Salamun Alaikum
Thanks Truth seeker for your great response. I'd like to humbly share a few of my own sentiments on this quite important topic.
It is important to appreciate that the Quran is not a book of riddles or crookedness (39:28). It is a book with clear instructions and guidance for mankind.
Much is made of Quranic revelations with respect to what time and for what purpose they were revealed (Occasions / reasons - Asbab (plural of sabab) of revelation (nazul)) as a prerequisite to understanding the Quran's message. There is no warrant for such an assertion from a Quran's perspective.
[1]The Quran clearly dealt with situations and questions during the Prophetic ministry in which guidance was required and was then granted. For example, we note many expressions with the prefix
'yasalunaka' They ask thee ..." (2:219; 5:4, 7:187, 8:1 etc) which support this inference.
The minute details of the circumstances or ‘perceived narrative gaps’
[2] are not important. From a Quranic perspective, it is the guidance and the wider wisdom which has necessary appeal for mankind. If such details were absolutely necessary, the Quran would have expounded on them as God certainly does not have a limitation on His words (31:27).
However, the Quran does have multilayered wisdom which slowly unravels as an understanding of the Quranic message deepens. This wisdom is oft shared by many commentators of the Quran in the form of 'tafseer'. As with anything, there are good interpretations which rely mainly on the inner consistency of the Quran, and weaker interpretations which indiscriminately use Islamic secondary sources and at times the Quran, pinning alien meanings to its concepts.
This should only be appreciated as a human effort by an individual and not necessarily indisputable truth or fact. The ultimate discernment of veracity should remain with the reader using the Quran as a criterion (furqan).
The Prophet too would have been granted wisdom by God to understand the Quran deeply (75:19). However, it quite another matter to assert that elucidations of the Prophet's wisdom are held in the Ahadith corpus which were not canonised until centuries after his ministry ended.
Related Articles:[1] FLUID BEGINNINGS OF ASBAB UL-NAZULhttp://quransmessage.com/articles/asbab-ul-nazul%20FM3.htm[2] UNKNOWN TOWNS AND NAMES - WHY FILL IN THE GAPS?http://quransmessage.com/articles/unknown%20towns%20and%20names%20FM3.htmRegards,
Joseph.