Why Quran is a Miracle
The following are in brief some of the main characteristics because of which
the Qur'an has been a miracle before as it is a miracle today:
(1) The Qur'an is the highest and most perfect model of the literature of the
language in which it was revealed. No word and no sentence in the entire
Book is sub-standard. Whatever theme has been presented in it, has been
presented in the most appropriate words and in the most suitable style. One
and the same theme has been presented over and over again but every
time in a new style avoiding the defect of repetition everywhere. The entire
Book, from the beginning to the end, is set in the choicest words, like
chiseled and polished gems, that cannot be replaced. The discourses are
so impressive that no one who knows the language, even if he is a
disbeliever, can help being moved to ecstasies on hearing them. Even after
1,400 years this Book is still the model of Arabic literature and no other
Arabic book can approach it in literary excellence not to speak of equaling it,
Not only this: this Book has so controlled the Arabic language that even
after the passage of 14 centuries the standard of this language's beauty
and eloquence is the same that had been set by it; whereas in such long
periods languages change out of recognition. No other language of the
world has remained in the same state in so far as its spelling and diction,
idiom, rules of language and usages are concerned. But it is only the power
of the Qur'an that has held the Arabic language in place each idiom of it is
still in use in Arabic literature; its literature is still the standard literature of
Arabic; and in writing and speech still the same language is regarded as
good Arabic that had been used in the Qur'an 1,400 years ago. Is there any
man-made book in any language of the world that bears the same
characteristics?
(2) This is the one single Book in the world, which has so extensively and so
universally influenced mankind's thoughts, morals, civilization and way of life
as has no precedent in history. In the first instance, its impact changed one
nation; then that nation rose and changed a major part of the world. No
other Book has proved to be so revolutionary. This Book has not remained
confined to writing on paper but in-the practical world its each word has
formed and molded ideas and thoughts and built up a lasting civilization. Its
influence has continued being operative for 1,400 years and its circle of
influence and impact is still expanding every day.
(3) The theme that this Book discusses is the most extensive theme which
comprehends the whole Universe, from eternity to eternity. It deals with the
reality of the Universe, its beginning and end, its system and law. It tells as
to who is the Creator and Controller and Disposer of this Universe, what are
His attributes, what are His powers, and what is that essence and basis on
which He has established this entire system of the world. It specifies man's
position and his place which he cannot change. It tells what is the right and
correct way of thought and action for man in view of this place and position,
which corresponds to the reality, and what are the wrong ways which clash
with the reality. Then to prove why the right way is right and the wrong ways
wrong, it presents countless arguments from various phenomena of the
earth and heavens, from different aspects of the system of the Universe,
from man's own self and existence and from man's own history. Besides, it
also tells how and for what reasons man adopts the wrong ways, by what
means he can find out the right Way, which has always been one and shall
remain one, and how he has been guided to it in every age. It does not
merely point to the Right Way but presents a plan of the complete system of
life for following that way, which contains a detailed and systematic code
concerning beliefs, morals, purification of self, worship, social life, civilization,
economy, politics, justice, law and every other aspect of human life.
