Al-Hijr
IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE DISPENSER OF GRACE
[15:87]
AND, INDEED, We have bestowed upon thee seven of the oft-repeated [verses], and [have, thus, laid open before thee] this sublime Qur’ān:


* v.87 : With these words, the discourse returns to the theme enunciated at the beginning of this sūrah and indirectly alluded to in verse 85 as well: namely, the revelation of the divine writ, destined to serve as a moral guidance to man, who cannot, as yet, discern the meaning and purpose of God’s creation. – According to most of the authorities, including some of the foremost Companions of the Prophet, “The Seven Oft-Repeated [Verses]” is a designation given by Muhammad himself to the first sūrah of the Qur’ān, which has also been described by him as “The Essence of the Divine Writ” (Umm al-Kitāb) inasmuch as it alludes to all the ethical and metaphysical principles set forth in the Qur’ān (Bukhārī, Kitāb at-Tafsīr). See also my introductory note to Al-Fātihah (“The Opening”).