The Book of Stations

1. Mawqif 37 · “A remembrance for you and your people”

   See the print: Damascus 1966, p. 84, Damascus 1966, p. 85, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 93, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 94 (archive.org)

   قَالَ تَعَالَى: «وَإِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ».

   God, exalted is He, says: “And truly it is a remembrance for you and for your people” (Q 43:44).✦

   ¶ 2236

2. وَاِنَّهُ أَيِ الْقُرْآنُ؛ لَذِكْرٌ لَكَ تَذْكُرُ رَبَّكَ بِتِلَاوَتِهِ، وَتَتَعَبَّدُ بِتَرْدِيدِهِ، وَلِقَوْمِكَ، أُمَّتِكَ، مَجَازاً،

   “And truly it”, that is, the Qurʾān, “is a remembrance for you”: you remember your Lord by reciting it and you worship by repeating it; “and for your people”, your community, figuratively.✦

   ¶ 2237

3. وَلَاشَكَّ أَنَّ تِلَاوَةَ الْقُرْآنِ ذِكْرٌ لِلَّهِ بَلْ هُوَ أَجَلُّ الْأَذْكَارِ عِنْدَ الْعَارِفِينَ بِاللَّهِ– تَعَالَى– فَقَطْ، فِي كُلِّ الْأَوْقَاتِ خِلَافاً لِمَنْ قَالَ: اِنَّهُ أَفْضَلُ الْأَذْكَارِ؛ اِلَاّ فِي الْأَمْكِنَةِ وَالْأَزْمِنَةِ الَّتِي وَرَدَ الْأَمْرُ فِيهَا بِأَذْكَارٍ مَخْصُوصَةٍ.

   There is no doubt that reciting the Qurʾān is a remembrance of God. Indeed, according to the knowers of God (exalted is He), and them alone, it is the most exalted of remembrances at all times. This is contrary to the one who said: it is the best of remembrances except in the places and times for which a command to perform specific remembrances has come.✦

   ¶ 2238

4. وَخِلَافاً لِمَنْ قَالَ: اِنَّهُ أَفْضَلُ الْأَذْكَارِ؛ اِلَاّ فِيمَا بَيْنَ صَلَاةِ الصُّبْحِ وَطُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَفِيمَا بَيْنَ صَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ.

   It is also contrary to the one who said: it is the best of remembrances except between the dawn prayer and sunrise, and between the afternoon prayer and the sunset prayer.✦

   ¶ 2239

5. الثَّانِيَةُ: وَاِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ، بِمَعْنَى مُذَكِّرٍ، يُذَكِّرُكَ وَقَوْمَكَ (أُمَّتَكَ مَجَازاً) الْعَهْدَ الْقَدِيمَ الَّذِي أَخَذَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْأَرْوَاحِ يَوْمَ «أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ»؟!

   The second: “And truly it is a remembrance for you and for your people” in the sense of a reminder. It reminds you and your people (your community, figuratively) of the ancient covenant that God took from the spirits on the day of “Am I not your Lord?” (Q 7:172)!✦

   ¶ 2240

6. فَاِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ وَسَائِرَ الْكُتُبِ الْمُنْزَلَةِ، اِنَّمَا نَزَلَتْ لِتُذَكِّرَ الْعِبَادَ بِذَلِكَ الْعَهْدِ الْقَدِيمِ، الَّذِي أُخِذَ عَلَيْهِمْ، بِالْاِقْرَارِ بِالرُّبُوبِيَّةِ وَالتَّوْحِيدِ.

   For the Qurʾān and all the other revealed books were sent down only to remind the servants of that ancient covenant which was taken from them: the acknowledgement of Lordship and of divine oneness.✦

   ¶ 2241

7. الثَّالِثُ: وَاِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ، بِمَعْنَى تُذَكَّرُ أَنْتَ بِالْقُرْآنِ وَيُذَكَّرُ بِهِ قَوْمُكَ أَيِ الْعَرَبُ، عَلَى ظَاهِرِ اللَّفْظِ، مَادَامَ يُتْلَى فَيُذَكَّرُ بِهِ الرَّسُولُ، لِأَنَّ مُعْجِزَتَهُ الدَّائِمَةَ النَّاطِقَةَ بِتَصْدِيقِهِ، وَتُذْكَرُ بِهِ الْعَرَبُ لِأَنَّهُ نَزَلَ بِلِسَانِهَا وَلُغَتِهَا.

