A question for all

Qur'ans were first printed from carved wooden blocks, one block per page. There are existing specimen of pages and blocks dating from the 10th century CE. Mass-produced less expensive versions of the Qur'an were later produced by lithography, a technique for printing illustrations. Qur'ans so printed could reproduce the fine calligraphy of hand-made versions.

The oldest surviving Qur'an for which movable type was used was printed in Venice in 1537/1538. It seems to have been prepared for sale in the Ottoman empire. Catherine the Great of Russia sponsored a printing of the Qur'an in 1787. This was followed by editions from Kazan (1828), Persia (1833) and Istanbul (1877) [6].

Here's the answer

For milleniums God was sending messages to Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and many other prophets. For example, most of the messages to Noah and Abraham were not really written down in their own lifetime and people had to rely on second-hand information, ages later. In other words, what Noah and Abraham learnt and what they taught, is not really known, except some second-hand information. Their teachings were mostly oral and Scripture given to them, seems lost. The same has happened to many prophets.

The important messages and teachings were lost and instead stories were spun, which did not convey much except that one did this or one did that, etc.

Came Moses and this time God decided to give him Torah and even wrote down the tablets for him, according to the Scriptures. Moses was a teacher throughout his life, after bringing out his people from Egypt. He taught the law and explained all the Commandments. He showed people the way to the Lord God Almighty and accomplished his task. But instead of hanging on to Torah, the people began writing Torah and wrote so much that dozens of other books swallowed the Torah. The Thalmud, from the oral teachings, took the driving seat and hundreds or perhaps thousands of Jewish scholars came up, confusing the people and the true teachings of Moses were "entombed" as if they were encapsuled in a glass shrine. Thalmud was now controlling the life. Different versions and interpretations resulted in a great divide among people.

Sensing the trouble, God decided it was time to send Jesus, a man, a prophet to bring back the people to the Original Law and the Book of God given to Moses. Jesus reminded the Jews about everything given in the Torah. He taught and explained the Torah. What he taught was known as Injeel. Instead of following and teaching his teachings, people started to teach and preach what and who Jesus was accordingly in their own view. Instead of having One Gospel of Jesus, as taught by Jesus, various people wrote Gospels from what they heard from others, after Jesus was long gone and the real Injeel was lost, replaced by four gospels, +++lost in Apocrypha and some letters. What God had commanded and ordained upon Moses became the Old Testament, pushed out and away by another book written by men known as The New Testament.

God was definitely not happy to see what had happened to the Messages given to Moses and Jesus. God's own name had been compromised and tarnished. Instaed of knowing God, people were trying to knwo more about the man Jesus. It was time to put things right and the matters straight. On many occasions, God's messages were kept among stories told by men. This time God wanted to do some thing about this serious dicrepency, which could not be allowed anymore. It had to be something new and a better way to preserve God's messages.

So, God Almighty decided this time to send an entire Scripture once for all. God knew from past experience that most of the Messengers or Prophets could not write or were not good at writing. But God knew that an entire Book could not be written on parchments and be given to a man in one go, because if a book came down from heavens, no one would even then believe it and would suggest some kind of fraud and the new prophet would be laughed at.

This time, God sent Arch-Angel Gabriel, the Spirit of Truth (Ruh-ul-Ameen) who had always delivered messages truthfully to all prophets of God, to Muhammad and made sure that Muhammad could recite and remember well what he was told. Gabriel started the Iqra (Recite) and then began to Qiraa (to read out) to Muahmmad who got Qurya (listened) and memorised well all that was revelaed to him.

As Muhamamd recited so clear that others nearby could hear, they heard and started listening and remembering. This time, God had declared,"Surely We have sent this Qur'aan and We will ensure that it is kept as it is." When Muhammad and his people knew that, they knew it was a great responsibility and they ensured that the Qur'aan had to be kept as God wanted.

God, through Qur'aan had explained what had happened to past messages and made people realise that the message, in God's own words, was more important than the stories narrated by various men. So, the recitation became more pronounced and important. Hundreds of companions and followers of Muhammad had recited and memorised Qur'aan.

As the recited messages were delivered over a period of twenty-three years, God's Book, the Holy Qur'aan was being seated into the hearts and minds of men. When Prophet had recited the alst three chapters of Qur'aan, the Book was complete, a book that was "Qar'aana to Muhammad". There was thus no need for Muhammad or his followers to sit down and write God's Book in their own words, after Muhammad had gone. 

The New Book based on all Old Messages of God was not called a Bible or a Testament or Suhuf or a Scripture or God's writings. That is why the holy book of Muslims is called Qur'aan because the BOOK had been completed by recitation to Muhammad.

Since it was not written by any writers, followers or disciples or other philosophers, it was not was named a gospel or Al-Kitaab-ul Islam or some other fancy name.

It was named Qur'aan from the word Iqraa and this was a Book completed by God within the life of God's Messenger Muhammad before he returned to God Almighty. A feat never before accomplished within the life of any other prophet or messenger of God Almighty, in the History of the World.

Hope all of you enjoyed this. All of above are my own thoughts and words. Everyone is welcome to copy and to forward to whom he/she wishes.

Salaam Aalikum

BMZ