First addendum145

 

 

The tireless and insatiable traveler, who knew the aim and essence of life in this world to be belief, addressed his own heart and said: “Let us have recourse to the book known as the Qur’an of miraculous exposition, which is said to be the Word of the Being Whom we are seeking: let us examine the most famous, most brilliant and wisest book in the world, one which issues a challenge in every age to whoever refuses to submit to it. Let us see what it says. But first, we must establish that this book is from our Creator.” Saying this, he began to search.

Since the traveler lives in the present age, he looked first at the Risale-i Nur, which comprises gleams from the miraculousness of the Qur’an, and he saw that its one hundred and thirty parts consist of the subtle meanings, lights and well-founded explanations of certain verses from that Criterion between truth and falsehood—the Qur’an. He understood from its content and forceful diffusing and defending of the Qur’anic truths in this age of unbelief that the Qur’an, its master, source, authority and sun, is a revealed book. Among the hundreds of proofs for the Divine authorship of the Qur’an in the different parts of the Risale-i Nur, The Twenty-Fifth Word, which is a single proof of the

Qur’an, and the end of The Nineteenth Letter establish forty aspects of the Qur’an’s miraculousness in such a way that whoever sees them will, far from raising any criticism or objection, admire their arguments and praise them in appreciation. Therefore, leaving to the Risale-i Nur the establishment of the Qur’an as God’s Word and the explanation of its various aspects of miraculousness, the traveler noticed a few points that demonstrate its greatness briefly.

FIRST POINT: Just as the Qur’an, with all its aspects of miraculousness and truths that show its veracity, is a miracle of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, he himself, with all his miracles, proofs of Prophethood and perfections of knowledge, is a miracle of the Qur’an and a decisive proof of the its being the Word of God.

SECOND POINT: As well as bringing about a about a substantial, happy, and enlightening transformation in human social life, the Qur’an has brought about a revolution in the souls, hearts, spirits and intellects of people, and in their individual, social and political lives. Furthermore, it has perpetuated this revolution in such a way that at every moment in the past fourteen centuries, its more than six thousand and two hundred verses have been read with the utmost respect by more than a hundred million people, training and refining their souls and purifying their hearts. For spirits it has been a means of development and advancement; for intellects, a guidance and light; and for life, it has been life itself and felicity. Such a book is without doubt unparalleled in every respect: it is a wonder, a marvel and a miracle.

THIRD POINT: From the age of its advent down to the present day, the Qur’an has demonstrated such eloquence that it caused the value attached to “Seven Hanging Poems”—poems which were chosen as the best, written in gold and hung on the walls of the Ka‘ba during the age of ignorance— to fall to such a low level that the daughter of (the famous poet) Labid, when taking down her father’s ode from the Ka‘ba, said, “Compared with the verses of the Qur’an, this no longer has any worth.”

A Bedouin poet once heard this verse being recited: Proclaim what you are commanded openly and in an emphatic manner (15:94), and immediately prostrated. When they asked him, “Have you become a Muslim?” he replied, “No! I was merely prostrating before the eloquence of this verse!”

Also, thousands of scholars, litterateurs and geniuses of the science of eloquence and rhetoric such as ‘Abdu’l-Qahir al-Jurjani, Sakkaki and Zamakhshari have concluded unanimously that the eloquence of the Qur’an is beyond human capacity and cannot be replicated by man.

Moreover, from the outset, the Qur’an has also invited all arrogant and egoistic litterateurs and rhetoricians, and, in a manner to break their arrogance, challenged them by saying: “Either produce a single sura like mine or accept perdition and humiliation in this world and the Hereafter.” Despite this challenge, the obstinate rhetoricians of that age abandoned the shorter route of attempting to produce a single sura like the Qur’an and instead chose the longer route of casting their persons and property into danger. This proves that the shorter route cannot be taken.

Millions of Arabic books are in circulation, written since that time either by friends of the Qur’an in order to imitate it or by its enemies in order to con front and criticize it; and such books have been improved over time along with the developments in science and thought. However, to this day not one of them has been able to attain the level of the Qur’an. Should even a common man listen to them, he would be sure to say: “The Qur’an does not resemble these other books and is in a different class entirely. It must be either below them or above them.” And since no-one in the world—not even an unbeliever or a fool—can say that it is below them, one must therefore conclude that in eloquence it is higher than all of them.

A man once read the verse, Whatever is in the heavens and on the earth glorifies God (57:1). He said: “I cannot see any miraculous eloquence in this verse.” He was told: “Go back to that age in your mind and listen to the verse as it was recited there.” Imagining himself to be there, he saw that all the beings in the world were lifeless and without either consciousness or purpose, living in an unstable, transient world, surrounded by empty, infinite and unbounded space, and floundering in confusion and darkness. Suddenly he heard the above verse proclaimed by the tongue of the Qur’an. At once the verse removed the veil from the face the universe and illumined it. This pre-eternal speech, this eternal decree, gave instruction to all conscious beings, drawn up in the ranks of succeeding centuries, in such fashion that the universe became like a vast mosque. The whole of creation, and in particular the heavens and the earth, was engaged in vital remembrance of God and proclamation of His Glory, fulfilling its function with joy and contentment. All of this the traveler observed. Thus tasting one degree of eloquence of the Qur’an and comparing the other verses to it, he understood one of the many thousands of wise reasons why the eloquence of the Qur’an has conquered half of the earth and a fifth of humanity; he saw how it has increased without let or hindrance its majestic dominion with utmost respect throughout the fourteen centuries since its advent.

FOURTH POINT: While repetition of even the most pleasant thing eventually leads to disgust, the sweetness of the Qur’an is such that however many times it is recited, it causes neither tiredness nor repulsion. Indeed, it has become axiomatic that for those whose hearts are not corrupted and taste spoilt, repeated recitation of the Qur’an leads not to weariness but, rather, to an increase in its sweetness and appeal. Also, the Qur’an demonstrates such freshness, youth and originality that even though it has lived for fourteen centuries and been available to everyone, its vitality is such that one would think it has only just been revealed. Every century sees the Qur’an enjoying a new youth, as though it were addressing itself in particular. Similarly, even though they keep the Qur’an at their side constantly in order to benefit from it and follow its method of exposition, scholars of every branch of learning see that the Qur’an continues to maintain the originality of its style and manner of explanation.

FIFTH POINT: One wing of the Qur’an is in the past and one is in the future. Its root and one wing are the unanimously confirmed truths of the former Prophets, who affirm it with the tongue of unanimity, and whom it in turn affirms and corroborates. Similarly, all saints and purified scholars, those fruits of the Qur’an who have received life from it, have shown through their vital spiritual progress that their blessed “Tree” is living and most radiant means to truth, and beneficial in every respect. All the true spiritual paths or ways of sainthood and Islamic sciences, which have all grown under the protection of the Qur’an’s second wing, which looks to the future, unanimously testify that the Qur’an is truth itself and a collection of truths and unequaled in comprehensiveness.

SIXTH POINT: The Qur’an is luminous in each of its six aspects or sides, all of which point to its truthfulness and veracity. Beneath it lie the pillars of argument and proof; above it shine the gleams of the stamp of miraculousness or inimitability; before it are the gifts of happiness in both worlds as its goal; behind it are the truths of the heavenly Revelation as its point of support; to its right is the well-documented and substantiated confirmation of innumerable sound and upright minds; to its left one sees the true satisfaction, sincere attraction and submission of sound hearts and pure consciences. These six, taken together, prove that the Qur’an is an extraordinary, firm and unassailable heavenly citadel standing on earth.

From these six aspects it is clear that the Qur’an is pure truth, that it is not a human word, and that it contains no errors at all. The Controller and Director of the universe, Who has made it His practice to always exhibit beauty in the universe, to protect goodness and truth, and to eliminate imposters and liars, has confirmed and set His seal on the Qur’an by giving it the most acceptable, highest and most dominant place of respect and success in the world.

Also, the person who represented and communicated Islam and interpreted and explained the Qur’an throughout his life, upon him be peace and blessings, held it in greater respect than anybody else; he assumed a different state when it was revealed; other words uttered by him outside the context of his revelatory experience did not resemble the Qur’an and could never be on the same level; despite being illiterate he was, with the Qur’an as his basis, he described with complete confidence many past and future events and numerous cosmic phenomena from behind the veil of the Unseen; as the supreme translator of the Qur’an, in whose behavior no trickery or shortcoming had ever been witnessed even by the sharpest eyes, believed in and affirmed every pronouncement of the Qur’an with all his might, allowing nothing to shake him in his conviction—all of these facts serve to confirm beyond doubt that the Qur’an is the Divinely-revealed Word of his All-Compassionate Creator.

Furthermore, more than a fifth of humankind have been attached to the Qur’an with piety and rapture, paying heed to it eagerly in their desire to know the truth. According to the testimony provided by many indications, events and spiritual unveilings, the jinn, the angels and the spirit beings gather around it in truth-adoring fashion like moths whenever it is recited. This too serves to confirm that the Qur’an enjoys universal acceptance and occupies the highest position.

In addition, each of the different classes of humankind, from the most simple and lowly to the most clever and learned, is able to take its full share of the Qur’an’s instruction and understand its most profound truths (each according to their capacity). Moreover, all of the celebrated scholars in all branches of the religious sciences, the great interpreters of the Supreme Shari‘a in particular, together with the brilliant and exacting scholars of theology and the basic principles of the Religion are able to exact from the Qur’an all the answers needed for their various disciplines. All of these facts confirm that the Qur’an is a source of truth and a mine of reality.

