Protection from any Alteration
By Allamah
Tabatabai
The transmission of the Qur'an, from
the day of its revelation up to the present day, is flawless. The
chapters and verses have been in constant use amongst Muslims and have
been passed on perfectly intact from one generation to the other. The
Qur'an we know today is the same Qur'an which was revealed to the
Prophet some fourteen centuries ago. The Qur'an does not stand in need
of historical proof for its identity or authenticity, (although history
too confirms its validity). Since a book which claims to be the actual
unalterable word of God and attests to this in its own text, does not
need to resort to others to prove its authenticity. The clearest proof
that the Qur'an we have with us today is the same that was revealed to
the Prophet and that no alteration has taken place in its text is that
very superiority which the Qur'an claimed for itself at the time of its
revelation and which still exists.
The Qur'an says that it is a book of light and guidance, a book which
shows man the truth and reality of existence; it says that it explains
all things, that is, everything necessary for man to live in accordance
with his own natural character; it says that it is the word of God and
challenges man and jinn to produce similar words; -it invites them to
find someone like the Prophet, who could neither read nor write and grew
up in an age of ignorance as an orphan without instruction; the Qur'an
challenges them to find any inconsistency in its method, Sciences, or
laws, such as one might find in any ordinary book. They obviously cannot
for the superiority of the Qur'an remains after its revelation.
Likewise, the guidance for man contained in the Qur'an is still valid;
it still expounds a complete world view which is in accord with the
purest of intellectual proofs and is the source of man's well being in
this world and in the next. By the benevolence and care shown by the
Creator for His creation in the Book, it still invites man to belief.
The Qur'an cares for the needs of man by giving him a vision of reality
based on Divine Unity. All knowledge and belief spring from this view of
reality. At no point does the Qur'an fail to explain in the most
comprehensive fashion the reality of this oneness. It devotes much
attention to explaining the behavior and transactions expected of the
individual in society and shows how correct action is that which accords
with the natural character and capability (fitrah) of man. The Qur'an
leaves the detailed description of man's behavior to the Prophet whose
daily life was an example of how man was to apply what was contained in
the Qur'an. Together the Book of God and the example (or Sunnah) of the
Prophet delineated an astoundingly comprehensive life-pattern for man,
namely, the way of living in tune with the reality which is Islam. The
Qur'an deals precisely with all aspects of individual and social life
and, despite having been revealed in another age, does not contain the
slightest inconsistency or in- compatibility even today. It describes a
din, a comprehensive way of life, whose program of living is beyond the
imagination of the world's most capable lawyers and sociologists.
The miracle of the Qur'an has in it clarity and eloquence, rooted, as it
is, in the language of a nation famed for the purity and power of its
language. The Qur'an is a miraculous sun whose light shines far brighter
than the finest poetry of the time, indeed of any age. During the
Islamic conquests of the first century after Hijra, the resulting
admixing of non-Arabic words with the Arabic lessened the purity of
Arabic language used in the Qur'an causing it to disappear from the
every-day speech of the people. The Qur'an does not merely challenge man
by the use of its language but also by the depth of its meaning. Those
familiar with the Arabic language (both prose and verse writings) are
reduced to silence and astonishment when they attempt to describe it.
The Qur'an is neither poetry nor prose but rather seems to draw
qualities from both; it is more attractive and dazzling than poetry and
clearer and more flowing than prose.
A single verse or phrase from the Qur'an is more illuminating, more
penetrating, and more profound than the complete speech of most eloquent
speakers. The profundity of meaning in the Qur'an remains as miraculous
as ever; its complex structure of beliefs, morals and laws stands as
proof that the Qur'an is the word of God. Man, and in particular someone
who was born and raised in circumstances similar to those of the
Prophet, could never have created such a system; the Qur'an is a
harmonious whole despite having been revealed during twenty-three years
in greatly varying circumstances. God Himself confirms that the Qur'an
has been preserved from change; in chapter XV:9 He says:
"Indeed We, even We, reveal the Reminder and indeed We are truly its
guardian," and in chapter (XLI:41-42)
He says:
"For indeed it is an unassailable Book. Falsehood cannot come to it from
before or behind it. (It is) a revelation from the Wise, the Praise
one."
Only a divine Book could remain preserved for fourteen centuries in a
world where the enemies of truth and of Islam are numerous. |