‘You Say’ (قُلۡ = Qool) means…

‘ You Say’ (قُلۡ = Qool) means …

The commandments and prohibitions of the Holy Qor-aan specified with the direction of قُلۡ in Arabic are generally translated in English as ‘You say’ or ‘say’ (109:002, 112:002, 113:002114:002). Some translators have translated this word every time with “O Mohammed” s.a.w.

There are other words that also give directions but are translated differently. ‘Give the good news’ (002:026) and ‘Invite to the road to your God’ (016:126) illustrate specific acts in furtherance of contemplated direction.

Really all these directive convey five possible courses of actions that become very clear by the text that follows like the most word-constructions in the Arabic grammar.

  1. Firstly, the direction to the addressee is to say or announce, broadcast, call, convey, elaborate, explain, expound, inform, specify, state or tell the third party only of the ‘message’ given.
  2. Secondly, the direction to the addressee is to say or beseech, invoke, pray, request submit or supplicate in accordance with the recommended ‘exhortation’ by eliciting the help and guidance from the Almighty God..
  3. Thirdly, the direction to the addressee is to say or command, declare, direct, instruct, mandate, order, preach, profess, respond, teach, train or tutor in implementation of the ‘direction’ given to the third party as well as the addressee himself.
  4. Fourthly, the direction to the addressee is to say or ask, demand, cross-examine or examine, inquire, investigate, query or question by initiating the ‘process’ decreed by engaging in dialogues where other recipients’ concerns can be addressed instead of just delivering them thr message in monologues.
  5. Fifthly, the direction to the addressee is to say or react, reply or respond to anyone who may have asked, launched a quest, raised a question or initiated a query by effective two-way communications and satisfying all concerns.

Generally, all divine directions are narrowed down to apply to only third parties, but in reality they also include the following follow-ups.

  1. Firstly, it commands the reader to deliver the message to all ‘other’ persons in the whole wide world – because such delivery is of paramount significance.
  2. Secondly, it orders the reader to convey the message to himself also – because telling others to something without personally implementing it is plainly hypocritical.
  3. Thirdly, it instructs the reader that after delivering the message he acknowledges its receipt – because unacknowledged delivery is tantamount to no delivery.
  4. Fourthly, it mandates the reader to declare his intent. Psychology has found that the verbalized intentions are more likely to succeed when accompanied by a determination that expresses one’s state of mind along with the spoken words such as ‘I will do so.’  And the desired results precipitate even faster when some overt action is also taken, such as writing down one’s intended goals.

The meanings of the one-worded direction قُلۡ are further enlarged in accordance with the Arabic grammar and the prism of its exclusive feature of producing many scenarios.  The translation ‘say’ is often used when the original text had referred to ‘You one person say’, ‘You two say’ or ‘You all say’. And when using the past, present, or mo-dhaa-ray (present and future) tenses in the verb form of the same root of meanings ‘saying’, the meanings become multiplied immensely more.

There are Arabic words with 20 or more meanings. Thus a verse with 2 such words can have 20 x 20 = 400 meanings, and one with 3 such words can have 20 x 20 x 20 = 8,000 meanings. And there are verses like (002:283), (004:012) and (073:021) that consist of near or over 100 word each, but only “those firmly grounded knowledge and saying ‘We believe in all of this’ know the true meanings” (003:008).

All scriptures are criticized for being static and written within a time-frame of prevailing conditions. But God’s word in the Holy Qor-aan though fixed in text is a perpetual, rich, living and lasting teaching. ‘We reveal in the reading again and again of this Book a healing / cure / solution and blessing for the believers’ (017:083). Continued progress in all kinds of knowledge was also directed by ‘Excel in doing the good things’ (002:149) for all human endeavors to reach the next peak in their endeavors.

 

This entry was posted in Commentary and Notes and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply