IS THE QUR'AN JUST HISTORY OR POETRY BOOK

 
The Quran is the divine literal word of God Almighty, revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him), through the angel Gabriel. It is a criterion for the truth, containing guidance for humanity to live by. The Qur’an cites lessons from preceding generations and the history of the Prophets in order that we may learn from their experiences. It further teaches us about ourselves and our Creator, as well as the purpose of our existence which is to acknowledge God, worshipping Him alone.
The Qur’an is not the word of a poet or a soothsayer, but it is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds, presented by a noble and gentle Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be to him). People, during the life time of the Prophet in Makkah, Madinah and from other places who came into his contact, were witness to the following facts:

1.     That the Qur’an was being presented by a person who being noble and gentle was not hidden from anybody in the society of Makkah. Everyone knew that he was the best man of their nation in conduct. It could not be expected of such a man that he would forge a lie and attribute it to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

2.     They also saw clearly that he had no selfish motive in presenting that word before the people, but had rather sacrificed all His personal interests to it. He had ruined his business, he had abandoned every ease and comfort, he was being cursed and abused by the same people who had shown him the highest veneration and esteem and had caused even his family and children to be subjected to these agonies besides him. A person having selfish motives could not have submitted himself to such tribulations.

3.     They could also see that the lives of the people in their own society, who believed in him, underwent a sudden transformation. The word of no poet or soothsayer has been known to have brought about such a wonderful moral change in the people that his follower should become ready to face every hardship and bear up against every persecution for his sake.

4.     They were also not unaware of the language of poetry and the diction of the soothsayers. Apart from stubborn disbelievers, no one could say that the language of the Qur’an was the language of poetry or sorcery. (For a detailed discussion of this, see

5.     This also was before their eyes that no one in entire Arabia was so eloquent of speech that his word could be brought to match with the Quran. Not to speak of equalling it, not even the greatest poet’s eloquence could even approach anywhere near that of Qur’an.

6.     This was also not hidden from them that the language used by Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) himself was very different in its literary beauty and merit from the language of the Qur’an. No Arabic speaking person could, after hearing the Prophet’s own speech, and the Qur’an, say that both emanated from one and the same person.

7.     The people of Makkah had never heard, even until a day before Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be to him) made the claim to Prophethood or anything relating to the themes that the Qur’an consisted of, nor they knew that he had any means of obtaining that knowledge and information.
They could also see the wonderful workshop of existence, from the earth to the heavens, which was functioning before their eyes, and in which they could see a supreme, wise law and an all-pervading order and system at work. In it they could see no sign and evidence of the polytheism and denial of the Hereafter, which the Arabs had adopted as their creed, but there were signs and proofs of the existence of One God and of the truth of the Hereafter which the Qur’an was presenting.