The Perfection of the Qur'aan - taken from the internet

8/9/2019 The Perfection of the Qur'aan - taken from the internet

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THE PERFECTION OF THE QUR'AN

FROM THE LITERARY ASPECT

THE INIMITABILITY OF THE QUR'AN

We have so far considered the miraculous characteristics of the Qur'an from the scientificand historical points of view. In addition to these, the Qur'an also possesses an astounding,inimitable style from the literary perspective.

It first needs to be stated that the exposition in the Qur'an addresses all human groupingsfrom all ages. No matter what the reader's education and cultural level, the Qur'an is writtenin a clear, comprehensible language which can be understood by everyone. In one verse,Allah reveals the following about the Qur'an:

We have made the Qur'an easy to remember (Qur'an, 54:22)

Despite having such an easily comprehensible style, it has never been possible to imitatethe Qur'an from any point of view. Some of the verses in which Allah draws attention to theinimitable nature of the Qur'an are:

If you have doubts about what We have sent down to Our servant, produce anothersura equal to it, and call your witnesses, besides Allah, if you are telling the truth. (Qur'an, 2:23)

Do they say, "He has invented it"? Say: "Then produce a sura like it and call on anyone you can besides Allah if you are tellingthe truth." (Qur'an, 10:38)

One of the reasons t hat the Qur'an is described as miraculous stems from the fact that, as emphasized in theverses above, nothing likeit can ever be written by human endeavour: The greater the scale of that impossibility, the greater the size of the miracle which we seebefore our very eyes. Therefore, the fact that the style of the Qur'an has been incapable of imitation by even one out of the billions ofpeople down the centuries is one of the proofs of its miraculous nature. In his book,The Construction of the Bible and the Qur'an, F. F.

Arbuthnot makes the following comment about the Qur'an:

From the literary point of view, the Koran is regarded as a specimen of the purest Arabic, written on half poetry and half prose. It hasbeen said that in some cases grammarians have adopted their rules to agree with certain phrases and expressions used in it, and thatthough several attempts have been made to produce a work equal to it as far elegant writing is concerned, none has as yetsucceeded.245

The words employed in the Qur'an are exceedingly special, both in terms of m eaning and also of fluency and effect of s tyle. However,those who are unwilling to believe that the Qur'an is a holy book in which Allah has revealed His commandments and prohibitions, havecome up with a variety of excuses as to why they should not follow it. They have attempted to take refuge from its beauty by turning todenial. Allah reveals the following about the deniers' descriptions of the Qur'an:

We did not teach him poetry nor would it be right for him. It is simply a reminder and a clear Qur'an so that you may warnthose who are truly alive and so that the Word may be carried out against the disbelievers. (Qur'an, 36:69-70)

The Superior Nature of the Rhyming Scheme in the Qur'an

Another of the elements which make the Qur'an inimitable stems from its literary structure.Despitebeing in Arabic, the Qur'an bears no similarity to the forms used in Arabic literature.

The rhyming system in the Qur'an is known as "rhymed prose" and linguists describe the use of thisrhyme in the Qur'an as a miracle. In his bookScience Miracles, a work prepared to demonstrate that theQur'an is a linguistic miracle, the well-known British scientist Professor Adel M. A. Abbas carried out awide-ranging study of the letters and rhyming scheme used in the Qur'an by means of graphics anddiagrams. Some rather striking facts were established in this book with regard to the rhyming system inthe Qur'an.

As we know, 29 Suras in the Qur'an begin with one or more symbolic letters. These letters are known as"muqatta'ah-letters" or "initial letters." Fourteen of the 29 letters in Arabic comprise these initial letters:

Qaf, Sad, Ta, Ha, Ya, Sin, Alif, Lam, Mim, Kaf, 'Ayn, Nun, Ra, Ha.

Of these letters, when we look at the use of the letter "Nun" in Surat al-Qalam we see rhyming with theletter "Nun" in 88.8% of the verses. 84.6% of Surat ash-Shu'ara', 90.32% of Surat an-Naml and 92.05%

of Surat al-Qasas are rhymed with "Nun."

Prof. Adel M. A. Abbas' book,Science Miracles


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When applying these studies to the whole Qur'an, 50.08% is rhymed with the letter "Nun." To put it another way, more than half theverses in the Qur'an end with the letter "Nun." In no literary work of comparable length has it been possible to rhyme with a single sound

in more than half the text. This applies to all languages, not just to Arabic.

