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evelation 131There is, in their stories, instruction for men endued with understanding.It is not a tale invented, but a confirmation of what went [with]it—a detailed exposition [tafßÊl] of all things, and a guide and a mercyto any such as believe. (Yåsuf 12:111)A-L-R. (This is) a book, with verses basic or fundamental (of establishedmeaning), further explained in detail [ fußßilat]—from one who is wiseand well-acquainted (with all things). (Håd 11:1)Say: “Shall I seek for judge other than God, when He it is who hassent unto you the book, explained in detail [mufaßßal an ]?” They knowfull well, to whom We have given the book, that it has been sent downfrom your Lord in truth. Never be then of those who doubt. ( Al-An#§m6:114)According to the dictionary of Ibn F§ris, 14 the Arabic term tafßÊl canmean both ‘elaborate exposition’ and ‘to set apart’. As for these twomeanings we come across two further subdivisions:1. Exposition as ‘commentary’:Verses that do not contain general laws of the universe or rules ofhuman behaviour but which provide information about either ofthe two, are ‘explanatory’ and function as a running commentaryon other verses. For example, verses that elucidate that the qur"§ncame down in Arabic, or that the Book contains ambiguous anddefinite verses etc., are commentaries on either the nature of thequr"§n (revealed in Arabic) or the composition of the Book (types ofverses). Thus, they provide further information. One might saythat these are the self-reflective verses of the Book.2. Setting apart in the sense of ‘to contextualize’:Verses that place a specific event in a concrete, historical contextwill set that event apart from other events that occurred elsewhereand at other times. Such verses help to establish a chronologicalsequence as they distinguish between earlier and later events.In both functions, the ‘explanatory’ verses interrupt the flow of versesthat are either ‘ambiguous’ or ‘definite’. They also put the differentchapters into a specific order as they structure and subdivide thevarious categories of verses. This is particularly significant as the Bookdoes not provide a thematically or chronologically coherent expositionof its topics. Instructions concerning issues of family law, for14Abå’l-\usayn AÈmad Ibn F§ris al-QazwÊnÊ, (d. 395/1004). Mujmal al-lugha(Beirut: Mu"assasa al-Ris§la, n.d.), vol. 3, 722.