Page 65 - History of The Quranic Text | Kalamullah.Com

REVELATIONS AND THE PROPHET MUJ:IAMMAD 45

14,,( "~~'!~IT ':G.-'.&TJ ,~ .<'",1' '<-11;" .: ..b.ftf~l=·~~l?~ l.
, ;;:..o-J J, Y"".J(Y)-'J r-~. ~~ ~ . 0 T
"Muhammad isnotthefather if any ifyourmen, but[he is] the Messenger
ifAllah, andthe Seal if the Prophets."
~,J> ~" ...'='.... ;-...
",. ""... ; -:: -- F. .... :::... '¢ '" ,:::-::- ....
~ -rL:J1 ~I (?>Jj I.r-..uj ~ 0"~ 4j\b. ~l ~'jl l.j ,
,.. ....... ....
15,,( (~. --: \. ~I:~
"{~"'---~
"ue have notsentyou but[as a messenger] to all mankind, giving them
glad tidings andwarning them [against sin]; but,,!o~tpeople are n£tm;;are."
...:' .......
-- ...... " ... ., ".. ~
~- ....
/
16~ :~) ~~.J ll...:1:.b.L.'j'l.j ~
"ue have notsentyou butasa mercyfor all worlds."
AsAllah Willed it, so it came to be, that an unlettered shepherd should
carry the burden of receiving, teaching and disseminating a revelation that
was intended to last till the end of history: a heavier responsibility than that
shouldered by all previous messengers combined.

3. Receiving the Revelations

Concerning the revelation of the Qjir'an we find verse 2: 185,
... y,",J.. ........ -:: '" ,::fy. Yo y..,~ ... l _ .-::....... ,........ y.... ,
<.S~I i» ~..,.:,j 0"~ --....>J...A 01~.:raJ1 ~ ~J.)I <.S;JI 0~.J ..,r. ,
, ... ... ...
~ C0lijjTj
"The month ifRamadan in which the Qyr'anwas[first] bestowedfrom on
High asaguidance unto man anda self-evidentproofif that guidance..."

And in verse 97:1,
e > ., .... ... ".... J ....", t J
,,( rG'Y .Ji..iJ I ;;J..J .~ :u:J.rI [:,1 1.
"{~", ,- I.,! fT
"Behold,from on High ue bestowedthis [divine writ] on theNzghtifDestiny."

Over a span of twenty-three years the Qur'an came to be revealed bit-
by-bit according to the impending circumstances. Ibn 'Abbas (d. 68 A.H.),
one of the greatest scholars among the Companions, explains that the Qur'an
was sent in its entirety to the lowest heaven of the world (Bait al-'Izza) in
one night, arriving from there to the earth in stages as necessary,'?
The reception of revelation (wal;y) is outside the realm of the common
person's experiences. For the previous fourteen centuries no true messenger

14 Qur'an 33:40.
15 Qur'an 34:28.
16 Qur'an 21:107.
17 As-SUyU!l, al-Itqiin, i:117.