Spotlight On Islam

The Qur’an as Allah’s Speech?

A Claim Without Independent Evidence

Introduction

The claim that the Qur’an is the literal speech of Allah, revealed verbatim to Muhammad, is central to Islamic doctrine. This assertion demands critical examination through historical, textual, and evidential lenses. This article synthesizes key academic perspectives, highlighting the absence of external evidence supporting the divine authorship claim and exploring the implications for the Qur’an’s historical status.

1. The Orthodox Claim: Divine Authorship

Islamic orthodoxy holds that the Qur’an is kalām Allāh—the direct, unaltered word of God. Key verses assert this:

Qur’an 69:40-43:
“Indeed, it is the word of a noble Messenger, not the word of a poet or soothsayer, but a revelation from the Lord of the worlds.”
Qur’an 53:3-4:
“Nor does he speak from [his own] desire. It is only a revelation revealed.”

Muslims view Muhammad as a passive transmitter who recited God’s exact words without alteration.

2. Historical Reality: The Qur’an Heard Only Through Muhammad

Muhammad’s contemporaries never heard Allah’s voice; the Qur’an was transmitted solely through Muhammad’s oral recitation:

Michael Cook (2000) summarizes:
“The Qur’an is available to us only through the mouth of Muhammad: we have no contemporary copy, no record of the angel’s words, nothing outside Muhammad’s own recitation.” [1]
The earliest manuscripts and oral traditions trace back to Muhammad’s speech, not any other source.

This historical fact underlines the absence of direct divine speech as an empirical event.

3. Absence of Independent Corroboration

The claim of divine origin relies exclusively on Muhammad’s testimony:

Richard Bell (1953) states:
“There is no evidence outside the Qur’an and tradition that Muhammad received a revelation from God.” [2]
Wansbrough (1977), a seminal figure in Qur’anic studies, highlights the lack of contemporaneous documentary or testimonial evidence confirming revelation:
“The historical origins of the Qur’an are inaccessible to direct verification; all knowledge derives from the text and later tradition.” [3]

4. The Problem of Authorship and Speech-Act

The Qur’an’s structure contains verses where Allah commands Muhammad to “Say” something, placing words in Muhammad’s mouth:

Verses like 17:85 show Muhammad’s voice:
“Say: The soul is of the affair of my Lord.”

This implies a dual voice: Allah as author and Muhammad as speaker.

Andrew Rippin (2001) notes this presents a complex relationship between divine speech and prophetic utterance, challenging the notion of a uniform divine voice. [4]

5. Scholarly Perspectives on Qur’anic Origins

John Wansbrough (1977):
Argued the Qur’an’s text evolved over decades, influenced by late antique and sectarian milieus, complicating claims of immediate, verbatim revelation. [3]
Patricia Crone (2003):
Emphasized the fragmentary and late compilation of the Qur’an, questioning traditional dating and highlighting the possibility of human editorial activity. [5]
Fred M. Donner (2010):
While accepting Muhammad’s role, recognizes the Qur’an’s compilation as a historical process, leaving open the question of direct divine authorship. [6]

6. Logical Syllogism on the Evidential Status

P1: Proof of divine authorship requires independent evidence beyond claimant’s assertions.
P2: The only source for the Qur’an’s divine claim is Muhammad’s assertion.
C: The claim that the Qur’an is Allah’s speech lacks independent, external evidence.

7. Comparative Religious Context

This evidentiary gap is common to many revealed scriptures:

Torah, Bible, and other scriptures similarly rely on the prophetic claim.
Critical scholarship treats such claims with the same evidentiary standards, assessing texts as human productions unless proven otherwise.

8. Conclusion

The Qur’an, as a text transmitted historically, exists only because Muhammad spoke it.
The claim it is the literal speech of Allah remains a faith-based assertion without external corroboration.
Scholarly consensus recognizes this evidentiary limitation, encouraging critical analysis rather than unexamined acceptance.

References

Michael Cook, The Koran: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2000, p. 11.
Richard Bell, Introduction to the Qur'an, Edinburgh University Press, 1953, p. 53.
John Wansbrough, Quranic Studies: Sources and Methods of Scriptural Interpretation, Oxford University Press, 1977.
Andrew Rippin, The Qur’an and its Interpretative Tradition, Routledge, 2001, pp. 12-14.
Patricia Crone, Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam, Princeton University Press, 2003.
Fred M. Donner, Muhammad and the Believers: At the Origins of Islam, Harvard University Press, 2010.