kuna baadhi ya simulizi kutoka kwa Mtume Muhammad ﷺ ambapo yeye anawaeleza watu kile ambacho Mungu amesema (anasema) au kufanya (anafanya), lakini taarifa hii si sehemu ya Qur'an. Simulizi ya aina hii huitwa hadith qudsi, kwa mfano:

[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 alisimulia kwamba Mtume wa Allah ﷺ alisema:

Abu Hurairah reported that Allah's messenger said:

'Allah, Mtukufu na Mwenye Utukufu mkuu ni Yeye, alisema: Mja Wangu akipenda kukutana nami, nami nampenda kukutana naye, na akichukia kukutana Nami, nami nachukia kukutana naye.' [Arobaini Hadith Qudsi, Beirut, Damascus, 1980, Na. 30.] Ingawa jambo linalofanana kati ya hadith qudsi na Qur'ani ni kwamba zote mbili zina maneno kutoka kwa Allah yaliyoteremshwa kwa Muhammad ﷺ, tofauti kuu kati ya Qur'ani na hadith qudsi ni hizi zifuatazo:

'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:

Katika Qur'ani maneno kamili ni kutoka kwa Allah, ilhali katika hadithi qudsi maneno hutolewa na Mtume Muhammad ﷺ.

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

Qur'ani imeshushiwa kwa Muhammad ﷺ kupitia Malaika Gabriel pekee, ilhali hadith qudsi inaweza pia kuwa imepokewa kwa njia nyingine, kwa mfano katika ndoto.

 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.

Qur'ani haiwezi kuigwa na ni ya kipekee, lakini hadith qudsi si hivyo.

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

Tofauti muhimu zaidi kati ya Qur'ani na maneno au maandiko mengine yote ni kwamba Qur'ani ni kauli ya Allah, iliyoteremshwa kwa maana yake halisi na maneno yake halisi kupitia Malaika Gabriel, ikipokelewa na wengi, isiyoweza kuigwa, ya kipekee, na iliyolindwa na Allah Mwenyewe dhidi ya upotoshaji wowote.

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.