Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

The Qur'an in Islam, its Impact and Influence on the Life of Muslims

Author(s): Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn at-Tabataba'i

Translator(s): Al-Qalam Translators and Writers Bureau

Publisher(s): World Islamic Network (WIN)

www.alhassanain.org/english

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 4

Foreword 5

Notes 8

Introduction 9

Part 1: The Value of the Qur'an in the Eyes of the Muslims 10

The Qur’an contains a Pattern of a Complete Way of life for Man 10

The Qur'an as a Document of Prophethood 14

Part 2: The Teachings of the Qur'an 16

The Universal Import of the Qur'an 16

The Perfection of the Qur'an 16

The Eternal Quality of the Qur'an 17

The Qur'an as a Self-Contained Proof 17

The Inner and Outer Dimensions of the Qur'an 18

The Wisdom Contained in the Two Facets of the Qur'an: The Inner and the Outer 19

The Two Kinds of Qur'anic Verses: The Explicit and the Implicit 21

The Method of Guidance and Explanation used in the Rest of the Qur'an 22

The Commentary of the Imams of the Prophet's Family concerning the Explicit and the Implicit Verses 24

The Qur'an Possesses Revelation and Exegesis 24

The Meaning of Exegesis, According to the Commentators and Scholars 25

The Meaning of Exegesis in the Tradition of the Qur'anic Sciences 28

The Existence of Abrogating and Abrogated Verses in the Qur'an 30

Applicability and Validity of the Qur'an 30

Qur'anic Commentary: Its Advent and Development 31

The Science of Qur'anic Commentary and the Different Groups of Commentators 31

The Methods Used by the Shi'ite Commentators and their Different Groupings 33

How Does the Qur'an Lend Itself to Interpretation? 35

Conclusion 35

An Example of Commentary on the Qur'an with the Aid of the Qur'an 37

The Validity of the Commentary of the Prophet and the Imams 40

Part 3: The Revelation of the Qur'an 41

General Beliefs of Muslims concerning the Revelation of the Qur'an 41

The View of Contemporary Non-Muslim Writers concerning the Revelation and Prophecy 41

What the Qur'an Itself Says concerning this Matter 42

The Angel Gabriel 44

The Angels and the Devils 45

The Call of Conscience 46

The Reality of the Prophet's Mission 46

What the Qur'an says about the Meaning of Revelation and Prophecy 47

Man's Innate Nature 47

Man's Path in Traversing the Road of Life 47

Man as a Social Being 48

The Manifestation of Social Differences and the Necessity of Law 49

The Intellect is not Sufficient in Guiding Man towards Respect of the Law 50

The Only Way to Guidance is that of Revelation 51

The Revelation of the Qur'an 51

Some Questions Answered 52

The Path of Revelation is Protected against Mistakes 53

The Hidden Reality of Revelation 54

How the Qur'an was Revealed 55

Part 4: The Relationship of the Qur'an to the Sciences 56

Praise of Knowledge and the Stimulation of the Desire to Study 56

The Sciences which the Qur'an Invites Men to Study 56

The Sciences Particular to the Study of the Qur'an 57

The Sciences which Developed because of the Qur'an 57

Part 5: The Order of the Qur'an's Revelation and the Growth of the Qur'anic Sciences 60

The Order in which the Verses of the Qur'an were Revealed 60

Conclusions to be Drawn 60

The Reasons for the Revelations 61

Further Traditions Concerning the Order and Place Revelation of the Chapters 65

After the Death of the Prophet 67

The Importance Muslims Attached to the Qur'an 68

The Qur'an is Protected from any Alteration 69

The Recitation, Memorization and Transmission of the Qur'an 71

The Different Groups of Reciters 71

The Seven Reciters 72

The Number of Verses in the Qur'an 74

The Names of the Chapters 74

Calligraphy, Orthography and Diacritical Marks Used in the Qur'an 75

Acknowledgements

We wish to express our thanks to all who contributed toward making this book possible: Assadullah ad-Dhaakir Yate, translation; David Elisha, editing; Seyyed Vali Reza Nasr, indexing; and Blue Cliff, cover design. Special gratitude is expressed to Seyyed Hossein Nasr for his contribution of the foreword to this book.

Foreword

Over a quarter of a century has passed since this book was written by Allamah Tabataba’i in Persian- with the express purpose of being translated into English as part of a trilogy whose aim was to make Shi’ism better known in the Western world.1

Commissioned originally by Professor Kenneth Morgan of Colgate University in New York, who came to Iran with the aim of launching the project, his trilogy was written and assembled in a short period by Allamah Tabataba’i in Persian and – in the case of sayings of the Imams- in Arabic.

But it is now, with the appearance of this translation that the goal of the project is finally achieved, long after the author has left this adobe of transience.

It was our task to collaborate with the Allamah, to achieve the completion of the two works of this trilogy which had set out to writehimself , namely Shi’ah dar Islam and Qur’an dar Islam.

Our role was to point out to this venerable master the questions which a Western audience needed to have treated and the types of discussion that such works needed to consider, while he himself set out to compose these books in his masterly and at the same time unassumingly style. Only after the composition of these works did he begin to select the sayings of the Imams which were to be collected and translated in the anthology.

The completion of Shi’ah dar Islam – after many journeys made by us between Tehran and Qum, where the Allamah resided, as well as meetings in the cool mountains retreats surrounding Tehran- turned out to be a major event for the study of Shi’ism, not only in the West but also within Iran itself.

Even before we completed the edition and translation of the work in English, the Persian edition with our humble introduction appeared in Iran, and soon became one of the most widely read works on Shi’ism.

It seems that a work written with a Western audience in mind also bore a message of great significance for Shi’ites themselves.

While we were translating and editing Shi’ite Islam, Allamah Tabataba’i terminated Qur’an dar Islam; on his advice it was decided to have this also published in Persian as soon as possible.

This work, likewise, became instantly popular and, like Shi’ah dar Islam has gone into numerous editions besides being translated into other Islamic Languages.

Meanwhile we began the translation of Qur’an dar Islam, as soon as the publication of Shi’ite Islam in both English and American editions was accomplished. Many sessions were spent with the Allamah over various questions of translation, and the work progressed slowly because of both the Allamah’s busy programme and our own crowded schedule. Over half of the work was translated when our library - and with the manuscript of the translation - was lost during the events of 1979. It is, therefore, particularly gratifying finally to see the appearance of the translation of this work in English and the realization of the goal which was intended from the beginning.

The author of this book, Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i- may God shower his blessings upon his soul- was one of the great masters of the traditional sciences in Iran during this century.2

He was born in 1903 into a distinguished family of scholars in Tabriz, where he also carried out his earliest religious studies. Like many Shi’ite scholars, he pursued more advanced studies in Najaf and then returned in Tabriz. But in 1945, following the Soviet occupation of Azerbaijan, he came to Qum, where he settled until his death in 1982. From this centre of Shi’ite learning the light of his knowledge and presence began to disseminate and continued to spread among students not only of that city but also throughout Iran, and even beyond.

From the 1950s onward, his journey to Tehran became a weekly or bi-weekly event, and he taught and conducted intellectual discussions with a small group of students, of which we had the honour of being one.

This activity complemented his teaching activities in Qum. The circle in Tehran, which included not only such well-known scholars as Murtadha Mutahhari, but also (during the fall season) Henry Corbin, and occasionally other Western scholars of Islam, helped to spread the influence of the Allamah’s teachings further, and soon he became recognized as one of the majour intellectual figures of Shi’ism, at once master of the religious sciences (especially Qur’anic commentary) Islamic philosophy and gnosis (‘irfan). Despite eye-problems which continued to hamper his activities to the very end, Allamah Tabataba’i was an extremely prolific author.

In addition to teaching throughout the week and training countless students, he wrote nearly every day, important books and articles continued to flow from his pen. After writing such majour philosophical works as Usul-i Falsafay-i Ri’alism in five volumes, he edited the Asfar al-Arba’a of Sadr-al-Din Shirazi with his own commentary and a selection of commentaries on other masters prior to Shirazi, in seven volumes.Later, at our request, he composed two masterly summaries of Islamic philosophy: the Badayi’ al-Hikam and the Nahayat al-Hikam.

Meanwhile, parallel with all this activity in the domain of traditional philosophy and gnosis (about which he wrote less in a direct manner but alluded to frequently in his philosophical works and certain shorter treatises), Allamah Tabataba’i continued to work indefatigably on his Qur’anic commentary, Tafsir al-Mizan, which he finally completed in his mid-seventies. This monumental commentary, consisting of some twenty-seven volumes (written in Arabic, but also translated in Persian), is one of the most important Qur’anic commentaries of this century and is a binding witness to the remarkable mastery of its author in the domain of Qur’anic sciences. This commentary, based on the principle of having one part of the Qur’an interpret other parts (al-Qur’an yufassiru ba’dahu ba’dan) is a summa of Islamic religious thoughts, in which the sciences of the Qur’an, theology, philosophy, gnosis, sacred history and the social teachings of Islam are all brought together.

The present volume is in sense the synthesis of the venerable master’s life-long study of the Noble Qur’an.

Although the book is written in simple language and may appear to be introductory, it is a work of great depth and synthetic quality. It treats many questions concerning the sacred text which have rarely been discussed together in a single work.

The book, although short, distils many volumes into its pages and is like the synopsis of a major commentary. It brings out the significance of the Qur’an for the life of Muslims, the features of the sacred Text which seems enigmatic, the inner and outer levels of meaning of the Text and the sciences of the Qur’anic exegesis. It also treats in a clear and direct manner the Shi’ite understanding of the Qur’an and the role of the Imams in its interpretation. It is a veritable prolegomenon to the study of the Sacred Book, and it is perhaps the most accessible introduction available in English to the study of the Qur’an as traditionally understood by the mainstream of Shi’ite thought, in fact Islamic exegetical thought in general.

This book reflects, moreover, not only the learning of the author but also his spiritual qualities. Allamah Tabataba’i was not only an outstanding scholar but also a person of great spiritual realization who lived constantly in the remembrance of God. During the twenty years during which we had the honour of being his student, and observing him in all kinds of circumstances- from being alone with him in a room, to sitting at his feet in a mosque filled with hundred students- never did he cease to remember God and invoke Him. His countenance always reflected a light that seemed to shine from the world beyond, while his gentle vice seemed to issue from the outer shores of existence. In his presence, one could not but think of God and the world of Spirit. The reality of the Qur’an, which he had studied and written about for so many years, seemed to have penetrated into his very being, enabling him to speak out of a knowledge that was always wed to spirituality and rooted in the sacred.

Allamah Tabataba’i was at once one of the greatest of Qur’anic commentators, a leading contemporary Islamic philosopher in the tradition of Ibn Sina, Suhrawardi and Mulla Sadra, and a Gnostic who was at home in both the metaphysical works of Ibn al-‘Arabi and the inebriating poetry of Rumi and Hafiz. In him, intelligence, scholarship, piety and the love of God met in a union which is encountered rarely in any age, and especially this period if the eclipse of the Spirit.

His soul was embellished with the virtues extolled by the Qur’an and the prophetic Sunnah, while his mind explored like a soaring eagle the vast expanses of Islamic thought. To have met him was to have met the veritable scholar (or ‘alim) and to gain a taste of what traditional Islamic intellectual tradition was fully alive.

The Qur’an in Islam, as well as the other works by the Allamah, should be red now more than ever before, because the current aberrations propagated in the name of Islam in general, and Shi’ism in particular,necessitate an uncompromising and clear statement of the traditional Islamic perspective, as expounded by such masters as Allamah Tabataba’i. Moreover, the present book marks an important addition to literature in English on the central theophany of Islam, the Noble Qur’an.

May all those interested in the understanding of Islam be able to benefit from this book, and also come to gain some insight into the mind and soul of a great contemporary Muslim scholar who lived and died and died in constant awareness of God, and who saw in His Word as contained in the Noble Book at once a guide for life, the basic source of all knowledge, the sword of discernment between truth and falsehood and a “presence” whose experience makes possible here a taste of the realities of Paradise.

Seyyed Hossein Nasr,

Bethesda, Maryland

December, 1986

Notes

1. The other two volumes in the trilogy, Shi’ite Islam, edited and translated by Seyyed Hossein Nasr (London, Allen & Unwin, and Albany, New York, SUNY Press, 1975) and A Shi’ite Anthology, selected with a foreword by Allamah Tabataba’i translated with explanatory notes by William Chittick and introduction by Seyyed Hossein Nasr (London, Muhammad Trust, and Albany, New York, SUNY Press, 1981) have already become well-known as important sources in English for the study of Shi’ism.

2. We have already dealt with his life in our preface to Shi’ite Islam, pp. 22- 25.

Introduction

We are placing before the reader a book which discusses the profoundest document of the sacred religion of Islam.

