هَل في ذٰلِكَ قَسَمٌ لِذي حِجرٍ

Is there an oath in that for one possessing intellect?

EXEGESIS

The word ḥijr has a meaning different to that adopted in the other Quranic verses in which it occurs. It has as its root letters ḥ-j-r, which means a number of things, however all of them possess the sense of restraint and control as implicit to them. Some of the meanings suggested are: enclosure, to solidify, a room, to confine, to limit, to deny access, and the discerning human faculty or the sound human intellect since it serves to prevent and restrain a person from evil deeds.^{‎[1]Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 191; Tibyan, 10/342; Tabrisi.J, 6/485-486.} In this verse it has been used to mean the controlling power or the restraining power in a rational person. Hence, the prepositional possessive construct phrase li-dhī ḥijr, which occurs at the end of this verse and translated as one possessing intellect, means: one possessing restraint.^{‎[2]Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 192.} The sentence ḥajara al-qāḍī ʿalā fulānin mālahu (the judge prevented (ḥajara) a person from [gaining access to] his wealth), illustrates how a verb from the same root letters as those which form the noun ḥijr, means ‘to prevent’.^{‎[3]Mudarrisi, 18/82.}

Thus the phrase li-dhī ḥijr has been reported to have been explained periphrastically by several early renowned Muslims such as Ibn Abbas and Mujāhid to mean li-dhī nahyin^{‎[4]Tabari, 30/111.} – possessor of restraint, li-dhī ʿaqlin^{‎[5]Tabari, 30/111; Suyuti, 6/347, reports that this was the opinion of ʿIkramah and al-Ḍaḥḥāk in addition to Ibn Abbas.} – possessor of intellect, and li-dhī lubbin^{‎[6]Tabari, 30/111.} – possessor of reason, while Hasan al-Baṣrī explained it as li-dhī ḥilmin^{‎[7]Tabari, 30/111; Suyuti, 6/347.} – possessor of insightful patience, discerning indulgence and forbearance, as well as li-dhī lubbin.^{‎[8]Tabari, 30/111.} Imam al-Bāqir (a) is reported to have explained this term as li-dhī ʿaqlin,^{‎[9]Nur, 5/571; Qummi, 2/419.} – possessor of intellect, which Ṭūsī reports was also the opinion of Ibn Abbas, Mujāhid, Qatādah, and Hasan al-Baṣrī,^{‎[10]Tibyan, 10/342.} while al-Farrāʾ is also reported to have held this opinion.^{‎[11]Nahj al-Bayān ʿan Kashf Maʿānī al-Qurʾān, 5/360.}

EXPOSITION

This rhetorical question terminates the series of oaths in this surah.

Rāzī writes that the questioning tone of this verse plays a role similar to a person who provides a clear proof and then asks rhetorically: ‘Is what I presented sufficient proof?’ Hence, a person possessing intelligence and understanding will realise that the phenomena by which God has sworn oaths are sufficient as proofs of God’s unity and lordship. Rāzī further suggests that this may be evidence that the oaths are in the form of a possessive construct where the elided noun is rabb (Lord)^{‎[12]Razi, 31/151.} as in: wa rabb al-fajr, wa rabb layālin ʿashrin (by the Lord of the dawn, and by the Lord of the ten nights).

Oaths that occur in the Quran have a purpose. They are supposed to draw attention to the subjects of the oaths^{‎[13]Aqsām al-Qurʾān, p. 30.} and to emphasise and confirm their significance, to exalt, honour and esteem their Creator,^{‎[14]Tabrisi, 10/737.} to arouse, stimulate, and provoke the heart,^{‎[15]Mudarrisi, 18/85.} and to draw attention to and affirm the predicate or the succeeding statement/s^{‎[16]Aqsām al-Qurʾān, pp. 29-30.} with the intent of establishing it as something which is correct and right.^{‎[17]Al-Aqsām fī al-Qurʾān, p. 9, cited from Tabrisi, 5/22.}

An oath has four constituent elements, which are: 1. The oath taker. 2. The thing sworn by, which is the subject of the oath and is known as the muqsam bihi. 3. The thing for which the oath is taken, which is the complement or predicate of the oath and is known as the muqsam ʿalayhi or jawāb al-qasam. 4. The relationship between the subject and the predicate of the oath.^{‎[18]Al-Aqsām fī al-Qurʾān, pp. 10-11.}

In these verses the oath taker is obviously God while the subjects of the oaths are mentioned in the first four verses of this surah. These have been discussed elaborately under Exposition.

