Qur'an and miracles
Encyclopedia
Muslims consider the Qur'an
, the holy book of Islam
, as the word of God
and a miracle
. The Qur'an claims that it has been created miraculously as a revelation
from Allah
(God), as a perfect copy of what was written in heaven and existed there from all eternity. Therefore the verses of the book are referred to as ayat, which also means "a sign" in the Arabic language
. It is believed that the Qur'an as we know it today, is the same as was revealed to Muhammad
in the year 610. The Qur'an itself gives an open challenge for anyone who denies its claimed divine origin to produce a text like it.
Critics believe that Muhammad was influenced by older Jewish
and Christian
traditions, and therefore included many of the wonders known from the Bible
in the Qur'an. The Qur'an itself states that Muhammed was illiterate and neither read a book nor wrote a book and that he did not know about past events .
Some Muslims believe that Quran is a "a miracle of eloquence" rather than a source of scientific revelation; they consider scientific miracles as pseudoscience
.
The claimed miracles in the Qur’an can be classified into three distinct categories: inimitability, scientific miracles and prophecies.
Much support exists for the belief that Qur'anic speech was unique among the linguistic productions of seventh-century Arabs; many Muslim scholars believe that the speech in the Qur'an is like a rhymed pattern, which is characterized by the assonance at the end of the verses.
"a time is fixed for every prophecy; you will come to know in time". Islamic scholar Zaghloul El-Naggar
thinks that this verse refers to the scientific facts in the Qur'an that would be discovered by the world in modern time, centuries after the revelation.
This belief is, however, arguable in the Muslim world. While most believe and support it, some Muslim scholars oppose the belief, claiming that the Qur'an is not a book of science; al-Biruni
, one of the most celebrated Muslim scientists of the classical period, assigned to the Qur'an a separate and autonomous realm of its own and held that the Qur'an "does not interfere in the business of science nor does it infringe on the realm of science." These scholars argued for the possibility of multiple scientific explanations of the natural phenomena, and refused to subordinate the Qur'an to an ever-changing science.
For example, some Islamic scholars believe that the Qur'an had predicted the eventual defeat of the Persians by the Romans
in the 620s.
Syed Abul Aala Maududi claims that this prophecy (30:1-4: "Alif. Lam. Mim. (1) The Romans have been defeated (2) In the nearer (lowest) land, and they, after their defeat will be victorious (3) In a few years (less than ten) - Allah's is the command in the former case and in the latter - and in that day believers will rejoice (4)") revealed in 615 AD, and this was 6 to 7 years before the Romans started overpowering the Persians.
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
, the holy book of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, as the word of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
and a miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
. The Qur'an claims that it has been created miraculously as a revelation
Revelation
In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...
from Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
(God), as a perfect copy of what was written in heaven and existed there from all eternity. Therefore the verses of the book are referred to as ayat, which also means "a sign" in the Arabic language
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. It is believed that the Qur'an as we know it today, is the same as was revealed to Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
in the year 610. The Qur'an itself gives an open challenge for anyone who denies its claimed divine origin to produce a text like it.
Critics believe that Muhammad was influenced by older Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
traditions, and therefore included many of the wonders known from the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
in the Qur'an. The Qur'an itself states that Muhammed was illiterate and neither read a book nor wrote a book and that he did not know about past events .
Some Muslims believe that Quran is a "a miracle of eloquence" rather than a source of scientific revelation; they consider scientific miracles as pseudoscience
Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience is a claim, belief, or practice which is presented as scientific, but which does not adhere to a valid scientific method, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, cannot be reliably tested, or otherwise lacks scientific status...
.
The claimed miracles in the Qur’an can be classified into three distinct categories: inimitability, scientific miracles and prophecies.
Inimitability of the Qur'an
Inimitability is the theological and literary term used by Muslims for what they consider to be the matchless nature of the Qur'anic discourse. Islamic scholars believe that the Quran has an insuperable literary style and that this is a proof of its divine origin and cannot be matched by human endeavor.Much support exists for the belief that Qur'anic speech was unique among the linguistic productions of seventh-century Arabs; many Muslim scholars believe that the speech in the Qur'an is like a rhymed pattern, which is characterized by the assonance at the end of the verses.
Scientific miracles
The belief that Qur'an had prophesied scientific theories and discoveries has become a strong and widespread belief in the contemporary Islamic world; these prophecies are often provided as a proof of the divine origin of the Qur'an. The scientific facts claimed to be in the Qur'an exist in different subjects, including creation, astronomy, human reproduction, oceanology, embroyology, zoology, the water cycle, and many more."a time is fixed for every prophecy; you will come to know in time". Islamic scholar Zaghloul El-Naggar
Zaghloul El-Naggar
Zaghloul El Naggar is a Muslim scholar, Chairman of Committee of Scientific Notions in the Qur'an, Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, Cairo, Egypt....
thinks that this verse refers to the scientific facts in the Qur'an that would be discovered by the world in modern time, centuries after the revelation.
This belief is, however, arguable in the Muslim world. While most believe and support it, some Muslim scholars oppose the belief, claiming that the Qur'an is not a book of science; al-Biruni
Al-Biruni
Abū al-Rayḥān Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad al-BīrūnīArabic spelling. . The intermediate form Abū Rayḥān al-Bīrūnī is often used in academic literature...
, one of the most celebrated Muslim scientists of the classical period, assigned to the Qur'an a separate and autonomous realm of its own and held that the Qur'an "does not interfere in the business of science nor does it infringe on the realm of science." These scholars argued for the possibility of multiple scientific explanations of the natural phenomena, and refused to subordinate the Qur'an to an ever-changing science.
Prophecies
Islamic studies claim that the Qur'an mentions events which were yet to come. These studies argue that such prophecies show another proof of the divine origin of Qur'an.For example, some Islamic scholars believe that the Qur'an had predicted the eventual defeat of the Persians by the Romans
Byzantine–Sassanid Wars
The Byzantine–Sassanid Wars refers to a series of conflicts between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Sassanid dynasty of the Persian Empire...
in the 620s.
Syed Abul Aala Maududi claims that this prophecy (30:1-4: "Alif. Lam. Mim. (1) The Romans have been defeated (2) In the nearer (lowest) land, and they, after their defeat will be victorious (3) In a few years (less than ten) - Allah's is the command in the former case and in the latter - and in that day believers will rejoice (4)") revealed in 615 AD, and this was 6 to 7 years before the Romans started overpowering the Persians.
See also
- Criticism of the Qur'anCriticism of the Qur'anWhile the Qur'an is the scriptural foundation of most forms of Islam criticism of the Qur'an has frequently occurred. Critics have made allegations of scientific, theological, and historical errors, claims of contradictions in the Qur'an and criticisms of the Qur'an's moral values.-Historical...
- Islamic view of miraclesIslamic view of miraclesMiracle in the Qur'an can be defined as a supernatural intervention in the life of human beings. According to this definition, miracles are present "in a threefold sense: in sacred history, in connection with the Islamic prophet Muhammad himself and in relation to revelation." The Qur'an does not...