This method of delivering the Message through the Prophet (or chosen man or Messenger) can be further illustrated as follows: The Boss of the company dictates his messages from time to time into a tape recorder. His secretary later transcribes the messages from the tape recorder into typewritten form, or types them on a stencil (master copy), and then produces as many copies as desired by cyclostyling or photocopying for distribution to the workers as circulars. A similar line of processes took place with the Qur’anic revelation.

Allah inspired the Prophet (as did the company’s boss into the tape recorder. The Prophet, by divine means, was able to retain the revelations (messages) in his memory (just like the tape recorder can do so by electronic means) until he found a scribe to take down in writing (like the tape recorder did when the secretary played it for typing) whenever the messages needed to be delivered to people. Just like any typewriter could be used to type out the messages from the type recorder without adversely affecting the message recorded in it, the Prophet, too, could call any scribe (like the typewriter) to take down his dictation with the divine revealed message fully intact. (The divine messages can be affected, distorted, or misunderstood had the Prophet talked, and his followers written down the messages later from their memories or heresies. Even today, misunderstandings and inaccuracies occur with the newspapers, although reporters take down messages in shorthand. In the case of the Prophet, he would ask the scribe to read back what he had taken down to make sure that he had recorded accurately as dictated.

Thus, like the message in the circular is authored by the company’s boss, the Qur’an is authored by Allah because the Prophet (like the tape recorder) or the scribe (like the secretary) had nothing to do with the actual construction of the messages. They were merely helping inspiration (like the electronic impulses of a tape recorder) materialize as prints on paper.

Now, in the illustrations given, while the tape recorder is an inanimate object, incapable of explaining, the Prophet, being human with all the faculties endowed, could provide explanations and interpretations and set himself as an exemplar for people to follow. But these explanations, interpretations, and exemplary conduct were not mixed up with Allah’s word in the Qur’an, but were memorized by his companions and were made available in a separate collection of traditions called the Hadith (words and actions of the Prophet).

The role of the Qur’an is to help in creating the right relation between man and Allah, between man and man, and between man and other things of the universe so that mankind can attain the highest goals in every field of human life – spiritual, moral, intellectual, and social. Allah says the Qur’an is “A Book that we have revealed to thee abounding in good that they may ponder over its verses, and that people of understanding may mind.” (38:29)

Allah, apart from telling us to read the Qur’an and understand it, also encourages us to ponder over its verses. Allah also wants people to do research on His Book so that we can further discover by our own ingenuity and reasoning that it is indeed a Book from Allah for our guidance. Allah says: “Do they not then make research on the Qur’an?” (47:24)

Research on the Qur’an has been conducted throughout these fourteen centuries. And more particularly, in recent years, in the wake of religious enquiries, Qur’anic scholars, scientists, and mathematicians have each, in their own way and knowledge, discovered that the factual contents of the Qur’an as well as the arrangement of its words and text point to the fact that the Qur’an is indeed the living miracle of Islam.

The Qur’an is also a miracle from the point of view of its influence on people. “The Qur’an is a miracle,” says Maulana Muhammad Ali in his book, “The Religion of Islam, “because it brought about the greatest transformation that the world has ever witnessed – a transformation of the individual, of the family, of the society, of the nation, of the country, an awakening material as well as moral, intellectual, and spiritual. It produced an effect, a hundred thousand times greater than that of any other miracle recorded of any prophet; hence its claim to be the greatest of all miracles is uncontestable and uncontested.”

The Qur’an, an advocate of reason, is virtually as intellectual guidance which keeps pace with the development of the human mind. It is a Book for us to read, study, understand, and follow for our own benefit. Allah says:” Those who listen to the word (the Qur’an) and follow the best meaning in it: those are the ones whom Allah has guided, and those are the ones endued with understanding.” (39:18)

(To be continued)

Shaik A. Kadir