Surah Fussilat—Meccan (1)

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

“Ha-Mim. (1) A revelation from the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful; (2) a Book whose verses have been set forth in detail—an Arabic Quran for a people who know—(3) bearing glad tidings and warning. Yet most of them turn away, so they do not listen. (4) And they say, ‘Our hearts are under coverings from that to which you call us, there is deafness in our ears, and between us and you is a barrier. So act; indeed, we too are acting.’” (5)

Regarding His saying, “Ha-Mim. A revelation from the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful,” al-Akhfash said: “Revelation” is the subject, and its predicate is His saying, exalted is He: “A Book whose verses have been set forth in detail.”

“A Book whose verses have been set forth in detail”: its verses have been made clear. “An Arabic Quran for a people who know”: that is, who know the Arabic language; had it been in a language other than their own, they would not have understood it. ⦗112/a⦘ “Quran” is in the accusative because the clarification falls upon it; that is, We have set it forth in detail as an Arabic Quran.

“Bearing glad tidings and warning”: these are two descriptions of the Quran; that is, bringing glad tidings to the allies of Allah and warning His enemies. “Yet most of them turn away, so they do not listen”: they do not heed it, out of arrogance.

“And they say”—meaning the idolaters of Mecca—“Our hearts are under coverings”: under veils, “from that to which you call us, so we do not understand what you say; and there is deafness in our ears,” so we do not hear what you say. The meaning is: in their refusal to accept what he brought, they were like those who neither understand nor hear. “And between us and you is a barrier”: a difference in religion and a division in creed; thus, we will not agree with you in what you say. “So act”—you according to your religion—“indeed, we too are acting”: according to our religion.