Admittedly, the identity of the subjects of the oaths in this surah is obscure and ambiguous and that is probably why so many varieties of identification have been suggested for them; yet perhaps this obscurity and ambiguity has a purpose, which is to kindle thought and reflection in the minds of the readers. Such is also the purpose of the ambiguous verses of the Quran. Despite this ambiguity, it may yet be possible to narrow down the possible referents of these oaths and to discover the most appropriate historical subjects of these oaths from the many suggested already.

A study of the various subjects identified for the four oaths demonstrates that four specific identifications appear more prominent where each of these four seem to form a sustained, coherent narrative with respect to the four oaths taken together. These are: 1. The identification of the four oaths to their apparent meanings. 2. The identification of the four oaths to the hajj pilgrimage, which occurs in the month of Dhū al-Ḥijjah. 3. The identification of the four oaths to the first few days of the month of Muharram. 4. The identification of the four oaths to the first or last few days of the month of Ramadan.

Let us examine the first option: the identity of the four oaths to their apparent, literal meanings, which is the identification of the oaths to the natural phenomena mentioned in these verses, namely the dawn, ten nights, the numbers even and odd, and the night as it departs. This identification is in light of a principle of Quranic exegesis, which is ‘the probative authority of the literal and apparent meanings of the Quran (ḥujjiyyat ẓawāhir al-qurʾān)’. This principle states that in the absence of sound contrary evidence, the literal import of Quranic verses stands and possesses probative authority.

In addition to this principle, the fact that the Quran repeatedly draws attention to various natural phenomena as evidence of the existence, omnipotence, and omniscience of God – a trait very common in Meccan surahs – could probably add weight to the idea that the first historical audience of the Quranic revelations, consisting of believers and non-believers, could have easily understood these oaths as referring to their apparent, literal meanings, which are the natural phenomena mentioned therein.

The second option, which identifies the four oaths to the hajj rituals, could also prove to be a valid contender for these oaths. Such an identification gains especial credence when considered in light of the following three factors, which are: the verse’s literary context, which has a reference to the ten nights; the historical period in time when this surah was revealed, which was very early during the Prophet’s prophethood in Mecca; and the traditions ascribed to the Prophet and the Imams and the opinions attributed to a considerable number of early renowned Muslims in the Quranic commentaries of the Shias and the Sunnis, which show a remarkable convergence on this identification for the oaths.

It could be argued that the reference to the hajj rituals takes place in Medinan verses of the Quran, such as in 2:196-200 and 22:27-36, and it could also be argued that the establishment of the Muslim hajj, taught and performed by the Prophet, took place very late in the Medinan phase of his prophethood, towards the end of his life there. Hence, how could the contents of an early Meccan surah be held to refer to a religious institution that finds mention in Medinan revelations and was properly established in its Muslim form so late in the Prophet’s time in Medina?

The response to such an objection could be that the hajj rituals associated with the person of Prophet Abraham (a) were known and practiced widely in the pre-Islamic times right up to the time of Prophet Muhammad (s), although the historical reports do note some differences between the Muslim hajj rituals and the pre-Islamic hajj rituals. The Muslim tradition insists that the hajj rituals were established and performed by Prophet Abraham (a) in antiquity. It is then suggested that these rituals underwent some corruption as time went by but still retained a considerable degree of general authenticity across the centuries, right up to the time of Prophet Muhammad (s), who subsequently cleansed them, returning the rituals to their original, pristine Abrahamic form. Hence, in light of what has been said thus far, it is possible that the first historical audience of this surah in Mecca could have identified these four oaths as referring to the hajj rituals performed in the month of Dhū al-Ḥijjah with which it sits quite comfortably. The identification of these oaths with the hajj rituals is further bolstered when the three factors mentioned previously are taken into consideration, which are: the verse’s literary context, which refers to the ten nights; the historical period in time when the surah was revealed, which was very early during the Prophet’s time in Mecca; and the traditions ascribed to the Prophet and the Imams and the opinions attributed to a considerable number of early renowned Muslims, which favour this suggestion.

The third option, which identifies the four oaths with the first ten days of the month of Muharram, is difficult to conceive as a valid historical explanation for the four oaths together. It would be difficult to accept that the first historical audience of this surah could have related the first ten nights/days of the month of Muharram to the four oaths of this surah as a sustained coherent narrative, since no known significance has been reported for the first ten nights/days of the month of Muharram in pre-Islamic times, or in the Meccan phase of the Prophet’s life. Conflicting reports do exist regarding the tenth day of this month known as ʿĀshūrāʾ and its fast, where two origins of its fast are suggested: a pre-Islamic origin where it is suggested that the Quraysh fasted on this day and so did the Prophet, and the second suggestion which locates the origins of this fast after the Prophet’s migration to Medina when he found the Jews fasting on this day and commanded the Muslims to do the same.^{‎[19]Reid, Megan H. “Āshūrāʾ (Sunnism).” Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE. Edited by: Gudrun Krämer, Denis Matringe, John Nawas, Everett Rowson. Brill Online, 2013. Reference: School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). Accessed on: 25 January 2013 <http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-3/ashura-sunnism-COM_23081>} The debates that exist around such suggestions notwithstanding, if the second suggestion is accepted then it is difficult to reconcile a purported significance for the tenth day of the month of Muharram with the contents of an early Meccan surah, since the purported significance of it is suggested to originate in the Medinan phase of the Prophet’s prophethood, not forgetting that no significance is mentioned in this suggestion for the first ten nights/days of the month of Muharram. If the first suggestion is accepted then again there is no significance conveyed in it about the first ten nights/days of this month. The night and dawn of ʿĀshūrāʾ could probably be allied with the fourth and first verses/oaths of this surah respectively, but would be unhelpful with regards to the second and third verses/oaths of this surah.

Finally, the fourth option suggested for these four oaths is that these oaths refer either to the first few days of the month of Ramadan or the last few days of it. Again, no significance for the first or last ten nights/days of this month have been suggested in pre-Islamic times or in the Meccan phase of the Prophet’s life akin to the significance reported in the historical sources for the first few days of the month of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, such that it could be maintained that these four oaths could refer to them or that the first historical audience could have understood a link between them and the four oaths. The significance of the month of Ramadan in Muslim memory lies with the ordinance of fasting in it, and this ordinance took place in Medina after the Prophet’s migration there, from Mecca, and to the occurrence of the Night of Ordainment (laylat al-qadr) in it, which is believed to occur in the last ten nights of this month. Hence, if the significance of this month became apparent for the historical audience of the Quran in Medina, then this would render difficult the acceptance of the argument that the historical reference of these four oaths lies with the month of Ramadan and the Night of Ordainment. It would be difficult to conceive that the first historical audience of this surah in Mecca could have posited a relation between these four oaths and the first/last ten nights and days of the month of Ramadan whose significance became apparent in Medina. Admittedly, Sūrat al-Qadr is an early Meccan surah, yet its revelation is suggested as being subsequent to the revelation of Sūrat al-Fajr.

Nevertheless, the identification of these four oaths to the first ten nights/days of the month of Muharram and the day of ʿĀshūrāʾ, as well as to the last ten nights/days of the month of Ramadan and the Night of Ordainment, could very well be accepted if argued from the perspective of applied exegesis and retrospective Muslim interpretation; the former due to the tragedy of Karbala and the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (a), and the latter with the tremendous spiritual significance of the month of Ramadan in Muslim spiritual devotions.

Throughout the Quranic exegetical tradition, multiple interpretations are suggested for various verses. Interpretations are suggested in light of the apparent, literal meanings of the verses, in light of the historical context of the verses, in light of the principle of exoteric-esoteric dichotomy of the meaning of verses, and in light of the principle of applied exegesis (al-jary wa al-taṭbīq) of the verses. These perspectives may not necessarily be mutually exclusive; however, the question arises: are such multiple interpretations of Quranic verses valid and permissible? In light of the reported practice of the Prophet, the Imams, and the early renowned authorities of Quranic exegesis, it seems that such a practice is permissible. The discourse in these pages provides many examples attributed to the Prophet and the early Muslim community who engaged in the exercise of applied exegesis. The following examples further corroborate the validity of multiple interpretations of verses in light of applied exegesis.

