Sample Cheat Sheet: The Revelation of The Quran To Prophet PBUH Between The Years 610 and 632 AD

Cheat Sheet – The History and Importance of the Qur’an & The History of the Compilation of the Hadiths

The Qur’an – Key Facts

• Meaning: Qur’an = “recitation” in Arabic.
• Revelation period: 610–632 CE (23 years) – 13 in Mecca, 10 in Medina.
• First revelation:
  • Year: 610 CE.
  • Place: Cave of Hira, Mount Noor, near Mecca.
  • Angel: Jibril.
  • Verses: Surah Al-‘Alaq 96:1–5 – “Read in the name of your Lord…”
• Pause (Fatrah): Temporary stop in revelation after first verses.
• Second revelation: Surah Al-Muddaththir 74:1–7 – command to begin preaching.
• Stages of preaching:
  1. Secret (610–613 CE) – close family/friends.
  2. Public in Mecca (613–622 CE) – focus on Tawhid, Hereafter, moral reform.
  3. Medina (622–632 CE) – laws, community building, treaties, worship rules.
• Modes of revelation:
  • Through Angel Jibril (most common).
  • Inspiration to heart.
  • True dreams.
  • Sound of a bell (most intense).
• Preservation:
  • Memorised by Prophet & companions (Huffaz).
  • Written by scribes like Zayd ibn Thabit on parchment, bones, palm leaves.
  • Arrangement instructed by Prophet under divine guidance.
  • Revised with Jibril in Ramadan (twice in last year).
• Final verse: Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:3 – revealed during Farewell Pilgrimage.
• Importance:
  • Direct word of Allah.
  • Universal, timeless guidance.
  • Explains beliefs, worship, law, morality.
  • Miraculous in language, content, prophecy.
  • Promise of preservation: Surah Al-Hijr 15:9.

The Hadith – Key Facts

• Meaning: “Speech,” “report,” “narrative” in Arabic.
• Islamic definition: Sayings, actions, approvals, descriptions of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
• Relation to Sunnah: Hadith records the Sunnah (Prophetic example).
• Importance:
  • Explains Qur’anic commands.
  • Adds legislation not detailed in Qur’an.
  • Moral and ethical guidance.
  • Preserves Prophet’s example for all generations.
• Preservation during Prophet’s life:
  • Mainly oral memorisation.
  • Some written with permission (e.g., Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As – Al-Sahifah al-Sadiqah).
• Major narrators:
  • Abu Hurairah (RA) – ~5,374 Hadith.
  • Aisha (RA) – ~2,210 Hadith.
  • Anas ibn Malik (RA) – ~2,286 Hadith.
  • Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) – ~2,630 Hadith.
• Generations:
  1. Sahabah – companions.
  2. Tabi‘un – students of companions.
  3. Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in – students of the Tabi‘un.
• Need for compilation:
  • Death of companions.
  • Spread of Islam to non-Arab lands.
  • Appearance of fabricated Hadith.
  • Need for accurate guidance.
• Early compilation:
  • Ordered by Caliph Umar ibn Abdul Aziz (717–720 CE).
  • Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri – early compiler.
• Golden Age (3rd century AH / 9th century CE):
  • Strict authentication rules (isnad, narrator character, chain continuity).
  • Six major books (Kutub al-Sittah):
    1. Sahih al-Bukhari.
    2. Sahih Muslim.
    3. Sunan Abu Dawud.
    4. Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi.
    5. Sunan al-Nasa’i.
    6. Sunan Ibn Majah.
• Hadith science terms:
  • Isnad – chain of narrators.
  • Matn – text of the Hadith.
  • Jarh wa Ta‘dil – narrator criticism & accreditation.
• Classification:
  • Sahih – authentic.
  • Hasan – good.
  • Da‘if – weak.
  • Mawdu‘ – fabricated.