Meaning of ‘Lisan Sidq Aliyyan’ in Quran
They have drawn this meaning from the word lisan (tongue or expression). However, the word ‘aliyyan (exalted) has often been left untranslated.
While some interpreters have tried to address this omission, challenges from a rhetorical perspective (science of rhetoric or balaghah) remain unresolved.
In Verse 84 of Surah Ash-Shu’ara, God cites Prophet Abraham’s (AS) supplication: “And appoint me a tongue of truthfulness among the later generations.”
In Verses 49-50 of Surah Maryam, we learn that Abraham’s prayer has been granted: “When (Abraham) rejected his people and what they worshipped instead of God, We gave him Isaac and Jacob and made both of them Prophets and We gave them of Our Mercy and We appointed to them a truthful, highly sincere tongue.”
During the Umayyad and Abbasid eras, many Quran interpreters translated the phrase “lisan sidq aliyyan” as a noble praise. They treated it as a metaphorical expression derived from lisan and often ignored the significance of aliyyan. By the third and fourth centuries AH, some interpreters attempted to clarify the term, but certain rhetorical and contextual issues remained:
1- The meaning of “sidq” (truth): The term indicates truthfulness or authenticity, not necessarily goodness or fame. Linking the phrase to widespread virtuous reputation across nations does not fully align with Prophet Abraham’s (AS) original supplication.
2- When translated as “noble praise,” the concept of exaltation (uluww) is left unaddressed.
3- The term uluww does not inherently describe lisan (tongue or expression). This raises questions about how aliyyan qualifies lisan sidq.
4- Interpreting lisan sidq as “noble praise” and considering it as metonymy fails to address the phrase’s implied depth and connection to exaltation.
5- The verse is the granting of Abraham’s (AS) prayer: “Appoint me a tongue of truthfulness.” And God answered: “We appointed to them a truthful, highly sincere tongue (which is aliyyan).” Interestingly, the two verses in Surah Maryam have two ja’alna verbs in the same style of two direct-object construction. In “kullan ja‘alna nabiyyan”, meaning “We made each one a prophet,” and the second in “ja‘alna lahum lisan sidq ‘aliyyan”, meaning “We made Lisan sidq aliyyan.
However, there are some reliable narrations from the Holy Prophet (PBUH) suggesting Aliyyan refers to a proper name rather than an adjective.
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Al-Hakim al-Haskani (a Hanafi scholar d. 490 AH), has narrated from Abdul Rahman Bazzaz (d. 468), from Hilal bin Muhammad Haffar (d. 414) from Abo Qassem Khazaei from his father Ali Khazaei, from Imam Reza (AS), who relays a statement from the Prophet during the Night Journey (Mi‘raj). The Prophet describes being asked about his successor for the people of the earth. He replied: “The best of them, Ali ibn Abi Talib, who is my brother, companion, son-in-law, and cousin.” Allah responded: “O Muhammad, do you love him?” The Prophet affirmed: “Yes, my Lord.” Allah then declared: “Love him, and instruct your Ummah to love him. I, the Exalted One (‘Aliyy al-A‘la), have derived his name from My own. I named him Ali.” Gabriel then came to me and said God greets you and says: “Read”. I asked what I should read, and he told me to read ‘We gave them of Our Mercy and We appointed to them a truthful, highly sincere tongue (lisan sidq aliyyan)’ (Maryam: 50).”
