Now We send down to you a Book which contains what you must heed in life for... (Al-Anbiyā’ 21:10)
لَقَدْ أَنْزَلْنَۤا إِلَيْكُمْ كِتَابًا ف۪يهِ ذِكْرُكُمْ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
Now We send down to you a Book which contains what you must heed in life for your honor and happiness. Will you not, then, reason and understand? (Al-Anbiyā’ 21:10)
The addressee of the Divine Message, “We send down to you a Book,” is all humanity. Therefore, God Almighty promised the first addressees of the Qur’ān, explicitly, and all those to come later, implicitly, that they would gain reputation and glory through the Book—the Qur’ān—sent down to them. He even implied that He began to bestow that reputation and glory on them and encouraged them to gratitude at all times.
With respect to this reputation and glory, which will infinitely flourish in the other world, the following points can be considered:
- The Qur’ān implicitly reminds us of the right means to reach the truth and the Ultimate Truth—God Almighty—such as Divine commands and prohibitions. The verse, “Indeed, it (the Qur’ān) is a Reminder for you and for your people” (Az-Zukhruf 43:44), must be emphasizing this.
- The word “dhikr,” which is used in the verse and given the meaning of reputation and glory here, also suggests advice and preaching. The hadīth, “The Religion is advice,”[1] which is short in word-ing but comprehensive in meaning, highlights this reality. The verse, “But remind and warn, for reminding and warning are of benefit to the believers” (Adh-Dhāriyāt 51:55), confirms the same idea.
- The verse also suggests: While the states and communities around you complete their lifespan and withdraw from the stage of history one after the other, you will be able to exist eternally owing to this blessed “dhikr”—the Qur’ān. The verses, “Do they (unbelievers) not see how We deal with the earth, reducing it of its outlying parts? God judges, and (when He has judged) there is none to revise His judgment” (Ar-Ra’d 13:41) and, “Do they not consider that We have established them (believers and those invited to belief in Makkah and neighboring regions) in a secure sanctuary while people are ravaged all around them?” (Al-‘Ankabūt 29:67), imply the same—the first one implicitly and the other explicitly.
- Additionally, the verse is also indicative of the position that the first addressees of the Qur’ān will gain. It suggests: “Because of the Qur’ān, you will attain such a position, honor, and glory among peoples that no other people will be able to attain. For this Qur’ān will protect your tongues from lapses and your languages from degeneration and will be the reference source for everybody who wants to learn Islam—the true Religion you must embrace. This is most certainly a great blessing, which should never be forgotten and requires gratitude. Your honor and glory will widely be circulated among world-peoples.
[1] Bukhārī, Īmān, 42; Muslim, Īmān, 95; Tirmidhī, Birr, 17; Nasāī, Bay’ah, 31; Dārimī, Riqāq, 41.
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