النص المفهرس

xxii
Foreward
volume is already under composing, and we hope that Allah Jus , l
will give us tawfiq to bring the next volumes as soon as possible.
Acknowledgments are due to all those who contributed their
efforts, advices and financial support to this work. Those deserving
special reference are Prof. Abdul-Wahid Siddiqi, Dr. Zafar Ishaq
Ansari, Mr. Abubakr Varachia and Mr. Shuaib 'Umar (both of South
Africa) Dr. Muhammad Ismail (of U.S.A), and Mr. Altaf Barkhurdaria.
My elder brother Mr. Muhammad Wali Raazi has been associated
with the work right from its beginning, and has always been a great
source of guidance, support and encouragement. He is a member of the
committee set up for the translation of the Holy Qur'an and his re-
markable contribution, not only to the translation of the Holy Qur'an,
but also to the translation of the commentary is unforgettable. He, too,
has been contributing his valuable time and effort to this project for
years just for the sake of Allah. May Allah approve his contributions
with His pleasure and bless him with the best of rewards both here
and hereinafter.
As for Prof. Muhammad Shameem, the original translator of
Ma'ariful-Qur'an after the demise of Prof. Muhammad Hasan 'Askari,
all the formal words of acknowledgment seem to be miserably deficient
for the valuable service he has rendered to this project. He has not
only translated the book with precaution and love, but also devoted his
whole life to the Holy Qur'an and spared no effort to bring this volume
into light. Out of his commitment to the cause, he did not restrict
himself to the work of a translator, but also undertook the function of
an editor and a proof reader and supervised all other minute details of
the publishing process. His devotion, sincerity and hardwork is beyond
any amount of admiration. May Allah grant him the best reward of
His absolute approval for his noble work. Amin.
With these few words I am honoured to present this first volume to
the readers. May Allah approve this effort and make it beneficial to
the Ummah. 'Amin.
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
Darul-Uloom, Karachi-14
10 Safar 1416
9 July 1995

xxiii
TRANSLITERATION SCHEME
Arabic Letter
Name of Letter
English Transliteration
-
الف
-- Alif
a
باء
-- bā
b
ت
تاء
-- tā
t
ث
th
ج
جیم
-- jim
j
ح
حاء
-- hã
h
خ
خاء
-- kha
kh
دال
-- dal
d
ذ
号
-- dhal
dh
1
راء
-- ra
r
ز
زای
-- zá
Z
س
سین
-- sin
S
ش
شين
-- shin
sh
ص
صاد
-- sad
ض
ضاء
-- däd
d
L
طاء
-- tā
t
ظ
-- zā
Z
ع
عين
-- 'ayn
غ
غين
-- ghayn
gh
ف
-- fa
f
ق
قاف
·· qaf
q
ك
· کاف
-- kaf
k
ل
لام
-- lam
1
م
ميم
-- nun
n
.
هاء
-- ha
h
واؤ
-- waw
W
بمزه
-- Hamzah
یاء
-- ya
y
ى .
Short Vowels
1
: Fathah
: Kasrah
1
,
Long Vowels
1
: Shortened Alif
: Maddah Alif
ی
: Maddah Ya
: Maddah Waw
u
Dipthongs
ای
او اؤ
:Alif and Ya
ay
: Alif and Waw
aw (also au in some cases)
-- mim
m
نون
,
: Dammah
u
-- tha

XXV
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمدلله وكفى وسلام على عباده الذين اصطفى
PREFACE
This is an introduction comprising of some basic informations
about the Holy Qur'an its revelation, the history of its descention and
preservation and similar other subjects. This introduction was written
by me on the direction of my father, the esteemed author of Ma'ariful-
Qur'an. He wanted to write this introduction himself, but due his
many other involvements and his deteriorating health, he could not do
so. At this stage he directed me to write on these subject. When I start-
ed writing the introduction, it became a lengthy volume itself and it
was not proper to include it in the Ma'ariful-Qur'an as an introduction.
Therefore, the book was published separately under the title of
"Uloom-ul-Qur'an" and I condensed its discussions to the present in-
troduction, which was published in the beginning of the second edition
of 'Ma'ariful-Qur'an'.
This introduction is translated into English by Prof. Muhammad
Shameem after he accomplished the translation of the first volume of
Ma'ariful-Qur'an. My book "Uloom-ul-Qur'an" is now available in
English also. Those who like detailed discussions on these subjects
may refer to it.
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
11 Safar 1416 A.H.

1
Introduction
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمدلله وكفى وسلام على عباده الذين اصطفى
Wahy and its true nature
Since the Holy Qur'an was revealed to our beloved prophet
Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa صلى الله عليه وسلم by means of Wahy
(revelation), an understanding of some particulars about Wahy is
imperative at the very outset.
The need for Wahy
Every Muslim knows that Allah Almighty has sent man into this
world as a matter of test, and in return for his being obligated with
certain duties, the whole universe has been placed at his service. For
this reason man, once he is in the world, must do two things:
1. He should make the best use of this world, and of things created
in it.
2. While using this world to his advantage, he should keep the
injunctions of Allah Almighty in sight and do nothing that goes
against His will and pleasure.
For these two functions man needs knowledge. Therefore, unless
he knows the reality of this world, the properties of different things
and the manner in which they can be put to use, he cannot use
anything in this world to his advantage. Likewise, unless and until he
knows the will of Allah Almighty as to what pleases Him and what
displeases Him, it will be impossible for him to lead a life in line with
the will of Allah Almighty.
So Allah Almighty, along with the creation of man, has created
three things through which he could continue receiving knowledge of
the above-mentioned matters of concern. These are:

2
Introduction
1. Man's senses, that is, the eyes, the ears, the nose, the mouth, the
hands and the feet.
2. The reason.
3. The Wahy.
Consequently, man finds out many things through his senses,
many others through reason, and the knowledge of things he cannot
get through these two sources are bestowed upon him through Wahy.
The arrangement between these three sources of knowledge is such
that each one has its limits, and a particular sphere of activity beyond
which it does not work. In natural sequence, the knowledge of things
man collects through his senses cannot be deduced through bland
reason. For instance, you know by seeing a wall with your eyes that its
colour is white. But, should you close your eyes and try to find out the
colour of that wall on the sole strength of your reason, this will then be
impossible. Similarly, the knowledge of things that comes through
reason cannot be discovered by senses alone. For instance, you cannot
find out as to who made that wall by simply seeing it with your eyes or
touching it with your hands. Not at all, you rather need reason to
arrive at that conclusion.
In short, reason gives no guidance as far as the five senses work
efficiently, and when the five senses become helpless, reason starts
functioning. But, even the guidance given by this reason is not
unlimited. This too stops at a certain limit. Then there are things the
knowledge of which can neither be acquired through senses nor
through reason. For instance, to find out about this very wall, as to
what manner of its use will please Allah Almighty and what manner
of its use will displease Him, is possible neither through senses nor
through reason. In order to give man the answer to such questions, the
source that Allah Almighty has prescribed is what is known as Wahy.
And the method it follows is that Allah Almighty selects one of His
servants, ordains him as His messenger and to him He reveals His
Word. This Word is Wahy.
This makes it clear that Wahy is the highest source of knowledge
for man which offers to him the answer to questions about his life
which cannot be solved by means of reason and senses, but, he still

3
Introduction
has to have that knowledge. This further explains that reason and
perception alone are not enough to show man the way. It is rather all
the more necessary, almost inevitable, that the Divine Wahy be there
for his guidance. Since Way is basically needed where reason does not
work, it is, therefore, not necessary that everything communicated
through Wahy be compulsively comprehended through reason. On the
contrary, as reason is no help in finding out the colour of some object
since that is the job of the senses, so is the knowledge of many
religious beliefs, the gracious giving of which is the sole prerogative of
Wahy and not of reason. Furthermore, trusting reason alone for their
comprehension is not sound and correct.
To begin with, it is totally senseless to discuss the issue of Way
with a person who, God forbid, does not accept the very existence of
God. But, for a person who believes in the existence of Allah Almighty
and has faith in His perfect power, it is not at all difficult to
understand that Wahy is a rational need, that it is possible and that it
is there for real. If you have faith in the fact that this universe has
been created by an absolutely powerful entity, He is the One who has
sent man down here to accomplish some particular mission, how then
is it possible to imagine that He, after once having created man, would
leave him off in total darkness, without ever telling him why did he
come into this world, what his duties were, where was he destined to
go and how could he realize the purpose of his life? How could a
person, whose sanity is still there, send one of his servants on a
certain trip under a designated mission without ever telling him the
purpose of the trip while he is leaving, nor explaining it to him later on
through some message as to why he has been sent out there and what
duties he is supposed to carry out during the trip? When a man of
ordinary reason cannot do something like this, how can something like
this be imagined with respect to the most Holy Lord of the Universe
under Whose ultimate wisdom this whole system of the universe is
functioning? After all, how is it possible that the Being, that did create
such a mind-boggling system composed of the moon, the sun, the sky,
the earth, the stars and the planets, would remain unable to institute
some arrangement of communication with His servants, through
which human beings could be given guidance about the purpose of
their lives? If there is 'Iman or faith in the ultimate wisdom of Allah

4
Introduction
Almighty, then admitting that He did not forsake His servants in the
dark, will become all the more necessary; rather on the contrary, He
has surely instituted some regular system for their guidance. And so,
this very regular system of guidance is known as Way (Revelation)
and Risalah (Prophethood).
This makes it crystal clear that Wahy is not only a religious belief
but also a rational need the rejection of which amounts to a rejection of
the ultimate wisdom of Allah Almighty.
The Modes of Descent
This sacred sequence of Wahy (revelation) and Risalah
(prophethood) came to an end with the last of the prophets,
Muhammad al-Mustafa صلى الله عليه وسلم . Nevermore, shall Wahy descend
upon any man, nor there is need for it. Wahy used to come to the Holy
Prophet صلى اللّه عليه وسلم in several forms and modes. In a hadith from
Sahih al-Bukhari, Sayyidah 'A'ishah Ler Ml+, says that Sayyidna
صلى الله عليه وسلم once asked the Holy Prophet رضى الله عنه Harith ibn Hisham
as to how did Wahy come to him. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said
that 'there are times when I hear something like the chiming of bells
and this mode of Wahy is the hardest on me. After that, when this .
chime-sequence ends, that which has been said by the sound seems to
have been committed to my memory. And there are times when the
angel appears before me in the shape of a man.' (Sahih al-Bukhari, 2/1)
As regards the likening of the sound of Way to the sound of bells
in the hadith cited above, Shaykh Muhyy al-Din ibn al-'Arabi has
explained it by saying that, in the first place, the sound of Wahy is
continuous like the sound of a bell which does not break off in
between; and in the second place, when the bell rings continuously, it
generally becomes difficult for the listener to determine the direction
of its sound because its sound seems to be coming from all directions.
And the Divine Word too carries with it the distinction that it has no
one single direction, in fact, the sound gives the impression of being
heard from all directions. A correct realization of this phenomenon is
just not possible without auditory experience, however, in order to
bring this happening closer to common comprehension, the Holy
Prophet ¿ has simply likened it to the sound of bells. (Fayd al-Bari,
19,20/1)

5
Introduction
With the descent of Wany in this mode, the Holy Prophet came
under very heavy strain. Sayyidah 'A'ishah Que Ul _», says towards the
end of this very hadith that she had seen the coming of Way to him
during days of extreme winter. When the progression of Wahy
ceased, his blessed forehead would have already become dripping-wet
inspite of the chilly weather. In yet another narration, Sayyidah
'A'ishah Qe Ul , relates: When Way came to him, his breath would
seem to stop, the radiant face would change -- turning pale like the
branch of a date palm, the front teeth would shiver from cold and he
would perspire so much that its drops would roll like pearls. (Al-Itqan,
1/46)
On occasions, so much intensity would be generated in this state of
Wahy that the animal he would be riding at that time would sit down,
wilting under his weight. Once, when he was resting his blessed head
on the lap of Sayyidna Zayd ibn Thabit us Ulu, there started the
descent of Wahy in that very posture. This released so much weight on
Sayyidna Zayd's thigh that it seemed to break. (Zad al-Ma'ad, 1/18,19)
There were times when a low-volumed sound of this Wahy was
sensed by others as well. Sayyidna 'Umar ate Ul >, says: When Way
came to him, a sound somewhat similar to the buzzing of honey-bees
could be heard close to his most bright face. (Tabwib Musnad Ahmad, Kitab
al-Sirah al-Nabaviyah, 20/212)
Under the second mode of Wahy, an angel would come to him in
some human form and deliver Allah's message. Generally, on such
occasions, Sayyidna Jibra'il JI ale used to come to him in the form of
Sayyidnā Dihyah al-Kalbi ar Al +) . Certainly, at other times, he has
come in other forms as well. In any case, this mode of the coming of
Wahy when it was brought by Sayyidna Jibra'il JI e appearing in
human form, was the easiest on the Holy Prophet . (Al-Itqan, 1/46)
The third mode of the coming of Wahy used to be that
Sayyidna Jibra'il WILL would appear as he was, without having
taken on the shape of a man. But this has happened only thrice in his
صلى الله عليه وسلم entire life-time. First of all, it was when the Holy Prophet
had himself wished to see him in his real form and shape. The second
time, it was in the Mi'raj (the Ascent to Heaven), and the third time it
was at Ajyad in Makkah al-Mukarramah during the very early days of

6
Introduction
prophethood. The first two happenings stand proved authentically,
however, the last one suffers from weak chains of authority and is,
therefore, doubtful. (Fath al-Barı. 1/18.19)
The fourth mode is distinguished by a direct, non-intermediary,
two-way conversation with Allah Almighty. This honour was bestowed
upon the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم only once, that is, in Mi'raj, while
awake. In addition to that, once it was in a dream as well that he was
in a conversing situation with Allah Almighty.
Under the fifth mode of Wahy, it so happened that Sayyidna
Jibra'il WUJu would, without appearing physically in any form
whatsoever, let some words of the message fall into his heart. This is
technically known as Jl sea (nafth fi al-rau': blowing into the heart)
(Ibid).
The Chronology of the Revelation of the Qur'an
The noble Qur'an is, in fact, the Divine Word. It is, therefore,
secure in the Preserved Tablet. The noble Qur'an says: 33,2533;
&5 (Rather, it is the glorious Qur'an in the Preserved Tablet).
(85:21-22)
Then, from the Preserved Tablet, its descention took place twice.
Once, the whole of it had been sent to al-Bayt al-Izzah, the most
exalted House on the firmament of the world. The most exalted House
(also known as al-Bayt al-Ma'mur) is a House facing Ka'bah that
exists in the firmament as the place of worship for angels. This
descention took place on the Night of Qadr (rendered as the Night of
Power in English). The second time it used to be revealed to the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم gradually as needed, having reached its
completion in twenty three years. These two modalities of the Qur'anic
revelations become clear through the style of the noble Qur'an itself.
In addition to that, al-Nasa'i, al-Baihaqi and al-Hakim and others
have reported from Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas as Ui _», what can
be summed up by saying that the first descention of the noble Qur'an
to the firmament of the world took place all at one time and the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was blessed with the second descention
gradually. (al-Itqan, v. 1, p. 41)
Explaining the wisdom behind the first descention of the noble

7
Introduction
Qur'an on the firmament facing the world, Imam Abu Shamah has
said that it aimed at demonstrating the exalted majesty of the noble
Qur'an, and at the same time, it was to tell the angels that this was
the last Book of Allah which is ready for descention for the guidance of
the people of the earth.
Shaykh al-Zurqani makes yet another point when he says that this
two-timed descention also aimed at stressing that this Book is beyond
all doubts, and it stands preserved at two more places other than the
blessed heart of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ,that is, in the
Preserved Tablet, and in the Exalted House. (Manahil al-'Irfan, v.1, p. 39).
It is almost agreed by all the scholars that the second gradual de-
scention which was on the heart of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم be-
gan when his age was forty years. The beginning of this descention, as
authentically reported, was in the Night of Qadr, and this was the
date on which, some years later, the event of the Battle of Badr came
to pass. However, nothing definite can be said about the exact date of
Ramadan when this Night fell. There are some reports which identify
that of the seventeenth Ramadan, while others place it on the nine-
teenth, and still others which indicate the Night of the twenty-
seventh. (Tafsir Ibn Jarir v. 10, p. 7)
The verses that came first
It is authentically said that the first verses to come to the Holy
Prophet صلى اللّه عليه وسلم were the verses from which Surah al-'Alaq
begins. As in Sahih al-Bukhari, Sayyidah 'A'ishah Las ul », while
relating its background has said that the very first beginning of
revelations to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم actually was through true
dreams. Following that, came his zeal to worship in seclusion. During
this period, he would spend night after night in the Cave of Hira' and
stay in the state of I'tikaf devoted to his 'ibadah (worship) when one
day, right there in that cave, there came an angel from Allah Almighty
and the very first thing he said was isi (Iqra': 'Read'). The Holy Prophet
I am unable to read.' After that, relating': مَا أَنَا بِقَارِيُّ : said صلى الله عليه وسلم
the event himself, he said that 'the angel, hearing this answer of mine,
caught hold of me and embraced me with such force that I had to go
through unbearable strain.' Then he released me and said: [3]:'Read'. I
said: 'I am unable to read.' Thereupon, he seized me the third time,

8
Introduction
gave a hard embrace and then released me. After that he said:
إِقْرَأْ بِاسْم رَبِّكَ الَّذِ خَلَقَ ا خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَّقِ ﴿ إِقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ
الَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ ١ عَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَالَمْ يَعْلَمُ 0
Recite with the Name of your Lord who created, created Man
out of a blood-clot. Recite and Your Lord is Most Generous
who taught by the Pen, taught Man what he did not know.
(96:1-3)
These were the first verses to be revealed to him. Thereafter, the
coming of Wahy stayed discontinued for three years. This period is
known as the period of fatrah, that is, the period when Wahy was
discontinued for a short interval of time. Then, it was after three years
that the same angel who had visited him in the Cave of Hira' became
visible to him between the heaven and the earth. He read to him the
verses of Surah al-Muddaththir. Thereafter, the sequence of Wahy was
reactivated.
The Makki and Madani Verses
While looking at the titles of the Surahs of the Holy Qur'an, you
may have noticed the entry, Makki (or Meccan, Makkan, Makkiyyah)
with some Surahs, and Madani (Medinan, Medinite, Madaniyyah)
with some others. It is necessary to understand correctly what it
means. In the terminology of the commentators, the 'Makki 'ayah'
صلى الله عليه وسلم means a verse that was revealed to the Holy Prophet
earlier than he actually reached Madinah by way of hijrah
(emigration). Similarly, the 'Madani 'ayah' or the Madani verse means
that it was revealed after he migrated to Madinah. Some people take
Makki to mean that the verse concerned was revealed in the city of
Makkah, and so the 'Madani' is supposed to have been revealed in
Madinah. This view is not correct because there are several verses
which were not revealed in the city of Makkah, yet are called Makki
because they had already been revealed before hijrah. As such, the
verses that were revealed in Mina, 'Arafat, or during the Journey of
Ascent (Mi'raj) are also called Makki. So much so, that the verses
revealed during the journey of hijrah enroute Madinah are also called
Makki. Similarly, there are several verses which were not revealed in
the city of Madinah, but they are Madani. For example, there were
several journeys that the Holy Prophet , had to undertake while

