Let’s look into the 16th part of the series of lectures titled “Literary Elegance in the Holy Qur’an.”
In this series we are examining verses of the Qur’an that are not used in their direct literal meaning, but rather in a figurative or rhetorical sense.
Al Shakir “Most Appreciative” or “Most Thankful.”
For the grace that He has bestowed upon us, we express our gratitude to Him. Allahﷻ has granted us countless blessings, and because of those blessings we stand in a position of gratitude before Him; we are indebted to Him.
At the same time, we perform prayers for Allahﷻ , we observe fasting, and we engage in many acts of worship. But the question is: does Allahﷻ need to thank us for these actions? Certainly not. Allahﷻ does not thank us in that sense.
When you pray, you are doing it for your own benefit. When you fast, it is for your own good. Whatever act you perform, you do it for the sake of your own hereafter. None of these actions give any benefit to Allahﷻ . We have done nothing for Allahﷻ that He needs to repay.
Yet in several verses Allahﷻ describes Himself as “Most Appreciative” or “Most Thankful.”
Can we say that Allahﷻ is “thankful” in the human sense?
Because the word thankful normally implies that someone received help from another and is now expressing gratitude in return.
If I give someone one hundred thousand rupees, will I then turn to him and say, “Thank you”? Of course not. The one who receives the money is the one who thanks the giver. The giver does not thank the receiver.
Allahﷻ is Rabbul ‘Alameen — the Lord of all worlds — the One who gives everything. When He grants a reward, it is not because He is thanking us for something we provided to Him. Rather, it is a reward, a gift, a recompense for what we have done.
Still, in many verses Allahﷻ says that He is “Shākir” — appreciative.
For example, in Qur’an Surah Al-Baqarah (2:158) Allahﷻ speaks about Safa and Marwa, the two small hills in Makkah. These hills are among the sacred symbols of Allahﷻ . Whoever performs Hajj or Umrah should move between them.
At one time people thought that performing Sa‘i between Safa and Marwa might be wrong, because that practice existed during the time of ignorance. So Allahﷻ clarified: there is no sin in doing it. In fact, it is part of the sacred rites.
Then Allahﷻ says that whoever does additional good deeds beyond what is obligatory—whether performing extra Hajj or extra Umrah—Allahﷻ is “Shākir”, appreciative of it.
Now think carefully: if someone performs many Hajj and Umrah, is he helping Allahﷻ ? Certainly not. Even if the entire world refused to worship Allahﷻ , it would not diminish Him in the slightest.
As the Prophetﷺ taught, if all people praised Allahﷻ together, it would not increase His status in the least. Therefore, the worship we perform cannot be considered a benefit to Allahﷻ . So, when Allahﷻ says He is appreciative, we must not take that word literally in the human sense. Instead we must take the aspect of the meaning that is appropriate.
What does a thankful person do?
A thankful person returns a favor. He rewards the one who did good.
Thus the meaning here is that Allahﷻ rewards and compensates the servant who performs good deeds.
When we say a human being shows gratitude, it often means that when someone helped him during hardship, he later helps that person in return. That is the true expression of gratitude. So, within the idea of gratitude lies the meaning of rewarding and returning good with good. That is the part of the meaning that applies here.
If you perform many acts of worship, Allahﷻ rewards you. If you perform righteous deeds, He gives you compensation. That is what is meant when Allahﷻ says He is appreciative—not that He needs something from you.
Because if we interpret it literally, it would imply that Allahﷻ received some benefit from us and is now thanking us for it. That would contradict the proper understanding of Allahﷻ ’s perfection.
Anyone who understands the correct belief about Allahﷻ will realize this without needing to be a great scholar. Once you understand that Allahﷻ is completely independent, it becomes clear that our worship does not increase His greatness.
We worship only for our own benefit. Therefore when the Qur’an uses the expression that Allahﷻ is appreciative, the meaning is that He rewards generously, values our efforts, and does not allow any good deed to go to waste.
Even a great king sometimes gives gifts to ordinary people. Giving gifts does not mean the king needed something from them; it simply shows his generosity.
