By Sarah Hannan
Revealed to Prophet Mohamed in the month of Ramadan of 610 by the Archangel Gabriel (Jibril), the Quran (meaning recitation) functioned as an aural/oral scripture. Being illiterate, the Prophet could not write or read himself. Therefore, the verses that were revealed to him by Archangel Gabriel were memorised and then recited to his followers.
The verses present today, in the holy book, were compiled over a period of 23 years, and around 42 scribes had written these verses first on paper, cloth, bone fragments, and leather during that time period. Many others knew the verses by heart (qari) during that time.
After the passing of Prophet Mohamed, the Quran still remained in bits and pieces. The real threat of losing it was felt when 70 people who knew the Quran by heart were killed during the battle of Yamama. The caliph of that time, Abu Bakr, received a request from Umar ibn al-Khattab to compile the Quran into a book before the remaining traces of it were destroyed.
A 12-person delegation under the leadership of Zaid ibn Thabit, one of the leading scribes at the time, came together at Umar ibn al-Khattab’s residence and collated all the materials on which verses from the Quran were written. In addition, the verses memorised by the companions were heard as well. Each of them was asked to show two witnesses for the verse they read.
Once compiled, the Quran was arranged into 114 surahs that represented a chapter of the book. The teaching of the Quran is considered to be the core of Islamic tradition and has become a subject of debate among Islamic and non-Islamic scholars over the years.
The Sunday Morning spoke to Moulavi at the Dawatagaha Mosque Hafiz Ehsan Qadiri to gain clarity of often misinterpreted verses of the Quran.
“At the time Prophet Mohamed received the verses of the Quran, the majority of the Arabs were following multiple religions and beliefs. They were worshiping multiple deities and were blinded by their traditional beliefs. When he started to preach, only a handful believed and followed his way of life. He and his followers were constantly attacked for reciting verses in public areas.”
Surah At-Tawbah Chapter 9 verses 4-6 is linked to a battle during which the Prophet received instructions by Allah to sign a treaty with the non-Muslims to maintain peace:
*Other than those polytheists with whom you had a treaty, and they have not diminished anything from your treaty nor supported anyone against you* – therefore fulfil their treaty up to the appointed term; indeed Allah befriends the pious.
Then when the sacred months have passed, slay the polytheists wherever you find them, and catch them and make them captive, and wait in ambush for them at every place; *then if they repent and keep the prayer established and pay the charity, leave their way free; indeed Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.*
*And O dear Prophet (Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), if a polytheist seeks your protection, give him protection so that he may hear the Word of Allah, and then transport him to his place of safety*; this is because they are an unwise people.
The verse instructs that once a treaty is signed, the terms should be honoured to its last day. At the end of the treaty they may take their enemies hostage, and if they repent their crimes, they are to be pardoned. Even after that, if they request a Muslim to protect them and provide him safe passage, oblige.
Furthermore, while the Quran allows a person to defend themselves, it recognises killing another person as a grave crime and saving another as a great deed, which is reflected in Surah Al-Ma’idah Chapter 5 Verse 32:
For this reason; *We decreed for the Descendants of Israel that whoever kills a human being except in lieu of killing or causing turmoil in the earth, so it shall be as if he had killed all mankind; and whoever saves the life of one person, is as if he had saved the life of all mankind*; and undoubtedly Our Noble Messengers came to them with clear proofs – then after this indeed many of them are oppressors in the earth.
Surah Al-An’am Chapter 6 Verse 108 reflects on how Muslims should be respectful towards non-Muslims who follow a different religion:
*Do not abuse those whom they worship besides Allah lest they become disrespectful towards Allah’s Majesty*, through injustice and ignorance; likewise, in the eyes of every nation, we have made their deeds appear good – then towards their Lord they have to return and He will inform them of what they used to do.
Taken out of context
President’s Counsel Ali Sabry, sharing some insight on what the Quran teaches the Muslims, stated: “The content of the Quran did not come to mankind as a compiled document by God. It was a series of conversations that took place between Prophet Mohamed and Allah which took place through Gabriel (Jibril) over a period of 23 years. It was instructions given by Allah from time to time through Gabriel, and if people are to pick and decipher sections of the Quran it is going to be taken out of context.”
He further stated that over the years, the verses of the Quran were misread and misinterpreted. To fully understand the content, one must read the book in its entirety, as well as to understand the time period it was revealed to Prophet Mohamed. It is not a text book or a catalogue that you could just turn to refer to a particular situation and find out what it is and apply that to the present time.
“For a person to understand, a person should read the whole book. In the present time, there are various translations of the Quran that have been done over the years. To understand its context, one might have to read several versions of the translations,” he added.
It is the responsibility of Islamic scholars to clarify and teach the Muslims as to what it actually means. When it comes to the so-called hate clauses, what the reader does is that they take it out of context and say it is what the Quran says.
Even the Old Testament of the Holy Bible had many incidents of violence, but with the revisions, those situations have been taken out. Likewise, even when a person reads the Quran, one must understand that some of the situations are referred to in the past context and that should not be taken out of context.
Revealed to Prophet Mohamed in the month of Ramadan of 610 by the Archangel Gabriel (Jibril), the Quran (meaning recitation) functioned as an aural/oral scripture. Being illiterate, the Prophet could not write or read himself. Therefore, the verses that were revealed to him by Archangel Gabriel were memorised and then recited to his followers.
The verses present today, in the holy book, were compiled over a period of 23 years, and around 42 scribes had written these verses first on paper, cloth, bone fragments, and leather during that time period. Many others knew the verses by heart (qari) during that time.
After the passing of Prophet Mohamed, the Quran still remained in bits and pieces. The real threat of losing it was felt when 70 people who knew the Quran by heart were killed during the battle of Yamama. The caliph of that time, Abu Bakr, received a request from Umar ibn al-Khattab to compile the Quran into a book before the remaining traces of it were destroyed.
A 12-person delegation under the leadership of Zaid ibn Thabit, one of the leading scribes at the time, came together at Umar ibn al-Khattab’s residence and collated all the materials on which verses from the Quran were written. In addition, the verses memorised by the companions were heard as well. Each of them was asked to show two witnesses for the verse they read.
Once compiled, the Quran was arranged into 114 surahs that represented a chapter of the book. The teaching of the Quran is considered to be the core of Islamic tradition and has become a subject of debate among Islamic and non-Islamic scholars over the years.
The Sunday Morning spoke to Moulavi at the Dawatagaha Mosque Hafiz Ehsan Qadiri to gain clarity of often misinterpreted verses of the Quran.
“At the time Prophet Mohamed received the verses of the Quran, the majority of the Arabs were following multiple religions and beliefs. They were worshiping multiple deities and were blinded by their traditional beliefs. When he started to preach, only a handful believed and followed his way of life. He and his followers were constantly attacked for reciting verses in public areas.”
Surah At-Tawbah Chapter 9 verses 4-6 is linked to a battle during which the Prophet received instructions by Allah to sign a treaty with the non-Muslims to maintain peace:
*Other than those polytheists with whom you had a treaty, and they have not diminished anything from your treaty nor supported anyone against you* – therefore fulfil their treaty up to the appointed term; indeed Allah befriends the pious.
Then when the sacred months have passed, slay the polytheists wherever you find them, and catch them and make them captive, and wait in ambush for them at every place; *then if they repent and keep the prayer established and pay the charity, leave their way free; indeed Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.*
*And O dear Prophet (Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him), if a polytheist seeks your protection, give him protection so that he may hear the Word of Allah, and then transport him to his place of safety*; this is because they are an unwise people.
The verse instructs that once a treaty is signed, the terms should be honoured to its last day. At the end of the treaty they may take their enemies hostage, and if they repent their crimes, they are to be pardoned. Even after that, if they request a Muslim to protect them and provide him safe passage, oblige.
Furthermore, while the Quran allows a person to defend themselves, it recognises killing another person as a grave crime and saving another as a great deed, which is reflected in Surah Al-Ma’idah Chapter 5 Verse 32:
For this reason; *We decreed for the Descendants of Israel that whoever kills a human being except in lieu of killing or causing turmoil in the earth, so it shall be as if he had killed all mankind; and whoever saves the life of one person, is as if he had saved the life of all mankind*; and undoubtedly Our Noble Messengers came to them with clear proofs – then after this indeed many of them are oppressors in the earth.
Surah Al-An’am Chapter 6 Verse 108 reflects on how Muslims should be respectful towards non-Muslims who follow a different religion:
*Do not abuse those whom they worship besides Allah lest they become disrespectful towards Allah’s Majesty*, through injustice and ignorance; likewise, in the eyes of every nation, we have made their deeds appear good – then towards their Lord they have to return and He will inform them of what they used to do.
Taken out of context
President’s Counsel Ali Sabry, sharing some insight on what the Quran teaches the Muslims, stated: “The content of the Quran did not come to mankind as a compiled document by God. It was a series of conversations that took place between Prophet Mohamed and Allah which took place through Gabriel (Jibril) over a period of 23 years. It was instructions given by Allah from time to time through Gabriel, and if people are to pick and decipher sections of the Quran it is going to be taken out of context.”
He further stated that over the years, the verses of the Quran were misread and misinterpreted. To fully understand the content, one must read the book in its entirety, as well as to understand the time period it was revealed to Prophet Mohamed. It is not a text book or a catalogue that you could just turn to refer to a particular situation and find out what it is and apply that to the present time.
“For a person to understand, a person should read the whole book. In the present time, there are various translations of the Quran that have been done over the years. To understand its context, one might have to read several versions of the translations,” he added.
It is the responsibility of Islamic scholars to clarify and teach the Muslims as to what it actually means. When it comes to the so-called hate clauses, what the reader does is that they take it out of context and say it is what the Quran says.
Even the Old Testament of the Holy Bible had many incidents of violence, but with the revisions, those situations have been taken out. Likewise, even when a person reads the Quran, one must understand that some of the situations are referred to in the past context and that should not be taken out of context.