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Sūrah Qalam
Central Theme
This sūrah forms a pair with Sūrah Mulk, the previous sūrah.
Thus there is no principal difference between the central themes and topics of
the two. The difference lies in the style, nature of arguments and the tone
adopted. Just as in the previous sūrah the Quraysh are warned of the punishment
of the Day of Judgement and of the punishment which they will face in this world
if they deny the punishment of the Day of Judgement, similar is the warning
sounded in this sūrah. However, this sūrah is more stern in its tone.
Relationship with Previous Sūrah and Analysis of the
Discourse
At the end of the previous sūrah, the Quraysh were addressed through the
tongue of the Prophet (sws) and told: قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ
أَهْلَكَنِيَ اللَّهُ وَمَن مَّعِيَ أَوْ رَحِمَنَا فَمَن يُجِيرُ الْكَافِرِينَ
مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ (٦٧:
٢٨) (Ask them: “Have you ever thought that if
Allah destroys me and my companions or has mercy on us, who shall save the
disbelievers from an afflictive doom?”) The implication was that they should not
be crazy enough to think that the Prophet (sws) was a poet or a lunatic who will
soon be destroyed by the vicissitudes of time. Even if their desire was
fulfilled, they still had no grounds for remaining content. The question that
still remained for them is who would save them from the punishment of God! In
order to support this very premise, a comparison is made in this sūrah between
the preaching of the Prophet (sws), the Book presented by him and his lofty
character with the wicked and corrupt leadership of the Quraysh. The purpose of
this comparison is to show that soon it would become evident to friend and foe
that those who were in the grasp of the wretched leaders were being led to ruin
and those who were the guided shall attain success.
After this, the Quraysh are admonished through the parable of the people of
the orchard that the peace and security they have today should not mislead them
to think that they would remain with them forever. The God Who has blessed them
with these has the power to take them away too. If they have no fear of Him,
then they should remember that He can deprive them of these blessings in the
wink of an eye and leave them to brood over the consequences.
At the end of the sūrah, the addressees are vehemently ticked off over a
false notion: they thought that if ever the Hereafter came, they would be
blessed with the same favours there, in fact even more. They are asked how they
have regarded God to be so unjust that He would equate the righteous with the
wrongdoers. At the same time, they are challenged that if they have any oath
from God in this regard or if there are some people who have assured them of
this, then they should present its evidence. In this very connection, the
Prophet (sws) is assured that he should not worry about the vain talk of these
people. When the upheaval of the Day of Judgement takes place, then they will
come to know how far their dreams were from reality.
At the end, the Prophet (sws) is informed that these people have been caught
in the long noose of the respite given to them by God. Strong is God’s scheme;
there is no possibility for them to escape. So the Prophet (sws) should wait for
the decision of God, and should not follow Jonah (sws) in showing impatience in
this matter as a result of which he had to face a severe trial.
Text and Translation
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ
الرَّحْمَاَن الرَحِيِم
ن
وَالْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُوْنَ (١) مَا أَنْتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُوْنٍ
(٢) وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُوْنٍ (٣) وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ
(٤) فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَيُبْصِرُوْنَ (٥) بِأَيِّيكُمْ الْمَفْتُوْنُ (٦) إِنَّ رَبَّكَ
هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ (٧)
فَلَا تُطِعْ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ (٨) وَدُّوْا لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُوْنَ (٩) وَلَا
تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَهِينٍ (١٠) هَمَّازٍ مَشَّاءٍ بِنَمِيمٍ (١١) مَنَّاعٍ
لِلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ (١٢) عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ زَنِيمٍ (١٣) أَنْ كَانَ
ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ (١٤) إِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِ آيَاتُنَا قَالَ أَسَاطِيرُ
الْأَوَّلِينَ (١٥) سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى الْخُرْطُوْمِ (١٦) إِنَّا بَلَوْنَاهُمْ
كَمَا بَلَوْنَا أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوْا لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا
مُصْبِحِينَ (١٧) وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُوْنَ (١٨) فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَائِفٌ مِنْ
رَبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَائِمُوْنَ (١٩) فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَالصَّرِيمِ (٢٠) فَتَنَادَوْا
مُصْبِحِينَ (٢١) أَنْ اغْدُوْا عَلَى حَرْثِكُمْ إِنْ كُنتُمْ صَارِمِينَ (٢٢)
فَانطَلَقُوْا وَهُمْ يَتَخَافَتُوْنَ (٢٣) أَنْ لَا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا الْيَوْمَ
عَلَيْكُمْ مِسْكِينٌ (٢٤) وَغَدَوْا عَلَى حَرْدٍ قَادِرِينَ (٢٥)فَلَمَّا
رَأَوْهَا قَالُوْا إِنَّا لَضَالُّوْنَ (٢٦) بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُوْمُوْنَ (٢٧)
قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُوْنَ (٢٨) قَالُوْا
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ (٢٩) فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى
بَعْضٍ يَتَلَاوَمُوْنَ (٣٠) قَالُوْا يَاوَيْلَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا طَاغِينَ (٣١)
عَسَى رَبُّنَا أَنْ يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا
رَاغِبُوْنَ (٣٢) كَذَلِكَ الْعَذَابُ وَلَعَذَابُ الْآخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ لَوْ
كَانُوْا يَعْلَمُوْنَ (٣٣) إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتِ
النَّعِيمِ (٣٤) أَفَنَجْعَلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَالْمُجْرِمِينَ (٣٥) مَا لَكُمْ
كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُوْنَ (٣٦) أَمْ لَكُمْ كِتَابٌ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُوْنَ (٣٧) إِنَّ
لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا يَتَخَيَّرُوْنَ (٣٨) أَمْ لَكُمْ أَيْمَانٌ عَلَيْنَا
بَالِغَةٌ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّ لَكُمْ لَمَا تَحْكُمُوْنَ (٣٩) سَلْهُم
أَيُّهُمْ بِذَلِكَ زَعِيمٌ (٤٠) أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ فَلْيَأْتُوْا
بِشُرَكَائِهِمْ إِنْ كَانُوْا صَادِقِينَ (٤١) يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَنْ سَاقٍ
وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُوْدِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُوْنَ (٤٢) خَاشِعَةً
أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ وَقَدْ كَانُوْا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُوْدِ
وَهُمْ سَالِمُوْنَ (٤٣) فَذَرْنِي وَمَنْ يُكَذِّبُ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ
سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ (٤٤) وَأُمْلِي لَهُمْ إِنَّ
كَيْدِي مَتِينٌ (٤٥) أَمْ تَسْأَلُهُمْ أَجْرًا فَهُمْ مِنْ مَغْرَمٍ مُثْقَلُوْنَ
(٤٦) أَمْ عِنْدَهُمْ الْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُوْنَ (٤٧) فَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ
رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُنْ كَصَاحِبِ الْحُوْتِ إِذْ نَادَى وَهُوَ مَكْظُوْمٌ (٤٨)
لَوْلَا أَنْ تَدَارَكَهُ نِعْمَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ لَنُبِذَ بِالْعَرَاءِ وَهُوَ
مَذْمُوْمٌ (٤٩) فَاجْتَبَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَجَعَلَهُ مِنْ الصَّالِحِينَ (٥٠) وَإِنْ
يَكَادُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوْا لَيُزْلِقُوْنَكَ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوْا
الذِّكْرَ وَيَقُوْلُوْنَ إِنَّهُ لَمَجْنُوْنٌ (٥١)
وَمَا هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِلْعَالَمِينَ (٥٢)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Ever-Merciful.
This is Sūrah Nūn. By the pen and by that from which they write that you are
not, by the grace of your Lord, possessed, and indeed for you is a reward
unending, and you are of a lofty character. So soon you shall see and they shall
also see with which of the groups is the one who has been led away. Your Lord
only best knows those who have strayed from His path and those who are rightly
guided. (1-7)
So, give no heed to these rejecters. They desire that you be flexible, then
they will also become flexible. And heed not every person who is swearer of
false oaths, despicable, maker of evil gestures, who goes about sowing seeds of
dissension, forbidder of good, transgressor, usurper of rights, cruel and
moreover is rootless. This character is so because he has wealth and children.
When Our revelations are recited to him he cries out: “These are but tales of
the ancients.” Soon on this snout will We brand him. (8-16)
We put them through a test just as We put the owners of the orchard through a
test when they swore that they would surely pick the fruit of their orchard in
the morning and would not leave anything. Then whilst they were asleep, a mover
from your Lord moved through it in such a manner that it became like a crop
harvested. At daybreak, they called out to one another: “Go early in the morning
to your plantation if you are to pick its fruit.” Then off they went whispering
to one another: “No needy person should set foot in this orchard today.” And
they proceeded with resolve and determination. But when they saw it, they cried
out: “Surely we have lost our way; in fact, we have been ruined.” Said a
somewhat balanced person among them: “Did I not tell you: ‘why do you not
glorify the Lord?”’ Then they cried out: “Glory be to our Lord; indeed it is we
who were the wrong-doers.” Then they started blaming one another: “Woe to us.”
they cried. “We have been great transgressors. Perhaps our Lord will give us in
its place a better orchard than it. To Him do we now turn.” In such a way, shall
the punishment come, and the punishment of the Hereafter shall be much greater
than this. Would that these people only knew! (17-33)
Indeed for the pious, there are gardens of bliss with their Lord. Should We
equate the obedient with those who transgress? What is the matter with you? What
is this judgement you make? Have you a scripture in which you read that you will
have whatever you desire? Or have you oaths with Us binding till the Day of
Judgement that you will have what you yourselves ordain? Ask them: “Who among
them will take responsibility of this?” Do they have some associates? Let them
produce these associates if what they say be true. (34-41)
They must remember the day when a great tumult will take place, and they will
be called to bow in adoration and they will not be able to do so. Downcast shall
be their looks; ignominy shall cover them. And they also used to be called to
bow in adoration when they were normal. (42-43)
So leave Me with those who are denying this Discourse. We are gradually
bringing them from a place they know not. And I am giving them respite. Indeed,
very truly powerful is My scheme. (44-45)
Are you demanding some payment from them so that they are burdened with its
penalty? Or is it that they have knowledge of the Unseen; thus they are writing
it down? So with patience wait for the judgement of your Lord and be not like
the companion of the fish when he called His Lord in anguish. Had not the favour
of His Lord found him, he would have remained in the wilderness in disgrace. So
His Lord chose him and placed him among the righteous. (46-50)
And when these disbelievers hear the reminder, they look at you as if they
would almost make you stumble with their eyes and say: “He is surely possessed.”
Yet it is only a reminder to all mankind. (51-52)
Explanation
ن وَالْقَلَمِ
وَمَا يَسْطُرُوْنَ (١)
Just as in the opening verse of Sūrah Qāf (50:1), the name of the sūrah is
mentioned as Qāf, similarly in the opening verse of this sūrah its name is
mentioned as Nūn. According to linguistic principles of Arabic, the mubtatadā’
(inchoative) is suppressed here, which I have revealed in the translation. While
explaining the opening verses of Sūrah Baqarah, I have already alluded to the
opinion of Imām Farāhī regarding the hurūf-i muqatta‘āt (the abbreviated letters
at the sūrah openings). According to him, these are names of their respective
sūrahs and are used to signify some meaning. Though the meanings of most of
these letters are now lost, however, some of them have survived to this day. In
order to substantiate his theory, one of the letters he has cited is Nūn that
still signifies its ancient meaning: fish. By naming this sūrah thus, the
allusion is to the Prophet Jonah (sws) who had been swallowed by a fish. Thus at
the very end of the sūrah, he is addressed as sāhib al-hūt (companion of the
fish). In verse eighty seven of Sūrah Anbiyā’, he is also addressed as dhū al-nūn
which has precisely the same meaning as sāhib al-hūt.
The letter و (waw) here denotes an oath. I have
explained many times earlier in this tafsīr that in the Qur’ān such oaths are
meant to substantiate a claim(s). Here, as shall be presently explained, three
claims are substantiated.
First, it is an utter idiocy of the opponents of the Prophet (sws) to call
him a person possessed. He is not an insane person; in fact, by the grace of
God, he is sanest of all people.
Second, if these opponents think that all the efforts of the Prophet (sws)
will be short-lived, then this is a false notion. There is unending reward for
him both in this world and in that to come.
Third, he possesses a lofty character; hence those who are ignoring him by
regarding him to be a poet or a mad person are only inviting their doom.
At various instances, the Qur’ān has presented itself to substantiate these
claims. Thus, there is a strong indication that the verse
وَالْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُوْنَ actually refers to the Qur’ān. Moreover,
there is a narrative from Mujāhid that the word “pen” refers to the pen with
which the Qur’ān was being written and the expression “that which they write”
refers to the Qur’ān itself.
It needs to be kept in mind that teaching by the pen is one of the greatest
favours of the Almighty. Thus it is said in Sūrah ‘Alaq: (٩٦:
٣-٥) عَلَّمَ الْإِنسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ
اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ (Read and the fact is
that your Lord is the most Bounteous who taught by the pen. He taught man what
he knew not, (96:3-5)). Earlier prophets of God orally taught their followers
and it was very difficult to preserve those oral teachings. They would soon
become adulterated or would be erased from memories. In order to protect
religion from this danger, the Almighty taught man the use of the pen and
writing. This made it possible for him to gain knowledge through writing instead
of gaining it orally. Thus, first of all, he was given the ten commandments of
the Torah written on stone tablets. The teachings of the later prophets were
also written. Finally, the Qur’ān, the last word of God was preserved in such an
elaborate manner that there could remain no possibility of any alteration in it
till the Day of Judgement.
