Some contemporary atheists claim to have succeeded in imitating the style of the Qurʾān. But is this claim true?

The Arabs at the time of the Qurʾān’s revelation were masters of eloquence and produced literature of the highest quality. Words were their trade, eloquence was their forte, communicating ideas in the finest form was their obsession, and composing poetry and prose was their passion. Yet their linguistic instincts told them that the Qurʾān was too sublime and majestic to be the work of any human being. Accordingly, they acknowledged their inability to match it and conceded defeat. In comparison with the Qurʾān, their literary efforts appeared clumsy, their distinguished poets seemed immature, and their eloquent orators found themselves at a loss for words. Funnily enough, some contemporary atheists, who do not even speak Arabic correctly, claim to have succeeded in a challenge that the masters of the Arabic language themselves failed to meet, when in reality all they have done is copy Qurʾānic words and expressions in the same style. This is plainly absurd. If they wish to meet the challenge, they would need to produce a literary work of comparable calibre to the Qurʾān; that is, they would have to create an original and equally remarkable style. By way of analogy, if someone is challenged to produce a painting comparable to Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, it would be absurd for him to present a copy in which he has merely changed the colour of the woman’s hair. Da Vinci would surely regard such an attempt as unworthy of consideration.

Indeed, ever since its revelation, the Qurʾān’s diction and eloquence have remained unsurpassed, not only in Arabic but in all the languages of the world. The challenge still stands, yet humankind will never be able to meet it. In short, Arabic expression takes the form of poetry, prose, and the Qurʾān. The Arab disbelievers who attempted to imitate it became objects of ridicule, such as Musaylamah al-Kaḏḏāb (the Liar). Hence, the weak attempts made by some contemporary atheists serve only as further evidence of the Qurʾān’s inimitable miraculousness.

The Qurʾān rebuked the polytheists strongly, discredited their reasoning, and condemned their idols. It then issued a challenge not only to the contemporaries of the Prophet (PBUH) but to all people across all ages, demonstrating their inability to imitate it. First, it called for the production of an entire book comparable to the Qurʾān. Then the challenge was reduced to ten chapters. Finally, it was further reduced to a single chapter. Since some of the shorter chapters consist of only a few brief sentences, this final challenge stands as a decisive proof of human inability to imitate the Qurʾān. Allāh says: {And if you are in doubt about what We have revealed to Our servant, then produce a chapter like it and call your helpers other than Allāh, if what you say is true. (23) But if you are unable to do so—and you will never be able to do so—then fear the Fire fuelled with people and stones, which is prepared for the disbelievers (24)} (Qurʾān 2:23–24). They have failed, and no one will ever succeed.

It is worth asking the following question: How could the Prophet (PBUH) challenge people whose mastery of the Arabic language was unparalleled, and yet make the absolute and categorical statement that they would never succeed in meeting the challenge? Dr. ʿAbd Allāh Drāz stated in this regard: “Consider this absolute and categorical statement. Can any Arab who knows what he is talking about give such a verdict when he knows that literary excellence was a major pursuit of the Arabs, and competition in that field was open to all? [It should be added here that although the Arabs did not read and write, they had natural literary gifts of the highest calibre, reflected mainly in their poetry which continues to be studied as model of literary excellence.] Everyone knows that a critic can carefully study what an earlier writer has produced and then be able to find in it something that the original writer missed out or overlooked. He then improves on it or adds to its beauty. When the Prophet put this challenge to them, did he not consider that he would risk a great literary confrontation with a community that enjoyed native literary gifts in abundance? What could he do if a group of them commanding proven literary talents joined forces to come up with a text that excelled the Qurʾān, or at least matched it in some aspects? This would involve one of them writing something with which to pick up the challenge, then all of them trying to improve on it, as they often did with poetry. Could he risk the possibility that such an effort could meet the challenge he put to them?”¹ Dr. Drāz further stated: “Moreover, if he felt that he could get away with such a challenge in his own generation, how could he make the same verdict applicable to all future generations, right up to the Day of Judgement and to mankind and the jinn alike? That is indeed a risk no one in his right mind would take unless he was fully certain of what fate would bring about, and be assured of it by none other than God. He threw the challenge out to all the world, and it was like a judgement that applied to all and sundry. No one ever tried to come up with anything similar to the Qurʾān without his attempt ending in miserable failure.”² Allāh expressed this Qurʾānic challenge in terms that left the Arabs humbled despite their remarkable literary and linguistic genius. Nevertheless, none of them produced anything that even came close to the Qurʾān—something that would have reassured contemporary atheists that the Qurʾān was not inimitable. Al-ʾĀlūsī said: “To this day, none of them has uttered a word or produced a single descriptive sentence [that matches the Qurʾānic style]. Everyone has demonstrated their inability to match it [the eloquence and beauty of the Qurʾān] at all times, and this will continue until Allāh inherits the earth and all who are upon it, and He is the best of inheritors [no one will ever meet the Qurʾān’s challenge]. It is as though Muḥammad (PBUH) is present among us in every age, and [divine] revelation has not ceased, because the evidence of his Prophethood continually reminds people of the truth of his Prophethood in all lands, at all times of the night and at both ends of the day.”³ If it had been at all possible for humans to meet the Qurʾān’s challenge, the Arabs at the time of revelation—the masters of eloquence—would have taken it up immediately. Had they done so, they would have been able to undermine the foundation of Islam and achieve a decisive victory without resorting to the sword. Again, the Qurʾān presents a clear and simple challenge to those who oppose it: to produce even a single chapter like it. Can anyone today meet this challenge and thereby invalidate the claim of the Prophet (PBUH) regarding the Qurʾān’s inimitability? Why do those who deny his Prophethood avoid this direct method of confronting Islam? The answer is straightforward: because the door to meeting the Qurʾān’s challenge is firmly closed.

