Surah At-Tur (The Mount) - Chapter 52

52:1

Forty-nine verses, Meccan.

Verses 1-6:

Tafsir Notes (Implied Context from Al-Razi's style):

These opening verses are an oath sequence, characteristic of the Meccan surahs, intended to establish the gravity of the subject matter that follows (the Resurrection and the nature of divine truth).

1. "By the Mount (At-Tur)": This refers to Mount Sinai, where Moses received the revelation. It is sworn by due to the great events that transpired there.
2. "And by the Book inscribed, In an unrolled scroll": This refers to the Qur'an, which is already written and preserved, or perhaps the Preserved Tablet (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz). The description "unrolled scroll" emphasizes its clarity and accessibility for reading.
3. "And by the House Made Full (Al-Bayt al-Ma'mur)": This is the celestial sanctuary directly above the Ka'bah, perpetually visited by angels. Swearing by it emphasizes the divine order and presence in the heavens.
4. "And by the roof raised high (As-Saqf al-Marfu')": This is interpreted as the heaven itself, held up by God's power without visible pillars, signifying divine omnipotence.
5. "And by the sea set ablaze (Al-Bahr al-Masjur)": This oath refers to the sea being filled with fire on the Day of Judgment, or perhaps the sea being filled with water that will boil over. This serves as a terrifying reminder of the Day of Reckoning.

Surah At-Tur (The Mount): Verse 1

وَالطُّورِ

Issue 1: The Meaning of At-Tur (The Mount) and Al-Kitab Al-Mastur (The Inscribed Book)

We offer several interpretations regarding these oaths:

Regarding At-Tur (The Mount):

1. It refers to the well-known mountain where Allah spoke to Moses (peace be upon him).
2. It refers to the mountain mentioned in: {And by Mount Sinai} (At-Tin: 2).
3. It is a generic noun, meaning an oath by a mountain, where At-Tur signifies a great mountain, like a massive peak (Taud).

Regarding Al-Kitab (The Book):

1. The Torah of Moses (peace be upon him).
2. The Book that is in the heavens (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz, the Preserved Tablet).
3. The record of the deeds of creation.
4. The Qur'an.

In any case, it is written on sheets (ruqūq). We will explain the benefit of His saying: {in an unrolled scroll} later.

Regarding Al-Bayt Al-Ma'mur (The Inhabited House):

1. It is a house in the highest heaven near the Throne, described as "inhabited" due to the multitude of angels circling it.
2. It refers to the Sacred House (the Ka'bah), which is inhabited by pilgrims circling it and observing i'tikaf (seclusion).
3. It is a generic reference to inhabited houses and famous structures, similar to saying "the houses."

Regarding As-Saqf Al-Marfū' (The Raised Roof): This is the heaven.

Regarding Al-Bahr Al-Masjūr (The Swelling Sea):

1. It is said to mean the sea that is set ablaze (or heated). The root verb sajjara means to kindle a fire (as in kindling an oven).
2. It means the sea filled with turbulent, surging water.
3. It is a specific sea known in heaven called the Sea of Life (Bahr Al-Hayawan).

Issue 2: The Wisdom Behind Choosing These Entities for the Oath

This choice can be understood in several ways:

1. Places of Divine Communication: The three physical locations—At-Tur, Al-Bayt Al-Ma'mur, and Al-Bahr Al-Masjūr—were places where three prophets were secluded for intimate communion with their Lord, free from creation:
   • Moses (PBUH) went to At-Tur.
   • Muhammad (PBUH) was associated with Al-Bayt Al-Ma'mur (in the context of the Night Journey).
   • Jonah (PBUH) was associated with the sea (in the context of his ordeal).

All of them spoke to God there. Moses said: {Will You destroy us for what the foolish among us have done? This is but a trial from You, by which You cause to stray whom You will and guide whom You will} (Al-A'raf: 155), and he requested: {Show me Yourself so that I may look at You} (Al-A'raf: 143). Muhammad (PBUH) said: (Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I cannot enumerate praise for You as You have praised Yourself). Jonah said: {There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers} (Al-Anbiya: 87). Thus, these places became honored due to these events, so Allah swore by them.

