There are two types of historical resources of interpretation:

• Foundational or absolutely authentic, and
• Secondary or supportive

The Holy Quran alone is the basic and foundational resource while the sound Hadith, established historical facts, and the Scriptures of the earlier nations constitute the ancillary and secondary resource. Had it not been for the uncertainty involved in the authenticity of the Prophetic traditions, historical facts, and earlier revelations, I would have considered them among foundational resources alongside the Holy Quran. In that case, all of these resources would have worked to corroborate each other without mutual contradiction. It is only the lack of authenticity of the Hadith narratives that obliges students of the Holy Quran like me not to rely on any such traditions as contradicting the Holy Quran. Some of the narratives even negate the verses of the Holy Quran and disrupt their interrelation unless their obvious implication is abandoned. Strangely enough, some commentators disregard the obvious meanings of the verses they seek to interpret and do not bother to re-interpret the relevant narratives in accordance with the verses: they leave the apparent contradiction between the two unresolved. Some scholars even dare to take the narrative as it is without bothering to interpret the verses accordingly. In so doing they put the nazm of the discourse at stake. When the roots and branches come to threaten each other every rational being would cut out the branches, not the roots. As the poet says:

How many tall branches we have seen

Die out if not nourished by the roots

One wonders why the exegetes have freely employed the narratives which outright contradict the text they are supposed to interpret. Examples of such outrageous interpretations include the traditions ascribing lies to Abraham and the narratives which tell that the Holy Prophet (sws) recited verses that were not revealed by God. We, therefore, need to observe extreme care regarding such narratives. We may only consider the narratives which are in accordance with the Holy Quran and which corroborate its statements. For example, the interpretations ascribed to Ibn Abbas do not often violate the nazm of the Holy Quran. We will refer to them as corroborative evidence in our attempt to interpret the Holy Quran.

Similarly, it is safer to resort to the history of the People of the Book as a source of interpreting the Holy Quran rather than bank upon the folklore of these nations (commonly referred to as Israiliyaat). This is because the exegetes have taken these narrations from people who were rarely knowledgeable when it came to the History of the Jewish People and their prophets. Thus, it makes sense for us to resort to their reliable books rather than conjured up stories. It must, however, remain clear that the Jewish and the Christian Scriptures have to be used only as a supportive and explanatory resource. If these books contradict the Holy Quran at a certain point they have to be abandoned. We know the truth has been consciously concealed from within these books. Plus, Allah has also pointed out to them (2:140):

…are you more knowledgeable or Allah?

The issue of offering Ismail for sacrifice is a clear example of such a manipulation as confirmed by the Holy Quran.

I want to make it clear that we Muslims have been taught not to differentiate between the revealed Books,  the Holy Quran being one of them. However, when we find that these books, the sources of Divine knowledge, differ over an issue, we should prefer the authentic over the corrupted. We have to measure the authenticity of the contradicting sources and consider only the one which is more authentic. However, when they are found in agreement, corroborating and strengthening each other, there is no harm in accepting even what is not historically authentic once we have critically reflected over its contents. For example, we may refer to the Psalms while discussing the following verse of the Holy Quran (21:105):

We have written in the Psalms, following the reminder, that my righteous servants shall inherit the land

We may also refer to the Torah in an effort to appreciate what has been alluded to in the following Quranic verse (87:18-19):

…and indeed this is what is found in the earlier revelations, the books of Abraham and Moses

Similarly, to explain the verses like one given below, we have to refer to the history of the Jewish people

…and We conveyed to the Children of Israel in the Book “You will surely create mischief in the land twice”(17:4)

What matters most in this exercise is to appreciate that the Holy Quran does not depend upon anything external to it, including the earlier Scriptures, in making its purport clear; rather, it governs the earlier revelations in that it is the only true source that can settle the differences among the Books of God. However, when one wishes to confirm what the Holy Quran says they may turn to secondary sources to corroboratory evidence. They are surely helpful in that they increase our faith in the Holy Quran and affirm our belief in its teachings. I believe that the following Quranic directive guides us to this quest (6:11):

Tell (them): “Walk in the land and then observe what has been the end of rejectors”

Studying the earlier revelations, therefore, has its reward. A sound understanding of their contents helps us appreciate the excellence of the Quranic teachings over them. This also proves useful in learning how the Holy Quran has refreshed the guidance that which the People of Book have lost from their revelations as well as exposing the changes they have made in the Divine texts.

We must, however, not lose the line of difference between what the Holy Quran says and what these secondary sources offer. We need to keep a clear barrier and a demarcating wall between the two sources and may never confuse one for another. What has been mentioned in the Holy Quran is absolutely authentic and whatever these resources add to it is always subject to doubt and uncertainty. Therefore, if somebody rejects these secondary resources on valid grounds, he cannot be equated with the rejectors of the Holy Quran.

