Mufassalat: Difference between revisions

'''Mufaṣṣalāt''' (Arabic: {{ia|المُفَصَّلات}}) are short [[Sura|chapter]]s at the end of the [[Qur'an]]. They are also called '''Riyāḍ al-Qur'an'''. In these chapters, [[abrogated]] verses can less be seen. Therefore, they are also called [[Muhkamat]]. Mufassalat end with the [[Sura al-Nas|chapter al-Nas]]; but, about the beginning of them, there are 12 different opinions. They are divided in three groups regarding the number of [[verse]]s: Ṭiwāl (long chapters), Awsāṭ (middle-size chapters) and Qiṣār (short chapters).

In usages, Mufassalat refer to the chapters at the end of the Qur'an which are short and are separated from each other with the verse "In the Name of [[God]], the All-Compassionate, the Most Merciful".<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Majmaʿ al-bayān'', vol. 1, p. 26; Rāmyār, ''Tārīkh-i Qurʾān'', p. 595.</ref>

Since abrogated verses are few in these chapters, they are also called Muhkamat. In a narration in which [[Ibn Abbas]] has answered a question about Muhkam, he has interpreted it as Mufassal.<ref>Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal, ''Musnad'', vol. 4, p. 343.</ref> In some [[hadith]]s, these chapters have been called Riyad al-Qur'an.<ref>Sakhāwī, ''Jamāl al-qurāʾ'', vol. 1, p. 89.</ref>

"Chapters of Tiwal have been given to me instead of [[Torah]], and chapters of Sunan have been given to me instead of [[gospels]] and [chapters of] [[Mathani]] instead of [[Zabur]]; and I was given superiority over them by the chapters of Mufassal which are 68. And the Qur'an has dominance over books of other prophets (a)."<ref>Jurjānī, ''Jalāʾ al-adhhān'', vol. 1, p. 5; Suyūṭī, ''al-Durr al-Manthūr'', vol. 6, p. 101.</ref>

There are other [[hadiths]] transmitted from the Prophet (s) such as the hadith of Wathila b. Asqa' about Mufassalat. In these hadiths, God has given the Prophet (s) superiority over other prophets (a) because of Mufassal chapters.<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Majmaʿ al-bayān'', vol. 1, p. 25.</ref>

Mufassalat chapters are divided to three groups based on the number of verses:

* [[Tiwal chapters]] which are chapters including [[Sura al-Hujurat|al-Hujurat]] or [[Sura Qaf|Qaf]] to chapter [[Sura al-Naba'|al-Naba']] or [[Sura al-Buruj|al-Buruj]].

* [[Awsat chapters]] which are chapters including [[Sura al-Tariq|al-Tariq]] to [[Sura al-Bayyina|al-Bayyina]]

* [[Qisar chapters]] which are chapters including [[Sura al-Zilzal|al-Zilzal]] to al-Nas.<ref>''Farhang nāma-yi ʿulūm-i Qurʾān'', p. 2412.</ref>

== Exegetes' Opinions about the first chapter of Mufassalaat ==

The last chapter of Mufassalat is [[Sura al-Nas|al-Nas]] as agreed by all, but there are 12 opinions about the first chapter of Mufassalat: [[Sura al-Saffat|al-Saffat]], [[Sura al-Jathiya|al-Jathiya]], [[Sura Muhammad|Muhammad (s)]], [[Sura al-Fath|al-Fath]], al-Hujurat, Qaf, [[Sura al-Rahman|al-Rahman]], [[Sura al-Saff|al-Saff]], [[Sura al-Furqan|al-Furqan]], [[Sura al-Furqan|al-Insan]], [[Sura al-Furqan|al-A'la]] and [[Sura al-Furqan|al-Duha]].<ref>Sakhāwī, ''Jamāl al-qurāʾ'', vol. 1, p. 89.</ref>