The Intellectual Challenge of the Qur’an

Issues Explained
Wednesday, 03 September 2008


The Eternal Word of the Creator to His Creation sent down through Jibreel, the Ruh al-ameen and conveyed by His final Messenger Muhammad al-Mujtaba (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) to guide mankind out of the depths of darkness to the light of the justice of Islam.

This is the Book that we recite and recite again at every opportunity to find solace and guidance in its meanings while our hearts quake with the sound of its rhythm and cadences.

However this blessed Kitaab that we have in our hands today faced many an obstacle and much opposition before its conveyance was complete. The chiefs of the Quraysh of Makkah opposed its recital and call realising that should the Message of the Qur’an be embraced by the people then the game would be up and their days of presiding over a social order based on idolatry, injustice and immorality would be numbered. Initially they chose to ignore it thinking it will die of its own accord but when they witnessed its permeation in the public atmosphere they resolved to put a stop to its dissemination by the Messenger (saw) and the early Muslim converts.

Their cowardly resolution is recorded in the Qur’an itself: ‘And those who disbelieve say: “Listen not to this Qur’ân, and make noise (laghw) in the midst of its (recitation) that you may overcome.” [TMQ 41:26]

The answer of the Mushriks to the intellectual call of the Qur’an was to ban and prevent people from hearing its recital. It is reported by Ibn ‘Abbas (ra) that Abu Jahl told people to shout in the face of the Messenger when he recited the Qur’an so that people could not hear what was being recited. Mujahid said: ‘laghw (in this ayah) refers to making noise by whistling and clapping.’ (Tafseer al-Jami’ li-ahkam al-Qur’an of al- Qurtubi). So thought was faced with obstacles and suppression. But that was not enough; the Quraysh used other means to silence the intellectual call of the Qur’an. They resorted to propaganda, torture and finally boycott. They labelled the Prophet as a madman, sorcerer or soothsayer in order to discredit him. It is reported that when Tufayl b. ‘Amr al-Dawsi came to Makkah during the early period of the Prophet’s da’wah there, Quraysh approached him to warn and prevent him from listening to the Prophet. They said: ‘O Tufayl, you have come to our town. This man who claims that he is a Prophet has ruined our authority and shattered our community. We are afraid that he would succeed in undermining you and your authority among your people just as he has done with us. Don’t speak to the man. On no account listen to anything he has to say. He has the speech of a sorcerer, causing division between father and son, between brother and brother and between husband and wife.’

But of course truth cannot be kept away from the one who seeks it and so lets listen to what happened next in Tufayl’s own words and how he came to embrace the truth: ‘The following morning I went to the Sacred Mosque to make tawaaf around the Ka’bah as an act of worship to the idols that we made pilgrimage to and glorified. I inserted a piece of cotton in my ears out of fear that something of the speech of Muhammad would reach my hearing. As soon as I entered the Mosque, I saw him standing near the Ka’bah. He was praying in a fashion which was different from our prayer. His whole manner of worship was different. The scene captivated me. His worship made me tremble and I felt drawn to him, despite myself, until I was quite close to him. Not withstanding the precaution I had taken, God willed that some of what he was saying should reach my hearing and I heard a speech that was so beautiful that I said to myself, “What are you doing, Tufayl? You are a perceptive poet. You can distinguish between the good and the bad in poetry. What prevents you from listening to what this man is saying? If what comes from him is good, accept it, and if it is bad, reject it. ” I remained there until the Prophet left for his home. I followed him as he entered his house, and I entered also and said, “O Muhammad, your people have said certain things to me about you. By God, they kept on frightening me away from your message so that I even blocked my ears to keep out your words. Despite this, God caused me to hear something of it and I found it good. So tell me more about your mission…’ Brothers and sister, that was then. Now we see a rising global Muslim consciousness and reassertion of the Islamic identity whether in the Middle East, Far East, South East Asia or in the West. And today we also hear voices in the West saying that Islam is backward, that the problem is Islam and not Muslims, that it will cause separatism and division in society, its beliefs and laws are medieval and barbaric, its political system totalitarian and its view of women is misogynistic; indeed some have crossed a certain threshold and pushed the limit and uttered what many maybe are feeling but dare not articulate right now: that perhaps even the Qur’an needs to be proscribed as its verses are not in tune with western liberal values.

Much of the western media has stoked and fanned the fire of hate and ignorance by leading this campaign, culminating in the publication of the vile cartoons of the Prophet (saw) which perhaps represents the high-water mark of gutter defamatory journalism though no one is holding their breath. Governments on their part have matched this propaganda onslaught by passing more draconian anti terror legislation, oppressive control orders, a vague and arbitrary offence of glorification and there are plans to extend the number of days an anti terror suspect can be detained without charge and consequently trial. But the striking thing about all this is that just like the Quraysh, who were unable to meet thought with thought - the backlash against Islam has been far from intellectual. The language has been sometimes one of hatred and fear as with the immigration debate or the Muslim schools issue, and at times of ignorance as we saw with the Shariah law commotion in response to the statements of the archbishop of Canterbury. Where an ostensibly sober discussion has been attempted the result always has been that the other side has not been represented - rather apologists and the emasculated have been wheeled out as the representatives of the Muslims. So Muslims in the West, what are they to do? Should they lie low and pray the storm blows over; although that seems highly unlikely given the direction of the current tide, or perhaps respond with appeasement and say what western neo-con xenophobes want to hear? Will that really place their Deen in a sure footing or will it be the slippery slope towards assimilation into the alien self destructive values of the xenophobe?

