Do not move your tongue to hasten it 75:16

 

 “Do not move your tongue to hasten it.”

 

That “Muhammad Forbidden From Explaining the Quran” is the subtitle to verse 75:16 of Dr. Rashad Khalifa’s translation “The Final Testament.” Dr. Rashad Khalifa developed a couple of arguments to support his Qur’an only thesis. One of the arguments goes that the Prophet was forbidden from explaining the Qur’an.  The argument was derived from Dr. Khalifa’s reading of verses 16-19 of Surah Qiyamah and some other passages as well.  We will analyze Dr. Khalifa’s unique take of the passage from surah Qiyamah and compare it to traditional commentaries.

 

Tradition has often hindered the masses from reading the Qur’an.  Scholars have long argued that  the only interpretation  acceptable is the one they themselves offered. Reformists of various stripes have long challenged this view by noting the fact that the Qur’an is a book for the masses and should not be limited to a small elite.  People who subscribe to the Quran-alone movement developed unique arguments  to try to defend the egalitarian nature of the Qur’anic understanding. One argument that was developed by Dr. Rashad Khalifa (and continues to be used by adherents and non-followers) is the notion that God forbid the Prophet from explaining the message of the Qur’an. If the traditionalist theologians argued that one could only understand the Qur’an by reading a hadith book then the counter-argument goes that the Qur’an prohibits using any sources to explain itself. Dr. Khalifa developed a couple of arguments along these lines. One of his arguments is based on Surah Qiyamah ,verses 16-19.  Dr. Khalifa argued that the four verses make it clear that the Prophet was forbidden from explaining the Qur’an. A Dr. Khalifa student writes "He was commanded NOT to explain the Quran, and he followed that divine command." (Why should we follow Quran Alone? https://submission.org/Why_Quran_Alone.html)

 

[75:16] Do not move your tongue to hasten it. [75:17] It is we who will collect it into Quran. [75:18] Once we recite it, you shall follow such a Quran. [75:19] Then it is we who will explain it. (Rashad Khalifa trans.)

 

How do traditionalists understand these verses?  Ibn Kathir, a popular 13^th century Tafsir writes the following: This is Allah teaching His Messenger how to receive the revelation from the angel. For verily, he (the Prophet ) was rushing in his attempts to grasp the revelation and he would be reciting the revelation with the angel while he was reciting it. Therefore, Allah commanded him that when the angel brings some revelation to him he should just listen. Allah would make sure to collect it in his chest, and He would make it easy for him to recite it in the same way that it was revealed to him. Allah would explain it, interpret it and clarify it for him. So the first phase was gathering it in his chest, the second phase was recitation and the third phase was its explanation and clarification of its meaning.” (https://www.alim.org/quran/tafsir/ibn-kathir/surah/75/16/)

 

Ibn Kathir understood the verses under discussion to be a description of how the Prophet received Quranic revelation. The tasfir surmised that when the Prophet initially received the Qur’anic verses from the Angel Jibrael that the prophet was tempted to rush to repeat the verses. The prophet believed that once he listened to Jibreal recite the Qur’an than he needed to repeat the verses right away lest he forget them.  The Qur’an countered the Prophet’s assumption by telling him to listen to the Angel Jibrael, as opposed to rush to repeat the recitation (75:16) God assures the Prophet that God Himself is responsible for preserving it 75:17.)  Ibn Kathir writes that this will be “collected” in the prophet’s “chest” meaning that God will enable the prophet to memorize the Qur’an. T  Afterwards God would explain the Qur’an  (75:19)

 

Ibn Kathir quotes a narration from Ibn Abas (from Ahmad’s musnad) concerning 75:19, “that the Messenger of Allah used to struggle very hard to grasp the revelation and he used to move his lips (rapidly with the recitation). The narrator, Sa`id, then said, "Ibn `Abbas said to me, `I will move my lips like the Messenger of Allah used to move his lips (in order to show you).''' Then, the subnarrator said, "And Sa`id said to me, `I will move my lips like I saw Ibn `Abbas moving his lips (in order to show you).” The traditions record that the Prophet would rush to recite the Qur’an  and God via’ quranic revelation ordered the Prophet to cease that habit.  Ibn Kathir also records that according to Bukhari and Muslim ,” "So whenever Jibril would come to him he would be silent, and when Jibril had left he would recite it just as Allah, the Mighty and Sublime had promised him.'' The Prophet learned to listen to the recitation from Jibrael and only after the angel left would he recite.

