إِنَّهُ لَقَولُ رَسولٍ كَريمٍ
It is indeed the speech of a noble messenger.
EXEGESIS
The it in It is indeed refers to the Quran, and a noble messenger refers to Prophet Muhammad (s). He is referred to with a common noun just as he is called an apostle in 2:101 and other verses. The title noble is to honour him.
Karīm (noble), from the root verb karuma, usually denotes one of two meanings: either honour and nobility or generosity. Karīm along with derivatives such as ikrām, mukrim, akrama, and so on, occurs frequently in the Quran.
With the first meaning of noble it speaks of that which is highly esteemed, precious, and valuable, and is used in the Quran for angels (21:26, 51:24, 80:16, 81:19, 82:11, 80:16), prophets (21:26, 44:17, 69:40), the faithful (25:72, 36:27), scripture (56:77, 80:13), the Throne (ʿarsh) of God (23:116), speech (17:23), and, with sarcasm, for the ‘high and mighty’ (44:49). As generous, it can also refer to that which is blessed and gives plentifully and so has been used for land and vegetation (26:7), or, with a negation particle, to denote that which is not beneficial (56:44). Fertile land that is high yielding in produce, for example, is called arḍ makrumah and the expression karumat ʿarḍuhu means ‘his land yielded an increase in its produce’.
Both the meanings of karīm have been used for God (27:40, 55:27, 55:78, 82:6, 96:3) and at times exegetes debate the aptness of the meaning of ‘honourable’ God versus ‘generous’ God on a specific verse’s context (such as 82:6). Indeed, both meanings can apply at once, for God and other matters, such as the promised provisions and rewards of the hereafter (8:4, 8:74, 22:50, 36:11, 57:18).
Rāghib has also said that when the term karīm is used for God it is a reference to His favours and apparent blessings (and in these instances it is used to mean generous), but when it is used for other than God, such as humans, angels, a place (44:26), or speech (17:23), then it is to highlight someone or something honourable in God’s view. He also argues that karīm is only used for praiseworthy character and actions that manifest in abundance (for it is not said ‘he is karīm’ unless one’s generosity or praiseworthy trait is outstanding and significant); thus when God says indeed the noblest (akramakum) of you in the sight of Allah is the most God-wary among you (49:13), the superlatives used for noble and God-wary prove that of all praiseworthy actions, the most honourable in God’s sight is possessing the most abundant taqwā (constant God-wariness and consciousness of Him).
Some very common expressions in classic Arabic literature include lā wa lā karāmah (‘no, I will not give you’ or ‘I will not do what you require’) and its opposite, ḥubban wa karāmah (‘[I will do it] with love and honour’). For more on the meanings of karīm see the Exegesis of 56:44.
EXPOSITION
Though this verse repeats in 81:19, the latter alludes to the archangel Gabriel as a noble messenger and not Prophet Muhammad (s). The difference between the two is that here the noble messenger is defended as being neither a poet (verse 41) nor a soothsayer (verse 42), which the Meccan community accused the Prophet of being. But in 81:19, after saying it is indeed the speech of a noble messenger, the Prophet is identified separately by the verse, Certainly, he [Muhammad] saw him [Gabriel] on the manifest horizon (81:23) and the accusation as well is And it is not the speech of an outcast Satan (81:25), meaning it is the speech of a noble angel and not a devil. Furthermore, the verses to follow this, Had he faked any sayings in Our name, We would have surely seized him by the right hand, and then cut off his aorta (verses 44-46) all support the meaning that a noble messenger in this verse refers to the Prophet.
There is also nothing odd with verses 41-42 attributing the Quran as the speech of a noble messenger instead of God’s speech for it is only to affirm that the Prophet’s speech is not the speech of a poet or a soothsayer but of one who is a noble messenger. It is the same as the Quran being described as the speech of a noble messenger in 81:19 for Gabriel, only to clarify it is not the speech of an outcast Satan (81:25).
The Quran being God’s speech is emphasised in verse 43, with the words Gradually sent down from the Lord of all the worlds, but even here it is implicit because the Prophet is referred to as a messenger (rasūl) to emphasise his role as simply one delivering a message. Al-Thaʿlabī has explained this by saying, it is as if the word ‘sender’ (to refer to God) is omitted in the verse and la-qawlu rasūlin karīm (the speech of a noble messenger) means: la-qawlu [mursil] rasūlin karīm (the speech of [the sender of] a noble messenger), just like the verse, and ask the town (12:82) which means and ask [the people of] the town.
And just like the Quran attributes itself as being the speech of the Prophet or Gabriel as intermediaries acting on God’s behalf in conveying His message to man, similarly, the Quran does this for other matters as well to show that God always acts through the agency of cause and effect. As an example, it is God who takes the souls of people when they die (39:42) but it is also attributed to the Angel of Death (32:11) and other angels in general (6:61) because the angels are commissioned and empowered to act on behalf of God and He uses them to execute His will and command. A tradition from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) says: ‘Allah has decreed that nothing will come to pass except through causes (asbāb).’
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- Imam Ali (a), in praise of the Prophet and his descendants, says: ‘Until this distinction of Allah, the glorified, reached Muhammad – peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his descendants. Allah brought him out from the most distinguished sources of origin and the most honourable places of planting, namely from the same [lineal] tree from which He brought forth other prophets and from which He selected His trustees. Muhammad’s descendants are the best descendants, his kinsmen the best of kin, and his lineal tree the best of trees. It grew in esteem and rose in distinction. It has tall branches and unapproachable fruits. He is the leader of all who exercise fear [of Allah] and a light for those who seek guidance. He is a lamp whose flame is burning, a meteor whose light is shining, and a flint whose spark is bright. His conduct is upright, his behaviour is guiding, his speech is decisive, and his decision is just. Allah sent him after an interval from the previous prophets when people had fallen into errors of action and ignorance.’
- Imam Ali (a) says in praise of the Prophet: ‘His place of stay is the best of all places and his origin the noblest of all origins in the mines of honour and the cradles of safety. Hearts of the virtuous have inclined towards him and the reins of eyes have been turned towards him. Through him Allah buried mutual rancour and put off the flames of revolt. Through him He gave them affection like brothers and separated those who were together [through unbelief]. Through him He gave honour to the low and degraded the arrogant.’
- Imam Ali (a) again says in praise of the Prophet: ‘Then Allah deputised Muhammad as a witness, giver of good tidings and a warner, the best in the universe as a child and the most chaste as an adult; the purest of the purified in conduct, he is the most generous of those who are approached for generosity.’
[1] Lane, k-r-m.
[2] Raghib, k-r-m.
[3] Lane, k-r-m.
[4] Thalabi, 10/32.
[5] Kafi, 1/183, h. 7.
[6] Nahj, sermon 94.
[7] Nahj, sermon 96.
[8] Nahj, sermon 105.