What is divine about the Quran?

Hello,

Here are two posts which help summarise the key information to begin with:

format_quote Originally Posted by Muhammad

The beauty of the Qur'an is that it is not miraculous in only one facet, but rather from all facets and angles that one can look at it. Thus the miraculous nature of the Qur'an cannot be limited to one list. In this thread it seems we have attempted to begin examining two or three of these aspects. However, many more exist, and it is important to consider all of the miraculous facets in combination, as the miraculous nature of the Qur'an is not by any one of them only. Examples of these are the following:

1. The language and style of the Qur'an
2. The incapability to produce anything similar to it by the disbelievers during the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) time and those after them.
3. The stories and accounts of the nations and prophets of old, since the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had no recourse to such information.
4. The predictions which occurred in the Qur'an, and which later came true
5. The perfect belief of Monotheism - the attribution of all that befits Allaah and the negation of all that does not befit Him, and the call of the Creator to the created to worship Him. All of this is not possible for a human to bring forth unless he was inspired by Allaah.
6. The laws and sharee'ah that the Qur'an came with, and the morals and conduct that it called for. All of this leads to the betterment of life in this world and in the Hereafter. The perfection of a set of laws that can be applied to any society at any time and place is humanly impossible, and the sharee'ah is the only example of such a set of laws.
7. Scientific facts mentioned in the Qur'an that were unknown at that time.
8. The fact that it has been protected and remained unchanged over such a long period of time, despite the fact that all other religious books have been distorted.
9. The compilation of the Qur'an and the diligence with which all the knowledge essential for its understanding has been preserved (such as the causes of revelation behind specific verses, verses revealed in Makkah/Madeenah, abrogation etc.)
10. The miraculous nature of the various ways and manners of reciting the Qur'an (the ahruf and qira'aat).
11. The ease by which it is memorised, and this is known by experience and observance.This is in contrast to all other religious books, for none of them are memorised like the Qur'an.
12. The deep meanings that are present inside it, and the fact that a reader never tires of reading the Qur'an, no matter how many times he has heard it or read it. This is in contrast to any other book, since a person cannot read it more than a few times without it getting monotonous and mundane.
13. The impact that the Qur'an has on those who hear it and the euphonious quality of the Qur'an.

Taken from An Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur'an, Yasir Qadhi, with slight modifications.

format_quote Originally Posted by Ansar Al-'Adl

First, I would like to present a brief list of some of the qualities the Qur'an posseses that will enable you to understand exactly why Muslims feel it is such a special book. This is what I posted before on the forum:

format_quote Originally Posted by Ansar Al-'Adl

I'll try to give you a comprehensive answer as to why the Qur'an is regarded the way it is by so many people.

1. The Power of the Qur'anic Message:

-it is universal, unrestricted by time and applicable to any nation/culture. The Qur'an is by far the most widely followed and acted-upon book in the world. As for the Bible, most Christians follow the Church over the Bible, and each denomination has its own bible anyway. The fact that there is no other book in the world that forms the constitution of the lives of billions of followers is itself a sign.
-it is practical and logical, it can be established practically in society and is logically able to address the fundamental questions relating to all aspects of our universe.
-it is comprehensive, addressing all fundamental sectors of human life, be it spritual, physical, mental, social/societal, politcal, environmental, economic, etc.
-it is natural, in concordance with a person's nature and what they feel deep inside to be the truth.
-it is clear and consistent, free of the changes in worldview and understanding that dominate the works of human beings.
-it is deep, having provoked thousands upon thousands of volumes of exegesis, expounding upon its meaning and revealing fascinating details that many people otherwise miss in their reading of the Qur'an.

2. The Power of the Qur'anic Style:

-it is Interactive, the text seems alive as it responds to the very questions that arise in one's mind at that moment. It speaks to the reader and delivers specific yet universal advice.
-it is Inerrant, free from contradictons and discrepancies, or other errors that would normally be found in the works of human beings.
-it is Memorizable; the Qur'an is the only book in the world which is continuously being memorized by millions of people and recited daily. No other book has been committed to memory by so many followers, as though it fits in one's mind as a key in a lock.
-its Language, the Qur'anic arabic is a stunning miracle in itself, its style is powerful and its recitation is melodious. More info: Here, Here, Here.

3. The Power of the Qur'anic Text:

-it is Preserved, even after fourteen and a half centuries, the Qur'an is recited today exactly as it was first revealed. Thus it was free of the tampering that befell other religious scriptures.
-its other Remarkable features; many Muslims find a striking concordance between many Qur'anic statements and established scientific truths, which could not have been known by any normal human being 14 centuries ago. (see here). Many Muslims have also found the Qur'anic perfection extends even to various mathematical miracles within the text (see here for discussion of word repetitions). As well, there are the Qur'anic Prophecies.
-its Authorship; the context in which the Qur'an was revealed leaves the reader with no other conclusion than the fact that it could only be the word of God.

This is just my summary of the miraculous features Muslims find in the Qur'an. For more information, please see section 3c of The First and Final Commandment.

Many of the points in the list are further discussed as a proof, for example in this thread br. akulion has decided to discuss scientific miracles. Because the scientific miracles are arguably more subjective, I tend to elaborate on my points that I feel are far more concrete. For example, with regard to word repetitions, see my posts here and let me know what you think:
http://www.islamicboard.com/170015-post7.html
http://www.islamicboard.com/171261-post12.html
Br. Azim's post:
http://www.islamicboard.com/172587-post14.html

The above examples are just a few of word repetitions in the Qur'an that pose many difficulties to the critic of the Qur'an's divine origin.

The argument I use more frequently is one I raised in a dialogue with czgibson on the existence of God. The argument is reduced to the fact that either Muhammad was a liar, deluded, insane, or he was what he truly claimed to be and the revelation he recieved was truly from God, the last option being the only rational position one can take with his life and with the Qur'anic revelation. While czgibson did not concede my argument, he did admit that his "answers with regard to Prophet Muhamamd pbuh are a little deficient and [that he'd] have to study this area more in order to formulate a rational position".

Here are some more links which provide some further detail to the above.

Miracles in general
http://www.islamicboard.com/quran/13...racle-god.html
The Miracle and the Challenge of the Qur'an

Challenge of the Qur'an:
The Challenge of the Qur'an
http://www.islamicboard.com/clarific...ml#post1281044
http://www.islamicboard.com/quran/32986-challenge.html

Literary excellence:
http://www.islam21c.com/texts/203-an...e-of-the-quran
http://www.theinimitablequran.com/index.html

Preservation
http://www.islamicboard.com/clarific...tml#post785930
http://www.islamicboard.com/discover...n-changed.html

Prophecies
The amazing Quran - Prophecy of Romans
History Proves the Accuracy of the Qur'an
http://www.islamicboard.com/discover...ut-failed.html

Scientific miracles
http://www.islamreligion.com/category/33/
http://www.islamicboard.com/health-s...les-quran.html
Exploring Islam
http://islampapers.com/embryology-in-the-quran/

format_quote Originally Posted by cur1ous

I'm not interested in the claimed miracle around the 'Arabic' because, as a non-Arabic speaker, I have no way of confirming that for myself. In fact, around 95% of humans don't speak Arabic and probably never will within our lifetimes. So to me it's pointless to discuss that claim unless someone speaks Arabic.

