Surah Al-Baqarah 2:1

الٓمٓۛ

2:1 The chapter begins with three letters of Arabic alphabet - Alif Lâm Mîm الم. There are a few more chapters of the Holy Qur’ân that also have the same beginning (cf. 3:1; 29:1; 30:1; 31:1; 32:1). There are others where we find letters: Alif Lâm Mîm Sâd المص (7:1), Alif Lâm Râj»E (10:1; 11:1; 12:1; 14:1; 15:1), Alif Lâm Mîm Râآلر(13:1), Kâf Hâ Yâ ‘Ain Sâd كهيعص (19:1), Tâ Sîn Mîm طسم(26:1; 28:1), Tâ Sîn طس ( 27:1), Sâd ص (38:1), Hâ Mîm حم (40:1; 41:1; 42:1; 43:1: 44:1; 45:1;46:1), ‘Ain Sîn Qâf عسق (42:1) and Qâf ق (50:1); in total there are 29 chapters. These letters are called muqatta‘ât (مقطعات‎) or abbreviations. They are also known as fawātih (فواتح) or “openers “as they form the opening verse of their respective chapters (Sûrâ). Fawātih (فواتح) or muqatta‘ât (مقطعات‎) are written together like a word, but each letter is pronounced separately. Of the 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet, exactly one half appear as fawātih (فواتح) of the Holy Qur’ân, either singly or in combinations of two, three, four, or five letters. Some examples are:

Nun ن in chapter al-Qalam (Ch. 68)

Hâ Mîm حم in chapter Hâ Mîm Sajda (Ch. 41)

AlifLâm Mîm الم in chapter Al-Baqarah (Ch. 2)

AlifLâm Mîm Râ المر in chapter Al-Raad (Ch. 13)

KâfHâYâ ‘AinSâdكهيعص in chapter Maryam (Ch. 19)

The majority of the combinations begin either with AlifLâm Mîm or Hâ Mîm. In all but 3 of the 29 cases, these letters are almost always immediately followed by mention of the Qur’ânic revelation or a great prophecy as in 30:1. Some argue that Sûras 29, 30, and 68 are exceptions. When read carefully what follows, these three cases make no exception, since mention of the revelation is made later in the Sûrah. All but 3 of these Sûras are of Makkan origin. The exceptions are Sûras 2, 3, and 13.

Many modern translators and scholars of the Holy Book are reticent in to discuss the significance of these letters. There are some who think that these alphabetsare meaningless. Others believe that their meaning is a sacred secret of Allâh and His mystic symbols, and that the purpose of this mystery cannot be known to human beings; further, any attempt to translate them will make one liable for Divine punishment. However, these scholars are unable to justify Allâh’s intent to hide and punish. There are others who say that perhaps the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) knew their meaning but was prohibited from telling his followers in order to protect the mystery. However, these scholars give no rational reason as to why He was prohibited from revealing their meaning, and they cite no Tradition relating back to the Holy Prophet (pbuh), to support this view. To anyone who is seriously interested in understanding the message of the Holy Qur’ân, such confused explanations can be a source of irritation and may even create doubts in the minds of seekers of Divine knowledge.

Most if not all widely used languages of the world make use of abbreviations, and Arabic is not an exception. Imâm Râzî says that Arabs would name things after letters; for example, money as ع, clouds as غ, and fish as ن. In the books of Islamic Traditions (-ahâdîth), abbreviations are common. For example anâانا for akhbarna اخبرنا;Hâ for hawalnâ al-Sanad and nâ نا for hadathnâ حدثنا are frequently used by well-known compilers of the Traditions, such as Tirmidhî, Nisaî, Abû Dâ’ûd, Abû Muslim and Bukhârî. In the science of Islamic jurisprudence (‘ilm al-Fiqah), medicine (‘ilm al-Tib), syntax (‘ilm al-Nahawعلم نحو), administration (‘ilm al-Saraf صرفعلم) and other fields of knowledge, abbreviations are always present; For example: Sîn سfor Sam‘a سمعYasm‘a یسمع; Kâf کfor Karam کرم; Nûn ن for Nasrنصر; Dzض for Dzarb ضرب; Fâ ف for FatahفتحYaftahu یفتح; Tâ ط for Ataf عطف; Mâf مف for Maf ‘ûl مفعولetc. Knowing their meanings is mandatory for any student of these fields.

