Surah Ar-Rahman (The Most Gracious)

It is named in a narration extracted by al-Bayhaqi from Ali—may Allah, the Exalted, honor his countenance—as a marfu’ (prophetically attributed) tradition: "The Bride of the Quran." Musa ibn Ja'far—may Allah be pleased with them both—also narrated it from his forefathers in a similar manner.

It is a Meccan Surah, according to the opinion of the majority. Ibn Marduyah extracted this from Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr and Aisha—may Allah be pleased with them—and Ibn al-Nahhas from Ibn Abbas—may Allah be pleased with them. Ibn al-Dhurays, Ibn Marduyah, and al-Bayhaqi in al-Dala'il extracted from him that it was revealed in Medina. This has also been narrated from Muqatil and cited in al-Bahr from Ibn Mas'ud as well. Another saying is also narrated from Ibn Abbas: that it is Medinan, except for His saying—the Exalted—"All those who are in the heavens and the earth ask Him" (55:29). This exception is mentioned in Jamal al-Qurra' from some scholars, though he did not specify them.

As for the number of its verses, it is seventy-eight in the Kufan and Syrian count, seventy-seven in the Hijazi, and seventy-six in the Basran.

The rationale for its connection to the preceding Surah, as stated by Jalal al-Suyuti, is that when He—the Exalted—said at the end of what was said, "Nay, the Hour is their appointed time, and the Hour is more grievous and more bitter" (54:46), then described the state of the criminals "in the Fire" (54:48) and the state of the pious "in gardens and rivers" (54:54), He detailed this summary in this Surah with the most perfect detail, following the order presented in that summary. He began by describing the bitterness of the Hour and signaling its severity, then described the Fire and its people. Hence, He—the Exalted—said, "The criminals will be known by their marks" (55:41), and did not say "the disbelievers" or similar, because it is meaningfully connected to His saying there, "Indeed, the criminals" (54:47). Then He described Paradise and its people, which is why He said regarding them, "But for he who has feared the position of his Lord are two gardens" (55:46). That is the essence of taqwa (piety); He did not say "believed" or "obeyed" or similar, so that the wording in the detail and the summarized portion would correspond. From what has been mentioned, it is known that this Surah is like an explanation for the end of the Surah preceding it.

Abu Hayyan said regarding this: When He—the Exalted—mentioned there the abode of the criminals in the Fire and the abode of the pious "in a seat of truth near a Powerful King" (54:55), and mentioned here some of the signs of the Kingdom and the effects of His Power, He then mentioned the abode of the two parties in an elaborate manner, as it was mentioned there in a summary manner. And when He brought forth His saying—the Exalted—"near a Powerful King" in the form of an indefinite noun, it is as if a questioner asks and says, "Who is characterized by these two glorious attributes?" So it was said, "The Most Gracious" (55:1), and so on.

The most preferable view to me is to also consider in the rationale for the connection what is in al-Irshad, which is that when He—the Exalted—enumerated in the previous Surah the types of calamities of Allah—the Exalted—that descended upon the past nations, and explained after each type that the Quran has been made easy for the remembrance and admonition of people, and rebuked them for their turning away from it, He enumerated in this noble Surah the various kinds of His religious, worldly, internal, and external blessings that He bestowed upon all creation, and challenged them after each category for their failure to fulfill the duties of gratitude for them. This repetition is sweeter than sugar when it recurs.

In al-Durar wa al-Ghurar by 'Alam al-Huda al-Sayyid al-Murtada, it is stated that the repetition in Surah Ar-Rahman is only appropriate for confirming the various enumerated blessings. Every time He—the Exalted—mentions a blessing with which He has favored, He rebukes for the denial of it, just as a man says to another: "Did I not do good to you by granting you wealth? Did I not do good to you by doing such-and-such for you?" Thus, repetition is appropriate therein due to the variation in that which is being confirmed. This is frequent in the speech of the Arabs and their poetry, such as the saying of Muhalhil mourning Kulayb:

"Is it not unfair of Kulayb when the neighbors of the protector are oppressed? Is it not unfair of Kulayb when the trees tremble from the south wind? Is it not unfair of Kulayb when the veiled woman comes out from the curtains? Is it not unfair of Kulayb when secrets are made public? Is it not unfair of Kulayb when the feared enemy is feared from the frontiers? Is it not unfair of Kulayb on the morning the great matter was established? Is it not unfair of Kulayb when the heart of the seeker of protection trembles?"

He then recited other poems in this pattern, and were it not for the fear of monotony, I would have cited them. It is not an objection to what he mentioned that this verse is sometimes mentioned after what is not a blessing, as you will know, if Allah wills, in its place.

In al-Ittifaq, repetition is divided into categories, and he mentioned that part of it is for multiplicity, such that the second repeated item relates to something other than what the first related to. Then he said: "This category is called al-tardid (iteration)." He placed among them His saying, "So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?" (55:13), for although it is repeated thirty-one times, each one relates to what precedes it. That is why it exceeded three; if the entirety returned to one single thing, it would not have exceeded three, because emphasis does not exceed that, as Ibn Abd al-Salam and others have said. This is sound, except that he critiqued the absoluteness of the statement "emphasis does not exceed [three]," because that applies to emphasis that is tabi’ (appositive). As for mentioning a thing in multiple contexts more than three times, it is not forbidden, even if it entails emphasis. So understand.

