Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page vi
INTRODUCTION (2) The scripture of Islam contains comprehensive guid- ance for the whole of mankind for all timet as is said: A Messenger from God reciting pure scriptures wherein are lasting commandments [98:4]. The Quran is a Reminder for all peoples [38:88]. The Quran is a source of honour for the whole of mankind [68:53]. Blessed is He Who has sent down the Discriminating Book to His servant that he may be a Warner to all the peoples [25:2]. (3) The Quran is the only scripture that has been safe- guarded against perversion under divine decree, as is said, 'Surely , We Ourself have sent down this Exhortation, and We will, most surelYt safeguard it' (15:10). The Quran has the unique distinction that of all the scriptures it alone iSt from beginning to end, entirely verbal revelation. That in itself is a guarantee that it would not be perverted or twisted. All non-Muslim scholars who have made a research into the integrity of the text of the Holy Quran are unanimous that it is an exact and accurate version of the verbal revelation that Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, claimed God had vouch- safed to him. But the divine guarantee of safeguarding the Quran that has just been set out, is not confined to preserving the integrity of its text alone. It extends to all the factors that bear upon the preservation of the Quran as the perfect source of divine guidance for the whole of mankind for all time. For instance, it is a guarantee that the language in which the Quran was revealed, namely classical Arabic, would always continue a living language in current use so that no difficulty might be encountered in determining and comprehending the meaning of the Quran. Classical Arabic is today spoken and written over a much vaster area of the earth and by many hundred times the number of people than was the case when the Quran was revealed. Besides, the Holy Prophet predicted that at the beginning of every century God would raise someone from among his followers who would set forth from the Quran the guidance that might be needed by mankind from time to time. In the case of no other scripture has the integrity of its text, its language and its guidance been maintained. x