The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 5) — Page 189
PT. 27 AL-WAQIAH 77. And, indeed, that is a grand oath, if you only knew- 4134 78. That this is indeed a noble Quran", 4135 79. In a well-preserved Book', 4136 CH. 56 وَإِنَّهُ لَقَسَمٌ لَّوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عَظِيمٌ إِنَّهُ لَقُرْآنٌ كَرِيمُ في كتب مكنونة "85:22. '85:23. مواقع 4134. Commentary: The verse purports to say that (shooting of the stars, or the places or times of their falling) constitutes evidence of the fact that the Quran is the revealed Word of God, if only the disbelievers had the intelligence to understand this simple fact. 4135. Commentary: The word meaning noble, honourable, liberal, generous, bounteous, the verse signifies that upon those who would act upon the teachings of this Noble Book will be bestowed bounteous blessings of God and that they will find a place of honour among the world's great nations. 4136. Commentary: That the Quran is a well-preserved and well-protected Divinely revealed Book is an open challenge to the whole world which has remained unaccepted during the past fourteen centuries. No effort has been spared by its hostile critics to find fault with the purity of its text. But all efforts in this direction have led to but one inevitable albeit unpalatable for its enemies result that the Book which the Holy Prophet Muḥammad gave to the world fourteen hundred years back has come down to us without the change of a single vowel. The Quran stands unique in this respect among all revealed Scriptures. Books other than the Quran have been interpolated, mutilated and tampered with. And this was natural, because their teachings were meant for particular peoples and for limited periods of time. But the Quran, being the Last Divine Message for the whole of mankind, should naturally have been vouchsafed full, complete and eternal protection. Elsewhere, the Quran has made the firm assertion that it enjoys Divine protection: "Verily, We Ourself have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We are its Guardian" (15:10). The verse under comment along with 15:10 constitutes not only a forceful challenge but also a mighty prophecy that the Quranic text shall remain intact, which prophecy has been remarkably fulfilled. weight and force to the prophecy is the fact that it was made at a time when even the art of writing had not much developed and that it was addressed to a people who did not 3085 What adds even know how to read and write. "There is probably in the world no other book", says William Muir,