The Author’s Petition

How did a people who were barbarous, Bedouin, nomadic, and deprived of the light of education and civilization conquer half the world within less than half a century by defeating and vanquishing the two greatest powers on earth? How did they leave such a lasting and indelible mark upon human civilization within this brief period? Even today, historians remain endlessly perplexed when contemplating this matter. They simply cannot imagine what mighty power had worked its magic, with the result that the Arab Muslims brought about a cataclysm throughout the world. Many distinguished historians and thinkers have openly acknowledged that the mighty power of the Great Book, the Qur’an, was the primary force behind this success of the Arab Muslims.

The renowned Western scholar Emmanuel Deutsch said, “Among the world’s principal religions, it must be acknowledged that the Qur’an possesses a special status. Among such epoch-making works of literature, the Qur’an is indeed the most recent; yet in its influence upon the general public, it is inferior to none. Just as the Qur’an created a new mode of human thought, so too did it create a new character. It transformed several mutually hostile groups of desert-dwellers in the Arabian Peninsula into one great heroic nation.”

From the time of the Qur’an’s revelation onward, countless research works on the Qur’an have been written in various languages of the world. Yet in our mother tongue, Bengali, there is a considerable shortage of such research works. Therefore, I present this small research booklet on the Holy Qur’an for the service of my Bengali-speaking Muslim brothers and sisters.

Its twelfth edition has already sold out. I offer thanks to the Great Lord of the Worlds for enabling the thirteenth edition to be published.

—Abul Kalam Muhammad Yusuf

An Introduction to the Qur’an

The Qur’an is the name given to the Book revealed by Allah, which He sent down to His final Prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him), gradually and in small portions according to need, at various stages over a period of twenty-three years. In both language and meaning, the Qur’an is Allah’s Book. That is, just as the meaning of the Qur’an came from Allah, so too did its language.

The Reason for the Revelation of the Qur’an

After Adam (peace be upon him) and Eve (peace be upon her) ate the fruit of the forbidden tree, at the time of sending them down from Paradise to the world, the Exalted One had said:

قُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا ۖ فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّي هُدًى فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿٣٨﴾ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا أُولَـٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

“Descend from here, all of you. Then guidance from Me will continue to come to you. Whoever follows My guidance will have no fear, nor will they grieve. (That is, at the end of their worldly life, they will return once again to this Paradise, the abode of everlasting happiness.) But those who reject it and declare Our signs to be false will be the inhabitants of Hell, where they will remain forever.” (Surah al-Baqarah, verses 38–39)

In accordance with Allah the Exalted’s declaration, guidance, or a code of life, has come from Allah to the descendants of Adam in every age. This code of life is also called the Book of Allah. Whenever a people continue along a misguided path of their own making, abandoning Allah’s path, Allah reveals a Book and guides them to the right path.

Allah the Exalted’s eternal practice regarding the revelation of a Book is that whenever He deems it necessary to reveal a Book for a people, He selects from among that people the finest person, possessing human virtues, as a prophet; then He reveals the Book to him through revelation.

Just as countless prophets and messengers have come into the world since the beginning of human creation, the number of Books revealed to them is likewise innumerable. Just as Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the final of the prophets, the Qur’an revealed to him is Allah’s final Book. After this, no new prophet will come into the world, nor will any Book be revealed.

The Subject and Purpose of the Qur’an

The subject of the Qur’an is humankind. For the Qur’an has provided the true knowledge of humankind’s actual welfare and harm. The purpose of the Qur’an is to guide humankind toward the way of life granted by God, so that people may make their lives prosperous in this world and attain a peaceful life in the Hereafter.

How Revelation Began

A hadith narrated from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) is recorded in Sahih Bukhari. It states: “The beginning of revelation was in this manner: the Prophet began seeing true dreams in his sleep, which came to pass as clearly as the bright dawn. Then solitude became dear to him, and he began secluding himself in the Cave of Hira. He would spend several nights there, taking with him the necessary food, drink, and other supplies. When these ran out, he would return, obtain them from Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her), and go back to the cave. In this way, at an auspicious moment, while he was absorbed in meditation at Hira, the Truth (revelation) came to him. The angel, Jibril, the Trustworthy, came and said to him, ‘Read.’ The Prophet said, ‘I cannot read.’ He said: Then the angel seized me and pressed me until I was exhausted, then released me. He again told me to read, and I gave the same reply. He embraced me again and pressed me, then released me. He did this three times, and each time the Prophet gave the same reply. Then the angel recited:

 اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ ﴿١﴾ خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ﴿٢﴾ اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ ﴿٣﴾ الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ ﴿٤﴾ عَلَّمَ الْإِنسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ﴿٥﴾

“Read in the name of your Lord who created—who created humankind from a clinging clot. Read, and your Lord is Most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught humankind what it did not know.” (Surah al-‘Alaq, 1–5)

Then the Prophet returned home with those verses, his heart trembling. Entering Khadijah’s (may Allah be pleased with her) room, he said, ‘Cover me with a blanket.’ After he had been covered with the blanket for a short while, his agitation subsided. He related the entire incident to Hazrat Khadijah and said, ‘I fear for my own life.’ Hazrat Khadijah consoled him, saying, ‘By Allah, Allah will never bring you any harm, for you maintain ties of kinship, help the poor and destitute, serve guests, and assist in good works.’ Then Hazrat Khadijah took the Prophet to her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal. He had adopted Christianity during the Age of Ignorance and knew the Hebrew language. He could copy whatever he wished from the Gospel in that language. He was very old and had lost his eyesight. Khadijah addressed him, saying, ‘Brother, listen to what has happened to your nephew.’ After hearing the whole account, Waraqah said, ‘This is the same angel who came to Hazrat Moses (peace be upon him). Alas! If only I were alive when your people drive you out of your land!’ The Prophet said, ‘Will they drive me out?’ Waraqah replied, ‘Yes. No one has ever brought what you have brought without being treated similarly. If I am alive on that day, I will help you as much as I can.’ Then, before revelation resumed, Waraqah passed away.

The day on which the above incident occurred was Monday, the seventeenth of Ramadan. The Prophet was then forty years, six months, and eight days old—that is, 6 August 610 CE.

How Revelation Was Revealed

When revelation descended upon the Prophet, a particular state would arise within him. His blessed face would become radiant and flushed, perspiration would appear on his forehead, his breathing would become heavy, and his body would become extremely weighty. Indeed, when revelation descended while he was riding a camel, the camel would become unable to move under the excessive weight and would sit down on the ground.

As an explanation for why such a state occurred during the descent of revelation, it may be said that although the prophets, being pure from every kind of sin, great or small, had a predominance of angelic qualities in their nature, they were not beyond human nature. Therefore, immediately before revealing His holy Word, Allah would bring them into a special luminous state in which their hearts, having shed all human characteristics, would be transformed into an angelic nature, while the light of Allah’s grace would enchant their inner selves and souls. Thus, Allah would reveal His Word to the prophets in a silent and tranquil atmosphere. For it was necessary to bring the prophets into that special state so that they could listen to Allah’s holy Word with complete concentration, preserve it within their hearts, and understand its true meaning with heart and mind.

When the revelation had finished descending in this way, the aforementioned state would pass, and the Prophet would return to his former condition. He would then recite the revealed Word to the Companions.

A hadith narrated from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) describes how revelation descended:

“Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: One day, Harith ibn Hisham asked the Prophet, ‘O Messenger of Allah, how does revelation descend upon you?’ The Prophet replied, ‘Sometimes the sound of revelation rings within my heart like the sound of a bell. This form is the hardest for me, and I become exhausted. Then it penetrates my heart. At other times, the angel comes to me in human form and speaks to me (revealing the revelation), and I retain it in my heart.’ Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Even when revelation descended during intense cold, heat would accumulate in the Prophet’s body and perspiration would appear on his blessed face.”

At times, apart from these two forms, Allah also spoke directly to the prophets from behind a veil, without any intermediary.

In his book, Allama Ayni explained the categories of revelation as follows in his commentary on the hadith concerning revelation in Sahih Bukhari:

(1) Allah would speak directly, without any intermediary. As is known from accounts in the Holy Qur’an and authentic hadith, Allah spoke in this manner with Hazrat Moses (peace be upon him) and Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him).

(2) He would send an angel and reveal the revelation through him.

(3) He would cause the words of revelation to resound and penetrate the heart. As the Prophet said: ‘The holy angel breathed into my heart.’ The third type of revelation descended upon Hazrat David (peace be upon him).

The Manner in Which the Qur’an Was Revealed

To understand the Qur’an and comprehend it deeply, it is essential to understand the manner in which it was revealed. It should be remembered that the Qur’an was not revealed to the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) as a complete book all at once. Rather, it was revealed gradually, in small portions as needed, over the full period of twenty-three years, at various stages of the revolutionary movement whose leadership Allah had entrusted to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his self-sacrificing companions. Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) received prophethood at the age of forty and, after fulfilling the God-given responsibility of a prophet for twenty-three full years, departed this world at the age of sixty-three. Throughout those long twenty-three years, different portions of the Qur’an continued to be revealed to the Messenger of Allah at various stages.

Meccan and Medinan

After receiving prophethood, Hazrat (peace be upon him) remained in Mecca for thirteen years and continued calling people to Islam in Mecca and its surrounding areas. The surahs revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) during these long thirteen years of residence in Mecca are called Meccan surahs.

Then the Prophet of Allah migrated to Medina and, after residing there for ten long years, established Islam as a living system of law and departed for the Hereafter. The surahs of the Noble Qur’an revealed to him during these ten years of residence in Medina are called Medinan surahs.

Characteristics of the Meccan Surahs

Most of the surahs revealed to the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) in Mecca at the beginning of the Islamic mission were short in length, yet extremely influential. They generally discuss matters related to the fundamental beliefs of Islam, such as divine oneness, prophethood, and the Hereafter; likewise, they describe major belief-related sins and acts, such as polytheism, disbelief, atheism, and denial of the Hereafter. They discuss the nations of the past that responded to the prophets’ call, believed in the Hereafter, followed the religion granted by Allah alone, and attained immense welfare in this world and everlasting happiness in the Hereafter. They also discuss the unfortunate people who rejected the prophets’ call, repudiated Allah’s religion, were destroyed in this world, and will suffer severe punishment in the Hereafter. These events have been related so that lessons may be learned from them, not for the discussion of history.

In addition, the Meccan surahs advised the Messenger (peace be upon him) and his handful of companions to remain patient in the face of the relentless persecution of the unbelievers and polytheists, while also warning the unbelieving polytheists of the terrible consequences of their obstinacy and excesses.

Characteristics of the Medinan Surahs

The Noble Prophet’s (peace be upon him) Medinan life began thirteen years after he received prophethood. Those who accepted Islam through the Messenger’s call in Mecca were not only without influence but also few in number. The leading men of Quraysh and the tribes neighboring Mecca were vehemently opposed to the Messenger’s call.

Consequently, the Muslims had to live a severely persecuted life there under the influence of disbelief. Medina, however, was entirely the opposite. Earlier, the leaders of Medina’s two influential tribes, the Aws and the Khazraj, had come to Mecca during the pilgrimage and accepted Islam at the Messenger’s hands. Following them, nearly all the people of the tribes accepted Islam.

Then, when the Prophet migrated to Medina with his companions in the thirteenth year of his prophethood, he found that the influential leaders of Medina and their followers had not only accepted his religion but were also prepared to place their territory under his control. Consequently, in implementing all the laws of Islam, he would face no internal obstacle apart from outside interference. The two Jewish tribes residing in Medina had already been bound by treaty to the Messenger (peace be upon him).

Therefore, without delay, the Prophet of Allah laid the foundation of a small yet promising Islamic state in order to give Islam its complete form. What was now needed was the entire system of laws and regulations for governing this state. These were revealed gradually through the Medinan surahs during the remaining ten years of the Prophet’s life.

The principal subjects of the Medinan surahs are all the basic laws related to the administration of the state and society, such as criminal law, inheritance law, regulations concerning marriage and divorce, economic regulations including zakat and ‘ushr, and rulings concerning war and treaties.

No Jewish tribe lived in Mecca, nor was there any organized group of hypocrites (the opportunistic class) there. Consequently, the Meccan surahs contain no particular discussion of them. In Medina, however, both groups were present, and although outwardly they presented themselves as well-wishers of the Muslims, inwardly they were engaged in conspiracies against them. Therefore, through the Medinan surahs, Allah informed the Prophet of their devious conspiracies and warned the Jews and hypocrites of their vile fate.

