The first reported case of Expressive aphasia

It is not of Tan but of Sa'mri- famous sculptor of Golden Calf


The term Expressive aphasia ordinarily takes us only to learned Pierre Paul Broca [1824-80] and his patient "Tan", so named because that is all he could say.

Wikipedia:

Expressive aphasia, also known as Broca's aphasia, is characterized by partial loss of the ability to produce language (spoken, manual, or written), although comprehension generally remains intact. A person with expressive aphasia will exhibit effortful speech. Speech generally includes important content words, but leaves out function words that have only grammatical significance and not real-world meaning, such as prepositions and articles. This is known as "telegraphic speech". The person's intended message may still be understood but his or her sentence will not be grammatically correct. In very severe forms of expressive aphasia, a person may only speak using single word utterances. 

The Grand Qur’ān, informs that every animal and bird having distinct feature for classification are but species in the likings of us:

  • Know it; there is neither any genus of the animal kingdom in the Earth;

  • Nor any genus in the class of bird that flies with its two wings;

  • Who are but species-communities-nations in the likenesses of you people.

  • Our Majesty have not neglected mentioning a relevant thing in the Book: Grand Qur'aan.

  • After expiry of period [on Day of Resurrection] they will be gathered towards their Sustainer Lord. [6:38]

 

 

Some species of birds have numerous parallels with Human species in relation to its peculiar feature, that is speech. I do not know whether songbirds get stroke causing Expressive aphasia, but it certainly is a relevant matter of concern for Humans. The term Expressive aphasia ordinarily takes us only to learned Paul Broca [1824-80] and his patient "Tan", so named because that is all he could say.

However, this is not the whole truth. "Tan" is not the first person who suffered Expressive aphasia. The most authentic history record, Grand Qur’ān names the first person who suffered Expressive aphasia as "Sa'mri", a person of Bani Iesra'eel  who could say only "لا مساس no touching" later in his life. And the first Man who knew the art of assessment of aphasia and other symbolic manipulation deficits perhaps is Syedna Mūsā alai'his'slaam.

Allah the Exalted had conveyed and promised to the humanity in this simple and easy to comprehend manner:

  • Moreover, you the Messenger [Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam] pronounce: "The Infinite Glory and Praise eternally stands specified entirely and exclusively for Allah the Exalted. He the Exalted will henceforth keep visually showing you people His Aa'ya'at: Verbal Unitary Passages mirroring physical realities [in the Universe and your own bodies] Thereat, you people will keep recognizing them as were verbally mirrored".. [Refer 27:93]

 

 

  • Our Majesty will henceforth keep visually exposing Our tangible realities prevalent in the Universe-horizons and in their own bodies to the eyes of those who do not accept the Qur'aan.

  • The purpose of this visual manifestation is that it might become self manifest for them that Qur'aan is Infallible Doctrine-Discourse of Reality-Profitability and substance of permanence [Refer 41:53]

 

 

Whatever Allah the Exalted will show to human eye, it will seem exactly as is verbally mirrored in the statements of Qur’ān. The episode of sculpting of a Calf by Sa'mri; by melting gold and silver ornaments of some people of Bani Iesra'eel, will picturesquely portray as to what Expressive aphasia is; simultaneously conveying a strong message to believers to avoid extremely deviational conduct.

The background information about the incident of crafting of famous Golden Calf is that Mūsā alai'his'slaam left his nation earlier than appointed day for the appointed location for conversation with Allah the Exalted, the Designer of Language and speech mechanism. He left earlier, over confident that his nation will keep following his dictates in his absence. This confidence in his nation caused him embarrassment when he was informed what had happened in his hastened absence.

  • [When he arrived earlier than the appointed date, he was asked]  "You explain what prompted hasten you to leave your nation, O Mūsā" [20:83]

  • He replied, "They have become such people who are well established in exactly following my way. I hastened towards You the Exalted, my Sustainer Lord to win appreciation, approval and pleasure of Your Majesty." [20:84]

  • He told him, "Then know it, We have let your nation in liquefying trial

  • Since Sa'mri has made them neglectfully straying, after you left them." [20:85]

  • Afterwards, because of the frustrating information Mūsā [alai'his'slaam] returned to his nation in the grip - heightened feeling of anger and heavy heartedness, disappointed. [Ref 20:86-Same information in 7:150]

 

 

This had happened in his absence:

  • Know it, the nation of Mūsā [alai'his'slaam] after his departure had deliberately adopted as iela'aha: godhead a model of calf crafted [by Sa'mri] from their precious metal ornaments.

  • Bellowing was a feature given for it.

  • [Why they got befooled by wordless sound] Did they not observe the fact: it was not verbally speaking with them;

  • Nor was it guiding them about the course/path.

