(Revealed before Hijrah)

Date of Revelation and Context
According to consensus of scholarly opinion the Surah was revealed at Mecca. In the preceding Surah it was pointed out that though the former Prophets possessed no material means, yet their mission progressed and prospered because they had the Word of God to guide and help them. So will the Holy Prophet succeed in his mission. The Word of God, the present Surah emphatically declares, is a great force before which no worldly power can stand. Forging of lies against God is not a thing to be trifled with and impostors and forgers of lies against God soon meet their deserved end, and it is stated that the Qur'an is the revealed Word of God and possesses irrefutable proofs to establish its Divine origin.

Subject-Matter
The basic theme of the Surah is that no heavenly Scripture can approach the Qur'an in beauty of diction and style and in the grandeur of its contents. It is a revealed Scripture par excellence. It stands unequalled and unrivalled in every respect. Its beauties and good qualities are so many and so varied that even disbelievers on occasions are forced to confess that they possess nothing like it and wish that they too had possessed a Scripture like it. In spite of this confession on their part, they do not see their way to accept it and do not realize that by their refusal to accept the Qur'an they would be deprived of truth and would draw upon themselves the displeasure and punishment of God.

The Quranic Message is bound to succeed and nothing can stand in its way. Those who hesitate or refuse to accept it will themselves be the sufferers. The Surah then states that if the Quranic revelation is ridiculed and treated with contempt, it is nothing to be wondered at, for the revelations of previous Prophets also were held up to scorn. But the scoffers do not appreciate this patent fact that it is no easy thing to forge lies against God, because to do so is to invite sure destruction. The All-Powerful God sees to it that lies are not successfully forged against Him and that a forgery becomes easily distinguished from His revealed Word. He vouchsafes it a special distinction and eminence and creates a favourable atmosphere for its acceptance by right thinking men, and raises those who accept it from a low to a very high level of moral excellence.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
[15:1] In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.

الر تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْكِتَابِ وَقُرْآنٍ مُبِينٍ
[15:2] Alif Lam Ra. These are verses of the Book and of the illuminating Qur’an.[1476]

رُبَمَا يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْ كَانُوا مُسْلِمِينَ
[15:3] Often will the disbelievers wish that they were Muslims.[1477]

ذَرْهُمْ يَأْكُلُوا وَيَتَمَتَّعُوا وَيُلْهِهِمْ الأَمَلُ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ
[15:4] Leave them alone that they may eat and enjoy themselves and that vain hope[1478] may beguile them; but they will soon know.

وَمَا أَهْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ إِلاَّ وَلَهَا كِتَابٌ مَعْلُومٌ
[15:5] And We have never destroyed any town[1479] but there was for it a known decree.[1479A]

مَا تَسْبِقُ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ
[15:6] No people can outstrip their appointed time, nor can they remain behind.

وَقَالُوا يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِي نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الذِّكْرُ إِنَّكَ لَمَجْنُونٌ
[15:7] And they said, ‘O thou to whom this Exhortation has been sent down, thou art surely a madman.[1480]

لَوْ مَا تَأْتِينَا بِالْمَلاَئِكَةِ إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنْ الصَّادِقِينَ
[15:8] ‘Why dost thou not bring angels to us, if thou art of the truthful?’

مَا نُنَزِّلُ الْمَلاَئِكَةَ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ وَمَا كَانُوا إِذًا مُنْظَرِينَ
[15:9] We do not send down angels but by due right, and then they are granted no respite.[1481]

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ
[15:10] Verily, We Ourself have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We will be its Guardian.[1482]

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فِي شِيَعِ الأَوَّلِينَ
[15:11] And We sent Messengers before thee among parties of ancient peoples.

وَمَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلاَّ كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ
[15:12] And there never came to them any Messenger but they mocked at him.

كَذَلِكَ نَسْلُكُهُ فِي قُلُوبِ الْمُجْرِمِينَ
[15:13] Thus do We cause this[1483] habit of mocking to enter into the hearts of the sinful people;

لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَقَدْ خَلَتْ سُنَّةُ الأَوَّلِينَ
[15:14] They believe not therein, though the example of the former peoples has gone before them.

وَلَوْ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَابًا مِنْ السَّمَاءِ فَظَلُّوا فِيهِ يَعْرُجُونَ
[15:15] And even if We opened to them a door from heaven, and they began ascending[1484] through it,

لَقَالُوا إِنَّمَا سُكِّرَتْ أَبْصَارُنَا بَلْ نَحْنُ قَوْمٌ مَسْحُورُونَ
[15:16] They would surely say, ‘Only our eyes are dazed; rather we are a bewitched[1485] people.’

وَلَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا فِي السَّمَاءِ بُرُوجًا وَزَيَّنَّاهَا لِلنَّاظِرِينَ
[15:17] And We have, indeed, made mansions of stars in the heaven and have adorned[1486] it for beholders.

