The usage of La (in Fala) is not an extra character without meaning, as some
of the scholars of Tafsir say. Rather it is used at the beginning of an oath
when the oath is a negation. This is like when `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased
with her said, "La by Allah! Allah's Messenger did not touch any woman's hand at
all. So in this way, the meaning is, "No! I swear by the Mawaqi` of the stars.
The matter is not as you people claim - about the Qur'an - that it is a result
of magic or sorcery, rather it is an Honorable Qur'an.'' Ibn Jarir said, "Some
of the scholars of the Arabic language said that the meaning of:
[فَلاَ
أُقْسِمُ]
(Fala! I swear) is, `The matter is not as you people have claimed.' Then He
renews the oath again by saying, `I swear.'''
[فَلاَ أُقْسِمُ
بِمَوَقِعِ النُّجُومِ ]
(Fala! I swear by the Mawaqi` of the stars.) Mujahid said, "The setting
positions of the stars in the sky,'' and he said that it refers to the rising
and setting positions. This was said by Al-Hasan, Qatadah and preferred by Ibn
Jarir. Qatadah also said that it means their positions. Allah said,
[وَإِنَّهُ لَقَسَمٌ
لَّوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عَظِيمٌ ]
(And verily that is indeed a great oath, if you but know.) meaning, `this is
a great vow that I -- Allah -- am making; if you knew the greatness of this vow,
you will know the greatness of the subject of the vow,'
[إِنَّهُ لَقُرْءَانٌ
كَرِيمٌ ]
(That (this) is indeed an honorable recitation.) means, verily, this Qur'an
that was revealed to Muhammad is a Glorious Book,
[فِى كِتَـبٍ
مَّكْنُونٍ ]
(In a Book Maknun.) meaning glorious; in a glorious, well-guarded, revered
Book. Ibn Jarir narrated that Isma`il bin Musa said that Sharik reported from
Hakim, that is Ibn Jubayr, from Sa`id bin Jubayr, from Ibn `Abbas that about:
[لاَّ يَمَسُّهُ
إِلاَّ الْمُطَهَّرُونَ ]
(Which none touches but the pure ones.) he said, "The Book that is in
heaven.'' Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas about:
[لاَّ يَمَسُّهُ
إِلاَّ الْمُطَهَّرُونَ ]
(Which none touches but the pure ones.) that `the pure ones' means: "The
angels.'' Similar was said by Anas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr,
Ad-Dahhak, Abu Ash-Sha`tha' Jabir bin Zayd, Abu Nahik, As-Suddi, `Abdur-Rahman
bin Zayd bin Aslam and others. Ibn Jarir narrated that Ibn `Abdul-A`la said that
Ibn Thawr said that Ma`mar said from Qatadah about:
[لاَّ يَمَسُّهُ
إِلاَّ الْمُطَهَّرُونَ ]
(Which none touches but the pure ones.) that he said, "None can touch it,
with Allah, except the pure ones. However, in this life, the impure Zoroastrian
and the filthy hypocrite touch it.'' And he said, "In the recitation of Ibn
Mas`ud it is: (مَا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ) (It is not touched, except
by the pure ones.) Abu Al-`Aliyah said:
[لاَّ يَمَسُّهُ
إِلاَّ الْمُطَهَّرُونَ ]
(Which none touches but the pure ones.) "It does not refer to you, because
you are sinners!'' Ibn Zayd said, "The Quraysh disbelievers claimed that the
devils brought down the Qur'an. Allah the Exalted stated that only the pure ones
touch the Qur'an, as He said:
[وَمَا تَنَزَّلَتْ
بِهِ الشَّيَـطِينُ - وَمَا يَنبَغِى لَهُمْ وَمَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ - إِنَّهُمْ عَنِ
السَّمْعِ لَمَعْزُولُونَ ]
(And it is not the Shayatin who have brought it down. Neither would it suit
them nor they can (produce it). Verily, they have been removed far from hearing
it.)(26:210-212)'' This saying is a good saying, and does not contradict those
before it. Allah said,
[تَنزِيلٌ مِّن
رَّبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ ]
(A revelation from the Lord of all that exists. ) meaning this Qur'an is a
revelation from the Lord of all that exists, not as they say that it is magic,
sorcery or poetry. Rather it is the truth, no doubt about it; there is none
beyond it of useful truth. Allah's statement,
[أَفَبِهَـذَا
الْحَدِيثِ أَنتُمْ مُّدْهِنُونَ ]
(Is it such a talk that you are Mudhinun) Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas
that Mudhinun means, "You do not believe in and deny.'' Similar to this was said
by Ad-Dahhak, Abu Hazrah and As-Suddi. Mujahid said,
[مُّدْهِنُونَ]
(Mudhinun) means "You want to fill yourselves with and rely upon.''
[وَتَجْعَلُونَ
رِزْقَكُمْ أَنَّكُمْ تُكَذِّبُونَ ]
(And you make your provision your denial!) some of them said that provision
here has the meaning of gratitude, meaning: you deny without any gratitude. `Ali
bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas that he recited it as: (وَتَجْعَلُونَ
شُكْرَكُمْ أَنَّكُمْ تُكَذِّبُونَ) (And your show of your gratitude by denying!)
Ibn Jarir narrated from Muhammad bin Bashshar, who narrated from Muhammad bin
Ja`far, who narrated from Shu`bah, from Abu Bishr, from Sa`id bin Jubayr who
said that Ibn `Abbas said, "It has never rained upon a people except that some
of them became disbelievers by saying, `Such and such position of a star sent
rain!''' And Ibn `Abbas recited: (وَتَجْعَلُونَ شُكْرَكُمْ أَنَّكُمْ
تُكَذِّبُونَ) (And you show of your gratitude by denying.) This chain of
narration is Sahih to Ibn `Abbas. In his Muwatta', Malik reported from Salih bin
Kaysan, from `Ubaydullah bin `Abdullah bin `Utbah bin Mas`ud, from Zayd bin
Khalid Al-Juhani who said, "The Prophet led us in the Subh (dawn) prayer at
Al-Hudaybiyah after a rainy night. On completion of the prayer, he faced the
congregation and said,
«هَلْ تَدْرُونَ
مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ؟»
(Do you know what your Lord has said (revealed)) Those present replied,
`Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said,
«قَالَ: أَصْبَحَ
مِنْ عِبَادِي مُؤْمِنٌ بِي وَكَافِرٌ، فَأَمَّا مَنْ قَالَ: مُطِرْنَا بِفَضْلِ
اللهِ وَرَحْمَتِهِ، فَذلِكَ مُؤْمِنٌ بِي، كَافِرٌ بِالْكَوْكَبِ، وَأَمَّا مَنْ
قَالَ: مُطِرْنَا بِنَوْءِ كَذَا وَكَذَا، فَذلِكَ كَافِرٌ بِي وَمُؤْمِنٌ
بِالْكَوْكَب»
(Allah has said, "During this morning some of my servants remained as true
believers in Me and some became disbelievers. Whoever said that the rain was due
to the blessings and the mercy of Allah, had belief in Me, and he disbelieves in
the stars; and whoever said that it rained because of a particular star, had no
belief in Me, but believes in that star.'')'' This Hadith is recorded in the Two
Sahihs, Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i, all using a chain of narration in which Imam
Malik was included. Qatadah said, "Al-Hasan used to say, `How evil is that all
that some people have earned for themselves from the Book of Allah, is denying
it!''' Al-Hasan's statement means that such people gained no benefit from the
Book of Allah because they denied it, as Allah said:
[أَفَبِهَـذَا
الْحَدِيثِ أَنتُمْ مُّدْهِنُونَ - وَتَجْعَلُونَ رِزْقَكُمْ أَنَّكُمْ
تُكَذِّبُونَ ]
(Is it such a talk that you Mudhinun And you make your provision that you
deny!)
[فَلَوْلاَ إِذَا
بَلَغَتِ الْحُلْقُومَ - وَأَنتُمْ حِينَئِذٍ تَنظُرُونَ - وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ
إِلَيْهِ مِنكُمْ وَلَـكِن لاَّ تُبْصِرُونَ - فَلَوْلاَ إِن كُنتُمْ غَيْرَ
مَدِينِينَ - تَرْجِعُونَهَآ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ ]
(83. Then why do you not (intervene) when it reaches Al-Hulqum) (84. And you
at the moment are looking,) (85. But We are nearer to him than you, but you see
not,) (86. Then why do you not -- if you are not Madinin) (87. Return the soul,
if you are truthful)
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