The Quran

Preface

اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحسَنَ الحَديثِ كِتابًا مُتَشابِهًا مَثانِيَ تَقشَعِرُّ مِنهُ جُلودُ الَّذينَ يَخشَونَ رَبَّهُم ثُمَّ تَلينُ جُلودُهُم وَقُلوبُهُم إِلىٰ ذِكرِ اللَّهِ ۚ ذٰلِكَ هُدَى اللَّهِ يَهدي بِهِ مَن يَشاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُضلِلِ اللَّهُ فَما لَهُ مِن هادٍ

Yusuf Ali

God has revealed (from time to time) the most beautiful Message in the form of a Book, consistent with itself,¹ (yet) repeating (its teaching in various aspects):² the skins of those who fear their Lord tremble³ thereat; then their skins and their hearts do soften to the celebration of God’s praises. Such is the guidance of God. He guides therewith whom He pleases,⁴ but such as God leaves to stray, can have none to guide.

Is Mutashabih here to be understood in the same sense as in 3:7? See n. 347. The better opinion is that there is a slightly different shade of meaning here, as suggested by the context. In the earlier passages, it was opposed to Muhkam: here it is contrasted or compared to Mathani The root meaning is: 'having something similar; working by analogy or allegory, or parable; having its parts consistent with each other'. The last meaning I adopt here. The Qur-ān was revealed in parts at different times. And yet its parts all conform to each other. There is no contradiction or inconsistency anywhere. (R).
Matham: Cf. 15:87, where we have translated “oft-repeated”: “The seven oftrepeated (verses)”. See n. 2008 to that passage. Here the meaning is similar, but the context gives a different colour to it, as is seen in the translation.
The skin is the outer integument of the body. It receives the first shock from the impact of anything unusual, and it trembles and its hair stands on end under excitement. So in spiritual matters the first stimulation from God’s Message is external. Those who receive Faith do it as it were with tremor and not with apathy. But the next stage is that it penetrates their outer nature and goes right into their hearts. Their whole nature is “softened” to receive the beneficent Message, and it transforms them through and through.
“Whom He pleases” and “leaves to stray” are explained fully in n. 2133 to 16:93. See also 14:4 and n. 1875,