Is The Quran God’s Word? An Inquiry Into The Moslems’ Scripture By Kazibwe Edris 2017 Say: “If men and jinn banded together to produce the like of this Quran, they would never produce it‟s like, not though they backed one another” ( Quran 17:88 ) This booklet is intended for anyone interested in understanding of the Islamic scripture; the Quran. Whole or Parts of this booklet may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher minus any edition of my work. Contents 1. Acknowledgments i 2. Overview ii 3. CHAPTER ONE Al-Baqarah ( Chapter Two Of The Quran) Examined A Journey Into Chapter 5 Of The Quran The Composition Of Chapter 85 And Then Chapter 12 What About Chapter 10 Of The Quran ? Dovetailing Then The Argument 4. CHAPTER TWO A glimpse Of Some Of The Islamic Beliefs Conclusion 1 2 7 9 10 11 15 18 21 20 i Acknowledgments I am indebted to my fellow brothers in the faith of Islam at Exploring Muslim Apologetics ( E.M.A ) for their contribution to this work and their tiresome work which completely changed my attitude, thinking , creativity , insightfulness and energizing me to tackle and address some of the difficult questions geared towards Islam in modern times. Special thanks are due to Hassan Uz Zaman,Sharif Randhawa, Ijaz Ahmad, and all the EMA team. Although I am indebted to all for their research, I take responsibility for any and all errors that may be found in this booklet. ii Overview In modern times, there is growing criticism towards religion; while some are increasingly questioning the existence of God, others are equally asking if any of the extant “revealed scriptures” prove to be without a naturalistic explanation? This is a journey in search for the truth. However our human intuition is that we should try to base our decisions on a careful assessment of all the relevant evidence at our disposal. For example we would consider it foolish if someone used blind faith and bought a house he or she saw with a “for sale” sign in front of it without making efforts to get information about the house and it‟s neighborhood. As intelligent beings, we should use our reason and base our decisions on the best assessment of the evidence. In the library of world scriptures, the Quran stands as one of the shorter entries and to more than 1.7 billion Muslims world over; it‟s an orthodox belief that the Quran is a revelation from the Divine Reality. But is there any evidence to prove such a widely held contention? The chapters below are dedicated to answering this question. We will look at a few sophisticated and complex features in the Quran which cannot be a mere product of a man‟s own mental voice and therefore their occurrence is explained by point to the Divine Reality / God as the source. . Pg.1 CHAPTER ONE STRUCTURAL FORMULATION OF QURANIC CHAPTERS Pg.2 The Quran‟s text is reported to have been intensely studied and analyzed since the Prophet‟s time ( See: Al-Khaṭṭabi,Bayan,21 in ThalathRasa’il ).In recent times, many Western scholars have further journeyed into the Quran but have became quite frustrated with it‟s formulation as on the onset it appears to be a collection of disjointed texts hence they have conclusively said that the Quran lacks coherence. This is so because in school today, we learn that a well written text should follow a linear order of; introduction, narration, proof, argumentation and then conclusion. On contrary a number of ancient Semitic texts do not function this way. Their basic principle in fact is not progress in a straight line but rather symmetry. This symmetry, which can take diverse forms, follows very precise rules that leave the author or editor with ample liberty to structure the text according to his or her tastes and intentions that‟s why coherence like that of the Quran is quite difficult for many Western scholars to recognize as noted by Mary Doulas (SEE:Thinking In Circles,preface x, Mary Douglas ). Ancient texts like the Mutemheb papyrus, the Gathas, and the Zoroastrian book of hymns are some of the other examples we can cite that violate our modern linear order. But since we are solely concerned with the Quran, we will limit our analysis to structural formulation of some Quranic chapters, sections,sub-sections, verses as well as chapter arrangement though our effort will not be exhaustive as this is designed as a small booklet. A).AL-BAQARAH (CHAPTER 2 OF THE QURAN) EXAMINED Let's begin with concentric composition which is the correspondence between the beginning and the end. For example from the table below, one will be quick to realize that the opening section of chapter 2 of the Quran containing verses 1-20 thematically correspond with the last section of the same chapter ,that is verses 285-286 as they both talk about faith and disbelief. Similarly, interior sections correspond to each other and in the end the entire correspondence forms a circle.This correspondence can also involve the repetition of a conspicuous word or phrase, such as a proper name. For a concentric structure not only holds the text together but it also gives special emphasis to the pivotal central point. It calls attention to the center to which we are drawn to look for the essential message. The entire Chapter 2 of the Quran demonstrates a composition of just this sort. A Faith vs. Disbelief ( 1-29 ) B God‟s creation, His encompassing knowledge ( here regarding Adam/Eve‟s sin) (30-39) C Moses delivers the law to Israelites ( 40-103 ) D Abraham tested, building of kabah with Ismail; response to people of the book ( 104-141) E Kabah as the new Qiblah,this is a test of faith,compete in doing good deeds (142-152) D” Muslims to be tested,Kabah,Safah & Minah; response to polytheism ( 153-177 ) C” The prophet delivers law to Muslims ( 178-253 ) B” God‟s creation; His encompassing knowledge ( regarding financial dealings & charity) ( 254-284) A” Faith vs. Disbelief ( 285- 286 ) Pg.3 The complexity of Quranic chapter two does t ot e d ith the concentric composition of the entire surah we saw above; many of the individual sections themselves contain internal concentric structures. The formation and "knitting" of these rings is complex, as opposed to just a one-for-one verse/theme correspondence. Instead of having a circular chain made of links, you have a circular chain made of links which are in turn circular chains made of links. i).The composition of Section A Section A has two small rings within it plus mirroring ( explained on pg.7) and can be summarized as follows but also note that in the first ring (dedicated to believers) is contrasted with the second (dedicated to unbelievers): The first two rings and how they contrast each other; = Quran is a guidance (1–2 ) - . . . to those who believe (3–4 ) =They are following the Lord’s guidance and they are the ones who will prosper ( 5) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. =Unbelievers‟ ears are sealed ,their eyes are covered ( 6-7 ) -Some people profess belief, but are hypocrites ( 8–14 ) =Unbelievers are deaf and blind ( 15-20 ) And then the mirror; A. God and creation (21-22) B. Disbelief vs. Belief (23-25). B. Disbelief vs. belief (26-27). A. God and creation (28-39) ii).The composition of Section C Section c (verses 40-103) appears to be primarily addressed to Israelites and similarly has multiple structures within it; ==Exhortation to israelites,to believe in God’s message ( 40-46 ) = C..a..l.f. (47–66 ) Cow (67–82 ) =C..a..l.f. (83–96 ) ==Most Israelites do not believe (97–103 ) As represented above, this section consists of; i) ii) iii) an exhortation (40–46) to believe in God‟s message. a long central subsection (47–96) with historical religious reminders about God‟s favor upon them and so on, and a concluding subsection (97–103) stating that God is enemy to any enemy of Gabriel, by whom He sends down His message in confirmation of existing scriptures, and that most Children of Israel do not believe. Pg.4 The central subsection recalls Moses and examples of the Children of Israel‟s transgression. The mention of the calf twice and twice again (51, 54;92, 93) indicating a ring, thus prompting us to look in the middle. There we find the parable of the cow (67–74) after which the surah is named. iii).The composition of Section D This section is comprised of three consecutive rings that together form one large ring ( we will look at only the first of these rings ), yet the section is also thematically linked to the previous section (C). At the beginning of this section, Jews are told not to address the Prophet with ambiguous words, and not to question him as Moses was questioned (a link to the previous section). ===Exhortation to believers ( 104-110 ) ==Jews and Christians say only Jews or Christians shall enter heaven (111–113) =Pagans prevent worship at the Ka„ba (114–115) Christians say God has a son ( 116–117 ) =Pagans ask for a miraculous sign; they will dwell in the Fire (118–119) ==Jews and Christians wont be satisfied until you follow their beliefs (120 ) ===Those who believe recite the scripture properly (121 ) Then the formation of the entire section; = “They say…”; “.Say… [O Prophet] . . .” (In response) Christians contend you must follow our way (104–21) Abraham, Mecca/Ka‘ba (122–33) = “They say… “Say… [O Prophet] . . .” (in response) Christians contend you must follow our way.. 134–41 iv). composition of section D” (verses 153-177) I Farri s a al sis of se tio D ( erses. 153-177), a concentric structure emerges on a closer analysis. Here verses 153 to 158 thematically correspond with verse 177 of block D. similarly verses 159-160 correspond with 174-176 as they both concern the disbelief of the people of the scripture and finally verses 161-173 form the pivotal message in this case addressed to polytheists. A Exhortation to Believers, seek help with patience and prayer,God will test you with adversity (153-158) B Those Jews and Christians who conceal guidance are cursed (159-160 ) C Those who disbelieve, who worship others besides God,will not leave the Fire (161-173 ) B Those Jews and Christians who conceal the scripture will experience torment ( 174-176 ) A Good are those who keep up the prayer, who are patient in adversity (177 ) *NOTE: our exposition of ch.2 of the Quran was not exhaustive so will be of others that will follow as this is designed as a small booklet.Mustansir Mir Islahi, has discovered linear coherence in chapter 2 as well and other scholars like Matthias Zahniser, Neal Robinson, and Nevin Rada have added to it. Pg.5 v) ANCHORING IN SURAT AL-BAQARAH Besides what we saw about the composition of Quranic chapter two,Dr Nouman Ali Khan, an able scholar from USA recently observed that various parts of the opening section of this same chapter are stitched together by a large number of anchors which draw a thematic connection .These word roots determine the flavor and theme of the macro-text in Surat Al-Baqarah and we can cite a few examples here from The Divine Speech,pg.187,Norman Khan,S.Randhawa; This is the scripture concerning which there is no doubt (rayb)” (v. 2);“if you are in doubt (rayb) about what We have sent upon Our servant, then produce a sura of its like” (v. 23). “Who believe in the unseen (ghayb)” (v. 3); “[God] said, „Did I not tell you that I know the unseen (ghayb) of the heavens and the earth?‟” (v. 33). “It is they who are the fools, but they do not know (l ya‘LaMun)” (v. 13);“do not attribute rivals to God while you know (ta‘LaMuN) (v. 22);“those who believe know (ya‘LaMuna) it is the truth” (v. 26); “„Indeed Iknow (a‘LaMu) what you do not know (l ta‘lam na)‟” (v. 30; cf. 29,32-33); “and He taught (‘aLLaMa) Adam the names, all of them” (v. 31). “Who believe in what was sent down (uNZiLa) to you and what was sent down (uNZiLa) before you” (v. 4); “and He sent down (aNZaLa) water from the sky” (v. 22); “if you are in doubt about what We have sent down (NaZZaLn ) to Our slave…” (v. 23). “When it is said to them „Do not cause corruption on the earth(l tufsidufī’l-arḍ)‟ they say, „We are only reformers‟” (v. 11); “who break God‟s covenant…and cause corruption on the earth (yufsidunafī’l-arḍ) (v. 27); “When your Lord said to the angels, „I will place on the earth (fī ’l-arḍ) a vicegerent,‟ they said, „Will you place on it one who will cause corruption on it (yufsidu fih )…?