Verse 2
The Clot • makkah
View Aspects
23:15; 40:68; 75:39.
Important Words:
اقرأ (proclaim) is derived from قرء which means, he collected together the thing; put it together part to part. قرأت القرآنmeans, I recited or read the Quran uninterruptedly or recited it chanting (syn. أنشد). قرء علیه القرآن means, he read or recited to him the Quran. قرأعلیهالسلام means, he conveyed or delivered to him the salutation. Thus اقرأ means, read, recite, convey, proclaim or collect (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The very first word of the verse shows that the Quran was meant to be read and proclaimed, to be collected and put together and conveyed to the whole world. Moreover, the verse embodies a prophecy that the Quran will be written and repeatedly read and recited. It is an undeniable fact of history that as soon as a portion of the Quran was revealed it was committed to writing and that among all religious Scriptures the Quran is the most widely read. The mention in the verse of the Divine attribute رب (the Lord) Who cherishes and sustains man through all the different stages of his development signifies that the spiritual development of man was to be gradual and in stages till it was to find its full consummation in the Holy Prophet.
The word Iqra’ meaning read, recite, convey, proclaim or collect, the verse signifies that the Qur’an was meant to be read and proclaimed, to be collected and put together and then conveyed to the whole world. The mention of the Divine attribute Rabb, (Nourisher, Sustainer and Developer, Who sustains man through all the stages of his development), shows that man’s moral development was to be gradual till it was to find full consummation in the Holy Prophet.