The very first revelation......

Assalamu alaikum warahmathullahi wabaraqathuhu!

We must have been reading the Qur'an for a long time, but how well do we know about the very first wahi (revelation); The Wahi that confirmed the prophethood of Muhammed (sal)?

When the prophet was in the 40th year of his life (i.e 40 years old) he began to go away from his house in the city of Makkah to a cave in the outskirts on top of a mountain called *Hira -(غار حراء Ġār Hirā-cave of Hira / aka Jabal Hira ). He used to take with him food and drink that was required for a few days, After it runs out, he used to come back home and stays for a while,then get more food and go back. This happened for a couple of months.
In the cave, he used to spend time meditating and praying to god in ways he saw fit. Not much is known about what exactly he did but the main idea was to cut off from the society, cleanse his heart and ponder over the purpose of life and worship of Allah.

Around the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal he started receiving another sign. His dreams became true. He would dream about certain incidents that would occur in the future as willed by Allah. This happened for 6 months. And in the month of Ramdhan in one of the odd nights in the last ten 10, he received his very first wahi. (i.e Laylathul Qadr -Night of decree)

He was in the cave meditating as usual when suddenly a strange figure that was emitting light appeared in front of him.The figure came close to him and squeezed him very tightly.Then released him and said إقرا- Iqra! Read!Then the prophet said مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ - ma ane biqari. I do not know how to read! as the prophet was unlettered. Then the figure squeezed him harder and said إقرا the prophet  repeated مَا أَنَا بِقَارِئٍ for the second time. And for the 3rd time the figure squeezed the prophet, released him and said the following verses:

‏اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ - Read in the name of your Lord who created (all that exists)
 خَلَقَ الإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ -Created man from a clot.
 اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الأَكْرَمُ‏‏ ‏-Read! And your Lord is most generous.

(Surah 96 : Al-Alaq)

Upon saying this the figure disappeared.The  prophet was very terrified and went to his house as fast as possible. He went to his wife Khadhija (RA) and said:      
 "‏"‏ زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي Zammilooni, zammilooni- Cover me up! Cover me up! And he said : لَقَدْ خَشِيتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي-lakadh khasheethu ala naf'see- "I fear that something may happen to me"

On hearing this Khadhija (RA) replied:
"Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones."

(Note what a wise and understanding wife Khadhija (RA). May we all learn lessons from it in sha Allah.)

There upon Khadhija (RA) suggested that they go to her cousin Waraqa bin Nawfal who was a very wise man. He was one of the 4 who was searching for the true religion of Ibrahim (A)  . He had accepted Christianity and lived a pious life. He had become very old and was blind. When the prophet narrated the story he became overjoyed as he recognized Muhammed (sal) as the last prophet from the knowledge he gained from the previous scriptures.He said that the figure was "The one who keeps secrets" i.e Angel jibreel, who Allah had sent to Musa (A).  And he also added that he wished that he was young so that he could help the prophet when his people fight against him.

NOTE: Since Waraqa accepted Muhammed(Sal)'s prophethood first  he is considered the first muslim. While Abu Bakar (RA) is the first person who accepted islam upon prophet's invitation.

The prophet asked, "Will they drive me out?"  Then  Waraqa informed that anyone who had ever come with the same message i.e There is no god but Allah has been treated harshly. Further Waraqa added that if he stayed alive till that day he will support the prophet strongly. However after a few days Waraqa died and even wahi stopped for a while.

And then سورة المدثر - surah Mudassir was revealed. Starting with the ayah:

                                           
 يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ
( Oh you who covers himself (in a garment     

NOTE : * Cave Hira is also called as Mountain of light (Jabal Noor) because of the significance of the revelation that occurred in it.

Reference to the revelation can be found in:
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book of revelation, Hadith no : 3

Wahi(revelation)- P1

Assalamu alaikum warahmathullahi wabaraqathuhu!

Most of us know that وحي (wahi) is translated to revelation. But have we ever considered as to how much we know about it? In sha Allah this lessons aims to answer questions like: How wahi occurs?;  How did prophet receive revelation? and so on.

Wahi occurs in two main ways i.e.

1. Without an intermediate 

2. With an intermediate. 
In the 1st type الله communicates directly with His prophets. This occurs either through a dream or الله is behind a curtain . These dreams that the prophets received is different from the dreams of  ordinary human beings like us. As these special dreams indicate to the prophets something they are expected to do or it shows something that will occur in the future.

Examples where Allah communicated through/from:


a) Dreams:

• Prophet إبراهيم  (Ibrahim ; Abraham) got the message to slaughter his son إسماعيل‎ (Ismaeel) in a dream.  
• The prophet  مُحَمَّد (Muhammed) dreamed that he was making tawaf around the  كعبة  (ka'baa)when he was still in Madina(This dream became true after one year).

b)Behind the curtain:

• الله spoke to Prophet موسى‎ (Musa) when he was in the Mount Sinai. (aka طور سيناء‎ Ṭūr Sīnāʼ or جبل موسى Jabal Mūsá)
• الله spoke to Prophet  مُحَمَّد during الإسراء (Isra)- during ascension to heaven.

In the second type الله sends the wahi through the chosen angel i.e.  جبريل (Jibreel (A))

NOTE: It is a must to believe in جبريل (A)as the only chosen angel who was sent to all the prophets. And it is mentioned in Surah Baqara-2 : v 98 :

Whoever is an enemy to Allah and His angels and His messengers and Gabriel and Michael - then indeed, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.

Further it is important to note that no earthly creature has seen Allah including the prophets as we are unable to withstand the sight of the All-Mighty and All-Powerful.It is a blessing preserved for the hereafter for the true believers. As it is mentioned in Surah Al-Ar'raf  -7 : v 143

And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, "My Lord, show me [Yourself] that I may look at You." [ Allah ] said, "You will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me." But when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level, and Moses fell unconscious. And when he awoke, he said, "Exalted are You! I have repented to You, and I am the first of the believers."

Also when the unlettered Prophet(SAL) recited the beautiful verses of the Quran to which most of the people were attracted to, the disbelievers of Makkah called him a magician and they believed that these were in fact revelation from the devil. And Allah responded to this in the Qur'an in Surah Waqia - 56: 79 saying :
None touch it except the purified.
Indicating that جبريل (A) is pure and the Quran is NOT corrupted.

NOTE: The ayah above 56:79 which says :

None touch it except the purified

Most of the people use this ayah to indicate that no one can touch the Quran except the one with wudhu (ablution). But it is important to understand that the word used here is :

 which means "pure" . And this "purity"  is not the type of purity that one can obtain from wudu but it refers to absolute purity,  physically and internally  (which is something no human being can achieve. It is referring to the angels.

Therefore, when Allah says that none shall touch it, it answers the accusation of the people who say that the wahi is from the devil. Moreover the word "it" does not refer to the Mushaf but the Quran in lawhin Mahfooz (Preserved tablet) as mentioned in surah Buruj- 85:22.

Ibn Kathir reported:

عن ابن عباس لاَّ يَمَسُّهُ إِلاَّ ٱلْمُطَهَّرُونَ قال الكتاب الذي في السماء و عن ابن عباس لاَّ يَمَسُّهُ إِلاَّ ٱلْمُطَهَّرُونَ يعني الملائكة

Ibn Abbas said concerning the verse, “None touch it except the purified,” that this refers to the Book in the heavens and “the purified” refers to the angels.

(Reference :Tafsir Ibn Kathir 56:79)

And the same word as shown above i.e. Muthaharoon has been used in another place in the Quran in Surah Abasa- 80:13-15 where Allah says:

[It is recorded] in honored sheets,

Exalted and purified,

[Carried] by the hands of messenger-angels,

Wahi (revelation) -P2

Assalamu alaikum warahmathullahi wabaraqathuhu! 

We know that Jibreel (A) brought wahi from Allah to prophet (SAL) . And in this lesson we will look at the ways in which prophet received them.

In terms of how the Prophet (SAL) received revelation, we note that there are two different modes of revelation as mentioned in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book of Revelations, Hadith No. 2. 