Likewise, Allahﷻ rewards His servants out of His mercy and generosity.
For example, in Qur’an Surah An-Nisa (4:147) Allahﷻ says: “Why should Allahﷻ punish you if you are grateful and believe? Allahﷻ is Appreciative and All-Knowing.”
Here again Allahﷻ describes Himself as Shākir — appreciative. The meaning is that if you believe and show gratitude, Allahﷻ will reward you accordingly.
Giving loan to Allahﷻ
Another example appears in Qur’an Surah At-Taghabun (64:17): “If you give Allahﷻ a good loan, He will multiply it for you and forgive you. Allahﷻ is Most Appreciative, Most Forbearing.”
What does it mean to give a “loan to Allahﷻ ”?
It does not mean Allahﷻ needs money. It means giving charity to the poor and spending in good causes.
Allahﷻ calls it a loan to Him and promises to multiply it many times. Why? Because He is appreciative — meaning He rewards generously and multiplies the recompense. Thus, no effort of a human being is wasted before Allahﷻ . Whether the effort is small or great, He will reward it.
Similarly in Qur’an Surah Al-Insan (76:22) Allahﷻ tells the people of Paradise: “This is your reward, and your effort has been appreciated.”
Allahﷻ grants Paradise and says that their efforts have been appreciated. Again, this does not mean Allahﷻ needed their deeds. Rather it means their efforts were valued and rewarded.
There are also verses where Allahﷻ says that He mocks the wrongdoers.
For instance, in Qur’an Surah Al-Baqarah (2:15) it says: “Allahﷻ mocks them and leaves them in their transgression.”
But again, this must not be understood in the human sense.
Who usually mocks others? A person who is weak or unable to confront directly. But Allahﷻ is never weak.
Therefore the meaning here is that Allahﷻ makes them objects of humiliation, exposes them, and punishes them for their wrongdoing.
In other words, the expression “Allahﷻ mocks them” means that Allahﷻ brings consequences upon them that make them disgraceful and humiliated. Thus, whenever such expressions appear in the Qur’an, they must be understood in a way that is befitting the majesty of Allahﷻ , not in the literal human sense.
Allahﷻ mocks them
In the time of the Prophetﷺ Muhammad, when people wished to give charity, they would bring it directly to him. Those who were wealthy would donate large amounts. They would give generously, without hesitation.
But, what about those who had no wealth?
They too wanted to participate in charity. They did not say, “Charity is only for the rich.” Instead, they gave whatever little they could. Some would work with their own hands, carry loads, do physical labour, earn a few coins, and then bring that small amount as charity.
Others would bring clusters of dates and hang them inside the mosque. These were often not the finest dates; they were simple ones that someone had given them. Yet they would bring them and hang them there so that anyone who needed food could take and eat.
That was their charity. But the hypocrites mocked them.
They laughed and said, “Is this what you call charity? Is this even worth giving?”
Think about it. When everyone else is donating large sums, and one man contributes only a very small amount, how will people look at him?
Imagine a public fund where everyone is giving ₹1000, and one person contributes ₹5. People might laugh and say, “Look at what he gave!”
But that attitude is wrong. We should not judge charity by its size. We should honor it for its sincerity. Even if someone gives a very small amount, it must be respected. Yet the hypocrites did the opposite. They mocked the believers who gave charity and ridiculed those who could give only a little.
Some people worked hard, earned a small wage, and gave from it. But the hypocrites would point fingers and laugh: “Look at him! This is his charity!” They mocked and ridiculed them. And regarding this behavior, Allahﷻ says that they mock the believers—those who give charity sincerely and those who give from their hard-earned labor.
But then Allahﷻ says something powerful: “They mock them, and Allahﷻ will mock them.” Now does that mean Allahﷻ literally sits and mocks people like humans do? No. Allahﷻ is not one who sits and laughs or ridicules like human beings. If we interpret it literally, it would lower the majesty of God.
When the Qur’an says “Allahﷻ mocks them,” it means Allahﷻ will punish them. Their mockery will be answered with divine justice and punishment.