The Qur’an’s Astonishing Effect on the Arabs

Despite the countless obstacles raised by the Quraysh, Islam’s influence continued to grow astonishingly day by day. At its root was the miraculous influence of the Holy Qur’an. The following few incidents are sufficient to prove this reality.

For nearly three years at the beginning, the Prophet (peace be upon him) continued to call people secretly to Islam. Then, at Allah’s command, he began the public call, and it was at this time that the conflict with the Quraysh began. The Quraysh leaders started inflicting various forms of physical torture upon Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) poor and weak companions, while also trying to keep Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself from the true path through various temptations.

In the fifth year of prophethood, at the suggestion of the Quraysh leaders, their most intelligent and prominent man, Utbah ibn Rabi‘ah, was sent to Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) with a proposal for compromise. Utbah appeared before the Prophet and proposed: ‘O Muhammad, abandon this new doctrine, and we will make you our leader. If you desire wealth, we will make you the richest man in Arabia. And if you desire beautiful women, we will fulfill that desire as well.’ The Prophet said, ‘Why speak of leadership, wealth, and women? Even if you placed the sun in one of my hands and the moon in the other, I could not abandon this doctrine.’ Then the Prophet recited several verses from Surah Ha-Mim before him.

Utbah listened to them as though spellbound. He lost the power of speech and inwardly lost all his strength and courage. Then he returned to the place where the Quraysh chiefs had been awaiting him and secretly hoping for good news.

Utbah addressed the Quraysh leaders, saying, ‘Look, do not obstruct Muhammad. When his call extends beyond the territory of the Quraysh, Muhammad will clash with those outside the Quraysh. If Muhammad is defeated in that conflict, you will still benefit, for your enemy will have been destroyed without your having to engage in the conflict. And if Muhammad is victorious, you will suffer no loss, but only gain, because a man from your own Quraysh clan will become the leader of the Arabs.’

At this proposal, the assembled leaders flared up in anger and, upon investigation, learned that Utbah had been overwhelmed simply by hearing the Qur’anic words issuing from Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) mouth; as a result, he had adopted a lenient attitude toward Muhammad.

A similar incident took place in Abyssinia. It was the fifth year of the Prophethood. Exhausted by the persecution of the Quraysh, the Prophet (peace be upon him) first sent a group of sixteen, and later another group of eighty-three Muslim men and women, to Abyssinia. The Christian ruler of Abyssinia, the Negus, was extremely just and devoted to the welfare of his subjects. He had ordered that the Muslims be allowed to live in his country. Meanwhile, when the Quraysh leaders learned of this, they sent a worthy delegation to the Negus’s court with numerous gifts. Presenting themselves before the Negus and offering the gifts, they said, “Your Majesty, some young men and women and some slaves have disobeyed our leaders and taken refuge in your country without their permission. We have been sent to your presence to bring them back. Please hand them over to us.” The courtiers also expressed their opinion in favor of returning the fugitives. But the king said, “I cannot return them without hearing their account.” They were then summoned and asked why they had left their country and come there.

The leader of the Muslim group, Ja‘far, brother of Hazrat Ali, stood and said, “Your Majesty, we were previously immersed in various superstitions, including idol worship. Fighting, murder, highway robbery, and plunder were our daily occupations. In the meantime, Allah, in His mercy, sent a Prophet among us. He called us to worship Allah alone, speak the truth, treat relatives and neighbors well, show kindness to the poor and needy, and abandon murder and plunder in order to live pure lives. We responded to his call and accepted his religion. As a result, our tribal leaders became hostile toward us, and, on the instruction of our Prophet, we migrated to your country. Now, if you hand us over to these Quraysh envoys, we will have no refuge left.”

The king was deeply pleased by Hazrat Ja‘far’s forceful and moving speech and said, “Can you recite to me some of the Revelation that was sent down to your Prophet?” Hazrat Ja‘far then melodiously recited several verses from Surah Maryam concerning Hazrat Jesus and Hazrat Mary.

**************

Tears began to flow down both of the Negus’s eyes. He felt a heavenly peace in his heart and said, “By the Creator’s oath, the Gospel and the Revelation you have just recited to me have both come from the same source.” Then, addressing the Quraysh envoys, he said, “Go back. I cannot hand these innocent people over to you.”

Meanwhile, the Quraysh were eagerly awaiting the envoys’ return. They had expected the envoys to come back to Mecca with the fugitives in captivity. But when, after a long wait, the envoys returned empty-handed, they were astonished and asked the reason. The envoys said, “The king was won over as soon as he heard the Qur’an from Ja‘far. Otherwise, we could have brought them back.”

Once again, the Quraysh realized that the miraculous effect of the Qur’an was the fundamental cause of their ruin.

Among those who embraced faith in the early days of the Prophethood after hearing the Qur’an and being overwhelmed by its miraculous influence, the Yemeni poet Tufayl ibn Daws stands out in particular. At that time, poets were held in great esteem in Arabia. Thus, Tufayl ibn Daws’s acceptance of Islam created a tremendous stir throughout Arabia. Later, all the people of the Daws tribe embraced Islam under his influence.

Qays ibn Nasir, a learned man of the Banu Sulaym tribe, also accepted Islam after hearing the Qur’an from the Prophet’s lips. Later, he returned home, gathered the people of his tribe, and said, “Listen, I have had the good fortune to hear the words and writings of the finest poets and literary figures of Rome and Persia. I have heard much from the renowned literary men of Himyar. But I have never heard anything from anyone comparable to the words of the Qur’an issuing from Muhammad’s lips.” Later, through his efforts, nearly a thousand members of his tribe accepted Islam.

Jamad ibn Tha‘labah, chief of the Azad tribe, also accepted Islam after hearing the Qur’an from the Prophet. The conversion to Islam of Hazrat Umar, one of the leading Quraysh youths, was likewise due to the miraculous influence of the Qur’an. The incident was as follows:

It was the ninth year of the Prophethood. Abu Jahl convened a gathering of the Quraysh leaders at Dar al-Nadwah. He then delivered a fairly long, fiery speech denouncing Muhammad and inciting the Quraysh youths, saying, “This one man has turned everything upside down for our nation, religion, and everything else. Yet no one has been able to destroy this enemy. I announce publicly today that whoever among the brave young men can bring us Muhammad’s severed head, I will give him a reward of one thousand gold coins and one hundred camels.”

As soon as the announcement was made, Umar, a broad-chested young man of powerful build, leapt up from among the excited crowd with a bare sword in his hand and shouted,

“I will go myself, and I will not return without Muhammad’s severed head.” The crowd erupted in cheers, and the great warrior Umar set off with his sword.

On the way, he met his friend Nu‘aym. Seeing Umar in this furious state, Nu‘aym asked, “Whose destruction have you set out to bring about at such an odd hour with a drawn sword in your hand?” He replied, “To behead Muhammad (peace be upon him). He has turned everything of ours upside down.”

Umar did not know that Nu‘aym had secretly accepted Islam. To save the Messenger from Umar’s fury, Nu‘aym said, “You are going to take Muhammad’s head, but have you checked what is happening at home? Your sister Fatimah and your brother-in-law Sa‘id have also accepted Islam.” Umar was startled and said, “What a calamity! In my own house? I will deal with it immediately.” Saying this, he set off toward his sister’s house.

It was just after the time of Maghrib. Sa‘id and Fatimah were reading some written passages of the Qur’an. Hearing Umar’s arrival, they quickly hid them. Umar asked, “What were you just reading?” Fatimah replied, “What? Did you hear something?” In anger, Umar pounced on Sa‘id and began beating him, saying, “You have accepted Muhammad’s religion? Now you will see what happens.” Fatimah tried to stop him and was injured. Blood was flowing from her wound. Umar stopped when he saw the blood and said, “Wretched woman, have you accepted Muhammad’s religion?” Fatimah was also the daughter of the great warrior Khattab. Though wounded, she answered fearlessly, “Beat me as much as you can. I have accepted Muhammad’s religion, and I will not abandon it.” Umar was shaken by his sister’s stern and fearless words and said, “Give me what you were reading.” Fatimah replied, “First perform ablution and purify yourself; then I will give it to you.” After Umar purified himself, it was given to him. It contained part of Surah Ta-Ha. Umar read it attentively. The language and underlying meaning of the Qur’an then overwhelmed him completely. He felt with certainty that this Revelation could not possibly have been composed by a human being. In a trembling voice, Umar declared,

 أَشْهَدُ أنْ لا إلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأشْهَدُ أنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

“I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His Messenger.”

Then he said,

“Where is the luminous Prophet? Take me to his feet.” Fatimah and Sa‘id were overjoyed. They took Hazrat Umar to the house where the Prophet (peace be upon him) was staying. The Prophet’s companions became extremely alarmed when they saw Umar approaching. But the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Let Umar come in.”

As soon as Umar entered, he placed his sword at the Prophet’s feet and declared,

 أَشْهَدُ أنْ لا إلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأشْهَدُ أنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

“I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah.”

News of Hazrat Umar’s acceptance of Islam spread with the speed of lightning. Meanwhile, those at Dar al-Nadwah who had been awaiting the great warrior Umar’s return bearing Muhammad’s severed head felt as though thunder had struck them from a cloudless sky. They could not understand what had happened in so short a time that Umar had gone to take a head and returned having offered his own head in allegiance.

Upon investigation, they learned that he had met this fate after reading the Qur’an at his sister’s house. Once again, the Quraysh felt with utter clarity that the Qur’an was the source of all their calamities.

The renowned Companion Hazrat Jubayr ibn Mut‘im also accepted Islam after hearing the Qur’an. In view of these events, the unbelieving and polytheist leaders could no longer fail to understand that the Qur’an was the cause of their calamity. Muhammad (peace be upon him) had lived among them even before the Qur’an was revealed. Yet at that time he had caused no harm to their nation or society. Their calamity began only after the Qur’an was revealed. On hearing the Qur’an, a highly intelligent man like Utbah lost his reason. Again, it was the attraction of this Qur’an that caused the Negus to send the Quraysh envoys back empty-handed; and through the touch of the Qur’an’s magic, Umar, whose heart had been like stone, went to take a head and returned having surrendered his own. The renowned poet Tufayl ibn Daws, Jamad, Jubayr, and other tribal chiefs took refuge in its embrace, captivated by the Qur’an’s message.

Acknowledging this miraculous influence of the Qur’an, the renowned Western scholar Emmanuel Deutsch said,

“With the help of this book alone, the Arabs were able to conquer a territory larger than that of Alexander and Rome. What took Rome centuries to complete, the Arabs completed in decades. With its help, among all the Semitic peoples, only the Arabs came to Europe as rulers. The Phoenicians, by contrast, came as merchants, and the Jews as fugitives or captives.”

Therefore, the unbelieving leaders conferred and decided that they would not listen to the Qur’an themselves, and that they must take measures to prevent the sound of the Qur’an from reaching anyone.

Allah informed the Messenger of their decision through the following verse:

﴿وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَا تَسْمَعُوا لِهَٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ وَالْغَوْا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَغْلِبُونَ﴾

﴿فَلَنُذِيقَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَسْوَأَ الَّذِي كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾

“The unbelievers say, ‘Do not listen to this Qur’an, and make noise during its recitation; perhaps then you will prevail.’ I will make these unbelievers taste a severe punishment and repay them with the recompense appropriate to their evil deeds.” (Surah Hamim Sajdah, verses 26–27)

Several Decisive Proofs That the Qur’an Is a Divine Book

The Holy Qur’an itself contains numerous proofs that it is the word of Allah Almighty and that it is utterly impossible for human beings to produce a book of this kind. A few of them are quoted below:

One: The Qur’an’s Linguistic and Literary Standard

The linguistic and literary standard of the Qur’an is exceptionally high. Its language is clear, and its sentence structure is equally precise and original. When the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) recited the Qur’an, its resonance and melodic sweetness enchanted the hearts and minds of those who spoke his language. They realized in practice that this Revelation could not possibly have been composed by a human being, no matter how great a scholar of Arabic literature he might be. Although blind imitation of their forefathers, tribal pride, and narrow self-interest had created obstacles preventing them from accepting the Qur’an as the truth, they understood very well that an unlettered man who had never even set foot in a school could not possibly compose and present such an elevated work. The Qur’an itself challenged the Arabs openly on several occasions: “If you think this is the word composed by the Prophet (peace be upon him), then produce words like it.”

In the face of the polytheists’ determined opposition, this challenge was issued three times on different occasions in Mecca. It was repeated once more in the early part of the Messenger’s life in Madinah. In Mecca, the following challenge was given once in Surah Yunus, once in Surah Hud, and once in Surah Bani Israel:

 ﴿أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ ۖ قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِّثْلِهِ وَادْعُوا مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ﴾

“Do they claim that the Qur’an has been fabricated by you? Say, ‘Then bring one surah like it, and call upon whoever you can besides Allah, if you are truthful.’”

