Miracles of the Quran and Arabic

Imagine you are alive at the time of the Prophet SAW 1400 years ago. It is night time, it is
hot, you are relaxed in your house trying to keep cool. Suddenly you hear a fast hard knock
at the door, it is your best friend, ‘Come quick! Come quick! It’s a miracle! Muhammad has
split the moon in two!!!’ It is too much effort for you to get up, put your clothes on, and go
outside, so instead you just say…. ‘Cool, I’ll take your word for it!’ and continue relaxing as
you are.

Fast forward 20 years down the line. One of you - you and your friend who witnessed the
miracle - has been completely firm in their deen the whole time, no doubts at all. The other
one has had doubts creeping in…’how do I REALLY know that Allah exists…how do I
REALLY know that the Quran is His word?’ etc. Who do you think it will be?

What is the nature of a miracle? What function does it serve? It is indisputable proof of the
existence of a Creator - Allah - but it can only be recognized and realized by those who know
the area in which the miracle takes place.

The miracles of the Prophets had to tell the people about Allaah and their God. Each Prophet
gave these miracles to their people as something unusual that happened, so that the people
would know it was from God, and it would be something that wouldn’t happen again, and it
was something that other people cant do. If its something that MAYBE it can happen, not
called a miracle. Eg someone thought would never walk again, doctors are able to make them
walk, so exclaim - ‘It’s a miracle!’ How many times have we heard this from beginning of
time to end of time - fact that it has been repeated so many times, is NOT called a miracle.

Prophet Sulayman - everything under his command, had so much power, even animals, wind,
jinn etc, everything under his power through permission from Allaah. Prophet Ibrahim -
thrown into fire and was saved. Prophet Musa - magic. Isa - healing, bring. ALL with
permission from God, none was by himself. Even born without mother - miracle. When
Maryam was given food from nowhere - miracle. Allaah has POWER to do these things,
need to get our minds OUT of framework of this world. Allaah CREATES, and creation
MANIPULATES.. If think back to Musa, when he faced the magicians with the snake. The
magicians who were the experts in their field, they were the ones to fall down prostrate to
Allaah, but the ordinary people like Pharoah and his ministers were not moved, because they
weren’t an expert in this field. They couldn’t explain it, instead Fir3awn said innahu la
kabeerukumullaadhee 3allamakumus sihr, wa la sawfa ta3lamoon. La uqatti3anna
aydiyakum wa arjulakum min khilaafin wa la usallibannakum ajma3een. Just based on
witnessing this one event, they were willing to put their whole lives on the line, to die for
Allaah - ‘qaloo laa dayr, innaa ilaa rabbinaa munqaliboon, inna natma3u an yaghfira
lanaa rabbunaa khataayaanaa an kunnaa awwalal mu2mineen.’ This was the power of
witnessing a single miracle, something they recognised as a miracle.

Dear brothers and sisters. We are acting like the person who does not need to see the miracle,
who doenst want to put in a little bit of effort to witness it, who will just take someone’s word
for it. Dear brothers and sister, Allaah has given us a miracle. And it is not a one time
miracle. He gives us the chance MANY times a day to witness this miracle - He knows the
value of it, how it will affect our eemaan, our tawheed, our belief in Him. We have someone
knocking on our door at LEAST five times a day saying ‘Come! Look! It’s a miracle!’ and
instead we choose to say, ‘Ill take your word for it.’ And not put in the effort needed to go and
witness it for ourselves.

It is not mere words, let me give you examples of how witnessing this miracle affected
different people. At the time of the Prophet SAW, the ppl of Makkah were not the ones who
persistently said it is poetry, because they recognised it. The same people who would hurl
accusations at him, would come to his house in the middle of the night and stand outside to
hear the Quran being recited. Theres a story about Amr ibn Saleem and Sulayman ibn
Masood. Amr came first to the hosue of the Propeht and then Sulaymaan came, and when he
saw Amr he said ‘What are you doing here?’ Amr said, ‘what are YOU doing here?’
Sulayman said, ‘I guess we’re doing the same thing, we want to listen to Muhammad.’