 

Dr. Rashad Khalifa has a very different understanding of the 4 verses from the traditional narrative we posed. When the Qur’an said “Do not move your tongue to hasten it” this was evidently referring to the Prophet’s desire to explain the Qur’an. In Dr. Khalifa’s view, when a verse was brought to the Prophet, he was tempted to explain the meaning right away.  But this was prohibited to the prophet, according to Dr. Khalifa and his followers. They would perhaps argue that “It is we who collect it into the Qur’an” refers to a promise to the Prophet to answer the questions the prophet and the community had. (We are not trying to strawman Dr. Khalifa but simply ascertain what he would argue based on other assertions he made.)Dr. Khalifa would definitely however  argue the verse “ Then it is we who will explain it” refers to a promise by God to explain the Qur’an.  In this way there would be no need to rush to explain the Qur’an. That God ordered the prophet to not rush to speak the Qur’an and promised to explain the Qur’an, according to Dr. Khalifa , means that the Prophet is forbidden from explaining the Qur’an himself.

 

I tried to different commentaries on the above verses but most of them give an explanation along the lines of Ibn Kathir.  I welcome Dr. Khalifa’’s attempts to provide a new understanding of the Qur’an. I do not consider it intellectually great to merely repeat traditional explanations of old.  I am writing this so the reader will not get the impression that my goal is to defend “tradition” against the onslaught of radicals Qur’an only folks. We should follow the arguments where they lead. The question is who is more in line with what the Qur’an is saying?

 

Traditionalists and Dr. Khalifa both argue that the Surah Qiyamah in verses 16-19 are talking about the process of revelation.  Traditionalists however say that the Prophet is being informed not to rush to repeat the Qur’an as quickly as it is revealed to him. Dr. Khalifa argues that the verses inform the Prophet to not explain the Qur’an.  Traditionalists and Dr. Khalifa offer a very different understanding of the four verses in question. A traditionalist may argue that their understanding is better because they have the testimony of hadith, historical accounts of the Prophet’s experience and the agreement of the popular tafsirs.  A quranists may argue that none of those items matter for understanding he Qur’an and we should just read the Qur’an alone.

 

Dr. Khalifa made a bold assertion on the meaning of the above verses from surah Qiyamah.  But what does Dr. Khalifa have to say to counter the traditional narrative? Absolutely nothing. All Dr. Khalifa is offer a new interpretation he limits to a subtitle “Muhammad forbidden from explaining the Qur’an.”  Why did not Dr. Khalifa try to offer a more comprehensive explanation? Does not Dr. Khalifa owe it to his followers? The weight of tradition is heavy.  Because Dr. Khalifa hardly says anything we felt compelled to “strawman” by tying to see how he would argue things.  The fact that Dr. Khalifa didn’t give a comprehensive answer is typical of his style as we have discussed in our other articles.

 

76:17“It is We who will collect the Qur’an” is a response to the command “Do not hasten your tongue” of 75:16.  A traditionalist would argue that the meaning is the Prophet is ordered not to quickly repeat the Quranic revelation given to him because God has promised to protect it.  Dr. Khalifa  argues that 75:16 is not about repeating the Qur’an at all. For him, 75:16 orders the Prophet to not explain the Qur’an. A Quranist may offer 75:19 as proof of their assertion but how would Dr. Khalifa or any of his students argue the meaning of 75:16 in their line of thinking? If you are told; “do not explain the Qur’an, it is  We who will preserve it” then how is our promise to preserve the Qur’an a response to our order not to explain it? Dr. Khalifa’s assertion does not make sense.

