According to rahyafte (the missionaries and converts website): I take great pride today to be in your service to discuss the Quran. In truth, my personal experience with the Quran is what ultimately led me to embrace Islam. It is a great honor for me to speak about the Quran, especially to non-Muslims, with the hope of introducing them to it and helping them understand some of the experiences and feelings I had while engaging with the Quran.
Dr. Fethullah Bistoni, translator
See the Persian text here
I was an American, perhaps what you could call a traditional American, with a Christian background that I held dear. That was the time when I began studying and researching about Islam.
One of the aspects of the Quran that deeply influenced me was its emphasis on protection. If we want to talk about the following issues, and if we want to agree on believing in God and following His guidance, even if we accept the truth and concept of revelation from God and if we want to be followers of this revelation, then one of the first and most important issues is that we must have solid evidence that this revelation is indeed protected from its original source.
It is not reasonable to claim that we follow the revelation of God when we know that what we have might not be adequately protected or even have strong reasons to believe that this protection has not been done correctly.
Therefore, one of the first aspects that caught my attention and earned my respect for the Quran was its preservation. The Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) over a period of 23 years, and he conveyed it to his followers. Since then, it has been preserved until today
. As a non-Muslim reading about Islam, I was amazed by the numerous non-Muslims who acknowledged and accepted that the Quran we have today is the same that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Many of these non-Muslims did not even show courtesy in their writings towards Islam.
This fact was crucial to me as I had studied the history of the Bible before. However, I do not intend to discuss the details of such matters; I can only say that the history of the Quran is completely different from that of the Bible. From the very early days, the Quran was recognized, defined, and protected. It was not even interpreted or examined until two or three centuries after the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
This aspect, too, grabbed my attention and had immense significance for me. If we intend to follow something that comes from God, we must be certain of its source.
Jamal – An Invitation to Contemplate and Reason
With respect to the teachings of the Quran, one of its aspects is inviting people to contemplate and reason. The same thing that in the view of Muslim scholars is a natural inclination for humans, for it is the nature with which humans have been created. Hence, God calls you to contemplate on His creation and other matters.
This invitation, discussion, and its result lead to reaching the truth, a truth that worshipping one God is a rightful act. In Islam, there is no belief without evidence. The Islamic definition of faith, from both Islamic and Quranic perspectives, is not to believe in something that cannot be proved. This is not the Quranic way. The Quran calls people to a truth that they can understand, a truth that is comprehensible. As I mentioned, Muslim scientists describe this truth as something that is inherent in human nature. It is a truth to which the soul inclines.
This is a Muslim belief that the Quran continuously invites people to contemplate, reason, and discuss. Even about the Quran itself, God raises discussions to demonstrate the authenticity of the Quran. This was another aspect that captured my attention at that time.
Another interesting point for me at that time was the differences between the Quran and the Bible. I do not intend to criticize the Bible, Christianity, Judaism, or any other thing. However, since I have been asked to speak about the Quran and this is my personal experience,
I feel this is the best way for me to express myself.
When I was a non-Muslim, most of the books I read about Islam were written by non-Muslims. They claimed that most of the Quranic content was taken from the Bible or stolen from Jews whom Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) knew. But another aspect that had an impact on me was the differences between the Quran and the Bible.
For example, I want to emphasize the issue of God’s existence. The entire Quran is about God. If you think about God and His attributes and the related matters as explained by the Quran, you will form a clear image of the One you worship.
You will also have a clear image of the greatness and highness of the object of this worship. Furthermore, when you compare the Torah and the Quran, you will not find similar content in the Quran. There is no mention of God walking in the Garden searching for Adam (peace be upon him), as found in the Bible. You will not find such a scene in the Quran.
As I said, the teachings of the Quran demonstrate God’s attributes and greatness to you. You will not find similar stories like Jacob (peace be upon him) wrestling with God or overcoming God. You will not find such content in the Quran as found in the Old Testament.
This was another aspect that caught my attention at the time. Another interesting aspect for me was that some teachings in the Quran seemed to be copied from the Bible. One such example is the story of Adam and Eve. You find that they were told not to eat from the tree, but the Quran does not say that the tree was the tree of knowledge. It does not suggest that if they ate from that tree, they would compete with God. It just says they were prohibited from eating from that tree, but they disobeyed and ate from it. Then God went to them and spoke to them, teaching them words to repent. This is similar to what is found in the Bible.
However, you will not find God walking in paradise and searching for Adam (peace be upon him), as it is mentioned in the Bible. You will not find such a narrative in the Quran.
As I said, the teachings of the Quran about God demonstrate His attributes and greatness to you. You will not find similar stories in the Quran as you can find in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. Another crucial aspect for me was that the Quran does not claim that God repents from a mistake He made Himself. You will find such content in the Torah, specifically in the Book of Exodus (Shemot).
