Al-Waadih Fee Usool ul-Fiqh by Muhammad Hussein Abdullah

Some of the ‘Ulamaa of the Muslims regarded the following to represent some of the miraculous aspects of the Qur’aan:

1) Al-I’jaaz Al-‘Ilmy (miraculous nature of the knowledge it contained or scientific knowledge):

This relates to the Qur’an mentioning some knowledge or scientific based facts which had not been discovered at the time of the revelation. This is like the Qawl of Allah Ta’Aalaa:

That is because it was only discovered later that the winds assist the fertilisation of plants and vegetation.

2) Al-I’jaaz Al-Ikhbaariy (miraculous nature of what it informed):

This manifests in its informing about realities that will happen in the future and then actually happened. This is like the speech of Allah Ta’Aalaa:

This also includes the Ikhbaar (informing) about the incidents and realities related to the previous nations which the Arabs at that time had no knowledge of, like the story of Nooh (as) for example.

3) Al-I’jaaz Al-Bayaaniy (miraculous nature of style of speech):

This is manifested in the style of the Qur’aan in its provision of meanings which made the Arabs baffled and perplexed. After evaluating and measuring between it and what they had known in respect to poetry and eloquent speech they found that it wasn’t of the same kind. This is because it had come in a unique style and this miraculous nature and inimitable quality was remarked upon by one of the enemies of the Islamic Da’wah, Al-Waleed Ibn Al-Mugheerah, when he said: “We have known poetry in its entirety, its Rajaz, Hajaz and Qareed (specificities of Poetry), its content and its extent, and it (the Qur’aan) is not poetry”. Then he said: “We have seen magicians and their magic whilst he does not put spells on them or blow knots... By Allah it is the sweetest of speech, adorned with beauty and charm. Its root is abundant and its branches are fruitful...” (As-Seerah An-Nabawiyah, Ibn Hishaam).

The definition of Al-I’jiaaz (miraculous nature of inimitability) does not apply upon the ‘I’jaaz Al-‘Ilmiy and Al-I’jaaz Al-Ikhbaariy as they are not, in my opinion, representative of the Al-‘I’jaaz at all. That is for two reasons:

1) The Aayaat that comprise of the scientific laws and the news of the past and future represent some of the Qur’aan. They are therefore according to their opinion miraculous Aayaat whilst the remainder of the Aayaat and Suwar do not contain this ‘I’jaaz. This is despite the Qur’aan being miraculous throughout at the same level whilst Allah Ta’Aalaa challenged the Arabs to bring or reproduce a Soorah like it, like Soorah Al-Ikhlaas or An-Naas for example, which are free from the matters that they considered to be angles for the miraculous or inimitable nature and character of the Qur’aan.

2) The ‘I’jaaz represents the confirmation and proving of the inability of man to reproduce the thing that is beyond his ability until the Day of judgement. As long as humankind is capable of discovering some of the laws of existence and are capable of speaking about the past and the future and even if they are untruthful and in the case where millions of books have been written in these subject areas, then the presence of these matters within the Qur’aan Al-Kareem does not indicate the I’jaaz in our current time. This is contrary to the true reality of the I’jaaz which indicates the continual inability of humankind forever.

These matters which they considered to be scientific and informative miracles represent evidences for the knowledge of Allah Ta’Aalaa encompassing everything in the past, present and future but they do not however represent faces or aspects of the miraculous inimitable nature of the Qur’aan.

Therefore, the miraculous inimitable character of the Qur’aan manifests in its style in which the meanings were brought. Abu Salmaan Muhammad Al-Khitaabiy wrote in his book: ‘Bayaan I’jaaz Al-Qur’aan’: “It only became miraculous because it came in the most pure and eloquent (Afsah) Alfaazh (worded expressions) in the best form of composition which incorporated the purest and most eloquent of meanings”. He then said: “And it is known that bringing (or reproducing) the like of these matters and with this style and combining its varieties so that they are harmonious and precisely arranged represents a matter that is beyond the ability of human faculties”.

Consequently, the I’jaaz of the Qur’aan is restricted and confined to its Usloob (style) and the components or constituents of this style:

1) In respect to its Alfaazh (wordings/worded expressions) and Taraakeeb (word and sentence compositions):

The Qur’aan Al-Kareem came with Alfaazh (wordings) at the height of lucidity, with eloquent fluent speech and a precise composition which was not like the methodology of the rhyming poetry (Al Mawzoon Al-Maqfa) or the method of the rhyming prose (An Nathar, Al-Masjoo’ or Al-Mursal). Rather it was a style that was unique that stood by itself. It was a style that those who were most elegant and pure in their speech were unable to bring and reproduce the like of.

2) In respect to its Naghmah (melody and rhythm):

The ordering of the letters in the words and the ordering of the words within the Aayaat came in a harmonious ordering. This harmony manifests when the Qur’aan is recited as a very particular rhythm is heard that is not found within man’s speech whether in poetry or prose. It intensifies and relents in line with the meanings. So when you hear His Qawl Ta’Aalaa:

When you hear this you sense and feel the whisper or murmur of the repeated ‘Seen’ (at the end of each Aayah) and the smoothness of its rhythm that is in complete harmony and fitting to the meaning manifested in the calmness of the night, the dawn of Fajr and the fading light of the stars. And when you hear the speech of Allah Ta’Aalaa:

When this is heard the one listening to it feels terror and alarm whilst being able to picture and visualise the terrifying reality of Jahannum (hellfire), may Allah Ta’Aalaa provide us with refuge from its torment. 3) With these worded expressions, compositions and rhythms the Qur’aan contains a host and great variety of meanings including the rulings to organise and regulate the relationships amongst the people and the relationships between states. The coming together of these many and various meanings within precisely built wordings and compositions is therefore a manifestation from the manifestations of the I’jaaz of the Qur’aan Al-Kareem.

The I’jaaz (miraculous inimitable nature) of the Qur’aan Al-Kareem is therefore within the style that incorporates wordings, compositions and meanings whilst it does not lie in the information that it provides about the previous nations or of the future just as it isn’t found within scientific laws. The Arabs perceived the I’jaaz of the style of the Qur’aan but did not comprehend the true reality of this style, as had they fully comprehended it, they would have been able to imitate it.