The Makkan and Madeenan Quran

As part of studying the revelation of the Quran, the Muslim
scholarshave categorised the Soorahs )chapters( of the Quran and their
verses according to the time or era of their revelation. This is the
subject that came to be known as the Makkan and Madeenan division, or
revelation, of the Quran. This division is logical since the Prophet,
Muhammadreceived revelation over twenty-three )23( years: thirteen
)13( of them hespent in Makkah and ten )10( in Madeenah.
The correct and well-established definition of Makkan and Madeenan
Quran is the one in which the Chapters and verses that were revealed
prior to the Hijrah or immigration of Prophet Muhammadfrom the city
ofMakkahto the city ofMadeenahare known as 'Makkan'. All other
Chapters and verses that were revealed after this time are termed
'Madeenan'.
The location of their revelation is not necessarily relevant to this
classification, such that there may be certain revelations that were
revealed in Makkah, but are classified as Madeenan because of the
period of their revelation. A good example of this is the Chapter of
An-Nasr )Divine Support(, number 110, which was revealed in Minaa
)outskirts of Makkah( yet it is classified as a Madeenan Chapter
because it was revealed while the Prophetwas living in Madeenah just
a few months before hepassed away.
The Makkan part of the Noble Quran deals mainly with beliefs like the
Creation as in the verse )which means(:"And a great number of towns
)their population( We destroyed )for their crimes(. Our torment came
upon them )suddenly( by night or while they were taking their midday
nap."]Quran 7:4[, the Oneness and Uniqueness of Allaah, the Most
Exalted, as in the verses )which mean(:"Say )O Muhammad(: 'He is
Allaah, )the( One.Allaah the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all
creatures need. He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none
co-equal or comparable unto Him."]Quran 112[, prophethood, as in the
verse )which means(:"It is He )Allaah( who has sent among the
unlettered a Messenger )Muhammad( from themselves, reciting to them
His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book ]Quran[ and
wisdom ]i.e. the Sunnah or Prophet's sayings[ — although they were
before in clear error —."]Quran 62:2[, the revelation, as in the verse
)which means(:"Verily, We have sent it )this Quran( down in the night
of Al-Qadr )Decree(."]Quran 97:1[, angels, as stated in the verse
)which means(:"Whoever is an enemy to Allaah, His Angels, His
Messengers, Jibreel )Gabriel( and Meekaa'eel )Michael(, then verily,
Allaah is an enemy to the disbelievers."]Quran 2: 98[, and The Day of
Judgement as in verses )which mean(:"Then )on the Day of Judgement( as
for him whose balance )of good deeds( will be heavy. He will live a
pleasant life )inParadise(.But as for him whose balance )of good
deeds( will be light. He will have his home in a pit )Hell(. And what
will make you know what it is? )It is( a fiercely blazing Fire!"]Quran
101: 6-11[
General disobedience of man, and his punishment and reward are
frequent themes in the Makkan verses.
The creation and development of man in the mother's womb is taken to
be a wondrous thing.
Madeenan parts, on the other hand, are filled with laws, both
universal as well as worldly )marriage, divorce, heritage,
blood-money, other transactions, etc(. Special emphasis is laid on
justice and fairness. Social interaction and ethical rules have been
elaborated time and time again. Politics, worship and prayers are also
frequently discussed.
Next, is a list of the Makkan and Madeenan Chapters is provided for
easy reference. The list is based on the classification used by the
Mus-haf )Quran text book( we read today. For the sake of brevity, only
the Chapter numbers are provided:
Makkan Chapters:
6/7/10/11/12/14/15/16/17/18/19/20/21/23/25/26/27/28/29/30/31/32/
34/35/35/36/37/38/39/40/41/42/43/44/45/46/50/51/52/53/54/56/67/
68/69/70/71/72/73/74/75/77/78/79/80/81/82/83/84/85/86/87/88/89/
90/91/92/93/94/95/96/100/101/102/103/104/105/106/107/108/109/
111/112/113/114.
Madeenan Chapters:
2/3/4/5/8/9/13/22/24/33/47/48/49/55/57/58/59/60/61/62/63/64/65/
66/76/98/99/110.
Accordingly, the Makkan Chapters are 85 in number, and the Madeenan
are 28, the total of which is 113, where it should be 114. The reason
for missing a Chapter is the fact that we did not include the first
Chapter in the Mus-haf, which is Al-Faatihah, or the Opening Chapter.
This Chapter has been reported as having been revealed twice, one time
in Makkah and another in Madeenah. Therefore, it was not included in
either of them.
It should be pointed out that the only way for us to know whether a
Chapter is Makkan or Madeenan is through narration, and not by
Ijtihaad )the exertion of effort on the part of a qualified Islamic
scholar to deduce an Islamic law for an issue about which there is no
clear, specific text(. Thus, the only way to distinguish them is
through authentic narrations from the Companionsnarrated from the
Prophet.

Quran … The Word of Allaah

The Noble Quran is the eternal miracle of Prophet Muhammad. Every
Prophet was supported with a miracle)s( and upon his death it
disappeared, except Prophet Muhammadwhose miracle remained, preserved
and protected, namely the Book of Allaah, His divine revealed Word.
Allaah Says )what means(:"Falsehood cannot approach it from before it
or from behind it."]Quran 41:42[
Allaah clearly stated that the Quran is His Word, Saying )what means(:
"And if any one of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant
him protection so that he may hear the words of Allaah ]i.e. the
Quran[."]Quran 9:6[, and in His Saying )which means(:"Those who
remained behind will say when you set out toward the war booty to take
it, 'Let us follow you'. They wish to change the words of
Allaah."]Quran: 48:15[ These two verses prove that the Quran is the
Word of Allaah and that He sent it down to Prophet Muhammad.
The Sunnah of the Prophet )his sayings( further proves this fact;
Jaabirnarrated: "The Prophetused to offer his message to people during
the season of Hajj and say: "Is there a man who would take me to his
tribe )i.e. to convey the message to them(, because the )tribe of(
Quraysh have prevented me from conveying the Word of Allaah?" ]Ahmad &
At-Tirmithi[
There are many logical and substantial evidences proving this fact,
such as the inability of the polytheists to come up with one single
verse, let alone a whole chapter, that is similar to it. This is so,
despite their eagerness and ambition to prove the Prophetwrong in what
he was calling to, and their strong command of the Arabic language in
which the Quran was revealed. Undoubtedly, this is evidence that the
Quran is not made by or the words of humans.
The Quran contains news of past nations and other unseen matters which
serve as great proof that it is the Word of Allaah. When the Persians
defeated the Romans in battle, the Quran addressed the issue and
informed that the Romans would overcome the Persians in few years to
come as Allaah Says )what means(:"The Romans have been defeated )i.e.
By the Persians( in the nearest land. But they, after their defeat,
will overcome."]Quran 30: 2-3[
Furthermore, the Quran consists of scientific miracles by highlighting
certain scientific facts which were not discovered except fourteen
centuries later, such as the Quran proving that there is a barrier
between the salty water and fresh water where they meet preventing
them from mixing, as Allaah Says )what means(:"He released the two
seas )the two bodies of water: fresh and salt(, meeting ]side by
side[. Between them is a barrier ]so[ neither of them
transgresses."]Quran 55: 19-20[ Modern science discovered this to be a
fact.
The fact that tranquility and assurance can be found upon reading the
Quran which is not felt when reading any other book, is yet another
proof that it is the Word of Allaah, as Allaah Says )what
means(:"Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the
mention of Allaah. Unquestionably by the remembrance of Allaah hearts
are assured."]Quran 13: 28[
Furthermore, being cured by virtue of reading the Quran over a sick
person can be added to the list of evidences proving it to be the Word
of Allaah. Allaah Says )what means(:"And We send down of the Quran
that which is healing and mercy for the believers."]Quran 17: 82[
Lastly, the evidences proving the Quran to be the Word of Allaah are
too many to numerate in one article, and so we conclude with the
saying of Al-Waleed Ibn Al-Mugheerah, one of the leaders of the
polytheists who was requested to criticize and censure the Quran.
After hearing parts of it from Prophet Muhammad, salallaahu alayhi wa
sallam, he said: "What can I say? I swear by Allaah! There is no man
who knows poetry better than me, and it does not sound like anything I
ever heard. The only thing I can say is that it has sweetness to it,
and it is so appealing. It is so fruitful )to the heart( and abundant
)in its benefits(. Indeed, nothing rises above it in style, and it
surely destroys anything that challenges it." ]Al-Haakim & Al-Bayhaqi[
This is the Quran, the Word of Allaah, which confounds humans'
capabilities due to its inimitable style, justice and accuracy. The
Quran still challenges people and people remain incapable of
challenging it, and it remains the clear evidence from Allaah against
its enemies and opponents. All efforts to deny its authenticity have
failed.

The history of the Noble Quran

The Quran is the backbone of Islam. On this Sacred Book of Allaah
depends the Islamic call, state, society and the civilisation of the
Muslim world. It is the last Divine revelation, which was sent down to
Prophet Muhammad, the last and final of all Prophets, may Allaah exalt
their mention. His task was to convey the message of worshipping the
One God, Allaah, without ascribing any partners to Him. The Noble
Quran, which is the source of guidance and mercy to mankind, is
divided into one hundred and fourteen )114( Soorahs )chapters( of
varying lengths. Ninety-three chapters were revealed in Makkah, while
the remaining twenty-one were revealed in Madeenah.
The first revelation that the Prophetreceived was Soorat Al-'Alaq,
which was in Makkah where Soorat An-Najm was to later became the first
to be recited openly to the people. In Madeenah, Soorat Al-Mutaffifeen
was the first one revealed after the Hijrah )migration(. The
Prophethad to flee to Madeenah to save his own life and the lives of
his followers, upon the command of Allaah.
The last verse sent down to the Prophetwas the saying of Allaah which
means:"…This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed
My favour upon you and have approved for you Islam as
religion..."]Quran: 5:3[
Some chapters in the Quran focus on the call to Islam as guidance for
humanity. They focus upon monotheism and the fight against polytheism
and idolatry. Thus, stress is laid on all that is related to faith. In
other chapters, attention is given to legislation, acts of worship,
relationships among people and the laws that regulate matters within
the Muslim community, government, and family.
A number of chapters inform about Resurrection, the Hereafter and the
unseen; others relate the stories of various prophets and their calls
to their people to return to Allaah. We see how the previous nations
were severely punished when they disobeyed Allaah and denied the
messages of previous prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention.
In addition, several chapters focus on the story of creation and the
development of human life. In fact, Makkan revelations made the
Muslims' faith in Allaah firmly established. On the other hand,
Madeenan revelations were meant to translate the faith into action and
give details of the Divine Law.
Allaah will forever preserve the Quran against all attempts to destroy
or corrupt it. Being guarded by Allaah, it will always remain pure.
There does not exist a single copy with any variation from the
recognised text.
Any attempt of alteration has resulted in failure.
Upon the command of the Prophethis Companions would write down what
was revealed of the Noble Quran. They used, for this purpose, palm
branches stripped of leaves, parchments, shoulder bones, stone
tablets, etc. About forty people were involved in this task. Among
them was Zayd Ibn Thaabitwho showed his work to the Prophet. Thus, the
Quran was correctly arranged during the Prophet's life, but it was not
yet compiled into one book. In the meantime, most of the Prophet's
Companions memorised the Quran.
When Abu Bakrbecame Caliph after the Prophetdied, a large number of
the Companions were killed during the War of Apostasy. 'Umar Ibn
Al-Khattaabwent to the Caliph and discussed the idea of compiling the
Quran into one volume. He was disturbed, as most of those who
memorised it had died. Then, Abu Bakrcalled for Zayd and commissioned
him to collect the Quran into one book, which became known as the
'Mus-haf.'
After Zaydaccomplished this great task and organized the Quran into
one book, he submitted the precious collection to Abu Bakrwho kept it
in his possession until the end of his life. During the caliphate of
'Umarit was kept with his daughter Hafsahwho was also a wife of the
Prophet.
During the Caliphate of 'UthmaanIslam reached many countries, and
readers began to recite the Quran in different ways )dialects(.
'Uthmaanthen had various copies made and sent them out to the
different Muslim lands, lest these dialects would cause alterations to
the Quran, and kept the original copy with Hafsah. Thus, the Quran
remained preserved and the Caliph was very much pleased with his
achievement.
Today, every copy of the Quran conforms with the standard copy of
'Uthmaan. In fact, Muslims over the ages excelled in producing the
best manuscripts of the Noble Quran in the most wonderful handwriting.
With the introduction of printing, more and more editions of the Noble
Quran became available all over the world.

