CHAPTER THREE
Dr. Mohammed Mokhtar Ould Bah

MOHAMMED (PBBUH) AND THE CONCLUDING MESSAGE

Section One : Mohammed (PBBUH and the Revelation)

Section Two : The compilation of the Qur’an

Section Three : The Sciences of the Qur’an

Section Four : The Prophetic Message

 ______________________________________________________________________

Section I
Mohammed (PBBUH) and the Revelation

When Mohammed (PBBUH) approached the age of forty(1), he felt a desire for retirement and solitude. This was due to his previous meditations, which caused a great mental gap between him and his people, and between his thinking and theirs.

He then used to take his food, (fine flour), and water and leave towards the cave of Hîra in the Mount of Light (Jabal An-Nour), two miles away from Mecca. The cave was four cubits long and less than two wide. Yet, it was suitable enough for Mohammed to spend whole months of Ramadan in it. He stayed there for hours meditating on the greatness of the universe and considering the hidden Power lying behind it. He also would feed the needy people who came to pay him a visit.

But in spite of this, he still felt uneasy because of his people’s flimsy creeds and their ridiculous polytheist belief. Unfortunately, he could do nothing as things were still not clear to him, and as he did not yet have anything certain to rely on or to take refuge in.

Mohammed’s decision to retire, from time to time,  in the cave of Hira was part of Allah’s guidance and arrangement, for the purpose of preparing him to assume the heavy task awaiting him. Any human being that is destined to guide Humanity and to influence it to the extent of changing its behavior radically  and guiding it on a new path, requires a certain period of privacy and seclusion so as to rid himself of earthly interests and to forget about ordinary occupations which take up our life.

It was Allah then, preparing Mohammed (PBBUH) for the divine mission that would shake Humanity and change the direction of history, who arranged for this retirement three years before He entrusted him with the Divine Message. In his cave, he stayed up to a month in the company of the Free Spirit of Existence, considering the Universe and the unseen worlds behind it, and looking forward to the moment when Allah would allow him to deal with this unseen World(2).

The Language of Mohammed (PBBUH)

Mohammed was born in -and grew up in- the Arab Meccan community, a place where Arabic was spoken at its best and which was famous for its eloquent poets and orators. However, Mohammed was no poet, nor did he like to attend the forum of poets. Instead, his people called him “Al-Amîn” (the trustworthy and honest man).

The Meccan society had a culture that was mainly oral. The people who could read or write were very few, and Mohammed was not among them. He never left Mecca before he became Prophet, except for two short trips: once with his uncle at the age of thirteen, and the second time when Khadija asked him to manage her trading business destined to Syria. His age, then, was about twenty-five. But neither of the trips exceeded a month. Therefore, Mohammed had no chance to learn a language other than Arabic during such short trips.

The Archangel Gabriel Comes Down with Revelation :

When Mohammed (BPBUH) was forty - the age of wisdom and of Prophetic missions, as it is believed -, he began to perceive the signs of Prophecy in the horizons of life. The first signs he experienced were visions. All his visions came (as true as the break of dawn). Such visions are said to be one forty-sixth of Prophethood(3), and Mohammed had them for six months. In Ramadan of the third year, the Prophet left, as usual, for the cave. But this time, everything changed as Allah sent Gabriel with Revelation.(4)

Historians do not agree on the month when the Revelation came down from the heavens, but according to common record, it was in  Ramadan, as is stated in the Holy Qur’an:

“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for mankind  and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong)". (Surah Al Baqara (The Cow); v. 185).

“Verily, We have sent it (this Qur’ an) down In the night of Al-qadr (Decree)" (Surah Al-Qadr (The night of Decree); v. 1).

It is obvious that this night is in Ramadan. Relying on this, we can determine the date at which revelation started to come down: Mohammed (PBBUH) first had revelation 39 lunar years, six months and twelve days after his birth, the equivalent, in solar years, of 39 years, three month and 12 days.(5)

The Period of Revelation:

The Qur’an was sent down to Mohammed (PBBUH) for over twenty years. He used to set out for “the Hira cave” where he stayed for many nights and where he spent long hours meditating, worshipping and praying. Then one day, Gabriel came while Mohammed was fully awake and said to him:

“Read!”

Mohammed (PB BUH) replied:

“I cannot read”.

Gabriel insisted, and Mohammed still replied:

“I cannot read”.

Then Gabriel held him so hard and taught him the first Surah that was sent down from Heaven, “Al-‘Alaq” (The blood clot). The first verse of this Holy book had come, to lead to goodness, to give glad tidings to people doing good and warnings to the wicked, was:

 “Read! in the name of your Lord who has created (all that exists)” (Surah Al-‘Alaq (The Clot); v. 1)

The Koran descended gradually and it was intended to be taught to people and chanted to them in the best way. Its verses, the clearest and the nicest ever seen, owe their greatness to Allah (PEBH), the Source of wisdom and knowledge, and Whose will chose to reveal them in the best and clearest of Arabic tongues. In this regard He said: -“Alif-Lâm-Râ", (These letters are one of  the miracles of the Qur’an, and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings). “These are the verses of the Clear Book,-(The Qur’ân that makes clear the legal And illegal things, laws, a guidance And a blessing). (Surah Yûsuf (Prophet Joseph); v. 1-3)

The aim was to warn the people of Mecca and those living nearby. For Allah said , in the Holy Koran:

“And we sent not a messenger except with the language of his people, In order that he might make (the message) clear for them.” (Surah Ibrâhîm (Abraham); v. 4)

Later on, Mohammed (PBBUH) was ordered to warn all Mankind. Supported by his Companions, (As-Sahâba), and armed with the divine and universal Message he had received, he struggled to spread Allah’s warnings as far as he could.

The knowledge of this new faith is a real human right, but the belief in it should come out of conviction. No one is forced to adopt it, as it is a faith, the adherence to which should be voluntary and spontaneous. Man is free: he can either believe and enjoy the fruitful rewards, or disbelieve and hence suffer its consequences (Allah’s punishment). On account of this,  Moslems had to do their best to make this universal message (i.e. Islam) known to people and nations. Moreover, though they often had to fight rulers who stood in the way of its spread, they were never asked to force people to embrace it. Belief in a faith must not be accomplished under compulsion. Consider the following verses from the Holy Qur’an:

“And we have not sent you (O Mohammad) except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind, but most of men know not” (Surah Saba (Sheba); v. 28))

“And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together. so, will you (O Mohammad) then compel mankind? until they become believers.” (Surah Yûnus (Jonah) ; v. 99)

The Qur’an came down following circumstances and according to experiences that the Prophet (PBBUH) lived through during his mission. Thus, the first Surahs aimed to ease his anxious mind and to tell him that he was Allah’s Messenger to his people, with the intention to guide them, to give them glad tidings and to warn them. In other words, his task was to invite them to worship Allah, the only God that exists, the one who created the heavens, the earth, the moon and stars, the one who arranged the succession of nights and days and facilitated sailing in the seas, and the one who created beings and will later resurrect them.

