Dr. Mohammad Dawood
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our prophet Muhammad, the mercy of Allah to the worlds.
After this, esteemed scholars,
We are gathered here in this noble scientific event, which responds to the Qur’an by using scientific evidence in dialogue with others. In this scientific event, I present the vocal miracles of the Qur’an. Perhaps it is important to mention the motivation behind this research. I was once in California, where a professor at the University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside) asked me, “Why do you make children struggle with the recitation of the Qur’an in this way? Some recitations are soft, some are majestic, and some are easy for people. What matters are the concepts that the Qur’an brings.”
I answered him, saying, “This is the command of the Creator who revealed this book and instructed us to recite it in the proper manner.” He replied, “That’s your personal belief, but what about those who are not believers in this book? They seek answers that are scientific, because they believe in science.”
I returned to my country, and other scientific matters occupied my mind until I was on a scientific mission in the city of Leeds, Northern England, at the University of Leeds, where the same question came up again: “Why do you spend all this money on children to teach them to recite the Qur’an in this manner?” I hesitated to answer by mentioning the command of the Creator, but he insisted, “I expect a scientific answer from you.” And so began the journey of research, which I will now present to you.
The starting point of this research was a study by a distinguished scholar in the field of language, the late Dr. Abd al-Sabour Shahin, along with Professor Dr. Ali Mousa, a computer science expert. The study, funded by the State of Kuwait, compared the roots of words in the Qur’an with those in the largest Arabic dictionary, Taj al-Arus.
Now, let me share with you the surprising results. The Qur’an specifically chose 15% of the roots of Arabic words, and these are among the easiest to pronounce. Why are they easier? Because the majority of them are based on trilateral roots that are easy to pronounce and easy for people to use in their speech—there’s no difficulty or clashing sounds.
As for the remaining 85%, they remain confined to the dictionaries and are rarely used in everyday speech. The Qur’an took the “sweetest” roots of the Arabic language and gave them eternal testimony—because, after 15 centuries, this is a challenge to all linguists around the world. The Qur’an, alone, preserves this language in a pure, eternal form that has not changed for over 14 centuries, even as Arabs have gone through times of political, military, and scientific decline.
The Qur’an is the secret of the Arabic language’s immortality. It is the source of the greatness and brilliance of the language. Let’s move on to something that will further convince you. This report comes not from us, but from them. I have brought you the document so you can see for yourselves what scholars of the English language, which is now the language of science, economy, and the world, say about the Qur’an’s impact.
They admit that the Qur’an has brought stability to the Arabic language’s sound system, which has not wavered over the centuries. When I recite the Qur’an, following the methodology passed down through generations to us from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), I am mimicking his pronunciation. This is a sacred and accurate transmission of the Qur’an’s sounds, whether it’s the articulation of letters with emphasis or the careful pronunciation of vowels—an unbroken tradition that has preserved the Qur’an as it was revealed.
You see, in contrast to the English language, which has evolved over time and now contains words that even native speakers can’t understand without effort (such as the language of Shakespeare), the Qur’an remains accessible to all who wish to understand it, regardless of how many centuries have passed. This is further proof of the miraculous nature of the Qur’an.
The question is often asked, “Why the recitation in this specific way, with elongations, nasal sounds, and the echoing of certain letters like the mim?” The answer lies in the unique structure of the Qur’an’s phonetics, which attracts the soul, soothes it, and helps one contemplate and understand deeper meanings.
I once had a conversation with someone from America who loved music. She was listening to the recitation of Surah Maryam by Sheikh Muhammad Rifa’i and stopped in awe, not knowing a single word of Arabic. She said, “What is this beautiful music? It soothes the soul.” When she found out it wasn’t music but the Qur’an, she was astounded and sought to learn more about it.
This is just one example of how the Qur’an has this inherent beauty that draws people, even those who don’t understand the language, to it. There are many similar stories from around the world.
In another scientific session, a team of experts used a program designed to measure the harmony of speech sounds and the gaps between them. The result was astounding: when the Qur’an was recited by a professional, such as Sheikh Mahmoud Khalil al-Husari, it showed no gaps in sound. The recitation was perfect in every way, without even the slightest flaw.
This is the greatness and immortality of the Qur’an, measured by scientific standards. The Qur’an’s impact is evident in its sound, its structure, and its ability to resonate with the listener. It is truly a book of miracles, both scientifically and spiritually.
The Qur’an invites us to reflect on these signs. It is not just a book for Muslims, but for all of humanity. It is a message from the Creator, meant for everyone. I urge you to approach the Qur’an with an open heart and an open mind, through the lens of both faith and science.
Thank you, and may peace and blessings be upon you all.