Week 4, Module 8 – The Divine Speech: A Linguistic Study of The Quran

Week 4 – Grammatical Shifts – Part 2

Tools to understand the Quran better: Nahu and Sorf

Nahu – Grammar, syntax, How to structure sentences, conjunctions, emphasis

Sorf –  morphology, how Arabic words are transformed

Arabs have a problem with language. They prefer to speak in AMMIYYAH (bahasa pasar)

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Issues with grammatical shifts:

1. Inability for muslims in general to understand arabic at its peak. To understand the language itself
2. Non-existent parallels between arabic language and other languages

• To create similarities
• Word choice (why we choose certain words over others, in Malay and English)
• Try to find similarities in Arabic language and others. Comparative rhetoric
• Result in “lost in translation” situations

3. Does not have parallel and cannot find any example. inability to appreciate. What’s the wisdom behind it

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Iltifat / Grammatical Shift

1. To grab attention
2. Highlight its importance
3. Used in verses which are highly powerful e.g Al-Fatihah (3rd person to 1st person)

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Types of Grammatical Shifts

1. Shifts in Person: The speaker [pronoun]
2. Shifts in Person: The Audience [pronoun]
3. Shifts in Tense

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1. Shifts in Person: The speaker – Types of direct communication from God to humankind.

1a. Type: The Divine Speaker as WE

Example:

مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَىٰ – 20:55

From the earth We created you, and into it We will return you, and from it We will extract you another time.

Purpose: To highlight grandness, power or providence.

We = majestic. As though it requires many people to do it. But in reality, Allah is able to do it alone.

1b. Type: The Divine Speaker as He

Example:

هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَسَوَّاهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ ۚ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ – 2:29

It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth. Then He directed Himself to the heaven, [His being above all creation], and made them seven heavens, and He is Knowing of all things.

Purpose: To deliver the Quran’s central message i.e = monotheism

It’s a statement of fact. Universal expression.

1c. Type: Shift from We to He

Example:

وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ يَضِيقُ صَدْرُكَ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ -15:97 (WE)

And We already know that your breast is constrained by what they say.

To

فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَكُن مِّنَ السَّاجِدِينَ – 15:98 (HE)

So exalt [ Allah ] with praise of your Lord and be of those who prostrate [to Him].

Purpose: Proximity. robbiKA – to establish the relationship as a master

1d. Type: The Divine Speaker as I/Me/My

Example:

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ – 2:186

And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.

Purpose:  intimate, loving, personal, reassuring to messengers and believers

Usually, when an ayat mentions “Yasaluunaka” –> it is responded with “Qul”

Allah will ask the Prophet s.a.w to answer the question.

However, Allah said إِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي

And Allah Himself answers the question. He speaks directly when asked.

❤

1e. Type: Shift from I –> We

Example: Surah Al-Qiyamah –> 75:1-4

لَا أُقْسِمُ بِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ – 75:1

I swear by the Day of Resurrection

وَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالنَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ – 75:2

And I swear by the reproaching soul [to the certainty of resurrection].

أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنسَانُ أَلَّن نَّجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُ – 75:3

Does man think that We will not assemble his bones?

بَلَىٰ قَادِرِينَ عَلَىٰ أَن نُّسَوِّيَ بَنَانَهُ – 75:4

Yes. [We are] Able [even] to proportion his fingertips.

Purpose: Draws attention to the power as Allah swore by His creations

I = gives a direct personal touch.

We = majestic tone, shows Allah’s power to raise the dead

Note! We can swear by the name of Allah but NOT by other things like His creations

Why swear with the names of His creation?

To highlight the magnitude of the creation (in this case, the day of resurrection)

1f. Type: Shift from I to He

Example:

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ – 39:53

Say, “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”

يَا عِبَادِيَ to إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ

Purpose: Emotional consolation.

I = first person – personal level (Yaa ibaadii, O my servant)

To give an indication that Allah is speaking directly to us

A private consultation with us, specifically to those who have transgressed.

//the grammatical shift from I to He//

He = third person – remind that HE can do it (Inna Allah Yaghfiru, Indeed Allah will forgive)

In psychological sense, it gives us the feeling that Allah can relate to us, He says “don’t give up” but in a strong third person narrative, He reminds us that it is He that has the power to help

It is attached to God Always, it is attached to God that He is ALWAYS merciful.

1g. Type: Shift from He to I [cool sangat!! I’ve never realised the shift of pronoun in these verses!)

