When he argued against them with what establishes and affirms the oneness of Allah, and nullifies and demolishes polytheism, and he knew the way to prove that and correct it, and informed them that whoever associates partners with Allah has contradicted his intellect and covered what he has been blessed with in terms of knowledge and distinction—he then turned to what is the proof for establishing the prophethood of Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, and what refutes the doubt regarding the Qur'an being a miracle. He showed them how to recognize whether it is from Allah as claimed, or from himself as they claim. He guided them to consider themselves and taste their own nature, as they are of his kind and share his skin. If you say: Why was it said: (from what We have revealed) in the wording of revelation rather than descent? I say: Because the intended meaning is the descent in a gradual and segmented manner, and this is from its aspect of challenge. This is because they used to say: If this were from Allah, differing from what comes from people, it would not have been revealed like this in segments, one surah after another, and verses after verses, according to the incidents and the equivalence of events. And according to the manner we see among the people of rhetoric and poetry, where what they produce exists in fragments at times and little by little according to what occurs to them from new situations and urgent needs. The poet does not present his entire collection of poetry at once, nor does the speaker deliver all his speeches or letters in one blow. If Allah had revealed it, He would have revealed it contrary to this custom all at once. Allah, the Exalted, said: (And those who disbelieved said: Why was the Qur'an not revealed to him all at once?) So it was said: If you are in doubt about this which has been revealed in this gradual and segmented manner, then bring forth a single segment from its segments, and come with one surah from the smallest surahs, or various fabricated verses. This is the utmost in refutation and the end of removing excuses. And it was recited (upon Our servants) meaning the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, and his nation. And the surah is the section of the Qur'an that is translated, the least of which is three verses. And its 'wa' (and) if it is original, it is either named after the city surah, as it is its enclosure, because it is a section of the Qur'an that is limited and enclosed in its regard, like a walled city, or because it contains various types of knowledge and kinds of benefits, as the city surah contains what is in it. Or it is named after the surah which is the rank. Al-Nabigha said: 'And for the clan of Harab, there is a rank in glory that is not surpassed.' The surah—when pronounced with a dhamma—is the rank. He says: 'And for the people of Harab ibn Zuhair, there is a degree in honor that is everlasting.' And Harab is with a ra. It has been narrated with a za. And Qad is with a muhammed. And it has been narrated with a mu'jam. And Qad means: two brothers. And 'not surpassed' is a metaphorical expression for the permanence of their honor or a metonymy for it, because its origin is that when there is much vegetation and growth, the crow resides in it and nothing drives it away due to the abundance of fertility and lack of barrenness. The most fitting is that the surah's origin is the physical rank, so it was borrowed for the moral one, and then it was used in a figurative sense where it was likened to a place of fertility, and the establishment of the crow and its settling is an imaginative representation of that comparison. Then he said: They are a people that when the shouting increases in battle, you see them as if they are deaf, meaning they are heavy of ear, in the sense that the loudness of the shouting does not disturb them as if they are deaf, and it was said from the meaning of calmness and serenity. And 'on the morning of fear and fright' refers to the morning of terror and panic. And it was said: Its origin is that the crow lands on the head of the camel, picking up the insects from it, and does not move its head so that the crow does not fly away, thus likening their rank to the head of the camel in a possible manner. And it was said that due to its height, the crow cannot reach it until it is harmed from above it. The meaning is that there is no crow above it to fly away.

It has one of two meanings, because the chapters are like houses and ranks in which the reader ascends. They are also arranged in themselves: long, medium, and short, or for the elevation of their status and the greatness of their place in religion. If you consider its 'waaw' as a substitution for an 'hamzah', it is because it is a piece and a section of the Qur'an, like a 'suurah' which is the remainder of something and its surplus. If you say: what is the benefit of detailing the Qur'an and dividing it into chapters? I say: the benefit in that is not singular. For a reason, Allah revealed the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, and all that He inspired to His prophets in this manner, in chapters that are translated into sections. The authors in every field have organized their books into chapters adorned with titles at the beginning. Among its benefits is that when a category encompasses types and includes varieties, it is more beautiful, noble, and grand than being a single statement. Another benefit is that when the reader completes a chapter or a section of the book and then begins at the end, it is more energizing for him and more engaging to his attention, and it encourages him to study and learn from it if he continues with the book in its entirety. It is similar to a traveler, when he knows that he has covered a mile, or traveled a 'farsakh', or reached a postal station: that is a motivation for him and energizes him to continue traveling. Hence, the reciters have divided the Qur'an into sevenths, parts, tenths, and fifths. Another benefit is that when the memorizer becomes proficient in a chapter, he believes that he has taken a portion from the Book of Allah that is independent in itself, having a beginning and an end, so what he has memorized becomes significant to him, esteemed in his heart, and he rejoices in it.

And among them is the hadith of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him: "When a man would read Al-Baqarah and Al-Imran, he would be serious among us." This is part of a hadith reported by Ahmad and Ibn Abi Shaybah. It was narrated to us by Yazid ibn Harun from Hamid from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, "that a man was writing for the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and he had read Al-Baqarah and Al-Imran. And when a man would read Al-Baqarah and Al-Imran, he would be serious among us," meaning he would be esteemed. The hadith was also reported by Ibn Hibban in this manner with the wording, "He is counted among us as one of importance." Al-Jahiz mentioned it in Al-Sahih from the hadith of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, with the wording of the compiler. Its origin is in Al-Bukhari from the narration of Abdul Aziz ibn Suhaib. And in Muslim, in the narration of Thabit, both of them from Anas without the extent to which the compiler limited himself. Al-Tayyibi did not succeed in attributing it to the two Sahihs. Al-Zamakhshari attributed it in the Tafsir of Al-Jinn to the narration of Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, as will come. Therefore, reading in prayer with a complete surah is better. And among them is that detailing is a reason for the succession of forms and similarities and their compatibility with one another. Thus, meanings become apparent and the structure resonates, among other benefits and advantages of something like it related to a surah that is of it. The pronoun refers to what We have revealed. Mahmoud, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "The pronoun may refer back to what We have revealed..." Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The meaning of this preference is that the challenge is upon the collective addressees, meaning that they, by their coming together and supporting one another, are incapable of bringing forth a portion of it. As for the less preferred interpretation, they are addressed to appoint one of them to oppose the challenger by bringing something similar to what he has been given or some of it. And there is no doubt that the incapacity of all creatures is more evident than the incapacity of one of them. The support for the preference of the first is His saying, the Exalted: "Say: If the humans and the jinn gathered to bring forth something like this Qur'an, they would not be able to bring forth something like it, even if some of them were to assist one another." Or to Our servant. It is permissible that it relates to His saying: "So bring forth" and the pronoun refers to the servant. If you say: What is like it that they could bring forth a surah from that example? I say: Its meaning is so bring forth a surah that is similar in its eloquence and high rank in beautiful structure. Or so bring forth from one who is in his state of being a human, Arab, or unlettered who has not read books and has not taken from scholars, nor aimed for something similar or comparable there. But it is similar to the saying of Al-Qabbathari to Al-Hajjaj - when he said to him: I will carry you on the dark horse -: Like the prince carried on the dark and the gray horse. He meant one who is in the character of the prince in authority and power and abundance of means. He did not intend anyone to be an example for Al-Hajjaj. Referring the pronoun back to the revealed text is more appropriate, due to His saying: "So bring forth a surah like it." "So bring forth ten surahs like it," "that they may bring forth something like this Qur'an, they would not be able to bring forth something like it," and because the Qur'an is worthy of the integrity of arrangement and adherence to the best styles, and the speech with the pronoun referring back to the revealed text is better in arrangement.

This is because the discourse is about the home, not in the home itself. It is directed towards it and connected to it. Therefore, it is right that the pronoun should not be detached from it by referring to something else. Do you not see that the meaning is: And if you doubt that the Qur'an is revealed from Allah? Then bring forth a portion from what is similar to it. The matter of arrangement, if the pronoun were referred back to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, would imply: And if you doubt that Muhammad is the one to whom it is revealed, then bring a Qur'an like it. This is because when they were all addressed - they being a large multitude - to bring a small portion of what one of them brought, it was more profound in challenge than saying to them: Let another come with something similar to what this one has brought. This interpretation is also fitting with His saying: (And call your witnesses). The witnesses is the plural of witness, meaning the one who is present or the one who stands as a witness. The meaning of (dun) is the lowest place of something. From it is the lowly thing, which is the insignificant. And to compile books is to gather them, because gathering things brings them closer to one another and reduces the distance between them. It is said: This is lower than that, if it is slightly lesser than it. And here is this: its origin is take it from below you, meaning from a lower place than you, so it was shortened and borrowed for the difference in states and ranks, so it was said: Zaid is less than Amr in nobility and knowledge. From it is the saying of someone who said to his enemy: [UNTRANSLATED-LATIN: akhrajahu al-bazaar min riwayati ali bin abi rabee'a qala: 'ja'a rajul ila ali bin abi talib radiyallahu anhu, fa ja'ala yuthni 'alayh. wa kana yuballighuhu 'anhu khilaf dhalik. fa qala: ana dun hadha alladhi taqul wa lakin ana fawq ma fi nafsik.]. He saw it in praising him: I am less than this and above what is in your heart. It has expanded in meaning and is used in every instance of exceeding a limit to another limit and surpassing a ruling to another ruling.

