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Qur'an 57:16

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Qur'an 57:16
Verse's Information
SuraSura al-Hadid
Verse16
Juz'27
Content Information
Cause of
Revelation		Address to Hypocrites in Medina who asked Salman al-Farsi for stories from the Torah, or address to companions who ceased their steadfastness after coming to Medina
Place of
Revelation		Medina
TopicImportance of Khushu'


Verse 16 of Sura al-Hadid (Qur'an 57:16) calls the believers to humility of the heart by the remembrance of God and the truth that has been revealed in the Quran. It warns them against becoming hard-hearted like the People of the Book, whose hearts hardened over a long period, leading them to become transgressors.

There is a difference of opinion regarding the occasion of revelation of this verse. Some exegetes believe it was revealed concerning the hypocrites in Medina who requested to hear wonders from the Torah, warning them to be humble before the remembrance of God. Conversely, another group considers the verse to be addressed to the companions whose hearts had distanced themselves from humility due to the comfort of life in Medina. It is said that a bandit named Fudayl b. 'Iyad repented upon hearing this verse and turned to asceticism and mysticism.

Description and Position

According to Sunni[1] and Shi'a[2] exegetes, in verse 16 of Sura al-Hadid, believers are reprimanded because their hearts do not become humble before the remembrance of God and the truth that has been revealed from Him. The verse also warns them not to be like the People of the Book, whose hearts hardened due to the passage of time, leading them to become transgressors.

According to all exegetes, "the truth that has been revealed" refers to the Quran,[3] and "those who were given the Book before" refers to Jews and Christians.[4] The "term was prolonged for them" (i.e. the passage of time) is interpreted as the interval between the People of the Book and their Prophets or the Day of Judgment.[5]

According to Mohsen Qara'ati, a Quranic exegete, this verse highlights the importance of humility and considers the humility of hearts as the purpose of the revelation of divine verses.[6] In his view, according to this verse, hard-heartedness prevents a person from having humility. In contrast, faith, remembrance of God, and recitation of the Quran lead to the humility of the heart.[7]

Occasion of Revelation

There is a difference of opinion among exegetes regarding the occasion of revelation of this verse:[8]

  • Some, quoting Muhammad b. Sa'ib al-Kalbi (2nd/8th-century exegete) and Muqatil b. Sulayman (2nd/8th-century exegete and author of Tafsir Muqatil b. Sulayman), have stated that this verse was revealed concerning the Hypocrites.[9] They believe this verse was revealed in Medina about one year after the Hijra when the hypocrites asked Salman al-Farsi to tell them about the wonders of the Torah. Salman told them, "This Quran is the 'best of stories'." However, they repeated their request twice more. At this point, the verse in question was revealed, reprimanding them, asking if the time had not come for them to be humble before the name of God and to desist from such words.[10]
  • In contrast, other Shi'a and Sunni exegetes,[11] citing a narration, consider the occasion of revelation to be the companions who, upon coming to Medina and benefiting from the easy life that befell them, and after being relieved from previous hardships, gave up some of their former steadfastness.[12] Therefore, they consider the verse to be a general address and admonition to believers regarding the hardening of hearts and negligence toward the Quran and Dhikr.[13]

The Famous Story of Fudayl b. 'Iyad

It is narrated that a person named Fudayl b. 'Iyad (d. 187/803), who was a dangerous bandit, climbed the wall of a house one night with the intention of reaching a woman. However, at that very moment, he heard the voice of someone reciting the Quran, reading verse 16 of Sura al-Hadid: "Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humble at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth?!" Upon hearing this verse, Fudayl was transformed and repented, crying out: "O Lord, the time has indeed come." Following this incident, he secluded himself, chose asceticism,[14] and became one of the famous Sufis.[15]

