The Guiding Light — Page 123
S u rah al-Baqarah Chapter 2, Verses 1-8 123 Commentary The clause ذﻟک اﻟکﺘﺎب ( z a likal-kit a b ) (this is a perfect book) placed in the beginning of the verse, is capable of several interpretations, the following two being more in harmony with the Qur’ a nic text: 1. This is a complete and perfect Book, a Book which possesses all the excellences that a complete and perfect Book should possess. 2. This is that Book or this is the Book (which you prayed for, or which was promised to you). Combined with the words َ ﻻ َ ر ۡ ِ ﻳ ﺐ َ ﻓ ۡ ِﻴ ( l a raiba f i h ) the full clause ٰ ٰ ذ َ ﻟِک َ اﻟْکِﺘ ﺐ ُ ﻻ َ ر ۡ ۛﻳ ِ ﺐ ۡﻓ ِ ﻴ ( z a likal-kit a bu l a raiba f i h ) would mean that this Book is perfect in all respects and contains nothing of ر ﻳ ﺐ ( raib ) doubt in it, i. e. , nothing that may make one’s mind uneasy, nothing doubtful, nothing that may cause affliction, etc. A Book claiming to be revealed and demanding acceptance in the presence of other Books which also claim Divine origin must at the very outset make such a claim to set at