home · Other · The first thing that was sent down from the Qur'an. The very first revelation sent down to Muhammad (ﷺ) What surah was sent down to the prophet Muhammad

The first thing that was sent down from the Qur'an. The very first revelation sent down to Muhammad (ﷺ) What surah was sent down to the prophet Muhammad

Before becoming a prophet, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) never said anything about the fact that he would be given a prophecy or revelations would be sent down. And he never expected to encounter something like this. The first revelation came to him quite unexpectedly. This is very clear in the Quran:

“You did not expect that the Scripture would be sent down to you, but it was a mercy from your Lord” (al-Kasas 28/86).

The revelation of the Qur'an began on the Night of Destiny in Ramadan, when the Prophet Muhammad was forty years old (about 610) during his seclusion in the cave of Hira near Mecca.

It is transmitted from Aisha (radiyallahu anha): “The sending down of revelations to the Messenger of Allah began with a good vision in a dream, and whatever dream he had, it would surely come true like the morning dawn. Then a love of solitude was instilled in him, and he often began to retire in a cave on Mount Hira, where he engaged in pious deeds - which was expressed in the worship of Allah - for many nights, until he had a desire to return to his family. He usually took with him all the necessary supplies for this, and then returned to Khadija and took everything he needed for another such retreat. This continued until the truth suddenly appeared to him while he was in the cave (mountain) of Hira. An angel appeared to him and ordered: “Read!” - to which he replied: "I can not read!".

The Messenger of Allah said: “Then he took me and squeezed me so that I strained to the limit, and then he released me and again ordered: “Read!”. I said, "I can't read!" He squeezed me for the second time so that I again strained to the limit, and then let go and ordered: “Read!” - and I said again: "I can't read!" Then he squeezed me a third time, and then let go and said: “Read with the name of your Lord, who created, created man from a clot! Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous. He taught with a writing stick. He taught a man what he did not know.

The angel Jibril appeared to him for the first time in the form of a man. Such a conclusion can be drawn from the hadiths in which the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “He hugged me and squeezed tightly.”

Then, when the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) returned from Mount Hira to his home, he again saw Jibril (alayhi salam), but this time Jibril covered the entire horizon with him.

It is reported from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, that (one day) al-Harith bin Hisham, may Allah be pleased with him, asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and welcome him:

“O Messenger of Allah, how do revelations come to you?” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) replied: “Sometimes what comes to me is like the ringing of a bell, which is the most difficult for me, and when I assimilate what was said, it leaves me. Sometimes an angel appears before me in the form of a man and addresses me with his words, and I assimilate what he says.

The essence of divine revelation

The science of the Qur'an includes many different and important sciences, in particular, revelation and its sending down. Anyone who does not believe in revelation cannot believe in the revelation of the Quran, since the Quran is one of the types of revelation that were transmitted to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through the angel Jibril (peace be upon him). It is known from the history of Islam that the first revelation to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ came at the age of forty, and it began with a prophetic dream. Then He was inspired to love solitude. He often retired to the cave of Hira, where he worshiped Allah for many nights.

The meanings of the word "wahyu" (وحي )

The lexical meaning of the verb "waha" (وحي ), whose masdar (verbal name) is the word " wahyu"- indicate, tell secretly, command, subordinate, write to another, send.

In the Quran this word comes in different meanings:

- suggestion;

The Quran says:

وأوحينا إلى أم موسى أن أرضعيه

(meaning): " And We inspired in the heart of mother Musa to breastfeed her son ”(Sura Al-Kasas: 7).

- Satan's instigation;

The Quran says:

وإن الشياطين ليوحون إلى أولياهم ليجادلوكم

(meaning): " Verily, Satan incites his followers (pagans) to quarrel with you, giving false arguments "(Sura" al-An'am, 121).

And as for the Sharia definition of the term “wahyu” (revelation), then this is the teaching by Allah of his chosen slave (prophet, messenger) of various knowledge that He wished to reveal to him secretly.

How the very first revelation was sent down

It is reported in a hadith that Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said:

« Sending Revelations to the Messenger of Allahﷺ began with a prophetic dream. He saw in a dream a radiance like the morning dawn. Then a love of solitude was instilled in him, and he began to retire often in the cave of Hira. There he engaged in the worship of Allah for many nights. Then he returned to Khadija and took everything he needed for a new, similar solitude. This continued until a revelation came to him while he was in the cave of Hira. An angel appeared to him and said:

― Read!

