Prolegomena Lesson 7 CHAPTER Two part two

1. Prolegomena Lesson 7 CHAPTER Two part two Continuation of the responds to the misconceptions Fabrication of ALKAWTHER

2. Conflict in the verses of Qur'an: • قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَل لِّيَ آيَةً قَالَ آيَتُكَ أَلاَّ تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلاَّ رَمْزًا وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيراً وَسَبِّحْ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالإِبْكَارِ • [Shakir 3:41] He said: My Lord! appoint a sign for me. Said He: Your sign is that you should not speak to men for three days except by signs; and remember your Lord much and glorify Him in the evening and the morning. • قَالَ رَبِّ اجْعَل لِّي آيَةً قَالَ آيَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ النَّاسَ ثَلَاثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيًّا • [Shakir 19:10] He said: My Lord! give me a sign. He said: Your sign is that you will not be able to speak to the people three nights while in sound health. • In verse a, 3 days—In verse b, 3 nights. • Response: • The word day could mean the day itself [from sunrise to sunset] and it could mean the day and night [24 hours]. So the word day and night can be use as synonyms in Arabic language. The same can be found in the Gospel that—he will stay in the Ground for 3 days or 3 nights, and it contradicts other places where it is mentioned that he stayed only for less than 2 days and 2 nights. • Another issue is the will of God in the following verses:

3. Another issue is the will of God in the following verses: • وَقُلِ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ فَمَن شَاء فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن شَاء فَلْيَكْفُرْ إِنَّا أَعْتَدْنَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ نَارًا أَحَاطَ بِهِمْ سُرَادِقُهَا وَإِن يَسْتَغِيثُوا يُغَاثُوا بِمَاء كَالْمُهْلِ يَشْوِي الْوُجُوهَ بِئْسَ الشَّرَابُ وَسَاءتْ مُرْتَفَقًا [Shakir 18:29] And say: The truth is from your Lord, so let him who please believe, and let him who please disbelieve; surely We have prepared for the iniquitous a fire, the curtains of which shall encompass them about; and if they cry for water, they shall be given water like molten brass which will scald their faces; evil the drink and ill the resting-place. • وَمَا تَشَاؤُونَ إِلَّا أَن يَشَاء اللَّهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا • [Shakir 76:30] And you do not please except that Allah please, surely Allah is Knowing, Wise;

4. The respond • Response: The first verse talks about the responsibilities. The second verse talks about the decrees and destiny in natural things. • God is the source of every energy and power, but the actions of humans are his responsibility. God did not give him the power to use it in evil. • Example: A paralyzed person is given exoskeleton to do good deeds. So if he was not given power from God  , he would not have done good or evil. • Book of Euclid and Almagest are not miracles, and same is for Qur'an: • Response: • These two books are not inimitable. Any scientist cannot simply produce like it, but much better than it. And later, there have been works much better than these books. • We mentioned that conditions of a miracle are: • Claim to the divine office • Beyond the laws of nature • These conditions do not exist in such scientific works. • DOCTOR

5. The Qur'an was not opposed or challenged because of the threat and the comfort ability: • Response: The challenge to bring a chapter of Qur'an was in Mecca, where Muslims were weak, and the threat on Muslims was greater. The Meccans had very highly qualified eloquent speakers and poets, who accepted their defeat in front of the strength of Qur'an. • In the time of Muslim rulers, the non-Muslims were respected in Muslim societies, especially in the golden era of Imam Ali (AS)’ caliphate with just society, with tolerance, openness of mind, and dialogues. • If hypothetically the claim of threat is accepted on the Muslim dominated lands, then why wasn’t the challenge accepted in non-Muslim lands?

6. Cont.The Qur'an was not opposed or challenged because of the threat and the comfort ability: • It is the nature of humans that when an excellent language work is repeated, it loses its effectiveness, and degrades eventually as it is repeated for some time. The same is true for food or dress. If the Qur'an was not a miracle, the same would have happened. But on the contrary, the more it is repeated, the more it gains beauty and resplendence. So the claim of being comfortingly familiar proves that Qur'an is a miracle. • If said that being comfortingly familiar prevents the people from opposing it with a similar book is true with the Muslims, so why didn’t those who rejected it, and were not being comforted, bring something like it?

7. Collection of Qur'an Required Witnesses: • Response: • The whole concept of Qur'an being collected in the time of one of the three caliphs is completely rejected, and the narrations are narrated by solitary narrators conflicting and contradiction each other. The Qur'an has been proven and transmitted by multiple narrations/narrators (Tawatur تواتر). Anything related to the compilation of Qur’an on transmission should be supported by tawatur, or otherwise be rejected, especially if these narrations are contradiction each other and narrated by non-trusted narrators. • As mentioned before, Qur'an was written, compiled, and memorized by hundreds in the time of the Holy Prophet (S). • It is intellectually absurd that such an important valued book is ignored by the Holy Prophet (S) and the Muslims.

8. The Subjects of Holy Qur'an are mixed, and not organized and classified: • Response: • Qur'an is not a specific book, but is a book of guidance in general. • If a person recites a chapter, he can get different topics of guidance in less time and different varieties of topics. • Though the topics are different, but they are interlinked with each other eloquently in a beautiful phrase. The meanings might jump from one to another, from subject to other, but the beautiful style and the excellent flow of verses and its eloquence is not affected by such shifts and does not change the beautiful miraculous aspects of the Holy Qur'an. • It gives more opportunity to ponder in the meaning of similar verses of Qur'an, and create a linguistic interaction and reaction between them from various topics, various subjects from various chapters, and such intellectual work leads to explore more secrets of the Holy Qur'an and discover new meanings.

9. Myths and Absurdities: • Claim: Some one challenged the Qur'an by creating something like the chapter of opening (Fatiha) by twisting some words of it and replacing others by saying: • “Praise be to the Merciful, Lord of existences (akwan), the Judging King. For You alone is the worship, and from You alone is the help. Show us the path of the faith.” • This is mere imitation, and not production of something which could be different completely form the Qur'an, yet it has the beauty, style, eloquent, and flow similar to Qur'an. • Those who were expert in Arabic language and eloquence did not do something like this. They knew what the challenge was about. This author in mere ignorant did not understand the Qur'an, the beauty of the flow and the style, and did not understand what the challenge was about. How could he challenge it?

10. Fabrication of ALKAWTHER • Another person did the same thing with the chapter of Abundance (al-Kawthar). He says: • “Lo! We have given you jewels; so pray to your Lord and proclaim. And do not rely upon the words of a magician.” Notice the manner in which he imitates the style of the Qur'an. He changes some of its words and deludes people into thinking that he has matched it. He also plagiarizes the sayings of Musaylima, the false prophet, who says: • “Lo! We have given you multitudes, so pray to your Lord and proclaim. And, lo! The one who hates you is a rejecter of faith” • Sayyid Al-Khoei mentions the difference between both fabricators and compares the original with the fabricated. Refer to pages 77-81.