1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,500 In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. 2 00:00:02,500 --> 00:00:37,539 A Gentle Commentary on the Book *Identification Cards for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an*, 3 00:00:37,539 --> 00:00:43,539 by Dr. Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz Ibn 'Umar Nasif, may Allah preserve him. 4 00:00:43,539 --> 00:00:45,789 Surah al-Hijr. 5 00:00:45,789 --> 00:00:50,789 In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. 6 00:00:50,789 --> 00:00:54,789 We continue with our gentle commentary and with Surah al-Hijr. 7 00:00:54,789 --> 00:00:57,979 The first aspect I wish to examine is its name. 8 00:00:57,979 --> 00:01:01,140 Indeed, if we consider the name of this Surah, 9 00:01:01,140 --> 00:01:05,209 it differs on one hand from the surahs that begin with *Alif-Lam-Ra*, 10 00:01:05,209 --> 00:01:11,209 which are named after prophets, whereas this one is named after the dwelling place where punishment befell those who denied 11 00:01:11,209 --> 00:01:14,209 the Prophet of Allah, Salih. 12 00:01:14,209 --> 00:01:17,209 On the other hand, however, it resembles Surah al-Ahqaf, 13 00:01:17,209 --> 00:01:20,209 in that it mentions the dwellings of 'Ad. 14 00:01:20,209 --> 00:01:29,370 Thus, the Surah shares with another the feature of mentioning the place of punishment: al-Hijr and al-Ahqaf. 15 00:01:29,370 --> 00:01:34,370 If you contemplate both surahs, you will find that they primarily speak 16 00:01:34,370 --> 00:01:39,459 about the disbelievers and their vehement denial. 17 00:01:39,459 --> 00:01:43,459 This brings us to the second point of reflection. 18 00:01:43,459 --> 00:01:47,689 The second point concerns the opening of the Surah. 19 00:01:47,689 --> 00:01:49,689 The opening of the Surah: 20 00:01:49,689 --> 00:01:53,689 Its opening begins: "Alif-Lam-Ra. These are the verses of the Book and a clear Qur'an." 21 00:01:53,689 --> 00:01:57,689 “It may be that those who disbelieve wish ardently that they were Muslims.” (15:2) 22 00:01:57,689 --> 00:02:03,719 "Leave them to eat and enjoy themselves and be diverted by [false] hope, for they will soon know." 23 00:02:03,719 --> 00:02:07,719 This stern warning right from the beginning corresponds harmoniously with the name, 24 00:02:07,719 --> 00:02:12,819 and it corresponds with the manner in which stories are presented throughout the Surah. 25 00:02:12,819 --> 00:02:16,979 I will turn briefly to the third point of reflection, 26 00:02:16,979 --> 00:02:19,979 which concerns the benefits of recognizing the opening and central theme. 27 00:02:19,979 --> 00:02:22,979 We noted that the opening of the Surah contains a warning, 28 00:02:22,979 --> 00:02:26,979 and its theme clearly revolves primarily around the disbelievers. 29 00:02:26,979 --> 00:02:30,979 I say: among the benefits of knowing the opening and the overarching theme 30 00:02:30,979 --> 00:02:33,979 is what pertains to the science of verbatim similarities in the Qur'an (*al-Mutashabih al-Lafzi*), 31 00:02:33,979 --> 00:02:37,199 as modern scholars term it. 32 00:02:37,199 --> 00:02:40,199 Al-Suyuti devoted a section to it in *Al-Itqan*, 33 00:02:40,199 --> 00:02:44,199 establishing it as an independent discipline—namely, the sixty-third type— 34 00:02:44,199 --> 00:02:46,199 concerning similar verses. 35 00:02:46,199 --> 00:02:49,199 He spoke upon it at length, and I strongly recommend consulting his discussion. 36 00:02:49,199 --> 00:02:52,199 For those unfamiliar with it, what is meant by it 37 00:02:52,199 --> 00:02:55,199 is verses that resemble one another yet contain variations. 38 00:02:55,199 --> 00:02:58,229 This is evident in the narratives and elsewhere. 39 00:02:58,229 --> 00:03:01,229 Even when al-Suyuti mentioned narratives, he did not mean narratives alone, 40 00:03:01,229 --> 00:03:03,389 as proven by the various verses he cited. 41 00:03:03,389 --> 00:03:06,389 For instance, regarding narratives, the story of Lot is found in this Surah 42 00:03:06,389 --> 00:03:08,580 and is also found in other surahs. 43 00:03:08,580 --> 00:03:11,580 The story of the angels coming to Abraham, 44 00:03:11,580 --> 00:03:14,580 on their way to destroy the people of Lot, is mentioned here 45 00:03:14,580 --> 00:03:17,620 as well as in multiple other surahs. 