وَحَفِظْنَاهَا مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ رَجِيمٍ
[15:18] And We have protected it against every rejected satan.[1487]

إِلاَّ مَنْ اسْتَرَقَ السَّمْعَ فَأَتْبَعَهُ شِهَابٌ مُبِينٌ
[15:19] But if any one hears stealthily[1488], there pursues him a bright flame.[1488A]

وَالأَرْضَ مَدَدْنَاهَا وَأَلْقَيْنَا فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ وَأَنْبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مَوْزُونٍ
[15:20] And the earth have We spread out[1489], and set therein firm mountains[1489A] and caused everything to grow therein in proper proportion.

وَجَعَلْنَا لَكُمْ فِيهَا مَعَايِشَ وَمَنْ لَسْتُمْ لَهُ بِرَازِقِينَ
[15:21] And We have made for you therein means of livelihood, and also for all those for whom you do not provide.

وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلاَّ عِنْدَنَا خَزَائِنُهُ وَمَا نُنَزِّلُهُ إِلاَّ بِقَدَرٍ مَعْلُومٍ
[15:22] And there is not a thing but with Us are the treasures thereof and We send it not down except in a known measure.[1490]

وَأَرْسَلْنَا الرِّيَاحَ لَوَاقِحَ فَأَنْزَلْنَا مِنْ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَسْقَيْنَاكُمُوهُ وَمَا أَنْتُمْ لَهُ بِخَازِنِينَ
[15:23] And We send impregnating[1491] winds, then We send down water from the clouds, then We give it to you to drink; and you are not the ones to store it up

وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ نُحْيِ وَنُمِيتُ وَنَحْنُ الْوَارِثُونَ
[15:24] And verily, it is We Who give life, and We Who cause death; and it is We Who are the sole Inheritor.[1492]

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَقْدِمِينَ مِنْكُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَأْخِرِينَ
[15:25] And We do know those who go ahead among you and We do know those who lag behind.

وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ إِنَّهُ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ
[15:26] And surely, it is thy Lord Who will gather them together. Surely, He is Wise, All-Knowing.

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الإِنسَانَ مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ مِنْ حَمَإٍ مَسْنُونٍ
[15:27] And, surely, We created man from dry ringing clay, from black mud wrought into shape.[1493]

وَالْجَانَّ خَلَقْنَاهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ مِنْ نَارِ السَّمُومِ
[15:28] And the Jinn We had created before from the fire of hot wind.[1494]

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلاَئِكَةِ إِنِّي خَالِقٌ بَشَرًا مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ مِنْ حَمَإٍ مَسْنُونٍ
[15:29] And remember when thy Lord said to the angels, ‘I am about to create man from dry ringing clay, from black mud wrought into shape;

فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِي فَقَعُوا لَهُ سَاجِدِينَ
[15:30] ‘So when I have fashioned him in perfection and have breathed into him of My Spirit, fall ye down in submission to him.’[1495]

فَسَجَدَ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ
[15:31] So the angels submitted, all of them together,

إِلاَّ إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى أَنْ يَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ
[15:32] Except Iblis; he refused to be among those who submit.[1496]

قَالَ يَا إِبْلِيسُ مَا لَكَ أَلاَّ تَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ
[15:33] God said, ‘O Iblis, what is the matter with thee[1496A] that thou wouldst not be among those who submit?’

قَالَ لَمْ أَكُنْ ِلأَسْجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقْتَهُ مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ مِنْ حَمَإٍ مَسْنُونٍ
[15:34] He answered, ‘I am not going to submit to man whom Thou hast created from dry ringing clay, from black mud wrought into shape.’

قَالَ فَاخْرُجْ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّكَ رَجِيمٌ
[15:35] God said, ‘Then get out hence[1497], for, surely, thou art rejected.

وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكَ اللَّعْنَةَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ
[15:36] ‘And, surely, on thee shall be My curse till the Day of Judgment.’

قَالَ رَبِّ فَأَنْظِرْنِي إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ
[15:37] He said, ‘My Lord, then grant me respite till the day when they shall be raised.’[1498]

قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ مِنْ الْمُنْظَرِينَ
[15:38] God said, ‘Thou art of those that are granted respite,

إِلَى يَوْمِ الْوَقْتِ الْمَعْلُومِ
[15:39] ‘Till the day of the appointed time.’[1499]

قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
[15:40] He answered, ‘My Lord, since Thou hast adjudged me as lost, I will surely make evil appear beautiful to them on the earth, and I will surely lead them all astray,

إِلاَّ عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ
[15:41] ‘Except Thy chosen servants from among them.’

قَالَ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ عَلَيَّ مُسْتَقِيمٌ
[15:42] God said, ‘This is a path leading straight to Me.

إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَانٌ إِلاَّ مَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ
[15:43] ‘Surely, thou shalt have no power over My servants, except such of the erring ones as choose to follow thee.’[1500]

وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمَوْعِدُهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
[15:44] And, surely, Hell is the promised place for them all.