It is because of this importance of the pen that the Almighty has sworn by
it. In my opinion, it does not refer to any specific pen; it refers to all the
written record of divine teachings which was preserved through the pen ie. the
Torah, the Psalms and the Injīl etc. The teachings of these sacred scriptures
also attest to the Prophethood of Muhammad (sws), and also found in them are
indubitable testimonies to his advent. I have already explained these earlier in
this tafsīr.
Contextual indications show that the words وَمَا
يَسْطُرُوْنَ (what they are writing) refer to the Qur’ān which was being
revealed at that time and was being written by the Companions (rta). After an
oath sworn by the previous scriptures, this is an oath sworn by the Qur’ān. It
has been presented as an evidence to the veracity, civility and the prophethood
of Muhammad (sws). What is implied is that the very exaltedness and loftiness of
the discourse of the person who is presenting it shows that he is not a poet or
a person possessed; he is, in fact, a messenger of God.
It should be kept in consideration that in response to such allegations of
the disbelievers, the Almighty has generally presented the Qur’ān before them so
that they can see and justly judge whether such words can be produced by some
poet, soothsayer or mad person or whether they originate from God.
مَا أَنْتَ
بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُوْنٍ (٢)
This is the complement of the oath: All previous scriptures, and this Qur’ān
which is being written bear witness that the Prophet (sws) is not a person
possessed; he is, in fact, imparting people the same teachings as were imparted
by all other prophets of God from Adam (sws) to Jesus (sws) upon whose veracity
history bears witness. If these self-styled intellectuals are calling him a
person possessed, he should not feel sad; he is not insane; in fact, by the
grace of his Lord, he is the sanest of all people; it is only that these
reckless intellectuals have lost their senses and are not able to distinguish
between the sane and the insane.
The reason that the Quraysh called the Prophet (sws) mad was that their
leaders were totally unable to understand from where the punishment with which
he was emphatically and vehemently warning them as if he had seen it with his
very eyes would arrive. They were worried that the extra-ordinary conviction
found in his tone, the superhuman concern and anxiety found in his preaching
endeavours and the heart-melting affection and sympathy found in his manner of
reminding people was greatly influencing the masses. For this reason, they
wanted to convince people that his anxiety and concern were not because there
was any imminent danger of they being punished and that the Almighty had
actually sent him to forewarn them of this punishment; the fact of the matter
was that he was afflicted with hallucinations which made him imagine its coming
from all sides. In order to further strengthen their claim, they would add that
he was under some magical spell which had mentally deranged him and caused such
nonsensical conversation from him.
وَإِنَّ لَكَ
لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُوْنٍ (٣)
This verse states positively what was said negatively earlier on: foolish are
they who regarding the Prophet (sws) to be crazy await his devastation through
the vicissitudes of time; it is they who, on the contrary, are destined to be
devastated; for the Prophet (sws) there is an everlasting reward; these arrogant
people whose affluence has made them proud are facing an imminent punishment,
and soon they will face the consequences of this conceit; contrary to them, the
Prophet (sws) will receive a never ending reward for his adherence to the truth.
The word غَيْرَ مَمْنُوْن means “unending”. Some
people have interpreted it differently; however, this interpretation is not only
against linguistic principles of Arabic, it is also against other parallel
verses of the Qur’ān.
وَإِنَّكَ
لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ (٤)
The Prophet (sws) is addressed and told that just as prophets before him had
exemplary characters, he too has a lofty character. In fact, this character of
his is a conclusive answer to those who by regarding him to be a poet, a
soothsayer or a madman want to convince themselves and their masses that soon
his influence will die away.
At many places in the Qur’ān, the lofty character of the Prophet (sws) is
presented to substantiate the truth of his mission. In Sūrah Shu‘arā’, the moral
depletion of poets and soothsayers, their intellectual ramblings and the lack of
correspondence between what they claim and what they practice is discussed in
detail, and those people are rebuked who regard the Prophet (sws) to be among
this ignoble group. They are asked what is the relationship of the exalted
character of the Prophet with the character of these soothsayers and poets whose
inner and outer selves are equally dreadful.
فَسَتُبْصِرُ
وَيُبْصِرُوْنَ بِأَيِّيكُمْ الْمَفْتُوْنُ (٥-٦)
This is an assurance to the Prophet (sws) and a threat to his opponents. If
they want to belittle his mission by regarding him to be a person possessed, he
should show patience. Very soon, he shall see and they shall also see which of
the two are with the person who has been led away: the believers who are led by
the Prophet (sws) or the Quraysh are who led by Abū Lahab and Abū Jahal. The
implication is that the time of judgement is near, and soon reality will
manifest itself. Very soon all will see who had been led away by Satan and had
thereby ruined their nation, and who had been shielded from the onslaughts of
Satan and had led his followers to success both in this world and in that to
come.
Here a law of God which has been mentioned at numerous places in the Qur’ān
should be kept in consideration: the messengers of God decide the fate of their
respective nations in this very world. Just as the assurance for the believers
and the warning for the disbelievers found in the verse relates to the
Hereafter, it also relates to this world. This is merely a restatement of what
was said at the end of the previous sūrah in the words:
فَسَتَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ هُوَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ (٢٩:٦٧) (soon you shall
know who is in manifest error, (67:29)).
In the expression بِأَيِّيكُمْ الْمَفْتُوْنُ the
letter ب apparently seems incongruous withتُبْصِرُ
andيُبْصِرُوْنَ . However, as per a common
linguistic principle of Arabic, the wordيُبْصِرُوْنَ
encompasses the meaning of يَعْلَمُوْن and if I
remember correctly, Zamakhsharī also holds this view and I regard this view to
be in accordance with linguistic principles of Arabic. The
بِأَيِّيكُمْ means بِأَيِّ الحِزْبَيْن.
The word مَفْتُوْن does not mean
مَجَنُوْن (mad). It connotes its original meaning ie a person who has
been led away by this world and by Satan. In other words, the Qur’ān says that
those who are lured away in this manner are in fact مَجَنُوْن
(mad), and the group whose reins are controlled by such madmen finally ends up
in Hell.
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ
هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ (٧)
This is a further emphasis and substantiation of what is said above. Since
the Almighty knows full well those who are guided and those who have deviated
from this guidance, He will deal with each of these in the manner they are
worthy of. It is not possible that those worthy of humiliation will always be
blessed with a life of honour and success, nor is it possible that those worthy
of success always remain afflicted with the cruelty of the oppressors. This
world is not a place where people are not being watched. It is the creation of a
creator who has full knowledge of all things. It is essential that it culminate
in a day of judgement. The implication is that the Prophet (sws) should trust
God; He will not deal in the same manner with the righteous and the wrongdoers.
فَلَا تُطِعْ
الْمُكَذِّبِينَ (٨)
When the reality is what has been stated above, then the Prophet (sws) should
not pay attention to the nonsensical talk of those who deny the punishment of
rejecting the Day of Judgement and those who deny the Day of Judgement itself.