Among the themes of this book are the following:

- The position of the Glorious Qur’an in the Islamic world;

- What do we mean when we speak of “the Qur’an”?

- What value does the Holy Qur’an hold for Muslims?

- The Qur’an as a book whose importance is global and eternal;

- The Qur’an as a revelation from the Divine, not a human source;

- The relationship between the Qur’an and the sciences;

- The characteristics and features of the Qur’an.

We are investigating the importance of a book which Muslims have never ceased to respect and venerate and whose validity they have never rejected.

They are able to use it to support any claim made in the name of Islam, despite being troubled by inner conflicts and sectarian splintering, as are the other major world religions.

The purpose of this work is to define the position of the Qur’an in such a way that the Holy Book explains itself, rather than merely giving our own opinions concerning it. There is clearly a great difference between these two ways of approaching the matter.

In other words, the position we attribute to the Holy Qur’an, through reason or lack of it, if found to be contrary to the Qur’anic views, will not be valid. If it is something about which the Qur’an is silent, in view of the existing differences of opinion among the Muslims, a unanimous acceptance of such a view would not be possible. The only position which may be acceptableis what is denoted by the Holy Qur’an itself.

Therefore, in this inquiry and discussion, we must answer the question as to what the Holy Qur’an says in the connection, and not what we, who follow a certain school of Islamic Law, say about the Holy Qur’an.

Part 1: The Value of the Qur'an in the Eyes of the Muslims

The Qur’an contains a Pattern of a Complete Way of life for Man

The religion of Islam is superior to any other in that it guarantees happiness in man's life. For Muslims, Islam is a belief system with moral and practical laws that have their source in the Qur'an.

God, may He be exalted, says,

"Indeed this Qur'an guides to the path which is clearer and straighter than any other" (17:9).

He also says,

"We have revealed to you the book which clarifies every matter" (16:89).

These references exemplify the numerous Qur'anic verses (ayat) which mention the principles of religious belief, moral virtues and a general legal system governing all aspects of human behaviour.

A consideration of the following topics will enable one to understand that the Qur'an provides a comprehensive programme of activity for man's life.

Man has no other aim in life but the pursuit of happiness and pleasure, which manifests itself in much the same way as love of ease or wealth. Although some individuals seem to reject this happiness, for example, by ending their lives in suicide, or by turning away from a life of leisure, they too, in their own way, confirm this principle of happiness; for, in seeking an end to their life or of material pleasure, they are still asserting their own personal choice of what happiness means to them.

Human actions, therefore, are directed largely by the prospects of happiness and prosperity offered by a certain idea, whether that ideabe true or false.

Man's activity in life is guided by a specific plan or programme. This fact is self-evident, even though it is sometimes concealed by its very apparentness. Man acts according to his will and desires; he also weighs the necessity of a task before undertaking it.

In this he is promoted by an inherent scientific law, which is to say that he performs a task for "himself" in fulfilling needs which he perceives are necessary. There is, therefore, a direct link between the objective of a task and its execution.

Any action undertaken by man, whether it be eating, sleeping or walking, occupies its own specific place and demands its own particular efforts. Yet an action is implemented according to an inherent law, the general concept of which is stored in man's perception and is recalled by motions associated with that action. This notion holds true whether or not one is obliged to undertake the action or whether or not the circumstances are favourable.

Every man, in respect of his own actions, is as the state in relation to its individual citizens, whose activity is controlled by specific laws, customs and behaviour. Just as the active forces in a state are obliged to adapt their actions according to certain laws, so is the social activity of a community composed of the actions of each individual. If this were not the case, the different components of society would fall apart and be destroyed in anarchy in the shortest time imaginable.

If a society is religious, its government will reflect that religion; if it is secular, it will be regulated by a corresponding code of law. If a society is uncivilized and barbaric, a code of behaviour imposed by a tyrant will appear; otherwise, the conflict of various belief-systems within such a society will produce lawlessness.

Thus man, as an individual element of society, has no option but to possess and pursue a goal. He is guided in the pursuit of his goal by the path which corresponds to it and by the rules which must necessarily accompany his programme of activity. The Qur'an affirms this idea when it says that

"every man has a goal to which he is turning, so compete with each other in good action" (2:148).

In the usage of the Qur'an, the word din is basically applied to a way, a pattern of living, and neither the believer nor the non-believer is without a path, be it prophetic or man-made.