Example:  Fajr 27-30

From third person to first person

Third person:

يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ – 89:27

[To the righteous it will be said], “O reassured soul,

Third person:

ارْجِعِي إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً – 89:28

Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him],

First person:

فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي – 89:29

And enter among My [righteous] servants

First person:

وَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي – 89:30

And enter My Paradise.”

Purpose: Emotional consolation

Your Lord = Relationship between a slave and his Master

To

My servants = endearing tone, like how a father would call “come here my son”. But establishes the monotheism in the word slave.

2. Shifts in Person: The Audience – To address more than one audience and establish the relationships between audiences.

2a. Type: Second to Third person

Example:

وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْغَمَامَ وَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَىٰ ۖ كُلُوا مِن طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ ۖ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَٰكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ – 2:57

And We shaded you with clouds and sent down to you manna and quails, [saying], “Eat from the good things with which We have provided you.” And they wronged Us not – but they were [only] wronging themselves.

Purpose: Vantage point

We shaded YOU [second person]. You refers to the Israelites.

Shift (you–> they) = to address another audience

According to Imam Fakhruddin Ar-razi, this verse is actually:

• Belittling the jews
• Reminding the muslims

Allah shifts the audience to indicate that He does not give any more attention to bani israel and tells the muslims to not make the same mistake.

2b. Type: Third to second person

Example #1:

وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وَلَدًا – 19:88

And they say, “The Most Merciful has taken [for Himself] a son.”

لَّقَدْ جِئْتُمْ شَيْئًا إِدًّا – 19:89

You have done an atrocious thing.

Purpose: To humiliate addressee

Example #2:

فَاكِهِينَ بِمَا آتَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ وَوَقَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ عَذَابَ الْجَحِيمِ – 52:18

Enjoying what their Lord has given them, and their Lord protected them from the punishment of Hellfire.

كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا هَنِيئًا بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ – 52:19

[They will be told], “Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you used to do.”

Purpose: To honour addressee

2c. Type: Second person singular to plural

In relation to jurisprudence

Example:

قَدْ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ ۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا ۚ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ ۗ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ – 2:144

We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face [plural] toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do.

Wajhaka – your (second person; singular) = To Rasulullah

Wujuuhakum – your faces (second person; plural) = To the muslimin.

Thus, this verse addressed a specific audience i.e Rasulullah s.a.w and shifted to a general audience. Indicating that the ruling (to change the kiblat) involves more than just the Prophet himself.

3. Shifts in Tense

Perfect tense –> The action has been completed

Usually in the form of a past tense

Imperfect tense –> action is still in process, incomplete

Often in present tense

3a. Type: Perfect to imperfect tense

Example:

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْا مِن قَبْلِكُم ۖ مَّسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَاءُ وَالضَّرَّاءُ وَزُلْزِلُوا حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ مَتَىٰ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ – 2:214

Or do you think that you will enter the Garden while a trial has not yet come to you the like of those  who passed before you? They were touched by distress and hardship and were shaken until their messenger and those who believed say “When will the help of God come?” Indeed, God’s help is near.

Purpose: Link between the past and the present

The description concerning the believers in the past is in perfect tense (past):

مَّسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَاءُ = They were afflicted

وَزُلْزِلُوا  = They were shaken

Then it blends  into the present

حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ = messenger and those who believed with him say

It establishes the link between believers in the past and the ummah of Rasulullah s.a.w that the those who BELIEVE will be tested continuously. The previous ummah has passed the test. And it has ended. Similarly, our ongoing tests will end too and there will be success if we persevere. A form of assurance from Allah to His prophet and the believers ❤

Ustaz: If you know life is full of tests, you’re gonna  prepare yourself.

Find meaning in the tests that you encounter. How will it make us better humans?

3b. Type: Imperfect to Perfect tense

Example:

وَيَوْمَ نُسَيِّرُ الْجِبَالَ وَتَرَى الْأَرْضَ بَارِزَةً وَحَشَرْنَاهُمْ فَلَمْ نُغَادِرْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا – 18:47

On the Day when We will set the mountains in motion, you will see the earth levelled, and We gathered them, and We did not leave anyone behind.

نُسَيِّرُ  to وَحَشَرْنَاهُمْ

Present to past

Purpose: The shift draws attention.

The shift allows us to visualise. Makes one think how it’ll be like. The mater of afterlife is more certain than that of natural disasters which is described in future tense here.

What will happen on Judgement day is just as inevitable as what has already passed.