hamzah tzortzis - the qur'anic argument

7/26/2019 Hamzah Tzortzis - The Qur'anic Argument

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The Qur'anic Argument for God's Existence

HomeEssays & ArticlesPhilosophy & TheologyThe Qur'anic Argument for God'sExistence

[Editorial Note:Many of the articles on this e!site ere ta"en from an old !log that asauthored !y Ham#a Andreas T#ort#is$ %ome of the ritten or" are compilations of arious

thin"ers and philosophers such as the Philosopher illiam (ane )raig* +r$ ,afaar -dris and

others$ -n the next fe months the articles ill !e updated and changed to moe aay from

compilations and a !log style* to a more academic tone ith sound referencing$ -n this particulararticle some of the references ere ta"en from secondary or" !y Professor illiam )raig and

Professor Pol"inghorne* you can access their or" online$ .er the next couple of ee"s the

articles ill !e updated to !e in line ith !est practice and academia$/

01o 2uestion is more su!lime than hy there is a unierse3 hy there is anything rather than

nothing$4[5/

hen e reflect upon our on existence e ill come to the realisation* that at some point in

time* e !egan to exist$ %ince e ere once non6existent and are no in existence* it follosthat e must hae had a !eginning$ -n light of this* the Qur7an raises some profound 2uestions3

ere e created !y nothing8 +id e create ourseles8 .r did e create the unierse8

0.r ere they created !y nothing8 .r ere they the creators 9of themseles:8 .r did they create

heaens and earth8 ;ather* they are not certain$4 Quran ?

These 2uestions can !e addressed to the existence of eerything temporal* in other ords the

entire unierse$ Therefore* the exegetical implications of these erses can !e logically formulated

in the folloing ay3

Things that !egan to exist ere either36

5$ )reated or !rought into !eing from nothing

=$ %elf caused or self created

>$ )reated or !rought into !eing !y something else that !egan to exist

@$ )reated or !rought into !eing !y a non6created or un6caused entity

efore e proceed* the first presupposition has to !e su!tantiated* as it forms the !asis for theQur7an7s argument for the existence of God$ This first assumption is that the unierse !egan to

exist$

Did the universe begin to exist?

To su!stantiate the ie that the unierse !egan to exist e can !ring into our discussion a

plethora of philosophical and inductie arguments3

5$ The second la of thermodynamics=$ The a!surdity of an infinite history of past eents

>$ Astrophysical eidence
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1. The second law of thermodynamics

The concept of entropy as introduced to explain the direction of arious processes that occur in

the natural orld$ Entropy is a measure of ho eenly energy is distri!uted in a system$ Borexample* heat alays flos from a !ody of a higher temperature or energy 9lo entropy: to one

of a loer temperature or energy 9high entropy:$ Ta"e the folloing illustration of a container

ith gas*

hen the partition is remoed* the gas in one end of the container ill spread to the hole of the

container* going from a state of lo entropy 9higher temperature or energy: to high entropy

9loer temperature or energy:$Hence* according to the second la of thermodynamics* processes in a closed system tend

toards higher entropy* as their energy is !eing used$

Applying the second la of thermodynamics to the unierse e ill conclude that it must hae

!egan to exist$ %ince the unierse is a closed system* ith enough time the unierse ill suffer aheat death or thermodynamic e2uili!rium$ hen systems are in thermodynamic e2uili!rium*

they cannot transfer energy$ This is !ecause entropy can only increase oer time$ Therefore* as

the unierse continues to expand it ill eentually !ecome cold and dead$ Hoeer this raises a2uestion* if the unierse neer !egan to exist it ould imply that the unierse has existed for aninfinite amount of time$ -f this is true then hy isn7t the unierse already in a state of heat death8

This strongly suggests that the unierse must hae had a !eginning* !ecause if it didn7t it ould

imply that it has existed for an infinite amount of time* hich ould mean that it should alreadyhae suffered a heat death$ %ince it hasn7t suffered a heat death* it strongly indicates that the

unierse is finite* meaning it !egan to exist$

. The absurdity of an infinite history of !ast events

%ome philosophers such as ertrand ;ussell argued that the unierse is eternal* meaning it has

no !eginning and it ill neer end$ Hoeer if e thin" a!out this e ill conclude that this

position is irrational$ -f the unierse neer had a !eginning it means there must !e an infinitehistory of past eents$ Cet does an actual infinite exist in the real orld8 -s it possi!le8

The concept of the actual infinite cannot !e exported into the real orld* !ecause it leads to

contradictions and doesn7t ma"e sense$ (et7s ta"e the folloing examples to illustrate this point3

5$ %ay you hae an infinite num!er of !alls* if - ta"e = !alls aay* ho many do you hae left8

-nfinity$ +oes that ma"e sense8 ell* there should !e to less than infinity* and if there is* then


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e should !e a!le to count ho many !alls you hae$ ut this is impossi!le* !ecause the infinite

is Dust an idea and doesn7t exist in the real orld$ -n light of this fact the famous German

mathematician +aid Hil!ert said*

0The infinite is nohere to !e found in reality$ -t neither exists in nature nor proides a legitimate

!asis for rational thoughtthe role that remains for the infinite to play is solely that of anidea$4[=/

=$ -magine you are a soldier ready to fire a gun* !ut !efore you shoot you hae to as" permission

for the soldier !ehind you* !ut he has to do the same* and it goes on for infinity$ ill you eer

shoot8 1o you ouldn7t$ This highlights* the a!surdity of an infinite regress and this applies toeents to$ Therefore* there cannot !e an infinite history of past eents$

>$ Ta"e the distance !eteen to points* one may argue that you can su!diide the distance into

infinite parts* !ut you ill alays !e su!diiding and neer actually reach the Finfinitieth7 part

%o in reality the infinite is potential and can neer !e actualised$ %imilarly the ancient Gree"

Philosopher Aristotle explained*

0the infinite is potential* neer actual3 the num!er of parts that can !e ta"en alays surpassesany assigned num!er$4[>/

%o if e refer !ac" to an infinite history of past eents e can conclude* since eents are not Dust

ideas they are real* the num!er of past eents cannot !e infinite$ Therefore the unierse must !e

finite* in other ords the cosmos had a !eginning$

". #stro!hysical evidence

The Fig ang7 is the preailing theory in cosmology$ -t as first formulated !y the aid of someo!serations made !y an American Astronomer called Edin Hu!!le$ hile Hu!!le as trying

to understand the si#e of the unierse* he o!sered immensely luminous stars called )epheidaria!les and noticed something peculiar$ He o!sered that some of these stars ere furtheraay than initially anticipated* and that their colour as slightly changed* shifting toards red*

something no "non as red6shift$ Brom Hu!!le7s o!serations e ere a!le conclude that

eerything seems to !e moing aay from each other* in other ords the unierse is effectiely

expanding$ As time moes on the unierse continues to expand* !ut if time is reersed* the theoryis that eerything starts to coalesce and come together$ )oupled ith the discoery of cosmic

microae !ac"ground radiation* hich is the radiation uniformly filling the o!sera!le

unierse* the idea of the Fig ang7 as !orn$ -n other ords the unierse !egan at a cataclysmiceent hich created space6time and all matter in the unierse$ The physicist P$ )$ $ +aies

explains*

0-f e extrapolate this prediction to its extreme* e reach a point hen all distances in the

unierse hae shrun" to #ero$ An initial cosmological singularity therefore forms a past temporal

extremity to the unierse$ e cannot continue physical reasoning* or een the concept ofspacetime* through such an extremity$ Bor this reason most cosmologists thin" of the initial

singularity as the !eginning of the unierse$ .n this ie the !ig !ang represents the creation

eentI the creation not only of all the matter and energy in the unierse* !ut also of spacetimeitself$4[@/


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Although our understanding of hat happened 5J6@>seconds after the Fig ang7 is highly

speculatie* astrophysicists no concede little dou!t that this unierse in hich e lie is the

aftermath of the emergence and expansion of space6time* hich occurred approximately 5@!illion years ago$ ,ohn Gri!!in* an astrophysicist at )am!ridge Kniersity* summarises the

importance of Fig ang7 cosmology*

0the discoery of the century* in cosmology at least* as ithout dou!t the dramatic discoerymade !y Hu!!le* and confirmed !y Einstein7s e2uations* that the Knierse is not eternal* static*

and unchanging$4[$ Thirdly* the second la of thermodynamics 9as discussed a!oe: implies the finitude of the

unierse$ According to the oscillation model* the entropy is consered from cycle to cycle of thearious oscillations of expansion* crunch and expansion$ This has the effect of generating larger

and longer oscillations$ Therefore the thermodynamic property of this model implies a

!eginning* as the unierse that e exist in has not suffered a heat death* or thermodynamice2uili!rium$


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%ince e hae presented good eidence that the unierse !egan to exist$ e can no address the

logically possi!le explanations the Qur7an presents as rationalisations of the origins of the

unierse$

$reated or brought into being from nothing

e "no the unierse couldn7t hae come out of nothing* !ecause out of nothing* nothingcomes This is an undenia!le philosophical principle* as P$ ,$ art in his pu!lication A!out

Time explains*

0-f there is anything e find inconceia!le it is that something could arise from nothing$4[N/

A significant point to raise here is that nothingness should not !e misconstrued as the

nothingness that some physicists tal" a!out$ The term nothingness in this context refers to thea!sence of anything physical* in other ords there is no pre6existing Fstuff7$ -n light of the

