Is Qur'an God's Word?

Many people have a misconception that Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was the founder of the religion of Islam. In fact, Islam is in existence since man first set foot on the earth. God Almighty sent several revelations and messengers on this earth. All the previous Prophets sent by Allaah (SWT) were meant only for their people and their nation and the complete message was meant for a particular time period. That is the reason that the miracle they performed like the parting of the sea, like raising the dead to life convinced the people of that time but cannot be examined and verified by us today. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was the last and final messenger of God Almighty, sent to the whole of humanity and his message is meant till eternity. The Qur’an mentions in Surah Al-Ambiya, Chapter 21, Verse 107: "We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures".

Since Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), was the last and final messenger and his message was everlasting, that is the reason, the miracle given to him by Allaah (SWT) should also be everlasting and examinable by us at all the time. Though Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), performed several miracles which are mentioned in the Hadith, that is the traditions, he never emphasized them. Though Muslims believe in all these miracles, we only boast of the ultimate miracle given to him by Allaah (SWT) that is "The Holy Qur’an". Al-Qur’an is the miracle of all times. It proved itself to be a miracle 1400 years ago. It can be reconfirmed today and forever. In short, it is the miracle of miracles.

Probably the only point common amongst the people, whether they be Muslims or non Muslims is that the Qur’an was recited the first time by the man born in the city of Makkah in Arabia in the 6th Century by the name Muhammad (Peace be upon him) regarding the source of the Holy Qur’an, there can be basically 3 different assumptions:-

(1) The first is that the Holy Qur’an, its author is Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) himself consciously, sub-consciously or unconsciously.

(2) The second assumption that can be is that Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) he obtained it from other human sources or from other religious scripture.

(3) And the third is that the Holy Qur’an does not have human author but it is verbatim the word or the revelation of God Almighty.

Let us examine all the three basic assumptions. The first being that Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was the author himself consciously, sub-consciously or unconsciously. It is highly abnormal to challenge the testimony of a person who disclaims the responsibility of any great work. Whether it is literally, whether it be scientific or otherwise. But this is exactly what the orientalists do who doubt the origin of the Qur’an, when they say that Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was the author. The Prophet never ever claimed that he was the author of the Qur’an. In fact, he always said that it was a revelation from Allaah (SWT). To think otherwise is illogical and would mean that he was telling a lie, God forbid. History tells us that never was the Prophet ever been reported of telling a lie till the prophethood that is till the age of 40. And all the people acclaimed him as a person who was honest, who was noble, who was chaste. No wonder they gave him the title 'Al-Ameen' - The Trustworthy, friends and foes alike. Even those people who said that he was a liar, God forbid, after he claimed prophethood, even then, they kept their valuables with him for safe keeping. Then why should an honest person lie and say that the Qur’an is a word of God and that he was a prophet.

Let us examine the claims made by the orientalists. Some say that prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) he attributed the Qur’an and said he was a prophet for material gains, for worldly benefits, God Forbid. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was financially better off before, than after prophethood. He had married a rich business woman by the name of Khadijah (May Allaah be pleased with her) at the age of 25, 15 years before prophethood and his life after he claimed he was a prophet was unenviable. According to the collection of Hadith by An-Nawawi in Riyadh as Saleheen, Hadith No. 492, it says, that Ayesha (May Allaah be pleased with her) who was the wife of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said that there were times when one or two months would pass without having fire been lit in the house because they did not have any cooked food. They survived on water and dates and sometimes supplemented by the goat milk given by the people of Madinah. This was not just a temporary phase. According to Riyadh as Saleheen, Hadith No. 465 and 466, Hazrat Bilal (May Allaah be pleased with him) he said that whenever the prophet received gifts and provision for the future he gave it to the poor and the needy and never kept it back for himself. Then why should you doubt that the Prophet told a lie, God Forbid for material gains. And there is a verse in the Qur’an which negates this thing. It is from Surah Al-Baqarah, Chapter 2, Verse 79, which says: "Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, and then say:"This is from Allah," to traffic with it for miserable price!- Woe to them for what their hands do write, and for the gain they make thereby". This Verse is talking about the people who wrote the book with their own hands and said it is from God Almighty or they changed the words of Allaah (SWT). There were every possibility that if Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) himself would have written the Qur’an and attributed it to Allaah (SWT) in some point of his life, he would have been exposed. Then he would be called as the biggest hypocrite and would be cursing himself in his own book.

