Ash-Shura: (1–2) Ha-Mim, ‘Ayn-Sin-Qaf

(1) Ha-Mim (2) ‘Ayn-Sin-Qaf.

Perhaps they are two names for the Surah, supported by the fact that they are followed by two verses and are separated in the script, and by the arrival of the naming of the Surah as "‘Ayn-Sin-Qaf" without the mention of "Ha-Mim." It has been said that they are one name and one verse, and it is appropriate that they be written joined together, as in "Kaf-Ha-Ya-‘Ayn-Sad," but it was separated so that the opening of the Surah would be in the style of its counterparts in terms of being written as the first.

It is said that they are the predicate of an omitted subject. It is also said that "Ha-Mim" is the subject and "‘Ayn-Sin-Qaf" is its predicate; according to the second view, the whole is one predicate. It has been said that "Ha-Mim ‘Ayn-Sin-Qaf" is an allusion to the destruction of two cities built upon a river of the rivers of the East, with the river flowing between them, and every gathering of people meets in them. Allah the Almighty will send fire upon one of them by night, and it will become black and dark, as if it had never existed in its place, and the other will be swallowed by the earth on the following night. This was narrated from Hudhayfah.

It is said that "Ha-Mim" is one of the names of Allah the Almighty, and "‘Ayn" is an allusion to the torment of the Day of Badr, and "Sin" is an allusion to His saying—the Almighty—"And those who do wrong will come to know by what overturning they will be overturned," and "Qaf" refers to a disaster from the sky that will strike the people. This was narrated with a weak chain of narration from Abu Dharr. What is most likely is that neither of the two narrations is authentic.

In Al-Bahr, the exegetes mentioned discordant statements regarding "Ha-Mim ‘Ayn-Sin-Qaf," none of which are valid; we have turned away from mentioning them. What we mentioned first has been chosen by more than one scholar; among them are those who chose that they are disconnected letters brought for the purpose of alerting. Ibn Abbas and Ibn Mas‘ud recited it as "Ha-Mim-Sin-Qaf" without the "‘Ayn."