1. Sometimes like a ringing of a bell

2. Sometimes جبريل comes in the form of a man.

Narrated 'Aisha:

(the mother of the faithful believers) Al-Harith bin Hisham asked Allah's Apostle "O Allah's Apostle! How is the Divine Inspiration revealed to you?" Allah's Apostle 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 whatever he says." 

NOTE: The phrase "ringing of a bell" does not indicate the"actual"bell sound but it is a metaphor which is used because of either:
a) The continuity of the sound
b)The direction of the sound of the bell. ( It seems to come from all directions.)
(Reference :Shaykh Anwar Shah Kashmiri's  quote from Shaykh Ibn Arabi)

The exact perception of this state is not possible without actual observation but the Prophet (PBUH) used the simile of ringing bells to bring it as near to the common understanding as possible,’ 
(Source :An Approach to Qur’anic Sciences p.40 cf. Faidh Al-Bari 1/19-20)

Also we have to understand that  "revelation cannot be described in a simple manner" .
(Source:Muhammad Prophet of Our Time, p.49 pub. Harper Press 2006)

 Several ahadith narrate about the various experiences the prophet experienced during revelation.

To the above mentioned hadith عائشة(Aysha (R)) added:Verily I saw the Prophet being inspired Divinely on a very cold day and noticed the Sweat dropping from his forehead (as the Inspiration was over).

Several companions also relate their observations.

• "Whenever a revelation came to him, a sort of rest (immobility) captured him."
• "The load almost broke the leg of the camel with a crack" 
• "Whenever the revelation came, he suffered therefrom and his face darkened. "      (Ibn Hanbal)
•  "Whenever the revelation came to the messenger of God, he was overwhelmed and remained in this state a while as if he was intoxicated."    
• "I saw the Prophet while he was on his camel when a revelation came to him. The camel began to foam with rage and twist its legs to the point that I feared that they would break with a crack. In fact sometimes the camel sat down, but sometimes it would obstinately try to stand, with legs planted like pegs all through the time of revelation, and this lasted until the state (of revelation) vanished, and sweat would fall from him like pearls."                                                (Ibn Sa'd)      
• Zaid Ibn Thabit reports his personal experience of a certain day in the following words: "His leg lay on my thigh and weighed so heavy that I feared that my femur would break with a crack" 
• "The revelation came to him in the coldest day, and when it ceased, the front of the Prophet perspired with (sweat falling as) pearls."                                     
• "Once when the moment (of revelation) arrived, he bent his head inside (a garment?), and, the face of the messenger of God had become red, and he snored; later the state vanished"                                                                          (Bukhari).

NOTE:We have to understand that receiving revelation was not an easy task but the Prophet(SAL) bore it with patience and perseverance.Let us take this deep into our hearts and try our utmost to understand the book of Allah In Sha Allah.

Introduction to Quran-P1

Assalamu alaikum warahmathullahi wabaraqathuhu!

Every religion has its own sacred book and  القرآن - Quran is the Holy scripture of the Muslims. It is the book that contains the principles and laws for the religion Islam. In sha Allah in this lesson we will focus on some more details regarding it.

To begin with, what do you understand from the word القرآن ?
According to most of the scholars the word Quran originates from a 3 letter root. Either    ن ,ر, ق, or   أ , ر, ق .

a) ن ,ر, ق  -   Means to compile (put all together)

b)أ , ر, ق  -   Means to recite.


The most accepted opinion among the scholars is b). The reason is because it shows the oral nature of the Quran i.e.  it has been recited (using the mouth) since the very beginning.(RECALL LESSON 1) It is not mere recitation of something but is the recitation of  '' the book of Allah". The Quran consists of the Arabic speech of Allah which he spoke Himself. Allah revealed the Quran in terms of  words as well as meaning and it  has been preserved till today in the form of a book i.e the مصحف  (‎mus-haf).

