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The essence of divine revelation
The science of the Quran includes many different and important sciences, in particular, revelation and its sending down. Anyone who does not believe in revelation cannot believe in the revelation of the Quran, since the Quran is one of the types of revelation that were transmitted to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through the angel Jibril (peace be upon him). It is known from the history of Islam that the first revelation to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ came at the age of forty, and it began with a prophetic dream. Then He was inspired to love solitude. He often retired to the cave of Hira, where he worshiped Allah for many nights.
Meanings of the word "wahyu" (وحي)
The lexical meaning of the verb "waha" ( وحي ), whose masdar (verbal name) is the word "wahyu"- indicate, tell secretly, command, subordinate, write to another, send.
In the Quran this word comes in different meanings:
- suggestion;
The Quran says:
وأوحينا إلى أم موسى أن أرضعيه
(meaning): “And We inspired in the heart of mother Musa to breastfeed her son”(Sura Al-Kasas: 7).
- instigation of the devil;
The Quran says:
وإن الشياطين ليوحون إلى أولياهم ليجادلوكم
(meaning): "Indeed, Satan incites his followers (pagans) to quarrel with you, giving false arguments"(Sura Al-An'am, 121).
And as for the Sharia definition of the term “wahyu” (revelation), then this is the teaching by Allah of his chosen slave (prophet, messenger) of various knowledge that He wished to reveal to him secretly.
How the very first revelation was sent down
It is reported in a hadith that the mother of the faithful Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The revelation of revelations to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ began with a prophetic dream. He saw in a dream a radiance like the morning dawn. Then a love of solitude was instilled in him, and he began to retire often in the cave of Hira. There he engaged in the worship of Allah for many nights. Then he returned to Khadija and took everything he needed for a new, similar solitude. This continued until a revelation came to him while he was in the cave of Hira. An angel appeared to him and said:
- Read!
To which he replied:
“Then he took me and squeezed me so that I strained to the limit, and then he released me and again ordered: “Read!” I said: "I can not read!" He squeezed me for the second time so that I again strained to the limit, and then let go and ordered: “Read!”- and I said again: "I can not read!" Then he squeezed me for the third time, and then released and said:
اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ
“Read in the name of your Lord, Who created, created man from a clot! Read, and your Lord is the most generous…”
And after that, Khadija left the house with him and brought him to her cousin Waraqa bin Nawfal bin Asad bin 'Abd al-'Uzza, who converted to Christianity in the era of Jahiliyyah, used the Jewish script for his records and wrote out from the Gospel that was pleasing to Allah. By that time he was already a deep blind old man. Khadija said to him: “O son of my uncle, listen to your nephew!” Varaka asked him: “Oh nephew, what do you see?”- and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ informed him of what he had seen. Waraqa said: “This is the same angel that Allah sent to Musa! Oh, that I was young and could live to the time when your people will drive you out!”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked: “Will they cast me out?” Varaka replied, “Yes, for whenever a person comes with anything like what you brought with you, he is always at enmity. If I live to see this day, I will help you as much as I can!” However, Varaka soon died, and the revelations stopped temporarily.” (Bukhari)
Renewal of revelation
It is reported that Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with both of them), talking about the period of temporary cessation of revelations, said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
بينما أنا أمشى سمعت صوتا من السماء فرفعت بصري فإذا الملك الذى جاء في حراء جالس على كرسي بين السماء والارض ، فرعبت منه فرجعت ، فقلت : زملوني زملوني ، فأنزل الله تعالى عز وجلّ : (يأيها المدثر ، قم فأنظر) الى قوله تعالى والرجز فاهجر) . فحمي الوحي وتواتر)
“One day I was walking along the road and suddenly I heard a voice from the sky. I raised my head and saw the same angel who appeared to me in the cave of Hira, who this time was sitting on a throne between heaven and earth. I was afraid of him, returned home and said: "Shelter me, shelter me!" After which Allah Almighty sent down the verses, which said: "O wrapped up! Rise up and exhort…”. And after that, the revelations resumed with renewed vigor and began to come one after another.”
18:33 2018
Regarding which verse of the Holy Quran was revealed last, there are disagreements between scholars:
1. According to the majority of scholars, the last verse sent down is 281 verses of Surah Al-Baqarah:
“And beware of the punishment of that day [Day of Judgment] in which you will be returned to your lord; then each soul will be fully repaid for what she has gained [for all good and bad deeds], and they will not be oppressed and offended ”(Sura Al-Baqarah, 281).
