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یَعۡلَمُ مَا بَیۡنَ اَیۡدِیۡهِمۡ وَ مَا
خَلۡفَهُمۡ وَ لَا یُحِیۡطُوۡنَ بِهِ عِلۡمًا (110)
This verse has been explained under the
throne verse of Surah al-Baqarah. The implication is that
God’s knowledge is all embracing. None else can grasp the
extent of God’s knowledge. When this is the case, who can add
to His knowledge and on this basis intercede before Him for
someone? God does not need to find out the details about the
character of a person. This issue has been discussed under
verse 87 of Surah Maryam too. Readers can look it up.
وَ عَنَتِ الۡوُجُوۡهُ لِلۡحَیِّ
الۡقَیُّوۡمِ وَ قَدۡ خَابَ مَنۡ حَمَلَ ظُلۡمًا (111)
The word عنو
means to express humility and meekness and the word
ظُلۡم means
polytheism, as has been explained at a number of instances.
This verse strikes another blow at the
advocates of the wrong conception of intercession. About their
alleged intercessors, they thought that they held a very high
status with God. They could coax and cajole Him to accept
whatever they wanted. They could ask Him with full courage,
confidence and insistence to fulfil their desires. Such was
the affection God had for them that He would necessarily
accept their wishes and intercession. The verse negates this
concept in an emphatic way.
Here from among the attributes of God, the
ones referred to are الۡحَیُّ
and الۡقَیُّوۡمُ.
They have a special significance. It is known about the
Idolaters of Arabia that they did believe in God but because
of their polytheistic beliefs, they had relegated him to the
status of a helpless elder of a house who had delegated all
his responsibilities to others and secluded himself in
isolation. This conception of God had made them totally
indifferent to His existence and made them trust and depend on
their alleged deities and intercessors. Here the Qur’an has
also criticized this view by informing them that God is a
living God Who is overseeing the matters of His creatures. He
has not left them at the mercy of others and it should not be
thought that as the first cause has no role in their lives.
The word ظُلۡم
refers to polytheism and it is not defined to signify the fact
that in whatever form a person indulges in it will not be
acceptable to God in the Hereafter. Here it needs to be kept
in mind that polytheism is not merely idol-worship; it has
some very subtle and blatant forms and each leads to ruin in
the hereafter. I have been referring to its various types
during the course of this tafsir and have also penned an
independent tract on this subject: Essence of Polytheism.
وَ مَنۡ یَّعۡمَلۡ مِنَ الصّٰلِحٰتِ وَ هُوَ
مُؤۡمِنٌ فَلَا یَخٰفُ ظُلۡمًا وَّ لَا هَضۡمًا (112)
When ظُلۡم
and
هَضۡم occur
together the way they have in this verse, the former refers to
usurpation of rights and the latter to embezzlement and
injustice. In the first, a person does not fulfil his rights
towards others and in the second a person is guilty of
extorting from others.
The previous verse pointed out that doomed
is the person who indulges in any form of polytheism. Here it
is said in parallel that he who does righteous deeds and is
also a believer, will be fully rewarded and should not fear
any appropriation or extortion.
The condition of being a believer shows
that the person is doing righteous deeds while adhering to
monotheism; if these deeds are contaminated with polytheism in
any way, they will not carry any weight before God.
وَ کَذٰلِكَ اَنۡزَلۡنٰهُ قُرۡاٰنًا
عَرَبِیًّا وَّ صَرَّفۡنَا فِیۡهِ مِنَ الۡوَعِیۡدِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ
یَتَّقُوۡنَ اَوۡ یُحۡدِثُ لَهُمۡ ذِکۡرًا (113)
This verse is coordinated to what is said
earlier from where this subject was brought up. In verses
99-100 it was pointed out that God has specially revealed this
reminder from Himself: those who turn away from it will carry
a heavy burden on the Day of Judgement. After that a warning
was sounded regarding the advent of the Day of Judgement.
After this mention, the previous subject is taken up with a
new introduction and more details.
It is stated that for this purpose of
reminder the Qur’an has been revealed: the necessary
consequences of denying it are explained in it so that if
people want to adopt the path of piety and God-consciousness,
they are afforded this opportunity; if they do not do so, then
they shall stand fully cognizant of the fact that if they are
seized by God, then they do not have any excuse to offer for
their attitude.
The assertion of revealing the Qur’an in
Arabic has been made as a favour to the Arabs and also as a
means of conclusive communication of the truth. In other
words, it is a great blessing of God that this Book has been
revealed in their own language to remind them and convey the
truth to them in this way. Now, they cannot present the excuse
that if a messenger had come to with a book in their language,
they would have been the foremost in accepting faith. The
Qur’an has done away with this excuse.
The word تصريف
means to explain something in a multiple and a variety of
ways, as has been indicated at various instances. The
implication is that in the first case, the Book has been
revealed in their language and in the second place not left
any ambiguity in stating the consequences of evading it: they
have been fully elucidated on the basis of knowledge,
intellect, history as well as on the basis of the signs found
within human beings and those around him. If even after this
elaborate arrangement, these people do not mend their ways,
who is to blame?
The purpose of all this arrangement is to
create piety and God-consciousness. If they do not understand
this, then at least they should know the purpose of being sent
to this world and what they, on the contrary, are guilty of.
It may be kept in mind that the Qur’an has once again reminded
the Arabs of the part of their history in which their
forefathers Abraham (sws) and Ishmael (sws) had made them
inhabit the land of Arabia. The word
احداث is pointing
to this aspect. The expression احداث
ذكر means to once again remind
people of some anecdote.
فَتَعٰلَی اللّٰهُ الۡمَلِكُ الۡحَقُّ وَ لَا
تَعۡجَلۡ بِالۡقُرۡاٰنِ مِنۡ قَبۡلِ اَنۡ یُّقۡضٰۤی اِلَیۡكَ
وَحۡیُهُ وَ قُلۡ رَّبِّ زِدۡنِیۡ عِلۡمًا (114)
In order to understand the correct meaning
of this verse, readers are advised to look up what is written
under verses 64-65 of Surah Maryam. The sole weapon of the
Prophet (sws) against the onslaughts of his rivals was the
Qur’an. Thus, he was naturally anxious to receive it. It would
guide him in his hardships, assure him in his travails and
provide him with decisive answers to the never ending sequence
of demands and questions posed to him. For this reason, he
would always be waiting for new guidance from God much like a
soldier waiting for fresh supplies to combat a huge army. To
allay these worries, he is assured that he should not demand a
hasty revelation of the Qur’an. The exalted God knows what
benefits there are in its piece-meal revelation; He is the
real king of the universe and the reminder sounded by him to
people is His decree. It is not a request or a pleading.
Regardless of the people’s response to this Book, the Prophet
(sws) should continue to recite it to them in the gradual
sequence it is being revealed. God fully knows the wisdom of
the time span He has allocated for it. He should not ask to
have it hastily sent down before this time frame and on the
contrary keep praying that his Lord may increase his
knowledge.
This subject is discussed in the Qur’an at
many instances and everywhere with this background. Our
exegetes have confined its meaning to a certain understanding.
They contend that when Gabriel recited the revelation to the
Prophet (sws), he would show haste in acquiring it and was
hence stopped from doing so. This, in itself is correct.
Intense interest does make a person impatient. When a much
awaited letter arrives, we try to read it in one go. This is a
natural sentiment and the Prophet (sws) must have had it for
the Qur’an as well. However, it is not correct that the
Prophet (sws) has been stopped on expressing this. The real
background has already been referred to. This subject is also
brought up at other instances in the Qur’an and if they are
read together, the whole matter will become evident.
وَ لَقَدۡ عَهِدۡنَاۤ اِلٰۤی اٰدَمَ مِنۡ
قَبۡلُ فَنَسِیَ وَ لَمۡ نَجِدۡ لَهُ عَزۡمًا (115)
The expression
عَهِدَ اِلٰی means “to impose a
responsibility on someone.”
In the previous verse, the Prophet (sws)
has been stopped from showing haste regarding the Qur’an.
Here, in this verse in order to explain the harms of haste,
the incident of Adam (sws) and Satan is referred to: it was
this hastiness that made Adam (sws) commit a mistake. Satan
took advantage of this weakness found in human nature and
enticed Adam (sws): he disobeyed God’s directive regarding the
forbidden tree. The result was that Adam (sws) was expelled
from Paradise and made to inhabit the earth, as a place of his
trial and test. The purpose of citing this incident is that
haste never pays. Earlier, in the account of Moses (sws), it
was also shown that his hastiness did not produce good results
and his nation was afflicted with a grave trial. In the
background of these incidents, the Prophet (sws) is instructed
that he too should not be impatient in his preaching: he
should do whatever is being revealed to him a gradual way. If
he shows impatience, it may result in some lacunae in the
training of his people, even if his intention and objective is
good. It may well be that some devil or Samiri take advantage
of this and lead them astray.
The words مِنۡ
قَبۡلُ (before this) refer to the
past episode of Adam (sws) and Satan. In other words, just as
the Prophet (sws) is being asked not to show haste, Adam (sws),
his forefather and that of all mankind, was given this
directive but he could not comply with it. The result was that
Satan succeeded in deceiving him. Since past experiences,
especially if they relate to one’s own lineage are a means of
guidance for present and future generations, it was said that
the Prophet (sws) was to keep them in mind.
The word نَسِیَ
refers to something slipping the mind. In other words, the
directive given to Adam (sws) slipped his mind once he was
overcome with impatience even though it was transient. He was
not able to maintain his resolve. Details of the directive
given to him and the nature of his mistake are coming up. This
verse merely says that all emotions are part of human nature
but must be confined within limits. If they remain within
these limits, they produce great benefits for individuals and
for societies. However, if they are unbridled, they are a
great danger to both. People must inculcate in themselves the
traits of patience and resolve to keep these emotions in
check. In the absence of this control, an emotion can wreak
havoc any time. Haste is an emotion among others and it is
found in human nature. In verse 37 of Surah al-Anbiya’ and in
verse11 of Surah Bani Isra’il, it is thus respectively stated:
خُلِقَ الإنْسَانُ مِنْ عَجَلٍ (human beings are made from the
substance of haste) and كَانَ
الإنْسَانُ عُجُوْلًا (human beings
are impatient). This emotion is advantageous for people only
if it is controlled by patience and resolve otherwise it will
jeopardise their life.
The last part of the verse is meant to
point to the impatience shown by Adam (sws) and inform the
Prophet (sws) of its consequences.
وَ اِذۡ قُلۡنَا لِلۡمَلٰٓئِکَةِ اسۡجُدُوۡا
لِاٰدَمَ فَسَجَدُوۡا اِلَّاۤ اِبۡلِیۡسَ اَبٰی (116)
In the previous verse the part of the
incident of Adam (sws) and Satan has been referred to which
was needed for the specific objective it was cited. Now the
actual incident is described. By summarizing an incident
before it is actually mentioned, it becomes very helpful in
understanding the coherence of a discourse. The Qur’an has
adopted this style at various instances. In the incident of
the seven sleepers in Surah al-Khahf too this style has been
adopted.
The incident of Adam (sws) and Satan has
also been discussed in the tafsir of Surah al-Baqarah and
Surah al-A‘raf. Repeating it here would be needless. Readers
may look up what is written under verses 30-39 of Surah al-Baqarah
and verses 11-14 of Surah al-A‘raf. The wisdom behind this
directive, the nature of prostration, the reason for including
both the jinn and angels in the directive and the arrogance of
Satan, all have been explained to the best of my
understanding.