46 00:03:17,620 --> 00:03:20,620 Thus you find that narratives recur, 47 00:03:20,620 --> 00:03:23,620 exhibiting subtle variations alongside similarities. 48 00:03:23,620 --> 00:03:26,680 Understanding the wisdom behind these variations is precisely what this field entails, 49 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,680 the sixty-third type in al-Suyuti's classification. 50 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:32,710 I maintain that knowing the opening 51 00:03:32,710 --> 00:03:35,710 and the theme of the Surah greatly aids in understanding it. 52 00:03:35,710 --> 00:03:37,710 Let us take an example of this, 53 00:03:37,710 --> 00:03:39,710 even though it is broader than mere verbatim similarities. 54 00:03:39,710 --> 00:03:41,710 For instance, it is stated in the story of Lot: 55 00:03:41,710 --> 00:03:43,710 "By your life, [O Muhammad], they were indeed wandering blindly in their intoxication," 56 00:03:43,710 --> 00:03:45,710 which occurs exclusively in this Surah. 57 00:03:45,710 --> 00:03:49,710 It is a profound description unparalleled elsewhere in the Qur'an, 58 00:03:49,710 --> 00:03:53,740 illustrating the severity of their delusion and that they were in a state of stupor. 59 00:03:53,740 --> 00:03:57,319 This corresponds directly with the fact that the Surah 60 00:03:57,319 --> 00:03:59,319 portrays the intense insolence of the disbelievers. 61 00:03:59,319 --> 00:04:02,319 In it is also: "And even if We opened to them a gate from the heaven 62 00:04:02,319 --> 00:04:06,319 and they continued ascending through it, they would say, 'Our eyes have only been dazzled.'" 63 00:04:06,319 --> 00:04:08,419 Observe this subtle correspondence! 64 00:04:08,419 --> 00:04:10,419 Likewise, it is stated in it— 65 00:04:10,419 --> 00:04:12,419 I say: observe also the statement of Allah Almighty 66 00:04:12,419 --> 00:04:16,420 describing the destruction of the people of Lot: 67 00:04:16,420 --> 00:04:18,420 "So We turned it upside down 68 00:04:18,420 --> 00:04:20,420 and rained upon them..." 69 00:04:20,420 --> 00:04:22,670 whereas in Surah Hud it says: 70 00:04:22,670 --> 00:04:24,670 "and rained upon it." 71 00:04:24,670 --> 00:04:26,670 Saying "upon them" is more specific 72 00:04:26,670 --> 00:04:28,670 in indicating that the punishment descended directly upon them, 73 00:04:28,670 --> 00:04:30,670 which is fully fitting 74 00:04:30,670 --> 00:04:32,670 given the extremity of their disbelief. 75 00:04:32,670 --> 00:04:34,670 Contemplation in this area is an expansive domain. 76 00:04:34,670 --> 00:04:36,670 If you comprehend the opening of the Surah 77 00:04:36,670 --> 00:04:38,670 and its ultimate purpose, 78 00:04:38,670 --> 00:04:40,670 you will be able to recognize 79 00:04:40,670 --> 00:04:42,670 the underlying reason for the variations across verses, 80 00:04:42,670 --> 00:04:44,670 with all their nuances of resemblance and difference. 81 00:04:44,670 --> 00:04:46,670 This benefits the memorizers on the one hand— 82 00:04:46,670 --> 00:04:48,670 memorizers of the Qur'an in mastering similar verses— 83 00:04:48,670 --> 00:04:50,670 but on the other hand, 84 00:04:50,670 --> 00:04:52,670 it benefits scholars exploring the miraculous inimitability (*I'jaz*) of the Qur'an. 85 00:04:52,670 --> 00:04:54,670 It is indeed a vast discipline, 86 00:04:54,670 --> 00:04:56,670 such that the scholar 87 00:04:56,670 --> 00:04:58,670 Dr. Muhammad Abu Musa 88 00:04:58,670 --> 00:05:00,670 pointed out in some of his works 89 00:05:00,670 --> 00:05:02,670 that this represents the true practical application 90 00:05:02,670 --> 00:05:04,670 of the science of rhetoric (*Balaghah*), 91 00:05:04,670 --> 00:05:06,670 and that traditional rhetoricians 92 00:05:06,670 --> 00:05:08,670 did not give it extensive attention, 93 00:05:08,670 --> 00:05:10,670 whereas scholars of the Qur'anic sciences 94 00:05:10,670 --> 00:05:12,670 who authored works on this subject, 95 00:05:12,670 --> 00:05:14,670 such as Ibn al-Zubayr al-Gharnati, 96 00:05:14,670 --> 00:05:16,670 al-Iskafi before him, 97 00:05:16,670 --> 00:05:18,670 and a group of scholars after them— 98 00:05:18,670 --> 00:05:20,670 some of whom al-Suyuti referenced in his book—did so. 99 00:05:20,670 --> 00:05:22,670 We shall content ourselves with this much, 100 00:05:22,670 --> 00:05:24,670 and may Allah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his family and Companions.