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Sūrat Hūd

Section 18 of 24 · Surah Studies · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera

O Earth, Swallow Your Water

Then to verse 44, upon which an hour might be spent — this one verse:

وَقِيلَ يَـٰٓأَرْضُ ٱبْلَعِى مَآءَكِ وَيَـٰسَمَآءُ أَقْلِعِى وَغِيضَ ٱلْمَآءُ وَقُضِىَ ٱلْأَمْرُ وَٱسْتَوَتْ عَلَى ٱلْجُودِىِّ ۖ وَقِيلَ بُعْدًا لِّلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

“It was said (by Allah), “O earth, suck in your water, and O heaven, stop.” And water subsided, and the matter was over. It (the Ark) came to rest on the Jūdī, and it was said, “Away with the wrongdoers.”” (11:44)

This one verse, of some twenty-odd words, is held to be among the most effectively eloquent verses there are, and has simply overwhelmed the most eloquent individuals in our history — the sister of Imruʾ al-Qays among them, and numerous others of that time. Other men of intelligence and eloquence, who knew the balāghah and the art of effective speech, on hearing this verse were struck by it: it has so many different techniques within it, and yet the words used are the simplest words that could be had.

For the ʿulamāʾ who wish it, there are many books written upon this among the works of balāghah. But for a good treatment, look at Nasafī's Madārik: he has an excellent discussion, unravelling and unpacking all of it. Nasafī's Madārik explains it very well, and a number of other tafsīrs do it very well also.