THE GRADUAL DESCENDING OF THE Qur’an AND THE WISDOM IN THAT The Qur’an used to descend upon the messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) by way of direct revelation from Allah, the Most High, with the angel Jibreel (peace be upon him) as the medium carrying the inspiration. This lasted a period of approximately 23 years. Why this gradual unfolding of the Qur’an? The answer is found in two of its verses. “And those who disbelieve say: ’Why was the Qur’an not revealed to him all at once?’ Thus (it is) that We may strengthen thereby your heart. And We have spaced it distinctly.” {Surat Al-Furqan (Chapter 25), Verse 32} “And (it is) a Qur’an which We have separated (by intervals) that you might recite it to the people over a prolonged period. And We have sent it down progressively.” {Surat Al-Israa’ (Chapter 17), Verse 106} From these two verses, we can now derive some of the wisdom behind the Qur’an being revealed gradually. These include the following. Gradual revelation provided for the solace and comfort of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and partially insulated him from the reoccurring harm that he would have otherwise suffered at the hands of his people. It provided a means for addressing problems as they arose via an ongoing connection to Allah. It allowed for the development of an Islamic nation through gradual legislation, thus minimizing difficult adjustments for the first generation of Muslims by not forcing them to make abrupt changes in their lives. This was particularly important during the early days of the Islamic state. This gradualism is but one of the many aspects of the miraculous nature of the Qur’an. There are parts, such as the beginning of Surat Al-Baqarah (chapter 2), which were revealed in the beginning of the years in the city of Madinah, whereas the last Qur’anic verse revealed, some 10 years later, is also in that same chapter. For this to have occurred and the Qur’an still be void of confusion, discrepancy and incoherence, while still containing delightful wisdom and secrets, is further proof that this book was not the effort of any man and that it could not be produced even if all of humankind united to contribute to its production.
Posted on: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 16:15:50 +0000
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