Verses 97 to 99 of Surah Al-Baqarah, akin to a luminous gem within the Divine Discourse, elucidate the causes and reasons for the guidance of humanity within the theophanic system of the Lords revelation. These verses, by focusing on the role of angels, prophets, and heavenly scriptures, unveil the nature of Divine revelations and highlight the status of Gabriel as a sacred intermediary in the transmission of revelation. This treatise, through an in-depth examination of these verses, analyses the Divine guidance system in three principal axesangels, messengers, and heavenly scripturesand employs refined and structured allegories to clarify the concepts for a specialist and academic audience. The aim of this work is not only to reflect the Quranic content but also to deepen the understanding of the process of revelations descent and critique erroneous perspectives in this domain.
The Divine guidance system, like a grand and wise architecture, rests upon three essential pillars: angels, prophets, and heavenly scriptures. These three, as instruments of the Lords mercy, facilitate the path of humanitys guidance. Angels, as collective and perfect manifestations of divine names, exert influence in both celestial and terrestrial domains; prophets, as communication bridges, act as intermediaries between the unseen realm and sensory experience; and heavenly scriptures, akin to engineered blueprints, encompass the documents of human guidance.
قُلْ مَنْ كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Say, Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel for indeed, he has brought it down upon your heart by permission of Allah, confirming that which was before it and guidance and good tidings for the believers.
مَنْ كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِلَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَجِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَالَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَدُوٌّ لِلْكَافِرِينَ
Whoever is an enemy to Allah and His angels and His messengers and Gabriel and Michael then indeed, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.
وَلَقَدْ أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ ۖ وَمَا يَكْفُرُ بِهَا إِلَّا الْفَاسِقُونَ
And We have certainly revealed to you clear verses, and none disbelieve in them except the defiantly disobedient.
Angels, as Divine emissaries, are intermediaries manifesting the will of the Lord in the cosmos. Gabriel, Michael, Azrael, and Israfil, as the four exalted archangels, are central to managing Divine revelations. Gabriel, the intermediary of revelation, and Michael, responsible for provision, are explicitly mentioned in these verses. These angels exert influence in various affairs such as provision, governance, and restoration, revealing the hierarchical order of the Divine system.
Prophets, like two-way mirrors, perceive both angels and guide humanity. This intermediary status renders them the connecting link between the unseen world and empirical reality. Prophets receive revelation from angels and convey it to creation, thus constructing a bridge between heaven and earth.
Heavenly scriptures, such as the Noble Quran, are the engineered blueprints of human guidance. These documented evidences, like luminous lamps, illuminate the path of felicity for prophets and nations. Verse 99, emphasising clear verses, highlights the clarity and transparency of these documents.
The Divine causes in the realisation of revelation act harmoniously as components of an integrated system. Angels, prophets, and heavenly scriptures each serve as a foundational pillar of this magnificent edifice, ensuring humanitys guidance. This section, by clarifying the role of each cause, contributes to a deeper understanding of the theophanic system.
Revelation is a Divine descent directly from the Lord, without interference or modification by angels or prophets. Contrary to some misconceptions that perceive revelation as the prophets mental inspiration or paraphrase, the Noble Quran is a documented and objective speech revealed with precise wording. This descent, like pure rain, pours upon the prophets heart from the Divine heaven.
The Noble Quran, unlike traditions, is not a paraphrased narration. Traditions, due to transmission by fallible individuals, may be conveyed in meaning, but the Quran is an exact and documented speech whose expressions are immutable. Verse 97, with the phrase He revealed it upon your heart, emphasises this precision and authenticity.
Some modernist perspectives attribute revelation to the prophets mental meanings and assume he rephrased it according to his own expressions. This view is negated by the Qurans insistence on the objective and documented nature of the descent. Such interpretations stem from an imprecise understanding of the Divine descents nature and require rectification.
Gabriel, like an operational escort, transmits the revelation from its Divine origin to the prophet without modification. This role resembles the descent of rain, which Gabriel does not create but merely facilitates. Verse 97, stating for indeed, he has brought it down, confirms this intermediary role.
Revelation, as a Divine descent, is the direct speech of the Lord, preserved from any modification. The distinction between the Noble Quran and traditions lies in its concreteness and documentation. The critique of modernist views and elucidation of Gabriels role underscore the sanctity and authenticity of this descent.
The Noble Quran, as the confirmer of prior scriptures, validates the Torah and Gospel. The phrase confirming that which was before it in verse 97 illustrates the continuity of Divine religions, with Gabriel, as the intermediary, guaranteeing this confirmation.
The Noble Quran is a guide for all humanity, whereas its glad tidings are specifically for the believers. The phrase guidance and good tidings for the believers in verse 97 clarifies this distinction. Guidance is a general path, but glad tidings denote a felicity that resides in the hearts of the faithful.
The Noble Quran, like a delicate jewel, suffers harm from any intervention by the non-infallible. Just as the beads of an antique necklace may break with the slightest movement, interference in the Quranic expressions damages its authenticity. This delicacy is manifested in verse 97s emphasis on the concrete nature of the descent.
The Noble Quran, with its features of confirmation, guidance, and glad tidings, illuminates the path of human felicity like a blazing torch. Its delicacy necessitates preserving its purity and authenticity.
Divine descents, including the verses of the Noble Quran, are continual and repetitive, like rain persistently falling on the earth. These descents are revealed sometimes through Gabriel and sometimes directly, upon the hearts of saints and believers. This continuity evidences the
