Who authored the Quran? Someone must have produced it! After all,
how many desert men have stood up in the history of man and given the world a
book like the Quran? The book has amazing details of past nations, prophets,
and religions as well as accurate scientific information unavailable at the
time. What was the source of all this? If we were to deny the divine origin
of the Quran, we are left with only a few possibilities:
- The Prophet Muhammad authored it himself.
- He took it from someone else. In this case,
he either took it from a Jew or a Christian or one of the foreigners in Arabia. The Meccans did not bother to accuse him of having taken it from one of them.
A brief response from God is:
“And they say, ‘Legends of the former peoples which he
has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon.’ Say, [O
Muhammad], ‘It has been revealed by He who knows [every] secret within the
heavens and the earth. Indeed, He is ever Forgiving and Merciful.’” (Quran
25:5-6)
It was well known to his detractors that
Muhammad, who was raised among them, never learned how to read or write from
the time of his birth. They knew whom he befriended and where he had traveled;
they acknowledged his integrity and honesty by calling him ‘Al-Ameen,’ the
Reliable, the Trustworthy, the Honest.[1] Only in
their revulsion against his preaching did they accuse him – and then it was
anything they could dream
up: He was accused of being a sorcerer, a poet and even an imposter! They
could not make up their minds.
God says:
“Look how they strike for you comparisons; but they
have strayed, so they cannot [find] a way.” (Quran 17:47)
Simply, God is aware of what is in the heavens
and the earth, He knows the past and the present,
and reveals the truth to His prophet.
Could Muhammad Have Authored It?
It is impossible that Muhammad could have authored
the Quran due to the following reasons:
First, several occasions presented themselves
where he could have fabricated revelation. For example, after the first
revelation came, people awaited to hear more, but the Prophet did not receive
anything new for months. The Meccans began making fun of him, ‘His Lord has
abandoned him!’ This continued until the 93rd chapter, Ad-Doha, was revealed.
The Prophet could have compiled something and presented it as the latest
revelation to end the mockery, but he did not. Also, at one point during his
prophethood, some of the hypocrites accused his beloved wife Aisha of being
unchaste. The Prophet could have easily fabricated something to free her of
blame, but he waited for many excruciating days, all spent in pain, mockery,
and anguish, until revelation came from God freeing her from the accusation.
Second, there is internal evidence within the
Quran that Muhammad was not its author. Several verses criticized him, and were
on occasion strongly worded. How can an imposter prophet blame himself when it
may run him into the danger of losing the respect, perhaps following, of his
followers? Here are some examples:
“O Prophet! Why do you prohibit [yourself from] what
God has made lawful for you, seeking the approval of your wives? And God is
Forgiving and Merciful.” (Quran 66:1)
“…while you concealed within yourself that which God
is to disclose and you feared the people, while God has more right that you
fear Him..” (Quran 33:43)
“It is not for the Prophet and those who have believed
to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they were relatives, after it
has become clear to them that they are companions of Hellfire.” (Quran 9:113)
“But as for he who came to you striving [for
knowledge] while he fears [God], from him you are distracted. No! Indeed,
they [these verses] are a reminder.” (Quran 80:8-11)
If he were to hide anything, he would have hid
these verses, but he recited them faithfully.
“And he [Muhammad] is not a withholder of [knowledge
of] the unseen. And it [the Quran] is not the word of a devil, expelled [from
the heavens]. So where are you going? It is nothing but a reminder to the
worlds.” (Quran 81:24-27)
The Prophet is cautioned, perhaps warned, in the
following verses:
“Indeed, We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], the
Book in truth so you may judge between the people by that which God has shown
you. And do not be an advocate for the deceitful. And seek forgiveness of God.
Indeed, God is ever Forgiving and Merciful. And do not argue on behalf of
those who deceive themselves. Indeed, God loves not the one who is a
habitually sinful deceiver. They conceal [their evil intentions and deeds]
from the people, but they cannot conceal [them] from God, and He is with them
[in His knowledge] when they spend the night in such as He does not accept of
speech. And God ever is encompassing of what they do,. Here you are – those
who argue on their behalf in [this] worldly life – but who will argue with God
for them on the Day of Resurrection, or who will [then] be their representative?
And whoever does a wrong or wrongs himself but then seeks forgiveness of God
will find God Forgiving and Merciful. And whoever earns [i.e., commits] a sin
only earns it against himself. And God is ever Knowing and Wise. But whoever
earns an offense or a sin and then blames it on an innocent [person] has taken
upon himself slander and manifest sin. And if it was not for the favor of God
upon you, [O Muhammad], and His mercy, a group of them would have determined to
mislead you. But they do not mislead except themselves, and they will not harm
you at all. And God has revealed to you the Book and wisdom and has taught you
that which you did not know. And ever has the favor of God upon you been
great.” (Quran 4:105-113)
These verses explain a situation in which a man
from the Muslim inhabitants of Medina stole a piece of armor and hid it in the property of his Jewish neighbor.
When the owners of the armor caught up with him
he denied any wrongdoing, and the armor was discovered with the Jewish
man. He, however, pointed to his Muslim
neighbor, also denying his involvement in the crime. The people from the
Muslim’s tribe went to the Prophet to plead on his behalf, and the Prophet began to incline towards them till
the above verses were revealed clearing
the Jewish man of wrongdoing. All this despite the Jew’s rejection of
Muhammad’s prophethood! The verses
instructed Prophet Muhammad himself not to side with the deceitful! The verses:
“…and do not be an advocate for the deceitful and seek
forgiveness of God…and if it was not for the favor of God upon you, [O
Muhammad], and His mercy, a group of them would have determined to mislead you.”
If Muhammad himself authored the Quran, thus
being a lying imposter, he would have made sure that there was nothing in
existence which could jeopardize the gaining of followers and supporters. The
fact that the Quran, on various occasions, reprimands the Prophet in certain
issues in which he had made in incorrect judgment is in itself a proof that it
was not authored by him
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