Similarly, the punctuation used in the Holy Qur’ân are all abbreviations. Muslim scholars carefully established the standards in order to avoid errors in the comprehension of the Holy Book. They inserted abbreviated signs for pauses, short pauses, long pauses, full stops, commas, colons, semicolons, and so on. For example, a circle O at the end of a verse means the verse has ended. This circle is an abbreviated form of the word waqf-i-tâm, which indicates statement’s completeness. Further examples are mîm م, jîm ج, lâ لا and ta ط among others. The sign of mîm on the top of the circle stands for lâzim, and indicates a mandatory pause (waqf-i-lâzim). The sign of jîm stands for jâiz and means that a pause is permitted. Other examples of abbreviations are ª for rakû’ركوع to denote a paragraph; qâf قindicates that a reader may not stop here, or may not join the current sentence with the next one. This system of punctuation is a great aid in avoiding distortions to the messages being conveyed. No translator should neglect their significance while translating the Holy Book. Unfortunately many modern translations have neglected or omitted the basic rules of Qur’ânic punctuation, the most notorious being the translation of Arthur J. Arberry.

Traditional Arabs were very proud of their language and Arabic eloquence and poetry was enjoying golden age when the Qur’ân was revealed. Abû ‘Abdullah Al-Qurtubî explained the use of abbreviations in Arabic in his great work Al-Jam‘i al-Ahkâm al-Qur’ân and quotes Walîd bin ‘Uqbah, a well-known poet of classical Arabic: فقلت لها قفي فقالت ق أراد : قالت وقفت “I said to her stay, she said Qâf ق - I am staying.” Here, ‘Uqbah uses the letter Qâf ق to abbreviate waqaftu وقفت to express I am staying. Qurtubî quotes another Arabic poet, Dhahhak Abû ‘Alî al Hussain Ibn Zahîr Basrî, who said:

بالخير خيرات وإن شرا فا ولا اريد الشر إلا أن تاأراد : وإن شرا فشر . واراد : إلا أن تشاء .

“Such a one supplicated. (The Lord said in reply), I will return good for your good, but if you are bent upon mischief, I do not intend mischief except that you yourself desire it.” Here the poet uses the shortened forms of fâ B¯ for fasharrun فشرٌ (- mischief) and tâ تا for tashâ’ تشاء (- you yourself desire it). Even the Holy Prophet (pbuh), according to the customs of the language, sometimes used abbreviations instead of the whole word. Al-Qurtubî quotes the Holy Prophet (pbuh): كفى بالسيف شامعناه – “The sword is sufficient for us as a remedy.” Here the Prophet (pbuh) used the abbreviated letter shâ Bq for shâfî ŸBq (- remedy).

The Holy Qur’ân presents a challenge to non-believing Arabs to produce works at least somewhat comparable to it in beauty and elegance, especially if they doubted the authenticity of its claims (17:88; 52:34; 10:38). The easiest challenge was given in 10:38 where we read: أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ ۖ قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِّثْلِهِ “And yet they say He has forged it. Then produce a (single) chapter like it.” and again in 2:23: وَإِن كُنتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِّمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَىٰ عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِّن مِّثْلِهِ “And if you have any doubt as to which We have revealed to Our servant from time to time, produce a single Sûrah like any of this”. The challenges were there as they are today, and the claimوَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ َ “Indeed, We have made the Qur’ân easy for admonition” (54:17) was repeated several times. Had these abbreviations been ambiguous or meaningless to nonbelievers in the early Muslim communities, they certainly would have come forward and refuted the Qur’ânic challenges that followed, however this did not happen. The contemporaries of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) understood the underlying meanings of these alphabetic verses well. Allâma Maudûdî is of the opinion that these letters no doubt have implication, they are not meaningless, and the Companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) were aware of the meanings of all these letters. Not only were the early Companions aware of their meanings but the Bedouins of the time also would have had no difficulties with them (Tafhîm al-Qur’ân). So it is wrong to say that some words of the Holy Qur’ân are vague whose meanings cannot be known other than by Allâh. With the passage of time, their meanings were lost to the later generations. Arabs themselves used abbreviated forms of these words in their vocabulary and therefore had no reason to challenge such words.

