At-Tur: Difference between revisions

This article is about the sura of the Qur'an. For other uses, see Tur.

Surah 52 of the Quran

سورة الطور‎ Sūrat al-Ṭūr The Mount
Qira'ahⓘ English text
Classification	Meccan
Other names	The Mountain, Mount Sinai
Position	Juzʼ 27
No. of verses	49
No. of Rukus	2
No. of words	312
No. of letters	1324

Surat At-Tur (Template:Lang-ar) ( Altoor الطور ) is one of the many Arabic words for The Mount / mountain) is the 52nd sura of the Qur'an with 49 ayat. The surah that opens with the oath of the Divine One swearing by THE MOUNT of Sinai, where the Torah was revealed to Moses. It takes its name from “the mount” (ṭūr) mentioned in Ayah#1. The surah which addresses many of the arguments put to the Prophet by the disbelievers of Mecca (ayah#29 ff.). The bliss that will be enjoyed by the believers is contrasted to the torments of Hell, and the Prophet is urged to bide his time, to continue to deliver his message, and to wait with confidence for God’s judgement. God swears by, among other things, Mount Sinai, that the Day of Judgement is inevitable.

وَالطُّورِ

And swearing is by the At-Tur; [52:01]

وَكِتَابٍ مَّسْطُورٍ فِي رَقٍّ مَّنشُورٍ

and swearing is by the Book with the qualitative character of written text, on the paper qualitatively fine and spread.[52:02-03]

وَالْبَيْتِ الْمَعْمُورِ

And swearing is by that particular House, the peculiar feature of which is that it is frequented and is enlivened/vivified [i.e. Ka'aba]; [52:04]

Let us find which الْبَيْتِ is this?

الْمَعْمُورِ It is a derived noun-Passive participle from the verb relating to Root ع م ر. The basic perception infolded in the Root is that of inhabiting and populating a place, which reflects frequent visiting and stationing of large number of people thereat. It thus denotes a particular place which is frequented by large number of people with the result that it gets depicted as enlivened and vivified. This depictive characteristic is attributed to الْبَيْتِ.

When a speaker initiates speech with oath, the intended purpose is to draw concentrated attention of listener to that which is going to be narrated. The intended purpose requires that the listener must be able to understand and perceive the grandeur, greatness and/or familiarity of that object etc. upon which swearing is made. Thus it is understood that the referred الْبَيْت "The House" is quite familiar to the listener/reader. Its characteristic الْمَعْمُورِ demands that people should visit/come to it.

وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْناً "And be informed that when [on completion] We appointed/declared "The House" as the object/place of pilgrimage/return/assembly for the people and a place of safety/shelter/amnesty" [Refer 2:125].

This feature مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ "as the object/place of pilgrimage/return/assembly for the people" of that particular الْبَيْتِ "The House" coupled with and facilitated by having been made and declared as وَأَمْناً "a place of safety/shelter/amnesty" makes it الْمَعْمُورِ frequented/enlivened/vivified.

Any point of location becomes frequented/enlivened/vivified not merely by the passing by visits but when people gather and stay there for a duration. Which الْبَيْتِ "The House" is frequented/enlivened/vivified? It has already conspicuously been told in these words:

وَلِلّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً And beware that the Huj of The House is an obligation from Allah upon the people whoever has acquired the capacity and wherewithal for travel and visit/perform Huj of The House. [Refer 3:97]

جَعَلَ اللّهُ الْكَعْبَةَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَامَ قِيَامًا لِّلنَّاسِ

Allah has appointed/declared the Sanctified House Al-Ka'abata enduringly a place of assembly/stay/ congregation for the people [Refer 5:97]

External Links

• Surah At-Tur (Complete text in Arabic with English and French translations)