KHUTAB III - 36. THE STAGES OF THE REVELATION OF THE QUR’ĀN AND THEIR MAIN OBJECTIVES

36. THE STAGES OF THE REVELATION OF THE QUR’ĀN

 AND THEIR MAIN OBJECTIVES

The stages of the revelation of the Qur’ān is one of the sciences of the Qur’ān. These sciences deal with the Qur’ān which facilitate the researcher to understand it correctly and to reveal its secrets and meanings. They are divided into two categories: (a) Sciences dealing with the history of the Qur’ān, such as its revelation, أَسْبَابُ النُّزُوْل (asbāb al-nuzūl, events that lead to the revelation of the verses of the Qur’ān), its compilation, its variant readings, itsنَاسِخ  (nāsikh, abrogating) and مَنْسُوْخ (mansūkh, abrogated); (b) Sciences as a means to understand the Qur’ān properly, such as, عُلُوْمُ اللُّغَة (‘ulūm al-lughah, Arabic language sciences), الإعْجَاز )al-i‘jāz, inimitability or wondrous nature of the Qur’ān),المُحْكَم  (al-muh.kam, precise, clear) and المُتَشَابِه (mutashābih, ambiguous expressions in the Qur’ān), and  الغَرِيْب(al-gharīb, uncommon words in the Qur’ān). All these sciences require understanding the history of the Arabs, their culture and social condition at the time of the revelation of the Qur’ān, because it was revealed in their language, clear Arabic. 

          The number of Sciences of the Qur’ān according to al-Zarkashī and al-Suyūt.ī is as follows:

          Al-Zarkashī (d. 794/1392) in his work al-Burhān fī ‘Ulūm al-Qur’ān (the Evidence in the Sciences of the Qur’ān) mentions forty-seven sciences, starting with the asbāb al-nuzūl, whereas al-Suyūt.ī in his work al-Itqān fī ‘Ulūm al-Qur’ān (the Perfection in the Sciences of the Qur’ān) elaborates and puts it into eighty sciences, starting with al-Makkī wa ’l-Madanī (Makkan and Medinan verses and sūrahs), and putting asbāb al-nuzūl number nine.

          Among the sciences of the Qur’ān are as follows: (1) the first verse revealed, (2) the last verse revealed, (3) verses revealed repeatedly (4) the names of the Qur’ān and its sūrahs (5) how it was revealed (6) how it was collected and arranged (7) the number of its sūrahs, verses, words and letters, (8) إعْجَازُ اْلقُرْآن (i‘jāz al-Qur’ān, inimitability of the Qur’ān), (9)الْوُجُوْهُ وَالنَّظَائِر , (al-wujūh wa ‘l-naz.ā’ir,  homonyms and synonyms), (10) مَعْرِفَةُ إعْرَابِهِ (ma‘rifat i‘rābihī, knowing its desinential inflection), (11) أَمْثاَل   (amthāl, parables) of the Qur’ān, (12)أَقْسَام  (aqsām, oaths) of the Qur’ān (13)  تَفْسِيْر  (tafsīr) andتَأْوِيْل  (ta’wīl) (commentary) of the Qur’ān, and (14)طَبقاَتُ الْمُفَسِّرِيْن  (t.abaqāt al-mufassirīn, the biographical dictionary of commentators of the Qur’ān).

            The Qur’ān was revealed to Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. in three stages, as follows:

a.    The first stage

The first stage lasted about four or five years, starting from the first revelation, namely, sūrat al-‘Alaq, verse 1 till verse 5, which started with the injunction of reading, إقرأ (iqra’, read!). At the early period of this stage the prophet still a prophet until he was ordered by Allah to convey the message to his close associates and near kindred secretly. His wife Khadījah, his cousin ‘Ali r.a. and his close associate Abu Bakr became Muslims. Then he was ordered to call people to Islam openly when it was revealed to him,

يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ.  قُمْ فَأَنْذِرْ. وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ. وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ. وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ.

  وَلَا تَمْنُنْ تَسْتَكْثِرُ. وَلِرَبِّكَ فَاصْبِرْ  (المدثر : ١-٧)

O you who covers himelf [with a garment]. Arise and warn. And your Lord glorify. And your clothing purify. And uncleanness [i.e., the idols] avoid. And do not confer favour to acquire more.

But for your Lord be patient. (Q. 74:1-7).

At this stage the Qur’ānic verses revealed to him contained (1) spiritual instruction from Allah, (2) basic understandings of Allah and His attributes and deeds, and (3) the fundamental Islamic morality and the response to the pre-Islamic views, such as the following sūrahs: 

أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يُكَذِّبُ بِالدِّينِ. فَذَلِكَ الَّذِي يَدُعُّ الْيَتِيمَ. وَلَا يَحُضُّ

عَلَى طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ. فَوَيْلٌ لِلْمُصَلِّينَ. الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنْ صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ.

الَّذِينَ هُمْ يُرَاءُونَ. وَيَمْنَعُونَ الْمَاعُونَ. (الماعون :  ١-٧).

