Shafaqna English- Commentary on the 2nd Chapter of the Holy Quran by Mohammad Sobhanie.
وَإِن كُنتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِّمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَىٰ عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِّن مِّثْلِهِ وَادْعُوا شُهَدَاءَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّـهِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ﴿٢٣﴾ فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُوا وَلَن تَفْعَلُوا فَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ الَّتِي وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَافِرِينَ ﴿٢٤﴾
2:23 Should you have any doubt about what We have revealed to Our servant, present one chapter comparable to it and call on all your witnesses (supporters and helpers), besides Allah (SWT), if your claim is true.
2:24 If you do not produce such a chapter, and you never will, then guard yourselves against the Fire whose fuel will be people and stones and is prepared for those who hide the truth.
The Quran Everlasting Miracle
Commentary: The Quran is the words of Allah (SWT), which the angel Gabril (AS) revealed to the heart of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)[1]. The objective of the revelation was to guide humankind to eternal prosperity. Some accepted the divine revelation and believed in the Qur’an and the Prophet (PBUH). Others impugned the Prophet’s (PBUH) mission and alleged that the Qur’an was a fabrication of the human mind, which is ascribed to God.
Allah (SWT) challenges the sceptics and cynics by stating: “Should you have any doubt about what We (Allah (SWT)) have revealed to Our servant (the Prophet), present one chapter comparable to it (in eloquence and rhetorical excellence, wisdom and sheer of truthfulness). And call on all your witnesses (supporters for help), besides Allah (SWT), if your claim is true.”
وَإِن كُنتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِّمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَىٰ عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِّن مِّثْلِهِ وَادْعُوا شُهَدَاءَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّـهِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ﴿٢٣﴾
The word (وَادْعُوا شُهَدَاءَكُم) means to “call on your witnesses (for help).” Witnesses refer to those who profess that the Qur’an is an artifact of the human mind. The phrase (مِّن دُونِ اللَّـهِ) “besides Allah (SWT)” implies seeking help of every being besides Allah (SWT).
Indeed, God’s Knowledge, Wisdom, and Power are exceedingly far above anything in creation. Therefore, mankind’s words could never rival God’s Words in eloquence, rhetorical excellence, wisdom, and truthfulness.
The next Verse/Ayah gives an ultimatum to the cynics of the Qur’an: “If you do not produce such a chapter/Surah, which they would never be able to produce, then guard yourselves against the Fire whose fuel will be people and stones”(فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُوا وَلَن تَفْعَلُوا فَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ الَّتِي وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ).
A fire that is fuelled (وَقُودُهَا) by man and stone (النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ) is prepared for those who negate the divine truth (أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَافِرِينَ). Some commentators mention that “stone” refers to the idols which are made of stone, or whatever humankind worships besides Allah (SWT), as stated in chapter Al-Anbiya (21:98):
إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّـهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ أَنتُمْ لَهَا وَارِدُونَ ﴿٩٨﴾
21:98 (They will be told): “Verily you and the gods you worshipped besides Allah (SWT) are the fuel (Hasab) of Hell. All of you are bound to arrive there.
The Qur’an is composed of 28 Arabic letters. If the Qur’an is a fabrication of the human mind, others should be able to produce, from the same letters, at least one chapter like one in the Qur’an. This challenge was fair for the people of Arabia, who were well known for their talent in linguistic composition, eloquent speeches, and elaborate poetry. Every year, they would gather in the “Bazar Okaz” [Arabic:( بازار عکاظ)] and have poetry competitions.
Only a few people took up the challenge but later confessed to their literary impotence. Walīd ibn Al-Mughīra (Arabic: الوليد بن المغيرة المخزومي) was one of them. After hearing a few verses of chapter 40, he said to his tribe[2]:
وَ إِنَّ لَهُ لَحَلاوَةً، وَ إِنَّ عَلَيهِ لَطَلاوَةً وَ إِنَّ أَعْلاهُ لَمُثْمِرٌ وَ إِنَّ أَسْفَلَهُ لَمُغْدِقٌ، وَ إِنَّهُ يعْلُو وَ لايعْلى عَلَيهِ
“I have just heard Mohammad’s words, which for sure are neither a human nor a jinni. They are euphonious and relaxing, like a tree whose branches are full of reachable fruits and their roots deep in the ground. They are of the highest quality and cannot be out-perfected.”