 

75:18 tells the Prophet “Once we recite it, you shall follow such a Quran.” The verse is understood by traditionalists and most people to mean that the Prophet listen to the angel recite the qur’an and then the prophet was to follow it by repeating the recitation.  How does Dr. Khalifa understand this verse?  His translation “follow such a quran” is somewhat puzzling. The arabic only says to follow the Qur’an. There is understood to be only one Qur’an we do not know why the word “such” was used by Dr. Khalifa. In any case, we cannot be sure how Dr. Khalifa understood the meaning. Did he understood it to mean to repeat the recitation (the way traditionalists held?) It is doubtful because it would not follow where he is leading. If Dr. Khalifa understood the verse to mean “obey the Quran” then that may bolster his case.  We would however argue that this is not a good interpretation as it does not follow from the previous two verses.

 

“Then it is we who will explain it.” is taken as proof by Dr. Khalifa that only God explains the Qur’an.  Therefor the Prophet is forbidden from doing so. But the fact that the Qur’an promises God will explain it does not necessitate God forbidding the prophet from providing an explanation.  This claim by Quranists is not even logical. One cannot derive  “Prophet forbidden” from explanation by the mere fact “God explains it.” That is equivalent to arguing “I explain the book”, thus “you are forbidden from explaining.”  God explaining the Qur’an does not inhibit the Prophet, or anyone else from also explaining the Qur’an.  The qur’anists may see verse 75:19 as following 75:16; “Do not hasten to explain.. it is We who will explain.” But the problem with that understanding is that it has to disregard verses 17 and 18 to make it work, or try to spin doctor them away.

 

The other problem with Dr. Khalifa’s interpretation is that it doesn’t follow from a pan-textual analysis. Surah Taha also discusses the subject mater of the Prophet reciting the qur’an. If Dr. Khalifa is right in that the command by God to the Prophet to not rush recitation somehow means the prophet is forbidden from explaining the Qur’an then we would expect to see that “explanation” (of the prophet being forbidden from explain) in all cases that make mention of the command.  But when we turn to surah Taha we read ,” “[20:114] Most Exalted is GOD, the only true King. Do not rush into uttering the Quran before it is revealed to you, and say, "My Lord, increase my knowledge."  One can check the context of Surah 20:114 and not find any mention of God explaining the Qur’an as part of the prophetic process.  Surah Taha reassures the Prophet, just as Surah Qiyamah does; that the prophet should not rush recitation because God will protect the Qur’an.

 

Dr. Khalifa and his followers argue that the Qur’an is clear. They make the argument to avoid a need for explaining anything.  But Dr. Khalifa’s assertion that the Prophet is forbidden from explaining the Qur’an  does not appear to be clear from the Qur’an itself. The Qur’an says that the Prophet is assigned by God to teach the Quran (2:251) for example, and the Khalifa followers have the task to inform us how the Prophet is to teach the Qur’an without explaining it!  It is ironic that the Quranists need to explain something that pertains to the Prophet being forbidden from explaining!  If the Prophet is forbidden from explaining the Qur’an then why should the Quran-only followers even bother to try as well?   

 

Perhaps the Quransits would argue that the Prophet in his role as “teacher” of the Qur’an was not about explaining the Qur’an. They could argue that his role was limited to reciting the Qur’an and telling them how to recite it. Ironically, Dr. Khalifa would NOT be able to use this argument either. The main verses that discuss the Prophet reciting the Qur’an are based on 75:16-19, which happen to be the ayats we are discussing here. The verses were traditionally understood to indicate how the Prophet was to learn Quranic recitation. Dr. Khalifa could have used the traditional explanation in Surah 75:16 to make a claim that teaching the Qur’an did not involve “explaining” the holy writ. But because Dr. Khalifa twisted the meaning of Surah 75:16-21 to indicate the Prophet was forbidden from explaining the Qur’an, he thus could not make that argument!

 

Traditional explanations should all be viewed with some skeptical enquiry. Traditional explanations are sometimes correct however just as radical new explanations are sometimes wrong.  Dr. Khalifa may have been correct to challenge traditional interpretations in some ways but he was not infallible. No where does the Qur’an forbid the Prophet from explaining the Qur’an.  Dr. Khalifa never bothered to make an explanation to oppose the traditional answer. There is no reason to take Dr. Khalifa’s assertions seriously.  Traditional explanations should be critiqued when needed but Dr. Khalifa’s “challenge” can be disregarded here.