Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:2

Tafsir of Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow), Verse 2: "That is the Book..."

Question: The object being pointed to (the Qur'an) is present, yet the demonstrative pronoun dhālika (that) is typically used for something distant. How is this reconciled?

Answer (Two main approaches):

Approach 1: We deny that the object is present (in the context intended by the pronoun).

1. Reference to Previously Revealed Verses: Al-Asamm argued that Allah revealed the Qur'an piecemeal. Dhālika refers to the verses and Surahs already revealed in Mecca (concerning Tawhid, refuting polytheism, prophethood, and the Hereafter) that preceded Surah Al-Baqarah. Just as parts of the Qur'an are called "the Qur'an" (e.g., Quran 7:204, Quran 72:1), the earlier revelations are referenced.
2. Reference to the Promised Book: Before his mission, the Prophet (PBUH) was promised a Book that would not be erased. He informed his Ummah, and they narrated it. This is supported by the verse in Surah Al-Muzzammil (73:5), revealed early on: "Indeed, We will cast upon you a weighty saying." Dhālika points to this promised, weighty Book.
3. Reference to the Jews (Bani Israel): Since Surah Al-Baqarah is Medinan and largely addresses the Children of Israel, dhālika refers to the Book that previous prophets (Moses and Jesus) informed them Allah would send down to the Prophet from the lineage of Ishmael.
4. Reference to the Preserved Tablet (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz): Allah mentioned that the Qur'an is in the Preserved Tablet (Quran 43:4). Since the Prophet (PBUH) informed his Ummah of this, dhālika can signify that this revealed text is that very Book established in the Preserved Tablet.
5. Reference to the Preceding Alif Lam Mim: The pointing occurs after Alif Lam Mim has already been mentioned and concluded. What has concluded is considered distant in status.
6. Distance due to Transmission: Once the message travels from the Sender (Allah) to the recipient (humanity), it enters a state of relative distance, similar to when you hand something to a friend and say, "Keep this safe."
7. Distance in Essence/Reality: Because the Qur'an encompasses profound rulings and vast knowledge that human intellect struggles to grasp entirely, although its physical form is present, its secrets and realities are absent (distant). Thus, it is pointed to as one points to a distant, hidden reality.

Approach 2: We concede the object is present, but we deny that dhālika exclusively means 'distant'.

• Dhālika and hādhā (this) are both demonstrative particles, originating from dhā (the root demonstrative). The suffix hā is for alerting/drawing attention. When something is near, one says hādhā (Alert! What I point to is present before you).
• The suffix kāf (in dhālika) is for addressing the listener, and the suffix lām (in dhālika) emphasizes the act of pointing.
• Therefore, dhālika does not inherently imply distance in its original linguistic meaning; rather, it became conventionally used for distant objects due to the context mentioned above (the need for greater emphasis in pointing). It is like the word for "beast of burden" (dābbah), which linguistically means anything that crawls, but conventionally refers specifically to a horse.
• If this is established, we argue that here, the word is used according to its original linguistic meaning (which includes the near), not its conventional usage. Thus, it does not imply distance.
• This interchangeability is supported by many Quranic examples where dhālika is used for the near and hādhā for the distant (e.g., pointing to the promised Day of Judgment with hādhā, or pointing to a past event with dhālika).

Question: Why is the masculine demonstrative dhālika used when the implied object, sūrah (chapter), is feminine?

Answer: We deny that the implied object is feminine in this context. The implied object is either the named entity or the name itself.

1. The named entity (that portion of the Qur'an) is not feminine.
2. The name mentioned previously is Alif Lam Mim (آلم), which is not feminine.
3. Although the entity has another name, sūrah (which is feminine), the preceding term mentioned was Alif Lam Mim, which is not feminine. Therefore, the masculine demonstrative is appropriate for the preceding term.

The Qur'an has many names. One is Kitāb (Book).

• Linguistic Meaning: It is a maṣdar (verbal noun) like qiyām (standing) or ṣiyām (fasting). Some say it means the passive participle (maf‘ūl), like libās (garment) meaning "that which is worn."
• Consensus: All agree that Kitāb here refers to the Qur'an (e.g., Quran 38:29).

