(Revealed before Hijrah)

Date of Revelation and Context
There is sufficient internal evidence to show that the Surah was revealed towards the end of the Holy Prophet's stay at Mecca. Sayuti regards it as the last Surah to have been revealed at Mecca just before the Holy Prophet's departure for Medina. Though it may not have been actually the last, it was certainly one of the last Surahs to be revealed at Mecca. In the closing verses of the previous Surah believers were told to turn to God and obey His commandments as in this lay the secret of their future progress and prosperity. They were also enjoined to wage war with the sword so that those who had drawn the sword against Islam should themselves perish by the sword. They were further enjoined to strive in the way of the Lord with the Qur'an and the promise was held out to them that if they did so, God would help them and vouchsafe to them success and prosperity. The promise was conditional. A sure guarantee, however, is given here that a community of believers will certainly be born who, because they will fulfil the above mentioned conditions, will achieve success. Thus a thing, which was presumed in the preceding Surah to have existed, is claimed in this Surah to have come into being as an actual fact.

Subject-Matter
The Surah opens with the glad tidings to the true believers that the time of their success and prosperity has already arrived, and proceeds to give a brief description of their characteristics and special marks which is indicative of the process of their spiritual growth and development. This description is followed by a brief but beautiful account of the growth of the human foetus and defines the different stages through which the child passes-from the stage of a drop of sperm to that of a fully developed human being, and then explains that just as every physical birth is followed by death and Resurrection, similarly nations or communities among whom at one time a spiritual renaissance takes place, are at another time subject to decay and decadence and in due course are succeeded by another people. In fact, spiritual and physical developments bear close resemblance. Both of them have to pass through seven stages of development.

Next, the Surah develops the theme that all things are sent down into the world according to a determined measure and each one of them continues to exist and is afforded protection till an appointed time. When, however, it has sewed its utility it decays and dies. In the same way Divine Teachings, sent down before the Qur'an, became defunct when they had served their intended purpose. Thus, the mere fact that a Teaching is Divine does not entitle it to immunity from decay. It is only the Qur'an which has been granted continuity of life and which will, therefore, continue to provide spiritual food to all humanity for all time.

The Surah then recounts some of the favours which God has bestowed upon man and which are necessary for his physical sustenance, and then draws the moral lesson that when God has taken so much care to provide for man's physical needs, He must have taken equal, even greater, care to provide for his spiritual requirements. Next, it is stated that the most essential prerequisite to ensure spiritual progress is belief in the Unity of God which since the inception of the world the Prophets of God have taught and preached. Noah preached and propagated the Oneness of God. After him came a galaxy of Prophets, all of whom taught that God was One, and those Divine Teachers who came after them also emphasized and stressed it.

The devotees of darkness, however, always opposed and persecuted these Prophets. The result of the struggle between Truth and falsehood invariably was that the believers were successful and those, who disbelieved and rejected the Divine Messengers, suffered defeat and came to grief. The righteous servants of God fear their Lord and believe in His Signs and have firm faith in His Unity and do good deeds to the best of their power, and yet consider that they have not fully discharged their duties and responsibilities. They strive to vie with one another in doing good deeds. After this, disbelievers are warned that they will be punished if they persisted in their rejection of the Divine Message. But they do not desist from their evil course and continue to indulge in iniquitous deeds till when the hour of punishment arrives they beg and beseech that they might be granted one last opportunity to reform themselves. But then it is too late, and they are made to realize that pain and punishment even for a brief period after a whole life of ease and comfort are doubly mortifying.

The Surah ends by stating the great spiritual truth that man is not created without purpose. His life has a noble aim. He should not, therefore, doubt or dispute the truth of Divine Law and of God's Messengers and should realize that he will have to render account of his deeds before his Lord.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
[23:1] In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
[23:2] Surely, success does come to the believers[1978],

الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلاَتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ
[23:3] Who are humble[1979] in their Prayers,

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنْ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ
[23:4] And who shun all that which is vain[1980],

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَاةِ فَاعِلُونَ
[23:5] And who are active in paying the Zakat[1981],

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ
[23:6] And who guard their chastity —

إِلاَّ عَلَى أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ
[23:7] Except from their wives or what their right hands possess[1981A], for then they are not to be blamed;

فَمَنْ ابْتَغَى وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الْعَادُونَ
[23:8] But those who seek anything beyond that are the transgressors —

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ ِلأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ
[23:9] And who are watchful of their trusts and their covenants,

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَى صَلَوَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ
[23:10] And who are strict in the observance of their Prayers[1982].

أُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الْوَارِثُونَ
[23:11] These are the heirs,

الَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ الْفِرْدَوْسَ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
[23:12] Who will inherit Paradise[1983]. They will abide therein.

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الإِنسَانَ مِنْ سُلاَلَةٍ مِنْ طِينٍ
[23:13] Verily, We created man from an extract of clay[1984];

ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاهُ نُطْفَةً فِي قَرَارٍ مَكِينٍ
[23:14] Then We placed him as a drop of sperm in a safe depository;

ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْمُضْغَةَ عِظَامًا فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا آخَرَ فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ

[23:15] Then We fashioned the sperm into a clot; then We fashioned the clot into a shapeless lump; then We fashioned bones out of this shapeless lump; then We clothed the bones with flesh; then We developed it into another creation[1985]. So blessed be Allah, the Best of creators.

ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ لَمَيِّتُونَ
[23:16] Then after that you must surely die[1986].

ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ تُبْعَثُونَ
[23:17] Then on the Day of Resurrection will you be raised up[1987].

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا فَوْقَكُمْ سَبْعَ طَرَائِقَ وَمَا كُنَّا عَنْ الْخَلْقِ غَافِلِينَ
[23:18] And We have created above you seven heavens[1988] lying one above the other, and We are never neglectful of the creation.

وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنْ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً بِقَدَرٍ فَأَسْكَنَّاهُ فِي الأَرْضِ وَإِنَّا عَلَى ذَهَابٍ بِهِ لَقَادِرُونَ
[23:19] And We sent down water from the sky according to measure[1989], and We caused it to stay in the earth — and surely it is We Who determine its taking away —

فَأَنشَأْنَا لَكُمْ بِهِ جَنَّاتٍ مِنْ نَخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ لَكُمْ فِيهَا فَوَاكِهُ كَثِيرَةٌ وَمِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ
[23:20] And We produced for you thereby gardens of date-palms and vines; for you therein are abundant fruits; and of them you eat.

وَشَجَرَةً تَخْرُجُ مِنْ طُورِ سَيْنَاءَ تَنْبُتُ بِالدُّهْنِ وَصِبْغٍ لِلآكِلِينَ
[23:21] And a tree which springs forth from Mount Sinai[1990]; it produces oil and a sauce for those who eat.

وَإِنَّ لَكُمْ فِي الأَنْعَامِ لَعِبْرَةً نُسقِيكُمْ مِمَّا فِي بُطُونِهَا وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَنَافِعُ كَثِيرَةٌ وَمِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ
[23:22] And in the cattle also there is a lesson for you. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies and you have in them many benefits[1991], and of them you also eat;

وَعَلَيْهَا وَعَلَى الْفُلْكِ تُحْمَلُونَ
[23:23] And on them and on ships you are borne.

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَى قَوْمِهِ فَقَالَ يَاقَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ أَفَلاَ تَتَّقُونَ
[23:24] And We did send Noah to his people, and he said, ‘O my people, serve Allah. You have no God other than Him. Will you not then be righteous?’

فَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ مَا هَذَا إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَتَفَضَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَأَنزَلَ مَلاَئِكَةً مَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَذَا فِي آبَائِنَا الأَوَّلِينَ

[23:25] And the chiefs of his people, who disbelieved, said, ‘He is only a man like yourselves[1992]; he seeks to make himself superior to you. And if Allah had so willed, He could have surely sent down angels with him. We have never heard of such a thing among our forefathers.

إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ بِهِ جِنَّةٌ فَتَرَبَّصُوا بِهِ حَتَّى حِينٍ
[23:26] ‘He is only a man stricken with madness; wait, therefore, concerning him for a while.’

قَالَ رَبِّ انصُرْنِي بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ
[23:27] He said, ‘O my Lord, help me, for they have treated me as a liar.’

فَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِ أَنْ اصْنَعْ الْفُلْكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا وَوَحْيِنَا فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا وَفَارَ التَّنُّورُ فَاسْلُكْ فِيهَا مِنْ كُلٍّ زَوْجَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ وَأَهْلَكَ إِلاَّ مَنْ سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ مِنْهُمْ وَلاَ تُخَاطِبْنِي فِي الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا إِنَّهُمْ مُغْرَقُونَ

[23:28] So We sent revelation to him, saying, “Make the Ark under Our eyes and according to Our revelation. And when Our command comes, and the fountains of the earth gush forth, take thou into it two of every kind, male and female, and thy family, except those of them against whom the word has already gone forth. And address Me not concerning those who have done wrong; they shall be drowned[1993].

فَإِذَا اسْتَوَيْتَ أَنْتَ وَمَنْ مَعَكَ عَلَى الْفُلْكِ فَقُلْ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي نَجَّانَا مِنْ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ
[23:29] “And when thou hast settled on the Ark — thou and those that are with thee — say, ‘All praise belongs to Allah Who has saved us from the unjust people!’

وَقُلْ رَبِّ أَنزِلْنِي مُنْزَلاً مُبَارَكًا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْمُنزِلِينَ
[23:30] “And say, ‘My Lord, cause me to land a blessed landing, for Thou art the Best of those who bring men to land.’”

إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآياتٍ وَإِنْ كُنَّا لَمُبْتَلِينَ
[23:31] Verily, in this there are Signs. Surely, We did try the people of Noah.

ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ قَرْنًا آخَرِينَ
[23:32] Then We raised after them another generation[1994].

فَأَرْسَلْنَا فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِنْهُمْ أَنْ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ أَفَلاَ تَتَّقُونَ
[23:33] And We sent among them a Messenger from among themselves who said, ‘Serve Allah. You have no God other than Him. Will you not then fear God?’

وَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِلِقَاءِ الآخِرَةِ وَأَتْرَفْنَاهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا مَا هَذَا إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ يَأْكُلُ مِمَّا تَأْكُلُونَ مِنْهُ وَيَشْرَبُ مِمَّا تَشْرَبُونَ

[23:34] And the chiefs of his people, who disbelieved and denied the meeting of the Hereafter and whom We had afforded ease and comfort in this life, said, ‘This is but a man like yourselves. He eats of that of which you eat, and drinks of that of which you drink.

وَلَئِنْ أَطَعْتُمْ بَشَرًا مِثْلَكُمْ إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا لَخَاسِرُونَ
[23:35] ‘And if you obey a man like yourselves, you will then be surely losers.

أَيَعِدُكُمْ أَنَّكُمْ إِذَا مِتُّمْ وَكُنتُمْ تُرَابًا وَعِظَامًا أَنَّكُمْ مُخْرَجُونَ
[23:36] ‘Does he promise you that when you are dead and have become dust and bones, you will be brought forth again?

هَيْهَاتَ هَيْهَاتَ لِمَا تُوعَدُونَ
[23:37] ‘Far, far from truth [1995] is that which you are promised.

إِنْ هِيَ إِلاَّ حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحْيَا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ
[23:38] ‘There is no life other than our present life; we were lifeless and now we live, but we shall not be raised up again.

إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا وَمَا نَحْنُ لَهُ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ
[23:39] ‘He is only a man who has forged a lie against Allah; and we are not going to believe him.’

قَالَ رَبِّ انصُرْنِي بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ
[23:40] He said, ‘My Lord, help me, for they have treated me as a liar.’

قَالَ عَمَّا قَلِيلٍ لَيُصْبِحُنَّ نَادِمِينَ
[23:41] God said, ‘In a little while they will surely become repentant.’

فَأَخَذَتْهُمْ الصَّيْحَةُ بِالْحَقِّ فَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ غُثَاءً فَبُعْدًا لِلْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ
[23:42] Then punishment overtook them rightfully, and We made them as rubbish[1996]. Cursed[1997], then, be the people who do wrong!

ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ قُرُونًا آخَرِينَ
[23:43] Then We raised after them other generations.

مَا تَسْبِقُ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ
[23:44] No people can go ahead of their appointed time, nor can they remain behind it.[1998]

ثُمَّ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا تَتْرَى كُلَّ مَا جَاءَ أُمَّةً رَسُولُهَا كَذَّبُوهُ فَأَتْبَعْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ بَعْضًا وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَحَادِيثَ فَبُعْدًا لِقَوْمٍ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ

[23:45] Then We sent Our Messengers one after another. Every time there came to a people their Messenger, they treated him as a liar. So We made them follow one another to destruction and We made them mere tales[1999]. Cursed, then, be the people who believe not!

