Each of the Mushaf’s suras is a Book, or part of a Book; it was revealed to one or more prophets. It is not true what the Islamic heritage taught, and was transmitted to us, that the Muhsaf is synonymous with a Book called al-Qur’an, that it was entirely revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him, and that the addressee is invariably Muhammad.
This is not to deny that the Glorious Mushaf, the codex in our hands, starting with al-Faihah Sura (No. 1) and ending with an-Nas Sura (No. 114), was eventually revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him. We do say, however, that though the Mushaf was revealed to Muhammad, in all its constituents, some component Books had been revealed to previous messengers. Muhammad, peace be upon him, inherited those Books, in the same way that Christ, peace be upon him, had been the inheritor before him.
Here are some examples:
Sura 7 is al-Zabur, or the Psalms, which had been revealed to David, peace be upon him
Sura 42 is ‘Ummul-Kitab, i.e. Mother of the Book’; it is the Light, and it was revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him
Sura 57 is al-Injil, or the Gospel, which was revealed to Christ, peace upon him
It is like this – al-Mushaf is composed of ‘purified pages, containing right and straight scriptures’ (see Sura 98): collectively consisting the Heaven’s messages to the earth; and the essence of these messages is conveyed via a long chain of prophets, and across a long time. This is the purport of the Almighty’s saying, in Sura 28, Verses 57-58:
“Have We not established for them a secure sanctuary, to which are brought, as tribute, fruits of all kinds – a provision from Ourselves. But most of them do not understand. And how many populations We destroyed, which exulted in their life of ease and plenty! Now those habitations of theirs, after them, are deserted – all but a few! And We are their heirs!”
We shall, in this chapter, determine where are found the Books of the Law, the Gospel, the Psalms, Kitabul-Hikmah (the Book of Wisdom), Kitabul-Bayyinat (The Book of Manifest Evidence), Kitabul-Sultanul-Mubin (the Book of Manifest Authority), al-Qur’an al-Karim (the Honored Qur’an), al-Qur’anul-Mubin (the Manifest Qur’an), Kitabul-Kitab (the Book), Kitabul-Dhikr (the Book of Remembrance), and many others, all being among the Qayim ‘self-sustaining’ Books of God. I shall mention each prophet, and the Book or Books revealed to him. The Lord has preserved the totality of His Messages between the covers of al-Mushaf – from the first word revealed to the first prophet, to the last word revealed to the last prophet, intact and complete. God did not leave it to people to preserve His Books; instead, He Himself preserved them so that they remain a luminary and guidance for us in our short life on earth.
We shall draw our evidence from the Mushaf, from the text itself, applying the scale of al-Dinul-Qayim: that the text is self-explaining; that there is no need to delve at the books of heritage which serve only to baffle one with their contradictory answers.
Each sura (i.e. Book) has a designation, conferred by God Himself, and it is our task to locate that and indicate the name.
Each sura has its own method, its own fingerprint, which is distinct from any other sura; each having been revealed to a distinct prophet/prophets, for a certain people/peoples.
It is a necessary objective to trace for every sura (or Book) the addressee: it is essential for determining the addressee, the form of discourse, its objective and purport. In this way, we can get over the confusion one keeps encountering in the inherited Islamic heritage.
I hope the reader will enjoy this splendid journey through this unified Message, as it progresses through time, taking on diverse shapes and manifestations, erroneously taken to be different messages.
The Opening
NO. (1)
It has seven verses;
A Muslim needs to recite it in each and every prayer;
adding to it some other verses from the Purified and Honored Pages
in each rak‘ah.
Sura The Heifer
No. (2)
Also named: Nakal ‘an example’;
It was addressed to the Children of Israel;
It was given to Christ, peace be upon him;
Sura 2 is named ‘Nakal, i.e. an example’. It was addressed to the Children of Israel, and was revealed to Christ. It is so since, on examining this Sura 2, and looking at the prophets and messengers mentioned in it, we find that they are:
Moses, Jesus, son of Mary, Sulaiman (Solomon), Ibrahim, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, the Tribes, and David.
The addressee in Sura 2, by reference to the context, is Christ, peace be upon him.
We say that Sura 2 is ‘Nakal, an example’ by reference to Sura 2, verse 66:
“And We made it an example to their own time and their posterity, and next a lesson to those who fear Allah.”
This says that this Sura is ‘Nakal, an example’, and the one next to it, Sura Al-‘Imran, is ‘a lesson to those who fear Allah.’
The word ‘nakal’ means an example and a penalty: and, in this context, it means that Sura 2 was revealed as an example to the Children of Israel.
About my saying that the sura next to al-Baqarah, Al-Imran, is ‘a lesson to those who fear Allah’, we find that Sura Al-‘Imran, No. 3, itself confirms this in verse 138:
“Here is a plain statement to men, a guidance and instructions to those who fear Allah!”
We shall be discussing this last verse later, when we come to Sura Al-‘Imran.
The idea here is that each sura of the Mushaf has its own tenor, a pivotal, primary thesis. Besides, it has other minor theses, all related to certain contexts. In connection with each and every sura we find:
1. The Sender, i.e. the Revealer of the message. This is invariably Allah, the Almighty. The Almighty says:
“And believe in what I reveal, confirming the revelation which is with you, and be not the first to reject the Faith therein, nor sell My Signs for a small price, and fear Me, and Me alone,” (2:41).
2. The bearer of the message: these are angels: Gabriel or the Holy Ghost. This is evidenced in 2:23:
“And if you are in doubt as to the truth of what we have revealed,”, where ‘we’, in ‘we have revealed’, refers to the angels.
And ‘we said,’ in “we said: ‘Get you down, all of you, with enmity between yourselves,’”, again refers to the angels.
We may also quote: “And remember we appointed forty nights for Moses,” (2:51) where it is the angles who gave Moses this appointment of forty nights.
3. The addressees, i.e. the people to whom the message is meant to reach, by way of the particular prophet or messenger.
Let us again refer to Sura 2: we find that it points to the Book in (2:2) with the demonstrative pronoun ‘dhalika, i.e. that’ and not ‘this’, addressed to those who fear God, indicating far distance.
‘That’ here indicates something far off, both chronologically and spatially.
It is useful to notice that there are two ways of reciting the above verse:
First way: if we pause at ‘fihi’, in “dhalikal lkitabu la raiba fihi” – in which case the demonstrative pronoun ‘dhalika’ points to the Book of ‘those who fear God’, which is Sura Luqman, No. 31. There will be more details when we come to Sura 31.
The other way of recitation: if we stop at ‘la raiba’ in the above clause – in which case the demonstrative pronoun points to the Book, and the next clause ‘fihi hudan lilmuttaqin’ would in this case be a modifier of the Book. The demonstrative would here be pointing to Sura the Spider, No. 29. There will be more details on this when we come to Sura 29. As you see, the Book is one thing and the Book of those who fear God is another and different thing.
In the Mushaf one may notice the exclusive pausing over both locations, indicating that you may choose either of the two locations to pause, but not both: to do so would alter the meaning.
Sura the Heifer, No. 2 is a call to all people to worship only Allah, to believe in the Book; next there is the story of appointing Adam as viceroy on earth; and in the same story there is the start of hostility between Adam and the Devil, and the story is concluded with Adam’s learning the lesson. Let us have a look:
“We said: ‘Get you down all from here; and if, as it is sure, there comes to you guidance from Me, whosoever follows My guidance, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. But those who reject Faith and belie Our Signs, they shall be companions of the Fire; they shall abide therein,” (2:38-39).
After this episode, there is an extended and elaborate episode concerning the Children of Israel, the way they dealt with Moses, then David and Solomon: How some of them rejected God’s Book, the one that had been revealed to David and Solomon, tossing it behind their backs. The Sura emphasizes that Ibrahim’s inheritors are only those who observe his way, who adhere to their pledge and covenant with their Lord. The Sura reminds us of Ibrahim’s supplication to his Lord to send to people a messenger who teaches them the Book and wisdom, and uplifts them: the prophet he meant here was Jesus Christ, peace be upon him. At the end, the Sura presents the believer’s required conception of all the messengers, prophets, and Books.
Let us then remember that:
Sura the Heifer, No. 2,
Is called ‘Nakal, an example’,
Was revealed to Christ, peace be upon him,
It is addressed to the Children of Israel
Sura Al-‘Imran
No. (2)
It is “a plain statement to men, a guidance and instruction to those who fear Allah”;
It was revealed to Christ, peace be upon him.
Sura Al-‘Imran, No. 3, is ‘a plain statement to people’, and it is ‘a guidance and instruction to those who fear Allah.’ This is what we find in Verse 138 of Sura Al-‘Imran:
“This is a plain statement to men, a guidance and instruction to those who fear Allah.”
Let us notice the demonstrative pronoun ‘hadha, i.e. this’ in the above verse, 138: It indicates Sura Al-‘Imran.
This Sura is also Signs and the Dhikr, i.e. Message, of wisdom, as is evidenced by Sura Al-‘Imran, Verse 58:
“This is what We rehearse to you of the Signs and the Message of wisdom.”
It is ‘Bounty from Allah’, as evidenced by Sura Al-‘Imran, Verse 174:
“And they returned with Grace and Bounty from Allah: no harm ever touched them: for they followed the good pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the Lord of bounties unbounded.”
To sum up, Sura Al-‘Imran is:
A plain statement for people, a guidance and instruction to those who fear Allah, Signs and Dhikr, i.e. Message of wisdom, and bounty from Allah.
Who was Sura Al-‘Imran revealed to?
We find the answer to this in Sura 5, verse 46:
“And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah.”
We have already concluded that Sura Al-‘Imran is ‘an admonition to those who fear Allah’, and in Sura 5 we find that God says that the ‘admonition to those who fear Allah,’ i.e. Sura Al-‘Imran, No. 3, was revealed to Jesus: hence we conclude that Sura Al-‘Imran was revealed to Christ, peace be upon him.
We can draw certain insights from Sura Al-‘Imran, bearing in mind that the Sura was revealed to Jesus Christ, peace be upon him.
1. When the Almighty says in the Mushaf:
“You are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah,” (3:110), the verse is addressed to Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, and his followers, to the prophets elected by Allah, and their followers, and those who followed in their footsteps and believed in them; and these are:
“Allah chose Adam and Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of ‘Imran above all people,” (3:33).
2. The Lord tells us in Sura 3, Verses 81-82 about the prophets’ Covenant:
“Behold! Allah took the Covenant of the prophets, saying: ‘I give you a Book and wisdom, then comes to you a Messenger, confirming what is with you; you believe in him and render him help.’ Allah said: ‘Do you agree and take this My Covenant as binding on you?’ They said: ‘We agree.’ He said: ‘Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses. If any turn back after this, they are perverted.’”
Which says that the prophets’ covenant includes the conditions that each messenger endorses the message of the messenger who preceded him, to believe in him, and to stand for him. Hence Christ’s saying:
“He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness; and of judgment: of sin because they believe not on me.” (John, 16:8-9)
Which is reemphasized in John, 3:36:
“He that believeth on me hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not me shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
This says that the latter person, the one who fails to believe, is cutting off what Allah ordained that it be maintained intact.
It is an indication that the latter type of people fail to believe in him, and hence break the chain of prophets and Books which keep integrating each other, by each following the preceding one.
Christ is here acting on the command in Sura Al-‘Imran, 81-82, and professing the covenant of the prophets.
3. Sura Al-‘Imran was revealed to address those who fear God, including Muhammad, peace be upon him. Christ did herald the future coming of Muhammad; we see this in the Mushaf:
“Muhammad is no more than a Messenger: many were the messengers that passed away before him,” (3:144).
It is Christ, peace be upon him, who is addressed here, and not Muhammad, peace be upon him. God is here telling Christ about future events. In addition, God is telling Christ that people will disbelieve in Muhammad, that they will be severing the chain represented in the Covenant of Prophets which the Lord ordained that it should be kept intact and continuous: that Muhammad would be disbelieved in the same way as the prophets before him were disbelieved: this is declared in the verse:
“Then if they reject you, so were rejected messengers before you, who came with clear Signs, Books of dark prophecies, and the Book of enlightenment,” (3:184).
4. We find in Sura Al-‘Imran, No. 3, the Covenant of those who were given the Book, as evidenced by Sura 3, Verse 187:
“And remember Allah took a Covenant from the People of the Book, to make it known and clear to mankind, and not to hide it; but they threw it away behind their backs, and purchased with it some miserable gain! And vile was the bargain they made!”
Which says that the Covenant given to the People of the Book stated that they do not suppress that Covenant, that they declare it to people. However, some of the People of the Book failed to comply with this Covenant.
5. We find that Sura Al-‘Imran, which is an admonition for those who fear God, is addressed to Christ, peace be upon him. On him was revealed:
– the Book
– the truth, confirming what went before it: i.e.
– the Law, or al-Torah
– the Gospel, or al-Injil
– the Criterion:
As evidenced by the Verses “It is He Who sent down to you, in truth, the Book, confirming what went before it; and He sent down the Law (of Moses) and Gospel (of Christ) before this, as a guide to mankind, and He sent down the Criterion of judgment between right and wrong. Then those who reject faith in the Signs of Allah will suffer the severest penalty, and Allah is Exalted in Might, Lord of Retribution.” (3:3-4)
6. We find the word ‘qul, i.e. say’ occurring 23 times in Sura Al-‘Imran.
We find that it is Christ, peace be upon him, who responds to the order ‘say’, and we find this in the Bible: Christ says that the one who comes after him will inherit him and repeat what he says word for word, initiating nothing on his own: “whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak,” (John, 16:13). Hence we find Muhammad repeat the revealed text. When it says: “Say: ‘He is Allah, the One and Only,’” (112:1) he repeats it literally: “Say: ‘He is Allah, the One and Only.’”
If we look into John 16: 12-16, we find Christ, peace be upon him, mention eight things descriptive of the Messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him:
1. Testifies for me ‘i.e. Christ’,
2. Guides you to all the truth ‘i.e. to the Books of all the prophets and messengers’,
3. Says nothing on his own,
4. All that he hears he repeats ‘i.e. he receives revelation and repeats it’,
5. Tells you about things that are yet to come,
6. Glorifies me,
7. Takes what is mine and tells it to you,
8. All that is God’s is mine ‘Christ’s’.
“Therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you, (John, 16:15: referring to the Books of the Glorious Mushaf).
Christ, peace be upon him says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto God, but by me,” (John, 14:6).
Which endorses the Prophets’ Covenant, as put forth in Verses 81-82 of Sura Al-‘Imran, a Sura that had been revealed to Christ, as was pointed out above.
At the same time, it emphasizes what was stated in Sura 2: “But He does not cause to stray, except those who forsake the path – those who break Allah’s Covenant after it is ratified, and who sunder what Allah has ordered to be joined, and do mischief on earth: these cause loss only to themselves,” (26-27). Christ emphasizes again: “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their skin,” (John, 15:22) which asserts that a person who cuts off the chain between John, peace be upon him, and Muhammad, peace be upon him, and ignores Christ’s being a link in the chain will have fallen in sin.
To conclude:
Sura Al-‘Imran is
A plain statement to people;
a guidance and instruction to those who fear Allah;
Signs and the Message of wisdom,
Bounty from Allah;
The addressee is
Christ, peace be upon him
Sura the Women
No. (4)
It is a manifest light;
It was revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him
I say that Sura 4 is ‘a manifest light’, in light of Verse 174 of Sura 4:
“O mankind! Verily there has come to you a convincing proof from your Lord: for We have sent to you a light that is manifest.”
As for this manifest light, it will be discussed when we come to Sura 42 ‘the Consultation’.
It is for people,
And it is the truth, as evidenced by:
“O mankind! The Messenger has come to you in truth from Allah: believe in him: it is best for you. But if you reject Faith, to Allah belong all things in the heavens and on earth: and Allah is All-knowing, All-wise,” (4:170).
The word ‘qul, i.e. say, or speak’ occurs five times, while the word ‘qulu, plural of qul’ occurs three times:
“‘wa qulu, i.e. and speak’ to them words of kindness and justice,” (4:5)
“‘wa qulu, i.e. and speak’ to them words of kindness and justice,” (4:8)
“‘walyaqulu, i.e. and let them speak’ words of appropriate justice,” (4:9)
“‘waqul, i.e. and say’ to them a word to reach their very souls” (4:63)
“‘Qul, i.e. say’: ‘Short is the enjoyment of this world: the Hereafter is the best for those who do right: never will you be dealt with unjustly in the very least!’” (4:77)
“‘Qul’: ‘All things are from Allah.’ But what has come to these people, that they fail to understand a single fact?” (4:78)
“‘Qul’: Allah instructed you about them,” (4:127)
“‘Qul’: Allah directs thus about those who leave no descendants or ascendants as heirs,” (4:176).
About the addressee in this Sura, it is the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as evidenced by:
“We have sent you inspiration, as We sent it to Noah and the Messengers after him: We sent inspiration to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, to Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David we gave Zabur, i.e. the Psalms,” (4:163). We find that the Almighty here lists all the prophets who came before Muhammad, peace be upon him; as for Muhammad, he is not specifically mentioned, but there is reference to him with the expression: “We have sent you inspiration, as We sent it to ..”.
It is settled, then, that the addressee is Muhammad, peace be upon him.
We shall see, when we come to Sura 7, that there is reference to the ‘light’ which was revealed to Muhammad, the light being Sura 42. We find in Sura 7 this verse, emphasizing this fact about the light: “and follow the Light which is sent down with him,” (7:157), in reference to Sura 42. But let us wait until we come to Sura 42, where there will be an elaboration concerning this point.
Sura 4, the Women, is the fourth in the Mushaf, starting with:
“O mankind!”,
Which indicates that the discourse here is addressed to all people, and the discourse was conveyed by the seal, i.e. last of prophets.
There is in Sura 4 a reference to the Book which was revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him. Let us quote this verse:
“Already He has sent you Word in the Book, that when you hear the Signs of Allah held in defiance and ridicule, you are not to sit with them unless they turn to a different theme: if you did, you would be like them. For Allah will collect the hypocrites and those who defy Faith – all in Hell,” (4:140).
Now we need to search in the Mushaf for this order to the Messenger not to associate with those who defy and ridicule God’s verses, and we find the answer in Sura 6, Verse 68:
“When you see men engaged in vain discourse about Our Signs, turn away from them unless they turn to a different theme. If Satan ever makes you forget, then after recollection, do not sit in the company of those who do wrong.”
From which we conclude that the Book referred to in Sura 4 is Sura 6, which is the Book revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him. We also find that the Book referred to as ‘the Light’ in Sura 7 is Sura 4, which will be discussed at the right time.
Now Sura 4 tells the Prophet addressed in it: “Allah has sent down to you the Book, and the wisdom,” (4:113): the Book, in reference to Sura 6, and the Wisdom, in reference to Sura 17, which will be elaborated later, once we take up Sura 7.
It says further: “and gave Moses manifest ‘sultan, i.e. proofs of authority’,” (4:153): now the word ‘sultan’ will be discussed at the proper place. It also states “and to David We gave the Zabu, or the Psalms;” (4:163); this latter point will be elaborated when we come to Sura 7. Let it be mentioned at last that we find in Sura 4: “O mankind! Verily there has come to you a convincing Proof from your Lord: for We have sent to you a light that is manifest,” (4:174); in which ‘the Proof’ is Sura 4. As for ‘the manifest light’, this will be elaborated when we come to Sura 42.
The present Sura, No. 4, commands people to have piety, to fear Allah, the Lord; to command doing kindness to women and to the weak; to shun boasting and bragging, and to abide by modesty and good breeding; it further states that Allah created people from one soul. At a later stage, the Sura moves on to classifying obligations, inheritance, taking orphan girls for wives, justice, and repentance. To wind up:
Sura the Women, No. 4, is
The Proof,
The Truth;
It was revealed to Muhammad;
It points to the Book which was revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him
Sura ‘the Table Spread’,
No. 5;
It is, The ‘Light and Perspicuous Book’ which was revealed to the People of the Book,
The addressee is Christ, peace be upon him.
Sura the Table Spread, No. 5, is the Light and Perspicuous Book, revealed to the People of the Book. The addressee in this Sura is Christ, peace be upon him, as evidenced by Sura 5, Verse 15:
“O People of the Book! There has come to you Our Messenger, revealing to you much that you used to hide in the Book, and passing over much that is now unnecessary: There has come to you from Allah a Light and a Perspicuous Book.”
‘There has come to you from Allah a Light’ is a reference to Sura 5 (the Light and a Perspicuous Book), which was revealed to the People of the Book; as for the Clear Book: this is a reference to Sura 27, which starts with; “Ta-sin. These are verses of the Qur’an – a Book that makes things clear”; as for ‘a ‘Bounty from Allah’ (3:174): this is a reference to Sura 3, as was mentioned in our discussion of Sura Al-‘Imran.
Now Sura 5 discusses the establishment of a nation and a state, and the organization of society: on the basis of faith. It presents a specific paradigm, the basis of which holds the Almighty Alone as the worshipped One, as a God and as a Lord: accepting the doctrine from no one but God. Sura 5 mentions those who fail to govern and rule in accordance with what was revealed from God – that they are unbelievers.
Sura 5 is designated as ‘the Light’, that ‘was formerly sent’ (see 28:48) ‘a Light and a Perspicuous Book, wherewith Allah guides all who seek His Good pleasure, to ways of peace and safety,’ (5:15-16). This Sura depicts for us the scene on the Day of Gathering; it quotes a statement by Christ, admitting God’s bounty to him and to his mother, and declaring that God has supported him with the Holy Spirit, and that it is He who taught him wisdom, the Torah (or the Law) and the Gospel.
To conclude about Sura 5: It is
The Light and Perspicuous Book;
It was revealed to the People of the Book;
The addressee was Christ, peace be upon him.
Sura the Cattle,
No. 6
It is the Book, revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him;
It watches over Sura 17, and it confirms it.
We read in Sura 62, verse 2, the words of the Almighty:
“It is He Who sent amongst the Unlettered a Messenger from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs, to sanctify them, and to instruct them in Scripture ‘the Book’ and Wisdom – although they had been, before, in manifest error.”
So what is the Book referred to in the above verse?
For an answer, we go to Sura 4, verse 140:
“Already He has sent you Word in the Book, that when you hear the Signs of Allah held in defiance and ridicule, you are not to sit with them unless they turn to a different theme: if you did, you would be like them. For Allah will collect the hypocrites and those who defy Faith – all in Hell,” (4:140).
Now, if we search through the Mushaf for this expression ‘unless they turn to a different theme”, we find it in Sura 6, verse 68:
“When you see men engaged in vain discourse about Our Signs, turn away from them unless they turn to a different theme. If Satan ever makes you forget, then after recollection, do not sit in the company of those who do wrong.”
From which we infer that the Book we are searching for is Sura 6 itself.
Let us remember that in the prelude to this research it was stated that there are two Books.
We recite in Sura 6, Verse 92:
“And this is a Book which We have sent down, bringing blessings and confirming the revelations which came before it: that you may warn the Mother of Cities and all around her. Those who believe in the Hereafter believe in this Book, and they are constant in guarding their prayer.”
From which we conclude that God refers to Sura 6, affirming that it is the Book, that it is addressed to the Mother of Cities (which is, as everybody knows, Mecca.)
As for what ‘confirming the revelations which came before it,’ in the above verse is, it is a reference to Sura 17.
What do ‘confirming’ and ‘watching over’ (5:48) mean? We find the answer to this in Sura 17, verses 21-35, and also in Sura 6, verses 151-154.
In Sura 17, God points out the prohibited things, starting with polytheism, and He mentions doing good by the parents, not killing one’s children, in apprehension of failing to provide for them and suffering from indigence, not coming near vices, both visible and invisible.
And in Sura 6 we find that this Book confirms these same prohibited things, the same as in Sura 6; but it adds to them some finer details.
To conclude, Sura 6 is:
the Book;
It was revealed to Muhammad.
Sura the Heights,
No. 7
It is insights, guidance and mercy for any who have faith.
It is also al-Zabur, i.e. the Psalms.
It addresses David, peace be upon him.
Sura 7 starts with Alif-lam-mim-saad. It is a Book, as evidenced by Sura 7, verse 1:
“Alif-lam-mim-saad. A Book revealed unto you – so let your heart be oppressed no more by any difficulty on that account – that with it you might warn the erring and teach the believers.”
From which we understand that alif-lam-mim-saad is a Book, undefined yet; but it will be defined in Sura 7, verse 203:
“This is not but insights from your Lord, and guidance, and mercy, for any who have faith.”
From which we infer that Sura the Heights, No. 7 = a Book = insights = guidance and mercy to any who have faith.
Sura 7 is al-Zabur, or the Psalms, the Book revealed to David, as evidenced by Sura 21, Verse 105:
“Before this We wrote in the Psalms, after the Dhikr, i.e. the Message, given to Moses, ‘My servants, the righteous, shall inherit the earth.”
From which we infer that the expression ‘My servants, the righteous, shall inherit the earth’ is written in the Psalms, which comes after al-Dhikr, or the Message.
Now this expression is there in the Mushaf: we find it in Sura 7, verse 100:
“To those who inherit the earth in succession to its previous possessors, is it not a guiding lesson that, if We so willed, We could punish them too for their sins, and seal up their hearts so that they could not hear?”
Which tells us that the Sign which occurs in Sura 21, Verse 105 distinguishing the Psalms, we shall find in Sura 7, and therefore it is the Psalms.
If we read verse 163 of Sura 4:
“and to David We gave the Psalms,”
And also verse 55 of Sura 17:
“and We bestowed on some prophets more and other gifts than on others: and We gave to David the Psalms,”
we find that that al-Zabur, the Psalms, being Sura 7, was revealed to David, and was lastly revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him.
There is in Sura 7 a proclamation that Muhammad, peace be upon him, will be sent as Messenger, as we notice in verse 158:
“Say: ‘O men! I am sent to you all, as the Messenger of Allah, to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god but He: it is He that gives both life and death.”
And then He says in the same verse: “So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allah and His Words: follow him that so you may be guided.”
We may say then that the above verse addresses people on two levels:
1. “‘O men! I am sent to you all, as the Messenger of Allah,’” – where ‘I am’ refers to the speaker who is David; and
2. “So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet,” – where ‘His Messenger’ refers to the ‘unlettered Prophets’ is obviously Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
It was stated above that Sura 7 ‘the Heights’ is ‘insights’, and we find in Sura 6, verse 104:
“Now have come to you, from your Lord, insights to open your eyes.”
The law elaborated in the Mushaf is that the messengers inherit each other: We find that Sura 7 was revealed to David, and then Christ inherited it: we know that when Christ said “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God,” (Mark, 10:25), he was paraphrasing what is in Sura 7: “until the camel can pass through the eye of the needle,” (7:40): this is so for Christ is inheritor to David and Solomon; and it was Muhammad, peace be upon him, who inherited Christ. Elsewhere Christ said explicitly about the messenger who comes after him: “he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” (John, 16:14). So, let us conclude about this Sura:
Sura 7, the Heights,
Is: Alif-lam-mim-saad;
It is a Book;
It is insights, guidance and mercy,
for any who have faith.
It is also al-Zabur, i.e. the Psalms;
It was revealed to David, peace be upon him.
Christ read a verse of it, which is:
“until the camel can pass through the eye of the needle,”
Which is evidence that Christ inherited David,
And then Muhammad inherited this Sura.
Sura of Repentance,
No. 9
It is the Torah (the Law);
It was revealed to Moses, and the prophets after him.
Sura No. 9, Repentance, is the Torah, or the Law. It was given to the Prophets who surrendered to the Lord, and to the rabbis after Abraham, as evidenced in Sura 5, verse 44
“It was We Who revealed the Law to Moses: therein was guidance and light. By its standard have been judged the Jews, by the prophets who surrendered (in Islam) to Allah’s Will, by the rabbis and priests. For to them was entrusted the protection of Allah’s Book.”
We recite in Sura 48, verse 29:
“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those who are with him are strong against unbelievers, but compassionate amongst each other. You will see them bow and prostrate themselves in prayer, seeking grace from Allah and His Good Pleasure. On their faces are their marks, being the traces of this prostration. This is their similitude in the Torah; and their similitude in the Gospel is like a seed which sends forth its blade, then makes it strong; it then becomes thick, and it stands on its own stem, filling the sowers with wonder and delight. As a result, it fills the unbelievers with rage at them. Allah has promised those among them who believe and do righteous deeds forgiveness and a great reward.”
Which points out that one finds in the Torah a similitude ‘a model’ of Muhammad, who is ‘strong against unbelievers, but compassionate amongst each other’.
So, we turn to the Mushaf, to search where this ‘similitude, or model’ may be found; and we find the answer in Sura 9, verses 123-129
“O you who believe! Fight the unbelievers who gird you about, and let them find firmness in you: and know that Allah is with those who fear Him… Now has come to you a Messenger from amongst yourselves; it grieves him that you should perish: he is ardently anxious over you: to the believers he is most kind and merciful.”
This ‘and let them find firmness in you’ is akin to saying = strong against unbelievers, in 48:29;
In “Now has come to you a Messenger from amongst yourselves; it grieves him that you should perish: he is ardently anxious over you: to the believers he is most kind and merciful,” (9:128),
‘To the believers he is most kind and merciful,’ resembles = compassionate amongst each other, in 48:29.
So, we have enough signs to identify this Sura with the Torah; and to whom it was revealed, being Moses. So, we may now move on to another point:
1. We look at verse 11 of this Sura 9:
“We explain the Signs in detail, for those who understand.” When we reflect on this, we recall that God has described Muhammad’s people as being illiterate: therefore, we say now that this Sura is not addressed to Muhammad, peace be upon him.
2. Next, let us look at verse 29 of this Sura 9:
“Fight those who do not believe in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth, even if they are of the People of the Book, until they pay the jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.” And we know that those who were given the Book were the people before Moses.
3. Let us look now at verse 33 of this same Sura 9:
“It is He Who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, to proclaim it over all religions, even though the pagans may detest it.”
Now we know that the messenger who was granted ‘Guidance’ was Moses, as evidenced in verse 53 of Sura 40:
“We did aforetime give Moses the Book of Guidance, and We gave the Book in inheritance to the Children of Israel.”
4. Next, let us look at verse 68 of Sura 9:
“Allah promised the hypocrites, men and women, and the rejecters of Faith, the fire of Hell: therein shall they dwell: sufficient is it for them: for them is the curse of Allah, and an enduring punishment.”
You may notice that ‘promised’ refers to something in the past.
So, we find that this promise of an enduring punishment, for those who disbelieved, is addressed to Noah’s, peace be upon him, people, as we notice in Sura 39 (Verses 39-40), which was revealed to Noah – a point that I will be taking up when discussing that Sura 39. Hence the reference to the past here, in Sura 9, is a promise that refers to a text revealed to Noah, peace be upon him, in Sura 39. See this latter Sura, Verses 39-40:
So, who are those people who had an enduring or abiding punishment?
We find the answer in Sura 39, verses 39-40:
“Say: ‘O my people! Do whatever you can: I will do my part: but soon you will know – who it is to whom comes a penalty of ignominy, and on whom descends a penalty that abides.”
The addressee here, in Sura 39, is Noah, which will be elaborated at the right time, when we come to Sura 39.
5. Let us also look at verse 70 of this Sura 9:
“Has not the story reached them of those before them? – The people of Noah, and ‘Ad, and Thamud: the people of Abraham, the men of Midian, and the Cities overthrown. To them came their messengers with clear signs. It is not Allah Who wrongs them, but they wrong their own souls.”
Let it be noted that the pronoun ‘them’ at the beginning of the above verse refers to the people of a prophet who came after the prophets mentioned in the above verse: the addressee is hence Moses, for it is he who came after the above prophets.
6. another verse to notice in this Sura 9 is verse 111:
“Allah has purchased of the believers their persons and their goods, for theirs in return is the Garden of Paradise: they fight in His Cause and slay and are slain: a promise holding on Him in truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the Qur’an.”
As was pointed out, the Torah, or Law, is Sura 9; we find in this Sura, verse 111 that ‘Allah has purchased of the believers their persons and their goods, for theirs in return is the Garden of Paradise: they fight in His Cause and slay and are slain’; and we find that this notion was mentioned in the Gospel and the Qur’an, as well as in the Torah. Now, searching through the Mushaf, we find in Sura 57, verse 10:
“And what causes do you have why you should not spend in the cause of Allah? – for to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth. Not equal among you are those who spent freely and fought, before the Victory, with those who did so later. Those are higher in rank than those who spent freely and fought afterwards. But to all has Allah promised a goodly reward. and Allah is well acquainted with all you do.” But let us wait until we come to Sura 57, being itself the Gospel, to elaborate about this point.
Now, if we compare Verse 10 of Sura 57, being the Gospel, with Verse 111 of Sura 9, being the Torah, or the Law, in addition to Verse 37 of Sura 27, being the Qur’an,
We find that fighting in the way of Allah is an obligation in all three Books.
To conclude about Sura 9:
Sura 9, Repentance,
Is the Torah;
It was revealed to Moses,
And then to later prophets.
Sura Yunus, i.e. Jonah,
No. 10
It is Alif-lam-ra;
It is the Wise Book;
It is also an exposition of the Book;
It is a healing, and,
It is the Truth.
We say it is the Wise Book, as evidenced by Sura 10, Verse 1:
“Alif-lam-ra. These are the verses of the Wise Book.”
It is an exposition of the Book, as evidenced by Sura 10, Verse 37:
“It is an exposition of the Book – wherein there is no doubt – from the Lord of the Worlds.”
It is a healing, as evidenced by Sura 10, Verse 57:
“O mankind! There has come to you an exhortation from your Lord and a healing for the diseases in your hearts – and for those who believe, a Guidance and a Mercy.”
Later, when doing Sura Hud, No. 11 we shall be discussing ‘an exhortation from your Lord’; and as for ‘Guidance and a Mercy’, that we shall be discussing when we take up Sura Yusuf, Joseph, No. 12.
For the time being, we say that Sura 10 is the Truth, as evidenced in Sura 10, Verse 94:
“Verily the Truth has come to you from your Lord: for be in no wise of those in doubt.”
And by Sura 10, Verse 108:
“Say: ‘O mankind! Now Truth has reached you from your Lord.”
Sura 10, Yunus, was revealed to ‘people who understand’ as evidenced in Sura Yunus, Verse 5:
“He explains His Signs in detail, for people who understand.”
The above verse alerts us to the fact that this Sura 10 cannot be addressed to Muhammad’s people, who were illiterate; they are Moses’s people instead, as evidenced Sura 10, Verse 14:
“Then We made you heirs in the land after them, to see how you would behave!”
We infer from Sura 10 that people were sent this Sura by their Lord as an Exhortation, as Guidance and Mercy for those who believe ‘Verse 57’.
Now, it was pointed out above that Sura Yunus is the Wise Book; but we know at the same time that Sura Luqman, No. 31, is the Wise Book, as evidenced by Sura 31, Verses 1-3:
“Alif-lam-mim. These are the Verses of the Wise Book – a Guide and a Mercy to the doers of good.”
We also know that Allah’s Guidance is the Guidance, one instance of the duality characteristic of the Book, as evidenced in Sura 39, Verse 23:
“Allah has revealed from time to time the most beautiful Message in the form of a Book, consistent with itself, yet repeating its teaching in various aspects … Such is the guidance of Allah.”
Which is saying that the Book consistent with itself, the Book of duality = Allah’s Guidance.
Sura 31 is the Wise Book, in the same way as Sura 10 is the Wise Book,
As evidenced by:
“Alif-lam-ra. These are the verses of the Wise Book.” (10:1)
“Alif-lam-mim. These are the Verses of the Wise Book.” (31:1-2)
This duality is characteristic of Allah’s guidance, and Allah’s Guidance is the Guidance, as evidenced by:
“Say: ‘the Guidance of Allah – that is the only Guidance.” 2:120
The Guidance was given to Moses, as evidenced by:
“We did aforetime give Moses the Guidance, and We gave the Book in inheritance to the Children of Israel,” (40:53).
We learn from the above that Sura 10, Sura Yunus, was revealed to Moses, that it is the Guidance; but we add that it is the Truth, as evidenced by:
“Say: ‘O you men! Now Truth has reached you from your Lord! those who receive guidance, do so for the good of their own souls; those who stray, do so to their own loss: and I am not set over you to arrange your affairs,” (10:108); and it was granted to Moses, as was pointed out above. It was later revealed to Allah’s messengers, who came after Moses, as evidenced by Sura 7, Verse 43:
“Indeed it was the Truth that the messengers of our Lord brought to us.”
Which states that Allah’s messengers were given Sura 10.
As was said above, Sura 10 was revealed to Moses, and it was addressed to the Children of Israel, as evidenced by 10:77:
1. “Moses said: ‘Do you say this about the Truth when it has actually reached you? Is sorcery like this? But sorcerers will not prosper.’”
2. When the Almighty says in the Mushaf:
“It is He Who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, to proclaim it over all religion, even though the Pagans may detest it,” (9:33), the Guidance here is the dual Books; it is at the same time the Religion of Truth, and the Messenger entrusted with it is Moses, peace be upon him.
3. “But the unbelievers say: ‘This is indeed an evident sorcerer!’” (10:2); and we know that it was Moses who was charged with being a sorcerer;
4. “He explains His Signs in detail, for people who understand,” (10:5); while we know that Muhammad’s people were described as illiterate:
“It is He Who has sent amongst the unlettered a Messenger from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs …” (62::2).
‘He explains His Signs in detail, for people who understand,’ is then addressed to Moses’ people, as was mentioned in Sura 10: it was not addressed to Muhammad’s people, but to Moses’.
5. “When trouble touches a man, he cries unto Us in all postures – lying down on his side, or sitting, or standing. But when We have solved his trouble, he passes on his way as if he had never cried to Us for a trouble that touched him!” (10:12).
Now, we know that it is Pharaoh and his people who prayed God to remove the hardship that afflicted them.
6. “Then We made you heirs in the land after them, to see how you would behave!” (10:14) – this refers to those, among Moses’ people, who were oppressed (see the Qur’an, 28:5); and these were given the land, in inheritance, at the time of David, peace be upon him, after they lost their way for forty years in the wilderness.
7. “Say: ‘If Allah had so willed, I should not have rehearsed it to you, nor should He have made it known to you. A whole life-time before this I have tarried amongst you: will you not then understand?” (10:16);
We know that it Moses who sojourned with Pharaoh and his people a lifetime before he left them.
8. “When We make mankind taste of some mercy, after adversity has touched them, behold! They take to plotting against Our Signs! Say: ‘Swifter to plan is Allah!’ Verily, Our messengers record all the plots that you make!” (10:21).
We know it is Pharaoh who plotted, although God had shown him His mercy after the adversity.
9. “They say: ‘God has begotten a son’ – Glory be to Him! He is Self-sufficient!” (10:68).
We know it is the Children of Israel who said Allah had taken a son, for they said: ‘Uzair is Allah’s son.
“The Jews call ‘Uzair a son of Allah,” (9:30).
10. Let us look at: “When the Truth did come to them from Us, they said: ‘This is indeed evident sorcery,’” (10:76). If we now go to 10:77, we find: “Moses said: ‘Do you say this about the Truth when it has actually reached you? Is sorcery like this? But sorcerers will not prosper.’”
11. “I am commanded to be in the ranks of the believers,” (10:104).
This command is addressed to Moses, as evidenced by 7:143:
“Moses fell down in a swoon. When he recovered his senses he said: ‘Glory be to You! To You I turn in repentance, and I am the first among the believers!’”
So, as we find from reciting Sura 10, and with multiple and overwhelming proofs, from the Sura itself, that it is addressed to Moses, peace be upon him: that the Sura was revealed to him. Let us sum up:
Sura Yunus, No. 10,
Is
Alif-lam-ra;
It is the ‘Wise Book’;
It is an exposition of the Book;
It is a healing;
It is the Truth;
It indicates the duality of Suras 10 + 31;
It is part of the Guidance,
And the Guidance was revealed to Moses.
Therefore:
It is Moses who is addressed in this Sura.
Sura Hud,
No. 11
It is the Truth;
It is Exhortation;
It is a message of remembrance to those who believe,
Sura Hud is the Truth; it is a message of remembrance to those who believe, an exhortation for believers, as evidenced by 11:120:
“All that We relate to you of the stories of the messengers – with it We make firm your heart: in this there comes to you the Truth, as well as an exhortation and a message of remembrance to those who believe;”
Which is stating that Allah refers to Sura Hud with the demonstrative pronoun for things close to one: ‘in this’, and then goes on to say it is the Truth, an exhortation, and a message of remembrance. When the Almighty says:
“Invite all to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for your Lord knows best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance,” (16:125), He is saying, ‘invite’ with reference to what is in Sura 11, for this Sura is the ‘best and most gracious’ way. Now, the addressee in Sura 16 is Christ, peace be upon him – but let us postpone the detailed discussion of that until we come to that Sura, 16. But for now, what do we find in Sura 11? And who is addressed in it?
We notice that Sura 11 contains a survey of the movement of the creed, starting with Noah and on to the period of Moses. This Sura 11 begins with the isolated letters: Alif-lam-ra, then the Lord says in defining alif-lam-ra:
“[This is] a Book; with verses fundamental, of established meaning, further explained in detail – from One Who is Wise and Well-acquainted,” (11:1).
In this Sura 11, there is a survey of the reaction of the prophets: Noah, Hud, Saleh with Shuaib, Ibrahim, Lot, and Moses, when they faced rejection and mockery. They responded with affirming the truth they bore, showing all the patience, confidence and firmness of faith. This survey goes on until the Almighty says:
“All that We relate to you of the stories of the messengers – with it We make firm your heart: in this there comes to you the Truth, as well as an exhortation and a message of remembrance to those who believe,” (11:120).
In Sura 11, God reminds His prophets that the unseen in heaven and earth is with Him, that all things end up with Him; He reminds His servants to worship their God, to rely on Him: for God is never unmindful of what people do. He ordains the performance of prayer, and affirms that good deeds remove sins. He reminds humans that anyone who disbelieves in this Sura, and the obligations it states, is promised Hell – which has been the way with past peoples, who God calls ‘the Confederates’, as in:
“Before them were many who rejected messages – the people of Noah, and ‘Ad, and Pharaoh the Lord of the Stakes, and Thamud, and the people of Lut, and the Companions of the Wood – such were the Confederates,” (38:12-13).
The essence of Sura 11 is that it is ‘a Book with verses fundamental, of established meaning, further explained in detail – from One Who is Wise and Well-acquainted’; its distinguishing mark by which we identify it is alif-lam-ra.
This Sura, Hud, is addressed to Shuaib, as evidenced by the fact that it is he who responded to the imperative ‘qul, i.e. say’ in the verses 121-123 of this Sura, 11:
“Say to those who do not believe: ‘Do whatever you can: we shall do our part; and you wait! We too shall wait.’ To Allah do belong the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and to Him goes back every affair for decision: then worship Him, and put your trust in Him. And your Lord is not unmindful of anything that you do.”
It is true that these verses do not identify who is given this command ‘qul’; but we do find in verse 93 of Sura 11 that it was Shuaib who responded to the imperative ‘qul’ when he said:
“And O my people! Do whatever you can: I will do my part: soon will you know who it is on whom descends the penalty of ignominy, and who is a liar! And you watch, for I too am watching with you.”
From which we infer that it was he, Shuaib, who responded to the imperative ‘qul’, which indicates that it is he who is addressed in the Sura Hud, No. 11. Let us then sum up:
Sura Hud is alif-lam-ra;
It is a Book,
with verses fundamental, of established meaning,
further explained in detail,
from One Who is Wise and Well-acquainted;
It is the truth;
It is exhortation;
It is remembrance for those who believe;
It was revealed to Shuaib;
Moses inherited it after Shuaib.
Sura Yusuf, or Joseph,
No. 12
It is alif-lam-ra;
It is a Book that makes things plain;
Allah revealed it as an Arabic Qur’an;
It is a Guide and a Mercy to any such as believe;
It is also a Message for all people.
Sura Yusuf is alif-lam-ra; it is Book that makes things plain; Allah revealed it as an Arabic Qur’an; as evidenced by Sura Yusuf, Verses 1-2:
“Alif-lam-ra. These are the verses of the Book that makes things plain.”
It is also ‘a confirmation of what went before it – a detailed exposition of all things, and a Guide and a Mercy to any such as believe,’ as evidenced by Sura 12, Verse 111.
When the Lord says in Sura 7, which is the Psalms, given to David:
“For We had certainly sent to them a Book based on knowledge, which We explained in detail – a guide and a mercy to all who believe,” (7:52)
He is referring to Book alif-lam-ra, which is Sura Yusuf, which is an exposition of all things;
Which was described as an ‘exposition of all things, and a Guide and a Mercy to any such as believe,’ (12:111).
And it is also a Dhikr, a Message, for all people, as evidenced by Sura 12, Verse 104:
“And no reward do you ask of them for this: it no less than a Message for all people.”
Sura Yusuf, or Joseph, was revealed to Yusuf, and it was then inherited by Moses, as we find in the Lord’s saying to David “For We had certainly sent to them a Book” (7:52), in reference to Yusuf and Moses. We have this explicitly in the Old Testament, where the Joseph story is recounted in full, together with the Books of Moses. See Genesis, Books 37-47. To sum up:
Sura Yusuf, No.12, has
Alif-lam-ra for a distinguishing mark;
It is a Message for all people;
It is an Arabic Qur’an, in order that you may learn wisdom,
A Book that is explained in detail;
It was revealed before the Psalms;
It was addressed to Yusuf, peace be upon him;
Moses, peace be upon him, inherited the Book after Yusuf.
Sura Thunder, No. 13;
It is the Book
The Almighty willed it as a judgment or authority;
It is a Message for the nations;
It is a Qur’an most honorable, in a Book well-guarded.
Sura 13 is the Book, as evidenced by Sura 13, Verse 1:
“Alif-lam-mim-ra. These are the verses of the Book,” which starts with alif-lam-mim-ra, to be a sign of this Sura 13.
It is the judgment, as evidenced by Sura 13, Verse 37:
“Thus We revealed it to be a judgment or authority in Arabic7/.”
We learn, then, that God designated Sura 13 as the Book, and then designated it as the judgment of authority: that is to say, the judgment or authority bestowed on all prophets of the Almighty is this Sura 13. To be satisfied about this point, one may refer to Sura 6, Verses 83-89: starting with: “That was the reasoning about Us …” and until: “Those were the men to whom We gave the Book, and authority, and prophethood.”
Now, to whom were ‘authority and prophethood’ revealed?
We find the answer to this in Sura 6, Verses 83-90:
In it, Sura 6, Allah lists many prophets: Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, Ayyub ‘Job’, Yusuf ‘Joseph’, Moses, Zakaria, Jesus, Ilyas, Ismael, al-Yasa‘, Jonah, Lot … and says after that:
“Thus We revealed it to be a judgment or authority in Arabic.”
Then He addresses Muhammad, peace be upon him, with the words:
“Those were the prophets who received Allah’s guidance: copy the guidance they received;” (6:90)
which says that God had bestowed the Book and the authority, or judgment: ‘i.e. Sura 13’ to 18 prophets, and then He gave it to Muhammad, peace be upon him: therefore, the total number of prophets to whom were revealed the Book and the judgment, or Sura 13, is 19 prophets and messengers.
This Sura 13, is also a Message for the nations, as evidenced by Sura 6, Verse 90:
“this is no more than a Message for the nations.”
So, what is this ‘authority, i.e. Sura 13’? and what are its themes which were revealed to God’s prophets?
We find that the main theme of this authority or judgment, Sura 13, is Faith, God as over-Lord and Sustainer: this Book expounds Who is the real Actor in this universe and all that exist and live in it, including the human beings; it tells us about God’s Covenant and Pact, the retribution when this Covenant and Pact are violated, the retribution in this world and in the Hereafter. All the above is put forward within a framework of scenes of the of the world at large, and the human soul in particular: it surveys facts about the heaven, the earth, the moon, the sun, thunder, the night, the day, life, plants; and even the development of the human embryo in the womb. This Book is thus an epitome of creation – its origins and particulars, and the outcome of human behavior.
To sum up:
Sura 13
Is the Book
The Almighty willed it as a judgment or authority;
It is the Glorious Qur’an: a Qur’an most honorable, in a Book well-guarded (this will be elaborated when we come to discussing: the Book well-guarded, at 56:78);
It was revealed to 18 prophets,
And then it was revealed to Muhammad.
Sura Ibrahim, or Abraham,
No. 14
It is: A Message for mankind: to take warning therefrom, and to know that He is no other than One God;
It is,
Al-Dhikr, the Message;
It was revealed to Moses.
But what is al-Dhikr ‘the Message’?
We refer to the words of the Almighty for a definition of al-Dhikr. And we find it in Sura 41, Verses 41-42:
“Those who reject the Dhikr ‘the Message’ when it comes to them are not hidden from Us. and indeed it is a Book of exalted power. No falsehood can approach it from before or behind it: it is sent down by One full of Wisdom, Worthy of all praise.”
From which we learn that al-Dhikr is:
1. a Book of exalted power,
2. no falsehood can approach it from before or behind it,
3. sent down by One full of Wisdom, Worthy of all praise.
Let us also refer to Sura 16, Verse 44. We find there that God revealed al-Dhikr to people, for that verse states:
“and We have sent down to you the Dhikr, the Message, that you may explain clearly to men what is sent for them, and they may give thought.”
