The Qur’an is indisputably the word of God, and perhaps the only divine scripture on the face of the earth which has maintained its purity, and has weathered many a storm. Sir William Muir (27 April 1819—11 July 1905) was a Scottish Orient lists, scholar of Islam, and colonial administrator. He had remarked on the Qur’an as—‘There is probably no other book in the world which has remained twelve centuries (now fourteen) with so pure a text’. Such words would really have an electrifying effect on the psychic of an earnest seeker of the Truth, as it too compels me to put on my thinking cap, to ponder over the intensity of the punch of the statement of Sir William Muir.
Allah says in the glorious Qur’an in Surah Al Furqan chapter no 25 verse no 32—Those who disbelieve say;” Why was the Qur’an not revealed to him all at once? It was revealed thus that We may fully impress it on your mind (and for the same end)We have revealed it gradually(according to a scheme) in fragments”
The objection, couched in the form of query contended that if the Qur’an was was not fabricated by the Prophet (pbuh) with the help of others, and if it was not copied or translated from other works. Then why did God not send down the whole book all at once? Since the whole book is in God’s knowledge—if it really was He Who sent it down—–why was it dispatched after such a long time? For the unbelievers, this seems a self-evident proof that the Qur’an was a forgery
The piecemeal revelation of the Qur’an as we shall find out from that very verse is due to the profound sagacity and wisdom of the Creator, Who felt it was the best way to disseminate His Message, to mankind. This mode of revelation made it feasible and practicable for people to imbibe the contents of the Qur’an in their memory word by word. The revelation was in the manner of a verbal discourse, through an unlettered Messenger, and the revealed guidance placed primarily to an illiterate audience. Besides the precepts and the substance of the Qur’an had to be comprehensively imprinted into the psychic of the addressees, hence the conveyance of the message in small fragments was a necessity not redundant.
Our Lord Who created us obviously knows best the most sensible way to deliver His Words to humans. Arabia at the time of the revelation of the Qur’an was characterized by a society whose members were totally involved with activities which could only antagonize God, not please Him. They committed outrageous acts which were not in commensurate with the Will of God. Their heinous sins were further exacerbated; as they had succumbed to vicious deeds like idolatry and adultery. Taming a wild lion would have been an easier proposition, then presenting a book from God to such barbarians
The believers had however slowly but surely entered into the fold of Islam, and the piece-meal mode of revelation at that moment of human civilization was in fact most befitting and appropriate to embolden the heart of the believers, who were so engrossed in the tiff between truth and falsehood. It would thus be most effective and viable to receive the Messages from God in interim periods, rather than receive the entire book at one go, as that would have made them utterly vulnerable and defenseless against the onslaught of opposition and hostility towards the Truth. The manner of revelation of the Qur’an enlivens the spirit, as it makes him feel the presence of the Omnipotent, and makes him realize at the same time that the Creator is beside him, to take care of his woes; that God is keeping an eye on him, guiding him as a beacon light in trying circumstances, counseling him in moments of despondency, by conferring him with the much needed solace and encouragement, and honoring mankind by constantly addressing him and attending to his problems. Thus this mode of revelation boosts the morale of the recepients, as they shed off the cloak of diffidence, with which they were earlier wrapped.
Allah the Most High explains quite eloquently in Surah Furqan verse no 33 that it was definitely not in His scheme of things to publish a book through the agency of a Prophet. God revealed the Qur’an because it was His Will, that a movement be generated to stampede Ignorance, disbelief and transgression, and above all to instill reverence and awe for the true God. The Prophet was raised, as he would be the one who would take control of the reigns of this movement as its pilot or navigator. God took upon the onus to guide both the leader as well as the followers of this movement, and to remove any misconceptions which may creep into the minds of the antagonists of this movement. The Qur’an is thus not a text book of philosophy, ethics or constitution, but a book which seeks to guide the Islamic movement. The most natural way for the book to come into existence was that it appear at the time of the movement was launched and that it be able to guide its followers through its various phases with revelation that were send down when needed
Asif Ahmed
(The writer is a public servant, a social activists, and authored the book Spiritual odyssey……recalcitrant Muslim)