The Qur'an is a Message from Allah to humanity. It was transmitted to us in a chain starting from the Almighty Himself (Subhanaho Wataala) to the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad. This message was given to the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) in pieces over a period spanning approximately 23 years. The Prophet (PBUH) was 40 years old when the Qur'an began to be revealed to him, and he was 63 when the revelation was completed. The language of the original message was Arabic, but it has been translated into many other languages. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was the final Messenger of Allah to humanity, and therefore the Qur'an is the last Message which Allah has sent to us. Its predecessors such as the Torah, Psalms, and Gospel have all been superseded. It is an obligation - and blessing - for all who hear of the Qur'an and Islam to investigate it and evaluate it for them. Allah has guaranteed that He will protect the Qur'an from human tampering, and today's readers can find exact copies of it all over the world. The Qur'an of today is the same as the Qur'an revealed to Muhammad (PBUH).