The nice comment on the book of cards identifying the surahs of the Holy Qur’an | D. Muhammad Nassif

0:00 In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

0:02 A Gentle Commentary on the Book "Identification Cards for the Surahs of the Noble Mus-haf"

0:37 by Dr. Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz Ibn 'Umar Nasif, may Allah preserve him.

0:43 Surah ash-Shura.

0:46 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.

0:50 We continue with our gentle commentary on the identification cards,

0:54 and we are now with Surah ash-Shura, concerning which I have three reflective pauses.

0:57 The first pause pertains to the chronological dating of the surah's revelation.

1:00 I have mentioned previously that the well-known report is the one cited first,

1:04 though it is sometimes contradicted.

1:07 Here, however, we have an example where the well-known report aligns with other supporting evidence.

1:14 Specifically, the well-known transmission lists the surahs that open with "Ha-Meem,"

1:20 from Ghafir to al-Ahqaf consecutively, with the exception of ash-Shura.

1:24 That is, Surah Ghafir is the fifty-ninth in the chronological order of revelation,

1:28 followed sequentially by Fussilat as the sixtieth, then az-Zukhruf as the sixty-first, and the rest in uninterrupted sequence.

1:37 Surah ash-Shura is the only one placed apart, being ranked sixty-eighth according to the well-known transmission.

1:44 If we examine its verses, we find an element that sets it apart from the other related surahs,

1:50 or rather a distinct verse that distinguishes it, which is the verse praising the one who retaliates after being wronged:

1:57 "And whoever retaliates after being wronged, for those there is no cause of blame against them." This verse and those around it

2:03 suggest that the Muslims had reached a stage where they experienced a degree of victory and self-defense.

2:10 We know that prior to that, they were commanded to withhold their hands from fighting,

2:15 as indicated in Surah an-Nisa': "Have you not seen those who were told, 'Restrain your hands'?"

2:20 This implies that ash-Shura was revealed later than the other surahs that open with "Ha-Meem."

2:25 This internal evidence confirms the well-known transmission, so I felt it worthwhile to point it out.

2:30 For a well-known report may be corroborated by other transmissions, or contradicted by them,

2:38 or there may be no alternative transmission, in which case we simply rely upon it.

2:42 As for the second pause, it concerns the overarching theme of the surah, which can be deduced from its structural sections.

2:47 It can be said that its theme is divine revelation, its intrinsic worth, and the necessity of adhering to it.

2:53 Notice with me its sections: the first section is naturally the introduction.

2:57 The surah consists of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The introduction begins with disjointed letters:

3:02 "Ha-Meem. 'Ayn-Seen-Qaf," after which Allah says, "Likewise He reveals..." using the simile particle "likewise."

3:08 Therefore, it opens with disjointed letters followed immediately by an opening simile.

3:12 The central section also begins with an opening simile:

3:16 "And thus We have revealed to you an Arabic Qur'an..."

3:19 And the conclusion likewise begins with an opening simile:

3:23 "And thus We have revealed to you an inspiration of Our command."

3:26 You will notice that all of them—

3:28 the introduction, setting aside the disjointed letters "Ha-Meem. 'Ayn-Seen-Qaf,"

3:32 along with the central section and the conclusion—all begin with a simile.

3:36 This is a pattern that does not occur frequently in the Qur'an.

3:39 Why these simile-based openings?

3:41 Regarding simile, we know that it inherently requires a subject of comparison and an object of comparison,

3:49 and as the scholars of rhetoric state, the default principle

3:52 is that the object of comparison must possess the shared quality more intensely than the subject.

3:56 Thus, you say, "Zayd is like a lion."

3:58 The lion is more famous for courage,

4:01 so when you say, "Zayd is like a lion,"

4:03 you have sought to elevate Zayd's status by drawing a comparison to the lion.

4:08 In these Qur'anic similes, however, the subject and the object of comparison are not distinct entities;

4:14 rather, the subject of comparison is identical to the object of comparison itself.

4:16 This is not exclusive to Surah ash-Shura;

4:18 this stylistic construction appears across many other surahs as well,

4:21 and several exegetes have drawn attention to it.

4:24 It is among the most subtle and elegant rhetorical constructions,

4:26 where something is compared only to itself,

4:28 signifying that it has no peer and no equal whatsoever.

4:32 For example, you might see an outstanding student who strives diligently and surpasses his peers,

4:37 prompting the teacher to say, "Like this, students should be!"

4:41 He compares the student's conduct to his own conduct,

4:45 praising him and demonstrating that he has no equal.

4:49 And here, Allah says: "Likewise He reveals to you and to those before you,"

4:53 and: "And thus We have revealed to you an Arabic Qur'an,"

4:56 and: "And thus We have revealed to you an inspiration of Our command."

4:59 This Qur'an that has been revealed is without parallel and without equal.

5:04 As for the third and final pause,

5:07 it pertains to what was mentioned in the conclusion.

5:10 In summarizing the conclusion of the surah and its openings,

5:14 the author noted an opening simile regarding the revelation of the Qur'an

5:17 to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

5:20 and the reminder that it is a spirit and a light—

5:23 that is, the Qur'an—and that he possessed no prior knowledge of it,

5:27 and that through this revelation, he—peace be upon him—became

5:30 a guide to the path of Allah.

5:33 Here we should add: "to Whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth,

5:37 and to Him do all matters return."

5:39 Why should we add this?

5:41 We add it so that you notice

5:44 the profound correspondence between the beginning of the surah and its end.

5:48 For at its very beginning: "Likewise He reveals to you and to those before you—

5:53 Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

5:55 To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth."

5:58 And at the end of the surah: "The path of Allah, to Whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth."

6:03 Note this correspondence, which scholars designate as

6:07 "connecting the end to the beginning" (radd al-'ajuz 'ala as-sadr).

6:09 The conclusion of the surah returns directly to its opening,

6:12 reinforcing this truth: that to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth.

6:16 Note that a person who does not read the surah in its entirety,

6:20 but rather reads it in fragmented passages as we often do,

6:24 deprives himself of perceiving this exquisite subtlety,

6:28 which demonstrates that the surah from its very beginning to its end

6:31 is enveloped by this cardinal reality:

6:33 that to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth,

6:38 glorified and exalted is He.

6:39 Therefore, there should also be added to the summary of the introduction

6:42 an explicit reference showing that revelation to the Prophet, peace be upon him,

6:45 and to those before him

6:46 is inextricably bound to Allah's ultimate might and wisdom,

6:50 and that to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth.

6:53 Thus, whoever reads this becomes keenly aware of the structural harmony

6:58 and coherence between the beginning of the surah and its end.

7:03 This is the device known, as I mentioned,

7:05 among exegetes in particular as "connecting the end to the beginning,"

7:09 and rhetoricians term it similarly,

7:11 though they impose technical constraints on it

7:13 that would exclude many such verses from the definition.

7:15 I do not wish to delve further into that technical discussion now.

7:17 May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and Companions all together.

7:19 And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

The nice comment on the book of cards identifying the surahs of the Holy Qur’an | D. Muhammad Nassif | Surat Al-Shura

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