❖ Introduction
This article is adapted from “Muḥāḍarāt-e-Sīrah” by Dr. Mahmood Ahmad Ghazi (رحمه الله), addressing a recurring claim made by some modern Orientalists: that the Qur’an contains grammatical and syntactical errors. Presented with conviction in certain Western academic compilations, this claim deserves a historically grounded and logically consistent response.❖ The Orientalist Claim
A multi-volume work compiling writings of modern Western scholars on the Qur’an asserts that the language of the Qur’an is flawed grammatically. This claim has been repeated in academic circles and sometimes even among laypeople influenced by Orientalist narratives.❖ The Logical Counterargument
During a discussion with a relatively sympathetic non-Muslim abroad, this claim was raised. In response, the following analogy was presented:- When did the first English grammar book appear? Around 200–250 years ago.
- If a grammar book disagrees with the works of Shakespeare, should Shakespeare be considered incorrect, or the grammar book?
➤ Clearly, the grammar book is fallible, not Shakespeare.
This simple analogy established the principle that language precedes its formal documentation, and literary masters define the linguistic standard—not vice versa.
❖ The Historical Reality of Arabic Grammar
- The first Arabic grammar books were written nearly two centuries after the Qur’an.
- Many of the early grammarians were non-Arabs, such as Sībawayh, who formalized Arabic rules based on the Qur’an itself.
- The Qur’an is not subject to grammatical books; rather, grammar was constructed to conform to the Qur’an.
- If the Qur’an had grammatical errors, the eloquent poets and rhetoricians of Makkah—who rejected the message but not its language—would have exploited them. They never did.
❖ Literary and Historical Consensus
- The Arabs—friends and foes alike—acknowledged the literary perfection of the Qur’an.
- The Qur’an was—and remains—a linguistic miracle, challenging even the most articulate Arabs to produce its like, a challenge they failed to meet.
- The authentic Arabic language is that which was spoken by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and recorded in the Qur’an and Hadith.
❖ Analogy with Urdu Grammar
To reinforce the point, another example was cited:- The first Urdu grammar was compiled by Dr. Gilchrist, a Western scholar.
- If his grammatical framework conflicts with the works of literary icons like Mirza Ghalib, Mir Taqi Mir, or Zauq, the fault lies with the grammarian, not the poets.
Thus, Urdu is defined by its literary heritage, not by foreign grammatical attempts to codify it. The same is true for Arabic—especially with regard to the Qur’an.
❖ Conclusion
✔ The Qur’an is the ultimate authority on Arabic, not subject to any grammar book.✔ Claims of grammatical errors in the Qur’an are unfounded, historically flawed, and logically inconsistent.
✔ The Qur’an defines classical Arabic, not the reverse.
✔ The Prophet’s ﷺ language and the Qur’an remain the benchmark for eloquence and grammatical precision.
وَاللهُ أَعْلَم، وَعِلْمُهُ أَحْكَم!
