Ash-Shura (Consultation)

52. And thus We have sent to you a Revelation of Our Command [the Holy Qur’an]. You knew not what the Book is, nor what the faith. But We have made it [the Qur’an] a Light wherewith We guide whosoever of Our slaves We will. And verily, you [O Muhammad] are indeed guiding [people] to the Straight Path.

53. The Path of Allah to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Verily, all matters at the end go to Allah.

The Chapter in question opened with the Verse of Revelation:

(“HM.’A S Q. Likewise Allah, the Omnipotent, the All-Wise sends Revelation unto you [O Muhammad]”)

and it closes with the same;

(“And thus We have sent to you a Revelation of Our Command [the Holy Qur’an]”).

Some Qur’anic exegets maintain that the word:

ruh (“spirit”) in Verse 52 refers to ruh al-amin (“the faithful or trusted spirit, Gabriel”) and some others hold that it indicates an angel more exalted in rank than other angels: (cf. “Therein descend the angels and the spirit,”1 ).

Some also hold that it makes a reference to the Holy Qur’an. The last interpretation seems to be preferable. Spirit is the essence of life and the Holy Qur’an is the secret of man’s spiritual life.

In the same manner that body without spirit disintegrates and decays, society without The Book, the Holy Qur’an, is unimaginable and in the same manner that spirit never becomes old and useless, so is the Holy Qur’an that will defy the passage of time.

It is worthy of note that the blessed Verses in question proceed the general discussion on Divine Revelation raised in the preceding Verses and treat of the same saying:

“In the same manner that We sent Our Revelation upon former Prophets through diverse means, We have sent to you a Revelation of Our Command.”

The adverb

“thus” (ka-dhalika)

may indicate that all the three types of Divine Revelation were realized for the Noble Prophet of Islam (S) and at times he established immediate nexus with the Pure Essence of Lord, at times heard the Revelation through the angel of Divine Revelation, and at times he heard a voice like sound waves as reflected in the aforesaid Islamic traditions.

Concerning the meaning of

“spirit’

in this context, Qur’anic exegets maintain two views. Firstly, the Holy Qur’an is being intended which rejuvenates hearts and souls. The majority of Qur’anic exegets hold the same view.¹

In his Mufradat, Raghib also says that the Holy Qur’an is termed as spirit in the Verse:

“And thus We have sent to you a Revelation of Our Command”

since it leads to the life in the Hereafter.

The interpretation is consistent with the different pieces of evidence attested in the Verse, e.g. the adverb:

“thus” (ka-dhalika)

alluding to Divine Revelation and the expression:

“We have sent a Revelation” (awhayna)

and the expressions regarding the Holy Qur’an under the Verse in question.

Secondly,

“spirit”

connotes the Holy Spirit or an Archangel who accompanied the Noble Prophet of Islam (S) at all times and was more exalted in rank than those like Gabriel and Michael.

Based on the same interpretation, awhayna is used in the sense of anzalna, namely We have sent down the Holy Spirit or an Archangel onto you.

The blessed Verse proceeds to say:

“You knew not what the Book is, nor what the faith. But We have made it [the Qur’an] a Light wherewith We guide whosoever of Our slaves We will.”

In other words, it was Divine Favor bestowed upon you that besides guiding you by this Great Scripture and its Guidance, He guides His other servants through this Divine Light covering the east and the west throughout the centuries to the end of the world.

Thus Verse 52 closes:

“Verily, you guide people unto the Straight Path.”

The Holy Qur’an is the Divine Light for you and all people and also a means of Guidance for those treading the path leading to Truth, and the elixir for the thirsty.

The exposition of the Straight Path follows in Verse 53:

“The Path of Allah to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth.”

Could there be found any path more straight than the one leading to the Originator of the world of existence? Is there any path smoother than the one leading to the Creator of the world of existence? True happiness is what God Almighty calls people unto it and the only way leading to it is the one which is chosen by Him.

The last sentence of the Verse which is the last sentence of the Chapter as well actually serves as an argument substantiating that the Straight Path is solely the one which leads toward God Almighty:

“Verily, all matters at the end go to Allah.”

Since He is the Possessor and the Organizer of the world of existence and owing to the fact that all human plans toward perfection are to be accepted by this Great Organizer, the Straight Path is the only Path leading toward Him and any other path besides this one leads to error and falsehood.

Is there any Truth other than His Pure Essence in the world of existence? It is worthy of note that the sentence bears a glad tiding to the God fearing and a warning to wrong-doers and sinners who shall all return unto God Almighty.

It also bears testimony to the fact that Revelation should solely be from God Almighty, since the return of all existent beings shall be toward Him and with Him rests the management and judgment of all things.

Therefore, He should be the Origin of Divine Revelation sent down onto Prophets so that people may find true Guidance. Thus, the order of the Verses from the opening to the close of the Chapter is interrelated and the opening and the close of the Chapter are consistent with its prevailing theme of the same.