إِنَّهُ لَقَولٌ فَصلٌ

It is indeed a decisive word.

EXEGESIS

This is the reply to the two previous oaths made in the preceding verses. Faṣl literally means to divide into parts or segments. It is used for speech that differentiates between truth and falsehood: Allah will indeed judge (yafṣilu) between them on the Day of Resurrection (22:17). The word of a judge sets out what is true and faṣl is thus considered decisive (ḥukm),^{‎[1]Raghib, p. 638; Tabari, 30/95.} thus God describes Prophet David (a): We made his kingdom firm and gave him wisdom and conclusive speech (faṣl al-khiṭāb) (38:20).

Some others have considered faṣl here to mean ḥaqq (truth),^{‎[2]Tabari, 30/95.} in other words being opposite to the hazl (jest) mentioned in the next verse.^{‎[3]Razi, 31/123.} If we accept this, the verse should be translated as: It is indeed a solemn word, something to be taken seriously and not as jest.

EXPOSITION

To understand exactly what is meant by the decisive word here, we must know what it is referring to. One possibility is that it is referring to resurrection, spoken of in verse 8,^{‎[4]Tibyan, 10/326; Razi, 31/123.} i.e. with it the judgement of people will come; all the debated matters will be decided and settled as the real nature of the world will become clear. This would indeed be in keeping with the theme of resurrection prevalent in the surah. It can also be noted that one of the names of the Day of Resurrection is the Day of Separation (faṣl): This is the Day of Separation (faṣl) that you used to deny! (37:21).

Another possibility – attributed to Ibn Abbas^{‎[5]Suyuti, 6/337.} and Imam al-Ṣādiq (a)^{‎[6]Tabrisi, 10/716.} – is that it is referring to the Quran itself,^{‎[7]It could be asked: how can the word it be referring to the Quran when there has been no preceding mention of the word ‘Quran’ in the surah? However, there was similarly no preceding mention of the word ‘God’ and yet in verse 8 the pronoun is clearly referring to Him. This is linguistically appropriate when it is obvious that the reader will understand who is meant by the pronoun, and this style is employed throughout the Quran. It is also especially in keeping with the succinct nature of the surah and the thematic structure of mystery.} meaning the Quran is the decisive word that separates those who follow it from those who do not, it judges between truth and falsehood, and it separates right from wrong. That is why one of the names of the Quran is furqān, the decisive criterion.^{‎[8]Zamakhshari, 4/737.} Just like the rainwater splits the rigid rock, so too do the decisive words of the Quran pierce the hard heart. The history of the Prophet’s life has many examples of seemingly unshakeable disbelievers feeling the penetrating power of the Quranic verses that would burrow deep into their hearts and souls.

This meaning is perhaps preferable, as it is more appropriate to refer to the Quran as word (qawl) rather than referring to resurrection as such, but since both possibilities are attractive we may wish to wed the two and say it is the Quran that informs us of resurrection, and as such these two together are the decisive word.

We may also note here that this verse is the answer to the previous two oaths regarding distinct features of the sky and the earth, and the use of those two oaths is very relevant, because just like the rain comes down from the samāʾ (sky) of the earth so does revelation come down from the otherworldly samāʾ (heavenly realms, for the lack of a better expression); similarly, as mentioned, the earth is cleaved apart by that rain, and so is the hardness of some hearts cleaved and broken by the decisive word.

Finally, the verse emphasises that the Quran (and/or resurrection) is an important affair that should be taken note of, just like the brilliant star demands the attention of the viewer and is something noteworthy.

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. Through Imam Ali (a), from the Prophet: ‘Gabriel came to me and said: “Muhammad, your nation will differ amongst themselves after you.” I said: “What is the solution, Gabriel?” He said: “The book of God, by it every haughty one will be broken. Whoever takes hold of it will be saved and whoever abandons it will be destroyed. It is a decisive word, it is not jest.”’^{‎[9]Suyuti, 6/337.}
2. It is reported from Ḥārith al-Aʿwar: ‘I entered the mosque and [saw] people engaged in debate.^{‎[10] Abū Zuhayr al-Ḥārith ibn ʿAbd-Allāh al-Aʿwar (d. 65 ah) was a famous Kufan scholar of hadith and Quran in his time and also a Shia of Imam Ali (a). The mosque here is probably the Mosque of Kufa, known as a centre of learning and religious debate. Based on the reply of Imam Ali (a), the debates may have been about some sectarian issue.} I came to Ali and informed him. He said: “Have they really done so? I heard the Messenger of God (s) say: ‘There will certainly be strife (fitnah),’ and I said: ‘What is the solution to that?’ He said: ‘The book of God. In that is the account of those who came before you and information regarding those who will come after you, and judgement (ḥukm) between you. It is decisive and not jest.’”’^{‎[11] Suyuti, 6/337. The hadith is lengthy, and we have only mentioned the first part of it.}

[1] Raghib, p. 638; Tabari, 30/95.
[2] Tabari, 30/95.
[3] Razi, 31/123.
[4] Tibyan, 10/326; Razi, 31/123.
[5] Suyuti, 6/337.
[6] Tabrisi, 10/716.
[7] It could be asked: how can the word it be referring to the Quran when there has been no preceding mention of the word ‘Quran’ in the surah? However, there was similarly no preceding mention of the word ‘God’ and yet in verse 8 the pronoun is clearly referring to Him. This is linguistically appropriate when it is obvious that the reader will understand who is meant by the pronoun, and this style is employed throughout the Quran. It is also especially in keeping with the succinct nature of the surah and the thematic structure of mystery.
[8] Zamakhshari, 4/737.
[9] Suyuti, 6/337.
[10] Abū Zuhayr al-Ḥārith ibn ʿAbd-Allāh al-Aʿwar (d. 65 ah) was a famous Kufan scholar of hadith and Quran in his time and also a Shia of Imam Ali (a). The mosque here is probably the Mosque of Kufa, known as a centre of learning and religious debate. Based on the reply of Imam Ali (a), the debates may have been about some sectarian issue.
[11] Suyuti, 6/337. The hadith is lengthy, and we have only mentioned the first part of it.