We have more about that in Sura 15, Verse 6:
“They say: ‘O you to whom the Message is being revealed! Truly you are possessed.’”
We read more in Sura 68, Verse 51:
“And the unbelievers would almost trip you up with their eyes when they hear the Message; and they say: ‘Surely, he is possessed.’”
By taking count of all the above data we conclude:
Al-Dhikr, or the Message, is a preserved Book, surviving in our hands, which the unbelievers have been made to hear, and it is for people.
For more, we go to Sura 21, Verse 105:
“Before this We wrote in the Psalms, after the Dhikr, the Message: ‘My servants, the righteous, shall inherit the earth.’”
And in the above verse we have two points to note:
1. That the Book of al-Dhikr came down before al-Zabur, or the Psalms, and,
2. that Allah included in the Book of al-Dhikr the clause: ‘My servants, the righteous, shall inherit the earth.’”
Let us then search in the Mushaf for this clue, and we actually find it in Sura 14, Verses 13-14:
“But their Lord inspired this Message to them: ‘Verily We shall cause the wrong-doers to perish! And verily We shall cause you to abide in the land, and succeed them. This for such as fear the Time when they shall stand before My tribunal, – such as fear the punishment denounced.’”
From which we conclude that Sura 14 is al-Dhikr, or the Message, as stated in the above Verses 13-14.
Next, we inquire: To whom was al-Dhikr revealed?
If we reflect on Sura 14, which is al-Dhikr, we find the answer to the above question at the very start of this Sura, No. 14, where the Almighty says:
“Alif-lam-ra. A Book which We have revealed to you, in order that you might lead mankind out of the depths of darkness into light.”
So, our next task is to look through the Mushaf for the prophet to whom was revealed ‘lead mankind out of the depths of darkness into light’, and we find the answer in Sura 14, Verses 5:
“We sent Moses with Our Signs and the command: ‘Bring out your people from the depths of darkness into light,’” which asserts that it was Moses who is addressed at the opening of Sura 14 in the words: “Alif-lam-ra. A Book which We have revealed to you, in order that you might lead mankind out of the depths of darkness into light”. From this we infer that al-Dhikr is itself the Sura 14, and that it was revealed to the Prophet Moses, to lead people out of darkness into light.
A last observation about Sura 14 is that there is no mention of the names of the messengers who came after Moses. We recite:
“Has not the story reached you, O people, of those who went before you,” (14:9) and then the Lord lists the prophets: Noah, the people of ‘Ad and Thamud, and then the prophet Ibrahim, and Shuaib. These are peoples who came before Moses. Allah affirms that what we have recited is ‘a Message for mankind,’; as you may see it in Sura 14, Verse 52:
“Here is a Message for mankind: let them take warning therefrom, and let them know that He is no other than One God, Allah: let men of understanding take heed.”
From which we learn that Sura 14 is addressed to the Prophet Moses, and not the Prophet Muhammad. To sum up:
Al-Dhikr, or the Message, is
Sura 14, i.e. Sura Ibrahim;
It is a Message for mankind;
It was revealed before the Psalms;
It was revealed to Moses.
Sura the Rocky Tract,
No. 15.
It is the Book;
It is also Qur’an that makes things clear;
It is the Truth;
It was revealed to Ibrahim, peace be upon him;
Then it was given to Lot, peace be upon him.
Sura the Rocky Tract, No. 15 is ‘the Book’ as evidenced by Sura 15, Verse 1:
“Alif-lam-ra. These are the Verses of the Book.”
It is ‘a Qur’an that makes things clear,’ as evidenced by Sura 15, Verse 1:
“Alif-lam-ra. These are the Verses of the Book – of a Qur’an that makes things clear.”
Besides, it is the Truth, as evidenced by Sura 15, Verse 64:
“We have brought to you that which is the Truth, and assuredly We tell the Truth.”
We conclude then that Sura 15 is the ‘Book’, ‘a Qur’an that makes things clear’ and is ‘the Truth’.
We find in the same Sura, Verse 64:
“We have brought to you that which is the Truth;”
So, who is addressed here as ‘you’?
By going ahead in reciting Sura 15, we find that it is addressed to Ibrahim, and to Lot after Ibrahim, as evidenced by Sura 15, Verses 49-55. Let us follow the narrative in that Sura:
“Tell My servants that I am indeed the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful; and that My penalty will be indeed the most grievous penalty. Tell them about the guests of Abraham. When they entered his presence and said: ‘Peace!’ he said: ‘We feel afraid of you!’ They said: ‘Fear not! We give you the glad tidings of a son endowed with wisdom.’ He said: ‘Do you give me glad tidings that old age has seized me? Of what, then, is your good news?’ They said: ‘We give you glad tidings in truth: be not then in despair.’”
The guests of Ibrahim mentioned in the narrative are angels, and they gave him the glad tidings of truth, which was pointed out above. The Truth mentioned here is then Sura 15: we may conclude then that the angels gave Ibrahim the glad tidings of Sura 15.
Besides, we can ascertain that the Truth was revealed to Lot, too, as evidenced by Sura 15, Verses 61-64:
“At length, when the messengers arrived among the adherents of Lot, he said: ‘You appear to be uncommon folk.’ They said: ‘Yes, we have come to you to accomplish that of which they doubt. We have brought to you that which is the Truth, and assuredly we tell the truth.’”
The messengers indicated here are the angels who conveyed the Truth to him, Lot: which is to say that the angels revealed the Book, which is also the Truth, and is itself Sura 15, to Lot, in the same way as they had revealed it to Ibrahim before.
Sura 15 was given to Lot, to make plain to people ‘that of which they doubt’ (15:63): to expound the essentials of the sound faith, the reward and penalty, about all of which the people of Lot used to dispute. To sum up then, about Sura 15:
Sura the Rocky Tract, No. 15, starts with:
Alif-lam-rah,
It is the Book;
It is, at the same time,
A Qur’an that makes things clear;
It is the Truth;
It was conveyed by the angels
To Ibrahim, and
To Lot, next to Ibrahim.
Moses inherited it next to the above.
Sura the Bee,
No. 16
It is the Book revealed to Christ;
It is glad tidings to Muslims;
It is guidance and mercy for people who believe;
It is a Favor, one of Allah’s Favors,
Conveyed by the Holy Spirit.
By reciting this Sura, 16, we learn a number of things:
First: that the one who conveyed and revealed Sura the Bee, No. 16, was the Holy Spirit, as evidenced by: “Say: ‘the Holy Spirit has brought the revelation, from your Lord in Truth, in order to strengthen those who believe, and as a guide and glad tidings to Muslims,’” (16:102); we do know that the Holy Spirit did come down to Jesus Christ as evidenced by Verse 87 of Sura 2: “We gave Jesus the son of Maryam clear Signs and strengthened him with Holy Spirit,”: from which we infer that it is Jesus Christ who is addressed by this Sura 16.
Second: that it is ‘to strengthen those who believe’
Third: that it is the Glad Tidings to Muslims.
Fourth: We know that it was Christ to whom al-hikmah, wisdom, was revealed (see Sura 17, Verse 39); he also received ‘a preaching to those who fear Allah,’, as was pointed out in the course of discussing Sura 3. Now compare that to Verse 125 of Sura No.16: “Invite all to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for your Lord knows best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance,”; which affirms that it is Christ, peace be upon him, who is the addressee. We also find an indication in Sura 16, Verse 89: “and We have sent down to you the Book explaining all things, a Guide, a Mercy, and Glad Tidings to Muslims” that the Almighty refers to Sura 16 as the Book revealed to Jesus Christ. See Verse 48 of Sura 3: “And Allah will teach him the Book and wisdom, the Law and the Gospel,”: this is then the Book revealed to Christ; together with the Law, as proved above; and we shall discuss the wisdom when reflecting on Sura No. 17, and also the Gospel, which we take up when we come to Sura No. 57. To affirm the point, then, we repeat that the Sura under discussion at the moment, No. 16, is the Book which was revealed to Jesus Christ, as evidenced by Verse 89 of Sura No. 16:
“and We have sent down to you the Book explaining all things, a Guide, a Mercy, and Glad Tidings to Muslims.”
And this is repeated in Verse 64 of the same Sura:
“And We sent down the Book to you for the express purpose, that you should make clear to them those things in which they differ, and that it should be a guide and a mercy to those who believe.”
The addressee is then Christ, peace be upon him. Sura 16 is the Book revealed to Christ; it is a guide and a mercy to those who believe, as evidenced by Verse 64 of Sura 16. It is a bounty from Allah, for He says in Verse 71 of the Sura ‘Will they then deny the favors of Allah?”; and says in the next verse, 72: ‘will they then believe in vain things, and be ungrateful for Allah’s favors?’
Then the Lord affirms that He made the Sabbath strict for those who disagreed as to its observation (16:124).
Sura 16, the Bee, was revealed to Jesus Christ, as evidenced by:
First proof: The Lord tells us in Sura 2 that He supported Christ with the Holy Spirit; and in Sura 16, the Sura we are discussing, that it was the Holy Spirit who conveyed the Book: this says that Sura 16 is the Book revealed to Jesus Christ, and that it was the Holy Spirit, who worked in support of Christ, who conveyed it.
The second, is: “We gave Jesus the son of Mary clear Signs and strengthened him with the holy spirit,” (2:87).
Let us connect this verse to Sura 16, Verse 102:
“Say: ‘the Holy Spirit has brought the revelation from your Lord in truth, in order to strengthen those who believe, and as a Guide and glad tidings to Muslims.’”
The Almighty tells us in Sura 2 that He supported Christ with the Holy Spirit. And in Sura 16, He tells us that this Sura 16 was conveyed by the Holy Spirit; that is to say, Sura 16 is the Book revealed to Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit conveyed it, for he strengthened Jesus Christ.
We find in Sura 16, Verse 125:
“Invite all to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious.”
Now, we know that ‘Wisdom’ is what was revealed to Christ, as evidenced by Verse 48 of Sura 3:
“And Allah will teach him the Book and Wisdom, the Law and Gospel.”
The third proof:
We have Verses 127-128 of Sura 16:
“And you be patient, for your patience is but from Allah, nor grieve over them: and do not distress yourself because of their plots. For Allah is with those who restrain themselves, and those who do good.”
And we know that those who intrigued, fled, and betrayed were the followers and disciples of Jesus Christ, as evidenced by Mark, 14:50, “And they all forsook him and fled.”
And:
“He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me,” (John, 13:18).
For further evidence, see Sura 3, Verses 52-54:
“When Jesus found unbelief on their part, he said: ‘Who will be my helpers to the work of Allah?’ Said the Disciples: ‘We are Allah’s helpers: we believe in Allah, and you bear witness that we are Muslims. Our Lord! we believe in what You have revealed, and we follow the Messenger; then write us down among those who bear witness.’ And they plotted and planned, and Allah planned, and the best of planners is Allah.”
Sura the Israelites,
No. 17
It is the Book of al-Hikmah, or Wisdom;
It was revealed to a number of prophets;
It is the Bounty of Allah.
Sura No. 6 confirms and guards in safety Sura No. 17.
Sura the Israelites, No. 17, is al-Hikmah, i.e. Wisdom, as evidenced by Sura 17, Verse 39:
“These are among the precepts of wisdom, which your Lord has revealed to you,”
Which refers to Sura No. 17 as al-Hikmah, Wisdom, that it was revealed by God, and that it was revealed to a certain Prophet of His.
So, to whom was Sura No. 17, the Book of al-Hikmah, or Wisdom, revealed?
The answer is that Sura 17 was revealed to more than one prophet:
1. To David, as evidenced by Verse 251 of Sura 2:
“and David slew Goliath; and Allah gave him power and wisdom and taught him whatever else He willed;’”
2. To Christ, peace be upon him, as evidenced by Verse 48 of Sura 3:
“And Allah will teach him the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel;”
And by Verse164 of Sura 3:
“Allah conferred a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves, rehearsing unto them the Verses of Allah, sanctifying them, and instructing them in Scripture and Wisdom, while, before that, they had been in manifest error.”
The addressees are here the believers, to whom Jesus Christ and David, peace be upon both of them, were sent.
3. The family of Ibrahim, or Abraham, as evidenced by verse 54 of Sura 4:
“Or do they envy mankind for what Allah has given them of His bounty? But We had already given the people of Abraham the Book and Wisdom, and conferred upon them a great kingdom.”
4. Luqman, peace be upon him, as evidenced by Sura 31, Verse 12:
“We bestowed in the past Wisdom on Luqman: ‘Show your gratitude to Allah,’.”
5. Muhammad, peace be upon him, as evidenced by Sura 62, Verse 2:
“It is He Who has sent among the Unlettered a Messenger from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Verses, to sanctify them, and to instruct them in the Book and Wisdom – although they had been, before, in manifest error.”
From which we conclude that the Book of al-Hikmah, Wisdom, i.e. Sura No.17, was revealed to:
David, Christ, the Family of Ibrahim, Luqman, and Muhammad, peace be upon all of them.
Sura 17 has been chosen by God as ‘the Bounty of Allah, which He bestows on whom He will,’ as evidenced by Sura 62, Verse 4.
We may conclude then that: al-Hikmah, or Wisdom = the Bounty of Allah
As was pointed out above, Sura 6 was revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him, and that it is the Book. We recite in Sura 6, Verse 92:
“And this is a Book which We have sent down, bringing blessings, and confirming the revelations which came before it: that you may warn the Mother of Cities and all around her.”
So, what is this ‘Other Book’ in the Messenger’s hand? Let us recall that Sura 17 is the Book of Wisdom, revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him.
From which it follows that Sura 6 confirms Sura 17. But how do we understand Sura 6 as confirming Sura 17 and guarding it in safety?
For answer, we should compare Verses 151-153 of Sura 6 with Verses 22-40 of Sura 17.
Here are some interesting points that accrue from such comparison:
In Sura 6, Verse 151, we find the Almighty say:
“Say: ‘Come, I will rehearse what Allah has really prohibited you from,’: join not anything as equal with Him;”
And in Sura 17, Verses 22-23, He says:
“Take not with Allah another object of worship, or you will sit in disgrace and destitution. Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him”
In Sura 6, Verse 151, the Lord says:
“kill not your children on a plea of want – We provide sustenance for you and for them;”
While in Sura 17, Verse 31, He says:
“Do not kill your children for fear of want: We shall provide sustenance for them as well as you. Verily the killing of them is a great sin.”
In Sura 6, Verse 151, the Almighty says:
“be good to your parents,”
And in Sura 17, Verses 23-24, He says:
“that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: ‘My Lord! bestow on them Your Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood.”
In Sura 6, Verse 151, Allah says:
“do not come near to shameful deeds, whether open or secret;”
And in Sura 17, Verse 32, He says:
“Nor come near to adultery: for it is a shameful deed and an evil, opening the road to other evils.”
In Sura 6, Verse 151, the Lord says:
“take not life, which Allah has made sacred, except by way of justice and law:”,
And in Sura 17, Verse 33, He says:
“Nor take life – which Allah has made sacred – except for just cause.”
And so on, for one may go on and on.
But the point is clear: in Sura 6 we have the text listing things which have been prohibited by God; and, besides, the obligations of a human towards his Lord and towards their community. This is followed by alerting people that the obligations and prohibition that have been mentioned in that Sura 6, Verses 151-153, compose the Straight Way of the Lord (Verse 153).
In Sura 17, there is a survey of God’s ordinances and a human’s obligations, both towards their Lord and towards their community. This is followed by a generalization: that Sura 17 is part of the Wisdom revealed to the prophets. See Sura 17, Verses 22-40.
Now, by comparing Sura 6, Verses 151-153, with Sura 17, Verses 22-40, we find:
That Sura 6 confirms and guards in safety Sura 17.
It must be manifest by now that Sura 6, revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him, confirms and guards in safety Sura 17, also revealed to Muhammad. We have gone through the common denominations between the two Suras, and noticed how they replicate each other.
To sum up:
Sura the Israelites, No. 17, is
The Wisdom;
It is the Bounty of Allah;
It was revealed to Luqman,
To David,
The Family of Ibrahim,
To Christ,
And to Muhammad.
Sura 6 confirms and guards in safety Sura 17.
Sura the Cave,
No. 18
Sura the Cave, No. 18, is ‘a Mercy’, as evidenced by Sura 18, Verse 98:
“He said: ‘This is a Mercy from my Lord.”
An overview of Sura the Cave, No. 18:
Let us go through the main topics of this Sura 18:
– The Sura starts with praising Allah, the One God. He is the Lord who revealed the finest points about the religious faith; He revealed to His servant the Book, to be ‘qayyim, i.e. allowing no crookedness, self-sustaining’: a Book meant to warn of God’s penalty, which may come soon or at a later stage. It is a Book that gives good tidings to every believer, male or female, if they do good deeds: it promises them good reward in both this world and in the Hereafter, where they enjoy the bliss for ever. It also threatens any people who claim that Allah has begotten a son. They claim it when they have no knowledge to support their claim, nor did their fathers or forefathers had any knowledge to support them. It is ‘a grievous thing that issues from their mouths. What they say is nothing but falsehood!’ (18:5) We do know that it was the Jews who said that ‘Uzair was a son of Allah. In this, the Sura is refuting such claim, a claim that echoes what is reported by John, Book 1, Verse 12:
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
In this Sura we have the correct state of things: God has no children.
The sons of God in the Verse from John = believers in His Name.
– Then the Sura points out that ‘the Companions of the Cave and of the Inscription were wonders among Our Signs.’ (18:9)
– Then the Lord relates a symbolic parable about the ‘raqim, the Inscription – this Inscription being the Book.’
– Then he relates the story of two men, two models of men.
– Then the Sura uses a similitude to show the reality about life in this world. It also mentions the experience of Adam. But it asserts here that most people have ‘veils over their hearts lest they understand this, and over their ears, deafness (18:57). It affirms that Moses’ call to right guidance will not be heeded except by a few.
– Now the Lord tells us the story of Moses: it points out through the narrative what will befall his people, after he had abandoned them. It presents Moses with a glimpse of what is to come, until the coming of Christ and Muhammad, the two Messengers after Moses.
– Let us elaborate a little about the ‘Companions of the Cave and the raqim, the Inscription’. We said above that this is a Sign from God: a sign by which we unearth the hidden secret: this turns out to be ‘the Inscription’: which is the Book.
Let us examine the first mystery encountered in Sura the Cave, No. 18; it is in Verse 16:
“When you turn away from them and the things they worship other than Allah, betake yourselves to the Cave: your Lord will shower His mercies on you and dispose of your affair toward comfort and ease.”
One proof concerning the ‘raqim, the Inscription, is “your Lord will shower His mercies on you;” in the Verse 16, quoted above.
Now, the expression ‘betake yourselves to the Cave’ is addressed to us, human beings. It is as everybody can see in the imperative mood – something pertaining to the present, not a past tense that pertains to past events. The Lord could have said: “they took refuge in the Cave” but said instead: ‘betake yourselves to the Cave’ i.e. now.
So, how should we comply with this Divine injunction to ‘betake ourselves to the Cave”: what cave? How do we get there? What is the relation between the cave and the ‘raqim, Inscription?
They go together: the cave and al-raqim: once you find the ‘Companions of the Cave’ you find al-raqim, the inscription, or Book, and vice versa. It is evident that the Companions of the Cave and al-raqim are a Sign.
The most glaring Sign or marvel of God is the sun. We are alerted to this in Sura 41, Verse 37:
“Among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon.”
We are made aware of the sun’s being a Sign of God’s. Let us add to that what we find in Sura 25, Verses 44-45:
“Or do you think that most of them listen or understand! They are only like cattle – nay, they are worse astray in Path. Have you not turned your vision to your Lord? – how does He prolong the shadow. If He willed, He could make it stationary! Then do We make the sun its guide.”
We are right, then, to take the sun as a pivotal element.
But how do we establish the relation between Verses 44-45 of Sura 25 and Sura 18, the Cave?
Let us reflect more on Sura 18. Let us look at Verse 17:
“You would have seen the sun, when it rose, declining to the right from their Cave, and when it set, turning away from them to the left, while they lay in the open space in the midst of the Cave. Such are among the Signs of Allah: He whom Allah guides is rightly guided; but he whom Allah leaves to stray – for him you will find nor protector to lead him to the Right Way.”
What we have here is the sun, but we have reason enough to notice that the sun here is not what we see in the sky: it is rather the Sura of the Sun, No. 91.
We need to ponder further on the purport of the above verse. We need to fathom its words:
The word tazawaru, i.e. declines, means it declines once to the right and once to the left; that it shines now on the right side of their cave and now on the left side of the cave: leaving them, Companions of the Cave, in the space between right and left. There is a gap, a space between the two sunlit spots. From reflecting on the Verse, we may learn the following:
1. The sun is a Sign from God.
2. The Companions of the Cave and al-raqim, i.e. Inscription or Book, are a wondrous Sign.
3. At its rising, the sun leans towards the right of the cave for some time and at setting towards another spot of their cave, but in all this it leaves them spared from its heat: it bypasses them.
4. We are commanded to take refuge at the Cave: to go there. It is a command which must be obeyed, but where is the Cave?
God gives us an idea of the consequences of our deeds: that if we go to the cave we find there disposing of our affairs toward comfort and ease: it will relieve us of distress, and will sustain us with provision. Provision comes in two shapes:
1. Victuals: food and drink.
2. God’s words, as met with in His Books.
That is to say: Provision has two senses, a material one and a spiritual one.
When we say that the Sun is a guide (in 25:45), the reference is to Sura the Sun, No. 91, which we find in the Mushaf.
Our next step, then, is to go to Sura the Sun, No. 91, for it is our ‘guide’ as explained above, And, in that Sura 91, we recite:
“By the Sun, and his ‘duha’, i.e. glorious splendor;” (91:1)
Which says that Sura the Sun, No. 91, and Sura ‘al-Duha, i.e. the Glorious Morning’, i.e. Sura No. 93,
“By the Moon as she follows him;” (91:2): Sura the Moon, No. 54, does not belong in this list, for the verse says: ‘as she follows him.’
By the Day as it shows up the Sun’s glory; (91:3): This refers to Sura No. 89, which starts with: “By the break of day, and by the Ten Nights;”
By the Night as it conceals it; (91:4): A reference to Sura the Night, No. 92, starting with: “By the Night as it conceals the light;”
By the Firmament and its wonderful structure; (91:5): A reference to Sura No. 86, starting with: “By the Sky and the Night-Visitant therein;”
By the Earth and it wide expanse; (91:6): A reference to Sura No. 99, starting with: “When the Earth is shaken to her utmost convulsion;”
By the Soul, and the proportion and order given to it, (91:7): A reference to Sura No. 94, starting with: “Have We not expanded for you your breast?”
And its enlightenment as to its wrong and right – (91:8): A reference to Sura No. 104, starting with: “Woe to every kind of scandal-monger and backbiter; who piles up wealth and lays it by counting penny by penny.”
Truly he succeeds that purifies it, (91:9): A reference to Sura No. 103, starting with: “By the Token of Time through the ages,”
And he fails that corrupts it, (91:10): A reference to Sura No. 107, starting with: “Do you see one who denies the Judgment to come?”
The Thamud people rejected their prophet through their inordinate wrong-doing, (91:11): Sura The Day of Noise and Clamor, No. 101, starting with: “The Day of noise and clamor: what is the Day of Noise and Clamor?”
Behold, the most wicked man among them was deputed, (91:12): A reference to Sura No. 111, starting with: “Perish the hands of the Father of Flame! Perish he!”
But the Messenger of Allah said to them … (91:13): A reference to Sura No. 112, Sura the Dawn, Sura No. 113, and Sura No. 114, Mankind, No.
What do we deduce from this evidence?
Before we go to deductions, let us bear in mind the following points:
1. That Allah says: ‘Thus We made their case known to the people,’ (18:21): which alerts us to the fact that the Cave and al-raqim, the Inscription, will not come about except through assistance from Allah: no human can do it on their own (and so we have here a certain mystery to solve).
2. declining to the right and to the left (18:17). This commands us to direct our attention to the right of Sura the Sun (in the Arabic arrangement, where suras go from right to left);
And we should also explore what is to the left of Sura the Sun (in the Arabic arrangement of sura)
3. ‘You would have deemed them awake, while they were asleep’ (18:18)
4. ‘their dog stretching forth his fore-legs,’ (18:18): its fore-legs are stretched, not drawn.
The next step then is to inquire what suras are to be found to the right (in the Arabic arrangement, from right to left), and what on the left of that same Sura, the Sun.
What, then, are the suras to the right of Sura the Sun, and what to its left? We must seek the answer in compliance with Verse 17, to seek what is to the right and to the left of Sura the Sun. For an answer, we go ahead in the story, for it does tell us the number of suras to the right and left of Sura the Sun, No. 91.
