Qur'ani si tu ya kipekee miongoni mwa vitabu vya leo kwa asili yake na usafi wake, bali pia ni ya kipekee katika namna inavyowasilisha mada zake. Si kitabu kwa maana ya kawaida ya neno hilo, ambamo kuna utangulizi, maelezo ya mada, kisha hitimisho. Wala haijazuiliwa kuwasilisha matukio ya kihistoria pekee, matatizo ya kifalsafa, ukweli wa kisayansi au kanuni za kijamii, ingawa yote hayo yanaweza kupatikana yameunganishwa pamoja ndani yake bila muunganiko na viungo vinavyoonekana.

Not only is the Qur’aan unique among books today in its origin and purity, but it is also unique in the way it presents its subject matter. It is not a book in the usual sense of the word wherein there is an introduction, explanation of the subject, followed by a conclusion. Neither is it restricted to only a presentation of historical events, problems of philosophy, facts of science or social laws, though all may be found woven together in it without any apparent connection and links.

Mada zimeanzishwa bila maelezo ya usuli, matukio ya kihistoria hayapangwi kwa mpangilio wa matukio, mada mpya wakati mwingine huibuka katikati ya nyingine bila sababu inayoonekana, na msemaji pamoja na wale wanaosemeshwa hubadilisha mwelekeo bila onyo lolote hata kidogo.

Subjects are introduced without background information, historical events are not presented in chronological order, new topics sometimes crop up in the middle of another for no apparent reason, and the speaker and those spoken to change direction without the slightest forewarning.

Msomaji ambaye hajui upekee wa Qur'aan mara nyingi hushangazwa anapokuta mambo yake yakipingana na uelewa wake wa kitabu kwa ujumla, na hasa kitabu cha "kidini". Kwa sababu hiyo, Qur'aan inaweza kumwonekana kuwa imevurugika na isiyo na mpangilio. Hata hivyo, kwa wale wanaofahamu maudhui yake, lengo lake na mada yake kuu, Qur'aan ni kinyume kabisa cha hilo. Maudhui ya Qur'aan kimsingi ni mwanadamu: mwanadamu katika uhusiano wake na Mola wake na Muumba wake, Allaah; mwanadamu katika uhusiano wake na nafsi yake; na mwanadamu katika uhusiano wake na viumbe vingine vyote. Lengo na madhumuni ya Wahyi ni kumwalika mwanadamu kwenye njia sahihi ya kushughulika na Mola wake, na nafsi yake, na viumbe. Kwa hiyo, mada kuu inayopita katika Qur'aan yote ni kwamba Mungu peke yake ndiye anastahili kuabudiwa, na hivyo mwanadamu anapaswa kujisalimisha kwa sheria za Mungu katika maisha yake binafsi na katika mahusiano yake na viumbe kwa ujumla. Au, kwa maneno mengine, mada kuu ni mwito wa kuamini Allaah na kutenda matendo mema kama yalivyofafanuliwa na Allaah.

The reader who is unaware of the Qur’aan’s uniqueness is often puzzled when he finds it contrary to his understanding of a book in general and a “religious” book in particular. Hence, the Qur’aan may seem disorganized and haphazard to him. However, to those who understand its subject matter, aim and its central theme, the Qur’aan is exactly the opposite. The subject matter of the Qur’aan is essentially man: man in relation to his Lord and Creator, Allaah; man in relation to himself; and man in relation to the rest of creation. The aim and object of the revelations is to invite man to the right way of dealing with his Lord, with himself, and with creation. Hence, the main theme that runs throughout the Qur’aan is that God alone deserves worship and, thus, man should submit to God’s laws in his personal life and in his relationships with creation in general. Or, in other words, the main theme is a call to the belief in Allaah and the doing of righteous deeds as defined by Allaah.

Ikiwa msomaji atazingatia mambo haya ya msingi, ataona kwamba, tangu mwanzo hadi mwisho, mada za Qur-aan zote zimeunganishwa kwa karibu na mada yake kuu, na kwamba kitabu kizima ni hoja iliyopangwa vizuri na yenye mshikamano kwa ajili ya mada hiyo. Qur-aan inaendelea kuweka lengo lile lile mbele, iwe inaeleza uumbaji wa mwanadamu na ulimwengu au matukio ya historia ya binadamu. Kwa kuwa lengo la Qur-aan ni kumwongoza mwanadamu, inataja au kujadili mambo kwa kiasi tu kinachohusiana na lengo hilo, na huacha maelezo yasiyo ya lazima na yasiyohusika. Pia inarudia mada yake kuu mara nyingi katika kuwasilisha kila mada mpya.

If the reader keeps these basic facts in mind, he will find that, from beginning to end, the Qur’aan’s topics are all closely connected to its main theme and that the whole book is a well-reasoned and cohesive argument for its theme. The Qur’aan keeps the same object in view, whether it is describing the creation of man and the universe or events from human history. Since the aim of the Qur’aan is to guide man, it states or discusses things only to the extent relevant to this aim and leaves out unnecessary and irrelevant details. It also repeats its main theme over and over again in the presentation of each new topic.

Katika utangulizi wa moja ya tafsiri bora za Kiorientalisti za Qur'aan, mtafsiri Arthur John Arberry anaandika: "Kuna mkusanyiko wa mada zinazojulikana zinazopita katika Qur'aan nzima; kila Sura36 inafafanua au inaashiria37 mada moja au zaidi—mara nyingi nyingi—kati ya hizi. Kwa kutumia lugha ya muziki, kila Sura ni rhapsody iliyoundwa kwa leitmotivs38 kamili au vipande vipande; mfano huu unaimarishwa na mtiririko wa kimdundo uliobadilishwa kwa hila wa mazungumzo."39

In the preface of one of the best orientalist translations of the Qur’aan, the translator, Arthur John Arberry, writes: “There is a repertory of familiar themes running through the whole Koran; each Sura36 elaborates or adumbrates37 one or more—often many—of these. Using the language of music, each Sura is a rhapsody composed of whole or fragmentary leitmotivs; 38 the analogy is reinforced by the subtly varied rhythmical flow of the discourse.”39

Kanuni nne zifuatazo zinapaswa kukumbukwa na msomaji mpya wa Qur'ani ikiwa anataka kuepuka mkanganyiko na kuchanganyikiwa visivyo vya lazima:

The following four principles should be kept in mind by the new reader of the Qur’aan if he or she is to avoid unnecessary confusion and disorientation:

1. Kitabu hiki ndicho pekee cha aina yake duniani.

1. The book is the only one of its type in the world.

2. Mtindo wake wa kifasihi ni tofauti kabisa na vitabu vingine vyote.

2. Its literary style is quite different from all other books.

3. Mada yake ni ya kipekee.

3. Its theme is unique.

4. Dhana zilizokwisha kuwa nazo kuhusu kitabu huwa ni kizuizi tu katika kuelewa Qur'ani.40

4.Preconceived notions of a book are only a hindrance to the understanding of the Qur’aan.40