This thread looks at some of the amazing pictures the quran creates by the use of words . For more

see: http://www.linguisticmiracle.com/gems/pictures

وَهِيَ تَجْرِي بِهِمْ فِي مَوْجٍ كَالْجِبَالِ وَنَادَىٰ نُوحٌ ابْنَهُ وَكَانَ فِي مَعْزِلٍ
يَا بُنَيَّ ارْكَب مَّعَنَا وَلَا تَكُن مَّعَ الْكَافِرِينَ
“So it (the ship) sailed with them amidst the waves like mountains, and Nooh called out to his son, who had separated himself, “O my son!Embark with us and do not be with the disbelievers.”
[Hud 11:42]

اركب معنا is the only place in the Qur’an where the letter ba (ب) is mudgham (merged in recitation) with a meem (م).

Shaykh Muhammad Husayn Ya’qub mentions something interesting about this thus:
هذه أقدار, وأحكام التجويد فيها أسرار
اركمّعنا- إدغام الباء في الميم كأنها تقول: التصق بنا لنصبح شيئا واحدا
اركمّعنا- حذف الحرف إشارة إلى السرعة! ء
اركمّعنا- صرن انحن والركوب شيئا واحدا,فكن معنا
والإدغام مع الغنة فيها معنى التماسك بعد التلاسق,فكأنه يتمسك به بشدة ولا يفلت يده من
يده ولا يدعه لحظة واحدة لأنها النجاة … نجاة نفس من النار… إرادة نجاة من قلب
مشفق على من يحب

Summary: There is Idgham of ‘ba‘ and ‘meem‘ as if Nuh/Noah (`alayhisalam – upon him be peace) is saying; ‘Come and hold fast to us so that we can be one body.’
(This is based on the knowledge that Idgham by definition is ‘inclusion [a type of merging the recitation] of one letter into the other such that they become one letter mushaddad’).

Also, there is omission of a letter (ba) and this suggests rapidity and fast momentum.

عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
Abasa wa ta-wal-laa
(The Prophet) frowned and turned away

أَن جَاءَهُ الْأَعْمَىٰ
An jaa’ahu al-a’maa
Because there came to him the blind man, [interrupting].
(Surah Abasa 80: 1-2)

What context was this aayah/verse revealed in?

One day the Messenger of Allah was addressing one of the great leaders of the Quraysh while hoping that he would accept Islam. While he was speaking in direct conversation with him, Ibn Umm Maktum [the blind man] came to him, and he was of those who had accepted Islam in its earliest days.

He (Ibn Umm Maktum) then began asking the Messenger of Allah about something, urgently beseeching him [repeatedly]. The Prophet hoped that the [rich noble Qurayshi] man would be guided, so he asked Ibn Umm Maktum to wait for a moment so he could complete his conversation…

Tafsir Ibn Katheer – Surah Abasa

However, the blind man kept repeating his question to the Messenger of Allah and – unintentionally – disturbing the conversation of Allah’s Messenger. So he asked Ibn Umm Maktum to wait for a moment so he could complete his conversation with the other man.

Due to the persistence of the blind mans demands; He frowned in the face of the blind man and turned away from him in order to continue his discussion with the other man.

So Allah revealed these aayaat/verses:
(He frowned and turned away. Because there came to him the blind man. And how can you know that he might become pure) (Or he might receive admonition, and the admonition might profit him.) (As for him who thinks himself self-sufficient. To him you attend… ) [Surah Abasa 80: 1-5]

Now looking at the situation in context, we see that none of this is can really be blamed on Allah’s Messenger.

Why? Let’s see;
1) The blind man interrupted the conversation of Allah’s Messenger and persisted in that. So really, it would be his error.

2) Allah’s Messenger wanted to give dawah [invitation to Islam] to a noble from the Quraysh [elite] because they would hardly listen to his call beforehand, and now that someone’s listening – they might accept Islam and influence many others to Islam too (since when an elite member of society accepts a truth, the masses look into that truth and more willingly accept it.)

3) The blind man persisted in asking when he had other times to ask too, which causes the listener – who is involved in an important project – to become annoyed when they’re in a chance for huge success.