God, may He be exalted, describes the enemies of the divine din (religion) as those

"who prevent others from the path of God and would have it crooked" (7:45).

This verse shows that the term Sabil Allah- the path of God - used in the verse refers to the din of fitrah - the inherent pattern of life intended by God for man. It also indicates that even those who do not believe in God implement His din, albeit in a deviated form; this deviation, which becomes their din, is also encompassed in God's programme.

The best and firmest path in life for man is the one which is dictated by his innate being and not by the sentiments of any individual or society. A close examination of any part of creation reveals that, from its very inception, it is guided by an innate purpose towards fulfilling its nature along the most appropriate and shortest path; every aspect of each part of creation is equipped to do so, acting as a blueprint for defining the nature of its existence. Indeed all of creation, be it animate or inanimate, is made up in this manner.

As an example, we may say that a green-tipped shoot, emerging from a single grain in the earth, is "aware" of its future existence as a plant which will yield an ear of wheat. By means of its inherent characteristics, the shoot acquires various mineral elements for its growth from the soil and changes, day by day, in form and strength until it becomes a fully-matured grain-bearing plant - and so comes to the end of its natural cycle.

Similarly, if we investigate the life-cycle of the walnut tree, we observe that it too is "aware", from the very beginning, of its own specific purpose in life, namely, to grow into a big walnut tree. It reaches this goal by developing according to its own distinct inherent characteristics; it does not, for example, follow the path of the wheat-plant in fulfilling its goal just as the wheat-plant does not follow the life pattern of the walnut tree.

Since every created object which makes up the visible world is subject to this same general law, there is no reason to doubt that man, as a species of creation, is not. Indeed his physical capabilities are the best proof of this rule; like the rest of creation, they allow him to realize his purpose, and ultimate happiness, in life.

Thus, we observe that man, in fact, guides himself to happiness and well-being merely by applying the fundamental laws inherent in his own nature.

This law is confirmed by God in the Qur'an, through His Prophet Moses, when he says,

"Our Lord is He who gave everything its nature, then guided it" (20:50).

It is further explained as:

"He who created and fashioned in balanced proportion and He who measures and guides" 87:2-3

As to the creation and the nature of man, the Qur'an says,

By the soul and Him who fashioned it and then inspired it with wrong action and fear of God; he is truly successful who causes it to grow and purifies it and he is a failure who corrupts and destroys it. (91:7-1O).

God enjoins upon man the duty to "strive towards a sincere application of the din," (that is, the fitrah of God, or the natural code of behaviour upon which He has createdmankind ) , since "

there is no changing the laws of the creation of God" (30:30).

He also says that

"In truth, the only deen recognized by God is Islam" (3:19).

Here, Islam means submission, the method of submission to these very laws. The Qur'an further warns that

"The actions of the man who chooses a din other than Islam will not be accepted" (3:85).

The gist of the above verses, and other references on the same subject, is that God has guided every creature - be it man, beast or vegetable - to a state of well-being and self-fulfillment appropriate to its individual make-up.

Thus the appropriate path for man lies in the adoption of personal and social laws particular to his own fitrah (or innate nature), and in avoiding people who have become "de naturalized" by following their own notions or passions. It is clearly underlined that fitrah, far from denying man's feelings and passions, accords each its proper due and allows man's conflicting spiritual and material needs to be fulfilled in a harmonious fashion.

Thus, we may conclude that the intellect 'aql should rule man in matters pertaining to individual or personal decisions, rather than his feelings. Similarly, truth and justice should govern society and not the whim of a tyrant or even the will of a majority, if that be contrary to a society's true benefit.

From this we may conclude that only God is empowered to make laws, since the only laws useful to man are those which are made according to his inherent nature.

It also follows that man's needs, arising from his outward circumstance and his inner reality, are fulfilled only by obeying God's instructions (or laws). These needs may arise through events beyond man's control or as a result of the natural demands of his body.

Both are encompassed in the plan of life that God has designated for man. For, as the Qur'an says, the

"decision rests with God only," (12:40,67)

Which is to say that there is no governance (of man or society, of the inner or the outer) except that of God.

Without a specific creational plan, based on the innate disposition of man, life would be fruitless and without meaning. We may understand this only through belief in God and knowledge of his Unity, as explained in the Qur'an.

From here we may proceed to an understanding of the Day of Judgement, when man is rewarded or punished according to his deeds. Thereafter, we may arrive at knowledge of the prophets and of prophetic teachings, since man cannot be judged without being first instructed in the matter of obedience and disobedience. These three fundamental teachings are considered to be the roots of the Islamic way of life.