At a juncture like this it is worthwhile pausing and reflecting on the Qur’an and seeing what we can glean from how the Qur’an faced the onslaught on the Deen at its inception. A scrutiny of the verses which dealt with propaganda and attacks of the time shows that the Quranic method (minhaj) of address (khitaab) was to respond intellectually, challenging the erroneous thought by highlighting its inherent contradictions and affecting the emotions through articulating its thought in ways that opened up the hearts and minds to the eternal truths of its Message.

The Qur’an did not dwell long on the propaganda attacks but summarily dismissed them. For example, when Quraysh spread the propaganda that the Prophet has learnt the Qur’an from a Christian youth named Jabr, the Qur’an retorted: “We know indeed that they say it is a man that taught him. The tongue of him they wickedly point to is notably foreign, while this is Arabic, pure and clear.”[TMQ 16:103] Indeed the Qur’an then challenged Quraysh to bring a surah like it if they were to prove their contention that it is from man and not God. When Quraysh began their ad homonym attacks on the Prophet by claiming he was possessed, Allah (swt) instructed the Prophet to say: Say [O Prophet!] had Allah pleased, I would never have recited it to you nor would He have made it known to you. A whole life- time have I dwelt amongst you before it was revealed. Have you then no sense. [TMQ 10:16]

The Prophet told them, a life time have I spent with you and you saw no madness, so why the claim now? Read the following verses of surah at-Tur and reflect on the manner in which each of the attacks of the Mushrikeen is dealt with by highlighting the contradictions in their claims: Therefore (O Muhammad), remind and preach. By the Grace of Allâh, you are neither a soothsayer, nor a madman. Or do they say: “(Muhammad is) a poet! We await for him some calamity by time.!” Say (O Muhammad to them): “Wait! I am with you, among the waiters!” Do their minds command them this [i.e. to tell a lie against you] or are they people exceeding the bounds. Or do they say: “He (Muhammad) has forged it (this Qur’ân)?” Nay! They believe not! Let them then produce a recital like unto it (the Qur’ân) if they are truthful. Were they created by nothing, or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay, but they have no firm Belief. Or are with them the treasures of your Lord? Or are they the tyrants with the authority to do as they like? Or have they a stairway (to heaven), by means of which they listen (to the talks of the angels)? Then let their listener produce some manifest proof. Or has He (Allâh) only daughters and you have sons? Or is it that you (O Muhammad) ask a wage from them (for your preaching) so that they are burdened with a load of debt? Or that the Ghaib (unseen) is with them, and they write it down? Or do they intend a plot (against you O Muhammad)? But those who disbelieve are themselves in a plot! Or have they an ilâh (a god) other than Allâh? Glorified be Allâh from all that they ascribe as partners (to Him) [TMQ 52:29-43]

Having swiftly dismissed the propaganda the Qur’an preferred to engage in an exposition of the viewpoint about life, beliefs and thought of the opponents in a challenging style and at the same time stir their emotions towards the truth. For example, ponder the following verse which addresses the Mushrik’s refusal to believe that man can be resurrected after death and consequently the accountability in the Hereafter:

‘O mankind! If you are in doubt about the Resurrection, then verily! We have created you from dust, then from a Nutfah (sexual discharge), then from a clot then from a little lump of flesh, some formed and some unformed (miscarriage), that We may make (it) clear to you (i.e. to show you Our Power and Ability to do what We will). And We cause whom We will to remain in the wombs for an appointed term, then We bring you out as infants then (give you growth) that you may reach your age of full strength. And among you there is he who dies (young), and among you there is he who is brought back to the miserable old age, so that he knows nothing after having known. And you see the earth barren, but when We send down water (rain) on it, it is stirred (to life), it swells and puts forth every lovely kind (of growth).’ [TMQ 22:5]

See how these verses talk about the creation of man from dust in the beginning and the stages of development of the foetus and then through the stages of adolescence and old age. The Creator who created from dust and nurtured and sustained His creation in this way can certainly resurrect him again from dust without a shadow of a doubt! It is reported that once a Mushrik, Ubayy b. Khalaf, came to the Prophet (saw) holding some dry bones in his hands and crushing them to dust and saying: who will bring these bones back to life after they have turned to dust?

