“The greatest among Muhammad’s enemies feared that the Qur’an would have a strong effect on them, while they preferred lack of faith to faith and aberration to right guidance. Thus, they agreed not to listen to this Qur’an. They knew that everyone listening was moved by its solemn expressive force that exceeded human strength. They saw that the people – even great personalities, the notables and mighty – one after another believed it, that Islam grew stronger, that the faithful became more numerous, polytheism became weaker, and their supporters became less.”

Abu Zahra, quoted in N. Kermani’s ‘The Aesthetic Reception of the Qur’an as Reflected in Early Muslim History’