‟” (v. 30). “Their example (MaTHaL) is like one who kindled a fire” (v. 17); “then produce a chapter of its like (MiTHLi-hi)” (v. 23); “God is not timid to present an example (MaTHaL)…but as for those who disbelieve, they say, „What does God intend by this as an example (MaTHaL)?‟” (v. 26). “Their example is like one who kindles (istaWQaDa) a fire (N R)”(v. 17); “fear the Fire (N R) whose fuel (WuQuD) is men and stones”(v. 24); “those are the Companions of the Fire (N R)” (v. 39). “They put their fingers in their ears…fearing death (MaWT) (v. 19);“how can you disbelieve in God when you were lifeless (aMW T), then He gave you life, then He will cause you to die (yuMīTu-kum)” (v. 28). “And call your witnesses if you are truthful (in kuntumṣ diqīn)” (v. 23);“[God] said, „Tell me the names of these if you are truthful (in kuntumṣ diqīn)‟” (v. 31). “They will have Gardens (JaNN t)…and they will have purified spouses(aZW J)” (v. 25); “We said, „O Adam, dwell you and your wife (ZaWJ)in the Garden (al-JaNNa) (v. 35). Pg.6 From the above examples, see how even seemingly separate topics or are integrated by the use of anchors creating connections between these various topics and astonishingly the entire chapter is further stitched by the word “conceal” which occurs ten times. vi). MOTIFS IN QURANIC CHAPTER TWO Furthermore, there is a pattern in chapter 2 of the Quran involving a combination of the topics of ELECTION, INSTRUCTION, and TEST where in each case; it is God who does the electing, testing, and instructing of human beings. , Ada , represe ti g the hu a ra e, is di i el ELECTED to the positio of God s represe tati e on the earth. He is then TESTED with the command not to approach the forbidden Tree. Finally, he he slips a d eats fro the Tree, God pro ides Ada IN“T‘UCTIONS on how to obtain His forgiveness. Further on in the same chapter, it alludes to the Israelites ei g ELECTED to the positio of God s chosen nation (vv. 40, 47). Then refers to the INSTRUCTIONS that were given in the form of the Covenant (the Torah). However, they were repeatedly TESTED and failed the tests, eventually resulting in their loss of their elected position. A little further, the story of Abraham is told and he's TESTED. As a result, he is ELECTED to the positio of ei g a leader for a ki d. Fi all , he's IN“T‘UCTED to uild a d purif the Ka a. Then the people of Medina (the Muslims and Jews )—are TESTED with the change of prayer direction and INSTRUCTED to pray towards Mecca. The Muslims obeyed the command, and were thus ELECTED as the new divinely chosen nation, taking over the position the Israelites previously held. Then the muslim community is warned that, because of their ELECTION to this role, they will face upcoming TESTS which will involve a loss of lives and fruits. However, they are given various INSTRUCTIONS to prepare them for these tests which extend all the through sections 6 As drawn by Nevin Reda in Textual Integrity ,“Election” refers to the divine appointment of a person or group to a special role and position, “Test” refers to a test of a person‟s / group obedience and “Instruction” refers to God‟s commands or counsel to a community for guidance. These motifs appear throughout Quranic chapter two in varying combinations. Pg.7 . B).A JOURNEY INTO CHAPTER 5 OF THE QURAN Similar to concentric, there is mirror structure but without the central element.Here,related terms are presented in an inverted order Chapter 5 of the Quran is constructed in this manner. A Regulations and exhortations for the believer ( verses 1-9 ) X Warning of gehenna ( verse 10 ) B Reminder of earlier covenants: appeal to scripturists ( verse 11-19 ) C Narrative of people‟s unbelief during Moses‟s time ( verse 20-26 ) D Narrative of Adam‟s sons and the first fratricide ( 27-32 ) E Punishment of anti-social evils ( verse 33-40 ) E‟ Messenger to judge in accordance with divine law ( verses 41-50 ) D‟ Believers should avoid alliances with scripturists ( verses 51-58 ) C‟ Messenger must convey the revelation entrusted to him ( verses 59-68 ) B‟ Reminder of earlier covenants: response to scripturists ( verses 69-85 ) X‟ Warning of gehenna ( verse 86 ) A” Regulations and exhortations for the believer ( verses 87-109 ) B” The messengers are called to account: mission of Jesus ( 109.120 ) ii).Mirror composition of verse 22 of chapter 5 “And we will not enter there until they have left there; but if they leave there, then, certainly, we will enter‟ ( Ch.5: 22). A clear examination of the above verse from chapter 5 shows that it exhibits a mirror structure. A „And we will not enter there B until they have left there; B but if they leave there, A then, certainly, we will enter’ ( Ch.5: 22) Pg.8 i) . PARALLELISM (ABB ) Verse 41 of chapter 5 of the Quran is clearly structured in the form of ABB as can be seen below. A =Those whom God does not wish to purify their hearts, B =to them in the here- and-now is dishonor, B =and to them,in the hereafter is a huge punishment. iii). PARALLELISM (AAB) in verse 24 of chapter 5 Here, you will realize that the first two members have imperative verbs, urging Moses to combat with the assistance of God and these are in opposition to the third that expresses the refusal of Israel to fight with them. (See: The Composition Of The Quran, pg.32,Michel Cuypers ) A = So go forth,you and your Lord, A = and fight you both! B =Surely we will here sit down. (5: 24) iv).Formulation of verses 20-26 of chapter 5 A 20a And when MOSES said to his PEOPLE : b „ PEOPLE , recall GOD’S BLESSING UPON YOU , c when He appointed among you prophets, d and appointed you kings, e and gave to you what he has not given to any human being. 21a PEOPLE, ENTER THE H OLY L AND b which God has prescribed for you. c And do not turn back on your heels: d you would come back as losers .‟ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------B 22a T hey said: „MOSES, there is a people of giants in it! b And WE WILL NOT ENTER IT c until they have left ; d but if they leave it, e then we will enter .‟ ( D khIl N ) X 23a Said two men of those who feared [God], b – G OD HAD GIVEN THEM H IS BLESSING –: c„ ENTER upon them by the gate. d When you have entered, e surely you will be victors . f And have confidence in God, g if you are believers.‟ B’ 24a T HEY SAID: „MOSES, WE WILL NEVER ENTER IT b as long as they are in it! c So go forth, you and your Lord, d and fight! e We will be sitting here.‟ ( q ‘ID N ) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A’ 25a H E [Moses] SAID: „Lord, I rule no one, b except myself and my brother. c Make a separation between us d and between the perverse PEOPLE .‟ 26a He said: „It will be forbidden them for forty years, b THEY WILL WANDER IN THE EARTH c Do not be tormented by the perverse PEOPLE .‟ (5: 20–26) Pg.9 At the extremities (A and A‟) of the extreme parts (20–22 and 24–26) is a discourse of Moses – addressed first to his people (20–21) and then to God (25). The sons of Israel are called „people‟ (20ab and 21a; 25d and 26c) – a designation not used in the rest of the passage. The syntagma „Enter the Holy Land‟ (21a) is in opposition to „they will wander on the earth‟ (26b). The pieces B (22) and B‟ (24) begin with the same narrative phrase: „They said, Moses. . .‟followed by two discourses of protest by the people, which also begin in a similar manner: „We will not enter it‟ (22b) and „We will never enter it‟ (24a). Both discourses terminate with assonant present participles but their meanings are opposed: D khIl N , „we will enter (literally we are entering) (22e) and q ’ID N , „we will be sitting here‟ (we are sitting here) (24e). These are the only rhymes in n found in this passage (the other pieces rhyme in īn ). The central part of the passage (23) is occupied by the discourses of two faithful men. The incise „God had given them His blessing‟ (23b) echoes „recall God‟s blessing upon you‟ (20b) in the first part. The imperative „Enter‟, the key word in the discourse of Moses (21a), is taken up again by the two men in the central segment of the ensemble of the passage (23c) and hence strongly valorized. To the „losers‟ of 21d are opposed the „victors‟ of 23e. To refuse to enter is to be a „loser‟; to enter is to be a „victor‟. The intervention of the two men is framed by the two speeches of Moses and their rejection by the people. There is a contrast between the remembrance of God‟s blessings upon His people evoked at the beginning of the passage and God‟s chastisement of this same people at the end of the passage. We have seen the possibility of unimember segments, pieces composed of a sole segment or of a sole member and the possibility of parts with only one piece. Likewise, there can be found passages composed of a single part, a single piece, even a single segment. C).THE COMPOSITION OF CHAPTER 85. This chapter (85) exhibits a symmetrical concentric structure, in which the centre-piece is the eschatological diptych which contrasts the punishment awaiting the persecutors with the bliss in store for the believers. A Opening ( 1-3 ) B Polemic (4) C Narrative (5-8a) D Attribute list ( 8b-9 ) X Eschatology (10-11 ) D C Attribute list ( 12-16 ) Narrative (17-18 ) B Polemic ( 19-20 ) A Revelation ( vv,21-22 ) Pg.10 D).AND THEN CHAPTER 12 OF THE QURAN. A prologue ( 1-3 ) B Vision of Joseph ( 4-7 ) C Joseph‟s disputes with his brothers: guile of brothers towards Joseph ( 8-18 ) D Joseph‟s relative promotion ( 19-22 ) E Attempted seduction of Joseph by the women ( 23-34 ) F Joseph in prison, interpreter of the visions of both prisoners ( 35-42 ) F Joseph in prison, interpreter of the king‟s vision ( 43-49 ) E Outcome of the woman‟s seduction, Joseph rehabilitated ( 50-53 ) D Joseph‟s definitive promotion ( 54-57 ) C Joseph‟s dispute with his brothers and his guile towards them ( 58-98 ) B Fulfillment of Joseph‟s vision ( 99-101 ) A Epilogue ( 102-111 ) i) Formulation of verse 101 of chapter 12 We already explained what Parallelism is. Well here it appears in form of AA/BB/CC. In this same chapter 12, the story ends with the beautiful prayer of Joseph (12: 101) and is made up of three synonymic parallel bimembers: A= My Lord! Indeed You have given me some authority A= and You have taught me some interpretation of events. B= Creator of the heavens and the earth , B=You are my protector in this world and in the Hereafter. C= Call me a submissive C= and join me with the righteous. (12: 101) Pg.11 E).WHAT ABOUT OF CHAPTER 10 OF THE QURAN? This chapter is demonstrably organized concentrically. Passage X forms the center of the chapter and its main topic as the phrase quḍiya baynahum bi-lqisṭ, (judgment is passed between them with justice ) appears twice in this passage and nowhere else in this chapter In fact,bi-al-qisṭ only appears in verse 4 outside of X where it is used for a just reward for the believers in the Hereafter. A commandment to await God‟s judgment also appears in the last verse of the chapter. It seems that all the passages preceding X focus on the behavior of the Prophet‟s opponents and those following X describe corresponding responses A Prologue (1-10 ) B Previous people destroyed for not believing in their rusul ( 11-14) C Opponent‟s demand to bring a different Quran ( 15-17 ) D Attitude of the rebels against God ( 18-27 ) E Refutation of polytheism ( 28-36 ) F The Quran is denied although some believe in too ( 37-44 X Retribution for the denial of the rasul after the allocated time has passed ( 45-56 ) F God is a witness over the Quran being recited ( 57-65 ) E Example of polytheism where Noah‟s nation is drowned ( 66-73 ) D Example of those who rebelled: pharaoh & followers drowned ( 74-93 ) C Reference to earlier scriptures and this revelation is Haqq ( 94-97 ) B Example of Jonah‟s community saved due to its belief ( 98-103 ) A Epilogue ( 104-109 ) Pg.12 In addition the individual passages themselves exhibit parallel, mirror or ring constructions, as seen below. i).the composition of the prologue of chapter 10 (1-10) This prologue is composed of three parts of verses 1-2,3-4 and 5-10. i)Verses 1-2 First we shall deal with the first part made of verse 1-2 of this prologue. These two opening verses act as its topic sentences. “Alif, Lam, Ra. These are the verses of the wise Book. Is it for the people strange that We revealed to a man from among themselves that he warns the people and give good news to those who believed, that they shall have a high ranking with their Lord. The disbelievers say “He‟s is a clear sorcerer”. ( Q 5:1-2 ) And when the above two verses are broken into three pieces, they form a ring composition as can be seen below -1a Alif.Lam.Ra. These are the verses of the wise book. =2b Is it for the people strange =c that WE have revealed to a man from among +d that he warns +e and give good news to the people those who believed +f that THEY shall have a high ranking with -g the disbelievers say, “He is a clear THEMSELVES THEIR LORD? sorcerer. The outer elements correspond to the statement that the Quran is a wise book, and the disbelievers‟ response that the Prophet is a sorcerer This label implies that the Quran was a Product of his sorcery insofar as other Quranic verses are concerned. The central piece focuses on the reward in the Hereafter and consists of two segments b-c and d-f. An important observation here is the different words used for the relationship between God and the people in members c and f. The former emphasizes a relationship between the Prophet and those he was preach: his own people. The latter, on the other hand, changes it to impress upon the audience that they shall have reward with “their lord” (instead of “us”). Another interesting Observation is that members b and d talk about the people in general, whereas c and e focus on A subset of those people: a single man for revelation, and those who believe for good news. Pg.13 ii).Verse 3 Then we move on to the next part which represents a response to our previous part. This part consists of two pieces. The first piece is represented by verse 3 which is formed of three segments organized chiastically ( A/X/A ) _3a Your LORD IS GOD ( Rabbakum Allah ) +b who CREATED (khalaqa) the Heavens and the Earth in six periods (ayyam), _c then established Himself on the throne governing all things. *d There is no intercessor except after his permission. _e This is GOD YOUR LORD (Allah rabbukum) +f so worship Him. _g will you then not pay heed? (tadhakkarun) Note that Pieces 3a-c and e-g match one another and use inverted formulas for Allah as the rabb. 3a-c matches the lord, who is God, being someone who has “established himself on the throne governing all things,” with an emphasis on his creation by bringing it as the centerpiece. Piece 3e- g states that this is indeed God, who is your Lord, and ought to be worshipped. It then ends with a rhetorical question. Between all of this lies the center of the outer ring to draw attention to the fact that “there is no intercessor except after his permission,” which is a direct Reference to other deities, especially idols which were known to have existed in Arabia. Idols are often construed to be intercessors to God. Hence follows the prescription to “worship Him,” which implies it is to the exclusion of other gods. iii)Verse 4 The second part of this passage, represented by verse 4, consists of three pieces. _4a To him shall all of you return (marji), =b it is God‟s true promise. _c He begins the CREATION (khalq) then He is going to return (yo‟ido) it = d so He can reward those who believed +e and performed good deeds justly =f As for those who denied, there will be boiling drink and a painful punishment. +g because they used to deny.(yakzibon) Pg.14 Again notice that Piece 4a-c is arranged concentrically where both the first member and the last member focus on the return to God. The center of the ring emphasizes it as God‟s promise. The second and third pieces have parallel members with the first member stating the reward or punishment, And the second member linking it to a specific behavior. The phrases “performed good deeds” And “used to deny” are also running parallel to the last member of piece 3e-g where it was said, “will you then not pay heed?” iv).Verses 5-10 Furthermore these next verses are in three parts, verses 5-6 (consisting of two pieces) and 7-8 (consisting of a Single piece) and 9-10 (consisting of two pieces). All six pieces are presented in the following table. -5a He is the one who made the SUN a radiance and MOON a light, -b and appointed stages for it so that you are able to count years and (keep a) count. =c GOD did not CREATE this without a purpose. +d He explains the signs for the people who have knowledge.(ya῾lamun) -6e In the difference of DAY and NIGHT, =f and what GOD CREATED in the skies and the earth +g are the signs for the people who fear. (yattaqun) 7h - Those people who do no expect to meet us -I and are happy with the worldly life, and content with it +j and who of our signs are heedless. (ghafilun) -8k they are the ones whose abode will be fire -l because of what they did. (yaksibun) 9m - (As for) those who believed -n and performed good deeds +o their LORD (rabb) will guide them through their belief; -p rivers will flow under them in the gardens of delight. (na῾im) -10q Their CALL in it will be, “May you be glorified, O GOD! (allahumma)” +r And their greeting will be, “Peace.” -s And the close of their CALL will be that all gratitude is due to GOD, THE LORD of the worlds (Allah_rabb_al-῾alamin). Pieces a-d and e-g are concentrically arranged with God‟s creation at the center, a specific Example preceding it (in a-b and e) and a conclusion drawn that there are signs in this (d and g). In members a and e, sun and moon, and day and night appear as parallels with sun and Moon being the two most potent signs visible during day and night respectively. In piece h-l, the heedlessness of the signs moves to a central position for those who are not expecting a Meeting with the lord and will thus end in the fire. The two pieces in the second part focus solely on believers, their behavior and their life in the Hereafter. “Lord”, “God” and “God, Lord of the worlds” all appear in these two pieces and “God” appears in the first two pieces as well. Only the third piece does not contain this word. Pg.15 v).Verses 3-10 as a whole Verses 3-10 start with the rabbakum Allah and end with the supplication al-hamd lillah rabb al῾alamin such that the words rabb and Allah are reversed. These verses seems to be organized in A ring with the central piece focusing on the creation, its immediately preceding and following Elements (C/C‟) focus on those who are subjected to punishment in the hereafter. Continuing out, B/B‟ focus on the believers‟ reward. Lastly, whereas A lays a claim on God being the lord, In A‟, the believers who are rewarded in the Hereafter praise and show gratitude to God acknowledging His attributes. A Your Lord is God who CREATED this world, and established Himself on the throne. There is no other intercessor. Worship Him. (3) Return is to God, His true promise. He began the CREATION and will return it, so B He can reward the believers justly C And give painful punishment to the deniers (4) X Take heed from the signs of God CREATED in this world (5-6) C’ Punishment for those not wary of the signs (7-8) B’ Gardens for the believers (9) A’ Praise and gratitude to him: God, Lord of the worlds (10) F). DOVETAILING IN THE QURAN Another interesting feature in the Quran is the phenomena of Dovetailing. In dovetailing, one chapter picks up the topic or linguistic nuances of the chapter immediately upstream of it .simply put, dovetailing is when a key word or phrase towards the end of one chapter recurs near the beginning of the next chapter .Basing on Dr.Neal Robinson‟s recent work as well as that of AbdulRaof, another contemporary Quranic scholar, there are hundreds of correlations between the beginnings and ends of consecutive chapters. Most importantly, Quranic chapters are not arranged in a chronological order; rather they were specifically ordered the way they are by the Prophet (on Divine authority). So if there is logical continuity among the chapters, then this is a proof of foresight and planning prior to the origin of the text itself.Dr.Neal Robinson ((Discovering the Qur’an: A Contemporary Approach to a Veiled Text,pg.266 )lists a couple of examples of dovetailing of consecutive chapters. Here are some examples but the list is probably not exhaustive; 1. chapter.1 ends with the petition 'Guide us (iHDi-nd) in the straight path ... ' and ch. 2 begins with an answer to this prayer "LM. This is the Scripture in which there is no doubt, guidance (HuDan) for the godfearing.' Pg.16 2. Some 30 verses before the end of ch.2, a crescendo is reached with the throne verse which opens with the words 'God, there is no god but He, the Living, the Everlasting' (2.255). This statement is repeated verbatim in ch.3:2, but nowhere else in the Qur'an. There are also links between the penultimate dyah of ch.2 and the third verse of ch.3, both of which mention the 'sending down' of scriptures (2.285, cf. 3.3). 3. Towards the end of ch.3, there is a reference to male and female (3.195); the opening verse of ch.4 refers to 'men and women' (4.1). 4. The final verse of ch.5 begins, 'To God belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth ... ' (5.120); ch.6 opens with the words 'Praise be to God who created the heavens and the earth' (6. 1). 5. The final verse of ch.9 refers to God as 'Lord of the mighty throne' (9.129); and near the beginning of ch.10 there is a reference to him ascending the throne after the creation (10.3). 6. The final verse of ch.10 urges the Prophet to be patient 'until God judges (yaHKuMu), for He is the best of judges (H.iKiMin) and the next chapter ie ch.11 begins with an assertion that the verses of the Scripture have been made decisive (uH KiMat) in the presence of One who is All-wise (HaKiM). 7. Four verses before the end of ch.11, God refers to 'everything which We narrate to thee (naQuSSu 'alay-ka) of the stories of the messengers' ( 1. 120); The third verse of ch.12 begins 'We narrate to thee (naQuSSu 'alay-ka) the best narrative' (12.3). 8. Towards the end of ch. 15, the Prophet is ordered to shun 'the idolaters' (al-muSHRiKin - literally 'the associators', 15.94) and to glorify (SaBbiH) God‟s praise (15.98); the opening verse of ch,16 includes the assertion 'Glorified be He (SuBHna-hu)! High be He exalted above what they associate (yuSHRiKrn) with Him.' 9. The final verse of ch.17 begins, 'And say "Praise be to God who has not taken a son ... "' (17.11) and the next ch.18 opens with the words 'Praise be to God and is followed by a warning for those who say 'God has taken a son' (18.4). 10. The final verse of ch.22 includes the order to establish prayer and pay compulsory charity (22.78); the same two fundamental duties are mentioned in 23.2-4. 11. The final verse of ch.23 reads, 'Say, "My Lord, forgive and show mercy! Thou art the best of the merciful"' (23.118). At first sight, the opening of ch.24 with its concern with revelation, and the flogging of adulterers and false witnesses, seems not to follow on from this. But then there is a reference to those who repent and reform, and the assertion that Allah is 'Forgiving, All-merciful' (24.5). 