Surah Al Qalam (The Pen): Exegesis / Tafsir 68th Chapter of Quran

Sūrah Al Qalam (The Pen) is the sixty eighth sürah with 52 āyāt with two rukus, part of the 29th Juzʼ  of the Qur'ān. This Surah is also called Nun " نٓ​ ", the words with which it begins. Chronologically, this is the first appearance of any of the "disjointed" [i.e., single] letters (muqatta'at) which precede a number of the surahs of the Qur'an.

The surah consists of three themes: (1) Replies to the opponents objections, (2) administration of warning and admonition to them, and (3) exhortation to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) to patience and constancy. These are discussed in the two Ruku is as under:

Ruku One (Verses 1-33):

At the outset, the Holy Prophet has been addressed, to the effect: "The disbelievers call you a madman whereas the Book that you are presenting and the sublime conduct that you practice, are by themselves sufficient to refute their false accusations. Soon they will see as to who was mad and who was sane; therefore, do not at all yield to the din of opposition being kicked up against you, for all this is actually meant to cow you and make you resort to a compromise with them."

Then, in order to enlighten the common people the character of a prominent man from among the opponents, whom the people of Makkah fully well recognized, has been presented, without naming him: At that time, the Holy Prophet's pure and sublime conduct was before them, and every discerning eye could also see what sort of character and morals were possessed by the chiefs of Makkah, who were leading the opposition against him.

Then, in vv. 17-33, the parable of the owners of a garden has been presented, who after having been blessed by Allah turned ungrateful to Him, and did not heed the admonition of the best man among them when it was given them. Consequently, they were deprived of the blessing and they realized this, when all they had lay devastated. With this parable the people of Makkah have been warned to the effect: "With the appointment of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) to Prophethood, you, O people of Makkah, too, have been put to a test similar to the one to which the owners of the garden had been put. If you do not listen to him, you too will be afflicted with a punishment in the world, and the punishment of the Hereafter is far greater."

Ruku Two (Verses 34-52):

In verses 34-47 continuously, the disbelievers have been admonished, in which the address sometimes turns to them directly and sometimes they are warned through the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace). A summary of what has been said in this regard, is this: Well being in the Hereafter inevitably belongs to those who spend their lives in the world in full consciousness of God. It is utterly against reason that the obedient servants should meet in the Hereafter the same fate as the guilty. There is absolutely no basis of the disbelievers misunderstanding that God will treat them in the manner they choose for themselves, whereas they have no guarantee for this. Those who are being called upon to bow before God in the world and they refuse to do so, would be unable to prostrate themselves on the Day of Resurrection even if they wanted to do so, and thus would stand disgraced and condemned. Having denied the Qur'an they cannot escape Divine punishment. The rein they are being given, has deluded them. They think that since they are not being punished in spite of their denial, they must be on the right path, whereas they are following the path of ruin. They have no reasonable ground for opposing the Messenger, for he is a preacher without any vested interest: he is not asking any reward of them for himself, and they cannot either make the claim that they know with certainty that he is not a true Messenger, nor that what he says is false.

In conclusion, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) has been exhorted to the effect: "Bear with patience the hardships that you may have to face in the way of preaching the Faith till Allah's judgment arrives, and avoid the impatience which caused suffering and affliction to the Prophet Jonah (peace be on him)."

We have already presented the overview / summary of the sürah. Let us now read the verse by verse translation and exegesis / tafseer in English. You may also listen to its recitation in Arabic with English subtitles at the end of the post:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"

نٓ​ وَالۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُوۡنَۙ‏ 

( 1 )   Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe,

The great commentator Mujahid says that by pen here is meant the pen with which the Quran was being written down. From this it automatically follows that that which was being written implies the Quran itself.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir:

(ن Nun), is like Allah's saying: (ص Sad), and Allah's saying: (ق Qaf), and similar to them from the individual letters that appear at the beginning of Qur'anic chapters. This has been dis- cussed at length previously and there is no need to repeat it here.

The Explanation of the Pen Concerning- Allah's statement: ( وَالْقَلَمِ (By the pen) The apparent meaning is that this refers to the actual pen that is used to write. 

This is like Allah's saying: (Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not.) (96:3-5) 

Therefore, this statement is Allah's swearing and alerting His creatures to what He has favored them with by teaching them the skill of writing, through which knowledge is attained.

Thus, Allah continues by saying: (وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ (and by what they Yastur.) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah all said that this means, "what they write.'' As-Suddi said, "The angels and the deeds of the servants they record.'' Others said, "Rather, what is meant here is the pen which Allah caused to write the decree when He wrote the decrees of all creation, and this took place fifty-thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth.'' For this, they present Hadiths that have been reported about the Pen. 

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Al-Walid bin `Ubadah bin As-Samit that he said, "My father called for me when he was dying and he said to me: `Verily, I heard the Messenger of Allah say: (Verily, the first of what Allah created was the Pen, and He said to it: "Write.'' The Pen said: "O my Lord, what shall I write'' He said: "Write the decree and whatever will throughout eternity.'')'' This Hadith has been recorded by Imam Ahmad through various routes of transmission. At-Tirmidhi also recorded it from a Hadith of Abu Dawud At-Tayalisi and he (At-Tirmidhi) said about it, "Hasan Sahih, Gharib.''

  

Yusuf Ali Explanation: Nun is an Abbreviated Letter and may mean a fish, or an ink-holder, or it may be just the Arabic letter of the alphabet, N. In the last case, it may refer to either or both of the other meanings. Note also that the Arabic rhyme in this Surah ends in N. The reference to ink would be an appropriate link with the Pen in verse 1. The reference to the fish would be appropriate with reference to the story of Jonah in verses 48-50. Jonah's title is "the Companion of the Fish", (Zun-Nun, xxi. 87), as he was, in the story, swallowed by the Fish.

The Pen and the Record are the symbolical foundations of the Revelation to man. The adjuration by the Pen disposes of the flippant charge that Allah's Messenger was mad or possessed. For he spoke words of power, not incoherent, but full of meaning, and through the Record of the Pen, that meaning unfolds itself, in innumerable aspects to countless generations. Muhammad was the living Grace and Mercy of Allah, and his very nature exalted him above abuse and persecution.

Muhammad Asad Explanation: Chronologically, this (Nun) is the first appearance of any of the "disjointed" [i.e., single] letters (al-muqatta'at) which precede a number of the surahs of the Qur'an. The supposition of some of the early commentators (extensively quoted by Tabari) that the letter n, pronounced nun, represents here an abbreviation of the identically-pronounced noun which signifies both "great fish" and "inkwell" has been convincingly rejected by some of the most outstanding authorities (e.g., Zamakhshari and Razi) on grammatical grounds.

For the meaning of the adjurative particle wa at the beginning of this sentence, see first half of note [23] on 74:32 (reproduced below):

This is the earliest Qur'anic instance of the adjurative particle wa used in the sense of a solemn, oath-like assertion - a calling to witness, as it were - meant (as in the expression "by God!") to give weight to a subsequently stated truth or evidence of the truth: hence, I am rendering it here and elsewhere as "consider". In the present case, the truth thus to be stressed is the implied statement that just as the changing phases of the moon and the alternation of night and day are the outcome of God-given, natural laws, so, too, a sinner's suffering in the hereafter is but a natural outcome of his deliberate wrongdoing in this world. (See also explanation of 2:7 .) 

The mention of "the pen" is meant to recall the earliest Qur'anic revelation, namely, the first five verses of surah {96} ("The Germ-Cell"), and thus to stress the fact of Muhammad's prophethood. As regards the symbolic significance of the concept of "the pen", see {96:3-5} and the corresponding note [3].

مَاۤ اَنۡتَ بِـنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُوۡنٍ​ۚ‏ 

( 2 )   You are not, [O Muhammad], by the favor of your Lord, a madman.

That is, for which an oath has been sworn by the pen and by the Book. It means that this Quran which is being inscribed by the hands of the writers of revelation, is by itself enough to refute the slander of the disbelievers who say that the Prophet (peace be upon him) is, God forbid, a madman, Before his claim to the Prophethood, the people of Makkah looked upon him as the best of their men and trusted his honesty, intelligence and sagacity. But when he started reciting the Quran before them, they began to call him a madman. This meant that the Quran itself in their sight was the cause because of which they accused him of madness; Therefore, it was said: The Quran by itself is a sufficient proof for the refutation of this slander. The presentation of this highly eloquent revelation which consists of sublime themes, is an argument which proves that Muhammad (peace be upon him) has been especially favored by Allah, and nor an argument which might be used to prove that he has, God forbid, gone mad. Here, one should remember that although the address apparently is directed to the Prophet (peace be upon him), yet the real object is to nail the calumny of the disbelievers. Therefore, no one should have the doubt that this verse was sent down only to assure the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he was not mad. Obviously, the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself had no such doubt for removing which he might have stood in need of such an assurance. The object was to tell the disbelievers, as if to say: The Quran because of which you are calling the one presenting it a madman, is by itself an argument that your accusation is false. (For further information see explanation of (verse 29 of Surah 52. At-Toor).

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: meaning -- and all praise is due to Allah -- `you are not crazy as the ignorant among your people claim. They are those who deny the guidance and the clear truth that you have come with. Therefore, they attribute madness to you because of it.'

Yusuf Ali Explanation: People usually call any one mad whose standards are different from their own. And madness is believed to be due to demoniacal possession, an idea distinctly in the minds of the New Testament writers: for Luke speaks of a man from whom the "devils" were cast out, as being then "clothed, and in his right mind" (Luke, viii. 35).

Muhammad Asad Explanation: This is an allusion to the taunt with which most of Muhammad's contemporaries greeted the beginning of his preaching, and with which they continued to deride him for many years. In its wider sense, the above passage relates - as is so often the case in the Qur'an - not merely to the Prophet but also to all who followed or will follow him: in this particular instance, to all who base their moral valuations on their belief in God and in life after death.

وَاِنَّ لَڪَ لَاَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُوۡنٍ​ۚ‏ 

( 3 )   And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted.

That is, you will get an unlimited and continuous reward, for although you have to hear discouraging and disturbing things in response to the efforts that you are making for the instruction and guidance of the people, yet you are steadfastly performing your mission of calling them to the right way.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: (And verily, for you will be reward that is not Mamnun.) meaning, `for you is the great reward, and abundant blessings which will never be cut off or perish, because you conveyed the Message of your Lord to creation, and you were patient with their abuse.' 

The meaning of: (غَيْرُ مَمْنُونٍ (not Mamnun) is that it will not be cut off. This is similar to Allah's statement:

(عَطَآءً غَيْرَ مَجْذُوذٍ (a gift without an end.) (11:108) and His statement: فَلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ غَيْرُ مَمْنُونٍ Then they shall have a reward without end.) (95:6) 

Mujahid said, "غَيْرُ مَمْنُونٍ " (Without Mamnun) means "Without reckoning.'' And this refers back to what we have said before.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: Instead of being out of his right mind, the Prophet of Allah had been raised to a great spiritual dignity, a reward that was not like an earthly reward that passes away, but one that was in the very core of his being, and would never fail him in any circumstances. He was really granted a nature and character far above the shafts of grief or suffering, slander or persecution.

وَاِنَّكَ لَعَلٰى خُلُقٍ عَظِيۡمٍ‏ 

( 4 )   And indeed, you are of a great moral character.

Here, this sentence gives two meanings:

(1) That you stand exalted to a high and noble character; that is why you are enduring all these hardships in your mission of guiding the people to the right way, otherwise a man of weak character could not have done so.

(2) That besides the Quran, your high and noble character is also a clear proof that the accusation of madness that the disbelievers bring against you is absolutely false, for high morals and madness cannot co-exist in one and the same person.

A madman is he whose balance of mind is upset, who has lost his temperamental equilibrium. Contrary to this, the high morals of a person testify that he is a right-minded and sound-natured person, who possesses perfect temperamental equilibrium. The people of Makkah were not unaware of the morals and character possessed by the Messenger (peace be upon him) of Allah. Therefore, it was enough just to make a reference to them so that every reasonable man of Makkah was made to think how shameless were those people who were calling a  man of such sublime morals and character a madman. Their absurd conduct was not at all harmful for the Prophet (peace be upon him) but for themselves, for maddened in their craze for opposition they were saying such a thing about him which could not be regarded as credible by any man of understanding. The same is also the case with those men of knowledge and scholarship, who in the modern time are accusing the prophet (peace be upon him) of having fits of madness and epilepsy. The Quran is available everywhere in the world and the Holy Prophet’s life also exists in the written form in entire detail. Every person can see it for himself what a foolish and meaningless thing is being uttered in their blind enmity by those who regard this man, who brought this unique and matchless Book and who possessed such sublime morals and character, as a mentally deranged person.

The best description of the Holy Prophet’s character has been given by Aishah in her statement: Kana khuluqu-hul- Quran: the Quran was his character. Imam Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Daud. Nasai, Ibn Majah, Darimi and Ibn Jarir have cited, with a little variation in wording, this saying with several chains of transmitters. This means that the Prophet had not merely presented the teaching of the Quran before the world but also given its practical demonstration by his personal example. Whatever was enjoined in the Quran was acted upon practically by himself in the first instance. Whatever was forbidden in it was shunned and avoided by himself most of all. His own self was characterized most of all by the moral qualities which were declared as sublime by it, and his own self was most free from those qualities which were declared as abhorrent and reprehensible by it. In another tradition Aishah has stated: The Prophet (peace be upon him) never hit a servant, never raised his hand on a woman, never used his hand to kill a person outside the battlefield, never avenged himself on anyone for an injury caused unless someone violated a sanctity enjoined by Allah and he avenged it for the sake of Allah. His practice was that whenever he had to choose between two things, he would choose the easier one unless it was a sin, and if it was a sin he would keep away from it most of all (Musnad Ahmad). Anas says: I served the Prophet (peace be upon him) for ten years. He never did so much as express even a slight disgust over what I did or said. He never asked why I had done what I had done, and never inquired why I had not done what I had not done. (Bukhari, Muslim).

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas, "Verily, you are on a great religion, and it is Islam.'' Likewise said Mujahid, Abu Malik, As-Suddi and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas. Ad-Dahhak and Ibn Zayd also said this. 

Sa`id bin Abi `Arubah reported from Qatadah that he said concerning Allah's statement: (وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ  And verily, you are on an exalted (standard of) character.) "It has been mentioned to us that Sa`d bin Hisham asked `A'ishah about the character of the Messenger of Allah , so she replied: `Have you not read the Qur'an' Sa`d said: `Of course.' Then she said: `Verily, the character of the Messenger of Allah was the Qur'an.''' `Abdur-Razzaq recorded similar to this and Imam Muslim recorded it in his Sahih on the authority of Qatadah in its full length. This means that he would act according to the commands and the prohibition in the Qur'an. His nature and character were patterned according to the Qur'an, and he abandoned his natural disposition (i.e., the carnal nature). So whatever the Qur'an commanded, he did it, and whatever it forbade, he avoided it. Along with this, Allah gave him the exalted character, which included the qualities of modesty, kindness, bravery, pardoning, gentleness and every other good characteristic. This is like that which has been confirmed in the Two Sahihs that Anas said, "I served the Messenger of Allah for ten years, and he never said a word of displeasure to me (Uff), nor did he ever say to me concerning something I had done: `Why did you do that' And he never said to me concerning something I had not done: `Why didn't you do this' He had the best character, and I never touched any silk or anything else that was softer than the palm of the Messenger of Allah . And I never smelled any musk or perfume that had a better fragrance than the sweat of the Messenger of Allah.''

Imam Al-Bukhari recorded that Al-Bara' said, "The Messenger of Allah had the most handsome face of all the people, and he had the best behavior of all of the people. And he was not tall, nor was he short.'' The Hadiths concerning this matter are numerous. Abu `Isa At-Tirmidhi has a complete book on this subject called Kitab Ash-Shama'il. Imam Ahmad recorded that `A'ishah said, "The Messenger of Allah never struck a servant of his with his hand, nor did he ever hit a woman. He never hit anything with his hand, except for when he was fighting Jihad in the cause of Allah. And he was never given the option between two things except that the most beloved of the two to him was the easiest of them, as long as it did not involve sin. If it did involve sin, then he stayed farther away from sin than any of the people. He would not avenge himself concerning anything that was done to him, except if the limits of Allah were transgressed. Then, in that case he would avenge for the sake of Allah.''

Imam Ahmad also recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said, (I have only been sent to perfect righteous behavior.) Ahmad was alone in recording this Hadith. 

Muhammad Asad Explanation: The term khuluq " خُلُقٍ " , rendered by me as "way of life", describes a person's "character", "innate disposition" or "nature" in the widest sense of these concepts, as well as "habitual behaviour" which becomes, as it were, one's "second nature" (Taj al-'Arus). My identification of khuluq with "way of life" is based on the explanation of the above verse by 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas (as quoted by Tabari), stating that this term is here synonymous with din: and we must remember that one of the primary significances of the latter term is "a way [or "manner"] of behaviour" or "of acting" (Qamus). Moreover, we have several well-authenticated Traditions according to which Muhammad's widow 'A'ishah, speaking of the Prophet many years after his death, repeatedly stressed that "his way of life (khuluq) was the Qur'an" (Muslim, Tabari and Hakim, on the authority of Sa'id ibn Hisham; Ibn Hanbal, Abu Da'ud and Nasa'i, on the authority of Al-Hasan al-Basri; Tabari, on the authority of Qatadah and Jubayr ibn Nufayl; and several other compilations).

فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَيُبۡصِرُوۡنَۙ‏ 

( 5 )   So you will see and they will see

Yusuf Ali Explanation: Though Al-Mustafa's nature raised him above the petty spite of his contemporaries, an appeal is made to their reason and to the logic of events. Was it not his accusers that were really mad? What happened to Walid ibn Mugaira, or Abu Jahl, or Abu Lahab? -and to Allah's Messenger and those who followed his guidance? The world's history gives the answer. And the appeal is not only to his contemporaries, but for all time.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: (verses 5-6) mean, `you will know, O Muhammad -- and those who oppose you and reject you, will know -- who is insane and misguided among you.' 

This is like Allah's statement: (Tomorrow they will come to know who is the liar, the insolent one!) (54:26) Allah also says, And verily (either) we or you are rightly guided or in plain error.) (34:24) 

Ibn Jurayj reported from Ibn `Abbas, it means "You will know and they will know on the Day of Judgement.'' Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas; (بِأَيِّكُمُ الْمَفْتُونُ (Which of you is Maftun (afflicted with madness) means which of you is crazy. This was also said by Mujahid and others as well. The literal meaning of Maftun is one who has been charmed or lured away from the truth and has strayed from it. Thus, the entire statement means, `so you will know and they will know,' or `you will be informed and they will be informed, as to which of you is afflicted with madness.' And Allah knows best. 

بِاَيِّٮكُمُ الۡمَفۡتُوۡنُ‏ 

( 6 )   Which of you is the afflicted [by a devil].

اِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ اَعۡلَمُ بِمَنۡ ضَلَّ عَنۡ سَبِيۡلِهٖ وَهُوَ اَعۡلَمُ بِالۡمُهۡتَدِيۡنَ‏ 

( 7 )   Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has gone astray from His way, and He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: `He knows which of the two groups are truly guided among you, and He knows the party that is astray from the truth.'

Yusuf Ali Explanation: Men set up false standards of judgment. The right standard is that of Allah. For His knowledge is complete and all-embracing; He reads hidden motives as well as things that appear before men's sight; and He knows the past history in which the roots of present actions are embedded, as well as the future consequences of present actions. 

فَلَا تُطِعِ الۡمُكَذِّبِيۡنَ‏ 

( 8 )   Then do not obey the deniers.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:  The enemies of Allah's truth are sometimes self-deceived. But quite often they have a glimmering of the truth in spite of their desire to shut their eyes. Then they compromise, and they would like the preachers of inconvenient truths to compromise with them. On those terms there would be mutual laudation. This easy path of making the best of both worlds is a real danger or temptation to the best of us, and we must be on our guard against it if we would really enter into the company of the Righteous who submit their wills to the Will of Allah. Abu Jahl freely offered impossible compromises to the holy Prophet.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Prohibition of giving in to the Pressure of the Disbelievers and Their Suggestions, and that They like to meet in the Middle of the Path - Allah says, `just as We have favored you and given you the upright legislation and great (standard of) character,'

Verses 8-9  So, do not obey the deniers. They wish that you should compromise with them, so they (too) would compromise with you.) Ibn `Abbas said, "That you would permit them (their idolatry) and they also would permit you (to practice your religion).'' 

Mujahid said, (They wish that you should compromise with them, so they (too) would compromise with you.) "This means that you should be quiet about their gods and abandon the truth that you are upon.'' 

وَدُّوۡا لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُوۡنَ‏ 

( 9 )   They wish that you would soften [in your position], so they would soften [toward you].

That is, if you slackened a little in your propagation of Islam, they also would slacken in their opposition to you. Or, if you became inclined to effect some changes in your faith to suit these people, they too would effect a compromise with you.

Muhammad Asad Explanation: I.e., "they would like thee to be conciliatory in the matter of ethical principles and moral valuations, whereupon they would reciprocate and desist from actively opposing thee".

وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِيۡنٍۙ‏ 

( 10 )   And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer

The word mahin " مَّهِيۡنٍۙ‏ " is used for a contemptible, degraded and mean person. This is indeed a necessary quality of a person who swears many oaths. He swears an oath for every minor thing because he himself has the feeling that the people take him for a liar and would not believe him until he swore an oath. For this reason he is not only degraded in his own eyes but commands no respect in society either.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: This is because the liar, due to his weakness and his disgracefulness, only seeks protection in his false oaths which he boldly swears to while using Allah's Names, and he uses them (false oaths) all the time and out of place (i.e., unnecessarily). Ibn `Abbas said, "Al-Mahin means the liar.''

Yusuf Ali Explanation: The type of each of these hateful qualities is not uncommon, though the combination of all in one man makes him peculiarly despicable, as was Walid ibn Mugaira, who was a ringleader in calumniating our Prophet and who came to an evil end not long after the battle of Badr, in which he received injuries.

It is only liars who swear on all occasions, small or great, because their word is not believed in. The true man's word, according to the proverb, is as good as his bond.

Muhammad Asad Explanation: Lit., "And". The subsequently enumerated types of moral deficiency are, of course, mentioned only as examples of the type of man to whose likes or dislikes no consideration whatever should be shown.

هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّآءٍۢ بِنَمِيۡمٍۙ‏ 

( 11 )   [And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip 

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: (هَمَّازٍ A Hammaz, ) Ibn `Abbas and Qatadah both said, "This is slander.''

(مَّشَّآءِ بِنَمِيمٍ going about with Namim,) This refers to the one who goes around among people instigating discord between them and carrying tales in order to corrupt relations between people when they are good and pleasant. 

It is confirmed in the Two Sahihs that Mujahid reported from Tawus that Ibn `Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah once passed by two graves and he said: (Verily, these two are being punished, and they are not being punished for something major. One of them was not careful about protecting himself from urine (when relieving himself). The other one used to spread Namimah.)'' This Hadith has been recorded by the Group in their books through routes of transmission that are all on the authority of Mujahid. Imam Ahmad recorded that Hudhayfah said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah saying, (The slanderer will not enter into Paradise.)'' This Hadith has been reported by the Group except for Ibn Majah.

مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ اَثِيۡمٍۙ‏ 

( 12 )   A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful,

Khayr " خَيۡرِ " in Arabic is used both for wealth and for good. If it is taken in the meaning of wealth, the meaning would be that he is miserly and stingy; he would not even spend a farthing on anyone. And if khayr is taken in the meaning of goodness and virtue, it would mean that he creates a hindrance in every good work as well as that he is very active in hindering the people from accepting Islam.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: it means, he refuses to give and withholds that which he has of good. (مُعْتَدٍ transgressor,) this means, in attaining that which Allah has made permissible for him, he exceeds the legislated bounds. (اَثِيۡمٍۙ‏ sinful,) meaning, he delves into the forbidden things.

عُتُلٍّ ۢ بَعۡدَ ذٰلِكَ زَنِيۡمٍۙ‏ 

( 13 )   Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender.

The word utul " عُتُلٍّ ۢ " is used for a person who is stout and strong and greedy in eating and drinking and is also ill-mannered, quarrelsome and cruel at the same time.

The word zanim " زَنِيۡمٍۙ " is used to describe a person of illegitimate birth, who does not, in fact, belong to a family but has joined it. Saeed bin Jubair and Shabi say that this word is used for a person who is notorious among the people for his evildoing.

The views of the commentators with regard to the person who has been described in these verses are different. Some one says it was Walid bin Mughirah; another one says it was Aswad bin Abdi Yaghuth, and still another has applied this description to Akhnas bin Shurayq, and some other people have pointed to some other persons. But the Quran has only described his attributes without naming him. This shows that in Makkah the man concerned was so notorious for his such qualities that there was no need to name him definitely. Hearing his description every person could understand who was being referred to.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: `Utul " عُتُلٍّ " means one who is cruel, harsh, strong, greedy and stingy. Imam Ahmad recorded from Al-Harithah bin Wahb that the Messenger of Allah said:

Shall I inform you of the people of Paradise (They will be) every weak and oppressed person. When he swears by Allah, he fulfills his oath. Shall I inform you of the people of the Fire Every `Utul (cruel person), Jawwaz and arrogant person.) Al-Waki` said, "It (`Utul) is every Jawwaz, Ja`zari and arrogant person.'' Both Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded this in their Two Sahihs, as well as the rest of the Group, except for Abu Dawud. All of its routes of transmission are by way of Sufyan Ath-Thawri and Shu`bah who both reported it from Sa`id bin Khalid. The scholars of Arabic language have said that Ja`zari means rude and harsh, while Jawwaz means greedy and stingy. 

Concerning the word Zanim, Al-Bukhari recorded from Ibn `Abbas that he said concerning the Ayah: ( عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ زَنِيمٍ `Utul (cruel), and moreover Zanim.) "A man from the Quraysh who stands out among them like the sheep that has had a piece of its ear cut off.'' The meaning of this is that he is famous for his evil just as a sheep that has a piece of its ear cut off stands out among its sister sheep. In the Arabic language the Zanim is a person who is adopted among a group of people (i.e., he is not truly of them). Ibn Jarir and others among the Imams have said this.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: Besides the self-deceiver and the easy-going man, there is a third type, even more degraded. He has no idea of truth or sincerity. He is ready to swear friendship with every one and fidelity to every cause. But at the same moment he will slander and backbite, and cause mischief even between good but credulous persons. Evil seems to be his goal, and good his evil. He will not only pursue evil courses himself but prevent other people from doing right. When checked, he resorts to violence. In any case, he will intrude where he has no right, claiming relationship or power or consideration in circles which would gladly disown him. He is vain of his wealth or because he has a large following at his beck and call. Religion is to him merely old-fashioned superstition.

Muhammad Asad Explanation: The term 'utul " عُتُلٍّ ۢ " - derived from the verb 'atala, "he dragged [someone or something] in a rough and cruel manner" - is used to describe a person combining within himself the attributes of cruelty and greed; hence the composite rendering adopted by me.

The commentators give the most divergent interpretations to the term zanim, which is evidently derived from the noun zanamah, denoting either of the two wattles, or fleshy skin protuberances, hanging below the ears of a goat. Since these wattles do not seem to have any physiological function, the term zanim has come to signify "someone [or "something"] not needed" (Taj al-'Arus): in other words, redundant or useless. It is, therefore, logical to assume that in the above context this term describes a person who is entirely useless in the social sense.

