Chapter 9: The Holy Qur’an
Compilation and Arrangement of the Qur’an
426. Were the dots over and beneath the letters of the Arabic alphabet marked at the time of the Noble Prophet?
Answer: In the time of the Noble Prophet and for two centuries after his demise, copies of the Qur’an were written in the Kufi script, where dots and vocalizations were not marked. It was in the late first century AH (7th century CE) that Abū al-Aswad al-Duʾalī, in consultation with Imam ʿAlī, began to work on Arabic syntax. Then it was the Umayyad Caliph ʿAbd al-Malik [d. 86 AH, 705 CE] who issued orders to mark the dots and vocalizations in transcribing copies of the Qur’an. Later on, Khalīl b. Aḥmad al-Naḥwī (the Syntactician) [d. 175 AH, 791 CE] introduced marks for the vocalization of the Qur’an, and such impediments to the correct reading of the Qur’an were totally removed.
427. How many verses are in the Qur’an?
Answer: The total number of Qur’anic verses varies from 6,200 to 6,300 to 6,400, and ultimately up to 6,600, depending on the different recitations that are narrated. This is concerning the extant narration of the Qur’an, which is narrated from Imam ʿAlī. Sībawayh (Sībūyah), the Syntactician, was also an expert in this respect.
428. Was the Qur’an collected at the time of the Noble Prophet in one complete copy?
Answer: No. The verses of the Qur’an were recorded gradually as they were revealed, on tablets, bones of camel’s shoulder, palm leaves, and so on. Those who used to memorize the Qur’an, recite it, and record it, were called qurrāʾ (reciters).
One year after the demise of God’s Messenger, seventy reciters fell at the Battle of Yamāmah against Musaylimah al-Kadhdhāb. As a consequence, ʿUmar voiced his concern before Abū Bakr that should there be another battle, the other reciters may also lose their lives and the Qur’an would thus disappear. The first caliph [Abū Bakr] ordered a team of 25 reciters—headed by Zayd b. Thābit and including other scribes of divine revelation from the Muhājirūn (Meccan Immigrants) and Anṣār (Medinite Supporters)—to collect the copies of the Qur’an. They compiled the verses which were written on tablets, bones, and palm leaves, and which were kept at the house of the Noble Prophet and the reciters among his Companions. These were gathered in a single volume. Then copies were transcribed from that, and were sent to different Muslim cities. This was Abū Bakr’s Qur’an, which was used until ʿUthmān’s caliphate.
At the time of ʿUthmān, a disagreement broke concerning Banū Tamīm’s copy of the Qur’an versus another copy. As a consequence, ʿAbd-Allāh b. Masʿūd and some other Companions wrote to ʿUthmān, stating that people’s negligence in transcribing and reading the Qur’an has led to discrepancy, and in case this continues, the Book of God will be subject to distortions and alterations.
Therefore, ʿUthmān ordered all copies of the Qur’an to be collected from all Muslim cities. They piled them up and set them on fire on the order of the third caliph. Then, he ordered that Abū Bakr’s copy (which had been kept by Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, and then himself) be taken on loan and given to five reciters, one of whom was Zayd b. Thābit, to make seven copies. He had these copies sent to seven places (Mecca, Medina, Egypt, Kufah, Basra, Bahrain, and Yemen). As a result, the Qur’an available to us is the one copied from ʿUthmān’s Qur’an.
Then, the system of the reciters came along, where the number of the verses depends on their narration. One of these reciters was ʿĀṣim al-Kūfī, who learnt reading the Qur’an from Imam ʿAlī. Our present copy of the Qur’an is according to his reading.
429. Given that our current Qur’an was transcribed from Uthmān’s Qur’an, which was itself transcribed from Abū Bakr’s Qur’an, was it approved by Imam ʿAlī and the other imams?
Answer: Following the demise of the Prophet, Imam ʿAlī stayed at home for six months and arranged the Qur’an according to the chronological sequence of its revelation. He carried it on a camel’s back and presented it to the people [at the Prophet’s Mosque], but they refused to accept it. Nevertheless, he accepted the validity of their Qur’an and never showed any protest against it, even during his own caliphate.
The commonly used arrangement was also accepted by the other imams, who used to quote its verses and chapters. They did not utter any objection as to its arrangement even in their private meetings with their close companions. Instead, they ordered their followers to follow the common version. Accordingly, the Qur’an, in its present form, has been validated by the Infallible Imams; its validity is beyond doubt.
430. Were the copies of ʿUthmān and Abū Bakr any different?
Answer: The verse Among the faithful are men who fulfill what they have pledged to Allah () had been missing in Abū Bakr’s copy. Then the authenticity of the verse was proven and it was added to ʿUthmān’s copy in Chapter 33 (Sūrah al-Aḥzāb).
431. Is there a narration that outlines the chronological sequence of Qur’anic chapters as they were revealed?
Answer: Suyūṭī has narrated two traditions about the chronological sequence of the Qur’anic chapters in his al-Itqān, but they are inconsistent with each other.
432. Since the Qur’anic verses and chapters are not in the same order as they were revealed, doesn’t it take away the Qur’an’s authority and credibility?
Answer: No, it doesn’t adversely affect the lofty teachings of the Holy Qur’an, as reflected in two traditions narrated from Imam ʿAlī: 1. “Some parts of it [the Qur’an] confirm other parts.” 2. “Some parts of it speak of other parts, and some parts of it testify to other parts.”
433. Were the present titles of the Qur’anic chapters known during the Prophet’s time?
Answer: Each chapter consists of verses sharing one or more particular themes, and its beginning and ending verses are consistent. This indicates that those verses belong to the same chapter. The term sūrah (chapter) is mentioned in the Qur’an; for instance: Then bring a sūrah like it (); [This is] a sūrah which We have sent down ().
Each chapter was formerly known by a word or theme treated there. It was quite common in the older copies of the Qur’an that, for instance, Chapter 2 (al-Baqarah) was titled, “Chapter where reference is made to the cow” (sūrah yudhkaru fīhā al-baqarah). Similarly, Chapter 2 (al-Aʿrāf) was titled “Chapter where reference is made to the heights” (sūrah yudhkaru fīhā al-aʿrāf). Then, frequent usage of these headings came to be used as the titles of the chapters; hence titles like Sūrah al-Baqarah and Sūrah al-Aʿrāf.
It is worthy of note in passing that some chapters—such as Chapters 1, 2, 11, 36 and 56—were commonly referred to by their present titles even during the time of the Prophet. They were called al-Fātiḥah, al-Baqarah, Hūd, Yā-Sīn, and al-Wāqiʿah, respectively. This is also seen in prophetic traditions. However, a number of chapters received their titles following the demise of the Prophet.
434. Are the present titles of the Qur’anic chapters unchangeable [in terms of Islamic law]?
Answer: No, they are not unchangeable.
435. Do Sunni Muslims consider the “In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful” (bism Allāh al-raḥmān al-raḥīm) which appears at the beginning of the chapters to be part of that chapter?
Answer: Suyūṭī was an Ashʿarite, and the Ashʿarites maintain that it is a part of the chapters. He has narrated nine traditions in this regard on the authority of Sunni transmitters of hadith.
436. Is “In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful” a part of the Qur’an?
Answer: Yes, it is a Qur’anic verse, as reported from Imam ʿAlī and ʿUmar. However, it is not considered by the Sunnis as a part of the Qur’an. That is why they do not recite it in their daily prayers.
437. Is it true that divine revelation was interrupted for a few days after the revelation of some chapters like Chapter 96?
