Kuna sababu kadhaa kwa nini wahyu wa pili ulishushwa kwa sehemu sehemu badala ya kwa mara moja, kama ilivyotokea kwa vitabu vya wahyu vilivyotangulia.

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.

Yafuatayo ni muhtasari tu wa sababu zilizo dhahiri zaidi:

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

Mtume (ﷺ) alikabiliwa na majaribu mengi mikononi mwa maadui zake miongoni mwa washirikina na Mayahudi. Walimwita mwongo na mdanganyifu, na walijaribu kila njia iwezekanayo ili kuvunja moyo wake. Kila shinikizo la wapinzani wake lilipofikia kilele chake na kuwa karibu lisilovumilika, Allaah alikuwa akiteremsha aya fulani ili kumfariji Mtume (ﷺ). Kwa mfano:

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 pia angempa ujasiri kwa kumkumbusha mitihani ya Mitume waliotangulia na jinsi hatimaye walivyopewa ushindi. Kwa mfano,

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,

Wakati mwingine Allah alimwahidi msaada na ushindi kwa hakika.

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

Au Allah angemjulisha kushindwa kwa maadui zake:

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

Hivyo basi, sehemu fulani za Qur'ani ziliteremshwa katika vipindi mbalimbali vya utume wake, hasa kwa ajili ya kumfariji Mtume ﷺ na kumpa uthabiti na kujiamini ili atimize wajibu wake wa kueneza Uislamu.

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.

Kushuka kwa wahyi kulikuwa mzigo mzito ambao kwa kawaida ulimwacha Mtume ﷺ amechoka na dhaifu. ‘Aisha alisimulia kwamba siku moja, siku yenye baridi kali sana, alimwona wahyi ulipomjia na kisha ulipomwacha, na licha ya hali ya baridi, paji lake la uso lilikuwa likitoka jasho.51 Hata Allah Mwenyewe alilitaja Qur’an kuwa ni nzito na yenye kulemea:

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:

Na, ili kusisitiza ukuu, nguvu na uzito wa neno la Mwenyezi Mungu, Allah ameweka mfano ufuatao:

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

Kwa hiyo, kushushwa kwa neno la mwisho la Allaah kwa mkupuo mmoja kungekuwa ni jambo zito mno kwa Mtume (ﷺ) kulibeba. Ufunuo kama huo ungemweka chini ya shinikizo kubwa kabisa. Kwa sababu hiyo, uligawanywa katika sehemu zinazoweza kubebeka, na kushushwa polepole. Kwa njia hii, Mtume (ﷺ) angebebeshwa mzigo kwa vipindi vifupi tu, na utume wake usingezuiwa na vipindi virefu vya kupona. Hivyo basi, njia ya ufunuo wa sehemu kwa sehemu inadhihirisha namna ya upole ambayo Allaah alimtendea mjumbe wake wa mwisho, kutokana na ukuu na utukufu wa ujumbe wa mwisho.

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.

Njia ambayo Qur'ani ilitumika kuwasilisha misingi ya Uislamu ilikuwa ya taratibu. Misingi yote haikuamriwa mwanzoni wala kwa mara moja katika hatua yoyote. Sura za mwanzo za Qur'ani zililenga kushughulikia tatizo kuu lililokabili ibada ya Allah na umoja Wake: shirki. 54 Imani ya ukuu wa Allah na umoja Wake ilipaswa kujengwa, na miungu ya uongo ya viumbe ilipaswa kuondolewa. Hivyo, sura za mwanzo zilijikita katika tawheed55 na nguzo nyingine kubwa ya imani, 56 imani ya Ufufuo na Hukumu. Haikuwa hadi baada ya miaka kumi na miwili ya kujenga imani ndipo swalah ilipofanywa wajibu, wakati wa Safari ya Mtume ﷺ ya kupaa (mi‘raaj) mbinguni.57 Mwaka mmoja kabla ya Hijra, aya za Qur'ani zilianza kusisitiza swalah kama sharti kwa waumini. Haikuwa hadi miaka miwili baada ya Hijra ndipo aya za Qur'ani zilipogeukia saumu na zakaah na kuwaamuru Waislamu juu yake.58 Hatimaye, katika mwaka wa sita baada ya Hijra, aya za Qur'ani zilifunua hijja kuwa wajibu kwa yeyote mwenye uwezo wa kuifanya.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

‘Aisha alisema kuwa kitu cha kwanza kilichoteremshwa katika Qur’aan kilihusu Pepo na Moto, na ilikuwa baada ya muda fulani ndipo mambo ya halali na haramu yalishughulikiwa. Alisema: “Lau kitu cha kwanza kilichoteremshwa kingekuwa ‘Msinywe pombe,’ au ‘Msizini wala msifanye uasherati,’ wangesema: ‘Hatutaacha kamwe.’ ”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

Ikiwa Qur'ani ingeteremshwa kwa mara moja, isingewezekana kuweka sheria kwa mpangilio wa hatua kwa hatua. Mbinu hii ilikuwa muhimu hasa kwa kizazi cha kwanza cha Waislamu ambao baadaye wangeanzisha Uislamu duniani.

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.

Ilikuwa ni muhimu kwao kuwa na ufahamu wazi wa misingi ya Uislamu, kwa sababu vizazi vya baadaye vya Waislamu vingetegemea ufahamu wao na utendaji wao wa Uislamu.

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.

Kwa kuwa wengi wa wafuasi wa Mtume ﷺ hawakuweza kusoma wala kuandika, njia kuu ya kuhifadhi Qur'aan ikawa ni kuihifadhi kwa kukariri. Kwa hiyo, lau Qur'aan yote ingeteremshwa mara moja, wasingeweza kuikariri yote kutokana na urefu wake.

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.

Hata wale wachache waliokuwa na uwezo wa kuandika wasingeweza kuandika yote, kutokana na uhaba wa vifaa vya kuandikia wakati huo. Hivyo, kushushwa kwa Qur-aan kwa sehemu kulirahisisha masahaba kuihifadhi Qur-aan yote kwa kukariri na kuifundishana. Imepokewa kwamba ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab alisema: “Jifunzeni Qur-aan aya tano tano, kwani hakika Jibriil alikuwa akiteremka na Qur-aan kwa Mtume ﷺ aya tano tano.” 61 Hili pia lilirahisisha kazi ya waandishi wa Mtume ﷺ ya kuandika Qur-aan yote wakati wa uhai wake.

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.

Uhifadhi huu wa mapema wa Qur'ani ulikuwa muhimu sana katika kudumisha usafi wa mafundisho ya Uislamu, kwa kuwa ni mabadiliko yaliyofanywa katika vitabu vya awali vya wahyi ndiyo yaliyowapotosha wafuasi wake. Ufunuo wa taratibu wa Qur'ani pia uliwapa fursa kubwa zaidi ya kutafakari maana za aya. Hilo, nalo, likawafanya wamuulize Mtume ﷺ ili kufafanua baadhi ya mambo au kuthibitisha baadhi ya tafsiri. Hivyo, kizazi hicho kiliweza kupata uelewa wa kina kabisa wa Qur'ani. Jambo hili lilikuwa na umuhimu mkubwa, kwa sababu utekelezaji wao wa vitendo wa kanuni za Qur'ani ulikuwa mwongozo kwa vizazi vya baadaye vya Waislamu, na unaendelea kuwa mwongozo hadi leo. Uelewa wa namna hiyo usingewezekana kama Qur'ani ingeteremshwa yote kwa mara moja.

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.

Mara nyingi aya za Qur’aan zilishuka kushughulikia moja kwa moja matatizo yaliyowakabili Mtume (ﷺ) na Maswahaba zake. Wakati mwingine watu walimuuliza Mtume (ﷺ) maswali ambayo hakuwa na ujuzi nayo, na Allaah akateremsha jibu lake. Kwa mfano, imepokelewa kwamba kisa cha Dhul-Qarnayn kiliteremshwa kwa sababu Mayahudi walimuuliza Mtume (ﷺ) kuhusu yeye, kama jaribio la utume wake. Allaah akateremsha:

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:

Wakati mwingine, aya zingeshushwa ili kusahihisha kosa lililofanywa na Mtume (ﷺ) mwenyewe. Mfano wa hili ni katika Surat at-Tawbah, ambamo Allah alimwambia Mtume (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),

Mujaahid alisema aya hiyo iliteremshwa kuhusu watu waliokuwa wakiwashauri wengine, "Mwombeni Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ awasamehe (wasishiriki katika msafara wa Tabuk). Akiwapa ruhusa, bakini nyumbani, na asipowaruhusu, bakini nyumbani (hata hivyo)." Ibn Katheer alisema, "Aliye Juu Kabisa anasema, 'Hamkupaswa kumpa ruhusa yeyote miongoni mwao ya kubaki nyuma, ili mpate kujua ni nani aliye mkweli katika kuonyesha utii wake kwenu, na ni nani mwongo. Kwa kuwa walikuwa wamedhamiria kwa uthabiti kubaki nyuma.'"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

Aya pia zilishuka kurekebisha mitazamo potofu iliyoenea miongoni mwa Waislamu wa wakati huo. Mfano wa ufunuo wa aina hiyo ni tukio la Vita vya Hunayn. Waislamu walikwenda kupigana na makafiri wakihisi kwamba bila shaka watapata ushindi, kwa kuwa idadi yao ilizidi ya adui mara nyingi. Adui aliwavizia na kuwasababisha kugeuka na kukimbia kwa kushindwa. Hata hivyo, baada ya funzo hilo la awali, Allah aliwapa ushindi dhidi ya adui katika vita hivyo hivyo. Kisha akateremsha aya ifuatayo:

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:

Kwa kushughulikia matukio mbalimbali kadiri yalivyotokea, Qur'ani iliweza kuwafikia wahusika moja kwa moja zaidi. Masahihisho yanayofanywa mara tu baada ya makosa kutokea huwa na athari kubwa zaidi kuliko nasaha za jumla zinazotolewa muda mrefu kabla au baada ya tukio. Lau Qur'ani ingeteremshwa yote kwa mara moja, isingewezekana kushughulikia matatizo haya na mengine yanayofanana nayo ndani ya muktadha wake.

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.

Ufunuo wa Qur-aan kwa sehemu kwa muda wa miaka ishirini na mitatu ni ushahidi wazi kwamba ni neno la Allah pekee, na si la Mtume Muhammad ﷺ wala la kiumbe mwingine yeyote. Hilo linathibitishwa na umoja na uthabiti wa usemi tangu mwanzo hadi mwisho. Mada yake kuu imefumwa kwa karibu katika sura zake mia moja na kumi na nne, na sura zote zinaonekana zimeunganishwa kama lulu zisizo na thamani kwenye mkufu mmoja. Mdundo na midundo ya mashairi yake inatiririka bila kizuizi katika kila aya ya kitabu hicho kwa mtindo mmoja, licha ya tofauti za mada na muundo wa sentensi. Uthabiti kama huo ungeweza kutokeaje wakati Qur-aan haikuwepo kwa ukamilifu wake tangu mwanzo? Ungeweza kutokeaje wakati aya na sura zake mara nyingi zilihusu matukio yaliyotokea katika hatua mbalimbali za harakati hiyo? Ingewezaje kuwa bidhaa ya akili ya mtu ambaye hakuweza kusoma wala kuandika, wala hakuwahi kuonyesha uwezo wowote maalum wa kutunga kabla ya kuanza kwa utume wake?

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?

Hata waandishi wakubwa kabisa wana tofauti katika mitindo yao ya uandishi, hasa katika vipindi virefu vya muda. Kwa hiyo, ukweli kwamba Qur’ani ilishushwa kwa sehemu kwa kipindi cha miaka ishirini na mitatu unathibitisha wazi kwamba asili yake haikuwa ya dunia hii.

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.

Chanzo chake kilipaswa kuwa Bwana wa Walimwengu, Allaah, Mtukufu Mkuu na Mwenye Utukufu.

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

Allah Mwenyewe ameashiria ukweli huu katika Qur'ani, akisema,

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

Kila mara Mtume (ﷺ) alipopata wahyu mpya, alikuwa akiwaambia Maswahaba zake kuuweka baada ya wahyu mwingine wa awali au kabla yake. Mtume (ﷺ) hakuwa na wazo lolote la kile atakachokabiliana nacho baadaye, wala la muda gani ataishi. Maisha yake yalijaa matukio mengi ambayo, bila shaka, yalibadilisha hali yake ya moyo na namna yake ya kujieleza. Hata hivyo, Qur'aan haikuonyesha tofauti hizi kwa namna yoyote. Qur'aan hakika si kazi ya Muhammad (ﷺ), kama baadhi ya watu wanavyotaka kudai, na ukweli huo unathibitishwa na Qur'aan yenyewe.

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.