Authenticity of the Quran

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Questions and Answers

In which decade did the understanding of the role of mountains begin?

1960s

What does the Arabic verb 'kawwiru' mean?

To coil or wrap around (correct)

To rotate

To create

To illuminate

What is the lithosphere?

The upper layer of the Earth's surface, going down to a depth of a little over 1000 km.

Which verse from the Qur'an describes the development stages of human embryos?

23:12-14 Signup and view all the answers

What does Qur'an 51:47 state about the universe?

The firmament have We built with power, and verily, We are expanding it. Signup and view all the answers

Scientists have known accurate details about embryonic stages for more than 60 years.

False Signup and view all the answers

What is the common name for the concept of the universe originally being a single primary mass?

The Big Bang Signup and view all the answers

What essential element for the existence of life is mentioned in Qur'an 21:30?

Water Signup and view all the answers

The Qur'an was revealed verbatim by God to Muhammad.

True Signup and view all the answers

Who is believed to have received the Qur'an?

Muhammad Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is not considered a possible author of the Qur'an?

A famous contemporary poet Signup and view all the answers

What was Muhammad's known educational background?

Unlettered and uneducated Signup and view all the answers

How is the style of the Qur'an described compared to Muhammad's ahadith?

Authoritative and challenging Signup and view all the answers

Match the following theories regarding the authorship of the Qur'an:

Muhammad = Considered the primary recipient of the Qur'an Satan = Claims that the Qur'an was a deceptive work Non-Arab scholars = Suggests external influences on the Qur'an God/Allah = Traditional belief of divine authorship Signup and view all the answers

The Qur'an emphasizes that Adam and Eve repented to God and were _____ by Him.

forgiven Signup and view all the answers

The Qur’an agrees with the Bible on all doctrinal matters.

False Signup and view all the answers

What is one example of scientific content mentioned in the Qur'an?

The existence of the Lost City of Iram Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect about mountains does the Qur'an mention?

They act as pegs Signup and view all the answers

What is one reason some critics claim hadith narrations are not trustworthy?

They may have been fabricated to support partisan interests. Signup and view all the answers

The majority of what we know about the life of the Prophet and his Companions is derived from mutawaatir reports.

True Signup and view all the answers

What is the title of the book discussed?

Authenticity of the Qur'an Signup and view all the answers

Who developed rigorous criteria for scrutinizing the authenticity of hadith reports?

Early Muslim scholars Signup and view all the answers

Who is the author of the book?

Da’wah Institute (DIN) Signup and view all the answers

The first complete translation of the Qur'an into a foreign language was done by __________.

Salman Al-Farsi Signup and view all the answers

What was the role of the Prophet Muhammad (p) regarding the Qur'an?

He received the Qur'an over 23 years. Signup and view all the answers

According to Estelle Whelan, what does evidence from various texts suggest about the Qur'an?

It was actively produced from the late seventh century. Signup and view all the answers

The Qur'an was only preserved through writing.

False Signup and view all the answers

All translations of the Qur'an are considered to be equivalent to the original Arabic text.

False Signup and view all the answers

During which Caliphate was the compilation of the Qur'an into book form completed?

Caliph Uthman Signup and view all the answers

The Qur'an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (p) through the angel _____.

Gabriel Signup and view all the answers

What are translations of the Qur'an often considered to be?

Interpretations Signup and view all the answers

The Qur'an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad in __________.

classical Arabic Signup and view all the answers

The Qur'an has been altered over time.

False Signup and view all the answers

What is one reason for the meticulous preservation of the Qur'an mentioned?

Its rhythmic style and eloquent expression. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is supported by John Burton regarding Qur'anic readings?

They represent one fundamentally agreed text. Signup and view all the answers

What does the existence of early manuscripts of the Qur'an affirm?

The historical credibility of the Qur'an Signup and view all the answers

How many linguistic variants of the Qur'an were said to be revealed?

Seven Signup and view all the answers

The Qur'an has been preserved only in oral form till today.

False Signup and view all the answers

Match the following earlier scriptures with their corresponding prophets:

Torah = Musa (Moses) Injil = Isa (Jesus) Zabur = Dawud (David) Suhuf = Ibrahim (Abraham) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The Authenticity of the Quran

Introduction

The Quran is the sacred scripture of Islam, believed to be the literal word of God revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) over 23 years.
The authenticity of the Quran is crucial to the beliefs of Muslims, and its preservation is a miracle in itself.

The Recording and Perfect Preservation of the Quran

During the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him):
- The Prophet received revelations from Allah through the angel Gabriel and recited them to his companions.
- The companions memorized and transmitted the revelations to others, and many memorized the entire Quran.
- The Quran was also recorded in writing by scribes, including Zaid ibn Thabit, Ubayy ibn Ka'b, and others, on materials like leather, parchment, and scapulae.
- The recorded verses were read back to the Prophet to ensure accuracy and eliminate errors.
After the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him):
- The companions spread out to different provinces, taking their memorizations with them to instruct others.
- The memorization of the Quran became a continuous tradition across centuries, with centers established for memorization.
- The Quran is the only book that has been memorized completely by millions of people, with an unbroken living sequence of devotion.

