Imam ‘Ali Describes the Holy Qur’an

SHAFAQNA- In another place, the Commander of the Faithful ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib describes the Holy Qur’an as follows:

“Then God revealed to him (the Prophet [S]) the Book.

uf09fIt is a light whose radiance shall not be extinguished;
uf09fA lamp whose flame shall not die;
uf09fAn ocean whose depth shall not be fathomed;
uf09fA path which shall not lead astray;
uf09fA blaze whose brilliance shall not be darkened;
uf09fA criterion whose evidence shall not be suppressed;
uf09fAn elucidation whose coerstones shall not be demolished;
uf09fA cure with which there is no fear of ailments;
uf09fA power whose supporters caot be defeated;
uf09fA truth whose helpers will not be forsaken.
uf09fThus, it is the source of faith and its prosperity;
uf09fIt is the fountain-head of knowledge and its vastness;
uf09fThe meadow of justice and its flowing streams;
uf09fThe support of Islam and its foundation;
uf09fThe valleys of the truth and its fields;
uf09fAn ocean that shall not be drained by those who draw upon it;
uf09fA spring that shall not be exhausted by those who draw from it;
uf09fA watering place that shall not be depleted by those who come to it;
uf09fA station whose road the travelers do not miss;
uf09fA signpost which the wayfarers will always see;
uf09fThe hilltops that caot be bypassed by those who seek them.
uf09fGod has made it the quencher of the thirst of scholars,
uf09fA veal season for the hearts of the jurists,
uf09fA destination for the path of the righteous,
uf09fA cure after which there is no malady,
uf09fA light which does not alteate with darkness,
uf09fA rope whose knots are firm,
uf09fA stronghold whose peak is impregnable.
uf09fIt is power for whoever cultivates it,
uf09fPeace for whoever dwells on it,
uf09fA guidance for whoever follows it,
uf09fA laudable act for whoever embraces it,
uf09fAn argument for whoever speaks for it,
uf09fA witness for whoever fights for it,
uf09fA sharp instrument for whoever bases his arguments on it,
uf09fA support for whoever supports it,
uf09fA means of deliverance for whoever employs it,
uf09fA sign for the discriminating, a shelter for whoever seeks healing,
uf09fA source of knowledge for whoever has sense,
uf09fAnd the best narrative for its transmitters,
uf09fAnd a means for the one who sits in judgment.”

Subhaanallah! This brilliant oration reviews many important points which call for careful reflection.

For instance, by saying that the Qur’an is ‘a lamp whose flame shall not die,’ Imam ‘‘Ali (as) means, as he does in many other statements in this oration, that the Qur’an is a book whose signification shall not be exhausted. It will remain fresh and new until the Day of Resurrection.

A verse may have been sent down regarding a specific occasion or community, yet its relevance is not limited to that occasion, person, or community; rather, its signification and applicability are general.

Regarding the verse

“For every people there is a guide (13:7)”,

al-’Ayyashi reports the following discussion with Abu Ja’far (Imam al-Baqir (as):

“The Imam said, ‘‘Ali is the guide, and the guide is always one of us.’

I said, ‘Then you – for whom may my life be a sacrifice – are now the guide.’

‘You are right,’ said the Imam (as). ‘The Qur’an lives and will not die; the verses live and will not die. If a verse were to die with the death of the persons conceing whom it came down, then the Qur’an would have definitely died. Rather, such a verse would continue to apply to those who are alive as it did to those who died.’”

Another tradition reports that Imam al-Sadiq (as) said, “Certainly, the Qur’an lives, and has not died; and it is existent just as the day and the night and the sun and the moon are existent. And it will exist for the last among us as it has existed for the first.”

Adapted from: “Towards Better Understanding of the Qur’an” by: “Shaykh Muslim Bhanji”