Some people say that Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) attributed the Qur’an to Allaah (SWT) and called himself a prophet for status, for power, for glory, for leadership, God Forbid. What are the qualities of a person who wants power, status, leadership and glory. He wears fancy clothes. He eats very good food. He lives in mansions and in monumental buildings. He has guards etc. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), he milked his own goat. He mend his own clothes, he repaired his own shoes, he even many a times did the household work. He was an amazing model of simplicity and humbleness. He sat on the floor, he went to shop in the market without any guards. Even when the poor people used to invite him, he used to dine with them and eat graciously whatever was given to him. Once when the representative of the pagan Arab by the name of Udba, came to the prophet and said… ‘If you give up this claim of prophethood, we will give you all the wealth in Arabia. We will make you the leader of Arabia and crown you the king. Only thing that we want is that you should give up this message that there is only One God’, but the prophet refused. There were several attempts made, once through his Uncle Abu Talib that you give up your message and we will make you the wealthiest man in Arabia. The prophet said… ‘Oh! My Uncle, even if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left, I will not give up this mission until I die'. Why should a person lead a life of such suffering and sacrifices when he was triumphant even with his advisories. And he was so humble and noble that, at all the times of victory, he always said, it is due to the help of Allaah (SWT).

Some of the orientalists, they come up with a new theory, that the prophet, he was suffering from Mythomania, God forbid. Mythomania is a mental disorder in which a person tells a lie and he believes in it. So they said that our Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) told a lie (Nauzubillah) and he believed in it. If a psychiatrist has to treat a mythomaniac, he will pose him with facts because these people can not face facts. Suppose a person says I am the king of England. The psychiatrist will not tell him that he is crazy, he is mad. He will say okay if you are the king of England, where is your queen. He will say she is gone to my mother-in-law's place. Where is your minister? 'He has died'. Where are the guards?, the moment you keep on posing facts, finally the mythomaniac will say, 'I think I am not the king of England'. The Qur’an does the same. Qur’an poses the people with facts and questions. In fact it is not prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) who was Mythomaniac, it is these people who are actually Mythomaniac because they say that the prophet lied and they believe in it, and Qur’an treats such people by posing facts by posing questions. If you doubt, if you think that the Qur’an has been forged, do so and so, so and so things. If you think that the Qur’an is not from Allaah (SWT) what about this. It poses several questions.

Some have come up with a theory called 'The Religious Illusion Theory' or 'The Sub-Conscious Theory', in which the Prophet, they say (Nauzubillah) used to form his subconscious mind, he derived the Qur’an unknowingly. And some of them said he was crazy, God forbid. Let us analyze their claim. They fail to realize that the Qur’an was revealed during a course of time, which was 23 years. The Qur’an was not revealed at one time. It was revealed over a period of 23 years in stages part by part. If this Qur’an as they claim is from a mind which is sub conscious or a crazy mind, it could not have been so consistent. And neither can a person be under the false impression that he is a prophet when everything is coming from his sub conscious mind for a period of 23 years. There are several facts in the Qur’an which can disprove this. For example, Qur’an mentions about several historical events which no one at the time of the prophet knew. There are several prophecies, which are mentioned, which have been fulfilled. There are several scientific facts which were not known that time and had been confirmed today. It is impossible for these sort of facts to come out from a subconscious mind or a crazy mind. And the Qur’an testifies in Surah Araf, Chapter 7, Verse 184: "Do they not reflect? Their companion is not seized with madness: he is but a perspicuous warner". The Qur’an repeats in Surah Al-Qalam, Chapter 68, Verse 2: "Thou art not, by the Grace of thy Lord, mad or possessed". It is said in Surah Tawkir, Chapter 81, Verse 22: "And (O people!) your companion is not one possessed".

