Questions and answers on 'Ijaz ul Qur'an

The Qur'an is the mu'ajizaa (miracle) shown at the hands of Muhammad (saw)
proving his prophethood. It's 'ijaaz (miraculousness) lies in it's Arabic
construction, that is it's eloquence (balaagha). Knowing the Qur'an's
origination from the Creator means knowing it's eloquence is not in man's
ability to match. It could be said that such a fact is not within the
ability of the 'ajamee (non-Arab) to comprehend and hence it cannot be used
as a proof against them. However this assertion is fallacious and
superficial. Differentiation between 'ajamee and Arab has neither proof nor
relevance here. Rather the knowledge of balaa'gha (eloquence) and it's
sciences is something not widely known to the Arabs (that is the common
Arabs) let alone the 'ajamee. Hence the verification of the mu'jizaa is not
a new problem but rather has existed since the time of the prophet (saw) and
his companions. Furthermore during the time of the companions lands were
conquered which were inhabited, in the most, by 'ajamee people, yet they
embraced Islam in their masses. This is true with the fact that the Sahaabah
propagated the Islamic 'Aqeedah with definite proofs. Hence the miracle of
the Qur'aan is capable of being grasped by non-Arabs in a definite manner.
However the confusion does not rest upon this point but rather a rational
point. That is the discussion regarding what constitutes valid proof and
what doesn't. It is assumed, by those that ask the question, that only
direct knowledge or perception of the miracle yields yaqeen (certatinty),
that is only understanding directly the miraculousness by knowing Arabic and
it's sciences.
This is void. Rational thought is composed of previous information, mind,
senses and reality. Whenever these exist judgement is possible. So thought
is something meaningful that corresponds to a reality which is itself
perceptible or which is perceptible from something other than it. Allaah's
(swt) existence, for example, is not perceptible in itself but rather is
definitely known from man, life and the universe. As regards the question
specifically it is true that the miraculousness lies in its Arabic usage
however it cannot be inferred from this that the sensation of this lies only
with in itself, knowing the Qur'an words itself and comprehending its
language deeply (i.e. knowing it's sciences).
This is since the fact, it's inimitability, is clearly perceptible from
other than it (other than the Qur'aan). That is through other perceptible
facts such as its (miraculousness) confirmation by those who comprehend the
language deeply, non-Muslim and Muslim. The non-Muslims say:

"THAT THE BEST OF ARAB WRITERS HAS NEVER SUCCEEDED IN

PRODUCING ANYTHING
EQUAL IN MERIT TO THE QUR'AN ITSELF IS NOT SURPRISING"
PROFESSOR E.H.
PALMER IN HIS INTRODUCTION TO THE KORAN, LONDON 1820 "WELL
THEN, IF THE
QUR'AN WERE HIS OWN COMPOSITION OTHER MEN COULD RIVAL IT.
LET THEM
PRODUCE TEN VERSES LIKE IT. IF THEY COULD NOT (AND IT IS OBVIOUS
THAT THEY
COULD NOT) THEN LET THEM ACCEPT THE QUR'AN AS AN
OUTSTANDING EVIDENTIAL
MIRACLE." H.A.R GIBB, MOHAMMEDANISM, LONDON, 1953, P33

"THE QUR'AN IS UNAPPROACHABLE AS REGARDS CONVINCING POWER

ELOQUENCE AND EVEN
COMPOSITION."HARTWIG HIRSCHFIELD, NEW RESEARCHES, LONDON
1902, P8

"THE TRUTH IS, I DO NOT FIND ANY UNDERSTANDING AUTHOR WHO

CONTROVERTS THE
ELEGANCY OF THE ALCORAN, IT BEING GENERALLY ESTEEMED AS THE
STANDARD OF THE
ARABIC LANGUAGE AND ELOQUENCE."DR HENRY STUBBE, M.A., RISE
AND PROGRESS OF
MOHAMEDANISM, LONDON, 1911, P158

ON ITS WRITTEN FORM, THE QUR'AN HAS SET THE STANDARD FOR
ARABIC LANGUAGE AND
LITERATURE AS THE PROPER AND INDEED THE HIGHEST EXPRESSION OF
LITERARY
ARABIC." MIRCAEA ELIADE (EDITOR IN CHIEF), THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF
RELIGION,
VOLUME 12, MACMILLAN PUBLISHING COMPANY, 1987, P179

"FROM THE LITERARY POINT OF VIEW, THE KORAN IS REGARDED AS A

SPECIMEN OF THE
PUREST ARABIC, WRITTEN IN HALF POETRY AND HALF PROSE. IT HAS
BEEN SAID THAT
IN SOME CASE GRAMAMRIANS HAVE ADOPTED THEIR RULES TO AGREE
WITH CERTAIN
PHRASES AND EXPRESSIONS USED IN IT, AND THAT, THOUGH SEVERAL
ATTEMPTS HAVE
BEEN MADE TO PRODUCE A WORK EQUAL TO IT AS FAR AS ELEGANT
WRITING IS
CONCERNED, NONE HAS YET SUCCEDED." F.F. ARBUTHNOT, THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE
BIBLE AND THE KORAN, LONDON, 1885, P5"

"THAT A COMPETENT KNOWLEDGE OF THE KORAN IS INDISPENSIBLE AS

AN INTRODUCTION
TO THE STUDY OF ARABIC LITERATURE WILL BE ADMITTED BY ALL
WHO HAVE ADVANCED
BEYOND THE RUDIMENTS OF THE LANGUAGE. FROM THE PURITY OF ITS
STYLE AND
ELEGANCE OF ITS DICTION IT HAS COME TO BE CONSIDERED AS THE
STANDARD OF
ARABIC EVEN BY THOSE WHO HAVE NO BELIEF IN ITS PRETENTIONS TO
A DIVINE
ORIGINS, WHILE SO GREAT IS ITS AUTHORITY AMONG THE FOLLOWERS
OF MOHAMMED,
THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO NAME A WORK BY ANY MUSSULMAN
WRITER WHICH DOES
NOT ABOUND IN ALLUSIONS TO ITS PRECEPTS OR IN QUOTATIONS FROM
ITS PAGES. IT
IS NOT TO BE EXPECTED THAT ALL THE TRANSCENDENTAL
EXCELLENCIES AND
MIRACULOUSNESS BEAUTIES DISCOVERED IN THE KORAN BY ITS
COMMENTATORS AND
OTHERS SHOULD IMMEDIATELY UNVEIL THEMSELVES TO OUR COLD
AND UNSYMPATHIZING
GAZE; BEAUTIES THERE ARE, MANY AND GREAT; IDEAS HIGHLY
POETICAL ARE CLOTHED
IN RICH APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE WHICH NOT UNFREQUENTLY RISES
TO A SUBLIMITY FAR
BEYOND THE REACH OF ANY TRANSLATION; BUT IT IS UNFORTUNATELY
THE CASE THAT
MANY OF THOSE GRACES WHICH PRESENT THEMSELVES TO THE
ADMIRATION OF THE
FINISHED SCHOLAR ARE BUT SO MANY STUMBLING-BLOCKS IN THE
WAY OF THE
BEGINNER; THE MARVELLOUS CONCISENESS WHICH ADDS SO GREATLY
TO THE FORCE AND
ENERGY OF ITS EXPRESSIONS CANNOT FAIL TO PERPLEX HIM, WHILE
THE FREQUENT USE
OF THE ELLIPSE LEAVE IN HIS MIND A FEELING OF VAGUES NOT
ALTOGETHER OUT OF
CHARACTER IN A WORK OF ITS ORACLAR AND SOI-DISTANT PROPHETIC
NATURE."
PREFACE OF "A DICTIONARY AND GLOSSARY OF THE KORAN", JOHN
PENRICE, PRAEGER
PUBLISHERS, 1970

AT THE TIME OF MUHAMMAD THERE WAS NO WORK OF THE FIRST

ORDER IN ARABIC
PROSE. THE QUR'AN WAS THEREFORE THE EARLIEST, AND HAS EVER
SINCE REMAINED
THE MODEL, PROSE WORK. ITS LANGUAGE IS RHYTHMICAL AND
RHETORICAL, BUT NOT
POETICAL. ITS RHYMED PROSE HAS SET THE STANDARD WHICH
ALMOST EVERY
CONSERVATIVE ARABIC WRITER OF TODAY CONSCIOUSLY STRIVES
TODAY."
HISTORY OF THE ARABS", PHILIP K. HITTI, SEVENTH EDITION,
MACMILLLAN & CO
LTD, 1960, P127

"THE KORAN WAS ALSO LINGUISTIC DOCUMENT OF INCOMPARABLE

IMPORTANCE. IT WAS
VIEWED AS A SOURCE OF GRAMMATICAL AND LEXICOGRAPHICAL
INFORMATION. ITS
STYLISTIC INIMITABILITY NOTWITHSTANDING, IT EVEN CAME TO BE
TREATED AS A
STANDARD FOR THEORIES OF LITERARY CRITICISM." THE LEGACY OF
ISLAM, EDITED BY
THE LATE JOSEPH SCHACHT WITH C.E. BOSWORTH, 1974 P321

"AS HAS BEEN NOTED, THE LANGUAGE OF THE QUR'AN IS REGARDED

AS SUPPARSING
EVERYTHING THAT CAN BE WRITTEN IN ARABIC. THE QUR'AN ITSELF IS
A
MIRACLE AND CANNOT BE IMITATED BY MAN." THE NEW
ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA,
VOL15, 15TH EDITION, 1983

It is said by the Muslims:

"AL KHATTABI ARGUES THAT ALL SPEECH IS MADE UP OF THREE
ELEMENTS: (I) WORDS
CONVEYING MEANING, (II) IDEAS SUBSISTING IN WORDS, AND (III)
STRUCTURE
ORGANSING BOTH. HE MAINTAINS THAT HUMANS CANNOT IMITATE THE
QUR'AN BECAUSE
THEIR KNOWLEDGE DOES NOT ENCOMPASS ALL THE WORDS OF
ARABIC, ALL THE IDEAS IN
THEM, AND ALL THE VARITIES OF STRUCTURE. FURTHERMORE, THEY
CANNOT IMITATE
THE QUR'AN BECAUSE IT HAS THE MOST ELOQUENT WORDING,
CONVEYING THE BEST
IDEAS, PRESENTED IN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL STRUCTURE. AL KHATTABI
STRESSES THE
FACT THAT RHETORICAL EFFECTIVENESS RESULTS NOT ONLY FROM
THE CHOICE OF WORDS
BUT ALSO FROM THE ORDER IN WHICH WORDS ARE PUT. A CHANGE OF
WORDING OR OF
ORDER ALTERS THE MEANING OTHERWISE INTENDED OR IMPAIRS THE
BEAUTY OTHERWISE
OBTAINED." "THE RHETORICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE QUR'AN: I'JAZ
AND
RELATED TOPICS." ISSA J. BOULLATA, PG 144

"THE STATEMENTS OF IMAM GHAZZALI AND OTHER WRITERS ON THE

SUBJECT OF USUL
ENABLE US TO SUGGEST THAT THERE ARE THREE SOURCES OF FIQH:
WAHY OR DIVINE
INSPIRATION: THIS INCLUDES BOTH THE RECITED, OR INIMITABLE
QUR'AN, AND THE
UNRECITED, OR THE SUNNAH." SOURCE METHODOLOGY IN ISLAMIC
JURISPRUDENCE",
TAHA JABIR AL 'ALWANI, INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC
THOUGHT, 1994 P86
RECENT SCHOLARS HAVE USED THE NAME OF THE SECOND
SUBDIVISION, SYNTAX AND
STYLE, FOR ALL THREE SUBDIVISIONS, BECAUSE THE ANCIENT
SCHOLARS HAD
DISCUSSED IT FIRST......THE FRUIT OF THIS DISCIPLINE IS
UNDERSTANDING OF
THE INIMITABILITY OF THE QUR'AN. THIS CONSISTS IN THE FACT THAT
THE
(LANGUAGE OF THE QUR'AN) INDICATES ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF
THE SITUATIONS
(REFERRED TO), WHETHER THEY ARE STATED OR UNDERSTOOD. THIS IS
THE
HIGHEST STAGE OF SPEECH, IN ADDITION, (THE QUR'AN) IS PERFECT IN
CHOICE OF
WORDS AND EXCELLENCE OF ARRANGEMENT AND COMBINATION. THIS
IS THE
INIMITABILITY, A QUALITY THAT SURPPARSES COMPREHENSION." AL
MUQADDIMAH, IBN
KHALDUN, TRANSLATED BY FRANZ ROSENTHAL, ROUTLEDGE AND
KEGAN PAUL, 1967, P
437

"IT IS NAZM THAT CREATES DISTINCTIVE STYLE BY THE CHOICE AND

ARRRANGEMENT OF
WORDS TO BRING OUT MEANING. WORDS ARRANGED DIFFERENTLY
CONVEY DIFFERENT
MEANINGS. THUS THE BEST STYLE IS ONE WHICH HAS THE BEST
CONSTRUCTION
POSSIBLE FOR THE MEANING INTENDED, AND THAT CHOOSING THE
MOST EXPRESSIVE
WORDS FOR THE PURPOSE AND PLACING THEM IN THE MOST LIKELY
ARRANGEMENT.
ACCORDING TO AL JURJANI, THE QUR'AN USES THE BEST NAZM WHICH,
WHEN THE ARABS
HEARD IT, THEY REALISED THEY WERE UNABLE TO MATCH." ISSA J.
BOULLATA, THE
RHETORICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE QUR'AN: I'JAZ AND RELATED
TOPICS., P146

'IT HAS BEEN REALISED THAT THERE ARE VERY FEW WORDS IN
LANGUAGE WHICH ARE
SYNONYMOUS; IN THE QUR'AN THEY ARE RARE, ALMOST NON
EXISTENT,. IT IS VERY
DIFFICULT TO FIND A WORD WHICH CONVEYS ALL THE MEANINGS
WHICH ARE CONVEYED
BY ANOTHER WORD; AT BEST, IT WILL BE AN APPROXIMATION. THIS IS
ONE OF THE
REASONS WHY THE QUR'AN IS INIMITABLE. IN THE VERSE, "ON THE
DAY WHEN THE
FIRMAMENT WILL BE IN SWIFT COMMOTION (MAWR)." (52:9) FOR
EXAMPLE IF YOU
EXPLAIN THE WORD MAWR BY HARAKAH, MOVEMENT, THIS WOULD BE
AN APPROXIMATION;
FOR MAWR MEANS A LIGHT SWIFT MOVEMENT." SHAIKH UL ISLAAM
IBN TAYMIYYAH AN
INTRODUCTION INTO THE PRNCIPLES OF TAFSEER, AL HIDAYAH
PUBLISHING &
DISTIBUTION, PG 24

"ANY RENDITION OF THE QUR'AN INTO ANOTHER LANGUAGE CANNOT

BE DESCRIBED AS
THE QUR'AN IN THAT LANGUAGE', BUT RATHER AN ATTEMPT AT
TRANSLATING THE
MEANINGS OF THE VERSES AND WORDS AS THEY ARE INTERPRETED BY
THE TRANSLATOR.
THUS, AN ESSENTIAL AND CHARACTERISTIC FEATURE OF THE HOLY
QUR'AN IS THAT IT
IS WHOLLY IN ARABIC. THIS INSEPERABILITY OF THE QUR'ANIC
MESSAGE AND IT IS
DIVINE LINGUISTIC GARB HAS BEEN REPEATEDLY POINTED OUT BY ALL
ARAB SCHOLARS
AND SHOULD NEVER BE OVERLOOKED BY TRANSLATORS" DR ASHRAF
ABDUL FATTAH,
ALAADIN HUSSANIN AND SALEH SALEH, TAJWID UL QUR'AN, A NEW
APPROACH TO
MASTERING THE ART OF RECITING THE HOLY QUR'AN, BAKKAH
TRANSLATION AND
PUBLISHING LTD, 1989, P4

