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evelation 157In describing the revelation of the qur"§n, the text uses the termal-inz§l (anzaln§hu qur"§n an #arabÊy an ), in its 4th verb form, not in the2nd form, that is, it does not say: nazzaln§hu qur"§n an #arabÊy an . If it hadbeen an objective transfer ( al-tanzÊl) of an Arabic qur"§n withoutal-inz§l, without a prior process of transformation into Arabic, itwould imply that Arabic is a nonhuman language, since its existencewould be absolute, self-sufficient, and transcendent. That is, Arabicwould objectively exist, whether in fact used by human beings ornot. Applied to the example of TV transmissions, such a notion ofal-tanzÊl without al-inz§l would allow the possibility that waves, beams,and light particles are ‘Arabic’, since what is being objectively transferredwould be immediately perceptible to the Arabic readers/listeners.But who has ever heard of Arabic waves or Arabicmolecules?The qur"§n was revealed orally. It would have been possible toreveal it in written form (as was done with Moses’ ‘tablets’), 41 but itsdhikr, its format of remembrance, was in oral format which did notallow the unbelievers to touch Allah’s revelation ‘with their hands’and deride its true identity:If We had sent unto you a written (message) on parchment [ fÊ qirã§s in ],so that they could touch it with their hands, the unbelievers wouldhave been sure to say: “This is nothing but obvious magic!” ( Al-An#§m6:7)This implies that today when we touch a copy of the qur"§n, we donot actually touch the qur"§n itself (the latter was revealed in oneimpulse during the night of power and transformed into—oral—Arabic). Instead, we have in front of us a copy of the qur"§n, a parchment(qirã§s) which we can ‘touch with our hands’. Thus, what wetouch is ink on paper, not the qur"§n itself.Should then those ‘who are impure’ be allowed to touch the qur"§nor not?That this is indeed a qur"§n most honourable, * In a book well-guarded,* Which none shall [sic] touch but those who are clean [ al-muãahharån]* a revelation [tanzÊl] from the Lord of the worlds. ( Al-W§qi#a56:77-80)41‘When the anger of Moses was appeased, he took up the tablets; in the writingthereon was guidance and mercy for such as fear their Lord’ ( Al-A#r§f 7:154).