 Do you wonder why it is  specifically called as the Arabic speech of Allah ?
This because Allah Himself mentions that the Quran in its originality  is in Arabic in several places in the Quran.
Example :

• "So We have revealed an Arabic Quran to you, in order that you may warn the Mother of the cities (Makkah) and those around it..." ( Surah Ash-shoora- 42:7)
• "We have sent it down as an Arabic Quran so you people may understand / reason" (Surah Yusuf- 12:2)
• "Indeed, We have sent  it  down as an Arabic Quran that you may understand."( Suarh Az- Zukhruf -43:3)
• "[It is] an Arabic Quran, without any deviance that they might become righteous. "( Surah Az-zumar- 39:28)
• "And We certainly know that they say, "It is only a human being who  teaches the prophet." The tongue of the one they refer to is foreign, And this Quran  is in a clear Arabic language."(Surah An-Nahl- 16:103)
• "A Book whose verses have been detailed, an Arabic Quran for a people who know"(Surah Fussilat- 41:3)
• "And thus We have sent it down as an Arabic Quran and have diversified therein the warnings that perhaps they will avoid [sin] or it would cause them remembrance."(Surah Taha- 20:113)
• "In a clear Arabic language."(Surah Ash'Shu'ra- 26:195)

So with this we can conclude that the Quran is:

The Arabic speech of Allah (SWT) that was revealed to Prophet Muhamed(SAL) in both wording and meaning and is preserved in the mus-haf. 

THE WAKE UP MESSAGE!

Assalamu alaikum warahmathullahi wabaraqathuhu!

Have you ever been in a state of confusion regarding your dheen? Have  you ever come across something to which you could not find any answer  to? Have you ever been posed questions that has shaken your Imaan?Well, i believe that "YES" would be the answer to at least one of these questions. But why is it so?!?!

Firstly, I would like to make you aware  about the fact that there are  innumerable people who work very hard just to spread blasphemous and wrong ideas about Islam and confuse the Muslims. They use all means possible to spread such ideas it maybe through a book, YouTube video etc. And sadly most of the Muslims fall into these traps and very unfortunately some of them have even left the fold of Islam. 

The main reason behind this is the lack of علم‎!!! The lack of knowledge!!! Believe me or not, sometimes the non-Muslims tend to know more about Islam that the Muslims themselves. That is how pathetic the situation has become! Therefore I would humbly request everyone who is reading this now  to work hard and educate yourself and share what you gained with others for the betterment of the Ummah, because it it their right to know and your duty to tell.

Understand that You are never too Young or too old to learn about Islam. In fact that is the sole reason why I chose to do the very first series of this course without jumping straight to the tafseer because it's a waste building a tower when the foundation is weak.

Therefore, i urge every Muslim out there to do something that you can to educate yourself and others. This applies to me first and then everyone of you. May Allah open doors for us,(Aameen) for most certainly He is Al- Faththa (The Opener.)


You may refer to :  http://theislamicquest.blogspot.com/2014/05/it-is-not-surprising-to-note-that-each.html

Introduction to Quran -P2

Assalamu alaikum warahmathullahi wabaraqathuhu!

In today's lesson we will address certain points put forward by the disbelievers to confuse the Muslims and the others. And in sha Allah we will try to clear them with the grace of Allah.

Q1. They say the Quran contradicts because although it specifically states that it is in "pure Arabic",(RECALL - Introduction to Quran -P1) it contains non-Arabic words as well.(i.e  a derived word from another language)

We have to understand that once a word is derived (i.e.taken from) another language then  it becomes a part of the language. Let me take a simple example to make this clear, you all must be knowing that the words like coffee , sugar and cotton are words from the English Language. But did you also know that these words were derived from Arabic. For an example.

Coffee was derived from the Arabic word قهوة (Kahwa)

Sugar was derived from the Arabic word سكر (Sukkar)

Cotton was derived from the Arabic word قطن (Kothun)

So we see that it is  illogical  to say that words like coffee,sugar and cotton are not words from English language just because they had been derived from Arabic. In this terms we see that  the argument put forward stating the Quran contradicts is nonsensical . Further, the non-Arabic words used in the Quran  had been derived several centuries before the Quran was revealed,so by the time the wahi came down the derived words had already become a part of Arabic vocabulary which again invalidates the argument put forward.
                                       

 We all know that Muhammed (SAL) is the seal of the prophets and that he is the prophet sent to the whole of humanity unlike the other prophets who were sent only for their community.And that the Quran is the guide book for everyone. However certain disbelievers ask the question:   
                     
Q2  If  the  Prophet (SAL) was sent for all nations as Allah (swt) has clearly told us in the Quran, then how can we understand the ayah where He (swt) says that every messenger was sent with the language of his people? The Prophet (saw)’s language was Arabic and as we know most mankind does not speak this language. Isn't this a contradiction ?

  And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people to state clearly for them, and Allah sends astray [thereby] whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.   (Surah Ibrahim - 14:4)

   It is not a contradiction at all but an illogical statement yet again. 
Firstly , it is not practical for the Quran to be in every languages spoken by people all over the world. Therefore , there has to be only one particular language that has to be chosen in order to communicate with the people. And Allah the All-wise chose Arabic over all the other languages.(Reasons to be explained in an upcoming lesson in sha Allah).
 Secondly, just because  all the people cannot speak Arabic does not mean that nobody has the capability to. i.e.Anyone who sincerely puts his effort can learn. As Allah Himself states in the Quran.
 And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will   remember? (Surah Al -Qamar - 54:17) 
(Source : Quran tafsir - surah Ibrahim by Abdur Raheem As- Saranbi)

Further, Prophet (SAL) was sent to the nation of Arabia so it is necessary that he spoke the language of the  people who lived there. So that the message of Islam would be clear to the people and so that they will understand it properly. As Allah Himself mentions in the Quran.
(Source : Quran tafsir - Tafsir Ibn Abbas )

Indeed, We have made it an Arabic Qur'an that you might understand.(Surah Az-Zukhruf -43:3)

And if We had made it a non-Arabic Qur'an, they would have said, "Why are its verses not explained in detail [in our language]? Is it a foreign [recitation] and an Arab [messenger]?" Say, "It is, for those who believe, a guidance and cure..."(Surah Fussilat - 41:44)

  With this I would also like to add :
Yes it is true that every messenger was sent with the language of his people. And the Prophet (saw) is our Messenger and his language was Arabic. Is this then not a clear indication  that if we are going to be his people, then this needs to be our language as well? Let us understand the importance of learning Arabic in order to study the final message which the Creator has sent for us .



                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                     

Quran: Names & description - P1

Assalamu alaikum warahmathullahi wabaraqathuhu!

Names of Quran 

We all know that the primary name of the final scripture sent to us by Allah is القرآن "Quran" . The word Quran is repeated over 70 times in the Quran. Besides this another name that is frequently used is   الكتاب "Al-Kithaab" .
 (As used in surah baqara: v2)

Al-Kithaab refers to something that which is written and preserved in writing. And the combined usage of both these complementary names i.e.Quran - القرآن ( which is linked to recitation) and Al-Kithaab الكتاب ( The book) shows that the Quran has been preserved in both by recitation and in the mushaf.( Written format). Also, this indicates that Quran is meant to be recited and at the same time meant to be preserved in the hearts of the men by memorization.

Another name of the Quran is الفرقان - Al Furqan. ( As used in Surah Furqan). Furqan in used to describe that which separates the truth from falsehood. Therefore if one studies the Quran then he/she will have a criterion with which he/she can separate the good from the evil.

 الذكر - Az zikr is yet another name used. That is remembrance of Allah in literal sense. Recitation of the Quran and contemplating over it makes one think about the purpose of life as well as the hereafter.

Tanzeel (as in 26:192) is another named used, which indicates something which has come down or which was revealed.

This link gives references to more names:
http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_551_600/names_of_the_qur.htm

Quran: Names & description - P2

Assalamu alaikum warahmathullahi wabaraqathuhu!

Adjectives used to describe the Quran

The Quran has been described using various adjectives in the Quran itself. Knowing these will help us increase in our understanding of the real nature of the Quran.

In the ayah:

 Surah Yunus : 10:57

O mankind, there has to come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers.

 Surah Isra : 17:82

And We send down of the Qur'an that which is healing and mercy for the believers, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss.

 Surah Az- Zumar: 39:23

Allah has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book wherein is reiteration. The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts relax at the remembrance of Allah . ...."

 Surah An-Nisa: 4:174

O mankind, there has come to you a conclusive proof from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear light.

So in the ayahs we see that words like healing, guidance, mercy , best statement and clear light has been used to describe the Quran; which points out to the fact that Quran is nothing but a source of goodness and benefit to mankind. Therefore, let us try our maximum to not only recite the Quran but also to understand it In Sha Allah.

Why learn the Quran?

Assalamu alaikum warahmathullah!

Before we move on to learning the history and the explanation of the surahs in the Quran, it is important for us to understand as to why we need to learn the Quran in the first place , as knowing this will motivate us further into leaning the Quran and also ensure that the ignited light is NOT blown out by the evil efforts of Satan the cursed. And when it comes to motivation what could be better than the words of our beloved Prophet SAL. Thus, let us look at some ahadeedh in relation to this.

All of us want to be best in the sight of Allah SWT, but have we really sat down and given thought to it? Infact, the formula for becoming the best has been beautifully laid down by our Prophet SAL as , “The best of you are the ones who learn the Qur’an and teach it to others” [Al-Bukhari].Further it is narrated in a Hadith in Sahih Muslim where Umar(R) stated that he heard the Prophet SAL saying  "Verily Allah raises some people by this Book(ie the Quran) and lowers others by it.”

Whoever we are,whatever our interests maybe, all of us ultimately have a common goal, and that is JANNAH! And undoubtedly increasing Our knowledge about the the Quran opens up our path to Jannah.The statement of Prophet SAL says “And the Qur’an is a proof for you or against you.” [Muslim].Also Aboo Umaamah relates that the Prophet SAL said: “Read the Qur’an, for verily it will come on the Day of Qiyama as an intercessor for its companions.” [Muslim]. Think about it, imagine having the Speech of Allah as your witness, imagine the Quran interceding on your behalf on a day  when no intercession will take place except by His leave.   
The Prophet said: “The Qur’an is an intercessor, something given permission to intercede, and it is rightfully believed in. Whoever puts it in front of him, it will lead him to Paradise; whoever puts it behind him, it will steer him to the Hellfire.” [An authentic hadith found in At-Tabaraanee, on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood]

In addition to this, it is wonderful to note, how Allah has made our journey of studying the Quran fruitful and rewarding.As an authentic hadith in At-Tirmithee proves: “Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah, he will have a reward. And that reward will be multiplied by ten. I am not saying that “Alif, Laam, Meem” is a letter, rather I am saying that “Alif” is a letter, “laam” is a letter and “meem” is a letter.”  Further we find that the Quran is not only a means of increasing our rank in this world but also in Jannah. ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-’Aas heard the Prophet SAL saying: “It will be said to the companion of the Qur’an: Read and elevate (through the levels of the Paradise) and beautify your voice as you used to do when you were in the dunyaa! For verily, your position in the Paradise will be at the last verse you recite!” [Aboo Daawood and At-Tirmithee ]

We have to understand that all these benefits cannot be attained unless you sincerely commit yourself to the Quran. And this is not merely saying "I love the Quran." Rather your heart must be sincerely attached to the book and your actions must illuminate that. With that let us pray to Allah SWT, that he increases our understanding of the Quran.
O Allah! We ask you, by Your Glorious Speech and the rest of your beautiful Names and Attributes, to make the Qur’an a proof for us! O Allah! Don’t make the Qur’an a proof against us on that Day, and save us from the hellfire! Aameen.

CONCEPT OF REVELATION

Assalamu alaikum warahmathullah!

Under concept of revelation we will be looking at asbab-ul-nuzul  which is translated as  cause of revelation  in English. Firstly we must understand that the exact cause of revelation cannot be known for all the verses as it not possible to make any educated guesses regarding this. The only possible way to know about the cause is when  companions tell us.

However, we have to understand that there could be multiple causes
for revelation. And sometimes we find that one of them is unauthentic while the other is authentic, so we just neglect the one that is not authentic. But sometimes we find a number of incidents that occurred and all of which are claimed to be the cause of revelation of a particular verse.