The mention of The Book is linked because the prophets had discourse with God in these places, and its conjunction with At-Tur is more indicative, as Moses received his written revelation while at the Mount. The mention of The Raised Roof along with The Inhabited House serves to demonstrate the immense status of Muhammad (PBUH).

2. Defense Against Punishment: Since the oath concerns the certainty of punishment and the impossibility of repelling it, these entities illustrate that there is no escape from God's decree. A person seeking to avert punishment might fortify himself in towering, endless mountains, yet such fortifications are useless against God's command, as Noah (PBUH) told his son: {I will take refuge toward a mountain to protect me from the water. [Noah] said, "There is no protector today from the decree of Allah, except for whom He gives mercy"} (Hud: 43).

Issue 3: The Wisdom in Indefinite Reference for Al-Kitab and Definite Reference for the Others

When something ambiguous or potentially confused with similar things is mentioned, it is often specified with the definite article (Al-), such as saying "I saw the prince" or "I entered upon the vizier." However, if the prince becomes so famous that ambiguity is impossible despite his fame, and the speaker wishes to emphasize his uniqueness, he might use the indefinite form, saying, "Today I saw a prince unlike any other, sitting with the bearing of kings," while intending that specific, known prince.

The reason for using the indefinite form here is to indicate that the reality of his greatness transcends being fully known or defined. This is similar to Allah’s saying: {The Striking Calamity! What is the Striking Calamity? And what can make you know what it is?} (Al-Qari'ah: 1-3). Although the definite article is used, the extreme terror of the event removes the possibility of full comprehension.

Similarly, At-Tur and Al-Bayt Al-Ma'mur might not be so universally famous as to preclude ambiguity if left indefinite. However, The Noble Book is so distinct from all other books that the word "Book" immediately brings to the minds of the Prophet's audience only that Book (the Qur'an). Since ambiguity is avoided and the purpose of specification is achieved even without the definite article, the indefinite form is used to convey an additional meaning (the uniqueness mentioned above). For the other entities, since the purpose of specification could only be achieved through the definite article, it was employed. This supports the view that The Book here refers to the Qur'an, and similarly, the Preserved Tablet is famous.

Issue 4: The Benefit of Saying {in an unrolled scroll} (fī raqqin manshūr)

This phrase points to clarity and openness. A rolled-up book conceals its contents, but He states that it is {in an unrolled scroll}, meaning it is not like closed books.

If The Book refers to the Preserved Tablet, its meaning is that it is unrolled for you; no one is prevented from reading it. If it refers to the record of deeds for every person, the indefinite form (raqqin) indicates the unknown nature of the specific record, while {unrolled} describes its state. This aligns with His saying: {a book which he will find spread open} (Al-Isra: 13), because when something unknown is described, it moves closer to being known.

Issue 5: Oaths by Plural Entities vs. Singular Entities

In some Surahs, Allah swears by plural entities, such as: {By the scattering winds} (Adh-Dhariyat: 1), {By those sent forth in succession} (Al-Mursalat: 1), and {By those who drag forth} (An-Nazi'at: 1). In this Surah, He swears by singular entities: {By the Mount} (At-Tur), without saying "By the Mounts" or "By the Seas," especially if At-Tur means the massive mountain, as in: {and We raised the Mount above them} (An-Nisa: 154). What is the wisdom behind this?

When oaths are taken by plural entities (like winds), they often refer to things that are moving and constantly changing. A single instance of wind is not continuous; rather, it is constantly replaced by other instances while the type of wind remains continuous through change. Thus, {By the scattering winds} refers to the continuous type leading to specific, established instances.

However, a mountain is fixed and changes little. A single mountain endures for ages. Therefore, He swore by the singular entity. The same applies to {By the star} (An-Najm). Winds are sworn by in a way that indicates change, while the Mount is sworn by in a way that indicates permanence.

7 < { Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is bound to occur * No repeller of it will there be } > 7 !