اَنۡ كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَّبَنِيۡنَؕ‏

( 14 )   Because he is a possessor of wealth and children,

This sentence may be connected with the preceding theme as well as with the following sentence. In the first case, it would mean: Do not yield to the influence of such a person just because he has plenty of wealth and children. In the second: He has become proud because he possesses abundance of wealth and children; so when Our revelations are recited to him, he says: These are tales of ancient times.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: "Because" may connect with "heed not" in verse 10, or with "violent and cruel" in verse 13. In the former case, we construe: 'Pay no attention to despicable men of the character described, simply because they happen to have wealth or influence, or much backing in man-power'. In the latter case, we construe: 'the fellow is violent and cruel, he is puffed up with his wealth or riches or backing in man-power'. In the eyes of Allah such a man is in any case branded and marked out as a sinner.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Verses 14-15: ((He was so) because he had wealth and children. When Our Ayat are recited to him, he says: "Tales of the men of old!'') Allah is saying, `this is how he responds to the favors that Allah has bestowed upon him of wealth and children, by disbelieving in Allah's Ayat and turning away from them while claiming that they are a lie that has been taken from the tales of the ancients.' 

This is similar to Allah's statement:

(Leave Me alone (to deal) with whom I created lonely (without any wealth and children etc.). And then granted him resources in abundance. And children to be by his side. And made life smooth and comfortable for him. After all that he desires that I should give more. Nay! Verily, he has been opposing Our Ayat. I shall oblige him to face a severe torment! Verily, he thought and plotted. So let him be cursed, how he plotted! And once more let him be cursed, how he plotted! Then he thought. Then he frowned and he looked in a bad tempered way. Then he turned back, and was proud. Then he said: "This is nothing but magic from that of old, this is nothing but the word of a human being!'' I will cast him into Hellfire. And what will make you know what Hellfire is It spares not (any sinner), nor does it leave (anything unburned)! Burning and blackening the skins! Over it are nineteen (angels as keepers of Hell).) [74:11-30]

اِذَا تُتۡلٰى عَلَيۡهِ اٰيٰتُنَا قَالَ اَسَاطِيۡرُ الۡاَوَّلِيۡنَ‏ 

( 15 )   When Our verses are recited to him, he says, "Legends of the former peoples."

Yusuf Ali Explanation: Allah's Signs, by which He calls us, are everywhere-in nature and in our very heart and soul. In Revelation, every verse is a Sign, for it stands symbolically for far more than it says. "Sign" (Ayat) thus becomes a technical term for a verse of the Qur-an.

Cf. vi. 25. " And of them there are some who appear to pay heed to you, but upon their hearts We have laid coverings so they understand it not; and in their ears, heaviness (so they hear not).17 Even if they were to witness every sign, they would still not believe in it so much so that when they come to you, they dispute with you, those who disbelieve contend: 'This is nothing but fables of the ancient times."

Muhammad Asad Explanation: The term banun (lit., "children" or "sons") is often used in the Qur'an metonymically, denoting "popular support" or "many adherents"; in conjunction with the term mal ("worldly goods") it is meant to illustrate a certain mentality which attributes a pseudo-religious significance to wealth and influence, and regards these visible signs of worldly success as a post-factum evidence of the "righteousness" of the person concerned and, hence, of his not being in need of further guidance.

سَنَسِمُهٗ عَلَى الۡخُـرۡطُوۡمِ‏ 

( 16 )   We will brand him upon the snout.

Because he thought he was a man of high prestige, his nose has been called a snout, and branding him on the snout means disgracing him. That is, We shall so disgrace him in the world and in the Hereafter that his mark of disgrace will become indelible.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Ibn Jarir said, "We will make his matter clear and evident so that they will know him and he will not be hidden from them, just as the branding mark on the snouts (of animals).'' 

Others have said, (سَنَسِمُهُ We shall brand him) This is the mark of the people of the Hell-fire; meaning, `We will blacken his face on the Day of Judgement,' and the face has been referred to here as snout.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: Literally, proboscis, the most sensitive limb of the elephant. The sinner makes himself a beast and can only be controlled by his snout.

Muhammad Asad Explanation: Lit., "We shall brand him on the snout" (khurtum)". All commentators point out that this idiomatic phrase has a strictly metaphorical meaning, namely, "We shall stigmatize him with indelible disgrace" (cf. Lane II, 724, quoting both Raghib and Taj al-'Arus).

اِنَّا بَلَوۡنٰهُمۡ كَمَا بَلَوۡنَاۤ اَصۡحٰبَ الۡجَـنَّةِ​ ۚ اِذۡ اَقۡسَمُوۡا لَيَصۡرِمُنَّهَا مُصۡبِحِيۡنَۙ‏ 

( 17 )   Indeed, We have tried them as We tried the companions of the garden, when they swore to cut its fruit in the [early] morning

Here, one should also keep (Surah Al-Kahf, Ayat 32-44 )in view, in which the parable of the owners of two gardens has been cited for teaching a lesson.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: A Parable of the Removal of the Earnings of the Disbelievers - This is a parable that Allah made of the behavior of the Quraysh disbelievers with the great mercy, and tremendous favors He granted them. The mercy and favor of sending of Muhammad to them. But they met him with denial, rejection and opposition. 

Therefore Allah says: ( إِنَّا بَلَوْنَـهُمْ Verily, We have tried them) meaning, `We have tested them.' ( كَمَا بَلَوْنَآ أَصْحَـبَ الْجَنَّةِ as We tried the People of the Garden,) This refers to a garden containing different types of fruits and vegetation.

( إِذْ أَقْسَمُواْ لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ when they swore to pluck the fruits of the (garden) in the morning,) meaning, they vowed between themselves during the night that they would pluck the fruit of the garden in the morning so that poor and the beggars would not know what they were doing. In this way they would be able to keep its fruit for themselves and not give any of it in charity.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: "Why do the wicked flourish?" is a question asked in all ages. The answer is not simple. It must refer to (1) the choice left to man's will, (2) his moral responsibility, (3) the need of his tuning his will to Allah's Will, (4) the patience of Allah, which allows the widest possible chance for the operation of (5) His Mercy, and (6) in the last resort, to the nature of the Punishment, which is not a merely abrupt or arbitrary act, but a long, gradual process, in which there is room for repentance at every stage. All these points are illustrated in the remarkable Parable of the People of the Garden, which also illustrates the greed, selfishness, and heedlessness of man, as well as his tendency to throw the blame on others if he can but think of a scapegoat. All these foibles are shown, but the Mercy of Allah is boundless, and even after the worst sins and punishments, there may be hope of an even better orchard than the one lost, if only the repentance is true, and there is complete surrender to Allah's Will. But if, in spite of ail this, there is no surrender of the will, then, indeed, the punishment in the Hereafter is something incomparably greater than the little calamities in the Parable.

Muhammad Asad Explanation: I.e., by bestowing on them affluence out of all proportion to their moral deserts.

وَلَا يَسۡتَثۡنُوۡنَ‏ 

( 18 )   Without making exception.

That is, they were so sure and confident of their power and authority that they swore they would surely pluck the fruit of their garden next morning, without feeling any need to say: We shall do so if Allah so willed.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: We must always remember, in all our plans, that they depend for their success on how far they accord with Allah's Will and Plan. His universal Will is supreme over all affairs. These foolish men had a secret plan to defraud the poor of their just rights, but they were put into a position where they could not do so. In trying to frustrate others, they were themselves frustrated.

Muhammad Asad Explanation: I.e., they resolved upon their objective without the reservation, "if God so wills points to the first lesson to be derived from this parable, as well as to its connection with the rhetorical question in verses {14-15} above.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: meaning their vow that they made. Therefore, Allah broke their vow. He then said: meaning, it was afflicted with some heavenly destruction (verse 19 below).

فَطَافَ عَلَيۡهَا طَآئِفٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّكَ وَهُمۡ نَآئِمُوۡنَ‏ 

( 19 )   So there came upon the garden an affliction from your Lord while they were asleep.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: It was a terrible storm that blew down and destroyed the fruits and the trees. The whole place was changed out of all recognition. 

فَاَصۡبَحَتۡ كَالصَّرِيۡمِۙ‏ 

( 20 )   And it became as though reaped.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir:  Ibn `Abbas said, "Like the dark night.'' Ath-Thawri and As-Suddi both said, "Like the crop when it is harvested withered and dry.''

فَتَـنَادَوۡا مُصۡبِحِيۡنَۙ‏ 

( 21 )   And they called one another at morning,

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: meaning, when it was (early) morning time they called each other so that they could go together to pick the harvest or cut it (its fruits). Then Allah said:

اَنِ اغۡدُوۡا عَلٰى حَرۡثِكُمۡ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ صٰرِمِيۡنَ‏ 

( 22 )   [Saying], "Go early to your crop if you would cut the fruit."

Yusuf Ali Explanation: Awaking from sleep, they were not aware that the garden had been destroyed by the storm overnight. They were in their own selfish dreams: by going very early, they thought they could cheat the poor of their share. See next note.

فَانۡطَلَقُوۡا وَهُمۡ يَتَخَافَتُوۡنَۙ‏ 

( 23 )   So they set out, while lowering their voices,

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: (verses 23-24) meaning, they spoke privately about what they were doing so that no one could hear what they were saying. Then Allah, the All-Knower of secrets and private discussions, explained what they were saying in private. 

He said: (So they departed, and they were whispering: "No poor person shall enter upon you into it today.'') meaning, some of them said to others, "Do not allow any poor person to enter upon you in it (the garden) today.'' 

اَنۡ لَّا يَدۡخُلَنَّهَا الۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ مِّسۡكِيۡنٌۙ‏ 

( 24 )   [Saying], "There will surely not enter it today upon you [any] poor person."

Yusuf Ali Explanation: The poor man has a right in the harvest-whether as a gleaner or as an artisan or a menial in an Eastern village. The rich owners of the orchard in the Parable wanted to steal a march at an early hour and defeat this right, but their greed was punished, so that it led to a greater loss to themselves. They wanted to cheat but had not the courage to face those they cheated, and by being in the field before any one was up they wanted to make it appear to the world that they were unconscious of any rights they were trampling on. 

Muhammad Asad Explanation: Ever since Biblical times it has been understood that the poor have a right to a share in the harvest of the fields and gardens owned by their more fortunate fellow-men (cf. 6:141 - "give [unto the poor] their due on harvest-day". The determination of the "owners of the garden" to deprive the poor of this right is the second type of sin to which the above parable points: and inasmuch as it is a social sin, it connects with verses {10-13}.

وَّغَدَوۡا عَلٰى حَرۡدٍ قٰدِرِيۡنَ‏ 

( 25 )   And they went early in determination, [assuming themselves] able.

The word hurd " حَرۡدٍ " in Arabic is used for hindering and withholding for a purpose and resolution and for making haste. Hence, the composite rendering adopted by us.

فَلَمَّا رَاَوۡهَا قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّا لَـضَآلُّوۡنَۙ‏ 

( 26 )   But when they saw it, they said, "Indeed, we are lost;

Yusuf Ali Explanation: Their fond dreams were dispelled when they found that the garden had been changed out of all recognition. It was as if they had come to some place other than their own smiling garden. Where they had expected to reap a rich harvest, there was only a howling wilderness. They reflected. Their first thought was of their own personal loss, the loss of their labour and the loss of their capital. They had plotted to keep out others from the fruits: now, as it happened, the loss was their own.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: meaning, when they arrived at it and came upon it, and it was in the condition which Allah changed from that luster, brilliance and abundance of fruit, to being black, gloomy and void of any benefit. They believed that they had been mistaken in the path they took in walking to it. 

This is why they said, ( إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ Verily, we have gone astray.) meaning, `we have walked down a path other than the one we were seeking to reach it.' This was said by Ibn `Abbas and others. Then they changed their minds and realized with certainty that it was actually the correct path.

بَلۡ نَحۡنُ مَحۡرُوۡمُوۡنَ‏ 

( 27 )   Rather, we have been deprived."

That is, on seeing the garden they didn’t believe it was their own garden, and they said: Perhaps we have lost our way and come to another place. But, when they considered it seriously and found it was their own garden, they cried out: Alas we are deprived.

قَالَ اَوۡسَطُهُمۡ اَلَمۡ اَقُلۡ لَّكُمۡ لَوۡلَا تُسَبِّحُوۡنَ‏ 

( 28 )   The most moderate of them said, "Did I not say to you, 'Why do you not exalt [Allah]?' "

This means that when they were saying on oath: We shall surely pluck the fruit of our garden tomorrow, this person had warned them at that time, saying: Have you forgotten God? Why don’t you say: If Allah so wills? But they did not listen to him. Then, while they were making up their mind not to give away anything to the needy, he again advised them to remember Allah and to desist from their evil intention, but they persisted in what they had resolved.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: ( قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ The Awsat among them said,) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, `Ikrimah, Muhammad bin Ka`b, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Ad-Dahhak and Qatadah all said, "This means the most just of them and the best of them.''

(أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَّكُمْ لَوْلاَ تُسَبِّحُونَ Did I not tell you, `Why do you not Tusabbihun') 

Mujahid, As-Suddi and Ibn Jurayj all said that (لَوْلاَ تُسَبِّحُونَ Why do you not Tusabbihun) this means "why do you not say, `If Allah wills''' As-Suddi said, "Their making exception due to the will of Allah in that time was by glorifying Allah (Tasbih).'' Ibn Jarir said, "It is a person's saying, `If Allah wills.''' It has also been said that it means that the best of them said to them, "Did I not tell you, why don't you glorify Allah and thank Him for what He has given you and favored you with''

Yusuf Ali Explanation:  This was not necessarily a righteous man, but there are degrees in guilt. He had warned them, but he had joined in their unjust design.

Muhammad Asad Explanation: This is obviously a reference to their failure to realize that nothing can come about unless the Almighty so wills (verse {18}).

قَالُوۡا سُبۡحٰنَ رَبِّنَاۤ اِنَّا كُنَّا ظٰلِمِيۡنَ‏ 

( 29 )   They said, "Exalted is our Lord! Indeed, we were wrongdoers."

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: They became obedient when it was of no benefit to them, and they were remorseful and confessed when it was not of any use. Then they said:

فَاَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلٰى بَعۡضٍ يَّتَلَاوَمُوۡنَ‏ 

( 30 )   Then they approached one another, blaming each other.