Distribution of verses ending with the letter "Nun" from those suras beginning with initial letters:

Verse number Name of Sura Number of letter Nun

2 al-Baqara 196

3 al Imran 121

7 al-Araf 193

10 Yunus 98

11 Hud 56

12 Yusuf 93

13 ar-Rad 5

14 brahim 6

15 al-Hijr 81

19 Maryam 5

20 Ta Ha 0

26 ash-Shuara 192

27 an-Naml 84

28 al-Qasas 81

29 al-Ankabut 59

30 ar-Rum 54

31 Luqman 7

32 as-Sajda 27

36 Ya Sin 71

38 Sd 18

40 Ghafir 32

41 Fussilat 30

42 ash-Shura 6

43 az-Zukhruf 78

44 ad-Dukhan 44

45 al-Ghashiyya 30

46 al-Ahqaf 26

50 Qaf 0

68 al-Qalam 42

The above table shows the distribution of verses ending with the letter Nun in those Suras beginning wit hinitial (symbolic) letters.

When a general examination of the rhyme scheme in the Qur'an is m ade, we see that around 80% of the rhymes consist of just t hreesounds (n, m, a) consisting of the letters Alif , Mim, Ya and Nun.246 Excluding the letter "Nun," 30% of the verses are rhymed with "Mim,"

"Alif" or "Ya."

The four most frequently employed sounds in rhymes:

Letter Total

Sounds a a m n

Verse number 949 246 666 3123 4984

Proportion (%) 15.22 3.94 10.68 50.03 79.92

The above table shows the proportional distribution of the four letters comprising 79.92% of therhyme system in the Quran.

The following verses are just a few of the many examples of rhymes using these four letters.


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Surat al-Mumi

un

1. l lm /mi

.

ll m l i im i

.

ll m

i ll i m

i

.

ll m lil ! ! i

il

" .

ll m li ji im i

# . ... m m l $ m m % i m $ m l m

& . ... l % i m l

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ll m li% m i im

i im

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ll m

l l i im $ i

10. ) l % i m l i

11. ... m li

12.

l 0 l 0 l% i mi l l i mi i

13. 1 mm j

l 0 i m i

14. ... 2

ll l li 0

15. 1 mm i m 2

li l m $ $ i

16. 1 mm i m $ m l 0 i $ m i 2

17. ... m

i l l 0 i il

Surat an-Nahl

1. ... 3 4 5 46 6

4 l 4 6 6

4 mm 4 7 8 9 @ A i B C C D 4

2. ... 4 D D 4 @ 8 l 4 il4 @ 4 ill 4 4 D 4 E 4 i 5 5 4 F C C D i

3. ... 5 46 6

4 l 4 6 6

4 mm 4 7 8 9 @ A i B C C D 4

4. ... E 4 G i 5 @ 4 @ 8 3 4 B @ 4 9 H H m 8 D m 8 I H H D 8 D

5. ... 3 4 m4 D 4 E i6 6

8 3 4 mi D @ 4 5 4 G B 8 l C C D 4

6.P

4 l 4 B 8 m E H H @ 4 j 4 m4 l 8 D @ H H D 4 5 8 A H H @ C C D 4 3 4 @ H H D 4 5 4 9 A 4 @ C C D 4

Surat al-An'am

1. ... Q R S mm T T llT Q R U U V T W T X T Y ` ` a i Y T a a i R im b Tc c

d il ` ` V T

2. ... Q R S mm T T V Q S m Q T mQ T Y ` ` V T

3. ... e T b Tc c

l T mS m T Q T W f i a ` ` V T

4. ... ill T W T V ` ` c c

T V R T m Sc c

Y i d U U V T

5. ... X T f T e X T b T / Q U U R im T V a T ` m T W T V ` ` a i R i b T f Q T R g ih ` ` V T


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10. ... l

ll i

l m im i l

l m

11. ... l

l m lm i

12. ... i m l i

13. ... l l m l i m i

mm

14. ... m l m lim

Surat an-Naml

12. ... i m - m i -

13. ... i m

14. ...

- i lm i

15. ... mi

i i i lm /mi

16. ... i l l l lm

17

. ...

m

18. ... l m j m l

19. ... il i m i

i i l li

Surat an-Nisa

23. ... i

ll m

24. ... i

ll

l m m

25. ...

ll m

26. ...

ll

l m m

27. ... m l m l

m

Surat al-Maida

22. ... i j mi i il

23. ... l i m m /mi

24. ... i

i

25. ... l mi l i

26. ...

l

/

l

l

mi

l

i

27. ... l i m l

ll mi lm

28. ... i

ll l

l m

29. ... li j l lim

30. ... l mi l i

31. ... mi l im


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Surat al-A'raf

2. ... i lilm /mi

3. ... l l m

4. ... j / m il

5. ... i j m / ill l i lim

6. ... l l lm l

7. ... m i

8. ... l i m lm li

9. ... im i i lim

10. ... l l m

11. ... l m mi l ji

Surat at-Tawba

7. ... i

ll i lm

8. ... m i

9. ... i m m

m l

10. ... l i m lm

11. ... il l i li mi

l m

12. ... l

ll

m

13. ... i m m /mi

14. ... i mi m /mi

Surat al-Baqara

62. ... l

l im l m

63. ... m i l

ll m

64. ... l m mi l i

65. ... l l m i i

66. ... m

i lilm

67. ...

