Explanation of the author's statement: "So Allah revealed these verses: 'So I swear by the stars as they fall...'"
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The Shaykh :[Al-Waqi'ah 56:75-76] First: His saying "I do not swear." There is no disagreement regarding the negated element. It was said that it is an oath, and the meaning is that the matter does not require an oath, so "I do not swear to it." Undoubtedly, this is weak. The next weakest view is that the negated element is omitted, with the implied meaning being "There is no truth to what you claim." On this basis, the second view is that "la" is not a negation but for emphasis, and this is the correct view. The oath is affirmed. Is "la" negation or affirmation? It is affirmation. Allah the Exalted said: We raised an objection regarding the oath. We said: If Allah the Glorious and Exalted is truthful—and He is truthful, Mighty and Majestic—did He swear or not? What is the benefit of the oath? Because if the oath is directed toward people who believe in Allah and believe in His speech, there is no need for it. And if the oath is directed toward people who do not believe in Him and do not believe in His speech, then yes, there is no benefit in it. [Al-Baqarah 2:145] This is an objection that has been raised. What is the answer to it? Well, this is what we said. Good.
The student: ... The saying of Ibrahim:[Al-Baqarah 2:260] .
The Shaykh : Fine.
The student: I say that the oath of Allah the Glorious and Exalted by the falling of the stars, followed by the mention of the Qur'an, indicates the greatness of this matter, meaning that the affair is not ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: ... for the believers, it increases their certainty.
The Shaykh : Increasing certainty, just as Muhammad said.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Very well.
The student: And for the disbelievers, the argument is established against them ... .
The Shaykh : Fine.
The student: We say that the oath is either for emphasis to refute the denier, or for emphasis even for one whose mind is clear ... .
The Shaykh : It is as if you are saying this is a style of the Arabs in affirming what should be affirmed. Yes, and the Qur'an was revealed in a clear Arabic language, so it followed the style of the Arabs. So now, regarding the oath, the answer to this objection is from several angles?
The first angle: This is an Arabic style of affirming things by oath, even if they are known to everyone or if they are denied by the one addressed. He affirms by oath, following what? Following the Arabic style. And the Qur'an, as is known to everyone, was revealed in a clear Arabic language.
Second: As for the believer, his certainty increases by it, and there is no harm in increasing the affirmations that increase the certainty of the servant. Among these is the saying of Ibrahim:[Al-Baqarah 2:260]
The third angle: What Allah the Glorious and Exalted swears by, He only swears by great matters that indicate the perfection of His power, knowledge, wisdom, and greatness. So it is as if He establishes by this that by which He swears the proofs for the truth of what He swore to. Everything by which Allah swears is a great matter, so in that there is an indication of the truth of what He swore to, by means of the greatness of what He swore by.
The fourth angle: Exalting the status of that by which He swears, because He does not swear except by something great. And this benefit does not return to the verification of the report, but rather to mentioning the verses by which He swore, exalting them and drawing attention to their greatness. So this benefit is from where? From which aspect? It is not just for the affirmation of the report, but for drawing attention to what is in this that by which He swears of an indication of the greatness of Allah and His oneness, and so on. It becomes clear that the oath, therefore, has a benefit in any case. These are four benefits, or four angles, by which one responds to the one who said that if the address is to a believer, there is no need for an oath, and if it is to a disbeliever who denies, the oath does not benefit him.
And His saying the Exalted:[Al-Waqi'ah 56:75] "By the falling of the stars." It was mentioned to us previously that Allah the Exalted speaks of Himself with the singular pronoun and with the plural pronoun, and He does not speak with the dual pronoun at all, because the dual is limited and confined to two, and the singular indicates singularity, and Allah is One, Exalted is He. And the plural indicates greatness; it does not indicate multiplicity, but it indicates multiplicity by circumstances. [Al-Waqi'ah 56:75] The "ba" is a letter of oath, and "maqa'i" is the plural of "maqa'" (place), and the exegetes differed regarding "al-nujum" (the stars). It was said that they are the known stars, the stars of the sky. On this basis, their "maqa'i" are their places of falling, meaning the places of their setting. Yes. And it is possible, and this is what the exegetes said, that "maqa'i al-nujum" also means their rising places. What are the places of falling? The places of falling and the places of rising, because each of them is a place. And Allah swore by them for what they indicate of the perfection of power, for this wonderful, exquisite order, and for what is in them of a connection between that by which He swears and that to which He swears, which is the preserved Qur'an, by means of
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, the preserved Qur'an, by means of the shooting stars that depart from these stars. For the sky was filled with severe guards and shooting stars when the revelation was sent down. So there is a connection between that by which He swears and that to which He swears. This is on the view that what is meant by "stars" is the stars of the sky. And it was said that what is meant by "stars" is the periods, meaning the periods of the revelation of the Qur'an. From this is their saying: "The Qur'an was revealed gradually." And from this is their saying: "The mukatab (one who has a contract to buy his freedom)." The jurists say that the debt of the mukatab must be deferred by two stars or more. So on this basis, Allah swore by the "maqa'i," meaning the times of the revelation of the Qur'an. And a rule in exegesis has preceded us: "If the two meanings do not contradict each other, the verse is taken to apply to both; and if they contradict, the one that is more probable is sought." And we preferred what is more probable.
