Qurʾānic inimitability (iʿjāz al-Qurʾān) is a fundamental, albeit controversial, topic in classical Islamic thought. Despite playing a major role in the discourse on Muḥammad’s prophethood, Qurʾānic inimitability has triggered various theological and literary debates, with classical scholars proposing different theories to explain the miraculous nature of the Qurʾān. The prevailing argument claims that the degree of eloquence in the Qurʾān is inimitable, although the nature of that eloquence may be disputed. Some minor theories have focused on divine intervention (ṣarfa), the creation of an unprecedented literary genre or legislation presented with the Qurʾān, among other subjects. This thesis investigates the endeavours of classical scholars regarding the inimitability of the Qurʾān, beginning with an examination of early thought on eloquence within philological and literary circles. It then explores early scholarship on Qurʾānic inimitability, including the works of Abū al-Ḥasan al-Rummānī (d. 384/994), Abū Sulaymān al-Khaṭṭābī (d. 388/989), Abū Bakr al-Bāqillānī (d. 403/1013) and al- Muʾayyad bi-Allāh al-Hārūnī (d. 411/1020). The analysis gives special attention to the works of al-Qāḍī ʿAbd al-Jabbār (d. 415/1025) and his theory of linguistic construction (naẓm), as well as al-Sharīf al-Murtaḍā’s (d. 436/1044) theorisation of ṣarfa. It also examines the influence of different theological approaches as well as the intellectual context within which theories on Qurʾānic inimitability flourished. This thesis argues that the literary theory explaining Qurʾānic inimitability initially developed as a literary question, which was then consolidated with various theological concepts, including speech, capability and knowledge. It also argues that the major shifts in the theorisation of Qurʾānic inimitability can be attributed to the differences in intellectual context that generated distinct literary interpretations of the Qurʾān
