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"This argument is based upon a well known historical fact, supported by Eastern
and Western Scholarship. Before we start to discuss the historical realities of the
Qur'an and linguistic capabilities of the Classical Arabs, we first need to explain
what we mean by 'rational deduction'.
Rational Deduction is the thinking process starting with one universally accepted
statement that no one can doubt, and using rational deduction, drawing logical
conclusions that draw from that statement.
With regards to the Qur'an, the universally accepted statement is that the Arabs
at the time of revelation reached the peak of expressing themselves in the Arabic
language. The Qur'an came with a challenge - to produce 3 lines of Arabic that
will match the linguistic and literary reality of the text. Many at the time of
revelation attempted to challenge the Qur'an, and as can be seen by the
preserved written challenges, they all failed. They came to the conclusion that it
was a form of 'magic' and what is interesting to note is that they never claimed
that Muhammad was the author or the Qur'an.
So who was the Author?
When questioning the authorship of the Qur'an, in the context of the 'universally
accepted statement' and the other arguments below, one must first understand
who the Qur'an could have possible come from. There are a few options:
1) An Arab
2) A non-Arab
3) Muhammad
4) The Creator
The Qur’an is matchless in its Arabic and beyond comparison amongst other
literature. It defies sense for it to have been written by someone who could not
understand Arabic. Think of a literary work in English e.g. Jane Austen’s Pride
and Prejudice, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. Could
one without English have been the author? Do the same for literature in other
languages. Dante’s Divine Comedy, Cervantes’ Don Quixote, Tolstoy’s War and
Peace, Aristophanes’ Clouds and so on. It would not be serious to claim that
such work could be achieved without access to the language itself therefore the
first option of a non-Arab authoring the Qur’an can be safely eliminated.
If the Qur’an was authored by an Arab then the test of inimitability would not
pose a real challenge just as it does not in other languages. Whatever one writes
another can write a little in the same style but the challenge has been attempted
by leading authorities in Arabic throughout history and has left all exhausted.
Whenever an Arab attempts a passage trying to imitate the Qur'an's style and
literary form he/she remains utterly elusive so we can safely state that the author
of the Qur’an could not have been an Arab.
Muhammad, for all his greatness, was still an Arab like his brethren. It is also a
matter of fact that the Prophet Muhammad was never accused of authoring the
Qur’an by his contemporaries, even those who sought his death and ruin.
Furthermore the hadith (recorded narrations attributed to the Prophet) are in a
totally different style to the Qur'an. How can any man speak with two distinct
styles over a 23 year period?
The only rational answer left is the Creator."
Please access the articles below that detail this argument and the premises of the
above argument.
and Western Scholarship. Before we start to discuss the historical realities of the
Qur'an and linguistic capabilities of the Classical Arabs, we first need to explain
what we mean by 'rational deduction'.
Rational Deduction is the thinking process starting with one universally accepted
statement that no one can doubt, and using rational deduction, drawing logical
conclusions that draw from that statement.
With regards to the Qur'an, the universally accepted statement is that the Arabs
at the time of revelation reached the peak of expressing themselves in the Arabic
language. The Qur'an came with a challenge - to produce 3 lines of Arabic that
will match the linguistic and literary reality of the text. Many at the time of
revelation attempted to challenge the Qur'an, and as can be seen by the
preserved written challenges, they all failed. They came to the conclusion that it
was a form of 'magic' and what is interesting to note is that they never claimed
that Muhammad was the author or the Qur'an.
So who was the Author?
When questioning the authorship of the Qur'an, in the context of the 'universally
accepted statement' and the other arguments below, one must first understand
who the Qur'an could have possible come from. There are a few options:
1) An Arab
2) A non-Arab
3) Muhammad
4) The Creator
The Qur’an is matchless in its Arabic and beyond comparison amongst other
literature. It defies sense for it to have been written by someone who could not
understand Arabic. Think of a literary work in English e.g. Jane Austen’s Pride
and Prejudice, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. Could
one without English have been the author? Do the same for literature in other
languages. Dante’s Divine Comedy, Cervantes’ Don Quixote, Tolstoy’s War and
Peace, Aristophanes’ Clouds and so on. It would not be serious to claim that
such work could be achieved without access to the language itself therefore the
first option of a non-Arab authoring the Qur’an can be safely eliminated.
If the Qur’an was authored by an Arab then the test of inimitability would not
pose a real challenge just as it does not in other languages. Whatever one writes
another can write a little in the same style but the challenge has been attempted
by leading authorities in Arabic throughout history and has left all exhausted.
Whenever an Arab attempts a passage trying to imitate the Qur'an's style and
literary form he/she remains utterly elusive so we can safely state that the author
of the Qur’an could not have been an Arab.
Muhammad, for all his greatness, was still an Arab like his brethren. It is also a
matter of fact that the Prophet Muhammad was never accused of authoring the
Qur’an by his contemporaries, even those who sought his death and ruin.