Furthermore, it also tells in full detail what are the results of following this
Right Way and of adopting the wrong ways in this world and what
consequences of this will appear in the Next World after the present system
of the world has come to an end. It depicts fully the coming to an end of the
present world and of the establishment of the New World; it gives every
detail of the process of change; it portrays the Next World and describes
fully how man will find a totally new life there, how his deeds from worldly life
will be subjected to accountability, what things he will be questioned about,
how his complete record, which lie will not be able to deny or dispute, will be
placed before him, what strong evidence will be produced in proof thereof,
why the culprits will be punished and the righteous rewarded, what rewards
will be bestowed on the righteous and in what forms will the culprits suffer
the evil consequences of their misdeeds. The way this vast theme has been
dealt with in this Book is not of the nature of some conclusions that its
Author might have reached from some syllogistic premises but its nature is
that its Author has the direct knowledge of the Reality. He sees everything
happening from eternity to eternity. All the realities are manifest for Him and
the entire Universe is like an open book before Him. He sees the entire life
of mankind, from its origin to its end, even beyond the present life into the
second life simultaneously, and He is guiding man not on the basis of
conjecture and speculation but on the basis of knowledge. Not a single truth
that He presents as knowledge has been proved to be wrong so far. The
concept of the Universe and Man that He presents fully explains all the
phenomena and events and can become the basis of research in every
branch of knowledge. His Word contains the answers to all the ultimate
problems of philosophy and natural and social sciences, and they are so
coherent and consistent logically that a perfect, consistent and
comprehensive system of thought can be built on their basis. Then from the
practical aspect the guidance that He has given to man about various
spheres of life is not only highly rational and pure but countless men have
been living according to it in actual fact in different parts of the earth for
1,400 years and have found it by experience to be the only valid way. Is
there any man made book of this unique quality present in the world, or has
ever been, which may be produced to match this Book ?
(4) This Book was not composed and written all at once and presented
before the world, but a reformatory movement was started with some basic
and initial instructions and then for 23 years as the movement passed
through different stages of its development its parts were presented by the
tongue of the leader, sometimes as lengthy discourses and sometimes as
brief sentences, as the conditions and requirements of the occasion
demanded. Then, when the Mission was brought to completion, these parts
that had been issued at different times were compiled in the form of a
complete Book which has been known by the name of the "Qur'an" . The
leader of the movement states that these discourses and sentences are not
his original work but were sent down to him by the Lob of all Creation. If a
person asserts that they arc the original work of the leader himself, he
should produce a precedent from history to prove his contention. He should
show whether it is possible that the speeches made and the instructions
given by a man at different times while leading a powerful collective
movement for years continuously by himself in different capacities,
sometimes as a preacher and teacher of morals, sometimes as a leader of
an oppressed class, sometimes as the ruler of a state, sometimes as the
commander of a fighting army, sometimes as a victor. Sometime as a
law-giver and legislator, could form a complex and consistent and
comprehensive system of thought and action, which should be free from
every contradiction and inconsistency, which should appear to be dominated
by the same central idea and pattern of thought, which should show that the
leader has been building up a universal system of belief and action on the
basis of the same foundation of his message with which he had started his
work, and which should be a system each clement and part of which is in
perfect harmony and consistency with the other parts, Then the one who
reads this collection of the discourses with a discerning eye cannot help
realizing that the founder of the movement at the outset had a full plan of
the movement in view till the last stage, and it never happened that a new
idea might have struck him at some later stage, which was unknown to him
before, or which he had to change later. If ever there has been a man of this
caliber, his name should be made known to the world.
(5) The leader who had been made to give these discourses and speak
these sentences did not suddenly emerge from a hidden place to present
these before the people nor would disappear after he had done so. He had
lived his life in full view of society before he started his movement as well as
continued to live in the same society after that till his last breath. The people
were well aware of the language and style of his conversation and speech.
Hadith still presents a major part of it and by going through it the people who
know Arabic can easily find out even today what was the leader's own style
of speech and conversation. His contemporaries who spoke his language
felt then and those who know Arabic feel today that the language and the
style of this Book is very different from the language and style of that leader.
So much so that whenever in the midst of a sermon delivered by the leader
there occurs a sentence or two of this Book, the distinction between the two
becomes all too obvious. The question is: Has a man in the world ever had
the power, or can he have the capability, that he should go on conversing in
two absolutely different styles consistently for years at a stretch and it
should never become known that the two separate styles arc, in fact, of one
and the same person? It is possible that one may succeed in such
affectation temporarily but it is not " at all possible that for twenty-three
years continuously a person should have a different diction and style when
he recites the Revelations from Allah and a wholly different diction and style
when he speaks in his personal capacity.
