The Revelation to John
εγω ιωαννης ο και αδελφος υμων και συγκοινωνος εν τη θλιψει και εν τη βασιλεια και υπομονη ιησου χριστου εγενομην εν τη νησω τη καλουμενη πατμω δια τον λογον του θεου και δια την μαρτυριαν ιησου χριστου
egw iwannhs o adelfos umwn kai sugkoinwnos en th qliyei kai basileia kai upomonh en ihsou egenomhn en th nhsw th kaloumenh patmw dia ton logon tou qeou kai thn marturian ihsou
Rev 1.9 I, even your brother John, and companion in the affliction, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, came to be in the island being called Patmos because of the Word of God, and because of the witness of Jesus Christ.
εγενομην εν πνευματι εν τη κυριακη ημερα και ηκουσα οπισω μου φωνην μεγαλην ως σαλπιγγος
egenomhn en pneumati en th kuriakh hmera kai hkousa opisw mou fwnhn megalhn ws salpiggos
Rev 1.10 I came to be in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
Compare to 53.3…
وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَى
Wama yantiqu AAani alhawa
53.3 And he speaks not on account of his own will.
مَا = “ma”
“ma” definition:
Conjunctive pronoun. That; which; that which; whatsoever; what; as; as much; in such a manner as; as much as; as for as; any kind; when; how. Does not, as a rule, refer to reasonable things, but instances to the contrary sometimes occur. It is one of those particles, which, in conditional propositions, govern the verb in the conditional mood; it is frequently a mere expletive. It is also a negative adverb, Not; in general it denies a circumstance either present, or of past, but little remote from the present; it governs the attribute in the accusative, thus it is a negative particle when placed before the perfect as in 53.2; or before a pronoun as in 68.2; or before an demonstrative noun as in 12.31. The particle, when joined to the perfect, denies the past; when joined to the imperfect, the present.
References:
An Arabic-English Lexicon, E.W. Lane, volume eight, p. 3016
A Grammar of the Arabic Language, W. Wright, Third edition, volume 2, p. 300
The Dictionary of the Holy Qur’an, 1st edition, Abdul Mannan Omar, pp. 523 - 524
A Dictionary and Glossary of the Koran, John Penrice, pp. 135 - 136
يَنطِقُ = “yantiqu”
“yantiqu” definition:
Imperfect tense, 3rd person, masculine singular. He speaks. As pertaining to 53.3… “neither doth he speak of his own will.” It comes from the root “nataqa”, which means he pronounced it, or articulated it; to speak, utter, articulate sounds, speak clearly.
References:
An Arabic-English Lexicon, E.W. Lane, volume eight, p. 3034
The Dictionary of the Holy Qur’an, 1st edition, Abdul Mannan Omar pp. 567 - 568
A Dictionary and Glossary of the Koran, John Penrice, p. 148
Concordance of the Koran, Gustav Flugel, p. 196
Occurrences of “yantiqu” in the Koran: 3
Locations: 23.62, 45.29, 53.3
Occurrences of the root “nataqa” and its 6 forms in the Koran: 12
Locations: 21.63, 21.65, 23.62, 27.16, 27.85, 37.92, 41.21(2x), 45.29, 51.23, 53.3, 77.35
Observe that the only two other Koranic usages of “yantiqu” directly refer to the truth written in a “Book” (i.e. the Book of Revelation)…
23.62…. And We do not burden/impose (on) a self except its endurance/capacity and at Us (is) a Book (it) speaks/clarifies with the truth , and they are not being caused injustice to/oppressed.
45.29…."That (is) Our Book (it) speaks/clarifies on (to) you with the truth , that We, We were transcribing/duplicating/printing what you were making/doing ."
عَنِ = “ani”
“ani” definition:
Preposition. The primary signification conveys the idea of removal from off, or away, from a thing, and from this the other significations may be derived. Off, of, from, about, because, away from, out of, in spite of, concerning, on account of; separation, compensation, transition, succession, remoteness, instead of, for, after, with, on authority of. As pertaining to 53.3…“Nor does he speak with the desire of self-gratification.”… “Nor does his speech proceed from desire of self-gratification”…so the phrase may well be rendered… “Nor does he speak from the desire”. Said of an affair, or event, or of a thing; it appeared before one.
References:
An Arabic-English Lexicon, E.W. Lane, volume five, pp. 2162 - 2167
The Dictionary of the Holy Qur’an, 1st edition, Abdul Mannan Omar p. 390
A Dictionary and Glossary of the Koran, John Penrice, p. 101
هَوَى = “hawa”
“hawa” definition:
Perfect tense, 3rd person masculine singular. Beloved, or an object of love; to love, desire; fall, set. He made it to fall down; to fall, to stoop as a bird to its prey, also to rise; rev, perish, pull down, destroy, disappear, yearn, fancy, beguile, infatuate, be blown, inspire with passion.
الْهَوَى = “al” + “hawa” = “alhawa” = love and attachment: then, inclination of the soul, or mind, to a thing: then, blamable inclination; the inclination of the soul to that which the animal appetites take delight, without any lawful invitation thereto; natural desire, love, and desire; generally such as is not praiseworthy. Love, desirous love.
References:
An Arabic-English Lexicon, E.W. Lane, volume eight, p. 3046
The Dictionary of the Holy Qur’an, 1st edition, Abdul Mannan Omar p. 597
A Dictionary and Glossary of the Koran, John Penrice, p. 155
Concordance of the Koran, Gustav Flugel, p. 207
Occurrences of “alhawa” in the Koran: 4
Locations: 4.135, 38.26, 53.3, 79.40
Summary of 53.3:
• John tells us, in Revelation, that the message that he is writing down is not of his own inclination
• John specifically tells us why he is writing this Revelation
• John specifically lists three reasons:
1. Word of God
2. Witness of Jesus Christ
3. The Spirit
• Thus, we are informed that the Revelation emanates not from John, but from the Triune entity of the Biblical Creator God
• 53.3, which is a continuation of 53.2 via the copulative conjunction “wa”(and), informs us of a third negative – as referring to John
• This third negative, which precedes the imperfect tense “yantiqu”, denies the present
• Thus, just as the first and second negatives found in 53.2 denied the past; the third negative found in 53.3 denies the present
• 53.3 tells us that “yantiqu”, or what he speaks (i.e. John) is not (“wama”) on account of (“AAani”) his own will (“alhawa”)
• Interestingly, all Koranic usages of “yantiqu” specifically refer to “The Book” (i.e. the Book of Revelation), as speaking the truth – thus, we can have great confidence that its usage in 53.3 is also referencing this same Book of Revelation truthfulness
• Recapping the first three ayahs in sura 53, we have the following parallels to Revelation:
1. John falls at the feet of Jesus (who holds the Seven Stars)
2. John is the Companion of Jesus
3. John did not die
4. John did not err
5. John speaks not by his own will