The Challenge of the Holy Qur'an

The Challenge of the Holy Qur'an

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful;

All praise and thanks are due to Allah,  May Allah blessings and peace be upon His Messenger.

 The Qur'an's linguistic style makes it unique and imitable which made impossible for the human power trying to achieve such a miracle. This is called in Arabic as the "i'jaz” which the Qur'an issues a challenge to all of mankind that they could not imitate it, as it is a divine source. A blind faith is unacceptable and the challenge would results in the definite conclusion that the Qur'an is from Allah Subhanahu wa Ta`ala. As for confirming that the Qur'an is revealed by Allah, it is well known that the Qur'an is in Arabic and was conveyed by the Messenger (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam). Thus it is either from the Arabs, Non-Arabs, Muhammad or Allah (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam). It is not possible that the Qur'an came from any source other than these sources. Let us examine these sources in turn. 

1. It is not from the Arabs: It was because the Qur'an challenged them to bring any similar book:

"Say: Then bring ten surahs like unto it" [Surah Hud, 11:13]. If not then: "Say: Then bring one surah like unto it" [Surah Yunus, 10:38]

The Arab Quraish tried to meet the challenge but failed, hence this book is not their speech. Hearing the recitation of the Qur'an, the Arabs would rush, captivated by its dignity, deep insight, perfect arrangement, coherence and eloquence, so much so that Walid Ibn Al-Mughirah said after hearing the Qur'an: 'By God: None of you is more conversant than me with poetry, melodious hymns, and songs, and by God never did I hear anything similar to what it says. It is so sweet and so graceful that it remains at the summit with nothing to surpass it!'

2. It is not from Muhammad (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam): It was because Prophet Muhammad (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam), the Arab. is one of the Arabs, and whatever his height of genius he must remain one of the human beings, and one of the community and nation. As the Arabs had themselves failed to bring the like of the Qur'an, this also applies to Muhammad 

Furthermore Prophet Muhammad (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) has left authentic (sahih) and absolutely authentic (mutawatir) traditions whose authenticity is beyond approach. If these traditions are compared with any verse of the Qur'an there is no similarity between them in style, even though the Messenger (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) would say the hadith at the same time with difference in style between them. In spite of the fact that whenever anyone attempts to disguise his speech it will remain, nevertheless, similar in style, because style is part of himself. The Qur'an is definitely not Muhammad's speech and it is clear difference between it and Muhammad's speech.

3. Non-Arabs: An allegation was made against Muhammad (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) that he had brought the Qur'an from a Christian youth called Jabir. As a Result Allah s.w.t revealed:

"We know indeed that they say: It is a man that teaches him. The Tongue of him they wickedly point to is notably foreign, while this is Arabic pure and clear." [Al-Nahl, 16:103]

The Qur'an is therefore definitely from Allah s.w.t and accordingly a Miracle for the one who brought it.

"Lo, We, even we, reveal the reminder, and lo, we verily are its Guardian.” [Al-Hijr, 15:9]

The Qur'an is the meaning denoting Word that was revealed to the Messenger (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) Meanings alone do not constitute the Qur'an. And the word alone may not be without meaning because the word was originally written to denote a specific meaning. That is why Allah s.w.t. described the Qur'an through describing its word. It is an Arabic Qur'an.

The language is the description of the word Qur'an but not of its meanings, because these meanings are to humanity not to Arabs alone. Translating some of its meaning into another language cannot be the Qur'an. It is imperative that the word be Arabic. It is the Miracle of the Messenger (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam). It is not only a miracle for Arabs but to the whole human race for all times. 

"And We have not sent thee (O Muhammad) save as a bringer of good tidings and a Warner unto all mankind, but most of mankind know not." [Saba, 34:28]

This covers the whole human race, for the verses of challenge are universal:

"Say if the whole of mankind and Jinns were to gather together to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support." [Al-Isrā’, 17:88]

[Excerpted with modification from Islam Web Published on 14/08/2002]

The Challenge of Al-Quran

The Challenge of Al-Quran

By Dr. Bilal Philips

Description: The Qur’anic challenge to produce a work similar to it, and the inability of its contemporaries to meet it.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful;

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and May Allah blessings and peace be upon His Messenger.

The Qur’an is not only unique in the way in which it presents its subject matter, but it is also unique in that it is a miracle itself. By the term “miracle,” we mean the performance of a supernatural or extraordinary event which cannot be duplicated by humans. It has been documented that Prophet Muhammad (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) , challenged the Arabs to produce a literary work of a similar caliber as the Qur’an, but they were unable to do so in spite of their well-known eloquence and literary powers.

