In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
A Gentle Commentary on the Book *Identification Cards for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an*,
by Dr. Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz Ibn 'Umar Nasif, may Allah preserve him.
Surah al-Hijr.
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.
We continue with our gentle commentary and with Surah al-Hijr.
The first aspect I wish to examine is its name.
Indeed, if we consider the name of this Surah,
it differs on one hand from the surahs that begin with *Alif-Lam-Ra*,
which are named after prophets, whereas this one is named after the dwelling place where punishment befell those who denied
the Prophet of Allah, Salih.
On the other hand, however, it resembles Surah al-Ahqaf,
in that it mentions the dwellings of 'Ad.
Thus, the Surah shares with another the feature of mentioning the place of punishment: al-Hijr and al-Ahqaf.
If you contemplate both surahs, you will find that they primarily speak
about the disbelievers and their vehement denial.
This brings us to the second point of reflection.
The second point concerns the opening of the Surah.
The opening of the Surah:
Its opening begins: "Alif-Lam-Ra. These are the verses of the Book and a clear Qur'an."
“It may be that those who disbelieve wish ardently that they were Muslims.” (15:2)
"Leave them to eat and enjoy themselves and be diverted by [false] hope, for they will soon know."
This stern warning right from the beginning corresponds harmoniously with the name,
and it corresponds with the manner in which stories are presented throughout the Surah.
I will turn briefly to the third point of reflection,
which concerns the benefits of recognizing the opening and central theme.
We noted that the opening of the Surah contains a warning,
and its theme clearly revolves primarily around the disbelievers.
I say: among the benefits of knowing the opening and the overarching theme
is what pertains to the science of verbatim similarities in the Qur'an (*al-Mutashabih al-Lafzi*),
as modern scholars term it.
Al-Suyuti devoted a section to it in *Al-Itqan*,
establishing it as an independent discipline—namely, the sixty-third type—
concerning similar verses.
He spoke upon it at length, and I strongly recommend consulting his discussion.
For those unfamiliar with it, what is meant by it
is verses that resemble one another yet contain variations.
This is evident in the narratives and elsewhere.
Even when al-Suyuti mentioned narratives, he did not mean narratives alone,
as proven by the various verses he cited.
For instance, regarding narratives, the story of Lot is found in this Surah
and is also found in other surahs.
The story of the angels coming to Abraham,
on their way to destroy the people of Lot, is mentioned here
as well as in multiple other surahs.
Thus you find that narratives recur,
exhibiting subtle variations alongside similarities.
Understanding the wisdom behind these variations is precisely what this field entails,
the sixty-third type in al-Suyuti's classification.
I maintain that knowing the opening
and the theme of the Surah greatly aids in understanding it.
Let us take an example of this,
even though it is broader than mere verbatim similarities.
For instance, it is stated in the story of Lot:
"By your life, [O Muhammad], they were indeed wandering blindly in their intoxication,"
which occurs exclusively in this Surah.
It is a profound description unparalleled elsewhere in the Qur'an,
illustrating the severity of their delusion and that they were in a state of stupor.
This corresponds directly with the fact that the Surah
portrays the intense insolence of the disbelievers.
In it is also: "And even if We opened to them a gate from the heaven
and they continued ascending through it, they would say, 'Our eyes have only been dazzled.'"
Observe this subtle correspondence!
Likewise, it is stated in it—
I say: observe also the statement of Allah Almighty
describing the destruction of the people of Lot:
"So We turned it upside down
and rained upon them..."
whereas in Surah Hud it says:
"and rained upon it."
Saying "upon them" is more specific
in indicating that the punishment descended directly upon them,
which is fully fitting
given the extremity of their disbelief.
Contemplation in this area is an expansive domain.
If you comprehend the opening of the Surah
and its ultimate purpose,
you will be able to recognize
the underlying reason for the variations across verses,
with all their nuances of resemblance and difference.
This benefits the memorizers on the one hand—
memorizers of the Qur'an in mastering similar verses—
but on the other hand,
it benefits scholars exploring the miraculous inimitability (*I'jaz*) of the Qur'an.
It is indeed a vast discipline,
such that the scholar
Dr. Muhammad Abu Musa
pointed out in some of his works
that this represents the true practical application
of the science of rhetoric (*Balaghah*),
and that traditional rhetoricians
did not give it extensive attention,
whereas scholars of the Qur'anic sciences
who authored works on this subject,
such as Ibn al-Zubayr al-Gharnati,
al-Iskafi before him,
and a group of scholars after them—
some of whom al-Suyuti referenced in his book—did so.
We shall content ourselves with this much,
and may Allah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his family and Companions.