فَقُلۡنَا یٰۤـاٰدَمُ اِنَّ هٰذَا عَدُوٌّ
لَّكَ وَ لِزَوۡجِكَ فَلَا یُخۡرِجَنَّکُمَا مِنَ الۡجَنَّةِ
فَتَشۡقٰی (117)
Not only did Satan refuse prostration, in a
frenzy of jealousy, he also challenged God, as has been
explained under verses 14-22 of Surah al-A‘raf. He claimed
that if he was given respite, he would prove that that neither
are human beings worthy of any superiority over him nor do
they deserve Paradise; most of them would become his
followers. On the one hand, God gave him the respite and
warned him that He would cast him and all his followers in
Hell and on the other hand, informed Adam (sws) that he should
stay in Paradise but should remember that Satan is his eternal
enemy. He should stand guard against him lest he lead them
astray and have him expelled from Paradise and he end up in
deprivation and despair.
اِنَّ لَكَ اَلَّا تَجُوۡعَ فِیۡهَا وَ لَا
تَعۡرٰی (118) وَ اَنَّكَ لَا تَظۡمَؤُا فِیۡهَا وَ لَا تَضۡحٰی
(119)
In these two verses, a very comprehensive
picture of the Paradise in which Adam (sws) had been placed is
depicted. What is said here is that he will neither face the
hardships of cold nor of hot weather.
In cold weather, hunger and shelter are
needed and in hot weather protection from the sun and water
for drinking are needed. Those who are aware of classical
Arabic literature know that they refer to the pangs of hot and
cold weather by mentioning these aspects. Some people are of
the view that it would have been more apt to mention thirst
with hunger and the heat of the sun with shelter. In our
opinion, this is the result of a deprivation of literary flair
for Arabic.
فَوَسۡوَسَ اِلَیۡهِ الشَّیۡطٰنُ قَالَ
یٰۤـاٰدَمُ هَلۡ اَدُلُّكَ عَلٰی شَجَرَةِ الۡخُلۡدِ وَ مُلۡكٍ
لَّا یَبۡلٰی (120)
Though Satan had been expelled from
Paradise for showing arrogance and disobeying God, he had
sought respite from Him until the Day of Judgement to entice
Adam (sws) and his progeny. Thus, he came to him even in
Paradise to whisper his suggestions to him cited in the verse.
He tried to entice Adam (sws) into eating the forbidden fruit
by telling him that this would ensure his eternal stay in
Paradise. In the first place, human beings have this weakness
to do the very thing they have been stopped from; in the
second, Adam (sws) did fear that he may be asked to go out of
Paradise because God had warned him that Satan was his eternal
enemy and may have him driven out of Paradise. Satan perceived
this fear found in Adam (sws) and was successful in convincing
him that if he wanted eternal life and an eternal kingdom, he
should taste the fruit. Being overwhelmed with the desire to
live eternally, Adam (sws) forgot that God had warned him
about the enmity of Satan. He regarded his enemy to be his
well-wisher and was deceived by him.
It is evident from this that though Satan
is an eternal enemy of Adam’s progeny, his most successful
line of attack is the one he adopts in the garb of being a
well-wisher and friend. He comes in this garb and makes people
realize that the secret to their cultural and social
development lies in the very things God and His Messenger have
disallowed to them. Even in current times, we can see that
this precisely is the greatest argument presented by the
agents of Satan to inveigle themselves into the lives of human
beings.
In verse 20 of Surah al-A‘raf, the topic
discussed in this verse is stated thus:
مَا نَهٰىكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنْ هٰذِهِ
الشَّجَرَةِ اِلَّا٘ اَنْ تَكُوْنَا مَلَكَيْنِ اَوْ تَكُوْنَا
مِنَ الْخٰلِدِيْنَ (your Lord has
only stopped you from this tree lest you become angels or that
you may acquire immortality). Here the question arises that in
the verse under discussion, the words used are
مُلۡكٍ لَّا یَبۡلٰی
(eternal kingdom) and in Surah al-A‘raf, the words are
اَنْ تَكُوْنَا مَلَكَيْنِ
(lest you make become angels). Though these
may not be two contradictory statements, they sure are
different. How can they be reconciled? In order to do away
with this discrepancy, some people have read the Surah al-A‘raf
verse as اَنْ تَكُوْنَا مَلَكيِنِ
(lest you become kings). However, in the first place,
this reconciliation is not very sound and in the second the
mutawatir reading is the one only found in the mushaf and non-mutawatir
readings are not acceptable.
In my view, the answer to this question is that Satan tried to
entice Adam (sws) and Eve in various ways. At times, he told
them that eating this fruit would turn them into angels and at
times he told them that they would gain an eternal kingdom.
The basis of my view is that it is explicitly mentioned in
verse 22 of Surah al-A‘raf that Satan had tried hard to
inveigle himself into the mind of Adam (sws). He had to give
him a lot of assurances in order to win him over. While
explaining the afore-mentioned verse, I had written that the
expression فَدَلّٰىهُمَا بِغُرُوۡرٍ
means to gradually entice and lead a person away. It is thus
evident that Adam (sws) did not succumb to Satan with just one
of the outcomes he had mentioned. It is only after he had led
Adam (sws) to believe in various fantastic outcomes and that
too at different instances that this happened. The purpose was
to somehow deceive him.
فَاَکَلَا مِنۡهَا فَبَدَتۡ لَهُمَا
سَوۡاٰتُهُمَا وَ طَفِقَا یَخۡصِفٰنِ عَلَیۡهِمَا مِنۡ وَّرَقِ
الۡجَنَّةِ وَ عَصٰۤی اٰدَمُ رَبَّهُ فَغَوٰی (121)
This verse has been explained in Surah al-Baqarah
and in verse 22 of Surah al-A‘raf too.
The word غَوٰی
means “to go astray.” The
implication of the verse is that Adam (sws) was deceived by
Satan and tasted the forbidden fruit. As a result, he was
deprived of his attire of Paradise about which it was
mentioned in verse 118 that God had promised never to deprive
him. Adam (sws) and Eve began covering their bodies in
embarrassment and uneasiness. They had taken this step to
acquire eternal life in Paradise but the result was that they
even lost what they had.