The second assumption is that, the Prophet copied it from other religious scriptures or he got it from some human source, God Forbid. One historical fact is sufficient to prove this theory wrong. That is our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) he was an illiterate! Allaah (SWT) knew that people would doubt the source of the Qur’an. That is the reason that with His Divine Wisdom, He chose His last and final messenger Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) to be an Ummi, an illiterate and unlettered prophet. Otherwise, surely, the talkers of vanities, the babblers in the market place would have something to say and if the prophet was literate, the critics, the cynics would have had some weight to say that the prophet copied it from somewhere else and rehatched it in a new form, Nauzubillah. But even this claim is denied
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The Qur’an is unlike any other religious scriptures which has a typical human type of narration like a storybook. How does the storybook begin? It begins with 'once upon a time', 'foxes and grapes', 'wolf and the lamb'. Similarly, if you read other scriptures, it says, 'In the beginning was God', 'He made the heavens and the earth'. It may say 'now it came to pass as though so it happened'. The Qur’an does not have such human narration and if you read the other religious scriptures, they have a typical sequence of the human narration’s. It talks about a particular person, talks about his family, about the children and the sequence runs in order - Chapter 1, Chapter 2, it is in order. Qur’an too speaks about people and their family lives but it speaks not in a particular sequence like the human story book. The Qur’an has its own unique style. It is a unique Book. The people who cannot prove that Qur’an is a work of a human being then they finally come up and say that the Qur’an is a deception, God Forbid. They will not be able to point out a single deception in the whole Qur’an. People believe in things for which they have got no proof or reason. And they fool themselves but stick into it. For example, if I believe that a particular man, he is my enemy for which I have got no proof, for which I have got no reason. But the moment that man comes in front of me, because of my false belief, I start behaving like an enemy. He reacts and too behaves like my enemy and then I satisfy myself "See! I was right. This man is my enemy because he is behaving like my enemy". If it had not been for my initial false belief, that man would have never behaved like my enemy. Similarly many people believe in things without proof and reason and fool themselves by sticking to it. Qur’an says that the revelation goes in parallel with reason. Some people say that holy scriptures, they are beyond reasoning. If they are beyond reasoning, then how can we know, which of the Holy Scriptures are true and which are false. The Qur’an infact encourages reasoning, it encourages a discussion. Many Muslims feel that you should avoid religious discussions. You should avoid getting into a dialogue where religion is concerned. And they are sadly mistaken. The Qur’an says in Surah Nahl, Chapter 16, Verse 125: "Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious". Qur’an encourages discussion, encourages reasoning. No wonder the Arabic words ‘Qalu’ which means 'they say' is mentioned 332 times and the Arabic word ‘Qul’ which means 'say' is also mentioned 332 times.

There is a theory known as exhausting the alternatives. The Qur’an says that this Book, the Qur’an it is a revelation from God Almighty. If it is not, then what is it? You give the other alternative. Some may say it is a handiwork of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). It has been disproved. Some may say he lied for material gain, Nauzubillah! That also has been disproved. Whatever claims they have got, put forth and see whether they stand the test. The Qur’an says it is from Allaah. It is from God Almighty. If it is not where did it come from? In Surah Jathiya, Chapter 45, Verse 1 & 2: "Ha-Mim. The revelation of the Book is from Allah the Exalted in Power, Full of Wisdom". And Qur’an mentions in several places, that this is a revelation from God Almighty. It is mentioned in Surah Anam, Chapter 6, Verse 19, in Surah Anam, Chapter 6, Verse 92, in Surah Yusuf, Chapter 12, Verse 1 & 2, in Surah Taha, Chapter 20, Verse 113, it is mentioned in Surah Sajdah, Chapter 32, Verse 1-3, it is mentioned in Surah Yasin, Chapter 36, Verse 1-3, in Surah Al-Zumar, Chapter 39, Verse 1, it is mentioned in Surah Rahman, Chapter 55, Verse 1-2, it is mentioned in Surah Waqiah, Chapter 56, Verse 77 and 80, it is mentioned in several places. It is mentioned in Surah Insan, Chapter 76, Verse 23, in several places the Qur’an says… ‘This is a revelation from God Almighty, if it is not, what is it?’