To these we may add the fundamentals of good character and morals which a true believer must possess, and which are a necessary extension of the three basic beliefs mentioned above. The laws governing daily activity not only guarantee man's happiness and moral character but, more importantly, increase his understanding of these beliefs and of the fundamentals of Islam.

Itis clear that a thief, a traitor, a squanderer or a libertine do not possess the quality of innocence; nor can a miser, who hoards money, be called a generous person. Similarly, some- one who never prays or remembers God cannot be called a believer in God and the Last Day, nor be described as His servant.

From this we may conclude that good character flourishes when joined to a pattern of correct actions; morals are to be found in the man whose beliefs are in harmony with these fundamentals. A proud man cannot be expected to believe in God nor be humble in respect to the Divine; nor can the man, who has never understood the meaning of humanity, justice, mercy or compassion, believe in the Day of Rising and the Judgement.

Chapter 35: 10 speaks of the relationship between a sincere system of belief and a fitting character:

Pure speech rises up to Him and He raises up good deeds still further.

In chapter 20: 10 we learn again of this relationship between belief and action:

Then evil was the consequence of those who do wrong action because they denied the signs of Allah and they made a mock of them.

To summarize, the Qur'an is composed of the following Islamic fundamentals which together form an interlocking whole: a primary system of belief in the Unity of God, Prophethood and the Day of Reckoning, accompanied by a second group of beliefs, namely, belief in the Tablet, the Pen (which delineates the sequence of cosmic events), the rule of destiny and the decree (without implying pre-determination), the angels, the throne of the Creator, and, finally, in the creation of the sky, the earth and everything between them.

Thereafter, we observe that man's well-being lies in his character being in harmony with these principles.

The shari'ah, namely the laws and code of behaviour explained in the Qur'an and commented upon in every detail by the model of the Prophet's life, is the means whereby a man may practise these principles.

At this point we should add that the Prophet's family are his chosen heirs and are entrusted with the task of exemplifying and explaining further the prophetic message and the shari'ah after the Prophet's death. The Prophet himself has shown that the tradition, hadith, known as the hadith al-thaqalayn which all sects of Islam accept, refers specifically to this matter of succession.

The Qur'an as a Document of Prophethood

The Qur'an refers on several occasions to the fact that it is the word ofGod, that it issues from a divine source in the very words in which the Prophet received them and which he later transmitted. The divine nature of the Qur'an is affirmed in several verses.

In 52:33-34 we read,

"or they say that (the Prophet) is inventing it. Indeed they do not believe. If they are truthful then let them produce words like it".

Likewise in 17:88 "Say (O Muhammad), if all the jinn and mankind were to join forces to produce something like this Qur'an they could not produce it even if they were to help one another."

Again, in 11:13

"Or they say he has invented it! Say: then produce ten verses like it which you have invented,"

And again in 10:38,

"Or they say he has invented it. Say: produce a single chapter like it,"

We find further proof.

The following challenge is made in Chapter 2:23

"And if you are in doubt concerning that which we have revealed toOur slave then produce a chapter like it.”

Here it should be noted that the Qur'an is addressing those who grew up with Muhammad, the man they knew to be unlettered and untutored in the matters spoken about in the Qur'an. Despite this knowledge, they still doubt.

Another challenge is issued, (to those who would find contradictions in the Qur'an, but obviously cannot):

Will they not reflect upon the Qur'an? If it had been from other than God, they would have found in it much incongruity (4:82).

Since everything in the world is in a state of growth and self-perfection, then the Qur'an would of necessity lack harmony since it was revealed over a period of twenty-three years; it would lack harmony that is if we were to suppose that it was the work of a man rather than of a prophet.

The Qur'an, whose messages announce and confirm that it is the work of God, also teaches us that Muhammad is a messenger, sent by God, thus confirming the authenticity of the Prophet. In chapter 13:43 God speaks Himself, as on many occasions, confirming that He is witness and testimony to the prophecy of Muhammad:

"Say God is sufficient witness between you and me. The verse refers to disbelievers and defies their disbelief.

In another verse, the testimony of angels is added to that of God's:

But God testifies concerning that which he has revealed to you; He has revealed it in His knowledge; and the Angels also testify. And God is sufficient witness (4:166).