The Names of the Qur’an

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following was extracted from “The Meadows of Tafsir for the Noble Qur’an” by Shaykh Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah Niyas al-Kawlakhi (q.s.).  It was translated into English by Ustadz Mukhtar Babakir. 

The Qur’an has numerous names, and the multitude of names is a hint to the nobleness of the one bearing those names.  Fifty-five names for the Qur’an have been related in the Qur’an Itself.  It is adz-Dzkir, The Reminder; al-Ayat al-Bayyinat, the Clear Signs.  However, if one ponders over it, all the names gogoack to two names; they are al-Qur’an and al-Furqan.  Just the same as the Names of Allah (s.w.t.), if one ponders over them, one will find that they all go back to Jalal, Majesty; and Jamal, Beauty. 

The word “qur’an” originates from “qar’”, which means “collecting”; and “al-furqan” originates from “al-farq”, which means “to separate”.  The one who has no separation has no ‘ubudiyyah, servitude; and the one who has no collection of all in his heart, has no ma’rifah, true recognition of Allah (s.w.t.).  Separation is of two types: the first is a separation which consist of being separated from the Creator through Creation; this is a hijab, a veil from the recognition of the Creator.  While the second type of separation is knowing the Creator through Creation. 

سُوۡرَةُ الجَاثیَة

وَخَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ  …(٢٢) 

Allah Created the Heavens and the Earth by Truth … (Surah al-Jatsiyah:22) 

This state of separation, which returns to the servant’s mindset after he has gone through the process of fana’, is what is considered kamal, perfection in piety.  Fana’ is to be completely absorbed in Allah (s.w.t.) to the point of forgetting oneself, one’s spiritual states, stations, one’s attributes; one’s entire zeal becomes absorbed in the Loved One.  This is because the servant in this state gives everyone his due right and everyone their deserved portion of anything.  His state of separation does not hide his state of collection, and his state of collection in return does not hide his state of separation. 

For this reason, we have kept to the explanation of two names for the Qur’an, “al-Qur’an” and “al-Furqan”.  al-Qur’an is the Court of Unity, which is the court of the Oneness of Allah (s.w.t.); there is nothing except Him.  al-Furqan is the Court of Separation. 

سُوۡرَةُ الشّوریٰ

…‌ۚ لَيۡسَ كَمِثۡلِهِۦ شَىۡءٌ۬‌ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡبَصِيرُ (١١) 

… there is nothing whatever like unto Him, and He is the One that Hears and Sees (all things). (Surah ash-Shura’:11)