Revealed 1400 years ago, the Holy Quran remains to this day unhindered by man’s interference. While the verses of this blessed book are mesmerising, its message is deep and imparts great wisdom concerning all aspects of human life that are well beyond the realm of human thought. No other book can boast of such vast knowledge than the miraculous Quran.
Miracles of the Quran
A literary marvel
The structure of the Quran and the language it adopts is widely accepted as a literary marvel. From the first to the last verse, the words of this blessed book are in perfect symphony, put together to communicate inimitable wisdom, and has the ability to move even the coldest of hearts. There are numerous narrations from the story of RasulUllah (PBUH) where people recognize that the words of the Quran are not from any mortal being.
In fact, many converts report that when they read the Quran the first time (even a translation), they were convinced these was not the words of any human. This is especially clear to Arabic speakers.
Despite the accusations that the Prophet (PBUH) was a poet and thus was able to compose the Quran, it is a well-known fact that he was unlettered (unable to read & write). The Quran affirms this in several instances.
…الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الْأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِندَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنجِيلِ
“Who follow the Messenger- the unlettered Prophet they find described in the Torah that is with them, and in the Gospel…” [Al-A’raf 07:157]
Further, while Arabia saw numerous eminent poets at the time, poetry was not Muhammad’s (PBUH) forte. In fact, narrations from Ayesha reveal that Rasulullah (PBUH) was not an ardent follower of poetry and sometimes muddled verses when he tried to relate a poem. Therefore, it begs the question: can an ordinary human ever produce a likeness to the Quran with its many miracles that humans are still uncovering today?
Allah issues a challenge to all disbelievers who accuse the Prophet (PBUH) of producing the Quran himself. He says:
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ ۖ قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِعَشْرِ سُوَرٍ مِّثْلِهِ مُفْتَرَيَاتٍ وَادْعُوا مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
فَإِلَّمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَكُمْ فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا أُنزِلَ بِعِلْمِ اللَّهِ وَأَن لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
“Or, do they say: He has forged it. Say: Then bring ten forged chapters like it and call upon whom you can besides Allah, if you are truthful. But if they do not answer you, then know that it is revealed by Allah’s knowledge and that there is no God but He; will you then submit?” [Al-Hud 11:13-14]
Scientific Miracles
Perhaps the most miraculous attribute of the Quran is its revelation of the mysteries of the universe and all that it contains— which is evidence that the Quran is not just a book of the bygone times. This miracle book reveals secrets of how every atom that Allah brought into existence has its own station and unique function. The Quran discusses the science behind a number of natural phenomena.
Orbits of Planets & Other Celestial Bodies
It explains how the sun and the moon are perfectly synchronized to bring forth day and night. The celestial bodies too follow their own pre-defined path with the planets orbiting the sun in harmony. While scientists discovered these phenomena in the 19th century, Allah revealed this 1400 years ago in the Quran:
وَهُوَ الَّذِىۡ خَلَقَ الَّيۡلَ وَالنَّهَارَ وَالشَّمۡسَ وَالۡقَمَرَؕ كُلٌّ فِىۡ فَلَكٍ يَّسۡبَحُوۡنَ
And He is the One Who created the day and the night, the sun and the moon—each travelling in an orbit. [Al-Anbya 21:33]
Developmental Stages of an Embryo
The developmental stages of an embryo was also emphasized in the Quran at a time when no research on this topic was available or feasible. Allah says:
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مِن سُلَٰلَةٍ مِّن طِينٍ
ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَٰهُ نُطْفَةً فِى قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ
ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا ٱلنُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا ٱلْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً فَخَلَقْنَا ٱلْمُضْغَةَ عِظَٰمًا فَكَسَوْنَا ٱلْعِظَٰمَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَٰهُ خَلْقًا ءَاخَرَ ۚ فَتَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ ٱلْخَٰلِقِينَ“And certainly did We create man from an extract of clay.
Then We placed him as a sperm-drop in a firm lodging [i.e., the womb].
Then We made the sperm-drop into a clinging clot, and We made the clot into a lump [of flesh], and We made [from] the lump, bones, and We covered the bones with flesh; then We developed him into another creation. So blessed is Allah, the best of creators.” [Al-Mu’minun 23:12-14]
Atmosphere & Sky – A Protective Shield
The fact that the sky offers protection to all living things was not known to us until the 20th century. A lot goes on beyond the atmosphere that that would have made life otherwise impossible.
The atmosphere filters out most harmful radiation from reaching us, allowing only those rays that permit & facilitate life. We are learning the effects of a thinning ozone layer now more than ever. It is because of the atmosphere that most meteors and other celestial objects burn off before reaching the surface. We all know what happens when one of them reaches us. The atmosphere also plays a role in regulating the surface temperature to make it habitable.
Allah says in the Quran,
وَجَعَلْنَا السَّمَاءَ سَقْفًا مَّحْفُوظًا ۖ وَهُمْ عَنْ آيَاتِهَا مُعْرِضُونَ
“And We made the sky a protected ceiling, but they, from its signs, are turning away.” [21: 32]
Mountains – Pegs Holding the Earth’s Crust in Place
Allah says in the Quran,
وَجَعَلْنَا فِي الْأَرْضِ رَوَاسِيَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِهِمْ وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا فِجَاجًا سُبُلًا لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ
“And we placed within the Earth firmly set mountains, lest it should shift with them…” [21:31]
Below the surface of the earth’s crust is the fluid mantle. The mountains below the surface extend downwards into the mantle stabilizing the crust & preventing the tectonic plates from shifting too much relative to each other. This prevents more earthquakes from occurring.
A fact like this would have been impossible for people to know at the time of the revelation of the Quran.
Quranic Prophesies
The Quran prophesised a number of events which came to pass years after their revelation. In Surah Ar-Rum (The Romans), Allah discusses the war between the empires of Byzantine and Persia, where the Byzantines met with a crushing defeat. Having lost Jerusalem and Egypt to the Persians, the Muslims of the time were forlorn. Allah then revealed the following verse:
غُلِبَتِ الرُّومُ فِى أَدْنَى الْأَرْضِ وَهُم مِّن بَعْدِ غَلَبِهِمْ سَيَغْلِبُونَ فِى بِضْعِ سِنِينَ لِلَّهِ الْأَمْرُ مِن قَبْلُ وَمِن بَعْدُ وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ بِنَصْرِ اللَّهِ يَنصُرُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ لَا يُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَايَعْلَمُونَ
“The Romans have been defeated. In a nearby land. Yet following their defeat, they will triumph. within three to nine years. The whole matter rests with Allah before and after victory. And on that day, the believers will rejoice at the victory willed by Allah. He gives victory to whoever He wills. For He is the Almighty, Most Merciful. This is the promise of Allah. And Allah never fails in His promise. But most people do not know.” [Ar-Rum 30:2-6]
This revelation was met with joy by the Muslims. But the disbelievers began taunting the Prophet (PBUH) at the ridiculousness of this revelation as they could not ever fathom the Byzantines recovering from their defeat. However, as the Quran miraculously prophesized, within 6-8 years the Byzantines emerged victorious at around the same time when the Muslims emerged victorious (by Allah’s grace) at the Battle of Badr.
Another great prophecy that the Quran revealed was the predicament of Abu Lahab. He was the paternal uncle of the Prophet (PBUH) and a staunch opposer of Islam. Both Abu Lahab and his wife took every opportunity to taunt and abuse Rasulullah (PBUH). In response to their assaults, Allah revealed Surah Al-Masad, the 11th Surah in the Quran:
تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ. مَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ . سَيَصْلَىٰ نَارًا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ. وَامْرَأَتُهُ حَمَّالَةَ الْحَطَبِ. فِي جِيدِهَا حَبْلٌ مِّن مَّسَدٍ
“May the hands of Abu Lahab perish, and he himself perish! Neither his wealth nor worldly gains will benefit him. He will burn in a flaming Fire, and so will his wife, the carrier of thorny kindling, around her neck will be a rope of palm-fibre.” [Al-Masad 111:1-5]
Despite hearing these verses and witnessing a great number of his own kin including Hamza and Abbas (RA) enter into the fold of Islam, Abu Lahab never accepted Islam. He who was resolute in his hatred towards Islam and was the only individual to be cursed so in the Quran. It is no surprise that Allah knew that Abu Lahab would never be among the believers.
The Effect of Quran on People
The history of Islam makes mention of many men and women, including the enemies of Islam, accepting the religion of Allah just by overhearing its mesmerising recitation. One such prominent individual was Umar Ibn Al Khattab (RA).
Umar was a powerful man who held an esteemed position among the Quraysh. When he discovered the threat that Muhammad (PBUH) posed to his people, Umar did not hesitate to persecute the Muslims. On his way to assassinate the Prophet (PBUH) and put an end to Islam, Umar’s route was redirected towards his sister’s dwelling, who he had learnt had accepted Islam. Upon confronting his sister, Umar experiences for the first time, the enthralling verses of Surah At-Ta Ha. Thereafter, he embraced Islam becoming one of the most influential Muslims in history.
The allure of the Quran is certainly not lost to today’s generation. Testimonies of new converts/reverts, reveal that a significant number of individuals accepted Islam after being moved by hearing its recitation or studying its divine message.
To Conclude
The Quran is surely an everlasting miracle for humankind. Although the scriptures provided to the Prophets before Muhammad (PBUH) failed to survive human interference, the Quran miraculously remains in its original form even today. This fact in and of itself is perhaps the biggest miracle displayed by Allah through it, as Allah promised to preserve it in the following verse:
اِنَّا نَحۡنُ نَزَّلۡنَا الذِّكۡرَ وَاِنَّا لَهٗ لَحٰـفِظُوۡنَ
“Indeed, it is We who sent down the message [i.e., the Qur’ān], and indeed, We will be its guardian.” [Al-Hijr 15:09]
