Not only is the literary form of the Quran viewed as unique, but its uniqueness is reaffirmed by the combination of inimitable stylistic form with coherence of the overall message. Some might argue that the challenge can never be achieved because it is based upon a subjective criterion, that the author has set a challenge which is based upon aesthetic appreciation. It is equivalent to an artist’s challenge to match his work of art with a more objectively beautiful piece of work. As beauty is ultimately a subjective matter, this could never be achieved. If the Quran were to set a challenge of this nature then its critics would be right in that no amount of Arabic could ultimately disprove the Quran. Although there have been many studies on the depth and beauty of the Qur’anic text, the author of the Quran is not asking to match its beauty. but rather where the author says “bring one chapter like it..” , it is clear from what has been mentioned earlier, that the challenge is in reference to the structure of the language or literary form. This then would make the challenge an objective one, as its objectivity can be identified in the difference between prose and poetry literary forms.


We may present the basic argument in summary as follows:

1. Any literary form in the Arabic language falls into its known divisions of pros or poetry.
2. Prose and poetry are inside the productive capacity of Arabic language
3. The Qur’anic literary form is unique and does not fit into the known divisions of Arabic language
4. Therefore the Quran is not inside the productive capacity of Arabic language.


Given the truth of the three premises, the conclusion (4) necessarily follows.

The finite letters and grammatical rules are the conditions of the productive capacity of the Arabic language. The Quran does not fall into the given categories of the Arabic language as illustrated above. The Quran functions in a unique literary form and this form has proven inimitable for 1400 years, suggesting that the Qur’anic literary form lies outside the productive capacity of the Arabic language. Hence, there are good reasons to believe that, although the Quran appears naturalistically impossible, given the capacity of the Arabic language, a Supernatural explanation appears most reasonable.

taken from
http://adamdeen.blogspot.com/2008/10...nimitable.html