We read in the story, as related in Sura the Cave, No. 18: “Thus We made their case known to the people, that they might know that the promise of Allah is true, and that there can be no doubt about the Hour of Judgment;” (18:21) then we find the Almighty say, in Verse 22: ‘Some say they were three, the dog being the fourth among them.’ So, starting to count from ‘three’ we write:
3
4
5
6 ————the fourth
7
8————-the sixth
9
10————the eighth
‘With their dog being the fourth among them’: this is saying: ‘Take the fourth number in this chain of counting,’ and we find the fourth number to be ‘six’; then the verse says: ‘others say they were five, the dog being the sixth, which says: ‘take the sixth number,’ and we find that to be number ‘eight’; then we have: ‘yet others say they were seven, the dog being the eighth,’ which says: ‘take the eighth number,’ and we find that to be ‘ten’ in this chain. Let us now add up the numbers we have obtained, and we find the following:
6+8+10=24
That is to say: Sura the Sun, together with the suras to its right (in the Arabic order) = 24
And that: Sura the Sun, together with the suras to its left = 24
Let us now look at the Mushaf’s Table of Contents, and by doing so we find (by moving downwards, in compliance with the Verse):
24 The Sun,
23 The Night,
22 The Glorious Morning Light,
21 The Expansion,
20 The Fig,
19 Read,
18 The Night of Power,
17 The Clear Evidence,
16 The Convulsion,
15 Those That Run,
14 The Day of Noise and Clamor,
13 The Piling Up,
12 Time Through the Ages,
11 The Scandal Monger,
10 The Elephant,
9 The Tribe of Quraysh,
8 The Neighborly Needs,
7 The Abundance,
6 Those Who Reject Faith,
5 The Help,
4 The Father of Flames,
3 Purity of Faith,
2 The Dawn,
1 Mankind.
The total, to the end of the Mushaf = 24
Let us now go in the opposite direction, upwards:
24 The Sun,
23 The City,
22 The Break of Day,
21 The Overwhelming Event,
20 The Most High,
19 The Night Visitant,
18 The Zodiacal Signs,
17 The Rending Asunder,
16 The Dealers in Fraud,
15 The Cleaving Asunder,
14 The Folding Up,
13 He Frowned,
12 Those Who Tear out,
11 the Great News,
10 Those Sent Forth,
9 Time or Man,
8 The Resurrection,
7 The One Wrapped Up,
6 Folded in Garments,
5 The Spirits,
4 Noah,
3 The Ways of Ascent,
2 The Sure Reality,
1 The Pen.
The total in both directions is 47
23 + 1 + 23 = 47
Then the Lord adds to this list Sura the Moon, No. 54: ‘By the Moon as she follows him,’ (91:2)
But why? Why does He add Sura the Moon to this group?
We find the answer to this in Sura 42, which starts like this:
“Ha-mim ‘ayin-sin-qaf. Thus He sends inspirations to you as He did to those before you;”
Which says that, whenever God reveals something to one of His prophets, He adds one more Book.
Here are some examples:
“Qaf. By the Glorious Qur’an,” (50:1) which says that ‘the Glorious Qur’an’ was added to Qaf.
“Saad. By the Qur’an, full of admonition,” (38:1);
“Ya-Sin. By the Qur’an, full of wisdom,” (36:1-2).
What we have in these instances is the ‘mathani, the paired suras’, of which the Lord said to Abraham, ‘We have bestowed upon you the seven duals (the paired suras) and the Glorious Qur’an.’ (15:87)
So, it is clear from our discussion so far that the total number of suras is 47, with Sura the Sun being in the middle, 23 suras to its right, and 23 suras to the left.
Let us remember what was said early on in this book that there are in the Mushaf 14 suras with prostration.
And we notice that al-raqim includes, among the suras with prostration: the Sura of Rending Asunder, No. 84, and Sura Read, No. 96.
To sum up about Sura the Cave, No. 18:
Sura the Cave;
It is a Mercy;
It was revealed to Moses;
It points to the Book of al-raqim, which is a composite of 47 suras, with Sura the Sun, No. 91, in the middle, 23 suras to its right, and 23 suras to its left,
Starting with Sura the Pen, No. 68.
As for al-raqim, the Inscription, it was revealed to Hud and, next to him, to Saleh; but the Thamud people and ‘Ad rejected al-Qari‘ah, Sura 101, as evidenced by Sura 69, Verses 1-4:
“The Sure Reality! What is the Sure Reality! And what will make you realize what the Sure Reality is? The Thamud and the ‘Ad people branded as false the ‘qari‘ah, the Stunning Calamity’”
Sura Maryam,
No. 19
It is Kaf-ha-ya-‘ayn-saad,
It is dhikr for Zakaria.
The Sura of Maryam starts with:
“Kaf-ha-ya-‘ayn-saad. This is a recital of the Mercy of your Lord to His servant Zakaria.”
It is dhikr for Zakaria as we see.
It should be noticed that the tense at the beginning of this Sura is the present (contemporary at the time of Zakaria). We also have, in the first episode of the Sura, a debate, between Zakaria and his Lord. See Verse 7 of Sura Maryam:
“O Zakaria! We give you good news of a son: his name shall by Yahya: on none by that name We have conferred distinction before.”
In Verse 15 of this Sura 19, the Almighty says about Yahya, or John:
“So peace on him the day he was born, the day that he dies, and the day that he will be raised up to life.”
Let us pay attention to the verb ‘was born’: it in the past tense. So, Yahya’s birth is put in the past. But when we look at the verb ‘he dies’ and ‘will be raised’, we find the text to put these two events about Yahya, his dying and his resurrection, in the future, the future relevant to the time this verse was revealed. From this it should be evident that the two events of death and resurrection had not yet taken place at the time the verse was revealed – only the birth of Yahya, John, had taken place.
From this chronological order, we can see that at the time the verse was revealed, Yahya had been born, and was still alive – as for the other two events of his death and resurrection, they had not yet taken place.
Let us now move on to Verse 33 of the same Sura 19. We find in this Verse:
“So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life again.”
And also the next verse: “Such was Jesus the son of Mary: it is a statement of truth, about which they dispute,”: this also indicates the time the Sura of Maryam was revealed.
The word:
‘I was born,’: is in the past;
‘I die,’: is about the future;
‘I shall be raised,’: is for the future.
At the same time, the speaker at the time of the revelation is Jesus Christ, for he says: ‘So peace is on me’.
From all the above, we infer that the addressee in Sura Maryam is Zakaria, when both Christ and Yahya were alive, peace be upon all of the them.
To sum up:
The Sura of Maryam, No. 19,
Is Kaf-ha-ya-‘ayn-saad;
It is Dhikr;
It is a Mercy;
It is Zakaria;
It is that you give warnings to people given to contentions;
It talks about Christ and Yahya, peace be upon both of them.
Sura Ta-Ha,
No. 20
It is an admonition;
It is an Arabic Qur’an;
It was revealed to Harun;
The addressees of this Sura are Moses and Harun;
It is Dhikr.
The Sura of Ta-Ha, No. 20, is an admonition, as evidenced by Sura 20, Verse 3:
“But only as an admonition to those who fear Allah.”
It is an Arabic Qur’an, as evidenced by Sura 20, Verse 113:
“Thus have We sent this down – an Arabic Qur’an – and explained therein in detail some of the warnings, in order that they may fear Allah, or that it may cause their remembrance of Him.”
From the above we collect that Ta-Ha is an admonition, and then Allah revealed it as an Arabic Qur’an.
It was revealed to Harun, or Aaron, as evidenced by Verse 9 of this Sura: “Has the story of Moses reached you;” and then the Lord says, in Verse 38: “Behold! We sent to your mother, by inspiration, the message,”, which indicates that the addressee is Harun, peace be upon him. And we have also in Verse 40: “Behold! Your sister goes forth.” After that, Moses and Harun are made to meet together, as we see in the Verse 42: “Go, you and your brother, with My Signs, and slacken not, either of you, in keeping Me in remembrance.” Henceforth, they are addressed together, right to the end of the Sura.
It is dhikr for Harun, as evidenced by Sura 20, Verse 99:
“We have sent you a dhikr, or Message, from Our own presence.”
The Sura of Ta-Ha, No. 20, was revealed to Harun, or Aaron, peace be upon him. It starts, and ends, in expounding the task, limits, and mission of the Messenger. It is not to give the Prophet distress: it is there as an admonition, a call to right guidance; it is at the same time a warning, and good news, that both the disobedient and the obedient will have to stand for reckoning before their Lord. On the other hand, Sura Ta-Ha paints scenes of the Last Day, relates the first experiences of the human, Adam; it describes the dwelling of the obedient, Paradise, and the dwelling of the disobedient, Hell: which accords with Adam’s, peace be upon him, promise.
Sura Ta-Ha starts with Moses’s story, and ends with Adam’s. It ends in a way that resembles its beginning: but before the story of Adam at the end, Allah affirms that this Sura Ta-Ha has been revealed as ‘an Arabic Qur’an,’ that He ‘explained therein in detail some of the warnings;’ and He refers to revelation in earlier Books of revelation (133), a reference to Sura the Star, No. 53, with its: “that man can have nothing but what he strives for; that the fruit of his striving will soon come in sight; then will he be rewarded with a reward complete;” (53:39-41) and that it is to Allah that people will return. To sum up,
Sura Ta-Ha, No. 20,
Is an admonition;
It is an Arabic Qur’an;
It is Dhikr;
It was revealed to Harun, or Aaron.
Sura the Prophets,
No. 21
A blessed Message;
It is the Message of those with me and those before me,
The addressee in this Sura is Yahya, peace be upon him;
He was inherited by Christ.
We say that Sura the Prophets, No. 21, is a blessed Message, and was given to Christ, in light of:
1. It is a blessed Message, as evidenced by Sura 21, Verse 50:
“And this is a blessed Message which We have sent down: will you then reject it?”
2. Sura 21 is ‘the Message of those with me and those before me’ as evidenced by Sura 21, Verse 24:
“Say: ‘This is the Message of those with me and those before me.’ But most of them do not know the Truth, and so turn away.”
One may ask what prophets are mentioned in Sura the Prophets? The answer is, they are:
Moses, Aaron, Ibrahim, Lot, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, David, Solomon, Ayyub or Job, Ishmael, Idris, Dhal-Kifl, Dhal-Nun, Zakaria, Maryam and her son Yahya or John. One may infer that it is Yahya or John who is the addresses; there is further evidence in the Almighty’s words, in Verse 10 of the same Sura:
“We have revealed for you a Book in which is a Message for you: will you not then understand?”
Which refers to Sura 43: the Book of Gold Adornments, which was revealed to Yahya, peace be upon him (more about this when we come to discussing Sura 43).
What are the topics of Sura 21?
The Sura starts with quite severe blows that are bound to shake the hearts: it warns of the imminent danger; it directs people to review and consider the retributions of past peoples, who went in disregard of Allah’s Signs, and what may befall those who take no heed.
The Sura emphasizes the unity of the laws of the world and the tawhid, i.e. Oneness, of the Creator, and the reality of existence.
It relates how Moses and Harun were given the Criterion, and a Light and a Message for those who would do right (Verse 48),
That Ibrahim was given rectitude of conduct,
That Lot was given judgement and knowledge; that the same were given to David and Solomon. There is mention of prohibiting the Children of Israel from entering a certain town.
The Sura also reports that it was stated in the Psalms that the earth would be inherited by Allah’s righteous servants. To sum up,
Sura the Prophets, No. 21,
Is a blessed Message,
the Message of those with me and those before me;
It was revealed to Yahya
Sura the Pilgrimage,
No. 22
It is the Clear Signs;
It was revealed to Messengers.
What are the Clear Signs?
We have the answer in Sura 58, Verse 5:
“We have already sent down Clear Signs.”
But where are the Clear Signs which Allah revealed, and to whom were they revealed.
We have the answer in Sura 57, Verse 25:
“We sent aforetime Our Messengers with Clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance (of Right and Wrong) that men may stand forth in justice.”
Let us now refer to Sura 7, Verse 101:
“Such were the towns whose story We relate to you: there came indeed to them their messengers with Clear Signs: but they would not believe what they had rejected before.”
We go next to Sura 10, Verse 13:
“We destroyed generations before you when they did wrong: their messengers came to them with Clear Signs, but they would not believe! Thus do We requite those who sin!”
We also find in Sura 14, Verse 9:
“Has not the story reached you, of those who went before you? – of the people of Noah, and ‘Ad, and Thamud? – and of the people who came after them? None knows them but Allah.to them came messengers with Clear Signs; but they put their hands up to their mouths, and said: ‘We do deny the mission on which you have been sent, and we are really in suspicious disquieting doubt as to that to which you invite us.’”
We also look at Sura 35, Verse 25:
“to whom came their messengers with Clear Signs, Books of dark prophecies, and the Book of Enlightenment.”
We next look at Sura 40, Verse 34:
“And to you there came Joseph in times gone by, with Clear Signs.”
And also Sura 2, Verse 87:
“We gave Jesus the son of Mary Clear Signs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit.”
In the same Sura 2, Verse 99, we have:
“We have sent down to you manifest Signs; and none reject them but those who are perverse.”
From all the above Qur’anic evidence, we gather that al-bayyinat, i.e. the Clear or Manifest Signs, were revealed to all the messengers. But what is the purport of the Clear Signs, which all the messengers received and conveyed?
We have the answer in Sura 40, Verse 66:
“Say: ‘I have been forbidden to invoke those whom you invoke beside Allah – seeing that the Clear Signs have come to me from my Lord, and I have been commanded to bow in Islam to the Lord of the Worlds.’”
We have then the answer: the bayyinat, or the Clear Signs, is the message borne by all messengers of Allah, to convey to people: to worship Allah, the One God, and to give up all the Evil Ones of the earth; in addition to what is mentioned in Sura 57, Verse 25:
“We sent aforetime Our Messengers with Clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance (of Right and Wrong) that men may stand forth in justice.”
Also in the same Sura, 57, Verse 9, we have:
“He is the One Who sends to His servants Manifest Signs, that He may lead you from the depth of darkness into the light. And verily, Allah is to you most Kind and Merciful.”
From the above, we gather that the Clear Signs are:
Worshipping Allah, the One God + standing forth in justice + issuing from darkness into light + refusing to worship the Evil Ones of the earth.
But where can we find Clear Signs in the Mushaf, those which, if we work upon them, we will have proved our worship of Allah, the One God, without associating any one with Him, and will have stood forth with justice?
The answer to these questions can be found in Sura 24, Verse 1:
“A Sura which We have sent down and which We have ordained: in it We have sent down the Clear Signs, in order that you receive admonition.”
As you see, the Almighty is asserting in the above verse that there is a Sura, which He had sent down, enjoined, and sent down in it Clear Signs. The Sura indicated in the Verse is Sura the Pilgrimage, No. 22. To make sure, one may refer to Sura 22, Verse 16:
“Thus We have sent down Clear Signs, and verily Allah guides whom He will!”
Which is saying that Sura 22 is the Clear Signs through which we get acquainted with Allah, the One God, and worship only Him: giving up the Evil Ones of the earth; and through this Sura we establish justice. By reviewing this Sura 22, and reflecting on what it states we find its main focus to be on the Oneness of God. To sum up about this Sura:
Sura the Pilgrimage, No. 22,
Is the Clear Signs;
It was given to prophets.
Sura the Light,
No. 24,
It makes things clear.
We say that Sura the Light, No. 24, makes things clear in light of Sura 24, Verse 34:
“We have already sent down to you verses making things clear, an illustration from the story of people who passed away before you, and an admonition for those who fear Allah.”
‘An admonition for those who fear Allah’ has already been shown to be Sura Al-‘Imran; as for ‘an illustration from the story of people who passed away before you’, we shall discus it when we come to Sura 59.
Sura No. 24 is ‘verses that make things manifest, as evidenced by Sura 24, Verse 46:
“We have indeed sent down Signs that make things manifest: and Allah guides whom He wills to a Way that is straight.”
We notice that Sura the Light, No. 24, points for us what the ‘Clear Signs’ are. See the first Verse of this Sura, No. 24, which refers to Sura the Pilgrimage: “A Sura which We have sent down and which We have ordained: in it We have sent down Clear Signs, in order that you may receive admonition.”: it refers to Sura the Pilgrimage, No. 22. To sum up:
Sura the Light, No. 24,
Makes things clear;
It refers to an illustration from the story of people who passed away before you (which will be elaborated further down);
And refers to an admonition for those who fear Allah, which has already been discussed.
Sura the Criterion,
No. 25
It is the Criterion;
It was sent down to Moses and Aaron;
It is an admonition to all creatures;
It was inherited by David, Solomon, and then Christ, and then Muhammad,
Peace be upon all of them.
We say about Sura the Criterion, No. 25, that it is the Criterion, and an admonition to all creatures, in light of Sura 25, Verse 1:
“Blessed is He Who sent down the Criterion to His Servant, that it may be an admonition to all creatures.”
But who was the Criterion sent down to?
1. to Moses and Aaron, as evidenced by Sura 21, Verse 48:
“In the past We granted to Moses and Aaron the Criterion, and a Light and a Message for those who would do right.”
2. David, as evidenced by Sura 2, Verse 248:
“And their prophet said to them: ‘A Sign of his authority is that there shall come to you the Ark of the Covenant, with assurance therein of security from your Lord, and the relics left by the family of Moses and Aaron, carried by angels. In this is a Symbol for you if you indeed have faith.”
3. Christ, peace be upon him, as evidenced by Sura 3, Verse 3:
“It is He Who sent down to you step by step, in truth, the Book, confirming what went before it; and He sent down the Law (of Moses) and the Gospel before this, as a guide to mankind, and He sent down the Criterion.”
4. It was inherited by Muhammad, peace be upon him, from Moses, Aaron, Solomon, and Christ,
As evidenced by his leaving behind the Mushaf as we have it after him. To sum up:
Sura the Criterion, No. 25;
Is the Criterion;
It was revealed to Moses and Aaron;
And then,
To David and Solomon;
And then,
To Christ;
And then,
Muhammad inherited it from all of them,
Peace be upon them, one and all.
Sura the Poets,
No. 26
It is Ta-sin-mim;
It is nine Signs;
It is the Book that makes things clear;
It was revealed to Moses, peace be upon him.
We say that Sura the Poets, No. 26, is:
The Book that makes things clear, in view of Sura No. 26, Verses 1-2:
“Ta-sin-mim. These are Verses of the Book that makes things clear.”
It is nine Signs, in light of the nine Signs in it: namely:
1. “Ta-sin-mim. These are Verses of the Book that makes things clear.” (26:1-2)
2. “Do they not look at the earth – how many noble things of all kinds We have produced therein? Verily in this is a Sign.” (26:7-8)
3. “We delivered Moses and all who were with him; but We drowned the others. Verily in this is a Sign.” (26:66-68)
4. Allah now tells the story of Ibrahim and his people, and adds: “Verily in this is a Sign,”
5. Then we have the story of Noah and his people, which is concluded with: “Verily in this is a Sign.” (26:121)
6. Then comes the story of Hud’s people, who dwelled in al-Ahqaf: that they came after Noah’s people, contradicted their prophet Hud, and so were destroyed by Allah: after this we have: “Verily in this is a Sign.” (26:139)
7. Then the Lord tell us the story of Thamud, a people who rejected the prophets, and then He says: “Verily in this is a Sign.” (26:158)
8. Then we have the story of Lot: the Sign here is that Allah sent down on them rain (of brimstone), and then we have: “Verily in this is a Sign.” (26:174)
9. Then we are told Shu‘aib’s story: how the ‘Companions of the Wood’ rejected the prophets, and then we have: “Verily in this is a Sign.” (26:190)
So, in this Sura of the Poets, No. 26, we have the statement: “Verily in this is a Sign” eight times, but before the stories, at the beginning, the Almighty says: “Ta-sin-mim. These are Verses of the Book that makes things clear;” (26:1-2) which makes the total of Signs nine.
So, we have identified the nine Signs, but now we may inquire: to whom were the nine Signs revealed?
We find the answer in Sura the Ants, No. 27, Verses 12-14:
“’Now put your hand into your bosom, and it will come forth white without harm: these are among the nine Signs you will take to Pharaoh and his people: for they are a people rebellious in transgression.’ But when Our Signs came to them, that should have opened their eyes, they said: ‘This is sorcery manifest!’ And they rejected those Signs in iniquity and arrogance, though their souls were convinced thereof: so see what was the end of those who acted corruptly.”
And we have more, by way of answer to this question, in Sura 27, Verse 101:
“To Moses We gave Nine Clear Signs: ask the Children of Israel: when he came to them, Pharaoh said to him: ‘O Moses! I consider you, indeed, to have worked upon sorcery.”
To sum up:
Sura the Poets, No. 26,
Has Nine Signs;
It was revealed to Moses and Aaron.
Sura the Ants,
No. 27
It is Ta-sin,
It is the Qur’an;
It is also a Book that makes things clear;
It is a Guide and Glad Tidings for the believers,
those who establish regular prayers and give in regular charity, and also have full assurance of the Hereafter;
It is Grace manifest;
It is a Guide and a Mercy to those who believe;
The addressee of Sura the Ants, No. 27, is David, and Solomon after David.
Ta-sin is the Sign of the Qur’an; it is also the Sign of ‘a Book that makes things clear’, as evidenced by Sura the Ants, Verse 1:
“Ta-sin. These are the verses of the Qur’an – a Book that makes things clear.”
It is also a Guide and Glad Tidings for the believers, as evidenced by Sura 27, Verses 2-3:
“A Guide, and Glad Tidings for the believers – those who establish regular prayers and give in regular charity, and also have full assurance of the Hereafter.”
From the above we gather that Sura the Ants, No. 27, with Ta-sin for Sign, is the Quran; a Book that makes thing clear. It is also a Guide, and Glad Tidings for the believers.
Sura the Ants, No. 27, is at the same time a Guide and a Mercy to those who believe, as evidenced by Sura the Ants, No. 27, Verse 77:
“And it certainly is a Guide and a Mercy to those who believe.”
It is also Grace manifest, as evidenced by Sura the Ants, Verse 16:
“And on us has been bestowed some of all things: this is indeed Grace manifest (from Allah),”
Where the Almighty says, with reference to Sura the Ants: ‘this is indeed Grace manifest’.
Who was Sura the Ants, No. 27, revealed to?
Let us recite Sura Saba’, Verse 10:
“We have bestowed Grace aforetime on David.”
Now, bearing in mind that Sura the Ants, No. 27, is Grace, we conclude that this Sura, No. 27, was revealed to David.
On this understanding, if we go to Sura 5, Verses 15-16:
“O People of the Book! There has come to you Our Messenger, revealing to you much that you used to hide in the Book, and passing over much: There has come to you from Allah a new Light and a Book that makes things clear – wherewith Allah guides all who seek His good pleasure to ways of peace and safety, and leads them out of darkness, by His Will, unto the light – guides them to a Path that is Straight;”
We recall that it was mentioned that Sura 27 is a Book that makes thing clear; and hence, when the Almighty says, in the above verse: ‘There has come to you from Allah a new light and a Book that makes things clear’: it means that there was sent to us by the Lord Sura 27, and a ‘Light’, which is Sura 5 (as mentioned in the course of discussing Sura 5) – that is to say: there have come to you from Allah Sura 27 and Sura 5.
We infer that Ta-sin, or Sura 27, is a Book that makes thing clear, that it was revealed to address the People of the Book, and to David; then it was inherited by Solomon.
We learned above that Sura 7 is al-Zabur, i.e. the Psalms, and that it was revealed to David. In that Sura 7 we have this Verse 204, which says:
“When the Qur’an is read, listen to it with attention, and hold your peace that you may receive Mercy,”
Which means: if Sura the Ants, i.e. al-Qur’an, is rehearsed, listen intently, and hold your peace, so that you may be given mercy.
This Qur’an, that is Sura 27, rehearses to the Children of Israel much of that about which they disputed.
See Sura 27, 91-93, where David, peace be upon him, says:
“For me, I have been commanded to serve the Lord of this City, Him Who has sanctified it and to Whom belong all things: and I am commanded to be of those who bow in Islam to Allah’s Will – and to rehearse the Qur’an: and if any accept guidance, they do it for the good of their own souls, and if any stray, say: ‘I am only a Warner.’ And say: ‘Praise be to Allah, Who will soon show His Signs, so that you shall know them’; and your Lord is not unmindful of all that you do.”
By pondering well over the above verses, we find that, when the ‘Grace’ was mentioned in Sura the Ants (Verse 16), it was preceded by the demonstrative pronoun hadha, i.e. this ‘this is indeed Grace manifest’, to indicate that Sura the Ants, No.27, is ‘Grace manifest’; while, when Grace is mentioned elsewhere, it is preceded by the demonstrative pronoun ‘dhalika, i.e. that’. In Sura 5, verse 54, we have:
“That is the Grace of Allah, which He will bestow on whom He pleases;’”
In Sura 57, Verse 21, we have:
“That is the Grace of Allah, which He will bestow on whom He pleases;”
And in Sura 62, Verse 4, we have:
“That is the Grace of Allah, which He will bestow on whom He pleases.’”