Umar ibn al-Khattaab: Was one of main enemies of Islam. Was so mad at Prophet, took his
sword to go and kill him. Was one of strongest people in Makkah. Someone saw him, asked
where are you going? Said am going to kill Muhammad. Man said, don’t worry about him,
worry about your sister, she just became Muslim. He got so mad, he went to his sister to kill
her instead. When she opened, asked ‘Did you become Muslim?’ Said yes. Slapped her so
hard, blood came from her face. Then took her husband and started beating him up. His sister
was carrying some paper with ayahs on it, and he asked what is in your hands give me it. Said
no, you’re not clean. Eventually took it from her, and what did he read? Ta-Ha. We have not
sent down the Qur'ân unto you (O Muhammad) to cause you distress, But only as a
Reminder to those who fear (Allâh). A revelation from Him (Allâh) Who has created the
earth and high heavens. The Most Beneficent (Allâh) Istawâ (rose over) the (Mighty)
Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty). To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and
all that is on the earth, and all that is between them, and all that is under the soil. And if
you (O Muhammad) speak (the invocation) aloud, then verily, He knows the secret and that
which is yet more hidden. Allâh! Lâ ilâla illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped
but He)! To Him belong the Best Names. When he read this, his eyes filled with tears. He
said to his sister, where’s Muhammad? She said why? He said, Tell me where he is! She could
tell he was different, he had calmed down., She made him promise he wouldn’t harm him. So
she told him where he was. Umar went, and knocked on the door. Prophet could tell it was
him, and was with some people so said, It is Umar let me deal with him. Opened door and
said ‘Isnt it about time you became Muslim O Umar?’ Umar said ashhadu allaa illaaha illa
Allaah wa ashadu annaka rasoolullaah.

What is the reason for this? From only a few verses he read, he went from being so mad he
wanted to kill Muhammad, to so soft that he became muslim, one of thebest muslims in
history.

When Prophet was praying in Kabah, ppl used to laugh at him, curse him, throw rocks at him.
Some verses were revealed about this in surah al-alaq (surah 96, verse 9-end). Have you (O
Muhammad) seen him (i.e. Abû Jahl) who prevents, 10. A slave (Muhammad) when he
prays? 11. Tell me, if he (Muhammad) is on the guidance (of Allâh)? 12. Or enjoins piety?
13. Tell me if he (the disbeliever, Abû Jahl) denies (the truth, i.e. this Qur'ân), and turns
away? 14. Knows he not that Allâh does see (what he does)? 15. Nay! If he (Abû Jahl)
ceases not, We will catch him by the forelock, 16. A lying, sinful forelock! 17. Then, let him
call upon his council (of helpers), 18. We will call the guards of Hell (to deal with him)!
After the Prophet had suffered so much hardship in Makkah, he went to Makkah and recited
these verses to the Arab enemies of Islam. Then he recited 19. Nay! (O Muhammad)! Do not
obey him (Abû Jahl). Fall prostrate and draw near to Allâh! When the non-Muslims heard
these verses, all of them around also went down into sujood as Allaah SWT said. Allaah was
speaking to the Prophet, but all the non-Muslims also went into sujood. They didn’t become
muslim - but the verses mentioned were so beautiful and powerful they couldn’t stop
themselves.
Another time, Umar had set out to kill the Prophet, but he was praying. SO Umar said I am
not going to kill him from his back, I’ll wait till he finishes and gets up. Prophet was reciting
some verses from the Qur’an and Umar thought to himself, wow, he is an excellent poet! Just
then Prophet said (surah al-Haqqah verse 40) Innahu la qawlu rasoolin kareem. Wa maa
huwa bi qawli shaa3ir qaleelan maa tu’minoon. So Umar thought, omg he knows what I
was thinking, he must be a magician. Then Prophet recited next verse. Wa laa bi qawli
kaahinin qaleelan maa tadhakkaroon. So Umar is thinking to himself, so what is it then?
Then he recited tanzeelun min rabbil 3aalameen. At that point, Umar felt something, his
heart softened, but arrogance often overcomes the truth.

