Contents:
Qur’an – The Eternal Miracle
- First miracle: Perfect preservation.
- Second miracle: The language of the Qur'an.
- Third miracle: Predictions in the Qur'an.
- Fourth miracle: Stories found in the Qur'an.
- Fifth miracle: The Message of the Qur'an itself.
- Sixth miracle: Scientific aspects of the Quran.
- Seventh miracle: The effect that the Qur'an has on its listeners.
- Eighth miracle: The fact that the Qur'an has no contradiction to it.
- Ninth miracle: The ease by which the Qur'an is memorized.
- Tenth miracle: Need for revival not reformation.
Conclusion:
- A reminder and a warning
- Rights of the Qur'an
Qur’an – The Eternal Miracle
We have all heard people saying, “Qur'an is the greatest miracle.” But why is Qur'an the greatest miracle?
All the previous miracles that had been given to the other Prophets (like a stick turning into a snake etc) before were all separate from the revelation itself. But for the Qur'an, the miracle and the revelation have been combined into one. Therefore, it is the strongest, most powerful and the eternal miracle as it will remain preserved until the end. For Prophet Muhammad, the revelation itself was the miracle. It is the Call, and it is the Proof for itself! But how is the Qur'an a miracle? What are the factors that make the Qur'an so miraculous?
Allah's messenger said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْفَعُ بِهَذَا الْكِتَابِ أَقْوَامًا وَيَضَعُ بِهِ آخَرِينَ
Allah has made such a system that in different eras one nation takes over the other. One takes leadership and others follow. Some become developed in terms of technology, power etc above others. Then a time comes that this nation becomes weak and some other nation takes it over and becomes the super power. This race keeps going among various nations, and this fight always remains. But gaining status or power in this dunya is not the actual victory. I mean, gaining a temporary power is not the actual victory.
The actual victory is that a group, a people, or a nation becomes so acceptable to Allah that Allah himself decides to give power to them. Gaining temporary power is not the actual victory. And the actual 'izzah' or status is not of the dunya. There are many ways of gaining acceptability from Allah, and one of the way is what the prophet mentioned:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْفَعُ بِهَذَا الْكِتَابِ أَقْوَامًا وَيَضَعُ بِهِ آخَرِينَ
Amir b. Wathila reported that Nafi' b. 'Abd al-Harith met 'Umar at 'Usfan and 'Umar had employed him as collector in Mecca. He (Hadrat 'Umar) said to him (Nafi'):
Whom have you appointed as collector over the people of the valley? He said: Ibn Abza. He said: Who is Ibn Abza? He said: He is one of our freed slaves. He (Hadrat 'Umar) said: So you have appointed a freed slave over them. He said: He is well versed In the Book of Allah. the Exalted and Great, and he is well versed In the commandments and injunctions (of the Shari'ah). 'Umar said: So the Prophet (ﷺ) said: By this Book, Allah would exalt some peoples and degrade others. (Saheeh Muslim)
What is the reason? This book!
There are many books and fields of study: History, Biology, Geography, Social science, etc. These are beneficial but the actual benefit is what benefits both: this life and hereafter.
Honorable readers, be it Science of plant or clouds or space or mountains or human body or whatever, Science has a field in these areas: Geology, geography, physiology, anatomy, botany, zoology (the science of animals).
Science tells this happens like this and this is the benefit. Take for instance, I have a picture where there is a hall and people are celebrating, and food is being served. It can be concluded that people have gathered for some celebration or get-together, but why are they gathered and what are they celebrating? Can you answer that? Why not? You cannot tell this and Science cannot as well.
You look at horse, camels and other animals. How do such huge powerful animals submit to humans that they walk how you want and ride on them and make them run? Why do they submit to these weak humans? The weak ought to submit to the powerful and not the other-way round. But why does it happens like this? You go all over the Earth and you will find air to breath. You may find areas where you will not find mobile network, but you will find sufficient air to breathe. But why is it all this there? And why is it like this?