This is explained in Qur’an 9:79, where Allahﷻ speaks about those who ridicule believers who give charity. So whenever the Qur’an says Allahﷻ mocks, the real meaning is:
Allahﷻ will punish them and expose their wrongdoing.
Allahﷻ is the best of planners
Allahﷻ does not engage in petty ridicule. Such behavior belongs to humans, not to the Creator.
Similarly, the Qur’an sometimes says that people plot or scheme, and then says: “They plotted, and Allahﷻ plotted. And Allahﷻ is the best of planners.” If we take the word “plot” literally, it sounds like deception or trickery.
Among humans, plotting usually means secretly deceiving someone, lying to them, gaining their trust, and then betraying them. Why do humans resort to such schemes? Because they are weak. They cannot confront their enemy openly, so they seek hidden ways to defeat them. But does Allahﷻ need to scheme like that?
Of course not. Allahﷻ is all-powerful. If He wills something, He simply commands “Be,” and it becomes.
So, what does it mean when the Qur’an says Allahﷻ “plots”? Take the example of Eesa (Alaihis Salam). His enemies planned to kill him. They created elaborate schemes to capture him and crucify him. But Allahﷻ saved him.
Instead, another man was made to resemble him, and that man was taken and crucified while Eesa (AS) was raised by Allahﷻ . Now was that a “scheme” in the human sense? No.
It was simply the power of Allahﷻ protecting His Prophet .
The Qur’an describes it using the word “plot” only to show that Allahﷻ overturned their plans. So when the Qur’an says: “They plotted and Allahﷻ plotted,” the meaning is: They made plans against the Prophetﷺ , but Allahﷻ destroyed their plans and protected him. Allahﷻ ’s “plot” means He defeats and nullifies the schemes of the wicked.
Another verse asks: “Do they feel secure from the plan of Allahﷻ ?”
This appears in Qur’an 7:99. Does it mean Allahﷻ secretly schemes like humans?
No. It means: Do they feel safe from Allahﷻ ’s punishment and justice?
Those who commit wrongdoing should fear that Allahﷻ will respond to their actions and bring consequences upon them.
Allahﷻ protected His Messengerﷺ
Consider also the migration (Hijrah) of the Prophetﷺ Muhammad from Mecca to Medina.
His enemies had already decided to kill him. So, he secretly left with Abu Bakr, taking an unusual route instead of the normal road to Medina. They hid in a cave for several days while the enemies searched everywhere for them. At one point the pursuers came right to the entrance of the cave.
Abu Bakr said: “O Messengerﷺ of Allahﷻ , if they simply look down, they will see us.”
But the Prophetﷺ replied: “Do not fear. Allahﷻ is with us.” And Allahﷻ protected them.
The enemies stood right there but did not notice them. This was not “scheming” in a human sense. It was Allahﷻ ’s protection. The Qur’an describes it as the enemies plotting and Allahﷻ responding, but in reality it means: Allahﷻ protected His Messengerﷺ and defeated the plans of his enemies.
The disbelievers had three intentions:
- To imprison him.
- To expel him from the city.
- To kill him.
They made plans for these purposes. But Allahﷻ overturned all their plans.
They plotted. And Allahﷻ nullified their plot. And that is why the Qur’an says: “They planned, and Allahﷻ planned — and Allahﷻ is the best of planners.”
So, when the Qur’an says Allahﷻ is the best of planners, what does it mean? They tried to kill the Messengerﷺﷺ, but they could not kill him. They tried to capture him, but they could not capture him. Allahﷻ protected him and safely took him to his destination.
To describe that protection, the Qur’an uses the expression that Allahﷻ “planned”. But the meaning is not that Allahﷻ schemes like human beings. The meaning is that Allahﷻ broke their schemes. They plotted elaborate plans, but Allahﷻ scattered their plans to nothing.
So whenever the Qur’an says Allahﷻ planned, the meaning is that Allahﷻ destroyed their plots and made them fail.
That is the real meaning. Enemies may come with many tricks and hidden strategies, but Allahﷻ defeats all of them and grants them failure. This is why the Qur’an says: “They plotted, and Allahﷻ plotted. And Allahﷻ is the best of planners.”
Here “Allahﷻ planned” means Allahﷻ defeated their plan.
Allahﷻ also says in the Qur’an 13:42: “Those before them also plotted many plans… but all planning belongs to Allahﷻ .” Earlier nations also plotted against the Prophets and against the message of Tawheed. But Allahﷻ says: “All planning belongs to Me.”
What does that mean? It means: No matter what plans you make, I will break them all.
Every scheme you devise—Allahﷻ will overturn it. And Allahﷻ says that He knows everything that every human being does. He knows every intention, every plan, every hidden act. And because He knows, He will give the appropriate punishment.
So the word “plot” here means Allahﷻ will defeat their plots, not that He secretly schemes like humans.
The Qur’an also says in Qur’an 27:50–51: “They plotted a plot, and We plotted a plot, while they did not perceive it.”
Again, this does not mean Allahﷻ uses trickery. It means that whenever people plan to destroy Islam, the Prophetﷺ s, or the message of Tawheed, Allahﷻ will nullify those plans.
So, we must never give the literal human meaning to such expressions.
People try to deceive Allahﷻ
Similarly, the Qur’an sometimes says that people try to deceive Allahﷻ , and then says that Allahﷻ deceives them. For example in Qur’an 4:142, speaking about the hypocrites.
It says: “Indeed the hypocrites seek to deceive Allahﷻ .”
Can anyone actually deceive Allahﷻ ? Of course not. If someone could deceive Allahﷻ , that would mean Allahﷻ was deceived. And if God could be deceived, how could He be God?
Only someone ignorant can be deceived. People are deceived because they do not know the truth. For example, someone tricks you with money or promises unrealistic profits. Why do people fall for such scams? Because, they do not know the reality.
Ignorance leads to deception. But Allahﷻ knows everything. So deception is impossible against Him. Therefore the verse means: They try to deceive Allahﷻ .
They pretend to be believers when they are among Muslims, and they pretend to be unbelievers when they are among their own people. They think they have cleverly fooled everyone.
They imagine: “We have deceived Allahﷻ and His Messengerﷺ.” But in reality they have deceived only themselves.
Allahﷻ deceives them
The Qur’an then says: “Allahﷻ deceives them.” What does that mean?
It means Allahﷻ lets them continue in their illusion. They pretend to believe, and Allahﷻ does not immediately punish them. Because there is no immediate punishment, they think:
“See? Our trick worked. We fooled them.” But Allahﷻ is only delaying the punishment until the right time. So when the Qur’an says Allahﷻ “deceives them”, it means:
Allahﷻ allows them to continue in their delusion until their punishment arrives. Allahﷻ does not deceive in the human sense.
Allahﷻ curses
Another word that appears in the Qur’an is “curse”. Humans curse each other by saying things like:
“May Allahﷻ destroy you.”
“May Allahﷻ make you blind.”
“May Allahﷻ ruin you.”
This is a prayer asking God to punish someone. Humans say such things because they cannot punish someone themselves. They appeal to a higher power. But when the Qur’an says Allahﷻ curses someone, it cannot mean that Allahﷻ is asking someone else to punish them. Allahﷻ Himself is the one who punishes.
So, when the Qur’an says Allahﷻ curses, it actually means: Allahﷻ punishes them and removes His mercy from them.
Humans may curse, but Allahﷻ executes justice directly.
Sometimes the Qur’an says:
- The Prophetﷺ curses
- The angels curse
- The people curse
In these cases, the word “curse” can be taken literally. But when it says Allahﷻ curses, the meaning must be understood as Allahﷻ punishing them.
For example, if a verse says Allahﷻ and His Messengerﷺ curse, we should understand it as:
- The Messengerﷺ prays against them
- Allahﷻ punishes them
Salawat – Salutation
Another word is Salawat. When we hear the name of the Prophetﷺ Muhammad, we say:
SallAllahﷻ u ‘alayhi wa sallam. What does this mean? It means: “May Allahﷻ send His mercy and peace upon him.”
