Wujuh Ijaz al-Quran al-Azim
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Wujuh Ijaz al-Quran al-Azim (Aspects of the Inimitability of the Great Qur'an) is a contemporary treatise on the inimitability of the Qur'an by Khalid Nawaf al-Shawha . The book presents a structured overview of the discipline of Qur'anic inimitability (ilm i'jaz al-Qur'an), tracing its conceptual definitions, historical development, and the major facets (wujuh) proposed by scholars across the centuries .
Purpose and Approach
The author composed the work to offer university students and researchers an accessible study of the subject, written in a style free from unnecessary complexity and obscurity . Drawing upon classical and modern literature, the book emphasizes that ilm al-i'jaz is connected to the foundations of Islamic creed (aqida) as proof of the divine origin of the Qur'an and the truthfulness of the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ, as well as to Arabic linguistic sciences . The author also argues that the rhetorical aspect (al-i'jaz al-bayani) is the foremost and most universal facet because it spans the entirety of the Qur'anic text, unlike several other proposed aspects that apply only to specific verses .
Structure and Content
The book is organized into an introduction, three main chapters, and a conclusion :
- Chapter One: Definition of Qur'anic Inimitability and Its Foundations (Ta'rif I'jaz al-Qur'an al-Karim wa-Muqaddimatuh): Explores the lexical and technical definitions of the terms mu'jiza (miracle) and i'jaz, the alternative Qur'anic terms (such as ayah, burhan, bayyinah, and sultan), and the stages and scope of the Qur'anic challenge (tahaddi) issued to humanity .
- Chapter Two: History and Origin of Qur'anic Inimitability (Tarikh I'jaz al-Qur'an al-Karim wa-Nash'atuh): Surverys the types of compositions dedicated to i'jaz, identifies key classical and modern treatises, and analyzes select methodological models, focusing on the contributions of Abd al-Qahir al-Jurjani and Mustafa Sadiq al-Rafi'i .
- Chapter Three: The Most Prominent Facets of Qur'anic Inimitability (Ashhar Wujuh I'jaz al-Qur'an al-Karim): Discusses seventeen distinct proposed aspects of inimitability, including rhetorical (bayani), knowledge of the unseen (ghaybi), legislative (tashri'i), scientific (ilmi), numerical (adadi), affective/psychological (ta'thiri), the doctrine of divine deterrence (sarfa), the verses containing divine admonition of the Prophet, the Prophet's physical state during revelation, and the invocation of mutual imprecation (mubahala) . The chapter concludes with a section classifying these aspects according to the reasons for their scholarly acceptance, critique, or rejection .
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