A conversation with Quran

1
Introduction

2
 What is Quran

Quran We believe
This is the revelation of - It is a revelation from
the Book, there is no Allah
doubt in it, is from the - It is the holy scripture
Lord of all the worlds. of Muslims
[Surah Sajda 32:2]

3
 What does it teach

Metaphysical Question and Quran’s Answer

MQ: What
Whereisdo
myI come
purpose?
from?
QA: And
Or were
I didthey
not create
createdthe
byjinn
nothing,
and mankind
or were they
except
thetocreators
worship[of
themselves]?
Me. [Surah Az-Dhariyat
Or did they
51:
create
56] the heavens and the earth?
Rather, they are not certain. [Surah Tur 52: 35-36]
MQ: Where will I go?
Analogies:
-QA:It"Indeed
has created
we from nothing
belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will
return.".
- It was [Surah Baqarah 2: 156]
self-created
- It was created from another creation
- It was from uncreated
4
 What are its main themes

✣ Belief in God
Say, “He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal
✣ Worship
Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, Nor is there to
And
HimWeanycertainly sent [Surah
into every nation
112:a1-4]
messenger,
✣ Hereafter equivalent.” Ikhlas
[saying], “Worship Allah and avoid Taghut (i.e. false
- Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with
✣ Repentance
deities).”[Surah
good An
as trial; and to UsNahl 16:be
you will 36]
returned.[Surah Al Anbiya 21:
35]
…and he will abide therein humiliated except for those
-who repent,
But they whobelieve anddo
believe and dorighteous
righteous work.
deeds For them
- those are the
Allah will replace
companions theirthey
of Paradise; evil will
deeds with
abide good.
therein And ever
eternally. is
[Surah
Al Baqarah
Allah 2: 82] and Merciful. [Surah Al Furqan 25: 69-
Forgiving
-70]
And for those who disbelieved in their Lord is the punishment of
Hell, and wretched is the destination.
5 [Surah Al-Mulk 67:6]
Proof as God’s Words

6
 How Quran can be Authentic

Quran’s Response Why

Confirmation Ease to remember Arabic?
Language
Indeed, it is We who And We have Indeed, We have
sent down the certainly made the made it an Arabic
Qur'an and indeed, Qur'an easy for Qur'an that you
We will be its remembrance, so is might understand.
guardian. [15:9] there any who will [43:3]
remember? [54:17]

7
 Evolution of Arabic writing

267 AD 700 AD

500AD

8
 How Quran can be Authentic

OUR APPROACH

✣ Memorization
✣ Tajweed
✣ Testimonial Evidence
✣ Verification

9
 Hafiz Al Quran

120,000
Whoa! That’s a big number!! Indonesi
a

10
 How Quran can be Authentic

OUR APPROACH
14th
Century
✣ Memorization Foolish
✣ Tajweed
✣ Testimonial Evidence
18th
✣ Verification Century
Beautiful

11
 Scientific Test
Swimming
Orbits of Planets 7th Century or
And it is He who Floating in
an orbit
created the night and َ‫َي ْس َب ُحون‬
the day and the sun
and the moon; all
[heavenly bodies] in Swimming
an orbit are or
Floating 21th
swimming. [21:33]
Century

12
 Scientific Test

َ‫َل ُموسِ ُعون‬ Expansion of

Expanding
or Universe
7th Century
Expanded And the heaven We
constructed with strength,
and indeed, We are [its]
expander. [51:47]
Vast and
provided
with 21th
sustenanc Century
e

13
 Scientific Test

Human Embryo
Then We made the sperm- ‫َع َل َق‬
drop into a clinging clot. William Harvey
[23:14]
Greek Leech
Physician or
Bloodsuck
er
Aristotle

Clinging
substance
17th
Century
14
 Literary Features

Subtlety Word Order Precision

Allah has not made for a man ..And He revealed the Torah And [mention, O Muhammad], when Moses
two hearts in his interior and the Gospel. Before, as said to his people, "O my people, why do
[33:4] guidance for the people. And you harm me while you certainly know that I
He revealed the Qur'an... [3:3- am the messenger of Allah to you?" And
4] when they deviated, Allah caused their
hearts to deviate. And Allah does not guide
Man َ‫ا ْل ُف ْر َقان‬ the defiantly disobedient people. And
[mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary,
said, "O children of Israel, indeed I am the
messenger of Allah to you confirming what
Woman came before me of the Torah and bringing
good tidings of a messenger to come after
me, whose name is Ahmad." But when he
came to them with clear evidences, they
15 said, "This is obvious magic.“[61:5-6]
 Literary Features

