QabasLesson 4 of 11
Did Prophet Muhammad write the Quran?
The short answer
Muslims believe the Quran is the word of Allah, not of Muhammad. The Prophet could not read or write, and he received the Quran from the angel Gabriel, starting at the age of forty in the cave of Hira near Makkah. The Quran says he does not speak from his own desire, and it challenges anyone who doubts it to produce even one chapter like it.
Written by Qabas and checked against Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Quran, Tafsir Ibn Kathir and the HadeethEnc.com explanations.
From the Quran
وَمَا كُنتَ تَتۡلُواْ مِن قَبۡلِهِۦ مِن كِتَٰبٖ وَلَا تَخُطُّهُۥ بِيَمِينِكَۖ إِذٗا لَّٱرۡتَابَ ٱلۡمُبۡطِلُونَ ﴿٤٨﴾
And you did not recite before it any scripture, nor did you inscribe one with your right hand. Then [i.e., otherwise] the falsifiers would have had [cause for] doubt.
Explanation of the verses
O Messenger! You never read any book before the Qur’ān, nor did you write anything with your hand because you are unlettered and cannot read or write. Had you been able to read and write, the ignorant people would have doubted your messengership and used it as an excuse to say you were relating from the previous Books.
مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمۡ وَمَا غَوَىٰ ﴿٢﴾ وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰٓ ﴿٣﴾ إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحۡيٞ يُوحَىٰ ﴿٤﴾ عَلَّمَهُۥ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡقُوَىٰ ﴿٥﴾
Your companion [i.e., Muḥammad] has not strayed, nor has he erred, Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed, Taught to him by one intense in strength [i.e., Gabriel] -
Explanation of the verses
Muhammad (peace be upon him) the Messenger of Allah did not deviate from the path of guidance nor did he go astray, but rather he is rightly-guided.
And he did not speak this Qur’ān out of following his desires.
This Qur’ān is nothing but a revelation which Allah revealed to him through the medium of Gabriel (peace be upon him)
An angel of great strength, Gabriel (peace be upon him), taught him it.
وَمَا كَانَ هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ أَن يُفۡتَرَىٰ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَٰكِن تَصۡدِيقَ ٱلَّذِي بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡهِ وَتَفۡصِيلَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ لَا رَيۡبَ فِيهِ مِن رَّبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ﴿٣٧﴾ أَمۡ يَقُولُونَ ٱفۡتَرَىٰهُۖ قُلۡ فَأۡتُواْ بِسُورَةٖ مِّثۡلِهِۦ وَٱدۡعُواْ مَنِ ٱسۡتَطَعۡتُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ﴿٣٨﴾
And it was not [possible] for this Qur’ān to be produced by other than Allāh, but [it is] a confirmation of what was before it and a detailed explanation of the [former] Scripture, about which there is no doubt, from the Lord of the worlds. Or do they say [about the Prophet (ﷺ)], "He invented it?" Say, "Then bring forth a sūrah like it and call upon [for assistance] whomever you can besides Allāh, if you should be truthful."
Explanation of the verses
This Qur’ān, miraculous in its eloquence and law-giving, could not be fabricated, and it cannot be attributed to anyone but Allah, because people are not capable of coming up with anything similar to it. Rather, it confirms the scriptures that were revealed before it, and clarifies the laws in it, and there is no doubt that it was revealed by the Lord of all created things.
Or do these idolaters say that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) came up with the Qur’ān himself claiming that it is from Allah? Say to them O Messenger, 'If I as a human being like you, have been able to come up with it, then you also should bring a chapter like it, and call upon whomever you wish to assist you, if you are telling the truth in claiming that the Qur’ān is not really from Allah. But you have not be able to do so, even though you are talented and eloquent in the language – showing you that the Qur’ān has been revealed by Allah.'
