Minutes of some of the meetings between the Publisher of Qur'an and Ruling Elite
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Minutes of some of the meetings between the Publisher of Qur'an and Ruling Elite who had called upon him.
The third bias if exists about a publisher that he was to gain financially or politically; it relegates the reliability and reference value of the Book. It is explicitly clarified that the Publisher of Qur’ān did not have personal considerations of any sort, financial or for recognition, for publishing, delivering and inviting people towards Qur’ān. Allah the Exalted has recorded "minutes of some of the meetings" held between him and the ruling elite of those days
قُل لَّآ أَسْـَٔلُـكُـمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرٙاۖ
You the Messenger remind them "I do not ask you people any award - appreciation for it; publishing, delivering and teaching Qur’ān —
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرَىٰ لِلْعَٟلَمِيـنَ .٩٠
It (Qur’ān) is but an Admonition-Reference Book, historical account; for beforehand information and guidance of the peoples/humanity ".The addressee are aware of the fact. Then why to say this to them? What is its rhetoric and communicative value? Audience analysis involves identifying the audience and adapting a speech to their interests, level of understanding, beliefs, perspectives and attitudes. In plural you are speaking to a group. What you are saying will be true, whether it applies to all of the people of the group, or even just the majority of them. It is to engage them. It subtly tells the audience that the speaker knows what they say on his back in privacies and to common people about the publication being shared by him. This statement is persuasive and relevant to their perspective suggesting them to give it a second thought to evaluate it logically. The next informative sentence with emphasis highlights its much greater cause and goal which is its universal propagation.
Their rhetoric was that he has self written the tales of ancients (255-أَسَٟطِيـرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِيـنَ). The biased and irrational propaganda would have obviously caused disappointment to the elevated Messenger. That necessitated a word of solace; Allah the Exalted consoled himوَمَآ أَكْثَرُ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِيـنَ .١٠٣
Know it, most of the mankind will certainly not be the believers; notwithstanding how much you the Messenger aspire for it.
وَمَا تَسْـَٔلُـهُـمْ عَلَيْـهِ مِنْ أَجْرٛۚ
And you the Messenger ask them not any award - appreciation for communicating it (Qur’ān) to them—
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٚ لِّلْعَٟلَمِيـنَ .١٠٤
It (Qur’ān) is but an Admonition-Reference Book, historical account; for beforehand information and guidance of the peoples/humanity ".There is no parallel of Divine Discourse in heavily loading communicative value by rhetoric. The choice of repetition of emphatic sentence by using combination of negation and exceptive particles; and a similar predicate ذِكْرَىٰ; ذِكْرٚ is the most sharp rebuke to their rhetoric. It is not tales, it is authentic history, go and roam in the Earth to see the marks.
A basic aspect of human psychology is that we tend to remember some things best just by hearing them over and over again. One of the best ways to create emphasis when speaking is to make sure that the information you want to put extra weight on is stated more than once. Listeners are then more likely to hear it, and they will also recognize that something said repeatedly must be important. However, precaution is; not to say the same thing over and over again exactly the same way. It is then pretty boring rhetoric. The addressees are adamant elite of the society because they apprehend their vested interests and authority is in jeopardy. Thereby, this subject needs maximum level of emphasis. They are again told in the meeting
قُلْ مَآ أَسْـَٔلُـكُـمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٛ
You the Messenger remind them "I am not asking you people any award - appreciation for it; publishing, delivering and teaching Qur’ān —
إِلَّا مَن شَآءَ أَن يَتَّخِذَ إِلَـىٰ رَبِّهِۦ سَبِيلٙا .٥٧
But the sole aim of its publication is that whosoever is desirous of adopting the Path leading towards his Sustainer Lord, he may guide himself aright by it."The same sentence is repeated to the adamant elite of the society by only changing the negation particle (La by Ma) and omitting the second object of verb by adding a preposition that widens the ambit of the word أَجْرٙا, to the level of appreciation and thanks giving. The statement in dependent clause by exceptive particle (مُنْقَطِعٌ) turned off the subject of considerations to indicate the goal to which the effort is dedicated to. It has added rhetoric value of message in one to one conversation with shrewd elite and intelligentsia that instead of diverting people under their influence from the Road to Allah the Exalted, they should assist . It is the objective
إِنَّ هَـٰذِهِۦ تَذْكِرَةٚۖ
Certainly it (aforementioned facts of past and future history) is to beware you people (to keep remembering the Day) —
فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَـىٰ رَبِّهِۦ سَبِيلٙا .١٩
Therefore, whoever so desired he sincerely and diligently held Qur’ān as the path leading to his Sustainer Lord.
