The second pillar of the Islamic doctrine, after believing in the existence and the Oneness of the Creator and His Sovereignty, is to believe that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. In order to establish the belief in this idea, one must first acknowledge the human beings鈥� need for Messengers from Allah and subsequently evaluate and accept the proof for the Messengership of Muhammad (saws).

Regarding the need for Messengers, it can be established through an examination of some basic aspects of human life, they being the instinctual drive to worship, the human beings鈥� need to establish societal relationships, and mankind鈥檚 natural right to be free from the slavery to other human beings.

The instinct to worship exists in every human being and it is evident in every society. Even atheistic peoples such as the Communists, though they didn鈥檛 believe in the Creator, attempted to satisfy this instinctual behavior by sanctifying individuals such as Lenin or groups such as the Communist party. Other nations developed mythical tales to explain their origins and invented rituals to please their imaginary deities. Still others, such as the capitalists found themselves worshipping fame or money. If, however, this instinctual behavior of worshipping is molded by intellectual and enlightened thought, one would realize that the only being worthy of worship is the Creator, Allah. This is because Allah is the one who created the human being, created the instinct of worship in him, and has the ability to influence man鈥檚 destiny. Therefore, Allah alone should be worshipped. This is of course, the most basic belief of the Islamic Aqeedah. However, the question that arises from this conclusion is that of how to worship Allah. Regarding this, it needs to be understood that worshipping is a relationship between the human being and Allah. Every relationship needs to be defined because that definition becomes the basis for the relation. If the relationship between the human being and Allah is not defined, then there will be no mechanism by which the instinct of worship could be satisfied. Thus, the worship needs to be defined, and the real question is how to define this relationship between the human being and Allah. Reflecting on this issue yields the possibility that this relationship could be defined by either,

1.聽聽聽聽 Each individual for himself,

2.聽聽聽聽 The consensus of all individuals, or

3.聽聽聽聽 By the Creator, Allah.

Establishing the worship relationship with Allah, as with any relationship, requires one to have some knowledge regarding all parties in the relationship. With regards to Allah, the human being can obtain only very limited knowledge about Him through the use of the intellect. Thus, he is able to ascertain His existence, His Oneness, His Sovereignty, and other attributes. However, the human being can in no way ascertain how the Creator should be sanctified or worshipped. It is not possible to use the intellect to know what Allah likes or dislikes or to even talk about the concept of like or dislike regarding Allah. This is because Allah is Unlimited and beyond our perception and comprehension, and presupposing how Allah ought to be worshipped is pure speculation that has no basis in reality. Thus, the human being by himself cannot determine how to Worship Allah. In addition, if each individual worships Allah according to his own thinking, this will eventually lead to conflict in the society. One individual鈥檚 idea of worship may be to construct idols to worship Allah, and someone else鈥檚 idea of worship may be to destroy all idols. Some others would consider sacrificing the blood of other human beings as rituals in their worship, while others would consider sacrificing a virgin to the ocean or cliff as an act of worship.

Since the worship is an instinct that needs to be satisfied, both individuals would strive to perform their worship, and the inevitable result would be a fierce struggle between the people. In addition, the criterion for each one鈥檚 worship is purely subjective, so there is no way that this conflict can be solved except by one dominating the other. In summary, the result of allowing human beings to establish the worship relationship for themselves is not only that they would have false concepts regarding worship, but they would also fight against each other for the sake of those false concepts. Thus, it is incorrect to satisfy the instinct of worship according to the individual鈥檚 own thinking.

The second possibility is that the means of worship would be set through the consensus of all individuals. However, it has already been established that the human being does not have enough knowledge regarding Allah to establish this relationship. This is true of each individual as well as the collection of all individuals. So, though every human being may agree to a specific form of worshipping Allah, there is no rational basis for believing that that form of worship is correct. In addition, the idea of having a consensus is itself vague. It would require surveying the opinion of every individual, adopting those ideas that have the most popularity, and convincing everyone to adopt them as their standard, which in reality is impossible. Therefore, the worship of Allah cannot be determined by the consensus of individuals either.