(Surah Yunus, verse 38)

﴿أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ ۖ قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِعَشْرِ سُوَرٍ مِّثْلِهِ مُفْتَرَيَاتٍ وَادْعُوا مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ﴾

“They say that the Qur’an was composed by the Messenger (peace be upon him). Say, ‘Then bring ten fabricated surahs like it, if you are truthful, and call upon whoever you can besides Allah for this purpose.’”

(Surah Hud, verse 13)

 ﴿قُل لَّئِنِ اجْتَمَعَتِ الْإِنسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَىٰ أَن يَأْتُوا بِمِثْلِ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ لَا يَأْتُونَ بِمِثْلِهِ وَلَوْ كَانَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ ظَهِيرًا﴾

“Declare: Even if all humanity and the jinn were to join together to produce one Qur’an like this, they could never produce its equal, even if they supported one another in doing so.”

(Surah Bani Israel, verse 88)

Soon after the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) migrated to Madinah, the same challenge was repeated once more in Surah al-Baqarah as follows:

 ﴿وَإِن كُنتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِّمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَىٰ عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِّن مِّثْلِهِ وَادْعُوا شُهَدَاءَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ﴾

“And if you are in doubt about what We have revealed to Our servant (Muhammad), then produce a surah like it and call upon your other helpers besides Allah, if you are truthful.” (Surah al-Baqarah, verse 23)

When this challenge was issued repeatedly in the face of the Arabs’ fierce opposition, they certainly did not remain silent. There were several renowned poets and highly accomplished literary figures among them. To answer this open challenge, the opponents of Islam approached all of these men. But every one of them disappointed them. None of their poets or literary talents was able to produce even a surah resembling the Qur’an’s shortest surah.

The challenge proclaimed by Allah Almighty is not limited to that time alone. Rather, from the time of the Qur’an’s revelation until the Day of Resurrection, it remains an open challenge to those who oppose the Qur’an. Even today, many Arab Christian and Jewish families live in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and other countries, and among them are great scholars of the Arabic language. If they wish, they too can accept this challenge and test their fortune. Perhaps some of them have already tried. But, like their predecessors, they will find nothing in their lot but disappointment.

Those who are scholars of Arabic and whose mother tongue is Arabic can understand very well that no human-composed Arabic book can compare with the language of the Qur’an. Indeed, even the language of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) was not of the same elevated standard as the Qur’an’s language. The speech he used before receiving the Prophethood, up to the age of forty, and even the ordinary words he spoke after receiving the Prophethood, apart from Revelation, were of a lower standard than the language of the Qur’an. Nothing he said could be compared with the language of Revelation.

Therefore, the Qur’an’s elevated literary standard, masterful word formation, original sentence structure, and moving melodic resonance, among other qualities, are decisive proofs that it is the Book of Allah.

Two: The Subjects Discussed in the Qur’an

The important subjects discussed in the Qur’an and the difficult problems it resolves are also a clear proof that it is a divine book. For the region in which the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) was born lay outside the civilized world of that time. It had neither an organized system of government nor an established refined civilization. Except for one or two small towns, the inhabitants of all other areas lived a nomadic life. Each tribe followed its own tribal rule—in other words, the authority of its tribal chief. Although here and there an individual might possess a little education, no educational institution could be found anywhere.

Born into such an environment, Muhammad (peace be upon him) became an orphan without either parent while still a child. Consequently, he had no opportunity whatsoever for formal education. In his youth, apart from two brief commercial journeys toward Syria, he undertook no educational travels. Nor did he ever have the company of an educated or learned person.

Anyone of ordinary understanding can realize that, under such circumstances, it was utterly impossible for an unlettered man to compose and present a book like the Qur’an, containing so many diverse and important subjects. Thus, the subjects discussed in the Qur’an themselves show that it is the Book of Allah.

Three: Accurate Accounts of Prehistoric Events

The Holy Qur’an mentions events that occurred long before the making of history and about which the world of the sixth century had little knowledge. Some events from prehistoric times were indeed mentioned in the religious books of the Jews, but most of those accounts were exaggerated and distorted. Some events were also known among the Arabs and the people of neighboring regions, but their accounts were extremely vague and uncertain. Yet the Qur’an also describes many events that were mentioned neither in the Jewish scriptures nor known among the Arabs.

The Holy Qur’an describes various events from prehistoric times, in different contexts, briefly yet with such precision that no one has been able to challenge their truth to this day. On the contrary, the continual discovery of historical remains by modern archaeologists has made their truth even more indisputable.

The account of Hazrat Adam and Hawwa, the event of Hazrat Noah, the stories of Hazrat Abraham, Hazrat Ishmael, and Hazrat Jacob, the accounts of Nimrod and Pharaoh, the stories of Hazrat Joseph and Hazrat Jacob, the histories of the peoples of ‘Ad, Thamud, Tubba, and Saba, the account of Jalut and Hazrat David, Dhul-Qarnayn, the Companions of the Cave, and Hazrat Luqman, and the accounts of Hazrat Solomon, Hazrat Zechariah, Hazrat John, and Hazrat Jesus—all these could not have been described accurately by an unlettered man who had never read even a line of a history book or traveled to different countries as a tourist. Anyone can understand this. As proof, several accounts are quoted below from the Holy Qur’an:

(a) Thousands of years before the advent of the Great Prophet, and only a short time after the creation of humankind, the law-bearing Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) appeared. In the Holy Qur’an, after recounting in Surah Hud how Allah, Lord of the Worlds, described the bestowal of prophethood upon Prophet Noah, his presentation of the call to his people, their rejection of it, and the various hardships they inflicted upon Noah; how, after prolonged effort and perseverance, he became despondent and supplicated before Allah for the destruction of his people; and finally how, in a devastating flood, the entire human race was destroyed except Prophet Noah and some of his believing companions, Allah addressed His beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), saying:

 ﴿تِلْكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهَا إِلَيْكَ ۖ مَا كُنتَ تَعْلَمُهَا أَنتَ وَلَا قَوْمُكَ مِن قَبْلِ هَٰذَا ۖ فَاصْبِرْ ۖ إِنَّ الْعَاقِبَةَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ﴾

“These are accounts of the unseen, which I am revealing to you through revelation. Yet before this, neither you nor your people knew them. So wait patiently; surely the final outcome belongs to the God-fearing.” (Surah Hud, verse 49)

(b) Approximately two thousand years before the birth of the Messenger, a long surah named Surah Yusuf was revealed to the Messenger concerning the remarkable events that occurred in the life of Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him). In this account, Allah informed His Prophet through revelation, briefly, most beautifully, and with complete precision, of the extraordinary events of Yusuf’s entire life.

It described in full how Prophet Yusuf’s brothers conspired against him and threw him into a well; how the people of a merchant caravan found him and sold him as a slave to the chief minister of Egypt; how, through the minister’s wife’s conspiracy, he was imprisoned; how, after interpreting the dream of the king of Egypt, he was appointed the king’s private secretary and chief minister; and finally how his entire family, including his parents and brothers and sisters, came from Canaan to Egypt. Through Surah Yusuf, Allah informed His beloved Prophet of all this. Mentioning that such precise information could not have been conveyed by any means other than revelation, Allah says:

 ﴿ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ أَجْمَعُوا أَمْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَمْكُرُونَ﴾

“And these are accounts of the unseen, which I am revealing to you through revelation, O Prophet. Yet you were not present with them when Yusuf’s brothers conspired and settled upon their plan.” (Surah Yusuf, verse 102)

(c) Allah also related to His Prophet the unseen account of how Hannah, the mother of Maryam, the mother of Prophet Isa (peace be upon him), dedicated the child in her womb to the service of Bayt al-Maqdis and to religious work in the way of Allah; then named her and entrusted her to the priests of Bayt al-Maqdis; how lots were cast with pens to decide who would care for her; how that girl received food in a wondrous and miraculous manner; and, when she reached maturity, how Jibril (peace be upon him) came to her and gave her the glad tidings. Allah says, addressing His Prophet:

 ﴿ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ ۚ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يُلْقُونَ أَقْلَامَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ يَكْفُلُ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ﴾

“This is an account of the unseen, which I am revealing to you, O Muhammad, through revelation. Yet you were not present with them when they cast lots with their pens to decide who would care for Maryam, nor were you present with them when they disputed among themselves.” (Surah Al Imran, verse 44)

(d) Approximately eighteen hundred years before the birth of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), remarkable events involving Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) and Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, took place in Egypt, Africa. The account includes the birth of Musa; his being set afloat on the river; Pharaoh’s wife rescuing him and having him raised within the royal family; the decision to execute him after he reached adulthood because of an incident; the frightened Musa (peace be upon him) fleeing to Madyan after crossing a long distance; his drawing water for the daughters of Shuayb there and remaining for ten years; then setting out for Egypt with his family; receiving prophethood and revelation in the sacred valley of Mount Sinai on the way; finally appearing before Pharaoh with the call to monotheism and presenting that call; engaging in a long struggle with Pharaoh and his people and displaying various miracles; and, after their failure, leaving Egypt by Allah’s command with several hundred thousand Israelites and setting out toward Palestine. Pharaoh and his forces pursued them, but through Allah’s grace, Musa and the Children of Israel crossed the Red Sea. Pharaoh and his forces were drowned. Thereafter, the Israelites lived a long, forty-year nomadic life in the vast wilderness of Sinai. After giving a brief yet remarkably vivid account of these and many other extraordinary events, Allah says, addressing His Prophet:

 وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِيِّ إِذْ قَضَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَى الْأَمْرَ وَمَا كُنتَ مِنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ ﴿٤٤﴾ وَلَـٰكِنَّا أَنشَأْنَا قُرُونًا فَتَطَاوَلَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْعُمُرُ ۚ وَمَا كُنتَ ثَاوِيًا فِي أَهْلِ مَدْيَنَ تَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِنَا وَلَـٰكِنَّا كُنَّا مُرْسِلِينَ ﴿٤٥﴾ وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ الطُّورِ إِذْ نَادَيْنَا وَلَـٰكِن رَّحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ لِتُنذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّا أَتَاهُم مِّن نَّذِيرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٤٦﴾

“You were not present on the western side of Mount Sinai when I gave Musa My commands, nor were you among the witnesses. But We brought into being many generations, and a long period passed over them. You did not dwell among the people of Madyan, reciting to them Our verses; rather, We have been sending messengers. And you were not present beside Mount Sinai when We called out, but this is a mercy from your Lord, so that you may warn a people to whom no warner had come before you, perhaps they may take heed.” (Surah Al-Qasas, verses 44–46)

(e) Likewise, in Surah Ta Ha of the Holy Qur’an, after describing the events beginning with the birth and upbringing of Prophet Musa (peace be upon him), then his reaching adulthood, fleeing to Madyan, receiving prophethood, presenting the call together with Harun (peace be upon him) before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, displaying various miracles and engaging in a long struggle with Pharaoh, then migrating toward Palestine, crossing the Red Sea with several hundred thousand people through Allah Almighty’s miraculous power, and thereafter Musa’s journey to Mount Sinai and his receiving the Shariah there, Allah says, addressing His beloved Prophet:

 كَذَٰلِكَ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ مَا قَدْ سَبَقَ ۚ وَقَدْ آتَيْنَاكَ مِن لَّدُنَّا ذِكْرًا ﴿٩٩﴾

“Thus We relate to you accounts of what has passed, and We have surely given you, from Us, a reminder.” (Surah Ta Ha, verse 99)

Therefore, it can now be emphatically stated that these events from prehistoric times were narrated by that Great Being who existed before history was created, exists now, and will continue to exist in the future. For the Qur’an is His eternal word, and He Himself narrated these events to the Prophet through revelation.

Four: Information concerning future events

Many events are mentioned in the Qur’an that Allah had informed the Messenger of through revelation long before they occurred. A few such events are mentioned below:

(a) An important prophecy of this kind is found at the beginning of Surah al-Rum in the Holy Qur’an. This surah was revealed in Makkah approximately seven years before the Messenger’s migration. The important event mentioned at its beginning is the prophecy that the Roman Emperor Heraclius would defeat the Persian Emperor Khusrau. Allah’s Prophet conveyed this news through revelation approximately nine years before the event occurred. The event was as follows:

Shortly before the rise of Islam, there were only two large and powerful states in the world, and their borders were adjacent to each other. One was the Persian Empire and the other was the Roman Empire. The other smaller states of the world were under their influence. These two powerful states were frequently at war with each other. In 615 CE, seven years before the Messenger’s migration, the army of the Roman Emperor Heraclius was severely defeated by the forces of the Persian Emperor Khusrau II. The Persians destroyed the Romans’ holy sites in Jerusalem and carried away the Christians’ sacred cross. In this war, the emperor lost his entire Asian territory and was forced to take refuge in Constantinople. The Roman power had been so thoroughly crushed in this conflict that there appeared to be no possibility of its revival even in the distant future.