Notes

  1. ↑ Bayḍāwī, Anwār al-tanzīl, vol. 5, p. 300; Suyūṭī, Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, vol. 1, p. 721.
  2. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 19, p. 161; Ṭayyib, Aṭyab al-bayān, 1378 Sh, vol. 16, p. 430.
  3. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 19, p. 161; Bayḍāwī, Anwār al-tanzīl, vol. 5, p. 300; Suyūṭī, Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, vol. 1, p. 721.
  4. ↑ Ṭūsī, Al-Tibyān, vol. 9, p. 529; Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-maʿānī, 1415 AH, vol. 27, p. 181; Suyūṭī, Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, vol. 1, p. 721.
  5. ↑ Ṭūsī, Al-Tibyān, vol. 9, p. 529; Suyūṭī, Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, vol. 1, p. 721.
  6. ↑ Qarāʾtī, Tafsīr-i nūr, 1383 Sh, vol. 9, p. 472.
  7. ↑ Qarāʾtī, Tafsīr-i nūr, 1383 Sh, vol. 9, p. 472.
  8. ↑ Fakhr al-Rāzī, Mafātīḥ al-ghayb, 1420 AH, vol. 29, p. 460.
  9. ↑ Ṭabarsī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 9, p. 357; Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-maʿānī, 1415 AH, vol. 27, p. 179.
  10. ↑ Ṭabarsī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 9, p. 357; Thaʿlabī, Al-Kashf wa l-bayān, 1422 AH, vol. 9, p. 239.
  11. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 19, p. 161; Suyūṭī, Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, vol. 1, p. 721.
  12. ↑ Suyūṭī, Al-Durr al-manthūr, vol. 8, p. 58.
  13. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 19, pp. 161, 168; Suyūṭī, Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, vol. 1, p. 721.
  14. ↑ Ibn Khallikān, Wafayāt al-aʿyān, vol. 4, p. 47; Thaʿlabī, Al-Kashf wa l-bayān, 1422 AH, vol. 9, p. 242.
  15. ↑ Āghā Buzurg Tihrānī, Al-Dharīʿa, 1408 AH, vol. 24, p. 151.

References

  • Āghā Buzurg Tihrānī, Muḥammad Muḥsin. Al-Dharīʿa ilā taṣānīf al-Shīʿa. Qom, Ismāʿīliyyān, 1408/1987.
  • Ālūsī, Maḥmūd b. ʿAbd Allāh al-. Rūḥ al-maʿānī fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿaẓīm wa l-sabʿ al-mathānī. Beirut, Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyya, 1415/1994.
  • Bayḍāwī, ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿUmar al-. Anwār al-tanzīl wa asrār al-taʾwīl. Beirut, Dār al-Fikr, n.d.
  • Fakhr al-Rāzī, Muḥammad b. ʿUmar. Mafātīḥ al-ghayb. Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1420/1999.
  • Ibn Khallikān, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad. Wafayāt al-aʿyān. Beirut, Dār al-Thaqāfa, n.d.
  • Qarāʾtī, Muḥsīn. Tafsīr-i nūr. Tehran, Muʾassisa-yi Dars-hāyī az Qurʾān, 1383 Sh.
  • Suyūṭī, Jalāl al-Dīn al-. Al-Durr al-manthūr. Beirut, Dār al-Fikr, n.d.
  • Suyūṭī, Jalāl al-Dīn al-. Tafsīr al-Jalālayn. Beirut, Dār al-Maʿrifa, n.d.
  • Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn. Al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Qom, Daftar-i Intishārāt-i Islāmī, 1417/1996.
  • Ṭabarsī, Faḍl b. Ḥasan al-. Majmaʿ al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Beirut, Dār al-Maʿrifa, n.d.
  • Ṭayyib, Sayyid ʿAbd al-Ḥusayn. Aṭyab al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Tehran, Intishārāt-i Islām, 1378 Sh.
  • Thaʿlabī, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad al-. Al-Kashf wa l-bayān. Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1422/2001.
  • Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. Ḥasan al-. Al-Tibyān. Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, n.d.
Qur'an 57:16
Verse's Information
SuraSura al-Hadid
Verse16
Juz'27
Content Information
Cause of
Revelation		Address to Hypocrites in Medina who asked Salman al-Farsi for stories from the Torah, or address to companions who ceased their steadfastness after coming to Medina
Place of
Revelation		Medina
TopicImportance of Khushu'