Unfortunately, the notables of Quraysh refused to abandon the practice of worshipping the idols, which they inherited from their ancestors. They rejected Mohammed’s Message and accused him of being a mad man, retelling false legends of the past. This was so outrageous that he developed some resentfulness and felt lonely and weary. Moreover, they took him for no more than a pretender who was to be fought. They besieged him and offended him during his prayers and banished his clan.

When he went to seek the help of Non-Qurayshi Arabs, they refused to support him and left him to face Quraysh on his own. Besides, they mocked him and hinted to their children to throw stones at him. The worst case, in this regard, must have been that of “Tâif”, when he tried to seek its people’s help. The children threw stones at him until blood ran of his feet and he was forced to sit down out of pain and exhaustion.  That was so terrible and hurting that he felt weary and unhappy. But thanks to the Qur’an, he never despaired. His Lord (Allah) was always on his side, and like all Prophets, his faith was profound and his will was strong.

During the first years, the purpose of revelation was to urge the Prophet to go on preaching through warning people and calling upon them to worship Allah, the Merciful, rather than those stone statues (idols), which could neither avail nor harm. He also had to warn them of the punishment that awaited them in the Hereafter unless they submitted to the will of Allah. But Quraysh went on disbelieving and denying the existence of the Hereafter. They could not imagine how they could resurrect after their bodies had been decomposed and become mere remains and dried bones.

The Qur’an went on warning and reminding them of the peoples who had perished before them. Allah (the Exalted) who created the universe and themselves before, is able to recreate them just as He can bring back to life a dead land. And so it is with resurrection.

Allah did not give examples to Quraysh only. He did the same with the Prophet (PBBUH), to him he told about the Messengers before him who suffered - and were even tortured - during the course of their missions. But they endured because they were sure of their cause and because they were certain that their Lord would grant them victory and defeat their enemies.

Quraysh, then, asked Mohammed (PBBUH) if he could show a sign to prove what he said. Some of them found it strange that angels did not accompany him and that he had no treasures. Others were surprised at his being an ordinary man who ate food and went to markets. All this is well illustrated by the Holy Qur’an. Consider the following verses:

“And they say: We shall not believe in you (O Mohammad) until you cause a spring to gush from the earth to us;

Or you have a garden of date palms and grapes, or cause rivers to gush forth in their midst abundantly;

Or you cause the heaven to fall upon us in pieces, as you have pretended, or you bring Allah and the angels before (us) face to face.

 Or you have a house of Zukhruf (like silver and pure gold),

or you ascend up into the sky, and even then we will put no faith in your ascension until you bring down for us a book that we would read […]" (Surah Al-Isrâ’ (The Journey by Night); v.  90 – 93)

Upon hearing these vexing statements, he felt deeply grieved. But Allah said to him, and to them, in the Qur’an that Mohammed is simply a human being entrusted with a Divine Message. Consider the following verse:

“Say O Mohammad! Glorified (and Exalted) be my lord (Allah) above all that evil (polytheists) associate with Him! Am I anything but a man, Sent as a messenger?”(Surah Al-Isrâ’ (The Journey by Night); v. 93).

Allah, alone is expected to provide miracles which are beyond man’s capacity, no matter how hard he tries: whether he sought to dig a tunnel in the earth or to set up a ladder in the sky. All Mankind could have been led to the right way, but Allah’s will dealt with things otherwise. He does what He wishes.

As for Mohammed, he was ordered to keep to his mission and to pursue it diligently, and never to have any doubts about it. In this respect, he had to go on resisting his opponents and bear their offences and conspiracies. Surely, endurance and patience pay off, in the end. And as the Holy Qur’an says: “[…] the good end is for the Muttaqûn (the pious)”.

This is how things were during the Meccan period in Mohammed’s life. However, when he emigrated to the Medina, the koranic verses were quite different: they addressed now the business of clarifying the “Shari‘a” (i.e. the establishment of laws), and of organizing the Moslems’ affairs (religious and civil ones).

The Language of the Qur’anic Message

This message reached us by one single means, and in one single language. The means is Mohammed Ibn ‘Abdallah, the Prophet and Messenger, and the language is Arabic. This Prophet (PBBUH) conveyed the Qur’an, the MESSAGE of Allah, to us, as it was given to him, by the means of Gabriel, as a revelation inspired in both its words and their meanings. In this regard, Allah, (Praised and Exalted Be He) says: “Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’ân in order that you may understand”  (Surah Yûsuf (Joseph); v. 2). And He also says:  “And We sent not a messenger except in the language of his people in order that he might make (the Message) clear for them” (Surah Ibrâhîm (Prophet Abraham); v. 4).

As a divine book, beyond any doubts, the Koran leads God-fearing people to the right path.  And when Allah sent it down to Mohammed, he provided him, at the same time, with wisdom: the “Sunna” (the Tradition, or sayings and deeds of the Prophet). But this latter was left to the Prophet to express  in his own words and to teach to his followers so as to elucidate their affairs of their faith, to purify their souls, and to make them learn that which they did not know before.

The Holy book was then inspired from heaven in the best and clearest of the Arabs’ tongues, while the “Sunna” was uttered by Mohammed, whom Allah endowed with such rhetorical skills as made him the most eloquent of Arabs.

Rhetorical Challenge:

It has always been admitted, by past and contemporary Arabs, and so will it be forever, that the rhetoric of the Holy Qur’an is unique and that its linguistic register is a highly refined one within the Arabic language. No one has ever been, nor will anyone ever be, able to imitate it, even its smallest verse or Surah,  no matter how eloquent and convincing a debater one may be.

Mohammed was an illiterate who could neither read nor write. He was known as the “Trustworthy and Honest Man”, as his people used to call him. The Qur’an was from Allah, the most High, both in its words and its meaning. It is inimitable. Allah said: “Say: “If the mankind and the jinn were together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another .”  (Surah Al-Isrâ’ (The Journey by night); v. 88).

Section II
The compilation of the Qur’an  and the arrangement of its verses and surahs

The Memorizing and recording of the Koran during Mohammed’s life:

The Qur’an was revealed gradually according to circumstances and according to people’s queries about the events which occurred in the community. How was the Koran then assembled and how were its verses and Surahs put in the order we have them in today?