Alliteration Analogy Antiphrasis

He will direct you to do And cushions set in rows. And Then pour over his head the
righteous good deeds and will rich carpets spread out. [88: 15- torment of boiling water. Taste
forgive you your sins. And 16] you (this)! Verily, you were
whosoever obeys Allah and His (pretending to be) the mighty,
Messenger, he has indeed the generous! [44: 48-49]
achieved a great achievement.
[33:71]

Asyndeton Antithesis
Assonance
Allah is He Who raised the heavens Those who disbelieve, theirs will
Verily, to Us will be their return;
without any pillars that you can see. be a severe torment; and those
Then verily, for Us will be their
Then, He rose above the Throne. He who believe and do righteous
reckoning. [88:25-26]
has subjected the sun and the moon, good deeds, theirs will be
each running (its course) for a term forgiveness and a great reward.
appointed. He manages and regulates [35: 7]
all affairs; He explains the Ayat (proofs,
evidences, verses, lessons, signs,
revelations, etc.) in detail, that you
may believe with certainty in the
Meeting with your Lord. [13:2] 16
 Ring Composition

– 286)
unbelief (285 Faith vs. unbelief (1-
20)

A’
Ring Compilation

Faith vs.
A
(254 – 284)
Composition

knowledge
creation and Allah’s creation and
knowledge (21-39)
Allah’s
B’
B
An Essay on Ring
Thinking in Circles:

17
– 253)
Muslims (178
of Law to Deliverance of Law to
Children of Israel (40-
C’

Deliverance
103)
C
Literary Style

(153 – 177)
be tested Abraham was tested
(104-141)
D’

Muslims will
D

Ka’ba is the new Qibla

(142-152)
E
 Prediction/prophecy

Byzantine Victory Abu Lahab’s Death Preservation of Quran

The Byzantines have been May the hands of Abu Lahab be Indeed, it is We who sent down
defeated. In the nearest land. ruined, and ruined is he. His the Qur'an and indeed, We will
But they, after their defeat, will wealth will not avail him or that be its guardian.[15: 9]
overcome. Within three to nine which he gained. He will [enter
years. To Allah belongs the to] burn in a Fire of [blazing]
command before and after. And flame. And his wife [as well] -
that day the believers will rejoice the carrier of firewood.[111: 1-4]
[30: 2-4]

