Adwa ala al-Quran al-Karim (Balaghatuhu wa Ijazuhu)
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Adwa ala al-Quran al-Karim (Balaghatuhu wa Ijazuhu) (Lights on the Noble Quran: Its Eloquence and Inimitability) is a scholarly treatise on Quranic rhetoric and inimitability written by Abd al-Fattah Muhammad Muhammad Salama, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Sharia, and published in the journal of the Islamic University of Madinah .
Definition and Structure of the Quran
The work begins by defining the Quran as the speech of God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for devotional recitation . It analyzes the etymological origins of the word Quran—deriving it either from compilation and joining (al-jamʿ wa-l-taʾlīf) or from reading (al-qirāʾa)—and notes that the noun and its derivatives appear seventy times in the text . The author lists various names given to the Quran, noting that al-Fakhr al-Razi recorded thirty-two names and al-Fayruzabadi counted one hundred, with the four most prominent being al-Dhikr, al-Furqan, al-Kitab, and al-Quran .
The author explains the structural division of the revelation into distinct chapters (suwar) and verses (āyāt), highlighting that the length of surahs varies from 286 verses in Surat al-Baqarah to three verses in Surat al-Kawthar without diminishing the miraculous nature of shorter chapters . Citing classical consensus and the compilation under Caliph Uthman ibn Affan, the author records that the Quran comprises 114 surahs—85 revealed in Mecca and 28 in Medina, with disagreement regarding al-Fatihah—containing 6,236 verses, 77,439 words, and 323,015 letters according to figures cited from al-Qurtubi .
Aspects of Inimitability
The work contrasts the lasting, rational miracle of the Quran with the temporary sensory miracles granted to earlier prophets, such as Musa and Isa, and other physical miracles of Muhammad ﷺ, such as the splitting of the moon and water flowing from his fingers . Salama argues that the inimitability (iʿjāz) of the Quran addresses both Arabs and non-Arabs alike: while eloquent Arabs were challenged by its superior style and linguistic mastery, non-Arabs can recognize its divine origin through its internal consistency, precise expression, and harmony with scientific realities . For example, he analyzes the specific textual sequencing of human senses—hearing preceding sight and intellect—and the singular phrasing of hearing alongside plural expressions of vision as indicators of precise phrasing that align with scientific observations .
Salama summarizes several core dimensions of Quranic inimitability, including:
- Consistent structural power across various topics (legal rulings, narratives, theology) .
- Accurate historical accounts of earlier nations delivered through an unlettered prophet .
- A comprehensive moral and societal order guiding human life .
- Singular literary eloquence beyond the complete reach of linguistic classification .
- Profound literary and cultural impact on the Arabic language and Islamic civilization .
- Scientific insights anticipating later empirical discoveries .
Classical Views on Inimitability
The study surveys historical approaches to locating the precise source of Quranic inimitability, noting dedicated treatises by figures such as Hamd al-Khattabi, al-Rummani, al-Baqillani, and Abd al-Qahir al-Jurjani, alongside exegeses such as al-Zamakhshari's al-Kashshaf .
The text examines the views of al-Jahiz as articulated in his epistle Hujaj al-Nubuwwa, analyzing how his rhetorical doctrine emphasized structural composition (nazm) over raw semantic content (al-maʿānī) . It highlights al-Jahiz's stance that inimitability manifests in extended, cohesive discourse rather than isolated words or brief phrases, an idea later developed systematically by al-Baqillani and al-Jurjani . The author also discusses al-Jahiz's engagement with the concept of divine turning away (al-sarfa), originally introduced by Ibrahim al-Nazzam, framing al-Jahiz's inclination toward it as a consequence of acknowledging human incapacity to fully articulate the hidden essence of Quranic perfection .
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