   The third: “And truly it is a remembrance for you and for your people” in this sense: you are remembered through the Qurʾān, and your people, that is, the Arabs, according to the outward wording, are remembered through it. As long as it is recited, the Messenger is remembered through it, because [it is] his perpetual miracle, which speaks of his truthfulness. And the Arabs are remembered through it because it came down in their tongue and their language.✦

   ¶ 2242

8. الرَّابِعُ: وَاِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَكَ بِمَعْنَى مُذَكِّرٍ، وَلِقَوْمِكَ (أُمَّتِكَ مَجَازاً) أَيْ وَعْظٌ وَوَاعِظٌ.

   The fourth: “And truly it is a remembrance for you” in the sense of a reminder, “and for your people” (your community, figuratively); that is, an admonition and an admonisher.✦

   ¶ 2243

9. وَلَا يَخْفَى أَنَّ الْقُرْآنَ الْكَرِيمَ أَعْظَمُ وَاعِظٍ وَأَفْضَلُ وَعْظٍ لِمَا اشْتَمَلَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْوَعِيدِ وَالزَّجْرِ وَالتَّخْوِيفِ وَالتَّحْذِيرِ، بَلْ مَا تَعَلَّمَ وَاعِظٌ وَعْظاً؟ اِلَاّ مِنْهُ، وَلَا تَكَلَّمَ مُذَكِّرٌ اِلَاّ بِلِسَانِهِ.

   It is plain that the noble Qurʾān is the greatest of admonishers and the best of admonitions, because of the threats, rebukes, intimidations and warnings it contains. Indeed, no admonisher has learned any admonition except from it, and no reminder has spoken except with its tongue.✦

   ¶ 2244

10. الْخَامِسُ: وَاِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ الْعَرَبِ خَاصَّةً، بِمَعْنَى شَرَفٍ لَكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ.

    The fifth: “And truly it is a remembrance for you and for your people”, the Arabs specifically, in the sense of an honour for you and for your people.✦

    ¶ 2245

11. أَمَّا شَرَفُهُ– صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ– بِالْقُرْآنِ فَلِكَوْنِهِ مُعْجِزَتَهُ لِاِعْجَازِ الْخَلْقِ عَنْ أَنْ يَأْتُوا بِأَقْصَرِ سُورَةٍ مِنْ مِثْلِهِ، وَلِمَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْأَخْبَارِ بِالْمُغَيَّبَاتِ وَالْأَنْبَاءِ عَنِ الْأُمَمِ الْبَائِدَةِ، وَالْقُرُونِ الْخَالِيَةِ.

    As for his honour, God bless him and give him peace, through the Qurʾān: it is because it is his miracle, since creatures are rendered incapable of producing even the shortest sūra like it. It is also because of the reports it contains of hidden things and the tidings of perished nations and bygone generations.✦

    ¶ 2246

12. وَأَمَّا شَرَفُ الْعَرَبِ بِالْقُرْآنِ وَهُمْ قَوْمُهُ– صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ– فَلِكَوْنِهِ نَزَلَ بِلِسَانِهِمُ الَّذِي بِهِ يَتَكَلَّمُونَ، وَلُغَتِهِمُ الَّتِي بِهَا يَتَحَاوَرُونَ، وَأَلْزَمَ الْخَلْقَ جَمِيعَهُمْ مِنْ أِنْسٍ وَجَانٍّ أَنْ يَتْلُوهُ بِهَذَا اللِّسَانِ، فِي كُلِّ زَمَانٍ وَمَكَانٍ.

    As for the honour of the Arabs through the Qurʾān (and they are his people, God bless him and give him peace): it is because it came down in their tongue, in which they speak, and in their language, in which they converse with one another, and because He obliged all creatures, humans and jinn, to recite it in this tongue, at every time and in every place.✦

    ¶ 2247

Translations, word glosses and term notes are AI-generated (Claude) and marked as such; no published translation is reproduced.Word analysis is automatic (CAMeL Tools), guided by the text's vowelling. How this text was established.