CHAPTER 11: SECTION REGARDING HOW THE REVELATION CAME TO THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH
SECTION REGARDING HOW THE REVELATION CAME TO THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH
It was reported on the authority of ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that Al-Harith Ibn Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), “O Messenger of Allah! How does the Revelation come to you?” He said: “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.” ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, added, “Verily, I saw the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) being inspired Divinely on a very cold day and noticed the sweat dripping from his forehead (as the Inspiration ended).” This was narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim in the Saheehain from the Hadith of Malik.
And in Saheeh Muslim and other collections of Ahadeeth it was reported on the authority of Al-Hasan, who reported on the authority of Hittan Ibn ‘Abdullah Ar-Raqashi, who in turn reported on the authority of ‘Ubadah Ibn As-Samit, may Allah be pleased with them, that he said, “When Revelation came down to the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), it was burdensome to him and his face would take on a dark red expression.” And in another narration, “…his eyes became dark and we recognized that from him.”
And in the Saheehain is the Hadith of Zaid Ibn Thabit (May Allah be pleased with him), who said that when “Not equal are those of the Believers who sit (at home)” (Soorah An-Nisa’ 4:95) was revealed, Ibn Umm Maktoom (May Allah be pleased with him) complained of his blindness, following which “…except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame, etc.) was revealed (Soorah An-Nisa’ 4:95) and, “the thigh of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) was against my thigh and I was writing, but when the Revelation came down, his thigh almost broke my thigh.”
And in Saheeh Muslim, it was reported on the authority of Ya‘la Ibn Umayyah, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said, “ ‘Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) said to me, ‘Would it please you to see the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) when Revelation is descending on him’? Then he lifted a corner of the cloth and the Revelation was descending upon him at Al-Ji‘ranah; I saw that his face was red and he was snorting like a camel.”
And it was confirmed in the Saheehain in the Hadith of ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that Sawdah, may Allah be pleased with her, the wife of the Prophet, Peace and Blessings on Allah be upon him) went out to answer the call of nature after it was made obligatory (for all the Muslim women) to observe the veil. She was a large, overweight lady, and everybody who knew her before could recognize her. So ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) saw her and said, “O Sawdah! By Allah, you cannot hide yourself from us, so think of a way by which you should not be recognized on going out.” Sawdah, may Allah be pleased with her, returned while
the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) was in my house taking his supper and a bone covered with meat was in his hand. She entered and said, “O, Messenger of Allah! I went out to answer the call of nature and ‘Umar said to me such-and-such.” Then Allah, the Almighty, inspired him (the Prophet) and when the state of Inspiration was over – and the bone was still in his hand, as he had not put in down – he said (to Sawdah, may Allah be pleased with her): “You (women) have been allowed to go out for your needs.” This proves that the Revelation did not cause him to
completely lose his senses, because he was sitting and also, the bone did not fall from his hand – may Allah’s Blessings and Peace be upon him in perpetuity.
Imam Ahmad narrated on the authority of Asma’ Bint Yazeed, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said, “I was holding the reins of Al-‘Adba’, the she-camel of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) when the whole of Soorah Al-Ma’idah was revealed to him. Due to the burden of it on him, the upper leg of the she-camel was bruised.”
It has also been confirmed in the Saheehain that the sending down of Soorah Al-Fat’h to the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) occurred when he was returning from Al-Hudaybiyyah, while he was on his riding beast and it came down to him little by little, according to the circumstances. And Allah (SWT) knows best.
Allah, Most High, says, “Move not your tongue concerning (the Qur’an, O, Muhammad) to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it and to give you (O, Muhammad) the ability to recite it (the Qur’an), And when We have recited it to you (O, Muhammad, through Jibraeel), then follow you its (the Qur’an’s) recital. Then it is for Us (Allah) to make it clear to you.” (Soorah Al-Qiyamah 75:16-19)
Then High above all be Allah, the True King, said: “And be not in haste (O, Muhammad) with the Qur’an before its revelation is completed to you, and say, ‘My Lord! Increase me in knowledge’.” (Soorah Ta Ha 20:114).
