Tafsir of An-Najm 53:56

Surah An-Najm (The Star): Verse 56

هَٰذَا نَذِيرٌ مِّنَ النُّذُرِ الْأُولَىٰ This is a warning from the former warnings.

Issue 1: What is being pointed to by "This" (هَٰذَا)?

There are several views:

1. Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم): In this case, the "Warner" (نَذِير) is the one who warns (the Prophet himself). The phrase "from the former warnings" (مِّنَ النُّذُرِ الْأُولَىٰ) indicates the category or type of warning.
2. The Qur'an:
3. The accounts of the destroyed nations mentioned previously. In this sense, the meaning is: "This is part of the things that serve as warnings."

Analysis of the Views:

• If the reference is to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم): The Warner (نَذِير) is the one who warns, and مِّنَ clarifies the genus/type.
• If the reference is to the Qur'an: نَذِير could mean the masdar (verbal noun, i.e., the act of warning) or the fa'il (the doer, the Warner).
  • Objection to the Qur'an being the referent (Linguistically and Contextually):
    • Contextually (Meaning): The Qur'an is not of the same category as the previous scriptures/warnings because the Qur'an is miraculous (مُعْجِز), whereas those previous ones were not necessarily so. Furthermore, after Allah established His Oneness and asked, "So in which of the favors of your Lord will you dispute?" (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَىٰ), He immediately said, "This is a warning" (هَٰذَا نَذِير), pointing to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) to establish prophethood. Subsequently, He mentioned the impending Hour (أَزِفَتِ الْآزِفَةُ). This creates three ordered principles in the verses: 1) Allah and His Oneness, 2) The Messenger and his message, and 3) The Gathering and the Hour.
    • Linguistically: If the reference were to the accounts of the destroyed nations (which are closer), it would be more appropriate. In that case, it could mean that what was mentioned is part (بَعْض) of what occurred, or it could indicate the beginning of the chain (ابْتِدَاء الْغَايَة), meaning: "This warning originates from the former warners." (Similar to saying: "This book/speech is from so-and-so.")

The Purpose of "from the former warnings" (مِّنَ النُّذُرِ الْأُولَىٰ):

On all interpretations, the phrase is not used to specify the described subject by distinguishing it from another (like saying "the first division" to exclude the last division). Rather, it is used to describe the subject (like saying "Zayd the scholar came," where "scholar" describes Zayd, either to state a known attribute without using a verbal sentence, or for praise, or for another reason).

The preferred view leans toward relating it back to the plural noun "warnings" (النُّذُرِ). If the intent were to signify a plural meaning, the text would have said: "from the former warners" (مِنَ النُّذُرِ الْأَوَّلِينَ), similar to saying "from the former peoples" (مِنَ الْأَقْوَامِ الْمُتَقَدِّمَةِ).

ثُمَّ قَالَ تَعَالَى: Then the Exalted said:

أَزِفَتِ الْآزِفَةُ The imminent [Hour] has drawn near.