Rasulallah and Gibraeel

[Mohammed Khan]

Assalamu 'Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Imam SAHIB,
It is said in Bukhari that Rasoolallah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam) received Gibraeel (alaih asalam) during Ramadan to teach him the Quran ?

Is this a true and correct belief of the Ahle Sunnah wal Jammat, also did and any of the sahaba-e-karim (may allah bless them) witness the form of the angel Gibareel ?

JAZAKALLAH KHAYRAN

[Imam]

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem,

Wa'alykum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,



Praise be to Allah who is the Lord of the Worlds, and endless blessings upon His Most Beloved Final Messenger, Muhammad (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam).


Thank you brother for your question, in relation to the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam), and Hadrat Gibra'il (Alayhis Salam). I think the part of the hadith that you may be referring to is:-

'ya'ridu 'alayhin nabiyyu (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam) al Qur'an',

Which is probably the closest part of hadith in 'Kitab-as-Sawm' in the Bukhari Sharif. However, I did not find any other hadith of this sort that stated, that Hadrat Gibra'il (Alayhis Salam), had taught the Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam), the Qur'an-e-Paak.


The meaning of the above hadith, is that Hadrat Gibra'il Alayhis Salam, used to present, the Qur'an al karim upon the Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam). There is no mention of him, teaching the Qur'an to the Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam).


Had there been the mention of teaching, the words 'ya'lamu' instead of 'ya'ridu' would have appeared. Since there is a difference between 'ya'ridu', and 'ya'lamu', hence there was no teaching, but only presenting. Wherever in the Qur'an al kareem, the connection of teaching the Qur'an has been placed upon Hadrat Gibra'il (Alayhis Salam), for example in the verse:-

'allamahu shadidul quwa'

Then it should be known that such a connection towards Hadrat Gibra'il, is made metaphorically (mijazi), and not in its real (haqiqi) terms. Because in reality, the ultimate teacher of the Qur'an al kareem, is Allah the Almighty, and Hadrat Gibra'il Alayhis Salam was a medium, by which Allah the Almighty taught the Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam) the Qur'an. The Qur'an al kareem states:-

'Ar Rahman 'allamal Qur'an'

'The Merciful, who taught the Qur'an'.

and:

'wa 'allama kum ma lam takun ta'lam'

'and we taught you that which you did not know'.

also:

'wa 'allama adamal asma'a kullaha'

'and we taught Hadrat Adam Alayhis Salam the names of everything'.

So in these verses, the word 'allama'-'we taught', is always re-occurring, and these words are from the Qur'an al kareem, had they been from the hadith-e-mubarikah, then they would have been even more clearer, because the hadith is an explanation of the Qur'an, whereas the Qur'an is its essence, the hadith is the commentary of the Qur'an, whereas the Qur'an is its Truth, and the hadith is in conformity with the Qur'an, as the Qur'an is its Reality.


May Allah the Almighty help us all to understand the Glorious Qur'an al kareem, and the hadith, in their best meanings, and may He receive deeds from us, from that understanding, that is pleasing to Him, and His Most Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam).



Wallahu A'lamu Biththawaab


M. Waseem Ashrafi