of Nokounam, (Session 1537)
The opening verses of Surah Yunus, like a profound ocean, summon humanity to contemplate the boundless grandeur of the Divine and the limitations of human cognition. These verses, revealed in response to the denial of revelation and its attribution to magic and sorcery, introduce God as the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Administrator of affairs, and the ultimate destination of all creatures. In this discourse, by reflecting upon these verses and the insights of religious scholars, the discussion will examine the Qur'anic concepts of equivocal (mutashabih) verses, humanity's incapacity to fully comprehend them, and the invitation to submission and worship before the Truth. The structure of this work is organised with the purpose of offering the profound Qur'anic concepts in a clear and dignified expression to the reader.
Verses 3 to 7 of Surah Yunus were revealed in a context where a group of the Prophets audience denied the Divine revelation and attributed it to magic and sorcery. These verses, by introducing God as the Creator of the heavens and the earth and the Administrator of the universe, emphasise Divine greatness and the necessity of faith and submission. The following is the text and translation of these verses:
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ يُدَبِّرُ ٱلْأَمْرَ ۖ مَا مِن شَفِيعٍ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ إِذْنِهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ فَٱعْبُدُوهُ ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ
Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself upon the Throne, managing all affairs. There is no intercessor except after His permission. That is Allah, your Lord; so worship Him. Will you not then take heed?
This verse, by emphasising the creation of the heavens and the earth in six days, Divine sovereignty over the Throne, and the governance of all affairs, calls upon humanity to worship and contemplate Divine grandeur. Concepts such as heavens, earth, six days, and Throne in this verse, due to their equivocal nature, are beyond the full comprehension of mankind and merely evoke the immensity and vastness of creation.
The Holy Quran, like a mirror reflecting transcendent truth, presents concepts that transcend the cognitive capacity of humans. This incapacity is not a sign of deficiency in Divine speech but rather an invitation to humility and submission before the Truth. Just as a child before a black pot perceives only grandeur and the unknown, humanity before the equivocal verses apprehends nothing but Divine greatness. This metaphor, rooted in popular culture, beautifully illustrates the epistemic limitations of humankind.
Key point: The epistemic incapacity of humans to comprehend equivocal Quranic concepts is an invitation to humility and submission before Divine grandeur. These verses are not meant to elucidate the minutiae of creation but to evoke a sense of submission and worship.
In popular culture, a black pot serves as a symbol of fear and the unknown for children. This metaphor beautifully demonstrates that the Quranic verses, although grand and transcendent, convey nothing to the human mind other than a feeling of wonder and greatness. Just as a child senses only fear and vastness before a black pot, humanity recognises only Divine grandeur before Quranic concepts such as heavens and Throne.
Verse 3 of Surah Yunus, by referring to the creation of the heavens and the earth in six days, emphasises the vastness and magnitude of creation. The concepts of heavens and earth in this verse not only point to the multiplicity of heavens and earths but also speak of the intricate complexity and unparalleled order of creation. Inquiring about the number of heavens or whether each heaven has its own earth is itself an invitation to reflect on Divine magnificence rather than an attempt to understand rational details.
إِلَيْهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا ۖ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقًّا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ يَبْدَؤُا۟ ٱلْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُۥ لِيَجْزِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَهُمْ شَرَابٌ مِّنْ حَمِيمٍ وَعَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْفُرُونَ
To Him is your return all together. The promise of Allah is true. Indeed, He begins the creation and then repeats it so that He may reward those who have believed and done righteous deeds in justice. But those who disbelieved will have a drink of boiling water and a painful punishment because they disbelieved.
This verse, by referring to the initiation and reinstatement of creation, emphasises the just Divine system in recompense and retribution. The concepts of boiling drink and painful punishment, owing to their equivocal nature, are beyond full human understanding and merely depict the magnitude and severity of the Hereafters chastisement.
The term six days in the Holy Quran refers to the developmental stages of creation, not necessarily terrestrial days. This concept, compatible with modern cosmological theories, surpasses human precise understanding. Just as erecting a simple hut in six days is arduous, the creation of the heavens and the earth in six stages indicates the boundless power of God.
Key point: The phrase six days refers not to earthly days but to the developmental stages of creation. This concept invites humans to contemplate Divine power and wisdom rather than to attempt intellectual comprehension of minute details.
The concept of establishment upon the Throne denotes Gods absolute sovereignty over existence, and managing the affairs refers to the exclusive governance of the universe by God. These concepts, mentioned in verse 3, transcend human cognition and call humanity to submission before Divine absolute authority. The metaphor likening these concepts to a black pot, a symbol of unknowability in popular culture, beautifully demonstrates this epistemic limitation.
Verse 5 of Surah Yunus, by referring to the creation of the sun and moon and the appointment of lunar stations for the calculation of time, emphasises cosmic order:
هُوَ ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ ٱلشَّمْسَ ضِيَآءً وَٱلْقَمَرَ نُورًا وَقَدَّرَهُۥ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُوا۟ عَدَدَ ٱلسِّنِينَ وَٱلْحِسَابَ ۚ مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ يُفَصِّلُ ٱلْءَايَٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
He is the One who made the sun a shining light and the moon a reflected light and determined for it phases that you may know the number of years and the reckoning. Allah did not create that except in truth. He details the signs for a people who know.
This verse, by describing the sun as radiance and the moon as light, underscores Divine order in creation. Nevertheless, humans comprehend only the superficial aspect of this system, such as numbering days and months, remaining unaware of its profound essence.
Key point: The creation of the sun and moon and the determination of their stations are signs of Divine order and wisdom. This order invites humans to reflect on the purposefulness of creation and to submit to the Truth.
Verse 6, by referring to the alternation of night and day and the creation of the heavens and the earth, presents these phenomena as signs for the God-conscious:
إِنَّ فِي ٱخْتِلَٰفِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ وَمَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ لَءَايَٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَّقُونَ
Indeed, in the alternation of night and day and what Allah has created in the heavens and the earth are signs for a people who are mindful.
These signs are comprehensible only to those who observe piety. Taqwa, meaning awareness and reverence of God, is the key to understanding Divine signs.
Verse 7 refers to those who do not hope for meeting with God and are content with the worldly life:
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا وَرَضُوا۟ بِٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱطْمَ
