Assalamu alaikum peace beyond you. We’re back for another program of our assignment focus series. We’re have today our 29th program in our series dealing with the sources of Islam. Today we’ll be examining what I hope will prove to be a very interesting question and that is, did the Quran pre exist before its revelation to Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him? I have joining me on the program as usual, Dr. Jamal better we have St. Mary’s University brother Jamal assalamu aleikum wa rahmatullah. Before we begin our examination of this very interesting possibility. Interesting question, I wonder if I could have you perhaps highlight the main points that we touched
on in our program last week. Certainly.
In the last program, we continued from the previous one, the previous one dealt with the one before that with the accuracy and meticulousness of words and letters even used in the Quran. So the previous program looked more into the connection and consistency of meanings, despite of the diversity of topics in which the brand
to which the Quran addresses itself. And we also attempt to explain why is there so many diverse topics in the very same chapter or surah, indicating that the Quran was not meant to be like scientific books or other human writings when you have one chapter for each topic separately, and you don’t come back to it because the Quran is basically a book of guidance to move the heart to stimulate the mind. So it’s different to nature, it has its own unique style, you give examples from the second sort of look under the lumps what are called Al Baqarah. And indicated that it was over a period of nine years in different circumstances. However, after everything was completed, it falls
nicely and perfectly, both in terms of the aim as well as the flow of the meaning.
And the indication here was that there must have been some sorts of
control or design, not only of what will be included in the Koran, but control on the events
that are going to take place during this period of Revelation, because many of these passages actually were revealed to comment on and to direct and guide Muslims in dealing with a number of incidents. And he said that this unique characteristic cannot be found anywhere, does not even apply to the words of the Prophet himself, and Hades locker and is quite unique in that sense. And towards the end, we touched on another example of the consistency of meaning and sort of to, especially from passages 91 on, we had only one minute I remember last time we just touch very superficially on some of the elements of of that passage. Or perhaps the readings plainly. Last point is a little bit
more. The one that we covered last time. Yes, yes. Okay. One
basic passage really deals with an address to the to the Jewish people and inviting them to accept the mission of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon to the contemporaries of the Prophet, and of course those who come after.
And if you look at it, you find that
it deals with three basic elements one, it is an advice or an invitation to the Israelites to believe in the Quran. Secondly, it describes the response to this invitation. And thirdly, the response to that response of this reply to the question they raised. As far as the first part, the advice, the passage addresses them, when it’s safe to then believe in what Allah has revealed.
The quality is that because the Jews believed in the Torah as being revealed from Allah, the most important emphasis then that once you people believe in revelation from Allah, this person also His revelation from Allah, so believe in it.
It did not for example, say you believe in what had been revealed unto Mohammed which could have been accurate also to emphasize the
universality of Islam that aside even from to which prophet revelation was given, the fact that it is from Allah isn’t itself sufficient for you to follow it.
Then in the generating the response in the Quran we find a great deal of justice done, and honesty and accuracy without making any unnecessary accusations in particulars description.
It says that when it is said to them this, they say, No, we believe in what has been revealed to us. But they reject something that was revealed afterwards, even though it is the truth, confirming what they already have. Now, the point here is that the description given is that
it does not say that they rejected offhand. It simply says that we believe in what has been given to us, which means that around, and they deny or reject something beyond that.
It does not accuse them of rejecting all the revelation given to Allah, it simply says that they believed in one part of the revelation, the Torah, but they rejected something which has come afterwards.
And notice here when it says, and they reject, it does not quote them. See,
it does not say and they said, We reject it says, and they reject, which is again, a very meticulous and very honest way, in writing that position, without again,
being biased, in terms of accusing them or anything of that sort, or quoting them something they have not actually said. And notice here. Again, it doesn’t say we believe in the Torah and reject the Quran. Even with that reservation, it says, and they reject what is behind or beyond, or after the tour. And this is a very deep expression, because it includes besides the Quran, what gospel, the gospel, or what has been revealed to Jesus, because that’s a fact again, that the rejection includes both the front and the end the revelation given to Prophet Jesus peace be upon him. Then when the Quran comes to the response to, to their claim that they believe, but they just stop at the
Torah.
It does not argue with them,
whether they believe in their book or not, but it says that, I suppose, almost implying that if you really believe in your book, okay, let’s begin from there. How would you reject or refuse a revelation, which actually confirms the truth that you have?
Which means, okay, let’s accept even your argument for believing in your book. But doesn’t your book also indicate
that there’s consistency between it and the letters revelation that also came from the same creator?
And then toward the end of the ayah, says, if it is true, that you really believe in your books, why do you kill the prophets of Allah?
In other words, the way and I tried my best, in fact, given Of course, the variation in the virtually possibility of conveying the beauty and the precision of the original Arabic expression in the Quran, but I hope at least it shows not only the precision and expression, but the fairness and the writing what they say, and the great depths. In the choice of any word that appears in this passage, all bets again, we say that the Quran was not revealed, or was not written by someone sitting there collecting, editing and thinking, it was all despite of himself in revelation comes through in his sweats. And all this wisdom come through his mouth that cannot be improved on or
perfected in any way because it’s perfect already. How could we explain the Quran coming from any other event other than the source of our divine revelation? They will tell you pertaining to this topic. Could you first of all explain the notion of pre arrangement or pre existence of the Quran? And its its significance? What a few points perhaps by way of background, I think would be of benefit to many viewers.
Maybe some of which might be reiteration and elaboration on what we mentioned before that, first of all, the Quran was not all revealed at once it was revealed on peace means over a period of 23 years.
The second observation is that the orders that he has today, for example, in the Quran, that is the order of the students
are different are not the same as the order of the revelation itself.
And in the meantime, we find that the present orders of the Quran from Surah one to 114 was not an invention of anyone but was also divinely directed to the Prophet. So engine Gabrielle
acid observation is that even in many of the sutras in the Quran, many of those 114 sewers, we find that not all sources or parts were revealed at once. So for example, you don’t have the surah one all revealed in succession or chronology, but many times, part of a sweater would be revealed, and before it’s completed, and other parts of second Surah would be reviewed. And before both of them are completed, there is a search warrant. And as time goes on, the Prophet says, alright, put this part here in this surah in such and such place.
The There are however,
other things which are really amazing
that
by saying that the same surah, like Surah Baqarah, the one that we analyzed last time in the second Surah, in the Quran, continued to be revealed over nine years, in small piece meals, and not necessarily in the chronology appears, what kind of human memory,
it can keep track, over a period of nine years of different parts, which are not necessarily in the order they appear today and say, put this year, put that there, put that in front, put that in the middle, and at the end, you get a completely perfect and consistency. What kinds of human computers, you know, can can do this.
But the thing that makes it even impossible humanly to do it is that, as we give example, last time that they were at, it’s your different incidents or circumstances about which the second sort of commented, this is an example.
Which means again, that the perfection is not only haphazard that perfection, is related to prior knowledge of what is going to happen in the nine years so that each part would fit perfectly without any editing or change. And who can control and know for sure, the exact details or even questions that are going to arise by individuals over a period of nine years, so that the responses come to fit perfectly both environment and meaning, just humanly impossible, one can, it can find absolutely no foundation to say that any human can do that or control the future.
The other point that might be useful also is that many jurors describe the Quran are divided, basically like in two types or two periods of Revelation. One is the initial period of persecution. That’s called the net canker. And it was revealed in Mecca in the first 13 years of the mission of the Prophet. The other 10 years are referred to as the Masonic Quran, or the Quran that was revealed in Medina to which the prophets are migrated after this persecution. And I think this is very, very essential, and very interesting, because what happened is that in some copies of the Quran, when you look at the beginning of the surah, chapter, quote, unquote, it indicates to you It says that this
surah, for example, it was revealed in Mecca, except for verses so and so and then make an exception of two, three or four or five passages and say, these passages will reveal in Medina,
and this is something really, which is incredible, because what happened is that after the surah is completed, it’s perfect. And Ryan, and in the connection of the topic, even though part was revealed the NACA, another person maccha in the middle and other parts of Medina.
How could it be that with this span of time, with so many years at the time, difference, everything fits together? After it’s all completed, not necessarily in the chronology, just to give an example. It’s almost like somebody, for example, who was writing a poem,
let’s say, and he writes the first five verses verses one through five of his poem. Alright. And then after three years, here, right versus eight to 10, skipping verses six and seven, and then after 10 years, he composes verses six and seven and put it in the middle and it’s exactly between the two other portions that he composed before, before, just impossible. If it weren’t an order, maybe he said okay, here, here are the first few verses first, and then at letter Stein, he added this letter time
He added that, but one precede the other, it’s not in the order, even they appears. But after everything is revealed, after everything’s put together, it is perfectly fitting.
And that’s the you know, perfection, like I said, could be looked at both from the point of view of the Ryan, which is very difficult, of course, in a program like this, yes, being an English to convey clearly, you know, you have one has to check the Arabic version of it to notice that with this passage of time, it sounds as if it’s just revealed at the same time, because of the perfect
lion consistency of the style itself. And the consistency of quality also.
But the thing that perhaps may be highlighted,
even with some difficulty, is the connection of the meaning that regardless of the time, when certain passages were to read, regardless of the order, in which it was, it was revealed, after they are put together, they constitute a very nice flow to the point in that any reader when he looks at it, find it very difficult to distinguish any timeframe as to where or when these verses were revealed. This is, by the way, a topic which is,
is not really totally new. One of the great scholars on that genetic density, wrote a book on that, in fact, the book is called actually, the secrets of the orders, or the,
the way the Quran is ordered. And I’m indebted to that book, at least from the introduction, written by the editors of the car That oughta, which stimulated me to do some research on that. And I found amazing things that deepened my conviction that the Quran could have not come from any source other than the divine source. Absolutely. But I wonder if perhaps, at this point, I could have you comment on and clarify the method that you that you used for this research? Well, to start with, of course, I wanted to express my indebtedness again to to that volume, especially the introduction, where one example was given an stimulated mini grid deal, to go to the Quran by myself and examine from
beginning to end each surah and tried to find out whether it was all revealed in Mecca or Medina.
Whether it was revealed mainly in McCann, which exceptions which specific passages would have been been some other place, or like, Medina versus Mecca or the reverse. And then I tried to go through the these passages to see whether there’s any connection where one can feel or gather that this verses are just squeezed in the middle out of context, or whether it flows with the things that were revealed before and afters. And my conclusion has been that
you can’t really make a distinction you feel as if it’s all in the same time, which means, again, that there must have been
pre planned before any of these parts were revealed.
Well, that’s we can
look at some, some illustrations, some
to illustrate the point.
Okay, well, as much as time allow us perhaps I just grow for ease, and chronology. And my suggestion for your viewers wish to examine this issue on their own.
The remarks I’m making are just like preliminary remarks. And I would suggest that perhaps some notes can be taken out the numbers of sutras and passages so that it can be reviewed personally by them and just make some remarks that might be of use
studying for example, from the second Surah in the Quran.
You mentioned last time, the cow is called on Al Baqarah.
Now, this surah is mainly a Madani, sorta that is that was revealed in Medina after the 13 years in Mecca. However, interesting enough, one single passage, and that sort of was revealed
in Mac.
And if you look at the flow of meaning, before that different passage in the anatomy, study the Mac key passage to 81 you find that the surah speaks about the prohibition of usury
encouraging people to be charitable and encouraging those who lend money to those who can pay immediately.
Give them extension.
Okay.
And then comes that different passage reveal May, perhaps with a passage of several years difference. It says and fear or be aware of a day when you are going to return to Allah. And then every sword would be given its reward, which is a very perfect set with the encouragement of charity and the encouragement of, you know, being good to others, and the prohibition of using perfect fit. And even if you look at the passages after that, it continues with the same subject.
That was before that Middle Passage, continuing to deal with what to do with respect to financial contracts.
A second example, in sort of five,
the surah, basically was in the Middle East were revealed in Medina, however,
verse three of passage three was revealed in the
farewell pilgrimage in Mecca.
Again, the strange thing about it is that if you look at the passages before number three, the one I’m referring to,
you find that the surah speaks about the prohibition of eating dead, animals, blood as it relates, basically to dietary laws, the lawful and unlawful.
And then comes this different verse, again, with years of difference in time. And it says they ask you or profit, what is permitted unto them. And then he starts giving against some aspects of what has been permitted by way of diet. So it’s continuation of the same topic. The following verse continues to do also with lawful and unlawful pertaining to food. And the marriage of Muslim males to the females of the believing Jews and Christians are the people of the book. Again, like I said, when you look at the passage, the floor before and after, and that different passage in Division number three, you can never notice any difference, you just as if it’s revealed, all at the same
time dealing exactly with the center of it. How could anyone have this design ahead of time?
textura.
Number six, for example,
that Sora is a Mac he swore he didn’t matter. But there are a number of verses which are excepted from that rule. And by the way, they’re not all in chronology, they appear in different parts. Would you like maybe for some clarification of more than one place? Yes.
Okay, take for example, verse number 20, of passage 20.
Now, the one before that, that’s before 2019. It talks about the arguments between the Prophet and the people of the book.
And indicating to them, you know, how his mission is authentic and so on. And then comes this verse number 20, which is a different city altogether different time. It says that those we have given the book meaning Jews and Christians who received revelation before they know him, that is they know the signs of the advent of Prophet Muhammad or the Quran as they know their own children.
