إن الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينه ونستغفره، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله، اللهم صلِّ وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن تبعه إلى يوم الدين

As Muslims, we believe in several issues related to the Quran and the Prophethood.  These include:

1. Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is the seal of the Prophets.
2. The Quran is the last divine message to mankind.
3. The Quran is the only revelation that Allah took the responsibility of preserving it.
4. The Quran is valid for all times and places.

These beliefs are based on verses from the Quran such as

مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَآ أَحَدٍ۬ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمۡ وَلَـٰكِن رَّسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَۗ

“Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets.” (Al-Azab 33:40)

ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أَكۡمَلۡتُ لَكُمۡ دِينَكُمۡ وَأَتۡمَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ نِعۡمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡإِسۡلَـٰمَ دِينً۬ا‌ۚ

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, and completed My blessing upon you, and chosen for you Islam as religion.” (Al-Maeda 5:3)

إِنَّا نَحۡنُ نَزَّلۡنَا ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ ۥ لَحَـٰفِظُونَ (٩)

“Indeed! It is We Who revealed the Reminder (the Qur’an) and We are surely its Guardian.” (Al-Hijr 15:9)

But non-Muslims may challenge these claims by questions such as:

1. Why Allah stopped sending Prophets while He used to send prophets even to individual cities; don’t people still need guidance?
2. Why the Quran will be the last revelation and why it is the only revelation that Allah guaranteed protecting it?
3. How can the Quran that was revealed over 1400 years ago be suitable for all times and places?

These questions can be dismissed by saying, Allah does whatever He wants. He chose the Quran to be His last message to mankind, He decided to preserve it Himself from any corruption, He selected Mohammad (PBIH) be His last Prophet to mankind, and He decreed that the Quran is the only revelation that He will use as basis for His judgement among people in the Day of Judgement.   

We will be justified to making this assessment because no one has the right to question Allah’s decisions as He decreed:

لَا يُسۡـَٔلُ عَمَّا يَفۡعَلُ وَهُمۡ يُسۡـَٔلُونَ (٢٣)

“He is not questioned of what He does, but they are questioned.” (Al-Anbia 21:23)

But we can also provide rational explanation.   We can propose that humanity is like a child that was growing.  At early ages, the child needs a lot of attention and thus Allah has to send him many prophets to guide him and also at early ages the guidance needs to be simple. 

As the child matures, he will need less attention and thus the number of prophets to guide him will be reduced and the level of receptibility will be increasing.  At some point the child has grown and becomes sufficiently mature that he will receive final comprehensive guidance that includes few commands but basic principles that he can understand and advance based on these principles and thus he no longer needs help.

This is no more than we do when we go to school.  We progress from elementary school to middle school to high school to college to graduate school.  During all these levels, we receive instructions and take classes from teachers and professors.  But after we reach the graduate school and receive a Ph.D. degree, we will be considered sufficiently qualified to be on our own to develop new knowledge even in areas that we have not formal class from a professor.  So, you can consider Islam as the Ph.D. level of revelations.   

To address the question why the Quran is suitable for all times and places, we generally say that the moral and legal injunctions in the Quran are applicable for all times.  We may also say that the Quran includes references to many scientific signs that are being proven accurate as our knowledge advances. 

But, is this all what is intended by having the Quran as the last divine revelation to mankind?   May be there is something more subtle about the Quran that makes is so unique among all pervious revelations to make it Allah’s last message to mankind.

When we examine previous revelations including the Tourat which is the most comprehensive, we note that all revelations mainly contain moral and legal rules (Shariah) and thus it logical to be revealed in totality at once.   But the Quran was revelated in 23 years and Allah explains why by saying:

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوۡلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ جُمۡلَةً۬ وَٲحِدَةً۬‌ۚ ڪَذَٲلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِۦ فُؤَادَكَ‌ۖ وَرَتَّلۡنَـٰهُ تَرۡتِيلاً۬ (٣٢)

“And those who disbelieve say: “Why is the Qur’an not revealed to him all at once?” Thus (it is revealed in parts), that We may strengthen your heart therewith.  And We have revealed it to you gradually, at the proper stages. “(Al-Furqan 25:32)

The Quran was revealed in parts corresponding to different occasions to strength the heart of the prophet (PBUH) and the believers.   But now we have the Quran in its complete form, how would it strengthen our hearts based on verses related to events that happened during the life of the Prophet (PBUH). 

There must be something far deeper in the Quran that makes it able to strengthen our heart as we read it.  To shed some light on this extremely important issue, we need to reflect, probably, on the last lesson that Allah taught Prophet Musa. 

Throughout the life of Prophet Musa, the revelations to him were of the physical nature that he and his followers can see.  The split of the sea, the drowning of the Pharaoh and his army, the collapse of the mountain, the uprooting of the mountain, and the split of the rocks to 12 springs were all miracles that were observed by the eye.  

The only time that Prophet Musa was faced with physical events that have unseen purpose was during his encounter with the righteous man (Al-Khidr).   During this encounter, there appears to be two worlds, a visible world that Prophet Musa saw and invisible world that was directing the events.   This encounter is provided to us in Surat Al-Kahf that we are encouraged by the Prophet (PBUH) to read every Friday.   This encounter starts as follows:

Then we read in surat Al-Kahf about the three accounts of damaging the ship, killing the child and fixing the damaged wall.  Prophet Musa could not stand seeing these actions by Al-Khidr without objecting and asking for justification and thus violating his promise not to ask.  After several warnings, Al-Khudr told Musa:

قَالَ هَـٰذَا فِرَاقُ بَيۡنِى وَبَيۡنِكَ‌ۚ سَأُنَبِّئُكَ بِتَأۡوِيلِ مَا لَمۡ تَسۡتَطِع عَّلَيۡهِ صَبۡرًا (٧٨)

He (Al Khidr) said, “This is the point of parting between me and you. I shall now tell you the interpretation of (those) things about which you could not remain patient (Al-Kahf 18:78)

Then Al Khidr told Prophet Musa the reasons beyond all what he witnessed and ended the explanations by saying:

وَمَا فَعَلۡتُهُ ۥ عَنۡ أَمۡرِى‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ تَأۡوِيلُ مَا لَمۡ تَسۡطِع عَّلَيۡهِ صَبۡرً۬ا (٨٢)

“I did not do them on my own accord. That is the interpretation of those (things) about which you could not remain patient.” (Al-Kahf 18:82)

Here we realize that there is a visible world in which events are seen by the human eye but there is another world that is invisible and it is directed by Allah.  There appears to be a veil between these two worlds and only Allah can expose this unseen world through revelation.  Therefore, only after Al Khidr explained to Prophet Musa what he did from the angle of the unseen world, he came to understand the insight behind the events that he saw but couldn’t understand their logic at the time of their happening.   

The reason that the Quran strengthened the heart of prophet (PBUH) and his companions was its exposing to them the events that they encountered from the view of the unseen world.   Since the Quran is the final divine message to mankind, it must strengthen our hearts by opening for us the veil to this unseen world to allow us to understand what is happening in our visible world.    So, the Quran is in reality is an eternal messenger from Allah to reveal to us information from the unseen world regarding the major events that we may encounter. 

Actually, the concept that the Quran includes information of the two worlds, the seen world and the unseen world can be deduced from the first verses that were revealed to the Prophet (PBUH).  The first few verses that were revealed to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) are those in the beginning of Surat al-Alaq that starts with:

ٱقۡرَأۡ بِٱسۡمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ (١) خَلَقَ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ مِنۡ عَلَقٍ (٢) ٱقۡرَأۡ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلۡأَكۡرَمُ (٣) ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلۡقَلَمِ (٤) عَلَّمَ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ مَا لَمۡ يَعۡلَمۡ (٥)

“Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists), (1) Created man from a clinging clot (2)

Read! And your Lord is the Most Gracious, (3) Who has taught (imparted knowledge) by the pen. (4) Teaches man that which he did not knew.” (Al-Alaq 96:1-5)

While all the knowledge that we have are from Allah, these first five verses of revelations include two commands of readings. 

1. The first is a reading in the name of the creator of all things (ٱقۡرَأۡ بِٱسۡمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ).
2. The second is a reading based on a blessing from Allah who taught people how to make the pen and how to write with the pen (ٱقۡرَأۡ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلۡأَكۡرَمُ (٣) ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلۡقَلَمِ).

I am proposing that these two readings are not the same.

The first reading refers to the reading to develop knowledge thru the on-going revelations in the Quran to understand the behind the scene actions in the unseen world that are controlled by Allah and are influencing what we see in our seen world. 

The second reading is the sight-based reading of what is happening in the visible world and it is the basis for advancing the human race by developing cumulative knowledge through transferring the knowledge form one generation to another thru the pen.  This reading is required from all human beings whether believers or non-believers. Therefore, this reading (ٱقۡرَأۡ) can be done with (وَرَبُّكَ ٱلۡأَكۡرَمُ) or merely reading (ٱقۡرَأۡ) without (وَرَبُّكَ ٱلۡأَكۡرَمُ).  Both leads to cumulative knowledge and advancement but one reading will lead to reinforcing the belief on Allah while the other reading may not.   

But if Muslims are serious about achieving their mission as vicegerent of Allah on earth, they must excel in both readings.  

The understanding of the revelation in the Quran regarding the effect of the unseen world on the events in the seen world expands by time as our knowledge increases and our conditions change.  The understanding of the revelation in the Quran continuous so that we may understand revelations in the Quran that were not even fully understood at the time of Prophet (PBUH).

However, for the Quran to unveil to us its information from the unseen world regarding the major events that we encounter, we must satisfy two prerequisites:

1. We are committed to have Taqwa so Allah can open the gates of knowledge to us as He said:

وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ‌ۖ وَيُعَلِّمُڪُمُ ٱللَّهُ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِڪُلِّ شَىۡءٍ عَلِيمٌ۬

“Have Taqwa and Allah will teach you and Allah is all knowing of all things”. (Al-Baqara 2:282)

2. We must be willing to be serious in studying the Quran and do the proper Tadabour as Allah commands:

كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ )ص(

(This is) a Book which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they should to the Tadabour of its Verses, and those who have understanding may heed/reflect (on its commands). “(Sad 38:29)

Let us look in the Quran for an example of the interaction between the visible world and the invisible world regarding one event and this is the event of the battle of Badr.   

But before we study the Battle of Badr from the views of the seen and unseen worlds, let me make one point very clear, I am not talking about what some who may want to deceive people by claiming that they have access to hidden knowledge and secrets in the Quran. 

No, the Quran is an open book for all people who have Taqwa and are serious in studying it and doing proper analysis of its verses to deduce what is happening around us and what will be happening after.  

The visible scenes related to the battle of Badr that the Prophet (PBUH) and the companions witnessed were:

1. They were going to attack the caravan led by Abu Sufiyan and at certain location they discovered that Abu Sufiyan changed directions and was able to evade them.
2. The news came to them that the leaders of Quraysh assembled over 1000 fighters and are in their way to attack them. While the number of Muslims was about 300 and came unprepared for a fight with Quraysh army, they had no choice but to face then. 
3. The two groups met at a specific location. 
4. Light rain fell that made the land firm under the feet of the Muslims and cooled the air that made them able to sleep a little.
5. Before the battle, the Muslims looked at the army of Quraysh and saw them small in number and this eased their concern.
6. The fight started and ended with the Muslims winning.

If you ask Quraysh about this battle, they will say:

1. We heard the news that the Muslims plan to attack the Caravan led by Abu Sufiyan, so we assembled an army and marched to fight them and protect the caravan.
2. While we were in the way, the news came that Abu Sufyan caravan is safe. So, we considered returning back to Mecca but a man who looked like wise and strong met us and persuaded us to continue to fight the Muslims to finish them because they could have not been prepared since they were only planning to attack the Caravan.
3. He kept encouraging us and promised that he will fight with them.
4. Our leaders of Quraysh became convinced and decided to continue to fight the Muslim and the man led us to the location where Muslims were there.
5. When we arrived, they saw that the Muslim army very small and this made us very confident that we can easily wipe them out.
6. The battle started and it was not going our way, we looked for the man whom we met, but he was no longer there.
7. The battle ended with us losing the battle.

These are the scenes that both Muslims and Quryash have witnessed around the battle of Badr as exposed in the seen world.  

After the battle of Badr, Allah unveiled for the Muslims in Surat Al-Anfal the views of the battle from the unseen world. First, the place where the battle happened was not accidental.   Allah says that even if the Muslim and Quraysh had pre-agreement regarding where they would meet, they would have missed their agreed upon location and came to this place of the battle. 

