Did the Prophet write the Qur’an himself?

Did the Prophet write the Qur’an himself?

It would not have been possible for Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, to have written the Qur’an. If this had been possible the people who lived in his era would have made such a claim. The Qur’an clearly states that he was unlettered; he was also known to be illiterate in the
community. The verse, “You did not (O Messenger) read of any book before it (the revelation of this Qur’an), nor did you write one with your right (or left) hand” [4] shows this clearly. This verse is clear proof that the Prophet was illiterate and did not know how to read or write. It is also mentioned in the Qur’an that the earlier books originally contained mention of the Prophet’s illiteracy: They follow the (most illustrious) Messenger, the Prophet who neither reads nor writes (and has therefore remained preserved from any traces of the existing written culture and is free from any intellectual and spiritual pollution), whom they find described in the Torah and the Gospel with them.’’ (A’raf 7:157)

Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, had lived among the Meccans a whole lifetime of forty years prior to his Prophethood. The Meccans were well aware of how he had spent his life and with what he had been occupied. He was not by himself even when he went on xpeditions outside of Mecca. No moment of his life was unknown to the people around him. Despite this, they refused to believe in the Prophet or his message. The Qur’an states, “Say: ‘If God had so willed, I would not have recited it (the Qur’an) to you nor would He have brought it to your knowledge. I lived among you a whole lifetime before it (began to be revealed to me). Will you not reason and understand? ’”
(Yunus 10:16). This verse was trying to tell them the following: I have lived among of you and with you for a lifetime prior to my Prophethood and the revelation of the Qur’an. You are well aware that I did not read anything in these years, that I did not relate anything to you similar to the miraculous verses or meanings of the Qur’an, that I did not deal with any sort of literary work, be it in verse form or in prose form, nor did I pretend to be a poet or a preacher or an author; I did not prepare myself to challenge or invite people to compete against me, and I did not try to dominate, oppress or offend anyone.

Those who were accusing Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, could not say that “he wrote the Qur’an,” for they knew that this could not have been the case; rather they said that “Muhammad had someone write it for them.” In fact, his illiteracy was accepted even by his enemies. Such slanders and allegations were for the most part put forward at a latter date by orientalists. In order to achieve their primary goal, these orientalists tried to suggest that the Prophet was not illiterate. By establishing such a case they would have been able to strengthen their allegations that the Revelation was produced by the Prophet and that he had put the Qur’an together with summaries of the Old and New Testaments.
As a matter of fact, we can understand that the religion introduced by Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is both perfect and universal, even though there were no schools or books available in Mecca during the Prophet’s lifetime from which he could have benefited. In addition, the number of people at that time who could read and write was very few, while those who knew how to read and write were well-known to the entire community. Had the Prophet taken lessons from any tutor in his childhood or later, this would certainly have been known. In addition, the names and identities of the revelation scribes were recorded, yet no one ever alleged that the Prophet was one of them. If he had not been illiterate, he would have written the Revelation himself and his name would have been mentioned with the names of the other scribes. The works that relate the story of the life of the Prophet are examples of the Companions’ love for him. Even the minutest details from his lifetime have been preserved with utmost care for centuries.

If there had been any page or letter written by Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, then it would certainly have been preserved and have survived until today, or at the very least there would be some record of it. We can understand the Prophet’s position with respect to the Revelation that he received, both from the Qur’an itself and the narrations of those who were with him when the Revelations came. These narrations show us that the Prophet did not have any control over the Revelation, rather his submission to the Revelation was definite. The verse, “And to you (O Messenger) the Qur’an is being conveyed from the Presence of One All-Wise, All-Knowing” [5] clearly states that the Qur’an is the word, not of any one person, but rather that of God alone and that the Prophet had no share in it. In the Qur’an we can understand the status and position of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, with respect to the Revelation in the following contexts:

I. The Prophet is obeying what is being revealed to him The following verses are clear indications that Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, obeys only the Revelation that was sent to him:
Say (to them, O Messenger): “(You want me to do miracles. However,) I never tell you that with me are the treasures of God, or that I know the Unseen; nor do I tell you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me.” (An’am 6:50) When you (O Messenger) do not produce for them a verse, they say, “Were you unable to make one up?” Say: “I only follow whatever is revealed to me from my Lord. This (the Qur’an) is the light of discernment and insight (into the truth) from your Lord, and guidance and mercy for people who will believe and who have already believed.” (A’raf 7:203)
When Our Revelations, clear as evidence and in meaning are recited (and conveyed) to them, those who have no expectations to meet Us say (in response to Our Messenger): “Either bring a Qur’an other than this or alter it.” Say: “It is not for me to alter it of my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. Indeed I fear, if I should rebel against my Lord, the punishment of an Awful Day.” (Yunus 10:15)
Prophethood is the reception of Revelation from God and obeying the same. Receiving the Revelation, the Prophet conveys the Revelation to people. Some people in the time of the Prophet believed that he was reciting Qur’anic verses according to his own desire and thus would demand verses
from him; they questioned him why he did not produce what they wanted. To bring a verse is not something that was under the Prophet’s control, for the verses were not his words. God revealed the verses to the Prophet as and when He willed and the Prophet had to obey them. He was only a mortal appointed as the Messenger, and he never claimed to be anything more than a man who had received Revelations from God. The fact that he was not able to bring a verse when it was demanded, but rather that he had to wait for it is in keeping with the fact that he could only relate these words at the behest of God, not according to his own desire or initiative.

From the fact that all the aforementioned verses contain the order “say” we can understand that Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is being ordered to relate whatever is sent to him. Moreover, the Prophet is not speaking out of a selfish desire, but rather is obeying what has been revealed to him. The verb “say” is repeated more than 300 times in the Qur’an, clearly indicating that the Prophet did not have the ability to interfere with the Revelation nor were the words his; rather they had been taught to him by God. The Prophet was not the actual speaker, but was God’s Messenger who was relaying what he had been told.

II. The Revelation was not from the Prophet’s own knowledge Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was totally unaware of the things he was to be taught through the Revelation before it came. He did not think about such matters at all. The Qur’an clearly states that the Prophet knew nothing about the stories of past Prophets before the Revelation. The following verses are clear indications of this:
(O Muhammad,) you were not present on the spot lying to the western side (of the valley) when We decreed the Commandment (the Torah) to Moses, nor were you a witness (to what happened there). But (after them) We brought into being many generations and long indeed were the ages that passed over them. (The information you give about them is also that which We reveal to you, just as what you tell about what happened concerning Moses in Midian is also a Revelation. For) neither did you dwell among the people of Midian so that you are conveying to them (the Makkan people) Our Revelations (about what Moses did in Midian). Rather, We have been sending Messengers (to convey Our Revelations). And neither were you present on the side of the Mount Sinai when We called out (to Moses), but (We reveal all this to you) as a mercy from your Lord so that you may warn a people to whom no warner has come before you, so that they may reflect and be mindful. (Qasas 28:44-46)
Those are accounts of some exemplary events of the unseen (a time and realm beyond any created’s perception) that We reveal to you, (O Messenger). Neither you nor your people knew them before this. Then (seeing that there is no substantial difference between the conditions in which the Messengers carried out their missions and the reactions they encountered) be patient (with their reactions and their persistence in unbelief). The (final, happy) outcome is in favor of the God-revering, pious. (Hud 11:49)

We should not forget the fact that when mentioning past peoples or Prophets, the Qur’an itself states that the sole source of information for Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is the Divine Revelation. The following verses are clear indications of this:
This is of the tidings of the things of the unseen (the things that took place in the past and have remained hidden from people with all their truth), which We reveal to you (O Muhammad), for you were not present with them when they drew lots with their pens about who should have charge of Mary; nor were you present with them when they were disputing (about the matter). (Al Imran 3:44)
This is an account of some exemplary events of the unseen (a realm and time beyond the reach of any created being’s perception) that We reveal to you, (O Messenger). You were not with them when those agreed upon their plans, and then were scheming (against Joseph). (Yusuf 12:102)
The repeated descriptions of such events and the stories of other Prophets in the Qur’an is a clear indication that the source of information for an illiterate Prophet was the Revelation; indeed it is only the Revelation that enabled the Prophet to explain in details historical events that happened thousands of years before he lived.

The Revelation was sent to the Prophet in stages, and in this way historic and sociological information as well as the knowledge on the universe which had not been previously known by the Prophet or by others at that time accumulated in his mind. Moreover, such information was not an abstract sort of general or indefinite information; on the contrary, it was concrete information with numerous details and was connected to the history of monotheistic faith. All this supports that the Revelation could not and was not something that the Prophet developed himself. When we look at the details provided by the Qur’an about past nations and Prophets, we can see that they are sometimes very detailed. Some of this information is just the opposite of what the society understood, while other parts they were not even aware of. In particular, many of the details that pertain to the stories of the Prophets are completely different to those found in the Old and New Testaments. The Prophet’s disclosure of the histories of bygone nations without any hesitation is a challenge to all ages and peoples and is one of the undeniable proofs of both his Prophethood and the Divine origin of the Qur’an.

III. The Prophet employed haste with respect to the Revelation When the Revelation first began to be sent to the Prophet he showed so much concern in receiving and committing to heart the Qur’an that he used to repeat the Revelation that had been sent to him and his lips would move impatiently in fear that he would forget the words. This manner of the Prophet’s moving his tongue to hasten for safekeeping the Revelation in his heart was not a habit he used to do before being called to Prophethood. The Arab poets did not have such a custom either; when preparing a poem they used to come up with the phrases in their minds. If the Qur’an had been something that Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, had created, then he would have prepared and recited it in the way that was customary in his society; that is, he would have had long periods of silence and meditation in order to crystallize his thoughts so that his ideas would be clearer and more understandable. But he in fact did just the opposite. The following verses depict the state of the Prophet during the Revelation:

Absolutely exalted is God, the Supreme Sovereign, the Absolute Truth and Ever-Constant. Do not show haste (O Messenger) with (the receiving and memorizing of any Revelation included in) the Qur’an before it has been revealed to you in full, but say:

“My Lord, increase me in knowledge.” (Ta.Ha 20:114)

We can understand that during the Revelation the Prophet’s tongue moved quickly and he was in a rush to read it. Thus, he was commanded to listen to the Revelation silently, without trying to repeat, until the coming verses were revealed to him in full. That is to say, the Qur’an ordered the Prophet to just listen to the Revelation in his heart, and to keep his tongue from moving, as its compilation and gathering were the responsibility of God:
(O Prophet!) Move not your tongue to hasten it (for safekeeping in your heart). Surely it is for Us to collect it (in your heart) and enable you to recite it (by heart). So when We recite it, follow its recitation; thereafter, it is for Us to explain it. (Qiyama 75:16-19)

The above verses warned Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, that he was forbidden to read the revealed parts in haste or to allow his tongue to move, repeating the Revelation that had not yet been completed. This is powerful proof that indicates that the Prophet was aware that what was being revealed to him was the Qur’an, as he was impatient to repeat it, fearful that he might forget even a small part of it. These verses clearly assure the Prophet that God will enable him to memorize the coming Revelation and understand its meaning.

IV. Revelation came suddenly before the commencement of the prophethood, Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, did not say anything about the fact that he would one day receive Revelation. He also did not expect to witness such an incident. The Revelation came to him suddenly the first time and also on all subsequent occasions. The following verse clearly indicates that the Prophet did not expect anything like the
Revelation in advance: You did not expect that this Book would be revealed to you; but it is being revealed to you as a mercy from your Lord, so do not lend any support to the unbelievers. (Qasas 28:86)

When we examine the accounts that relate the early Revelations, the following becomes clear: The Revelation first occurred to the Prophet as dreams that were later realized. After these dreams the Prophet sought solitude. He would go to the Hira cave in retreat, and then return to his family; after taking with him provisions for a couple of days he would return to the Hira cave, and this cycle would be repeated. Archangel Gabriel suddenly approached him while he was in the Hira cave and told him, “Read!” The Prophet replied, “I do not know how to read!” He goes on to tell us: “The angel caught and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then set me free and said, “Read!” I replied, “I do not know how to read!” Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time until I could not bear it any more. He then set me free and said, “Read!” “I do not know how to read!” I replied again. He caught and pressed me again for the third time and after releasing me said:
Read in and with the Name of your Lord, Who has created, created human from a clot clinging (to the wall of the womb).

Read, and your Lord is the All-Munificent, Who has taught (human) by the pen, taught human what he did not know. (Alaq 96:1-5)
Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, returned home with fear and trembling in his heart; he told his wife Khadija to cover him. When he had recovered he told his wife: “I am frightened of myself.” She said to him: “No, do not fear at all. God would never do anything to shame you, for you protect your relatives, help the destitute, clothe the needy. You are always generous to guests, help those who are in strife and are a true friend for the poor.” The Quraysh heard of this incident and their chieftains held a gathering in which they decided that the Prophet should be labeled with a name that would make people wary of him. Some proposed to call him a soothsayer, while others labeled him insane, others slandered him by attributing to him of magic, and yet others called him a separator of lovers, setting man apart from his father, his brother, his wife, children and family. God’s Messenger heard about this and he covered himself with his cloak in grief. Archangel Gabriel came to him and said, “O you enwrapped one! ” (Muzammil 73:1). Similarly, another time when the Prophet was in solitude in his home, the Angel of Revelation came and said, “O you cloaked one (who has preferred solitude)! Arise and warn! ” (Muddaththir 74:1-2).
The Revelation that came to Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was not contemplated before hand and the Revelation was not dependent on any specific time and/or place. It could descend during a journey or while conversing with people, or it could come at night.

V. The Revelation was beyond the Prophet’s will as God was the source of the Revelation only He could determine how and when it descended. It
was not possible for the Prophet to speak whenever or however he wished, as even the angel who delivered the Revelation came to him with God’s permission. Moreover, Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, used to sometimes ask the Archangel Gabriel to visit him more frequently, and the following verse descended in answer to this desire:
(In response to an interval in the coming of Revelation, Gabriel explained:) We do not descend but by your Lord’s command only. To Him belongs whatever is before us and whatever is behind us and whatever is between (all time and space and whatever we do at all times in all places). And your Lord is never forgetful (so do not fear that He forgets you). (Maryam 19:64)

There were times when the Revelation was delayed for the occasions God’s Messenger had to await the Revelation in order to establish a legal principle or to make a decision on a matter that had been submitted to his attention. In the early period in Mecca, the Prophet would at times be saddened if Archangel Gabriel did not appear for a considerably long time. He would become upset at such times and his enemies, who were aware that the Revelation had ceased to come, would start to make fun of him. In such instances God would reassure the Prophet by letting him know that God had not abandoned him and He declared that such thoughts on the part of the enemies of the Prophet was nothing more than an illusion:
“By the forenoon, and the night when it has grown dark and most still, Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor has He become displeased with you” (Duha 93:1-3).

The Sura Duha is one of the earliest Revelations to the Messenger; such breaks in the Revelation occurred at the beginning. The continuance of the Revelation after the early interruption comforted and reassured the Prophet, and this is an indication that these Revelations were not something from his own mind, but something from beyond his control. This is a point that must be taken into consideration when seeking a relationship between the Qur’an and the Prophet. If, as alleged, the Qur’an was something that was connected to the Prophet’s own identity, should he not have searched for it within himself? But, on the contrary, he awaited the Revelation to re-start as one who awaits a beloved one; that is, he did nothing actively to try to bring it about.

From time to time the Prophet used to witness developments that forced him to express his beliefs. If the Revelation would have been solely at his disposal, then he would have been able to develop a certain way of talking, due to the serious need for something to be said on such matters. But days followed nights and he did not even have a couple of Qur’anic verses to recite to the public on such subjects. There are numerous examples of such occasions, but here we would only like to mention a few of them, without going into any specific details: Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, awaited a revelation that would tell the Muslims that they should pray towards the Ka’ba. He was expecting the Archangel Gabriel to arrive from the Heavens and he was eagerly praying to God to be permitted to turn to the Ka’ba, which was the qibla (direction of prayer) of his ancestor Prophet Abraham. The following verses finally descended:
Certainly We have seen you (O Messenger) often turning your face to heaven (in expectation of a Revelation. Do not worry, for) We will surely turn you towards a direction that will please and satisfy you. (Now the time has come, so) turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque. (And you, O believers) turn your faces towards it wherever you are. Surely those who were given the Book (before, no matter if the hypocrites or the foolish among them deny or object to it) do know (the coming of this Prophet and this change of qibla) to be true (commandments) from their Lord. God is not unaware or unmindful of whatever they do. (Baqara 2:144)

Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in spite of his strong desire for the Ka’ba to be the qibla and despite his eager anticipation for the Revelation to come, could not bring himself to turn to the Ka’ba without the Revelation. Thus, is it conceivable that he would have undergone such a situation, if the Revelation had been something that was under his control or that originated from him? His patient waiting in this situation clearly indicates that the Revelation was totally independent of the Prophet’s own will; rather its mode and time of descent, as well as its contents were completely dependent on the will of God.
To clarify this matter, let us look at the incident of the slander ( ifq). The hypocrites had severely slandered the pure and beloved wife of the Prophet, Aisha. The false information rapidly spread and caused much agitation within society. The Prophet and Muslims were very upset, but there was not much they could do. The Prophet could do nothing but say that he had not seen her act in a way that was not honest or decent. He also consulted many of his Companions about this matter. But they could not say anything more than saying that they had not heard of any dishonest or indecent action that might have caused suspicion. This matter stayed on the agenda of the community, unresolved, for quite a long time, and the Prophet turned to Aisha and told her that although he had not heard anything against her that if such a case were true she should turn to God and seek His forgiveness.

This matter remained unresolved for nearly a month. After this time a Revelation arrived that cleared Aisha’s name and stated that those who had slandered her would be punished: Surely those who invented and spread the slander (against Aisha, the Messenger’s wife) are a band from among you. However, do not deem this incident an evil for you; rather, it is good for you. (As for the slanderers:) every one of them has accumulated sin in proportion to his share in this guilt, and he who has the greater part of it will suffer a tremendous punishment. (Nur 24:11)
Now, if the Revelation had been something that was under the Prophet’s control, then what prevented him from declaring a judgment from the very first, securing the honesty of his wife and putting an end to all the gossip and slander right away? Indeed, a Prophet could never bring a verse when he desired and attribute to it God: If he (the Messenger) had dared to fabricate some false sayings in attribution to Us, We would certainly have seized him with might, thereafter We would certainly have cut his life-vein. Then not one from among you could have shielded and saved him from Us. (Haqqa 69:44-47)

The fact that Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, remained silent and waited for the Revelation, even in such a serious and difficult situation, particularly on such a delicate matter as chastity, plainly indicates that the Revelation was being sent to him and was not under his control. Through various Qur’anic verses we learn that the Prophet was, from time to time, given Revelations that dealt with matters that were asked about by the polytheists, the People of the Book, the hypocrites and the believers. Only in Sura Baqara, for instance, the expression, “They ask you about…” is repeatedly used in answer to such questions about spending for the relatives and needy, fighting in the sacred month, intoxicants and games of chance, orphans, and the injunctions concerning menstruation. The common element of all such Revelations is that the Prophet did not answer these questions himself, but, rather the answer was provided by God via the Revelation; quite often the Prophet had to wait a considerable
amount of time for the answers. Had the Revelation been something that had originated from the Prophet’s own will he would not
have waited when asked such questions, he would have avoided the difficult situation that he sometimes was forced into due to the lack of a prompt answer, rather instantly giving the answer required. All of the above merely indicate that the relation of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in respect to the Revelation was like that of an envoy. If, on the other hand, he had himself invented the Revelation, then none of the above-mentioned situations would have occurred.

Akgul, Muhittin (2009). The Quran in 99 Questions (Abdullah Erdemli Trans.). New Jersey: Tughra Books. (Originally published in Turkish as Kur’an İklimine Seyahat)