If these people have no fear of both these punishments, then let them be as they
are. If they are satisfied that if ever the Day of Judgement comes, they will be
blessed with the same favours as they have been blessed with here, let them
remain in the trance of this dream. This world is not revolving around their
desires; it has been created by a wise and powerful being, and it is essential
that one day His wisdom and justice manifest in their ultimate forms.
The word إِطَاعَةٌ here means “to be affected or
influenced by something”. It is used in this sense in both the Qur’ān and in
classical Arabic.
وَدُّوْا لَوْ
تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُوْنَ (٩)
This verse unveils the real reason the Prophet’s enemies are opposing him
for. In other words, they have no doubt in the veracity of what he says;
however, accepting it is against their desires; for this reason they are trying
to vehemently pressurize him to soften his stance so that as a result he accepts
some of their demands and they accept some of his. In this manner, a compromise
is reached. The verse thus brings to light the fact that their opposition is not
based on any sincerity with their own religion; it is merely an attempt to
bargain their position with the Prophet (sws). As long as they have hope of
succeeding in these tactics, they will continue with their efforts; however, as
soon as they realize that this is a lost cause, they will lose the will and
determination to continue with these.
Here a question arises on the language pattern used by the Qur’ān. According
to linguistic principles, the verse should have been thus:
وَدُّوْا لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُوا; however, the word used is
فَيُدْهِنُوْنَ. The answer to this question is that a
different style has been adopted here; the inchoative (mubtadā’) has been
suppressed. The sentence actually was فَهُمْ َيُدْهِنُوْنَ.
The meaning would then be: it is their desire that the Prophet (sws) softens his
stance and then they too will soften their attitude. Examples of this style can
be seen in the Qur’ān.
وَلَا تُطِعْ
كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَهِينٍ (١٠)
This verse is co-ordinated to the previous verse, and once again the Prophet
(sws) is emphatically warned that he should not pay attention to such people.
The verse does not refer to someone in particular, as has been generally
understood by people. This and the subsequent verses portray a graphic picture
of the moral degradation and depletion of the leadership of the Quraysh. The
purpose is to compare the lofty character of the Prophet (sws) alluded to in
verse four with the character of such leaders of the Quraysh as Abū Lahab, Walīd
ibn Mughīrah, Abū Jahal and Akhnas ibn Shurayq. By this comparison, everyone can
decide what fate each will meet.
The fact that these verses do not portray the character of someone in
particular and in fact depict the character of the whole leadership of the
Quraysh is evident from various aspects.
Firstly, this verse is co-ordinated to the previous verse “pay no attention
to the disbelievers”, and the word disbelievers of course does not refer to a
specific person; the occasion of this word shows that it refers to all the
leadership of the Quraysh.
Secondly, the word كُلّ (every) shows that the
character under discussion is that of the complete group and not of a specific
individual.
Thirdly, in the coming verses, the word used is
بَلَوْنَاهُمْ which obviously has a plural pronoun which shows that its
antecedent is not an individual but a group of individuals.
Fourthly, the character traits which are portrayed here relate to the
complete leadership of the Quraysh; if they are made to relate to a single
individual, then this will require a lot of artificial effort.
Once these principles are understood, let us deliberate on the words of the
verse.
The wordحَلَّافٌ refers to a person who swears a
lot. I have already explained in this tafsīr that this word never comes in the
positive sense. Moreover, here it is qualified by the word
مَهِينٌ (despicable). Obviously, only that person will swear a lot who
has no regard for his own self-esteem. People who have an immoral or blameworthy
character always remain in doubt because of their inferiority complex that
unless they swear, others will not be convinced of what they are saying. Thus,
it is mentioned at many instances in the Qur’ān that the Hypocrites would swear
to camouflage their character. As far as the leadership of the Quraysh is
concerned, they could not point out the slightest blemish in the Prophet’s
character nor did have anything to say against Islam based on arguments. The
only means they had to fool their masses was to swear profusely that God forbid,
he is a poet or a soothsayer, a mad person and someone who imputes lies to God.
هَمَّازٍ
مَشَّاءٍ بِنَمِيمٍ (١١)
The word هَمَّاز is an emphatic form of
همز and means “maker of evil gestures”. Making such
evil gestures and verbal caricatures is a special trait of those who want to
belittle someone in the eyes of others. Body movements, eyes and eye-brows are
also employed for this purpose as well as words and sentences. Examples of the
gestures and mocking sentences with which the Quraysh used to target the Prophet
(sws) and poor Muslims can be seen in the Qur’ān, and I have also explained them
at the relevant places of this tafsīr. Such traits are also referred to in
وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةٍ (١٠٤:
١) (woe to
every back-biting slanderer, (104:1)). The arrogant do not have the force of
arguments to support their views; so they try to defeat the cause of truth with
whatever evil means they can lay their hands on. In reality, how can such feeble
weapons counter the razor-sharp sword of the truth?
The words نَمِيْمَةٌ and نمِيْمٌrefer
to sowing seeds of dissension and back-biting. This is a reference to the
activity of horse-trading and causing disgruntlement in people with which the
leadership of the Quraysh would remain pre-occupied day and night, and for this
they would use the weapon of back-biting. This was their greatest means of
causing dissent and disunity among people.
It was through this means that they were also opposing Islam. They were
vehemently engaged in spreading rumours and misconceptions among Muslims in
order to cause dissension between them. The purpose was to destroy the seeds of
fraternity and brotherhood sown by Islam and to try to make people form
absolutely unfounded bad opinions about one another.
مَنَّاعٍ
لِلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ (١٢)
It is evident from the previous verses that the whole edifice of their
leadership stood on lies, back-biting and humiliating others. In this verse, it
is explained that these die-hard enemies of virtue who violate the bounds set by
God are also ones who usurp the rights of human beings.
The words مَنَّاعٍ لِلْخَيْرِ refer in general to
people who stop others from doing any kind of virtuous deed; however, here a
special reference is to their stinginess: they neither have the heart to spend
even a penny on the poor nor can bear seeing others spend on them; they want
that others too should become misers like themselves so that they are able to
hide their own miserliness. The Qur’ān has explained from various aspects this
very trait of misers that they lead others to miserliness also so that they
their own meanness remains concealed.
The words مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ imply that they usurp
the rights of others and also do not fulfill the rights of others imposed on
them. The word إِعْتَدَا refers to the first type of
sin and the word إثْمٌ to the second type. Thus these
people not only are misers and want others to be misers too, they also have
these traits.
عُتُلٍّ
بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ زَنِيمٍ (١٣)
The word عُتُلٍّ means “cruel and ruthless”. A
person who is stingy shall necessarily be cruel. This is only the inner aspect
of the traits mentioned earlier. It is about these people that the Qur’ān has
said: فَذَلِكَ الَّذِي يَدُعُّ الْيَتِيمَ أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي
يُكَذِّبُ بِالدِّينِ (١٠٣:
١-٢) (have you seen the one who belies reward
and punishment?! He it is who drives away the orphan, (103:1-2)).
The word زَنِيمٍ is explained thus by
lexicographers: الملحق بقوم ليس منهم و لا يحتاجون إليه (a
person who associates himself with the lineage of a clan whereas he actually
does not belong to it and the clan also feel no need of him). This word has been
formed from زنمة, which refers to glands that hang
from the necks of goats, and their status is that of a redundant limb of the
body. It is mentioned in some narratives that Akhnas ibn Shurayq belonged to the
Thaqīf tribe but he claimed to belong to the Zahrah tribe. Similarly, it is
known that Walīd ibn Mughīrah claimed to belong to the Quraysh tribe although he
did not belong to it. People who want to associate themselves with superior
tribes regarding their own lineage to be worthless are generally show-offs. Such
people have a habit of flattery and sycophancy and putting up a false show of
national pride to earn credibility in the clan. Thus such “impure” Qurayshites
were specially in the forefront in opposing the Prophet (sws). To show their
deep affiliation to their clan, they would try to instigate their people against
the Prophet (sws) by alleging that his preaching was causing dissensions in the
unity of the Quraysh. It is such show-offs that the Qur’ān has pointed out and
said that besides immoral traits which these leaders have, there are some
parasites who claim to be more loyal than the real members of the clan and have
become the custodians of their traditions of the age of ignorance. Their evil
nature has been further incited by more evil. The Qur’ān here has harshly
commented in this manner on a character trait which necessarily finds expression
in people who are afflicted with the malady of inferiority complex and lack of
self-confidence.
أَنْ كَانَ
ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ (١٤)
Mentioned in this verse is the reason for such a character. This verse is
very subtle: if God had blessed them with wealth and children they should have
shown gratitude and obedience to Him and should have become the proponents of
the truth revealed by Him; on the contrary, they became ingrates and utterly
defiant. It is mentioned at many instances in the Qur’ān in different styles
that the purpose of God in blessing people with favours is to test them whether
they become grateful or being overcome with arrogance start following Satan. It
is in this same trial that the Almighty put these people but they badly failed
in it and their blessings became a means of God’s wrath.
إِذَا تُتْلَى
عَلَيْهِ آيَاتُنَا قَالَ أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ (١٥)
This is a portrayal of the arrogance and haughtiness with which these people
were overcome. Instead of seeking a lesson from nations who had been destroyed
because they too had been similarly inflicted with arrogance and haughtiness,
they make fun of them when their accounts are mentioned to them. They regard
them to be ancient stories which have no link with the present. What they
implied was that neither were they willing to accept the relater of such tales
to be a prophet nor would they be over-awed by such tales; what relation have
these tales to rejecting or accepting a prophet of God, they contended.
سَنَسِمُهُ
عَلَى الْخُرْطُوْمِ (١٦)
This is the punishment these people will encounter in the Hereafter for their
pride and arrogance. The word خُرْطُوْمِ means
“trunk”. Here it is used as a metaphor for the noses of such people because
these people were opposing the Prophet (sws) only to keep their noses high. If
someone becomes so infatuated with keeping his nose high that he is ready to
deny the most obvious of truths, then this means that his nose is not merely a
nose, he has actually enlarged and inflated it to become a trunk. It is for this
crime that soon the Almighty will brand him on his trunk and everyone will see
this humiliation he will go through. This is a very apt expression of arrogance
and its punishment; its subtlety and eloquence are beyond words.
إِنَّا
بَلَوْنَاهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَا أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوْا
لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ (١٧)
In order to highlight the hollowness of the character of the leadership
mentioned above, a parable is recounted here to them. In it, they are shown that
their authority which has made them so conceited and proud that they are making
fun of the warnings of the Prophet (sws) has no foundation. Whenever the
Almighty wishes, He can deprive them of it in the wink of an eye. At that time,
they will mourn their wretchedness, and will even repent before Him but this
will be of no use to them.
The antecedent of the pronoun هُمْ (they) in
بَلَوْنَاهُمْ obviously refers to the people whose
character has been discussed earlier. This alone, as has been indicated earlier,
is a very clear indication of the fact that this character is not that of a
specific individual; it is that of the total leadership of the Quraysh. Had only
one person’s character been discussed, the pronoun would have been singular.
Similarly, another important point relating to the language should be kept in
consideration. In the expression أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ,
the word الْجَنَّة has an alif lām which apparently
means that the reference is to some specific people of the orchard. The defining
alif lāms or demonstrative nouns (الَّذِي or
الَّتي) which occur in parables are not meant to point
to some specific entity, as has been explained in this tafsīr at a number of
occasions. Their purpose is only to portray the overall situation so that the
reader gets to know the complete picture. For this reason, there is no need to
go after finding out the incident that relates to the owners of a particular
orchard in Yemen or in Sana as has been done by our exegetes. This is merely a
picture of the mentality and fate of the leadership of the Quraysh portrayed in
a manner that no aspect remains hidden.
The words إِذْ أَقْسَمُوْا لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ
refer to the confidence which the people of the orchard had in their
success. They were very satisfied and content that their orchard had braved
various phases of weather change and had become safe and secure from all
calamities. In their opinion, the only thing left for them to do was to go there
the next day and pick its fruit and bring it home. Consequently, they swore to
express this intention that the next morning they would definitely harvest its
fruit.
وَلَا
يَسْتَثْنُوْنَ (١٨)
Generally, people have interpreted this verse to mean that while swearing
these people did not utter the wordsإِنْ شَاءَ الله
(if God wills). In other words, they were so sure of their success that they
could not in the slightest think of anything that could cause any impediment in
this. Although all the exegetes are unanimous in this interpretation, I
personally am not convinced about it. Although the word
إِسْتِثْنَاء can be possibly translated thus however the style adopted is
not appropriate to convey the derived meaning. In such a case, instead of saying
وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُوْنَ the words should have been
وَ لَمْ يَسْتَثْنُوْا or something similar. The word إِسْتِثْنَاء
is not a very explicit word for saying إِنْ شَاءَ الله
. If it has to imply this meaning, then there must be some contextual
indication for it. Here we find no such satisfactory indication.
In my opinion, the word is used in its literal meaning. They swore that they
would necessarily pick the fruit of the orchard and would not leave any of them.
In other words, what they swore was that they would pick all the fruit and leave
nothing for the poor. Leaving some fruit for the poor and needy is a common age
old custom found in generous and pious people. It is mentioned in the Bible:
Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of
your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the
LORD your God. (Leviticus, 19:10).
It is while keeping this known tradition in mind that these people swore that
they would not follow this tradition. They swore to lay emphasis on their
statement otherwise such swearing was not needed in the statement.
Since in this parable the character of the leaders of the Quraysh has been
highlighted by calling themمَنَّاعٍ لِلْخَيْرِ
(forbidder of good), عُتُلٍّ (cruel) and
أَثِيمٍ (usurper of rights), the oath sworn by the
owners of the orchard is specially mentioned here so that the similarity between
the two is highlighted. Readers should recall to their minds the picture of the
stinginess of Abū Lahab and his associates portrayed by the Qur’ān at various
places.
