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d) Says Who?

Earlier, when we talked about the Buddha, we asked by what authority he should be listened to, since Buddhism is an atheistic belief system. But it doesn’t have to be an atheistic system to be asked the same question. The Quran claims to be from Allah. We have already seen that Allah can’t be known even on the Quran’s own terms, but more than that: the Quran can’t be held as the final authority - again, on the Quran’s own terms. Compare the following verses of the Quran:

(i) “If you (Muhammad) have any doubt regarding what is revealed to you from your Lord (Allah), then ask those who read the previous scripture. Indeed, the truth has come to you from your Lord. Do not be with the doubters.” (Q 10:94)

(ii) “If you have any doubt regarding what we (Allah) revealed to our servant, then produce one Sura like these, and call upon your own witnesses against Allah, if you are truthful.” (Q 2:23)

(iii) “Say, ‛If all the humans and all the Jinn banded together in order to produce a Quran like this, they could never produce anything like it, no matter how much assistance they lent one another.’ ” (Q 17:88)

These three verses from the Quran show the Quran doesn’t see itself as the ultimate authority, even about the Quran itself. The first verse makes Christians and Jews the ultimate authority, because it tells Mohammed he should go and ask them, if he doubts the Quran. Whether they agree with the Quran or not isn’t really my point. The point is, they are designated as the final judges. Contrast that with what Christ said about those who rejected His word; he didn’t tell them to go and check with anyone, but rather said “The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day” (John 12:48).

The other two verses do the exact same thing. The second poses a challenge to humans and the third poses the same challenge to humans and Jinn (spiritual beings akin to demons). Again, whether the challenge has or hasn’t yet been met, isn’t my point; the point is: according to the Quran we should believe the Quran because no-one has come up with anything like it. That makes linguistic beauty the ultimate authority, or even worse it makes those who judge what is “like it” and what is not the ultimate authority.