Hashim Amir-Ali, The Message of the Qur’an: Presented in Perspective (1974)
Fourteen hundred years ago, in a religio-commercial town, lying between three cultures, there lived an orphan — noble but poor.
Grazing his uncle’s camels, he wondered, and wondered, at Allah’s aunties and man’s egotistic ingratitude.
His goodness brought him riches, trust.
At forty, his concern for his people brought him Divine communion: messages persuading, warning, reassuring, promising, explaining, softly compelling.
This Guidance over twenty-three years, transformed the muriad-tribal Arabs into herald of One Humanity.
These Divine Audiences compiled into 114 Suras, often misrepresented by foes, misunderstood by friends, constitute the Qur’an.
When fully appreciated it will become the Gospel of Man.
1. The above is the preferred answer in one hundred words to the question: What is the Qur’an? Which constituted the Quranic Competition No. 1 sponsored by the Student’s Quran Centre, Shalimar, Hyderabad 4, India, through the Delhi weekly, RADIANCE in its issue of August 29, 1965.