The challenge to reproduce the Qur’an was presented to the Arabs and mankind in three stages:

l. The Whole Qur’an: In the Qur’an, God commanded the Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) to challenge all of creation to create a book of the stature of the Qur’an:

“Say: ‘If all mankind and the jinn would come together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce it like even though they exerted all and their strength in aiding one another.’” [Surah Al-Israa’, 17:88]

2. Ten Chapters: Allah made the challenge ostensibly easier by asking those who denied its divine origin to imitate even ten chapters of the Qur’an:

“Or do they say that he has invented it? Say (to them), ‘Bring ten invented chapters like it, and call for help) on whomever you can besides God, if you are truthful.” [Surah Hud, 11:13]

3. One Chapter: This final challenge was to produce even a single chapter to match what is in the Qur’an, whose shortest chapter, Al-Kawthar, consists of only three verses:

“And if you all are in doubt about what I have revealed to My servant, bring a single chapter like it, and call your witnesses besides God if you are truthful.” [Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:23]

These challenges were not just empty words with no one caring to prove them wrong. Prophet Muhammad’s call to monotheism, to the abolition of idolatry in all its forms, and to the equality of slaves and their masters threatened the whole socio-economic framework of Makkah society in general, and the position of the ruling Quraishi tribe from which the Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) came in particular.

Makkah, the trading center of Arabia, as well as its spiritual center, desperately wanted to stop the spread of Islam. Yet all that the Prophet’s opponents had to do to crush the movement was to make up a single chapter like any one of those which the Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) and his followers were reciting to the people.

A number of Quraishi orators and poets tried to imitate the Qur’an, but they failed. They then resorted to offering him vast amounts of wealth, the position of king over them, and the most noble and beautiful of their women in exchange for his promise to stop inviting people to Islam.

He responded to them by reciting the first thirteen verses of Chapter Fussilat, until they asked him to stop. [Al-Hakim, Al-Baihaqi, Abu Ya’la and Ibn Hisham – classified as hasan by Ibrahim Al-’Ali in Sahih As-Sirah An-Nabawiyah, p.64.]

The Quraish also resorted to torturing their slaves and relatives who had embraced Islam in a vain attempt to cause them to revert to paganism. Later they organized an economic boycott against the Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) , his followers and the members of his clan, Banu Hashim, in an attempt to starve them into submission. But even this plan eventually failed.

Finally, they plotted to kill him in his home by sending armed young men from each of the clans of Quraish in order that the guilt of his murder be shared by all the clans, making revenge by the Prophet’s clan impossible.

However, God enabled the Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) and his followers to flee Makkah and join a new band of converts who had arisen among the tribes of a city to the north called Yathrib.

Islam spread rapidly through the clans of Yathrib, and within a year Muslims became the city’s majority. Prophet Muhammad (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) was then made the ruler, and the name of the city was changed to Medinah An-Nabi (The City of the Prophet), which was then shortened to “Medinah.”

Over the next eight years, the clans of Makkah and its neighboring lands mounted a series of unsuccessful battle campaigns against the emerging Muslim state in Medinah, which ended with the Muslim invasion of Makkah itself.

All of this bloodshed could have been avoided if only the Quraish and their allies had been able to produce a mere three lines of poetry or flowing prose similar to the shortest chapter of the Qur’an. Hence, there can be no doubt about the inimitability of the Qur’an’s literary style, about the miracle of its rhyme and the marvel of its rhythm.

It has been suggested that the inimitability of the Qur’an is not necessarily unique, for great English poets like Shakespeare, Chaucer, or great poets in any language tend to have distinctly unique styles which set them apart from their contemporaries.

However, if, for example, some leading poet of today were to make an in-depth study of Shakespeare’s writings and write a sonnet in Shakespeare’s style in old ink and on old paper, then claim that he had discovered a lost poem of Shakespeare’s, the literary world would probably accept this claim, even after careful study. Thus, even the greatest of poets could be imitated; no matter how unique his style was, just as the famous painters have been imitated. [In fact, some English scholars consider much of what has been attributed to Shakespeare to have been written by his contemporary, Christopher Marlowe.]

The Qur’an, however, is way above this level, as attempts to forge chapters have been made throughout the ages, yet none has withstood close scrutiny. And, as was mentioned before, the incentive to imitate the Qur’an was more intense during the time of its revelation when literally skills were at their peak than at any other time, yet there was no successful attempt.

[Excerpted from Islamreligion.com published on 05 Nov 2007.]

