إِنَّهُ لَقَولُ رَسولٍ كَريمٍ

It is indeed the speech of a noble messenger.

EXPOSITION

This exact phrase occurs twice in the Quran, in 69:40 and here. The pronoun It refers to the Quran,^{‎[1]Mizan, 20/218; al-Aqsām fī al-Qurʾān, p. 140; Tibyan, 10/286.} while noble messenger refers to Gabriel.^{‎[2]Mizan, 20/218; al-Aqsām fī al-Qurʾān, p. 140; Tibyan, 10/286; Tabrisi, 10/676.}

Previously it was noted that one of the main aims of oaths is to arouse, stimulate, and provoke the heart,^{‎[3]Mudarrisi, 18/85.} and to draw attention to and affirm the predicate or the succeeding statement/s^{‎[4]Aqsām al-Qurʾān, pp. 29-30.} with the intent to establishing it as something which is correct and right.^{‎[5]Al-Aqsām fī al-Qurʾān, p. 9, cited from Tabrisi, 5/22.} Hence this verse is the first of the several predicates (muqsam ʿalayhi or jawāb al-qasam) of the oaths sworn by in this surah. It emphatically confirms the divine origin of Prophet Muhammad’s (s) message, emphasis of which is made manifest by two particles of emphasis used in this verse; these are inna, which is strengthened by la (innahu laqawlu rasūlin karīm – verily, It is indeed the speech of a noble messenger). This verse also serves as a rebuttal aimed at those who accused the Prophet of fabricating the divine message and then attributing it to God. The end-of-verse rhyme changes here again, and continues till the end of the surah, interrupted only twice, in verses 22 and 26.

This verse then begins, in a series of several verses, to mention five principal characteristics of the angel Gabriel. Thus the first quality which is mentioned in this verse is that Gabriel possesses nobility, which indicates his exalted status.^{‎[6]Amthal, 19/463.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Thaʿālabī writes that the majority of the exegetes consider this verse to refer to Gabriel; however, there are others who understood this verse to refer to the Prophet. Nevertheless, the former opinion is more correct.^{‎[7]Thaalabi, 5/558.}

On the other hand, Muhammad ibn Juzā al-Ghirnāṭī writes that although it is said that this verse may refer to the Prophet, yet as al-Suhaylī said: ‘It is not permissible to consider this verse to apply to the Prophet for this verse was revealed in order to refute those who claimed that this Quran was the speech of Muhammad, hence how could God then repeat the same? Rather, the verse refers to Gabriel. Furthermore, the next verse which describes this rasūl as dhī quwwatin ʿinda dhī al-ʿarsh has been repeated in Sūrat al-Najm in favour of Gabriel as shadīd al-quwā and dhū mirratin.’^{‎[8]Kitāb al-Tashīl li-ʿUlūm al-Tanzīl, 2/457.}

[1] Mizan, 20/218; al-Aqsām fī al-Qurʾān, p. 140; Tibyan, 10/286.
[2] Mizan, 20/218; al-Aqsām fī al-Qurʾān, p. 140; Tibyan, 10/286; Tabrisi, 10/676.
[3] Mudarrisi, 18/85.
[4] Aqsām al-Qurʾān, pp. 29-30.
[5] Al-Aqsām fī al-Qurʾān, p. 9, cited from Tabrisi, 5/22.
[6] Amthal, 19/463.
[7] Thaalabi, 5/558.
[8] Kitāb al-Tashīl li-ʿUlūm al-Tanzīl, 2/457.