There is a jungle of books, and in this jungle there is only One Book, which is revealed by God, thus the Word of God. Earlier also, God revealed books but they are not preserved in the original form as their followers mixed up their respective Prophets’ teachings and explanations as well as their own words with the Word of God, getting them manipulated and distorted. But the Qur’ān holds the distinction among the revealed books in that it is protected by God Himself, thus it is and will remain intact, suffering no loss or change till the Day of Resurrection. God says He has revealed the Qur’ān and He will protect it. (The Qur’ān – 15:9)
As the Qur’ān is the revealed Word of God, la raib-a fih (there is no doubt in this Book). (The Qur’ān – 2:2) God says: a-fala yatadabbarun al-Qur’ān wa lau kana min indi ghair-il-lah lawajadu fihi ukhtilafan kathira (Do they not then reflect on the Qur’ān? Had it been from anyone other than God, they would have certainly found in it many inconsistencies). (The Qur’ān – 4:82) He further says that the Qur’ān is Tibyanan li Kulli Shaiyin (it explains everything) wa Hudan wa Rahmatan wa Bushra lil Muslimeen (a guide, a mercy, and good news for those who ‘fully’ submit). (The Qur’ān – 16:89)
God further asserts, and who else has the greater right to assert: wa-makhtalaftum fihi min shaiyin fa-hukmuhu ilal-lah (whatever difference human beings may have, the decision is with Allah. (The Qur’ān – 42:10) Since God’s decision is contained only in the Qur’ān, it is in the fitness of things to believe that it has the power to serve as the code of life for the entire world. Thereby alone we would be able to realise universal brotherhood. The life based on the Qur’ān implemented by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is a proof of this.
All these Divine revelations confirm that the Qur’ān is the Word of God, there is no doubt in it, and there is no contradiction therein. It is and will remain pure, unaffected by falsehood, free of distortion and protected from any attempt at misinterpretation or intrusion of any foreign element. It guides people to the truth with God’s care and grace, if they really want to realise the truth.
After the passage of more than fourteen centuries, we see that God has kept His promise to preserve the Qur’ān. We have seen that the circumstances and situations that the Qur’ān has endured over this long period in human history could not have left it intact and protected without the interference of a superior power. That power, which is greater and more powerful than all situations, factors and circumstances, has preserved this book, keeping it protected from any change or distortion. This is no less than a miracle.
It is for us, the human beings living even after more than fourteen centuries since the revelation of the Qur’ān to reflect what our response should be to the Word of God.