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DO YOU KNOW THIS BOOK ?
Of all the acclaimed masterpieces that the world has seen,
nothing can be compared to the book known as the Qur'an. Millions have
become Muslims upon simply hearing a verse from this amazing book, yet
still the majority knows nothing of it. The Qur'an is the Final
Revelation from the Creator to humanity. It was revealed in the year
610 CE to the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him), and completed over
a period of 23 years. These 23 years of revelation resulted in a book
which comprised of 114 chapters and over 6000 verses. All of this was
to become the primary source of law for the whole of mankind to live
and die by.
The impact of this book is such that Allah says : "Had We revealed
this Qur'an upon a mountain, surely you would have seen it humble
itself and crumble out of the fear of Allah. Such are the parables We
put forward to mankind so that they may reflect" (Surah Al-Hashr
59:21)
However, it seems as if the hearts of the people have become harder
then the mountains which tower above us. When the Qur'an is recited or
even mentioned, people turn away with disgust. In the West, this is
primarily due to the negative exposure from the media. It has resulted
in many non-Muslims not even wanting to hear the name of this amazing
book. Muslims too, have become hardhearted because of the cultural
influences of the West. Many young Muslims perceive the Qur'an to be
nothing more then an old wrapped up book, which comes off the highest
shelf once a year during Ramadan!
If people were to truly reflect upon this book, they would realise
that nothing in this world is quite the same. So why should this claim
be accepted over others? Why should the Qur'an be given precedence
over the likes of the Bible, the Gita or the Granth Sahib ? The
following reasons will inshallah give an indication as to why this
book deserves the attention of all humanity.
Preservation
"There is probably in the world no other book which has remained
twelve centuries with so pure a text". Writing 200 years ago, these
are the words of the famous English critic of Islam, Sir William Muir.
But as Muslims we do not need Williarn Muir to tell us this. 1400
years ago, the Muslims accepted this reality when Allah revealed to
them:
"Indeed it is We who have sent down the reminder (the Qur'an), and
indeed it is Us who shall preserve it" (Surah Al-Hijr 15:9)
These words have proved true to this very day. From the moment the
first words were revealed to Muhammed (saws), to this very day, every
single letter and word of the Qur'an has remained unchanged.
Before Islam, all the revelations sent were not given this divine
assurance. This is why we find that books like the Bible are riddled
with corruption and inaccuracies. It is well known that man has
tampered with the Bible to the extent that annually different versions
are produced to suit trends and desires. In fact this has been going
on for so long that it is almost impossible to see what of the words
of the Creator are left, if any!
With the Qur'an it is the exact opposite. The contents of this amazing
book are stored in the hearts of millions of Muslims worldwide.
Children as young as 12 have memorised the entire book in its original
language, Arabic. There is no other religious scripture on earth which
is orally preserved in its original language by so many and over such
a period of time, without having been tampered somewhere along the
line. The Bible is a prime example of this. Many Christians believe
that English is the divine language of the Bible. However Jesus (as)
spoke Aramaic. From Aramaic, his life-story was translated into
Hebrew. From Hebrew it was translated into Greek. From Greek to Latin,
and then finally from Latin to English! There has not been a single
vicar, priest or layman in recorded history who has even memorised the
Bible in English, let alone the Aramaic! As Muslims we believe the
Qur'an can only be in the language it was revealed in, i.e. Arabic.
Anything else is a translation and not the divine words of the
Creator. A true test of this divine preservation would be to burn all
the books and manuscripts in existence, to see which can return as it
was. The Qur'an would be the only book which would return in its
original form, letter for letter, word for word.
Many Christians say that the Qur'anic claim of preservation needs to
be backed-up by manuscript evidence. For us this is not a necessary
criteria, but in order to quell the doubts, the Muslims have ample
proof. Two copies of the Qur'an are in existence which date back to
the Third Caliph Uthmaan, 20 years after the death of the Prophet
(peace be upon him). These two copies are to be found in the Topkapi
museum, Istanbul, Turkey and in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The Tashkent
copy is thought to have been the personal copy of the Caliph as it
still contains stains of his blood, which was shed when he was
murdered whilst reading it. Any copy of the Qur'an which is compared
to these copies, will show that there is not a single difference
between what we have today and what was in existence 1400 years ago.
