The short answer
Muslims believe the Qur’an is God’s word, revealed to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel over twenty-three years, and that Muhammad conveyed it without adding to it. The Qur’an describes him as the unlettered prophet and states that if he had invented sayings against God, he would have been seized. Its style differs markedly from the Prophet’s own recorded speech in the hadith.
A little more context
This is a statement of Muslim belief; historians who do not share it offer other accounts of the Qur’an’s origin. What is not disputed is that the text took shape in seventh-century Arabia, that it was recited publicly as it emerged, and that its hearers, including opponents, treated it as something distinct from Muhammad’s ordinary words.
Sources & further reading
- Qur’an 7:157 The unlettered prophet.
- Qur’an 69:44-47 Had he invented sayings against Us.
- Qur’an 53:3-4 He does not speak from his own desire; it is revelation.
- Qur’an 2:23 The challenge to produce a chapter like it.
Original introductory summary, not a direct scripture translation. Prepared 21 October 2026. Qualified human religious review is pending. About our editorial approach.