18
 Prediction/prophecy
Construction of high Spread of Islam Conquest of Persia
buildings
Muhammad said, “God folded The Messenger of God said, “I
"Now, tell me of the Last Hour,” the earth for me, and I saw its swear by the Being who controls
asked the man. The Prophet east and west, and the my life! God shall bring this [i.e.
replied, “The one asked knows dominion of my nation will Islam] to such completion that a
no more of it than the one reach as far as the earth was veiled woman shall leave from
asking.” “Then tell me about its folded for me” Heera [a place in modern Iraq]
signs,” said the man. The all alone and perform Tawaf of
Prophet replied, “That you see Spread of sexual immorality the Ka’abah without the need of
barefoot, unclothed Bedouins having someone accompany
Muhammad said, “The Hour will
competing in the construction her. Without doubt, the
not be established until people
of tall buildings.” treasures of Kisra bin Hurmuz
Mongol invasion fornicate with each other in the
shall also be conquered.” In
road just as donkeys fornicate.”
Muhammad said, “The Hour will astonishment, Adi bin Hatim
not be established till you fight said, “The treasures of Kisra bin
with the Khudh and the Kirman Hurmuz?” “Yes,” replied the
Rulership of Muslims
from among the non-Arabs. Messenger of God, “The
They will be of white faces, flat Muhammad said, “The treasures of Kisra bin Hurmuz.”
noses and small eyes; their Caliphate after me in my nation
faces will look like flat shields, will last for thirty years. Then
and their shoes will be of hair.”  there will be kingship after
that.”
19
 Historical Accuracy
Pharaoh Pharaoh
According to British Museum Dictionary Dates BCE Period
Of Ancient Egypt, Term used regularly And Moses said, "O Pharaoh, I am a
(approx.)
by modern writers to refer to the messenger
2700-2200 from theOld
Lord of the
Kingdom
Egyptian king. The word is the Greek worlds.” [7:104]
form of the ancient Egyptian phrase per- - 2200-2040 First Intermediate
With regard to the Egyptian ruler who
aa (‘the great house’) which was was a contemporary of Joseph, the
originally used to refer to the royal 2040-1674 Middle
Qur’an uses the title “King”;Kingdom
he is
palace rather than the king. The ‘great never once labelled as Pharaoh
house’ was responsible for taxation of 1674-1553 Second
the lesser ‘houses’ (perw), such as the - As for the Egyptian Intermediate
ruler during the
temple lands and private estates. From time of Moses, the Qur’an repeatedly
1552-1069
calls him “Pharaoh” NewKingdom
and never calls
the New Kingdom (1550-1069 BC)
onwards, the term was used to refer to him “King”
the king himself.
20
 Philosophical Coherence
No contradiction Challenges
Then do they not reflect Produce a Quran: Say, "If mankind and the jinn gathered
upon the Qur'an? If it had in order to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not
been from [any] other than produce the like of it, even if they were to each other
Allah, they would have assistants." [17:88]
found within it much
contradiction. [4:82] Produce 10 surahs: Or do they say, "He invented it"? Say,
"Then bring ten surahs like it that have been invented and
call upon [for assistance] whomever you can besides Allah,
No crookedness if you should be truthful." [11:13]
[It is] an Arabic Qur'an,
without any crookedness Produce one surah: Or do they say [about the Prophet],
that they might become "He invented it?" Say, "Then bring forth a surah like it and
righteous.. [4:82] call upon [for assistance] whomever you can besides Allah,
if you should be truthful." [10:38]

21
 Philosophical Coherence
Introduction of Prophets Character
God Job: And [mention] Job, when he called to his Lord,
"Indeed, adversity has touched me, and you are the
Say, "He is Allah, [who is] Most Merciful of the merciful." So We responded to him
One, Allah, the Eternal and removed what afflicted him of adversity. And We
Refuge. gave him [back] his family and the like thereof with
He neither begets nor is them as mercy from Us and a reminder for the
born, Nor is there to Him worshippers [of Allah]. [21:83-84]
any equivalent." [112:1-4]
Prophethood David: [David] said, "He has certainly wronged you in
Indeed you, [O Muhammad], demanding your ewe [in addition] to his ewes. And
are from among the indeed, many associates oppress one another, except
messengers. On a straight for those who believe and do righteous deeds - and few
path. [36:3-4] are they." And David became certain that We had tried
him, and he asked forgiveness of his Lord and fell down
bowing [in prostration] and turned in repentance [to
22
Allah]. [38:34]
Prophedhood

23
 Signs of Prophethood

Bible’s Response
False Prophet’s character True Prophet’s character
- Adultery, Lies, Wickedness, - Dream [Num 12:6]
Evildoers [Jer 23:14] - Prophecy [Jer 23:21]
- Look for money [Micah 3:12] - Prophecies lies [Jer 5:31]
- Prophecies lies [Jer 5:31] - Subject to the prophets [1 Cor 14:32]
- Commandments of Lord [1 Cor 14:37]

24
 Signs of Prophethood

🏰 Heraclius’s Verification
1. What is his family status amongst you?
2. Has anybody amongst you ever claimed the same (i.e. to be a Prophet) before
him?
3. Was anybody amongst his ancestors a king?
4. Do the nobles or the poor follow him?
5. Are his followers increasing decreasing (day by day)?
6. Does anybody amongst those who embrace his religion become displeased and
renounce the religion afterwards?
7. Have you ever accused him of telling lies before his claim (to be a Prophet)?
8. Have you ever had a war with him? What was the outcome of the battles?
9. What does he order you to do?

25
Thank You

30