Answer: It’s not precisely known [when and how long], but we simply know that divine revelation was interrupted. As a consequence, it was quite hard for the Noble Prophet to forbear the calumnies and sarcastic remarks of his enemies and disbelievers. For instance, they used to mock the Prophet and say, “His Lord has forsaken him” or “You are abandoned by your Lord.” Then, Chapter 93 (Sūrah al-Duḥá) was revealed, saying: Your Lord has not forsaken you ().
438. Was Chapter 9 (al-Barāʾah, al-Tawbah) revealed following the conquest of Mecca in the ninth year AH (630 CE)?
Answer: Yes, it was revealed after the conquest of Mecca.
439. Had Islam been embraced by all people at that time?
Answer: No, not all people had converted to Islam at that time, but Muslims were free to travel to Mecca.
440. Is Chapter 87 (Sūrah al-Aʿlá) among the musabbiḥāt chapters (chapters opening with the glorification of God)?
Answer: Our teacher, the late Sayyid ʿAlī Qāḍī considered it as such, and used to include it in his instructions to his disciples. He considered chapters 57, 59, 61, 62, 64 and 87 to be muṣabbiḥāt. However, Chapter 87 (Sūrah al-Aʿlá) doesn’t seem to belong to the first five. Rather, musabbiḥāt are the only the chapters which start with either sabbaḥa or yusabbiḥu.
Distortion of the Scripture
441. Is the current Qur’an distorted according to the Shia view?
Answer: The Qur’an, in its present form available to the Shias, is the same Qur’an divinely revealed to the Messenger of God. It hasn’t been subject to any kind of distortion or alteration, except that some of the verses revealed in Medina have been included in the chapters revealed in Mecca, and vice versa. The Qur’an in its present form is not arranged according to the chronological sequence in which its verses and chapters were gradually revealed to the Prophet in twenty-three years in various occasions.
The Qur’an, in its present form, opens with lengthier chapters and descends in terms of length towards the shorter ones. However, no part of its content has been distorted or altered. This is mentioned in the verses of the Holy Qur’an, such as: Indeed We have sent down the Reminder, and indeed We will preserve it (); Indeed it is an august Book: falsehood cannot approach it, from before it nor from behind it, a [gradually] sent down [revelation] from One All-Wise, All-Laudable ().
God has preserved the Holy Qur’an from all forms of distortion. The Qur’an that we have today is the same Qur’an that was revealed to the Noble Prophet. It goes without saying that its lofty teachings are neither affected nor distorted by the inclusion of the Medinite verses in Meccan chapters and vice versa.
442. Is there any distortion, misspelling or alteration in the Qur’an?
Answer: The majority of Sunnis and Shias maintain that the Holy Qur’an has not been subject to any form of alteration, but a few Sunnis and Shias believe in the existence of such alterations. I firmly believe that it has not been subject to any alteration, and even a single word revealed to the Noble Prophet has not been changed. If we accept the possibility that even a single change or omission has crept into the Qur’an, then the Book in its entirety will no longer be authoritative. This in turn means that the prophetic traditions should be discarded, where the traditions from the imams would follow suit. The hadiths from the imams have been authorized by the Prophet, and his speech is authoritative because of the truth of the Qur’an. Hence, if there is any chance of change in the Qur’an’s authenticity, the very narrations which talk about distortion in the Qur’an would lose their credibility. In other words, according reliability to such traditions will undermine their own credibility. Hence, the alleged distortion of the Qur’an may not be in the least supported by such traditions.
443. Is everything in the Qur’an among the necessary teachings of Islam (called ḍarūrī and ḍarūriyyat)? If someone, for instance, claims that polygamy is not practical nowadays, has he denied a necessary component of religion? Would he count as a heretic?
Answer: Yes, it would be tantamount to the denial of the Qur’an and apostasy if someone states that some law is applicable in a particular time but not in other times. God says concerning the Qur’an: Falsehood cannot approach it, from before it nor from behind it, a [gradually] sent down [revelation] from One All-Wise, All-Laudable (). It is exhibited in this verse that the laws of the Holy Qur’an are not subject to any alteration or substitution.
444. Is it permissible to follow the undistorted parts of the Torah and the Evangel?
Answer: No, it’s not permissible to follow them because they have been abrogated by the Holy Qur’an.
Understanding and Interpreting the Qur’an
445. What are the requirements for understanding and explaining the Qur’an in such way that one may be assured of its accuracy?
Answer: The Holy Qur’an is a particular dialect of Arabic, and understanding it lies in the appreciation of the dialect and its particular literary excellence. God says: We have made it an Arabic Qur’an so that you may apply reason, and indeed it is with Us in the Mother Book [and it is] surely more sublime and solid (). The verse is saying that the Mother of the Book (umm al-kitāb) is with the Lord, meaning that it’s beyond your understanding. Moreover, in terms of solidity, it’s more exalted than ever being subject to any frailty or falsehood.
446. Is it conceivable that some possible human perfection is not mentioned in the Qur’an?
Answer: Such perfection is indubitably baseless, or it would be found in the Holy Qur’an.
447. Is the Qur’an subject to temporal alterations?
Answer: The Holy Qur’an is always alive and is never abrogated, as reflected in the verse: Falsehood cannot approach it, from before it nor from behind it, a [gradually] sent down [revelation] from One All-Wise, All-Laudable (). This verse indicates that the Holy Qur’an is not subject to abrogation. It is decisive and final, as reflected in the verses: It is indeed a decisive word, and it is not a jest ().
448. Can we infer something from the Qur’an that is contrary to what the imams inferred?
Answer: The correct understanding of the Qur’an is theirs. Should our understanding be inconsistent with theirs, it means that our inference is incorrect.
449. Can we infer a new point from the Qur’an which was not expressed by the imams?
Answer: Their available expositions of the Qur’an are limited. Only some of their interpretations have reached us, but not all. Accordingly, we may understand the Qur’an based on literary and religious standards, and our understanding may be different from, but not inconsistent with, theirs.
450. What proves the iʿjāz (miracle, inimitableness) of the Qur’an?
Answer: The Qur’an’s miracle is proven by its challenges to bring the like of it in terms of linguistic and spiritual qualities. Stylistically, the Holy Qur’an is marked by exquisite Arabic eloquence. The Arabs later lost their eloquent dialect following the Islamic conquests of other lands and the intermingling of Arab and non-Arabs.
451. Is it possible to establish a legal ruling based on shuhūd (spiritual vision, intuition, clairvoyance)?
Answer: Any ruling should be based on some religious proof.
452. What if we have some proof to support it?
Answer: It requires a sound proof.
453. Is the baṭn (inner meaning, hidden layer) of the Qur’an something inferred from the outward aspect of the text (ẓāhir)?
Answer: No, it has nothing to do with the text whatsoever.
454. Does baṭn imply that two meanings have been intended by a single statement?
Answer: The two meanings are longitudinal, rather than latitudinal. For instance, the outward meaning and denotation of the verse, Worship Allah and do not ascribe any partners to Him () is a command to worship God alone, and to avoid idolatry. Then its inward or hidden meaning is to forbid people from turning their attention to anything other than God and forgetting Him. This view is corroborated by the verse: And most of them do not believe in Allah without ascribing partners to Him (). In this verse, God says that the majority of people believe, but He also says that they are polytheists.
455. What is intended by jary wa taṭbīq (conformity and correspondence, permeation and applicability) of the Qur’an?
Answer: It means that the Qur’an proceeds like the sun and the moon; it has many instances where it can be applied to.
