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

THE REVELATIONS OF THE QUR’AAN.

According to Allaah’s statements in His Book, there were two distinct
revelations of the Qur’aan which took place. It is important that these two revelations be understood in order to clear up the apparent contradictions in the various terms used in the Qur’aan and Sunnah to describe the Qur’aan’s revelation. On one hand, the Qur’aan is referred to as having been revealed in its
totality in Ramadaan or on Laylatul-Qadr, the Night of Decree; while on the other hand, it is referred to as having been continuously revealed in segments up until
just before the death of the Prophet (r). The First Revelation Allaah caused the Qur’aan to descend from the Protected Tablet (al-Lawh al- Mahfooth) on which it was written to the lowest heaven. In this revelation all of the Qur’aan was sent down at one time to a station in the lowest heaven referred
to as “Bayt al-‘Izzah” (The House of Honor or Power). The blessed night on
which this descent took place is called “Laylatul-Qadr” (The Night of Decree),
one of the odd-numbered nights in the last ten days of the month of Ramadaan.
Allaah referred to this initial revelation as follows:

“Haa Meem. By the Clear Book, verily, I revealed it in a blessed
night.”36

“Verily, I revealed it on the Night of Decree.”37

“The month of Ramadaan in which I revealed the Qur’aan as
guidance to mankind ...”38
These verses have to refer to the initial revelation because it is a known fact that
the whole Qur’aan was not revealed to Prophet Muhammad (r) on a single night
in Ramadaan. Ibn ‘Abbaas stated that the Qur’aan was first separated from its station in the
upper heavens and placed in Bayt al-‘Izzah in the lowest heaven.39 One version
states that this took place on the Night of Decree in Ramadaan.40 Had it been
Allaah’s wish, the Qur’aan could then have been revealed as a whole to the
36 Soorah ad-Dukhaan (44):1-3.
37 Soorah al-Qadr (97):1.
38 Soorah al-Baqarah (2):185.
39 Collected by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak, vol. 2, pp. 665-6, no. 4216. Although the statement
was not raised by Ibn ‘Abbaas to the Prophet (r), it relates to the unseen world and could not
have been made on the basis of reasoning. One of the narrators in the isnaad, al-A‘mash is
reliable, but he is a mudallis, which means his reports cannot be accepted, unless he explicitly
states that he heard the hadeeth from the person he attributed it to. He didn’t do that here, so the
isnaad is weak.
40 Collected by an-Nasaa’ee in as-Sunan al-Kubraa, vol. 5, p. 7, no. 7991, and by at-Tabaraanee in
al-Mu‘jam al-Kabeer. At-Tabaraanee’s isnaad includes a weak narrator. Nasaa’ee’s narrators are
all reliable, but one of them is al-A‘mash. In this version also, he didn’t explicitly state that he
heard the hadeeth from the person he attributed it to, so both isnaads are weak. However, an-
Nasaa’ee collected two supporting narrations with authentic isnaads in the same chapter. They
both mention the transferal of the Qur’aan to the lowest heaven during Laylatul-Qadr, but they
don’t mention Bayt al-‘Izzah.