The scientific community, they have a different approach. If any one has a new theory, they say we do not have time to listen. And they have a reason for that. They say, that if you have a new theory do not bring it to me unless you have a test to prove your theory wrong. Unless you do not have a way or a test to prove your theory wrong, I do not have time to waste with you. It is called as "The Falsification Test". That is the reason that Albert Einstein in the beginning of the century, when he gave a new theory that I feel the universe works like that along with the theory he gave 3 falsification test saying that if you think my theory is wrong do these three things and my theory will be proved wrong. The scientists, they examined it for 6 years and then said yes the theory of Albert Einstein is correct. Qur’an has several such falsification tests. When you get into discussion in future, with anyone regarding religion, you have ask him, that do you have a way to prove your religion? Believe me I have not come across any person who has told me that I have a way to prove my religion wrong. The Qur’an has, the Qur’an has several falsification tests. Some of them were only meant for the past. Some of them are applicable for all times. Let me give you a few examples. Abu Lahab was the staunchest opponent of the Prophet. Whenever the Prophet spoke to any stranger, he used to follow the Prophet, the moment the Prophet departed he used to go to the stranger and ask what did the Prophet tell you. Did he say it is day, it is night. Did he say it is black, it is white. He spoke exactly the opposite of what the Prophet said. And there is a full chapter Surah Lahab, Chapter 111, of the Qur’an which was revealed and it says that Abu Lahab and his wife, they will perish in hell. And it says indirectly, they will never become Muslims. This Surah was revealed 10 years before the death of Abu Lahab. In that span of time, many of his friends who were also opponents of Islam, embraced Islam. But Abu Lahab did not embrace Islam. Since he used to lie always against the prophet the only thing he had to do to prove the Qur’an wrong was to say 'I am a Muslim'. He did not have to behave like a Muslim. He only had to say 'I am a Muslim' and the Qur’an would have been proved wrong. It was so easy for him to prove the Qur’an wrong. Since he had lied before, he just had to say an additional lie. It was so easy. But he did not say it. No human being can make such a statement in his book. It has to be a divine revelation. Another such example is in Surah Al-Baqarah, Chapter 2, Verses 94 and 95: Say: "If the last Home, with Allah, be for you specially, and not for anyone else, then seek ye for death, if ye are sincere. But they will never seek for death, on account of the (sins) which their hands have sent on before them. and Allah is well-acquainted with the wrong-doers." This was revealed during a discussion during a confrontation between the Jews and the Muslims and the Jews said that the last home of Allaah, that is the paradise, is for the Jews alone and not for anyone else. So a verse was revealed saying that if you think that paradise is specially meant only for the Jews you call for death, seek for death. The only thing the Jews had to do at that time, anyone of them, any one of those Jews, a single person would have come out and said 'I seek for death'. I want to die not that he had to die not that he had to act, only thing he had to do was seek for death. Say, 'I want to die' and the Qur’an would have been proved wrong. It has so easy to prove the Qur’an wrong but none of the Jews came forward and said that 'I seek for death'. It is a falsification test.