لَهَا سَبْعَةُ أَبْوَابٍ لِكُلِّ بَابٍ مِنْهُمْ جُزْءٌ مَقْسُومٌ
[15:45] It has seven[1501] gates: and each gate has a portion of them allotted to it.

إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ
[15:46] Verily, the righteous will be placed amid gardens and fountains.

ادْخُلُوهَا بِسَلاَمٍ آمِنِينَ
[15:47] ‘Enter therein with peace, in safety.’[1502]

وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِي صُدُورِهِمْ مِنْ غِلٍّ إِخْوَانًا عَلَى سُرُرٍ مُتَقَابِلِينَ
[15:48] And We shall remove whatever of rancour[1503] may be in their breasts so that they will become as brothers seated on thrones, facing one another.

لاَ يَمَسُّهُمْ فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَمَا هُمْ مِنْهَا بِمُخْرَجِينَ
[15:49] Fatigue shall not touch them there[1504], nor shall they ever be ejected therefrom.

نَبِّئْ عِبَادِي أَنِّي أَنَا الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
[15:50] Tell My servants that I am surely the One Most Forgiving, the Merciful;

وَأَنَّ عَذَابِي هُوَ الْعَذَابُ الأَلِيمُ
[15:51] And also that My punishment is the grievous punishment.

وَنَبِّئْهُمْ عَنْ ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ
[15:52] And tell them about Abraham’s guests.

إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سَلاَمًا قَالَ إِنَّا مِنْكُمْ وَجِلُونَ
[15:53] When they entered in unto him and said, ‘Peace,’ he answered, ‘Verily, we feel afraid of you.’[1505]

قَالُوا لاَ تَوْجَلْ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلاَمٍ عَلِيمٍ
[15:54] They said, ‘Fear not, we give thee glad tidings of a son who shall be endowed with knowledge.’

قَالَ أَبَشَّرْتُمُونِي عَلَى أَنْ مَسَّنِي الْكِبَرُ فَبِمَ تُبَشِّرُونَ
[15:55] He said, ‘Do you give me the glad tidings in spite of the fact that old age has overtaken me? Of what then do you give me the glad tidings?’

قَالُوا بَشَّرْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلاَ تَكُنْ مِنَ الْقَانِطِينَ
[15:56] They said, ‘We have, indeed, given thee glad tidings in truth; be not therefore of those who despair.’

قَالَ وَمَنْ يَقْنَطُ مِنْ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّهِ إِلاَّ الضَّالُّونَ
[15:57] He said, ‘And who can despair of the mercy of his Lord save those who go astray?’

قَالَ فَمَا خَطْبُكُمْ أَيُّهَا الْمُرْسَلُونَ
[15:58] He said, ‘What now is your business, O ye messengers?’[1506]

قَالُوا إِنَّا أُرْسِلْنَا إِلَى قَوْمٍ مُجْرِمِينَ
[15:59] They said, ‘We have been sent unto a guilty people

إِلاَّ آلَ لُوطٍ إِنَّا لَمُنَجُّوهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
[15:60] ‘Excepting the family of Lot. Them we shall save all,

إِلاَّ امْرَأَتَهُ قَدَّرْنَا إِنَّهَا لَمِنَ الْغَابِرِينَ
[15:61] ‘Except his wife. We surmise that she shall be of those who remain behind.’

فَلَمَّا جَاءَ آلَ لُوطٍ الْمُرْسَلُونَ
[15:62] And when the messengers came unto the family of Lot,

قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ مُنْكَرُونَ
[15:63] He said, ‘Verily, you are a party of strangers.’[1507]

قَالُوا بَلْ جِئْنَاكَ بِمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَمْتَرُونَ
[15:64] They said, ‘Nay, but we have come to thee with that about which they doubted.

وَأَتَيْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ
[15:65] ‘And we have come to thee with the truth, and surely we are truthful.

فَأَسْرِ بِأَهْلِكَ بِقِطْعٍ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ وَاتَّبِعْ أَدْبَارَهُمْ وَلاَ يَلْتَفِتْ مِنْكُمْ أَحَدٌ وَامْضُوا حَيْثُ تُؤْمَرُونَ
[15:66] ‘So go forth with thy family in the latter part of the night, and follow thou in their[1508] rear. And let none of you look back[1509], and now proceed to where you are commanded.’

وَقَضَيْنَا إِلَيْهِ ذَلِكَ الأَمْرَ أَنَّ دَابِرَ هَؤُلاَءِ مَقْطُوعٌ مُصْبِحِينَ
[15:67] And We communicated to him this decree that the root of them was to be cut off by the morning.

وَجَاءَ أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ
[15:68] And the people of the city came rejoicing.[1510]

قَالَ إِنَّ هَؤُلاَءِ ضَيْفِي فَلاَ تَفْضَحُونِي
[15:69] He said, ‘These are my guests, so put me not to shame;

وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلاَ تُخْزُونِي
[15:70] ‘And fear Allah and disgrace me not.’[1511]

قَالُوا أَوَلَمْ نَنْهَكَ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ
[15:71] They said, ‘Did we not forbid thee to entertain all sorts of people?’[1512]

قَالَ هَؤُلاَءِ بَنَاتِي إِنْ كُنْتُمْ فَاعِلِينَ
[15:72] He said, ‘These are my daughters[1513] if you must do something.’

لَعَمْرُكَ إِنَّهُمْ لَفِي سَكْرَتِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ
[15:73] By thy life, these too in their mad intoxication are wandering in distraction —

فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّيْحَةُ مُشْرِقِينَ
[15:74] Then the punishment seized them at sunrise.

فَجَعَلْنَا عَالِيَهَا سَافِلَهَا وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ حِجَارَةً مِنْ سِجِّيلٍ
[15:75] We turned it upside down, and We rained upon them stones of clay.

إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآياتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ
[15:76] Surely, in this are Signs for those who can read signs.[1514]

وَإِنَّهَا لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُقِيمٍ
[15:77] And it lies on a road that still exists.[1515]

إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَةً لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
[15:78] Surely, in this is a Sign for believers.

وَإِنْ كَانَ أَصْحَابُ الأَيْكَةِ لَظَالِمِينَ
[15:79] And the People of the Wood[1516] too were surely wrongdoers.

فَانْتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ وَإِنَّهُمَا لَبِإِمَامٍ مُبِينٍ
[15:80] So We chastised them also. And they both lie on a manifest way.[1517]

وَلَقَدْ كَذَّبَ أَصْحَابُ الْحِجْرِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
[15:81] And the People of the Hijr[1518] also did treat the Messengers as liars.

وَآتَيْنَاهُمْ آيَاتِنَا فَكَانُوا عَنْهَا مُعْرِضِينَ
[15:82] And We gave them[1519] Our Signs, but they turned away from them.

وَكَانُوا يَنْحِتُونَ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا آمِنِينَ
[15:83] And they used to hew out houses in the mountains, in security.[1520]

فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّيْحَةُ مُصْبِحِينَ
[15:84] But the punishment seized them in the morning,[1521]

فَمَا أَغْنَى عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ
[15:85] And all that they had earned availed them not.

وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ وَإِنَّ السَّاعَةَ لَآتِيَةٌ فَاصْفَحْ الصَّفْحَ الْجَمِيلَ
[15:86] And We have not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between the two but in accordance with the requirements of wisdom[1521A]; and the Hour is sure to come. So turn away from them in a comely manner.

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ الْخَلاَّقُ الْعَلِيمُ
[15:87] Verily, it is thy Lord Who is the Great Creator, the All-Knowing.

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَاكَ سَبْعًا مِنَ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنَ الْعَظِيمَ
[15:88] And We have, indeed, given thee the seven oft-repeated verses[1522], and the Great Qur’an.

لاَ تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَى مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِنْهُمْ وَلاَ تَحْزَنْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَاخْفِضْ جَنَاحَكَ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
[15:89] Stretch not thy eyes towards what We have bestowed on some classes of them to enjoy for a short time, and grieve[1523] not over them; and lower thy wing of mercy for the believers.

وَقُلْ إِنِّي أَنَا النَّذِيرُ الْمُبِينُ
[15:90] And say, ‘I am, indeed, a plain Warner.’

كَمَا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَى الْمُقْتَسِمِينَ
[15:91] Because We have decided to send down punishment on those who have formed themselves into groups[1524] against thee;

الَّذِينَ جَعَلُوا الْقُرْآنَ عِضِينَ
[15:92] Who have pronounced the Qur’an to be so many lies;[1525]

فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْأَلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
[15:93] So by thy Lord, We will, surely, question them all

عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
[15:94] Concerning that which they used to do.

فَاصْدَعْ بِمَا تُؤْمَرُ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
[15:95] So declare openly that with which thou art commanded and turn aside from those who ascribe partners to God.

إِنَّا كَفَيْنَاكَ الْمُسْتَهْزِئِينَ
[15:96] We will, surely, suffice thee against those who mock:

الَّذِينَ يَجْعَلُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ
[15:97] Who set up another God with Allah, but soon shall they come to know.

وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ يَضِيقُ صَدْرُكَ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ
[15:98] And, indeed, We know that thy bosom becomes straitened[1526] because of what they say.

فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَكُنْ مِنَ السَّاجِدِينَ
[15:99] But glorify thy Lord praising Him, and be of those who prostrate themselves before Him.

وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ
[15:100] And continue worshipping thy Lord, till death comes to thee.[1527]

1476. Only in 27:2 and in the verse under comment do the words. 'Book' and 'Qur'an' occur together but, whereas in the present verse the word 'Book' precedes the word 'Qur'an,' in 27:2 the order has been reversed. While the word 'Book' implies a prophecy that the Holy Book of Islam will continue to be written, the word 'Qur'an' points to the prophecy that it will continue to be increasingly read and recited. Moreover, whereas the words 'illuminating Qur'an' have been used in the Qur'an only twice, the words 'illuminating Book' have been used no less than twelve times. This is to hint that a record in writing is much more useful than mere oral transmission. Muslims should, therefore, give more attention to education and to the study of written knowledge.

