The Holy Qur’an will remain forever as the Eternal Miracle of the universal creed of Islam

Compiled By: Syed Ali Shahbaz
The ayah 155 of Surah Anaam of the holy Qur’an states: And this Book that We have sent down is a blessed one; so follow it, and be Godwary so that you may receive [His] mercy.
The All-Merciful God by revealing the most comprehensive scripture to the Last and Greatest of Messengers, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) ensured that the holy Qur’an will remain forever as the Eternal Miracle of the universal creed of Islam. For this reason, He has said there is no book like this blessed book which caters to all human needs even anticipating the progress of science and technology as human knowledge expands and mankind begins to unravel the hitherto hidden mysteries of life and universe. This is further proof of the miraculous nature of the Holy Qur’an, which as the Word of God should be above the laws and limits of nature. This means a miracle is impossible unless an Unseen Power is involved. People who have real wisdom are aware of these undeniable facts. Each of the Prophets sent by God presented miracles in proportion to the particular conditions of their eras. Miracles mean the display of a power superior to the common knowledge of that time.
For instance, since magic was widespread in the days of Moses, God gave him the miracle of the rod which could turn into a huge python and part of the seawaters for his people to cross to the other side. When Prophet Moses displayed his God-given powers, the magicians realized that this was definitely not sorcery, and at once believed in the Unseen Creator without the least fear of the Pharaoh’s threat to torture them to painful death. They prostrated to the One and Only God, realizing that Pharaoh could only kill, but it is the Creator and Giver of Life, Who ensures the eternal bliss of salvation. Likewise, during the days of Prophet Jesus (AS), medicine in the Roman World of which Palestine and Syria were parts, had made such rapid progress that remedies were discovered for the seemingly incurable diseases. Thus, Jesus was endowed with the power of curing not just lepers but restoring eyesight to the blind. This was indeed his miracle and by the Will of God, he could breathe life into figures of birds molded out of clay and restore dead persons to life, which no doctor or scientist could do.
When God raised Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) among the seemingly ignorant Arabs of the deprived land of Arabia and the Last and Greatest Messengers to mankind, these desert-dwellers had developed the art of language and literature to such a lofty status of eloquence that not even the supposedly cultured civilizations of the Roman Christians and the Sassanid Persians could match such intricacies of language. In view of these facts and since the written or oral compositions are longer lasting than other factors, God granted Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) the most everlasting miracle that would remain unmatched and unrivalled in every age and place, thanks to its unparalleled eloquence and timeless wisdom. In other words, not only the Holy Qur’an mesmerized the Arabs when it was revealed, but the beauty of its words and phrases and depth of its concepts, continues to make modern humanity spellbound. At the same time, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) was granted other miracles as well, such as the splitting of the moon in two by pointing his finger, before making it intact again, and making inanimate pebbles speak at God’s command. Yet the holy Qur’an remains the Eternal Miracle, since the two mentioned incidents of the pebbles and the moon, were time-bound and for specific moments, as was the case with the miracles granted to other Prophets, such as the rod to Moses and the power of healing to Jesus. It is obvious that if a miracle is limited to a specific time, there won’t be any proof for the coming generation to realize it and believe in it, since they had not seen with their own eyes.
For this reason, God granted Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) the Eternal Miracle in the form of the Holy Qur’an whose contents remain forever as proof of the power of faith in parity with the progress of science and technology.
Researchers have dwelt on several dimensions of the miraculous powers of the Holy Qur’an. One of the prominent characteristics of the holy Qur’an is that its rationality acts as the barometer of faith and guidance for human beings in all eras and places, as mankind strives towards perfection and prosperity, with focus on salvation in afterlife. The famous physicist Albert Einstein had said: the holy Qur’an is not a book of Algebra, geometry or arithmetic, but is a collection of laws which guide mankind to the straight path, the path which cannot be defined by the greatest philosophers of the world. If over a millennium and four centuries ago, the holy Qur’an cleansed the minds of the pagan Arabs of the filth of idol-worship and superstitions, today its dynamic message encourages the modern man to strive to explore the fascinating world of outer space as well as the hidden truths deep down in our own self, as we move on towards self and social reform.

Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), the greatest teacher of humanity
As history bears witness Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) did not study under any teacher, and for this reason he is often called the unschooled. Yet he became the greatest teacher of humanity. The reason is that his source of knowledge was divine, and this is one of the greatest miracles of all time. His 8th Infallible Successor, Imam Reza (AS) in a debate with the Jewish Rabi, Ras al-Jalout, who tried to brag about the knowledge he had acquired, said: "Among the true reasons of his prophethood is that the Prophet (Mohammad) was an orphan, a poor shepherd and a worker who had not read any books and had not been taught; yet, he brought a book in which there are the accounts of prophets and the information regarding both past and future generations."