The miracles that were given to the prophets were such that they would have the greatest
impact on that particular nation. The people at the time of Moses (peace be upon him)
excelled in magic and sorcery, so he was given miracles which surpassed all their abilities, as
a proof of his prophethood. The people at the time of Jesus (peace be upon him) excelled in
healing and medicine, and he was accordingly given appropriate miracles. The people at the
time of Muhammad (peace be upon him) were masters of language and eloquence - he was
sent to them with the Qur’ān. The powerful effect it had on its listeners, who were skilled
practitioners in the art of rhetoric, was unsurpassable. Few could help but be enchanted by it,
including al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra. He was the top poet in Makkah, most famous for it, his
tribe was known for him. Ppl in Makkah first said he was crazy, then a poet, then a magician.
Why did they say he was a magician? Al-Waleed was walking past Muhammad when he was
with some people. When prophet saw him, he raised his voice and recited some verses of
Quran. When he heard it, he stopped but didn’t look at him. He continued reciting. He then
was walking on and said to himself in a loud voice, this is not poetry, this is not poetry, this is
beautiful. Ppl heard him and thought he became muslim! So they followed him to his house
to find out what is wrong. So he went out and said to them, ‘I swear by God, there is none
amongst you who knows poetry as well as I do, nor can any compete with me in composition
or rhetoric – not even in the poetry of jinns! And yet, I swear by God, Muhammad’s speech
(i.e. the Qur’ān) does not bear any similarity to anything I know, and I swear by God, the
speech that he says is very sweet, and is adorned with beauty and charm. Its first part is
fruitful, and its last part is abundant, and it conquers all other speech, and remains
unconquered! It shatters and destroys all that has come before it!’ ‘You say that Muhammad
is crazy, but he’s not acting like a crazy man, right? You say that he is a poet, but I know that
what he has is not poetry. If you have to say anything, say that he is a magician. He breaks up
families, so call him a magician.’ So ppl stopped saying he was a poet.

--

This is the miracle we have - the miracle of the Qur’an. Prophet Muhammad SAW - last of
the Prophets - miracle was the last miracle, and the most lasting. Why? Prove to me that
Jesus used to heal the people, and bring the dead back to life? Cant do it. Prove to me that
Musa turned the stick into a snake. Cant do it. Even prove that the bible and the Torah are
from God! Cant do it! But the main miracle of the Prophet SAW was…the Qur’an. Think for
a minute why he came with the Quran as a miracle…you cant prove the other miracles of the
Prophets. Everyone who saw the snake of Musa is now dead, there is no hard evidence,
nothing to prove he even existed! But the Quran is still here. In exactly the same way that
the Prophet SAW had it, and this is proof of the miracle of Muhammad to last for all time.

So why do I keep saying the Quran is a miracle? ‘And they say, “Why are not miracles sent
down to him from his Lord?” Say: “The signs are only with Allāh, and I am only a plain
warner.” Is it not a sufficient miracle for them that We have sent down to you the Book
which is recited to them? Verily, herein is a mercy and a reminder for a people who
believe.’ (29:50-51) Allaah sent the Quran in Arabic as a very rich lang. The people at the
time were proficient and skillful in Arabic to the point that - we have different sports today,
some of us like football, some of us like basketball, some even devote their lives to it, would -
and HAVE - died for it. (Bill Shankly once said; “Some people believe football is a matter of
life and death. I'm very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much much more
important than that.”) - so at that time, the ‘sport’ of the Arabs was the Arabic language. They
would have markets at which they would gather and each one would recite his poetry
composition and compete. The best poetry would be hung on the walls of the kabah -
equivalent to the trophy. And whoever won, not just him but his whole family and tribe
would be put on a higher level, and loved and respected..’ah you are from the family of
labeed,’ and would get respect. So it was something to be very proud of. People trained their
children from a young age to compose poetry. So Allah sent the miracle to them in their field
of expertise. Quran is not only a miracle in the language, its also a miracle in history, science,
medicine, every aspect, but the main miracle, for which is it know, is the language. To
emphasise the point, Allah posed a challenge in the Quran. He challenged anyone on earth,
whether man or jinn, to bring a book like the Quran. They failed. So He made the challenge
easier. He said bring only ten chapters the same. If you are against Islam, want to refute it,
want to support your claims that Muhammad is a liar and a poet, then just bring ten chapters
like it. They failed, for 1400 years they could not bring such a high level language. Half a
page. "That the best of arab writers has never succeeded in producing anything equal in
merit to the qur'an itself is not surprising" (professor e.h palmer in his introduction to the
koran, london 1820) "well then, if the qur'an were his own composition other men could rival
it. Let them produce ten verses like it. If they could not (and it is obvious that they could not)
then let them accept the qur'an as an outstanding evidential miracle." h.a.r gibb,
mohammedanism, london, 1953, p33

What exactly makes it inimitable? examples

"as has been noted, the language of the qur'an is regarded as supparsing everything that can
be written in arabic. The qur'an itself is a miracle and cannot be imitated by man." (the new
encyclopaedia britannica, vol15, 15th edition, 1983)

The quran is not like anything else. Sometimes someone will be speaking, and in the middle
they will recite the Arabic of an ayah, and you will immediately know that this is from the
Quran. Because the Quran is completely unique. There is not a single mistake written in it.
One priest converted to Islam and they asked him why did you convert, and he said he opened
up the Quran and started reading it…and the second main surah…al-Baqarah…starts with
dhaalikal kitaabu laa rayba feeh. To begin a book with these words, it is immediately like a
challenge, and certainty…for sure this is a book that has no doubts. And everyone who reads
it will then be reading it subconsciously looking for doubts and mistakes, but the Author is
certain there are none.

Arabic is a very rich lang. compared to other languages. This is one of the reasons we can
think why the Quran is in Arabic. To prove the point…the basic original words in Arabic are
50,000. In English it is about 20,000. For each word in English, out of these 20,000 you can
derive up to 12 words. In Arabic, from each basic word, you can derive a MINIMUM of 45-
50 different words. So max no of words in eng is 20,000 x 12. But in Arabic it’s 50,000 x 50.
Look at difference. Arabic is the richest language in the world. Not only that, but its also a
very unique language. Each letter has a value and a meaning, so if a word has a letter haa or
qaaf in it, that will contribute to the meaning of the word itself. We will speak about his more
later insha’Allah.

The reason the Quran is so high, the Quran is not poetry. There are a side A and side B for
poetry. Both have to be equal in syllables and each line should end with the same letter.
Quran is not like that. Sometimes one verse has 4 syllables, and the next verse may have 20
syllables, and the third 60, but the last one back to 3. But you can still see the beauty. This is
why the non-muslims didn’t even TRY to bring it while he was alive, because it was like
nothing they knew, they didn’t even know where or how to begin! Abu Sufyan - the leader of
the Makkans before he became muslim 20 yrs later - when he was one of the main enemies of
Islam - used to say ‘What a strange thing - a man who couldn’t even read and write went and
came back with an amazing thing!’

How much do we lose from not understanding the Arabic!

1. In Sūrah al-Shu‘arā’ (77-81), Ibrāhīm speaks about the blessings that Allāh
has bestowed upon him:

﴿ِ‫﴾اّلذِي خَلَ َقنِي َفهُوَ َي ْهدِين‬

Who has created me, and it is He Who guides me

﴿‫ط ِع ُمنِي َو َيسْقِين‬

ْ ‫ِ﴾وَاّلذِي هُوَ ُي‬
And it is He Who feeds me and gives me to drink.

﴿ِ‫﴾وَِإذَا َم ِرضْتُ َفهُوَ َيشْفِين‬

And when I am ill, it is He who cures me;

﴾ِ‫حيِين‬
ْ ‫﴿وَاّلذِي ُيمِي ُتنِي ُث ّم ُي‬
And Who will cause me to die, and then will bring me to life (again)

Ibraaheem tells his people that Allaah is the One who guides him, feeds him,
cures him, and will resurrect him. When he spoke about the first three
instances - guidance, sustenance, and curing - he used the word huwa (‘he’),
even though the meaning is complete without this word. Yet when it came to
mentioning death and resurrection, Ibraaheem did not use the word huwa.

