In connection with the information about the ghayb given by the âyah at the end of Surah al-Fath through its indicative meaning (ma’nâ al-isharî), it will be briefly discussed since in the following âyah the same information was given through the same indicative meaning (ma’nâ al-isharî).

An Addendum

وَلَهَدَيْنَاهُمْ صِرَاطًا مُسْتَقِيمًا وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللّهَ وَ الرَّسُولَ فَاُولئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ اَنْعَمَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَ الصِّدِّيقِينَ وَ الشُّهَدَاءِ وَ الصَّالِحِينَ وَ حَسُنَ اُولٰٓئِكَ رَف۪يقًۜا1

To explain this âyah, we shall point out two Subtle Points of the thousands of its subtle points.

First Subtle Point: Just as the Qur'an of Miraculous Exposition expresses haqiqahs through its explicit meanings (ma’nâ as-sarîh) and significations, so does it express many indicative meanings (ma’nâ al-isharî) through its styles and forms. Each âyah contains numerous levels of meaning. Since the Qur'an comes from the encompassing ‘ilm of Allah, all its meanings may be intended. It cannot be restricted to one or two meanings, like man's speech, which is the product of his particular mind and personal will.

Thus, due to this mystery, mufassirs have declared innumerable haqiqahs of the âyahs of the Qur'an; there are many more that they have not expounded, and besides its explicit meanings (ma’nâ as-sarîh), many significant branches of ‘ilm are contained in its indications and especially in its letters.

Second Subtle Point: Through the phraseمِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَ الصِّدِّيقِينَ وَ الشُّهَدَاءِ وَ الصَّالِحِينَ وَ حَسُنَ اُولٰٓئِكَ رَف۪يقًۜا2, this noble âyah describes that, in mankind, the people of as-sirât al-mustaqîm and those honoured with the true ni’mahs of Allah are the group of Prophets, the caravan of Siddîqîn, the ja’mâah of Shahîds, the class of Sâlihîn and the category of Tâbi’în. Furthermore, after explicitly pointing out the most perfect among those five groups in the Islamic world, it indicates and expresses the imams and leaders of those five groups by mentioning their well-known attributes, and then, with a flash of miraculousness from among the kind of giving information about the ghayb3, it also specifies in one respect the position of the leaders of those groups in the future.

Yes, just as مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ4 looks explicitly to Hazrat Prophet ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm, does the phrase 5 وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ look to Abu Bakr the Siddîq. It also indicates that he would be the second after the Prophet ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm and the first who would succeed to his place, and the ummah would give the name Siddîq as a special title to him, and he would be seen at the head of Siddîqîn. With the word 6 وَالشُّهَدَاءِ , the âyah mentions Hazrat ‘Umar, Hazrat ‘Uthman and Hazrat ‘Ali Ridwanullahi ‘Alayhim Ajmaîn7, the three of them together. It indicates that the three of them would be honoured with the khîlafah of nubuwwah after the Siddîq, and they would be shahîd and the fadhîlah of being shahîd would be added to their other fadhîlah; it expresses these in a manner that gives information about the ghayb. With the word وَالصَّالِحِينَ8, it indicates distinguished personages like Ashab As-Suffa, Ashab Al-Badr and Ashab Ar-Ridwan. With the explicit meaning (ma’nâ as-sarîh) of the phrase وَ حَسُنَ اُولٰٓئِكَ رَف۪يقًۜا9, it encourages others to follow them and shows the obedience of Tâbi’în to be honourable and agreeable; through its indicative meaning (ma’nâ al-isharî), it points to Hazrat Hasan (ra) as the fifth of the Four Khalîfah in order to demonstare the greatness of the value of his brief duration of khilâfah, which affirms the hadith اِنَّ الْخِلاَفَةَ بَعْدِى ثَلاَثُونَ سَنَةً10.

In Short: Like the âyahs at the end of Surah al-Fath look to the Four Khalîfah, corroborating this, these âyahs look partially and indicatively to their future positions in a manner of giving information about the ghayb. Thus, in the âyahs of the Qur’an, there are so numerous incalculable flashes of miraculousness belonging to the kind of giving information about the ghayb, which is among the kinds of the Qur'an's miraculousness. Literalist ‘ulamâ restricting them to forty or fifty âyahs is due to their superficial view. In haqiqah, they are more than a thousand. Sometimes, there are four or five aspects of giving information about the ghayb in a single âyah.

رَبَّنَا لاَ تُؤَاخِذْنَا اِنْ نَسِينَا اَوْ اَخْطَاْنَا

سُبْحَانَكَ لاَ عِلْمَ لَنَا اِلاَّ مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ

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1 (…and also guided them to as-sirât al-mustaqîm. And whoever obeys Allah and His rasûl, they are with those to whom Allah bestows ni’mah: Prophets, Siddîqîn, Shahîds and Sâlihîn. What an honourable company they are!)

2 (…Prophets, Siddîqîn, Shahîds and Sâlihîn. What an honourable company they are!)

3 (إخباره عن الغيوب‌ Giving information about the ghayb:  It is one of the many kinds of the miraculousness of the Qur’an, which is giving information from the past, the future and the events that are unknown and unseen for mankind, such as qiyâmah and âkhirah. Some examples of this kind of miraculousness are explained in the Twenty-Fifth Word.) (Tr.)

4 (Prophets.)

5 (Siddîqîn.)

6 (Shahîds.)

7 (May Allah be pleased with all of them.)

8 (Sâlihîn.)

9 (What an honourable company they are!)

10 (The Khilâfah will last thirty years after me.)

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