9
Introduction
going many hundred miles away from Madinah, and the verses
revealed at all those places are called Madani anyway. So much so
that the particular verses that were revealed on the occasion of the
Conquest of Makkah or the military campaign of Hudaybiyyah in the
city of Makkah proper or its environs are also called Madani.
Accordingly, the Qur'anic verse:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ يُؤَدُّوا الْآَمَانَاتِ إِلى أَهْلِهَا
Surely, Allah commands you to fulfil trust obligations towards
those entitled to them. (4:58)
is Madani although it was revealed in Makkah al-Mukarramah. (al-
Burhan, v. 1, p. 88, and Manahil al-'Irfan, v. 1, p. 88)
Then there are Surahs which are either totally Makki, or totally
Madani. For instance, Surah al-Muddaththir is wholly Makki and
Surah 'Al-'Imran is wholly Madani. But, on occasions, it has so
happened that one or some Madani verses find a place in the Surah
which is wholly Makki. On other occasions, it has happened just the
reverse. For instance, Surah al-A'raf is Makki, but in it the verses from
,are Madani. Similarly وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنْ بَنِىٌّ آدَمَ to وَأَسْأَلُهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِىُ كَانَتُ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ
Sūrah al-Hajj is Madani but four of its verses, that is, those from
.are Makki عَذَابٌ يَوْمٍ عَقِيْعِ to وَمَا أَرْسَلُنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِن ◌َّرَسُولٍ ◌َلَا نَبِيٍّ إِلَّ إِذَ اتَتُ
This also makes it clear that the incidence of a Surah being Makki
or Madani is generally conditioned by the nature of the majority of its
verses and so it happened frequently that the initial verses of a Surah
which were revealed before Hijrah were regarded as Makki, although
some of its verses may have been revealed later on following Hijrah.
(Manahil al-'Irfan, v. 1, p. 192)
Characteristics of Makki and Madani Verses
The scholars of Tafsir, after having made a thorough investigation
into the Makki and Madani Surahs, have come up with a set of
characteristics that tell right off if a Surah is Makki or Madani. Some
of these characteristics are recognized as universal rules while others
hold good most of the time. The universal rules are as follows:
1. Every Surah in which the word y (never) appears is Makki. This
word has been used 33 times in 15 Surahs, and all these verses
are in the last half of the noble Qur'an.

10
Introduction
2. Every Surah in which (according to the Hanafiyyah) there
appears a verse of Sajdah is Makki.
3. Every Surah, with the exception of Surah al-Baqarah, in which
the story of Adam and Iblis finds mention is Makki.
4. Every Surah in which a permission of jihad or a description of its
injunctions has been given is Madani.
5. Every verse which mentions the hypocrites is Madani.
The following characteristics are general and mostly frequent, that
is, sometimes the contrary may happen, but usually and mostly it
follows the said pattern:
1. In Makki Surahs, generally, the form of address used is Lost
(O people), and in Madani Surahs it is Ki Qui di U (O believers).
2. The Makki 'Ayat (Verses) and Surahs are generally short and
brief while the Madani verses and chapters are long and
detailed.
3. The Makki Surahs mostly consist of subjects such as, Oneness of
Allah, Prophethood, affirmation of the Hereafter, the panorama
of the Resurrection, words of comfort for the Holy Prophet
and events relating to the past communities, and in these, the
number of injunctions and laws taken up is much less as
compared with the Madani Surahs where family and social laws,
injunctions of jihad and expositions of limits and duties appear
frequently.
4. In Makki Surahs, most of the confrontation is against idolaters
while in Madani Surahs it is against the people of the Book and
the hypocrites.
5. The style of Makki Surahs is more majestic. It has profusion of
metaphors, similies and allegories, and the vocabulary used is
extensive. Contrary to this, the style of the Madani Surahs is
comparatively simple.
This difference in the style of Makki and Madani Surahs initially
owes its origin to a variety of conditions, circumstances and
addressees. Muslims had to deal mostly with the idolaters of Arabia
during their Makkan life. No Islamic state was born yet. Therefore,