What the Imam meant to say is that it is really amazing that the holy Qur’an with its exalted teachings on the source of creation, resurrection, human beings, ethics, laws and rational regulations, and with all its eloquence and beauty, has been conveyed to humanity by someone who was unschooled and untutored. In this regard, the holy Qur’an says in ayah 2 of Surah Jum’ah: “It is He who sent to the unlettered [people] a Prophet from among themselves, to recite to them His signs, to purify them, and to teach them the Book and wisdom, and earlier they had indeed been in manifest error.
The holy Qur’an also says in ayah 16 of Surah Younus: “Say, ‘Had Allah [so] wished, I would not have recited it to you, nor would He have made it known to you, for I have dwelled among you for a lifetime before it. Do you not apply reason?’
No historian, Muslim or non-Muslim, can be found who would claim that the Prophet had been taught to read or write by anyone in his childhood or youth, let alone during his manhood or middle age, which was the time of his mission. The Arabs, particularly those from Hijaz, were generally unlettered during that period, and those of them who could read and write were very well-known and very few in number. It would, as a rule, be impossible for a man to learn this skill under such conditions and not be well-known for this virtue among the people. As the American historian William James Durant writes in his Story of Civilization: "Evidently no one thought of teaching him (the Great Prophet of Islam) reading and writing. At that time the art of reading, and writing was of little significance to the Arabs. For this very reason, there were no more than seventeen persons among the Quraysh tribe who could read and write. It is not known that Mohammad himself should have written anything. After his appointment as Prophet, he had a special scribe for him. Yet the most popular and eloquent Arabic book was recited by him. He had a better acquaintance and grasp of the affairs than the educated ones".'
It is inferred from what has already been stated that according to the definite testimony of history, Qur'anic proofs and abundant indications deduced from the history of Islam, the Prophet's mind was untouched by human teaching. He was a man taught only in the divine school and who received his knowledge from God Almighty alone. In other words, to quote the contemporary Iranian thinker, Martyr Morteza Motahhari, in his book "The Unschooled Prophet", he was a flower fostered by the Pre-eternal Gardener and none else. Although Allah has nothing to do with the pen, paper, ink, reading and writing, He swore by the pen and its manifestations as a sacred matter in His Holy Book: "Noon' I swear by the pen and what they write.”. Allah also commanded "reading" in His first heavenly message and introduced the knowledge and art of using the pen as the greatest blessing bestowed on man after the blessing of "creation". The Holy Qur'an states in ayahs 1-to-5 of Surah Iqra: "Read in the name of your Lord Who created. He created man from a clot. Read and your Lord is Most Honourable; Who taught (to write) with the pen; taught man what he knew not."
In fact, the one who had not held a pen in his hand, established the "Pen Movement" immediately after his arrival in Medina by providing simple facilities. Although he had neither been tutored by man nor had he attended any universities or the like, he turned out to be man's teacher and the founder of universities. As the famous Iranian poet Khwaja Hafez Shirazi says in one of his poems about Prophet Mohammad (SAWA): "Brightened and made Heaven's grace manifest, He healed our wandering heart and our wounded chest.
He, who attended no school, was dear of mine, Hundreds of tutors were taught with his knowledge, divine.
And his graceful glance filled the lovers with spirits raised, The knowledge and wisdom both got amazed."
What reveals more reasonably the loftiness, grandeur and heavenliness of the Holy Qur'an is the fact that this great divine Book, with myriad instructions concerning the creation, the Resurrection, human beings, morality, law, admonitory stories and sermons - with all its grace, beauty and eloquence - was issued from the tongue of the one who was himself unlettered, who neither attended any school or college nor received any university education and who neither met any of his contemporary scholars nor read a simple book of his time.
Martyr Motahhari further says in his work: The sign and miracle that Allah granted to His last and Greatest Prophet was the book and writing, of speech and meditation, and of feelings and senses. It deals with wisdom, thoughts, the heart and mind. This Holy Book has shown for centuries, and still shows, its extraordinary spiritual authority. The passage of time cannot make it obsolete. It has fascinated, and continues to fascinate, millions and millions of hearts. It brims over with a life-sustaining power. What thoughtful minds it has induced to meditation! What numerous hearts it has overflown with spiritual enthusiasm! What countless nightingales of dawn and those keeping a night vigil it has spiritually fed! What tears it has caused to flow on cheeks at midnight out of love for Allah and fear of Him. And what enslaved and chained nations has it emancipated from the claws of tyranny and despotism.
It was God Will that the bringer of the holy Qur'an should be a pure and pious man; someone who was not influenced by any school. Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) was even deprived of his parents’ company and education. He was brought up from childhood in the desert away from the pagan culture. This was because the Prophet was being prepared for receiving the enlightened facts of the revelation. Thus a wonderful revolution took place for him at Hera Cave on Mount Noor, where the divine words of God were uttered by his tongue. Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) brought a book which contains the mysteries of the creation and the wonder of the earth, sky, sun, moon and stars.

