Fussilat (Explained in detail)
Verse 1 - 4
Section (juz’ 25)
Number of Verses: 54
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful This Meccan Chapter has fifty four Verses and whose title derives from the third Verse. It is also called “Ha-Meem sajdah” since it opens with Ha-Meem and it is the first among the four Chapters with obligatory prostrations. The Verses of the Chapter concerns Resurrection, history of ancient peoples, the Glory of the Holy Qur’an, and manifestations of Divine Omnipotence in the world of existence.
The Merits of the Recitation of the Chapter
According to a Prophetic tradition,
“One who recites Ha-Meem sajdah, God Almighty will bestow upon him ten good deeds for each of its letters.”1
According to another tradition, the Messenger of God (S) recited the Chapter every night before going to bed.1 It is also worthy of note that the title of the Chapter, Fussilat, is taken from the third Verse, and the title Ha-Meem sajdah derives from the opening of the Chapter, Ha-Meem, as well as Verse 37, requiring an obligatory prostration.
Surah Fussilat - Verses 1-4
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ حم (1) تَنْزِيلٌ مِنَ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ (2) كِتابٌ فُصِّلَتْ آياتُهُ قُرْآناً عَرَبِيًّا لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ (3) بَشِيراً وَ نَذِيراً فَأَعْرَضَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ فَهُمْ لا يَسْمَعُونَ (4)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
1. Ha-Meem.
2. A Revelation [the Qur’an] from the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
3. A Book whereof the Verses are explained clearly, a Qur’an in Arabic for people who know.
4. [A Book] bearing glad tidings and warning, but most of them turn away, so they hear not [the Qur’an].
The Arabic words:
anzalna (“We sent down”)
and
tanzil (“sending down”)
are employed in the senses of sending down at one time and in time respectively.
To assume a common meaning out of the twain, one may say that the content of the Holy Qur’an was revealed to the Noble Prophet of Islam (S) at one time on the Night of Ordainment (Qadr) though the forms and words were revealed to him in time.
The mere mention of the Revelation of the Holy Qur’an indicates guidance, decisiveness, exaltedness, wisdom, and mercy.
The Holy Qur’an makes use of every means of guidance (e.g. commanding the good and forbidding evil, stories and accounts of ancient peoples as lessons, arguments, allegories, exposition of Divine Bounties, future of mankind, the manner of Resurrection, factors leading to exaltedness and denigration) in details with decisiveness and unambiguity.
The Holy Qur’an draws a distinction between Truth and falsehood, believer and disbeliever, Paradise and Hellfire, obedient and disobedient, obligatory and unlawful (acts), blessing and torment, good and evil, and the like.
The Holy Qur’an was revealed in eloquent Arabic.
The word:
‘Arabi (“Arabic”)
designates both Arabic tongue and eloquent. It is needless to say that those familiar with eloquent Arabic may comprehend the eloquence of the Qur’an.
Verse 2 reads:
“A Revelation [the Qur’an] from the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.”
The word
tanzil (“Revelation”)
is in the predicative position (khabar) whose subject (mubtada’) is omitted, namely the Holy Qur’an is revealed by God Almighty Whose Mercy and Grace are bestowed upon all existent beings.
Verse 3 says:
“A Book whereof the Verses are explained clearly, a Qur’an in Arabic for people who know.”
The Verse clearly makes a reference to the inimitability of the Qur’an which may be comprehended by the knowledgeable.
Those who pay no heed of the Qur’an are devoid of true knowledge. Divine Revelation of the Holy Qur’an from Divine realm to the material world aims at the knowledgeable who are capable of comprehending some secrets of the Holy Qur’an.
They know that it lies without human ability to bring the like of the Qur’an; as a consequence of which, they believe in Divine Revelation of the Holy Qur’an and the fact that it is revealed for the guidance of jinn and mankind, but the knowledgeable are solely capable of comprehending it.
Verse 4 says:
“[A Book] bearing glad tidings and warning, but most of them turn away, so they hear not [the Qur’an].”
The Arabic adjectives:
bashir (“bearing glad tidings”)
and
nadhir (“bearing warning”)
are two attributes of the Holy Qur’an designating the Qur’an bears glad tidings to believers that as a consequence of their righteous good deeds, exalted stations and Bounties in Paradise will fall into their share in the Hereafter.
It also warns disbelievers that they will be chastised with torments in Hell as a result of their evil deeds. Those who turn away from hearing the Holy Qur’an are unable to give their ears to the Holy Qur’an being recited owing to their vain desires.
The Holy Qur’an says elsewhere that disbelievers are deaf, dumb, and blind unable to comprehend Divine Word since they do not make use of their intellect.
Those who turn away from God Almighty turn toward nature, and are wholly preoccupied with mundane affairs and the pleasures of the flesh are actually unable to hear the Truth. Such people may not endure to hear Qur’anic Verses being recited.
Footnotes
Tafsir Ruh al-Ma’ani, under the Chapter in question. ↩