To appreciate the sweetness of verses of the Qur’an, I draw the reader’s attention to the following paragraph.
There are short chapters in the Qur’an, less than two lines, with a unique melody. These are so sweet that a child can quickly memorize them, and at the same time, profound wisdom and in-depth knowledge are embedded in its verses. For instance, let’s look at chapter Al-Asr (103):
بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَالْعَصْرِ ﴿١﴾ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ ﴿٢﴾ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ ﴿٣﴾
The Verse begins with swearing by time during an era in which time had no value for humankind (وَالْعَصْرِ). Indeed, a disconnected man from his Lord is in a state of loss (إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ), except those who connect with their Lord by having faith, performing righteous deeds, and counsel each other to hold on to the divine truth and be steadfast (إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ).
Another example is chapter Al-Ikhlas (112), which was revealed when the infidels were worshipping idols. The Christians and Jews of Madinah thought that Prophet Isa (AS) and Uzayr/Ezra (AS) were the sons of God, respectively[3]. In this era, the Prophet (PBUH) was asked to describe God. Thus, chapter Al-Ikhlas was revealed:
بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّـهُ أَحَدٌ ﴿١﴾ اللَّـهُ الصَّمَدُ ﴿٢﴾ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ﴿٣﴾ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ ﴿٤﴾
Say (O! Prophet): Allah (SWT) is the One and Unique (قُلْ هُوَ اللَّـهُ أَحَدٌ); Allah (SWT) does not need anyone, and all creatures need God (اللَّـهُ الصَّمَدُ); God neither begot any (لَمْ يَلِدْ) nor was God begotten (وَلَمْ يُولَدْ). And none is comparable to God (وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ).
Every alive being comes into existence through reproduction. For instance, a plant’s seed grows into another plant like its preceding one. An animal’s sperm in the womb grows into an animal like the preceding one. However, Allah (SWT) is not made from a natural material, so rationally, God cannot come into existence through the reproduction process, nor can God rationally reproduce. Nevertheless, God creates!
Furthermore, sometimes, an analogy is used to understand a complex subject. This Verse asserts that “none is comparable to God”. Hence, there is nothing known to human beings that can be used to explain the essence of God.
Another aspect of the miraculous qualities of the Qur’an is its sheer truthfulness. The Qur’an revealed the discourse between the angels and Allah (SWT) before the creation of Prophet Adam (AS). It narrates the history of many Divine Prophets and even discusses the laws of physics that govern the universe, which were unknown to humans at the time of the Qur’an’s revelation.
The Qur’an contains prophesies, theology, details of the life of the Hereafter, the Day of Judgment, Heaven and Hell, civil laws, wisdom, etc. It is the book of guidance, mercy, cure for inner diseases (شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ), etc.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُم مَّوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَشِفَاءٌ لِّمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٥٧﴾
10:57 O’ mankind! Now there has come to you an exhortation from your Lord, a healing for the ailments of the hearts, and a guidance and mercy for those who believe.
Within this context, it is fair to ask: is it possible for the Prophet (PBUH), who has not been a student of any other human being, to bring the Qur’an on his own? A fair sceptic has no choice but to accept the truth.
Scientific Miracles of the Qur’an
The Qur’an reveals many facts about the universe, which were independently discovered by humankind after its revelation. The accuracy of these scientific facts confirms that the Qur’an is the work of the universe’s creator rather than humankind. The Qur’an’s revelations of the universe’s features and functions are collectively deemed the “scientific miracles of the Qur’an”.
To date, several scientific facts are known to be consistent with the verses of the Qur’an. Amongst them are the law of gravity, the phenomenon of continental drift, and the unique form of human fingerprints. With further advancements in science and improved understanding of the Qur’an, further scientific miracles of the Qur’an may be discovered.
Gravity Forces: Astronomers estimated the existence of about 225 billion galaxies in the observable universe using the Hubble Space Telescope. The stars and planets in these galaxies travel in separate orbits and, therefore, avoid collisions with other celestial bodies.
