The Quran in Faṣṣ Nūḥ

﴿ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ﴾

• ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ¶6

  The opening verse of the Fātiḥa is quoted as proof that all praise, voiced by the worlds, ends with God.

﴿أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا يَشْعُرُونَ﴾

• وَهُوَ لا يَشْعُرُ¶1

  This echoes the Qurʾānic refrain 'but they do not perceive' (wa-lākin lā yashʿurūn), said of people who think they are doing right while doing wrong, and applies it to the believer who unknowingly belies God and the messengers.

﴿أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱشْتَرَوُا۟ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةَ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَـٰرَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ مُهْتَدِينَ﴾

• فَمَا رَبِحَتْ تِجَارَتُهُمْ»¶12

  Verse on those who bought error for guidance and whose trade did not profit, joined to 71:21 to describe the loss of what they thought they owned.

﴿قُلِ ٱللَّهُمَّ مَـٰلِكَ ٱلْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِى ٱلْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَنزِعُ ٱلْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَآءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَآءُ ۖ بِيَدِكَ ٱلْخَيْرُ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴾

• مَالِكَ المُلْكِ¶12

  The divine title 'Owner of dominion', explained as God owning the delegated dominion held by humans, with reference to al-Tirmidhī.

﴿كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ ءَامَنَ أَهْلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُم ۚ مِّنْهُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ﴾

• خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ¶9

  Quotes the verse on the best community brought forth for mankind, identifying it as the community singled out with the Qurʾān, the 'gathering'.

﴿ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ٱلْغَمِّ أَمَنَةً نُّعَاسًا يَغْشَىٰ طَآئِفَةً مِّنكُمْ ۖ وَطَآئِفَةٌ قَدْ أَهَمَّتْهُمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ يَظُنُّونَ بِٱللَّهِ غَيْرَ ٱلْحَقِّ ظَنَّ ٱلْجَـٰهِلِيَّةِ ۖ يَقُولُونَ هَل لَّنَا مِنَ ٱلْأَمْرِ مِن شَىْءٍ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ ٱلْأَمْرَ كُلَّهُۥ لِلَّهِ ۗ يُخْفُونَ فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِم مَّا لَا يُبْدُونَ لَكَ ۖ يَقُولُونَ لَوْ كَانَ لَنَا مِنَ ٱلْأَمْرِ شَىْءٌ مَّا قُتِلْنَا هَـٰهُنَا ۗ قُل لَّوْ كُنتُمْ فِى بُيُوتِكُمْ لَبَرَزَ ٱلَّذِينَ كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقَتْلُ إِلَىٰ مَضَاجِعِهِمْ ۖ وَلِيَبْتَلِىَ ٱللَّهُ مَا فِى صُدُورِكُمْ وَلِيُمَحِّصَ مَا فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ﴾

• أَنَّ الأَمْرَ لَهُ كُلُّهُ¶13

  This echoes 'the affair belongs wholly to God' (inna al-amra kullahu lillāh; compare 11:123), and it glosses what the caller's clear sight grasps.

﴿إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يُفَرِّقُوا۟ بَيْنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَيَقُولُونَ نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَّخِذُوا۟ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًا﴾

• كَمَنْ آمَنَ بِبَعْضٍ وَكَفَرَ بِبَعْضٍ¶2

  The phrase echoes 'nuʾminu bi-baʿḍin wa-nakfuru bi-baʿḍin' (cf. 2:85, 'a-fa-tuʾminūna bi-baʿḍi l-kitābi wa-takfurūna bi-baʿḍ'). Ibn ʿArabī applies it to someone who affirms only God's transcendence (tanzīh) or only His immanence (tashbīh).

﴿وَلِلَّهِ غَيْبُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُ ٱلْأَمْرُ كُلُّهُۥ فَٱعْبُدْهُ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَيْهِ ۚ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ﴾

• إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُ عَوَاقِبُ الثَّنَاءِ¶6

  This echoes 'to Him the whole affair is returned' (وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُ الْأَمْرُ كُلُّهُ), cf. 2:210, with praise in place of 'the affair' as what returns to God.