Salawat is basically a supplication asking Allahﷻ to grant mercy. For example, in prayer we say: “O Allahﷻ , send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, just as You sent blessings upon Abraham and the family of Abraham.”
This is simply a du‘a asking Allahﷻ for mercy and honor for the Prophetﷺ . But the word salawat is not restricted only to the Prophetﷺ. It simply means asking Allahﷻ to show mercy upon someone.
Even the Prophetﷺ himself would pray for people who gave charity. When someone gave zakat, Allahﷻ commanded the Prophetﷺ : “Pray for them.” So, the Prophetﷺ would say a supplication asking Allahﷻ to grant them mercy. That too is salawat.
So salawat means seeking Allahﷻ ’s mercy, whether it is for the Prophetﷺ or for any believer.
Similarly, there was companion named Abu Awfa (RA), and the Prophetﷺ Muhammad would say: “O Allahﷻ , send blessings upon the family of Abu Awfa.” In other words, the Prophetﷺ would make duʿā for him. This is also called salawāt.
So salawāt is not something restricted only to the Prophetﷺ. The Prophetﷺ himself used to say salawāt for many people. What does salawāt actually mean?
It means a supplication asking Allahﷻ to grant mercy.
For example:
- Allahﷻ umma salli ‘ala Mustafa → “O Allahﷻ , grant mercy to Mustafa.”
- Allahﷻ umma salli ‘ala Ibrahim → “O Allahﷻ , grant mercy to Ibrahim.”
You could even say: Allahﷻ umma salli ‘ala Sikandar
That would mean: “O Allahﷻ , grant mercy to Sikandar.”
Whoever’s name you place there, it simply means asking Allahﷻ to grant mercy upon them. That is the meaning of salawāt. But in the Qur’an, sometimes it says Allahﷻ performs salawāt.
Now if we take that literally, a problem appears. When humans say salawāt, we are calling upon Allahﷻ and asking Him for mercy. If Allahﷻ Himself says salawāt, what would that mean? Would Allahﷻ be calling upon another god and saying:
“O Allahﷻ , grant mercy to Muhammad”? That would imply there is another Allahﷻ above Allahﷻ .
But that is impossible. Therefore, when salawāt is attributed to Allahﷻ , the meaning changes.
- If humans say salawāt → they ask for mercy.
- If angels say salawāt → they ask for mercy.
- If Allahﷻ says salawāt → it means Allahﷻ grants mercy.
So, the meaning shifts according to who is performing the action.
For example, the famous verse Qur’an 33:56 says: “Indeed Allahﷻ and His angels send blessings upon the Prophetﷺ .” If we translate it literally as: “Allahﷻ and the angels pray for the Prophetﷺ ,” that would create a theological problem.
Because Allahﷻ does not pray to anyone. So, the correct meaning is:
- Allahﷻ grants mercy and honor to the Prophetﷺ
- The angels pray and ask for mercy for the Prophetﷺ
Thus, the sentence must be split in meaning, even though the Arabic word is the same.
Similarly, another verse says Qur’an 33:43: “He is the One who sends blessings upon you, and His angels too.”
Does that mean Allahﷻ is sitting somewhere praying for believers? No.
The meaning is:
- Allahﷻ bestows mercy upon you
- The angels pray for mercy for you
Why? So that He may bring you from darkness into light.
Thus, the correct interpretation becomes: Allahﷻ grants mercy. Angels ask Allahﷻ for that mercy.
Arabic scholars already explained this in their grammar.
They say:
- Salāt from Allahﷻ = mercy
- Salāt from angels = supplication
- Salāt from humans = supplication
An Arabic speaker naturally understands this distinction. But when translated directly into other languages like Tamil or English, confusion arises.
People read: “Allahﷻ sends blessings” and imagine that Allahﷻ is making supplication like humans do, which is incorrect.
Some speakers even exaggerate and say: “Allahﷻ Himself is continuously sending salawāt upon the Prophetﷺ.” But if misunderstood, that would imply Allahﷻ is calling upon another deity, which would be shirk. So, the correct understanding is:
- Allahﷻ grants mercy and honor to the Prophetﷺ .
