Mankind’s Greatest Question? by no author available

If the Qur'an is the word of God, and a miracle proving the Prophet-hood of Muhammad (pbuh) we must look carefully at this book and establish without doubt its authenticity. It is well known that the pagan Arabs of the time of Muhammad (pbuh) were great poets and writers of the Arabic language. It was common at the time for them to go into the dessert to study Arabic and write poetry and prose with which to entertain each other. They held the Arabic language with all its fluidity and depth of expression in great esteem.

When the revelation started to come to Muhammad in his fortieth year it was the style of language which set the revelation apart from anything that had been before or indeed since.

The unshakable proof of the authenticity of the Qur'an as the word of God is in its style of language. From the first verse:

"Read: In the name of thy Lord who createth, Createth man from a clot. Read:

and thy Lord is the Most Bounteous, Who teaches by the pen, Teaches man that which he knew not" (96:1-5)

through to ; "This day I have perfected your Deen (way in life) for you and completed My favour unto you, and have chosen for you as Deen Al-Islam." (5:3)

The Qur'an remains completely at the height of eloquence, rhetoric, and coherent expression. It acts as one complete piece, with the style the same as if it is one sentence, with perfect arrangements and strong plain text. The expressions brought were not known to the Arabs at the time or before that time, and matters cannot be expressed that have not been previously felt. One of the disbelieving Arab poets of the time Walid ibn Al Mughirah said after hearing the Qur'an:

"By God: None of you is more conversant than I with poetry, melodious hymns, and songs, and by God never did I hear anything similar to which he says. It is so sweet, and so graceful that it remains at the summit with nothing to surpass it." The Qur'an is in a literary style that no human can approach or match. Its style the Arabs cannot match, and it is this challenge which God has set forth within the Qur'an.

"Say: verily though mankind and the Jinn should assemble to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like there of though they were helpers one of another"[17:88] "And if ye are in doubt concerning that which we reveal unto our apostle (Muhammad), then produce a Surah of the like thereof, and call your witnesses beside Allah if you are truthful"[2:23] "Or they say: He has invented it? Say: then bring a Surah like unto it and call (for help) on all ye can besides Allah if you are truthful"[10:38] It is this challenge to all that doubt that has remained unanswered in over 1400

years since this revelation. Not one scholar of the Arabic language either Muslim or Non-Muslim has been able to write even one small chapter or paragraph in the same style of Arabic to that of the Qur'an. The Arabs are either able to imitate the style of the Qur'an or not, if they could then the book is clearly the work of men like them. If not then there are only two other possible sources Muhammad, or God.

Muhammad (pbuh) was of Arabic blood and tongue but never claimed to be the author of the Qur'an. In fact he was never challenged as its author, it can be seen clearly from Hadith Mutawatir (definitely confirmed sayings of Muhammad - narrated word for word) of which there are many hundreds that the style of language in Muhammad's speech and the Qur'an are very different. And no matter how hard one tries, one's style of speech cannot be completely altered consistently, and certainly not over a period of 23 years in which the Qur'an was revealed. The only accusation ever leveled at Muhammad (pbuh) was that he received it from a Christian youth called Jaber.

As a response to this allegation God revealed:

"We know indeed that they say, 'It is a man that teaches him.' The tongue of him they wickedly point to is notably foreign, while this is Arabic, pure and clear."[16:103] Since it is the style of the Arabic language that is the miracle of the Qur'an, how can the non-Arab speaker confirm this fact? Just as the foreign student studies Shakespeare from the English language scholar, so too should the English speaker refer to the scholars of Arabic for the true confirmation of the height of eloquence and style of the Qur'an. The language serves as a constant reminder over the ages, and also the consistent style has ensured that nothing could be added to the Qur'an. Indeed God has promised that the book would be protected, and there are copies of the most ancient manuscript which are letter for letter the same as all copies today.

"Lo! We, even We, reveal the reminder, and lo! We verily are its Guardian"[15:9] "If it had been from other than Allah thy would have found much incongruity"[4:82] As the Qur'an is the word of God, sent to mankind as a guide for all affairs, and as it is protected and completely consistent throughout, then anything the book refers to can be taken as a complete truth. The existence of paradise and hellfire cannot be derived from rational evidence as we cannot as yet perceive them, to believe in them comes in a traditional way, however belief in them is based upon a rationally derived belief which proves the divine source of the Qur'an. This is referred to as use of transformative evidence. Therefore all that the Qur'an definitely refers to can be taken as truth without any hesitation.

"And we have not sent thee (O Muhammad) save as a bringer of good tidings and a warner unto all mankind, but most of mankind know not"[34:28] The Qur'an and the Sunnah (path and direction of the Prophet) act as the source of Shariah (divine law) in Islam, as rationally confirmed sources of God's law mankind is obliged to follow them in all details. This basis is the creed or doctrine upon which all actions in life should be referred.