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 hisMuslim 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’sprophethood! 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.
Footnotes:
[1] ‘Muhammad:
His Life Based on the Earliest Sources’ by Martin Lings, p. 34.
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