﴿قُلْ هَـٰذِهِۦ سَبِيلِىٓ أَدْعُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ عَلَىٰ بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا۠ وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَنِى ۖ وَسُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ﴾

• «عَلَىٰ بَصِيرَةٍ»¶13

  The continuation of the same verse, 'with clear sight', is read as signalling that the caller knows the whole affair belongs to God.

﴿أَفَمَنْ هُوَ قَآئِمٌ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ نَفْسٍۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ ۗ وَجَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ قُلْ سَمُّوهُمْ ۚ أَمْ تُنَبِّـُٔونَهُۥ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَم بِظَـٰهِرٍ مِّنَ ٱلْقَوْلِ ۗ بَلْ زُيِّنَ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مَكْرُهُمْ وَصُدُّوا۟ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ ۗ وَمَن يُضْلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِنْ هَادٍ﴾

• قُلْ سَمُّوهُمْ¶15

  The verse challenges the polytheists to name their 'partners'. Ibn ʿArabī quotes it to show that any name they gave would reveal the mere physical form they worship.

﴿تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتُ ٱلسَّبْعُ وَٱلْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ ۚ وَإِن مِّن شَىْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِۦ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا﴾

• تُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَلَكِنْ لَا يَفْقَهُ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ¶6

  This adapts 'there is nothing but glorifies Him with His praise, but you do not understand their glorification' (وَإِن مِّن شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ), applying it to the form of the world and explaining our incomprehension as our inability to encompass its forms.

﴿ٱلَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعًا﴾

• وَيَتَخَيِّلُ أَنَّهُ فِي الْحَاصِلِ وَهُوَ فِي الفَائِتِ¶1

  This recalls those 'whose effort is lost while they reckon that they are doing good', here said of the one who imagines he has attained the truth while he has in fact missed it.

﴿يَوْمَ نَحْشُرُ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ إِلَى ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ وَفْدًا﴾

• «يَوْمَ نَحْشُرُ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ إِلَى ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ وَفْدًا»¶13

  Ibn ʿArabī quotes the verse to show that the goal-particle ilā is joined to a divine name (al-Raḥmān) rather than to the Essence.

﴿لَهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَمَا تَحْتَ ٱلثَّرَىٰ﴾

• «لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ»¶18

  The recurring formula (also 2:255, 22:64) is quoted to affirm that God is present below in the earth as well as above.

﴿مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَـٰكُمْ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَىٰ﴾

• وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَىٰ¶19

  He quotes the verse on returning into the earth and being brought out of it to support the earth being the container of the buried.

﴿فَتَعَـٰلَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۗ وَلَا تَعْجَلْ بِٱلْقُرْءَانِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يُقْضَىٰٓ إِلَيْكَ وَحْيُهُۥ ۖ وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًا﴾

• «زِدْنِي فِيكَ تَحَيُّرًا»¶16

  This prayer for increased bewilderment is modelled on the Qurʾānic 'rabbi zidnī ʿilman', with perplexity put in place of knowledge.

﴿وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكًا لِّيَذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّنۢ بَهِيمَةِ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ ۗ فَإِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ فَلَهُۥٓ أَسْلِمُوا۟ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُخْبِتِينَ﴾

• «وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُخْبِتِينَ»¶16

  The continuation of the same verse introduces the humble, whom Ibn ʿArabī glosses by wordplay.

﴿ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُولِجُ ٱلَّيْلَ فِى ٱلنَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ ٱلنَّهَارَ فِى ٱلَّيْلِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌۢ بَصِيرٌ﴾

• دَعَاهُمْ لَيْلًا فِي نَهَارٍ وَنَهَارًا فِي لَيْلٍ¶11

  Recalls the verses where God makes the night enter the day and the day enter the night, applied here to Muhammad's call, which combines tanzīh and tashbīh.

﴿وَلَا تَدْعُ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَـٰهًا ءَاخَرَ ۘ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُۥ ۚ لَهُ ٱلْحُكْمُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ﴾

• «كُلُّ شَىْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُۥ»¶21

  The verse is cited as the Muḥammadan counterpart to Noah's tabār, equating their destruction with the perishing of all things except God's face.