Similarly, one must also appreciate that the Hadith narratives, even if they are mutawatir, cannot abrogate the Holy Quran.We will have to explain any apparent contradiction found between the Holy Quran and the Hadith in accordance with the Quranic stance on the issue or keep the narrative under consideration. This is the reason Imam Shafi, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, and the majority from amongst the scholars of the science of Hadith never claimed that the Holy Quran can be abrogated by the Hadith narratives, even if these were reported down by a large number of people supposed to be unable to unite over concocting a report. When these scholars, who are experts in their field, do not adhere to such a stance (i.e hadith narratives abrogating the Holy Quran) then we do not give any importance to the points raised by Fiqhi scholars and other scholastics. I seek God’s refuge from saying that the Messenger of God could cancel the word of God. Such narratives as contradicting the Holy Quran must always be ascribed to the misunderstanding and confusion of the narrators. A thorough analysis of both of these views along with the line of arguments they offer would surely help add to our commitment and satisfaction in truth regarding this matter. We cannot, however, go into a detailed discussion over this issue here and will discuss it partly in the last introduction titled “Interpreting the Holy Quran in the light of the hadith“

Contents

This is a rendering of English translation of Muqaddimah – Tafsir Nizam ul Quran by the permission of the translator, Tariq Mahmood Hashmi. Original version available here.

Posted in Arabic, Coherence, Farahi, Language, Quran Tagged: Arabic, Language, Quran ]]> http://sheepoo.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/muqaddimah-%e2%80%93-tafsir-nizam-ul-quran-historical-resources-of-interpretation/feed/ 1 sheepoo http://sheepoo.wordpress.com/2009/09/12/muqaddimah-%e2%80%93-tafsir-nizam-ul-quran-%e2%80%93-occasion-of-revelation/ http://sheepoo.wordpress.com/2009/09/12/muqaddimah-%e2%80%93-tafsir-nizam-ul-quran-%e2%80%93-occasion-of-revelation/#comments Sat, 12 Sep 2009 19:42:52 +0000 sheepoo http://sheepoo.wordpress.com/?p=420 ]]>

It is commonly held that the shan-i-nuzul (occasion of revelation) is narration of a particular incident or incidents, which spurred the revelation of a verse or a set of verses. I am afraid this is not correct. The shan-i-nuzul of a revelation, in fact, refers to the circumstances encompassing the addressees of the Holy Quran at the moment. The Holy Quran, in fact, deals with  a certain matter or a set of matters as the central theme of the Surahs. The whole address revolves around that matter or a set of matters. Therefore, the best way to ascertain the shan-i-nuzul is to deliberate upon the contents of the Surah because the Surahs are always addressed while keeping such circumstances in view. Just as an expert doctor identifies the ailment a patient is suffering by simply analyzing the medicines mentioned in the prescription by another doctor, in precisely the same manner one can identify the shan-i-nuzul of the Quranic verses by examining the central theme of the Surah. In a meaningful discourse, the discourse and its theme possess mutual affinity and relationship, just as a well-fitted dress corresponds to the body. It goes without saying that components of a meaningful discourse are closely knit. When a Hadith narrative says that a certain verse was revealed regarding a particular incident it indicates the circumstances in which the audience were at the time of that particular revelation. Thus, we come to know of the immediate reasons for the revelation. Imam Suyuti writes:

Zarkashi writes in al-Burhan: when the Companions and the Successors say that such and such verse was revealed about such and such incident they mean that the verse embodies a ruling about that issue. They do not mean that the verse was primarily prompted by that issue. This phenomenon, in fact, involves deducing a decree from the verse regarding the issue (referred to in the relevant shan-i-nuzul narrative). It does not always involve merely reporting the historical fact about the revelation of the verse. It is very important to appreciate that the revelation of the relevant verse and the referred incident might not have co-occurred

The above quoted saying of Zarkashi solves the problem faced by Imam Razi while interpreting the following verse of the Holy Quran (6:54):

When those who believe in our revelations come to you…

Imam Razi writes:

I am quite mystified here. The scholars unanimously hold that the whole Surah was revealed at one time. Then how could one say that every verse of the Surah individually was prompted by a specific incident

Therefore, in my opinion, as is obvious from the above discussion, all the Surahs were revealed to deal with matters, which called for an explanation, while caring that the text of the Surahs remained coherent and free of ambiguities. We experience that an expert orator delivers a speech regarding conditions and requirements before him, in such a way that he does not mention a particular issue yet his speech covers all the pertinent issues. Likewise, sometimes he mentions a particular person or incident but his address is all embracing and universal in nature. Same is the case with the revelation of the Holy Quran as can be discerned from the following verse (5:101):

If you ask about them during the time the Quran is being revealed these will be shown to you

This verse testifies to the fact that the Holy Quran, during the course of its revelation, would answer queries that arose in the mind of its addressees without disturbing the flow of the discourse. So when a Surah would be completed while meeting the objectives of the discourse it did not lack any aspect of the clarification of the matter. Nor did it bear anything in excess.