To which he replied:

« Then he took me and squeezed me so that I strained to the limit, and then he released me and again ordered: “Read!” I said, "I can't read!" He squeezed me for the second time so that I again strained to the limit, and then let go and ordered: “ Read!” - and I said again: "I can't read!" Then he squeezed me a third time and then let go and said:

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ

“Read in the name of your Lord, who created, created man from a clot! Read, and your Lord is the most generous ... ”

And after that, Khadija left the house with him and brought him to her cousin Waraqa bin Nawfal bin Asad bin 'Abd al-'Uzza, who converted to Christianity in the era of Jahiliyyah, used the Jewish script for his records and wrote out from the Gospel that was pleasing to Allah. By that time he was already a deep blind old man. Khadija said to him: O son of my uncle, listen to your nephew! ” Varaka asked him: “ Oh nephew, what do you see? and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ informed him of what he had seen. Waraka said: This is the same angel that Allah sent to Musa! Oh, that I was young and could live to the time when your people will drive you out! ”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked: Will they kick me out? ” Varaka replied: “ Yes, for whenever a man appears with anything like what you brought with you, he has always been at enmity. If I live to see this day, I will help you as much as I can! “However, Varaka soon died, and the revelations stopped temporarily.” (Bukhari)

Renewal of revelation

It is reported that Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with both of them), talking about the period of temporary cessation of revelations, said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

بينما أنا أمشى سمعت صوتا من السماء فرفعت بصري فإذا الملك الذى جاء في حراء جالس على كرسي بين السماء والارض ، فرعبت منه فرجعت ، فقلت : زملوني زملوني ، فأنزل الله تعالى عز وجلّ : (يأيها المدثر ، قم فأنظر) الى قوله تعالى والرجز فاهجر) . فحمي الوحي وتواتر )

« One day I was walking along the road and suddenly I heard a voice from the sky. I raised my head and saw the same angel who appeared to me in the cave of Hira, who this time was sitting on a throne between heaven and earth. I was afraid of him, returned home and said: "Cover me, cover me! "- after which Allah Almighty sent down the verses, which said:" O wrapped! Rise and exhort... ". And after that, the revelations resumed with renewed vigor and began to come one after another."

Nasir Suleymanov

Teacher DTI named after Said Afandi

Sura Al-Fatiha is the first sura of the Holy Quran.Her the name translated from Arabic means “Opening the Book”, since it is not only the first in order of location in the Koran, but also the first sura , sent down in its entirety.

"Al-Fatiha", consisting of seven verses, was sent down in the Meccan period of the life of the Messenger of the Almighty (s.g.v.). This is narrated in one of the hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), transmitted from the words of Ibn Abbas: “Once, when we were sitting next to the Messenger of Allah, the angel Jabrail was next to him. Suddenly, he heard a creak above his head, after which Jabrail looked at the heavens and said: “The gates in heaven have opened, which have never opened before.” Through them, he descended to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and said: “Rejoice in the two lights that were given to you, but were not given to any of the previous Prophets. These are Surah Al-Fatiha and the last verses of Surah Al-Baqarah. Everything that you read in them will certainly be granted to you ”(Muslim, Nasai).

Expand sura description

Despite the seemingly small volume, Surah Al-Fatiha carries great meaning and is of great importance in people's lives, and no other verse of any of the Books of the Creator can compare with it. God's Messenger (LH) once said: “I swear by the One in Whose Hand is my soul! Neither in the Taurat (Torah), nor in the Injil (Gospel), nor in the Zabur (Psalter), nor in the Furqan (Koran) anything similar to the Surah Al-Fatiha (Tirmizi, Ahmad) was sent down.

Every Muslim reads Surah Al-Fatiha at least 15 times a day, since its reading is necessary in every rak'ah. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) taught: “If someone made a prayer without reading the Mother of Scripture in it, then his prayer is imperfect” (Muslim).

While reading this sura, the believer enters into a dialogue with the Lord, which is narrated in the following hadith: “Great Allah said: “I divided the prayer into two parts between Me and My slave, who will receive what he asks. When the slave utters the words "Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds", the Creator replies: "My slave gave me praise." When a believer says: “To the Gracious and Merciful,” the Lord answers: “My servant has praised Me.” When a person says: “To the Lord of the Day of Judgment”, the Almighty answers: “My servant glorified Me.” When the one who prays says: “You alone we worship and You alone we pray for help,” the Creator answers: “It will be divided between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks.” When the believer says: “Guide us to the straight path, the path of those whom You have favored, not those on whom anger fell and the erring,” then Allah replies: “This is for My servant, and he will receive what he asks” (Muslim, Tirmizi, Abu Dawud, Nasai).

The Holy Quran is the word of Allah. Therefore, it is protected and preserved in the Preserved Tablet, which is spoken of in the Qur'an (meaning):

“That (with which you were sent from Allah) is the Great Quran, (clearly proving the truth of your mission and message). This Qur'an is inscribed on the Preserved Tablet. (No power can either distort or change it!) ”(Sura Al-Buruj, verses 21-22 (85:21-22)).

The sending down of the Qur'an from the Preserved Tablet took place in two stages.

First. He was fully sent down to Baitul-Izza (House of Honor), the exalted house of worship located in heaven. This heavenly home, also known as Baitul Ma'mur, is located directly above the Kaaba and serves as a place of worship for angels. This happened on the night of Qadr - Laylatul-Qadr (Night of Power).

Second. The gradual revelation of the Qur'an by Revelation to our dear Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), which ended 23 years after the start.

These two kinds of revelation of the Qur'an are clearly described in the Qur'an itself. In addition, Imams Nasai (may Allah be pleased with him), Bayhaqi (may Allah be pleased with him), Ibn Abi Shaiba (may Allah be pleased with him), Tabarani (may Allah be pleased with him) and others narrate from Sayyidin Abdullah ibn Abbas ( may Allah be pleased with him) several hadiths confirming that at first the Holy Quran was sent down to the vault of heaven - and this happened at a time, while the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was blessed with the second sending down - and this happened gradually (Sura " Al-Itkan, verse 41 (1:41)).

Explaining the wisdom behind the fact that the Holy Qur'an was first sent down to the Firmament of Heaven, Imam Abu Shama says that the purpose of this is to show the sublime majesty of the Holy Qur'an and at the same time inform the angels that this is the last scripture destined for instructions for all mankind.

Imam Zarqani in Manahil al-Irfan further states that the purpose of the two separate descents of the Qur'an is to affirm that the Book is free from any doubt as to its Divinity and that, apart from its preservation in the memory of Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), it also stored in two other places: the Preserved Tablet and Baitul-Izza (“Manakhil-Irfan”, 1:39).

Scholars are unanimous that the second gradual revelation in the heart of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) began when he was forty years old. According to a widely accepted opinion based on authentic hadiths, this revelation began on the Night of Qadr. On the same date, 11 years later, the Battle of Badr took place. However, it is not known exactly which night of Ramadan this night fell on. There are some hadiths that say it was the 17th night, others report the 19th, others point to the 27th (Tafseer Ibn Jarir, 10:7).

The revelation of the first verses

It is authentically transmitted that the first verses sent down to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) are the initial verses of Surah A'lyak. According to Sahih Bukhari, Sayyida Aisha, razAllahu anha, reports that the first revelations came to our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in true dreams. This aroused in him a craving for solitude, worship and reflection.

During this period, he spent night after night in the cave of Hira and remained there in seclusion, devoting himself to worship until Allah sent an angel into the cave, and the first thing he said was: “ Read! The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) answered him: I can not read". The subsequent events were described by the Prophet himself (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

“The angel then squeezed me so hard that it was hard for me. Then he released me and again said: "READ". Again I replied that I could not read. Then he again squeezed me even harder than before, and let go, and said: "READ", - and I again answered that I could not read. He squeezed me a third time, then released me, saying: “Read [O Prophet] in the name of your Lord, Who created! He created man from a clot. Read! After all, your Lord is the Most Merciful, Who taught a person what he did not know before” (Sura Al-Alaq, verses 1-5 (96: 1-5)).

These were the first revealed verses. Then three years passed without revelations. This period is known as fatrat al-wahi (the stop of the Revelation). Only three years later, the angel Jibril, who visited the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the cave of Hira, appeared before him again between heaven and earth and read the verses from Surah Al-Muddassir. Since then, the process of revelation has been continued again.

Meccan and Medinan

You may have noticed in the titles of various surahs of the Qur'an that they refer to Meccan (Makki) or Medinan (Madani) suras. It is very important to understand what is behind these terms. Most mufassirs believe that the Meccan verse is the verse that was sent to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) before he arrived in Medina, having made Hijra from Mecca. Others believe that the Meccan verses are those that were sent to Mecca, and the Medinan ones are those that were sent to Medina. However, most mufassirs consider this opinion to be incorrect, since there are several verses that were not sent to Makkah, but because they were sent down before the Hijra, are classified as Makkah. Thus, the verses that were revealed in the valley of Mina, at Arafat, during Mi'raj and even during the migration from Mecca to Medina are considered Meccan.

Similarly, there are many verses that were not received directly in Medina, but they are attributed to Medina. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made several trips after the Hijra, in which he drove hundreds of miles from Medina, but the verses received during these trips are attributed to Medina, even the verses descended in Mecca and its environs during the conquest of Mecca or The Khudabian truce is also referred to as Medina.

Thus, the verse:

“O you who believe! Allah commands you to justly return all the property of Allah or people entrusted to you to the owners ”(Sura“ An-Nisa’, ayat 58 (4:58)), —

attributed to Medina, although it was sent down in Mecca (Al-Burhan, 1:88; Manahil al-Irfan, 1:88).

There are suras that are wholly and completely related to Meccan or Medinan. For example, Surah Al-Muddassir is entirely Meccan, while Surah Aal Imran is entirely Medinan. But it also happens that some suras are entirely Meccan, but contain one or more Medinan verses. For example, Surah Al-A'raf is Meccan, but several of its verses are Medinan. On the contrary, Surah Al-Hajj is Medinan, but 4 verses from it are Meccan.

Therefore, it must be understood that the classification of suras into Meccan and Medinan is based on the origin of most of its verses, although in some cases the entire sura is considered Meccan because its initial verses were sent before the Hijra, although subsequent verses descended after (Manahil al-Irfan, 1 :192).

Signs of Meccan and Medinan verses

After a thorough analysis of the Meccan and Medinan suras, tafsir scholars have discovered a set of features that help determine whether a given sura is Meccan or Medinan. Some of the signs are universal, while others are more likely.

Universal:

1. Every sura in which the word كلّا (never) appears is Meccan. This word is used 33 times in 15 surahs, all of them in the second half of the Qur'an.

2. Each sura containing the ayat sazhdatul-tilyawat is Meccan. This rule only applies if one follows the position of the Hanafis regarding the verses of prostration, since, according to this madhhab, there is no such verse in the Medina sura Al-Hajj. According to Imam Shafi'i, however, there is an ayat of prostration in this sura, therefore, according to the Shafi'i madhhab, this sura will be an exception to the rule.

3. Any sura, with the exception of the sura Al-Baqarah, which mentions the story of Adam and Iblis, is Meccan.

4. Any sura in which there is a resolution of jihad or a description of its prescriptions is Medina.

5. Any verse that mentions hypocrites is Medina. Note that the verses about the hypocrites in the Al-Ankabut sura are Medinan, although the entire sura is considered Meccan.

The following principles are general, and in most cases turn out to be true, but there are also exceptions to them:

1. In the Meccan suras, the form (meaning) “O people” is usually used as an address, while in the Medinan suras (meaning) “O those who believe!”

2. Meccan suras tend to be short and capacious, while Medinan suras are long and detailed.

3. Meccan surahs usually touch upon such topics as the affirmation of the Unity of God, prophecy, the affirmation of That life, the events of the Resurrection, the words of consolation of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). And they also deal with events concerning previous peoples. The number of prescriptions and laws in these surahs is much less compared to the Medinan surahs, where family and social laws, war prescriptions, clarification of restrictions (hudud) and duties often appear.

4. The Meccan suras speak of confrontation with idolaters, while the Medinan suras speak of confrontation with the Ahlul-Kitab and hypocrites.

5. In the style of Meccan suras, there are more rhetorical devices, metaphors, similes, allegories along with an extensive vocabulary. The style of the Medinan suras, on the other hand, is comparatively simple.

This difference between Meccan and Medinan suras owes its origin to differences in setting, circumstances, and addressees. During the Meccan period of Islam, Muslims had to deal with pagan Arabs and there was no Islamic state yet. Thus, during this period, more emphasis was placed on the correction of faith and belief, the reformation of morals, the logical refutation of the polytheists, and the divine nature of the Holy Qur'an.

On the other hand, an Islamic state was established in Medina. People came to Islam in droves. The polytheists were defeated on an intellectual level, and now the Muslims opposed, mainly, the People of the Book. As a result, more attention was given to education in the field of regulations, laws, restrictions and duties and the refutation of the Ahlul-Kitab. The style and method of speech was chosen accordingly (Manahil al-Irfan, 198-232).