(6) The leader while leading and guiding the movement met with different
sorts of conditions. Sometimes he became the target of ridicule, humiliation
and severe persecution of his fellow-countrymen and the people of his own
tribe and clan; sometimes his companions were so harshly treated that they
were compelled to emigrate from the country; sometimes the enemies
plotted against his life; sometimes he himself had to leave his home and city;
sometimes he had to pass through extreme poverty and starvation;
sometimes he had to fight wars successively in which he suffered defeats as
well as won victories; sometimes he overcame the enemies and the same
enemies who had persecuted him, came before him humbled: sometimes he
achieved such power which few people in the world have been able to
achieve. Under all such conditions a person's feelings obviously cannot
remain the same. When on these different occasions the leader spoke in his
personal capacity, his words, and speeches carried the clear impression of
his personal feelings. Which naturally arise in the heart of a man on such
occasions. But the discourses that were heard from him as Allah's
Revelations in these different conditions, are wholly devoid of human
feelings. At no place can even an acute observer and critic point out the
play of human feelings in them. The vast and comprehensive knowledge
that is contained in this Book, is not possessed even by any of the
distinguished learned people of this 20th century, not to speak of the people
of Arabia and Rome and Greece and Iran of those days. The condition
today is that after a man has spent his whole life-time studying a branch of
philosophy or a natural or social science, he comes to know what ultimate
problems of his field of study are, but when he studies the Qur'an seriously
he comes to know that this Book contains a clear answer to those problems.
This thing is not confined to any one branch of knowledge but holds good in
respect of all those sciences which have anything to do with the Universe
and Man. How can one believe that 1,400. Years ago an un-lettered man in
the Arabian desert possessed such deep insight into every branch of
knowledge, and he had thought over every basic problem and thought out
an absolute and final answer to it?
Although there are several other aspects also of the Qur'an's being a
miracle, if a man ponders over these few aspects only he will realize that the
Qur'an's being a miracle is far more evident today than it was at the time
when it was revealed and if Allah so wills, it will go on becoming more and
more evident and manifest as time passes till the Day of Resurrection.
Syed Abul Ala Maududi
Translated by Zafar Ishaque Ansar
The following are in brief some of the main characteristics because of which
the Qur'an has been a miracle before as it is a miracle today:
(1) The Qur'an is the highest and most perfect model of the literature of the
language in which it was revealed. No word and no sentence in the entire
Book is sub-standard. Whatever theme has been presented in it, has been
presented in the most appropriate words and in the most suitable style. One
and the same theme has been presented over and over again but every
time in a new style avoiding the defect of repetition everywhere. The entire
Book, from the beginning to the end, is set in the choicest words, like
chiseled and polished gems, that cannot be replaced. The discourses are
so impressive that no one who knows the language, even if he is a
disbeliever, can help being moved to ecstasies on hearing them. Even after
1,400 years this Book is still the model of Arabic literature and no other
Arabic book can approach it in literary excellence not to speak of equaling it,
Not only this: this Book has so controlled the Arabic language that even
after the passage of 14 centuries the standard of this language's beauty
and eloquence is the same that had been set by it; whereas in such long
periods languages change out of recognition. No other language of the
world has remained in the same state in so far as its spelling and diction,
idiom, rules of language and usages are concerned. But it is only the power
of the Qur'an that has held the Arabic language in place each idiom of it is
still in use in Arabic literature; its literature is still the standard literature of
Arabic; and in writing and speech still the same language is regarded as
good Arabic that had been used in the Qur'an 1,400 years ago. Is there any
man-made book in any language of the world that bears the same
characteristics?
(2) This is the one single Book in the world, which has so extensively and so
universally influenced mankind's thoughts, morals, civilization and way of life
as has no precedent in history. In the first instance, its impact changed one
nation; then that nation rose and changed a major part of the world. No
other Book has proved to be so revolutionary. This Book has not remained
confined to writing on paper but in-the practical world its each word has
formed and molded ideas and thoughts and built up a lasting civilization. Its
influence has continued being operative for 1,400 years and its circle of
influence and impact is still expanding every day.
