Surah At-Tur (The Mount): Verse 37

Original Text Segment:

أم عندهم خزائن . . . . .

Translation & Exegesis (Based on Fakhr al-Din al-Razi's Mafatih al-Ghayb):

There are several interpretations (Wujuh) concerning the meaning of "treasuries" (khazā'in):

1. The Treasuries of Mercy: The intended meaning is the treasuries of God's Mercy.
2. The Treasuries of the Unseen (Al-Ghayb): They possess the hidden knowledge and realities.
3. Divine Secrets: It refers to the Divine Mysteries hidden from created beings.
4. Treasuries of Creation: The treasuries of created things that humankind has neither seen nor heard of.

• The first two interpretations are narrated (manqūl), while the third and fourth are inferred (mustanbaṭ).

This phrase serves as a continuation of the refutation against them.

1. When God said, "Or do they possess the treasuries of your Lord?" (am 'indahum khazā'in rabbik), it indicated that they are not the treasurers of God's Mercy, and thus they cannot know the contents of those treasuries.
2. However, the mere absence of being a treasurer does not automatically negate knowledge, as one might be informed about the treasury's contents without being the treasurer. Knowledge of the treasuries belongs to the treasurer and the scribe of the treasury.
3. Therefore, the statement continues: "Nor are you the scribes of the treasury, nor are you the ones in authority over it."
4. It is not far-fetched to interpret al-musayṭirūn (the controllers/masters) as the scribes of the treasury, because the root structure (s-ṭ-r) suggests writing or inscription (related to sitr, writing/line).
5. Alternatively, al-musayṭirūn is interpreted as those who have authority/dominion (al-musallitūn).
6. It is also read with a Ṣād (al-muṣayṭirūn), just as many words that use Ṭā’ (like musayṭir) are read with a Ṣād (like in Surah Al-Ghashiyah: 22, where it is read bimusayṭir or bimusayṭir).

| الطور : ( 38 ) أم لهم سلم يستمعون فيه فليأت مستمعهم بسلطان مبين .

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• Or do they have a ladder (sullam)? This refers to a means by which they ascend to the heavens.
• ...by which they listen in (yastami'ūn fīh)? They ascend to eavesdrop on the secrets of the heavens or the Divine decrees.
• Then let their listener bring a clear authority (fa-l-ya'ti mustami'uhum bi-sulṭānin mubīn): If they claim this ability, then let the one among them who listens bring forth undeniable proof or manifest evidence (sulṭān mubīn) to support this extraordinary claim. Since they cannot bring such proof, their claim is false.