سُوْرَةُ الشُّوْرٰي
Surah Ash-Shura (42) — Ayah 52
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ رُوحًا مِّنْ أَمْرِنَا ۚ مَا كُنتَ تَدْرِى مَا ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ وَلَا ٱلْإِيمَـٰنُ وَلَـٰكِن جَعَلْنَـٰهُ نُورًا نَّهْدِى بِهِۦ مَن نَّشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ۚ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِىٓ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ﴿52﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And thus We have sent to you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) Ruh (a Revelation, and a Mercy) of Our Command. You knew not what is the Book, nor what is Faith? But We have made it (this Qur’ân) a light wherewith We guide whosoever of Our slaves We will. And verily, you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) are indeed guiding (mankind) to the Straight Path (i.e. Allâh’s Religion of Islâmic Monotheism).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَكَذَٰلِكَ
wakadhālika
And thus
أَوْحَيْنَآ
awḥaynā
We have revealed
إِلَيْكَ
ilayka
to you
رُوحًۭا
rūḥan
an inspiration
مِّنْ
min
by
أَمْرِنَا ۚ
amrinā
Our Command
مَا
mā
Not
كُنتَ
kunta
(did) you
تَدْرِى
tadrī
know
مَا
mā
what
ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ
l-kitābu
the Book (is)
وَلَا
walā
and not
ٱلْإِيمَـٰنُ
l-īmānu
the faith
وَلَـٰكِن
walākin
But
جَعَلْنَـٰهُ
jaʿalnāhu
We have made it
نُورًۭا
nūran
a light
نَّهْدِى
nahdī
We guide
بِهِۦ
bihi
with it
مَن
man
whom
نَّشَآءُ
nashāu
We will
مِنْ
min
of
عِبَادِنَا ۚ
ʿibādinā
Our slaves
وَإِنَّكَ
wa-innaka
And indeed, you
لَتَهْدِىٓ
latahdī
surely guide
إِلَىٰ
ilā
to
صِرَٰطٍۢ
ṣirāṭin
(the) Path
مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ
mus'taqīmin
Straight
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
52. And thus [72] We have revealed to you a Spirit [73] by Our command. You did not know what the Book was, nor what faith [74] was. But We made this Spirit a light, by which We guide whom We will of Our servants [75]. And indeed, you are guiding [76] to a straight path.
[72]
Revelation Came to You in All Its Forms:
In the same way, what is meant is that We have sent revelation to you in all these forms. Regarding inspiration and intuition, Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says that the first revelation that came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was true dreams; whatever he saw in his sleep would manifest (in wakefulness) as clearly as the light of dawn. [بخاری۔ باب کیف کان بدء الوحی]
A similar dream came to you ﷺ before the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, in which the Muslims were performing tawaf and ‘umrah of the Ka‘bah in peace and security, which is mentioned in Surah al-Fath, verse 27. From this, it is also known that the dreams of the Prophets are also revelation. The second form is Allah speaking from behind a veil. This form of revelation occurred to you during the event of Mi‘raj, when the prayers were made obligatory and you ﷺ conversed with Allah several times, and its mention is in Surah al-Najm, verses 9 and 10. The third form is Jibreel (peace be upon him) descending upon your heart, and the entire Quran was revealed in this manner. This form was very difficult for you. At first, you would hear sounds like the ringing of bells. This was, in a way, a kind of warning, through which your ﷺ connection with this material world would be severed and joined with the higher realm. At that time, your external senses would not function, and all your attention would be focused on the revelation. Due to the intensity of this difficulty, sometimes you would sweat even in the severe cold. Also, at that time, a heavy burden would be placed upon you. Thus, Sayyiduna Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) says that once you were dictating revelation to me, and your thigh was on my thigh. When the revelation came, your thigh became so heavy that I feared my thigh would break under the weight. [بخاری۔ کتاب التفسیر۔ سورۃ النساء۔ باب __QUR_0__ ]
If you were riding a she-camel and revelation began to descend, the she-camel would sit down under the weight. The fourth form is that Sayyiduna Jibreel would come before you in human form and speak to you. According to the Hadith of Jibreel, Sayyiduna Jibreel (peace be upon him) came at that time in the form of a stranger. And often Jibreel (peace be upon him) would come to you in the form of Dihyah Kalbi.
[73] Here, “the Spirit” does not refer only to the Quran, but to every kind of revelation, the detailed mention of which has been given in the previous footnote.