(3) The theme that this Book discusses is the most extensive theme which
comprehends the whole Universe, from eternity to eternity. It deals with the
reality of the Universe, its beginning and end, its system and law. It tells as
to who is the Creator and Controller and Disposer of this Universe, what are
His attributes, what are His powers, and what is that essence and basis on
which He has established this entire system of the world. It specifies man's
position and his place which he cannot change. It tells what is the right and
correct way of thought and action for man in view of this place and position,
which corresponds to the reality, and what are the wrong ways which clash
with the reality. Then to prove why the right way is right and the wrong ways
wrong, it presents countless arguments from various phenomena of the
earth and heavens, from different aspects of the system of the Universe,
from man's own self and existence and from man's own history. Besides, it
also tells how and for what reasons man adopts the wrong ways, by what
means he can find out the right Way, which has always been one and shall
remain one, and how he has been guided to it in every age. It does not
merely point to the Right Way but presents a plan of the complete system of
life for following that way, which contains a detailed and systematic code
concerning beliefs, morals, purification of self, worship, social life, civilization,
economy, politics, justice, law and every other aspect of human life.
Furthermore, it also tells in full detail what are the results of following this
Right Way and of adopting the wrong ways in this world and what
consequences of this will appear in the Next World after the present system
of the world has come to an end. It depicts fully the coming to an end of the
present world and of the establishment of the New World; it gives every
detail of the process of change; it portrays the Next World and describes
fully how man will find a totally new life there, how his deeds from worldly life
will be subjected to accountability, what things he will be questioned about,
how his complete record, which lie will not be able to deny or dispute, will be
placed before him, what strong evidence will be produced in proof thereof,
why the culprits will be punished and the righteous rewarded, what rewards
will be bestowed on the righteous and in what forms will the culprits suffer
the evil consequences of their misdeeds. The way this vast theme has been
dealt with in this Book is not of the nature of some conclusions that its
Author might have reached from some syllogistic premises but its nature is
that its Author has the direct knowledge of the Reality. He sees everything
happening from eternity to eternity. All the realities are manifest for Him and
the entire Universe is like an open book before Him. He sees the entire life
of mankind, from its origin to its end, even beyond the present life into the
second life simultaneously, and He is guiding man not on the basis of
conjecture and speculation but on the basis of knowledge. Not a single truth
that He presents as knowledge has been proved to be wrong so far. The
concept of the Universe and Man that He presents fully explains all the
phenomena and events and can become the basis of research in every
branch of knowledge. His Word contains the answers to all the ultimate
problems of philosophy and natural and social sciences, and they are so
coherent and consistent logically that a perfect, consistent and
comprehensive system of thought can be built on their basis. Then from the
practical aspect the guidance that He has given to man about various
spheres of life is not only highly rational and pure but countless men have
been living according to it in actual fact in different parts of the earth for
1,400 years and have found it by experience to be the only valid way. Is
there any man made book of this unique quality present in the world, or has
ever been, which may be produced to match this Book ?
(4) This Book was not composed and written all at once and presented
before the world, but a reformatory movement was started with some basic
and initial instructions and then for 23 years as the movement passed
through different stages of its development its parts were presented by the
tongue of the leader, sometimes as lengthy discourses and sometimes as
brief sentences, as the conditions and requirements of the occasion
demanded. Then, when the Mission was brought to completion, these parts
that had been issued at different times were compiled in the form of a
complete Book which has been known by the name of the "Qur'an" . The
leader of the movement states that these discourses and sentences are not
his original work but were sent down to him by the Lob of all Creation. If a
person asserts that they arc the original work of the leader himself, he
should produce a precedent from history to prove his contention. He should
show whether it is possible that the speeches made and the instructions
given by a man at different times while leading a powerful collective
movement for years continuously by himself in different capacities,
sometimes as a preacher and teacher of morals, sometimes as a leader of
an oppressed class, sometimes as the ruler of a state, sometimes as the
commander of a fighting army, sometimes as a victor. Sometime as a
law-giver and legislator, could form a complex and consistent and
comprehensive system of thought and action, which should be free from
every contradiction and inconsistency, which should appear to be dominated
by the same central idea and pattern of thought, which should show that the
leader has been building up a universal system of belief and action on the
basis of the same foundation of his message with which he had started his
work, and which should be a system each clement and part of which is in
perfect harmony and consistency with the other parts, Then the one who
reads this collection of the discourses with a discerning eye cannot help
realizing that the founder of the movement at the outset had a full plan of
the movement in view till the last stage, and it never happened that a new
idea might have struck him at some later stage, which was unknown to him
before, or which he had to change later. If ever there has been a man of this
caliber, his name should be made known to the world.