He—the Exalted—began the enumeration of blessings with the teaching of the Quran, saying—the Most Exalted Speaker:

Because it is the greatest of blessings in status and the highest in position. How could it not be, when it is the axis of religious and worldly happiness, and the standard by which heavenly scriptures are measured? There is no vantage point toward which the eyes of aspirations gaze but that He is its creator and foundation, and there is no goal toward which the necks of ambitions stretch but that it is its path and straight road.

The word "taught" (‘allama) has the Quran as its second object, while its first object is omitted due to the indication of the meaning toward it—that is, "He taught man the Quran." This object [man] is the one that was the subject before the verb was shifted to the doubled form (taf‘īl). The Imam [Fakhr al-Din al-Razi] was inattentive and assumed the omitted part was the second object, saying: "The verb 'taught' must have a second object." He abandoned this to indicate that the blessing lies in the act of teaching itself, not in teaching one person over another. It is possible to say: He [the Imam] intended that it must have another object along with this one, so one should not be certain of his inattentiveness.

It is said: The implied [first] object is Gabriel (peace be upon him) or the angels who are brought near (peace be upon them). It is also said: Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace). According to both these opinions, it implies that the Quran is the speech of God, Exalted is He. The first opinion [that it refers to mankind] is more evident and appropriate for the context.

I have some hesitation regarding the teaching of others than Gabriel (peace be upon him) among the noble angels, based on what is in al-Itqan, quoting Ibn al-Salah, that the recitation of the Quran is an honor with which God, the Exalted, favored human beings. It has been reported that the angels were not given this, and that they are therefore eager to listen to it from humans. I did not consider it to be general [for all angels] because of the texts indicating that Gabriel (peace be upon him) used to recite the Quran. It is as if I see you not accepting the validity of what has been mentioned, even if Gabriel (peace be upon him) is exempted from it.

It is also said: ‘allama is derived from ‘alamah (a mark/sign), and there is no omission; meaning: He made the Quran a sign and a proof for those who take heed, or a mark of Prophethood and a miracle. This, according to what has been said, aligns with what was mentioned at the beginning of the preceding surah, in the words of the Exalted: "And the moon split" (Qamar 54:1). The two surahs correspond in their openings, as the first was opened with a miracle from the category of Awe (haybah), and this one with a miracle from the category of Mercy (rahmah).

The one who said this has veered far from the truth, even if he presents a thousand justifications. What ought to be known is that it is from ta‘līm (teaching). By "teaching the Quran," it is said: granting knowledge of it, not in the sense of granting knowledge of its words only, but in the sense of granting that along with knowledge of its meanings in a way that is worthy of consideration. This varies, and it may reach the point of knowledge of cosmic events through its signs and symbols, and other things, for God, the Exalted, did not overlook anything in it.

Abu al-Shaykh extracted in Kitab al-‘Azamah from Abu Hurayrah in a marfu‘ (elevated) report: "If God had overlooked anything, He would have overlooked the atom, the mustard seed, and the gnat." Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim extracted from Ibn Mas‘ud: "The knowledge of everything has been sent down in this Quran, and He has clarified everything to us in it; however, our knowledge falls short of what He has clarified for us in the Quran." Ibn ‘Abbas said: "If I lost the camel strap, I would find it in the Book of God, the Exalted." Al-Mursi said: "The Quran gathered the sciences of the first and the last, such that no one encompasses its truth except the One who spoke it, then Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace), except for what He, the Glorified, reserved for Himself. Then, the masters of the Companions and their leading figures, such as the Four Caliphs, inherited most of it from him. Then those who followed them in righteousness inherited it from them. Then aspirations weakened, resolves slackened, and the people of knowledge diminished and grew too weak to carry what the Companions and the Followers carried of its sciences and all its disciplines."

Some interpreted the "teaching" as the soul’s preparation for conceptualizing meanings. The Imam allowed for the possibility that it refers here to making a person such that they are able to learn the Quran, as in His, the Exalted, saying: "And We have certainly made the Quran easy for remembrance" (Qamar 54:17). In this sense, it is metaphorical, as is not hidden.

"The Most Compassionate" (al-Rahman) is a nominative subject (mubtada’), and the sentence following it is its predicate (khabar), as is apparent. Attributing its teaching to the Name "The Most Compassionate" is to signal that it is from the effects of the vast Mercy and its rulings. Placing the subject first is either for emphasis or for restriction, and it contains such glorification of the status of the Quran as it does.

It is also said: "The Most Compassionate" is the predicate of an omitted subject, or a subject whose predicate is omitted—that is, "God is the Most Compassionate" or "The Most Compassionate is our Lord"—and what follows is an initiating sentence for enumerating His blessings, the Exalted is He; but this is contrary to what is apparent.