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References

1. Tafsir al-Qurtubi, vol. 10, pg. 6909

2. Majmaʽ al-Bayan, vol. 10, pg. 405

3. Ibid.

4. Tarikhul Qurʼan, pg. 55

5. Ibid.

6. al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qurʼan, vol. 20, pg. 221

7. Ibid.

8. Tafsir al-Kashshaf, vol. 4, pg. 670

9. Ahqaqul Ḥaqq, vol. 3, pg. 157 to 170 (which has narrated the names of the scholars and the works in which they have written this information).

10. Ibid., pg. 158

11. Majmaʽ al-Bayan, vol. 10, pg. 402

12. Ibid.

13. Is the word ‘هلʼ which has been mentioned in this verse in the meaning of ‘قدʼ or is in it the meaning of a rhetorical question, a negating question? In this regards, there are many different opinions given, however the apparent reading of this verse gives us the understanding that it is indeed a rhetorical question and thus the meaning of this verse would be:

أَلَيْسَ قَدْ أَتـى عَلَـى الإِنْسَانِ حِينَ مِنَ الدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُنْ شَيْئاً مَذْكُوراً؟

Has there not come a time upon the human being when he was a thing not worth mentioning!?

14. Majmaʽ al-Bayan, vol. 10, pg. 406

15. Ibid.

16. Please note that whereas the word ‘نطفةʼ - ‘spermʼ has been mentioned in the singular, however its characteristic of ‘أمشاجʼ - ‘mixedʼ has been mentioned in the plural and this is due to the fact that the sperm itself is made up of various things and actually falls under the ruling of the plural. Scholars, such as al-Zamkhshari in his work, al-Kashshaf have stated that the word ‘أمشاجʼ is the singular form of the word, even though it is based on the pattern of the plural.

17. According to a majority of exegetists of the Qurʼan, the words ‘شاكراًʼ - ‘thankful’ and ‘كفوراًʼ - ‘ungrateful’, are expressional words for the objective pronoun contained in ‘هَدَيْنَاهُʼ - ‘We have guided himʼ. Another possibility exists which states that the predicate ‘يَكُونُʼ may be assumed to be contained in the verse, however is not expressly mentioned. This would render the verse to be interpreted as stating:

إِمَّا يَكُونُ شَاكِراً وَ إِمَّا يَكُونُ كَفُوراً

He is either thankful or he is unthankful.

18. For a deeper explanation in regards to the meaning of ‘أغلالʼ, please refer to verse 8 of Surat Yasin (vol. 18, pg. 321 of Tafsir Namuna).

19. Information for the data mentioned in this section has been taken from volume 1 of the work, The First University and the Last Prophet, and other books.

20. Refer to al-Ghadir, vol. 3, pg. 107 to 111; Ahqaqul Ḥaqq, vol. 3, pg. 157 to 171 in which the above quoted tradition has been narrated from 36 scholars and leaders of the Ahlus Sunnah including their sources of reference.

21. Durr al-Manthur, vol. 6, pg. 297

22. Ibid.

23. Some of the information from this Russian author can be found at:
http://tasbeha.org/content/hh_books/fasting/index.html (Tr.)

24. Ruhul Maani, vol. 29, pg. 158

25. Refer to al-Ihtijaj of al-Tabrisi and al-Khisal of as-Saduq (as has been quoted in al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an, vol. 20, pg. 224)

26. Ruhul Maani, vol. 29, pg. 158

27. One may wonder why the word ‘عَيْناًʼ in this verse is the accusative form? There some very strong possibilities mentioned by the scholars. Perhaps the most appropriate of these is to state that the word “عَيْناً” is in a state of being the accusative due to the rule in ʿArabic grammar of removal and it can be presumed that the phrase “مِنْ عَينٍ” is the actual meaning. Some other scholars have stated that the rule of something which stands in the place of something else is at play here, which in this case is the word ‘كاَفُورٌʼ or camphor; or that it is in the accusative state due to it being regarded as a word denoting specification or extending praise. It is also possible that it refers to the passive participle which is not expressly mentioned, however is taken as being understood and thus, can be understood as being ‘يَشْرَبُـونُ عَيْناًʼ, however just as we previously stated, the first opinion given is more appropriate.

28. The word ‘يَشْـرَبُʼ or ‘he will drinkʼ can become transitive through the ‘بَاءʼ or even without it and it is possible that as it has been mentioned in the word (بِــهَا), it would be in the meaning of ‘مِنْʼ or ‘fromʼ.

29. Nur al-Thaqalayn, vol. 5, pg. 477; Ruhul Maani, vol. 29, pg. 155

30. For a detailed explanation on this issue, please refer to the book, Rulings for Prisons in Islam.

31. al-Kamil of Ibne Athir, vol. 2, pg. 131

32. al-Mufradat of al-Raghib; Lisan al-ʿArab; al-Munjid; Tafsir al-Qurtubi and Majmaʽ al-Bayan.

