Qur'ani iliteremshwa kwa Mtume ﷺ kwa sehemu sehemu katika kipindi cha miaka ishirini na mitatu. Kuteremshwa kwake kulitokea kwa njia mbalimbali: wakati mwingine kwa mfululizo wa haraka na wakati mwingine baada ya kipindi cha muda. Qur'ani iliteremshwa kwa taratibu na si yote kwa mara moja, kwa sababu ya hekima ambayo Allah (SWT) ameitaja katika Qur'ani tukufu.

The Qur'ān was revealed to the Prophet PBUH in parts over a period of twenty-three years. Its revelation occured in various ways: at times in (quick) succession and at times after a period of time. The Qur’ān was revealed gradually and not all at once due to a wisdom Allah  mentioned in the noble Qur’ān,

yaani, hivyo ndivyo ilivyoteremshwa kwa sehemu sehemu ili Sisi tuweze kuuimarisha moyo wako, kwa mgawanyo wake, ili uweze kuelewa kikamilifu na kuukariri. Na Yeye akasema:

i.e, thus it has been revealed in parts so that We may strengthen your heart, by its division, so that you may understand it fully and memorise it. And He  said:

Yaani, ni Qur'ani aliyoiteremsha kwa sehemu, kidogo kidogo, kwa vipindi, yaani polepole, bila haraka na kwa ufafanuzi. Aliiteremsha kwa hatua, yaani kulingana na matukio. Hivyo, ili kuimarisha moyo wa Mtume ﷺ, na ili aisome kwa watu polepole bila haraka, na pia ili iteremke kulingana na matukio na kwa kujibu maswali, Qur'ani iliteremshwa kidogo kidogo, kwa sehemu, kwa muda wa miaka ishirini na mitatu.

i.e, it is a Qur’ān which he  revealed in parts, gradually, at intervals, that is, slowly, without haste and with demonstration; He  revealed it in stages, i.e according to incidents. So, in order to strengthen the heart of the Messenger PBUH and so as to recite it to the people slowly without haste, and also in order to reveal it according to the incidents and with answers to the questions, the Qur’ān was revealed gradually and in parts over twenty-three years.

Qur’ani ilipokuwa ikiteremshwa kwa Mtume wa Allah ﷺ, yeye angewaamuru watu wakihifadhi, na kuiandika juu ya vipande vya ngozi, au karatasi, au mafunjo ya mpapai. Pia aliandika juu ya mfupa wa bega, ukindu wa mtende, al-lukhaf (jiwe jeupe nyembamba na pana), yaani juu ya mifupa ya mabega, mashina ya majani ya mtende, na mawe laini. Aya zilipoteremshwa, angetoa amri ziwekwe mahali pake sahihi katika Sura. Hivyo alikuwa akisema: weka aya hii katika sura fulani baada ya aya fulani. Basi walikuwa wakiziweka mahali pake sahihi katika Sura. Imepokewa na 'Uthman kwamba:

The Qur’ān would be revealed to the Messenger of Allah PBUH and he  would then instruct the people to memorise it, write it down on pieces of leather or a sheet or papyrus, he would also write on the scapula bone, the palm risp or the lukhaf (a thin broad white stone) i.e on the shoulder blades, leaf stalks of date palm and soft stones. When the ayāt would be revealed he would give the order that they be placed in their proper place in the Sura’s. Thus, he used to say, put this ayah in such and such sura after such and such ayah. So they used to put them in their proper place in the Sura. It has been narrated by 'Uthman  that:

Ilikuwa hivi mpaka Qur'ani yote ilipoteremshwa, na Allah akamchukua roho yake baada ya kukamilika kwa uteremshaji wa Qur'ani. Ndiyo maana mpangilio wa aya za kila Sura katika umbo lililopo sasa katika maandishi ya mushafu ulikuwa kama ulivyoamuliwa na wahyi, kutoka kwa Nabii ﷺ, uliopitishwa kwake na Jibril kutoka kwa Allah. Kwa mujibu wa mpangilio huu, Ummah ulipokea Qur'ani kutoka kwa Nabii wao ﷺ, na hakuna tofauti (ikhtilaf) kuhusu hili. Mpangilio wa aya katika Sura tunaouona leo ndio umbo lile lile aliloliamuru Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ. Ni umbo lile lile lililoandikwa kwenye mabega ya wanyama, makuti ya mitende na lukhaf (jiwe jeupe jembamba na pana), na lililohifadhiwa mioyoni mwa watu. Hivyo basi, mpangilio wa aya ndani ya Sura umethibitika kuwa umeamuliwa na wahyi aliouteremshiwa Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ, kutoka kwa Jibril, kutoka kwa Allah. Kuhusu mpangilio wa Sura, baadhi ya sura ziliunganishwa pamoja kwa mujibu wa Ijtihadi ya Maswahaba (radhi za Allah ziwe juu yao). Ahmad na waandishi wa Sunan wameripoti hadithi kutoka kwa Ibn 'Abbas ambayo imetangazwa kuwa sahihi na Ibn Hibban na al-Hakim, walisimulia:

It was done in this manner until the whole Qur’ān was revealed and Allah  took his  soul after the revelation of the Qur’ān was complete. That is why the arrangement of the verses of every Sura in the form as it is now in the present script (mushaf) was as determined by the revelation, from the Prophet , transmitted to him  by Jibreel  from Allah . And according to this arrangement the Ummah transmitted the Qur’ān from her Prophet  and there is no difference (ikhtilaf) about this. The order of the ayat in the Sura’s that we observe today is the very form the Messenger of Allah  ordered. And it is the same form as that was written on the shoulder blades (of animals), palm risps & the lukhaf’s (a thin broad white stone) and preserved in the hearts of men. Consequently, the arrangement of verses within the Sura’s is definite that it is determined by the revelation to the Messenger of Allah , from Jibreel , from Allah . As for the arrangement of the Sura’s, certain chapters (Sura’s) were put together according to the Ijtihād of Sahabah . Ahmad and the Sunan compilers have reported a hadīth by Ibn 'Abbas which has been declared sound by Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim, they narrated:

Mimi (Ibn 'Abbas) nilimwambia 'Uthman: "Ni kitu gani kilichokusukuma kuweka pamoja Surat al-Anfal, ambayo ni miongoni mwa al-mathani (sura zenye aya chini ya 100), na Surat al-Baraa'ah, ambayo ni miongoni mwa al-mi'un (zenye takriban aya 100)? Umeziweka pamoja, hukuandika kati yake mstari 'bismillah ar-rahman ar-rahim', na umeziweka miongoni mwa sura saba ndefu (at-tiwal)." Basi 'Uthman akasema:

'I (Ibn 'Abbas) said to 'Uthman 'What induced you to position together Sura al-Anfal which is from the mathani (suras with less than 100 ayāt), and Sura al-Baraa'ah when it is from the mi'un (consisting of about 100 ayāt). You have put them together and you did not write between them the line 'bismillah ar-rahman a-rahim' and you have placed them among the seven long (tiwal) Suras. So 'Uthman said:

Imepokewa na Sa'id ibn Jubayr kutoka kwa Ibn 'Abbas (ra) ambaye alisema kwamba:

It has been narrated by Sa'id ibn Jubayr from Ibn 'Abbas (ra) who said that:

Na katika riwaya nyingine:

And In another narration:

Hii inaonyesha kwamba mpangilio wa aya katika kila Sura ulipangwa kwa wahyi. Na kwa kuwa Nabii ﷺ hakufafanua suala la Sura Baraa'ah, 'Uthman (radhi za Allah zimshukie) aliiongeza kwenye al-Anfal kwa kutumia Ijtihad yake mwenyewe. Mwandishi wa al-Iqna' ameeleza kuwa Basmala (kifupi cha bismillah ar-rahman ar-rahim) ya Baraa'ah ipo katika mushaf ya Ibn Mas'ud. Imepokewa kuwa Masahaba walikuwa wakihifadhi nakala ambazo mpangilio wa Sura zake ulikuwa tofauti, ingawa hakukuwa na tofauti katika mpangilio wa aya. Hivyo mushaf ya Ibn Mas'ud ilikusanywa kwa namna tofauti na mushaf ya 'Uthman katika mpangilio wa Sura. Ilianza na al-Fatiha, kisha al-Baqarah, al-Nisa na Aali 'Imran, tofauti na mushaf ya 'Uthman ambayo mpangilio wake ni al-Fatiha, al-Baqarah, Aali 'Imran kisha al-Nisa. Hakuna hata moja kati yao iliyokusanywa kwa mpangilio wa wahyi. Inasemekana kuwa mushaf ya 'Ali (ra) ulikuwa kwa mpangilio wa wahyi; ulianza na Iqra', kisha al-Muddaththir, Nuun wal-Qalam, al-Muzzammil, Tabbat, al-Takweer, Sabbih, na uliendelea hivyo hadi mwisho wa Sura za Makka, kisha Sura za Madina. Yote haya yanaonyesha kwamba mpangilio wa baadhi ya Sura ulipangwa kwa Ijtihad ya Masahaba. Ndiyo maana kudumisha mpangilio wa Sura katika usomaji si wajibu, iwe katika kusoma Qur'an (tilawah), katika swala, katika somo au katika kufundisha. Ushahidi ni kwamba Nabii ﷺ alisoma Sura al-Nisa kabla ya Aali 'Imran katika swala yake ya usiku. Kuhusu yaliyopokewa juu ya katazo la kusoma Qur'an kwa mpangilio wa nyuma, lililokusudiwa ni kwamba aya ya Sura moja isisomwe kinyume nyuma, na si kusoma Sura kwa mpangilio wa nyuma.

This indicates that the order of the ayat in every Sura was determined by revelation. And since the Prophet  did not elucidate the issue of Sura baraa'ah 'Uthman  added it to al-Anfal according to his own Ijtihād (may Allah be pleased with him). The author of al-Iqna' reported that the Basmala (abbr. for bismillah ar-rahman ar-rahim) for Baraa'ah is present in the mushaf of Ibn Mas'ud . It has been reported that the Sahabah  used to keep copies whose arrangement of Sura’s was different though there were no differences in the verse arrangement. So the mushaf of Ibn Mas'ud  was compiled in a manner different to the mushaf of 'Uthman  in terms of the arrangement of the Sura’s. It began with al-fatiha, then al-baqarah, al-nisa and Aali 'Imran, contrary to the 'Uthmani mushaf whose arrangement is al-fatiha, al-baqarah, Aali 'Imran and then al-nisa. None of them were compiled according to the order of revelation. It is said that the mushaf of 'Ali (ra) was according to the order of revelation, it began with iqra', then al-muddaththir, nun wal qalam, al-muzzammil, tabbat, al-takweer, sabbih, it went on in this manner to the end of the Makkan suras and then to the Medinan Suras. All of this indicates that the Sura arrangement in relation to some Sura’s was arranged according to the Ijtihād of the Sahabah. That is why maintaining the arrangement of Sura’s in recitation in not obligatory whether in reciting the Qur’ān (tilaawah), in the salah, in a lesson or teaching. As evidenced by the fact that the Prophet  read Sura al-Nisa before Aali 'Imran in his night prayer. As for what has been reported about the prohibition of reciting the Qur’ān in reverse order, what was intended was that an ayah in one Sura should not be read in reverse and not the recitation of Sura’s in reverse order.

Imepokewa kutoka kwa Abu Hurairah (ra) kwamba alisema:

It has been narrated about Abu Hurairah (ra) that he said:

Uwasilishaji wa Jibril wa Qur'ani kwa Mtume ﷺ kila mwaka unamaanisha kwamba aliwasilisha mpangilio wa aya zake kuhusiana na aya nyingine na mpangilio wa aya zake ndani ya sura zake husika, kwa sababu kuwasilisha kitabu ni kuwasilisha sentensi zake, maneno yake na mpangilio wake. Alimwasilisha mara mbili katika mwaka ambao Mtume ﷺ alifariki. Hii inamaanisha kwamba mpangilio wa aya kuhusiana na kila moja uliwasilishwa, pamoja na mpangilio wa aya ndani ya sura zao. Vilevile, inawezekana kuelewa hadithi kwa maana kwamba mpangilio wa sura kuhusiana na kila moja uliwasilishwa. Hata hivyo, zipo hadithi nyingine ambazo zinataja waziwazi mpangilio wa aya. Zinaeleza mpangilio wa aya kuhusiana na kila moja na mpangilio wa aya ndani ya sura zao husika.

Jibreel's presentation of the Qur’ān to the Messenger  every year means that he presented the arrangment of its verses in relation to other verses and the arrangement of its verses in their respective chapters because presenting the book means to present its sentences, words and arrangement. He presented it to him twice in the year in which the Messenger  died. This means that the arrangement of the verses in relation to each other was presented and as well as the arrangment of verses in their respective Sura’s. Similarly, it is possible to understand the hadīth to mean that the Sura arrangment in relation to each other was presented. However, ther are other ahadīth which explicitly mention the arrangment of the verses. They state the arrangment of the verses in relation to each other and the arrangment of verses in their respective chapters:

Na

And

Sura moja ingeishia na sura nyingine ingeanza kama alivyoamrisha Allah kupitia Jibril. Imepokewa kwamba Ibn 'Abbas alisema:

A Sura would end and another Sura would begin as commanded by Allah  through Jibreel . It has been reported that Ibn 'Abbas  said:

Yote haya yanaonyesha wazi kwamba mpangilio wa aya katika Suratu zao, na umbo la Suratu kwa upande wa idadi ya aya na mahali pake, yote hayo yameamuliwa na Allah . Umma uliipokea katika umbo hili kutoka kwa Nabii wake ﷺ, na hilo limethibitishwa kwa tawaatur (riwaya zilizopokewa mfululizo na wengi). Kuhusu mpangilio wa Suratu kwa kuhusiana na nyingine, hili linaweza kufahamika kupitia hadithi zinazozungumzia mpangilio wa Qur'ani, na pia linaweza kufahamika kupitia hadithi nyingine. Imepokewa na Aisha , mama wa Waumini, kwamba mtu kutoka Iraq alimjia na kumuuliza, 'Ni aina gani ya sanda iliyo bora?' Aisha akasema, 'Allah akurehemu! Je, hilo lina umuhimu gani?' Akasema, 'Ee mama wa Waumini! Nionyeshe nakala yako ya Qur'ani.' Akasema, 'Kwa nini?' Akasema, 'Ili niikusanye na kuipanga Qur'ani kulingana nayo, kwani watu wanaisoma huku Suratu zake zikiwa si katika mpangilio sahihi.' Aisha akasema, 'Ni jambo gani kujua ni sehemu gani ya Qur'ani utakayoisoma kwanza? Jueni kwamba kitu cha kwanza kilichoteremshwa katika hiyo ni Sura kutoka al-Mufassal, na ndani yake kumetajwa Pepo na Moto. Watu walipoingia Uislamu, aya zinazohusu mambo ya halali na haramu ziliteremshwa. Kama kitu cha kwanza kuteremshwa kingekuwa: "Msinywe vileo," watu wangesema, "Hatutaacha kamwe kunywa vileo," na kama ingeteremshwa, "Msifanye zinaa," wangesema, "Hatutaacha kamwe zinaa." Nilipokuwa msichana mdogo wa umri wa kucheza, aya ifuatayo iliteremshwa Makka kwa Muhammad ﷺ:

All of this definitely indicates that the arrangement of ayat in their Sura’s and the form of the Suras in terms of the number of verses and their places, all of that is determined by Allah . The Ummah transmitted it in this form from her Prophet  and that is proven by tawaatur (recurrent reports). As for the arrangment of the Sura’s in relation to each other, this can be understood by the ahadith discussing the arrangment of the Qur’ān and it can be understood from other ahadith as well. Narrated by Aisha , the mother of the Believers, that a person from Iraq came to her and asked, 'What type of shroud is the best?' 'Aisha said,'May Allah be merciful to you! What does it matter?' He said, 'O mother of the believers! Show me (the copy of) your Qur’ān,' She said,'Why?” He said, “In order to compile and arrange the Qur’ān according to it, for people recite it with its sura’s not in proper order.” 'Aisha said, “What does it matter which part of it you read first? Know that the first thing that was revealed thereof was a Sura from al-Mufassal, and in it was mentioned Paradise and the Fire. When the people embraced Islam, the ayat regarding legal and illegal things were revealed. If the first thing to be revealed was: 'Do not drink alcoholic drinks.' people would have said, 'We will never leave alcoholic drinks,' and if there had been revealed, 'Do not commit illegal sexual intercourse, 'they would have said, 'We will never give up illegal sexual intercourse.' While I was a young girl of playing age, the following verse was revealed in Makkah to Muhammad:

Kisha 'Aisha akatoa nakala ya Qur’ani kwa mtu huyo na kumsomea aya za sura (kwa mpangilio wake sahihi). Hadithi hii inaonyesha kwamba Qur’ani haikuwa imekusanywa kwa mpangilio, na mbali na hilo, mpangilio tofauti wa misahafu ya Sahaba unaonyesha kwamba mpangilio wa sura kuhusiana na nyingine ulifanyika kwa makubaliano miongoni mwa Sahaba.

Then 'Aisha took out the copy of the Qur’ān for the man and dictated to him the verses of the Sura’s (in their proper order). This hadīth shows that the Qur’ān had not been put together (in order), in addition to this the different arrangment of mushafs of the Sahabah indicate that the arrangment of Sura’s in relation to each other was done in agreement amongst the Sahabah.