11
Introduction
during this period, more emphasis was laid on the correction of beliefs,
reform of morals, logical refutation of the idolaters and the miraculous
nature of the noble Qur'an. Contrary to this, an Islamic state had risen
in the Holy city of Madinah. People were rushing into the fold of
Islam, group after group. Idolatery stood refuted intellectually. The
ideological confrontation was now wholly against the people of the
Book. Therefore, greater attention was paid to education in
injunctions, laws, limits and duties, and on the refutation of the people
of the Book. The style adopted matched these objectives.
The Gradual Revelation of the Noble Qur'an
As said earlier, the noble Qur'an was not revealed to the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم suddenly and simultaneously. On the contrary, it
was revealed, little by little, over a span of nearly twenty three years.
At times, Jibra'il JI u would come with a small verse, or even with
some unit of a verse. Then, there were times when several verses
would be revealed at one time. The smallest portion of the Qur'an
which was revealed as such is ◌ِغَيْرُ أُولى الضَّرَر (al-Nisa': 4:94) which forms
part of a long verse. On the other hand, the whole of Surah al-An'am
was revealed at one time. (Ibn Kathir, v. 2, p. 122)
Rather than being revealed all at once, why was the Qur'an
revealed little by little? The polytheists of Arabia had themselves put
this question to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . Allah Almighty has
taken it upon Himself to answer the question in the following words:
وَقَالَ أَلَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا لَوْ لَا نَِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرَانُ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً كَذْلِكَ لْنَفَيِّتَ بِمِ فُؤَادَكَ
وَرَّتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيُلَاةَوَلَا يَأْتُوْنَكَ بِمَثَلِ إِلَّ جِئْنَاكَ بِالْحُقٌّ وَأَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيْرَاه
The disbelievers said, "Why has the Qur'an not been sent
down upon him all at once?" "(We did) like this, so that We
may strengthen your heart thereby, and We have recited it
very distinctly. They bring not to thee any similitude but that
We bring thee the truth, and better in exposition" (25:32-33)
It is sufficient to understand a gist of the wisdom behind the
gradual revelation of the Holy Qur'an as stated by Imam al-Razi in his
explanation of this verse. He says:
1. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was ummiyy, that is, being
unlettered, he did not read or write. So, had the entire Qur'an been

12
Introduction
revealed at one time, it would have been difficult to remember and
document. Contrary to this, Sayyidna Musa WJILL knew reading and
writing, therefore, the Torah was revealed to him at one single time.
2. If the entire Qur'an had been revealed all at once, immediate
compliance of all its injunctions would have become obligatory, and
this would have gone against the wise graduation which has featured
صلى الله عليه وسلم as a matter of concern in the Shari'ah of our Holy Prophet
3. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had to go through ever-new
tortures inflicted by his people. That Jibra'il JI came, again and
again, with the words of the noble Qur'an, made his stand against
these tortures bearable, and gave strength to his heart.
4. A large portion of the Qur'an is devoted to answers given to
people who posed questions, while some other portion refers to various
particular events. Therefore, the revelation of those verses was
appropriate at the time when those questions were asked, or those
events came to pass. This increased the insight of Muslims and when
the Qur'an unfolded that which was unseen, its truth became all the
more manifest. (al-Tafsir al-Kabir, v. 6, p. 336)
Sabab al-nuzul: (Cause of revelation)
The verses of the noble Qur'an are of two kinds. In the first place,
there are the verses that Allah Almighty revealed on His own. Their
revelation was not caused by some particular event or a question asked
by someone. In the second place, there are those verses which were
revealed in answer to some question or with reference to some event.
This could be termed as the background of these verses. This
background is known, in the terminology of the commentators, as the
'sabab' of nuzul ('cause' of revelation) or the 'sha'n' of nuzul (the
'background' of revelation). For instance, take the verse in Surah
al-Baqarah:
لاَ تَنْكِحُوا الْمُرِكُتِ حَتْ يُؤْمِّنَ وَلَامَةٌ تُؤْمِنَةٌ خَيْ قِنْ تُشْرِكَةٍ ◌َّلَوْا عُجَبَتْكُمْ
Do not marry female associators unless they come to believe,
and a Muslim slave girl is better than a female associator,
even though she is liked by you. (2:221)
This verse was revealed in the wake of a particular event. During

