Status Of Narratives That Angel Israfil Taught Quran To Prophet Muhammad (SWS)
It is a well-known fact among Muslims that Angel Gabriel revealed Quran to Prophet Muhammad (sws) and all the Muslims’ literature also supports this point. What Dr. Israr Sahab is referring to in the above video is what we find in some historical books where it is mentioned that Angel Israfil taught letters and other things to prophet Muhammad (SWS) for three years before the period of revelation began. It was teaching other than Quran . Although such reports are not authentic [1] and they also go against Quran 29:48 where it is clearly mentioned that Prophet Muhammad was unlettered and this is used as proof of his prophethood [2] . Please also refer to the following video : https://youtu.be/GHUMQGJhk98 _____ [1] . الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- أنزلت عليه النبوة وهو ابن أربعين سنة. وكان معه إسرافيل ثلاث سنين. أن رسول ثم عزل عنه إسرافيل وأقرن به جبريل عشر سنين بمكة وعشر سنين مهاجره بالمدينة. فقبض رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- وهو ابن ثلاث وستين سنة “ Verily the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, was commissioned to prophethood when he was fourty years old. Israfil was with him for three years, then he was replaced by Gabriel who remained with him, at Mecca for ten years, and at the city of his migration, al-Madinah, for ten years. The Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, breathed his last when he was sixty-three years of age .” قال محمد بن سعد: فذكرت هذا الحديث لمحمد بن عمر فقال: ليس يعرف أهل العلم ببلدنا أن إسرافيل قرن بالنبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم- وإن علماءهم وأهل السيرة منهم يقولون لم يقرن به غير جبريل من حين أنزل عليه الوحي إلى أن قبض -صلى الله عليه وسلم- “ Muhammad Ibn Sad said: I related this tradition to Muhammad Ibn Umar; he said: The learned men of our city do not know that Israfil had been with the Prophet , may Allah bless him. Verily the learned and those versed in Sirah literature say: From the time the revelations commenced till he (Prophet) may Allah bless him, breathed his last, none except Gabriel was with him ”. (al-Tabaqat of Ibn Sad, Vol. 1, pg. 149-150) (First Edition, Dar-ul-kutb al-ilmiya, Beirut) وقد روي عن الشعبي إن ‌إسرافيل قرن برسول الله ص قبل أن يوحى إليه ثلاث سنين “ It is related on the authority of al-Shabi that (the angel) Israfil was associated with the Messenger of God for three years before he received any revelation ”. In another variant from Al-Shabi: قرن ‌إسرافيل بنبوة رسول الله ص ثلاث سنين، يسمع حسه، ولا يرى شخصه ثم كان بعد ذلك جبريل “ Israfil was associated with the Messenger of God’s prophethood for three years. The Messenger of God was aware of him, but could not see his person. After that came Gabriel ”. فذكرت ذلك لمحمد بن صالح بن دينار، فقال: والله يا بن أخي لقد سمعت عبد الله بن أبي بكر بن حزم، وعاصم بن عمر بن قتادة يحدثان في المسجد ورجل عراقي يقول لهما هذا، فأنكراه جميعا وقالا: ما سمعنا ولا علمنا إلا أن جبريل هو الذي قرن به، وكان يأتيه بالوحي من يوم نبئ إلى أن توفى . “ So, I mentioned that to Muhammad bin Salih bin Dinar, and he said: By God, my nephew, I heard Abdullah bin Abi Bakr bin Hazm and Asim bin Omar bin Qatada talking in the mosque and an Iraqi man saying this to them, so they all denied it and said: We did not hear or know except that Gabriel is Who was associated with him, and he used to bring him revelation from the day he became Nabi until he died .” حدثنا ابن المثنى، قال: حدثنا ابن أبي عدي، عن داود، عن عامر، قال: أنزلت عليه النبوة وهو ابن أربعين سنة، فقرن بنبوته إسرافيل ثلاث سنين، فكان يعلمه الكلمة والشيء، ولم ينزل القرآن على لسانه، فلما مضت ثلاث سنين قرن بنبوته جبريل ع، فنزل القرآن على لسانه عشر سنين بمكة وعشر سنين بالمدينة “ Ibn al-Muthanna told us, he said: Ibn Abi Uday told us, on the authority of Daoud, on the authority of Amer, he said: Prophethood descended upon him when he was fourty. Israfil was associated with his prophethood for three years, and used to teach him the word and the deed, but the Quran was not revealed by his tongue. After three years had gone by, Gabriel was associated with his prophethood and the Quran was revealed by his tongue for ten years in Mecca and ten years in al-Madinah .” (The History of al-Tabari, vol. 02, pg. 386-387) (Second Edition, Dar-ul-Muarif, Egypt) [2] . وَكَذَلِكَ أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ فَالَّذِيْنَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِهِ وَمِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ مَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِهِ وَمَا يَجْحَدُ بِآيَاتِنَا إِلَّا الْكَافِرُوْنَ. وَمَا كُنْتَ تَتْلُوْا مِنْ قَبْلِهِ مِنْ كِتَابٍ وَّلَا تَخُطُّهُ بِيَمِيْنِكَ إِذًا لَّارْتَابَ الْمُبْطِلُوْنَ. بَلْ هُوَ آيَاتٌ بَيِّنَاتٌ فِیْ صُدُورِ الَّذِيْنَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ وَمَا يَجْحَدُ بِآيَاتِنَا إِلَّا الظَّالِمُوْنَ. “[ O Prophet!] In a similar way, We have revealed this Book to you. So, those whom We have bestowed the Book [before this,] will believe in this Book and some of them are believing in it too and only those deny Our revelations who decide to deny. Before this, you neither read any book nor wrote it with your hand. Had this been the case, these rejecters could have however been inflicted with doubt [76]. No [there are no room for any doubt in it.] In fact, this Quran is clear revelations in the hearts of those who have been given knowledge. And only they deny Our revelations who are unjust to themselves .” (Quran 29:47-49) (Excerpt from Al-Bayan: Javed Ahmed Ghamidi) (English rendering by Dr. Shehzad Saleem) [76] . This is the same argument in support of Muhammad’s prophethood that has already been mentioned in Surah Yunus. The implication is that had these people seen him read, write and learn various disciplines before this they could have said that he has gathered his treasure of wisdom after thoroughly reading the books that contain the teachings of prophets Noah (sws) and Abraham (sws) to Moses (sws) and Jesus (sws) and then writing them down and subsequently reading them out to these people. However, they know that he has neither read any book in his entire life nor ever picked up a pen to ink his thoughts. So, why do they not reflect on how he has gathered the knowledge that is being heard from him now? How can the teachings of divine scriptures, accounts of previous prophets and pearls of law and wisdom be uttered by an illiterate person?