Verses 192–227
These verses discuss what can be deduced as a conclusion from the seven stories mentioned above. They involve rebuke and threat against the unbelievers in this nation [of Prophet Muḥammad s.a.w.]. The verses defend the prophethood of the Prophet by arguing that it is found in the scriptures of the ancients and the knowledge of the Israelite learned men. They also defend his Book by arguing that it is not an inspiration from devils nor the words of poets.
Commentary
وَ إِنَّهُ لَتَنْزِيلُ رَبِّ الْعالَمِينَ ١٩٢
(26:192) And most surely this is a revelation (tanzīlu) from the Lord of the worlds.
The pronoun “this” refers to the Qur’an. The verse refers back to the beginning of the chapter where it said: “These are the verses of the clear Book” (), and follow up their account of unbelief in the Book that was mentioned afterwards: And there does not come to them a new reminder from the Beneficent God but they turn aside from it. So they have indeed rejected (the truth)… ().
Tanzīl and inzāl are synonymous, except that usually the verbal form ifʿāl [as in inzāl] is used for sudden acts, while the verbal form tafʿīl [as in tanzīl] is used for gradual acts. When the root nuzūl is used for physical objects, it means their movement from a high position to a lower position. In non-physical objects, their nuzūl (lit. descent) would be according to the object.
God’s act of tanzīl (descent, sending down) means diffusing something from Him to the plane of creation and measurement. He has described Himself as the High, the Magnificent (al-ʿAlī al-ʿAẓīm), the Great the Exalted (al-Kabīr al-Mutaʿāl), the Exalter of ranks (Rafīʿ al-darajāt), and the All-Dominant over His servants (al-Qāhir fawqa ʿibādih). Thus, the diffusion of things from Him would be His creation of them in the realm of creation and measure. You can also say that His tanzīl means His act of bringing something out from the realm of the invisible to the realm of the visible.
This sense of inzāl and tanzīl has been used in His Book about several things. Some examples are: O children of Adam! We have indeed sent down (anzalnā) to you clothing to cover your shame (); And He has sent down (anzala) for you eight of the cattle in pairs (); And We have sent down (anzalnā) iron, wherein is great violence (); and Those who disbelieve from among the followers of the Book do not like, nor do the polytheists, that good should be sent down (yunazzala) to you from your Lord (). It has also been used unconditionally [that is, about all things] where He says: And there is not a thing but with Us are the treasures of it, and We do not send it down but in a known measure ().
Another instance where same idea is expressed specifically about the Qur’an is the following: Surely We have made it an Arabic Quran that you may understand. And surely it is in the original of the Book with Us, truly elevated, solid ().
The act of tanzīl has been ascribed to “the Lord of the worlds” in order to assert His unity in Lordship. As we have repeatedly said, the polytheists only acknowledged God as the Lord of the lords, but they did not view Him as the Lord of the worlds.
نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ ١٩٣ عَلى قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنْذِرِينَ ١٩٤ بِلِسانٍ عَرَبِيٍّ مُبِينٍ ١٩٥
(26:193-195) The Faithful Spirit has descended with it, Upon your heart that you may be of the warners, In plain Arabic language.
The Faithful Spirit (al-rūḥ al-amīn) refers to Gabriel, the angel of revelation, because He says: Whoever is the enemy of Gabriel—for surely he revealed it to your heart by Allah’s command (). Elsewhere He has called him the Holy Spirit (rūḥ al-qudus): Say: The Holy Spirit has revealed it from your Lord with the truth (). We discussed the meaning of spirit (al-rūḥ) in chapters 16 (al-Naḥl) and 17 (al-Isrāʾ).
This spirit has been characterized as “faithful” in order show that he is trustworthy in his mission from God to His Prophet. He does not modify any of God’s words by alteration or change of order, whether that be intentionally, unintentionally, or due to forgetting. The same idea is conveyed in the other verse [] by his description as “holy.”
The Faithful Spirit has descended with it (bihi): The letter bāʾ makes the verb [descend] transitive. That is: “The Faithful Spirit brought it down.” Some have said that the letter bāʾ shows accompaniment, meaning: “The Faithful Spirit came in its company.” However, this is not a possibility because the central theme and focus of the verse is the descent of the Qur’an, not the descent of the spirit—along with the Qur’an.
The pronoun “it” (in bihi) refers to the Qur’an as a speech that consists of words that have true meanings. The actual words and letters of the Qur’an are sent down from Him just as their meanings are sent down from Him. This is what is inferred from the apparent meaning of verses such as: Therefore when We have recited it, follow its recitation (), and: These are the communications of Allah which We recite to you with truth (, , ).
Therefore we should ignore the statement of those who say: What the Faithful Spirit brought down was only the meanings of the Noble Qur’an; then the Prophet expressed them with plain Arabic words that capture and convey those meanings.
Some exegetes have suggested an even weaker view: Both the meaning and the words of the Qur’an are the composition of the Prophet, which one level of his soul—called the Faithful Spirit—cast upon another level of his soul—called the heart.
Upon your heart that you may be of the warners: The heart (qalb) in His Book is characterized by cognition and understanding. Therefore, it refers to the human soul, because that is what has understanding and is the root of all sorts of cognition and will, as opposed to the pine-cone shaped muscle in left side of the chest, which is one of the major organs of the body. This is inferred from many places in His Book such as: And the hearts rose up to the throats (), where “the hearts” are the souls; and: His heart is surely sinful (), where “His heart” means his soul, because there is no sensible meaning for ascribing sin to a specific body part.
Perhaps the reason why the verse says “upon your heart” instead of “upon you” is to indicate how he received the Qur’an when it was revealed to him. It shows that his soul came in contact with the Spirit [that is, Gabriel] and received the revelation, without the involvement of the physical senses that are means for particular [as opposed to universal] observations.
In other words, he used to see and hear what was being revealed to him without using his senses of sight and hearing. This is confirmed by some narrations which say that he was overtaken by a semi-coma called buraḥāʾ al-waḥy (intensity of revelation). He would see the person [that is, the angel of revelation] and hear his voice just as we see someone and hear his voice, except that unlike our observation, his was not by the employment of the physical senses of sight and hearing.
If what he saw and heard were through physical sight and hearing, then others should have also seen what he saw and heard what he heard, because they also were possessed of sensory sight and hearing. However, this is rejected by reliable and definite narrations, for it often happened that he was overtaken by the severity and intensity of revelation (buraḥāʾ al-waḥy) while he was amongst the people, whereby he received revelation while those around him did not realize anything, did not see anyone talking to him, and did not hear what he was being told.
One may say that perhaps God diverted the senses of other people from observing some of the things that his senses observed, namely the unseen matters that are hidden from us. This, however, would destroy the foundation of knowledge and all assertions, because if it is possible for our senses to make such huge errors, then we would not be able to make any assertion, confirm anything, or hold any piece of knowledge. The basis of all statements is self-evident assertions and what is known to be necessarily true, and the key to them are our sensory perceptions. Not to mention that this view is based on the principality of sensory observation—the idea that nothing exists except for what is sensible—which is one of the clearest misconceptions. We had a discussion in the exposition of Chapter 19 (Maryam) about the resemblance (tamaththul) of angels which would be helpful here.
