Quran 66:4 'Your Hearts': Why the Plural Replaces the Dual
Some critics allege that Surah At-Tahrim 4 contains a grammatical error because the plural qulub (hearts) appears where the dual qalbakuma (your two hearts) would be expected, given that the verse addresses two individuals. This post demonstrates that the plural-in-place-of-dual is a well-established feature of classical Arabic rhetoric, attested by the imams of grammar and linguistics, and that in both Surah At-Tahrim 4 and Surah Al-Ma’idah 38 the plural carries semantic weight beyond mere grammatical convenience. We examine the linguistic evidence, the scholarly consensus on this construction, and the subtle meanings conveyed by the plural form in each context.
The Alleged Grammatical Error in At-Tahrim 4
The origin of this suspicion is the Almighty’s saying:If you both repent to Allah, your hearts have indeed become inclined. But if you both back up against him, then indeed, Allah is his Protector, and so is Gabriel and the righteous believers. [At-Tahrim 4]. The witness in the verse, according to them, is “your hearts,” as the complement (hearts) came in the plural, and the complement to it “as” is dual. And what is being spoken of in the Almighty’s saying “you both repent” is dual as well. They commented on this and said: “Why did he not say: your two hearts” because two people do not have more than two hearts?!
The Arabs found it difficult to combine two duals in one word, so they would change from the dual to the plural, because the first plural for them was the two. This is a recognized feature of classical Arabic eloquence, not an error.
إِن تَتُوبَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ صَغَتْ قُلُوبُكُمَّا ۖ وَإِن تَظَـٰهَرَا عَلَيْهِ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ مَوْلَىٰهُ وَجِبْرِيلُ وَصَـٰلِحُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۖ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ ظَهِيرٌۭIf you both repent to Allah, your hearts have indeed become inclined. But if you both back up against him, then indeed, Allah is his Protector, and so is Gabriel and the righteous believers. And the angels, after that, are [his] assistants.
Among what the imams of language and grammar said about the plural of “hearts” in the verse is their saying: “And your hearts” is one of the most eloquent speech, as the plural was used in the place of the dual, because it was difficult for the dual to come, if it had been said “your two hearts.”Ad-Durr Al-Masun (10/366).
It has become clear to us from what has been presented that the Almighty’s saying “your hearts” is one of the most eloquent speech, and not only correct, but the small fortune of those who raise these doubts in the Arabic language is what made them talk nonsense about what they do not know, and pretend to be ignorant while they are illiterate.
The Parallel Case: Al-Ma’idah 38 and the Plural “Hands”
Like this verse is the saying of God Almighty:
وَٱلسَّارِقُ وَٱلسَّارِقَةُ فَٱقْطَعُوٓا۟ أَيْدِيَهُمَا جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَسَبَا نَكَـٰلًۭا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ�And the male and female thief, cut off their hands.
He used the plural “hands” in the place of the dual: my hands, in accordance with the tradition of the Arabs in their speech, and the Quran was revealed in their language. It is not understood from this that the plural replaced the dual only to correct the word, even though correcting the word and replacing the light one with the heavy one is an acceptable reason sufficient to direct this usage. However, if we looked closely and used our minds, we would find other meanings other than correcting the word. These meanings are gently hinted at by the plural in place of the dual.
Semantic Dimensions of the Plural in Al-Ma’idah 38
The plural of hands in Al-Ma’idah 38 indicates the actual plural, and that is from two aspects:
First: What is meant by “the male thief” and “the female thief” is not two individuals, but two types:
- The one who steals from men, whether it is one or two or three or four or a thousand and so on; because what is meant is the type and not the individual.
- The one who steals from women, not as an individual (one woman) but everyone who fits the description of theft. So thieves are not limited to a specific number, from the time of the revelation of the Quran until the Day of Resurrection. The female thieves are not limited to a specific number, but rather they are a group that only Allah knows.
You see that the wording in “the thief” and “the female thief,” even if it is singular, is in terms of meaning a group that is unlimited in both genders: males and females.
Second: The male or female thief may repeatedly steal, so the punishment is carried out on them again according to the number of times they steal.
In both situations — the first aspect and the second aspect — the word “hands” is plural. Added to the pronoun “they” there is a noticeable indication of the group as you have seen. This is what those who raise these doubts do not find guidance to.
Semantic Dimensions of the Plural in At-Tahrim 4
As for the verse of “prohibition” [At-Tahrim], the scholars have interpreted it in two interpretations:
One of them: that saghat means: she deviated and sinned, and this is the interpretation of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him.Fath Al-Qadir by Imam Al-Shawkani (5/301). Therefore, the coming of the two hearts together is an exaggeration and horror of what happened from the Prophet’s two wives, may God bless him and grant him peace, of divulging his secret, peace be upon him, because in that there is something that would harm him, may God bless him and grant him peace.See the entire story in one of the books of interpretation: Tafsir of Surah At-Tahrim.
The second interpretation is close to the first, which is: “If it deviates” meaning it deviated, i.e. it deviated from the truth and right, and its interpretation is the interpretation of the first interpretation.Ad-Durr Al-Masun (10/265).
In the two verses there is a subtle meaning that is extremely unique, wonderful and miraculous, which is taking into account the word and the meaning together. Taking into account the word in the dual of the complement, which is “they” in “their hands” and “as” in “your hearts.” Then taking into account the meaning in the plural of hands and hearts.
The dual of the complement pronoun in them came based on the word in: “the male and female thief.” And the plural of hands and hearts came based on the meaning understood from the implications of the situation in the true sense in the plural of hands. And what is understood from the situation in the sense of the exaggerated revelation in the plural of hearts.
The plural “hearts” in At-Tahrim 4 and “hands” in Al-Ma’idah 38 are not grammatical errors but instances of a recognized Arabic rhetorical device where the plural replaces the dual for reasons of euphony, semantic breadth, or both. In Al-Ma’idah 38, the plural conveys the unlimited scope of thieves across time and the possibility of repeated offenses. In At-Tahrim 4, the plural conveys the gravity and horror of the wives’ deviation. The dual pronouns (“your two” and “their two”) preserve grammatical agreement with the two addressees, while the plural nouns expand the meaning beyond the immediate individuals to the broader implications of their actions. The wonders of the Quran never end, nor do its springs dry up, because it is a revelation from the Wise, the Praiseworthy.
Sources
- Surah At-Tahrim 66:4.
- Al-Suyuti, Ad-Durr Al-Masun (10/366).
- Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:38.
- See: Ad-Durr Al-Masun (4/262).
- Al-Shawkani, Fath Al-Qadir (5/301).
- See: Tafsir of Surah At-Tahrim (various sources).
- Al-Suyuti, Ad-Durr Al-Masun (10/265).