456. God describes the Holy Qur’an as follows: We have sent down the Book to you as a clarification of all things (). But how come there are many things that we do not find in the Qur’an?
Answer: We don’t know, but it is there. Everything is in the Qur’an. Not knowing something doesn’t meant that it doesn’t existent.
457. Can you give us an example of something that we see but we don’t understand?
Answer: Examples are used for things that we see and understand! Here we need an example for something that we don’t see or understand.
458. Is this how the Qur’an is to all people, even though it is a clarification for all things ()?
Answer: It’s like codes to everyone except for the Noble Prophet, whom was taught by God. This is particularly applicable to matters which rely on personal view and opinion. It is impermissible to favor a meaning out of personal preference and without clear proof. That would be “interpretation of the Qur’an by personal opinion” (tafsīr bil-raʾy).
459. Is the Tafsīr (commentary, exegesis) attributed to Muḥyī al-Dīn [Ibn ʿArabī] written by him?
Answer: It is commonly held that it is written by ʿAbd al-Razzāq Kāshānī.
taʾwīl
460. What is the difference between tafsīr and taʾwīl?
Answer: Tafsīr, unlike taʾwīl, deals with the semantic aspects of words. Tafsīr is to discuss the text of the verses and discover their meanings. Taʾwīl is commonly used as esoteric connotation; that is, a meaning that is different from the apparent meaning of the text. This common usage, however, is not how the word taʾwīl is used in the Qur’an. Instead, the Qur’anic sense of taʾwīl means the reality from which something originates. It is an external event that indicates something and incorporates its essence in one way or another.
For instance, in the verse, When you measure, observe fully the measure, [and] weigh with an even balance. That is better and fairer in outcome (), measure, balance and weight are realities that indicate a high standard of thought, economy, and social life. These are external realities, not words. Therefore, taʾwīl in this sense is not a meaning that is different from the apparent meaning of the text.
When Prophet Joseph’s parents and brothers prostrated themselves before him, he said: This is the fulfillment of my dream of long ago, which my Lord has made come true (). Their prostrating themselves before him, as an objective reality, had appeared to him in his dream in the form of eleven stars, the sun, and the moon prostrating before him. Then their actual prostration in Egypt was the taʾwīl (that is, fulfillment, realization) of his dream. His dream was not in the verbal or textual form so that its taʾwīl could be defined as a meaning different from the apparent meaning of the text.
Generally speaking, dreams do not consist of words. So talking about their direct versus indirect meaning is totally inapplicable. Taʾwīl of a dream is an objective reality. In his case, it was his parents and brothers prostrating themselves before him, which appeared in a dream in the form of some particular event.
When Khiḍr pierced a hole into a boat, slew a boy, and mended a wall, Prophet Moses protested to him. Then Khiḍr informed him of the reality behind his actions and their objectives as their taʾwīl. He said: I will inform you about the interpretation of that over which you could not maintain patience (); This is the interpretation of that over which you could not maintain patience (). Here again, taʾwīl is used in the sense of the reality and the true goal of some act. That is the essence and spirit of that act which manifests outwardly in the form of the act. This is different from taʾwīl in the sense of an inward or esoteric meaning [of a text].
Accordingly, taʾwīl is used in the Qur’an in the sense of objective realities represented by a dream, an act, or some external event, rather than, as commonly held, a semantic aspect which is different from the apparent text.
461. What is the argument of those who interpret the Qur’an with respect to its taʾwīl (indirect interpretation, esoteric aspect, a meaning different from the apparent meaning of the text)?
Answer: God Almighty says: As for those in whose hearts is deviance, they pursue what is ambiguous in it, courting temptation and courting its interpretation (). Some people, aiming to sow seeds of temptation among Muslims, misrepresent religious realities. For instance, they fail to perform ṣalāh, and when they’re asked why they do not act upon religious obligations, they say, “The important thing is for the heart to be pure. That’s what matters.”
Such failure is basically ignoring and denying the teachings of the Qur’an and the rewards mentioned there for doing good deeds. Their reply is rather an unjustifiable excuse; by reducing everything to the purity of the heart, they pave the way for committing unlawful acts. However, the heart and all other organs are directly interconnected: when the heart happens to be really pure and sincere, all deeds will be pure and sincere, and vice versa. God says: But their hearts had hardened, and Satan had made to seem decorous to them what they had been doing ().
462. Does taʾwīl mean an interpretation that is different from the apparent meaning of the text?
Answer: The Qur’anic usage of taʾwīl is different from its common usage. Taʾwīl in the Qur’an is not something verbal to be spoken and explained, but it is some external reality that occurs. For instance, God says: In the Name of God, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. Ḥā-Mīm. By the Manifest Book: We have made it an Arabic Qur’an so that you may apply reason, and indeed it is with Us in the Mother Book [and it is] surely more sublime and solid (). According to these verses, and indeed it is with Us in the Mother Book [and it is] surely more sublime and solid is the taʾwīl of We have made it an Arabic Qur’an.
Further, Prophet Joseph, in his childhood, saw a dream and recounted it to his father, Prophet Jacob: Father! I saw eleven planets, and the sun and the moon: I saw them prostrating themselves before me (). Forty years later, while Prophet Joseph was reclining on the royal throne and his parents and brothers prostrated themselves before him, he said: Father! This is the fulfillment (taʾwīl) of my dream of long ago, which my Lord has made come true (). This verse indicates that his parents and brothers prostrating themselves before him was the taʾwīl of his dream.
Accordingly, taʾwīl is an objective reality, rather than some esoteric meaning of words. It is worthy of note in passing that the Qur’an includes different layers of meaning. Some narrations say up to seven or seventy layers, each of which consists of an esoteric aspect of meaning. Nevertheless, those meanings which differ from the outward aspect of the text should not be mixed with taʾwīl [in its Qur’anic sense].
463. Based on what was said above, could we say that there’s taʾwīl for everything in the Qur’an?
Answer: Yes, there is taʾwīl for everything in the Qur’an, as reflected in the verse: The day when its [the Qur’an’s] fulfillment (taʾwīl) comes (). This is one of the verses which clarify the meaning of taʾwīl in the Qur’an.
464. Could it be said that those who exercise taʾwīl (esoteric interpretation) somehow derive the meanings from the verses?
Answer: If there’s no evidence for a meaning in the text, then that meaning is baseless and inauthentic.
465. Could it be said that taʾwīl is also a meaning that is implied by the text, except that some people deem it appropriate while others do not?
Answer: Taʾwīl is not a textual interpretation. The examples quoted above—concerning the story of Prophets Joseph, Moses and Khiḍr—are not about decoding the meaning of the words. Rather: This is the fulfillment (taʾwīl) of my dream of long ago, which my Lord has made come true (); This is the interpretation (taʾwīl) of that over which you could not maintain patience ().
466. What is intended by “east” and “west” in the Qur’an?
Answer: “East” refers to Bethlehem (Bayt al-Laḥm) in east Palestine, which was the birthplace of Prophet Jesus. “The western side” refers to the mount (Ṭūr) where God spoke to Prophet Moses. God addresses Prophet Muḥammad: You were not on the western side when We revealed the commandments to Moses ().
467. Could we say that “east” and “west,” as used in the Qur’an, refer to spiritual and physical matters, respectively?
Answer: Such interpretation requires evidence.
468. Do you find it unacceptable?
Answer: We cannot accept something just because it’s been suggested. It must be established [by evidence].
469. Could we say that “east” and “west” refer to the realms of immateriality and matter, respectively? Also, could we say that rūḥ (spirit) refers to Jesus, while nafs (soul) refers to Mary, where Jesus (spirit) was born from Mary (soul)?
Answer: How do you match Jesus with the “spirit” and Mary with the “soul”?
Ambiguous Verses and Abrogation
470. Which Qur’anic verses are mutashābih (ambiguous, metaphorical)?
Answer: Mutashābih verses are verses where there is an intended meaning which is similar (shabīh) to what is intended. For instance: The All-Merciful, Who is established on the Throne (); And your Lord and the angels arrive in ranks ().
471. Do abrogating (nāsikh) and abrogated (mansūkh) verses fall into the category of mutashābih verses?
Answer: Yes.
472. When two verses pertain to the same subject, but one is general (ʿāmm) while the other is particular (khāṣṣ), do they fall into the category of mutashābih verses?
Answer: Not necessarily. These kinds of relationships between different parts of speech are rather common and frequently used, where one part is general while the other is particular, or one is unqualified (muṭlaq) while the other is qualified (muqayyad), or one is concise (mujmal) while the other is differentiated (mubayyan). Nevertheless, the intended meaning in them is often clear.
473. Regarding those who intend to sow the seeds of temptation, God says: As for those in whose hearts is deviance, they pursue what is ambiguous in it, courting temptation and courting its interpretation (). If one mentions a verse in its general sense without specifying its exceptions, would that be an example of resorting to ambiguity and deviance?
Answer: General and particular applications are frequently used in common parlance. They shouldn’t be termed as resorting to ambiguity. An example of resorting to ambiguity is to say, “There’s no need to establish the prayer (ṣalāh) because what matters is the purity of the heart.” Another example of ambiguous verse would be the verse about whispering to the Noble Prophet without its next verse which abrogated it [].
Another instance is the verse: Should any of your women commit an indecent act, produce against them four witness from yourselves, and if they testify, detain them in [their] houses until death finishes them, or Allah decrees a course for them (). Had the verse about lashes [], which was later revealed, not abrogated it, the former verse would have been ambiguous (mutashābih).
474. If one offers the taʾwīl of a verse (indirect interpretation, esoteric aspect, a meaning different from the apparent meaning of the text) without sowing the seeds of temptation, would that still be considered as “resorting to ambiguous verses”?
Answer: Why does the person do taʾwīl if he’s not intending to sow the seeds of temptation?! What the verse means is that pursuing the way of taʾwīl goes hand in hand with sowing the seeds of temptation. The addition of courting its interpretation to courting temptation [in verse ] is an interpretative and descriptive annexation.
475. God Almighty says: For any verse that We abrogate or remove from memories, We bring another which is better than it, or similar to it. Do you not know that Allah has power over all things? (). How may a verse be removed from memories?
Answer: If some verse, some chapter, or some part of the Holy Qur’an is removed from the memories of the Noble Prophet and the Muslims, it means that they, for instance, go to bed at night, but when they wake up in the morning they can’t recall it.The verse is saying that We substitute one rule by another, where the latter is similar to and/or better than the abrogated one in terms of consideration of public interest (maṣlaḥah). Accordingly, public interest will not be compromised due to abrogation or removal from memories because a similar or better law will be enacted.
It’s worthy of note that the verse is more comprehensive than this and has further applications. It’s not restricted to religious statements and legislations, but it also applies to external events and entities, such as the martyrdom of an imam. Further, the verse is a response to those who used to falsely claim that God’s decrees are not subject to abrogation or removal from memories. The next verse responds to this idea by saying: Do you not know that to Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth? And besides Allah you do not have any guardian or any helper (). In other words, God is able to make any alterations, and you have no guardian but God. He issues decrees as He wishes, and all His decrees serve your common good. It’s not that Allah’s hand is tied up (), as claimed by the Jews. This verse [] is mainly addressed to the Jews who claimed that the Torah is a divine decree, its laws are immutable, and they are never subject to alteration, not even by God.
The Mother of the Book
476. God says: Indeed this is a noble Qur’an, in a guarded Book, no one touches it except the pure ones (). Imam Mūsá b. Jaʿfar said with reference to the last verse: “It is unlawful to touch the Qur’an without physical purity.”
Answer: According to some other narrations, the verse means that no one has access to the Qur’an as it exists in the Guarded Tablet [that is, the essence and root of the Qur’an] except the pure ones, or except the Prophet’s Household (Ahl al-Bayt). Based on the explicit text of the Verse of Purification (), the pure ones are the Ahl al-Bayt.
477. Is the “Guarded Tablet” (lawḥ maḥfūẓ) the same as the “Mother of the Book” (umm al-kitāb)?
Answer: Yes, the Guarded Tablet is the book which is not available to others, as reflected in the verse: No one touches it except the pure ones (). The word al-muṭahharūn (lit. the pure ones) is in the past participle form, implying those who are purified by God. This theme is also found in the verses: Ḥā-Mīm. By the Manifest Book: We have made it an Arabic Qur’an so that you may apply reason, and indeed it is with Us in the Mother Book [and it is] surely more sublime and solid (), where “sublime” implies too exalted to be understood by others, and “solid” is used in the sense of too strong to be broken into pieces.
taqwá and Guidance
478. The Qur’an says: This is the Book, there is no doubt in it [as to its truth], guidance to the Godwary (). In this verse, does al-muttaqīn (the Godwary, the self-restrained, the pious) mean those who have achieved and actualized this quality in themselves (bil-fiʿl, as opposed to having its potential, bil-quwwah)?
Answer: Yes, it means those who have actualized this quality.
479. If so, then why would they need the Qur’an as a guide?
Answer: There are multiple levels of Godwariness (taqwá), and the Godwary have different degrees. Guidance to the Godwary refers to a second level of guidance that is particular to the Godwary, following an initial guidance [which is for everyone]. It is in the same light that we say in our daily prayers, Guide us on the straight path (), despite the fact that praying itself means being on the straight path, and those who establish the prayer have necessarily been guided to it. Nevertheless, we still make this request, which means seeking guidance after guidance.
Accordingly, the initial guidance of the Godwary is their inherent righteousness prior to the revelation of the Qur’an, based on their innate human nature and disposition (fiṭrah). Then their second guidance is through the Qur’an, which is a higher degree of guidance.
The Godwary are thus between two kinds of guidance: an initial guidance which makes them Godwary [in their nature and essence], and a second guidance which God bestows upon them through the Qur’an. Disbelievers and hypocrites are also between two kinds of error. God Almighty says: There is a sickness in their hearts; then Allah increased their sickness: (); Thereby He leads many astray, and thereby He guides many; and He leads no one astray thereby except the transgressors (); So when they swerved [from the right path] Allah made their hearts swerve ().
480. It is reflected in some verses that the Qur’an is a book of guidance to all humankind, such as the verse: The month of Ramadan is one in which the Qur’an was sent down as guidance to humankind (). Yet it is reflected in some other verses that the Qur’an is a means of guidance for the Godwary alone, such as: This is the Book, there is no doubt in it [as to its truth], guidance to the Godwary (). Is there any inconsistency between these two groups of verses?
Answer: No, they aren’t inconsistent with each other, because they pertain to two kinds of guidance in the Qur’an: one is for humankind (guidance to humankind) and the other for the Godwary (guidance to the Godwary). The latter is guidance post-guidance, in that there is universal guidance in the Qur’an for all humankind, and there’s also particular guidance for the Godwary. Those who believe in God and show no enmity to the Truth, are guided to a higher degree of faith.