Allah, the Exalted, said: (Let not the believers take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers), meaning they should not exceed the guardianship of the believers to the guardianship of the disbelievers. And Umayyah said:

O soul, what do you have besides Allah as a protector? [UNTRANSLATED-LATIN: ya nafsu malaki duna Allahi min waqi... wa la l-saa' bint al-dahr min raqi]

Umayyah bin Abi al-Salt is saying: O soul, you have no protector besides Allah, meaning beyond Allah, or surpassing Allah. It is a state of the protector or of the soul. He borrowed daughters for incidents, which is consistent with the association of each with its origin in a direct manner. Then he likened incidents to snakes based on the commonality of harm each causes to another in a metaphorical manner, and their sting is an imaginative representation. It is possible that he borrowed the sting for injury in a direct manner.

And for the stinger, it is the doctor of the sting. And the 'wa' in both places is for the confirmation of totality: meaning there is no protector for you except Allah, and no one to mend you except Him. This means if you surpass the protection of Allah and do not attain it, no one else will protect you. And (from beyond Allah) is related to call or to your witnesses. If you relate it to your witnesses, its meaning is: call those whom you have taken as gods besides Allah and claimed that they will testify for you on the Day of Resurrection that you are upon the truth. Or call those who will testify for you before Allah from the saying of al-A'sha:

It shows you the dust from beyond it while it is beneath him. [UNTRANSLATED-LATIN: wa saqa idha shi'na kamish bi-ma'shar... wa sahba' ziyad idha ma tarqarq]

It shows you the dust from beyond it while it is beneath him... If one who has tasted it has tasted it, he will be in a state of confusion.

For Al-A'sha in praise of Al-Muhalliq, Abdul Rahim bin Khaytham bin Shaddad. And Al-Kumaysh: the swift. And Madi Al-Azm: meaning swift in watering people, even if they are many. And Al-Ziyad - Kerman -: the froth of milk and similar. And Al-Tarqaruq: the trickling and pouring. And Tarqaruq: its origin is Tatarqaruq, so one of the two Taa's was omitted, meaning it moves. Tarek: meaning Al-Suhba, which is wine, because it has the color of redness. And Al-Qadhy is what falls into the drink and the eye. Donaha: meaning it presents itself as a barrier between you and it, while it is beneath it, meaning it presents itself as a barrier between him and you when he tastes it: meaning the wine, from those who want to taste it, Yatamtaq: meaning he makes a sound by opening his mouth and sucking his tongue and lips, or he closes his mouth and opens it in enjoyment of it, making a sound. And it is said that the pronoun in 'Tarek' refers to the bottle, describing it with clarity, so perhaps it was called Al-Suhba due to its coloration like wine. And the pronoun in 'Thaqaha' refers to it meaning the wine, so there is a usage in the speech. And it was narrated 'and it is above him' instead of 'beneath it', and there is a type of support for the return of the pronoun to the wine.

Meaning: it shows you the qadhy before it while it is before the qadhy, due to its thinness and clarity. And in their matter that they should rely on the inanimate that does not speak in opposition to the Qur'an with its eloquence: is the utmost mockery of them. And call your witnesses besides Allah, meaning besides His allies and non-believers, to witness for you that you have brought forth something like it. And this is from leniency and loosening the reins and indicating that their witnesses, who are the leaders of the people, those who are the faces of the spectators and the knights of the debate and exchange, their natures refuse and their humanity and pride urge them not to accept for themselves the testimony of the validity of the evident corruption in their eyes and the uprightness of the clear impossibility in their minds to be impossible, and attaching it to the supplication in this manner is permissible. And if you attach it to the supplication, its meaning is: call your witnesses besides Allah, meaning do not bear witness by Allah nor say: Allah witnesses that what we claim is true, as the one who is unable to establish proof for the validity of his claim says, and call the witnesses from the people whose testimony is evident to correct the claims before the judges. And this is a challenge to them and a declaration of their inability and retreat. And that the argument has dazzled them and left them with no hold except their saying: Allah witnesses that we are truthful. And this saying of theirs is a record of their own selves of complete inability and the fall of power.

And it is said about some Arabs that he was asked about his lineage, so he said: Qurashi, and praise be to Allah. So it was said to him: Your saying 'praise be to Allah' in this context is suspicious. Or call your witnesses besides Allah: meaning that Allah is your witness because He is closer to you than the jugular vein, and He is between you and the necks of your mounts. And the jinn and mankind witness you, so call upon all who witness you and rely upon them from the jinn and mankind except Allah, the Exalted, for He alone is capable of bringing forth something like it without any witness from your witnesses, so it is in the meaning of His saying: (Say: If the mankind and the jinn gathered together) ... the verse.