i

ll i mi lj il

68. ... i

l m /m

69. ... i

l l i

Surat al Imran

130. ... i ! ! "

ll # l " "

ll $ % m % & li # ! ! '


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131.(

) i 0 0 ) 1 2 2 ) l 3 3 ) 4 ) ) ll ) 0 5 5 26 6

i 7 7 ) 0 lil 8 ) 9 i 4 5 5 3 )

132. ... l )6 6

) ll ) 8 @ m 0 @ 4 A ) m 2 2 3 )

133. ... 26 6

i 7 7 ) 0 lilm @ 0 0 ) 1 5 5 3 )

134. ... B )6

ll ) A @ C @ A i D D @ ) lm @ A E i 3 5 5 3 )

135. ... B ) l ) m C @ E i 4 4 2 2 6 6

) l ) m ) 9 )6 6

) l 2 2 B ) A @ m C )6 6

l ) m2 2 3 )

136. ... B ) 3 i6 6

m ) ) j 4 @ ) l6 6

) mil 5 5 3 )

137. ... 9 ) 2 3 0 A @ 4 2 2 8 ) C 9 ) 8 ) 3 ) 6 6

) 1 i D ) 0 @ ) lm @ 8 ) 0 A 0 A i D 5 5 3 )

138. ... B ) m ) B6 6

i 0 A ) 0 @ 3 lilm@ 0 0 ) 1 5 5 3 )

139. ... B ) ) 3 0 @ m @ ) lF )6 6

l ) B 3 ) i 3 8 @ 3 0 @ m m @ /mi 3 5 5 3 )

140. ... B )6

ll ) A @ l ) C @ A i D D @ ) l 0 A 0 A ) lim 5 5 3 )

Surat al-AnbiG

a

5

. ...H I

lP I

/Q

iR I

S

iT I P I Q

iR

U I

mI

V W X

ilI

I

lT I

Y Y

I

lV V R I

6. ... I H I ` a m P a /mi R V V R I

7. ... i R U a R Q a m l I Q Ib b

l I mV V R I

8. ... Y I m I U I R V V U ` I li c d d R I

9. ... Y I I l I U R I I lm a X W i H d d R I

10. ... I H I l I Q Ib b

e il V V R I

11. ... Y I I R X ` I / R I S Ib b

c I ` I e I Y mI R I U ` I W d d R I

12. ... ` a m mi R ` I P I W U a c V V R I

Surat an-Nur

47. ... f g mg h l g i i p g q i g lm r /mi s t t s g

48. ... u g v t t w r s mi s x r m m ry y

v i h h s g

49.

g i i s g p r s l g x r m r g l x g w w r g / h h il g x i m r xy y

i s t t s g

50. ... q g l h l g i i p g x r m r g l x x g lim h h s g

51. ... f g h l g i i p g x r m r g lm r u li x h h s g

52. ... u g h l g i i p g x r m r g l u g i i h h s g

53. ... i s s g y

ll g x g p x g q t t v r s q im g gy y

mg l h h s g

54. ... f g mg y y

g l g g l v v g h h li ill g g l q g l g x r g lm r q t t s g

55. ... u g h l g i i p g x r m r g l u g i w h h s g

Surat al-Hijr

5. ... m / i


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6. ... innaka lamajnoonun

7. ... in kunta mina alssadiqeena

8. ... wama kanoo ithan munthareena

9. ... wa-inna lahu lahafithoona

10. Walaqad arsalna min qablika fee shiyaAAi al-awwaleena

11. ... kanoo b ihi yastahzi-oona

12. Kathalika naslukuhu fee quloobi almujrimeena

13. ... waqad khalat sunnatu al-awwaleena

14. ... feehi yaAArujoona

15. ... nahnu qawmun mashooroona

The formation of rhymed prose with just two or three sounds in a poem of 200-300 lines may give that work an im portant quality,sufficient for it to be described as a masterpiece by literary critics today. However, bearing in mind the length of the Qur'an, theinformation it contains and its wise exposition, the extraordinary manner in which its rhymed prose system is usedbecomes even

clearer and more beautiful. The Qur'an indeed contains an ocean of information relating to a wide variety of subjects. They include:religious and moral guidance, lessons from the lives of the peoples of the past, the message of the Prophetsand Messengers of Allah,the physical sciences and historical accounts of important events. But all of this, although wonderful in itself, is delivered with the mostfantastic literary rhythm and excellence. It is simply not possible for so much rhymed prose by use of so few sounds in the Qur'an, withits varied and knowledgeable subject matter, to be achieved by human endeavour. From that point of view, it is not surprisingthat Arablinguists describe the Qur'an as "very definitely inimitable."