4) This leads to the ‘frown’ and turning away, which really – a blind person can’t even notice. So is this really an insult to them?

5) Yet Allah would reveal aayaat/verses – which would be recited for many centuries by all people – about this scenario, to show the high level of expectations He has for His Messenger, and his followers. So that he should not even frown and turn away from a blind man (since Allah is still watching us), and that he should call the rich aswell as poor to Islam equally without biased precedence.

Now there are many words in Arabic to describe an angry face in the Arabic language. These are as follows:

Uboos عبوس [noun] -Abasa عبس [verb]. (Frown: Bulging of forehead only due to annoyance.)

Qalaha قله – Grinding Teeth due to anger.

Basar بسر – When the face becomes ugly due to Anger. [also see Surah Muddathir 74:22]

Basal بسل – The face made during extreme anger in war and fighting.

We see that the least minimum of just a frown [uboos] of slight frustration was just shown on the face of Allah’s Messenger, yet Allah revealed aayaat/verses about it to forbid it and to raise the – already great – character of His Messenger to the next level.

Afterwards, whenever he [the blind man Ibn Um Maktum] came to him, the Prophet would say to him, (مرحبا بمن عاتبني فيه ربي ) ‘Greetings to him on whose account God reproached me!’, and would lay down his cloak for him. (Tafseer Jalalayn 80:2)

So we learn from this aayah/verse that Allah is watching even the smallest of things that we do, He is aware of the subtleties in our actions. And He will take us to account for them.

Sounds [Onomatopoeia] in al-Qur’an.

The use of delicate sounds.. exhibits the Qur’an’s ability to express meaning and images via the sound of its text:


1 – The Still Night..
وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَ ى
wallayli izaa sajaa..
“And by the Night when it is still..” [Qur'an 93: 2]


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV5Pcr1sLqk

The way the Qur’an uses the word ‘when it is still’ produces a tranquil tone and a smooth sound. This indicates thepeace, stillness and serenity that night time provides.


2 – The Striking of Rocks to Produce Sparks:

The Qur’an also uses sound to build intense images, for example,

فَالْمُورِيَاتِقَدْحًا
FaalmooriyaatiQad-han
“And the producers of sparks striking” [Qur'an 100: 2] (really referring to war horses galloping and their hooves striking rocks to produce sparks [refer to the tafseers on this verse])


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La_7FbxgV2Q

The word for sparks striking, ‘Qad-han’, that is used here emits a sound that develops the sense of this image, the proximity of the Arabic letters Qa – striking the ‘daal’ and rebounding the ‘ha’ is responsible for this sound.


3 – Splattering and Scattering..
In another example,:
وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ الْمُعْصِرَاتِ مَاءًثَجَّاجًا
Waanzalna mina almu’siraati maa’an thajjaja

And sent down, from the rain clouds, pouring water.[Naba' 78:14]


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBMqyLvtU7U&feature=fvst

The use of the word‘thajjaja’ in this verse, with its series of vowels emits a sound of splattering and scattering, which expresses the image of the drama.
For example in the verse below the Qur’an uses words that imitate the sound they denote. This rhetorical device called Onomatopoeia is widely used throughout the Qur’anic discourse.

4 – Saaaakhah..the loud deafening noise.

فَإِذَا جَاءَتِ الصَّاخَّةُ

Fa-itha jaa’ati-ssaaakhah

But when there comes the Deafening Blast. [Abasa 80:33]

The word for ‘deafening noise’, ‘alssaakhah,’ chosen here produces a sound eluding to its meaning.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLJwnhXjioc

The Arabic letters ‘kha’ connected with a ‘ta’ [marboota = a 'ha' sound] emanate harsh sounds which conform to the meaning of the text.

5 - The Waswasa Whispering..

فَ وَسْوَسَ إِلَيْهِ الشَّيْطَانُ

FaWasswassa ilayhi-shaytaan.. [Ta-Ha 20:120]

So Satan whispered to him [Adam]…

The wordWasswassa = Repeated Whispering which is targetted at someone, paused, and then comes back again.



The word is repeated twice [Wass-Wassa] because satan’s whispering is targetted at a person – to make them doubt/fear/get confused etc. then he will go away and come back again to whisper again another time…

hehehe
paradise will really be interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikYtIkuxCTA#!