1477. It is on record that such a desire was actually expressed by some disbelievers in the time of the Holy Prophet.

1478. The verse may mean that the wish of disbelievers mentioned in the last verse-that they had been Muslims-is simply a 'vain hope,' i.e., a mere passing wish; their real desire being the pursuit of worldly enjoyment and material gains.

1479.  'Town' stands for the people to whom a Prophet is sent. The 'town' of the Holy Prophet has been called 'Mother of towns' in the Qur'an (6:93).

1479A. The words, 'known decree,' here signifies the time appointed for the destruction of the opponents of a Prophet as predicted by him.

1480. Majnun does not mean 'one possessed by a devil or a jinn' or simply 'possessed,' but 'a mad or insane person,' or 'one whose intellectual faculties have become very much impaired' (Lane).

1481.  Disbelievers are here told that when in accordance with the requirements of truth, justice and wisdom (Bi'lhaqq) they will become deserving of Divine punishment, angels will descend upon them and they will be granted no respite.

1482.  The promise about the protection and preservation of the Qur'an made in this verse has been so remarkably fulfilled that even if there had been no other proof, this fact alone would have sufficed to establish its Divine origin. This Surah was revealed at Mecca (Noldeke) when the life of the Holy Prophet and his followers was extremely precarious and the enemy could easily crush the new Faith. It was then that disbelievers were challenged to do their worst to destroy it and were warned that God would frustrate all their designs because He Himself was its Guardian. The challenge was open and unequivocal and the enemy strong and ruthless, and yet the Qur'an remained safe against corruption and interpolation and tampering with and has ever continued to enjoy perfect security. This distinction of the Qur'an is not shared by any other revealed Book. Sir William Muir, the notoriously hostile critic of Islam, says: 'We may,  upon the strongest presumption, affirm that every verse in the Qur'an is the genuine and unaltered composition of Mohammad himself ... There is otherwise every security, internal and external, that we possess the text which Mohammad himself gave forth and used ... To compare their pure text with the various readings of our Scriptures, is to compare things between which there is no analogy' (Introduction to 'The Life of Mohammad').

Prof. Noldeke, the great German Orientalist writes as follows: 'Efforts of European scholars to prove the existence of later interpolations in the Qur'an have failed' (Enc. Brit.). The utter failure of Dr. Mingana, a few years ago, to find fault with the purity of the Quranic text, on the contrary, set the seal on the truth of its claim that among all revealed Scriptures the Qur'an alone has remained completely immune from all interpolation or tampering with it.

1483. The pronoun 'this' refers to the disbelievers' practice of ridiculing the Divine Prophets mentioned in the preceding verse.

1484. The verse may mean that if God were to open the gates of His mercy and avert punishment, then instead of turning to Him, the disbelievers would become engaged in the acquisition of material prosperity and comforts.

1485. Disbelievers have become such strangers to spiritual matters that even if they were to enjoy some of the spiritual experiences which the Holy Prophet had gone through and were to have some of the visions of the spiritual heights to which he had arisen, they would not believe and would only say that they had become victims of magic or witchcraft.

1486. It is not merely the beautiful appearance of the planets and the stars at night that is meant here. The great purpose which their creation serves is mentioned in the following verses as well as in 16:17 and 67:6, and it is in the fulfillment of that great purpose that their real beauty lies.

1487. The verse points out that just as in the physical world evilly disposed persons exercise some sort of power or influence and can cause a certain amount of injury to other men but cannot completely deprive them of heavenly blessings, e.g., the wholesome influence of stars, etc., similarly, in the spiritual world, satans too have no control over the Prophets and their true followers (v.43). "Satan" in the verse under comment refers to such disbelievers as desire to attain union with God independently of the Prophets (vv.14-16). Against such persons the spiritual heavens have indeed been guarded and their gates barred.

1488. 'Stealing the Word of God' may signify the deceitful action of such people as pretend to represent the teachings of the Prophets as their own. They seek to deceive people into believing that the Prophets bring no new teaching and that they too have access to that knowledge which the Prophets claim to possess. Or the verse may mean that they tear out a passage from its context and try to mislead simple-minded folk by putting a wrong interpretation upon it and distorting its meaning. The words, if anyone hears stealthily, make it clear that in verse 17 the words, 'the heaven' represent the spiritual system and not the physical firmament, for the stealing away of the Word of God has nothing to do with the physical heavens.