COMMENTS ABOUT THE QUR'AN FROM VARIOUS SCHOLARS

Some Comments on the Literary Excellence an

Inimitability of the Qur'an

... the Meccans still demanded of him a miracle, and with remarkable boldness and self confidence Mohammad appealed as asupreme confirmation of his mission to the Koran itself. Like all Arabs they were the connoisseurs of language and rhetoric. W ell, then ifthe Koran were his own composition other men could rival it. Let them produce ten verses like it. If they could not (and it is obvious that

they could not), them let them accept the Koran as an outstanding evident miracle.(The well-known Arabist Hamilton Gibb of the University ofOxford)

As a literary monument the Koran thus stands by itself, a production unique to the Arabic literature, having neither forerunners norsuccessors in its own idiom. Muslims of all ages are united in proclaim ing the inimitability not only of its contents but also of its s tyle.(Well-known Arabist Hamilton Gibb)

The influence of the Koran on the development of Arabic Literature has been incalculable, and exerted in many directions. Itsideas, its language, its rhymes pervade all subsequent literary works in greater or less measure. Its specific linguistic features were notemulated, either in the chancery prose of the next century or in the later prose writings, but it was at least partly due to the flexibilit yimparted by the Koran to the High Arabic idiom that the former could be so rapidly developed and adjusted to the new needs of the

imperial government and an expanding society.(Well-known Arabist Hamilton Gibb)

Whenever [Prophet] Muhammad [saas] was asked a miracle, as a proof of the authenticity of his mission, he quoted thecomposition of the Qur'an and its incomparable excellence as proof of itsDivine origin. And, in fact, even for those who are non-Muslimsnothing is more marvellous than its language with such apprehensible plenitude and a grasping sonority The ampleness of itssyllables with a grandiose cadence and with a remarkable rhythm have been of much moment in the conversion of the most hostile andthe most sceptic.(From Paul Casanova's article, "L'Enseignement de I'Arabe au College de France" [The Arab Teaching at the College of France])

It [the Qur'an] is a literal revelation of Allah, dictated to [Prophet] Muhammad [saas] by Gabriel, perfect in every letter. It isan ever-present miracle witnessing to itself and to [Prophet] Muhammad [saas], the Prophet of Allah. Its miraculous quality resides partly in itsstyle, so perfect and lofty that neither men norJinn could produce a single chapter to compare with its briefest chapter, and partly in itscontent of teachings, prophecies about the future, and amazingly accurate information such as [Prophet] Muhammad [saas] could never

have gathered of his own accord.(From Harry Gaylord Dorman's book,Towards Understanding Islam)


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All those who are acquainted with the Qur'an in Arabic agree in praising the beauty of this religious book; its grandeur ofform is sosublime that no translation into any European language can allow us to appreciate it.(From Edward Montet's Traduction Franaise du Coran[French Translation of the Qur'an])

The Qur'an in its original Arabic dress has a seductive beauty and charm of its own Couched in concise and exalted style, itsbriefpregnant sentences, oft en rhymed, possess an expressive force and explosive energy which it is extremely difficult to conveyby literal

word for word translation.(From John Naish's book, The Wisdom of the Qur'an)

The Koran is universally allowed to be written with the utmost elegance and purity of language, in the dialect of Koreish, the mostnoble and polite of all Arabians The style of the Qur'an is generally beautiful and fluent, and in many places, specifically where themajesty and at tributes of God are described, sublime and m agnificent He succeeded so well, and so strangely captivated the mindsof his audience, that several of his opponents thought it the effect of wit chcraft and enchantment .(From George Sale's book, The Koran: ThePreliminary Discourse)

A miracle of purity of style of wisdom and of truth.(From Rev. R. Bosworth Smith's book,Mohammed and Mohammedanism)

It [the Qur'an] has a rhythm of peculiar beauty and a cadence that charms the ear. Many Christian Arabs speak of its style withwarm admiration, and most Arabists acknowledge its excellence indeed it may be affirmed that within the literature of theArabs, wide

and fecund as it is both in poetry and in elevated prose, there is nothing to compare with it.(From Alfred Guillaume's book, Islam)