Prophet (r) in a single revelation. This was the method by which all of the earlier
books of revelation were sent down.41 But, Allaah chose to divide the revelation
into two parts. The first revelation within the heavens represented an
announcement to the inhabitants of the heavens that the final book of revelation
was being sent down upon the last of the prophets.
The Second Revelation
From the lowest heaven sections of the Qur’aan were then taken down by the
angel Jibreel to Prophet Muhammad (r). This process of revelation continued
over the twenty-three years of his prophethood. This revelation began with the
first five verses of Soorah al-‘Alaq. These verses were revealed to the Prophet (r)
while he was on a spiritual retreat in the cave of Hiraa’ near Makkah.42 However,
the first complete soorah to be revealed was Soorah al-Faatihah.43 The revelation
of this portion of Qur’aan marked the beginning of the final phase of
41 As-Suyootee says, “That the previous books were revealed all at once is well known from the
statements of the scholars, such that it may practically be called ijmaa‘. However, I have seen
some prominent contemporary scholars questioning this position, saying that there is no evidence
for it and that, in fact, they were revealed over a period of time like the Qur’aan. I say the correct
position is the first one. Among the evidences for that is the verse [32] from Soorah al-Furqaan
[“And those who disbelieve say, ‘Why is the Qur’aan not revealed to him all at once?’ (It is
revealed) thus so I may strengthen your heart by it, and I have arranged it in right order.”]
“Ibn Abee Haatim reports from Sa‘eed ibn Jubayr who quotes Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Jews
said, ‘O Muhammad, why wasn’t the Qur’aan revealed all at once, as the Torah was revealed to
Moosaa? Then the verse (from Soorah al-Furqaan) was revealed.” He reported by another isnaad
a similar report, except that the questioners were idolaters. He gathered similar reports on the
authority of Qataadah and as-Suddee.
“If you were to say that the Qur’aan is not explicit on this, and that even if these reports are
authentic, these statements were made by disbelievers, I would reply as follows:
“The fact that Allaah mentioned their objection without challenging the historical truth of their
claim, but instead explained the wisdom behind (gradual revelation), is an indicator that their
statement was factually correct. If the previous books had been revealed gradually, it would have
been sufficient to refute them by saying that it was Allaah’s standard practice for the books He
revealed to the previous prophets. That was how He responded to their objection, ‘What is it with
this messenger that he eats food and walks in the markets?’ (25:7) [‘We never sent
messengers before you who did not eat food and walk in the markets.’] (25:20).” Al-Itqaan
fee ‘Uloom al-Qur’aan, vol. 1, p. 122.
42 Reported by ‘Aa’ishah and collected by al-Bukhaaree (Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 1, pp. 2-4, no. 3)
and Muslim (Sahih Muslim, vol. 1, pp. 96-8, no. 301).
43 Collected by al-Bayhaqee in Dalaa’il an-Nuboowah and al-Waahidee in Asbaab an-Nuzool. As-
Suyootee said its narrators were reliable but the isnaad is mursal. See al-Itqaan, vol. 1, pp.70-71.

prophethood. The last soorah to be revealed was Soorah an-Nasr.44 This soorah
was brought down in Minaa during the Farewell Hajj of the Prophet (r), which
took place at the end of the tenth year after the Hijrah. According to Ibn ‘Abbaas,
the last verse to be revealed was verse 281 in Soorah al-Baqarah, the last of a
series of verses dealing with interest.45 Allaah has referred to the second
revelation in the following way:

“And (it is) a Qur’aan which I have divided into parts in order that
you (Muhammad) may recite it to the people gradually, and I have
revealed it by successive revelation.”46

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SEGMENTED REVELATION
There are a number of reasons why the second revelation took place in
segments rather than all at once, as happened with the former books of revelation.
The following are only a summary of the most obvious reasons:
1. Steadying the Prophet’s Heart
The Prophet (r) was faced with many trials at the hands of his enemies
among the idolaters and the Jews. They called him a liar and a fake and tried
every possible way to break his spirit. Whenever the pressure of his opponents
reached its peak and became virtually unbearable, Allaah would reveal certain
verses to comfort the Prophet (r). For example:
44 That was Ibn ‘Abbaas’s opinion, as collected by Imaam Muslim (Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, p. 1554,
nos. 7174-5). Other sahaabah had differing opinions. See al-Itqaan, vol. 1, pp. 77-81.
45 Collected by al-Bukhaaree (Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 6, p. 51, no. 67). This verse, “And guard
yourselves against a day when you will be brought back to Allaah; then every soul will be
paid in full what it earned, and they will not be wronged,” did not involve an addition to
Islaamic legislation, therefore there is no contradiction between this report and the statement of
Allaah in Soorah al-Maa’idah (5):3, revealed at the Farewell Hajj, “This day I have completed
your deen for you.”
46 Soorah al-Israa’ (17):106.

“And those who disbelieve say, ‘Why is the Qur’aan not revealed to
him all at once?’ But it is like that in order that we may steady your
heart with it; and We have arranged its component parts in an
orderly, consistent manner.”47
Allaah would also give him confidence by reminding him of the trials of the
former prophets and how they were eventually given success. For example,

“Verily, the prophets before you were called liars, but they were
patient in spite of being accused of lies and in spite of the harm which
befell them until My aid came to them.”48
At other times Allaah would actually promise him help and victory:

“And Allaah will help you with a great victory.”49
Or Allaah would inform him of the failure of his enemies:
47 Soorah al-Furqaan (25):32.
48 Soorah al-An‘aam (6):34.
49 Soorah al-Fat-h (48):3.