The Arabs had alot of words for the stars. Each word had a different description.

The word NaJM( نَجم ) refers to small stars

The word KaWkab( كَوكَب ) refers to the Big stars.

The KaWkab stars would be stars which were extremely big (stellars?), firmly located, and could always be seen in one specific location in the dark night sky, clearly. They would be used by the people for
direction – to Navigate and find their way in a journey through the darkness of the night.

The NaJm stars would not be like KaWkab stars. The NaJm would be small stars which would Twinkle, so one second you see it, and after that you might never see it again.


NaJm: The word NaJm in Arabic has the letter Jeem (J) as its 2nd root consonant letter. Anyone studying basic Arabic Tajweed (recitation) knows that Jeem (J) is a Qalqalah (Echo in recital letter)) Letter.
= This Qalqalah makes the word NaJm sound like ‘NaJam’. This Qalqalah (echo of recital) of letterJeem depicts a sound-image of a star which has twinkled, and vanished again. (‘NaJAm’)

KaWkab – the word kaWkab in Arabic has the letter Waaw (W) placed in between. This ‘W‘ in arabic (being placed after the 1st Root letter) signifies the object is BIG.

It is further strengthened by a repeat of the 2 same letters; the ‘Kaafs’ (Letter K’s) on each of its sides = showing that this star is BIG, and also FIRMLY PLACED/LOCATED.

The Quranic Aayaat:


وَإِذَا النُّجُومُ انكَدَرَتْ

And when the NuJoom [(plural of Najm) Twinkling small stars] are InKadarat(Takweer 81:2)


inKidar – Kadar = losing sparkle, colour and beauty, and becoming dulled.

Antonym/Opposite: saf-faa – pure and crystal clear.



وَإِذَا الْكَوَاكِبُ انتَثَرَتْ

And when the KaWaakib [(plural of KaWkab) Big stars] are InTatharat(Infitar 82:2)

iNtithaar- Nathr = Dispersed & fallen in different directions.

So the Big stars which people turned to for guidance and direction in the worldly life have vanished on this Day (Judgment Day):

The Stars (NaJm) which had that Twinkle have become dulled.

The Big Stars (KaWkab) which were firmly placed/located in the sky have now fallen.

Each star has lost its own special feature on this day.


All this is shown through just 2 pairs of words; Najm and In-kidaar, KaWkab and In-tithaar.

This shows the power of Allah’s speech and the Arabic language He created; how He uses the perfect words with the perfect letters and sounds to depict the deep level of Images describing Judgment Day.

Waamma assaa-ila fala tanhar.

And as for the beggar, do not repel [him]. [Duha 93:10]

The word used in that verse is Nahr, and Nahr means River.

Sometimes, when beggars come to people and ask them for something – people push them aside and ignore them or maybe give abit of money.

However, there are another type of people – these people actually stop at the beggar and start pressurizing them. They start ridiculing them, abusing them, and flooding them with insults. The beggar can’t do nothing except stand there, whilst a gushing flow of humiliation is being poured upon him.

You can imagine this beggar standing in the middle of a fast flowing River (nahr), being pushed and flooded with the waves of Insults being poured at them.

..and as for the beggar, do not drive [him] away, [do not] repel him on account of his poverty.. (Tafseer Jalalayn [Duha 93:10])

SubhanAllah!

حُنَفَاءَ لِلَّهِ غَيْرَ مُشْرِكِينَ بِهِۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَكَأَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ السَّمَاءِفَتَخْطَفُهُ الطَّيْرُأَوْ تَهْوِي بِهِ الرِّيحُ فِي مَكَانٍ سَحِيقٍ

(Be) Inclining [only] to Allah , not associating [anything] with Him. And he who associates with Allah- it is as though he had fallen from the sky and was snatched by the birds or the wind carried him down into a remote place.

[Surah Hajj 22:31]

“This Saying doesn’t make Sense..“

A famous Orientalist who critiqued the Qur’an said that the example given should make sense to the audience(i.e. He was saying this example of the Qur’an does not make sense.)However, he did not know Ancient Arabic. He only used his claim from the ‘Proper Modern Standard Arabic’ perspective. However, Ancient Classical Arabic had it’s own sayings and idioms.

The Qur’an used expressions [idioms/figures of speech] of the ancient Arabs, who meant by this example the following;

Allah compares the Polytheist to the Example given above. But what did He mean by it?

The Average ‘Arab:

The average ‘Arab at the time of Allah’s Messenger, Muhammad (sal Allah alayhi wasalam) never believed in an Afterlife, so Allah related their polytheism to Death – which they thought was the End of everything.

The Arabs took pride in their death and honor. The worst kind of death they could have is the death of a coward.

كَأَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ

..Like he fell from the Sky…

‘Falling from the sky‘ meant by the polytheist arabs that;

If there are 2 groups in war, one group on a cliff and the other lower on the ground – the group on the top seemed to be on the advantage.

1 – If they were on the cliff and they still lost the battle, the arabs who won would throw the dead bodies of the enemy off the cliff.
2 – Or if they were fleeing in fear from the enemy, and tripped and fell off the cliff – they would also be humiliated.

These are the worst type of Legacies the arabs would want to leave behind.

The ugliest thing you can imagine – that is like falling from the sky.

فَتَخْطَفُهُ الطَّيْرُ

..and was snatched by the birds…

When you die in battle, each side takes their side and gives them a proper burial.
Unless you think your soldier was a coward – you do not bury him. So what takes you instead? Birds. Especially birds like Vultures – who eat your meat.

So again, Allah is comparing their polytheism to a humiliating death, with no-one to bury you except birds eat your body.

Disgusting Birds eating from your humiliating corpse after falling from a cliff.

أَوْ تَهْوِي بِهِ الرِّيحُ فِي مَكَانٍ سَحِيقٍ

or the wind carried him down into a remote place.

Then even these disgusting birds do not finish your meat off, so the remainder of you left/some of your meat – is blown away with the wind – to a far off unknown place.- You have no honour or sign of good reputation left except humiliation and hatred and curses against you by the people of future generations.

حُنَفَاءَ لِلَّهِ غَيْرَ مُشْرِكِينَ بِهِۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَكَأَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ السَّمَاءِفَتَخْطَفُهُ الطَّيْرُأَوْ تَهْوِي بِهِ الرِّيحُ فِي مَكَانٍ سَحِيقٍ

(Be) Inclining [only] to Allah , not associating [anything] with Him. And he who associates with Allah- it is as though he had fallen from the sky and was snatched by the birds or the wind carried him down into a remote place.

[Surah Hajj 22:31]

“This Saying doesn’t make Sense..“

A famous Orientalist who critiqued the Qur’an said that the example given should make sense to the audience(i.e. He was saying this example of the Qur’an does not make sense.)However, he did not know Ancient Arabic. He only used his claim from the ‘Proper Modern Standard Arabic’ perspective. However, Ancient Classical Arabic had it’s own sayings and idioms.

The Qur’an used expressions [idioms/figures of speech] of the ancient Arabs, who meant by this example the following;

Allah compares the Polytheist to the Example given above. But what did He mean by it?

The Average ‘Arab:

The average ‘Arab at the time of Allah’s Messenger, Muhammad (sal Allah alayhi wasalam) never believed in an Afterlife, so Allah related their polytheism to Death – which they thought was the End of everything.

The Arabs took pride in their death and honor. The worst kind of death they could have is the death of a coward.

كَأَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ

..Like he fell from the Sky…

‘Falling from the sky‘ meant by the polytheist arabs that;

If there are 2 groups in war, one group on a cliff and the other lower on the ground – the group on the top seemed to be on the advantage.

1 – If they were on the cliff and they still lost the battle, the arabs who won would throw the dead bodies of the enemy off the cliff.
2 – Or if they were fleeing in fear from the enemy, and tripped and fell off the cliff – they would also be humiliated.

These are the worst type of Legacies the arabs would want to leave behind.

The ugliest thing you can imagine – that is like falling from the sky.

فَتَخْطَفُهُ الطَّيْرُ

..and was snatched by the birds…

When you die in battle, each side takes their side and gives them a proper burial.
Unless you think your soldier was a coward – you do not bury him. So what takes you instead? Birds. Especially birds like Vultures – who eat your meat.