Furthermore the hadith (recorded narrations attributed to the Prophet) are in a
totally different style to the Qur'an. How can any man speak with two distinct
styles over a 23 year period?
The only rational answer left is the Creator."
Please access the articles below that detail this argument and the premises of the
above argument.
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"This unique literary form was the cause of the dramatic intellectual revival of
desert Arabs , and after thirteen years of the first revelation, it became the only
reference for a new state in Medina. This new form of speech, the Qur'an,
became the sole source of the new civilisation's political, philosophical, and
spiritual outlook.
It is well known amongst Muslim and Non-Muslim scholars that the Qur’anic
discourse cannot be described as any of the known forms of Arabic speech;
namely Poetry and Prose."
desert Arabs , and after thirteen years of the first revelation, it became the only
reference for a new state in Medina. This new form of speech, the Qur'an,
became the sole source of the new civilisation's political, philosophical, and
spiritual outlook.
It is well known amongst Muslim and Non-Muslim scholars that the Qur’anic
discourse cannot be described as any of the known forms of Arabic speech;
namely Poetry and Prose."
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"This argument details how the Qur'an is the only living Arabic text to have a
perfect literary and linguistic construction. This means that the Qur'an has the
most accurate and best placed words, prepositions, pronouns and Word
arrangement.
This also includes conciseness and economy of expression in addition to the use
of rhetorical, flexible, relevant and expressive speech.
A literary and linguistic comparison of a line in any piece of Poetry (or any
non-Qur'anic text) with that of the Qur'an will have only one conclusion: the
Qur'an is far superior."
Please access the articles below that explain various features that contribute to
the Qur'ans superior eloquence.
perfect literary and linguistic construction. This means that the Qur'an has the
most accurate and best placed words, prepositions, pronouns and Word
arrangement.
This also includes conciseness and economy of expression in addition to the use
of rhetorical, flexible, relevant and expressive speech.
A literary and linguistic comparison of a line in any piece of Poetry (or any
non-Qur'anic text) with that of the Qur'an will have only one conclusion: the
Qur'an is far superior."
Please access the articles below that explain various features that contribute to
the Qur'ans superior eloquence.
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"...This may seem strange that the Qur’an has developed its own style by using
current literary elements. However, it should be noted that the Qur’anic discourse
uses these common elements of language in a way that has never been used
before....The Qur’an is an independent genre in its own right. Its unique genre is
realised through two inseparable elements; rhetorical and cohesive elements.
From a linguistic point of view, rhetoric can be defined as the use of language to
please or persuade. The term in the Arabic-Islamic tradition would more
appropriately be defined as ‘the conveying of meaning in the best of verbal
forms’. Cohesiveness is the feature that binds sentences to each other
grammatically and lexically. It also refers to how words are linked together into
sentences and how sentences are in turn linked together to form larger units in
texts.
These elements combine with each other in such a way that interlock and
become inseparable. This unique combination captivates the reader and achieves
an effective communicative goal The rhetorical and cohesive components of the
Qur’anic text cannot be divorced from each other..."
current literary elements. However, it should be noted that the Qur’anic discourse
uses these common elements of language in a way that has never been used
before....The Qur’an is an independent genre in its own right. Its unique genre is
realised through two inseparable elements; rhetorical and cohesive elements.
From a linguistic point of view, rhetoric can be defined as the use of language to
please or persuade. The term in the Arabic-Islamic tradition would more
appropriately be defined as ‘the conveying of meaning in the best of verbal
forms’. Cohesiveness is the feature that binds sentences to each other
grammatically and lexically. It also refers to how words are linked together into
sentences and how sentences are in turn linked together to form larger units in
texts.
These elements combine with each other in such a way that interlock and
become inseparable. This unique combination captivates the reader and achieves
an effective communicative goal The rhetorical and cohesive components of the
Qur’anic text cannot be divorced from each other..."
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"This argument details how the Qur'an has a higher frequency of rhetorical
features than any other text, past or present. Hence the Qur'an can only be, and
has been, described as a "sea of rhetoric".
Eloquence and Rhetoric are quite similar, however the difference between the
two is that Rhetoric is more focused on the communicative effect, aesthetic
reception and psycholinguistic effect of the text. Rhetoric is a feature of Eloquent
speech, however the two have been separated here to show how the frequency
of rhetorical features and devices is another argument for the Qur'ans
inimitability."
To understand and read about the rhetorical features in the Qur'an please access
the links below.
features than any other text, past or present. Hence the Qur'an can only be, and
has been, described as a "sea of rhetoric".
Eloquence and Rhetoric are quite similar, however the difference between the
two is that Rhetoric is more focused on the communicative effect, aesthetic
reception and psycholinguistic effect of the text. Rhetoric is a feature of Eloquent
speech, however the two have been separated here to show how the frequency
of rhetorical features and devices is another argument for the Qur'ans
inimitability."
To understand and read about the rhetorical features in the Qur'an please access
the links below.
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