“Tell those who disbelieve, ‘You will be defeated and gathered in Hell,
a terrible place of rest.’ ”50
Thus, certain segments of the Qur’aan were revealed at various point in his
mission specifically to comfort the Prophet (r) and give him steadfastness and
confidence in order to fulfill his obligation of propagating Islaam.
2. Gentleness With the Prophet (r)
The descent of revelation was a great burden which usually left the Prophet
(r) drained and weak. ‘Aa’ishah reported that once, on an extremely cold day,
she saw him when revelation came and left him. And, in spite of the cold
weather, his forehead was dripping with sweat.51 Even Allaah Himself referred to
the Qur’aan as being weighty and burdensome:

“Verily, I will cast on you a heavy set of words.”52
And, in order to emphasize the greatness, power and weight of the word of God,
Allaah set forth the following metaphor:
50 Soorah Aal ‘Imraan (3):12.
51 Collected by al-Bukhaaree (Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol.1, p. 2, no. 2).
52 Soorah al-Muzzammil (73):5.

“If I were to have revealed this Qur’aan to a mountain, you would
have seen it humbly crumble into pieces out of fear of Allaah.”53
Thus, the revelation of the final word of Allaah in one stroke would have been too
much for the Prophet (r) to bear. Such a revelation would have placed him under
the most extreme pressure. It was, therefore, broken down into bearable segments
and revealed gradually. In this way the Prophet (r) would only be burdened for
short periods of time and his mission would not be hampered by long periods of
recovery. Thus, the segmented method of revelation represents the gentle manner
in which Allaah dealt with His last messenger due to the might and glory of the
final message.
3. Gradation in Legislation
The method by which the Qur’aan was used to present the principles of Islaam
was a gradual method. All of the principles were not enjoined in the beginning or
all at once during any stage. The early soorahs of the Qur’aan were aimed at
treating the main problem which confronted the worship of Allaah and His unity:
shirk.54 Belief in Allaah’s supremacy and unity had to be built and the false gods
of creation had to be removed. Thus, the early soorahs concentrated on tawheed55
and the other major pillar of eemaan,56 belief in the Resurrection and Judgment. It
was not until after twelve years of building eemaan that salaah was made
compulsory, during the Prophet’s Ascent (mi‘raaj) to the heavens.57 One year
before the Hijrah, the Qur’aanic verses began to stress salaah as a requirement for
53 Soorah al-Hashr (59):21.
54 The worship of other than Allaah.
55 Belief in Allaah’s unity and that He is the only true deity deserving of worship.
56 Faith.
57 See Sahih Muslim, vol. 1, pp. 100-3, no. 309. Ibn Hishaam mentions reports of the Prophet (r)
and his companions praying from the early days of the Makkan period although it was not yet
obligatory, and ash-Shaafi‘ee stated that in the early days prayer at night was obligatory, as is
indicated by the beginning of Soorah Muzammil, but that the final verse of the same soorah
abrogated the obligation. See Fat-h al-Baaree, vol. 1, p. 554 and ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum, p. 78.

