The Origin of the Quran

موضوع: The Origin of the Quran السبت يونيو 01, 2013 1:36 pm

The Quran is the holy book which Muslims recite and turn to for guidance in all aspects of their life.
It
is the last testament in a series of divine revelations from God. It
comprises the unaltered and direct words of God, revealed through the
Angel Gibrael, to the final Prophet, Muhammad (pbuh)1 some 1400 years
ago. Islam is a continuation of the teachings of previous Prophets, such
as Noah, Abraham, David, Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them all), some
of whom were also given divine books. Muslims believe that the key
message brought by all Prophets was the same; to believe in One God and
not to associate partners with Him, to stay away from sins and to lead a
life devoted to earning God’s pleasure. All Prophets taught about life
after death and gave glad tidings of paradise for those who obey God,
but warned of punishment in hell for those who choose to disobey Him.
The Origin of the Quran Trtrt

The
Quran is unique because it is the only revealed book that exists today
in the precise form and content in which it was originally revealed.
Furthermore, it was actively recorded during the time the religion was
being established. The distinctive approach of the Quran is that its
spiritual message includes practical injunctions aimed at the general
welfare of human beings, society and the environment in which we live.
The Quran’s message is eternal and universal, transcending our
differences in race, color, ethnicity and nationality. It provides
guidance on every aspect of human life – from economics and the ethics
of trade to marriage, divorce, gender issues, inheritance and parenting.
It neither condemns nor tortures the flesh nor does it neglect the
soul. It does not humanize God, nor does it deify man. The Quran
describes signs of God’s existence in the universe and how everything is
carefully placed in the total scheme of creation.
"Everything made
so much sense.This is the beauty of the Quran; it asks you to reflect
and reason....When I read the Quran further, it talked about prayer,
kindness and charity. I was not a Muslim yet, but I felt the only answer
for me was the Qur'an and God had sent it to me."
Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam), former British pop star.
This
brochure examines two common questions asked by those seeking to
understand the origin and authorship of the Quran. 1) What evidence
supports the Quran’s claim of authenticity – i.e., that it has not been
interfered with? 2) Even if the Quran has been preserved, what evidence
supports that it is the Word of God and not simply Muhammad’s (pbuh)own
writings?
Preservation of the Quran
The Quran has been preserved for over 1400 years through parallel memorization and writings.
"We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly Guard it (from corruption)." [Quran 15:9]
The
Quran is the only book that has been memorized in its entirety by
millions. The process of memorization began during the Prophet’s (pbuh)
life and continues to be emphasized by Muslims, even to this day.The use
of memorization in oral transmission through the generations “had
mitigated somewhat from the beginning the worst perils of relying solely
on written records,” related John Burton. [John Burton, An Introduction
to the Hadith, Edinburgh University Press; 1994, p27].
Muhammad
(pbuh) was very vigilant in preserving the entire Quran in written form
as well. The Prophet (pbuh) could not read or write, so as soon as a
portion of the Quran was revealed, he called upon his scribes to record
the revealed text.The Prophet (pbuh) specified the part of the Quran the
revelation belonged to and had the companions read back what was
written to ensure that it corresponded exactly with what was
revealed.Thus, the complete Quran was not only memorized by the Prophet
(pbuh) and many of his companions, but also existed in written form
during his lifetime.Within a year after the Prophet’s (pbuh) death, a
manuscript of the entire Quran was assembled by a committee led by the
chief scribe of the Prophet (pbuh), who followed stringent criteria to
safeguard against any errors. The manuscript was unanimously approved by
the companions of the Prophet (pbuh), including the hundreds that had
memorized the entire Quran. Several replicates of the manuscript were
prepared under the leadership of the third caliph and were distributed
to the main Muslim centers. One such copy is currently at the museum in
Tashkent in erstwhile (Soviet Union) and a facsimile of it, produced in
1905, is available in the Columbia University Library (USA).
Who Wrote the Quran
Muslims
believe that the Quran is the Speech of God and not a book written by
Muhammad (pbuh) himself. The information above provides evidence for the
preservation of the Qur'an, but what suggests that it was actually the
word of God?
1) Historical accounts docume The Origin of the Quran 3494134142_86ef5b7146

The Origin of the Quran 3494134142_86ef5b7146

nt, and the Quran openly declares, that Muhammad (pbuh) was unlettered.
“You
(O Muhammad) were not a reader of any Scripture before it, nor did you
write (such a Scripture) with your right hand, for then those who follow
falsehood might (have a right) to doubt it.” [Quran, 29.48]
2) The
Quran was revealed at a time when the Arabs excelled in oral poetry.
Poetry competitions like today’s rap competitions, were held in the
marketplace. Muhammad’s (pbuh) recitation stunned its listeners for its
beauty in Arabic. Many converted simply by listening to the deep
acoustic rhythms, literary merit and wisdom of the Quranic verses. In
contrast, the Arabic of 1400 years ago was restricted to words and
expressions relevant to the simple life of desert men and it was
impossible to express metaphysical ideas or scientific, religious and philosophical concepts. In fact the science of Arabic grammar was developed
after the revelation of the Quran, using the Quran as a basis for
devising its rules. It is difficult to find an explanation (other than
revelation) that explains how a book existed that superseded, and also
differed so greatly from any other Arabic literature. The challenge of
the Quran to produce a chapter like its own has not been met to this
day:-
“And if you are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto
Our slave (Muhammad) then produce a Surah (chapter) of the like thereof,
and call your witnesses besides Allah if you are truthful.” [Quran,
2:23]
3) The Quran is a highly comprehensive book containing Divine
truths, metaphysics, religious beliefs and worship, prayer, law and
morality. It is a book fully describing the other life, a book of
psychology, sociology, epistemology, and history, and a book containing
scientific facts and the principles of a utopian life. A testament to
the Divine authenticity of the Quran is that such a comprehensive book,
one that was revealed over a period of 23 years, does not have any
contradictory points.
“Will they not then ponder on the Quran? If it
had been from other than God they would have found therein much
contradiction and incongruity.” [Quran, 4.82]
4) Could Muhammad
(pbuh) have been a liar or had motives for inventing the Quran? The
early years of Muhammad’s (pbuh) mission were punctuated by
persecutions and sorrow. His followers were brutally tortured, killed
and forced to migrate. His clan was boycotted and he was stoned. His
enemies even offered him wealth and kingship if he abandoned his call to
the belief in One God. Instead, the Prophet (pbuh) lived a very austere life and never pursued any worldly gains like fame, power or wealth.
Furthermore, the life of Muhammad (pbuh) was a practical embodiment of
the Divine message and a study of his life (through the Hadith2)
provides an appreciation of this fact. Even before he received the
Prophethood, he was known in his society as Al-Ameen (The Trustworthy)
and As-Sadiq (The Truthful). Both Muslim and non-Muslim scholars attest
to his honesty and integrity 3 .
5) The Quran mentions things that
were not known at the time. How can the existence of these verses be
explained? The Quran has scientific descriptions only recently
discovered by modern science and that could not have been known 1400
years ago.
“Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay); then we
placed him (as a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed; then
We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of than clot We
made a (foetus) lump; then We made out of that lump bones and clothed
the bones with flesh;then We developed out of it another creature.So
blessed be Allah,The Best to Create” [Quran, 23:12-14).
Professor Keith Moore, a prominent scientist of anatomy and embryology (University of Toronto, Canada) commented: “It has been a great pleasure for me to
help clarify statements in the Quran about human development. It is
clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad (pbuh) from
God, or 'Allah', because almost all of this knowledge was not
discovered until many centuries later. This proves to me that Muhammad
(pbuh) must have been a Messenger of Allah.”
The Quran describes the expansion of the universe:
“And
it is we who have built the univrse with (Our creative) power; and
verily, it is We who are steadily expanding it.” [Quran, 51:47].
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It
was not until 1925, when Edwin Hubble provided evidence of receding
galaxies, that the expanding universe came to be accepted as a
scientific fact.
Professor Alfred Kroner, a world-famous geologist,
explained: “ Thinking about many of these questions and thinking where
Muhammad (pbuh) came from, he was after all a bedouin. I think it is
almost impossible that he could have known about things like the common
origin of the universe, because scientists have only found out within
the last few years with very complicated and advanced technological
methods that this is the case.”
The Quran describes geographical
concepts that were proven after its revelation. For example, it was the
common dogma 1400 years ago that the earth was flat, but the Quran
described it as a sphere, compressed at each end (like an ostrich egg):
“And the earth moreover, He has made egg shaped4 ” [Quran 79:30].
In 1597, when Sir Francis Drake sailed around the world, the earth became known to be a sphere.
What can explain the origin of the Quran?
The
life and character of the Prophet (pbuh) , the depth of the Quranic
message, its appeal and relevance to both the spiritual and the mundane,
all testify to the Divine origin of the Quran. These points compel us
to admit our inability to provide an explanation that relies solely upon
material causes. In a world starved of love and compassion, the Quran’s
universal message is the perfect antidote to the collective despair of
the human condition.
1. pbuh stands for ‘peace be upon him’ an invocation of respect
2. Hadith, the collection of recorded saying and actions of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
3. See 877-Why Islam brochure titled “What they say about Muhammad (pbuh).”
4. The Arabic word for egg here is dahaahaa, meaning ostrich egg.

» The Origin of Life According to the Quran
» What is the Quran
» Way to Quran
» Fasting According to the Quran
» Quran: the way to salvation