Kashif Shahzada

Was everything that the Prophet (p) uttered in his life consist of Wahi (Inspiration)? Surah 53:3-4 states that the Prophet does not speak of his own desire but that it is a Wahi sent to him, does this imply that everything that was uttered and acted upon by the Prophet during his life was a revelation from God?

The Qur’an differentiates between the ordinary, human speech of the Prophet (p) and Wahi or the divine inspiration sent to him. It clarifies that it is only the Qur’an that consists of words inspired by God and that the words spoken by the Prophet, as well as his actions, were not divinely inspired.

[1] PROPHETIC SPEECH REPRIMANDED BY ALLAH

In Surah At-Tauba, the Prophet is admonished about the Munafiqeen (Hypocrites) who were reluctant to struggle in the cause of God with their lives and possessions:

Allah pardon you! Why did you give them leave until those who spoke the truth had become manifest to you and you had known the liars? (9:43)

If everything spoken by Prophet had been divinely inspired, then the Qur’anic revelation would not have questioned the permission granted by the Prophet to the Hypocrites to abstain from Jihad.

.. Why did you give them leave until those who spoke the truth had become manifest to you and you had known the liars.?

The words confirm that the Prophet’s extra-Qura’anic words were distinct from divine revelations.

[2] THE OBJECTION OF THE DISBELIEVERS WAS ONLY AGAINST THE QUR’AN AND NOT THE EVERYDAY SPEECH OF THE PROPHET

According to Surah Al-Araaf, when the Prophet did not bring the disbelievers any revelations, they taunted him:

And when thou bringest not a verse for them they say: Why hast thou not chosen it? (7:203)

Had everything uttered by the Prophet been revealed by God, then the contention of the disbelievers would have been meaningless. Here they are shown as deliberately – and ironically – blurring the distinction between ordinary speech and divine utterance. What they are suggesting is this: the Prophet should rightly direct the business of revelation. And of course he could not. The Qur’an was not the Prophet’s to give. Revelation was involuntary. A great gulf between the realms of the human and the divine is opened up here. The Prophet is shown, once again, as distinct in terms of everyday speech from his role as inspired messenger.

It is clear from the above verse that the Qur’anic ayaat alone qualify as revelatory and that that was what the Prophet brought to his people and not what he said in the routine. This is further clarified by the rest of the verse:

Say: I follow only that which is inspired in me from my Sustainer. This (Qur’an) is insight from your Sustainer, and a guidance and a mercy for a people that believe. And when the Qur’an is recited, give ear to it and pay heed, that ye may obtain mercy. (7:203-204)

It is clear from the above that everything that the Prophet said was not revealed. Otherwise the taunt of the disbelievers would not have been possible. It should be noted that while verse 203 suggests that all that the Prophet said was not revealed, verse 204 enjoins that, when it is being recited, the Qur’an be listened to  attentively, thus indicating that, as the Word of God, the Qur’an alone should hold sway.

[3] HUMAN ACTIONS FOR WHICH THE PROPHET WAS REPRIMANDED BY ALLAH

Surah At-Tahrim, says that the Prophet imposed an arbitrary prohibition on himself which was not from Allah or was lawful in Allah’s eyes.

O Prophet! why do you forbid (yourself) that which Allah has made lawful for you; you seek to please your wives; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (66:1)

The above verse again suggests that the actions of the Prophet were not necessarily inspired by or in keeping with Quran’ic revelation but that he also acted on his own initiative. Otherwise the admonition from Allah would not have been expressed in such a way

why do you forbid (yourself) that which Allah has made lawful for you.

It is evident from the verse that the Prophet also acted autonomously and did not just follow a given ethical format. In other words, it was by no means the case that all the actions of the Prophet were the result of wahi or divine revelation.

[4] THE DISBELIEVERS WERE CHALLENGED TO REPRODUCE ONLY SURAS OF THE QUR’AN AND NOT ORDINARY SPEECH OF THE PROPHET

In Surah Al-Baqara the disbelievers are confronted with the truth of the revelation as sent to Muhammad and are challenged to bring a Surah similar to what he has received.

And if ye are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto Our slave (Muhammad), then bring a Surah similar to it, and call your witnesses beside Allah if ye are truthful. (2:23)

The challenge is reflected in the words… that which We reveal unto Our slave… and thereafter a duplicate Surah – or one that is a replica – is called for. Everyone knows that the only book composed of Surahs is the Qur’an. Books which various sects refer to as ‘divine’ other than the Qur’an are not.

Had Allah sent some revelation in addition to the Qur’an, it would surely also have been referred to in the challenge, but the words <fa’tu_ bisu_ratim mim mislih> “then bring a Surah similar to it” clearly establish that Allah has revealed only the Surahs of Al- Qur’an which were sent down to Muhammad and of which a duplicate is summoned here as against <mimma_ nazzalna_ ‘ala_ ‘abdina> “that which We reveal unto Our slave”.

