Tafseer of The Groups · Az-Zumar · 39:23
Allah has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book wherein is reiteration. The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts relax at the remembrance of Allah. That is the guidance of Allah by which He guides whom He wills. And one whom Allah leaves astray - for him there is no guide.
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 His — exalted is He — word: اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابًا مُتَشَابِهًا مَثَانِيَ تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ جُلُودُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ هُدَى اللَّهِ يَهْدِي بِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ ("Allah has sent down the most beautiful discourse, a Book that is consistent in its likeness, oft-repeated; the skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it, and thereafter their skins and their hearts grow soft at the remembrance of Allah. That is the guidance of Allah, by which He guides whom He wills; and whomever Allah lets go astray, for him there is no guide") (23)
The Exalted — exalted is His mention — says: اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابًا ("Allah has sent down the most beautiful discourse, a Book"), by which the Qurʾān is meant, مُتَشَابِهًا ("consistent in its likeness"). He says: one part of it resembles the other; there is no inconsistency in it and no contradiction.
As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابًا مُتَشَابِهًا ("Allah has sent down the most beautiful discourse, a Book that is consistent in its likeness"): one verse resembles the other verse, and one letter resembles the other letter.
Muḥammad related to us, saying: Aḥmad related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, كِتَابًا مُتَشَابِهًا ("a Book that is consistent in its likeness"), he said: the consistency in likeness is that one part of it resembles the other.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Yaʿqūb, on the authority of Jaʿfar, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, concerning His word كِتَابًا مُتَشَابِهًا ("a Book that is consistent in its likeness"), he said: one part of it resembles the other, one part of it confirms the other, and one part of it points to the other.
And His word مَثَانِيَ ("oft-repeated"). He says: in it the reports, the narrations, the rulings, the ordinances, and the proofs are repeated.
And in accordance with what we have said concerning that, the exegetes have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm related to me, saying: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, on the authority of Abū Rajāʾ, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, concerning His word اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابًا مُتَشَابِهًا مَثَانِيَ ("Allah has sent down the most beautiful discourse, a Book that is consistent in its likeness, oft-repeated"), he said: Allah has repeated the ordinance in it; there is a sūra in which a verse occurs, and in another sūra there is a verse that resembles it. And ʿIkrima was asked about it.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Waraqāʾ related to us — both of them — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word كِتَابًا مُتَشَابِهًا مَثَانِيَ ("a Book that is consistent in its likeness, oft-repeated"), he said: this applies to the whole Qurʾān.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, مَثَانِيَ ("oft-repeated"), he said: Allah has repeated in it the obligations, the rulings, and the prescribed punishments (ḥudūd).
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word مَثَانِيَ ("oft-repeated"), he said: the Book of Allah is oft-repeated; the matter is repeated in it several times.
Muḥammad related to us, saying: Aḥmad related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His word مَثَانِيَ ("oft-repeated"), he said: the Book of Allah is oft-repeated; the matter is repeated in it several times.
Muḥammad related to us, saying: Aḥmad related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His word مَثَانِيَ ("oft-repeated"): it is repeated in more than one place.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word مَثَانِيَ ("oft-repeated"): repeated; Mūsā is repeated in the Qurʾān, and Ṣāliḥ and Hūd and the prophets in many places.
And His word تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ جُلُودُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ ("the skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it"). The Exalted — exalted is His mention — says: upon hearing it, when it is recited to them, the skins of those who fear their Lord shiver. ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ("and thereafter their skins and their hearts grow soft at the remembrance of Allah"), that is to say: toward acting according to what is in the Book of Allah, and believing in it.
And it has been mentioned that this verse was sent down upon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, because his Companions had asked him for a discourse (ḥadīth).
Mention of the narration concerning that:
Naṣr ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Awdī related to us, saying: Ḥakkām ibn Salm related to us, on the authority of Ayyūb ibn Mūsā, on the authority of ʿAmr al-Mulāʾī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: they said: O Messenger of Allah, if only you would give us a discourse? He said: then was sent down: اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ ("Allah has sent down the most beautiful discourse").
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Ḥakkām related to us, on the authority of Ayyūb ibn Sayyār Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Qays, he said: they said: O Prophet of Allah — and he mentioned the like of it.
ذَلِكَ هُدَى اللَّهِ يَهْدِي بِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ("That is the guidance of Allah, by which He guides whom He wills"). The Exalted — exalted is His mention — says: this which befalls these people, whose attribute I have described, upon hearing the Qurʾān — the shivering of their skins, and thereafter their growing soft and the growing soft of their hearts at the remembrance of Allah afterward — هُدَى اللَّهِ ("is the guidance of Allah"), that is to say: Allah's granting of right discernment to which He has brought them. يَهْدِي بِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ("by which He guides whom He wills"). He says: the Blessed and Exalted guides through the Qurʾān whom He wills of His servants.
And the meaning of His word ذَلِكَ هُدَى ("that is guidance") may also be directed toward the mention of the Qurʾān, so that the meaning of the words is: this Qurʾān is Allah's exposition, by which He guides whom He wills, and grants right discernment toward belief in it to whom He wills.
And His word وَمَنْ يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ ("and whomever Allah lets go astray, for him there is no guide"). The Exalted — exalted is His mention — says: and whomever Allah forsakes so that he does not believe in this Qurʾān and does not affirm what is in it, and lets him go astray from it, for him there is no guide. He says: for him there is no one who grants him right discernment and keeps him upon the straight path in following it.
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Footnotes:
(1) What is in al-Durr is: and ʿIkrima was asked about it, and he said: Allah has repeated the ordinance in it.
