| |
| Join Our Newsletter |
 Please Select sub-criteria |  |
|
|
|
|
| |
| Introducing the Qur’an’s Literary Excellence |
05 |
|
|
| |
| |
| |
Aesthetic Reception
The Egyptian Mustafa Sadiq al-Rafi'i states:
"Anyone who heard it had no option but to surrender to the Qur'an… every single part of his mind was touched by the pure sound of the languages music, and portion by portion, note by note, he embraced its harmony, the perfection of its pattern, its formal completion. It was not much as if something was recited to him by rather as if something had burned itself into him."
The aesthetic reception of the Qur'an is not a literary device as such, but it is a manifestation of its literary beauty on the human psyche.This aesthetic element may seem subjective but it highlights all the other objective literary structures and places them in the context of life, experience and humanity; thus making the Qur'an real. Goethe summaries the aesthetic elements of the Qur'anic discourses.
"However often we turn to it [the Qur'an]… it soon attracts, astounds, and in the end enforces our reverence… Its style, in accordance with its contents and aim is stern, grand, terrible-ever and anon truly sublime- Thus this book will go on exercising through all ages a most potent influence."
Such reactions and experiences upon hearing the Qur'an have indeed been witnessed throughout history, an early example of which is described by the following episode taken from Kermani's article 'The Aesthetic Reception of the Qur'an as reflected in Early Muslim History'.
"Abu Ubaid, a companion of the prophet mentions that a Bedouin listened to a man reciting 'so shalt that thou art commanded'. After this he threw himself to the ground worshipping and said, ‘I threw myself down for the eloquence of this speech’.
” Montet in his translation of the Qur'an explains this unique Qur'anic feature,
"All those who are acquainted with the Qur'an in Arabic agree in praising the beauty of this religious book; its grandeur of form is so sublime that no translation into any European language can allow us to appreciate it.
Another example of the aesthetic nature of the Qur'an is demonstrated by the conversion of great companion of the Prophet Mohammed, Umar, as handed down by the famous Islamic historians, Ibn Hisham and Ibn Kathir. On the very day he had intended to kill the Prophet he had heard that his sister Fatima and her husband had converted into the religion of Islam, infuriated he went to their house. "What is this balderdash I have heard?" Umar screamed, "'You have not heard anything." Fatima and her husband tried to calm him down. Umar, however, already regretted his behaviour and asked to read the scriptures she had tried to hide away. Umar started to read surah Taha and after only a few verses he stopped and cried "How beautiful and noble is this speech!" Umar, the second Caliph of Islam had converted to the religion of Muhammad.
Guillame suggests the reason for the Qur'an's aesthetic qualities,
"It has a rhythm of peculiar beauty and a cadence that charms the ear. Many Christian Arabs speak of its style with warm admiration, and most Arabists acknowledge its excellence.When it is read aloud or recited it has an almost hypnotic effect…"
This effect of the Qur'an was changing the hearts and minds of many Arabs at the time of revelation. Non-Muslim Arabs at that time had realized its power and some had tried to lessen the effect by shouting, clapping, singing and loud chatter while it was recited. Abu-Zahra comments on this reality,
"The greatest among Muhammad's enemies feared that the Qur'an would have a strong effect on them, while they preferred lack of faith to faith and aberration to right guidance. Thus, they agreed not to listen to this Qur'an. They knew that everyone listening was moved by its solemn expressive force that exceeded human strength.They saw that the people - even great personalities, the notables and mighty - one after another believed it, that Islam grew stronger, that the faithful became more numerous, polytheism became weaker, and their supporters became less."
To truly appreciate the point, however, it is crucial to note the historical context in which the Quran emerged. The Arabs at the time considered themselves - and are still considered by historians and linguists to this day masters of the Arabic language who took great pride in its mastery; tremendous social status was granted to all those who did. In particular,formulating innovative and inspiring poetry was a great pastime and a source of intense social rivalry.The following quotation from Ibn Rashiq illustrates the importance attached to language at the time. He writes,
"Whenever a poet emerged in an Arab tribe, other tribes would come to congratulate, feasts would be prepared, the women would join together on lutes as they do at weddings, and old and young men would all rejoice at the good news.The Arabs used to congratulate each other only on the birth of a child and when a poet rose among them." Ibn Khaldun, a notable scholar of the fourteenth century, remarked on the importance of poetry in Arab life,
"It should be known that Arabs thought highly of poetry as a form of speech.Therefore,they made it the archives of their history, the evidence for what they considered right and wrong, and the principal basis of reference for most of their sciences and wisdom."
An earlier scholar Ibn Faris elaborated on the same theme, but went further to comment on the quality of the poetry that was composed during the pre-Islamic era,
"Poetry is the archive of the Arabs; in it their genealogies have been preserved; it sheds light on the darkest and strangest things found in the Book of God and in the tradition of God's apostle and that of his companions. Perhaps a poem may be luckier than another, and one poem sweeter and more elegant than another, but none of the ancient poems lacks its degree of excellence."
The failure of those at the peak of their trade
- mastery of the Arabic language - to rival the Qur'an which challenged them should make one think. So too should the differing reactions the Qur'an received from those best placed to challenge its origin. Gibb states,
"Well then, if the Qur'an were his own composition other men could rival it. Let them produce ten verses like it. If they could not (and it is obvious that they could not) then let them accept the Qur'an as an outstanding evidential miracle."
By appreciating the aesthetic elements of the Qur'anic discourse it is expected that the reader will investigate the Qur'an's innumerable devices used to express its incontestable literary power as Armstrong states:
"From the above evidence the Quran is acknowledged to be written with the utmost beauty and purety of Language. It is incontestably the standard of the Arabic tongue, inimitable by any human pen, and because it still exists today, therefore insisted on as a permanent miracle sufficient to convince the world of its divine origin. If the Quran was written by Muhammad, why were not Arab scholars and linguists able to rival the Quran?"
| |
| |
| |
| |
« First < 3 4 5 6 >
Page 5 of 6 pages
| |
|
|