Some Comments on the Divine Nature of the Qur'an an Its Effect on People

On the whole we find in it a collection of wisdom which can be adopted by the most intelligent of men, the greatest of philosophersand the most skilful of politicians But there is another proof of theDivinity of the Qur'an; it is the fact that it has been preserved intactthrough the ages since the time of its Revelation till the present day Read and reread by the Muslim world, this book does not rouse inthe faithful any weariness, it rather, through repetition, is more loved every day. It gives rise to a profound feeling of awe and respect inthe one who reads it or listens to it Therefore, above all, what caused the great and rapid diffusion of Islam was through the fact that

this Book was the book of Allah(From Laura Veccia Vaglieri's book,Apologie de I'Islamisme)

The Koran abounds in excellent moral suggestions and precepts, its composition is so fragmentary that we cannot turn to a singlepage without finding maxims of which all m en must approve. This fragmentary construction yields texts, and mottoes, and rulescomplete in themselves, suitable for common men in any of the incidents of life.(From John William Draper's book,A History of the IntellectualDevelopment of Europe)

It must be acknowledged, too, that the Koran deserves the highest praise for its conceptions of theDivine nature in reference tothe attributes of Power, knowledge and universal Providence and Unity-that i ts belief and t rust in the one Allah of Heaven andEarth isdeep and fervent-and that it embodies much of the noble and deep moral earnestness, and sententious oracular wisdom, and hasproved that there are elements in it on which mighty nations and conquering Empires can be built up.(From the preface ofThe Koran,translated from the Arabic by Rev. J. M. Rodwell)

Here, therefore, its merits as a literary production should perhaps not be measured by some preconceived maxims of subjectiveand aesthetic taste, but by the eff ects which it produced in [Prophet] Muhammad's [saas] contem poraries and fellow countrymen. If itspoke so powerfully and convincingly to the hearts of his hearers as to weld hitherto centrifugal and antagonistic elements into onecompact and well-organized body, animated by ideas far beyond those which had until now ruled the Arabian mind, then its eloquencewas perfect, simply because it created a civilized nation out of savage tribes(A statement ofDr. Steingass, quoted in T. P. Hughes'Dictionaryof Islam)

In making the present attempt to produce something which might be accepted as echoing however faintly the sublime rhetoric ofthe Arabic Koran, I have been at pains to study the intricate and richly varied rhythms which-apart from the message itself-constitute theKoran's undeniable claim to rank amongst the greatest l iterary masterpieces of m ankind This very characteristic f eature-"thatinimitable symphony," as the believing Pickthall described his Hol y Book-has been almost totally ignored by previous t ranslators; i t istherefore not surprising that what they have wrought sounds dull and flat indeed in comparison with the splendidly decorated original.(From Arthur J. Arberry's book,The Koran Interpreted)

A totally objective examination of it [the Qur'an] in the light of the modern knowledge, leads us to recognize the agreement betweenthe two, as has been already noted on repeated occasions. It m akes us deem it quite unthinkable f or a man of [Prophet] Muhammad's[saas] tim e to have been the author of such statements on account of the state of knowledge in his day. Such considerations are part ofwhat gives the Qur'anic Revelation its unique place, and forces the impartial scientist to admit his inability to provide anexplanation

which calls solely upon materialistic reasoning. (Dr. Maurice Bucaille, former chief of the Surgical Clinic, University of Paris)

[T]he Qur'an has invariably kept its place as the fundamental starting point A creed so precise, so accessible to theordinary understanding might be expected to possess and does indeed possess a marvellous power of winning its way into theconsciences of men. (Edward Montet, a French intellectual)


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... We have a book absolutely unique in its origin, in its preservation on the Substantial authority of which no one has ever been

able to cast a serious doubt.(From Rev. Bosworth Smith's book,Mohammed and Mohammedanism)

the Qur'an is explicit in the support of the freedom of conscience.(From James Michener's article, "Islam: The Misunderstood Religion")

Sense of justice is one of the most wonderful ideals of Islam, because as I read in the Qur'an I find those dynamic principles of life,not mystic but practical ethics for the daily conduct of life suited to the whole world.(From a lecture on "The Ideals of Islam"quoted in the bookSpeeches and Writings ofSarojini Naidu)

We must not be surprised to find the Qur'an the fountainhead of the sciences. Every subject connected with heaven or earth,human life, commerce and various trades are occasionally touched upon,and this gave rise to the production of numerous monographsforming commentaries on parts of the holy book. In this way the Qur'an was responsible for great discussions, and to it was indirectlydue to the marvellous development of all branches of science in the Muslim world This again not only affected the Arabs but alsoinduced Jewish philosophers to treat metaphysical and religious questions af ter Arab methods. Finally, the way in which Christian

scholasticism was fertilised by Arabian t heosophy need not be further discussed.