[74] That is, before receiving prophethood, you had no idea or thought that you would receive prophethood or a divine book, nor should you have. Similarly, you were not aware of the details of faith. You only knew that the Creator and Master of this universe is Allah alone, and no one else shares in His authority or is His equal. But you did not know what the requirements of this faith were! Nor did you know that it is also necessary to believe in Allah’s books, prophets, angels, and the Day of Judgment.
[75] That is, We have made this Book, the Quran, a light, and in this light, the path of guidance becomes clearly visible. And those who wish to benefit from the light of the Quran, We lead them to the path of happiness and success.
[76]
What Are the Sources of Guidance?
From these two verses, it is known that the sources of guidance are three, and its types are two. The first type of guidance is that a person leaves disbelief and polytheism and enters Islam. And such guidance is purely in the control of Allah Almighty. Otherwise, if there were a book as captivating and effective as the Quran, and its preacher was the best of the Prophets, then it would have been expected that all the Quraysh of Makkah would have believed, but despite your utmost desire and effort, this did not happen. The second type of guidance is that those who have accepted Islam are guided to the straight path. And this is done through the Quran, and also through the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and after you, through the Companions and the noble scholars.
[72]
Revelation Came to You in All Its Forms:
In the same way, what is meant is that We have sent revelation to you in all these forms. Regarding inspiration and intuition, Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says that the first revelation that came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was true dreams; whatever he saw in his sleep would manifest (in wakefulness) as clearly as the light of dawn. [بخاری۔ باب کیف کان بدء الوحی]
A similar dream came to you ﷺ before the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, in which the Muslims were performing tawaf and ‘umrah of the Ka‘bah in peace and security, which is mentioned in Surah al-Fath, verse 27. From this, it is also known that the dreams of the Prophets are also revelation. The second form is Allah speaking from behind a veil. This form of revelation occurred to you during the event of Mi‘raj, when the prayers were made obligatory and you ﷺ conversed with Allah several times, and its mention is in Surah al-Najm, verses 9 and 10. The third form is Jibreel (peace be upon him) descending upon your heart, and the entire Quran was revealed in this manner. This form was very difficult for you. At first, you would hear sounds like the ringing of bells. This was, in a way, a kind of warning, through which your ﷺ connection with this material world would be severed and joined with the higher realm. At that time, your external senses would not function, and all your attention would be focused on the revelation. Due to the intensity of this difficulty, sometimes you would sweat even in the severe cold. Also, at that time, a heavy burden would be placed upon you. Thus, Sayyiduna Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) says that once you were dictating revelation to me, and your thigh was on my thigh. When the revelation came, your thigh became so heavy that I feared my thigh would break under the weight. [بخاری۔ کتاب التفسیر۔ سورۃ النساء۔ باب __QUR_0__ ]
If you were riding a she-camel and revelation began to descend, the she-camel would sit down under the weight. The fourth form is that Sayyiduna Jibreel would come before you in human form and speak to you. According to the Hadith of Jibreel, Sayyiduna Jibreel (peace be upon him) came at that time in the form of a stranger. And often Jibreel (peace be upon him) would come to you in the form of Dihyah Kalbi.
[73] Here, “the Spirit” does not refer only to the Quran, but to every kind of revelation, the detailed mention of which has been given in the previous footnote.
[74] That is, before receiving prophethood, you had no idea or thought that you would receive prophethood or a divine book, nor should you have. Similarly, you were not aware of the details of faith. You only knew that the Creator and Master of this universe is Allah alone, and no one else shares in His authority or is His equal. But you did not know what the requirements of this faith were! Nor did you know that it is also necessary to believe in Allah’s books, prophets, angels, and the Day of Judgment.
[75] That is, We have made this Book, the Quran, a light, and in this light, the path of guidance becomes clearly visible. And those who wish to benefit from the light of the Quran, We lead them to the path of happiness and success.
[76]
What Are the Sources of Guidance?
From these two verses, it is known that the sources of guidance are three, and its types are two. The first type of guidance is that a person leaves disbelief and polytheism and enters Islam. And such guidance is purely in the control of Allah Almighty. Otherwise, if there were a book as captivating and effective as the Quran, and its preacher was the best of the Prophets, then it would have been expected that all the Quraysh of Makkah would have believed, but despite your utmost desire and effort, this did not happen. The second type of guidance is that those who have accepted Islam are guided to the straight path. And this is done through the Quran, and also through the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and after you, through the Companions and the noble scholars.
