The fourth Verse enumerates three more characteristics of the Holy Qur’an...

The fourth Verse enumerates three more characteristics of the Holy Qur’an: Prior to Its Revelation to the Noble Prophet (S), the Holy Qur’an had been recorded in the Mother of the Book, namely the Preserved Tablet (lawh mahfus), in Divine Presence. It is the Most Elevated Book among all Divinely Revealed Books and it the Most Comprehensive Book abrogating preceding ones. It will serve as Divine Guidance to man to the Last Day without being abrogated by any other book.

The Holy Qur’an is full of wisdom, namely it provides man with wisdom. All Its injunctions and laws rest on reason and logic and Its Verses are consistent with intellectual proofs and arguments. Furthermore, it rests on the golden mean such that a brief reflection on It will suffice for the wise and scholars to acknowledge that It is Revealed by the Wise Originator of creation.

Surah al-Zukhruf - Verse 5 - 8 أَفَنَضْرِبُ عَنْكُمُ الذِّكْرَ صَفْحاً أَنْ كُنْتُمْ قَوْماً مُسْرِفِينَ وَكَمْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ نَبِيٍّ فِي الْأَوَّلِينَ وَمَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ إِلَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ فَأَهْلَكْنَا أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ بَطْشاً وَمَضَى مَثَلُ الْأَوَّلِينَ 5. Shall We then take away the Reminder [i.e., the Holy Qur’an] from you, because you are transgressors beyond bounds. 6. And how many a prophet have We sent amongst the ancient. 7.

And never came there a prophet to them but they would mock him. 8. Then We destroyed men stronger [in terms of power] than them [transgressors of bounds] and the fate of the ancient was recurred. Ignoring Divine injunctions is regarded as transgression of bounds (israf). All prophets were mocked by disbelievers; therefore, any prophet was expected to be aware of his predecessors so that he would not desist from carrying out his duty for disbelievers’ mockery.

Verse five is a reference to the preceding one. “Shall We then take away” (a-fa-nadribu) is a rhetorical question conveying the meaning that are We supposed to leave you in your ignorance and take away the Reminder, namely the Holy Qur’an, from you so that you may be deprived of such Divine Favor despite your transgression of bounds, persistence in disbelief and animosity to the extreme, and your being astray in the abyss of error?

It may allude to disbelievers’ persistence in staying in error and denial of Divine Guidance, namely the inimitable Word emanated from the springhead of Divine Favor revealed to the Prophet (S) for guidance and felicity.

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