And then the passage after that, which goes back again to Mk. It says, who is more wrongdoer than he who rejected the mission of Allah or said something has been revealed to me even though nothing has been revealed unto him, see the flow of the topic again, showing or addressing the People of the Book, about the mission of the Prophet is continuous, even though one verse in the middle is totally
different time frame and different place of Revelation. And then you go on, for example, take 23 verses 23.
Now, the context before 23
speaks about the day of judgment and how
people who associated others with Allah, in his divine attributes will be called upon to,
you know, to defend themselves and to invite them if they could really help them just to show that the power
is in the hands of Allah and no, Gods small g that’s worship in this life would be able to avail anyone in the Day of Judgment. And then comes passage 23 which is arranged in a different city, in Medina.
And then it described that those people who will be exhausted to produce their
Gods small G, they would blame themselves they say only you know that we rejected the the truth, the following passage, which is, again in the normal place of revelation of the surah, that is in Mecca, it says, Look how they, you know, lie to themselves. And then nobody now is helping them. See the point. In other words, the flow of the meaning is perfect. And you can never tell, which was revealed before, which means it’s all just like one, three or four passages in the line dealing exactly with the same topic, one leading to the other.
And then you skip all the way to, for example, verse 91, which is different again, David, the Medina, not a mecca.
And here again, you find the context before it’s
describing the rejection of the Israelites of the mission of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and saying that How could a man receive revelation from Allah, then comes
the response from the Quran, in the immediate verse before, the different one management, it says, what is in the book that God has given to Moses.
And here comes the different verse in a different city. And it says, and this, that is this book, The Quran, is a blessing book that we have revealed, which is confirming what has been revealed before.
If you look at the two verses,
it’s obvious that for any leaders, there isn’t at the same time, because one of them is talking about the book that was given to Moses. And then it says, and discord unconfirmed what Moses brought, whereas historically, one was revealed in a totally different place in a totally different context. But still, it fits perfectly the way the current is ordered. Now,
take the same sort of six,
passage number 141.
Okay, that’s just 141 speaks about Allah providing human beings with gardens and plantations and all that. So these would be blessings from the agricultural side. Yes. The immediate passage after that 142 It speaks about blessing from the animals wealth,
of animal resources, and the cattles and all that, again, different in different places, different times, different cities, but you look at it, the meaning still flows, you might have a couple of minutes if I may add just a couple of more. So instead of seven, for example,
surah, seven generally is a mucky sort of reveal.
But there is an exception, from passages 163 to 170. They were revealed in Medina.
Now let’s see the context before and after.
Before this different verses, that is the Maquis
nature of the surah. It speaks about the Israelites, and how some of them, you know, disobeyed Allah and so on. So it was describing some aspect of the history as a lesson for Muslims to learn.
And then comes the injection of 163 through 170. And it deals with the same subject. Exactly. The question of the Sabbath and its observation and so on the following verse, it speaks about the same topic also, it describes some of the blessings that Allah has given them, and some of the the privileges and signs that he gave for them to believe. Again, it looks like a similar same story, one part was revealed at one time, another other time, and then in another city altogether, something in the middle, but you look at it, and the meaning flows perfectly.
The in Surah, eight,
again, this is a net any sort of living in Medina, but there is an exception, so that the reverse here some are given mainly in Mecca or Medina. And there’s exception, yes. Beside the nature of the madonie type of verses there. Verses three to 30, sorry, 30 to 36.
were revealed in a different city, and Mecca, before even that part. In other words, it’s not even following it was even before it, which means like as if somebody is altering the conclusion, and then later on adding the introduction in the body and still, it fits perfectly. It’s incredible to say that any human being you know is capable of doing that.
For example, in this exception of verses 30 through 36, that will repeat in a different place. You find that after it ends, it says
So that Allah May distinguish between the good and the evil. So in other words, in one hand, it describes the destiny of those who rejected faith and then the immediate versus following it describes so that which was even a conviction of the topic that this would go to heaven so that Allah May distinguish between the the good and the wrongdoers.
So, even the the the words or the letters even which are at the beginning of some of those different verses
seem to connect as if it was put there so that in the future after so many years in a different city, under different circumstances, whatever will be revealed to comment on that event would perfectly fit even to the last letter.
Very truly interesting discussion in the village hall. Fortunately, we’ve exhausted our time for today. I want to thank you for watching and invite you back next week when we continue with our series dealing with the sources of Islam. Thank you for watching. Assalamu alaikum peace