Verse 16 of Sura al-Hadid (Arabic: آیه ۱۶ سوره حدید) calls believers to Khushu' (humility) of the heart in the remembrance of God and the truth that has been revealed (Quran). It warns them against becoming hard-hearted like the Ahl al-Kitab (People of the Book), whose hearts hardened over a long period, leading them to become transgressors (fasiq).

There is a difference of opinion regarding the occasion of revelation of this verse. Some exegetes believe it was revealed concerning the hypocrites in Medina who requested to hear wonders from the Torah, warning them to be humble before the remembrance of God. Conversely, another group considers the verse to be addressed to the companions whose hearts had distanced themselves from humility due to the comfort of life in Medina. It is said that a bandit named Fudayl b. 'Iyad repented upon hearing this verse and turned to Zuhd (asceticism) and mysticism.

Description and Position

According to Sunni[1] and Shi'a[2] exegetes, in verse 16 of Sura al-Hadid, believers are reprimanded because their hearts do not become humble before the remembrance of God and the truth that has been revealed from Him. The verse also warns them not to be like the People of the Book, whose hearts hardened due to the passage of time, leading them to become transgressors.

According to all exegetes, "the truth that has been revealed" refers to the Quran,[3] and "those who were given the Book before" refers to Jews and Christians.[4] The "term was prolonged for them" (i.e., the passage of time) is interpreted as the interval between the People of the Book and their Prophets or the Day of Judgment.[5]

According to Mohsen Qara'ati, a Quranic exegete, this verse highlights the importance of Khushu' and considers the humility of hearts as the purpose of the revelation of divine verses.[6] In his view, according to this verse, hard-heartedness prevents a person from having Khushu'. In contrast, Faith, remembrance of God, and Recitation of the Quran lead to the humility of the heart.[7]

Occasion of Revelation

There is a difference of opinion among exegetes regarding the occasion of revelation of this verse:[8]

  • Some, quoting Muhammad b. Sa'ib al-Kalbi (2nd/8th-century exegete) and Muqatil b. Sulayman (2nd/8th-century exegete and author of Tafsir Muqatil b. Sulayman), have stated that this verse was revealed concerning the Hypocrites.[9] They believe this verse was revealed in Medina about one year after the Hijra when the hypocrites asked Salman al-Farsi to tell them about the wonders of the Torah. Salman told them, "This Quran is the 'best of stories' (Ahsan al-Qasas)." However, they repeated their request twice more. At this point, the verse in question was revealed, reprimanding them, asking if the time had not come for them to be humble before the name of God and to desist from such words.[10]
  • In contrast, other Shi'a and Sunni exegetes,[11] citing a narration, consider the occasion of revelation to be the companions who, upon coming to Medina and benefiting from the easy life that befell them, and after being relieved from previous hardships, ceased some of their former steadfastness.[12] Therefore, they consider the verse to be a general address and admonition to believers regarding the hardening of hearts and negligence toward the Quran and Dhikr.[13]

The Famous Story of Fudayl b. 'Iyad

It is narrated that a person named Fudayl b. 'Iyad (d. 187/803), who was a dangerous bandit, climbed the wall of a house one night with the intention of reaching a woman. However, at that very moment, he heard the voice of someone reciting the Quran, reading verse 16 of Sura al-Hadid: "Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humble at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth?!" Upon hearing this verse, Fudayl was transformed and repented, crying out: "O Lord, the time has indeed come." Following this incident, he secluded himself, chose Zuhd (asceticism),[14] and became one of the famous Sufis.[15]

