Al-Quran

Part 1: The Quran – a source of law

The weaknesses of man-made laws

• Society needs laws to run properly; in some societies they are made by individuals, in others by social groups.
• Because of the limits of human thinking, they turn out unsuitable, impossible to follow, unbalanced, and in need of changing from time to time.
• The reason: human knowledge is limited; feelings and wishes are varied; a person sees only the present; he cannot decide correctly about the future.

The uniqueness of the Islamic Shari'ah

• Beyond human thinking, it takes as its sources of law the Quran and the Sunnah, given through revelation.
• It also recognises ijtihad as a method of making rules suited to the conditions of time and place.
• A Shari'ah with both flexibility and firmness.
• The One who sent down the Quran created human beings, knows human nature, has no shortcomings and knows past, present and future → the authority to make law belongs to Him alone.
• His laws can be followed by all people in every age – from the Prophet's ﷺ time until the end of the world.
• As Allah has guaranteed, it is subject to no change or distortion – it is preserved in hearts, on pages and in many forms.

Risalah and wahy

• Allah has given suitable laws through the messengers = risalah; the channel = wahy (revelation).
• The Quran is the collection of the "wahy matluww" given to the Prophet ﷺ → the first basic source of law in Islam.
• The step-by-step methods of building the Muslim community, from Makkah to Madinah, were shown through revelation.
• When revelation was delayed, the Prophet ﷺ decided by ijtihad – if it was right, Allah approved it; if wrong, Allah guided him.

(Abu Dawud) – meaning: "When I have not received revealed instruction, I judge between you on the basis of my own ijtihad."

Two ways the Quran acts as a source of law

1. It gives the law directly.
2. It gives the basis for a law and leaves room to derive laws from it → a way for ijtihad.

• Commands and prohibitions are sometimes detailed and sometimes brief; the brief ones are explained by the Sunnah, and when needed by ijtihad.

Example: al-khamr (intoxicating drink)

Human laws are human-made; over time they stop working. The Quran is divinely made; it can work in every age; it alone has divine value, binding power and human acceptance.

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Part 2: The Quran – a miracle

What is a miracle (mu'jizah)?

• When something happens contrary to the normal course of nature, we call it a miracle.
• Allah gave miracles to the prophets to confirm the message He gave them.

A miracle suited to its time

• In each age, miracles appeared in the field people considered most important:

• The Prophet ﷺ himself pointed out (meaning): "The miracle I was given is the Quran."

The miracle of language

• When the Quran was revealed, mastery of Arabic was highly valued; even nomads could compose poetry.
• Poetry contests were held every year at the market of 'Ukaz; winning poems were hung on the Ka'bah.
• In that situation, the Quran showed its miracle by surpassing the skill of the poets of the time.

Al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah

• An enemy of Islam; after speaking with the Prophet ﷺ he told Abu Jahl (meaning):

  "There is no one in the world who can compose poetry better than I. By God, his words are not like any of it. What he says is sweet and pleasing; its top is fruitful and its bottom is lush. It overcomes everything; nothing overcomes it."

• The famous poet Labid admitted his inability before the Quran and stopped composing poetry altogether.

The Quran's challenge

• The Quran is not the Prophet's ﷺ own composition, nor did he hear it from another skilled person; it is the words of Allah revealed through wahy.

The textbook says "ten ayat (11:13)"; 11:13 is usually understood as "ten surahs" – confirm with the teacher.

• This challenge has never been met by anyone, in the Prophet's ﷺ time or after.

Arabic grammar and tafsir

• Following the general rule that "grammar is drawn from literature", the Quran is the reference book for Arabic grammar.
• Imam az-Zamakhshari wrote a tafsir from the literary point of view – "al-Kashshaf" (الكشاف).

Its power of attraction – the incident of Surah an-Najm (Bukhari)

• One night the Prophet ﷺ was praying near the Ka'bah, reciting Surah an-Najm; the Qurayshi disbelievers were listening in hiding and enjoying it.
• When he recited the last ayah, "So prostrate to Allah and worship Him", the Prophet ﷺ went down in sujud; the disbelievers listening on the other side also fell into sujud without realising it.

Memorisation – a miracle

• No scripture is memorised completely by people; but hundreds of thousands, from children to the elderly, in every age have memorised the whole Quran.

The scientific miracle

• The Quran is not a science book; but scientific facts discovered later are mentioned in it in advance, or its ideas have been confirmed by science.
• It asks us to observe and study Allah's creation.

• Professor James Jeans (as quoted in the textbook) asks in amazement who told Muhammad what had been discovered over fifty years through the senses and research.
• Professor Keith Moore confirms through research the Quran's account of the development of the embryo.

The miracle of prophecy

(1) Pharaoh's body – 10:92

• The Quran said that Pharaoh, the bitter enemy of Musa (AS), would be drowned and his body preserved.
• This was not proven in the Prophet's ﷺ time; in the 19th century CE his body was found during excavations; it is kept today in the Egyptian Museum.

(2) The war between the Romans and the Persians – 30:2–4 (ar-Rum)

• When Islam had been introduced only in Makkah, the Persians won a war between the Romans and the Persians in southern Arabia*.
• The Quraysh warned: "Just as the Persians defeated the People of the Book, we will defeat you."
• At that time the Quran foretold that in another war the Romans would defeat the Persians.
• In a war fought while the Prophet ﷺ was living in Madinah (623 CE), the Romans won, just as the Quran had said.

*The textbook says "southern Arabia". Verse 30:3 says "in the nearest land", usually understood as the region of Syria and Palestine – confirm with the teacher.

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3. Key Arabic terms

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Quick revision

• 2:2 – a Book without doubt; guidance for the God-conscious.
• Human laws: unsuitable, unbalanced, changed from time to time.
• The Shari'ah = flexible + firm; the Quran = the first source of law (wahy matluww).
• 2 ways: direct law; the basis for law (a way for ijtihad). Example: al-khamr.
• Miracles: Ibrahim – the fire became cool; Musa – the staff became a snake; Salih – a camel from a rock; 'Isa – medicine; Muhammad ﷺ – the Quran.
• Language: 'Ukaz; al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah; Labid; the challenge 52:34, 11:13, 2:23, 17:88; az-Zamakhshari – al-Kashshaf; sujud at Surah an-Najm.
• Science: 55:19–20, 3:190, 16:69, 6:125; James Jeans, Keith Moore.
• Prophecy: Pharaoh's body 10:92 (19th century); the Roman victory 30:2–4 (623 CE).