On meanings and knowledge that the Qur'an contains

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

My Dear Readers,

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

As-salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. (May the Peace, Mercy and Blessings of Allah be upon you)
  

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ نَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَسَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلاَ مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ

وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

(See Note below)

On meanings and knowledge(sciences) Al-Qur'an contains

In his book,  كتاب التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل The Book Which makes the Sciences of Revelation Easy,    Abū ʿAbdallāh Muḥammad Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi (  ابن جزي الكلبي الغرناطي), summarizes seven kinds of meaning/knowledge found in the Qur'an. And this can serve as a heuristic tool for students of exegesis.  We will present the Arabic text first, and then its translation:

 فاعلم أن معاني القرآن سبعة وهي: علم الربوبية، والنبوة، والمعاد، والأحكام، والوعد، والوعيد، والقصص

Know that there are seven (range of) meanings in Qur’an, which are:  knowledge of
Lordship, of Prophethood, of the Hereafter, of Rulings, of Promise [of rewards], of Warnings [of punishments], and of Stories.

فأما علم الربوبية فمنه إثبات وجود الباري جلّ جلاله، والاستدلال عليه بمخلوقاته، فكل ما جاء في القرآن من التنبيه على المخلوقات، والاعتبار في خلقة الأرض والسموات والحيوان والنبات والريح والأمطار والشمس والقمر والليل والنهار وغير ذلك من الموجودات، فهو دليل على خالقه، ومنه إثبات الوحدانية، والرد على المشركين، والتعريف بصفات الله من الحياة والعلم والقدرة والإرادة والسمع والبصر وغير ذلك من أسمائه وصفاته، والتنزيه عما لا يليق به،

As for knowledge of Lordship (علم الربوبية ), it includes establishing the existence of the Maker (جلّ جلاله majestic is His majesty), and seeking to prove using His creations (as proof), and everything in the Qur'an that draws attention to the creations, talking about creation of the earth, the heavens, animals, plants, the wind and rains, the sun and moon, the night and the day, and other creations, each one of them is a proof of its Creator. 

There is affirmation of the Oneness, and refutation of the people of polytheism, and identification of the attributes of Allah: life, knowledge, will, power, hearing, seeing and His other names and attributes. 

Additionally, there are ayat that help cleanse (the concept of the Divine) from anything not befitting Him. 

 وأما النبوة فإثبات نبوة الأنبياء عليهم السلام على العموم، ونبوة محمد صلّى الله عليه وسلّم على الخصوص، وإثبات الكتب التي أنزلها الله عليهم، ووجود الملائكة الذين كان منهم وسائط بين الله وبينهم، والرد على من كفر بشيء من ذلك، وينخرط في سلك هذا ما ورد في القرآن من تأنيس النبي صلّى الله عليه وسلّم وكرامته والثناء عليه وسائر الانبياء صلى الله عليه وعليهم أجمعين

As for Prophet-hood (النبوة), then there is the affirmation of the prophet-hood of the Prophets, peace be upon them and particularly that of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. 

There is affirmation of the Books which Allah revealed (to the prophets), the existence of the angels among whom there are those who are mediums between Allah and them, and there is refutation of whoever disbelieved anything from that. 

Also this category includes those ayat of the Qur’an that are consoling the Prophet ﷺ honouring him and praising him, together with the rest of the prophets, may Allah bless him and them all and grant them peace.

 وأما المعاد فإثبات الحشر، وإقامة البراهين، والرد على من خالف فيه وذكر ما في الدار الآخرة من الجنة والنار والحساب والميزان وصحائف الأعمال وكثرة الأهوال ونحو ذلك.

As for the Hereafter, then there is affirmation of the Gathering (الحشر), establishment of the proofs, and refutation of whoever disagrees with the idea, and a mention of that which is in the abode of the next-life , such as the Garden and the Fire, the Reckoning (الحساب) and the Weighing (الميزان), the book of deeds, the awe of the event, and the like.

وأما الأحكام فهي الأوامر والنواهي، وتنقسم خمسة أنواع: واجب ومندوب وحرام ومكروه ومباح، ومنها ما يتعلق بالأبدان كالصلاة والصيام وما يتعلق بالأموال كالزكاة، وما يتعلق بالقلوب كالإخلاص والخوف والرجاء وغير ذلك

As for Rulings( الأحكام), they are commands and prohibitions, which are divided into five
types: obligatory (واجب), recommended (مندوب ), forbidden (حرام ), disliked(مكروه) and permitted (مباح). Of them there  are those which is connected to the body such as the prayers (لصلاة) and the fast; that which is connected to property such as the poor-due (الزكاة); and that which is connected to matters of the hearts such as sincerity, fear and hope, etc.

 وأما الوعد فمنه وعد بخير الدنيا من النصر والظهور وغير ذلك، ومنه وعد بخير الآخرة وهو الأكثر كأوصاف الجنة ونعيمها

As for the Promise (الوعد), of it there is the promise [to the believers] of the best of this world such as Divine help and victory and the like. And of it there is the promise of the best of the life to come,
and  that is more oft-mentioned (in the Qur’an as compared to that in this world), such as the description of the Garden and its bliss.

 وأما الوعيد فمنه تخويف بالعقاب في الدنيا، ومنه تخويف بالعقاب في الآخرة، وهو الأكثر كأوصاف جهنم وعذابها وأوصاف القيامة وأهوالها، وتأمل القرآن تجد الوعد مقروناً بالوعيد قد ذكر أحدهما على أثر ذكر الآخر؛ ليجمع بين الترغيب والترهيب، وليتبين أحدهما بالآخر كما قيل «بضدها تتبين الأشياء».