Sometimes this need would not be fully met and another Surah would be revealed to clarify the issue. The ‘occasion of revelation’ would still be the same but the Surah would be couched in a new style to avoid monotony and tiresomeness in the discourse. That is why the Surahs revealed in the beginning commonly dealt with subjects like resurrection, monotheism, belief in the Messengers of Allah, among others. In all the Surahs which deal with similar topics different style was adopted. Sometimes it was felt that a particular thing in a Surah required further explanation and an explanatory verse would be revealed and placed beside the verses to be clarified. This was in accordance with the promise Allah made in Surah Qiyamah (75:19):

We shall Ourself explain it

In such cases, the entire discourse would follow the context of the Surah rather than its period of revelation. Usually such verses would be followed by an indication that the part under question was a later insertion revealed in order to make something clear. Verses like the following one would be placed at the end of the clarifying directive (2:187):

In this manner Allah explains his verses to make people understand so that they may guard against (evil)

If we want to have a clear understanding of a certain part of the Holy Quran, we should not let go of the context of the verses lest we become like a wanderer in a desert who gets to a crossway in the dark of the night not knowing where to proceed. Thus, the occasion of revelation of a Surah should be determined from the text of the Surah. Only those narratives should be considered in this regard as are in harmony with the context of the Surah rather than those which disrupt its coherence. Therefore, the most well-grounded view is that the occasion of revelation is determined with the help of the context: one should cling to it fast. When a general decree is revealed on a certain occasion this (occasion and condition) alludes to the reason and wisdom behind that decree. For instance, the Holy Quran mentions both monogamy and polygamy (as allowable). If we consider the shan-i-nuzul of the relevant verses in the light of the context, it becomes clear that polygamy can be adopted when just dealing of orphans requires of it, whereas the practice of monogamy is followed for it leads to just dealing with the wife. Justice with the weak underlies both directives. Circumstances of a person determine which of the two allowable practices is applicable in a particular situation. Similar is the case of pledging some item while taking collateral loan. To take some precious item from a Muslim brother in this way reflects obvious meanness on the part of the lender. Still however, the Almighty allowed us to resort to this practice when left with no other alternative. The Holy Quran however clearly commands us to return the pledged items immediately after the need is fulfilled.

Contents

Muqaddimah – Tafsir Nizam-ul-Quran – Historical Resources of Interpretation

This is a rendering of English translation of Muqaddimah – Tafsir Nizam ul Quran by the permission of the translator, Tariq Mahmood Hashmi. Original version available here.

2. Explanation of the Verses with their Parallels

Now we turn to the second important principle of exegesis namely tafsir al-ayat bi al-ayat. To begin with I quote Imam Suyuti:

The scholars have said that, while embarking on the task of interpreting the divine text, a commentator has to refer to the Holy Quran itself first of all because whatever part of the Book is ambiguous in one place has been made clear in another place. What is put with brevity here has been elaborated upon there. Ibn al-Jawzi has devoted a treatise to the discussion of the Quranic themes briefly alluded to in one place and explained at another. I too have brought forth some examples of the kind under discussion of mujmal (ambiguous). If it is not possible then the exegete needs to turn to the Sunnah of the Prophet (sws) because the Sunnah explains and explicates the Holy Quran. Imam Shafi has said that all the Prophetic commands were based on the Holy Quran. The following verse of the Holy Quran attests this (4:105):

We have sent down to you the Book with decisive truth that you may judge between men by what God has shown you

Many other verses of the Holy Quran support this fact. The Prophet (sws), too, has said:

I have been granted the Holy Quran and with it something similar to it

i.e. the Sunnah

If however it is not possible for him (to interpret the verse in the light of the Sunnah) then he must consult the sayings of the Companions. They best knew what was revealed before their eyes, had full knowledge of the circumstances in which it was revealed and were characterized by a perfect understanding, sound knowledge, and pious deeds.

I fully appreciate that the first thing to be resorted to in the task of interpreting the Holy Quran is the Quran itself. The knowledge that we have received from the Holy Prophet (sws) and his Companions follows it. God knows that, to me, the best interpretation of the Quran is that validly ascribed to the Prophet (sws) and his Companions.

Some of the scholars have conducted exegesis on the basis of traditions. The work of Ibn al-Jarir al-Tabri, often hailed as the unparallelled Tafsir work, represents this model. However, most of the narratives he employed in his commentary are not sound and reliable. Very few traditions are marfu. Tabri has indeed collected the opinions of the earlier commentators on the meaning of the Quranic verses, completely ignoring their mutual contradiction.

Though I believe that most of the sahih narratives do not contradict the Holy Quran, yet I have refrained from basing my commentary on the Hadith narratives. I have used them only in corroborating my opinions on the Quranic verses concluded in the light of their parallels. To me, the status of the categorical resource of exegesis is exclusive for the Quran. The Hadith narratives work only as explanatory and non-categorical resource which must accord with the foundational one and may never override it. This is because I intend to keep the door of difference and confrontation closed on the rejectors of the Book who have thrown the Word of God on their backs and on the heretics who have attributed to the Muslims things which are not based on the Word of God. I have consciously adopted this approach in order that the Book serves as a common guide for all and as the basic criterion and deciding force on the confronting views of sectarian groups.

I do not indeed intend to amass all that relates to the Holy Quran for I believe that the Book of God is a mine of treasure which does not exhaust no matter how great a number of seekers approach it. Moreover, there is already sufficient number of exegetical works. Whoever searches through them with the eyes of a researcher is rewarded with what is destined for him of knowledge. I have, on the contrary, intended to bring to surface that which works as foundation, the source, the balance, and the wisdom. Therefore, I have abandoned anything other than the Holy Quran without declaring it unacceptable, following Imam Bukhari, who recorded in his book only those ahadith which were sound to him and were acceptable by all. He did not deem it fit to reject the other narratives which he could not include in his work. In the present work, I could not even discuss a tiny part of the wisdom and the realities buried in the Quranic text itself what to say of the discussions external to it. If the Lord wills I will write a separate book in which, with His help, I will deal with all such pearls of the Quranic wisdom.

