| Chapter 10 : Surah Yunus |
(Revealed before Hijrah) Date and Place of Revelation Subject-Matter It mentions theimportance of the Book (10:2) and it refers to the Divine Messenger (10:3). Secondly, the Surah completes the subject-matter of the preceding one. In that Chapter (which is notreally a separate Chapter but is a part of Chapter 8) reference was made to the fact thatthe time of the prosperity and predominance of Islam had come and that God's promiseswere going to be fulfilled in all their glory and grandeur. So the believers were exhortedto attend to the purification of their hearts in order that their repentance might beaccepted. As doubts might have arisen in the hearts of some people that on account of theenormity of their sins their repentance will not be accepted, the present Chapter removesthat doubt and stresses the fact that God's mercy encompasses and transcends all things,though it requires the highest form of repentance to attract it. Thirdly, all the Chapters ofthe Qur'an from Chapter 2 to Chapter 9 (which are really seven in number; for, as statedabove, Chapter 9 is not a separate Chapter but forms part of Chapter 8 and was writtenseparately only on account of the special importance of its subject-matter) deal with onegroup of subjects, while with this Chapter begins a new group of Surahs, ending withChapter 18. This second group deals with a distinct and separate theme, yet its subjectmatteris closely connected with that of the first group. In the first group the truth ofIslam is established by reference to the Holy Prophet and his work, and an appeal is madefor the acceptance of Islam in view of the superiority of its principles, the excellence ofits teachings, the vastness of the spiritual knowledge which it holds out to seekers aftertruth, the wisdom underlying its teachings and its extraordinary influence. In the secondgroup, comprising Chapters 10-18, emphasis is laid on the need of Prophethood, theimportance of religion and on the object of the Holy Prophet's advent, by referringparticularly to the criteria and characteristics of Prophethood, the claims and history ofprevious Prophets and to the arguments based on, and supported by, human reason and common sense. Thus the subject-matter of the two groups is very closely linked and related to each other, the only difference being that whereas in the first group reference is made to the prophecies which were made at the advent of the Holy Prophet or which had been made by previous Prophets and were fulfilled in due time, thus bearing witness to the truth of the Holy Prophet; in the second group the truth of Islam has been explained on its own merits and on the basis of the canons of Prophethood.
أَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا أَنْ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ أَنْذِرِ النَّاسَ وَبَشِّرْ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنَّ لَهُمْ قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ قَالَ الْكَافِرُونَ إِنَّ هَذَا لَسَاحِرٌ مُبِينٌ إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ يُدَبِّرُ الأَمْرَ مَا مِنْ شَفِيعٍ إِلاَّ مِنْ بَعْدِ إِذْنِهِ ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ أَفَلاَ تَذَكَّرُونَ إِلَيْهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقًّا إِنَّهُ يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ بِالْقِسْطِ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَهُمْ شَرَابٌ مِنْ حَمِيمٍ وَعَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِيَاءً وَالْقَمَرَ نُورًا وَقَدَّرَهُ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُوا عَدَدَ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابَ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ يُفَصِّلُ الآياتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ يَهْدِيهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ بِإِيمَانِهِمْ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهِمُ الأَنْهَارُ فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ
وَلَوْ يُعَجِّلُ اللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ الشَّرَّ اسْتِعْجَالَهُمْ بِالْخَيْرِ لَقُضِيَ إِلَيْهِمْ أَجَلُهُمْ فَنَذَرُ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ وَإِذَا مَسَّ الإِنْسَانَ الضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنْبِهِ أَوْ قَاعِدًا أَوْ قَائِمًا فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهُ مَرَّ كَأَنْ لَمْ يَدْعُنَا إِلَى ضُرٍّ مَسَّهُ كَذَلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَمَّا ظَلَمُوا وَجَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَمَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْقَوْمَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ
وَإِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا ائْتِ بِقُرْآنٍ غَيْرِ هَذَا أَوْ بَدِّلْهُ قُلْ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أُبَدِّلَهُ مِنْ تِلْقَاءِ نَفْسِي إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلاَّ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ إِنِّي أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّي عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لاَ يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلاَ يَنْفَعُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ هَؤُلاَءِ شُفَعَاؤُنَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ قُلْ أَتُنَبِّئُونَ اللَّهَ بِمَا لاَ يَعْلَمُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلاَ فِي الأَرْضِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ وَمَا كَانَ النَّاسُ إِلاَّ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَاخْتَلَفُوا وَلَوْلاَ كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِنْ رَبِّكَ لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ
وَإِذَا أَذَقْنَا النَّاسَ رَحْمَةً مِنْ بَعْدِ ضَرَّاءَ مَسَّتْهُمْ إِذَا لَهُمْ مَكْرٌ فِي آيَاتِنَا قُلْ اللَّهُ أَسْرَعُ مَكْرًا إِنَّ رُسُلَنَا يَكْتُبُونَ مَا تَمْكُرُون هُوَ الَّذِي يُسَيِّرُكُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ حَتَّى إِذَا كُنْتُمْ فِي الْفُلْكِ وَجَرَيْنَ بِهِمْ بِرِيحٍ طَيِّبَةٍ وَفَرِحُوا بِهَا جَاءَتْهَا رِيحٌ عَاصِفٌ وَجَاءَهُمُ الْمَوْجُ مِنْ كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ أُحِيطَ بِهِمْ دَعَوْا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ لَئِنْ أَنْجَيْتَنَا مِنْ هَذِهِ لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنْ الشَّاكِرِينَ فَلَمَّا أَنْجَاهُمْ إِذَا هُمْ يَبْغُونَ فِي الأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا بَغْيُكُمْ عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ مَتَاعَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَنُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَاءٍ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ مِنْ السَّمَاءِ فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الأَرْضِ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ النَّاسُ وَالأَنْعَامُ حَتَّى إِذَا أَخَذَتِ الأَرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا وَازَّيَّنَتْ وَظَنَّ أَهْلُهَا أَنَّهُمْ قَادِرُونَ عَلَيْهَا أَتَاهَا أَمْرُنَا لَيْلاً أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَاهَا حَصِيدًا كَأَنْ لَمْ تَغْنَ بِالأَمْسِ كَذَلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الآياتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا الْحُسْنَى وَزِيَادَةٌ وَلاَ يَرْهَقُ وُجُوهَهُمْ قَتَرٌ وَلاَ ذِلَّةٌ أُوْلَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ وَالَّذِينَ كَسَبُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ جَزَاءُ سَيِّئَةٍ بِمِثْلِهَا وَتَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ مَا لَهُمْ مِنْ اللَّهِ مِنْ عَاصِمٍ كَأَنَّمَا أُغْشِيَتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ قِطَعًا مِنْ اللَّيْلِ مُظْلِمًا أُوْلَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ نَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا مَكَانَكُمْ أَنْتُمْ وَشُرَكَاؤُكُمْ فَزَيَّلْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ وَقَالَ شُرَكَاؤُهُمْ مَا كُنْتُمْ إِيَّانَا تَعْبُدُونَ
قُلْ مَنْ يَرْزُقُكُمْ مِنْ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ أَمَّنْ يَمْلِكُ السَّمْعَ وَالأَبْصَارَ وَمَنْ يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنْ الْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنْ الْحَيِّ وَمَنْ يُدَبِّرُ الأَمْرَ فَسَيَقُولُونَ اللَّهُ فَقُلْ أَفَلاَ تَتَّقُونَ
قُلْ هَلْ مِنْ شُرَكَائِكُمْ مَنْ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ قُلْ اللَّهُ يَهْدِي لِلْحَقِّ أَفَمَنْ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ أَحَقُّ أَنْ يُتَّبَعَ أَمَّنْ لاَ يَهِدِّي إِلاَّ أَنْ يُهْدَى فَمَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ
وَمَا كَانَ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ أَنْ يُفْتَرَى مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنْ تَصْدِيقَ الَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَتَفْصِيلَ الْكِتَابِ لاَ رَيْبَ فِيهِ مِنْ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
بَلْ كَذَّبُوا بِمَا لَمْ يُحِيطُوا بِعِلْمِهِ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِهِمْ تَأْوِيلُهُ كَذَلِكَ كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الظَّالِمِينَ
وَيَوْمَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ كَأَنْ لَمْ يَلْبَثُوا إِلاَّ سَاعَةً مِنْ النَّهَارِ يَتَعَارَفُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ قَدْ خَسِرَ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِلِقَاءِ اللَّهِ وَمَا كَانُوا مُهْتَدِينَ
قُلْ لاَ أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي ضَرًّا وَلاَ نَفْعًا إِلاَّ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ إِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَلاَ يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلاَ يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ
وَلَوْ أَنَّ لِكُلِّ نَفْسٍ ظَلَمَتْ مَا فِي الأَرْضِ لاَفْتَدَتْ بِهِ وَأَسَرُّوا النَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا رَأَوْا الْعَذَابَ وَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْقِسْطِ وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ
قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ فَجَعَلْتُمْ مِنْهُ حَرَامًا وَحَلالاً قُلْ أَاللَّهُ أَذِنَ لَكُمْ أَمْ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَفْتَرُونَ وَمَا ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لاَ يَشْكُرُونَ وَمَا تَكُونُ فِي شَأْنٍ وَمَا تَتْلُوا مِنْهُ مِنْ قُرْآنٍ وَلاَ تَعْمَلُونَ مِنْ عَمَلٍ إِلاَّ كُنَّا عَلَيْكُمْ شُهُودًا إِذْ تُفِيضُونَ فِيهِ وَمَا يَعْزُبُ عَنْ رَبِّكَ مِنْ مِثْقَالِ ذَرَّةٍ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلاَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَلاَ أَصْغَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَلاَ أَكْبَرَ إِلاَّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ
أَلاَ إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَنْ فِي الأَرْضِ وَمَا يَتَّبِعُ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ شُرَكَاءَ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ الظَّنَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلاَّ يَخْرُصُونَ
قَالُوا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ وَلَدًا سُبْحَانَهُ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ إِنْ عِنْدَكُمْ مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ بِهَذَا أَتَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ
وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ نُوحٍ إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ يَاقَوْمِ إِنْ كَانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَقَامِي وَتَذْكِيرِي بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ فَعَلَى اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ فَأَجْمِعُوا أَمْرَكُمْ وَشُرَكَاءَكُمْ ثُمَّ لاَ يَكُنْ أَمْرُكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ غُمَّةً ثُمَّ اقْضُوا إِلَيَّ وَلاَ تُنْظِرُونِ
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَمَنْ مَعَهُ فِي الْفُلْكِ وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ خَلاَئِفَ وَأَغْرَقْنَا الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُنْذَرِينَ ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِ رُسُلاً إِلَى قَوْمِهِمْ فَجَاءُوهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَمَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا بِمَا كَذَّبُوا بِهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ كَذَلِكَ نَطْبَعُ عَلَى قُلُوبِ الْمُعْتَدِينَ
قَالُوا أَجِئْتَنَا لِتَلْفِتَنَا عَمَّا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا وَتَكُونَ لَكُمَا الْكِبْرِيَاءُ فِي الأَرْضِ وَمَا نَحْنُ لَكُمَا بِمُؤْمِنِينَ
فَمَا آمَنَ لِمُوسَى إِلاَّ ذُرِّيَّةٌ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ عَلَى خَوْفٍ مِنْ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَئِهِمْ أَنْ يَفْتِنَهُمْ وَإِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ لَعَالٍ فِي الأَرْضِ وَإِنَّهُ لَمِنْ الْمُسْرِفِينَ
وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى مُوسَى وَأَخِيهِ أَنْ تَبَوَّأَا لِقَوْمِكُمَا بِمِصْرَ بُيُوتًا وَاجْعَلُوا بُيُوتَكُمْ قِبْلَةً وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاَةَ وَبَشِّرْ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَقَالَ مُوسَى رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ آتَيْتَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَأَهُ زِينَةً وَأَمْوَالاً فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا رَبَّنَا لِيُضِلُّوا عَنْ سَبِيلِكَ رَبَّنَا اطْمِسْ عَلَى أَمْوَالِهِمْ وَاشْدُدْ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَلاَ يُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى يَرَوْا الْعَذَابَ الأَلِيمَ
وَجَاوَزْنَا بِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْبَحْرَ فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ وَجُنُودُهُ بَغْيًا وَعَدْوًا حَتَّى إِذَا أَدْرَكَهُ الْغَرَقُ قَالَ آمَنْتُ أَنَّهُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ الَّذِي آمَنَتْ بِهِ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَنَا مِنْ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
وَلَقَدْ بَوَّأْنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مُبَوَّأَ صِدْقٍ وَرَزَقْنَاهُمْ مِنْ الطَّيِّبَاتِ فَمَا اخْتَلَفُوا حَتَّى جَاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَقْضِي بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ فَإِنْ كُنْتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِمَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ فَاسْأَلِ الَّذِينَ يَقْرَءُونَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ لَقَدْ جَاءَكَ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ فَلاَ تَكُونَنَّ مِنْ المُمْتَرِينَ
فَلَوْلاَ كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ آمَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَا إِيمَانُهَا إِلاَّ قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّا آمَنُوا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ الْخِزْيِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَى حِينٍ
قُلْ يَاأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ فِي شَكٍّ مِنْ دِينِي فَلاَ أَعْبُدُ الَّذِينَ تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنْ أَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ الَّذِي يَتَوَفَّاكُمْ وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنْ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