Spiritual activity once aroused within Islamic bounds was not confined to theological speculations alone. Acquaintance with thephilosophical, mathem atical, astronomical and medical writings of the Greeks led to the pursuance of these studies. In the descript iverevelations [Prophet] Muhammad [saas] repeatedly calls attention to t he movement of the heavenly bodies, as parts of the m iracles ofAllah forced into the service of man and therefore not to be worshipped. How successfully Moslem people of all races pursued the studyof astronomy is shown by the fact that for centuries they were its principal supporters. Even now many Arabic names of stars and

technical terms are in use. Medieval astronomers in Europe were pupils of the Arabs.

In the same manner the Qur'an gave an impetus to medical studies and recommended the contemplation and study of Nature ingeneral. (From Prof. Hartwig Hirschfeld's book,New Researches into the Composition and Exegesis of the Qur'an)

The Koran admittedly occupies an important position among the great religious books of the world. Though the youngest of theepoch-making works belonging to this class of lit erature, it yields to hardly any in the wonderful effect which it has produced on largemasses of men. It has created an all but new phase of human thought and a fresh type of character. It first transformed a number ofheterogeneous desert tribes of t he Arabian peninsula into a nation of heroes, and then proceeded to create the vast politico-religiousorganizations of the Muhammadan world which are one of the great forces with which Europe and the East have to reckon today.(FromG. Margoliouth's introduction toThe Koran, translated from the Arabic by Rev. J. M. Rodwell)

However often we turn to it [the Qur'an], it soon attracts, astounds, and in the end enforces our reverence Its style, inaccordance with its contents and aim is stern, grand, terrible-ever and anon truly sublime-Thus this book will go on exercising through

all ages a m ost potent influence.(A saying of Goethe quoted in T. P. Hughes' book,Dictionary of Islam)

SOME SCIENTISTS' COMMENTS REGARDING THE QUR'AN

There are too many accuracies [in the Qur'an] and, likeDr. Moore, I have no difficulty in my mind that this is aDivine inspirationor revelation which led him to these statements.(Dr. T. V. N. Persaud, Professor of Anatomy, Pediatrics and Child Health, Obstetrics, Gynecology,Reproductive Sciences at the University of Manitoba)

It follows, I think, that not only there is no conflict between genetics and religion but, in fact, religion can guide science by addingrevelation to some of the traditional scientific approaches, that there exist statements in the Quran shown centurieslater to be valid,which support knowledge in the Quran having been derived from God.(Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology,Molecular and Human Genetics)

As a scientist, I can only deal with things which I can specifically see. I can understand embryology and developmental biology. Ican understand the words that are translated to me from the Quran. As I gave the example before, if I were to transpose myself into thatera, knowing what I knew today and describing things, I couldnot describe the things which were described So I see nothing here in

conflict with the concept thatD

ivine intervention was involved in what he [Prophet Muhammad (saas)] was able to write.(D

r. E. MarshallJohnson, Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at Thomas Jefferson Universit y)

In a relatively few aayahs [Quranic verses] is contained a rather comprehensive description of human development from the timeof commingling of the gametes through organogenesis. No such distinct and complete record of human development, such asclassification, t erminology, and description, existed previously. In most, if not all, instances, this description antedates by many centuriesthe recording of the various stages of human embryonic and fetal development recorded in the traditional scientific literature. (Gerald C.Goeringer, Associate Professor of Medical Embryology at Georgetown University)

It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Qur'an about human development. It is clear to me thatthesestatements must have come to [Prophet] Muhammad [saas]from God, or Allah, because most of this knowledge was not discovereduntil many centuries later. This proves to me that [Prophet] Muhammad [saas] must have been a messenger of God, or Allah.(Dr. Keith


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L. Moore, Professor Emeritus, Department of Anatomyand Cell Biology, University of Toronto. Distinguished embryologist and the author of several medicaltextbooks)

... Because the staging of human embryos is complex, owing to the continuous process of change during development, it isproposed that a new system of classification could be developed using the terms mentioned in the Qur'an and Sunnah. The proposedsystem is simple, comprehensive, and conforms with present embryological knowledge.(Dr. Keith L. Moore, Professor Emeritus, Department ofAnatomy and Cell Biology, University of Toronto)

The intensive studies of the Qur'an and Hadith in the last four years have revealed a system of classifying human embryos that i samazing since it was recorded in the seventh century A.D... the descriptions in the Qur'an cannot be based on scientific knowledge in

the seventh century...(Dr. Keith L. Moore, Professor Emeritus,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Toronto)

I think it is almost impossible that he [Prophet Muhammad (saas)] could have known about things like the comm on origin of theuniverse, because scientists have only found out within the last few years with very complicated and advanced technological methodsthat this is the case Somebody who did not know something about nuclear physics 1400 years ago could not, I think, be in a positionto find out from his own mind for instance that the earth and the heavens had the same origin, or many others of the questions that wehave discussed here. (Alfred Kroner, Professor of the Department of Geosciences, Universit y of Mainz, Germany. One of the world's most famousgeologists)