ثُمَّ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَى وَأَخَاهُ هَارُونَ بِآيَاتِنَا وَسُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ
[23:46] Then We sent Moses and his brother Aaron, with Our Signs and a clear authority,

إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَئِهِ فَاسْتَكْبَرُوا وَكَانُوا قَوْمًا عَالِينَ
[23:47] To Pharaoh and his chiefs; but they behaved arrogantly and they were a haughty people.

فَقَالُوا أَنُؤْمِنُ لِبَشَرَيْنِ مِثْلِنَا وَقَوْمُهُمَا لَنَا عَابِدُونَ
[23:48] And they said, ‘Shall we believe in two men like ourselves while their people are our servants?’

فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا فَكَانُوا مِنْ الْمُهْلَكِينَ
[23:49] So they called them liars, and they were of those who were destroyed.

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ
[23:50] And We gave Moses the Book, that they might be guided.

وَجَعَلْنَا ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَأُمَّهُ آيَةً وَآوَيْنَاهُمَا إِلَى رَبْوَةٍ ذَاتِ قَرَارٍ وَمَعِينٍ
[23:51] And We made the son of Mary and his mother a Sign, and gave them refuge on an elevated land of green valleys and springs of running water[2000].

يَا أَيُّهَا الرُّسُلُ كُلُوا مِنْ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَاعْمَلُوا صَالِحًا إِنِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ
[23:52] O ye Messengers, eat of the things that are pure[2001], and do good works. Verily, I am well aware of what you do.

وَإِنَّ هَذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاتَّقُونِ
[23:53] And know that this community of yours is one community[2002], and I am your Lord. So take Me as your Protector.

فَتَقَطَّعُوا أَمْرَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ زُبُرًا كُلُّ حِزْبٍ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُونَ
[23:54] But they (the people) have cut up their affairs among themselves forming themselves into parties, each group rejoicing in what they have[2003].

فَذَرْهُمْ فِي غَمْرَتِهِمْ حَتَّى حِينٍ
[23:55] So leave them in their confusion for a time.

أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ
[23:56] Do they think that by the wealth and children with which We help them,

نُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ بَل لاَ يَشْعُرُونَ
[23:57] We hasten to do them good? Nay, but they understand not[2004].

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ هُمْ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ رَبِّهِمْ مُشْفِقُونَ
[23:58] Verily, those who fear their Lord, holding Him in reverence,

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ
[23:59] And those who believe in the Signs of their Lord,

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ بِرَبِّهِمْ لاَ يُشْرِكُونَ
[23:60] And those who ascribe not partners to their Lord,

وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَا آتَوا وَقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ رَاجِعُونَ
[23:61] And those who give what they give while their hearts are full of fear because to their Lord they will return —

أُوْلَئِكَ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَهُمْ لَهَا سَابِقُونَ
[23:62] These it is who hasten to do good works, and these it is who are foremost in them.

وَلاَ نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا وَلَدَيْنَا كِتَابٌ يَنطِقُ بِالْحَقِّ وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُون
[23:63] And We burden not any soul beyond its capacity[2005], and with Us is a Book that speaks the truth[2006], and they will not be wronged.

بَلْ قُلُوبُهُمْ فِي غَمْرَةٍ مِنْ هَذَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْمَالٌ مِنْ دُونِ ذَلِكَ هُمْ لَهَا عَامِلُونَ
[23:64] Nay, their hearts are utterly heedless of this Book, and besides that they have deeds in which they are engaged;

حَتَّى إِذَا أَخَذْنَا مُتْرَفِيهِمْ بِالْعَذَابِ إِذَا هُمْ يَجْأَرُونَ
[23:65] Until, when We seize those of them who indulge in luxury with punishment, behold, they cry for help.

لاَ تَجْأَرُوا الْيَوْمَ إِنَّكُمْ مِنَّا لاَ تُنصَرُونَ
[23:66] ‘Cry not for help this day, surely you shall not be helped by Us.