The word Kitāb appears in the Qur'an with several meanings:

1. Obligation/Prescription: (e.g., "Prescribed for you is retaliation" - 2:178; "Prescribed for you is fasting" - 2:183).
2. Proof and Argument (Hujjah): (e.g., "Then bring your Book, if you are truthful" - 37:157, meaning your proof).
3. Term/Appointed Time (Ajal): (e.g., "And there is not a town but that for it is a written term" - 15:4).
4. Manumission Contract: Referring to a master writing a contract for his slave (e.g., Quran 24:33). Here, the maṣdar kitāb implies reciprocity (mufā‘alah), like jidāl (argument) implying mujādalah (arguing).

Etymology of Kitāb: Derived from kataba (to gather/collect). A military unit is called a katībah because of its gathering. The Qur'an is called a Kitāb because:

• It is like a military unit against the armies of doubt.
• It gathers all sciences.
• Allah has gathered the obligations upon creation within it.

The second name is Al-Qur'ān (e.g., 17:88, 43:3).

Two main scholarly opinions on its derivation:

1. Synonymous with Recitation (Tilāwah): Ibn Abbas held that Qur'ān and Qirā'ah (recitation) are the same (like khusrān and khisārah). Evidence: "So when We recite it, follow its recitation" (75:18).
2. *Verbal Noun of Gathering (Jam‘):* Qatadah said it is derived from the saying, "I qara'tu the water in the basin" (meaning I gathered it). Sufyan ibn Uyaynah said it is called Qur'ān because letters are gathered into words, words into verses, verses into chapters, and chapters into the Qur'an. Furthermore, it gathers the knowledge of the ancients and the latter ones.

Conclusion: The derivation is either from recitation or gathering.

The third name is Al-Furqān (e.g., 25:1, 2:185).

Differences in interpretation:

1. Revealed Piecemeal: It was named this because its revelation was spread out over twenty-plus years, unlike other scriptures revealed all at once (Quran 17:106). (The wisdom behind this gradual revelation was discussed in Surah Al-Furqān).
2. Distinguisher: It distinguishes between truth and falsehood, lawful and unlawful, the explicit and the ambiguous, and the decisive (muhkam) and the allegorical (mu'awwal).
3. Salvation: Ikrimah and Al-Suddi said it means salvation, as people found salvation from the darkness of misguidance through it. This meaning is supported by the verse: "...and the Criterion [Furqan], that you may be guided" (2:53).

The fourth name is Adh-Dhikr (The Reminder), At-Tadhkirah (The Admonition), and Adh-Dhikrā (The Remembrance) (e.g., 21:50, 15:9, 77:48).

• Adh-Dhikr (The Reminder):
  1. It is a reminder from Allah to His servants, informing them of obligations and commands.
  2. It is honor, glory, and pride for those who believe in it, and for the Prophet (PBUH) and his Ummah.
• At-Tadhkirah (The Admonition): (e.g., 69:48).
• Adh-Dhikrā (The Remembrance): (e.g., 51:55).

