Holy Quran:
"Do they say, "He has falsely invented it (the Quran)?" In fact, they themselves have no faith."
" Let them produce a discourse like it if they are true in their claim."
" And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant [Muhammad], then produce a Surah the like thereof and call upon your witnesses other than Allah , if you should be truthful."
Here are the words of Non-Muslims about the Quran(including translators):"From the literary point of view, the Koran is regarded as a specimen of the purest Arabic...It has been said that in some cases grammarians have adopted their rules to agree with certain phrases and expressions used in it, and that though several attempts have been made to produce a work equal to it as far as elegant writing is concerned, none has as yet succeeded"
F.F. Arbuthnot, The Construction of the Bible and the Koran, London 1885, p5
" It is confessedly the standard of the Arabic tongue... The style of the Koran is generally beautiful and fluent... and in many places, especially where the majesty and attributes of God are described, sublime and magnificent ... He succeeded so well, and so strangely captivated the minds of his audience, that several of his opponents thought it the effect of witchcraft and enchantment.
George Sale, The Koran: The Preliminaiy Discourse, London, 1891, p47 48
"The truth is I do not find any understanding author who controverts the elegance of the Al Qur'an, it being generally esteemed as the standard of the Arabic language and eloquence."
Dr. Hency Stubbe MA, Rise and Progress of Mohammadanism, London 1911, p158
"All those who are acquainted with the Qur'an in Arabic agree in praising the beauty of this religious book; its grandeur of form is so sublime that no translation into any European language can allow us to appreciate it."
Edward Montet, Traduction Francaise du Coran, Paris 1929, Introduction p25
"Briefly, the rhetoric and rhythm of the Arabic of the Koran are so characteristic, so powerful, so highly emotive, that any version whatsoever is bound in the nature of things to be but a poor copy of the glittering splendour of the original... My chief reason for offering this new version of a book which has been "translated" many times already is that in no prev ious rendering has a serious attempt been made to imitate, however imperfectly, those rhetorical and rhythmical patterns which are the glory and the sublimity of the Koran.
The Koran Interpreted by Arthur J. Arberry, London 1980, Preface p24 25 NOTE: A.J Arberry, the British Orientalist, was professor of Arabic at Oxford University"
The Koran is the earliest and by far the finest work of Classical Arabic prose... It is acknowledged that the Koran is not only one of the most influential books of prophetic literature but also a literary masterpiece in its own right... translations have, in my opinion, practically failed to convey both the meaning and the rhetorical grandeur of the original."
The Koran Translated with Notes by N. J. Dawood, 5th Edition 1990, pp1,3NOTE: Nessim Joseph Dawood is a Jewish Iraqi Scholar"
"Indeed, throughout history, many Arab Christians as well have regarded it as the perfection of Arabic language and literature".
John L. Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path, Oxford University Press, 1991, p21NOTE: This author is Professor of Religion at the College of the Holy Cross
My Reflections:
It is notable to state Muhammed pbuh was not regarded as a poetic, or one who performed in poetry before the advent in Islam, for the Quran is not poetry. Many of these Surahs were revealed during times of War, times of difficulty, chaos and strife, yet there is already a consensus about the Qurans superiority over all other arabic, and no large drop whatsoever in the Qurans beauty. Infact, the basis of which Islam spread and managed to initially defeat the opponents of Muhammed pbuh was through the Arabic of the Quran. Had those who hated Muhammed pbuh, were his enemies wished to quash him- and they did, they should have produced Arabic in such an equally powerful way, and he would have been put to one side there and then. People would have laughed at him and mocked him for making a claim that was so easily quashed. It is again to the testimony of the Qurans own challenge that no-one was able to match it.
He was surrounded by arabs who revered their language, who loved poetry and the nuances of the arabic language. His claim was so powerful, not only did he enchant , he prevailed in his message and was regarded as such a threat, they even plotted to try and murder him.
Muhammed pbuh was not a man left with a pen and paper - he was never before seen reading or writing. Now one can claim many of the best 'poets' could have been great oratory poets with no need for writing. Muhammed pbuh was never seen simply sitting in a room full of poetry books or poets, practicing his art. This was a man in the 23 years of his Prophet hood who endured a boycott, wars, starvation, bloodshed, tyranny, being the leader of one of the largest communities of the world.
Yet, even non-muslims who translate the Quran testify the following:
"All those who are acquainted with the Qur'an in Arabic agree in praising the beauty of this religious book; its grandeur of form is so sublime that no translation into any European language can allow us to appreciate it."Edward Montet, Traduction Francaise du Coran, Paris 1929, Introduction p25
If one reads the Quran, the context, and a good knowledge of a lot of other topics, they will find that the Qurans content itself is absolutely astonishing, it makes one reflect, and calls on reflection, but that is for another time.