Oral Memorizing:

Mohammed’s Companions first learnt the verses of the Qur’an directly from him, as is related by Muslim in his “Sahîh”, on whose authority Ibn Omar said: “I heard Allah’s Messenger (PBPUH) say: ‘ take the Qur’an from four people: Abdallah Ibn Mas’ûd (he mentioned him first) Salem, (the moulla)  (servant) of Abu Hudhayfa), Mu‘ad Ibn Jabal and Ubay Ibn Ka‘b”.(7) This Hadith describes how perfectly and accurately these people learned the Qur’an.

As for the order of verses and Surahs, Mohammed learned it from the Archangel, Gabriel, and made it known, in his turn, to people who learned and wrote the Qur’an, under his close guidance. On the authority of Aisha, Fatima (MABPWH) said:

The Prophet (PBBUH) told me: “ Gabriel used to review the Koran with me once a year, but this year he did it twice. It don’t see this but as a sign that my death is approaching”  (8)

The Recording of the Qur’an: 

On the authority of Shu‘ba, Qatâda reported that Anas Ibn Mâlik (May Allah be pleased with him) said: “Four people collected the Qur’an when the Prophet was still alive, all of whom were “supporters” (Ansâr): Ubay Ibn Ka‘b, Mu‘ad Ibn Jabal, Abû Zayd, and Zayd Ibn Thâbit”. I asked Anas (Qatâda speaking): “Who was Abû Zayd?” and, he replied: “an uncle of mine”.(9)

This states that the Prophet dictated the Qur’an to these people who, later on, undertook its recording in writing. But it is known that others were able to write it themselves from their own memory, as they had learned it by heart. The number of Companions who compiled the Qur’an during the era of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) thus adds up to seven, all of whom have been cited by Ibn-Nadim.(10)

The Order of Verses and Surahs:

In his “Al Jâmi‘ ”(11) Ibn Wahb reports having heard Sulaymân Ibn Bilâl say: “ Rabi‘a was asked why more than 80 surahs were placed after “the Cow” and “ Al  ‘Imrân” (The Family of Imran), since the latter weren’t revealed until the Prophet had gone to the Medina, and he replied: “ So should they be, just as the Qur’an was knowingly composed in Heaven. There we should stop and ask no further questions”.

In the same context, it is related by Qatâda that Ibn Mas‘ûd once said: “ the Prophet’s Companions are the perfect model to be ever sought. Their hearts are the most righteous. Their knowledge is the most perfect and their behavior is the most upright, without any trace of affectation. Allah chose them to provide company to His Prophet and to establish His religion. Do then recognize their favors and do follow their way, the right and safe one.”

Another point of view is that the order of Surahs, as we have had them up to now, was the Prophet’s work. As to the differences between the ways Ubay and Abdallah arranged the Surahs of the Qur’an, it is known that it was before the Prophet (PBBUH) showed them the last and final version of it.

On the authority of Yûnus, Ibn Wahb  said :

“I heard Mâlek say: “ the Qur’an was written in the order the  “Sahaba”(the Companions) heard it from the Prophet”.

According to “Al Anbârî”’s book “The reply”, the Qur’an as a whole descended to the lowest heaven; then it was taught to the Prophet bit by bit throughout the twenty years of revelation. The Surahs used to come down according to a specific event. And the verse would come in reply to a query. In the end, the Archangel Gabriel showed Mohammed where a verse or a Surah should be placed.

The concordance of Surahs, of verses, and of letters was made by the Prophet (PBBUH), in the same way Allah had inspired in him. Because of this, any interference that spoils the order of Surahs in the Qur’an, by putting an earlier one before a later one or vice versa, is of no less harm than spoiling the order of words in a phrase, or that of letters in a word.

In no way can we blame the placing of Surah Al-Baqarah (the Cow) before Surah Al an‘am (Cattle), though we know that the latter was revealed earlier. The Prophet set the known order and used to say: “Put this Surah here and put that one there”, and “Gabriel undertook the arrangement of verses.”(12)

A weak reference sees that the order of Surahs, but not that of verses, may have been done by the “Prophet’s Companions”, and that this would, in no way, affect the holiness of the Qur’an, as long as each Surah had its unity and its independence. As for the order of verses within the Surahs, all Moslems agree that the Divine Revelation supervised it, as it is stated in many reports(13).

Ibn Tayeb said, “If anyone inquires About the differences in the early recordings of the Qur’an, since some arranged the Surahs according to their chronological order, and thus, put the Meccan Qur’an before the Medinan, some started with “Al Hamdu” (The Opening), and some started with “ones the clot”, as the case is with “Ali’s Mushaf”. In Ibn Mas’ûd’s Mushaf, we find “Mâlikî yawmiddîn” (The Opening), then (The Cow), and then (The Women), in a different order, while, in that of Ubay, the order is: “Al Hamdu LiLLâhi”,“ the Opening”, (The Women), (Al  ‘Imrân), (The Cattle), then (The Heights),“Al A‘râf”, and then “Al Mâ’idah” (The Table Served). The question arises as to who was responsible for this. The answer, said Abû Baker At-Tayeb, may be that the Companions of the Prophet devised the ordering of Surahs. This is Al-Mekkî’s opinion in his interpretation of the Surah of “Barâ’a”.

He also said that the arrangement of verses within Surahs and the beginning of them by the “Basmala”, (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful), was the Prophet’s work. And when he left the Surah of “Barâ’a” without (this “ Basmala”), Moslems followed him(14). And according to what is reported by most relations, he says the same thing about the order of Surahs. (15)

It is related on the authority of Aisha (MABPWH) that an Irakian once asked: “What shroud is best?” and she replied: “Woe unto you! Why should you bother?” Then he said: “ Let me see your Mushaf (her copy of the Holy Qur’an)!” “What for?” she inquired “I’d like to arrange the Qur’an because it is read without being arranged”, he said.

“No matter what you read first”, she replied, “The first of it to have been sent down was a Surah of the “Mufassal” (i.e. the developed), telling About Paradise and Hell. Then when people adopted Islam, the rules were set and laws were established. Had the first Surahs tried to prohibit drinking wine or adultery, people would have never obeyed. I was still a young child, when the verse (there will come an hour…) was revealed.  But when the Surahs of the “Cow” and “Women” descended, the Prophet had already married me”.