5. At-Tanzīl (The Revelation): (e.g., 26:192-193).
6. Al-Hadīth (The Discourse/Speech): (e.g., 39:23). It is called Hadīth because its arrival is a new report, and because Allah likened it to things people converse about, as He addresses the accountable through it.
7. Al-Maw‘iẓah (The Admonition/Counsel): (e.g., 10:57). It is truly an admonition because the speaker is Allah, the receiver is Gabriel, and the one listening is Muhammad (PBUH).
8. Al-Ḥukm (The Ruling), Al-Ḥikmah (Wisdom), Al-Ḥakīm (The Wise), Al-Muḥkam (The Established): (e.g., 13:37, 54:5, 36:1-2, 11:1).
   • Meaning of Ḥikmah (Wisdom): Al-Khalil derived it from iḥkām (establishing firmly) and ilzām (binding). Al-Muwarrid derived it from the bridle (ḥikmat al-lijām), which restrains a beast; similarly, Wisdom restrains foolishness.
9. Ash-Shifā’ (The Healing): (e.g., 17:82). It is healing for diseases, and healing for what is in the breasts (i.e., disbelief and doubt, as Allah described disbelief as a sickness in the heart - 2:10).
10. Al-Hudā (Guidance) and Al-Hādī (The Guide): (e.g., 2:2, 3:4, 15:9).
11. Aṣ-Ṣirāṭ Al-Mustaqīm (The Straight Path): Ibn Abbas interpreted this as the Qur'an (referencing 6:153).
12. Al-Ḥabl (The Rope): (e.g., 3:103). It is called this because whoever holds fast to it in religious matters is saved from worldly and hereafter punishment, just as one holding a rope is saved from drowning. The Prophet (PBUH) called it ‘iṣmah (protection) because it protects people from sins.
13. Ar-Raḥmah (The Mercy): (e.g., 17:82). What greater mercy than deliverance from ignorance and misguidance?
14. Ar-Rūḥ (The Spirit): (e.g., 42:52). It is called this because it is the cause of the life of the spirits. (Gabriel and Jesus were also called Rūḥ).
15. Al-Qasas (The Narratives): (e.g., 12:3). It is followed, or because it traces the stories of previous nations (e.g., 3:62).
16. Al-Bayān (The Clarification), At-Tibyān (The Exposition), Al-Mubīn (The Manifest): (e.g., 3:138, 16:89, 12:1).
17. Al-Baṣā’ir (The Insight/Evidence): (e.g., 7:203). They are proofs by which the truth is seen, likened to the physical sight that sees the path to salvation.
18. Al-Faṣl (The Decisive Word): (e.g., 86:13-14). It means judgment, as Allah judges by it, and it separates people on the Day of Judgment into Paradise and Hell.
19. An-Nujūm (The Stars): (e.g., 56:75, 53:1). Because it was revealed star by star (najm by najm).
20. Al-Mathānī (The Often-Repeated): (e.g., 39:23). Said to be because stories and news are repeated within it.
21. An-Ni‘mah (The Favor): (e.g., 93:11). Ibn Abbas interpreted this as the Qur'an.
22. Al-Burhān (The Proof): (e.g., 4:174). It is proof because the eloquent were unable to produce anything like it.
23. Al-Bashīr (The Bearer of Good Tidings) and An-Nadhīr (The Warner): These names are shared with the Prophets (e.g., 4:165, 41:4). It brings good news of Paradise for the obedient and warns of Hell for the disobedient.
24. Al-Qayyim (The Upright/Sustaining): (e.g., 18:2, 9:36). It is called Qayyim because it sustains itself in clarity and benefit. (Allah is Al-Qayyūm).
25. Al-Muhaymin (The Guardian/Overseer): (e.g., 5:48). Derived from amin (trustworthy). Whoever adheres to the Qur'an is safe from harm in this world and the next.
26. Al-Hādī (The Guide): (e.g., 17:9, 72:2). (Allah is also Al-Hādī).
27. An-Nūr (The Light): (e.g., 24:35). The Prophet (15:15), his religion (61:8), his explanation, the Torah (5:44), the Gospel (5:46), and faith (57:12) are also called light.
28. Al-Ḥaqq (The Truth): (e.g., 69:51). It is the opposite of falsehood, destroying it (18:18).
29. Al-‘Azīz (The Mighty/Invaluable): (e.g., 41:41). It is ‘Azīz in two senses: 1. Overpowering (it overpowered enemies and resisted those who tried to match it). 2. Unique (nothing like it exists).
30. Al-Karīm (The Noble/Generous): (e.g., 56:77). Seven things are called Karīm: Allah (the most generous), the Qur'an (no book yields such wisdom), Moses, the reward of deeds, the Throne, Gabriel, and the Book of Solomon.
31. Al-‘Aẓīm (The Great): (e.g., 15:87). Allah, His Throne, the Great Day, the earthquake, the Prophet's character, knowledge, the plotting of women, the magic of Pharaoh's sorcerers, the reward, and the punishment of hypocrites are all called great.
32. Al-Mubārak (The Blessed): (e.g., 21:50). The place where Moses spoke (28:30), the olive tree (9:35), Jesus (19:31), rain (50:9), and the Night of Decree (44:3) are also blessed. The Qur'an is a blessed reminder revealed by a blessed angel on a blessed night to a blessed Prophet for a blessed nation.

