Tafsir of Ad-Dhariyat 51:23

Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51): Verse 23

{فَوَرَبِّ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِنَّهُ لَحَقٌّ مِثْلَ مَا أَنْتُمْ تَنْطِقُونَ} (So, by the Lord of the heaven and the earth, indeed, it is the truth, just as you speak.)

There are several interpretations regarding what the pronoun “it” (إِنَّهُ) refers to:

1. What you are promised: Meaning, what you are promised is certainly true. This is supported by the verse: {Indeed, what you are promised is true} (51:5). If we take this view, then the object of the oath is the promise itself (Paradise/Reward).
2. The Qur'an: The pronoun refers back to the Qur'an. Evidence for this is found in our discussion regarding the verse {He is turned away from it} (51:9). In this case, {just as you speak} means the Angel (Gabriel) uttered it just as you (humans) speak. We will elaborate on this later.
3. The Religion (Deen): It refers to the religion, as in the verse: {And indeed, the religion is coming} (51:6).
4. The Day of Judgment: It refers to the Day mentioned in {When is the Day of Recompense?} (51:12). This is supported by Allah describing that Day as the Truth in {That is the True Day} (78:39).
5. The Saying: It refers to the saying mentioned earlier: {This is what you used to hasten} (51:14).

The First Discussion: The Function of the Initial Fā’ (F)

The Fā’ (ف) implies immediate succession to a preceding matter. What is that preceding matter?

1. The Preceding Proof: It is as if Allah is saying: What you are promised is true based on clear evidence, and then He confirms it with an oath.
2. The Preceding Oath: It is as if Allah is saying: {By the winds that scatter} (51:1), and then {By the Lord of the heaven and the earth}. In this view, the Fā’ is a conjunction (عطف) where the particle of the oath (القسم) is repeated, similar to repeating a verb. It is valid to say: "I passed by Zayd, and I passed by Amr." In the initial oaths {By the winds that scatter then the carriers of burdens} (51:1-2), the conjunction occurs without repeating the oath particle. However, here, the particle is repeated (فَوَرَبِّ), and the reason for this repetition is the intervening separation between the two sets of oaths.
3. The Preceding Statement of Reward: It is possible that the preceding matter is the description of the reward in {The Day they will be tried over the Fire} (51:13) and {Indeed, the righteous will be in Gardens} (51:15). The benefit of this interpretation is that the Fā’ serves as a notification that the oath is unnecessary given the preceding clear exposition. It is like someone saying after presenting their case: "By the Lord of the heaven and the earth, it is true," even though they could have asserted its truth without the oath, similar to saying after proving a claim: "By God, the matter is exactly as I mentioned," thereby confirming it with an oath while simultaneously pointing to its certainty even without one.

The Second Discussion: The Order of Oaths

Previously, Allah swore by earthly matters (the winds) and by the heaven (وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الْحُبُكِ - 51:7), but He did not swear by its Lord. Here, He swears by its Lord.

This follows a sequence: The speaker first swears by the lower (earthly/created) things. If that is not accepted, he ascends to the higher (the Lord). Some people argue that if someone says, "By your life, I will not disbelieve," it is not disbelief, but if they say, "By God, I will not disbelieve," it is considered disbelief. This argument is flawed because disbelief is either in the heart, in the outward expression concerning the heart's state, or in outward action. The first statement is not outwardly indicative of glorifying something other than God. It is strange that the proponent of this view does not grant significance to the order of mention in matters like Wudu (ablution) and others.

The Third Discussion: The Reading of {مِثْلُ} (Mithlu)

The word {مِثْلُ} (Mithlu) has been read with nominative case (Raf’). In this case, it is an adjective describing {لَحَقٌّ} (certainly true). Even if Mithl is added to a definite noun (like Amr), it does not prevent it from describing an indefinite noun. One can say: "I saw a man like Amr," because the comparison here does not serve to define the man, as the comparison itself is highly ambiguous.

The word has also been read with accusative case (Nasb), which has two possible interpretations:

1. It is accusative because it is added to something weak (in terms of definition). Otherwise, one could say: "Zayd is a killer of someone he knows," or "a striker of someone who insults him."
2. It is accusative as an explanation (Bayān). The meaning would be: "It is true, truly, like what you speak." Alternatively, it could be accusative as an adjective for an implied, known verbal noun (Masdar). This is supported if we take the pronoun in {إِنَّهُ} to refer to the Qur'an. The meaning then becomes: "The Qur'an is true, uttered by the Angel with an utterance like what you speak." In this reading, {مَا} (Mā) is definitely in the genitive case (مَجْرُور).

{هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ} (Has there come to you the story of Abraham's honored guests?)