NATIQ

The verb root nataqa, from which the

term natiq is derived, means to speak,

utter, articulate or pronounce, as in

23.62: ‘And with Us is a Record which

speaks the truth’. In another instance, it

is used to underline the certainty of the

revelation: ‘Just as the truth that you

can speak’ (51.23). Antaqa is the transitive form, meaning

to cause something to speak. On the

Day of Judgement, disbelievers’ ears,

eyes and skin will testify against them

saying: ‘Allah has caused us to speak –

He causes all things to speak’ (41.21). Mantiq signifies the faculty of speech

or diction. It is used when Solomon

says: ‘O mankind, we have been taught

the language of birds’ (27.16). The

phrase ‘ilm al-mantiq refers to the

science of logic. Rafik Berjak

In the creation of the heavens and the

earth, the Qur ) an states that there are

signs for people of understanding. ‘Our

Lord, You did not create all this in vain

. . . Save us from the retribution of Hell’

(3.190-191). There is not taken to be a

problem in reconciling the divine crea-

tion of the world with a scientific

understanding of its structure. In fact,

the Qur ) an brings out many of the fea-

tures of the world and why they are as

they are, since it is ‘A Book, whose ver-

ses are explained in detail – a Qur ) an in

Arabic, for people who have knowledge

(ya ( alamuna)’ (41.3). We are also told:

‘Say: ‘‘Travel through the earth and see

how God initiated creation; in the same

way will God produce a later creation:

for God has power over all things’’’

(29.19-20). This emphasis on observing

the world and deriving appropriate

conclusions is frequently there:

God’s signs in his creations can be

attained by human perception:

The words tafakkur (to think), tafaqquh

(to understand), tadabbur (to con-

template), ( aql (using reason), suduri

(chest), qalb (heart), ‘ilm (knowledge),( ulama (those who have knowledge),

ulu ) l ‘ilm (those with knowledge – 3.18),

ulu ) l absar (those who have vision –

24.44), ulu ) l al-bab (those who have

understanding – 3.7; 38.29), ulu ) l yadi

wa ) l absar (possessors of power and

vision – 38.45) and ulu ) l

( azmi (those

with firmness of heart – 46.35) are all

used in the Qur ) an. We are told: ‘With-

out doubt, the worst of beasts in God’s

sight are the deaf, the dumb, who do not

use their ( aql (reason/sense)’ (8.22).