al-Qadi Iyad wa Mafhumuhu lil-Ijaz al-Qurani
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- Islamic University of Madinah
Al-Qadi Iyad wa-Mafhumuhu lil-I‘jaz al-Qur’ani (al-Qāḍī ‘Iyāḍ and His Conception of Quranic Inimitability) is an academic study by Dr. Ahmad Jamal al-Umari, assistant professor at the Faculty of Da‘wah and Usul al-Din . The work analyzes the theological and rhetorical doctrine of Quranic inimitability (i‘jāz) as formulated by the Maliki jurist and traditionist al-Qadi Iyad (496–544 AH / 1103–1149 CE) .
Background and Context
The study was published in the Journal of the Islamic University of Medina (Issue 38) . Al-Umari notes that al-Qadi Iyad did not dedicate an independent book solely to Quranic inimitability; instead, he articulated his views in a designated section titled Faṣl fī I‘jāz al-Qur’ān within his landmark work on prophetic biography and virtues, al-Shifa bi-Ta'rif Huquq al-Mustafa, under the discussion of the miracles of the Prophet ﷺ . The author highlights that out of roughly twenty works written by Iyad, many were lost over time, leaving al-Shifā’ as a key surviving text reflecting his methodology, thought, and approach to composition .
The treatise opens with a biographical profile of al-Qadi Iyad—Abu al-Fadl Iyad ibn Musa ibn Iyad al-Yahsubi, born in Ceuta in Sha‘ban 496 AH—tracing his scholarly travels to Cordoba in 509 AH and the East, where he studied under scholars such as Ibn Hamdin, Abu al-Husayn ibn Siraj, Ibn ‘Attab, Abu Ali al-Sadafi, and Abu Bakr al-Turtushi .
Structure and Core Doctrine
Al-Umari examines how al-Qadi Iyad systematized the facets of Quranic inimitability into four primary categories :
- Composition, Eloquence, and Rhetoric: The quality of its wording, cohesion, eloquence, and concise rhetorical power surpassing standard Arab literary capacity .
- Structural Composition and Style: Its unique arrangement (naẓm) and distinct stylistic pattern differing from conventional Arabic poetry and rhymed prose, defined by its verse breaks and cadence .
- Foreknowledge of the Unseen: Its accurate reporting of future events before they occurred, which unfolded exactly as described .
- Historical Narratives: Its accurate accounts of past generations and bygone nations .
The study further documents supplementary dimensions recorded by al-Qadi Iyad, including the Quran being an enduring, perpetually preserved sign in accordance with إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ ("Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur'an and indeed, We will be its guardian") . Other secondary aspects include its recitation never causing weariness to the reader or aversion to the listener, its integration of sciences and knowledge unfamiliar to pre-Islamic Arabia, and the direct alignment of its arguments with their conclusions .
Critical Analysis and Findings
Al-Umari evaluates al-Qadi Iyad as a synthesizer, transmitter, and refiner of earlier scholarly material (jammā‘an nāqilan, mukhtaṣiran muhadhdhiban) rather than an originator of fundamentally new doctrinal positions . In al-Umari's critique, the four primary facets identified in al-Shifā’ function predominantly as proofs and corroborating evidences rather than the singular, self-sufficient core of i‘jāz .
Instead, al-Umari argues that the true foundation of Quranic inimitability lies in the profound psychological awe (al-raw‘ah) that seizes the hearts and ears of those who hear the Quran recited . Al-Umari highlights that this was the definitive conclusion reached approximately two centuries earlier by Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi, remarking that al-Qadi Iyad treated this central affective impact as a supplementary observation rather than the primary locus of i‘jāz .
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