Usool at-Tafseer (The Fundamental Principles of Qur'aanic Interpretation)

Usool at-Tafseer (The Fundamental Principles of Qur'aanic Interpretation)

Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips.

MAKKAN AND MADEENAN
REVELATIONS

The Qur’aan was revealed in sections to Prophet Muhammad (r) from the
beginning of his prophethood until shortly before his death. Thus, the
Qur’aan came down continuously over a period of twenty-three years.
The various sections of the Qur’aan were generally revealed to solve the
problems which existed among the Muslim communities in both Makkah and
Madeenah. Since the prob-lems and needs of Makkah were different from those
of Madeenah, the revelations of Makkah and Madeenah have special
characteristics of their own.
It is very important that the differences between the revelations of Makkah
and Madeenah be clearly understood if the Qur’aan itself is to be clearly
understood. Because of the great importance of the Qur’aan to Islaam, Islaamic
scholars from the time of the sahaabah have devoted much time and effort in this
area of study.
THE FEATURES OF MAKKAN REVELATIONS
Makkan revelations are defined as all verses and chapters of the Qur’aan
which were brought by Jibreel to the Prophet (r) before the Hijrah (622 CE).
This includes verses which were revealed in Taa’if, as well as those revealed in
other areas outside of Makkah.1 These revelations represent the first stage of the
Islaamic movement, in which its fundamentals were established.
1 Al-Itqaan, vol. 1, p. 23.
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1. Tawheed (The Oneness of Allaah):
When Islaam was first presented to the people of Makkah, they were in a
state of disbelief. Most of them believed in Allaah, but they had put many
intermediaries between themselves and Allaah. They made idols to represent
these intermediaries and worshipped them instead of Allaah. Thus, the early
revelations taught the people about Allaah’s unity and power over all things.
They told the people that Allaah was without parents, offspring or any partner
who shared His powers. They also pointed out that idols could neither bring good
nor hold back evil. They questioned the logic of worshipping things which could
not even see or hear.
2. Salaah (Formal Prayer):
After the first verses of revelation came informing the Prophet (r) that he
had been chosen for prophethood, Allaah sent Jibreel to teach him the correct
method of prayer. This was necessary because the correct method of prayer could
not be arrived at by logical reasoning. Therefore, even the Prophet (r) himself
had to be taught the correct method of worshipping Allaah. Due to the great
importance of salaah in nurturing a person’s consciousness of his Lord, the early
verses called upon the Prophet (r) and his early band of followers to make their
salaah regularly.2
Since the Makkans were in the habit of worshipping idols in the belief that
these home made gods would carry their prayers to Allaah for them, the early
verses were also aimed at clarifying this misconception. The verses taught that
both salaah and du‘aa (supplication) should only be made for and to Allaah, as
He is the only one who can answer them.
Great stress was placed on salaah because of its relationship to tawheed. Pure
salaah to Allaah represents tawheed in practice.
3. The Unseen:
Since there was no way that human beings could possibly come to know
about the unseen world, the early verses taught them about its wonders, its
mysteries, and its horrors. The verses described paradise and its pleasures in
order to encourage the believers to continue to do good deeds. They also
2 Cf. 23:1-11; 70:34-5; 73:2; 73:20; 74:38-43.
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described the Hellfire and its torments in order to encourage the believers to strive
to avoid evil deeds. Descriptions of the Fire and its inhabitants also reassured the
believers that those who do wrong in this life will not escape Allaah’s
punishment. Such descriptions were also aimed at scaring the disbelievers into
reconsidering their position before it became too late. Some of the verses also
reasoned with those who could not accept the resurrection by giving them
examples from nature, such as rain falling on dead earth bringing it back to life.
Others pointed out logically that the recreation of life would be easier than its
creation, although it is all the same to Allaah.
4. Allaah’s Existence:
There were some individuals among the Makkans who were in doubt about
Allaah’s very existence. Thus, some of the early verses presented logical
arguments proving Allaah’s existence. Sometimes proofs were taken from nature
and the creatures common to that society. Allaah asked the Makkans,
Ïä!$uK¡¡9$# ’n<Î)ur ÇÊÐÈ ôMs)Î=äz y#ø‹Ÿ2 È@Î/M}$# ’n<Î) tbrãÝàYtƒ Ÿxsùr& )
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( ÇËÉÈ ôMysÏÜß™ y#ø‹x.
“Why don’t they look at the camels and how they were created, and
the sky and how it was raised, and the mountains and how they are
firmly fixed and the earth and how it was spread out?”3
At other times straight logic was used. Allaah asked them if they were created
from nothing or if they created themselves:
3 Soorah al-Ghaashiyah (88):17-20.
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( ÇÌÎÈ šcqà)Î=»y‚ø9$# ãNèd ÷Pr& >äóÓx« ÎŽöxî ô‘ÏB (#qà)Î=äz ÷Pr& )
“Were they created from nothing, or were they themselves the
creators?”4
This verse is amazing in the conciseness of its challenge. There are only three
possible answers to the question of the source of creation. The verse mentions
only two and leaves the third unstated due to its obviousness. It doesn’t bother to
disprove these two possibilities because they are so obviously false. Something
which doesn’t exist doesn’t have the power to bring anything into existence.
Likewise, everyone knows there was a time when he or she didn’t exist, so we
can’t have created ourselves. Even if some were to argue that they came from
their parents and that their parents came from their parents and so on, the chain of
causes must eventually decrease to one whose existence doesn’t depend on
anything. Thus, Allaah, the Creator, has to be accepted for our existence to make
sense. In fact, one of the people of Makkah, Jubayr ibn Mut‘im reported that he
heard the Prophet (r) reciting this passage in his salaah, and it made him feel that
his heart was going to fly, which caused him to eventually accept Islaam.5
5. Challenges:
In order to prove to the Quraysh that the Qur’aan was from Allaah and that
Muhammad (r) was a prophet of Allaah, some of the Makkan verses challenged
the Arabs to imitate the Qur’aan. Many of the chapters began with individual
letters like “Alif, Laam and Meem,” “Saad,” or “Noon” in order to tease the
Makkans with the same letters of the alphabet with which they made their flowery
speeches and poetry. Allaah revealed the Qur’aan with the same letters, but they
just could not imitate it. Since the Arabs were unable to produce a chapter like
even the smallest chapter of Qur’aan, the miraculous nature of the Qur’aan and its
divine origin were clearly proven to the people at that time. However, many of
them preferred to look at the Qur’aan as a magical spell, and the Prophet (r) as a
master magician.
4 Soorah at-Toor (52):35.
5 Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 6, pp. 357-8, no. 377. See also Ibn Hajar’s comments in Fat-h al-Baaree,
vol. 8, p. 469.
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6. The People of Old:
The Makkan verses often mentioned historical examples of earlier
civilizations, like the ‘Aad and the Thamood. They were mentioned in order to
warn those who had rejected the message of Islaam. The verses spoke about the
wonders of the ancient civilizations. They recounted the many blessing which
Allaah had bestowed on the peoples of those civilizations. Then they told how the
people disobeyed Allaah and denied His blessings, and how Allaah’s punishment
caught them while they were totally unconcerned of what could become of them
if they displeased Allaah. These examples were quite familiar to the Arabs
because the ruins of such civilizations could still be seen. For example, the stone
tombs of Madaa’in Saalih, associated with the Thamood, the people of Prophet
Saalih, were directly on the trade route to Syria.
7. Eemaan:
Very few laws were revealed in the Makkan verses. Instead, the verses
concentrated on principles which would build the eemaan (faith) of the early
Muslims. These verses spoke of the importance of fearing Allaah and being
aware of His presence and knowledge of all things. They were often filled with
advice about being patient, perseverant, truthful and trustworthy, in order to build
the moral and spiritual character of the early Muslims, who were in a minority
and under great pressure from Makkan society.
8. Short Verses:
The Makkan soorahs usually had short verses, catchy rhymes, and a very
strong rhythm. These qualities were meant to catch the attention of listeners who
were basically opposed to the message of Islaam. The verses had to be short
because the audience would not be willing to listen to long, drawn-out statements.
As soon as they heard any of the Qur’aan, they would stick their fingers in their
ears and turn away. Thus, the verses often had to strike home immediately. They
often resembled the chants of the oracles and fortunetellers, but their meanings
were very clear, whereas the oracles’ chants were mostly obscure and vague. For
example, the oracle Zabraa warned her people about a disaster that would soon
strike them in the following words:
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By the fluttering wind,
And the falling night;
By the shining morn,
And the piercing star;
By the rain-laden clouds,
Verily, the trees of the valley are really deceptive,
And teeth gnash until twisted.
Verily, the boulders of the mountain warn of mourning,
That you won’t find any escape from.
The fortuneteller Zabraa.
