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THE HOLY QUR'AN IS A MIRACLE
History certifies that the Arabs of the age of "ignorance" (before the advent of Islam), who were mostly nomads and who were deprived of civilization and fully bereft of most privileges of life, held such an elevated place and position in the ability and eloquence of expression in Arabic language that nowhere in history can a competitor be found for them. In the field of Arab literature, eloquent speech had the highest value. The people maintained a very high respect for elegant and literary speeches. They used to put up the interesting and pleasant poems of their top poets and writers on the walls of Ka'bah just as they erected their idols and gods in the Ka'bah. Although they used a language with such enormity and with all those standards and precise grammatical rules without the least error and mistake, they used to take great pains for the arrangement and embellishment of text of their speech. In the early days when a few verses of the Holy Qur'an were revealed to the Holy Prophet (SA) and were read to people, a tumult got raised among the Arabs and their literati and poets. The attractive, very sweet, and meaningful statements of the Holy Qur'an imprinted on the hearts and impressed the wise people in such a way that they forgot all eloquent literary works and brought down the lustrous and deep poems of the great poets called "Al-Mu'allaqat" which were pasted on the walls of Ka'bah. The divine words, with their sweet verses, attracted every heart by their endless beauty and charm and sealed the mouths of all eloquent poets and writers. But, on the other hand, these divine words were very unpleasant and bitter for polytheists and idol-worshippers, for they clarified and proved the religion of monotheism by their expressive statements and strong reasoning and severely reproached the policy of polytheism and idol-worshipping. These verses. also belittled the idols that were called "gods" by the people who supplicated and offered sacrifice before them and finally worshipped them instead of Allah. The Divine words also introduced the idols as stony and wooden statues that are lifeless, ineffective, and useless. The Holy Qur'an invited the barbaric Arabs - who were filled with haughtiness and conceit and who had established their lives on the basis of bloodshed and banditry - to the religion of truth and respect for justice and humanity. Thus, Arab idolaters resorted to struggle and alternation and left no stone unturned to put out this luminous torch of guidance. They, however, reaped no benefit out of their wicked efforts except disappointment. During the earlier days of Al-Bi'that al-Nabawiyyah, the Holy Prophet (SA) was taken to meet one of the eloquent men called "Walid" who was a renowned Arab litterateur. The Holy Prophet (SA) recited a few Ayat from the beginning of 41st Surah (Ha Mm) of Qur'an. In spite of his pride and haughtiness, Walid listened very carefully, until the Prophet (SA) reached the Holy Ayah: "But if they turn aside, then say: I have warned you of a scourge like the scourge of 'Ad and Thamud (41:13)." As soon as the Holy Prophet (SA) recited this Ayah, Walid became upset and began to shudder in such a manner that he lost his consciousness, the meeting was disturbed, and the people then dispersed. Afterwards, a group of people came to Walid and began complaining, that he made them ashamed and disgraceful in front of Muhammad (SA). Walid said: "No, by Allah, you know that I fear none and that I have no greed. You know that I am a man of letters and a litterateur. The words I heard from Muhammad (SA) bore no resemblance with the words of other people. His words are attractive and charming. They could neither be called poetry nor prose. They are meaningful and deep-rooted. I am forced not to say anything about this matter until I have made my judgement. Give me three days' time to think it over". When the people came to Walid after the lapse of three days, he said that the words of Muhammad (SA) were magic and sorcery which fascinate the hearts of people. Mushrikin, led by Walid, called the Holy Qur'an magic and sorcery and avoided hearing it. They prohibited people from listening to it too. At times when the Holy Prophet (SA) used to read the Holy Qur'an in Al-Masjid al-Haram (Ka'bah), mushrikin used to shout and start clapping in order to prevent the people from hearing the voice of the Holy Prophet (SA). Nevertheless since they had been fascinated by the eloquent and heart-ravishing statements of the Holy Qur'an, they often took advantage of the darkness of night and gathered behind the walls of the house of the Holy Prophet (SA) in order to listen to the recital of the Holy Qur'an. Then whispering to one another, they used to say that these words could not be attributed to any human being. The Almighty Allah, referring to this point, states: "We know best what they listen to when they listen to you, and when they take counsel secretly, when the unjust say: You follow only a man deprived of reason (17:47)." Sometimes when the Holy Prophet (SA) recited the Holy Qur'an and invited the people near Ka'bah, Arab litterateurs, while passing by him, used to bend down so as not to be seen and recognized. As the Almighty Allah states: "Now surely they fold up their chests that they may conceal (their enmity) from Him ... (11:5)."
Is it a sorcery to say, "Don't worship stones and woods carved by yourself, don't offer sacrifice of your children for them, and don't believe in superstitions?" Could praiseworthy ethics such as truth, honesty, benevolence, human friendship, peace, justice, and respect for human rights be called sorcery? In His words, the Almighty Allah refers to this point and states: "...And if you say, surely you shall be resurrected after death, those who disbelieve would certainly say: 'This is nothing but clear magic' (11:7)."