When news of the Persian emperor’s victory reached Makkah, it was the fifth year of prophethood. Since the Persians were idolaters, the idolaters of Makkah were especially delighted by the news and mocked the Muslims, saying that just as the Christian Roman emperor, a People of the Book, had been crushed and defeated by the idolatrous Persian emperor, so in the future Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), a bearer of the Scripture, and his followers would also be defeated by the idolatrous Quraysh. In short, the polytheists claimed that this event was a favorable sign of their victory over the Muslims.

The actual situation was that, from the very beginning of this war, the idolatrous Quraysh mentally supported the Persians, while the Muslims supported the Romans because the Romans were People of the Book. When the idolaters of Makkah were celebrating the Persian victory, Allah revealed the following verses to His Prophet, prophesying the Roman victory:

 الم ﴿١﴾ غُلِبَتِ الرُّومُ ﴿٢﴾ فِي أَدْنَى الْأَرْضِ وَهُم مِّن بَعْدِ غَلَبِهِمْ سَيَغْلِبُونَ ﴿٣﴾ فِي بِضْعِ سِنِينَ ۗ لِلَّـهِ الْأَمْرُ مِن قَبْلُ وَمِن بَعْدُ ۚ وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٤﴾ بِنَصْرِ اللَّـهِ ۚ يَنصُرُ مَن يَشَاءُ ۖ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿٥﴾

“The Romans have been defeated in the land nearest to the Arabs. Yet after their defeat, they will gain victory within less than ten years. To Allah belongs command both before and after; and on that day the believers will rejoice in Allah’s help.” (Surah al-Rum, verses 1–5)

When the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) recited the above prophecy, the polytheists of Makkah began to mock and ridicule it. For the Roman power had been so thoroughly crushed by the Persians that there seemed no possibility of its rising again as a greater power.

In such circumstances, the idea that such a defeated power would rebuild itself in less than ten years, become a greater power, and defeat the victorious Persians seemed merely the fantasy of an imaginative person.

Moreover, in the above verses Allah had also given the small and weak Muslim community the news that, within a similar period, it would gain victory over its powerful enemies; and this too appeared, from an outward perspective, utterly impossible.

But, astonishing the entire world, only nine years after the defeat, in 624 CE, the reorganized Roman power not only recovered its lost territories in Asia from the Persians, but also forced the Persian army to suffer a crushing defeat in the Persian heartland. At that very time, on the field of Badr, the small Muslim army completely defeated the Quraysh’s large army. Thus, just as the Muslims rejoiced to see the Qur’anic prophecy fulfilled to the letter, the polytheists were deeply distressed with anger and grief.

Such precise prophecy was possible only because the Qur’an is the word of Almighty Allah. For to Allah, the past and the future are like the present.

(b) Another event concerning a prophecy about the future is found in Surah al-Hashr. In the fifth year after the Hijrah, a large combined army of polytheists led by Abu Sufyan advanced upon Madinah and laid siege to it from all sides. The Muslims had made an agreement with the Jews of Madinah that if any foreign power attacked Madinah, they would fight that power alongside the Muslims. But when the polytheists attacked Madinah during the Battle of the Trench, the Jews ignored the agreement completely and sided with the polytheists. Then, when the polytheists, unable to gain any advantage in the battle, lifted the siege and departed, the Jews became alarmed over what they had done. Realizing that the Muslims would no longer tolerate an internal enemy, they became extremely frightened. At precisely this time, the hypocrites of Madinah tried to reassure the Jews by saying that if the Muslims attacked them, the hypocrites would help them in every way; and even if the Muslims expelled the Jews from Madinah, they too would leave Madinah with them.

Allah had already informed the Prophet through the following verses that the hypocrites would not fulfill this promise:

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ نَافَقُوا يَقُولُونَ لِإِخْوَانِهِمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَئِنْ أُخْرِجْتُمْ لَنَخْرُجَنَّ مَعَكُمْ وَلَا نُطِيعُ فِيكُمْ أَحَدًا أَبَدًا وَإِن قُوتِلْتُمْ لَنَنصُرَنَّكُمْ وَاللَّـهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ ﴿١١﴾ لَئِنْ أُخْرِجُوا لَا يَخْرُجُونَ مَعَهُمْ وَلَئِن قُوتِلُوا لَا يَنصُرُونَهُمْ وَلَئِن نَّصَرُوهُمْ لَيُوَلُّنَّ الْأَدْبَارَ ثُمَّ لَا يُنصَرُونَ ﴿١٢﴾

“O Messenger, are you aware of the hypocrites who say to their disbelieving brothers among the People of the Book, ‘By Allah, if you are expelled, we will surely leave with you, and we will never obey anyone concerning you; and if you are fought, we will surely help you’? Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are truly liars. If the Jews are expelled, these hypocrites will not leave with them; and if they are fought, the hypocrites will not come to their aid.” (Surah al-Hashr, verses 11–12)

History bears witness that later, when the Jews were besieged because of their betrayal and violation of the agreement, the hypocrite leader Abdullah ibn Ubayy and his companions did not come forward at all to help them. Then, when the Jews were expelled from Madinah for the sake of the city’s security, the hypocrites did not leave with them either. Thus the Qur’anic prophecy was fulfilled to the letter.

(c) Another such event is mentioned in Surah al-Baqarah. After the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) migrated to Madinah, he prayed facing Bayt al-Maqdis as the qiblah for approximately one year. Then, in the second year after the Hijrah, verses were revealed directing that the Kaaba be taken as the qiblah. Allah had already informed the Messenger through revelation what reaction the hypocrites, Jews, and other opponents of Islam would have after the change of the qiblah and what propaganda they would spread:

 سَيَقُولُ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَا وَلَّاهُمْ عَن قِبْلَتِهِمُ الَّتِي كَانُوا عَلَيْهَا ۚ قُل لِّلَّـهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ ۚ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ﴿١٤٢﴾

“Soon the foolish among the people will say, ‘What has turned them away from the qiblah toward which they had been facing?’ O Prophet, say, ‘To Allah belong the east and the west. He guides whomever He wills to a straight path.’” (Surah al-Baqarah, verse 142)

The above verse informed the Prophet in advance what kind of propaganda the hypocrites and Jews would spread after the change of the qiblah.

(d) Another important event concerning prophecy is found in the eleventh section of Surah al-Tawbah. In the ninth year after the Hijrah, the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) received news that the Roman Emperor Heraclius was preparing to attack Madinah with a vast army and was gathering troops on the Syrian–Hijaz border for this purpose. As soon as the Prophet received this news, he set out with the entire Muslim army to stop them at the Hijaz border. He also ordered every able-bodied Muslim to participate in this campaign. No one was permitted to remain at home.

There were some hypocrites in Madinah who took part only in those battles in which the Muslims were likely to achieve certain victory. Whenever victory seemed unlikely, they avoided the battle on various pretexts.

The Tabuk expedition was against a power regarded as the foremost power in the world at that time. Therefore, the hypocrites firmly believed that the Muslims’ defeat in this battle was inevitable. Moreover, it was summer, and scorching hot winds were blowing fiercely across the desert. In such circumstances, traveling approximately three hundred and fifty miles from Madinah to Tabuk and engaging in battle against a powerful army seemed to them tantamount to certain death. Thus, making various excuses, they stayed behind in Madinah.

After the expedition, when the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) set out for Madinah, Allah informed him through revelation along the way of the hypocrites’ secret evil designs. He also gave the Prophet advance notice of all the false excuses they would offer after his return to Madinah in order to escape punishment:

 يَعْتَذِرُونَ إِلَيْكُمْ إِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُل لَّا تَعْتَذِرُوا لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكُمْ قَدْ نَبَّأَنَا اللَّـهُ مِنْ أَخْبَارِكُمْ ۚ وَسَيَرَى اللَّـهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٩٤﴾

“O Messenger, when you return to Madinah and go to the hypocrites, they will offer excuses. Say, ‘Do not offer excuses; we will no longer believe you. Allah has already informed us about you.’” (Surah al-Tawbah, verse 94)

Then Allah further informed the Prophet:

سَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّـهِ لَكُمْ إِذَا انقَلَبْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ لِتُعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمْ ۖ فَأَعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ رِجْسٌ ۖ وَمَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ ﴿٩٥﴾

“When you return to them in Madinah, these hypocrites will come to you and swear by Allah, so that you will refrain from taking any punitive action against them. Very well, leave them alone; they will suffer Hell as the recompense for what they used to earn.” (Surah al-Tawbah, verse 95)

يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ لِتَرْضَوْا عَنْهُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَرْضَوْا عَنْهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يَرْضَىٰ عَنِ الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ ﴿٩٦﴾

They will swear oaths to you so that you may become pleased with them. Remember, even if you are pleased with them, Allah will not be pleased with these sinners.” (Surah At-Tawbah, verse 96)

In the foregoing discussion, only a few prophecies have been mentioned, each of which has been proven true exactly as foretold. Besides these, the Holy Qur’an contains many other prophecies that have already been fulfilled.

Moreover, there are countless prophecies concerning the Gathering and Resurrection, the Hereafter, resurrection, reckoning, Paradise and Hell, and so forth, whose fulfillment has not yet come. These precise prophecies surely prove that the Qur’an is the Book of Allah, for no one besides Allah possesses knowledge of the future.

Five: Providing a far-reaching and fundamental system for human life

The well-balanced, well-planned and far-reaching systems that the Qur’an has provided concerning various aspects of human life are also a brilliant proof that the Qur’an is a Divine Book.

In praising these excellent injunctions of the Qur’an, the renowned Western scholar Sir Diamondbars wrote,

“The injunctions of the Qur’an are equally suitable and beneficial for everyone, from the emperor to the inhabitant of a thatched hut. It is utterly impossible to find any alternative system for the world.”

Dr. Oswell Johnson says,

“The wise injunctions of the Qur’an are so effective and suited to all times that they are capable of fulfilling the needs of every age. In bustling cities, vibrant settlements, empty deserts, and from one country to another, this message is heard resonating equally everywhere.”

Gibbon says,

“The Qur’an contains effective regulations for every branch of life.”

All the injunctions relating to marriage and divorce, systems concerning inheritance, state and financial principles, rules regarding war and treaties, and so forth, undoubtedly prove that the Qur’an is the Book of Allah. For the Prophet from whose lips we received this Book was unlettered. Thus, he had studied no book of law, nor had he received lessons from any jurist. Therefore, unless he had been a Prophet, it would not have been possible for him to present such excellent injunctions.

Six: Providing accurate information about the universe and the higher realms

In many places and in various contexts, while describing Allah’s infinite power, the Holy Qur’an has presented information about the higher realms, the earth and its administration; as science has advanced through its various stages, the truth of this information has become clear as daylight. Several examples are presented below,

(a) Before Newton’s discovery of the theory of gravitation in 1965, people throughout the world had little knowledge that the various planets and satellites in space attract one another, and that as a result they remain suspended in space. Yet nearly a thousand years before Newton’s birth, Allah had informed His Prophet of this fact through revelation. The relevant verse is quoted below,

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَن تَقُومَ السَّمَاءُ وَالْأَرْضُ بِأَمْرِهِ ۚ ثُمَّ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ دَعْوَةً مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ إِذَا أَنتُمْ تَخْرُجُونَ ﴿٢٥﴾

“Among the great signs of Allah is also this: the higher realms and the earth are established in outer space by His command.” (Surah Ar-Rum, verse 25)

The immense force by which all the objects in the higher realms and the earth remain established in space is called in the verse ‘the command of Allah.’ That is precisely the force of gravitation discovered by Newton.

 وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ ۖ وَالنُّجُومُ مُسَخَّرَاتٌ بِأَمْرِهِ ۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ ﴿١٢﴾

“And all the stars are bound and controlled by His command. Surely, in this are signs for people of understanding.” (Surah An-Nahl, verse 12)

In the foregoing verse, ‘command’ refers to that great force of attraction whose power prevents the stars in outer space from scattering and flying away.

إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يُمْسِكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ أَن تَزُولَا ۚ وَلَئِن زَالَتَا إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُمَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّن بَعْدِهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا ﴿٤١﴾

Indeed, Allah holds the heavens and the earth in such a way that they do not separate and fall.” (Surah Fatir, verse 41)

The holding force of Allah mentioned in the verse is the force of gravitation discovered by Newton.

Although in the first century of the Christian era the Greek scientist Ptolemy discovered that the earth is spherical and suspended in space, he could not explain what force caused it to remain suspended, nor could he provide any information about the earth’s motion.

(b) The French physicist de Broglie pointed to the astonishing dual nature by which Allah has employed a dual and paired system throughout the world in creation in 1915. According to him, the duality prevailing throughout nature, including the dual nature of light, is only one aspect of it. Yet nearly thirteen hundred years before de Broglie, this dual nature had been conveyed to humanity through the Qur’an. Allah says,

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَزْوَاجَ كُلَّهَا مِمَّا تُنبِتُ الْأَرْضُ وَمِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَمِمَّا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٣٦﴾

“Glory be to the One who created everything in pairs: whatever the earth produces, whatever comes from within them, and things of which they have no knowledge.” (Surah Ya-Sin, verse 36)

وَخَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا ﴿٨﴾

“And We created you in pairs.” (Surah An-Naba, verse 8)

(c) The Qur’an declared, long before the birth of scientists such as Copernicus, Galileo, Newton and Einstein, that everything in the universe, including the moon and the sun, is in continual motion,

 وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِي لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَّهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ ﴿٣٨﴾ وَالْقَمَرَ قَدَّرْنَاهُ مَنَازِلَ حَتَّىٰ عَادَ كَالْعُرْجُونِ الْقَدِيمِ ﴿٣٩﴾ لَا الشَّمْسُ يَنبَغِي لَهَا أَن تُدْرِكَ الْقَمَرَ وَلَا اللَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ ۚ وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ ﴿٤٠﴾

“The sun is moving toward its destination. That is the design of the Almighty, the All-Knowing. And for the moon We have determined phases, until it returns like an old date stalk. The sun cannot overtake the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day. Each is swimming in an orbit.” (Surah Ya-Sin, verses 38–40)

 ﴾ وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ ۖ كُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ ﴿٣٣﴾

“He created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon; all are swimming in an orbit.” (Surah Al-Anbiya, verse 33)

Now listen to what the world-famous scientist Einstein said about this,

“There is no stationary, motionless structure in the universe. The universe is dynamic; the stars, the world of nebulae, and the vast gravitational systems of outer space are all in continuous motion.”

Sir Isaac Newton’s view on this matter is as follows:

“When establishing the solar system, the Creator arranged for every object to revolve on its axis.”

(d) Long before scientists, the Qur’an informed us that, in the initial state of creation, the stars, nebulae and the solar system were interconnected and inseparable,

 أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ كَانَتَا رَتْقًا فَفَتَقْنَاهُمَا ۖ وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ ۖ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٣٠﴾

“Do those who have adopted disbelief not see that the heavens and the earth were initially joined together, then We separated them?” (Surah Al-Anbiya, verse 30)

Regarding the creation of the universe, the Belgian cosmologist Athély Metre said: “The universe was created from a gigantic primordial atom. In time, the atom split apart, and its various parts spread in different directions.”

(*********)

Recently, George Gamow of George Washington University gave the following explanation concerning the creation of the universe,

“In the beginning, the center of the universe was a blazing inferno of homogeneous primordial vapor. Gradually, this cosmic mass began to spread in all directions, and the temperatures of its various parts continued to decrease.”

An astonishing harmony can be observed between the views of the two renowned scientists mentioned above and the declaration described earlier.

(e) Long before modern science, the Qur’an indicated that the lengths of time and the durations of day and night are not the same in the various worlds of the universe, including the solar system,

يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ ﴿٥﴾

“He directs all affairs from the heavens to the earth; then they ascend to Him on a day whose measure is a thousand years according to your counting.” (Surah As-Sajdah, verse 5)

Although this difference in the lengths of time was not understandable when the Qur’an was revealed, current scientific discoveries have made it easy and comprehensible for people.

The following is a statement by the world-famous scientist Albert Einstein on this matter,

“Every world has its own time. Mentioning the time of an event without specifying the world has no meaning at all. Space and time change according to the speed of each world.”

The Mystery of the Universe and Dr. Einstein, Lincoln Bemitt.

Therefore, if on the Day of Judgment Allah arranges our reckoning in a world illuminated by a planet around which that world revolves on its axis only once in a thousand of our earthly years, and consequently one day there equals a thousand years on our earth, why should that be astonishing?

(f) In another place in the Holy Qur’an, while describing the distinctive artistry of Allah’s creation, He says,

﴾ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ طِبَاقًا ۖ مَّا تَرَىٰ فِي خَلْقِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ مِن تَفَاوُتٍ ۖ فَارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ هَلْ تَرَىٰ مِن فُطُورٍ ﴿٣﴾ ثُمَّ ارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ كَرَّتَيْنِ يَنقَلِبْ إِلَيْكَ الْبَصَرُ خَاسِئًا وَهُوَ حَسِيرٌ ﴿٤﴾

“He is the One who created seven heavens, one above another. You will see no flaw in the creation of the Most Merciful. Look again: do you see any fissure? Then look again and again; your sight will return to you humbled and weary.” (Although you will not see any flaw anywhere.) (Surah Al-Mulk, verses 3–4)

Regarding the fact that Allah did not create this remarkable universe pointlessly or as a game, the Qur’an says,

وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَاعِبِينَ ﴿٣٨﴾ مَا خَلَقْنَاهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٣٩﴾

“We did not create the heavens and the earth and everything between them as a pastime. We created them only with purpose, but most of them do not understand.” (Surah Ad-Dukhan, verses 38–39)

Now listen to the view of the world-famous scientist Albert Einstein concerning this masterfully created universe,

“I believe in a harmonious and orderly universe. I hold the belief that one day the searching human being will discover the actual truth. I cannot believe at all that the Creator is playing dice with the universe.” (The Mystery of the Universe and Dr. Einstein).

(g) In describing the Day of Judgment, Allah the Exalted has said in the Holy Qur’an that on that terrifying day there will be no light in the sun and moon, and the stars will also lose their function. Allah will illuminate the entire field of the Gathering with a wondrous light of His own. As mentioned in Surah Al-Qiyamah,

 يَسْأَلُ أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ ﴿٦﴾ فَإِذَا بَرِقَ الْبَصَرُ ﴿٧﴾ وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُ ﴿٨﴾ وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ ﴿٩﴾

“They ask the Messenger when the Day of Judgment will be. On the day when sight will be dazzled, the moon will have no light, and the sun and moon will be brought to the same state.” (Surah Al-Qiyamah, verses 6–9)

In another place in the Holy Qur’an, Allah says while describing the Day of Judgment,

 إِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ ﴿١﴾ وَإِذَا النُّجُومُ انكَدَرَتْ ﴿٢﴾ وَإِذَا الْجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتْ ﴿٣﴾

“On the day when the sun will have no light, the stars will be displaced, and the mountains will also move away.” (Surah At-Takwir, verses 1–3)

Although, at the time the Qur’an was revealed, some people considered these statements impossible, today’s renowned scientists no longer regard the moon and stars reaching the condition described above as impossible at all. Rather, their opinions support it. For example, they have said,

“The sun is gradually but surely going out. Many of the stars are now nothing more than burnt coal. The level of heat is decreasing throughout the universe. Matter is dispersing and being destroyed, while energy is vanishing into outer space. Gradually, the universe is moving toward heat death in this way. When the universe reaches such a state after many millions of years, all processes of nature will cease.”

(The Mystery of the Universe and Dr. Einstein, pp. 123–124)

“From all the phenomena and facts of nature, the only conclusion that can be reached is that the universe is moving inexorably and irreversibly toward a dark destruction.” (The Mystery of the Universe and Dr. Einstein, p. 127)

According to scientists, the universe will be destroyed on the day when all the processes of nature come to a halt.

كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ ﴿٢٦﴾ وَيَبْقَىٰ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ

“Everything in the universe will perish, and only your Lord will remain, the Possessor of Majesty and Honor.”

(Surah Ar-Rahman, verses 26–27)

(j) In the Holy Qur’an, Allah, Lord of the worlds, has described plants, vegetation, trees and the like as precious resources for human beings and animals. Allah says,

وَالْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَاهَا ﴿٣٠﴾ أَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا مَاءَهَا وَمَرْعَاهَا ﴿٣١﴾ وَالْجِبَالَ أَرْسَاهَا ﴿٣٢﴾ مَتَاعًا لَّكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَامِكُمْ ﴿٣٣﴾

“Then He spread out the earth, brought forth from it its water and pasture, and firmly set the mountains. All this is a precious provision for you and your cattle.” (Surah An-Nazi‘at, verses 30–33)

Elsewhere Allah says,

فَلْيَنظُرِ الْإِنسَانُ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِهِ ﴿٢٤﴾ أَنَّا صَبَبْنَا الْمَاءَ صَبًّا ﴿٢٥﴾ ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا الْأَرْضَ شَقًّا ﴿٢٦﴾ فَأَنبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبًّا ﴿٢٧﴾ وَعِنَبًا وَقَضْبًا ﴿٢٨﴾ وَزَيْتُونًا وَنَخْلًا ﴿٢٩﴾ وَحَدَائِقَ غُلْبًا ﴿٣٠﴾ وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا ﴿٣١﴾ مَّتَاعًا لَّكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَامِكُمْ ﴿٣٢﴾ فَإِذَا جَاءَتِ الصَّاخَّةُ ﴿٣٣﴾ يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ ﴿٣٤﴾ وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ ﴿٣٥﴾ وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيهِ ﴿٣٦﴾ لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ ﴿٣٧﴾ وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُّسْفِرَةٌ ﴿٣٨﴾ ضَاحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌ ﴿٣٩﴾ وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ ﴿٤٠﴾ تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ ﴿٤١﴾ أُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَفَرَةُ الْفَجَرَةُ ﴿٤٢﴾

“Let people look at their food. We poured down water abundantly, then We split the earth open and caused grain, grapes, vegetables, olives, dates, dense gardens, fruits and pasture to grow in it. All this is especially beneficial for you and your domesticated animals.” (Surah Abasa, verses 24–32)

After conducting various studies on plants, modern scientists have concluded that in nature there is no greater friend for human beings and animals than plants. Plants not only provide us with food; they also absorb the poisonous gas carbon dioxide from the air and produce oxygen for our breathing.

Plants absorb water from the soil through their roots and carry it to their leaves, while the leaves absorb carbon dioxide gas from the air. With the help of chlorophyll stored in the leaves (which makes the leaves appear green) and sunlight, a kind of cooking takes place inside the leaves. As a result, sugar is produced, which is extremely necessary for our bodies. Oxygen is also released, without which we cannot live even for a short time.

Therefore, plants are not an ordinary resource for us; rather, they are a priceless resource. In the Qur’an, Allah has reminded us countless times of His blessing of vegetation and called upon us to express gratitude.

(J) The renowned Indian scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose is said to have been the first to prove that plants and all kinds of metals possess vital energy. Yet, nearly thirteen hundred years before Mr. Bose’s discovery, the Holy Qur’an had revealed to us the vital energy and power of sensation possessed by plants, stones, and all kinds of metals. Several quotations from the Qur’an on this subject are given below:

﴿تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ السَّبْعُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ ۚ وَإِن مِّن شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا﴾

“The seven heavens, the earth, and all that is within them glorify Allah. There is nothing that does not glorify Him with praise, but you do not comprehend their glorification (their recitation of tasbih). Indeed, He is Forbearing and Forgiving.” (Surah Bani Isra’il, verse 44)

سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

“Everyone in the heavens and the earth is engaged in glorifying Allah. And He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.” (Surah As-Saff, verse 1)

The following verse particularly carries an indication of the vital energy of stones:

﴿ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِيَ كَالْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنَ الْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ الْأَنْهَارُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ الْمَاءُ ۚ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ﴾

“Some stones are such that rivers gush forth from them. Some crack open and water emerges from them. And some fall down upon the earth, trembling out of fear of Allah. Allah is by no means unaware of what you do.”

(Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 74)

Once, during an expedition, when Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) was giving instructions to the soldiers, he saw some Companions cutting the branches of trees beside the road with blows from their weapons. The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade them and said, “Beware! Do not strike the trees unnecessarily. For they have life; they suffer and weep when you strike them.”