One last question about Sura the Ants is to look into the topics of the Sura.
This Sura starts with a certain episode from the story of Moses, succeeded by an indication that Allah bestowed upon David the Grace, which Solomon inherited from David. There is after this the story of the Authority that makes things clear; followed by a brief account of the message of Saleh to his people, Thamud; and then the story of Lot, and how his people were destroyed. The Sura is concluded with praising Allah, and giving greeting to those of His servants whom He chose: It asserts that the Almighty appointed them to be viceroys of the earth. There is then an emphasis of the Oneness of Allah: five times it is rhetorically asked: ‘Can there be another god beside Allah?’ To conclude about this Sura:
Sura the Ants, No. 27,
Has Ta-sin as a Sign;
It is al-Qur’an;
It is also a Book that makes things clear;
It is a Guide and Glad Tidings for the believers;
It is also a Guide and a Mercy to those who believe;
It is Grace,
Revealed to David,
Revealed to the People of the Book;
After David, it was inherited by Solomon.
Sura the Narration,
No. 28
It is Ta-sin-mim;
It is the Book that makes things clear;
It is Light;
It is Mercy;
It was revealed to Aaron;
It is the Truth.
Sura the Narration, No. 28, is the Book that makes things clear, as evidenced by the fact that Ta-sin-mim is the Sign of the Book that makes things clear.
As evidenced by Sura the Narration, Verses 1-2:
“Ta-sin-mim. These are the Verses of the Book that makes things clear.”
Which is saying that Sura 28, marked by Ta-sin-mim, is the Book that makes things clear.
Sura the Narration is also the Truth, as evidenced by Sura 28, Verse 3:
“We rehearse to you some of the of the story of Moses and Pharaoh in Truth, for people who believe.”
Besides, it was revealed to address people who believe.
This Sura, the Narration, is Light, as evidenced by Sura 28, Verse 71:
“Say: ‘Do you see? If Allah were to make the night perpetual over you to the Day of Judgment, what god is there other than Allah, who can give you Light? Will you not then hearken?”
Where Allah associates the word ‘Light’ with hearing, which is a hint to whom Sura 28 was revealed.
We have the full answer in Sura 21, Verse 48:
“In the past, We granted to Moses and Aaron the Criterion, and a Light and a Message for those who would do right.”
To conclude:
Sura the Narration, No. 28,
Has Ta-sin-mim for a Sign;
It is the Book that makes things clear;
It is Light;
It is the Truth;
It was revealed to Aaron;
It addressed people who believe.
Sura the Spider,
No. 29
It is Alif-lam-mim;
It is the Book;
It was given to the prophets.
Sura the Spider = alif-lam-mim = the Book = was given to the prophets.
Let us go to the beginning of Sura 2, which, like the Sura under study, starts with alif-lam-mim. In Sura 2, Verses 1-2, we recite:
“Alif-lam-mim. That is the Book: in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah.”
In the standard editions of the Qur’an, there is a sign over the word ‘la raib, i.e. without doubt,’ in the above verse, and the same sign appears over the word ‘fihi, i.e. in it’: which is an order, as all the initiated about the rules of proper recitation know, that you may pause at one of these two words, but not at both.
The above sign is for choosing where to pause – and where to pause changes the meaning drastically. If we choose to pause at ‘la raib’ – then the demonstrative pronoun is pointing to the Book; and we know that the Book is addressing ‘men’ or ‘people’ not singling out ‘believers’ or ‘the devout’: it addresses all people.
If, on the other hand, we go on reciting beyond ‘la raib’ and pause at the next word ‘fihi’, the next clause ‘hudan lilmuttaqin; i.e. a guidance for those who fear Allah’ stands on its own: it is a Book specific for the devout, not a Book for all people.
The effect is different here and there: for when the demonstrative points to a Book for people in general, the reference is to Sura the Spider, No. 29;
While if the demonstrative points to a Book for the devout, then the referent is Sura Luqman, or the Wise, No. 31.
Two essentially, and quite evidently, different meanings.
But, on the other hand, despite the clear difference in meaning, both readings have this in common:
a) In both of them the Book is in the singular;
b) It is ‘the Book’, with the definite article;
c) It is at some distance, for we have ‘that’, not ‘this’, for a demonstrative.
But where is that Book, with the definite article ‘the’, starting with ‘alif-lam-mim’?
We have to choose among: Sura 2, Sura 3, Sura 29, Sura 30, Sura 31, and Sura 32, all being Suras that start with alif-lam-mim.
So, which of them are we to choose, all having these isolated letters, and all being Books? We find that:
1. It must not be Sura 2, for, as we have seen, the demonstrative used is ‘dhalika, that’, for something at a distance, so it must not be Sura 2: we do not have ‘this Book’ but ‘that’.
2. It must not be Sura Al-‘Imran, No. 3, for Sura 3 is ‘a plain statement to men, a guidance and instruction to those who fear Allah!’ (3:138);
3. It must not be Sura 31, for Sura 31 is ‘the Wise Book’ (31:2);
4. It must not be Sura 32, for Allah says in that Sura that He had given the Book to Moses.
We are now left with only two suras, to choose one as being the Book we are searching for: Sura 30 or Sura 29.
Now, let us look at Sura 29, Verse 47:
“And thus it is that We have sent down the Book to you.”
This Verse tells us that Sura the Spider, No. 29, is the Book indicated with ‘that’, the Book at a distance, the one indicated in Sura 2, where the Almighty says: “That is the Book: in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah,”: which says that Sura 29 is the Book, and it puts forward guidance for the devout.
Our next question must be: To whom was Sura the Spider, No. 29, revealed?
The answer is that it was revealed to all the prophets, as we saw when discussing Sura 6, Verse 89.
We also need to define the Book that we find in Sura 29.
The required definition is found in Sura 29, Verse 49:
“Nay, here are Signs self-evident in the hearts of those endowed with knowledge;”
And this is the definition we need: that Sura 29 is ‘Signs self-evident’ and it was sent to ‘those endowed with knowledge.’
But what are those self-evident Signs we find in Sura 29, the ones Allah describes as treasured in the hearts of those endowed with knowledge? Here is the answer:
1. “We once sent Noah to his people, and he tarried among them a thousand years less fifty: but the Deluge overwhelmed them while they persisted in sin. But We saved him and the Companions of the Ark, and We made of that a Sign for all peoples,” Sura 29, Verses14-15;
From which we infer that Noah’s saving from the Deluge is a Sign in the hearts of those endowed with knowledge.
2. “So nothing was the answer of Abraham’s people except that they said: ‘Slay him or burn him.’ But Allah saved him from the fire. Verily in this are Signs for people who believe,” (29:24);
Which says that Abraham’s saving from the fire is a Sign in the hearts of those endowed with knowledge.
3. Lot’s escape, together with his family, and Allah’s destruction of Lot’s people, and Allah’s saying: “And We have left thereof an evident Sign, for any people who care to understand,” (29:35) is the third Sign.
4. To the Median people, Allah sent their brother Shuaib, “But they rejected him then the mighty blast seized them, and they lay prostrate in their homes by the morning,” (29: 37);
Which tells us that Median and Shuaib are a Sign.
5. ‘Ad and Thamud, and the outcome inflicted on them: these are two Signs.
6. We go further: “Qarun, Pharaoh, and Haman: there came to them Moses with Clear Signs, but they behaved with insolence on the earth … Each one of them We seized for his crime: of them, against some We sent a violent tornado with showers of stone; some were caught by a mighty blast; some We caused the earth to swallow up; and some We drowned,” (29:39-40)
From which we learn that Qarun and Pharaoh and Haman are a Sign.
7. “Allah created the heavens and the earth in true proportions: verily in that is a Sign for those who believe,” (29:44);
Which tells us that the creation of the heavens and the earth is a Sign.
8. “Do they not then see that We have made a Sanctuary secure, and that men are being snatched away from all around them? Then, do they believe in that which is vain, and reject the Grace of Allah?” (29:67)
Each messenger, when he came, inherited those who had come before him.
The Almighty sent down the Book in various shapes: some of the verses, when they came abrogated those before them – but with verses like or better than them. We may recite, in this connection, the following verse:
“None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar: don’t you know that Allah has power over all things?” (2:106)
Abrogation is sending down more or less the same purport, but in a shape that is not identical to the earlier one. This does not mean that Allah changes His religion or ruling or judgment of things: it rather shows Allah’s ability, for He is Able to do all things.
We shall see as we proceed that the Book was revealed in various shapes. Sura the Spider, No. 29, is itself the Book, and it was given to the prophets.
Sura 6 is the Book, and it was given to Muhammad, as was discussed above.
Sura 16 is the Book, and it was given to Christ, as was also discussed above.
And Sura 45 is the Book as well, and it was given to Moses (which will be elaborated when we come to discussing Sura 45.)
Let us then conclude about Sura 29.
Sura the Spider, No. 29,
Is Alif-lam mim;
It is the Book, referred to in Verse 2:2, as ‘That is the Book: in it is guidance;
It is ‘Signs self-evident in the hearts of those endowed with knowledge’;
It was revealed to the prophets.
Sura Luqman, the Wise,
No. 31
It is Alif-lam-mim;
It is the Wise Book;
It is a Guide and a Mercy to the Doers of Good;
It was revealed to Noah, peace be upon him.
We say that Sura Luqman, the Wise, is the Wise Book; that it is a Guide and a Mercy to the Doers of Good; and that it has alif-lam-mim for Signal – we say this in light of Sura 31, Verses 1-3:
“Alif-lam-mim. These are Verses of the Wise Book – a Guide and a Mercy to the Doers of Good.”
From which we conclude that Sura alif-lam-mim, the Wise, is the Wise Book, that it is a Guide and a Mercy, and that it was sent down to the doers of good.
Our next task, then, is to ascertain who these ‘doers of good’ are, since it is they who are addressed with Sura 31? The answer is as follows:
1.Noah, peace be upon him, in light of Sura 37, Verses 79-80:
“Peace and salutations to Noah among the nations! Thus indeed do We reward those who do good.”
2. Ibrahim, or Abraham, peace be upon him, in light of Sura 37, Verses 109-110:
“Peace and salutation to Abraham! Thus indeed do We reward those who do good.”
3. Moses and Harun, or Aaron, peace be upon both of them, in light of Sura 37, Verses 120-121:
“Peace and salutation to Moses and Aaron! Thus indeed do We reward those who do good.”
4. Elias, peace be upon him, in light of Sura 37, Verses 130-131:
“Peace and salutation to Elias! Thus indeed do We reward those who do good.”
Joseph, peace be upon him, in light of Yusuf, Verse 22:
“When Joseph attained his full manhood, We gave him power and knowledge: thus do We reward those who do good.”
5. Noah, David, Solomon, Jacob, Joseph, Aaron, and Moses, in light of Sura 6, Verse 84:
“We gave him Isaac and Jacob: all three We guided: and before him, We guided Noah, and among his progeny: David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron: thus We reward those who do good.”
As Sura 31, Luqman, or Alif-lam-mim, was for those who do good; it was first revealed to Noah; and was later inherited by those prophets who did good after him, as shown above. Therefore, when Noah, peace upon him, says in 11:28,
“‘O my people! Do you see if it be that I have a clear Sign from my Lord, and that He has sent Mercy to me from His Own Presence, but that the Mercy has been obscured from your sight? Shall we compel you to accept it when you are averse to it?’”,
he is saying that he was given Sura 31, though this was ‘obscured from your sight’, for Sura 31 is a Mercy.
In light of: “a Guide and a Mercy to the Doers of Good” 31:3,
let us work on the word ‘a Guide’ for it is pivotal in this connection.
It was mentioned above that Sura 31 is ‘Verses of the Wise Book,’31:2.
Again, it was mentioned while discussing Sura 11 that alif-lam-ra was ‘a Book with verses basic,’.
Now, we do know that in combination: Sura 11 + Sura 31, are a Guide, as evidenced by Sura 39, Verse 23:
“Allah has revealed the most beautiful Message in the form of a Book, consistent with itself, yet repeating its teaching in various aspects: the skins of those who fear their Lord tremble thereat; then their skins and their hearts do soften to the celebration of Allah’s praises. Such is the guidance of Allah: He guides herewith whom He pleases, but such as Allah leaves to stray, can have none to guide;”
Which says that the guidance of Allah is Books that repeat teachings, sharing certain similarity; and we do notice that ‘alif-lam-mim’ which is ‘verses of the Wise Book’ is similar to ‘alif-lam-ra’ which is also verses of the wise Book. We may recall besides what was mentioned while discussing Sura 2: in Verse 120 of that Sura: “the Guidance of Allah – that is the only Guidance;”
And that the Guidance was given to Moses, in light of Sura 40, Verses 53-54:
“We did aforetime give Moses the Guidance, and We gave the Book in inheritance to the Children of Israel – a Guide and a Message to men of understanding.;”
Which is saying ‘We have given Moses the Books characterized with repeating teachings (mathani)’, and these are:
‘Alif-lam-mim. These are Verses of the Wise Book’ (Sura 31) + ‘Alif-lam-ra. These are the Verses of the Wise Book’ (Sura 10);
Which helps us understand this verse: “If it were Allah’s Will, He could gather them together to true guidance: so you be not amongst those who are swayed by ignorance!” (6:35)
Which is saying: He would have had them be united through Sura 31 and Sura 10 – but He does not will to have them unite through the Books of ‘mathani, i.e. repeated teaching’: He rather wills to have them unite through the Qur’an, which is characterized with having a triple not dual nature: it is by definition: ‘clear Signs for guidance and judgment’: see this verse:
“Ramadan is the month in which was sent down the Qur’an, as a guide to mankind, also clear Signs for guidance and judgment.” (2:185)
‘Guidance’ is Books characterized with ‘twice-repeated teachings’ + alfuqan, i.e. judgment = three Books.
Let us sum up about Sura 31:
Sura Luqman, the Wise, No. 31,
Is Verses of the Wise Book;
It is Guidance and Mercy for those who do good;
It was revealed to Noah,
And then it was inherited by prophets subsequent to Noah.
Sura al-Sajdah, the Adoration,
No. 32
It is the Truth;
‘That you admonish a people to whom no warner has come before you’;
The addressee of this Sura is Aaron, peace be upon him.
This Sura, Adoration, No. 32, affirms that the Book is revealed by the Lord of the Worlds.
The Book indicated here is Sura 29, which was discussed when discussing Sura 29, a Sura revealed to Moses.
This Sura 32 is defined as the Truth in light of Sura 32, Verse 3:
“Or do they say, ‘He has forged it,’? Nay, it is the Truth from your Lord, that you may admonish a people to whom no warner has come before you: in order that they receive guidance.”
The addressee in Sura 32 is Aaron, peace be upon him, as evidenced by:
1. “We did aforetime give the Book to Moses: be not then in doubt of meeting him: and We made it a guide to the Children of Israel,” (32:23).
We know that the prophet who went to meet Moses is Aaron, peace be upon both of them. It was certainly not Muhammad, peace be upon him, who went to meet Moses.
2. “And We appointed from among them leaders, giving guidance under Our command, so long as they preserved with patience and continued to have faith in Our Signs,” (32:24).
We know that the people who ‘have faith in Our Signs’ as used in the above verse refers to Moses’ and Aaron’s people. See Sura 45, Verse 20, where the Verse refers to Sura 45, which is ‘basa’iru lilnas, i.e. clear evidences to men,’ and was given to Moses, and where the Almighty described the people who are the addressees as people who ‘have faith in Our Signs’, and where the people who ‘We appointed from among them, leaders, giving guidance under’ Allah’s command, are the Children of Israel.
3. “Verily your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Judgment, in the matters wherein they differ,” (32:25).
We know that the people who ‘differed’ are Moses’ followers, who disagreed about the Book, as evidenced by “We certainly gave the Book to Moses, but differences arose therein: had it not been that a Word had gone forth before from our Lord, the matter would have been decided between them, but they are in suspicious doubt concerning it,” (11:110).
The above proofs, besides many others, prove decisively and indubitably that the addressee is Aaron, peace be upon him. To sum up about Sura No. 32:
Sura the Adoration, No. 32,
Is the Truth;
It affirms that ‘the revelation of the Book, (i.e. Sura 29) is from Allah;
It was revealed to Aaron,
And to his people, who had no warner before that.
Sura al-Ahzab, the Confederates,
No. 33
It is a very great Bounty;
The addressee is Muhammad, peace be upon him.
It is a very great Bounty, as evidenced by Sura No. 33, Verse 47:
“Then give the glad tidings to the believers, that they shall have from Allah a very great Bounty.”
The addressee of Sura 33 is the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
For evidence let us look at Verse 7 of this Sura 33, and we find that it lists a number of prophets, starting with ‘you’, and then Noah, Ibrahim, Moses, and Jesus, peace be upon all of them. This ‘you’ refers to the one who came after Jesus Christ, namely: Muhammad, peace upon both.
You may look also at Sura 33, Verses 45-46:
“O Prophet! Truly We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner – and as one who invites to Allah’s Grace by His leave, and as a lamp spreading light.”
This prophet, who is ‘a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, a warner, and a lamp spreading light,’ is Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, being identified by the light which he conveyed, that of the ‘Mother of the Book’ (see 43:4). But elsewhere, in Verse 40 of the Sura under discussion, No. 33, the Almighty identifies him by name,
“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things.”
The Sura also admonishes the Prophet’s wives: “O Prophet say to your Consorts: ..” (33:28)
It also handles the Prophet’s marrying his adopted son’s divorcee. All of this further confirms that the addressee is Muhammad, peace be upon him.
The Sura gives details concerning matrimonial matters, and also the issue of divorce. It supports the Prophet’s annulling, through his own practice, the relations of adoption.
It discusses the concept of ‘the Hour’ in reply to people’s inquiries concerning it.
At the end of the Sura, we have an affirmation of the human’s part and responsibility in establishing Allah’s doctrine, and His Kingdom on earth. It enjoins the holding on to the doctrine established by the Lord, without letting oneself be drawn to any other doctrine: It is Allah, the one God, who directs all people to surrender to the one Law, a law that ensures their good and welfare. Then the Sura directs the Messenger not to care if people support him or not; let him rather rely on Allah, in all confidence and contentment and certainty.
To sum up about Sura 33.
Sura the Confederates, No. 33,
Is Bounty;
It was revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him,
* * *
THE BOOK
What is the Book?
The noun ‘the Book’, with the definite article ‘the’ is met with many times in the Mushaf. It is not to be confused with ‘kitab, book’ without the definite article. But what is ‘the Book’? And to whom was it revealed?
In Sura 6, Verses 82-89, Allah lists 18 prophets, in addition to the addressee, Muhammad. These are:
Ibrahim, or Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, David, Solomon, Ayyub, or Job, Yusuf, or Joseph, Moses, Harun, or Aaron, Zakaria, Yahya, or John, Jesus, Ilyas, Ismael, Elisha, Jonas, and Lot, peace be upon all of them. At the end of the list, the Almighty adds:
“These were the men to whom We gave the Book, and Authority, and prophethood …” (6:89).
Looking now at Sura the Thunder, No. 13, we find it start with:
“Alif-lam-mim-ra. These are the Verses of the Book,”. So this Book, being Alif-lam-mim-ra, was revealed to Noah, peace be upon him. Then the Lord abrogated the Book, and made it a Judgment, as evidenced by Sura 2, Verses 106-107:
“None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute better or similar: don’t you know that Allah has power over all things? Don’t you know that to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth? And besides Him you have neither patron nor helper.”
When we speak of ‘abrogation’ it is not to be taken that Allah deems something to be prohibited then permissible: it is rather that the Almighty sends down the Book, then He abrogates certain portions, by revealing portions that are similar to the earlier ones, but in fuller shapes, and in a more elaborate form: that is why He says about those successive revelations: ‘self-sustaining, Books: that they explain and develop each other: Allah Himself is Qayyum, Self-sufficient, and His Books are ‘qayyimah, self-sustaining’. And each Book has its right time ‘For each period is a Book’ (13:38): Next to the last Verse we have: ‘Allah blots out or confirms what He pleases: with Him is the Mother of the Book’ (13:39). Later the Book was revealed as Sura al-Hijr, No. 15, as evidenced by: “Alif-lam-ra. These are the Verses of the Book, of a Qur’an that makes things clear,” (15:1). It was revealed to Abraham and Lot. At a later stage, the Book came down to Moses, peace be upon him, in the fashion: “Ha-mim. The revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Exalted in Power, full of wisdom,” (Sura 45:1-2), as will be discussed when we take up Sura al-Jathiyah, No. 45. Then the Book was abrogated, and it was revealed in a new form to God’s prophets, being Sura the Spider, No. 29, Alif-lam-mim. And then the Book was abrogated once more, and was revealed to Zakaria, being Kaf-ha-ya-‘ayn-saad, Sura Maryam, No. 19, where the Lord says: ‘Relate in the Book ..’ (e.g. Verse 19:16). The Book was later sent down afresh, being Sura the Bee, No. 16, revealed to Christ, peace be upon him, and, in the form of Sura 6, to Muhammad, peace be upon him – as we have seen when discussing Sura 6. The Book, as expounded so far, was abrogated time after time, and then revealed in many new forms: in this way, the ‘Purified Pages’ came down with their content of ‘Self-sustaining Books’, which has reached our hands, and that is what we call the Glorious Mushaf. About this, the Almighty says: “If all the trees on earth were pens and the oceans were ink, with seven oceans behind it to add to its supply, yet the Words of Allah would not be exhausted in the writing: for Allah is Exalted in power, full of Wisdom,” (31:27). In this way, the Book took new shapes and was revealed in new forms. And yet, all these shapes are still in our hands; no one may delete or add anything to these Books. Not one Book but is attested to by two or more other Books: in this way, they are all well interconnected and they complement each other. All this will be further elaborated when we speak of the ‘suba‘iyat, the seven-time repeated revelations’ in the Glorious Mushaf. However, the Book and its definition remain a firm thing, ‘self-evident Signs in the hearts of those endowed with knowledge,’ (29:49). In this way, the Lord will replace a Verse with another, that is either equal to or better than it – that is how we must understand abrogation, despite all the dispute over it: it is so, since the Almighty will not establish a ruling and then replace it with another: you see how He says: ‘no change you will find in Allah’s way of dealing: no turning off will you find in Allah’s way of dealing,’ (35:43).
Sura Ya-Sin,
No. 36
It is Dhikr, ‘i.e. Message’;
It is a Qur’an making things clear;
It was revealed to Noah, peace be upon him.
Ya-Sin = Dhikr, ‘i.e. Message’ = a Qur’an making things clear. The addressee is Noah.
What defines Sura Ya-sin?
We find the answer in Ya-Sin, Verse 69:
“This is no less than a Message and a Qur’an making things clear.”
This is not to be confused with the ‘Wise Qur’an’, for the latter refers to, and designates, Sura the Wise, No. 31, as was discussed above.
Both Sura the Wise, and Sura Ya-Sin were revealed to Noah, peace be upon him.
It was also pointed out at an earlier stage that Sura the Thunder, No. 13, the ‘judgment of authority’, was revealed to Noah; the same is true of Sura 39. This is how we understand Noah’s declaration: ‘I but convey to you the Messages of my Lord,’ (as in 7:62): he meant really: ‘I deliver to you: the Suras of the Thunder, Luqman the Wise, Ya-Sin, and al-Zumar, No. 39.’
It must be clear then that Sura Ya-Sin is a Book which was revealed to Noah, peace be upon him; that it is dhikr, i.e. the Message, and a Qur’an that makes things clear.
The reader may inquire how can we be sure it addresses Noah, peace be upon him?
By pondering on Sura Ya-Sin, we find the following:
First: “In order that you may admonish a people, whose fathers had received no admonition, and who therefore remain heedless of the Signs of Allah.” (36:6)
Which is not true of Muslims contemporary to Prophet Muhammad, since he addressed the latter Muslims with “It is the creed of your father Abraham.” (22: 78)
Second: “You can but admonish such a one as follows the Message and fear the Lord Most Gracious, unseen; give such a one, therefore, good tidings, of forgiveness and a reward most generous.” (36:11)
In another verse, the Lord says about Sura Ya-Sin: “This is no less than a Message and a Qur’an making things clear.” (36:69)
Third: “Don’t they see how many generations before them We destroyed? Not to them will they return.” (36:31)
You may note how the text does not identify here the names of those who lived during the mentioned centuries.
