Eighteen Sign.Part3

SECOND POINT (Part.2)

I n  S h o r t : As the famous Jahiz put it: “Dispute with words was not possible, so they were compelled to fight with the sword.”

Some learned scholars have said that not one of the Qur’an’s Suras, but not a single of its verses can be disputed, nor even a single sentence, nor a word, nor have they been disputed. But this appears to be exaggerated and the reason cannot accept it, for many of men’s words resemble those of the Qur’an. What is the reason for their saying this?

T h e  A n s w e r : There are two schools of thought concerning the miraculousness of the Qur’an.

1. The prevailing and preferred school states that the subtle qualities of eloquence and meaning in the Qur’an are beyond human power.
2. The second, and less preferred, school states that it is within human ability to dispute one of the Qur’an’s Suras, but Almighty God has prevented this as a miracle of Muhammad (PBUH).

Like a man may rise to his feet, but if a prophet tells him that he cannot and he is unable to, then it is a miracle. This opinion is called the Sarfa School. That is, Almighty God prevented men and jinn from successfully disputing a single of the Qur’an’s Suras. According to this school, scholars who state that a single of its words cannot be disputed, are correct. Because since on account of its miraculousness Almighty God prevented them, they could not so much as open their mouths to dispute it. And even if they had done so, they could not have uttered a word.

However, according to the first-mentioned prevalent and preferred school of thought, that statement of scholars has the following subtle aspect: the All-Wise Qur’an’s phrases and words look to one another. It sometimes happens that a single word looks to ten places; in it are ten relationships and ten fine points of eloquence. We have pointed out examples of some of these in the commentary called Isharat al-I‘jaz (Signs of Miraculousness,) in the phrases of Sura al-Fateha and those of, Alif. Lam. Mim. This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt.

For example, take a highly decorated palace; to situate in relation to all the decorations a stone which is like the central point of numerous, various decorations, is dependent on knowing the entire wall together with all its decorations. And to situate the pupil of the eye in a human head is dependent on knowing its relations with the whole body and all the body’s wondrous functions, together with the eye’s position in the face of those duties. In just the same way, the most advanced of the people of truth have demonstrated numerous relationships in the Qur’an’s words and their aspects and connections with other verses and phrases. Scholars of the Hurufi School in particular, have gone further, explaining and demonstrating to their followers a page of hidden meanings in a single of the Qur’an’s letters.

Furthermore, since it is the speech of the Creator of all things, each of its words may be like a heart or seed. That is, a heart contained in an immaterial body formed of mysteries, or the seed of an immaterial tree.

Thus, words like those of the Qur’an, and even phrases or verses, may occur in man’s speech, but an all encompassing knowledge is necessary to situate them exactly as they are in the Qur’an, taking into account the many relationships.