481. Could a verse be a source of guidance to humankind and also to the Godwary?
Answer: Yes, a verse may be used in some manner by all, and in some other manner by the Godwary. For example if someone is an unbeliever but is not obstinate against the truth, he may believe in the Qur’an by listening to it. This is a kind of guidance which is applicable universally to everyone. Then, if he makes further advancements in faith, the same verses would bring additional guidance for him in particular cases [in his day-to-day interactions]. God Almighty says: As for those who strive in Us, We shall surely guide them in Our ways, and Allah is indeed with the virtuous ().
482. Considering the fact that the Godwary have been guided, God says: [This Book is] guidance to the Godwary (). Isn’t this rather tautological (also called “the actualization of the actualized,” taḥṣīl-i ḥāṣil)?
Answer: No, it’s not, because there are multiple degrees of Godwariness. One instance of it is to believe in God, while another instance is belief post-belief [that is, the deepening and strengthening of faith]. This is precisely like when we say in prayer: Guide us on the straight path () even though the prayer is itself is a straight path. There are thus different levels of guidance, one above another. Similarly, there are grades of Godwariness, one above another.
483. With respect to the Qur’an, God says: Certainly there has come to you a light from Allah, and a manifest Book. With it Allah guides those who follow [the course of] His pleasure to the ways of peace, and brings them out from darkness into light by His will, and guides them to a straight path (). Aren’t those who follow [the course of] His pleasure already guided?
Answer: Yes, they are, but they can still benefit from a higher degree of guidance, called guidance post-guidance. That is what is meant by: With it Allah guides those who follow [the course of] His pleasure to the ways of peace ().
484. What is intended by: Everyone has a direction to which he turns ()?
Answer: That is to say there is a goal for everyone towards which he turns.
485. Does the pronoun “he” (huwa) refer to “everyone” (kullin) or to God [in verse ]?
Answer: It refers to “everyone.” These two verses indicate two points: (1) Every being, including humankind, has a particular goal that has been preordained for it. (2) The verse continues to say: So take the lead in all good works (). This indicates that in order to reach human happiness as your goal, you must pursue good works.
486. What kind of guidance is intended in the verse: [God] Who measured and guided ()?
Answer: Creational (takwīnī) guidance is intended. For instance, any stone that falls from a height goes straight down, towards its destination. In these verses God describes the nature of [His creational] guidance: Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most Exalted, Who created and proportioned, Who determined and guided (). These verses are saying that the signs of divine guidance are to be found in the creation and the existential modes of all things. Moreover, this guidance is not theirs, but God has bestowed it upon them. He guides and supports all beings, including animals, plants, and inanimate beings.
Creation in Pairs
487. What is intended by “pairs” (zawjayn) in the verse: In all things We have created pairs so that you may take admonition ()?
Answer: In terms of inanimate entities in nature, “pairs” could refer to action and reaction, or fāʿil (subject, agent, the active) and munfaʿil (object, the affected, the passive).
488. In the case of a mountain or soil, for instance, what would be the fāʿil (subject, agent, the active) and the munfaʿil (object, the affected, the passive)?
Answer: They would be the cause and the effect. They too have been created by God through some cause, from which the effect cannot be separated. For instance, the stone is an effect that has its own cause, which is what generates the stone.
489. Granted that the Qur’an has been divinely revealed for humankind, the meanings of its terms should be clear and intelligible to everyone. But this interpretation of “pairs” (as cause and effect) is not understood by everyone.
Answer: God Almighty says: [It is] a blessed Book that We have sent down to you, so that they may contemplate its signs (). The above meaning can indeed be understood from the Holy Qur’an, but it requires contemplation (tadabbur). Similarly, understanding the speech of Ahl al-Bayt requires contemplation. Tadabbur is derived from the verb dabbara (to measure, to assay, to assess). In order to understand the meaning of mutashābih (ambiguous, metaphorical) verses, one should assess them with muḥkam (decisive, solid, clear) verses. Therefore, people understand the Qur’an but through contemplation and reflection. Accordingly, we need to reflect on and compare the verses which talk about pairs [in order to discern the Qur’anic sense of it]. An instance would be the verse: Immaculate is He who has created all the kinds of what the earth grows, and of themselves, and of what they do not know ().
The awliyāʾ and the abrār
490. Are there any “friends” of God (awliyāʾ Allāh)?
Answer: Yes, they are referred to in the verse: Lo! The friends (awliyāʾ) of Allah will indeed have no fear nor will they grieve (). Similarly, Prophet Joseph prayed to God: You are my guardian (waliyyī) in this world and the hereafter! Let my death be in submission [to You] (). He invoked God to take his life in a state of submission to Him. Joseph did not ask for death in this supplication, but he asked for submission at the time of death.
491. What is intended by wilāyah (guardianship, authority, friendship) in the verse: Allah is the Guardian of the faithful: He brings them out of darkness into light ()?
Answer: God’s wilāyah over His servant means that the servant’s will, satisfaction, and dissatisfaction completely merge with the will, satisfaction, and dissatisfaction of God, such that the servant is devoid of any will and personal preference. This quality is reflected in the verse: Lo! The friends of Allah will indeed have no fear nor will they grieve (). Accordingly, wilāyah is similar to friendship, in the sense that it involve two parties: (1) there is God’s wilāyah (guardianship, authority) over the servant, as reflected in verse ; and (2) there is the servant’s wilāyah (friendship, bondage) towards God, as reflected in verse . God’s wilāyah over a servant, as mentioned in verse , occurs when God’s will replaces the servant’s will.
492. What is the difference between they have no fear and nor will they grieve ()?
Answer: They have no fear means that they are immune from the fears and horrors of Resurrection. Nor will they grieve means that they are immune from sorrow and grief.
493. Who are intended in the verse: Their Lord will give them to drink a pure drink ()?
Answer: The verse is about abrār (the pious, the righteous, the good-doers).
494. Who are the abrār?
Answer: They are known by the preceding verses, where God says: Indeed the pious (al-abrār) will drink from a cup seasoned with camphor, a spring where the servants of Allah drink, which they make to gush forth as they please. They fulfill their vows and fear a day whose ill will be widespread. They give food, for the love of Him, to the needy, the orphan and the prisoner, [saying] “We feed you only for the sake of Allah…” And He rewarded them for their patience with a garden and [garments of] silk… Their Lord will give them to drink a pure drink (). In another verse, they are identified as people of pure beliefs, noble moral traits, and righteous deeds. Concerning their belief, the verse says: Rather, piety (al-birr) is [personified by] those who have faith in Allah and the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets (). Concerning their righteous deeds it says: and who give their wealth, for the love of Him, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler and the beggar, and for [the manumission of] the slaves, and maintain the prayer and give the zakāh (). And concerning their noble moral traits it says: and those who fulfill their covenants, when they pledge themselves, and those who are patient in stress and distress, and in the heat of battle. They are the ones who are true [to their covenant], and it is they who are the Godwary (). Note that They are the ones who are true [to their covenant] refers to holding true beliefs as well as being truthful in their interactions.
Knowledge According to the Qur’an
495. What is intended by ʿilm (knowledge) in the Qur’an?
Answer: It means knowing God and religious teachings.
496. Are ʿilm (knowledge) and ʿamal (deed, practice, action) identical?
Answer: No, they are not. ʿIlm is a matter of perception and understanding.
497. What type of ʿilm (knowledge) is intended in the verse: Allah will raise those of you who have faith and those who have been given knowledge in rank () and in the hadith, “Knowledge is a light that God shines on the heart of whomever He wills”?
Answer: They refer to beneficial knowledge, which is kindles in one’s heart the light of religious understanding, belief in God, and knowledge of the divine names and attributes.
498. Are mathematical and natural sciences considered as ʿilm in the Qur’an?
Answer: Such sciences are not regarded as ʿilm in the Qur’an. For instance, could we claim that verses which talk about those who have been given knowledge (, , , , , , , ) refer to those who have been endowed with knowledge of mathematics and physics?!
The Spirit
499. What is intended by “My spirit” (rūḥī), where God attributes spirit to Himself, in the verse: I breathed into him of My spirit (, )?
Answer: This is an honorific ascription, much like “My House” (baytī).
500. Are individuals equal in terms of their spirits?
Answer: The spirit is not completely identical across the individuals, but it includes different persons that vary in degrees of perfection. The hierarchy of spirits in different individuals depends on their degrees of belief and disbelief, and their levels of obedience and disobedience. These are the attributes of the spirit rather than those of the body.
This is also seen in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, where the differences of human beings are attributed to their difference in spirit. For instance, God divides people into two classes: By Time! Indeed man is in loss, except those who have faith and do righteous deeds, and enjoin one another to [follow] the truth, and enjoin one another to [exercise] patience ().
Elsewhere He divides them into three groups: You will be three groups: The People of the Right Hand and what are the People of the Right Hand? And the People of the Left Hand and what are the People of the Left Hand? And the Foremost Ones are the foremost ones: they are the ones brought near [to Allah] ().
They also fall into two groups in the verses: As for the wretched, they shall be in the Fire… And as for the felicitous, they will be in paradise ().
501. Is the ascription of “House” and “Spirit” to God—in Purify My House () and I breathed in him from My Spirit (, )—an honorific ascription or is it a real relation? That is, can we say that God really has a House and Spirit?
Answer: All things belong to God, as stated in the verse: To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth (). Nothing has any independence or advantage of its own; all things subsist by God. In this sense, all such attributions—of House, earth, spirit and servant—to God are real. At the same time, their specific mention indicates a kind of honor and distinction.
Questions About Specific Verses
502. In addressing the Noble Prophet, God Almighty says: Whereat He revealed to His servant whatever He revealed (). What is intended by whatever He revealed?
Answer: The ambiguous sense of this verse is meant to emphasize and magnify God’s revelation to the Prophet. It shows that God revealed to His servant the most significant of divine teachings. What we can say for sure is that part of this revelation was the reality of God’s oneness (tawḥīd), since there’s no knowledge higher than that. It’s impossible for any event to exist without the “fingerprints” of God on it; everything emanates from Him, exists by Him, and returns to Him.
In this respect, God says in the same chapter: And that the terminus is towards your Lord, and that it is He who makes [men] laugh, and makes [them] weep, and that it is He who brings death and gives life, and that it is He who created the mates, the male and the female, from a drop of [seminal] fluid when emitted; and that with Him lies the second genesis, and that it is He who enriches and grants possessions, and that it is He who is the Lord of Sirius; and that it is He who destroyed the former ʿĀd, and Thamūd, sparing none [of them] ().
503. God Almighty says: Byzantium has been vanquished in a nearby territory, but following their defeat they will be victors in a few years. All command belongs to Allah, before and after, and on that day the faithful will rejoice at Allah’s help. He helps whomever He wishes, and He is the All-Mighty, the Ever-Merciful (). How may the Byzantine victory over Persia be a source of delight to the believers?
Answer: At that time, the Persian sphere included Hejaz, Medina, Mecca, Iraq, and the regions between them, while the Byzantine Empire wielded sway in Syria. That is why the blow suffered by Persia and the decline of its glory served as a source of joy for the believers. In these verses, God promises the victory of Byzantium over Persia, whereby the believers would rejoice.
Prophet Muḥammad dispatched an emissary with an epistle to Khusraw Parvīz, the Persian king, and called him to convert to Islam, but the king tore the Prophet’s letter into pieces. The Persian king also dispatched an official to summon the writer of the epistle [that is the Prophet]. When his delegate met the Noble Prophet in Medina, the Prophet told him, “Your master [Khusraw Parvīz] has been slain.” When the man returned to Persia he found that indeed the king had dead [exactly as the Prophet had told him].
504. What is intended by the verse: [God] Who measured and guided ()?
Answer: This verse and its preceding and succeeding verses indicate God’s creational (takwīnī) guidance. They say that God guides whatever He has created, and this guidance is not theirs, but they receive it from God. Even when a stone falls onto the ground, it reaches its destination through divine guidance [engrained in His creation of the universe]. God guides and supports all beings, including animals, plants, and inanimate beings. He says in another verse [quoting Prophet Moses]: Our Lord is He who gave everything its creation and then guided it ().
505. The Qur’an says: Thus have We installed in every town (qaryah) its major criminals that they may plot there (). Why does this verse say qaryah, which means “village,” instead of madīnah, which means “city”?
Answer: Qaryah is used for any place of assembly, including both village and city. It’s not semantically restricted to village.
506. What is intended by ḥusn (good, perfection, excellence, beauty) in these verses: We certainly created the human in the best (aḥsan) of forms () and Who perfected (aḥsana) everything that He created ()?
Answer: It means eternal good which sustains forever.
507. The Qur’an says: And the faithless are indeed the wrongdoers (). Does this imply that all wrongdoers are faithless?
Answer: No, such expression is only meant to show emphasis.
508. How may these two verses be reconciled: (1) Indeed all glory [ʿizzah] belongs to Allah (); (2) Yet all might belongs to Allah and His Messenger, and the faithful ()?
Answer: Essential glory belongs to God alone, but He bestows it upon others [as He wills]. It is similar, in this respect, to knowledge of the unseen, taking away the souls, and intercession.
509. What is intended by: With Allah rests guidance to the straight path, and some of them are devious ()?
Answer: Sabīl (path) means “religion” while qaṣd (straight) means “middle.” Qaṣd al-sabīl is an adjectival compound, meaning “moderate or balanced religion.” ʿAlá Allāh (lit. upon Allah) means that it’s incumbent upon God to send this [religion] to people. Wa min-hā jāʾir (some of them are devious) refers to polytheistic religions.
510. What is intended by: Did He not find you ḍāllan and guide you ()?
Answer: Ḍāll (lit. lost, misguided, in error, straying) here does not mean “stray” but it means “unknown and obscure.” The verse means that God found you to be unknown (ghayr maʿrūf), then He made you a famous chief throughout the world.
511. What are intended by ḥukm (judgment) and ʿilm (knowledge) in the verse: We gave him judgment and sacred knowledge (, , )?
Answer: Ḥukm and ʿilm seemingly connote “religious rulings” and “religious teachings” respectively. The verses containing this clause refer to Prophets Moses, John (Yaḥyá), Joseph and some other prophets.
512. God says with reference to Prophet Joseph: When he came of age and became fully matured, We gave him judgment and knowledge, and thus do We reward the virtuous (). Who are muḥsinīn (the virtuous, the good-doers)?
Answer: Muḥsinīn here implies “good-doers”; that is, those whose actions are good as opposed to evil. Prophet Joseph calls himself muḥsin (virtuous) in addressing his brothers: I am Joseph, and this is my brother. Certainly Allah has shown us favor. Indeed if one is Godwary and patient Allah does not waste the reward ofthe virtuous ().