Fourth: “A Sign for them is the earth that is dead: We do give it life, and produce grain therefrom, of which you do eat. And We produce therein orchards with date-palms and vines, and We cause springs to gush forth therein. That they may enjoy the fruits of this artistry: it was not their hands that made this: will they no then give thanks? Glory to Allah, Who created in pairs all things that the earth produces, as well as their own human kind and other things of which they have no knowledge.” (36:33-36)
Fifth: “And a Sign for them is the night: We withdraw therefrom the day, and behold they are plunged in darkness. And the sun runs his course for a period determined for him: that is the decree of Him, the Exalted in Might, the All-Knowing. And the moon – We have measured for her mansions to traverse till she returns like the old and withered lower part of a date-stalk. It is not permitted to the sun to catch up the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day: each just swims along in its own orbit according to law.” (36:37-40)
Sixth: “And a Sign for them is that We bore their race in the loaded Ark; and We have created for them similar vessels on which they ride.” (36:41-42)
Seventh: “Not a Sign comes to them from among the Signs of their Lord, but they turn away therefrom.” (36:46)
Notice how all the Signs here are different from those given to other peoples, what Signs they were shown: the people of Noah, Abraham, Hud, Saleh, Lot, etc. All the above would indicate that the prophet addressed is Noah, peace be upon him. He is the first messenger to be reported in the Glorious Mushaf. “Glory to You: of knowledge we have none, save what You have taught us; in truth, it is You Who are perfect in knowledge and wisdom.” (2:32)
Sura Ya-Sin starts with:
“Ya-Sin. By the Qur’an, full of Wisdom.”: this is the same as the other messages sent to messengers, starting with isolated letters, which identify those suras as being Books. This is why the Almighty says:
“Thus He sends inspiration to you as He did to those before you – Allah, Exalted in Power, full of Wisdom” (42: 3)
Then Sura Ya-sin affirms to the addresses, Noah, peace be upon him, that he is one of the messengers, that the path he is following is a straight one; that this Sura of Ya-Sin has been revealed by the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful – in order that he may admonish a people, whose fathers had received no admonition, and who therefore remain heedless of the Signs of Allah. (as in 36:3-6).
There is in Sura Ya-Sin a representation of the group of rejecters, who disregard the Signs, and they are threatened with grievous penalty: they reject the call to guidance; they swell arrogant in the face of guidance and mercy. There is a representation of the group of those who have accepted the call to guidance: those who follow the Message (i.e. Sura Ya-Sin). We are assured that those positive respondents are on a right path, and that they will be saved from forthcoming penalty. Next to this, the Lord reminds people of the Covenant He established for them: He says:
“Have I not enjoined on you, O you children of Adam, that you should not worship Satan; for that he was to you an enemy avowed? – and that you should worship Me, for that this was the Straight Way?” (36:60-61) It is the same Covenant established by the Almighty for Adam, peace be upon him.
Then there is a warning, a threatening from Allah, that the abode for unbelievers is Hell.
At last, the Lord gives the example of the human who forgets his/her creation from nothing, and wonders ‘Who can give life to dry bones and decomposed ones at that?’ (36:78). To wind up about Sura Ya-Sin.
Sura Ya-Sin, No. 36,
Is Dhikr, a Message, and a Qur’an that makes things clear;
It was revealed to Noah, peace be upon him
Sura Saad,
No. 38
A Book full of blessings, that they may meditate on its Signs, and that men of understanding may receive admonition;
It is Bounty;
It is a Message to all the Worlds;
It was revealed to David;
And then,
It was revealed to Maryam, peace be upon her.
Saad = ‘A Book which We [Allah] have sent down to you, full of blessings, that they may meditate on its Signs, and that men of understanding may receive admonition,’
As evidenced by Sura Saad, No. 38, Verse 29;
“A Book which We [Allah] have sent down to you, full of blessings, that they may meditate on its Signs, and that men of understanding may receive admonition.”
It is also a Message, by evidence of Sura Saad, Verse 49,
“This is a Message: and, verily, for the righteous, is a beautiful place of final Return.”
It is also a Message to all the Worlds, as evidenced by Sura 38, Verses 87-88
“This is no less than a Message to all the Worlds, and you shall certainly know the truth of it all after a while.”
It is Bounty, as evidenced by Sura 38, Verse 54:
“Truly such will be Our Bounty to you; it will never fail.”
From the above, Sura Saad is, by definition, a Book ‘that men of understanding may receive admonition,’; it is ‘a Message to all the Worlds’; and it is Bounty from Allah that will never fail.
To whom was Sura Saad revealed?
By reciting Sura Saad, Verses 12-13, we find:
“Before them were many who rejected messengers – the people of Noah, and ‘Ad, and Pharaoh the Lord of Stakes, and Thamud, and the People of Lot, and companions of the Wood – such were the Confederates.”
Immediately after this we have the discourse addressing David.
By examining the Sura Saad’s discourse, we find that the Prophet mentioned is David, peace be upon him, as evidenced by Saad, Verse 26:
“O David! We did indeed make you a vicegerent on earth: so you judge between men in truth and justice: nor do you follow the lusts of your hearts, for they will mislead you from the Path of Allah.”
After addressing David by name, the Almighty says again to him,
“A Book which We [Allah] have sent down to you, full of blessings, that they may meditate on its Signs, and that men of understanding may receive admonition.” (29)
Which is saying that ‘Saad, the Qur’an full of admonition,’ (see V. 1) is a Book revealed to David.
The context of the verses indicates that Solomon was inherited by the subsequent prophets. Then the discourse focuses on the experience of Job, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ismael, Elisha, and Dhul-Kifl. After this survey of the above prophets we have (in V. 49), ‘This is a Message,’ and then (in 54) ‘This is Our Bounty’, in reference to Sura Saad. We know, however, that the ‘Bounty’ was revealed to Maryam, as evidenced by Sura Al ‘Imran, No. 3, Verse 37:
“Every time that he [Zakaria] entered her chamber to see her, he found her supplied with Bounty. He asked: ‘O Mary! Whence comes this to you?’ She said: ‘From Allah: for Allah provides His Bounty to whom He pleases, without measure.’”
Which is saying that whenever Zakaria entered to her at the mihrab ‘i.e. the prayer niche’, he found with her Sura Saad and the Qur’an, full of admonition; on other occasions, he found more Books with her, which will be elaborated at a later stage.
What is the topic of Sura Saad?
The Sura tackles the issue of tawhid, Oneness of God; and the issue of revelation, of reckoning, of those are destined to be spared from torture. These topics go through several stages:
1. The issue of those who rejected belief in their Lord, though nadhir, or admonition, had come to them. The unbelievers said: ‘This is a sorcerer telling lies’ (38:4). We have Moses’ story as a model of this situation, for we know that it was Moses, peace be upon him, who was charged with being a sorcerer telling lies.
2. Next, the Sura takes up the story of Job, peace be upon him: it illustrates how the Lord tests those most devout in worshipping him, and it shows Job’s patience.
3. We find emphasis that Sura Saad is a Message to all the Worlds.
We may then sum up about Sura Saad like this:
Sura Saad is
A Book,
A Message to all the Worlds;
Our [Allah’s] Bounty;
It was revealed to David;
He was inherited by Solomon,
It was revealed to Maryam.
Sura al-Zumar, the Crowds,
No. 39
It is the Truth;
This Sura was revealed to Noah, peace be upon him.
Sura the Crowds, No. 39, is the Truth, and the addressee of this Sura is Noah, peace be upon him. Let us see the details:
Sura No. 39 starts with:
“The revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Exalted in Power, full of Wisdom. Verily it is We Who have revealed the Book to you in Truth: so, serve Allah, offering Him sincere devotion.”
Let us deal with this Verse like an equation with some unknowns; so, we inquire who does ‘to you’ refer to?
Also in the same Verse: what is meant by the word ‘Book’, in the clause ‘Verily it was We Who have revealed the Book,’?
And what is meant by the word ‘Truth’ in the clause, ‘Verily it is We Who have revealed the Book to you in Truth’?
Let us start with who the referent of ‘to you’ is: the referent of the phrase ‘to you’ is not identified at once; so, to identify who is the unidentified addressee is, we need to recite the whole Sura: when we do so, we find that no prophet or messenger is mentioned by name in the whole of Sura No. 39. But when we examine the Sura more closely, we find that it has the imperative ‘qul, i.e. say’, an imperative that is repeated 14 times; and every time it is used for a different reason. So, let us go through that:
“Say: ‘Verily, I am commanded to serve Allah with sincere devotion; and I am commanded to be the first of those who submit to Allah in Islam.” (39:11-12)
By checking who among the messengers responded to this imperative, we find it to be Noah, peace be upon him – an evidence that it is he who is the addressee of this Sura. See how it is Noah, peace be upon him, who obeys the imperative by saying: “and I have been commanded to be of those who submit to Allah in Islam.” (10:72)
We find in Sura 39, Verse38: “So: ‘Do you see then? The things that you invoke beside Allah – can they, if Allah wills some penalty for me, remove His penalty? Or if He wills some Mercy for me, can they keep back His Mercy?’” So, if we search who it was who received his Lord’s Mercy, we find him to be Noah, peace be upon him: see Sura 11, Verse 28:
“He said: ‘O my people! Do you see if it be that I have a Clear Sign from my Lord, and that He has sent Mercy to me from His Own presence …’”
We also find in Sura 39, Verses (39-40) the imperative:
“Say: ‘O my people! Do whatever you can: I will do my part: but soon you will know – who it is to whom comes a penalty of ignominy, and on whom descends a lasting penalty.”
And back to Sura 11, Verse 39, we find the sole messenger to respond to this imperative ‘qul, say’ to be Noah, peace be upon him. See how Noah, peace upon him, says:
“But soon you will know who it is on whom will descend a penalty that will cover them with shame – on whom will be unloosed a penalty.”
In all this, we find that, among the prophets, it is only Noah who responded to the imperative ‘say’ encountered in Sura 39, and repeated 14 times. What we have listed are only samples of them, but they are manifest indication that the addressee prophet of Sura 39 is Noah, peace be upon him.
Add to that that you may see how not a single prophet or messenger’s name is mentioned in the same Sura: a further indication that it is Noah, peace be upon him, who is the addressee.
So, we have at last determined the first unknown: the addressee. But we have yet to determine the other unknown: the word ‘the Book’. So, what is that Book which was revealed to Noah?
For an answer, we go to Sura 13, and we recite at its start:
“Alif-lam-mim-ra. These are the Signs of the Book;”
From which we can see that the Sign of the Book revealed to Noah is the isolated letters: Alif-lam-mim-ra: and these are Sura al-Ra’d, No. 13.
We also have a third unknown: the word ‘the Truth’.
We go again to Sura the Thunder, No. 13, and we find:
“Alif-lam-mim-ra. These are the Signs of the Book: that which has been revealed to you from your Lord is the Truth;” (13:1)
From which we deduce that Noah, peace be upon him, received in revelation: the Book + the Truth.
As for the Book, it is Alif-lam-mim-ra, i.e. Sura 13; and the Truth revealed from the Lord is Sura 39.
From the above, we learn that the following were revealed to Noah, peace be upon him:
Sura the Thunder, No. 13 = the Book,
Sura the Crowds, No. 39 = the Truth.
Are these two suras, No. 13 and No. 39, the only suras revealed to Noah? Or are there more Messages and Books?
We go to Sura 7, Verse 62, and we find there that Noah says:
“‘I but convey to you the Messages of my Lord: sincere is my advice to your, and I know from Allah something that you do not know.”
As you see, it is Messages, in the plural, more than just Sura 13 and Sura 39 [in Arabic, plural starts from 3, not 2]. It must be three and above. So, what is the third Message revealed to Noah? And how to find it?
If we go to Sura 9, Verse 70, we find:
“Has not the story reached them of those before them? – the people of Noah, and ‘Ad and Thamud, the people of Abraham, the men of Median, and the Cities overthrown. To them came their messengers with Clear Signs. It is not Allah Who wrongs them, but they wrong their own souls.”
From the above Verse we deduce that ‘Clear Signs’ was revealed to Noah; so what is the ‘Clear Signs’?
For an answer, we go to Sura 22, and we find in Verse 16:
“Thus We have sent it down as Clear Signs; and verily Allah guides whom He will!”
In the clause ‘sent it down as Clear Signs,’ the pronoun ‘it’ refers to Sura 22.
We can discover also that the Dhikr, the Message, was revealed to him, in light of Sura 39, where the Lord says:
“Woe to those whose hearts are hardened against celebrating the praises of Allah! They are manifestly wandering in error.” (39:22)
So, where is dhikr of Allah?
We do know that Sura Ya-Sin is dhikr and Qur’an making things clear, as evidenced by Sura 36, Verse 69:
“This is no less than a Dhikr ‘i.e. Message’ and a Qur’an making thing clear.”
To conclude: the Books revealed to Noah, and available in the Mushaf are: Sura the Thunder, No. 13 + Sura the Crowds, No. 39 + Sura the Pilgrimage, No. 22 + Sura Ya-Sin, No. 36 + Sura Luqman, No. 31 – This last being the Mercy, as demonstrated in the course of our discussion of Sura Luqman, No. 31.
Sura the Believer,
No. 40
It is Sustenance;
It was revealed to Maryam, peace be upon her.
We say that Sura the Believer, No. 40, is Sustenance, and was revealed to Maryam, by evidence of Sura No. 40, Verse 13:
“He it is Who shows you His Sings, and sends down Sustenance for you from the sky: but only those receive admonition who turn to Allah;”
Which indicates that the Sustenance sent down from heaven is Sura the Believer, No. 40.
So, who was Sura the Believer, or the Sustenance, revealed to?
For an answer, we go to Sura Al ‘Imran, No. 3, Verse 37:
“Every time that he [Zakaria] entered her chamber to see her, he found her supplied with Sustenance, or Bounty. He said: ‘O Mary! Whence comes this to you?’ She said: ‘From Allah: for Allah provides sustenance to whom He pleases, without measure.”
The Sustenance that Zakaria found with Maryam is Sura the Believer, No. 40.
Sura 40 Ghafer was sent down, carried by the Spirit to Maryam, as evidenced by Sura 40, Verse 15:
“He sends down the Spirit to any of His servants He pleases, that it may warn men of the Day of Mutual Meeting.”
In another verse, Allah tells us that the Spirit took, when attending Maryam, the shape of a man in all respects, (19:17) that the Spirit was the one who gave the Sustenance, or Sura 40, to Maryam: and that is what Zakaria found with her, when he entered to her at her chamber. To sum up:
Sura the Believer, No. 40,
Is Sustenance;
It was revealed to Maryam;
It was sent down by the Spirit.
Sura Fussilat,
No. 41
It is Ha-Mim;
It is A Book, whereof the verses are explained in detail – a Qur’an in Arabic, for people who have knowledge – giving Good News and admonition;
It is a guide and a healing to those who believe,
A Book not in Arabic and a Messenger an Arab?
Sura Fussilat is Ha-Mim:
Allah defines Ha-mim with the words:
“Ha-Mim. A revelation from Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful – a Book, whereof the verses are explained in detail – a Qur’an in Arabic, for people who have knowledge – giving Good News and admonition: yet most of them turn away, and so they do not hear.” (41: 1-4)
Then the Lord redefines Ha-Mim in Verse 44, in the words:
“Had We sent this as a Qur’an in a language other than Arabic, they would have said: ‘Why are not its verses explained in detail? What! A Book not in Arabic and a Messenger an Arab?’ Say: ‘It is a guide and a healing to those who believe.’”
To whom was Sura Fussilat revealed?
We have indications to give us the answer. One is the Sura’s declaring (Verse 3) that it was sent down to ‘people who have knowledge’; this excludes Muhammad’s people, for the Almighty describes them as ‘unlettered’.
And we know that ‘people who have knowledge’ are Moses’ and Harun’s people.
Another hint: that Sura Fussilat, No. 41, is ‘the ‘mufassal’ Book ‘explained in detail’, and ‘the ‘mufassal’ Book’ was revealed to Moses.
A third indication is that Sura Fussilat is ‘a guide and healing’, as we have noticed in Verse 44; the same designation is used of Sura Yunus, No. 10, that it is ‘a guide and healing’ as was pointed out while discussing Sura 10.
It has also been shown that ‘the guide’ is the Books whose notions are repeated, as evidenced by Sura 39, Verse 23:
“Allah has revealed the most beautiful Message in the form of a Book, consistent with itself, yet repeating its teaching in various aspects: the skins of those who fear their Lord tremble thereat.”
Which indicates that texts ‘repeating their teaching’ are the Guide from Allah.
From the above we understand that Sura Fussilat, No. 41, is one of suras repeating their teaching’, for it is ‘a guide and healing’; the same is true of Sura Yunus, No. 10, for the latter is also a ‘guide and healing’ – in combination, the two Suras are ‘the Book of Guidance’.
We have already seen the Verse “We did aforetime give Moses the Book of Guidance, and We gave the Book, in inheritance, to the Children of Israel.” (40:53).
To conclude: Sura Fussilat, No. 41 + Sura Yunus, No. 10 are the Guidance, which was revealed to Moses.
To sum up about Sura Fussilat, No. 41:
Sura Fussilat, No. 41,
Is a Book, whereof the verses are explained in detail;
It is a Qur’an in Arabic, for people who have knowledge,
giving Good News and admonition;
It is a guide and a healing to those who believe;
Qur’an: A Book not in Arabic and a Messenger an Arab,
Was revealed to Moses,
It composes the first part of the repeated teaching (i.e. the Guidance): which is: Sura Fussilat + Sura Yunus.
Sura the Consultation,
No. 42
It is Mother of the Book;
It is inspiration;
It is Light;
It is an Arabic Qur’an,
That you may warn the Mother of Cities and all around her – and warn them of the Day of Assembly,
It was revealed to Muhammad.
Sura the Consultation, No. 42, is Mother of the Book; it is Ha-mim ‘ain-sin-qaaf; it is revelation; it is an Arabic Qur’an; it is Light, that you may warn the Mother of Cities and all around her – and warn them of the Day of Assembly. Let us cite enough evidence about all this:
1. Sura the Consultation is Mother of the Book, as evidenced by Sura 43, Verse 4 + Sura 42, Verse 51.
In Sura 43, Verse 4, we find the Almighty say:
“And verily, it is in the Mother of the Book, in Our Presence, high in dignity, full of wisdom;”
which say that Allah’s attribute in the Mother of the Book is that He is ‘High in dignity, Full of wisdom.’
By exploring where, in the Mushaf, ‘High in dignity, Full of wisdom,’ occurs as an Attribute of Allah, we find it in Sura the Consultation, No. 42, Verse 51:
“It is not fitting for a man that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by the sending of a messenger to reveal, with Allah’s permission, what Allah wills: for He is High in dignity, Full of wisdom.”
From which we conclude that Sura the Consultation, No. 42, is the Mother of the Book.
2. It is inspiration and light, as evidenced by Sura 42, Verse 52:
“And thus We have, by Our command, sent inspiration to you: you did not know before what was Revelation, and was Faith; but We have made the Qur’an a Light, wherewith We guide such of Our servants as We will; and verily you do guide men to the Straight Way.”
3. It is an Arabic Qur’an, as evidenced by Sura 42, Verse 7:
“Thus We have sent by inspiration to you an Arabic Qur’an: that you may warn the Mother of Cities and all around her – and warn them of the Day of Assembly, of which there is no doubt: when some will be in the Garden, and some in the Blazing Fire.”
The Lord is designating Sura the Consultation, No. 42, with the expression: ‘Thus We have sent by inspiration to you an Arabic Qur’an,’ and that is ‘that you may warn the Mother of Cities and all around her’.
The next point to examine is: Who is the addressee in Sura 42, which is the Mother of the Book? To whom was it revealed?
The addressee is Muhammad, peace be upon him, as evidenced by Sura 7, Verse 157:
“Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own Scriptures – in the Law and the Gospel – for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil: he allows them as lawful what is good and pure, and prohibits them from what is bad and impure; he releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. So it is those who believe in him, honor him, help him, and follow the Light which is sent down with him – it is they who will prosper.”
From this we conclude that Sura No. 42 is the Light; and that ‘the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet,’ who carries the Light (i.e. Sura 42) is Muhammad, peace be upon him.
This Sura expatiates upon the essence of tawhid, belief in the One God; it delineates graphically the spiritual features of the human being in a way that makes it stand out conspicuously. It also surveys the traits of believers and wrong-doers: and the destination of each party, Paradise or to the Blazing Fire. The Sura indicates that it is ‘an Arabic Qur’an: that you may warn the Mother of Cities and all around her – and warn them of the Day of Assembly, of which there is no doubt.’ This Day of Assembly is the Day of Mutual Loss and Gain, as evidenced by Sura No. 64, Verse 9:
“The Day that He assembles you all for a Day of Assembly – that will be a day of mutual loss and gain.”
To sum up about Sura the Consultation, No. 42:
Sura the Consultation, No. 42,
Is Ha-mim ‘ayn-sin-qaaf;
It is the Mother of the Book;
It is an Arabic Qur’an: that you may warn the Mother of Cities and all around her – and warn them of the Day of Assembly;
It is Light;
It is Revelation;
It was revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Sura al-Zukhruf, or Gold Adornments,
No. 43
It is the Message;
It was given to Yaya, or John, peace be upon him.
Sura No. 43 starts with ‘Ha-mim. By the Book that makes things clear – We have made it a Qur’an in Arabic that you may be able to understand and learn wisdom.”
Which indicates that Sura Ha-mim (i.e. Sura Fussilat, No. 41) was added to ‘the Book that makes things clear’ (Sura Yusuf, or Joseph, No. 12), and was in this way an Arabic Qur’an. We saw above, when discussing Sura Yusuf, that “Alif-lam-ra. These are the Verses of the Book that makes things clear. We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an, in order that you may be able to understand and learn wisdom;” (12:1-2)
says that Ha-mim (i.e. Sura Fussilat, No. 41) was added to Sura Yusuf, which is ‘the Book that makes things clear’ and as a result became an Arabic Qur’an.
To whom was Ha-mim (Sura No. 43) and ‘the Book that makes thing clear’ (i.e. Sura Yusuf, No. 12) revealed?
By reciting Sura No. 43, we find the addressee to be Yahya, or John, peace be upon him, as evidenced by Sura 43, Verses 55-56:
“When at length they provoked Us, We exacted retribution from them, and We drowned them all. And We made them a people of the past and an example to a later age.”
But who do the ‘people of the past’ stand for?
And who do the ‘people of a later age’ stand for?
The ‘people of the past’ here are Musa’s people who rejected faith; another group are those who rejected faith at the time of David and Jesus. The Lord will join them with these people of the past and those who came after them on the Day of Assembly, which is the Day of Mutual Loss and Gain.
From the above we deduce that the person whose people came before, the one who came after Moses and was a contemporary of Christ is Yahya, peace be upon him.
Another proof to show that the addressee is Yahya, peace be upon him:
We recite in Sura 43, Verses 57-59:
“When Jesus the son of Mary is held up as an example, behold, your people raise a clamor thereat in ridicule! And they say, ‘Are our gods best, or he?’ This they sent forth to you, only by way of disputation: yes, they are a contentious people. He was no more than a servant: We granted Our favor to him, and We made him an example to the Children of Israel.”
The expression ‘your people’ in the above verses cannot be addressed to Muhammad, peace be upon him: we all know that those who ‘raised a clamor in ridicule’ at the call of Christ were the Children of Israel.
And when the Lord says: ‘your people raise a clamor in ridicule’ the addressee here is a Prophet who is contemporary to Christ, and the Prophet who is contemporary to Christ is Yahya, or John, peace be upon him; those who said: ‘Are our gods best, or he?’ are the Children of Israel, for Yahya worked among them; it was he who testified for Christ, peace be upon him.
As for the clause ‘He was no more than a servant: We granted Our favor to him, and We made him an example to the Children of Israel’ – it refers to Christ, peace be upon him.
We find in Sura 21, which is ‘a Message for those who would do right’, and was given to Moses and Aaron (as was shown while discussing Sura 21, Verse 10):
“We have revealed for you a Book in which is a Message for you: will you then not understand?”
So where is this Message addressed to the Children of Israel, as indicated in the above verse from Sura 21?
We find the answer in Sura 43, Verses (43-44):
“So you hold fast to the Revelation sent down to you: verily you are on a Straight Way. It is indeed the Message, for you and for your people; and soon shall you all be brought to account.”
From all the above we learn that Sura 43 was revealed to Yahya, or John, peace be upon him, and that it is a Message for him and his people. To sum up:
Sura the Gold Adornments, No. 43,
Is the Message;
It was revealed to Yahya, peace be upon him.
Sura the Smoke,
No. 44
It is Ha-mim,
‘The Book that makes things clear’ was added to this Sura,
And, as a result,
It was,
A Mercy from your Lord;
It was given to Moses.
Sura the Smoke, No. 44, starts with:
“Ha-mim. By the Book that makes things clear – We sent it down during a blessed night: for We wish to warn.”
From which we see that Ha-mim (Sura 44) + Ta-sin-mim (Sura 26 and Sura 28) which are the Book that makes things clear, as demonstrated above (that Ta-sin-mim is Sura 26, and Ta-sin-mim is also Sura 28,) are ‘the Book that makes thing clear’, as evidenced by Sura 26, Verses 1-2: “Ta-sin-mim. These are the Verses of the Book that makes things clear,” and by Sura 28, Verses 1-2: “Ta-sin-mim. These are the Verses of the Book that makes things clear”.
