Dear Ali: How was the Quran revealed to Muslims? BV, Dubai
Dear BV: I love these straightforward short questions. I have an interesting story to share with you, which is also very inspiring at the same time.
Prophet Mohammed was born and raised in the city of Mecca, and when he was nearly 40 years old, he began to spend more time alone, thinking and speculating over the aspects of creation and started to conduct more prayers. On one of these nights while he was conducting this spiritual activity of praying, the Angel Gabriel appeared before him and said to him: “Read”, to which he replied, “I am unable to read”.
The angel caught hold of him and embraced him heavily. This happened two more times after which the angel commanded Mohammed to recite the following verses: “Iqra” “Proclaim! (or read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created, created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood: Proclaim! And thy Lord is Most Bountiful, who taught (the use of) the pen, taught man that which he knew not.” [Quran 96:1–5]
Prophet Mohammed was simply perplexed by this new experience, so he made his way back to his home and straight to his wife Khadijah, and told her what had happened. She comforted him and told him that it was important to speak to her cousin Waraqa who was familiar with Jewish and Christian scriptures.
After hearing what had happened to Prophet Mohammed she testified to his prophethood, and convinced him that the revelation was from God.
Waraqa said: “What did you see?” and after Prophet Mohammed explained every detail of what happened to him, she replied saying: “This is Namus (meaning the Angel Gabriel) that the almighty Allah sent to Moses. I wish I were younger. I wish I could live up to the time when your people would turn you out.”
Prophet Mohammed asked: “Will they drive me out?” Waraqah answered in the affirmative and said: “Anyone who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility; and if I should be alive until that day, then I would support you strongly.”
A few days later Waraqa died. God rested all of their souls in peace. And from that point, the Angel Gabriel showed himself another two times to continue the revelation to Prophet Mohammed, and that’s where the beginning of Islam started to spread the revelation of the message of Islam that came from the same God of Moses, Jesus and Mohammed.
Muslims around the world take the day of revelation seriously and continue to pray and conduct all rituals, since it’s believed that the day the Holy Quran was revealed was during the last days of the month of Ramadan, and this particular night is referred to as “Laylat-AlQadr” translated closely in English as the “Night of Power”, “Night of Value”, “Night of Destiny”, or the “Night of Measures”.
It occurs some time during the last 10 days of Ramadan, and is widely believed to take place on an odd night.
According to tradition, Allah’s blessings are especially bountiful on this night, and prayers offered can be equivalent to 1,0000 months of prayers. Throughout the night, Muslims try to stay awake at mosques or at home to perform extra prayers and read from the Holy Quran.
Ali Al Saloom is a cultural adviser and public speaker from the UAE. Follow @AskAli on Twitter, and visit www.ask-ali.com to ask him a question and to find his guidebooks to the UAE, priced at Dh50.