This was at the beginning, when the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) used to take great pains to memorize the Revelation brought to him by Jibraeel from Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, by reciting it rapidly, in order to keep pace with the angel’s recitation. So Allah, Most High, commanded him to listen to
the angel until he had completed the Revelation. And He guaranteed for him that He would preserve it in his heart and make it easy for him to recite and convey (to others) and that He would make clear its meanings to him. This is why He, Most High, says, “And be not in haste (O, Muhammad) with the Qur’an before its revelation is
completed to you, and say, ‘My Lord! Increase me in knowledge’.” (Soorah Ta Ha 20:114).
And He says, “Move not your tongue to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it” (Soorah Al-Qiyamah 75:16-17) means in your heart, “…and to give you (O, Muhammad) the ability to recite it (the Qur’an)” (Soorah Al-Qiyamah 75:17) means the angel recites it to you, that you may recite it, “…then follow you its (the Qur’an’s) recital.” (Soorah Al-Qiyamah 75:18). It means to listen to it and reflect on it. “Then it is for Us (Allah) to make it clear to you.” (Soorah Al-Qiyamah 75:19). This is the same as His Saying: “…and say, “My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.”(Soorah Ta Ha 20:114)
And in the Saheehain it was reported on the authority of ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said, “The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) used to bear the Revelation with great trouble and used to move his lips (quickly) with the Inspiration.” Ibn ‘Abbas moved his lips saying, “I am moving my lips in front of you as the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) used to move his.” Sa‘eed moved his lips saying, “I am moving my lips, as I saw Ibn ‘Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) moving his.” Ibn ‘Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) added, “So Allah, the Almighty, revealed, “Move not your tongue to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it and to give you (O, Muhammad) the ability to recite it (the Qur’an).” (Soorah Al-Qiyamah 75:16, 17) which means that Allah, the Almighty, will make him (the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)) remember the portion of the Qur’an which was revealed at that time by heart and recite it.
The Statement of Allah, the Almighty: “And when We have recited it to you (O, Muhammad, through Jibraeel), then follow you its…” (the Qur’an’s) recital means listen to it and be silent. “Then it is for Us (Allah) to make it clear to you” (Soorah Al-Qiyamah 75:19) means “then it is (for Allah, the Almighty,) to make you recite it (and its meaning will be clear by itself through your tongue).” Whenever Jibraeel came, the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) used to lower his head to his chest and listen in silence to him and after his departure he would recite it just as Allah, the
Almighty, the All-Powerful had promised him.
Ibn Ishaq said, “Then the Revelation to the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) continued and he believed in what came to him. He accepted it completely and he conveyed it to the slaves, regardless of whether it pleased them or displeased them; and Prophethood entails heavy burdens which none can bear and none can understand except those Messengers who are strong and determined, whom Allah, the Almighty, helps and to whom He grants success, because of what they encounter from their people and the rejection of the Message they bring from Allah, the Almighty, to which they are subjected. The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) continued to do what Allah, the Almighty, had commanded him to do, in spite of the opposition and harm he encountered from his people.”
Ibn Ishaq said, “Khadeejah Bint Khuwailid, may Allah be pleased with her, had faith and believed in what he brought from Allah, the Almighty, and she supported him in the propagation of the Religion. She was the first person to believe in Allah, the Almighty, and His Messenger (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) and in the Message that he brought from Allah, the Almighty. In this way, Allah, the Almighty, made things easier for His Messenger (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him): whenever he heard something that he disliked from those who opposed him or they belied him, it would make him feel sad, and Allah, the Almighty, would grant him solace through her when he returned to her, for she would strengthen his resolve and lighten the burden for him by her belief in him, and her minimizing of the enmity and opposition shown to him by the people. May Allah be pleased with her.”
Ibn Ishaq said, “I was told by Hisham Ibn ‘Urwah, who reported on the authority of his father, who in turn reported on the authority of ‘Abdullah Ibn Ja‘afar Ibn Abi Talib that he said, “The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘I was commanded to give Khadeejah the glad tidings of a house made of pearl in which there is no noise or clamor and no fatigue’.” And this Hadith has been reported in the Saheehain. Ibn Hisham said, “Qasab (the word used in the Hadith) here means ‘hollowed-out pearl’.”
By Ibn Katheer
Comments
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.