The Quran has a unique style. It has the simplicity and continuity found in prose, yet it is not prose. It has the beat, rhythm and poise of poetry, yet it is not poetry. It is not the book we are usually acquainted with in which there are chapters and sections which deal with a specific topic or topics. The people of Arabia would sometimes call it as poetry and sometimes likened it to rhymed prose of the soothsayers, and it is this uncertainty of theirs which itself shows that they were not satisfied with what they said about it. In reality, the Quran is a unique book as per its style. It has the flow of tumultuous torrents and the vigour of pounding seas waves. Its sound reasoning has many variations that cannot be emulated; topics are connected to one another with subtle harmony; it cites stories and anecdotes; the discourse returns to its central theme every now and then; verses which portray threat, intimidation and punishment are found in various styles; other verses depict sorrow and longing; emphatic expressions are another hallmark of its style; similarly, we find verses which express intense emotions of disgust, indifference and unconcern. Instances which reflect warmth and affection are as warm and affectionate as dew drops and instances which reflect wrath and rage are as fiery and resounding as thunder. The unique ways of address it contains simply enchant a reader to a state of trance. It is because of this unique and inimitable style that the Almighty says:

لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى جَبَلٍ لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ (21:59)

Had We brought down this Qur’an upon a mountain, [O Prophet!] You would have seen it humble itself and break asunder for fear of God. And we mention these parables to these people that they may deliberate. (59:21)

But what exactly is the genre of the Quran? What at best can be said as an answer to this question is that it resembles an oration. No doubt this is only a mere resemblance; it cannot be termed oratory in the strict sense of the word. However, it does come close to it, and on this basis the following things should remain in consideration before a student of the Quran:

Firstly, in order to understand the Quran, its ambience should be studied; this means that the background, situation and the requisites be determined in which a surah was revealed. Nothing is required for this beyond deliberation on the Quran itself, and the light of the Quran itself suffices for this. When a person deliberates on the Quran, concentrates on each and every word of it, tries to understand the rhythm and beat of the words and the construction of the sentences, the occasions on which a discourse is uttered become fully clear. Such is the extent of this clarity that they become an evidence on themselves and no external argument is required for any corroboration. Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:

… the only correct way is to comprehend the background from indications and clues found within the Qur’an. Once a person is able to ascertain the addressees of the discourse such that which among them are addressed directly and which indirectly; what is the phase whose circumstances the addressees are facing; what are the questions which have been raised by this phase whose answer is awaited by both friend and foe; what is the nature of the hostility by the enemies and what are the circumstances in which allies and friends find themselves in; what are various groups which have joined forces with the enemies while adopting various measures and tactics and what are the thoughts of the allies and associates, then the whole structure and sequence of the discourse becomes fully evident. All these aspects speak of themselves within the drift of the discourse. Thus if they are ascertained through hard work, the whole sequence and arrangement of the Qur’an becomes fully evident and the effect of reading a surah is the same as that of listening to an apt and timely oration of a great orator.[1]

Secondly, the direction of address of the Quran should be ascertained at each place. The direction of address shifts a number of times in the Quran at very short intervals and sometimes even in a single verse. At one instant, Muslims would be the addressees, and, at the next, the mushrikun would become the addressees; similarly, the People of the Book would be addressed in a verse and all of a sudden the address would shift to the Muslims. A similar shift is experienced in singular and plural entities. This change occurs both in the speaker and the spoken to. At one instant, the speaker would be God and then suddenly Gabriel would assume the speaker’s role. At another instant, the speaker would be Gabriel and then suddenly the discourse would emanate from the mouth of Muhammad (sws). In short, just as an orator shifts from one addressee to another by shift in his tone, facial expressions and the grandeur of the words used, in a similar manner, the address in the Quran also changes rapidly. Thus it is essential that this aspect must be given full consideration while interpreting and explaining the Quran. It should be ascertained whether the speaker for example is God, Gabriel, the Prophet (sws) or the people. Similarly, it should be determined whether the spoken to is God, the Prophet (sws) or the people. Among the people, it must be ascertained if they are Muslims or Hypocrites or the People of the Book or the Idolaters among the Ishmaelites or if they are two or three among these or if all of them are spoken to. Then there may be instances of ambiguity in address as well. Sometimes, a verse would apparently address the Prophet (sws); however, in reality the address would be directed at the Muslim ummah. Similarly, an apparent address to him would actually be directed at the leadership of the Quraysh or at the People of the Book. Examples of such address abound in the Quran. Thus it is essential that this distinction be made with full caution, and it be fully ascertained who the actual addressee is. Without this, the real purport of the Quran cannot be grasped.

Thirdly, general and specific verses should be differentiated. There are many places in the Quran where the words are general; however, the context testifies with full certainty that something specific is meant. The Quran uses the word النَّاس (people), but it doesnot refer to all the people of the world; and many a time, it does not even refer to all the people of Arabia: it refers to a group among them. It uses the expression عَلَى الدِّيْنِ كُلِّهِ (on all the religions), and it does not refer to all religions of the world; it refers to المُشْركُوْن (polytheists) but they do not refer to all those who are guilty of polytheism. Similarly, the words إِنْ مِنْ أهْلِ الْكِتَابِ (and from these People of the Book) do not refer to all the People of Book of the world. It mentions the word الإِنْسَان (man) but it does not refer to mankind. This then is a common style of the Quran, and if it is not taken into consideration while explaining and interpreting the Quran, a person can end up misunderstanding the whole purport of the Quran. Thus it is of paramount importance that the interpretation of words of the Quran must always remain subservient to its context and usage.

(Meezan: Javed Ahmed Ghamidi)

(Translated by Dr. Shehzad Saleem)

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[1]. Amin Ahsan Islahi, Mabadi Tadabbur-i Qur’an, 1st ed. (Lahore: Faran Foundation, 1988), 210.