Was the entire
Qur’aan revealed through archangel Jibrael {AS} (Gabriel)?
By:
Shahid Bin Waheed شاهد
بن وحيد
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمدلله رب العالمين والصلوة والسلام على اشرف الانبياء
وسيدالمرسلين نبينا محمد صل ا لله عليه وعلى آله واصحابه وازواجه اجمعين - امابعد
All the praises and
thanks be to Allaah, Sustainer of the Universe, and blessing and salutation to
be the most distinguish of the Messengers and foremost among the
Prophets, our Prophet Muhammad, peace
and blessings of Allaah be on him and on his wives, children and Companions.
A number of Islaamic websites and/or Muslims have proudly
spread this disinformation
besides some other kind of disinformation that the entire Glorious
Qur’aan was revealed by Allaah upon Prophet Muhammad صلی الله عليه وسلم through
the archangel Jibrael عليه السلام جبرأيل. Fact of the matter is that Allaah did
not reveal the entire Glorious Qur’aan through the archangel Jibrael
عليه السلام جبرأيل. Most Muslims have grossly mistaken due to their apparent
ignorance, thinking the first revelation of Ayaat 96:1-5 through the archangel
Jibrael عليه السلام جبرأيل as one and only mode of descent. Therefore, they
have erroneously concluded that the entire Qur’aan was revealed through the
archangel Jibrael عليه السلام جبرأيل.
In order to clearly understand this subject one must need the complete and conclusive knowledge of the mode of descent of the Glorious Qur’aan. In the Qur’aanic vocabulary the descent is called Wahi وحی, which use to come to Prophet Muhammad صلی الله عليه وسلم in several forms and modes. In the Books of Ahadeeth we read the following on this subject:
Sahih Bukhari
Vol: 1 Book: 1
THE BOOK OF THE BEGINNING OF REVELATION
How the Divine Inspiration started to reveal to Allah's Apostle (the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him)
Mughira Al-Bukhari (May Allah (the Exalted have mercy upon him) (Amen) said:
1-CHAPTER: How the Divine Inspiration started to reveal to Allah's Apostle (the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him)
And the Saying of Allah: (the Exalted and Almighty) «Indeed, We have inspired you as We inspired Noah and the Prophets after him». (44:163).
Vol: 1 Book: 1
THE BOOK OF THE BEGINNING OF REVELATION
2-CHAPTER:
[2] 'Aisha, the mother of the Faithful (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: (A) Al-Harith bin Hisham (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Allah's Apostle (the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him): «O Allah's Apostle (the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him) How did the revelation come to you?». Allah's Apostle (the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him) replied: «Sometimes it was (revealed) like the ringing of a bell, this form (of revelation) was the hardest of All, and then this state passes off after I have grasped what is inspired. Sometimes the Angel came to me in the form of a man and talked to me and I memorized whatever he said». 'Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) added: Verily I saw the Prophet (the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him) being inspired on the very cold day and noticed the sweat dropping from his forehead (as the Inspiration was over).
The parts of this Hadith are in: 3215.
The methods of Wahi وحی
upon Prophet Muhammad صلی الله
عليه وسلم in several forms and modes, which are as follows:
The first method was that he used to hear a sound similar to the ringing of bells. Since the Ahadeeth mentions only this much, therefore, it cannot be elaborated any further that in what sense this kind of Wahi وحی has been similar to the sound of bells.
Prophet Muhammad صلی الله عليه وسلم used to have true dreams.
Like Musa عليه
السلام our beloved Prophet Muhammad صلی الله عليه وسلم also had the
privilege of direct discourse with Allaah, in fact in much better fashion as it
happened on the night of Ascension (Isra/Miraj).
In the traditions we read that archangel Jibrael عليه السلام used to come in human form and convey the message i.e. Wahi وحی.
This happened only three times in the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad صلی الله عليه وسلم.
Inspiration in the Heart
Through this method Prophet Muhammad صلی الله عليه وسلم used to receive the inspiration in the heart.
Qur’aanic and
Non-Qur’aanic Wahi وحی.
The Wahi وحی
that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad صلی الله عليه
وسلم was of two kinds. One
compromised the Ayaat of the Glorious
Qur’aan in which the words and meanings (both) are from Allaah, and they
have been preserved in the Qur’aan forever. So that even an iota or a dot has
not changed nor can be changed. This type of Wahi وحی is called or is
termed as Wahi Matluw وحی متلو
that is, the Wahi وحی recited
i.e. the Glorious Qur’aan.
The second type
of Wahi وحی is that which does form part of the Glorious Qur’aan,
but a large number of commands and tenets have been sent through it. This type
is known as non-Qur’aanic Wahi, which is by definition the one that is
not recited or Wahi Ghayr Matluw وحی غير
متلو. Prophet Muhammad صلی
الله عليه وسلم has said: “I
have been given the Qur’aan and with it other similar things.” Hadeeth
Qudsi is one of the examples of this kind of Wahi Ghayr Matluw وحی غير متلو.
Another good example of Wahi
Ghayr Matluw وحی غير متلو is
the Qur’aanic Ayaah 2:144, which reads,
|
قَدْ نَرَى تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاء
فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ
وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّواْ وُجُوِهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوْتُواْ
الْكِتَابَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ وَمَا اللّهُ بِغَافِلٍ
عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ Verily! We have seen the turning
of your (Muhammad SAW) face towards the heaven. Surely, We shall turn you
to a Qiblah (prayer direction) that shall please you, so turn your
face in the direction of Al-Masjid- al-Haram (at Makkah). And whosesoever
you people are, turn your faces (in prayer) in that direction. Certainly, the
people who were given the Scriptures (i.e. Jews and the Christians) know well
that, that (your turning towards the direction of the Kabah at Makkah in
prayers) is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they
do. |
Prophet Muhammad وسلم صلی الله عليه is also called the Prophet of two Qibla, since in the early days of Islaam; Muslims were praying Salah facing the Jerusalem. As we can see the Ayaah 2:144 above is about changing the Qibla to Makkah (Ka’abah). But the command to face the Jerusalem is not found in the Qur’aan, as it was Wahi Ghayr Matluw
وحی غير
متلو, however, the Ayaah
2:144 confirms that there was a command to face the Jerusalem in the early days
of Islaam.
Readers must note that this is a very comprehensive
subject within the Qur’aanic sciences and simple cannot be summed up in this
brief treatise. Needless, to say that it is not true that the entire Glorious
Qur’aan was revealed by Allaah through the archangel Jibrael عليه السلام
جبرأيل.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005