The Quran contains many prophecies that have been fulfilled, but in
this discussion, we will limit ourselves to only five.[1]
The first two prophecies are noteworthy: unlike any other world scripture, the
Quran prophesizes its own preservation under divine care, and we will
demonstrate how it actually occurred.
The Protection of the Quran from Corruption
The Quran makes a claim no other religious text
makes, that God Himself will keep its text safe from alteration. God says:
“Behold, it is We Ourselves who have gradually revealed
this reminder, and, behold, it is We who shall truly guard it [from all
corruption].” (Quran 15:9)
The Ease of Memorizing the Quran
God has made the Quran easy to memorize:
“And in truth We have made the Quran easy to remember;
who, then, is willing to take it to heart?” (Quran 54:17)
The ease with which Quran is memorized is
inimitable. There is not a single scripture or religious text in the world
that is as easy to memorize; even non-Arabs and children commit it to memory
easily. The entire Quran is memorized by almost every Islamic scholar and
hundreds of thousands of ordinary Muslims, generation after generation. Almost
every Muslim has some portion of the Quran memorized to read in his prayers.
The Twofold Prophecy
Before the rise of Islam, the Romans and the
Persians were two competing superpowers. Romans were led by Heraclius (610–641
CE), a Christian Emperor, whereas the Persians were Zoroastrians led by Khosrow
Parviz (reigned 590–628 CE), under whom the empire achieved its greatest
expansion.
In 614, the Persians conquered Syria and
Palestine, taking Jerusalem, destroying the Holy Sepulcher and the ‘True Cross’
carried to Ctesiphon. Then, in 619, they occupied Egypt and Libya. Heraclius met them at Thracian Heraclea (617 or 619), but they sought to capture
him, and he rode madly back to Constantinople, hotly pursued.[2]
The Muslims were grieved by the Roman defeat as
they felt spiritually closer to Christian Rome than Zoroastrian Persia, but the Meccans were naturally buoyed up by the victory of pagan Persia. To Meccans, the
Roman humiliation was a sinister omen of the defeat of the Muslims at pagan
hands. At the time God’s prophecy comforted the faithful:
“The Romans have been defeated - in a land close by;
but they, (even) after (this) defeat of theirs, will soon be victorious- within
ten years. With God is the Decision, in the past and in the future: on that
Day shall the believers rejoice with the help of God. He helps whom He will,
and He is the Mighty, the Most-Merciful.” (Quran 30:2-4)
The Quran made a prophecy of two victories:
(i) The future Roman victory within ten
years over Persians, something unimaginable at the time
(ii) The joy of the faithful on a victory
over the pagans
Both of these prophecies actually occured.
In 622, Heraclius left Constantinople as prayers
rose from its many sanctuaries for victory over the Persian Zoroastrians and
the reconquest of Jerusalem. He devoted the next two years to campaigns in Armenia. In 627, he met the Persians near Nineveh. There, he killed three Persian
generals in single combat, killed the Persian commander, and scattered the
Persian host. A month later, Heraclius entered Dastagird with its stupendous
treasure. Khosrow was overthrown by his son, who made peace with Heraclius. Returning
to Constantinople in triumph, Heraclius was hailed as a hero.[3]
Also, in the year 624 AH, Muslims defeated the
Meccans in the first and decisive Battle at Badr.
In the words of an Indian scholar:
“…a single line of prophecy was related to four
nations and the fate of two great empires. All this proves the Holy Quran to
be the Book of God.”[4]
The Prophecy of Pagan Defeat
The Quran predicted the defeat of unbelievers in
Mecca while Prophet Muhammad and his followers were still being persecuted by them:
“Or do they (the Meccan disbelievers) say: ‘We are a
great multitude, and we shall be victorious?’ Their multitude will be
defeated, , and they shall turn their backs [in flight]!” (Quran 54:45)
The prophecy was revealed in Mecca, but was fulfilled
at the Battle of Badr, two years after the Prophet’s migration to the city of Medina.
The Fate of Specific Individuals
Waleed bin Mugheera was a staunch enemy who
openly ridiculed the Quran:
“Then said he: “This is nothing but magic, derived
from of old; this is nothing but the word of a mortal!” (Quran 74:24-25)
The Quran prophesized he will never accept
Islam:
“Soon will I cast him into Hell-Fire! And what will
explain to thee what Hell-Fire is? It leaves naught nor does it spare aught.” (Quran 74:26-28)
Waleed died in a state of disbelief as
prophesized by the Quran.
Also, concerning Abu Lahab, a fiery opponent of
Islam, the Quran foretold he will die opposing the religion of God:
“May the hands of Abu Lahab perish, and [indeed] he has
perished. His wealth and gains will not profit him. He will be plunged in
flaming Fire.” (Quran 111:1-3)
Specifically, three prophecies were made about
Abu Lahab:
(i) The conspiracies of Abu Lahab against
the Prophet would not succeed.
(ii) His wealth and children would not benefit
him.
(iii) He would die opposing God’s religion
and enter the Fire.
Abu Lahab also
died in a state of disbelief as prophesized by the Quran. Had Waleed or Abu
Lahab accepted Islam even outwardly, they would have
disproved its prophecies and thus its heavenly source!
In addition, Abu Lahab had four sons, two of
whom died at a young age during his lifetime. The other two sons and a daughter
embraced Islam and frustrated his hopes! Finally, he died of a plague; people
would not touch his
body out of fear of contamination and dumped mud and stones on him where he
died to make it his
grave.
A key foundation to believing that a scripture
is actually a revelation of God is internal truth, whether it be in regards to
occurrences in the past, to come in the future, or in contemporary ages. As
one can see, there are many prophecies mentioned in that which is to come, some
of which were fulfilled in the Prophet’s lifetime, or have been fulfilled since
his death, while others are yet to appear.
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