513. Considering Allah does not waste the reward of the virtuous (), could we say that any virtuous person will be rewarded in the same manner?
Answer: We can’t generalize the exact same reward for others, whether the person is a prophet or not.
514. The word al-muḥsinīn is a plural that is preceded by the article al-. This means that any good-doer will be treated as such.
Answer: Allah does not waste the reward of the virtuous () only implies that any good-doer will be rewarded by God, but it doesn’t imply that the good deeds of all of them are equal and will be rewarded in the same manner.
515. What is intended by viceroy (khalīfah) in the verse: Indeed I am going to set a viceroy on the earth ()?
Answer: It seemingly implies having a godlike kingdom on the earth and being in charge of the affairs in the world. According to a narration, Adam had an intimate friend in paradise from the angels. That angel really missed Adam after his fall (hubūṭ), so it invoked God to meet Adam, and God gave it leave to come to the earth. Upon meeting the angel, Adam wept, but the angel tried to console him by saying, “When God decided to create you, He told us: Indeed I am going to set a viceroy on the earth (). You were created from the beginning for the earth, although you need to ascend from it.”
516. What is intended by these verses: Say, “Indeed my prayer and my worship, my life and my death are for the sake of Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. He has no partner, and this [creed] I have been commanded [to follow], and I am the first of those who submit [to Allah]” ()?
Answer: These two verses are saying that my prayer, my other acts of devotion, my life and my death are all in the hands of God. These are seemingly done by me, but the fact is that they’re entirely in the hands of God. God says: Allah has created you and whatever you do (). This is reflected in the sentence, He has no partner (), in that God is the only owner [of all my affairs]. This I have been commanded implies that I’ve been ordered to believe in God’s oneness, and I should not associate any partners with Him. And I am the first of those who submit implies that I submit to this sense of monotheism, and I am the first believer of the world or this nation (ummah).
517. It is reflected in some verses that grief and sorrow are desirable; for instance: We have certainly sent [messengers] to nations before you, then We seized them with stress and distress so that they might entreat [Us] (). Isn’t this inconsistent with the verse: Lo! The friends of Allah will indeed have no fear nor will they grieve ()?
Answer: The first verse deals with those who deserve divine punishment. God says that He sends them afflictions so that they would entreat Him. The second verse is about the friends of God, for whom there shall be neither fear nor grief. “Entreaty” (taḍarruʿ) is different from “grief” (ḥuzn). Hence, the two verses are not inconsistent with each other.
518. God commands the people to exercise forbearance and fortitude in the face of afflictions and vicissitudes: We will surely test you with a measure of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth, lives, and fruits; and give good news to the patient, those who, when an affliction visits them, say, “Indeed we belong to Allah, and to Him do we indeed return” (). Doesn’t this contradict the verse: So that they might entreat [Us] ()?
Answer: These two verses are contextually different. So that they might entreat [Us] () refers to those who will be punished [because of their disbelief and sins]. At the time of sending down punishment, it would be meaningless to tell the people, “Please be patient and just watch Us send down punishment upon you!” Instead, they must be told to entreat to God in order to be forgiven. On the contrary, And give good news to the patient () is addressed to the believers who exercise forbearance and fortitude in the face of afflictions and difficulties wherewith they are tested by God.
519. God Almighty says: They ask you as to what they should spend. Say, “Whatever wealth you spend, let it be for parents, relatives, orphans, the needy, and the traveler” (). Why is the answer incompatible with the question in this verse? The question is about things to be given in charity for the sake of God, but the answer talks about the recipients of these charities.
Answer: (First, someone from the audience replied) The question is rather about the acceptable instances of charity give. Effectively their question was: Is charity only applicable to their parents, or does it also apply to other instances. Therefore, the reply is consistent with the question, because it also mentions the instances of charity. The question is not about the nature of charity or the materials that are donated; they didn’t ask whether they should give dates or wheat. That would have been inconsistent with the answer.
(ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī said) That’s not a bad answer. You’re almost there.
520. God Almighty says: With it [the Qur’an] Allah guides those who follow [the course of] His pleasure to the ways of peace, and brings them out from darkness into light by His will, and guides them to a straight path (). In this verse, what is intended by salām (peace) in subul al-salām (ways of peace)?
Answer: It could refer to God, since Salām (Peace, Peaceable) is one of God’s attributes, as reflected in the verse: He is Allah there is no god except Him the Sovereign, the All-Holy, the All-Benign (). The verse in question is similar to the verse: As for those who strive in Us, We shall surely guide them in Our ways (). In other words, “ways of peace” in is thematically similar to “Our ways” in . “Guidance towards the way of peace” in falls into the category of guidance post-guidance. It’s a form of guidance that is conditional on another form of guidance, which is “following the course of God’s pleasure.” This is similar to saying, Guide us on the straight path () in the prayer, because praying is itself a form of being guided on the straight path. So asking for guidance while in prayer is tantamount to asking for a higher level of guidance after an initial level.
(In another occasion, ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī answered the same question as follows) Salām means “peace and security.” With it Allah guides those who follow [the course of] His pleasure to the ways of peace means that the person is guided such that he lives in peace and security in the world of existence, untouched by any hardship or misfortune. God is absolutely good; therefore, what emanates from Him is only good, and what He gives is all good.
521. What does the pronoun “it” refer to in the verse:It is peaceful until the rising of the dawn ()?
Answer: It could refer to either “night” (laylah) or the verb “descend” (tanazzalu). In case of the latter, there would be no problem with masculinity or femininity of the pronoun because it would effectively refer to the implied verbal noun “descent” (tanzīl), which [as a verbal noun] can take both masculine and feminine pronouns.
522. God forbids others from reminding people of their indebtedness to their favors (called mann and minnah), as reflected in the verse: Do not render your charities void by reproaches (bil-mann) and affronts (). But how come He does this Himself, where He uses the same expression for His own bounties in the verse: Allah certainly favored (manna) the faithful ()?
Answer: Minnah means reminding people of their indebtedness because of the favors done to them. This quality is only applicable to God, much like pride (takabbur) and superiority (istiʿlaʾ). That is why nobody else is allowed to make such expressions.
523. What is intended by ṭāghūt (false deities) in the verse: As for the faithless, their patrons are the ṭāghūt ()?
Answer: Ṭāghūt is derived from ṭughyān, which means “transgression and tyranny.” It is to overstep the bounds and to claim divinity, which is reminiscent of Shaddād, Nimrod, and the Pharaoh.
524. Therefore, idols may not be designated as ṭāghūt, since they’re devoid of free choice to give command. Given this, could we say that the verse, He brings them out of darkness into light () is not applicable to them?
Answer: The term “god” is used for anything that is served or worshiped, as reflected in the verse: Have you seen him who has taken his desire to be his god and whom Allah has led astray knowingly (). In this light, the polytheist belief that the idols have some role in the universe can be considered as some influence and effect by the idols.
525. What is intended by ṣirāṭ mustaqīm (straight path) in the verse: This indeed is My straight path, so follow it, and do not follow [other] ways, for they will separate you from His way ()?
Answer: It’s a path through which a spiritual wayfarer attains his goal. God attributes it to Himself in this verse by saying ṣirāṭī (My path). It is also attributed to Him in the verse: The path of those whom You have blessed (). Those whom You have blessed are identified elsewhere as follows: Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger they are with those whom Allah has blessed, including the prophets and the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous, and excellent companions are they (). This verse indicates that these four groups of people—that is, the prophet, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous—are on the straight path, which is the path of sincere devotion to God, as He says: Worship me! That is a straight path ().