Just as I have employed the hadith narratives in corroboration of the conclusions reached in the light of the Quranic text I also use the Scriptures revealed to the earlier nations in the same capacity. The basic objective behind this exercise is to reveal and highlight the issues where the Quranic and Biblical verses are in agreement. This establishes the veracity of Islam over the Jews and the Christians with the help of their Scriptures. They too have been splitting hair on issues, they suppose, they have found in the Quran in their favour.

The above discussion is enough for a preface. There are, however, other matters of fundamental import which call for detailed discussion for which I have dedicated the introductions to the present book. We can refer to them in the course of discussion of the exegesis to avoid disruption by frequent repetitions.

The work is divided in a hundred and fourteen chapters, a separate chapter for each Surah. I thank God for whatever I have written correct. He is surely the source of all blessings. Thus, whatever right conclusions I have reached are definitely owed to God. If , however, I have been wrong, God knows, I have only pursued a good desire in my mind like Jacob.

Contents
Muqaddimah – Tafsir Nizam-ul-Quran – Occasion of Revelation

This is a rendering of English translation of Muqaddimah – Tafsir Nizam ul Quran by the permission of the translator, Tariq Mahmood Hashmi. Original version available here.

What I intend to bring to the eyes of the academic world does not call for this elaborate and lengthy discussion. Yet, I have gone this far in this preliminary discussion only because discovering the coherence in the Book demands great contemplation. If one fixes the view the Book does not contain any nazm at all in the mind, even before approaching it for interpretation, it would be impossible for him to tread a single step in this direction. Everything will look so strange and unfamiliar that it would be hard for him to immerse himself into such an endeavour.

One may, however, say that if Quranic nazm is such sublime science yielding great benefits then why the Companions of the Holy Prophet (sws) maintained silence in this regard? Why did the Prophet (sws) himself did not point toward this important tool of interpretation of the divine text? Our response to this question is this: the Companions of the Holy Prophet (sws) stood fully in the light regarding the context of the verses. Most parts of the discourse addressed their issues and were revealed considering their circumstances. Had we lived in the same blessed time the coherence of the Book would have been clear to us too. That is we see that little exegetical narratives have been ascribed to the Companions for it spoke in the mother-tongue, applied their style of expression and discussed their issues and problems. Nothing of this triad is shared by us with them. This being true, how can one compare us with them with regards to the understanding of coherence in the Quran! Yet, despite the great difference of time between the Companions and us, we have, in the repetition of the verses, decisive nature of the discourse, and presentation of the arguments, certain indicators which point beyond what we miss otherwise. These things continue to radiate light and help every keen and perceptive reader discern the nazm.

Here I conclude this discussion of nazm, the fundamental principle of this exegesis. The introductions to the exegesis which follow this preface contain various other relevant facts which further explain our approach in this regard.

Contents
Muqaddimah – Tafsir Nizam-ul-Quran – Explanation of the Verses with their Parallels

This is a rendering of English translation of Muqaddimah – Tafsir Nizam ul Quran by the permission of the translator, Tariq Mahmood Hashmi. Original version available here.

6. Another thing that corroborates my thesis regarding the Quranic nazm is the conviction of people whose bosoms were opened by the Almighty to some fruits of the fine ordering of the Holy Quran. These scholars have glimpsed into some of the realities buried in the fine structure of the Book of Allah. They appreciate that the Book of Allah is treasure trove of wisdom and wonders which can only be accessed through an analysis of its order and arrangement. This intensifies their thirst for investigation, increases their satisfaction and improves their understanding. They are thus encouraged to try harder and harder to unearth this treasure. God fulfills their endeavours and they are able to get of it what is destined for them. They are grateful to God on what horizons open up for them in this regard. They attribute their failure to understand something to their own inabilities and lack of understanding. It is a known fact that the Book of God is an ocean of knowledge whose wonders and treasures may never exhaust. Who can claim to have gathered the sunlight and [to have obtained all the knowledge contained in the Book of God]? Who can claim immunity to error? Therefore, such limitations do not put off the flame of their enthusiasm and yearning to learn. Rather, they continue searching for the wealth of knowledge gratefully acknowledging whatever they can achieve through their efforts. Do you not see that those bestowed  with some part of this knowledge have always thanked God for this unparallelled divine largesse? Writes Imam Suyuti:

The first person to highlight the study of correspondence (of the verses and the surahs of the Holy Quran) is Sheikh Abu Bakr Nishaburi. He was a great expert in Islamic law and literature. He would assume, the chair, explain the Quranic verses read out to him and point out the wisdom behind the placement of a certain verse next to the others and of a certain surah alongside the other. He would often disparage the scholars of Baghdad for their lack of knowledge of the correspondence

Imam Suyuti has recorded the following saying of Ibn Arabi:

The art of linking the Quranic verses in a way that the whole text appears as a well arranged single composition is certainly a great knowledge. Only one scholar has engaged himself in such an enquiry. Working on this line of enquiry he showed the whole Surah Baqarh as a coherent discourse. The the Almighty opened this door for me by His grace and bounty but I found that people do not appreciate this knowledge. I see that people lack insight. This compelled me to keep this door sealed and to refer this matter between the Almighty and mye to Himself

Imam Razi, too, in his commentary, invariably thanks God for such grand knowledge granted to him. Makhdum Mahaimi’s commentary on the Quran primarily deals with the explanation of the interrelationship of the verses. He thanks God for bestowing him with this understanding so profoundly, and expresses his sense of inability and infallibility in such a way that it cannot be lost upon any serious student of his commentary. He considers this knowledge merely his Lord’s bounty upon him and completely negates worthiness of his contribution. I think this is because of his feeling of overwhelming gratitude and great humility that made him give his work the title Tabsir al-Rahman was Tasyir al-Mannan.

The above discussion fully reveals the degree of respect attached to this knowledge by those blessed with insight into it. Obviously, these confessions have sprung from their hearts after they felt that the verses of the Quran are ordered in a very remarkable fashion. As is attested by Sheikh Wali al-Din Malawi:

Those who say that one may not look for interconnection between the verses of the Holy Quran because they were revealed in diverse circumstances are wrong. The fact is that these verses, though revealed in response to certain diverse circumstances, have been ordered (in the present arrangement of the Book) with perfect wisdom

An individual who senses the fragrance of a fine ordering in the Holy Quran, glimpses at its beauty and feels it, cannot deny the presence of this reality i.e. nazm (in the Book of God). However, we may not blame those who hold that the Book in not coherent merely because they been unable to grasp its nazm.

Contents
Muqaddimah – Tafsir Nizam-ul-Quran – Preface – Part 4

This is a rendering of English translation of Muqaddimah – Tafsir Nizam ul Quran by the permission of the translator, Tariq Mahmood Hashmi. Original version available here.

3. Moreover, it is an indisputable fact that coherence is the necessary characteristic of every discourse. Minus it, you will lose a significant part of the meaning and implications of the discourse.  A whole contains what we may call over and above of the sum total of its parts. Grapes and wine are certainly different things. That is why we see that if someone fails to understand the connections in the parts of a discourse a great part of the meaning of the discourse is lost upon him. His state is not different than that of the People of the Book concerning whom God says (5:14):

Thus they lost a part of that through which they were reminded (of religious truth). Consequently, we stirred up enmity and hatred among them till the Day of Resurrection

I am afraid the enmity and antagonism that has broken out among the Muslims originates in our disregard for the greater part of the meaning of the Holy Quran buried in its coherence. Given this, God forbid, the evil can hardly be curbed. The reason for this, as explained above, is that disputing over the meaning of the Word of God will necessarily lead us to cherish different goals. Consequently, we will share the fate of the People of the Book mentioned in the verse quoted above. They, however, after all this, could hope reform by believing in the Last Prophet (sws) and the Last Revelation of God, still awaited then, but we have no other way except for turning to Quran itself.

4. **The Quran itself testifies to the fact that Allah revealed His Book in small portions, as needed and at different times, according to the requirements of the situation. The aim of this was to develop the ability of understanding the Quran amongst its followers, as the Quran itself says:

“Those who reject Faith say: “Why is not the Qur’an revealed to him all at once?” Thus (is it revealed), that We may strengthen your heart with it” (25:32)

Once a Surah was revealed, it was arranged according to a particular order and its meaning were elaborated within the Quran:

“Surely on Us (rests) the collecting of it and the reciting of it. Therefore when We have recited it, follow its recitation. Again on Us (rests) the explaining of it. ” (75:17-19)

This tells us that whenever a Surah was completed in terms of its entire revelation Allah Himself had its ayahs collected in a particular order and whatever explanation was required was also added accordingly. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) had each ayah placed at its exact and particular location according to revelation and would get anxious whenever there was a delay in completion of a Surah, primarily because of his immense feeling of responsibility toward delivering Allah’s message to his people.  In fact, Allah has drawn attention to this fact in these words:

“…and do not make haste with the Quran before its revelation is made complete to you and say: O my Lord ! increase me in knowledge. ” (20:114)

This is precisely because Allah, in His all encompassing wisdom, knew that relaxations within the commandments of the Shariah will have to be revealed later on, mainly due the weak nature of Man’s spiritual self.**

The Holy Quran, considering human weakness, places the alleviatory verses after the initial commands. That weakness is inherent in all human beings and is indicated in the following verse, which is follows right after the one quoted above (20:115):

And we covenanted with Adam previously and he forgot (our command). Thus, We did not find him well committed

That the alleviatory verses have been revealed considering human weakness can be gleaned from the following verse of the Holy Quran (8:66):

Now God has lessened your burden (of responsibility) seeing that weakness has befell you

