The Magnificence of the Qur'an

Allah then said,

إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا ﴿٥﴾

Verily, We shall send down to you a Word Thaqil.

Al-Hasan and Qatadah both said, "The actions with it.''

It has also been said that it means it will be heavy at the time of its revelation due to its magnificence. This is similar to what Zayd bin Thabit said. He said,

"The Messenger of Allah received some revelation while his thigh was on top of my thigh, and my thigh was almost crushed due to it.''

Imam Ahmad recorded from `Abdullah bin `Amr that he said,

"I asked the Prophet, `O Messenger of Allah! Do you feel anything when revelation comes (to you)'

The Messenger of Allah replied,

أَسْمَعُ صَلَاصِلَ ثُمَّ أَسْكُتُ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ، فَمَا مِنْ مَرَّةٍ يُوحَى إِلَيَّ إِلَّا ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّ نَفْسِي تُقْبَض

I hear a ringing and then I remain quiet when that occurs. There has not been a single time that revelation has come to me except that I thought that my soul was about to be taken (death).

Ahmad was alone in narrating this.

In the beginning of Sahih Al-Bukhari, it is recorded from `A'ishah that Al-Harith bin Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah, "How does the revelation come to you''

The Prophet replied,

أَحْيَانًا يَأْتِي فِي مِثْلِ صَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ وَهُوَ أَشَدُّهُ عَلَيَّ، فَيُفْصَمُ عَنِّي وَقَدْ وَعَيْتُ عَنْهُ مَا قَالَ،

وَأَحْيَانًا يَتَمَثَّلُ لِي الْمَلَكُ رَجُلًا فَيُكَلِّمُنِي فَأَعِي مَا يَقُول

Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell, and it is most severe upon me. Then this state passes away from me after I have grasped what is inspired.

Sometimes the angel comes to me in the form of a man and talks to me and I grasp whatever he says.

`A'ishah added,

"Verily, I saw him receiving revelation and I noticed the sweat dropping from his forehead on a very cold day as the revelation ended.''

This is the wording recorded by Al-Bukhari.

Imam Ahmad recorded from `A'ishah that she said,

"If the Messenger of Allah received any revelation while he was on his riding animal, it would begin moving its Jiran intensely.''

The Jiran is the bottom of the neck.

Ibn Jarir chose the interpretation that it (the revelation) is heavy in both ways simultaneously. This is as `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said,

"Just as it is heavy in this world, it will also be heavy on the Day of Judgement in the Scales.''