526. What is intended by muṭahharūn in the Qur’an? Is it restricted to the Five Pure Ones (al-khamsah al-ṭayyibah) or does it include all of the Fourteen Infallibles?
Answer: The Five Pure Ones occasioned the revelation of the verse: Indeed Allah only (innamā) desires to repel all impurity from you, O People of the Household, and purify you with a thorough purification (). Meanwhile, according to a prophetic tradition, the verse includes the Fourteen Infallibles. The word innamā (only, exclusively) does not restrict “the Household” (Ahl al-Bayt) to the Five Pure Ones.
527. What was the benefit of making Muslims appear as few in the eyes of the disbelievers, as reflected in the verse: And when He showed them to you when you met them [on the battlefield] as few in your eyes, and He made you [appear] few in their eyes in order that Allah may carry through a matter that was bound to be fulfilled, and to Allah all matters are returned ()?
Answer: God had two objectives in doing so: (1) so that the battle [of Badr] would occur; and (2) so that the disbelievers would be defeated in the battle. These two objectives were realized by making Muslims appear few in the eyes of the disbelievers; in order that Allah may carry through a matter that was bound to be fulfilled.
528. God says in the Qur’an: O Children of Israel, remember My blessing which I bestowed upon you, and that I gave you an advantage over all the nations (, ). Could it be inferred from these verses that the Children of Israel are superior to everyone in the world?
Answer: Based on the theme and context of these verses, this superiority only pertains to a subset of them. God appointed approximately 8,000 messengers from the Children of Israel, including Moses and Jesus. It doesn’t necessarily encompass all individuals among the Children of Israel. Alternatively, these verses could suggest their superiority over everyone in the world at their own times, but not over all future nations as well.
529. What is the meaning [and difference] of kasabat and iktasabat in the verse: Whatever it has earned (kasabat) is to its benefit, and whatever he has earned (iktasabat) through insistence is to its harm ()?
Answer: Kasabat has a general verbal pattern [that is, faʿala]. Therefore, it means “earning” in its absolute sense. However, the verbal pattern of iktasabat [that is, iftiʿāl] implies the occurrence of the verb through insistence, effort and force. This qualification is consonant with disobedience, opposition and sinfulness.
530. What is intended by the tree cursed in the Qur’an ()?
Answer: Based on the context of the Qur’anic verses, as well as the traditions, it refers to the Umayyad dynasty.
531. The Qur’an says: Soon We shall show them (sa-nurīhim) Our signs in the horizons and in their own souls (). Does this [the letter sīn in sa-nurīhim] indicate permanent sight and vision?
Answer: It does not indicate permanent vision, but it means future vision.
532. Given the abovementioned verse [], which divine signs did the Muslims see after the demise of the Noble Prophet?
Answer: All the disagreements over the caliphate and its usurpation were signs of God which became clear to them.
See al-Mīzān, vol. 13, p. 223. ↩︎
Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. 2, p. 284, tradition 1; vol. 10, p. 122, tradition 2. ↩︎
Ibid., vol. 92, p. 22, tradition 23; Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon 133. ↩︎
See al-Durr al-Manthūr, vol. 1, p. 7. ↩︎
Ibid. ↩︎
TR: Apparently this contradicts the answer to the previous question. Perhaps this is because of the difference of opinion among Sunni scholars on the issue. Among the four Sunni schools of law, only al-Shāfiʿī insists on reciting bism Allāh aloud in daily prayers. ↩︎
TR: In other words, can we modify the Qur’an in each age according to the circumstances of the time? ↩︎
TR: Apparently what is meant here is that not any proof from any source is credible. Note that this is about establishing laws in general, at the public level. Otherwise, each individual may have their own proof between oneself and God. ↩︎
TR: That is, they are not at the same level so that one meaning would deny the other. Rather, each is applicable at a certain layer of meaning. One meaning encompasses the other. ↩︎
See ʿAllāmah’s discussion in The Qur’an in Islam, Chapter 2, under “The Inner and Outer Dimensions of the Qur’an.” ↩︎
TR: In other words: Are all people incapable of extracting all things from the Qur’an? ↩︎
TR: In other words, the Qur’an in its Arabic form has a sublime reality in the Mother Book. That is the Taʾwīl of the Qur’an. The Qur’an that we see in Arabic form is rooted in that reality. ↩︎
TR: It is also possible that insāʾ in this verse does not mean “removing from memories” but it simply means “postponement,” as used in verse . It apparently refers to the deferral of revealing a law, and letting an older law govern the society for a while. ↩︎
TR: That is, We do not remove an imam through martyrdom unless We replace him by another similar imam. ↩︎
Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām, vol. 1, p. 127, tradition 35, p. 113, tradition 3; Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. 80, p. 309, tradition 20, vol. 94, p. 402, tradition 4; Wasāʾil al-Shīʿah, vol. 1, p. 384, tradition 1014, p. 385, tradition 1106. ↩︎
See Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. 33, p. 269, tradition 534, vol. 48, p. 22, tradition 24. ↩︎
TR: In other words, he asked to have a specific condition whenever his death comes. Note that awliyāʾ is the plural of walī, which is usually translated as guardian, especially when used for God, as in verse above. ↩︎
See Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. 1, p. 225, tradition 17. ↩︎
TR: This expression is found in verse , where the Kaʿbah is attributed to God to show its sanctity. ↩︎
TR: In other words, the verses above pertain to the big picture and everything put together in the long-run. ↩︎
Concerning knowledge of the unseen, see verses , , and . Concerning taking away the souls, see verses , and . Concerning intercession, see verses , , and . ↩︎
TR: These two qualities are mentioned about Prophets Joseph (), Lot (), Moses (), John () and Solomon and David (). ↩︎
TR: In other words, iḥsān here is meant in the general meaning of doing any good deed, as opposed to its specific transitive meaning of doing good to others. ↩︎
See Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. 11, p. 211, tradition 18. ↩︎
TR: Therefore, ṭāghūt would mean transgressors and tyrants, especially those who stand against God’s lordship and divinity. ↩︎
TR: Therefore, the idols can also be called ṭaghūt, in the sense that they are a means of transgression of their worshipers. ↩︎
Al-Mīzān, vol. 16, pp. 311, 316-319. ↩︎
TR: The theme of these verses is reflected by remember My blessing. Therefore, “being chosen or preferred over all nations” does not mean having spiritual superiority or some privilege over other races, but it refers to the many special and unique blessings that God bestowed upon Israel—things that were not given to any other nation throughout history. This is an expression of imtinān (showing God’s great favor upon someone), not an expression of merit and advantage. This can be clearly seen in verses . The same idea can be said about the preference of the Holy Mary over all women in the world () and the honoring of humankind over most of God’s creation (). ↩︎
TR: In other words, based on this subtle difference between the verbal forms used for good deeds and evil deeds, we can deduce that the Qur’an qualifies evil deeds by the condition of being done purposefully. Alternatively, an evil deed is that which should be done by effort, as it is against our innate human nature (fiṭrah). ↩︎
See ibid., vol. 1, p. 119, vol. 33, p. 156, tradition 421, p. 208, tradition 492, p. 266, tradition 634, vol. 44, p. 86, tradition 1, vol. 46, p. 337, tradition 25, vol. 58, p. 351, vol. 61, p. 169, tradition 24. ↩︎
TR: In other words, the verse does not mean that “We always show them…” but it means “Soon We will show them.” ↩︎