Dought & clear, - Ruling on using so-called “shisha pens” (also known as “hookahpens”)

I want to know whether shisha pens specifically are haram. They have
no tobacco just water vapour. My friends are starting to smoke it very
commonly.
Praise be to Allah.
Recently what is known as "electronic shisha" or "electronic
cigarettes" or "shisha pens", or other names, have become widespread.
Those who use them say that they are alternatives to the traditional
narghile (hookah or shisha) and to cigarettes. They claim that they
are healthy, based on the process by which the vapour is produced,
instead of tobacco smoke that is produced by the traditional narghile;
it turns the liquid inside the tube into vapour. The liquid that is
used is free of tobacco and tar, and similar harmful substances, and
the flavours given to this liquid are natural; mint, apple, orange and
other fruit flavours are added to it.
But medical evidence proves the opposite of that and shows that all of
these things have a harmful effect on the lungs and brain.
The idea of the electronic cigarette began several years ago in China,
after major international organisations, such as the World Health
Organisation, launched many campaigns against traditional smoking
practices, and restrictions on smoking were imposed in workplaces,
airports and other public places. The major tobacco companies in China
looked for a new way to market their products, via so-called
electronic cigarettes. Then this idea spread to other countries in the
world.
The electronic cigarette uses a lithium battery in the form of a
cigarette which can be recharged like a cellphone battery. A capsule
is placed inside it that contains a certain amount of nicotine, that
varies in amount from one capsule to another, in addition to other
substances and various flavourings such as coffee, mint, vanilla, and
strawberry.
In fact electronic cigarettes are not a healthy alternative to
cigarettes. They have been opposed by the World Health Organisation
and the US Food and Drug Administration.
Moreover, they are very expensive, with prices similar to those of
regular cigarettes, so this is not a remedy that everyone can use to
help give up smoking gradually, as the marketing companies claim.
The US Food and Drug Administration has stated that even in the case
of electronic cigarettes that are claimed to be free of nicotine,
laboratory tests have proven that nicotine is present in them, as well
asnitrosamines, substances which are medically known to be
carcinogenic. They also contain glycol, which is a toxic substance
that is used in antifreeze for cars.
A recent study carried out at St Michael's Hospital in Toronto stated
that cigarettes flavoured with mint may be more dangerous with regard
to causing strokes, in comparison to other kinds of cigarettes,
especially in women and fair-skinned people. Researchers found that
the risk of stroke in those who smoked mint flavoured cigarettes was
two times greater than in those who smoked ordinary cigarettes.
http://www.bab.com /node/149992
Hence some states have banned the sale, marketing and importing of
electronic cigarettes, such as Australia, Canada and Brazil.
To sum up:
Electronic cigarettes should be treated in the same manner as
traditional cigarettes at all levels. They are not a means of giving
up smoking, as some companies suggest. The risk of harm is much
greater than the alleged benefits.
http://www.alriyadh.co m/2010/09 /01/article556382.html
A representative of the World Health Organisation's Tobacco Free
Initiative said, addressing journalists: It is 100% wrong to issue
claims that electronic cigarettes offer a safe remedy that helps
smokers give up the habit. He further added: These cigarettes contain
a mixture of chemical substances that are very toxic.
http://fatwa.islamweb.n et /fatwa?page=showfatw a&Option=FatwaId& Id=129680
Once it is proven that these new kinds of cigarettes contain harmful
substances and that the harm they cause is like or similar to or
greater than that of ordinary cigarettes, then there is no difference
between the two with regard to the rulings that they are forbidden.
After establishing this, no one should be deceived by so called
"electronic shisha" or "electronic cigarettes" or "shisha pens" and
the like, because the reason for which smoking by traditional means is
haraam is also applicable in all these cases.
But if there are types that are proven, by means of examinations and
laboratory tests carried out by trustworthy scientists, to contain
natural flavourings only, and they do not contain any haraam
substances and are not harmful to the users or others, then in that
case it is not haraam to use these safe kinds. The ruling depends on
whether the reason for it is present or not.
What is required of the Muslim in such cases is to leave that which
makes him doubt for that which does not make him doubt, and to avoid
dubious matters, so as to protect his religious commitment and his
honour. In that which Allah has permitted to him of good and halaal
things there is sufficient so that he has no need of that which is
haraam or that concerning which people are uncertain about the ruling.
And Allah knows best.