لِيَعلَمَ أَن قَد أَبلَغوا رِسالاتِ رَبِّهِم وَأَحاطَ بِما لَدَيهِم وَأَحصىٰ كُلَّ شَيءٍ عَدَدًا
So that He may ascertain that they have communicated the messages of their Lord, and He comprehends all that is with them, and He keeps count of all things.
EXEGESIS
Li-yaʿlama: yaʿlama is the perfect tense of the verb ʿalima, which means to know and to be aware of something. It derives from the root ʿilm, which signifies a level of certitude (yaqīn) that is impermeable to any form of doubt. The subject of the verb yaʿlama in this verse is God.
Ablaghū is the third person plural of the perfect tense ablagha. It is the verbal form 4 of balagha that implies to reach or to arrive at something and even to attain puberty and become of age. The verb ablagha means to make some one or some thing reach or attain something. The verb ablaghū, whose infinitive noun is iblāgh, signifies here ‘to communicate God’s message’. The subject of the verb ablaghū are the divine prophets commissioned with delivering God’s message.
Risālāt is the plural of the noun risālah, meaning message. It lexically has its origin in the infinitive risl that denotes to release or to set something free. In the verse under discussion, risālāt implies the divine messages assigned to a messenger to convey to God’s creation.
Aḥāṭa is the verbal form 4 of the perfect tense ḥāṭa that lexically bears different connotations like to guard something and to take care of it, and to encircle it. Qurashī is of the view that the original meaning of the root ḥawṭ is to surround something, a denotation that is compatible with the concept of knowledge, looking after something, as well as encirclement by afflictions. The wall that encloses a given place is thus called ḥāʾiṭ. To take precaution is termed in Arabic as iḥtiyāṭ because it involves taking up a course that would ensure the safety of a person. The infinitive noun iḥāṭah is also used to signify profound and comprehensive knowledge about something.
The derivatives of the terms ḥawṭ and iḥāṭah have occurred in the Quran at times to signify encirclement, such as in 9:49 and 29:54, and at times to imply to look after something, as in 41:54. The term iḥāṭah has also appeared in 12:66 meaning to impede. In the sense of in-depth knowledge, the word has been deployed in the Quran in the case of both divine and human knowledge as in 65:12 and 18:68 respectively. The verb aḥāṭa in this verse denotes comprehension in knowledge, and as such implies the all-inclusive knowledge of God in respect to all that which the prophets have been assigned to deliver of the divine message.
Ladayhim: lada is the adverbial noun of place carrying the denotation of the particle ʿinda (at). The third person pronoun hum (they) affixed to it refers to the divine prophets.
Aḥṣā is the perfect tense verb that derives from the infinitive iḥṣāʾ meaning to count and to enumerate. Nonetheless, according to some grammarians, the term iḥṣāʾ is also used in Arabic to mean ‘to preserve’, and it has occurred in the Quran in this sense in 73:20 and 18:12. However, the original meaning of the term iḥṣāʾ appears to be ‘the completion of the act of enumeration’. The term has occurred in the Quran in this sense in 18:49, 14:34, and 16:18. The derivatives of iḥṣāʾ have appeared eleven times in the Quran, all of which are in the verbal form. The lexical denotation of the term as expounded by Ṭurayḥī and Qurashī seems to be harmonious with all the eleven occasions in which the term has been used in the Quran. However, a natural implication of ‘enumerating to the end’ is to have thorough knowledge about something in terms of its quantity, and it has been in view of this that Rāghib has defined iḥṣāʾ as ‘to procure the quantity of something’. In more precise words, the term implies to have complete and accurate understanding of the number and amount of something. As a result, iḥṣāʾ is not the mere act of counting; rather, it is counting to the end. The difference in meaning between taʿdīd (counting) and iḥṣāʾ (counting to the end) can be understood from 19:94 where both have occurred following one another in the same verse and with regard to the same subject of discussion. The verb aḥṣā in the verse under discussion signifies the all-embracing divine knowledge of the creation in terms of their number as well as particulars that distinguish each existent from the other. Said differently, God has detailed knowledge regarding every individual entity He has created. Thus, one among many names of God is al-muḥṣī – one who has complete knowledge about everything in the universe such that nothing in the heavens or the earth can ever escape Him.
ʿAdadan: ʿadad is a noun that denotes number or quantity. It comes from the infinitive ʿadd that signifies to count and to enumerate.
EXPOSITION
This verse is technically related to the phrase Then He dispatches a sentinel before and behind him in verse 27. It basically offers justification for the intense security provided to the divine message and a prophet of God. The second part of the verse surfaces a third phase, in addition to the two phases discussed in verse 27, wherein the revelation is thoroughly secured from any change.