﴿ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ۖ فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِۦ وَمِنْهُم مُّقْتَصِدٌ وَمِنْهُمْ سَابِقٌۢ بِٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَضْلُ ٱلْكَبِيرُ﴾

• «المُصْطَفَيْنَ» الَّذِينَ أُورِثُوا الْكِتَابَ¶16

  This echoes the verse on the chosen servants who inherit the Book. They are divided into the one who wrongs himself, the moderate (muqtaṣid) and the foremost (sābiq), and the wrongdoer is named first.

﴿سَنُرِيهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا فِى ٱلْـَٔافَاقِ وَفِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۗ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِ بِرَبِّكَ أَنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ﴾

• حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ¶4

  This continuation of Q 41:53 is quoted, with 'them' glossed as the one who looks and reflects (al-nāẓir).

• أَنَّهُ ٱلْحَقُّ¶4

  The close of this part of Q 41:53 is quoted and read as showing that God is the Real, with the human as His form and He as its spirit.

﴿فَاطِرُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًا وَمِنَ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ أَزْوَٰجًا ۖ يَذْرَؤُكُمْ فِيهِ ۚ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِۦ شَىْءٌ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ﴾

• وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ¶7

  The second half is read first as likening, since it gives God creaturely attributes, and then as transcendence and singling out, since the definite predicates restrict hearing and seeing to Him alone.

﴿يَسْـَٔلُهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِى شَأْنٍ﴾

• فَهُوَ كُلُّ يَوْمٍ فِي شَأْنٍ¶18

  The verse 'every day He is upon some task' is echoed to describe the ilāh who varies through the names.

﴿هُوَ ٱلْأَوَّلُ وَٱلْـَٔاخِرُ وَٱلظَّـٰهِرُ وَٱلْبَاطِنُ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ﴾

• وَهُوَ البَاطِنُ¶2

  This is the paired name from the same verse, read as God being the hidden spirit and meaning of what is manifest.

• الظَّاهِرَ وَالبَاطِنَ¶5

  This echoes the divine names 'al-ẓāhir wa-l-bāṭin' in 'He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden', here applied to the outer and inner of man, which the definition must encompass.

﴿قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى دَعَوْتُ قَوْمِى لَيْلًا وَنَهَارًا﴾

• دَعَوْتُ قَوْمِى لَيْلًا وَنَهَارًا¶8

  This quotes Noah's complaint that he called his people night and day, and night and day are the two separate calls.

• ونوحٌ دَعَا قَوْمَهُ «لَيْلًا»¶10

  Echoes Noah's words 'innī daʿawtu qawmī laylan wa-nahāran', with night read as calling their unseen intellects and spirits.

• «وَنَهَارًا» دَعَاهُمْ أَيْضًا¶10

  The 'day' of the same verse is read as calling their outward forms and bodies.

• فَمَا دَعَا مُحَمَّدٌ قَوْمَهُ لَيْلًا وَنَهَارًا¶11

  Echoes Noah's words «دَعَوْتُ قَوْمِي لَيْلًا وَنَهَارًا» to contrast Noah's separate calling by night and by day with Muhammad's call, which joins the two.

﴿فَلَمْ يَزِدْهُمْ دُعَآءِىٓ إِلَّا فِرَارًا﴾

• فَزَادَهُمْ فِرَارًا¶10

  Echoes 'fa-lam yazidhum duʿāʾī illā firāran', explained here as flight caused by the separating furqān.

﴿وَإِنِّى كُلَّمَا دَعَوْتُهُمْ لِتَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ جَعَلُوٓا۟ أَصَـٰبِعَهُمْ فِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَٱسْتَغْشَوْا۟ ثِيَابَهُمْ وَأَصَرُّوا۟ وَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ ٱسْتِكْبَارًا﴾

• تَصَامَمُوا عَنْ دَعْوَتِهِ¶8

  This echoes the verse where Noah's people put their fingers in their ears, which Ibn ʿArabī reads as deliberate feigned deafness.

• دَعَاهُمْ لَيَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ¶10

  Paraphrases 'wa-innī kullamā daʿawtuhum li-taghfira lahum', with ghafr read as covering.

• اسْتَغْشَوْا ثِيَابَهُمْ وَجَعَلُوا أَصَابِعَهُمْ فِي آذَانِهِمْ¶19

  He quotes Noah's complaint about his people covering themselves with their garments and stopping their ears, and reads it as a request for covering.

