The Qur'an is the holy book of Islam.  Muslims believe that it is the Word of God, the words given by Allah to Muhammad the prophet.  The Qur'an is written in Arabic. The teachings in the Qur'an guide Muslims through their lives. Before reading the Qur'an, Muslims will wash their hands. They often sit on the floor to read the Qur'an. They place the Qur'an on a special stand, so as not to put it on the floor.  This is to show respect for the words of Allah. 

Muslims often come to the mosque to read the Qur'an. The picture above shows copies of the Qur'an on the bookshelf in the prayer hall with the stands on the bottom shelf.  The pictures below show the Qur'an on a stand.