The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page cccxx
GENERAL INTRODUCTION is the work of 'Uthmān. This is not correct. It is well known that the Holy Prophet used to recite the whole of the Quran in Ramadan and some of his Companions also did so. It is also mentioned in the traditions that the Holy Prophet used to recite the whole of the Quran to the angel Gabriel during the month of Ramadan (Bukhārī). A non-Muslim may not be prepared to accept this last statement, but it is beyond doubt that the Holy Prophet used to recite the Quran and he must have done it in accordance with some arrangement. After the Holy Prophet's death ‘Alī did not call on Abu Bakr (who had been elected Caliph) for sometime. Abu Bakr sent for him and asked him whether he was displeased with his election as Caliph. 'Alī replied that it was not so, but that he had been busy in copying out the Quran in the order in which it had been revealed, as he had resolved at the time of the death of the Prophet that he would undertake this duty. This also shows that in the time of the Holy Prophet the Quran used to be recited in a certain order and that that order was different from the order in which it had been revealed. That is why ‘Alī decided that he should copy it out in the order in which it had been revealed so that for purposes of history that arrangement should also be preserved. There are traditions which relate that whenever a verse or group of verses was revealed to the Holy Prophet, he would send for one of the recorders and direct him to record the verse or verses indicating at the same time to which chapter and where they belonged. This shows that at the time of receiving a revelation the Holy Prophet was also informed where the revealed verse or verses belonged. The strongest evidence, however, in support of the arrangement adopted in the compilation of the Quran is the evidence of the subject matter itself. A study of the Quran reveals that the subject matter of each chapter is connected with the subject matter of the preceding and the following chapters. If the current arrangement was adopted by 'Uthman merely with reference to the length of each chapter, how is it that the arrangement reveals a continuity of topics and subject matter? For instance, the Surah Al-Fātiḥah was revealed in Mecca and is the opening chapter of the Quran. The Surah Al-Baqarah was revealed at Medina and follows immediately after the Surah Al-Fātiḥah, leaving out several chapters that had been revealed during the interval. Western writers allege that the Surah Al-Baqarah has been placed first as it is the longest chapter of the Quran. To begin with, they forget that the first chapter in the Quran is not the Surah Al-Baqarah but the Surah Al-Fātiḥah, which is a very short Surah comprising only seven verses. Further, when we read the Surah Al-Fātiḥah we find that it concludes with the prayer "Guide us in the right path", and the Surah Al-Baqarah, which is the immediately succeeding chapter, opens with the verse: "This is a perfect Book; there is no doubt in it; it is a guidance for the righteous. " If the Surah Al-Baqarah was ccxciv