This is reported by An-Nisa'i from Ibn Abbas and Saeed ibn Jubair (may Allah be pleased with them).
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani writes the following about this: “The most reliable opinion about what was revealed last from the Qur'an is the opinion that it was (verse 281 of Surah Al-Baqarah):
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"And beware of the punishment of that day..."(Sura Al-Baqara, 281)." ("Fath Al-Bari").
In the interpretation of this verse, Muhammad Ali As-Sabuni also writes in the book Safwat at-tafasir: “This verse is the last that was sent down from the Qur'an. After it was sent down, the revelation (wahyu) was completely stopped. In it, Allah Almighty reminds His servants of that difficult and difficult day (Day of Judgment).
Ibn Kathir said: "This verse is the last that was sent down from the Holy Quran. After this verse was sent down, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) lived in this World for only nine days, after which he went to Allah Almighty "".
2. In accordance with another opinion, this was 278 verses of Surah Al-Baqarah:
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“O you who believe! Beware of the punishment of Allah (by doing what He has commanded and avoiding what He has forbidden) and leave what is left of riba (growth), if you (truly) believe in Allah Almighty ”(Sura Al-Baqarah, 278).
This is narrated by Imam Bukhari from Abdullah Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them).
3. There is another opinion that it was 282 verses of Surah Al-Baqara:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا تَدَايَنْتُمْ بِدَيْنٍ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمّىً فَاكْتُبُوهُ وَلْيَكْتُبْ بَيْنَكُمْ كَاتِبٌ بِالْعَدْلِ ... البقرة :282
“O you who believe! When you give each other a loan for a certain period, then write it down [debt]. And let him write down what is between you in this matter, a just reliable scribe [who does not bow to either side] ... ”(Sura Al-Baqakra, 282).
This was reported by Ibn Jarir from Said ibn Musayyab (may Allah be pleased with him).
However, Imam As-Suyuti, in his book Al-Itkan, combined these three opinions and said: “In my opinion, there is no discrepancy between these opinions, according to which each of these three verses (278, 281 and 282 verses, Surah Al-Baqara ) is considered the last of what was revealed from the Qur'an. For it is obvious that all three verses (i.e., 278, 281 and 282, surahs of Al-Baqarah) were sent down at the same time in the order in which they are located in the Qur'an, and they deal with one general issue. And each of the transmitters told a part of it, indicating that this particular part is the last that was sent down from the Holy Quran.
There are several more versions regarding the verse that was sent down last, of which it is worth highlighting the opinion according to which the last thing that was sent down from the Qur'an is considered to be the 3rd verse of Surah Al-Maida:
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“Today I (Allah) have completed (and perfected) your religion (and Shariah) for you, completed My grace for you (directing you to the Light of the True Faith) and I have chosen Islam as your religion and I am pleased that this religion is faith for you." (Sura Al-Maida, 3)
But, as Az-Zuhayli writes in his tafsir: “It is unacceptable that this verse be the last, for it was sent down, according to the unanimous opinion of scholars, on the day of Araf during the farewell hajj of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) before it was Sura An-Nasr and the aforementioned 281 verses of Sura Al-Baqarah have been sent down.
Chronology and circumstances of the revelation of the Qur'an
The Holy Quran is the word of Allah. Therefore, it is protected and preserved in the Preserved Tablet, which is spoken of in the Quran (meaning): “That (with which you were sent from Allah) is the Great Quran, (clearly proving the truth of your mission and message). This Qur'an is inscribed on the Preserved Tablet. (No power can either distort or change it!) ”(Sura Al-Buruj, verses 21-22 (85:21-22)).
The sending down of the Qur'an from the Preserved Tablet took place in two stages.
The first. He was fully sent down to Baitul-Izza (House of Honor), the exalted house of worship located in heaven. This heavenly home, also known as Baitul-Ma'mur, is located directly above the Kaaba and serves as a place of worship for angels. This happened on the night of Qadr - Laylatul-Qadr (Night of Power).
Second. The gradual revelation of the Qur'an by Revelation to our dear Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), which ended 23 years after the start.