The author discusses grammatical possibilities raised by Al-Kashshāf regarding the connection between Alif Lam Mim and Dhālika Al-Kitāb:

1. Alif Lam Mim (Subject) + Dhālika (Second Subject) + Al-Kitāb (Predicate of the second subject): Meaning: That [the Qur'an] is the perfect Book, as if everything else is deficient in comparison.
2. Alif Lam Mim (Subject) + Al-Kitāb (Predicate of the first subject): Meaning: That is the promised Book.
3. Alif Lam Mim (Predicate of a hidden subject): Meaning: This is Alif Lam Mim, and Dhālika Al-Kitāb is the second predicate or an appositive (where Al-Kitāb is an adjective). Meaning: This is that [Book].
4. If Alif Lam Mim is treated as a sound: Dhālika is the subject, and Al-Kitāb is the predicate (That revealed Book is the Book).
5. If Alif Lam Mim is treated as a sound (with a hidden subject): Meaning: It [the text composed of these letters] is that Book. (Citing Abdullah's reading of 32:2, which includes Tanzīl Al-Kitāb).

The arrangement of these four phrases (Alif Lam Mim, Dhālika Al-Kitāb, Lā Rayba Fīh, Hudā Lil-Muttaqīn) is rhetorically perfect, as each phrase builds upon the previous one without conjunctions:

1. Tawḥīd (Unity/Challenge): Hinting at the goal through abbreviation (Alif Lam Mim).
2. Perfection: Affirming its status as Al-Kitāb through definite article (Al-Kitāb).
3. Certainty: Negating any doubt (Lā Rayba Fīh).
4. Benefit: Stating its purpose as guidance for the pious (Hudā Lil-Muttaqīn).

Issue 1: Meaning of Rayb (Doubt)

• Rayb is close to shakk (doubt) but implies a degree of suspicion or bad conjecture (e.g., rābanī amru fulān - I suspected ill of so-and-so).
• Although rayb can mean the calamities of time (rayb ad-Dahr) or agitation in the heart, these meanings ultimately relate back to uncertainty or suspicion.
• Meaning: The verse negates that the Qur'an is a source of suspicion in any way—its authenticity, its divine origin, or its miraculous nature. The context suggests the negation is specifically about its miraculous nature, supported by the verse: "And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down to Our Servant..." (2:23).

Related Questions:

1. Objection from Atheists: If it means "no doubt exists in our minds," we do doubt it. If it means "no doubt exists in His mind," it is useless.
   • Answer: It means the Qur'an has reached such clarity that no rational person should doubt it, especially since the Arabs, masters of eloquence, failed to match even its shortest chapter.
2. Why Lā Rayba Fīh here, but Lā Fīhā Ghawl (No intoxication therein) elsewhere (37:47)?
   • Answer: Here, the most important matter is negating doubt entirely from the Book itself. Saying "There is no doubt in it" (Lā Fīhi Rayb) might imply that doubt exists in some other book. In contrast, Lā Fīhā Ghawl specifically praises the wine of Paradise by contrasting it with worldly wine that causes intoxication.
3. How does Lā Rayba Fīh imply complete negation of doubt?
   • Answer: The famous recitation (Lā Rayba Fīh with Rayb in the nominative case) negates the essence (māhiyyah) of doubt. Negating the essence negates every individual instance of that essence, because if one instance existed, the essence would exist, contradicting the negation. This is the same principle as "There is no god but Allah" negating all deities other than Allah.

Issue 2: Pausing at { Fīh } (In It)

• The famous pause is at { Fīh }.
• Some reciters (Nāfi‘ and ‘Āṣim) paused at { Lā Rayba } (No doubt), implying a hidden predicate (e.g., "No doubt [exists]"). This is common in Hijazi dialect (like Lā ḍayra or Lā ba’sa).
• The first reading (pausing at Fīh) is superior because it establishes that the Book itself is guidance, whereas the second reading implies that guidance exists within the Book.

Issue 1: The True Nature of Guidance (Hudā)

• Definition: Guidance is indication/demonstration (ad-dalālah). Al-Kashshāf defined it as "indication that reaches the desired goal." Others defined it as "being guided" or "knowledge."
• Refutation of other definitions: If guidance required reaching the goal, then guidance would be impossible when the person is not guided (which is false, as in Quran 11:62, where Thamud were given guidance but preferred blindness). Furthermore, Arabs say, "I guided him, but he was not guided," proving guidance (the indication) can exist without being guided (the result).
• Al-Kashshāf's Arguments for Guidance Requiring Reaching the Goal:
  1. Guidance is contrasted with misguidance (ḍalāl).
  2. The recipient is called muhtadā (guided) in praise, just as one is called muhtadī (one seeking guidance).
  3. Ihtadā (to be guided) is the passive form of hadā (to guide), like inkasara (to break) is passive to kasara (to break).
• Rebuttals:
  1. The opposite of guidance (hudā) is leading astray (iḍlāl); the opposite of being guided (ihtidā’) is misguidance (ḍalāl).
  2. Only the one who benefits from guidance is called muhtadā.
  3. Ihtamara (to obey) is the passive of amara (to command), but obedience is not a prerequisite for the command itself to be valid.
  4. The definition of guidance as mere knowledge is refuted because the Qur'an is called guidance, yet it is not knowledge in itself (it is the guide to knowledge).

