Muhammad and the Collection of the Quran

Life of Muhammad - Periodization1. Preparation for Prophecy:

1. Childhood: preparation for prophecy2. Merchant career and marriage:

2. Meccan Revelations and Persecution:1. Early revelations in Mecca2. Building up early network of followers3. Persecution by Meccans4. Isra’ and Mi’raj ( المعراج و (اإلسراء

3. Emigration and War:1. Building Medinan community, political ruler2. War with Meccans, their allies, conflict with

Medinan Jews

4. After the Conquest:1. Conquest of Mecca in 8/630 CE2. Receiving submission of Arabian tribes3. Conquest of Arabian peninsula4. Death in 632 after short illness

Preparation for Prophecy

Born around 570CE in the prominent clan of Banu Hashim of the Quraysh tribe – soon he is orphaned.

He is raised by foster parents in the desert as a shepherd, where his heart is cleansed by angels

Adopted into the home of his uncle Abu Talib, he becomes known as al-Amin – the trustworthy one

Preparation for Prophecy - 2 With his uncle, he goes on merchant

caravans north to Syria – where he is recognized by the Christian monk Buhayra

At 25, the 40-year-old widow Khadija offers him marriage and control of her business – they have 4 daughters (one is Fatema)

As a manager, he has more time and begins meditating in the desert and the mountain cave of Hira

And in 610 CE….

Meccan RevelationsAt first, preaches to family and friends:

Khadija, Abu Bakr and ‘Ali immediately believe

Slowly begins preaching to the Quraysh, who meet him with serious opposition and mockery

Soon his preaching threatens the tranquility of the annual hajj, and Muhammad is smeared as a madman

Torture, killing of Muhammad’s followers – psychological torture of Muhammad

Flight of some followers to Ethiopia for refuge with the Christian king

Meccan Revelations 2Boycott of Banu Hashim: no intermarriage

or trade for two yearsConversion of ‘Umar – newfound strengthYear of Sadness 9/619: new protector?

Abu Talib dies, Khadija dies, Abu Lahab new head of Quraysh

Prophet seeks protection in Ta’if – when he fails, Mut’im b. ‘Adi protects him.

The Night Journey and Ascension: Muhammad finds his place among prophets, Jerusalem is direction of prayer

Emigration to Medina and War

Deal worked out with Yathrib, and many Muslims emigrate – eventually only Muhammad, Abu Bakr and ‘Ali remain

When Mut’im dies, Muhammad’s murder is planned…

622, the tenth year of revelation, Muhammad and Abu Bakr move to Yathrib… the City of the Messenger of God

Medina and War with Mecca• Battle of Badr (624 / 2): miraculous Muslim

victory, major Quraysh leaders killed – Islam now a power to be reckoned with.

• Battle of Uhud (625 / 3): almost ends in defeat for the Muslims

• Battle of Khandaq (627 / 5): Meccans and their allies besiege Medina, Muslims drive them away.

• Treaty of Hudaybiyya (628 / 6): peace established, Muslims can visit Mecca for hajj

• Conquest of Mecca (630 / 8): after conflict breaks out between Mecca’s allies and the Prophet’s allies, Muhammad declares peace broken and moves to occupy Mecca. Scales have shifted so far towards Muslims that the conquest is peaceful. Abu Sufyan and Meccan opponents of Islam convert to Islam.

Establishing Control in Medina and Arabia

The Jewish Tribes of Medina:• ‘Constitution of Medina’: Jews and

Muslims one community (umma)• Jewish tribes gradually fall into conflict

with Muhammad, are expelled or executed

Marriage: the Prophet marries 11 women after Khadija, mostly daughters of close Companions or of prominent tribes

‘The Year of Delegations’ 631/10: the Prophet accepts loyalty of Arab tribes

The Quran in Life of the Prophet

• Landmarks: first and last revelations?• Obvious references: the battles of Badr

and Uhud• Night Voyage to Jerusalem (Isra)• Debatable: Which comes first the Quran

or Sira?– Moonsplitting: “The hour has drawn near…”

• Skepticism: the Sira is written to explain the Quran – Ex. ‘The voyages of the winter and summer’

• Crucial example: Satanic verses?

Revelation and Writing of Quran

• Quran as interactive text in the Prophet’s life– Revelation: through Gabriel?

• “Surely it is the revelation of the Lord of all beings, brought down by the faithful spirit (al-run al-amin)”(26:192)

• “The spirit of holiness (al-ruh al-qudus) has brought it down from your Lord in truth” (16:102)

– Recording: in Medina we know he had scribes

• Divine Protection:– “Indeed We have revealed it, and We will

safeguard it.”– “Do not hasten your tongue in reciting it; Indeed

its collection and recitation are upon Us.”

Compilation and Collection

• The Mushaf of Hafsa: Abu Bakr orders collection by Zayd b. Thabit after Battle of Yamama… copy entrusted to Umar and then Hafsa

• Uthman b. al-Affan orders official promulgation c. 650 CE after disagreement in Armenia. Consonental text written in ‘Qurayshi’ dialect. All other copies ordered to be destroyed.

Mushaf al-Imam

‘Readings’ of the Quran• ‘Readings’? (qira’at)… undotted,

unvowelled • Early Diversity: different orders and

wordings– Ibn Mas’ud’s mushaf, Ka’b b. Ubayy’s

mushaf– Al-Hajjaj b. Yusuf, Umayyad governor of

Wasit

• Refinement in 900’s: 7 canonical readings of Ibn Mujahid (d. 936), al-Dani (d. )– Books of qira’at

Book of Qira’at• Kitab Ikhtilaf masahif al-Sham wa 'l-hijaz wa 'l-

Iraq by Ibn Amir al-Yahsubī (d. 118/736)• Kitab Ikhtilaf masahif ahl al-Madina wa-ahl al-

Kufa wa- ahl Basra by al-Kisa’i (d. 189/805), • Kitab Ikhtilaf ahl al-Kufa wa 'l-Basra wa 'l-Sham

fi 'l-masahif by Abu Zakariyya al-Farra (d. 207/822)

• Kitab Ikhtilaf al- masahif wa-jam’ al-qira’at by al-Mada’ini (d. ca. 231/845)

• Kitab al- Masahif by Ibn Abi Dawud (d. 316/928),• Kitab al-Masahif of Ibn al-Anbari (d. 328/939)• Kitab al-Masahif of Ibn Ashta al-Isfahani (d.

360/970).

Orthodox Readings

• Orthodox readings:– Nafi’ - Ibn Kathir - Ibn ‘Amir– Abu ‘Amr - ‘Asim - Hamza– Al-Kisa’i

• Readings today: only two “versions” are in general use… Hafs from ‘Asim, (in 1924 was given a kind of official sanction by being adopted in the Egyptian standard edition), and Warsh from Nafi’

Modern Debates over the Quran

• Richard Bell’s Theory: accidental insertions

• Revisionism: Quran produced from liturgical material circa 800 CE

• Quran ‘misreading’ of early Muslim textual tradition

• Early variants of the Quran?– Sana’a find etc.

• General Consensus: the arbitrary problem– No traces of civil wars– Early evidence ex. Dome of the Rock

“We never sent a messenger or prophet before thee without Satan intervening in his desires. But God abrogates what Satan interposes. Then God confirms his signs. God is all-knowing, all-wise.”- Quran 22:52

Undotted Consonants

• house بيت• daughter بنت• strong ثبت

back

Unvowelled Consonants

M-L-KMulk – dominionMilk – propertyMalik – KingMalak – Angel

Malaka – he ownedMulika – it was owned

back

“ And We have divided the Quran into parts, that you may recited to men slowly , with deliberation. That is why We sent it down in degrees (nazzalnahu tanzila).” 17:106