33. al-Kafi,, vol. 2, Section on Feeding a Believer, no. 3

34. Ibid., no. 6

35. Ibid., no. 18

36. Biharul Anwar, vol. 74, pg. 369. It is important to note that the late ʿAllamah Majlisi has actually presented an entire section which comprises 113 traditions in regards to feeding and clothing a true believer. In addition, he has compiled traditions which speak about paying another person’s debts and some of the traditions mentioned in the chapter of his magnum opus are very general (not specifically related to feeding or clothing a believer - rather any human being).

37. Ibid.

38. Durr al-Manthur, vol. 6, pg. 300

39. Ruh al-Maani, vol. 29, pg. 159

40. The word ‘قطوفʼ is the plural of ‘قِطفʼ with a ‘fathaʼ on the first letter or a ‘kasrahʼ on the first letter. The meaning of the first form is the actual trait, while the second word has the infinitive meaning of the word - thus either a fruit which has been picked from a tree or to pick a fruit from a tree.

41. Majmaʽ al-Bayan, vol. 10, pg. 411

42. Majmaʽ al-Bayan, vol. 10, pg. 410

43. Ruh al-Maani, vol. 29, pg. 159

44. In regards to the state of the word ‘عيناًʼ, it follows the same pattern and the same word a few verses previous in which ‘عيناًʼ was also mentioned. It is accepted that it is in the accusative state with a type of removal present.

45. Some exegetists of the Qur’an have stated that the word ‘سلسبيلʼ is indeclinable according to the rules of Arabic language since there is both a specific noun and also it is a non-Arabic word and thus, it has taken its own double-diacritics for it to fit in the same pattern as the end of the other verses of this Surah.

46. Some exegetes of the Qur’an have clearly stated that the particle ‘ثـمʼ found in this verse is the adverb of the place, while the word ‘رأيتʼ is in the meaning of the intransitive verb and thus the meaning of this verse would be, ‘إذا رميت ببصرك ثـم رأيت نعيما و ملكاً كبيراًʼ or that ‘When you see with your eyes, you will see the blessings and a great kingdom.ʼ Another possibility has also been mentioned which states that the ‘ثـمʼ in this verse is the demonstrative pronoun for something far away and is the object for the transitive verb ‘رأيتʼ.

47. Majmaʽ al-Bayan, vol. 10, pg. 411

48. In regards to the grammatical states of the word ‘عَالِيَهُمْʼ, there are two possibilities: the first is that it is the pronoun denoting spatial situations in the meaning of ‘aboveʼ. If we take this meaning then the verse would be understood as saying, ‘فَوْقَهُمْ ثِيَابُ سُنْدُسٍʼ or ‘above them are clothes of silkʼ. The second possibility is that it is the accusative for the pronoun ‘هُمْʼ which came in the previous verse and refers back to ‘أبرارʼ and if we accept this possibility, then the meaning of this verse would be ‘حالكونهم يعلوهم ثياب سندس خضرʼ.

49. Majmaʽ al-Bayan, vol. 10, pg. 411

50. Nur al-Thaqalayn, vol. 5, pg. 485, no. 60

51. In reality, there is a sentence which should be taken as being intended but not expressly mentioned which reads, ‘يقال لهمʼ or ‘It was said to themʼ or ‘يقول الله لهمʼ or ‘Allah will say to them.ʼ

52. Majmaʽ al-Bayan, vol. 10, pg. 413

53. In the commentary, Ruh al-Bayan, vol. 8, pg. 439, it has been mentioned that if ‘وراءʼ is annexed to a verb then it carries the meaning of ‘behindʼ, however if it is annexed with an object, then it is in the meaning of ‘in frontʼ.

54. This verse has a sentence which must be taken as being intended (by Allah) but not expressly mentioned and can be presumed as being: ‘بَدَّلْنَاهُمْ أَمْثَالَهُمْʼ. It must be noted that the verb ‘to changeʼ (تَبْدِيلٌ) usually takes two objects and thus in this case, the pronoun in ‘هُمْʼ is the first object, while ‘أَمْثَالَهُمْʼ is the second object.

55. As for what is the inflection of ‘إن يشاء اللهʼ? A group of exegetes of the Qurʼan have stated that it is in a state of the ‘accusative or ‘subjunctive caseʼ due to it being the pronoun denoting time and thus, this phrase would mean, ‘مَا تَشَاوُن َإِلاَّ وَقْتُ مَشِيَّةِ اللِهʼ - ‘You will not desire except when the time comes for when Allah decides’ - however another supposition also exists which states that ‘شيئاʼ is in an elliptical and thus, this phrase would mean, ‘وَ مَا تَشَاؤُنَ إِلاَّ شَيْئاً يَشَآءَ اللهُʼ - ‘You will not desire anything except that Allah (first) decides that thing (before-hand).”

56. Tafsir of Fakhr ad-Din Razi, vol. 30, pg. 262

57. A detailed discussion on the issue of this verse which deals with the intention can be seen in vol. 19 of Tafsir Namuna, pp. 461-468 (under the commentary of verse 37 of Suratul Zumur) of Tafsir Namuna.