The treasures of Surat Al-Kahf: the cave (episode 10: of the paradigm of cities; vs55-59)

• Episode 10: Of the paradigm of cities; VS55-59

After mentioning in the previous chapter the Parable of the two livesthematic progression continues in this Chapter II that we have entitled: Cités paradigmsince this is his thematic approach.

Exegesis has experienced difficulties in understanding the purpose of this chapter which, indeed, when it is cut off from its context of insertion does not make sense obviously, the multiplicity of the proposed translations testified to this. However, structurally, this chapter extends the theme of this Part II :: of reality and realitythe differential between the two being addressed from the teleological angle of the finality as is explicit for chapter I.The chapter II then proposes ” Regarding these cities “, V59a synthesis of the story of cities according to a theology of their purposes.

Here is an extract from our Literal exegesis of the Koran⁽¹⁾ As for this chapter II. The text of this passage is given according to our Literal translation of the Koran⁽²⁾ published in 2024:

Chap. II :: Cités paradigm

55. Men were not prevented from believing or imploring the forgiveness of their Lord when the guided managed without however that the fate of the ancients did not happen to them or that the torment did not come to them head -on.

• 2. Reminder about the purposes

56. However, we only dispose of the envoys as carrying good news and carrying a warning, but the denials alleged the false to invalidate the truth; They considered our signs and what they had been warned, mockingly.
57. However, who was more unfair than the one to whom the signs of his Lord were recalled and who turned away, forgetting what his own hands had accomplished! Really, we placed on their thick sail spirits, because they did not understand it intelligently and were hard. Even if you would have called to the guided that they would never have guided consequently.
58. Nevertheless, your Lord is all forgiven, the master of mercy, if he had to take them back for what they have acquired, he would bring the torment earlier … But they have a moment of appointment against which they will not find any exhaust.
59. – Regarding these cities, when they were inexpensive, we let them perish and took act of the moment of their annihilation.

وَا مَنَعَ النَّاسَنْ يؤؤممووا إ!إ إ جَاءَهُمُ الْهُدَى وَيَسْتَغف! سُنَّةُ الَْوَّل shuttleback أَوْ يitary يْتcingهُمُ الْعyal وَمُنذ policy solved وَيُجَالُ الَذذ assذ attack rance fles كَرُوا بالْبَاط shutout لlant لlant لlantُدْح shutout بوا بlant بlant الْحَق وَات foldsخخ أنذ operatorsiquitous هُزا (56) وَمَنْ أ politظللَمُ مinc assّنْنْن ذك shuttle برر slest بَيَاتires sol. يَدَاهُ إ pressed إ operating جا pa عَلْنَل original قُلُوبductit إ Whether bachelion الْهُدَى فَلَنْ يَهْتَدُوا إ sol إا أَبَا (57) وَرَبُكَ الغَفُوoses كَسَبُوا لَعَجَّلَ لَهُمُ الْعَابَ بَلْ لَهُمْ مَوْع shuttled لَنْ يَجcing shuttle! أَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ لَمَّا ظَلَمُوا (

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– “Men were not prevented from believing or imploring the forgiveness of their Lord when the guided managed without however that the fate of the ancients did not happen to them or that the torment did not come to them head -on. “, V55.

This verse therefore recalls that the peoples of the cities, although aims to be an imminent punishment do not believe in the warning given by their ” envoys/wallsīn »Respective, V56. If even under these conditions man is able to refuse the ” Guided From God, then, a fortiori, there is nothing surprising that he also opposes it in less threatening contexts. This explains that the particle Mhas Is not a interrogative pronoun here, but marks the negation, hence: ” Men were not prevented/Mhasmana’a an -nhasits to believe“, because “man, more than anything, is in vehement argument “, V54. This intrinsic tendency to the human being explains that “Denials(in the case of cities, but also in general)alleged the false to invalidate the truth thus “, V56. There ” Truth Here is the message delivered by their prophets-messengers warning them that an imminent natural disaster threatened them, message that God proposed to them to stop their progress provided that they reform and straighten their deviant beliefs and their deviated behaviors. : “What his own hands had accomplished “, V57. In fact, our literal analysis has highlighted that God had not destroyed these cities because of their disobedience, but that he had only let the cataclysm that threatened them, not to have proposed to have proposed to save them. These destruction are therefore only the result of their error and stubbornness, ex. “” This is so, because your Lord is not to perish by iniquity the cities as long as their inhabitants are inverted», S6.V131. Conceptually, we qualify this paradigm of Mercy theology ; See in particular S7.V94; S3.V145; S11.V117.

– By ” Even if you would have called to the guided“, V57there is a parallel with the mission of the Prophet with regard to his idolatrous people. Not that the Prophet threatens them with an annihilation comparable to those who destroyed the said cities, but that he highlights that his people, like these previous peoples, has the same attitude of denial as to the message of God which brings them: the Koran. In addition, the final of V57 is thus understood and translated by ” Even if you call them towards the right track, they will never be able to guide themselves », Standard translation. This would assume that those in question previously were the most obtuse contemporaries of the Prophet.or we have just shown that in reality it is the peoples of the cities. We must therefore understand the subject as follows: (rhetorical) even if you Muhammad had been there to deliver my message to them (the Koran) that these people (cities) would not have followed it, which shows the degree of their error and their stubbornness, from where then our translation “Even if you would have called to the guided that they would never have guided consequently “, V57. These peoples who were the craftsmen of their destruction therefore represent the perfect paradigm of the one who attaches to appearances without perceiving the theological finality.

– ” Really, we placed on their thick sails minds, because they did not understand it intelligently and were hard“, V57.

As explained at V28it is not God who veils the spirits of those to whom he is addressed and we find direct proof of it in S41.V5: ” They say: our minds are thick sails about what you call us, we are hard by ear and between us and you are placed a screen. Act therefore, certainly we will act ». If God veiled them ” spirits/qulūB “, The contradiction would be manifest. We must therefore understand that this blindness of the Spirit, both reason and spirituality, is only the consequence of the denial of those who refuse the message of God. It is to this message that it is made reference in ” They didn’t understand it intelligently/faqaha ».

– ” Regarding these cities/Al – Querhaswhen they were inexpensive, we let them perish and took act of the moment of their annihilation.“, V59.

– Our background reports, this is the fourth conclusion that has been marking as before the end of a chapter or part, here both. Depending on the Mercy theology mentioned above all about the cities, it is incorrect to understand and translate this verse as follows: ” And these are the cities that we have perished when their peoples committed injustices and we set an appointment for their destruction(sic.) ”, Standard translation according to standardized exegesis.

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Dr Al Ajamî

(1) For our Literal exegesis of the Korancf. https://www.alajami.fr/ouvrages/

(2) For our Literal translation of the Korancf. https://www.alajami.fr/produced/le-coran-le-message-a-lorigine/