For an example for the ayah in Surah Noor (24:4-9)
"And for those who accuse their wives, but have no witnesses except themselves, let the witness of one of them be four testimonies (swearing) by Allah that, indeed, he is of the truthful, and the fifth that Allah's curse be upon him if he should be of the liars (against her). But it will avert the punishment from her if she gives four testimonies (swearing) by Allah that indeed he is of the liars, and the fifth (oath) that Allah's wrath be upon her if he was of the truthful."

In terms of this ayah we see that there are two incidents that occurred in a similar time frame, and so the verse came down catering to both of these situations.( *1.Please check the footnote of this lesson for the two incidents)

Furthermore, there are incidents where the same verse is revealed more than once.This is because of the different causes that occurred at different timings.
For an example for the ayah in Surah Al-Tawbah, verse 113
“It’s not possible for the Prophet and the believers that they seek forgiveness for those who are pagans.”
It is reported that this ayah came down for different reasons which took place in different timings.( *2.Please check the footnote of this lesson for the incidents)

Also there are instances where several verses are revealed over a period of time catering a particular incident.
For an example Umm Salamah - the wife of the Prophet PBUH, said “O Messenger of Allah, I see that Allah always mentions men in the Quran, and He never mentions women.”
So in response to this, Allah Almighty revealed a number of verses over a period of time such as
Surah An-Nisa’a: 32,Surah Al-Ahzab: 35, Surah al-`Imran: 195.( *3.Please check the footnote of this lesson for the ayahs)
FOOTNOTES
*1
It is narrated that a certain companion by the name of Helal ibn Umayyah accused his own wife of committing adultery. And the ruling had been up until that time that if you accuse another woman of committing adultery you had better bring four witnesses. If you don’t bring four witnesses, then you are going to be punished for slandering a woman.
But Helal came home one day and he saw– we seek Allah’s refuge- and he saw this evil act and he couldn’t help but say that “O messenger of God. She is my wife and I can’t now go to her now that I have seen her betraying me. I’ve seen her with another man. What do you expect me to do?” And so Allah Almighty revealed in the Quran that those of you who accuse their wives of adultery, they have this option.
So Allah revealed it responding to Helal ibn Umayyah’s dilemma. And the dilemma was as we said that he couldn’t remain married to a woman that he knew was not faithful and disloyal to him. He knows it, he has seen it. And he said “O Messenger of Allah, a man sees his own wife committing an evil act, the act of fornication. Should he go and find four witnesses? This is my wife now, how can I go and find four witnesses?”
And so the Prophet (peace be upon him) couldn’t do anything because there was no revelation revealed, until Allah revealed a verse in the Quran which is verse number 6 of chapter 24 Al-Noor.

We also find that in Sahih Al-Bukhari we learn that another companion, Owaimer Al-Ajlani, also accused his wife, and he came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said the same thing to him, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Oh Owaimer, Allah has revealed verses regarding you", and he recited this verse to him.
*2
It is reported that one incident was when the Prophet PBUH wanted to seek forgiveness for his own mother, and so Allah revealed this verse.
Another incident tells us that the Prophet PBUH wanted to seek forgiveness for his uncle Abu Talib, and so Allah Almighty wanted to reveal this verse, These two incidents are in different time frames.
*3
“..Men will have a reward for what they have done and earned, and women will have a reward for what they have done and earned”.(4:32)

“Believing men and women, pious mean and women, righteous men and women, charity-giving men and women, fasting men and women, patient men and women…” (33:35)

“Never will I allow the work of any of you to go unrewarded, whether they are male or female. You are together members of one another.”(3:195)

Preservation of the Quran P1

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The Quran was first revealed in 610 CE when Prophet Muhammed (sal) was 40 years old. It was not revealed all at once rather it continued coming to him for a period of 23 years both in Makkah and Madina.
We can divide the subject i.e. Preservation of the Quran into 3 parts.

1. During the life time of the Prophet (sal)
2. During the life time of the 1st Caliph Abu Bakr As- Siddiq (R) - 1st writing
3. During the life time of the 4th Caliph Uthman ibn Affan (R) - 2nd writing

In Sha Allah in this series we will look at it in the chronological order.