The word huwa in these instances has been used because guidance, substance
and health are often attributed to other than Allaah. How often do we hear the
words, “That brother guided me to the Deen,” and “My parents provide for
me,” and “The doctor cured me.” Thus, the word huwa has been used to
indicate that all guidance, sustenance and cure are rather from Allaah, and
from no-one else. But when it comes to the issue of resurrection, nobody
claims that it is from other than Allaah, so the emphasis was not needed.

2. In Surah al-Shu’araa, Allaah lists the stories of the various Prophets and how
their people reacted to them.

﴾َ‫ل َتتّقُون‬
َ ‫ت قَ ْومُ نُوحٍ ا ْل ُمرْسَلِينَ ِإ ْذ قَالَ َل ُهمْ َأخُو ُهمْ نُوحٌ َأ‬
ْ َ‫﴿ َك ّذب‬
The people of Nûh (Noah) belied the Messengers. When their brother Nûh
(Noah) said to them: "Will you not fear Allâh and obey Him? (105-106)

﴾ َ‫ل َتتّقُون‬
َ ‫﴿ َك ّذبَتْ عَادٌ ا ْل ُم ْرسَلِينَ ِإ ْذ قَالَ َل ُهمْ َأخُو ُهمْ هُودٌ َأ‬
'Ad belied the Messengers. When their brother Hûd said to them: "Will you
not fear Allâh and obey Him? (123-124)

﴾ َ‫ل َتتّقُون‬
َ ‫ت َثمُودُ ا ْلمُ ْرسَلِينَ ِإ ْذ قَالَ َل ُهمْ َأخُو ُهمْ صَالِحٌ َأ‬
ْ َ‫﴿ َك ّذب‬
 Thamûd (people) belied the Messenger. When their brother Sâlih (Saleh)
said to them: "Will you not fear Allâh and obey Him? (141-142)

﴾‫ل َتتّقُون‬
َ ‫ت قَ ْومُ لُوطٍ ا ْل ُم ْرسَلِينَ ِإذْ قَالَ َل ُهمْ َأخُو ُهمْ لُوطٌ َأ‬
ْ َ‫﴿ َك ّذب‬
The prople of Lout (Lot) (those dwelt in the towns of Sodom in Palestine)
belied the Messengers. When their brother Lout (Lot) said to them: "Will
you not fear Allâh and obey Him? (160-161)

In all of these examples, Allaah called Nooh, Hood, Salih and Loot the
‘brothers’ of their people. Allaah then goes on to give the example of Shu’ayb
and his people,

﴾ َ‫ش َعيْبٌ َألَ َتتّقُون‬

ُ ْ‫ل ْيكَةِ ا ْل ُم ْرسَلِينَ ِإ ْذ قَالَ َل ُهم‬
َ ‫صحَابُ ا‬
ْ ‫﴿ َكذّبَ َأ‬
The dwellers of Al-Aiyka [near Madyan (Midian)] belied the Messengers.
When Shu'âib (Shuaib) said to them: "Will you not fear Allâh (and obey
Him)? (176-177)

The companions of Al-Aykah were the people of Madyan, according to the

most correct view. Allaah has not used the term ‘brother’ in this instance, yet
in two previous places in the Qur’an, the term ‘brother’ is used with Shu’ayb
himself,

﴾ُ‫غ ْيرُه‬
َ ٍ‫ع ُبدُو ْا الّ مَا َلكُم مّنْ إِلَـه‬
ْ ‫ل يَا قَ ْومِ ا‬
َ ‫ش َعيْباً قَا‬
ُ ْ‫﴿وَإِلَى َم ْديَنَ َأخَا ُهم‬
And to (the people of) Madyan (Midian), (We sent) their brother Shu'aib
(al-A’raaf: 85) (Hood: 84)

So why was he not called their brother in al-Shu’araa? The answer is that in
that surah, Allaah attributed them to the Aikah, which is the tree they used to
worship, to censure them for their action. Thus, it does not say here, their
brother Shu`ayb, because they called themselves by a name denoting their
deification of Al-Aykah, which was a tree which they used to worship; it was
said that it was a group of trees which were tangled, like trees in a thicket. For
this reason, when Allāh said that the companions of Al-Aykah denied the
Messengers, He did not say, ``When their brother Shu`ayb said to them.'' But
when the name of their tribe was mentioned - ‘Madyan’ - in al-A’raf and
Hood, he was called ‘their brother’, by blood.

