The exegesis of the verses of Surah Al-Baqarah, particularly those concerning the revelation of the Holy Qur'an and the role of Gabriel in this process, constitutes one of the profound and fundamental topics within Qur'anic sciences. This treatise is dedicated to a precise and scholarly examination of the verses related to the descent of the Holy Qur'an, the station of Gabriel, and the characteristics of this celestial book. Employing a systematic and specialised approach, this text endeavours to elucidate the deep Qur'anic concepts with an elevated and befitting academic language, appropriate for audiences with advanced doctoral-level expertise in the respective field. The verses under discussion are presented meticulously alongside an independent translation to preserve the authenticity and depth of the analysis. The aim is to offer a coherent and enriched interpretation that, while remaining faithful to the original content, enhances the epistemic and scholarly richness for readers.
The verses considered in this section comprise three ayat from Surah Al-Baqarah, which address the topic of the revelation of the Holy Qur'an and the role of Gabriel in this process. These verses form a connected chain that defends the status of Gabriel, clarifies his position in the revelation, and emphasises the characteristics of the Holy Qur'an.
قُلْ مَنْ كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Translation: Say: Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel, then indeed he has revealed it upon your heart by the permission of Allah, confirming that which was before it and as guidance and good tidings to the believers.
This verse was revealed with the purpose of exonerating Gabriel from the enmities and accusations of certain groups, while simultaneously introducing the characteristics of the Holy Qur'an. Gabriel, as the divine intermediary, is tasked with the revelation of the Holy Qur'an, and this verse emphatically refutes any doubts concerning his role. The phrase فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ indicates that Gabriel is solely the transmitter of the revelation and has no interference or alteration in it.
The attributes of the Holy Qur'an in this verse are summarised into four prominent qualities: its being revealed (descending from the divine source), its confirming status (corroborating previous scriptures), its guidance (for all humankind), and its bearer of glad tidings (for the believers). These attributes depict the comprehensive identity of the Holy Qur'an.
مَنْ كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِلَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَجِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَالَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَدُوٌّ لِلْكَافِرِينَ
Translation: Whoever is an enemy to Allah, His angels, His messengers, Gabriel, and Michael, then indeed Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.
This verse extends enmity towards Gabriel to encompass hostility against God, the angels, and the messengers, emphasising that such antagonism constitutes disbelief and a departure from the realm of faith. This generalisation manifests the exalted position of Gabriel within the divine order.
وَلَقَدْ أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ وَمَا يَكْفُرُ بِهَا إِلَّا الْفَاسِقُونَ
Translation: And indeed We have revealed to you clear verses, and none disbelieve in them except the defiantly disobedient.
This verse emphasises the clarity and explicitness of the verses of the Holy Qur'an, attributing their denial solely to the defiantly disobedient. The clarity of these verses serves as a testament to their divine origin and the human incapacity to produce their equivalent.
Verses 97 to 99 of Surah Al-Baqarah, through a coherent structure, explicate Gabriel's role in the revelation of the Holy Qur'an, defend his station, and introduce the defining features of this celestial book. These verses, employing eloquent and reasoned language, affirm the exalted position of the Holy Qur'an as a divine revelation, a confirmer of previous scriptures, a guide, and a bearer of glad tidings.
One of the principal challenges in the exegesis of verse 97 is identifying the antecedent of the pronoun فَإِنَّهُ in the phrase فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ. Some exegetes, such as Zamakhshari in Kashshaf, have attributed this pronoun to Allah Himself, maintaining that God directly revealed the Holy Qur'an. However, this interpretation encounters difficulty because the phrase بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ becomes redundant and meaningless if God is the direct revealer. If God were the revealer Himself, there would be no need to mention by the permission of Allah, as this phrase implies mediation.
The more prevalent and logical view assigns the pronoun فَإِنَّهُ to Gabriel. In this interpretation, Gabriel, as the divine intermediary, revealed the Holy Qur'an to the heart of the Prophet by the permission of Allah. This perspective aligns more harmoniously with the structure of the verse and the emphasis on Gabriel's role.
The phrase بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ in verse 97 does not signify an ordinary permission but rather the realisation of divine will within the framework of monotheistic unity. In the system of worldly causes, divine permission denotes the execution of God's will through intermediaries. Gabriel, as the intermediary of revelation, functions solely as the executor of this will, possessing no autonomous agency. This notion is consonant with the principle لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ, which manifests the complete dependence of all affairs upon divine will.