Notes

  1. ↑ Bayḍāwī, Anwār al-tanzīl, vol. 5, p. 300; Suyūṭī, Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, vol. 1, p. 721.
  2. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 19, p. 161; Ṭayyib, Aṭyab al-bayān, 1378 Sh, vol. 16, p. 430.
  3. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 19, p. 161; Bayḍāwī, Anwār al-tanzīl, vol. 5, p. 300; Suyūṭī, Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, vol. 1, p. 721.
  4. ↑ Ṭūsī, Al-Tibyān, vol. 9, p. 529; Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-maʿānī, 1415 AH, vol. 27, p. 181; Suyūṭī, Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, vol. 1, p. 721.
  5. ↑ Ṭūsī, Al-Tibyān, vol. 9, p. 529; Suyūṭī, Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, vol. 1, p. 721.
  6. ↑ Qarāʾtī, Tafsīr-i nūr, 1383 Sh, vol. 9, p. 472.
  7. ↑ Qarāʾtī, Tafsīr-i nūr, 1383 Sh, vol. 9, p. 472.
  8. ↑ Fakhr al-Rāzī, Mafātīḥ al-ghayb, 1420 AH, vol. 29, p. 460.
  9. ↑ Ṭabarsī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 9, p. 357; Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-maʿānī, 1415 AH, vol. 27, p. 179.
  10. ↑ Ṭabarsī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 9, p. 357; Thaʿlabī, Al-Kashf wa l-bayān, 1422 AH, vol. 9, p. 239.
  11. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 19, p. 161; Suyūṭī, Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, vol. 1, p. 721.
  12. ↑ Suyūṭī, Al-Durr al-manthūr, vol. 8, p. 58.
  13. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 19, pp. 161, 168; Suyūṭī, Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, vol. 1, p. 721.
  14. ↑ Ibn Khallikān, Wafayāt al-aʿyān, vol. 4, p. 47; Thaʿlabī, Al-Kashf wa l-bayān, 1422 AH, vol. 9, p. 242.
  15. ↑ Āghā Buzurg Tihrānī, Al-Dharīʿa, 1408 AH, vol. 24, p. 151.

References

  • Āghā Buzurg Tihrānī, Muḥammad Muḥsin. Al-Dharīʿa ilā taṣānīf al-Shīʿa. Qom, Ismāʿīliyyān, 1408/1987.
  • Ālūsī, Maḥmūd b. ʿAbd Allāh al-. Rūḥ al-maʿānī fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿaẓīm wa l-sabʿ al-mathānī. Beirut, Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyya, 1415/1994.
  • Bayḍāwī, ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿUmar al-. Anwār al-tanzīl wa asrār al-taʾwīl. Beirut, Dār al-Fikr, n.d.
  • Fakhr al-Rāzī, Muḥammad b. ʿUmar. Mafātīḥ al-ghayb. Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1420/1999.
  • Ibn Khallikān, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad. Wafayāt al-aʿyān. Beirut, Dār al-Thaqāfa, n.d.
  • Qarāʾtī, Muḥsīn. Tafsīr-i nūr. Tehran, Muʾassisa-yi Dars-hāyī az Qurʾān, 1383 Sh.
  • Suyūṭī, Jalāl al-Dīn al-. Al-Durr al-manthūr. Beirut, Dār al-Fikr, n.d.
  • Suyūṭī, Jalāl al-Dīn al-. Tafsīr al-Jalālayn. Beirut, Dār al-Maʿrifa, n.d.
  • Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn. Al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Qom, Daftar-i Intishārāt-i Islāmī, 1417/1996.
  • Ṭabarsī, Faḍl b. Ḥasan al-. Majmaʿ al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Beirut, Dār al-Maʿrifa, n.d.
  • Ṭayyib, Sayyid ʿAbd al-Ḥusayn. Aṭyab al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Tehran, Intishārāt-i Islām, 1378 Sh.
  • Thaʿlabī, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad al-. Al-Kashf wa l-bayān. Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1422/2001.
  • Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. Ḥasan al-. Al-Tibyān. Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, n.d.
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