Qur'an

Put into writing around the seventh century, the Qur'an was "the central religious text of Islam...comprised of revelations received by the Prophet Muhammad." It contained 114 chapters, or suras, and was first written as a codex, not in scroll form like many other texts of that time. The Qur'an had no poetic writing or hymns, but when it is read aloud in Arabic (the Qur'an's native language) the rhythm and rhyme within the suras is evident.

Origins and Expectations

Originally, the Prophet's revelations were only preached orally, so believers were expected to memorize the Qur'an. This is a tradition that prevailed even after the revelations were formally written down. Influenced by religion, literacy quickly became a valued skill in Islam because of the importance of reading and reciting suras. Eventually, copying the Qur'an in one's own hand became a religious practice, too. The more time and effort one put into copying the text, the deeper one connected to one's faith.