These two kinds of revelation of the Qur'an are clearly described in the Qur'an itself. In addition, Imams Nasai (may Allah be pleased with him), Bayhaqi (may Allah be pleased with him), Ibn Abi Shaiba (may Allah be pleased with him), Tabarani (may Allah be pleased with him) and others narrate from Sayyidin Abdullah ibn Abbas ( may Allah be pleased with him) several hadiths confirming that at first the Holy Quran was sent down to the vault of heaven - and this happened at a time, while the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was blessed with the second sending down - and this happened gradually (Sura " Al-Itkan, verse 41 (1:41)).
Explaining the wisdom behind the fact that the Holy Quran was first sent down to the Firmament of Heaven, Imam Abu Shama says that the purpose of this is to show the sublime greatness of the Holy Quran and at the same time inform the angels that this is the last scripture destined for instructions for all mankind.
Imam Zarqani in Manahil al-Irfan further states that the purpose of the two separate descents of the Qur'an is to affirm that the Book is free from any doubt as to its Divinity and that, apart from its preservation in the memory of Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), it also stored in two other places: the Preserved Tablet and Baitul-Izza (“Manahil-Irfan”, 1:39).
Scholars are unanimous that the second gradual revelation in the heart of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) began when he was forty years old. According to a widely accepted opinion based on authentic hadiths, this revelation began on the Night of Qadr. On the same date, 11 years later, the Battle of Badr took place. However, it is not known exactly which night of Ramadan this night fell on. There are some hadiths that say it was the 17th night, others report the 19th, others point to the 27th (Tafseer Ibn Jarir, 10:7).
The revelation of the first verses
It is authentically transmitted that the first verses sent down to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) are the initial verses of Surah A'lyak. According to Sahih Bukhari, Sayyida Aisha, razAllahu anha, reports that the first revelations came to our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in true dreams. This aroused in him a craving for solitude, worship and reflection.
During this period, he spent night after night in the cave of Hira and remained there in seclusion, devoting himself to worship until Allah sent an angel into the cave, and the first thing he said was: “ Read! The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) answered him: I can not read". The subsequent events were described by the Prophet himself (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). “The angel then squeezed me so hard that it was hard for me. Then he released me and again said: "READ". Again I replied that I could not read. Then he again squeezed me even harder than before, and let go, and said: "READ", - and I again answered that I could not read. He squeezed me a third time, then released me, saying: “Read [O Prophet] in the name of your Lord, Who created! He created man from a clot. Read! After all, your Lord is the Most Merciful, Who taught a person what he did not know before” (Sura Al-Alaq, verses 1-5 (96: 1-5)).
These were the first revealed verses. Then three years passed without revelations. This period is known as fatrat al-wahi (the stop of the Revelation). Only three years later, the angel Jibril, who visited the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the cave of Hira, appeared before him again between heaven and earth and read the verses from Surah Al-Muddassir. Since then, the process of revelation has been continued again.
Meccan and Medinan
You may have noticed in the titles of various surahs of the Qur'an that they refer to Meccan (Makki) or Medinan (Madani) suras. It is very important to understand what is behind these terms. Most mufassirs believe that the Meccan verse is the verse that was sent to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) before he arrived in Medina, making Hijra from Mecca. Others believe that the Meccan verses are those that were sent to Mecca, and the Medinan ones are those that were sent to Medina. However, most mufassirs consider this opinion to be incorrect, since there are several verses that were not sent to Makkah, but because they were sent down before the Hijra, are classified as Makkah. Thus, the verses that were revealed in the valley of Mina, at Arafat, during Mi'raj and even during the migration from Mecca to Medina are considered Meccan.
Similarly, there are many verses that were not received directly in Medina, but they are attributed to Medina. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made several trips after the Hijra, in which he drove hundreds of miles from Medina, but the verses received during these trips are attributed to Medina, even the verses descended in Mecca and its environs during the conquest of Mecca or The Khudabian truce is also referred to as Medina.
Thus, the verse: "O you who believed! Allah commands you to fairly return all the property of Allah or people entrusted to you to the owners" (Sura "An-Nisa', ayat 58 (4:58)), is referred to as Medinan, although he was sent down in Mecca (Al-Burhan, 1:88; Manahil al-Irfan, 1:88).
There are suras that are wholly and completely related to Meccan or Medinan. For example, Surah Al-Muddassir is completely Meccan, and Surah Aal Imran is completely Medinan. But it also happens that some suras are entirely Meccan, but contain one or more Medinan verses. For example, Surah Al-A'raf is Meccan, but several of its verses are Medinan. On the contrary, Surah Al-Hajj is Medinan, but 4 verses from it are Meccan. Therefore, it must be understood that the classification of suras into Meccan and Medinan is based on the origin of most of its verses, although in some cases the entire sura is considered Meccan because its initial verses were sent before the Hijra, although subsequent verses descended after (Manahil al-Irfan, 1 :192).