!eginning of the unierse* there as a!solutely nothing !efore it !egan to exist* hich is hy

physicists hae explained the unierse as haing a space6time !oundary$

Hoeer* nothingness as defined !y some physicists relates to the 2uantum acuum$ This ismisleading !ecause the 2uantum is something$ -n 2uantum theory the acuum is a field of energyperading the hole of the unierse$ -n the ord7s of ,ohn Pol"inghorne* a philosopher of

science* the 2uantum acuum*

0is not Fnothing7I it is a structured and highly actie entity$4[O/

%o* in context of some of the physicists7 definition* the unierse could not hae come from

a!solutely nothing* as the 2uantum acuum is something$ -t is a sea of fluctuating energy* hich

is still part of the cosmos and it did not pre6exist the unierse$ This point leads us nicely to thenext possi!le explanation$

%elf caused or self created

Philosophically* the unierse couldn7t hae created itself !ecause that ould imply a paradox$ -t

ould mean that something can exist and not exist at the same time$ The logical ends of this

explanation are tantamount to saying that your mother gae !irth to herself

;ecently* the orld renoned physicist* %tephen Ha"ing in his ne !oo" The Grand +esignargues that the unierse did self create due to the la of graity*

0ecause there is a la li"e graity* the unierse can and ill create itself from nothing4[5J/

ut his ie on nothing* as preiously mentioned* is not really nothingness !ut is space filled

ith the 2uantum acuum* hich is part of the unierse$ -n essence Ha"ing is telling us that theunierse can create itself* !ut it has to already exist for it to do that

)oncerning the la of graity* ell that is Dust a mathematical e2uation that descri!es nature$

This la is part of the unierse* hich can also !e descri!ed as a force of attraction !eteen

material o!Dects$ Therefore* ho can this force exist !efore matter* in other ords the unierse8


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To assert that the unierse created itself ould !e a!surd and self refuting* !ecause in order for

something to create itself it ould need to exist !efore it existed

$reated or brought into being by something else that began to exist

This is not an ade2uate explanation for the origins of the unierse$ The unierse could not hae

oed its existence to another state of temporal physical existence$ To maintain such anexplanation ould !e e2uialent of expanding the !oundaries of the unierse* as all things hich

hae a temporal !eginning exist ithin the unierse$ Also* if temporal physical existence oesitself to another temporal physical existence ad infinitum* it doesn7t explain anything$ ;ather it

highlights the a!surdity of an infinite regress* and that there has to !e a !eginning to the temporal

physical states* hich logically must !e a non6physical state$

Ta"e the folloing example into consideration$ -f the unierse* K5* folloed another temporal

cause K=* and K= folloed another temporal cause K>* and this ent on ad infinitum eouldn7t hae the unierse K5 in the first place$ Thin" a!out it this ay* hen does K5 come

into !eing8 .nly after K= has come into !eing$ hen does K= come into !eing8 .nly after K>

has come into !eing$ This same pro!lem ill continue een if e go to infinity$ -f K5 dependedon its coming into !eing on a chain of infinite temporal causes* K5 ould neer exist$ As the

-slamic Philosopher and %cholar +r$ ,aafar -dris rites*

0There ould !e no series of actual causes* !ut only a series of non6existents* as -!n Taymiyyah

explained$ The fact* hoeer* is that there are existents around usI therefore* their ultimate cause

must !e something other than temporal causes$4[55/

$reated or brought into being by a non&created or un&caused entity

%ince something cannot come from nothing* and self creation is a!surd* including theunreasona!leness of the aforementioned explanation* then the unierse !eing created or !rought

into existence !y an uncaused entity is the !est explanation$ This concept is intuitie !ut also

agrees ith reality3 hateer !egins to exist has a cause or a creator$

This cause or creator must !e uncaused due to the a!surdity of an infinite regress* in other ordsan indefinite chain of causes$ To illustrate this !etter* if the cause of the unierse had a cause and

that cause had a cause ad infinitum* then there ouldn7t !e a unierse to tal" a!out in the first

place 9something e hae already discussed a!oe:$ Bor example* imagine if a %toc" Trader on a

trading floor at the %toc" Exchange as not a!le to !uy or sell his stoc"s or !onds !efore as"ingpermission from the inestor* and then this inestor had to chec" ith his* and this ent on

foreer* ould the %toc" Trader eery !uy or sell his stoc"s or !onds8 The anser is no$ -n

similar light if e apply this to the unierse e ould hae to posit an uncaused cause due tothis rational necessity$ The Qur7an confirms the uncreatedness of the creator* God*

0He neither !egets nor is !orn$4 Qur7an 55=3>

The cause or creator for the unierse must !e a single cause for seeral reasons$ An attractieargument to su!stantiate this claim includes the use of the rational principle called .ccam7s

ra#or$ -n philosophical terms the principle enDoins that e do not multiply entities !eyond

necessity$ hat this !asically means is that e should stic" to explanations that do not createmore 2uestions than it ansers$ -n the context of the cause for the unierse e hae no eidence


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to claim multiplicity* in other ords more than one$ The Qur7an affirms the .neness of the

creator*

0%ay3 He is God* [ho is/ .ne$4 Qur7an 55=35

Hoeer some philosophers and scientists claim3 hy doesn7t the cause !e the unierse itself8

hy can7t the cause stop at the unierse8 ell* the pro!lem ith these claims is that they ould

imply that the unierse created itself* hich e hae already discussed* is a!surd$ Additionally*e hae good reasons to postulate a cause for the unierse !ecause the unierse !egan to exist*

and hat !egins to exist has a cause$

.ur argument thus far allos us to conclude that this cause or creator must !e non contingent

meaning that its existence is dependent on nothing !ut itself$ -f it ere contingent it ould !eone more effect in the chain of causes$ The Qur7an erifies this*

0God is -ndependent of 9all: creatures$4 Qur7an >3OL

The cause or creator must also !e transcendent* this means that the cause of the unierse mustexist outside of and apart from the unierse$ %ince this !eing exists apart from the unierse it

must !e non6physical or immaterial* if it as material then it ould !e part of the unierse$ This

is confirmed in the Qur7an*

0There is nothing li"e unto Him* and He is the Hearing* the %eeing4 Qur7an @=355

This cause must hae the poer to create the unierse* ithout this a!ility nothing could !e

created$ The Qur7an testifies to God7s poer*

0)ertainly* God has poer oer all things$4 Qur7an =3=J

This cause must hae a ill* !ecause it ouldn7t !e a!le to create the unierse ithout one$ hat

this means is that it must hae a ill so the poer to create could !e acted on$ The Qur7an refersto God as haing a ill in many places* for instance*

0And God guides hom He ills to a straight path$4 Qur7an =3=5>

-n summary* e hae concluded hat the Qur7an concluded oer 5@JJ years ago* that a creatorfor the unierse exists* that is one* has a ill* is poerful* uncaused* immaterial and eternal$

'uantum (hysics )ndermines the #rgument

A common contention to the central argument made in this essay is that the assumption

hateer !egins to exist has a cause is false$ This is due to the apparent o!serations in the2uantum acuum that su!6atomic eents !ehae spontaneously ithout any causes$ -n light ofthis common contention there are some good o!Dections e can raise3

5$ Birstly* the ie that some eents Dust happen* also "non as indeterminism* for no reason at

all is impossi!le to proe conclusiely$ .ur ina!ility to identify a cause does not necessarily

mean that there is no cause$


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=$ %econdly* there are deterministic perspecties adopted !y physicists to explain these so6called

spontaneous su!6atomic eents$ Bor instance in the 5O


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[@/ P$ )$ $ +aies* 0%pacetime %ingularities in )osmology*4 in The %tudy of Time ---* ed$ ,$ T$

Braser 9erlin3 %pringer erlag* 5OLN:* pages LNLO$

[:* page 5O$

[?/ Alex ilen"in* Many orlds in .ne3 The %earch for .ther Knierse$ Hill and ang$ =JJ?*

page 5L?$[L/ Paul +aies* 0The irth of the )osmos*4 in God* )osmos* 1ature and )reatiity* ed$ ,ill

Gready 9Edin!urgh3 %cottish Academic Press* 5OOO


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The Qur'an's )hallenge3 A (iterary & (inguistic Miracle

0;ead -n the 1ame of your (ord ho has created$ He has created man from a leech6li"e clot$

;ead And your (ord is the Most Generous$ ho has taught 9the riting: !y the pen$ He has

taught man that hich he "ne not$4 Surah Al-Alaq (The Clot) 96: 1-5These ere the first erses of the Qur7an to !e reealed to Prophet Muhammad 9upon hom !e

peace: oer fourteen hundred years ago$ Prophet Muhammad* ho as "non to hae !een in

retreat and meditation in a cae outside Ma""ah* had receied the first reelation of a !oo" that

ould hae a tremendous impact on the orld$ 1ot !eing a!le to read or rite or "non to haecomposed any piece of poetry and not haing any special rhetorical gifts* Prophet Muhammad

had Dust receied the !eginning of a !oo" that ould deal ith matters of !elief* la* politics*

rituals* spirituality* and economics in an entirely ne literary form$

This uni2ue literary form is part of the miraculous nature of the Qur7an* that led to the dramaticintellectual reial of desert Ara!s$ Thirteen years after the first reelation* it !ecame the primary

reference for a ne state in Madinah* proiding the ne ciilisation7s political* philosophical*

and spiritual outloo"$ -n this chapter* e ill !egin to examine hy the Qur7an is impossi!le toimitate !y reieing ho the language of the Qur7an compares to the normal literary forms ofAra!ic poetry and prose$ Knderstanding the uni2ue literary form of the Qur7an* proides an

essential insight into its miraculous nature$

#rabic literary forms

)lassical scholars such as al6a2illani and al6;ummani ie the Qur7an as haing its onuni2ue literary form$[5/ This ie is also supported !y estern scholarship hich can !e found

in the ritings of famous orientalists such as Arthur ,$ Ar!erry* Professor ruce (arence and

+$,$ %teart$[=/ Eery expression of the Ara!ic language falls into the literary forms of prose and

poetry$ There are other Fsu!7 forms that fall into the a!oe categories such as "ahinI a su!6form

of rhymed prose$ Hoeer* all literary forms can !e categorised as either prose or poetry$According to Muslim and 1on6Muslim scholarship* hoeer* the Qur7an cannot !e descri!ed as

any one of these "non forms of Ara!ic speech$

1. +hat is #rabic !oetry?

Poetry is a form of literary art in hich language is used for its aesthetic and eocatie 2ualities

in addition to* or in lieu of* its apparent meaning$ Poetry may !e ritten independently* as

discrete poems or may occur in conDunction ith other artsI as in poetic drama* hymns* lyrics or

prose poetry$ Poetry often uses particular forms and conentions to suggest alternatie meaningsin the ords* or to eo"e emotional or sensual responses$ +eices such as assonance 9repetition

of oel sounds:* alliteration 9repetition of consonants:* onomatopoeia 9is a ord that imitates or

suggests the source of the sound that it descri!es: and rhythm are sometimes used to achieemusical or incantatory effects$ The use of am!iguity* sym!olism* irony and other stylistic

elements of poetic diction often leaes a poem open to multiple interpretations$ %imilarly*

metaphor* simile and metonymy create a resonance !eteen otherise disparate images$

-n Ara!ic* poetry 9ash6shiSr ul6ara!iya: is a form of metrical speech[>/ ith a rhyme$ The rhyme

92afiyah: in Ara!ic poetry is achieed !y eery line of the poem ending upon a specific letter$The metrical aspect of Ara!ic poetry is due to its rhythmical pattern 9arud:$ Ara!ic poetry has


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sixteen rhythmical patterns called Fal6!ihar7* literally meaning FThe %eas7 in Ara!ic$ This term

has !een used to descri!e the rhythmical diisions as a result of the ay the poem moes

according to its rhythm* Dust li"e the aes in the sea$

The folloing is a list of the rhythmical patterns* hich all Ara!ic poetry adheres to* or is loosely

!ased uponI at6tailI al6!assitI al6afirI al6"amilI ar6raDsI al6"hafifI al6ha#aDI al6mutta"ari!I al6munsarihI al6mu"tata!I al6mutadara"I al6madidI al6muDtathI al6ramelI al6"ha!a!I as6saria7$

Each one of the al6!ihar has a uni2ue rhythmical pattern$ The al6!ihar ere first codified in the

Nth century !y al6Rhalil i!n Ahmad and hae changed little since$ The al6!ihar are !ased on the

length of sylla!les$ A literary analysis of any Ara!ic poem ill conclude that it adheres to* or is!ased upon* these rhythmical patterns$ This is supported !y (ouis )hei"ho ho collected pre6

-slamic and post6-slamic poetry and concluded that all of the poems conformed and ere !ased

upon the al6!ihar$[@/ An example of Ara!ic poetry is the ancient Ara!ian poem called FA!u6l6FAta of %ind73

0.f thee did - dream* hile spears !eteen us ere 2uiering and sooth of our !lood full drop

had drun"en the tany shafts - "no not* !y heaen - sear and true is the ord - say this pangis it loe sic"ness or a spell from thee if it !e a spell* then grant me grace of my loe6longing if

the other the sic"ness !e then none is the guilt of thine$4[


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poetry and other forms of Ara!ic speech due to its concentrated use of rhetorical features$[L/

;hetorical features are literary and linguistic deices intended to please or persuade* that differ

from normal speech$ Examples of rhetorical features include sound* rhythm* ellipsis andgrammatical shift 9iltifaat:$[N/

-n summary the definition of saD7 is that it has a*

i: Accent !ased 9or stress6timed: rhythmical patternii: End rhyme

iii: )oncentrated use of rhetorical features

ursal

Mursal can !e defined as a literary form that goes on* !ut is continued straight throughoutithout any diisions* either of rhyme or of anything else$ Mursal is meant as a ay of

expression that closely resem!les eeryday spo"en language$ Examples can !e seen in speeches

and prayers intended to encourage or motiate the masses$

-n summary the definition of mursal is that it has*

i: 1o rhythmical pattern

ii: 1o rhymeiii: A resem!lance to straight forard speech

+hat is a miracle?

The ord miracle is deried from the (atin ord Fmiraculum7 meaning Fsomething onderful7$

A miracle is commonly defined as a iolation of natural la 9lex naturalis:I hoeer this is an

incoherent definition$ This incoherence is due to our understanding of natural las$ As ilyns"yDo!seres 0so long as natural las are conceied of as uniersal inductie generalisations* the

notion of iolation of a natural la is incoherent$4[O/

1atural las are inductie generalisations of patterns e o!sere in the unierse$ Bor

clarificationI induction* also "non as inductie reasoning or inductie logic* is a type of

reasoning hich inoles moing from a set of specific facts to a general conclusion$ -t can also!e seen as a form of theory6!uilding* in hich specific facts are used to create a theory that

explains relationships !eteen the facts and allos prediction of future "noledge$ -nduction is

employed* for example* in using specific propositions such as3 all ice - hae eer touched ascold$ Hence all ice is cold$ Pro!lems may occur here hasty inductie generalisations proceed

from a premise a!out a sample to a conclusion a!out the population$ To gie a ery simple

exampleI a 2uarter of the pupils in a class are left handed$ Therefore* a 2uarter of the ton7s

population must also !e left handed$

Burthermore* if the definition of a miracle is a iolation of this natural la* in other ords aiolation of the patterns e o!sere in the unierse* then an o!ious dilemma occurs$ The

dilemma is that hy can7t e ta"e this perceied iolation of the pattern as part of the pattern

itself8 Hence* a more coherent description of a miracle is not a Fiolation7 !ut an Fimpossi!ility7$illiam (ane )raig reDects the definition of a miracle as a 0iolation of a natural la4 and

replaces it ith the coherent definition of 0eents hich lie outside the productie capacity of


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nature4$[5J/ -n summary* this means that miracles are acts of impossi!ilities concerning causal or

logical connections$

+hy is the 'ur-an a iracle?

hat ma"es the Qur7an a miracle* is that it is impossi!le for a human !eing to compose

something li"e it* as it lies outside the productie capacity of the nature of the Ara!ic language$The productie capacity of nature* concerning the Ara!ic language* is that any grammatically

sound expression of the Ara!ic language ill alays fall ith6in the "non Ara!ic literary formsof prose and poetry$ All of the possi!le com!inations of Ara!ic ords* letters and grammatical

rules hae !een exhausted and yet its literary form has not !een matched linguistically$ The

Ara!s* ho ere "non to hae !een Ara!ic linguists par excellence* failed to successfully

challenge the Qur7an$ Borster Bit#gerald Ar!uthnot* ho as a nota!le ritish .rientalist andtranslator* states3

0and that though seeral attempts hae !een made to produce a or" e2ual to it as far as

elegant riting is concerned* none has as yet succeeded$4[55/

The implication of this is that there is no lin" !eteen the Qur7an and the Ara!ic languageIhoeer this seems impossi!le !ecause the Qur7an is made up of the Ara!ic language$ .n the

other hand* eery com!ination of Ara!ic ords and letters hae !een used to try and imitate theQur7an$ Therefore* this leaes only one conclusionI a +iine explanation is the only coherent

explanation for this impossi!le Ara!ic literary form the Qur7an$ Hence* it logically follos that

if the Qur7an is a literary eent that lies outside the productie capacity of the Ara!ic language*i$e$ an impossi!ility* then !y definition* it is a miracle$

The challenge in the 'ur-an

-n the folloing erses Allah has challenged the hole of man"ind to try and produce a single

chapter li"e the Qur7an$ This challenge* hich has remained unmet* captiated the minds of the

Ara!s at the time of reelat6ion$ They rationally assessed that if an Ara! cannot challenge theQur7an and nor could a non6Ara!* then the only source of the Qur7an is the )reator$ The Qur7an

states3

0-f you are in dou!t of hat e hae reealed to .ur Messenger* then produce one chapter li"e

it* call upon all your helpers* !esides Allah* if you are truthful$4 Surah al-Baqarah (The Heifer)

2: 23.0.r do they say3 0He 9Prophet Muhammad* : has forged it 9this Qur7an:84 1ay They !eliee

not (et them then produce a recitation li"e it 9the Qur7an: if they are truthful$4 %urah at-Toor

(The Mout) 52: 33-3!$According to Qur7anic commentators such as -!n Rathir* %uyuti and -!n A!!as* these erses

issue a challenge to produce a chapter that imitates the uni2ue literary form of the Qur7an$[5=/The tools needed to meet this challenge are the finite grammatical rules and the tenty eightletters that ma"e6up the Ara!ic alpha!etI these are independent and o!Dectie measures aaila!le

to all$ The fact that it has not !een matched since it as reealed does not surprise scholars

familiar ith the Ara!ic language and that of the Qur7an$

The Qur7an as reealed oer 5@>J years ago and the challenge to produce something li"e the

Qur7an has remained to this day$ Throughout the centuries* thin"ers* poets* theologians and


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literary critics hae attempted to challenge the Qur7an$ %ome of these challengers in the past

hae included3 MusaylamahI -!n Al6Mu"affaI Cahya i!n Al6Ha"am al6Gha#alI %ayyid FAli

MuhammadI assar i!n urd$

ithout going into an extensie analysis of hy Muslim and non6Muslim scholars hae agreed

that those ho hae attempted to challenge the Qur7an hae failed* the folloing summaryshould suffice$ Een though the challengers hae had the same set of Ftools7* hich are the

tenty eight Ara!ic letters* finite grammatical rules and the !lue print of the challenge hich isthe Qur7an itselfI they hae failed to3

