The Revelation of Quran to the Prophet (saw) between 610-632

The Revelation of Quran to the Prophet (saw) between 610-632

Q         Write an account of the ways in which the Quran was revealed to the Prophet (saw) between the years 610 and 632.                                           [10-N-09]

In 610, the holy prophet (saw) was forty years old when the first revelation of Sura Al Alaq was brought to him by Jibreel (as) in the cave of Hira. Soon, he started receiving more revelations. For the first three years he preached those who were close to him. Khadija (ra), ten blessed companions and some other companions became Muslim during this time. After three years, he was commanded to preach openly. The pagans of Makkah opposed him. This continued for ten years and in 622 he migrated to Madina.

The Suras revealed in Makkah are called Makki Suras. These Suras are short. They emphasize on believing in one Allah, not worshipping false gods. They emphasize in believing in the Hereafter and following the way of God in this world. The language of these suras is very powerful and impressive and a master piece of Arabic language. They also tell the stories of nations which were destroyed for their disobedience.

In 622, the Prophet (saw) migrated to Madina. He immediately established an Islamic state there. His dealing was with the two Muslim tribes of Madina, the Aus and the Khazraj. Jews were also living in Madina. Hypocrites were the people who accepted Islam apparently but in reality, they were the enemies of Islam. Pagans of Makkah also wanted to eliminate Islam and he was also dealing with the pagans of Arabia. In some parts of Arabia, Christians were also living.

The Suras revealed in Madina are long. They emphasize on the social laws of Islam in order to establish an Islamic society. They also talked about worships like prayers. They also teach how to deal with the Jews and the hypocrites. They also gave instructions on laws on wars with the pagans and other enemies.

Three months before the death of the Prophet (saw), revelations almost stopped. The Quran was complete. The companions of the prophet (saw) remembered the Quran. There were many companions who had the whole Quran in their memory. The prophet (saw) also emphasized in writing the Quran. It was dictated by the Prophet (saw) himself. The writers are called scribes. They used to write on skins, bones and other writing materials available at that time. The Quran was remembered in the sequence as it was directed by the Prophet (saw). The sequence was set by the Prophet (saw) who received directions from Jibril (as). For example the first revelation, Sura Al Alaq is at the end of the Quran, and Al Baqarah, revealed in Madina, is in the beginning of the Quran.    

When the Prophet (sw) started receiving revelations, he was very upset. He he came back from the cave of hira, he was frightened. When he saw Jibril (as) in his original huge form, he was again frightened but gradually, he got his confidance and he started receiving revelations confidently. In the beginning, he used to repeat words of quran along with Jibreel (as) in order to remember words but Allah told him that he does not need to repeat words as Allah will make him remember words. Since that time, the revelations would become a part of his memory without any problem.

The time of revelation used to be a tough time for the Prophet (sw). The toughest revelations were the ones when the revelation would come like a ringing bell. Aisha (ra) says that even in winters, the Prophet (sw) used to sweat during receiving revelation. She also says that if the revelation would come when he was travelling, his camel could not move until Jibreel (as) would go back. Once the prophet (sw) was sitting with his companions, his leg was on top of the leg of another companion when he received revelation. The companion narrates that he felt as if his leg would be broken into pieces. However, the revelations were a time of great joy and satisfaction for him. They were not like fits or any other sick condition.