Surah Ar-Ra'd (13) — Ayah 37

(Ayah37) ➊ {وَ كَذٰلِكَ اَنْزَلْنٰهُ حُكْمًا عَرَبِيًّا :} That is, just as books were sent down to the previous prophets, in the same way We have sent down this Qur’an to you, and just as revelation and books were sent down to every prophet in the language of his people, in the same way the book was sent down to the Arabs in their own language, not in any other language, so that they could not say that we do not even know this language. {’’ اَنْزَلْنٰهُ ‘‘} (We sent it down) shows that the Noble Qur’an and divine revelation have come from above. This clearly refutes those who do not accept that Allah, the Exalted, is above or on the Throne, but sometimes say that He is without place, i.e., nowhere, and sometimes say He is everywhere, whereas the Qur’an has clearly stated in several places that He is above and on the Throne. He said: «{قَدْ نَرٰى تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَآءِ }» [ البقرۃ : ۱۴۴ ] “Indeed, We see the turning of your face repeatedly toward the heaven.” And He said: «{ ثُمَّ اسْتَوٰى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ }» [ الأعراف : ۵۴ ] “Then He rose over the Throne.” And many other verses. Then, although your addressees are all jinn and mankind until the Day of Resurrection, the first addressees were the Arabs. Allah, the Exalted, chose them and their language for the guidance of the whole world because of their natural qualities and the comprehensiveness, eloquence, clarity, beauty of expression, ease, and other virtues of their language, and He considered it a favor upon the Arabs: «{ وَ اِنَّهٗ لَذِكْرٌ لَّكَ وَ لِقَوْمِكَ وَ سَوْفَ تُسْـَٔلُوْنَ }» [الزخرف : ۴۴ ] “And indeed, it is a reminder (or a source of honor) for you and your people, and soon you will be questioned.” Then this Qur’an preserved the Arabic language in such a way that, despite centuries passing, the Arabic language exists in its original form, whereas all other languages change after some time, to the extent that the original words become completely obsolete, as is the case with English and others. Look at Arabic itself: because of the Qur’an, classical Arabic is preserved, but the colloquial Arabic of ordinary people varies so much by region and era that an Arab from one area does not understand the common language of another area. However, the original Arabic has been preserved in its original form for centuries by the Qur’an; it is the same all over the world.

➋ {وَ لَىِٕنِ اتَّبَعْتَ اَهْوَآءَهُمْ …:} This address is apparently to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but it is meant for every person who seeks the pleasure of Allah, the Exalted, and fears His anger, and in it is a warning for those scholars who knowingly abandon the path of the Sunnah and choose the way of innovation and misguidance, and who leave the Qur’an and Hadith for the sayings of men. (Ibn Kathir)