giving rise to gravity.” On understanding this from a single letter of the Qur’an, the philosopher would declare: “All praise and thanks be to God! It is in the Qur’an that true wisdom is to be found. I consider philosophy to be worth virtually nothing!”

And the following idea would occur to a thinker of poetic bent from this La\m and the stability mentioned above: “The sun is a luminous tree and the planets are its mobile fruits. But contrary to trees the sun shakes itself so the fruits do not fall. If it did not shake itself, they would fall and be scattered.” Then he would think to himself: “The sun is the ecstatic leader of a group reciting God’s names. It recites in ecstasy in the centre of the circle and causes others to recite.” In another treatise, I described this idea as follows:

Yes, the sun is a fruit-bearing tree; it shakes itself, so that the planets fall not, its fruits.

If it rested in silence, the attraction would cease; and they would weep through space, its ecstatics.

A further example:

It is they who shall prosper.(2:5)

This verse is general and unspecific, it does not specify in what way they shall be successful so that each person may find what he wants in it. Its words are few so that they may be lengthy. For the aim of some of those it is addressing is to be saved from the Fire. Others think only of Paradise. Some desire eternal happiness. Yet others seek only God’s pleasure. While others know their aim and desire to be the vision of God; and so on. In numerous places, the Qur’an leaves the words open in this way so that they might be general. It leaves things unsaid so that it can express many meanings. It makes it brief so that everyone may find his share. Thus, it says, “who shall prosper”. It does not determine how they shall prosper. It is as if with this omission it is saying: “O Muslims! Good news! O you who fear God! You shall find prosperity through being saved from Hell. O righteous one! You shall find prosperity in Paradise. O you who seeks knowledge of God! You will attain God’s pleasure. O lover of God! You will experience the vision of God.” And so on.

Thus, out of thousands we have offered one example of each of the phrases, words, letters, and omissions illustrating the comprehensiveness of the Qur’an’s words. You may make analogies and compare its verses and stories with these.

Another example, the verse,

Know then that there is no god but God, and ask forgiveness for your fault.(47:19)