3. Surah az-Zumar, verse 73

‫خ َز َن ُتهَا‬
َ ْ‫حتّى ِإذَا جَاؤُوهَا َو ُفتِحَتْ َأبْوَا ُبهَا َوقَالَ َل ُهم‬
َ ‫جنّ ِة ُزمَرًا‬
َ ‫ن اتّ َقوْا َر ّبهُمْ إِلَلى ا ْل‬
َ ‫َوسِيقَ اّلذِي‬
73 ‫طبْ ُت ْم فَا ْدخُلُوهَا خَاِلدِينَ { الزمر‬ ِ ‫{سَلَمٌ عََل ْي ُك ْم‬

“And those who kept their duty to their Lord will be led to Paradise in
groups till when they reach it, and its gates will be opened (before their
arrival for their reception) and its keepers will say: Salamun Alaikum! You
have done well, so enter here to abide therein forever.”(az-Zumar:73)
 It is said that the extra waw indicates that the doors were opened for them
before they came, as an honour from Allah the Exalted. It actually means: Till
when they reach it, and its gates are (already) open for them. This is also
backed by His words :

50 : ‫لْبْوَابُ {ص‬
َ ‫عدْنٍ مّ َف ّتحَةً ّل ُهمُ ا‬
َ ِ‫جنّات‬
َ{

‘And Paradise, whose gates will be (already) opened for them. (Saad: 50)

The waw was elided when talking about the people of fire, because they will
stand over the fire, and then it will be opened to humiliate and scare them.
This was mentioned by al-Mahdawi and an-Nuhaas before him said words to
the same effect. An-Nuhaas said: “As for the wisdom behind the retention of
the waw in the second and its elision in the first, then one of the people of
knowledge spoke about it and I don’t know anyone who said it before him.
He said that when Allah said about the people of fire ‘Till when they reach it,
the gates thereof will be opened’, He indicated by saying this that up until this
point they were closed. When He said about the people of Jannah ‘Till when
they reach it, and its gates will be opened’, He indicated by this that its doors
were open before they came to it, and Allah knows best.”

And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups, till, when they
reach it, the gates thereof will be opened (suddenly like a prison at the
arrival of the prisoners)

4. 'it has been realised that there are very few words in language which are
synonymous; in the qur'an they are rare, almost non existent,. It is very difficult to
find a word which conveys all the meanings which are conveyed by another word; at
best, it will be an approximation. This is one of the reasons why the qur'an is
inimitable. In the verse, "On the Day when the heaven will shake with a
dreadful shaking, (yawma tamoorus samaa’a mawraa)." (52:9) for example if you
explain the word mawr by harakah, movement, this would be an approximation; for
mawr means a light swift movement." shaikh ul islaam ibn taymiyyah an introduction
into the prnciples of tafseer, al hidayah publishing & distibution, pg 24

5. Why has Allah ta’ala used a’ttaynak ( ‫ ) أعطيناك‬instead of ataynak ( ‫ ) آتيناك‬And why
has he not used ataynak ( ‫ ) آتيناك‬instead of a’ttaynak ( ‫( ) أعطيناك‬i.e.in some situations
and not others)?

There is a similarity between the two words, both in sound and in meaning, with the
exception that aty ( ‫) آتى‬is used in more generic sense, however they both elude to the
same understanding.