• دَعَاهُمْ لِيَغْفِرَ لَهَمْ¶19

  He paraphrases 'whenever I called them that You might forgive them' in the third person in order to link forgiveness with covering.

﴿وَيُمْدِدْكُم بِأَمْوَٰلٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَـٰرًا﴾

• وَيُمْدِدْكُم بِأَمْوَٰلٍ¶11

  Noah's promise of wealth, reinterpreted through mayl as an inclining toward God in which one sees oneself.

﴿قَالَ نُوحٌ رَّبِّ إِنَّهُمْ عَصَوْنِى وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ مَن لَّمْ يَزِدْهُ مَالُهُۥ وَوَلَدُهُۥٓ إِلَّا خَسَارًا﴾

• «إِلَّا خَسَارًا¶12

  End of the same verse: their wealth and offspring brought them nothing but loss.

﴿وَقَدْ أَضَلُّوا۟ كَثِيرًا ۖ وَلَا تَزِدِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ إِلَّا ضَلَـٰلًا﴾

• «وَلَا تَزِدِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ»¶16

  Noah's prayer against the wrongdoers is read through 35:32 as referring to those who wrong themselves.

• «إِلَّا ضَلَـٰلًا»¶16

  The end of Noah's prayer is glossed as 'except bewilderment'.

﴿مِّمَّا خَطِيٓـَٔـٰتِهِمْ أُغْرِقُوا۟ فَأُدْخِلُوا۟ نَارًا فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا۟ لَهُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَنصَارًا﴾

• فَغَرِقُوا فِي بِحَارِ العِلْمِ بِاللَّهِ¶17

  Echoes 'ughriqū' (they were drowned) from the same verse and turns the drowning into immersion in knowledge of God.

﴿وَقَالَ نُوحٌ رَّبِّ لَا تَذَرْ عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِنَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ دَيَّارًا﴾

• «قَالَ نُوحٌ رَّبِّ»¶18

  Noah's prayer is quoted to draw attention to his choice of the name rabb.

• «لَا تَذَرْ عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ»¶18

  Noah's curse is quoted and reinterpreted as a prayer that they come to be inside the earth.

• مِنَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ¶19

  He quotes Noah's prayer against the unbelievers so that he can gloss them as those who seek to be covered.

• دَيَّارًا¶19

  He glosses the verse's 'dayyār' as 'anyone' and takes the prayer's comprehensiveness to mean a universal benefit.

﴿إِنَّكَ إِن تَذَرْهُمْ يُضِلُّوا۟ عِبَادَكَ وَلَا يَلِدُوٓا۟ إِلَّا فَاجِرًا كَفَّارًا﴾

• إِنَّكَ إِن تَذَرْهُمْ¶19

  He quotes the verse and glosses tadhar as 'leave' and 'abandon'.

• إِلَّا فَاجِرًا¶20

  This continues the same verse, and fājir is reinterpreted as the one who reveals what was hidden.

• كَفَّارًا¶20

  This is the verse's final word, reinterpreted as the one who veils what had appeared.

﴿رَّبِّ ٱغْفِرْ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَىَّ وَلِمَن دَخَلَ بَيْتِىَ مُؤْمِنًا وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ وَلَا تَزِدِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ إِلَّا تَبَارًۢا﴾

• رَّبِّ ٱغْفِرْ لِى¶20

  Noah's prayer for forgiveness is read as a prayer to be veiled.

• وَلِوَٰلِدَىَّ¶20

  The verse's 'my parents' are interpreted as intellect and nature.

• وَلِمَن دَخَلَ بَيْتِىَ¶20

  The verse's 'my house' is interpreted as Noah's heart.

• مُؤْمِنًا¶20

  The verse's 'believing' is glossed as assenting to the divine communications that occur in the heart.

• «وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ» مِنَ العُقُولِ «وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ»¶21

  Noah's prayer for forgiveness for the believing men and women is quoted and read as referring to intellects and souls.

• «وَلَا تَزِدِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ»¶21

  The continuation of Noah's prayer is quoted and the wrongdoers are reinterpreted as the people of darkness and the unseen.

﴿وَإِذَا ٱلْبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتْ﴾

• وَإِذَا ٱلْبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتْ¶17

  Quotes the verse on the seas being 'sujjirat,' read as 'set ablaze' to support fire within water.