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The Life of the Prophet ﷺ: Revelations in Madinah 📖
5 Safar I 1446 AH
Daily Nurture
August 09, 2024
In partnership with
Friday reminder to read Surah Kahf and send abundant durood and salutiations upon the Prophet ﷺ.
Salaamun ‘Alaykum,
Welcome to today’s edition of the Daily Nurture, wherein we look at the change in the nature of the revelations, in Madinah. Read the last edition here.
The nature of the continuing revelations changed to match the change in circumstances for the Muslim community. Verses and chapters revealed to Muhammad [ﷺ] in Madinah tended to be longer than the ones from Makkah, detailing things such as forms of worship, taxation, inheritance, and relations between Muslims and non-Muslims. The Quran provided the generalities of how a Muslim society should operate, and where necessary, Muhammad [ﷺ] explained the precise details. His words and actions, known as the hadith, were a vital source of guidance and law, second only to God's revelation itself. But the Quran was not only concerned with law and social order. Many of the Medinese verses described the stories of earlier prophets. Stories of Nūh (Noah), Ibrāhīm (Abraham), Mūsa (Moses), Dāwūd (David) and ‘Īsa (Jesus) were all described in great detail to Muhammad's [ﷺ] followers, making very clear that Muhammad [ﷺ] was simply the last in a long line of prophets, and that his message is no different from theirs.
Did you know, in the Qur’an, the Surahs are marked with Makkī and Madanī? People mistake these to think those surahs are revealed in Makkah or Madinah. However, Makkī surahs are those surahs which have been revealed before emigration, whilst Madanī surahs were revealed post-emigration.
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Much of this was aimed at the Jewish community of Madinah. On the surface, they shared much in common with the Muslims.
They were both monotheistic in a land known for polytheism, they both revered the same prophets, and early on in Muhammad's [ﷺ] prophethood, they both prayed towards Jerusalem. As a result, some of Madinah's Jews accepted Muhammad [ﷺ] as a prophet and converted to Islam. Jewish scriptures speak of a Messiah, and to them, Muhammad [ﷺ] was that promised man. But many more rejected Muhammad [ﷺ]. Judaism is unique, in that belief and ethnicity were tied to the concept of a Chosen People. Muhammad's [ﷺ] message of egalitarianism and the unity of all Muslims regardless of ethnicity challenged some of the main ideas the Jews believed in. Some probably genuinely believed he was a prophet, but the fact that he was not a Hebrew was problematic for those who followed Jewish theology strictly. The divide between a Jewish community that believed themselves to be specially chosen by God and a Muslim community that advocated the unity of all people would develop into serious tensions between the two faith groups.
In the next edition, we move to a short glimpse of the Battles the Prophet ﷺ led.