That is, each reproached and blamed the other that because of his wrong counsel they had forgotten God and resolved upon an evil course.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: meaning, they started blaming each other for what they had resolved to do, preventing the poor people from receiving their right of the harvested fruit. Thus, their response to each other was only to confess their error and sin.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:  When greed or injustice is punished people are ready to throw the blame on others. In this case, one particular individual may have seen the moral guilt of defying the Will of Allah and the right of man, but if he shared in the enterprise in the hope of profit, he could not get out of all responsibility.

قَالُوۡا يٰوَيۡلَنَاۤ اِنَّا كُنَّا طٰغِيۡنَ‏ 

( 31 )   They said, "O woe to us; indeed we were transgressors.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir:  meaning, `we have transgressed, trespassed, violated and exceeded the bounds until what this happened to us.'

عَسٰى رَبُّنَاۤ اَنۡ يُّبۡدِلَـنَا خَيۡرًا مِّنۡهَاۤ اِنَّاۤ اِلٰى رَبِّنَا رٰغِبُوۡنَ‏ 

( 32 )   Perhaps our Lord will substitute for us [one] better than it. Indeed, we are toward our Lord desirous."

Tafsir Ibn Kathir:  It has been said, "They were hoping for something better in exchange in this life.'' It has also been said, "They were hoping for its reward in the abode of the Hereafter.'' And Allah knows best. Some of the Salaf mentioned that these people were from Yemen. Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "They were from a village that was called Darawan which was six miles from San`a' (in Yemen). '' It has also been said, "They were from the people of Ethiopia whose father had left them this garden, and they were from the People of the Book. Their father used to handle the garden in a good way. Whatever he reaped from it he would put it back into the garden as it needed, and he would save some of it as food for his dependents for the year, and he would give away the excess in charity. Then, when he died, and his children inherited the garden they said, `Verily, our father was foolish for giving some of this garden's harvest to the poor. If we prevent them from it, then we will have more.' So when they made up their minds to do this they were punished with what was contrary to their plan. Allah took away all of what they possessed of wealth, gain and charity. Nothing remained for them.''

Yusuf Ali Explanation:  If the repentance was true, there was hope. For Allah often turns a great evil to our good. If not true, they only added hypocrisy to their other sins. The Parable presupposes that the garden came into the possession of selfish men, who were so puffed up with their good fortune that they forgot Allah. That meant that they also became harsh to their fellow-creatures. In their arrogance they plotted to get up early and defeat the claims of the poor at harvest time. They found their garden destroyed by a storm. Some reproached others, but those who sincerely repented obtained mercy. The "better garden" may have been the same garden, flourishing in a future season under Allah's gift of abundance.

كَذٰلِكَ الۡعَذَابُ​ؕ وَلَعَذَابُ الۡاٰخِرَةِ اَكۡبَرُ ​ۘ لَوۡ كَانُوۡا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ‏  

( 33 )   Such is the punishment [of this world]. And the punishment of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: (كَذَلِكَ الْعَذَابُ Such is the punishment,) meaning, such is the punishment of whoever opposes the command of Allah, is stingy with what Allah has given him and favored him with, withholds the right of the poor and needy, and responds to Allah's blessings upon him with ungratefulness (or disbelief).

(وَلَعَذَابُ الاٌّخِرَةِ أَكْبَرُ لَوْ كَانُواْ يَعْلَمُونَ but truly, the punishment of the Hereafter is greater if they but knew.) meaning, this is the punishment in this life, as you have heard, and the punishment of the Hereafter is even harder.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: Even in this life the punishment for heedless or selfish arrogance and sin comes suddenly when we least expect it. But there is always room for Allah's Mercy if we sincerely repent. If the Punishment in this life seems to us so stupefying, how much worse will it be in the Hereafter, when the Punishment will not be only for a limited time, and the time for repentance will have passed?

Ruku Two (Verses 34-52)

اِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِيۡنَ عِنۡدَ رَبِّهِمۡ جَنّٰتِ النَّعِيۡمِ‏ 

( 34 )   Indeed, for the righteous with their Lord are the Gardens of Pleasure.

This is, a rejoinder to the chiefs of Makkah, who argued with the Muslims, thus: The blessings that we are enjoying in the world are a sign that we are favorites of Allah, and the miserable lives that you are living are a proof that you are under the wrath of Allah. Therefore, even if there was any life after death, as you say, we shall have good time there too, and the torment would be imposed on you, not on us.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: The Garden is a joy, but the joy of this Garden is the sense of nearness to Allah.

اَفَنَجۡعَلُ الۡمُسۡلِمِيۡنَ كَالۡمُجۡرِمِيۡنَؕ‏ 

( 35 )   Then will We treat the Muslims like the criminals?

Yusuf Ali Explanation: The spiritual arrogance which rejects faith in Allah is perhaps the worst Sin, because it makes itself impervious to the Mercy of Allah, as a bed of clay is impervious to the absorption of water. It sets up its own standards and its own will, but how can it measure or bind the Will of Allah? It sets up its own fetishes,-idols, priests, gods, or godlings. The fetishes may be even God-given gifts or faculties. Intellect or Science, if pushed up to the position of idols. If they are made rivals to Allah, question them: Will they solve Allah's mysteries, or even the mysteries of Life and Soul?

Muhammad Asad Explanation: This is the earliest occurrence of the term muslimun (sing. muslim) in the history of Qur'anic revelation. Throughout this work, I have translated the terms muslim and Islam in accordance with their original connotations, namely, "one who surrenders [or "has surrendered"] himself to God", and "man's self-surrender to God"; the same holds good of all forms of the verb aslama occurring in the Qur'an. It should be borne in mind that the "institutionalized" use of these terms - that is, their exclusive application to the followers of the Prophet Muhammad - represents a definitely post-Qur'anic development and, hence, must be avoided in a translation of the Qur'an.

مَا لَـكُمۡ كَيۡفَ تَحۡكُمُوۡنَ​ۚ‏ 

( 36 )   What is [the matter] with you? How do you judge?

That is, it is against reason that God should not differentiate between the obedient servant and the guilty. How do you regard this as reasonable that the Creator of the universe should, like a blind ruler, not judge which people in the world obeyed His commands and refrained from evildoing, and which people committed every sin and crime and perpetrated every cruelty fearless of His punishment? You have seen the adversity of the believers and your own prosperity, but you have not appreciated the distinction between their good morals and your own evildoing, and have given your judgment without the thought that these obedient people will be treated like culprits by God and the guilty like you will be granted Paradise.

اَمۡ لَـكُمۡ كِتٰبٌ فِيۡهِ تَدۡرُسُوۡنَۙ‏

( 37 )   Or do you have a scripture in which you learn

That is, the Book sent down by Allah. 

اِنَّ لَـكُمۡ فِيۡهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُوۡنَ​ۚ‏ 

( 38 )   That indeed for you is whatever you choose?

Yusuf Ali Explanation: It is clearly against both logic and justice that men of righteousness should have the same End as men of sin. Even in this life, man cannot command whatever he chooses though he is allowed a limited freedom of choice. How can he expect such a thing under a reign of perfect Justice and Truth?

Muhammad Asad Explanation: Lit., "so that in it you [may] have all that you choose [to have] - i.e., a moral justification of the claim that whatever is considered "expedient" is eo ipso right.

اَمۡ لَـكُمۡ اَيۡمَانٌ عَلَيۡنَا بَالِغَةٌ اِلٰى يَوۡمِ الۡقِيٰمَةِ​ ۙ اِنَّ لَـكُمۡ لَمَا تَحۡكُمُوۡنَ​ۚ‏ 

( 39 )   Or do you have oaths [binding] upon Us, extending until the Day of Resurrection, that indeed for you is whatever you judge?

 Or have We sworn a covenant with you which We are bound to keep till the Day of Resurrection, (a covenant requiring that whatever you ordain for yourselves shall be yours)?

Yusuf Ali Explanation: Nor can the Pagans plead that they have any special Covenants with Allah which give them a favoured position above other mortals. The 'Chosen Race' idea of the Jews is also condemned. It is quite true that a certain race or group, on account of special aptitude may be chosen by Allah to uphold His truth and preach it. But this is conditional on their following Allah's Law. As soon as they become arrogant and selfish, they lose that position. They cannot have a perpetual and unconditional lease till the Day of Judgment.

سَلۡهُمۡ اَيُّهُمۡ بِذٰلِكَ زَعِيۡمٌ ۛۚ‏ 

( 40 )   Ask them which of them, for that [claim], is responsible.

Zaeem " زَعِيۡمٌ " in Arabic is used for a person who stands a surety on behalf of another, or is a spokesman of others. Thus, the verse means to ask: Which of you will come forward and say that he has made such and such a covenant with Allah on your behalf.

اَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَآءُ ۛۚ فَلۡيَاۡتُوۡا بِشُرَكَآئِهِمۡ اِنۡ كَانُوۡا صٰدِقِيۡنَ‏  

( 41 )   Or do they have partners? Then let them bring their partners, if they should be truthful.

That is, the judgment you are passing concerning yourselves has no basis whatever. It is against reason and you cannot show any such thing written in any divine Book either. No one can make the claim that he has made Allah promise some such thing, and you cannot make any of your deities vouch that they would take the responsibility of securing Paradise for you from God. How then have you been involved in such a misunderstanding.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: "Partners" in Godhead. as in the doctrine of the Trinity, or indeed in any form of polytheism. Such a doctrine destroys the cardinal doctrine of the Unity of Allah.

Muhammad Asad Explanation: Lit., "Or have they any associates?" - i.e., wise people ('uqala') who would share their views and their way of life (Zamakhshari and Razi). Accordingly, the expression shuraka'uhum in the next sentence has been rendered as "those supporters of theirs".

يَوۡمَ يُكۡشَفُ عَنۡ سَاقٍ وَّيُدۡعَوۡنَ اِلَى السُّجُوۡدِ فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيۡعُوۡنَۙ‏  

( 42 )   The Day the shin will be uncovered and they are invited to prostration but the disbelievers will not be able,

Literally: The Day the Shin shall be uncovered. A section of the companions and their successors says that these words have been used idiomatically, for according to Arabic idiom, kashf-i-saq implies befalling of an affliction. Abdullah bin Abbas has also given this same meaning of this and has supported it by evidence from Arabic poetry. According to another saying that has been cited from Ibn Abbas and Rabi bin Anas, kashf-i-saq implies uncovering the facts and truths. In view of this interpretation, the meaning would be: The Day when all truths shall be bared and the people’s deeds shall become open and manifest.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: The Terror of the Day of Judgement - After Allah mentions that those who have Taqwa, will have Gardens of Delight with their Lord, He explains when this will be, and its actual occurrence. 

He says: (The Day when the Shin shall be laid bare and they shall be called to prostrate themselves, but they shall not be able to do so.) meaning, the Day of Judgement and the horrors, earthquakes, trials, tests and great matters that will occur during it. 

Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said that he heard the Prophet saying:

(Our Lord will reveal His Shin, and every believing male and female will prostrate to Him. The only people who will remain standing are those who prostrated in the worldly life only to be seen and heard (showing off). This type of person will try to prostrate at that time, but his back will made to be one stiff plate (the bone will not bend or flex).)'' This Hadith was recorded in the Two Sahihs and other books from different routes of transmission with various wordings. It is a long Hadith that is very popular.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: "The Day that the Shin shall be laid bare", that is, when men are confronted with the stark reality of the Day of Judgment. On that occasion men will be summoned to adoration, not necessarily in words, but by the logic of facts, when the Reality will be fully manifest: the Glory will be too dazzling for the Unbelievers, whose past deliberate refusal, when they had freedom to choose and yet rejected, will stand in way.

Muhammad Asad Explanation: Lit., "when the shin[-bone] shall be bared": i.e., when man's innermost thoughts, feelings and motivations will be laid bare. The implication is that their erstwhile claim that whatever is "expedient" is morally justifiable (see note [19] above), shall be revealed in all its nakedness - namely, as something indefensible and spiritually destructive.

خَاشِعَةً اَبۡصَارُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٌ ؕ وَقَدۡ كَانُوۡا يُدۡعَوۡنَ اِلَى السُّجُوۡدِ وَهُمۡ سٰلِمُوۡنَ‏ 

( 43 )   Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. And they used to be invited to prostration while they were sound.

It means: On the Resurrection Day it will be openly and publicly demonstrated as to who in the world had actually worshiped Allah and who was disinclined to do so. For this purpose the people will be called upon to prostrate themselves before Allah. Then, those who had been sincerely worshiping Allah in the world would prostrate themselves, and those who had declined to bow before Him in the world would be unable to do so. It will become impossible for them to put up a false show of being worshipers. Therefore, they will remain standing, degraded and downcast with shame.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: ( خَـشِعَةً أَبْصَـرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ Their eyes will be cast down and ignominy will cover them;) means, in the final abode, due to their crimes and arrogance in the worldly life. Thus they will be punished with the opposite of what they did. When they were called to prostrate in the worldly life, they refused to do so even though they were healthy and secure. Therefore, they will be punished with the lack of ability to do so in the Hereafter. When the Almighty Lord makes Himself visible (before the believers), then the believers will fall down in prostration to Him, but no one of the disbelievers and hypocrites will be able to prostrate. rather, their backs will become one plate. Every time one of them attempts to prostrate, he will bow his neck but will not be able to prostrate. This is just like in the life of this world, when these people were in opposition to what the believers were doing. 

Yusuf Ali Explanation: Their past memories, combined with their present position, will then fill them with a sense of the deepest dismay and humiliation. See last note.

Salimun " سٰلِمُوۡنَ‏ ": whole, in full possession of the power of judgment and will; not constrained, as they now will be, by the Punishment staring them full in the face.

فَذَرۡنِىۡ وَمَنۡ يُّكَذِّبُ بِهٰذَا الۡحَـدِيۡثِ​ؕ سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُمۡ مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَۙ‏ 

( 44 )   So leave Me, [O Muhammad], with [the matter of] whoever denies the Qur'an. We will progressively lead them [to punishment] from where they do not know.

That is, do not worry yourself as to how to deal with them, it is for Me to see how to chastise them.

A form of leading somebody to ruin in imperceptible ways is that an enemy of the truth and wicked person may be blessed in the world, and be granted health, wealth, children and worldly successes, by which he may be deluded into believing that whatever he is doing, he is doing well and right. There is nothing wrong with his acts and deeds. Thus, he may go on getting more and more deeply involved in enmity of the truth and wickedness and rebellious conduct and may not realize that the blessings he is being favored with are not a reward but, in fact, a means of his own ruin.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: For Whoever denies the Qur'an - Allah says: (فَذَرْنِى وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَـذَا الْحَدِيثِ Then leave Me alone with such as belie this narration.) meaning, the Qur'an. This is a sever threat which means, `leave Me alone with this person; I know about him and how I will gradually punish him and increase him in his falsehood. I am giving him respite for a while, then I will seize him with a mighty and powerful punishment.' 

Thus, Allah says, ( سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ We shall punish them gradually from directions they perceive not.) meaning, and they will not even be aware of it. Rather, they will believe that it is a noble blessing from Allah, but really the same matter is actually a form of humiliation (for them). 

This is similar to Allah's statement:

(Do they think that in wealth and children with which We expand them, We hasten unto them with good things. Nay, but they perceive not.) (23:55,56) 

Yusuf Ali Explanation: Notice, the transition between "Me" and "We" in this verse, and again to "I" and "My" in the next verse. The first person plural ordinarily used in the holy Qur'an as Allah's Word, is the plural of respect. In Royal decrees the first person plural is always used. When the first person singular is used, it marks some special personal relation, either of Mercy or favours (as in ii. 38 or ii. 150) or of punishment, as here. (Cf. n. 56. to ii. 38).

Cf. vii. 182. We must not be impatient if we see the wicked flourish. It may be that the very appearance of flourishing here may be a part of the Punishment. There may be an eventual punishment by a sort of Cataclysm; but evolutionary punishment is gradual and sure. Allah may punish wicked people by granting them respite and providing them worldly benefits in abundance, which encourages them in sin and transgression. So when they are finally seized by the Wrath of Allah they are caught suddenly and utterly unprepared, as it were, red handed while engrossed in disbelief, a life of impiety and open revolt against their Lord!

Muhammad Asad Explanation: I.e., to divine revelation in general, and to the tiding of resurrection and judgment, in particular - the implication being that God alone has the right to decide whether or how to chastise them.

Lit., "without their knowing whence [it comes]". The above sentence, as well as the next (verse {45}), are found in exactly the same formulation in {7:182-183}.

وَاُمۡلِىۡ لَهُمۡ​ؕ اِنَّ كَيۡدِىۡ مَتِيۡنٌ‏ 

( 45 )   And I will give them time. Indeed, My plan is firm.

The word kayd " كَيۡدِىۡ " in the original means to devise a secret scheme against another. It is an evil only in case it is devised to harm somebody unjustly, otherwise there is nothing wrong with it, especially when such a scheme is adopted against a person who has made himself worthy of it.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir:  meaning, `I will delay them, give them respite and extend their time. Yet, this is My plan, and My plot against them.

Thus, Allah says: (إِنَّ كَيْدِى مَتِينٌ Verily, My plan is strong.) meaning, `great against whoever opposes My command, rejects My Messengers and dares to disobey Me.' 

In the Two Sahihs it is recorded from the Messenger of Allah that he said:

(Verily Allah the Exalted gives respite to the wrongdoer until He seizes him and he will not be able to escape Him.) Then he recited: (Such is the punishment of your Lord when He seizes the towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His punishment is painful (and) severe.) (11:102) 

اَمۡ تَسۡـئَـلُهُمۡ اَجۡرًا فَهُمۡ مِّنۡ مَّغۡرَمٍ مُّثۡقَلُوۡنَ​ۚ‏ 

( 46 )   Or do you ask of them a payment, so they are by debt burdened down?

The question apparently is being asked of the Prophet (peace be upon him), but its real audience are the people, who were crossing all limits in their opposition to him. They are being asked: Is Our Messenger asking you for a reward which makes you feel so upset. You know that he is absolutely selfless in his invitation and is exerting himself only for your own benefit and well-being. If you do not want to believe in what he says, you may not, but why are you feeling so enraged at his this invitation to you. (For further explanation, see (verse 40 of Surah 52. At-Toor).

Yusuf Ali Explanation: Cf. lii. 40. It costs the Unbelievers nothing to hear the Prophet, for the Prophet asks for no reward, and indeed suffers for their benefit. Al-Mustafa is addressed in the first instance, but there is always a universal interpretation. The righteous man asks for no reward for his preaching or example: if he did, the value would be too great for the world to pay for. The Unbelievers behave as if they had the secret of the Unseen, but they are empty triflers, for, if they only tried to formulate spiritual laws, they would fail.

Muhammad Asad Explanation: (for, behold, though I may give them rein for a while, My subtle scheme is exceedingly firm!) The term "subtle scheme" (kayd) evidently circumscribes here God's unfathomable plan of creation of which man can glimpse only isolated fragments and never the totality: a plan in which every thing and happening has a definite function, and nothing is accidental. (See in this connection note [11] on 10:5 - "None of this has God created without [an inner] truths.) Indirectly, the above passage alludes to the question as to the reason why God allows so many evil persons to enjoy their lives to the full, while so many of the righteous are allowed to suffer: the answer being that during his life in this world man cannot really understand where apparent happiness and unhappiness ultimately lead to, and what role they play in God's "subtle scheme" of creation.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Verse 46-47: the explanation of these two Ayat preceded in Surat At-Tur. The meaning of it is, `you, O Muhammad, call them to Allah without taking any wages from them. rather, you hope for the reward with Allah. Yet, they reject that which you have brought to them simply due to ignorance, disbelief and obstinacy.'

اَمۡ عِنۡدَهُمُ الۡغَيۡبُ فَهُمۡ يَكۡتُبُوۡنَ‏

( 47 )   Or have they [knowledge of] the unseen, so they write [it] down?

This second question also appears to be directed to the Prophet (peace be upon him), but, in fact, its audience are his opponents. It means: Have you, O people, peered behind the unseen and found that the Messenger, in fact, is not a Messenger sent by God, and the truth that he is presenting before you is also false. That is why you are being so stubborn in belying what he says (For explanation of verse 41 of Surah 52. At-Toor).

Yusuf Ali Explanation: Cf. lii. 41. The Unseen is certainly not within their knowledge or control. If it were, they could clearly write it down for their own guidance or the guidance of others. They should listen to the words of inspiration, sent by the Knower of all things.

Muhammad Asad Explanation: Sc., "and that, therefore, they need not listen to divine revelation. For the real significance of the term al-ghayb - of which the above is undoubtedly the earliest instance in the chronology of Qur'anic revelation - see surah {2}, verse [3]. 

(2:3) (who believe in [the existence of] that which is beyond the reach of human perception)

Al-ghayb (commonly, and erroneously, translated as "the Unseen") is used in the Qur'an to denote all those sectors or phases of reality which lie beyond the range of human perception and cannot, therefore, be proved or disproved by scientific observation or even adequately comprised within the accepted categories of speculative thought: as, for instance, the existence of God and of a definite purpose underlying the universe, life after death, the real nature of time, the existence of spiritual forces and their inter-action, and so forth. Only a person who is convinced that the ultimate reality comprises far more than our observable environment can attain to belief in God and, thus, to a belief that life has meaning and purpose. By pointing out that it is "a guidance for those who believe in the existence of that which is beyond human perception", the Qur'an says, in effect, that it will - of necessity - remain a closed book to all whose minds cannot accept this fundamental premise.

Its use in the above context is meant to elucidate and further develop the idea already touched upon in 96:6 - "man becomes grossly overweening whenever he believes himself to be self-sufficient". More particularly, the present passage points to the fallacy of the arrogant belief that the solution of all the mysteries of the universe is "just around the corner" and that man-centered science - epitomized in the reference to its being "written down" - can and will teach its adepts how to "conquer nature" and to attain to what they regard as the good life.

فَاصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُنۡ كَصَاحِبِ الۡحُوۡتِ​ۘ اِذۡ نَادٰى وَهُوَ مَكۡظُوۡمٌؕ‏ 

( 48 )   Then be patient for the decision of your Lord, [O Muhammad], and be not like the companion of the fish when he called out while he was distressed.

That is, the time when Allah will issue His decree about your success and victory and your opponents’ defeat, is yet far off. Till then you should go on enduring with patience whatever hardships and afflictions you may have to face in the way of preaching the faith.

That is, do not behave impatiently as did the Prophet Jonah (peace be on him), who an account of his impatience was driven into the fish’s belly. Immediately after exhorting the Prophet (peace be upon him) to have patience until Allah issued forth His decree, to tell him not to behave like the Prophet Jonah (peace be upon him) by itself gives the meaning that the latter had shown some kind of impatience before Allah gave His decision and thus had incurred His wrath. (See more in explanation of verses( Surah Yunus, Ayat 98); (Surah Al-Anbiya, Ayat 87-88); (Surah As-Saaffat, Ayat 139-148).

In Surah Al-Anbiya it has been explained thus: From inside the fish’s belly and the darkness of the sea, the Prophet Jonah (peace be upon him) invoked Allah, saying: La ilaha ills anta subhanaka inni kuntu min-az-zalimin: There is no god but You; glory be to You: I had indeed committed a wrong. Thereupon Allah heard his prayer and delivered him from this affliction. (verses 87-88).

Yusuf Ali Explanation: This was Zun-Nun, or Jonah, for whom see explanation of xxi. 87-88. Cf. also xxxvii. 139-148 and the notes there. Jonah was asked to preach to the people of Nineveh, a wicked city. He met with hostility and persecution, fled from his enemies, and took a boat. He was caught in a storm and thrown into the sea. He was swallowed by a fish or whale, but he repented in his living prison, and was forgiven. But the people of Nineveh were also forgiven, for they, too, repented. Here is a double allegory of Allah's mercy and forgiveness, and a command to patience, and complete and joyful submission to the Will of Allah.

Muhammad Asad Explanation: This is a reference to the Prophet Jonah - see 21:87 and the corresponding notes. As mentioned in 37:140 , "he fled like a runaway slave" from the task with which he had been entrusted by God, because his people did not all at once accept his preaching as valid: and so Muhammad is exhorted not to give in to despair or anger at the opposition shown to him by most of his contemporaries in Mecca, but to persevere in his prophetic mission.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: The Command to be Patient and to refrain from being Hasty like Yunus was.

Allah says: (فَاصْبِرْ So wait with patience) `O Muhammad, persevere against the harm your people cause you and their rejection. For verily, Allah will give you authority over them, and make the final victory for you and your followers in this life and the Hereafter.'

(وَلاَ تَكُن كَصَـحِبِ الْحُوتِ and be not like the Companion of the Fish) meaning, Dhun-Nun, who was Yunus bin Matta, when he went off angry with his people. Various things happened to him, such as riding on a ship at sea, being swallowed by a (large) fish, the fish carrying him off into the ocean, being in the darkness and depth of the sea and hearing the sea's and its dwellers glorification of the Most High, the Most Able (Allah). For He (Allah) is the One Whose execution of divine decree cannot be resisted. After all of this, he (Yunus) called out from the layers of darkness: (أَن لاَّ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ أَنتَ سُبْحَـنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّـلِمِينَ "That none has the right to be worshipped but You (O Allah), Glorified (and Exalted) are You! Truly, I have been of the wrongdoers.'') (21:87) 

Then Allah said concerning him, (فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَنَجَّيْنَـهُ مِنَ الْغَمِّ وَكَذلِكَ نُنجِـى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ So We answered his call, and delivered him from the distress. And thus We do deliver the believers.) (21:88) Allah also says, (Had he not been of them who glorify Allah, he would have indeed remained inside its belly (the fish) till the Day when they are resurrected.) (37:143,144) 

So here (in this Surah), Allah says: (when he cried out (إِذْ نَادَى وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ to Us) while he was Makzum.) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and As-Suddi, all said, "while he was distressed.'' 

لَوۡلَاۤ اَنۡ تَدٰرَكَهٗ نِعۡمَةٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّهٖ لَنُبِذَ بِالۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذۡمُوۡمٌ‏ 

( 49 )   If not that a favor from his Lord overtook him, he would have been thrown onto the naked shore while he was censured.

When this verse is read with ( Surah As-Saaffat, Ayats 142-146), one learns that at the time the Prophet Jonah (peace be upon him) was caused to be swallowed by the fish, he was blameworthy. But when he glorified Allah and confessed his fault, although he was thrown out from the belly of the fish on a bare beach in a state of sickness, he was not blameworthy at that time. Allah by His mercy caused a creeper to grow over him so that its leaves should provide him shade and its fruit food and drink.

Muhammad Asad Explanation: Cf. 37:143 - "had he not been of those who [even in the deep darkness of their distress are able to] extol God's limitless glory": i.e., who always remember God and pray for His forgiveness.

Lit., "while he was still blameworthy", i.e., burdened with sin and unredeemed by repentance: implying that but for God's grace he would have died as a sinner.

فَاجۡتَبٰهُ رَبُّهٗ فَجَعَلَهٗ مِنَ الصّٰلِحِيۡنَ‏ 

( 50 )   And his Lord chose him and made him of the righteous.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Imam Ahmad recorded from `Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah said, (It is not befitting for anyone to say that I am better than Yunus bin Matta.) Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith and it is in the Two Sahihs reported from Abu Hurayrah.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: Jonah was chosen by Allah's Grace and Mercy to be Allah's Prophet to Nineveh. If in his human frailty he lost a little patience, he suffered his punishment, but his true and sincere repentance and recognition of Allah's goodness and mercy restored him from his physical. and mental distress, and from the obscuration of the spiritual Light in him.

Cf. iv. 69. In the beautiful Company of the Righteous there is room for all, of every grade of spiritual advancement, from the highest to the most ordinary. But as in democratic politics every citizen's rights and status have complete recognition, so, in this Company, the badge of Righteousness is the bond, even though there may be higher degrees of knowledge or experience.

وَاِنۡ يَّكَادُ الَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا لَيُزۡلِقُوۡنَكَ بِاَبۡصَارِهِمۡ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا الذِّكۡرَ وَيَقُوۡلُوۡنَ اِنَّهٗ لَمَجۡنُوۡنٌ​ۘ‏ 

( 51 )   And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes when they hear the message, and they say, "Indeed, he is mad."

Would make you slip: Would eat you up with their eyes. For a similar expression of the Makkan disbelievers’ rage and fury against the Prophet (peace be upon him), see also Surah Bani Israil, Aya

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and others have said, ( لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ would make you slip) "In order to have some effect on you.''

( بِأَبْصَـرِهِمْ with their eyes) meaning, `they will affect you by looking at you with their eyes (i.e., the evil eye).' This means `they are jealous of you due to their hatred of you, and were it not for Allah's protection of you, defending you against them (then their evil eye would harm you).'

The Effect of the Evil Eye is Real - In this Ayah is a proof that the effect of the evil eye and its affliction by the command of Allah is real. Many Hadiths have been reported concerning this through numerous routes of transmission. 

The Hadith of Buraydah bin Al-Husayb Abu `Abdullah bin Majah recorded from Buraydah bin Al-Husayb that the Messenger of Allah said: (There is no Ruqyah except to cure the evil eye and the sting.) This is how Ibn Majah recorded this Hadith. Imam Muslim also recorded this Hadith in his Sahih on the authority of Buraydah himself, but he did not attribute it to the Prophet . There is a story concerning this incident (as reported by Buraydah in Sahih Muslim), and At-Tirmidhi recorded the Hadith in this manner (like Muslim's version). 

This Hadith has also been recorded by Imam Al-Bukhari, Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi on the authority of `Imran bin Husayn, however, he did not attribute it to the Prophet . `Imran's wording is: (There is no Ruqyah except to cure the evil eye and the sting.)'' Muslim recorded in his Sahih from Ibn `Abbas that the Prophet said: (The evil eye is real. If anything were to overtake the divine decree (and change it), then it would be the evil eye. And if you perform Ghusl (to remove the evil eye) then wash well.) Muslim was alone in recording this Hadith, as Al-Bukhari did not mention it. 

It is reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "The Messenger of Allah used to invoke Allah's protection for Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn (his grandsons) by saying: (I seek protection for you two by the perfect Words of Allah from every Shaytan, and dangerous creature, and from every eye that is evil.) Then he would say: (Thus, did Ibrahim used to seek protection for Ishaq and Isma`il (his sons).)'' This Hadith was recorded by Al-Bukhari and the Sunan compilers.

The Hadith of Abu Umamah As`ad bin Sahl bin Hunayf - Ibn Majah recorded from Abu Umamah As`ad bin Sahl bin Hunayf that `Amir bin Rabi`ah passed by Sahl bin Hunayf while he was bathing and he said, "I haven't seen the skin of a beautiful virgin girl nicer than this that I see today (i.e., commenting on how nice Sahl's skin was).'' So he did not leave before he (Sahl) fell down on the ground. So he was brought to the Messenger of Allah and it was said to him (the Prophet ) that Sahl had been afflicted by a seizure. The Prophet then said: (Who do you blame (or hold responsible) for this) The people replied, ""Amir bin Rabi`ah.'' Then the Prophet said: Would one of you knowingly kill his brother If one of you sees something of his brother that he likes, then let him supplicate for blessings for him.) Then the Prophet called for some water and he commanded `Amir to perform Wudu' with the water. So he washed his face, his hands up to his two elbows, his two knees, and the inside of his Izar. Then the Prophet commanded him to pour the water over Sahl. Sufyan said that Ma`mar related from Az-Zuhri that he said, "The Prophet ordered him to turn the water pot over (empty its contents over) him (Sahl) from behind him.'' An-Nasa'i recorded this Hadith through different routes from Abu Umamah with the wording, "And he turned the pot over pouring its contents over him (Sahl) from behind him.'' 

The Accusation of the Disbelievers and the Reply to Them - Allah says: ( وَيَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُ لَمَجْنُونٌ and they say: "Verily, he is a madman!'') meaning, they cut at him with their eyes and attack him with their tongues saying, "Verily, he is a madman.'' They say this because he came with the Qur'an.  

Yusuf Ali Explanation:

Thee eyes of evil men look at a good man as if they would "eat him up", or trip him up, or disturb him from his position of stability or firmness. They use all sorts of terms of abuse-"madman" or "one possessed by an evil spirit", and so on. Cf. lxviii. 2 above, and n. 5594. But the good man is unmoved, and takes his even course. The Message of Allah is true and will endure; and it is a Message to all Creation.

وَمَا هُوَ اِلَّا ذِكۡرٌ لِّلۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ‏ 

( 52 )   But it is not except a reminder to the worlds.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: This is the extreme antithesis to madness or demoniacal possession. So far from the holy Prophet uttering words disjointed or likely to harm people, he was bringing the Message of true Reality, which was to be the cure of all evil, in every kind of world. For the different kinds of worlds see n. 20 to i. 2.

This is the end of the explanation (Tafsir) of Surah Nun (or Al-Qalam), and all praise and blessing belong to Allah.

Please refer to our Reference Page "114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, explanation and exegesis of all other chapters of the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.

Reading the Holy Quran should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation and explanation has been taken from the Holy Quran officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the Holy Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  [2]

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources (links to Reference Pages given below):  

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
• Tafsir Nouman Ali Khan

In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given below. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites:

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Man's Regrets: Would that we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger

The worldly life is all about just a few days (compared to the life of the Hereafter) which is given as a test to the man by Allah. Now it is up to the man either to live it off merrily in leisure (the easier way) or try to please His Creator by living the hard way for life of truth is not an easy one. 

At many a places in the Qur'an, Allah has warned man about death: (67:2) Who created death and life that He might try you as to which of you is better in deed. He is the Most Mighty, the Most Forgiving;" So man has to choose which path he adopts so that he passes the test he is put through. And the Day of Resurrection would be a day of sorrow for those who did not listen to the message of Allah brought to them by Allah's messengers and prophets, leaving them in utter dismay, repenting for not having obeyed Allah and His Messenger (s):

يَوۡمَ تُقَلَّبُ وُجُوۡهُهُمۡ فِى النَّارِ يَقُوۡلُوۡنَ يٰلَيۡتَـنَاۤ اَطَعۡنَا اللّٰهَ وَاَطَعۡنَا الرَّسُوۡلَا‏ 

(33:66) On that Day when their faces shall be turned around in the Fire, they will say: “Would that we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger.”

That day it would be too late to regret as it would be a useless wish that in no wy would be accepted for enough time had been given to the man in his worldly life to men their ways and follow the path that would save them from humiliation on the Day of Resurrection. When they would be given their conduct sheet in their left hand, they would know that now they could only express regret and feel remorse, for hell fire has been made ready for them.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir:

That is they will be dragged into the Fire on their faces and their faces will be contorted in Hell, and in that state they will wish that they had been among those who had obeyed Allah and His Messenger in this world. 

Allah describes how they will be in the Hereafter: (And the Day when the wrongdoer will bite at his hands, he will say: "Oh! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger. Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken so-and-so as an intimate friend! He indeed led me astray from the Reminder after it had come to me. And Shaytan is to man ever a deserter in the hour of need.'') (25:27-29)

(How much would those who disbelieved wish that they had been Muslims.) (15:2) And here too, Allah tells us that when they are in this state, they will wish that they had obeyed Allah and His Messenger in this world:

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

As in several other instances in the Qur'an, the "face", being the noblest and most expressive part of a human person, represents here man's "personality" in its entirety; and its being "tossed about in the fire" is symbolic of the annihilation of the sinner's will and his reduction to utter passivity.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:

The face is the expression of their Personality, their Self; and turning upside down is a sign of degradation and ignominy. When the Retribution comes, the evil ones will be humiliated, and they will wish that they had followed right guidance when they had the chance. They will then fall to accusing their leaders who misled them. But they forget their own personal responsibility.

Now you may listen to eminent Muslim scholar and teacher Nouman Ali Khan explaining the above said verse:

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For compiled verses for more specific subjects, please refer to our exclusive reference page: "Selected verses from Al-Qurʾān about a specific subject."

In addition, for more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Blessed is He Who created death and life that He might try you as to which of you is better in deed

Today in the series of posts on the Selected Verses from Qur'an, we share the two opening verses of Sural 67. Al Mulk in which Allah first tells His servants that it is He alone, the Blessed One, in Whose Hand is the dominion of the Universe, and Who has power over everything; And since it is He Who has created this universes, it is not done without a purpose: And the purpose of creation of life and death. It is the reality of death which has been created to test the mankind so He might try them as to which of the whole are better in deed, so that it becomes easy for  Him on the Day of Resurrection to reward those who adopted and followed the path He prescribed from them and punish those who digressed from His path and followed the evil forces of Satan. 

But in the end Allah also reassures His servants that while He is the Most Mighty Whose verdict will be final, He is also the Most Forgiving and He may overlook many of the wrong doings of His servants except those who associated others with Him and worshipped others than He.

تَبٰرَكَ الَّذِىۡ بِيَدِهِ الۡمُلۡكُ وَهُوَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ قَدِيۡرُۙ‏  

(67:1) Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the dominion of the Universe, and Who has power over everything;

Tabaraka " تَبٰرَكَ " is a superlative from barkat. Barkat comprehends the meanings of exaltation and greatness, abundance and plentiful, permanence and multiplicity of virtues and excellences. When the superlative tabaraka is formed from it, it gives the meaning that Allah is infinitely noble and great. He is superior to everything beside Himself in His essence and attributes and works. His beneficence is infinite, and His excellences are permanent and everlasting. (For further information, see explanation of verses ( 54 of Surah 7. Al-Aaraf); (1-3 of Surah 23. Al-Muminoon); (1 and 10 of Surah 25. Al-Furqan).

As the word al-Mulk has been used, it cannot be taken in any limited meaning. Inevitably, it would imply sovereignty over everything that exists in the universe. In Whose hand is the dominion does not mean that He has physical hands, but that He is possessor of all power and authority and no one else has any share in it.

Since it is He in Whose Hand is the dominion of the Universe, He can do whatever He wills, nothing can frustrate or hinder Him from doing what He pleases.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:

What do we mean when we bless the name of Allah, or proclaim (in the optative mood) that the whole Creation should bless the name of the Lord? We mean that we recognise and proclaim His beneficence to us; for all increase and happiness is through Him, "in His hands',-in the hands of Him Who also holds Dominion or Power. In our human affairs we sometimes see the separation of Dominion or Power from Goodness or Beneficence: in the divine nature we recognise that there is no separation or antithesis.

Mulk: Dominion, Lordship, Sovereignty, the Right to carry out His Will, or to do all that He wills. Power (in the clause following) is the Capacity to carry out His Will, so that nothing can resist or neutralise it. Here is beneficence completely identified with Lordship and Power; and it is exemplified in the verses following. Note that "Mulk" here has a different shade of meaning from Malakut in xxxvi. 83. Both words are from the same root, and I have translated both by the word "Dominion". But Malakut refers to Lordship in the invisible World, while Mulk to Lordship in the visible World. Allah is Lord of both.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir:

Glorification of Allah and mentioning the Creation of Death, Life, the Heavens and the Stars - Allah the Exalted glorifies His Noble Self and informs that the dominion is in His Hand. This means that He deals with all of His creatures however He wishes and there is none who can reverse His decree. He is not questioned concerning what He does because of His force, His wisdom and His justice. 

For this reason Allah says, " وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ " and He is Able to do all things.) Then Allah says:

اۨلَّذِىۡ خَلَقَ الۡمَوۡتَ وَالۡحَيٰوةَ لِيَبۡلُوَكُمۡ اَيُّكُمۡ اَحۡسَنُ عَمَلًا ؕ وَهُوَ الۡعَزِيۡزُ الۡغَفُوۡرُۙ‏ 

(67:2) Who created death and life that He might try you as to which of you is better in deed. He is the Most Mighty, the Most Forgiving;

That is, the object of giving life to man in the world and causing his death is to test him to see which of them is best in deeds. Allusion has been made in this brief sentence to a number of truths:

(1) That life and death are given by Allah, no one else can grant life nor cause death.

(2) That neither the life nor the death of a creation like man, which has been given the power to do both good and evil, is purposeless. The Creator has created him in the world for the test. Life is for him the period of the test and death means that the time allotted for the test has come to an end.

(3) That for the sake of this very test the Creator has given every man an opportunity for action, so that he may do good or evil in the world and practically show what kind of a man he is.

(4) That the Creator alone will decide who has done good or evil. It is not for us to propose a criterion for the good and the evil deeds but for Almighty Allah. Therefore, whoever desires to get through the test, will have to find out what is the criterion of a good deed in His sight. Every person will be recompensed according to his deeds, for if there was no reward or punishment the test would be meaningless.

" He is the Most Mighty, the Most Forgiving " This has two meanings and both are implied here:

(1) That He is Almighty, in spite of being dominant over all His creatures, He is Merciful and Forgiving for them, not tyrannous and cruel.

(2) That He has full power to punish the evildoers. No one can escape His punishment. But He is forgiving for him who feels penitent, refrains from evil and asks for His forgiveness.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir:

(" الَّذِى خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَوةَ " Who has created death and life) Those who say that death is an existing creation use this Ayah as a proof because it is something that has been created. This Ayah means that He brought creation into existence from nothing in order to test the creatures. He examines them to see which of them will be best in deeds. 

This is similar to Allah's statement: (How can you disbelieve in Allah Seeing that you were dead and He gave you life.) (2:28) In this Ayah Allah named the first stage, which is non-existence, "death.'' Then he named the origin or beginning of existence, "life.'' 

This is why Allah says: (Then He will give death, then again will bring you to life ( on the Day of Resurrection)) (2:28). 

Concerning Allah's statement: (" لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلاً " He may test you which of you is best in deed.) it means best in deeds. This is as Muhammad bin `Ajlan said. It should be noted that Allah did not say "which of you does the most deeds.'' 