12. The final verse of ch.24 and the second verse of ch.25 contain a reference to the heavens and the earth (24.64; cf. 25.2). 13. The final verse of ch.25 ends with a direct address to those who have 'cried lies' (25.77); they are mentioned in 26.6. Pg.17 14. The final verse of ch.27 begins, 'Say, "Praise be to God! He will show you his signs ... "' and ch.28 opens with the words 'TSM. These are signs of the clear Scripture ... ' 15. At the end of ch.32 the Prophet is told to shun those who 'disbelieve' (KaFaRi); at the beginning of ch.33 he is told not to obey the 'disbelievers' (KdFiRin) and hypocrites (32.29-30; cf. 33.1). 16. Towards the end of ch.33 and near the beginning of ch.34 there are references to the heavens and the earth (33.72; cf. 34.2). 17. Towards the end of ch.35 we are told concerning the unbelievers and their response to Muhammad's mission, 'They swore to God the most earnest oaths, that if a warner (NaDHIR) came to them they would be more rightly-guided than any other nation. Then when a warner (NaDHIR) came to them it only increased their aversion' (35.42). Near the beginning of ch.36, Muhammad is told that he is a emissary, 'so- that thou mayest warn (li-tuNDHiRa) a folk whose forefathers have not been warned (md uNDHiRa)' (36.6). 18. Towards the end of ch.36 (see: 36.81) and near the beginning of ch.37 (see: 37:5) there are references to the heavens and the earth 19. Towards the end of ch.38, satan is quoted as having said that he would pervert all humankind except for 'the sincere' (al-muKHLiSin) among God's 'worshippers' ('iBaD) (38.83), to which God replied that He was speaking the truth (al-I.aQQ) when He said that He would fill hell with those who followed satan (38.8 4f.). The second verse of ch.39 reads, 'We have sent the Scripture down to thee with the truth (bi 'i-HaQ.Q), and so worship (fa-„ BuD) God, offering Him sincere (muKHLiSan) devotion' (39.2). 20. The final verse of ch.39 mentions the angels circling 'around the throne' (39.75)and the seventh verse of ch.40 mentions those who bear 'the throne, and those around it' ( 40.7). 21. Towards the end of ch.42 and near the beginning of ch.43 there are references to 'the heavens and the earth' (42.53; cf. 43.9). In addition there are also references to 'the Scripture' (42.52; cf. 43.2). 22. The last 2 verses of ch.45 contain a double reference to the heavens and the earth, and the chapter ends with the assertion that God is the All-mighty the All-wise (4 5 .36f.); the opening verses of ch.46 contain a similar double reference and the same divine names (46.2-4). 23. Towards the end of ch.46 we are told that when 'those who disbelieve' face the hellfire whose existence they denied during their lifetime, they will be taunted with the words 'Is this not real? (literally "the truth"/ a/-haqq (46-34). At the beginning of ch.47, 'those who disbelieve' are again mentioned (47. 1, cf. 2) and the message vouchsafed to Muhammad is characterized as 'the truth' (a/-haqq) (47. 1, cf. 2). 24. The final verse of ch.48 culminates in God's promise of 'forgiveness and a mighty reward' to those who believe and perform honorable deeds (48.29); and near the beginning of ch.49 exactly the same promise is made concerning those whose hearts God examines (49-3). Pg.18 25. The final verse of ch.51 states 'So woe (fa-waylun) to the unbelievers, for that day of theirs that they are promised' (5 1.6o). The coming 'day' of judgment is referred to again in 52.9 and the words 'So woe' (fa-waylun) recur at 52.11. 26. The final verse of ch.52 ends with the command to laud God at 'the retreating of the stars' (52.49); ch.53 begins with an oath 'By the star when it sets' (53.1). 27. The final verse of ch.56 reads, 'So laud thy Lord's mighty name' (56.96) and ch.57 begins, 'Whatever is in the heavens and the earth lauds God ... ' (57.). 28. Towards the end of ch.66 it is stated that the refuge of the disbelievers and hypocrites will be hell (jahannam) with the comment 'a wretched destination!' (wa-bi'sa "l-masir, 66.9). Near the beginning of Ch. 67 the same word is used to denote hell and the same comment is made (67.6). 29. Towards the end of ch.75 and near the beginning of ch.76 there are references to man being created from 'a drop of semen' (75-37; cf. 76.2). The above examples you will realize that the inter-Surah correlations are sometimes thematic, sometimes linguistic, and in spite of this complexity- most of the examples are quite striking. Additionally these chapters were not revealed sequentially, rather they were revealed in different places, at different times, given different contexts and circumstances. Some of these chapters are Meccan, some are Medinan. Secondly, it‟s important to note that none of the Hadith speaks about Chapter dovetailing. This clearly indicates that the Prophet knew nothing about this phenomena. These features were only unearthed later upon closer inspection.. THEN THE ARGUMENT A. PSR (Principal Of Sufficient Reasoning) states that every event has an explanation as to why it occurs. B. We have seen that there exists dovetailing in the Quran. Secondly we showed that Quranic chapters demonstrate Mirror and concentric symmetry on complex and sophisticated level, that motifs (this proves linear coherence), , Parallelism, as well as anchoring do exist in the Quran (more complex structuring is discussed by Nevin Rada El-Tahry,Islahi, Mir,Dr.Neal Robinson , Dr.Michel Cuypers ,Dr.Mathias Zahniser,Carl Ernst, and Raymond Farrin among the rest ). C. The fact that these different types of evidences for the Qur'an's sophisticated structure kept adding up, at one point it s extremely difficult to argue for a naturalistic explanation and the only rational and reasonable explanation for the existence of these numerous complex and sophisticated features in the Quran is Divine Reality / God . Why? Someone in the position of