Document Type : Academicm and Research

Authors

• Muḥammad Ḥūsayn Barūmand ¹
• Amir Joudavi ²
• Batool Alavi ³

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.

² Associate Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

³ Ph.D., Comparative Exegesis, Independent Researcher, Shiraz, Iran.

Abstract

Highlights

Introduction

In verses 11-12 of the al-Tariq Chapter, the terms “rajʿ” (return) and “ṣadʿ” (cleaving) are mentioned: “By the resurgent [rajʿ] heaven, and by the furrowed [ṣadʿ] earth.” Verse 13 states: “It is indeed a conclusive discourse.” Commentators have presented various views regarding the meanings of rajʿ and ṣadʿ in these verses, and the referent of the pronoun in verse 13. The disagreements among commentators concern the relationship between the oaths themselves and the relationship between the oaths and their responses.

Regarding the relationship between the oaths, the opinions of exegetes are divided into two categories. The views of the first category of exegetes are dismissed due to their failure to consider this harmony and congruence. Among the views of the second category of exegetes, four perspectives are presented: In the first view, rajʿ refers to rain, and ṣadʿ refers to plants. In the second view, rajʿsignifies the rising and setting of celestial bodies, while ṣadʿ denotes plants. In the third view, rajʿ refers to the movement of celestial bodies in their orbits, and ṣadʿ refers to plants and springs. In the fourth view, rajʿ and ṣadʿ are attributed to the Day of Judgment. The first two views represent a basic conceptualization of the relationship between the oaths. The third view suggests a deeper interpretation of the two verses but it is incomplete in its presentation. The fourth view, due to its inconsistency with the ultimate purpose of the chapter and the connection between the verses, is deemed unacceptable. Regarding the relationship between the oaths and their responses, only a small number of commentators of the first view while considering the Day of Judgment as the referent of the pronoun have established a fully harmonious and consistent relationship. The flaw in this view is that such a meaning is basic and ancient. Other commentators, despite their varied opinions on the pronoun’s referent, such as the Quran or the Day of Judgment, have failed to establish a clear connection between the oaths and their responses. This multiplicity of opinions further underscores the necessity for critical examination. Accordingly, the primary research question of this study is: What is the relationship between verses 11–12 and verse 13?

Interpretation of the Oaths

The best interpretations of the oaths are as follows:

1. Emphasis on the concepts of “rajʿ” and “ṣadʿ”: The term “rajʿ” in the verse denotes the movement of celestial bodies in specific orbits and their return and the term “ṣadʿ” refers to the Earth's property of being split and fragmented, even down to the smallest particles such as atoms.
2. Scientific miracles and two phenomena: The sky possessing rajʿ implies the repeated, regular movement of celestial bodies in their orbits at fixed intervals. The Earth possessing ṣadʿ signifies nuclear fission, the splitting of an atom’s nucleus into two or more smaller nuclei, and the conversion of matter into nuclear energy, in accordance with the law of conservation of mass and energy.
3. The unique role of the chapter’s ultimate purpose and the necessity of establishing a connection between verses: The chapter’s objective is to remind humanity of the ultimate rajʿ and the return of the soul, and to categorize its verses into two groups: those concerning the preservation of the soul and those concerning its return.

The preferred perspective serves a complementary role when compared to the third view. Accordingly, it establishes a relationship and connections between the oaths—one operating at the celestial level and the other at the earthly level. The oath concerning the sky pertains to the ever-increasing scale of celestial bodies and the one concerning the earth relates to the infinite divisibility of matter. No matter how far we ascend into the vast and expanding cosmos, rajʿ (return) holds true, and no matter how much the earth is broken down into increasingly smaller particles, even reaching the minute scale of atoms, the potential for further division persists, affirming the truth of ṣadʿ (cleaving/splitting). This process of division continues indefinitely. The phrase “dhāt al-ṣadʿ” (cleaving/splitting) refers to an inherent property of the earth itself, just as “dhāt al-rajʿ” (returning) denotes an intrinsic characteristic of the heavens. These two oaths are among the instances of the Quran’s scientific miracles.

The Relationship Between the Oaths and Their Response

It is important to note that the pronoun in “It is indeed a conclusive discourse” refers to the Quran. Consequently, this reference establishes and clarifies the connection between the two oaths and their responses. The Quran is a serious, ultimate, and truthful speech, and distinguishes between truth and falsehood. From this perspective, the relationship between the oaths and their responses serves as proof of the Quran’s truthfulness and its scientific miracles. In other words, the Quran, which, in a way foretold of these two phenomena of the heavens and the earth at a time when humanity had not yet reached scientific maturity, the same Quran and the same “conclusive discourse,” if it also informs and foretells of the Day of Judgment and the return of the soul (rajʿ al-nafs), it is undoubtedly truthful.

Conclusion

Considering the relationship between the oaths and their responses verses 11 to 13 of the al-Tariq Chapter present two types of interpretations: One is a surface-level, basic, and appropriate for the time of revelation understanding, while the other is deeper, higher, and relevant to the modern era. The deeper understanding of rajʿ (return) of the heavens and ṣadʿ (cleaving) of the earth is indebted, on one hand, to the advancement of empirical sciences and, on the other, to the application of methodical and sequential interpretation to the al-Tariq Chapter, along with clarifying the connections between its verses and the lexical meanings of the terms rajʿ and ṣadʿ. From this perspective, rajʿ refers to the movement of celestial bodies in their orbits, while ṣadʿ is linked to the earth, matter, and nuclear energy’s capacity for division. The pronoun in the verse “It is indeed a conclusive discourse” refers to the Quran, as this interpretation is both supported by narrations and encompasses the concept of the return of the soul. This encompassing meaning is demonstrated by the fact that the Quran, which spoke about the return/resurgence of the heavens and the splitting of the earth in a manner comprehensible to today’s human being, must necessarily be decisive and unmistaken in its statements about the Day of Judgment and the return of the human soul.

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Keywords

• al-Tariq: 11-13
• rajʿ (return)
• ṣadʿ (cleaving)
• Quranic oaths

Main Subjects

• Islamic