Why Qur'an was revealed in the 7th century?

Was there a reason Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) was sent "...as a mercy to the world" (21:107) in the sixth-seventh century or was it just a random event in history. This article looks at the evidences from the Qur'an, together with the historical events leading up to the revelation to explain the timing for sending Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) at this precise moment.

System of time-limited revelations

Allah's established pattern prior to the Qur'an was to send a "...messenger to come with any sign except with the permission of Allah; for each period there is a Book" (13:38). This shows that Allah only sends messengers with a new revelation once the term of previous revelation expires. 

This would usually happen when the people responsible with preserving the book "...heard the words of Allah then altered them knowingly after having understood" (2:75), or "...those who write the Book with their hands then say, 'this is from Allah'..." (2:79), or they start to "...conceal what We have sent down to them of the clarities and the guidance..." (2:159), or similarly "...conceal what Allah has sent down of the Book..." (2:174), or they "...twist their tongues using the Book so that you may think it is from the Book, while it is not from the Book, and they say it is from Allah while it is not from Allah..." (3:78), or they start to "...take the words out of context; and they forgot much of what they were reminded of..." (5:13), or "...they distort the words from their context..." (5:41).

The Qur'an addresses the guardians of these scripture directly when it asks "why do you confound the truth with falsehood and conceal the truth while you know?" (3:71)

Without any further revelations to correct these distortions, subsequent generations would have possessed a permanent excuse for their disbelief, as Allah says "...We were not to punish until We send a messenger" (17:15). However, with the revelation of the Qur'an to Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), Allah makes it clear "...that there will be no excuse for the people with Allah after the messengers..." (4:165), as they will not be able to say "...no bearer of good news or warner has come to us..." (5:19)

Limited period of the Injeel

Following the departure of Jesus, his followers split broadly into three groups.

The most famous of these were called The Paulines. They practiced the version of Christianity preached by Paul which spread west into Europe. They were the originators of today's Roman Catholic denomination. This group of Christians had "... said the Almighty has taken a child" (19:88) and "they claimed that the Almighty had a child..." (19:91), a claim of such "...gross blasphemy" (19:89) and monstrosity, that "the heavens are about to shatter from it, and the earth crack open, and the mountains fall and crumble" (19:90).

The second category were known as the Arians. This group were led by figures like Arius of Alexandria and they fought the Pauline shift towards assigning divinity to Jesus. Although they denied divinity, they remained within the Church's vocabulary by calling Jesus 'son'. This is absolutely rejected by the Qur'an when it categorically states Allah "...does not beget, nor was He begotten" (112:3). At the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), this group were declared heretics and suppressed by the Romans who had by now adopted the Pauline doctrine.

The final group were called the Nazarenes. History records them as a community who followed Jesus as the Messiah while upholding strict monotheism and the laws of the Torah. This group of people followed in the footsteps of Jesus' disciples who had said "...we are the supporters of Allah, we believe in Allah and we bear witness that we have submitted" (3:52). Over the next few centuries they survived only in scattered areas across Syria, Arabia, and Ethiopia, far from the main centres of power. By the fourth and fifth centuries, writers such as Epiphanius describe them as a dwindling movement and after the fifth century, they are no longer mentioned in records though they may have lingered on for a short time thereafter.

With the loss of the Nazarenes, humanity had entered a state where the truth was no longer accessible.  No living community was now following the true message of Jesus. The Qur'an acknowledges this religious vacuum when Allah speaks about Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) and says "...Our messenger has come to clarify for you after a lack of messengers..." (5:19). 

Despite this, during the interim period some people attempted to be true to Jesus' teachings, "...but they invented Monasticism which We never decreed for them. They wanted to please Allah, but they did not observe it the way it should have been observed..." (57:27). This naturally brought the period of the Injeel to a close. This is because the existing Christians by now had "... forgotten much of what they were reminded of..." (5:14). Therefore, it became a requirement that a new messenger would come as Allah says "...We were not to punish until We send a messenger" (17:15).

Eternal period of the Qur'an

There is no dispute that the messenger prior to Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) was Jesus, and Allah "...gave him the Injeel..." (5:46 and 57:27). Once the fixed term of the Injeel had expired, it was now time for the entry of the Qur'an. With his arrival in the sixth-seventh century, Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) became the natural successor to Jesus as he was instructed to declare "...the truth has come and falsehood has perished..." (17:81), and "...the truth has come; while falsehood can neither initiate anything..." (34:49).

Based on Allah's system, some people may then think the Qur'an must also have an expiry date. However, the Qur'an emphatically disproves this notion as false. The Qur'an declares "It is We who have sent down the reminder, and it is for Us to preserve it" (15:9). Unlike the previous revelations, Allah has removed the responsibility of preserving the Qur'an from humans, and has taken the preservation of it upon Himself. As a result "no falsehood could enter it, presently or afterwards..." (41:42) and the Qur'an will always remain perfect.

On completion of the revelation of the Qur'an, Allah says "...today I have perfected your system for you, and completed My blessings upon you, and I have approved Islam as the system for you..." (5:3). This declaration, together with Allah's promise of preserving the Qur'an means there are no further requirements for humanity to receive another revelation.

Conclusion

Once the Nazarenes, the Christian group closest to monotheism no longer existed, the true message of Jesus was no longer accessible. This opened the way for the Qur'an in the seventh century. Prophet Mohammed's (peace be upon him) mission was to "...clarify for them that in which they have disputed..." (16:64), and with it restore the monotheism of the Injeel as practiced by Jesus and his earliest followers. 

The timing of the Qur'an's revelation was not an accident, but it was a divine rescue mission from Allah. Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) was sent "...as a mercy to the world" (21:107) because he arrived exactly when humanity had forgotten the time limited Injeel of Jesus. Allah sent Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) to restore the truth, and then leave behind the eternally preserved Qur'an.

Historical Appendix: Sources & References

On the Nazarenes: See Epiphanius of Salamis, Panarion 29. They are described as the original followers of Jesus who kept the Law and rejected the Pauline doctrines. Epiphanius records that they used the language of 'son of God' but in their Jewish context, this title meant a righteous servant or chosen figure and not a divine being..

On the Arians: See Richard E. Rubenstein, When Jesus Became God. This documents the fourth century struggle between Unitarian and Trinitarian Christians.

On the Pauline Shift: See Hyam Maccoby, The Mythmaker: Paul and the Invention of Christianity. This provides the historical basis for how the original message was transformed into a pagan-influenced mystery religion.

On the Vanishing of the Nazarene: See Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Chapter 15, regarding the marginalisation of the original Jewish-Christian (Nazarene) church.