“And verily, your Lord will give you (all i.e. good) so that you
shall be well-pleased.” (Ad-Duha, 93: 5)

Ayah quoted by trans.

 

Chapter Six

The Noble Qur’an…An Eternal
Miracle

“Alif-Lâm-Râ. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’an
and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings].(This is) a Book, the
Ayat  whereof are perfected (in
every sphere of knowledge, etc.), and then explained in detail from One
(Allah), Who is All-Wise and Well-Acquainted (with all things).” (Hûd, 11: 1)

The
Call of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
started to prevail, and the Noble Qur’an, as a miracle, started to captivate
hearts and souls, conveying to people the doctrine of The Truth [Al-Haqq: one of
the Beautiful Names of Allah], eternally glorified is His Majesty and
Might. Any heart that hears the Noble Qur’an was charmed by it. The Noble
Qur’an descended when the world had succumbed to evil. Where a strong minority
exercised evil, while the majority from the weak and oppressed suffered under
it. Such was a portrayal of the society in which the Noble Qur’an descended to
reform and change.

The
Truth, all praise and glory be to Him, Willed that the sway of evil totally
collapse under the Message of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace). The good but oppressed people believed in the Law of Allah, because it
was the way that would deliver them from the evil exercised by the cruel
tyrants of the Quraish and their leaders. Hence, the battle between good and
evil started, inflicting colors of torture and persecution on the believers, a
weak inferior group who bore it with unparalleled fortitude, being the first
believers in the celestial Message.

As a
rule, when the battle is between truth and falsehood, it does not last long. In
every battle between truth and falsehood, the truth is always victorious at the
end. But the battles that last endlessly, are the ones that erupt between two
falsehoods. Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, always makes truth prevail
against falsehood. But when two falsehoods fight together, He leaves them to
worldly causes, each of them according to its means.

 

A Message Of Truth

The
Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) came with the
Message of Truth, therefore he had to triumph. The Prophet Muhammad (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace) came with the last Message from Allah, thus it
had to encompass all the meanings of goodness in human life. Leaving no meaning
whatsoever without covering it, and making it outpour with goodness.

Since
the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is the last
Messenger of Allah, be ever gloried His Majesty and Might, the miracle of
Muhammad’s Message must continue till the Day of Judgment. Therefore, the Noble
Qur’an did not bring forth a linguistic miracle only, because the linguistic
miraculousness would be restricted to the Arabs, who excelled in language. But
rather, it came as a miracle to the whole universe.

The
Noble Qur’an challenged the Arabs in their language and eloquence. A challenge
called by Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, must be of the same kind of
knowledge that the
people upon whom the Message descended most excelled in. The people of Musa
(Moses, peace be upon him) excelled in magic. During the era of Pharaoh,
magicians possessed knowledge and mastery in the laws of magic. Thus, Musa (may
Allah be pleased with him) came to challenge them in the domain of their
excellence. On the other hand, ‘Issa (Jesus, peace be upon him) was sent to
people who excelled in medicine, that is why his miracle was his ability to
heal those born blind and the lepers, and other sorts of miracles that matched
what people well mastered.

As for
Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) he was sent among people who
excelled in the power of speech. Thus, the Qur’an had to be a miracle to them
from the linguistic aspect. Nevertheless, the Glorious Qur’an is the last Holy
Book that descended upon the last Messenger, Muhammad (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace), therefore it must bring more than a miracle. That is why it
challenges both the Arab and the non-Arab. It lifts the veils of the World
Unseen and embraces the secrets of the entire universe. For Allah, all praise
and glory be to Him, is the Creator of the Universe, and He is The One who
grants knowledge to His creatures.

Allah,
all praise and glory be to Him, is the All-Knower of what is going to happen in
the universe, and what shall be revealed from the secrets of the universe to
His creatures. That is why Allah has assigned in the Noble Qur’an miracles that
suit each era, in such a way as to make the miracle everlastingly accompanying
the doctrine of the Noble Qur’an till the end of worldly life.

The
Will of Allah had it that the Noble Qur’an should descend upon a noble
illiterate Messenger, who does not know how to write or read, in order that no
one would claim that the Noble Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) had received his Message from a human like him, nor was he influenced by
the culture of the East or West. Moreover, the Wisdom of Allah, all praise and
glory be to Him, willed not to send down the Noble Qur’an to a nation having a
civilization, like the Romans or the Persians, so that it would not be said
that this Miraculous Book revealed to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) was the fruit of the progress of human civilizations.

Renewal Of The
Bestowments Of The Qur’an

The
Qur’an did not come to teach us the secrets of the universe, but rather it has
come to treasure up such secrets till civilizations progress and human
perception broadens, thus the bestowments of the Qur’an are revealed in
accordance with what suits the mentality of each generation. Hence, the Qur’an
has ever-renewing bestowments that shall never end till the Day of Judgment.
Allah says (what means):

“Say (O Muhammad Õáì Çááå
Úáíå æÓáã to mankind). “If the sea were ink for (writing) the Words of my Lord,
surely, the sea would be exhausted before the Words of my Lord would be
finished, even if we brought (another sea) like it for its aid.” (Al-Kahf, 18:
109)

“And if all the trees on the earth were pens and the sea (were ink
wherewith to write), with seven seas behind it to add to its (supply), yet the
Words of Allah would not be exhausted. Verily, Allah is All­-Mighty, All­-Wise.”
(Luqman, 31: 27)

The
Companions and the believers who lived during the lifetime of the Messenger of
Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had attained from the graces of
the Qur’an, at the time of its descent, what their minds could grasp from the
secrets of the universe and from the secrets treasured within Qur’anic words.
But none of the Companions ever asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) about the universal signs richly abundant in the
Qur’an, or about the supremacy of the Qur’an in language.