the believers. It was not until two years after the Hijrah that the Qur’aanic verses
turned to sawm and zakaah and enjoined them on Muslims.58 Finally, in the sixth
year after the Hijrah, the verses of the Qur’aan revealed hajj as an obligation for
whoever is able to perform it.59
‘Aa’ishah mentioned that the first thing to be revealed of the Qur’aan dealt
with Heaven and Hell and that it was only after some time that issues of legal and
illegal acts were dealt with. She said, “If the first thing to be revealed had been,
‘Don’t drink liquor,’ or ‘Don’t commit adultery and fornication,’ they would have
said, ‘We will never give [it] up.’ ”60
If the Qur’aan had been revealed all at once, it would not have been possible
to establish the laws in a gradual fashion. This method was particularly important
for the first generation of Muslims who would later establish Islaam in the earth.
It was necessary for them to have a clear understanding of the principles of Islaam
because the later generations of Muslims would depend on their interpretation and
practice of Islaam.
4. Facilitating the Preservation of the Qur’aan
Since the majority of the Prophet’s followers were unable to read or write, the
main method of preserving the Qur’aan became that of memorization. So, if the
whole Qur’aan had been revealed at once, they would have been unable to
memorize all of it due to its length.
Even the few who were able to write would have been unable to record all of
it, due to the scarcity of writing materials at the time. Thus, the revelation of the
Qur’aan in sections made it easier for the companions to memorize the whole
Qur’aan and teach it to each other. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab was reported to have
said, “Learn the Qur’aan five verses at a time, for verily, Jibreel used to descend
with the Qur’aan for the Prophet (r) five at a time.”61 This also made it easier for
58 Zakaah was mentioned in Makkan verses (e.g., 30:38-9, 27:1-3, 31:4, 41:6-7), but as the
Muslims were without a state, it was left to individuals to pay it, and there were no restrictions or
qualifications as to the amount of zakaah required on each category of wealth. See Fiqh az-
Zakaah, vol. 1, pp. 52-61. See also Zaad al-Ma‘aad, vol. 2, p. 30.
59 See Nayl al-Awtaar, vol. 4, pp. 337-8.
60 Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 6, pp. 483-4, no. 515.
61 Collected by al-Bayhaqee in Shu‘ab al-Eemaan and quoted by as-Suyootee in al-Itqaan, vol. 1,
pp. 124-5. As-Suyootee notes, however, that it is authentically established that some passages
were revealed ten verses at one time, and on some occasions only a part of a verse would be
revealed.

the scribes of the Prophet (r) to record all of the Qur’aan during his lifetime.
This early preservation of Qur’aan was critical to maintaining the purity of the
teachings of Islaam, as it was the alterations in earlier books of revelation which
led their followers astray. The gradual revelation of the Qur’aan also gave them a
greater opportunity to contemplate the meanings of the verses. This, in turn,
caused them to question the Prophet (r) in order to clarify certain points or verify
certain interpretations. Thus, this generation was able to gain a truly deep
understanding of the Qur’aan. This was of great importance, because their
practical implementation of the principles of the Qur’aan became a guide to later
generations of Muslims and continues to be one to this day. Such an
understanding would not have been possible had the Qur’aan been revealed all at
once.
5. Dealing With Problems as They Arose
Often the verses of the Qur’aan would be revealed to deal specifically with
problems which faced the Prophet (r) and his companions. Sometimes people
would ask the Prophet (r) questions about which he had no knowledge, and
Allaah would reveal the answer. For example, it was reported that the story about
Thul-Qarnayn was revealed because the Jews asked the Prophet (r) about him, as
a test of his prophethood. Allaah revealed:

“And they ask you about Thul-Qarnayn. Tell them, ‘I will read to you
a report.’ ”62
At other times, verses would be revealed to correct an error made by the Prophet
(r) himself. An example of this is in Soorah at-Tawbah, in which Allaah told the
Prophet (r),
62 Soorah al-Kahf (18):83. See Tafseer Ibn Katheer , vol. 3, p. 106.

“May Allaah pardon you.63 Why did you grant them permission to
stay at home before it became obvious to you who was speaking the
truth and you came to know who were the liars?”64
Mujaahid said the verse was revealed about some people who advised others,
“Ask the Messenger of Allaah (r) to excuse you (from participating in the
expedition to Tabook). If he gives you permission, stay home, and if he doesn’t
permit you, stay home, (anyway).” Ibn Katheer said “The Most High is saying,
‘You shouldn’t have given permission to any of them to stay behind so you could
have known who was truthful in his display of obedience to you and who was
lying. For they were firm in their intention to stay behind.’ ”65
Verses were also revealed to correct wrong attitudes which were widespread
among the Muslims of that time. An example of such a revelation is the case of
the Battle of Hunayn. Muslims had left to do battle with the disbelievers feeling
that they were sure to be victorious, since their numbers exceeded that of the
enemy many times over. The enemy ambushed them and caused them to turn on
their heels and flee in defeat. However, after that initial lesson, Allaah gave them
success over the enemy in the same battle. Then, He revealed the following
verse:
63 Muhammad Asad writes, “All the commentators agree...that this phrase, although expressed in
the form of an invocation, has the meaning of a statement—‘God pardons thee,’ or ‘has pardoned
thee.’ ” (The Message of the Qur’an, p. 266.)
64 Soorah at-Tawbah (9):43.
65 See Tafseer Ibn Katheer , vol. 2, p. 375.

“And on the day of Hunayn, when your large numbers pleased you,
they did not benefit you at all, and the earth became narrow in spite
of its vastness, then you turned around in retreat.”66
By dealing with the various incidents at the time that they occurred, the Qur’aan
was able to reach those involved more directly. Corrections made immediately
after errors take place tend to have a greater impact than general advice given
long before or after. If the Qur’aan had been revealed all at once, it would not
have been possible to treat these and similar problems within their context.
6. An Indication of the Qur’aan’s Source
The revelation of the Qur’aan in segments over twenty-three years is clear
proof that it is Allaah’s word, alone, and not that of Prophet Muhammad (r) or
any other member of creation. That is proven by the unity and consistency of
expression from beginning to end. Its basic subject matter is intimately
interwoven throughout its one hundred and fourteen chapters, and all of the
chapters seem interconnected like priceless pearls on a single necklace. Its rhyme
and rhythm flow unhindered through every verse in the book in a unified style, in
spite of the variations in subject matter and sentence structure. How could such a
consistency arise when the Qur’aan was not available in its complete form from
the beginning? How could it arise when its verses and chapters often dealt with
incidents occurring at various stages of the movement? How could it be the
product of the mind of a man who could neither read or write, nor had he
displayed any special ability to compose prior to the beginning of his mission?
Even the greatest of writers have variations in their styles, especially over long
periods of time. Therefore, the fact that the Qur’aan was revealed in sections over
a period of twenty-three years clearly proves that its origin was not of this world.
66 Soorah at-Tawbah (9):25.

Its source had to be the Lord of the Worlds, Allaah, Most Great and Glorious.
Allaah Himself pointed to this fact in the Qur’aan, saying,

“Won’t they contemplate the Qur’aan? If it had come from other than
Allaah, they would have found in it many contradictions.”67
Whenever the Prophet (r) had a new revelation, he would tell his companions to
put it after other earlier revelations or before them. The Prophet (r) had no idea
what he was going to face in the future or how long he was going to live. His life
was filled with a multitude of incidents which, without a doubt, altered his mood
and his mode of expression. Yet, the Qur’aan in no way reflected these
differences. The Qur’aan is definitely not the product of Muhammad (r), as some
would like to claim, and that fact is proven by the Qur’aan itself.
EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS OF SEGMENTED REVELATION
The process of education depends on the following two basic principles: (a)
taking into account the mental level of the students, and (b) developing their
mental, spiritual and physical abilities with material which guides their thought
processes in the correct direction. Both of these important principles have been
carefully taken into consideration by the revelation of the Qur’aan in segments.
Gradation of legislation took into account the level of the Muslim community
during its various stages of development. The revelation of corrections and
answers at the time when they were most needed trained, developed and guided
the mental, spiritual and physical faculties in the right direction.
The question which naturally arises here is why the earlier books of
revelation were revealed as a whole. The answer to this question lies in the role of
the earlier books and the history of prophethood. The earlier books were sent for
short periods in human history and were directed to specific nations or tribes.
67 Soorah an-Nisaa’ (4):82.
They contained principles which were not time or situation oriented and could be
revealed all at once, at the beginning of a mission or at any point during it. It
should also be noted that the earlier books were not in themselves miracles,
whereas in the case of the Last Prophet (r), it was the major miracle given to him,
for, as was mentioned earlier, the segmentation of the revelation combined with
the consistency of style was a proof of its divine origin. Also, the earlier prophets
were both preceded and followed by other prophets, so each prophet and his book
represented a segment of the overall revelation. Thus, the gradation in legislation
took place from prophet to prophet. Prophet Muhammad (r) was the last of the
prophets and his book of revelation contained the essential messages of all
previous books. Thus, his followers had to be properly prepared to carry the final
message to the world. As such, the gradation in legislation had to take place
within the message itself.