Overview (Verse 1)

The Purpose of Qur’ānic Revelations 

This opening gives a clear indication of the main themes of the sūrah, namely the revelation of the Qur’ān by God, the addressing of its message to all mankind, God’s absolute oneness that admits no partner or offspring, and His sovereignty over the whole universe which He, in His wisdom, controls. Yet despite all this, the unbelievers continue to associate partners with Him and the fabricators persevere in their falsehood. Moreover, baseless arguments and arrogant statements are made.

“Blessed is He who from on high bestowed upon His servant the standard to discern the true from the false, so that it might be a warning to all the worlds.” (Verse 1) The Arabic word, tabārak, translated here as ‘blessed’ is a derivative of the root word, barakah, denoting blessing but adds a further dimension of increase and growth so as to signify the continuous increase of praise and God’s blessings. God is not mentioned in the verse by name. Rather, a relative noun is used, “He who from on high bestowed... the standard.” This is useful in highlighting His action of sending a message to mankind, because the essential argument of the sūrah is the truth of the revelation of the Qur’ān and its message.

The Qur’ān is named here as ‘al-Furqān’, which is also the title of the sūrah. The name indicates distinction and separation between the truth and falsehood, divine guidance and erroneous beliefs. Furthermore, the Qur’ān makes a clear distinction between two different ways of life and two epochs in human life. It outlines a clear way of life as it is conceived in human conscience and in practice. This way of life is distinct from anything humanity has ever known. It ushers in a new era for humanity, unlike anything it ever witnessed. Thus it is a criterion in this broad sense, separating the stage of human childhood that has just ended from the stage of maturity about to begin. The age of physical miracles is thus ended to start that of rational miracles. Moreover, local and provisional messages come to an end with the revelation of the Qur’ān, God’s final and universal message to all mankind: “so that it might be a warning to all the worlds.” (Verse 1)

Special honour for God’s Messenger is shown at this point, describing him as ‘God’s servant’. The same description is given to him when the Prophet’s night journey is highlighted. “Limitless in His glory is He who transported His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque [in Makkah] to the Aqşā Mosque [in Jerusalem].” (17: 1) Also in the context of prayer and supplication, the Prophet is given the same description: “When His servant stood up praying to Him...” (72: 19) Another instance of using this description is the opening of Sūrah 18 which also speaks of the revelation of the Qur’ān: “All praise is due to God who has bestowed this Book from on high on His servant, and has ensured that it remains free of distortion.” (18: 1) Describing man as God’s servant in these contexts indicates the highest and most honourable status to which any human being can aspire. It also serves as an implicit reminder that when man achieves his highest status, he is no more than God’s servant, while the position of majesty belongs to Him alone, with absolutely no hint or suggestion of there being anyone who bears any resemblance to Him or is His partner. It was situations like the Prophet’s night journey to Jerusalem and from there to heaven, or direct supplication to God and speaking to Him, or receiving His directives and revelations that tempted some of the followers of earlier messengers to weave legends speaking about a son of God or a relationship other than that of Godhead and servitude to Him. Hence, the Qur’ān emphasizes the status of man’s servitude to God as the highest position to which a chosen human being can aspire.

The sūrah defines God’s purpose of the revelation of the Qur’ān to His servant, “so that it might be a warning to all the worlds.” (Verse 1) As a Makkan revelation, this Qur’ānic statement is important as it proves the universal character of the Islamic message right from its early days. This is contrary to the claims made by some non- Muslim ‘historians’ suggesting that the Islamic message initially had only local aspirations, but became more ambitious and outward looking as it secured a number of military victories. The truth is that this message was addressed from the start to all mankind. By its very nature, and the means it employed, it was clearly a universal message aiming to take all mankind into a new era, where a new code and style of life are implemented. It defined its universal nature when the Prophet was still in Makkah, facing determined and unrelenting opposition. It sought to achieve all this through the Qur’ān, the criterion God revealed to His Messenger to serve as a warning to all the worlds.