Some have said: “The verse specifically identifies the Prophet’s heart as the place of descent because the heart [that is, the human soul] is what understands and what is charged with responsibility, as opposed to the body. Nevertheless his heart received revelation through bodily organs such as hearing and sight as means and instruments.” The problem with this explanation was discussed above.
Others have said: The Prophet had two aspects: (1) an angelic aspect through which he received; and (2) a human aspect by which he conveyed the message [to the people]. The verse says that revelation was sent down on his soul because that was his angelic aspect by which he received from the Faithful Spirit. This is why the verse says “upon your heart” () even though it would have been shorter to say “upon you.”
This interpretation is also based on the partaking of senses and physical faculties in the receipt of revelation, so it suffers from the same problem that we mentioned above.
A group of exegetes have said: What is meant by heart here is the specific body part, and every from of comprehension and understanding is a function of the same organ.
Some of them have said: Identifying the heart as the place of descending is not meant literally but it involves a stretch on the meaning, because God conveys the Qur’an to Gabriel by creating sound waves; then Gabriel remembers it, brings it down to the Messenger and recites it to him; then he preserves and retains it in his heart. Therefore, it is as if Gabriel descends upon his heart.
Some of them have said: Specifying the heart as the place of descent is because the spiritual message first descends upon the soul; then it is transmitted to the heart since there is an link between the two; and then it is transmitted to the brain where it imprints mental forms and concepts on the tablet of the imaginative faculty (al-mutakhayyilah).
Some of them have said: Mentioning the heart specifically is to indicate his perfection in intellection, because the verse makes no reference to sensory means and intermediaries in this process such as hearing and sight.
Some of them have said: This indicates the purity and goodness of his heart, because it has become a place of descent for His Book. This also shows the goodness of the rest of his parts and organs, for indeed the heart is the chief and king of the other organs; when the king is righteous, the subjects will also be righteous.
Some of them have said: This expression is because God has distinguished the heart of His Messenger with an exclusive type of hearing and sight. This is to indicate his distinct position relative to others. This view is understood from the verse: His heart was not untrue in (making him see) what he saw ().
Most of the above views are unwarranted interpretations that are based on comparing a transcendent event with the physical events that we are accustomed to, and applying the rules of the latter to the former. Such futile speech has led one exegete to say:
The meaning of an angel bringing down the Qur’an is that God inspires His speech to him and teaches him how to recite it while he is in heaven. Then the angel brings it down to the earth, which means a physical descent. This can occur in two ways: (1) The Prophet should cast off his human form and take up an angelic form so that he can receive from the angel. (2) The angel should transform into a human form so that the Prophet may take it from him. The first is more difficult.
I wish I knew what this exegete meant by a human being casting off his human form, taking up an angelic form and becoming an angel, and then returning to human form again. Similarly, what does he mean by the transformation of an angel into a human form? How could these transformations happen while he is assuming each of these two beings to have a completely distinct reality from the other, without any connection between the two in terms of essence or acts? There are also other questionable points in the above that are not hidden to those who contemplate it.
This discussion should be complemented by a comprehensive study on angels and another one on revelation. Perhaps God would assist me to fulfill this [later on].
…that you may be of the warners (mundhirīn, from indhār): That is: That you may be one of callers toward God by warning people of His punishment. This is what is meant by indhār in the Qur’an’s nomenclature, which is not limited to the prophets and messengers. For example, God describes the believers among jinn as follows: And when We turned towards you a party of the jinn who listened to the Quran; when they came to it, they said: Be silent. Then when it was finished, they turned back to their people warning (them) (). And He says about the believers who are possessed of deep knowledge (fiqh): That they may warn their people when they come back to them ().
According to this verse, the purpose of Qur’an’s revelation was that the Prophet may be a warner, not that he may be a prophet or messenger. This is because the verses in this chapter involve a context and theme of warning and threat.
In plain Arabic language: That is: This Book is in clear and understandable Arabic, or that it conveys its message in the most expressive way. This verse describes and qualifies [Gabriel’s] act of “descending” [in ]. The meaning is: The Faithful Spirit has descended with it in plain Arabic language.
Some exegetes have given the possibility that this verse describes “warners” [in ]. The meaning would be: “The Faithful Spirit has descended with it upon your heart so that you may be among the Arab prophets, such as Hūd, Ṣāliḥ, Ishmael and Shuʿayb who are mentioned in the Qur’an.” The first meaning is better.
وَ إِنَّهُ لَفِي زُبُرِ الْأَوَّلِينَ ١٩٦
(26:196) And most surely it is in the scriptures (zubur) of the ancients.
The pronoun “it” refers to the Qur’an, or to its being sent down to the Prophet. Zubur is the plural of zabūr, meaning book. The verse means: The news of the Qur’an—or the news of its revelation to you—was given in the books of the previous prophets.
Some exegetes have said: The pronoun “it” refers to the content of the Qur’an. That is: Qur’an’s teachings are found and mentioned in the books of the previous prophets.
There are two problems with this interpretation: (1) The polytheists did not believe in the prophets and their scriptures so that one could argue with them by saying that teachings like monotheism and resurrection are found in the previous scriptures. But if the verse were about a prophecy of the Qur’an and its revelation upon the Prophet [in the previous scriptures], one would have no choice but to accept it [including the polytheists]. (2) It does not comply with the next verse.
أَ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ آيَةً أَنْ يَعْلَمَهُ عُلَماءُ بَنِي إِسْرائِيلَ ١٩٧
(26:197) Is it not a sign to them that the learned men of the Israelites know it?
The pronoun “it” in “know it” refers to the news of the Qur’an or the news of its revelation to the Prophet. That is: To show the authenticity of your prophethood, does it not suffice the polytheists that the learned men among the Israelites know about the Qur’an and/or its revelation, which is found as good news given in the scriptures of the previous prophets? Indeed the Jews used speak of this and pray for a triumph over the Arabs through it as we discussed under the verse: And aforetime they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieve ().
Indeed many Jewish scholars converted to Islam at the time of the Prophet and acknowledged that he had been promised in their scriptures. This chapter is among the first chapters that were revealed in Mecca before the migration. At that time, the enmity of the Jews toward the Prophet had not reached the level that it reached after the migration. Thus, it was expected that they would disclose some of the truth that was with them [in their books], at least in general terms.
وَ لَوْ نَزَّلْناهُ عَلى بَعْضِ الْأَعْجَمِينَ ١٩٨ فَقَرَأَهُ عَلَيْهِمْ ما كانُوا بِهِ مُؤْمِنِينَ١٩٩
(26:198-199) And if We had revealed it to any of the foreigners (al-aʿjamīn). So that he could recite it to them, they would not have believed therein.
