ABSTRACT
Muslims see the Quran as a revelation directly from God (Q:27:6; 32:2; 39:1; 40:2; 41:2; 45:2, 46:2, etc.) but not a revelation of God. It reveals the divine will; God’s nature is disclosed only insofar as it bears on his moral and legal purpose for humankind. The Quran implies that, in the Arabic original, it is the literal, direct and immutable speech of God (kala¯m Allah; Q:2:75; Q:9:6; 48:15; kalima¯t Allah, word of God at Q:9:40) preserved in the book of God (kita¯b Allah; Q:3:23). It is the ipsissima verba Dei: the facsimile of the divine words, not a paraphrastic inspiration diluted by human additions. The Quran is not a revelation of the divine nature but it points towards its revealer, God, the direct speaker through and throughout the sacred volume. The proper name Allah occurs some 2,500 times in over 6,000 verses.1 God speaks through his human mouthpiece, Muhammad, who is often addressed by the masculine singular imperative ‘Qul’ (Say! Q:2:97, 139, 189, 215, 217, 219, 220, 222; 109:1; 112:1; 113:1; 114: cf. masculine plural at Q:2:136). The Prophet, as vehicle of revelation, brings the divine speech into the human world.
