This view can be refuted as follows.

١. According to the literal meaning of the tradition, the seven J:tarfs in which the Quran was revealed are not the same as the seven gates from which it came down. It is therefore incorrect to explain the former by the latter, the way those who sup‌ port this view have [explained it].

٢. The tradition itself is contradicted by one reported by Abi١ Kurayb, whose chain of transmission goes back to Ibn Masi١d, who said, "God revealed the Quran in five l:zarfs: [These deal with the] lawful and unlawful, [the] clear and ambiguous, and [the] parables."٢٥

٣. The tradition is muddled in its purport, because "forbidding" (jazr) and "unlawful" (l:zaram) have the same connotation. Consequently, the gates do not add up to seven. On the other hand, there are matters covered by the Quran that are not included in these seven gates, such as the genesis and the return to God, accounts of past commu‌ nities, the arguments of the Quran, the forms of learning, and so on. If those who maintain this explanation intend to include all these subjects under the [categories of] clear and ambiguous verses, then they should also include all the other gates under them, and divide the Quran into two J:tarfs only-the clear and the ambiguous-because all that is in the Quran can be classified under these two categories.

٤. The notion that the subjects of the Quran are divided according to seven /:tarfs does not accord with the contents of the previously cited traditions that speak about making matters easy for [people in] the Muslim community because they were not able to read according to one J:tarf.

٥. Some of the previously cited traditions clearly state that the seven /:taifs are the styles on which the readers differed. This last tradition, assuming that its inference is correct, does not support any explanation that differs from it.

Another Meaning of the Seven Gates

According to [a third] interpretation, the seven barfs deal with command, prohibi‌ tion, persuasion, threat, disputation, stories of bygone communities, and parables. This explanation is supported on the tradition related by Mui)ammad b. Bashshar, whose chain of transmission goes back to Abi١ Qallaba, who said:

It has been related to me that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) said, "The Quran is revealed in seven J:tarfs [dealing with verses about] command and prohibition, persuasion and intimidation, argumentation, stories of past communities, and parables."٢٦

The argument against this view may be inferred from our argument against the second view [cited] above.

The Eloquent Dialects

According to [the fourth] interpretation, the seven barfs are the eloquent dialects of
Arabic. These dialects are interwoven in the Quran. Hence, parts of it are in the dia-