PROMISES AND THREATS OF PUNISHMENT WERE THE FIRST PART OF REVELATION

Tauhid, promises of rewards, and threats of punishments were the first things to be revealed of the Qur’an. In Sahih Bukhari, Yusuf ibn Maahak narrates:

“I was at Aisha’s, the Mother of the believers may Allah be pleased with her, when an Iraqi came to her and said: “Which shroud is best?” Aisha said: “Woe to you, what harms you?” He said: “O, mother of the believers, show me your mus-haf” Aisha said: “Why?” He said: “In order that I may arrange and order the Qur’an according to it, for it is being read with no particular order.” Aisha said: “What is the harm to you whichever of it you read first? Verily, the first of it to be revealed was a sura among the short suras in which is mentioned heaven and hell. After the people came to submission (Islam), the halal and the haram were revealed. If the first thing to be revealed were “Do not drink intoxicants” they would have said: “We will never leave our intoxicants.” And if the first thing to be revealed were “Do not commit fornication and adultery.”, they would have said: “We will never leave fornication.” Verily, the following verse was revealed to Muhammad in Makka while I was a young girl playing: [No, the hour of judgement is more grievous and more bitter (i.e. than any hardships a Muslim may find in the path of Allah in this life)], and the chapters of Al-Baqarah and An-Nisaa (which contain extensive rulings on the halal and the haram) were only revealed while I was with him (sas) as his wife.” Then Aisha took our her mus-haf and dictated to him the verses of the chapter.”