The final possibility is that the Creator would determine for humanity how He should be worshipped. Since Allah is the Creator of mankind, and the one who instilled the attribute of worship in the human being, He is the only one knows how this instinct is best satisfied. In addition, Allah is the only One who has the knowledge of what the duty of the human being towards Him is. Therefore the only way for the human being to satisfy his instinct of worship correctly is to do so based on revelation from the Creator. The revelation, however, is not something sent to each and every individual. This is obvious since not every human being claims to have revelation. In fact, very few people in the history of humanity have ever claimed to receive revelation. In addition, the very fact that human beings have developed so many different forms of worship indicates that the revelation, which one would expect to be consistent in its basic ideas, does not come on an individual basis. Thus, the revelation must come to humanity through specific individuals commissioned by the Creator as Messengers. Messengers are needed not only to convey the message, but also to demonstrate the practical method of worshipping Allah. This is due to the fact that the instinct of worship is satisfied through practical actions, whether it is reciting some words or performing certain actions. Therefore, humanity is in need of Messengers to instruct the people regarding how Allah should be worshipped as well as to demonstrate the proper implementation of this worship.

In addition to this proof of the need for Messengers, there are other proofs that also arise from a study of the human being鈥檚 life. Human beings, by their nature, are social creatures. They must live in societies and establish relations between each other. These relationships are geared towards the satisfaction of the human being鈥檚 needs and instincts. Thus, we establish economies in order to earn wealth and satisfy our survival instinct. We marry and have children in order to satisfy the instinctual desire to preserve the human race. Along with these, there are many other activities in the society, all of which serve to satisfy the human being and provide him with tranquillity. Thus, the goal of every society ought to be the satisfaction of the needs and instincts of every human being. Since theses needs and instincts are satisfied through the relationships, it is essential that these relationships be formed in the correct way.

The relationships in any society are determined by the system that is applied in that society. This system could either be a product of man made thinking or be from the Creator of mankind. If one looks to the history of man-made systems, one would find that man-made systems are imperfect, subject to biases, contradiction, shortsightedness, and change according to time and place. Thus, mankind, has never been able to produce a perfect system that is capable of establishing the correct relationships which satisfy all the needs and instincts of every individual for all times. Rather, what we find are systems that lead to the satisfaction of only some individuals at the expense of the masses. Modern day Capitalist societies are a clear example of such a result from man-made systems. Wealthy nations such as the United States and Britain would have pets which are well groomed, fed, and sheltered in virtual palaces, while hundreds of thousands of the nation鈥檚 own citizens would live in cardboard boxes, eat from the garbage of restaurants, and have no medical care. Moreover, the reality of man-made systems is that any solutions which they put forth to solve one problem, inevitably leads to more problems. The current 鈥渂udget crisis鈥� faced by America is a classic example of this. A Capitalist economy, by its very philosophy, leads to poverty in a certain percentage of the population. In order to attempt to solve this problem, the idea of Social Security and Medicare was developed. However, we find today that those programs have led to the emergence of welfare families, insurance fraud, and enormous debt, all of which have become primary problems in the society, and have been the focus of the so called budget crisis. Thus, it is impossible for human beings to establish a system for themselves that meets the needs of all the people and satisfies their instincts completely.

The only means by which human beings can live according to the correct and productive system is if that system comes from Allah, the Creator. Allah, being the Creator has full knowledge of good and bad, of what will bring prosperity and what will bring disaster. He is aware of the past, present, and future. He created the human being and knows his nature, what will satisfy him, and what will make him miserable. In addition, Allah is capable of providing a system that addresses every single human being, protects his rights, and gives him certain responsibilities that he is capable of fulfilling. Therefore, Allah is the one who should provide the system by which human beings organize their societies and satisfy their needs and instincts. This system, however, has come to in the form of a message from the Creator. It is not something that appears magically in the society such that the society begins to function through it immediately. Studying the reality today is enough to understand this point. Therefore, human beings, in order to establish the proper relations amongst themselves, are in need of Messengers from Allah who would convey the message to them and instruct them on its implementation.

The need for Messengers can also be established from the understanding that Allah creates us all, and as such we are equal. Thus, no human being ought to be sovereign over another and no one should be a slave to another. In fact, the only Sovereign is Allah, and the human beings would be slaves to Him only. Such slavery is worse than the physical slavery which some experienced in the plantation. However, if we accept the idea that man should legislate for himself in this life, then we begin to put some men sovereign over others. The philosophers of the western culture, however, argue that though God is the sovereign, He is the one who gave man the ability to legislate. Therefore, they argue, it is natural for the human being to legislate and attempt to discover, 鈥淕od鈥檚 law.鈥�

Man鈥檚 ability to legislate, however, is not a special attribute that he is endowed with. Rather, it is merely an extension of his ability to think. Thinking requires the human being to pass judgments, and once the human being extends his judgments regarding the relationships in the society to be applied in the society, then he is legislating. Therefore, the ability to legislate is simply one of the functions of thinking. In addition, having the capacity to perform a certain action does not necessarily mean that one has the permission to do that action. As an example, just because we have hands and those hands have the ability to move and grasp objects, does not mean that we can take any object we wish, even if it belonged to another person. One needs permission from the owner of the object in order for one to perform that action. Thus, utilizing the human mind to legislate on behalf of the Sovereign requires a proof of permission from Him to do so. This permission would have to come in the form of a message. The Western philosophers cannot lay claim to any authentic message from Allah that gives them this permission; therefore, their claim that the human being ought to legislate on behalf of Allah is in fact an attempt to usurp the Sovereignty of Allah.

In addition, if the human being is permitted to legislate, those who will be able to do so are the ones who have the power and wealth to build public opinion and rally the masses. Thus, it is the powerful and wealthy who would decide for the rest of the society how they should live, what is right and wrong, good and evil, moral and immoral. The end result of this would be that the majority of the people would become slaves to a few elite. This was the case when the church in Europe claimed sovereignty for the clergy and ruled the people by their own man-made legislation. The consequence was that people came to be slaves to the church to the extent that they were not allowed to think except in the way the priests wanted them to, e.g. Galileo. Similarly, the Capitalist societies that emerged in Europe after the dissolution of the church as a political entity also made some men sovereign over others. They did so under the guise of democracy and instilled a new and more powerful system of slavery. Under democracy, the people have the illusion of freedom, when in reality, the are bound to live according to the legislation of a few people, elected to their posts due the support of the rich and powerful in the society.

This is the natural consequence of attempting to usurp Allah鈥檚 sovereignty. Therefore, if human beings wish to live free from the slavery to each other, they must recognize Allah as the absolute Sovereign over them, and the only legislator for them. If Allah is to be the legislator, then we need Messengers from Him through whom the legislation comes. The legislation that comes from Allah is not biased for one group or another, and is the only means by which to have equity and justice for all human beings. Thus, the real sense of freedom is realized only when we recognize the need for Messengers from Allah, ascertain their truthfulness when they come, and follow them wholeheartedly, knowing that we are submitting to the Creator of mankind and the Universe, Allah.

This realization of the need for Messengers leads the rational human being to expect the appearance of Messengers and Prophets, and to establish a criterion by which to assess the validity of their claims to be such. This criterion cannot be anything but the credentials that the Messengers present. These credentials came in the form of miracles.

A miracle is an act that conclusively defies and transcends universal norms and laws, and is given, by Allah, to the Messengers and Prophets in order to establish for the people, the authenticity of the message. Since Allah is the Creator of all things, He is also the Creator of the attributes that all things possess. He is also the only one who can remove these attributes from objects or endow objects with new attributes.