Very recently, a Russian scientist discovered that flowers nearby are also affected by human happiness and sorrow; that is, nearby flowers rejoice in human happiness and joy and feel pain in human sorrow.

Only a few days ago, a book entitled The Secret Life of Plants, written by two renowned American scientists, Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird, was published. In it they proved that all kinds of plants—even radishes, carrots, onions, and so on—possess not only the power of sensation, but also intelligence and willpower.

They even possess a language for communicating with other plants. In this regard, the two scientists also presented in their book, as evidence, the opinions of such renowned scientists as Cleve Backster, Marcel Vogel, Ken Harmimot, and the Indian scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose.

The results of investigations by Russian scientists in Kazakhstan concerning how crop seedlings respond to music and how seeds and buds awaken in response to electrical shocks have also been recorded in that book.

Seven: The Qur’an’s Unique System of Preservation

Most of the books revealed to the prophets since time immemorial are now unavailable. Of the few that can be found, even fewer exist in their original languages. When a book is translated from its original language, it becomes a translated book, not the original book—especially when it is a translation of a book revealed by Almighty Allah. The language of a translated book belongs to its translator, not to Allah.

Moreover, many of their learned followers have openly acknowledged that those books are not free from alteration. In those days there was neither paper nor printing presses like those of today. Thus, they were written on leaves, wooden tablets, smooth stone slabs, or thin leather. Since making additional copies was impossible, one or two copies were kept by priests and clergymen in their central places of worship. Whenever a rival nation attacked their capital or city, their religious books and places of worship became the principal targets of the victorious nation’s attack. Before the rise of Islam, the religious scriptures of the Jews and Christians were destroyed many times in this way by rival powers. Today, it is generally impossible to find a complete Torah or Gospel in its original language.

The Holy Torah, which had been revealed to Hazrat Moses (peace be upon him), was destroyed several times. In particular, in 586 BCE, the tyrannical Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar (Bakht-Nasr) attacked Jerusalem, destroyed the city and razed it to the ground, and took the Israelite scholars and notable figures captive to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also destroyed the Holy Bayt al-Muqaddas mosque, built by Hazrat Solomon (peace be upon him), along with the Torah kept there.

Then, nearly half a century later, in 538 BCE, the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great defeated the king of Babylon and liberated the Jews. He helped resettle them in Palestine and rebuild the city of Jerusalem and the Bayt al-Muqaddas mosque. Subsequently, the Jewish scholars compiled the Torah anew from the scattered portions they had been able to collect and from what they had memorized. The opinion of a famous European author of the book The Story of the Bible on this matter is as follows:

The original manuscripts were destroyed with Solomon’s temple, and Ezra made a fresh set from such copies as could be found. (The Story of the Bible)

“The actual fact was that the original manuscripts of the Torah had been destroyed along with the Holy Temple of Hazrat Solomon. Then Ezra, or Hazrat Uzair (peace be upon him), made a new copy from whatever he was able to collect.”

According to the Roman historian Priani, the book of Zend-Avesta, revealed to Zarathustra, was written in golden ink on a total of twelve thousand cowhides and kept in the famous library of Persepolis, the then capital of the Persians. Then, when the Greek emperor Alexander conquered that capital and set it on fire, the library and the holy book of Zend-Avesta kept there were also burned to ashes. Regarding the New Testament (the Gospel), the author, stating the results of his investigation, says:

“All the New Testament is found, with documents in a manuscript called the ‘Sinaitic Codex,’ preserved at Leningrad, probably written in Egypt in the 4th century.” (The Story of the Bible, p. 107)

“The entire New Testament (the Gospel), along with other documents, is preserved at Leningrad in the original manuscript called the ‘Sinaitic Manuscript.’ It was most probably written in Egypt in the fourth Christian century.”

Therefore, if what is attributed to Hazrat Jesus (peace be upon him) dates from four hundred years after his death, it is certainly a matter worth considering.

Again, some divine messages (revelations) were taught orally by religious priests to their disciples. When there arose a fear that they might disappear into the womb of time, or when many outside narratives and such things began to be added to them, one of their learned men would record them in book form. As a result, some portions would be omitted, while many external accounts would also be incorporated.

The sacred Hindu scripture, the Vedas, was compiled by the sage Vedavyasa in the Mahabharata era, long after the Vedic age (during the time of the Kurukshetra war). According to Western scholars, the Vedas were composed only seven or eight hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ. Similarly, the Buddhist religious scripture Tripitaka was recorded under the leadership of Emperor Ashoka about two hundred years after Buddha’s death, while the first and second pitakas were also compiled after his death. Moreover, the languages in which the heavenly scriptures preceding the Qur’an were revealed are no longer in use anywhere in the world. Most of the world’s prophets belonged to the Children of Israel, and their language was Aramaic or Hebrew. All the books revealed to these Israelite prophets were in Aramaic or Hebrew. Yet Hebrew is no longer widely used anywhere in the world today.

Similarly, no trace remains of Sanskrit, the language of the Hindu scriptures the Vedas and the Gita, and no one now speaks Pali, the language of the Buddhist scripture, the Pitaka. These are now counted among the dead languages.

But the case of the Qur’an alone is different from all these. Billions of copies of the Qur’an exist in various countries and in the possession of different people, in the very original language in which it was revealed. The Qur’an has not merely been preserved in book form; from the time of its revelation until today, countless people in different parts of the world have memorized it in its entirety.

It has already been mentioned that the Qur’an was revealed gradually over a period of twenty-three years. Whenever any portion of the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him), he would immediately have it recorded by a scribe (the recorder of revelation), while many Muslims would memorize that portion at once. When the revelation of the Qur’an was completed after twenty-three years, it had been fully recorded and preserved on the one hand, while countless Muslims had memorized it completely and established an excellent system for its preservation on the other. Thereafter, this system of preservation continued properly for century after century.

If anyone wishes to test this, let him obtain a copy of the Qur’an from some country in East Asia. Then let him hear it recited by a hafiz from North Africa. He will find no discrepancy—not even in a single vowel mark, let alone in a word or letter.

Moreover, even after the passage of fourteen hundred years, the original Arabic language in which the Qur’an was revealed to the Noble Messenger has neither become obsolete nor been abandoned.

[In praising the special characteristics of the Arabic language, the renowned American scholar George Sarton says:

“Muslim civilization was of a distinctive nature. Muslims bound themselves together through two powerful ties: religion and language. One of the principal duties of Muslims is to recite the Qur’an in the original Arabic language. Thanks to this excellent religious injunction.… Even today, Arabic is one of the languages widely used throughout the world. In The Life of Science, George Sarton says elsewhere: ‘From the middle of the eighth century to the end of the eleventh century, Arabic speakers were advancing at the forefront of humanity. Thanks to them, Arabic was established not only as the sacred language of the Qur’an, or as the vehicle of Allah’s word, but also presented itself to the world as an international language.’ Acknowledging the immense importance of Arabic writings in the progress of human civilization, the author writes elsewhere in the book:”

“Those among the European scholars who were pioneers realized that Arabic writings were not merely important; they were indispensable. For within them was stored a vast wealth of knowledge. It would not be an exaggeration to say that, until the middle of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the principal work of Christian scholars was translating Arabic books into Latin.” (The Life of Science by George Sarton)

Rather, several hundred million people around the world speak that language. Every reader of the Qur’an cannot help but be impressed by its unique system of preservation.

Allah Himself has declared that this unique system of preservation of His final Book, revealed to Allah’s final Messenger, was planned by Allah Himself. We find this declaration once in an early Makkan surah called Surah Al-Qiyamah, and once in another Makkan surah called Surah Al-Hijr.

When Gabriel (peace be upon him) first came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) in Makkah and recited the revelation to him, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would recite it eagerly along with Gabriel so that no part of the revelation might be missed. Therefore, Almighty Allah reassured the Prophet in the following words:

﴿لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ﴾

﴿إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ﴾

﴿فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ﴾

﴿ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ﴾

“O Messenger, do not move your tongue to hasten in mastering the Qur’an. It is My responsibility to compile it completely and have it recited to you. Therefore, when I recite it through Gabriel’s tongue, follow its recitation. Then explaining it is also My responsibility.” (Surah Al-Qiyamah, verses 16–19)

Almighty Allah also says:

﴿إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ﴾

“Indeed, I alone have revealed the Qur’an, and indeed I alone am responsible for its preservation.” (Surah Al-Hijr, verse 9)

A similar statement is also found in Surah Ta-Ha.

وَلَا تَعْجَلْ بِالْقُرْآنِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يُقْضَىٰ إِلَيْكَ وَحْيُهُ ۖ وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا

“When the Qur’an is being revealed, do not be anxious about preserving it until its revelation is completed. And say, ‘O Allah, increase me in knowledge.’” (Surah Ta-Ha, verse 114)

When one considers this extraordinary system of preservation of the Qur’an, the heart itself will testify that the hand of the One who revealed it is active at the root of this system of preservation.

Eight: The Qur’an’s Amazing Harmony of Language and Meaning

Despite being revealed gradually over a long period of twenty-three years, the astonishing consistency of the Qur’an’s language, literary quality, meaning, and expression from beginning to end also proves that the Qur’an is not a human-authored book. For no human being could maintain such continuity and harmony among these aspects over such a long period.

The Qur’an: The Messenger’s Greatest Miracle

Almighty Allah granted the prophets and messengers whom He sent to guide humanity in the world miracles as proof of their prophethood and messengership. The lexical meaning of the word “miracle” is to render someone incapable and powerless, to overpower them in confrontation, and so on. Its technical meaning is to bring about and demonstrate, in support of the prophets’ and messengers’ own claims, such an extraordinary and wondrous event as no one other than a prophet could possibly produce.

In addition to ordinary miracles, Allah granted some of His messengers special miracles as well. For example, Moses (peace be upon him) was given the asa (staff) and yad al-bayda (the luminous hand). When Hazrat Moses (peace be upon him) threw his staff onto the ground, it took the form of a terrifying, enormous serpent and moved rapidly across the ground. When he took hold of it again, it turned back into a staff. Similarly, when he drew his right hand out from beneath his armpit, a special light radiated from it and illuminated all around. This was Moses’ (peace be upon him) miracle: the asa and yad al-bayda. In addition to these two special miracles mentioned above, many other extraordinary and miraculous events occurred during the long life of Hazrat Moses (peace be upon him). Among them were splitting the water of the Red Sea with a blow of the staff to make a path for the Israelites, causing twelve springs to flow from a piece of rock for the twelve tribes of the Children of Israel, and the descent of manna and quails (heavenly food) from the sky.

Many such miraculous events are also found in the life of Hazrat Jesus (peace be upon him); however, his special miracles were curing incurable diseases and bringing the dead back to life so that they could speak.

Allah also caused many miraculous events through His final Messenger, Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him), presenting evidence of his prophethood before the unbelievers. However, the greatest miracle granted to him was the Qur’an, revealed in the Arabic language.

Arabic was already a language possessing special characteristics among the world’s principal languages. Moreover, at the time of the Messenger’s advent, the Arabs were at the forefront of poetry and literary cultivation. At their national celebrations, they decorated pavilions and stages and displayed their poetic, artistic, and literary talents. To such a nation, which possessed an elevated and refined language, Allah began revealing, through revelation, such sublime words to a completely unlettered man that all the Arabs were stunned when they saw the exalted standard of their language and meaning. Just as it was impossible for the Arabs to match the Qur’an in language, it was likewise impossible for them to produce words comparable to the Qur’an in meaning and subject matter. The Qur’an repeatedly challenged its opponents: if you have any doubt about the Qur’an coming from Muhammad’s lips—that it is not the word of Allah but rather something made by Muhammad—then produce and bring at least one short surah like the Qur’an.

The Qur’an’s challenge was not limited merely to its inherent harmonies, philosophical subjects, complex injunctions, and so forth. If it had been, the Arabs might have said, “We are not philosophers, nor do we know ethics; and when would we have time to concern ourselves with astronomy?” But that was not all. Along with claiming superiority in meaning, the Qur’an openly challenged the entire world, including the Arabs, to produce at least one short surah comparable to it in the excellence of its language. Just as the great scholars and masters of Arabic were unable to match the Qur’an linguistically, the experts in ethics and philosophy among the Arabs, Romans, and Persians were likewise unable to produce, in meaning, any book like the Qur’an or even anything resembling a part of it. Thus, in both language and meaning, the Qur’an will remain until the Day of Judgment as one of the Noble Messenger’s most astonishing miracles.

