from the points of the sun and moon to the pages of night and day and winter and summer, and draws his attention to the lines of events written on those pages. For the Qur’an does not speak of the sun for the sake of the sun, but for the One Who illuminates it. Also, it does not speak of the sun’s nature, for which man has no need, but of the sun’s duty, which is that of mainspring for the order of dominical art, and centre of the order of dominical creativity, and a shuttle for the harmony and order of dominical art in the things the Pre-Eternal Inscriber weaves with the threads of day and night. You can compare others of the Qur’an’s words with these. While all are simple, ordinary words, each performs the duty of a key to treasuries of subtle meanings.

It is because the Qur’an’s style is for the greater part elevated and brilliant in the ways described above, that on occasion Arab nomads were captivated by a single phrase, and without being Muslims would prostrate. One nomad prostrated on hearing the phrase:

Therefore proclaim openly what you are commanded.(15:94)

When asked: “Have you become a Muslim?”, he replied: “No. I am prostrating at the eloquence of these words.”

##### Fourth Point

Fourth Point: This is the wonderful eloquence in its wording; that is, in the words employed. Yes, just as the Qur’an is extraordinarily eloquent in regard to its style and manner of exposition, so is there a truly fluent eloquence in its wording. Clear evidence of the existence of this eloquence is the fact that it does not bore or cause weariness; while the testimony of the brilliant scholars of the sciences of rhetoric, the semantics of syntax, and of figurative speech, forms a decisive proof of the wisdom of the eloquence.

Yes, the Qur’an does not weary even if repeated thousands of times; indeed, it gives pleasure. Neither is it burdensome for the memory of a small and simple child; children can memorize it easily. Nor is it unpleasant to the ear, pained by the slightest word, of someone extremely ill; it is easy on it. It is like sherbet to the palate of one in the throes of death; its recitation gives sweet pleasure to the person’s ear and mind of such a person just like Zamzam water to his mouth and palate.

The reason for the Qur’an’s not causing boredom, and the wisdom of it, is this: it is food and sustenance for the heart, strength and wealth for the mind, water and light for the spirit, and the cure and remedy for the soul. Everyday we eat bread, yet we never tire of it. But if we were to eat the choicest fruit every day, we would get bored of it. This means that it is because the Qur’an is truth and reality and truthfulness and guidance and wonderfully eloquent that it does not cause weariness and preserves its