Aisha then took out her Book, “the Mushaf”, and dictated to him verses of the Qur’an.(16)

The Evolution of the Fixing of the Qur’an after the Death of The Prophet

The Epoch of Abû Bakr (the first Caliph):

Revelation stopped after the Prophet (PBBUH) had died (632 AD / year 11 of Hegira), but there was left a complete Book that would not let anyone go astray, as long as one followed it and cared about it in the best of cares. Therefore, Moslems took great care of the Holy Koran. They first learned it diligently from the very beginnings of Revelation till its end. They recorded it on leather, on bones and on stones. And among the Companions (May Allah Be Pleased with Them), some learned it by heart, some chanted it, and some recorded it.

The true Tradition indicates that the Prophet (PBBUH) left, after his death, a “Mushaf”( a Qur’an in Book form). It is probable that it belonged to one of his Companions who wrote it as it was revealed, like Zayd Ibn Thâbit. It is also known that Aisha, (May Allah Be Pleased with Her), had a ”Mushaf”, (a copy of the Qur’an)(17).

When during “Ar-Ridda”, (apostasy) wars, struggle became very intense and many of the Qur’an Learners were killed, the Companions agreed that the Koran should be written, on good paper, in a Book that would belong to the State and that would be taken as a reference. That was because the copies that people had were written on leather and palm leaves. Even though these materials served as a support to coherent Qur’anic texts, they could be lost or deteriorate easily.

That was the view of Omar Ibn Al-Khattâb. And on his insisting, Abu Bakr called Zayd Ibn Thâbit and charged him of this mission. That was how the “Umma”, (the Moslem community) had an orderly compiled Book. Abu Bakr kept it until he died and it was passed on to Omar, who left it, in his turn, to Hafsa, the Mother of believers (a name given to the wives of the Prophet)(18). She kept it until Othman Ibn ‘Affân asked for it to deliver it to the Companions whom he charged with the writing of “ the Master Book”, as we shall see later.

The Epoch of Othman: the third Caliph (23-35 Hegira / 644-656 A D)

When Islam became widespread, the Qur’an Learners were in many countries, and people wrote copies of the Qur’an according to what they heard from those Learners. However, these copies contained regional variants. That caused many differences, both on the graphic and the semantic level. Hudhayfa Ibn Al-Yamân said to the Caliph: “Save this Nation (Moslems), before they disagree upon the book as Jews and Christians did” (19). He meant: before those differences got bigger and the Qur’an would be read and recorded in different ways.

As the realm of Islam became wide, (from Khorâsân to Barqa, and from Yemen to Adherbijân), the number of copies that Moslems had already exceeded a hundred thousand, and the Holy Qur’an, was being taught everywhere. No village, encampment, town was devoid of Qur’anic teachers(20).

The Caliph accepted Hudhayfa Ibn Al-Yamân’s advice and ordered the writing of one Book, on which would agree all Arabs’ tongues and pens. Many copies of it were made available and sent to the provinces. After that, orders were given to burn all the other copies of the Qur’an that were different from the canonical version. That did not mean that the copies people had were false rather it was high time for Moslems to gather around one unique Book, a Book that was to be the “Chief Qur’an”, which would guarantee the correctness of reading throughout the Arab provinces, and which would be a safeguarding authority for further copies of the Holy Qur’an.

As for trustworthiness, this “Chief Koran” surpassed all other existing books of the Qur’an at that time. While these were individual efforts based on oral transmission, the “Chief Qur’an” was carefully checked against original copies and to what the Companions and famous learners had agreed upon. Among these were Zayd Ibn Thâbit, Abdallah Ibn Az-Zubayr, Sa‘îd Ibn Al-As and Abd-Allah Ibn Al-Hârith Ibn Hishâm(21).

The Arabic script available at that time, did not contain any dots or vowels. These were invented later on  by Abil-Aswad Ad-Duali, the founder of Arabic Grammar, and Nasr Ibn ‘Asim Al-Laythi. There was simply a dot over the consonant to stand for (Al fatiha), the sound “a”, and one under it to give the sound “i”, (Al Kasra). These were in a color different from that assigned to the letters(22).

As to the present form of the Qur’an we have nowadays, which features and shows all vowels and no difference in color, it is something we owe to the famous linguist Al-Khalîl Ibn Ahmed Al-Farahîdî  (who died in 789 AD / 170 Hegira)(23)

The Indexing of Qur’anic Verses for Study

There are indexes of the verses of the Qur’an and of its precepts that are published in order to make things easier for researchers. Of these we have:

Classification according to the chronological order of Descent:

The classification of the Qur’anic Surahs according to the chronology of their descent is of great importance to religious scholars and to researchers. This is because it helps them distinguish the abrogating from the abrogated precepts throughout the gradual evolution of Islamic legislation. Mohammed 'Ezzar Drwaza has a famous classification of the Qur’anic Surahs, based on the chronological order in which they were revealed(24). Similarly, there are compact discs on the subject that are very useful and that offer a chronological indexation of the Qur’anic Surahs(25).

Classification by themes:

The importance of such a classification is evident. It allows the selection of all verses dealing with a certain theme, and the gleaning to it. The most famous work published in this domain is certainly Gilles Labum’s. It is an objective thematic classification of the meanings of the Qur’anic verses, translated into French. The same work was adopted by Mohammed Fu’âd ‘Abd-Al Bâqi in 1924, and was published in Arabic in 1935 (26).

This worthy achievement aroused the interest of researchers in the thematic (or topical) classification of the verses of the Holy Qur’an. Henri Mercier prepared a translation of the meanings of the Qur’an in a thematic classification. This was published both in Arabic and in French(27). Another author, Mohammed Mustapha Mohammed, completed a similar work in Arabic (28).

Most of these works are published and are now quite popular, and new editions of them appear regularly. They are Qur’anic works, but none of them can be named a “Mushaf”. This is because the order of verses and Surahs in the Qur’an was based on the guidance of Revelation, as we have shown previously(29). 

Section III
The Sciences of The Qur’an

The Muslims dealt with the Qur’anic verses which either resemble one another or present some difficulty. Thus the Prophet’s Companions and, after them, the highly learned Moslems undertook the task of solving such problems. This is how the “Sciences of the Qur’an” have seen the light of day. Az-Zarkashî summed up these sciences in his book “Al Burhân”, and so did Jalâl Ad-Dîn As-Sayûtî in his book “ Perfection in the sciences of the Qur’an”(30).

Scholars named some of the Qur’anic Surahs “Meccan” (of Mecca), and some “Medinan” (of the Medina). But they had different points of view as regards the significance of this naming. Some called Meccan all the Qur’an that was sent down before the migration to the Medina, and “Medinan” the rest. Some said that every verse should be named according to the place it descended in, because the Qur’anic verses have not been revealed only in Mecca or in the Medina. Thus they attributed to “Minan” verses such as the following:

“And be afraid of the Day When you shall be brought back to Allah…" (Surah Al-Baqarah” (The Cow); v.281)).

To “Arafât” (i.e. Mount ‘Arafât), they attributed verses like the following: “This day I have perfected your religion for you completed My favour upon you […]” - (Surah Al-Mâ’ida (The Table spread with food), v 3).

And so on.

A third group of scholars said that the Qur’an concerning Mecca is Meccan, and the one concerning the Medina is Medinan. In this respect some of it is neither Meccan nor Medinan, as it is the case with “Al-Qasas” (The Narration) and “Al Ahqâf”, (The Curved Sand-hills).

The majority agreed on the first classification. And what counts in this respect is that the Meccan verses of the Qur’an has its special characteristics as regards meaning and purposes. In most cases, it is an invitation to monotheism, and its MESSAGE is addressed to all mankind promising and warning, expressing faith and reviling disbelief. It also contains stories from which one can draw lessons and which can be used for remembrance.

As for the Medinan Koran, its MESSAGE is addressed to all believers, in order to show them how to worship their God (Allah) and how to deal with one another. It also urges them to participate in the Holy war, reviles hypocrites, and debates the people of the Book (Jews and Christians). The task of promising and warning is also pursued in it .

The Birth of  the Science of recitals of the Qur’an

One of the challenging miracles of the Qur’an is the fact that Allah, (The Most High), took upon Himself its safekeeping. This is stated in the following verse: “Verily, We, it is We who have sent down the Dhikr (the Qur’ân) And surely We will guard it (from corruption).  (Sûrat Al-Hijr (The Rocky Tract); v. 9).

This safekeeping is perceived in the transmission of Qur’anic verses throughout generations, in the same renderings as those that the Prophet (PBBUH) taught his Companions. Gabriel used to teach Mohammed verses and Surahs of the Qur’an - according to the will of Allah, of course - and every year in Ramadan, he reviewed them with him once. This has been his habit until during the last year in the Prophet’s life, when he did it twice. And the Prophet understood from this that it was the last recital(31).

Then a group of Companions and knowledgeable people  learned the Qur’an from Mohammed. Among these were the four Caliphs and the famous readers of the Qur’an, such as Abdallah Ibn Mas’ûd, Ubay Ibn Ka’b, Zaid Ibn Thâbit, Abû Moussa Al Ash’ary, Abû Addardâ’, Abû Hurayra, Abdallah Ibn ‘Abbâs and Abdallah Ibn Assâib Al Makhzûmî.

After these came those who devoted their lives to the learning of Qur’an and to making it learned. These were Abdallah Ibn ‘Ayyâsh Al-Makhzûmi, Al Mughîra Ibn Abî Shihâb, Abdallah Ibn Habîb As-Salmî, Abû  Al ‘lia ArRiyâhî, Yazîd Ibn Al-Qa‘qâ‘ Al-Madanî, Shayba Ibn Nassâh, and those top ranking religious scholars in different regions. Their recitals came in succession and were recorded by Ibn Mujâhid Al-Baghdâdi in his book “The Seven”.

The great attention that the “Qurrâ’” (Reciters of the Qur’an) accorded to its learning and the control of its transmission and relation was such that it led to the creation of a special and independent science: the “Science of Recitals”. Hundreds of books were written in order to show the rules of Reciting and to set the conditions that would guarantee three principal things:

- The exactness of the Qur’anic text as regards the linguistic aspect.

- The authenticity of its oral transmission through the determination of its “Isnâd” (ascription).

- The absence of any spelling mistakes in the written book of the Koran(35).

The authenticator, Ibn Al Jazarî expressed the above three principles saying in a poem the following :

No Qur’an is but what respects grammar,

And follows the original diction,

And proves the authenticity of ascription,

These are three principles for checking. (Our translation: J.S.)

The First Principle: Flawlessness of Language:

The Qur’an was sent down in a good and clear Arabic, as a great challenge to the Arab unbelievers. Though they were known to be the most eloquent, the Qur’an defied their ability to come up with one single Surah resembling one of its Surahs. They failed to do so. It is small wonder when we consider the following Qur’anic verse!

Say: “If the mankind and the jinn were together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another” (Surah Al-Isrâ’ (The Journey by night); v.  88).

This was why any recital violating Arabic Grammar was put aside and considered to be abnormal. The reading of “Al Hamdi Lillâhi” in the second verse of  “the Opening”, instead of “Alhamdu Lillahi” was rejected by the Reciters. However, all that was grammatically correct was accepted, as far as the succession of reporters was reliable and trustworthy. An example of acceptable reciting is  Hamza Ibn Habîb Az-Zayyât’s reading of the first verse of the Surah of  “The Women”, where we find:  “al-arhâmi” (with the genitive case), instead of al-arhâma (with the accusative case). In the English translation, the verse is rendered as follows:

[…] And fear Allah from whom you demand (your mutual rights)

and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). (Surah An-Nisâ’ (The Women); v. 1).

In this respect, are also accepted Recitals that are different due to tribal variation in pronunciation. This is based on the authentic Hadith saying that “the Qur’an was revealed so that it would be read in seven different ways”. Among the relations concerning this Hadith, is the report that Mâlek said, according to Ibn Shihâb, according to ‘Urwa Ibn Az-Zubayr, that Abdarrahman Ibn Abd-Alqâri’ said: “I heard Omar Ibn Al Khattab say: “I heard Hishâm Ibn Hakîm read the Surah of “Al Furqân” in a different way from that I had learned from the Prophet (PBBUH). I felt like stopping him, but I waited until we went to the Prophet and I said to him, “ O Messenger of Allah, I heard this man read “the Furqân" in a different way from that you taught me. The Prophet said, “So was it sent down”, then he listened to me and said, and “So was it sent down." This Qurân was revealed to me on seven (Ahruf),“letters” (i.e.:  in seven possible ways of reading). Read of it what you can”(32).

This Hadith is authentic, but there are so many points of view as to what its exegesis is. According to Ibn  ‘Abbâs, as related by Al-Bukhârî and Muslim, the Prophet (PBBUH) said: “Gabriel made me read the Qur’an in a certain way. But as I couldn’t imitate him, he tried another way, then another until he reached seven” (37). There are other relations of this Hadith that are not very different from each other, in both content and meaning(34).

