The Literary Miracle of the Quran
Sayed Mohammad Baqir Al-Qazwini
All the Prophets of Allah (swt) who were sent to the people to deliver a message were equipped with a miracle from the Almighty in order to demonstrate the truthfulness of their message. When we examine these miracles we find that many of them were temporary miracles that occurred at a particular time and place. Therefore, only in those instances was someone able to witness a divine miracle. However, the single everlasting miracle which was endowed to the Prophet Muhammad (saws) was the Holy Quran. It is a miracle across the generations that transcends time and place. It is indeed a divine treasure, always revealing new realities for the people who read and ponder.
In order to examine how the Quran was indeed a divine miraculous proof bestowed unto the Prophet (saws), it is important to understand the makeup of his society at that time. For instance, the Quran came with a perfect legal system that was capable of completely transforming the Arab world. The Quran also delivered prophecies pertaining to future events and persons. There are other innumerable miracles within the Quran that address all domains of life and cannot all be explained in a single lecture.
One of the most profound features of the Quran is its literary dimension.
Like other civilisations in history that are renowned for something, the Arabs were known for their eloquence (persuasive speaking and writing). On many occasions, the Arabs would congregate and flaunt their poetic excellence. As such, Allah (swt) delivered a Book which challenged their highest form of accomplishment, even though the fundamental purpose of the Quran is to act as a book of guidance and not a book of literary expressions and poetic material. However, Allah (swt) delivered it in a way which superseded all Arabian eloquence.
When you come to examine the life of the Prophet (saws), it is nothing short of miraculous for a man of his repute, who grew up an orphan and without schooling or formal education to suddenly start delivering material so eloquent in nature. The structure of the Quran is so profound in all literary aspects. Firstly, it carries the same degree of written prowess throughout the entire book. It’s level of impeccable mastery does not weaken nor fade in any part of the Book. The written works of any poet or author improves in quality as they develop. But that is not the case with the Quran. It is coherently magnanimous from start to finish. Additionally, how can such literary mastery be composed by a man in the midst of battle and war, as many of the Quranic verses were revealed in such moments. This inherently indicates that the Quran could have only possibly been created by a Supreme Lord.
In order to really comprehend the literary excellence of the Quran, it is advisable to make an effort in learning Arabic, because this is the language of the Quran, whereas the English and other translations are merely human interpretations. Allah (swt) intentionally uses precise words in the Quran to convey His Divine message.
Here are some examples of the brilliance of Quranic dialect:
In Sura Ash-Shu’ara (verses 78-81), Prophet Ibrahim is very precise in the way he uses a pronoun to praise Allah. (refer to 13:20min of video).
The precision of the use of the words ‘woman’ and ‘wife’ when referring to Prophet Zachariya’s wife. (refer to 16:05min of video).
The specific words used when referring to the qualities of the sun and moon. (refer 18:55min of video).
When Allah mentions the amount of years that the people of the cave remained in the cave. “And they remained in their cave for three hundred years and exceeded by nine” (18:25). Allah is giving us the time spent in both the solar and lunar calendars which are different to each other. (refer to 20:20 of video).
The phonetic beauty of the Quran which is remarkable to recite and charming to listen to.
i. One example is how Allah (swt) uses serene words when describing something pleasant and uses harsh words when describing something unpleasant. (refer to 21:35min of video).
فَمَن يُرِدِ اللَّهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ وَمَن يُرِدْ أَن يُضِلَّهُ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًا كَأَنَّمَا يَصَّعَّدُ فِي السَّمَاءِ
So whoever Allah wants to guide – He expands his breast to [contain] Islam; and whoever He wants to misguide – He makes his breast tight and constricted as though he were climbing into the sky.
[Surah Al-An’am 6; Verse 125]
(What is extraordinary about this this verse is how Allah alludes to the natural physiological response when gaining altitude, a phenomenon which none of the Arabs knew about because they didn’t have mountain ranges high enough to induce this physiological response).
ii. Another example is the way the Quran composes words using different letters. In Arabic, two of the most heaviest letters are the ‘Meem’ and ‘Qaaf’. They require complete mouth movement and effort. You would think that an Arabic sentence that contains many of these heavy letters would be difficult to pronounce—like to a tongue twister.
In Surah Hud(11); Verse 48, there are 16 ‘Meems’ within the verse. However, Allah (swt) has composed them in such a way that allows the reader to recite the verse effortlessly and with ease. Additionally, in Surah Ma’idah(5); Verse 27, there are 10 “Qaafs’ within the verse. Again, Allah (swt) has constructed the verse in such a way where it is easy to recite. How could anyone but Allah (swt) have formulated these verses so exquisitely.
Let us develop a relationship with the Quran. The Quran brings healing to us – “And We send down of the Qur’an that which is healing and mercy for the believers” (17:82). The same way oral medications are all ingested similarly but then proceed to work in the body differently depending on the medication, the Quran is the same. Recite it and ponder over it often. By the will of Allah (swt), it will heal various illnesses, whether physical, spiritual, emotional etc. Embed the Quran into the lives of your children because it is their best companion. They may not necessarily understand it but they will still benefit immensely from it.
Our rank on the day of judgement depends on how much we know and practice the Quran. The degrees of paradise are arranged according to the number of verses. The one who knows the Quran and lives by it will be given the power of intercession on the day of judgement.