4 The Qur'an

Muslims believe the Qur’an was revealed to the prophet Muhammad over a period of about 23 years, beginning around 610 CE.

According to Islamic tradition, Muhammad was about 40 years old when he received the first revelation while in a cave.

He had been going regularly to a cave called Hira, near Mecca, for solitude, prayer, and reflection.

On a specific night known as Laylat al-Qadr (the “Night of Power” or “Night of Decree”), he reported that the angel Gabriel appeared to him and commanded him to “Recite.” This moment is considered the beginning of the Qur’an.

After the initial experience, revelations were not limited to the cave and revelations did not occur on a predictable timetable.

Muhammad also received revelations at home, while traveling, during battles, in public settings, among companions, sometimes while resting, and even while riding an animal.

Islamic reports describe physical and sensory experiences during revelation. Some accounts say he would feel intense pressure, sweat even in cold weather, hear a ringing sound like a bell, enter a focused or trance-like state, or become very still. Afterward, he would recite the revealed words.

The revelations were delivered gradually over many years, often connected to specific situations Muhammad and his community were facing—including persecution in Mecca, migration to the city of Medina, and the formation of an early Muslim society.

There were also times when revelation stopped temporarily. One early pause is known as Fatrah — the “pause” after the first encounter. This reportedly caused Muhammad distress because he feared the experience might not return. Later, however, the revelations resumed.

Muhammad is believed to have recited the revelations aloud as he received them. His followers memorized the words and also wrote them down on available materials such as parchment, leather, shoulder bones, and palm leaves.

A significant aspect of this event is that Muhammad is believed to have been illiterate. For Muslims, the fact that an unlettered man could deliver a text of such immense linguistic beauty and complexity is viewed as a divine miracle.

After Muhammad’s death in 632 CE, his followers became concerned about preserving the revelations in a single collection. The first compilation was organized under the leadership of the first caliph, Abu Bakr, who appointed Zayd ibn Thabit—Muhammad’s primary scribe—to lead the task of gathering the written fragments and verifying them against the memories of the community.

A few decades later, around 650 CE, the third caliph, Uthman, again commissioned Zayd ibn Thabit to lead a committee in producing a standardized version of the text. This was done to prevent differences in recitation across growing Muslim territories. Copies of this standard text were distributed to major cities.

Muslims believe the Qur’an has been preserved exactly as it was revealed since that time.

Because many early Muslims memorized the text, oral transmission played a major role in preserving the Qur’an. Even today, memorizing the entire Qur’an in Arabic is considered a significant religious achievement.

One important detail is that Muslims consider the Qur’an to be truly the Qur’an only in its original Arabic. Translations into other languages are viewed as interpretations of the meaning, not the sacred text itself.

The gradual revelation of the Qur’an over many years is significant in Islam. It reflects the belief that guidance was provided step-by-step as the early Muslim community developed.

The Qur’an is not arranged chronologically because it is intended as a book of guidance rather than a historical narrative or a biography.

In section 4.3, we will look at how Muslims use the Qur’an in daily life.