Creative Project 1- The Prophetic Revelation Through Jibrail’s Lens (Week 1)
The First of the Last Revelation
I am the gateway between the physical and metaphysical.
I have been sent down to this world several times to formally assign a leader for humankind. One who will connect humans with their Creator.
A prophet.
By providing assistance to their revelations, I have helped guide the hundreds of thousands of prophets in different regions throughout history. While humankind clings to the legacies of these leaders, I am here today to send down one final prophetic revelation.
That revelation is Islam, and its prophet is Muhammad.
It is a chilly, serene night. The winds are cool and calm. I wait outside an elevated, enclosed space near the holy city of Mecca. Jabal an-Nour, 610 c.e.
I was thoroughly prepared for the events to come. He said it will change the course of mankind’s previous notion of spiritual transcendence. Of what it means to truly be muslim in this world. Verily, my Master is All-Knowing.
When I enter the cave, I am greeted by an influx of humility and virtuousness. He has been awaiting my presence. And so I begin by revealing to him the Divine message:
“O Muhammad! Read.
Read in the Name of your Lord Who created,
Created man from clots.
Read: And your Lord is The Most Honorable,
Who taught by the pen.
He taught man what he did not know…”
Indeed, he is receptive and embraces revelation. On this night, Muhammad has conveyed the most precious message, and soon he will relay it to the rest of the world: the Quran. All Glory to my Master, for He has chosen the perfect prophet to guide His followers toward Him!
I began with Adam.
I helped foster the prophecies of thousands more.
Abraham.
Moses.
Noah.
Jesus.
I now conclude with Muhammad.
There is no better candidate to end the lineage of the prophecy. He will carry the Quran of Allah and become the Messenger of Islam.
On this night and hereon after, Muhammad will guide mankind.
On this night and hereon after, Muhammad will guide mankind.
On this night and hereon after, Muhammad will guide mankind.
-Archangel Jibrail
In the beginning of Islam, Allah sent Archangel Jibrail to deliver the first revelation to Muhammad. Through this Divine encounter, Muhammad was officially recognized as the final prophet among thousands who previously guided believers towards the path of Allah (Sells 5). Hence, the first revelation of the Prophet Muhammad is widely cherished throughout the Islamic world. Not only did this event initiate the development of Islam, but it simultaneously marked the first time in which a Quranic verse was released to the Prophet. Unlike previous Abrahamic texts, the Islamic scripture came from one, supreme source: Allah. Over the span of roughly 20 years, this scripture was released to the world through prophetic revelations.
In lecture, we learned that because the Quran was revealed in segments over a long period, quranization, or act of codifying the Quran, was a relatively delayed process. The Quran addresses the supposed inauthenticity of fragmented revelations by “suggest[ing] that human beings are not able to bear all the truth at once” (Sells 3). Nonetheless, the absence of written scripture by no means stunted the growth of Islam; in fact, it substantially contributed to the development of the religion, as people were attracted to the “Quranic experience” (“Fundamental Concepts 5 Sep” Lecture Powerpoint). Indeed, the notion of “experiencing” the Quran began with the Prophet Muhammad’s first revelation, when he was instructed to recite Surat al-Alaq.
To emphasize its historical significance, I wrote a journal entry through the perspective of the angel who played a major role in this revelation: Jibrail. By relaying the Divine message to Muhammad, Jibrail anticipates the destined global impact of his prophecy as the representative of Allah’s final message: Islam. The Prophet’s collection of Quranic ensured that he could provide his followers with an authentic “divine-human relationship” (Sells 3). In this way, Muslims who experienced the Quran simultaneously experienced Allah. Additionally, the Prophet’s internalization of the Quran effectively appealed to all types of people; because literacy was not a necessary factor to experience the Quran, the inclusivity of Islam is what allowed the religion to flourish under Muhammad’s guidance, who became known as the “Walking Quran” (“Quran as recited word, 10/12 Sep” Lecture Powerpoint). As the Prophet Muhammad’s first revelation fostered the spread and development of Islam, it essentially gave rise to the wide-scale diversity of Muslims (varying in race, ethnicity, and culture) who shape the religion today.