Mujizat al-Quran
- Author died
- 1418 AH
- Editions
- al-Mukhtār al-Islāmī lil-Ṭibā‘ah wal-Nashr wal-Tawzī‘
Mujizat al-Quran (The Miracle of the Quran) is a treatise on Quranic inimitability (i'jaz al-Quran) by the Egyptian scholar and preacher Muhammad Mutawalli al-Sha'rawi (d. 1418 AH / 1998 CE; also recorded as 1419 AH) .
Composition and Publication
The work originated as a series of articles penned by al-Sha'rawi during his tenure as Egypt's Minister of Endowments (Awqaf) and Al-Azhar Affairs, published in the Egyptian weekly newspaper Akhbar al-Yawm . In the book's preface, the journalist Ahmad Zayn noted that the articles generated considerable public attention, prompting him to urge al-Sha'rawi to undertake a full exegesis of the Quran .
The work was issued in book form in Cairo by al-Mukhtar al-Islami in 1398 AH / 1978 CE . It was also published in a four-volume format . The book was subsequently translated into various languages and circulated widely across different parts of the world .
Themes and Method
The work focuses on the nature of divine miracles and the unique characteristics of the Quran's inimitability:
- The Nature of Miracles: Al-Sha'rawi defines a miracle as an extraordinary suspension of natural laws meant to substantiate the claim of a divine messenger . He distinguishes between the sensory, temporary miracles given to earlier prophets—such as the fire sparing Ibrahim, the sea parting for Musa, and the healing miracles of Isa—and the rational, permanent miracle of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ . He further argues that whereas earlier prophets were given miracles separate from their revealed scriptures, the Prophet Muhammad's miracle is identical to his scripture and prescribed way (manhaj), guaranteeing its preservation .
- Knowledge of the Unseen: The book discusses how the Quran pierces the "three veils of the unseen"—the past, the present (including secret thoughts concealed within human chests), and the future (such as the outcomes of impending military conflicts) .
- Scientific Insights: Al-Sha'rawi explores scientific allusions within the text, framing them as aspects of ongoing Quranic inimitability, including descriptions of human creation and embryology, the sphericity of the earth, subatomic dimensions, and subterranean natural resources .
- Renewed Giving ('Ata' Mutajaddid): A central thesis in the book is that the Quran's intellectual yield is continuously renewed for every generation according to its capacity, rather than being exhausted in any single historical era .
Reception and Critique
Ahmad Zayn praised the book as a significant and accessible contribution to Quranic exegesis that presented the scientific dimensions of Quranic miracles in a lucid style . Conversely, the work drew criticism from traditionalist authors, such as Abd al-Karim ibn Salih al-Hamid, who disapproved of aligning Quranic interpretations with contemporary scientific concepts and criticized al-Sha'rawi's premise of an evolving, generational yielding of Quranic meanings .
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