The Challenge of Al-Qur'an to Mankind

The Linguistic Power and Inimitability of the Qur'an

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful;

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and May Allah blessings and peace be upon His Messenger.

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta`ala laid down a challenge in the Qur'an to mankind in general and to the Arabs in particular:

"And if you are in doubt concerning that which we have sent down to our slave (Muhammad) then produce a chapter like it, and call your supporters and helpers besides Allah, if you are truthful!" [Al-Baqarah, 2:23]

The Arabs in the time of Muhammad (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) had no civilization to speak of but there was one thing in which they excelled - that was their language. They were extremely found of poetry, and prided themselves in their poetic abilities. They praised each other, admonished - and even argued - in poetry. At that time, the Arabs were at the peak of their linguistic abilities.

Indeed, one of the finest poems ever written in Arabic was that of Labaid ibn Rabiyah, whose poem caused the Arabs to prostrate before him in admiration. When this same Labaid began to hear the verses of Qur'an, he embraced Islam, and gave up poetry. When he was once asked to recite some poetry he said: "What! After the Qur'an?" Indeed, many of the Arabs entered into Islam just from hearing the Qur'an, because for them it was a conclusive proof of its Divine origin. They knew that no man could produce such eloquence.

The Qur'an differentiated itself in its very structure. Poetry in Arabic falls into sixteen different "Bihar" (rhythmic forms) and other than that they have the speech of soothsayers, rhyming prose, and normal speech. The Qur'an's form did not fit into any of these categories. It was this that made the Qur'an inimitable, and left the pagan Arabs at a loss as to how they might combat it.

Alqamah bin Abdul Manaf confirmed this when he addressed their leaders, the Quraish: "Oh Quraish, a new calamity has befallen you. When Muhammad  was a young man, he was the most liked among you, the most truthful in speech and the most trustworthy, until, when you saw grey hairs on his temple, he brought you his message. You said that he was a sorcerer, but he is not, for we have seen such people and their spitting and their knots. You said that he was a diviner, but we have seen such people and their behavior, and we have heard their rhymes; you said a soothsayer, but he is not a soothsayer, for we have heard their rhymes; and you said a poet, but he is not a poet, for we have heard all kinds of poetry. You said he was possessed, but he is not, for we have seen the possessed, and he shows no signs of their gasping and whispering and delirium. Oh men of Quraish, look to your affairs, for by Allah a serious thing has befallen you."

The Quraish decided that the only convincing propaganda they could make against the Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) was that the magic of his speech turned a man away from his father, wife, brother and family. So Abu Lahab would wait on the road ways into Makkah in the Hajj season, and warn the people from listening to the Prophet's speech.

The Seerah (The Prophetic biography) of Ibn Ishaq reports one incident when Abu Sufyan, Abu Jahal and Al-Akhnas snuck out of their houses at night to listen to the Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) reciting the Qur'an - hiding in their places until dawn. On the way home, they met and reproached one another, saying: "Don't do it again, for if one of the weak minded fools sees you, you will arouse suspicion in their minds." This happened three nights in a row, until they took from each other a solemn oath not to do it again.

Utbah bin Rabi’ah, a chief of Quraish, during one of their meetings in which they discussed possible means to stop the Prophet's preaching, suggested to make some proposals to the Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) and "give him whatever he wants, so he will leave us in peace."

Their leaders agreed, so Utbah went and sat by the Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) and said: "Oh my nephew, you are one of us as you know, of the noblest of the tribe and hold a worthy position in ancestry. You have come to your people with an important matter, dividing their community thereby and ridiculing their customs, and you have insulted their gods and their religion, and declared that their forefathers were unbelievers, so listen to me and I will make some suggestions, and perhaps you will be able to accept one of them."

The Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) agreed, and Utbah went on to say: "If what you want is money, we will make you our chief so that no one can decide anything apart from you; if you want sovereignty, we will make you king, and if this ghost which comes to you, which you see, is such that you cannot get rid of him, we will find a physician for you, and exhaust our means in getting you cured, for often a familiar spirit gets possession of a man until he can be cured of it."

The Prophet(sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) listened patiently, and then said: "Now listen to me." The Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) then recited from the beginning of Surah Fussilat, Surah 41 until the verse of prostration, were the Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) prostrated, and all the while Utbah listened attentively, leaning on his hands.

The Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) then said: "You have heard what you have heard, Abu Waleed; the rest remains with you."