- Angels pray for him.
- Believers pray for him.
The key principle is this: Whenever a word appears in the Qur’an that cannot literally apply to Allahﷻ , we must interpret it in a way that fits the majesty of Allahﷻ .
We cannot interpret it in a way that lowers Allahﷻ to the level of human actions.
Allahﷻ says that some people are like that dog
Now the Qur’an also sometimes gives examples using animals to illustrate human behavior.
For instance, Allahﷻ gives an example involving a dog.
Why a dog? Because the dog has a unique behavior among animals. Most animals pant only after exertion.
If you run, climb stairs, or are chased, you begin to breathe heavily. The same is true for animals. But a dog pants all the time. Even when it is resting, its tongue hangs out and it continues panting. Whether you chase it or leave it alone, it keeps panting. This unique behavior becomes an example.
The verse mentioned here is in: Qur’an 7:176 Had We willed, we could have elevated him through them; but he clung to the ground and followed his desires. His metaphor is that of a dog: if you chase it, it pants; and if you leave it alone, it pants. Such is the metaphor of the people who deny Our signs. So, tell the tale, so that they may ponder
They were given knowledge and guidance, but they abandoned it. If you warn them, they oppose you. If you leave them alone, they still oppose you. Just like the dog that pants whether chased or not.Similarly, some people are constantly hostile to truth. Even if you leave them alone, they keep attacking.
Scholars say this example was related to a man named Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt(RA).
He was a very famous poet among the Arabs. Not only a poet—he was also well-versed in earlier scriptures and believed strongly in monotheism. His poetry contained many expressions about the oneness of God.
In fact, the Prophetﷺ Muhammad once heard his poetry and said: “His poetry has come close to Islam.” This narration is reported in Sahih al‑Bukhari.
There is also a narration where a companion named Amr ibn al‑Sharid (RA) said: He was riding behind the Prophetﷺ on a camel. The Prophetﷺ asked him:
“Do you know any poetry of Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt?”
He said yes. The Prophetﷺ asked him to recite. He recited one poem.
The Prophetﷺ said: “Recite more.” He recited another. And another.
Eventually he recited one hundred verses, and the Prophetﷺ kept asking him to continue.
This narration appears in Sahih Muslim. The Prophetﷺ appreciated the poetry because it contained strong expressions of Tawheed. It was so close to Islamic belief that the Prophetﷺ said the poet was very close to accepting Islam. But in the end, that man changed.
After the Battle of Badr, when the polytheists were defeated, he began praising those enemies who were killed, he even composed poetry glorifying people like Abu Jahl, who were enemies of Islam. So a man who once spoke about monotheism and truth turned against it.
That is why Allahﷻ gave the example: Like a dog that pants whether chased or left alone.
Because some people oppose truth no matter what you do. Because of that nature, such a person becomes someone who speaks for whoever pays him.
He has no firm principle.
If you give him money, he will speak. If you do not give him money, he will still speak.
So, what example can illustrate such a person? The example of a dog fit perfectly. Why does Allahﷻ use the example of a dog? Because a dog does not need any particular reason to pant.
Even without a cause, it keeps panting with its tongue hanging out.
Similarly, this kind of person changes his stance without any real reason. Until now we could not understand why he changed. Did he give any clear reason? No. Suddenly one day he changes his position. The next day he changes again. Why?
Because he has no firm position. For people who have no stability in their beliefs or principles, Allahﷻ presents the example of a dog. In Tamil culture there is also a saying:
“You cannot straighten a dog’s tail.” A dog’s tail is always bent. Can you straighten it?
If you try to force it straight, it will simply break. That proverb means that some people cannot be corrected. But people usually notice only the tail of the dog in that proverb.
The Creator, however, points to the nature of the dog itself. Allahﷻ shows that certain people behave exactly like that— their character is unstable and impossible to reform.
There are many such illustrative examples and parables in the Qur’an.
If Allahﷻ wills, we will look at more of them in the upcoming posts.