وَإِنْ يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلاَ كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَإِنْ يُرِدْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَلاَ رَادَّ لِفَضْلِهِ يُصِيبُ بِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ قُلْ يَاأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَكُمُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ فَمَنْ اهْتَدَى فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِي لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا وَمَا أَنَا عَلَيْكُمْ بِوَكِيلٍ
1229. Tilka is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate something distant. The word is said to have been used in reference to those verses of the previous Scriptures which contained prophecies about the Qur'an and which saw their fulfillment in the Quranic verses. While according to some Commentators God had with Him the complete Book written beforehand and it was out of that Heavenly Book that He revealed verses from time to time and the reference is to that original Book with God, according to others the pronoun denotes the remoteness of the Qur'an in respect of its high rank and is meant to express the great eminence of the verses of the Qur'an . 1230. The words 'full of wisdom' point to three distinctive qualities of the Qur'an: (a) It is full of wisdom, inasmuch as it comprises the basis of all spiritual knowledge and inculcates all truths; (b) it embodies teachings suited to all occasions and circumstances; and (c) it gives right judgment in all religious differences. 1231. Qadam means, preference; rank; footing. They say la-hu 'indi Qadamun, i.e., there is strength or rank for him with me (Lane). 1231A. The verse brings to light the important fact that those, who become morally depraved, lose all sense of self-respect as well as all confidence in themselves, for here the disbelievers are represented as so degenerate that they could not imagine that anyone from among themselves could come and rescue them from the morass of degradation into which they had fallen, and that only someone from outside could improve their condition. 1233. The word 'Arsh represents God's transcendent attributes which are His exclusive prerogatives. These attributes are manifested through God's attributes of similitude which have been described in 69:18 as 'the bearers of God's Throne.' See 986. 1234. The words, He governs everything, point to the working of the universe and to the means which God uses to fulfill his decree and manifest His Will. 1235. Not only after death will man be given a new life in which his actions in this worldly life will be judged and requited; but in the present life also one generation of men is succeeded by another so that the good works of the former may not be wasted and may benefit the latter. Salihat, besides meaning good and righteous works, means works done in conformity with the exigencies of specific occasions and circumstances. 1236. Diya' means; light; bright or brilliant light. The word is synonymous with Nur though, according to some, it has a more intensive signification than Nur. Some lexicologistsconsider Diya' as signifying the rays that are diffused by what is termed Nur. According toothers Diya' signifies that light which subsists by itself as that of the sun or of fire, and Nur that which subsists by some other thing as the light of the moon, i.e., reflected light (Lane &Aqrab). The fact appears to be that whereas Diya' signifies strong light, Nur is a more generalterm denoting light as opposed to darkness. This is why NGr is one of the names of God. It isalso more extensive and more penetrating as well as more lasting in its significance (Muhit). 1237. The verse points to a very wise natural law. We can judge the size of space traversed by a body only by the change of its position relative to other bodies. God has appointed stages for the sun and the moon that we may be able to make a reckoning of time. In other words, He has caused these heavenly bodies to move and has appointed stages for their motion so that by observing the motion we may be able to know that a certain amount of time has passed and that we have moved on from our original position. All reckoning and all calendars depend on the movements of the sun and the moon. The moon moves round the earth and thereby we are able to know the measures of months. The earth moves round the sun and also rotates on its own axis, thus enabling us to measure our years as well as our days. 1238. In the present verse the words, for a God-fearing people, have been substituted for the expression, for a people who possess knowledge, in the preceding verse. This is because though the natural phenomenon of the alternation of day and night is known even to an ignorant person, it is only the God-fearing that derive real spiritual benefit from a reverential study of it. Also, the ordaining of various stages for the moon and the sun, to which the preceding verse referred was not so easy a thing as to be perceived and understood by each and every person and therefore only those endowed with knowledge could benefit by it. Moreover, the phenomenon of the alternation of day and night resembles the rise and fall of nations. The days of their glory and prosperity are followed by the nights of their decline and degradation. No nation has ever enjoyed perpetual glory, nor has any people for ever floundered and groped in the darkness of degradation and decline. A people may make their day of prosperity long and shorten their night of decline. It is also within their power to delay the coming of their night. 