The Qur’anic Inimitability and Its Impact on Building the Edifice of Rhetorical Studies

Abstract

The issue of the inimitability of the Qur’an is among the issues that many scholars, both in the past and in modern times, have extensively addressed. It constituted a fertile starting point that encouraged the emergence of numerous rhetorical inquiries and doctrinal issues in the context of responding to the doubts raised concerning the Holy Qur’an. This study is a continuation of the same endeavor, aiming to establish the continuing inimitability of the Qur’an, provide evidence of its divine source and of the truthfulness of the prophethood of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, to whom it was revealed, and demonstrate how Qur’anic inimitability contributed to serving the sciences of language and Qur’anic exegesis.

What are the reasons for studying the inimitability of the Qur’an, and how did scholars establish it? Which aspect of inimitability constituted the basis of the challenge?

To answer these and other questions, I began the study with an overview of the condition of the Arabs during the period of revelation, and presented the verses of the challenge. I then addressed the beginnings of the study of the inimitability of the Qur’an, its motives and circumstances. Subsequently, I examined the aspects of inimitability according to a number of scholars, with a degree of analysis and illustration, relying primarily on the descriptive method and occasionally employing the analytical and historical methods. Among the most important findings I reached is that the Holy Qur’an possesses numerous aspects of inimitability that remain established and enduring as long as the heavens and the earth endure. However, the aspect of inimitability upon which the challenge was based is the expressive and rhetorical dimension embodied in its unique composition. The studies of Qur’anic inimitability enriched the study of Arabic rhetoric, served linguistic studies, and facilitated them for learners.