Qur’an Revelation, Collection, Codification, Application

Is Qur’an superior to the Bible? What do Muslims say about the Bible? Let us hear views

Did Muhammad leave a Book? “The Prophet Muhammad did not present to his Companions the revelation collected and arranged in a single written volume. There are a number of good reasons for this” (from ulum al Qur’an by Ahmed von Denffer)

Reasons Because the revelation did not come down in one piece, but at intervals and was received continuously until the end of the Prophet's life. Because some verses were abrogated in the course of revelation, and therefore flexibility needed to be maintained. The ayat and suras were not always revealed in their final order, but were arranged later.

Reasons The Prophet lived only nine days after the last revelation and was severely ill. There was no dispute or friction about the Qur'an during the time of the Prophet, as developed afterwards when he, as the final authority, was no longer available.

Revelation ‘wahy’ Allah spoke the word audibly to Muhammad The word was conveyed to the inner spirit of Muhammad, then he communicated The word came to him through the Angel Gabriel (Surah 26:192 – 195) Classical debate was whether the Qur’an is uncreated or created word by Allah Preserved on a tablet in the seventh heaven

See accompanying notes in Word on how Qur’an was revealed.

Narrated Aisha the mother of the faithful believers: The commencement of the divine inspiration to Allah's apostle was in the form of good dreams which came like bright daylight (i.e. true) and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. Bukhari, I, No. 3;

He used to go in seclusion in the Cave of Hira', where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days before his desire to see his family. He used to take with him food for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food likewise again, till suddenly the truth descended upon him while he was in the Cave of Hira'. Bukhari VI, No. 478

The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet replied 'I do not know how to read'. The Prophet added, 'The angel caught me (forcibly) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, "I do not know how to read". Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read, but again I replied, "I do not know how to read" (or what shall I read?). Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said: "Read, in the name of Your Lord, who created, created man from a clot. Read! And Your Lord is the most bountiful"... Muslim I, No. 301.]

Makkan and Madinan verses The Meccanverses are tolerant towards people of other faiths Madinan surahs and verses are longer, and of legal nature They deal with laws, military affairs, international relations, interfaith relations and general statecraft

Collection Muhammad had secretaries who wrote down verses For example Abdullah ibn Masu’d, Ubayy ibn Ka’b and Zaid ibn Thabit Written on skins, leaves, bones and wood

Codification First codified under the caliphate of Abu Bakr (632 – 634) by Zaid ibn Thabit Second revision and expansion at the direction of Caliph Uthman ibn Affan (644 – 656) by the Zaid Commission which also consisted of, Abdallah ibn al-Zubayr, Saeed ibn al-Aas and Abdur-Rahman ibn Harith ibn Hisham

Collection In the time of the Prophet In the hearts of men (memorization) On writing materials In the time of Abu Bakr In the time of Uthman

Codification Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thakafi (660 – 714) revised Uthman’s version under caliphate of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan ( ) There were several reciters; seven and even up to ten, from various schools of Qira’at

Codification Dots put as syntactical marks by Abu al- Aswad al-Doaly, during the caliphate of Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan (661 – 680) Dotting improved by Nasr ibn Asem and Hayy ibn Ya’amur during the time of Abd al- Malik ibn Marwan (685 – 705) Complete diacritical marks system (damma, fataha, kasrah) was invented by al-Khaleed ibn Ahmad al-Faraheedy (d. 786)

Variant readings Two views 1. The Qur’an came complete from heaven with diacritical marks 2. There are seven possible readings 3. Message and meaning remains the same, but writing style and language development has resulted in variant readings

Causes of variant readings Muhammad said, learn the Qur’an from four individuals: Abdullah ibn Masu’d, Salim the freed slave of Hudhaifa, Ubayy ibn Ka’b and Muadh ibn Jabal – Bukhari vol.5 no.103 Four principal codices existed at the time of Muhammad himself which he seems to have approved

Causes of variant readings Umar heard two people recite the Qur’an differently in the Mosque, but Muhammad commended them both – Bukhari vol.4 no. 514 Doctrine of abrogation (Surah 16:101) explains away variants and contradictions

Conclusion The Qur’an has a history It did not just drop from heaven, neither did Muhammad leave with Muslims a written book The Qur’an went through several revisions The Bible has mss preserved unlike the Qur’an whose mss were burnt!