Aty( ‫ ) آتى‬is used in affiliation to wisdom, guidance, and wealth:

ُ‫ح ْكمَ َة مَن َيشَاء‬

ِ ‫يُؤتِي ا ْل‬
{He grants Hikmah to whom He pleases, }

ٍ‫وَلَ َق ْد آ َت ْينَا مُوسَى ِتسْعَ آيَات‬

{And indeed We gave to Musa (Moses) nine clear signs.}
 ُ‫شدَه‬
ْ ‫وَلَ َق ْد آ َت ْينَا ِإبْرَاهِيمَ ُر‬
{And indeed We bestowed aforetime on Ibrahim (Abraham) his (portion of)
guidance}

‫حبّ ِه ذَوِي‬
ُ ‫وَآتَى ا ْلمَالَ عَلَى‬
{…and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it}

It is also used when referring to a number of illustrative meanings:

ً‫َوقَ ْد آ َت ْينَاكَ مِن ّل ُدنّا ِذكْرا‬

{And indeed We have given you from Us a Reminder (this Quran).}

As for a’ta ( ‫ ) أعطى‬then it is used solely in connotation with material affairs.

‫عطَى قَلِيلً وََأ ْكدَى‬

ْ ‫وََأ‬
{And gave a little, then stopped (giving)?}

‫عطَى وَاتّقَى‬
ْ ‫َفَأمّا مَن َأ‬
{As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him}

However, as we have seen aty (‫)آتى‬is used both with regards to material issues, and
other issues of broader meanings such as guidance, authority and wisdom. These are
concepts which are not to be brought together with the word a'ta (‫)أعطى‬.

So although the word aty (‫ )آتى‬is broader in its use, but the question remains as to why
aty (‫ )آتى‬was not used instead of a'ta (‫)أعطى‬.

The difference between the two lies in personal authority.

‫تؤتي الملك من تشاء وتنزع الملك ممن تشاء‬

{You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom from whom
You will}

Here, Allah speaks of Kingship and how it is both given and retracted, using the word
aty (‫ )آتى‬in doing so. This is because personal authority is not found in Kingship;
rather Kingship is to be executed solely under the commands of Allah.

A’ta (‫ )أعطى‬however, is used when what is ‘granted’ or given, is subservient to one’s

personal authority.

ٍ‫حسَاب‬
ِ ِ‫سكْ ِب َغ ْير‬
ِ ‫عطَا ُؤنَا فَامْنُنْ َأوْ َأ ْم‬
َ ‫َهذَا‬
{ [Saying of Allah to Sulaiman (Solomon)]: "This is Our gift, so spend you or
withhold, no account will be asked."}

Meaning, this as ‘ata (‫ )عطاء‬to Sulaiman (alayis-salam) and for him is the right to
deal with it, under his personal authority, however he sees fit.

Dear brothers and sisters. Truly, Allaah has given us this particular miracle in this particular
form for a reason. He ordained that we are exposed to this miracle 5 times a day for a reason.
That we are INVOLVED in it, actively reciting it, for a reason. This is not like any other of
the miracles given to any of the prophets, their miracles was a one time thing. And this is an
aspect of His mercy, that He continuously keeps on giving us a chance to witness this miracle.
Let us not shun his mercy, let us not be ungrateful, let us resolve to take the steps necessary to
witness this miracle, as Allaah wanted us to witness it. Not for my sake, not for Allaah’s sake,
because innahu ghaniyyun hameed, He is truly self-sufficient…but for our own sake. Allaah
has highlighted how important this is for us…by the very nature of it. We need this, our
eemaan needs this boost, our souls need this food…we cannot attain the heights of eemaan
without understanding and witnessing this miracle Allaah has given us. We cannot have firm
yaqeen without it. Even Prophet Ibraheem wanted to witness a miracle for the sake of his own
yaqeen, so Allaah showed him how to bring the dead to life. It is natural, it is a human trait,
and Allaah is putting it on our plates! But we are turning it away! So for our own sake, for the
sake of our eemaan, for our desire for Allaah’s pleasure, from out desire for jannah, let us
resolve not to turn it away, let us resolve to take the necessary measures to witness this
miracle and have it rejuvenate our souls and enliven our spirits multiple times a day…