Muʿāwiyah ibn ʿAmmār reports from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) who said: ‘One who quenched the thirst of a person at a place where water is found gains a reward akin to one who has manumitted a slave; while one who quenched the thirst of a person at a place where no water is found is like one who has given life to a soul, and one who has given life to a soul is akin to one who has given life to the entirety of mankind.’^{‎[20]Nur, 1/620.} This is a clear reference to 5:32.

Ḥumrān reports that he asked Imam al-Ṣādiq (a): ‘Tell me about the meaning of the speech of God, whoever saves a life is as though he had saved all mankind [5:32].’ He replied: ‘[It refers to saving] one who was on fire or drowning.’ He then paused and said: ‘Its greatest original intent is that a person invites another [to guidance] and the latter responds positively.’^{‎[21]Nur, 1/620.}

Samāʿah reports that he asked Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) about the speech of God, whoever kills a soul, without [its being guilty of] manslaughter or corruption on the earth, is as though he had killed all mankind, and whoever saves a life is as though he had saved all mankind (5:32). The Imam replied: ‘[It refers to] one who removes a soul from misguidance and brings it towards guidance, which is akin to having given it life, while one who drew a soul into misguidance from guidance has killed it.’^{‎[22]Nur, 1/620.}

Hence, the above examples illustrate the manner in which the Imams engaged in multiple interpretations of a verse in the spirit of applied exegesis, which did not go contrary to the verse’s literal meaning or historical context.

Having studied the first two constituent elements of an oath, the need now remains to study the remaining two constituent elements of it, which are: the thing for which the oath is taken, which is the predicate or complement of the oath (known as the muqsam ʿalayhi or jawāb al-qasam), and the relationship between the subject and the predicate of the oath.

As for the muqsam ʿalayhi, three opinions have been suggested, which again reiterates that its identification is ambiguous in the surah. The three opinions are:

1. That it is verse 14, Indeed your Lord is always watchful.^{‎[23]Tibyan, 10/341; Muqatil, 4/687.} Hence, it is as if the surah says: I swear by the daybreak, and by ten nights, and by the even and the odd, and by the night when it runs its course, is there an oath in that for one possessing intellect? Indeed your Lord is always watchful. Suyūṭī reports that ʿAbd-Allāh ibn Masʿūd recited the first four verses of this surah and then said: ‘These are oaths in favour of [the verse] Indeed your Lord is always watchful.’^{‎[24]Amthal, 19/177.}
2. The second opinion is that the muqsam ʿalayhi is implied in the succeeding nine verses, which are the verses 6-14.^{‎[25]Zamakhshari, 4/747; Tabrisi.J, 6/486.} These describe the punishment meted out to the mischief mongering, tyrannical communities of the past. Hence it is as if the surah says: I swear by the daybreak, and by ten nights, and by the even and the odd, and by the night when it runs its course, is there an oath in that for one possessing intellect? We shall definitely punish the tyrants and the ungrateful disbelievers.^{‎[26]Amthal, 19/177.}

Rāzī writes that Zamakhsharī, the author of the Quranic commentary al-Kashshāf, favoured this second option,^{‎[27]Zamakhshari, 6/747.} and did so due to the reason that when no clear muqsam ʿalayhi has been determined the human imagination wanders in every direction, this being most opportune for bringing about the sense of fear and suspense, and then when the punishment narrative occurs immediately thereafter, it proves that it is the muqsam ʿalayhi.^{‎[28]Razi, 31/152.} The omission of the muqsam ʿalayhi, known in Arabic rhetoric as ḥadhf al-jawāb, is a device which has the effect of reinforcing the oath, since one has to think more carefully in order to grasp it.

