Study the Quran

Tafsir

Scholarly commentary explaining a verse — its context, its meaning and how the scholars have understood it.

Al-Furqan 25:32

Word by word

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ جُمْلَةً وَٰحِدَةً ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِۦ فُؤَادَكَ ۖ وَرَتَّلْنَـٰهُ تَرْتِيلًا

And those who disbelieve say, "Why was the Qur’ān not revealed to him all at once?" Thus [it is] that We may strengthen thereby your heart. And We have spaced it distinctly.

Ibn Kathir (Abridged) English Ma'arif al-Qur'an English Tafsir Muyassar Arabic Tafsir Ibn Kathir Arabic All sources

Ibn Kathir (Abridged)

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Reason why the Qur'an was revealed in Stages, the Refutation of the Disbelievers, and their Evil

Allah tells us about the many objections raised by the disbelievers, their stubbornness, and how they spoke of things which were none of their concern. They said:لَوْلاَ نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْءَانُ جُمْلَةً وَحِدَةً("Why is not the Qur'an revealed to him all at once") meaning, why was this Qur'an, which was revealed to him, not sent down all at one time, as the previous Books, the Tawrah, Injil, Zabur and other Divine Books Allah answered them, telling them that it was revealed in stages over twenty-three years, according to events and circumstances, and whatever rulings were needed, in order to strengthen the hearts of the believers, as He says:وَقُرْءانًا فَرَقْنَاهُ(And (it is) a Qur'an which We have divided (into parts)...) (17:106). Allah says:لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلاً(that We may strengthen your heart thereby.

And We have revealed it to you gradually, in stages.) Qatadah said it means: "We have explained it." `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said it means: "We have given its interpretation."وَلاَ يَأْتُونَكَ بِمَثَلٍ(And no example or similitude do they bring,) This means no arguments or doubts,إِلاَّ جِئْنَـكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيراً(but We reveal to you the truth, and the better explanation thereof.) They do not say anything in an attempt to oppose the truth, but We respond to them with the truth of that same matter, more clearly and more eloquently than anything they say.

Abu `Abdur-Rahman An-Nasa'i recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "The Qur'an was sent down all at once to the first heaven on Laylatul-Qadr (the Night of Power), then it was revealed over twenty years." Allah says:وَلاَ يَأْتُونَكَ بِمَثَلٍ إِلاَّ جِئْنَـكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيراً (And no example or similitude do they bring, but We reveal to you the truth, and the better explanation thereof.) and:وَقُرْءانًا فَرَقْنَاهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلَى مُكْثٍ وَنَزَّلْنَـهُ تَنْزِيلاً (And (it is) a Qur'an which We have divided (into parts), in order that you might recite it to men at intervals. And We have revealed it by stages) (17:106). Then Allah tells us about the terrible state of the disbelievers when they are raised on the Day of Resurrection and gathered into Hell:الَّذِينَ يُحْشَرُونَ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ أُوْلَـئِكَ شَرٌّ مَّكَاناً وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلاً (Those who will be gathered to Hell on their faces, such will be in an evil state, and most astray from the path.

) In the Sahih, it is reported from Anas that a man said, "O Messenger of Allah, how will the disbeliever be gathered on his face on the Day of Resurrection" The Prophet said:«إِنَّ الَّذِي أَمْشَاهُ عَلَى رِجْلَيْهِ قَادِرٌ أَنْ يُمْشِيَهُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة»(The One Who caused him to walk on his two feet is able to make him walk on his face on the Day of Resurrection.)

Ma'arif al-Qur'an

Mufti Muhammad Shafi

Commentary

The sequence of objections by the infidels and polytheists and their answers, which had started in the beginning of the Surah, is continuing. Here in this verse the objection as to why the Qur'an was revealed gradually bit by bit and not in one go is answered. The wisdom behind gradual revelation of the Qur'an as explained in the verse is that it was to keep the heart of the Holy Prophet ﷺ firm and strong. By gradual revelation the Holy Prophet's ﷺ heart was made strong in the following manner:1. It was made easy for him to remember the Qur'an by heart. If the whole Book was revealed in one go, its remembrance by heart would not have been that easy. Remembrance of the Qur'an by heart expelled all worries from his heart.2. Whenever an objection was raised by the infidels or a maltreatment was perpetrated, a verse would reveal to give him fortitude. In case the entire Qur’ an was revealed in one piece and the fortitude for the special occasion had also been mentioned in it, its search in the Book would have been painstaking.

Moreover, it would have been uncertain whether or not the attention of the Holy Prophet ﷺ would be drawn to the particular verse.3. Instant response by way of revelation to answer awkward questions was by itself the confirmation of Allah Ta’ ala's support which is the biggest source of strength for the heart. The wisdom of keeping the heart strong is not dependent on gradual revelations alone. Other factors in this regard are mentioned in the following verse of Surah Bani Isra'il وَقُرْاٰنًا فَرَقْنٰهُ لِتَقْرَاَهٗ عَلَي النَّاسِ عَلٰي مُكْثٍ (And We have divided the Qur'an in portion, so that you may recite it to the people gradually - 17:106). (Bayan ul-Qur’ an)

Tafsir Muyassar

Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Saudi Arabia

وقال الذين كفروا: هلا أنزل القرآن على محمد جملة واحدة كالتوراة والإنجيل والزبور! قال الله سبحانه وتعالى: كذلك أنزلناه مفرقًا؛ لنقوِّي به قلبك وتزداد به طمأنينة، فتعيه وتحمله، وبيَّنَّاه في تثبت ومُهْلَة.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

يقول تعالى مخبرا عن كثرة اعتراض الكفار وتعنتهم ، وكلامهم فيما لا يعنيهم ، حيث قالوا : ( لولا نزل عليه القرآن جملة واحدة ) أي : هلا أنزل عليه هذا الكتاب الذي أوحي إليه جملة واحدة ، كما نزلت الكتب قبله ، كالتوراة والإنجيل والزبور ، وغيرها من الكتب الإلهية . فأجابهم الله عن ذلك بأنه إنما أنزل منجما في ثلاث وعشرين سنة بحسب الوقائع والحوادث ، وما يحتاج إليه من الأحكام لتثبيت قلوب المؤمنين به كما قال : ( وقرآنا فرقناه لتقرأه على الناس على مكث ونزلناه تنزيلا ) [ الإسراء : 106 ] ; ولهذا قال : ( لنثبت به فؤادك ورتلناه ترتيلا ) . قال قتادة : وبيناه تبيينا . وقال عبد الرحمن بن زيد بن أسلم : وفسرناه تفسيرا .

Tafsir is provided for educational reference. Paragraph breaks are added for readability — the wording of each commentary is unchanged. For religious guidance, consult a qualified scholar.