10.1. THE FEATURES OF MADEENAN REVELATIONS
Madeenan revelations are all those verses and chapters of the Quran which were revealed after the Hijrah. This includes verses which were revealed during the battles, as well as those revealed in Makkah and Minaa 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 some of the main characteristics of Madeenan verses :
1. Laws
Once Madeenah had become the new center of the Islamic movement, the Islamic state was born. The Prophet became ruler over the Muslims of Madeenah, as well as the 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 many social, economic and spiritual laws which were necessary for the organization and development of an Islamic state. It was during this period that the last three pillars of Islaam, Zakaah, Sawm and Hajj, were revealed. Likewise, it was during this period that drinking alcohol, eating swine and gambling were all forbidden.
2. People of the Book
In Madeenah, Muslims came in contact with the Jews for the first time. In order to try to shake the beliefs of the Muslims, the Jews used to ask the Prophet (r) various questions about Allah, the earlier prophets, and the unseen. They asked questions about the origin of the soul and what it was made of. Thus, a number of Madeenan verses represented answers to the many questions raised by the Jews. The Muslims of Madeenah also came in contact with the Christians on a larger scale. As a result of that, we find a number of Madeenan verses clarifying Christian misconceptions about Prophet Jesus and Allah. They pointed out that Jesus’ birth was not greater than that of Aadam who had neither father nor mother.
“Surely the likeness of Jesus in Allaah’s sight is as the likeness of Aadam.. He created him from dust, then said to him, ‘Be !’ And he was.” Soorah Aal – ‘Imraan (3) : 59
They also stressed that the miracles of Jesus, such as bringing the dead back to life, were only by Allaah’s permission. Thus, Jesus was not a god nor the son of Allah, and Allah was not the third of three.
3. The Munaafiqoon
For the first time since the beginning of the final message we find people entering Islaam, yet not believing in it. In Makkah, Muslims were oppressed and attacked, so no one would enter Islaam unless he truly believed. On the other hand, the Muslims of Madeenah were strong and they ruled the city. Thus, we find some people entering Islaam in order to benefit from its strength and to oppose it from within. ‘Abdullaah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool was about to be crowned King of Madeenah when the Prophet arrived. The Prophet was made the ruler of Madeenah and Ibn Salool’s hopes were ruined. Since the Muslims were strong and he could not openly oppose them, he accepted Islaam and worked against it from within. 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.
4. Jihaad
The right to fight against the enemy was given for the first time in al-Madeenah. During the Makkan period, Muslims were forbidden to fight back. This was for two basic reasons :
(1) The Muslims were a minority and could easily be completely wiped out.
(2) only the strong could survive this 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 finally Makkah was conquered and the whole of the Arabian peninsula came under the rule of Islaam. 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.
5. 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 whole soorahs of the Makkan period. The longest verse of the Quran is the verse on loans in the Madeenan Soorah, al-Baqarah. This verse contains approximately 143 words.The shortest Soorah of the Qur’aan is the Makkan Soorah al-Kawthar, 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.
6. Order of the Soorahs
Although all of the Makkan verses were revealed during the same period, they were neither memorized nor written in the same order in which they were revealed. Verses from various Soorahs were revealed at once. Whenever single verses were revealed at once. Whenever single verses were revealed, the Prophet would tell his scribes to write it in the Soorah to which it belonged. If a new Soorah was revealed, he would recite the Soorah in the order it was to be recorded. Once the Madeenan verses and Soorahs began to be revealed, the Prophet would tell his companions to place them before or after certain Makkan Soorahs and verses. Thus, when the revelation of the Quran was complete, Makkan verses could be found within Madeenan Soorahs and Madeenan verses within Makkan Soorahs. The Prophet reordered the verses and Soorahs of the Quran according to Allaah’s command. The reason 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 Islaam.
THE IMPORTANCE
There are a number of reasons why a distinction needs to be made between Makkan and Madeenan Soorahs and verses. The following are only the three most important reasons :
1. Fiqh (Islamic Law)
The various laws of Islaam were revealed over a period of twenty-three years. Some laws canceled 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 earlier laws. For example, alcohol was made forbidden in gradual stages. The first law concerning alcohol was simply a warning of its dangers. Allaah said,
“And, when they ask you about Khamr (alcohol) and Maysir (gambling), tell them that they contain benefits for some people, but the sin is greater than the benefit.” Soorah al-Baqarah (2):20
The second law which was revealed warned Muslims away from Salaah when they were intoxicated (drunk). Allaah said,
“Do not come to Salaah when you are intoxicated (drunk), until you know what you are saying.” Soorah an-Nisaa’ (4) : 43
The third law, however, was a complete prohibition of even coming near any form of alcohol. Allaah said,
“Verily, alcohol, gambling and sacrificial altars are filth, as a result of Shaytaan’s work, so stay away from them.” Soorah al- Maa‘idah (5) : 93
If one was unaware 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 benefitting from the sale of alcohol is permitted.
2. Da‘wah
By understanding the order in which the verses of the Quran were revealed, one can learn the best method of teaching Islaam. 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 Allaah out of ignorance. Instead they were told to reason with the disbelievers and show them logically why the worship of idols was incorrect. Allaah said,
“Are you worshipping besides Allah other gods which cannot benefit you at all nor harm you?” Soorah al-Anbiyaa‘ (21) : 66
3. Seerah
Many of the important events in the Prophet’s life have been recorded in various parts 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.
By Bilal Philips
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