"Say (unto the disbelievers): Travel in the land..." (Qur'an 6:11)

Here, the reader may wonder why Allah has used the preposition Fi'('in') instead of 'Ala ('on') as correct Arabic usage dictates. However, this structure may be justified if we assumed that the proposition Fi' ('in') entailed adverbiality, and considered the word Al- ard ('earth') to be an adverb of the word 'walk,' and the meaning permitted it. But in the Qur'an there is no allowance for likelihood. Each expression is measured to fit strictly the meaning it conveys leaving no shadow of doubt as to its interpretation. Each letter or word has one definite meaning and purpose which unfolds itself readily to the inquisitive mind.

With the advance of science into the nature and function of our universe, we have come to learn that the earth is not limited to its terrestrial and aquatic components. It also comprises a gaseous envelope which cleaves to it and gives it life, and without which life on earth would have been impossible. People living on earth make use of the properties of this gaseous extension or atmosphere for their benefit and progress in exactly the same way as they make use of the rocky crust and the liquid surfaces, or land and sea. Thus, when we travel in an aero plane at about thirty thousand feet above the surface of the earth we are still moving within the boundaries of the earth. We pass beyond this boundary when we cross the limit of the atmosphere and plunge into space.

This scientific fact was a mystery to man when the Qur'an was first revealed. Only Allah possessed this knowledge. Now we know that we are living and moving amidst two layers of matter: the solid matter of the earth and the gaseous matter which is air. No one today is ignorant of the fact that the three states of matter are solids, liquids, and gases, but this primary knowledge was not available to man fourteen centuries ago, and neither Muhammad nor anyone else could have known this.

A further example of the accuracy of usage and clarity of meaning, where no redundancy or synonymity exists, can be seen in the following verses:

"... And persevere whatever may befall you. Lo! that is of the steadfast heart of things." (Qur'an 31:17)

"And verily whoso is patient and forgiveth - lo! that, verily is (of) the steadfast heart of things." (Qur'an 42:43)

In the second verse the preposition "of" (LAMIN) may pass unnoticed or be taken as an emphatic synonym. But this is not so, because every letter or word in the language of the Qur'an is selected with the utmost care to convey one intrinsic meaning and definite purpose. There is no such thing as synonymity in the Qur'an. Each letter and word has its own fixed meaning which no other word can express as accurately, irrespective of their seeming similarity. If we consider thoughtfully the meticulous selectivity of the words in the above verses and their underlying meaning, we soon come to realize that there are two kinds of patience. In the first kind there is no direct adversary or person responsible for hardship or misfortune; for example a brick falling from a building under construction onto the head of an unsuspecting pedestrian, or the collapse of a newly- built house over peacefully sleeping tenants. In all incidents and mishaps of this nature no individual bears the responsibility for the victim's misfortune. It is therefore easy for the unfortunate man to restrain his anger and accept his misfortune as an act of Allah. This kind of patience does not require a great deal of energy and can be easily achieved. But patience which is " verily of the steadfast heart of things " is that which involves an antagonist against whom a victim has the freedom to retaliate and avenge himself, but prefers to suppress his anger and vengeful tendencies and forgive him. This kind of patience is deemed by Allah to be worthier than the first, because in this kind the aggrieved is dominated by his instinctive anger and feelings of injustice, and has to exercise a great deal of self-restraint. He is restrained by his fear of Allah, and refrains from responding to evil with evil. In the above verses, Allah defines the merits of the two types of patience and their corresponding heavenly rewards. He also describes the human responses of retaliation that ought to be observed in each case by the faithful. Thus, in the first case they are commanded to accept what befalls them with humility and resignation to His will. In the second they are commanded to be forgiving and to maintain their faith in Allah's justice.

The preposition 'of' has obviously been used to accentuate the distinction between the kind of patience in which forgiveness is not a necessity, and that in which forgiveness represents a test of endurance of injustice and of the believer's trust in Allah's providence and will. This shows how a single letter or preposition can bear such dept of meaning and discriminating power in the language of the Qur'an.