How the Qur’an was revealed
The Qur’aan was revealed upon the Nabi Muhammad (saw) in instalments (in parts) over a period of 23 years. It did not descend upon a regular pattern; sometimes it would come consecutively whilst at other times it would be delayed or there would be long gaps between the revelations. The first to be revealed was from Soorah Al- ‘Alaq and this was His Qawl Ta’Aalaa:
Read in the name of your Lord who created. Created man from a clot. Read and your Lord is the Most Generous. Who taught by the pen. Taught the human that which he did not know (Al-‘Alaq 1-5).
And the last of the revelation was the speech of Allah Ta’Aalaa:
And fear a Day when you will be returned to Allah. Then every soul will be compensated for what it earned, and they will not be treated unjustly (Al-Baqarah 281).
The Qur’aan began to be revealed upon the Messenger of Allah (saw) when he was in the cave of Hiraa’, close to Makkah, where he would go for solitude and to contemplate before he was tasked with the carrying of the message and the Prophethood.