بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
The Quran is a record of the exact words revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It was recited by Muhammad (PBUH) to his Companions as if it had been burned into his heart and mind. It was written down by scribes, who cross-checked it during his lifetime. Not one word of its 114 chapters, Suras, has been changed over the centuries, so that the Quran is in every detail the unique and miraculous text which was revealed to Muhammad (PBUH) fourteen centuries ago.
The Quran, the last revealed Word of God, is the prime source of every Muslim’s faith and practice. It deals with all the subjects which concern us as human beings: wisdom, doctrine, worship, and law, but its basic theme is the relationship between God and His creatures. At the same time it provides guidelines for a just society, proper human conduct and an equitable economic system.
Whatever the Creator of this universe wished to say to the man on earth was finally revealed in the holy Qur'an. Whatever laws were needed to be given for the enrichment and growth of human personality were communicated in their most perfect form through the last Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (a.s.). In order that man attains his designated status in this universe, he needs no other torch now to illuminate his path, nor does he require any more guides.
Qur'an, we believe, is a challenge to intellectual confusions, solution to all problems, and basis of a stable, homogeneous and peaceful social order. It has no contradictory ideas, leading to sectarianism or disunity. It is self-explanatory and its teachings are easy to understand provided it is approached without any mental reservations or pre-conceived ideas [54:79].
The Qur'an is a unique book for all times and at all levels. The objective of the Qur'an and its method of explanation is that of educating the minds and changing human attitude towards life. Its aim is to bring about a revolution inside the man himself, for after all, the external material civilization is the expression of the internal spiritual condition of man himself. We are confident that if Qur'an is understood with reason and knowledge, and the principles laid down by the Qur'an itself, it promises definite results.
The Truth & Authenticity of the Quran
One of the most important criterion to judge that whatever the Quran says is based on truth, is given in Sura Fussilet (Chapter 41, Verse 53]:
In time We will show them Our Signs in the utmost Horizons and within themselves, so that it will become manifest to them that this (Qur'an) is indeed the Truth. Is it not enough for them to know that your Lord is Witness to all things.
As human knowledge and research progresses many realities related to our inner world as well as the outer universe will unveil themselves. Consequently all claims made by the Quran will be vindicated and substantiated. Gradually the whole world will see that whatever Quran says is based on absolute truth. This is because the Book is from the One who oversees everything in the universe. He knows fully well what is going to happen here. His all encompassing knowledge is sufficient guarantee that whatever He has said is based on absolute truth.
But during the last six centuries or so, those who claim to be Muslims have done absolutely nothing in order to vindicate Allah's claim as is given in 41:53. During this period, they have added nothing much to the knowledge about the universe or psychology. It has been the western nations who have done enormous research about our inner world, human behaviors, psychology as well as the outer universe. It is the west who's research has substantiated Allah's claim that whatever He said in the Quran more than fourteen centuries ago is absolutely true.
There cannot be any contradiction whatsoever between the established science and the Quran. This is because both the Universe and the Quran are creations of One God. The universe is the 'work' of God and the Quran is the 'word' of God. Science is about discovering Allah's 'laws in action' in the Universe.
Another criterion to judge whether the Quran is from Allah or man's creation is given in Sura An-Nisa (Chapter 4, Verse 82):
Do they not reflect upon the Quran? Were it from anyone
other than Allah they would have found many inconsistencies
or discrepancies therein. Al-Qur'an, 004.082 (An-Nisa [Women])