The Qur'an - Revelation

Quote about what Moses did with his revealed book. (Qur'an 17:2)

"We gave Moses the Book, and made it a guide to the children of Israel." (Qur'an 17:2)

Why was the Qur'an revealed?

-Qur'an was revealed to guide all of humanity, it's the main source of law in Islam -It was needed as the reliable book as other holy scriptures were unreliable, the original message given to vice-regent Adam by God was distorted -The Qur'an is a direct revelation of God -The Qur'an is God's word and is the nearest thing there is to a part of God in the world

Pre-Islamic Arabia

Jahilliyah Period- a period of great ignorance. This was a lawless period, a period of no guidance. Muslims drank alcohol during this period.

Scholar - Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi 2007

"To know him is to know HIM." Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaqoubi 2007

Quote about the verses in the Qur'an (Qur'an 41:3)

"A Book whereof the verses are explained in detail a Qur'an in Arabic, for people who understand." (Qur'an 41:3)

3:164

"Certainly did Allah confer (great) favor upon the believers when He sent among them a messenger from themselves, reicting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the book and wisdon, although they had been before in manifest error." 3:164

Hadith about the revelation of the Qur'an

"God gave me the Qur'an and what is like it from the Wisdom."

Qur'an 81:26

"It is naught but a reminder unto all beings." Qur'an 81:26

Angel Jibril would appear before Prophet Muhammad every time he tried to throw himself off a mountain and say:

"O Muhammad! You are indeed Allah's messenger in truth"

In 611 CE the Prophet Muhammad was meditating in a cave when the Angel Jibril appeared to him. Muhammad could not read but three times Jibril ordered him to 'recite'. Surah 96:1-5

"Proclaim! In the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, who created - created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood. Proclaim! And thy Lord Is Most Bountiful! He who taught (the use of) the pen taught man that which he knew not." Surah 96:1-5

Quote about when the Qur'an was sent down. (Qur'an 2:185)

"Ramadan is the month in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear signs for guidance and judgement between rigjt ans wrong." (Qur'an 2:185)

Ways in which the Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Hadith Al-Bukhari

"Sometimes it is "revealed" like the ringing of a bell, this is the hardest of all, and then it passes off after I have grasped what is inspired. Sometimes the Angel comes in the form of a man and talks to me and I grasp whatever he says."

Clue: Book 2:2

"This a book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those concious of Allah" (2:2)

Angel Jibril told Muhammad that he was to be the messenger of Allah. These revelations continued for the next 23 years and the final verse was: Surah 5:4

"This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion." Surah 5:4

Previous books revealed

According to Islam, there have been several written books of the word of God. -Musa (Moses) was given the Tawrat (Torah- first five -books of the Bible) -Dawud (David) was given the Zabur (Pslams) -Isa (Jesus) was given the Injil ( Gospel) Unfortunately, none were given in such a way that they could not be distorted. Many Muslims believe that the Injil was totally distorted (especially when saying Jesus was God's son) therefore God decided to send his word in such a form that it could never be distorted. To do this he sent Muhammad as he had all the characteristics God wanted in his final messenger. Although Muhammad was highly intelligent, he could not read or write, this meant that God could give Muhammad his word as a dictation which Muhammad could learn by heart and so could not distort it.

Prophet Adam

Adam was the first prophet. His task was to look after the world in the way God wanted it to be looked after. Clearly to do this Adam needed instructions from God and those instructions were given as God's word. Unfortunately, subsequent generations distorted the word and so other messengers had to be given the word again.

What is the night that the prophet had his first revelation know as?

Laylat Al-Qadr (night of power)

What did Hakim and Malik report that the prophet had said?

The Prophet himself instructed, "I have left two things with you which if you hold on to, you shall not be misguided: the Book of God and my example." [Reported by Hakim and Malik]

One holy Book - Kitab

The Qur'an is a book consisting of what God sent down to the Prophet through the Angel Gabriel in the Arabic language that God himself had chosen for revealing His last most comprehensive guidance for human beings. The revelations provide a total world view.

When and where was the Qur'an revealed?

The Qur'an was revealed in 610A.D towards the end of Ramadan, when prophet Muhammad was 40 years old, "the age of complete perfection". The Qur'an came down in a series of revelations which lasted 23 years.

Prophet Muhammad's first revelation

The prophet received his first revelation when he retreated to his place of meditation- a cave called Hira in the Mount An-Nour 2 miles from Mecca. It was on one of the nights during the last 10 days of Ramadan- the holiest tine period in Islam. The angel came to him and said, "Recite". The prophet replied "I cannot recite". The prophet then described how the angel "then took me and squeezed me vehemently and then let me go and repeated the order "Recite". He replied "I cannot recite" the angel then squeezed him again and let him go until he was exhausted saying "Recite". The prophet replied "I cannot recite". The angel then squeezed him for a third time saying: "Proclaim! In the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, who created - created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood. Proclaim! And thy Lord Is Most Bountiful! He who taught (the use of) the pen taught man that which he knew not." Surah 96:1-5. The prophet repeated these verses. He was trembling with fear. After this revelation Muhammad came back to his wife Khadijah, and asked her to cover him until he restored security. When he restored security he told khadijah of the incident that has happened, then she assured him that his experience must have some natural explanation to it. Khadijah then suggested they meet up with her cousin Waraqa, who was a blind old man. He was known for knowledge of previous scriptures. Waraqa was told of the happenings, and suggested Muhammad's experience resembles those of Moses and previous prophets. He also suggested that Muhammad was the chosen messenger of God, however warned Muhammad if people came to know this they would treat him with hostility. This was because the previous prophets were all opposed, however Waraqa said that he'd support Muhammad as long as he lived. A few days after this Waraqa died.

Scholar - Abdul Ala Mawdudi - significance of the Qur'an

We have been commanded to believe in previously revealed Books only in the sense of admitting that, before the Qur'an, God had also sent down books through His Prophets, that they were all from the same God, the God who sent the Qur'an, and the sending of the Qur'an... confrims, restates and completes those divine instructions. (Abdul Ala Mawdudi)

(An-Nisa' 4: 113)

{... and Allah has sent down to you the Book and the wisdom...} (An-Nisa' 4: 113)