1239. The study of human nature reveals the important fact that all human progress is bound up with the instincts of hope and fear. Our best efforts are inspired by one or other of these two instincts. Some persons labor and sweat, actuated by hope of acquisition and aggrandizement; others work out of fear. The present verse makes an appeal to both these classes of men by using the word Raja which means; he hoped; he feared (Lane). 1240. The word, taht (beneath), is used here figuratively denoting subordination. In this sense of the word the expression, beneath them, would signify that the inmates of Heaven will be the masters and owners of its streams and not merely their users as tenants or occupiers. 1241. The glorification of God will be spontaneous and instinctive, because in Heaven the reality of things will become manifest to men and they will realize that every work of God was based on deep wisdom. This realization will make them exclaim instinctively and spontaneously, Glory be to Thee, 0 Allah. The verse also indicates that the ultimate end of the believers is always happy. They give expression to their joy by proclaiming the glory of God. 1242. The word Khair also meaning wealth (Lane), the verse means that disbelievers direct all their energies to the earning of wealth, and neglect God altogether. Their conduct demands that evil should overtake them. But God is slow to punish. If He had been as quick in punishing them as their conduct deserves, they would have been destroyed long ago. If the word Khair be taken in the sense of 'good' as in the text, the verse would mean that if God were as quick to inflict punishment on disbelievers for their evil deeds as He is to bestow good, then they would already have been destroyed. 1243. Punishments are of two kinds: (1) Those that are the result of the contravention of the laws of nature, and (2) those that come when the law of the Shari'ah is flouted. The latter class of punishments overtake a people when they lead wicked lives, or when a Prophet appears among them and they reject him and put all sorts of obstacles in his way. Punishments of this kind are known by certain characteristics. Other class of punishments, such as the rise and fall of nations, come as the result of the contravention of the ordinary laws of nature. 1244. 'Punishment of an awful day' signifies a national disaster. 1245. The verse embodies an infallible criterion to test the truth of a claimant to Prophet hood. If the life of a Prophet before he lays claim to Prophet hood presents an extraordinarily high standard of truthfulness and integrity and between that period and his claim to Prophet hood there is no interval during which it might be supposed that he has fallen from that high standard of moral excellence, then his claim to Prophet hood must be accepted as that of a highly moral and truthful man. Naturally, a person confirmed in a certain course of conduct through habit or temperament takes a long time to develop in himself a major change for either good or evil. How then could the Prophet of Islam suddenly turn into an impostor when all his lifetime before his claim to Prophet hood he had been a singularly upright man? 1246. The verse brings to light two eternal truths: (a) Those persons who invent lies about God and those who reject and oppose His Messengers can never escape God's punishment. (b) Impostors and false prophets cannot succeed in their mission. 1247. The real cause of Shirk (idolatry) lies in failure on the part of idolaters to understand the object and purpose of their creation. A Mushrik (idolater) has a false conception of the person and attributes of God and also of his own great inborn God-given capacities and capabilities. He entertains the foolish belief that he cannot have access to God without the aid of an intermediary, and also that God cannot condescend to come to him except through the medium of those who have already attained His nearness. Islam is emphatically opposed to both these views. 1247A. They were united in wickedness and opposition to Divine Prophets. See also 254. 1248. The words may have one and all of the following meanings: (a) God endowed men with the capacity to find the right path and also directed them to it through revealed guidance, but they forsook that path and fell into error. (b) They are always shown the right path through Divine Messengers, but they continue to differ among themselves. (c) In their opposition to the Divine Messengers the disbelievers always take the same course and thus form one community. All through the ages they have opposed the Divine Prophets and differed with them. See 255. 1248A. The reference is to 'My Mercy encompasses all things' (7:157). 