Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
This comparison confuses mere literary excellence with a miracle that demonstrates prophethood. Not every eloquent speech is a miracle, nor is every eloquent person a prophet. Rather, a miracle is an extraordinary sign by which Allah supports His prophet, accompanied by evidence of his truthfulness. This includes the challenge to produce something comparable and the inability to meet that challenge.
If eloquence alone were evidence of prophethood, then every eloquent writer would have to be a prophet, which is clearly false.
The correct question here is: Did Shakespeare claim prophethood? Did he challenge people to produce something like his words and were they unable to do so? And were the signs of prophethood and characteristics of messengership present in him?
The Qur’an was not merely eloquent Arabic speech. Rather, it was brought by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as a challenge to the Arabs, who were masters of eloquence and expression, to produce something like it.
Allah Almighty says:
“Then let them produce a statement like it, if they are truthful.”
[At-Tur 52:34]
And He says:
“Then produce ten surahs like it.”
[Hud 11:13]
And He says:
“Then produce one surah like it.”
[Al-Baqarah 2:23]
And He says:
“Say: If mankind and the jinn were to come together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce its like, even if they were to support one another.”
[Al-Isra’ 17:88]
This challenge remains, and the Qur’an has been heard by those who agree with it and those who oppose it, by Arabs and non-Arabs alike. Yet throughout the centuries, no book has appeared that matches it in its distinctive characteristics and the combined aspects of its inimitability.
The inimitability of the Qur’an is not limited to the beauty of its words and eloquence of its style. Rather, there are multiple aspects indicating its miraculous nature, including its composition and rhetoric, its reports concerning the unseen, the guidance and legislation it contains, its effect upon hearts, and other aspects mentioned by the scholars.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, explained that the Qur’an’s miraculous sign remains throughout time, that its challenge to mankind and the jinn continues, and that nothing comparable to it has appeared.
Moreover, prophets were not necessarily supported by only one miracle. Multiple signs could appear through them according to what Allah Almighty willed.
No.
It is incorrect to limit the evidence for prophethood to the linguistic inimitability of the Qur’an alone. Rather, numerous proofs were combined in the case of the Prophet ﷺ. Some relate to the Qur’an, others to physical miracles, others to his character and biography, others to the content of his message, and others to his truthfulness, steadfastness, and the support Allah granted him.
Allah supported Moses (peace be upon him) with signs, including the transformation of the staff into a serpent and the splitting of the sea. Allah says:
“So these are two proofs from your Lord to Pharaoh and his chiefs. Indeed, they have been a defiantly disobedient people.”
[Al-Qasas 28:32]
Allah supported Jesus (peace be upon him) with signs, including his speaking while still in the cradle, healing the blind and the leper, and bringing the dead back to life by Allah’s permission.
Our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was also supported with many signs, the greatest of which is the Noble Qur’an. Other miracles were also established for him, including the splitting of the moon, water flowing from between his fingers, the glorification of pebbles in his hand, and others.
However, all these signs merely demonstrate the truthfulness of the messenger in his claim to messengership; they do not mean that the messenger himself deserves worship.
The question, “Why do you not worship Shakespeare?”, is based on a mistaken understanding of Muslim belief.
Muslims do not worship Muhammad ﷺ. Rather, they worship Allah alone and believe in Muhammad ﷺ as a Messenger whom Allah sent to guide humanity.
Allah says:
“Say: I am only a human being like you, to whom it has been revealed that your God is One God.”
[Al-Kahf 18:110]
The Messenger is therefore a servant of Allah and His Messenger. His role is to convey Allah’s message and call people to affirm His oneness and worship Him.
Thus, the flaw in the question becomes clear from the outset: establishing the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ does not mean worshipping him, just as establishing the literary brilliance of a writer does not mean worshipping him.
The evidence for prophethood is not limited to supernatural miracles. One must also consider the messenger’s character, truthfulness, trustworthiness, the content of his call, and its teaching of the oneness of Allah, noble character, and prohibition of polytheism, immorality, and injustice.
A number of people recognized the truthfulness of the Prophet ﷺ through such indications even before considering certain miracles. Among them were Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, Waraqah ibn Nawfal, the Negus, and Heraclius.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah explained that the signs of the prophets’ truthfulness take different forms. Among them is the general approach, concerning the kind of message brought by the messengers, including monotheism and guidance; and the personal approach, concerning the messenger’s truthfulness, trustworthiness, character, and biography.
This was clearly demonstrated in the testimony of those who knew the Prophet ﷺ before his mission, as well as in Heraclius’s questioning of Abu Sufyan about the Prophet ﷺ, his characteristics, and his message, from which Heraclius inferred several signs of truthfulness.
There is no problem in acknowledging that there have been highly accomplished writers in language. Literary excellence itself is not the point of dispute.
What must be established is: Were the characteristics and signs of prophethood combined in Shakespeare?
If someone says yes, then let them provide evidence for his claim to prophethood, his challenge to people, the signs that supported him, his truthfulness and trustworthiness, and the content of his message.
Merely being a brilliant writer does not make someone a prophet, let alone a deity worthy of worship.
The comparison between the Qur’an and the works of writers is therefore an invalid analogy. The issue is not: Who has the most beautiful literary style? Rather, the issue is: Is this speech revelation from Allah, and was its bearer a truthful messenger whom Allah supported with signs?
The Qur’an’s miraculous inimitability does not mean that every eloquent person or writer becomes a prophet, nor does it mean that a prophet is worshipped instead of Allah. The Qur’an came with a miracle and a challenge, and it contains multiple aspects indicating its divine source. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also had numerous other signs of his prophethood, including his biography, character, the content of his message, his miracles, and the support Allah granted him.
As for Shakespeare and other writers, even if we acknowledge their high level of literary achievement, at most this establishes their excellence in literature and language. It does not imply prophethood, let alone divinity.
The Muslim worships Allah alone, believes in Muhammad ﷺ as a servant and Messenger of Allah, and does not worship any human being, book, or created thing.
And Allah knows best.