Arabic is quoted as the fifth most spoken language in the world. It is estimated that more than 300 million people speak Arabic; this number increases to over 400 million people when you include non-native speakers or those who speak Arabic as a secondary language. Therefore, to say that 95% of people don't speak Arabic is a gross overestimation. Furthermore, being a non-Arabic speaker does not prevent a person investing time and effort to appreciate a glimpse of the miraculous nature of the Qur'an. Orientalists, despite their aversion to Islam, have admitted the beauty and eloquence of the Qur'an. For example, Arthur Arberry, who studied and became fluent in the Arabic language while studying in Egypt, said: '…the rhetoric and rhythm of the Arabic of the Qur’an are so characteristic, so powerful, so highly emotive, that any version whatsoever is bound by the nature of things to be but a copy of the glittering splendor of the original' [The Koran Interpreted p. 24]

I have read a lot on this subject but I have never come across anything that I found completely convincing. I've read the Quran and it wasn't an easy read. There's no form of narrative structure, it repeats itself a lot. To me it reads like a bunch of stories and instructions randomly thrown together.

To have a better appreciation of the Qur'an you need to have an understanding of its history and role in the lives of Muslims. The Qur’an was revealed over the course of 23 years at various times and places. The method of delivery was oral and often it was conveyed after a question was posed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. It is therefore a very unique Book in terms of its structure and style. Far from being 'random', the Qur'an exhibits a deep level of coherence and wisdom in how it is arranged. Even in its repetition of stories there are reasons and benefits, such as highlighting different ideas and conclusions, confirmation and emphasis.

format_quote Originally Posted by cur1ous

Thanks for your input Muhammad. That's a lot of information so let's start with the list of claims you made about the Quran's divine nature and then we can see if they stand up to scrutiny. I have a very skeptical way of thinking so I don't just accept statements for the sake of statements. And I don't have any time for claims based on opinion or impact. These have no place or importance to those not part of the faith group. For example your following claims are pointless to me...

By all means, investigate and analyse these points. However, to dismiss claims on the basis that they are 'pointless' to you is not scrutiny, it is merely a get-out clause for someone who can't be bothered or doesn't want to research. And someone who isn't interested in researching truth but rather forwarding baseless opinions is not worth anyone's time. Your views about the Qur'an have no place for us Muslims.

Right from the very first point you have shot yourself in the foot. The language and style of the Qur'an is a clear, undeniable miracle of the Qur'an that even the most eloquent Arabs at the time of the Prophet ﷺ were forced to accept. Many people recognised the divine nature of the Qur'an simply by hearing it. And, despite giving you the example of orientalists (there are many others here) who admitted to the eloquence of the Qur'an, you are claiming this is an 'opinion-based' claim when clearly it isn't.

Allah سبحانه وتعالى says (what means): {Say: If humankind and the jinn gathered in order to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like of it, even if they were to each other assistants.} [Quran 17:88]

As for your mentioning of Shakespeare and others, did they challenge other literary figures, before and after them, to produce the like of what they produced, or did they claim to be Prophets so that people should believe in them? Using the example of Shakespeare, his work is not considered inimitable. His sonnets are written predominantly in a frequently used meter called the iambic pentameter, a rhyme scheme in which each sonnet line consists of ten syllables. The syllables are divided into five pairs called iambs or iambic feet. Since the blueprint of his work is available, it is not surprising that the English dramatist Christopher Marlowe has a similar style, and that Shakespeare has been compared to Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher and other playwrights of his time. Likewise for the other examples you have thrown in - they have no relevance here. There is nothing that people uttered or wrote, even if it was of the highest level of quality in terms of words and meanings, but there were other people who came up with something equal to it or like it or close to it, whether it was poetry, oratory, words of knowledge, aphorisms, argument, exhortation, essays, or the like. Nothing of that exists, but there was something equal to it or like it or close to it. The Qur’an, as people – Arabs and non-Arabs alike – know, is something for which no equal has ever existed, despite the keenness of the Arabs and the non-Arabs to produce something to match it.

As for laws and morals, Muslims have whole youtube channels trying to justify Islam's morals and laws from the constant barrage of internal and external criticism. States like Saudi, UAE, Sudan and others are already trying to distance themselves from these morals and laws. So even within the Muslim community there is no consensus of the superiority of these laws and morals.

You are mixing different issues here. People criticise things even without good reason, so the mere presence of criticism is not an evidence against the validity of a claim. States opting for westernisation of their countries has nothing to do with moving towards religious morals. Instead you should consider the huge numbers of people accepting Islam all around the world.

