In the previous part we saw a summary of the idea that although the Prophet ﷺ (Ṣallallāhu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam) was unlettered — he did not know how to read or write — the Book he brought is of an extraordinarily high standard.
Now, continuing that discussion:
If we say a book is of very high literary quality, then:
- It should not contain crude or colloquial expressions.
- It should use grammatically refined language.
- It must be structurally sound.
When ordinary people speak, there are no rules. We speak however we like. There is no obligation that:
- The first line must match the second line,
- The number of words must be equal,
- The ending letters must match,
- There must be rhyme, rhythm, pattern, etc.
But when composing literature — especially poetry — strict rules apply.
For example, in Tamil literature, poets follow fixed metrical patterns. Even Thiruvalluvar, in the Tirukkural, used a unique but consistent structure:
- First line: four words
- Second line: three words
- Every single couplet follows this pattern
This is called metrical discipline. Literary works maintain structure, rhythm, and internal symmetry. But ordinary speech? No such rule.
The Qur’an Does Not Follow Poetic Rules
Now look at the Qur’an.
It does not follow the structural rules of poetry.
In poetry:
- If the first line has a certain rhythm, the second must match.
- There must be rhyme.
- There must be metrical symmetry.
- There are fixed literary constraints.
The Qur’an does not conform to these.
In the Qur’an:
- One verse may contain 20 words.
- Another may contain 10.
- Another 5.
- Sometimes 3.
- Sometimes even a single word is a complete verse.
There is no fixed structural uniformity.
If a book is structured like that, normally you cannot create musical rhythm from it. To produce melody and rhythm, poets carefully craft symmetry, rhyme, and pattern.
But the Qur’an throws aside all poetic constraints — yet it produces unmatched rhythm and melody.
The Central Miracle
Here is the key point:
- The Prophet ﷺ was unlettered.
- The Qur’an contains no grammatical flaws.
- It uses no crude expressions.
- It does not follow classical poetic rules.
- Yet it produces a powerful rhythmic beauty.
Some verses are long — almost a page.
Some are very short.
There is no uniform structure.
Yet it creates a musical effect that captivates listeners.
That is the miracle.
Reaction of the Arabs
The Arabs were masters of poetry. They knew poetic laws: rhyme (qaafiyah), rhythm, metrical patterns.
When they heard the Qur’an, they said: “This is not poetry — it doesn’t fit our poetic rules.”
But at the same time, they admitted: “It is sweeter and more powerful than poetry.”
They were confused.
The disbelievers of Makkah even warned people: “Do not listen to this Qur’an — if you listen, you will be overwhelmed.”
This is recorded in Surah Fussilat (41:26).
If it was ordinary speech, why warn people not to listen?
Because they knew its recitation had a captivating power.
Western Scholars on the Qur’an’s Unique Sound
Many non-Muslim scholars studied this phenomenon.
1️ Marmaduke Pickthall
Originally not Muslim, he studied Arabic to criticize the Qur’an.
Instead, he was captivated and later translated the Qur’an into English.
He said:
When the Qur’an is recited, even those who do not know Arabic are affected by its sound.
Its rhythm has a unique musical quality unmatched by anything else.
This is not a Muslim defending his faith — this is a former critic.
2️ Arthur Arberry
Professor at Cambridge University.
He said:
When heard in Arabic, the Qur’an is not merely words — it is like a heartbeat.
Its rhythm has an almost magical quality.
This cannot be reproduced in translation.
He clearly states translations cannot carry the same effect.
3️ Edward Gibbon
He criticized many aspects of religion. Yet he admitted:
- Translation cannot convey the original impact.
- When heard in Arabic, it deeply affects listeners.
- Even those who reject its theology feel its power.
4️ Paul Casanova
He observed:
Even someone who does not know Arabic feels that the Qur’an’s rhythm carries a mysterious truth.
He called it “mysterious” because he could not explain the source of its power.
5️ William Montgomery Watt
He said the primary reason for the Qur’an’s impact is its rhythmic flow.
6️ Thomas Carlyle
Though critical in other respects, he admitted:
If this book were produced by a human, that human would have to be a genius of the highest order.
It possesses a conquering power.
7️ Maurice Bucaille
Though known for scientific comparison between Bible and Qur’an, he also acknowledged the linguistic uniqueness of the Qur’an.
The Challenge (Tahaddi)
The Qur’an itself challenges humanity: Even if mankind and jinn gathered together, they could not produce the like of this Qur’an.
What is the challenge exactly?
Not scientific facts. Not historical information.
The primary challenge is this:
Produce a book that:
- Does not follow poetic rules,
- Maintains perfect linguistic purity,
- Has unmatched rhythmic beauty,
- Captivates listeners even without understanding the language.
That is the challenge.
Why This Is Extraordinary
In music:
- Rhythm requires pattern.
- Pattern requires symmetry.
- Symmetry requires structural discipline.
Poets revise repeatedly — changing words to fit meter and rhyme.
But the Qur’an:
- Was revealed orally.
- Not drafted and edited like poetry.
- Not revised to fit metrical constraints.
- Yet carries powerful rhythm.
No musical instruments.
No background arrangement.
Just recitation is enough.
Even people who do not understand Arabic feel moved.
That is what many scholars call:
- mysterious
- hypnotic
- captivating
- rhythmic power
We say: It is divine.
Another Important Point
Usually, highly refined literature attracts intellectual elites, not common people.
But the Qur’an:
- Moves scholars,
- Moves poets,
- Moves ordinary people,
- Moves those who do not know Arabic,
- Moves even those hostiles to Islam.
