It wasn’t long after Prophethood was given to Rasul Allah (saws) that Allah stopped all the devils from acquiring news of the future from the heavens, this point in time was unique because it marked the end of the old world of Soothsayers and Oracles, and began the world of knowledge and Science.
‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas said: “The Prophet (saws) went out with a group of his Companions heading for the marketplace of ‘Ukaaz. This was when the shayaateen (devils) were prevented from getting any news from heaven, and shooting stars had been sent against them. The shayaateen went back to their people, who said, “What is the matter with you?” They said, “We cannot get news from heaven, and shooting stars were sent against us.” Their people said, “Nothing is stopping you from hearing news from heaven except some new event that must have happened. Go and look in the east and the west of the earth, and see if you can find out what it is that is stopping you from hearing news from heaven.” Those who went out in the direction of Tihaamah came upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in Nakhlah, when he was on his way to ‘Ukaaz, and found him leading his Companions in Fajr (morning) prayer. When they heard the Qur’aan, they listened to it and said, “By Allaah, this is what is stopping us from hearing news from heaven.” When they went back to their people, they said, “O our people, we have heard a wonderful Recital (the Qur’aan). It guides to the Right Path, and we have believed therein, and we shall never join (in worship) anything with our Lord (Allaah).
In the old world soothsayers where more common and more accurate in what they predicted, this is why people around the world followed them and looked to them spiritually, they invented hedonistic and pagan religions of all kinds because of it, but when the Prophet was granted Prophethood man was forced to turn away from that because the Jinn could no longer give accurate information to the soothsayers, so people lost faith in them.
This occurred because of what Allah wanted for mankind and the nature of the final message, Allah wanted mankind to look towards more physical explanations in creation to understand why things occurred because the hedonistic and pagan religions were far from having the right answers.
Allah asked us to gain wisdom and then use it to see the connection between the physical world and Him, this is why when the prophet was asked, what was his miracle ? He responded by saying the understanding of the Universe, He instructed people to look towards things such as the sun, moon, stars and space because in them are signs of Allah for people who think, He referred to science as the miracle that would allow man to understand Allah.
“The apostle of Allah asked some men of Medina what had been said there about the falling stars and was told: ‘We said, “A king has died or has begun to reign; a child has been born, or has died.” ‘ The apostle of Allah replied: ‘It was not so. When Allah reaches any decision concerning His people He is heard by the bearers of His throne, who praise Him; and this praise is taken up by the angels below them, and by others still further below; and the praise continues to descend until it reaches the sky of this world, where other angels also praise. Then these ask each other why they praise, and the question ascends gradually till it reaches the bearers of the throne. They then, tell of the decree of Allah concerning His people, and the news travels down by degrees until it reaches the heaven of this world, where the angels discuss it. But the evil Jinns (devils), who used to listen to such discussions by stealth, sometimes misheard, and what they retold to soothsayers on earth was sometimes true and sometimes false. The soothsayers also conversed about these matters, some giving true and some false accounts. So, when the coming of the apostle was being discussed by the angels, Allah foiled the evil Jinns by hurling meteors (at them), and from that time onwards an end was made to soothsayers”. (Seerah ibn Ishaq)
The only news the Jinn now have is what the Angels deliberately tell them as the Qur’an states, which they then speak among themselves and to humans. If we where to paraphrase mankind’s story from the time of Adam (as) to our time it would read something similar to this;
Allah intends to create a vicegerent (someone who will represent Him) on earth, when the Angels perceive that his nature would cause him to do harm in that place Allah says to them I know what you the creatures in charge of creation don’t know and that is the hidden realities and laws of the Heavens and the earth.
“AND LO! Thy Sustainer said unto the angels: “Behold, I am about to establish upon earth (a Khalifah) one who shall inherit it.” They said: “Wilt Thou place on it such as will spread corruption thereon and shed blood -whereas it is we who extol Thy limitless glory, and praise Thee, and hallow Thy name?” [Allah] answered: “Verily, I know that which you do not know.”(2:30) Said He: “O Adam, convey unto them the names of these [things].” And as soon as [Adam] had conveyed unto them their names, [Allah] said: “Did I not say unto you, `Verily, I alone know the hidden reality of the heavens and the earth, and know all that you bring into the open and all that you would conceal’?”(2:31-33)
Allah then prepared Adam (as) for his vice-regency on earth,
“And He imparted unto Adam the names of all things; then He brought them within the ken (presence) of the angels and said: “Declare unto Me the names of these [things], if what you say is true.”
“They replied: “Limitless art Thou in Thy glory! No knowledge have we save that which Thou hast imparted unto us. Verily, Thou alone art all-knowing, truly wise.”
Then throughout history Allah, in phases, revealed to his messengers and mankind the secrets of these realities which the Angels did not know at that time, each prophet was given according to what He earned and asked for, the prophet sulaiman (as) for example was given a kingdom that held sway over the Jinn and controlled them, so there must be a means in creation for man to achieve this but the prophet (as) also asked Allah that no person should have the like of his kingdom after him, each prophets gifts and knowledge were unique.