إِذۡ أَنتُم بِٱلۡعُدۡوَةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَهُم بِٱلۡعُدۡوَةِ ٱلۡقُصۡوَىٰ وَٱلرَّڪۡبُ أَسۡفَلَ مِنڪُمۡ‌ۚ وَلَوۡ تَوَاعَدتُّمۡ لَٱخۡتَلَفۡتُمۡ فِى ٱلۡمِيعَـٰدِ‌ۙ وَلَـٰكِن لِّيَقۡضِىَ ٱللَّهُ أَمۡرً۬ا ڪَانَ مَفۡعُولاً۬ لِّيَهۡلِكَ مَنۡ هَلَكَ عَنۢ بَيِّنَةٍ۬ وَيَحۡيَىٰ مَنۡ حَىَّ عَنۢ بَيِّنَةٍ۬‌ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَسَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ (٤٢)

“(And remember) when you (the Muslim army) were on the near side of the valley, and they were on the farther side, and the caravan was downward from you. Even if you had made a mutual appointment to meet, you would certainly have failed in the appointment, but (you met at a specific location) so that Allah might accomplish what was already destined to be done so that those who were to be perished may perish knowingly, and whoever is going to live may live by clear evidence, And surely, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.” (Al-Anfal 8:42)

The way they saw each other small in number was not also unplanned, it was planned by Allah, so the battle would occur.

وَإِذۡ يُرِيكُمُوهُمۡ إِذِ ٱلۡتَقَيۡتُمۡ فِىٓ أَعۡيُنِكُمۡ قَلِيلاً۬ وَيُقَلِّلُڪُمۡ فِىٓ أَعۡيُنِهِمۡ لِيَقۡضِىَ ٱللَّهُ أَمۡرً۬ا ڪَانَ مَفۡعُولاً۬‌ۗ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ تُرۡجَعُ ٱلۡأُمُورُ (٤٤)

“And at the time when you met each other, He (Allah) showed them to you few in number in your eyes, and reduced your number in their eyes, so that Allah might accomplish what was destined to be done. And to Allah all matters are returned.” (Al-Anfal 8:44)

The light rain that fell was not accidental, it was planned to be in this location to achieve four things and not only one as Muslims would have perceived.  The rain was to purify them, remove the insinuation of Satan, strengthen their heart and stabilize their foot. 

إِذۡ يُغَشِّيكُمُ ٱلنُّعَاسَ أَمَنَةً۬ مِّنۡهُ وَيُنَزِّلُ عَلَيۡكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً۬ لِّيُطَهِّرَكُم بِهِۦ وَيُذۡهِبَ عَنكُمۡ رِجۡزَ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنِ وَلِيَرۡبِطَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِڪُمۡ وَيُثَبِّتَ بِهِ ٱلۡأَقۡدَامَ (١١(

“When He covered you with drowsiness, as tranquility (descending) from Him and sent down upon you water from the heavens, so that He might purify you with it, remove from you the impurity of Satan, strengthen your hearts and make (your) feet firm therewith.  (Al-Anfal 8:11) 

Another scene from the invisible world that neither the Muslins nor the people form Quryash saw was the interference of the angels to put fear in the heart of the Quraysh army and confuse their brains and weaken their hands.

إِذۡ يُوحِى رَبُّكَ إِلَى ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةِ أَنِّى مَعَكُمۡ فَثَبِّتُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ‌ۚ سَأُلۡقِى فِى قُلُوبِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ٱلرُّعۡبَ فَٱضۡرِبُواْ فَوۡقَ ٱلۡأَعۡنَاقِ وَٱضۡرِبُواْ مِنۡہُمۡ ڪُلَّ بَنَانٍ۬ (١٢)

“When your Lord revealed to the angels: “I am with you. So, make firm the feet of those who believe. I shall cast fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve. So, strike at the necks, and strike at every finger-joint of theirs. “(Al-Anfal 8:11-12)

Also, the view from the unseen world exposed who was this man who encouraged Quraysh to fight and promised to join them and why he abandoned them when the battle started.

وَإِذۡ زَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ أَعۡمَـٰلَهُمۡ وَقَالَ لَا غَالِبَ لَڪُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَإِنِّى جَارٌ۬ لَّڪُمۡ‌ۖ فَلَمَّا تَرَآءَتِ ٱلۡفِئَتَانِ نَكَصَ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيۡهِ وَقَالَ إِنِّى بَرِىٓءٌ۬ مِّنڪُمۡ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰ مَا لَا تَرَوۡنَ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ ٱللَّهَ‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ (٤٨)

“And when Satan made their deeds look beautiful to them, and said, “None of the people can overpower you today, and I am a protector for you.” But, when the two groups faced each other, he turned back on his heels and said, “I have nothing to do with you. I am seeing what you do not see. I am scared of Allah, and Allah is severe in punishment.” (Al-Anfal 8:48)

This is just one example to show the uniqueness of the Quran in exposing events from the sight of the unseen world.  Some of these events happened during the life of the Prophet (PBUH) but the Quran was not only revealed for that time. 

Some may still ask: With the end of revelation by the death often Prophet (PBUH), does the insight understanding of the events end?

The Answer is No, the Quran includes all what we need know to understand what was happening during the time of the Prophet (PBUH) and what is happening now and what will be happening in the future. .

But to understand the revelations the events that we face, we must have Taqwa and read the Quran with serious Tadabour but be alert that almost all stories in the Quran address conditions and events that will be repeated thru life.

Just as example for you to look at is the story of the people in the ditch who were burnt alive and whose account is presented to us in verses 4 to 10 from Surat Al-Burooj.   Study this event in light of what has happened to the Rohingyas.  In reading the Quran one can expect that major fires will be occurring as punishment from Allah to those who were involved in it and those who were able to stop it but they did not.

We can look at something we observe often and this is the rain and read it from the seen world views and then read it in the Quran from the Unseen world views.

From the seen world point of view,  we study the water cycle and the movement of the wind and try to forecast weather, climate, and water resources. Interesting that the total rain water that fall on earth is almost same every year, but the issue is distribution that causes droughts and floods.  Approximately 505,000 cubic kilometers of rain water fall on earth every year. Given the Earth’s surface area, that means the globally averaged annual precipitation is 990 millimeters (39 in).

But looking at the same phenomenon from the unseen world, we read

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُرۡسِلُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحَ بُشۡرَۢا بَيۡنَ يَدَىۡ رَحۡمَتِهِۦ‌ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَقَلَّتۡ سَحَابً۬ا ثِقَالاً۬ سُقۡنَـٰهُ لِبَلَدٍ۬ مَّيِّتٍ۬ فَأَنزَلۡنَا بِهِ ٱلۡمَآءَ فَأَخۡرَجۡنَا بِهِۦ مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٲتِ‌ۚ كَذَٲلِكَ نُخۡرِجُ ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَڪَّرُونَ (٥٧)

“He is the One who sends the winds carrying good news before His blessings, until when they lift up the heavy clouds, We drive them to a dead land. Then, there We pour down water. Then, We bring forth with it all sorts of fruits. In similar way, We will bring forth all the dead. (All this is being explained to you), so that you may learn a lesson.” (Al-Araf 7:57)

ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى يُرۡسِلُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابً۬ا فَيَبۡسُطُهُ ۥ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ كَيۡفَ يَشَآءُ وَيَجۡعَلُهُ ۥ كِسَفً۬ا فَتَرَى ٱلۡوَدۡقَ يَخۡرُجُ مِنۡ خِلَـٰلِهِۦ‌ۖ فَإِذَآ أَصَابَ بِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِۦۤ إِذَا هُمۡ يَسۡتَبۡشِرُونَ (٤٨)

“Allah is the One who sends the winds, so they stir up a cloud, then He spreads it in the sky however he wills, and makes it (split) into pieces. Then you see the rain coming out from its midst. So, once He makes it reach those whom He wills from His slaves, they start rejoicing” (Al-Rom 30:48)

The important point is that Muslims should read all what is happening from the two views, seen and unseen to achieve the leadership that Allah expects from them.

We pray to Allah to increase our Taqwa and bless us with the wisdom of Tabadour to have the insight on the events that are happening around us and to learn how to react to them and prepare for their expected development.

DUA