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The Challenge of the Quran
Description: The Qur'anic challenge to produce a work similar to it,
and the inability of its contemporaries to meet it.
By Dr. Bilal Philips
The Quran is not only unique in the way in which it presents its
subject matter, but it is also unique in that it is a miracle itself.
By the term miracle, we mean the performance of a supernatural or
extraordinary event which cannot be duplicated by humans. It has been
documented that Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, challenged the
Arabs to produce a literary work of a similar caliber as the Quran,
but they were unable to do so in spite of their well-known eloquence
and literary powers. The challenge to reproduce the Quran was
presented to the Arabs and mankind in three stages:
l. The Whole Quran
In the Quran, God commanded the Prophet to challenge all of creation
to create a book of the stature of the Quran:
Say: If all mankind and the jinn would come together to produce the
like of this Quran, they could not produce its like even though they
exerted all and their strength in aiding one another. (Quran 17:88)
2. Ten Chapters
Next, God made the challenge ostensibly easier by asking those who
denied its divine origin to imitate even ten chapters of the Quran:
Or do they say that he has invented it? Say (to them), Bring ten
invented chapters like it, and call (for help) on whomever you can
besides God, if you are truthful. (Quran 11:13)
3. One Chapter
This final challenge was to produce even a single chapter to match
what is in the Quran, whose shortest chapter, al-Kawthar, consists of
only three verses:
And if you all are in doubt about what I have revealed to My
servant,
bring a single chapter like it, and call your witnesses besides God
if
you are truthful. (Quran 2:23)
These challenges were not just empty words with no one caring to
prove
them wrong. Prophet Muhammads call to monotheism, to the abolition
of
idolatry in all its forms, and to the equality of slaves and their
masters threatened the whole socio-economic framework of Mecca
society
in general, and the position of the ruling Quraishee tribe from which
the Prophet came in particular. Mecca, the trading center of Arabia,
as well as its spiritual center, desperately wanted to stop the
spread
of Islam. Yet all that the Prophets opponents had to do to crush the
movement was to make up a single chapter like any one of those which
the Prophet and his followers were reciting to the people. A number
of
Quraishee orators and poets tried to imitate the Quran, but they
failed. They then resorted to offering him vast amounts of wealth,
the
position of king over them, and the most noble and beautiful of their
women in exchange for his promise to stop inviting people to Islam.
He
responded to them by reciting the first thirteen verses of Chapter
Fussilat, until they asked him to stop.[1] The Quraish also resorted
to torturing their slaves and relatives who had embraced Islam in a
vain attempt to cause them to revert to paganism. Later they
organized
an economic boycott against the Prophet his followers and the members
of his clan, Banu Hashim, in an attempt to starve them into
submission. But even this plan eventually failed. Finally, they
plotted to kill him in his home by sending armed young men from each
of the clans of Quraish in order that the guilt of his murder be
shared by all the clans, making revenge by the Prophets clan
impossible.
However, God enabled the Prophet and his followers to flee Mecca and
join a new band of converts who had arisen among the tribes of a city
to the north called Yathrib. Islam spread rapidly through the clans
of
Yathrib, and within a year Muslims became the citys majority.
Prophet
Muhammad was then made the ruler, and the name of the city was
changed
to Medina an-Nabi (The City of the Prophet may God praise him), which
was then shortened to Medina. Over the next eight years, the clans
of Mecca and its neighboring lands mounted a series of unsuccessful
battle campaigns against the emerging Muslim state in Medina, which
ended with the Muslim invasion of Mecca itself.
All of this bloodshed could have been avoided if only the Quraish and
their allies had been able to produce a mere three lines of poetry or
flowing prose similar to the shortest chapter of the Quran. Hence,
there can be no doubt about the inimitability of the Qurans literary
style, about the miracle of its rhyme and the marvel of its rhythm.
It has been suggested that the inimitability of the Quran is not
necessarily unique, for great English poets like Shakespeare,
Chaucer,
or great poets in any language tend to have distinctly unique styles
which set them apart from their contemporaries. However, if, for
example, some leading poet of today were to make an in-depth study of
Shakespeares writings and write a sonnet in Shakespeares style in
old ink and on old paper, then claim that he had discovered a lost
poem of Shakespeares, the literary world would probably accept this
claim, even after careful study. Thus, even the greatest of poets
could be imitated; no matter how unique his style was, just as the
famous painters have been imitated. [In fact, some English scholars
consider much of what has been attributed to Shakespeare to have been
written by his contemporary, Christopher Marlowe.] The Quran,
however,
is way above this level, as attempts to forge chapters have been made
throughout the ages, yet none has withstood close scrutiny. And, as
was mentioned before, the incentive to imitate the Quran was more
intense during the time of its revelation when literally skills were
at their peak than at any other time, yet there was no successful
attempt.
________________________________________
Footnotes:
[1] Collected by al-Hakim, al-Bayhaqee, Aboo Yalaa and Ibn Hishaam,
and declared Hasan by Ibrahim al-Alee in Sahih as-Seerah an-
Nabaweeyah, p.64.
By:
Dr. Bilal Philips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VupIj2b91M&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_O90cJjgqE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7fLHZC1-Q8
?what is you feeling
I wish to your know some Miracles of
The Quran
this is book
http://www.islam-guide.com/islam-guide.pdf
With best wishes
Description: The Qur'anic challenge to produce a work similar to it,
and the inability of its contemporaries to meet it.
