Quranic Sciences

Sequence of Revelation
Adopted by : al-shia Network

Another miracle of the Quran that has been described in detail in various books is the sequence of revelation. The Quran was revealed to our Beloved Prophet (PBUH) over a 23 year period from 610 CE to 633 CE. The Revelation of the Quran was in response to various events and questions people had from the Prophet (PBUH) in addition to Allah’s (SWT) commandments. Spiritual issues were revealed more in the first 13 years while the Prophet was in Mecca (occupies latter part of the Quran). Various Islamic laws mostly revealed after Hijra during the Medina period (occupies the first part of the Quran). The Quran revealed like a “jig saw puzzle”. The first 5 Ayeh revealed was 96:1-5 (then Sura 8 except few Ayeh, Sura 73 except a few Ayehs, Sura 74, Sura 1, Sura 111 and last Sura revealed was Sura 110, Sura 9 Ayeh 128-129, Sura 5 Ayeh 3, a few Ayehs every few days. Sura Baghara (Sura 2) was completed over 9 years. As various Ayehs would be revealed, the Prophet (PBUH) would utter it and a few people like Ali or Zaid, etc. would write it down on a parchment or bone. Then the Prophet (PBUH) would tell them what is the name of the Sura or the number for the Ayat.

Every year in the month of Ramazan, Angel Gabriel (SA) would come down and review the Quran’s sequence with the Prophet (PBUH) and the people would memorize it as it was revealed. Therefore, more than 6346 Ayehs over a 23 year period would be impossible for an unlettered man (the Prophet did not know how to write or read) to memorize, compile and, at the end, the Quran would read so beautifully without one excess word or letter. The existing Quran was compiled during Osman Khelafat 15 years after the Prophet’s death (25 AH) and the original copy still exists in the Turkish Museum, unchanged and untouched by human hands.

Therefore, our beloved Prophet (PBUH) could not have been the source of the Quran because that, humanly, is impossible and it was Allah’s revelation to the Prophet (PBUH) and he would utter it and yearly will review it with Gabriel (SA) to make sure everything was correct.