Tafseer of The Criterion · Al-Furqaan · 25:32
And those who disbelieve say, "Why was the Qur'an not revealed to him all at once?" Thus [it is] that We may strengthen thereby your heart. And We have spaced it distinctly.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Allah, exalted is His mention, says: وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا — toward Allah — لَوْلا نـزلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ — that is to say: why was the Qurʾān not sent down upon Muḥammad ﷺ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً — as a single whole, just as the Torah was sent down upon Mūsā in one entirety? Allah said: كَذَلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ — its descending upon you verse by verse, one after another, in order thereby to strengthen your heart — thus did We send it down.
* Mention of who said this:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās — وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلا نـزلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً كَذَلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلا — he said: Allah sent down upon him verse by verse; as soon as the Prophet of Allah knew a verse, a following verse would descend, so that He might teach him the Scripture by heart and thereby strengthen his heart.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, concerning His word وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلا نـزلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً — just as the Torah was sent down upon Mūsā; he said: كَذَلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ — he said: the Qurʾān descended upon him as a response to their words — so that Muḥammad would know that Allah answers the people regarding what they say with the Truth. By His word لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ he means: so that We might thereby confirm the resoluteness of your heart and the certainty of your soul, and thereby give you courage.
And His word وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلا — that is to say: piece by piece We taught it to you until you know it by heart; al-tartīl in recitation is: doing it gradually and with deliberation.
In the same manner as we have explained this, the exegetes also spoke.
* Mention of who said this:
Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm related to me, saying: Hushaym related to us, saying: Mughīra reported to us, on the authority of Ibrāhīm, concerning His word وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلا — he said: it descended dispersed.
Al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq reported to us, saying: Maʿmar reported to us, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, concerning His word وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلا — he said: it descended verse by verse and two verses, as a response to them whenever they asked about something; Allah sent it down as a response to them, and as a defense for the Prophet regarding what they said. And the time between the first of it and the last of it was approximately twenty years.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, concerning His word وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلا — he said: the time between what was first sent down of the Qurʾān and what was last sent down of it upon him was forty years, and the Prophet ﷺ died at sixty-two or sixty-three years of age.
And others said: the meaning of al-tartīl is: the exposition and the explanation.
* Mention of who said this:
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb reported to us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلا — he said: We explained it with an explanation, and he recited وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلا .
