Is it correct to say that there are extra letters in the Qur'an?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah bless you: Is it correct to say that there are extra letters in the Qur'an?
The Shaykh : If by "extra" you mean extra in terms of grammar, then there are extra letters in the Qur'an in terms of grammar. But if "extra" means having no meaning, then that is not correct. So when Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) says:[Fussilat 41:46], the letter "ba" is extra in terms of grammar. For this reason, if the sentence were not in the Qur'an and you said, "And your Lord is not unjust to the servants," the speech would be grammatically correct. But in terms of meaning, no. There is absolutely nothing extra in the Qur'an in terms of meaning, because if we said there is something extra in the Qur'an in terms of meaning, it would follow that there is something in the speech that is useless and has no benefit.
If someone asks: What is the benefit of the extra letters in the Qur'an?
We say: The benefit is emphasis. This is part of the language of the Arabs; they emphasize things with extra letters. And the Qur'an was revealed in the Arabic language, as the Exalted said:[Ash-Shu'ara 26:192-195] So the man asks: What does he mean by "extra"?
If he says: Extra in terms of grammar, we say: Correct. Extra in terms of meaning, we say: Wrong.
The Shaykh : If by "extra" you mean extra in terms of grammar, then there are extra letters in the Qur'an in terms of grammar. But if "extra" means having no meaning, then that is not correct. So when Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) says:
And your Lord is not ever unjust to [His] servants.
وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِلْعَبِيدِIf someone asks: What is the benefit of the extra letters in the Qur'an?
We say: The benefit is emphasis. This is part of the language of the Arabs; they emphasize things with extra letters. And the Qur'an was revealed in the Arabic language, as the Exalted said:
(192) And indeed, the Qur'an is the revelation of the Lord of the worlds. (193) The Trustworthy Spirit has brought it down (194) Upon your heart, [O Muhammad] - that you may be of the warners - (195) In a clear Arabic language.
وَإِنَّهُ لَتَنْزِيلُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ * نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ * عَلَى قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنْذِرِينَ * بِلِسَانٍ عَرَبِيٍّ مُبِينٍIf he says: Extra in terms of grammar, we say: Correct. Extra in terms of meaning, we say: Wrong.