Ulum al-Quran al-Karim - Nur al-Din Itr
- Author died
- 1442 AH
- Editions
- Maṭba‘at al-Ṣabāḥ
Ulum al-Quran al-Karim (The Sciences of the Noble Quran) is a contemporary handbook on Quranic sciences by the Syrian scholar Nur al-Din Itr (d. 1442 AH / 2020 CE) .
Purpose and Scope
Itr composed the work to present the essential topics of the discipline required by modern students and researchers, drawing upon classical Quranic scholarship while addressing contemporary inquiries and refuting misconceptions surrounding the text . In the introduction, the author describes Quranic sciences linguistically as any field of knowledge derived from or serving the Quran—such as exegesis (tafsir), variant readings (qira'at), orthography (rasm), inimitability (i'jaz), and grammar (i'rab)—and technically as the overarching, universal inquiries concerning the Quran's revelation, compilation, arrangement, transcription, interpretation, inimitability, and abrogation (al-nasikh wa-l-mansukh) .
Structure and Content
The work opens with introductory chapters defining the field and outlining its development and literature . Itr reviews classical comprehensive treatises, specifically highlighting Funun al-Afnan fi 'Uyun Ulum al-Quran by Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597 AH), Al-Burhan fi Ulum al-Quran by Badr al-Din al-Zarkashi (d. 794 AH), and Al-Itqan fi Ulum al-Quran by Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911 AH) . He also examines prominent 20th-century writings in the field, including Manahil al-Irfan fi Ulum al-Quran by Muhammad Abd al-Azim al-Zarqani, Al-Madkhal ila Dirasat al-Quran al-Karim by Muhammad Muhammad Abu Shahba, Al-Bayan fi Ulum al-Quran by 'Abd al-Wahhab Ghazlan, Mabahith fi Ulum al-Quran by Subhi al-Salih, and Min Rawa'i' al-Quran by Muhammad Sa'id Ramadan al-Buti .
Subsequent sections examine the definition of the Quran, its linguistic etymology, the nature of revelation (al-wahy), and its stages of descent (tanazzulat) . The author articulates the definitive characteristics of the Quran as the inimitable speech of God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, preserved in writing within the codices (masahif), transmitted through unbroken parallel chains (tawatur), and recited as an act of worship .
Publication History
The first edition of the book was published in Damascus in 1414 AH / 1993 CE by Matba'at al-Sabah and Dar al-Khayr, and it was subsequently reissued in later printings .
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