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Saturday 17 October 2020

99 Attributes of Allah: Al Muqaddim - The Expediter

Allah in His al might is the Al Muqaddim  " ٱلْمُقَدِّمُ " - The Expediter, The One who Brings Forward.

Allah has well planned the affairs of the universe and mankind. It is He alone who creates conditions for anyone to be advanced in higher status, rank or position at the appointed time. None can hasten the working of the clock and time for time and a man's luck or fall moves at a time established by Allah. It is up to the man to strive sincerely and faithfully for his ambitions and goals to be realized. It is only then Allah chooses sincere and obedient servants for higher ranks, living and position.

Likewise, Allah gives time for the wrong doers to correct their paths and steer their lives to the truth which has been brought to them by the messengers and prophets of Allah. But that is not forever. Once a guidance has been given, time is given, sometimes shorter and sometimes again and again, as is evident in the promise made by Allah in the 61st verse of Surah 16. An Nahl (The Bee):

وَلَوۡ يُؤَاخِذُ اللّٰهُ النَّاسَ بِظُلۡمِهِمۡ مَّا تَرَكَ عَلَيۡهَا مِنۡ دَآبَّةٍ وَّلٰـكِنۡ يُّؤَخِّرُهُمۡ اِلٰٓى اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى​​ۚ فَاِذَا جَآءَ اَجَلُهُمۡ لَا يَسۡتَـاۡخِرُوۡنَ سَاعَةً​ وَّلَا يَسۡتَقۡدِمُوۡنَ‏ 
(16:61) Were Allah to take people to task for their wrong-doing, He would not have spared even a single living creature on the face of the earth. But He grants them respite until an appointed term. And when that term arrives, they have no power to delay it by a single moment, nor to hasten it.

That is if Allah were to punish for wrong doings, who else could be there to stop Allah from doing so. The name Muqaddim is not specifically used as a Beautiful Name in the Qur'ān. From the word "  يَسۡتَقۡدِمُوۡنَ‏  " linguistically, q-d-m, the root word of this Attribute, has been derived means advancing, promoting, or preferring.

Many nations flourished which found the truth and sincerely held on to it and Allah advanced them in higher positions of respect and wealth. both spiritual and material. But those who refused to obey Allah and His messengers and prophets and openly defied, were obliterated from their very basic roots and foundations. So while Allah, the Al Muqaddim, expedites elevation of His obedient servants, He delays His wrath, owing to His attribute Al-Mu'akhkhir (المؤخر) - The Delayer, on the disobedient and disbelievers and affords them time to mend their ways. The names Muqaddim (promoter) and Mu'akhkhir (delayer) are opposites.

You may refer to our post "99 Attributes of Allāh" for complete list of 99 attributes of Allah Almighty with meaning and explanation.

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran

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Friday 16 October 2020

Quran was revealed for people with understanding to reflect over its verses

The religious scriptures are normally revered and read all over the world - but very few really strive to understand the wisdom contained therein. Like all religious scriptures, Qur'ān too was reveled for people with understanding to ponder over its verses and derive lessons for their benefit and to find the Divine Wisdom contained therein.

Allah says in the 29the verse of Sürah Ṣād " ص‎ " -The Letter Ṣād:

كِتٰبٌ اَنۡزَلۡنٰهُ اِلَيۡكَ مُبٰرَكٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوۡۤا اٰيٰتِهٖ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ اُولُوا الۡاَلۡبَابِ‏ 
"This is the Blessed Book that We have revealed to you, (O Muhammad), that people with understanding may reflect over its verses and those with understanding derive a lesson."

The Quran has been called a blessed Book in the sense that it is highly useful for man. It gives him the best guidance to improve and reform his life. By following it he has only to gain and nothing to lose.

Revelation is not a mere chance or haphazard thing. It is a real blessing-among the greatest that Allah has bestowed on man. By meditation on it in an earnest spirit man may learn of himself, and his relation to nature around him and to Allah the Author of all. Men of understanding may, by its help, resolve all genuine doubts that there may be in their minds, and learn the true lessons of spiritual life.

The dilemma of the Muslims of late has been to recite the Qur'ān and then wrap it and place it in the highest shelf of the house. While many read its translation or those who know Arabic automatically understand its meaning, very few strive to understand the Divine Wisdom contained in it and benefit from it. In fact Qur'ān should be read just like we read any text book and prepare for the examination. We pay extra care while reading our text book so as not to lose marks when the exam comes. And when we do not understand a subject, we read it over again and again and even consult those who better understand the subject, so as not to fail.

If we are so careful and particular about our exams, why aren't we concerned about the far bigger exam, or should I say mother of all exams that will confront us in the Hereafter? To be prepared for that exam, we need to ponder over each word of the Qur'ān and try to find the hidden Divine Wisdom. Unless we do that, we shall never be able to find the true guidance that Qur'ān contains. Like difficult subjects, there are many verses that are hard to understand and when confronted with such verses, we leave them and move on for we do not fear the exam for which this Qur'ān is set to prepare us for. So read it again and again and try to relate it to the reference to the context. And if still you do not understand, ask a scholar to make things easier for you.
The knowledge in interpretation of the Quran is limitless, and each commentator can find out some points about a verse, and there are still many points that have not been known. And it is one of the miraculous aspects of the Quran; that every individual may understand its points based on his/her conditions of time and place. That is why in Quranic interpretations there is always space for growth in understanding the meanings. Hence, do not stick to one interpretation and try to read and listen to different commentaries. Then you can compare them to each other, and at some points, with the help of Allah, you might find some new points about specific verses. [1]
Allah tells us to refer to people of wisdom and knowledge and ask them our questions if we cannot reach the answers by ourselves. With regards to Quranic questions, reading or listening to different interpretations of the Quran can be a great help. Different Qur'ān interpreters have discovered different points about the meanings of Quranic verses.

For better understanding the Quran, one must read it without any bias or prejudice for Allah tells us that the Quran is a book of guidance (2:2) and asks those who read it not to read their desires into it (3:7).
Those who come to the Qur’an looking to affirm their beliefs that Islam promotes violence will take fragments of verses out of context and leave with that impression. Those who come to the Quran to look for proof that it is OK to do drugs will take one verse and not look at the Quran holistically.
But those who come to the Quran free from bias and with open hearts and minds, they will find guidance. In the beginning of every chapter of the Quran, save one, you will find mercy. You will find that justice is fundamental (4:135). And you will find that peace is the cornerstone of the Qur’an. You will find tolerance is a necessity (2:256). You will find that equality is a given (4:2). And in all this and more you will find guidance in the Quran.
We at Islam: My Ultimate Decision have embarked upon an effort to offer exegesis / tafsir of each chapter of Qur'ān, verse by verse, by four to five eminent Muslim scholars and exegetes so that our readers can better understand each verse easily. Please refer to our reference page: 114 Chapters (Surahs) of Holy Quran for better understanding of Divine Wisdom. 
May Allah help us understand Qur'an 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 Quran.
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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 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: 
  • 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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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.

Islam in Denmark


Islam is the fastest growing minority religion in Denmark. Islam entered Denmark in the 1880s but real growth of Islam came in the 1970s when students and workers from Turkey, Pakistan, Morocco and the former Yugoslavia. Mostly these were single male who later stayed back on account of better job prospects. Later these were allowed to bring in their families to settle down permanently. A second wave of Muslims came in the form asylum's seekers and refugees from Iran, Iraq, Somalia and Bosnia.

The Muslim population has considerably increased from 3.7% of the total Dane population in 2009 to about 5.4% in 2020. Presently there are some 313,713 Muslims living in Denmark. In addition, some ethnic Danes have converted to Islam; an estimated 2,800 Danes have converted and about seventy Danes convert every year. Authorities do not register individual religious beliefs. Muslims citizens enjoy full civil and political rights in the Danish democracy. Several Muslims are members of parliament and hold seats in municipal councils.

AS per a rough estimate, the origin of Denmark’s Muslims varies. Research suggests that 24.7 % are of Turkish origin, 12 % are of Iraqi origin, 10,8% Lebanese, 8,2% of Pakistani origin  and 7.6 % of Somali origin. Most of the Muslims are Sunni Muslims with a a sizeable Shia minority. The Danish 




Although Denmark has a Lutheran state church financed via taxes, but there is freedom of religion in Denmark and Everyone can manifest his or her religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching - yet things are all not that well when it comes to racism and Islamophobia. Recently there have been anti Islam demonstrations and a growing numbers of Danish Muslims say they have faced verbal abuse, exclusion and hate crimes since mainstream political parties began adopting anti-immigrant policies previously the preserve of the far right. Almost eight out of ten Muslims living in Denmark want to make criticism of Islam illegal, according to a report from Denmark’s Ministry of Justice released called "Freedom of Speech in Denmark".

The Muslim women wearing traditional Muslim veils are often mistreated, abused and sometimes attempts are made to forcefully take off their veils. They also face restrictions at work place because of their Islamic attire. The ban on wearing garments hiding the face, including some traditional Islamic headwear such as the niqab and burqa in 2018 ignited controversy in the country and online, with some defending women's right to wear what they want and others saying that immigrants should obey the laws of their host countries. A petition to ban circumcision in the country received the 50,000 signatures required for a vote in parliament.
Manilla Ghafuri, 26, who came to Denmark from Afghanistan in 2001 as a refugee, fears that anti-Muslim attitudes could harden further in days to come. She says she has more than once been told to go back to her “own country” and has been kicked out of a supermarket while shopping with her family. While she was working at a bakery a male customer refused to be served by her. “I asked if I could help him, but he didn’t look at me at all. He just stood and waited for another girl who is an ethnic Danish girl,” said Ghafuri, who also works as a teacher and has a degree in Danish.[6]
The Grand Mosque of Copenhagen in Copenhagen is one of the largest mosques in Denmark.        [Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Author: Morten Haagensen

Muslims have to brave out the negativities of the hostile Danish right parties and population. Denmark’s immigration minister in 2018  had suggested that Muslims fasting for Ramadan should stay home from work “to avoid negative consequences for the rest of Danish society,” and called Fasting Muslims ‘a Danger’ in Ramadan. [7] A survey i 2016 concluded that one in three Danes believe that the country is at war with Islam and its adherents. Thirty three percent of Danes responded that Denmark is at war with Islam, while 56 percent disagreed with that view. Eleven percent of the 1,045 respondents answered that they did not know. [8]

Despite all odds, Muslims continue to play a role in shaping its social and religious landscape. There are 22 approved Islamic communities in Denmark. Members of approved religious communities may obtain the right to deduct their financial contributions to a religious community from their taxable income. An estimated 20%-25% of Muslims in Denmark (roughly 44,400-55,400 persons) are affiliated with a mosque association. According to a study conducted in 2006, there are around 115 mosques in Denmark.

Halal slaughter is permitted in Denmark. Halal food is widely available and Denmark is a major exporter of Halal meat to the Arab world. Sections within fifteen existing municipal cemeteries (all Christian consecrated) have been reserved for Muslim use since 1975. Religious groups also have the right to acquire land for the purpose of establishing a burial site. In 2006 a Muslim cemetery owned by the Danish Islamic Burial Fund was established near Copenhagen.

Religious education in public primary and secondary schools in Denmark is focused on ‘Christian studies’ with the addition of elements about other religions including Islam. Islamic studies are offered as part of Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies programmes and at the departments of religious studies at the universities of Aarhus, Copenhagen and Southern Denmark. 

Disclaimer: The data for this post has been collected from the references as given below. If any one differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

To know more about life of Muslims in other non Muslim countries, please visit our page: Islam and Life of Muslims in Non Muslim Countries

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.
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Thursday 15 October 2020

Surah Al Balad -The City: Exegesis 90th Chapter of Quran

Sūrah Al Balad " البلد "  - The City, is the ninetieth  sürah with 20 āyāt, part of the 30th Juzʼ  of the Holy Qur'ān. The Sūrah has been so named after the word al balad  البلد " in the very first verse.

In this Surah a vast subject has been compressed into a few brief sentences, and it is a miracle of the Qur’an that a complete ideology of life which could hardly be explained in a thick volume has been abridged most effectively in brief sentences.

Its theme is to explain the true position of man in the world and of the world in relation to man and to tell that Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala has shown to man both the highways of good and evil, has also provided for him the means to judge and see and follow them, and now it rests upon man’s own effort and judgment whether he chooses the path of virtue and reaches felicity or adopts the path of vice and meets with doom.

We have already presented the overview / summary of the Sūrah Al Balad. Let us now read the verse by verse translation and exegesis / tafseer in English. You may also listen to its tafseer / exegesis by eminent Muslim scholar, exegete and linguist Nouman Ali Khan at the end of the post:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"

لَا أُقْسِمُ بِهَـٰذَا الْبَلَدِ 
( 1 )   Nay! I swear by this city

As it has been  explained in (verse 1 of Surah Al-Qiyamah), to begin a discourse with a Nay and resume it with an oath means that the people were asserting a wrong thing to refute which it was said: Nay, the truth is not that which you seem to assert, but I swear by such and such a thing that the truth is this and this. As for the question what it was to refute which this discourse was sent down, it is indicated by the theme that follows. The disbelievers of Makkah said that there was nothing wrong with the way of life that they were following, as if to say: Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die in the natural process of time. Muhammad (peace be upon him), without any reason, is finding fault with this way of life and warning us that we would at some time in the future be called to account for it and rewarded and punished accordingly.

This City: the city of Makkah. There was no need here to explain why an oath was being sworn by this City. The people of Makkah were well aware of the background and importance of their city and knew how in the midst of desolate mountains, in an un-cultivated, barren valley, the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) had brought his wife and suckling child and left them there without any support; how he had built a House there and proclaimed to the people to visit it as pilgrims when there was no soul for miles around to hear the proclamation, and then how this city had eventually become the commercial and religious centre of Arabia and was blessed with such sacredness that there was no other place of security beside it in that lawless land for centuries.

Ibn Kathir Explanation:
Swearing by the Sanctity of Makkah and Other Things that Man was created in Hardship: Here Allah has sworn by Makkah, the Mother of the Towns, addressing its resident (during the non-sacred months,) free in this city in order to draw his attention to the significance of its sanctity when its people are in the state of sanctity. Khusayf reported from Mujahid; "The word "La'' (Nay) refers to the refutation against them (Quraish). I swear by this city.''

 وَأَنتَ حِلٌّ بِهَـٰذَا الْبَلَدِ 
( 2 )   And you, [O Muhammad], are free of restriction in this city -

Three meanings of the words in the text have been given by the commentators:
  • (1) That you are a resident of this city and your residence here has further enhanced the glory of this city.
  • (2) That although this city is a sanctuary; a time will come when for some time it will become lawful for you to fight and kill the enemies of the true faith here.
  • (3) That in this city where even killing of animals and cutting of trees is forbidden for the people of Arabia, and where everyone is living in perfect peace, you, O Prophet, have no peace, and persecuting you and devising plans to kill you has been made lawful.
Although the words are comprehensive enough to cover all the three meanings, yet when the theme that follows is considered, one feels that the first two meanings bear no relevance to it, and only the third meaning seems to be correct.

Ibn Kathir Explanation:
The meaning of this verse was mentioned in a Hadith that is agreed- upon as being authentic. In it the Prophet said: (Verily, Allah made this city sacred on the Day that He created the heavens and the earth. Therefore, it is sacred by the sanctity of Allah until the Day of Judgement. Its trees should not be uprooted, and its bushes and grasses should not be removed. And it was only made lawful for me (to fight in) for one hour of a day. Today its sanctity has been restored just as it was sacred yesterday. So, let the one who is present inform those who are absent.) 

Muhammad Asad Explanation:
Lit., "while thou art dwelling in this land". The classical commentators give to the term balad the connotation of "city", and maintain that the phrase hadha 'l-balad ("this city") signifies Mecca, and that the pronoun "thou" in the second verse refers to Muhammad ﷺ. Although this interpretation is plausible in view of the fact that the sacredness of Mecca is repeatedly stressed in the Qur'an, the sequence - as well as the tenor of the whole surah - seems to warrant a wider, more general interpretation. In my opinion, the words hadha 'l-balad denote "this land of man", i.e., the earth (which latter term is, according to all philologists, one of the primary meanings of balad). Consequently, the "thou" in verse {2} relates to man in general, and that which is metaphorically "called to witness" is his earthly environment.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:
Hillun حِلٌّ : an inhabitant, a man with lawful rights, a man freed from such obligations as would attach to a stranger to the city, a freeman in a wider sense than the technical sense to which the word is restricted in modern usage. The Prophet should have been honoured in his native city. He was actually being persecuted. He should have been loved, as a parent loves a child. Actually his life was being sought, and those who believed in him were under a ban. But time was to show that he was to come triumphant to his native city after having made Madinah sacred by his life and work.

 وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ 
( 3 )   And [by] the father and that which was born [of him],

As the words “father and children he begot” have been used indefinitely, and this is followed by the mention of man, father could only imply Adam (peace be upon him) and children the human beings who existed in the world, exist today and will exist in the future.

Ibn Kathir Explanation:
Mujahid, Abu Salih, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, Sufyan Ath-Thawri, Sa`id bin Jubayr, As-Suddi, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Khusayf, Shurahbil bin Sa`d and others have said, "Meaning, by the begetter, Adam, and that which he begot is his children.'' This view that Mujahid and his companions have chosen is good and strong. This is supported by the fact that Allah swears by the Mother of the Towns, which are dwellings. Then after it He swears by the dwellers therein, who is Adam, the father of mankind, and his children. Abu `Imran Al-Jawni said, "It refers to Ibrahim and his progeny.'' Ibn Jarir recorded this statement as did Ibn Abi Hatim. Ibn Jarir preferred the view that it is general and it refers to every father and his children. This meaning is also acceptable. 

Yusuf Ali Explanation:
A parent loves a child: ordinarily the father is proud and the mother, in spite of her birth-pains, experiences supreme joy when the child is born. But in abnormal circumstances there may be misunderstanding, even hatred between parent and child. So Makkah cast out her most glorious son, but it was only for a time. Makkah was sound at heart; only her power had been usurped by an ignorant autocracy which passed away, and Makkah was to receive back her glory at the hands of the son whom she had rejected but whom she welcomed back later. And Makkah retains for all time her sacred character as the centre of Islam.

 لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ
( 4 )   Verily We have created man into toil and hardship.

This is that for which the oaths as mentioned above have been sworn. Man’s being created in toil means that man in this world has not been created to enjoy himself and live a life of ease and comfort, but the world for him is a place of enduring and undergoing toil, labor and hardship, and no man can be immune from this. The city of Makkah is a witness that a servant of Allah toiled and struggled hard, then only did it become a city and the centre of Arabia. In this city of Makkah the condition of Muhammad (peace be upon him) is a witness that he is enduring every kind of hardship for the sake of a mission; so much so that there is full peace here for the wild animals but no peace for him. 

Then, every man’s survival, from the time he is conceived in the mother’s womb till the last breath of life, is a witness that he has to pass through trouble, toil, labor, dangers and hardships at every step. The most fortunate of us is also exposed to grave dangers of death before birth or of elimination by abortion while in the mother’s womb. At birth he is only a hair-breadth away from death. After birth he is so helpless that had there not been somebody to look after him, he would perish uncared for and unnoticed. When he became able to walk he stumbled at every step. From childhood to youth and old age he had to pass through such physical changes that if any change had taken a wrong turn, his very life would have been at stake. Even if he is a king or a dictator, at no time he enjoys internal peace from the fear that a rebellion might arise against him somewhere. Even if he is a conqueror he is never at peace from the danger that one of his generals might rise in revolt against him. Even if he is a Korah of his time, he is ever anxious to increase his wealth and to safeguard it. Thus, there is no one who may be enjoying perfect peace freely and without hesitation, for man indeed has been created into a life of toil and trouble.

Verse By Verse Quran Study Circle Explanation:
An oath that reaffirms an intrinsic fact of human life, “We have certainly created man into hardship.” Indeed, man’s life is a process of continued hardship that never ends, as stated in Surah Al-Inshiqaq Ayah 6, “O mankind! You are indeed laboring toward your Lord with [great] exertion and will meet it.”

Yusuf Ali Explanation:
Cf. "Man is born unto troubles as the sparks fly upward" (Job, v. 7); "For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief" (Ecclesiastes, ii. 23). Man's life is full of sorrow and vexation; but our text has a different shade of meaning: man is born to strive and struggle; and if he suffers from hardships, he must exercise patience, for Allah will make his way smooth for him (lxv. 7; xciv. 5-6). On the other hand no man should boast of worldly goods or worldly prosperity (see verses 5-7 below).

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ 
( 5 )   Does he think that no one can overpower him?

That is, is man, who is ever exposed to such hazards, involved in the delusion that he can do what he likes, and there is no superior power to seize and suppress him? The fact, however, is that even before the occurrence of the Hereafter in this world itself, he sees that his destiny every moment is being ruled by some other Being against Whose decrees all his plans and designs prove ineffective. A single jolt of the earthquake, a blast of wind, a flood in the river and a sea-storm are enough to show how weak and feeble man is against the divine forces. A sudden accident can reduce a strong and robust person to a cripple; one turn of the fortune deposes a mighty sovereign from the position of authority. When the fortunes of the nations, which have climbed to the very apex of glory and prosperity, change, they are humiliated and disgraced even in the world where no one could dare look at them in the face. How has then this man been deluded into thinking that no one else can have power over him.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:
See the end of last note. If a man has wealth, influence, or power, he should not behave as if it is to last for ever, or as if he has no responsibility for his acts and can do what he likes. All his gifts and advantages are given to him for trial. Allah, Who bestowed them on him, can take them away, and will do so if man fails in his trial.

 يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا 
( 6 )   He says, "I have squandered wealth in abundance."

Literally: I have destroyed heaps of wealth, i.e. squandered and wasted it. These words show how proud the speaker was of his wealth. The heaps of wealth, that he spent was so insignificant as against his total wealth that he did not mind squandering it carelessly. And to what purpose did he squander it? Not for a genuine, good cause as becomes evident from the following verses, but for display of his wealth and expression of his pride and glory. Bestowing rich awards on poetic admirers, inviting and feeding hundreds of thousands of people on marriage and death ceremonies, gambling away heaps of wealth, attending festivals with large entourages, trying to excel others in display of glory and grandeur, having heaps of food cooked on ceremonial occasions and throwing invitations to all and sundry to come and eat, or arranging and supplying running meals at the residence so as to impress the people around with one’s generosity and large heartedness; such were the expenditures of ostentation, which in the days of ignorance were regarded as a symbol of man’s munificence and magnanimity, and a sign of his greatness. For these they were praised and admired; on these their praises were sung; and on account of these they prided themselves against the less fortunate.

Muhammad Asad Explanation:
Implying that his resources - and, therefore, his possibilities - are inexhaustible. We must remember that the term "man" is used here in the sense of "human race": hence, the above boast is a metonym for the widespread belief - characteristic of all periods of religious decadence - that there are no limits to the power to which man may aspire, and that, therefore, his worldly "interests" are the only criteria of right and wrong.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:
The man who feels no responsibility and thinks that he can do what he likes in life forgets his responsibility to Allah. He boasts of his wealth and scatters it about, thinking that he can thus purchase the support of the world. For a time he may. But a rude awakening must come soon, for he bases his hopes on unsubstantial things. Or if he spends his substance on self-indulgence, he is weakening himself and putting himself into snares that must destroy him.

 أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُ أَحَدٌ 
( 7 )   Does he think that no one has seen him?

That is, doesn’t this boaster understand that there is also a God above him, Who sees by what means he obtained this wealth, in what ways he spent it, and with what intention, motive, and purpose he did all this? Does he think that God will put any value on his extravagance, his fame-mongering and his boasting. Does he think that like the world, God too will be deluded by it.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:
Allah watches him, and sees all his acts and motives, and all the secret springs of his follies. But lest he should think the higher forces too remote for him, let him look within himself and use the faculties which Allah has given him. See the next verses following.

أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُ عَيْنَيْنِ 
( 8 )   Have We not made for him two eyes?

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:
The implication is that the only right benefit of the eyes was that they should have been used to learn and seek a lesson. 

Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes: "These verses prod them: they should reflect that the Almighty had blessed them with two eyes so that they could observe their surroundings and see that on the one hand the Almighty has blessed them with wealth and status and on the other they can see that right under their noses are orphans and the needy, poor and helpless, weak and sick, the physically handicapped and the deprived who have nothing to eat and nothing to wear. The reason that the Almighty has blessed them with eyes is so that they observe all this around them and learn a lesson and become grateful to the Almighty. He did not make them go through such trying circumstances merely as a favour to them. Hence, they owe this obligation to these favours to generously spend their money to fulfil the needs of the deprived lot – the money which was given in their custody by the Almighty with a share for such people." (Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an, vol. 9, 373)

 وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ 
( 9 )   And a tongue and two lips?

That is, have We not given him the means of obtaining knowledge and wisdom? Two eyes does not imply the eyes of the cow and buffalo, but human eyes, which if used intelligently can help man see all around himself those signs which lead to the reality and distinguish the right from the wrong. The tongue and lips do not merely imply the instruments of speech but the rational mind behind these instruments which performs the functions of thinking and understanding and then uses them for expressing its ideas, motives and designs.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:
The two lips are mentioned with the tongue because the tongue is only able to speak because of the lips. The implication of the verse is that the Almighty blessed him with a tongue and also two lips to speak carefully and cautiously; however, such is the misfortune of these people that they used their tongues to deny the truth and indulge in foolish talk, and kept it silent at instances when it was really needed. 

Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes: "Another thing which becomes evident from this verse is that the awareness of virtue in a person should entail that he should not only adopt that virtue himself but urge others to do so as well. This is included in his obligation; otherwise, his virtuous deed will in fact be incomplete. Urging others to adopt virtue is the responsibility of every individual of the society without which he will be held accountable before the Almighty." (Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an, vol. 9, 374)

 وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ 
( 10 )   And did We not show him the two highroads (of good and evil)?

That is, We have not left him alone after granting him the faculties of thinking and reasoning so that he may have to search out his own way, but We have also guided him and opened up before him both the highways of good and evil, virtue and vice, so that he may consider them seriously and choose and adopt one or the other way on his own responsibility. This same subject has been expressed in (Surah Ad-Dahr, Ayat 2-3), thus: Indeed We created man from a mixed sperm-drop, to try him, and so We made him capable of hearing and seeing. We showed him the way, whether to be grateful or disbelieving. 

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:
After alluding to the faculties of sight, cognizance, speech and conversation, the faculty of distinguishing between good and evil is referred to here. The two ways here refers to the two ways mentioned in Surah al-Dahr and Surah al-Shams in the following words respectively: اِنَّا ہَدَیۡنٰہُ السَّبِیۡلَاِ مَّا شَاکِرًا وَّ اِمَّا کَفُوۡرًا (3:76) (We showed him the path. If he wants, he can be grateful or ungrateful. (76:3)) and وَ نَفۡسٍ وَّ مَا سَوّٰىہَا فَاَلۡہَمَہَا فُجُوۡرَہَا وَ تَقۡوٰىہَا (91: 7-8) (And the soul bears witness and the perfection given to it, then inspired it with its evil and its good. (91:7-8)).

Verse By Verse Quran Study Circle Explanation:
The roads diverge and the struggle takes different forms. One person struggles with his muscles, another with his mind and a third with his soul. One toils for a mouthful of food or a rag to dress himself with, another to double or triple his wealth. One person strives to achieve a position of power or influence and another for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala. One struggles for the sake of satisfying lusts and desires, and another for the sake of his faith or ideology. One strives but achieves no more than hell and another strives for Paradise. Thus, there is no one who may be enjoying perfect peace freely and without hesitation, for man indeed has been created into a life of toil and trouble.

 فَلَا اقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَةَ 
( 11 )   But he did not venture to scale the difficult steep.

The words in the original are: fa-laqtaham-al-aqabah. Iqtiham " اقْتَحَمَ " means to apply oneself to a hard and toilsome task, and aqabah " الْعَقَبَةَ " is the steep path that passes through mountains for ascending heights. Thus, the verse means: One of the two paths that We have shown him, leads to heights but is toilsome and steep; man has to tread it against the desires of his self and the temptations of Satan. The other path is easy which descends into chasms, but does not require any toil from man; one only needs to give free reins to himself, then he automatically goes on rolling down the abyss. Now, the man to whom We had shown both the paths, adopted the easy down-hill path and abandoned the toilsome path, which leads to the heights.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:
In spite of the faculties with which Allah has endowed man and the guidance which He has given him, man has been remiss. By no means has he been eager to follow the steep and difficult path which is for his own spiritual good. Cf. Matt. vii. 14: "Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto live, and few there be that find it".

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:
Sympathizing with human beings and worshipping God requires that one give up the immediate gains and pleasures of life. Hence both these things weigh down heavily on man. This is the reason the Qur’an has called them tantamount to climbing a steep path.

 وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْعَقَبَةُ 
( 12 )   And what do you know what that difficult steep is?

 أَوْ إِطْعَامٌ فِي يَوْمٍ ذِي مَسْغَبَةٍ 
( 13 )   It is freeing someone's neck from slavery;

Yusuf Ali Explanation:
The difficult path of virtue is defined as the path of charity or unselfish love, and three specific instances are given for our understanding: viz. (1) freeing the bondman, (2) feeding the orphan, and (3) feeding the indigent down in the dust.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:
Slaves should be liberated. The Qur’an has placed this at the top of the list of virtuous deeds. Every person can estimate the importance of this directive as a result. This is the first step by the Qur’an to eradicate this menace. Later, directives given in Surah Muhammad, Surah al-Nur and Surah al-Tawbah totally eradicated it. It is another matter that people still refused to follow this directive for centuries after the Qur’an was revealed. It was only at the beginning of the previous century that the directive of the Qur’an was finally fulfilled and this curse was abolished from this world.

 فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ 
( 14 )   Or feeding on a day of severe hunger

Muhammad Asad Explanation:
Thus 'Ikrimah, as quoted by Baghawi; also Razi. Alternatively, the phrase fakk raqabah may be rendered as "the freeing of a human being from bondage" (cf. 2:177), with the latter term covering all those forms of subjugation and exploitation - social, economic or political which can be rightly described as "slavery".

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:
Food obviously is one of their basic needs. However, this does not merely mean food; it refers to all needs that have to be fulfilled. The adjective فِیۡ یَوۡمٍ ذِیۡ مَسۡغَبَۃٍ is meant to make the appeal more effective. The adjectives ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ and ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ used with the orphans and the needy respectively also serve the same purpose.

 يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ 
( 15 )   An orphan of near relationship

Yusuf Ali Explanation:
All orphans should be fed and helped. But ordinary orphans will come under the indigent in verse 16 below. The orphans related to us have a special claim on us. They should be near and dear to us, and if charity begins at home, they have the first claim on us.

 أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ 
( 16 )   or to a destitute lying in dust;

Since in the foregoing verses the extravagances of man which he indulges in for ostentation and expression of superiority to others, have been mentioned, now here it is being stated as to what expenditure of wealth it is which leads man up to moral heights instead of causing him to sink into moral depravity and perversion. But in this there is no enjoyment for the self; on the contrary, man has to exercise self-restraints and make sacrifices. The expenditure is that one should set a slave free, or should render a slave monetary help so as to enable him to win his freedom by paying the ransom, or free a debtor from his debt, or secure release of a helpless person without means from penalties. Likewise, the expenditure is that one should feed a nearly related orphan (i.e. an orphan who is either a relative or a neighbor) who is hungry, and a needy, helpless person who might have been reduced to extreme poverty and might have none to support and help him. Helping such people does not win a person fame and reputation, nor feeding them brings him the admiration for being wealthy and generous which one usually wins by holding banquets to thousands of well-to-do people. But the path to moral and spiritual heights passes on steep uphill roads only.