Signs of Meccan and Medinan verses
After a thorough analysis of the Meccan and Medinan suras, tafsir scholars have discovered a set of features that help determine whether a given sura is Meccan or Medinan. Some of the signs are universal, while others are more likely.
Universal:
1. Every sura in which the word كلّا (never) appears is Meccan. This word is used 33 times in 15 surahs, all of them in the second half of the Qur'an.
2. Each sura containing the ayat sajadatul-tilyawat is Meccan. This rule only applies if one follows the position of the Hanafis regarding the verses of prostration, since, according to this madhhab, there is no such verse in the Medina sura Al-Hajj. According to Imam Shafi'i, however, there is an ayat of prostration in this sura, therefore, according to the Shafi'i madhhab, this sura will be an exception to the rule.
3. Any sura, with the exception of the sura "Al-Baqarah", which mentions the story of Adam and Iblis, is Meccan.
4. Any sura in which there is a resolution of jihad or a description of its instructions is Medina.
5. Any verse that mentions hypocrites is Medina. Note that the verses about the hypocrites in the Al-Ankabut sura are Medinan, although the entire sura is considered Meccan.
The following principles are general, and in most cases turn out to be true, but there are also exceptions to them:
1. In the Meccan suras, the form (meaning) “O people” is usually used as an address, while in the Medinan suras (meaning) “O those who believe!”
2. Meccan suras tend to be short and capacious, while Medinan suras are long and detailed.
3. Meccan suras usually touch upon such topics as the affirmation of the Unity of God, prophecy, the affirmation of That life, the events of the Resurrection, the words of consolation of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). And they also deal with events concerning previous peoples. The number of prescriptions and laws in these surahs is much less compared to the Medinan surahs, where family and social laws, war prescriptions, clarification of restrictions (hudud) and duties often appear.
4. The Meccan suras speak of confrontation with idolaters, while the Medinan suras speak of confrontation with the Ahlul-Kitab and hypocrites.
5. In the style of Meccan suras, there are more rhetorical devices, metaphors, similes, allegories along with an extensive vocabulary. The style of the Medinan suras, on the other hand, is comparatively simple.
This difference between Meccan and Medinan suras owes its origin to differences in setting, circumstances, and addressees. During the Meccan period of Islam, Muslims had to deal with pagan Arabs and there was no Islamic state yet. Thus, during this period, more emphasis was placed on the correction of faith and belief, the reformation of morals, the logical refutation of the polytheists, and the divine nature of the Holy Qur'an.
On the other hand, an Islamic state was established in Medina. People came to Islam in droves. The polytheists were defeated on an intellectual level, and now the Muslims opposed, mainly, the People of the Book. As a result, more attention was given to education in the field of regulations, laws, restrictions and duties and the refutation of the Ahlul-Kitab. The style and method of speech was chosen accordingly (Manahil al-Irfan, 198-232).
The Gradual Revealing of the Quran
We have already said that the Holy Quran was not given to the Blessed Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) all of a sudden and in one go. On the contrary, it was transmitted in batches over a period of about 23 years. Sometimes Jibril, alayhi ssalaam, came with one verse or even a small part of the verse. At other times, several verses were reported at one time. The smallest part of the Qur'an transmitted at one time is غير أولى الضرر (Sura An-Nisa', verse 94 (4:94)), which forms part of a longer verse. On the other hand, the whole Surah Al-An'am was sent down at one time (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 2:122).
Why, instead of being reported at one time, was the Qur'an transmitted little by little? The polytheists of Arabia, accustomed to long speeches (odes) at one sitting, themselves asked this question to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). And Almighty Allah Himself took upon himself the answer to this question: “32. Those who did not believe said, condemning the Qur'an: "Why was the Qur'an not sent down in full at one time?" Verily, We sent down the Qur'an in parts so that your heart would be strengthened in faith when you get to know it and memorize it by reading it in parts, or when Jibril reads to you in parts measuredly, slowly. 33. As soon as the unbelievers bring some parable or object to you, We bring you the truth with a clear interpretation" (Sura Al-Furqan, verses 32-33 (25:32-33)).
