Among the many things the religious clergy has imposed on Muslims, for which God has sent down no authority, is what is called "Asbab Al-Nuzul" (Reasons for Revelation).
Whenever they hear of a Muslim rejecting heritage books, they immediately confront him with this question:
"How will you understand God's Book and know the reason for the verses' revelation without referring to the books of heritage?"
They have made this term (Reasons for Revelation) synonymous with the Quran, implying that you, as a Muslim, must use these books to understand your Lord's Book because every verse (or most of them) has a specific "reason" for its descent.
Here, I have some inquiries:
- 1) What is the level of authenticity of these books? Are they definitive in their proof and significance, or are they speculative?
If they are speculative, they are subject to review and may contain errors. If they are definitive, evidence for that claim is required. - 2) Are the authors of these books ordinary humans like us, prone to error and forgetfulness, or are they messengers from the Lord of the Worlds, infallible in their words?
If they are humans like us, then they are not infallible. Consequently, their words are not sacred and are open to criticism and refutation. - 3) What would be the actual impact on me as a Muslim if I do not know or read these books?
Does ignorance of "Reasons for Revelation" diminish my faith in God? Is faith in God linked to knowing these historical context stories? If so, where is the evidence for this in the Book of God?
For example:
If I read the Almighty's saying: "Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory" [22:39] and I understood it to mean that a group of Muslims were oppressed and God promised them victory, without caring about the specific "historical reason" for the descent of this verse—or if the idea of a specific "reason" never even crossed my mind...
Would my faith in God be shaken or diminished because I didn't know the specific story? Would God cast me into Hell because I was unaware of that particular anecdotal cause?
- 🔴 If the answer is Yes: Please provide proof from a verse in the Book of God.
- 🟢 If the answer is No: Then it means I do not need these books.
"Reasons for Revelation" is a human term that has nothing to do with the essence of the Quran. It was invented by clergymen and made a fundamental requirement for understanding and contemplating God's Book.
Furthermore, this term has restricted the understanding of God's Book only to the specific historical moments of revelation. Whoever believes in this term implicitly believes—perhaps without realizing—that the Quran is not suitable for every time and place, because every verse would then be tied to a specific past cause that has ended along with that time.
Conclusion:
Whoever wishes to cling to these books, that is their personal choice and they are free to do so. However, they must not impose them on other Muslims as the only gateway to understanding the Book of God. Do not make the words of men the only path to the Lord of men.