When Utbah returned to his companions they noticed that his expression completely altered, and they asked him what had happened. He said that he had heard words that he had never heard before, which were neither poetry, nor witchcraft. "Take my advice and do as I do, leave this man entirely alone for, by God, the words which I have heard will be blazed abroad. If the other Arabs kill him, others will have rid you of him; if he gets the better of the Arabs, his sovereignty will be your sovereignty, his power your power, and you will be prosperous through him."

They said: 'He has bewitched you with his tongue". To which he answered: "You have my opinion, you must do what you think fit."

Such was the power of the Qur'an that Umar ibn Al-Khattab, who was on his way to kill the Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) , discovered his sister and her husband reciting the Qur'an. Upon reading twenty verses of Surah Ta-Ha, instead went to the Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) and embraced Islam. So how is it possible for an un-lettered and un-learned man, not versed in poetry, to be able to produce a work of the Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) unrivalled eloquence and perfect rhetoric, so that even the assembled experts and masters of all the forms of poetry and the Arabic language were unable to produce the like of its smallest chapter?

If we examine analytically the claim of anyone to prophethood then there are three possibilities concerning such a claim. The first possibility is that the individual is a liar. The second possibility is that the individual sincerely believes he or she is receiving revelation, but is only suffering some form of delusion, and the third is that the individual really is receiving revelation, and is speaking the truth. It is interesting to mention some of the arguments raised by the Christian and secularist Orientalists against Prophet Muhammad (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) because taken as a whole they offer a conclusive proof in his favour.

One school of thought has suggested, in essence, that Prophet Muhammad (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) was a liar and a fabricator; that he learnt from various rabbis and Christian priests, and during his various retreats to the Mountain of Light, composed the Qur'an. Some have tried to soften these accusations by claiming that he was motivated by a sincere desire to reform his people, and so invented Islam to achieve this.

Others accuse him of more worldly interests and cite the large number of wives as a proof of this. This approach has been rejected altogether by the second school, who upon observing the evidence of  Prophet Muhammad's (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) character which places him far above lying and deceit, and the reality of his life style which was a paragon of simplicity and even poverty. Having found no substantiating proof that he had rabbis or priests as teachers, and the complete acceptance of his claim by his close family and wives, to whom any duplicity would inevitably have been exposed, have claimed that he was totally sincere in his claim to prophethood, and that he truly believed that he was a Prophet receiving revelation.

They, also unable to accept the possibility that Muhammad (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) truly was a Prophet, attempt various psycho-analytical explanations, such as the Qur'an being a voice of the subconscious, or the revelation being bought on by trances induced by epileptic fits. The basic claim being that Muhammad (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) was deluded. We will not attempt to refute these accusations in detail here. The cursory examination of the opposing positions will suffice. What makes this a conclusive proof in Muhammad's favour is that he could not be a calculating liar and be deluded at the same time. A man who sincerely believes that he is a Prophet does not sit down thinking and planning what he will say the next day, because he believes that God is going to reveal it to him!

Yet the opponents of Islam need both to explain the phenomena of Prophet Muhammad (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) . He needs to be a cunning and calculating deceiver in order to explain the information and linguistic inimitability of the Qur'an, yet he needs to be deluded in order to explain his obvious sincerity. If one takes these two bodies of information together, the only way to reconcile them is the third possibility, that he was indeed what he claimed to be - the Messenger of Allah.

Indeed, the Quraish found it very hard to produce a convincing argument against  The Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) . They knew that  the Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) was unable to produce the likes of the Qur'an, either in its eloquence, or in the knowledge it contained. They were also familiar with his character and personality, and admitted that he had been the best, most trusted and well liked amongst them. Even Abu Lahab, the Prophet's (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) persistent enemy, said: "We don't call you a liar, Muhammad, we just don't believe in what you have brought."

In reality, Abu Lahab's motivation for refusing to accept Prophet Muhammad (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) was tribal rivalry. When the Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) first received revelation to call his people openly to Islam, he went to the top of Mount Safa' and called all the tribes of Makkah, until they had all gathered or sent a representative. He said to them: "Oh my people, if I was to tell you there was a band of horsemen about to attack from behind this hill, would you believe me?" They all replied: "Yes! Why should we not believe you, we never heard anything but truth from you!" So the Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) said: "I have come to warn you of a terrible chastisement from your Lord."

So, Prophet Muhammad's (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) people testified to his truthfulness, and that they had never heard lies from him. And as Hercules, the Byzantine Roman Emperor, said, when questioning Abu Sufyan about the Prophet (sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) : "If he does not lie about men, then he would not lie about Allah!"

