Régis Blachère (1900-1973)

He was one of the most renowned French Orientalists in the 20th century. He was a member of the Arabic Scientific Academy of Damascus. Born in Monrogue, Paris, Blachère learnt Arabic in Casablanca and graduated from the Faculty of Arts, Algeria University in 1922. He was appointed a professor in the Post-Graduate Moroccan Institute of Rabat in 1924-1935. In 1938, he moved to Paris and was appointed a lecturer in the University of Sorbonne. In 1942, he became the headmaster of the Scientific Post-Graduate School. He supervised the French and Arabic versions of the Paris Knowledge Magazine. He wrote many books in French and succeeded to include many of them in the curricula of some French secondary institutes.

From Histoire de la Litterature Arabe:

It is not the word of a poet

“The real and only miracle of the Prophet is that he conveyed to the people a message of matchless literary wonder. Who is that man obligated to fulfill those burdensome missions of carrying the light to the Arabs of Hijâz in the beginnings of the 7th century? Muhammad does not seem in the Qur’an to have been endowed with extraordinary gifts other than the attributes characteristic of a human being.

In the view of his contemporaries among the polytheists, he could not pride himself on being able to dispense with the needs of the ordinary people. He put it with glory that he was no more than a perishable creature: {Say, "I am only a man like you.} [Al-Kahf 110] It is true that he was not given the capability of performing miracles but he was chosen to be a bearer of glad tidings and a warner to the disbelievers. The success of his message lies in its revivalist value and unparalleled form. Therefore, (before the divine revelation) Muhammad had no knowledge of rhetoric or poetry. The narrators of his biography make no mention of his boasting because of that. We indeed doubt as to whether he had previously known the art of rhymed prose or received from heaven the art of composing poetry.

When the polytheists of Makkah described him as a poet and attributed the source of revelation to a famous Jinni, God removed from him this accusation saying: {And We did not give Prophet Muhammad, knowledge of poetry, nor is it befitting for him. It is not but a message and a clear Qur'an to warn whoever is alive and justify the word against the disbelievers.} [Yâ Sîn 69-70] In this way, this divine revelation of miraculous beauty which guides people by virtue of its strong evidence is raised as a phenomenon independent from the art of rhetoric and poetry.”[1]

Nor is it the word of a soothsayer

“Certainly, if there is anything beyond the capacity of translation to perform, it should be nothing but the Qur’an’s clarification, verbal inimitability and rhythmic resonance in the holy verses revealed at that time. The adversaries of Muhammad made a big mistake when they did not like to see in these anything other than chants of sorcery and incantation. Regardless of our knowledge of the prophecies of soothsayers, we could think that their judgment was feeble and groundless. The Qur’anic verses mentioned by Muhammad have of power, affinity and majesty what makes them far transcend the statements of the most eloquent of men which could be recalled through the texts handed down to us.”[2]

A revelation from the Lord of the worlds

“The Qur’an is a miracle not only by its contents and teachings, but also by its being a wonderful literary masterpiece which rises above all human masterpieces. The second caliph, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattâb, a harsh opponent of the new religion in the beginning, turned to be one of the strongest fans and supporters of the religion once he heard a piece of the Qur’an.”[3]

I spent a long time among you before it

“The inimitability lies in the miracle which confirms the claim of Muhammad, who, in his worldly talks, did not rise up to the same level of the majesty of the Qur’an.”[4]

Causes of success

“Many are the factors of the victory achieved by Islam including the Qur’an, the Sunnah, the religious status of Hijâz, the sincere advice, clarification and trustworthiness of the Messenger sent to convey the message revealed to him.”[5]

[1]Régis Blachère, Histoire de la Litterature Arabe, (Arabic translation), 2:14-15.

[2] Ibid. 2:22.

[3] Ibid. 2:104.

[4] Ibid. 2:104.

[5] Ibid. 2:50.

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