Tafsir of Fussilat 41:44

"And had We made it a Quran in a non-Arabic language" – this is a response to their saying: "Why was the Quran not sent down in the language of the non-Arabs?" The masculine pronoun refers to "Quran." "...they would have said: 'Why are its verses not explained?'" (meaning: clarified and made distinct for us in a tongue we understand).

Regarding the Almighty’s saying: "A’jamyun wa ‘Arabiyyun" (Is it non-Arabic and Arabic?), the two hamzas: the first is for interrogation, and the second is the hamza of the word A’jamy. The majority recite it with an interrogative hamza followed by a long vowel, which is the hamza of A’jamy, expressing denial and censure for their importunity; that is: "Is it non-Arabic while the messenger is an Arab?" The conclusion is that even if it were revealed as they desire, they would still deny it and say, "What business do you have with non-Arabic?" or "What business do we have with non-Arabic?"

A’jamy (non-Arabic) originally comes from A’jam without a ya (y), and its meaning is one whose speech is not understood due to his stammering or the strangeness of his language. The ya was added for intensification, as in Ahmari (very red) and Dawari (one who revolves). It was applied to his speech metaphorically, but became so famous that it was joined to the literal meaning. The author of al-Lawami’ claimed that the ya here is like the ya in Kursi (chair), but this is a delusion.

It is said: "‘Arabiyyun" (Arabic) might be interpreted as "the one sent to is an Arab," even though the plural is addressed. It is appropriate to say ‘Arabiyya or ‘Arabiyyun, but the intent is to show the incompatibility and aversion between the speech and the one addressed by it, not to explain whether the addressee is singular or plural. It is the right of the eloquent to strip speech down to indicate what it was brought for, and not to add anything more to it unless supported by context. If he sees a long garment on a short woman, he says: "The garment is long and the wearer is short," without saying "the female wearer is short," because the speech did not concern the gender of the wearer. If he said "the female wearer," it would imply that that has some relevance to the purpose for which the speech was brought. This is one of the fundamental principles that must be kept in mind, upon which deletion, addition, restriction, and absoluteness are built in the speech of Allah Almighty and all eloquent speech.

'Amr ibn Maymun recited it "A’jamyun" with an interrogative hamza with a fatha on the ’ayn, meaning: "Is it speech attributed to the ‘Ajam (non-Arabs)?" These are those other than the Arabs, and sometimes it is specific to the people of Persia and their language. Thus, between A’jamy (non-Arabic) and ‘Ajamy (attributed to non-Arabs), there is a general-specific relationship from one perspective. It is apparent that what is meant by ‘Arabi (Arabic) is the opposite of A’jamy in the famous reading, and its opposite is ‘Ajamy in the other reading.

Al-Hasan, Abu al-Aswad, al-Jahdari, Salam, al-Dahhak, Ibn ‘Abbas, and Ibn ‘Amir (with a difference from him) recited it "A’jamyun" without an interrogation and with the ‘ayn silenced, based on the speech being an affirmation that the Quran is non-Arabic while the speaker or the addressee is an Arab. It is also permitted that the meaning is: "Why were its verses not separated?" making some of them non-Arabic to make the non-Arabs understand, and some of them Arabic to make the Arabs understand. This is narrated from Ibn Jarir. So, the speech implies a suppressed subject, which is "some of it," meaning: "some of it is non-Arabic and some is Arabic."

The purpose of the conditional sentence is to invalidate their proposal, which is that it be in the language of the non-Arabs, as it entails the drawback of the purpose of it being missed; for there is no meaning in revealing it in a non-Arabic language to those who do not understand it, or it indicates that they will not desist from being obstinate. If they found the non-Arabic language, they would seek another matter, and so on.

"Say" (in response to them): "It is for those who believe, a guidance" (guiding to the truth) "and a healing" (for what is in the breasts of doubt and suspicion). "And those who do not believe" – this is a subject whose predicate is "in their ears is deafness," based on "in their ears" being a forward-placed predicate and "deafness" being the subject; meaning, in their ears is fixed a deafness, a hardness, so they do not hear it. It is also said: the predicate of the relative noun is "in their ears," and "deafness" is the subject of the prepositional phrase. It is also said: "deafness" is the predicate of a deleted subject, the estimate being "it is" (i.e., the Quran), and "in their ears" is attached to a deleted word which is a state of "deafness."

This is favored because it is more in agreement with the Almighty’s saying: "And it is upon them blindness." As for those who permitted the conjunction to the objects of two governors, they conjunct the relative noun to the first relative noun and "deafness" to "guidance," meaning: it is for those who believe a guidance, and for those who do not believe a deafness. The Almighty’s saying "in their ears" is mentioned to explain the place of the deafness, or as a state from the pronoun in the prepositional phrase referring to "deafness." The first is more eloquent. A objection to it, even after ignoring the disagreement regarding the permissibility of the mentioned conjunction, is that it contains a dissonance by making the Quran itself the deafness, especially since its place has been mentioned; it is not like making it the blindness, because it corresponds to making it the guidance, so the antithesis was observed, and for that reason, its place was not explained. As for "deafness," if it is made the book itself, it is like an intruder and does not match what was revealed in the passages of the descent. This also applies to the view before it.

Ibn al-Hajib permitted in al-Amali that "And it is upon them blindness" is connected to His saying, Glorified is He: "It is for those who believe a guidance and a healing," the estimate being: "It is for those who believe a guidance, and upon those who do not believe blindness." His saying: "And those who do not believe, in their ears is deafness" is a parenthetical sentence to the invocation. It is countered that this, even if it is permissible from the side of grammar, is rejected from the side of meanings because it breaks the arrangement. Some claimed that the pronoun "it" refers to the deafness, and it is from the blindness, as you can see.

The most appropriate of the views is what preceded. "Upon" was used in "upon them blindness" to indicate the dominance of blindness over them. He did not mention the state of the heart because the insinuation was known in His saying, Glorified is He: "for those who believe a guidance and a healing," that for others it is a severe disease. "Those" refers to the second relative noun, considering its description with what is in the scope of its connection. It contains the meaning of distance to indicate the remoteness of their status in evil, along with the perfection of suitability for the calling from a distant place. That is, those distant ones, described by what was mentioned of deafness toward the truth that they hear, and blindness toward the signs that they witness, "are being called from a distant place."

(44) A parable for them in their lack of understanding and benefit from what they were called to, like one who calls from a remote distance; he hears the sound but does not understand its details or meanings, or he does not hear and does not understand. The linguists have narrated that it is said to one who does not understand: "You are calling from afar." Intending this meaning is narrated from ‘Ali—may Allah honor his face—and Mujahid. From al-Dahhak, the speech is taken literally, that on the Day of Resurrection, they will be called because of their disbelief and ugly deeds by their ugliest names from afar, so that the people of the gathering hear it, and the calamity of it becomes great upon them, and disasters befall them.

The conclusion of the response is that it is a guide for the believers, a healing for what is in their breasts, and sufficient in repelling doubts; therefore, it was sent down in their tongue, miraculous and clear in itself, clarifying for others. And those who do not believe are isolated from benefiting from it, in whatever way it came to them.

Ibn ‘Umar, Ibn ‘Abbas, Ibn al-Zubayr, Mu‘awiya, ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, and Ibn Hurmuz read "‘Amun" with a kasra on the mim and its tanwin. Ya‘qub al-Qari and Abu Hatim said: "We do not know if they made it nunated or gave a fatha to the ya as a past-tense verb." Without tanwin, ‘Amr ibn Dinar and Sulayman ibn Qutayba narrated it from Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both.