The response that came challenged the man’s erroneous thought but also made him think and feel for what the correct answer must be. This incident has been recorded for us in the Qur’an in surah Yasin: Yet behold! He (stands forth) as an open opponent. And he puts forth for Us a parable, and forgets his own creation. He says: “Who will give life to these bones when they have rotted away and became dust?” Say: (O Muhammad) “He will give life to them Who created them for the first time! And He is the All-Knower of every creation!” He, Who produces for you fire out of the green tree, when behold! You kindle therewith. Is not He, Who created the heavens and the earth Able to create the like of them? Yes, indeed! He is the All- Knowing Supreme Creator. Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, “Be!” and it is! So Glorified is He and Exalted above all that they associate with Him, and in Whose Hands is the dominion of all things, and to Him you shall be returned.’ [TMQ 36:78-83]

Today how many in the West turn to atheism or if they believe in a God take the view that man is not accountable to God in the public sphere as religion should have no say in temporal matters.

Again and again the Qur’an challenged the Quraysh to question and think about the validity of their thoughts, social practises and way of life. The Quraysh worshipped idols and so the Qur’an relates the story of Ibrahim (as) who questioned the idolatrous practise of his people: ‘Then they (the worshippers of idols) came, towards him, hastening. He (Ibrahim) said: “Worship you that which you (yourselves) carve? “While Allâh has created you and what you make!’ [TMQ 37:94-96]

Today how many propose that manmade laws and rules should be enacted and then the people shall bow to them with obedience? Is it not demeaning for man to submit to that which is lesser than him?

The Quraysh believed that Allah had daughters and yet they mistreated their women and even buried their daughters alive and so the Qur’an pointed out this contradiction: ‘Is it for you the males and for Him the females?’ [TMQ 53:21]

Today the West claims to have liberated women but we find she is often reduced to the status of a mere sexual object. In regards to their social practise of infanticide the Qur’an asked a damning question: ‘And when the female (infant) buried alive (as the pagan Arabs used to do) shall be questioned. For what sin she was killed?’ [TMQ 81:8-9] Today we should ask what kind of society accepts the practise of indiscriminate abortions because it gets in the way of a woman’s career prospects.

The Quraysh, men and women, used to make circumbulation (tawaaf) round the Ka’bah naked and their justification for doing this was that it was the custom of their forefathers. So consider then how the Qur’an addressed this argument: ‘O Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover yourselves and as an adornment, and the garment of righteousness, that is better…. [TMQ 7:26] Here the verse evokes in them a sense of shame by highlighting what clothes signify; that they are an adornment to cover shame and a mark of piety; so how can one make tawaaf, an act of worship, in such a state. The Qur’an reminds and warns them not to deceive themselves as their father Adam was deceived by Shaytan when due their fall they were stripped of their garments: ‘O Children of Adam! Let not Shaitân (Satan) deceive you, as he got your parents [Adam and Hawwa (Eve)] out of Paradise, stripping them of their garments, to show them their private parts…’ [TQ 7:27]

This also refutes their claim that they are following their forefathers as Adam and Hawa were made to feel shame due to a deception and their emulation by Quraysh would also be due to their own self deception. The Qur’an then censures them for following traditions and customs blindly without regard to whether it was according to Allah’s command or not; ‘And when they commit a Fâhisha (evil indecency such as going around the Ka’bah in a naked state, they say: “We found our fathers doing it, and Allâh has commanded us of it.” Say: “Nay, Allâh never commands of Fâhisha (evil indecency). Do you say of Allâh what you know not?’ [TMQ 7:28]

And yet today, we see the celebration and carnival of indecency and people vying to see how far they can go. Does this dignify man or does it debase him to a level beneath his stature? Not to mention the social ills that come with such degenerate values - values which if society was a ship then they would act as bores in the ship’s hull.

These are just some of the verses relating to how the Qur’an dealt with the attack on the Deen by the Quraysh and addressed their ideas and practises. Having considered these verses we can conclude that the method of the Qur’an was to respond intellectually in its clarification of the truth and exposition of the fallacy of kufr. It challenged the erroneous thought by highlighting the inherent contradiction within it or its contradiction with reality. In addition to this the Qur’an connected the correct thoughts to the emotions of the people in order to endear them to the truth through wisdom and beautiful speech. The solution that it presented was in harmony with the fitra (nature) of man and suited to his disposition as a human being. This is how the Qur’an responded and this is how we must also respond.

Today Islam is being attacked and the virtues of secular liberalism are extolled or sold to us in the guise of a reformed Islam. In such a situation we are required to robustly articulate the Islamic intellectual response. In doing so we must emulate the minhaj of the Qur’an; we must dispel the evil propaganda against our Deen by explaining Islam to those around us in a way that agrees with the mind and at the same time moves the hearts, such that when the cotton wool is taken out of the ears, the truthfulness of our message penetrates the soul of the one who hears it. And all the time we must insure that we repel the evil in ways that are best and then perhaps in the most avowed an enemy we will find a close friend:

And who is better in speech than he who invites (men) to Allâh, and does righteous deeds, and says: “I am one of the Muslims.” The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is better then verily! he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend.’ [TMQ 41:33- 34]