Terdapat beberapa sebab mengapa wahyu kedua diturunkan secara berperingkat dan bukan sekaligus, sebagaimana yang berlaku pada kitab-kitab wahyu sebelumnya.

There are a number of reasons why the second revelation took place in segments rather than all at once, as happened with the former books of revelation.

Berikut hanyalah ringkasan sebab-sebab yang paling jelas:

The following are only a summary of the most obvious reasons:

Nabi (ﷺ) telah menghadapi banyak ujian di tangan musuh-musuhnya dari kalangan orang musyrik dan Yahudi. Mereka menuduhnya sebagai pendusta dan penipu, dan mencuba setiap cara yang mungkin untuk mematahkan semangatnya. Setiap kali tekanan daripada lawan-lawannya mencapai kemuncak dan hampir tidak tertanggung, Allah akan menurunkan ayat-ayat tertentu untuk menghiburkan Nabi (ﷺ). Contohnya:

The Prophet (ﷺ) was faced with many trials at the hands of his enemies among the idolaters and the Jews. They called him a liar and a fake and tried every possible way to break his spirit. Whenever the pressure of his opponents reached its peak and became virtually unbearable, Allaah would reveal certain verses to comfort the Prophet (ﷺ). For example:

Allah juga akan memberinya keyakinan dengan mengingatkannya tentang ujian-ujian para nabi terdahulu dan bagaimana mereka akhirnya diberi kejayaan. Contohnya,

Allaah would also give him confidence by reminding him of the trials of the former prophets and how they were eventually given success. For example,

Pada waktu lain Allah benar-benar menjanjikan pertolongan dan kemenangan kepadanya:

At other times Allaah would actually promise him help and victory:

Atau Allah akan memberitahunya tentang kegagalan musuh-musuhnya:

Or Allaah would inform him of the failure of his enemies:

Oleh itu, sebahagian daripada al-Quran telah diturunkan pada pelbagai ketika sepanjang tempoh dakwahnya khusus untuk menghiburkan Nabi ﷺ dan memberinya keteguhan serta keyakinan agar beliau dapat menunaikan kewajipannya dalam menyebarkan Islam.

Thus, certain segments of the Qur’aan were revealed at various point in his mission specifically to comfort the Prophet (ﷺ) and give him steadfastness and confidence in order to fulfill his obligation of propagating Islaam.

Turunnya wahyu merupakan beban yang sangat berat, yang biasanya membuat Nabi ﷺ merasa letih dan lemah. 'Aisyah meriwayatkan bahawa pada suatu hari yang sangat sejuk, beliau melihat Baginda ketika wahyu datang dan kemudian pergi meninggalkan Baginda. Walaupun cuaca sejuk, dahi Baginda basah dengan peluh.51 Malah Allah sendiri merujuk kepada Al-Qur'an sebagai sesuatu yang berat dan membebankan:

The descent of revelation was a great burden which usually left the Prophet (ﷺ) drained and weak. ‘Aa’ishah reported that once, on an extremely cold day, she saw him when revelation came and left him. And, in spite of the cold weather, his forehead was dripping with sweat.51 Even Allaah Himself referred to the Qur’aan as being weighty and burdensome:

Dan, untuk menegaskan keagungan, kekuatan dan bobot firman Allah, Allah mengemukakan perumpamaan berikut:

And, in order to emphasize the greatness, power and weight of the word of God, Allaah set forth the following metaphor:

Oleh itu, penurunan firman terakhir Allah sekaligus sahaja akan menjadi terlalu berat untuk ditanggung oleh Nabi (ﷺ). Wahyu sebegitu akan meletakkan baginda di bawah tekanan yang amat dahsyat. Oleh sebab itu, ia dipecahkan kepada bahagian-bahagian yang tertanggung dan diturunkan secara beransur-ansur. Dengan cara ini, Nabi (ﷺ) hanya akan dibebani dalam tempoh yang singkat, dan misi baginda tidak akan terhalang oleh tempoh pemulihan yang panjang. Maka, kaedah penurunan wahyu secara berperingkat itu mencerminkan cara lemah lembut yang Allah gunakan terhadap utusan-Nya yang terakhir, kerana kebesaran dan keagungan risalah terakhir itu.