"THE QUR'AN HAS MADE THE ARABS POWERLESS AND IMPOTENT TO

BRING THE LIKE OF
IT AND CHALLENGED THEM TO DO THAT. THE MOST HIGH (SWT) HAS
CHALLENGED THEM:
"AND IF YOU ARE IN DOUBT AS TO WHAT WE HAVE REVEALED FROM
TIME TO TIME TO
OUR SERVANT THEN PRODUCE A SURA LIKE THEREUNTO; AND CALL
YOUR WITNESSES OR
HELPERS (IF THERE ARE ANY) IF YOU BE TRUTHFUL." (2:23-24) AND ALSO
SAID:
"SAY: BRING THEN A SURA LIKE UNTO IT AND CALL YOU TO YOUR AID
ANYONE YOU CAN
BESIDES ALLAH, IF IT BE YOU SPEAK THE TRUTH." THE CHALLENGE
CAME TO HIGH FOR
THEM THAT HE SAID TO THEM YOU CANNOT BRING THE LIKE UNTO IT,
SO THE MOST
HIGH (SWT) SAID: "SAY: IF THE WHOLE OF MANKIND AND JINN WERE TO
GATHER
TOGETHER TO PRODUCE THE LIKE OF THIS QUR'AN, THEY COULD NOT
PRODUCE THE LIKE
THEREOF EVEN IF THEY BACKED UP EACH OTHER WITH HELP AND
SUPPORT." THUS THOSE
WHO WERE SPOKEN TO BY THE QUR'AN WERE COMPLETELY UNABLE TO
BRING THE LIKE
UNTO IT. THIS INCOMPETENCE IS ASSURED AND PERMANENT IN A
CONTINUOUS WAY
(MUTAWAATIR) AND HISTORY HAS NOT KNOWN ANYBODY SINCE THEN
THAT ANYONE HAS
BROUGHT THE LIKE OF IT." IMAAM TAQIUDINE NABHANI SHAKSIYYAH
ISLAMIYYAH, VOL
I,

"THE QUR'AN IS INIMITABLE IN THAT IT EMPLOYS THE MOST ELOQUENT

WORDS IN THE
IDEAL FORMS OF COMPOSITION EMBODYING THE TRUEST MEANINGS."
IMAAM KHATTABI, KITAB BAYAN I'JAZ AL QUR'AN, PG 27

"ILM UL MA'ANI I.E KNOWLEDGE OF SEMANTICS, BECAUSE PHRASE

CONSTRUCTIONS ARE
UNDERSTOOD FROM THEIR MEANINGS. ILM UL BAYAN I.E. KNOWLEDGE
OF FIGURES OF
SPEECH, LIKE SIMILIES AND METAPHORS, DUE TO WHICH EXPRESSIONS
OR SHADES OF
MEANING OR SIMILIES AND METAPHORS BECOME KNOWN. ILM UL BADI
I.E. KNOWLEDGE
OF RHETORIC, THE KNOWLEDGE WHICH REVEALS THE BEAUTY OF
LANGUAGE AND IT'S
IMPLICATIONS. THE LAST THREE ARE THE BRANCHES OF 'ILM UL
BALAGHAT (KNOWLEDGE
OR ORATORY) WHICH ARE CONSIDERED VERY IMPORTANT SUBJECTS,
WHICH THE
COMMENTATOR SHOULD MASTER, BECAUSE THE GLORIOUS QUR'AN IS
A PERFECT MIRACLE
AND ITS AMAZING CONSTRUCTIONS CAN ONLY BE UNDERSTOOD AFTER
MASTERING THESE
SUBJECTS." MAULANA MUHAMMAD ZAKARIYYAH KANDHALVI,
TABLIGHI NISAB, R.A,
P29-31

