Surah Qaf

It is also called Surat al-Basiqat (The Tall Palm Trees).

It is Meccan, and the majority have declared it so. In al-Tahrir, it is reported from Ibn Abbas and Qatadah that it is Meccan, except for the words of the Exalted: "And indeed We created the heavens and the earth" (v. 38), which is Medinan, revealed regarding the Jews. Its verses are forty-five by consensus.

Since the Exalted hinted at the end of the previous Surah that the faith of those Bedouins was not true faith—which implies a denial of prophethood and a denial of the Resurrection—the Almighty opened this Surah with that which relates to those matters.

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, frequently recited it in the Dawn (Fajr) prayer, as recorded in the Hadith of Muslim and others from Jabir ibn Samurah. In a narration by Ibn Majah and others from Qutbah ibn Malik, it is stated that he, peace and blessings be upon him, used to recite it in the first rak'ah of the Dawn prayer. Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Nasa'i recorded from Abu Waqid al-Laythi that he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to recite Qaf and Iqtarabat (al-Qamar) during the two Eids.

Abu Dawud, al-Bayhaqi, Ibn Majah, and Ibn Abi Shaybah recorded from Umm Hisham bint Harithah, who said: "I did not learn 'Qaf, by the Glorious Quran' except from the mouth of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace; he used to recite it every Friday on the pulpit when he addressed the people."

In a Hadith by Ibn Marduyah from Abu al-Ala, may Allah be pleased with him, attributed to the Prophet: "Learn 'Qaf, by the Glorious Quran'." All of this indicates that it is among the greatest of the Surahs.

Qaf

Qaf. By the Glorious Quran.

"Glorious" (al-majid) refers to abundance in nobility and honor. If derived from the pattern of kinship—like ibn and tamir—then it is acceptable; otherwise, it is commonly understood as a description of the Noble Essence [of God] by this attribute. The practice of some [scholars] suggests a preference for this view, though it has been objected that this is not recognized in the fa‘il form, as Ibn Hisham stated regarding "Indeed, the mercy of Allah is near" (qareeb). You know, however, that he who has memorized a matter is an authority over he who has not. Its nobility here is in relation to all other books; as for non-divine ones, this is self-evident, and as for divine ones, it is due to its inimitability, its status as not being abrogated by anything else, and its inclusion—despite its brevity—of secrets that surpass every one of them.

Al-Raghib said: Majd is abundance in generosity; its root is "the camels became majad" when they find themselves in abundant, spacious pasture. It is described as such due to the abundance of worldly and otherworldly noble qualities it contains. It is also possible that its description as "Glorious" is a description of its Speaker; thus, the attribution is metaphorical, as in "the Wise Quran." Or, it may be because he who learns its meanings and acts upon what is within it becomes glorious before Allah and among people. Thus, the speech carries the implication of a deleted construct, making the implied pronoun (of the possessor) elevated. Or perhaps the fa‘il form here carries the meaning of muf‘il (the active participle), like badi‘ meaning mubdi‘ (Creator); however, the emergence of fa‘il as a description derived from the if‘al form is a matter of debate, and most Arab linguists have not validated it.

Most of what was mentioned regarding the verse, "By the Quran, possessor of the Reminder" (dhil-dhikr), applies here. It has even been said: It is permissible for "Qaf" to be an imperative from the reciprocal form qafa atharahu (he followed his traces), meaning: Follow the Quran and act upon what is in it. Yet, this has not been heard as a recorded narration. Similar is the claim that it is an imperative meaning "stand" (qif), i.e., "Stop at what has been legislated for you and do not overstep it."

Ibn Jarir and Ibn al-Mundhir recorded from Ibn Abbas: "Allah created behind this earth a sea surrounding it, and behind that a mountain called Qaf; the lowest heaven rests upon it. Then He created behind that mountain an earth like that earth, seven times over. Then He created behind that a sea surrounding it, then behind that a mountain called Qaf, upon which the second heaven rests," until he counted seven earths, seven seas, and seven mountains. Then he said: "That is the saying of the Exalted: 'And the sea, which is supplemented by seven seas thereafter.'"

Ibn Abi al-Dunya, in Al-Uqubat, and Abu al-Shaykh also recorded from him that he said: "Allah created a mountain called Qaf, surrounding the world, its roots connected to the Rock upon which the earth rests. If Allah wills to cause an earthquake in a village, He commands that mountain, which then moves the root adjacent to that village, causing it to shake and tremble; thus, a village quakes while another does not."

Ibn al-Mundhir, Abu al-Shaykh in Al-‘Azamah, Al-Hakim, and Ibn Marduyah recorded from Abdullah ibn Buraydah regarding this verse: "Qaf is a mountain of emerald surrounding the world, upon which the sides of the heaven rest."

Abd al-Razzaq recorded from Mujahid that he also said: "It is a mountain surrounding the earth."

Al-Qarafi held the view that Mount Qaf does not exist, and he provided evidence for that. He then said: "It is not permitted to believe in what has no evidence." Ibn Hajar al-Haytami refuted him, saying: "This is countered by what has been transmitted from Ibn Abbas through chains of narration brought forth by the huffaz (preservers of hadith), including a group who committed themselves to extracting only authentic narrations. The statement of a Companion—and similar matters—in which there is no room for personal opinion, holds the status of being attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): that behind our earth there is a surrounding sea, then a mountain called Qaf, to the end of what was mentioned." He then said: "Just as this refutes his claim that it does not exist, it also refutes his claim that it is not permitted to believe in it. For if he meant by 'evidence' a general indication, then there are evidences for it; or if he meant definitive proof, then mere probability is sufficient here, as is clear."

As for my own view, I lean toward what Al-Qarafi went to regarding the non-existence of this mountain, as testified by the senses. They have traversed this earth, its land and its seas, along the Tropic of Cancer multiple times, and have not witnessed it. Challenging the authenticity of these reports—even if a group of their narrators committed to extracting only the authentic—is lighter than denying the evidence of the senses. This is not a case of "negating existence due to lack of discovery," as is not hidden from those with insight. The matter of earthquakes does not depend on that mountain; rather, they are caused by vapors seeking exit while the earth remains solid. Denying this is sheer stubbornness for anyone with the slightest sense of fairness. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

There is disagreement regarding the response to the oath. It is said: It is deleted, indicated by the speech. It is as if it were said: "By the Glorious Quran, We have sent it down that you may warn people through it." Abu Hayyan estimated it as: "Indeed, you have come to them as a warner of the Resurrection." Similar to that is the saying: "It is that you are indeed a warner." It is also said: "They have not rejected your command with an argument."

Al-Akhfash, Al-Mubarrad, and Al-Zajjaj said: "Its estimation is 'You shall certainly be resurrected.'" It is also said that it is mentioned, for Al-Akhfash [argued it is]: "We have already known what the earth consumes of them," with the lam (of the oath) deleted due to the length of the sentence. From him also, and from Ibn Kaysan: "Not a word does he utter." It is also said: "Indeed in that is a reminder," which is the choice of Muhammad ibn Ali al-Tirmidhi. It is also said: "The word is not changed with Me." The grammarians of Kufa state that it is His saying: [The verse continues...].