Az-Zumar 39:23 · SocialQuran

سُورَةُ الزُّمَرِ · 39:23

MeccanRevelation order ٥٩Juzʾ ٢٣Page ٤٦١

ٱللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ ٱلْحَدِيثِ كِتَٰبًۭا مُّتَشَٰبِهًۭا مَّثَانِىَ تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ جُلُودُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ يَهْدِى بِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَن يُضْلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِنْ هَادٍ

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Saheeh International · EN

Allah has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book wherein is reiteration. The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts relax at the remembrance of Allah. That is the guidance of Allah by which He guides whom He wills. And one whom Allah leaves astray - for him there is no guide.

Introduction Revelation Tafsir Transmission Debate

Bio

Introduction

This is āyah 23 of Sūrat Az-Zumar (The Troops), the 59th sūrah in the traditional order of revelation. It was revealed in the Meccan period and sits within Juzʾ 23. Meccan verses tend to address faith, the oneness of God, and the hereafter.

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Bio

Revelation & occasion

Asbāb al-Nuzūl

Period: Meccan
Order revealed: 59 of 114
Surah: Az-Zumar (39)

Occasion of revelation · Al-Wahidi

(Allah hath (now) revealed the fairest of statements�) [39:23]. �Abd al-Qahir ibn Tahir al-Baghdadi informed us> Abu �Amr ibn Matar> Ja�far ibn Muhammad al-Firyabi> Ishaq ibn Rahwayh> �Amr ibn Muhammad al-Qurashi> Khallad al-Saffar> �Amr ibn Qays al-Mula�i> �Amr ibn Murrah> Mus�ab ibn Sa�d [ibn Abi Waqqas] who said: �They said: �O Messenger of Allah, why do you not relate to us statements�, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed (Allah hath (now) revealed the fairest of statements�)�.

Commentary

Tafsir

4 works

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Allah has sent down the Best Statement, a Book, its parts resembling each other, (and) oft-repeated. The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it. Then their skin and their heart soften to the remembrance of Allah. That is the guidance of Allah. He guides therewith whom He wills; and whomever Allah sends astray, for him there is no guide (23) The Description of the Qur'an Here Allah praises His Book, the Noble Qur'an, which was revealed to His noble Messenger ﷺ. Allah says, اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابًا مُتَشَابِهًا مَثَانِيَ (Allah has sent down the Best Statement, a Book, its parts resembling each other (and) oft-repeated.) Mujahid said, "This means that the entire Qur'an's parts resemble each other and are oft-repeated." Qatadah said, "One Ayah resembles another and one letter resembles another." Ad-Dahhak said, "It is oft-repeated so that people will unde…

Provenance

Chains of transmission

Oral — isnād

~610–632 CERevelation & memorisation
Received by the Prophet ﷺ and preserved by the ḥuffāẓ (memorisers) among the Companions.
1st century AHMutawātir transmissionawaiting curation
Carried by mass-transmission through the generations of qurrāʾ.
TodayLiving chainsawaiting curation
Continuous ijāzah chains link reciters today back to the Prophet ﷺ.

Verified isnād chains for this āyah will be added by curators.

Written — the manuscript record

~650 CEʿUthmānic codicesawaiting curation
The standardised muṣḥaf sent to the great cities (e.g. the Topkapı and Samarqand codices).
8th–10th c.Early Ḥijāzī & Kūfic foliosawaiting curation
Surviving leaves in Birmingham, Sanaa, Paris (BnF) and beyond.
Modern printModern printawaiting curation
The 1924 Cairo edition → today: the standard printed muṣḥaf used worldwide.

A curated chain of manuscript images for this exact āyah — roughly one per century — is coming. Help us source and verify them.

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Provenance

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