Many western writers came forward with their interpretation of muqatta‘ât. Theodor Nöldeke, in the first German edition of his book Geschichte des Qurans (- The History of the Qur’ân), suggested that these letters were signatures or initials of those who were its copyists and the first writers. His view has been adopted by a number of other western scholars. However, such a view cannot be accepted, not only because it challenges the purity of the Qur’ânic text, but also because it contradicts the history of how the Qur’ân was preserved. It is inconceivable that the Holy Prophet or any of his followers would have allowed the marks of the copyists to remain in the Holy Book. Moreover, the Holy Qur’ân was not only preserved in written form in the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), but was committed to heart by several hundred of his companions, and all recited these letters wherever they appeared. In addition, none of the letters has any relationship with the names of the copyists of the time of the Holy Prophet. While Nöldeke himself later gave up his theory, other scholars like Hartwig Hirschfeld did not and in turn have influenced Muslim scholars.

Otto Loth, who criticized Nöldeke, came forward with the view that these letters were part of the Divine Revelation and were intended by the Prophet (pbuh) to impress the illiterate Arabs among whom he preached as something mysterious and miraculous. Unfortunately, many Muslims adapted his view. If this was the intent of the Prophet (pbuh), then some of these letters should also appear within the context of the chapters while verses were being revealed in a chronology other than we read today, and not only at the beginning of each. Moreover, there is no historic evidence that the Bedouins of the desert were actually impressed by such letters. Had they been ambiguous, meaningless, or senseless, they would have contradicted the repeated assertion contained in the Qur’ân, that it is a clear book with clear messages and verses (3:138, 10:15) Some Muslim traditionalists have defied any attempt at explanation of the Muqatta‘ât (مقطعات‎) in the Holy Qur’ân despite efforts by many Muslim scholars of all generations to explain their meaning. These ”traditionalists” cite the Qur’ânic verse وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ - “But no one knows its true interpretation except Allâh” (3:7) to support their view. This reasoning is weak as the verse continues with the words وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْم - “and those who are firmly grounded in knowledge” (3:7).

Respected Muslim agreed with the statement: “But no one knows its true interpretation except Allâh” (وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ), as well as the Qur’ânic statement in Ch. 3 verse 7: “He it is Who has revealed to you this perfect Book, some of its verses are definite and decisive. They are the basic root (conveying the established meanings) of the Book - umm al-Kitâb, and other (verses) are susceptible to various interpretations. As for those in whose hearts is perversity, they follow (verses) that are susceptible to different interpretations, seeking (to cause) dissension and seeking an interpretation (of their own choice). But no one knows its true interpretation except Allâh, and those who are firmly grounded in knowledge”. However, despite their acceptance of these verses, none of the scholars like Ibn Kathîr, Jalal-u-Din Sayyûtî, and Ahmad Ibn Taymîyyah were opposed to discussing possible interpretations of the words for which these letters stand

Shah WalîullahMuhaddith Dehlavi: writes in Al-Fauz al-Kabîr fî Usûl al-Tafsîr: These verses possess a huge world of knowledge that only can be assessed through Divine Proximity. All the mysteries that are hidden from existing world but are present on their real locations have been determined in these words. It was in this sense that Abû Bakr Siddîq(rz) said, “For every book there is a mystery, and the mysteries in Qur’ân are in the fawâtih of Qur’ân (في كل كتاب سر، وسره في القرآن فواتح القرآن). Abdullah Yusuf ‘Alî writes: “This is not a mystery of the same class as mysteries by which we are asked to believe against the dictates of reason. If we are asked to believe that one is three and three is one, we can give no intelligible meaning to the words. If we are asked to believe that certain initials have a meaning which will be understood in the fullness of time or of spiritual development, we are asked to draw upon faith, but we are not asked to do any violence to our reason” (The Meaning of the Holy Qur’ȃn: by Abdullah Yusuf ‘Alî, (Appendix I, The abbreviated Letters Al-Muqatta‘ât).

Imâm Fakhr al-Dîn Râzî in his famous Tafsîr Kabîr of the Holy Qur’ân said; “It is not possible that Allâh would include in His Book (al-Qur’ân) that His creation would not understand, because Allâh is the One Who command us to reflect over His Book and seek guidance from it. This cannot be achieved except by understanding its meanings.”

