When the Koran was revealed in terms of time, it is often still a matter of dispute among Muslims, especially Muslim scholars and intellectuals.
The commemoration of Nuzulul Koran is actually agreed upon by the ulama as a sign that the Koran was revealed precisely on the night of the 17th of Ramadan.
If we trace the information regarding when exactly the Koran was revealed, according to information in the Koran itself, it seems there is none at all.
The most general information conveyed by Allah SWT in the Koran regarding the Koran being revealed only talks about the month, but the date it was revealed does not exist at all.
It can be seen in surah al-baqarah verse 185 below
The month of Ramadan is (the month) in which the Koran was revealed as guidance for humans and explanations regarding that guidance as well as the distinction (between what is right and what is false). Therefore, whoever among you is present during that month, shall fast it. Whoever is sick or on a journey (and then does not fast) then (must make up for) as many days (as he missed) on other days. Allah desires ease for you and does not desire hardship. You must complete the number and glorify Allah for His guidance given to you so that you will be grateful.
So it is clear, the month of Ramadan is the initial indication that in that month the Koran was revealed to mankind through the intermediary of the Prophet Muhammad SAW. In other surahs, such as Al-Qadr verse 1,
we find information from Allah SWT that on the night of Lailatulqadar, the Koran was revealed. "Indeed, we have revealed it (the Koran) on Lailatulqadar"
Almost the same information is conveyed by Allah SWT in surah ad-dukhon verse 3
"Indeed, we (started) sending it down on a blessed night (lailatulqadar). Indeed, we are the warners."
If we examine the three surahs with strong analytical power with full awareness and supported by good nutritional intake for the brain, we will arrive at the temporary conclusion that the Koran was revealed in the month of Ramadan on the night of Lailatulqadar.
So where did the information come from among Muslims that the 17th of Ramadan was the night the Koran was first revealed?
This is quite confusing among Muslims themselves, considering that the night of Lailatulqadar falls on the last 10 days of fasting while the 17th of Ramadan is under the 20 days of fasting.
In order to avoid deviant interpretations, Muslim scholars explain this matter clearly, as published in the Mahfum research journal number 1 of 2016 in the work of Amir Mahmud entitled the phases of the decline of the Koran and its urgency.
Reviewed in this journal briefly, there are 3 phases of the revelation of the Koran, namely
- The Koran was revealed from al-mahfudz to al-dunya (first level of heaven) on the night of lailatulqadar all at once. From al-dunya it was then passed down again to the prophet Muhammad SAW gradually during the apostolic period. This opinion is based on information from Ibn Abbas, so it is widely used by Muslim scholars.
- The Koran was revealed to al-dunya for a period of 23 times on the night of Lailatuqadar every year
- The Koran was revealed on the night of Lailatulqadar by Allah SWT gradually at different times.
The last two opinions emphasize that there was no process of stopping to another place when the Koran was revealed, but it was direct. This is different from the first opinion, where there was a transit process first to the same ad-dunya when the Koran was revealed before continuing to lailatulqadar.
Returning to the case of the 17th of Ramadan at the beginning, the argument that strengthens the revelation of the Koran on the 17th of Ramadan is in Surah Al-Anfal verse 41 that
"Know, indeed, whatever you get as spoils of war, then one-fifth of it is for Allah, the Messenger, relatives (rasul), orphans, the poor and Ibn Sabil, if you believe in Allah and in what We have revealed to you. us (Prophet Muhammad) on the day of Al-Furqan (distinction), namely on the day the two armies met. Allah is omnipotent over everything.
Surah Al-Anfal verse 41 is the underlying argument that the first revelation of the Qur'an was first revealed on the 17th night of the month of Ramadan to the Prophet Muhammad.
It is stated in the surah that the Koran was revealed when two armies met, and history records that the two armies that met, namely the Muslim army and the polytheists, met for the first time during the Battle of Badr.
The event of the Battle of Badr was a signal that Allah gave as a sign of the exact same date as the revelation of the Koran.
It is clear that there is a difference here regarding the revelation of the Koran, on the one hand the verse in the Koran mentions the night of Lailatulqadar, while in another surah it says that it was at the time of the battle of Badr.
This is the explanation, that based on the history of Ibn Abbas, the Koran was actually revealed all at once from Lauhul Mahfudz by Allah SWT to Sama Ad-Dunya (first heaven) on the night of Laylatul Qadar.
From the same -ad-dunya, it was then continued to be revealed to the Prophet Muhammad every 17th of Ramadan through the angel Gabriel.
It took approximately 23 years for the Koran to be revealed to the Prophet Muhammad and that is the reason why Nuzulul Koran is always commemorated on the 17th of Ramadan.
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