THE CHALLENGE OF THE QUR’AAN

           Literature and poetry have been instruments of human expression and
creativity, in all cultures. The world also witnessed an age when literature and
poetry occupied pride of position, similar to that now enjoyed by science and
technology.
Muslims as well as non-Muslims agree that Al-Qur’aan is Arabic literature
par excellence - that it is the best Arabic literature on the face of the earth.
The Qur’aan, challenges mankind in the following verses:
“And if ye are in doubt As to what We have revealed From time to time
to Our Servant, then produce a Soorah Like thereunto; And call your
witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah, If your (doubts) are
true. But if ye cannot –And of a surety you cannot. hen fear the Fire
Whose fuel is Men and Stones – Which is prepared for those Who reject
Faith.” [Al-Qur’aan 2:23-24] 1
The same notation is followed throughout the book. References and
translation of the Qur’aan are from the translation of the Qur’aan by Abdullah
Yusuf Ali, new revised edition, 1989, published by Amana Corporation,
Maryland, USA.
The challenge of the Qur’aan, is to produce a single Soorah (chapter) like the
Soorahs it contains. The same challenge is repeated in the Qur’aan several
times. The challenge to produce a Soorah, which, in beauty, eloquence, depth
and meaning is at least somewhat similar to a Qur’aanic Soorah remains
unmet to this day. A modern rational man, however, would never accept a
religious scripture, which says, in the best possible poetic language, that the
world is flat. This is because we live in an age, where human reason, logic
and science are given primacy. Not many would accept the Qur’aan’s
extraordinarily beautiful language, as proof of its Divine origin. Any scripture
claiming to be a divine revelation must also be acceptable on the strength of
its own reason and logic.
According to the famous physicist and Nobel Prize winner, Albert Einstein,
“Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind.” Let us
therefore study the Qur’aan, and analyze whether