The Qur'an ("Qor-Aan") is a Message from God (Allah) to humanity. It was transmitted to us in a chain starting from the Almighty Himself (swt) to the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (saw). This message was given to the Prophet (saw) in pieces over a period spanning approximately 23 years (610 CE to 632 CE). The Prophet (peace be upon him) was 40 years old when the Qur'an began to be revealed to him, and he was 63 when the revelation was completed. The language of the original message was Arabic, but it has been translated into many other languages.

The Qur'an is one of the two sources which form the basis of Islam. The second source is the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). What makes the Qur'an different from the Sunnah is primarily its form. Unlike the Sunnah, the Qur'an is literally the Word of Allah (swt), whereas the Sunnah was inspired by Allah but that was translated by the wording and actions are the Prophet's (peace be upon him). The Qur'an has not been expressed using any human words. Its wording is fixed by no one but Allah the most High, letter for letter, word by word.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the final Messenger of Allah to humanity, and therefore the Qur'an is the last Message which Allah (swt) has sent to us. Its predecessors such as the Torah, Psalms, and Gospels have all been superseded. It is an obligation - and blessing - for all who hear of the Qur'an and Islam to investigate it and evaluate it for themselves. Allah (swt) has guaranteed that He will protect the Qur'an from human tampering, and today's readers can find exact copies of it all over the world. The Qur'an of today is the same as the Qur'an revealed to Muhammad (saw) 1400 years ago.

Listen to some chapters of the Qur'an

Al-Fatihah - The Opening

An-Naas - The People/Mankind

Or listen to full 114 chapters of the Qur'an here