The Qur’an’s System of Compilation and Classification

During the revelation of the Qur’an, whenever any portion was revealed, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would have it recorded by the Companions who wrote down the revelation, while countless noble Companions would memorize it. At the moment of the Prophet’s passing, the complete Qur’an was memorized by countless noble Companions, and it also existed in written form with several Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Whenever a portion of the Qur’an was revealed, many of the Companions would immediately write it on thin camel hide, smooth pieces of stone, leaves, or bark. A narration by the scribe of revelation, Hazrat Zayd ibn Thabit, is found in the books of Hadith. He said:

نولف القرآن من الرقاع

“We would sit with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and write down the Noble Qur’an on pieces of leather.” (Mustadrak-Itqan)

In the section of Bukhari dealing with the status of the Companions, a narration from Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar is mentioned in which he said that he heard the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) say, “Learn the Qur’an from four people: Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, Salim, Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, and Mu‘adh ibn Jabal.” (Bukhari)

Elsewhere in Bukhari, a narration by Hazrat Anas states:

“The four Companions who had specially collected the Qur’an during the time of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) were all Ansar: Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, Mu‘adh ibn Jabal, Abu Zayd, and Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with them).” (Bukhari)

The scholars of Hadith have explained this tradition by saying that its meaning is that although countless noble Companions collected and preserved the Qur’an, the four Companions mentioned above held a special distinction regarding memorizing, reciting, preserving, and collecting the Qur’an.

Thus, immediately after his passing, when several hundred Huffaz among the Companions were martyred in the Battle of Yamamah during the early part of Hazrat Abu Bakr’s caliphate, Hazrat Umar came to Khalifat al-Rasul Hazrat Abu Bakr with the request that all the portions of the Qur’an be arranged sequentially and compiled into a book at once. Otherwise, because large numbers of those who had memorized the Qur’an might depart from this world, we might perhaps lose some portion of the Qur’an. Hazrat Abu Bakr initially hesitated somewhat, but later approved Hazrat Umar’s proposal and entrusted Hazrat Zayd ibn Thabit, the scribe of revelation, with this sacred responsibility.

In his renowned work Sahih al-Bukhari, in the section “The Importance and Honor of the Qur’an,” Imam Bukhari narrated the following hadith through Hazrat Zayd ibn Thabit:

“Immediately after the Battle of Yamamah, Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) summoned me. When I arrived, I saw Hazrat Umar also seated beside him. Then Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed me and said:

‘Look, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) has come to me saying that countless Huffaz of the Qur’an were martyred in the Battle of Yamamah. I fear that if Huffaz of the Qur’an continue to be martyred in other battles in this way, we may lose some portions of the Qur’an. Therefore, my opinion is that you should order that the Qur’an be compiled in book form.’ I replied to Umar, ‘How can I do something that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not do?’ Then Umar swore by Allah and said, ‘Indeed, this is an excellent and necessary task.’ Through all these arguments and discussions with Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), Allah also placed in my heart a feeling of the importance of this task. I too agreed with Umar.”

The narrator, Hazrat Zayd ibn Thabit, further said that afterward Hazrat Abu Bakr addressed me and said:

“You are a young and intelligent man. None of us has any complaint against you. Moreover, during the Messenger’s time you were engaged in recording revelation. Therefore, you should arrange the complete Qur’an and compile it in a book.” (Bukhari, Fada’il al-Qur’an)

Thereafter, Hazrat Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) collected the written portions preserved among the Companions and in the Prophet’s own house, arranged them together, checked them against the recitation of the Companions who had memorized the Qur’an, and compiled them in book form.

Al-Harith al-Muhasibi narrated in his work Fahm al-Sunan:

“Writing down the Qur’an was not an unprecedented act. The Noble Prophet himself (peace be upon him) used to have the Qur’an written down. However, it existed in various separate pieces. Hazrat Abu Bakr al-Siddiq ordered all of them to be brought together and compiled in book form. This work was like gathering the scattered pages on which the Qur’an had been written and which were kept in the Messenger’s (peace be upon him) house. Then a collector arranged them and tied them with thread so that no portion could be lost.”

Al-Thaqafah al-Islamiyyah. (Allama Raghib Tabbakh).

The Mushaf collected and written by Hazrat Zayd remained in the custody of the first caliph, Hazrat Abu Bakr, as a trust during his lifetime. Others copied from it as needed, and it was then handed over to Umar. After Hazrat Umar’s martyrdom, that Mushaf was placed in the care of Umm al-Mu’minin Hazrat Hafsah.

Reform of the Qur’an’s Recitation Method

Although people who speak the same language throughout a region share one language, there are inevitably some differences and variations in their speech, pronunciation, and so on. For example, considerable differences can be seen between the languages of Nadia and Comilla, and likewise between those of Khulna and Chittagong. Yet the language of both districts is Bengali.

Similarly, although the language of the entire Arab land was Arabic, considerable variation could be observed in the languages, pronunciation, manner of speech, and usage of different regions and tribes. Since the Prophet was Qurayshi, the Noble Qur’an was revealed in Qurayshi Arabic. However, Arabs of other regions were also permitted to recite and write it in their regional Arabic, since this did not cause any change in the Qur’an’s essential meaning or sense. But when Islam crossed the borders of Arabia and spread into non-Arab lands, this difference in recitation and pronunciation created particular difficulties for non-Arabs. When the third caliph, Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), was alerted to the matter, he understood its importance in a special way. He then resolved the problem that had arisen by the method described below.

First, he brought the Mushaf of Hazrat Hafsah, written and preserved in the Quraysh language, and had many copies made of it. He then sent one copy to each region of the Muslim empire and ordered everyone to copy from it. He completely destroyed the Mushafs written in non-Quraysh dialects. As a result, even the differences in manner of speech and pronunciation no longer remained.

Regarding this, Imam Bukhari narrated the following hadith through Hazrat Anas in the Fada’il al-Qur’an section of Sahih al-Bukhari: “Once Hazrat Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman came to Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). Before this, he had taken part in the conquest of Armenia with Syrian fighters and in the battle of Azerbaijan with Iraqi fighters; there he became alarmed on seeing differences in the Qur’an recitation methods of the Syrian and Iraqi Muslims. When he came to the third caliph, Hazrat Uthman, he said to the caliph, ‘Commander of the Believers, do something for the welfare of this Ummah before they differ over the Book of Allah as the Jews and Christians did.’ Hearing this, Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) sent a request to Umm al-Mu’minin Hafsah that she send him the book collected during the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). He would have it copied and return the original to her. Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) then gave the sacred book to Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), and Uthman began the copying work with Hazrat Zayd ibn Thabit, Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, Sa’id ibn al-As, and Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with them). Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) told the three Qurayshi Companions, excluding Hazrat Zayd ibn Thabit: ‘If you differ with Zayd ibn Thabit regarding any part of the recitation method, then write it in the language of Quraysh, because the Qur’an was revealed in the language of Quraysh.’”

When the aforementioned Companions had completed copies of the entire book according to Hazrat Uthman’s order, Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) sent the original book back to Hazrat Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her). He sent one copy of the copied Mushaf to each region of the empire and ordered that all other Mushafs found anywhere besides those he had sent should be destroyed. (Bukhari—Fada’il al-Qur’an)

“Copies of the original Noble Qur’an copied by Hazrat Uthman are still preserved in various countries of the world, including Russia, Egypt, and Syria. The Noble Qur’an currently in our possession is likewise identical to that original Siddiqi book, from which Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) had copies made and sent under state administration to various parts of the realm.”

Could there be any method for collecting and preserving a book more faultless, superior, and scientific than this?

The present classification and arrangement of the Qur’an were not given by any later person. Rather, the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) arranged the Qur’an in its present order under the direction of Hazrat Jibril (peace be upon him). It was according to this arrangement that the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself recited it to the noble Companions in prayer. The Companions who had memorized the Qur’an also memorized it according to the same arrangement.

Why the Qur’an Was Revealed Gradually

Why was the entire Noble Qur’an not revealed all at once, but gradually over a period of twenty-three long years? Why did Allah not reveal the Noble Qur’an all at once, like the heavenly books Torah, Zabur, and Gospel? This too is certainly a matter worthy of reflection. One of the complaints of the unbelievers regarding the Noble Qur’an was also: Why was the Qur’an not revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him) all at once?”

Regarding this statement of the unbelievers, Allah said:

﴿وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ ۖ وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلًا﴾

“And the unbelievers say, ‘Why was the Qur’an not revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him) all at once?’ Thus, through its revelation in intervals, I strengthen your heart, and I have revealed it gradually.” (Surah al-Furqan, verse 32)

Allama Abd al-Azim, author of Manahil al-Irfan fi Ulum al-Qur’an, mentioned four particular wisdoms behind the gradual revelation of the Qur’an in his book.

1. Strengthening the Messenger’s heart

That is, whenever the honored angel Hazrat Jibril Amin, who repeatedly carried revelation from Allah Himself, came to the Prophet, his inner soul would be filled with spiritual joy, and in the sacred chamber of his heart the conviction would remain firmly rooted that Allah’s grace and blessings were descending upon him continuously from the heavens. Thus the Prophet’s heart and soul gradually grew stronger through the miraculous power of faith.

Because the Qur’an was revealed gradually and in intervals, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would memorize it immediately, understand its inner meaning, and become especially acquainted with its wisdom. Thus the Prophet’s sacred heart continued to grow stronger through the Qur’an’s extraordinary and miraculous power.

2. The continuous training of the Muslim Ummah

That is, to advance step by step, through continuous education and training, the new nation that had emerged under the Prophet’s leadership and bring it to the limits of perfection. This objective was especially achieved through the revelation of small portions of the Qur’an at intervals. For if all the commands and rulings of the Shariah had been revealed together at the very first stage, it might have been more difficult for those who had newly accepted Islam to follow them completely. As Allah said:

﴿وَقُرْآنًا فَرَقْنَاهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلَىٰ مُكْثٍ وَنَزَّلْنَاهُ تَنزِيلًا﴾

“And I have revealed the Qur’an in portions so that you may recite it to the people gradually.” (Surah al-Isra, verse 106)

3. Guidance concerning new problems

At various stages of the great responsibility Allah had placed upon the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his self-sacrificing Companions to conduct the Islamic movement, different problems arose, and at different times the Prophet had to face various questions. To resolve those problems and answer those questions, it became necessary for different portions of the Qur’an to be revealed at different times.

For example, once a Muslim woman, Hazrat Khawlah bint Tha’labah, came to the Messenger’s court and, recounting how her husband had pronounced Zihar against her, began to weep and lament. She had several small children. If she entrusted these children to her husband, their lives might be ruined. But if she kept them with her, they might die prematurely from lack of food. Thus the woman became extremely distressed and continued weeping and lamenting before the Prophet.

Before Islam, during the Age of Ignorance, a wife would be divorced through Zihar.

[Zihar means comparing one’s wife to a woman permanently forbidden for marriage, such as one’s mother or daughter, with the intention of separating her from oneself. For example, if someone says to his wife, “You are like my mother,” that is Zihar. During the Age of Ignorance, Arabs considered a wife against whom they had pronounced Zihar permanently forbidden to themselves. Islam did not approve this. However, it imposed an expiation upon the person who committed Zihar for such indecent and improper conduct.]

This was the first time the problem of Zihar had arisen in Muslim society. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not know what to do. At that very moment, the following verses were revealed to resolve it:

قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا وَتَشْتَكِي إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَسْمَعُ تَحَاوُرَكُمَا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ﴾

﴿الَّذِينَ يُظَاهِرُونَ مِنكُم مِّن نِّسَائِهِم مَّا هُنَّ أُمَّهَاتِهِمْ ۖ إِنْ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ إِلَّا اللَّائِي وَلَدْنَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَيَقُولُونَ مُنكَرًا مِّنَ الْقَوْلِ وَزُورًا ۚ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُو

“Allah has indeed heard the words of the woman who was arguing with you concerning her husband and presenting her complaint to Allah. Allah had heard the conversation between you both. And Allah hears and sees everything. Those among you who pronounce Zihar against their wives—those wives do not become their mothers. Their mothers are only those who gave birth to them.” (Surah al-Mujadilah, verses 1–2)

Once, the polytheists of Makkah, incited by the Jews, questioned the Prophet about Dhul-Qarnayn in an attempt to catch him unprepared, although at that time the Prophet knew nothing about Dhul-Qarnayn. Consequently, Allah, the Great Knower, informed His beloved Prophet of a brief history of Dhul-Qarnayn through revelation.

﴿وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَن ذِي الْقَرْنَيْنِ ۖ قُلْ سَأَتْلُو عَلَيْكُم مِّنْهُ ذِكْرًا﴾

“And they ask you about Dhul-Qarnayn. Say, ‘I shall soon recite to you something about him.’” (Surah al-Kahf, verse 83)

Why Is No Heavenly Book Revealed After the Noble Qur’an?

