The Human-Divine Character of the Quran

بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم. الحمد لله رب العالمین. الرحمن الرحیم. مالك يوم الدين. اياك نعبد و اياك نستعين. اهدنا الصراط المستقيم. صراط الذين انعمت عليهم غير المغضوب عليهم و لا الضالین.

From a long time ago, among the collection of Qur’anic Sciences and along with the branches of research, studies and educational aspects of these groups of knowledges, like the science of Moḥkam and Motashābih (Firm and Ambiguity), the Science of Asbāb Nuzūl (Causes of Descent), the Science of Nāsikh and Mansūkh (Abrogator and Abrogated), the Science of Recitations and the Science of Rasm al-Muṣḥaf (Muṣḥaf Calligraphy), a place for trending and a determined and specific process of education, research and comprehensive study entitled “Qur’anology” had been empty and it can be said it is still empty. Even if, with all kinds of justifications and any ways of explanations, we believe that in relatively comprehensive encyclopedias such as “Al-Burhan Zarakishi” and “Al-Itaqān Siyūti”, in fact, the “Qur’anic Sciences”, the “Knowledge of the Qur’an” or “Qur’anology” is one of the chapters and types of Qur’anic sciences, but what is certain is that among the discussions of this subject in Qur’anic sciences, there was and still is no place for a discussion that discusses the “charecter” of the text of the Qur’an, and still, this question remains waiting for a proper and valid answer: is the charecter of the text of the Qur’an divine and heavenly, or is it earthly and human?

Realistically, we must say that this very decisive and effective topic in the field of studies education and trainings and learnings and extensive researches of Qur’anic studies and sciences, although it has been very long-standing and has always been the subject of discussion everywhere, but at the same time it is still neglected. Of course, the point is to ignore the center of significance and the “text” of this topic, because the history of Islamic sciences proves that, unfortunately, at least two sides of this topic, which are certainly not very stable and not very favorable, have always been very active; a margin from this side, which has been launched with various titles and flags, and they have made hundreds of “emphasis on emphasis” on the “divine charecter of the Qur’an”.

This group, in fact, is not dissimilar to someone who, according to that famous saying, with all his energy and enthusiasm, poured some water into a stone mortar and is busy pounding it hard, while the water will not change in any way after 48 hours and much more of being pounded in the mortar compared to the first moment.

These marginal debates, in spite of many gravities and very attractiveness, have always started again throughout the history of the Qur’an and the history of Islam, from the same place they ended; and the frequent repetition of those debates has not left anything noteworthy and has not answered any research questions.

“The logical word is two words” and “the logical word has no answer”. The Qur’an is the speech of Allah; it is the Word of God. There are no words here. What is worth noting and reminding is that in this deceptive market, the problem itself has always been erased due to the presentation and description of all kinds of debates related to the “Qur’an, the Word of God”; and the main part of the article has been overshadowed by personal or sectarian and group discussions and opinions.

Perhaps Mawlana Jalaluddin Balkhi Rumi, when he said the same heartfelt words: “Everyone became my friend out of his own thinking” had a partial view or a complete view of this conclusion.

In other words, these great thinkers and scholars have taken for granted fixed, correct and certain principle and have taken shelter under it, which is of course a happy place, but they have exaggerated and multiplied and wasted so much in the division of its details that it is as if they themselves are lost among those details, and perhaps they have completely forgotten what was the reason for entering these discussions in the first place.

The second margin, on the other hand, has more or less always had a warm market; sometimes very hot and sometimes at least warm, as it may not be possible to say that during, for example, a century, even for a few years, these discussions have temporarily lost their previous warmth and prosperity. It can even be said that in this margin, the discussions have been and are typically more attractive and popular, it is as if it was very interesting and heartwarming for “man” to attribute such an incomparable and unique phenomenon as “Qur’an” to himself in the world of creation and deny or at least question its relationship with God who, the Owner of the Qur’an, implicitly or openly.

It goes without saying and it is very clear that for this “pretentious man” who can’t claim to be the creator of heaven and earth; or he is his own creator; or he is either the creator of a tree or a flower bush, the attractiveness of this discussion has never faded and never will.

