The Discourse on the Interpretation of the Names of the Qur'an, Its Surahs, and Its Verses

Abū Jaʿfar said: Verily, Allah, exalted be His mention, named His Revelation which He sent down upon His servant Muḥammad, Peace and blessings of God be upon him, by four names:

Among them: "al-Qur'an". He said regarding His naming it with that in His Revelation: {We relate to you the best of stories through what We have revealed to you of this Qur'an, though before it you were among the unaware.} [Surah Yusuf: 3], and He said: {Indeed, this Qur'an relates to the Children of Israel most of that over which they differ.} [Surah al-Naml: 76].

And among them: "al-Furqan". He, exalted be His praise, said in His Revelation to His Prophet, Peace and blessings of God be upon him, naming it thereby: {Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His servant that he may be to the worlds a warner.} [Surah al-Furqan: 1].

And among them: "al-Kitab". He, blessed be His name, said in His naming it thereby: {Praise be to Allah, who sent down upon His servant the Book and did not make therein any deviance. [He made it] upright} [Surah al-Kahf: 1].

And among them: "al-Thikr". He, exalted be His mention, said in His naming it thereby: {Indeed, it is We who sent down the Remembrance and indeed, We will be its guardian.} [Surah al-Hijr: 9].

And each name of its four names in the speech of the Arabs has a meaning and an aspect different from the meaning and aspect of the other.

As for "al-Qur'an", the Exegetes differed regarding its Interpretation. And the obligatory view is that its Interpretation according to the statement of Ibn ʿAbbās is that it is derived from recitation and reading, and that it is a verbal noun from the statement of one saying: