The Qur’an as a Historical Document

Apart from its liturgical dimension the Holy Qur’an is one the primary sources for the Islamic belief system and as Sharaiz Chaudhry explains it is also an important source of history to understand the developments of the first Muslim community The Qur’an is an indispensable historical source that sheds light on the evolving dynamics of the Prophet’s life. The Qur’an provides more information than simply referring to particular events. By dividing the Qur’an into its Makkan and Medinan revelations, which constitute the first thirteen and final ten years of the Prophet’s life respectively, it is possible to see how Islam developed as a message from its inception on Jabal an-Nour (the Mountain of Light) to the Prophet’s death. A historical analysis of the Qur’an reflects the changing dynamics of this period and provides an understanding of the Prophet’s life and how he interacted with his followers and those who opposed him. The Makkan Period The content and language used in the Qur’an shows that the Islamic movement was in its initial phase during the Makkan period. Following the first revelation the Prophet Muhammad(s) was told to preach to the Quraish. In some senses the revelation at this preliminary stage was not new, but rather followed the message brought down by previous prophets. They focused on traditional tenets of monotheism, introducing them to a new audience – the Arabs. The most important of these ideas was the belief in God and His unity. While the Makkans had a vague understanding of God, believing that He was the ‘High God’ and Creator, they did not see this as something that affected their lives or actions. The Qur’an, in chapter al-‘Alaq, (The Clot of Blood) emphasises the blessings that God had bestowed upon man by creating and guiding him from the outset. Thus, it provided a more precise understanding of God, showing that He was, first and foremost, ar-Rahman (The Compassionate). In return for His generosity, people are ordered to worship Him. Belief in a god was no longer considered inconsequential and required purification. The above two points are condensed into the chapter Quraish, which outlines God’s blessings on the tribe and in return tells them to worship Him. Finally, the Qur’an introduced the concept of accountability on the Day of Judgement, where everyone would be tried according to his or her actions. This was completely alien to the Arabs, who had a vivid awareness of mortality in their uncompromising environment. Thus, revelations in the Makkan period primarily focused on introducing new concepts to the Arabs and explaining the theological foundations of Islam. …the Qur’an introduced the concept of accountability on the Day of Judgement, where everyone would be tried according to his or her actions. This was completely alien to the Arabs, who had a vivid awareness of mortality in their uncompromising environment. The language used in these chapters was passionate, aiming to shock and wake the people from their spiritual slumber. Furthermore, it often addressed the people in general, reflecting the broad audience it targeted. This suggests that the Qur’an was being used as a tool to attract people’s attention and indeed, there are many examples of where it succeeded in doing this. The Qur’an was particularly effective in attracting the downtrodden and the youth. They found it more difficult to ignore the warnings and hopes so eloquently spoken about in the revelation to Muhammad that they readily converted. The language and nature of revelation in the Makkan period therefore reflects the position of Islam at this preliminary stage, and sought to introduce the key ideas in a way that would draw people towards it. Opposition in Makkah One of the Qur’an’s most fascinating elements is that rather than providing a monologue of information, it establishes a dialogue with its opponents. It therefore provides some valuable historical insight into the nature of the opposition that the Prophet Muhammad(s) faced during his time in Makkah. One element of this was the personal attacks against the Prophet’s self. On several occasions, revelation reassures Muhammad(s) that these accusations are baseless. Apart from such personal insults, the Qur’an shows that the Quraish intellectually opposed the message. The Last Day in particular was a point of contention. While the idolaters would reject the possibility and mock Muhammad(s) to hasten it, the Qur’an would tell them that it was inevitable. Additionally, they would ask the Prophet to perform miracles to prove his prophecy, to which the Qur’an would respond by pointing to the already present miracles, such as Creation. Parts of chapters al-Isra and al-Kahf came in the context of such intellectual challenges, as they were revealed to answer questions that the Quraish received from the Jews to test Muhammad. The Qur’an’s willingness to engage the disbelievers provides useful historical information that offers an insight into the nature of debate during this period. The Qur’an also reflects the changing mood within Makkah and the growing oppression and hostility towards the Muslims. One aspect of this is its strong response to the disbelievers, warning them of the punishment they will face for their intransigence. As the Makkan period continued, more parallels were drawn between the