وَلَو تَقَوَّلَ عَلَينا بَعضَ الأَقاويلِ
لَأَخَذنا مِنهُ بِاليَمينِ
ثُمَّ لَقَطَعنا مِنهُ الوَتينَ
فَما مِنكُم مِن أَحَدٍ عَنهُ حاجِزينَ
Had he faked any sayings in our name,
We would have surely seized him by the right hand
and then cut off his aorta,
and none of you could have held Us off from him.
EXEGESIS
The subject in these verses is Prophet Muhammad (s), and so the pronouns in Had he faked (verse 44), seized him (verse 45), his aorta (verse 46), and from him (verse 47), all refer to the Prophet.
The word aqāwīl (sayings) in Had he faked any sayings in verse 44 is given as a diminutive and pejorative form instead of the normal plural aqwāl (sing. qawl) as a way of disdaining the words and making them seem contemptible (because they are fake) almost to say: Had he faked any so-called sayings in Our name.
It may also be a double plural (jamʿ al-jamʿ) like the uncommon word anāʿīm (cattles) from the plural anʿām (cattle), and so forth.
The verb taqawwala (faked) in verse 44 is also from qawl. Taqawwala ʿalā fulān means to forge words and then attribute them to someone else.
The right hand is typically deemed more powerful than the left, so seized him by the right hand in verse 45 means seized him forcefully and, in being attributed to God, it would denote His omnipotence. In Rāzī’s understanding, it means: We would have removed all power from him.
Or, if we assume the right hand to mean ‘the truth’ then it means justly or truthfully (bil-ḥaqq). It would be similar to the words of the wrongdoers on the Day of Judgement when they blame each other saying, indeed you used to come to us from the right hand (37:28), meaning either: you used to come to us with force and authority to influence us into believing your lies, or: you used to present to us lies as truth and justice.
In verse 46, al-watīn (aorta) is the largest artery in the body which, if severed, kills its owner instantly. So cut off his aorta means ‘destroy him instantly’. It complements the meaning of right hand (i.e. with force), given in the previous verse, to show a removal and stoppage that is swift and firm. The Quran, also, often associates the seat of intellect or ‘spiritual heart’ directly with the physical heart, such as in the verse: Indeed it is not the eyes that turn blind, but the hearts turn blind – those that are in the breasts! (22:46).
Ḥājiz in verse 47 is an active participle for obstruction meant to block and insulate someone or something from another. It is given here in the plural (as ‘those who hold off’) as if to suggest that: none of you, even if all of you get together, you could not have held Us off from seizing and killing him if he were to fake Our words.
EXPOSITION
The stern words in verses 45-47 are to make plain the Quran’s sacredness and how seriously God regards its preservation, so much so that He would even use such a harsh tone against His apostles. The Quran repeatedly condemns those who would fabricate a lie in the name of God (3:94, 6:21-24, 6:144, 7:37, 10:17, 11:18, 18:15, 29:68, 61:7) and regards this to be among the greatest of sins (2:79, 6:93).
But these strong words are also in praise of the Prophet for they reveal that the Prophet’s surrender to God was out of his free will and that he was not compelled by God to reveal the message. In other words, his infallibility was earned because he was a realised, enlightened being and not because God forced infallibility on him; otherwise, it would not be necessary for all this to be said since it would have been impossible for the Prophet to deviate and veer from the straight path.
Hence, the words Had he faked in verse 44 vouch for his integrity that he has never uttered anything from his own. He has neither gone astray nor gone amiss. Nor does he speak out of [his own] desire: it is just a revelation that is revealed [to him] (53:2-4).
This of course does not mean that God plays no role in the success of an apostle. It remains true that none can succeed without God’s help. He strengthens and fortifies His apostles and even the faithful: They were about to beguile you from what Allah has revealed to you so that you may fabricate against Us something other than that, whereat they would have befriended you. Had We not fortified you, certainly you might have inclined toward them a bit (17:73-74). And the verse after: Then We would have surely made you taste a double [punishment] in this life and a double [punishment] after death, and then you would have not found for yourself any helper against Us (17:75). All such verses are to magnify how precious this trust of being God’s messenger is to God. Other apostles are also described likewise: were they to ascribe any partners [to Allah], what they used to do would not avail them (6:88). See also 3:161 concerning the words, A prophet may not breach his trust.
The other perspective to derive from these verses is that they emphasise God Himself as the Quran’s protector and preserver and He will not allow it to be tampered with: Indeed We have sent down the reminder and indeed We will preserve it (15:9). Indeed it is an august book: falsehood cannot approach it, from before it nor from behind it (41:41-42).
And if read as a continuation from verses 41-42, these verses also emphasise that not only is the Quran not the words of a poet or a soothsayer, but it is also not the words of Prophet Muhammad (s) (should anyone choose to misinterpret verse 40). They are only God’s words brought down by the angel Gabriel on the Prophet’s heart that he may warn mankind (26:192-194). And so serious is this matter, that when revelation descends to an apostle, Then He dispatches a sentinel before and behind him so that He may ascertain that they have communicated the messages of their Lord (72:27-28).
Noteworthy is that imposters who falsely claim prophethood are not threatened in this manner. They are simply ignored, perhaps because their lies are easy to see through and they are unable to carry out their fraud indefinitely; sooner or later they are exposed. An apostle appointed by God, on the other hand, never fails or gives up. Regardless of how much he is persecuted, opposed, and belied, he continues to gain recognition from the sincere and those possessed with understanding, as did Prophet Muhammad (s), whose truth, sincerity, and wisdom were proven, by the will of God, as his life progressed. And while no true apostle of God ever betrayed His trust from God, what remains true is that God always protected them from the danger of others (5:67), helped them when they faced insurmountable difficulties (58:21), and with miracles that would be impossible for an impostor to feign.
INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS
- Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
- Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.
[1] Qummi, 2/385; Ibn Kathir, 8/233.
[2] Jalalayn, p. 571.
[3] Razi, 30/635.
[4] Exodus 15:6.
[5] Exodus 15:11-12.