In the 16th century, astronomers discovered that the force of gravity maintains the stars and planets in their separate orbits. Interestingly, the Qur’an identified gravitational forces in the 6th century and described them as “unseen pillars[4]”:
اللَّـهُ الَّذِي رَفَعَ السَّمَاوَاتِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوْنَهَا …. ﴿٢﴾
13:2 “It is Allah (SWT) who raised the heavens (planets) (and holds them in their position) without visible supports.”
The word “Tarawnaha” (تَرَوْنَهَا) (that you can see) is an adjective of “Aamadin” (عَمَدٍ) (pillars).
The Hadith narrated by Imam Ali (AS) is very interesting[5]. According to this Hadith, Imam Ali (AS) said:
قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع هَذِهِ النُّجُومُ الَّتِي فِي السَّمَاءِ مَدَائِنُ مِثْلُ الْمَدَائِنِ الَّتِي فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرْبُوطَةٌ كُلُ مَدِينَةٍ إِلَى عَمُودٍ مِنْ نُورٍ
“These stars which are in the sky are like cities similar to the cities on the earth; every city is connected with another city (every star with another star) by pillars of light.”
Continental Drift: The earth’s crust, the topmost layer of our planet, is composed of a relatively thin layer of solid rock material. Deep in the crust is the earth’s mantle, which is significantly hotter and behaves as a fluid platform for the earth’s crust.
The earth’s crust floats over the hot molten materials of the earth’s mantle, permitting drift between tectonic plates. For example, the continent of America is moving away from the continent of Europe at the rate of about an inch a year. The Qur’an compares the slow movement of the continents to the slow movements of clouds[6]:
وَتَرَى الْجِبَالَ تَحْسَبُهَا جَامِدَةً وَهِيَ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ السَّحَابِ صُنْعَ اللَّـهِ الَّذِي أَتْقَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ إِنَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٨٨﴾
27:88 And you see the mountains and imagine them fixed, yet they pass, as the passing of the clouds—the making of God, who has perfected everything. God is fully Informed of what you do.
The theory of continental drift was proposed by Alfred Wagner, a geologist, in 1920. He suggested that the earth’s crust was initially a single mass and later divided into seven separate continents.
Unique Human Fingerprints: Human fingerprints are detailed and do not change throughout one’s life. Until recently, it was not known that each individual has a unique fingerprint from which one could be identified.
The Qur’an alludes to this fact and states that God will resurrect human beings with their original fingerprints, which they have now, on the Day of Resurrection[7]:
أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنسَانُ أَلَّن نَّجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُ ﴿٣﴾ بَلَىٰ قَادِرِينَ عَلَىٰ أَن نُّسَوِّيَ بَنَانَهُ ﴿٤﴾
75:3-4 Does man think that We cannot gather his bones? Nay, We can put together in perfect order the very tips of his fingers.
These are three examples of the consistency between known scientific truths and the Qur’an’s revelations, far preceding their discovery by humankind. These examples serve as proof that the Qur’an is the work of the universe’s creator, Allah (SWT).
The Prophecies of the Qur’an
Accurate prediction of future events gives credence to a person who claims to be a divine prophet. Among several prophesies presented in the Qur’an, the fulfilment of the prophesied conquest of Mecca proves Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) status as Allah’s (SWT) final messenger.
The Conquest of Mecca: Six years following Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) migration to Medina, the city of Makkah remained under the control of tribal leaders who opposed the message of Islam.
While asleep, the Prophet had a vision that he entered the sacred Mosque and performed the pilgrimage of Kaabah with his companions. Elated by this experience, he enthusiastically shared his vision with the Muslims of Madinah and asked them to join him for an expedition to Makkah. Having been barred from Makkah for the previous six years, these early Muslims were eager to return to the Kaabah peacefully for the sole purpose of worship.
The Prophet (PBUH) and 1400 of his companions donned themselves with the clothing of Ihram and set forth from Madinah to Makkah. Among their possessions were livestock intended for sacrifice and light arms intended for personal protection.
The Prophet (PBUH) and his followers reached the vicinity of Makkah and set up a camp at Hudibyah, located two miles distance from Makkah. The rulers of Mecca, aware of the prophet’s arrival, blocked their entrance to the city and sent a party to negotiate with the Prophet (PBUH) in advance of a potential war. These negotiations resulted in the signing of the Peace Treaty of Hudibyah.
In this treaty, the two parties agreed to cease hostility and undermine each other’s security for the next ten years. Furthermore, the Prophet agreed that he would return to Madinah and postpone his pilgrimage to the following year. After agreeing with these conditions, the Prophet (PBUH) asked his companions to sacrifice their animals, shave their heads, and take off their pilgrimage garments before returning to Madinah.
This treaty was met by great disappointment amongst the Prophet’s (PBUH) followers, and some even began to doubt him. As the Prophet (PBUH)) and his followers departed, the angel Jibril/Gabriel (AS) revealed the following Verses[8]:
بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِينًا ﴿١﴾
“Surely, We have given you a clear victory.”
Aftermath: Two years later, during the 8th of Hijri, the Muslims were defeated by the Eastern Roman Army. Viewing this loss as a sign of weakness, the clan of Banu Bakr, one of the allies of the rulers of Makkah, attacked an ally of the Prophet (PBUH). This attack was a breach of the peace treaty, in which one of its clauses stated: “An attack on an ally of the party will be considered an attack on the party itself.”
In response, the Prophet (PBUH) offered three alternatives to the rulers of Makkah for their transgression:
- Dissolve their alliance with the Banu Bakr
- Compensate with payment
- Dissolve the treaty
The rulers of Makkah chose to dissolve the treaty. Consequently, the Prophet (PBUH) marched with an army towards the city of Makkah and successfully conquered without any bloodshed. This victory served as the fulfilment of the Qur’an’s prophecy.
Upon losing the city to Muslims, the disbelievers of Makkah gathered in the sacred Mosque in fear of revenge. They knew of their atrocities against the Prophet (PBUH). They had persecuted the Prophet (PBUH) for 13 years while he was in Mecca, attempted to assassinate him, and raged many wars against him and his followers in Madinah. The Prophet (PBUH) lost his best companions and many of his close family members in these wars, including his uncle Hamzah (AS).
The Prophet (PBUH) entered the sacred Mosque and said: “What do you expect my judgment would be about you?”
They replied: “We have seen nothing but goodness from you, and we do expect nothing but kindness from you. You are our noble brother and the son of our gracious brother. And the power is in your hand.”
The Prophet (PBUH) replied: “I say what my brother Yusuf said to his brothers, that there should be no blame against you on this day; Allah (SWT) may forgive you, and God is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy[9]”:
قَالَ لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ يَغْفِرُ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ ﴿٩٢﴾
12:92 He replied: No blame lies with you today. May Allah (SWT) forgive you. God is the Most Merciful of all those that are merciful.
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) forgave his enemies without taking retribution. This instance is one of many where Allah (SWT) showed how the Prophet (PBUH) was a mercy to humankind[10].
Word-for-Word Translation:
2:23 [وَإِن] And if [كُنتُمْ] you are [فِي] in [رَيْبٍ] doubt [مِّمَّا] about what [نَزَّلْنَا] we have revealed [عَلَىٰ] to [عَبْدِنَا] Our servant [فَأْتُوا] then produce [بِسُورَةٍ] a chapter [مِّن] of [مِّثْلِهِ] like it [وَادْعُوا] and call [شُهَدَاءَكُم] your witnesses [مِّن] from [دُونِ] other than [اللَّـهِ] Allah (SWT) [إِن] if [كُنتُمْ] you are [صَادِقِينَ] truthful.
2:24 [فَإِن] But if [لَّمْ] not [تَفْعَلُوا] you do [وَلَن] and never [تَفْعَلُوا] will you do [فَاتَّقُوا] then consciously fear [النَّارَ] the fire [الَّتِي] whose [وَقُودُهَا] its fuel [النَّاسُ] is the men [وَالْحِجَارَةُ] and the stone [أُعِدَّتْ] prepared [لِلْكَافِرِينَ] for the disbelievers.
Notes:
[1]. Al-Baqarah 2:75, (كَلَامَ اللَّـهِ).
[2]. Tafseer-e-Namoona, Vol.1, P136.
[3]. At-Tawbah 9:30.
[4]. Ar-Ra’d 13:2 and Luqman, 31:10.
[5]. Biḥārul-Anwār, Vol 55, P 91.
[6]. An-Naml, 27:88.
[7]. Al-Qiyaamah, 75:3-4.
[8]. Al-Fath 48:1.
[9]. Yusuf, 12:92.
[10]. Anbia 21:107, (وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ).
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