The Qur’an: Divine Authorship or Authored by Men?

Azriel

Well-known member
The same way the Bible gives us our understanding of Christianity, the Qur’an is a vital part of understanding Islam both as it is practiced today and as its origins are described. The difference is who was their authors. Since most non-Muslims have never read the Qur’an, a brief introduction is in order. The word “Qur’an” means “recitation” in Arabic and is thought to be derived from the Syriac word “Quryana,” which refers to “lectionary, or liturgical, readings.”

As the holy scripture of Islam, the Qur’an is the main source of guidance for Muslims, though much of the sharia law is derived from other sources (namely the Hadith, which records the traditional sayings of Muhammad, the Sira, which contains biographical material on Muhammad, the Tafsir, which contains commentaries on the Qur’an, and Fiqh, which is Islamic Jurisprudence).

The 114 chapters, or Surahs, in the Qur’an contain instruction on a variety of topics, including the greatness of Allah, relationships with Jews and Christians, interactions with non-Muslims, and how Muslims ought to conduct themselves in everything from prayer and alms to marriage and military conflicts. Unlike the Christian or Jewish scriptures, the Qur’an is organized by chapter length rather than chronology. It also contains a number of stories about Old Testament figures such as Moses, David, and Abraham, as well as narratives about Jesus (known as “Isa” in the Qur’an) and his mother, Mary.

But who was its author? Key concepts that must be understood about the Qur’an, with an emphasis on how Muslims believe it establishes itself as trustworthy and divinely inspired. Once that is understood it's easier to spot the misconception throughout the Quran and come to the understanding that it was written by a man, and he was not divinely inspired.

Daniel Janosik, The Guide to Answering Islam: What Every Christian Needs to Know about Islam and the Rise of Radical Islam
 
The Qur’an is the most important and often the only book Muslims will have. It not only prescribes how they view and worship God, but it also instructs them on how they should treat other Muslims as well as those who reject Islam.

A number of key details about the Qur’an are important to understand. First, Muslims claim that the Qur’an is the most perfect book of all time. They maintain that it was revealed to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel, and then shortly after Muhammad’s death scribes wrote it down.

This is believed to be the very version that has been passed on to Muslims today. As God’s final revelation, Muslims argue that it supersedes and corrects previous scriptures, such as the Bible, all of which they contend have been corrupted by men. Second, Muhammad’s direct experience in the process of receiving the Qur’an is foundational to the whole religion of Islam. So this is the reason Muslims affirm the nature of the Qur’an and the reasons they declare that it can be trusted as the infallible and uncorrupted word of Allah.

Since God Does not change "“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed." Malachi 3:6 My question is what is the need for the Quran? Why would there be a final revelation of God's word? Doesn't the Bible give us the complete and final story?

Jesus said "It is finished" John 19:30. The only thing left is the great commission and waiting for his return. The character in the nature of God that we are shown in the Bible doesn't seem to fit Allah.

Norman Geisler and Abdul Saleeb comment on the consensus between many Muslim theologians that Allah does not have a knowable nature. Traditional Islamic teaching holds that Allah does not have a knowable essence. Allah loves because he has willed himself to love. Likewise, he is merciful because he has willed himself to be merciful. This is called divine voluntarism.

The God of the Bible has a knowable nature revealed in Scripture. God is holy, good, and loving. These are not Inserted in the Bible to describe how God sometimes behaves; these words appeal to who and what God is. He created us because he loves us and wants to have fellowship with us.

Daniel Janosik, The Guide to Answering Islam: What Every Christian Needs to Know about Islam and the Rise of Radical Islam
 
Muslims present several beliefs that they feel support the authenticity and divine origin of the Qur’an. First, they point out several verses within the Qur’an itself which attest to the nature of the revelation as being gradual, perfect in both its original form and its preservation, and the final word of Allah to man. Three elements of this internal evidence should be noted.
1. The Qur’an is literally “sent down from heaven”
Muslims believe that the original Qur’an is written on a tablet that is eternally kept in heaven. In Surah 39:41, the text describes how the revelation was sent down and why it was given: “Verily, We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) the Book for mankind in truth. So whosoever accepts the guidance, it is only for his own self; and whosoever goes astray, he goes astray only for his own loss.” This emphasizes the sacred purpose of the Qur’an. Another verse reiterates the unique nature of the revelation: “And this Qur’an is not such as could ever be produced by other than Allah” (Qur’an 10:37).

1. The Qur’an is the final revelation
One essential aspect of Islamic beliefs is that the revelation from Allah is the last word of God, and thus is the corrected version of truth. All other “scriptures” from other religions should defer to it whenever there is a conflict. In Surah 4:47 of the Qur’an, the text specifically warns: “O you who have been given the Scripture! Believe in what We [sic] have revealed confirming what is (already) with you…”

1. Allah will preserve the Qur’an
The Qur’an today is believed to be the actual word of Allah because he promised to preserve it intact – and he will certainly be able to do so in his power. The verse which addresses this is Surah 15:9 - “We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will certainly guard it (from corruption).”

Secondly, the writing process itself of the Qur’an is believed to further ensure its authenticity. Although the finalization of the Qur’an did not occur until several decades after Muhammad’s death, Muslims still consider Uthman’s collection to be a faithful rendition of the eternal revelation. Muslims believe that some verses were written down during Muhammad’s lifetime but that the majority of them were never recorded until after his death.63 However, as mentioned earlier, the traditional account holds that the full version of the Qur’an was carefully written down about 20 years after Muhammad’s death under the guidance of Uthman (by 650 AD).64 During his reign, many of the warriors who had memorized the Qur’an were killed in battle, and Uthman realized that preserving the Qur’an in an oral form alone was a dangerous prospect. He took it upon himself to order all the portions and testimonies of all who memorized the words of Muhammad to be sent to him so that he could collect and preserve the perfect and original words of Allah’s revelation. Afterward, Uthman is said to have destroyed all other manuscripts, as he considered them to be defective. Thus, his work and the resulting version of the Qur’an are considered to be a perfect recollection of the words of Muhammad, exactly as the prophet first uttered them to his followers during his lifetime.

Daniel Janosik, The Guide to Answering Islam: What Every Christian Needs to Know about Islam and the Rise of Radical Islam
 
I'm not entirely acquainted with this guy's work, but he was brought in to lecture in a church I have great respect for their teaching, doctrine, etc....
I thought it was a great series.


He also has the complete series on another site.

The series is called
Understanding Islam, through the group ICMDA

They are available on YouTube.
 
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