From the Sunnah
‘Ā’ishah, Mother of the Believers, (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The first thing the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) started to experience from the revelation was the good vision in his sleep. He never saw a vision except that it came true like the break of dawn. Then seclusion was endeared to him, and he used to retreat to the Cave of Hirā’, where he would engage in Tahannuth-which is worship—for several nights before returning to his family and taking provisions for this. He would then go back to Khadījah to take provisions again for a similar number of nights until the truth came to him while he was in the Cave of Hirā’. The Angel came to him and said: Read! He said: "I do not know how to read." He said: "He took hold of me and pressed me forcefully until I could no longer bear it and then released me, saying: Read! I said: I do not know how to read. He took hold of me and pressed me forcefully for the second time until I could no longer bear it and then released me, saying: Read! I said: I do not know how to read. He took hold of me and pressed me forcefully for the third time and then released me, saying: {Read in the name of your Lord Who created, created man from a clinging clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous.}" [Surat al-‘Alaq: 1-3] The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) returned with these while his heart was trembling. He entered upon Khadījah bint Khuwaylid (may Allah be pleased with her) and said: "Cover me! Cover me!" They covered him until the shock of fear was gone from him. Then he informed Khadījah of what had happened and said to her: "Indeed, I feared for myself." Khadījah said: No, by Allah, Allah will never fail you. Verily, you maintain kinship ties, help those in need, support the destitute, provide the guests with food and shelter, and assist those affected by calamities. Khadījah took him to her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn ‘Abdul-‘Uzza, who had embraced Christianity in the pre-Islamic period and used to write the Scripture in Hebrew. He would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadījah said to him: O my cousin, listen to what your nephew has to say. Waraqah said to him: O my nephew, what have you seen? The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed him of what he had seen. Waraqah said to him: This is the same Nāmūs (i.e., the angel) whom Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young and could live until the time when your people would drive you out. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Would they drive me out?" Waraqah said: Yes. No one has ever come with something like what you have brought without being treated with hostility. If I should live until that day, I would support you strongly. Soon after, Waraqah passed away, and the revelation paused.
Explanation
‘Ā’ishah, Mother of the Believers, (may Allah be pleased with her) informed that the first thing the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) started to experience of the revelation was the true vision in sleep. He never saw in his sleep a vision except that it came true and clear like daylight. Then seclusion was endeared to him, and he used to retreat in the Cave of Hirā’, where he would engage in worship for several nights before returning to his family and taking provisions for it. He would then go back to Khadījah, Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), to take provisions again for a similar number of nights until the truth came to him while he was in the Cave of Hirā’. Angel Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to him and said: Read! He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: I do not know how to read. He said: So, he took hold of me, embraced me, and squeezed me until I could no longer bear it and then released me, saying: Read! I said: I do not know how to read. He took hold of me and pressed me forcefully for the second time until I could no longer bear it and then released me, saying: Read! I said: I do not know how to read. He took hold of me and pressed me forcefully for the third time and then released me, saying: {Read in the name of your Lord Who created, created man from a clinging clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous.}" [Surat al-‘Alaq: 1-3] He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) returned with these verses while his heart was trembling out of fear of death. He entered upon Khadījah bint Khuwaylid, Mother of the Believers, (may Allah be pleased with her) and said: Wrap me in clothes, wrap me in clothes. They wrapped him in clothes until his fear went away. Then he informed Khadījah of what had happened and said to her: Indeed, I feared death for myself. Khadījah said: No, by Allah, Allah will never fail you. You maintain kinship ties, help the weak who cannot manage on their own, and provide for the poor and destitute by giving them what they cannot find elsewhere. You honor the guest and assist in times of hardship. Khadījah took him to her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn ‘Abdul-‘Uzza, a man who had renounced Jāhiliyyah (the pre-Islamic era of ignorance) and became Christian. He used to write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadījah said to him: O my cousin, listen to what your nephew has to say. Waraqah said to him: O my nephew, what have you seen? The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed him of what he had seen. Waraqah said to him: This is Jibrīl (Gabriel), whom Allah had sent to His Prophet Moses (peace be upon him). I wish I were young and could live until the time when your people would drive you out. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Would they drive me out? He said: Yes. No man has ever come with something like what you have brought without being harmed and treated with hostility. If I should live until your day, I would support you strongly. Then shortly after, Waraqah passed away and the revelation was delayed for some time.