The Importance of Preservation

The preservation of the Quran is essential to its authenticity, as it has survived history without corruption.
The Quran's preservation is a miracle that confirms its divine origin.

Acknowledgment by Orientalists

Kenneth Cragg, a leading orientalist, recognizes the unique phenomenon of Quranic recital, which means that the text has traversed centuries in an unbroken living sequence of devotion.### The Compilation of the Quran
Hifz (Quranic memorization) made the Quran a living possession throughout Muslim history, never allowing its relegation to a bare authority for reference alone.

Compilation of the Quran into a Book Form

The compilation of the Quran into a book form was done soon after the Battle of Yamama (11 A.H./633 C.E.) during the Caliphate of Abu Bakr.
Many companions became martyrs at that battle, and it was feared that unless a written copy of the entire revelation was produced, large parts of the Quran might be lost with the death of those who had memorized it (the huffaz).
Abu Bakr requested Zaid ibn Thabit to head a committee to gather the scattered recordings of the Quran and prepare a suhuf (loose sheets) which collectively bore the entire revelation on them.
The committee accepted only material which had been written down in the presence of the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself and which could be verified by at least two reliable witnesses who had actually heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) recite the passage in question.

The Quran's Linguistic Variants

The Quran was initially revealed in the Qurayshi dialect of Arabic to the Prophet (peace be upon him), but some verses were also later revealed in seven different linguistic variants of the various Arabian dialects to aid the understanding of those belonging to non-Quraysh tribes.
A hadith recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari states that Abdullah bin Abbas narrated that Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said, "Gabriel recited the Quran to me in one way. Then I requested him (to read it in another way) and continued asking him to recite it in other ways, and he recited it in several ways till he ultimately recited it in seven different ways."

Uthman's Standardization of the Quran

At the time of the third Caliph Uthman (24 A.H.-35 A.H./644-656 C.E.), a companion named Hudhayfah ibn Al-Yaman observed that the people of the regions of present-day Syria and Iraq began to have friction over their differing recitations of some words of the Quran.
Uthman ordered Hafsah to send him the manuscript of the Quran which was in her safekeeping and ordered the production of several bounded copies of it (masaahif, sing. mushaf).
Uthman instructed the production team to substitute any passage written in a linguistic form where there may be potential for dispute with the corresponding revelation (of that same passage) in the Quraysh dialect (i.e. the dialect in which the Quran had commenced being revealed to the Prophet).
The reason the Qurayshi dialect was chosen was due to its being the dialect of the Prophet himself and the dialect of the most dominant tribe in Arabia; hence, the most widely accepted among all tribes.

Burning of Variant Copies

Uthman ordered that all other extracts or copies of the Quran which differed from that undoubtedly authentic "official" copy be burned so that the Quran would not suffer the same fate of alterations, uncertainty of authenticity, and contradictory versions which characterized prior religious scriptures.
This action of Uthman was unanimously approved by the Prophet's Companions.

Authenticity of Hadith Reports

The majority of what we know of the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions are from mutawaatir (multiple-chain) reports.
Muslim scholars have developed rigorous criteria for scrutinizing hadith reports for authenticity, including ascertaining a continuous chain of reporters, each reporter's memory skills, adherence to righteous conduct and reputation, records of their knowledge and honesty, who their students and teachers were, their political leanings and interpretive tendencies, evidence that they were there at the time of the event, as well as textual consistency with the Quran and other established hadith.

Orientalist Criticisms and Responses

Orientalist critics claim that hadith reports cannot be trusted due to their being recorded by Muslim sources who may have concocted them in later centuries to justify partisan, dogmatic, juristic, and ideological interests.
Muslim scholars argue that news and civilizational history have always been discovered through eyewitness reports, and early Muslim scholars have developed rigorous criteria for scrutinizing such reports for authenticity.
The accusations that most Muslim scholarship has been based on forgery would necessarily imply that all the geographically scattered scholars of the first four centuries of hadith collection, who belonged to varied and competing schools of thought, as well as those who belonged to opposing theological and political factions, collaborated together in a mutual conspiracy.
Estelle Whelan (1998) mentions that an abundance of references from a wide variety of texts and from various time periods point to the existence of a group of professional Quran copyists in Madinah since the middle of the first century A.H., to meet the public demand for Quran's for personal, educational, and official use.### Founders of Marxism and Western Criticism of Hadith Traditions
The biography of one of the founders of Marxism, born in 1820, was not questioned due to the presence of books on the topic.
Western criticism of hadith traditions has been analyzed by Jeffrey Lang, who concludes that Muslim scholars' deductions of history hold more solid ground than their orientalist counterparts' deductions.

Orientalist Theories and Refutations

Orientalist theories have been addressed and refuted in the works of Azami, Abbott, Siddiqi, Ali, and Abdul Ghafar.
Estelle Whelan observes that orientalist analysis is often guided by generalizations drawn from the history of the biblical text, which are then applied to Muslim scripture.