[Excerpted from Islam Web published on 26 January2004]

Inimitableness and Language of Al-Qur’an

Inimitableness and Language of Al-Qur’an

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful;

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, May Allah blessings and peace be upon His Messenger.

Description: The inimitable beauty of the Qur’an and the Muslim adoration for it, the language of the Qur’an and its historical impact on the Islamic civilization.

Muslims are absolutely convinced of the greatness of the Qur’an, which is usually mentioned with epithets like “noble,” “glorious,” and “pure.” What is it that so deeply moves the Muslim when reciting from the Qur’an, when seeing its verses, or when barely touching it?

Al-Qur’an is Inimitable

The style of the Qur’an is inimitable and of divine beauty and power. Try as he may, no man can write a paragraph that is comparable to a verse of the revealed Book. This has to do partly with the literary merit of the text and the efficacy of the words - their transforming and saving power - that is inimitable. It moves an illiterate shepherd to tears when recited to him, and it has shaped the lives of millions of simple people over the course of almost fourteen centuries; it has nourished some of the most powerful intellects known to human records; it has stopped sophisticates in their tracks and made pious believers of them, and it has been the source of the most subtle philosophy and of an art which expresses its deepest meaning in visual terms; it has brought the wandering tribes of humanity together in communities and civilizations upon which its imprint is apparent even to the most casual observer.

To recite the Qur’an is the most sublime and edifying occupation for the Muslim, even when he or she does not intellectually understand its words, as is the case with most non-Arab believers. The Muslims’ desire to recite the Qur’an as beautifully as possible, and the art of tilāwah, the proper recitation, has developed into a science. Even when reciting the Book without embellishment, one has to observe certain rules of recitation. The hafiz, who “preserves” the Qur’an, i.e., knows it by heart, is highly respected, and boys and girls are sent at an early age to the mosque to memorize the ‘Book.’

In order not to besmirch the sacred character of the Qur’an, care should be taken that it is not left in a place where someone may accidentally stand, sit on or otherwise disrespect it; it is extremely disliked to use any book, let alone the Qur’an, as a prop for holding anything up. When not being read, the Muslim will replace it in the shelf of the bookcase, or on the lectern. Some people wrap it carefully in cloth in order to preserve it and also to be able handle it when not in a state of purity if needed. They also like to ensure that it is placed above other books, and they avoid just letting the Qur’an lie around. It is absolutely forbidden to take it into the place one urinates or defecates or that is a place of major impurity (toilets, middens, sheepcotes, city sewers, etc.). Even reciting it in such places is a thing not done.

Language of the Qur’an

The Qur’anic world view is closely tied to the Arabic language, which, like Hebrew and Aramaic (the language spoken by Jesus), belongs to the Semitic family. The Qur’an defines itself specifically as an ‘Arabic scripture’, and the message is shaped to the complex structure of the chosen language, a structure fundamentally different to that of any European tongue. The internal logic of Semitic languages is very different from that of Indo-European languages such as English, Latin, Sanskrit, and Persian.

Every Arabic word may be traced back to a verbal root consisting of three, four or five consonants from which are derived up to twelve different verbal modes, together with a number of nouns and adjectives. This is referred to as the triliteral root, and specific words are formed from it by the insertion of long or short vowels and by the addition of suffixes and prefixes. The root as such is ‘dead’ - unpronounceable - until brought to life, that is to say vocalized, by the vowels, and it is according to their placing that the basic meaning is developed in a number of different directions. The root has sometimes been described as the ‘body’ while the vowelling is the ‘soul’; or again, it is from the root that a great tree grows.

Without understanding the meanings and the related concepts of the Arabic words, it is impossible to appreciate the richness of the associated meanings, the difficulty of translating words into English, and the interrelationships among Arabic words that are obvious in the original.

The Muslims’ preoccupation with the sublime language of the Qur’an grew into the study of grammar, especially when non-Arabs entered the fold of Islam in increasing numbers and had to be taught about the peculiarities of the language of revelation. The belief that the Book was untranslatable forced those who embraced Islam to learn Arabic or at least to become acquainted with the Arabic alphabet. Many times, this led nations to actually adopt Arabic as their native languages, as is the case with all Arab nations save the Arabian Peninsula. This had immense consequences for other languages, such as Persian, Turkish, Malay and many others, who adopted the Arabic script. Quranic sayings and expressions are used as much in high literature as in daily conversations, even among non-Arabs, and Arab non-Muslims.

[Excerpted from: An Introduction to the Qur’an (Part 2): Its Inimitableness and Language, By IslamReligion.com, Published on 26 Jun 2006]