Unavoidably and unwillingly, we have to mention here the biggest and most prominent debate of the 14th century in Egypt and other scientific centers of the Islamic world, albeit briefly. The case of “Kitāb al-Arabīyat al-Akbar” is in broad comparison with those great masters and militant thinkers and great reformers who supported this project or scientific theory which is accepted almost everywhere and it was also accepted by prestigious scientific departments, famous colleges and universities, and renowned scientists and experts, while this term was obviously very interesting and attractive, it contained a huge contradiction, and it is amazing how it was liked and accepted everywhere!?

That obvious contradiction was that if the Qur’an is a unique and incomparable Arabic book, and it is the great book of Arabism, and it is a book that has no equal since the beginning of the long history of Arabic language and literature in the past and in the era, and there is no rival in the present and there will be no equal in the future, then how immediately, the proponents of this title and the designers of this scientific and literary charter and the owners of this loud theory clearly claim that the Book of Al-Arabiya al-Akbar, the great book of Arabism, is purely a human product and has no any exclusive and direct relationship not at all with God?!

This group neither believes in the eternity (Qedam) of the Qur’an, with any definition and expression, nor in its creation (Ĥodouth) of the Qur’an, with the various definitions and expressions of those who believe in its being an accident. They have completely separated their way from those old and ancient debates, and they are blowing contradictions in a big and new horn, and under the influence of this loud horn and the drums that have chased it around and are still chasing it, the centers and many scientific and literary groups, especially scholars and intellectuals, accept it and support it!!

It is interesting to note that in this margin, problem description itself has been completely erased; the problem that this present book wants to raise with seriousness and merit, around the divine power, along with its detailed and comprehensive plan, and God willing discuss and explain it.

The problem statement is “the divine human charecter of the Qur’an”; That is, the text of those two active margins, but unstable, and lasting but undesirable and abnormal.

On the other side of the market, the best discussions have resulted in that God has finally become pure and magnificent, but the more God has been purified and sanctified, the more He has distanced from the earth, time, the world, and the place of human life, a very, very great and very, very Holy and Magnificent God who has nothing to do with the work of man, and reciprocally, “the man” has nothing to do with such a God who has risen to the highest peak of majesty and holiness; and it is as if man has accepted that he has to manage his affairs in other ways and with other gods and captains and organize his work.

On this side of the market, everyone has been and indeed is busy with their human noises and as the saying goes, they don’t have a chance to be happy. Discussions are very exciting and surfers are always talking back and forth and are pursuing their own desires. The result of the article in this context is that the great and noisy world of humanity has accepted the Qur’an as a privileged human phenomenon and is deeply enamored with it and is ready to have morning and evening with it in every way, and respects and appreciates it and put it at the top of affairs and even worship it! Except that he is not willing to consider the Qur’an as the book of God and the word of God.

He does not expect more than one level from the Qur’an, and with the same low level of utilization, he is completely happy and prosperous and does not have any boredom and the Qur’an is not supposed to do anything more than that for him. In this day and age and with this mechanism, “the man” has decided, from this point to the next, to organize all his work in other places and in other big bazaars. A superior and lofty Qur’an, very magnificent and at the highest level of exaltation, but what is it to do with man, and what is man to do with it?!

The project of “The Divine-Human Charecter of the Qur’an” wants to put an end to all this strangeness and alienation, separation and irretrievable distances, and in a word, to end the unrelenting desolation of the Qur’an. The research plan of this discussion is completely Qur’anic , and its various issues in this book are, God willing to be analyzed, explained, suggested and stated, of course, exclusively in the space of Qur’anic expression and with the Qur’anic style and approach and without leaving the atmosphere of the Qur’an in any way.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم. قل هو الله احد. الله الصمد. لم يلد و لم يولد. و لم يكن له كفوا احد. بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم. قل اعوذ برب الفلق. من شر ما خلق. و من شر غاسق اذا وقب. و من شر النفاثات في العقد. و من شر حاسد اذا حسد. بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم. قل اعوذ برب الناس. ملك الناس. اله الناس. من شر الوسواس الخناس. الذي يوسوس في صدور الناس. من الجنة و الناس.

Tehran, Qur’an Language Center
February 01, 2023
MohammadAli Lessani Fesharaki