As for the Warning (الوعيد), of it there is the creation of awareness about punishment in the world and of the next-life,  that is more oft-mentioned (in the Qur’an as compared to that in this world), such as the descriptions of hell and its torment, and the descriptions of the Resurrection. In the Qur’an you would often find promise paired with a warning, mentioned immediately after the other, in order to unite the awakening of longing with the awakening of fear, and so that one will become distinct from the other, as it is said, “By their opposites, things become clear.”

وأما القصص فهو ذكر أخبار الأنبياء المتقدمين وغيرهم كقصة أصحاب الكهف وذي القرنين، فإن قيل: ما الحكمة في تكرار قصص الأنبياء في القرآن؟ فالجواب من ثلاثة أوجه: الأول: أنه ربما ذكر في سورة من أخبار الأنبياء ما لم يذكره في سورة أخرى، ففي كل واحدة منهما فائدة زائدة على الأخرى، الثاني: أنه ذكرت أخبار الأنبياء في مواضع على طريقة الإطناب وفي مواضع على طريقة الإيجاز؛ لتظهر فصاحة القرآن في الطريقتين، الثالث: أن أخبار الأنبياء قصد بذكرها مقاصد فيتعدد ذكرها بتعدد تلك المقاصد، فمن المقاصد بها: إثبات نبوة الأنبياء المتقدمين بذكر ما جرى على أيديهم من المعجزات، وذكر إهلاك من كذبهم بأنواع من المهالك، ومنها إثبات النبوة لمحمد صلّى الله عليه وسلّم لإخباره بتلك الأخبار من غير تعلم من أحد وإلى ذلك الإشارة بقوله تعالى: {مَا كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُهَا أَنْتَ وَلاَ قَوْمُكَ مِنْ قَبْلِ هَذَا} [هود: 49]، ومنها: إثبات الوحدانية  ألا ترى أنه لما ذكر إهلاك الأمم الكافرة قال: {فَمَا أَغْنَتْ عَنْهُمْ آلِهَتُهُمُ الَّتِي يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ} [هود: 101]، ومنها: الاعتبار في قدرة الله وشدة عقابه لمن كفر، ومنها تسلية النبي صلّى الله عليه وسلّم عن تكذيب قومه له بالتأسي بمن تقدم من الأنبياء كقوله: {وَلَقَدْ كُذِّبَتْ رُسُلٌ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ} [الأنعام: 34]، ومنها: تسليته عليه السلام ووعده بالنصر كما نصر الأنبياء الذين من قبله، ومنها: تخويف الكفار بأن يعاقبوا كما عوقب الكفار الذين من قبلهم، إلى غير ذلك مما احتوت عليه أخبار الأنبياء من العجائب والمواعظ واحتجاج الأنبياء وردهم على الكفار وغير ذلك، فلما كانت أخبار الأنبياء تفيد فوائد كثيرة ذكرت في مواضع كثيرة ولكل مقام مقال       

As for the Stories (القصص), they consist of knowledge about the previous prophets and of others, such as the story of the Companions of the Cave (Surah al-Kahf ayat 9-28) and Dhu’l-Qarnayn (Surah al-Kahf ayat 84-99). If it is said, “What is the wisdom in the repetition of the stories of the prophets in the Qur’an?” Then the answer could be three reasons:

1. First, that He probably mentions information on the prophets in a surah which He does not mention in another surah; 
2. Second , sometimes the prophets are mentioned in some places in the way of lengthy description and in other places briefly, as part of the eloquence of the Qur’an; 
3. Third, that He intends mention of the prophets for a multitude of reasons and purposes such as mentioned below:

• As proof of the prophethood of the previous prophets by mentioning the miracles they brought about, and mentioning the destruction by various means of whoever denied them. 
• As proof of the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, “Neither you nor your people knew it before this”(Surah Hud, ayah 49, referring to the story of the Prophet Nuh, peace be upon him, which is narrated in Surah Hud.). 
• As affirmation of oneness; do you not see that when He mentioned the destruction of the disbelieving nations, “He said, ‘Their gods did not enrich them, those which they called on apart from Allah, in any way.’”(Surah Hud, ayah 101) 
• As reflection on the power of Allah, and the severity of His punishment for whoever disbelieved. 
• For comforting of the Prophet ﷺ , when his people called him a liar, by finding consolation in whomever of the prophets had preceded him, such as His words, “And certainly messengers were called liars before you.” and his being promised help as the prophets before him had been helped. 
• For creating awe in the disbelievers in that they will be punished as the disbelievers before them were punished, and so on, of that which the stories of the prophets contain of astonishing things, exhortations and the arguments of the prophets, and their refutation of the disbelievers, etc. 

Since the news of the prophets show many different types of benefit, they are mentioned in many different places, and for every mention there is a teaching.

May Allah guide us, and help us be on the right path.

 والله أعلم   
 Wa Allahu 'Alam (And Allah is the All-Knowing)

Note:

This post starts with the well known opening lines of at least one of Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ sermon. Al-Nisaa’i (May Allah have mercy on him) reported in his Sunan al-Nisaa’i: Kitaab al-Jumu’ah (Click Here) that ‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet Muhammadﷺ taught us the Khutbah Haajah .