THE FEATURES OF MADEENAN REVELATIONS
Madeenan revelations are all those verses and chapter of the Qur’aan which
were revealed after the Hijrah (the emigration to Madeenah). This includes verses
which were revealed during the battles, as well as those revealed in Makkah and
Minaa during and after the Farewell Pilgrimage. All of these verses are
considered Madeenan because they represent the revelations of the second stage
of the Islaamic movement, in which the consolidation of the Islaamic state took
place.6
The following are some of the main characteristics of Madeenan verses:
1. Laws:
Once Madeenah had become the new center of the Islaamic movement, the
Islaamic state was born. The Prophet (r) became ruler over the Muslims of
Madeenah, as well as the Jews and the Arab idol worshippers who lived there. A
constitution was drawn up and a system of justice was established. Thus, the
verses during the Madeenan stage contained the many social, economic and
spiritual laws which were necessary for the organization and development of an
6 Al-Itqaan, vol. 1, p. 23.
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Islaamic state. It was during this period that the last three pillars of Islaam,
zakaah, sawm and hajj, were revealed.7 Likewise, it was during this period that
drinking alcohol, eating swine and gambling were all forbidden.
2. People of the Book:
In Madeenah, Muslims came in contact with the Jews for the first time. In
order to try to shake the beliefs of the Muslims, the Jews used to ask the Prophet
(r) various questions about Allaah, the earlier prophets, and the unseen. Thus, a
number of Madeenan verses represented answers to the many questions raised by
the Jews. The Muslims of Madeenah also came in contact with the Christians on a
larger scale. As a result of that, we find a number of Madeenan verses clarifying
Christian misconceptions about Prophet Jesus and Allaah. They pointed out that
Jesus’ birth was not greater than that of Aadam, who had neither father nor
mother. They also stressed that the miracles of Jesus, such as bringing the dead
back to life, were only by Allaah’s permission. Thus, Jesus was not a god nor the
son of Allaah, and Allaah was not the third of three.
3. The Munaafiqoon:
For the first time since the beginning of the final message we find people
entering Islaam yet not believing in it. In Makkah, Muslims were oppressed and
attacked, so no one would enter Islaam unless he truly believed. On the other
hand, the Muslims of Madeenah were strong and they ruled the city. Thus, we
find some people entering Islaam in order to benefit from its strength and to
oppose it from within. ‘Abdullaah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool was about to be crowned
king of Madeenah when the Prophet (r) arrived. The Prophet (r) was made the
ruler of Madeenah, and ibn Salool’s hopes were ruined.8 Since the Muslims were
strong and he could not openly oppose them, he accepted Islaam and worked
against it from within. He eventually became the head of the Munaafiqoon
(hypocrites). Thus, the verses of the Madeenan stage warned the Muslims about
the dangers of the hypocrites and taught them how to deal effectively with them.
7 Zakaah had been prescribed in Makkah, but it was informal at that time; the detailed rules were
not laid down until after the Hijrah.
8 See Sahih Muslim, vol. 3, p. 989, no. 4431.
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4. Jihaad:
The right to fight against the enemy was given for the first time in Madeenah.
During the Makkan period, Muslims were forbidden to fight back. This was for
two basic reasons: (1) The Muslims were a minority and could easily have been
completely wiped out. (2) This was a stage where the believers’ characters were
being forged. One of the foremost qualities required of those who would carry the
message was steadfast patience. Only those of strong faith could survive this test.
The Makkan period prepared the foundation of the Islaamic movement to come. It
was during the Madeenan stage that a series of battles were fought against the
forces of disbelief, until finally Makkah was conquered and the whole of the
Arabian peninsula came under the rule of Islaam. Thus, a number of the
Madeenan verses taught Muslims the Islaamic principles of war. For example,
they taught how to deal with prisoners of war and they forbade retreat during an
attack except as a trick to trap the enemy. They also encouraged the Muslims to
prepare themselves with the best weapons and battle gear they could find.
5. Long Verses:
The Madeenan verses tended to be longer than those of Makkah. In fact, there
are a number of Madeenan verses which are longer than whole soorahs of the
Makkan period. The longest verse of the Qur’aan is the verse on loans in the
Madeenan Soorah al-Baqarah.9 The shortest soorah of the Qur’aan is the Makkan
Soorah al-Kawthar,10 which contains a total of only 11 separate words in its three
short verses. The need to catch the attention of unwilling listeners was no longer
there, because Islaam had become strong and its followers were many. Thus, the
audience at this stage was quite willing to listen attentively to longer verses
teaching the vital laws of Islam.
