I had submitted this article to SRI long time ago and was rejected by Ms Cynthia Sulaiman for not being "relevant to Islam." She asked me to resubmit the article, which I did. My second submission and couple of queries to her seem to have been lost. I am submitting this article (with minor modifications) again. Long time ago I posted the following query on SRI: As all of you are aware, the Quran challenges (probably unbelievers) to produce even one verse like that from the Quran. Is there any reference material which gives a historical perspective on how many (and who) have attempted to take up this challenge? I am aware of Labeed (sp ?), a meccan poet during the prophet's time who became a Muslim after reading/hearing the Quran. I received only one response (by email) recommending "The Kitab-i-Aqdas" by Baha'u'llah. Considering that this challenge is referred to by many posters often, the lack of response was a surprise. I spent some time in library looking up couple of references and here is a summary of what I found. Tahaddi (The Quranic Challenge) and Ijaz (Inimitability): ------------------------------------------------------- One of the effective ways in which the Quran dealt with a barrage of accusations by the Prophets detractors' was to ask the opponents to produce anything like it (relevant surah numbers listed at the end). The arabic word for this Quranic challenge is "tahaddi." The belief that this challenge has never been taken up successfully, either in Muhammad's lifetime or later on, has led Muslim thinkers to consider this as proof of the divine nature of the Quran. By third/ninth century, the phenomenon of rendering humans incapable of of imitating the Quran (or a part thereof) in content and style was referred to as ijaz (incapacitation). Later on, ijaz became associated with the rhetorically unsurpassable and sublime style of the Quran and its inimitability. The stylistic supremacy of the Quran was considered an integral part of ijaz, which in turn was a component of mujiza, the miracle of Muhammad's prophethood. Muslim Authors on Ijaz: ---------------------- Al-Rummani (386/996, Mutazili author) in his work "al-Nukat fi ijaz al Quran" listed seven components of ijaz; however he wrote at length only on balagha -- rhetoric and aesthetic effectiveness. He lists ten elements of balagha, he gives examples and affirms that the Quran is the highest kind of balagha. Al-Khattabi (388/998, Sunni author) in his "Bayan al-Quran" wrote that the powerful psychological effect of the Quran results from the totality of its rhetoric uniqueness and not from imagery as al-Rummani believed. He presents a detailed analysis of the verses. Al-Baqillani (403/1013, Ashari theologian) in his "Ijaz al-Quran" contrasts several orations of Muhammad, his companions and others with the Quranic style to demonstrate unusual character of the Quran. He also presents a detailed critique of Imrul-Qays's Muallaqa and of al-Buhturi's lamiya, both considered masterpieces of literary achievement and points out the defects and weaknesses. He however believes ijaz does not depend on rhetoric but is enhanced by it. There were others like Abd al-Jabbar (415/1025), a Mutazali theologian who wrote on this subject. Al-Zamakhshari (538/1144), another Mutazili thelogian in his al-Kashshaf presents a verse-by-verse commentary on the Quran, anylyzes stylistic elements that lead to the aesthetic effectiveness and demonstrates (in his opinion) unmatched excellence of the Quran. Later medieval authors had little to add to these commentaries on ijaz. Attempts to take the Quranic Challenge: -------------------------------------- Issa Boullata comments in a footnote (page 141, [1]): "There are a few attempts recorded in the Islamic tradition. What remains of their text, understandably suppressed by orthodoxy, are snippets of ludicrous parodies that have a hollow ring to them and that do no credit to their authors." Rudi Paret (page 215, [2]) believes the challenge was a "rhetorical device" and should not be taken seriously. He further says that the effect of the belief that the Quran can not be an object of study by literary historians are felt to this day. The Egyptian Muhammad Ahmad Khallaf Allah submitted a dissertation on "The narrative art of the Koran" to the then Fuad University in Cairo in 1947. Although he accepted the doctrine of ijaz, he was forced to resign his post as a tutor in the university and become a school teacher. Paret notes (pages 212-213) efforts by Musaylimah, a contemporary of Muhammad, to accept the challenge; he expresses doubts whether Musaylimah was indeed the source of the sayings attributed to him. The sayings could be later inventions to brand him as a clumsy imitator. He notes the legend of Ibn al-Muqaffa, the prominent Arabic prose writer, who was put to death in 139/756, is said to have tried to imitate the Quran. Abul l-ala al-Marrari (who died in 449/1057) is also said to have tried to produce an imitation. Paret seems to doubt whether Marrari intended his work to be an imitation. Bab, the founder of Babi (which survives today as Bahai) believed that he was called on to replace Muhammad as the prophet and replace Islam with a new religion. His work, Bayan is a statement of new faith. Bab believed that the revelations were from God. He asserted that his work Tafsir Surat Yusuf was the same Quran which was revealed to Muhammad. He was publicly executed in 1850 after about three years of imprisonment. References: ---------- [1] Approaches to the History of the Interpretation of the Quran, Edited by Andrew Rippin, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1988. ISBN 0-19-826546-8 [2] Arabic Literature to the end of the Umayyad Period, The Cambridge History of Arabic Literature, Edited by A.F.L. Beeston et al, Cambridge University Press, 1983. ISBN 0-521-24015-8 Relevant Surahs: --------------- 1. Surah 52:33-34 -- challenge to produce a discourse like the Quran. 2. Surah 11:13 -- challenge to bring forth 10 surahs seeking anybody's help except God. 3. Surah 10:38 -- challenge to produce even one Surah. 4. Surah 2:23-24 -- same as item 3 above. 5. Surah 17:88 -- affirmation that even if jinns and humans combined their effort, they would not produce a similar Quran. -- Milind Saraph