Question about quran

[Evanaaa]

Assalamualaikum, This I have a question, Actually a non Muslim asked me after showing me this "Author Journalist and scholar Toby Lester notes the Quran "assumes a familiarity with language, stories, and events that seem to have been lost even to the earliest of Muslim exegetes".Cook and Christopher Rose note the Quran contains obscure words and phrases, "mystery letters," or Muqattaʿat—groups of between one and four letters that do not form words and begin about one quarter of surahs of the Quran, and the Sabians religious group unknown to historians. Cook argue that "someone must once have known" what these mean, and that their meaning was forgotten now suggests the Quran may have been "off the scene for several decades",Why we don't know these,if quran was memorized why we don't know mysterious letter,sabians some obscure(?) pharase,words and he tell me it's the proof quran wasn't memorized and forgotten for decades. Can anyone counter this argument and give me a proper answer?

[Muhammad]

wa alaykum assalam warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Firstly, it is better not to waste time reading such arguments written by those who are very ignorant about the history of the Qur'an. Such people are driven by the motive to disprove Islam at all costs, even when their arguments clearly have no legs to stand on. It is better to strengthen your own relationship with the Qur'an, study and reflect over its meanings for the purpose of trying to get closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Cook argue that "someone must once have known" what these mean, and that their meaning was forgotten now suggests the Quran may have been "off the scene for several decades",Why we don't know these,if quran was memorized why we don't know mysterious letter,

We need to deal with facts and evidence, not speculation. It is clear that such suggestions are from people who have very little familiarity with fact. The recitation of the Qur'an is a vital element of all prayers and during Ramadan every year the entire Qur'an is recited, from cover to cover in Masajid by the Imam from memory. This integral role that the Qur'an plays in daily Muslim life makes it impossible for the Qur'an to be 'off the scene for several decades'. Al Azami points out, 'that the exact same words echoed from every mosque, school, house and bazaar throughout all corners of the Muslim nation was a greater safeguard against corruption than anything any human system could have promised.'

With regards to the meanings of the huruf al-muqatta'at or who the Sabians were then scholars have differed with regards to their exact meanings and these can be found in the books of Tafsir. But this has no bearing on the preservation of the Qur'an.

[Evanaaa]

Hmm,but is there really obscure word or phrase in quran that even arabs didn't understand???I really hate orientalists who put a theory and work based on assumptions.

[Muhammad]

Hmm,but is there really obscure word or phrase in quran that even arabs didn't understand???I really hate orientalists who put a theory and work based on assumptions.

From: The obscure verses in the Quran are not obscure to everyone - Islamweb - Fatwas

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

There is no doubt that the Quran is a clear divine scripture as described by Allaah, The Knowing, The Wise, Who revealed it. He says (what means): {and this Quran is [in] a clear Arabic language} [Quran 16:103], meaning that Allaah, The Exalted, clarified in it the Truth to all people and showed them the way to guidance. Allaah, who described it as such, also informed us that some of its verses are Mutashaabih (obscure). This means that there cannot be any contradiction in the Quran; Allaah, The Exalted, says (what means): {Then do they not reflect upon the Quran? If it had been from [any] other than Allaah, they would have found within it much contradiction.} [Quran 4:82] If there is any seeming contradiction, then it is due to our limited apprehension and understanding.

The soundest scholarly opinion regarding verse 3:7 is that the Mutashaabih verses refers to those whose indications are not clear to other than the scholars. Only the scholars understand them clearly. Hence, there are no Quranic verses whose meaning is unknown to all people.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen

says in his Commentary on Al-‘Aqeedah As-Saffaareeniyyah:

“Is it possible that there are verses in the Quran whose meaning is unclear to all people? No, there is no such thing in the Quran. This is evidenced by the verses that read (what means):

• {And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things.} [Quran 16:89]
• {O mankind, there has come to you a conclusive proof from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear light.} [Quran 4:174]

There is no verse or word in the Quran that is incomprehensible. However, what is meant by the obscure is the true nature of the indication of the verses, such as what Allaah has informed of about Himself and about the Last Day – we do not know the true nature of it.

Someone may say: What you are saying is refutable because of the disconnected letters in the opening of some Quranic chapters – no one knows their real meaning or exact indication. Someone may ask: What is the meaning of Noon in the verse (which means), {Noon. By the pen and what they inscribe.} [Quran 68:1]?

We answer: It does not have a meaning because these are disconnected letters. The Quran was revealed in the Arabic language and the Arabic language requires that these standalone letters do not have a meaning; however, they have a purpose, which is to demonstrate the miraculous nature of the Quran to those people who claimed that it was fabricated and that it was the speech of a human being. This is supported by the fact that whenever these disconnected letters are at the opening of a Soorah, they are followed by the mention of the Quran.”

Allaah Knows best.

See also: Wisdom behind verses with unclear indication mutashaabih - Islamweb - Fatwas