It is important to note that when it is said that the Holy Qur’an is the Word of God, this is meant literally. More than 1,400 years ago (over a period of about 23 years), God revealed the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing upon him) through the same channel the Torah (Old Testament) was revealed to the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him). Thus to Muslims, the Qur’an is the articulated Word for Word of God. On this note we begin with a brief introduction on the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) leading to his prophethood and revelation of Qur'an.
It is said that before God commissioned Prophethood to Muhammad (peace be upon him) at age of 40 years, he spent his formative years as a shepherd and then a trader. Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not have formal schooling education. Like most people of the Dark Age period who had little use for formal education and were unlettered, so too was Muhammad (peace be upon him); however, he was an embodiment of all virtues. Sweet and amiable in his nature, and honest, trustworthy and truthful in his dealings, Muhammad (peace be upon him) won the respect of his tribesmen and was called ‘al-Ameen’ (the trustworthy). His people had great admiration for his wisdom, intelligence and uprightness. In critical moments they would seek his advice and refer their disputes to his judgment.
Muhammad (peace be upon him) frequently visited a cave in a small mountain in Arabia not far from the city Mecca where he was born. There he would spend one month of every year in deep meditation. For years preceding his Prophethood, he meditated yearning for truth and Divine guidance. He thought of the wretched condition of his people of the Dark Age period, their disbelief in monotheism and social evils, and sought for divine light and guidance to lead them back on the path of their father Abraham’s religion. It’s been said that one night while lying in the cave a voice was heard and a stranger appeared before him. It was the angel Gabriel (peace be upon him), who bade Muhammad (peace be upon him) to Read. Trembling with fear, Muhammad (peace be upon him) professed his inability to Read. In English translation, the Prophet describes his experience best:
“Then he took me and squeezed me and then let me go and repeated the order ‘Read.’ ‘I cannot read’ said I, and once again he squeezed me till I was exhausted. Then he said: ‘Read.’ I said ‘I cannot read.’ He squeezed me for the third time and then let me go and said:
(1) In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.These five verses of chapter Al-Alaq of the Holy Qur’an are the first acts of mercy with words God blessed His Servant Muhammad (peace and blessing of God be upon him). The Arabic word 'Iqra’ meaning read, recite, convey, proclaim or collect signifies that the Qur’an was meant to be read and proclaimed, to be collected and put together and then conveyed to the whole world. The first revelation seems to embody a prophecy that pen would play a very important part in committing the Qur’an to writing and in preserving and protecting it from being lost or interfered with.
(2) Read (Iqra) in the name of thy Lord Who created,
(3) Created man (Insan) from a clot of blood.
(4) Read (Iqra)! and thy Lord is the Most Bounteous;
(5) Who taught by the pen.
It is really very significant that frequent mention should have been made of pen in a Book which was revealed among a people who had no respect for, and had made rare use of it and which was revealed to a person who himself did not know how to read and write. But this first episode in the life of Muhammad as a Prophet is in total accordance with the Biblical prophecy of the Prophet Isaiah which states:
Though the many attempts to annihilate Islam, the Prophet was invariably led by God to the right course despite his challenges and inability to read and write. With his success in bringing his mission to its completion, God confirms in the Holy Qur’an that it is He Who taught the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) what he knew not:
So from the very outset, the Prophet (peace be upon him) employed two independent but mutually complementary methods for preserving the revelations which he received. The two methods uses for this purpose were: first, memorization on his part and inscription and memorizing by his companions who were able to read and write. In addition to independently ensuring the transmission of the revelation, the two methods also served as internal checks, thus ensuring its accurate preservation.
Islamic traditions record that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) employed four principal teachers whom he personally instructed in memorizing the revelations. By this method, even the correct pronunciation of the message was preserved. These teachers would then help others in their memorization of the revealed verses. Moreover, as the revelations were received, they were also recited in the five daily prayers. In fact, the main mode of preservation and transmission of the Qur’an revelations was through memorization.
Interestingly, it can be said that the Qur’an was literally preserved by it being written on the hearts of people in accordance with Biblical prophecies:
Thus, the memorization process proved to be the single, most effective method for preserving Qur’anic revelations. At the time of the Prophet’s death, the number of Muslims who had memorized the entire Qur’an exceeded one hundred thousand. The tradition of memorizing the entire Qur’an continued from generation to generation. Today, there exist hundreds of thousands of Muslims all over the world who have memorized the whole Qur'an. This is indeed the living miracle of the pure Qur'an in language and text that even children of tender age memorize the whole of the Qur'an with its 6,237 verses, 86,430 words and 349,470 letters.