The purpose of heavily guarding the revelation and the messenger, both at the level of transmission of revelation to the prophet and its communication thereafter to the people, is for God to ensure that His message has reached mankind and the jinn as He had intended it. However, considering the infinite knowledge of God in terms of all that which has occurred in the past and is going to happen in future, the verb yaʿlama here implies the operative knowledge (al-ʿilm al-fiʿlī) of God. In other words, God’s knowledge of the fact that His messenger has fully conveyed the divine message is not temporal (ḥādith) in the sense that it occurs for Him after He had been unaware of it; for such a thing is inconceivable in respect of the divine plane. What is rather meant by the verb yaʿlama in the verse is that this divine knowledge should come to take on the form of reality in the visible realm of existence, and that God’s pre-eternal knowledge about it should become apparent for mankind and jinn. As such, the phrase So that He may ascertain would thus imply: So that He may actualise in the objective reality the act of communication of His message by the prophets. In this case, this verse would be similar to such verses in the Quran as 29:3, 47:31, 5:94, 2:143, and 29:11, where God’s knowledge ought to be interpreted as operative.
The phrase and He comprehends all that is with them indicates God’s pre-eternal knowledge of that which lies in the soul (nafs) of the prophet and the fact that he will not alter it. The actualisation of this divine knowledge in the visible world would imply the protection of revelation in content after it has been communicated to the prophet. As such, this part of the verse stresses upon the concept of inerrancy (ʿiṣmah) of the messengers of God. In other words, this part of the verse appears to be further supplementing the idea of intense security mentioned in verse 27. As explained under the Exposition of verse 27, the revelation is secured from all forms of alteration, addition, and subtraction, all the way from God to a prophet and from the prophet until it reaches the people. Taking this into account, the sentence and He comprehends all that is with them introduces another phase to this divine security, and that is guarding the soul of the prophet, at the cognitive as well as psychic level, so that he may receive the divine message with absolute precision and accuracy. This part of the verse thus illustrates that a prophet of God is fully aware, at the time of revelation, that he is receiving a revelation from God, and hence does not confuse it with any other thing. Similarly, as a result of divine security, he does not misconceive God’s message and is able to retain it in the same state that he received it from the angel of revelation, without altering it or forgetting any part of it. Moreover, the angels are divinely assigned to protect the prophet from being influenced by the insinuation of the devils from the jinn in the same manner that they guard him from any harm intended against him by the devils among the humans.
In sum, what is inferred from this verse and the one that preceded it is that the revelation is guarded against alteration by devils amongst the jinn throughout the phases of transmission of revelation from its source, while it is with the prophet, and when it is communicated to people. Besides, it is also deduced that the divine messengers are totally immune to any kind of misapprehension of the divine message, forgetfulness, deviation, and following the whims and desires of the soul throughout the process of receiving the revelation, retaining it, and communicating it. In other words, the angels guard the divine prophets against any potential obstacle that may impede them to convey the divine message in the manner it has been decreed by God. It is evident that the divine message of guidance could not have reached its ultimate recipients as intended by God had not immunity in all the above three dimensions been guaranteed for the prophets. As such, these verses when put together prove the infallibility of the divine messengers.
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
Ṭabarī is of the view that the subject of the verb yaʿlama in this verse is the Holy Prophet, whilst ablaghū refers to the divine messengers before him. As such, the verse would read: So that the Prophet may know that the messengers before him have communicated the messages of their Lord. Accordingly, the ghayb in verse 26 of this surah would be interpreted as the accounts of the past prophets that have been disclosed to Prophet Muhammad (s), that also for the purpose of strengthening his heart against the opposition he faced from his people, as alluded to in 11:120. However, this view is weak and unwarranted.
On the other hand, although Ṭabrisī agrees that the subject of the verb yaʿlama here is Prophet Muhammad (s), he holds that the third person pronoun they (hum) in the verb ablaghū refers to the divine angels. Accordingly, the verse would mean that the angels guard the revelation as well as the Prophet so that he may know that the angels have conveyed the revelation to him in the same form that it was entrusted to them by God, and thus become confident that it has been untouched by the devils. This view is however incompatible with the context of these verses; for in the light of what is understood from the term rasūl in verse 27, the term risālāt implies here the message carried by a messenger in order to communicate it to the people, not the message entrusted to the angel of revelation. Secondly, the angels have been given the status of guards (raṣad) in verse 27 which is not the same as the position of risālah – communicating God’s message – that has been granted to the prophets.