فَطَافَ
عَلَيْهَا طَائِفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَائِمُوْنَ (١٩) فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَالصَّرِيمِ
(٢٠)
What happened in the orchard is attributed to God and this alludes to two
things: firstly, the calamity arrived without the slightest expectation that it
would, and secondly, it was so devastating in nature that it miraculously routed
the orchard to nothingness in the wink of an eye.
The Prophet (sws) is addressed in the words مِنْ رَبِّكَ
(from your Lord) to assure him. In the initial verses of this sūrah, the Prophet
(sws) is told that if today he warns these people of God’s punishment, they
regard him to be a person possessed since they see themselves in smooth
circumstances. They fail to understand from where this punishment would descend
on them. This parable has shown them that the punishment of God comes in such a
manner that all of man’s schemes which he devises with the conviction of pledges
and oaths are rendered into ruin when he wakes up to embark upon executing them.
فَتَنَادَوْا
مُصْبِحِينَ (٢١) أَنْ اغْدُوْا عَلَى حَرْثِكُمْ إِنْ كُنتُمْ صَارِمِينَ (٢٢)
The word حَرْثٌٌ actually means “sown land”; here
it refers to the orchard mentioned earlier. The reason for this is, as has
already been indicated before, that in Arabia within orchards there were pieces
of land in which various crops would be sown. For this reason, both the word
orchard (جَنَّةٌ) and sown land (حَرْث)
are used for such areas.
The words إِنْ كُنتُمْ صَارِمِينَ (if you are to
pick its fruit) are to challenge and convince their associates. What is implied
is that if they want to carry out this task, they should not waste time and
immediately proceed to the place; otherwise, they might incur loss.
فَانطَلَقُوْا
وَهُمْ يَتَخَافَتُوْنَ (٢٣) أَنْ لَا يَدْخُلَنَّهَا الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُمْ
مِسْكِينٌ (٢٤)
This is another portrayal of their stinginess. Earlier on, the words
وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُوْنَ (and would not leave anything)
also referred to this despicable trait in them.
وَغَدَوْا
عَلَى حَرْدٍ قَادِرِينَ (٢٥)
The word حَرْد means “enthusiasm, freshness,
resolve and hurried-gait”. The implication is that they were fully prepared to
protect themselves from being followed by the poor and needy, and marched off to
the orchard with grit and resolve. The word قَادِرِينَ
portrays their inner confidence and determination that soon they would be able
to realize their aim: the fruit was ripe to be picked and no one could interfere
to stop them; the only fear was from the poor and that too had been taken care
of.
فَلَمَّا
رَأَوْهَا قَالُوْا إِنَّا لَضَالُّوْنَ (٢٦) بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُوْمُوْنَ (٢٧)
Such was the extent of devastation met by the orchard that on first sight
they were not able to recognize it. They thought that they had lost their way in
the dark but they soon realized what had happened. All their desires and wishes
were dashed to the ground. Their orchard was ruined and they were deprived of
this prized possession.
قَالَ
أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُوْنَ (٢٨)
The word أَوْسَطُهُمْ refers to the most upright
and fair person among them. Even the most evil of societies have some noble
souls who stop people from their ill-ways whether those sunk in oblivion hear
them or not. A similar person was found among them who would, at various
instances, remind them to be heedful of God and to glorify Him. The word
تَسْبِيْخٌ is very comprehensive in nature and
encompasses remembering the Almighty as well as worshipping Him. Initially, his
exhortations were met with a deaf ear but later when they saw the consequences
of their attitude, they realized that God was a reality and that this person was
not wrong in his counsel.
قَالُوْا
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ (٢٩)
These words were their instant reaction. They realized that they were so
inebriated with their success that they forgot the majesty of God, and if
someone tried to remind them of it, they never paid heed.
This confession is similar to the confession made by the Pharaoh when he and
his army were about to drown. Such repentance is too late to be accepted and is
of no avail.
فَأَقْبَلَ
بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ يَتَلَاوَمُوْنَ (٣٠) قَالُوْا يَاوَيْلَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا
طَاغِينَ (٣١)
After meeting this fate, everyone started the blame game. People who are not
sensible blame one another when they see the consequences of their foolishness
even though all are to be equally blamed for the mishap. The only difference is
that some lead the way in creating such disorder and others blindly follow them.
At last, they all have to confess that all of them are responsible for the
crime.
عَسَى
رَبُّنَا أَنْ يُبْدِلَنَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا رَاغِبُوْنَ (٣٢)
This is what they said later after blaming one another.
Here the Qur’ān has not commented upon whether their hope was fulfilled or
not. However, as per divine practice, people who repent after the time for
repentance expires are not entertained by the Almighty.
For the purpose that the Quraysh are recounted this parable, a similar
parable occurs in verses 32-43 of Sūrah Kahf.
كَذَلِكَ
الْعَذَابُ وَلَعَذَابُ الْآخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ لَوْ كَانُوْا يَعْلَمُوْنَ (٣٣)
After recounting the parable, the Quraysh are warned that the punishment with
which the Messenger of God is threatening them will come to them in a similar
manner. Today they are engrossed in their pleasures and have no fear of God
seizing them. If the Prophet (sws) is warning them of this danger, they call him
a mad person. They are not able to understand from where this punishment will
descend on them. The fact of the matter is that it will come to them from where
they cannot even imagine. At that time, they will encounter something very
similar to what the owners of the orchard encountered; however, their wailings
at that time will be absolutely useless to them.
The words كَذَلِكَ الْعَذَابُ point to the
punishment which according to an unalterable divine practice comes to a people
who reject its Messenger after he has conclusively communicated the truth to it.
This punishment, as I have pointed out at several places, decides the fate of
such people. After that they will face the punishment of the Hereafter which
will be much greater than this punishment. The Messengers of God, warned their
people of both these types of punishment.
The words لَوْ كَانُوْا يَعْلَمُوْنَ express
yearning and sorrow: these foolish and reckless people regard the Hereafter to
be improbable even though it is inevitable and the punishment it will bring is
very horrible; only if these people cared to know and understand.
إِنَّ
لِلْمُتَّقِينَ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ (٣٤)
After a delineation of the fate of the arrogant, mentioned in this verse is
the reward for the God-fearing (مُتَّقِينَ). For
people who led their lives in this world while remaining fearful of their
accountability in the Hereafter, there are gardens of bliss with their Lord. The
God-fearing are mentioned in parallel to the arrogant who were so deeply
inebriated with their worldly successes that this had left them unafraid of
God’s grasp and the punishment of the Hereafter. From this contrast, one can
gauge what the God-fearing are: they are people who have not been lured away by
the pleasures of this world; they are fully aware of the reality.
