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CHAPTER
3
Did the Messenger Receive other Wahi besides the Qur'an?
People quote the following verses
of the Qur’an without reference to the rest of the Qur’an to
imply that everything that the Prophet said was wahi from
Allah:
“Nor does he say
(aught) of (his own) Desire. It is no less than inspiration sent
down to him” (53:3-4)
The Qur’an explains it very
clearly that the speech of the Prophet that is by wahi is
nothing else but the Qur’an. Allah has made clear distinction
between the Prophet’s ordinary human speech and the
“wahi” that he is reciting. We see that Allah admonishes
the Prophet in the Qur’an at several places. Here are a few
examples:
“Allah pardon
you! Why did you give them leave until those who spoke the truth
had become manifest to you and you had known the liars?” (9:43)
In the above ayah the
messenger of God is admonished as to why he had given permission
to the Hypocrites until the truthful people were made distinct
from the liars. Had everything spoken by him been a revelation
from God, then the above Qur’anic revelation would not have
opposed the speech of the messenger in which he had given the
permission to the Hypocrites for non-participation in Jihad. This
is evidence that not everything that the Messenger
did or said was by wahi.
Then we further see in the Qur’an
that Allah says to the Prophet:
“O Nabi! Why do
you forbid (yourself) that which Allah has made lawful for you;
you seek to please your wives; and Allah is Forgiving,
Merciful.”(66:1)
Here Allah admonishes the Prophet
for forbidding something for himself that Allah did not
forbid. This verse again establishes that the Prophet often acted
on his own initiative as a human being without the
revelation of Allah. If everything he did or say was by wahi,
he would not be admonished by Allah in the Qur’an
for saying something that Allah did not want him to say.
Now we look at the Qur’anic
evidence that the revelation (wahi) that was
being sent down (nazzala) to the Messenger was nothing else
but the Qur’an. We read an objection raised by the rejecter that
when an ayah is not revealed to the Prophet why doesn’t
he create one by himself:
“And when you
bring not a verse for them they say: Why have you not chosen
it?” (7:203)
If everything that
the Messenger said was revelation, this objection
would be meaningless as everything he is saying to them is
“revelation”.
Then Allah challenges people to
produce something similar to the revelation being sent down on the
Messenger. Let us read these challenges:
“And if you are
in doubt concerning that which We reveal to Our slave (Muhammad),
then bring a Surah similar to it, and call your witnesses beside
Allah if you are truthful.” (2:23)
Here we notice that as a challenge
to what Allah reveals to His slave, the people are
told to bring a surah. Was the ordinary speech of
the Messenger composed of surahs (chapters). Is
there any other book in the world besides the Qur’an, which is
composed of surahs? The answer is no. Even
the books of Hadith are not composed of surahs. Only the Qur’an
is composed of surahs. Thus, Allah’s challenge to <fa'tu_
bisu_ratim mim mislih> “then bring a surah similar
to it” against <mimma_ nazzalna_ 'ala_ 'abdina> "that
which We reveal unto Our slave", establishes that what Allah
is revealing to His slave is composed of surahs, i.e. it is
the Qur’an.
Then again Allah challenges:
“Or, do they say:
He has forged it. Say: Then bring ten forged chapters like it <fa'tu_
bi 'ashri suwarim mislihi muftaraya_ tiw> and call upon whom
you can besides Allah, if you are truthful.” (11:13)
Then we see that the hypocrites
were afraid that a surah might be revealed to show their
hypocrisy. The Prophet’s ordinary speech was always present, but
the Qur’an tells us that it was a surah that they
were afraid would reveal their hypocrisy:
“The hypocrites
fear lest a Surah (chapter of the Qur’an) should be sent down to
them telling them plainly of what is in their hearts. Say: Go on
mocking, surely Allah will bring forth what you fear.” (9:64)
Not only the hypocrites but the
believers also used to wait for surahs to see Allah’s
commandment. If everything that the Messenger was saying was wahi,
then they did not have to wait for a surah:
“And those who
believe say: Why has not a Surah (chapter of the Qur’an) been
revealed? But when a decisive chapter is revealed, and fighting is
mentioned therein you see those in whose hearts is a disease look
to you with the look of one fainting because of death. Woe to them
then!” (47:20)
Then Allah forbids people from
asking questions after the revelation of the Qur’an is
completed:
“O you who
believe! Do not put questions about things which if declared to
you may trouble you, and if you question about them when the Quran
is being revealed, they shall be declared to you; Allah pardons
this, and Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing.” (5:101)
Here people are allowed to ask the
questions as long as the Qur’an is being revealed. Allah says
that while the Qur’an is being revealed He will declare the
answers to them. If there were other “revelations” coming to
the Prophet besides the Qur’an, the above restriction would not
have been made as Allah could “reveal” the answers to the
Prophet via “other revelations” even after the Qur’an was
completed. This proves that there were no other revelations
besides the Qur’an.
