| Al 'Imran: (58) That is what We recite to you...
There are several issues here:
Issue 1: Regarding the phrase {That} (dhālika):
1. It refers to what preceded it, such as the story of Jesus, Zechariah, and others.
2. It can be the subject (mubtada'), and its predicate (khabar) is {We recite to you} (natlūhu). {And from the signs} (wa mina al-āyāt) is a secondary predicate, or the predicate of an implied subject.
3. Alternatively, dhālika can mean "that which" (alladhī), and {We recite to you} is its relative clause (ṣilah), while {And from the signs} is the predicate.
Issue 2: Recitation (Tilāwah) and Narration (Qiṣaṣ) are synonymous in meaning, as both refer to mentioning something following something else.
1. Allah attributes the recitation to Himself in this verse and in the verse, {We recite to you from the news of Moses} (Al-Qasas: 3).
2. He attributes the narration to Himself in the verse, {We narrate to you the best of narratives} (Yusuf: 3).
3. All of this indicates that Allah made the recitation of the Angel (Gabriel) function as His own recitation. This is a great honor for the Angel, justified because Gabriel’s recitation was done exactly according to His command, without any deviation.
Issue 3: Regarding {from the signs} (mina al-āyāt):
1. It may mean that this is among the signs/verses of the Qur'an.
2. It may mean that these are signs proving your prophethood, because these are accounts that only someone who reads from a book or receives revelation can know. Since it is apparent that you neither write nor read, it remains that this must be from revelation.
Issue 4: Regarding {and the Wise Reminder} (wa adh-dhikr al-ḥakīm):
The First Opinion: It refers to the Qur'an. There are several interpretations for describing the Qur'an as a Wise Reminder:
1. It means "Judge" (ḥākim), similar to how qadīr (powerful) and ʿalīm (knowing) are used. The Qur'an is a judge because rulings (aḥkām) are derived from it.
2. It means possessing wisdom (dhū al-ḥikmah) in its composition, structure, and abundance of knowledge.
3. It means "well-guarded/infallible" (muḥkam), where faʿīl takes the meaning of mufaʿʿal. Al-Azhari stated this usage is common in the language, as ḥakama often carries the meaning of aḥkama (to make firm/infallible). The meaning of muḥkam in the Qur'an is that it is protected from any possibility of flaw, as stated in {Alif, Lam, Ra. A Book...} (Hud: 1).
4. It can be said that because the Qur'an contains so much wisdom, it speaks with wisdom, hence it is described as Wise (ḥakīm).
The Second Opinion: That the Wise Reminder here is not the Qur'an, but rather the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ), from which all revealed books to the Prophets (peace be upon them) were transcribed. It is reported that Allah revealed these narratives from what was written there. And Allah knows best what is correct.
! 7 < { Indeed, the example of Jesus to Allah is like the example of Adam. He created him from dust; then He said to him, "Be," and he was. } > 7 !
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