1488A.  The word 'mansions of stars' in v.17 represents Divine Messengers in general, while the words 'bright flame' in the present verse or 'penetrating flame' occurring in 37:11 stand for the Prophet of the day, or the Master-Prophet (the Holy Prophet). The pursuit of satans by Shihab signifies that so long as a religious teaching remains based on Divine revelation (al-Dhikr v. 10) and gives light and guidance, Divine Reformers also continue to appear to guard it. One of the signs of the appearance of Divine Reformers in the world is the frequent occurrence of meteoric phenomenon, called the falling of stars in large numbers. In the time of the Holy Prophet meteors fell in such large numbers that disbelievers thought that both heaven and earth were going to fall asunder (Kathir). It was from these extraordinary happenings that Heraclius who, it appears, had some knowledge of astronomy, inferred that the Prophet-King of the Arabs must have appeared (Bukhari ch. Bad' al-Wahy). In the time of Jesus also meteors fell in unusually large numbers (Bihar). This celestial phenomenon was also witnessed in our own time-in 1885. Thus both history and Hadith bear testimony to the fact that the falling of meteors in unusually large numbers ii a sure sign of the appearance of a Divine Reformer.

'Satan' in v. 18 may be taken to refer to diviners and soothsayers. In that case 'the pelting of the satans' (67:6) would mean that during the time when there is no Divine Reformer in the world, astrologers and soothsayers succeed, to some extent; in their nefarious trade of hoodwinking simple-minded people but, with the appearance of a Divine Reformer, their false knowledge becomes exposed and people can easily distinguish between the true prophecies of heavenly Messengers and the conjectures of astrologers and soothsayers. The verse may also signify that when some mischievous people, after tearing out a passage from the text of the heavenly revelation, seek to spread it in a distorted form, a fresh Sign comes like a brilliant flash and destroys the machinations of the satanic people.

1489. The words, Wa'l Arda Madadna-ha mean, 'We have spread out the earth or, 'We have enriched it.' Both meanings are applicable here. The verse signifies that God has made the earth so large that in spite of its being round, man feels no discomfort on account of its roundness; or it means that God has enriched the earth with fertilizers. Astronomical researches have disclosed the fact that the earth continues to acquire new strength and fertility from the stars from which particles of matter fall on it in the form of meteors or meteoric dust, which serves to increase its fertility.

1489A. The earth needs a good supply of water to grow food. For this purpose God has created mountains which serve as reservoirs of water, storing it in the form of snow and distributing it over the earth by means of rivers.

1490. God possesses an unlimited stock of everything. But in His infinite mercy He directs the minds of men to a particular thing only when a real and genuine need for it arises. Like the material universe. the Qur'an is a spiritual universe in which lie hidden treasures of spiritual knowledge which are revealed to man according to the needs of the time.

1491. Lawaqih are such winds as carry pollen from the male to the female trees in order to fecundate them. The word also means such winds as carry vapors rising from the earth to the upper regions where they assume the form of clouds.

1492. A great revolution will take place through the teachings of the Qur'an, causing the old order to die, and true believers will inherit the earth.

1493.  The creation of man from Salsal (dry ringing clay) signifies that he has been created from a matter in which the faculty and attribute of speech lay latent. This shows that man has been endowed with the power to respond to the heavenly voice. But as Salsal (dry ringing clay) emits a sound only when struck with something extraneous, the word is intended to hint that man's power to respond is subject to his receiving the Divine Call. This faculty establishes his superiority over the whole creation. The word Mama' signifies that man has been created from black mud, i.e., earth and water; earth being the source of the body and water of the soul. Elsewhere, the Qur'an speaks of 'earth' and 'water' separately as things of which man has been created (3:60; 21:31). By joining the word Salsal (dry ringing clay) to the word Hama'(black mud), the Qur'an means to point out that while other living creatures are created of Hama'(black mud) only, viz., of earth and water, for they too possess a certain kind of undeveloped soul, man is created of Mama' (black mud) combined with Salsal (dry ringing clay), i.e., the attribute of speech. He is also Masnun, i.e., wrought into perfect shape (955). The verse does not mean that clay became at once molded into a living being when God breathed life into it. The Qur'an repeatedly states that the creation of the universe was gradual. The present verse speaks of only the first stage of man's creation. Other stages of his creation have been mentioned in 30:21; 35:12; 22:6; 23:15 and 40:68. The Quranic statement that man was created out of "earth" (which, incidentally, means that the long process of his creation started with it) finds corroboration from the fact that even now man's food is derived from the earth, certain parts of it being derived directly and others indirectly. This shows that the matter contained in the earth forms the origin of man; for if such had not been the case, he could not have derived his nutrition from it, because only that thing of which a being is made can supply it with nutrition; a foreign element being unable to replenish the wastage.

1494. A similar Quranic expression, man is made of haste (21:38) -shows that the verse under comment means that the jinn possessed a fiery nature and not that they were actually made of fire. Thus creation from clay or from fire are metaphors signifying a pliant and submissive nature or a fiery and inflammable temperament.

1495. By the word "angels" is meant the whole of creation, because angels constitute the first link of all creation and, as such, a command given to them really applies to the whole of creation. It is significant that whereas elsewhere the Qur'an speaks of the command of God to the angels to submit to "Adam," in the present and the following verses the word used is "man." Thus both these words have been used synonymously in the Qur'an. The command given to angels with regard to Adam applies to every man. Into every man God breathes His Spirit and angels are commanded to serve him. Man is God's vicegerent on earth and in his person he reflects Divine attributes.

