The Meaning Of Iltifāt
Lexically iltifāt means 'to turn/turn one's face to'. There is the famous line:
'my eye turned to the remains of (my beloved's) encampment; when they passed out of sight, my heart turned to them'.
The word came to be used for turning aside in speech to talk about something before continuing with the original subject.
Types Of Iltifāt And Related Features
These can be of the following types:
I- Change in person, between 1st, 2nd and 3rd person, which is the most common and is usually divided into six kinds.
II- Change in number, between singular, dual and plural.
III- Change in addressee.
VI- Change in the tense of the verb.
V- Change in case marker.
VI- Using noun in place of pronoun.
No. I is the most commonly known and was called iltifāt before other types were labelled as such or as related to iltifāt.
I. (1) Transition from 3rd to 1st person. This is the most common type over 140 instances in the Qur'ān.
(2) From 1st to 3rd person is second with nearly 100 instances.
(3) From 3rd to 2nd person - nearly 60 instances.
(4) From 2nd to 3rd person - under 30 instances.
(5) From 1st to 2nd person - of which there is only one example which is quoted by every author.
(6) From 2nd to 3rd person, of which there is no example in the Qur'ān as Suyūtī himself pointed out (Itqan, III, 254).
For no. 5 it is Q. 36:22 that is always quoted:
'why should I not worship Him who created me? and to Him you shall return'.
read it again using the expected I:
'why should I not worship Him who created me? and to Him I shall return'.
In the second case it is reasonable and expected but in the first case as it is in the quran it talks to you (all of us) that you shall return to God it turns to you (us) that is how you feel God is talking to us in the Quran. It gets your attention and remind you Quran is not a story book it is a speech from God.
I shall now list occurrences of the four remaining sub-types of iltifāt in person.
1. 3rd - 1st person
2:23, 47, 73, 83, 118, 160, 172; 3:25, 58, 168; 4:30, 33, 37, 41, 64, 74, 114, 174; 5:14, 15, 19, 32, 70, 86; 6:22. 92. 97, 98, 99, 107, 110, 114, 126; 7:37, 57; 8:9, 41; 10:7, 11, 21, 22, 23, 28; 11:8; 13:4; 14:13; 16:2, 40, 66, 75, 84; 17:1, 21, 33, 97; 18:7; 19:9, 21, 58; 20:53, 113; 21:29, 37; 22:57, 67; 24:55; 25:17, 32, 45, 48, 56; 26:198; 27:60, 81; 28:57, 61, 75; 29:4, 7, 23; 30:16, 28, 34, 47, 51, 58; 31:7, 10, 23; 32:12, 16, 27; 33:9, 31; 34:5, 9; 35:9, 27; 36:8, 37; 37:6; 39:2, 3, 16, 27, 49; 40:5. 70, 84; 41:12, 28, 39; 42:7, 13, 20, 23, 35, 38, 48; 45:31; 46:7, 15; 47:13; 48:25. 49:13; 52:21, 48; 53:29; 54:11; 55:31, 58:5; 59:21; 61:14; 65:8; 66:10; 67:5, 17; 68:15, 35; 69:11; 70:7; 72:16; 76:9; 80:25; 86:15; 87:6; 88:25; 89:29; 92:7; 96:15.
2. 1st - 3rd person
2:5, 23, 37, 161, 172; 3:57, 151; 4:30, 33, 69, 122; 6:90, 95, 111, 112, 127; 7:12, 58, 101, 142; 8:4; 10:22, 25; 14:46; 15:28, 96; 16:52; 17:1; 20:4; 21:19; 22:6; 23:14, 57, 78, 91, 116; 24:35, 46; 25:31, 47, 58; 26:5, 9, 213; 27:6; 28:13, 59, 62; 29:3, 40, 67, 69; 30:54, 59; 31:11, 23; 32:25; 33:9, 46, 50; 34:21; 35:31, 32, 38; 36:36, 74; 37:33; 38:26; 40:61, 85; 41:19, 28, 40, 45, 53; 44:6; 45:22, 30; 48:2; 51:58, 53:30; 54:55; 57:27; 60:3; 65:10; 66:12; 67:19; 68:48; 76:6, 24, 29; 87:6; 94:8; 95:8; 97:4; 108:2.