“He [alone] knows that which is beyond the reach of a created being’s perception, and to none does He disclose aught of the mysteries of His Own unfathomable knowledge, unless it be to an apostle whom He has been pleased to elect [there for]”.(72:26-27)
When the last of his messengers was sent Allah stopped the ways of the old world and asked man to look at how the universe worked for evidence of his existence,
“In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are signs for men of sense” (3:193)
Because no more prophets would come which would be taught the Hidden realities of the Heavens and the Earth, Allah opened for man all areas of knowledge and tasked man with using the physical world around Him and to combine that with what the last messenger revealed about the spiritual world. He then promised that He would reveal what his signs meant to the latter generations of Mankind completely, “In time We shall make them fully understand Our messages” (41:53).
He also promised to send Isa (as) to be the last of his messengers to carry out that work, but not before testing Humanity with the Dajjaal (Allah’s curse be upon) who would combine knowledge from both spheres (the spiritual or quantum universe and Physical) to fool mankind into thinking he is something that he is not.
“There is not one of the People of the Scripture but will believe in him (Jesus) before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them.”(4:159)
The Qur’an is the miracle of the Prophet (saws) “Say: if the whole of mankind and the jinn gathered in order to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like of it, even if they assisted each other.” [Al-Qur’an 17:88], this is because in it’s eloquence the Qur’an describes the reality of the things it speaks of, it’s eloquence can not be reproduced because the person being challenged has no understanding of these realities to describe them in truth, while at the same time matching it’s beauty in language, the verse of light (25:35) for example is the most eloquent and beautiful simile for the Universe and how quantum particles come into existence.
The Quran gives man a clear picture in his mind of what is being said and the specific aspect of it that is being mentioned, in a precise and eloquent manner which even the uneducated can understand.
To begin the task of reproducing the Quran a person would have to be a Scientist, Astronomer, Mathematician, Theologian, Lawyer, Judge, Grammarian and Linguist at the same time just to approach the work and match the Qur’an’s Scope, this list is not conclusive in any manner as a person could add they would also need experience in the things they wish to speak of just to know what to describe from experience, this would entail matters such as being a Sailor, Farmer, Warrior, Sage, Aesthetic, Leader, Mediator, Traveler, Merchant, Blacksmith, in fact the Qur’an has 114 chapters, 6236 verses and each one deals with a specific subject from any one or combination of topics because of the type of language it uses, and imagery it employs.
Knowledge is built upon knowledge and it is also derived and advanced from previous knowledge, If we consider that the Qur’an is the prophets (saws) miracle and the Prophet (saws) was given the keys to all Knowledge except for the five kinds He mentioned, we can understand what the Qur’an was sent to do because it was the last revelation for mankind and why in the history of man, after Islam, knowledge had spread around the world in a manner and to an extent unheard of Before.
Many of the tools were there before but they never came together like they did under Islam’s way of life. The modern world would not be where it is today if Islam did not advance the fundamental knowledge we have with us, create an international community like it did and lift the nations from the Dark Ages and isolated pockets they were in.
If we consider that the Dajjaal (Allahs curse be upon him) will come in a technological age and perform what will seem like miracles to us, The Prophet said about this, ‘I know more about the powers which the Dajjaal will have than he will know himself.” (Muslim) this gives us an understanding, to some degree, of the extent of His knowledge in reference to where we are in the world today, He would know more than the Dajjaal (Allah’s curse be upon him) would know and He is the one using these technologies.
We our self haven’t advanced yet to the time in which the Dajjaal (Allah’s curse be upon him) will come, that time will carry with it new discoveries we still don’t know yet.
Looking at the muslim world today and it’s failing to advance man scientifically as it once did, it was our prophet (saws) who said we would reach a time in the future when we would falter, the Islamic civilization would be in decline, before picking up that work again in the time of the Mahdi.
The Prophet (may Allah bless him) said “When my Community keeps on the right, it is going to enjoy an age of one day, and when it does not keep on the right, it will have an age of half a day”. (Jami al-Bayan by al-Tabari, Tafsir of Surat al-‘Asr. This is possibly also in reference to the Ahadith in Bukhari which mention the Asr Prayer quoted earlier)
In another version the Prophet (pbuh) said, “If my Community keeps on the right, it is going to enjoy an age of one day, and if it becomes corrupt, it will have an age of half a day.” (Shaykh al-Islam al-Munawi cites it in Fayd al-Qadir from Shaykh Muhyi al-Din Ibn ‘Arabi.)
Allah said in the Holy Qur’an: And one day according to Allah’s estimation is 1,000 years according to yours. (Quran, 22:47)
A Scholar said regarding these Ahadith: “Thus the Islamic community of the right way would flourish for one thousand years and the community in decline would last for another five hundred years. For the first millennium of Islamic civilization, the Muslims were favoured by Allah with an advancement unparalleled before or after. Muslims were at the forefront of not only religious development but also were the world’s leading researchers, physicians, chemists, astronomers, botanists, philosophers, and architects. Muslims were the shining lights that illuminated Europe and touched off the Renaissance. After its first millennium a gradual yet definite decline began within the Ummah which has continued until our present time.