- Protection From Any
Alteration
The transmission of the Qur'an,
from the day of its revelation up to the present day, is flawless. The
chapters and verses have been in constant use amongst Muslims and have been
passed on perfectly intact from one generation to the other. The Qur'an we
know today is the same Qur'an which was revealed to the Prophet some fourteen
centuries ago.
The Qur'an does not stand in need
of historical proof for its identity or authenticity, (although history too
confirms its validity). Since a book which claims to be the actual unalterable
word of God and attests to this in its own text, does not need to resort to
others to prove its authenticity. The clearest proof that the Qur'an we have
with us today is the same that was revealed to the Prophet and that no
alteration has taken place in its text is that very superiority which the
Qur'an claimed for itself at the time of its revelation and which still
exists.
The Qur'an says that it is a
book of light and guidance, a book which shows man
the truth and reality of existence; it says that it explains all things, that
is, everything necessary for man to live in accordance with his own natural
character; it says that it is the word of God and challenges man and jinn to
produce similar words; -it invites them to find someone like the Prophet, who
could neither read nor write and grew up in an age of ignorance as an orphan
without instruction; the Qur'an challenges them to find any inconsistency in
its method, Sciences, or laws, such as one might find in any ordinary book.
They obviously cannot for the superiority of the Qur'an remains after its
revelation.
Likewise, the guidance for man
contained in the Qur'an is still valid; it still expounds a complete world
view which is in accord with the purest of intellectual proofs and is the
source of man's well being in this world and in the next. By the benevolence
and care shown by the Creator for His creation in the Book, it still invites
man to belief. The Qur'an cares for the needs of man by giving him a vision of
reality based on Divine Unity. All knowledge and belief spring from this view
of reality. At no point does the Qur'an fail to explain in the most
comprehensive fashion the reality of this oneness. It devotes much attention
to explaining the behavior and transactions expected of the individual in
society and shows how correct action is that which accords with the natural
character and capability (fitrah) of man.
The Qur'an leaves the detailed
description of man's behaviour to the Prophet whose daily life was an example
of how man was to apply what was contained in the Qur'an. Together the Book of
God and the example (or Sunnah) of the Prophet delineated an astoundingly
comprehensive life-pattern for man, namely, the way of living in tune with the
reality which is Islam. The Qur'an deals precisely with all aspects of
individual and social life and, despite having been revealed in another age,
does not contain the slightest inconsistency or in- compatibility even today.
It describes a din, a comprehensive way of life, whose programme of living is
beyond the imagination of the world's most capable lawyers and
sociologists.
The miracle of the Qur'an has in it
clarity and eloquence, rooted, as it is, in the language of a nation famed for
the purity and power of its language. The Qur'an is a miraculous sun whose
light shines far brighter than the finest poetry of the time, indeed of any
age. During the Islamic conquests of the first century after Hijra, the
resulting admixing of non-Arabic words with the Arabic lessened the purity of
Arabic language used in the Qur'an causing it to disappear from the every-day
speech of the people. The Qur'an does not merely challenge man by the use of
its language but also by the depth of its meaning. Those familiar with the
Arabic language (both prose and verse writings) are reduced to silence and
astonishment when they attempt to describe it. The Qur'an is neither poetry
nor prose but rather seems to draw qualities from both; it is more attractive
and dazzling than poetry and clearer and more flowing than prose.
A single verse or phrase from the
Qur'an is more illuminating, more penetrating, and more profound than the
complete speech of most eloquent speakers. The profundity of meaning in the
Qur'an remains as miraculous as ever; its complex structure of beliefs, morals
and laws stands as proof that the Qur'an is the word of God. Man, and in
particular someone who was born and raised in circumstances similar to those
of the Prophet, could never have created such a system; the Qur'an is a
harmonious whole despite having been revealedduring twenty-three years in
greatly varying circumstances. God Himself confirms that the Qur'an has been
preserved from change; in chapter XV:9 He says,
"Indeed We, even We, reveal the
Reminder and indeed We are truly its guardian," and in chapter
(XLI:41-42)
He says, 'for indeed it is an
unassailable Book. Falsehood cannot come to it from before or behind it. (It
is) a revelation from the Wise, the Praise one." Only a divine Book could
remain preserved for fourteen centuries in a world where the enemies of truth
and of Islam are numerous.
* * *
(Allamah Tabatabai, The Qur'an in Islam, p.
101-103)