· Among the names of the Holy Qur’an are: the Book, the Remembrance, the Criterion. It is described as: light, evidence, guidance, healing, mercy, admonition, bearer of good tidings, warner, and blessed. ·
The
Qur’an was sent down at intervals over twenty-three years with the wisdom of:
matching with events and gradual legislation, facilitating its recitation and
understanding, making firm the Messenger’s heart and making Muslims patient in
enduring torture and hardships, and displaying the challenge and inimitability
in its integration and coherence despite being sent down in parts.[4] ·
The
ways of revelation: a) Through Gabriel, who brought it to the Prophet
(peace be upon him) appearing in a human form, or with the sound of a ringing
bell (i.e. similar to). b) Without mediator like a true vision while
sleeping.[5] ·
Stages
of collecting the Qur’an: a) Verses were in the heart of the Prophet who recited and taught them to the Companions as soon as they were revealed. b) Under the command of the Prophet, once the revelation was sent down, it was written and read in front of the him. c) After the martyrdom of many of those who learnt the Qur’an by heart in the apostasy war, Abu Bakr, with the consultation of `Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, commanded the collection of all written and oral Qur’anic texts, including the seven Arabic readings (as admitted by the Prophet). d) Abu Bakr’s copy of the Qur’an was transferred to `Umar then to Hafsah, `Umar’s daughter. With the advent of `Uthman Ibn `Affan, he kept Hafsah’s copy of the Qur’an confining its reciting to one reading; that of the Quraysh tribe, and burned all the other copies, thereby uprooting all tendencies of dispute among Muslims.
Evidence of the Qur'an and Sunnah
The names of the Qur’an:
Allah
says:
]الم. ذَلِكَ
الْكِتَابُ
لاَ رَيْبَ
فِيهِ هُدًى
لِّلْمُتَّقِين[
This means:
“Alif-Lam-Mim.
(These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur'an and none but Allah
(Alone) knows their meanings.). This is the Book (the Qur'an), whereof there
is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious and
righteous persons who fear Allah much).” (2, Al-Baqarah: 1 - 2)
Allah
says:
]إِنَّا
نَحْنُ
نَزَّلْنَا
الذِّكْرَ
وَإِنَّا
لَهُ
لَحَافِظُون[
This means: “Surely We,
even We, have been sending down the Remembrance and surely We are indeed
Preservers of it.” (15, Al-Hijr: 9)
Allah
says:
]َتبَارَكَ
الَّذِي
نَزَّلَ
الْفُرْقَانَ
عَلَى
عَبْدِهِ
لِيَكُونَ
لِلْعَالَمِينَ
نَذِيرًا[
The
attributes of the Qur’an:
Allah
says:
]قَدْ
جَاءكُم
بُرْهَانٌ
مِّن
رَّبِّكُمْ
وَأَنزَلْنَا
إِلَيْكُمْ
نُورًا
مُّبِينًا[
This
means: “Verily, there has come to you a convincing proof (Prophet Muhammad
SAW)
from your Lord, and We sent down to you a manifest light (this Qur'an).”
(4, An-Nisa’: 174)
Allah
says:
]يَا
أَيُّهَا
النَّاسُ
قَدْ
جَاءتْكُم
مَّوْعِظَةٌ
مِّن
رَّبِّكُمْ
وَشِفَاء
لِّمَا فِي
الصُّدُورِ
وَهُدًى
وَرَحْمَةٌ
لِّلْمُؤْمِنِين[
This
means: “O mankind! There has come to you an admonition from your Lord
(i.e. the Qur'an, ordering all that is good and forbidding all that is
evil), and a healing for that (disease of ignorance, doubt, hypocrisy and
differences, etc.) in your breasts, - a guidance and a mercy (explaining
lawful and unlawful things, etc.) for the believers.” (10, Yunus: 57)
Allah
says:
]إِنَّا
أَرْسَلْنَاكَ
بِالْحَقِّ
بَشِيرًا
وَنَذِيرًا
وَلاَ
تُسْأَلُ
عَنْ
أَصْحَابِ
الْجَحِيمِ[
This means: “Verily, We
have sent you (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) with the truth (Islam), a
bringer of glad tidings (for those who believe in what you brought, that
they will enter Paradise) and a warner (for those who disbelieve in what you
brought, they will enter the Hell-fire). And you will not be asked about the
dwellers of the blazing Fire.”
Allah
says:
]كِتَابٌ
أَنزَلْنَاهُ
إِلَيْكَ
مُبَارَكٌ
لِّيَدَّبَّرُوا
آيَاتِهِ
وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ
أُوْلُوا
الأْلْبَابِ[
This means: “(This is) a Book (the Qur'an)
which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over
its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember.” (38, Sad: 29)
The wisdom of revealing the Qur’an at intervals:
Allah
says:
]وَقَالَ
الَّذِينَ
كَفَرُوا
لَوْلا
نُزِّلَ
عَلَيْهِ
الْقُرْآنُ
جُمْلَةً
وَاحِدَةً
كَذَلِكَ
لِنُثَبِّتَ
بِهِ
فُؤَادَكَ
وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ
تَرْتِيلاً[ (الفرقان:
32)
This
means: “And those who disbelieve say: "Why is not the Qur'an revealed
to him all at once?" Thus (it is sent down in parts), that We may
strengthen your heart thereby. And We have revealed it to you gradually, in
stages. (It was revealed to the Prophet
SAW in 23 years.)”
The ways of revelation:
Allah
says:
]وَمَا
كَانَ
لِبَشَرٍ
أَن
يُكَلِّمَهُ
اللَّهُ
إِلا
وَحْيًا أَوْ
مِن وَرَاء
حِجَابٍ أَوْ
يُرْسِل
رَسُولا
فَيُوحِيَ
بِإِذْنِهِ
مَا يَشَاء
إِنَّهُ
عَلِيٌّ
حَكِيمٌ[
This
means: “It is not given to any human being that Allah should speak to him
unless (it be) by Inspiration, or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a
Messenger to reveal what He wills by His Leave. Verily, He is Most High,
Most Wise.” (42, Ash-Shura: 51)
*
Al-Harith Ibn Hisham narrated that he asked Allah’s Prophet (peace be upon
him), ‘O Allah's Prophet! How is the Divine Inspiration revealed to
you?’ Allah's Prophet (peace be upon him) replied,
‘Sometimes it is (revealed) like the ringing of a bell, this form of
Inspiration is the hardest of all and then this state 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 what he says.’”
(Reported
by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) |