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I'jaz
Surah: Hud (44)
O Earth, Swallow Your Water — The Most Eloquent Sentence in Literary History
يَٰٓأَرۡضُ ٱبۡلَعِي مَآءَكِ وَيَٰسَمَآءُ أَقۡلِعِي
— هود الآية 44
Verse: "And it was said: O earth, swallow your water; and O sky, cease — and the water subsided, the matter was decided, and it settled upon Al-Judi." (11:44)
Al-Jurjani and Al-Zarkashi: This verse is among the most eloquent in the Quran — combining in one verse: earth command, sky command, result of rain cessation, ship settling, announcement of matter completion = 5 major cosmic events in one sentence.
The miraculous brevity: Written in ordinary prose these events would take several paragraphs — the Quran gathered them in the fewest and most beautiful words.
Al-Jurjani and Al-Zarkashi: This verse is among the most eloquent in the Quran — combining in one verse: earth command, sky command, result of rain cessation, ship settling, announcement of matter completion = 5 major cosmic events in one sentence.
The miraculous brevity: Written in ordinary prose these events would take several paragraphs — the Quran gathered them in the fewest and most beautiful words.
Source: Al-Jurjani, Dala'il (p.44); Al-Zarkashi (3/31)
Test Yourself
How many major cosmic events did "O earth, swallow your water" combine? List them.
Show Answer