Just as countless prophets and messengers came into the world before the arrival of the Great Prophet, Allah, Lord of the Worlds, likewise revealed countless Books and Scriptures to them. But after the passing of the Great Prophet, no new heavenly Book or Scripture will be revealed, and this state will continue until the Day of Resurrection.

One may ask: Why will no other heavenly Book be revealed after the Qur’an? In answer, it may be said that through revealing the Qur’an, Almighty Allah completed His religion for humankind. As Allah mentions in the Qur’an:

 الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا ۚ

“Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and chosen Islam as your religion.” (Surah al-Ma’idah, verse 3)

Therefore, after the religion had reached perfection, there was no need to reveal another Book.

Second, the need for new Books in the past arose because Allah’s Books were altered, expanded, or partially or completely lost. But through Allah’s miraculous grace, the Qur’an is entirely safe from such calamities. Just as no alteration or addition to the Qur’an is possible, there is likewise no possibility whatsoever of any portion of it being lost. Therefore, in this situation, there is no need for any other heavenly Book.

The extraordinary development of modern communication, the widespread expansion of printing, and the abundant opportunities for the exchange of civilization have conveyed the Qur’an and its message to almost every part of the world. Therefore, there is now no need to reveal any heavenly Book in any corner of the world. Thus, just as after the advent of Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) he is the only Prophet for all humanity throughout the world until the Day of Resurrection, so after the revelation of the Qur’an, the Qur’an alone is the heavenly Book to be followed by all humanity until the Day of Resurrection. Thereafter, just as no other prophet will appear, no other heavenly Book will be revealed.

Several Qur’anic Manuscripts from Various Caliphate Periods Around the World

It has already been mentioned that the regular writing of the Noble Qur’an began during the Messenger of Allah’s (peace be upon him) lifetime, and during the Prophet’s lifetime written portions of the Qur’an were already held by several Companions. During the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), these separate written pieces were arranged and given the form of a beautifully organized, complete Book. Then, in 25 AH, Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) had several copies made of this book, which had been written under Hazrat Abu Bakr’s (may Allah be pleased with him) direction, and sent them under state administration to various regions of the empire.

Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) kept one Mushaf written in his own hand with himself. This Mushaf was called “Mushaf al-Imam.” It remained with Hazrat Uthman throughout his life, then passed into the hands of Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and Hazrat Imam Husayn. Later it reached Spain, and afterward Fez, the capital of Morocco. It was then brought back to Madinah. During the First World War, the Mushaf was taken from Madinah to Constantinople, the capital of Turkey, and remains there to this day.

A manuscript written by Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) in his own hand bears the statement at its end that it was written by Hazrat Uthman ibn Affan.

This Mushaf is currently in Moscow, the capital of Russia. Rebels martyred Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was reciting from it. It was later taken to Damascus and remained in the hands of the rulers of Banu Umayyah until the end of their caliphate. It was then taken to Basra. The famous traveler Ibn Battuta saw it there in the eighteenth century. In 1941 it fell into the hands of the Russian Bolsheviks, and since then it has been in Moscow.

Another manuscript prepared by Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) is currently in France; one is in the Khadurbia library of Egypt, one in the library of Al-Azhar University, and another in a French library.

Of the five manuscripts prepared by Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), one is preserved in Mashhad, two in Constantinople, and one currently in Cairo’s Jami’ Husayn. Another manuscript prepared by Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is currently at Jamia Millia in Delhi.

A manuscript compiled by Hazrat Imam Husayn is also currently preserved at Jamia Millia in Delhi. One Mushaf prepared by Hazrat Imam Zayn al-Abidin is at Jamia Millia, and another is held in the library of Deoband.

When Were Zير, Zabar, and Pesh Added to the Qur’an, Zabar, and Pesh Added

Those whose mother tongue is Arabic can read any book in Arabic without vowel marks. Therefore, until Islam expanded beyond Arabia, the Qur’an was written without vowel marks. Arabs could recite the Qur’an without the assistance of Zer, Zabar, and Pesh. But when Islam crossed the borders of Arabia and spread into non-Arab lands, it became difficult for non-Arab Muslims to read the Qur’an without vowel marks. To resolve this problem, in 86 AH (705 CE), during the Banu Umayyah period, Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, the governor of Iraq, ordered that vowel marks—namely Zer, Zabar, and Pesh—be added to the Qur’an.

Some Memorable Dates Concerning the Noble Qur’an

1. The first revelation began in the Cave of Hira on Monday, 17 Ramadan, 13 years before the Hijrah (corresponding to 6 August 610 CE).

2. The revelation of the Qur’an was completed in the month of Safar of 11 AH.

3. The first five verses revealed to the Prophet were the first five verses of Surah al-Alaq. They are:

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ﴾

﴿خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ﴾

﴿اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ﴾

﴿الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ﴾

﴿عَلَّمَ الْإِنسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ﴾

4. The final revealed verse is the last verse of the 37th ruku of Surah al-Baqarah.

ﻭَﺍﺗَّﻘُﻮﺍ ﻳَﻮْﻣًﺎ ﺗُﺮْﺟَﻌُﻮﻥَ ﻓِﻴﻪِ ﺇِﻟَﻰ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪِ ﺛُﻢَّ

ﺗُﻮَﻓَّﻰ ﻛُﻞُّ ﻧَﻔْﺲٍ ﻣَﺎ ﻛَﺴَﺒَﺖْ ﻭَﻫُﻢْ ﻟَﺎ ﻳُﻈْﻠَﻤُﻮﻥَ

5. For the convenience of recitation, in 86 AH the Qur’an was divided into paras and rukus.

6. In the year 30 AH, at the command of Hazrat Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), all Arabic masahif other than those in the Qurayshi Arabic dialect were destroyed.

7. The first complete surah revealed of the Holy Qur’an was Surah al-Muddaththir, and the last complete surah revealed was Surah al-Nasr. According to some, the first surah revealed was Surah al-Fatihah.

Some Statistics Concerning Various Aspects of the Holy Qur’an

Total surahs – 114

Makki surahs – 93

Madani surahs – 21

Rukus – 554

Number of verses – 6,236

Statements by Several Renowned Non-Muslim Scholars Concerning the Qur’an

1. “It has never been heard that the compilers of the Qur’an omitted any part, sentence, or word of the Qur’an. Nor has any sentence been found in the Qur’an that entered it from outside. Had that happened, it would certainly have been mentioned in the books of Hadith, from which not even the slightest matter has been omitted.” (William Muir)

2. “Undoubtedly, the Qur’an is the finest work in the Arabic language and the most reliable book in the world. It is utterly impossible for any human being to compose such a miraculous book. The Qur’an is a miracle greater than bringing the dead to life. It is astonishing even to consider how an uneducated man could compose such flawless and unparalleled expressions.” (George Sale)

3. “The Qur’an alone is a book that has undergone no change even over the course of thirteen hundred years. There is no reliable scripture of the Jewish or Christian religions that can in any respect be regarded as equal to the Qur’an.” (Mr. Badley, a renowned Christian historian)

4. “The Qur’an Sharif, revealed in ancient Arabic, is exceedingly beautiful and attractive. Its sentence structure and manner of expression are highly captivating. The forceful and powerful arguments presented in the Qur’an’s short sentences are truly remarkable. It is extremely difficult to express the ideas of the Qur’an accurately in another language.” (The Wisdom of the Qur’an – John Foss)

5. “The ordinances of the Qur’an are self-sufficient and complete.” (Preaching of Islam – Arnold Toynbee)

6. “No book in the world is recited more than the Qur’an. The Bible may perhaps exceed it in sales. But the millions upon millions of Muhammad’s followers begin reciting the Qur’an’s lengthy verses five times daily from the time they acquire the ability to speak.” (Charles Francis Potter)

7. “Among all the heavenly scriptures, the Qur’an is the greatest. Through His special grace, Almighty Allah revealed this finest Book for humankind. In promoting human welfare, it is more effective than ancient Greek philosophy. From every word of the Qur’an resounds the glory and greatness of Allah.” (Dr. Morsen France)

8. “The Holy Qur’an is not merely a collection of some religious ordinances; rather, it also contains social and state ordinances that are equally beneficial for the entire human race.” (Dr. Masijyun)

9. “After studying the teachings of the Qur’an, I have reached the conclusion that the Qur’an is a revealed heavenly Book and that its teachings are completely compatible with human nature.” (Mr. Gandhi – India)

10. “I like Islam and acknowledge the Prophet of Islam as one of the world’s greatest men. I sincerely admire the Qur’an’s social, political, spiritual, and moral ordinances. I regard the form Islam had during the caliphate of Hazrat Umar as the true and complete form of Islam.” (Lala Lajpat Rai, India)

11. “When studying the Qur’an, one’s reason is bewildered: how could such words have emerged from the mouth of an uneducated man?” (Count Henry)

12. “I wholeheartedly acknowledge Muhammad’s claim that the Qur’an is Muhammad’s greatest everlasting miracle.” (Mr. Borth Samukh)

13. “The Qur’an is the friend and well-wisher of the poor. The Qur’an has condemned the excesses of the wealthy in every sphere.” (Gord Frey Huggins)

14. “Even after thirteen hundred years, the teachings of the Qur’an are so alive that even today a sweeper, by becoming a Muslim (embracing faith in the Qur’an), can claim equality with Muslims of any lineage.” (Mr. Bhupendranath Bose)

15. “Those who condemn Islam as a reactionary religion have not properly understood the teachings of the Qur’an. It was owing to this Qur’an that the Arabs were completely transformed.” (Moseurmiob, France)

Some Hadiths of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) concerning the importance and dignity of the Qur’an

تركت فيكم أمرين لن تضلوا ما تمستمسكتُم بهما كتاب الله وسنّة رسوله. (مشكوة – موطا

“The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, ‘I am leaving two things for you. As long as you hold fast to these two, you will not go astray. They are the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger.’” (Mishkat–Muwatta)

من قراً القرآن فاستظهرهٔ – فاًحل

خلالهٔ و حرم حرامهٔ آذخلهٔ الله به الجنة و شافعهٔ فی عشر من أهل بيته كلهم قد وجبت لة التار. ة

“It is narrated from Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Whoever recites the Qur’an properly and observes what it declares lawful and unlawful, Allah will admit him into Paradise. He will also grant him the right to intercede for ten people from his family to whom Hell had become obligatory.” (Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Darimi)

و عن ابی سعی در رضایی انتهٔ عنهٔ قال قال رسول الله صلی اللههٔ عليه وسلم يقول الرب تبارك وتعالى. من شغلة القرآن عن ذكرى ومسألتي اعطيتة أفضل ما اعطي السائلين – فضل

كلام اللّه على سائر الكلام كفضل الله على خلقه.

“It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Sa’id (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Allah the Exalted has said, ‘Whoever is so occupied with studying the Qur’an that he does not have time for additional remembrance and supplication, I give him more than I give those who ask.’ And just as Allah’s superiority over all creation is greater, so is the superiority of Allah’s Speech over all speech.” (Tirmidhi)

 وعن عائشة رضيى الله عنها قالت قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم الذي يقراً القرآن وهو ماهير به مع السفرة الكرام البررة والذي يقرأه وهو عليه شاقلة أجران. (بخاري – مسلم

“It is narrated from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) said: The person who possesses deep knowledge of the Qur’an and regularly recites it will be in the company of the prophets (on the Day of Resurrection). And whoever recites the Qur’an with difficulty will receive a double reward.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

 وعن أبى هريرة قال قال رسول الله صلى الة علية وسلم وما اجتمع قوم فى بيتر من بيوتر الله يتلون كتاب الله ويتدارسونة بينهم الأنزلت عليهم السكينة وغشيتهم الرخمة وحفنهم الملائكة وذكرهم فيمن عندهٔ

“It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) said: When some people remain engaged in discussing and studying the Book of Allah in a house, profound tranquility descends upon them, Allah’s mercy and grace envelop them, the angels surround them, and Allah Himself mentions them to the angels near Him. And whoever is held back by his deeds, his lineage cannot advance him.” (Muslim)

“Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger (peace be upon him) said, ‘The one who has no portion of the Qur’an in his heart is like a deserted house.’” (Tirmidhi)

“Hazrat Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger (peace be upon him) said, ‘Indeed, Allah will raise many nations to the highest ranks through this Qur’an, and this very Qur’an will bring some nations down to the lowest depths of decline (because they abandon the Qur’an).’” (Muslim)

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