Religious scholars agree that the purpose of this was to spare the Islamic community any difficulties or any problems as to how to read the Qur’an. On the other hand, there are many points of view about the significance of the word “Ahruf”(Literally:“letters”). Abû Shâma wrote a whole book in this regard. Indeed, each group of scholars interpreted it according to their specialization. Men of jurisprudence said it meant the common and the restricted, the general and the specific, the abrogating and the abrogated, the text and the interpretation, the implicit and the explicit, the report and the exception and its sub-units. For theologians, it meant the licit and the illicit, the authentic and the apocryphal, injunctions and interdicts, reports and prayers, inquiry, reprimand and promise and threat. For rhetoricians, it meant omission and linking, advancing and postponing, metaphor and repetition, proper sense and figurative speech, the limited and the non-limited, and the explicit and the implicit. Linguists saw that the significance of the word “Ahruf”, (letters), in the Hadith stood for the Arab main tribal idioms. Among these they mentioned Quraysh, Hudhayl, Thaqîf, Hawâzin, Kinâna, Tamîm and Yemen. This view is attributed to Ibn ‘Abbâs. Of such idiomatic differences, linguists mentioned the following: the word  “al-lahw”   (leisure) for “al-mar’a”, (woman) in the Yemen, and “yay’asu” means “ya‘lamu” in Hawâzin; that is, “to despair” for “to know”.

Recitals’ scholars have slightly similar views concerning the accepted “variants”. These views were developed by Abû ‘Ubaydillâh Ibn Sellâm, Abû Hakîm As-Sijistânî, Ibn Qutayba, Abû Al-Fadl Ar-Râzî and Ibn Al Jazarî. This latter says, “I spent more than thirty years guessing and thinking about this Hadith until Allah led me to what I hope will be right. I followed all readings, right ones and exceptional ones as well as weak ones and even rejected ones”(35). He added: “Then I found out that their differences were exactly in seven respects”:

First : A difference in vowels that alters neither the meaning nor the form     (Al Bukhl / Al Bakhl: (stinginess) 

(Yahsibu /Yahsabu):   (to think / believe)

Second :  A difference in vowels changing the meaning but not the form as in: “ damu and dama”, (Adam) in the 37th verse of the “Al Baqarah ” (The Cow): “Then Adam received from His Lord Words […]”

Third :  A difference in consonants affecting the meaning, but not the form; e.g.: tablû and tatlû; wa nunajjîka and nunjîka.

Fourth : A difference in consonants affecting the form but not the meaning; e.g.: basTa and baSTa; AS-SirâTu and As-srâTu; (where a capitalized consonant (T, S) is an emphatic)

Fifth : A change in both meaning and form e.g. Ashamma minhum; Ashadda minkum; and Yata’alla / Ya’tali; Was‘aw ilâ dhikri llâh / FamDû ilâ dhikri llâh.

Sixth : Change in the order of words: (pre-posing and post-posing)

As in:    fa |yaqtulûna wa yuqtalûna

fa| yuqtalûna wa|yaqtulûna

(Cf. the English translation: “They fight in Allah’s cause, so they kill (others) and are killed / So they are killed and kill (others)" (Surah  At-Tauba (The Repentance); v. 111))

Or in:   Wa jâ’at sakratu al-mawti bi al-haqqi

(And the stupor of death will come in truth)

 Wa jâ’at sakratu al- haqqi bi al-mawti  

(And the stupor of truth will come in death) (Surah  Qâf  (Q) ; v. 19)

Seventh : Addition and omission : as in (wa ‘awSâ / wa wassa), and the 3rd verse of the “night” when the word ( ãÇ ), “mâ” is  omitted.

[wa mâ khalaka adh- dhakara wa lunthâ]

(Cf. the English translation :  On the night when it falls, …etc.

(Surah “Al-layl” (The Night); v. 1-3; (omission of “what”)

It may be one of its mysteries (i.e.,  the Hadith about the seven letters) that it is, itself, related on seven letters, hence its interpretations have been so many. Yet, they don’t seem to have ever exhausted its meanings and aims.

In this way the Prophet (PBBUH) showed us how it is allowed to read the Qur’an in different ways and, he freed the nation (Moslems) from any constriction it cannot bear. This Hadith is one of the miracles of the safekeeping of the Qur’an, as well as an aspect of Allah’s clemency announced through the seal of Prophets and Messengers: Mohammed. The variants of this Hadith and the variety of the scholars’ interpretations underscore the range of its meaningful content.

The Second Principle : Concordance between the text (preserved in Moslems’ memories) and the pronunciation of the Othmani Mushaf’s letters.

It is not known exactly how many copies of  Othman’s Mushaf were made, but what is generally known is that they were five. Some said seven. These copies were sent to Mecca, to the Shâm region (Syria), Yemen, Bahrein, to Basora and to Kûfa. One was left in the Medina. Of these books, were famous the Madanî (Medina), the Kûfî, the Shâmi, the Meccî (Mecca) and the Basri (Basora). These were considered as “master copies”, mother books”, to which reference was made to check the correctness of any Reading(40).

There was some difference between these books, as regards spelling. But this remained a limited difference which contained neither opposition nor contradiction. Rather, they offer a leeway for patricians as the Othmani spelling was void of vowels and dots. This made it possible for people to read differently, as was shown by the Hadith dealt with above (41).

Scholars took so much care to preserve the Othmani spelling that they forbade any change of it by adding to it or omitting from it, or even by applying on it any of the new spelling rules. They kept words exactly as they were, even when they were different from the way they were pronounced. An example of this is in the 47th verse of “Adh-Dhâriyât”: “(With power did We construct the heaven).

“bi ayydin” (ÈÃííÏ) is written with two “y’s”.  Another example is noticed in the writing of “nashâu”, in either of two ways: äÔçA or äÔÄ Similarly, “Ayyuhâ” is written either with A or without A.

They also kept all that was unlinked, or linked, in order to prevent any change of the Othmani spelling, which was known for its black color.

In the beginning, scholars hesitated about adding points and vowels. But by the end of the first century (of the Hegira), they found it necessary to do that under the threat of another danger, namely, the risk of mistaken readings. For this reason, Abû Al Aswad Ad-Du’ali invented a sort of points to incorporate the vowels of a word, based on its occurrence in a syntactic structure and a grammatical (morphological) context. Therefore, a dot before a letter was taken for the sound “u”, a dot over it, for the sound “a” and a dot under it for the sound “i”.

After him came Nasr Ibn 'Assim Ad-Dîn,  who invented dotted letters, in order to distinguish similar consonants; e.g.: “_”, “_” and “_”, the equivalents of “B”, “T” and “Th”, (as in thin), respectively; or  “_”, “_” and “_”, the equivalents of “J”; “H “ and “kh”, and so on. These additions were called “Çá___Ç_”, (letter dotting); that is supplying them with diacritical points.

