This aayah enchants me a lot: سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ
“We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth.” (Surah Fussilat 41: 53)
And this aayah:
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ
“It is He who has sent among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom – although they were before in clear error”. (Surah al Jumu’ah 62: 2)
The myriad of meanings that the word ‘aayah’ connotes is miraculous indeed.
The verses of the Qur’an are in fact the signs of understanding for men of understanding!
So what is the meaning of the word aayah?
Please note that the word ‘Aayaat’ is the plural form of ‘aayah’.
Here is a selection of verses (aayaat) of the glorious Qur’an which reveals the miracle in the meaning of the word aayah:
1. Sign, Indicator, Indication, Token, Marker:
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالْفُلْكِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّـهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِن مَّاءٍ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَابَّةٍ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allah has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth are signs for a people who use reason. (Surah al Baqarah 2: 164)
2. Evidence, Proof:
ثُمَّ بَدَا لَهُم مِّن بَعْدِ مَا رَأَوُا الْآيَاتِ لَيَسْجُنُنَّهُ حَتَّىٰ حِينٍ
“Then it appeared to them after they had seen the signs (= proof, evidence) that al-‘Azeez should surely imprison him for a time”. (Surah Yusuf 12: 35)
3. Miracle, Portent:
وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ
And those who disbelieved say, “Why has a sign (= miracle) not been sent down to him from his Lord?” (Surah Ar-Ra’d 13: 7)
4. Symbol, Exemplar:
وَجَعَلْنَا ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَأُمَّهُ آيَةً وَآوَيْنَاهُمَا إِلَىٰ رَبْوَةٍ ذَاتِ قَرَارٍ وَمَعِينٍ
“And We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign (= exemplar) and sheltered them within a high ground having level [areas] and flowing water.” (Surah Al Muminoon 23: 50)
5. Message, Revelation:
وَلَوْ أَنَّا أَهْلَكْنَاهُم بِعَذَابٍ مِّن قَبْلِهِ لَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا لَوْلَا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولًا فَنَتَّبِعَ آيَاتِكَ مِن قَبْلِ أَن نَّذِلَّ وَنَخْزَىٰ
“And if We had destroyed them with a punishment before him, they would have said, “Our Lord, why did You not send to us a messenger so we could have followed Yourverses (=message or revelation) before we were humiliated and disgraced?”(Surah Taha 20: 134)
6. Teachings, Instructions:
سُورَةٌ أَنزَلْنَاهَا وَفَرَضْنَاهَا وَأَنزَلْنَا فِيهَا آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
“[This is] a surah which We have sent down and made [that within it] obligatory and revealed therein verses (=teachings) of clear evidence that you might remember.”(Surah An Noor 24: 1)
7. Verses, parts of the Qur’an:
وَإِذَا بَدَّلْنَا آيَةً مَّكَانَ آيَةٍ ۙ وَاللَّـهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يُنَزِّلُ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُفْتَرٍ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
“And when We substitute a verse in place of a verse – and Allah is most knowing of what He sends down – they say, “You, [O Muhammad], are but an inventor [of lies].” But most of them do not know.” (Surah Al Nahl 16: 101)
8. Lesson:
قَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ آيَةٌ فِي فِئَتَيْنِ الْتَقَتَا ۖ فِئَةٌ تُقَاتِلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ وَأُخْرَىٰ كَافِرَةٌ يَرَوْنَهُم مِّثْلَيْهِمْ رَأْيَ الْعَيْنِ ۚ وَاللَّـهُ يُؤَيِّدُ بِنَصْرِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِّأُولِي الْأَبْصَارِ
“Already there has been for you a sign (=lesson) in the two armies which met – one fighting in the cause of Allah and another of disbelievers. They saw them [to be] twice their [own] number by [their] eyesight. But Allah supports with His victory whom He wills. Indeed in that is a lesson for those of vision.” (Surah Al Imran 3: 13)
9. Glory, wonder:
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ
“Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs (=glory, wonder) Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.” (Surah Al Isra 17: 1)
If you venture to drive on road, you must not only know the traffic signs but also follow them. One who drives without respecting signs on the road will not only endanger his own life but also put many other lives at stake.
Similarly man must know what His creator has sent down to him as guidance for life lest he commits spiritual accidents and puts his life and soul in peril.
Pondering over the creations of Almighty Allah leads one to understand that this amazing universe has not come by chance. Reflection, thus, leads to Tawheed, the acceptance – and submission to the reality – of the oneness of Allah.
Sal-lal-laahu ‘Alaa Muhammad, Sal-lal-laahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam
Source: http://yassarnalquran.wordpress.com/2014/12/22/the-miracle-in-aayah/