[Al-Rāghib in] al-Mufradāt says:
ʿUjmah is the opposite of clarity (ibānah). Iʿjām means “ambiguity” (ibhām)…ʿAjam is the opposite of Arab, and ʿajamī is that which is ascribed to non-Arabs. Aʿjam is one who has some ambiguity and unclearness in his speech, irrespective of being an Arab or not. This is based on the Arab’s lack of understanding of what non-Arabs (al-ʿajam) say. Thus they call animals ʿajmāʾ [because they are speechless]. Aʿjamī is a person or thing that is ascribed to ʿajamāʾ (speechless animals). He says: And if We had revealed it to any of the foreigners (al-aʿjamīn) (), which involves the omission of some [two] yāʾ letters.
As you can see, this means that al-aʿjamīn in this verse was originally al-aʿjamiyyīn, but then the letter yāʾ that indicates the ascription (nisbah) was dropped, as some exegetes have explicitly mentioned. Some others have said that aʿjam is an adjective whose feminine form is ʿajmāʾ. They are of the form afʿal faʿlāʾ which does not have a regular plural form—although the Kūfan grammarians allow the regular plural form for it. Apparently the verse confirms the second explanation, and therefore there is no need to say that the verse involves some omission [of yāʾ].
Either way, the context suggests a connection between these two verses and the verse, “in plain Arabic language” (), where these two verses provide an explanation and justification for what was said above. The implied meaning is: We revealed it to you in Arabic with clear expression so that they would believe in it and not waver because of not understanding its message. Had We revealed it to some foreigners in a foreign language, then they [the Arabs] would not believe in it, but would reject it due to not understanding its message.
Therefore, what is meant by “its revelation to a foreigner” is its revelation in a foreign language. These two verses and the next are similar in meaning to: And if We had made it a Quran in a foreign tongue, they would certainly have said: Why have not its communications been made clear? What! A foreign (tongue) and an Arab! Say: It is to those who believe a guidance and a healing; and (as for) those who do not believe, there is a heaviness in their ears and it is obscure to them ().
One exegete has interpreted the verse as follows:
Had We revealed this Qur’an with the same miraculous and fluent Arabic language to a non-Arab who could not speak Arabic, and then he recited it to them in Arabic correctly as a miracle, then they would still not believe in it due to the extent of their enmity and defiance, even though in that case there would have been two miracles: the miracle of the Qur’an that was recited, and the miracle of its reciter. Some exegetes have said, “It means that if We had revealed it to some non-Arabs in a foreign language and he had recited it to them, they would not believe in it.” However, this interpretation is not correct because it is inconsistent with the purpose of explaining the extent of their enmity and defiance.
The problem with the above is that these two verses connect and match more directly and apparently with the verse, “in plain Arabic language” () than with the context of mentioning their persistent denial and rejection. We already explained this connection above.
An objection that can be raised against our interpretation is that the pronoun “it” in “And if We had revealed it to any of the foreigners” () refers to this Qur’an which is Arabic. Hence, if the verse means revelation of the Qur’an in a foreign language, then it would be saying “Had we revealed an Arabic text in a foreign language,” which does not make sense.
The answer to this objection is that what is meant here is similar to: Surely We have made it an Arabic Quran that you may understand (). If we interpret Qur’an here as an Arabic scripture, then the verse would be saying: “We have made an Arabic text Arabic,” which does not make sense. However, both verse refer to al-qurʾān in its literal sense: “a book that is recited” [not the Qur’an specifically, which is an Arabic book].
كَذلِكَ سَلَكْناهُ فِي قُلُوبِ الْمُجْرِمِينَ ٢٠٠
(26:200) Thus (kadhālika) have We caused it to enter (salaknāhu, from sulūk) into the hearts of the guilty.
“Thus” (kadhālika) refers to the position of the Qur’an in the sight of the polytheists. The previous verses said that they are averse to it and do not believe in it even though it is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds, it is in plain Arabic as opposed to a foreign language, it is mentioned in the previous scriptures, and it is known to Jewish scholars.
Sulūk means “causing something to enter a path and traverse it.” “The guilty” denotes unbelievers and the polytheists. They are described as “the guilty” in order to show the reason for what is said here: “We caused it to enter their hearts while it was detested and loathed by them because they are guilty.” In other words, this is a divine punishment by which God has requited their guilt. This expression also generalizes the verse to include others because the cause [that is, being guilty] is not limited to those at that time.
The implied meaning is: We cause the Qur’an to enter and penetrate the hearts of these polytheists in a way that they turn away from it and disbelieve in it as a punishment for their guilt, and thus shall be the case of every guilty person.
Some exegetes have said: “Thus” refers to the abovementioned attributes of the Qur’an. The meaning is: “We cause the Qur’an to enter and penetrate the hearts of the guilty with the qualities that We mentioned for it.” In other words, they will realize that this is a heavenly Book with a miraculous flow that is beyond human capacity; that the scriptures of the ancients bore the good news of it; and that Jewish scholars knew about it. This will complete the proof against them.
However, this interpretation is not likely given the context.
Another suggested interpretation is: The pronoun “it” in “Thus have We caused it to enter” () refers to the rejection and denial of the Qur’an, which was implied in the previous verse: “they would not have believed therein” ().
This view, offered in al-Kashshāf, is close to our interpretation above, but our interpretation is more precise and refined.
Based on what we said, what is meant by “the guilty” is the polytheists in Mecca, although the verse is generalizable to others because guild is a universal quality. One exegete has said: What is meant by “the guilty” is polytheists of elsewhere and later times, and the meaning is: We will cause it to enter the hearts of other guilty individuals just as We have caused it to enter the hearts of the polytheists of Mecca.
Perhaps what has led this exegete to this interpretation is that otherwise the two sides of the analogy would be the same, while in an analogy one thing should be compared to another. That is why he has interpreted “Thus” (kadhālika) as “how the Qur’an has been caused to enter the hearts of the Meccan polytheists,” making it the basis of the analogy or what is being compared to (mushabbahun bihi). Then the case of other polytheists is being compared (mushabbah) with them. However, normally, the individual members of a universal are compared with the universal in order to show that what applies to that universal concept also applies to every member of it.
This brings up another possibility: What is meant by “the guilty” is both the Meccan polytheists and other polytheists, which means that the article al- (lit. “the”) is not a definite one. Perhaps the first meaning is more plausible in this context.
لا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ حَتَّى يَرَوُا الْعَذابَ الْأَلِيمَ ٢٠١ فَيَأْتِيَهُمْ بَغْتَةً وَ هُمْ لا يَشْعُرُونَ ٢٠٢ فَيَقُولُوا هَلْ نَحْنُ مُنْظَرُونَ ٢٠٣
(26:201-203) They will not believe in it until they see the painful punishment. And it shall come to them all of a sudden, while they shall not perceive; Then they will say: Shall we be respited?
These verses are an elaboration and exposition of “Thus have We caused it to enter…” (). This is based on the first and third interpretations discussed above. As with the second interpretation, these verses would be a new discussion that is not linked to the previous verse.
…until they see the painful punishment: That is: Until they see the painful punishment that will make them believe out of compulsion and necessity, which is not beneficial. Apparently “painful punishment” means what they will see at the time of death. Some exegetes have given the possibility that it refers to the slaughter that will afflict them on the Day of Badr. However, this does not agree with the inclusion of all polytheists [that is, “the guilty”] under the universality of the statement in the last verse [].
And it shall come to them all of a sudden, while they shall not perceive: This is like an interpretation and clarification for what was said above: until they see the painful punishment (). Otherwise, if the punishment does not come to them suddenly and they know about its coming beforehand, they would prepare for it and believe voluntarily before they are forced to believe.
Then they will say: Shall we be respited? This is an expression of regret by them.
أَ فَبِعَذابِنا يَسْتَعْجِلُونَ ٢٠٤
(26:204) What! do they still seek to hasten on Our punishment?
This is a threat and rebuke.
أَ فَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ مَتَّعْناهُمْ سِنِينَ ٢٠٥
(26:205-207) Have you then considered if We let them enjoy themselves for years, Then there comes to them that with which they are threatened, That which they were made to enjoy shall not avail them?
These verses are connected to: Then they will say: Shall we be respited? (). The gist of the verse is: Their desire for respite and deferral is a desire for something that does not benefit them and will be of no avail to them even if it were to be granted and what they wished were to happen. This is because their enjoyment for a short or a long period of time will not remove the eternal punishment that has become due for them.
Have you then considered if We let them enjoy themselves for years: That is, a few years that are bound to end.
Then there comes to them that with which they are threatened: That is, the punishment comes to them after the years of respite and postponement.
That which they were made to enjoy: Meaning, their enjoyment for a limited time—shall not avail them.
وَ ما أَهْلَكْنا مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ إِلاَّ لَها مُنْذِرُونَ ٢٠٨ ذِكْرى وَ ما كُنَّا ظالِمِينَ ٢٠٩
(26:208-209) And We did not destroy any town but it had (its) warners (mundhirūn), To remind (them), and We have not been unjust.
It is most pertinent to say that “it had warners” describes the state of “any town” [upon being destroyed], and “to remind” describes the state of “warners” [in their mission to the towns]. The latter could also be the object and action that the “warners” did, because “warners” effectively means “reminders” (mudhakkirūn). The meaning of the verse is clear. The exegetes have some unwarranted interpretations here that we shall skip.
…and We have not been unjust (mā kunnā ẓālimīn): The verse does not say, “We did not do them injustice” (mā ẓalamnāhum) but rather says: We have not been unjust. This expression indicates that injustice does not befit God’s position and status (shaʾn). In other words: We are not such that We would ever do injustice; it is never expected of Us to be unjust to them.
This statement justifies the exclusive and restricted sense of what was said before. The implied meaning is: “We did not destroy any town unless it had warners reminding them and therefore fulfilling the argument against them. This is because if We were to destroy them in any other condition, We would have been unjust to them, but it would not befit Us to be unjust to anyone.” Hence, the verse is equivalent in meaning to: Nor do We ever chastise (any people) until We raise a messenger ().
Discourse
The discussion “Discussion about the Negation of Injustice from God” appears here in the printed volume. Read it in the Al-Mizan App.
وَ ما تَنَزَّلَتْ بِهِ الشَّياطِينُ ٢١٠ وَ ما يَنْبَغِي لَهُمْ وَ ما يَسْتَطِيعُونَ ٢١١ إِنَّهُمْ عَنِ السَّمْعِ لَمَعْزُولُونَ ٢١٢
(26:210-212) And the devils (shayāṭīn) have not come down with it. And it behooves them not, and they have not the power to do (it). Most surely they are far removed from hearing it.
These verses turn to answer two claims by the polytheists: (1) there is a jinn who brings these words to Muḥammad; and (2) he is a poet. God first answers the former claim, where he starts by addressing the Prophet and explaining to him that the Qur’an is not a revelation from devils in order to comfort him. Then He turns to his people and explains to them according to their capacity to understand.
And the devils (al-shayāṭīn) have not come down with it: That is: They have not revealed it. This verse is connected to the verse: And most surely this is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds (). As we just said, this verse is addressed to the Prophet, as we can infer from its conclusion further below: So call not upon another god with Allah… (), where God specifically addresses the Prophet, as we shall discuss later.
The reason why this is addressed only to the Prophet and not his people is that it is based on an argument that his people did not accept due to their disbelief. The argument is: Most surely they are far removed from hearing it ().
Shayṭān means “an evil being.” Its plural is shayāṭīn. Here, what is meant by shayāṭīn (devils, “Satans”) is “evil jinn.”
And it behooves (yanbaghī) them not, and they have not the power to do (it): The pronoun “them” refers to the devils. Majmaʿ al-bayān says concerning the word yanbaghī:
In Arabic when someone says, “It behooves (yanbaghī) you to do something” it means that he wants you to do it as a rule of reason. It is derived from bughyah which means ṭalab (demand, want, seeking).
The reason why it does not behoove them to reveal the Qur’an is that they are evil creatures. They do nothing but evil, corruption, and taking falsehood and presenting it in the form of truth in order to mislead others from God’s path with it. But the Qur’an is a true speech which no falsehood can reach. Thus, their satanic nature is not congruous with being the source of sending down the Qur’an to anyone.
…and they have not the power to do (it): That is: They are incapable of sending it down, because it is a heavenly speech that the angels receive from the Lord of Glory and send down by His leave under His watch and protection. He says: for surely He makes a guard to march before him and after him, So that He may know that they have truly delivered the messages of their Lord, and He encompasses what is with them (). The same idea is also seen in the next verse: Most surely they are far removed from hearing it ()
Most surely they are far removed from hearing it: That is: The devils (shayāṭīn) are far removed from hearing the news of the heavens and finding out about what goes on in the exalted assembly. As God has mentioned in a few places in His Book, if they want to eavesdrop on it, they will be targeted with shining flames.
فَلا تَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلهاً آخَرَ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُعَذَّبِينَ ٢١٣
(26:213) So call not upon another god with Allah, lest you be of those who are punished.
This verse is addressed to the Prophet. It forbids him from associating others with God as a conclusion to: And the devils (shayāṭīn) have not come down with it… (). That is: Given that this Qur’an is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds and is not brought down by devils, and given that it prohibits setting partners with God and promises punishment for doing so—you should not associate anyone with God. Otherwise, the punishment promised in it will reach you, and you will be joined with others who are punished.
The fact that he is infallible by divine protection and it is impossible that he would ever commit a sin does not mean that he cannot be prohibited from polytheism either. Just because someone is infallible does not mean that that person cannot receive commands or prohibitions. That person is still subject to injunctions and duties as a human being who has the choice to act or abstain. In and of itself, it is perceivable that the person could either obey or disobey. There are many verses in the Qur’an about injunctions given to the prophets. For example He says about all prophets: And if they had set up others (with Him), certainly what they did would have become ineffectual for them (), and He says about the Prophet [Muḥammad]: Surely if you associate (with Allah), your work would certainly come to naught (). Both verses involve prohibitions.
Some thinkers have said that injunctions are made in order to perfect the individual; hence they are not applicable once perfection is realized and the person reaches that point, for that would mean actualization of the actualized [which is a logical contradiction]. However, this is a mistake, because the righteous deeds that are enacted by injunctions are the effects of the desired perfection in the person. Just as one is supposed to acquire spiritual perfection by struggling to abide by its necessities and refrain from its opposites, one must then maintain that perfection by maintaining the same injunctions. As long someone is a human being living on the earth, he has no alternative but to bear the load of injunctions and duties. We have already discussed this matter in some of our previous discussions.