5$ ;eplicate the Qur7an7s literary form=$ Match the uni2ue linguistic nature of the Qur7an

>$ %elect and arrange ords li"e that of the Qur7an

@$ %elect and arrange similar grammatical particles


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$ -nterrelation !eteen style* structure and meaning$

The list a!oe is not exhaustie and represents Dust some of the reasons hy it has not !een

possi!le to emulate the Qur7an to this day$

The 'ur-an is im!ossible to match linguistically

The ina!ility to produce anything li"e the Qur7an* due to its uni2ue literary form* is the essence

of the Qur7anic miracle$ The argument posed !y Muslim theologians and philosophers is that if*ith the finite set of Ara!ic linguistic tools at humanity7s disposal* there is no effectie

challenge* then proiding a naturalistic explanation for the Qur7an7s uni2ueness is incoherent and

doesn7t explain its inimita!ility$ This is !ecause a human author is only a!le to produce the"non literary forms in the Ara!ic language$ The deelopment of an entirely ne literary form is

!eyond the scope of the natural capacity of any human author* hence a +iine entity* Allah* is the

only sufficient comprehensie explanation$ The eidence for this is that for oer a millennia* thespeech and ritings of the Ara!s hae alays fallen ithin the "non forms and expressions of

the Ara!ic language$ Hoeer* the Qur7an !rea"s this natural pattern due to its uni2ueness$ Taha

Husayn* a prominent Egyptian litterateur* in a pu!lic lecture summarised ho the Qur7anachiees its on uni2ue form3

0ut you "no that the Qur7an is not prose and that it is not erse either$ -t is rather Qur7an* andit cannot !e called !y any other name !ut this$ -t is not erse* and that is clearI for it does not

!ind itself to the !onds of erse$ And it is not prose* for it is !ound !y !onds peculiar to itself* not

found elsehereI some of the !inds are related to the endings of its erses* and some to thatmusical sound hich is all its on$

-t is therefore neither erse nor prose* !ut it is 0a oo" hose erses hae !een perfected andexpounded* from .ne ho is ise* All6Aare$4 e cannot therefore say it is prose* and its text

itself is not erse$ -t has !een one of a "ind* and nothing li"e it has eer preceded or folloed it$4

[5>/

Hence* the Qur7an is truly a uni2ue expression of the Ara!ic language$ 1othing has come !eforeor after it that can match its literary form and style$ This next section ill discuss ho the Qur7an

compares to Ara!ic poetry and prose$

/s the 'ur-an !oetry?

The Qur7an cannot !e simply descri!ed as poetry !ecause the totality of each surah does not

conform to any of the al6!ihar and in many places does not exhi!it the same regular rythmicpatterns of the al6!ihar$ %urah al6Rathar 9A ;ier in Paradise* 5JN: is a good example to sho

ho the Qur7an is not Ara!ic poetry3

"a ata#a $al $a%thar

erily* e hae granted you al6Rathar$

&a'alli li rai$a %aharTherefore turn in prayer to your (ord and sacrifice$

"a 'hai-a$a hu%al atar

Bor he ho hates you* he ill !e cut off$


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The sylla!les of these erses do not correspond to any pattern similar to the al6!ihar of Ara!ic

poetry$ -n fact* there is no sylla!ic rhythmical pattern in this surah$ Mohammad Rhalifa in The

Authorship of the Qur7an concludes*

0;eaders familiar ith Ara!ic poetry reali#e that it has long !een distinguished !y its a#n* !ahr*

arud and 2afiyah 9i$e$ exact measures of sylla!ic sounds and rhymes:* hich hae to !e strictlyadhered to een at the expense of grammar and a shade of meaning at times$ All of this is

categorically different from Qur7anic literary style$4 [5@/

As discussed preiously Ara!ic prose can !e defined either as rhymed 9saD7: or normal speech

9mursal:$ -f e compare mursal ith the Qur7an* e find that the construction of the Qur7an isnot Dust straightforard speech$ This is due to the use of rhyme* rhythm* depth of meaning and

uni2ue stylistic features a!undant throughout the Qur7an$ Mursal is Dust normal speech that does

not employ any of the a!oe features$ A superficial analysis on %urah al6Rathar ill concludethat it cannot !e descri!ed as normal speech$

-nna a7tayna "al "athar

Basalli li ra!!i"a anhar-nna shani6a"a hual a!tar

These erses employ an end rhyme as can !e seen !y the letters in !old$ The repetition of theending F"a7 9you: is responsi!le for creating the chapter7s rhythm$ y highlighting Dust this

surah7s rhyme and rhythm* clearly shos that the Qur7an is not straightforard speech$

/s the 'ur-an rhymed !rose 0sa,-?

The Qur7an has its on uni2ue form so it cannot !e descri!ed as the normal rhymed prose that is

eident in other or"s of Ara!ic literature$ There are three maDor opinions !ased upon modernand classical scholarship on ho the Qur7an achiees its on uni2ue literary form of rhymed

prose or saD73

1. ique fu'io of *etri+al a, o-*etri+al 'ee+h

The Qur7an achiees this uni2ue literary form !y fusing together metrical and non6metricalspeech$ This fusion of metrical and non6metrical composition is present throughout the hole of

the Qur7an and cannot !e found in any Ara!ic text* past or present$[5


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0Qur7anic saD7 has a much greater tendency to mono6rhyme than does later saD7$ A small num!er

of rhymesare predominant in the Qur7an hereas rhyme in later saD7 shos greater

ariation$4[5N/

!$ +oes not conform to a particular style

The general description of saD7 is that it has an end rhyme$ Hoeer* the Qur7an does not

conform to a constant or consistent rhyme* hich reflects the or" of ar6;ummani[5O/ hostates that the Qur7an7s use of language is semantically orientated and does not conform to a

particular style$ %emantically orientated means the use of language is drien !y meaning* in other

ords the message that is !eing portrayed* in contrast to the language of the poets hen theyused ords and phrases primarily for sound and rhythm rather than any coherent meaning$

This is also reflected !y +ein ,$ %teart7s analysis* he states* 0The Qur7an allos inexact

rhymes hich are not found in later saD74[=J/

c$ Greater range of saD7 phrases

The diisions of saD7 or single phrases of saD7 are called saD7aat$[=5/ The Qur7an differs from

normal saD7 as it has a greater range of short and long saD7aat$ +ein ,$ %teart states* 0oth in

the Qur7an and in later saD7 e see that shorter saD7 is much more common* !ut the range in theQur7an is greater$4[==/

d$ Higher fre2uency of rhetorical features

The Qur7an is a Fsea of rhetoric7$ The Qur7an exhi!its an unparalleled fre2uency of rhetoricalfeatures* surpassing any other Ara!ic text* classical or modern$[=>/ The use of rhetoric in the

Qur7an stands out from any other type of discourse$[=@/ The folloing examples sho that the

Qur7an employs a ider range and fre2uency of rhetorical features than any other rhymed proseIpast or present [please refer to the original Ara!ic to understand the examples gie! !elo/$

i. #lliteration.

This is a literary or rhetorical stylistic deice that consists of repeating the same consonant sound

ithin seeral ords in close succession$ Bor example repetition of "um in the folloing erse3

0He ill direct you to do righteous good deeds and ill forgie you your sins$ And hosoeer

o!eys Allah and His Messenger* he has indeed achieed a great achieement$4 Surah al-Ah0aa

(The Cofe,erate') 33: 1.Another example of alliteration occurs in %urah al6Mursalaat hen the letter meem is repeated in

2uic" succession3

0+id e not create you from a despised ater8 Surah al-Mur'alaat (Tho'e 'et forth) : 2.

ii. #nalogy

This can !e a spo"en or textual comparison !eteen to ords 9or sets of ords: to highlight

some form of semantic similarity !eteen them$ Bor example3

0And cushions set in ros$ And rich carpets spread out$4 Surah al-haa'hi#ah (The

4er%hel*i) 77: 15-16.


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0Therefore* treat not the orphan ith oppression$ And repulse not the !eggar$4 Surah a,-8uhaa

(The &oreoo) 93: 9-1.

iii. #nti!hrasis

This is a figure of speech that is used to mean the opposite of its usual sense* especially

ironically$ Bor example3

0Then pour oer his head the torment of !oiling ater$ Taste you 9this: erily* you ere

9pretending to !e: the mighty* the generous4 Surah a,-8u$haa (The S*o$e) !!: !7-!9.

iv. #ntithesis

This is a counter6proposition and denotes a direct contrast to the original proposition$ Bor

example3

0Those ho dis!eliee* theirs ill !e a seere tormentI and those ho !eliee and do righteous

good deeds* theirs ill !e forgieness and a great reard$4 Surah &aatir (The 4riiator ofCreatio) 35: .

v. #syndeton

This term is used for a stylistic scheme in hich conDunctions are deli!erately omitted from aseries of related clauses$ Bor example in the folloing erses the su!Dect matter sitches ithin

the same erse ithout any lin"age3

0Allah is He ho raised the heaens ithout any pillars that you can see$ Then* He rose a!oe

the Throne$ He has su!Dected the sun and the moon* each running 9its course: for a term

appointed$ He manages and regulates all affairsI He explains the Ayat 9proofs* eidences* erses*lessons* signs* reelations* etc$: in detail* that you may !eliee ith certainty in the Meeting ith

your (ord$4 Surah ar-a, (The Thu,er) 13: 2.