It is right to say then that Ha-mim (Sura 44) + Ta-sin-mim (Sura 26) + Ta-sin-mim (Sura 28) = a Mercy from your Lord.
For proof, we look at Sura 44, Verse 6: “As a Mercy from your Lord: for He hears and knows all things.”
It was revealed during a blessed night (the Night of Qadr),
As evidenced by Sura of al-Qadr, No. 97, Verses 1-5:
“We have indeed revealed this in the Night of Power ‘or Qadr’. And what will explain to you what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein come down the angels and the spirits by the permission of their Lord, on every errand. Peace … This until the rise of Morn.”
We do know that Sura 26 and Sura 28 were revealed to Moses and Aaron (as was shown in discussing those Suras, 26 and 28).
Who is the addressee in Sura 44?
It is evident and definite that the addressee in Sura 44 is Moses, peace be upon him, as evidenced by:
1. When Pharaoh and those with him were afflicted with penalty, they said: ‘Remove the penalty from us, for we do really believe,’ (44:12), but they failed to adhere to their promise after penalty was lifted: this is clear in Sura 7, Verses 133-135: “So We sent plagues on them: wholesale death, locusts, lice, frogs and blood: Signs openly self-explained: but they were steeped in arrogance – a people given to sin. Every time the penalty fell on them, they said: ‘O Moses! On our behalf call on your Lord in virtue of His promise to you: if you will remove the penalty from us, we shall truly believe in you, and we shall send away the Children of Israel with you.’ But every time We removed the penalty from them according to a fixed term which they had to fulfill – behold! They broke their word!”
2. Let us now look at these verses: “And be not arrogant against Allah: for I come to you with authority manifest. For me, I have sought safety with my Lord and your Lord, against your injuring me. If you do not believe me, at least keep yourself away from me.’ But they were aggressive then he cried to his Lord: ‘These are indeed a people given to sin,’” (44:19-22).
We know that it was Moses who put forward ‘authority manifest’, as evidenced by Sura Hud, No. 11, Verses 96-97:
“And We sent Moses, with Our Clear Signs, and authority manifest, unto Pharaoh and his chiefs, but they followed the command of Pharaoh, and the command of Pharaoh was no right guide.”
3. We have the verses:
“‘March forth with My servants by night: for you are sure to be pursued. And leave the sea as a furrow for they are a host destined to be drowned,’” (44:23-24).
We know it was Pharaoh and his soldiers who were drowned in the sea, as evidenced by “We sent an inspiration to Moses: ‘Travel by night with My servants, and strike a dry path for them through the sea, without fear of being overtaken (by Pharaoh) and without any other fear.’ Then Pharaoh pursued them with his forces, but the waters completely overwhelmed and covered them up,” (20:77-79).
This says that Moses and his followers crossed the sea, then Pharaoh and his soldiers were drowned. And of course it was Moses who was sent to save the Children of Israel from Pharaoh’s persecution.
4. “Verily the Day of Sorting Out is the time appointed for all of them,” (44:40): we do know that that Day of Sorting Out is itself the day of gathering together, as evidenced by “That will be a Day of Sorting out! We shall gather you together and those before you,” (77:38).
5. The Almighty Lord says: “Verily, We have made this Qur’an easy, in your tongue, in order that they may give heed. So you wait and watch; for they too are waiting,” (44:58-59).
All the above proofs demonstrate plainly that the addressee in Sura the Smoke, No. 44, is Moses, peace be upon him. To sum up:
Sura the Smoke, No. 44,
Is Ha-mim + the Book that makes thing clear (i.e. Suras 26 and 28);
It was revealed during a blessed night, the Night of Power, or al-Qadr;
It is a Mercy from your Lord;
It was revealed to Moses, peace be upon him.
Sura al-Jathiya, Bowing the Knee,
No. 45
It is Ha-mim;
It is Guidance;
It is clear evidences to men, and a Guidance and Mercy to those of assured Faith;
It is the Book revealed to Moses, peace be upon him.
Sura Bowing the Knee, No. 45, starts with the isolated letters Ha-mim:
“Ha-mim. The revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Exalted in Power, full of Wisdom.”
1. Ha-mim (this Sura) is ‘Guidance’, as evidenced by Sura 45, Verse 11, in which Allah refers to Sura 45, when He says:
“This is Guidance: and, for those who reject the Signs of their Lord, is a grievous penalty of abomination.”
2. Ha-mim (i.e. Sura 45) is clear evidences to men, and a Guidance and Mercy to those of assured Faith, as evidenced by Sura 45, Verse 20:
“These are clear evidences to men, and a Guidance and Mercy to those of assured Faith.”
To whom was Sura 45 revealed?
3. Sura 45 was revealed to Moses, and it is the Book, as evidenced by Sura 28, Verse 43:
“We revealed to Moses the Book after We had destroyed the earlier generations, to give insight to men, and Guidance and Mercy, that they might receive admonition.”
What is the topic of Sura Ha-mim, 45?
It points out the issue about which there has been disagreement: let us remember that Allah has said: “We certainly gave Moses the Book aforetime: but disputes arose therein,” (41:45).
So when Allah said:
“Tell those who believe, to forgive those who do not look forward to the Day of Allah: it is for Him to recompense for good or ill each people according to what they have earned,” Sura 45, Verse 14, and that forgiveness was hard for Moses’ followers to accept, for they had the experience of Pharaoh’s ‘setting them hard tasks and punishment, slaughtered their suns, and let their women-folk live: hence Moses’ followers’ disagreement concerning the Book, and later on they disagreed concerning the knowledge that was conveyed to them – they said: It is the life of this world, and only that – rejecting faith in the Reckoning and the Afterlife.
It is in order here to remind the reader of when the Lord mentions that the insight to men is to those assured of faith: it is so, if we remember that when Moses had seventy men accompany him to the place of meeting with Allah, violent quaking seized them there. Moses said then: ‘O my Lord! If it had been Your Will You could have destroyed, long before, both them and me’ (7:155). It was then that they were sure.
The Book of Ha-mim, Sura 45, gives details of the Children of Israel, when they said: ‘We shall die and we live, and nothing but Time can destroy us.’ Then Allah tells us of the reason for destroying the Children of Israel when they rejected faith: He says:
“Say: ‘It is Allah Who gives you life, then gives you death; then He will gather you together for the Day of Judgment,” (45:26). To sum up about Sura 45:
Sura Bowing the Knee, No. 45;
It is Ha-mim;
It is Huda;
It is clear evidences to men, and a Guidance and Mercy,
to those of assured Faith;
It was revealed to Moses.
Sura al-Ahqaf, the Winding Sand-tracts,
No. 46
It is Ha-mim;
To admonish the unjust;
It is Glad Tidings to those who do right;
It proclaims the Message;
It was revealed to Abraham, peace be upon him,
And it confirms [Moses’ Book].
Sura 46 is Ha-mim, and it is Glad Tidings to those who do right, as evidenced by Sura 46, Verse 12:
“And this Book confirms [Moses’ Book] in the Arabic tongue, to admonish the unjust, and as Glad Tidings to those who do right.”
Allah refers to Sura 46 with the demonstrative pronoun: ‘this’, pointing out that it confirms [Moses’ Book] in the Arabic tongue, and as Glad Tidings to those who do right. The function of this Book is to warn, to admonish the unjust.
Sura 46 proclaims the Message, as evidenced by Sura 46, Verse 35.
Sura 46 is Glad Tidings, as evidenced by Sura 46, Verse 12:
“And before this, was the Book of Moses as a guide and a mercy: And this Book confirms [Moses’ Book] in the Arabic tongue, to admonish the unjust, and as Glad Tidings to those who do right.”
Abraham is among those who do right, as evidenced by Sura 37, Verses 104-105:
“We called to him, ‘O Abraham! You have already fulfilled the vision!’ – thus indeed do We reward those who do right;”
Since Abraham is among those who do right, and Sura 46 is Glad Tidings to those who do right, then it was revealed to Abraham.
We said that Ha-mim is Glad Tidings, and Glad Tidings was revealed to Abraham, as evidenced by Sura 11, Verse 69:
“There came Our Messengers to Abraham with Glad Tidings.”
Let us look at Sura 46, Verse 10, where the Almighty says:
“Say: ‘Do you see? If this teaching be from Allah, and you reject it, and a witness from among the Children of Israel testifies to its similarity with earlier scripture, and has believed while you are arrogant. Truly! Allah does not guide a people unjust.”
Which is saying that Allah sent down to the Children of Israel a Book similar to Sura 46; so what is that Book which is similar to the Book Ha-mim, Sura 46, which was revealed to Moses?
We said some while ago that Sura Abraham, No. 14, which is the Message, was revealed to Moses, and that it is similar to Sura 46, which was revealed to Abraham. Sura 46 proclaims the Message, as evidenced by Sura 46, Verse 35: and it is to give admonition.
Sura Ibrahim proclaims the Message, as evidenced by Sura 14, Verse 52: “This is a proclaiming of Message for mankind: let them take warning therefrom.”
Sura Winding Sand-tracts, No. 46;
It is Ha-mim;
It is Glad Tidings to those who do right,
To admonish the unjust;
It proclaims the Message;
It was revealed to Abraham.
Sura Muhammad,
No. 47
Sura Muhammad refers to Allah’s pleasure, which is Sura Al ‘Imran, No. 3, which was revealed to Christ, peace be upon him.
This Sura, 47, divides people into two teams:
1. a team that followed Truth
2. a team that followed falsehood.
This Sura specifies the abode where each of the two parties will dwell. It calls on people to ponder on the verses of the Qur’an; it points out that those who apostate after the Guidance was brought to their notice when it was revealed to Moses – those have been instigated by the Devil, and buoyed up with false hopes (47:25): Thus, they have followed what called forth Allah’s wrath (47:28) and were averse to follow, and hated His pleasure: and so He made their deed of no effect.
We read in Sura Muhammad:
“Be not weary and faint-hearted, crying for peace, when you should be uppermost: for Allah is with you, and will never put you in loss for your good deeds,” (47:35).
Sura Muhammad urges the believers to fight the unbelievers among the Children of Israel. This was revealed to refer to a time when Christ was making ready to fight – hence the warning that follows:
“If you turn back from the Path, He will substitute in your stead another people; then they would not be like you,” (47:38).
This warning comes after the unbelievers among the Children of Israel said to those who hate what Allah has revealed: ‘We will obey you in part of this matter.’ See Sura 47, Verses 25-26.
“Those who turn back as apostates after Guidance was clearly shown to them – the Satan has instigated them and buoyed them up with false hopes. This is because they said to those who hate what Allah has revealed, ‘We will obey you in part of this matter’; but Allah knows their inner secrets.”
Sura Muhammad urges fighting in the way of Allah; it describes Paradise in a way similar to what we have in Sura 13, Verse 35. To sum up:
Sura Muhammad, No. 47,
Refers to Allah’s pleasure;
Allah’s pleasure is Sura Al ‘Imran, No. 3, which was revealed to Christ;
It also affirms that the addressee is Christ, peace be upon him, warning those, among his people, who disbelieved.
Sura al-Hujurat, or the Inner Apartments,
No. 49
It is a Grace from Allah;
It is Bounty from Allah;
It was revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Sura the Inner Apartments, No. 49, is Grace from Allah, a Bounty; and the addressee of the Sura is Muhammad, as evidenced by Sura 48, Verse 29, and Sura 49, 8.
In Sura 48, Verse 29, we have:
“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those who are with him are strong against unbelievers, but compassionate among each other. You will see them bow and prostrate themselves in prayer, seeking Grace from Allah and His Good Pleasure.”
Let us connect Sura 48, Verse 29 to Sura 49, Verse 8:
“A Grace and favor from Allah; and Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom.”
Which tells us that Sura 48 is Grace and Bounty from Allah. In Sura 48, Allah tells us that the Grace from Allah was revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him.
When the Almighty says in Sura 48, Verse 29: ‘seeking Grace from Allah and His Good Pleasure’, this refers to Sura 49 – and Good Pleasure: that they seek what was mentioned in Sura Al ‘Imran, No. 3, which is Grace, as explained above.
Sura Qaf,
No. 50
It is a sustenance for Allah’s servants;
It was revealed to Shuaib,
And later to Maryam, peace be upon both of them.
Sura Qaf, No. 50, starts with: ‘Qaf: By the Glorious Qur’an.’
We have already seen that Sura 85 is the Glorious Qur’an, that it was revealed to Shuaib. But we need now to learn what Qaf is?
Qaf = a sustenance for Allah’s servants, as evidenced by Qaf, 11:
“As sustenance for Allah’s servants; and We give new life therewith to land that is dead: thus will be the Resurrection.”
The addressee in Sura Qaf is Shuaib. See Sura 15, Verses 78-79:
“And the Companions of the Wood were also wrong-doers. So We exacted retribution from them. They were both on an open highway, plain to see.” This ‘they were both’ refers to Lot’s people and to the people of ‘the Companions of the Wood’ (Shuaib’s people).
You may next look at Sura 15, Verse 91:
“So also on such as have made Qur’an into shreds as they pleased.”
And look also at Sura 7, Verse 92:
“The men who rejected Shuaib because as if they had never been in the homes where they had flourished: the men who rejected Shuaib – it was they who were ruined!”
And Sura 2:27:
“Those who break Allah’s Covenant after it is ratified, and wo sunder what Allah has ordered to be joined, and do mischief on earth: these cause loss only to themselves.”
From all of the above, we deduce that it is Shuaib who is the addressee in Sura Qaf.
More evidence:
Those who rejected faith before are:
The people of Noah, the Companions of Rass, the Thamud and ‘Ad, Pharaoh, the brethren of Lot, the Companions of the Wood and the people of Tubba‘.
These last, the Companions of the Wood and the people of Tubba‘ are the people to whom Shuaib was sent.
Another proof: You may consider when Shuaib, peace be upon him, said, as reported in Sura 11, Verse 88:
“He said: ‘O my people! Do you see whether I have a Clear Sign from my Lord, and He has given me sustenance pure and good as from Himself? I do not wish, in opposition to you, to do that which I forbid you to do. I only desire your betterment to the best of my power, and my success in my task can only come from Allah. In Him I trust and to Him I look.’”
One my notice here how Shuaib uses the expression: ‘and He has given me sustenance pure and good as from Himself’.
Next to Shuaib, it was Maryam to whom Sura Qaf was revealed, as evidenced by the Lord’s saying in Sura 3, Verse 37:
“Every time that he [Zakaria] entered he chamber to see her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: ‘O Mary! Whence comes this to you?’ She said: ‘From Allah: for Allah provides sustenance to whom He pleases, without measure.’”
Which says that Sura Qaf is the ‘sustenance’ which Zakaria found with Maryam.
And last, we may point out that ‘such as fear My Warning,’ in the Qur’an (as in 50:45) points to the Glorious Qur’an, which is Sura 45. To sum up:
Sura Qaf, No. 50,
Is sustenance for Allah’s servants;
It was revealed to Shuaib,
And was later revealed to Maryam.
Sura the Star,
No. 53
Sura the Star, No. 53, is a warner: one of the warners of the past, as evidenced by Sura the Star, No. 53, Verse 56:
“This is a Warner, of the Warners of the past;”
In which the Almighty is indicating Sura 53, with the demonstrative pronoun ‘this’ and this affirms that it is a warner, one of the earlier warners.
Sura the Star, No. 53, is also a Clear Sign of all that was in the former books (that is the Books of Abraham and Moses), as evidenced by Sura 53, Verses 36-41:
“Nay, is he not acquainted with what is in the books of Moses – and of Abraham who fulfilled his engagements – Namely, that no bearer of burdens can bear the burdens of another; that man can have nothing but what he strives for; that the fruit of his striving will soon come into sight; then will he be rewarded with a reward complete.”
The addressee in Sura the Star, No. 53, is Moses, as evidenced by Sura 53, Verse 23:
“even though there has already come to them Guidance from their Lord!”
And we do know that Guidance was given to Moses, as evidenced by Sura 40, Verse 53:
“We did aforetime give Moses Guidance.”
To sum up:
Sura the Star, No. 53,
It is a Warner, of the Warners of the past,
It is a Clear Sign of all that was in the earlier Books, those of Abraham and Moses,
It was revealed to Moses
Sura the Moon,
No. 54
It is authority manifest;
The authority manifest was given to Moses,
And, next to Moses, it was given to Solomon.
We can prove that ‘authority manifest’ was revealed to Moses by referring to Sura 11, Verses 96-97:
“And We sent Moses, with Our Clear Signs and an authority manifest, unto Pharaoh and his chiefs: but they followed the command of Pharaoh, and the command of Pharaoh was no right guide.”
More evidence that the ‘authority manifest’ was given to Moses and Aaron is in Sura 23, Verses 45-46:
“Then We sent Moses and his brother Aaron, with Our Signs and authority manifest. To Pharaoh and his chiefs: but these behaved insolently: but they were an arrogant people.”
Then it was given to Solomon, as evidenced by Sura 27, Verse 40:
“He (Solomon) saw it placed firmly before him.”
Let us recite Sura 27, Verses 20-40:
“And he took a muster of the Birds; and he said: ‘Why is it I see not the Hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees? I will certainly punish him with a severe penalty, or execute him, unless he bring me a clear reason (for absence).’ But the Hoopoe tarried not far: he (came up and) said: ‘I have compassed (territory) which thou hast not compassed, and I have come to thee from Saba with tidings true. I found (there) a woman ruling over them and provided with every requisite; and she has a magnificent throne. I found her and her people worshipping the sun besides Allah. Satan has made their deeds seem pleasing in their eyes, and has kept them away from the Path – so they receive no guidance – (Kept them away from the Path), that they should not worship Allah, Who brings to light what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what ye hide and what ye reveal. (Allah)! – there is no god but He! – Lord of the Throne Supreme!’ (Solomon) said: ‘Soon shall we see whether thou hast told the truth or lied! Go thou, with this letter of mine, and deliver it to them: then draw back from them, and (wait to) see what answer they return’… (The queen) said: ‘Ye chiefs! here is delivered to me – a letter worthy of respect. It is from Solomon, and is (as follows): “In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful: Be ye not arrogant against me, but come to me in submission (to the true Religion).”’ She said: ‘Ye chiefs! advise me in (this) my affair: no affair have I decided except in your presence.’ They said: ‘We are endued with strength, and given to vehement war: but the command is with thee; so consider what thou wilt command.’ She said: ‘Kings, when they enter a country, despoil it, and make the noblest of its people its meanest; thus do they behave. But I am going to send him a present, and (wait) to see with what (answer) return (my) ambassadors.’ Now when (the embassy) came to Solomon, he said: ‘Will ye give me abundance in wealth? But that which Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you! Nay it is ye who rejoice in your gift! Go back to them, and be sure we shall come to them with such hosts as they will never be able to meet: We shall expel them from there in disgrace, and they will feel humbled (indeed).’ He said (to his own men): ‘Ye chiefs! which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?’ Said an ‘Ifrit, of the Jinns: ‘I will bring it to thee before thou rise from thy council: indeed, I have full strength for the purpose, and may be trusted.’ Said one who had knowledge of the Book: ‘I will bring it to thee within the twinkling of an eye!’ Then when (Solomon) saw it placed firmly before him, he said: ‘This is by the Grace of my Lord!- to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! and if any is grateful, truly his gratitude is (a gain) for his own soul; but if any is ungrateful, truly my Lord is Free of all Needs, Supreme in Honor!’”
In the above verses, we have a hint: “I will bring it to thee within the twinkling of an eye!”; and in Sura 54, Verse 50, we have the expression: “And Our Command is but a single Act – like the twinkling of an eye.” This teaches us that a person who knows about the Book knows that Allah’s Command happens like the twinkle of any eye, which refers to the ‘authority manifest’, and this last is Sura 54.
The Sign that is mentioned in Sura 27, i.e. ‘within the twinkling of an eye,’ was known to those who had knowledge of the Book, i.e. of Sura 54, and the Sign referred to here is “And Our Command is but a single Act – like the twinkling of an eye.”
The ‘authority manifest’ which will be borne by the jinn with knowledge of the Book in the twinkling of an eye is Sura the Moon. This jinn promised Solomon that he would bring it to him before the twinkling of an eye.
Another proof
That Allah gave the ‘authority manifest’, i.e. Sura the Moon, to Moses and then said that the prophet who comes after him will inherit him: this is clear in Sura 2, Verse 248:
“‘A Sign of his authority is that there shall come to you the Ark of the Covenant, with an assurance therein of security from your Lord, and the relics left by the family of Moses and the family of Aaron, carried by angels.”
And this prophet who came after Moses is Solomon; and what Moses left in the Ark is the ‘authority manifest’ (Sura the Moon), and it was carried by the angels – Solomon received what the family of Moses and Aaron had left. To conclude:
Sura the Moon, No. 54,
Is authority manifest,
Revealed to Moses;
Angels carried it and delivered it to Solomon
Sura al-Rahman, or Allah, Most Gracious,
No. 55
It is the Favors of Allah;
It was revealed to Hud, peace be upon him.
Sura 55 was revealed to Hud, and, after Hud, to Saleh.
How can we ascertain who the addressee is?
If we read Sura 7, Verses 65-69, we find Hud addressing his people, ‘Ad, like this:
“To the ‘Ad people We sent Hud, one of their own brethren: he said: ‘O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other god but Him. Will you not fear Allah?’ The leaders of the unbelievers among his people said: ‘Ah! we see you are an imbecile!’ and ‘We think you are a liar!’ He said: ‘O my people! I am no imbecile, but I am a Messenger from the Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds! I but fulfill toward you the duties of my Lord’s mission: I am to you a sincere and trustworthy adviser. Do you wonder that there has come a message from your Lord through a man of your own people, to warn you? Call in remembrance that He made you inheritors after the people of Noah, and gave you a stature tall among the nations. Call in remembrance the benefits you have received from Allah: that so you may prosper.’”
Let us search through the Mushaf for this word ‘ala’a, i.e. benefits or favors from’ Allah: Doing that, we find it in Sura 55. In it, the Almighty says: “Then which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?” (e.g. in Verse 13). Hence, when Allah reports Hud, peace be upon him, in Sura 7, to have said, addressing his people: “Call in remembrance the favors you have received from Allah;” (7:69): that is to say: ‘recall what is in Sura 55’, for the latter is the favors of Allah.
We may further look at Verse 74 of Sura 7, where Saleh, who came after Hud, says to his people:
“bring to remembrance the favors you have received from Allah, and refrain from evil and mischief on the earth;”
where Saleh is reminding his people of what is in Sura 55 about the favors of Allah.
What we have in Sura 55 is a universal proclamation of the beauty of Allah’s handicraft; about the splendor of His Creation and Arrangement of existence – and after reminding humans of each Bounty of God’s, there is the urging of humans and jinn to remember His Favors. There is in this Sura an invoking of the spectacle of the Day of Resurrection, the penalty of wrong-doers, and Allah’s rewarding the devout. The Sura ends with the befitting verse: “Blessed be the name of your Lord, full of Majesty, Bounty and Honor.”
To sum up:
Sura al-Rahman, or Allah, Most Gracious, No. 55,
Is the Favors of Allah;
It was revealed to Hud;
Then, after Hud, it was revealed to Saleh.
It was referred to in Sura 7.
Sura the Inevitable Event,
No. 56
It is memorial;
It is the Very Truth and Certainty;
It was revealed to Abraham, peace be upon him.
Sura 56 is a ‘memorial’, as evidenced by Sura 56, Verse 73:
“We have made it a memorial and an article of comfort and convenience for the denizens of the desert.”
It is the very Truth and Certainty, as evidenced by Sura 56, Verse 95:
“Verily, this is the very Truth and Certainty.”
We have already seen that Sura 15 was revealed to Abraham; and we find in that Sura, Verse 99:
“And serve your Lord until there come to you the very Truth and Certainty;”
Which indicates that Sura 56 was revealed to Abraham, as this Sura, 56, is the Very Truth and Certainty, and Abraham was granted Certainty by Allah. To sum up:
Sura the Inevitable Event, No. 56,
Is memorial;
It is the Very Truth and Certainty;
It was revealed to Abraham.
Sura the Iron,
No. 57
It is the Gospel;
It was revealed to Christ, peace be upon him
Sura the Iron is the Injil, the Gospel, revealed to Jesus Christ. We have two proofs of this from the Mushaf.
One proof is:
That Sura 48, Verse 29, gives us the features of the Gospel that help us identify it; it runs like this:
“Their similitude in the Gospel is: like a seed which sends forth its blade, then makes it strong: it then becomes thick, and it stands on its own stem, filling the sowers with wonder and delight. As a result, it fills the unbelievers with rage at them; Allah has promised those among them who believe and do righteous deeds forgiveness and a great reward.”