1. During the life time of the Prophet (sal)

In the beginning when Jibreel (A)  recited the Quran , the prophet tried to repeat word for word in fear that he may forget and in his eagerness  to memorize it fast. But then later he was commanded not to do so. As mentioned in Surah Al-Qiyamah (75: 16- 18)

16. Move not your tongue with it, [O Muhammad], to hasten with recitation of the Qur'an.

17. Indeed, upon Us is its collection [in your heart] and [to make possible] its recitation.
18.So when We have recited it [through Gabriel], then follow its recitation.
Instead he was asked to listen carefully and was ensured that  Allah will make it easy for him to remember effortlessly although he was  unable to read or write.
Prophet (Sal) used various techniques to ensure that the Quran was preserved even during his lifetime. For an example:

• Anyone who entered into the fold of Islam was taught parts of Quran that was to be used in daily prayers.
• The prophet (sal) used to recite various parts of the Quran during congregational prayers, thus muslims used to hear different parts of the Quran daily.
• The prophet (sal) always encouraged the people to memorize and teach the Quran. Eg: He informed that the best of the people were those who learnt the Quran and taught it.
• The Prophet(sal) used to make people who knew to read and write to write down the various sections of the Quran , while he personally supervised them.

In this way the Quran was constantly being learnt and taught. Also, since paper was not available in Arabia at that time, the Quran was written on various materials such as date palm leaves, flat stones , tree barks , wood , dry animal skin , shoulder blades of sheep/camels and so on.

Thus during the lifetime of the Prophet (sal) the Quran was preseved in hearts of the Muslims and was available in various written formats which was owned by different muslims. However, only some companions were able to listen the entire the Quran directly from the prophet since people were accepting Islam at different points.Further, only few had memorized the entire Quran during the lifetime of the prophet  although portions of Quran were memorized by all. 

In addition to this the  Quranic verses were being revealed until a few months before prophet's death. And the companions at that time were more focused more on recording and memorizing it than compiling it in one book. Thus ,the entire Quran was not available as a compiled  book during the life time of prophet(sal).

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Preservation of the Quran P2

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

After the death of Prophet (sal) in 632 CE many groups rebelled against Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. There were some people who refused to pay Zakah to any one other than the prophet (sal). And these people were joined by the hypocrites. Further, the 3rd category consisted of the false prophets and prophetess like Tulayha, Musailimah and Sajjah who tried to change the laws of Islam. Actions were taken against these groups through a series of wars called Riddah (aka wars of Apostasy-(Arabic: حروب الردة)) . 
Note : The wars included the battle of Yamama that was fought against the army of the false prophet Musaylima.

During these wars many of those who has memorized the Quran were martyred. Umar (R) realized that the Quran has to be preserved for the  future generation as eventually all those who had memorized the Quran will die either by martyrdom in battles or naturally. So he suggested to Abu Bakr (R) who was the caliph at that time to compile the Quran into 1 volume. Initially he was hesitant as he feared he was bringing something new to the religion but later after some persuasion from Umar(R) he realized that it would only be completing something that was already started by the prophet and not adding anything new as many parts were already  written down during the prophet's time.

A committee was formed under the leadership of Zaid Ibn Thabith (R). Initially he too refused for the same reasons put forward by Abu Bakr (R) . And he was reported to have said that he would have felt easier to carry a mountain on his shoulder than to undertake such a great responsibility. However, later he realized that Umar(R) was right. Now one might wonder as to why Zaid (R) was chosen for this task out of all the other companions . And the reason for choosing him are as follows:

• He was one of the few who had memorized the entire Quran during the lifetime of prophet.
• He was one of the best reciters.
• He was one of those who the prophet had asked to write down the Quran.
• He was one of the few who was present when prophet recited the whole Quran during the last Ramadhan of prophet's life.

The committee also comprised of around 20-25 other companions who had memorized the Quran. Great care was taken when compiling the Quran. After continuous checking , rechecking and several verification the compilation was finally complete.

This script was kept with the Caliph Abu Bakr untill he died. Then it was transferred to the 2nd caliph Umar(R) who kept it with him until he passed away. It was then turned over to his daughter Hafsa (R) who was also a widow of prophet(sal). This copy of Quran came to be known as Mushaf al Hafsa. She kept it with her in Madina and made it available for anyone who wanted to refer to it.