Quran Universe
42:2

عٓسٓقٓ

AAaynseenqaf

'Ayn, Seen, Qaf.

Word by word
  1. عٓسٓقٓAyn Seen Qaaf
Ash-Shuraa · 42:2Makkah

Ayn Sin Qaf: a second pause before the message.

Two sets of letters, double the attention

The opening
Ha Mim
Ayn Sin Qafknown to Allah
then
revelationas to those before
What to do with mystery
guess at itinvent meanings
humbly listenHe knows; I attend

This surah opens with two sets of letters, a rare double opening. Ibn Kathir notes he has already discussed these letters elsewhere and moves on to the message. Their meaning is known to Allah, and the verse right after speaks of how revelation comes.

Someone says your name twice before saying something important. You look up. A second set of letters is a second call to look up. You do not have to decode it. You just have to be present.

If I cannot understand a verse, it has nothing to give me.

Some verses teach by stopping me. Humility before what I do not know is part of reading.

Try this

Sit for one quiet minute before opening the Quran next time, with no phone in reach.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 42:1)

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

حم - عسق - كَذَٰلِكَ يُوحِي إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ اللَّهُ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ - لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ - تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْ فَوْقِهِنَّ ۚ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ أَلَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ - وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهُ حَفِيظٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَمَا أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِوَكِيلٍ

(1. Ha Mim.)(2. 'Ain Sin Qaf.)(3. Likewise Allah, the Almighty, the All-Wise sends revelation to you as to those before you.)(4. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, and He is the Most High, the Most Great.)(5. Nearly the heavens might be rent asunder from above them, and the angels glorify the praises of their Lord, and ask for forgiveness for those on the earth. Lo, Verily, Allah is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.)(6. And as for those who take as protecting friends others besides Him – Allah is Hafiz over them, and you are not a trustee over them.)

The Revelation and Allah's Might

We have previously discussed the individual letters.

كَذَٰلِكَ يُوحِي إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ اللَّهُ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ 

(Likewise Allah, the Almighty, the All-Wise sends revelation to you as to those before you.) means, 'just as this Qur'an has been revealed to you, so too the Books and Scriptures were revealed to the Prophets who came before you.'

اللَّهُ الْعَزِيزُ

(Allah, the Almighty) means, in His vengeance

الْحَكِيمُ

(the All-Wise) means, in all that He says and does. Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated that 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "Al-Harith bin Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, 'O Messenger of Allah, how does the revelation come to you?' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

أَحْيَانًا يَأْتِينِي مِثْلَ صَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ، وَهُوَ أَشَدُّهُ عَلَيَّ فَيَفْصِمُ عَنِّي وَقَدْ وَعَيْتُ مَا قَالَ، وَأَحْيَانًا يَأْتِينِي الْمَلَكُ رَجُلًا فَيُكَلِّمُنِي فَأَعِي مَا يَقُولُ

(Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell, which is the most difficult for me; then it goes away, and I understand what was said. And sometimes the angel comes to me in the image of a man, and he speaks to me and I understand what he says.)"

A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "I saw him receiving the revelation on a very cold day, and when it departed from him, there were beads of sweat on his forehead." It was also reported in the Two Sahihs, and the version quoted here is that recorded by Al-Bukhari.

لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۖ 

(To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth,) means, everything is subject to His dominion and control.

وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ

(and He is the Most High, the Most Great.) This is like the Ayat:

الْكَبِيرُ الْمُتَعَالِ 

(the Most Great, the Most High)(13:9), and

 هُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْكَبِيرُ 

(He is the Most High, the Most Great)(22:62). And there are many similar Ayat.

تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْ فَوْقِهِنَّ ۚ 

(Nearly the heavens might be rent asunder from above them,) Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ka'b Al-Ahbar said, "Out of fear of His might."

وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ

(and the angels glorify the praises of their Lord, and ask for forgiveness for those on the earth.) This is like the Ayah:

الَّذِينَ يَحْمِلُونَ الْعَرْشَ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا وَسِعْتَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ رَحْمَةً وَعِلْمًا

(Those who bear the Throne and those around it glorify the praises of their Lord, and believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for those who believe (saying): "Our Lord! You comprehend all things in mercy and knowledge,")(40:7)

أَلَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ 

(Lo! Verily, Allah is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.) This is a reminder, to take heed of this fact.

وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ

(And as for those who take as protecting friends others besides Him) This refers to the idolators,

اللَّهُ حَفِيظٌ عَلَيْهِمْ

(Allah is Hafiz over them.) meaning, He is Witness to their deeds, recording and enumerating them precisely, and He will requite them for them in full.

 وَمَا أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِوَكِيلٍ

(and you are not a trustee over them.) meaning, 'you are just a warner, and Allah is the Trustee of all affairs.'