6. Order of the Soorahs:
Although all of the Makkan verses were revealed during the same period,
they were neither memorized nor written in the same order in which they were
revealed. Verses from various soorahs were revealed together, and sometimes
whole soorahs were revealed at once. Whenever single verses were revealed, the
Prophet (r) would tell his scribes to write it in the soorah to which it belonged. If
9 Soorah al-Baqarah (2):282.
10 The 108th soorah.
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a new soorah was revealed, he would recite the soorah in the order it was to be
recorded. Once the Madeenan verses and soorahs began to be revealed, the
Prophet (r) would tell his companions to place them before or after certain
Makkan soorahs and verses. Thus, when the revelation of the Qur’aan was
complete, Makkan verses could be found within Madeenan soorahs and
Madeenan verses within Makkan soorahs. The Prophet (r) ordered the verses and
soorahs of the Qur’aan according to Allaah’s command. The reason for the
mingling may have been that the verses were revealed according to the needs of a
developing community, whereas the order for reading purposes was varied to
make it clear that the Qur’aan is not a mere historical document. By divorcing the
verses from the chronological order of their revelation, the general and universal
aspects of their message are emphasized.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DISTINCTION
There are a number of reasons why a distinction needs to be made between
Makkan and Madeenan soorahs and verses. The following are three of the most
important reasons:
1. Fiqh (Islamic Law):
The various laws of Islaam were revealed over a period of twenty-three years.
Some laws canceled earlier laws and other laws were revealed bit by bit. Thus, it
is necessary to know at which point in time the various laws were revealed in
order to apply them properly. The laws of the later Madeenan period sometimes
took the place of earlier laws. For example, alcohol was made forbidden in
gradual stages. The first law concerning alcohol was simply a warning of its
dangers. Allaah said,
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“And they ask you about khamr (alcohol) and maysir (gambling); tell
them that they contain some benefit, but the sin is greater than the
benefit.”11
The second law that was revealed warned Muslims away from salaah when they
were intoxicated (drunk). Allaah said,
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“Do not come to salaah when you are intoxicated, until you know what
you are saying.”12
The third law, however, was a complete prohibition of even coming near any
form of alcohol. Allaah said,
È@yJtã ô‘iÏB Ó§ô_Í‘ ãN»s9ø—F{$#ur Ü>$|ÁRF{$#ur çŽÅ£øŠyJø9$#ur ãôJsƒø:$# $yJ¯RÎ) )
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“Verily, khamr, maysir and azlaam (fortunetelling) are filth, as a
result of Shaytaan’s work, so stay away from them.”13
If one was unaware of the order in which these verses were revealed, he may
mistakenly think that he is allowed to drink alcohol as long as he doesn’t get
drunk and come to salaah. Or, he may think that it is allowed for him to benefit
from the sale of alcohol.
11 Soorah al-Baqarah (2):219.
12 Soorah an-Nisaa’ (4):43
13 Soorah al-Maa’idah (5):90.
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2. Da‘wah:
By understanding the order in which the verses of the Qur’aan were revealed,
one can learn the best method of teaching Islaam. For example, the Qur’aan
taught the believers not to curse or make fun of the idols of the disbelievers in
order not to drive them away and in order that they not curse Allaah out of
ignorance. Instead they were told to reason with the disbelievers and show them
logically why the worship of idols was incorrect. Allaah quoted Prophet
Ibraaheem as saying to his people,
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“Are you worshipping besides Allaah other gods which cannot benefit
you at all nor harm you?”14
The verse quoting Ibraaheem’s declaration of enmity to his people and what they
worshipped instead of Allaah:
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“There is an excellent example for you in Abraham and those with
him, when they said to their people, ‘We are clear of you and of
whatever you worship besides Allah; we have rejected you, and there
has arisen, between us and you, enmity and hatred forever, unless ye
believe in Allah alone,’ ”15
14 Soorah al-Ambiyaa’ (21):66.
15 Soorah al-Mumtahinah (60:4).
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was revealed in Madeenah, after the Muslims had practiced years of patient
argument with their relatives in Makkah. The disbelievers of Makkah had met
reasoned argument with persecution and violence. They had driven the Muslims
from their homes, and a state of armed conflict existed between the two sides. It is
not, therefore, Sunnah for a person to accept Islaam, read this verse and try to
apply it on his family and acquaintances.
3. Seerah:
Most of the most important events in the Prophet’s life have been recorded in
various verses of the Qur’aan. Thus, by knowing the order in which the verses
were revealed, it is possible to piece together a large portion of the biography of
the Prophet (r).
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