Ni lazima kufafanua Qur-aan, kwa kuwa kutokana na ufafanuzi huu tutajua kipi kinaruhusiwa kusomwa katika swala na kipi hakiruhusiwi. Pia tutajua ni nini kinachokuwa hoja katika Hukmu Shar‟i na ni nini kisichokuwa hoja. Vilevile, unatuonyesha ni kitu gani kinamfanya mtu kuwa kafiri kutokana na anachokikanusha, na ni kipi kisichounda ukafiri. Tunaposema kufafanua Qur-aan, tunamaanisha Qur-aan kama dalili katika Fiqh.

It is necessary to define the Qur‟an, from this definition we will know what is allowed to be read in prayer and what is not. What is a proof in Hukm Shara‟i and what is not? It also tells us what makes somebody a Kafir due to what he denies and what does not constitute disbelief. So when we define Qur‟an we mean the Qur‟an as evidence in Fiqh.

Neno "Qur‟an" limetokana na kitenzi "Qara‟a", ambacho maana yake ni kusoma au kusoma kwa sauti. Kwa hiyo, kwa mujibu wa lugha, "Qur‟an" maana yake ni kitabu ambacho kimesomwa au kusomwa kwa sauti.

Qur‟an is derived from the word Qara‟a, which means to read or recite. Therefore, Qur‟an linguistically means the book that has been read or recited.

Kama istilahi, Qur'ani ni maneno ya Allah (SWT) ya kimuujiza yaliyoteremshwa kwa Muhammad ﷺ kwa lugha ya Kiarabu, na kupokelewa kwetu kwa njia ya Tawatur. Kusoma Qur'ani kunachukuliwa kuwa ni 'Ibadah (tendo la ibada). Kwa maneno ya Allah (SWT) inamaanishwa kwamba Qur'ani ni maneno kamili ya Allah (SWT). Iliteremshwa kwa Muhammad ﷺ kama ilivyo leo. Kwa neno 'kimuujiza' inamaanishwa kwamba hakuna mtu anayeweza kutoa kitu kinachofanana nayo.3

As a term, Qur‟an is Allah‟s (swt) miraculous speech revealed unto Muhammad (saw) in Arabic and transferred to us by the Tawatur method. The recitation of Qur‟an is considered as an „„Ibadah (act of worship). By Allah‟s (swt) speech it is meant that the Qur‟an is the exact words of Allah (swt). It was revealed to Muhammad (saw) as it exists today. By „miraculous‟ it is meant that no one can produce something similar to it.3

Neno "kwa Kiarabu" linarejelea lugha ya Qur'ani, si upeo wake wala mawazo yake, kwa sababu Qur'ani inawahusu Waarabu na wasio Waarabu. Kanuni za Qur'ani ni za ulimwengu wote na hazizuiliwi kwa kundi moja la kikabila, eneo maalum wala zama maalum. Qur'ani yote iko kwa Kiarabu kabisa na haina lugha ya kigeni. Imam Shafi'i anasema katika Risala yake: "Qur'ani inaonyesha kwamba hakuna sehemu katika Kitabu cha Allah ambayo haiko katika lugha ya Kiarabu. Aliyetoa maoni kama hayo [kuhusu maneno ya kigeni katika Qur'ani] huenda alipata watu waliokubali kwa [kujisalimisha kwa upofu] (taqlid) mamlaka yake, wakiacha suala la ushahidi kwake yeye na kwa wale waliopingana naye. Hata hivyo, kwa kujisalimisha tu wamepuuza [wajibu wao]; Allah awasamehe wao na sisi. Lakini, labda, aliyetoa maoni kwamba katika Qur'ani kuna [maneno] ambayo si ya lugha ya Kiarabu - na maoni yake yalikubaliwa na wengine - alimaanisha kwamba kuna [maneno] fulani mahsusi ambayo hayaeleweki na baadhi ya Waarabu." Zaidi ya hayo, kutojua kwa Waarabu baadhi ya maneno ya Qur'ani si ushahidi kwamba Qur'ani ina maneno ya kigeni. Badala yake, kuna uwezekano kwamba baadhi ya wasio Waarabu walijifunza maneno fulani ya Kiarabu kisha yakaenea katika lugha yao. Kwa sababu hiyo, baadhi ya maneno yao yanaweza kufanana na maneno yaliyotajwa katika Qur'ani, au pengine maneno ya kigeni yaliingia katika lugha ya Kiarabu yenyewe. Hivyo yakawa sehemu ya lugha ya Kiarabu yenyewe, na kwa hiyo hayawezi tena kuchukuliwa kuwa neno la kigeni, kwa kuwa Waarabu waliyatumia kama sehemu ya lugha yao, hata kama asili yake ni ya kigeni.