All these prove the fact that the Qur'an is inimitable. As regards the claim
that some of these quotes originate from Muslims whose testimony cannot be
trusted (due to bias). This is of no consequence. There are numerous
statements from the kaafir in different contexts which suffice to prove the
point. Besides these are only a fraction of what has been said. Moreover it
is false to discount the comments of the Muslims here, these comments have
great weighting hence they are proof. It is impossible for any report which
is witnessed in a widespread way to be fabricated. News reports, which are
usually heard through khabar Aa'haad (single narrator Hadith), which are
additionally da'eef (due to originating from kaafir known for lying and
distortion,), are known to be true on account of their being accessible to
multitudes of those who witness the same reported events, hence error in
them not possible. The Arabic construction of the Qur'an is perceptible in a
widespread way, hence it is not possible that such large numbers of people,
Muslim or otherwise, to fabricate such famous ideas in the presence of many
who witness the same subject matter. What proves this even more is that not
only is the event (miraculousness of the Qur'an) commonly reported but also
the details of the event in a high degree. That is the description of the
eloquence is commonly reported, this would not be possible if these were
fabricated. ( Hence if it was fabricated it would not be possible for all
numerous Muslim scholars to all describe and illustrate the miracle in
identical ways. They would not be able to describe style, meaning, grammar
and those sciences such as lexicography, syntax, grammatical devices and the
like and their examples in the Qur'an without discrepancy.)
In addition these statements can also be joined with other facts. For
example the fact that the Qur'aan is the reference point and highest
specimen of the language and linguistics and used as such in colleges and
universities in the Arab countries and abroad. It has been said that there
have been pieces of Arabic which have been proposed as meeting the
challenge. In addition it has been said that certain Muslim scholars have
regarded the challenge as beatable. With regards to what has been
said regarding the claimed challengable pieces then there are two points.
Firstly these pieces are, in their style and meaning, not comparable to the
Qur'an in small or in large pieces. This is known be those with skill in the
language. (All these 'pieces' are analysed linguistically in the books on
the miracle of the Qur'an like Baqillani's 'Ijaz ul Qur'an, hence they are
well known. What is more the disparity between the Qur'an and these pieces
are so large that even common Arabs (those who are not scholars in the
language) are able to remark on the difference.) A claim is in the ability
of anyone with any idea (i.e. any person can claim what he wants), they
are only proof for us if they can be demonstrated. These pieces are mere
claims and the language cannot be demonstrated to compare with that of the
Qur'an due to their poor level. As for the 'aammi (common Muslim.) then this
is easily known due to the level of evidence. That is that it has been
established by Tawaatur that the Qur'an is inimitable and that no one has
brought the like of it, this as all and sundry know is well known. These
facts are definite therefore any evidence that comes contrary to these must
necessarily be false. This is since, rationally, two definite things can
never contradict. (If this was believed that 2 definite things could
contradict then it would have to believe that an absurdity such as New York
definitely existing and definitely not existing at the same time was
possible). Consequently these narrations (which as we have discussed earlier
be shown to weak and fabricated in any case.) must be rejected outright
since they cannot with any possibility be true (Even entertaining the
possibility of a mutawaatir narration being disproved is irrational since it
means saying something definite can be disproved! If such a thing is said it
would mean entertaining the possibility of 1 + 1 = 2 being disproved or that
a narration can come to disprove the occurrence of World war II!).
This is all that is needed to disprove such allegations. Similarly the
second claim (that certain Muslim scholars regarded the Qur'aan's language
as matchable) is equally false. Such baseless understanding only results
from irrational thought or lack in intelligence. Such scholars belonged to
the Mu'atazila. Their opinion on miracles, generally, was that, when
accompanied by a challenge, were potentially within the ability of man.
This is through their understanding that Allaah (swt) is just hence if
Allaah (swt) was to challenge man then such a challenge must necessarily lie
within man's ability. Hence they formulated the doctrine of sarfa
(prevention). This means that certain actions are potentially within the
capability of man however Allaah (swt) prevents man from doing them after he
has challenged them to do it. This, as is the case with 'ilm ul kalaam
(theological rhetoric) is mere playing with words and semantics, the
view is essentially no different from the view of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamm'ah,
that is that a miracle an event beyond man's limitations. The only
difference lies in whether the limitation that prevents man from meeting the
challenge is inherent within man or rather imposed by Allaah (swt) after the
challenge. All this is evident if one consults their books. What even more
refutes the assertions is that many Mu'atazila scholars have written on
'ijaz ul Qur'an such as Qadi Abdul Jabbar's "Al Mughni fi abwab al-tawhid
wa'l-'adl" and Imaam Zamaksharee's "Kashaaf" in which they explain why the
language is unattainable for humans. Consequently there is no reality to
such claims, the truth of the matter is that these originate in certain
orientalist books (such as Golzheirs for example.). These cannot be trusted
due to their untrustorthyness and malice against the deen. Muslims who take
such information with trust are either low in intellect or harbor evil
intent.