Surah An-Nur (The Light)

Verse 1

Surah An-Nur (The Light): (1) A Surah which We have sent down and ordained...

The general reading (Qurra' al-'Ammah) is with the nominative case for Sūratun (سورة). Talha ibn Musarrif read it with the accusative case.

Regarding the Nominative Reading (Sūratun): The majority hold that starting a sentence with an indefinite noun is impermissible.

1. The implied meaning is: "This is a Surah which We have sent down" (Hādhihi Sūratun anzalnāhā).
2. Alternatively, Sūratun is the subject (mubtada') described by the following clause, and the predicate (khabar) is omitted, meaning: "Among what We have revealed to you is a Surah which We have sent down."
3. Al-Akhfash permitted starting with an indefinite noun, making Sūratun the subject and anzalnāhā (We sent it down) its predicate.

Regarding the Accusative Reading (Sūratan): This reading implies a verbal meaning, such as: "Follow a Surah," or "Recite a Surah," or "We sent down a Surah."

The meanings of Sūrah (chapter) and Inzāl (sending down) have been previously discussed.

Addressing the Implication of Direction in "Sending Down" (anzalnāhā): If one argues that "sending down" implies descent from a higher place, suggesting God is in a location, there are several responses:

1. Via Gabriel (Jibrīl): Jibrīl memorized it from the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ) and then brought it down to the Prophet (PBUH). Thus, saying "We sent it down" is permissible metaphorically (as an extension of meaning).
2. Descent in Stages: God sent it down from the Mother of the Book (Umm al-Kitāb) in the lowest heaven all at once, and then revealed it piecemeal through the tongue of Jibrīl (PBUH) afterward.
3. Granting/Bestowing: The meaning of anzalnāhā is "We granted it to the Messenger." This is analogous to a servant saying when addressing his master, "My need was raised to you." Similarly, descent from the Master to the servant can be termed inzāl, as God says: "To Him ascends the good word and the righteous deed, and He raises it" (Fatir: 10).

Regarding the phrase: {and We have ordained it} (wa faradnāhā): The famous reading is with the lightened dād (faradnāhā). Ibn Kathir and Abu 'Amr read it with the stressed dād (farradnāhā).

The Lightened Reading (faradnāhā):

• Fard means to decree or establish definitively. It is used in the sense of determining, as in: "Then half of what you have stipulated" (Al-Baqarah: 237), meaning determined. And: "Indeed, He Who imposed the Qur'an upon you" (Al-Qasas: 85), meaning decreed.
• Since the Surah itself already exists, ordaining the Surah itself is impossible (as achieving the already achieved is futile). Therefore, the meaning must be: "And We ordained what is within it." This is stated because most of this Surah deals with rulings and legal boundaries (aḥkām and ḥudūd).

The Stressed Reading (farradnāhā): Al-Farrā' stated that the stress indicates intensification or multiplication:

1. Intensification: Since it concerns boundaries and rulings, there must be an emphasis on establishing them so that submission to their acceptance is achieved.
2. Multiplication: This is for two reasons:
   • God explained various different rulings within it.
   • God obligated these rulings upon all accountable persons until the end of time.

Regarding the phrase: {A Surah which We have sent down, and We have ordained it, and We have revealed} (sūratun anzalnāhā wa faradnāhā wa anzalnā): There are several interpretations:

1. Connecting to Content: The Surah begins with various rulings and boundaries, and ends with proofs of Monotheism (tawḥīd).
   • wa faradnāhā refers to the rulings mentioned at the beginning.
   • The repetition, wa anzalnā (and We revealed), refers to the proofs of Monotheism mentioned later.
   • This is supported by the following verse, la'allakum tadhakkarūn (so that you may be reminded), because the rulings and laws were not known to them, so they were commanded to be reminded of them. However, the proofs of Monotheism were seemingly known to them due to their obviousness, so they were commanded to be reminded of them.
2. Abu Muslim's View: The clear signs (al-āyāt al-bayyināt) mentioned could refer to the prescribed limits and laws, similar to when Zakariyya asked for a sign, and his sign was that he would not speak to people for three nights except by gesture (Al 'Imran: 41). He asked his Lord to ordain an act for him.
3. The Judge's View (Al-Qāḍī): Just as the Surah includes obligatory duties (wājibāt), it also includes many discussions (mubāḥathāt) which God explained. Since His explanation was detailed, the verses are described as "clear signs" (bayyināt).

Regarding the phrase: {so that you may be reminded} (la'allakum tadhakkarūn): This was read with both the stressed and lightened dhāl. The meaning of la'alla (so that/perhaps) has been previously discussed in Surah Al-Baqarah.

Al-Qāḍī suggested that la'alla means kay (in order that), implying God intended for all of them to be reminded.

Response to Al-Qāḍī: If God intended this for everyone, He would have strengthened their inclination toward obedience. If that strengthening did not occur, the action would happen without a determining factor (murajjiḥ), which would invalidate using possibility or contingency as proof for the existence of a determiner, leading to the denial of the Creator. Therefore, la'alla must be interpreted according to the other meanings mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah.

Know that God mentioned many rulings in this Surah:

The First Ruling