vi. #ssonance

A refrain of oel sounds to create internal rhyming ithin phrases or sentences* Bor example

the ords eeyaa !ahum and hesaa !ahum in the folloing to erses3

0erily* to Ks ill !e their returnI Then erily* for Ks ill !e their rec"oning$4 Surah al-

haa'hi#ah (The 4er%hel*i) 77: 25-26.

vii. $adence

)adence is the rythmic rise or fall of the oice hen a text is read aloud$ This poerful feature is

one of the most !eautiful attractions of the Qur7an and is present throughout$ -t is a maDor

phonetic and cohesie element hich ma"es the Qur7an impossi!le to imitate$ 1o other text hasdone this !efore* especially in such fre2uency and in com!ination ith assonance and the many

other phonetic deices such as assimilation* nasalisation* etc$

viii. $hiasmus

-n rhetoric* chiasmus is the figure of speech in hich to or more clauses are related to eachother through a reersal of structures in order to ma"e a larger point* for example3

0Cou ma"e the night to enter into the day* and Cou ma"e the day to enter into the night* Cou

!ring the liing out of the dead and* Cou !ring the dead out of the liing$ And Cou gie ealthand sustenance to hom Cou ill* ithout limit$4 Surah aal-"*raa (The &a*il# of "*raa) 3:

2.

ix. E!i2euxis


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-n linguistics* an epi#euxis is the repetition of ords in immediate succession* for ehemence or

emphasis$ Bor example in %urah ash6%harh e read3

0erily* along ith eery hardship is relief* erily* along ith eery hardship is relief$4 Surah

a'h-Sharh (The 4ei &orth) 9!: 5-6.

x. E3uivo3ueThis is the use of a term ith more than one meaning or sense$ Bor example use of the ord

Fmountains7 in the folloing erse3

0%ee you not that Allah dries the clouds gently* then Doins them together* then ma"es them into a

heap of layers* and you see the rain comes forth from !eteen themI and He sends don fromthe s"y hail 9li"e: mountains* and stri"es thereith hom He ills* and aerts it from hom He

ills$ The iid flash of its 9clouds: lightning nearly !linds the sight$4 Surah a-oor (The

;iht) 2!: !3.

xi. 4omonymy

This is a group of ords* that share the same spelling and the same pronunciation !ut can hae a

different meaning$ Bor example* in the folloing erse the ord ma"ara can hae !oth good and!ad meaning$ -n the context of the erse e see the eil plotting and planning of those ho

ished to "ill Prophet ,esus 9peace !e upon him: as opposed to Allah7s plan to protect Prophet

,esus 9peace !e upon him:$

0And they 9dis!elieers: plotted 9to "ill ,esus:* and Allah planned too$ And Allah is the est of

those ho plan$4 Surah aal-"*raa (The &a*il# of "*raa) 3: 5!.

xii. 4y!erbole

A term for hen statements that are deli!erately exaggerated to underline a point$ Bor example3

0erily* those ho deny .ur erses and treat them ith arrogance* for them the gates of heaen

ill not !e opened* and they ill not enter Paradise until the camel goes through the eye of the

needle 9hich is impossi!le:$ Thus do e recompense the MuDrimun 9criminals* polytheists*sinners:$4Surah al-Araaf (The Heiht') : !.

0hen they came upon you from a!oe you and from !elo you* and hen the eyes gre ild

and the hearts reached to the throats* and you ere har!ouring dou!ts a!out Allah$4 Surah al-Ah0aa (The Cofe,erate') 33: 1.

xiii. /socolon

A figure of speech in hich parallelism is reinforced$ Bor example3

0(et the rich man spend according to his meansI and the man hose resources are restricted* let

him spend according to hat Allah has gien him$ Allah puts no !urden on any person !eyondhat He has gien him$ Allah ill grant after hardship* ease$ And many a ton 9population:

reolted against the )ommand of its (ord and His MessengersI and e called it to a seereaccount* and e shall punish it ith a horri!le torment 9in Hell in the Hereafter:$ %o it tasted theeil result of its affair 9dis!elief:* and the conse2uence of its affair 9dis!elief: as loss

9destruction in this life and an eternal punishment in the Hereafter:$ Allah has prepared for them

a seere torment$ %o fear Allah and "eep your duty to Him* . men of understanding* ho hae!elieed Allah has indeed sent don to you a ;eminder 9this Qur7an:$4 Surah at-Talaaq (The8ior+e) 65: -1.

xiv. eta!hor


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A metaphor is a term that concisely compares to things* saying that one is li"e the other$ Bor

example3

0And e shall turn to hateer deeds they 9dis!elieers* polytheists* sinners: did* and e shall

ma"e such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust$4 Surah al-&urqaa (The Criterio) 25:

23.0And your (ord has decreed that you orship none !ut Him$ And that you !e dutiful to your

parents$ -f one of them or !oth of them attain old age in your life* say not to them a ord ofdisrespect* nor shout at them !ut address them in terms of honour$ And loer to them the ing of

su!mission and humility through mercy* and say3 0My (ord esto on them Cour Mercy as

they did !ring me up hen - as young$4 Surah al-"'raa (The


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0e pour forth ater in a!undance$ And e split the earth in clefts$4 Surah =Aa'a (He

&ro%e,) 7: 25-26.

xix. *hetorical 3uestions

This type of 2uestion is a figure of speech in the form of a 2uestion posed for its persuasie

effect ithout the expectation of a reply 9for example* hy me8:$ ;hetorical 2uestions

encourage the listener to thin" a!out hat the 9often o!ious: anser to the 2uestion must !e$hen a spea"er states* 0Ho much longer must our people endure this inDustice84* no formal

anser is expected$ ;ather* it is a deice used !y the spea"er to assert or deny something$ -n the

Qur7an* Allah uses rhetorical 2uestions in many places* for example3

0-s there any reard for good other than good84 Surah ar-ah*aa (The Mo't ra+iou') 55: 6.

0Then he turned to their alihah 9gods: and said3 0ill you not eat 9of the offering !eforeyou:84 Surah a'-Saaffaat (Tho'e ae, i a$') 3: 91.

xx. %ynecdoche

This is closely related to metonymy and is a figure of speech that denotes a part of something !utis used to refer to the hole thing$ Bor example Fa pair of hands7 referring to a or"er$ -n the

folloing Qur7anic erse there are many different aspects to consider$ Birstly* a synecdoche

hen the ord ra2a!a meaning Fnec"7 is used to refer to the hole ie$ a slae$ Then thecharita!le act itself !eing li"ened to a steep path* in other ords a difficult course of action$

The psycholinguistics !ehind the erse alone opens up for consideration arious aspects ofhuman psychology* !ehaiour and comprehension in relation to language$ (astly* the use of the

ord ra2a!a achiees the effect of maintaining the rhyme created !y the preious "ey ord*

Fa2a!a 9the steep path:$

0And hat ill ma"e you "no the path that is steep8 9-t is: freeing a nec"$4 Surah al-Bala,

(The Cit#) 9: 12-13.

". 'ur-an bound stylistic variations

%tylistic ariation is the use of different features of language in a myriad of ays$ )ontinuingith the comparison !eteen the uni2ue literary form of the Qur7an and Ara!ic rhymed prose orsaD7* e find that the Qur7an uses literary and linguistic deices in such a ay that has not !een

used !efore ith unparalleled communicatie effect$

The use of stylistic ariation or stylistic differences* includes* !ut is not limited to3

5$ %emantically drien assonance and rhyme

=$ Grammatical shifts 9iltifaat* in Ara!ic:

>$ -nterrelation !eteen sound* structure and meaning@$ )hoice of ords


22/35

The first er! Fapproach7 occurs in the context of folloing a ery serious prohi!ition in the

same erse3

0!ut do not associate ith your ies hile you are in spiritual retreat in the mos2ues$4[=L/

The second er! Ftransgress7 of the second erse entails flexi!ility signified !y the conDunctions

in the preious phrases Feither7 and For73

0A diorce is only permissi!le tice3 after that* the parties should either hold together on

e2uita!le terms* or separate ith "indness$4[=N/

-n the context of stylistic ariation the a!oe example can proide empirical eidence for theie that the Qur7an uses ords and phrases specifically to proide an accurate and intended

meaning$

4ow are stylistic variations uni3ue to the 'ur-an?

The Qur7an achiees its uni2ue literary form !y transcending the use of language that is common

to saD7$ %$ M$ HaDDaDi6,arrah in her article 0The Enchantment of ;eading3 %ound* Meaning* andExpression in %urat Al6Adiyat4* hich discusses ho the Qur7an achiees its uni2ueness due to

stylistic differences* states3 0Qur7anic FAra!iyya !rings forth a da##ling assem!ly of ord

meaning and sound defying the conentions of !oth the Ara!ian saD7 and the literary rules ofclassical Ara!ic literature4$[=O/

The folloing examples proide linguistic and literary eidence for the Qur7an7s stylisticdistinction$

>?a*le 1: @or, or,er 'ou, a, *eai

The folloing is an example of ho the Qur7an com!ines ords* sounds* meaning and order to

achiee its communicatie goal* the result of hich is su!lime rhetoric[>J/* unsurpassedelo2uence and a uni2ue literary form$ (et us examine the text from erses > and @ of %urah aal6-mraan 9The Bamily of -mraan* >:3

0And He sent don the Torah and the Gospel* Aforetime* as a guidance to man"ind$ And He

sent don the )riterion4

or"ing ith the English transliteration the erse readsI

0a6an#ala at6tarata aal6inDeela min 2a!lu hudan lilnnasi a6an#ala al6fur2ana4

An alternatie order of the ords is possi!le3

0a6an#ala at6tarata aal6inDeela aal6fur2ana min 2a!lu hudan lilnnas4

Hoeer* hen compared to the original this alternatie arrangement has some flas$ Birstly* thealternatie arrangement lac"s rhythm* compared to the original Qur7anic structure* and it is

phonetically inferior$ %econdly* this arrangement has led to a distur!ance in the meaning$ This is

due to the fact that the second use of the "ey ord an#ala 9reealed: has !een ta"en out and the


