Introduction
It is well known to the Muslim community that the whole Quran was placed into prophet Muhammad’s soul in a special night known as a Night of the Power (laylat al-qadr) in 13 B.H (609 A.D.) when he, the soul not the body was taken to the ultimate point (al-muntahaa). Subsequently, the angel Gabriel helped the prophet release a few verses of the Quran at a time from his soul to his memory over the time period of 23 years to place the entire Quran into his memory to read it piece by piece to his contemporary people. Hence, the sending down of the Quran took place in 2 different methods: (1) the whole Quran was placed into the prophet’s soul on the night of 27th of Ramadan in 13 B.H (609 A.D) is the inspiration and (2) the Holy Spirit (Gabriel) came down with it piece by piece to gradually release it from prophet’s soul to his memory (heart) to read it to the people is the revelation of the Quran. The prophet wrote down and memorized the verses just released into his mind and also have them memorize by some of his associates. However, when the prophet died (632 A.D), he left the complete Quran written down with his own hand in the chronological order of revelation along with specific instructions as to where to place every verse and surah including the surah names. The divine instructions recorded by the prophet were designed to put the Quran together into its final format as we see it today:
The inspiration of the whole Quran
The journey of the prophet to the farthest sacred place to receive the whole Quran and the process of sending down Quran are still not clear to many of us. Let us confirm the process of revealing the Quran from the relevant verses of Quran as God has taught us that Quran has answers of all our questions and concern (75:18-19):
- The Quran has been sent down in the month of Ramadan as a guidance for the people, the clear guidance and the statute book, and fasting is decreed in the entire month to glorify God through which He has guided us so that we may be grateful to Him:
[2:185] Ramadan which is a month, has been sent down in it the Quran as a guidance for the people, and clear proofs of the guidance and the statute book; so, whoever among you has witnessed the month, then he should fast in it, and whoever has been ill or on a journey then the prescribed number from other days, God wishes ease for you and He does not wish hardship for you, and that you may complete the prescribed number; and that you may glorify God through which He has guided you and that you may appreciate.
Note: Here is the commandment of God for fasting during the entire month of Ramadan to send down the Quran in it as well as for glorifying God through which He has guided us so that we can be grateful to Him.
- The prophet was taken to a place of the farthest height from the earth to show him certain divine signs:
[17:1] Glory to One who had taken His servant (Muhammad) by night from the Sacred Masjid (of Mecca) to the farthest sacred place, which we had blessed surroundings of it that we show him of our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearer, the Seer.
Note: This is the only verse in the Quran, which refers to the prophet’s journey by night mentioning the night in the masculine gender specifying origination and destination. However, Muhammad, the soul, not the body was taken to the farthest sacred place at the speed of million times faster than the speed of light appraising the distance.
- The Quran has been sent down in a blessed night clarifying every matter of wisdom in it followed by an oath of God consisting of two statements including (1) a set of Quranic initial consisting of two Arabic letters, Ha. Meem and (2) the clarified scripture:
[44:1] (By) Ha. Meem
[44:2] And the clarified scripture.
[44:3] Indeed, we have sent down it (Quran) in a night of blessing, indeed, we have been warners.
[44:4] In it (the blessed night), every wise matter is made clear.
Note: The masculine object pronoun (hu) in 44:3 refers to the Quran while the female object pronoun (haa) in 44:4 refers to the blessed night. This gender difference provides a hint to eliminate any confusion from our heart to avoid any misinterpretation between the Quran and the blessed night while God has used the royal first person plural in 44:3 involving His angels.
- It was divine inspiration by the Most Powerful God who inspired what was to be inspired to the prophet’s soul. The prophet was brought closer to Him as He had made it. The inspiration process (4-10) along with what was given to the prophet and what he saw in the ultimate point (11-18) are described in the following verses of the Quran, while the whole environment was awesome at the ultimate point near a Garden of the Abode where he saw great signs of God:
[53:4] It is not but an inspiration (what) was inspired.
[53:5] He (God) has taught him (Muhammad) with strength of the power.
[53:6] Possessor of all power that He has established (for Himself).
[53:7] And He has been in the Horizon of the High.
[53:8] Then He had approached that He came down.
[53:9] So He has been at a closer distance or nearer.
[53:10] Then He has inspired to His servant (Muhammad) what He has inspired.
[53:11] The heart (soul of Muhammad) has not erred what it had seen.
[53:12] Would you then differ from him (Muhammad) what he sees?
[53:13] And certainly, he has seen him in another descent (of God).
[53:14] Near a Lote Tree of the ultimate point (al-muntahaa).
[53:15] Near of it is a Garden of the Refuge.
[53:16] When it covers the Lote Tree what it should cover.
[53:17] The vision has not swerved, nor has it gone wrong.
[53:18] Certainly, he has seen of the great signs of his Lord.
Note: The verses 4-18 exclusively confirm that the divine inspiration took place at the ultimate point by God Himself. The distance between the earth and the ultimate point is billions of Light Years but this event has been made possible by bringing the soul of the prophet not the prophet physically close to Him mediated by the angels. It is also mention-worthy that God came down from the highest height (the Horizon of the High) 2nd time after He had a direct conversation with Moses at Mount Sinai coming down to the earth.
- God has described His great work indicating the night to be awesome for completing the process of revealing the Quran involving the Gabriel and the angels in a single night calling it to be “A Night of the Power”. Thus, He has made the night better than a thousand-month while the angels and the Spirit descend with all commands to complete the process before the dawn:
[97:1] Indeed, we have sent down it (Quran) in a Night of the Power.
[97:2] And what have you made known what a Night of the Power is?
[97:3] A Night of the Power is better than a thousand months.
[97:4] The angels and the Spirit (Gabriel) descend in it by permission of their Lord with every command.
[97:5] Peace it is until an advent of the dawn.
Note: The process of completion of sending down the entire Quran is described to pay our proper attention to use it as our guidance while the ritual around the revelation of the Quran is decreed in 2:185, which is fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. The completion of the process before the dawn indicates that the event took place between the night prayer and the dawn prayer so that the prophet did not miss any prayer, and we may also reflect on the importance of the salat prayer to establish it in a timely manner for nourishing our soul.
Mathematical confirmation
There are 26 verses across 5 surahs in the Quran covering different aspects of the event of sending down the entire Quran. If the relevant surah and verse numbers are added, the total is a multiple of 19 => 589 = 19x31 as shown below:
Note: Out of 5 surahs, al-Qadr is the only surah that the entire surah has participated in the mathematical confirmation of sending down of the Quran all at once.
The gradual sending down of the Quran
The holy and honest Spirit (Gabriel) brought down it piece by piece from God and passed it to the Prophet, while the honest Prophet read it to the people, which took over a period of about 23 years from 609 to 632 to complete the delivery of the whole Quran. Since both the Gabriel and the prophet are directly connected to read it to the people and their connection are reflected in the following verses of the Quran to understand the process of gradual sending down of the Quran:
[2:97] Say, “Whoever has been enemy to Gabriel, then indeed, he has brought down it (Quran) into your heart by God’s permission confirming that which was before of it, and is a guidance and good news for the believers.”
Note: The Gabriel was an integral part of the process of revealing the Quran required for passing it piece by piece to the prophet so as to read it to the people over a period of time.
[16:2] He sends down the angels with the Spirit (Gabriel) of His command to whomever He wills of His servants that you shall warn that there is no god except I. So, you shall fear Me.
[16:102] The Holy Spirit (Gabriel) has brought down it (Quran) from your Lord with the truth to strengthen those who believe, and is a guidance and good news for the submitters.
[17:85] And they ask you (Muhammad) about the Spirit (Gabriel). Say, “The Spirit (Gabriel) comes by the command of my Lord, and the knowledge you are given is but very little.”
Note: The angels and the Gabriel were not only an integral part of the process of inspiring the whole Quran to place into prophet’s soul by God Himself in the high horizon but they were also an integral part of the process of sending down it for passing it piece by piece to the prophet by His permission, so as to read it to the people over a period of time.
[22:52] And we have not sent before yourself (Muhammad) any messenger nor a prophet except that when he has recited, the devil has cast in his recitation while God nullifies what the devil cast. Then God establishes His verses, and God is Knower, Wise.
Note: From the historical view the Gabriel was confirmed to be an integral part of the process of revealing the Quran required for passing it piece by piece to the prophet so as to read it to the people by God’s permission, even to maintain the purity of the revealed Quran.
[26:192] And indeed, it (Quran) is surely, a revelation from Lord of the worlds.
[26:193] The trustworthy Spirit (Gabriel) has descended with it (Quran).
[26:194] Into your (Muhammad) heart that you may be one of the warners.
[26:195] Is clear in Arabic tongue.
[26:196] And indeed, it (Quran) is surely, in scriptures of the previous people.
Note: God is an author of what has been sent down to Muhammad through the trustworthy Gabriel, and He has favored the Arabs in sending down the Quran in Arabic to be believers in it, while it is a sign for those who have been given the scripture to be believers in it as it has been mentioned in their scripture.
[17:106] And a Quran we have divided it that you (Muhammad) can read it to the people over a period of time; and we have sent down it a gradual sending down.
[25:32] And said those who have disbelieved, “Why has not been sent down to him (Muhammad) the Quran all at once?” Thus that we can strengthen your heart with it, and we have recited it a gradual recitation.
[76:23] Indeed, we have sent down to you (Muhammad) the Quran a gradual sending down.
Note: The sending down of the Quran piece by piece took place over a period of time, and it took about 23 years even the Quran all at once was inspired to prophet’s soul on the night of 27th of Ramadan, while upon completion of the inspiration process the whole Quran was down on earth but in prophet’s soul (his subconscious mind).
Mathematical confirmation
There are 13 verses across 7 suras in connection with the mediation of the Gabriel to pass the pieces of the Quran that the prophet read to the people. If the relevant surah and verse numbers are added, the total is a multiple of 19 => 1653 = 19x87 (details are shown in the table below):
Conclusion
26 verses across 5 surahs in the Quran cover the different aspects of the single-night event of revealing the entire Quran while 13 verses across 7 surahs in connection with the mediation of the Gabriel to pass the pieces of the Quran that the prophet read to the people over a period of time. The Quran is honorable and so is the night in which it was revealed being a special just like a thousand-month because of the completion of the process of revealing Quran that took place on the night of 27th of Ramadan in 13 B.H. Muhammad participated in the process driven by God involving Gabriel and the angels while God Himself established at the highest height came down to another descent to place the whole Quran into his soul, while year, month and night as mentioned that we count in the earth.
The different aspects of the single-night event have been found across 5 suras, and we are blessed to detect suras and verses linked with the event. Thus, we have both logical and mathematical proofs to confirm the night being the night of a great event that God has called it the “A Night of the Power”. Thus, what is directly related to the event is God has decreed fasting during the entire month of Ramadan and this is the only rite decreed by God in the Quran in honor of the Night of the Power to purify our souls and express our appreciation for the light He had sent us. However, to earn extra rewards considering Ramadan a blessed month we may plan to intensify our remembrance of God and extend our time to study the Quran to understand God’s teachings and laws in it to follow. But evidences confirm that there is no extra salat nor is there anything like staying up nights during the last ten days of Ramadan to experience the Night of the Power from God except introduced by tradition.
In addition, there had been some confusion around the Muslim arena for long about a Night of Blessing but God has blessed us with the knowledge to confirm it on the night of 27th Ramadan from the very surah that has described the significance and the process of revealing the Quran involving the angels and the Gabriel. There is also a 2-fold confirmation from the occurrences of the phrase “laylat al-qadr” (a Night of the Power) in the sura and the gematrical values of the Arabic letters that spell out the phrase. This confirmation would help us eliminate any misconceptions or rituals around the night introduced by traditions are being practiced down the generations, while this study may help them to get rid of them.
Quran was released gradually over the time period of 23 years to move it in pieces from the prophet’s soul (heart) to his memory to facilitate his memorization as well as to share it with the people around him. Thus, the angels and the Gabriel were an integral part of the process of revealing the Quran required for passing it piece by piece to the prophet so as to read it to the people as well. A perfect Arabic Quran, a revelation from Lord of the worlds was delivered as a guidance and bearer of good news for the submitters and the believers. While the delivery of the pure Quran was confirmed eliminating the two verses recited by the prophet being inspired by the Satan after the verses, 19 & 20 of the surah 53 (al-Najm), which has the reference to the verse 52 of the surah 22 (al-Hajj) can be reflected to be a historical event.
We are blessed with the knowledge to mathematically confirm many of our given rites, commandments and the crucial events to remove any traces of doubt from our hearts, and God willing, we have the same opportunity to apply that to confirm both the events: (1) the one-night event of inspiring the entire Quran and (2) the gradual bringing down of the Quran piece by piece over the period of 23 years to release it from the prophet’s soul to his heart (his memory) to facilitate his memorization as well as to share it with the people around him either. This would help us to avoid many misconceptions around the revelation of the Quran and the journey of the prophet to the ultimate point (al-muntahaa) near a Garden of the Refuge (jannatu al-mawaa) if we can reflect to the proven facts.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (6/29/2018).