Al Isrā’

وَقُرْءَاناً فَرَقْنَاهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَي النَّاسِ عَلَي مُكْثٍ وَنَزَّلْنَاهُ تَنْزِيلاً

106. “And (it is) Qur’an which We have divided (in sections) so that you may read it to the people at a slow pace and We have sent it down gradually in portions.”

One of the objections of the pagans related to the fact as to why the Qur’an has not been revealed as a whole in one part, when they said:

“…why has not the Qur’an been revealed to him all at once?…” ¹⁵

The verse under discussion is in response to their objection. As the verses of the Qur’an relate to different events, and they are meant to meet the requirements of all classes of the people throughout history, they are revealed in sections so as to correspond to the various events, thus becoming more pleasant for the audience. Would that ever be possible to collect all the events of 23 years in one single day so that the problems raised therein be revealed in the Qur’an instantly?

The verses says:

“And (it is) Qur’an which We have divided (in sections) so that you may read it to the people at a slow pace and We have sent it down gradually in portions.”

Incidentally, the gradual revelation implies the continuous relationship of the holy Prophet (S) with the source of revelation. However, instant revelation would not guarantee such a relationship more than once. Moreover, an instructor and a reformer must have a long term program in mind and must not be unaware of the new needs. Thus, the Holy Qur’an does not contain only instructive aspects but it also possesses some practical aspects as well, which must be gradually implemented, and such an implementation of hundreds of commandments in a society which has got hundreds of sorts of corruption, at once, is an impossibility.

Footnotes

1. 15. Surah Al-Furqan, No. 25, verse 32