Allah then says: (" وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ " And He is the Almighty, the Oft-Forgiving.) This means that He is the Almighty, the Most Great, the Most Powerful and the Most Honorable. However, along with this He is Most Forgiving to whoever turns to Him in repentance and seeks His pardon after having disobeyed Him and opposed His commandment. Even though Allah is Almighty, He also forgives, shows mercy, pardons and excuses.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:

"Created Death and Life." Death is here put before Life, and it is created. Death is therefore not merely a negative state. In ii. 28 we read: "Seeing that ye were without life (literally, dead), and He gave you life: then will He cause you to die, and will again bring you to life; and again to Him will ye retum." In liii. 44, again, Death is put before Life. Death, then, is (1) the state before life began, which may be non-existence or existence in some other form: (2) the state in which Life as we know it ceases, but existence does not cease; a state of Barzakh (xxiii. 100), or Barrier or Partition, after our visible Death and before Judgment; after that will be the new Life, which we conceive of under the term Eternity.

Creation, therefore, is not in mere sport, or without a purpose with reference to man. The state before our present life, or the state after, we can scarcely understand. But our present Life is clearly given to enable us to strive by good deeds to reach a nobler state.

All this is possible, because Allah is so Exalted in Might that He can perfectly carry out His Will and Purpose, and that Purpose is Love, Mercy, and Goodness to His creatures.

We learn a few things from these ayahs: [5]

1. That life and death are given by Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala no one else can grant life nor cause death; That man’s creation has not been without purpose. Allah

2. That man’s creation has not been without purpose. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala created man to test him. This test will end with the end of his life in this world;

3. That for the sake of this test Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has given every man an opportunity for action. It is his choice to pursue good or the evil path;

4. That Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala alone will decide who has done good or evil. It is not for us to judge. Every person will be recompensed according to his deeds, for if there was no reward or punishment the test would be meaningless.

What is a beautiful action? Only that which is beautiful in the Sight of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. The intention for that deed is correct (sincerely done for the sake of Allah) and it is done according to the Sunnah of the Prophet salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. For he was the beloved of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala sent for our guidance with the best character. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala loved his actions. Therefore, we need to study his seerah and learn how is eating, drinking, sleeping, and other day-to-day matters were like.

Everyone has found their own way of worshipping. Imagine a student being given a particular curriculum and he goes on to learn something else. Will he clear his exams? Definitely, not. Similarly, if we are to enter Jannah then we must follow the curriculum that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Everything around us is performing its purpose. It is only man who is going on varying ways. Some have found their purpose in life while for others this life is still a place of play and entertainment. We see that the other living beings are performing their purpose. The sun rises and sets at its defined time. If it doesn’t there will be a chaos. So because we are not living according to the purpose of our creation our lives are in a mess.

Another thing note here is that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala does not want quantity rather quality. He wants to see who among us is better. Everything that we do in our life is a deed. For example, what do we do while we are waiting for our commute to come? Do we curse because it’s late or do we make use of the time and do dhikr? What do we do while our computer is booting-up? What does one talk about and how much does he talk? Does he waste his own and other’s time or keep his conversation to the point? Does he turn away upon seeing someone or is he the first one to greet them? Let’s all make the most of our time and watch our speech.

“And He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving,” (67: 2) meaning even though Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is Almighty, He also forgives, shows mercy, pardons and excuses. He is not tyrannous and cruel. He has the full power to punish the evildoers and none can escape His punishment, however, along with this He is Most Forgiving to whoever turns to Him in repentance and seeks His pardon after having disobeyed Him and opposed His commandment.

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference / Sources: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Allah made the earth a dwelling place for you - So call upon Him, consecrating to Him all your devotion

True believing Muslims have an unflinching faith and trust in true God who has no associates. It is He alone Who is the sole Creator of the entire universe and it is He alone Who has made this world comfortable for us stuffed with provisions for our sustenance. Therefore it is our obligation not only to thank Him all the times but must also all upon Him consecrating to Him all our devotion.

Allah reminds us of His many bounties that He has blessed us so that we are ever grateful to Him. This is the crux of very theme of verses 64-65 of Surah 40. Al-Mu'min chosen for our series of posts on "Selected verses from Quran" this morning:

اَللّٰهُ الَّذِىۡ جَعَلَ لَـكُمُ الۡاَرۡضَ قَرَارًا وَّالسَّمَآءَ بِنَآءً وَّصَوَّرَكُمۡ فَاَحۡسَنَ صُوَرَكُمۡ وَرَزَقَكُمۡ مِّنَ الطَّيِّبٰتِ ؕ ذٰ لِكُمُ اللّٰهُ رَبُّكُمۡ ​ ۖۚ فَتَبٰـرَكَ اللّٰهُ رَبُّ الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ‏ 

(40:64) Allah it is Who made the earth a dwelling place for you and made the sky a canopy, Who shaped you and shaped you exceedingly well and gave you good things as sustenance. That is Allah, your Lord; blessed be Allah, the Lord of the Universe.

(Allah it is Who made the earth a dwelling place for you) - the same has also been said in Surah An-Naml, Ayat 61 [Who is it Who has made the earth a place of resort, and has caused rivers to flow in its midst, and has placed upon it firm mountains, and has placed a barrier between two masses of water?Is there any god associated with Allah (in these tasks)? Nay; but most of them do not know.]:

It is not a simple thing for the earth to be a place of rest for the countless kinds of different creations living on it. If man looks into the wise harmony and coordination with which this sphere of the earth has been established, he is simply amazed and starts feeling that these harmonies and concordances and relations could not be brought about without the grand design of an All-Wise, All Knowing and All-Powerful God. This sphere of the earth is floating in space and is not resting on anything, yet there is no commotion and no vibration in its movement. Had there been any vibration in it, such as we experience during an earthquake, life could not exist here. This sphere comes before the sun and hides from it regularly, which causes the alternation of the day and night. Had it turned the same face perpetually towards the sun and kept the other side always hidden, no life could be possible here, for on the bright side all life would have been shriveled up, and on the dark side all life would have been frozen to death. The sphere is enveloped by a five hundred mile thick atmosphere, which protects it against the continual bombardment of meteors, otherwise the twenty million meteors on the average, which dart towards the earth daily at 30 miles per second, would have caused such destruction as would not have allowed any man animal or tree to survive. The same atmosphere controls the temperature, raises clouds from the oceans, carries water to different parts of the earth and provides the required gases that sustain the human, animal and plant life. Without it the earth could not become a fit place of rest for any kind of animal life. Just under the earth’s surface all those minerals and chemicals which are essential to the survival of vegetable and animal life have been provided in abundance. Wherever these natural resources do not exist, the land there cannot sustain any kind of life. A great store of water has been arranged on the earth in the form of oceans, rivers, lakes, springs and underground channels and snow on the mountains which melts and flows down in the form of rivers. Without such an arrangement there could be no life. Then the earth has been endowed with an appropriate gravitational pull by which it keeps the water and the air and all other things found on it attracted to it. If this pull had been a little less strong, it could not have stopped the air and the water from escaping. It would also have so much increased the temperature that life here would have become difficult. On the other hand, if the gravitational pull had been a little stronger, the atmosphere would have been denser, its pressure would have increased, evaporation would have become difficult and rains impossible; the cold would have increased and less areas on earth would have been inhabitable; men and animals would have been shorter in size but heavier in weight, which would have made movement difficult. Besides, this sphere has been located at a suitable distance from the sun, which is most appropriate for the population here. If the distance had been longer, the earth would have received less of heat, the climate would have been much colder, the seasons much longer and the earth would be hardly inhabitable. On the other hand, if the distance had been shorter, the intensity of the heat along with other factors would have rendered it unfit for the kind of life man is living here.

These are a few of those harmonies and concordances due to which earth has become a place of rest for its population. A man with a little common sense who is aware of these facts cannot imagine for a moment that these concordances have come into existence without the design of an All-Wise Creator, as a mere accident, nor can he ever conceive that a god or goddess, jinn or prophet, saint or angel, could have had any hand in the creation and bringing into operation of this grand design.

The bodies of sweet and saline waters that exist on the earth but do not intermingle. Underground water channels mostly flow separately with sweet water and saline water side by side. Even in the middle of the bitter seas there exist at some places springs of sweet water; their current remains separate from the sea water and the sea passengers obtain their drinking water from it. 

The same theme is repeated in verse 53 of Surah 25Al-Furqan: [And He it is Who has joined the two seas: one sweet and palatable and the other saltish and bitter; and He has set a barrier and an insurmountable obstruction between the two that keeps them apart.]

This phenomenon has been perceived in many places in the sea and on the land that sweet water and bitter water has existed side by side. Turkish Admiral Syedi Ali Rais, in his book Mirat-al-Mamalik, written in the 16th century, has mentioned a place in the Persian Gulf, where springs of sweet waver exist under the bitter waters of the sea, where he could get drinking water for his fleet. The American Oil company at first obtained water from the same springs in the Persian Gulf, before they dug up wells near Dhahran for the supply of the drinking water. Near Bahrain also there exist springs of sweet water at the sea bed from which people have been taking water until quite recently. Besides this apparent meaning which gives a rational proof of Allah’s being the One and the only Lord of the universe, the verse contains a subtle suggestion as well: When Allah wills, He can raise up a righteous community from among a large wicked society just as He can cause springs of palatable and sweet water to gush out from under the salty waters of the sea.

(and made the sky a canopy) That is, you have not been exposed to outer space so that heavenly calamities should rain on you and annihilate you completely, but We have built over the earth a fully fortified celestial system (which appears like a dome to the eye), which does not allow any destructive element to reach you; so much so that even the destructive cosmic rays cannot reach you and that is how you are living peacefully on the earth.

(and gave you good things as sustenance) That is, We had provided for you such a safe and peaceful place of rest even before your creation. Then We created you and gave you a fine body with most appropriate limbs and physical and mental powers of a high caliber. You did not create this erect stature, these hands and feet, these eyes and nose and ears, this talking tongue and this brain, which is a treasure-house of great capabilities, nor were these created by your mother and father, nor a prophet, or a saint, or a god had the power to create them. Their Maker and Creator was the All-Wise, All-Merciful, All-Mighty Sovereign, Who created Man with this wonderful body to function in the world, when He decided to bring him into being. Then as soon as you were created, you found by His beneficence a vast table laid out with pure provisions containing items of pure food which is not poisonous but health-giving, which is not bitter and tasteless but tasty, which is not rotten and stale and stinking but good smelling, which is not lifeless dregs but rich in vitamins and useful organic substances, so essential for the proper development and nourishment of yew body. Who has provided in such abundance this water, and corn, vegetables, fruits, milk, honey, meat and condiments, which not only add relish to your food but also provide you vitality and pleasures of life? And who has made the arrangements that these measureless granaries of food should go on coming out from the earth endlessly and their supply should never fail? Just consider this: What would have become of life if there had been no arrangement of food and man had been brought into existence suddenly? Is this not a clear proof that Your Creator is not merely a Creator but is an All-Wise Creator and All-Merciful Lord? (For further explanation, see (Surah Houd, Ayat 6); (Surah An-Naml, Ayats 60-66).

Yusuf Ali Explanation:

(The argument in the last two verses was from man's personal experiences of his physical life.) In verse 64-65 a parallel argument is addressed to man on a much higher plane: 'look at the spacious earth and the canopy of the sky; look at the special position you occupy above other animals that you know, in shape and form, and moral and spiritual capacities; consider your refinements in food and fruits and the higher spiritual Sustenance of which your physical food is a type; would you not indeed say that the Lord is good, and would you not glorify His holy name?'

A resting place: I understand this to imply a temporary place of rest or sojourn, a period of probation, to be followed by the eternal Home.

Cf. vii. 1 1. The shape and form refer to the physical form as well as to the inborn moral and spiritual capacities of man. As regards physical form, Cf. Milton's description of Adam and Eve, "Two of far noble shape, erect and tall" (Paradise Lost, iv. 288). As regards moral and spiritual capacities, they are typified by the breathing of Allah's spirit into man: xv. 29.

"Sustenance": all that is necessary for growth and development, physical, moral, and spiritual. Cf. xvi. 73.

هُوَ الۡحَىُّ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ فَادۡعُوۡهُ مُخۡلِصِيۡنَ لَهُ الدِّيۡنَؕ اَلۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ‏ 

(40:65) He is the Ever-Living: there is no god but He. So call upon Him, consecrating to Him all your devotion. All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the whole Universe.

That is, His is the real and true life. He only is living by virtue of His own power. No one else has the eternal and everlasting lift but Him. All others have borrowed and temporary life, which is destined to death and perishable.

The same theme is given in verse2  of Surah 39. Az-Zumar): [اِنَّاۤ اَنۡزَلۡنَاۤ اِلَيۡكَ الۡكِتٰبَ بِالۡحَقِّ فَاعۡبُدِ اللّٰهَ مُخۡلِصًا لَّهُ الدِّيۡنَ ؕ‏ ] O Prophet), it is We Who have revealed this Book to you with Truth. So serve only Allah, consecrating your devotion to Him.

That is, the Quran contains nothing but the truth, and there is no element of falsehood in it.

(So serve only Allah, consecrating your devotion to Him.) 

This is a very important verse which states the real objective of the message of Islam. Therefore, one should not pass over it superficially, but should try to understand its meaning and intention. It has two basic points: (1) That the demand is to worship Allah. (2) That the demand is of such worship as may be performed by making religion exclusively Allah’s. Ibadat is derived from abd, and this word is used as an antonym of freeman for the slave and bondsman in Arabic. Accordingly, ibadat contains two meanings: (1) Worship and devotion. (2) Humble and willing obedience, as is borne out by the well known and authoritative Arabic Lexicon, Lisan al- Arab. Thus, according to the authentic lexical explanation, the demand is not only of Allah’s worship but also of willing and sincere obedience to His commands and laws.

The Arabic word deen contains several meanings:

(1) Domination and sovereignty, rule and political power and authority to enforce one’s decisions on others.

(2) Obedience, compliance with commands and servitude.

(3) The practice and the way that a man follows.

In view of these three meanings, deen in this verse means: The way of life and attitude which a man adopts after acknowledging the supremacy and accepting the obedience of another; and to worship Allah making one’s religion exclusively His. This means that one should refrain from combining another’s worship with the worship of Allah, but should worship Allah alone, should follow His guidance alone, and should comply with His commands and injunctions only.

