6. THE USE OF REPETITION IN THE QUR’ĀN (1)

6. THE USE OF REPETITION IN THE QUR’ĀN (1)

          Repetition which is in Arabic takrār (تَكْرَار)[1] literally means “going back to a thing.” Technically, it means “repeating a word or a phrase more than once for various reasons, such as emphasis (التوكيد), exaggeration,(التهويل) , glorification (التعظيم), etc.”  Repetition has been used by the Arabs in their poetry as a good style in their expression. Muslim scholars mentioned the types of repetition as follows:

a.     Repetition of words and meanings, either (1) connected   either in the same verse, or at the end of a verse with the beginning of its following verse, or at the end of the verse itself, or with another verse following it, or (2) disconnected, either in the same surah (chapter) of the Qur’ān, or throughout the Qur’ān.

(1)  The example the repetition of words and meanings connected in the same verse is as follows:

هَيْهَاتَ هَيْهَاتَ لِمَا تُوعَدُونَ (المؤمنون:36)

Far, (very) far is that which you are promised (Q. 32:36)

This is in the beginning of the verse. It can also be at the end of the verse, such as:

كَلَّا إِذَا دُكَّتِ الْأَرْضُ دَكًّا دَكًّا  (الفجر:  (21         

Nay! When the earth is ground to powder (Q. 89:21)

  وَجَاءَ رَبُّكَ وَالْمَلَكُ صَفًّا صَفًّا (الفجر: 22)                  

And your Lord comes with the angels

 in rows (Q. 89:22)

The example of repetition of words and meanings at the end of a verse connected with the beginning of its following verse, is as follows:

وَيُطَافُ عَلَيْهِمْ بِآنِيَةٍ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ وَأَكْوَابٍ كَانَتْ قَوَارِيرَا[2].

قَوَارِيرَ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ قَدَّرُوهَا تَقْدِيرًا (الإنسان:15-16)

And amongst them will be passed round vessels

and cups of crystal. Crystal (-clear), made of silver.

They will determine the measure thereof.

(Q. 76:15-16)

The example of repetition of words and meanings in one verse connected with another verse following it, which is the repetition of the verse itself is as follows:

فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا . إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا ( الشرح:5-6)

And behold, with every hardship comes ease:

verily, with every hardship comes ease!

(Q. 94:5-6) (Asad’s translation)

(2) The examples the disconnected repetition of words and meanings in the same surah is as follows:

وَأَذِنَتْ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتْ (الإنشقاق:5,2)

And listen to and obey its Lord—

and it must do so (Q. 84:2,5)

At first this surah talks about the doomsday when the heaven shall be split asunder, and it follows that it would obey its Lord and it must happen (verse 1-2). Then it talks about the earth that it shall be stretched forth and shall cast out what was in it and become empty, it follows that it also would obey its Lord and it must happen (verse 3-5).

وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ (الشعراء:9, 68,

122,104, 140, 159, 175, 191)

And verily your Lord, He is truly the All-Mighty,

the Most Merciful (Q. 26:9, 68, 104, 122,

140, 159, 175, 191)

         At first this surah talked about people in general who denied the truth, and there was a warning that what they mocked at would happen to them, and they do not believe despite the evidence, then it was said to them that Allah is powerful enough to punish them, but at the same time He was merciful to those who believe (then the repeated verse  was cited as verse 9). Next, it talked about Moses a.s. and Pharaoh, how Moses a.s. his followers crossed the Red Sea, escaped the persecution, while Pharaoh and his army were drowned. Then the verse was repeated again (as verse 68) to indicate that Allah is Powerful to punish them, and at the same time was Merciful to Moses a.s. and his followers.  

Next, it talked about Prophet Abraham a.s. and his people who did not want to believe him. Then the verse was repeated again (as verse 104) to indicate that Allah is Powerful to punish them, and at the same time was Merciful to Abraham a.s.  and his followers. This verse was repeated again (as verse 122) after talking about Prophet Noah a.s. and his people, Prophet Hūd a.s. and his ‘Ād people (as verse 140), Prophet Ṣāliḥ a.s. and his Thamūd people (as verse 159),  Prophet Lot a.s. and his people (as verse 175), Prophet Shu‘ayb a.s. and his people the dwellers of Aykah (as verse 191).

In sūrat al-Mursalāt (chapter 77), the following verse is repeated ten times:

وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ (المرسلات: 15, 19, 24,

 28, 34, 37, 40, 45, 47, 49)

Woe that Day to the deniers (of the Day of

 Resurrection) (Q. 77: 15, 19, 24, 28, 34,

 37, 40, 45, 47, 49)

It was firstly cited (as verse 15) after Allah had vowed that His promise would take place; the stars would lose their lights, and the heaven would be cleft asunder, the mountains would be blown away, then it would be called the day of sorting out people, either to Heaven or to Hell. Secondly, it was cited (as verse 19) after Allah hade reminded the consequence of disbelieving that many people in the past were destroyed because of their disbelief. Thirdly, was cited (as verse 24) after Allah had reminded the disbelievers how they were created from a despised water (semen), let them grow, and yet, they disbelieved. Fourthly, it was cited (as verse 28) after Allah had reminded them how He created the earth and their sustenance, yet they disbelieved. Fifthly, it was cited (as verse 34) after Allah had said to disbelievers to enter Hellfire. Sixthly, it was cited (as verse 37) after Allah had said that the disbeliever in the after would not be able to speak and make excuses. Seventhly, it was cited (as verse 40) after Allah had brought them together in that day called the Day of Decision where they cannot make a plot against Him. Eighthly, it was cited (as verse 45) after Allah had said that the believers would enter Heaven where they will enjoy themselves as rewards for them. Ninthly, it was cited (as verse 47) after Allah had told disbelievers to enjoy their short lives in his world. Tenthly, it was cited (as verse 49) after Allah had asked them to bow down in prayer but they rejected.  