ثُمَّ اجۡتَبٰهُ رَبُّهُ فَتَابَ عَلَیۡهِ وَ
هَدٰی (122)
Here اجۡتَبي
is mentioned before Adam (sws) repented and his repentance was
accepted. Thus this word means giving Adam (sws) the urge to
repent and giving him the words of repentance. In verse 37 of
Surah al-Baqarah, the words used are:
فَتَلَقّٰۤی اٰدَمُ
مِنۡ رَّبِّهِ کَلِمٰتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَیۡهِ
ؕ اِنَّهُ
هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِیۡمُ (Thus Adam learnt some
words from his Lord and repented; so, his Lord accepted his
repentance; indeed, He is one who graciously accepts
repentance and is very merciful). In verse
23 of Surah al-A‘raf, the words of repentance are cited thus:
قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمۡنَاۤ
اَنۡفُسَنَا
ٜ وَ
اِنۡ لَّمۡ تَغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَ تَرۡحَمۡنَا لَنَکُوۡنَنَّ مِنَ
الۡخٰسِرِیۡنَ (They prayed: Lord! We
have been unjust to our souls and if you do not forgive us and
have mercy on us, we would end up in loss). It is evident from
this that Adam (sws) was very ashamed at his mistake and it is
God’s law that if a person realizes his mistake, he is blessed
with the urge to repent from God and God makes him even more
close to Him. It is this status which is called
اجۡتَبي in this
verse. There is no doubt that very fortunate is the person who
besides realizing his error and having the urge to repent is
revealed words of repentance by God.
Consider the expression
وَ هَدٰی فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ.
The preposition عَلٰي
evidences the fact that it encompasses the
meaning of رحم
ie., he once again received God’s mercy and
guidance. I have referred to this in verse 37 of Surah al-Baqarah
as well. The word ہَدٰی
refers to the fact that God guided him in his future phases so
that he could combat the onslaughts of Satan.
This verse also refutes the Christian
belief of original sin and also of those who regard Adam (sws)
to be the father of human kind only but not a prophet of God.
The words of this verse signify that he was a prophet and
sense and reason too demand that God gave him a shari‘ah to
guide him and his progeny. The next verse explains this.
قَالَ اهۡبِطَا مِنۡهَا جَمِیۡعًا بَعۡضُکُمۡ
لِبَعۡضٍ عَدُوٌّ فَاِمَّا یَاۡتِیَنَّکُمۡ مِّنِّیۡ هُدًی
فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَایَ فَلَا یَضِلُّ وَ لَا یَشۡقٰی (123)
This verse has been explained from various
aspects under verse 36 of Surah al-Baqarah and verse 24 of
Surah al-A‘raf. I have also tried to explain under these
verses the wisdom behind Adam (sws) coming into this world and
facing the challenge of Satan. I have further explained that
these verses do not address Adam (sws) and Eve; the address is
towards Adam (sws) and Satan in the capacity of two groups.
The words
بَعۡضُکُمۡ لِبَعۡضٍ عَدُوٌّ refer to
the fact that Satan will be their enemy and they too should
treat him as their enemy if they want to regain Paradise and
end up successful in the Hereafter. This is because every
sensible person regards his enemy to be his enemy and is
always on guard against him. Only foolish people befriend
their enemies and follow their advice.
Those who regard the dual form mentioned
here to imply Adam (sws) and Eve as being addressed here are
grossly mistaken. In the first place, exactly the same
statement is cited in Surah al-Baqarah in plural form.
Secondly, if the dual form occurs here in the verse under
discussion, it is also qualified by the word
جَمِیۡعًا (all).
If Adam (sws) and Eve are addressed here, then this word is
absolutely needless. Thirdly, the natural relationship between
Adam (sws) and Eve is not of enmity: it is of love. If there
is some hostility between a husband and wife, it is not
because they are enemies of one another; it is because of
Satan’s enticement. However, the enmity between Satan and
between Adam (sws) and Eve is natural and extends until the
Day of Judgement. The enmity of Satan is based on jealousy and
he had openly declared this basis. As far as a human being’s
enmity for him is concerned, every sane person should remember
that he has been sent out of Paradise to combat this enmity.
If he befriends Satan, it will mean that he is calling for his
own doom at the hands of his enemy.
Consider next the last part of the verse:
“Thus if there comes to you guidance from Me, then he who
follows My guidance will neither go astray nor will be
deprived.” This actually is the weapon which God had blessed
Adam (sws) and his progeny with. Since human beings have been
sent in this world to combat a very clever foe, it was the
will of God that He not only guide them through their nature
and intellect but also through divine revelation so that they
could fight Satan with double the might and power.
Two things are clearly proven from this
verse:
Firstly, the sole means to remain secure
from the onslaughts of Satan in this world is the Book of God.
He who is deprived of this light will always remain vulnerable
to the enticement of devils found both among the jinn and
humankind.
Secondly, Adam (sws) was a prophet. He was
sent to this world to counter the onslaughts of Satan for
which God’s guidance for both Adam (sws) and his progeny is
essential. Thus, God must have revealed a shari‘ah to him
according to the circumstances. I have referred to some
directives of his shari‘ah under the incident of Abel and Cain
in verse 31 of Surah al-Ma’idah
وَ مَنۡ اَعۡرَضَ عَنۡ ذِکۡرِیۡ فَاِنَّ لَهُ
مَعِیۡشَةً ضَنۡکًا وَّ نَحۡشُرُهُ یَوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَةِ اَعۡمٰی
(124)
The expression
مَعِیۡشَۃً ضَنۡکًا refers to a life
devoid of peace of mind and inner satisfaction.
There is a vacuum in a human being which is
only filled by faith in God. So, unless he has this faith in
him nothing else can give him peace of mind and assurance.