Thus, a miracle would occur if a stone, which has the attribute of being lifeless came to life; or fire, which has the attribute of producing heat, became cool; or any other miraculous things. These actions, or miracles, can only be from Allah, the Creator and they serve as the only proof that one is in fact a Messenger from the Creator. Thus, we must evaluate the declaration of all persons who claim to be Messengers and expose their falsehood or affirm their truthfulness based on the absence or witnessing of a miracle associated with their message.

The miracle which establishes Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the Messenger of Allah is the Quran. The Quran is an Arabic text, composed of the speech of Allah revealed to Muhammad. Muhammad was given a book, the entirety of which has been transmitted from generation to generation, as a miracle because he is the final Messenger to all of humanity. Therefore, his miracle is such that those who would be introduced to this message after Muhammad鈥檚 time would have a proof for the truthfulness of his claim and be able to follow him. Though the Quran is an Arabic text and requires knowledge of the Arabic language to appreciate its style, the fact that it is a miraculous book can be understood even without Arabic language as is presented here.

Establishing the intellectual conviction that the Quran is in fact from Allah, and consequently declaring our belief in Muhammad鈥檚 Prophethood can be achieved through any of three methods,

1)聽聽聽聽 By listening to the Quran, perceiving its style and eloquence, comprehending its miraculous aspect, and coming to the realization that it is from Allah, not man.

2)聽聽聽聽 By investigating the possible sources of the Quran, or

3)聽聽聽聽 By studying the Islamic ideology in comparison to other ideologies and concluding that the message of Islam could not have been produced by human intellect.
Comprehending the miracle of the Quran

The Quran is a book purely in Arabic language. Its eloquence and content is its miracle. Those who listen to it and understand it realize that it cannot be the speech of any human being. That is because the Quran鈥檚 style and expressiveness is unlike that of any work produced by a human being. It is neither poetry nor prose, but a unique speech unparalleled in the history of Arabic literature. Its contents discuss the full spectrum of human needs, problems, and attitudes while maintaining relevance to all times. However, enjoying and tasting the miraculous nature of the Quran based on its eloquence and style is only achievable by those who are well versed in Arabic language. This is because the Quran is in Arabic language and it must be compared to other works in Arabic language in order to feel the uniqueness of its speech. This requires one to have a deep knowledge of Arabic language, Arabic grammar, and to be familiar with the language and style of classical Arabic literature. Thus, simply speaking Arabic alone is not sufficient.

Establishing the Arabic language as a prerequisite for directly appreciating the miraculous eloquence of the Quran does not necessarily preclude the possibility that non-Arabs would be able to appreciate some aspects of the Quran鈥檚 eloquence through a deep study of its verses. Here we present a few examples of the Quran鈥檚 style and eloquence to give those who are deficient in Arabic language a glimpse into the miracle of the Quran.

1. Allah says,

鈥淎nd it was said: O Earth! Swallow thy water and, O sky! Be cleared of clouds! And the water was made to subside. And the commandment was fulfilled. And it [the ship] came to rest upon [the mount] Al-Judi and it was said: A far removal for wrongdoing people. (11:44)

This verse (ayah) is talking about the time of Noah. It consists of only 17 words, yet in it, Allah has related to us the entire events of the flood and its aftermath. It tells us that the earth was filled with water and the clouds were overhead, then Allah ordered the Earth to drain the water from the land and the sky to be clear of clouds. Then, the Earth and the Sky complied with this order such that the land was no longer flooded, and the ship of Noah came to rest on a mountain. Then, Allah informs us that Noah鈥檚 people were saved from their oppressors as well as the fact that those people were destroyed. All of these ideas are expressed in just one verse, with very short sentences, using six conjunctions, without repetition or faltering in the exceptional eloquence and style of the Quran. In fact, it is reported that when Ibn Muqaffah, a person commissioned by some Arabs to produce something like the Quran, heard this ayah being recited by a person, he gave up his effort and submitted to the superiority of the Quran鈥檚 eloquence (balagha).

