Tafseer of Taa-Haa · Taa-Haa · 20:4
A revelation from He who created the earth and highest heavens,
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the words of Allah the Exalted: تَنْزِيلا مِمَّنْ خَلَقَ الأَرْضَ وَالسَّمَاوَاتِ الْعُلا (20:4)
(A sending down from Him who created the earth and the high heavens.)
Allah the Exalted says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: this Qurʾān is a sending down from the Lord who created the earth and the high heavens. Al-ʿulā (العُلَى) is the plural form of ʿulyā (عليا).
The Arabic grammarians differed concerning the reason why the word "tanzīlan" (تَنـزيلا) stands in the accusative. Some of the grammarians of Basra said: it stands in the accusative because the meaning is: "Allah sent down a sending down." Some who contested this said: it derives from two separate sentences, but the meaning is: "it is a sending down" — then the word "it" (هو) was omitted and the sentence attached to the preceding sentence, after which it flowed forth from that wording without literally being part of it.
Abū Jaʿfar says: both views, in my judgment, are not incorrect.