13
Introduction
the days of Ignorance, Sayyidna Marthad ibn Abi Marthad al-Ghanavi
Le Ul , had a relationship with a woman, named 'Anaq. After
embracing Islam, he migrated to Madinah while that woman stayed
behind in Makkah al-Mukarramah. There was an occasion when
Sayyidnā Marthad visited Makkah al-Mukarramah on a certain
business. 'Anaq came to him with an invitation to sin. Sayyidna
Marthad refused flatly and said: 'Now Islam has come between me and
you, but should you so wish, I can marry you after clearing it with the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم .'After returning to Madinah, Sayyidna
Marthad sought his permission to marry the woman he said he liked.
Thereupon, this verse was revealed, and it prohibited marriage with
mushrik women. (Asbab al-Nuzul by al-Wahidi, p. 38)
This event is the 'sha'n' or 'sabab' of nuzul ('cause' or 'background' of
revelation) behind the verse mentioned above. The background of
revelation is, therefore, very important in the exegesis of the noble
Qur'an. There are many verses the meaning of which cannot be
correctly understood unless the circumstances underlying their
revelation become known.
The Seven Readings of the Holy Qur'an
In order that the noble Qur'an becomes easily recitable, Allah
Almighty has blessed the Muslim community with special convenience
by allowing it to read the words of the Qur'an in more than one way. If
there are situations when a person is unable to pronounce some words
in one manner, he could recite it in another. It appears in a hadith of
Sahih Muslim that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was once sitting by
the pond of Banu Ghifar while Angel Jibra'il came and said: 'Allah
Almighty has commanded you to ask your community to recite the
Qur'an following one method of reading.' He said: 'I seek from Allah
His pardon and forgiveness. My people do not have the ability to do so.'
Then, Angel Jibra'il returned to him and said: 'Allah Almighty has
commanded you to let your people recite the Qur'an following two
readings.' He said: 'I seek pardon and forgiveness from Allah
Almighty. My people do not have the ability to do even that.' Then,
Jibra'il came the third time and said: 'Allah Almighty has commanded
you to let your people recite the Qur'an following three readings.'
Again he said: 'I seek pardon and forgiveness from Allah Almighty. My

14
Introduction
people do not have the ability to do even that.' Then he came the
fourth time and said: 'Allah Almighty has commanded you to let your
people recite the Qur'an following seven readings. So, whichever of
these they follow to read the Qur'an, their recitation will be correct.'
(Manahil al-'Irfan, v. 1, p. 33)
Accordingly, there is yet another hadith where the Holy Prophet
has said:
◌ِّ لهَذَا الْقُرْنَ أُنْزِلَ عَلى سَبْعَةٍ أَكْ فٍ فَاقْرَهُ وا مَا تَبَشَرَ مِنْهُ
This Qur'an has been revealed covering seven versions. So
from out of these, recite in a way that is easy on you.
What is meant by 'Seven Versions' in this saying of the Holy
Prophet
? There are several scholarly positions in this connection
but according to scholars who have conducted painstaking and
exhaustive research on the subject, the weightier meaning of this
expression is that the variations found in different readings of the
Holy Qur'an are of seven types. These are as follows:
1. The difference in nouns: This includes the difference con-
cerning singular, dual, plural, as well as, masculine and feminine. For
. تَ كَلِمَاتٌ رَّكَ ,while in another , ثمتُ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ instance, in one reading it is
2. The difference in verbs: That there be past in one reading,
the present in another and the imperative in yet another. For
instance, it is رَبَّنَا بَاعِدُ بَيْنَ أَسْفَارِنَا in one reading, while رَّنَا بَعِّدٌ بَيْنَ أَسْفَارِنَا in
another.
3. The difference in the placement of diacritical marks: That
which shows variance in I'rab, which reflects variance in grammatical
mode of a word and is demonstrated through desinential inflections,
such as kasrah, fathah, dammah. For instance, reading 25 Ly as y
. ذُو الْعَرْشِ الْمَعِدَ as دُوْالْعَرْشِ الْجِيِّدْ and لَا يُضَارُ كَاتِبٌ
4. The difference caused by addition and deletion of words:
That there be some word missing in one reading while it has been
added on in another; for instance, the words #1 423 422 appear in
one reading while the words " ( appear in another.
5. The difference of precedence and succession: That there is
a word which precedes in one reading, while it succeeds in the other.

15
Introduction
. وَجَاءَتْ سَكُرَّةُ الْحَقِّ بِالمُوَّتِ and وَجَاءَتُ سَكّرَةُ الْمُوَّتِ بِالْحَقّ For instance
6. The difference caused by transposition: This happens when
a word found in one reading is replaced by another word in another
طَلَّح and, فَتَكَتَنُوا and فَتَبَّنُوا also, ننُشِّرُهَا and ثُنُشِرُها ,reading. For instance
. طلع and
7. The difference caused by manners of reading: It includes
variations in tafkhim (velarization, making sound heavy), tarqią
(making a letter sound soft), imalah (inclination, bending the sound of
a short vowel), madd (prolongation), qasr (to shorten), hamz:
hamzatation (providing a letter with hamzah), izhar (clear pronuncia-
tion) and idgham (assimilation). It means that, by doing these, the ac-
tual word does not change but the mode of its pronunciation does
change. For instance, the word, مُؤْسى is rendered as مُوسى in one of the
readings.
Anyhow, many readings were revealed incorporating these seven
types of different renderings. This difference between them really
made no difference in meaning. The latitude so given was aimed at
making recitation easy.
In the beginning, people were not totally used to the style of the
Qur'an, therefore, many readings were permitted within the radius of
these seven types. But, it was the blessed practice of the Holy Prophet
that he would go through the entire revealed Qur'an with صلى الله عليه وسلم
Jibra'il WWIale during the month of Ramadan every year. The year he
left this mortal world, that was the year he did so twice. This 'daur' or
meticulous re-reading of the Qur'an is called العرضة الأخيرة (last review).
On this occasion, many readings were abrogated. Only readings
retained were the ones which continue to stay preserved to this day
with uninterrupted succession.
Sayyidnā 'Uthman at Ulu+) , during the period of his khilafah,
arranged to have seven copies of the noble Qur'an prepared in order to
remove misgivings regarding the recitation of Qur'an. He incorporated
all readings in these seven copies by leaving the calligraphed verses of
the noble Qur'an without dots and desinences (the vowel-points) so
that the text could be read in accordance with whichever reading one
wished to follow from among the very readings cited. Thus most of the

16
Introduction
readings merged into this script, and the readings that could not
merge into the script were saved by him when he elected to have one
copy written according to one reading, and another, in accordance with
another reading. The community demonstrated such care and
diligence in having the fondly-remembered readings collected in these
copies that Qira'ah developed into a branch of knowledge in its own
right, and there rose hundreds of scholars, reciters and memorizers of
the Holy Qur'an who spent their entire spans of life to keep it
preserved and protected.
What actually happened was that when Sayyidna 'Uthman Jll ,
se sent the seven copies of the noble Qur'an to various areas, he had
also sent particular reciters who could teach how to recite them. So,
when these revered reciters reached their designated areas, they
taught people to read the Qur'an in accordance with their respective
readings. These different readings spread out among people. At this
stage, some people bequeathed their lives to memorize different
readings, and in training others to continue the discipline. This is how
the foundation of the 'science of readings' was laid and people from
different parts of the Islamic world started turning to the masters of
the discipline to achieve the highest of excellence in it. Some
memorized only one reading, others did two or three or seven, or even
more than that. In this connection, a standard rule was accepted as
norm throughout the ummah and it was invariably followed
everywhere. It stipulated that only such reading (qira'ah) will be
accepted as being the Qur'an which fulfils three conditions:
1. There is room for it in the script of 'Uthmani' copies of the
Qur'an.
2. It conforms to the grammar of the Arabic language.
3. It should have, provenly -- with sound authority, originated from
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ,and be well-known among the
masters of readings, that is, the Imams of Qira'ah.
A reading which lacks even one of these three requirements cannot
be considered as part of the Qur'an. Thus a large number of readings
continued to be reported in uninterrupted succession. Then, as a
matter of convenience, it so happened that an Imam started giving

17
Introduction
instructions in one, or some selected readings, and that particular
reading became identified with his name. Then, scholars started
writing books to collect these readings. So, Imam Abu 'Ubayd Qasim
ibn Sallām, Imam Abu Hatim Sijistani, Qadi Isma'il and Imam Abu
Ja'far al-Tabari were the first among those who compiled books in this
field which included more than twenty readings. Then came the great
scholar, Abu Bakr ibn Mujahid (died 324 Hijrah) who wrote a book in
which he had included readings from seven qaris (reciters) only. This
book of his became so popular that these readings from the seven qaris
became much more famous as compared with those of other qaris. In
fact, some people got used to thinking that these are the only sound
readings coming in uninterrupted succession. Although, the truth of
the matter is that 'Allamah ibn Mujahid has collected these seven
readings in one place just by chance. He never meant that readings
other than these were wrong or unacceptable. This act of 'Allamah ibn
Mujahid created yet another misunderstanding when some people be-
gan to think that ly (seven versions) means just these seven read-
ings which have been collected by ibn Mujahid. Although, it has been
explained earlier that these seven readings are simply a part of sound
readings, otherwise every reading that fulfils the above-mentioned
three conditions perfectly is sound, acceptable and included within the
seven versions (Huruf) in which the noble Qur'an was revealed.
The Seven Qaris
Anyhow, the seven garis who became most famous as a result of
this act of 'Allamah ibn Mujahid are:
1. 'Abdullah ibn Kathir al-Dari (died 120 Hijrah). He was fortunate
enough to have seen Sayyidna Anas ibn Malik, 'Abdullah ibn Zubayr
and Abu Ayyub al-Ansari s Jl », from among the Companions. His
reading became more famous in Makkah al-Mukarramah. Well-known
among those who transmitted his'rendition are Bazzi and Qambal,
may Allah have mercy on them all.
· 2. Nafi' ibn 'Abd Al-Rahman ibn Abi al-Nu'aym (died 169 Hijrah).
He had the benefit of learning from seventy successors to the
Companions who were direct disciples of Sayyidna 'Ubayy ibn Ka'b,
'Abdullah ibn Abbas and Abu Hurayrah رضى الله عنهم .His reading
became more famous in Madinah and among those who transmitted