CHAPTER 7 : CRITERION : [5] CONTRIBUTES TO WELL-BEING OF PEOPLE AT ALL LEVELS .....

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Unlike other books, which appeal to or benefit only certain classes of people according to their intellectual levels, the Book of God is meant for all classes of people. Only God’s Wisdom is capable of producing such a Book.

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THE CASE FOR AL-QUR’AN

If there is a Book which has been and is still the most widely read, recited, continuously taught and memorised in its original recitation, then it can only be the Qur’an[1]. Although it is in Arabic (classical Arabic following the Quraysh dialect), yet since its revelation it has touched the lives of billions from every strata of society. Every Muslim holds it with esteem and veneration, and regards all that it contains to be the veritable words of God, dictated ad verbatim to Muhammad s.a.w. It is the primary source of the teachings of Islam, and yet it also serves as daily litanies for personal devotions of every Muslim. All class of people can approach this Book and can understand its meaning to benefit from it in accordance with their intellectual level and sincerity, respectively, for the nature of meanings amongst people who reads this book only differs in its profoundness and depth of understanding.

ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبۡدِهِ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ

وَلَمۡ يَجۡعَل لَّهُ ۥ عِوَجَاۜ

قَيِّمً۬ا لِّيُنذِرَ بَأۡسً۬ا شَدِيدً۬ا مِّن لَّدُنۡهُ

وَيُبَشِّرَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعۡمَلُونَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ

أَنَّ لَهُمۡ أَجۡرًا حَسَنً۬ا مَّـٰكِثِينَ فِيهِ أَبَدً۬ا

“All praise is due to God, who has bestowed this divine writ from on high upon His Servant (Muhammad), and has not allowed any deviousness to obscure its meanings: [a divine writ] unerringly straight, meant to warn[the godless] of a severe punishment from Him, and to give unto the believers who do good works the glad tiding that theirs shall be a goodly reward – [a state of bliss] in which they shall dwell beyond the count of time.”

(Qur’an: al-Kahf: 18: 1-3)

Applying to the Qur’an the usual categorizations for Books would be impossible for this is no ordinary book. Simple devotees refer to it, yet it is not merely a book on devotions; legists formulate legal rulings from it, and yet it is not merely a book of laws; educationist derived wisdom from it and yet it does not only speak about education; theologians are guided by its principles, and yet it is not merely a book on theology; it mentions past history and indicate to contemporary men the remnants of past civilization to be discovered, visited and studied, yet it is not a book on history or archaeology; it points to the signs in the universe and provide principles for contemplation and reflection for thinkers and philosophers, yet it is not a book on philosophy; it highlights laws of natural phenomenon long before man develops serious study of natural sciences, from which it only confirms observations made by the book, yet it is not a book on science; those who have the aesthetic appreciation for beauty in language and expression are enthralled by its recitation, yet it is not a book on poetry; Arabic linguists and grammarians use its standard for correctness and eloquence, yet it is not a book on grammar; those seeking solace and spirituality finds in it companionship and guidance towards their spiritual upliftment, yet it is not merely a book on spirituality; it has inspired and transformed a whole civilization through all classes of people who then manifested the effect it has on them in almost every field of human endeavour.

Perhaps the closest categorization would be ‘an encyclopaedia’, yet it is not of the same class when we realise that this book contains just over 6,000 verses – and has never needed any volumes and re-edition. Only one category is possible, and that is, it is a book of God for the guidance of mankind.

Only God’s Wisdom is capable for its authorship.

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Footnotes:

[1] It is claimed by some that the Christian Bible is the most widely read book. Yet, they are referring to readings of the Bible in the many different versions and many translations in different languages – and cannot be regarded as the reading of one particular book.

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