after the Bible was written, and so on. The Qur’an has never had a single letter of the original Arabic changed, so it is still in its pure form, the only religious text in the world that can honestly make that claim.
The prophet Muhammad (PBUH) began to receive the revelations of the Qur’an when he was 40 years old. Muslims believe that the Qur’an is the literal word of God, as taught to the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by the angel Gabriel, the angel of revelation. Muslims do not believe that it was written by a man, it is the actual word of God spoken directly to the prophet via Gabriel. Muhammad (PBUH) was an illiterate man who was not known for poetry or for having read any other religious scriptures. He was, however, well known for his honesty and truthfulness even before the first revelation was ever received, and was nicknamed “al-Amin” or “The Trustworthy.” He was always very religious and concerned about the Paganism that ruled Arabia in his time.
During the month of Ramadan in the year 610 CE, Muhammad (PBUH) had retreated to a cave outside of Mecca for meditation and prayer. It was here that the angel Gabriel first descended from Heaven and delivered the first Qur’anic verses, “Recite! In the name of your Lord who has created (all that exists).” The prophet later said that it felt as though he were being squeezed very hard so that he could hardly breathe. The word “Iqra” in Arabic can mean either “read” or “recite.” Muhammad (PBUH) replied to the angel that he could not read. The angel squeezed him harder and told him “Iqra!” and the first lines of Qur’an issued forth from the mouth of Muhammad (PBUH).
The Qur’an was revealed over a period of 23 years