1496. God punished Satan (vv. 35,36) for his failure to carry out a command which was addressed only to angels (vv.29,30), because a command given to angels automatically applied to all those creatures which were subject to the authority of the angels. Elsewhere, the Qur'an itself makes the point clear that the command to angels applied to Iblis also (7:12,13).

1496A. The Arabic expression also means, what ails thee; what is your reason; what is the matter with thee?

1497. The pronoun ha in the expression min-ha does not refer to the post-mortal Heaven because Heaven is a place where Satan could not possibly enter and tempt Adam and from where no one is ever turned out (15:49). It refers to that state of apparent bliss in this world in which men happen to be before the advent of a Prophet when, though they might be victim to wrong beliefs, yet, not having rejected a Prophet, they are not altogether deprived of Divine favors which are represented as Jannah (garden) in the Qur'an.

1498. The words 'when they shall be raised' signify the spiritual rebirth of man when having attained the stage of Nafs Mutma'innah (the soul at peace with God) he becomes immune to satanic seduction and spiritual fall. This dialogue between God and Satan is, as hinted here, only an allegory or a metaphor.

1499. The words 'appointed time' mean, as explained in v. 37, the day when the Prophets and their followers achieve final victory over their adversaries, and falsehood and its votaries are finally crushed.

1500. The verse seems to suggest that human nature is intrinsically pure. Only those lose the right path who defile their own nature and choose to follow Satan. This idea has been further explained in 91 :11.

1501. In Arabic the number "seven" as also "seventy" are often used to express not a specific numeral but the idea either of perfection and completeness or of profusion. The verse signifies that Hell will have the number of gates corresponding to the number and variety of sins committed by the guilty persons. The number "seven" may also refer to the seven exteroceptive senses; viz., the senses of vision, hearing, smell; taste, touch, pain and temperature, by which man receives impressions from the outer world.

1502. The words "peace" and "security" signify, respectively, freedom from internal anxieties that eat into the heart of a person and from external pain and punishment.

1503. Only those persons can be said to be enjoying a truly heavenly life whose hearts are free from all feelings of rancor and spite against their brethren.

1504. The verse implies that Heaven will be a place of constant and continuous work. In spite of this, however, believers will feel none of the fatigue which is the inevitable result of hard work, and there will also be no waste or decay which are the result of fatigue.

1505. Probably signs of grief and sorrow were apparent on the faces of the messengers because they had brought the news of an impending catastrophe. Abraham understood it either from the troubled expression of their faces or from their refusal to partake of the food offered to them (11:71).

1506.  By using the word al-Mursalun (messengers), the Qur'an hints that the bearers of the message were humans. The Bible, however, sometimes mentions them as men (Gen. 18:2,16, 22) and sometimes as angels (Gen. 19:11,15).

1507. Lot thought these men to be mere wayfarers whose visit to the place was only casual.

1508. The pronoun hum (their) in the expression Adbara-hum (their rear) used in this verse shows that the party who left the city with Lot did not consist of his two daughters only, as stated in the Bible (Gen. chap. 19); but of other believers as well, some of whom must have been males, as the plural masculine pronoun indicates. This view is supported by another passage in the Bible (Gen. 18:32).

1509. The words may have been used figuratively, meaning 'let none of you give thought to,' or 'feel anxious for,' those left behind.

1510. Lot had been told by his people not to bring strangers into the city and so when the guests came to him they were glad that he would be taken to task for having defied their warnings.

1511. Lot begged his people not to disgrace him for offering hospitality to the strangers.

1512. As relations between Lot's people and the neighboring tribes were strained his people had warned him not to bring strangers into the city. But as travel was neither safe nor comfortable in those parts of the country, Prophet Lot would entertain lonely and stranded wayfarers in his house. This was resented by his people, who were looking for a pretext to expel him from the city, being already tired of his teaching and preaching. But they could not do so without a valid excuse. Now they found a seemingly good excuse for venting their wrath on him because he had given shelter to strangers in his house against their warnings. From this it is clear that Lot's people did not come to him with the wicked intention of committing sodomy with his guests, but to convey to him the warning that they had found a valid excuse to expel him from the town. This seemed to be the reason of their rejoicing.

1513.  See 11:79.

1514.  Mutawassimin is plural of Mutawassim which is derived from Twassama and means, one who deliberates over a thing and examines it or does so repeatedly to obtain a clear knowledge of it (Aqrab).

1515.  A way is said to be Muqim when it continues to be used by wayfarers. The way referred to here, i.e., the one connecting Arabia with Syria, is still in use, thus fulfilling the prophecy implied in the adjective used for it in this verse. The way passes along the Dead Sea which is locally known as the Sea of Lot.