The term “in Arabic” refers to the language of the Qur‟an, not to its scope or ideas because Qur‟an addresses all Arabs and non-Arabs. The rules of Qur‟an are universal and not restricted to one ethnic group or a specific area or time. All the Qu‟ran is completely in Arabic and contains no foreign tongue. Imam Shafi says in his Risala, “The Qu‟ran indicates that there is no portion in the Book of Allah that is not in the Arab tongue. He who expressed such an opinion [concerning foreign words in the Qu‟ran] may have found some [men] who accepted it by [sheer] submission (taqlid) to his authority, leaving the matter of proof up to him and to those who have disagreed with him. However, by mere submission they have neglected [their duty]; Allah forgive them and us. But, perhaps, he who expressed the opinion that there are in the Quran [words] which are not of the Arab tongue-and his opinion was accepted by others meant that there are certain particular [words] which are not understood by some Arabs.” Furthermore, the ignorance of the Arabs about some words of the Quran is not evidence that the Quran contains foreign words. Rather there is a possibility that some non-Arabs learned some Arabic words and then it became wide spread in their language. Because of this some of their words may correspond to some words mentioned in the Quran, or maybe some foreign words entered in the Arabic language. And hence it became part of the Arabic language itself and therefore cannot be considered a foreign word anymore as the Arabs used it as part of their language, even if its root is foreign.

Aya nyingi zinaonyesha kwamba Qur'an ni Kiarabu kabisa, kama vile:

Many verses point that the Quran is completely in Arabic such as:

"Hakika Sisi tumeiteremsha kama Qur'ani ya Kiarabu." (TMQ Yusuf: 2)

“Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur‟an.” (TMQ Yusuf: 2)

"Kitabu ambacho aya zake zimefafanuliwa kwa kina - Qur'ani ya Kiarabu kwa watu wanaojua."

“A Book whereof the Verses are explained in detail - a Qur‟an in Arabic for people who know.” (TMQ Fussilat: 3)

“Qur'ani ya Kiarabu isiyo na upotovu wowote ndani yake, labda watamcha Mungu.” (TMQ Al-Zumar: 29)

“An Arabic Quran with no crookedness in it, perchance they will be God fearing.” (TMQ Al-Zumar: 29)

"Hivyo ndivyo tulivyoiteremsha kama Sheria ya Kiarabu." (TMQ Ar-Ra‟ad: 37)

“Thus We sent it down as an Arabic Law.” (TMQ Ar-Ra‟ad: 37)

"Na hivyo ndivyo tulivyokufunulia (Ewe Muhammad ﷺ) Qur-ani (kwa lugha ya Kiarabu)." (TMQ Shurah: 7)

“And thus We have revealed unto you (O Muhammad [saw]) a Qur‟an (in Arabic).” (TMQ Shurah: 7)

{Hakika Sisi tumeifanya kuwa Qur'ani kwa lugha ya Kiarabu.} (Zukhruf: 3)

“We verily, have made it a Qur‟an in Arabic.” (TMQ Zukhruf: 3)

Kwa njia ya Tawatur inamaanisha kwamba kundi la watu ambao haiwezekani kwao kusema uongo au kula njama ya kutunga uongo ndilo lililotufikishia. Qur'an ilitufikia kupitia kizazi kizima, si kwa kundi tu, kikiwapitishia vizazi vilivyofuata, hadi kikafika kizazi cha sasa, bila pengo lolote katika upitishaji huu.

By Tawatur method it is meant that a group or people for whom it is impossible to lie or conspire to fabricate a lie conveyed it to us. The Qur‟an was transferred to us through an entire generation, not just by a group, to its successors, until it reached the present generation, without any interval in this transference.

Kusoma Qur’ani kwa Kiarabu peke yake, hata bila kuelewa maana yake, huchukuliwa kuwa ni ‘ibadah. Kwa mtazamo huu, Qur’ani inatofautiana na Hadithi, ambayo haiwezi kusomwa kama tendo la ‘ibadah. Hata hivyo, kutafakari maana za Qur’ani na Hadithi zote mbili huchukuliwa kuwa ni ‘ibadah.

Reciting Qur‟an in Arabic by itself, without even comprehending its meaning is considered an „„Ibadah. In this regard, Qur‟an is different from Hadith, which cannot be recited as an act of „„Ibadah. However, thinking about the meanings of both the Qur‟an and Hadith is considered an „„Ibadah.