3. 3rd - 2nd person
1:5; 2:21, 25, 28, 60, 83, 214, 229, 233; 3:180; 4:11; 6:6; 8:7, 14; 9:19, 69; 10:3, 68; 11:14; 16:55, 68, 74; 19:89; 21:37; 23:15, 65; 27:90; 30:34; 31:33; 33:55; 34:37; 35:3; 36:59; 37:25; 38:59; 43:16, 47:22, 30; 50:24; 52:14, 19, 39; 55:13, 56:51, 91; 57:17, 20; 67:13; 75:34; 76:22, 30; 77:38, 43; 78:30, 36; 80:3; 87:16.
4. 2nd - 3rd person
2:54, 57, 85, 88, 187, 200, 216, 226, 229, 286; 4:9; 10:22; 16:69, 72; 24:63; 28:16; 30:38; 31:32; 32:10; 45:35; 47:23; 67:18; 75:31.
1. 3rd - 1st person: Third Person Singular To First Person Plural
In the first kind (3rd - 1st) we notice that in the great majority of verses, God is involved in the speech. The transition in this type introduces two powerful elements that accord with the dramatic nature of the language of the Qur'ān, that is: the 1st person itself (which is more powerful than the 3rd as it brings God Himself to speak), and secondly, the element of plurality which expresses more power than does the singular. e.g. 14:13:
'Then their Lord revealed to them: We will surely destroy the evildoers.'
compare if it was:
'Then their Lord revealed to them: He will surely destroy the evildoers.'
The effect is made much more powerful by the presence of God to announce (in direct speech) the punishment Himself in the plural; Besides if these were the word of Muhammad and not God he would use the second case.
2. 1st - 3rd person First Person Plural Or Singular To Third Person Singular
A shift from the first person plural to the third person singular generally marks a transition from the expressive function to the cognitive function, as in the following example: Therefore fear not humankind but fear Me and sell not My signs for a paltry price. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has sent down - they are the losers (5.44).
Assume he said:
Therefore fear not humankind but fear Me and sell not My signs for a paltry price. And whoever does not judge by what I have sent down - they are the losers (5.44).
In the verse of Quran it appears as a fact and more cognitive than the second case.
3. 3rd-2nd person: From The Third Person To The Second Person
The shift in most examples of this kind appears to be for the purpose of honouring, reproach, threat and sometimes request. The first example of iltifāt in the Qur'ān, much quoted in balāgha books, is of this kind: verse 4 of the Fātiha, coming after praise in the 3rd person:
'Praise belongs to Allāh, the Lord of all Being, the All-Merciful. the All-Compassionate, the Master of the Day of Judgement. You only we serve, You alone we ask for help.'
after the introduction which demonstrates that He is truly worthy of being worshipped, direct address (You only we serve...) is more indicative of the fact that He is being worshipped for that distinction.
II. Change In Number
The shift here is between singular, dual and plural of which over fifty examples can be found: 2:34, 38, 40, 106, 123, 217: 7:24, 127, 14:31, 37; 15:49; 16:65; 17:36; 20:37, 40, 41, 81, 124; 22:45; 23:51, 66; 27:84; 29:8, 57; 31:15; 32:13; 34:12, 45; 35:40; 43:32, 69; 46:5; 50:30; 54:17, 22, 32, 40; 55:31; 65:11; 68:44; 69:44; 70:40; 73:12; 74:16, 31; 75:3; 77:39; 90:4; 98:8; 100:11.
In many of these examples it is God that is involved in iltifāt; the shift to the plural of majesty expresses power with remarkable effect, e.g.:
'No! I swear by the reproachful soul! What, does man reckon We shall not gather his bones? Yes indeed; We are able to shape again his fingers.'(Q. 75:1 - 4)
III. Change Of Addressee
Various addressees within the same or adjacent verses are sometimes spoken to in the Qur'ān. Iltifāt in such verses has the original lexical meaning of actually turning from one direction/person to another. In these examples we normally find the first addressee addressed again with others when there is a request that applies to them all. Thus in 2:144:
'Turn your face towards the Holy Mosque; and wherever you (Muslims) are, turn your faces towards it.'
The Prophet, in answer to his personal prayer to be directed to a new qibla, is requested to turn his face to the mosque in Makka. Then he and all the Muslims are requested to do so wherever they may be. In 10:87 there is more than one shift:
'We revealed to Moses and his brother: " Take you (dual) for your people in Egypt certain houses; and make your (pl.) houses a direction for prayer and perform the prayers; and do thou give good tidings to the believers."'
A shift to the perfect tense has the effect of making the act appear already completed, hence its frequent use in talking about the hereafter:
'On the day when We shall set the mountains in motion... and We mustered them (hasharnāhum) . . .'. (Q. 18:47)
V. Change In Case Marker
For more discussion please visit: www.islamic-awarenss.org
M A S Abdel Haleem
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