This verse has been placed right after the original command it repeals. Similarly, there is a distance of many years between the period of revelation of initial verses of Surah Muzammil, commanding the Muslims to observe the night vigil, and the last verse of the Surah, which serves to repeal the command. Here, in spite of the difference in period of revelation of both the commands, the verse repealing the earlier commands has been placed after the abrogated directive. The case of the verse regarding sexual intercourse with one’s wife during the nights of the month of Ramadan (2:187) and the ones commanding the believers to make a testamentary provision to their wives (2:240) can also be cited to prove this point. The latter verse, as I have discussed in my commentary of the Surah, was put among the verses complementing the entire section. It was in fact very meticulously placed after the first complement in this regard. Such explanatory verses most often are followed by the statement (2:187):

Thus does God makes His verses clear to people

I believe that such explanatory verses fulfilled the divine promise made in the following verse of Surah Qiyamah (75:19):

We shall Ourselves explain it

It also responds to the prayer taught to the Holy Prophet (sws) by the Almighty Himself in the following verse (20:114):

Lord, increase my knowledge

5. In the preceding paragraphs I have pleaded with these Quranic facts in order to substantiate the theory of coherence in the Holy Quran. The Hadith narratives also corroborate this thesis. Many traditions lead us to the conclusion that whenever a part of the Holy Quran was revealed, the Holy Prophet (sws) would determine its Surah and also its place in that particular Surah and would direct his companions to put it there. It was thus put in its proper place under his direct supervision. Some other narratives tell us that once a Surah would be completed Gabriel recited the whole Surah before the Prophet (sws). In my opinion, this also constituted the fulfilment of the divine promise of the jam and the Quran in Surah Qiyamah. It was this arrangement and recitation which the Prophet (sws) was commanded to follow.

Moreover, order of the verses of the Quranic Surahs is recognized by the entire Ummah. All the Muslim sects and schools have the same text with the same order of the verses in the Surahs.

Contents
Muqaddimah – Tafsir Nizam-ul-Quran – Preface – Part 3

This is a rendering of English translation of Muqaddimah – Tafsir Nizam ul Quran by the permission of the translator, Tariq Mahmood Hashmi. Original version available here.

** The portion indicated here is missing from the English translation. I have filled in the gap by providing my own

In the present work, I have, with the help of God and His blessings, tried to uncover the nazm (coherence) in the Holy Quran. I intend to write a simple and self explanatory commentary on the divine book free from the differences that have arisen among the Muslims after the Holy Prophet (sws). I have sought to clarify each verse in the light of its precedents in the Book and have endeavoured to determine the coherence of the Surahs through careful analysis of the text in the light of the context. Thus having reached an interpretation, I have attempted to corroborate it by rational and factual evidence.

1. Quranic Nazm
   

In order to uncover the nazm I have examined the depths of the discourse with penetrating insight. In my effort to explain the divine verses I have held fast to the Book of God. My sole guide is only the God Almighty who blessed me with knowledge and understanding (of the coherence in the Divine text). I have not borrowed this approach from anyone. However, I am not the first person to have tried to uncover the Quranic nazm. Many scholars in the past have directed their attention to the subject and some have even documented their findings. The polymath, Suyuti, mentions in his treatise al-Itqan:

Mentor of Abu-Hayyan, Allamah Abu Jafar Ibn Zubayr, compiled a book entitled al-Burhan fi Munasabat al-Suwar al-Quran (The Conclusive Proof Regarding the Correspondence in the surahs of the Holy Quran) which exclusively deals with this subject. One of our contemporaries, Sheikh Burhan al-Din Baqai has also specifically considered the coherence in the Holy Quran in his exegesis Nazm al-Durar fi Tanasub al-Ayi wa al-Suwar (Arrangement of the Pearls regarding the Correspondence of the Verses and the Surahs)

Suyuti also refers to one of his works, which, according to him, discusses the coherence in the verses and the surahs and other aspects of ijaz of the Holy Quran. In this connection, he says:

The knowledge of interrelationship is the most sublime science in rank. The exegetes have paid less attention to it only because of its difficulties. Imam Fakahr ad-Din al-Razi is one of those who have shown most interest in this science. He says: “ The greater part of the Quranic intricacies and wisdom is buried in the fine arrangement and correspondence of (Surahs and verses of the) Quran”

I have found Imam Razi`s following remarks in his commentary on the Quranic verse (41:44):

….had We made it an Ajami Quran….

The scholars have reported that this verse was revealed when the Quraysh obstinately remarked that why the Quran was not revealed in some non-Arab language. I believe that assumptions of this kind expose the Holy Quran to serious objections. It entails that the Holy Quran contains disjointed verses lacking any possible coherence. Rather, this admits of even severer objections on the Divine word, which, once validated destroy the status of the Holy Quran as a coherent discourse, far from being miraculous Word of God. I believe that this Surah is a sustained discourse right from the beginning to the end

After dealing with the theme of the Surah in a short and concise manner, he comments:

Every fair person can see that if the verse is interpreted the way we have, it becomes clear that the Surah is a coherent and well-knit discourse from the beginning to the end -  a discourse leading to a single objective. Such a commentary would naturally be better than what people have generally offered

This rounds off our survey of the viewpoints of the advocates of a case for some sort of coherence in the Holy Quran. All along, there have been other scholars who believed that the Holy Quran is devoid of any coherence. In this connection, Sheikh Izzuddin as-Salam says:

The Holy Quran came down piecemeal over a period of more than two decades, with different commandments issued for a variety of purposes. A book revealed in this fashion does not afford any correspondence in its components

We have seen that on the question of Quranic nazm there exist two schools both of which have supporters. I acknowledge the former view and adhere to it.