Searching in the Mushaf, we find this same example in Sura the Iron, No. 57, V. 20:
“You all know that the life of this world is but play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting and multiplying, in rivalry, among yourselves, riches and children. Here is a similitude: how rain and the growth which it brings forth, delight the hearts of the tillers; soon it withers; you will see it grow yellow; then it becomes dry and crumbles away. But in the Hereafter is a severe penalty for the devotees of wrong. And forgiveness from Allah and His Good Pleasure for the devotees of Allah. And what is the life of this world, but goods and chattels of deception?”
From which we learn that Sura 57 is the Gospel.
Another proof is in Sura 9, Verse 111:
“Allah has purchased of the believers their persons and their goods, for theirs in return is the Gardens of Paradise: they fight in His Cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in Truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the Qur’an: and who is more faithful to his Covenant than Allah? Then rejoice in the bargain which you have concluded: that is the supreme achievement.”
This statement is in Sura 9, dropping a hint, which was discussed while discussing Sura 9, and is repeated in Sura the Iron, which indicates that the latter is the Gospel.
We find the following in Sura the Iron, No. 57, Verses 10-12:
“And what cause do you have why you should not spend in the cause of Allah? – for to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth. Not equal are those who spend freely and fought, before the Victory, with those who did so later. Those are higher in rank than those who spent freely and fought afterwards. But to all has Allah promised a goodly reward. and Allah is well acquainted with all that you do. Who is he that will loan to Allah a beautiful loan? For Allah will increase it manifold to his credit, and he will have besides a liberal reward. One day you will see the believing men and the believing women – how their Light runs forward before them and by their night hands. Their greeting will be: ‘Good News for you this Day! Gardens beneath which flow rivers to dwell therein for ever! This is indeed the highest Achievement.”
This urging to fight is met with elsewhere in the Qur’an: we find it for instance in Sura 27. To sum up:
Sura the Iron,
Is the Gospel;
It was revealed to Christ, peace be upon him.
Sura al-Hashr, the Gathering,
No. 59
It is an illustration from the story of people passed before you;
It was revealed to Ayyub, or Job, peace be upon him.
Sura 59 is an illustration from the story of people who passed away before you, as evidenced by Sura 24, Verse 34:
“We have already sent down to you verses making things clear, an illustration from the story of people who passed away before you, and an admonition for those who fear Allah.”
The expression ‘We sent it down’ is in the past tense, which tells us that Allah did reveal the same illustration before. By searching through the Mushaf for ‘an illustration from the story of people who passed away before you’ we find it in Sura 59, Verse 15:
“Like those who lately passed them, they have tasted the evil result of their conduct, and in the Hereafter there is for them a grievous penalty.”: which says that Sura 59 is ‘an illustration from the story of people who passed away before you’.
At the same time, Sura the Gathering, No. 59, is the Qur’an, as evidenced by Sura 59, Verse 21:
“Had We sent down the Qur’an on a mountain, verily, you would have seen it humble itself and cleave asunder for fear of Allah. Such are the similitudes which We propound to men, that they may reflect.”
Sura 59 was revealed to Ayyub, or Job, peace be upon him, as evidenced by Sura 38, Verse 43:
“And We gave him back his people, and doubled their number – as a Grace from Ourselves, and a thing for commemoration, for all who have understanding.”
We have already said that Sura 59 is ‘an illustration from the story of people who passed away before you’; and now we see that Job and his family are given, together with double their number.
While discussing ‘verses that make things clear’, this was shown to be Sura the Light, No. 24; and it was shown that ‘admonition for those who fear Allah’ is Sura Al ‘Imran, No. 3, and it is Grace from Allah; and now we see that:
Sura the Gathering, No. 59,
Is ‘an illustration from the story of people who passed away before you’,
And that it is the Qur’an.
Sura the Friday Prayer,
No. 62
It is the ‘Bounty’,
It was revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Sura the Friday Prayer is the ‘Bounty’, as evidenced by Sura the Friday Prayer, Verse 4:
“Such is the Bounty of Allah, which He bestows on whom He will: and Allah is the Lord of the highest bounty.”
Which says that Sura the Friday Prayer, No. 62, is ‘Bounty’ from Allah, which He grants to whomever among His servants He wills.
Sura 62 was revealed to Muhammad, as evidenced by Sura 62, Verse 2:
“It is He Who has sent among the Unlettered a Messenger from among themselves.”
It must be noticed that when the word ‘Unlettered’, singular or plural, is used in the Mushaf, it is used in the sense of those who do not know the Book, not the general inability to read and write. It may be further noted that Muhammad and his followers were called ‘ummiyun, unlettered’ for they did know the book. Muhammad was sent as messenger in answer to a supplication by Abraham when he said:
“Our Lord! send among them a Messenger of their own, who shall rehearse Your Verses to them and instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom, and sanctify them: for You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise;” (2:129);
when Abraham supplicated on behalf of Muhammad’s people: his supplication was that Allah send among them a Messenger who would bring them forth from the state of knowing nothing about the Book to the stage of learning the Book, rehearsing it and acting upon it – we have seen a little while above that this request was given to the believers.
There is in Sura 62 a mention of the Unlettered; there is also another group who were entrusted with bearing the Law (of Moses) but failed to bear it. The Lord compares them to a donkey that carries things above his back, but fails to benefit from them.
So, Sura 62 focuses on the Unlettered who do not know the Book, when they are entrusted with the Law, but fail to bear it – they are the categories represented in Sura 62. To sum up:
Sura the Friday Prayer, No. 62,
Is ‘Bounty’;
It was revealed to the Unlettered Prophet and his people, who did not know the Book.
Sura the Divorce,
No. 65
It is a Message for men of understanding;
It is the Command of Allah;
It was revealed to Moses and Aaron, peace be upon both of them.
Sura the Divorce, No. 65, is a Message for men of understanding, as evidenced by Sura 65, Verse 10:
“Therefore, fear Allah, O you men of understanding – who have believed! – for Allah has indeed sent down to you a Message.”
It was given to Moses and Aaron, as evidenced by Sura 21, Verse 48:
“In the past We granted to Moses and Aaron the Criterion, and a Light and a Message for those who would do right.”
We have seen before that the Criterion is Sura 25, called by this name, that the Light is Sura 28. We are now discussing ‘a Message for those who fear Allah, or those who would do right’: which is Sura 65.
Sura 65 was revealed to people of understanding; it is a Message for them, as evidenced by Sura 65, Verse 10.
It is the Command of Allah, as evidenced by Sura 65, Verse 5:
“That is the Command of Allah, which He has sent down to you: and if any one fears Allah, He will remove his ills from him, and will enlarge his reward.”
The Sura under discussion sheds light on the problem of divorce, the rights of the divorcee, and her duties; then there is the stern threat by Allah: “How many populations that insolently opposed the command of their Lord and of His Messengers, did We not then call to account – to severe account? And We imposed on them and exemplary punishment. Then they tasted the evil result of their conduct, and the end of their conduct was perdition. Allah has prepared for them a severe punishment. Therefore fear Allah, O you men of understanding – who have believed – for Allah has indeed sent down to you a Message.” To sum up:
Sura the Divorce, No. 65,
Is a Message for men of understanding;
It is the Command of Allah;
It was given to Moses and Aaron
Sura the Pen,
No. 68
It is a ‘Message to all the Worlds’,
A Favor, one of the favors of Allah
Sura the Pen, No. 68, is a Message to all the Worlds, as evidenced by Sura the Pen, No. 68, Verse 52:
“But it is nothing less than a Message to all the worlds.”
It is a Bounty of Allah’s, included under the general rule:
“But if you count the favors of Allah, never will you be able to number them;” (e.g. 14:34)
We find that from Sura 68 to the end of the Mushaf, there are 47 Suras, and this is what is called the ‘raqim, the Inscription’ (refer to the discussion of Sura the Cave, No. 18); in the middle of this number of Suras is Sura the Sun, No. 91, which is the Guide, with 23 Suras to its right and 23 to its left.
In Sura the Pen, No. 68, there is mention of ‘Companion of the Whale’ ‘i.e. Jonas, peace be upon him’. To sum up:
Sura the Pen, No. 68,
Is ‘a Message to all the Worlds’,
A favor, one of the favors of Allah;
The Prophet Jonas is mentioned in it;
From Sura the Pen to the end of the Mushaf is the ‘Raqim, the Inscription’.
Sura al-Haqqah, the Sure Reality,
No. 69
It is a ‘Message for the God-fearing’;
It is the Truth of assured certainty;
It was revealed to Abraham, peace be upon him;
There is in it the imperative: ‘So glorify the Name of your Lord, Most High;
Hence our saying in prayer: subhana rabbiya l‘athim: Glorified be the Name of my Lord, Most High.
It is a ‘Message for the God-fearing’, as evidenced by Sura 69, Verse 48:
“But verily this is a Message for the God-fearing.”
It is Truth of assured certainty, as evidenced by Sura 69, Verse 51:
“But verily it is Truth of assured certainty.”
It is a Message sent down by the Lord of the Worlds, as evidenced by Sura 69, Verse 43:
“This is a Message sent down by the Lord of Worlds.”
It was revealed to Abraham, as evidenced by Sura 15, Verse 99:
“And serve your Lord until there come to you the Assured Reality.”
Where Allah is commanding Abraham to keep worshipping Him until Sura 69, which is the ‘The Truth of assured certainty’, comes to him.
Topics of Sura 69:
This Sura reports how the Thamud and the ‘Ad peoples branded as false the Stunning Calamity, and the outcome of this denial: the Thamud people were destroyed by a terrible storm of thunder and lightning, while the ‘Ad were destroyed by a furious wind exceedingly violent, which Allah made rage against them seven nights and eight days in succession.’ (69:4-7) It also describes how Pharaoh and those who came before him, and the Cities Overthrown, committed habitual sin. They disobeyed each the messenger of their Lord; so He punished them with and abundant penalty. Allah reminds people that when the water of Noah’s Flood overflowed beyond it limits, He carried them in the floating Ark, that He might make it a Message unto mankind (69:9-12). Sura 69 depicts the Day of Reckoning, when ‘one blast is sounded on the Trumpet.’ To sum up:
Sura the Sure Reality, No. 69,
Is a Message for the God-fearing;
It is the Truth of assured certainty;
It was sent down by the Lord of the Worlds;
It was revealed to Abraham.
Sura the Jinn, or the Spirits,
No. 72
Sura the Jinn, or the Spirits, No. 72, focusses on Christ’s return to earth, as evidenced by Sura 72, Verse 19:
“Yet when the Servant of Allah stood forth to invoke Him, they just made round him a dense crowd.”
We know that the Servant of Allah is Christ, peace be upon him, as evidenced by Sura Maryam, No. 19, Verse 30:
“He said: ‘I am indeed a Servant of Allah: He has given me the Book and made me a prophet.”
This Sura under discussion reports the Jinn’s listening to the guidance, that they believed at hearing the Revelations. The Sura describes Allah’s messengers, who delivered His Messages, and announces that Allah surrounds all the mysteries that are with them, and takes account of every single thing.
The Sura announces that a person who turns away from remembering his Lord, He will cause him to undergo a severe penalty.
It tells us that the jinn said that they had head the recital of a wonderful Qur’an, that gives guidance to the Right, and that they believed in it. To sum up:
Sura the Jinn, or the Spirits, No. 72,
Focuses on the return of Christ;
It describes the jinn’s hearing guidance and their faith in it.
Sura al-Muzzammel, ‘Folded in Garments’,
No. 73
It is an Admonition;
The addressee is Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Sura 73 is an Admonition, as evidenced by Sura 73, Verse 19:
“Verily, this is an Admonition.”
The addressee of Sura 73 is Muhammad, peace be upon him, as evidenced by Sura 73, Verse 15:
“We have sent to you a Messenger, to be a witness concerning you, even as We sent a Messenger to Pharaoh.”
We said before, when commenting on Sura 33, Verse 45, that the ‘Witnessing Messenger’ is Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as he is ‘a Witness, a Bearer of Good Tidings, and a Warner, one who invites to Allah’s Grace, by His leave, and as a Lamp spreading light.’ (33:45-46). To sum up:
Sura ‘Folded in Garments’ No. 73,
Is an Admonition;
It was revealed to Muhammad.
Sura al-Muddaththir, ‘the One Wrapped Up’,
No. 74
It is a Warning;
It is an Admonition for mankind;
It is one of the ‘mighty portents’;
It is a warning to mankind.
Sura 74 is an Admonition for mankind, and a warning to mankind, and a warning to the addressee, who is Muhammad, peace be upon him.
It is an Admonition for mankind, as evidenced by Sura 74, Verse 31:
“and this is no more than an Admonition for mankind.”
It is a Warning to mankind, as evidenced by Sura 74, Verse 36:
“A Warning to mankind.”
Once again, the Lord confirms that it is a Warning, as evidenced by Sura 74, Verse 54:
“Nay, this surely is a Warning.”
And we have in Verse 35:
“This is but one of the mighty portents.”
This Sura affirms that it is for:
1. the People of the Book may arrive at certainty,
2. the Believers may increase in Faith,
3. no doubt may be left for the People of the Book and the Believers,
4. Allah leaves to stray whom He pleases
Allah guides who He pleases. (See 74:31)
Allah emphasizes in this Sura: “Over it are Nineteen” (74:30)
What is this ‘Nineteen’?
For an answer, we go Sura 6, Verses 83-90, and we find there that the Lord lists eighteen messengers and prophets, and at the end, the Lord says: “copy the guidance they received”: the total number is then nineteen prophets; these are:
Abraham,
Isaac,
Jacob,
Noah,
David,
Solomon,
Ayyub, or Job,
Joseph,
Moses,
Aaron,
Zakaria,
Yahya, or John,
Jesus,
Ilyas,
Ishmael,
Elisha,
Jonas,
Lot.
The addressee is Muhammad, last and seal of the prophets; in conclusion, we have: “Copy their guidance; say: ‘No reward for this do I ask of you: this is no less than a Message for the nations.” (6:90)
With this prophet, Muhammad, the total number is thus nineteen, may peace and blessing be upon them all. To sum up,
Sura ‘the One Wrapped Up’, No. 74,
Is a warning for Mankind;
It is an Admonition to men;
It is one of the ‘mighty portents’;
It is an admonition;
The addressee is Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Sura al-Buruj, the Zodiacal Signs,
No. 85
It is a Glorious Qur’an, inscribed in a Tablet Preserved,
It was revealed to Shuaib, peace be upon him.
Sura 85 is a Glorious Qur’an, inscribed in a Tablet Preserved, as evidenced by Sura 85, Verses 21-22:
“Nay, this is a Glorious Qur’an, inscribed in a Tablet Preserved.”
To whom was Sura 85 revealed?
By considering this clause: “And He is the Oft-forgiving, full of loving-kindness,” (85: 14) we find it to be the only time in which the Almighty is described as the ‘wadud, full of loving kindness’, except for the only time when a messenger, Shuaib, described the Almighty by the same epithet: “Oft-forgiving, full of loving-kindness,”: This tells us that the Glorious Quran was revealed to Shuaib. See Shuaib’s, peace be upon him, saying, in Sura 11, Verse 90:
“But ask forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance: for my Lord is indeed full of mercy and loving-kindness.”
If we now look at Sura 85, Verses 7-8:
“And they witnessed all that they were doing against the Believers. And they ill-treated them for no other reason than that they believed in Allah, Exalted in Power, Worthy of all Praise.”
And compare it with what we have about Shuaib, peace be upon him, in Sura 7, Verse 88:
“The leaders, the arrogant party among his people, said: ‘O Shuaib! We shall certainly drive you out of our city – you and those who believe with you; or else you and they shall have to return to our ways and religion,’ He said: ‘What! Even though we do detest them?’” and so on to the end of the episode, we will be sure that the addressee is Shuaib, peace be upon him, and we will be sure that the reaction of the people towards this and other prophets, and the cause of people’s injuring the prophets and banishing them from their homes, is nothing but the prophets’ belief in the One God.
We have already seen that Sura 50 and Sura 85, i.e. the Glorious Qur’an, were both revealed to Shuaib, peace be upon him. To sum up:
Sura al-Buruj, the Zodiacal Signs, No. 85,
Is a Glorious Qur’an, inscribed in a Tablet Preserved,
It was revealed to Shuaib.
Sura al-Qadr, the Night of Power,
No. 97.
Let us look at the first Verse of this Sura: “We have indeed revealed this Message in the Night of Power.”
In the above Verse, the referent of ‘We have revealed this Message’ is Sura 44, which starts like this: “Ha-mim. By the Book that makes things clear – We sent it down during a blessed night: for We ever wish to warn against evil. In that night is made distinct every affair of wisdom, by command from Our Presence. For We ever send revelations, as a Mercy from your Lord: for He hears and knows all things; the Lord of heavens and the earth and all between them, if you but have an assured faith.”
Ha-mim is then Sura 44.
As for ‘the Book that makes things clear,’ – it is Sura 26: which is ‘Nine Signs’ + Sura 28, the latter being ‘the Book that makes things clear’ as well. It is also Light.
Ha-mim. By the Book that makes thing clear, is:
Sura 44 + Sura 26 and Sura 28.
During that night, as in (97:4-5): “Therein come down the angels and the spirits by the permission of the Lord, on every errand: Peace! … This until the rise of Morn!”. It is a momentous event, momentous in its indication, in its significance and its results: a night better than a thousand months – spirits and angels come down, with permission from Allah.. the Night of Power, ha-mim, and the Book that makes things clear: this is the night of utmost flow: the flow of mercy over existence. After that the Almighty says: “And what will explain to you what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.” (97:2-3)
Sura al-Bayyinah, the Clear Evidence,
No. 98
This Sura demonstrates, unequivocally, that the Glorious Mushaf is not a single Book – it is a collection of Books, having the feature of its parts expounding each other: this is so since Allah is ‘Qayyum, Self-Subsisting’ and His Books are ‘qayyim, self-sufficing’ – since, as already pointed out, in full detail, that each Book was sent down for a specific era, for a particular people, and revealed to a specific messenger. The current Sura affirms, leaving no doubt, that the unbelievers and idolaters will keep rejecting the truth, and that both parties will inevitably face their fate; in the same way as the pious will get what they are promised.
Sura 98 states that religion is originally a homogeneous whole, with straightforward rules, that leave no room for dispersal and disagreement: it conveys in its simple and easy style a bright and confirmed truth, as the following verse states: “And they have been commanded no more than this: to worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being true in faith; to establish regular prayer; and to practice regular charity; and that is the Religion right and straight,” (98:5)
The Sura also affirms that the unbelievers are the worst among humankind, in contrast with the believers who are the best among humankind. The discourse comes to the conclusion that a person who fears their Lord, and whose self prohibits them to commit any perversion – such person realizes that they will have to face their Lord naked and alone – that each one will have to bear on their shoulders their deeds: so let each mortal consider their deeds before the Day of Reckoning.
It is so since Allah, the Almighty, wills:
That no one may associate another god beside Him,
That believers should have mercy for each other, and should love each other,
That any human’s blood and property are sacred – no one may trespass on them,
That believers may not disperse, may not be divided into contending sects,
That believers should unite, move in harmony behind one leader,
That they should change that which is themselves before Allah changes their condition,
That they should speak out openly expounding what they had been commanded, that they should even break with their family and relatives, if the latter work in the service of the tyrants of the earth,
That they should obey Allah when he says:
‘worship Allah and eschew evil’,
And that they should remember when Allah said:
“There is for you an excellent example in Abraham and those with him.”
Sura the Kafirun, Those Who Reject Faith,
No. 109
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Say: O you that reject Faith, (1)
I do not worship that which you worship, (2)
Nor will you worship that which I worship, (3)
And I will not worship that which you have been wont to worship, (4)
Nor will you worship that which I worship, (5)
To you be your Way and to me mine. (6)
We emphasize in this Sura several things:
One thing is the word ‘say’ as used in this Sura
‘Say’ is an imperative that addresses [in Arabic] a singular male person. It is used 332 times in 57 Suras, half the Mushaf’s: half the Mushaf’s suras have the word ‘qul’ and half of them do not.
This imperative has four alternatives, declensions:
‘Qul, is for a single male addressee’, ‘quli, is for a single female addressee’, ‘qula, is for a dual addressee’, and ‘qulu, is for a plural addressee’.
Another point is the word ‘kufr, disbelief’ and ‘the kafirun, those who reject faith’
The root, ‘kafara’ means to ‘cover, to hide’. In its most direct sense, the word ‘kufr’ means to judge in a way incompatible with what Allah has revealed, as evidenced by Sura 5, Verse 44:
“If any do fail to judge by the light of what Allah has revealed, they are no better than wrong-doers.”
A ‘kafir, one who rejects Faith’ is a ‘wrong-doer’, an unjust person, as evidenced by Sura 2, Verse 254:
“Those who reject Faith – they are the wrong-doers.”
Otherwise, a ‘kafir’ is one who fights in the way of the ‘a taghut, a tyrant, an evil one’, as evidenced by Sura 4, Verse 76:
“those who reject Faith fight in the cause of the taghut, evil.”
One who rejects Faith is one who follows what is false, as evidenced by Sura 47, Verse 3:
“This is because those who reject Allah follow vanities, what is false.”
A person who rejects faith is one who argues with vain arguments, to refute truth thereby, and they meet Allah’s Signs with derision; as evidenced Sura 18, Verse 56:
“but the Unbelievers dispute with vain arguments, in order therewith to weaken the truth, and they treat My Signs as in jest, as also the fact that they are warned.”
A person who rejects faith is one who hold as equal: that Who has created everything and that who has created nothing, as evidenced by Sura 6, Verse 1:
“Yet those who reject Faith hold others as equal with their Guardian-Lord.”
A person who rejects Faith is a person who turns away from the warning that has come to them, as evidenced by Sura 46, Verse 3:
“but those who reject Faith turn away from that whereof they are warned.”
A person who rejects Faith is one who is incited by the devil into fury, as evidenced by Sura 19, Verse 83:
“Don’t you see that We have set the Evil Ones on against the Unbelievers, to incite them with fury.”
A person who rejects Faith is one who chooses to separate Allah from His messengers, as evidenced by Sura 4, Verses 150-151:
“Those who deny Allah and His Messengers, and those who wish to separate Allah from His Messengers, saying: ‘We believe in some but reject others’: and those who wish to take a course midway – They are in truth equally unbelievers; and We have prepared for the unbelievers a humiliating punishment.”
The unbelievers are protectors of one another, as evidenced by Sura 8, Verse 73:
“The unbelievers are protectors, one of another.”
The third point: Worship
To worship, we need to have a worshipper and a worshipped – to change the worshipped, you will have a different religion: you may end up by having, instead of the worshipper, a wrong-doer, an infidel, or a person who forsakes the truth, or an idolater.
A worshipper has one of two alternatives:
Responding to truth
Or hiding, concealing, the truth.
Also, once one responds to the truth, there are ranks:
One may surrender to Islam, be a believer, or be devout.
It may be noticed in this Sura of ‘Those Who Reject Faith’ the existence of an affirmation and emphasis, and repetition, and a decisive refusal to accept compromises or negotiation, not the least particle: the refusal comes in all forms of denial and affirmation and emphasis. The Sura decides: ‘my way of worship and nature of my worship is unlike yours. My Worshipped One is different from yours. I am different from you; and my religion is essentially different from yours.’ To worship, according to the Sura No. 109, is a surrender, on the part of the worshipper, to the Worshipped, in all one receives from the latter – in all commands and prohibitions: in choosing to follow one of the two ways, we end up having one camp of believers and one camp of misguided individuals.
There is a parting of roads: a parting that leaves no bridge or passageway, and no connection: one way goes in one direction and the other in an entirely different direction.
The fourth point concerns religion
This parting of ways makes it a settled fact that one religion is different from the other; that in this religion of Islam a believer receives their commands from Allah, the One God, with no associate: “Say: ‘O you that reject Faith!’”: it is a call that transcends time and place: a parting of ways which lays down all the elements of difference, the difference in fundamentals, which leads to the conclusion of the impossibility of having any single common item of doctrine: the worshipper is different from the other worshipper; the Worshipped is different in one case from the other; the method of worship is different – in sum, it is a radical difference between one faith and the other: in the essence of creed, in the essentials of conception, and in the whole doctrine. It leads one to realize that it is for Allah Alone to determine from what source a believer may receive their creed, law, judgment, manners, morality, notions, concepts: and everything in this connection.
It affirms that it Allah Who ‘gave to each created thing its form and nature, and further, gave it guidance,’ (20:50).
And we submit to the fact that it Allah Who guided us to believe that He is the One and Only God, the Gracious and Merciful God, Exalted in Power, All-knowing; it is He who taught us to glorify Him, and to pray for His forgiveness: for He is Oft-forgiving, Merciful: such details we never learn from dictionaries and books of language.