Introduction
The Qur’ān addresses the whole of humanity and jinn, namely all con-scious and responsible beings. Along with the Divine commands and prohi-bitions it gives them, it also takes their words and conveys them to us. It is always miraculous in all its content. However, the miraculousness of the Qur’ān lies not solely in the subject matter it conveys, but also in the nature of its conveyance. In addition, the fact that the message it conveys is knowledge of the Unseen is yet another miraculous aspect.
Indeed, first and foremost, the selection of material in the Qur’ān is miraculous. The subjects found in the Qur’ān are conveyed with such mate-rial and in such a distinct fashion that its eloquence is unequalled, exceed-ing the power of any human, jinn, or angel. To experience this miraculous-ness, however, we need to study the verses of the Qur’ān comprehensive-ly.
Sometimes, we experience things in our hearts which are impossible to explain, and in such situations we weep in desperation, as the renowned Turkish poet and author Mehmet Akif Ersoy (1873–1936) said:
I weep, but I cannot make others weep; I feel, but I cannot explain my feelings;
The tongue of my heart is in knots, unable to express itself, and this causes me great affliction.
Indeed, many individuals who listen to the depths of their hearts while speaking and writing constantly experience the desperation of the inability to express their emotions. This, in a sense, is a weakness. By com-paring this state of weakness with that which is successful in expressing everything with great ease, we can easily say that such a weakness, both in its relative or absolute sense, reveals the latter’s miraculous powers. In the eternal plan, there is only one ensemble of statements of this level, and that undoubtedly is the Holy Qur’ān.
Studying the verses of the Qur’ān from this point of view, we can say that whoever speaks in the Qur’ān, whether this is the jinn, angels, Satan, or even the Pharaoh, Nimrod, or Shaddad, the language used as the means of expression is unique to the Qur’ān. This superb language is open to all depths of meanings and allusive senses while it is also open to exten-sive interpretation and commentary. No human and no declaration other than the Qurān have ever been able to express such meaning with this kind of material, themes, and symbols—and they never will.
So now let’s approach the subject from a different point of view: every word is aimed at the latīfatu’r-Rabbāniyah, or “the spiritual intellects or faculties,” that can directly perceive the spiritual realities that the mind cannot grasp. These faculties include the qalb (the spiritual faculty of the “heart”), sirr (the faculty of the “secret”—the spiritual faculty that is more subtle than the “heart”), khafī (the private—the faculty that is more subtle than the “secret”) and akhfā (the more private—the most subtle faculty). These subtleties are the actual target of the words expressed. If words cause any kind of contradiction or variation of meaning between these sub-tleties, this indicates a deficiency in the words. While reserving their differing degrees of deficiency, there is such a deficiency in almost all human declarations. The Qur’ān, however, is superior and exempt from such deficiencies.
In the realm of human language (Divine Words exceed our percep-tion), if the meanings felt in the heart undergo no change while passing through the various sense filters such as the imagination, conception, and intelligence and reach the level of explanation in their original state, then this is classified as reaching an excellent declaration or way of expression in terms of the topic in question. On some occasions, a word cannot exceed these stages in its original state but remains at the level of sensual lan-guage, thus failing the opportunity of true expression. If words have been expressed in the form visualized in the imagination, in other words, if the determination of declaration and intention comply with the expression, then these words are complete. On the contrary, if the envisagement has not completely embraced the imagination, then this is a defective expression and an incomplete declaration of what was originally imagined. If the intelligence was unable to transfer that which was intended to be conveyed, this means it was eliminated in the depths of one of the areas of conception. So the words that lose a great deal according to the imaginative level while passing through these filters over and over again, are deficient, whereas the meaning, concept, and intention, which are expressed with the depths of envisagement, is complete. Indeed, the unique masterpiece of such perfection is the Qur’ān. This perfection of the Qur’ān should be sought amidst the preservation of its depth, in a sense, beyond the imagination and conception even as it conveys the words of others. In that sense, it is impossible for anyone to accomplish producing words and declarations like the Qur’ān.
Indeed, it is impossible for human beings and other creations—mainly jinn and angels—to capture and express the meaning and its con-cept in their own words at the level of intention and imagination. In other words, there is absolutely no possibility for us to accomplish declarations or words to this perfection. Therefore, the Qur’ān, which displays such per-fection in its totality, is a miracle, and its statements and declarations as the first things that stimulate the intention and imagination of others in their expressions not only correspond perfectly to the discussion, but also are miraculous and Divine.
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