RENAISSANCE NOVEMBER 2020

7 Monthly Renaissance November 2020 Qur’ ā nic Exegesis S ū rah al-Dukh ā n Javed A ḥ mad Gh ā mid ī ٰ ﻟﺮﺣۡﻤٰﻦ ﻟﺮﺣﻴۡﻢ ﺑﺴۡﻢ ﷲ ﺣٰﻢٓ ﴿ ١﴾ ﴿ ۡ و ﻟۡﻜﺘٰﺐ ﻟۡﻤﺒ ٢﴾ ﻧﺎۤ ﻧۡﺰ ﺔٍ ﻧﺎﻛﻨﺎﻣﻨۡﺬرﻳۡﻦ﴿ 01ٰ2 ۡ ﻟﻴۡﻠﺔٍ ﻣ 45 ﻟۡﻨٰﻪ ٣﴾ ق 9ۡ:; ﻓﻴۡﻬﺎ ?ﻞ In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Ever-Merciful. This is S ū rah Ḥā M ī m. 1 This clear Book is a witness 2 [to its own self]. Undoubtedly, We have revealed it 3 in a blessed night 4 1. Like the previous ones, the name of this s ū rah is also ٓ ﺣٰﻢ . Commonality in name indicates commonality in topics which every student of the Qur’ ā n can observe in these s ū rahs . What is the meaning of this name? I have explained in detail my view about it while discussing verse 2 of S ū rah al-Baqarah. 2. The actual words are: ۡ و ﻟۡﻜﺘٰﺐ ﻟۡﻤﺒ . The و signifies an oath. The complement of oath ( muqsam ‘alayh ) is suppressed and the word ۡ ﻣﺒ is pointing towards it. The implication is that this lucid Book is a certain evidence to its claims. There is no need to go to any external place to find this evidence. The Book itself is sufficient to explain it. 3. This does not necessitate that the whole Qur’ ā n be revealed in one night. The expression ﻧۡﺰﻟۡﻨٰﻪ (We revealed it) is absolutely appropriate if the decision of its revelation was made in that night and its first episode was revealed. 4. Ie., the night of destiny ( laylah al-qadr ). The Qur’ ā n has specified that in verse 185 of S ū rah al-Baqarah that it was revealed in the month of Rama ḍā n. Hence the night referred to in this verse has to be some night of this month. It is specified ahead that it is the night of decisions. These decisions can relate to both mercy and harm. However, since every decision is from the being all of Whose decisions are based on mercy and wisdom and Who is an embodiment of justice, these decisions are blessed with regard to their consequences. It is for this reason that it is called a blessed night. This term carries a warning for the addressees that they must not regard this to be something of the nature of soothsaying or sorcery and thereby deprive themselves of its