If you combine all these and you combine all these statements that are being made in the Qur'an in terms that relate to the earthand the formation of the earth and science in general, you can basically say that statements made there in many ways are true, theycan now be confirmed by scientific methods... And that many of the statements made in there at that time could not be proven,but thatmodern scientific methods are now in a position to prove what [Prophet] Muhammad [saas] said 1400 years ago.(Alfred Kroner, Professorof the Department of Geosciences, University of Mainz, Germany)

I say, I am very much impressed by finding true astronomical f acts in Qur'an, andfor us modern astronomers have been studyingvery small piece of the universe. We have concentrated our efforts for understanding of very small part. Because by using telescopes,we can see only very few parts of the sky without thinking about the whole universe. So by reading Qur'an and by answering to thequestions, I think I can find my future way for investigation of the universe.(Professor Yushidi Kusan, Director of the Tokyo Observatory, Tokyo,Japan)

Certainly, I would like to leave it at that, that what we have seen is remarkable, it may or may not admit of scientific explanation,there may well have to be something beyond what we understand as ordinary human experience to account for the writings that we

have seen. (Professor Armstrong, Professorof Astronomy serving with NASA)

It is difficult to imagine that this type of knowledge was existing at that time, around 1400 years back. May be some of thethingsthey have simple idea about, but to describe those things in great detail is very difficult. So this is definitely not simple humanknowledge. A normal human being cannot explain this phenomenon in that much detail. So, I thought the information must have come

from a supernatural source. (Prof. Dorja Rao, Professor of Mari ne Geology at King Abdulaziz University , Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)

I believe that everything mentioned in the Qur'an 1400 years ago is true and can be proven by scientific methods This mustbe by inspiration from God, or Allah, Who knows all science. Thus, I believe that this is the time to say: "There is no god but Allah andMuhammad is the Messenger of Allah."(Prof. Tejatat Tejasen, Head of the Department of Anatomy and Embryology, University of Chiang Mai, ChiangMai, Thailand)

The Qur'an came several centuries ago, confirming what we discovered. This indicates that the Qur'an is the word of God.(Prof.Joly Sumson, Professor in Gynecology and Obstetrics)

It [the Qur'an] discusses the past , the recent period, and the future. I do not know the cultural level of the people in the period of[Prophet] Muhammad [saas] and I do not know their scientific level. If it is as we know about the low scientific level in this ancientperiod, and the absence of technology, then there is no doubt that what we are reading nowadays in the Qur'an is a l ight fromGod. Heinspired it in [Prophet] Muhammad [saas]. I had made research into the early history of civilization in the Middle East in order to know ifthere was such perfect inform ation as this. If there was no other informat ion like the Qur'anic informat ion in that ancient period, thisstrengthens the faith that God sent [Prophet] Muhammad [saas]; He sent to him a little amount from His large science, which we havediscovered only in recent time. We are hoping for continuous dialogue in the subject of science with the Qur'an in the field of geology.

(Prof. Palmar, one of the major scientists in geology in the USA)

After a discussion about the function of mountains for the fixing of the earth: I believe that this [the Qur'an's information] is veryvery strange, it is nearly impossible, I believe truly that if what you are saying is right, thus, this book [the Qur'an] is very valuable to be

noticed, I agree with you.(Professor Syawda, a Japanese scientist famous in Japan and internationally in the field of oceanic geology.)


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A SELECTION OF OTHER STATEMENTS REGARDING THE QUR'AN

Everything made so much sense. This is the beauty of the Qur'an; it asks you to reflect and reason... When I read the Qur'anfurther, it talked about prayer, kindness and charity. I was not a Muslim yet,but I felt the only answer for me was the Qur'an and Allahhad sent it to me.(Yusuf Islam [Cat Stevens], former British pop star)

I am not a Muslim in the usual sense, though I hope I am a "Muslim" as "one surrendered to God," but I believe that embedded inthe Quran and other expressions of the Islamic vision are vast stores ofDivine truth f rom which I and other occident als havestill m uchto learn, and "Islam is certainly a strong contender for the supplying of the basic framework of the one religion of the future."(From thebook Islam and Christianity Today)

The essential and definite elem ent of my conversion to Islam was the Qur'an. I began to study it before my conversion with thecritical spirit of a Western intellectual... There are certain verses of this book, the Qur'an, revealed more than thirteen centuries ago,which teach exactly the same notions as the most modern scientific researchers do. This definitely converted me.(Ali Selman Benoist,France, Doctor of Medicine)

I have read the Sacred Scriptures of every religion; nowhere have I found what I encountered in Islam: perfection. The Holy Qur'an,compared to any other scripture I have read, is like the Sun compared to that of a match. I firmly believe that anybody who reads the

Word of Allah with a mind that is not completely closed to Truth, will become a Muslim.(Saifuddin Dirk Walter Mosig)

The strength of the Koran is that a Muslim, or anyone, can open it to any page and get a message dealing with life's meaning.(The

well-known theologian John Esposito)

I hope the time is not far off when I shall be able to unite all the wise and educated men of all the countries and establish auniformregime based on the principles of Qur'an which alone are true and which alone can lead men to happiness.(French Emperor NapoleonBonaparte)

Tony Blair: "Qur'an Inspire Me"

The British Prime Minister Tony Blair says that he has read the whole Qur'an three times. Inhis statements, he often mentioned his admiration for the Qur'an's moral teaching. On March29, 2000, the BBC reported on Blair's admiration for the Qur'an in a feature entitled "Blair:Qur'an Inspired Me." He was reported to have said that Islam was a good and peaceful

religion, that he owned two copies of the Qur'an, and that he was quite inspired by it:

If you read the Koran, it is so clear the concept of love and fellowship as the guiding spirits

of humanity.

Two or three days before the 9/11 attacks, the British newspaperThe Mail on Sunday

published an article in which Blair said that form er US president Bill Clinton's daughterChelsea had given him a copy of the Qur'an as a gift, that he had begun to read it and that itgiven him courage in times of difficulty. After the attacks, Blair once again said in an

interview on Al-Jazeera television that had read the Qur'an. He also added:

I read the message of the Koran, insofar as it can be translated. And I read about Islam and Ienjoy doing that. And I think that I have learned things about the Koran that I never knew

before and I think a lot of Christians would be interested.

Time magazine described Blair as "long-time student of the Koran" in one article about him.

A speech by Bill Clinton which escribe how influence he was by the Qur'an

In his last year in the White House, former US President Bill Clinton received a number of Muslims duringRamadan. At the meeting, which began with a reading from the Qur'an, Clinton used verses from the Qur'an in

his own address and frequently stated his interest in Islam:

And I thought it was part icularly moving that Imam read the passage from the Koran that said that Allah creatednations and tribes that we might know one another, not that we might despise one another. There's a wonderfulpassage in the Hebrew Torah, which warns people never to turn aside the stranger, for i t is like turning aside theM0st High God. And the Christian Bible says that people should love their neighbour as themselves. But it 'squite wonderful to say that Allah created the nat ions and tribes that t hey might know one another better.. . Letme say, also, that there is much that the world can learn from Islam. It is now practiced by one of every fourpeople on Earth. Americans are learning more in our schools and universities. Indeed, I remember that ourdaughter took a course on Islamic history in high school and read large portions of the Koran, and came hom eat night and educated her parents about it, and later asked us questions about it... So I ask you again to


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rededicate yourselves in this coming year to making sure that others in this country truly understand and appreciate the faith youembrace, its practices, its beliefs, its precepts and its inclusive humanity... The Koran also teaches, in addition, to the fact that weshould do unto others as we wish to have done to us, and reject for others what we would reject for ourselves, but we should also make

a commitment to live in peace

George W. Bush:

"It's [the Qur'an is] a very thoughtful gift."

On 26 September 2001, President George W. Bush held a substantive meetingwith American Muslim leaders, and said that "the teachings of Islam are theteachings of peace and good." During this meeting, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi,President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), presented a copy of theHoly Qur'an to President Bush. During a brief press conference aft er the m eeting,the President expressed his pleasure saying:

And I want to thank you very much for the-the gift you gave me, Imam , the Koran.It's a very thoughtful gift. I say, "Thank you very much for the gift." He said, "It'sthebest gift I could give you, Mr. President." I appreciate that very much.

On September 17, 2001, President Bush visited the Washington Islam Centremosque, one of the oldest in the United States. In his speech, he emphasized thatIslam is a religion of peace and that the terrorist attacks of 9/11 have nothing to dowith the teachings of Islam or the sincere Muslims of the world, all of whomdeplore terrorism. Bush stated that those who inflict harm on innocent and civilian

Muslims are just as in the wrong as those who carry out terrorist attacks. At thiscrowded meeting, covered live by a large number of domestic and international

television stations, President Bush read the following verse from the Qur'an:

"In the long run, evil in the extreme will be the end of those who do evil. For that they rejected the signs of Allah and held themup to ridicule." (Qur'an, 30:10)

The Perfection of the Qur'aan - taken from the internet

Documents

Transcript of The Perfection of the Qur'aan - taken from the internet