Authenticity of the Quran
Accuracy of Historical Records in the Qur’an
Many ancient historical anecdotes and geographical regions have been
mentioned in the stories of the holy Qur'an such as : the river or sea
through which the Bani Israel passed, the land of Ashab-e Hijr, Dhul
Qarnayn Dam, Ashab-e Kahf's Cave, earthy paradise of Dhat al-`Imad
etc., not forgetting the detailed stories of past Prophets.
The hypothesis advanced by those who see Muhammad (S) as the author of
Qur’an is untenable. How could a man from being an unlettered, become
the most important author, in terms of Historical literature in the
whole world, and pen down historical facts with pinpoint accuracy?
The Holy Qur’an says*:*
“Such are some of the stories of the unseen, which We have revealed
unto you, before this neither you nor your people knew them. So
persevere patiently, for the end is for those who are righteous”.
(11:49).
Research on historical records in the Holy Qur’an and finding their
traces is very effective in understanding the Authenticity of the
Qur'an. In addition, being involved in exploring the past would provide
a good background to take lessons from the past on which the holy Qur'an
in the following verses to persuade us to do so:
"Have they not travelled in the earth and seen how was the end of those before them? They were stronger than these in powers..." (30:9)
"Indeed there have been examples before you; Therefore travel in the earth..." (3:136)
To appreciate the accuracy of historical records advanced in the Qur’an,
few examples are cited here below, not mentioning the detailed
information on past Prophets’ history:
a) Ashabe Kahf
While narrating about the duration of which ‘As-habe Kahf’ (the Sleepers of the Cave) stayed in the cave, the Qur’an says:
“So they stayed in their cave three hundred years and ADD nine...”
(18:25).
* *
The wording is quite significant. The verse does not say “three hundred
and nine years” but uses the apparently cumbersome wording of “three
hundred years and add nine”. Why add nine? This is because their stay
was 300 years if one used the solar calendar and 309 years by the lunar
calendar. The lunar year is 11 days shorter. Now 11 days times 300 years
divided by 365 years is 9 years.
b) City of Iram
Another example of historical record can be found in chapter 89 of the
Qur’an which mentions an ancient city called Iram:
* *
“Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the Aad (people), of the
(city of) Iram, with lofty pillars, the like of which were not produced
in (all) the land?”. (89:6-7).
Apart from its being mentioned in the Qur’an, there were no historical
record about this city - Iram. The name itself was obscure even during
the time of the Prophet himself, which led to a number of speculations
about its possible geographical location. Some commentators of the
Qur’an went to the extent of suggesting that probably Iram was the name
of a hero of the Aad.
The research findings of published by the official journal of the
American National Geographic society in December 1978 have conclusively
shown that Iram was a city. In 1975, Dr. Paolo Mathias of the University
of Rome, director of the Italian Archeological Mission in Syria ‘hit an
archeological jackpot’. In the ruins of a palace apparently destroyed in
the 23rd century B.C., he came upon the greatest third millennium
archive ever unearthed. More than 15,000 ‘cunei form tablets’ were
discovered. Among the rich details revealed by these tablets is the fact
that Ebla used to have trading links with Iram....
It is inconceivable how Muhammad could describe accurately in the
Qur’an the physical features and the level of architecture of a people
who lived in an ancient city which was destroyed 3000 years before he
was born.
c) The body of Fir’aun
The Qur’an has explicitly recorded about what has become of the body of Fir’aun.
“This day We save therein your body so that you become a sign for
those who come after you. But verily, many among mankind are heedless of
our signs......” (10:92).
In this verse, the God's intention of bringing the body of Pharaoh out
of water rather than leaving it decaying or being eaten by the sea
animals is to give a lesson to future generations.
What is amazing that when the Qur’an was transmitted to man by the
Prophet, the bodies of all the Pharaohs were in their tombs in the
Necropolis of Thebes, on the opposite side of the Nile from Luxor. At
the time however, absolutely nothing was known of this fact, and it was
not until the end of the nineteenth century that they were discovered
there.
As the Qur’an states, the body of the Pharaoh (Fir’aun) of the Exodus
was in fact rescued: visitors may see him in the Royal Mummies Room of
the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. How did the Prophet, who lived in Arabian
desert came to know that the body of Fir’aun would be rescued for future
generations to learn a lesson?