Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
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According to Allaah’s statements in His
Book, there were two distinct revelations of the Qur’aan which took
place. It is important that these two revelations be understood in order
to clear up the apparent contradictions in the various terms used in
the Qur’aan and Sunnah to describe the Qur’aan’s revelation. On one
hand, the Qur’aan is referred to as having been revealed in its totality
in Ramadaan or on Laylatul- Qadr, the Night of Decree; while on the
other hand, it is referred to as having been continuously revealed in
segments up until just before the death of the Prophet (sallallaahu
`alayhi wa sallam).
The First Revelation
Allaah caused the Qur’aan to descend from the Protected Tablet (al-Lawh
al- Mahfooth) on which it was written to the lowest heaven. In this
revelation all of the Qur’aan was sent down at one time to a station in
the lowest heaven referred to as “Bayt al-‘Izzah” (The House of Honor or
Power). The blessed night on which this descent took place is called
“Laylatul-Qadr” (The Night of Decree), one of the oddnumbered nights in
the last ten days of the month of Ramadaan. Allaah referred to this
initial revelation as follows:
“Haa Meem. By the Clear Book, verily, I revealed it in a blessed night.” (Soorah ad-Dukhaan 44:1-3.)
“Verily, I revealed it on the Night of Decree.” (Soorah al-Qadr 97:1)
“The month of Ramadaan in which I revealed the Qur’aan as guidance to mankind …” (Soorah al-Baqarah 2:185.)
These verses have to refer to the initial
revelation because it is a known fact that the whole Qur’aan was not
revealed to Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) on a single
night in Ramadaan. Ibn ‘Abbaas stated that the Qur’aan was first
separated from its station in the upper heavens and placed in Bayt
al-‘Izzah in the lowest heaven.[1] One version states that this took
place on the Night of Decree in Ramadaan.[2] Had it been Allaah’s wish,
the Qur’aan could then have been revealed as a whole to the Prophet
(sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) in a single revelation.
This was the method by which all of the
earlier books of revelation were sent down.[3] But, Allaah chose to
divide the revelation into two parts. The first revelation within the
heavens represented an announcement to the inhabitants of the heavens
that the final book of revelation was being sent down upon the last of
the prophets.
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References:
1 Collected by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak,
vol. 2, pp. 665-6, no. 4216. Although the statement was not raised by
Ibn ‘Abbaas to the Prophet (pbuh), it relates to the unseen world and
could not have been made on the basis of reasoning. One of the narrators
in the isnaad, al-A‘mash is reliable, but he is a mudallis, which means
his reports cannot be accepted, unless he explicitly states that he
heard the hadeeth from the person he attributed it to. He didn’t do that
here, so the isnaad is weak.
2 Collected by an-Nasaa’ee in as-Sunan al-Kubraa, vol. 5, p. 7, no.
7991, and by at- Tabaraanee in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabeer. At-Tabaraanee’s
isnaad includes a weak narrator. Nasaa’ee’s narrators are all reliable,
but one of them is al-A‘mash. In this version also, he didn’t explicitly
state that he heard the hadeeth from the person he attributed it to, so
both isnaads are weak. However, an-Nasaa’ee collected two supporting
narrations with authentic isnaads in the same chapter. They both mention
the transferal of the Qur’aan to the lowest heaven during
Laylatul-Qadr, but they don’t mention Bayt al-‘Izzah.
3 As-Suyootee says, “That the previous books were revealed all at once
is well known from the statements of the scholars, such that it may
practically be called ijmaa‘. However, I have seen some prominent
contemporary scholars questioning this position, saying that there is no
evidence for it and that, in fact, they were revealed over a period of
time like the Qur’aan. I say the correct position is the first one.
Among the evidences for that is the verse [32] from Soorah al-Furqaan
[“And those who disbelieve say, ‘Why is the Qur’aan not revealed to him
all at once?’ (It is revealed) thus so I may strengthen your heart by
it, and I have arranged it in right order.”] “Ibn Abee Haatim reports
from Sa‘eed ibn Jubayr who quotes Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Jews said, ‘O
Muhammad, why wasn’t the Qur’aan revealed all at once, as the Torah was
revealed to Moosaa? Then the verse (from Soorah al-Furqaan) was
revealed.” He reported by another isnaad a similar report, except that
the questioners were idolaters. He gathered similar reports on the
authority of Qataadah and as-Suddee. “If you were to say that the
Qur’aan is not explicit on this, and that even if these reports are
authentic, these statements were made by disbelievers, I would reply as
follows:“The fact that Allaah mentioned their objection without
challenging the historical truth of their claim, but instead explained
the wisdom behind (gradual revelation), is an indicator that their
statement was factually correct. If the previous books had been revealed
gradually, it would have been sufficient to refute them by saying that
it was Allaah’s standard practice for the books He revealed to the
previous prophets. That was how He responded to their objection, ‘What
is it with this messenger that he eats food and walks in the markets?’
(25:7) [‘We never sent messengers before you who did not eat food and
walk in the markets.’] (25:20).” Al-Itqaan fee ‘Uloom al-Qur’aan, vol.
1, p. 122.
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