[5] QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED BY QURANIC REVELATION, NOT ORDINARY HUMAN SPEECH OF THE PROPHET

In Surah Al-Maidah, the believers are told that they should not raise questions about matters which may cause confusion but that, if they raise questions during the revelation of the Qur’an, the Qur’an will give answers:

O you who believe! do not put questions about things which if declared to you may trouble you, and if you question about them when the Quran is being revealed, they shall be declared to you; Allah pardons this, and Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing. (5:101)

Now if everything uttered by Prophet had been revealed, then believers would not have been restricted to seeking answers to various questions from the Qur’an. Such a restriction points to a kind of exclusive moral authority being vested in the Qura’anic revelation and suggests that what the Prophet uttered aside from this was merely secondary.

[6] HYPOCRITES WERE AFRAID OF EXPOSURE THROUGH QURANIC SURAS, NOT ORDINARY SPEECH OF THE PROPHET

In Surah At-Tauba the Hypocrites are shown as those who are afraid of any message being revealed in the Qur’an such as is likely to expose them:

The hypocrites fear lest a Surah (chapter of the Qur’an) should be sent down to them telling them plainly of what is in their hearts. Say: Go on mocking, surely Allah will bring forth what you fear. (9:64)

The Hypocrites were confronted by frequent verbal assaults by the Prophet but that was not what they feared. It was exposure through Qur’anic Surahs that concerned them. Believers are described as, by contrast, eager to receive Qur’anic revelations.

And those who believe say: Why has not a Surah (chapter of the Qur’an) been revealed? But when a decisive chapter is revealed, and fighting is mentioned therein you see those in whose hearts is a disease look to you with the look of one fainting because of death. Woe to them then! (47:20)

If everything Prophet uttered in his life were wahi then those who were believers would surely have been satisfied with “revelations” outside the Qur’an. Their expectancy in relation to the message suggests that it was all-important in their eyes.

[7] AGAINST THE TOTALITY OF REVELATION, ONLY SURAHS ARE DEMANDED

Surah Hud confirms the divine or revelatory nature of the Qur’anic message. :

Then, it may be that you will give up part of what is revealed to you  <ma_ yu_ha_ ilaika> and your breast will become straitened by it because they say: Why has not a treasure been sent down upon him or an angel come with him? You are only a warner; and Allah is custodian over all things. Or, do they say: He has forged it. Say: Then bring ten forged chapters like it <fa’tu_ bi ‘ashri suwarim mislihi muftaraya_ tiw> and call upon whom you can besides Allah, if you are truthful.l (11:12-13)

The words – <ma_ yu_ha_ ilaika> - what is revealed to you point to the divine origins of the Qur’an. There is a hint of the messenger losing heart – <ba’da ma_ yu_ha> - in the face of daunting odds: the arduous business of being a recipient of the revelation on the one hand and the painful fact of a disbelieving world on the other. The challenge we observe here – fa’tu_ bi ‘ashri suwarim mislihi muftaraya_ tiw> - is similar to that extended in Surah Baqara.

Instead of just the one one Surah, ten Surahs to match the Qur’an are now called for. Reference is not made, in this context, either to other religious books or to the Prophet’s own informal, extra-Qurani’ic teaching. An obvious inference needs to be drawn: the Qur’an alone was sent as wahi (inspiration) and nuzuul (descent or revelation) from Allah.

Similarly, in Surah An-Najam the Prophet claims not to be ‘erring’ or speaking of his own desire but to be the repository of wahi.

By the evidence of the star when it goes down. Your companion does not err, nor does he go astray; Nor does he speak out of desire. It is naught but revelation that is revealed. <In huwa il la_ wahyu yu_ha (53:1-4)

What does this wahi refer to? What is its source? This is clarified in Surah Ash-Shoora:

And thus have We revealed to you an Arabic Quran, <auhaina_ ilaika qur a_nan arabiy yan> that you may warn the mother city and those around it, and that you may give warning of the day of gathering together wherein is no doubt; a party shall be in the Garden and (another) party in the burning fire. (42:7)

We discover that the source of the wahi sent to Muhammed is none other than Allah. This is indicated by the words, <auhaina_ ilaika qur a_nan arabiy yan> We revealed to you an Arabic Quran.

The Prophet likewise attests to the precise nature of this wahi.
And this Quran has been revealed to me <u_hiya ilayya ha_zal qur’a_n> that with it I may warn you and whomsoever it reaches… (6:19)

In conclusion, it should be noted that, as a human medium of wahi, the Prophet was directly inspired by Allah. He was His tool, His instrument, His slave and above all His messenger. However, what he said as his own spokesperson cannot be treated as on a par with that