Introduction to I’jāz al-Qur’ān: The Miraculous Nature of the Qur’an
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
Note
This article serves as the first essay in a series in the topic of i’jaz al -quran, , the miraculous nature of the Qur’an, and addresses the foundations of iʿjāz, its history, scope, and facets, as well as an introduction to the literary miracle of the Qur’an. The subsequent essay addresses the inimitability of the Qur’an, various plagiarism attempts throughout history, and the role of the Prophet muhammad ﷺ.
Say, “Even if all mankind and jinn came together to produce the equivalent of this Qur’an, they could not produce its equal, however much they helped each other.”
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Introduction
Among the most foundational and significant beliefs of Muslims is the absolute conviction in the Qur’an as the Speech (kalām) of God, divine and preserved, unparalleled and unmatched by any human speech, and inimitable by any individual or group. What follows is a survey of the foundational components of the study of iʿjaz al-Qur’ān, or the miraculous nature of the Qur’an, answering the crucial question of the Qur’an’s authorship. With respect to the Qur’an’s authorship, one must logically fall into one of the following two categories:
1. Those who claim that the Qur’an is the Speech of God revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through Angel Jibrīl (Gabriel); or
2. Those who claim that the Qur’an is not from God but was authored by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ or other human beings.
By the end of this series, the evidence will clearly demonstrate that the Qur’an’s authorship cannot reasonably be attributed to anyone but God.
The iʿjāz of the Qur’an
Amongst the beliefs of Muslims is that the Qur’an has the characteristic of iʿjāz; that is, a miraculous nature. The Arabic word relates to ʿajaza (incapability), meaning that it is beyond the capability of human beings. Mankind’s inability (ʿajz) to imitate the Qur’an is thus considered a sign of its divine origin. Thus, it is an ongoing muʿjizah (miracle)—that which “breaks the custom” (kharq al-ʿādah)
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or natural order—until the Day of Resurrection; and it is a clear proof given to the final messenger as an authentication of his prophethood.
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When applied to the Qur’an, the word iʿjāz refers to the unique and inimitable quality of the Qur’an in that it is superior to all other books and speech and cannot be imitated or rivaled.
The basis for the agreed-upon doctrine of Qur’anic iʿjāz is found in the Qur’an itself on six different occasions,
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such as when the adversaries of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ denied his prophethood and declared the Qur’an to be fabricated; the Qur’an itself challenged those who denied it to “produce something like it … if you are truthful [in your claim].”
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These verses pose what is known as the eternal taḥaddī (challenge), or collectively as the Verses of the Challenge (āyāt at-taḥaddī); thus, anyone who denies the Qur’an’s divine origins is challenged to produce something like it if they believe it to be man-made (i.e., not originating from God). The famous historian Ismāʿīl ibn Kathīr (d. 774/1373) opined that the initial challenge was to produce something similar to the entire Qur’an; the next challenge was then reduced to ten suwar (singular: sūrah), or “chapters,” then finally to one sūrah.
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Although this challenge was presented to the greatest Arab poets who were known for their eloquence and mastery of the Arabic language, the challenge remains open and active until the end of time.
The famous scholar as-Suyūtī (d. 911/1505) summarizes the history of the challenge as follows:
… when the Prophet brought [the challenge] to them, they were the most eloquent rhetoricians so he challenged them to produce the [entire] likes [of the Qur’an] and many years passed and they were unable to do so, as God says, “Let them then produce a recitation similar to it if indeed they are truthful.” Then, [the Prophet] challenged them to produce ten chapters like it where God says, “Say, bring then ten chapters like it and call upon whomever you can besides God if you are truthful.” Then, he challenged them to produce a single [chapter] where God says, “Or do they say he [i.e., the Prophet] has forged it? Say, bring a chapter like it and call upon whomever you can besides God, if you are truthful…” When the [Arabs] were unable to produce a single chapter like [the Qur’an] despite there being the most eloquent rhetoricians amongst them, [the Prophet] openly announced the failure and inability [to meet the challenge] and declared the inimitability of the Qur’an. Then God said, “Say: if all of humankind and the jinn gathered together to produce the like of the Qur’an, they could not produce it—even if they helped one another…”
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The eternal challenge, thus, is a bold call for the experts of any era to produce something similar to the Qur’an in all of its divine facets. Although there are many miracles that Muslims believe occurred during the time of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the impact of these miracles was undoubtedly greater on those who witnessed them than later generations who merely read about them. Additionally, the miracles of previous prophets and messengers were visibly undeniable and also related to their own interests. For example, Mūsá (Moses) عليه السلام was sent to a society known for its interest in sorcery and illusions so the miracles he was given were related to such illusions—such as his staff’s transformation into an actual snake and consuming the false “snakes” of the sorcerers.
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Īsá (Jesus) عليه السلام was sent with miracles relevant to his society, such as the miracle of healing the ill, resurrection of the dead, and giving life to a bird made out of its clay—by the permission of God.
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These miracles, however, were limited in time and space and are no longer epistemologically accessible except by means of testimony (e.g., revelation). Islamic doctrine asserts that the iʿjāz of the Qur’an removes the constraints of time and place upon the muʿjizah (miracle) itself—the Qur’an—and thus the Qur’an remains a permanent, ongoing miracle for all generations after the final prophet, regardless of time and place.
Ibn Khaldūn (d. 808/1406), the famous Muslim historian, stated in his Muqaddimah:
Know that the greatest of all miracles, and the most sacred and blessed, and the clearest in proof, is the Qur’an that was revealed to the Prophet [Muhammad] ﷺ. This is because all other miracles, in general, were brought forth separate from the actual inspiration (that the Prophet received), as a means of proving the truthfulness of the inspiration. As for the Qur’an, it is the inspiration and the miracle in one, and is therefore not in need of any external miracles (to prove itself), unlike all the previous inspirations. It is, therefore, the clearest and most powerful miracle, since it combines the boast and the proof into one. This is the meaning of the Prophet’s statement, “…I hope, therefore, that I will have the largest number of followers on the Day of Judgment.” This shows that a miracle as clear and powerful as this one—for it is the inspiration in its essence—must have the greatest number of believers and followers…15
Ibn Khaldūn’s argument for the miraculous nature of the Qur’an touches upon an important point in epistemology, and that is that the Qur’an does not require external miracles (muʿjizāt) to prove itself to be miraculous. In fact, miracles themselves are seen as proofs of prophets’ truthfulness to their respective nations. What this implies is that the evidence for the Qur’an’s divine origins can be found by objectively and sincerely studying iʿjāz al-Qur’an and studying and reciting the Qur’an itself.
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