3. The third and last opinion suggested is that the muqsam ʿalayhi is implied in the remaining verses of the surah, till its end. Hence the jawāb al-qasam is contained in the narrative of the succeeding verses, i.e. in the narrative of the punishments of the tyrannical and disbelieving people and the rewards of the tranquil soul, in the narrative that blessings and deprivations are both different forms of divine trials, etc. This option was the one preferred by Tabatabai, who wrote that the allusive and indicative nature of the jawāb al-qasam is the most impressive and affirmative form adopted with respect to warning, admonishment, and preaching.^{‎[29]Mizan, 20/280.}

But what is the relation between the subjects of these oaths and their predicate? That is the last constituent element of an oath. Several suggestions have been made, which are discussed here:

1. A suggestion that considers the oaths as referring to the natural phenomena sworn by, and considers the predicate of these oaths to be verse 14 or verses 6-14, in that the relationship between the oaths and their resultant predicate is that a person possessing intelligence will understand that God has sworn by the natural phenomena, which are such that they illustrate His power and wisdom. Hence, He is capable of keeping watch with respect to the deeds of His creatures, and capable of punishing them since nothing misses Him and nothing is hidden from Him, for He hears and sees all.^{‎[30]Aqsām al-Qurʾān, p. 158.}
2. A second suggestion holds these oaths as referring to times and places that relate to sacred acts and rites of devotion to God and to the worship of God, such as the daily ritual prayers associated with the night and day, both obligatory and supererogatory, as well as the rituals of the hajj pilgrimage. This suggestion then considers the predicate to be located in the succeeding narrative, from verse 6 till verse 14. The sacred acts, rites of devotion, and time periods and places of devotion signify sincere devotion, humbleness, and obedience to God and belief in God, which is contrary to the behaviour of the three communities mentioned immediately thereafter who personified tyranny, pride, and high-handed haughtiness towards God and His precepts.^{‎[31]Al-Tibyān fī Aqsām al-Qurʾān, pp. 40-43.} So the oaths comprise of the honour and greatness of what Prophet Abraham (a) and Prophet Muhammad (s) brought as rites of devotion, where these oaths are also implied to praise the humble and the obedient who actualise the acts of devotion alluded to in these oaths.^{‎[32]Al-Tibyān fī Aqsām al-Qurʾān, p. 48.} Thereafter, the narrative contrasts the foregoing with the mention of the proud, tyrannical, and disbelieving communities, and informs how God struck them with a scourge of punishment.^{‎[33]Al-Tibyān fī Aqsām al-Qurʾān, p. 49.} Thus this suggestion propounds the idea that the relation between the oaths and their predicate is one of contrariety, i.e. devotion and obedience to God versus lack of it.
3. A third suggestion considers the oaths as referring to both the natural phenomena and to the rituals and devotions associated with the night and day and the hajj pilgrimage, while the predicate lies with all the remaining verses of the surah. This view suggests that these oaths denote transition periods, periods of worship and vigil, and the phenomenon of contrariety.^{‎[34]Images and Metaphors in the Introductory Sections of the Makkan Suras, p. 23.} The dawn is a transition period between night and day, a quick and abrupt transition, and also a time preceded by the late night vigil,^{‎[35]Images and Metaphors in the Introductory Sections of the Makkan Suras, p. 23.} the vigil in the last phase of the night when stars begin to set (5:48, 50:39-40). It is also the time of the dawn prayer (17:78, 50:39-40),^{‎[36]Other passages worth considering are 20:130, 11:114, 40:55, and 6:52.} which is a time of great spiritual and material blessings. The ten nights, if identified with the first ten nights of the month of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, are also a transition period, as these nights lead to the day of Eid al-Aḍḥā, which is the culmination of the hajj rituals and which also lead to blessings and salvation in the form of forgiveness. The nights in general are also the time period of worshipful devotions (73:1-7, 52:48, 17:78, 50:39-40).^{‎[37]Images and Metaphors in the Introductory Sections of the Makkan Suras, p. 23.} The dawn (which has been identified by some early authorities to refer to ‘day’ in general) is contrasted with the ten nights, a sort of amplified opposite to the dawn.^{‎[38]Images and Metaphors in the Introductory Sections of the Makkan Suras, p. 23.} Then verse 3 denotes opposition and contrariety,^{‎[39]Images and Metaphors in the Introductory Sections of the Makkan Suras, p. 23.} and if accepted to be identified with the specific days of the pilgrimage then these are also periods of devotion, vigil, and worship. The last verse denotes a gradual transition period, as well as the time of worshipful vigils.^{‎[40]Images and Metaphors in the Introductory Sections of the Makkan Suras, p. 23.} In terms of numbers, it contrasts with the ten nights, the latter being even and the night as it runs its course being odd. In terms of phenomena it contrasts with the dawn as a prolonged or amplified opposite. The predicate lies with the remaining verses of the surah, which revolve around the idea of contrasts and transitions.^{‎[41]Images and Metaphors in the Introductory Sections of the Makkan Suras, p. 23.}

