Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:2

[Al-Baqarah: 2] "That is the Book..."

If you ask: How is the demonstrative pronoun "that" (dhālika) used for something that is not distant? I say: The demonstrative is used for the Alif-Lām-Mīm after the speech has already passed and concluded; and that which has concluded is, in the judgment of language, considered distant. This occurs in all speech: a man narrates a story and then says, "And that (dhālika) is something about which there is no doubt," or a calculator finishes his calculation and says, "And that (dhālika) is such and such." God Almighty said: "Neither too old nor too young, but between that (dhālika)" (2:68), and "Those two (dhālikumā) are of what my Lord has taught me" (12:37). Furthermore, when something is conveyed from the sender to the recipient, it falls into the category of distance, just as you say to your companion after giving him something, "Keep that (dhālika)." It is also said that the meaning is: "That is the Book which they were promised."

If you ask: Why is the demonstrative pronoun masculine (dhālika) while the object referred to is feminine (al-sūrah)? I say: I must either make "the Book" (al-kitāb) its predicate or its adjective. If you make it the predicate, then "that" is in its meaning and its essence, so it is permissible to apply its grammatical rule regarding masculinity, just as it is applied in the feminine in their saying, "Who was your mother?" If you make it an adjective, then the demonstrative is pointing explicitly to the Book, because the demonstrative pronoun points to the genus that acts as an adjective for it. You say, "Zayd is that human" or "that person who did such and such." Al-Dhubyānī said: "I was told that Na‘mā is blaming me for the abandonment; may rain and pasture be for that blaming, fault-finding one."

If you ask: Tell me about the composition of "That is the Book" with "Alif-Lām-Mīm." I say: If you make Alif-Lām-Mīm a name for the Sūrah, there are several possibilities for the composition:

1. Alif-Lām-Mīm is the subject (mubtada’), dhālika is a second subject, and al-kitāb is the predicate; the sentence is the predicate of the first subject. Its meaning is that this Book is the perfect Book, as if everything else in comparison to it is deficient, and it is the one worthy of being called a "Book," just as you say, "He is the man," meaning the one perfect in manhood, gathering all the praiseworthy qualities found in men.
2. Al-kitāb is an adjective. Its meaning is: "It is that promised Book."
3. Alif-Lām-Mīm is the predicate of a deleted subject (i.e., "These are Alif-Lām-Mīm"), and dhālika is a second predicate or a substitute, provided al-kitāb is an adjective.
4. Alif-Lām-Mīm is one sentence, and dhālika al-kitāb is another. If you treat Alif-Lām-Mīm as a sound, then dhālika is the subject and al-kitāb is the predicate—meaning that this revealed Book is the perfect Book. Or, al-kitāb is an adjective and the predicate is what follows it, or you assume a deleted subject: "It is [the one] composed of these letters, that Book."

‘Abd Allāh [Ibn Mas‘ūd] recited: "Alif-Lām-Mīm, the revelation of the Book, no doubt in it." The composition of this is clear.

"No doubt" (lā rayba): Rayb is the verbal noun of rābanī (it caused me doubt). The reality of raybah is the anxiety and agitation of the soul. From this is what was narrated by Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alī, who said: "I heard the Messenger of God (ﷺ) say: 'Leave what makes you doubt for what does not make you doubt, for doubt is anxiety and truthfulness is tranquility.'" That is, a matter being doubtful is something that causes the soul anxiety and instability, while its being correct and truthful is something that brings the soul tranquility and rest. From this is "the rayb of time," which is the calamities that agitate souls and terrify hearts.

If you ask: How did He negate doubt in a way of total inclusion (istighrāq), when there are many who doubt it? I say: It is not that no one doubts it; rather, what is negated is its being a subject of doubt or a place for it, because it is of such clarity of indication and brilliance of proof that no doubter should fall into it. Do you not see His saying: "And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our servant, then bring a sūrah like it" (2:23)? How far they are from having a valid doubt! He only showed them the way to remove doubt, which is to test themselves and weigh their powers in eloquence: does it reach the level of opposition, or does it shrink before it? Thus, upon their inability, they realize there is no room for suspicion or entry for doubt.

If you ask: Why was the prepositional phrase (fīhi) not placed before "doubt" (rayb), as it was placed before "ghūl" in His saying: "There is no ghūl in it" (37:47)? I say: Because the intention in placing the negative particle next to "doubt" is to negate doubt from it and establish that it is truth and reality, not falsehood and lies, as the polytheists claimed. If the prepositional phrase had been placed first, the intention would have been something far from the goal—namely, that another book might contain doubt. As for "There is no ghūl in it," the intent was to prefer the wine of Paradise over the wines of the world by saying it does not cause intoxication as they do. It is as if it were said: "It does not contain the defect and deficiency found in others."

"Guidance for the God-fearing" (hudan lil-muttaqīn): Hudā is a verbal noun like surā and bukā, meaning the guidance that leads to the goal, evidenced by the fact that "misguidance" (dalālah) is its opposite. God said: "Those are the ones who bought misguidance for guidance" (2:24).

If you ask: Why is it said "guidance for the God-fearing" when the God-fearing are already guided? I say: It is like your saying to a noble, honored person, "May God honor and ennoble you," intending to ask for an increase in what is already established in him and for its continuity, as in "Guide us to the straight path." Another perspective is that He called them "God-fearing" (muttaqīn) when they were on the verge of donning the garment of piety, just as the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Whoever kills a person has his spoils," and Ibn ‘Abbās said: "If one of you intends Hajj, let him hasten, for the sick person dies, the lost item is lost, and the need arises." He called the one on the verge of killing, sickness, or loss a "killer," "sick," or "lost."

If you ask: Why was it not said "guidance for the misguided"? I say: Because the misguided are two groups: one whose remaining in misguidance is known—those whose hearts are sealed—and one whose destiny is known to be guidance. It cannot be guidance for the first group, so it remains that it is guidance for the latter. If the expression were to clarify this, it would be "guidance for those who will become guided after misguidance." The speech was abbreviated by using the method we mentioned, so it was said: "guidance for the God-fearing."

The structure: It is most firmly rooted in eloquence to turn away from these [grammatical] positions and say: Alif-Lām-Mīm is a sentence in itself, That is the Book is a second, No doubt in it is a third, and Guidance for the God-fearing is a fourth. The perfection of eloquence and the requirement of beautiful composition were achieved by arranging them consecutively without conjunctions, because they are siblings, each taking the other by the neck. The second is united with the first, embracing it, and so on to the third and fourth. This is because He first alerted [the listener] that this is the speech challenged by, then pointed to it as the Book described with the utmost perfection, then negated any doubt from it, then informed that it is guidance for the God-fearing.