New website to share the Quran with the world

The platform is preparing a website entirely dedicated to the Quran, with the goal of accurately transmitting the Quranic message to a wide audience. The website will be multilingual and offer a host of information about the Quran. It will also feature a virtual Quran museum.

Volunteers of the Quran Platform spokesman Ahmet Şişman noted that after the launch they will quickly implement their project, stressing that their goal is to promote the Quran around the world. “Sept. 5 is the Night of Power. The Quran began to be revealed in the Night of Power. Therefore, starting on Sept. 5, 2010, we would like to promote the Quran with its true qualities and in the best and most effective manner, both in our country and all around the world. We will try to promote the traditions of hafızlık – memorizing the entire Quran -- and mukabele --reading the entire Quran in large groups -- as well,” he said. Şişman indicated that they want to promote the practice of mukabele even outside the holy month of Ramadan and that they will cooperate with renowned hafizes -- people who have memorized the entire Quran and can recite it properly with a trained voice -- to this end. “We will issue certificates to the people who attend the mukabele sessions,” he said.

A virtual Quran museum

As part of the website a virtual museum will be created to provide a permanent display for Quranic works of art. The museum will consist of two parts, one of them being a Quran library. This will contain first editions of works written about the Quran, as well as original editions of works of art produced within Turkey. The other part of the museum will display printed or handwritten manuscripts of the Quran, visual materials about the history of the Quran and other relevant records and materials. The project will employ well-known publishers around the world to prepare a series of books on the Quran. In this way, the organizers hope the Quran will be promoted and misconceptions about it will be minimized. Moreover, competitions, symposiums and open sessions will be organized to raise awareness about the Quran in cooperation with the Education Ministry and other institutions. In this context, hat (calligraphy), tezhip (gilding) and cilt (ornamental book binding) artists will compete with each other and Quran-oriented booths and exhibitions will be organized at big book fairs in Turkey and abroad.

A brief history of the Quran

These holy days are a reminder of the importance of the Quran in the Islamic tradition, but this significance can be observed quite clearly beyond the month of Ramadan. Quranic passages form an integral part of daily Muslim worship and decorate the walls of mosques and homes. The Quran is not simply a source for the Islamic tradition but an active part of Muslim life.

According to traditional Muslim accounts, the first revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad began in a cave in the mountains outside of Mecca in the early seventh century. The Quran itself is seen by Muslims as the defining miracle of Muhammad’s prophetic career, playing an analogous role to the miracles of Moses and Jesus. Unsatisfied with the polytheistic religious practices of his people, Muhammad had adopted a custom of retreating to this cave for reflection and prayer for extended periods. Eventually during one of these retreats the Angel Gabriel appeared before him and commanded him to read. Being illiterate, Muhammad told the angel he could not read. The angel then declared: “Read, in the name of your Lord, who created, created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the most bountiful,” the first Quranic revelation.

The Arab culture dominant in Mecca at the time of the Quran’s revelation had a rich oral literary tradition, with a primary emphasis on poetry -- poetry was extremely important to the Arabs, and poets had considerable social and political power. This deeply rooted oral tradition affected the transmission of the Quran by making it very easy for the first Muslims to memorize the Quran as they heard it from the Prophet. In order to ensure that the Quran would be preserved, the Caliph Abu Bakr, the first leader of the Muslims after the death of the Prophet, ordered the collection of a single Quranic text. This task was entrusted to Zaid ibn Thabit, a student of the Prophet who had memorized the entire Quran and had been present when the Prophet recited it twice in its entirety during his last Ramadan.

Lemonade sweet refreshment for fasters

Like ice cream, lemonade is fast becoming an iftar favorite as the Muslim holy month of fasting, Ramadan, moves into the summer months. And it’s a good thing, too -- for a glass of lemonade can do more than cool and relax you after a hot day’s fast. Although the lemon is often thought of as acidic, it is very effective in curing many digestion problems when mixed with hot water, including biliousness, nausea, heartburn, disorders of the lower intestines like constipation and worm infestations. Lemon juice can act as a tonic to the liver and stimulates it to produce bile, making it ready to digest the day’s food. It is also thought to help dissolve gallstones. The high amount of vitamin C in lemons can help prevent and treat infection.

Turkish coffee withstands summer heat

Despite advisories about avoiding high levels of caffeine intake during the fasting month of Ramadan, Turkish coffee continues to be a traditional favorite consumed along with dessert at the end of the fast-breaking meal. Served in tiny, elegant cups, the hot drink’s small portion means the temperature does not pose too much of a problem despite the summer heat -- and of course Turkish coffee is always served up with a glass of cold water accompanying it. Topped off with lots of foam, Turkish coffee is served either “şekersiz” (no sugar), “orta” (a medium amount of sugar) or “şekerli” (sweet). It is said that a cup of Turkish coffee provides a reason for conversation and “40 years of memories” -- perfect for getting together and talking with family and friends after iftar.