وَ أَنْذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الْأَقْرَبِينَ ٢١٤
(26:214) And warn your nearest relations (ʿashīrataka al-aqrabīn).
Majmaʿ al-bayān says, “One’s ʿashīrah is his kin. They are called ʿashīrah because he associates with them (yuʿāshiruhum) and they associate with him (yuʿāshirūnahu).”
Key Debate: “Warn Your Nearest Relations” →
The verse specifically mentions his nearest kin and relatives right after forbidding and warning himself against polytheism. This is meant to show that there is no exception, favoritism or bending the rules in the religious call, as opposed to what is commonly found in royal relations. It shows that there is no difference in the application of warning between the Prophet and his nation, and between his near kin and strangers. They are all God’s servants and He is their Master.
وَ اخْفِضْ جَناحَكَ لِمَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٢١٥
(26:215) And lower your wings for the believers who follow you.
That is: Engage yourself with those who believe in you, gather them and join them with yourself with mercy and compassion, just as a bird gathers its chicks around itself by lowering and spreading its wings upon them. This is an indirect expression in the form of a metaphor which we discussed above, where He says: And lower your wings for the believers ().
“Following” here means obedience, based on the next verse:
فَإِنْ عَصَوْكَ فَقُلْ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ ٢١٦
(26:216) But if they disobey you, then say: Surely I am clear of what you do.
The gist of these two verses [216 & 217] is: If they believe in you and follow you, then gather them around yourself by mercy and teach them; but if they disobey you, then dissociate yourself from their actions.
وَ تَوَكَّلْ عَلَى الْعَزِيزِ الرَّحِيمِ ٢١٧
(26:217) And rely on the Mighty, the Merciful.
That is: You are only responsible for what We have made incumbent on you, not for whether or not they obey. It is all up to God to decide about their case. He will punish the sinners according to His might, and He will save the obedient believers according to His mercy.
Mentioning the two names—the Mighty, the Merciful—is evocative of the previous stories which ended by these two noble names one after another. This effectively means: In the case of the sinners and their followers, you should rely on God, for He is the Mighty, the Merciful, Who did what He did to the people of Noah, Hūd, Ṣāliḥ, Abraham, Lot and Shuʿayb, as well as Pharaoh’s tribe, as We recounted for you. Their stories show that His custom is to overtake the sinners and save the believers.
الَّذِي يَراكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ ٢١٨ وَ تَقَلُّبَكَ فِي السَّاجِدِينَ ٢١٩
(26:218-219) Who sees you when you stand up. And your movement among those who prostrate themselves [before Allah].
The apparent meaning that comes to mind first is that “those who prostrate themselves” are the believers in the state of prostration in prayer, while the Messenger of God is among them as they pray in congregation. Then, by contradistinction, “standing up” refers to the state of standing in prayer. The implied meaning is: He is the One Who sees you when you are in the states of standing and prostration. You are under His eye when you pray with the believers—when you stand and prostrate with those who prostrate themselves.
There are some narrations about these verses through Shia and Sunni chains that we shall discuss in the section on the narrations (below), by God’s will.
إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ ٢٢٠
(26:220) Surely He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
This is an explanation for: And rely on the Mighty, the Merciful ().
Based on our explanations, the above verses comfort the Prophet, promise salvation for the believers, and promise punishment for the unbelievers.
هَلْ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ عَلى مَنْ تَنَزَّلُ الشَّياطِينُ ٢٢١ تَنَزَّلُ عَلى كُلِّ أَفَّاكٍ أَثِيمٍ ٢٢٢ يُلْقُونَ السَّمْعَ وَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ كاذِبُونَ ٢٢٣
(26:221-223) Shall I inform you (of him) upon whom the devils (shayāṭīn) descend? They descend upon every lying, sinful one, They cast their hearing, and most of them are liars.
These verses identify those on whom the devils descend by describing their specific traits in order to show that the Prophet is not one of them and that the Qur’an was not inspired by the devils. This is addressed to the polytheists.
Shall I inform you (of him) upon whom the devils (shayāṭīn) descend? The verse is effectively saying: Should I introduce to you those whom the devils among jinn descend upon with news [from the unseen]?
They descend upon every lying, sinful one (affākin athīmin): Majmaʿ al-bayān says:
Affāk means “liar” (kadhdhāb). The root meaning of ifk is “to turn upside down” [as in forging and faking]. Affāk is one who frequently turns news from truth to falsehood.
Athīm means “evil-doer.” Athima, yaʾthamu, ithman is used when one commits an evil deed. Taʾaththama means “to forsake ithm (evil, sin).”
The devils have no job but to show falsehood in the form of the truth and to adorn evil with a beautiful appearance. Thus they only descend on one who is [also] a sinful liar.
They cast their hearing (al-samʿ): Apparently the pronouns “they,” “their” and “them” refer to the devils. Samʿ is an infinitive [that is, to hear] that here means the object of hearing (masmūʿ: that which is heard). It refers to what the devils hear of the news of the heavens, although it is incomplete because they are prevented from eavesdropping and are shot with shining flames. Thus, whatever they eavesdrop would be imperfect and incomplete. That is why there are a lot of lies in it.
…and most of them are liars: That is: Most devils are liars and do not ever tell the truth. This meaning is based on interpreting “most of them” as “most of their persons.” It could also mean “most of their revelations.” In other words, those of them who bring news [of the unseen] are mostly liars, meaning that their news is mostly lies.
The gist of these three verses is: Since the devils have an evil nature, they only descend on sinful liars, and they are mostly liars in their news. However, the Prophet is not a sinful liar, nor is the speech that is revealed to him a lie or a deviation from the truth. Hence: (1) he is not one of those upon whom the devils descend; (2) the one who descends on him is not a devil; and (3) the Qur’an (lit. “recitation”) that has been revealed to him is not a revelation of the devils.
وَ الشُّعَراءُ يَتَّبِعُهُمُ الْغاوُونَ ٢٢٤ أَ لَمْ تَرَ أَنَّهُمْ فِي كُلِّ وادٍ يَهِيمُونَ ٢٢٥ وَ أَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ ما لا يَفْعَلُونَ ٢٢٦
(26:224-226) And as for the poets, those who go astray (al-ghāwūn, from ghayy) follow them. Do you not see that they wander about bewildered in every valley? And that they say that which they do not do.
These verses answer the polytheists’ accusation that the Prophet was a poet. The Prophet is given this answer after the above verses which answered their claim that the devils have revealed the Qur’an to him.
They used to repeat these two accusations—that there are some jinn who come to him, and that he is a poet—in Mecca before the migration in order to counter his true call. This confirms that these verses were revealed in Mecca, not in Medina as some exegetes have claimed.
Furthermore, these are the concluding verses of the chapter, which ends with: and they who act unjustly shall know to what final place of turning they shall turn back to (). It does not make sense that one of the earliest chapters revealed in Mecca would be left incomplete for so many years and only be completed in Medina. Also, there is no evidence in the next verse [Except those who believe…] that it refers to believing poets after the migration (that is, poet believers in Medina).
