CHAPTER
1
The
Qur'an and Revelation
REVELATION
AND SCRIPTURE BEFORE THE QUR'AN
God's
Communication with Man
God
communicated with man. This is the key concept of
revelation upon which all religious belief if more
than a mere philosophical attempt to explain man's
relationship with the great 'unknown', the 'wholly
other' is founded. There is no religious belief,
however remote it may be in time or concept from the
clear teachings of Islam, which can do without or
has attempted to do without God's communication with
man.
Man
denies God
God's
communication with man has always accompanied him,
from the earliest period of his appearance on this
planet, and throughout the ages until today. Men
have often denied the communication from God or
attributed it to something other than its true
source and origin. More recently some have begun to
deny God altogether, or to explain away man's
preoccupation with God and the communication from
Him as a preoccupation with delusion and fantasy.
Yet even such people do not doubt that the
preoccupation of man with God's communication is as
old as man himself. Their reasoning is, they claim,
based on material evidence. Following this line of
thought they feel that they should deny God's
existence, but are at the same time compelled to
concede the point for material evidence is abundant
that man has ever been preoccupied with thinking
about God and the concept of God's communication
with man. Empiricism and Realism.
Their
general approach to emphasise material evidence in
the search for reality and truth, is surely
commendable. Not only empiricist philosophy but also
commonsense tell us that one should accept as real
and existent what can be grasped empirically, that
is, by direct experience, by seeing, hearing,
touching and so on. While there may be in other
systems of thought, other criteria for the
evaluation of reality, at present it is a
materialistic philosophy that rules the day, and
though many people (especially the 'religious' type)
are saddened by this and wish back the 'old days of
idealism and rule of the creed', I personally think
that we have to accept the present state of affairs
not as ideal and unchangeable, but as our point of
departure and moreover that doing so is of some
advantage to us.
Creation
is Material Evidence for God
Many
now accept empiricism as their guiding principles
and God gives ample evidence, material evidence,
capable of verification by all empiricists, for His
being and existence. The wide earth, the whole
universe of creation, are evidence, material
evidence, for God. No empiricist would deny that the
earth and the universe do exist. It is only that he
does not always perceive them as 'creation', for
then he would have to argue from the material
evidence that he has to a mighty and puissant cause,
to reason and purpose behind it. Such an argument
would by no means be in contradiction with his
empiricist, rational and scientific line of thought,
rather in perfect agreement with it.
Man's
Pride
I
do not wish to discuss here in any detail why then,
despite this, man denies God and disregards His
communication with man. Suffice to say that the
cause must be seen in man's self-perception, his
arrogance and false pride. Having discovered that he
and his kind constitute the peak of 'creation', he
thinks himself autonomous, self-dependent,
absolutely free and fully equipped to be master of
the universe. Somehow, this self-perception too has
been with man from his early days. He has always
thought himself better than anything else.
Guidance
for Man
Muslims,
referring to the Holy Qur'an, also conclude that
from the beginning of his life on earth, man has
received communication from God, to guide him and
protect him from such self-perception and deceit:
'We
said: Get ye down all from here; and if, as is sure,
there comes to you guidance from Me, whosoever
follows My guidance on them shall be no fear, nor
shall they grieve' (Al-Qur'an 2:38)
This
message and promise has been communicated by God to
all mankind, all children of Adam, as the Qur'an
explains:
'O
ye children of Adam! Whenever there come to you
apostles from amongst you, rehearsing My signs unto
you those who are righteous and mend (their lives)
on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve'
(Al-Qur'an 7:35).
The
Messengers
The
guidance from God comes through the apostles or
messengers, and they bringwith them the scripture
from God:
'We
sent before time Our apostles with clear signs and
sent down with them the book and the balance (of
right and wrong) that men may stand forth in justice
...' (Al-Qur'an 57:25).
The
basic message of all prophets from God, and hence of
all scriptures they brought, is one and the same
message from God to man:'
'And
verily We have raised in every nation a messenger,
(proclaiming): Serve Allah and shun false gods ...'