In order to distinguish vowels and points, specialists took the decision to use ink of different color, since original words were always written with black ink. In that way, they avoided the risk of considering them parts of those words. Later, this work was further developed during the second century. Al Khalîl Ibn Ahmed Al-Farâhîdî, (died in 789 A.D/170 of the Hegira) added other signs to make it easier to read correctly.  The spelling was then easier even without those different colors. 

Many books were written about the calligraphy of the Holy Book. Among these were those authored by Abû ‘Amr Ad-Dânî, Al Kharrâz Al-Maghribî and Abdallah Ash-Shanqîtî. Moreover, Moslems took very much care of this calligraphy, which they, artistically, adjusted and decorated. Famous artists like Ibn Al-Bawwâb, Ibn Muqla and Ar-Rifâ‘i  Al-Maghribî left us wonderful pieces of caligraphic art befitting the Heavenly Revealed Text.

The Third Principle: The authenticity of Ascription

This is the most important pillar that guarantees the true relation of the Qur’an This is because all that raises no doubts, as regards ascription, is Arabic, and is therefore consigned in the Holy Mushaf.

The Qur’an reciters among the Prophet’s Companions and those after them gave priority to the authenticity of ascription. During the two periods of the Qur’an assembling, which were mentioned above, they accepted only verses on which had agreed the most of reliable authorities and whose relation was repeated many times, which is the safest way to guarantee a chain of authentic relations. In this way, the relation of all the assembled Qur’anic verses, through a chain of reliable authorities, becomes confirmed and definitely established in the “Mushafs”. Their precautions were so stringent that they rejected all sentences that were found only in personal “Mushafs”, even if these belonged to famous reciters like Abdallah Ibn Mas‘ûd or Ubay Ibn Ka‘b. Accurate examination and comparisons showed that those sentences were clarifying and explanatory addenda. They were added by their authors at a time when writing had not yet been developed enough to enable people to devise ways for distinguishing the Divine Message from their explanatory additions.

Then there was a general consensus of the Islamic Umma on the seven Recitals, by seven great reciters mentioned in a book authored by Ibn Mujâhid. They are: Nâfi‘ Ibn Abd-Ar-Rahman Al Madanî (from the Medina), Abdallah Ibn Kathîr Al Mekkî (from Mecca), Abdallah Ibn ‘Amir Ad-Dimashkî (from Damascus), Abû ‘Amr Ibn Al ‘Alâ’ Al Basri (from Basora), ‘Asim Ibn Bahdala, Hamza Az-Zayyât and Al Kisâ’i. In addition, the reciters agreed on another three who are: Abû Ja‘far Al Madanî, Khalaf Al-Bazzâr and Ya‘kûb Al-Hadramî.

These Recitals, taken from the Prophet himself (PBBUH), and learned by heart, were transmitted from generation to generation, and recorded by specialists, as well as by ordinary literate people. Many works were devoted to the analysis of these Recitals, such as the books of Ibn Mujâhid and Al-Qâsim Ash-Shâtibî, as well as the poem “Hirz Al Amânî” (Amulet of Wishes). In this long poem was put into verses the content of  ‘Amr Ad-Dânî’s book “At-Taysir”, which was later completed through Ibn Al Jazarî's poem “Ad Durra” (the pearl). Both poems became principal references in the teaching of Recitals .

Afterwards, the Reciters set very careful criteria for the acceptance or rejection of the Recitals. The qualitative degrees (very good, good,  or very strong, strong, weak, etc.) of ascription were shown, and whatever did not conform to the three pillars, discussed above, was rejected. In this respect Ibn Al Jazarî said in a poem: 

“Whatever runs contrary to these principles

Is rejected by the seven Recitals” (Our translation)

Exegesis And its Methods

The Qur’anic discourse consists of three types of verses:

- Verses which are so explicit and semantically clear that even ordinary people can understand them.

- Verses of which meaning is quite challenging, and that only Allah and the highly learned people understand.

- Hermetic verses, whose meaning was kept for Allah Himself.

Because of this, Moslems needed to have recourse to the Prophet’s Tradition (his sayings and his deeds), and to the relations of his Companions and their disciples so as to obtain an exegesis of the Qur’anic verses. They were, therefore, very much interested in the sciences of exegesis, and each group dealt with the subject that fitted their specialization. For instance, linguists tackled the problems of semantics and grammatical analysis; indeed, this what Abû Ubayda, Al-Farrâ' and As-Sarrâj did. Others were interested in rhetorical matters and stylistic features, as can be seen in Az-Zamakhsharî’s “Al Kashshâf” and in Al Baydâwî’s “Tafsîr". As for Sharî‘a (i.e. religious law) jurists, their focus was on finding evidence for religious precepts and laws and their origin. Among these jurists we have Ibn Al ‘Arabî Al Ma‘âfirî Al Mâlikî and Abû Bakr Al Jassâs Al Hanafî.

And there were some who wanted their exegesis to include all that was produced by members of the aforementioned groups of scholars, and to offer more details. For this purpose, they relied on the Prophet’s sayings, on his Companions’ opinions and on the deductions made by linguists and Shraî‘a jurists. The most famous exegesis works of this kind are the “Tafsîr” of Mohammed Ibn Jarîr At Tabarî, in the early times, and the recent one authored by Mohammed At-Tâher Ibn ‘Ashûr.

Among the most well-known works of exegesis, we have that of Abd Al-Haq Ibn ‘Atiya, that of Mohammad Ibn Ahmed Al-Qortobî, that of Abû Ali Ibn Al Hasan At-Tabarsî, that of Shihâb Ad-Din Al Alûsî, and other such works.

The Dictionary of Qur’anic Exegesis

It is useful to point out that the Islamic Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) published an index of famous “Tafsîrs” (exegesis), containing about ninety titles. It contains very important data on the methods adopted in these exegesis books, their importance, as well as biographies of their authors, and a preface about the birth of the Science of Exegesis, its development and its success(36).

A Brief Survey About the Understanding of the Qur’an, its Meanings and Precepts:

The Qur’anic discourse (and hence verses) can be divided into four types as concerns its clarity(37):

- Explicit verses : These are characterized by the clarity of their precepts and meaning (i.e. they exhibit ambiguity).

Example : “ […] So whoever of you sights  (the crescent on the first night of) the month  (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his home), he must observe saum (fasts) that month.” (Surah  Al-Baqarah (The Cow); v. 185)

The majority of the Qur’anic verses belong to this type.

- Ambiguous verses : The meaning of this type of verses is known only to Allah: e.g. letters used in the opening of a number of Surahs.