Thus Allah's promise holds true.
No Mistakes
Man as a creature is fallible. For this reason anything which is
produced by him will naturally have faults. With the Qur'an, such a
notion cannot even be considered as it is from the one who is
Infallible. In fact Allah clarifies this matter beautifully when he
says:
"Do they not consider the Qur'an? Had it been from other then Allah
surely they would have found much discrepancies within it" (Surah An-
Nisa 4:82)
Throughout history many have tried to scrutinise and search the Qur'an
for mistakes and errors. To this day no one has been able to bring a
shred of proof showing that this book is not from Allah. Some
Christians have even called it the work of the Devil because the book
affected them so much when they read it! With other scriptures,
contradictions, mistakes and absurdities are constantly present. When
people contrast these ambiguities with the Qur'an, it often results in
the acceptance of this faultless book.
The Arabic Language
Upon hearing Qur'anic recitation, you may be rather startled. Besides
hearing the reciter of the prayer, you often hear people in the
background sobbing and wailing heavily. So what is it that makes these
people cry so much? It is nothing more then the beauty and eloquence
of this book which moves millions to tears. This beauty is expressed
in the language of Arabic. Allah says :
"Indeed We have revealed this as an Arabic Qur'an so that you may
understand" (Surah Yusuf 12:2)
At the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) three modes of
expression were used. There was normal speech, the speech of the
soothsayer and poetry. The Arabs were the masters of their language,
and poetry was their cultural highlight. Arabic poetry is split into
16 categories, each separate from the other. When the Qur'an was
proclaimed to the Arabs it amazed them beyond all limits. It was like
nothing they had ever heard before. It did not fit into the 16
categories of poetry, nor was it the speech of a soothsayer, and it
certainly was not normal speech. If it was not all these, then it
could only be the word of Allah.
The eloquence and majesty of the early chapters of the Qur'an moved
many to tears, and the beautiful Qur'anic Arabic converted millions of
Arabs in the Middle-East. Not only did the Qur'an effect the lives of
these Arabs, but it also transformed their culture. Even today, no
serious study of the Arabic language is possible without reference to
this book.
The reaction of some pagans was that they accused Muhammed (peace be
upon him) of being a soothsayer and a madman. In order to silence
them, Allah issued a challenge. At first he asked them to produce a
book like the Qur'an. When it could not be done, Allah asked them to
produce ten chapters like it. When this too could not be done Allah
finally stated:
"And if you are in doubt as to what We have revealed to Our slave,
then produce a chapter like it" (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:23)
The smallest chapter in the Qur'an is only 3 verses long (Chapter
108). The pagans at the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) could
not even produce something as small as this, and since then no one
else has completed this impossible task. All of this is in light of
the fact that the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) could not read
or write, thus refuting those who say that the Qur'an was his own
handiwork.
The Qur'an is the Final book of revelation. After it there will be no
more. However, many have tried to deny this by producing their own new
versions of the Qur'an. Among them have been the two false prophets,
Musailama and Ghulam Ahmed. Many Chapters in the Qur'an are named
after animals, such as the Ant, Spider etc. Musailama tried to copy
this, and went about creating a chapter in his book called the Weasel!
In Arabic it is called Al-Wabl and it hardly causes people to be
struck in awe! On the other hand Ghulam Ahmed, the 'British stooge',
claimed to receive revelation in cockney English!! Such foolishness
could never compare to the beauty of the Qur'an with its clear and
beautiful Arabic language.
Science
Over the past few decades much interest has been shown in the
scientific content of the Qur'an. Scientific data which has been
discovered in recent times, has been existent in this book for 1400
years. In fact the very common origin of this universe is stated
clearly by Allah, the Most High:
"Do not the disbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were
joined together, then We parted them. And We made from water every
living thing. Will they then not believe?" (Surah Al-Anbiya 21:30)
This parting of the heavens and the earth is more commonly known to
scientists as the 'big bang'. It is also a fact that life originated
from water and that every living cell is composed of 85% water.