(Al-Qur'an 16:36).
The
Names of the Prophets and their Number
The
Qur'an mentions the following prophets by name:
Adam, Nuh, Ibrahim, Isma'il, Ishaq, Lut, Ya'qub,
Yusuf, Musa, Harun, Dawud, Sulaiman, Ilyas, Al-Yasa',
Yunus, Ayyub, Zakariya, Yahya, 'Isa, Idris, Hud,
Dhul Kifl, Shu'aib, Salih, Luqman, Dhul Qarnain, 'Uzair,
Muhammad.
This
does not mean, however, that only these have been
God's prophets. Indeed the Qur'an is very clear that
the number of prophets is much larger and that to
each community from among mankind God has sent His
messenger:
'We
did aforetime send apostles before thee: of them
there are some whose story We have related to thee
and some whose story We have not related to thee
...' (Al-Qur'an 40:78).
'To
every people (was sent) an apostle ...'
(Al-Qur'an 10: 47).
The
Names of the Scriptures and their Number
Just
as there have been numerous prophets so there were
numerous written records of their messages. The
Qur'an mentions the following revelations in
particular, which are sometimes called sheets or
leaves (suhuf) and sometimes book or scripture (kitab):
The
'sheets' of Ibrahim and Musa. The Torah (taurat) of
Musa. The Psalms (zabur) of Dawud. The Gospel (injil)
of 'Isa. The Qur'an of Muhammad.
The
Contents of the Former Scriptures
All
the teachings contained in the former Scriptures
that were meant to be of lasting value and
importance are included in the Qur'an. The Qur'an
also gives some specific accounts, although
selective, of what the pre-Qur'anic scriptures
contained and it is worthwhile to look briefly at
this material:
A
reference to the 'sheets' (suhuf) of Ibrahim and
Musa:
'But
those will prosper who purify themselves, and
glorify the name of their guardian Lord, and (lift
their hearts) in prayer. Nay, behold, ye prefer the
life of this world; but the Hereafter is better and
more enduring' (Al-Qur'an 87:
14-17).
A
reference to the Torah (taurat) of Musa:
'It
was We who revealed the law (to Moses): therein was
guidance and light ... We ordained therein for them:
life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for
ear, tooth for tooth and wounds equal for equal, but
if anyone remits the retaliation by way of charity
it is an act of atonement for himself and if any
fail to judge by (the light of) what God has
revealed they are (no better than) wrongdoers'
(Al-Qur'an 5: 47-8).
A
reference to the Psalms (zabur) of Dawud:
'And
verily We have written in the Psalms, after the
Reminder: My righteous slaves will inherit the
earth' (Al-Qur'an 21: 105).
A
reference to the Gospel (injil) of 'Isa:
'Muhammad
is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are
hard against the disbelievers and merciful among
themselves. Thou (O Muhammad) seest them bowing and
falling prostrate (in worship) seeking bounty from
Allah and (His) acceptance. The mark of them is on
their foreheads from the traces of prostration. Such
is their likeness in the Torah and their likeness in
the Gospel like as sown corn that sendeth forth its
shoot and strengtheneth it and riseth firm upon its
stalk, delighting the sowers that He may enrage the
disbelievers with (the sight of) them. Allah has
promised, unto such of them as believe and do good
works, forgiveness and immense reward'
(Al-Qur'an 48: 29).
The
pre-Qur'anic scriptures, besides carrying the same
basic message about Allah, the Master of the worlds,
and man, His creation, also brought specific
instructions addressed directly to particular
communities of people at given points of time in
history and in particular circumstances, such as the
Jewish or Christian communities. Revelation before
the Qur'an, and hence scriptures before it, were in
many of their details situation-oriented in nature
and therefore confined to their particular
frameworks. This also explains the continuity of
revelation. With changing circumstances and in
different situations new guidance from Allah was
required. As long as the revelation and scripture
were not completely universal in nature, revelation
would not reach its finality.
