Download The revelation of the Qur`an

1.10 The meaning and importance of belief in Islamic teaching on the revelation of the
Qur’an to Muhammad (pbuh)
The Night of Power (Laylat al-Qadr)
It was during the month of Ramadan when the prophet Muhammad
(pbuh), now aged forty years, sat meditating in a cave on Mount Hira,
when he received the first revelation of the Qur'an from Angel Jibril
(Gabriel). This night is known as 'Laylat al-Qadr' - The Night of Power.
The angel commanded him to "read", the prophet said that he could not
read, again he was ordered, on the third attempt the angel said,
‘Read in the name of thy Lord, who Createth man from a drop of blood. Read: and thy Lord is Most
Generous: Who teacheth man the use of the pen, and teacheth him that which he knew not before.’
(Surah 96: 1-5)
According to Islamic traditions, Muhammad continued to receive these revelations from Allah from
the age of 40, via the angel Jibril, over the last 23 years of his life. The content of these
revelations, known as the Qur'an, was memorized and recorded by his followers and compiled
from dozens of hafiz (Muslims who have memorized the Qur’an) as well as other various
parchments or animal hides into a single volume shortly after his death. Within Islam, Muhammad
(pbuh) is considered the last and most important prophet of God.
Why is the revelation of the Qur’an to Muhammad so important for Muslims?
The revelation of the Qur’an to Muhammad (pbuh) is extremely important because:
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The first words of the Qur’an were revealed by Allah to Muhammad (pbuh) and he became
the ‘seal of the prophets.’ Muhammad had received God’s final revelation for humanity
The Qur’an contains the exact words of Allah because they were engraved in the
prophet’s heart. Allah had revealed to Muhammad His perfect message for humanity that
would be valid until the day of Resurrection
It was the beginning of many such revelations which went on for 23 years and formed the
whole Qur’an. Muhammad is seen as the restorer of the ‘true’ monotheistic faith that had
been corrupted or misinterpreted over time
For Muslims, this is the great miracle of Islam. The Qur’an contains Allah’s true guidance
and the means by which way humans can achieve salvation and reach paradise
Muslims hold that the message of Islam is the same as the message preached by all the
messengers sent by God to humanity since Adam. From an Islamic point of view, Islam is the
oldest of the monotheistic religions because it represents both the original and the final revelation
of God to Ibrahim, Musa, Dawud, Isa, and Muhammad. Muslims believe that the Qur'an contains
the direct words of God.
Muhammad's revelations form the holy book of Islam, the Qur'an. The Qur'an is believed by
Muslims to be the flawless final revelation of God to humanity, valid until the day of the
Resurrection. Muslims do not see Muhammad (pbuh) as the founder of a new religion but as the
restorer of the original monotheistic faith of Adam, Ibrahim and other prophets whose messages
had become misinterpreted or corrupted over time.
Exam Question
Explain why the revelation of the Qur’an to Muhammad is so important to Muslims.
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