In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

[Introduction to the Critical Edition]

“All praise is due to Allah, who sent down the Book to His servant and placed no crookedness in it (1), but made it upright, that he might warn of a severe punishment from Him and give glad tidings to the believers who perform righteous deeds that they shall have a fine reward (2), wherein they shall abide forever” (1).

I praise Him with the praise of one who acknowledges the greatness of His blessings and the abundance of His generosity and beneficence. To Him belongs all praise and acclaim. Exalted is He above any likeness or peer. Minds cannot encompass Him, eyes cannot perceive Him, and neither night nor day brings any change upon Him (2). No discourse can equal the eloquence of His speech. His words are inexhaustible, and none denies His proof against His creation except one who disbelieves and turns away.

He sent down the Quran as a clear exposition and made it a guide for humankind. Whoever follows it is led by it to Paradise, while whoever casts it behind his back is thrust by it into the Fire. Through it, Allah challenged the masters of eloquence, and they were struck mute; the masters of rhetoric heard it, and they were left speechless. Upon hearing it, its enemies could do nothing but attest to its sweetness, the exquisite beauty of its expression, and its utter distinction from poetry and soothsaying. No human being can produce even a single verse like it, however far he may go in striving to do so. None strays from its guidance except one whose heart and hearing Allah has sealed and over whose sight He has placed a covering. It is healing for hearts, illumination for eyes, and refreshment for the thirsty.

Glory be to Him who perfected its verses, set forth its rulings in detail, made it the seal of His scriptures and a guardian over them, and made it a guide for His servants. He made its memorization easy for them and helped them understand it. Thus, they preserved it in their hearts before writing it upon their pages and applied its rulings to every new circumstance they encountered. Its sweetness filled their hearts, and their skins shuddered in awe of its majesty. Their homes never ceased to resound with its recitation, and their character reflected the light of its guidance, until they attained Allah’s good pleasure, He encompassed them in mercy and forgiveness, and gave them glad tidings of the bliss of the Gardens.