contemporary situation and that of previous prophets. This acted as a warning for the oppressors, while encouraging the Muslims to practise patience. The language used, in particular by switching the verb tenses (al-iltifaat), created a direct link between these historical events and the contemporary situation. The Qur’an therefore exposes the devastating effects that the revelation had on the status quo. It reflects the changing relationship between the Muslims and idolaters in Makkah as the former began to shake the foundations on which Arab society was built. The Medinan Period Following the hijra, the dynamics of the Islamic movement fundamentally changed and this was reflected in the Qur’an. The Muslims were now a majority and the Prophet was the political as well as spiritual leader. Revelation took a more rational tone, focusing on the political situation and challenges facing the community. One key change in this regard was that revelation sometimes referred to specific events, unlike in Makkah. The language was far more specific, focusing on particular legislative issues and addressing the believers and People of the Book rather than humanity as a whole. Events were consequently used to establish general codes of conduct, which would form the legal foundations of Medina. For example, the Quranic verses (24:11-20) were revealed, calling on those who make accusations to bring four witnesses and outlining the punishment for falsifying. Medinan chapters would outline new religious practices, such as Friday prayers, and social reforms on topics such as inheritance, marriage and divorce. The Qur’an was particularly effective in attracting the downtrodden and the youth. They found it more diffiult to ignore the warnings and hopes so eloquently spoken about in the revelation to Muhammad that they readily converted. volvement in politics meant that Muhammad(s) had to provide regulations through which society could be organised. Its basis in revelation suggests that it was being ordered according to God’s plan. Therefore, while maintaining the spiritual foundations of Islam from the Makkan period, the nature of revelation adapted to new challenges that the community faced upon migrating to Medina and evolved to reflect these changes. Opposition in Medina As the Muslims established their own society, the dynamics of their relationship with non-Muslims naturally changed. With regards to the polytheists of Makkah, the old message of patience was superseded by the command for Muslims to fight and defend themselves against aggression. This reflects the changing environment and fortunes of the Muslim community. As they strengthened, the Qur’an adapted to the balance of power by allowing the Muslims to assert their authority against their previous oppressors. As Islam gradually spread its influence across Arabia, the Qur’an became more forceful against the idolaters, eventually even barring them from Makkah – Surah at-Tawba (The Repentance). Thus, from the Makkan to Medinan period and the subsequent victory of Islam, the relationship between the Muslims and disbelievers (primarily of Makkah) fundamentally changed, and this was reflected in the Qur’an, which evolved to cater for these shifts. The polytheists however, were not the only group that the new Muslim community had to face once in Medina. The Quranic opinion on the Jews for example, followed the fluctuating relationship between the Muslims and Jews of Yathrib. The Qur’an at first portrays the People of the Book as part of the same tradition, attempting to strengthen links with them in an attempt to win converts to Islam. However, the Jews’ continued opposition to Muhammad(s) triggered a change in their portrayal in the Qur’an. The changing of the qibla from Jerusalem to Makkah narrated in the Qur’an, for example, came in response to the Jews mocking the Prophet for not having his own direction of prayer. It was thus a symbolic turning away from the Jews, breaking association with them. The subsequent banishment of all the Jews from Medina, which was endorsed by the Qur’an, reflects the further deterioration of this relationship. Thus, like their relationship with the polytheists, the Muslims’ affiliation with the Jews also evolved and the Qur’an provides insight into the trajectory of this change. The Qur’an therefore provides valuable historical insight into the dynamics and balance of power in Medina, and Arabia as a whole. Historical document The Qur’an is a useful historical document that helps the reader to understand the life of the Prophet Muhammad(s) and how his message and stance towards others developed as the surrounding environment changed. The content of revelation shifted from general theological beliefs in Makkah, aimed at all people, to more specific and legislative injunctions, aimed at the believers and communities in Medina. The usefulness of the Qur’an as a historical document however, is best illustrated by inspecting the changing depiction of non-Muslim communities throughout the 23 years in which it was revealed. In this sense, the Qur’an reflects the historical evolution of the Muslim community from an oppressed minority in Makkah to the dominant force in Arabia. Therefore, in addition to being a spiritual guide, the Qur’an is a useful document that reflects the evolving historical context in which it was revealed.