Great merits of the acts of virtue mentioned in these verses have been described by the Prophet (peace be upon him). For instance, about fakku raqabah (freeing a neck from bondage) many ahadith have been related in the traditions, one of which is a tradition from Abu Hurairah, to the effect, The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The person who set a believing slave free, Allah will save from fire of Hell every limb of his body in lieu of every limb of the slave’s body, the hand in lieu of the hand, the foot in lieu of the foot, the private parts in lieu of the private parts. (Musnad, Ahmad, Bukhari. Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasai). Ali bin Husain (Zain al-Abedin) asked Saad bin Marjanah, the reporter of this Hadith: Did you hear it yourself from Abu Hurairah? When he replied in the affirmative, Zain al- Abedin called out his most valuable slave and set him free there and then. According to Muslim, he had an offer of ten thousand dirhams for the slave. On the basis of this verse, Imam Abu Hanifah and Imam Shafi have ruled: Setting a slave free is superior to giving away charity, for Allah has mentioned it before the mention of charity.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) has mentioned the merits of rendering help to the needy in many ahadith, one of which is this Hadith from Abu Hurairah: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The one who strives in the cause of rendering help to the widow and the needy is like the one who endeavors and strives in the cause of jihad for the sake of Allah. And Abu Hurairah says, I think that the Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: He is even like him who keeps standing up in the Prayer constantly, without ever taking rest, and like him who observes the fast continuously without ever breaking it: (Bukhari, Muslim).

As for the orphans, there are numerous sayings reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him). Sahl bin Saad has reported, The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: I and the one who supports a nearly related of un-related orphan, shall stand in Paradise like this, saying this he raised his index finger and the middle finger, keeping them a little apart. (Bukhari). Abu Hurairah has reported this saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): The best among the Muslim homes is the home wherein an orphan is treated well and the worst the one wherein an orphan is mistreated. (Ibn Majah, Bukhari in Al-Adab al-Mufrad). Abu Umamah says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The one who passed his hand on the head of an orphan, only for the sake of Allah, will have as many acts of virtue recorded in his favor as the number of the hair on which his hand passed, and the one who treated an orphan boy or girl well, will stand in Paradise with me like this, saying this the Prophet (peace be upon him) joined his two fingers together. (Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi). Ibn Abbas says, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The one who made an orphan join him in eating and drinking, Allah will make Paradise obligatory for him unless he commits a sin which cannot be forgiven. (Sharh as-Sunnah). Abu Hurairah says: A man complained before the Prophet (peace be upon him), saying: I am hard-hearted. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him: Treat the orphan with kindness and love and feed the needy one. (Musnad Ahmad).

 ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْمَرْحَمَةِ 
( 17 )   And then being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion.

That is, in addition to these qualities it is essential that one should be a believer, for without faith no act is an act of virtue, nor acceptable in the sight of Allah. At numerous places in the Quran it has been stated that only such an act of virtue is appreciable and becomes a means of salvation as is accompanied by faith. In Surah An-Nisa, for example, it has been said: The one who does good deeds, whether man or woman, provided that the one is a believer, will enter Paradise (verse 124). In Surah An-Nahl: Whosoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, provided that he is a believer, We shall surely grant him to live a pure life in this world, and We will reward such people (in the Hereafter) according to their best deeds (verse 97). In Surah Al-Momin: Whoever does good, whether man or woman, provided that he is a believer, all such people shall enter Paradise wherein they shall be provided without measure. (verse 4). Whoever studies the Quran, will see that in this Book wherever the good reward of a righteous act has been mentioned, it has always been made conditional upon the faith, a good act without faith has nowhere been regarded as acceptable to God, nor has any hope been given for a reward for it.

Here, the following important point should also not remain hidden from view: In this verse it has not been said: Then he believed, but: Then being among those who have believed. This means that mere believing as an individual and remaining content with it is not what is desired; what is desired is that every new believer should join those who have already believed so as to form a party of the believers, to bring about a believing society, which should work for establishing the virtues and wiping out the vices as demanded by the faith.

These are two of the important characteristics of the believing society, which have been expressed in two brief sentences. The first characteristic is that its members should exhort one another to patience, and the second that they should exhort one another to compassion and mercy.

As for patience, we have explained at many places that in view of the extensive meaning in which the Quran has used this word, the entire life of a believer is a life of patience. As soon as a man steps on to the path of the faith, test of his patience starts. Patience is required to be exercised in performing the acts of worship enjoined by Allah; patience is needed in carrying out the commands of Allah; abstention from the things forbidden by Allah is not possible without patience; patience is needed in abandoning the moral evils and in adopting the pure morals. Temptations to sin faced at every step can be resisted only by recourse to patience. On countless occasions in life obedience to God’s law entails losses, troubles, hardships and deprivations, and disobedience to the law seems to bring benefits and pleasures. Without patience no believer can fare well on such occasions. Then, as soon as a believer has adopted the way of the faith, he has to meet with resistance not only from his own self and personal desires but also from his children, family, society, country and nation, so much so that he is even required to abandon his country and undertake Jihad in the cause of God. Under all these conditions only the quality of patience can cause a man to remain steadfast to principles. Now, obviously, if every believer individually was put to such a hard test, he would be faced with the danger of defeat at every step and would hardly be able to pass through the test successfully. On the contrary, if there existed a believing society, every member of which was not only himself possessed of patience but all its members also were supporting one another mutually in the test of patience, successes would fall to its lot, a tremendous power would be generated to face the evil, a mighty force of good individuals would be ready to help bring the entire society on to the path of virtue and righteousness.

As for mercy and compassion, it is the distinctive feature of the society of believers that they are not a merciless and unjust people but a society whose members are merciful and compassionate to humanity at large and sympathetic and friendly among themselves. A believer as an individual is an embodiment of Allah’s quality of mercy and the group of the believers as a party also is a representative of Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him), who has been described thus: O Muhammad (peace be upon him), We have sent you to be a real blessing for the people of the world. (Surah Al-Anbiya, Ayat 107). The highest moral quality which the Messenger (peace be upon him) tried his utmost to inculcate among his followers was this very quality of mercy. Consider the following of his sayings, which show what importance he attached to it. Jarir bin Abdullah says that the Messenger (peace be upon him) said: Allah does not show mercy to him who does not show mercy to others. (Bukhari, Muslim).
  • Abdullah bin Amr bin al-aas says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The Rahman (Merciful) shows mercy to those who show mercy (to others). Show mercy to those who live on the earth, the One who is in heaven will show mercy to you. (Abu Daud, Tirmidhi).
  • Abu Saeed Khudri has reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The one who does not show mercy, is not shown mercy. (Bukhari in Al-Adab al-Mufrad). Ibn Abbas says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The one who does not treat our young ones mercifully and does not treat our elderly ones respectfully, does not belong to us.(Tirmidhi).
  • Abu Daud has related this same saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him) on the authority of Abdullah bin Amr, thus: The one who did not feel pity on our young and did not respect our elderly does not belong to us.
  • Abu Hurairah says: I have heard Abul-Qasim, the truthful (peace be upon him), say: The heart of the wretched one is deprived of the quality of mercy altogether. (Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi).
  • Iyad bin Himad relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Three kinds of men belong to Paradise, one of whom is the person who is kind and compassionate to every relative and every Muslim. (Muslim).
  • Numan bin Bashir has reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: You will find the believers like a body in the matter of mutual kindness, love and sympathy, so that if one part of the body suffers the whole body suffers and becomes restless because of it. (Bukhari, Muslim).
  • Abu Musa al-ashari says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The believer is for the other believer like a wall each part of which supports and strengthens the other part. (Bukhari, Muslim).
  • Abdullah bin Umar has reported that the Prophet said: A Muslim is a brother of the other Muslim: neither treats him unjustly, nor withholds his help from him. The person who works to fulfill a need of his brother, Allah will seek to fulfill his need; and the one who rescues a Muslim from an affliction, Allah will rescue him from an affliction of the afflictions of the Resurrection Day; and the one who conceals the fault of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his fault on the Resurrection Day. (Bukhari, Muslim).
These traditions indicate what kind of a society is envisaged by the Quranic instruction given in this verse, which exhorts the righteous people to join the group of the believers after they have affirmed the faith.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:
The actual words are: وَ تَوَاصَوۡا بِالصَّبۡرِوَ تَوَاصَوۡا بِالۡمَرۡحَمَۃِ. 

Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes: " Here the word مَرۡحَمَۃ (sympathy) is mentioned together with صَبْر (patience) the wayحَق(truth) is mentioned together with صَبْر (patience) in Surah al-‘Asr. The reason for this is the nature of the deeds of virtue which I have referred to while explaining the expression الْعَقَبَةَ اقْتَحَمَ in verse eleven: these deeds are generally against one’s inner desires and hence a person has to counter this obstacle while doing such deeds and it is like climbing a slope. Only those can climb this slope who have the quality of patience in them. In Arabic, the real meaning of صَبْر is “perseverance and steadfastness.” Those who are devoid of this quality lack valour and bravery; hence, it was deemed necessary that those who have been urged to do virtuous deeds should also be urged to be patient and steadfast." (Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an, vol. 9, 377)

Verse By Verse Quran Study Circle Explanation:
“Advised one another to mercy and compassion,” mercy and compassion are distinctive features of a believing society where the members are merciful and compassionate to humanity at large and sympathetic and friendly among themselves. A believer as an individual is an embodiment of Allah’s quality of mercy and this is one moral quality that the Prophet really fought for. Jareer ibn ‘Abdullah reported that the Prophet said, “Allah does not show mercy to him who does not show mercy to others.” [Bukhari, Muslim]

Hence, the idea of ‘community’ is evident in these Ayaat, as it is emphasized elsewhere in the Qur’an and in the ahadeeth of the Prophet ﷺ. This idea is central to the concept of Islam. Nevertheless, the responsibility and accountability of the individual are clearly defined and strongly emphasized. Those who scale the ascent, as defined here in the Qur’an, shall have their dwelling place on the right hand, which indicates that they will enjoy a happy recompense for what they do in this life.

 أُولَـٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ 
( 18 )   Those are the companions of the right.

 وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ 
( 19 )   But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left.

The explanation of the people of the right hand and of the left hand, is given in verses 8-9 of Surah 56 Al-Waqiah) as under:
The word maintanah in ashab-al-maimanah " أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ ", in the original, may have been derived from yamin, which means the right hand, and also from yumn, which means good omen. If it is taken to be derived from yamin, then ashab-al maimanah would mean: Those of the right hand. This, however, does not imply its lexical meaning, but it signifies the people of exalted rank and position. The Arabs regarded the right hand as a symbol of strength and eminence and honor, and therefore would seat a person whom they wished to do honor, on the right hand, in the assemblies. And if it is taken as derived from yumn, ashabal- maimanah would mean fortunate and blessed people.

The word mashamah in ashab-al-mashamah " أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ ", in the original, is from shum which means misfortune, ill-luck and bad omen. In Arabic the left hand also is called shuma. The Arabs regarded shimal (the left hand) and shum (bad omen) as synonyms, the left hand being a symbol of weakness and indignity. If a bird flew left on the commencement of a journey, they would take it as a bad omen; if they made a person sit on their left, it meant they regarded him as a weak man. Therefore, ashab-al mashamah implies ill-omened people, or those who would suffer disgrace and ignominy, and would be made to stand on the left side in the court of Allah.

 عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُّؤْصَدَةٌ 
( 20 )   Over them will be fire closed in.

Muhammad Asad Explanation:
I.e., the fires of despair in the life to come "rising over the [sinners'] hearts" and "closing in upon them": cf. {104:6-8}. The phrase rendered by me as "such as have lost themselves in evil" reads, literally, "people of the left side (al-mash'amah)".

Verse By Verse Quran Study Circle Explanation:
And those who deny the revelations shall be on the left hand, with fire closing in upon them. Nothing can be good if coupled with unbelief. All evil is contained and encompassed by the denial of Allah. Their denial makes all their efforts worthless. Their dwelling on the left hand indicates their degradation and disgrace. These people cannot scale the ascent.

May Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala allow us to do take the steeper path and attain moral heights, Aameen.

You may now like to listen to tafseer / exegesis of Sūrah Al Balad by Nouman Ali Khan:

You may refer to our Reference Page "114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, explanation and exegesis of other chapters of the Qur'an.

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.
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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 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: 
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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Tuesday 13 October 2020

99 Attributes of Allah: An-Nāfi - The Propitious -The Benefactor

There are many a attribute of Allah that have been specifically spelt out by none other than Allah in the Quran,. However, there are many other attributes which have been derived from may qualities of Allah which have been mentioned throughout the Quran. For example the 79th verse of Surah. 4 An Nisa:

مَاۤ اَصَابَكَ مِنۡ حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ اللّٰهِ​ وَمَاۤ اَصَابَكَ مِنۡ سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِنۡ نَّـفۡسِكَ​ ؕ وَاَرۡسَلۡنٰكَ لِلنَّاسِ رَسُوۡلًا​ ؕ وَكَفٰى بِاللّٰهِ شَهِيۡدًا‏  
Whatever good happens to you is from Allah; and whatever misfortune smites you is because of your own action. We have sent you to mankind (O Muhammad!) as a Messenger, and Allah is sufficient as a witness.

From the opening of the above quoted verse, " Whatever good happens to you is from Allah " Muslim scholars have deduced the attribute The An-Nāfi  " ٱلْنَّافِعُ " - The Propitious -The Benefactor, The Source of Good for Allah.

A similar verse from Surah means the same:

اَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡا اَنَّ اللّٰهَ يَبۡسُطُ الرِّزۡقَ لِمَنۡ يَّشَآءُ وَيَقۡدِرُ​ؕ اِنَّ فِىۡ ذٰلِكَ لَاٰيٰتٍ لِّقَوۡمٍ يُّؤۡمِنُوۡنَ‏ 
(30:37) Do they not see that Allah enlarges and straitens the sustenance of those whom He pleases? There are Signs in this for those who believe.

In the world-view of the Qur'an, Allah is the ultimate source of all happening: consequently, all good that comes to man and all evil that befalls him flows, in the last resort, from God's will.  Thus this beautiful attribute of Allah brings good tidings to believers who have true faith in Allah, stay away from evil and live according to the dictates of A;;ah - earning and eating Halal.

Two attributes of Allah, Nāfi' (creator of good) is the opposite of Dārr " ٱلْضَّارُ "  (distresser).< are often cited together. These opposing attributes are inseparable, since that which is the sweetest nectar to one person may be bitter poison to another. In fact these two balance out each other.  It is appropriate to combine both of these Attributes together, that is; He, Glory to Him, controls the means for people's harm and benefit, and none can harm anyone nor benefit anyone besides Him; "... and suffices your Lord for a Guide and a Helper" (Qur’an, 25:31). One who remembers both of these Attributes will submit totally to Allah and will always feel that everything is from Him and returns to Him.

You may refer to our post "99 Attributes of Allāh" for complete list of 99 attributes of Allah Almighty with meaning and explanation.

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran

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Monday 12 October 2020

Sūrah Ash-Shams - The Sun: Exegesis 91st Chapter of Quran

Sūrah Ash-Shams " الشمس‎ " - The Sun is the ninety first sürah with 15 āyāt, part of the 30th Juzʼ  of the Holy Qur'ān. The Surah has been so designated after the word ash-shams with which it opens. 

The subject matter and the style show that this Surah too was revealed in the earliest period at Makkah at a stage when opposition to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be Allah's peace) had grown very strong and intense. Beginning with a fine nature passage, and leading to the man's need of realizing his spiritual responsibility, it ends with a waning of the terrible consequences for those who fear not the Hereafter.

We have already given out an overview / summary of the sūrah. As already mentioned in the summary, this surah has two parts: Part One (verses 1-10) are the Divine Oaths that man’s happiness and misery depends on the purity or corruption he hath wrought in it", and Part 2 (verses 11-15) explain the destruction of people of "Thamūd  for rejecting their prophet." 

Let us now read the verse by verse translation and exegesis / tafseer in English. You may also listen to listen to an in depth Analysis and Tafseer of Sūrah Ash-Shams by eminent Muslim scholar, exegete and linguist Nouman Ali Khan at the end of the post:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"

وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا 
( 1 )   By the sun and its brightness

The word duha as used in the original applies both to the light of the sun and to its heat. Although in Arabic its well known meaning is the time between sunrise and meridian when the sun has risen high, at that height it does not only give light but heat too. Therefore, when the word duha is attributed to the sun, its full meaning can be expressed more appropriately by its radiant brightness than by its light, or by the time of the day that it indicates.

Ibn Kathir Explanation:
Allah swears by His Creation that the person who purifies Himself will be Successful and the Person who corrupts himself will fail. According to Mujahid: (By the sun and Duhaha.) "means, by its light.'' While Qatadah said: (wa Duhaha.) "The whole day.'' Ibn Jarir said, "The correct view is what has been said, `Allah swears by the sun and its daytime, because the clear light of the sun is daytime.'''

Yusuf Ali Explanation:
Six types of oaths are taken in three pairs, from Allah's mighty works in nature, as tokens or evidence of Allah's providence and the contrasts in His sublime creation, which yet conduce to cosmic harmony (verses 1-6). Then (verses 7-8) the soul of man, with internal order and proportion in its capacities and faculties, as made by Allah, is appealed to as having been endowed with the power of discriminating between right and wrong. Then the conclusion is stated in verses 9-10, that man's success or failure, prosperity or bankruptcy, would depend upon his keeping that soul pure or his corrupting it.

 وَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَاهَا 
( 2 )   And [by] the moon when it follows it

Ibn Kathir Explanation:
Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said: (By the moon as it Talaha.) "It follows the day.'' Qatadah said, "`as it Talaha (follows it)' is referring to the night of the Hilal (the new crescent moon). When the sun goes down, the Hilal is visible.''

Muhammad Asad Explanation:
Lit., "as it follows it (talaha)", i.e., the sun. According to the great philologist Al-Farra', who lived in the second century after the hijrah, "the meaning is that the moon derives its light from the sun" (quoted by Razi). This is also Raghib's interpretation of the above phrase.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:
The first pair is the glorious sun, the source of our light and physical life, and the moon which follows or acts as second to the sun for illuminating our world. The moon, when she is in the sky with the sun, is pale and inconspicuous; in the sun's absence she shines with reflected light and may metaphorically be called the sun's vicegerent. So with Revelation and the great Prophets who brought it; and the minor Teachers who derive their light reflected, or perhaps doubly reflected, from the original source.

 وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّاهَا 
( 3 )   And [by] the day when it displays it

Ibn Kathir Explanation:
Mujahid said, "When it illuminates.'' This is similar to Allah's statement: (By the day as it Tajalla.) (92:2)'' And they have said concerning Allah's statement:

Muhammad Asad Explanation:
Lit., "it" - a pronoun apparently indicating "the world" or "the earth" (Zamakhshari). It is to be noted that verses {1-10} stress the polarity - both physical and spiritual - inherent in all creation and contrasting with the oneness and uniqueness of the Creator.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:
The next contrasted pair consists, not of luminaries, but conditions, or periods of time, Day and Night. The Day reveals the sun's glory and the Night conceals it from our sight. So there may be contrasts in our subjective reception of divine light, but it is there, working all the time, and must reappear in its own good time.

 وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَاهَا 
( 4 )   And [by] the night when it covers it

That is, when the night comes, the sun hides and its light remains hidden throughout the night. This state has been described, saying that the night covers up the sun, for the night actually signifies the sun’s hiding behind the horizon because of which its light cannot reach that part of the earth where the night has fallen.

Ibn Kathir Explanation:
meaning, when it covers the sun, which takes place when sun disappears and the horizons become dark.

 وَالسَّمَاءِ وَمَا بَنَاهَا 
( 5 )   And [by] the sky and He who constructed it

Who established it: Who established it like a vault over the earth. In this verse and in the two succeeding verses, the word ma has been used. A section of the commentators has taken this ma as an infinitive, and interpreted these verses to mean: By the heaven and its being established, by the earth and its being spread out, and by the human self and its being balanced. But this meaning is not correct for the reason that the following sentence: Then inspired it with its wickedness and its piety, does not fit in with the context. Other commentators have taken ma here in the meaning of mun or alladhi and they interpret the sentence to mean: Who established the heaven, who spread out the earth, and who balanced the human self. This second meaning is correct in our view, and no one can object that ma in Arabic is used of lifeless things and irrational creatures, For in the Quran itself there are numerous instances that ma has been used in the meaning of mun, e.g. wala antum abiduna ma aabud (nor are you the worshippers of Him Whom I worship), fankihu ma taba lakun-mia-an-nisa (so, marry from among the women those whom you like), wala tankihu ma nakaha abaaukum min-nisa (do not marry those women whom your fathers had married).

Ibn Kathir Explanation:
The meaning here could be for descriptive purposes, meaning "By the heaven and its construction.'' This was said by Qatadah. It could also mean "By the heaven and its Constructor.'' This was stated by Mujahid. Both views are interrelated, and construction means raising. This is as Allah says: (With Hands did We construct the heaven.) (51:47) meaning, with strength.

