The Holy Qur'an is The Divine Presence in the text provides food for the souls of men. The Qur'an is like existence itself, like the Universe and the beings who move through it. It contains all the elements of universal existence. It is in itself a universe in which a Muslim places his life from beginning to end.
The Quran's sweetness of speech, the attraction exerted by the verses of God's book, filled the hearts of the Arabs with new feeling and perception. Their deep attention was drawn to this Divine trust that had come to them, this inimitable work. Fully versed as they were in the arts and subtleties of rhetoric, they realized that the extraordinary eloquence of the Quran was beyond the power of man to produce. It was impossible for someone to hear the Quran and understand its meaning without being profoundly affected by its power to attract. From the beginning of revelation, the Quran was, then, the most important factor in bringing the human being to God's religion.
We have The Holy Quran in its original language and this language is still in living use. The text of The Holy Quran is entirely reliable. It has been as it is; unaltered, unedited, not tampered with in any way, since the time of its revelation. By contrast, other scriptures-the Christians' Gospels for example have not survived in their original language, nor is the language of the earliest surviving version of these scriptures a language still in living use.
The Holy Quran reiterates in several verses a challenge to any whom doubt its authenticity to bring or produce a chapter that can equal it. No one has ever met, or can ever meet, this challenge.
[17]"Say: if all of mankind and the jinn were to gather together to produce the like of this Holy Book, they could not produce the like of it, even if they backed each other with help and support ."
One example of the events foretold in the Quran is the victory of the Romans over the Persians within three to nine years after the Romans were defeated by the Persians. God has said in the Quran:
The Romans have been defeated in the nearest land (to the Arabian Peninsula), and they, after their defeat, will be victorious within bedd’ (three to nine) years.... (Quran, 30:2-4)
Let us see what history tells us about these wars. A book entitled History of the Byzantine State says that the Roman army was badly defeated at Antioch in 613, and as a result, the Persians swiftly pushed forward on all fronts. At that time, it was hard to imagine that the Romans would defeat the Persians, but the Quran foretold that the Romans would be victorious within three to nine years. In 622, nine years after the Romans’ defeat, the two forces (Romans and Persians) met on Armenian soil, and the result was the decisive victory of the Romans over the Persians, for the first time after the Romans’ defeat in 613. The prophecy was fulfilled just as God has said in the Quran
The author of The Quran also prophesised that The Quran itself would remain intact (unaltered) through time –
“Absolutely, we have revealed the reminder (The Quran), and, absolutely, we will preserve it.” (The Quran, 15:9)
- since its revelation more than 1400 years ago, the original Quran is still fully preserved and intact as it was when it was first revealed (as I have discussed in the Introduction).
Why do they not study The Quran carefully? If it were from other than God, they would have found in it numerous contradictions.” (The Quran, 4:82)
- The Quran deals with hundreds of issues, and reiterates many stories of the past nations. Yet, no one can show any incongruity or contradictions among the more than 6000 verses of The Quran. Many have tried but all of their apparent contradictions stem from misinterpreting the original Arabic and thus producing two or more statements, which seem to conflict with each other, when in truth, this is not the case.
Some prophecies occurred during the lifetime of Muhammad, such as the following references –
“Surely, He Who ordained The Quran for thee, will bring thee home again.” (The Quran, 28:85)
- this verse was revealed when Muhammad’s situation was dire, due to the hostility from the people of Mecca (which was his home). The hostility was due to the chiefs/leaders of the time, who rejected his message and thus rejected him and his followers. It was a hopeless situation, most of his followers had already migrated to Madinah (a nearby city), now it was his turn. He migrated as a refugee and then returned several years later as a conqueror, fulfilling yet another prophecy.
“Condemned are the works of Abu Lahab, and he is condemned. His money and whatever he has accomplished will never help him. He has incurred the blazing Hell.” (The Quran, 111:1 to 111:3)
Abu Lahab was the most bitter enemy of Muhammad, and opposed the establishment of Islam to the utmost of his power. In this verse it explicitly states that Abu Lahab, would be condemned to Hell (because he would never accept Islam and thus die a disbeliever). Even after 11 years after this Quranic revelation, Abu Lahab never accepted Islam and thus died a disbeliever. In view of the fact that he was Muhammad’s bitterest enemy, logic and experience suggest that it is unwise to make such a declaration, for Abu Lahab could have very easily disproved The Quran by pretending to believe. Why did Abu Lahab waste this golden opportunity? What made Muhammad so certain that even in ten years Abu Lahab would not exploit this tempting opportunity?
When we consider the system and program of action proposed by the Quran for the uplift of the human being and compare it with the laws and systems of the past, we realize that it borrowed nothing from them and bore no resemblance to them. It represents an entirely new phenomenon, original and unprecedented in its fundamental nature, and among its lofty aims are the transformation of human societies and their restructuring on the basis of justice, equality, and freedom for the oppressed and deprived masses.
While on a visit to Saudi Arabia, Professor Tajaten Tajasen, the former head of the Department of Anatomy and Embryology and the present Dean of the college of Medicine at the University of Chang-mi Thailand, was shown some Qur'anic verses and Prophetic traditions (sayings of the Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him), which dealt with his field of learning. The Professor responded that the Buddish scriptures also contained detailed descriptions of the embryonic process.
The Professor was then asked if he was acquainted with the work of Professor Keith Moore, a Canadian Scientist. He replied that he knew Professor Keith Moore and he was a very prominent man in the field of Embryology.
Professor Tajasen then read an article of Professor Moore, in which Professor Moore writes that in his opinion a lot of what was revealed in the Qur'an was compatible with modern science. Professor Tajasen was astonished by what he read in the article, and wanted to learn more.
The following Qur'anic verse was then read to him:
"Those who reject Our (Allah's) signs (verses of the Qur'an) We shall soon cast in to the fire: as often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for fresh skins, that they may taste the Penalty; for Allah (God Almighty) is Exalted in Power, Wise." (Al-Qur'an, Surah 4 - Al Nisa: Verse 56).
Professor Tajasen agreed that this was a reference to the dermatological phenomenon which modern science has only recently discovered, namely that the skin contains all the nerve endings and that if a burn is very deep and the skin is completely burned, then it loses its sense of pain and the person afflicted does not actually feel it. Allah (God Almighty) is aware of this fact and He accordingly makes sure that the unbelievers consigned to hell feel the pain constantly by replacing the skin time and time again so that the nerve endings are renewed.
Professor Tajasen agreed that it is impossible that this could have come from any human source, considering the fact that the Qur'an is a 1,400 years old text: this sort of knowledge was simply not known at the time.
Professor Tajasen accepted the Signs and embraced Islam.
We affirm therefore that The Holy Quran is the Word of God, and we affirm that that belief is consonant with reason and experience. We affirm that it is the constitution and bedrock upon which the lives of Muslims, individually and collectively, should be based, and because The Holy Quran is a mercy to mankind from the All-Merciful, it will be relevant always, an ever-living guidance which will lead to virtue and happiness, here and hereafter, provided only that we are equal to the quality of worship and obedience it asks of us.
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