Essence of the Holy Qur’an — Page xix
Essence of the Holy Qur’ a n xix nationality, which blended together peoples of every tongue and of every race. . . philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Mu h ammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he ? ” (Lamartine, 'Historic de la Turquie). The Holy Qur’ a n is a well-preserved and well-protected Divinely-revealed Book. No effort has been spared by its hostile critics to find fault with the purity of its text. All efforts in this direction have led to but one inevitable result that the Book which the Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him) gave to the world fourteen hundred years ago has come down to us without the change of a single vowel (Muir). The Holy Qur’ a n is also a well- preserved Book in the sense that those believers who are pure of heart can have access to the spiritual treasures which it contains. Believers are enjoined that before reading the Holy Qur’ a n they should solicit God’s protection against Satan: When thou recitest the Qur’ a n, seek refuge with All a h from Satan, the rejected (v. 16:99). Refuge or protection implies i) that no evil should befall us; ii) that no good shall be missed by us; iii) that after we have attained goodness, we may not again relapse into evil. In referencing the Holy Qur’ a n, the verse: Bismill a hir-Ra h m a nir-Ra hi m (In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful) has been counted as the first verse of the S u rah in which it appears. Some publishers of the Holy Qur’ a n, however, begin counting the verses after the first verse.