WILAYAH NEWS VOICE OF THE GLOBAL AWAKENING
Related Articles
## The Revelation of the Holy Qur’an
### The Revelation of the Qur’an Through Divine Inspiration
The Prophet (peace be upon him) received the Holy Qur’an through **revelation (waḥy)**. Since he received divine revelation from a higher source—God, the Exalted—it is commonly said that the Qur’an **“descended”** upon him. The use of the term *descent* indicates the exalted nature of the source with which the Prophet was connected through revelation.
Linguistically, *waḥy* means **communication in secrecy**, that is, a hidden or subtle method of conveying information. The term came to be used for the special manner in which God communicates with His messengers because of the subtle and mysterious nature of this communication, which others cannot perceive.
Revelation was not the means by which only the Seal of the Prophets received the words of God; rather, it was the general method through which prophets communicated with God and received the heavenly scriptures. God informed His Messenger of this in the verse:
> “Indeed, We have revealed to you as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him, and We revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and to Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon…”
> (Qur’an 4:163)
The Qur’an indicates that this hidden, unseen communication between God and His chosen servants occurs in **three forms**:
1. **Inspiration into the heart** – when the meaning is cast into the Prophet’s heart or breathed into his soul in a way that makes him aware that it has come from God.
2. **Speaking from behind a veil** – as when God spoke to Moses from behind the tree and he heard the divine call.
3. **Through an angelic messenger** – when the angel of revelation conveys to the prophet what he has been commanded to deliver, whether appearing in human form or in his angelic form.
These three forms are referred to in the verse:
> “It is not for a human being that God should speak to him except by revelation, or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger who reveals by His permission what He wills. Indeed, He is Most High, Most Wise.”
> (Qur’an 42:51)
Narrations indicate that the revelation through which the final message and the verses of the Qur’an were delivered often occurred **through the mediation of an angel**, while at other times God addressed His servant and Messenger **directly without an intermediary**.
This latter form of revelation had a powerful effect on the Prophet. It is reported that Imam al‑Ṣādiq was asked about the state that would overcome the Prophet during revelation—whether it occurred when Gabriel descended. He replied that it did not occur during Gabriel’s descent but rather **when God addressed the Prophet directly without any intermediary or interpreter**.
—
# The Qur’an Was Revealed Twice
According to a number of scholars, the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet **in two stages**:
1. **A single comprehensive revelation** in which the Qur’an descended all at once in a general sense.
2. **A gradual revelation** in which it descended in detail throughout the period of the Prophet’s mission from his prophethood until his death.
The comprehensive revelation refers to the descent of the divine knowledge and the profound meanings contained in the Qur’an upon the heart of the Prophet so that his soul would be filled with the light of Qur’anic knowledge.
The gradual revelation refers to the descent of the Qur’an **with its specific wording and successive verses** over time.
The comprehensive revelation occurred once because its purpose was to prepare and enlighten the Prophet regarding the message he had been chosen to carry. The gradual revelation occurred over time because its purpose was **to educate and guide the Muslim community**, and such education requires gradual development.
In light of this theory of multiple stages of revelation, we can understand the Qur’anic verses that speak of the Qur’an being revealed **in the month of Ramadan or on the Night of Decree**, such as:
– “The month of Ramadan in which the Qur’an was revealed as guidance for mankind and clear proofs of guidance and the criterion.”
– “Indeed, We revealed it on the Night of Decree.”
– “Indeed, We revealed it on a blessed night.”
The revelation mentioned in these verses refers to **the comprehensive revelation**, not the gradual revelation that lasted more than two decades.
This concept also explains the two stages mentioned in the verse:
> “A Book whose verses were perfected, then explained in detail, from One who is All‑Wise, All‑Aware.”
> (Qur’an 11:1)
This verse indicates two phases in the existence of the Qur’an: the phase of **perfected unity** and the phase of **detailed exposition**, which corresponds to the idea of the Qur’an first descending comprehensively and then gradually.
—
# The Gradual Revelation of the Qur’an
The gradual revelation of the Qur’an continued for **twenty‑three years**, which was the duration of the Prophet’s mission from the time he was sent as a prophet until his death.
The Prophet was appointed at the age of forty. He remained in **Mecca for thirteen years**, receiving revelation there. He then migrated to **Medina**, where he lived for **ten years**, during which the Qur’an continued to be revealed until his death at the age of sixty‑three.
The Qur’an differs from previous heavenly scriptures in that it was revealed **gradually**, and this gradual revelation played a major role in achieving its objectives, ensuring the success of the Islamic mission, and building the Muslim community.
Several points illustrate this:
1. Over the course of twenty‑three years, the Prophet and the Islamic call experienced very different circumstances—periods of hardship and persecution, as well as periods of victory and advancement. An ordinary human being would naturally be affected emotionally by such changing conditions. Yet the Qur’an, revealed throughout these varying circumstances, maintained the same elevated tone and consistency. This is one aspect of its miraculous nature.
