When the Qur’an wishes to establish its own heavenly nature...

When the Qur’an wishes to establish its own heavenly nature, it draws attention to the fact that although it was revealed over a period of twenty-three years, it is completely uniform and lacking in contradiction. It says: "Do they not reflect on the Qur’an?

if this book were from other than God, they would certainly find much variation and contradiction in it.” (4:82) This verse reminds us that those who deviate from the path of honesty and veracity will naturally fall prey to contradiction in their statements and sayings. The fact that not the slightest trace of contradictoriness can be found in the contents of the Qur’an or unevenness in its style is a shining proof of its truth and veracity.

The Qur’an therefore leaves it to the sound disposition of human beings, untrammeled by all prejudices and pre-existing notions, to recognize this fact and to distinguish truth from falsehood. When we leaf through the history of the Prophet of Islam, we see clearly that his life passed through many different stages. At one time he belonged to a deprived and impoverished minority; at another time, great material facilities and abundant wealth were at his disposal.

At one time, his weakness and isolation and the social boycott imposed upon him were of an intensity sufficient to defeat the most powerful of human beings; at another time, he enjoyed such honor and fame that he counted as the leader of one of the strongest nations of the age. Sometimes he was confronted by the crises of war and all the disorders attending on war; at other times, he lived in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.

We know that the changing conditions of life have a great effect on the way human beings think and relate to each other and to nature. They represent such a dominant factor that they are able to bring about fundamental changes in their attitudes, to the extent that both their inner and outer lives are directly related to the changing nature of the circumstances that surround them.

The changing circumstances specific to each stage in the human being's life create within him a certain way of viewing the world and a certain network of relationships. Among other things, this makes it possible for him to benefit from exceptional circumstances. The positions human beings adopt with respect to all these changing circumstances is by no means uniform.