  • They purposely adopted it while in frame of mind of distorters and wrong doers. [7:148]

 

Mūsā [alai'his'slaam] admonished them on betrayal of promise [7:150; 20:86]. A group of people submitted explanation:

  • They said: "We did not alter your proclamation by exercising our authority.

  • On the contrary metallic jewelry and ornaments belonging to people that we were made to hold we laid them off.

  • It was done because Sa'mri had suggested it. [20:87]

  • Having taken the metallic jewelry, he brought out/crafted for them a calf dummy, Bellowing was a feature given for it.

  • Thereupon, they the owners of ornaments said to us, "This (Golden Calf) is the iela'aha of you people, and the iela'aha of Mūsā [alai'his'slaam]. However, he has forgotten." [20:88].

 

 

This group of people; who were otherwise of better recognition in Nation since they had been entrusted precious belongings, are trying transfer the entire blame upon the other group and Sa'mri. Moreover, they tried to absolve themselves of their guilt by taking refuge in having been deceptively fascinated by the sound producing feature of golden calf, but not volitionally. Their plea of innocent victims was rebutted by confronting them simple point of common sense:

  • [They were confronted with evident matter of simple common sense] "Could they not see that it: golden-calf was not turning to them a verbal expression in the manner of speech;

  • And that neither the calf-effigy was holding for them any power - capacity for harming, and nor for benefiting them?" [20:89]

  • [And as for their other excuse] Know it, certainly Haroon [alai'his'slaam] had earlier told them, "O my nation! You are indeed put into liquefying trial by this crafting of calf-effigy and their assertion about it;

  • It is a certain fact the Sustainer Lord of you people is Ar'Reh'maan. Therefore, follow me in letter and spirit, and wholeheartedly accept my command." [20:90]

  • They replied, "We will never cease sitting around it until Mūsā [alai'his'slaam] returns to us." [20:91]

 

 

There is no denying that shrewd, crafty and cunning persons have been misleading and misguiding people, since their majority do not apply common sense what to say of reflecting with reason and logic. Such shrewd persons are usually aware of the weakness, desires and passions of other people, and quite conveniently deceive them. Sa'mri exploited their old passion which they had expressed while crossing a locality of polytheists-idol worshippers:

  • Know it; Our Majesty helped them safely cross over the [dried passage-fringing Reef] Gulf of Suez along with Bani Iesraa'eela;

  • Thereby, leaving the shore after having seen Pharaoh and his troops drowned, they reached/ passed by a nation who were devotedly surrounding statues declared for them as godheads.

  • They said: "O Mūsā! You get for us an iela'aha: godhead like various iela'aha: godheads made for those people."

  • He repudiated them saying: "Indeed you people are indulging in emotionalism/passions. [7:138

 

 

Sa'mri not only satisfied their passion, but also fascinated them with his craftsmanship of producing buzzy-sound in effigy. The best way to get people out of fascination and enable them reflect on simple realities is to confront them with the truth Bani Iesraa'eel of that time, after listening plain and simple fact, had accepted their folly and stupidity, and repented. Allah the Exalted accepted their repentance and exonerated them, except Sa'mri who did not repent.

We skip here some details about the Episode. Thereafter, Sa'mri the main character of incident was questioned:

  • He (Mūsā alai'his'slaam) interrogated, "In response to their statements, explain what was your cause in desiring that, O Sa'mri?" [20:95]

  • He (Sa'mr) replied, "I observed; that [he is trying to refer to some thing masculine] which they had not observed that. Therefore, I clutched---a holding in hand----from the trace of the Messenger. Thereby, I threw her away.

  • And it is like that what instigated my inner-self for me." [20:96]

 

 

It should be noted that the answer is quoted verbatim. The verbal answer of Sa'mri in relation to what people had explained is lacking coherence and sense, exhibiting his difficulty in expressing himself about the sequence of happenings like collection of ornaments, melting and sculpting. He is not able to verbally convey a meaningful thought which could conveniently be perceived by the listeners.

Ignoring conjectural gossips of both Muslim and Jew scholars, please read the response of Mūsā [علیہ السلام] quoted verbatim:

  • He (Mūsā alai'his'slaam) said, "Now you go away.

  • Henceforth, it is certain that the expression "لا مساس not at all touching" will only be possible for you to articulate during the life-time.

  • Know it that a threat has made place for you, it is such a threat that might not be letting escape for you.

  • Moreover, look at your iela'aha: godhead, that upon whom you have shaded by sitting around it as devotee;

  • Of course, we will certainly wear it extensively with file - calcining. Thereafter, we will certainly scatter it in the Gulf as dust - powder." [20:97]

 

 

 

Mūsā (alai'his'slaam) did not administer or award him a punishment. The Subjunctive Particle and verbal sentence:is the Subject of Verb Like Particle: that emphasizes the certainty of the following predicate about its subject. Verb:    is in Subjunctive Mood that denotes a future possibility, probability. The phrases relate to the predicate and the circumstantial clause. This future happening quoted in the Subject of the sentence was predicted to take place for him and then it will remain his circumstantial state throughout life.

