Is There a Difference between These Sets of Verses?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
Are these Quran verses on similar topics repeated differently? In Quranic Arabic, Is there a difference between (38:75-77) and (15:32-:34) or not?
Answer
“[Allah] said, ‘O Iblees, what prevented you from prostrating to that which I created with My hands? Were you arrogant [then], or were you [already] among the haughty?’ He said, ‘I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay.’[Allah] said, ‘Then get out of Paradise, for indeed, you are expelled’” [Quran, 38:75-77]
“[Allah] said, ‘O Iblees, what is [the matter] with you that you are not with those who prostrate?’ He said, ‘Never would I prostrate to a human whom You created out of clay from an altered black mud.’[Allah] said, ‘Then get out of it, for indeed, you are expelled’” [Quran, 15:32-34]
Nuances of Meaning
With Allah’s Divine Speech (The Quran), every sound and letter adds a unique nuance of meaning. Two verses may convey a similar meaning, especially when reading translations, but the slight differences in the verses make each one special for a different reason.
Slightly Different Angles or Points of Focus
The two sets of verses above, for example, both convey the story of Shaytan’s initial disobedience to Allah. The verses in sura thirty-eight convey Iblis’s verbatim excuse to Allah. The verses in sura fifteen add a more detailed description of the mud Allah used to create Prophet Adam (Allah bless him and give him peace). The above are examples of how the passages convey slightly different meanings.
The Beauty of Divine Speech
Another aspect to consider is that the Quran is beautiful not only for what it says but for how it says it. The beauty of Allah’s speech can be appreciated in various ways in the various verses that convey similar meanings, and Allah knows best.
I pray that this is beneficial
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar, Shaykh Taha Karaan.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Mawlana Yusuf Karaan, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has served as the Director of the Discover Islam Centre and Al Jeem Foundation. For the last five years till present, he has served as the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has thirteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic online learning and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and pursuing his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy living and fitness.