the Prophet could not have achieved this level of composition in an oral piecemeal format. Such work would need extensive pre-planning, editing, and redaction and the prophet enjoyed none of these luxuries. The Quran was revealed bit by bit in a span of roughly 23 yrs and we know in detail hat the histori al o te t of Qura s re elatio as. Much of its content is loosely or Pg.19 tightly based around context- commentaries on war, social issues, polemics, and so on, leaving little room for pre-planning. The book was highly valued liturgically from the start, and as such there was not much of a room for radical edition or redaction (and no manuscript evidence for that either). Given these facts, it just defies credulity to suggest that this mind-numbingly complex aggregate of literary features could have been "incorporated" into an oral text as the revelation continued. Some tried to engage our argument by citing example of chiasmus in ancient literature like Homer‟s Iliad but in fact Mary Douglas compares the structuring of the Iliad is comparable to that of the biblical Book of Numbers (Thinking In Circles,pg.124, Mary Douglas ). Besides that, we do not argue “chiasmus oral therefore God. Chiasmus is just one example of these features .As proven from previous chapters, the composition of the Quran is dynamic and multi-leveled- different types of structuring e are interwoven into the text, hence the Quranic structuring exceeds all known ancient literature .The cumulative import of these different aspects is ultimately mind blowing and puts every other ancient literature to shame. Pg.20 CHAPTER TWO A GLIMPSE OF SOME OF THE ISLAMIC BELIEFS Pg.21 THE CONCEPT OF GOD Islam is one of the Abrahamic faiths with over 1.7 billion adherents spread the world over and just like Judaism it‟s a completely Unitarian / monotheistic faith. Over and over again, this fundamental message is repeated throughout the Quranic passages. REGARDING GOD’S MERCY Muslims do not believe in the Christian doctrine of original sin. On contrary they belief in what we may call „original goodness‟ and when one embraces Islam, all previous sins are forgiven.In one of the six canonical hadith collections,Prophet Mohamad (pbuh) is reported to have said; “A man called Amr came to the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) and said: “Give me your right hand so that I may give you my pledge of loyalty.” The Prophet stretched out his right hand. Amr withdrew his hand. The Prophet said:”What has happened to you?” .He replied: “I intend to lay down a condition.” The Prophet asked: “What condition do you intend to put forward?” Amr said: “That God forgive my sins.” The Prophet said: „Didn‟t you know that when you convert to Islam God erases all previous sins?” ( Moslem,No.121 ) BELIEF IN ALL GOD’S PROPHETS Moslems believe God has sent prophets throughout the historical past whose principle message was the declaration of the existence of one true divine reality/ God and pure monotheism. Some of these prophets include Moses,Adam,Abraham,Jesus, and finally Muhammad ( peace be upon all of them). ISLAM ON VIOLENCE Violence has reached its peak in recent years and terrorism in the name of Islam rapidly spread after 9/11 attacks in USA. However Islam does not endorse taking of innocent life. The prophet, upon whom the Quran was revealed clearly understood that war was necessary for to establish peace in the 6th century Arabia.. The pagan Arabian tribes had persisted in their arrogance. They had killed the likes of Sumayah and her husband (Yasir ). They had persecuted the likes of Bilal forcing the fragile Muslim minority to migrate about 250km to Medinah. The arrogance of the Qureysh did not stop there; they launched an assault on the Muslim emigrants. We all agree that on a human scale, fighting back in self defense/ in response to aggression and in protection of the weak is justifiable. It‟s in this light that the verses in the Quran calling for physical struggle were revealed and the rules of engagement were clearly laid out in various verses like 2:190, 22:30, 2:193, 6:151, 17:33, and 9:61 among others. The Quran in various instances orders Muslims to be peaceful to their neighbors for example; 60:7,7:56,28:77,4:135,9:61 ) and calls for religious freedom ( 2:256 ) The prophet understood it clearly that the verses regarding war are in context of specific occasion and specific time. He forgave those enemies like Hindu who had eaten his uncles liver raw though he had triumphed over them. REGARDING JUDGEMENT DAY Muslims believe in existence of judgment day and God has promise paradise to those who sincerely worship Him only and do good deeds. The Quran clearly gives good tidings to those who believe and persevere: But those who believe and do good deeds, We will admit them to gardens (Paradise) in which rivers flow, lasting in them forever.... “(Quran, 4:57) Pg.22 CONCLUSION In the above pages, we showed a couple of interesting features in the Quran which could not be a product of a mere man‟s mental voice. This proves the divine origin of the Quran. Secondly the eternal destiny of your soul depends on the choice you make in this earthly life, now the ball is in your hand to analyze the evidence provided therein and make the right choice. God blessed us with an intelligent mind, to rationally and reasonably use it in choice making, to either reject or embrace His true message that‟s why He created you as an intelligent human being instead of a slug. And in our final chapter, we made a brief presentation about some Islamic beliefs. Asalam Aleykum (May peace and blessing of God be with you). Regards Kazibwe Edris is an Independent author residing in Uganda., He is Muslim apologist working with a group of other Muslim scholars and apologists from the world For any suggestions and comments on this little booklet, you can write to him at:kazibwe.edris@yahoo.com or contact him on +256752538387