1249. The verse contains an effective reply to the disbelievers' demand for the coming of a speedy punishment. The Holy Prophet is told to say to them that it is he and not they who should have been impatient at the delay in the coming of the threatened punishment; for it is he who is being subjected to mocking for this delay; and when he is patiently waiting for God's decree, why should not they? 1250. Mercy comes from God, but adversity is the result of man's own evil deeds. 1251. As a pleasant breeze sometimes develops into a violent gale and causes widespread destruction, similarly, the respite that is granted to disbelievers may prove the prelude to their destruction. To bring home to disbelievers this patent truth, their attention is drawn to the comforts and perils of a sea-voyage. 1252. The moral of the parable is that when nations become proud and vain and take life lightly, their decline sets in and they come to grief. 1253. Salam means; safety, security; immunity or freedom from faults or defects; imperfections, blemishes or vice; or it means peace; obedience; Heaven. Salam is also one of the names of God (Lane). 1254. Al-Husna meaning, a happy end; victory; keenness and activeness, the clause would signify, (1) that believers will come to a happy end; (2) that they will attain success, and (3) that God will make them keen and active. 1255. The word Ziyadah (yet more) signifies that believers will have God Himself as their reward, and the word al-Husna (also meaning the sight of God) confirms this inference. 1256. The verse embodies several important truths: (a) Whereas the reward of good is manifold (see preceding verse), the reward of evil is only the like thereof. (b) Those who break the laws of God cease to be inspired by high ideals and noble ambitions and become mere imitators of others, losing all initiative and never aspiring to be the leaders of men. (c) Having thus fallen and incurred the displeasure of God, they forfeit His succor. (d) The iniquities and transgressions of evil-doers cannot long remain hidden and sooner or later become exposed. 1257. It is not given to man fully to comprehend and realize the reality of things in this world. It is only in the next world that the veil shall be completely lifted from all things and their real nature will come to light. 1258. There exists a beautiful and intelligent order in this verse. It begins with a reference to sustenance, which is the means of the preservation of physical life. Then it speaks of the organs of sight and hearing, which are the means of acquiring wisdom and knowledge. After that it speaks of the system of life and death, pointing to man's incentive to action which naturally comes into operation after the acquirement of wisdom and understanding. Last of all, it speaks of the government or management of affairs which is needed when one begins to exercise his power of action, Tadbir, meaning conducting an affair in an ordered and regulated manner and maintaining proper balance between different acts. In short, all the four means which are needed for the achievement of the purpose of man's life have been mentioned here in their natural order. 1259. The real test of a creator is his ability to reproduce what he has already created; otherwise the claim is open to serious objection and can be made by any impostor. After having laid down this test of Divinity, the verse asks idol-worshippers, who among their so-called deities is the author of this system of creation and reproduction which has been working from the beginning of the world? 1260. The beliefs and views held by those who set up associates with God are born of mere fancies and surmises, because their so-called deities have never revealed guidance to them. 1261. The verse gives five very cogent reasons to show that the Qur'an is the revealed Word of God: (a) It deals with such themes as are beyond the power of man to know and as can be revealed by God alone. (b) The prophecies of the previous Prophets establish its Divine origin. (c) It explains and expounds the teachings of previous Scriptures. in such a clear and comprehensive manner as no other Scripture has done. (d) It contains all the reasons and arguments needed to prove its Divine origin and does not require the help or support of any outside person or book for this purpose. (e) Unlike former Scriptures it satisfies the moral needs and requirements of all mankind under all circumstances. 1262. The verse challenges disbelievers that if a book with such excellences as the Qur'an possesses could be a human forgery, then why do they not produce a similar one themselves? This challenge stands for all time. See also 44. 1263. The disbelievers do not possess the perceptive understanding and intelligence. In the preceding verse, they were spoken of as devoid of 'understanding' in addition to their being devoid of 'the faculty of hearing,' and in the present verse they are spoken of as destitute of the 'perceptive faculty of the mind,' in addition to their being blind. 