Ibn Kathîr in his Tafsîr on Alif Lâm Mîm (2:1) noted that some ignorant people say that some of the words in the Qur’ân do not mean anything (referring to these letters). However, he considers these people mistaken because All-Mighty Allâh’s sayings cannot, by their very nature be worthless, useless, or meaningless for mankind. (Ibn Kathîr - Tafsîr Page 47, Vol 1 - unabridged edition). Ibn Kathîr further writes: “On the contrary, these letters carry a specific meaning.”

Another eminent scholar, Ahmad Ibn Taymîyyah said there are two opinions about fawātih. First: the meanings of these letters are confined to Allâh and thus none knows their meanings except Him. Second: fawātih are the Names and the Attributes of Allâh and that the letters specify the Name and Attributes of Allâh. For example, the letter Alif is specified for the Name Allâh, the letter Lâm is specified for the Name Latîf, the letter Mîm is specified for the Name Mâlik. He also said there is some wisdom behind starting the Sûra with such letters. The context shows that while not being certain, he considers the abbreviations that he indicates a possible correct interpretation (Ahmad Ibn Taymîyyah: Al-Fatâwa). Even widely accepted Qur’ânic interpretations are often given with the same disclaimer, to indicate that there might be more than one explanation and to acknowledge that all humans are prone to error.

When we look at these abbreviated letters it strikes that they have so much in common, both in form and context, it becomes impossible to believe that they do not make any sense or have no meanings, and their meanings are kept hidden for no apparent reason. Only a small effort will be necessary to solve this self-created hypothetical mystery. Imâm Râzî, Zamakhsharî and Abû Hayyân have discussed this topic in their famous exegeses. Abû Ja‘far Muhammad bin Jarîr al-Tabarî in particular have dealt it in some detail. According to them learned companions of the Holy Prophet such as ‘Alî al-Mûrtadha(rz), ‘Abdullâh ibn ‘Abbâs , ‘Abdullâh ibn Mas‘ûd, and Ubayy bin Ka‘b and their pupils Mujâhid, Sa‘îd bin Jubair, Qatadah, and Raba bin Anas, Suddi, Sha‘bi all agree in interpreting these abbreviated letters by giving them meanings.

Abû ‘Abdullah Al-Qurtubî, a great scholar from Cordoba (Spain) of Maliki origin, in his monumental work Al-Jâm‘i Al-Ahkâm Al-Qur’ân, quotes the following Tradition (- hadîth) from Ibn ‘Abbâs (Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs ):

وروي هذا القول عن ابي بكر الصديق وعن علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنهما . وذكر أبو الليث السمرقندي عن عمر وعثمان وابن مسعود أنهم قالوا : الحروف المقطعة من المكتوم الذي لا يفسر

فروي عن ابن عباس وعلي ايضاً : أن الحروف المقطعة في القرآن اسم الله الأعظم ، إلا أنا لانعرف تأليفه منها

كقول ابن عباس وغيره : الألف من الله ، واللام من جبريل ، والميم من محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم . وقيل : الألف مفتاح اسمه الله ، واللام مفتاح اسمع لطيف ، والميم مفتاح اسمه مجيد . وروى أبو الضحى عن ابن عباس في قوله : "الم" قال : أنا الله أعلم ، الر أنا اله أرى ، المص أنا الله أفضل . فالألف تؤدي عن معنى أنا ، واللام تؤدي عن اسم الله ، والميم تؤدي عن معنى أعلم . واختار هذا القول الزجاج وقال : اذهب الى أن كل حرف منها يؤدي عن معنى وقال زيد بن أسلم: هي أسماء للسور . وقال الكلبي : هي أقسام أقسم الله تعالى بها لشرفها وفضلها ، وهي من أسمائه ،

“… The abbreviated letters of the Holy Qur’ân (الحروف المقطعة) are the Great Name of Allâh (Ism-i-Allâh al-‘zam), none other than me (Abû Bakr(rz)) know their meaning. Alif is from Allâh, Lâm is from Gabriel, and Mîm is from Muhammad (pbuh), al-Alif is the opening word of the name Allâh, al-Lâm is the opening word of Latîf and al-Mîm is the opening word of the name Majîd. Abû al-Dzahâ narrates through the authority of Ibn ‘Abbâs that Alif Lâm Mîm are أنا الله أعلم-I am Allâh the All-Knowing, Alif Lâm Mîm Râ are أنا اله أرى- I am Allâh who sees, Alif Lâm Mîm Sâd are المص أنا الله أفضل - I am Allâh who excels. Alif here has been given in meaning of Anâ (“I”), Lâm is derived from the name Allâh, and Mîm is given the meaning of ‘Âlam أعلم or Knowing. Al-Zajjâj narrates through the authority of Ibn ‘Abbâs as narrated by Abû Bakr(rz) that the meanings of these letters are within the words formed by them. Zaid Ibn Aslam said these are the most elevated Names. Al-Kalbî believed these were the oaths that Allâh swore, like other oaths from His presence and His Exaltation. In other words, these are be derived from His titles.

