The Quran’s Arguments for Itself

&The Satanic Verses

The Quran’s Arguments for Itself

Arguments in General

1) the Book itself2) the Messenger3) Reasoning from signs

Accusations of Quraysh

Muhammad is a…1) Poet2) Kahin (soothsayer)3) Possessed by jinn4) Sorcerer5) Receiving Quran from a foreign

teacher

The Book itself is a wonder…

• “Say: indeed if all mankind and the jinn came together to bring about the like of this Quran, they could not bring its like, even if they all were to assist one another.” (17:88)

The ‘Book’: Style • Quran challenges the Quraysh 5 times…• The Quraysh want a treasure revealed or an

angel sent: “Or do they say that he has made it up? Say: then bring ten suras like it, made up, and call whomever you can other than God, if you are truthful. And if they do not respond to you, then know that this could only be revealed by God, that there is no god but He, so then will you submit (muslimun)?” (11:13-4)

• “And if you are in doubt as to what We have revealed to Our servant, then bring a sura of its like, and call your witnesses other than God, if you are truthful. And if they do not do this – and they will not, then fear the Fire whose fuel is people and stones, prepared for those who deny the truth.” (2:23-4)

Inimitability (I’jaz) of the Quran

• Meccans awed: Walid b. al-Mughira and Rabi’ b. ‘Utba are shocked by the “sweet”, otherworldly language

• Developed in 9th century by scholars like al-Jahiz (d. 868) and in the 10th century: ex. al-Khattabi (d. 998) & al-Baqillani (d. 1013) books on I’jaz.

• Some Mutazilites held that the Arabs lost their ability to produce language like the Quran with the coming of Muhammad

• Critics: – Ibn al-Rawandi (d. 910-1)

The Book: Consistency

• “Will you not reflect on the Quran, if it were from other than God they would find it in great disagreement.” (4:82)

What better is there?

• “And when the Truth came to them from Us they said, ‘If only there was brought like what was brought to Moses.’ But did they not disbelieve in what Moses was brought before? They say, ‘two sorceries, aiding one another!’ And they say, ‘We disbelieve in it all!’ Say: then bring a book from God that is better guidance than these two that I may follow it, if you are truthful. ” (28:48-50)

The Prophet: You’ve Known Me!

• Those who oppose Muhammad want him to alter his message and the Quran, but:“Say: It is not for me to change it from my own part, I do but follow what is revealed to me. Indeed I fear, if I disobeyed my Lord, the punishment of a grave Day. Say: if God wished I would not read it to you or make it known to you, for indeed I have lingered here a lifetime before it, will you not then reason.” (10:15-6)

Muhammad: no access to Ilm• He is not from the Ahl al-Kitab: he is ummi…• “All that is in the heavens and the earth praises

God, the King, the Sanctified, the Mighty, the Wise. He is it that sent to the Ummiyeen a messenger from amongst themselves to rehearse His signs to them, to purify them, to teach them the Book and the Wisdom, if before they were but in clear misguidance.” (62:1-2)

• God praises those: “who follow the messenger, the Ummi prophet, that they find written about in their books, the Torah and the Injil. He enjoins them to good and forbids them from bad, makes permitted for them the goodly things and making prohibited the foul thing, removing from them the burdening covenant and fetters that were upon them…” (7:157)

“For thus it is that We have bestowed this Book upon you from on high. And they to whom We have given it believe in it, and there are amongst those others those who believe. Only the disbelievers deny Our signs. You did not read from any book before this, not did you pen one. so that those falsifiers could doubt.” (29:47-8)

He has no foreign teacher:

… if he did, this would be in a foreign language, but it is a “clear Arabic book.”

Muhammad as Honest and Goodly

• Muhammad is well respected: – “By the pen and what they write, thou are

not, by the grace of thy Lord, mad. Indeed for you there is a reward unending, and indeed you are of sublime character (khuluq azim).” (68:1-4)

• Not a liar: – Abu Jahl: “It is not you that we disbelieve

but rather that which you bring” “For indeed they do not deny you, but rather it is the signs of God that the wrongdoers disbelieve.” (6:33)

• He asks no fee

Argument: If he forged it…

• “And if he ascribed words to Us, We would take him by the right hand and cut his jugular vein. And no one among you could prevent Us from him.”

• It’s a real possibility: “And woe unto to them who write of the

Book with their own hands, saying this is from God, buying with it a pitiful value….” (2:79)

Nature and God’s Signs

• Natural world: everything obeys God!– Sun, moon & stars: “It is He who made the

stars for you that you may guide yourselves with their help through the dark spaces of land and sea…” (6:97)

– Plants and animals– Creation of humans

• Order in the world: “O my two companions in prison, are many divergent gods better or the One God, Mighty?” (12:39)

• The events of nature are God’s will

Past Nations

• “Travel through the earth and see the fate of those who came before you and denied the truth”

• “Ways of life have passed away before you.”

• “More powerful than you were they.”

Argument: Human Soul

• Pre-Time recognition of God• Who created the world?• Belief in a storm…