Conclusion: Hudā is the indication/demonstration, not the resulting knowledge or attainment of the goal.

Issue 2: The Meaning of Muttaqī (The Pious)

• Linguistically, Muttaqī is the active participle of taqqā (to guard/protect), meaning extreme protection/preservation.
• Allah mentions the Muttaqīn in a praiseworthy context. They are those who fulfill obligations and avoid prohibitions in worldly and religious matters.
• Scope of Piety: Do minor sins count? Some say yes, as they are included in the threat. Others say no, though repentance for all sins is obligatory. A Hadith states: "A servant does not reach the rank of the pious until he leaves what is permissible out of fear of what is forbidden."
• Piety is Fear (Khashyah): The command to "fear Allah" (Ittaqū Allāh) is used throughout the Qur'an, meaning "fear Him."
• Manifestations of Piety: Although its essence is fear, in the Qur'an, piety refers variously to: Faith (Tawhid), Repentance, Obedience, Abandoning Sin, and Sincerity (Ikhlāṣ).
• Status of Piety: It is a noble station: "Indeed, Allah is with those who fear Him and those who do good" (16:128); "The most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you" (49:13).
• Significance: If the pious had no virtue other than the Qur'an being guidance specifically for them, it would suffice. Since the Qur'an is generally guidance for all people (2:185), singling out the pious implies that those who are not pious are almost outside the definition of a complete human being.

Issue 3: Questions Regarding Specificity of Guidance

1. Why is guidance specified for the pious if the Qur'an is guidance for all people?
   • Answer: The Qur'an is a proof for everyone, including disbelievers. However, Allah mentions the pious because they are the ones who actually benefited from the guidance and heeded the warning (like saying, "You only warn those who follow the Reminder"). If guidance is defined as "indication that reaches the goal," then this guidance is only realized for the pious.
2. How can the entire Qur'an be guidance when it contains ambiguous (mutashābih) and general (mujmal) verses? If reason is needed to distinguish them, then reason, not the Qur'an, is the true guide. (Citing Ali's advice to Ibn Abbas regarding the Khawarij).
   • Answer: Since the ambiguous and general parts are inseparable from what is intended (whether by reason or revelation), the entire text becomes guidance.
3. If the Qur'an requires external proof (like reason) to establish God's existence, attributes, and prophethood, how can it be the ultimate guide for these highest matters?
   • Answer: It is not required for guidance to be complete in every aspect. It suffices if it guides in defining the religious laws (sharā’i‘) or confirms what is already established by reason. This verse proves that an unqualified statement (muṭlaq) does not necessarily imply absolute generality (‘umūm).
4. How can it be guidance when commentators offer numerous conflicting interpretations for a single verse? Such a text is not clear, let alone a clarifier for others.
   • Answer: This criticism applies only to commentators who present conflicting views without favoring one with evidence. As for us (the scholars of Tafsir), we favor one view with proof, thus avoiding this criticism.

Issue 4: Grammatical Status of { Hudā Lil-Muttaqīn }

Al-Kashshāf suggested several grammatical positions (nominative as predicate of a hidden subject, or as a circumstantial adverb ḥāl).

The most rhetorically sound view: Each of the four preceding phrases (Alif Lam Mim, Dhālika Al-Kitāb, Lā Rayba Fīh, Hudā Lil-Muttaqīn) constitutes a separate, complete clause, arranged sequentially without conjunctions to show their interconnectedness.

• Subtleties in the arrangement:
  • In the first (Alif Lam Mim): Omission and subtle allusion.
  • In the second (Dhālika Al-Kitāb): The grandeur implied by the definite article.
  • In the third (Lā Rayba Fīh): The emphasis gained by placing Rayb before the adverbial phrase.
  • In the fourth (Hudā Lil-Muttaqīn): Using the verbal noun (Hudā) instead of the adjective (Hādī), and using it indefinitely (nakirah).