Other things, however grand and attractive they may be, can
provide temporary joy but they cannot give relief to the
anxiety found in the heart and soul of a person. When a child
cries because of hunger, it can be appeased for a little while
through a nipple or a soother but it receives satisfaction
only when a mother feeds it. Without this arrangement, the
child remains restless. Similar is the case with a human
being. He may provide himself with various means and resources
but if he is deprived of faith in God he will remain
dissatisfied, hesitant, fearful, unstable and in a state of
spiritual crises however much he may try to hide this. The
kingdom of the satisfied soul is acquired by true and firm
faith. اَلَا بِذِكْرِاللّٰهِ
تَطْمَئِنَّ الْقُلُوْبُ (Listen! It
is only through God’s remembrance that hearts receive
assurance).
A question may arise here: there are many
people who lay claim to faith but they spend their lives in
great worries and straitened circumstances; on the other hand,
there are so many who regard faith in God to be a hoax but
they lead very comfortable and happy lives. The answer to this
question is that in the first place here the discussion is not
with those who merely lay claim to faith but with those who
have true faith. Secondly, we only see the apparent splendour
of those whom we regard to be very happy even though they are
indifferent to God. If we were able to creep into their
hearts, we would be able to see so many threats, doubts and
fears concealed in them but they are not apparent to everyone.
Only they themselves can see them or those who have the
insight of faith in them.
The verse goes on to say that those who
evade God’s remembrance will be resurrected blind on the Day
of Judgement. The reason is that it is this remembrance which
removes hurdles from the faculties of sight, hearing and
intellect. The Qur’an has specified that he who evades this
remembrance is blind, deaf and intellectually deprived in
spite of having the afore-mentioned faculties. As a punishment
of grossly disrespecting His favours, God will raise such
foolish animals as blind. These favours were not given to
people so that they become slaves of what is palpable and
tangible; on the contrary, they were given to them to observe
signs that are etched in every nook and corner and every
particle of this universe. If a person sees but cannot see
what is most obvious, then he may see everything but
understands nothing.
Here a question arises. In verse 22 of
Surah Qaf, it is stated: فَکَشَفۡنَا
عَنۡكَ غِطَآءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ الۡیَوۡمَ حَدِیۡدٌ
(so, now We have removed that veil which
covered you; thus sharp is your eyesight today). On the other
hand, it is stated here that God will raise up that person as
blind. How can this discrepancy be reconciled? The answer is
that there is no discrepancy. In Surah Qaf, the subtle
implication is that people remain slaves to their faculties in
this world; not only do they not realize their blindness, they
in, fact, regard themselves to be intellectuals; however, on
the Day of Judgement, they will realize their blindness. Today
such is the case that in spite of the fact that the eyes of
our scientists are fully equipped with telescopes and
microscopes, they are unable to see with their own eyes. Yet a
day will come when everything will become evident and no will
be able to deny the reality. It is this revelation that the
verse of Surah Qaf points to.
قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرۡتَنِیۡۤ اَعۡمٰی وَ
قَدۡ کُنۡتُ بَصِیۡرًا (125) قَالَ کَذٰلِكَ اَتَتۡكَ اٰیٰتُنَا
فَنَسِیۡتَهَا وَکَذٰلِكَ الۡیَوۡمَ تُنۡسٰی (126)
The word نسي
here means “to ignore.”
The implication of this verse is that if they had been given
eyes, why did they not get opened in spite of reminders and
warnings? The punishment of such eyes is that they remain
shut. Their complaint is of no use. Just as they had ignored
God’s revelations, they deserve to be ignored themselves.
وَ کَذٰلِكَ نَجۡزِیۡ مَنۡ اَسۡرَفَ وَ لَمۡ
یُؤۡمِنۡ بِاٰیٰتِ رَبِّهِ وَ لَعَذَابُ الۡاٰخِرَةِ اَشَدُّ وَ
اَبۡقٰی (127)
The word إسراف
means “to exceed the limits.” The expression
مَنۡ اَسۡرَفَ
refers to people who wasted their talents in the very things
they had to abstain from and ignored things they were required
to do.
اَفَلَمۡ یَهۡدِ لَهُمۡ کَمۡ اَهۡلَکۡنَا
قَبۡلَهُمۡ مِّنَ الۡقُرُوۡنِ یَمۡشُوۡنَ فِیۡ مَسٰکِنِهِمۡ ؕ
اِنَّ فِیۡ ذٰلِكَ لَاٰیٰتٍ لِّاُولِی النُّهٰی (128)
The correct meaning of
اَفَلَمۡ یَہۡدِ لَہُمۡ
would be “was not such and such a thing
enough to open their eyes and give them guidance?”
This is an answer given to those who were
demanding a sign for the punishment. Were not the ruins of the
destroyed nations like the ‘Ād and the Thamud they passed by
in their trade journeys sufficient to open their eyes? Arab
poets have versified the destruction of their cities. Those
cities were situated along the main trade-routes. In the
presence of those blatant signs, what more did they want? A
sensible person is one who learns from the fate of others and
not when his own fate stares him in the eye. If human beings
adopt this attitude, what difference is there between them and
animals?
وَ لَوۡ لَا کَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتۡ مِنۡ رَّبِّكَ
لَکَانَ لِزَامًا وَّ اَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّی (129)
The expression
اَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّی is coordinated to
کَلِمَۃٌ.
This verse answers the demand of showing a sign of punishment.
In other words, if this punishment is not visiting them, it is
because its time is fixed according to God’s established
practice and prescribed law. No one should think that this is
a bluff or God does not have the resources to bring it about.
This subject is brought up in the Qur’an at a number of
instances. Thus in verse 14 of Surah of Surah al-Shura, it is
stated: وَ لَوۡ لَا کَلِمَةٌ
سَبَقَتۡ مِنۡ رَّبِّکَ اِلٰۤی اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّی لَّقُضِیَ
بَیۡنَهُمۡ.