2. It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. However, when it comes to the Quran, with the use of very few words, Allah provides us with vivid descriptions of complex events such as that of a battle in one of its chapters (surahs). In this Surah, Allah describes the scene of a battle in such a manner that the reader would be able to visualize not just a snapshot of it, but rather the entire course of the battle. He says,

By the steeds that run, with panting (breath), Striking sparks of fire (by their hooves), and scouring to the raid at dawn. And raise the dust in clouds the while, penetrating forthwith as one onto the midst (of the foe); [Al-Adiyat 100: 1-5]

Here, Allah details for us the energy of the horses as they snort in anticipation and the sparks arising from the clashing of their hoofs against stones on the ground in their fierce charge towards the enemy. The backdrop is the first light of dawn, and the tactic is to surprise the enemy. The dust is collecting behind them as a large troop rages across the desert sands, and the horses show full obedience to their masters as they ride into the ranks of the enemy, fearless and disciplined. The eloquence with which the Quran relates this is extraordinary. There are only ten words used to describe this entire scene in the Quran, but a comprehensive explanation of their meaning, in Arabic or any other language, would require pages.

These are just a few examples of the miraculous style of the Quran and its ability to express many meanings in very few words without compromising its eloquence. Thus, it is no wonder that every Arab poet, Muslim and non-Muslim would memorize or keep reading the Quran. In addition, the eloquence of the Quran is such that, even if one does not comprehend its meaning or know Arabic language, one would, upon hearing it, realize that it is a unique text and would appreciate its beauty.

In addition to the style of the Quran, its contents too are of a miraculous nature. The Quran speaks to us of so many phenomenon in this life which were not yet known at the time of Muhammad. In addition, by himself, Muhammad could not have produced a text which covered such vast fields as astronomy, geology, embryology, botany, entomology, history, and social, economic, and political principles. Some examples of the Quran鈥檚 address on specific issues are presented here.

1) Allah says,

鈥淎nd after that, the earth He expanded (or made egg shaped)鈥� (79:30)

In this ayah, Allah used the word dahaha, which in Arabic language can mean either expanded, spread out, or shaped like an egg, i.e. not perfectly a sphere. However, at the time of revelation of the Quran, the 7th century of the Common Era, no one had seen the earth from space to know that it wasn鈥檛 flat or even to know that it wasn鈥檛 a perfect sphere. In addition, regardless of the definition of the word dahaha that is used, the verse makes perfect sense. Thus, the Arabs at the time of the Prophet understood that the earth had been spread out and that is exactly what they saw when they looked in the horizon. This is of course, still applicable today. In addition, we know that the Earth is a globe, but not a perfect sphere yet it looks spread-out. This is still in line with the meaning. Moreover, if one looks at the earth from the ground, he sees that it is spread out, and if one looks at the earth from space, he sees that it is shaped like an egg. This is a testimony to the accuracy of the ideas presented in the Quran as well as to the relevance of the Quran to all people at all times, regardless of the level of their knowledge. Thus, the question that arises is where did Muhammad get this information, when, before him, there was no one who claimed to have such an idea.

2)聽聽聽聽 In Surah Al Ana鈥檓, Allah says,

鈥淭he horses, mules, and donkeys [he has created] to carry you, and as adornments, and He creates what you do not know鈥� (16:5).

In this ayah, Allah informs us about the modes of transportation that he has created for us as well as the fact that these things are very beautiful to man. In addition, though, Allah says that He also creates that which you do not know. If the Quran was from Muhammad, it would make no sense for him to say this, for he would never have known any mode of transportation other than the animals and the ships which Allah talked about in other ayahs. He also would not have any basis to expect the emergence of any new modes of transportation. In fact, we know that new modes of transportation such as the bicycle, car, or airplane were not invented until almost a millennium (1000 years) later. However, by Allah informing us that He has created other means of transportation which we do not know of yet, we come to appreciate the fact that even today鈥檚 modes of transportation are from the mercy of Allah. Additionally, the ayah tells us of new modes that had yet to be developed. This makes the ayah relevant at all times.

Allah also told us about other things such as the developmental process that the human being goes through in the womb. The description of this process is exactly in accordance with what happens in the womb of the mother as explained by scientists today and related in medical textbooks. In fact, a famous embryologist, Moore, in his book Embryology, comments on the remarkably accurate description the Quran gives for the developing zygote. In all of these examples, the miraculous aspect is not the content alone, but also the manner in which it is presented. It is deep enough for scientists and other intellectuals to appreciate and dwell on, yet simple enough for a Bedouin from 1400 years ago to understand and note its eloquence.

This is the miracle of the Quran, the speech of the Creator Allah and it is the proof beyond any doubt that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
Investigating the Possible Sources of the Quran

Another means by which to affirm that the Quran is from Allah is to investigate the potential sources of the Quran and determine which of those sources could have produced such a speech. Muhammad claimed that the Quran is from Allah. Thus, this presents us with two possibilities. Either Muhammad is,

1)聽聽聽聽 a liar, and therefore the Quran is either from himself or from one of the Arabs, or

2)聽聽聽聽 Truthful, and the Quran is from Allah and we have to believe in him as a Prophet.

Those who claim that Muhammad or one of the Arabs produced the Quran have no evidence to support their claim. First of all, if an Arab other than Muhammad produced the Quran then, who is he? Why is it that there is no record in history of his or her name? How did that person communicate with Muhammad? It is well documented that the revelation came to Muhammad in many situations. It would descend on him in his home, in the battlefield or the Masjid (place of worship), while he is traveling, and at other times and places. How would someone who is until today not known to anyone have communicated with Muhammad at all those times without anyone being a witness to such a thing. Thus, the proponents of the idea that an Arab produced the Quran and gave it to Muhammad have nothing to stand on but false accusations without even a hint of evidence to substantiate them. In addition to this, we know that no Arab was able to meet the challenge of the Quran to produce something like it. Allah says,

"And if you are in doubt concerning that which We (Allah) have sent down (i.e. Quran) to our slave Muhammad, then produce a Surah of the like thereof and call your witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides Allah, if you are truthful" (2:23).

If an Arab did produce something of the level of the Quran, then one would expect that he would have been famous among the people already. People would have been familiar with his style. Others would have been expected to study with him or to have taught him. At least those teachers or students should have been able to recognize the style of the Quran as being his. They should even have been able to produce something similar to it as all human efforts can be surpassed by others later or at least imitated. This, however, has not been the case. In addition, it is an established historical fact that the Quran was revealed over 23 years. Many of its Surahs were revealed, not as complete Surahs, but rather over the course of many months and even years. In fact, some Surahs would have ayahs that were revealed at completely different times from the rest of the Surah interlaced into them in many different places without interrupting the flow of the Surah or the eloquence of the Surah. This would be equivalent to someone writing a masterpiece novel by writing a page or paragraph here and there, an impossible feat for a human being. In addition, human speech and writing has the characteristic that it improves with time, one's style gets better, more eloquent. However, we see that the Quran maintains the same level of superb style throughout the Quran. Though the tone of the speech may vary from one Surah to another, no one can say that the last complete Surah revealed, Surah Nasr, has a better or worse style or is more or less eloquent than the first few ayahs revealed of Surah Alaq, the first Surah. Thus, the Quran cannot be from any of the Arabs or any other human being.

