that this very kind of victory belongs within the verse’s intent, for the best commentary on the Quran is the Quran itself. Hence He says, “Say to those who disbelieve, ‘You will be defeated,’” and, “Whoever fights in the path of Allah—whether he is killed or triumphs…,” and, “If there are twenty steadfast among you, they will overcome two hundred; and if there are one hundred, they will overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve,” and, “If there are one hundred steadfast among you, they will overcome two hundred, and if there are one thousand, they will overcome two thousand by Allah’s permission,” and His words: “Alif Lām Mīm (1) The Byzantines have been defeated (2) in the nearest land, yet after their defeat they will be victorious (3) within a few years,” together with many similar verses.

At other times a given nuance recurs in the Quran, though it is not the dominant sense of the word. Proof drawn from such recurrence is cited in this book as well, yet it holds a lower rank; it is more a supporting indication than a decisive argument. An example is His saying, “Allah encompasses the disbelievers” (19). Some scholars interpret “encompasses” here to mean “destroys,” and the Quran does repeatedly use “encompassing” with the sense of destruction, though that is not the term’s most prevalent meaning. Thus He says, “They thought they were encompassed,” and, “You will not bring him to me unless you are encompassed,” according to one view, and, “His orchard was encompassed,” and the like. You will see a full discussion of this in Sūrah al-Baqarah, if Allah wills.

Of the same sort is the use of “injustice” to signify idolatry, as in, “and did not mix their faith with injustice,” “Indeed, association with Allah is a great injustice,” “The disbelievers—they are the unjust” (254), and, “Do not call upon, apart from Allah, that which can neither benefit you nor harm you; for if you do, you will then be among the unjust” (106). This will, God willing, be set out in detail under al-Baqarah and al-Anʿām.