It is evident from this that God has appointed a day of
accountability for the deniers. For this reason, in spite of
the haste shown by the hasty, God is giving them respite.
Unfortunate are the people who instead of benefitting from
this respite become even more rebellious.
The word کَلِمَۃٌ
here refers to the fact that God has already fixed a time of
punishment and the expression اَجَلٌ
مُّسَمًّی is pointing to the fact
that a certain time of its advent has been prescribed; its
time of arrival is not ambiguous or vague in any way. In God’s
calendar, its time of arrival is fixed to the second.
فَاصۡبِرۡ عَلٰی مَا یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ وَ سَبِّحۡ
بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّكَ قَبۡلَ طُلُوۡعِ الشَّمۡسِ وَ قَبۡلَ
غُرُوۡبِهَا وَ مِنۡ اٰنَآیِٔ الَّیۡلِ فَسَبِّحۡ وَ اَطۡرَافَ
النَّهَارِ لَعَلَّكَ تَرۡضٰی (130)
The Prophet (sws) is now urged to exercise
patience at the nonsense he is facing from his adversaries and
to do this he is asked to be diligent in the prayer as much as
he can. Patience is based on the belief that whatever happens,
happens with God’s will, which is based on the greater good of
everyone. The greatest and most effective means to fully
implant this belief in one’s mind is the prayer.
Consider now the expression:
وَ سَبِّحۡ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّکَ.
The general meaning of tasbih is God’s remembrance and this is
required all the time. However, here its mention is qualified
by time. For this reason, it refers to the prayer. The word
hamd is mentioned right after it to delineate the true form of
God’s remembrance. While the dominant element in tasbih is to
absolve God from all negative attributes, the dominant element
in hamd is to affirm all positive attributes in God. If any of
these aspects is not kept in mind, the true conception of God
is sacrificed, as a result of which
the whole system of person’s life is ruined. Some religions
gave so much importance to the first aspect that God became
aloof and inaccessible to them. As a result, they ended up
needing mediators and intercessors. In order to safeguard
people from this trial, the Qur’an has directed people to keep
in mind both aspects so that their relationship with God is
established on the right footing. Without this relationship, a
person cannot adhere to the right path.
Consider now the words:
قَبۡلَ طُلُوۡعِ الشَّمۡسِ وَ قَبۡلَ
غُرُوۡبِهَا. Before sunrise and
sunset come the prayers of fajr and ‘asr. This is also
mentioned in a narrative in the Al-Jami‘ al-sahih of al-Bukhari.
The reason that both these prayers are mentioned the foremost
is their importance in religion.
The words
فَسَبِّحۡ وَ مِنۡ اٰنَآیِٔ الَّیۡلِ
refer to the night prayers. One of them is isha’ and the other
is tahajjud. The verb is repeated here for emphasis. The
emphasis laid is because both these prayers need extra effort.
The words وَ
اَطۡرَافَ النَّہَارِ point to the
three prayers on the boundaries of the day: chasht, zuhr and
maghrib. It is very evident that both chasht and maghrib are
at the boundaries of the day. Deliberation shows that zuhr too
is at the boundary since the day is divided into two by it.
Its time is at the last edge of the first part of the day and
at the opening edge of the second part.
This verse clearly negates the view of
those who claim that the timings of the prayer are not
mentioned in the Qur’an. Not only does the Qur’an mention the
obligatory prayers, it also mentions the tahajjud and ishraq
prayer. The Prophet (sws) has crystallized these timings
through his own practice. He has also determined the forms of
the prayers and also designated the obligatory and the
optional ones. Obviously, it was his task to delineate all
these details and to determine the extent and limits of each
prayer. This is because he was not merely a person who was to
recite the Qur’an to people; he was also its teacher.
Here it may be kept in mind that the prayer
is stressed upon as a means to acquire perseverance. These
verses were revealed in the very tough phase of the struggle
between truth and evil. In them, the Prophet (sws) and through
him all the ummah are informed of a measure that will make
them persevere in trying circumstances and make them worthy of
God’s help as well. In such circumstances, it is not merely
the obligatory prayers which are needed; to be diligent in the
optional ones is also required. This view of ours is
corroborated by the Qur’an, the sayings of the Prophet (sws)
and the practice of the righteous. In general circumstances,
the prayers of tahajjud and ishraq are optional prayers but in
challenging and difficult circumstances, whether they are
individual or collective, these prayers must be adhered to as
well.
This issue will insha’Allah be discussed in
detail in Surah al-Muzzammil and at an appropriate instance
also shed light on the wisdom behind the timings of the
prayers.
Consider next the last expression of the
verse: لَعَلَّكَ تَرۡضٰی
(so that you are showered with favour). In verse 5 of Surah
al-Duha, it is similarly said: وَ
لَسَوۡفَ یُعۡطِیۡكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرۡضٰی
Concealed in the two words of the verse
under discussion is a world of meaning. The implication is
that the Prophet (sws) should adhere to his stance and be
diligent in offering the prayer; as a result, God will bless
him with so many successes of this world and the next that he
will be inundated by them. Found in these prayers is
everything that he needs and there is no need for him to look
to anyone else.
وَ لَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَیۡنَیۡكَ اِلٰی مَا
مَتَّعۡنَا بِهِ اَزۡوَاجًا مِّنۡهُمۡ زَهۡرَةَ الۡحَیٰوةِ
الدُّنۡیَا لِنَفۡتِنَهُمۡ فِیۡةِ وَ رِزۡقُ رَبِّكَ خَیۡرٌ وَّ
اَبۡقٰی (131)
In this verse, the Prophet (sws) has been
stopped from pampering and showing concern for the rich and
affluent of his nation. The affluent elements of a nation are
responsible for its development or decadence. If they become
corrupt, the whole nation follows suit and if they remain
upright, uprightness of the whole nation can be expected. For
this reason, it has remained the established practice of the
prophets of God that they address the elders and chiefs of
their nations the foremost. Until and unless they lose hope in
them due to their stubbornness and obduracy, they continue to
reform them. As per this established practice, Muhammad (sws)
too first called upon the leaders and the affluent elements of
the Quraysh. Prophets reckoned that if the rich accepted the
truth, their influence and resources would significantly help
the cause and also the poor among the Muslims. This desire was
solely based on the sincere well-being of the affluent
elements and to keep aloft the word of God. However, when the
attitude of these elements showed that their hearts would not
melt by the truth, the Almighty stopped the Prophet (sws) from
being worried and concerned about them. He was told to not the
slightest care about their wealth; his preaching had its own
means and resources and God would provide for him and his
companions. If those people did not side with the truth, it
was their own deprivation. God did not need their wealth and
resources.
