Page 18 - MY GREAT LOVE FOR JESUS LED ME TO TROUTH

The Authenticity of the Qur’an

The Qur'an, the final scripture God revealed to humankind over 1,400 years ago, has stood the test
of time and remained unaltered and free from any human omissions and deletions that have crept
into other scriptures. This is to confirm God's promise to preserve it against any form of corruption.
As the Qur'an (15/9) says, "It is We Who have sent down the Reminder (i.e., the Qur'an),
and We will certainly preserve it." Indeed, the version of the Qur'an we find in Makkah and
Madeenah, is the same version that is read anywhere else in the world, whether in Africa, America,
Europe, China, India, the desert, jungles and in faraway islands. It is also the same version that that
is broadcast on TV and on the radio around the globe.
This final divine message was revealed to Prophet Muhammad during a period of almost twenty-three
years. It was revealed in segments of different lengths. As soon as he received a segment, he recited
it to his companions, who wrote it down and memorized it. In addition, the Prophet indicated to his
scribes the precise location where each segment should be placed in the body of the text. In this way,
the Qur'an in its entirety had been written and memorized by hundreds of Muhammad's Companions
during his lifetime. They not only recited it as an act of worship but also spread it in every
direction.[1] Abu Bakr, the first Caliph, assigned Zayd ibn Thaabit the responsibility of compiling the
first copy of the Qur'an in a single text after the Prophet's death. Then, following the orders of the
third Caliph, Uthmaan, Zayd later prepared seven copies which were sent to the different centers of
the Islamic world.
The existence of the Qur'an in its original Arabic text, the existence of millions of people who
memorized it verbatim in different parts of the world throughout the succeeding generations, and the
complete uniformity of all its copies and manuscripts[2] since the first century of the Hegira[3] testify
to the authenticity of the final revelation sent as guidance to humankind. The entire Qur'an is the
literal word of God without the least addition or omission.[4] When God says in the Qur'an, "Say, 'He
is Allah, [who is] One,'" Prophet Muhammad, the conveyor of the message, would not have been
able to change a single letter or a word from that divine statement. He had to say what he was
commanded to: "Say, 'He is Allah, [who is] One,'" without omitting the imperative verb "say".[5]
Besides, the Prophet's Sunnah,[6] which represent the second source of Islamic legislation and was
also revealed by God in meaning but not necessarily in word, was recorded and kept separate in the
books of hadeeth. The Bible, in contrast, cannot claim such an untarnished existence, being a mixture
of words allegedly said by God, others ascribed to the prophets, while still others spoken by people.
Anyone who reads the Qur'an will find that it focuses entirely on the oneness of God. It does not
depict the life of Prophet Muhammad or his heroic acts, as some people tend to believe. Anyone who
reads the Qur'an will clearly see that it mainly calls to declaring that God is one, glorifying Him,