Almighty Allah is the One who has sent down the man in this world to accomplish some particular mission; how is it possible then to imagine that He, after once creating man, would leave him off in total darkness, without ever telling him why did he come into this world, what his duties are, where is 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 faith in the ultimate wisdom of Allah 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 Wahy (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, the Almighty.
What is Wahy (revelation)?
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: 1. Man’s senses (sense organs) 2. The reasoning power. 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 color 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 Iife which cannot be solved by means of reason and senses, but, he still 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 Wahy 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.
With the descent of Wahy in this mode, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) came under very heavy strain. Sayyidah A’ishah (radhiAllahu ‘anha) says, towards the end of this very hadith that she had seen the coming of Wahy to him during days of extreme winter. When the progression of Wahy ceased, his blessed forehead would have already become dripping-wet in spite of the chilly weather. In yet another narration, Sayyidah A’ishah (radhiAllahu ‘anha) relates: When Wahy 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.
The Chronology of the Revelation of the Qur’an, in fact, the Divine Word. It is, thereforesecure in the Preserved Tablet. The noble Qur’an says: “Rather, it is the glorious Qur’an in the Preserved Tablet.” [Al-Quran 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-‘lzzah, 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 (PBUH) & 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.
The glorious Qur’an is the book of Allah, the wise and worthy of all, who has promised to safeguard it from any violations in its purity. It becomes incumbent upon each and every person who seeks the dignity of this world and the bliss of the hereafter to regulate his life according to it, to implement its commandments and to pay homage to the magnificence of the One who revealed it. This can be an easy task for those favored with guidance from Allah, especially those blessed by an understanding of Arabic, the language of the divine communication. But for those not acquainted with Arabic, their ignorance is a barrier between them and the source of guidance and illumination. A translation of the message of Allah is thus a task not to be taken lightly or performed superficially.
Before the reader begins to study the Qur’an, he must realize that unlike all other writings, this is a unique book with a supreme author, an eternal message and a universal relevance. Its contents are not confined to a particular theme or style, but contain the foundations for an entire system of life, covering a whole spectrum of issues, which ranges from specific articles of faith and commandments to general moral teachings, rights and obligations, crime and concerns. These issues are discussed in a variety of ways, such as direct stipulations, reminders of Allah’s favors on His creation, admonitions and rebukes. Stories of past communities are narrated, followed by the lessons to be learned from their actions and subsequent fates.
Expressway to truth 