The Collection of the Quran - Part 3 of 3

The Era of Uthman 644 – 656 C.E

After the death if the second Caliph ‘Umar, a committee made up of six of the most famous companions of the Prophet (pbuh) chose ‘Uthman Ibn Affaan to be the third Caliph.

During the reign of Caliph Umar 634- 644 C.E, the Islamic state expanded beyond the borders of the Arabian Peninsula into Egypt, Syria and Iraq. In the subsequent reign of Caliph Uthman the expansion continued on into Persia, India, Russia, China, Turkey and across North Africa. Many of the people of these regions accepted Islaam and learned the recitation of the Quran from early Muslims. The Quran was revealed to the Prophet (pbuh) in seven different Arabic dialects, and the early Muslims taught the Quran in its different readings.

The Second Writing

In the Muslim provinces, some Arabs began to boast that their dialect was superior to that of others. Also, when new Muslims made mistakes in their recitation of the Quran, it was sometimes difficult to tell whether it was really an error or whether it was one of the seven readings which were taught by the Prophet (pbuh). These problems eventually became a source of confusion in the Muslim provinces outside of Arabia. One of the Prophet’s companions (Sahaabah) by the name of Huthayfah Ibn al Yamaan noticed the confusion while he was in Iraq, and feared that it might lead to a breakup of the Muslim nation and the changing of the Quran, On his return to the capital, he informed Caliph Uthman of what he had heard and seen. Caliph Uthman realized the seriousness of the situation and called the major Sahaabahs (companions) together in order to find a solution to the problem. They decided to make official copies of the Quran from the one compiled in Caliph Abu Baker’s time and limit the people to its recitation.

Uthman asked Hafsah for the original copy of the Quran and called on Zayd ibn Thabit to head the committee of four Quraanic scholars who would take on the task of making the official copies. When the copies were completed, the original was returned to Hafsah. A total of seven copies were made and one was sent to Makkah, another to Syria, one to Basra, one to Kufah, one to Yemen, one to Bahrain and one was kept in the capital, Al Medina. Caliph Uthman sent official reciters of the Quran with each copy in order to clear up any problems which might later arise. He also ordered that all other copies of the Quran to be destroyed, as people had made notes in their personal copies and some copies were incomplete. All new copies were then made from the official copy called MUSHAF UTHMAN, and in that way the Quran was saved from any kind of change or loss. This process was completed in the year 646 C.E, two years later after Uthman became a Caliph, Quran now exist in one Arabic Dialect which is from Quraysh.

Importance of knowing the difference between Makkan and Madeenan Revelations

What the Importance of knowing the Difference between Makkan and Madeenan Revelations?

There are a number of reasons why distinction needs to be made between Makkan and Madeenan Surahs (Chapters) and Verses. The Following are only the Three most Important Reasons:

Fiqh – Islamic Law

The various laws of Islam were revealed over a period of 23 years, some laws cancelled earlier laws and other laws were revealed bit by bit. Thus, it is necessary to know at which point in time the various laws were revealed in order to apply them properly. The laws of the later Madeenan period sometimes took the place of the earlier laws, For example , alcohol was made forbidden in gradual stages, the first law concerning alcohol was simply a warning of its dangers,

Allah said:

“And, when they ask you about Khamr (Alcohol) and Maysir (Gambling), tell them that they contain benefit for some people, but the sin is greater than the benefit”. (Surah Al Baqarah Chapter 2 verses 20)

The second law which was revealed warned Muslims away from Salaah (Prayers) when they were intoxicated (Drunk).

Allah Said:

“Do not come to Salaah when you are intoxicated (Drunk), until you know what you are saying.” (Surah an Nisaa Chapter 4 verse 43)

The third Law, however, was a complete prohibition of even coming near any form of alcohol

Allah said:

“Verily, alcohol, gambling and sacrificial altars are filth, as a result of Satan’s work, so stay away from them.” (Surah Al Maa’idah Chapter 5 verse 90)

If one was aware of the order in which these verses were revealed, he or she may mistakenly think that drinking alcohol is allowed as long as one doesn’t get drunk and come to Salaah. Or, it might be thought that benefiting from the sale of alcohol is permitted.