23/35

final ord al6fur2ana 9the )riterion:* hose position has a crucial semantic alue* has !een

placed in the middle of the sentence$

-n the original Qur7anic sentence* the repetition of the ord an#ala and the placement of al6

fur2ana are essential deices employed to enhance the communicatie* psycholinguistic and

rhetorical effect$ The repetition of the ord an#ala is to confirm the reelation of the )riterionand that it is indeed a +iine scripture hile the placement of the ord al6fur2ana at the end of

the sentence is to confirm that the )riterion is the last and final scripture$[>5/ A!d al6QadirAhmad FAta refers to examples li"e these as Fthe chemical composition of the Qur7an hich

indicate the delicate and !alanced stylistic ariation in the Qur7an$[>=/

>?a*le 2: ra**ati+al Shift (iltifaat)

Professor A!del Haleem in his article FGrammatical %hift for ;hetorical Purposes3 -ltifaat and

related features in the Qur7an[>>/* highlighted another inimita!le feature of the Qur7an* theextensie use of grammatical shifts$ This feature is an effectie rhetorical deice that enhances

the texts literary expression and achiees the communicatie goalI[>@/ it is an accepted* ell

researched part of Ara!ic rhetoric$ .ne can find references in the !oo"s of !alagha 9Ara!ic;hetoric: !y al6Athir* %uyuti and ar"ashi$[>


24/35

Approach to a eiled Text7 concludes that the grammatical shifts used in the Qur7an* 0are a

ery effectie rhetorical deice$4[>L/

The Qur7an is the only form of Ara!ic prose to hae used this rhetorical deice in an extensie

and complex manner$ Professor A!del Haleem states* 0it employs this feature far more

extensiely and in more ariations than does Ara!ic poetry$ -t is* therefore* natural to findnoone seems to 2uote references in prose other than from the Qur7an$4[>N/

Hence* the Qur7an is stylistically distinct from any "non form of Ara!ic speech$ -t uses

linguistic and literary deices in such a ay that hae not !een used !efore$

>?a*le 3: urai+ re+i'io

A further example of Qur7anic precision is found in a erse that mentions to of the attri!utes ofAllahI al6Ghafoor 9The Borgiing: and ar6;aheem 9The Merciful:$ -n the Qur7an e find that

these to names of Allah are mentioned together more than seenty times* ith the ord al6

Ghafoor alays preceding ar6;aheem$ Hoeer* in %urah %a!a erse = 9see !elo:* e find that

ar6;aheem is mentioned !efore al6Ghafoor$ %o the 2uestion arises as to hy this might !e$

0-n the 1ame of Allah* the Most Gracious* the Most Merciful$ All praise and than"s are to Allah*to hom !elongs all that is in the heaens and all that is in the earth$ His is all praise and than"s

in the Hereafter* and He is the All6ise* the ell6Ac2uainted 9ith all things:$ He "nos that

hich goes into the earth and that hich comes forth from it* and that hich descends from theheaen and that hich ascends to it$ And He is the Most Merciful* the .ft6Borgiing$4 %urah

%a!a 9%he!a: >@3 56=$

-f e examine the content and structure of the hole erse in detail e see that the to attri!utes

of Allah FMercy and Borgieness7 alternate as shon in the representation !elo$ Allah !egins

erse to ith the ord 0He "nos4 hich has a direct connection ith hy ar6;aheem is

mentioned first in this case$

-f e carefully analyse this erse Allah says that 0He "nos that hich goes into the earth4 -f

e consider the types of things that go into the earth such as seeds that are !uried in the ground*

orms* insects* drops of rain and the fact that human !eings ill also go into the earth hen they

die$ .nce in the ground e ill need to rely on the Mercy of Allah$ Then Allah says* 0and thathich comes forth from it4$ egetation* springs and riers gushing forth are examples of all the

types of things that come out of the earth$ %imilarly human !eings ill too come out from the

earth hen they are resurrected from their graes$ At that time e ill need to rely on Allah7sattri!ute of al6Ghafoor 9forgieness:$

The erse continues and Allah says 0and that hich descends from the heaen4$ )onsider for amoment hat comes from the s"ies such as drops of rain* +iine commandments in the form of

reelations* Allah7s graces* faours and proisions$ e see that all of these things are a mercy

from Allah$ ;ain is a mercy* reelation is a mercy and proisions are a mercy$ The erse thenends ith 0and that hich ascends to it$ And He is the Most Merciful* the .ft6Borgiing4$ .ur

deeds* supplications* and souls depart this ord and all ascend to heaen and hat is re2uired in

these instances from Allah is his forgieness$ Thus* each part of the erse connects ith these


25/35

to names and the erse has to end on ar6raheemul ghafoor in contrast to all other occurrences*

in order to maintain the correct se2uence$

This erse proides another excellent example of the precision and !alance present throughout

the Qur7an* coupled ith a leel of aareness of hat is !eing said and the implications !ehind

the ords that ould hae !een impossi!le for Prophet Muhammad to produce !y himself andremain consistent oer a period of tenty three years$

>?a*le !: Maitea+e of rh#th*

An example of textual precision and maintenance of rhythm in the Qur7an is found ithin the

story of Prophet Moses 9Musa* peace !e upon him:$ Prophet Moses is mentioned together ithhis !rother Prophet Aaron 9Harun* peace !e upon him: in numerous places in the Qur7an$ %o for

example in %urah A7raaf 9The Heights:* erses 5=5 and 5== e read3

0They said3 0e !eliee in the (ord of the Alamn 9man"ind* Dinn and all that exists:$ The (ord

of Moses and Aaron$4

1ote ho all of the erses leading up to the mention of the Prophets Moses and Aaron end iththe letter noon$ Ksually hen e read the story a!out their meeting ith the Pharaoh and hismagicians as in the a!oe erse* Prophet Moses is alays mentioned !efore Prophet Aaron$

Hoeer* there is one exception$ -n %urah TaaHaa 9=J: erse LJ Allah says3

0%o* the magicians fell don prostrate$ They said3 0e !eliee in the (ord of Aaron and Moses$4

The order of the names is different in this erse so that the rhythm of the recitation is maintained$

The preious Qur7anic text shos that the erses preceding erse LJ all end on the letter alif$

Hence* ending erse LJ ith the name Musa* helps to maintain this style and rhythm$

>?a*le 5: Siular a, lural %or,'.ne of the many fascinating aspects of the Qur7an is that it neer ceases to astound those hostudy it$ As each layer of "noledge is unraelled further leels of understanding and

comprehension are reealed$ The fact that Allah the )reator has a ery fine and su!tle "noledge

of human nature in terms of ho e thin" and feel is highlighted throughout the Qur7an$ Borexample* heneer Allah uses the ord sama7 9listen: in the Qur7an it is usually in its singular

rather than the plural form as in %urah al6a2arah 9The Heifer* =: erse L e readI

0Allah has set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing* 9i$e$ they are closed from accepting

Allah7s Guidance:* and on their eyes there is a coering$ Theirs ill !e a great torment$4

The highlighted text a!oe shos that although the ords 2oloo!ihim 9hearts: and a!saarihim

9eyes: are in their plural forms the ord sami7him 9hearing: is singular$ This is due to the factthat if e listen to speech* our hearts and minds all react on an indiidual !asis* here!y e ill

translate and understand the speech according to our on personal understanding and

comprehension of hat as said$ This type of su!tlety is lost hen the Qur7an is translated intoanother language* so the true linguistic miracle and magnificence of the Qur7an can only !e fully

appreciated from the original Ara!ic$


26/35

Another example of the use of singular and plural ords occurs in %urah ash6%hu7araa 9The

Poets* =?:$ The folloing erses reeal ho the people of the Prophets 1oah and (ot 9peace !e

upon them: and the people of Ad* Thamud and al6Ai"ah all denied the Messengers of Allah$

0The people of 1oah denied the Messengers$4 Surah a'h-Shuaraa (The oet') 26: 15.

09The people of: Ad denied the Messengers4 Surah a'h-Shuaraa (The oet') 26: 123.09The people of: Thamud denied the Messengers$4 Surah a'h-Shuaraa (The oet') 26: 1!1.

