Tafseer of The Resurrection · Al-Qiyaama · 75:17
Indeed, upon Us is its collection [in your heart] and [to make possible] its recitation.
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 Exalted — praised be His mention — says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: Move not, O Muḥammad, your tongue with the Qurʾān to hasten it.
The exegetes (ahl al-taʾwīl) differed concerning the reason why it was said to him: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ ("Move not your tongue with it to hasten it"). Some of them said: that was said to him because, when something of it was sent down upon him, he would hasten it, since he desired to memorize it out of love for it; so it was said to him: hasten it not, for We shall preserve it for you.
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Sufyān ibn ʿUyayna related to us, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Dīnār, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, that the Prophet ﷺ, when the Qurʾān was sent down upon him, would hasten [it], since he desired to memorize it. Then Allah — the Exalted, praised be His mention — said: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ * إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ ("Move not your tongue with it to hasten it. Verily, upon Us rests its gathering and its recitation"). And Ibn ʿAbbās said: like this — and he moved his lips.
ʿUbayd ibn Ismāʿīl al-Habbārī and Yūnus related to me, both of them saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of ʿAmr, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, that the Prophet ﷺ, when the Qurʾān was sent down upon him, would hasten it, since he desired to memorize it. And Yūnus said: he would move his lips to memorize it, whereupon Allah sent down: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ * إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ ("Move not your tongue with it to hasten it. Verily, upon Us rests its gathering and its recitation").
ʿUbayd ibn Ismāʿīl al-Habbārī related to me, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī ʿĀʾisha, who heard Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, the same; and he said: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ ("Move not your tongue with it"): he said: like this — and Sufyān moved his mouth.
Sufyān ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Mūsā ibn Abī ʿĀʾisha, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ ("Move not your tongue with it to hasten it"): he said: when Jibrīl descended upon the Prophet ﷺ with the revelation, he would move his tongue and his lips with it, and it weighed heavily upon him; that was visible upon him. Then Allah sent down this verse in [the sūra] لا أُقْسِمُ بِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ ("I swear by the Day of Resurrection"): لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ * إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ ("Move not your tongue with it to hasten it. Verily, upon Us rests its gathering and its recitation").
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Mūsā ibn Abī ʿĀʾisha, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, he said: when the Qurʾān was sent down upon the Prophet ﷺ, he would move his lips, and it was recognizable thereby. Saʿīd imitated it, and he [Ibn ʿAbbās] said: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ ("Move not your tongue with it to hasten it"): he said: to take it up hastily.
Muḥammad ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Mūsā ibn Abī ʿĀʾisha, saying: I heard Saʿīd ibn Jubayr say: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ ("Move not your tongue with it to hasten it"). He said: Jibrīl — peace be upon him — descended with the Qurʾān, and he [the Prophet ﷺ] would move his tongue with it, hastening it, whereupon He said: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ ("Move not your tongue with it to hasten it").
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Rabʿī ibn ʿUlayya related to us, saying: Dāwūd ibn Abī Hind related to us, on the authority of al-Shaʿbī, concerning this verse: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ ("Move not your tongue with it to hasten it"): he said: when the revelation was sent down upon him, he would hasten to utter it out of love for it, whereupon there was sent down: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ * إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ ("Move not your tongue with it to hasten it. Verily, upon Us rests its gathering and its recitation").
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ ("Move not your tongue with it to hasten it"): he said: do not utter what We have revealed to you until the revelation of it to you is completed; and when We have completed the revelation of it to you, then utter it.
It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, saying: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd related to us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His word: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ ("Move not your tongue with it"): he said: when the revelation of the Qurʾān was sent down upon the Prophet of Allah ﷺ, he would move his tongue with it out of fear of forgetting it.
Others said: no, the reason why that was said to him is that he used to recite the Qurʾān frequently out of fear of forgetting it, whereupon it was said to him: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ ("Move not your tongue with it to hasten it"); it is upon Us to gather it for you and to make you recite it, so that you do not forget.
* Mention of those who said that:
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: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ ("Move not your tongue with it to hasten it"): he said: he did not cease [reciting] the Qurʾān out of fear of forgetting it, whereupon Allah said: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ ("Move not your tongue with it to hasten it"); it is upon Us to gather it for you, and وقرآنه ("and its recitation"): that We make you recite it, so that you do not forget.
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: Warqāʾ related to us, both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ ("Move not your tongue with it"): he said: he used to fix the Qurʾān in his memory [by repetition] out of fear of forgetting it, whereupon He said to him: We have secured it for you, O Muḥammad.
Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm related to me, saying: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, saying: Abū Rajāʾ related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, concerning His word: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ ("Move not your tongue with it to hasten it"): he said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to move his tongue with it to fix it in his memory, whereupon Allah said: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ ("Move not your tongue with it to hasten it"); We shall preserve it for you.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ ("Move not your tongue with it to hasten it"): the Prophet of Allah ﷺ used to move his tongue with it out of fear of forgetting [it], whereupon Allah sent down what you hear.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ ("Move not your tongue with it"): he said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite the Qurʾān and did so frequently out of fear of forgetting [it].