Hence,
we would not find a Companion who asked about the meaning behind the letters
Alif-Lam-Mim or Ain­Sin­Qaf [These letters are one of the
miracles of the Qur’an and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings], though the Messenger of Allah
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had talked to many believers in the
Book of Allah, and others disbelievers in what Allah has sent down. Also,
despite the fact that the disbelievers thirsted for proving that the Qur’an was
not the Words of Allah, none of the despotic disbelievers, who were known by
their eloquence, and whose Arabic was a talent rather than just a faculty, was
heard asking about the meaning of Alif-Lam-Mim or Ain­Sin­Qaf. But how did such
obstinate disbelievers pass by such beginnings of Surahs without using them to
try to impugn Islam?

The
answer is that the Noble Quran certainly influenced the disbelievers, though
they did not believe in it. They could not find in it what they could use to
destroy the Qur’an. So neither the believers asked the Messenger of Allah (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) about them, nor did the disbelievers, who
hungered for fighting Islam and casting doubt on the Noble Qur’an. Had they
found something strange about it, they would have declared it to people, but
they used to say: “Listen not to this Qur’an.”
(Fussilat, 41: 26) Such a command reveals that though they were disbelievers,
they felt that the Qur’an captivates the hearts and the souls, and has a beauty
that can make anyone who hears it believe in it.

If the
Qur’an did not possess any power over hearts, then the disbelievers would not have
cared to prevent people from listening to it, or say: “And make noise in the midst of its recitation,”
(Fussilat, 41: 26) so that none would be able to hear it. This would not have
happened unless those disbelievers, well versed in Arabic language, were well
aware how deeply the Noble Qur’an could affect whoever heard it.

Universal Signs

The
Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is the person upon
whom the Qur’an descended. He had precisely explained and clarified all what is
related to the enjoined duties, of ‘Do, and do not do.’ But he left all what is related
to issues other than these enjoined duties to the coming posterity. That is
because the Noble Qur’an is the Words of Allah, and the universe is His
creation, such universe has signs that are the Artistry of Allah. Allah, all
praise and glory be to Him, says (what means):

“And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun
and the moon.” (Fussilat, 41: 37)

“And among His Signs (in this), that you see the earth barren, but
when We send down water (rain) to it, it is stirred to life and growth (of
vegetations).” (Fussilat, 41: 39)

There
are secrets in the Universe of Allah that are named Ayat (signs, marvels,
evidences, proofs, revelations, lessons); also what is revealed from the Qur’an
is called Ayat (verses). Thus, there are Ayat in the universe and Ayat in the
Qur’an, and the fact that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) had left such signs or marvels without interpretation was on
purpose, for minds at that time could not assimilate such interpretations.
Therefore, the noble Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had
left it open to whoever can grasp anything from the cosmic signs in the Qur’an.
Hence, keeping from interpretation was in itself the highest bestowal.

When
one hears the word ‘Qur’an’ one understands that it is read, because the Arabic
word ‘Qur’an’ is derived from the root qara’a (i.e. read, recite…). After the
revelation of the Noble Qur’an, the word ‘Qur’an’ became the name of the Divine
Speech revealed by Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, to His Messenger (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace), revelations which Allah, Blessed and
Exalted be He, also calls ‘Book.’ Thus, it is Qur’an and it is a Book. If
viewed as words that are read then it is Qu’ran, and if as words inscribed then
it is a Book. Recital needs a memorizer who recites by heart; as for the
written form it does not need a memorizer, as everything is recorded by
writing. Thus, if you wanted to read from the Noble Book, you can do it at any
time without need for memorizing.

Allah,
all praise and glory be to Him, wants by this naming to draw our attention that
the Qur’an has two ways of recital, for it is inscribed upon the minds and upon
manuscripts. Hence, when they started transcribing the Noble Qur’an, they did
not write any Ayah unless they found it recorded on palm-leaf trunk, on leather
skin, or on any other means of writing that were prevalent during the time of
the revelation of the Noble Qur’an. Thus, each Ayah had to be found written
down, and there had to be at least two from the Companions who memorized the
Ayah by heart, with the exception of one Ayah, which was found only in the
heart of one memorizer.

This
Ayah was the only one that did not submit to the registering criteria guarded
in the process of transcribing the Qur’an, dictating that each Ayah must be
recorded by two scribes of the Noble Qur’an during the lifetime of the
Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and engraved on the hearts
of at least two memorizers. Accordingly, this Ayah could have been omitted, but
see how Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, casts inspirations of faith into
the hearts of the believers, in order to perfect His Doctrine. For this Ayah
was engraved on the heart of only one Companion, Abu Khuzaimah bin Thabit (may
Allah be pleased with him), thus when they debated whether to transcribe it
along with the other complied Ayat or not, they remembered the hadith of the
Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), saying: “Whomever Khuzaimah testifies for or against, is enough
for him.”

