It is not fair to classify you, dear reader, as simply a Muslim or non-Muslim. No, there are vibrant shades in these broad categories and Qur’an holds different deep-seated meaning for people that make-up this colorful spectrum. And it is equally difficult to capture the expansive nature of Qur’an in a short article. So, instead of evoking people’s biases – positive or negative – it may be easier to explore some factual nuances of this extensive book.
The Qur’an is a continuous set of instructions sent to the Prophet over a course of 23 years. Over 6,000 of these verses were revealed when Prophet Muhammad turned 40 and continued till the year he passed away, 23 years later. What is unique about Qur’an is that All verses were memorized in the Arabic language they were revealed and have stayed intact 1,400 years later.
Another aspect that is unique to Qur’an is that not only all the words are the same, the order of these verses and the 114 chapters they are divided in, has also remained without change.
Qur’an is not an easy book to read cover to cover, as the sentences that map to verses are contextual to the times when they were revealed. Various occasions produced different verses. This makes sense to a reader who can visualize a lonely Prophet, at least in the beginning few years of his Prophethood, who was constantly being challenged and probed and questioned. Different verses came in answer to those questions.
For example, when men of Quraysh asked Jewish Rabbis of Yathrib about Muhammad’s (PBUH) claim on being a prophet they were told to ask the Prophet 3 questions whose correct answers would decide whether his claims were accurate. The answer was given in the form of Surah Kahf (18). And when there was a gap between revelations and the Prophet feared that God was upset with him, Surah Duhaa (93) was revealed to allay his fears and to tell him about a gift forthcoming. Similarly, when he was disheartened when people made fun of him not having a male progeny, Surah Kawthar (108) was relayed.
The next question to ponder is the source of these verses. For believing Muslims, it is the Almighty God, or Allah Himself. But to the more sceptic reader, I can only offer a couple of examples, due to the brevity of this article, as proof of this assertion.
One is the practical proof of the monumental composition of 114 chapters and the linguistic superiority of the Qur’an. It is no hidden fact that Prophet Muhammad was not a man of letters, he was closer to being an illiterate. Indeed, the very first verse that was revealed starts with the command to Read (Iqra). And he is supposed to have responded 3 times that he could not. After the 3rd imploration, he read. How is it possible that this person who could hardly read produced such beautiful verses not one but multiple times and over a course of 23 years?
Since almost none of us being experts in classical Arabic – the language of Qur’an – it is hard for us to appreciate beauty of the language and what it meant to the Arabs of that time. But here is another well-documented example of the power of these verses. Umar, long before he became the 2nd Caliph, was an impassioned hater of everything the Prophet stood for. He hated how the people of Mecca were being “lured” by this new religion. He publicly advocated killing the Prophet. One day, when he could take it no longer, he decided to take the matters in his own hands and, with a naked sword in hand, he started his march toward the Prophet’s house to carry out the unspeakable. On his way there, he met one of Prophet’s sympathizers who told him to first get his own house in order, that his own sister and brother-in-law had converted to Islam. Enraged, he turned his gait toward his sister’s house. Before entering the house, he heard recitation of Surah Taha. Umar was an accomplished orator and a lover of poetry, upon hearing those words and reading them for himself, Islam entered his heart and he converted. This well-known incident clearly highlights the miraculous beauty of the language of Qur’an and how a rabid antagonist of Islam converted by simply listening to its recitation.
Besides the miracle of its language, Qur’an also contains verses revealed 1400 years ago that talk about subjects that only recently in 20th century have been discovered as scientific proof. One such example is the verses that deal with Embryology.
Keith L. Moore was a professor emeritus in the division of anatomy at the University of Toronto. In his article, “A Scientist’s Interpretation Of References To Embryology In The Qur’an,” he compares Surah Mu’minun’s verses (23:13-14) that talk about intricate details of embryology and facts only discovered 1,400 later in the 20th century. How could an illiterate man produce these statements in an era when we were hundreds of years away from discovering microscope and address subjects whose veracity are only being discovered after significant scientific discovery in recent years? The only possible answer could be that he could not. Unless he was merely a mouthpiece, or a messenger, delivering a message from a being far more superior: God.
In the end, dear reader, I would conclude with the opening chapter of Quran, Surah Fatihah. This is a short prayer. The person praying glorifies an almighty God who is most benevolent. This is a God who has undying mercy for his creation. The person prays to stay on a straight path, one that was taken previously by the pious men of past. He implores God to keep him away from those who have become misguided and who have strayed from the righteous path.
This short chapter in the form of a prayer is another example of the miracle of Qur’an. There is nothing in it that is specific to people of a particular faith. Its message is one of peace, of being good and of a merciful God that is kind to His creation that stays on the right path. This chapter enforces the truth that Qur’an is a book for the entire humanity. And reading, understanding and following its message will lead to riches not only in this world, as it did to the divided Arabs who became a unified global force after they followed Qur’an and took it to heart, but also in the hereafter.