(5) The leader who had been made to give these discourses and speak
these sentences did not suddenly emerge from a hidden place to present
these before the people nor would disappear after he had done so. He had
lived his life in full view of society before he started his movement as well as
continued to live in the same society after that till his last breath. The people
were well aware of the language and style of his conversation and speech.
Hadith still presents a major part of it and by going through it the people who
know Arabic can easily find out even today what was the leader's own style
of speech and conversation. His contemporaries who spoke his language
felt then and those who know Arabic feel today that the language and the
style of this Book is very different from the language and style of that leader.
So much so that whenever in the midst of a sermon delivered by the leader
there occurs a sentence or two of this Book, the distinction between the two
becomes all too obvious. The question is: Has a man in the world ever had
the power, or can he have the capability, that he should go on conversing in
two absolutely different styles consistently for years at a stretch and it
should never become known that the two separate styles arc, in fact, of one
and the same person? It is possible that one may succeed in such
affectation temporarily but it is not " at all possible that for twenty-three
years continuously a person should have a different diction and style when
he recites the Revelations from Allah and a wholly different diction and style
when he speaks in his personal capacity.
(6) The leader while leading and guiding the movement met with different
sorts of conditions. Sometimes he became the target of ridicule, humiliation
and severe persecution of his fellow-countrymen and the people of his own
tribe and clan; sometimes his companions were so harshly treated that they
were compelled to emigrate from the country; sometimes the enemies
plotted against his life; sometimes he himself had to leave his home and city;
sometimes he had to pass through extreme poverty and starvation;
sometimes he had to fight wars successively in which he suffered defeats as
well as won victories; sometimes he overcame the enemies and the same
enemies who had persecuted him, came before him humbled: sometimes he
achieved such power which few people in the world have been able to
achieve. Under all such conditions a person's feelings obviously cannot
remain the same. When on these different occasions the leader spoke in his
personal capacity, his words, and speeches carried the clear impression of
his personal feelings. Which naturally arise in the heart of a man on such
occasions. But the discourses that were heard from him as Allah's
Revelations in these different conditions, are wholly devoid of human
feelings. At no place can even an acute observer and critic point out the
play of human feelings in them. The vast and comprehensive knowledge
that is contained in this Book, is not possessed even by any of the
distinguished learned people of this 20th century, not to speak of the people
of Arabia and Rome and Greece and Iran of those days. The condition
today is that after a man has spent his whole life-time studying a branch of
philosophy or a natural or social science, he comes to know what ultimate
problems of his field of study are, but when he studies the Qur'an seriously
he comes to know that this Book contains a clear answer to those problems.
This thing is not confined to any one branch of knowledge but holds good in
respect of all those sciences which have anything to do with the Universe
and Man. How can one believe that 1,400. Years ago an un-lettered man in
the Arabian desert possessed such deep insight into every branch of
knowledge, and he had thought over every basic problem and thought out
an absolute and final answer to it?
Although there are several other aspects also of the Qur'an's being a
miracle, if a man ponders over these few aspects only he will realize that the
Qur'an's being a miracle is far more evident today than it was at the time
when it was revealed and if Allah so wills, it will go on becoming more and
more evident and manifest as time passes till the Day of Resurrection.
Syed Abul Ala Maududi
Translated by Zafar Ishaque Ansar
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