The flawless wisdom and eloquence of the Holy Qur’an
In ayah 23 of Surah Zumar, God says: “Allah has sent down the best of discourses, a scripture [composed] of similar motifs, whereat quiver the skins of those who fear their Lord, then their skins and hearts soften to Allah’s remembrance. That is Allah’s guidance, by which He guides whomever He wishes; and whomever Allah leads astray, has no guide.”
Here God Almighty is speaking about the flawless wisdom and eloquence of the scripture that he revealed to Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) for the universal guidance of all humanity. In ayahs 107 to 109 of Surah al-Isra, God also refers to the wise persons who on listening to the recitation of the holy Qur'an prostrate on the ground and cry, in order to show their humbleness to the Most Merciful Lord. Ayah 83 of Surah Maidah refers to a group of Arab Christians who upon listening to the holy Qur'an could not control the tears flowing down their eyes because of the impact of the divine words on their hearts and minds. Eloquence means the transparency of words in terms of meaning. The Arabs of those days used to be proud of their eloquence, but when the Qur'an was revealed, its miraculous nature and unmatched eloquence mesmerized them. They were amazed by the beauty of its words which at the same time seemed both impeccable prose and flawless poetry, with deep meanings.
Although the Arab of the days of paganism was well versed in the intricacies of literature and verbal delicacy, they knew nothing about moral teachings and was unable to comprehend piety and virtue. The holy Qur'an embarked on raising ideological and moral principles and at the same time exposing the falsity of the pagan beliefs through highly eloquent phrases. Thus, Arab orators found the literary style of the holy Qur'an superior to any words they could never speak. The scholars of Arabic language of the 2nd and 3rd centuries like Jahez and Abdul-Qaher Jorjani were spellbound by the miraculous words of the holy Qur'an. Even the non-Muslim Arab literati were amazed by the unmatched eloquence and timeless wisdom of the holy Qur'an, and couldn't meet its challenge to bring out a few ayahs similar to it. The famous British thinker Thomas Carlyle has admitted the beauty of the words of the Qur'an as unique. He says that this book is a testimony to the truthfulness of the mission of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA).
Many scholars, especially in the modern era, conducted researches on the Surahs of the holy Qur'an, and come to the conclusion that each Surah pursues a specific goal or goals. The Surahs enjoy a special order and arrangement. They start with an interesting introduction, then they embark on their high objectives and sometimes they end with a brief but excellent summary. The Egyptian researcher Mohammad Abdullah Draz in his book titled "an-Naba’ al-Azeem" which is a unique study of the Qur’an discusses the unity of subject in every Surah of the holy Qur'an, showing that each Surah has special characteristics. The author establishes first that the subject matter of the Qur’an and its contents prove beyond any doubt that its author could not have been anyone other than God. He gives further proofs from the personality of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). He then looks at the style of the holy Qur’an and its characteristics, finding proof after proof of its miraculous nature. Every aspect of the Qur’anic style provides a testimony to its authorship. With a unique clarity of vision, Draz looks at the challenge given in the Qur’an to all mankind and other creatures to produce anything similar to it, and shows why this challenge will remain untaken forever.
The medieval historian Ibn al-Athir mentions ayah 10 of Surah Naba which reads: "And We made the night to be a covering"
He is says this is among the metaphors similar of which cannot be found in anywhere except in the holy Qur'an. For resembling the darkness of the night to a covering is among the delicate points and cannot be found in other Arabic books. Also ayah 187 of Surah Baqarah which portrays spouses as cover for each other is considered among the most delicate points. The ayah is as follows: "It is made lawful to you to go into your wives on the night of the fast; they are an apparel for you and you are an apparel for them"
The ayah means to say in the same manner that garb is ornament for human being it covers deficiencies while preserving from heat and cold. Similar the husband-and-wife are covering for each other in their marital life and the raising of children. So this is an interesting metaphor. It is in this way that the manifestation of the art and beauty of the holy Qur'an has influenced the works of the orators of all eras. This can be observed in Mowlavi's Masnavi in Persian and the poems of Hafez. Mowlavi, Hafez and Sa'di are among the Persian poets whose lyric poems are considered among the great literary masterpieces. The writer and contemporary Iranian translator of the holy Qur'an Baha od-Din Khorramshahi believes that the revolution that Hafez has created in lyric has not been influenced under the history of Persian lyrics but under the influence of the Qur'anic Sur'ahs. According to the late professor of Persian literature Foruzanfar, the great work of Mowlavi, that is, Masnavi, has got the deep Gnostic style under the influence of the holy Qur'an.