[1] For further explanation on the meaning of this word and its usage in the Quran, see fa-sa-yaʿlamūna under the Exegesis of verse 24.
[2] Hans Wehr, under ʿalima.
[3] Fayyumi, under al-ʿilm; Bahrayn, under ʿ-l-m.
[4] Mizan, 20/54.
[5] For more information on the meaning of this word, see balāgh under the Exegesis of verse 23.
[6] Lisan, under b-l-gh; Hans Wehr, under balagha.
[7] Hans Wehr, balagha.
[8] Mizan, 20/54.
[9] Mizan, 20/55; Zamakhshari, 4/633; Nemuneh, 25/142; Tabrisi.J, 4/379; Tantawi, 15/146; Kashif, 7/443.
[10] For further details on the meaning of this word, see rasūlahu under the Exegesis of verse 23.
[11] Raghib, under r-s-l.
[12] Mizan, 20/55.
[13] Lisan, under ḥ-w-ṭ; Fayyumi, under ḥāṭahu; Lisan, under ḥ-w-ṭ.
[14] Lisan, under ḥ-w-ṭ; Hans Wehr, under ḥāṭa.
[15] Qamus, under ḥawṭ.
[16] Lisan, under ḥ-w-ṭ.
[17] Raghib, under ḥ-y-ṭ.
[18] Fayyumi, under ḥāṭahu. See also Raghib, under ḥ-y-ṭ.
[19] Qamus, under ḥ-w-ṭ.
[20] Raghib, under ḥ-y-ṭ.
[21] Raghib, under ḥ-y-ṭ.
[22] Mizan, 20/55; Kashif, 7/443; Tantawi, 15/146; Ithna Ashari, 13/355; Tabrisi, 10/564; Razi, 30/680; Sabzawari, 7/254; Qurtubi, 20/31; Tabari, 29/78.
[23] Mizan, 20/55.
[24] Qamus, under lada.
[25] Lisan, under l-d-y.
[26] Mizan, 20/55.
[27] Lisan, under ḥ-ṣ-y.
[28] Lisan, under ḥ-ṣ-y.
[29] Bahrayn, ḥ-ṣ-ʾ.
[30] Bahrayn, under ḥ-ṣ-ʾ; Qamus, under ḥaṣā (iḥṣāʾ).
[31] Qamus, under ḥaṣā (iḥṣāʾ).
[32] Bahrayn, under ḥ-ṣ-ʾ.
[33] Qamus, under ḥaṣā (iḥṣāʾ).
[34] Mizan, 20/55. See also Qurtubi, 20/31; Tabari, 29/78; Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/392; Ithna Ashari, 13/354.
[35] Shawkani, 5/375; Tibyan, 10/158.
[36] Bahrayn, under ḥ-ṣ-ʾ.
[37] Hans Wehr, under ʿadda (ʿadad).
[38] Lisan, under ʿ-d-d.
[39] Darwish, 10/252.
[40] Mizan, 20/54.
[41] Mizan, 20/54.
[42] Nemuneh, 25/142. See also Mizan, 20/54; Shawkani, 5/375; Tantawi, 15/146; Tibyan, 10/158; Qurtubi, 20/31; Tabrisi.J, 4/379; Ibn Kathir, 8/259.
[43] Kashif, 7/443.
[44] Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/392.
[45] Mizan 20/54.
[46] Zamakhshari, 4/633; Alusi, 15/111.
[47] Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/392.
[48] Ibn Kathir, 8/259.
[49] Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/392. See also Ithna Ashari, 13/355.
[50] Mizan, 20/55.
[51] Mizan, 20/57.
[52] Razi, 30/679; Zamakhshari, 4/633. See also Thaalabi, 5/499; Nemuneh, 25/141; Tabrisi.J, 4/379; Tantawi, 15/145; Ithna Ashari, 13/354.
[53] Mizan, 20/57.
[54] Mizan, 20/57. See also Qutb, 6/3738.
[55] Kashif, 7/442-443. See also Fadlallah, 23/169-170.
[56] Mizan, 20/57.
[57] Kashif, 7/443. See also Mizan, 20/56-58; Qaraati, 10/262; Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/392.
[58] Tabari, 29/79. See also Khatib, 15/1244; Ithna Ashari, 13/354.
[59] Khatib, 15/1244.
[60] Mizan, 20/55.
[61] Tabrisi, 10/563. See also Sabzawari, 7/254.
[62] Mizan, 20/55.
[63] Mizan, 20/55.