In this entire universe, everything has a system appointed for its survival. Likewise, for the survival of human beings, a system and a constitution are also essential and necessary. There can only be two possibilities for this.
One possibility is that human beings themselves establish laws and a constitution for their individual and collective life and survival. The second possibility is that a non-human power or being fulfills the needs of humanity.
Human intellect, awareness, history, and experience bear witness to the fact that no system created by humans themselves has ever been established in which all individuals and classes are treated equally and justly, free from excess and deficiency, and which remains applicable and acceptable in every era, region, nation, and group. Even if the people of intellect and understanding of any age or region come together to formulate a constitutional system for human collective and individual life and for its various aspects, it is obvious that they can only do so according to their own knowledge and experiences. It is also certain that such knowledge and experiences relate only to the past and the present. They remain unaware of the needs and conditions that may arise in the future, and therefore it is impossible for any human-made system of life to take those into full account.
Moreover, the emotions, thoughts, and ideas of every nation, group, and even every individual are not the same or balanced. Therefore, in the formation of any system of life, the feelings, emotions, ideas, and thoughts of those who design it inevitably influence it.
History testifies that whenever a class or group has formulated a system of life, it has given central importance to its own intellectual tendencies and has made its own emotions and perspectives the foundation of the system and constitution it created.
Leaving aside the past, even in the present age the various constitutions of governments and laws of life established by different nations and groups cannot be considered completely just and impartial, even if they relate only to certain aspects of life.
This historical and factual evidence makes it undeniable that no system created by humans themselves can be completely perfect, comprehensive, and truly just. The fulfillment of this essential human need can only come from a power and being whose knowledge is beyond the limits of the past, present, and future, and whose awareness encompasses the needs of all people and the conditions of all eras.
Among the descendants of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham, peace be upon him), those who were appointed as prophets were sent to different nations as preachers of the scriptures and the law of Ibrahim. Eventually the time of Prophet Musa (Moses, peace be upon him) came, and he was sent as a messenger and prophet to the Children of Israel. A written book, the Torah, was given to him.
After him, more prophets came from the same lineage who preached the teachings of the Torah. Later Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him) was sent to the Children of Israel, and Allah granted him a book, the Holy Gospel (Injil). Finally, the last Prophet, the Seal of the Prophets, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), was sent as the leader of all prophets and messengers and as the bearer of the complete guidance that encompassed all previous divine teachings. He was given the comprehensive and sacred book, the Holy Qur’an.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the only prophet who was sent as a messenger for all of humanity. Thus, the Qur’an, the final book of Allah, is a practical and comprehensive divine guide for all people and for all times. It presents a just system of life for every group, nation, and class of humanity.
Although there appears to be no specific restriction of time or month for the revelation of divine scriptures, the system established by the Creator of the universe fulfills the fundamental need of humanity. For this reason, from the very beginning of human history, Allah Himself took responsibility for providing guidance to humanity according to the needs of each era.
This chain began with Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) and, historically, it concluded with Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The History of the Revelation of the Scriptures
First of all, Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) was given heavenly and divine guidance. After him, many different messengers and prophets were granted scriptures from Allah. Later, Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham, peace be upon him) was appointed as a central messenger for the coming eras, and he too was given scriptures which were more comprehensive and complete than the earlier ones.
However, the blessed month of Ramadan has a special connection with the revelation of divine books, and the well-known heavenly scriptures were revealed during this month. According to a narration reported by Allama Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari in his commentary from Qatadah (may Allah have mercy on him), the scriptures of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) were revealed on the first night of Ramadan.
The Torah was revealed to Prophet Musa (Moses, peace be upon him) on the 6th of Ramadan and was granted to him on Mount Tur (Mount Sinai).
The Psalms (Zabur) were revealed to Prophet Dawud (David, peace be upon him) on the 12th of Ramadan.
The Gospel (Injil) was revealed on the 18th of Ramadan.
And the Qur’an was revealed on the 24th night of Ramadan.
The Holy Qur’an itself states that it was revealed during the month of Ramadan on the Night of Power (Laylat al-Qadr). According to some narrations, this refers to the descent of the Qur’an from the Preserved Tablet (Lauh al-Mahfuz) to the heavenly world. Otherwise, the Qur’an was not revealed all at once. In contrast to the previous divine books and scriptures, which were revealed collectively at one time, the Qur’an was revealed gradually.
In the revelation of the Qur’an, Allah adopted the method of revealing it gradually according to the needs, circumstances, and occasions. One apparent wisdom behind this was that since the Qur’an is the final book of Allah, its preservation, explanation, and clarification of its meanings were also ensured by Allah. Moreover, divine guidance and verses revealed according to particular situations became more firmly established in the minds of people.
Just as the granting of divine books and heavenly scriptures is a special characteristic of the prophets, the explanation and interpretation of divine revelation is also among the unique qualities of the prophets.
Since the earlier books and scriptures were meant for specific times, regions, or particular communities, their preservation was not guaranteed by Allah. However, the Qur’an is not a limited divine guide like the earlier scriptures. Rather, it is a divine book of guidance for all of humanity and for all times. Therefore, its method of revelation was made such that it would be practically easier to understand and firmly embedded in people’s minds along with the events in which it was revealed.
Another difference between the earlier divine books and the Qur’an is that the earlier books were given in written form all at once to the respective prophets, whereas the Qur’an was revealed entirely through revelation (Wahy) brought to the Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) by Angel Jibreel (Gabriel, peace be upon him).
Thus, the revelations that came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) were of two types:
- Wahy Matlu – the recited revelation (the Qur’an).
- Wahy Ghair Matlu – the non-recited revelation.
Through the non-recited revelation, the explanation and interpretation of the recited revelation were provided, which is known as Hadith.
Therefore, the Holy Qur’an is a comprehensive book of guidance from Allah and a complete code of life for humanity. It guides people in every era, every situation, and every generation. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was the living embodiment of the Qur’an, and his entire life—every statement and every action—was the explanation and interpretation of the Qur’an under divine guidance.
Source: Risala Rahbar-e-Noor, 2022
Written by: Maulana Ehtisham-ul-Haq