Ibn Jarîr Al-Tabarî in his monumental work Al-Jâm‘i al-Bayân fî Tafsîr Al-Qur’ân, did not disagree with Al-Qurtabi. He agrees to what Qurtabî writes with reference to Ibn ‘Abbâs that the meanings of these letters are within the words formed by these letters, and stands for the great names of Allâh. According to him:

أن الحروف المقطعة في القرآن اسم الله الأعظم

(The Muqatta‘ât مقطعات‎ in al-Qur’ân are the Great Names of Allâh)

Which particular letter stands for which particular Divine attributive name becomes clear by the context of the subject matter of the Sûrah (Chapter). Their always exists a deep and far reaching connection between them and the subject matter of the chapter which immediately follows them. Such few letters conveys extensive connotations, perfect to express the most appropriate attributive names of Allâh. Ibn Jarîr further quotes whatAkramah narrated that these are the oaths that Allâh swore, like other oaths to be found in various places of the Holy Qur’ân (cf. 75:1; 77:1; 79:1; 85:1-3; 86:1-2; 91:1-7;92:1-3; 93:1-2 and 90:1). Akramah stated that Ibn ‘Abbâssaid:

ھو قسم اقسم اللہ بہ و ھو من اسماء اللہ

“These are the oaths that Allâh swore, [like other oaths from His presence and His Exaltation]. These are from the names of Allâh”.

Ibn Jarîr mentions other opinions as well. He quotes Mujâhid that these are the shortened form of the name of the Chapter of the Qur’ân (ismâ’-al-Sûrاسماءالسور ) where they occur. He quotes al-Rabî bin Ansopinionencouraging multiple meanings to these words, as long as they are within the confines of the core spirit of the Message of al-Qur’ân. Hemade an effort to prove that there is no harm in considering any one, or agreeing with all these multiple meaning. He made a very scholarly effort in linking these meanings with each other, thus proving them to be supporting each other and being complementary to each other, if keenly reflected by the reader. He believes that all these meanings are complementary to each other. Ibn Jarîr discusses further the statements and opinions of the second generation (- taba‘în) after the Holy Prophet (pbuh) in detail.

Regardless of some discrepancies in interpretation, none of the learned at the time of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) claimed that the words for which these letters stand were unknown. Nor were these alphabets mysteries, nor had their meanings been concealed from humans by Allâh. The debate of these eminent scholars has always centered on the actual interpretation, but has never suggested the abbreviations are less than an important part of Gods message. Claiming these words to be mysterious was put forward by later translators who lacked the knowledge of the use of shortened forms or muqatta‘ât in classical Arabic.

Abû Hayyân al-Gharnati in his Bahr Al-Muhît clothes all muqatta‘ât (مقطعات‎) in words. According to him:

Alif (ا): is an abbreviation for Ana (أنا, I am).

Ḥâ (ح): is an abbreviation for Al-Ḥamīd (الحميد, the Praised).

Rā (ر): is an abbreviation for Al-Basîr (All-Seeing (البصير).

Sīn (س): is an abbreviation for Al-Sam‘ī (السميع, the Hearing).

Ṣâd (ص): is an abbreviation for Al-Ṣādiq (الصادق, the Truthful).

Ṭā (ط): is an abbreviation for the Most Benignant.

ʿAyn (ع): is an abbreviation for Al-‘Âlim (the Knowing).

Qāf (ق): is an abbreviation for Al-Qādir (القادر, the All-Mighty).

Kāf (ك): is an abbreviation for Al-Kāfi (كافي, the Sufficient).

Lām (ل): is an abbreviation for Allāh (الله, using the second letter).

Mīm (م): is as either an abbreviation for Al-‘Alīm (العليم, the Knowing, using the ending letter) or for Al-Majīd (المجيد, the Glorious).

Nūn (ن): is a word and not an abbreviation meaning “ink-stand”.

Hā (ه): is an abbreviation for Al-Hādī (الهادي, the Guide).

Yā (ي): an interjection equivalent to “O!”as in YâSîn.

ImâmJâfir Sâdiq have also explained the meanings of these letters in the context of the names and Attributes of Allâh. Imâm Jâfir Sâdiq says:

Alif Lâm Mîm الم- Anâ Allâh-u al-Majîdاَنَا اللہُ المجید -I am Allâh, the Most Glorious

Hâ Mîm حٰم- al-Hamîd al-Majîdالحمید المجید - The Most Praiseworthy \The Most Glorious).

Alif Lâm Râ الرٰ- Anâ Allâh-u al-Ra‘ûf الرعوفانا اللہُ - I am Allâh the Most Compassionate

Sâd ص- al-Sâdiqالصادق – The Most Truthful

Kâf Hâ Yâ ‘Ain Sâd کھیعص -انا الکافی و الھادی الولی العالم الصادق الوعد- Allâh is sufficient for all, and He is the True Guide, Bestower of security and blessings, the All-Knowing, the Most Truthful to my promise

YâSîn یٰس- Yâ Ayyuhâ al-Sâm’i al-Wahiیا ایّھا السّامع الوحیIt means the hearer of the Revelation. (This is the name of the Holy Prophet).

TâHâ طہٰ - یا طالب الحق الھادی الیہ –It means, O seeker of Allâh and who guides towards Him (This is the name of the Holy Prophet)

Nûn نas one of the five names of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) mentioned in the Holy Qur’ân, like Muhammad, Ahmad, Abd-Allâh and Yâsîn.(Imâm Jafir Sadiq Persian translation of the Holy Qur’ân by Faidzul Islâm)

Imâm Jalâl-u-Dîn Sayyûtî in his book Al-I‘tqân has discussed al-Harûf al-Muqatta‘ât (الحروفالمقطعة) and what they mean and represent. In Al-Durr al-Manthûr fi Tafsîr bil-Mâthûrالدر المنثور في التفسير بالماثور on various occasions he has given the words for which these abbreviations stand. About Kâf Hâ Yâ ‘Ain Sâd (كهيعص) for example Sayyûtî quoted Abdullah bin Abbâs as saying that Kâf stands for Karîm, Hâ for Hâdî,’Ain for ‘Alîm and Sâd for Sâdiq.

Husain bin Mas‘ûd al-Baghawi in Ma‘âlim at-Tanzîl (Tafsîr al-Baghawî) quotes Ibn ‘Abbâs as saying that Kâf stands for Kâfî, Hâ for Hâdî or Hakîm, ‘Ain for ‘Alîm and Sâd for Sâdiq. On Alif Lâm Mîm Sâd he says, stand for Anâ Allâh al-Mâlik al-Sâdiq. He quotes Rabî bin Ans that lâm in Alif Lâm Mîm stand for Latîf. Al-Baghawi quotes further Muhammad bin Kab, Saîd bin Jabîr and Zajjâj to give the same meaning to above abbreviations.

The great Turkish ImâmSheikh Ismâ‘îl Haqqi al-Barûsawî al-Naqshbandî (d. 1127 AH) in his voluminous exegesis of the Holy Qur’ân, Rûh al-Bayân fi Tafsîr al-Qur’ân says that these letters refer to the Supreme Power of All-Mighty Allâh. Regarding Alif, Lâm, and Mîm, he says, Alif stands for Allâh, Lâm for Latîf, and Mîm for Majîd. Concerning Alif Lâm Mîm Râ he says the letters stand for ‘I am Allâh who sees’. The alphabet Qâf means that All-Mighty Allâh is Qahhâr. About Kâf Hâ Yâ ‘Ain Sâd (كهيعص), he also agrees with what Imâm Sayyûtî says who quoted from Abdullah bin ‘Abbâs: Kâf stands for Karîm, Hâ for Hâdî, ‘Ain for ‘Alîm, and Sâd for Sâdiq. Then he says that Hakîm has adopted the way of Sa‘îd bin Jabair who has copied Ibn ‘Abbâs quotation in Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs that Kâf stands for Karîm, Hâ for Hâdî , ‘Ain for ‘Alîm, and Sâd for Sâdiq.