Either way, ghayy is the opposite of rushd which means “to arrive at the truth.” Rashīd is one whose only concern is with what is true and real. Ghawī is one who pursues the path of falsehood and deviates from the way of truth. Distortion of the truth and deviation from the reality (ghiwāyah) has a special place in poetics: an art that is based on imagination and giving a real form to something unreal. That is why it is only pursued by a pervert (ghawī) who is fascinated by imaginative allurements and illusory forms that distract one from the truth and avert him from rectitude (rushd). The poets—whose art is based on straying and deviation—are only followed by those who err and go astray. That is the meaning of: And as for the poets, those who go astray follow them ().
Do you not see that they wander about bewildered (yahīmūna) in every valley? And that they say that which they do not do: Hāma, yahīmu, haymānan is used when someone or something keeps pursuing his own way [instead of pursuing the right path]. The bewilderment of the poets in every valley refers to their total freedom in speech without stopping at any limit. Sometimes they praise something that is false and reprehensible as something that is true and commendable. Sometimes they libel something fair as if it is the foulest of things. Sometimes they call people to falsehood and keep people from the truth. This involves deviation from the path of the innate human nature (fiṭrah) which is based on rectitude and which calls to the truth. Similarly, saying what they do not do in practice is a deviation from the path of fiṭrah.
The gist of these three verses is: The Prophet is not a poet because the poets are followed by those who are astray, for their art is founded on error as opposed to rectitude. On the contrary, his followers follow him in search for rectitude, pursuing the fact of the matter, and seeking the truth, for the speech that he has brought [that is, the Qur’an] is a call to the truth and rectitude, not a call to falsehood or error.
إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ وَ ذَكَرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيراً وَ انْتَصَرُوا مِنْ بَعْدِ ما ظُلِمُوا وَ سَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنْقَلَبٍ يَنْقَلِبُونَ ٢٢٧
(26:227) Except those who believe and do good and remember Allah much, and defend themselves after they are oppressed; and they who act unjustly shall know to what final place of turning they shall turn back to.
The exception here applies to the poets who were criticized above, and it excepts poets who are believers. Belief and good deeds will naturally stop one from leaving the truth and following falsehood. Frequent remembrance of God makes one mindful of Him, turning to the truth that He pleases and away from the falsehood that He does not approve of engaging in. That is why what was said about the previous group of poets does not apply to them.
This explanation clarifies why the exemption is qualified by faith and doing good, and then complemented by: and remember Allah much ().
…and defend themselves (intaṣarū, from intiṣār) after they are oppressed: Intiṣār means intiqām (vengeance, revenge). According to some exegetes, it refers to the poems that Muslim believers composed in response to the polytheists who had composed poems insulting the Prophet (s.a.w), attacking the religion, and expressing how they despised Islam and Muslims. This is a good interpretation, and it is supported by the current context.
…and they who act unjustly shall know to what final place of turning they shall turn back to (munqalabin yanqalibūna): Munqalab is a locative noun or an infinitive. The meaning is: Those who act unjustly—that is, the polytheists, as it is understood from the context—will soon know the place of turning and recourse where they will return and end, which shall be the Fire. Alternatively [if munqalab is an infinitive] it means: They will soon know what kind of turning they will have.
This is a threat to the polytheists. It also makes a connection between the end of the chapter and its beginning where He says: So they have indeed rejected (the truth); therefore, the news of that which they mock shall soon come to them ().
Examining Narrations
It is narrated from either of the two [Imams al-Bāqir or al-Ṣādiq] upon being asked about “in plain Arabic language” (): It [Arabic] can express the other languages, but the other languages cannot express it.
Concerning “And if We had revealed it to any of the foreigners…” (), Imam al-Ṣādiq said: Had the Qur’an been revealed to non-Arabs, the Arabs would not believe in it, but now that it has been revealed to Arabs, the non-Arabs have believed in it. This is the merit of non-Arabs.
Imam al-Ṣādiq said: The Messenger of God saw in a dream that the Umayyads had climbed on his pulpit and were misleading the people backwards from the straight path. He woke up extremely grieved and distressed…
Then Gabriel descended and said, “O Messenger of God! Why do I see you so grieved and distressed?” He answered, “O Gabriel! Last night I dreamt that the Ummayads were climbing on my pulpit after me and misleading the people backwards from the straight path.” Gabriel said, “By the One Who has truly appointed you as a prophet, I am not aware of this.” Then he [Gabriel] ascended to the heaven and it was not long before he came down to him [the Prophet] with some verses of the Qur’an to comfort him. He said: Have you then considered if We let them enjoy themselves for years, then there comes to them that with which they are threatened, that which they were made to enjoy shall not avail them? (). He also revealed to him: Surely We revealed it on the Night of Ordainment. And what will make you comprehend what the Night of Ordainment? The Night of Ordainment is better than a thousand months (). God has made the Night of Ordainment better for His Prophet than the thousand months of the Umayyad reign.
- Ibn Abī Ḥātim, from Abū Jahḍam said: Once the Prophet looked as if he was helpless and perplexed. When they [his Companions] asked about it he said, “Why not, when I have dreamt that my enemy will take control of my nation after me?” Then these verses were revealed, and thus he was appeased: Have you then considered if We let them enjoy themselves for years, then there comes to them that with which they are threatened, that which they were made to enjoy shall not avail them? ().
Author’s comment: “Why not, when I have dreamt…” involves an implied omission, such as “Why should I not be like this when I have dreamt?”
Abū Hurayrah said: When the verse, “And warn your nearest relations” () was revealed, the Messenger of God started calling the Quraysh (to his message). He called them both generally and specifically, whereby he said: “O community of Quraysh, save yourselves from the Fire, for indeed your harm and benefit are not in my hands. O descendants of Kaʿb ibn Luʾayy, save yourselves from the Fire, for indeed your harm and benefit are not in my hands. O descendants of Quṣayy, save yourselves from the Fire, for indeed your harm and benefit are not in my hands. O descendants of ʿAbd Manāf, save yourselves from the Fire, for indeed your harm and benefit are not in my hands. O descendants of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, save yourselves from the Fire, for indeed your harm and benefit are not in my hands. O Fāṭimah, daughter of Muḥammad, save yourself from the Fire, for indeed your harm and benefit are not in my hands. Lo! You indeed have a right of kinship [over me] and soon I shall fulfill its due right.”
Ibn ʿAbbās said: When “And warn your nearest relations” () was revealed, he [the Prophet] started calling them tribe by tribe.
Ibn ʿAbbās said: When “And warn your nearest relations” ()—and the chosen ones among your kin—was revealed, the Prophet went out and climbed Mount al-Ṣafā. Then he cried out: “Yā ṣabāḥāh!” The people asked each other, “Who is it that is calling out?” They were told, “It is Muḥammad.” So they all gathered around him, and if someone could not come, they sent someone else to see what was happening.