There is thus none else the hymns of whose praise may be sung and who may be thanked. May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 |

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

The Day when hands will speak and feet shall bear witness to their evil deeds

The life of evil and lewdness is very pleasing and carefree for when the devils fill the hearts of their targeted subjects they lose any sense of proportion and control over their actions. Just like drinking wine or any intoxicants does to the human minds. When fully intoxicated, one doesn't know what he is doing. It is only after when the hangover is over, he is told to how lowly he had fallen and what sins he committed when under the control of the devils.

Yet, the pleasures of sinful life are so great and attractive that by and by one is completely overtaken by the forces of devil and is unable to escape from them. So is the menace of wealth and power which makes man forget that one day he will be made to answer for his wrong doings and continues to enjoy the powers of lust. It is for such transgressors, that Allah reminds them of the Day when: 

اَلۡيَوۡمَ نَخۡتِمُ عَلٰٓى اَفۡوَاهِهِمۡ وَتُكَلِّمُنَاۤ اَيۡدِيۡهِمۡ وَتَشۡهَدُ اَرۡجُلُهُمۡ بِمَا كَانُوۡا يَكۡسِبُوۡنَ‏ 

Today We shall put a seal on their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us and their feet shall bear witness to what they had been doing. (Surah 36 Ya Seen :65) 

This command will be given in respect of the stubborn culprits, who will refuse to confess their crimes, will belie the witnesses, and will also not acknowledge the genuineness of their conduct-book. Then will Allah Almighty command: Well, stop your babbling. Just see what your own limbs say about your misdeeds. In this connection, here only the evidence to be given by the hands and the feet has been mentioned. But at other places it has been said that their eyes and their ears and their tongues, and the very skins of their body, will tell how they had been employed in the world. They should not forget the Day when their own tongues and their own hands and feet will bear testimony to their misdeeds. (Surah An-Noor, Ayat 24) Then, when all will have reached there, their ears and their eyes and their very skins will bear witness against them concerning what they had been doing in the world. (Surah Ha Mim-Sajdah, Ayat 20). 

The question arises: On the one hand, Allah says: We shall seal their mouths, and on the other hand, in the verse of Surah An-Noor, He says: Their tongues will bear testimony against them. How can these two things be reconciled? The answer is: To seal the mouths means to deprive them of their power of speech. That is, after this they will not be able to say whatever they like with their tongue. The testimony of their tongues means that their tongues themselves will tell how the wicked people had used them, what blasphemies and lies they had been made to utter, what mischief they had invented and what falsehoods they had been made to say on different occasions.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 

This will be the state of the disbelievers and hypocrites on the Day of Resurrection, when they deny the sins they committed in this world and swear that they did not do that. Allah will seal their mouths and cause their limbs to speak about what they did. 

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "We were with the Prophet and he smiled so broadly that his molar could be seen, then he said: (Do you know why I am smiling) We said, `Allah and His Messenger know best.' 

He said: (Because of the way a servant will argue with his Lord on the Day of Resurrection. He will say, "O Lord, will You not protect me from injustice'' ﴿Allah﴾ will say, "Of course.'' He will say, "I will not accept any witness against me except from myself.'' ﴿Allah﴾ will say, "Today you will be a sufficient witness against yourself, and the honorable scribes will serve as witnesses against you.'' Then his mouth will be sealed, and it will be said to his faculties, "Speak!'' So they will speak of what he did. Then he will be permitted to speak, and he will say, "May you be doomed! It was for you that I was fighting.'')'' This was recorded by Muslim and An-Nasa'i. Ibn Jarir narrated that Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The believer will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection, and his Lord will show him his deeds, just between him and His Lord. He will admit it and will say, `Yes, O Lord, I did do that.' Then Allah will forgive him his sins and conceal them, and no creature on earth will see any of those sins, but his good deeds will be seen, and he will want all the people to see them. Then the disbeliever and the hypocrite will be brought to account, and his Lord will show him his deeds and he will deny them, saying, `O Lord, by Your glory, this angel has written down things that I did not do.' The angel will say to him, `Did you not do such and such on such a day and in such a place' He will say, `No, by Your glory, I did not do that.' When he says this, Allah will seal his mouth.'' Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I think that the first part of his body to speak will be his right thigh.'' 

Then he recited: (This Day, We shall seal up their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us, and their legs will bear witness to what they used to earn).

Yusuf Ali Explanation:

The ungodly will now be dumbfounded. They will be unable to speak or offer any defence. (The consequences of all acts, which follow according to Allah's Law, are, in Quranic language, attributed to Allah). But their silence will not matter. Their own hands and feet will speak against them. "Hands and feet" in this connection are symbolical of all the instruments for action which they were given in this life. The same extended meaning is to be understood for "eyes" in the following verse. Cf. also xli. 20- 21, where eyes, ears, and skins are all mentioned as bearing witness against such as misused them.

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

There is no compulsion in religion

Unlike the misconception spread by the non Muslims that Islam spread by sword, there has never been compulsion for non Muslims to convert to Islam for if it had been so, the entire population of Spain should have been converted to Islam during the almost 800 years of Muslim reign of Spain or the Hindu population of India during almost 600 years of rein by the Muslims rulers. Instead, it has always been the logic that appeals to the non Muslims that moves them towards the ultimate truth that Islam embodies in itself.

Even today, when compulsion can not be tolerated, more and more non Muslims are reverting to Islam and the number is growing with each passage of the day. And the reverts stand witness to it. This is  exactly the essence of teachings of Islam as is evident from the 256th verse of Surah 2. Al Baqarah. This verse clearly distinguishes the path of guidance from the path of misguidance, it is now up to people to choose the one or the other path:  

لَاۤ اِكۡرَاهَ فِى الدِّيۡنِ​ۙ  قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشۡدُ مِنَ الۡغَىِّ​ۚ فَمَنۡ يَّكۡفُرۡ بِالطَّاغُوۡتِ وَيُؤۡمِنۡۢ بِاللّٰهِ فَقَدِ اسۡتَمۡسَكَ بِالۡعُرۡوَةِ الۡوُثۡقٰى لَا انْفِصَامَ لَهَا​​ ؕ وَاللّٰهُ سَمِيۡعٌ عَلِيۡمٌ‏ 

(2:256) There is no compulsion in religion. The Right Way stands clearly distinguished from the wrong. Hence he who rejects the evil ones and believes in Allah has indeed taken hold of the firm, unbreakable handle. And Allah (Whom he has held for support) is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

" ٱلدِّينِ‌ۖ " Din here signifies the belief about God embodied in the above 'Verse of the Throne' and the entire system of life which rests upon it. The verse means that the system of Islam, embracing belief, morals and practical conduct cannot be imposed by compulsion. These are not things to which people can be yoked forcibly.

Literally taghut " طَّاغُوۡتِ " means anyone who exceeds his legitimate limits. In the Qur'anic terminology, however, it refers to the creature who exceeds the limits of his creatureliness and arrogates to himself godhead and lordship. There are three stages of man's transgression and rebellion against God. The first stage is that one acknowledges in principle that obedience to God is right, but disregards it in practice. This is fisq (transgression). The second stage is that one not only disobeys but also rejects obedience in principle, and thus either refuses to become the subject of anyone at all or adopts someone other than God as the object of service and devotion. This is kufr (infidelity). The third stage is that one not only rebels against one's Lord but also imposes one's own will (in disregard of the Will of God - Ed.) on God's world and God's creatures. Anyone who reaches such a point is termed taghut and no one can be a true believer in God unless the authority of such a taghut (evil one) is rejected.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: No Compulsion in Religion

Allah said: (" لاَ إِكْرَاهَ فِى الدِّينِ " There is no compulsion in religion), meaning, "Do not force anyone to become Muslim, for Islam is plain and clear, and its proofs and evidence are plain and clear. Therefore, there is no need to force anyone to embrace Islam. Rather, whoever Allah directs to Islam, opens his heart for it and enlightens his mind, will embrace Islam with certainty. Whoever Allah blinds his heart and seals his hearing and sight, then he will not benefit from being forced to embrace Islam.'' 

It was reported that the Ansar were the reason behind revealing this Ayah, although its indication is general in meaning. Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn `Abbas said ﴿that before Islam﴾, "When (an Ansar) woman would not bear children who would live, she would vow that if she gives birth to a child who remains alive, she would raise him as a Jew. When Banu An-Nadir (the Jewish tribe) were evacuated ﴿from Al-Madinah﴾, some of the children of the Ansar were being raised among them, and the Ansar said, `We will not abandon our children.' Allah revealed, (There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the right path has become distinct from the wrong path.)''

Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i also recorded this Hadith. As for the Hadith that Imam Ahmad recorded, in which Anas said that the Messenger of Allah said to a man, ("Embrace Islam.'' The man said, "I dislike it.'' The Prophet said, "Even if you dislike it.'')

First, this is an authentic Hadith, with only three narrators between Imam Ahmad and the Prophet . However, it is not relevant to the subject under discussion, for the Prophet did not force that man to become Muslim. The Prophet merely invited this man to become Muslim, and he replied that he does not find himself eager to become Muslim. The Prophet said to the man that even though he dislikes embracing Islam, he should still embrace it, `for Allah will grant you sincerity and true intent.'

Tawhid is the Most Trustworthy Handhold: Allah's statement, (" فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّـغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَى لاَ انفِصَامَ لَهَا وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ " Whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower) is in reference to, "Whoever shuns the rivals of Allah, the idols, and those that Shaytan calls to be worshipped besides Allah, whoever believes in Allah's Oneness, worships Him alone and testifies that there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, then:

(" فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَى " then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold.)

Therefore, this person will have acquired firmness ﴿in the religion﴾ and proceeded on the correct way and the straight path. Abu Al-Qasim Al-Baghawi recorded that `Umar said, "Jibt means magic, and Taghut means Shaytan. Verily, courage and cowardice are two instincts that appear in men, the courageous fights for those whom he does not know and the coward runs away from defending his own mother. Man's honor resides with his religion and his status is based upon his character, even if he was Persian or Nabatian.'' `Umar's statement that Taghut is Shaytan is very sound, for this meaning includes every type of evil that the ignorant people of Jahiliyyah (pre Islamic era of ignorace) fell into, such as worshipping idols, referring to them for judgement, and invoking them for victory.

Allah's statement, (" فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَى لاَ انفِصَامَ لَهَا " then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break) means, "He will have hold of the true religion with the strongest grasp.'' Allah equated this adherence to the firm handhold that never breaks because it is built solid and because its handle is firmly connected. 

This is why Allah said here, (" فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَى لاَ انفِصَامَ لَهَا " (then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break.)

Mujahid said, "The most trustworthy handhold is Iman (faith).'' As-Suddi said that it refers to Islam. Imam Ahmad recorded that Qays bin `Abbad said, "I was in the Masjid when a man whose face showed signs of humbleness came and prayed two Rak`ahs that were modest in length. The people said, `This is a man from among the people of Paradise.' When he left, I followed him until he entered his house, and I entered it after him and spoke with him. When he felt at ease, I said to him, `When you entered the Masjid, the people said such and such things.' He said, `All praise is due to Allah! No one should say what he has no knowledge of. I will tell you why they said that. I saw a vision during the time of the Messenger of Allah, and I narrated it to him. I saw that I was in a green garden, ' and he described the garden's plants and spaciousness, `and there was an iron pole in the middle of the garden affixed in the earth and its tip reached the sky. On its tip, there was a handle, and I was told to ascend the pole. I said, `I cannot.' Then a helper came and raised my robe from behind and said to me, `Ascend.' I ascended until I grasped the handle and he said to me, `Hold on to the handle.' I awoke from that dream with the handle in my hand. I went to the Messenger of Allah and told him about the vision and he said: (As for the garden, it represents Islam; as for the pole, it represents the pillar of Islam; and the handle represents the most trustworthy handhold. You shall remain Muslim until you die.)

This Companion was `Abdullah bin Salam.'' This Hadith was also collected in the Two Sahihs; and Al-Bukhari also recorded it with another chain of narration.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: 

Compulsion is incompatible with religion; because 1) religion depends upon faith and will, and these would be meaningless if induced by force; 2) Truth and Error have been so clearly shown up by the mercy of God that there should be no doubt in the minds of any persons of goodwill as to the fundamentals of faith; 3) God's protection is continuous and His Plan is always to lead us from the depths of darkness into the clearest light.

Hand-hold: something which the hands can grasp for safety in a moment of danger. It may be a loop or a handle, or anchor. If it is without flaw, so that there is no danger of breaking, our safety is absolutely assured so long as we hold fast to it. Our safety then depends on our own will and faith; God's help and protection will always be unfailing if we hold firmly to God and trust in Him.

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

The term din denotes both the contents of and the compliance with a morally binding law; consequently, it signifies "religion" in the widest sense of this term, extending over all that pertains to its doctrinal contents and their practical implications, as well as to man's attitude towards the object of his worship, thus comprising also the concept of "faith". The rendering of din as "religion", "faith", "religious law" or "moral law" (see note [3] on 109:6 ) depends on the context in which this term is used. On the strength of the above categorical prohibition of coercion (ikrah) in anything that pertains to faith or religion, all Islamic jurists (fuqaha'), without any exception, hold that forcible conversion is under all circumstances null and void, and that any attempt at coercing a non-believer to accept the faith of Islam is a grievous sin: a verdict which disposes of the widespread fallacy that Islam places before the unbelievers the alternative of "conversion or the sword".

At-taghut denotes, primarily, anything that is worshipped instead of God and, thus, all that may turn man away from God and lead him to evil. It has both a singular and a plural significance (Razi) and is, therefore, best rendered as "the powers of evil". 

This ayah teaches us that a person cannot become a Muslim by force. To become a Muslim verbal declaration of faith is not enough – the conviction should come from the heart. In Surah al-Ghashiyah, the Prophet salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was told, “So remind; you are only a reminder. You are not over them a controller.” (88: 21-22)

You may like to listen to eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan explaining this very verse:

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

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Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs / verses (ayat) of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

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