1264. Several times disbelievers have been spoken of in the Qur'an as having stayed in the world only for an hour of a day. In all such verses it is not the actual time of their staying in the world that is meant, but their being engrossed in worldly affairs and idle pursuits that is condemned by implication. As they wasted their lives in idle pursuits they may rightly be said to have lived in the world only for a day, even though they may have actually lived for many years. 1265. The verse lays down an important principle that the prophecies comprising threats and warnings about an impending punishment are liable to be cancelled, while those containing promises of a general character, not applying to a particular Prophet but embodying a general rule that applies to all the Prophets, are not cancelled or revoked. The verse further implies that it is not necessary that all prophecies should have a time limit for their fulfillment. 1266. The verse seems to refer to a Law-giving Prophet, for all religious Dispensations are founded by Law-giving Prophets. 1267. This verse embodies a reply to the disbelievers' demand for punishment (mentioned in the preceding verse). The Holy Prophet is bidden to ask them, how he could fulfill their demand for punishment when he possessed no power either to do good to, or avert evil from, himself. 1268. The verse may constitute a rebuke to disbelievers that they should not indulge in futile discussion as to the time and form of the promised punishment but should try to escape from it by effecting a wholesome change in their lives. 1269. 'Adhab al-Khuld means, a punishment that stays with disbelievers and not the punishment which knows no end and can in no circumstances be removed. 1269A. You cannot escape from it. 1270. Asarru may also mean, 'they will manifest or express their remorse.' The word has contrary meanings. 1271. The Qur'an is Mau'izah, for, (a) it contains teachings which proceed from a genuine desire to impart good counsel; (b) its teaching is calculated deeply to affect and touch the human heart; and (c) it has set forth in a beautiful manner all those principles and rules of conduct which lead to moral reformation and success in life. 1272. Eating and drinking are the primary needs of man and it is the first duty of a religion to guide him in this respect. It stands to reason, however, that there should be some medical, moral or religious grounds for declaring some things as lawful and others as unlawful. Islam has provided necessary teachings in this regard. 1273. While some things remain hidden on account of their smallness; there are others parts of which remain hidden owing to their largeness. God's vision is so sharp and penetrating that nothing, however small, can remain hidden from Him and it is so comprehensive that no part of a thing, however big, can escape His sight. 1274. 'Fear' pertains to the future actions of man and 'grief' to his past actions. 1275. In v. 63 it was said that the friends of God never grieve, but here the Holy Prophet is bidden not to grieve. In fact, the Prophet's grief was not for himself but for others. He cried and wept and grieved for mankind. See 1664. 1276. Just as night affords the fatigued and jaded physical limbs of man necessary time for recuperation, and fits him for the ensuing day's work, so do the intervals of inactivity and stagnation in the lives of nations serve as times of rest and recuperation for them and prepare them for their future work by refreshing their spirits and infusing a new vigor into them. 1277. (a) God is immune to the laws of decay and death and therefore requires no son to continue His work. (b) Being Self-Sufficient He needs no son to help Him in conducting the affairs of the universe. (c) The doctrine is based on no sound ground and does not go beyond mere idle philosophical surmises and conjectures. This is the significance of this verse. 1278. A careful perusal of the accounts of the three Prophets-Noah, Moses and Jonah, mentioned in the following verses shows that their life story is epitomized in the life of the Holy Prophet. He played the part of Noah at Mecca, that of Moses at Medina and that of Jonah on his re-entry into Mecca. This is enough to show that the accounts of the Prophets given in the Qur'an are not mere stories but constitute great prophecies about important events that were to occur in the life of the Holy Prophet. 1279. It is a common objection against the Prophets of God that they seek to gain ascendancy over their compatriots by raising the standard of revolt against the existing order of things with a view to establishing a new order under their own leadership. It is this baseless charge which is refuted in this verse. God's Prophets never seek self-aggrandizement. On the contrary, they choose the path of suffering and service. 1280. God does not arbitrarily seal up the hearts of disbelievers; it is the disbelievers who, by their own stubborn and unjustified refusal to listen to the Word of God, deprive themselves of the ability to see and accept the truth. They are themselves the architects of their evil destiny. 