By Dr. Bilal Philips
The Quran is not only unique in the way in which it presents its
subject matter, but it is also unique in that it is a miracle itself.
By the term miracle, we mean the performance of a supernatural or
extraordinary event which cannot be duplicated by humans. It has been
documented that Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, challenged the
Arabs to produce a literary work of a similar caliber as the Quran,
but they were unable to do so in spite of their well-known eloquence
and literary powers. The challenge to reproduce the Quran was
presented to the Arabs and mankind in three stages:
l. The Whole Quran
In the Quran, God commanded the Prophet to challenge all of creation
to create a book of the stature of the Quran:
Say: If all mankind and the jinn would come together to produce the
like of this Quran, they could not produce its like even though they
exerted all and their strength in aiding one another. (Quran 17:88)
2. Ten Chapters
Next, God made the challenge ostensibly easier by asking those who
denied its divine origin to imitate even ten chapters of the Quran:
Or do they say that he has invented it? Say (to them), Bring ten
invented chapters like it, and call (for help) on whomever you can
besides God, if you are truthful. (Quran 11:13)
3. One Chapter
This final challenge was to produce even a single chapter to match
what is in the Quran, whose shortest chapter, al-Kawthar, consists of
only three verses:
And if you all are in doubt about what I have revealed to My
servant,
bring a single chapter like it, and call your witnesses besides God
if
you are truthful. (Quran 2:23)
These challenges were not just empty words with no one caring to
prove
them wrong. Prophet Muhammads call to monotheism, to the abolition
of
idolatry in all its forms, and to the equality of slaves and their
masters threatened the whole socio-economic framework of Mecca
society
in general, and the position of the ruling Quraishee tribe from which
the Prophet came in particular. Mecca, the trading center of Arabia,
as well as its spiritual center, desperately wanted to stop the
spread
of Islam. Yet all that the Prophets opponents had to do to crush the
movement was to make up a single chapter like any one of those which
the Prophet and his followers were reciting to the people. A number
of
Quraishee orators and poets tried to imitate the Quran, but they
failed. They then resorted to offering him vast amounts of wealth,
the
position of king over them, and the most noble and beautiful of their
women in exchange for his promise to stop inviting people to Islam.
He
responded to them by reciting the first thirteen verses of Chapter
Fussilat, until they asked him to stop.[1] The Quraish also resorted
to torturing their slaves and relatives who had embraced Islam in a
vain attempt to cause them to revert to paganism. Later they
organized
an economic boycott against the Prophet his followers and the members
of his clan, Banu Hashim, in an attempt to starve them into
submission. But even this plan eventually failed. Finally, they
plotted to kill him in his home by sending armed young men from each
of the clans of Quraish in order that the guilt of his murder be
shared by all the clans, making revenge by the Prophets clan
impossible.
However, God enabled the Prophet and his followers to flee Mecca and
join a new band of converts who had arisen among the tribes of a city
to the north called Yathrib. Islam spread rapidly through the clans
of
Yathrib, and within a year Muslims became the citys majority.
Prophet
Muhammad was then made the ruler, and the name of the city was
changed
to Medina an-Nabi (The City of the Prophet may God praise him), which
was then shortened to Medina. Over the next eight years, the clans
of Mecca and its neighboring lands mounted a series of unsuccessful
battle campaigns against the emerging Muslim state in Medina, which
ended with the Muslim invasion of Mecca itself.
All of this bloodshed could have been avoided if only the Quraish and
their allies had been able to produce a mere three lines of poetry or
flowing prose similar to the shortest chapter of the Quran. Hence,
there can be no doubt about the inimitability of the Qurans literary
style, about the miracle of its rhyme and the marvel of its rhythm.
It has been suggested that the inimitability of the Quran is not
necessarily unique, for great English poets like Shakespeare,
Chaucer,
or great poets in any language tend to have distinctly unique styles
which set them apart from their contemporaries. However, if, for
example, some leading poet of today were to make an in-depth study of
Shakespeares writings and write a sonnet in Shakespeares style in
old ink and on old paper, then claim that he had discovered a lost
poem of Shakespeares, the literary world would probably accept this
claim, even after careful study. Thus, even the greatest of poets
could be imitated; no matter how unique his style was, just as the
famous painters have been imitated. [In fact, some English scholars
consider much of what has been attributed to Shakespeare to have been
written by his contemporary, Christopher Marlowe.] The Quran,
however,
is way above this level, as attempts to forge chapters have been made
throughout the ages, yet none has withstood close scrutiny. And, as
was mentioned before, the incentive to imitate the Quran was more
intense during the time of its revelation when literally skills were
at their peak than at any other time, yet there was no successful
attempt.
________________________________________
Footnotes:
[1] Collected by al-Hakim, al-Bayhaqee, Aboo Yalaa and Ibn Hishaam,
and declared Hasan by Ibrahim al-Alee in Sahih as-Seerah an-
Nabaweeyah, p.64.
By:
Dr. Bilal Philips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VupIj2b91M&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_O90cJjgqE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7fLHZC1-Q8
?what is you feeling
I wish to your know some Miracles of
The Quran
this is book
http://www.islam-guide.com/islam-guide.pdf
With best wishes