Islam - Its Meaning for Modern Man — Page 146
146 Divine protection (15:10). This comprises several aspects: First, the text of the revelation should be preserved in its purity and entirety for all time. Considering that the revelation contained in the Quran was vouchsafed to the Prophet over a period of twenty-two years, first in Mecca and then in Medina, that this period was marked by persecution, disturbance, and fighting, that the Prophet himself was not literate, and that there was no sure method for preserving a record of the revelation except through human memory, it is a truly miraculous fact that the text of the Quran has been preserved absolutely pure and entire, down to the last vowel point. Even non- Muslim scholars, who do not accept the Quran as Divine revelation, affirm that the Quran is word for word that which Muhammad gave out to the world as Divine revelation. Second, the language in which the revelation was sent should continue to be a living language. Classical Arabic is today understood and used as a means of communication over much vaster areas of the earth and by many hundred times more people than it was in the time of the Prophet. These factors, so essential for the safeguarding of the guidance contained in the revelation, could not have been assured by the Prophet in advance. Yet they are not enough. For life is dynamic, and the pattern of