The first revelation
The first verses were revealed to the Prophet ﷺ in the cave of Hira, beginning with the command to read and to seek knowledge:
ٱقۡرَأۡ بِٱسۡمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ خَلَقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مِنۡ عَلَقٍ ٱقۡرَأۡ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلۡأَكۡرَمُ ٱلَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِٱلۡقَلَمِ عَلَّمَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمۡ يَعۡلَمۡLis au nom de ton Seigneur qui a créé, qui a créé l’homme d’un corps accroché. Lis ! Ton Seigneur est toute bonté, Lui qui, par le calame, a enseigné, apprenant à l’homme ce qu’il ignorait.
What is it about?
- Tawhid: belief in one God without partner.
- The prophets and earlier nations, and lessons from their stories.
- Law and ethics: worship, dealings, justice and mercy.
- The Hereafter: resurrection, accountability, Paradise and Hell.
Guidance
ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبُ لَا رَيۡبَۛ فِيهِۛ هُدٗى لِّلۡمُتَّقِينَVoici le Livre qui n’admet aucun doute et qui est un guide pour ceux qui craignent le Seigneur,
How it is read
- In classical Arabic with tajwid rules; translations convey meanings only.
- Millions memorise all of it and recite it in prayer and during Ramadan.
- Start with Al-Fatihah and the short surahs; our site has the full Quran with translation.
God promised to preserve it; see the page “Has the Quran been changed?” for details.
Questions fréquentes
How many verses does the Quran have?
About 6,236 verses in the common count; copies differ slightly in how a few verses are numbered.
Who wrote the Quran?
Muslims believe it is revelation from God; scribes of revelation wrote it down in the Prophet’s ﷺ lifetime and it was later compiled into one volume.
Les textes et traductions sont en cours de révision par des savants.