0The people of (ot denied the Messengers$4 Surah a'h-Shuaraa (The oet') 26: 16.0The dellers of Al6Ai"ah denied the Messengers$4 Surah a'h-Shuaraa (The oet') 26: 16.-n all of these erses the apparent meaning is clear that all of these people denied their

Messengers$ Hoeer the choice of the plural ord al6mursaleen 9Messengers: rather than

singular ar6rasool is more appropriate here$ This is due to the fact that een if you deny one ofAllah7s Messengers it is as if you hae denied them all !ecause they all came ith the same

message* namely* -slam$ As in the folloing erse here Allah saysI

0erily* those ho dis!eliee in Allah and His messengers and ish to ma"e distinction !eteen

Allah and His messengers 9!y !elieing in Allah and dis!elieing in His messengers: saying*0e !eliee in some !ut reDect others*4 and ish to adopt a ay in !eteen$ They are in truth

dis!elieers$ And e hae prepared for the dis!elieers a humiliating torment$ And those ho

!eliee in Allah and His messengers and ma"e no distinction !eteen any of them 9messengers:*

e shall gie them their reardsI and Allah is Eer .ft6Borgiing* Most Merciful$4 %urah an61isaa 9The omen: @3 553

0Hunafa7 (illah 9i$e$ orshipping none !ut Allah:* not associating partners 9in orship: to HimIand hoeer assigns partners to Allah* it is as if he had fallen from the s"y* and the !irds had

snatched him* or the ind had thron him to a far off place$4

Here 9hunafa7 lillah: means* sincerely su!mitting to Him alone* shunning falsehood and see"ing

the truth$ Allah then says 0not associating partners unto Him4$ Then Allah gies a li"eness of the

idolator in his misguidance and !eing doomed and !eing far aay from true guidance* and says3hoeer assigns partners to Allah* it is as if he had fallen from the s"y* and the !irds had

snatched him* or the ind had thron him to a far off place$4

This hole passage conDures up a iid scene of a person falling don from the s"y from a great

height a!out to !e iolently !ro"en into pieces or he may !e sept aay !y the ind or throninto a !ottomless depth$ hat is stri"ing is the rapid and iolent moement* ith scenes

happening in 2uic" succession and then disappearing completely$

The interesting point to note here is that the erse ends ith the ord sahee2* rather than an

alternatie ord* !aeed$ oth of these hae a ery similar meaning3 remote* distant and faraay$

Hoeer* the ord sahee2 is used !ecause it ends in the letter 2af* hich is a Fheay7 letter in theAra!ic alpha!et as opposed to the Flighter7 daal at the end of the ord !aeed$ -n this case the


27/35

erse ends on a much harder note* hich strengthens and underlines the star" eents !eing

portrayed in the erse$

The erse represents a ery accurate picture and apt description of one ho associates partners

ith Allah$ He falls from the su!lime height of faith to land in utter destruction$ Binishing the

erse ith the letter 2af shos the seerity of the matter* and that hen the person is thron tothe faraay place the landing is not soft* rather he is smashed on the ground ith a crac"$ This

type of example highlights further the uni2ue inter6relationship !eteen the precise choice ofQur7anic ords* their resonance and ho this effects the meaning of a particular erse$

>?a*le : The +hallee%urah al6Rathar is the shortest surah in the Qur7an ith only three short erses and li"e all of

the other chapters in the Qur7an* has an unmatched selection of ords* pronouns* ord order and

meaning$ Moreoer* anyone attempting to ta"e up the challenge of the Qur7an only needs toproduce something compara!le to it$ y !riefly analysing this chapter7s first erse it proides an

insight into ho this matchless and elo2uent discourse is achieed$

i. Em!hasis and choice of !ronounerily* e hae granted you al6Rathar$

-nna a7tayna "al "atharTherefore turn in prayer to your (ord and sacrifice$

Basalli li ra!!i"a anhar

Bor he ho hates you* he ill !e cut off$-nna shani6a"a hual a!tar

The use of the ords 9erily* e: at the start of al6Rathar is emphaticI also the plural is used toindicate poer* certainty* a!ility* greater 2uantity or sometimes to stress the status and greatness

9li6ta7#im al6muta"allim a ihtimaman !idhi"r ra!!i"a a ta7#iman:$ This is an apt choice of

pronoun as its persuasie force can not !e matched !y any other pronoun$ The effect is 0The)reator* ho has poer to do anything* has indeed gien you$4

ii. +ord choice

The term a7tayn has !een used instead of aataaina7 !ecause of a su!tle difference$ The difference

as defined !y -!n Man#oor in his (isan al6Ara! is that the Qur7anic choice indicates Fto hand

oer ith one7s on hand7 hereas the non Qur7anic selection does not proide this meaning$

This choice of ord is apt as it strengthens the sentence emphasi#ing the surety of giing* a!ility*greatness* poer and intimacy 9to console and strengthen Prophet Muhammad :$ The er! has

also !een used in the past tense hich indicates that it has already happened and ma"es it

definitie$ This further accentuates the meaning of surety* poer and greatness$ This alsoexpresses certainty of a promiseI in this case Prophet Muhammad ill hae al6Rathar* or

a!undance$

The root stem for the ord al6Rathar are the letters "af* tha and ra 9"athara:$ This signifies

plentiful* multitude* oerfloing* rich* unstinting and unending$ .ther deriations of this root

include3

5$ "atha6ratun3 Multitude


28/35

=$ "atheerun3 Much* many* numerous

>$ a"7tharu3 More numerous 9emphasis:

@$ "ath6thara3 To multiply


29/35

ould !e lost$ As e hae discussed* the Qur7an is uni2ue in that it does not follo the normal

pattern of Ara!ic poetry and prose$ The flo of the Qur7an is not interrupted !y the repeated

detail contained in many of its erses$ -n fact* part of the !eauty of the Qur7an can !e attri!utedto its precise detail and accuracy$

Hence* the oerie presented here shos ho the Qur7an transcends all forms of Ara!icrhymed prose 9saD7:$ -n fact theologians and Ara! linguists hold that the Qur7an does not contain

Dust ordinary saD7* and is in fact uni2ue to all types of saD7$ Their reasoning is that in the Qur7an*the use of language is semantically orientated and its literary structure is distinct* hereas in saD7*

conformity to style is a primary o!Dectie$

1o human !eing has eer composed a !oo" that discusses such dierse topics in a language ith

so much rhythm* !eauty and style$ Burther examples of the Qur7an7s uni2ue literary form are too

many and aried to list and are !eyond the scope of this !oo"* !ut can !e found in a multitude ofother or"s on this su!Dect$

-n conclusion* the Qur7an is a literary and linguistic mira6cle$ -t has challenged those ho dou!t

its +iine author6ship and history has shon that it is indeed a miracle as there can !e no naturalexplanation to comprehensiely explain its unmatched uni2ue expression$ As tangi!le signs*

Qur7anic erses are expressie of an inexhausti!le truth$ They signify meanings layered ithinmeanings* light upon light and miracle after miracle$ Examples of other miraculous aspects of the

Qur7an* such as the scientific accuracy here it deals ith many natural phenomena* can !e

found in 0The -slam Guide* pp$ 5O56=?@4$[>O/

*eferences

5$ FA!d al6,a!!ar* -7Da# al6Qur7an* )airo* 5O?J* p$ ==@I Ali -!n -sa al6;ummani* Thalath ;asa7il-Da# al6Qur7an* Ed$ M$ Rhalaf Allah & M$ %allam* )airo* 5O


30/35

L$ +ein ,$ %teart* ;hymed Prose$ Encyclopaedia of the Qur7an$ General Editor3 ,ane +ammen

McAuliffe* Georgeton Kniersity* ashington +)$ rill* =JJN$

N$ Angeli"a 1eurith* ;hetoric and the Qur7an$ Encyclopaedia of the Qur7an$ General Editor3

,ane +ammen McAuliffe* Georgeton Kniersity* ashington +)$ rill* =JJN$

O$ %tephen %$ ilyns"yD* God* 1ature* and the )oncept of Miracle* Ph$+$ +iss$3 1otre +ame*

5ON=* p$ 5J6@=$

5J$ +r$ illiam (ane )raig* The Pro!lem of Miracles3 A Histor6ical and PhilosophicalPerspectie$ Aaila!le online$

55$ B$ Ar!uthnot* The )onstruction of the i!le and the Roran* (ondon* 5NN$ (ecture entitled* Prose in

the second and third centuries after the HiDrah* deliered at the Geographical %ociety in )airo5O>J* +ar al Ma6arif$

5@$ Mohammad Rhalifa* The Authorship of the Qur7an3 )ritical )oncepts in -slamic %tudies$

Edited !y )olin Turner* ol$ -* p$5=O$

55$

5?$ Arthur ,$ Ar!erry* The Roran* .xford Kniersity Press* 5OON$ p$ x$

5L$ +r$ Adel M$ A$ A!!as* Anne P$ Bretell* %cience Miracles* 1o %tic"s or %na"es* eltsille*

Maryland* K%A3 Amana Pu!lications3 =JJJ$

5N$ +ein ,$ %teart* %aD7 in the Qur7an3 Prosody and %tructure* p$5J=$

5O$ Ali -!n -sa al6;ummani* Thalath ;asa7il -Da# al6Qur7an* Ed$ M$ Rhalaf Allah & M$ %allam*

)airo* 5O


31/35

=?$ %urah al6a2arah 9The Heifer: =3 ==O$

=L$ %urah al6a2arah 9The Heifer: =3 5NL$

=N$ %urah al6a2arah 9The Heifer: =3 ==O$ Bor further detail see3 Hussein A!dul6;aof* Qur7anic

%tylistics3 A (inguistic Analysis* p O56O=$

=O$ %$ M$ HaDDaDi6,arrah* The Enchantment of ;eading3 %ound* Meaning* and Expression in %urat

Al6Adiyat* )ur#on Press* =JJJ* p$ ==O$

>J$ Bor more information on the rhetorical features in the Qur7anic discourse see3 H$ A!dul6;aof*

Exploring the Qur7an* al6Ma"toum -nstitute Academic Press* =JJ>* p$ =?ONI H$ A!dul6;aof*Qur7an Translation3 +iscourse* Texture and Exegesis* )ur#on Press* =JJJ* p OLI B$ Esac"*

Qur7anic Hermeneutics3 Pro!lems and Prospects* The Muslim orld* 5OO>* ol$ N>* 1o$ =$ p$

5=? 65=NI Muhuddin +arish* -ra!6ul6QuranI -!n Rathir* Tafseer al6Qur7an* +arusalaam*

;iyadh* =JJ5I +r ah!a uhayli* al6Tafseer al6MuneerI Al6Qurtu!i* Tafsir al6Qurtu!i Ara!icI al6,ami li6Ah"am al6Qur7anI Tafsir al6,alalayn* )lassical )ommentary of the Qur7an 9Ara!ic &

english:I -mam at6Ta!ari* Tafsir al6Ta!ari3 ,amiS al ayan fi Ta7il al Qur7anI Ahmad al6Hashimi* ,aaher al6alaghahIFA!d al6Batah al6 Qadhi* al6afi fi %harh al6%hati!iyyah fi al6Qira7at al6%a!7* "arangan$

>5$ Hussein A!dul6;aof* The (inguistic Architecture of the Qur7an* ,ournal of Qur7anic %tudies*

ol$ --* -ssue --* =JJJ* p$ >O$

>=$ FA!d al6Qadir Ahmad FAta* FuDuh i7Da# al6Qur7an* in Mahmud i!n Ham#a al6Rarmani 9ed$:*

Asrar al6ti"rar fi7l6Qur7an* )airo3 +ar al6-7tisam* 5OLL* p$ =@>6?>$

>>$ Muhammed A!del Haleem* Knderstanding the Qur7an3 Themes & %tyles* -$ $Tauris

Pu!lishers* 5OOO* p$ 5N@6=5J$

>@$ H$ A!dul6;aof* Exploring the Qur7an* Al6Ma"toum -nstitute Academic Press* =JJ> and H$

A!dul6;aof* Qur7an Translation3 +iscourse* Texture and Exegesis* )ur#on Press* =JJJ$

>?$ i!id$

>L$ 1eal ;o!inson* +iscoering the Qur7an3 A )ontemporary Approach to a eiled Text*

Georgeton Kniersity Press* =JJ@$

>N$ Muhammed A!del Haleem* Knderstanding the Qur7an3 Themes & %tyles* 5OOO* p$ 5N@6=5J$

>O$ ;ashida egum Alam* The -slam Guide* An -nsight into the Baith* History and )iilisation*

Exhi!ition -slam* =JJL* pp$ 5O56=?@$


32/35

Are Cou Happy8

The short article and ideo !elo are products that - managed and deeloped for .ne ;eason

9$onereason$org:$

Fand a happy future !elongs to those ho are mindful of Him7 The Qur7an L35=N

/n the (ursuit of 4a!!iness

The Fpursuit of happiness7 is an essential part of our human nature$ All of us ant to !e happy

een hen sometimes e can7t pinpoint exactly hat Fhappiness7 is$ This is hy if you ere to

as" the aerage person hy they ant to get a good Do!* they ould pro!a!ly reply* Fto earn

enough to lie comforta!ly7$ Hoeer* if you 2uestioned them further and as"ed hy they ant

to lie comforta!ly* they ould more than li"ely say li"e many of us F!ecause - ant to !e

happy7$ ut happiness is ultimately an end* not a means$ -t7s the final destination* not necessarily

the Dourney$ e all ant to !e happy* so e endlessly see" ays to help us achiee that final

happy state$

The Dourney that people see" aries from one person to the next$ %ome dedicate the years to

adding 2ualifications and career credentials to their names$ .thers or" tirelessly in gyms to

achiee their perfect figure$ Those ho desire the loe of family often end up sacrificing their

lies to the care of their spouse and children$ hilst some simply party their ee"ends aayith friends* see"ing a release from the relentless cycle of another tough ee" at or"$ The list

is endless$ hether it7s through money* status* other people or Dust a good time eery!ody is

inoled in trying to Fget happy7 and eentually Dust E happy$ hich !egs the 2uestion* hat is

true happiness8 -f it exists* here does it lie and ho do e get there8

#m / ha!!y?

To help anser these 2uestions* imagine the folloing scenario3 hile reading this* you are

sedated against your ill$ %uddenly you a"e up and find yourself on a plane$ Cou7re in first

class$ Cou hae your on ca!in$ The food is heaenly$ The seat is a flat!ed* designed for aluxurious comforta!le experience$ The entertainment is limitless$ The serice is out of this orld$

Cou start to enDoy all of the facilities$ Time starts to pass$ 1o thin" for a moment* and as"

yourself the 2uestion3 ould - !e happy8

Ho could you !e you7d need some 2uestions ansered first$ ho sedated you8 Ho did you

get on the plane8 hat7s the purpose of the Dourney8 here are you heading8 -f these 2uestions


33/35

remained unansered* ho could you !e happy8 Een if you started to enDoy all of the luxuries

at your disposal* you ould neer achiee true happiness$ ould a frothy elgian chocolate

mousse on your dessert tray !e enough to dron out the 2uestions8 -t ould !e a delusion* a

temporary fa"e type of happiness* only achiea!le !y deli!erately ignoring and suspending these

critical 2uestions$

1o apply this to your life and as" yourself* am - happy8

.ur coming into existence is no different to !eing sedated and thron on a plane$ e neer

chose our !irth* our parents or here e come from$ Cet some of us do not as" the 2uestions or

search for the ansers that ill help us achiee our ultimate goal of happiness$

$an +e Truly 5e 4a!!y?

%o here does true happiness lie8 -neita!ly* if e reflect on the preious example* happinessreally lies in our inardness* in "noing ho e are* and finding the ansers to the critical

2uestions li"e* Fhy are e here87 and Fhere are e going87$

Knli"e animals* e cannot !e content !y simply liing and reacting to our instincts$ .!eying our

hormones and mere physical needs ill not !ring happiness$ To highlight this* reflect on another

example$

-magine you ere one of fifty human !eings loc"ed in a small room ith no means of exit$ There

are only 5J loaes of !read* and there is no more food for another 5JJ days$ hat do you all do8

-f you follo your animalistic instincts* there ill !e !lood$ ut if you try to anser the 2uestion

Fho can e all surie87* it is more than li"ely that you ill* as you ill deise ays to do so$

Extend this example to your life$ Cour life is far more complex and has many more aria!les*

hich can result in almost an infinite num!er of outcomes$ Cet some of us Dust follo our carnal

needs$ .ur Do!s may re2uire Ph+7s or other 2ualifications* and e may ine and dine ith our

partners* !ut all of that is still reduced to mere surial and procreation$ Happiness cannot !e

achieed unless e anser the critical 2uestions and find out ho e really are$

%o +hy #re +e 4ere?

e all need to anser the fundamental 2uestion of hy e7re here$ -n -slam* the anser is

simple* yet profound$ e are here to orship God$

ut orship in -slam is 2uite different to the common understanding of the ord$ orship can !e

in each and eery act that e do$ -ts in the ay e al" and tal" to each other* to the small acts


34/35

of "indness e do each and eery day$ -f e focus on pleasing God !y our actions then our

actions themseles !ecome an act of orship$

%o orship is not merely limited to the spiritual acts li"e prayer and fasting !ut orshipping God

means loing Him* pleasing Him and "noing Him$ To "no your (ord is to "no yourself$Rnoing and orshipping God is the ultimate purpose of our existenceI it frees us from the

slaery to others and society$

God* in the Qur7an* presents us ith a poerful example3

0God puts forard this illustration3 can a man ho has for his masters seeral partners at odds

ith each other !e considered e2ual to a man deoted holly to one master8 All praise !elongs

to God* though most of them do not "no$4 The Qur7an* >O3=O

-neita!ly* if e don7t orship God* e end up orshipping other Fgods7$ Thin" a!out it$ .ur

partners* our !osses* our teachers* our friends* the societies e lie in* and een our on desires*

Fenslae7 us in some ay$ Ta"e for example social norms$ Many of us define our sense of !eauty

!ased on influential social pressures$ e may hae a range of li"es and disli"es* !ut they are

shaped !y others$ As" yourself* hy am - earing these trousers or this s"irt8 %aying you li"e it

is only a shallo response* the point is hy do you li"e it8 -f e "eep on pro!ing in this ay*

many ill end up admitting F!ecause other people thin" it loo"s nice7$ Knfortunately* e7e all

!een influenced* sometimes from the endless aderts that !om!ard us$

-n this respect e hae many Fmasters7 and they all ant something from us$ They are all Fat

odds ith each other7* and e end up liing confused* unfulfilled lies$ God* ho "nos us

!etter than e "no ourseles* ho loes us more than our mothers loe us* is telling us that He

is our true master* and only !y orshipping Him alone ill e truly free ourseles$

The Muslim Casmin Mogahed* in her !oo" ;eclaim Cour Heart* explains that anything other

than God is ea" and fee!le* and that our freedom lies in orshipping Him3

0Eery time you run after* see"* or petition something ea" or fee!le you too !ecome ea" or

fee!le$ Een if you do reach that hich you see"* it ill neer !e enough$ Cou ill soon need to

see" something else$ Cou ill neer reach true contentment or satisfaction$ That is hy e lie

in a orld of trade6ins and upgrades$ Cour phone* your car* your computer* your oman* your

man* can alays !e traded in for a neer* !etter model$ ut there is a freedom from that slaery$

hen the o!Dect upon hich you place all your eight is unsha"ing* un!rea"a!le* and unending*

you cannot fall$4


35/35

+here #re +e 6oing?

e hae a choice3 to em!race God7s eternal un!ounded mercy* or to run aay from it$ Accepting

His mercy* !y responding to His message* and o!eying* orshipping and loing Him* ill

facilitate our eternal happiness in paradise$ ;eDecting and running aay from God7s mercy

necessitates that e end up in a place deoid of His loeI a place of unhappiness hell$ %o e

hae a choice$ Either e decide to em!race His mercy or try to escape from it$ e hae the free

ill to choose$ The choices e ma"e in this life ill shape our lies after e die3

0 and hen that +ay comes* no soul ill spea" except !y His permission* and some of them

ill !e retched and some happy$4 The Qur7an 5535J

hamzah tzortzis - the qur'anic argument

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