The
Final Revelation
Muhammad
was the last messenger from Allah to mankind, and he
brought the final revelation from God to man.
Therefore the scripture containing this revelation
is the last of the Holy Scriptures.
The
basic message of the Holy Qur'an is the same as the
basic message of the previous revelations and books,
and the directives and instructions, by which it
provides guidance for man are of a universal nature.
They apply for all times to come and in all
situations. This revelation corresponds to man's
position on earth and in history. Man has reached,
in his development, the stage when universal
principles need to be applied to safeguard his
purposeful existence.
THE
QUR'AN, HADITH AND HADITH QUDSI
The
Qur'an
The
Qur'an can be defined as follows:
The
speech of Allah, sent down upon the last Prophet
Muhammad, through the Angel Gabriel, in its precise
meaning and precise wording, transmitted to us by
numerous persons (tawatur), both verbally and in
writing.
Inimitable
and unique, protected by God from corruption.
The
word Qur'an
The
Arabic word 'qur'an' is derived from the root qara'a,
which has various meanings, such as to read, to
recite, etc. Qur'an is a verbal noun and hence means
the 'reading' or 'recitation'. As used in the Qur'an
itself, the word refers to the revelation from Allah
in the broad sense6 and is not always restricted to
the written form in the shape of a book, as we have
it before us today.
However,
it means revelation to Muhammad only, while
revelation to other prophets has been referred to by
different names (e.g. taurat, injil, kitab, etc.).
Other
Names of the Qur'an
The
revelation from Allah to the Prophet Muhammad is
referred to in the Qur'an itself by the name qur'an
(recitation) as well as by other names, such as e.g.
furqan (criterion, see Al-Qur'an
25: 1). tanzil (sent down, see Al-Qur'an
26: 192). dhikr (reminder, see
Al-Qur'an 15: 9). kitab (scripture, see
Al-Qur'an 21:10).
Other
references to the Qur'an are by such words as nur
(light), huda (guidance), rahma (mercy), majid
(glorious), mubarak (blessed), bashir (announcer),
nadhir (warner), etc. All these names reflect one of
the various aspects of the revealed word of Allah.
The
Meaning of hadith
The
word hadith means news, report or narration. It is
in this general sense that the word is used in the
Qur'an. Technically, the word hadith, (pl. ahadith)
means in particular the reports (verbal and written)
about the sunna of the Prophet Muhammad. Hadith
reports about the Prophet Muhammad are of the
following kinds:
What
he said (qaul). What he did (fi'l). What he
(silently) approved (taqrir) in others' actions.
There
are also reports about him, i.e. about what he was
like (sifa).
The
difference between the Qur'an and Hadith
There
is agreement among most Muslim scholars that the
contents of the sunna are also from Allah. Hence
they have described it as also being the result of
some form of inspiration. The contents of the sunna
are however expressed through the Prophet's own
words or actions, while in the case of the Qur'an
the Angel Gabriel brought the exact wording and
contents to the Prophet, who received this as
revelation and then announced it, in the very same
manner that he received it.
The
difference between these two forms has been
illustrated by Suyuti (following Juwaini) in the
following manner:
'The
revealed speech of Allah is of two kinds: As to the
first kind, Allah says to Gabriel: Tell the Prophet
to whom I sent you that Allah tells him to do this
and this, and He ordered him something. So Gabriel
understood what His Lord had told him. Then he
descended with this to the Prophet and told him what
His Lord had told him, but the expression is not
this (same) expression, just as a king says to
someone upon whom he relies: Tell so-and-so: The
king says to you: strive in his service and gather
your army for fighting ... and when the messenger
(goes and) says: The king tells you: do not fail in
my service, and do not let the army break up, and
call for fighting, etc., then he has not lied nor
shortened (the message) ...
'And
as to the other kind, Allah says to Gabriel: Read to
the Prophet this (piece of) writing, and Gabriel
descended with it from Allah, without altering it
the least, just as (if) the king writes a written
(instruction) and hands it over to his trustworthy
(servant) and says (to him): Read it to so-and-so.