1281. In the two simple words Sihr and Mubin lie hidden almost all the stratagems and machinations that the enemies of the Prophets of God employ to defeat and discomfit them. People with a religious bent of mind are told by the enemies of Truth that the new teaching is nothing but Sihr or fraud which would corrupt the religion of the land, whereas those nationalists, who profess to have the material good of their country at heart, are frightened away from it by being told that acceptance of the new teaching would create dissension and discord among the different communities in the land and would thus give a death-blow to the national unity; Mubin meaning that which disunites or separates (Lane). 1281A. A righteous cause does not need the support of unrighteous means for its propagation. 'The end justifies the means' has never been the dictum of God's Prophets and their true followers. Truth spreads and triumphs by its own inherent strength and not by falsehood. 1282. Iman signifies mental submission and Islam means outward obedience. Inner faith must be followed by real outward change in the conduct of a believer. 1283. The injunction to live in a town does not mean that the Israelites lived in the wilderness before this. The verse only emphasizes the necessity and usefulness of a civilized and corporate life. There is a general tendency on the part of the members of weak minority communities to live together in big towns. 1284. The words, so that they face each other, signify that (1) the Israelites were instructed to live very close together so as to be able to help one another in time of need, because this object is only attainable when people build their houses near or facing each other. (2) They should have all their houses facing one direction, which figuratively means that they should have a common goal or ideal. (3) That all their houses should be of equal standing implying that there should obtain feelings of real brotherhood between the rich and the poor so that all should pull together as one team, because there can exist no real feeling of brotherhood when some members of a community live in palatial dwellings and others in wretched hovels. 1284A. Tamasa 'alai-hi means; he destroyed him or it; he obliterated its trace (Lane). 1284B. Shadda al-Shai'a means, he made the thing hard; Shadda 'alai-hi means, he attacked him (Lane). 1285. These words express the depth of abasement to which the proud Pharaoh had sunk. 1286. It is remarkable that the Qur'an alone of all religious Scriptures and books of history mentions this fact. The Bible makes no mention of it, nor does any book of history. But in what wonderful manner the Word of God has proved true! After the lapse of more than 3000 years the body of Pharaoh has been discovered and it now lies in a preserved state in the museum at Cairo. The body shows Pharaoh to have been a lean, short-bodied man, with a countenance expressive of anger and stupidity. Moses was born in the time of Rameses II and was brought up by him (Exod. 2:2-lo), but it was in the reign of his son, Merneptah (Meneptah) that he was entrusted with the mission of a Prophet (Jew. Enc., vol. 9, p. 500 & 1287. The address is not to the Holy Prophet but to every reader of the Qur'an; nor. for that matter, do the words 'sent down to thee' show that the address is made to him, for at several places in the Qur'an, it has been spoken of as being revealed to all the people (2:137; 21:11). The very next verse supports this view because the Holy Prophet could not possibly be one of those 'who reject the Signs of Allah.' 1288. Jonah has been mentioned at six different places in the Qur'an (4: 164; 6537; 2 1 :88; 37:140 & 68:49). In the Bible he is spoken of as an Israelite Prophet (2 Kings, 14:25) who was bidden to go to Nineveh, the capital of Ashur and 'cry' against it. According to the Qur'an; however, he was sent to his own people. He was either not an Israelite or he was sent not to Nineveh but to a section of his own people. Biblical scholars themselves are not agreed as to Jonah's being an Israelite. 1289. From this verse it is clear beyond any shadow of doubt that Islam does not allow or countenance the use of force for its propagation. See also 319. 1290. It is not possible to attain true belief by the mere profession of certain doctrines with the tongue. It is possible only by the permission of God; i.e., by the observance of certain definite and fixed laws of God. 1291. The words, 'Ponder over what is happening in the heavens and the earth,' mean that the factors which are destined to lead to the success and prosperity of the cause of the Holy Prophet are already apparent both in the heavens and the earth, and so no compulsion is needed to help a cause which prospers by the force of its own beautiful teachings. 1292. There is a kind of good which is subject to the laws of nature and can be achieved by man by his own efforts. But there is another kind of good which comes to man through God's special grace.
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