Thus, the revelation of the final word of Allaah in one stroke would have been too much for the Prophet (ﷺ) to bear. Such a revelation would have placed him under the most extreme pressure. It was, therefore, broken down into bearable segments and revealed gradually. In this way the Prophet (ﷺ) would only be burdened for short periods of time and his mission would not be hampered by long periods of recovery. Thus, the segmented method of revelation represents the gentle manner in which Allaah dealt with His last messenger due to the might and glory of the final message.

Kaedah yang digunakan oleh Al-Qur'an untuk membentangkan prinsip-prinsip Islam adalah kaedah secara beransur-ansur. Kesemua prinsip tidak diwajibkan pada permulaan atau sekaligus pada mana-mana peringkat. Surah-surah awal Al-Qur'an ditujukan untuk menangani masalah utama yang menghadapi ibadah kepada Allah dan keesaan-Nya: syirik. 54 Kepercayaan kepada ketuanan dan keesaan Allah perlu dibina, dan tuhan-tuhan palsu daripada makhluk perlu dihapuskan. Maka, surah-surah awal menumpukan perhatian kepada tauhid55 dan tiang utama iman yang lain, iaitu kepercayaan kepada Kebangkitan dan Hari Penghakiman.56 Tidak sehinggalah selepas dua belas tahun membina iman, solat diwajibkan, semasa Mi'raj Nabi ﷺ ke langit.57 Setahun sebelum Hijrah, ayat-ayat Al-Qur'an mula menekankan solat sebagai satu keperluan bagi orang-orang beriman. Tidak sehinggalah dua tahun selepas Hijrah barulah ayat-ayat Al-Qur'an beralih kepada puasa dan zakat, lalu mewajibkannya ke atas orang Islam.58 Akhirnya, pada tahun keenam selepas Hijrah, ayat-ayat Al-Qur'an menurunkan haji sebagai kewajipan bagi sesiapa yang mampu melaksanakannya.59

The method by which the Qur’aan was used to present the principles of Islaam was a gradual method. All of the principles were not enjoined in the beginning or all at once during any stage. The early soorahs of the Qur’aan were aimed at treating the main problem which confronted the worship of Allaah and His unity: shirk. 54 Belief in Allaah’s supremacy and unity had to be built and the false gods of creation had to be removed. Thus, the early soorahs concentrated on tawheed55 and the other major pillar of eemaan, 56 belief in the Resurrection and Judgment. It was not until after twelve years of building eemaan that salaah was made compulsory, during the Prophet’s Ascent (mi‘raaj) to the heavens.57 One year before the Hijrah, the Qur’aanic verses began to stress salaah as a requirement for the believers. It was not until two years after the Hijrah that the Qur’aanic verses turned to sawm and zakaah and enjoined them on Muslims.58 Finally, in the sixth year after the Hijrah, the verses of the Qur’aan revealed hajj as an obligation for whoever is able to perform it.59

‘Aa’ishah menyebut bahawa perkara pertama yang diturunkan daripada Al-Qur’an berkaitan Syurga dan Neraka, dan hanya selepas beberapa ketika barulah perkara tentang perbuatan yang halal dan haram dibincangkan. Beliau berkata, “Sekiranya perkara pertama yang diturunkan itu ialah, ‘Jangan minum arak,’ atau ‘Jangan berzina dan melakukan fornikasi,’ mereka pasti berkata, ‘Kami tidak akan sekali-kali meninggalkannya.’”60

‘Aa’ishah mentioned that the first thing to be revealed of the Qur’aan dealt with Heaven and Hell and that it was only after some time that issues of legal and illegal acts were dealt with. She said, “If the first thing to be revealed had been, ‘Don’t drink liquor,’ or ‘Don’t commit adultery and fornication,’ they would have said, ‘We will never give [it] up.’ ”60

Jika al-Qur’an diturunkan sekaligus, tidak mungkin hukum-hukumnya dapat ditetapkan secara beransur-ansur. Kaedah ini amat penting bagi generasi pertama kaum Muslimin yang kemudiannya akan menegakkan Islam di muka bumi.

If the Qur’aan had been revealed all at once, it would not have been possible to establish the laws in a gradual fashion. This method was particularly important for the first generation of Muslims who would later establish Islaam in the earth.

Adalah perlu bagi mereka untuk memiliki pemahaman yang jelas tentang prinsip-prinsip Islam, kerana generasi Muslim yang kemudian akan bergantung pada pemahaman dan amalan mereka terhadap Islam.

It was necessary for them to have a clear understanding of the principles of Islaam because the later generations of Muslims would depend on their interpretation and practice of Islaam.

Oleh kerana kebanyakan pengikut Nabi ﷺ tidak mampu membaca dan menulis, kaedah utama untuk memelihara al-Qur'an ialah melalui hafalan. Maka, jika seluruh al-Qur'an telah diturunkan sekaligus, mereka tidak akan mampu menghafal kesemuanya kerana panjangnya.

Since the majority of the Prophet’s followers were unable to read or write, the main method of preserving the Qur’aan became that of memorization. So, if the whole Qur’aan had been revealed at once, they would have been unable to memorize all of it due to its length.

Walaupun mereka yang boleh menulis pun tidak akan dapat merekodkan kesemuanya, kerana kekurangan bahan tulisan pada masa itu. Oleh itu, pewahyuan al-Qur'aan secara berperingkat memudahkan para sahabat untuk menghafal keseluruhan al-Qur'aan dan mengajarkannya antara satu sama lain. Diriwayatkan bahawa 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab berkata, "Pelajarilah al-Qur'aan lima ayat sekali, kerana sesungguhnya Jibreel turun membawa al-Qur'aan kepada Nabi ﷺ lima ayat sekali." 61 Ini juga memudahkan para penulis wahyu Nabi ﷺ untuk merekodkan keseluruhan al-Qur'aan semasa hayat baginda.

Even the few who were able to write would have been unable to record all of it, due to the scarcity of writing materials at the time. Thus, the revelation of the Qur’aan in sections made it easier for the companions to memorize the whole Qur’aan and teach it to each other. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab was reported to have said, “Learn the Qur’aan five verses at a time, for verily, Jibreel used to descend with the Qur’aan for the Prophet (r) five at a time.” 61 This also made it easier for the scribes of the Prophet (r) to record all of the Qur’aan during his lifetime.

Pemeliharaan awal al-Qur'an ini sangat penting untuk mengekalkan kemurnian ajaran Islam, kerana perubahan yang berlaku dalam kitab-kitab wahyu terdahulu telah menyebabkan para pengikutnya tersesat. Pewahyuan al-Qur'an secara beransur-ansur juga memberikan mereka peluang yang lebih besar untuk merenungi makna ayat-ayatnya. Hal ini seterusnya menyebabkan mereka bertanya kepada Nabi ﷺ untuk menjelaskan perkara-perkara tertentu atau mengesahkan tafsiran-tafsiran tertentu. Dengan demikian, generasi ini mampu memperoleh pemahaman yang benar-benar mendalam tentang al-Qur'an. Ini amat penting, kerana pelaksanaan praktikal mereka terhadap prinsip-prinsip al-Qur'an menjadi panduan bagi generasi Muslim kemudian dan terus menjadi panduan hingga ke hari ini. Pemahaman sedemikian tidak akan mungkin dicapai sekiranya al-Qur'an diwahyukan sekali gus.

This early preservation of Qur’aan was critical to maintaining the purity of the teachings of Islaam, as it was the alterations in earlier books of revelation which led their followers astray. The gradual revelation of the Qur’aan also gave them a greater opportunity to contemplate the meanings of the verses. This, in turn, caused them to question the Prophet (r) in order to clarify certain points or verify certain interpretations. Thus, this generation was able to gain a truly deep understanding of the Qur’aan. This was of great importance, because their practical implementation of the principles of the Qur’aan became a guide to later generations of Muslims and continues to be one to this day. Such an understanding would not have been possible had the Qur’aan been revealed all at once.

Selalunya ayat-ayat Al-Qur'an diturunkan untuk membicarakan secara khusus masalah-masalah yang dihadapi oleh Nabi (ﷺ) dan para sahabatnya. Kadangkala orang bertanya kepada Nabi (ﷺ) tentang perkara yang baginda tidak mempunyai pengetahuan mengenainya, lalu Allah menurunkan jawapannya. Sebagai contoh, diriwayatkan bahawa kisah Dhul-Qarnain diturunkan kerana orang Yahudi bertanya kepada Nabi (ﷺ) tentangnya, sebagai ujian ke atas kenabian baginda. Allah berfirman:

Often the verses of the Qur’aan would be revealed to deal specifically with problems which faced the Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions. Sometimes people would ask the Prophet (ﷺ) questions about which he had no knowledge, and Allaah would reveal the answer. For example, it was reported that the story about Thul-Qarnayn was revealed because the Jews asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about him, as a test of his prophethood. Allaah revealed:

Pada waktu-waktu lain, ayat-ayat diturunkan untuk membetulkan kesilapan yang dilakukan oleh Nabi (ﷺ) sendiri. Contohnya terdapat dalam Surah at-Taubah, di mana Allah berfirman kepada Nabi (ﷺ),

At other times, verses would be revealed to correct an error made by the Prophet (ﷺ) himself. An example of this is in Soorah at-Tawbah, in which Allaah told the Prophet (ﷺ),

Mujahid berkata bahawa ayat itu diturunkan berkenaan sekelompok orang yang menasihati orang lain, "Mintalah kepada Rasulullah ﷺ agar memaafkan kamu (daripada menyertai ekspedisi ke Tabuk). Jika baginda memberi kebenaran, tinggallah di rumah, dan jika baginda tidak memberi kebenaran, tinggallah di rumah juga." Ibnu Katsir berkata, "Yang Maha Tinggi berfirman: 'Engkau tidak sepatutnya memberi kebenaran kepada sesiapa pun daripada mereka untuk tinggal di belakang, supaya engkau dapat mengetahui siapa yang benar dalam menzahirkan ketaatannya kepadamu dan siapa yang berdusta. Kerana mereka teguh dalam niat untuk tinggal di belakang.'"65

Mujaahid said the verse was revealed about some people who advised others, “Ask the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) to excuse you (from participating in the expedition to Tabook). If he gives you permission, stay home, and if he doesn’t permit you, stay home, (anyway).” Ibn Katheer said “The Most High is saying, ‘You shouldn’t have given permission to any of them to stay behind so you could have known who was truthful in his display of obedience to you and who was lying. For they were firm in their intention to stay behind.’ ”65

Ayat-ayat juga diturunkan untuk membetulkan sikap-sikap yang salah yang tersebar luas di kalangan kaum Muslimin pada zaman itu. Contoh wahyu sedemikian ialah kisah Perang Hunayn. Kaum Muslimin keluar untuk berperang dengan orang-orang kafir dengan perasaan yakin bahawa mereka pasti akan menang, kerana bilangan mereka melebihi musuh berkali-kali ganda. Musuh menyerang hendap mereka sehingga menyebabkan mereka berpaling dan melarikan diri dalam kekalahan. Namun, selepas pengajaran awal itu, Allah memberikan kejayaan kepada mereka ke atas musuh dalam perang yang sama. Kemudian, Dia menurunkan ayat berikut:

Verses were also revealed to correct wrong attitudes which were widespread among the Muslims of that time. An example of such a revelation is the case of the Battle of Hunayn. Muslims had left to do battle with the disbelievers feeling that they were sure to be victorious, since their numbers exceeded that of the enemy many times over. The enemy ambushed them and caused them to turn on their heels and flee in defeat. However, after that initial lesson, Allaah gave them success over the enemy in the same battle. Then, He revealed the following verse:

Dengan menangani pelbagai peristiwa pada masanya ketika ia berlaku, al-Qur'an dapat sampai kepada mereka yang terlibat dengan lebih langsung. Pembetulan yang dibuat sejurus selepas kesilapan berlaku cenderung memberi kesan yang lebih besar berbanding nasihat umum yang diberikan jauh sebelum atau selepasnya. Sekiranya al-Qur'an diturunkan sekaligus, tidak mungkin masalah-masalah ini dan yang seumpamanya dapat ditangani dalam konteksnya.

By dealing with the various incidents at the time that they occurred, the Qur’aan was able to reach those involved more directly. Corrections made immediately after errors take place tend to have a greater impact than general advice given long before or after. If the Qur’aan had been revealed all at once, it would not have been possible to treat these and similar problems within their context.

