NAME: BILAL HUSSAIN

STUDENT ID: BL- 1745

SEMESTER: II- (A)
SUBJECT: ISLAMIC STUDIES
TOPIC: HISTORY OF THE HOLY QURA’N
SUBMITTED TO: DR.AHMED KHAN
 INTRODUCTION:
MEANING:
The word Qur'an comes from the Arabic word "Qaraa" which means to read, so the Qur'an is a
noun from the verb qaraa. The Quran is a Holy Book that is revealed to the prophet Mohammed
peace be upon him through which he was asked by Allah (God) to spread His word of peace and
guidance that is known by Islam
NAMES OF QURAN:
Apart from The Quran, QURAN has many names. In a riwayat a sahabi counted more than 93
different names of Quran.
The Quran describes itself as:
I. 'the discernment' (AL-FURQĀN),
II. 'the mother book' (UMM AL-KITĀB),
III. 'the guide' (HUDA),
IV. 'the wisdom' (HIKMAH),
V. 'the remembrance' (DHIKR),
VI. 'the revelation' (TANZĪL); 'something sent down', signifying the descent of an
object from a higher place to lower place). 
VII. Another term is AL-KITĀB ('The Book'), though it is also used in the Arabic
language for other scriptures, such as the Torah and the Gospels.
VIII. The term mus'haf ('written work') is often used to refer to particular Quranic
manuscripts but is also used in the Quran to identify earlier revealed books.

We Muslims believe the Quran to be God’s final revelation. We believe it is the literal word of
God, revealed over many years, to His final prophet, Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings
of God be upon him. The Quran is full of wisdom. It is full of the wonder and glory of God, and
a testament to His mercy and justice. It is not a history book, a storybook, or a scientific
textbook, although it contains all of those genres. The Quran is God's greatest gift to humanity –
it is a book like no other. In the second verse of the second chapter of the Quran, God describes
the Quran by calling it a book whereof there is no doubt, guidance to those who are pious,
righteous, and fear God.
The Quran is core to Islam. Believing in it is a requirement. One who does not believe in the
Quran, in its entirety, cannot claim to be a Muslim.
"The Messenger (Muhammad) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord
and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in God, His Angels, His Books, and His
Messengers. (They say,) ‘We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers’
— and they say, ‘We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to you
is the return (of all)’." (Quran 2:285)
QURAN AS COMPARED TO DIFFERENT HOLY BOOKS:
In different times on different prophets Almighty Allah has revealed different holy books,
mentioned below:
1. The Taurah to Moses
2. Psalms of David to David
3. The Bible to Jesus
4. The Quran to Muhammad (S.A.W.)

SUPERIORITY AMONG OTHER BOOKS:

Among these The Quran is superior to the other holy books that had been revealed previously.
This is because it is the greatest divine word that Allah, the Creator of all the worlds, sent down
to us. It is only some of the superior aspects of the Quran that even a letter of the Quran has not
changed until today and is kept under the divine preservation until the Last Day and that the
provisions of the Quran are universal and that it is the last sacred book. Not only that but THE
HOLY QURAN is superior onto other books for some great reasons, like:
1. Last holy book
2. Universal divine book
3. Preserved by Almighty Allah himself

1. LAST HOLY BOOK:

The quran is the last holy book of Allah, revealed upon the last prophet, Muhammad
( p.b.u.h.). being the last holy book it contains complete code of life and contains the final
commands of allah. Not only that but it is also the book that warns the wrongdoers and is the
bearer of goodnews for the pious ones.
“And We have not sent down the Book (the Quran) to you (O Muhammad, except that
you may explain clearly unto them those things in which they differ, and (as) a guidance
and a mercy for a folk who believe.” (Quran 16:64)
The fact that the Quran is the last of the sacred books is one of the aspects of its superiority
over the other divine books. This is because the chain of divine invitation and message
beginning with the first man and the first prophet Adam (asm), has reached the highest level
with the Quran. The Quran contained the basic principles of all previous books and conveyed
the truth with the highest voice addressing all times.
2. UNIVERSAL DIVINE BOOK:
The Quran, the word of Allah, does not address a certain region or some people like other
divine books did. In other words, the Quran is universal. The provisions of the Quran
encompass all times and places and these provisions maintain their validity at all times. The
Quran, which responds to all needs and which solves people’s problems and troubles,
provides justice and happiness for all mankind. 
“And We have not sent you but unto the whole of mankind, a Bearer of glad tidings and
a Warner, but most of the people do not know (it).” (SABA, 34:28)
As above mentioned verse of quran shows that the Quran is a universal book that was
revealed to our Prophet (peace be upon him) who was sent to all people as a prophet.
3. PRESERVED BY ALMIGHTY ALLAH HIMSELF:
God assures us in Quran that He will surely protect His words. He says,
“Verily, it is We Who have sent down the Quran and surely, We will guard it (from
corruption).” (Quran 15:9)
This means that God will guard against anything false being added or any part of it being
taken away. 1 It is protected from tampering and if anyone attempts to distort the meanings of
Quran, God will guide someone to expose the deception. 2 Muslims believe that the previous
revelations from God, including the Torah and the Gospels of Jesus were either lost in
antiquity, or changed and distorted, so it is a source of comfort to them knowing that God’s
words – the Quran – are now well guarded. The Holy Quran tells that it is Allah Who will
protect it from distortion. Our Lord says
“Indeed, it is We Who have sent down the Reminder (the Quran) and verily We will be
its Guardian”. (Hijr, 15:9)
This protection is due to 3facts
a) The Wonderful Arrangement Of Words And Verses: The miraculous arrangement
of the verses, words and letters of the Quran preserves the Quran itself. If there were even
the smallest intervention from the outside, it would be immediately noticed due to this
wonderful arrangement. This fact is mentioned in the Quran as follows: 
“…They alter the words (in the Book) after their being put (in their right places)…”
(Maidah, 5:41)