But all these tests are of the past, how can one try to prove the Qur’an wrong today. If you want to prove it wrong, Qur’an has tests, falsification tests which are also meant for all times. For that time and for today and till eternity, the Qur’an mentions that many people claimed and said that the Qur’an is false. The Qur’an tells them it is mentioned in Surah Isra, Chapter 17, Verse 88, "Say: "If the whole of mankind and Jinns 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." It is a challenge that if all the humankind and jinn’s gathered to produce the like of the Qur’an, they will not be able to do it even if they helped each other. The Qur’an is acclaimed as the best Arabic literature on the face of the earth by the Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The Arabic language of the Qur’an it is so clear so meaningful, intelligible, unsurpassable, miraculous. Even though it rhymes unlike other poetry and literature. It is the highest order of rhetoric towards the revelation. The same verse of the Qur’an can convince even a common man as well as an intelligent person. It is a miraculous book. The same challenge that produce a recital like the Qur’an is given in Surah Tur, Chapter 52, Verse 34, which… later on God Almighty, he made the test easy for the people. In Surah Hud, Chapter 11, Verse 13: "Or they may say, "He forged it," Say, "Bring ye then ten suras forged, like unto it, and call (to your aid) whomsoever ye can, other than Allah.- If ye speak the truth!". And no one could produce 10 Surahs exactly like the Qur’an. Allaah (SWT) further simplifies the test and says in Surah Yunus, Chapter 10, Verse 38: "Or do they say, "He forged it"? say: "Bring then a Sura like unto it, and call (to your aid) anyone you can besides Allah, if it be ye speak the truth!". Then Allah (SWT) gives an easiest of easy of the test. The easiest falsification test in Surah Baqarah, Chapter 2, Verse 23 and 24: "And if ye 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) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true. But if ye cannot- and of a surety ye cannot- then fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones,- which is prepared for those who reject Faith". First the Qur’an gave a challenge - produce a recital like the Qur’an. Allaah (SWT) simplified and said produce 10 Surah like the Qur’an. Then produce one Surah. Here it says produce one Surah somewhat similar. ‘Mim mislihi’, the other places the Qur’an says ‘Mislihi’. Here it says ‘Mim mislihi’ somewhat similar to the Qur’an and the non-Muslim Arabs they failed miserably. Arabic was at its peak when the Qur’an was revealed. Several, several pagan Arabs, they tried but they failed miserably. Some of their works is yet present in the historical books and it makes them a laughing stock. The challenge was there 1400 years ago, it is even there today. Today, there are more than 14 million Coptic Christians, Christians who are Arab by birth. Arabic is their mother tongue. This test is even for them. Even if they want to try and prove the Qur’an wrong, only thing they to do is produce one Surah somewhat similar. And if you analyze certain Surahs, certain chapters of the Qur’an, hardly containing a few words, but so far no one has been able to do it and no one will be able to do it in future InshaAllaah.

One may say that Arabic is not my mother tongue. So where do I fit in this test. Qur’an has a test even for the non Arabic speaking people. For people who do not know Arabic every one in the world if they want to try and prove the Qur’an wrong, they can very well try their level best. Allaah (SWT) says in Surah Nisa, Chapter 4, Verse 82: "Do they not consider the Qur'an (with care)? Had it been from other Than Allah, they would surely have found therein Much discrepancy". Allaah (SWT) is saying that if you want to prove the Qur’an wrong, just point out a single contradiction. A single discrepancy, a single fault in the Qur’an and the Qur’an would be proved not to be the word of the God. It is so easy. I do know that there are hundreds of people who claim to have found mistakes and contradictions in the Qur’an. Believe me all of them 100 percent are either out of context, misquotations, mistranslation to deceive the people. So far no one has been able to take out a single contradiction, or a single mistake in the Qur’an. And InshaAllaah no one will ever be able to take out a fault in the Qur’an.

After these logical explanations, no unbiased human being who believes in a God can say that Qur’an is not from God. The only third basic assumption remains is that it is a divine origin. It is from God Almighty. It is from Allaah (SWT).