Wahyu al-Qur'an yang diturunkan secara beransur-ansur selama dua puluh tiga tahun merupakan bukti yang jelas bahawa ia adalah kalam Allah semata-mata, bukan kalam Nabi Muhammad ﷺ atau mana-mana makhluk lain. Ini dibuktikan oleh kesatuan dan konsistensi ungkapannya dari awal hingga akhir. Tema asasnya terjalin rapi di seluruh seratus empat belas suratnya, dan kesemua surat itu seolah-olah saling berkait seperti mutiara yang tidak ternilai pada satu untaian kalung. Rima dan irama mengalir tanpa halangan melalui setiap ayat dalam kitab ini dengan gaya yang bersatu, walaupun terdapat kepelbagaian dalam tema dan struktur ayat. Bagaimanakah konsistensi sedemikian boleh wujud, sedangkan al-Qur'an tidak tersedia dalam bentuk lengkapnya sejak awal? Bagaimanakah ia boleh wujud, sedangkan ayat-ayat dan surat-suratnya sering membicarakan peristiwa yang berlaku pada pelbagai peringkat perjuangan dakwah? Bagaimanakah ia boleh menjadi hasil fikiran seorang lelaki yang tidak pandai membaca mahupun menulis, dan yang tidak pernah menunjukkan sebarang kebolehan istimewa dalam mengarang sebelum bermulanya misi kenabiannya?

The revelation of the Qur’aan in segments over twenty-three years is clear proof that it is Allaah’s word, alone, and not that of Prophet Muhammad (r) or any other member of creation. That is proven by the unity and consistency of expression from beginning to end. Its basic subject matter is intimately interwoven throughout its one hundred and fourteen chapters, and all of the chapters seem interconnected like priceless pearls on a single necklace. Its rhyme and rhythm flow unhindered through every verse in the book in a unified style, in spite of the variations in subject matter and sentence structure. How could such a consistency arise when the Qur’aan was not available in its complete form from the beginning? How could it arise when its verses and chapters often dealt with incidents occurring at various stages of the movement? How could it be the product of the mind of a man who could neither read or write, nor had he displayed any special ability to compose prior to the beginning of his mission?

Malah penulis-penulis yang paling agung sekalipun mempunyai variasi dalam gaya penulisan mereka, terutamanya dalam tempoh yang panjang. Oleh itu, hakikat bahawa al-Qur'an diturunkan secara beransur-ansur dalam tempoh dua puluh tiga tahun jelas membuktikan bahawa asalnya bukan daripada dunia ini.

Even the greatest of writers have variations in their styles, especially over long periods of time. Therefore, the fact that the Qur’aan was revealed in sections over a period of twenty-three years clearly proves that its origin was not of this world.

Sumbernya mestilah daripada Tuhan semesta alam, Allah, Yang Maha Agung dan Maha Mulia.

Its source had to be the Lord of the Worlds, Allaah, Most Great and Glorious.

Allah sendiri telah menunjukkan fakta ini dalam al-Qur'an, dengan firman-Nya,

Allaah Himself pointed to this fact in the Qur’aan, saying,

Setiap kali Nabi (ﷺ) menerima wahyu baharu, baginda akan menyuruh para sahabatnya meletakkannya selepas wahyu-wahyu terdahulu yang lain atau sebelum wahyu-wahyu tersebut. Nabi ﷺ tidak mengetahui apa yang akan baginda hadapi pada masa hadapan atau berapa lama baginda akan hidup. Kehidupan baginda dipenuhi dengan pelbagai peristiwa yang, tanpa sebarang keraguan, mengubah keadaan hati dan cara baginda menyampaikan sesuatu. Namun, al-Qur'an sama sekali tidak mencerminkan perbezaan-perbezaan ini. Al-Qur'an sememangnya bukan hasil karya Muhammad ﷺ, sebagaimana sesetengah pihak mahu dakwa, dan fakta itu terbukti oleh al-Qur'an itu sendiri.

Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) had a new revelation, he would tell his companions to put it after other earlier revelations or before them. The Prophet (r) had no idea what he was going to face in the future or how long he was going to live. His life was filled with a multitude of incidents which, without a doubt, altered his mood and his mode of expression. Yet, the Qur’aan in no way reflected these differences. The Qur’aan is definitely not the product of Muhammad (ﷺ), as some would like to claim, and that fact is proven by the Qur’aan itself.