Through aforementioned facts, I intend to highlight two important points.

First, the earlier scholars did not altogether neglect the question of Quranic nazm. Rather, a group has discussed the issue carefully.

Second, discovering nazm in the Holy Quran is a difficult task which has scarcely been attempted. It is a treasure trove of which little has been discovered thus far.

In the beginning, God Almighty blessed me with an understanding of the internal coherence in Surah Al-Baqara and Surah Al-Qasas of the Holy Quran. The text of the Holy Quran itself guided me to this discovery and I did not resort to any resource external to it. By the grace of God, reciting the Holy Quran, my favourite book, has always been my cherished engagement. I too, many times, confronted the famous dictum the the Book, being revealed piece by piece, is actually a disjointed, incoherent discourse. The discovery of coherence in two longer Surahs, however, prompted me to expand the investigation to the rest of the Book. This dates back early days of my life. I was, at that time, pursuing my academic career. this kept me from devoting enough time to this investigation and doing an exhaustive survey of the entire Book. After ten years of inactivity, God again blessed me with an opportunity to resume work on the Holy Quran from this angle. Initial investigation lasted for about a year before I reached a definite conclusion. Later on, the idea to present the results of my investigation before the academic world struck my mind. This, however, I did not pursue realizing the importance of the task and its far-reaching consequences. Therefore, I continued repeatedly examining the Quranic text from this perspective for a long time. During the course of this exercise, I continuously beseeched God`s protection from ignorance and temptations of the self. Truth was there before me, clear and manifest, since long. It required urgent disclosure but I always desired to safely depart this world without rendering myself accountable for unveiling such a massive discovery. I wished to relieve myself of the responsibility for all the good or evil my work was bound to produce. However, the following considerations forced me to bear this responsibility in spite of my reservations:

1. I observed that most differences in understanding the Quranic text owed themselves to the fact that the interpreters did not consider the Quranic nazm. Had they been clear on the orderly arrangement of the text  and were they exposed to the central themes of Surahs, all possibilities of difference would have been eliminated. All would have been jointly hoisting a common flag, holding fast to a single word -“a goodly tree, its root set firm, its branches reaching into the heavens”. Unfortunately, the differences could not be checked despite the fact the we, the Muslims, have been required to hold fast to the word of God Almighty who commands (3:103):

   And hold fast by the rope of Allah all together and be not disunited

   How can one expect to find a way out of differences in fundamental matters in such a state of affairs? People have considered the well-knit rope of Allah, which “falsehood may not come at from before or behind” – a pile of fragmented pieces. Each sect is interpreting the Holy Quran bespectacled with presupposed views, deviating from the escort of the text; whereas the order and arrangement of the Quran – the only guide to proper understanding if the text – is never resorted to. It is the only shield that keeps innovators from incorporating their whims in the text, prevents the strayed folk from grounding their waywardness in the Word of God and safeguards the Book from the onslaughts of the crooked people who wish to “remove the words from their context“. In the meantime such evil factions remain engaged in attacking the Word of God, from its front and from its back, and are mixing their whimsical inclinations with the truth.

2. The heretics levelled objections against the Holy Quran. They claimed that the Books lacks anything of the sort of orderly arrangement. Muslim scholarship was expected to deliver the Word of God from such outrageous objections – concerning the like of which Almighty says (18:5):

   how grievous words come out of their mouths

   and (4:141):

   never will Allah grant to the unbelievers a way over the believers

   - and to unveil the truth. Quite unfortunately, their response has generally been concessive in this regard. This did not allow me to sit like an onlooker while the truth was subjected to suppression and falsehood hailed victory, especially when I was clear about the untenability of the objections raised by the heretics.

Contents
Muqaddimah – Tafsir Nizam-ul-Quran – Preface – Part 2

This is a rendering of English translation of Muqaddimah – Tafsir Nizam ul Quran by the permission of the translator, Tariq Mahmood Hashmi. Original version available here.

1. Preface 
   • Quranic Nazm (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4)
   • Explanation of the Verses with their Parallels
2. Occasion of Revelation
3. Historical Resources of Interpretation
4. Linguistic Resources of Interpretation
5. Divine Books explain each other
6. Univocity of the Quranic Text
7. Correspondence and Sequence
8. Surah as a Unit
9. The Holy Quran and the previous Scriptures on the Divine Commands and Historical Narratives
10. Length of Surahs
11. Fundmental teachings of the Quran
12. Jihad
13. Maruf and Munkar: Good and Evil
14. Nazm adds to the meaning of the Text
15. Structure of the Quran
16. Names of the Surahs and their Central Themes
17. Determining the Addressees and the Addressers
18. Mode of Revelation
19. Interpreting the Quran in the light of Hadith

This is a rendering of English translation of Muqaddimah – Tafsir Nizam ul Quran by the permission of the translator, Tariq Mahmood Hashmi. Original version available here.