There is no specific ease of memorising the Quran. I did a search and it says that it can take up to 3 to 5 years to memorise the Quran. That's not miraculous or out of the ordinary. That's what you would expect for a book the size of the Quran.

What is extraordinary is how Muslims everywhere memorize the Qur'an, many millions memorizing the entire Qur'an from cover to cover, such that Huffaadh (singl. Hafidh - one who has memorized the entire Qur'an by heart) are ubiquitous within the Muslim community. It is not uncommon nor surprising to find children even as young as six or seven or younger who have completed their memorization of the entire Qur'an. If all the books in the entire world were to be lost or destroyed, only the Qur'an would be recovered letter for letter as it is preserved in the hearts of so many millions.

What do you base your claim on that Muhammad had no recourse to these tales and information. When I read the Quran one of the things that was repeated a lot. Was that Muhammad’s opponents kept accusing him of just retelling old stories that their forefathers used to tell them.

These were allegations of the disbelievers which illustrated their stubbornness to accept the message; they were not based upon sincerity. There are numerous points which prove that the Prophet ﷺ did not have recourse to such information. For example, the People of the Book (Jews/Christians) would test the Prophet ﷺ with information that he could not know about. A group of Jewish rabbis said, 'Ask him about three things which we will tell you to ask, and if he answers them then he is a Prophet who has been sent (by Allah); if he does not, then he is saying things that are not true, in which case how you will deal with him will be up to you. Ask him about some young men in ancient times, what was their story For theirs is a strange and wondrous tale. Ask him about a man who travelled a great deal and reached the east and the west of the earth. What was his story And ask him about the Ruh (soul or spirit) -- what is it If he tells you about these things, then he is a Prophet, so follow him, but if he does not tell you, then he is a man who is making things up, so deal with him as you see fit.' Then the verses of Surah Al-Kahf (the 18th chapter of the Qur'an) were revealed, which mentioned the things they had asked about: the young men and the traveler.Moreover, it is known that the Prophet ﷺ did not have a teacher from whom he could learn such information. He was raised among the same people who later opposed him, so they were witness to his honesty and truthfulness. Every aspect of his life was exposed to them, so if the Prophet ﷺ was receiving information from a teacher this would have been known to them. Even some of his adversaries who had made this assertion changed their minds later on and accused him, instead, of magic or being possessed by evil etc.

What made you say 95% was a gross overestimation when in reality it was favourable to you.

Even if 99.9% of the world did not speak Arabic, the point I mentioned earlier still remains. Whilst it is true that knowledge of the Arabic language is necessary for Islamic scholarship and a more complete appreciation of the Qur'an's miraculous beauty, this is not necessary for the basic practice of Islam and more importantly, anyone can learn Arabic if they have the resources and invest a moderate amount of time and effort. Some of the greatest scholars of Islam have been non-Arabs. Even if a person is not a linguistic expert themselves, it is sufficient to know that multitudes of scholars from western, eastern, religious and non-religious backgrounds have testified to the Qur’an’s inimitability. Likewise it is also known that the 7th century Arabs were best placed to challenge the Qur'an yet they collectively failed to produce an Arabic text that matched the Qur’an’s linguistic and literary features.

If your claim is that Muhammad was an ordinary man who spent 23 years composing a book which was often based on reactions to events and people from his own life. And that he died before collecting this book into a final edition.Then sure your claims make complete sense.

That is obviously not my claim but your own. In reality, you are evading the point being made which again highlights an insincere attempt at understanding the Qur'an. Anyone who researches with an open and honest mind will reach the conclusion that the best explanation is that the Qur’an is from Allah سبحانه وتعالى.

It has been my experience with agnostics such as yourself that discussions of this nature, when approached without sincerity and willingness to know the truth, end up being a waste of time. Had you been a sincere seeker of truth, you would not be ignoring facts and jumping to false conclusions from the get-go. For that reason this thread is now closed.