The Holy Qur'an is undoubtedly the greatest ever and eternal miracle

Compiled By: Syed Ali Shahbaz
During the 23 years in which God revealed the holy Qur'an to His Last and Greatest Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), the Muslims were encouraged to memorize the surahs, while contemplating upon the meaning of the ayahs.
Thus, the whole Qur'an was committed to memory, thereby preserving it intact and saving its contents from the fate suffered by the previously revealed scriptures, such as the Torah and the Evangel.
Without the least doubt, the Prophet’s young ward and cousin, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), who was always beside the Prophet, had exact knowledge of the revelation of all ayahs and the whole contents of the holy Qur'an. He used to write down the ayahs in order of revelation and memorized the entire book. For this reason he is referred to as Qur'an Nateq or the Speaking Qur'an. The Prophet's wife, the Mother of all True Believer, Omm al-Momineen Hazrat Khadija (peace upon her) also committed to memory the surahs that were revealed during her lifetime.
As narrated by Sulaim Ibn Qais Helali, Imam Ali (AS) would invited people to ask him questions about any matter they like to enquire about, including the holy Qur'an, saying: By God no ayah was revealed unless the Prophet read it to me and enlightened me with its meaning and interpretation. Even those ayahs that were revealed in his absence were recited by the Prophet to Imam Ali.
After the passing away of the Prophet, it was Imam Ali (AS), who compiled the Qur'an in book-form between two covers as per the order of the revelation of holy ayahs, but the regime in Medina that had seized power and deprived him of his right of political leadership rejected this perfect compilation of the heavenly scripture.
Although the Holy Qur'an is not a book of science book, it has referred to the phenomena of nature in order to guide mankind toward the Almighty Creator. For instance, in ayah 53 of Surah TaHa, God mentions the movement of the earth by saying: "(It is the Almighty Creator) who made the earth for you like a cradle.”
In this ayah, the Holy Qur'an has alluded to the movement of the earth and likened it to a cradle. As we know, a child in the cradle will enjoy comfort if the cradle moves. The reason why it has not stipulated the movement of the earth is that these ayahs were descended in a time when man thought of nothing except the earth’s repose and the firmaments orbiting it. In ayah 22 of Surah Hijr, God mentioning about the fertilization done by the winds, says: “And we send the winds fertilizing.”
Centuries had past when biologists discovered the effect of winds in the fertilization of some plants. This is definitely a miracle.
In ayah 25 of Surah Hadeed, speaking about iron, God says: “And we have made the iron, wherein is great violence (power) and advantages to mankind.”
Till the 18th century, 12 centuries after the revelation of the holy Qur'an, metallic elements were not properly appreciated and not only their value was unknown, but also they were considered unimportant.
Suddenly, iron appealed to man and the scientists competed in its extraction and utilization to the extent that the two previous centuries are called the metal advancement era. Now, mankind has realized its value, and as a result, the truth of the holy Qur'an. It’s important to notice that among all the metals, the Qur'an has specified iron.
Today it is evident that the efficiency of iron is more than other metals. Although the holy Quran is a miracle from different aspects, but it should be noted that it is not a literal book, or a book of mysteries of creation. All these specifications are to prove that it is a miracle. Actually it calls itself the book of guidance.
So everyone who has perceived that it is a miracle should seek the way of guidance and the correct divine knowledge through it. The miracles of the previous prophets belonged to their own era and today nothing of them has remained. But the holy Qur'an that was revealed to Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) is undoubtedly the greatest ever and eternal miracle.