❖ The Use of “يا / أو” in the Qur’an: Not Doubt, but a Proof of Eloquence
Source: Ahkam wa Masail, Tafsir ka Bayan, Vol. 1, Page: 482
❀ The Question
Allah ﷻ says in Surah al-Najm that the distance was “two bow lengths or even less.” Although Allah fully knows the exact measurement of distances, why was the word “أو” (translated as “or”) used here?
Similarly, while narrating the story of Prophet Yunus (عليه السلام), Allah ﷻ says that He sent him to “one hundred thousand or more.” Since Allah knows the precise number, why was the word “أو” used in this verse as well? What is the wisdom behind it?
❀ The Answer
Alhamdulillah, was-salatu was-salamu ‘ala Rasoolillah, amma ba‘d!
In the Arabic language, the word “أو” (translated in Urdu as “یا”) is used in various senses, including:
① Doubt or hesitation (تردد و شک)
② Indefiniteness (عدم تعین)
③ Classification and variety (تنویع و تقسیم)
④ Substitution (اضراب)
⑤ Choice (تخییر)
⑥ Equivalence (تسویہ)
…and others.
❀ In Surah al-Najm
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿فَکَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَیْنِ أَوْ أَدْنٰی﴾
“So he was two bow lengths away, or even closer.”
Here, “أو” is not used in the sense of doubt or uncertainty. Rather, it is used for classification and variety (تنویع و تقسیم).
Bows differ in size—some are smaller, others larger. If smaller bows are the measure, then it was exactly “two bows’ length.” If larger bows are taken as the standard, then it was “less than two bows’ length.”
Thus, the verse does not indicate any uncertainty; rather, it is a clear and eloquent description of closeness using the natural variations in measurement.
❀ In Surah al-Saffat
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَأَرۡسَلۡنَٰهُ إِلَىٰ مِاْئَةِ أَلۡفٍ أَوۡ يَزِيدُونَ﴾ (al-Saffat: 147)
“And We sent him to a hundred thousand or more.”
Here too, “أو” is not doubt. Instead, it is used in the sense of اضراب, meaning “rather.”
Thus the meaning is:
“We did not send him to just one hundred thousand, rather to even more than that.”
The purpose is to emphasize that the number exceeded one hundred thousand, and Allah ﷻ expressed it in a style of eloquence in line with the beauty of Arabic rhetoric.
❀ Conclusion
In both cases, the use of “أو” (or) is not due to doubt or lack of knowledge—Allah ﷻ is free from such imperfection. Rather, it is entirely in accordance with the eloquent linguistic styles of Arabic—to express variety, division, or substitution.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
(This is what I hold, and Allah knows best what is correct.)