“And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, say. Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned” (Isaiah 29: 12).In light of this Biblical prophecy, the fact has already been established that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the only one who one hundred percent fulfilled this prophecy. In addition, the Qur’an itself attests that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was an unlettered Messenger sent by God to mankind:
“He (God) it is Who has raised (Muhammad) among the unlettered a Messenger from among themselves, to recite His (God) Signs, and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and Wisdom, though before that they were in manifest error” (Qur’an 62:3).
Here, the Qur’an is quite explicit on the point that the recipient to whom the Qur’an was revealed was unlettered and yet the Qur’an will pass the test of time with its message—it is to always teach mankind of things before which they were in ignorance. Thus, Qur’anic concept of the beginning and end of the creation is undoubtedly extraordinary. It would not have been less amazing if it had been revealed to a highly educated person of our contemporary age, but one is wonder-struck by the fact that the most advanced knowledge regarding the phenomenon of creation and its annihilation by atomic explosion was revealed more than fourteen hundred years ago to an unlettered dweller of the Arabian Desert.
Though the many attempts to annihilate Islam, the Prophet was invariably led by God to the right course despite his challenges and inability to read and write. With his success in bringing his mission to its completion, God confirms in the Holy Qur’an that it is He Who taught the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) what he knew not:
“And but for the grace of Allah upon thee and His mercy, a party of them had resolved to bring about thy ruin (O Muhammad). And they ruined none but themselves and they cannot harm thee at all. Allah has sent down to thee the Book and Wisdom and has taught thee what thou knewest not, and great is Allah’s grace on thee” (Qur’an 4:114).Giving some 1,400 years since the Qur’an has been revealed, still in this age it cannot be totally eliminated from the earth even if all available copies were to be collected and burnt because the Qur’an is the only Scriptural Book known on earth to be committed to memory. In fact, the tradition of memorizing the Qur’an in its pure Arabic language started with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself. The revelations were conveyed to him in small segments by the angel Gabriel (peace be upon him) who made the Prophet recite, memorize, and record immediately and simultaneously as the Prophet received revelations. As a result, unlike the Old and New Testaments, the Qur’an has been preserved in its entirety.
So from the very outset, the Prophet (peace be upon him) employed two independent but mutually complementary methods for preserving the revelations which he received. The two methods uses for this purpose were: first, memorization on his part and inscription and memorizing by his companions who were able to read and write. In addition to independently ensuring the transmission of the revelation, the two methods also served as internal checks, thus ensuring its accurate preservation.
Islamic traditions record that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) employed four principal teachers whom he personally instructed in memorizing the revelations. By this method, even the correct pronunciation of the message was preserved. These teachers would then help others in their memorization of the revealed verses. Moreover, as the revelations were received, they were also recited in the five daily prayers. In fact, the main mode of preservation and transmission of the Qur’an revelations was through memorization.
“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jeremiah 31:33).This indicates that Qur’anic revelations are not inspired ideas of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) expressing in his own words but was to be the actual words of God Himself descending first upon the Prophet’s heart through the medium of Gabriel (peace be upon him) then to the hearts of Muslims.
Thus, the memorization process proved to be the single, most effective method for preserving Qur’anic revelations. At the time of the Prophet’s death, the number of Muslims who had memorized the entire Qur’an exceeded one hundred thousand. The tradition of memorizing the entire Qur’an continued from generation to generation. Today, there exist hundreds of thousands of Muslims all over the world who have memorized the whole Qur'an. This is indeed the living miracle of the pure Qur'an in language and text that even children of tender age memorize the whole of the Qur'an with its 6,237 verses, 86,430 words and 349,470 letters.
