[ابوالوليد المسلم]

Sources of Islam (1/3)

Dr. Muhammad bin Abdullah As-Suhaym


It has been a habit for adherents of abrogated religions and man-made creeds to hallow their inherited books, which were written since ancient times and whose authors or translators or the time of their writing may not really be known. They were just written by some people who used to suffer from what other human beings suffer from like weakness, defect, whimsical desires and forgetfulness.


As for the Qur’an, it is different from all other books in that, it depends on the true source which is the Divine Revelation: the Qur’an and Sunnah. Following is the brief introduction of both:
A. The Glorious Qur’an:
You have known previously that Islam is the religion of Allah, that was why Allah revealed the Qur’an to His Messenger, Muhammad as a guidance for the pious, a Law for the Muslims, a healing for the disease that is in the hearts of those whom Allah wants to heal and a light for those whom Allah wants to give success. It contains the fundamentals for which Allah sent the Messengers.[1] The Qur’an was not the first Book to be revealed nor was Muhammad the first Messenger to be sent. Allah has revealed the Scriptures to Abraham; Torah to Moses and the Gospel to Jesus. All these Books were revelations from Allah to His Prophets and Messengers. But the contents of most of these Books have been lost and have become extinct, and interpolation and alterations have entered them.


As for the Qur’an, Allah Himself guarantees its protection and makes it the witness and abolisher of earlier Books. He says while addressing the Prophet,
"And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur’an) in truth, confirming the Scriptures that came before it and as a witness over it."[2]


He describes the Qur’an as an explanation of everything,
"And We have sent down to you the Book as an exposition of everything."[3]


He calls it guidance and mercy,
"So now has come to you a clear proof (the Qur’an) from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy."[4]


He describes it as that which guides to uprightness when He says,
"Verily, this Qur’an guides to that which is most just and right."[5]


The Qur’an guides mankind to the most righteous path in all aspects of their life.
Whoever reflects on how the Qur’an was revealed and how it was preserved will give the book its due estimation and purify his intention for Allah alone. Allah, the Exalted says,
"And truly, this (the Qur’an) is a revelation from the Lord of all the worlds, which, the trustworthy spirit (Jibreel) has brought down upon your heart (O Muhammad) that you may be (one) of the warners."[6]


So the One Who revealed the Qur’an is Allah, Lord of all the worlds; and the one who brought it is the trustworthy spirit Gabriel; and the one in whose heart it was revealed is the Prophet.


The Qur’an is an everlasting miracle for Muhammad. It contains signs that shall abide till the Day of Resurrection. The signs and miracles of previous Prophets used to end at the termination of the Prophets' lives, but Allah has made the Qur’an the everlasting proof.


It is the extensive proof and dazzling sign. Allah challenges the mankind to produce the like thereof or ten soorahs like it or even a single soorah that resembles it, and they are unable to do that in spite of the fact that it is composed of letters and words and the people on whom it was first revealed were people of eloquence and rhetoric. Allah says,
"Or do they say: (Muhammad) has forged it? Say: Bring then a Soorah like unto it and call upon whomsoever you can besides Allah, if you are truthful."[7]


Among the things that testify to the fact that the Qur’an is a revelation from Allah is that it contains stories of the past nations, prophesied future events that came to happen as it has prophesied and the fact that it mentions many scientific facts that have not been discovered until recently. Another proof of its being a Divinely revealed Book is that the Prophet on whom it was revealed was unknown with anything similar to that or reported to have known anything similar to the Qur’an. Allah says,
"Say (O Muhammad): If Allah had so willed, I should not have recited it to you, nor would He have made it known to you. Verily, I have stayed amongst you a lifetime before this. Have you then no sense?"[8]


He was rather an illiterate who neither read nor wrote. He did not also, visit any Shaykh or men to produce the like of the Qur’an. Allah says,
"Neither did you (O Muhammad) read any book before it (the Qur’an) nor did you write any book (whatsoever) with your right hand. In that case, indeed, the followers of falsehood might have doubted."[9]

(Continued)

[1] As-Sunnah wamakaanatuhaa fit-tashree'il Islaami by Mustafa As-Sibaa'ee p. 376.

[2] Surah Al-Maaidah 5:48.

[3] Surah An-Nahl 16:89.

[4] Surah Al-An'aam 6:157.

[5] Surah Al-Israa 17:9.

[6] Surah Ash-Shuara26:192-194.

[7] Surah Yoonus 10:38.

[8] Surah Yoonus 10:16.

[9] Surah Al-'Ankaboot 29:48.