لا تُحَرِّك بِهِ لِسانَكَ لِتَعجَلَ بِهِ
Do not move your tongue with it to hasten it.
EXEGESIS
It in this verse is referring to the Quran, as is obvious from the next verses. The address has also shifted to Prophet Muhammad (s).
EXPOSITION
In reports from Ibn Abbas and others, it is mentioned that when revelation was descending on the Prophet he used to move his tongue along with it, repeating what he heard due to his love for the Quran and because he wished to memorise it well. In response to this earnest haste, the directives in this verse and verse 20:14 were revealed, instructing him to remain patient and wait until the revelation was complete. According to this, there should be an implied fī ḥifẓihi at the end of the verse. Thus, the full implied meaning is: Do not move your tongue with it to hasten in memorising it.
This interpretation has been criticised by pointing out that this verse speaks of ‘hastening’ the Quran with the tongue, and makes no mention of trying to memorise it. Yet it could be construed that ‘hastening’ means trying to memorise the Quranic verses while the process of their revelation was still ongoing, although that meaning is not immediately obvious.
Another alternative is that this verse relates to the general knowledge that the Prophet had regarding the Quran, as it was revealed to him instantaneously on the Night of Ordainment (laylat al-qadr). It is said that the same meaning is intended as the verse in Sūrat Ṭā Hā: Do not hasten with the Quran before its revelation is completed for you, and say: ‘My Lord! Increase me in knowledge’ (20:114).
To understand what is meant by this, we must first keep in mind that the Quran was revealed gradually in the Arabic language over the course of twenty-three years (al-nuzūl al-tadrījī), but in addition to this, it was also revealed not as Arabic words, but as the totality of its knowledge all at once (al-nuzūl al-dafʿī) directly to the heart of the Prophet on the Night of Ordainment. This meant that the Prophet had the general knowledge of the Quran even before the specific verses and words revealed to him. In this sense, the movement of the tongue was because he was sometimes pre-emptively finishing verses that were still being revealed, presumably estimating how they would be worded. We must say ‘estimating’ because if we claim al-nuzūl al-dafʿī of the Quran included all the words of the Quran as they were revealed in Arabic, then there would be no difference between it and al-nuzūl al-tadrījī. To claim that even the words of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet on the Night of Ordainment would require us to assume that the numerous reports that describe the Prophet anticipating revelation were all fabrications.
Another important discussion regarding verses 16-19 is how they relate to the surrounding verses. Many exegetes have considered these verses to be a sort of interjection in the middle of this surah, not relating to what has come before or after. Rāzī for examples argues that it is possible that while this surah was being revealed, the Prophet was repeating the verses, which is why this interjection is inserted here. He compares it to a teacher who is delivering a lesson, and when a student twists and turns restlessly during the class, the teacher inserts into his talk an interjection notifying the student.
The same meaning is suggested by Tabatabai with a different analogy. He says: ‘The discourse in these verses can be compared to a common situation in conversation: when a speaker is talking, the listener jumps in to finish the speaker’s sentences with a word or two before they are actually said. This very act prevents the listener from giving their undivided attention. As a result, the speaker stops, intervenes, and says: “Don’t rush me,” and then continues with their speech.’
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- In reports from al-Ḍaḥḥāk and Qatādah, it is claimed that the Prophet used to practice the Quran vigorously, fearing he might forget it, and pushing himself too much in this regard, so this verse was revealed in order that he should not be so demanding of himself.
Note: This claim is unacceptable, since it does not conform with the verse in question, which commands not to move the tongue in order to hasten it. If anything, this interpretation is more aligned with verse 87:6, where God reassures the Prophet: We shall have you recite [the Quran], then you will not forget [any of it].
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
Faḍl-Allāh opines that the matter may be understood through the lens of kināyah (implied meaning), independent of any real condition of the Prophet at that time. It would thus serve as an affirmation of God’s guarantee to preserve the Quran, such that there was no need for the Prophet to hastily pursue the recitation of the angelic messenger or rush in repeating it upon hearing it.
Tabatabai relates the claim of some that it in hasten it is referring to the Day of Judgement. The instruction would hence be: Do not ask about when the Day of Judgement will come, even though you believe in it and are not asking this in a mocking manner. We will gather people on that day, and we will recite to you its descriptions in the Quran. He dismisses the claim as being obviously weak.
Rāzī suggests many possibilities as to why these verses are brought here, and how they relate to what comes before and after. One of these is the opinion of Qaffāl, which claims that this verse is not addressed to the Prophet at all, but rather the same disbeliever spoken of in the previous verses. It in this verse is therefore not the Quran, but rather the book of deeds that a person is presented with. The sinner will seek to rush through the reading of that book, since his actions make for uncomfortable listening. God then commands him not to hasten, but rather God has collected all his actions there, and it will be read out to him, and he should listen and pay attention to what is being read. God will then explain the significance and outcome of those actions and what punishment they will result in. This opinion is not very satisfactory, especially considering the repeated emphasis on qurʾān (recitation) in the following verses, nor does it make a lot of sense that in that situation the sinner should be told that God shall be responsible for collecting his book of deeds, which is already collected and present. Even though the meaning is not the apparent one, just the possibility of understanding this verse in such a manner allows for a very smooth transition between the two topics, as it adds layers of meaning for the reader to reflect on.
Mudarrisi critiques the view held by most of the exegetes that verses 16-19 constitute a parenthetical interjection. He attributes this misinterpretation to a fundamental misreading of the text. In a line of reasoning similar to that of Qaffāl, he contends that the address in these verses is not directed at the Prophet at all, but rather continues to target the same disbeliever discussed in the preceding verses – a figure who is then explicitly addressed again from verse 20 onward. This impatient sceptic asks: Why has not the Quran been sent down to him all at once? (25:32). Mudarrisi argues that God is replying to these people, saying that it is up to Him to decree how the Quran should descend. The core of God’s reply, according to Mudarrisi, is that the disbelievers’ rejection stems not from an insufficient quantity of revealed scripture, but from their own desire to persist in worldly indulgence. While this interpretation may avoid the lack of relevance between these verses and the surrounding context, it offers a poor and unsatisfying explanation to the specific command, Do not move your tongue with it to hasten it.
INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS
- ‘Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.’
- ‘The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.’
[1] Muhit, 10/348; Alusi, 15/157; Mizan, 20/109.
[2] See Tibyan, 10/195-196; Tabrisi, 10/600; Tabari, 29/116-117; Thalabi, 10/87; Zamakhshari, 4/661; Ahmad, 1/343; Bukhari, 1/4, h. 5, 8/208, h. 149; Muslim, 2/35, h. 167; Nasai, 2/149, h. 60.
[3] Munyah, 29/143.
[4] Mizan, 20/109.
[5] See Mizan, 14/214-215.
[6] See also the commentary on 19:64.
[7] Razi, 30/726-727; also Munyah, 29/142-144. For similar arguments see Mizan, 20/109; Nemuneh, 25/295.
[8] Muhit, 10/348; Suyuti, 6/289.
[9] Fadlallah, 23/245.
[10] Mizan, 20/111.
[11] Rāzī also suggests four other possible interpretations as why these verses are brought here, none of which are convincing, but to which the curious reader may refer.
[12] Razi, 30/727. The same opinion has been attributed to Balkhī (see for example Tabrisi, 10/600-601).
[13] Nemuneh, 25/297.
[14] Munyah, 29/143.
[15] See Mudarrisi, 17/146-147.
[16] Ecclesiastes 5:1-2.
[17] Habbakuk 2:20.