The evil communities of ʿĀd, Thamūd, and Pharaoh were in a transition period as living communities moving towards their end and to whom specific warners were sent. The same holds true in the case of the contemporary individual who is in a transition period of life, moving towards his death. He is also warned from verse 17. These two instances – oppressive nations and a sinning individual – are contrasted with the tranquil soul in the last verses. Furthermore, wealth and deprivation suggested as trials in verses 14 and 15 are contrasts as well as transitory human states, while not feeding the poor, not honouring the orphans, greed, and intense love of wealth are contraries of their implied opposites. The tranquil soul making a fresh and delightful start in paradise (verses 27-30) resembles the fresh, cool dawn of every day. This blissful state is in stark contrast to the remorseful state and evil fate of the wicked person described in verses 21-26.

[1] Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 191; Tibyan, 10/342; Tabrisi.J, 6/485-486.
[2] Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 192.
[3] Mudarrisi, 18/82.
[4] Tabari, 30/111.
[5] Tabari, 30/111; Suyuti, 6/347, reports that this was the opinion of ʿIkramah and al-Ḍaḥḥāk in addition to Ibn Abbas.
[6] Tabari, 30/111.
[7] Tabari, 30/111; Suyuti, 6/347.
[8] Tabari, 30/111.
[9] Nur, 5/571; Qummi, 2/419.
[10] Tibyan, 10/342.
[11] Nahj al-Bayān ʿan Kashf Maʿānī al-Qurʾān, 5/360.
[12] Razi, 31/151.
[13] Aqsām al-Qurʾān, p. 30.
[14] Tabrisi, 10/737.
[15] Mudarrisi, 18/85.
[16] Aqsām al-Qurʾān, pp. 29-30.
[17] Al-Aqsām fī al-Qurʾān, p. 9, cited from Tabrisi, 5/22.
[18] Al-Aqsām fī al-Qurʾān, pp. 10-11.
[19] Reid, Megan H. “Āshūrāʾ (Sunnism).” Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE. Edited by: Gudrun Krämer, Denis Matringe, John Nawas, Everett Rowson. Brill Online, 2013. Reference: School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). Accessed on: 25 January 2013 <http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-3/ashura-sunnism-COM_23081>
[20] Nur, 1/620.
[21] Nur, 1/620.
[22] Nur, 1/620.
[23] Tibyan, 10/341; Muqatil, 4/687.
[24] Amthal, 19/177.
[25] Zamakhshari, 4/747; Tabrisi.J, 6/486.
[26] Amthal, 19/177.
[27] Zamakhshari, 6/747.
[28] Razi, 31/152.
[29] Mizan, 20/280.
[30] Aqsām al-Qurʾān, p. 158.
[31] Al-Tibyān fī Aqsām al-Qurʾān, pp. 40-43.
[32] Al-Tibyān fī Aqsām al-Qurʾān, p. 48.
[33] Al-Tibyān fī Aqsām al-Qurʾān, p. 49.
[34] Images and Metaphors in the Introductory Sections of the Makkan Suras, p. 23.
[35] Images and Metaphors in the Introductory Sections of the Makkan Suras, p. 23.
[36] Other passages worth considering are 20:130, 11:114, 40:55, and 6:52. 
[37] Images and Metaphors in the Introductory Sections of the Makkan Suras, p. 23.
[38] Images and Metaphors in the Introductory Sections of the Makkan Suras, p. 23.
[39] Images and Metaphors in the Introductory Sections of the Makkan Suras, p. 23.
[40] Images and Metaphors in the Introductory Sections of the Makkan Suras, p. 23.
[41] Images and Metaphors in the Introductory Sections of the Makkan Suras, p. 23.