Tafsir of Yunus 10:57

This is a turning and a return to persuading them towards the Truth and lowering them to accept and follow it, after having warned them of the calamities of misguidance through the terrifying admonitions recited to them. It is an announcement that all of this is driven by their own interests, and this is the aspect of the connection to what preceded.

Abu Hayyan said regarding this: When Allah—Exalted is He—mentioned the proofs for Divinity, Oneness, and Power, He mentioned the evidences indicating the validity of Prophethood and the path leading to it, which is the one characterized by these descriptions. The first [view] is more appropriate, and the generality of the address—as is apparent—does not reject it. Al-Tabari favored this, contrary to those who restricted it to the Quraish.

Al-Maw'izah (instruction/admonition), like al-wa'z and al-'izah, is the recalling of reward and punishment in a way that softens the heart. It is said: It is a rebuke coupled with intimidation. Al-Shifa' (the healing) is the remedy. Al-Huda (guidance) is understood from what has passed more than once. Al-Rahmah (mercy) is beneficence, the intention of beneficence, or a quality other than these that is fitting for the one who possesses it.

"From your Lord" is connected to "has come," and "from" (min) is for origination, or it is connected to a suppressed state acting as an adjective for "instruction," in which case "from" is partitive. The speech implies the omission of a genitive, meaning: an instruction from the instructions of your Lord. "For what is in the breasts" (lima fi al-sudur): "for" (lam) is either connected to what is implied by the context—with the particle lam being emphatic—or it is connected to a suppressed element acting as an adjective to it. The same is said regarding what is claimed thereafter.

The intent is: A Book has come to you that encompasses these benefits and advantages, uncovering the states of deeds—their good and their evil—encouraging the former and deterring from the latter. It clarifies the true knowledges that remove the ailments of doubts and the poor temperament of belief; it guides to the path of truth and certainty by directing one to infer through horizon-based and self-based evidences; and it is a mercy to the believers, as they are saved by it from the darkness of disbelief and misguidance into the light of faith, escaping the depths of the Fire and ascending to the heights of Paradise.

Some investigators have said: There is an indication in this that the human soul has degrees of perfection, and whoever holds fast to the Quran attains them. The first is the refinement of the outward from performing what is unbefitting, and this is indicated by "the instruction" (al-maw'izah), based on the fact that it contains the rebuke against sins. The second is the refinement of the inward from corrupt beliefs and base dispositions, and this is indicated by "healing for what is in the breasts." The third is the adornment of the soul with true beliefs and virtuous morals, and this is not achieved except through "guidance." The fourth is the manifestation of the lights of Divine Mercy, which is specific to the perfect souls prepared by the outward and inward perfection they have attained.

The Imam said: The instruction refers to the purification of the outward aspects of creation from what is unbefitting, which is the Shari'ah (Law). Healing refers to the purification of the spirits from corrupt beliefs and blameworthy morals, which is the Tariqah (Path). Guidance refers to the appearance of Truth in the hearts of the truthful ones, which is the Haqiqah (Ultimate Reality). Mercy refers to reaching perfection and illumination until one perfects others and overflows upon them, which is Prophethood and Succession. These are degrees in which no precedence or postponement is possible.

It is not hidden that this contradicts the apparent meaning significantly. What the apparent meaning necessitates is that the aforementioned terms are descriptions of the Quran in consideration of it being the cause and instrument for them, and they are rendered as the things themselves by way of hyperbole, with a general entailment between them. The indefiniteness in them is for exaltation. If guidance is taken in the sense of indication absolutely, it is general; if taken as reaching the destination, it is specific. In that case, "for the believers" is a restriction for both matters. This restriction of guidance is supported by His—the Glorified—saying: "Guidance for the righteous."

Thus, the Quran is an admonisher due to the intimidation and encouragement it contains, or by way of the rebuke against sins—whatever they may be—coupled only with intimidation, based on the second interpretation of al-maw'izah. It is a healing for what is in the breasts from the ailments that lead to destruction, such as ignorance, doubt, polytheism, hypocrisy, and others. It is a guide by clarifying what is fitting and what is not, towards that which contains salvation and victory in eternal bliss, or it is that which brings one to that state. It is a cause of mercy for the believers who believed in it and complied with its rulings. As for when one ventures into what is contrary to the apparent, one says other than what has been said, which you will see—if Allah wills—in the chapter of indication.

As Jalal al-Suyuti said, the verse was used as evidence that the Quran heals bodily diseases just as it heals heart diseases. Ibn Mardawayh reported from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri that a man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: "I suffer from my chest." He (peace be upon him) said: "Read the Quran; Allah—the Exalted—says: '...and healing for what is in the breasts.'" Al-Bayhaqi reported in al-Shu'ab from Wa'ilah bin al-Asqa' that a man complained to the Prophet (peace be upon him) about a pain in his throat, and he said: "Stick to the recitation of the Quran." You know that using this as evidence for that is something that is barely acceptable. The second report does not indicate this, as it contains nothing more than his (peace be upon him) command to the complainant to recite the Quran as a guidance to what benefits him and removes his pain. We do not deny that the recitation of the Quran has a blessing by which Allah—the Exalted—may remove diseases and pains; rather, we deny the use of the verse as evidence for that. Even if the first report is apparent in its intent, it should be interpreted as follows: Perhaps the Prophet (peace be upon him) perceived that the man had a spiritual, inward disease that had become a cause for his physical, bodily disease, so he ordered him to recite the Quran so that the former might be removed, and consequently the latter would disappear. It is not far-fetched that some heart diseases are causes for some bodily diseases; we see that envy and hatred, for instance, can be causes for this. From the sayings of the people regarding Allah—the Exalted—is: "How just is envy! It began with its bearer and killed him." This is better than taking the speech as an example of "wise style" (uslub hakim).

Al-Hasan al-Basri rejects the notion that the Quran is a healing for [physical] diseases. Abu al-Shaykh reported from him that he said: "Allah—the Exalted—made the Quran a healing for what is in the breasts, but He did not make it a healing for your diseases." The truth is what we have mentioned.