Da’wah

By understanding the order in which the verses of the Quran were revealed, one can learn the best method of teaching Islam. For Example the Quran taught the believers not to curse or make fun of the idols of the disbelievers in order not to drive them away and in order that they do not curse Allah out of ignorance, Instead they were told to reason with the disbelievers and show them logically why the worship of idols was in correct,

Allah said,

“Are you worshipping besides Allah other gods which cannot benefit you at all nor harm you?” (Surah Al Anbiyaa Chapter 21 Verse 66)

Seerah

Many of the important events in the Prophet’s life have been recorded in various verses of the Quran. Thus, by knowing the order in which the verses were revealed, it is possible to piece together a large portion of the biography of the Prophet(PBUH)

What areThe Features of the Madeenan Revelations?

Madeenan revelations are all those verses and chapters of the Quran which were revealed after Hijra (Migration of the Prophet to Medina). This includes verses which were revealed in Makkah and Mina during and after the Farewell Pilgrimage, all of these verses are considered Madeenan because they represent the revelations of the second stage of the Islamic Movement in which the consolidation of the Islamic state took place.

The following are the some of the main characteristics of Madeenan verses:

a) Laws

Once Medina had become the new center of the Islamic Movement, the Islamic state was born; the Prophet (PBUH) became a ruler over the Muslims of Medina, as well as Jews and the Arab Idol worshippers who lived there. A constitution was drawn up and a system of justice was established. Thus, the verses during the Madeenan stage contained the social, economic and spiritual law which was necessary for the organization and development of an Islamic state. It was during this period that the last three pillars of Islam: Zakah (Charity), Sawm (Fasting) and Hajj (Pilgrimage) were revealed. Likewise, it was during this period that drinking alcohol, eating swine and gambling were all forbidden.

b)People of the Book (Jews and Christians)

In Medina, Muslims came in contact with Jews for the first time, in order to try to shake beliefs of the Muslims, the Jews used to ask the Prophet (PBUH) various questions about Allah and the earlier Prophets and the unseen. They asked questions about origin of the soul and what it was made of , thus a number of Madeenan verses represented the answers to the many questions raised up by Jews. The Muslims of Medina also came in contact with Christians on a larger scale, as result of that we find a number of Madeenan verses clarifying Christian misconceptions about Prophet Isaa (Jesus) and Allah. They pointed out that Jesus’ birth was not greater than that of Adam who had neither father nor the mother.

Allah Says:

“Surely the likeness of Jesus in Allah’s sight is as the likeness of Adam…He created him from dust, then said to him,”Be!’ And he was “Surah Al Imran (Chapter 3 Verse 59)

They also stressed that the miracles of Jesus, such as bringing up the dead back to life, were only by Allah’s permission. Thus Jesus was not a god not the son of Allah and Allah was not the third of the three.

c)The Munaafiqoon – Hypocrites

For the first time since the beginning of the final message we find people entering Islam, yet not believing in it. In Makkah, Muslims were oppressed and attacked, so no one would enter Islam unless they truly believed. On the other hand, the Muslims of Medina were strong and they ruled the City, thus we find some people entering Islam in order to benefit from its strength and to oppose it from within.” Abdullah Ibn Ubayy Ibn Sallol was about to be crowned King of Medina when Prophet (PBUH) entered Medina, Prophet was crowned the Ruler and Ibn Sallol hopes were ruined.

Since the Muslims were strong and he could not openly oppose them, he accepted Islam and worked against it from with in. He eventually became the head of the Munaafiqoon (hypocrites). Thus, the verses of the Madeenan stage warned the Muslims about the dangers of the hypocrites and taught them how to deal effectively with them.

d)Jihad:

The right to fight against the enemy was given for the first time in Medina, during the Makkan period Muslims were forbidden to fight back. This was for two basic reasons; (1) The Muslims were minority and could easily be completely wiped out and (2) only the strong could survive the test. The Makkan period prepared the foundation of the Islamic movement to come. It was during the Madeenan stage that a series of battles were fought against the forces of disbelief until Makkah was finally conquered and the whole of the Arabian Peninsula came under the rule of Islam. Thus, a number of the Madeenan verses taught Muslims the Islamic principles of war. For Example, they taught how to deal with prisoners of war and they forbade retreat during an attack except as a trick to trap the enemy. They also encouraged the Muslims to prepare themselves with the best weapons and battle gear they could find.

e)Long Verses:

The Madeenan verses tended to be longer than those of Makkah, in fact, there are a number of Madeenan verses which are longer than the whole Chapters of the Makkan period. The longest verse of the Quran is the verse on loans in the Madeenan Surah Al Baqarah (verse 292). This verse contains approximately 143 words. The shortest Surah of the Quran is the Makkan Surah Al Khawter Chapter 102, which contains a total of only 11 separate words in its three short verses. The need to catch the attention of unwilling listeners was no longer there because Islaam had become strong and its followers were many. Thus, the Audience at this stage was quite willing to listen attentively to longer verses teaching the vital laws of Islam.

f)Order of Surahs (Chapters)

Although all of the Makkan verses were revealed during the same period, they were neither memorized nor written down in the same order in which they were revealed. Verses from various Surahs were revealed at once, whenever single verses were revealed the Prophet (Pbuh) would tell his companions to write it in the Surah to which it belonged. If a new Surah was revealed, he would recite the Surah in the order it was to be recorded. Once the Madeenan verses and Surahs began to be revealed, the Prophet (PBUH) would tell his companions to place them before or after certain Makkan Surahs and verses. Thus, when the revelation of the Quran was complete, Makkan verses could be found within the Madeenan Surahs and Madeenan verses within the Makkan Surahs. The Prophet(PBUH) reordered the verses and Surahs of the Quran according to Allah’s command, the reasons for that was that the verses were revealed according to the needs of a developing community, whereas the order for reading purposes needed to be varied so as not to make the Quran seem one sided in its presentation. The Mixture of Verses and Chapters from the two stages gives the reader a more balanced picture of the message of Islam.

What are The Features of the Makkan Revelations?

Makkan revelations are defined as all verses and chapters of the Quran which were brought by Jibreel (Gabriel) to the Prophet (PBUH) before His migration to Medina (Hijra 622 CE). This includes verses which were revealed in City of Taif as well as those revealed in other areas outside of Makkah. These revelations represent the first stage of the Islamic movement in which its fundamentals were established.

a) Tawheed: Unity of Lordship

When Islam was first presented to the people of Makkah, they were in a state of disbelief. Most of them believed in Allah, but they had put between themselves and Allah many intermediaries. They made idols to represent these intermediaries and worshipped them instead of Allah. Thus, the early revelations taught the people about the Allah’s Unity and power over all things, they told people that Allah was without parents, offspring or any partner who shared His powers. They also pointed out the idols could neither bring good nor hold back evil. And they questioned the logic of worshipping things which could not even see or hear.

b) Salaah: Prayers:

After the first verses of revelation came informing the Prophet (PBUH) that he had been chosen for Prophet Hood, Allah sent Jibreel (Gabriel) to teach him the correct method of prayer. This was necessary because the correct method of prayer could not be arrived by logical reasoning. Therefore, even the Prophet(PBUH) himself had to be taught the correct method of worshipping Allah. Thus, the early verses called upon the Prophet (PBUH) and his early band of followers to make their SALAAH(Prayers) regularly.

Since the Makkans were in the habit of worshipping Idols in the belief that these home made gods would carry their prayers to ALLAH for them, the early verses were also aimed at clarifying this misconception. The verses taught that Salaah(Prayers) should only be made for and to Allah, as He is the only one who can answer them.

Great stress was placed on Salaah(prayers) because of its relationship to Tawheed(Oneness of God).Correct Salaah(Prayers) directed to Allah alone is the most basic way of putting Tawheed into practice.

c) The Unseen:

Since there was no way that human beings could possibly come to know about the unseen world, the early verses taught them about its wonders, its mysteries, and its horrors. The verses described Paradise and its pleasures in order to encourage the believers to continue to do good deeds and to assure them of a reward, they also described the Hell fire and its torment in order to encourage the believers to strive to avoid evil deeds.

Some of the verses also reasoned with those who could not accept the resurrection by giving them examples from the nature, such as rain falling on dead earth bringing back life.

Allah says:

“And it is Allah who sends the winds sturring the clouds and We drive them to the earth after its death. Like wise (Will be) the Resurrection” Surah Faatir( Chapter 35 Verse 9)

Other pointed out logically that the recreation of life would be easier than its creation, although it is all the same to Allah.

Allah says:

“And it is He who originates the creation, then recreates it (after it has perished) which is easier for Him” Surah ar Room (Chapter 30 Verse 27)

d) Allah’s Existence:

There were some individuals among the Makkans who were in doubt about Allah’s very existence. Thus, some of early verses presented logical arguments proving Allah’s existence. Sometimes proofs were taken from nature and the creatures’ common to the society.

Example:

Allah asked the Makkans:

“Why didn’t they look at the camels and how they were created, and the sky and how it was raised, and the mountains and how they are firmly fixed and the Earth and how it was spread out?” Surah Al Ghaashiyah (Chapter 88 verse 17-20)

At other times straight logic was used, Allah asked them if they were created from nothing or it they created themselves:

Allah asks:

“Were they created of nothing, or were they themselves the creators” Surah Al Toor (Chapter 52 Verse 35)

The answer had to be one or the other. Since they know they had not created themselves, they had to realize that they were created. Even if they said that they came from their parents and their parents came from their parents and so on. The numbers eventually decrease to one who came from nothing. Thus, Allah, the Creator, has to be accepted for our existence to make sense.

e) Challenges:

In order to prove to the Quraysh that the Quran was from Allah and that Muhammad (PBUH) was a Prophet of Allah, some of the Makkan verses challenged the Arabs to imitate the Quran. Many of the chapters began with individual letters like “Alif, Laam and Meem”,”Saad,” or “Noon” in order to tease the Makkans with the same letters of alphabet that they made their flowery speeches and poetry with. Allah made the Quran with same letters, but they just could not imitate it. Since the Arabs were unable to produce even a chapter resembling the smallest chapter of Quran, the miraculous nature of Quran and its divine origin were clearly proven to the people at that time. However, many of them preferred to look at the Quran as a magical spell, and the Prophet (PBUH) as a master magician.

f) The People of Old:

The Makkan verses often mentioned historical examples of the earlier civilizations, like the Aad and the Thamood”. They were mentioned in order to warn those who had rejected the message of Islam. The verse spoke about the wonders of the ancient civilization; they listed the many blessings which Allah had bestowed on the peoples of those civilizations. Then they recounted how the people disobeyed Allah and denied His blessings, and how Allah’s punishment caught them when they were totally unaware of what would become of them if Allah so willed .

These examples were quite familiar to the Arabs because the ruins of such civilizations could still be seen. For example, the stone tombs of Madaa in Saalih were directly on the trade route to Syria.

g) Eemaan- Faith:

Very few laws were revealed in the Makkan verses, instead the verses concentrated on principles which would build Eemaan (faith) of the early Muslims. These verses spoke of the importance of fearing Allah and being aware of His presence and knowledge of all things. They were often filled with advice about being patient, perseverant, truthful and trustworthy, in order to build the moral spiritual character of the early Muslims who were in a minority and under lot of pressure from Makkan society.

h) Short Verses:

The Makkan Sarah’s usually had short verses, catchy rhymes, and a very strong rhythm; these qualities were meant to catch the attention of listeners who basically opposed to the message of Islam. The verses had to be short because the audience would not be willing to listen to long, drawn out statements, as soon as they heard any of the Quran, they would stick their fingers in their ears and turn away. Thus the verses often had to strike home immediately; they often resembled the chants of the oracles and fortune tellers, but their meanings were very clear, whereas the chants were mostly obscure and vague.

For example, the oracle Zabraa warned her people about a disaster which would soon strike them as follows:

By the fluttering wind, and the falling night
By the shinning morn, and the piercing star
By the rain laden clouds,
Verily, the trees of the valley are really deceptive, and teeth gnash until twisted.
Verily, the boulders of the mountain warn of mourning, that you won’t find any escape from.

What are Makkan and Madeenan Revelations?

The Quran was revealed in sections to Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) from the beginning of his Prophet Hood until shortly before his death. Thus, the Quran came down continuously over a period of Twenty three years.

Many sections of the Quran were generally revealed to solve the problems which existed among the Muslim communities in both Makkah and Medina. Since the problems and needs of Makkah were different from those of Medina, the revelations of Makkah and Medina have special Characteristics of their own.

It is important to know the difference between the revelations of Makkah and Medina if the Quran itself is to be clearly understood. Because of the great importance of the Quran to Islam, Muslim scholars from time of the Companions of the Prophet have devoted much time and effort in this area of Study