Mus'haf

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A Mus'haf (Arabic: مصحف‎, pronounced "Mus-haf" not "Mu-sh-af") The word refers to a "codex" or a collection of sheets (Sahifa, see below). The Qur'an, which Muslims believe to be revealed at various times and in various ways during the 20 year period at the end of Muhammad's life, was collected into a codex under the third Caliph, Uthman b. Affan.[1].

The Islamic Term "al-Qur'an" means "The recitation", denoting content. When referring to the material book, some use the term Mus'haf.

The Qur'an refers to itself as Kitab, not as Mus'haf. Noting this, some scholars have argued that in the Qur'an's does not present itself as a "book", which implies it is finished and complete, so much as a "scripture", something written or communicated, whic gives it more dynamism and life. The Qur'an speaks of itself as K-T-B, even before it was put into writing. [2]

This use has led to a misconception: Some believe the Mushaf of Fatimah to mean the "Qur'an of Fatimah", thus accusing the Shi'a of believing in a special Qur'an.

Al-Islam.org writes:

“ Mushaf" refers to a collection of "Sahifa" which is singular for "page".

The literal meaning of Mushaf is "The manuscript bound between two boards". In those days they used to write on leather and other materials. They either rolled the writings -- what is known as scroll in English. Or they kept the separable sheets and bound them together, in what could be called as "Mushaf", a book in today's terms. The equivalent to the word book "Kitab" used to (and still is) refer to either a letter (e.g. of correspondence) or to a document that was written down or recorded. The Arabic word for wrote "Kataba" is a derivative of the same word.

Although the Quran is commonly called a "Mushaf" today, perhaps referring to its "collection" after it was dispersed. Quran is a Mushaf (book), but any Mushaf (book) is not necessarily the Quran [3]

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[edit] References

  1. ^ [Wheller, Brannon M. Prophets in the Quran: An Introduction to the Quran and Muslim Exegesis, Continuum Books, 2002, p 5]
  2. ^ [Madigan, Daniel, The Qur'an's Self-Image: Writing and Authority in Islam's Scripture, Princeton University Press, 2001.]
  3. ^ http://al-islam.org/encyclopedia/chapter8/6.html
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