The ruling elite, notwithstanding their conflicting and opposing standpoints and political philosophy in public, do hold backdoor meetings out of the public view. In yet another closed door meeting with ruling elite, it was emphasised upon themقُلْ مَا سَأَلْتُكُـم مِّن أَجْرٛ فَهُوَ لَـكُـمْۖ
You the Messenger tell them, "What I have asked you to acknowledge and appreciate intellectually; the moment you reflect you will find it suggests the better and aright course for you people —
إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلَّا عَلَـى ٱللَّهِۖ
As for my award is concerned, it is upon none except Allah the Exalted.
وَهُوَ عَلَـىٰ كُلِّ شَـىْءٛ شَهِيدٚ .٤٧
And He the Exalted is Ever Witness/Observer/Guard over each and every thing".
No one will find better use of repetition rhetoric than employed on the subject of absence of personal motives in propagating political ideology; and to emphasize upon the slave-to-vested-interest politicians that goal of politics and influence upon people should be to put their selves and people on the Road-to-Allah the Exalted. Here reference to previous meeting is by Relative Pronoun (مَا) and perfect verb; and clarifies upon them that it will also be better course for them. That it will ensure the best achievement and award from the Absolute Sovereign.
But no change in attitude and behaviour was noticed in their conduct in public. They were regurgitating rhetoric of "tales of ancients", and making claims that if they wished they could say the like of Qur’ān (ref 831). It is psychological manipulation compromising moral principles and effort to achieve their goal by hook or by crook. They were subtly told next time when they called upon the Messenger
قُلْ مَآ أَسْـَٔلُـكُـمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٛ
You the Messenger remind them "I am not asking you people any award - appreciation for it; publishing, delivering and teaching Qur’ān —
وَمَآ أَنَا۟ مِنَ ٱلْمُتَكَلِّفِيـنَ .٨٦
And nor I am of those who personally force things and ideas by hook or by crook upon others against their will —
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٚ لِّلْعَٟلَمِيـنَ .٨٧
It (Qur’ān) is but a Reminder-Admonition-Reference Book for guidance for the worlds/humanity .
وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ نَبَأَهُۥ بَعْدَ حِيـن ِۭ .٨٨
And you people will henceforth know its news-disclosures after some time."The principle of advocating an ideology was laid down, and the difference between truth and falsity was highlighted. Falsity needs deceptive and crook rhetoric since it has selfish motives on its back for which reason they personally force things to move the way they want. The choice of Form-V Active Participle ٱلْمُتَكَلِّفِيـنَ is par excellence. We define rhetoric as “the most appropriate means of persuasion for a given situation.” Diction is important in speech. The meetings of ruling elite belonging to different ideologies usually have rhetorical conversation in their meetings. The person of the Messenger is unique when seen as a politician. Avoiding faux pas, he used it ٱلْمُتَكَلِّفِيـنَ for negating about his own person. And again negated their rhetoric of "tales of ancients" by emphatically calling it evocative historical account. Besides, cautioned them that after some time they will get the knowledge of the news of the future given by it, Qur’ān.
Politics is in organized society. Politics must not cross the red line that might threaten disintegrating the bond of affection and kinship in the society, resulting in chaos and disharmony. In the last meeting, the same sentence spoken in the first meeting on the subject of publication of Qur’ān was repeated. This time a wish was also added subtly reminding them what damage they were doing to society
قُل لَّآ أَسْـَٔلُـكُـمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرٙا
You the Messenger remind them "I do not ask you people any award - appreciation for it; publishing, delivering and teaching Qur’ān —
إِلَّا ٱلْمَوَدَّةَ فِـى ٱلْقُـرْبَـىٰۗ
But I do require you people to maintain state of affection within the kinship".We have read the Minutes of some of the meetings held between the Publisher of Qur’ān and the ruling elite of those days. But the majority of them remained adamant and busy in conspiracies. Allah the Exalted touching the subject consoled and advised the elevated Messenger to keep exercising restraint and patience overlooking their deceptive tactics.
أَمْ تَسْـَٔلُـهُـمْ أَجْرٙا فَهُـم مِّن مَّغْـرَمٛ مُّثْقَلُونَ .٤٠
Or do you the Messenger ask any remuneration for communicating them this guidance (Qur’ān) for which reason they are overburdened in debt?It can thus be seen that like the Author and the Intellectual Property of the Book, its Publisher is also unique. The veracity and infallibility of the Book get doubly confirmed when no bias is attributable to its Publisher.