2. The gradual revelation served as **continuous spiritual support** for the Prophet. God says:
> “Those who disbelieve say: ‘Why was the Qur’an not revealed to him all at once?’ Thus it was revealed so that We might strengthen your heart thereby, and We have arranged it in proper recitation.”
> (Qur’an 25:32)
Renewed revelation strengthened the Prophet’s heart, reassured him during hardship, and renewed his hope in victory.
3. The Qur’an is not merely a book of instruction like ordinary books; it is a program for **transforming humanity**—transforming minds, souls, and wills, and building a new civilization. Such a transformation cannot occur instantly but must occur gradually. Therefore, the Qur’an was revealed step by step to establish foundations one after another and gradually remove the remnants of pre‑Islamic practices.
For example, the prohibition of **alcohol** was introduced gradually in stages. If the Qur’an had presented all its rulings at once, people might have rejected it, and the profound transformation it achieved in history would not have occurred.
—
# The Causes of Revelation (Asbāb al‑Nuzūl)
### Meaning of the Cause of Revelation
The Qur’an was revealed to guide people, enlighten their minds, and cultivate their spiritual and intellectual lives. At the same time, it addressed the problems that arose during the development of the Islamic mission, answered questions posed to the Prophet, and commented on events occurring in the lives of people.
Accordingly, Qur’anic verses fall into two categories:
1. Verses revealed for guidance and instruction without any specific incident prompting them—such as verses describing the Day of Judgment, Paradise, and Hell.
2. Verses revealed in response to a particular event, question, or situation that occurred during the period of revelation.
These events that prompted the revelation of certain verses are called **the causes of revelation (asbāb al‑nuzūl)**.
Examples include:
– The incident of the hypocrites who built **Masjid al‑Dirār** to cause division among believers, which led to the revelation of the verse:
“Those who built a mosque for harm and disbelief and to divide the believers…”
– The question asked by some People of the Book about **the nature of the soul**, which resulted in the verse:
“Say: The soul is of the command of my Lord, and you have been given only a little knowledge.”
– The case in which Jewish scholars told the Quraysh that they were more rightly guided than the Prophet and his companions, which led to the revelation of the verse:
“Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They believe in sorcery and false gods and say of the disbelievers: ‘These are better guided than the believers.’”
Events like these are considered **causes of revelation** because they occurred during the period of revelation and led to the descent of specific Qur’anic verses.
Historical events of earlier nations mentioned in the Qur’an—such as the story of Joseph—are **not considered causes of revelation**, since they occurred long before the period of revelation.
—
# The Benefit of Knowing the Cause of Revelation
Knowing the cause of revelation greatly helps in understanding a verse and uncovering the subtleties of its wording.
For example, the verse:
> “Indeed, Ṣafā and Marwah are among the symbols of God, so whoever performs pilgrimage or ‘umrah—there is no sin upon him to walk between them.”
> (Qur’an 2:158)
The verse emphasizes that there is **no sin** in walking between Ṣafā and Marwah but does not explicitly state that it is obligatory. Some people misunderstood this and assumed the practice was optional.
However, the reason for revelation clarifies the matter: some Companions hesitated to perform the ritual because it had been practiced in pre‑Islamic times. The verse was therefore revealed to remove their sense of guilt and confirm that the ritual is part of the rites of God.
Thus, knowledge of the cause of revelation explains the wording and prevents misunderstanding.
—
# Multiple Causes and One Revelation (and the Reverse)
Sometimes several incidents occur that lead to the revelation of **a single verse**, meaning the causes are multiple while the revealed text is one.
At other times, **one incident may lead to the revelation of multiple verses** in different places of the Qur’an.
For example, it is reported that Umm Salamah once said to the Prophet that she did not hear women mentioned regarding migration. As a result, the following verses were revealed:
– “Indeed, I do not allow the work of any worker among you to be lost, whether male or female…” (Qur’an 3:195)
– “Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women…” (Qur’an 33:35)
Thus, the **cause was one**, but **the revealed verses were multiple**.
—
# The Principle: The General Wording, Not the Specific Cause
If a verse is revealed for a particular incident but its wording is general, then the ruling applies **to the general wording, not only to the specific cause**.
The cause of revelation merely triggers the revelation; it does not restrict the meaning of the verse.
Thus, although the verse concerning **liʿān** (mutual accusation between spouses) was revealed regarding a specific case, its ruling applies to **all similar cases**.
This principle was affirmed by scholars of Islamic jurisprudence and supported by statements from the Imams of the Ahl al‑Bayt. Imam al‑Bāqir said:
“The Qur’an is living and does not die. The verse is living and does not die. If a verse were only for the people in whose time it was revealed, then the Qur’an would have died when they died. Rather, it continues to apply to those who come after them just as it applied to those before them.”
Similarly, Imam Jaʿfar al‑Ṣādiq said:
“The Qur’an is alive; it does not die. It flows as the night and day flow, and as the sun and moon move. It applies to the last of us just as it applied to the first.”