The Gradual Revealing of the Quran

We have already said that the Holy Quran was not given to the Blessed Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) all of a sudden and in one go. On the contrary, it was transmitted in batches over a period of about 23 years. Sometimes Jibril, alayhi ssalaam, came with one verse or even a small part of the verse. At other times, several verses were reported at one time. The smallest part of the Qur'an transmitted at one time is غير أولى الضرر (Sura An-Nisa', verse 94 (4:94)), which forms part of a longer verse. On the other hand, the whole Surah Al-An'am was sent down at one time (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 2:122).

Why, instead of being reported at one time, was the Qur'an transmitted little by little? The polytheists of Arabia, accustomed to long speeches (odes) at one sitting, themselves asked this question to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). And Almighty Allah Himself took upon Himself the answer to this question:

« 32. Those who did not believe said, condemning the Qur'an: "Why was the Qur'an not sent down in full at one time?" Verily, We sent down the Qur'an in parts so that your heart would be strengthened in faith when you get to know it and memorize it by reading it in parts, or when Jibril reads to you in parts measuredly, slowly.
33. As soon as the unbelievers bring up some parable or object to you, We bring you the truth with a clear interpretation."(Sura Al-Furqan, verses 32-33 (25:32-33)).

Imam Razi, rahimahullah, gave several reasons why the Qur'an was revealed gradually in his tafsir of the above verse. Below is a summary of his words:

1. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not know how to write and read (ummi). If the Qur'an were revealed in one go, it would be difficult for him to memorize and document it. On the other hand, Sayyiduna Musa, alayhi ssalaam, was literate, so the Torah was revealed immediately as a complete scripture at a time.

2. If the entire Qur'an were revealed in its entirety at one time, then it would become obligatory to immediately observe all its precepts, which would be contrary to the wisdom of gradualism, which is one of the goals of Shariah.

3. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was tortured daily. The fact that Jibril, alayhi ssalaam, came, again and again bringing the words of the Holy Quran, helped him to withstand these torments and gave strength to his heart.

4. Most of the Qur'an is devoted to answering questions asked by people, while other parts are related to specific events. Thus, the revelation of these verses was timely at the time when these questions were asked or when these events took place. This increased the insight of Muslims, and when the Koran revealed what was secret, the Truth triumphed more strongly (Tafsir al-Kabir, 6:336).

Reasons for sending down

Qur'anic verses are divided into two types.

  1. The first type is the verses that Allah Almighty sent down on their own, and they did not appear due to some event and were not the answer to some question.
  2. The second type includes those verses that were sent down in connection with some occasion. These events or matters are often referred to as the "circumstances" or "reasons" for the revelation of these verses. In the terminology of the mufassirs, these circumstances or reasons are called asbabu-n-nuzul (literally, “reasons for sending down”).

For example, the following verse of Surah Al-Baqarah:

“A believer should not marry a polytheist until she believes (in the One God). A believing woman, being a slave, is better than a free idolater, possessing wealth and endowed with beauty, even if you like her ”(Sura Al-Baqarah, ayat 221 (2:221)).

This verse was revealed in connection with a certain event.

During the jahiliyah, our master Marsad ibn Abi Marsad al-Ghanawi (may Allah be pleased with him) had an affair with a woman named Anak. After he converted to Islam, he made the Hijra, while Anak remained in Mecca. Some time later, our master Marsad (may Allah be pleased with him) visited Makkah on business. Anak came to him, inviting him to commit a sin. He flatly refused her, saying:

Islam has come between me and you.

However, he wanted to marry her if the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of it. Upon returning to Medina, Marsad (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for permission to marry this woman. Then this verse was sent down, and marriage with idolaters was forbidden (Asbab an-Nuzul - Vahidi 38).

This event is the sha'n or sabaab of the revelation of the verse above. The reasons for sending down the verses are very important for the interpretation of the Qur'an (for tafsir). There are many verses which cannot be understood correctly without knowing the circumstances of the revelation.

In the name of Allah, the Gracious and the All-Merciful!

Allah Almighty says in the Qur'an: “In the same way We inspired you by revelation with the Spirit (the Qur'an) from Our command. You didn't know what Scripture is and what faith is. But We have made it a light by which We guide whomever of Our servants We will. Verily, you point to the straight path (Sura Ash-Shura, Advice, ayat 52).

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) received the Qur'an in two stages. Holy Scripture has been sent down to mankind as a mercy and guidance. On the night called "The Night of Destiny" in the month of Ramadan, the Qur'an was sent down to the lower sky. Then from there it was sent down in small parts to the Messenger himself, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

The revelation was transmitted through the angel Jabrail, peace be upon him. When Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was about forty years old, he began to spend a lot of time in meditation. According to one of the messages transmitted from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, the love of solitude was bestowed on him as a result of good vivid dreams that he had. He retired to the Cave of Hira to worship the One God, to reflect on life, the Universe and his place in them.

On one of the nights of Ramadan, the angel Jabrail, peace be upon him, descended to Muhammad, may Allah bless him and welcome him, and said: “Read!”. Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) replied: “I cannot read.” The angel then squeezed him so hard that it took Muhammad's breath away and repeated the order again. Muhammad again replied that he could not read. The angel Jabrail, peace be upon him, squeezed his chest three times, and each time Muhammad answered that he could not read. Then Jabrail, peace be upon him, recited to him the first verses of Surah al-Alaq (Blood Clot):

“Read in the name of your Lord, Who created all things, created man from a clot of blood. Read, because your Lord is the most magnanimous. He taught with a writing stick - taught a man what he did not know. (verses 1-5).

After the first revelation of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, which was quite frightening for him, some time passed until the angel Gabriel, peace be upon him, appeared again. When he appeared to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for the second time, it happened during a solitary walk of Muhammad. He heard a voice from heaven, and when he looked up, he saw an angel sitting on a throne between heaven and earth. Muhammad was frightened and ran home and asked his family to cover him with a blanket. At this time, a second revelation came to him:

"O wrapped up! Stand up and beware! Praise thy Lord! Cleanse your clothes! Filth (idols) stay away! (Sura “al Mudassir”, “Wrapped up”, verses 1-5).

The Qur'an was sent down in parts over the next 23 years, and only shortly before the death of the prophet did its sending stop. There may be several reasons for this. Some argue that the sending down in parts is due to the intention of constantly supporting the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and as certain issues arise.

Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said that Harith ibn Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: “O Messenger of Allah, how do revelations come to you?” He replied: “Sometimes they come like a bell ringing, and this is the hardest thing for me, and when it ends, I understand what was said to me. Sometimes an angel comes in the form of a man and speaks to me with his words, and I absorb what he says. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “I saw him when the revelation came down on a very cold day. And when it ended, sweat poured from his forehead ”(Bukhari, Muslim, Malik).

The memorization and memorization of the Quran from the early years of Islam was considered very important. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked his companions to memorize the Qur'an and take various measures to keep the revelation in their memory. According to Ibn Ishaq, one of the first authors of the life of the Prophet, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, was one of the first to read the Qur'an in public. One of the closest companions of the Prophet, Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, also recited the Qur'an outside his home in Makkah.

The Qur'an was memorized by the companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, and this tradition continues to this day. And although the Arabs of those times were mostly illiterate, they were well aware of the importance of the printed word. The preservation of the Qur'an was a paramount task, therefore, reliable and literate people from among the followers of Islam both memorized and wrote down the divine scripture. Among them is the name of Zaid ibn Thabit, may Allah be pleased with him, who preserved the Koran in writing for all mankind.

Written materials were inaccessible, so in the early days the Koran was written on animal skins, thin light colored stones, bones and even bark. The Companions wrote down the Qur'an under the guidance of the Prophet himself, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who listened to what they wrote down to make sure that no mistakes were made in the text. The Quran was not sent down in the order in which it was written, but the angel Jabrail, peace be upon him, told the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in what order the scripture should be collected in order to get a single, consistent, inspired text.

But the final collection of the Quran took place only after the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) during the reign of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him. The reason for this was that in the battle in Yamamah against the false prophet Musaylima, about 70 hafiz died. The Companions were worried that they might "lose" the Qur'an due to the constant decrease in the number of experts, and they faced the need to preserve it in writing.

This responsible mission was entrusted to Zaid ibn Thabit. Abu Bakr announced the beginning of the collection of the Qur'an throughout Medina and called on the inhabitants who had written records of the Qur'an to hand them over to the mosque of Zaid. The records were monitored by Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, who knew which of them were checked by the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. The evidence of authenticity was two identical records of verses. And they were then compared with the third - the knowledge of Zaid ibn Thabit, who was one of the best hafiz of his time.

Thus, through the joint efforts of the best of Muslims, the Koran was compiled into a single text (mus-haf). This copy was kept by the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), Hafsa, may Allah be pleased with her, until the reign of the third Caliph Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him.

During his reign, disagreements arose regarding the correct reading of the Holy Book. Then Osman, may Allah be pleased with him, assembled a commission of the best experts in the Qur'an, the chairman of which was Zaid ibn Thabit. They reproduced a copy of the Qur'an collected during the time of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, and sent it to all the main centers of the Caliphate.