Al Islam

4467. Commentary:

Bukhari reports that in the beginning when a certain portion of the Quran was revealed to the Holy Prophet, in his anxiety lest he should forget it, he would start hurriedly repeating it. It is this practice that the Prophet was enjoined in this verse to give up, because, as stated in the following three verses, God had taken upon Himself not only to safeguard the text of the Quran from being tampered with but also to see that it was collected in the form of an immaculately arranged Book (see General Introduction) and that its Message was conveyed and explained to the whole world (15:10). Or the meaning may be that, because the preceding verses referred to a day of reckoning for disbelievers, the Holy Prophet was naturally anxious that the revelation bearing upon the promised punishment should come soon. He is here told that he need have no anxiety on that score, as it was God’s own responsibility, when a revelation should descend and what form the punishment should take, and that the Quran should be collected, read and explained to the world. It may be convenient to set out here three quotations: "There is otherwise every security, internal and external, that we possess the text (of the Quran) which Muhammad himself gave forth and used" (Muir). "Efforts of European scholars to prove the existence of later interpolations in the Quran have failed" (Enc. Brit.). "The Quran is perhaps the most read book in the world. Certainly it is the most often memorized, and possibly it exerts the greatest influence on those who read it" (The Religions of Man).

Besides the meaning given in the text, the verse has also been interpreted as follows: "It is Our responsibility that We should explain the Quranic revelation through your tongue" (Ruhul-Ma‘ani). This speaks volumes for the inviolability of the Holy Prophet’s Sunnah and its indispensability as a safe and sure guide, next only to the Quran itself. For a detailed exposition, however, of this and the preceding verse see General Introduction and 15:10. (close)

a. 15:10. (close)

3181. Bukhari reports that in the beginning when a certain portion of the Qur’an was revealed to the Holy Prophet, in his anxiety lest he should forget it, he would start hurriedly repeating it. It is this practice that the Prophet was enjoined in the preceding verse to give up, since as stated in the following three verses, God has taken upon Himself not only to safeguard the text of the Qur’an from being tampered with, but also to see that it was collected in the form of an immaculately arranged Book (see "Introduction to the Study of the Holy Qur’an") and also that its Message was conveyed and explained to the whole world (15:10). Or, the significance of the verses may be that, because the preceding verses referred to a day of reckoning for disbelievers, the Holy Prophet was naturally anxious that the revelation bearing upon the promised punishment should come soon. He is here told that he need have no anxiety on that score, as it was God’s responsibility when a relevant revelation should come and what form the punishment should take; and also that the Qur’an should be collected, read and explained to the world. Besides the meaning given in the text, the verse has also been interpreted as follows: 'It is Our responsibility that We should explain the Quranic revelation through your tongue' (Ruhul-Ma‘ani). This stresses the inviolability of the Holy Prophet’s Sunnah and its indispensability as a safe and sure guide, next only to the Qur’an itself. (close)

a. 15:10. (close)

4468. See previous note 4467. (close)

b. 87:17. (close)

a. 87:17. (close)

4469. Commentary

The particle کلا besides meaning, "your assertion that Resurrection will not take place is false," has been taken to mean, "it is as certain as anything that the Resurrection shall take place (Kabir)." (close)

c. 88:9. (close)

b. 88:9. (close)

3182. The righteous believers will look to their Lord, expecting to be rewarded for their good deeds, or they will be endowed with special spiritual eyes to see God. The sight of God will be a special Divine manifestation which will be unfolded to the human soul, untrammelled by its earthly raiment. (close)

4470. Commentary:

The verse means that the righteous believers will look to their Lord, expecting to be rewarded for the good deeds they had done in this world. Or the meaning may be that they will be endowed with special spiritual eyes to see God; but it does not mean that God has a body and that He can be seen with our physical eyes. "Eyes cannot reach Him and He reaches the eyes and He is Incomprehensible" (6:104). The sight of God will be a special Divine manifestation, which will be unfolded to the human soul untrammelled by its earthly raiment. (close)

a. 68:44; 80:41; 88:3, 4. (close)

a. 68:44; 80:41; 88:3-4. (close)

4470A. Important Words:

باسرة (dismal) is derived from بسر which means, he frowned; contracted his face; he grinned; he was gloomy or dismal. بسر وجھه means, he frowned or he contracted his face excessively or he looked with intense dislike or hatred (Lane & Aqrab). (close)

3183. The Arabs say, Faqarat-hud-Dahiyatu, i.e. the calamity broke the vertebrae of his back (Lane). (close)

4471. Important Words:

فاقرة (back-breaking) is derived from فقر which means, he stigmatized a man. فقر البعیر means, he made an incision in the nose of the camel. فقرته الداھیة, means, the calamity broke the vertebrae of his back. فاقرة means, an act that breaks the vertebrae of the back; a back-breaking calamity. They say عمل به الفاقرة i.e. he did to him that which broke his back (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The Fall of Mecca broke the back of the Quraishite power. (close)