Without water life is impossible.
The mountains of the earth, like icebergs, have roots going deep into
the ground. This ensures that they will not topple with their extreme
heights - this is known as 'isostasy'. In this way the mountains are
like the stakes which are used to anchor a tent. But this fact is
already known to us when Allah says:
"Have We not made the earth an expanse and the mountains
stakes?" (Surah An-Naba 78:6-7)
and "Allah has cast into the ground mountains standing firm so that it
does not shake with you" (Surah Luqman 31:10)
The embryological data which is found in the Qur'an is astounding.
Allah describes the formation of a baby inside the womb from the very
moment the sperm reaches the ovum, to its formation into a human. This
data, which was only discovered about 30 years ago, has amazed many
westem scientists. Amongst them is Dr Keith Moore from the University
of Toronto, Canada. Dr Moore is a recognised authority in
embryological circles, with his university text book being set as a
standard text in many universities throughout the world. When Dr Moore
was asked as to how this information in the Qur'an could be explained,
he replied: "It could only have been divinely revealed".
History
The Qur'an is a book of historical accuracy. One accuracy which has
corrected the mistakes of many Christians and historians, is the fate
of the pharaoh who drowned in the Red Sea whilst pursuing Moses. The
Biblical story would have us believe that the matter ended when the
pharaoh drowned. But the Qur'an explains further. When he was drowning
the pharaoh confessed his faith in Allah. But it was too late, and
Allah promised him: "This day We shall preserve you in your body, so
that you may be a sign for those who come after you. But indeed many
of mankind are heedless of Our signs" (Surah Yunus 10:92)
In 1898 the tombs of various pharaohs were discovered in the Valley of
the Kings, in Egypt. In 1975 Dr Maurice Bucaille, an eminent French
surgeon was allowed to examine the mummified bodies of Rameses II and
the pharaoh who had pursued Moses - Merneptah. Dr Bucaille discovered
that Merneptah had received very violent blows to several parts of his
body and had suffered a massive heart attack. Amazingly, these are the
results which occur when someone dies from drowning! Thus Allah had
saved the body of the transgressing pharaoh as a sign for all
humanity.
For those who say that Muhammed (saws) knew his history and wrote it
in the Qur'an, the following shall prove otherwise. In the year 615 CE
the Roman army was defeated by the Persians. About this event Allah
revealed: "The Romans have been defeated in the lowest land, but in a
few years they shall be victorious again, within three to nine years.
The decision of the matter, before and after, is only with
Allah" (Surah Ar-Rum 30:2-4)
The words of Allah proved true as the Persians were defeated at the
battle of Issus, 7 years later in 622 CE. There is no possible way
that Muhammed (peace be upon him) could have known (if he wrote the
Qur'an) that the Romans would be victorious. In fact he also did not
know that the 'lowest land' at which the battle was fought was
literally that. The battle in 615 CE was fought on the shores of the
Dead Sea, the lowest point below sea level on earth, at 1300 ft.
A book with these credentials could only be from the Creator of the
heavens and the earth. A book which we need to acquaint ourselves
with. A book . . . "...which has been revealed to you (O' Muhammed) so
that you may lead mankind out of the darkness and into the
light" (Surah lbrahim 14:1)
==========================================
IF YOU WISH TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ISLAM, WE PREFER TO VISIT THE FOLLOWING
WEBSITES:
http://www.islam-guide.com
http://www.islamhouse.com/s/9661
http://www.thisistruth.org
http://www.quran-m.com/firas/en1
http://kaheel7.com/eng
http://www.knowmuhammad.com
http://www.rasoulallah.net/v2/index.aspx?lang=e
http://imanway1.com/eng
http://www.todayislam.com
http://www.thekeytoislam.com
http://www.islamland.com
http://www.discoverislam.com
http://www.thetruereligion.org
http://www.beconvinced.com
http://islamtomorrow.com
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran
http://www.quranforall.org
http://www.quranexplorer.com/quran
http://www.prophetmuhammed.org
http://www.chatislamonline.org/ar
http://www.dar-us-salam.com
http://youtubeislam.com
Of all the acclaimed masterpieces that the world has seen,
nothing can be compared to the book known as the Qur'an. Millions have
become Muslims upon simply hearing a verse from this amazing book, yet
still the majority knows nothing of it. The Qur'an is the Final
Revelation from the Creator to humanity. It was revealed in the year
610 CE to the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him), and completed over
a period of 23 years. These 23 years of revelation resulted in a book
which comprised of 114 chapters and over 6000 verses. All of this was
to become the primary source of law for the whole of mankind to live
and die by.
