The Quran

اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحسَنَ الحَديثِ كِتابًا مُتَشابِهًا مَثانِيَ تَقشَعِرُّ مِنهُ جُلودُ الَّذينَ يَخشَونَ رَبَّهُم ثُمَّ تَلينُ جُلودُهُم وَقُلوبُهُم إِلىٰ ذِكرِ اللَّهِ ۚ ذٰلِكَ هُدَى اللَّهِ يَهدي بِهِ مَن يَشاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُضلِلِ اللَّهُ فَما لَهُ مِن هادٍ

Ali Unal

God sends down in parts the best of the words as a Book fully consistent in itself, and whose statements corroborate, expound and refer to one another. The skins of those who stand in awe of their Lord tingle at (the hearing and understanding of) it. Then, their skins and their hearts come to rest in the Remembrance of God (the Qur’ān). This is God’s guidance, by which He guides whomever He wills. And whoever God leads astray, there is no guide for him.¹

Through its style, recitation, the issues it deals with, its promises, and its threats, the Qur’ān causes the person who reads or listens to it to tremble. It arouses in hearts a deep veneration for both itself and its Author – God the Almighty. In addition to this majesty, it is also so sweet that it inspires calm and serenity. It satisfies hearts and minds and solves all intellectual and spiritual problems. So, anyone unprejudiced and who has tendency toward belief in God cannot help but feel struck by the Qur’ān.
Like the Qur’ān and its Author, God’s nearest servants – the Prophets and the saints – also have some sort of majesty and grace, each according to their degree. However, their majesty, which first strikes others about them, envelops a welcoming grace. So, everyone feels awe in their first encounter with a Prophet or a saint, and then it is their grace that attracts them. This perception and feeling which is first struck by the Qur’ān, and our satisfaction with it, is a great favor and guidance of God. One who feels no awe or satisfaction in the face of the Qur’ān is the very one who has lost the innate capacity to believe.