Imam Razi, rahimahullah, gave several reasons why the Qur'an was revealed gradually in his tafsir of the above verse. Below is a summary of his words:
1. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not know how to write and read (ummi). If the Qur'an were revealed in one go, it would be difficult for him to memorize and document it. On the other hand, Sayyiduna Musa, alayhi ssalaam, was literate, so the Torah was revealed immediately as a complete scripture at a time.
2. If the entire Qur'an were revealed in its entirety at one time, then it would become obligatory to immediately observe all its precepts, which would be contrary to the wisdom of gradualism, which is one of the goals of Shariah.
3. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was tortured daily. The fact that Jibril, alayhi ssalaam, came, again and again bringing the words of the Holy Quran, helped him to withstand these torments and gave strength to his heart.
4. Most of the Qur'an is devoted to answering questions asked by people, while other parts are related to specific events. Thus, the revelation of these verses was timely at the time when these questions were asked or when these events took place. This increased the insight of Muslims, and when the Koran revealed what was secret, the Truth triumphed more strongly (Tafsir al-Kabir, 6:336).
Reasons for sending down
Qur'anic verses are divided into two types.
The first type is the verses that Allah Almighty sent down on their own, and they did not appear due to some event and were not the answer to some question.
The second type includes those verses that were sent down in connection with some occasion. These events or matters are often referred to as the "circumstances" or "reasons" for the revelation of these verses. In the terminology of the mufassirs, these circumstances or reasons are called asbabu-n-nuzul (literally, “reasons for sending down”).
For example, the following verse of Surah Al-Baqarah: “A believer should not marry a polytheist until she believes (in the One God). A believing woman, being a slave, is better than a free idolater, possessing wealth and endowed with beauty, even if you like her "(Sura Al-Baqarah, verse 221 (2: 221)).
This verse was revealed in connection with a certain event.
During the jahiliyah, our master Marsad ibn Abi Marsad al-Ghanawi (may Allah be pleased with him) had an affair with a woman named Anak. After he converted to Islam, he made the Hijra, while Anak remained in Mecca. Some time later, our master Marsad (may Allah be pleased with him) visited Makkah on business. Anak came to him, inviting him to commit a sin. He flatly refused her, saying: Islam has come between me and you.
However, he wanted to marry her if the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of it. Upon returning to Medina, Marsad (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for permission to marry this woman. Then this verse was sent down, and marriage with idolaters was forbidden (Asbab an-Nuzul - Wahidi 38).
This event is the sha'n or sabaab of the revelation of the verse above. The reasons for sending down the verses are very important for the interpretation of the Qur'an (for tafsir). There are many verses which cannot be understood correctly without knowing the circumstances of the revelation.
Before becoming a prophet, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) never said anything about the fact that he would be given a prophecy or revelations would be sent down. And he never expected to encounter something like this. The first revelation came to him quite unexpectedly. This is very clear in the Quran:
“You did not expect that the Scripture would be sent down to you, but it was a mercy from your Lord” (al-Kasas 28/86).
The revelation of the Qur'an began on the Night of Destiny in Ramadan, when the Prophet Muhammad was forty years old (about 610) during his seclusion in the cave of Hira near Mecca.
It is transmitted from Aisha (radiyallahu anha): “The sending down of revelations to the Messenger of Allah began with a good vision in a dream, and whatever dream he had, it would surely come true like the morning dawn. Then a love of solitude was instilled in him, and he often began to retire in a cave on Mount Hira, where he engaged in pious deeds - which was expressed in the worship of Allah - for many nights, until he had a desire to return to his family. He usually took with him all the necessary supplies for this, and then returned to Khadija and took everything he needed for another such retreat. This continued until the truth suddenly appeared to him while he was in the cave (mountain) of Hira. An angel appeared to him and ordered: “Read!” - to which he replied: "I can not read!".
The Messenger of Allah said: “Then he took me and squeezed me so that I strained to the limit, and then he released me and again ordered: “Read!”. I said, "I can't read!" He squeezed me for the second time so that I again strained to the limit, and then let go and ordered: “Read!” - and I said again: "I can't read!" Then he squeezed me a third time, and then let go and said: “Read with the name of your Lord, who created, created man from a clot! Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous. He taught with a writing stick. He taught a man what he did not know.
The angel Jibril appeared to him for the first time in the form of a man. Such a conclusion can be drawn from the hadiths in which the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “He hugged me and squeezed tightly.”