Have you seen the one who denies the Recompense?

 For that is the one who drives away the orphan. And does

 not encourage the feeding of the poor. So woe to those

who pray. [But]  who are heedless of their prayer—

Those who make  a show [of their deeds].

And withhold [simple] assistance.  

(Q. 107:1-7)

Those who are heedless of their prayers are the hypocrites when no one sees them.

 أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ. حَتَّى زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ. كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ. ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ

 تَعْلَمُونَ. كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ الْيَقِينِ. لَتَرَوُنَّ الْجَحِيمَ. ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ.

 ثُمَّ لَتُسْأَلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعِيمِ. (التكاثر: ١-٨ )

Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you. Until you visit

 the graveyards. No! You are going to know. Then, no! You are

 going to know No! If only you knew with knowledge of certainty.

 You will surely see the Hellfire.Then you will surely see it

 with the eye of certainty. They you will surely be asked

 that Day about pleasure.  (Q. 102:1-8).

    The expression “visiting the graveyards” means being dead and stayed temporarily in the grave until the Judgment day, where the person who was busy with competition to increase his worldly things will know that there is Hellfire. This is called  عِلْمُ الْيَقِينِ, “knowledge of certainty” (Pickthall, “a sure knowledge”; A.Y. Ali, “certainty of mind”; Asad, “an understanding [born] of certainty”). When he sees the Hellfire with his own eyes, this is called عَيْنُ الْيَقِينِ, “the eye of certainty”  (Pickthall, “sure vision”; A.Y. Ali, “certainty of sight”; Asad, “the eye of certainty”). This is the higher and the second level of certainty, namely, “seeing is believing”. When the person enters the Hellfire and feels the pain, then this is the highest and the third level of certainty,  حَقُّ الْيَقِينِ “the truth of certainty” (Pickthall, “absolute truth”; A.Y. Ali, “assured certainty”; Asad, “truth absolute”) as mentioned in the verse وَإِنَّهُ لَحَقُّ الْيَقِينِ (الحاقة : ٥١) “And indeed, it is the truth of certainty” (Q. 69:51). Another example of these three levels of certainty is knowing that honey is sweet, seeing honey and tasting it. In the last verse it is stated that in the Hereafter they will be accounted for the comfort of their worldly life, whether they are grateful to Allah for His blessings or not.

    The reaction of people was that the majority of them rejected the Prophet’s call for Islam. The main reasons were:

(1) Ignorance. They could not accept worshiping the One God, Allah. Instead, they worshiped idols, as mentioned in the Qur’ān. Allah said,

أَمِ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ آلِهَةً قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ هَذَا ذِكْرُ مَنْ مَعِيَ وَذِكْرُ مَنْ قَبْلِي بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ الْحَقَّ فَهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ (الأنبياء , ٢٤)

Or have they taken gods besides Him? Say, [O Muhammad], “Produce your proof. This [Qur’ān] is the massage for those with me and the message of those before me.”[i.e., to call for the worship of

Allah alone]. But most of them do not know the truth,

 so they are turning away.  (Q. 21:24).

(2) Attachment to tradition. They did not want make any change in their belief, as mentioned in the Qur’ān, as follows:

بَلْ قَالُوا إِنَّا وَجَدْنَا آَبَاءَنَا عَلَى أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَى آَثَارِهِمْ مُهْتَدُونَ.

وَكَذَلِكَ مَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَا

 إِنَّا وَجَدْنَا آَبَاءَنَا عَلَى أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَى آَثَارِهِمْ مُقْتَدُونَ.

 (الزخرف  : ٢٢-٢٣)

Nay, but they say, “Behold, We found our forefathers agreed on  

What  to believe—and, verily, it is in their footsteps that we find  

our guidance.” And thus it is: whenever We sent before thy time,

 a warner to any community, those of its people who had lost

 themselves entirely in the pursuit of pleasures would always

 say “Behold, we found our forefathers agreed on what to

 believe – and verily, it is but in their footsteps that

 we follow!”(Q. 43:22-23, Asad)

(3) Envy and arrogance. One of the archenemy of the Prophet was Abū Sufyān. Although he was one of the leaders of the Quraysh tribe, but instead of belonging to Banī Hāshim’s clan he belonged to Banī Umayyah clan. He said,    لو نال بني هاشم فضل النبوة ماذا بقي لنا؟ “If the Ban īHāshim clan has got the superiority in the prophethood, what then would remain for us?”

b. The Second Stage

          This stage lasted from eight to nine years. This was the period of struggle between Islam and the Jāhiliyyah, the Muslims and the Makkan non-believers who wanted to suppress the Muslims through threat, intimidation and persecution, so that they migrated to Ethiopia. It was in this period the following verse was revealed,

ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ. (النحل : ١٢٥)

Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching;

 and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious; for thy

 Lord knoweth best who have strayed from His Path and who

receive guidance. (Q. 16:125, Ali)

Allah threatened the Makkan idolaters with punishment for their disbelief as He did with the ‘Ād and Thamūd tribes in many verses, such as the following verses,

وَأَنَّهُ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا الْأُولَى. وَثَمُودَ فَمَا أَبْقَى. وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ مِنْ قَبْلُ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا هُمْ أَظْلَمَ وَأَطْغَى.

 وَالْمُؤْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَى. فَغَشَّاهَا مَا غَشَّى. فَبِأَيِّ آَلَاءِ رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَى .(النجم  : ٥٠-٥٦)

And that it is He (Allah) Who destroyed the former ‘Ād (people).

And Thamūd (people): He spared none of them. And the people of Nūh.

(Noah) a foretime. Verily, they were more unjust and more rebellious  

and transgressing [in disobeying Allah and His Messenger Nūh.], and

He destroyed the overthrown cities [of Sodom to which Prophet Lūt. 

(Lot) was sent]. So there covered them that which did cover [i.e.

 torment with stones]. Then which of the Graces of your Lord

(O man) will you doubt? This (Muhammad) is a warner

 (messenger) of the (series of) warners

 (messengers) of old. (Q. 53:50-56)

(For more examples, see Q.  46:21-5, 53:51)

c. The Third Stage

     This last stage lasted for about ten years, after the Prophet’s migration to Medinah. The verses revealed at this stage dealt with the laws and the establishment of the Muslim community, its relationship with the People of the Book (the Jewish people of Medinah), and the hypocrites in that city. The verses are generally long, explaining many precepts and advice to be followed. As the hypocrites caused danger to the Muslims their characteristics were elaborately explained in the Qur’ān. They were more dangerous to the Muslims than the Makkan idolaters, as they behave like Muslims. Their identity was not revealed, although they were known through their behaviour. The Prophet treated them like Muslims, and did not attack them, so that people would not accuse him for killing his own followers. Their identity was revealed only by the Prophet before his death, but only to Khudhayfah al-Yamānī, so that the Muslims would not pray funeral prayer on them. Moreover Allah will punish the hypocrites severely in the Hereafter. He says,

 بَشِّرِ الْمُنَافِقِينَ بِأَنَّ لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا  ...  إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ يُخَادِعُونَ اللَّهَ

وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ وَإِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَى يُرَاءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ

إِلَّا قَلِيلًا... إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَلَنْ تَجِدَ لَهُمْ نَصِيرًا.

 (النساء : ١٣٨, ١٤٢, ١٤٥)

Give the hypocrites the tidings that there is for them a painful torment….

Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives

 them. And when they stand up for the prayer, they stand with laziness

 and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little….

Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth (grade) of the Fire;

no helper will you find for them.  (Q. 4: 138, 142 and 145).

Their behaviour is mentioned in detail in sūrat al-Baqarah (chapter 2), verse 8 till 20. There is also a special sūrah in the Qur’ān dealing with them called sūrat al-Munāfiqūn (the hypocrites, chapter 63)

     The invitation to Islam was extended to the People of the Book, (the Jews and the Christians), especially the Jews of Medinah. Allah called them to Islam and argued with them, directly by saying  يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ “O People of the Book”) or indirectly by saying قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ (“Say--O Muhammad--O People of the Book”), mentioned in the Qur’ān at least twelve times. For example,

يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ كَثِيرًا مِمَّا كُنْتُمْ تُخْفُونَ

مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَعْفُو عَنْ كَثِيرٍ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُبِينٌ.... يَا أَهْلَ

الْكِتَابِ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ عَلَى فَتْرَةٍ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ أَنْ تَقُولُوا مَا جَاءَنَا

مِنْ بَشِيرٍ وَلَا نَذِيرٍ فَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ بَشِيرٌ وَنَذِيرٌ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ.

(المائدة : ١٥,١٩)

 O People of the Book (Jews and Christians!) Now has

 come to you Our Messenger (Muhammad) explaining to you

 much of that which you used to hide from the Scripture and pass

 over (i.e. leaving out without explaining) much. Indeed, there has

 come to you from Allah a light (i.e., Prophet Muhammad) and a plain

 Book (this Qur’ān)…. O People of the Book! Now has come to you Our Messenger making (things) clear unto you, after a break in (the series

of) Messengers, lest you say: “There came unto us no bringer of

 glad tidings and no warner.” But now has come unto you

 a bringer of glad tidings and a warner. And Allah

 is Able to do all things.  (Q. 5:15, 19).

     This direct invitation by Allah is a privilege to the People of the Book. The infidels in general and of Makkah in particular had never been addressed by Allah directly as non-believers, except once, and this will take place only in the Hereafter, as follows,

 يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا الْيَوْمَ إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ (التحريم : ٧)

O you who have disbelieved, make no excuse that Day. You will only be recompensed for what you used to do.  (Q. 66:7).

          So far, we have seen that the Qur’ān was revealed in various stages and each stage had its own objectives. (ANUMA, 2 June, 05)