Khuzaimah’s Testimony
Equals To That Of Two Men

The

noble Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) regarded the witness
of Khuzaimah bin Thabit alone as equal to the witness of two men, and that has
a story: the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
bought a horse from a Bedouin, and asked him to follow him to pay him its
price, thus the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
walked quickly, whereas the Bedouin walked slowly. Thereupon, men set about
intercepting the Bedouin trying to bargain with him for the horse, not knowing
that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had already bought
it. Hence, the Bedouin called upon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him
and grant him peace) telling him: “Are you going
to buy this horse, or else I will sell it.” Upon hearing him the
Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied: “Have I not bought it from you already?” The Bedouin said: “By
Allah! I did not sell it to you,” thus the Prophet (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) replied: “Indeed! I did
buy it from you,” But the Bedouin cried: “Bring
forth a witness,” upon which Khuzaimah bin Thabit cried: “I bear witness that you sold it to him.”

After
people departed, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) approached Khuzaimah and asked: “On what
(grounds) do you testify? Whilst you were not present at the time of the
bargain between me and the Bedouin.” Khuzaimah
bin Thabit said: “On (grounds of) believing you, O
Messenger of Allah.” (Meaning, how come we believe you concerning
all what you convey to us from Heaven, and belie you in this?). Thus the
Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) made the testimony
of Khuzaimah equal to the testimony of two men. Hence, Khuzaimah was named Zul-Shadatayn
[Man of two testimonies], and that is because the Messenger of Allah (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace) considered his testimony as equal to that of two
men.

So
when they started compiling the Noble Qur’an, they found the following glorious
Ayah saying (what means):

“Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant
with Allah [i.e. they have gone out for Jihad (holy fighting), and
showed not their backs to the disbelievers], of them some have fulfilled their
obligations (i.e. have been martyred), and some of them are still waiting, but
they have never changed [i.e. they never proved treacherous to their covenant
which they concluded with Allah] in the least.” (Al­-Ahzâb, 33: 23)

That
Ayah was only found engraved on the heart of Khuzaimah bin Thabit, hence his
witness was regarded as equal to the witness of two men as the Prophet (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) has declared, and the Ayah was compiled.

The Miracle And The
Doctrine

If we
want to give a true definition of the Qur’an, then it should surpass any definition
based on human standards. When people define something they name its magnitude,
and features etc… but in order to define the Noble Qur’an we say that the Noble
Qur’an starts from the glorious Ayah saying (what means): “In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful, All
the praises and thanks be to Allah….” (Al-Fâtihah, 1: 1-2) Till we reach the last Ayat
saying (what means):

“Say: ‘I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of mankind, The King of
mankind, The God of mankind, From the evil of the whisperer (devil who whispers
evil in the hearts of men) who withdraws (from his whispering in one’s heart
after one remembers Allah), Who whispers in the breasts of mankind, of jinns
and men.’” (An-Nâs, 114: 1-6)

In other
word, it is from the beginning of Surah Al-Fâtihah (Chapter 1 in the
Noble Qur’an) till the end of Surah An-Nas (last Chapter in the Noble Qur’an),
provided that you seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the outcast, before
reading any glorious Ayah, as The Truth, all praise and glory be to Him,
instructs us saying (what means):

“So when you want to recite the Qur’an, seek refuge with Allah from
Satan, the outcast (the cursed one).” (An-Nahl, 16: 98)

But
scholars wanted to simplify it for people, thus they summed up the definition
of the Noble Qur’an by saying: “It is the Divine Speech revealed to Muhammad
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) as both a challenge and a miracle, to
make clear to people the Law of Allah.” The Noble Qur’an, as any other
preceding doctrinal Book: the Torah, the Gospel, and the Psalms, is divinely
inspired and revealed. But the Books that preceded the Noble Qur’an were only
dedicated to the doctrine.

On the
other hand, the Noble Qur’an constitutes both the doctrine and the miracle that
verifies the truthfulness of the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace). The Torah was the doctrine of Musa (Moses, peace be
upon him) and his miracle was the staff [which he threw and was a serpent that
swallowed up straight away all the falsehoods which the sorcerers showed and
with which he had hit the sea, thus it was separated into two halves, and each
separate part (of that sea water) became like the huge, firm mass of a mountain],
and ‘Issa (Jesus, peace be upon him), his doctrine was the Gospel and his
miracle was healing him who was born blind, and the leper, and bringing the
dead to life.

Thus,
with regard to the past messengers, the miracle differed from the doctrine. But
as for the Qur’an it is distinguished by being both the doctrine and the
miracle. For the Scriptures that Allah has revealed to the past messengers, He
has sent down with the design of replacing. On the other hand, the Noble Qur’an
was sent down to remain till the Last Hour befalls.

Therefore,
the doctrine must be always supported by the miracle; so that any of the
followers of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would be able
to say: “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and this is
his miracle.”
The miracle of ‘Issa (Jesus, peace be upon him) has occurred and ended, because
it was a tangible one: those who had seen it believed in it, while those who
did not see it, it was not addressed to them; because tangible miracles are
intended to support and strengthen the believers who follow the Messenger.

As for
the miracle of Musa (Moses, peace be upon him), it was the staff, with which he
had struck the sea, so it divided and each separate part became like the huge,
firm mass of a mountain. But the followers of Musa cannot bring back this staff
now, and say this is his miracle.

So,
the messengers who came before the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) had a doctrine and a miracle, each existing separately from
the other. But the miracle supporting Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) is itself the doctrine, embodying the miracle, so that it remains as
an ever-living witness at any time.

As for
the previous miracles they were limited to their times, those who lived at
their manifestation believed in them, and those who did not, may or may not
believe them. But we certainly believe them all because they are perfectly
related in the Glorious Qur’an.

The Qur’an And The
Laws Of The Universe

If we
want to perceive the extent of the miracle that the Noble Qur’an embodies, we
should hear what it has said about the laws of the universe: the sphericity of
the Earth, the rotation of the earth around itself, the selfsame origin of the
heavens and earth and how they were separated, what occurs deep inside the
seas, and such sorts of facts that were not discovered except in the nineteenth
and twentieth centuries, nevertheless, are all mentioned in the Noble Qur’an.
Such scientific facts that no one can deny now, because they have become
established facts, which the Noble Qur’an has indicated beforehand, but why?

Because
the Message of the Noble Qur’an shall last till the Last Hour, thus the Noble
Qur’an must remain a miracle till the Last Hour befalls. That is why it must
give a new miraculous sign to each generation, which suits every era. And in
this continuity lies the miracle. For if the Qur’an has revealed its miraculous
signs in one century, then the future centuries would receive it without a
miracle, meaning that the river of its bestowments and graces would dry up. But
the Noble Qur’an must remain an everlasting miracle.

The
Truth, all praise and glory be to Him, says (what means):

“We will show them Our Signs in the universe, and in their
ownselves, until it becomes manifest to them that this (the Qur’an) is the
truth. Is it not sufficient in regard to your Lord that He is a Witness over
all things?”(Fussilat, 41: 53)

We
should listen attentively to the Saying of the Truth, all praise and glory be
to Him:

“Until it becomes manifest to them that this (the Qur’an) is the
truth” (Fussilat, 41: 53)

This
Ayah means that those to whom Allah will reveal His Signs in the universe are
the ones who disbelieve in the Qur’an, because the believers already know that
the Qur’an is the truth. They need no cosmic signs to have faith, but as for
the nonbelievers they deny that the Qur’an is true.

When
Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, wants to reveal a miracle to mankind, He
will not bring a miracle that the creatures know nothing about, for you cannot
challenge a cripple to run fast, or a weak old man to carry heavy weight. But
when you challenge a group of people, it should be to something they excelled
in.

Therefore,
when we say that the Qur’an has come to challenge the Arabs by its
inimitability in style and language, it testifies to the Arabs that they
excelled in the power of speech. Hence, when the Noble Qur’an highly and
masterly surpassed them, this was the challenge and this was one of the
miracles. A challenge in what the Arabs excelled and well mastered; their
formidable eloquence whether in poetry, prose, or oration.

The Messenger Is Not
A Poet

Till
the age of forty the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) lived without ever being renowned for excellence in poetry or prose,
like Qas bin Su’adah or Aktham bin Sayfy. Thus, we can say that the eloquence
of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was not
beyond the normal.

Nevertheless,
his Message came challenging his people in eloquence and powerful, high
language. Had the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) been
renowned for composing poetry and prose, they would have claimed that the
Qur’an was a brilliant manifestation of the talents that the Messenger of Allah
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) possessed since childhood. But
usually talents and genius come to light before the age of twenty or even
before the age of thirty, but never appears all of a sudden at the age of
forty.

Thus,
all the world was surprised when Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) – the illiterate – who was never heard delivering a speech, or seen
composing or reciting poetry, brought the Noble Qur’an that rendered the most eloquent
and famed tongues speechless. Miraculous words which he brought at the age
forty, and none could dare claim that he (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) had a miraculous mastery of language but withheld it from people till he
reached the age of forty!

This
is because we live in an unstable world, where people may die before the age of
twenty, thirty, or forty, thus what would assure Muhammad (may Allah bless him
and grant him peace) that he would live till he would attain the age of forty?
For his father had died when his mother was still pregnant with him, and
afterwards she herself died while he was still a child. Such was the prelude in
his life, so what would guarantee to him that he would live till the age of
forty, to withhold his genius from being known till reaching that age!
Certainly that is impossible.

Therefore,
when the disbelievers asked Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
to bring them a Qur’an other than this or change it, the following noble Ayah
was revealed saying (what means):

“And when Our Clear Ayat are recited unto them, those who hope not
for their meeting with Us, say: ‘Bring us a Qur’an other than this, or change
it.’ Say (O Muhammad Õáì Çááå Úáíå
æÓáã): ‘It is not for me to change it on my own
accord; I only follow that which is revealed unto me. Verily, I fear if I were
to disobey my Lord, the torment of the Great Day (i.e. the Day of
Resurrection).”’ (Yûnus, 10: 15)

Three Different
Styles

Had
the Noble Qur’an been the production of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace), it would have been liable to suffer change but it is a Book
mightily preserved by Allah. Moreover, its well-knit rhetorical and syntactical
structure referring to the first person, second person, and third person, and
perfect match of words for the circumstantial expressions, the metaphors, the
metonymies, the conversations… all this serves as an absolute, conclusive proof
that it can not be the creation of man. And truly “If
the whole of mankind and Jinns were to gather together to produce the like of
this Quran, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up
each other with help and support.” (Al-Isrâ’, 17: 88)

The
Truth, all praise and glory be to Him, teaches Muhammad (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) how to answer them by the perfect proof and argument, saying
(what means):

“Say (O Muhammad Õáì Çááå
Úáíå æÓáã): ‘If Allah had so willed, I should
not have recited it to you nor would He have made it known to you. Verily, I
have stayed amongst you a life time before this. Have you then no sense?’”
(Yûnus, 10: 16)

Allah,
all praise and glory be to Him, teaches His noble Messenger (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) to answer the disbelievers by calling their attention
that he had lived amongst them for forty years before the Message, without
being famed among them for oration, poetry, or eloquence. Had they used their
minds, they would have realized that if he – the Messenger – possessed such
genius of language, he would have shown it years ago. For who would have
perfection ascribed to him, but reject it saying it is not his! Many sometimes
see the admiration that people pay to certain anonymous works so they accredit
them to themselves! Many even fight over ascribing good works to themselves.

Moreover,
who has ever possessed the creative power of having three distinct styles, each
totally different from the other? For the style of the Noble Qur’an is
completely different from that of the Divine Hadiths (Divine Sayings, other
than the Noble Qur’an, transmitted on the authority of the Prophet, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace), and in turn both are completely different from
the style of the Prophetic Hadiths (teachings and sayings of Muhammad, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace).

Name
one man of genius, since time began to this day, was gifted with three
different styles, each having a distinct character unlike the others! And how
could the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
differentiate between the Qur’an, the Divine Hadith, and the Prophetic Hadith
if they were all his production? For each person has his own special style, and
if you are familiar with rhetoric and literature you can easily identify a
person’s style once you read the writing. Then how could the Messenger of Allah
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) manage to divide and diversify his
speech into Qur’an, Divine Hadith, and Prophetic Hadith?

Hence,
the diversity in style between the Noble Qur’an, the Divine Hadith, and the Prophetic
Hadith is the greatest proof that the Source of the Qur’an and the Divine
Hadith are beyond his human power of speech. Even the Prophetic Hadith: the
Source is Divine (for these teachings and sayings were divinely guided and
inspired) and the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) framed in
words. For the stylistic personality of any person is distinct. Besides, no
human can interact with the events of life in a way that makes him express
himself each day by a completely different style from the other. Meaning, to
write today by a style and tomorrow by another and after it by a new one, then
to shift to the first and write by it!! 

The Meaning Of His
Exalted Standard Of Noble Character

When
Allah, all praise and glory to Him, has commissioned the Messenger Muhammad
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to deliver the Message, people
marveled at this miraculous, inimitable eloquence, which highly aroused their
wonder. Close upon, they attempted to belie the Messenger (may Allah bless him
and grant him peace), saying as the Noble Qur’an relates (what means):

“Nay, they say: “These (revelations of the Qur'an which are
inspired to Muhammad, Õáì Çááå Úáíå
æÓáã) are mixed up false dreams! Nay, he has
invented it! Nay, he is a poet! Let him then bring us an Ayâh (sign as a proof)
like the ones (Prophets) that were sent before (with signs)! Not one of the
towns (populations), of those which We destroyed, believed before them (though
We sent them signs), will they then believe?” (Al-Anbiyâ’, 21: 5-6)

They
did not how to belie him so they claimed that he was a sorcerer:

“And they (Arab pagans) wonder that a warner (Prophet Muhammad, Õáì Çááå Úáíå æÓáã)
has come to them from among themselves! And the disbelievers say: ‘This
(Prophet Muhammad, Õáì Çááå Úáíå
æÓáã) is a sorcerer, a liar. Has he made the gods
(all) into One God (Allah). Verily, this is a curious thing!’” (Sâd, 38: 4-5)

To
this we say: “If he were truly a magician, who had bewitched people, then
why had not you fallen under his spell?”

For
the one who falls under a spell, gets dispossessed of his own will before the
magician, and if Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) were a
magician, it would not have been difficult for him to place you all under his
magical power, as those who believed. And this decisively proves that he was
not a magician.

Then
they claimed that he was a madman:

“And they say: ‘O you (Muhammad, Õáì Çááå Úáíå æÓáã) to whom the Dhikr (the
Qur’an) has been sent down! Verily, you are a mad man.’” (Al-Hijr, 15: 6)

To
this we say that the madman is the one who acts erratically and unconsciously,
but the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had an
exalted and highly noble mannered character.

An
exalted character signifies that the person’s acts came naturally, simply and
truthfully, because the untruthful man forgets what he has said and blunders in
his words, thus he affirms today what he has gainsaid yesterday, and vise versa

Therefore
the proverb says: “If you are a liar then better have a good memory.”

As for
the honest man he sees things normally, and his opinion never alters, because
honesty is a natural gift in him. In other words, action comes spontaneously or
automatically, without forethought or planning.

Exactly
like the one who learns how to drive, at first he uses his legs clumsily;
instead of placing his foot on the gas pedal, he places it on the brakes and
vise versa. As he lacks physical coordination between his feet, thus the car
rushes and stops suddenly. Moreover, he still cannot estimate distances
correctly, thus he may clash against this or that. But when he masters driving,
he can drive easily, and can even talk while driving, for all the moves occur
spontaneously without forethought. 

Similarly
with manners, for actions arise from them spontaneously and smoothly, because
the soul is habituated to good behavior in a way that makes actions artless and
unaffected. Thus, when someone is known for his generosity, it is because he
does so with no affectation, he just gives others without thinking whether that
person needs money or not. So is the case with the honest person, he says the
truth even if it costs him his life, and the trustworthy person, he would never
take what belongs to other, even if he is in desperate need for it.

Moreover,
the people of Mecca had themselves testified to the nobility and the high moral
standards of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
before he was entrusted with the mission of delivering the Message. Read the
conclusive Answer of the Truth, all praise and glory be to Him, to them:

“Nûn. [These letters (Nûn, etc.) are one of the miracles of the
Qur'an, and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings]. By the pen and
what the (angels) write (in the Records of men). You (O Muhammad, Õáì Çááå Úáíå æÓáã)
are not, by the Grace of your Lord, a madman. And verily, for you (O Muhammad, Õáì Çááå Úáíå æÓáã)
will be an endless reward. And verily, you (O Muhammad, Õáì Çááå Úáíå æÓáã)
are on an exalted standard of character. (Al-Qalam, 68: 1-4)

How
come that a madman has an exalted standard of character! Such an attribute can
never be found in a madman, for you could be talking to him, and all of the
sudden and without forewarning he rushes at you to hit you or hurls stones at
you. One minute he laughs and the other he cries without any clear reason. He
says things and then contradicts them. You can never entrust him with anything,
because he does not realize the meaning of trust.

But
all the people of Mecca testified to the honesty and truthfulness of the
Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and they named
him Al-Ameen [which means the Honest, the Reliable and the Trustworthy]. They
used to entrust to his care all that was precious and valuable, and they sought
his arbitration of the disputes that occurred between them, as was the case
when they wanted to restore the Black Stone to its place in the Ka’bah. How
come that such a sacred trust be granted to a madman! Thus their testimony
proved them to be liars, for in their straying from truth they did not know
what they were saying. Read the following Ayah saying (what means):

“And (remember) when they said: ‘O Allah! If this (the Qur’an) is
indeed the truth (revealed) from You, then rain down stones on us from the sky
or bring on us a painful torment.’” (Al-Anfâl, 8: 32)

What
an illogic? They should have rather said: “If that was the truth, then guide
us to it.” But instead they invoked for death, and preferred it to being
guided aright, what kind of a reversed logic is that!

Then
the Truth, all praise and glory be to Him, relates (what means):

“And they say: ‘Why is not this Qur’an sent down to some great man
of the two towns (Mecca and Tâ’if)?’” (Az-Zukhruf, 43: 31)

Accordingly,
they had no objection neither to the Qur’an, nor that it came from Allah, but
their objection was rather to the person upon whom it descended, namely the
Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Had it been sent
down to one of the leaders of Quraish, they would have believed in it! What
kind of a corrupted logic is that! To know the truth but still refuse to have
faith!

Thus,
we find that when the Qur’an was revealed it caused a great struggle in souls.
Every newly revealed Qur’anic Ayah served to strengthen the faith of the
believers in it, whereas the disbelievers strived hard to impugn it.

Divine Inspiration
And Human Nature

Allah,
all praise and glory be to Him, conveys His Doctrine to His Messengers secretly,
as Divine Revelation is not sent down to the messenger visibly before everyone,
but it comes to him secretly. In this regard, Allah, all praise and glory be to
Him, says (what means):

“It is not given to any human being that Allah should speak to him
unless (it be) by Inspiration, or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a
Messenger to reveal what He wills by His Leave. Verily, He is Most High, Most
Wise.” (Ash-Shûra, 42: 51)

Hence,
human nature cannot bear direct receiving of Revelations from Allah, thus
Divine Inspiration is a must. As we have previously said, Allah has inspired,
not only the messengers, but also the angels, the mother of Musa (Moses, peace
be upon them), the bees and the earth, all this falls under verbal inspiration,
whereas Revelation of Laws is conveyed from Allah to His Messengers. When Allah
inspires humans it is through one of three ways, the first is as the Saying of
Allah (which means):

“It is not given to any human being that Allah should speak to him
unless (it be) by Inspiration.” (Ash-Shûra, 42: 51)

Meaning
that he is divinely inspired the thoughts that Allah wants.

While
the second is as the Saying of Allah (which means):

“Or from behind a veil.” (Ash-Shûra, 42: 51)

As
when Allah spoke to Musa (peace be upon him)

And
the third is as the Saying of Allah (which means):

“Or (that) He sends a Messenger to reveal what He wills by His
Leave.” (Ash-Shûra, 42: 51)

As
Angel Jibril (Gabriel, peace be upon him).

The first
meaning is the absolute Divine Inspiration, which Allah, all praise and glory
be to Him, casts in the heart of man; consequently he performs what is demanded
of him. But there are many things that are cast inside the heart, as there are
devils, which do inspire their friends (from mankind). How can we thus
differentiate between Inspiration from Allah, and from other than Him?

To
this we say: when Inspiration comes from Allah, you feel absolute submission
from all the faculties of your being, and there is no trace of any objection to
doing what is divinely inspired to you. An example of this Divine Inspiration
is the following Ayah saying (what means):

“And We inspired the mother of Musa (Moses), (saying): ‘Suckle him
[Musa (Moses)], but when you fear for him, then cast him into the river and
fear not, nor grieve. Verily! We shall bring him back to you, and shall make
him one of (Our) Messengers.’” (Al-Qasas, 28: 7)

The Faith Of The
Mother Of Musa

If any
man came to a mother and told her: “If you fear for your son, then throw him
in the sea,” would she accept that? Would she rescue her son from a
probable death that might or might not occur, by handing him to an absolute
death by throwing him in the sea? But the mother of Musa did not weigh anything
in her mind, for the moment she received the Divine Inspiration, she placed her
son in a box and cast him into the sea, without any resistance from any of her
faculties, because the Inspiration is coming from the Most High, before Whom
none of the faculties of those inferior can ever object. The moment the mother
of Musa threw him in the sea, Allah wanted to calm her maternal instinct and
affection, hence He inspired to her (what means):

“And We inspired the mother of Musa (Moses), (saying): ‘Suckle him
[Musa (Moses)], but when you fear for him, then cast him into the river and
fear not, nor grieve. Verily! We shall bring him back to you, and shall make
him one of (Our) Messengers.’” (Al-Qasas, 28: 7)

Then,
Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, informs her through Inspiration that He
has given His Orders to the water of the sea to cast him ashore, and hear the
Divine Command to the sea: “Then the river shall
cast it up on the bank” (Tâ­-Hâ, 20: 39)

As
though Allah reassures her by telling her that He has commanded the water to
cast him on the riverbank.

Allah,
all praise and glory be to Him, says what means:

“It is not given to any human being that Allah should speak to him
unless (it be) by Inspiration, or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a
Messenger to reveal what He wills by His Leave. Verily, He is Most High, Most
Wise.” (Ash-Shûra, 42: 51)

All
the three ways in the above-mentioned Ayah Allah used in inspiring His
Messengers, but the Noble Qur’an was not revealed by thought inspiration, or
words communicated from behind a veil, but it was conveyed through a Messenger,
Angel Jibril (Gabriel, peace be upon him), for it to be unique. The Messenger
of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to receive the Divine
Revelation in more than one form; sometimes he used to hear jingling, like the
toll of bells, which was the hardest form of Divine Inspiration upon the
Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and a change used to come
over him:

‘Aishah (The mother of the faithful believers, may Allah be
pleased with her) narrated, “Al-Harith bin Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) saying, ‘Messenger of Allah! How is
the Divine Inspiration revealed to you?’ The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) replied, ‘Sometimes it is (revealed) like the ringing
of a bell, this form of Inspiration is the hardest of all and then this state
passes off after I have grasped what is revealed. Sometimes the Angel comes in
the form of a man and talks to me and I grasp whatever he says.’” ‘Aishah
added, “Verily I saw the Prophet being divinely inspired on a very cold day and
noticed the sweat dropping from his forehead (as the Divine Inspiration was
over).”

Hence,
this shows that a change used to occur in the being of Muhammad (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace), in a way that made it impossible for him to
mistake the Qur’anic Revelations for any other thought. Thus, the Noble Qur’an
was not revealed as thoughts cast in the soul, or words conveyed from behind a
veil, but through a Messenger, Angel Jibril, accompanied by manifest,
distinctive and undoubted signs.

Therefore,
when the Divine Revelation first descended upon the Messenger of Allah (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) he was exhausted and his strength was
drained to the utmost from the meeting of his humanity with the Angel. And that
was the Divine Revelation when it came, it came with exertion, but when it was
paused, he longed for it. Such longing supplied the noble Messenger (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace) with the energy by which he tolerated the
difficulty over his humanity to meet with the Angel Jibril (Gabriel, peace be
upon him).

Accuracy Of The
Divine Revelation

You
can perceive the superb accuracy and precision of the Divine Revelation in how
the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to recite
the long Surahs to his Companions right after its descent upon him, saying to
them, “It has been revealed to me….” Thus,
whoever among them knew how to write used to write down the revealed Ayat, then
when the time of Salah (offering Prayers) came, the Messenger of Allah
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to stand and recite them in the
Prayer, exactly as they were revealed. Now think: if anyone spoke with you, and
you recorded his speech, then you asked him to repeat what he has said, he
probably would repeat the meaning of his words, but would never be able to
repeat the same exact words. An illustrating example of superb accuracy is the
two following glorious Ayahs:

ÈÓã Çááå ÇáÑÍãä ÇáÑÍíã:

{Åöäøó Ðóáößó ãöäú
ÚóÒúãö ÇáúÃõãõæÑ} (áÞãÇä:31¡ 17)

{Åöäøó Ðóáößó áóãöäú
ÚóÒúãö ÇáúÃõãõæÑö} (ÇáÔæÑì:42¡ 43)

 

Had it
not been a Divine Revelation, and a Book mightily guarded by Heaven, these two
Ayahs would have been mixed at recitation. And had it depended upon memory, it
would have been hard to discriminate them, but it a Revelation from Allah that
descends and settles in the soul. 

