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thumma ʿabasa wa-basara
then frowned and scowled.
— Ali Quli Qarai
74Al-MuddathirالمدثرVerse 22 of 56
The Cloaked One74. Al-Muddathirالمدثر
al-Muddaththir
The Cloaked One
MeccanVerse 22 of 56
74Al-MuddathirالمدثرVerse 22 of 56
The Cloaked One
then frowned and scowled.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah al-Mudaththir – Verses 18-25
18. He thought and plotted [against the Qur’an].
19. So let him be cursed: how he plotted [against the Truth]!
20. And once more let him be cursed: how he plotted [to employ his satanic stratagem]!
21. Then he cast a glance.
22. Then, he frowned and hastened;
23. Then he turned away [from the Truth] and was arrogant.
24. Then, he said: "This is nothing but appealing magic like that of the ancients,
25. "This is nothing but the word of a human being!
The blessed Verses in question provide further details regarding Walid ibn Mughayra Makhzumi whom God Almighty had bestowed abundant possessions and offspring, but he rose against the Noble Prophet of the Islamic faith (S), striving to belie the Noble Prophet (S) and the Holy Qur’an by resorting to ploys. It goes without saying that thinking is basically good, provided that it be in line with the Truth. One hour spent on intellection entails the merits of worshipping God Almighty for one year or more, since that one hour may totally alter the course of human fate. Nonetheless, if it be employed in the cause of disbelief, corruption, and vices, it will be reprehensible. Walid’s thoughts fall into the second category.
The Arabic verbal form qaddara herein implies that he devised his vicious ploys. The blessed Verses 19 and 20 say:
Concerning the occasion of the Revelation of the blessed Verse in question, Qur’an exegetes maintain that Walid intended to unify the polytheists urging them to disseminate false accusations against the Noble Prophet (S). When it was suggested to call the Noble Prophet (S)
he refused. He further rejected his being called a soothsayer or a lunatic. Finally, the polytheists suggested that the Noble Prophet be called a magician and he accepted such false attribution, since he falsely imagined that magicians were in the habit of severing the bonds of friendship and establishing friendly ties between former opponents. He thought that such things had appeared upon the emergence of the Islamic faith and the Holy Qur’an. Thus, he embarked upon investigation and reflection, as reflected by the terse Qur’anic expression:
Other polytheists made suggestions, but it was Walid who reflected upon the idea and made the choice. Such expression, particularly its reiteration, reflects that he was an expert in devising such evil plots, such that his ideas were a source of surprise. The blessed Verses 21-25 say:
"Then he cast a glance [to make sure that everything was in order. Then, he frowned and hastened; then he turned away [from the Truth] and was arrogant. Then, he said: 'This is nothing but appealing magic like that of the ancients, this is nothing but the word of a human being [rather than Divine Revelation]!"
Thus, following persistent investigations and devising satanic ploys against the Holy Qur’an, he uttered his final words and notwithstanding all the stratagems employed by such mastermind of the age of ignorance and polytheism, he inadvertently extolled the Qur’an, reflecting that it was so unprecedentedly appealing that all hearts might be impressed by it. He held that the Holy Qur’an engenders magical impressions bewitching the hearts. Since the Holy Qur’an bears no resemblance to the sorcerers’ art, but its logical, rhythmical, and well-measured words clearly indicate that it is Divine Revelation whose source is Divine Omniscience encompassing all beauties consistently and coherently.
The Arabic past verbal form ‘abasa denotes that he frowned. The past verbal form basara both implies hastened and frowned or grimaced. The second sense of basara would be in line with ‘abasa, though intending the former meaning would imply making hasty decisions for choosing a false "label" for the Holy Qur’an. The verbal form yu’tharu is used in the sense of relating a tale from the ancients as their vestige. However, some hold that it is cognate with ithar denoting choosing and deeming as precedent.
According to the former sense, Walid is saying that this magic is like what is reported from the ancients, but as per the latter sense, he is saying that magic is something that impresses the hearts owing to its sweetness and appeal, hence its precedence over any other thing by the people. It is worthy of note that the blessed Verse includes an implied confession as to the Inimitability of the Holy Qur’an, since it bears no likeness to the extraordinary tasks performed by sorcerers.
The language of the Holy Qur’an is imbued with dignity, spirituality, and unparalleled appeal, such that if Walid had been true in his claim as to it being the words of mankind, others would have been able to produce the like of it. It is well-known that the Holy Qur’an many a time calls other to try to produce the like of it, though none of the obdurate enemies well-versed in the Arabic tongue have failed to produce the like or even something inferior to it. The miracle of the Holy Qur’an lies in its inimitability.