Al-Qur'an diturunkan kepada Nabi Muhammad ﷺ secara beransur-ansur selama dua puluh tiga tahun. Ia diturunkan dalam pelbagai cara. Kadang-kadang wahyu datang secara berturut-turut dengan pantas, dan kadang-kadang ia mengambil masa yang lama. Al-Qur'an diturunkan secara beransur-ansur, bukan sekaligus, kerana hikmah (Hikmah) yang Allah (SWT) sebutkan dalam al-Qur'an yang mulia itu sendiri:

The Qur‟an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (saw) in parts for a period of twenty-three years. It used to be revealed in various ways. Sometimes the revelation would come in quick succession and other times it would take a long time. The Qur‟an was revealed gradually and not all at once due to wisdom (Hikma) Allah (swt) has mentioned in the noble Qur‟an itself:

"Dan orang-orang yang kafir berkata: „Mengapa Al-Qur'an tidak diturunkan kepadanya sekaligus?‟ Demikianlah (ia diturunkan secara berangsur-angsur), agar Kami memperkuat hatimu dengannya.” (TMQ Al-Furqan: 32)

“And those who disbelieve say: „Why is not the Qur‟an revealed to him all at once?‟ Thus (it is send down in parts), that We may strengthen your heart thereby.” (TMQ Al-Furqan: 32)

"Dan (ini adalah) Al-Qur'an yang Kami telah pisahkan (menjadi bagian-bagian), agar engkau membacakannya kepada manusia secara berangsur-angsur. Dan Kami telah menurunkannya secara bertahap." (TMQ Al-Isra': 106)

“And (it is) a Qur‟an which We have divided (into parts), in order that you might recite it to men at intervals. And We have revealed it by stages.” (TMQ Al-Isra‟: 106)

Demikianlah, untuk meneguhkan hati Rasulullah ﷺ, dan agar ia dapat membacakannya kepada manusia secara perlahan-lahan tanpa tergesa-gesa, serta juga untuk menurunkannya sesuai dengan peristiwa-peristiwa dan jawapan kepada pertanyaan-pertanyaan, al-Qur'an diturunkan secara beransur-ansur dan berbahagi-bahagi selama dua puluh tiga tahun.

So, in order to strengthen the heart of the Messenger (saw), and so as to recite it to the people slowly without haste, and also in order to reveal it according to incidents and answers to questions, the Qur‟an was revealed gradually and in parts for twenty-three years.

Seperti yang telah kami sebutkan sebelum ini, para ulama telah mendefinisikan fiqh sebagai, "ilmu tentang hukum-hukum Syariat yang bersifat praktikal yang diperoleh daripada dalil-dalil terperinci (Al-Adillah al-Tafsiliyyah)".

As we mentioned earlier the scholars have defined fiqh as, „the knowledge of the practical Shar‟iah rules that are derived from their detailed evidences (Al-Ad‟Illah al-Tafsiliyy ah)‟.

Pengetahuan tentang hukum-hukum Syari'ah bermula pada hari ketika hukum-hukum itu diturunkan oleh Allah (swt). Ini berlaku kebanyakannya selepas hijrah Nabi ﷺ dari Makkah ke Madinah. Rasulullah ﷺ tinggal di Makkah selama tiga belas tahun, dan kemudian baginda menetap di Madinah selama kira-kira sepuluh tahun. Al-Quran diturunkan di Makkah dan terus diturunkan sepanjang tempoh baginda ﷺ tinggal di Madinah. Banyak ayat-ayat Ahkam (hukum) diturunkan di Madinah. Dalam tempoh ini ayat-ayat dari al-Quran diturunkan dan Rasulullah ﷺ menyampaikan Ahkam yang berkaitan dengan menjawab soalan-soalan praktikal serta memberikan penyelesaian kepada masalah yang timbul.

Knowledge of the Shari‟ah rules began the day when they were revealed by Allah (swt). This took place mostly after the migration (Hijra) of the Prophet (saw) from Makkah to Madina. The Messenger of Allah (saw) stayed in Makkah for thirteen years, and then he resided in Madina for about ten years. The Quran was revealed in Makkah and continued throughout the Prophet‟s stay in Madina. Many of the verses of Ahkam (rules) were revealed in Madina. In this period verses from the Qur‟an were revealed and the Messenger (saw) used to convey the Ahkam relating to answering practical questions and providing solutions to problems that arose.

Bahagian yang diturunkan di Makkah kira-kira dua pertiga daripada al-Qur'an, dan ia dikenali sebagai ayat-ayat Makkiyyah (Makki). Secara keseluruhannya, ayat-ayat ini hampir tidak membincangkan banyak hukum-hakam. Sebaliknya, ia tertumpu pada penjelasan asas-asas agama dan seruan kepada asas-asas tersebut, seperti iman kepada Allah dan Rasul-Nya ﷺ, Hari Kiamat, perintah untuk mendirikan solat, pembentukan akhlak mulia seperti kejujuran dan benar dalam percakapan, serta larangan terhadap perbuatan keji seperti zina, pembunuhan, menanam anak perempuan hidup-hidup, dan kecurangan dalam sukatan dan timbangan. Bahagian kedua yang diturunkan di Madinah hampir satu pertiga daripada al-Qur'an, dan ia dikenali sebagai ayat-ayat Madaniyyah (Madani). Ayat-ayat ini mengandungi hukum muamalat (urusniaga) seperti jual beli, sewa-menyewa dan riba. Ia juga merangkumi hudud, seperti hadd zina dan hukuman curi. Ia turut merangkumi jinayat (hukuman bunuh), seperti membunuh orang yang sengaja membunuh, dan hukuman terhadap perompak jalan raya, serta hukum-hakam daripada bayyinat (bukti-bukti kesaksian) seperti kesaksian dalam kes zina dan kesaksian-kesaksian lain. Baki hukum berkaitan ibadat ('Ibadat) seperti puasa, zakat, haji dan jihad juga diturunkan pada tempoh ini.

The portion that was revealed in Makkah is approximately about two thirds of the Qur‟an and they are known as the Makkan verses (Makki). In their totality they barely deal with few Ahkam. Rather they are confined to explaining the fundamentals of the Deen and calling people to them, such as the belief in Allah and His Messenger, the Day of Judgement, the command to perform Salah, characterisation with moral attributes such as honesty, truthfulness, and forbidding evil actions such as fornication, murder, burying girls alive, deficiency in the measure and scales etc. The second portion that was revealed in Madina is close to a third of the Qur‟an and they are known as the Madinan verses (Madani). These are verses of Mu'amalat (transactions) such as selling, renting and usury. They also include the Hudud, such as the Hadd of Zina (fornication) and stealing. They include the Jinayat (capital punishments) such as killing the one who killed someone intentionally or punishment of highway robbers and rules from the Bayyinat (testimonial evidences) such as the testimony of Zina and the rest of the testimonies. The remaining rules concerning the worships ('„Ibadat) such as fasting, Zakah, Hajj and Jihad were also revealed during this period.

Daripada ini menjadi jelas bahawa walaupun hukum-hukum solat diturunkan di Makkah, ia tidak membentuk keseluruhan hukum tetapi merupakan pengetahuan tentang satu jenis hukum. Adapun apa yang diturunkan di Madinah, ia terdiri daripada semua Ahkam. Itulah sebabnya pengetahuan tentang hukum-hukum sedemikian dianggap sebagai Fiqh. Oleh itu, adalah lebih tepat bagi kita untuk mengatakan bahawa Fiqh bermula di Madinah. Dan oleh kerana Fiqh merupakan hukum-hukum praktikal, ia diturunkan untuk menangani peristiwa-peristiwa yang telah berlaku. Ayat-ayat Ahkam, kebanyakannya berkaitan dengan peristiwa yang benar-benar berlaku. Maka para pihak yang berselisih akan merujuk penghakiman kepada Rasulullah ﷺ dan baginda akan memutuskan antara mereka mengikut hukum-hukum yang Allah (SWT) wahyukan kepadanya, atau pada ketika berlakunya masalah yang memerlukan penyelesaian, maka sebuah Ayah atau Ayat yang menyatakan Hukm akan diturunkan. Dengan cara ini, Al-Qur'an diturunkan secara beransur-ansur. Aspek perundangan sangat jelas kelihatan dalam penurunan Al-Qur'an. Ayat-ayat tersebut tidak membicarakan andaian yang mungkin atau mungkin tidak berlaku. Sebaliknya, ia membicarakan isu-isu yang benar-benar berlaku dan masalah sebenar yang dihadapi manusia. Al-Qur'an terus diturunkan sehingga tahun Rasulullah ﷺ wafat. Maka, Allah (SWT) menyempurnakan dan melengkapkan Deen, dan Dia menurunkan kepada baginda ayat terakhir, iaitu firman-Nya dalam Surah al-Baqarah: "Wahai orang-orang yang beriman! Bertakwalah kepada Allah dan tinggalkanlah apa yang masih berbaki (yang menjadi hak kamu) daripada riba (riba)." (TMQ Al-Baqarah: 278)

From this it becomes clear that even though rules of prayer were revealed in Makkah they do not form the body of rules but knowledge of a type of rule. As for what was revealed in Madina, they consisted of all the Ahkam. That is why knowledge of such rules is considered Fiqh. Therefore, it is more accurate for us to say that Fiqh began in Madina. And since Fiqh constitutes practical rules, they have been revealed to treat incidents that have taken place. The verses of Ahkam, more often than not were in connection to events that took place. So the disputants would refer judgment to the Messenger of Allah (saw) and he would judge between them according to the rules Allah (swt) has revealed to him, or on occasions of problems requiring solutions, so an Ayah or Ayat stating the Hukm would be revealed. In this manner the Qur‟an was revealed gradually. The legislative aspect used to be quite evident in the revelation of the Qur‟an. The Ayat did not treat assumptions that may or may not happen. Rather, they treated issues that actually took place and real problems that people face. The Qur‟an continued to be revealed until the year in which the Messenger of Allah (saw) passed away. So, Allah (swt) perfected and completed the Deen and He revealed to him the last Ayah which is His (swt) saying in Surah al-Baqarah: “O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah and give up what remains (due to you) from riba (usury).” (TMQ Al-Baqarah: 278)