Bayan Ijaz al-Quran
- Author died
- 388 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Ma‘ārif
Bayan Ijaz al-Quran (Bayan Iʿjāz al-Qurʾān, "Clarification of the Inimitability of the Quran") is a 4th-century AH theological and rhetorical treatise on the miraculous nature of the Quran by the Sunni traditionist and linguist Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi (319–388 AH / 931–988 CE; other reports give 385 AH or 386 AH) . It is one of the earliest surviving monographs dedicated systematically to defining the linguistic and conceptual foundations of Quranic inimitability (iʿjāz) .
Purpose and Critique of Earlier Views
Al-Khattabi opens the work by noting that earlier and contemporary scholars had written extensively on the Quran’s inimitability and adopted divergent viewpoints without reaching a settled, demonstrable explanation . He examines and evaluates three prevailing doctrines:
- The Doctrine of al-Sarfah: The view that the miraculous nature of the Quran lay not in its intrinsic eloquence, but in God actively turning humankind away from producing a counterpart despite their capability to do so. Al-Khattabi refutes this position .
- Foretelling Future Events: The assertion that inimitability stems from the Quran's predictions of unseen future events. While al-Khattabi accepts that such foreknowledge is an aspect of its miraculous character, he argues that it cannot serve as the universal basis of inimitability because it is not present in every single chapter (surah), whereas every chapter is individually challenging and inimitable .
- Rhetoric and Eloquence (Balaghah): The position held by the majority of speculative scholars (ahl al-nazar). While agreeing with their general conclusion, al-Khattabi faults them for failing to define or explain the mechanics of this eloquence, instead treating it as an indefinable impression that affects the soul without discernible cause .
Theory of Composition and Eloquence
Al-Khattabi formulates his core thesis by defining the Quran's inimitability as arriving through "the most eloquent words, in the finest structural composition, conveying the soundest meanings" (afṣaḥ al-alfāẓ fī aḥsan nuẓūm al-taʾlīf muḍammanan aṣaḥḥ al-maʿānī) . He states that the cornerstone (ʿamūd) of eloquence is placing every category of expression in its most precise and fitting position, such that substituting any word would either corrupt the intended meaning or strip away its aesthetic brilliance .
To substantiate this, he classifies praiseworthy Arabic speech into three distinct tiers:
- The elevated, grand, and robust (al-balīgh al-rasīn al-jazl), representing the highest register .
- The eloquent, accessible, and balanced (al-faṣīḥ al-qarīb al-sahl), representing the middle register .
- The permissible, fluid, and unconstrained (al-jāʾiz al-ṭalq al-rasl), representing the baseline register .
He argues that while human speech generally achieves excellence in only one of these registers at a time, the Quran uniquely harmonizes and integrates the perfection of all three throughout its text .
Psychological Impact
Al-Khattabi highlights another distinct dimension of Quranic inimitability that he notes had been largely overlooked: its direct psychological and emotional impact on human hearts and souls (taʾthīr al-Qurʾān fī al-nufūs) . He observes that upon hearing the recitation of the Quran, listeners experience an unparalleled blend of sweetness and delight (ladhdhah wa-ḥalāwah) alongside solemn awe and veneration (rawʿah wa-mahābah), pointing to historical accounts where even ardent opponents of Islam were transformed upon hearing its verses .
Publication
The work is a short treatise spanning around 47 pages . It was published in Cairo by Dar al-Ma'arif as part of the collection Thalāth Rasāʾil fī Iʿjāz al-Qurʾān ("Three Treatises on the Inimitability of the Quran"), alongside treatises by Ali ibn Isa al-Rummani and Abd al-Qahir al-Jurjani, edited by Muhammad Khalafallah and Muhammad Zaghlul Sallam .
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