Allah confirms what He is revealing
to the Messenger:
“And We have not
taught him poetry, nor is it meet for him; it is nothing but a
reminder and a plain Quran, that it may warn him who would have
life, and (that) the word may prove true against the
unbelievers”. (Qur’an 36:69-70)
“And thus have We
revealed to you an Arabic Quran, <auhaina_ ilaika qur a_nan
arabiy yan> that you may warn the mother city and those around
it, and that you may give warning of the day of gathering together
wherein is no doubt; a party shall be in the garden and (another)
party in the burning fire.” (42:7)
The Messenger himself is made to
confirm that the wahi he is receiving is the Qur’an:
“And this Quran
has been revealed to me <u_hiya ilayya ha_zal qur'a_n> that
with it I may warn you and whomsoever it reaches” (6:19)
qul innama_
attabi'u ma_ yu_ha_ ilayya mir rabbi, ha_za_ basa_'iru mir
rabbikum wa hudaw wa rahmatul liqaumiy yu'minu_n(a).Wa iza_
quri'al qur'a_nu fastami'u_ lahu_ wa ansitu_ la'allakum
turhamu_n(a)
“Say: I follow
only that which is inspired in me from my Sustainer. This (Qur'an)
is insight from your Sustainer, and a guidance and a mercy for a
people that believe. And when the Qur'an is recited, give ear to
it and pay heed, that you may obtain mercy.” (7:203-204)
Here the Messenger is made to say
that the wahi he is receiving is the Qur’an.
Then Allah reminds the Prophet that
he is to warn only by the Qur’an. If his other speech was also
by wahi, then Allah would not have told him to remind by
the Qur’an:
“We know best
what they say, and you are not one to compel them; therefore
remind him by means of the Quran who fears My promise.” (Qur’an
50:45
“And to rehearse
the Qur’an: and if any accept Guidance, they do it for the good
of their own souls; and if any astray, say: ‘I am only a warner’”.
(Qur’an 27:92).
Then Allah further clarifies that
the dhikr that the Messenger is receiving is like
poetry. He defends His Messenger saying:
“And We have not
taught him poetry, nor is it meet for him; it is nothing but a
reminder and a plain Quran.<Dhikrun wa Qur’an un mubeen>”(36:69)
Here dhikr is something that
was recited (as it is defended as not being
poetry). The Prophet’s ordinary speech was not in
poetry form.
Thus in the light of the above
evidence it is clear that the ordinary speech of the Prophet was
not by wahi, but it was the Qur’an that was by wahi and
it was the Qur’an that Allah is talking about in the following
verse:
“By the evidence
of the star when it goes down. Your companion does not err, nor
does he go astray; Nor does he speak out of desire. It is naught
but revelation that is revealed. <In huwa il la_ wahyu yu_ha>”
(53:1-4)
In addition to the Qur’anic
evidence, the books of Hadith also refute this baseless claim that
the Messenger was receiving other revelations besides the Qur’an:
Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 52, Number
283:
Narrated Abu Juhaifa:
I asked Ali, “Do you have the knowledge of any Divine
Inspiration besides what is in Allah's Book?" 'Ali replied,
"No, by Him Who splits the grain of corn and creates the
soul. I don't think we have such knowledge, but we have the
ability of understanding which Allah may endow a person with, so
that he may understand the Qur'an, and we have what is written in
this paper as well.” I asked, “What is written in this
paper?” He replied, “(The regulations of) blood-money, the
freeing of captives, and the judgment that no Muslim should be
killed for killing an infidel.”
The above evidence contradicts all
claims of the people that the Prophet received other revelations
besides the Qur’an.
continue with chapter 4
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