Then, when the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) returned from Mount Hira to his home, he again saw Jibril (alayhi salam), but this time Jibril covered the entire horizon with himself.
It is narrated from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, that (one day) al-Harith bin Hisham, may Allah be pleased with him, asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless and greet him:
“O Messenger of Allah, how do revelations come to you?” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied: “Sometimes what comes to me is like the ringing of a bell, which is the most difficult for me, and when I assimilate what was said, it leaves me. Sometimes an angel appears before me in the form of a man and addresses me with his words, and I assimilate what he says.
The Almighty sent down the Holy Quran as an edification and a guiding star to all people in this world. The righteous path, which is marked by success both in this life and on the Day of Judgment, is based on faith in the One Lord.
In the Qur'an, believers can find the fundamental rules and principles that their lives must comply with in order to comprehend the contentment of the Creator. At the same time, sending down to people new verses of the Holy Scriptures, Allah was guided solely by his own will and was not limited by any framework.
The real reasons for sending down a large number of verses are not available to us. However, there are those who know the circumstances that preceded the revelation, and in some cases they are indicated in the Book itself.
In the Qur'anic sciences there is a special term that characterizes the reasons for sending down - "sabab (in the plural "asbab") un-nuzul". Literally, this expression is translated as “the reason for sending down.” But the word "nuzul" is often understood as the very Revelation of the Almighty - the Holy Quran. In general, the reason for sending down is some question, a historical event that caused the appearance of an ayat or a whole sura.
Reasons for sending down are available only for those verses that were directly related to certain events during the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). That is why we do not know the true reasons for the appearance of the verses, which tell about the life of the previous prophets and messengers of Allah. The same applies, for example, to Surah Elephant, which tells about the punishment the Almighty sent to the army of the Ethiopian ruler. The arrival of his army on elephants to Mecca was not the reason for sending down the 105th sura of the Holy Quran, but served only as an edification:
“Have you not seen what your Lord has done to the owners of the elephant? Did He not confuse their wiles and send flocks of birds upon them? They threw stones of baked clay at them and turned them into the likeness of corroded withered cereal leaves” (105:1-5)
Part of the information can be found in the hadiths of the Final Messenger of God (S.G.V.), as well as various historical sources that contain stories of the companions of the Prophet (S.G.V.). Knowledge of such reasons allows Muslims to better understand the true meaning of the Qur'anic text, which, ultimately, serves to strengthen faith and increase the piety of a person. In addition, it is important to bring arguments against possible attacks on religion, which periodically occur from a variety of forces.
In the context of studying the reasons for sending down, the principle of reliability of transmitters of information about a particular event plays an important role. It rests on two basic rules:
1) the chain of transmitters (isnad) should lead to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) or to one of the Sahaba;
2) there are at least two truthful evidence of why the verse or sura was sent down.
Let us give some examples of the reasons for sending down.
1. Historical event
The Messenger of the Almighty (s.g.v.) called his fellow tribesmen from Mecca after the verse from the sura "Poets" was sent down, which says:
"Warn your next of kin!" (26:214)
He turned to them and asked: “If I were to tell you now that on the other side of this hill there are enemies preparing to attack you, would you believe me?” The people replied that they certainly would have believed it, since Muhammad (S.A.W.) before the beginning of his prophetic mission was respected by almost all Meccans for his honesty. After that, the Final Messenger of the Almighty (LGV) declared that all people are under the threat of serious punishment if they do not stop committing excesses and do not believe in the unity of the Creator. After that, Abu Lahab began to pronounce curses on the Prophet (s.g.v.), not believing his words. Following this, a sura was sent down:
“May the hands of Abu Lahab wither, and he himself has already perished. Wealth did not help him, and he did not gain anything. He will fall into the fiery Fire. His wife will carry firewood, and around her neck will be a braided rope of palm fibers” (111:1-5)
2. Question
Once, a woman approached the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and complained about her husband, who did not want to have sex with her because of her age. As an excuse, he stated that the woman was suitable for him as a mother. After that, the Creator sent down the first two verses of the sura:
“Allah has already heard the words of a woman who entered into an argument with you about her husband and complained to Allah. Allah heard your dispute, because Allah is Hearing, Seeing. Those of you who declare your wives forbidden to you speak words that are reprehensible and deceitful. Their wives are not their mothers, because their mothers are only the women who gave birth to them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving, Forgiving” (58:1-2).
