If you can ignore the religious significance of the Qur’an for this disscussion. How great is the book in terms of literature. Being no language schollar I am left comparing English translations of the book with other books. It does not seem to me any greater than much earlier Budhist, Hindu or Europan books similarly translated into English.
So as I am sure there are several Arabic readers in this forum, some of whom are not too biassed pro-or-anti Islam, I would like to ask how great the original writing seems to be to you?
Knowing some small amount of Arabic, and having heard and read (if not understood) most of the Qur’an in Arabic, I can say that whoever wrote it was a ridiculously gifted poet, to say the least. Language-wise, it really is as good as they say it is. Here is a transliterated Qur’an, so you can at least get a vague idea of what it’s like without having to read Arabic. Check out surat ash-Shams (my favorite) for an illustration.
I am not sure what you mean with the word “great” in this context.
If you mean “importance” then the most simple answer is that since Al Qur’an is the first book known to be written/composed in the Arabic language, this alone makes it unique enough. Add to this that it has influenced since its composition the development of the language itself, it has then also influenced every other literary and spoken use of the language.
This is of course and extremely simplified, incomplete and very short answer. The study on AQ as text can be approached from several angles, depending your interest.
This already exposes a difficulty regarding your question on the worth of AQ in terms of literary quality. You can not debate on the quality of a text (and especially not one that is written in a dead language) when you can only rely on reading a translation. It is about the same as debating the quality of a light when you are blind.
Add to this that the original intend was for the audience to listen to the text. The first written redactions of AQ were in fact designed to serve merely as a memory guide for the reciter (= to prevent failing of memory and also to remedy the upcoming introductions of differences in the recitations due to dialectical or other foreign language-influence).
Maybe you should go to one of the websites that offer online recitations and listen to the original text to get an impression. It is with texts like these not a necessity that you understand them to get an idea of language, style and quality.
Salaam. A
Arab people used rhymed and rhythmic prosa long before the time of Muhammed. There are an amount of the earlier poems preserved with tales about the Bedouins ( lives, travelling, loves and enemies, tribes and their leaders etc…).
One could easily say that the language holds an invitation to this in its structure itself, which can be one of the reasons why there still is such an admiration for (and use of) poetry and rethoric today.
Al Qur’an thus reflects the language as it was used for recitation, poetry, rethoric and tale-telling in the days of Muhammed. For him it must have come as a natural thing to express himself - and the message he wanted to bring to the audience - with words that he used daily in a style and a use of the language that was familiar and well known.
Using this style of language is most probably the reason (or one of them) why he got criticized and mocked for being " a magician" or " a soothsayer". There was a great admiration and passion for poetry but at the same time there was also wide spread belief in witches and soothsaying. Hence someone who used this type of language to bring a story - and especially one talking about a God and heaven and damnation - would easily be looked at as possessed by one or other “evil spirit”.
Salaam. A
I suppose I’m wondering how the Qur’an rates as a written work of art. Is it that much more elloquent and well written than the Canturbery tails for instance?
Mods please move this to Cafe Society if that is more appropriate.