It was the archangel Jibreel, who himself was sent and deputed for this task, who came to Huzoor and conveyed this message from God that that particular surah is to be named this. And it continued happening at various times. Sometimes the name was given while the surah was being revealed and sometimes it was given after the surah was revealed. But the whole process was completed in the lifetime of Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa and was categorically stated by him, so that after his demise, nobody else had to indulge in guesswork.
Everybody was mentioned in detail. You didn’t say there was a second part to it, did you? There are three parts of the same question. So again, you are very clever, you don’t give me any warnings now. Previously, you used to give warnings about the question. I think, sir, when the scholars translate the Holy Quran, they do not translate the name of the surah. Is it too difficult to translate? No, when we introduce Mr. Abdul Rashid to someone, we never translate his name. All that he says is translated. When I am speaking and my rendering of my speech is made, they never translate my name, do they? The names are not translated. Pardon? No, but when you read a commentary on a particular surah, always the name is not only translated, but the significance of that name is attempted to be solved.
Sir, I have a question. Why is it that three surahs in the Holy Quran have two different names? Just two different names? There are so many different names. Three of them mentioned have been given two different names. How many names are given to surah Fatiha? You know that? Seven. Seven or nine? More than that. Some scholars have mentioned seven, some others, but I think this is more than that. Seventeen? Bezawi. Seventeen is more than fifteen, isn’t it? Right. So, Maulvi Sultan Mahmood Shahid reminds me that it is seventeen according to Bezawi.
But whether we accept his statement or not, I know positively that some names are definitely related to us from Hazrat Nusul-e-Karim and they have been mentioned in Tafseer-e-Kabir by Hazrat Musleh Maud. So, those names perhaps which he has mentioned are about seven or nine. So, they are definite anyway. But some of us may have enlarged the list. We don’t have any objection to that either. So, why do you say two only? I have some other surahs with two different names, that’s what I was asking.
No, when a bigger problem is facing you, why to keep sticking to a smaller problem? The question now becomes, as you permitted me to change the shape of your question, the question now becomes that why more than one name is given to a surah, even to the extent of seventeen according to some. This becomes the question. That is only indicative. There are certain names who are distinctive, in the sense that one person is given a name so that he becomes distinct from others. He holds a personality apart from others and there is no confusion there. But there are other names which are descriptive names and they indicate towards certain attributes of that person or that surah. So, all these names of the surahs of the Holy Qur’an can be divided into two categories now. One, personal name.
That personal name is given in the Holy Qur’an and mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. Although that also is a derivative name and can indicate certain things. But they still are personal names and they do not belong to the category of descriptive names. Other names of the same surah are descriptive. Although they do not exhaust the subject, yet certain important features of those surahs are pointed out. For instance, surah Fatihah is also called surah Al-Hamd, Al-Shifa, Sab’ul Masani and so on. Because praise of God is the most important theme mentioned in this surah. And everything revolves around that Hamd. Hamd, in fact, is the pivotal point.
If you know what Hamd is and if you get yourself trained to praise Allah as surah Fatihah teaches you, then you get everything. So, the central point of surah Fatihah is mentioned. Shifa is mentioned because it is not only curative in the spiritual terms, but it also has some curative values in physical terms. So, unless it had been pointed out by Hazrat Rasul-e-Karim, nobody could have reached this aspect of surah Fatihah by himself.
So, Allah gave him another name of surah Fatihah to tell others that also surah Fatihah has a quality of physical healing. Like you have faith healing. Literally it means that by faith you can heal physical diseases. Now, this is a debatable issue. Some people think it’s hocus-pocus, it’s impossible. Some people say, yes, it is possible and it can happen. This name tells us and this decides the issue that physically also faith healing is possible. And a definite incident in the lifetime of Huzoor-e-Akram further explains that a chief of a tribe was cured by nothing else but by the recitation of surah Fatihah.
So, this is what I mean when I say descriptive names. Certain important features of a certain surah are pointed out which otherwise would be difficult to reach by ordinary people. And because it is such a gem, that particular aspect, that it has to be pointed out so a descriptive name is given to that surah.