The Quraysh—including Abū Lahab—came and he said, “Would you accept it from me if I told you that there is an army in this valley [behind the mountain] that wants to raid you?” They said, “Of course. We have not seen anything but honesty from you.” He said, “So now be informed that I am a warner to you before a severe chastisement.” At that point Abū Lahab said, “May perdition overtake the rest of your day! Is that why you gathered us here?” That is when it was revealed: Perdition overtake both hands of Abū Lahab, and he will perish ().
- Abū Amāmah said: When “And warn your nearest relations” () was revealed, the Messenger of God gathered Banū Hāshim and had them in front of his house, and he gathered his womenfolk and had them sit inside the house. He then rose among them and said, “O children of Hāshim! Secure yourselves from the Fire, strive to free yourselves, and obtain this from God by submitting yourselves [to Him], for indeed I do not control anything for you against God.”
He then turned to his household and said, “O ʿĀʾishah daughter of Abū Bakr! O Ḥafṣah daughter of ʿUmar! O Umm Salamah! O Fāṭimah daughter of Muḥammad! O Umm Zubayr, the aunt of God’s Messenger! Secure yourselves from God and strive to free yourselves, for indeed I do not control anything for you against God and cannot avail you…”
Author’s comment: There are other narrations similar to the above. In some of them he specifically addressed his warning to the children of ʿAbd Manāf, which would include both Banū Umayyah and Banū Hāshim.
The first three narrations above do not match the verse because they pertain to warning the Quraysh in general while the verse explicitly says “warn your nearest relations” (), which would be either the children of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib or the children of Hāshim. The second narration is least compatible with the verse because it says: “He started calling them tribe by tribe.”
Furthermore, as we said above, what is meant by the verse is that their close relationship with the Prophet does not mean that they do not need to fear God (that is, to have taqwā). The narrations refer to this idea where they say, “I cannot avail you anything against God.” This idea does not comply with the call being a public one that includes other than his near kin.
Concerning the fourth narration, it should be noted that the verse “And warn your nearest relations” () is a Meccan verse in a Meccan chapter. No one has claimed that this verse was revealed in Medina. Where were ʿĀʾishah, Ḥafṣah and Umm Salamah when this verse was revealed? The Prophet only married them in Medina?
Thus, what is reliable in the above narrations is that he specifically called Banū Hāshim or Banū ʿAbd Muṭṭalib when this verse was revealed. It is surprising that, after quoting these narrations, al-Ālūsī says, “If these narrations are all authenticated, then we should accept all of them by saying that there were multiple sessions and missions of warning.”
- Barāʾ b. ʿĀzib said: When this verse was revealed, the Messenger of God gathered the descendants of ʿAbd al- Muṭṭalib. They were forty men at the time, each of whom would eat a whole platter and drink a large basin. He ordered ʿAlī to get a sheep leg and make stew with it. He then told them, “Sit and eat, in the name of God!” They came and sat in groups of ten and ate up to satiation. He then called for a container of milk, drank a few sips from it, and told them, “Drink, in the name of God!” They all drank to satiation. Then Abū Lahab jumped in and said, “This is how this man is bewitching you.” Thus he remained silent on that day and did not say anything.
The next day he called them again to a similar feast of food and drink. Then the Messenger of God warned them and said, “O children of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib! Indeed I am a warner for you from God. Submit and follow me that you may be guided.”
He then added, “Now, who will accept to be a brother to me in this, to help me with this load, to be my heir and successor, to be my deputy over my household, and to pay my debts after me?” Everyone remained silent. He repeated this three times and every time they remained silent except for ʿAlī who said the third time, “I will.” Then the people got up to leave while they were telling Abū Ṭālib, “You should obey your son now, because he has been given authority over you!”
Al-Suyūṭī narrates a similar hadith to the previous account (from Barāʾ) through various chains from ʿAlī where he says: Then the Prophet said, “O children of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib! By God I do not know any of the Arabs who brought for their tribe anything better than what I have brought for you. Indeed I have brought to you the good of this world and the hereafter, and God has commanded me to call you to it. Now, which one of you would help me in this mission of mine?” I said, although I was the youngest of them, “I would!” Then they got up to leave while they were laughing [in derision].
Al-Ṭabrisī says [in Majmaʿ al-bayān]: This story has been narrated from Abū Rāfiʿ. In his account it says: He gathered them in the Shiʿb [of Abū Ṭālib in Mecca] and cooked a sheep leg for them, which they ate from to satiation. And he gave them a basin [of milk] to drink from and they all drank up to satiation.
Then he said, “Indeed God has commanded me to warn my relatives and kin. Indeed, every prophet that God has sent appointed someone from his family to be his brother, vizier, inheritor, successor and deputy in his family. Which one of you people would pledge allegiance to me to be my brother, inheritor, vizier and successor, and that your position to me would be like Aaron’s position to Moses?”
ʿAlī said, “I would.”
The Prophet told him, “Come here,” where he opened his mouth and placed some of his saliva in his [ʿAlī’s] mouth and also rubbed it between his shoulders and on his chest.
Abū Lahab said, “Such a bad reward that you have given your cousin for responding to your call. You have filled his mouth and face with your spittle!”
He said, “I filled him with wisdom and knowledge.”
- ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib said: When the verse “And warn your nearest relations” ()—that is, “the chosen ones among your kin”—was revealed, the Messenger of God summoned the descendants of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, who were at the time more or less forty men. He told them, “Which one of you will be my brother, inheritor, my vizier, my successor and my deputy among you after me?” He offered this to each of them one by one, but they all declined, until he reached me. There I said, “I will, O Messenger of God.”
So he said, “O children of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib! This is my inheritor, vizier and deputy among you after me.” They got up laughing to each other and telling Abū Ṭālib: “He just ordered you to listen to and obey this boy!”
Author’s comment: It can be deduced from “that is, the chosen ones among your kin” that the alternative recitation of the verse as “And warn your nearest relations and the chosen ones among your kin” which has been attributed to the Ahl al-Bayt is an interpretation of the verse [not an alternative recitation]. The same recitation has been attributed to the Qur’an of Ubayy b. Kaʿb.
Concerning verse (And your movement among those who prostrate themselves), Majmaʿ al-bayān says: This has been interpreted as “the transmission of your seed through the chain of the monotheists who prostrate”; that is, from one prophet to the next, until He brought you out as a prophet. This has been narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās by ʿAṭāʾ and ʿIkrimah.
It is also narrated from Imams al-Bāqir and al-Ṣādiq: [It means] the loins of prophets, one prophet after another, until He brought him out from the loin of his father, all through marriage and without any taint of adultery since Adam.
Author’s comment: This has been narrated from other Shia narrators as well. It has also been reported in al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Abī Ḥātim, Ibn Mardawayh, Abū Nuʿaym and others, from Ibn ʿAbbās and others.
- Imam al-Bāqir said: The Messenger of God said, “Do not raise [your heads from prostration and/or bow] before I do, and do not place [your heads on the ground in prostration] before I do, for indeed I see you from my back just as I see you from my front.” Then he recited this verse [].
Author’s comment: What is meant here is raising the forehead from the earth and placing it on the earth in prostration. This has also been reported in al-Durr al-manthūr, from Ibn ʿAbbās and others.
- Abū Saʿīd said: We were traveling with the Messenger of God when a poet came up to us singing a poem. The Prophet said to us, “It is better if you fill your belly [that is, inside, heart] with pus than filling it with poetry.”
Author’s comment: This has also been reported through Shia chains, from Imam al-Ṣādiq, from the Prophet.
- Tafsīr al-Qummī says [concerning verses ]: They admonish the people but do not observe admonition themselves. They forbid evil but they do not refrain from it themselves. They enjoin good but they do not do it themselves. They are those whom God has described: Do you not see that they wander about bewildered in every valley? (). That is, they go in every way.
And that they say that which they do not do (): They are those who usurped the right of Muḥammad’s family.
- [Imam] al-Ṣādiq was once asked about God’s words: And as for the poets, those who go astray follow them (). He said: “These are the storytellers.”
Author’s comment: The storytellers are one example and application of the general meaning that we discussed in the exposition of the verse.
- The Prophet said: Indeed there is wisdom in some poetry, and some speech is magic.
Author’s comment: Al-Durr al-manthūr has narrated the first sentence also on the authority of Ibn Abī Shaybah, on the authority of Buraydah and Ibn ʿAbbās, from the Prophet; and on the authority of Ibn Mardawayh, on the authority of Abū Hurayrah, from the Prophet. The words there are: “Indeed some poetry is wisdom.”
Commendable poetry is that which supports the truth, which is not what is being condemned in these verses [].
- Kaʿb b. Mālik once said: “O Messenger of God! What do you say about poets?”
He replied, “Indeed a believer does jihad both by his sword and by his tongue. By the One in Whose hand is my life, [by your true poems] it is as if you shed their blood with arrows.”
After narrating the above, Ṭabrisī adds: The Prophet told Ḥassān b. Thābit: “Speak against them—or speak back against them—and the Holy Spirit will be with you.”
Author’s comment: This has been narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim in their two Ṣaḥīḥs.
- Abū al-Ḥasan Sālim al-Barrād said: When the verses “And as for the poets…” () were revealed, ʿAbd-Allāh b. Rawāḥah, Kaʿb b. Mālik and Ḥassān b. Thābit came to the Prophet weeping. They said, “O Messenger of God! God has revealed this verse, and He knows that we are poets. Are we doomed?”
Then God revealed: Except those who believe and do good (). So the Messenger of God summoned them and recited it for them.
Author’s comment: This narration and narrations similar to it have led some exegetes to hold the view that the five last verses of this chapter were revealed in Medina, but we already discussed its implausibility in our exposition.
- Imam al-Ṣādiq said: Among the most difficult of what God has made obligatory upon His creatures is to remember God much.
Then he added: I do not mean saying “Glory be to God; praise belongs to God; there is no god but God; and God is the Greatest,” although these are also part of it, but what I mean is remembering God when one comes across what He has made lawful or unlawful, then doing it if it is an act of obedience, and refraining from it if it is an act of disobedience.
Author’s comment: This confirms what we said in the exposition of the verse.
Rūḥ al-Qudus literally means “the spirit of sanctity” or “the spirit of holiness” but it is commonly translated as “the Holy Spirit.” (Trans.) ↩︎
Under verses and . (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, revelation was nevertheless a physical descent and encounter, but the verse says “heart” in order to refer to the Prophet’s receptive aspect as opposed to his imparting and transmitting aspect. (Trans.) ↩︎
The omitted letter yāʾ would be stressed, which makes two omitted yāʾ letters, as al-Rāghib says. (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, aʿjamīn in this verse is the plural of aʿjam, which means “one who has some ambiguity and unclearness in his speech.” This is more often than not the case of foreigners and non-Arabs, whether they speak their own language or Arabic. It is not the plural of aʿjamī in this verse, unlike al-Rāghib’s view. (Trans.) ↩︎
Jewish here means Israelite in general, not Jews specifically as opposed to Christians. (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, the guilty polytheists of Mecca are a subcategory of all guilty people, and the verse is saying that their rejection of the Qur’an is because they are characterized by guilt. Hence, even though the author’s interpretation involves the identicalness of the two sides of analogy, it is not redundant because it serves to emphasize their guilt as the cause of their rejection. (Trans.) ↩︎
The article al- in this case would indicate genus (jins). Thus, al-mujrimīn would not mean “the guilty ones that were mentioned,” but it would mean “all guilty individuals.” (Trans.) ↩︎
The second view was the interpretation of “thus” (kadhālika) as the rejection of the Meccan polytheists and the rest of the verse as the rejection of other polytheists. The reason why this interpretation would be disconnected from the following verses is that it is a complete meaning in itself, as opposed to the other views where “thus” is not clarified or elaborated and hence the following verses serve to explain it. (Trans.) ↩︎
The meaning is: We did not destroy any town unless it had received warners who were reminders—or warners who warned them by means of reminders. (Trans.) ↩︎
Affāk and kadhdhāb are both in the form of faʿʿāl which is an exaggerated form showing breadth, stability and strength. (Trans.) ↩︎
An alternative meaning that most English translators have chosen is: “They give ear, but most of them are liars.” Therefore, the first part refers to their eavesdropping (, , ). (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of al-Ḥajjāl, from someone that he mentioned. ↩︎
Tafsīr al-Qummī. ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of ʿAlī b. ʿĪsā al-Qammāṭ. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Aḥmad, ʿAbd b. Ḥamīd, al-Bukhārī, Muslim, al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abī Ḥātim, Ibn Mardawayh and al-Bayhaqī’s Shuʿab al-Īmān and al-Dalāʾil. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of ʿAbd b. Ḥamīd and Ibn Mardawayh. ↩︎
This is an expression of warning to prepare for an attack by enemies. Plunderers usually used to raid in the mornings. Also, when there was a war they used to stop fighting at night and resume in the morning. Therefore, yā ṣabāḥāhu (lit. “Lo! The morning has arrived”) effectively means “watch out for the enemy.” See Ibn Manẓūr, Lisān al-ʿArab, under ṣ-b-ḥ. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Saʿīd b. Manṣūr, al-Bukhārī, Ibn Mardawayh, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn Abī Ḥātim. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of al-Ṭabarānī and Ibn Mardawayh. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority of Tafsīr al-Thaʿlabī, via its chain of narration. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn Abī Ḥātim, Ibn Mardawayh, Abū Nuʿaym and al-Bayhaqī’s al-Dalāʾil. ↩︎
ʿIlal al-sharāʾiʿ, via its chain of narration, on the authority of ʿAbd-Allāh b. al-Ḥārith b. Nūfil. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority of Jābir. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Abī Shaybah and Aḥmad. ↩︎
Al-Ṣadūq’s al-Iʿtiqādāt. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Abī Shaybah, on the authority of Ibn Masʿūd. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority of al-Zuhrī. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Abī Shaybah, ʿAbd ibn Ḥamīd, Abū Dāwūd’s Nāsikh, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abī Ḥātim, and Ibn Mardawayh. ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Abū ʿUbaydah. ↩︎