Unlike human relations, where permission and action are ascribed to two distinct individuals, in the context of divine unity, God's permission is identical with the divine descent realised through Gabriel. This viewpoint strengthens Gabriel's role as a mere transmitter of revelation and responds effectively to opponents' doubts.
The analysis of the interpretive challenges of verse 97 demonstrates that the pronoun فَإِنَّهُ refers to Gabriel, and the phrase بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ elucidates his role as the divine intermediary. This interpretation is not only linguistically and structurally more precise but also aligns with the system of divine causality and Gabriel's station in the revelation process.
Verse 97, by referencing the revelation of the Holy Qur'an عَلَى قَلْبِكَ, introduces the Prophets heart as the receptacle of revelation. In Qur'anic and mystical culture, the heart represents the highest degree of human existence and the pinnacle of the material realm (nast). Contrary to the senses (limited range) and intellect (intermediate range), the heart possesses an extended capacity and aptitude for receiving divine knowledge.
The revelation's descent upon the Prophets heart signifies his unparalleled capacity to receive and transmit revelation without distortion. The heart, akin to a summit in human existence, is the locus of divine descendents, just as rain falls upon the peaks of mountains before flowing into the plains.
The human heart, like a lofty summit in the realm of existence, welcomes the divine descendents. Just as rain descends upon mountain peaks before streaming into the valleys, revelation descends upon the Prophets heart and subsequently overflows upon the Ummah. This metaphor illustrates the unmatched capacity of the Prophets heart to receive revelation and its role as the centre of the manifestation of divine knowledge.
Many individuals throughout their lives do not utilise the capacity of the heart and live through their senses or intellect. However, in the case of the Prophet, his heart, as the summit of nast existence, is the place of revelation descent, and this selection reveals his fundamental distinction from other humans.
The Prophets heart, as the summit of nast existence, is the receptacle of divine revelation. This designation not only indicates the Prophets extraordinary capacity to receive revelation but also elucidates the hearts position as the centre of the manifestation of divine knowledge in human beings.
The Qur'anic revelation, contrary to the misconception held by some who regard it as a product of the mind of the Prophet or Gabriel, is a divine descent originating from the divine source and transmitted to the Prophets heart by Gabriel. In this process, Gabriel functions solely as the transmitter and does not alter the content or form of the revelation.
This descent resembles the descent of rain or iron mentioned in other verses, all of which are divine descendents. Just as rain adopts various forms (snow, hail, flood) during its descent, revelation assumes a form commensurate with the nast receptacle; however, this formation is enacted by God Himself.
Revelation, in the course of its descent, undergoes multiple transformations to become compatible with the capacity of the Prophet's heart. These transformations occur under Divine will, with Gabriel acting solely as the transmitter. Just as iron or rain assumes a form compatible with the terrestrial realm during their descent, so too does revelation take on a shape and meaning suitable to each stage of its descent.
This process demonstrates Divine wisdom in adapting revelation to human capacities. The Prophets heart, as the ultimate vessel, receives the revelation in its most complete form, without any interference from either Gabriel or the Prophet himself.
The Quranic revelation is a Divine descent bestowed upon the Prophets heart under the will of God, without any alteration by Gabriel or the Prophet. This process exemplifies Divine wisdom in adapting revelation to the terrestrial vessel.
Verse 97 enumerates four prominent attributes of the Holy Quran:
Descent (Nzilah): The Holy Quran is directly descended from the Divine origin without any alteration.
Confirmation (Muaddiqah): The Holy Quran confirms previous heavenly scriptures (the Torah, Gospel, Psalms, and Scrolls).
Guidance (Hud): The Holy Quran serves as guidance for all humanity and reveals the path to felicity.
Bearer of Glad Tidings (Bushr): The Holy Quran delivers glad tidings of happiness and salvation in the Hereafter for the believers.
The Holy Quran, by virtue of being descended, confirming, guiding, and delivering glad tidings, possesses a comprehensive and multidimensional identity that distinguishes it from other scriptures.
The phrase "Lima Bayna Yadayh" refers to the previous heavenly scriptures that chronologically and historically preceded the Holy Quran. This expression, meaning "what lies before it," indicates the Qurans confirmation of prior scriptures. This confirmation not only illustrates the Qurans connection with the tradition of earlier prophets but also demonstrates its scholarly insight and spiritual authority over the previous texts.
The Holy Quran, as guidance for all mankind (Hudan Lil-Ns), fulfils its universal role. This guidance encompasses all aspects of human life, from ethics to social matters. Additionally, the Quran, by bearing glad tidings to the believers (Bushr Lil-Muminn), shows them the path to ultimate felicity in the Hereafter.
The attributes of the Holy Quran in verse 97 elucidate its comprehensive and multidimensional identity as a Divine descent, confirmer of previous scriptures, guide, and bearer of glad tidings. These features affirm the unique status of the Quran within the epistemological and guidance framework.
One of the deficiencies of religious science in the contemporary era is the absence of academic chairs for the comparative study of heavenly scriptures (Torah, Gospel, Psalms, and the Holy Quran). This deficiency impedes the practical demonstration of the scientific and spiritual superiority of the Holy Quran over previous scriptures. Were such academic platforms available, they could concretely reveal the Qurans mastery and authority.
The establishment of academic chairs dedicated to the comparative examination of heavenly scriptures would not only validate the Qurans claim in confirming prior scriptures but also strengthen its guiding role in todays world.
Certain contemporary movements, by denying the Divine nature of the Holy Quran, elevate the Torah or Gospel as superior. These doubts stem from the inaction of religious science in presenting the Quran and responding to global challenges. Although the Quran proclaims itself as guidance for all humankind, lack of scientific and practical activity has left these doubts unanswered.
To address these doubts, it is imperative that the Holy Quran be presented globally and compared with other scriptures. This comparison solidifies the elevated status of the Quran and accentuates its role in guiding the global community.
Todays world necessitates a diverse presentation of religions so that people may choose the truth through comparison. Just as various products are displayed in a market for consumers to select, religions must be scientifically and diversely presented. This provision enables individuals to discern the truth of the Holy Quran through scrutiny and comparison.
This perspective aligns with the Quranic principle of Taadd (challenge). The Holy Quran invites opponents to produce something similar, and this invitation requires a context for presentation and comparison.
The comparative study of heavenly scriptures and the scientific presentation of the Holy Quran are necessities to prove its superiority and respond to contemporary doubts. This effort strengthens the guiding role of the Quran today and compensates for the inaction of religious science.
The notion of ignorance towards revelation is the result of colonial propaganda that portrayed understanding the Quranic revelation as impossible. However, if God is comprehensible, then revelation and the Holy Quran are likewise comprehensible. Understanding revelation requires effort and study, just as understanding any other science necessitates exertion.
Revelation and the Holy Quran, as Divine speech, were revealed for the understanding and guidance of humankind and are accessible through scholarly effort.
Understanding revelation is akin to constructing a simple tool such as a long nail, which is transformed from raw material into a functional product through effort and labour. Just as iron is heated in a furnace and shaped by hammer blows, understanding revelation is attained through study and scientific endeavour. This analogy demonstrates that ignorance results from laziness and lack of persistence, not from the inherent complexity of revelation.
Rejecting the colonial notion of ignorance and emphasising the comprehensibility of revelation are prerequisites for the revival of religious science and the strengthening of the Holy Qurans position. Understanding revelation is achievable through scientific effort and study; any inactivity in this regard is the consequence of colonial propaganda.
The exegesis of verses 97 to 99 of Surah Al-Baqarah, as one of the most profound topics in Quranic sciences, comprehensively elucidates Gabriels role in the descent of the Holy Quran, the characteristics of this heavenly book, and the position of the Prophets heart. These verses exonerate Gabriel from accusations, affirm the Divine descent of the Quran, and introduce its attributes (Descent, Confirmation, Guidance, and Bearer of Glad Tidings), presenting a complete image of the Qurans identity. The analysis of exegetical challenges, such as the referent of the pronoun فَإِنَّهُ and the meaning of بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ, clarifies Gabriels role as an intermediary without alteration.
The Prophets heart, as the pinnacle of the terrestrial existence, is the vessel for receiving revelation, demonstrating his unique capacity. Revelation, as a Divine descent, is bestowed upon the Prophets heart without alteration and undergoes transformations during descent to suit the terrestrial vessel. The attributes of the Holy Quran, including confirmation of previous scriptures and universal guidance, consolidate its exalted position.
The absence of academic chairs for comparative study of heavenly scriptures and the passivity towards contemporary doubts are challenges faced by religious science that must be remedied. Diverse presentation of religions and their scientific comparison is a pathway to demonstrating the superiority of the Holy Quran and reinforcing its guiding role in todays world. Refuting the colonial notion of ignorance and emphasising the comprehensibility of revelation are essential for the revival of religious science and the recognition of the Holy Qurans place in contemporary epistemology and guidance.