So again, Allah is comparing their polytheism to a humiliating death, with no-one to bury you except birds eat your body.

Disgusting Birds eating from your humiliating corpse after falling from a cliff.

أَوْ تَهْوِي بِهِ الرِّيحُ فِي مَكَانٍ سَحِيقٍ

or the wind carried him down into a remote place.

Then even these disgusting birds do not finish your meat off, so the remainder of you left/some of your meat – is blown away with the wind – to a far off unknown place.- You have no honour or sign of good reputation left except humiliation and hatred and curses against you by the people of future generations.

“…Her heart became empty…”

Background:

Pharaoh ordered that all the children of Isra’eel [the Jewish people when they were rightly guided]have their newborn sons executed, and their daughters kept alive as slaves.

The mother of Moses had a son, she had secretly hid him from Pharoah and his people. Yet Allah inspired her that when she felt fear for her son, she should (put him in a basket) and place him in the river Nile. And when she did fear for her son’s death, she placed her son into the river.

The Imagery:

Allah gives us amazing imagery of the feelings of the mother of Moses/Musa during that moment.

وَأَصْبَحَ فُؤَادُ أُمِّ مُوسَى ٰفَارِغًا ۖإِنكَادَتْ لَتُبْدِي بِهِ لَوْلَا أَن رَّبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قَلْبِهَا لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ



And the heartof Moses’ mother became empty [i.e. of all Tranquility]. She was about to disclose [the matter concerning] him (i.e. that it is her son) had We not bound fast her heart that she would be of the believers.

[Qasas 28:10]


Faarigh = to become Empty.

RabaT = Tie something Extremely Tightly.(i.e. tie something so tight so that no Leaks can seep through)

Now Imagine the Picture:

The mother of Moses is in fear for her son. She is inspired by Allah to place her son into the river. As she places her child into the river, her heart starts dripping, her Tranquillity is dripping/leaking out of her heart, into the river, as she lets go of her son..

So Allah says that He placed a RabaT – something which Tied her heart tightly, so the Tranquillity would stop leaking from her heart. I.e. Allah kept her heart firm, He reassured her through inspiration, that something good would come as a result of this in the near-future.

This child, Moses would be of the mightiest Messengers’ of Allah who would come – to free the Children of Isra’eel from slavery.

Truth vs Falsehood:

Allah depicts an extremely visual image of truth against falsehood in the Qur’an;


بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى الْبَاطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ ۚ وَلَكُمُ الْوَيْلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ

We hurl the truth against falsehood (like a spear/arrow/rock), and the truth bashes its skull in. [Surah Anbiya 21:18]

Falsehood is trying to Run away from the truth, while the truth is attacking because of its greater strength. Then the skull of falsehood is smashed (and that is the strongest bone in the body).

That is the image Allah uses to describe Truth hitting Falsehood.

Reflection of Dream from Surah Yusuf
Allah began surah Yusuf story with a dream
Allah revealed to us that Yusuf saw the sun, moon and the 11 stars bowing down to him.
The moon represents the Mother
The Sun represented the father
11 stars represent the Children [Sons of Prophet Ya'qub] (Brothers of Yusuf).
We learn a social lesson for those who ponder;
When we look at the Sun – we feel warmth and protection, and by the Sun – food grows on Earth. We do not fear like we do at night.
When the father is at home – we feel safe. The father Earns for the home.
When the sun is out – the stars are there but they are not seen.
The Moon is serene – beautiful to look at.
The mother in the home is Serene/peaceful, lookafters the sanctity of the home. She illuminates the home and is nice to look at.
The stars twinkle when the mum is at home.
The children spend their time with the mother.
The moon takes its light from the Sun.
The more effective the father in the home – the more effective the mother is in the home.
This dream was interpreted by Allah and Prophet Ya’qoob.
What happens when the moon and sun want to be each other.

A lunar or solar eclipse takes place.
When the father wants to be the mother or the father wants to be the mother – a social eclipse takes place.

Where are the stars during this time? They are not seen.
So when a social eclipse occurs – the children are affected the most.