Muhammad Asad Explanation:
Lit., "and that which has built it" - i.e., the wondrous qualities which are responsible for the harmony and coherence of the visible cosmos (which is evidently the meaning of the term sama' in this context). Similarly, the subsequent reference to the earth, which reads literally, "that which has spread it out", is apparently an allusion to the qualities responsible for the beauty and variety of its expanse.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:
The next contrasted pair is the wonderful firmament on high, and the earth below our feet, stretching away to our wide horizons. The sky gives us rain, and the earth gives us food. Yet both work together; for the rain is moisture sucked up from the earth, and the food cannot grow without the heat and warmth of the sun. There are many other contrasts under this head; yet they all point to unity.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:
The words وَمَا بَنٰہَا and وَمَا طَحٰہَا are used for the heavens and the earth respectively. In my opinion the letter مَا in them is masdariyyah (making the verb following it to be verbal noun. In the succeeding verses, it is this very مَا which occurs in وَ نَفۡسٍ وَّ مَا سَوّٰىہَا. The verse فَاَلۡہَمَہَا فُجُوۡرَہَا وَ تَقۡوٰىہَا is also governed by this مَا. In other words, what is said overall is: “By the soul and the perfection given to it and by the good and evil inspired to it.” 

What is the novelty in this style? Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:
  • The particle مَا is used is masdariyyah … it does not merely convert a verb into a verbal noun, it also directs our attention to the majesty, grandeur, wisdom, uniqueness and creativity hidden or apparent in the verb. Thus for example, the words وَمَا بَنَاهَا which qualify the sky would mean: “and the sky and its amazing structure bear witness.” Implied in it would be all the marvels and wonders of the heavens towards which the Qur’an has called our attention in its varied style and used them as an argument to substantiate its basic premises. It is obvious that if مَا is used as a demonstrative noun then it would not have the capability in it to allude to all this reasoning. Because of this comprehensive nature of مَا used in the sense of a verbal noun, it is quite difficult to translate it. Some Arabs have translated it keeping in view its comprehensive nature; however, since in Urdu this style does not exist, I have not been able to translate it fully even though I have tried my best.
  • The sentence وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحٰہَا (and the earth and the way it is laid out) should also be understood keeping in view the above aspects. In Surah al-Ghashiyah, it is said: (20:88) وَاِلَی الۡاَرۡضِ کَیۡفَ سُطِحَتۡ (and [do they not see] the earth, how it has been spread out? (88:20)). I have explained there that implied in this concise and terse statement are details which the Qur’an has delineated at other places while referring to the marvels and wonders of the earth and used them to substantiate its various claims. In other words, the facts on which the word کَیۡفَ (how) in this verse of Surah al-Ghashiyah induce a person to reflect, for the same purpose, the مَا used in the sense of a verbal noun is employed here. However, there is a subtle difference between the nature of the two, an explanation of which is beyond the scope of the discussion intended here. (Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an, vol. 9, 386)
 وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَاهَا 
( 6 )   And [by] the earth and He who spread it

Ibn Kathir Explanation:
Mujahid said, "Tahaha means He spread it out.'' Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, (and Ma Tahaha.) "This means what He created in it.'' `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "Tahaha means that He proportioned it.'' Mujahid, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi, Ath-Thawri, Abu Salih and Ibn Zayd all said that. (Tahaha) means, He spread it out. 

Yusuf Ali Explanation:
The masdariya in Arabic, in this and the subsequent clauses, is best translated in English by nouns. Thus what would literally be "and the (wonderful) making or construction of it" or "the fact of its (wonderful) construction" is, idiomatically, "its (wonderful) structure." "The (wide) spreading out" of the earth is rendered "its (wide) expanse," and so on.

 وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا 
( 7 )   And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it

Proportioned it: Gave man such a body which by virtue of its erect stature, its hands and feet, and its brain was most appropriate for him to live as man in the world. He blessed him with the senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell which on account of their combination and their characteristics could become the best means of obtaining knowledge for him. He endowed him with the faculties of thinking, reasoning, imagination, memory, discrimination, judgment, will-power and such other mental powers by virtue of which he is able to perform the functions fit for man in the world. In addition, proportioning also means that man was not created a sinner by birth and a criminal by instinct but on right and sound nature, and was not characterized with any inborn crookedness because of which he may be unable to adopt the right path even if he wanted to do so. 

This same thing has been expressed in Surah Ar-Room, saying: Be steadfast on the nature whereupon Allah has created mankind, (verse 30), and the same has been explained by the Prophet (peace be upon him) in a Hadith, saying: Every new-born child is born on true human nature; it is his parents who make him a Jew or a Christian or a Magian afterwards. Its example is of an animal giving birth to complete and sound young one. Do you find any one with a torn or slit ear? (Bukhari, Muslim). That is, it is the polytheistic people who on account of their superstitions of ignorance tear and slit the ears of animals afterwards; otherwise God does not cause an animal to be born with torn ears from its mother’s belly. In another Hadith the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: My Lord says: I had created all My servants on true faith (i.e. on sound nature); then the satans came and led them astray from their faith (i.e.. the true natural faith) and made unlawful what I had made lawful for them, and commanded them to associate with Me those for whom I had sent down no authority. (Musnad Ahmad; Muslim also has related a saying from the Prophet (peace be upon him) in similar words).

Ibn Kathir Explanation:
(By Nafs, and Ma Sawwaha (Who apportioned it).) meaning, He created it sound and well-proportioned upon the correct nature (Al-Fitrah). This is as Allah says: (So set you your face towards the religion, Hanif. Allah's Fitrah with which He has created mankind. No change let there be in the Khalqillah.) (30:30) 

The Messenger of Allah said:(Every child that is born, is born upon the Fitrah, but his parents make him a Jew, a Christian, or a Zoroastrian. This is just as the animal is born, complete with all of its parts. Do you notice any mutilation in it) Both Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded this Hadith from Abu Hurayrah. 

In Sahih Muslim, it has been narrated from `Iyad bin Himar Al-Mujashi`i that the Messenger of Allah said:(Allah the Mighty and Majestic says, "Verily I created My servants Hunafa' (as monotheists), but then the devils came to them and distracted them from their religion.)'' 

Muhammad Asad Explanation:
As in so many other instances, the term nafs, which has a very wide range of meanings (see first sentence of note [1] on 4:1), denotes here the human self or personality as a whole: that is, a being composed of a physical body and that inexplicable life-essence loosely described as "soul".

Lit., "and that which has made [or "formed"] it (sawwaha) in accordance with ...", etc. For this particular connotation of the verb sawwa, see note [1] on 87:2, which represents the oldest Qur'anic instance of its use in the above sense. The reference to man and that which constitutes the "human personality", as well as the implied allusion to the extremely complex phenomenon of a life-entity in which bodily needs and urges, emotions and intellectual activities are so closely intertwined as to be indissoluble, follows organically upon a call to consider the inexplicable grandeur of the universe - so far as it is perceptible and comprehensible to man - as a compelling evidence of God's creative power.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:
Allah makes the soul, and gives it order, proportion, and relative perfection, in order to adapt it for the particular circumstances in which it has to live its life. Cf. xxxii. 9. See also  ii. 117. He breathes into it an understanding of what is sin, impiety, wrong-doing and what is piety and right conduct, in the special circumstances in which it may be placed. This is the most precious gift of all to man, the faculty of distinguishing between right and wrong. After the six external evidences mentioned in verses 1-6 above, this internal evidence of Allah's goodness is mentioned as the greatest of all. By these various tokens man should learn that his success, his prosperity, his salvation depends on himself,-on his keeping his soul pure as Allah made it; and his failure, his decline, his perdition depends on his soiling his soul by choosing evil.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:
The actual words are: وَ نَفۡسٍ وَّ مَا سَوّٰىہَا. The word نَفۡس is not defined by alif lam to portray its augmented magnitude. The purpose is to direct attention to its amazing nature and prudent composition. The words “the way it is perfected” portray this very aspect and occur because the final phase of the creation of the human soul is under discussion – when as a masterpiece of God’s creation it became worthy of being blessed with the awareness of good and evil.

This is a mention of the consequence of perfection: just as the Almighty has blessed a person with eyes to see and ears to hear, similarly, he has blessed him with a faculty which distinguishes good and evil for him. A person is not mere body and intellect. He is also a moral being. This means that the ability to distinguish good from evil and the appreciation that good is good and evil is evil is innately ordained in him. In some other verses of the Qur’an, this aspect is referred to as: اِنَّا ہَدَیۡنٰہُ السَّبِیۡلَ (76:3) (We inspired in him the way of good and evil, (76:3)) and(90:10) وَ ہَدَیۡنٰہُ النَّجۡدَیۡنِ (have We not shown him both paths? (90:10)). This appreciation of good and evil is a universal reality. Thus when the most evil of persons does something wrong, he tries to hide it in the first phase. When Adam’s son, Cain, tried to hide the body of his brother, Abel, after killing him, it was because he knew that he had committed a sin. Same is the case with good. A person loves what is good and respects and reveres it. When he establishes a society, he always sets up a system of justice in it. This is ample testimony of his innate ability to distinguish between good and evil. No doubt, at times, a person may justify a sin he commits, however, at the very time he invents excuses for this justification, he very well knows that he is inventing these excuses against his nature. The reason for this is that if someone else commits the same sin against him, he regards it to be an evil without any hesitation, and vehemently protests against that person.

 فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا 
( 8 )   And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness,

The word ilham is derived from lahm which means to swallow. According to this very basic meaning, the word ilham is used terminologically for Allah’s inspiring a man with a concept or idea unconsciously. Inspiring the human self with its wickedness and its piety and virtue has two meanings: 
  • (1) That the Creator has placed in it tendencies to both good and evil, and this is the thing that every man feels in himself. 
  • (2) That Allah has endowed every man’s unconscious mind with the concept that there is a moral good and there is a moral evil, that good morals and acts and evil morals and acts are not equal and alike. Fujur (immorality) is an evil thing and taqva (abstention from evils) a good thing. 
These concepts are not new to man; he is conscious of these by nature, and the Creator has endowed him with the ability to distinguish between good and evil naturally. This same thing has been said in Surah Al-Balad: And We showed him both the highways of good and evil. (verse 10); and in Surah Ad-Dahr, thus: We showed him the way, whether to be grateful or disbelieving (verse 3); and the same has been expressed in Surah Al-Qiyamah, saying: In man there is the reproaching self (conscience) which reproaches him when he commits evil (verse 2), and man knows his own self best, even though he may offer many excuses. (verses 14-15).

Here, one should also understand well that Allah has blessed every creature with natural inspiration according to its position and nature, as has been pointed out in Surah TaHa: Who has given a distinctive form to everything and then guided it aright. (verse 50). For example, every species of animals has been given inspirational knowledge according to its needs by virtue of which the fish learns to swim, the bird to fly, the bee to make the beehive and the weaver-bird to build the nest instinctively. Man also in view of his different capacities has been granted separate kinds of inspirational knowledge. His one capacity is that he is an animal being; as such the most significant instance of the inspirational knowledge that he has been given is that the human child starts sucking the mother’s milk soon on birth, which no one could teach it, had it, not been taught of it instinctively by God. Another position of man is that he is a rational being. As such God has been blessing him with inspirational guidance continuously since the time of his creation, by virtue of which he has been discovering things and making inventions to develop his civilization. Anyone who studies the history of these discoveries and inventions will realize that there was hardly any which might be the result of man's own effort or thought, but mostly it so happened that suddenly an idea struck a person and he discovered or invented something. Besides these two, another position of man is that he is a moral being. In this position too Allah has blessed him by inspiration with discrimination between good and evil and of the realization of the good to be good and of the evil to be evil. This sense of discrimination and realization is a universal truth on account of which no human society in the world has ever been without the concepts of good and evil; there has never been in history, nor is there now, a society which may not be having some kind of a system of rewarding the good and punishing the evil. This fact being prevalent in every age, at every place, and at every stage of civilization is a clear proof of its being natural and innate. Furthermore, this is also proof that a Wise Creator possessed of knowledge has endued man’s nature with it, for in the elements of which man is made up and the laws which govern the material system of the world, no human origin of morals can be traced out.

Ibn Kathir Explanation:
(Then He showed it its Fujur and its Taqwa.) meaning, He showed him to his transgression and his Taqwa. This means that He clarified that for it and He guided it to what has been ordained for him. Ibn `Abbas said: (Then He showed it its Fujur and its Taqwa.) "He explained the good and the evil to it (the soul).'' Mujahid, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and Ath-Thawri all said the same. Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "He gave him inspiration (to see what was) good and evil.'' Ibn Zayd said, "He made its Fujur and its Taqwa inside of it.'' Ibn Jarir recorded from Abul-Aswad Ad-Dili that he said, "`Imran bin Husayn said to me, `Do you think that what the people do, and what they strive for is a thing that is pre-ordained and predestined for them, or is it a thing which is only written after the Message comes to them from the Prophet , when there will be an evidence against them' I said, `Rather it is something preordained upon them.' Then he said, `Is that an injustice' Then I became extremely frightened of him (due to what he was saying), and I said to him, `There is nothing except that He (Allah) created it and possesses it in His Hand. He is not asked about what He does, while they (His creation) will be asked.' 

He (`Imran) then said, `May Allah guide you! I only asked you about that in order to inform you that a man from Muzaynah or Juhaynah tribe came to the Allah's Messenger and asked him: "O Messenger of Allah! Do you consider the actions of mankind and their struggles to be preordained for them and written for them from Qadr, or something written for them only after the Message came to them from their Prophet, when there will be an evidence against them'' He (the Prophet ) replied: (Rather it is something preordained for them.) So the man said, "Then what is the point of our actions'' The Prophet replied: (Whoever Allah created for one of the two positions (Paradise or Hell), He makes it easy for him (to attain). The proof of that is in the Book of Allah (By Nafs, and Ma Sawwaha (Who apportioned it). Then He showed it its Fujur and its Taqwa).)'' Ahmad and Muslim both recorded this Hadith.

Muhammad Asad Explanation:
Lit., "and [consider] that which has inspired it with its immoral doings (fujuraha) and its God-consciousness (taqwaha)" - i.e., the fact that man is equally liable to rise to great spiritual heights as to fall into utter immorality is an essential characteristic of human nature as such. In its deepest sense, man's ability to act wrongly is a concomitant to his ability to act rightly: in other words, it is this inherent polarity of tendencies which gives to every "right" choice a value and, thus, endows man with moral free will (cf. in this connection note [16] on {7:24-25}).

 قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا 
( 9 )   He has succeeded who purifies it,

Ibn Kathir Explanation:
This could mean that whoever purifies himself by obedience to Allah, then he will be successful. This is as Qatadah said, "He cleanses it from the lowly and despicable characteristics.''

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:
The testimony presented earlier is in the form of oaths. The Qur’an has suppressed the complement of these oaths. The next sentence points to the complement and for this reason its expression in words is not needed. Initially, these oaths depict the testimony of the majesty and exaltedness, gradual progression and elaborate arrangement, power and wisdom that we observe in the rising and setting of the sun and the moon, in the alternation of day and night and in the way the heavens and the earth have been created. Each of them is a record of God’s signs that relate to His creativity and organization. If a person’s eyes are open and his intellect is vigilant he will find a treasure of knowledge and wisdom before him when he observes them. Each and every motion of these objects bears witness that their creator has immense power, unbounded wisdom and limitless and universal providence and it is not impossible for Him to accomplish the greatest of tasks. The elements referred to are conflicting with one another but it is really amazing how harmoniously and obediently they obey their creator. The words ضُحٰہَا, اِذَا تَلٰىہَا, اِذَا جَلّٰىہَا and اِذَا یَغۡشٰىہَا in these verses highlight these very aspects. Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:
  • … Neither does the sun interfere with the movement of the moon nor does the moon push itself to appear before its appointed time; neither does the day dare emerge before its appointed time nor does the night have the power to terminate before time the duty the day must observe. (Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an, vol. 9, 385)
After this the testimony of the soul is presented so that a person may reflect on it and see what a masterpiece of creation it is and to observe the abilities it has and the qualities of intellect it has and the potentials it possesses that materialize at their time and make sense and reason wonder. If man deliberates on these astounding aspects of his soul he will find a whole world in his corporeal body. Not only this, the soul has also been given the awareness of good and evil. It is the result of this awareness that there exists a guardian in his conscience which rebukes him on every wrong committed by him. It is a small court of justice within him that gives its unbiased verdict at every instance. Whether it accepts this verdict or not he does hear its calls after every error relating to his thoughts, ideology and actions except if his wretchedness increases so much that all his evil deeds stain his heart to an extent that it makes him blind and deaf to the truth. This is a testimony of a man’s inner self on him. It is called the testimony of the rebuking soul (nafs-i lawwamah) in Surah al-Qiyamah. After directing attention to all these manifestations of soul and matter, the Qur’an has argued that this world is not an accidental creation or a place of amusement. Man will not go scot-free without being held accountable for his deeds. He will be rewarded or punished by his Creator for his attitudes towards his beliefs and deeds. He shall definitely be held answerable. Moreover, this world has a purpose to it which will definitely be fulfilled one day. The Day of Judgement has been appointed by God to fulfill this purpose. Hence the Day of Judgement is bound to come.

This is the consequence for which the Day of Judgement will be brought about. It is towards this purification (tazkiyah) that prophets of God invite – the purification whose achievers are given glad tidings of success in these verses. The objective of the guidance brought by the prophets of God is purification. It means to cleanse something from evil and also to nourish and develop that thing. Thus people who cleanse their souls from evil and stir it to the level of comprehending God called the “contented soul” by the Qur’an are guaranteed success by Him. Religion has primarily been revealed to guide man to achieve this objective. It has not been revealed to forcibly establish the rule of divine warriors on them.

Verse 10 is the core of the sürah, and it is illustrated by a reference to the story of the Thamud in the following verses:

 وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّاهَا 
( 10 )   And he has failed who instills it [with corruption].

This is for which an oath has been sworn by the things mentioned in the above verses. Let us now consider how those things bear upon it. The rule that Allah has followed in the Quran is that to bear testimony to the truth that He wants to impress on the human mind, he cites some of the most conspicuous, common-place things which every man sees in his surroundings, or in his own self. Accordingly here, pairs of contradictory things have been cited, each unlike the other in its effects and results, rather opposite and reverse. The first pair is of the sun and the moon. The light of the sun is intensely bright and also hot. As against it the moon has no light of its own. Even if it is there in the sky when the sun shines, it is without light. It shines when the sun hides, and even then its light is neither so bright that it may change the night into day nor is there any heat in it that it may have the same effect as the sun’s light. Nevertheless, it has its own effects which are quite different from the effects of the sun. Likewise, there is the pair of the day and the night. Each is the reverse of the other. The effects and results of each are so different from the other that no one can say they are alike; so much so that even a most foolish person cannot possibly say that the day’s being the day or the night’s being the night does not make any difference. Likewise, there is the pair of the sky and the earth; the former has been raised high by the Creator and the latter spread like a carpet beneath it. Although both are serving the same universe, its system and expediencies, yet there is a world of difference between their functions and their effects and results. After citing these universal evidences, man’s own self has been considered, and it has been said that after balancing it with suitable combination of the limbs, senses and mental powers and faculties the Creator has placed in it tendencies, inclinations and motives to both good and evil, which are contradictory to each other, and made him understand by inspiration the distinction between the two: that one is fujur, which is evil, and the other is taqva, which is good. Now, if the sun and the moon, the day and the night, the earth and the heaven, are not alike but necessarily different from each other in their effects and results, how can fujur and taqva of the self be alike in spite of being reverse of each other? Man himself in this world does not regard and acknowledge the good and the evil as equal, no matter what criteria of good and evil he might have devised for himself according to his self-propounded philosophies. In any case, about whatever he regards as good, he holds the opinion that it is appreciable and worthy of praise, reward and recompense. On the contrary, about whatever he regards as evil, it is his own objective opinion that it is worthy of condemnation and punishment. But the real judgment does not lie with man; it lies with the Creator, Who has inspired man with his fujur and taqva. The fujur is that which is fujur in the sight of the Creator and the taqva is that which is taqva in His sight. And both have separate results in the sight of the Creator. The result of the one is that he who purifies his self, should attain to eternal success, and the result of the other is that he who suppresses his self, should be a failure.

Tazkiyah means to purify, develop and cultivate. In the context it clearly means: The one who purifies his self of fujur and develops it to the level of taqva and cultivates in it the good, will attain to eternal success. As against this, the word dassaha has been used, the infinitive of which is tadsiyah, which means to suppress, conceal, seduce and lead astray. The meaning of this also becomes clear from the context; i.e. the one who suppresses the tendency in his self towards good instead of developing and cultivating it, who seduces it into doing evil, and makes fujur dominate over taqva so as to cover it up completely, like the dead body which is buried and covered with earth, will be a failure. Some commentators have interpreted this verse to mean: Truly successful was he whom (whose self) Allah purified, and a failure he whom (whose self) Allah suppressed. But this commentary is, firstly, opposed to the style of the Quran in view of the language, for if Allah had meant to say this, He would have said: Truly successful was the self which Allah purified and a failure the self which Allah suppressed; secondly, this commentary clashes with the other statements of the Quran on this subject. In Surah Al- Aala, Allah says: Truly successful was he who adopted purity. (verse 14). In Surah Abasa, Allah has addressed His Messenger (peace be upon him), saying: And you would not be responsible if he did not adopt purity. In both these verses, adoption of purity has been regarded as an act of man. Besides, the truth stated at many places in the Quran is that man in this world is being put to the test. For example, in Surah Ad-Dahr, it is said: We created man from a mixed sperm-drop to try him, and so We made him capable of hearing and seeing. (verse 2). In Surah Al-Mulk it is stated: Who created death and life that he may try you to see which of you is best in deeds. (verse 2). Now, obviously, if the examiner at the outset encourages one candidate and discourages the other, the test would he a farce. Therefore, the correct commentary is that which Qatadah, Ikrimah, Mujahid and Saeed bin Jubair have given, saying that the subject zakkaha and dassaha is man and not God. As for the Hadith which Ibn Abi Hatim has related on the authority of Juwaybir bin Saeed from Dahhak from Ibn Abbas, saying that the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself interpreted this verse to mean: Truly successful was the self whom the Almighty Allah purified. This saying is not confirmed to be from the Prophet (peace be upon him), for its one reporter Juwaybir, has been rejected as a narrator of Hadith, and Dahhak did not meet Ibn Abbas. However, the Hadith which Imam Ahmad, Muslim, Nasai and Ibn Abi Shaibah have related on the authority of Zaid bin Arqam, is correct which says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to pray: O Allah, grant my self its taqva and purify it; You alone are the best to purify it; You alone are its Guardian and Master. In almost similar words, this supplication of the Prophet (peace be upon him) has been related by Tabarani, Ibn Marduyah and lbn al-Mundhir from Abdullah bin Abbas and Imam Ahmad from Aishah. It actually means that man can only desire and seek taqva and tazkiyah; as for its attainment, it depends in any case on Allah’s grace and favor alone. And the same is also true of tadsiyah: Allah does not suppress a self forcibly, but when a man is resolved on iniquity, Allah deprives him of the grace of taqva and tazkyah, and leaves him alone to suppress and bury his self under any heap of filth he likes.

Ibn Kathir Explanation:
meaning, to conceal it. This means that he makes it dull, and he disregards it by neglecting to allow it to receive guidance. He treats it in this manner until he performs acts of disobedience and he abandons obedience of Allah. It also could mean that he is indeed successful whose soul Allah purifies, and he has failed whose soul Allah corrupts. 

This is like what was reported by Al-`Awfi and `Ali bin Abi Talhah from Ibn `Abbas. At-Tabarani recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah used to stop whenever he recited this Ayah: (By Nafs, and Ma Sawwaha (Who apportioned it). Then He showed it its Fujur and its Taqwa.) Then he would say: (O Allah! Give my soul its good. You are its Guardian and Master, and the best to purify it.)'' 

Another Hadith Imam Ahmad recorded that Zayd bin Arqam said that the Messenger of Allah said: (O Allah! Verily, I seek refuge with You from weakness, laziness, senility (of old age), cowardliness, stinginess and the torment of the grave. O Allah! Give my soul its good and purify it, for You are the best to purify it. You are its Guardian and Master. O Allah! Verily, I seek refuge with You from a heart that is not humble, a soul that is not satisfied, knowledge that does not benefit and a supplication that is not answered.) Zayd then said, "The Messenger of Allah used to teach us these (words) and we now teach them to you.'' Muslim also recorded this Hadith.

كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَاهَا 
( 11 )   Thamud denied [their prophet] by reason of their transgression,

The things stated in principle in the above verses are now being explained by an historical precedent. Of what it is a precedent and how it relates to what has been stated above, one should consider well in the light of the other statements of the Quran the two basic truths which have been expressed in (verses 7-10).

Firstly, in these it has been stated that after creating the human self on balanced and sound nature, Allah inspired it with its fujur and its taqva. The Quran along with stating this truth also makes explicit that this inspirational knowledge of fujur and taqva is not enough for every man that he may by himself obtain detailed guidance from it, but for this purpose Allah gave detailed guidance to the Prophets through revelation in which it was explained what is fujur and what it applies to, which one should avoid, and what is taqva which one should attain and develop. If man does not accept and acknowledge this clear and definite guidance sent down through Revelation, he can neither avoid fujur not find the way to taqva.

Secondly, in these verses it has been stated that, the rewards and punishments are the necessary results which accrue from adoption of either fujur or taqva The result of cleansing the self of fujur and developing it with taqva is eternal success and the result of suppressing its good tendencies and causing it to be overwhelmed with fujur is failure, ruin and destruction.

To make man understand this truth a historical precedent is being cited and for this the tribe of Thamud has been taken as an illustration, for the various tribes destroyed in antiquity the territory of the Thamud was closest to Makkah. In northern Hijaz its historical ruins were extant, which the people of Makkah passed by during their trade journeys to Syria, and the way this tribe has been frequently referred to in the pre-Islamic poetry shows that its destruction was a common subject of talk among the Arabs.

Denied the truth: belied the Prophethood of the Prophet Salih (peace be upon him), who was sent for their guidance. On account of their rebellious attitude they were not prepared to give up the fujur in which they were involved, and they were not inclined to accept the taqva to which the Prophet Salih (peace be upon him) was calling them. For details, see(Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayats 73-76); (Surah Houd, Ayats 61-62); (Surah Ash-Shuara, Ayats 141-153); (Surah An- Naml,Ayats 45-49); (Surah Al-Qamar, Ayats 23-25).

Ibn Kathir Explanation:
The Rejection of Thamud and Allah's Destruction of Them: Allah informs that Thamud rejected their Messenger because of the injustice and transgression they practiced. This was said by Mujahid, Qatadah and others. Therefore, this resulted in a rejection in their hearts for the guidance and conviction their Messenger came to them with.

 إِذِ انبَعَثَ أَشْقَاهَا 
( 12 )   When the most wretched of them was sent forth.

Ibn Kathir Explanation:
meaning, the most wicked person of the tribe, and he was Qudar bin Salif, the one who killed the she-camel. He was leader of the tribe of Thamud, and he is the one whom Allah refers to in His saying: (But they called their comrade and he took (a sword) and killed (her).) (54:29) This man was mighty and respected among his people. He was of noble lineage and a leader who was obeyed. This is just as Imam Ahmad recorded from `Abdullah bin Zam`ah. He said that the Messenger of Allah gave a sermon in which he mentioned the she-camel and he mentioned the man who killed her.

Then he said: ((When their most wicked went forth.)( A strong and mighty man who was invincible among his tribe, like Abu Zam`ah, went forth to her.) This Hadith was recorded by Al-Bukhari in his Book of Tafsir, and Muslim in his Book of the Description of the Hellfire. At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i both recorded it in their Sunans in their Books of Tafsir.

 فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّـهِ نَاقَةَ اللَّـهِ وَسُقْيَاهَا 
( 13 )   And the messenger of Allah [Salih] said to them, "[Do not harm] the she-camel of Allah or [prevent her from] her drink."

At other places in the Quran the following details, are given: The people of Thamud challenged the Prophet Salih (peace be upon him) to present a sign (a miracle) if he was truthful. Thereupon the Prophet (peace be upon him) presented a she-camel miraculously before them and warned them to the effect: This is Allah’s she-camel. She will graze at will in the land. One day will be for her to drink and one day for you and your cattle. If you molest her, you will be punished with a scourge. This proved to be a deterrent for some time. Then they appealed to their most wicked and rebellious chief to put an end to the she-camel, and he took up the responsibility and hamstrung her. (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayat 73); (Surah Ash-Shuara, Ayats 134, 156); (Surah Al-Qamar, Ayat 29).

Ibn Kathir Explanation:
Allah then says: (But the Messenger of Allah said to them) referring to Salih. (That is the she-camel of Allah!) meaning, `beware of touching the she-camel of Allah with any harm.' and its drink!) meaning, `do not transgress against her in her drinking, for she has been allocated a day to drink and you have been allocated a day to drink, as is known to you.'

 فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِذَنبِهِمْ فَسَوَّاهَا 
( 14 )   But they denied him and hamstrung her. So their Lord brought down upon them destruction for their sin and made it equal [upon all of them].

According to (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayat 77), after they had killed the she-camel, the people of Thamud said to the Prophet Salih (peace be upon him): Bring the scourge with which you threatened us. And according to Surah Houd, Ayat 65, the Prophet Salih (peace be upon him) said to them: Well, you have only three more days to enjoy yourselves in your houses. This is a limit that will not prove false.

Ibn Kathir Explanation:
(Then they denied him and they killed it.) which means they rejected what he came with. This resulted in them killing the she-camel that Allah had brought out of the rock as a sign for them and a proof against them.'

(So their Lord destroyed them because of their sin,) meaning, He became angry with them and He annihilated them. 

(Fasawwaha! فَسَوَّاهَا ) meaning, He made the punishment descend upon them all equally. Qatadah said, "It has reached us that the leader of tribe of Thamud did not kill the she-camel until their youth, their elderly, their males and their females all pledged allegiance to him. So when the people cooperated in killing her, Allah destroyed them all with the same punishment due to their sin.''

 وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقْبَاهَا 
( 15 )   And He does not fear the consequence thereof.

(And He feared not) it has also been recited as (فَلَا يَخَافُ) (So He feared not) That is, Allah is not like the kings of the world and the rulers of governments, who, when they want to take some action against a people, are compelled to consider what will be the consequences of their action. Allah’s power is supreme. He had no apprehension that some supporting power of the Thamud would come out to avenge itself on Him.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:
(And for Him is no fear of its consequences.) This verse has been variously construed. I follow the general opinion in referring the pronoun "Him" to "their Lord" in the last verse and the pronoun "its" to the Punishment that was meted out to all, high and low, equally. In that case the meaning would be: God decreed the total destruction of the Thamud; in the case of creatures any such destruction might cause a loss to them, and they might fear the consequences of such loss or destruction, but Allah has created and can create at will, and there can be no question of any such apprehension in His case. An alternative view is that "him" refers to the prophet Salih, mentioned in verse 13. Then the interpretation would be: Salih had no fear of the consequences for himself; he had warned the wicked according to his commission; he was saved by Allah's mercy as a just and righteous man, and he left them with regrets (vii. 79). Yet another alternative refers "him" to the wicked man (mentioned in verse 12) who hamstrung the she-camel: he feared not the consequences of his deed.

Hadith related to Sūrah Ash-Shams:
`Abd Allah ibn `Umar (c. 614 – 693) narrated that while Muhammad was passing by Thamud's houses on his way to the Battle of Tabouk, he stopped together with the people there. The people fetched water from the wells from which the people of Thamud used to drink. They prepared their dough (for baking) and filled their water skins from it (the water from the wells). Muhammad ordered them to empty the water skins and give the prepared dough to the camels. Then he went away with them until they stopped at the well from which the she-camel (of Salih) used to drink. He warned them against entering upon the people that had been punished, saying "Do not enter the house of those who were unjust to themselves, unless (you enter) weeping, lest you should suffer the same punishment as was inflicted upon them."[8]

This is the end of the Tafsir of Sūrah Ash-Shams, and all praise and thanks are due to Allah.

You may now like to listen to an in depth Analysis and Tafseer of Sūrah Ash-Shams by Nouman Ali Khan:

You may refer to our Reference Page "114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, explanation and exegesis of other chapters of the Qur'an.

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.
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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 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: 
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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