Earlier this year I started translating Muqaddimah – Tafsir Nizam-ul-Quran by Imam Hamiduddin Farahi into English and successfully posted 5 articles. Unfortunately, my copy of the Muqaddimah had some pages missing in it which resulted in my being unable to continue this translation. In the meanwhile, however, I became aware of  very professional and high quality translations of Imam Farahi’s works undertaken by the Al-Mawrid Foundation. By the grace of Allah I have been able to obtain permission from Tariq Mahmood Hashmi of Al-Mawrid, who has translated the Muqaddiman into English, to put his translation on my blog. For this, I am greatly indebted to him.

Henceforth, I will start replacing my own work (Parts 1 – 5) of the Muqaddimah with his translation and will continue to use his translation for the rest of the work, Insha Allah.

We already know that there are three letters in the Arabic alphabet which are called ﺣﹹﺮﹸﻭﻑﹺ ﻋﹻﻠﳲﺖ (or the weak letters), namely ﻭ and ﺍ and ﻱ. The presence of these letters within the base letters of a verb will cause certain changes to occur which can change the final form of the verb. In this post, Insha Allah, I will list down the rules which deal with ﺗﹷﻌﻠﹻﻴﻞ occurring at the  ﻻﻡ position and the  ﻉ position of the verb. Most of these rules have already been encountered when we discussed the ﺃﺟﹿﻮﹶﻑ and the ﻧﹷﺎﻗﹻﺺﹾ verb (discussed here and here). Since there are quite a few of these rules,  and because we will see many of them in future ﺻﹷﺮﹾﻑ discussions, therefore it is beneficial to list these at one place for reference purposes.

Rules for ﺃﺟﻮﹶﻑ:

1. Simple Change to Alif rule: Whenever there is a ﻣﹹﺘﹷﺤﹷﺮﱢﻙ weak letter i.e. a واو or a ﻱ preceded by a ﻣﹷﻔﹿﺘﹹﻮﺡ letter, change the واو or ﻱ to ﺍ. See here for examples of this rule
2. The ﻣﹻﻴﺰﺍﻥﹲ rule: Any واو which is ﺳﹷﺎﻛﹻﻦ and is preceded by a ﻛﹷﺴﹿﺮﹶﺓ will change to ﻯ. See here for examples of this rule
3. Whenever the ﻉ position of a passive ﻣﺎﺿﻰ is a واو or ﻱ remove the vowel from the letter before it and transfer the ﻛﹷﺴﹿﺮﹶﺓ to this letter. See here for examples of this rule
4. Whenever there is a ﻣﹹﺘﹷﺤﹷﺮﱢﻙ weak letter i.e. a واو or a ﻱ preceded by a ﺳﹹﻜﹹﻮﻥ , transfer the vowel from the weak letter to the letter before it. Now, if the vowel being transfered is a ﻓﹷﺘﹿﺤﺔ then change this letter to an ﺍ. See here for examples of this rule

Rules for ﻧﹷﺎﻗﹻﺺﹾ:

1. The Edge Rule: It states that “any ﻻﻡ position ﻭ (i.e. occurring at the edge of a word) preceded by a ﻛﹷﺴﹿﺮﹶﺓ will change to ﻯ “. This is depicted by the first ﻣﺎﺿﻰ conjugation of ﺭﹶﺿﹻﻰﹶ which was originally ﺭﹶﺿﹻﻮﹶ. See here for examples of this rule
2. Fourth Position or Beyond Rule: If a ﻭ comes in the fourth position or later in a word and it is not preceded by a ﺿﹷﻤﳲﺔ or a ﺳﹷﺎﻛﹻﻦ ﻭ, it changes into a ﻯ. See here for examples of this rule
3. Whenever there is a ﻻﻡ position ﻭ or ﻯ preceded by a ﺿﹷﻤﳲﺔ or a ﻛﹷﺴﹿﺮﹶﺓ, make the ﻭ or the ﻯ as ﺳﹷﺎﻛﹻﻦ. Now, if the ﻭ or ﻯ is preceded by an appropriate short vowel and followed by an appropriate long vowel (see here for this discussion) then drop this ﻭ or ﻯ. The change of ﻳﹷﺪﹾﻋﹹﻮﹸﻭﹾﻥﹶ to ﻳﹷﺪﹾﻋﹹﻮﹾﻥﹶ is handled by this rule
4. If there is a ﻭ or ﺍ or ﻱ at the end of a verb then they are dropped in case of ﺟﹷﺰﹶﻡﹾ. For example, ﻟﹷﻢﹾ ﻳﹷﺮﹾﻡﹺ which was originally ﻟﹷﻢﹾ ﻳﹷﺮﹾﻣﹻﻰ or ﻟﹷﻢﹾ ﻳﹷﺪﹾﻉﹸ which was originally ﻟﹷﻢﹾ ﻳﹷﺪﹾﻋﹹﻮﹾ

Hopefully this list will come in handy for the students of ﺻﹷﺮﹾﻑ when dealing with ﺃﺟﻮﹶﻑ and ﻧﹷﺎﻗﹻﺺﹾ verbs. Insha Allah, in the future, I will post about other هفتِ أقسام and their governing rules as well.