How can Muslims be assured that the Qur'an is the Word of God?

From: http://www.2muslims.com/

By Shabir Al

Muslims are assured for several reasons that the Qur’an is indeed the Word of God. Here are eight reasons :

1. Physical incapacity. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was physically incapable to write the Qur’an. History has him as an unlettered man who could not write anything more than his own name. How could he write a book?

2. Sincerity. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was morally constrained to tell the truth about the origin of the Qur’an. He was noted to be so honest and trustworthy that even his enemies called him al-Amin (the trustworthy). Moreover, he suffered persecution, refused offers to compromise, and maintained his message for a period of twenty-three years. Historians of religion have to conclude that he was sincere.

3. Psychology. The Qur’an speaks to the Prophet, commands him, and even criticizes him. Such contents do not point to the Prophet (peace be upon him) as the self-conscious author. On the other hand, the author declares himself to be the creator of the heavens and the earth.

4. History. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was incapable of writing the Qur’an. The Qur’an details items of history which were not known to the Prophet (peace be upon him) or his contemporaries. And independent studies confirm that the Qur’an was true in what it said.

5. Prophecy. The Qur’an speaks prophetically, detailing what the future holds. Then the future unfolds exactly as foretold. Who could author such a book?

6. Science. The Qur’an draws attention to a wide range of physical phenomena in order to teach moral lessons. The statements were not meant to teach science. Yet modern scientists are amazed at the accuracy of these statements. For example, the Qur’an said things about the growth and development of the human embryo which could not be studied without the use of a microscope. Dr. Keith Moore was professor and chairman of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Toronto. After reviewing the Qur’anic statements he said: "I am amazed at the accuracy of these statements which were already made in the 7th century AD." Such knowledge in the Qur’an points to God as its source.

7. Consistency. The Qur’an challenges skeptics to find errors in it, which, if found, would disprove its divine claim. But no one has yet been able to point to a real error in it.

8. Inimitability. A unique feature of the Qur’an is that no one is able to produce a book that would match its beauty, eloquence and wisdom. The Qur’an itself challenges humankind to produce even a chapter like it. But no one has been able to do it. These eight reasons together form a strong cumulative case in favor of the Qur’an’s divine origin. Hence Muslims can be confident that the belief of Islam, which is based on the Qur’an, is true.

Blogger comment:

I would add to that:

1- Unbelievable believability: If Muhammad had created the Quran how you can explain his long hours of praying, fasting and fighting to defend the religion. He was very faithful and gave faith to thousands of people around him and 1.5 billion who did not see him. If he was deceiver people would have red his face and a lot of errors would happen that people would find them.

2- Unprecedented accountability: if I would say today I am a prophet from God people would examined my life and put me under the microscope and will find minor errors to me. The people who attacked his message failed to find any significant and possibly a minor thing against Muhammad. We know from the history they rather see him dead than perceive the light from God.

3- Constant observability: If I would say today that I am a prophet and God inspired me with verses like the Quran. People would observe me both outside and even inside my house to find how I got inspired they will watch me thinking, drafting or writing the new verses. He was observed all time over 23 years both inside and outside his house. His family was the most faithful of his religion. Muhammad can not just give faith to people if he does not have it.

4- Identified speaker: The one who is talking to us in the Quran with glory and authority is God and not Muhammad. Run the test in your mind imagine one time he is Muhammad (PBUH) or he is God and faithfully answer yourself. I wen through this exercise several times before to strengthen my faith.

5- Faith by default: as Muslims we like faith to be confirmed belief, but the least is faith by default. That means since we disproved he was not having paranoid thoughts (very wise and very stable), not a liar (was honest before and after God chose him for the message and his message is about honesty), not a social reformer (why he would go in the details of prophets history and anger the Christians by mentioning the absence of divinity to Christ) and not obsessed by Satan.... we left by believing that God inspired him with the Quran.