The Quran’s Last Surah & Muhammad’s Forgetfulness

According to specific narrations, the last surah that Muhammad composed was the 9^th chapter of the Quran, called Surah at-Tauba and Bara’a:   

65 Prophetic Commentary on the Qur'an (Tafseer of the Prophet)

(27) "They ask you for a legal verdict. Say: 'Allah directs (thus) about Al-Kalal,a (those who leave neither descendants nor ascendants as heirs). If it is a man that dies, leaving a sister, but no child, she shall have half the inheritance. If (such a deceased was) a woman who left no child, her brother takes her inheritance..." (V.4:176)

Narrated Al-Bara:

The last Sura that was revealed was Bara'a, and the last Verse that was revealed was: "They ask you for a legal verdict, Say: Allah's directs (thus) about those who leave no descendants or ascendants as heirs."

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 4605 

In-book reference: Book 65, Hadith 127

USC-MSA web (English) reference: Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 129

64 Military Expeditions led by the Prophet (Al-Maghaazi)

(66) Chapter: The Hajj in which Abu Bakr led the people

Narrated Al-Bara: The last Sura which was revealed in full was Baraa (i.e. Sura-at-Tauba), and the last Sura (i.e. part of a Sura) which was revealed was the last Verses of Sura-an-Nisa':-- "They ask you for a legal decision. Say: Allah directs (thus) About those who have No descendants or ascendants As heirs." (4.177)

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 4364

In-book reference: Book 64,

Hadith 390 USC-MSA web (English) reference: Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 650

23 The Book of the Rules of Inheritance

(3) Chapter: The Last Verse To Be Revealed Was The Verse Of Kalalah

Abu Ishaq said that he heard al-Bara' b. 'Azib: The last verse revealed (in the Holy Quran) is that pertaining to Kalala, and the last sura revealed is Sura al-Bara'at.

Reference: Sahih Muslim 1618b 

In-book reference: Book 23, Hadith 14

USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 11, Hadith 3940

The Sunni reports also state that Muhammad used to forget certain Quranic verses:

66 Virtues of the Qur'an

(26) Chapter: Forgetting the Qur'an. And can one say: “I forgot such and such a Verse?

Narrated Aisha: Allah's Messenger heard a man reciting the Qur'an at night, and said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy on him, as he has reminded me of such-and-such Verses of such-and-such Suras, which I was caused to forget."

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 5038

In-book reference: Book 66, Hadith 62

USC-MSA web (English) reference: Vol. 6, Book 61, Hadith 558

6 The Book of Prayer - Travellers

(33) Chapter: The command to keep refreshing one’s knowledge of the Qur’an and that it is disliked to say I have forgotten such-and-such a verse, but it is permissible to say I have been caused to forget

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah listened to the recitation of the Qur'an by a man in the mosque. Thereupon he said: May Allah have mercy upon him; he reminded me of the verse which I had been made to forget.

Reference: Sahih Muslim 788b

In-book reference: Book 6, Hadith 266

USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 4, Hadith 1721

32 Dialects and Readings of the Qur'an (Kitab Al-Huruf Wa Al-Qira'at)

(1) Chapter:

Narrated A'ishah: A man got up (for prayer) at night, he read the Qur'an and raised his voice in reading. When the morning came, the Messenger of Allah said: May Allah have mercy on so-and-so! Last night he reminded me a number of verses which I was about to forget.

Grade:  Sahih (Al-Albani)     

Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud 3970

In-book reference: Book 32, Hadith 2

English translation: Book 31, Hadith 3959

The Quran itself seems to indicate that Allah would make Muhammad forget certain verses:

We shall make you to recite (the Qur'an), so you (O Muhammad) shall not forget (it), Except what Allah, may will, He knows what is apparent and what is hidden. S. 87:6-7 Hilali-Khan

Here’s how one noted Muslim expositor interprets this text:

As for His saying, “Except what God wills,” there are two possibilities. The first is that this exception does not actually apply, and that he forgot nothing after that. Al-Kalbi said that he forgot nothing after this verse was revealed. On this interpretation, the purpose of the words “Except what God wills” is one of several things.

First, the phrase is included to invoke blessing, as God says, “And never say of anything, ‘I will surely do that tomorrow,’ without adding, ‘If God wills’” [Al-Kahf 18:23–24]. It is as though God is saying: “Even though I know all things and know in detail how events will turn out, I do not declare that anything will happen in the future without using this phrase. You, Muhammad, and your community have even greater reason to do so.”

Second, Al-Farra’ said that God did not will for Muhammad to forget anything. The purpose of mentioning this exception, however, is to show that if God had wished to make him forget it, He would have been able to do so, as He says, “And if We willed, We could surely take away what We have revealed to you” [Al-Isra 17:86]. Yet we are certain that God did not will that. God also said to Muhammad, “If you should associate others with God, your deeds would surely become worthless” [Az-Zumar 39:65], even though he never associated anyone with God. In short, the benefit of this exception is that God makes him aware of his Lord’s power, so that he understands that not forgetting is due to God’s grace and kindness, not his own strength.

Third, when God mentioned this exception, the Messenger of God considered that anything revealed to him, whether little or much, might be what was excepted. As a result, he took great care to verify, retain, and remain alert in every instance. Thus, the purpose of mentioning the exception was to keep him, peace be upon him, alert at all times.

Fourth, the purpose of “Except what God wills” may be to deny forgetting altogether, as when someone says to a companion, “You are my partner in all I own, except what God wills,” without intending to exclude anything.

The second possibility is that “Except what God wills” is a genuine exception. On this interpretation, the verse allows for several readings. One is what Al-Zajjaj said: “Except what God wills him to forget”—in which case he forgets, then remembers afterward. Thus, he may forget, but he remembers and does not remain in a state of complete, permanent forgetfulness. It is reported that he omitted a verse while reciting during prayer, so Ubayy thought it had been abrogated. He asked him about it, and he replied, “I forgot it.” (Al-Zamakhshari, Q. 87:7: https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=1&tTafsirNo=4&tSoraNo=87&tAyahNo=6&tDisplay=yes&Page=2&Size=1&LanguageId=1)

Second, Muqatil said: “Except what God wills to cause him to forget.” Here, “causing him to forget” means abrogation, as in His words: “We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten without bringing one better than it” [Quran 2:106]. The meaning, then, is: “Except what God wills you to forget at all times”—that is, He commands you not to recite it or pray with it, and this becomes a cause of its being forgotten and disappearing from people’s hearts.

Third, the words “except what God wills” may mean “a little” or “rarely,” provided that what is forgotten is not one of the religious obligations but rather an etiquette or Sunnah practice. For if he forgot one of the obligations and did not remember it, that would lead to a defect in the religious law, which is impermissible.

As for His words, “Indeed, He knows what is spoken aloud and what is hidden,” there are two interpretations. First, the meaning is that God knows your recitation aloud alongside Gabriel’s recitation, and He knows the secret in your heart—that you fear forgetting. So do not fear; I will spare you what you fear. Second, the meaning is: “You will not forget except what God wills to abrogate,” for He knows best what is in the servants’ interests, and abrogates when He knows that abrogation is beneficial. (Ibid.: https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=1&tTafsirNo=4&tSoraNo=87&tAyahNo=6&tDisplay=yes&Page=3&Size=1&LanguageId=1)