reynolds-the-quran-in-its-historical-context-2

296 Christoph Luxenbergapplication of idh. Manna lists under kad the following concessive Arabicwa-in, wa-law ("although"). 45 Having demonstrated that sidra means"jujube" nor "sidra-tree", it goes without saying that this verse is not rPfi>rrincr:fruits that cover this imaginary tree, but rather "the veil" which coverscovers, namely the (direct) vision into the other world, the celestial domain.brief philological analysis is sufficient to correct the reading of this versetaghsha al-sidra(tu) rna taghsha. This leads logically to the understandingverse as a sort of protasis - "Although the veil covered what it covered"­is followed by the apodosis of Verse 17.17. mil ziigha al-ba!jar(u) wa mil faghiiIt should be noted here that tagha should be read here according to the Syriac! 'a from which it is derived, fa 'a. It does not mean "pass its limits" (Bell);it is a synonym of its Arabic equivalent r)alla ("to go astray") inVerse 2, toit is in any case parallel. Read with this small correction as rna zagha at--na:mrrwa-ma fa 'a, this verse is to be understood as an apodosis as follows: "thesight had neither illusion nor error [as to the vision]."A new Syro-Aramaic reading of Verses 1-18 297He who resides at the highest horizon, [6b.] humbled himself,He then approached [or: came down] and remained hovering [upon Hisservant].He [i.e. the servant] remained thereupon dumbfounded for two instants,or even less.He then revealed to His servant what He revealed.The absence does not refute in any way what he saw.Do you therefore contest what he sees [as vision]?He saw him [too], when he had another fit [or another vision],near the veil of the other world,near to which [is] the garden of the [heavenly] domain.Although the veil covered what it covered,the sight had neither illusion nor error [as to the vision].He truly saw great signs of his Lord!18. la-qad ra 'a min iiyiit(i) rabbih(i) al-kubrii"He truly saw great signs of his Lord!"The Syro-Aramaic 46 reading ofQnr'an 53:1-181 By the star!2 When he falls, [2.] your companion has not gone astray, nor has he.delirious.3 And it is not under the effect of the fall [regarded as a sign ofpm;se1!SIOJthat he speaks.4 It is rather a revelation given to him [at this moment]!5 It is the strongly Powerful [i.e. the Almighty] who has taught him,6 That is the Lord;45 Manna, 326b.46 By "Syro-Aramaic," the Syro-Aramaic elements of the "Arabic" language of theintended. The philological analysis of the Qur'an's language has thus far led us to theconclusion: the language of the Qur' an is composed, apart from Arabic, in part ofelements of different eras, some of which stem from ancient Aramaic (Aitararnaisch),Aramaic (Reichsaramilisch) -like Biblical Aramaic (Biblisch-Aramiiisch)- and othersmajority) from the Aramaic ofthe Christian era, above all Syriac, but also Juclae