Shah WaliullahMuhaddith Dehlawi in his work Al-Faudz al-Kabîr fi Usûl al-Tafsîr has described every letter very clearly, whether it is a single word or in association with other letters. He says, the meanings of these letters have been explained to him by way of spiritual taste (dhauqذوق ). To taste brings one closer to the truth than the description of the taste. He writes: “These letters form the titles of the Sûrah. As a title shows its subject, so Harûf al-Muqatta‘ât are the terse and lucid symbols of its subject. Every letter of muqatta‘ât has its own meaning. These letters have knowledge that is related to the essence of Allâh”. Then he says: These verses possess a huge world of knowledge that only can be assessed through Divine Proximity. All the mysteries that are hidden from existing world but are present on their real locations have been determined in these words. The meaning of Alif Lâm Mîmالم is that the unspecified unseen is specified in relation to the visible world, which is defiled. Both Alifand Hâ give the meaning of the unseen, except that Hâ is the unseen of this world whilst Alif is the unseen of the abstract world… It is, therefore, for this reason, at the time of interrogation and conjunction the Arabs say wa(w) or a(m)- both meaning, “or”. The reason is that an affair set right is disturbed, and it is the unseen in relation to the specified. In the same way, what makes them hesitate in it is an unseen. They add an interrogative Alif at the beginning of a question so that it may indicate that the picture is gained in their minds, the details of which are such and such. They choose Hâ because it is an unseen of this world, and the specified is summarized, since Lâm gives the meaning of specification. It is, therefore, that at the time of making a common noun proper, the Lâm of introduction (ta‘rîfتعريف ) is added. When Lâm and Mîm meet, their combination gives an indication of the defiled matter in which various realities are collected and have become restricted. And because of the requirement of the abstract, they are subjected to restriction and space. Thus, Alif Lâm Mîm alludes to the simple grace which has come down into the world of space according to the customs of people, and in consequence, their sciences (‘ulûm) became specified. It fought against the hardness of their hearts by means of reminding, and struck against their corrupt sayings and useless actions by show of love with the prescription of the limits of virtue and vice”.

“Alif Lâm Râ is like Alif Lâm Mîm, except that Râ indicates hesitation, namely that the unseen which is specified by defilement has again come with defilement and become specified. Mîm also gives the same sense and alludes to the sciences which are frequently striking hard against the foul acts of the people, and that is true, as is seen in the stories of the Prophets and their discourses time after time and in their repeated questions and answers. The whole chapter 10 is the explanation of it.

“Tâ and Sâd both suggest an upward movement from the defiled world to the higher world, except that Tâ points to greatness and glory or to the ugliness and dirtiness of the moving thing whilst Sâd gives the meaning of purity (- safa) and fineness. Sâd signifies an aspect which appeared near the time of concentration by the Prophets upon their Creator, both by nature and acquisition by deeds. Thus, KâfHâYâ ‘AinSâd (the prefix to Surah Maryam Ch. 19) conveys the meaning of an ugly, dark world in which the sciences (‘ulûm), some shining brightly and others dimly, are specified at the time of their return to the Creator. About the letter Sâd, Shah Walîullah says: “It shows the relation between the Prophets and Allâh”. Similarly, YâSînstands for that knowledge, which prevails in the universe. He says that TâHâ is the word which gives indication about the area which is specialized for the Holy Prophet (pbuh). Sîn gives the sense of penetration and its disappearance and dispersion throughout the world. Thus, Tâ refers to the stations of the Prophets, which are the marks of their paying attention to the higher world, so that an unseen picture may be created. In this world, they are mentioned in the Divine Books and their account is given in general terms. Tâ Sîn Mîm signifies the stations of the Prophets which are the marks of their upward movement and which have penetrated and spread throughout the material world”.