أَفَنَجْعَلُ
الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَالْمُجْرِمِينَ (٣٥)
Mentioned in this verse is the reason for which the God-fearing will be
awarded such gardens of bliss. It is said that this is but a natural requisite
of God’s justice and mercy. If this does not happen, it will mean that to the
Creator of this world the righteous and the wrongdoers, the loyal and the
traitors, the believers and the disbelievers are equal. This obviously conflicts
with the higher attributes of God. How can good and evil be equal in His eyes?
مَا لَكُمْ
كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُوْنَ (٣٦)
Amazement is expressed on the attitude of the arrogant. The implication of
these questions is that if they do not believe in the accountability of the
Hereafter, and that the only life is the life of this world which will either
continue forever or end one day, then this means that they regard the Creator to
be devoid of the attributes of justice and mercy Who does not care whether
people are pious or impious. If this is their verdict, they should think how
far away it is from sense and reason. What a great allegation they make on the
Creator Whose providence, mercy, power and wisdom is borne witness to by every
speck and object of this universe.
It is obvious from this question of the Qur’ān that human intellect and
nature do not accept this verdict. If some accept this verdict, then this can
only mean two things: either they are merely deceiving their intellect while
being helpless before their desires and negate their nature or they have
perverted both their intellect and nature.
أَمْ لَكُمْ
كِتَابٌ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُوْنَ (٣٧) إِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا يَتَخَيَّرُوْنَ (٣٨)
This is another scathing criticism on another baseless desire of the Quraysh:
they claimed that in the first place there was no such thing as the Hereafter
and if ever it was going to come, they would be blessed with even more than what
they had in the world. They had the misconception that if they were not
favourites of God, how could they have been blessed with such political and
social leadership; so, they contended, that if they were favourites of God, they
would be given even more in the Hereafter. It is on this misconception that
these verses address them and ask what had led them to this misunderstanding and
whether they had a scripture from God which guaranteed that all their desires
would be fulfilled. The implication of these questions is that these desires
which they nurture in their hearts have no basis in sense and reason; yes, if
they have a divine scripture in support of this claim, they should present it.
أَمْ لَكُمْ
أَيْمَانٌ عَلَيْنَا بَالِغَةٌ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّ لَكُمْ لَمَا
تَحْكُمُوْنَ (٣٩)
The answer to this question of course has to be in the negative. So when this
is so, on what basis do they vainly claim that neither can anyone touch them
here in this world nor will they be accountable in the Hereafter?
Here it should remain clear that the promises made by the Almighty with
nations regarding their success in the Hereafter are conditional to them
adhering to the faith and doing righteous deeds and to the fulfillment of
covenants pledged with Him through His messengers. He has never made any promise
with any nation abiding till the Day of Judgement. The covenant made by the
Almighty with both branches of Abraham’s progeny regarding leadership in this
world is mentioned both in the Torah and in the Qur’ān. It is absolutely evident
from it that this covenant does not relate to people who become wrongdoers by
breaking the promise of God. After Abraham (sws) successfully passed the trial
of Ishmael’s sacrifice, the Almighty gave him glad tidings of being given the
leadership of the world in the words:(٢:
١٢٤) إِنِّي
جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا (I will appoint you the leader of mankind,
(2:124)). Abraham (sws) then asked him:وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي (٢:
١٢٤) (what of my progeny? (2:124). The Almighty’s immediate reply was:لاَ
يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ (٢:
١٢٤) (My covenant does not relate to
those among your progeny who wrong their souls by breaking it, (2:124).
Obviously, just as this verdict of God relates to the Israelites, it also
relates to the Ishmaelites. However, the Quraysh by vainly regarding themselves
to be the progeny of Abraham (sws) and Ishmael (sws) believed that they would
not be held accountable before God; similarly, the Israelites also being
inebriated with the notion of being God’s family and near ones
نَحْنُ أَبْنَاء اللّهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ (١٨:٥) (we are
the children of God and His loved ones, (5:18)) ended up in absolving themselves
from being held accountable before God.
سَلْهُم
أَيُّهُمْ بِذَلِكَ زَعِيمٌ (٤٠) أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ فَلْيَأْتُوْا
بِشُرَكَائِهِمْ إِنْ كَانُوْا صَادِقِينَ (٤١)
These questions are posed to them so that they bring forward such guarantors
and associates or even merely mention their name so that others are also able to
assess their rank and status. It needs to be kept in consideration that the
deities which the Idolaters of Makkah were very proud of and who they thought
were very dear to God and would save them from God’s grasp had been so very
clearly rendered baseless and unfounded by the Qur’ān that in response to this
challenge the Quraysh could not have dared to present their names.
يَوْمَ
يُكْشَفُ عَنْ سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُوْدِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُوْنَ (٤٢)
خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ وَقَدْ كَانُوْا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى
السُّجُوْدِ وَهُمْ سَالِمُوْنَ (٤٣)
The expression كشف ساق is a common Arabic idiom to
express the severity of a situation. Poets of the age of ignorance have used it
in various ways. A famous couplet of Hātim reads:
أخو الحرب ام عضت به الحرب عضها
و ان شمرت عن ساقها الحرب شمرا
(The praised person is a warrior. If a battle attacks him, he also fights
with it, and if the situation becomes severe, he jumps into the battle without
any inhibition.)
The reason why this idiom expresses the severity of a situation is that
whenever an upheaval takes place, chaste and decent ladies are forced to flee
while raising their legware as a result of which both their shins and the
jewelry worn on them are exposed. A poet says:
تذهل الشيخ عن
بنييه
و تبتدي عن
خدام العقيلة العذراء
(An upheaval which will make the aged forget their children and which will
expose the shins and shin jewelry.)
The implication of this verse is that whilst these people may be dreaming of
having the same luxuries they have here, that Day will be very cataclysmic.
Today, when they are called to prostrate before the Almighty, they show
arrogance; however, on that Day when they will be asked to prostrate themselves
their backs will become hard and inflexible and in spite of wanting to prostrate
they will not be able to do so. Their eyes will be downcast and ignominy will
cover them. Their whole person from head to toe will bear witness to their
helplessness and humiliation.
The directive of calling them to prostrate themselves will obviously be given
to humiliate them and to show them that they had no excuse to deny the truth; in
other words, their own being will bear irrefutable testimony to their arrogance
and deprivation.
In Sūrah Ma‘ārij, this topic is discussed in the following words:
يَوْمَ
يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَى نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ
خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذِي كَانُوا
يُوعَدُونَ (٧٠:
٤٣-٤٤)
The Day on which they will emerge from their graves as if racing towards
targets marked. Their eyes will be downcast; ignominy will cover them. This is
the Day about which they had been warned. (70:43-44)
In other words, what is said in this sūrah by the words
يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَنْ سَاقٍ is expressed in Sūrah
Ma‘ārij by the words
يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا (the Day
on which they will emerge from their graves as if racing). Thus, both language
and parallels of the Qur’ān corroborate the meaning I have taken.
