The Impact of Grammar on the Miraculous Nature of the Quran
The Holy Quran stands as the enduring miracle of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), divinely revealed to challenge humanity. Allah (the Exalted) states: “Say: If the humans and the jinn were to gather together to produce the like of this Quran, they would never be able to produce its like, even if they were each other’s supporters.” The Prophet was sent amidst a people renowned for their eloquence and rhetorical skills; nonetheless, upon the revelation of the Quran, none could demonstrate even a single error within its verses.
The Significance of Grammar in the Quran’s Miracle
The literary miracle of the Quran is one of its most significant aspects, manifesting in various ways, including grammatical applications and syntactic indicators. Imam Al-Sabki (may Allah have mercy on him) stated: “Know that the study of the Arabic language encompasses twelve sciences, as Al-Zamakhshari has said; however, its foundations are four: two relate to vocabulary—language and morphology—followed by the third, which is grammar, aimed at understanding sentence structures, serving as a culmination of the former. Next comes rhetoric.”
Understanding the intent of speech can only be achieved through grammar, which elucidates the intended meaning. With the help of grammatical marks and indicators, listeners can comprehend and differentiate statements. The Arabic language exhibits remarkable logical structure, with its grammatical rules offering clear and distinct regulations that allow listeners to identify subjects, objects, and other meanings effectively.
Through the study of grammar, one can appreciate the miraculous nature of the Quran. Historically, the Arabs possessed an innate understanding of grammar and rhetorical expressions; however, the emergence of linguistic errors in the Quran led to the establishment of grammatical rules to safeguard its integrity.
Grammatical Illustrations of the Literary Miracle
Each statement within the Quran embodies a miracle in its expression, grammar, morphology, and rhetoric. Below are examples that exemplify the grammatical literary miracle:
- Allah (the Exalted) states: “And wipe over your heads and your feet.”
In this verse, the term “وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ” (and your feet) appears in the accusative case rather than the genitive case, despite being coordinated with a genitive noun. Typically, an appended noun follows the case of what precedes it, which implies that it should have a broken lam. However, it is in the accusative form to be coordinated with washing the faces and hands, as stated in “So wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows.”
Its placement after “بِرُءُوسِكُمْ” (over your heads) signifies that it may also be related to wiping over the feet, leaving room for either washing or wiping over footwear or socks, all conveyed through a single grammatical movement, showcasing the profound miraculous nature of this Quran.
- Allah (the Exalted) states: “And whoever fulfills his commitment to Allah, He will grant him a great reward.”
The “commitment” mentioned here refers to the weightiest oath made during the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, a vow of allegiance that endured until death. Given that this commitment was monumental, it is expressed with the heaviest grammatical marker, the dammah, which signifies the gravitas of such a pledge—highlighted by the most significant aspect of the oath, which is to pledge until death.