Description
📚 Introduction to Tafsir-e-Na’eemi (Exegesis of Na’eemi)
(It is) an entrusted divine blessing for the chests of people, guidance against heresy, misfortune, disbelief, and all kinds of enemies. The Qur’an was already known to all prophets (peace be upon them) before. There is no distinction between the Truth (Haqq) and Falsehood (Batil) and its manners and customs; therefore, God revealed it and gave the name “Furqan” to the belief of the truthful person who can distinguish between the truth and falsehood in the affairs of life. The Qur’an has a total of three thousand and three hundred verses whose detail will be given in the explanation of Surah al-Baqarah, verse number 2 (البقرہ:۲).
Second Chapter: Revelation of the Holy Qur’an
The word “Nuzul” (Revelation/Descent) in its literal sense means to descend from above and a movement (transfer of place) that is not necessarily a sudden action.
There can be three ways for its descent and movement (transfer of place):
- First: It is a physical thing, and its movement is complete. For example, a line we draw on a sheet of paper. This is a descent that involves both being written and being transferred from one page to another. In this manner, the revelation of the previous heavenly books occurred.
- Second: A person is talking, and his tongue is moving. In this situation, the speech will move through a sound wave or a signal to the listener’s ear. In this manner, the Holy Qur’an was revealed through the means of conversation without being transferred from one place to another.
The Holy Qur’an used to descend upon the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in both these ways.
- First Way (Physical Transfer): Gabriel (Jibra’il) (peace be upon him) used to bring it and recite it. This is considered the physical manifestation of the revelation.
- Second Way (Direct Spiritual Conveyance): The Holy Qur’an was revealed through internal meaning without the direct involvement of Gabriel (Jibra’il). For example, the very difficult and grand Surah of Al-Hamd was revealed, which the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) recited during the Mi’raj (Ascension).
- Therefore, the second type of revelation of the Qur’an was granted to the Prophet (peace be upon him) from the seven heavens, and whatever came was both physical (in sound/recitation) and spiritual (in meaning). This second type of revelation is more splendid and powerful.
📚 Introduction to Tafsir-e-Na’eemi (Cont.)
…is increased. Conversely, a person who talks by adopting the manner of speaking of an animal will not gain the knowledge that we may have conveyed to him. However, we can also gain the same knowledge by adopting an eloquent style. But if we try to convey it in the way that an animal makes sounds, five disadvantages will be created: it will be difficult to understand, confusing, absurd, a cause of hatred, etc.
I once heard a person say about Abraham (peace be upon him)’s stars: “This is my Lord, and this is a partner to God (Shirk).” But the prophets (peace be upon them) are infallible (free from error). Then I asked the person why he spoke like that. He replied, “What I said was written in your books.” It is possible that they (the scholars) stated his intent in a subtle way, but in reality, this statement gives rise to a question, and there is a big difference between negating this statement and giving a narration about it.
(Benefit/Note)
No human being can know the soul (nature) of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). There are a few reasons for this. One reason is that we have received the subtle secrets and indications through the tongue (speech) of Gabriel (Jibra’il) (peace be upon him) which are beyond the comprehension of our mind.
How Many Times was the Qur’an Revealed?
The Holy Qur’an was revealed in a few stages and in a few ways.
- Firstly: Its complete revelation, all at once, from the Preserved Tablet (Lawh-e-Mahfuz) to the Lower Heaven (Bait-ul-Izzah). This happened on the night of Lailat al-Qadr (Night of Decree) in the month of Ramadan. Regarding this, the Holy Qur’an says:
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ (البقرہ:۱۸۵)
“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:185)
وَإِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ (القدر:۱)
“Indeed, We sent it down during the Night of Decree.” (Surah Al-Qadr, 97:1)
- Secondly: From the Lower Heaven to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) little by little, according to needs, over a period of 23 years. This is proven by the traditions (Hadiths)…
📚 Introduction to Tafsir-e-Na’eemi (Cont.)
…Ramadan, Gabriel (Jibra’il) (peace be upon him) would present himself in the Holy Presence and recite the entire Qur’an to the Prophet (peace be upon him), and sometimes a few verses were revealed twice—for example, Surah Al-Fatiha, etc.
Summary of the Two Methods of Revelation
It is summarized that the revelation of the Qur’an upon the Prophet (peace be upon him) occurred in two ways. However, there is a major objection to this explanation (of dual revelation), as it seems to contradict the verses of the Holy Qur’an.
- God Almighty said about the Qur’an: “Anzalna” (We sent down) and sometimes said “Nazzalna” (We sent down gradually).
The term “Anzalna” means “We sent down all at once,” and “Nazzalna” means “We sent down piece by piece.” These two terms apparently refer to two contradictory situations. The answer is that a few things must be understood:
- First: The revelation of the Qur’an to the Lower Heaven and to other heavenly books occurred in the manner of “Anzalna” (all at once). This is like saying, “The book has come,” or “a complete book has been revealed.” All these (previous) prophets were given the glad tidings of this one, special, great book. Therefore, most of the Qur’anic verses were revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the manner of “Nazzalna” (gradually), so that the outside world would not deny its greatness and revelation.
- Second: The book was revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the manner of “Nazzalna” (gradually) over 23 years, so that God Almighty would always be near His beloved Messenger and the Muslims, and all the commands could be fully implemented and made perfect.
- Third: This (gradual revelation) was done so that people like the children of Israel could not rise up and say:
سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا ۚ (البقرہ:۹۳)
“We hear, and we disobey.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:93)
Why was the Qur’an Revealed Gradually to the Prophet (PBUH)?