The impact of this book is such that Allah says : "Had We revealed
this Qur'an upon a mountain, surely you would have seen it humble
itself and crumble out of the fear of Allah. Such are the parables We
put forward to mankind so that they may reflect" (Surah Al-Hashr
59:21)
However, it seems as if the hearts of the people have become harder
then the mountains which tower above us. When the Qur'an is recited or
even mentioned, people turn away with disgust. In the West, this is
primarily due to the negative exposure from the media. It has resulted
in many non-Muslims not even wanting to hear the name of this amazing
book. Muslims too, have become hardhearted because of the cultural
influences of the West. Many young Muslims perceive the Qur'an to be
nothing more then an old wrapped up book, which comes off the highest
shelf once a year during Ramadan!
If people were to truly reflect upon this book, they would realise
that nothing in this world is quite the same. So why should this claim
be accepted over others? Why should the Qur'an be given precedence
over the likes of the Bible, the Gita or the Granth Sahib ? The
following reasons will inshallah give an indication as to why this
book deserves the attention of all humanity.
Preservation
"There is probably in the world no other book which has remained
twelve centuries with so pure a text". Writing 200 years ago, these
are the words of the famous English critic of Islam, Sir William Muir.
But as Muslims we do not need Williarn Muir to tell us this. 1400
years ago, the Muslims accepted this reality when Allah revealed to
them:
"Indeed it is We who have sent down the reminder (the Qur'an), and
indeed it is Us who shall preserve it" (Surah Al-Hijr 15:9)
These words have proved true to this very day. From the moment the
first words were revealed to Muhammed (saws), to this very day, every
single letter and word of the Qur'an has remained unchanged.
Before Islam, all the revelations sent were not given this divine
assurance. This is why we find that books like the Bible are riddled
with corruption and inaccuracies. It is well known that man has
tampered with the Bible to the extent that annually different versions
are produced to suit trends and desires. In fact this has been going
on for so long that it is almost impossible to see what of the words
of the Creator are left, if any!
With the Qur'an it is the exact opposite. The contents of this amazing
book are stored in the hearts of millions of Muslims worldwide.
Children as young as 12 have memorised the entire book in its original
language, Arabic. There is no other religious scripture on earth which
is orally preserved in its original language by so many and over such
a period of time, without having been tampered somewhere along the
line. The Bible is a prime example of this. Many Christians believe
that English is the divine language of the Bible. However Jesus (as)
spoke Aramaic. From Aramaic, his life-story was translated into
Hebrew. From Hebrew it was translated into Greek. From Greek to Latin,
and then finally from Latin to English! There has not been a single
vicar, priest or layman in recorded history who has even memorised the
Bible in English, let alone the Aramaic! As Muslims we believe the
Qur'an can only be in the language it was revealed in, i.e. Arabic.
Anything else is a translation and not the divine words of the
Creator. A true test of this divine preservation would be to burn all
the books and manuscripts in existence, to see which can return as it
was. The Qur'an would be the only book which would return in its
original form, letter for letter, word for word.
Many Christians say that the Qur'anic claim of preservation needs to
be backed-up by manuscript evidence. For us this is not a necessary
criteria, but in order to quell the doubts, the Muslims have ample
proof. Two copies of the Qur'an are in existence which date back to
the Third Caliph Uthmaan, 20 years after the death of the Prophet
(peace be upon him). These two copies are to be found in the Topkapi
museum, Istanbul, Turkey and in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The Tashkent
copy is thought to have been the personal copy of the Caliph as it
still contains stains of his blood, which was shed when he was
murdered whilst reading it. Any copy of the Qur'an which is compared
to these copies, will show that there is not a single difference
between what we have today and what was in existence 1400 years ago.
Thus Allah's promise holds true.
No Mistakes
Man as a creature is fallible. For this reason anything which is
produced by him will naturally have faults. With the Qur'an, such a
notion cannot even be considered as it is from the one who is
Infallible. In fact Allah clarifies this matter beautifully when he
says:
"Do they not consider the Qur'an? Had it been from other then Allah
surely they would have found much discrepancies within it" (Surah An-
Nisa 4:82)
Throughout history many have tried to scrutinise and search the Qur'an
for mistakes and errors. To this day no one has been able to bring a
shred of proof showing that this book is not from Allah. Some
Christians have even called it the work of the Devil because the book
affected them so much when they read it! With other scriptures,
contradictions, mistakes and absurdities are constantly present. When
people contrast these ambiguities with the Qur'an, it often results in
the acceptance of this faultless book.
The Arabic Language
Upon hearing Qur'anic recitation, you may be rather startled. Besides
hearing the reciter of the prayer, you often hear people in the
background sobbing and wailing heavily. So what is it that makes these
people cry so much? It is nothing more then the beauty and eloquence
of this book which moves millions to tears. This beauty is expressed
in the language of Arabic. Allah says :
"Indeed We have revealed this as an Arabic Qur'an so that you may
understand" (Surah Yusuf 12:2)
At the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) three modes of
expression were used. There was normal speech, the speech of the
soothsayer and poetry. The Arabs were the masters of their language,
and poetry was their cultural highlight. Arabic poetry is split into
16 categories, each separate from the other. When the Qur'an was
proclaimed to the Arabs it amazed them beyond all limits. It was like
nothing they had ever heard before. It did not fit into the 16
categories of poetry, nor was it the speech of a soothsayer, and it
certainly was not normal speech. If it was not all these, then it
could only be the word of Allah.
The eloquence and majesty of the early chapters of the Qur'an moved
many to tears, and the beautiful Qur'anic Arabic converted millions of
Arabs in the Middle-East. Not only did the Qur'an effect the lives of
these Arabs, but it also transformed their culture. Even today, no
serious study of the Arabic language is possible without reference to
this book.
The reaction of some pagans was that they accused Muhammed (peace be
upon him) of being a soothsayer and a madman. In order to silence
them, Allah issued a challenge. At first he asked them to produce a
book like the Qur'an. When it could not be done, Allah asked them to
produce ten chapters like it. When this too could not be done Allah
finally stated:
"And if you are in doubt as to what We have revealed to Our slave,
then produce a chapter like it" (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:23)
The smallest chapter in the Qur'an is only 3 verses long (Chapter
108). The pagans at the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) could
not even produce something as small as this, and since then no one
else has completed this impossible task. All of this is in light of
the fact that the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) could not read
or write, thus refuting those who say that the Qur'an was his own
handiwork.
The Qur'an is the Final book of revelation. After it there will be no
more. However, many have tried to deny this by producing their own new
versions of the Qur'an. Among them have been the two false prophets,
Musailama and Ghulam Ahmed. Many Chapters in the Qur'an are named
after animals, such as the Ant, Spider etc. Musailama tried to copy
this, and went about creating a chapter in his book called the Weasel!
In Arabic it is called Al-Wabl and it hardly causes people to be
struck in awe! On the other hand Ghulam Ahmed, the 'British stooge',
claimed to receive revelation in cockney English!! Such foolishness
could never compare to the beauty of the Qur'an with its clear and
beautiful Arabic language.
Science
Over the past few decades much interest has been shown in the
scientific content of the Qur'an. Scientific data which has been
discovered in recent times, has been existent in this book for 1400
years. In fact the very common origin of this universe is stated
clearly by Allah, the Most High:
"Do not the disbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were
joined together, then We parted them. And We made from water every
living thing. Will they then not believe?" (Surah Al-Anbiya 21:30)
This parting of the heavens and the earth is more commonly known to
scientists as the 'big bang'. It is also a fact that life originated
from water and that every living cell is composed of 85% water.