Also, although the disbelieving ones among the Arab litterateurs who are most advanced in literature and eloquence felt the greatest need to dispute the Qur’an, they have never been able to match it in eloquence by producing the like of even a single sura, despite the fact that eloquence is only one of the seven most prominent aspects of the Qur’an’s miraculousness. Up until this day, not even those renowned rhetoricians and linguistic experts who have contested the Qur’an in order to make a name for themselves have been able to oppose even a single aspect of its miraculousness, and as a result have been forced to remain in impotent silence. This is further confirmation that the Qur’an is a miracle and completely beyond human capacity.

The value, superiority, and eloquence of a speech are based on the answers given to these questions posed with regard to it: “From whom has it come, for whom is it intended, and to what purpose?” In respect of these points, the Qur’an can have no like, and none can reach it. For the Qur’an is a speech and address by the Lord and Creator of all the worlds, and a conversation of His that is in no way derivative or artificial. It is addressed to the one who was sent in the name of all humanity, indeed of all beings, who is the most famous and renowned of humankind, the strength and breadth of whose belief gave rise to mighty Islam and raised its owner to the station of The distance between two bow strings, or less, and returned him as the addressee of the Eternally Besought One. It describes and explains matters concerning happiness in this world and the next, the results of the creation of the universe, and the purposes of the Lord within it. It expounds also the belief of its first and primary addressee—the Prophet Muhammad—which was the highest and most extensive belief, encompassing all of the truths of Islam. It shows every facet of the huge universe like a map, a clock or a house, describing it in a manner which befits the Craftsman Who made it. To produce the like of this Qur’an of miraculous exposition is therefore not possible, nor can the degree of its miraculousness be attained.

Also, thousands of meticulous, learned scholars of high intelligence have written commentaries expounding the Qur’an, some of which consist of as many as seventy volumes, proving with clear evidence and argument its innumerable qualities, characteristics, mysteries, subtleties and elevated meanings, and showing its numerous indications concerning every sort of hidden and unseen matter. And the one hundred and thirty parts of the Risale-i Nur in particular, each of which proves with decisive arguments one quality or subtle point of the Qur’an. Each part of it—such as The Twenty-Fifth Word on the miraculousness of the Qur’an; The Second Station of The Twentieth Word, which deduces many things from the Qur’an concerning the wonders of civilization such as the railway and the airplane; The First Ray, called Signs of the Qur’an, which makes known the indications of verses alluding to electricity; the eight short treatises known as The Eight Signs, which show how well ordered, full of meaning and mysterious the words of the Qur’an actually are; the small treatise (“The Seventh Gleam” in The Gleams) proving in five aspects the miraculousness of the verses at the end of Suratu’l-Fath (sura 48) from the perspective of their giving news of the Unseen—each part of the Risale-i Nur shows one truth or one light of the Qur’an. All of this serves to confirm the fact that the Qur’an has no like: it is a miracle and a wonder; it is the tongue of the World of the Unseen in this visible earthly realm, and it is the Word of One Who is the All-Knowing of the Unseen.

It is on account of these qualities and characteristics of the Qur’an that we have indicated above in six points, that its sublime, luminous sovereignty and its sacred, mighty rule have continued with perfect splendor, illuminating the faces of the centuries and the visage of the earth for (more than) thirteen centuries. It is also on account of these qualities of the Qur’an that each of its letters has the sacred distinction of yielding at least ten rewards, ten merits and ten eternal fruits; indeed, the letters of certain verses and suras yield a hundred or a thousand fruits, or even more, while at certain blessed times the light, reward and value of each letter multiplies a hundredfold. Our traveler journeying through the world understood this and said to his heart: “The Qur’an, which is thus miraculous in every respect, through the consensus of its suras, the agreement of its verses, the accord of its lights and mysteries, and the concurrence of its fruits and works, testifies with its proofs to the Existence, Unity, Attributes and Names of a Single Necessarily Existent One, and its testimony has caused to issue forth the permanent testimony of all the believers.”

Thus in a brief reference to the instruction in belief and Divine Unity that the traveler received from the Qur’an, it was said in the Seventeenth Step of the First Station:

There is no deity but God, the Necessarily Existent, the One and Unique, Whose necessary Existence in His Unity is demonstrated clearly by the Qur’an of miraculous exposition, the Book accepted and desired by all species of angels, humanity and jinn; the verses of which are read each minute of the year, with the utmost reverence, by hundreds of millions of people; and whose sacred sovereignty is permanent over all regions of the earth and the universe and the face of time: its spiritual and luminous authority has run over half the earth and a fifth of humanity, for fourteen centuries, with the utmost splendor. This is also testified to and evidenced by the unanimity of its sacred and heavenly suras, the agreement of its luminous, Divine verses, the congruence of its mysteries and lights, and the correspondence of its fruits and effects, by witnessing and clear vision.

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi

145 This part consists of the Seventeenth Rank of the First Station of The Supreme Sign, which is the Seventh Ray in The Rays.