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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

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Gentle Commentary on the Book "Identification Cards for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an"

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by Dr. Muhammad ibn Abdul Aziz ibn Umar Nasif, may Allah preserve him.

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Surah At-Tur.

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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.

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We continue with our gentle commentary on the identification cards, focusing today on Surah At-Tur.

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I have three reflective points to make regarding it.

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The first point concerns what was mentioned regarding the order of its revelation; he stated:

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"Its style is powerful." Naturally, having a powerful style suggests a relatively late period of revelation.

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For generally, surahs intensify in power, debate with the disbelievers, and severe warnings

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predominantly in what is conceived to be a relatively late stage of the Meccan period.

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What corroborates the strength of its style is its profound impact upon those who heard it.

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In Sahih al-Bukhari, it is reported on the authority of Jubayr ibn Mut'im—

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who was a disbeliever at the time of this incident he relates, and only embraced Islam later,

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years afterward—who said: "I heard the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, reciting Surat At-Tur in the Maghrib prayer."

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This took place, as scholars have clarified, when he went to ransom the captives of Badr;

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he came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, in Medina while still a disbeliever.

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He said: "He was reciting Surat At-Tur in Maghrib, and when he reached this verse: 'Were they created by nothing, or were they the creators [of themselves]?'

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'Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay, they have no firm belief. Or do they possess the treasuries of your Lord? Or are they the controllers?'

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my heart almost took flight."

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The hadith is recorded in both Sahihs. If you wish to examine further reports demonstrating the impact of this

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this surah and its power upon those who heard it, then consult

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Tafsir Ibn Kathir at the beginning of the surah as well as in his commentary on some of its verses.

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Consult also the book Masā'id an-Nazar by al-Biqa'i,

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for he cited several reports illustrating the tremendous impact of this surah upon whoever recited it or heard it.

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Among its verses is the saying of the Exalted: "Burn therein! Then endure it patiently or do not endure it; it is all the same to you. You are only being recompensed for what you used to do."

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And before it: "Is this magic, or do you not see? Burn therein! Then endure it patiently or do not endure it."

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These are immensely powerful verses.

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The second point concerns the central theme of the surah.

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The reality is that the themes of the surahs, especially in the Mufassal section, have not been sufficiently reviewed,

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and they require further refinement; among these is what was stated regarding this surah.

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It was stated regarding its theme: "Many verses of the surah pertain to warning the disbelievers and giving glad tidings to the believers."

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Yet if you reflect slightly—or indeed, even without reflection—you will realize that this is common across the surahs of the Qur'an:

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warning the disbelievers and giving glad tidings to the believers.

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Thus, it is not suitable to designate this as the distinguishing theme of the surah.

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Rather, what is mentioned after that is what truly distinguishes the surah,

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because there are elements shared across multiple surahs,

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and there are elements unique to a surah, and it is the latter that ought to form the discussion of a surah's theme.

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He noted: "along with the rational discourse that occupies approximately the last third of the surah."

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This rational discourse is precisely what distinguishes the surah.

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In fact, you hardly find another surah featuring a debate structured in this specific manner,

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where the interrogative "Am" (or) and "Bal" (nay) are repeated so frequently as in this surah.

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Here we ought to pause and reflect upon these rational arguments,

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and how profoundly they affected that man while he was still a disbeliever:

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"Were they created by nothing, or were they the creators?" along with what precedes and follows it.

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This rational discourse is the most prominent and distinguishing feature of the surah.

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Therefore, its central theme is perhaps establishing the proof against them while persistently reminding them.

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This brings us to the third point.

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The third point concerns the words of the Exalted: "Therefore remind: by the grace of your Lord, you are neither a soothsayer nor a madman."

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This verse comes after the reminders at the beginning of the surah, the threats, the warnings, and the promises—

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the punishment and the reward—whereupon He said: "Therefore remind."

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Continue to remind, for he is the master of all who remind, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

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It is as though this verse serves as the core pivot of the surah and its ultimate purpose:

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to persistently remind while dispelling misconceptions and establishing the definitive proofs.

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What precedes it is reminder, and what follows it is the substantiation of proofs and the elimination of doubts.

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This verse deserves a lengthy pause for reflection.

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My master at-Tahir ibn Ashur said concerning it:

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"And this noble phrase has encompassed..."

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meaning: "Therefore remind: by the grace of your Lord, you are neither a soothsayer nor a madman,"

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"...qualities befitting the veneration of the one to whom it was addressed."

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Then he elaborated—concisely yet richly—expounding profound meanings

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through succinct words that cannot be adequately reproduced here or elaborated upon at length.

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It requires contemplation, deep understanding, study, and perhaps collective examination.

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I highly recommend referring to it.

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It serves as definitive proof of the importance of studying the Arabic language sciences in general,

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and the science of rhetoric (balaghah) in particular;

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for it is an indispensable aid in grasping the meanings of the Magnificent Qur'an,

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discerning its subtle secrets and fine nuances,

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and identifying the overarching objectives of its surahs,

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among many other benefits that would take too long to recount.

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I shall suffice with this much.

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And may Allah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his family and Companions.

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And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.