It is necessary to believe that what is required of the servants (people) is to follow the commands of God Almighty. But it is necessary that the pure word of God reaches the people without any doubt. God Almighty says that He does not speak to the people directly; rather, Gabriel (Jibra’il) comes in a figurative form and conveys the message to the people…
📚 Introduction to Tafsir-e-Na’eemi (Cont.)
…Sometimes the complete message is revealed, and sometimes it’s revealed in a dream, but there is no doubt that the revelation begins with the inspiration (voice) coming from the pure voice box of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Every year, Gabriel (Jibra’il) (peace be upon him) would present himself to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and submit the Qur’an.
It is reported that he (the Prophet) asked Gabriel, “Do you have any favor upon Islam?” Gabriel replied, “When I received the command (to bring the revelation), I started walking (towards the earth) out of respect for the Prophet, but when I reached Ruwā’ (a place), the Prophet’s pure words reached me.”
“See! Jibra’il himself has said that I have no favor upon Islam, because my obedience to God Almighty is upon my own tongue, which is why I was sent to the Prophet (peace be upon him) to convey the Divine Word to the people. Listen, my brothers! The obedience of Imām is also an obedience to God Almighty.”
A Fundamental Principle is Extracted from This:
Obedience to the Imām is in fact obedience to God Almighty.
(Benefit/Note)
The difference between a dream and a revelation is also worthy of contemplation.
- For instance, Abraham (peace be upon him) saw in a dream that he was sacrificing his son, and he acted upon this, but he never said that he saw a legal (Shar’i) command in a dream. If the command in a dream went against the Law (Shari’ah), the Prophet would not have been able to act upon it. Therefore, what God Almighty inspires or conveys to any prophet in a dream is not a matter of the Shari’ah; it is a memory.
Keep in mind that Gabriel (Jibra’il) (peace be upon him) is not a Prophet, but he is one of the closest servants of the Divine Government, conveying the commands between the Lord (God Almighty) and the Prophets. Therefore, his position is like that of a Trusted Minister (Wazir-e-Amin) of the King. Just as a word coming from the mouth of the king’s minister is considered to be a message from the king himself, a command coming from Gabriel is a command from God Almighty.
📚 Introduction to Tafsir-e-Na’eemi (Cont.)
…through a means, but there are two rulings that are binding: that he is the ruler, and that he will make the people obey his command.
The Difference Between the Qur’an and Hadith
The difference is that the Qur’an comes directly from God Almighty and is also protected in its manner of recitation. Similarly, the manner in which Gabriel (Jibra’il) (peace be upon him) brought it is also protected. However, the Hadith (Prophetic tradition), as described in the previous Hadith, is what the Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke, which sometimes came from God Almighty’s side as a revelation, and sometimes purely as a statement from the Prophet. But in the Hadith, the meaning is from God Almighty, and the words are the Prophet’s.
Therefore, it is necessary to believe in it and act upon it. But its recitation cannot be used to fulfill the obligation of Salat (Prayer), because the words and the recitation are solely for the Qur’an and are prescribed from God Almighty. God Almighty says about this distinction:
تِسْعًا وَتِسْعِينَ آيَةً أَوْ نِسْيَهَا (البقرہ:۱۰۶)
“…ninety-nine verses, or [caused them to] be forgotten.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:106)
The Arabic text in the image only includes a fragment of the verse’s meaning, not the full context of abrogation, but the reference is clearly given.
The recitation is evident and confirmed from the Qur’an itself, as are the commands (rulings) and other details. God Almighty says:
وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ (البقرہ:۱۲۹)
“…and teach them the Book and Al-Hikmah (Wisdom)…” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:129)
- Al-Kitab (The Book) refers to the Holy Qur’an.
- Al-Hikmah (Wisdom) refers to the Hadith, traditions, and wisdom.
If the Muslims were commanded to act upon only the Qur’an, then mentioning the Hadith would have been sufficient. The Hadith is the perfect commentary on the Holy Qur’an, but one cannot get the reward for reciting the Holy Book from the Hadith. However, it is necessary to believe in its wisdom and to act upon it for the sake of its commands and the practical issues of life.
The Holy Qur’an is free from all deficiencies (shortcomings); it is the perfect book. But to explain the practical application of its wisdom and to teach the changing principles of time, it was necessary for God Almighty’s Prophet (peace be upon him) to reveal the wisdom, which is called Hadith.
📚 Introduction to Tafsir-e-Na’eemi (Cont.)
…The necessity of the Qur’an being comprehensive has been established, and the necessity of hearing and following the Hadith has also been established.
It is necessary to believe that the Qur’an must be perfect from the Almighty (Allah), and it is also necessary to believe that the Hadith is perfect and protected, because we are commanded to follow the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the same way we are commanded to follow the Holy Qur’an. God Almighty says:
“O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you…” (Surah An-Nisa’, 4:59)
And this (obedience to those in authority) is given to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Caliphs (successors). Our opinion should not be that the Prophet (peace be upon him)’s saying or action is something secondary. The Hadith that has reached us is not merely a common statement; rather, it is a statement that is necessary for our actions and beliefs.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whatever comes to you from my words, it is incumbent upon you to follow it.” He also said: “Allah has cursed the one who sits on a cushion and says: ‘I only follow the Qur’an, and I do not need the Hadith.’” Since the Qur’an is a book of complete rulings, its practice is only possible through the Sunnah (Prophetic tradition).
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.