At-Tur

Surat At-Tur () (The Mount) is the 52nd sura of the Qur'an with 49 ayat.

وَالطُّورِ

And swearing is by the At-Tur; [52:01]

وَكِتَابٍ مَّسْطُورٍ فِي رَقٍّ مَّنشُورٍ

and swearing is by the Book with the qualitative character of written text, on the paper qualitatively fine and spread.[52:02-03]

وَالْبَيْتِ الْمَعْمُورِ

And swearing is by that particular House, the peculiar feature of which is that it is frequented and is enlivened/vivified [i.e. Ka'aba]; [52:04]

Let us find which الْبَيْتِ is this?

الْمَعْمُورِ It is a derived noun-Passive participle from the verb relating to Root ع م ر. The basic perception infolded in the Root is that of inhabiting and populating a place, which reflects frequent visiting and stationing of large number of people thereat. It thus denotes a particular place which is frequented by large number of people with the result that it gets depicted as enlivened and vivified. This depictive characteristic is attributed to الْبَيْتِ.

When a speaker initiates speech with oath, the intended purpose is to draw concentrated attention of listener to that which is going to be narrated. The intended purpose requires that the listener must be able to understand and perceive the grandeur, greatness and/or familiarity of that object etc upon which swearing is made. Thus it is understood that the referred الْبَيْت "The House" is quite familiar to the listener/reader. Its characteristic الْمَعْمُورِ demands that people should visit/come to it.

وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْناً "And be informed that when [on completion] We appointed/declared "The House" as the object/place of pilgrimage/return/assembly for the people and a place of safety/shelter/amnesty" [Refer 2:125].

This feature مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ "as the object/place of pilgrimage/return/assembly for the people" of that particular الْبَيْتِ "The House" coupled with and facilitated by having been made and declared as وَأَمْناً "a place of safety/shelter/amnesty" makes it الْمَعْمُورِ frequented/enlivened/vivified.

Any point of location becomes frequented/enlivened/vivified not merely by the passing by visits but when people gather and stay there for a duration. Which الْبَيْتِ "The House" is frequented/enlivened/vivified? It has already conspicuously been told in these words:

وَلِلّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً And beware that the Huj of The House is an obligation from Allah upon the people whoever has acquired the capacity and wherewithal for travel and visit/perform Huj of The House. [Refer 3:97]

جَعَلَ اللّهُ الْكَعْبَةَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَامَ قِيَامًا لِّلنَّاسِ

Allah has appointed/declared the Sanctified House Al-Ka'abata enduringly a place of assembly/stay/ congregation for the people [Refer 5:97] [For detailed study in English and Urdu please consult link "Word by Word" in 1-Surat Alfateha"]

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