Examples :

“Alif Lâ’m Mî’m”:  (Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow); v.1)

“Alif Lâ’m Mî’m”: (Surah l  ‘Imrân” (The Family of Imran); v.1)

“Alif Lâm Mîm”: (Surah Al-‘Ankabout (The spider); v.1)

“Hâ Mim”, The first verse of Ad-Dukhân, Az-Zukhruf, Ash Shûrâ.

 Many other Surahs have similar openings.

- Explicit verses : These have two meanings, but one of them is the most preponderant according to the context.

Example :  Wa  Aqîmû  AS-Salâta  “Establish prayer!”

Prayer also means invocation, but here, the context shows that what is meant is the ritual practiced by Moslems five times a day.

This type of verses also has to do with generality and prevalence.

- Synoptic verses : These are in need of an explanation because the terms they contain are polysemic.

Example :  Wa Al-MuTallaqâtu yatarabbaSna bi Anfusihinna thalâthata qurû’  “ And divorced women …” (Surah  Al-Baqarah (The Cow); v. 227)

By the term (qar’; pl. qurû’) it may be meant: ‘chastity’(in this case: three chaste months) as well as ‘menstruation’ (in this case: three menstruation periods).

Who is the Qur’anic Message Addressed to?

The Qur’anic message is addressed to Mohammed (PBBUH), being the concluding Prophet and Messenger. Then, through him, it is addressed to believers, then to the people of the book (Jews and Christians), and finally to the whole of mankind.

Allah said, addressing Prophet Mohammed:

“O messenger (Muhammad (PBBUH))! Proclaim (the message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message.” (Surah Al-Mâida (The Table spread with Food); v. 67).

The transmission of this MESSAGE to people is an obligation on the Messenger, so that he will have the quality of “glad tidings bearer and shining lamp.”

“[...] bearer of glad tidings, and a warner,  and as one who invites to Allah by His Leave, and as a lamp spreading light.” (Surah Al-Ahzâb (The Confederates); v, 6).

According to the message conveyed by this discourse, the Prophet has to incite people to obey Allah through believing in his oneness and through believing his Messengers. It is a responsibility about which Allah says the following: “Verily, We shall send down to you a weighty Word.”(Surah Al-Muzzamil (The One wrapped in Garments); v. 5).

In this discourse, Allah ordered His Messenger to show people what true religion is, and how Allah made lawful for them all good things and prohibited for them the foul. He also relieved them of their burden and the fetters that they used to bear during the pre-Islamic period, after they strayed from Abraham’s faith. He then presented to them the concluding religion which contains no constraints and involves no hardships. In this regard, the Most High says:

[…] and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship. It is the religion of your father Ibrâhîm (Abraham) (Islamic monotheism). It is He (Allah) Who has named you Muslims both before… (Surah  Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage); v. 78).

And: “There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the right path has become distinct from the wrong path.” (Surah  Al-Baqarah (The Cow); v. 256)

As for the MESSAGE addressed to Moslems (believers), it incites them to obey (hence execute) all the Prophet’s orders and to abstain from (hence avoid) everything that he prohibits. In this respect, Allah, The Most High, says: 

“And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad) gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it).” (Surah Al Hashr (The Gathering); v. 7).

Allah has also commanded caring about the unity of the “Umma” (the Moslem community), and about preserving its entity, its pride and the fraternity among Moslems. Consider the following verses:

“Truly! This, your Ummah is one religion (Sharî’ah or religion (Islâmic monotheism)), and I am your Lord, Therefore worship Me (alone)". (Surah Al-Aanbiyyâ’ (The Prophets); v. 92).

“The believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islâmic religion). So make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy”. (Surah Al-Hujurât (The Dwellings); v. 10).

“And hold fast, all of you together, to the rope of Allah (i.e. this Qurân) and be not divided among yourselves” (Surah Al ‘Imrân (The Family of ‘Imrân); v. 103).

“And be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs had come to them. It they for whom there is an awful torment.” (Surah Al‘Imrân (The Family of Imran); v. 105).

“And do not dispute (with one another) lest you lose courage and your strength departs, and be patient. Surely, Allah is with those who are As-Sâbirûn (the patient).” (Surah Al Anfâl (The Spoils of War); v. 46).

Allah made it compulsory for believers to enjoin right conduct and to forbid indecency. This is clear in the following verse:

“You [true believers in Islâmic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad and his Sunnah] are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Ma‘rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm has ordained] and forbid Al-Munkar [polytheism, disbelief and all that Islâm has forbidden], and you believe in Allah”  (Surah Al  ‘Imrân (The Family of Imran); v. 110).

He also showed them that they should be a middle nation (i.e. a moderate one), carrying the concluding message that brought goodness to all mankind. In this regard, Allah said:

“Thus We have made you [true Muslims – real believers of Islamic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad and his Sunnah (legal ways)], just (and the best) nation, that you be witnesses over mankind and the messenger (Muhammad) be a witness over you.” (Surah  Al-Baqarah (The Cow); v. 143).

We also find in the Qur’an another MESSAGE (or message). It is addressed to the people of the book: Jews and Christians. In the Islamic Umma, these have a special status that distinguishes them from all other non-Moslems. The Qur’an invited them to revise their attitude as regards the oneness of Allah, and hence to rectify their religion. It drew their attention to the fact that a believer is somebody who believes in all Prophets, without any distinction, and that they had to correct all that had been changed or distorted in their faith. Consider the following verse:

Say (O Muhammad): “O people of the scripture (Jews and Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, (Alone), and that we associate no partners with him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah. (Surah Al  ‘Imrân (The Family of Imran); v. 64)

If the Prophets’ religions are different as regards practical precepts, they are one, (hence the same), as far as faith is concerned. Allah forbade making any distinction in this respect:

He (Allah) has ordained for you the same religion (Islamic Monotheism) which He ordained for Nûh (Noah), and that which We have revealed to you (O Muhammad), and that which We ordained for Ibrâhîm (Abraham), Mûsâ (Moses) and ‘Isâ (Jesus) saying you should establish religion (i.e. to do what it orders you to do practically), and make no division in it (religion) (i.e. various sects in religion). (Surah  Ash Shûra (The Consultation); v. 13)

In addition to this, people have to adopt the latest religion to be sent down from heaven. The story of Moses, the interlocutor of Allah, was so frequently mentioned in the Qur’an, that the latter (the Qur’an) was said to be Mosaic. Allah said in His Holy Qur’an:

“And mention in the book (this Qur’ân Mûsâ (Moses). Verily he was chosen and he was a messenger (and) a Prophet.