A Reminder of the Blessing of the Qur'an and the Command to focus on its Message

Allah says:

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَاكَ سَبْعًا مِّنَ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنَ الْعَظِيمَ ﴿٨٧﴾

لاَ تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَى مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِّنْهُمْ وَلاَ تَحْزَنْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَاخْفِضْ جَنَاحَكَ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٨٨﴾

And indeed, We have bestowed upon you seven of the Mathani, and the Grand Qur'an. Look not with your eyes ambitiously at what We have given to certain classes of them, nor grieve over them. And lower your wings to the believers.

Allah is saying to His Prophet:

Since We have given you the Grand Qur'an, then do not look at this world and its attractions, or the transient delights that we have given to its people in order to test them. Do not envy what they have in this world, and do not upset yourself with regret for their rejection of you and their opposition to your religion.

وَاخْفِضْ جَنَاحَكَ لِمَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

And lower your wings to the believers who follow you. (26:215) meaning - be gentle with them, like the Ayah,

لَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger from among yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He is anxious for you, for the believers - he is full of pity, kind and merciful. (9:128)

There were some differences among the scholars over the meaning of "seven of the Mathani''.

Ibn Mas`ud, Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak and others said that;

they are the seven long (Surahs), meaning

Al-Baqarah,

Al-Imran,

An-Nisa',

Al-Ma'idah,

Al-An`am,

Al-A`raf,

Yunus.

There are texts to this effect reported from Ibn Abbas and Sa`id bin Jubayr.

Sa`id said:

"In them, Allah explains the obligations, the Hudud (legal limits), stories and rulings.''

Ibn Abbas said,

"He explains the parables, stories and lessons.''

The second opinion is that;

they (the seven of the Mathani) are Al-Fatihah, which is composed of seven Ayat.

This was reported from Ali, Umar, Ibn Mas`ud and Ibn Abbas.

Ibn Abbas said:

"The Bismillah, is completing seven Ayah, which Allah has given exclusively to you (Muslims).''

This is also the opinion of Ibrahim An-Nakha`i, Abdullah bin Umayr, Ibn Abi Mulaykah, Shahr bin Hawshab, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and Mujahid.

Al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, recorded two Hadiths on this topic. The first was recorded from Abu Sa`id bin Al-Mu`alla, who said:

"The Prophet passed by me while I was praying. He called out for me but I did not come until I finished my prayer. Then I came to him, and He asked,

مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَأْتِيَنِي؟

What stopped you from coming to me?

I said, `I was praying'.

He said, أَلَمْ يَقُلِ اللهُ Did not Allah say;

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اسْتَجِيبُواْ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ

O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he calls you... (8:24)

أَلَا أُعَلِّمُكَ أَعْظَمَ سُورَةٍ فِي الْقُرْآنِ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَخْرُجَ مِنَ الْمَسْجِد

Shall I not teach you the most magnificent Surah before I leave the Masjid!

Then the Prophet went to leave the Masjid, and I reminded him, so he said,

الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ

All praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of all that exists. (1:2)

هِيَ السَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنُ الَّذِي أُوتِيتُه

This is the seven of the Mathani and the Qur'an which I have been given.''

The second Hadith was reported from Abu Hurayrah who said that the Messenger of Allah said:

أُمُّ الْقُرْآنِ هِيَ السَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنُ الْعَظِيم

Umm Al-Qur'an (the Mother or the Essence of the Qur'an), is the seven Mathani, and the Grand Qur'an.

This means that Al-Fatihah is the seven Mathani and the Grand Qur'an, but this does not contradict the statement that the seven Mathani are the seven long Surahs, because they also share these attributes, as does the whole Qur'an.

As Allah says,

اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَـباً مُّتَشَـبِهاً مَّثَانِيَ

Allah has sent down the best statement, a Book (this Qur'an), its parts resembling each other in goodness and truth, oft-recited. (39:23)

So it is oft-recited in one way, and its parts resemble one another in another way, and this is also the Grand Qur'an.

لاَ تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَى مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِّنْهُمْ ...

Look not with your eyes ambitiously at what We have given to certain classes of them.

meaning, be content with the Grand Qur'an that Allah has given to you, and do not long for the luxuries and transient delights that they have.

Al-Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas said:

لاَ تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ (Look not with your eyes ambitiously),

"He (in this Ayah) forbade a man to wish for what his companion has.''

... إِلَى مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِّنْهُمْ ...

at what We have given to certain classes of them,

Mujahid said:

"This refers to the rich.''