New Catholic Encyclopedia
It is this very sort of thing -confronting people with facts – that
had captured the attention of many non-Muslims. In fact, there exists a
very interesting reference concerning this subject in the New Catholic
Encyclopedia. In an article under the subject of the Quran, the Catholic
Church states:
“Over the centuries, many
theories have been offered as to the origin of the
Quran... Today no sensible man accepts any
of these theories!!”
Now here is the age-old Catholic Church, which has been around for so many
centuries, denying these futile attempts to explain away the Quran.
Indeed, the Quran is a problem for the Catholic Church. It states that it is
revelation, so they study it. Certainly, they would love to find proof that it is not, but
they cannot. They cannot find a viable explanation. But at least they are reasonably
honest in their research and do not accept the first unsubstantiated interpretation
which comes along. The Church states that in fourteen centuries it has not yet been
presented a sensible explanation. At least it admits that the Quran is not an easy
subject to dismiss. Certainly, other people are much less honest. They quickly say,
“Oh, the Quran came from here. The Quran came from there.” And they do not even
examine
the credibility of what they are stating most of the time.
Of course, such a statement by the Catholic Church leaves the everyday
Christian in some difficulty. It just may be that he has his own ideas as to the origin
of the Quran, but as a single member of the Church, he cannot really act upon his
own theory.
Such an action would be contrary to the obedience, allegiance and
loyalty which the Church demands. By virtue of his membership, he must accept what the Catholic Church declares without question and establish its teachings as
part of his everyday routine.
So, in essence, if the Catholic Church as a whole is
saying, “Do not listen to these unconfirmed reports about the Quran,” then what can
be said about the Islamic point of view? If even non-Muslims are admitting that there
is something to the Quran - something that has to be acknowledged - then why are
people so stubborn and defensive and hostile when Muslims advance the very same
theory? This is certainly something for those with a mind to contemplate -something to ponder for those of understanding!
Testimony of an Intellectual
Recently, the leading intellectual in the Catholic Church - a man by the name of
Hans - studied the Quran and gave his opinion of what he had read. This man has
been around for some time, and he is highly respected in the Catholic Church, and
after careful scrutiny, he reported his findings, concluding, “God has spoken to man
through the man, Muhammad.”
Again this is a conclusion arrived at by a non-Muslim source - the very leading
intellectual of the Catholic Church himself!
I do not think that the Pope agrees with him, but nonetheless, the opinion of such
a noted, reputed public figure must carry some weight in defense of the Muslim
position. He must be applauded for facing the reality that the Quran is not
something which can be easily pushed aside and that, in fact God is the source of
these words.
As is evident from the aforementioned information, all of the possibilities have
been exhausted, so the chance of finding another possibility of dismissing the Quran
is nonexistent.
Burden of Proof on the Critic
If the book is not a revelation, then it is a deception; and if it is a deception, one
must ask, “What is its origin? And where does it deceive us?” Indeed, the true
answers to these questions shed light on the Quran’s authenticity and silence the
bitter unsubstantiated claims of the unbelievers.
Certainly, if people are going to insist that the Quran is a deception, then they
must bring forth
evidence to support such a claim. The burden of proof is on them,
not us! One is never supposed to advance a theory without sufficient corroborating
facts; so I say to them, “Show me one deception! Show me where the Quran deceives
me! Show me; otherwise don’t say that it is a deception!”
Origin of the Universe and Life
An interesting characteristic of the Quran is how it deals with surprising
phenomena which relate not only to the past but to modern times as well. In
essence, the Quran is not an old problem. It is still a problem even today – a
problem to the non-Muslims that is. For everyday, every week, every year brings
more and more evidence that the Quran is a force to be
contended with - that its authenticity is no longer to be challenged! For example, one verse in
the Quran(Surah al-Anbiya 21:30) reads:
“Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined
together, then We clove them asunder, and made from water every living
thing? Will they not then believe?”
Ironically, this very information is exactly what they awarded the 1973 Noble
Prize for - to a couple of unbelievers.
The Quran reveals the origin of the universe - how it began from one piece – and
mankind continues to verify this revelation, even up to now. Additionally, the fact
that all life originated from water would not have been an easy thing to convince
people of fourteen centuries ago. Indeed, if 1400 years ago you had stood in the
desert and told someone, “All of this, you see (pointing to yourself), is made up of
mostly water,” no one would have believed you. Proof of that was not available until
the invention of the microscope. They
had to wait to find out that cytoplasm, the
basic substance of the cell, is made-up of 80% water. Nonetheless, the
evidence did come, and once again the Quran stood the test of time.
More on Falsification Test
In reference to the falsification tests mentioned earlier, it is interesting to note
that they, too, relate to both the past and the present.
Some of them were used as illustrations of God’s omnipotence and knowledge, while others continue to stand as
challenges to the present day. An example of the former is the statement made in
the Quran about Abu Lahab. It
clearly illustrates that God, the Knower of the
Unseen, knew that Abu Lahab would never change his ways and accept Islam. Thus
God dictated that he would be condemned to the Hell fire forever.
Such a chapter was both an illustration of God’s divine wisdom and a warning to those who were
like Abu Lahab.
People of the Book
An interesting example of the latter type of falsification tests contained in the
Quran is the verse which mentions the relationship between the Muslims and
the Jews. The verse is careful not to narrow its scope to the relationship between
individual members of each religion, but rather, it summarizes the relationship
between the two groups of people as a whole. In essence, the Quran states that the
Christians will always treat the Muslims better than the Jews will treat the Muslims. Indeed, the full impact of such a statement can only be felt after careful
consideration of the real meaning of such a verse. It is true that many Christians and
many Jews have become Muslims, but as a whole, the Jewish community has
clearly shown its hostility to Islam. Additionally, very
few people realize what such an open declaration in the Quran invites. In essence, it is an easy chance for the Jews to
prove that the Quran is false -
that it is not a divine revelation. All they have to do is
organize themselves, treat the Muslims nicely for a few years and then say, “Now
what does your holy book say about who are your best friends in the world – the
Jews or the Christians? Look what we Jews have done for you!”
That is all they have to do to disprove the Quran’s authenticity, yet they
have not done it in 1400 years. But, as always, the offer still stands open!
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