b) The Preservation In Heart: The memorization of the Quran by millions of memorizers

(huffadh) in every century is one of the most important reasons for the survival of the
Quran until today without any change. This state was not granted to any other sacred
book. Millions of memorizers of the Quran have been trained from different cultures and
languages and different parts of the world. These memorizers have recorded the verses of
the Quran in their hearts and thus preserved them.

c) The Protection In Words/Scripts: In order to prevent the Quran from being distorted,
our Prophet Muhammad (saw) would make the scribes of revelation write down the
verses as they were sent down, and then, would make his companions memorize them.
The preservation of the Quran was ensured by means of this measure. In the period of
hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), these written pages of the Quran were collected and compiled as a
book.

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 HISTORY OF QURAN
THE FIRST REVELATION:

BEFORE THE REVELATION

Muhammad was born and raised in Mecca. When he was nearly 40, he used to spend many hours
alone in prayer and speculating over the aspects of creation. He was concerned with the
ignorance of divine guidance (Jahiliyyah), social unrest, injustice, widespread discrimination
(particularly against women, fighting among tribes and abuse of tribal authorities prevalent
in pre-Islamic Arabia. The moral degeneration of his fellow people, and his own quest for a true
religion further lent fuel to this, with the result that he now began to withdraw periodically to a
cave named Mount Hira, three miles north of Mecca, for contemplation and reflection. Islamic
tradition holds that Muhammad during this period began to have dreams replete with spiritual
significance which were fulfilled according to their true import; and this was the commencement
of his divine revelation

THE FIRST REVELATION

According to Muslim tradition, during one such occasion while he was in contemplation, the
angel Gabriel appeared before him in the year AD 610 and said, "Read", upon which he replied,
"I am unable to read". Thereupon the angel caught hold of him and embraced him heavily. This
happened two more times after which the angel commanded Muhammad to recite the following
verses:
"Read! in the name of your Lord who created
Man from a clinging substance.
Read: Your Lord is most Generous,–
He who taught by the pen–
Taught man that which he knew not
(quran 96:1-5)
AFTER THE REVELATION
Perplexed by this new experience, Muhammad made his way to home where he was consoled by
his wife Khadijah, who also took him to her Nestorian cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal. Waraqah
was a Christian. Islamic tradition holds that Waraqah, upon hearing the description, testified to
Muhammad's prophethood, and convinced Muhammad that the revelation was from
God Waraqah said: "O my nephew! What did you see?" When Muhammad told him what had
happened to him, Waraqah replied: "This is Namus (meaning Gabriel) that Allah sent to Moses. I
wish I were younger. I wish I could live up to the time when your people would turn you out."
Muhammad asked: "Will they drive me out?" Waraqah answered in the affirmative and said:
"Anyone who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility;
and if I should be alive until that day, then I would support you strongly." A few days later
Waraqah died.
The initial revelation was followed by a pause and a second encounter with Gabriel when
Muhammad heard a voice from the sky and saw the same angel "sitting between the sky and the
earth" and the revelations resumed with the first verses of chapter 74.
At-Tabari and Ibn Hisham reported that Muhammad left the cave of Hira after being surprised by
the revelation, but later on, returned to the cave and continued his solitude, though subsequently
he returned to Mecca. Tabari and Ibn Ishaq write that Muhammad told Zubayr:
"when I was midway on the mountain, I heard a voice from heaven saying "O Muhammad! you
are the apostle of Allah and I am Gabriel." I raised my head towards heaven to see who was
speaking, and Gabriel in the form of a man with feet astride the horizon, saying, "O Muhammad!
you are the apostle of Allah and I am Gabriel." I stood gazing at him moving neither forward nor
backward, then I began to turn my face away from him, but towards whatever region of the sky I
looked, I saw him as before."
 MANNER AND FORMS OF REVELATION
The Holy Qur’an was revealed to the Holy Prophet (SAW) in a variety of different ways.

1. IN THE FORM OF DREAMS:

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) would sometimes receive divine revelations of the Holy Qur’an in
the form of dreams. Ayesha (ra) narrates that the beginning of Wahi began in the form of true
dreams. Whenever the Holy Prophet (SAW) would see a dream its true meaning and significance
it would become clear by the morning (Bukhari).

2. REVELATION REVEALED DIRECTLY INTO THE HEART :

The Holy Prophet (SAW) also used to receive revelation directly into the heart. Imaam Hakim
narrates that the Holy Prophet (SAW) stated: “Angel Jibraeel conveyed a message into my heart.
That no man can die until his ‘rizk’ or resources have been completed. So Man should fear God
and try all means to achieve his resources. If there is a delay in receiving your due then do not go
astray to achieve it for whatever you will receive will be through Allah and what he has already
ordained”

3. REVELATION DISCLOSED UPON THE SOUND OF A BELL:

Another method of revelation was at the sound of a bell. The Holy Prophet (SAW) would hear
the ringing of a bell or a musical sweet sound, which would be immediately followed by divine
revelation. According to Hazrat Ayesha (R.A) once the divine revelation began, Angel Jibraeel
(A.S) would come at various times with different ayahs of the Qur’an. According to her, the
Holy Prophet (SAW) himself stated that: “Sometimes wahi comes to me after a bell rings and
that is a heavy time for me”. (Bukhari)

4. REVELATION BROUGHT BY AN ANGEL IN THE FORM OF A MAN:

One of the most common ways of receiving revelation was through Angel Jibraeel (A.S). Angel
Jibraeel (A.S) would sometimes come to the Holy Prophet (SAW) in the form of a man. Hazrat
Ummi Salma (R.A) reports that: “once I SAW Dhaya Qalbi in front of the Prophet (SAW)
talking to him. The Prophet (SAW) then asked me: “Do you know who this man is?” I replied:
“That was Dhaya Qalbi” By God I thought it was him but the Prophet of God (SAW) later
announced in his Kutbah it was the Angle Jibraeel”

5. REVELATION THROUGH AN ANGEL IN HIS TRUE FORM:

Angel Jibraeel also came to the Holy Prophet (SAW) in his actual angelic form. Hazrat Abdullah
ibn Masood (R.A) narrates that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “When I SAW Angel Jibraeel
he had 600 wings”

6. REVELATION DIRECTLY FROM GOD:

God has directly communicated with some of His Prophets as with Prophet Musa (A.S) on
Mount Toor. The Holy Prophet (SAW) spoke directly with Allah (SWT) during his ascent into
the heavens, the Miraj. There, Allah (SWT) gave divine revelation to his Holy Prophet (SAW)
concerning the obligatory prayers.
 REVELATION PERIOD AND DIVISION OF SURAH’S
As stated earlier the first revelation of the Holy Qur’an took place on the 16th Ramadhan, A.D
610. The period of revelation spanned 22 years, 2 months and 22 days. There is a traditional
division of the surahs between those that were revealed in the city of Makkah, (Makki surahs)
and those that were revealed in the city of Madinah (Madani surahs).

MAKKI SURAH:
DEFINATION: A ‘Makki’ Surah is classified as such if its beginning was revealed in
Makkah even if parts of it were later revealed during the Madani phase.

TOTAL NUMBER OF SURAH: according to Imaam Zarkashi 85 Surah’s were revealed

in mecca.

PERIOD OF REVELATION: The Makki Surah’s were revealed over a period

approximately lasting 12-13 years, from the first call of Islam up until the Hijrah, migration to
the city of Madinah.

TOPICS DISCUSSED: Most of the Makki Surah’s are shorter in length and deal with
concepts regarding Tauheed, oneness of God; good morals and conduct and life in the Hereafter
– heaven and hell. The Makki ayah’s also contain passages regarding the Christian and Jewish
scriptures, detailing which Prophets have been sent by Allah (SWT) in the past.

MADNI SURAH:
DEFINATION: A ‘Madani’ Surah is characterized as those Surah’s which have their
beginning passages revealed in Madinah.

TOTAL NUMBER OF SURAH: According to Imaam Zarkashi[34] 29 Surah’s were

revealed in Madinah

PERIOD OF REVELATION: The Madani Surah’s were revealed over a period of nine to
ten years beginning from the Hijrah[35], to the eventual demise of the Prophet (SAW).

TOPICS DISCUSSED; These Surah are often longer than their Makki counterparts. When
the Holy Prophet (SAW) arrived in the city of Medina he set up the first Islamic state in the
history of Islam. As such the Quranic Surah’s in this period of time deal with the practical
aspects of living. Much of the injunctions of Sharia law were revealed in Medina including laws
relating to marriage, divorce, laws `of probate and criminal sanctions. They dealt with the new
burgeoning community of the indigenous Ansars and newly arrived Muhajiroon as well as
mankind in general.