The authenticity of the Qur’an is beyond the slightest shadow of doubt. It had to be so because God Himself has promised to safeguard the integrity of His Word:
“Surely, we ourself have sent down this exhortation, and we will, most surely, safeguard it” (Qur’an 15:10).The Qur’an has the additional unique distinction among all other scriptures of being an entirely verbal revelation. That in itself is a guarantee that it would not be perverted or twisted. All non-Muslim scholars who have made a research into the integrity of the text of the Holy Qur’an agree that it is an exact and accurate version of the verbal revelation that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), claimed God had vouchsafed him. This Divine guarantee of safeguarding the Qur’an is not confined to preserving the integrity of the text alone. It extends to all factors that bear upon the preservation of the Qur’an as a perfect source of Divine guidance for the whole of mankind for all times. For instance, it is guaranteed that the language in which it was revealed, namely Arabic, would continue to be a living language in current use at all times, so that no difficulty might be encountered in determining and comprehending the meaning of the Qur’an; here again, this is also in conformity with fulfillment of Biblical prophecies:
“For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent” (Zephaniah 3: 9-12).In fulfillment to this prophecy, the Arabic language is today spoken and written over a much greater area of the earth and many hundred times the number of people than was the case when the Qur’an was revealed 1,400 years ago. In addition, the Arabic of the Prophet’s time was a pure language for the following reasons: First; it is by the will of the God of Abraham (peace be upon him) that the isolation of the Arabian Peninsula helped in preventing foreign invasion, which preserved the purity of the Arabic culture and language; and second, the Arabic alphabetical characters are based upon the script the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) used. God Himself confirms that the Qur'an is the Revelation of the Lord of the Worlds, in plain and clear Arabic tongue:
‘And verily this [Qur’an] is a revelation from the Lord of all the worlds. The Spirit faithful to the trust, has descended with it on thy heart [O Muhammad], that thou mayest be a warner in plain and clear Arabic language. And it is clearly [mentioned] in the Scriptures of the former people. And it is not a [sufficient] sign for them that the learnt among the children of Israel know it?’ (Qur’an 26: 193-198).Thus, the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the revelation of the Qur’an both have been foretold in the previous Divine Scriptures. Prophecies to this effect are found in the religious Scriptures of almost every faith; but the Bible, being the forerunner of Islam contains the largest number of such prophecies. However, while the Bible contains such prophecies, there is certainly clear evidence of interpolation which only revelation from God could have cleared. Thus, the Qur'an is confirming truth previously revealed, restoring truth that was distorted or concealed and revealing truth for the last time in the most comprehensive form ever. The Qur’an, being the last and final Word of God does not deny the truth of any religion, but claims to be the completion of true Scriptures and as representing the original pure faiths taught by all Prophets and Messengers sent by the God of Abraham (peace be upon him).
The Qur’an teaches that God has, at all stages, furnished guidance to mankind through revelation vouchsafed to the Prophets. It requires faith in all Prophets, so they must be believed in, and revered by true believers. It teaches that previous revelations were limited in their scope. Each was designed to meet the needs of the people to whom it was sent during the stage of development upon which people was about to enter. The Qur’an contains fundamental truths, valid through the ages, in respect of the whole of mankind. It therefore contains guidance, directions, commandments and prohibitions.
In previous Scriptures, during the course of time, portions of these revelations were lost, forgotten or perverted as is the case with the Bible. That which was of universal and permanent application in previous revelations, has been reaffirmed in the Qur’an. Such portions as had been lost or overlooked or forgotten, but were still needed, have been revived. That which was of purely local or temporary application and was no longer needed has been omitted. That which was not contained in previous revelations, the need for it not having arisen, but which would henceforth be needed by mankind, has been added.
In conclusion, we all will agree that sickness and disease call for a healer. Alas, six hundred or so years after the advent of Jesus (peace be upon him), when the earth became filled with sin and become uncouth and when wickedness, debauchery and impertinence weighed heavier on the scale of God than acts of righteousness, it was then God’s mercy required of Him to send His servant who would set the disorder right.
As to question concerning what the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) brought with his advent, none can answer as a Muslim can with reference to the overwhelming evidence of the great reformation brought about by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) during the Dark Age period. It is beyond the scope of Jews, Christians or any other to answer this question with clarity. Yet it is gratifying to read comments of non-Muslim historians such as Sir William Muir who wrote:
“The Qur'an is ground work of Islam. Its authority is absolute in all matters of religion, ethics and science, equally as in matters of religion… Qur’an is supreme and much of the tendency is so plain as to admit no question, even among contending sectaries”. [Life of Muhammad/London, 1903, p. 7 Vide The Charm of Islam]
"My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential person may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular level." [Michael H. Hart. The ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, New York: Heart Publishing Company, Inc. 1978, p. 33].The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) carried his work to a successful end over a period of twenty-three years from which in accordance with Biblical prophecy of Habakkuk 3:3; his glory covers the heavens, and the earth is full of his praise. God confirmed the completion and success of the Prophet’s mission with the final Qur’anic verse sooner before he reached his physical earthly end:
“This day have I perfected your way of life for you, completed My favours upon you, and have chosen for you Islam (i.e. Submission to the will of God) as your religion (way of life)…” (Qur’an 5: 3).Warning for accepting religion other than Islam is also inscribed in Divine Words that cannot be mistaken:
‘He it is Who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it prevail over every other religion, even though the idolaters may dislike it’ [Qur’an 9:33].
'And whoso seeks a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him, and in the life to come he shall be among the losers' [Qur’an 3:86].
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