The most conspicuous repetition of a verse in one surah is in sūrat al-Raḥmān (chapter 55), where a verse is mentioned 31 times. As the chapter consists of 78 verses almost half of them are this repetitive verse, as follows:

                 فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ (الرحمن: 13)                

Then which of the Blessings of your Lord

will you both (jinn and men) deny?”  (Q. 55:13, )

  This repetitive verse is mentioned after mentioning Allah’s blessings, such as:  His creation of the sun, the moon, stars, of man teaching them to read and write, creating the earth with various kinds of fruits and seeds (then verse 13 is mentioned); the creation man from clay and jinn from smokeless flame of fire (then verse 16 is mentioned); this is also a blessing. If we and the jinn are created from the same material, then we would see each other and could wage war with them. Physical conflict and war among human kind would be more than enough, let alone fighting the jinn. But Allah makes each of us live in our respective world. Allah’s creation of two easts (places of sunrise during early summer and early winter) and the Lord of two wests (places of sunset during early summer and early winter); in other words, having summer and winter is one of Allah’s blessings (then verse 18 is mentioned to remind us of His blessings).

The examples the disconnected repetition of words and meanings throughout the Qur’ān are as follows:

وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هَذَا الْوَعْدُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

 (يونس:48, الأنبياء:38, النمل:71,

 سبأ: 29, يس: 48, الملك:25)

And they say: “When will be this promise

 (the torment or the Day of Resurrection), if you

 speak the truth?” (Q. 10:48; 21:38; 27:71;

 34:29; 36:48; and 67:25)

The above verse is repeated in six chapters of the Qur’ān.

فَاسْأَلُواْ أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ (النحل:43، الأنبياء:7) 

… So ask the people of the Reminder [Scriptures –

the Torah and the Gospel if you do not know

 (Q. 16:43; 21:7)

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ جَاهِدِ الْكُفَّارَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ وَاغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ

وَمَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ (التوبة:73, التحريم:9)

O Prophet [Muhammad]! Strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be harsh

 against them, their abode is Hell, -- and worse

 indeed is that destination (Q. 9:73, 66:9)

 The above verse is repeated in two chapters of the Qur’ān.

b.    Repetition of meaning, but not of word. For example, the story of Prophet Moses a.s. is mentioned throughout the Qur’ān in about twenty chapters.  His encounter with the mystic fire is mentioned in Q. 27: 7-12, and Q. 28: 29-35, and Q. 20: 9-36. One verse is repeated with different wordings, as follows:   

إِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لِأَهْلِهِ إِنِّي آنَسْتُ نَارًا سَآتِيكُمْ مِنْهَا بِخَبَرٍ

 أَوْ آتِيكُمْ بِشِهَابٍ قَبَسٍ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَصْطَلُونَ (النمل: 7)

(Remember) when Moses said to his household;

“Verily, I have seen a fire; I will bring you from there

 some information, or I will bring you a burning brand, that  you may warm yourselves.” (Q. 27:7)

 قَالَ لِأَهْلِهِ امْكُثُوا إِنِّي آنَسْتُ نَارًا لَعَلِّي آتِيكُمْ مِنْهَا بِخَبَرٍ أَوْ

 جَذْوَةٍ مِنَ النَّارِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَصْطَلُونَ (القصص:29)

… He said to his family: “Wait, I have seen a fire;

 perhaps I may bring to you from there some

 information, or a burning firebrand that you

 may warm yourselves.”(Q. 28:29)

 فَقَالَ لِأَهْلِهِ امْكُثُوا إِنِّي آنَسْتُ نَارًا لَعَلِّي آتِيكُمْ مِنْهَا بِقَبَسٍ

أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى (طه: 10)    

 When he saw fire, he said to his family; “Wait!

 Verily, I have seen a fire; perhaps I can bring you

 some burning brand therefrom, or find some

 guidance at the fire.”(Q. 20:10)

          We notice in these three verses the difference in wording, but the idea is the same and complement to each other: Prophet Moses a.s. saw fire, he asked his wife to stay, he might bring some information because apparently they were lost in the midst of cold night, as well as to get some burning firebrand. He expected to get physical guidance, and instead, he received spiritual guidance which was far better.

                                                          (CIVIC, 12 February, 20160)

المراجع:

المكتبة الشاملة

تفسير الطبري )ت. 043 هـ (

تفسير القرطبى )ت. 664 هـ (

تفسير ابن كثير )ت. 661 هـ)

https://islamqa.info/ar/82856

http://www.al-islam.org/philosophy-islamic-laws-nasir-makarim-shirazi-jafar-subhani/question-55-what-aim-repetitions-quran

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[1] The word is commonly mispronounced as tikrār (with kasrah “i”), especially when it is combined in the expressionمِرَارًا وَ تَكْرَارًا  (“repeatedly”, “time and again”)  for easy pronunciation.

[2]  The letter alif in قَوَارِيرَا is additional; when we stop we do not say قَوَارِيْرْ (qawārīr), but قَوَارِيْرَ  (qawārīra), sometimes written with sukūn on the alif as قَوَارِيْرَاْ  for the sake of rhyme  rā  in previous and following verses.