To all these big questions, Science cannot help show a way out. But it can give you suggestions or hints, or what we call 'signs'. In-spite of all these fields of Science there is still a need for another book. There is a need for Qur'an. Allah answers in simple straight forward answer:
الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ فِرَاشًا وَالسَّمَاءَ بِنَاءً وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ رِزْقًا لَّكُمْ ۖ فَلَا تَجْعَلُوا لِلَّهِ أَندَادًا وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
[He] who made for you the earth a bed [spread out] and the sky a ceiling and sent down from the sky, rain and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you. So do not attribute to Allah equals while you know [that there is nothing similar to Him]. (Baqarah 2:22)
Allah made it explicit that Allah made this as it is to serve the mankind, and mankind is here to serve the Lord of all this, rabbul aalameen!
Folks, this book answers those questions which no other study or field of Science can answer. This book is a miracle. It is a miracle of miracles!
First miracle: Perfect preservation. It never got corrupted in the past one thousand four hundred years, and Allah himself took the responsibility of its preservation. This case is unlike scriptures of other religions like the Christian Bible or the Hindu Vedas.
Qur'an was revealed gradually little by little, but it was meant to be a book. Allah said: كتاب مبين
Again, this is unlike other books like Bible which was not even meant to be a book but someone (probably st. Paul) combined the contents all together. Further more, Qur'an also has a clear claim of direct revelation from Allah unlike other books.
Second miracle: The language of the Qur'an. What makes the Qur’an a miracle, is that it is impossible for a human being to compose something like it, as it lies outside the productive capacity of the nature of the Arabic language. The productive capacity of nature, concerning the Arabic language, is that any grammatically sound expression of the Arabic language will always fall with-in the known Arabic literary forms of prose and poetry. All of the possible combinations of Arabic words, letters and grammatical rules have been exhausted and yet its literary form has not been matched linguistically.
Again, this is unlike other books like Bible which was not even meant to be a book but someone (probably st. Paul) combined the contents all together. Further more, Qur'an also has a clear claim of direct revelation from Allah unlike other books.
Second miracle: The language of the Qur'an. What makes the Qur’an a miracle, is that it is impossible for a human being to compose something like it, as it lies outside the productive capacity of the nature of the Arabic language. The productive capacity of nature, concerning the Arabic language, is that any grammatically sound expression of the Arabic language will always fall with-in the known Arabic literary forms of prose and poetry. All of the possible combinations of Arabic words, letters and grammatical rules have been exhausted and yet its literary form has not been matched linguistically.
Qur'an's literary challenge could not be answered by anyone. Someone tried surah Qariah and could come up only with this :
الفيل، ما الفيل، وما ادراك ما الفيل..
(The Elephant, What is an Elephant, How would you know what an elephant is!)
And sometime back as we know, Christians came with a book called al Furqan, but instead of standing up to the challenge, they just copied the style and even began the chapters with basmalah. Copying is not the challenge, leave that for school boys! Silly, isn't it?
Before them were the Quraish who out of their knowledge of the language and pride for it, they would call everyone other than themselves Ajams which means dumb. But when Qur'an was revealed, these Arabs were silenced and became dumb!
1400 years plus, the challenge remains.
الفيل، ما الفيل، وما ادراك ما الفيل..
(The Elephant, What is an Elephant, How would you know what an elephant is!)
And sometime back as we know, Christians came with a book called al Furqan, but instead of standing up to the challenge, they just copied the style and even began the chapters with basmalah. Copying is not the challenge, leave that for school boys! Silly, isn't it?
Before them were the Quraish who out of their knowledge of the language and pride for it, they would call everyone other than themselves Ajams which means dumb. But when Qur'an was revealed, these Arabs were silenced and became dumb!
1400 years plus, the challenge remains.
Third miracle: Predictions in the Qur'an. Enmity among the Christian sects until the Day of Resurrection, Allah promised His Prophet that his religion would prevail over all others, and this is what happened. And there are a lot more predictions.
سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي
الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ ۗ
أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِ بِرَبِّكَ أَنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ
We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth. But is it not sufficient concerning your Lord that He is, over all things, a Witness? [Fussilat 41:53]
We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth. But is it not sufficient concerning your Lord that He is, over all things, a Witness? [Fussilat 41:53]
And the prediction of the Qur'an that Islam would spread everywhere, this was predicted when they were few in numbers and were not even sure whether they would able to survive the attack of their enemies!
Fourth miracle: Stories found in the Qur'an. It has stories like that of Isa (Jesus) speaking while still a baby, which neither the Christians of Arabia know, nor do the modern Christians know as this story is not even found in the Bible. Later when Gospel of Thomas was discovered in Egypt (in 1945) then this story was found there. This shocked the Christian experts, and infact they found in it other stories like him giving life to bird which is as well not found in the Bible but is there in the Qur’an.
Fifth miracle: The Message of the Qur'an itself. Read the contents of the Qur’an, laws of inheritance, talks of peace and justice, removing ignorant cultures like that of burying the daughters alive, wives morning over husband’s death by tearing the clothes and getting the head shaved, etc. It has such detailed laws that are perfect for humanity and could have never been by anyone in the seventh century, far it being from someone who did not have any modern education.
Sixth miracle: Scientific aspects of the Quran. The Qur’an uses terminologies and description that are truly beyond a seventh century person living in a desert. It describes the sun and other planets revolving, and has other description due to which the earliest Muslim scholars had a unanimous consensus that the earth is round. And this was when most of the world thought Earth to be flat!
Seventh miracle: The effect that the Qur'an has on its listeners. There are not just several testimonies of non-Muslims loving the recitation of the Qur’an and tears flowing from their eyes, but there are millions of Muslims in India, china, Canada, Norway, etc., who barely understand two to four Arabic words, yet are simply mesmerized by Qur’an and keep reciting it all day and night. This is not happening just today, but has been going on from centuries!
Many ayaat have similar ending. They are like brick upon a brick upon a brick on the heart; you keep reciting ayah after an ayah after an aayah until you end up crying. No poet cries on listening to his own poem, he knows that he himself wrote it! But notice that the prophet would cry listening to it, thus it could no be his own speech.
Yet, Qur'an is not poetry (شعر) and the one who considers it poetry has committed kufr. A poet breaks the rules for many reason, for instance, to make his poem rhyme he may place the words at the end while breaking the rules. But this is not found in the Qur'an.
Also note that the prophet did not know poetry, and Allah stated:
وَمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ الشِّعْرَ وَمَا يَنبَغِي لَهُ
'And We did not give Prophet Muhammad, knowledge of poetry, nor is it befitting for him.' [36:69]
It does not befits a prophet to be a poet, and this is why Imam Shafi'ee distanced himself from it although he was an expert in it!
And a further proof is the narration of al-Baraa'ah (radiyallahu anh) in Saheeh al-Bukhari that he was reciting poetry of Abdullah ibn Rawaha (radiyallahu anh) in loud voice while making errors. He did not know poetry and when he did recite, it was with mistakes.
See more:
But for us Muslims, we don’t have one or two people memorizing the Qur’an; not just some small number of tribes in a jungle, No! Every single Muslim community around the world from Mauritania to Malaysia and Indonesia, from Birmingham to Texas, from Alaska to Russia, from north to south of the globe, every single community of Muslims has people who have memorized the Qur’an. What other book is there that can be memorized: Six hundred plus pages, six thousand plus verses. And to top all of it, it is memorized in a language that is typically unknown to the guy that has memorized it.
Tenth miracle: Need for revival not reformation.
Tenth miracle: Need for revival not reformation.
Days pass, and years pass. Just few years back, I would criticize my dad for not meeting his brother often although he stayed here in ksa. But as I grow, I realize that staying away is a better way to continue relations with few people.
Many people married in delusion of absolute love and have now broke up lol. So many examples which tell that people regret decisions that they made earlier, not to forget the recent video of Bush 'regretting' his attack on Afghanistan.
Coming to the main point, what it makes me realize is that Allah has perfect knowledge, he has complete ability to come with a perfect system that continues to be legit today as much as it was a million years ago. An example of this is the solar system which stands in no need for reformation. And only an crack-nut would suggest that.
And another good example is Qur'an which is perfect without any 'change of mind' or contradiction. And so is this religion Islam which is legit today as much as it was several hundred years ago. This religion should be revived, not reformed. No one called for reformation (which is محدثة) or innovation (بدعة) into this except that it is misguidance from the clear straight path, and it will become a reason for him/her being burnt in the fire.
And there is simply much more to add, but words cannot explain, rather you’ll have to read it to get submerged into this miracle, and find out more of its miracles.
A reminder and a warning:
Qur'an is the last of the books of the heavenly books. All evil comes by abandoning it, and all good comes by accepting it. Forgiveness is for the one for who it stands as a witness,and utterly destroyed is the one against it will witness:
قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاءٌ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ فِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِن مَّكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ(44) وَأُمْلِي لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ كَيْدِي مَتِينٌ (45)
Many people married in delusion of absolute love and have now broke up lol. So many examples which tell that people regret decisions that they made earlier, not to forget the recent video of Bush 'regretting' his attack on Afghanistan.
Coming to the main point, what it makes me realize is that Allah has perfect knowledge, he has complete ability to come with a perfect system that continues to be legit today as much as it was a million years ago. An example of this is the solar system which stands in no need for reformation. And only an crack-nut would suggest that.
And another good example is Qur'an which is perfect without any 'change of mind' or contradiction. And so is this religion Islam which is legit today as much as it was several hundred years ago. This religion should be revived, not reformed. No one called for reformation (which is محدثة) or innovation (بدعة) into this except that it is misguidance from the clear straight path, and it will become a reason for him/her being burnt in the fire.
And there is simply much more to add, but words cannot explain, rather you’ll have to read it to get submerged into this miracle, and find out more of its miracles.
A reminder and a warning:
Qur'an is the last of the books of the heavenly books. All evil comes by abandoning it, and all good comes by accepting it. Forgiveness is for the one for who it stands as a witness,and utterly destroyed is the one against it will witness:
قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاءٌ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ فِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِن مَّكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ(44) وَأُمْلِي لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ كَيْدِي مَتِينٌ (45)
Say, "It is, for those who believe a guidance and cure." And those who do not believe - in their ears is deafness, and it is upon them blindness. Those are being called from a distant place. And I will grant them a respite. Indeed, My plan is firm.” (41:44)
And in spite of all the aforementioned virtues, most of those who attribute themselves to Islam ignore to contemplate on the ayaat, and do not pay attention to the speech of their Creator:
And in spite of all the aforementioned virtues, most of those who attribute themselves to Islam ignore to contemplate on the ayaat, and do not pay attention to the speech of their Creator:
أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا
Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts? (47:24)
They chose not act in accordance to it, rather they search for deviated rulings without taking into consideration the speech of their Lord:
وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ
"And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed - then it is those who are the disbelievers." (5:44)
And his statement:
يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَحَاكَمُوا إِلَى الطَّاغُوتِ وَقَدْ أُمِرُوا أَن يَكْفُرُوا بِهِ وَيُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَن يُضِلَّهُمْ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًا
“They wish to refer legislation to Taghut (false judges, etc.), while they were commanded to reject it; and Satan wishes to lead them far astray.” (4:60)
And they mock those take Qur’an as the way of their life.
So, be careful and don’t blindly follow the flow. You should not stop implementing its teaching just because people do not look up to it.
And it is upon you to stick to its teachings, without giving any attention to those who mock you. Do not be discouraged by them. The smart and the wise is the one who does not care about the speech of crackpots.
Now, that we saw that most of those who call themselves Muslims are away from the book of Allah, and have put it to their backs, and have no fear of his warnings. Then, it is upon to take the responsibility and strive to explain it’s meanings, share its rulings, and call everyone to implement in accordance to it, and to abandon everything that contradicts it.
Rights of the Qur'an:
Uthman (radiyallahu anh) narrated that the messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it to others."
خيركم من تعلم القران وعلمه
The well known Qari and now one of the Imams of the sacred mosque shaikh Yasir Al Dowsary commented on this hadith and said, "People misunderstand this hadith to mean it mere memorisation. Rather this includes everything that has to do with the Qur'an. It's recitation, memorisation, understanding it's meanings, etc."
- Recitation:
خيركم من تعلم القران وعلمه
The well known Qari and now one of the Imams of the sacred mosque shaikh Yasir Al Dowsary commented on this hadith and said, "People misunderstand this hadith to mean it mere memorisation. Rather this includes everything that has to do with the Qur'an. It's recitation, memorisation, understanding it's meanings, etc."
- Recitation:
Beautiful voice is what many people mistakenly think to be good recitation. Rather this means, as Muhammad As Sadiq, the author of the Tajweed book, 'Al Burhaan' mentioned:
إخراج كل حرف من مخرجه مع اعطاءه حقه ومستحقه
(Uttering every letter as it is supposed to be uttered, and fulfilling every right that each letter deserves.)
One of the great hadeeths that speak of the virtue of the “companion of the Qur’aan” is the hadeeth of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “It will be said – i.e., to the companion of the Qur’aan – : ‘Recite, as you used to recite in the world, and ascend, and your status will be with the last verse you recite.’” [at-Tirmidhi]
- Memorisation:
One of the great hadeeths that speak of the virtue of the “companion of the Qur’aan” is the hadeeth of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “It will be said – i.e., to the companion of the Qur’aan – : ‘Recite, as you used to recite in the world, and ascend, and your status will be with the last verse you recite.’” [at-Tirmidhi]
- Memorisation:
Memorisation helps a person remind him/her whenever he needs it at the right time. So if one was to do something wrong, the ayaat in his memory would stop him from that. This is the greatest benefit of memorisation in this life, as this will lead to gaining benefits of the hereafter.
Otherwise the below hadith must be kept in mind: "Most of the hypocrites of my ummah are among those who have memorized Qur’aan.” [Musnad Ahmad]
- Understanding:
Otherwise the below hadith must be kept in mind: "Most of the hypocrites of my ummah are among those who have memorized Qur’aan.” [Musnad Ahmad]
- Understanding:
The very reason why Qur'an was revealed was to teach us, and so that we take it as a guide in our life.
Allah subhanahu wata ala said:
(أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَى قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا)
Do they not then think deeply in the Qur’aan, or are their hearts locked up (from understanding it)?” (47:24)
Sheikh Muneer Qamar commented on this ayah in his tafseer of surah Muhammad and said, "This is a clear warning to those who just recite or listen to the Qur'an but don't try to understand it. For he gave only two cases: One that deeply thinks about the ayaat of the Qur'an and the second one, whose heart is locked up. Either take the proper steps to understand the Qur'an or Allah will lock your heart, and we seek refuge in Allah from that."
And Allah knows best.
References:
1. Qur’an, the Eternal Miracle; Shaikh Yasir Qadh; YouTube lecture
2. Qur'an aur Dunyaawi uloom; Ustadh Abu Zaid Zameer; YouTube lecture
3. Qur'an ek mukhtasar ta'aruf, Ustadh Abu Zaid Zameer
4. www.islamqa.info ; Shaikh Muhammad Salih al Munajjid
5. Adwaa' al Bayaan, Muqaddimah in first vol, and tafseer of the aayah of safa in volume five, pg 250/251]; Beloved noble shaikh and Mufassir Ameen Ash-Shinqitee (rahimahullah).
2. Qur'an aur Dunyaawi uloom; Ustadh Abu Zaid Zameer; YouTube lecture
3. Qur'an ek mukhtasar ta'aruf, Ustadh Abu Zaid Zameer
4. www.islamqa.info ; Shaikh Muhammad Salih al Munajjid
5. Adwaa' al Bayaan, Muqaddimah in first vol, and tafseer of the aayah of safa in volume five, pg 250/251]; Beloved noble shaikh and Mufassir Ameen Ash-Shinqitee (rahimahullah).
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