For remedy of this accusation, the Holy Qur'an challenged them by calling a group of people, who were the forerunners and sole contenders of eloquence, to bring statements similar to those of the Holy Qur'an in case they were truthful in their non-acceptance of the Holy Prophet (SA), thereby proving that the Islamic call was unfounded. The Almighty Allah states: "Or do they say: 'He has forged it'? Nay! they do not believe. Then let them bring an expression like it if they are truthful (52:33-34)." The Almighty Allah also states: "Or do they say: 'He has forged it'? Say: 'Then bring a Surah like this and invite whom you can besides Allah, if you are truthful (10:38)." The Kafirin and mushrikin of Arabia, who were the masters of literature and eloquence, refrained from accepting this challenge despite their pride and haughtiness in eloquence and avoided the competition on. Thus, inevitably, they turned the literary contest into a bloody combat. Thus getting killed was easier for them than being disgraced and defeated in literary contest. The Arab litterateurs became helpless against the challenge of the Qur'an. Neither those who lived at the time of the Holy Qur'an's revelation, nor the people born after its divine descension could do anything against this Holy Book in spite of testing of their utmost-strength. They were thus forced to retreat after exerting utmost efforts. Man's nature always tends to oblige a group of people to imitate or excel other people's masterpieces or crafts which attract the attention, even if, like boxing and tug of war, these might not have the slightest direct impact on their social lives. Thus, it becomes clear that a group of people has always been lurking for the Qur'an and if they had found a way to meet the challenge of this Divine Book, they would not have hesitated for an instant to accept this challenge. These people could not meet the challenge and by offering an excuse of magic and sorcery, they could not say that the Holy Qur'an is a magic and sorcery; for magic is an action which, according to its characteristics, displays the truth as false or the false as truth; that is to say, it displays lies as truth and the truth as lies. The Holy Qur'an captivates the hearts by its graceful tone and eloquent Ayat because of its natural elegance and not as a result of its relation with the world of magic. It invites people towards a series of objectives through its words and introduces them various sciences whose actuality and rightfulness is understood by their commonsense and Allah-given nature. It persuades people to adopt a series of behaviours and deeds such as gratitude, benevolence, justice, and human friendship from which commonsense cannot escape and must accept and praise them. All these facts indicate that the Holy Qur'an is nothing but an expression of truth. Thus the enemies of the Holv Qur'an became helpless and were unable to say that Qur'an is an expression at the climax of human speech and does not have any rival in its beauty, charm, eloquence, and pleasantness. This is the best proof that the Holy Qur'an is the Word of Allah. In other words, for every attribute and ability, such as bravery, courage, reading, writing, and likewise which could be developed, there will naturally be a genius in man's history who will occupy the first position. What could be the objection if the Holy Prophet (SA) occupies the most leading position of eloquence in Arabic oratory with a particular style? In this case, since his speech is that of a man, it could be challenged. The contemporary orators of the Holy Prophet (SA) did not admit this fact. None of the enemies of the Holy Qur'an could say or substantiate it, because any attribute or ability that reaches the peak of progress by a genius originates from human capability and talent and originates from human nature. It is, therefore, possible for others to pursue the path opened up by the genius. With due effort, people can make achievements similar to those of the genius. They can also make achievements of the same kind by similar and even better methods than those used by the genius, even if such attempts fail to compete with the achievements of the genius. Thus the aforesaid genius who is the first to open this way is regarded only as a pioneer and forerunner. For example, no one can surpass Hatam al-Ta'i in generosity, but might be able to do something similar to what he did. One may not be able to excel Mir in calligraphy or Mani, the painter, in painting; however, after considerable effort and endeavour, one may be able to write a word in the style of Mir or to paint a small portrait in the style of Mani. According to this general principle, if the Holy Qur'an was the most eloquent work of a man (not Allah's words), it would have been possible for others, specifically for the renowned litterateurs of the world, to prepare a book or at least a Surah similar to and identical with one of the Suwar of the Holy Qur'an by using their expertise in this style. In a challenge, the Holy Qur'an asked the people to produce statements similar to, and not better than those of, the Holy Qur'an. "Then let them bring an announcement like it...(52:34)." "...Then bring a chapter like this...(10:38)." "..Then bring ten forged chapters like it...(11:13)." "... They could not bring the like of it, though some of them were aiders of others (17:88)." At the end of the discussion, it must be noted that the Holy Qur'an has rendered others ineffective not only by having a remarkable eloquence and order, but also by providing actual answers for man's requirements. By its revelations and the expression of realities and from other aspects manifested in this Divine Book, the Holy Qur'an challenges the enemies and announces to all mankind that they will not be able to produce such a book. |