Quran III: Period of Quran Revelation – SS1 Islamic Studies Lesson Note (First Term)

The Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) over about 23 years, in two periods: the Makkan period before the Hijrah and the Madinan period after it.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. distinguish between Makkan and Madinan surahs;
2. state the number of Makkan and Madinan surahs and give examples of each;
3. describe the ways in which the Quran was revealed to the Prophet;
4. narrate the event of the first revelation in Cave Hira;
5. explain the importance of the first revelation.

What are Makkan and Madinan surahs?

Makkan and Madinan surahs are the two groups into which the chapters (surahs) of the Quran are divided, according to when or where they were revealed.

What is the time-based definition?

• Makkan surahs: chapters revealed before the Prophet’s migration (Hijrah) to Madinah in 622 CE.
• Madinan surahs: chapters revealed after the Prophet’s migration to Madinah.
• Duration: the Makkan period lasted about 13 years and the Madinan period about 10 years.

What is the place-based definition?

Some scholars define the two groups by the place of revelation.

• Makkan surahs: revealed in Makkah or nearby places such as Mina and Arafat.
• Madinan surahs: revealed in Madinah or nearby places.

How do Makkan and Madinan surahs differ?

Makkan surahs mainly build faith, while Madinan surahs mainly give laws for the Muslim community.

Why do these differences matter?

• Makkah: the focus was on building strong faith in One God.
• Madinah: the focus moved to building a working Muslim society with clear rules.
• Understanding: the two periods show how Islam developed step by step.

How many Makkan and Madinan surahs are there?

The Quran has 114 surahs, of which 86 are usually counted as Makkan and 28 as Madinan.

What is the overall count?

• Makkan surahs: 86 surahs, about 75% of all surahs.
• Madinan surahs: 28 surahs, about 25% of all surahs.

What share of the text is Makkan or Madinan?

• Makkan surahs: they form the larger part of the Quran by text.
• Madinan surahs: they form a larger share of the text than of the number of surahs.
• Reason: Madinan surahs have longer verses, and some of the longest, such as Al-Baqarah, are Madinan.

What are mixed surahs?

Mixed surahs are chapters that contain both Makkan and Madinan verses.

• Surah Al-Hajj: contains both Makkan and Madinan verses.
• Surah Al-A’raf: mostly Makkan, with some Madinan verses.
• Classification: scholars usually classify a mixed surah by where most of its verses were revealed.

What were the first and last revelations?

• First revealed: the first five verses of Surah Al-Alaq (96), in Makkah.
• Last revealed: reports name Surah An-Nasr (110) and verse 281 of Surah Al-Baqarah among the last revelations.

How was the Quran revealed?

Most of the Quran was revealed to the Prophet through Angel Jibreel (Gabriel), but revelation came in other ways too.

How did Jibreel bring revelation?

There are three ways in which Jibreel came to the Prophet.

1. In angel form: Jibreel sometimes appeared in his real form. This was rare and overwhelming.
2. In human form: Jibreel often appeared as a man, and the companions sometimes saw him.
3. Unseen presence: the companions saw signs of revelation without seeing Jibreel.

What were the signs of revelation?

• Sound: the Prophet heard something like the ringing of a bell.
• Face: his face became red.
• Weight: he felt very heavy.
• Sweat: he sweated even on cold days.

What is direct communication?

• Meaning: some revelation came from Allah to the Prophet without Jibreel.
• Example: many scholars say this happened during the Night Journey (Isra and Mi’raj).

What is revelation through dreams?

• Meaning: the true dreams of prophets are a form of revelation in Islam.

When did revelations come?

1. After events: some verses addressed particular events.
2. After questions: some verses answered questions from the companions.
3. During travel: some came while the Prophet was travelling.
4. During battle: some guided the Muslims in battle.
5. Night or day: revelation could come at any time.

How long were the revelations?

1. Complete surahs: sometimes a whole surah came at once.
2. Groups of verses: sometimes several verses came together.
3. Single verses: sometimes one verse came alone.
4. Parts of verses: sometimes only part of a verse came.

What happened at the first revelation?

The first revelation came in 610 CE, when Prophet Muhammad was 40 years old, in Cave Hira near Makkah.

1. He was meditating in Cave Hira outside Makkah.
2. Angel Jibreel appeared and told him, “Read!” (Iqra).
3. The Prophet replied that he could not read, as he was unlettered.
4. Jibreel embraced him tightly and repeated the command.
5. This happened three times.
6. Jibreel then revealed the first five verses of Surah Al-Alaq.

“Read in the name of your Lord who created. He created man from a clinging form. Read! Your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen. He taught man what he did not know.” (Quran 96:1-5)

Why is the first revelation important?

The first revelation is important because it began the Prophet’s mission and stressed knowledge, creation and Allah’s generosity.

• Beginning of prophethood: it marked the start of Muhammad’s mission as Allah’s final prophet.
• Emphasis on knowledge: the first word, “Read”, shows the value of learning in Islam.
• Mention of creation: it reminds people that Allah created them.
• Mention of the pen: it shows the value of writing and recording knowledge.
• Source of knowledge: it teaches that true knowledge comes from Allah.
• Short but deep: five verses carry lessons on creation, knowledge and generosity.
• Cultural effect: in a society where few could read or write, “Read” encouraged literacy and learning.

How did the Prophet react to the first revelation?

1. He was frightened and hurried home to his wife, Khadijah.
2. He asked her to cover him because he was shivering.
3. He told her what had happened and feared for himself.
4. Khadijah comforted him and took him to her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal, a learned Christian.
5. Waraqah said the Prophet had met the same angel who came to Moses.

What were the lasting effects of the first revelation?

• Start of the Quran: revelation began and continued for about 23 years.
• Spread of Islam: the message later reached many parts of the world.
• Learning: Muslim communities went on to contribute to knowledge, science and culture.
• Worship: seeking knowledge became an act of worship.

Evaluation

1. Define Makkan and Madinan surahs using the time-based definition.
2. State two differences in content between Makkan and Madinan surahs.
3. How many Makkan and Madinan surahs are there in the Quran?
4. Describe the three ways in which Jibreel came to the Prophet.
5. Narrate the event of the first revelation in Cave Hira.

Assignment

In your exercise book, list four signs that showed the companions that revelation was coming to the Prophet, then explain any four reasons why the first revelation is important.