The words “and do not even glance at the
resources of worldly pleasures” refer to the groups of the
Quraysh who held political authority in Makkah and Ta’if.
Obviously, the Prophet (sws) did not look towards their wealth
because of any greed. In fact, the affluent people of those
cities were prepared to offer a lot of wealth to the Prophet (sws)
on the condition that he desist from his preaching. However,
instead of accepting it, he recited before them some verses of
the Qur’an calling them to faith. Prophets of God have never
given any importance to the wealth and resources of people who
have not consigned their hearts to God. If a sensible person
sees that someone is wasting the vigour of his youth and all
his abilities to realize a wrong objective, he yearns to see
this young foolish man give due importance to his abilities.
In a similar way, the Prophet (sws) too desired that the
affluent elements of his nation give due importance to the
blessings and favours they had received from God and not
squander their wealth and abilities to realize the mission of
Satan. This desire had its roots in sympathy and concern for
others. It had not the slightest semblance of any greed in it.
However, sincerity and concern should have a limit. As soon as
it was reached, the Almighty stopped the Prophet (sws) from
it.
When the verse says that these favours have
been given to the groups by the Almighty, it expresses a fact.
If someone has wealth and resources in this world, it is
neither because of the inheritance he receives from his
forefathers nor the because of his intelligence; they are
God’s bestowal and by it, He sees whether a person is grateful
or ungrateful. Foolish is the person who does not understand
the actual reality and uses God’s favours to rebel against
Him.
The expression
زَهۡرَةَ الۡحَیٰوةِ الدُّنۡیَا is an
accusative of state from the genitive pronoun in
بِہٖۤ. Such
accusative of states are common in eloquent Arabic and many
examples of it have been pointed out in this exegesis. The
implication is that the wealth and resources God has blessed
them with are transient. If there is any use of them, it is to
earn for the Hereafter. Its brightness will whither away soon
and leave it scarred.
The words
لِنَفۡتِنَهُمۡ فِیۡهِ refer to the
established practice of God. It has been explained under 40
verse of this very surah. God blesses people with favours in
this world and also makes them pass through calamities. When
He inflicts them with hardship, the purpose is to test their
patience and when He blesses them with favours, the purpose is
to test how grateful they are. In other words, if God blessed
these groups with favours, it was not because they had a right
to them but to try them. If the actual right they had
recognized was to show ingratitude, they would soon see its
fate.
The words “and your Lord’s sustenance is
better and lasting” inform the Prophet (sws) that he does not
need the patronage of these ingrates for his preaching. What
he and his companions will soon receive from God will be a
thousand times better and lasting too. What these arrogant
people have will last and shine for a few days only but what
God will bestow will be everlasting. It will never fade away.
It may be noted that the plant of piety grows from the elixir
God has revealed for its nourishment. If someone tries to
nurture it through stagnant water then, in the first place, it
is against its nature to grow because of filthy water and in
the second, if it seemingly does grow, it will bear fruits of
vice and not virtue.
وَ اۡمُرۡ اَهۡلَكَ بِالصَّلٰوةِ وَ
اصۡطَبِرۡ عَلَیۡهَا لَا نَسۡـَٔلُكَ رِزۡقًا نَحۡنُ نَرۡزُقُكَ
وَ الۡعَاقِبَةُ لِلتَّقۡوٰی (132)
The word اَہۡل
is not used merely for the family of
the Prophet (sws). In Arabic, it has a wider connotation. For
example, it is used thus in ، اهل
الكتاب ، اهل الإنجيل ، اهل القرية ، اهل القرون ، اهل الله اهل
الحديث. It is mentioned in the Lisan al-‘arab:
اهل الرجل أخص الناس به (the
expression اهل الرجل refers to
people who have a specific relation to a person). It similarly
records اهل كل نبي امته (the
expression اهل نبي refers to the
nation of a prophet).
It is narrated from Abu Bakr (rta) that when on the day of
Judgement his Lord will ask him as to who he made in charge of
the Muslims, he will reply:و
ليت عليهم خير اهلك (I made the best
اهل (ahl) as the ruler). In verse 55 of Surah Maryam,
about Ishmael (sws), it is stated: وَكَانَ
يَأْمُرُ أَهْلَهُۥ بِالصَّلَوٰةِ وَٱلزَّكَوٰةِ (He
would direct his اهل (ahl) to the
prayer and the zakah). Obviously, the wife and children cannot
be implied by the word اهل (ahl)
here; all those associated to him are meant.
In the verse under discussion too, the word
اهل refers to all those who professed faith in Muhammad
(sws) whether they were specifically related to him or were
other Muslims regardless of belonging to the Quraysh or the
Hashimites or slaves or free men and women. All these are
called اهل of the Prophet (sws).
This is because all those who profess faith in a prophet in
fact become his family; at the same time, a prophet is
concerned about them just as he is concerned about his own
family. Deliberation shows how much the use of the word
اهل increased the respect and status
of poor Muslims. The Almighty included those in the Prophet’s
family who until then had no one to depend upon.
