(114) “Exalted is Allah, the True King. Do not hasten with the Quran before its revelation to you is completed, but say, ‘My Lord, increase me in knowledge.’”
After mentioning His judgment of recompense concerning His servants and His prescriptive religious rulings, which He sent down in His Book—and since all this is an effect of His sovereignty—Allah said: “Exalted is Allah”; that is, He is glorious, sublime, and holy, far above every deficiency and defect. “The King”: kingship is His attribute, all creatures belong to Him, and His sovereign decrees—both providential and legislative—are carried out among them.
“The True”; that is, His existence, kingship, and perfection are all true. Perfect attributes, in their fullest reality, belong only to the Possessor of Majesty. Kingship is one such attribute. Although some created beings may possess a measure of authority over certain things for a time, theirs is a limited, fleeting dominion that passes away. As for the Lord, He has always been and will never cease to be the King—the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining, the Majestic.
“Do not hasten with the Quran before its revelation to you is completed”; that is, do not rush to take in the Quran while Gabriel is reciting it to you. Rather, wait patiently until he has finished, and then recite it. Allah has guaranteed that He will gather it in your heart and enable you to recite it, as He, the Exalted, said: “Do not move your tongue with it in haste * Surely it is for Us to collect it and recite it * So when We recite it, follow its recitation * Then surely it is for Us to make it clear.”
The Prophet’s haste—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—to receive the revelation and his eagerness for it demonstrated his complete love of knowledge and his ardent desire for it. Allah therefore commanded him to ask for an increase in knowledge. Knowledge is good, and an abundance of good is something to be sought. It comes from Allah, and the way to attain it is through diligent effort, yearning for knowledge, asking Allah, seeking His aid, and recognizing one’s utter need for Him at all times.
This noble verse also teaches proper etiquette when receiving knowledge. A listener should proceed deliberately and wait patiently until the one dictating or teaching has finished a statement whose parts are interconnected. Once the speaker has finished, the listener may ask any question he has. He should not rush to ask a question and interrupt the one imparting knowledge, for this leads to deprivation. Likewise, the person being asked should hear out the questioner’s question and understand what is intended before answering, for this helps him arrive at the correct response.