Lesson 9: A Discussion on the First Revelation Flashcards
There is Ijma’ that Surah Alaq was the first to come down. Despite that, Jabir ibn Abdillah held a different view. What was it?
he says Surah Mudathir was the first that came down.
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> **أنَّ جابِرَ بنَ عبدِ اللَّهِ الأنْصارِيَّ، قالَ: وهو يُحَدِّثُ عن فَتْرَةِ الوَحْيِ فقالَ في حَديثِهِ: بَيْنا أنا أمْشِي إذْ سَمِعْتُ صَوْتًا مِنَ السَّماءِ، فَرَفَعْتُ بَصَرِي، فإذا المَلَكُ الذي جاءَنِي بحِراءٍ جالِسٌ علَى كُرْسِيٍّ بيْنَ السَّماءِ والأرْضِ، فَرُعِبْتُ منه، فَرَجَعْتُ فَقُلتُ: زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي فأنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعالَى: {يا أيُّها المُدَّثِّرُ. قُمْ فأنْذِرْ} [المدثر: 2] إلى قَوْلِهِ {والرُّجْزَ فاهْجُرْ} [المدثر: 5]. فَحَمِيَ الوَحْيُ وتَتابَعَ. تابعه عبد الله بن يوسف وأبو صالح وتابعه هلال بن ردّاد عن الزهري وقال يونس ومعمر: (بوادره)**
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> **Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari narrated: While he was talking about the cessation of revelation, he said in his narration: "While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky, so I looked up, and there was the angel who had come to me at Hira, sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I was terrified of him, so I returned and said: 'Cover me! Cover me!' Then Allah revealed: {O you who covers yourself [with a garment]. Arise and warn} [Surah Al-Muddathir: 2] up to the verse {And avoid uncleanliness} [Surah Al-Muddathir: 5]. So the revelation became intense and continuous.”**
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</aside>
<aside>
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> **حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، سَأَلْتُ أَبَا سَلَمَةَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَوَّلِ، مَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ. قَالَ {يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ} قُلْتُ يَقُولُونَ {اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ} فَقَالَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ سَأَلْتُ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رضى الله عنهما عَنْ ذَلِكَ وَقُلْتُ لَهُ مِثْلَ الَّذِي قُلْتَ فَقَالَ جَابِرٌ لاَ أُحَدِّثُكَ إِلاَّ مَا حَدَّثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " جَاوَرْتُ بِحِرَاءٍ، فَلَمَّا قَضَيْتُ جِوَارِي هَبَطْتُ فَنُودِيتُ فَنَظَرْتُ عَنْ يَمِينِي فَلَمْ أَرَ شَيْئًا، وَنَظَرْتُ عَنْ شِمَالِي فَلَمْ أَرَ شَيْئًا، وَنَظَرْتُ أَمَامِي فَلَمْ أَرَ شَيْئًا، وَنَظَرْتُ خَلْفِي فَلَمْ أَرَ شَيْئًا، فَرَفَعْتُ رَأْسِي فَرَأَيْتُ شَيْئًا، فَأَتَيْتُ خَدِيجَةَ فَقُلْتُ دَثِّرُونِي وَصُبُّوا عَلَىَّ مَاءً بَارِدًا ـ قَالَ ـ فَدَثَّرُونِي وَصَبُّوا عَلَىَّ مَاءً بَارِدًا قَالَ فَنَزَلَتْ {يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ * قُمْ فَأَنْذِرْ * وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ} ".
Narrated Yahya bin Abi Kathir:**
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> **I asked Aba Salama bin `Abdur-Rahman about the first Sura revealed of the Qur'an. He replied "O you, wrapped-up (i.e. Al Muddaththir)." I said, "They say it was, 'Read, in the Name of your Lord Who created,' (i.e. Surat Al-`Alaq (the Clot)." On that, Abu Salama said, "I asked Jabir bin `Abdullah about that, saying the same as you have said, whereupon he said, 'I will not tell you except what Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had told us. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "I was in seclusion in the cave of Hiram', and after I completed the limited period of my seclusion. I came down (from the cave) and heard a voice calling me. I looked to my right, but saw nothing. Then I looked up and saw something. So I went to Khadija (the Prophet's wife) and told her to wrap me up and pour cold water on me. So they wrapped me up and poured cold water on me." Then, 'O you, (Muhammad) wrapped up! Arise and warn,' (Surat Al Muddaththir) was revealed." (74.1)**
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Jabir mentioned the first that came wa the first 5 verses of Surah Muadathir.
</aside>
How did some of the scholars try to reconcile the view of Jabir Ibn Abdillah and Aisha? (not the view Ustadh follows)
- Some scholars say Jabir’s response was with regards to the first complete Surah. However, this seems to be weak as the question is with regards to “اوّل ما نزل” the first that came down, not the first complete surah.
- The statement of Jabir is not referring to what came down unrestrictedly, but a specific one. Once the Quran stopped from the prophet, that Surah Mudathir came down. So Surah Alaq is the unrestricted first, and Mudathir is the first after the pause in revelation, but this view also seems weak, as Abu Salama said that he asked Jabir about Surah ‘Alaq being first, and Jabir still stuck to it.
Correct way to reconcile the view of Jabir and Aisha according to Ustadh Abdurahman
What seems apparent, is that Jabir didn’t know Surāh Al Alāq came at Hirā.
- The one who affirms is given precedence over the one who negates
- Some people go back to the narration and use:
<aside>
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> **أنَّ جابِرَ بنَ عبدِ اللَّهِ الأنْصارِيَّ، قالَ: وهو يُحَدِّثُ عن فَتْرَةِ الوَحْيِ فقالَ في حَديثِهِ: بَيْنا أنا أمْشِي إذْ سَمِعْتُ صَوْتًا مِنَ السَّماءِ، فَرَفَعْتُ بَصَرِي، فإذا المَلَكُ الذي جاءَنِي بحِراءٍ جالِسٌ علَى كُرْسِيٍّ بيْنَ السَّماءِ والأرْضِ، فَرُعِبْتُ منه، فَرَجَعْتُ فَقُلتُ: زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي فأنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعالَى: {يا أيُّها المُدَّثِّرُ. قُمْ فأنْذِرْ} [المدثر: 2] إلى قَوْلِهِ {والرُّجْزَ فاهْجُرْ} [المدثر: 5]. فَحَمِيَ الوَحْيُ وتَتابَعَ. تابعه عبد الله بن يوسف وأبو صالح وتابعه هلال بن ردّاد عن الزهري وقال يونس ومعمر: (بوادره)**
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> **Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari narrated: While he was talking about the cessation of revelation, he said in his narration: "While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky, so I looked up, and there was the angel who had come to me at Hira, sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I was terrified of him, so I returned and said: 'Cover me! Cover me!' Then Allah revealed: {O you who covers yourself [with a garment]. Arise and warn} [Surah Al-Muddathir: 2] up to the verse {And avoid uncleanliness} [Surah Al-Muddathir: 5]. So the revelation became intense and continuous.”**
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</aside>
But if we go back to the other narration where Jaabir is asked by Abu Salamah, he believes ‘Alaq came after Surah Mudathir, and he does not know Surah ‘Alaq came to the messenger in the cave of the Hira, so we have to weaken Jabir’s opinion, and Aishah is correct.
As for Jabir saying he only will tell Abu Salamah what the messenger ﷺ said that is correct, but this does not mean this ‘Alaq came second, he just mentioned how Surah Mudathir came down, but what he mentioned does not prove ‘Alaq came after.
He did know Jibreel came to the prophet in Hira, but didn’t know ‘Alaq came during that time.
مراجع مقترحة في موضوع: نزول القرآن | Suggested References on the Topic of the Revelation of the Quran:
- «نزول القرآن»، لشيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية (ت٧٢٨هـ).1. “The Revelation of the Quran” by Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH).
- «الجواب الواضح المستقيم في كيفية نزول القرآن الكريم»، لمفتي المملكة العربية السعودية الشيخ محمد بن إبراهيم آل الشيخ (ت١٣٨٩هـ).2. “The Clear and Straight Answer on the Method of the Revelation of the Noble Quran” by the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Al-Sheikh (d. 1389 AH).
- «نزول القرآن»، للأستاذ الدكتور محمد بن عبد الرحمن الشايع.3. “The Revelation of the Quran” by Dr. Muhammad bin Abdulrahman Al-Shaye’.
والكتابة في هذا المبحث لا تكاد تختلف في كتب علوم القرآن سواءً أكانت متقدمة ـ كالبرهان والإتقان ـ أم كانت من كتب المعاصرين، سوى ما يذكره بعض المعاصرين من زيادات في بعض فوائد التنجيم. The writing on this topic is consistent across various books on Quranic sciences, whether they are classical like “Al-Burhan” and “Al-Itqan” or from contemporary scholars, with some modern additions concerning the benefits of gradual revelation.
بحوث مقترحة في موضوع: نزول القرآن | Proposed Research Topics on the Subject of the Revelation of the Quran:
- (دراسة أثر ابن عباس في النُّزول الجملي) وتكون دراسته من جهة السند، ومن جهة دلالة المتن وفوائده العلمية.1. (Study of Ibn Abbas’s Impact on Comprehensive Revelation): This would include studying both the chain of narration and the significance and scholarly benefits of the text.
- دراسة الأوليات والآخريات النسبية، من قولهم: أول ما نزل، وقولهم: آخر ما نزل.2. Study of Relative Initial and Final Revelations: From their statements about the first and last verses revealed.
- ومن موضوعات نزول القرآن الاختلاف في أول ما نزل من القرآن، وقد بحثه كثيرون، وخلصوا إلى أن أول ما نزل على الإطلاق هو أول سورة العلق. وهناك أوليات نسبية مرتبطة ببعض الأحكام، وهي كثيرة، وفائدتها تظهر في معرفة (الناسخ والمنسوخ)، وفي معرفة (التدرج في التشريع).3. Topics on the Revelation of the Quran: The differences in opinions on the first verse revealed. Many scholars have researched this and concluded that the first verse revealed was the opening verses of Surah Al-Alaq. There are also relative initial revelations related to various rulings, which are significant for understanding (abrogation and abrogated) and (the gradual process in legislation).
