Session 2023-24

Subject: Islamiyat
Week: 4
 The History and
importance of Holy
Quran
Chapter 2 page no. 28- 49
 Learning objectives

• To gain knowledge of the revelation of the Qur’an,

including features, stages and examples

• To understand the roles played by different people

in the Compilation of the Qur’an

• To consider the importance of having a written Qur’an

• To consider the different ways in which the Qur’an

is important
 Lesson 1
C.W: Chapter 2: The History and
Importance of Quran
Topic: The Holy Quran

Resources: Textbook and

manuscript
 About The Holy Quran
● Holy quran is the word of Allah

● Holy Quran is the final and universal revelation of Almighty Allah revealed upon Prophet Muhammad PBUH for
the guidance of humanity

● Holy Quran has different divine names i.e. Al Furqan, Al Dihikr etc.

● Holy Quran tells us about

○ God, His attributes
○ Man position in the universe, Man’s aim in life or life hereafter, how to attain the aim
○ How he stand in relation to God and his fellow beings
○ Details of what one should believe and how it should be put into practice
○ Described the next life
○ Histories of previous prophets
○ Events from life of Holy Prophet Pbuh
○ Logical arguments to disaprove false beliefs of all kinds
○ Guidance , laws and regulations
The order of Quran is termed as ‘Tawfiqi’

The Quran is divided into:

Surahs 1

2 Ayahs
 The Quran

Revelations

1 2

Makkan Madinite
Revealed before Revealed after
Prophet’s migration to Prophet’s migration to
Madina Madina
 The Quran infographics
Makkan Surahs Madinite Surahs
From 610 A.D to 622 A.D From 622 A.D to 632 A.D

85 29
Surahs Surahs
 The difference between Makkan and Madinite
Surahs
• The Makki surahs were generally brief.
• They dealt with belief in Allah and other Articles of
faith and contained teachings to develop ones
moral character. '
• The Madni surahs, on the other hand, dealt with
the pillars of Islam and social duties and
obligations of Muslims.
• Makki surahs used a stronger vocabulary and
language as compared to Madni Surahs.
The Revelation of the Qur’an to the
Prophet between the years 610 and 632:
The Holy Quran was not entirely revealed at once but in steps.

Because if the revelations had been revealed at once, it would have put a lot of stress on the
Prophet and would have over burdened him.

Similarly, different verses were revealed to address different situations and solve different problems
that were under consideration.

The last revelation received by him was in the Plains of Arafat after he had performed the Hajj and
delivered the sermon: “…this day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favor
upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion…”
Modes of revelation of the Holy Quran

THROUGH JIBREEL A.S

ON THE HEART OF HOLY
PROPHET

IN THE FORM OF A
RINGING BELL

IN THE DREAMS OF THE DIRECTLY FROM GOD

HOLY PROPHET PBUH
 Lesson 2
C.W: Chapter 2: Topic:
Preservation of the Holy Quran
Compilation of the Holy Quran
Q5 Book pg.49 in manuscript

Resources: textbook and

manuscript

H.W: Complete Q5 in
manuscript
 Preservation of the Holy Quran
Compilation of Quran
The words of the Quran were collected as they were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad,
committed to memory by the early Muslims, and recorded in writing by scribes.

During Life Of Holy Prophet(S.A.W)

As the Quran was being revealed, the Prophet Muhammad made special arrangements to ensure
that it was written down. Although the Prophet Muhammad himself could neither read nor write, he
dictated the verses orally and instructed scribes to mark down the revelation on whatever materials
were available: tree branches, stones, leather, and bones. The scribes would then read their writing
back to the Prophet, who would check it for mistakes. With each new verse that was revealed, the
Prophet Muhammad also dictated its placement within the growing body of text.

When the Prophet Muhammad died, the Quran has been fully written down. It was not in book form,
however. It was recorded on different parchments and materials, held in the possession of the
Companions of the Prophet.
 Measures for the preservation of Holy Quran

1 3
Preservation by way
of memorization

Recitation in front of
him or under the Preservation in
2 written form through
supervision of the
competent teacher the scribes
Memorization:
The Prophet (PBUH) used to memorize the Holy Quran after it was
revealed. At the command of Allah almighty, angel Gabriel recited the
Quran to the Prophet (S.A.W).

The Prophet (S.A.W) encouraged his companions to learn the holy

Quran. In this way, the Quran was learned by Muslims.

The Prophet (PBUH) repeated the entire Quran with angel Gabriel
during the month of Ramadan. However, according to a hadith in Sahih
Bukhari, he revised the Quran twice in the year he died.
Writing:
The Quran was written down during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him). After a
revelation, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) asked his companions (scribes) to write down the
revelation.
The Quran was written down on various items, such as:
1. Palm tree branches
2. Bones (of animals such as goats and sheep) and leather
3. Stones
he prominent scribes (R.A) (those who wrote down the Quran) are:
4. Abdullah ibn Masood
5. Ubbay bin Ka’ab
6. Abu Zaid
7. Mu’adh ibn Jabal
8. Zaid bin Thabit
When talking about the compilation of the Quran, you should know that the Holy Quran was
compiled in a book form in the caliphate of Hazrat Abu Bakr, Umar and Usman (R.A). In the
lifetime of the Prophet (PBUH), the Quran was written down but, it was not compiled in a book
form.
Let’s discuss how was the Quran compiled during the Rashidun caliphate.
 Compilation of the Holy Quran under the
Rightly guided Caliphs

1 2 3

During the During the During the

Caliphate of Abu Caliphate of Caliphate Uthman
Bakr R.A Umar R.A R.A
 Hazrat Abu Bakr (R.A) and Hazrat Umar (R.A):
• It all started with the battle of Yamammah. Musailma claimed himself Prophet during the lifetime
of the Prophet (PBUH). After the death of the Prophet (S.A.W), the support of Musailma grew.
• The battle which was fought against him caused the loss of a very large number of Huffaz (people
who had learned the Quran by heart).
• Hazrat Umar (R.A) pondered over the fact that the Huffaz Quran would either be martyred or die
by natural death. Therefore, it was mandatory to compile the Holy Quran so that the future
generations would not be deprived of it.
• Hazrat Umar (R.A) discussed the matter with Hazrat Abu Bakr (R.A). Initially, he was not willing
for this because he claimed that if this task was to be done then, Holy Prophet (S.A.W) would have
done it.
• However, after some time he was convinced. He appointed Hazrat Zaid ibn Thabit to collect the
Quran which was preserved in written form. He himself was a Huffaz and therefore, he counter
checked the inscriptions.
• It is reported in Sahih Bukhari that Hazrat Zaid said that it would be far easier
to carry a mountain on his shoulders than the compilation of the Quran
because it was a very difficult task.
• Hazrat Zaid (R.A) worked tirelessly and collected every single piece of the
Quran varying from leather to stones.

• After the compilation of the Quran, the copy was given to caliph, Hazrat Abu
Bakr (R.A).

• After his death, the copy transferred to the next caliph, Hazrat Umar (R.A)
and after his death, it was kept with Hazrat Hafza bint Umar. This copy is
known as Mushaf-e-Hafza.
 Hazrat Usman (R.A):
• This was the period when the Muslim state expanded. A variation was witnessed in the
recitation of the Quran in the Armenia battles among Muslims from Iraq and Damascus.
• A companion, Hudaifa ibn Yaman, observed this difference in the dialect of reading the
Holy Quran. He immediately approached Hazrat Usman concerning the issue because
this was likely to create a rift between the Muslims.
• Hazrat Usman (R.A) asked Hazrat Hafsa to hand over the original copy of the Holy
Quran. A committee under Zaid bin Thabit was given the task to make perfect copies of
the Quran as follow the dialect of Quraish because Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) was
from amongst them.
• After the preparation of the copies of the Holy Quran, they were dispatched to every
province, one copy of the Quran. All the wrong copies of the Quran were burned on the
order of Hazrat Usman.
• With this, Hazrat Usman managed to unite the Muslim Ummah and he is known as Jami-
al-Quran as he brought Muslims to a uniform reading of the Holy Quran.
 There are various reasons why it was mandatory to
compile the Quran:
It ensured that the future Quran is a source of
generation was not guidance for
Muslims and without
deprived of this “gift from 1 2 Quran, the Muslims
Allah”.
would have gone
astray.

If the Quran was not

compiled, there were • It is not possible for
chances of everyone to learn the
corruption in it but 4 Quran by heart. The
Allah has promised 3 compilation resolved this
to safeguard this issue as well.
book from • It was important to
alternation and compile this Holy book in
corruption. order to unify the Muslims.
 Lesson 3
C.W: Topic: The use of Holy Quran in legal Thinking
(Exam style question)

2 (a) Describe the relationship of Hadiths with the

Qur’an, giving examples of how Hadiths are used
in understanding God’s words. [10]
2.(b) How are Muslims obeying God when they
obey the Prophet? [4]

Resources: Textbook and manuscript

H.W: Complete the answer
 The use of the Holy Quran in legal
• Quran is the first source of Islamic law.
• It is a primary source which is independent of all sources.
• Quran in the divine, eternal and complete word of Allah which is a source of guidance for all Muslims.
• It contains a divine code of conduct for all Muslims which contains teachings for Muslims on how to
lead lives.
• From the Quranic point of view, sovereignty belongs to Allah and therefore, the law formulated by Him
in the form of the Quran is the fundamental law according to which He wants a Muslim to live both in
his private and social life.
• It provides for him the knowledge of right and wrong, of the difference between the straight path and
that which leads him astray.
• The Quranic law deals with beliefs, morality, worship, civil transactions, punishment for intentional
injury to the human body, property and honor etcetera.
• Quoted below, are several injunctions of the Quran which set as guidance for individuals:
• “Come not nigh to the orphan’s property except to improve it”. This verse explicitly speaks on
the importance of how to treat an orphan’s property.
• In matters of inheritance, the Quran lays down regulations for a just distribution
of wealth left behind a deceased person.

• Theft is prohibited and punishment is laid down. Drinking wine, games of

chance and charging interest are prohibited without a penalty being fixed.

• There are laws concerning false accusations, blood money and retaliation: “we
ordained therein for them; life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for
ear, tooth for tooth and wounds equal foe equal…”

• The Quranic law is perpetual and everlasting.

• It does not change with the passage of time.
• It is complete and final because no aspect of human life has been left without
guidance and nothing more is needed to supplement all that is provided by it.
 Implementation of Hadith
• By following the Prophet’s (pbuh) example, for instance in how to
perform salat, Muslims are not only following his instruction but also
fulfilling their obligation to God by completing the second Pillar of
Islam.
• So in this way they are obeying both the Prophet (pbuh) and God.
• Similarly in social life we can fulfill the rights of fellow beings by
implementing the hadiths of the prophet (pbuh).
• For example the Quran emphasizes to take care of the orphans and
warns those who repulse the orphans. This commands can be obeyed
by the implementation of the this hadith. The Prophet (pbuh) said, “ I
and the man who brings up an orphan will be in paradise like this’
and he pointed with his two fingers, the index finger and middle
figure.”
 Lesson 4
C.W: Chapter 2: Topic: The relationship of the Holy Quran
with Hadith (Exam style question)

2 (a) Write about how the Qur’an is used with the other
three sources in Islamic law. [10]
2 (b) How important is the use of ijma’ or qiyas in Islamic
law in present day situations? Give reasons for
your answers. [4]

Resources: Textbook and manuscript

H.W: Complete the answer
The relationship of Holy Quran with Hadith

Quran

Relationship
with Hadith
Relationship
with consensus
Relationship
with
Analogy
 Relationship between Quran and Hadith
From the earliest times, Muslims usually refer to the practice of the
Prophet when they wanted to know exactly how to reach a decision. The
ahadith were always regarded as important source of teaching alongside the
Quran. Allah says,

“So take what the Messenger gives you, and refrain from what he prohibits
you.”.” [59:7]
The Prophet (pbuh) said:
“Behold I have been given the Book and a similar thing (Sunnah) along with
that.”
Particularly among legal experts they became acknowledged as a source
which was second only to the Quran itself. In fact, it was agreed that the divine
revelation from Allah and the words and actions of the Prophet Muhammad
were so closely related, that what the Quran stated in general terms could be
further explained by referring to the Holy Prophet’s ahadith.
1. As all Muslims know, the Quran teaches that Muslims must pay Zakat, the charity tax. This is
usually mentioned in the Quran together with Salat, as an activity of sincere believers.
“And be steadfast in prayer, give the charity tax, and bow down your heads with those who
bow down.” [2:43]
In this example Muslims are encouraged to give Zakat, but they are not told exactly
what they should give, or how they should give it. These details are found in the Hadith of
the Holy Prophet:
“Abu Sa’id al-Khudri narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: No charity tax is due
on property mounting to less than five Uqiya (of silver), and no charity tax is due on
fewer than five camels, and there is no charity tax on fewer than five Wasq(of
wheatgrain).”
[the two words Uqiya and Wasq refer to the measures of weight]
Ahadith such as this helped legal experts to give advice to Muslims about how the
teachings in the Quran about Zakat should be obeyed. They also formed the basis of the
rules about Zakat in the religious law of Islam.
1. In penal law related to theft the Qur’an says,
‘As for the thief both male and female cut off their hands’.(5:38) But it is not
explained, how much of the hand needs to be cut off? Which hand, the left or the
right is to be cut off? The Prophet (pbuh) explained the verse on theft saying, “the
right hand up to the wrist is to be cut off.”

2. The hours of fasting in the month of Ramadan are mentioned in the Quran in these
words, “And eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from
black thread of dawn.” When companions were unable to understand this verse,
the Prophet (P.B.U.H) interpreted by saying that “the white thread refers to day and
black thread refers to the night.”
 In this injunction and elsewhere in the revelation it is not clearly mentioned that what kind of business
transactions are regarded as Riba. The Sunnah explains it clearly:
“We asked the Messenger of Allah about the money exchange, he replied: if it is from hand to
hand , there is no harm in it; otherwise it is not permissible.”
The remarks of the Prophet about the wickedness of Riba (interest) were used by the legal experts
together with the Quran to build a wider picture of what is accepted as trading practice in Islam and
what is condemned.

1. Hadith makes certain exceptions to the general rules as laid down by the Holy Quran. The Quran
made a declaration in general that one may inherit his property to his parents or children.
“It is prescribed, when death approaches any of you, if he leaves any goods, that he
should make a bequest to parents and next of kin.” [2:180]
Hadith has created the exception in the rule by declaring that there will be no transfer of inheritance
between Muslims and non-muslims.
These examples show that Hadiths contain tafsir(interpretation) which are invaluable
guides to key verses in the Quran, and help Muslims understand the words of their
creator better, thus enables them to live their lives in accordance with the tenets of Islam.
 Consensus /Ijma
Meaning and Justification:

According to the principles of Islamic law, ijma is the third source. The word ijma means
“consensus” or “unanimous agreement”. It is related to the same verb as jum’a, Friday, and jami,
mosque. It should be referred to only when there is no clear teaching in the Quran or Sunna.

The use of ijma in legal thinking is based on a number of verses in the Quran, for example
“Thus have We made of you a community justly balanced, that you might be witnesses over the
nation, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves.” [2:143]
“You are the best of people evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right forbidding what is
wrong and believing in Allah.” [3:110]
These and other verses like them indicate that the community has been given authority because it is
upright and follows the guidance of Allah and the example of the Prophet (pbuh).
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) also referred to the importance of following the community, when he said,
“My community will never agree upon an error.” The Holy Prophet to have said, “Gather together
the righteous from among my community and decide the matter by their counsel and do not
decide it by any man’s opinion.” Therefore, from very early times it has been accepted that the
agreed view of the community is binding upon Muslims in legal and more general matters.
.
 Kinds of Ijma:
There are two broad kinds of Ijma. The first is the general agreement of all Muslims in matters of
belief, for example, that the Quran is the most authentic revealed book and that the Prophet (pbuh) was
the best of all creation. This kind of Ijma is the acknowledgment of the beliefs that characterize Islam
and are shared by all believers. The second particularly concerns legal matters and can be defined as the
agreement of a group of Muslims about an issue on which the Quran and Holy Prophet’s Sunnah have
not spoken the final word.

Who is qualified to practice this?

Legal experts have differed over who makes up this ‘group of Muslims’ whose Ijma should be
accepted. Some
said that they should be the companions of the Prophet (pbuh); others that they should be the
people ofMadina; yet others that they should be the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Shi’i Muslims claim that
they should be the descendants of the Holy Prophet (Imams), while others said that they should be the
legal scholars of any generation.
 Qiyas [Analogy]
Meaning
Qiyas actually comes from a verb that means to measure one thing by comparing with
another thing that is similar to it.
“Qiyas is the legal method of deducing one principle from another by comparing them
together.” This is the fourth basis of legal method, according to Sunni Islam, coming after
the Quran, Sunna and Ijma.

Justification from Quran

Qiyas is often also seen in the Quran. The great expert al-Shafi’i for example, cited the verse:
“ Turn then your face in the direction of the Holy Mosque; and wheresoever you are, turn
your faces in
that direction.” (al-Baqara 2:150)
And he argued that you should face the Ka’ba when you can see it, but face in its direction
when you
cannot see it, using reason to determine by the sun, stars, etc. where its direction lies.
 Justification from Hadith
for exercising Qiyas is usually based on the following Ahadith:
When the Prophet (pbuh) sent Mu’adh Ibn Jabal as judge to the Yemen, he
asked him, ‘How will you reach a judgment when a question arises?’
Mu’adh replied, ‘according to the Word of Allah.’
“And if you find nothing therin?” the Prophet asked him.
“According to the Sunnah of the Prophet,” he answered.
“And if you find nothing therein?
“Then I will exert myself to form my own judgement”, Mu’az replied.
The Holy Prophet’s response was: “Praise be to Allah who has guided the messenger of His
Prophet to that which pleases His Prophet.” (Abu DaudTimizi)

Method
This example takes us into the method used in Qiyas, the drawing of comparisons or
analogies between two principles. The experts identified these elements as being necessary
to a sound analogy:
 The fundamental teaching (asl, root)
 The new matter in question (far’, branch)
 The linking cause that connects them (‘illa).
 By relating these together it is possible to arrive at the new judgement, the hukm.
 Importance of Ijma and Qiyas
• New rulings can be formed for any new circumstance, based on
their basic similarity with the basic laws of the Qur’an and
sunna. In this way the divine laws revealed in the Qur’an and
sunna remain unchanged without becoming outdated.
• The fundamental laws were made by God who created man
and knows what’s best for him at all times. For changing
aspects of human life, the Qur’an and sunna provide basic
principles which may be applied by analogy whenever the
need arises
• such as smoking, using the internet, drugs, etc. It is important
otherwise Muslims would not know how to react to these new
issues