Suyuti said: The Qur'an belongs to the second kind,
and the first kind is the sunna, and from this
derives the reporting of the sunna according to the
meaning unlike the Qur'an."
It
is generally accepted that the difference between
Qur'an and sunna is as follows:
The
ahadith from or about the Prophet Muhammad are:
The
words or actions of a human being, and not the
speech of God as the Qur'an is. Not necessarily
reported in tbeir precise wording, as the Qur'an is.
Not necessarily transmitted by tawatur, except in
some instances.
Hadith
Qudsi
Qudsi
means holy, or pure. There are some reports from the
Prophet Muhammad where he relates to the people what
God has said (says) or did (does), but this
information is not part of the Qur'an. Such a report
is called hadith qudsi, e.g.:
Abu
Huraira reported that Allah's messenger said:
'Allah,
Mighty and Exalted is He, said: If My servant likes
to meet me, I like to meet him, and if he dislikes
to meet Me, I dislike to meet him.' (12)
While the common factor between hadith qudsi and the
Qur'an is that both contain words from Allah which
have been revealed to Muhammad, the main points of
difference between Qur'an and hadith qudsi are as
follows:
In
the Qur'an the precise wording is from Allah, while
in the hadith qudsi the wording is given by the
Prophet Muhammad.
The
Qur'an has been brought to Muhammad only by the
Angel Gabriel, while hadith qudsi may also have been
inspired otherwise, such as e.g. in a dream.
The
Qur'an is inimitable and unique, but not so the
hadith qudsi.
The
Qur'an has been transmitted by numerous persons, (tawatur)
but the hadith and hadith qudsi often only by a few
or even one individual. There are hadith qudsi which
are sahth, but also others hasan, or even da'if,
while there is no doubt at all about any aya from
the Qur'an.
Another
point is that a hadith qudsi cannot be recited in
prayer.
Distinctive
Features of the Qur'an
The
most important distinction between the Qur'an and
all other words or writings therefore is that the
Qur'an is the speech from Allah, revealed in its
precise meaning and wording through the Angel
Gabriel, transmitted by many, inimitable, unique and
protected by Allah Himself against any corruption.
REVELATION
AND HOW IT CAME TO THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
God
guides His Creation
Allah
the Creator has not only brought about the creation,
but continues to sustain and direct it, in the way
that He has created us and all that is around us. He
has provided many forms of guidance, indeed, a
system of guiding principles, of which the laws of
'nature' are a part.
But
Allah has also granted a special form of guidance
for mankind from the outset of its occupancy of the
earth. He promised to Adam and his descendants: 'Get
ye down all from here; and if, as is sure, there
comes to you guidance from Me, whosoever follows
guidance, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they
grieve' (Al-Qur'an 2: 38).'This
guidance comes through the prophets, whom Allah
continuously sent to mankind, until the last
messenger, Muhammad received His final guidance.
Guidance
through Revelation
We
call a man to whom God in his own way communicates
His guidance, a prophet or messenger (nabi, rasul).
Prophets receive the word of God through revelation
and then communicate it to their fellow human
beings:
'We
have sent thee INSPIRATION, as We sent it to Noah
and the messengers after him: We sent INSPIRATION to
Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob and the tribes, to
Jesus, Job, Jonah, Harun and Solomon, and to David
We gave the Psalms. Of some apostles, We have
already told the story, of others We have not and to
Moses God spoke direct apostles who gave good news
as well as warning, that mankind after (the coming)
of the apostles should have no plea against God: for
God is exalted in power and ways'
(Al-Qur'an 4: 163-5).
The
two words italicised (capitalized) in the above
translationare both derived from the Arabic root 'wahy'.
The
Meaning of Wahy
The
word awha, from which 'wahy' (revelation) is
derived, occurs in a number of shades of meaning in
the Qur'an, each of them indicating the main
underlying idea of inspiration directing or guiding
someone. In each example below, the italicised words
in the translation are forms of the root word wahy
in the original text of the Qur'an:
'Guidance
in natural intuition: 'so we sent this inspiration
to the mother of Moses . . .' (Al-Qur'an
28: 7). 'Guidance in
natural instinct: 'and thy Lord taught the bee to
build its cells in hills, on trees and in (man's)
habitations' (Al-Qur'an 16: 68). 'Guidance
by signs: 'So Zakaria came out to his people from
his chamber: he told them by signs to celebrate
God's praises in the morning and in the evening'
(Al-Qur'an 19: 11). 'Guidance
from evil: 'Likewise did we make for every messenger
an enemy evil ones among men and jinns, inspiring
each other with flowery discourses by way of
deception ...' (Al-Qur'an 6: 112). 'Guidance
from God: 'Remember thy Lord inspired the angels
(with the message) ...' (Al-Qur'an
8: 12).
Means
of Revelation
Wahy
in the sense of 'revelation' is guidance from God
for His creation, brought by the Prophets, who
received the word from God through one of the means
mentioned in the following Qur'anic verse:
'It
is not fitting for a man that God should speak to
him except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or
by sending of a messenger to reveal with God's
permission what God wills: for He is Most High, Most
Wise' (Al-Qur'an 42: 51).
Means
of revelation are:
Inspiration,
e.g. in a dream (see Al-Qur'an
37: 102, where it is related that Ibrahim
receives guidance in a vision, while asleep, to
sacrifice his son).
Speech
hidden away (see Al-Qur'an 27:
8, where it is related that God spoke to Musa
from the fire).
Words
(speech) sent through a special messenger from God (see
Al-Qur'an 2:97, where it is related that God
sent the Angel Gabriel as the messenger to Muhammad
to reveal His message).
The
Qur'an revealed to Muhammad
Prophet
Muhammad, the last of God's messengers, received the
revelation of the Qur'an through a special messenger
sent by God for this purpose: the Angel Gabriel, who
recited to him God's words exactly.
The
Descent of the Qur'an
According
to Suyuti' on the basis of three reports from
'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas, in Hakim, Baihaqi and Nasa'i,
the Qur'an descended in two stages:
From
the lauh al-mahfuz, the 'well-preserved tablet', to
the lowest of the heavens (bait al-'izza) of the
world, all together, in the laila al-qadr.
From
the heavens to earth in stages throughout the
twenty-three years of Muhammad's prophethood, and
first in the laila al-qadr of Ramadan, through the
Angel Gabriel.
This
second descent from the heaven to the heart of the
Prophet is referred to in Sura al-isra' (17) and
Sura al-furqan (25).
BEGINNING
OF THE REVELATION
The
revelation of the Qur'an began in the laila al-qadr
of Ramadan (the 27th night or one of the odd nights
after the 21st) after the Prophet Muhammad had
passed the fortieth year of his life (that is around
the year 610), during his seclusion in the cave of
Hira' on a mountain near Makka.
Bukharis
Account
This
is the account, as reported in the Sahih of Bukhari:
Narrated
Aisha the mother of the faithful believers: The
commencement of the divine inspiration to Allah's
apostle was in the form of good dreams which came
like bright daylight (i.e. true) and then the love
of seclusion was bestowed upon him.
He
used to go in seclusion in the Cave of Hira', where
he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for
many days before his desire to see his family. He
used to take with him food for the stay and then
come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food
likewise again, till suddenly the truth descended
upon him while he was in the Cave of Hira'.
The
angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet
replied 'I do not know how to read'. The Prophet
added, 'The angel caught me (forcibly) and pressed
me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He
then released me and again asked me to read and I
replied, "I do not know how to read".
Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second
time till I could not bear it any more. He then
released me and again asked me to read, but again I
replied, "I do not know how to read" (or
what shall I read?). Thereupon he caught me for the
third time and pressed me, and then released me and
said: "Read, in the name of Your Lord, who
created, created man from a clot. Read! And Your
Lord is the most bountiful" ...
The
narration goes on to tell us that the Prophet went
back to his wife Khadija and recounted to her his
dreadful experience. She comforted him and both of
them consulted Waraqa, Khadlja's relative and a
learned Christian, about it. Waraqa told Muhammad
that he had encountered the one 'whom Allah had sent
to Moses' and that he would be driven out by his
people.
How
Revelation came
Narrated
Aisha, the mother of the faithful believers: Al-Harith
bin Hisham asked Allah's apostle: 'O Allah's
apostle. How is the divine inspiration revealed to
you?' Allah's apostle replied, 'Sometimes it is
"revealed" like the ringing of a bell,
this form of inspiration is the hardest of all and
then this state passes off after I have grasped what
is inspired. Sometimes the Angel comes in the form
of a man and talks to me and I grasp whatever he
says'.
The
First Revelation'
The
first revelation that the Prophet Muhammad received
is in the first verses from Sura al-'alaq (96:1-3,
according to others 1-5):
'Read
in the name of your Lord, who created, created man
from a clot. Read! And your Lord is most bountiful.
(He who taught) the use of the pen taught man which
he knew not.'
The
remainder of Sura 96, which now has 19 ayat, was
revealed on some later occasion.
The
Pause (fatra)
After
the first message thus received, revelation ceased
for a certain period (called fatra) and then
resumed:
Narrated
Jabir bin 'Abdullah Al-Ansari while talking about
the period of pause in revelation reporting the
speech of the Prophet, 'While I was walking, all of
a sudden I heard a voice from the heaven. I looked
up and saw the same angel who had visited me at the
Cave of Hira' sitting on a chair between the sky and
the earth. I got afraid of him and came back home
and said "Wrap me (in blankets)" and then
Allah revealed the following holy verses (of the
Qur'an): O you covered in your cloak, arise and warn
(the people against Allah's punishment) ... up to
"and all pollution shun".'
After
this revelation came strongly and regularly.
The
Second Revelation
The
second portion of the Qur'an revealed to the Prophet
Muhammad was the beginning of Sura al-muddaththir
(74:15). It now consists of 56 verses, the rest
revealed later, and begins as follows: 'O
you, covered in your cloak, arise and warn, thy Lord
magnify, thy raiment purify, pollution shun ...'
Other
Early Revelations
Many
hold that Sura al-muzzammil (73) was the next
revelation.
According
to others, Sura al-fatiha (1) was the third sura to
be revealed. (20)
Among
other early revelations, which the Prophet declared
in Makka, are, according to some reports, Sura 111,
Sura 81, Sura 87, Sura 92, Sura 89, etc. Then
revelation continued, 'mentioning
Paradise and Hell, and until mankind turned to
Islam, then came revelation about halal and haram
... '
Revelation
came to the Prophet throughout his lifetime, both in
Makka and Madina, i.e. over a period of
approximately 23 years, until shortly before his
death in the year 10 after Hijra (632).
The
Last Revelation
Many
Muslim scholars agree that the last revelation was
Sura 2, verse 281:
'And
fear the day when ye shall be brought back to God.
Then shall every soul be paid what it earned and
none shall be dealt with unjustly.'
Some
also say that it was 2:282 or 2:278.
It
has also been suggested that all three verses were
revealed on one occasion. The Prophet died nine
nights after the last revelation.
Others
hold that Sura 5:4 was the last to be revealed:
'This
day I have perfected your religion for you,
completed My favour upon you and have chosen for you
Islam as your religion.'
The
opinion that this verse was the last revelation is
not sound according to many scholars, since it was
revealed during the last pilgrimage of the Prophet.
This information is based upon a hadith from 'Umar.
Suyuti explains concerning the verse in Sura 5 that
after it nothing concerning ahkam and hal'al and
haram was revealed, and in this sense it is the
'completion' of religion. However, revelation
reminding man of the coming day of judgement
continued and the last such revelation is the above
verse.
Reasons
why the Qur'an was sent down in Stages
The
Qur'an was revealed in stages over a period of 23
years, and not as a complete book in one single act
of revelation. There are a number of reasons for
this; most important are the following:
To
strengthen the heart of the Prophet by addressing
him continuously and whenever the need for guidance
arose. Out of consideration for the Prophet since
revelation was a very difficult experience for him.
To gradually implement the laws of God. To make
understanding, application and memorisation of the
revelation easier for the believers.
REFFERENCES:
1.The
question of how evil came into the world has
preoccupied many sincere seekers after the truth.
The answer which the Qur'an gives is simple yet
convincing if seen against all the evidence of
historical and contemporary human civilisation. At
the root of all evil in this world is disobedience
to God, resulting from the belief that one is
superior to another. From this belief stems
oppression of man by man discrimination, crime and
all other evils that rule the day. The test lies in
obedience to God, for seen against God, the 'wholly
other', all creation is indeed on the other side and
equal. In Sura al-a'raf (7) it is related that God
asked all angels to bow before Adam, the first man.
The angels obeyed, and observed God's will, except
Iblis. When asked why he opposed God's will, he
replied: 'ana khairun minhu' I (Iblis) am better
than him (Adam), you created me from fire and
created him from clay' (Al-Qur'an 7:12) . This then
is the beginning of all evil, for it is Iblis who
after this makes it his mission to incite men also
to act against God's will.
2.
I shall use the following two English translations
of the Holy Qur'an: A. Yusuf Ali, (Ali, Abdullah
Yusuf: The Glorious Qur'an: Text, Translation and
Commentary. Leicester, 1978) and M. Pickthall (Pickthall,
Mohammad Marmaduke: The Meaning of the Glorious
Koran, New York, 1963).
3.
Some say that the whole of Sura 87 is a reference to
this first book of revelation, but others hold that
only the few verses quoted here are actually meant.
See mukhtasar tafsir Ibn Kathir, Beirut, 1402/1981,
Vol. 3, p. 631. Another reference to the suhuf of
Musa and Ibrahim is in Sura 53:36 ff.
4.
Surah 17: 93.
5.
Surah 75:18:17: 46.
6.
Surah 17: 82.
7.
For details on hadith see: A'zami, Muhammad Mustafa:
Studies in Hadith Methodology and Literature,
Indianapolis, 1977.
8.
e.g. Sura 12:101.
9.
For details see kitab al-risala, by Imam al-Shafi'i,
Cairo, n.d., especially pp. 28-9. In English:
Khadduri Majid, Islamic Jurisprudence. Shafi'i's
Risala, Baltimore, 1961, chapter 5, especially pp.
121-2.
10.
Sabuni, tibyan, p.52 .
11.
For an introduction to the subject and select sample
texts, see e.g. Ibrahim Izzuddin and Denis
Johnson-Davies: Forty Hadith Qudsi, Beirut,
Damascus, 1980.
12.
ibid., No. 30.
13.
The word here used for guidance is hudan.
14.
al Itqan fi ulum al quran, Beirut, 1973, Vol. I pp.
39-40
15.
English translations of ahadith are, unless
otherwise indicated, from Khan, Muhammad Muhsin: The
Translation of the Meanings of Sahih al-Bukhari, 9
vols., Istanbul, 1978 (abbr. as Bukhari) and
Siddiqui, Abdul Hamid: Sahih Muslim, 4 vols.,
Lahore, 1978 (abbr. as Muslim).
16.
Bukhari, I, No. 3; VI, No. 478; Muslim I, No. 301.
17.
Bukhari, I, No. 2.
18.
See Suyuti, Itqan, I, pp.23-4.
19.
Bukhari, I, end of No. 3.
20.
Suyuti, Itqan, I, p.24.
21.
ibid.
22.
Kamal, Ahmad 'Adil: 'ulum al-Qur'an, Cairo, 1974,
p.18.
23.
Sabuni, tibyan pp. 18-9