Some people, on the basis of a narrative, have interpreted this verse as:
“the Day the Almighty will expose His shin”;
however, many authorities of tafsīr have recorded the same interpretation as I
have adopted. A narrative from Ibn ‘Abbās reported by ‘Ikramah says that it
refers to the Day of Judgement which will be a Day of harshness and brutality.
Ibn Jarīr Tabarī on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbās (rta) has also recorded the
opinion of a poet in support of this opinion; the idiom قامت
الحرب بنا على ساق is used in it.
Mujāhid,
another tafsīr authority has also adopted this meaning.
فَذَرْنِي
وَمَنْ يُكَذِّبُ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا
يَعْلَمُوْنَ (٤٤)
This is a threat sounded to the rejecters of the Qur’ān mentioned in verse
fifteen earlier by the words:إِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِ آيَاتُنَا
قَالَ أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ (when Our revelations are recited to him
he cries out: “these are but tales of the ancients.”) This threat at the same
time has a note of assurance for the Prophet (sws): he has done what was
required of him and now he should leave things to God Who is sufficient by
Himself to settle their matter; He will gradually lead them to their destruction
and the respite which He is now giving them is further entangling them while
they count this to be their success.
وَأُمْلِي
لَهُمْ إِنَّ كَيْدِي مَتِينٌ (٤٥)
The Almighty is giving them time to do whatever they want to; however, this
does not mean that they are beyond His control; His scheme is very sound.
أَمْ
تَسْأَلُهُمْ أَجْرًا فَهُمْ مِنْ مَغْرَمٍ مُثْقَلُوْنَ (٤٦)
This is an expression of amazement at their aversion to the Qur’ān: why is it
that they don’t even bother to hear what the Prophet (sws) is telling them; how
will hearing him out harm them? After all, he is not demanding any payment for
this service. Found in this verse is also an assurance to the Prophet (sws) in a
passing manner. He should not fret over them; if they are running away from this
great blessing, they are only depriving themselves; as far as the Prophet (sws)
is concerned, he has succeeded before God in his mission for he is distributing
this divine treasure for free.
أَمْ
عِنْدَهُمْ الْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُوْنَ (٤٧)
This is another expression of wonder on the indifference and unconcern shown
to the warnings given to these people by the Prophet (sws). What is the reason
for this apathy? Do they have the knowledge of the Unseen that if the Hereafter
will come, they will be blessed with high status? The implication is that
holding on to one’s desires without any grounds, living in a fool’s paradise and
ignoring the facts of life is no wisdom; this attitude will only lead them to
eternal doom.
This verse also occurs in Sūrah Tūr. I have explained it there in the light
of its context. Its context in Sūrah Najm explains its meaning completely:
أَعِندَهُ
عِلْمُ الْغَيْبِ فَهُوَ يَرَى أَمْ لَمْ يُنَبَّأْ بِمَا فِي صُحُفِ مُوسَى
وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ الَّذِي وَفَّى أَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى (٥٣:
٣٦-٣٨)
Has he the knowledge of the Hidden; thus he is seeing it.? Has he not heard
of what is preached in the scriptures of Moses and Abraham, who fulfilled his
duty: that no soul shall bear another’s burden? (53:35-38)
فَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُنْ كَصَاحِبِ الْحُوْتِ إِذْ نَادَى وَهُوَ
مَكْظُوْمٌ (٤٨)
The word فَاصْبِرْ (be patient) encompasses the
meaning of إِنْتَظِرْ (wait) because it is mentioned
with the preposition لِ. Here at the end of the sūrah,
the Prohet (sws) is being assured to be steadfast and wait for the verdict of
God, and be on guard that he too does not end up making a mistake like Jonah (sws)
who became impatient.
The expression “companion of the fish” obviously refers to Jonah (sws). There
is an element of affection in calling him with this name and it also indicates
the trial he had to go through.
I have elaborated on the whole incident of Jonah (sws) in this tafsīr: when
his people did not value his preaching, he was so overwhelmed by their apathy
that he left them without the God’s permission; at this, he was rebuked by the
Almighty and had to undergo a trial in the belly of a fish. It is by referring
to this incident that the Prophet (sws) is told that even though his people are
also not paying heed to his call, showing their disinterest and have become
adamant on denying him, he should remain steadfast and firm and wait for the
decision of his Lord. He should not make the mistake of leaving his people until
the Almighty tells him to lest he too faces a trial similar to the one faced by
Jonah (sws).
The words إِذْ نَادَى وَهُوَ مَكْظُوْمٌ (when he
called in anguish) briefly refer to the attitude adopted by Jonah (sws) right
after the trial. He immediately realized his mistake, and in a state of deep
anguish he remembered God with the immortal words: لَا إِلَهَ
إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ (٨٧:٢١) (there
is no god but You; glory be to You! I have wronged my soul, (21:87). I have
already explained their eloquence while writing the tafsīr of the above verse.
Here it is mentioned as a guide so that no misconception should arise from the
words of Jonah (sws) and that it should remain clear that though he committed a
folly by being overwhelmed with a notion, he immediately repented, and the
Almighty once again chose him, as is evident from the subsequent verse.
لَوْلَا أَنْ
تَدَارَكَهُ نِعْمَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ لَنُبِذَ بِالْعَرَاءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُوْمٌ
(٤٩)فَاجْتَبَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَجَعَلَهُ مِنْ الصَّالِحِينَ (٥٠)
The word نِعْمَةٌ (favour) here refers to that
favour of the Almighty which was bestowed upon Jonah (sws) in the form of being
once again granted prophethood after he repented and this repentance was
accepted by the Almighty. The Almighty once again chose him as a prophet so that
he could complete his holy mission. What is implied is that he did not fail in
this world; he was regarded among the righteous who were the ones who succeeded.
وَإِنْ
يَكَادُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوْا لَيُزْلِقُوْنَكَ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوْا
الذِّكْرَ وَيَقُوْلُوْنَ إِنَّهُ لَمَجْنُوْنٌ (٥١)
This verse also urges the Prophet (sws) to be patient and persevering, as is
already expressed in verse forty eight earlier. Even though the circumstances
are tough and they make such allegations, he should remain patient. Here one
should once again refresh the opening verses of the sūrah:
مَا أَنْتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُوْنٍ. It is evident that the sūrah
ends on the same topic as it began.
وَمَا هُوَ
إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِلْعَالَمِينَ (٥٢)
What this verse implies is that if after hearing this they call the Prophet (sws)
a person possessed, let them do so; they should however remember that this
Qur’ān is not the product of a mad person; if they do not heed this reminder,
they will regret it one day but this regret will be of no use to them at that
time.
By the grace of God, I come to the end of this sūrah’s tafsīr.
فَالْحَمْدُ لِلهِ عَلَى إِحْسَانِهِ (gratitude be to
God for His favour).
Rahmānābād,
30th July, 1978 AD
23rd Sha‘bān, 1398 AH
(Translated from Tadabbur-i Qur’ān by Shehzad Saleem)
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