Ummah suffering from information overload and misinformation toxicity

Iqbal Siddiqui, Perspectives

The new year is traditionally a time when people reflect on their situations in life, as well as contemplating the possibilities of the year to come. This new year in the Gregorian calendar coincides (more or less) with a new year, 1432, in the Hijri calendar; Muharram 1 fell on December 7, 2010. That got me thinking back to the Hijrah centenary 32 years ago — Muharram 1, 1400ah fell on November 21, 1979ce — which was, perchance, one of the first major Islamic landmarks that I was aware of as a youth. In the mid-1970s, the commemoration of the Hijrah centenary was planned to be a major project for the Muslim Institute in its early years, before the Islamic Revolution in Iran radically changed the political environment of the time and took the full attention of its founder and director, the late Dr. Kalim Siddiqui (1931–1996).

For many in the Islamic movement, reflections on the first three decades of the 15th century AH revolve around the impact of the Islamic Revolution, the inspiration it provided to Islamic activists and movements everywhere, and the reaction it provoked from the hegemonic west. This is a subject I have written about a great deal over the years, not least as editor of Crescent from 1998–2008. Here I want to think about a slightly different aspect of the last 30 years; the changes in the information environment in which Crescent International has operated since it was converted from a local community paper in Toronto to a “newsmagazine of the global Islamic movement” under the editorship of Zafar Bangash and the guidance of Dr. Kalim Siddiqui as a response to the political and historical situation created by the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

Many people may struggle to remember or imagine it now, in the age of email, Youtube, Wikipedia and the global networking facilitated by Web 2.0, but that was a time when newspapers, magazines, books and personal contact through meetings and lectures were the main ways of disseminating information. Personal computers, the internet and satellite television were stuff of science fiction; international travel and even telephone communication were still expensive and unusual. Audio and video communication was still new and remarkable; the distribution of Imam Khomeini’s speeches in Iran on audio cassettes was a radical new political strategy that was regarded as a crucial factor in the Revolution. Wherever one lived, the world was a bigger, stranger place; news consisted of mainstream newspapers that covered only major stories, and brief news programs on local or national radio and television every evening, rather than the multitude of global or international 24-hour news channels that we now have. As a result, many foreign countries really were little more than names, representing alien places and peoples on which it was difficult to get any information at all.

Indeed, the key difference from that time to this can be understood precisely in terms of information: where now we are bombarded with “news” the whole time, and the problem is identifying the useful and significant from the mass of unwanted and useless “noise” or “stuff” — a situation that has become known as “information overload” — in those days, people who were interested in any topic had to go and find out about it for themselves, going to libraries or organizations, looking for special interest publications, piecing together the big picture from the scraps they could glean from the few sources available to them.

Information professionals have long since recognised this change in their working environment. They used to be experts at finding information for people who needed it but didn't know where to look. Now they have to be experts in filtering the information, providing what is useful and worthwhile for people overwhelmed by a glut of data and unable to navigate their way through it. Information scientists talk of kayaks and canoes — informationists used to put valuable bits and pieces together to craft kayaks that were secure, seaworthy and safe. Now they make canoes — picking a tree from the forest, chopping it down, stripping away all the unnecessary parts, hollowing out the trunk to leave only what is needed for what is often a crude but adequate boat.

Thirty years ago, Crescent was a rare source of an Islamic perspective that was otherwise almost impossible for Muslims to find. To this day, we meet people around the world who remember Crescent in the 1980s and 1990s as a crucial element (often alongside the ideas of Dr. Kalim Siddiqui and the work of the Muslim Institute) shaping their Islamic outlook and identity, whether they were students in Western universities, young people growing up in Muslim communities in Western countries, or journalists and Islamic activists in Muslim countries. But for the Ummah, as for the rest of the world, the information environment has changed. Where once intelligent, educated, politically aware young people yearned for and sought out a global Islamic perspective, to put against an international news discourse dominated by the complacent and comfortable west, now they are bombarded with competing voices claiming to represent “true Islam”, from pacifist and pro-western think-tanks supported by western and Muslim states and promoted as voices of reason and moderation, to the shrill, simplistic, confrontational, often sectarian voices of groups that promise easy answers to the problems facing the Ummah, but have no real understanding of Islam, history, society or the world we live in. And as usual in any shouting match, those with the loudest voices are heard most, particularly if they present only easy slogans and soundbites, while the voices of those who present reasoned, balanced and intellectual arguments are overwhelmed, missed or ignored by all but a discerning few.

For many confronting the hegemonic discourse of the west 20–30 years ago, the internet offered the promise of new and effective ways to spread their ideas, reach new audiences and knit the Ummah together into a global community of politically aware Muslims. And that has been achieved, to a point. But the unfortunate reality is that any such progress has been more than balanced by the exploitation of the internet and associated technologies by the powers that be to spread their own poisonous agendas, and to manipulate the world to their own ends, not least by promoting disorder where pro-western stability is not an option. The result is that Muslims now suffer not only from the systemic problems of information overload, but also from what we may call misinformation toxicity, the effects of which are seriously damaging the Ummah; and, in my judgement, more than reversing any benefits the Islamic movement may have gained from the potential promised by the new media.

What we now have, therefore, is what we may characterise as “information chaos” in place of the west-dominated order that previously prevailed. And while chaos and disorder may offer opportunities for all, including the weak and oppressed, it is always the strong and powerful who are best positioned to exploit those opportunities, assert their positions, defend their interests and emerge the stronger.

This is not a situation that is reversible. The information and communication technologies that have created this situation are here to stay. For the Islamic movement and those within it who are striving to offer voices of intelligent, balanced, principled reason, instead of succumbing to the temptations to join the cacophony in the chaos, the challenge now is to find ways of overcoming these problems and to achieve our objectives despite them. The promise and potential heralded by the Islamic Revolution and the Hijrah centenary over thirty years ago remain undimmed; it is just harder for their champions to effectively articulate them, and harder for others to see them. That is the challenge facing us all for the new year and the decades to come.


Iqbal Siddiqui is a former editor of Crescent International (1998–2008).