Audience of the Holy Quran Kareem

Revelation of the Holy Quran Kareem started with the command “Iqra” which means recite, a command addressed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Revelation of the Holy Quran Kareem continued for next twenty-three years. Quran was revealed as guidance to entire mankind.

Teaching of the Holy Quran Kareem was mainly directed at different groups of people present at the time of revelation. But it did not leave out those who were to come centuries apart in different corners of the world, that’s the majesty of the Holy Quran Kareem. The audience of the Holy Quran Kareem can mainly be summarized in six major groups as follows.

1.       Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and People of Makkah

First group of audience consist of Prophet Muhammad and people of Makkah.

The Holy Quran Kareem was revealed to Prophet Muhammad from God-Allah, so Muhammad (PBUH) was the first person addressed in the Quran, with following ayat (verse) of the Quran, “Recite in the name of your Lord who created – Created man from a clinging substance. Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous” – 96:1-3,

Initial addresses to Prophet are about his mission as a messenger of God, he was informed that he was chosen by God as His messenger and he is assigned the task of delivering the message to the entire humanity. Many of the addresses to prophet, were to guide him about the situation on hand, prepare him for task ahead and to comfort him for the difficulties he was facing.

Some more addresses to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) are here in the following ayats (verses) of the Quran.

O you who covers himself [with a garment], arise and warn, 74:1-2

Say, [O Muhammad], “O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you all, to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity except Him; He gives life and causes death.” 7:158

And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds. Say, “It is only revealed to me that your God is but one God; so will you be Muslims [in submission to Him]?” 21:107-108   

     People of Makkah.

People of Makkah were the immediate audience of the Holy Quran Kareem, after Muhammad (PBUH), many of them used to worship multiple idols. Usually initial revelations of the Mecca were directed at them. They were informed about the oneness of God-Allah and asked to worship Him alone and not associate any one with Him in His worship. People of Makkah were addressed indirectly along with other people, and they were informed about the necessity of believing or consequences rejecting the message.

2.    People of the Book – namely Jews and Christians

When Prophet migrated to Madinah, people in and around Madinah, were either polytheist, Jews or Christians. Jews and Christians, were monotheist, they had teachings of Torah and Gospel among them. They are addressed in the Quran as “People of the Book”.  Message brought by prophet Muhammad was not new for them.

Some examples of ayats (verses) of Holy Quran Kareem for the people of the book are like these,

Say, “O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you – that we will not worship except Allah and not associate anything with Him…..” 3:64

 O People of the Scripture, why do you disbelieve in the verses of Allah while you witness [to their truth]? 3:70

Say, “O People of the Scripture, do not exceed limits in your religion beyond the truth and do not follow the inclinations of a people who had gone astray before……” 5:77

There were also many direct addresses to Jews with such words “O children of Israel”

3.   Those who believe

Those people who believed in the message brought by prophet Muhammad and the earlier prophets, were addressed in the Quran as believers, they were given social, moral and religious instructions from time to time.

Ayats of the Quran (verses of the Quran) addressed to believers are like these.

O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]. 3:102

O you who have believed, bow and prostrate and worship your Lord and do good – that you may succeed. 22:77

O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance, and exalt Him morning and afternoon. 33:41-42,  

 4.     Those who disbelieve

All those people who refused to believe in the message brought by prophet Muhammad and also all of those who were present at the time of earlier prophets and refused to believe in the message brought by prophets of their time, the Holy Quran Kareem referred them as Non-believers or rejecters of the truth. They were addressed very little directly, but there are many verses which asked prophets to inform them about their destiny in life after death. They were mostly warned of dire punishment in afterlife.

Examples of Ayats of  the Quran  (verses of the Quran) for Non-believers,

And they say, “There is none but our worldly life, and we will not be resurrected.” 6:29

Indeed, those who disbelieve and avert [people] from the way of Allah have certainly gone far astray. 4:167

Only direct address to non-believer is in chapter 109

5.   Hypocrites.

There were people in Madinah, who did not believe in the message brought by Muhammad, none the less, they felt that declaring themselves as Muslims will work to their advantage. So, they declared themselves as believers but in fact they were trying to deceive prophet Muhammad and Muslims.

There is no direct address to them as hypocrites in the Quran, but there are multiple mentions about them in the Holy Quran Kareem, and they were warned through prophet.

Here are two Ayats  (verses) of the Quran about hypocrites,

And of the people are some who say, “We believe in Allah and the Last Day,” but they are not believers. They [think to] deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive not except themselves and perceive [it] not. 2:8-9  

And when they come to you, they say, “We believe.” But they have entered with disbelief [in their hearts], and they have certainly left with it. And Allah is most knowing of what they were concealing. 5:61  

6.1          Mankind —- People in General

In the Holy Quran Kareem, there are numerous direct addresses to mankind by Allah, and these are very thought-provoking, they serve as powerful reminders compelling everyone to comprehend, think deeply and profoundly.

Addresses of the Quran to mankind – take various forms like,

O Mankind, O children of Adam, mankind is also referred with phrases like, People of understanding, People who think, People who contemplate, People who reason, People who are reminded-who take heed, People who pay attention, and so on.

Here are some verses addressed to mankind in general.

O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous -2:21  

“O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women.” (4:1)  

“O mankind, indeed the promise of Allah is truth, so let not the worldly life delude you and be not deceived about Allah by the Deceiver.” 35:5    

 “O mankind, what has deceived you concerning your Lord, the Generous, Who created you, proportioned you, and balanced you?”  (82:6-7)  

6.2 Reader Themselves:

As a part of “O Mankind”, all readers or listeners are also part of those who were addressed by the Quran. Even today while reading the Quran, a person can experience that Quran is relevant and is talking to him/her personally.

In chapter 55 after mentioning the blessings that come from God for mankind, the Quran asks 31 times “Then which of the favors of your Sustainer will you deny?”

In chapter 54, this ayat (verse) of the Quran  addressing reader directly was repeated again and again. “And We have certainly made the Quran easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?”

With this we come to an end of today’s discussion, we invite you all to get a copy of translation and embark on wonderful journey of the Quran yourself. May peace and guidance be upon entire humanity.