Without water life is impossible.
The mountains of the earth, like icebergs, have roots going deep into
the ground. This ensures that they will not topple with their extreme
heights - this is known as 'isostasy'. In this way the mountains are
like the stakes which are used to anchor a tent. But this fact is
already known to us when Allah says:
"Have We not made the earth an expanse and the mountains
stakes?" (Surah An-Naba 78:6-7)
and "Allah has cast into the ground mountains standing firm so that it
does not shake with you" (Surah Luqman 31:10)
The embryological data which is found in the Qur'an is astounding.
Allah describes the formation of a baby inside the womb from the very
moment the sperm reaches the ovum, to its formation into a human. This
data, which was only discovered about 30 years ago, has amazed many
westem scientists. Amongst them is Dr Keith Moore from the University
of Toronto, Canada. Dr Moore is a recognised authority in
embryological circles, with his university text book being set as a
standard text in many universities throughout the world. When Dr Moore
was asked as to how this information in the Qur'an could be explained,
he replied: "It could only have been divinely revealed".
History
The Qur'an is a book of historical accuracy. One accuracy which has
corrected the mistakes of many Christians and historians, is the fate
of the pharaoh who drowned in the Red Sea whilst pursuing Moses. The
Biblical story would have us believe that the matter ended when the
pharaoh drowned. But the Qur'an explains further. When he was drowning
the pharaoh confessed his faith in Allah. But it was too late, and
Allah promised him: "This day We shall preserve you in your body, so
that you may be a sign for those who come after you. But indeed many
of mankind are heedless of Our signs" (Surah Yunus 10:92)
In 1898 the tombs of various pharaohs were discovered in the Valley of
the Kings, in Egypt. In 1975 Dr Maurice Bucaille, an eminent French
surgeon was allowed to examine the mummified bodies of Rameses II and
the pharaoh who had pursued Moses - Merneptah. Dr Bucaille discovered
that Merneptah had received very violent blows to several parts of his
body and had suffered a massive heart attack. Amazingly, these are the
results which occur when someone dies from drowning! Thus Allah had
saved the body of the transgressing pharaoh as a sign for all
humanity.
For those who say that Muhammed (saws) knew his history and wrote it
in the Qur'an, the following shall prove otherwise. In the year 615 CE
the Roman army was defeated by the Persians. About this event Allah
revealed: "The Romans have been defeated in the lowest land, but in a
few years they shall be victorious again, within three to nine years.
The decision of the matter, before and after, is only with
Allah" (Surah Ar-Rum 30:2-4)
The words of Allah proved true as the Persians were defeated at the
battle of Issus, 7 years later in 622 CE. There is no possible way
that Muhammed (peace be upon him) could have known (if he wrote the
Qur'an) that the Romans would be victorious. In fact he also did not
know that the 'lowest land' at which the battle was fought was
literally that. The battle in 615 CE was fought on the shores of the
Dead Sea, the lowest point below sea level on earth, at 1300 ft.
A book with these credentials could only be from the Creator of the
heavens and the earth. A book which we need to acquaint ourselves
with. A book . . . "...which has been revealed to you (O' Muhammed) so
that you may lead mankind out of the darkness and into the
light" (Surah lbrahim 14:1)
==========================================
IF YOU WISH TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ISLAM, WE PREFER TO VISIT THE FOLLOWING
WEBSITES:
http://www.islam-guide.com
http://www.islamhouse.com/s/9661
http://www.thisistruth.org
http://www.quran-m.com/firas/en1
http://kaheel7.com/eng
http://www.knowmuhammad.com
http://www.rasoulallah.net/v2/index.aspx?lang=e
http://imanway1.com/eng
http://www.todayislam.com
http://www.thekeytoislam.com
http://www.islamland.com
http://www.discoverislam.com
http://www.thetruereligion.org
http://www.beconvinced.com
http://islamtomorrow.com
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran
http://www.quranforall.org
http://www.quranexplorer.com/quran
http://www.prophetmuhammed.org
http://www.chatislamonline.org/ar
http://www.dar-us-salam.com
http://youtubeislam.com