“The guttural Hâ (ح)is similar to the airy Ha(ه) , the meaning of which has already been given. In addition, when the Hâ sound possesses shining light, appears and discriminates, it is manifested as the guttural Hâ. Thus, the meaning of Hâ Mîm is a brightly-shining generality which is connected to Attributes of a world defiled by false beliefs and corrupt actions. This is an allusion to the rejection of peoples wicked actions. It also gives the meaning of the appearance of the Truth in places of doubt and disputation and in their customs. ‘Ain عpoints to the appearance of the shining light and its specification. Qâf conveys the meanings of power, severity and force that are specified in this world. It is like one who says that the object of his intention is the aspect which is created in the world by force and stroke. The letter Qâf قsuggests that All-Mighty Allâh is Qahhâr, the One Who breaks the backs of the powerful among His enemies. Qâf is like Mîmم and indicates this world but from the aspect of power (Qûwwah) and severity. Kâf كis like Qâfق , save that its power is understood to be less than what is implied in Qâf. Mîm because of the collection and the piling up of forms in it signifies the brightly-shining love of the Real that pervades the ugly world.”

“Nûn means light (nûr) which penetrates the darkness and is dispersed like a state that is seen at the time of true dawn or near the time of the setting of the sun. Yâ is similar to Nûn, save that there is less light in it and it is specified less than the guttural Hâ. Thus, YâSîn is an allusion to meanings which are spread (and dispersed) in the world”.

About Kâf Hâ Yâ ‘Ain Sâd (كهيعص) he agrees with what Imâm Sayyûtî has quoted from Abdullah bin ‘Abbâs : Kâf stands for Karîm, Hâ for Hâdî, ‘Ain for Alîm, and Sâd for Sâdiq. Regarding TâHâ, Shah Walîullah has discussed it very briefly, saying that TâHâ is one word and stands for the Holy Prophet. Shah Walîullah then says, “It is not possible to say more than these words which have been recorded in this book in general meanings. These words are not sufficient to explain their depth and how they differ from each other in one respect or the other.”

These are one of the most compelling and scholarly opinions great Scholars. Ibn Taymîyyah, Ibn Kathîr, Zamakhsharî and Sayyûtî are correct when the say that the true meanings of these letters are in the knowledge of Allâh. Their statements in no way contradict what has been said before. When these abbreviations stand for the Great attributive Name of Allâh (Ism-i-Allâh al-Âzam; اسم الله الأعظم), then the true essence of these attributives are known to Allâh, since only He has comprehensive knowledge of the essence of His Names. Allâh says: “Nothing is like His likeness”لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ  (42:11) that is, His Essence (Haqîqat al-Dzât) is known only to Him and His attributive Names closely adhere to His Essence. In His Essence, He is incomprehensible (Al-Latîf اللَّطِيفُ; 6:103) and no soul (- nafs) can comprehend His gnosis. Then Allâh says, لَّا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصَارَ ۖ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ “The physical vision comprehends Him not, but He comprehends all visions. He is the All-Subtle Being (Al-Latîfاللَّطِيف) incomprehensible and imperceptible, the All-Aware” (6:103). Therefore, knowledge of His Reality, His Essence and the essence of His Attributes cannot be known, neither through logical proof (- dalîl) or rational considerations (- burhân ‘aqlî). He is the Only One Who knows His own Essence. Like His Essence, His Great Attributes (Ism-i-Allâh al-‘Âzam; اسم الله الأعظم) and the their real meanings are mysteries. Nothing is as mysterious as the essence of these Attributes.

Shah Walîullah and Sheikh Ismâ‘îl Naqshbandî possessed high degrees of Divine knowledge and their station is considered a station of proximity to the Lord (- maqâm al-Qurbâ). They are among those who have been defined as ones “who are firmly grounded in knowledge” (3:7) وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ. Those who attain nearness to Him, and are able to penetrate these mysteries وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْم, they are the people of knowledge and His true lovers. It is for this reason the Holy Prophet said: “I do not say that Alif-Lâm-Mîm is a word, but Alif is a word Lâm is a word and Mîm is a word.” (Transmitted by Tirmidhi; Hadîth 1003; narrated by ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ûd). It was in this sense that Abû Bakr Siddîq(rz) said, “For every book there is a mystery, and the mysteries in Qur’ân are in the fawâtih of Qur’ân (في كل كتاب سر، وسره في القرآن فواتح القرآن). It is in this sense the great Islamic scholars have said that there is wisdom behind these letters, and that the real essence of these letters is with Allâh.

The most accepted words given to abbreviations used in the beginning of chapters appear at the appropriate places, and that the chapters where the abbreviations appear and the subsequent chapters where they do not, are connected with each other through the Divine Attributes for which the abbreviations stand.