1516.  The fact that, according to the Qur'an, the Prophet Shu'aib was sent both to Ashab al-Aikah, i.e., People of the Wood (26: 177, 178) and Ahl Madyan, People of Midian (11:85) shows that both are the names of the same people or, rather of two sections of the same people who had adopted two different means of livelihood, one living on commerce and the other keeping herds of camels and sheep. Evidence of the close relationship of the "People of the Wood" with the "People of Midian" is furnished by the fact that identical faults have been ascribed to both in the Qur'an (7:86 & 26:182-184). Midian seems to be both the name of the tribe and the town in which these people lived at the head of the Gulf of Aqabah, near which was situated the wilderness of Aikah, abounding in dwarf trees of the species of wild plums and affording shelter to camels, sheep and goats ("The Gold Mines of Midian" by Sir Richard
Francis Burton).

1517. In the case of the city of Lot the highway has been called 'the way that still exists' (v. 77) which implies a prophecy that it will continue to exist in the future. In the case of the habitation of 'the People of the Wood,' the road has been called 'an open highway.' The old road which connected Asia with Egypt, has now ceased to be used by caravans, though as the word "open" hints, the track still remains.

1518. Hijr lay between Tabuk and Medina. Here lived the tribe of Thamud to whom Salih was sent as a Warner. The city appears to have been largely built of stones and was surrounded by a stone wall and ramparts. Hence this name.

1519.  In the foregoing verses three different peoples have been mentioned-(a) the people of Lot; (b) the people of Shu'aib and (c) the people of Salih. They have not been mentioned in their chronological order but in the order of the distance of their towns from Mecca. The town of the people of Lot was the most distant of the three. Next in order of distance lived the people of Aikah. Hijr being situated between Tabuk and Medina, the tribe of Thamud were the nearest of the three and it has consequently been mentioned last of all. This unusual order has been adopted in preference to the more natural one with a view to making the statement effective from the point of view of the persons addressed. the tribe that was least known to the Arabs being mentioned first and the tribe which the Arabs knew most being mentioned last.

1520. This verse shows that the Thamud were a civilized, powerful and rich people. They had separate summer and winter resorts and led secure and comfortable lives. Even when they went to the hills in summer for recreation and change of climate and left their winter habitations, they felt free from attacks from any quarter. The verse also hints at the highly developed state of their architecture.

1521.  It appears from 7:79 that the calamity referred to in this verse was an earthquake.

1521A. The creation of the universe and the wonderful design and order that pervade it surely lead to the one inescapable inference that human life is not limited to the temporary and short existence on this earth, and that a great purpose underlies it and man has not been created just to eat, drink and be merry for a while and then die an eternal death.

1522. According to such eminent authorities as 'Umar, 'Ali, Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud, these words refer to the Opening Chapter of the Qur'an, i.e., Al-Fatihah, because it is repeated and recited in every Rak'at of the Prayer. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said that Al-Sab'al-Mathani is the Opening Chapter of the Qur'an (Bukhari). This Chapter is also called 'Mother of the Qur'an' (Umm al-Qur'an) and 'the Opening Chapter of the Book' (Fatihat Al-Kitab). According to Zajjaj and Abu Hayyan, the Opening Chapter is given this name because it contains the praises of God. The rest of the Qur'an which follows the Opening Chapter has been called 'the Great Qur'an' (Al-Qur'an al-'Azim). This name, however, equally applies to the First Chapter also inasmuch as a portion of the Book may rightly be called the Book itself. There is a saying of the Holy Prophet to the effect that the Opening Chapter of the Qur'an is
also 'the Great Qur'an' (Musnad v. 2, p. 448). In fact, this Chapter constitutes an abridgement of the whole of the Qur'an or. as it is said. it is the Qur'an in miniature; the Book as a whole having been summarized and epitomized in it. Mathani being also the plural of Mathna, which means praise, the verse would mean that Surah Al-Fatihah gives a comprehensive description of Divine attributes. Mathan; also meaning a bend of the valley, the verse would mean that Al-Fatihah fully explains the relationship of God to man.

1523. The real significance of the verse is that the Holy Prophet has been told not to grieve over the fact that disbelievers were about to be punished and all their riches, prosperity and glory of which they are so proud would be of no avail to them.

1524. The Meccans had formed themselves into several groups and had taken upon themselves different duties to put obstacles in the way of the Holy Prophet, or these different groups had assigned to themselves different roles when they had resolved to kill him; Muqtasimin also signifying, 'those who allotted different duties to one another.'

1525. 'ldin is the plural of 'Idah which means, a lie or falsehood; a calumny; an enchantment; a piece, part or portion of a thing; a party, sect or class of people (Lane).

1526. The Holy Prophet was not grieved because the disbelievers mocked at him but because they associated other gods with Allah. His grief was due to his jealous love for God on the one hand and to his sincere solicitude for his people on the other.

1527. The verse purports to say that inasmuch as the main purpose of the Holy Prophet's mission, viz., the establishment of the Unity of God, was now going to be fulfilled, he should in joyous thanksgiving extol the praises of God and bow down to Him in devoted prostration.