Thus, the verse asks the Prophet (sws) to direct his followers
to offer the prayer and adhere to it himself as well. The
prayer here refers to the same prayer mentioned in the
previous verse: the Prophet (sws) should vigilantly and
diligently adhere to it and also ask his followers to do the
same so that this creates patience and perseverance. The true
meaning of the expression وَ اصۡطَبِرۡ
عَلَیۡہَا is that just as a farmer tills his soil, sows
deeds, waters it and continues to guard it, the Prophet (sws)
too should tend to his land, and then see the blessings it
produces. Such will be these blessings they he will feel
satiated by them and not need to look up to others in this
matter.
The words “it is We Who shall provide
sustenance to you” imply that the Almighty will provide
livelihood to the Prophet (sws) and his followers and they are
not required by Him to make any effort in this regard. He
should continue with his task and show vigilance in the prayer
and not worry about this. Pointing towards this reality, Jesus
(sws) is reported to have said: “The labourer is worthy of his
hire.” (Luke, 10:7)
Readers must keep the singular pronoun in
نَرۡزُقُکَ
in mind. It was not said: “We will provide for you and your
followers.” It was said: “We will provide for you.” This
address to the Prophet (sws) is in his capacity of the head of
the Islamic family and its sustainer. When the promise is
being made to the head of the family, obviously it includes
the whole family, i.e. all Muslims. In the Islamic political
system, the ruler is the provider for his whole Islamic
family. For this reason, he is concerned about every
individual the way the head of a family is concerned about his
wife and kids. If I go into the details of how Abu Bakr (rta)
and ‘Umar (rta) maintained this standard, the discussion will
be prolonged. In current times, we do find many people wailing
publicly while grieving for the masses but there are none like
‘Umar (rta) who thought that if even in the farthest corners
of his kingdom a dog died of hunger, he was responsible and
did not merely express these emotions but took practical steps
to prevent this from happening; so much so that this intense
sense of accountability made him ignore even his own wife and
children.
Consider next the words: “and success in
the end is for piety.” In the previous part of the verse,
promise for worldly sustenance was made; now glad tidings of
success in the hereafter are given: none except the pious will
succeed.
It may have looked odd to those who are
slaves to the apparent as to how the prayer can guarantee
sustenance for a person. It is true that those who are neither
aware of the real essence of the prayer nor aware of those who
offer such prayers cannot be made to understand this; this
thing can only be known and felt. Only experience can convince
a person about its truth. Only those who taste the true
flavour of the prayer know what is concealed in it. Readers
should not regard this statement to be a claim made by me. I
am not that practicing a Muslim. However, I have seen with my
eyes both in real life and in pages of history people whose
foreheads gleam with the signs of prostrations. Such is their
glitter that they even overshadow the sun’s brightness. And
such is the extent of their seeking forgiveness of God that
the greatest treasures of earth have not the slightest weight
before them.
وَ قَالُوۡا لَوۡ لَا یَاۡتِیۡنَا بِاٰیَةٍ
مِّنۡ رَّبِّهِ اَوَ لَمۡ تَاۡتِهِمۡ بَیِّنَةُ مَا فِی
الصُّحُفِ الۡاُوۡلٰی (133)
When the Prophet’s adversaries felt
helpless and cornered in countering him through arguments, as
a last resort, they demanded a sign of him being God’s envoy.
A sign meant a miracle and also the torment that the Qur’an
had promised them in case they denied him. The People of the
Book were more responsible for raising this question. Just as
in those times they implanted many questions in the minds of
the Idolaters whose examples can be seen the previous surahs,
they would also advise them to demand a sign from Muhammad (sws)
like the previous messengers. As per own their knowledge, the
People of the Book claimed that the nations of the previous
messengers were inflicted with punishments, why could not this
messenger show such miracles? The Qur’an has answered this
question and while answering it, also kept in consideration
those who were implanting it and those also who were
presenting it. In this verse, the first group is answered and
in the next verse the second.
The answer given to the first group – the
People of the Book are asked whether it is not a sufficient
sign for them that the last messenger whose advent was
predicted in their scriptures had come and ratified all those
prophecies? I have cited these prophecies in the exegesis of
Surah al-Baqarah and Surah Āl-i ‘Imran. I have also attempted
to explain that if Muhammad (sws) is called an attester of the
previous scriptures, it means his advent had ratified all the
prophecies made in his favour. This ratification is called
بَیِّنَۃُ
(sign) in this verse.
وَ لَوۡ اَنَّـاۤ اَهۡلَکۡنٰهُمۡ بِعَذَابٍ
مِّنۡ قَبۡلِهِ لَقَالُوۡا رَبَّنَا لَوۡ لَاۤ اَرۡسَلۡتَ
اِلَیۡنَا رَسُوۡلًا فَنَتَّبِعَ اٰیٰتِكَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِ اَنۡ
نَّذِلَّ وَ نَخۡزٰی (143)
This verse gives an answer while keeping in
view the Idolaters. The implication is that in order to do
away with their excuse mentioned in the verse, God sent a
messenger to them. The truth had been conclusively
communicated to them. If even then they did not profess faith,
the very thing they demanded would manifest itself.
The words ذلت
and خزي
are generally used synonymously but
when they occur together the way they do here, there is a
subtle difference between the two. In this case,
ذلت refers to the
humiliation which a person feels internally and
خزي refers to one
which is before others. Their implication was that they would
neither have been disgraced before their own selves nor before
others.
قُلۡ کُلٌّ مُّتَرَبِّصٌ فَتَرَبَّصُوۡا
فَسَتَعۡلَمُوۡنَ مَنۡ اَصۡحٰبُ الصِّرَاطِ السَّوِیِّ وَ مَنِ
اهۡتَدٰی (135)
This verse sounds the last warning. The
last two verses were indirect in their address. In this verse,
the address has become direct to express the intensity of
anger.
In this verse, because of concomitant
indications, the parallel sentence is suppressed. Examples of
such suppression can be seen in earlier surahs. I have
translated the verse accordingly.
With these words, the explanation of this
surah comes to its completion. May God forgive our errors and
guide us to accept the truth.
Lahore
25th January 1973
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