This does not mean, however, that only these have been God’s prophets. Indeed the Qur’ān is very clear that the number of prophets is much larger and that to each community from among mankind God has sent His messenger:
‘We did aforetime send apostles before thee: of them there are some whose story We have related to thee and some whose story We have not related to thee…’ (40: 78).
‘To every people (was sent) an apostle…’ (10: 47).
The Names of the Scriptures and their Number
Just as there have been numerous prophets so there were numerous written records of their messages. The Qur’ān mentions the following revelations in particular, which are sometimes called sheets or leaves (ṣuḥuf) and sometimes book or scripture (kitāb):
— The ‘sheets’ of Ibrāhīm and Mūsā.
— The Torah (taurāt) of Mūsā.
— The Psalms (zabūr) of Dāwūd.
— The Gospel (injīl) of ‘Īsā.
— The Qur’ān of Muḥammad.
The Contents of the Former Scriptures
All the teachings contained in the former Scriptures that were meant to be of lasting value and importance are included in the Qur’ān. The Qur’ān also gives some specific accounts, although selective, of what the pre-Qur’ānic scriptures contained and it is worthwhile to look briefly at this material:
A reference to the ‘sheets’ (ṣuḥuf) of Ibrāhīm and Mūsā:
‘But those will prosper who purify themselves, and glorify the name of their guardian Lord, and (lift their hearts) in prayer. Nay, behold, ye prefer the life of this world; but the Hereafter is better and more enduring’ (87: 14-17).3
A reference to the Torah (taurāt) of Mūsā:
‘It was We who revealed the law (to Moses): therein was guidance and light…
We ordained therein for them: life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth and wounds equal for equal, but if anyone remits the retaliation by way of charity it is an act of atonement for himself and if any fail to judge by (the light of) what God has revealed they are (no better than) wrongdoers’ (5: 47-8).
A reference to the Psalms (zabūr) of Dāwūd:
‘And verily We have written in the Psalms, after the Reminder: My righteous slaves will inherit the earth’ (21: 105).
A reference to the Gospel (injīl) of ‘Īsā:
‘Muḥammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. Thou (O Muḥammad) seest them bowing and falling prostrate (in worship) seeking bounty from Allah and (His) acceptance. The mark of them is on their foreheads from the traces of prostration. Such is their likeness in the Torah and their likeness in the Gospel like as sown corn that sendeth forth its shoot and strengtheneth it and riseth firm upon its stalk, delighting the sowers – that He may enrage the disbelievers with (the sight of) them. Allah has promised, unto such of them as believe and do good works, forgiveness and immense reward’ (48: 29).
The pre-Qur’ānic scriptures, besides carrying the same basic message about Allah, the Master of the worlds, and man, His creation, also brought specific instructions addressed directly to particular communities of people at given points of time in history and in particular circumstances, such as the Jewish or Christian communities. Revelation before the Qur’ān, and hence scriptures before it, were in many of their details situation-oriented in nature and therefore confined to their particular frameworks. This also explains the continuity of revelation. With changing circumstances and in different situations new guidance from Allah was required. As long as the revelation and scripture were not completely universal in nature, revelation would not reach its finality.
The Final Revelation
Muḥammad was the last messenger from Allah to mankind, and he brought the final revelation from God to man. Therefore the scripture containing this revelation is the last of the Holy Scriptures.
The basic message of the Holy Qur’ān is the same as the basic message of the previous revelations and books, and the directives and instructions, by which it provides guidance for man are of a universal nature. They apply for all times to come and in all situations. This revelation corresponds to man’s position on earth and in history. Man has reached, in his development, the stage when universal principles need to be applied to safeguard his purposeful existence.
THE QUR’ĀN, ḤADĪTH AND ḤADĪTH QUDSĪ
The Qur’ān
The Qur’ān can be defined as follows:
— The speech of Allah,
sent down upon the last Prophet Muḥammad,
through the Angel Gabriel,
in its precise meaning and precise wording,
transmitted to us by numerous persons (tawātur),
both verbally and in writing.
— Inimitable and unique,
protected by God from corruption.
The word Qur’ān
The Arabic word ‘qur’ān’ is derived from the root qara’a, which has various meanings, such as to read,4 to recite,5 etc. Qur’ān is a verbal noun and hence means the ‘reading’ or ‘recitation’. As used in the Qur’ān itself, the word refers to the revelation from Allah in the broad sense6 and is not always restricted to the written form in the shape of a book, as we have it before us today.
However, it means revelation to Muḥammad only, while revelation to other prophets has been referred to by different names (e.g. taurāt, injīl, kitāb, etc.).
Other Names of the Qur’ān
The revelation from Allah to the Prophet Muḥammad is referred to – in the Qur’ān itself – by the name qur’ān (recitation) as well as by other names, such as e.g.:
— furqān (criterion, see 25: 1).
— tanzīl (sent down, see 26: 192).
— dhikr (reminder, see 15: 9).
— kitāb (scripture, see 21: 10).
Other references to the Qur’ān are by such words as nūr (light), hudā (guidance), raḥma (mercy), majīd (glorious), mubārak (blessed), bashīr (announcer), nadhīr (warner), etc.
All these names reflect one of the various aspects of the revealed word of Allah.
The Meaning of Ḥadīth 7
The word ‘ḥadīth’ means news, report or narration. It is in this general sense that the word is used in the Qur’ān.8
Technically, the word ḥadīth, (pl. aḥādīth) means in particular the reports (verbal and written) about the sunna of the Prophet Muḥammad. Ḥadīth reports about the Prophet Muḥammad are of the following kinds:
— What he said (qaul).
— What he did (fi‘l).
— What he (silently) approved