Surah Az-Zumar (39) — Ayah 23

(Ayah 23) ➊ In the meaning of { اَللّٰهُ نَزَّلَ اَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيْثِ …:’’ نَزَّلَ ‘‘}, gradual revelation is found, as He said: «وَ قُرْاٰنًا فَرَقْنٰهُ لِتَقْرَاَهٗ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلٰى مُكْثٍ وَّ نَزَّلْنٰهُ تَنْزِيْلًا » [ بني إسرائیل : ۱۰۶ ] "And the great Qur’an, We have sent it down in parts so that you may recite it to the people slowly and We have sent it down, (gradually) sending it down." By {’’ اَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيْثِ ‘‘} is meant the speech of Allah, because the speech of the creation can never be as beautiful as the speech of the Creator, nor can the creation present its example. (See Surah Al-Baqarah: 23, 24) The meaning of { ’’ الْحَدِيْثِ ‘‘} is "new," and since a statement is also new, it is called "Hadith." From this, it is understood that Allah speaks whenever He wills, and His speech is Hadith and Muhdath (new). (See Surah Al-Anbiya: 2; Ash-Shu'ara: 5) Some people accepted this principle of Greek philosophers that every locus of events is itself an event, meaning that from which something new issues forth cannot be an eternally existing being. Therefore, they denied Allah's hearing, seeing, descending, ascending, speaking, laughing, and countless other attributes, or they interpreted them away, whereas this principle is in clear contradiction to the Noble Qur’an. According to the Qur’an, Allah has always existed and will always exist; despite this, He is the All-Hearing and All-Seeing, the Creator and the Provider, He becomes pleased and angry, and He also speaks. And it is obvious that speech is with words, in which there is order and occurrence. Rather, Allah is at every moment in a new state and a new condition, as He said: « يَسْـَٔلُهٗ مَنْ فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِيْ شَاْنٍ » [ الرحمٰن : ۲۹ ] "Whoever is in the heavens and the earth asks of Him; every day He is in (a new) affair."
Since the Greek philosophers were deprived of the light of divine guidance, their philosophy is in conflict with the Qur’an and Hadith, and their followers, despite claiming faith in the Qur’an and Hadith, feel great constriction in their hearts in accepting the divine attributes mentioned therein. Therefore, they make such interpretations which are clear distortions. For further details, see Surah Al-A'raf (143), At-Tawbah (6), Al-Kahf (109), Al-Anbiya (2), and Ash-Shu'ara (5).
➋ At this place, the entire Qur’an is called { كِتٰبًا مُّتَشَابِهًا :} { ’’ كِتٰبًا مُّتَشَابِهًا ‘‘}, meaning all the verses of the Noble Qur’an, in their subjects and meanings, in the truthfulness of all reports and the correctness of all rulings, resemble each other and confirm and support one another. If a statement is brief in one place, it is detailed in another; there is no contradiction or inconsistency anywhere, as He said: «وَ لَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِنْدِ غَيْرِ اللّٰهِ لَوَجَدُوْا فِيْهِ اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيْرًا » [ النساء : ۸۲ ] "And if it had been from other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction." Similarly, in eloquence, rhetoric, beauty, and excellence, all are alike. Despite the long period of twenty-three (23) years in which the verses were revealed gradually, there is no difference in their beauty, eloquence, or excellence at any place, nor is there any decrease in its majesty and awe. For more details, see Surah An-Nisa (82). In another place, some verses of the Qur’an are called Muhkam and some {متشابه}; for its explanation, see Surah Al-Imran (7).
➌ {’’ مَثَانِيَ ‘‘ ’’ثَنٰي يَثْنِيْ‘‘} ({رَمٰي يَرْمِيْ}) is the plural of the passive participle {’’مَثْنِيَّةٌ‘‘} on the pattern of {’’مَرْمِيَّةٌ‘‘}, meaning to repeat or to reiterate. That is, the verses of this Book are repeatedly reiterated, which are repeated again and again, sometimes in the same way and sometimes in different styles, to instill beliefs, rulings, stories, encouragement, and warnings, so that they are well ingrained, and if something is not fully understood in one place, it becomes clear in another. The delight is that neither does the repetition of its various subjects cause boredom, nor does the heart become satiated by reciting any one surah or verse repeatedly. In the meaning of {’’ مَثَانِيَ ‘‘}, it is also included that usually, along with the mention of something, its opposite is also mentioned, for example, faith and disbelief, Paradise and Hell, the righteous and the wicked, encouragement and warning, and mercy and punishment, etc.
➍ {تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ جُلُوْدُ الَّذِيْنَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ …:} That is, when in these verses the majesty and wrath of Allah, or His punishment, is mentioned, the skins of those who fear their Lord stand on end due to fear; then when His mercy and forgiveness are mentioned, their skins and hearts soften and incline towards the remembrance of Allah due to hope. In the context of {’’ تَلِيْنُ ‘‘}, because of the meaning of {’’تَمِيْلُ‘‘}, it is mentioned along with {’’ اِلٰى ‘‘}. For this state, see Surah Al-Anfal (2–4), Al-Mu’minun (5–16), and Surah Al-Ma’idah (83, 84).