That universality itself is extraordinary.
High Literature vs The Qur’an
In any language, when a work reaches a very high literary level, ordinary people usually cannot understand it easily.
Take Tamil for example:
- Seerapuranam written by Umaru Pulavar
- Kamba Ramayanam by Kambar
- Tirukkural by Thiruvalluvar
All of these are in Tamil — our own mother tongue.
But can an average Tamil speaker read ten lines from Seerapuranam and immediately explain the meaning? No.
Even scholars often use dictionaries and commentaries to interpret classical Tamil works.
The same applies to Kamba Ramayanam.
You may admire it as great poetry, but understanding its depth requires scholarship.
Why? Because high literature uses:
- Rare vocabulary
- Complex structure
- Elevated style
- Uncommon expressions
If it becomes easily understandable to common people, literary elites may not consider it “high literature.”
In fact, sometimes authors deliberately write in a difficult style to demonstrate brilliance. If everyone understands it immediately, some may think it is “ordinary.”
The Unique Position of the Qur’an
Now look at the Qur’an. It stands at the highest literary level in Arabic.
Yet:
- An ordinary Arab at that time could understand its meaning.
- A simple, unlettered person could grasp its message.
- At the same time, scholars found profound depth within it.
How is that possible?
Normally:
- If it is highly literary → common people don’t understand.
- If common people understand → scholars dismiss it as ordinary.
But the Qur’an does both. It is:
- Literarily unmatched.
- Linguistically pure.
- Deep enough for scholars.
- Clear enough for common people.
The society to which it was revealed was largely unlettered (ummi). Very few individuals could read and write. Yet when the Qur’an was recited, they understood its message.
For Arabic speakers:
- They understand the surface meaning.
- Scholars uncover deeper layers.
For non-Arabic speakers:
- Even without understanding, they feel its rhythmic beauty.
Why Even Non-Muslims Feel Its Effect
People in the West say:
“We do not understand Arabic, but something in this sound affects us.”
Why? Because, of its phonetic flow, rhythm, and recitation pattern.
Professor Hamilton Gibb once noted that Western critics often criticize theological content but fail to acknowledge the Qur’an’s poetic beauty and sonic power.
Many critics read only translations and critique the content. But the original Arabic recitation has a different effect altogether.
Translations cannot carry:
- The sound pattern
- The phonetic harmony
- The internal rhythm
- The emotional cadence
A Real-World Observation
In Western talent shows, audiences react emotionally to performances they don’t understand linguistically.
Similarly, when Qur’an is recited beautifully:
- Non-Muslims listen.
- Some are moved by this phonetic rhythm
- Some even cry.
Not because they understand theology,
but because the sound touches something deeper.
This shows the power lies not merely in meaning, but also in recited form.
Literary Devices: What the Qur’an Uses — and What It Rejects
Now the speaker begins explaining different literary techniques so that later Qur’anic examples will be clearer.
False Associative Imagination (Rejected by the Qur’an)
In literature, poets often connect unrelated events for dramatic effect.
Example:
A leader visits a town. It rains.
Poet says: “Even the sky wept in joy for his arrival.”
But rain and the leader’s arrival are unrelated.
Or:
A flag moves in the wind.
Poet says: “The flag waved to warn him not to enter.”
This is imaginative exaggeration mentioned in Tamil epic Silappatikaram that use such techniques — connecting unrelated events for poetic beauty.
Islam rejects this type of superstition. The Qur’an corrects this mentality.
For example:
When Prophet Musa (Moses) came, people blamed him for calamities.
Allahﷻ mentions this in the Qur’an:
- Surah Al-A‘raf (7:131)
- Surah An-Naml (27:47)
- Surah Ya-Sin
People said:
“Because you came, misfortune happened.”
The Qur’an rejects that logic. Events are not caused by unrelated individuals arriving.
Example from the Prophet ﷺ’s Life
When the Prophet ﷺ’s son Ibrahim died, a solar eclipse occurred.
People said:
“The eclipse happened because Ibrahim died.”
The Prophet ﷺ corrected them:
“Sun and moon do not eclipse for the death or birth of anyone.”
(Reported in Sahih al-Bukhari)
This shows Islam rejects superstitious literary imagination when it becomes false belief.
Simile (Accepted and Used in the Qur’an)
Simile (உவமை அணி) means saying “like” or “as.”
Examples from daily speech:
- “He spoke like a flood released from a dam.”
- “They are like nail and flesh” (inseparable).
- “Like water on a lotus leaf” (not attached).
- “Like a cat on a wall” (undecided).
- “Like waiting for cotton fruit to ripen” (false expectation).
These comparisons make speech vivid and attractive.
The Qur’an uses similes extensively. Instead of stating something plainly, it presents imagery.
This gives:
- Clarity
- Memorability
- Emotional depth
The Qur’an says, for example, believers are like a good tree with firm roots and branches in the sky. Such imagery creates understanding beyond plain explanation.
3 Metaphor (More Advanced Than Simile)
There is another device beyond simile called metaphor (உருவக அணி).
This will be explained later with Qur’anic examples.
The speaker says before examining Qur’anic verses, we must first understand these literary categories so that when we see them in the Qur’an, we appreciate their depth.
Final Emphasis
The Qur’an:
- Rejects false poetic superstition.
- Uses powerful imagery.
- Maintains truthfulness.
- Combines clarity with depth.
- Remains accessible to ordinary people.
- Retains literary supremacy admired by scholars.
This combination is unique.
In shaa Allahﷻ , next we will explore how specific literaracy appear in the Qur’an and examine examples directly from the text.