The Quran also cannot be the work of Muhammad because he too is one of the Arabs. He was also known to be illiterate. He had never been taught how to read or write. Thus, he could not have produced a speech that surpasses that of all the intellectuals from the Arabs, past and present. Other evidence to support this conclusion is the fact that there are thousands of hadith, which document the speech of Muhammad. However the hadith are not miraculous in their speech. They are of the style of human speech, such that one would not be able to tell if a specific statement is from Muhammad or from a Sahabah except by the chain of narrators who would indicate the source of the statement. It is impossible that Muhammad would be able to maintain this difference between his speech and the revelation of the Quran.

In addition, if Muhammad produced the Quran, then why would he produce ayahs which actually threatened him, such as the ayah in which Allah says,

鈥淎nd if he (Muhammad) had forged a false saying concerning Us, We surely should have seized him with power and might, And then certainly should have cut off his life artery (Aorta).鈥� (69:44-46)

Also, why would Muhammad purposefully put himself in a position that could have threatened his credibility, such as the incident related to Surah of the Cave? Muhammad, in response to a challenge from the Pagans had told them he would give them the answer tomorrow, assuming that Allah would send the revelation to him by then. However, he was forced to wait three days, after which Allah revealed the ayahs addressing the disbelievers鈥� challenge along with an ayah reminding the Prophet,

鈥淎nd say not of anything: Indeed, I shall do that tomorrow. Except [that you say] if Allah wills. And remember your Lord when you forget, and say: It may be that my Lord guides me to a nearer way of truth than this鈥� (18:23-24)

Allah also blamed the Prophet for other things such as turning away from the blind man and for swearing to leave some permissible things to please his wives. None of those things would serve any purpose to him if he had been producing the Quran all along and deceiving the people.

Regarding the coming of the revelation, Allah says,

鈥淲e (angel of revelation, Gibreel) come not down save by commandment of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us and all that is between those two, and your Lord was never forgetful.鈥� (19:64).

This ayah was revealed in response to Muhammad鈥檚 question to Gibreel as to why he hadn鈥檛 come to him in some time. If Muhammad were to produce the Quran on his own, for what purpose would he think of such an ayah as well as fabricate the incident surrounding it.

The Quran also made many statements, which would have been foolish for Muhammad to make as they could have undermined his entire message. As an example, in Surah Masad, Allah condemned Abu Lahab and his wife to Jahannam (Hellfire),

鈥淭he power of Abu Lahab will perish, and he will perish. His wealth and gains will not exempt him. He will be plunged in flaming Fire, and his wife, the wood carrier, will have upon her neck a halter of palm-fiber鈥� (111:1-5).

Here, the Quran makes a promise that Abu Lahab and his wife will never accept Islam. How would Muhammad know this. How would he know that Abu Lahab would not declare his belief in the Islamic doctrine hypocritically such that all the people would think the Quran was wrong. In addition, if Muhammad were to produce such an ayah he would have been expected to produce them about other enemies just as staunch in their hatred during the Meccan period, such as Abu Jahl and Abu Sufyan. However, Allah did not reveal such ayahs because Allah knows that Abu Sufyan would become Muslims and perhaps because Abu Jahl may have taken the shahadah hypocritically. Only Allah could have known for sure that Abu Lahab would be too arrogant to do this.

Similarly, the Quran made many other predictions such as the defeat of the Byzantines by the Romans and the return of Muhammad back to Mecca as its ruler. It is impossible that Muhammad could have known that the Romans and Persians would even have a war within the 10-year period specified by the ayah, let alone know that the Romans would be successful. Also, how would Muhammad even know that he would live long enough to return to Mecca. How would he know that he would be successful enough to defeat the power of the Quraish. If any of those prophecies were not to come true, the entire message of Islam would have become unraveled.

Thus, these evidences reaffirm that Muhammad could not have produced the Quran. It is full of knowledge and wisdom that is beyond the capacity of any nation or human being to produce. Therefore, Muhammad cannot be deemed a liar and must be believed in as a Messenger from Allah.