(75) Then I swear by the setting of the stars, (76) And indeed, it is an oath - if you could know - [most] great.
فلا أقسم بمواقع النجوم * وإنه لقسم لو تعلمون عظيمI do not swear.
لا أُقسمAnd if you brought to those who were given the Scripture every sign, they would not follow your qiblah.
وَلَئِنْ أَتَيْتَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ بِكُلِّ آيَةٍ مَا تَبِعُوا قِبْلَتَكَThe student: ... The saying of Ibrahim:
[Allah] said, "Have you not believed?" He said, "Yes, but [I ask] only that my heart may be satisfied."
قال أولم تؤمن قال بلى ولكن ليطمئن قلبيThe Shaykh : Fine.
The student: I say that the oath of Allah the Glorious and Exalted by the falling of the stars, followed by the mention of the Qur'an, indicates the greatness of this matter, meaning that the affair is not ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: ... for the believers, it increases their certainty.
The Shaykh : Increasing certainty, just as Muhammad said.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Very well.
The student: And for the disbelievers, the argument is established against them ... .
The Shaykh : Fine.
The student: We say that the oath is either for emphasis to refute the denier, or for emphasis even for one whose mind is clear ... .
The Shaykh : It is as if you are saying this is a style of the Arabs in affirming what should be affirmed. Yes, and the Qur'an was revealed in a clear Arabic language, so it followed the style of the Arabs. So now, regarding the oath, the answer to this objection is from several angles?
The first angle: This is an Arabic style of affirming things by oath, even if they are known to everyone or if they are denied by the one addressed. He affirms by oath, following what? Following the Arabic style. And the Qur'an, as is known to everyone, was revealed in a clear Arabic language.
Second: As for the believer, his certainty increases by it, and there is no harm in increasing the affirmations that increase the certainty of the servant. Among these is the saying of Ibrahim:
"My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead." [Allah] said, "Have you not believed?" He said, "Yes, but [I ask] only that my heart may be satisfied."
رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِنْ قَالَ بَلَى وَلَكِنْ لِيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِيThe third angle: What Allah the Glorious and Exalted swears by, He only swears by great matters that indicate the perfection of His power, knowledge, wisdom, and greatness. So it is as if He establishes by this that by which He swears the proofs for the truth of what He swore to. Everything by which Allah swears is a great matter, so in that there is an indication of the truth of what He swore to, by means of the greatness of what He swore by.
The fourth angle: Exalting the status of that by which He swears, because He does not swear except by something great. And this benefit does not return to the verification of the report, but rather to mentioning the verses by which He swore, exalting them and drawing attention to their greatness. So this benefit is from where? From which aspect? It is not just for the affirmation of the report, but for drawing attention to what is in this that by which He swears of an indication of the greatness of Allah and His oneness, and so on. It becomes clear that the oath, therefore, has a benefit in any case. These are four benefits, or four angles, by which one responds to the one who said that if the address is to a believer, there is no need for an oath, and if it is to a disbeliever who denies, the oath does not benefit him.
And His saying the Exalted:
Then I swear by the setting of the stars,
فلا أقسم بمواقع النجومI swear by the setting of the stars,
أقسم بمواقع النجومThe student: ...
The Shaykh : No, the preserved Qur'an, by means of the shooting stars that depart from these stars. For the sky was filled with severe guards and shooting stars when the revelation was sent down. So there is a connection between that by which He swears and that to which He swears. This is on the view that what is meant by "stars" is the stars of the sky. And it was said that what is meant by "stars" is the periods, meaning the periods of the revelation of the Qur'an. From this is their saying: "The Qur'an was revealed gradually." And from this is their saying: "The mukatab (one who has a contract to buy his freedom)." The jurists say that the debt of the mukatab must be deferred by two stars or more. So on this basis, Allah swore by the "maqa'i," meaning the times of the revelation of the Qur'an. And a rule in exegesis has preceded us: "If the two meanings do not contradict each other, the verse is taken to apply to both; and if they contradict, the one that is more probable is sought." And we preferred what is more probable.