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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Introduction to the Science of Tafsir of the Quran Part 16: Question On the Phrase “Clear Arabic” Up until this point, the conditions and fundamental pillars upon which a correct commentary of the Qur`an lie upon have been made clear. However in relation to this, a question is raised which we must answer: What is the meaning of the phrase mentioned in the Qur`an of “عَرَبِيٌِ مُبِينٌ” or that the Qur`an has been presented in “Clear Arabic”?
If the commentary of the Qur`an requires such a series of preparatory steps as have been mentioned, then why has the Qur`an referred to itself with the following description: وَ هٌذَا لِسَانٌ عَرَبِيٌّ مُّبِينٌ “And this (the Qur`an) is in a clear, understandable, Arabic.” [^1] In another instance, we read: نَـزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الأَمِينُ ٭ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِــنَ الْمُنْذِرِينَ ٭ بِلِسَانٍ عَرَبِيٍّ مُّبِينٍ “The Trustworthy Spirit (Jibra`il) has brought this (the Qur`an) to your (Muhammad) heart so that you may be amongst the warners, in a clear, understandable, Arabic.” [^2] Is the meaning of these two verses and many other similar verses anything other than the fact that the only thing needed to explain the Qur`an is an awareness of the Arabic language and nothing else?
Answer Seeing as how the polytheistic Arabs felt powerless in regards to the challenges being offered in the Qur`an, they were incessantly plunged into deep thought about the origin of this Book.
Thus in the end they had to state that, “Muhammad learned the Qur`an from two Roman slaves named Jabr and Yasar and others like them”[^3], and this is what has been alluded to in a verse of the Qur`an where it states: وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا يُعَلِّمُهُ بَشَـرٌ لِسَانُ الَّذِي يُلْحِدُونَ إِلَـيْهِ أَعْجَمِيٌّ وَّهٌذَا لِــسَانٌ عَرَبِيٌّ مُّبِينٌ “And certainly We indeed know that they say, “It is a mortal human being who teaches him (Muhammad).” The tongue (language) of him, they wickedly point to, is notably foreign, while this is Arabic, pure and clear.” [^4] The original meaning of the word “عجم” is something that is vague or ambiguous and thus a person would be called an “أعجمي” (one who is a non-Arab) whose mode of expression was defective – whether he was an Arab or a non-Arab.
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