39. Az-Zumar (The Throngs)

Mecca Period 59 [75 verses]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابًا مُّتَشَابِهًا ...

39: 23. Allah has revealed (from time to time) the most beautiful Message in the form of a Book,

consistent with itself,

C4276. Is Mutashabih here to be understood in the same sense as in 3:7? See n. 347.

The better opinion is that there is a slightly different shade of meaning here, as suggested by the context.

In the earlier passage, it was opposed to Muhkam: here it is contrasted or compared to Mathani.

The root meaning is: 'having something similar; working by analogy or allegory, or parable; having its parts consistent with each other'. The last meaning I adopt here.

The Quran was revealed in parts at different times. And yet its parts all conform to each other. There is no contradiction or inconsistency anywhere. (R).

... مَّثَانِيَ...

(yet) repeating (its teaching in various aspects):

C4277. Mathani:- Cf. 15:87, where we have translated "oft-repeated": "the seven oft- repeated (verses)". See n. 2008 to that passage.

Here the meaning is similar, but the context gives a different colour to it, as is seen in the translation.

... تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ جُلُودُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ...

the skins of those who fear their Lord tremble thereat;

C4278. The skin is the outer integument of the body. It receives the first shock from the impact of anything unusual, and it trembles and its hair stands on end under excitement.

So in spiritual matters the first stimulation from Allah's Message is external. Those who receive Faith do it as it were with tremor and not with apathy. But the next stage is that it penetrates their outer nature and goes right into their hearts. Their whole nature is "softened" to receive the beneficent Message, and it transforms them through and through.

... ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ...

then their skins and their hearts do soften to the celebration of Allah's praises.

... ذَلِكَ هُدَى اللَّهِ ...

Such is the guidance of Allah:

... يَهْدِي بِهِ مَنْ يَشَاء ...

He guides therewith whom He pleases,

... وَمَن يُضْلِلْ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ ﴿٢٣﴾

but such as Allah leaves to stray, can have none to guide.

C4279. "Whom He pleases" and "leaves to stray" are explained fully in n. 2133 to 16:93.

See also 14:4 and n. 1875.

Asad’s Version:

39:23

God bestows from on high 27 the best of all teachings in the shape of a divine writ fully consistent within itself, repeating each statement [of the truth] in manifold forms 28 - [a divine writ] whereat shiver the skins of all who of their Sustainer stand in awe: [but] in the end their skins and their hearts do soften at the remembrance of [the grace of] God.... Such is God's guidance: He guides therewith him that wills [to be guided] 29 - whereas he whom God lets go astray can never find any guide. 30

Yuksel’s Version:

Quran: The Best Word/Narration

39:23 God has sent down the best hadith, a book that is consistent, relating/contrasting/repeating. The skins of those who reverence their Lord shiver from it, then their skins and their hearts soften up to the remembrance of God. Such is God's guidance; He guides with it whoever He wills. For whomever God misguides, then none can guide him.*

[[Yuksel’s note - 039:023 Mutashabih means "similar" or "multiple-meaning" (3:7). However, when it is used for the entire book, which also contains single-meaning words, mutashabih should be understood as ‘similar’ or ‘consistent.’ Some statements of the Quran have multiple meanings (mutashabih) and all the statements of the Quran are consistent (mutashabih). Like its references, the word mutashabih itself has multiple meanings. ]]

[[Asad’s notes - 27 Lit., "has been bestowing from on high", i.e., step by step. The verbal form nazzala indicates both gradualness and continuity in the process of divine revelation and may, therefore, be appropriately rendered by the use of the present tense.

28 This is the most acceptable meaning, in this context, of the term mathani (pi. of mathna), as explained by Zamakhshari in his commentary on the above verse. Another possible meaning, preferred by Razi, is "pairing its statements", i.e., referring to the polarity stressed in all Qur'anic teachings (e.g., command and prohibition, duties and rights, reward and punishment, paradise and hell, light and darkness, the general and the specific, and so forth). As regards the inner consistency of the Qur'an, see also 4:82 and 25:32, as well as the corresponding notes.

29 Or: "He guides therewith whomever He wills", either of these two formulations being

syntactically correct.

30 See note 4 on 14:4. ]]