Every
Qur’anic word was revealed in a special occasion with a unique style, so that
not a single Ayah or word is mixed with another. And Truth is verily spoken:

“Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. It is only an
Inspiration that is inspired. He has been taught
(this Qur’an) by one mighty in power [Jibril (Gabriel)].” (An-Najm, 53: 3-5)   

 

“And truly, this (the Qur’an) is a Revelation from the Lord of the
Worlds, which the trustworthy Spirit [Jibril (Gabriel)] has brought down; upon your heart (O
Muhammad, Õáì Çááå Úáíå
æÓáã) that you may be (one) of the warners, in the
plain Arabic language.” (Ash-Shu‘arâ’, 26: 192-195)

As for
the period during which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) stayed in Mecca before Hijrah (emigration to Medina), it was marked
by struggles, during which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) and the Muslims sustained incessant persecution, because the
Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) brought a Message
of goodness, thus the soldiers of evil hastened to wrong the bearer of such a
Message of goodness.

Hence,
it is natural that the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has
enemies. The Truth, all praise and glory be to Him, expose to us such an issue,
saying (what means):

“And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies - Shayâtin
(devils) among mankind and jinns, inspiring one another with adorned speech as
a delusion (or by way of deception). If your Lord had so willed, they
would not have done it, so leave them alone with their fabrications.”
(Al-An‘âm, 6: 112)

Thus,
whoever among the religious scholars and Imams shoulders the Message of the
Prophet of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and conveys it to
posterity, if he does not have enemies, it means that his share in the
prophetic heritage is lacking. Therefore, we say to any caller to the Way of
Allah, who has enemies: “Do not be distressed, and rest assured,” for
having enemies is but a sign that you have a trace of prophethood, and a caller
who has no enemies inherit nothing from prophethood. And read the Saying of
Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, (which means):

“And obey not (the behests) of the Unbelievers and the Hypocrites,
and heed not their annoyances, but put thy Trust in Allah. For enough is Allah
as a Disposer of affairs.” (Al­-Ahzâb, 33: 48)

The
Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) withstood the enmity of the
Quraish, with patience born of faith and with endurance stronger than
afflictions. The Quraish tried hard to prevent the Messenger of Allah (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) from talking to the tribes coming to Mecca
during the season of Hajj, in order to stop the Call from spreading.

The
Quraish felt that the threatening danger was not only from inside Mecca, but
also from the entire Arabian Peninsula, thus they wanted to put an end to this
threat, or rather put an end to Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace). To hit this target they chose the strongest youths in the Quraish. They
thought that this would be the last and best solution that would end
everything, but while weaving their plot, they forgot that the Will of Allah
must be executed; that Allah would surely champion His Messenger and His
Religion; that He would never desert Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace), and that He, all praise and glory be to Him, is All-Knower of what
they were plotting. He even knows what they were hiding in their inner selves,
and their tongues kept unvoiced. Thus, Allah had made their plot go astray, for
Allah was surrounding all their deeds. The Noble Qur’an says (what means):

“And (remember) when the disbelievers plotted against you (O
Muhammad, Õáì Çááå Úáíå
æÓáã) to imprison you, or to kill you, or to get
you out (from your home, i.e. Mecca); they were plotting and Allah too was
planning, and Allah is the Best of the planners.” (Al-Anfâl, 8: 30)

Thus,
the Promise of Allah to His Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
was fulfilled, justice was established, oppression was destroyed, and he raised
the foundations of the city of justice and light based on:

1- The
relation binding mankind to their Creator.

2- The
relation binding a Muslim to his Muslim brother.

3- The
relation binding man to man.

4-Establisment
of the edifice of social justice in all communities to have life stabilized in
the shade of the glorious Ayah saying (what means):

“O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His)
Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life, and know that Allah
comes in between a person and his heart (i.e. He prevents an evil person to
decide anything). And verily to Him you shall (all) be gathered.” (Al-Anfâl, 8:
24)

Then
came the Help of Allah, and His Victory, and people entered Allah’s Religion,
Islam, in crowds.

 

 

O you who
believe:

“O you who believe
[in Musa (Moses) (i.e. Jews) and ‘Iesa (Jesus) (i.e. Christians)]! Fear Allah,
and believe too in His Messenger (Muhammad Õáì Çááå Úáíå æÓáã), He will give you a double portion of His Mercy, and He will give
you a light by which you shall walk (straight), and He will forgive you. And
Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Al-Hadîd, 57: 28)

 

“So those who believe
in him (Muhammad Õáì Çááå Úáíå æÓáã), honour him, help him, and follow the light (the Qur'an) which
has been sent down with him, it is they who will be successful.” (Al-A‘râf,
7: 167)1

It is they who will
be successful....