Mūsā (alai'his'slaam) seems to have assessed his stage of Expressive aphasia and predicted that in his future life he will be in the state wherein he might be able only to say: ""-"No touching". It might be a puzzle even for the Experts of the level of learned Paul Broca that how Mūsā (alai'his'slaam) adjudged that Sa'mri will be able to utter only: "" in his life.

It is evident in the Episode that Sa'mri was perfectly alright in his speech before he took away the jewellery, ornaments. What could have caused him develop this state? He had exhibited craftsmanship of a goldsmith who crafted a hollow body of a calf, such that the air passing through pipes inside it could produce lowing sound. It is obvious that he did not have a proper workshop since they were in wilderness after Exodus from Egypt. Heat, fumes or toxic effect of some chemical he used for melting and moulding the scrap-gold to craft Calf effigy seems to have caused him stroke.

Sa'mri had in fact befooled and made mockery of entire nation of Bani Iesra'eel causing frustration and embarrassment to Ha'roon (alai'his'slaam)and Mūsā(alai'his'slaam). It was, however, a temporary phase since the entire nation, following the word of Mūsā(alai'his'slaam), cursed their selves feeling ashamed, repented and sought forgiveness. Allah the Exalted exonerated and forgave them all.

It was Sa'mri who became the permanent victim of his own deceptive craftsmanship of mocking the otherwise quite intelligent nation of Bani Iesra'eel, merely through lowing sound emitting calf effigy. Like his masterpiece production Golden Calf, he was to utter only one sound throughout rest of his life. He met the fate in the worldly life that was prescribed for those who did not repent:

  • Know the information about those who willingly adopted the sculpted Golden Calf as godhead: Criminal cognizance/liability to arrest [for the Day of Resurrection] decreed by their Sustainer Lord will become incumbent for them.

  • Moreover, dependence/pitiable-ness/humiliation will reach to them in the worldly life.

  • Mind it, this is how We "award" those who innovatively craft and conjecture falsehood distorting the fact. [7:152]

It is interesting to note that speech deficit finds particular mention in the history of  Mūsā (alai'his'slaam) portrayed in Qur’ān. Moreover, he seems quite sensitive about it which perhaps made him an expert in the art of assessment of Expressive aphasia and other symbolic manipulation deficits. Let us see how he complains and explains his speech related problem:

  • And You the Exalted do liquefy-dissolve the concentration-knot - clot removing away the impediment in my tongue that hampers eloquence; [20:27]

  • So that they might comprehend my verbal statements. [20:28]

 

 
  • Moreover, my chest feels constricted-narrow, and my tongue is passive in movements - activitydoes not fluently articulate/express.

  • Therefore, You the Exalted do send for Ha'roon [whom you have appointed Messenger with me as my sharer]. [26:13]

 
  •  Because my brother Haroon; he is more fluent than me with regard to verbal arguing/speaking ability.

  • Therefore, You do send him with me as supporter, he will second my word affirming[also read with 20:29-32]

  • Factually speaking, I am apprehensive that they might publicly contradict me." [whereupon I will have to enter into verbal argumentation]  [28:34]

 

 

The above statements of Mūsā (alai'his'slaam) quoted verbatim in Grand Qur’ān are reflective of the fact that he was aware of the cause of his speech problem and its effect. He used the verb: Imperative/Prayer, which denotes untying, to dissolve, liquefy something. Moreover, he specifically mentioned the object needing liquefaction: which denotes a knot, to tie a cord, or fibrous bond. He also mentioned its effect upon the listener which relates to comprehension.

He complains in this context about his Chest that it feels or acts: constricts, narrows. Further he reported that his Tongue does not: . It is Form-VII Verb and is intransitive, that is, it will not take an object, because it has an inherent object already which is its Subject. Therefore, it has passive meanings. The basic perception infolded in its Root "ط  ل ق" is "to become loosed from bond" [Lane Lexicon-طلق]; to be free from: knot, bond.  

The effect of the problems he mentioned with regard to his speech mechanism was that he is less fluent with regard to verbal arguing as compared to his brother Ha'roon (alai'his'slaam).

He was assured about resolving of his problem before reaching Egypt for conveying message to Pharaoh and others which we observe that only he remained involved in verbal arguments and speeches instead of Ha'roon (alai'his'slaam).

  • He the Exalted replied, "Indeed your request has been acceded to O Mūsā". [20:36]

The experts in the field of  brain and speech related mechanisms might find it as an honour for them that their point of study, interest and concern is not neglected and finds mention in the Grand Qur’ān.

  • We have not neglected mentioning a relevant thing in the Book-Grand Qur’ān. [Refer 6:38]