In fact, the disbelievers of Makkah deployed all their resources in an attempt to meet the challenge; however, all their efforts came to nothing. They were unable to point out even a single error or defect in the Qurʾān. Consequently, they were compelled to acknowledge that it stands on a higher plane than human thought and speech. They were fully aware that the Qurʾān was awe-inspiring, that its bearer (PBUH) was a man of noble character, and that his style of preaching was powerful and compelling. They were also aware that anyone who heard such unparalleled discourse from such a noble person could hardly fail to be captivated by it. For this reason, they devised a new strategy in the hope of frustrating the Prophet (PBUH)’s mission. Essentially, they decided neither to listen to the Qurʾān themselves nor to allow others to hear it. Thus, whenever the Prophet (PBUH) recited it, they clapped, mocked, and raised various objections, hoping that their noise would drown out his recitation. Allāh says: {The disbelievers advised ˹one another˺, “Do not listen to this Qurʾān but drown it out so that you may prevail”} (Qurʾān 41:26). Aṭ-Ṭufayl ibn ʿAmr ad-Dawsī, the leader of the Daws tribe, was a gifted poet and was regarded by his people as a man of great intellect. The leaders of Quraysh recognized his status and came out to welcome him when he arrived in Makkah. They warned him not to approach the Prophet (PBUH), fearing the consequences if he were to accept Islam. Aṭ-Ṭufayl later recounted that they cautioned him so strongly against meeting the Prophet (PBUH) that he stuffed his ears with cotton before entering the Ḥaram (the Sacred House of Allāh in Makkah). There he saw the Prophet (PBUH) praying near the Kaʿbah and became curious. He drew close and was deeply impressed by what he heard. He said to himself, “Oh, may my mother be bereaved of me! I am an intelligent poet, and I can certainly distinguish good speech from bad.” He had never heard any speech more beautiful or more just than the Qurʾān. He then followed the Prophet (PBUH) to his home and asked him to present his message so that he could judge it for himself. The Prophet (PBUH) recited the Qurʾān to him, whereupon Aṭ-Ṭufayl recognized the truth and embraced Islam.⁴ Indeed, the Qurʾān has a profound effect on the human soul because its message—Islam—is the religion of the fiṭrah, the innate disposition upon which human beings are created. It softens the proud and hardened heart, exerts a powerful hold over it, fills it with certainty and faith, and brings it peace and tranquility. It leaves people of wisdom and understanding in awe. It is reported that when abū Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddīq recited the Qurʾān, the women of the idolaters would gather outside his house and listen in amazement, much to the alarm of the men of Quraysh.⁵

The Qurʾān is the Word of Allāh. That is why, when its verses are recited, the ears listen with rapture and the hearts are filled with intense joy. The sweetness of the Qurʾān was experienced by al-Walīd ibn al-Muġīrah when he heard it, despite being a disbeliever. It is reported that he went to the Prophet (PBUH), who recited the Qurʾān to him, and it seemed as though his heart softened toward it. Abū Jahl heard of this and said to him: “Say something about him [the Prophet (PBUH)] that will make your people know that you condemn and dislike him.” Al-Walīd replied: “But what shall I say? By Allāh, there is no man among you more knowledgeable about poetry and its composition than I. By Allāh, what he says does not resemble any poetry. By Allāh, the speech he utters has sweetness, and upon it is beauty, fruitful at the top, abundant at the bottom; it prevails over all, and nothing prevails over it.”⁶ This eloquent statement, reported from al-Walīd ibn al-Muġīrah, is a vivid rhetorical description of the Qurʾān’s beauty and impact. Indeed, the Qurʾān “has sweetness,” meaning its wording is profoundly appealing and pleasant to the soul. “Upon it is beauty,” meaning an outward charm and elegance that captivates the listener. It is “fruitful at the top,” meaning its highest meanings and principles produce knowledge, guidance, and goodness, and “abundant at the bottom,” meaning its deeper layers and subsidiary meanings are overflowing with goodness, benefit, and blessing. Finally, “it prevails over all, and nothing prevails over it,” meaning it is supreme and elevated above all speech; no speech can surpass it. Similarly, an-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith, a Qurayshite who travelled extensively to Persia and could be described as an educated Arab, said: “…You say he (Muḥammad) is a poet, and by Allāh he is not a poet. We know poetry and all its forms… And you say he is a madman, but by Allāh he is not a madman. We have seen madness, and it is neither its choking fits, nor whisperings, nor confused speech. O people of Quraysh, consider your affair carefully, for by Allāh a momentous matter has indeed come upon you.”⁷ In short, there is broad recognition of the Qurʾān’s miraculous nature. It was only the polytheists’ pride that led them to reject it, though deep down they were aware that the Qurʾān is the Word of Allāh: {And, although their hearts were convinced the signs were true, they still denied them wrongfully and arrogantly} (Qurʾān 27:14).