قَدْ كَانَتْ آيَاتِي تُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ فَكُنتُمْ عَلَى أَعْقَابِكُمْ تَنكِصُونَ
[23:67] ‘Verily, My Signs were recited unto you, but you used to turn back on your heels,

مُسْتَكْبِرِينَ بِهِ سَامِرًا تَهْجُرُونَ
[23:68] ‘Big with pride[2007], telling stories about it (the Qur’an) by night, talking nonsense.’

أَفَلَمْ يَدَّبَّرُوا الْقَوْلَ أَمْ جَاءَهُمْ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِ آبَاءَهُمُ الأَوَّلِينَ
[23:69] Have they not, then, pondered over the Divine Word, or has that come unto them which came not to their fathers of old?

أَمْ لَمْ يَعْرِفُوا رَسُولَهُمْ فَهُمْ لَهُ مُنكِرُونَ
[23:70] Or do they not recognize their Messenger[2008], that they thus deny him?

أَمْ يَقُولُونَ بِهِ جِنَّةٌ بَلْ جَاءَهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ لِلْحَقِّ كَارِهُونَ
[23:71] Or do they say, there is madness in him? Nay, he has brought them the truth, and most of them hate the truth.

وَلَوْ اتَّبَعَ الْحَقُّ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ لَفَسَدَتْ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالأَرْضُ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ بَلْ أَتَيْنَاهُمْ بِذِكْرِهِمْ فَهُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِهِمْ مُعْرِضُونَ

[23:72] And if the Truth had followed their desires, verily, the heavens and the earth and whosoever is therein would have been corrupted. Nay, We have brought them their admonition, but from their own admonition they now turn aside.

أَمْ تَسْأَلُهُمْ خَرْجًا فَخَرَاجُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ
[23:73] Or dost thou ask of them any reward[2009]? But the reward of thy Lord is best; and He is the Best of providers.

وَإِنَّكَ لَتَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ
[23:74] And most surely thou invitest them to a right path.

وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بالآخِرَةِ عَنْ الصِّرَاطِ لَنَاكِبُونَ
[23:75] And those who believe not in the Hereafter, are indeed deviating from that path.

وَلَوْ رَحِمْنَاهُمْ وَكَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِمْ مِنْ ضُرٍّ لَلَجُّوا فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ
[23:76] And if We had mercy on them and relieved them of their affliction, they would still persist in their transgression, wandering blindly.

وَلَقَدْ أَخَذْنَاهُمْ بِالْعَذَابِ فَمَا اسْتَكَانُوا لِرَبِّهِمْ وَمَا يَتَضَرَّعُونَ
[23:77] We did seize them with punishment, but they humbled not themselves to their Lord, nor would they supplicate in lowliness.

حَتَّى إِذَا فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَابًا ذَا عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ إِذَا هُمْ فِيهِ مُبْلِسُونَ
[23:78] Until, when We open on them a gate of severe chastisement, behold, they are in despair thereat.[2010]

وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنشَأَ لَكُمْ السَّمْعَ وَالأَبْصَارَ وَالأَفْئِدَةَ قَلِيلاً مَا تَشْكُرُونَ
[23:79] And He it is Who has created for you ears, and eyes, and hearts; but little thanks do you give.[2011]

وَهُوَ الَّذِي ذَرَأَكُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ وَإِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ
[23:80] And He it is Who has multiplied you in the earth, and unto Him shall you be gathered.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي يُحْيِ وَيُمِيتُ وَلَهُ اخْتِلاَفُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ
[23:81] And He it is Who gives life and causes death, and in His hands is the alternation of night and day. Will you not then understand?[2012]

بَلْ قَالُوا مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ الأَوَّلُونَ
[23:82] But they say like what the former people said.

قَالُوا أَئِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًا وَعِظَامًا أَئِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ
[23:83] They say, ‘What! when we are dead and have become mere dust and bones, shall we indeed be raised up again?

لَقَدْ وُعِدْنَا نَحْنُ وَآبَاؤُنَا هَذَا مِنْ قَبْلُ إِنْ هَذَا إِلاَّ أَسَاطِيرُ الأَوَّلِينَ
[23:84] ‘This is what we have been promised before, we and our fathers. This is nothing but fables of the ancients.’

قُلْ لِمَنْ الأَرْضُ وَمَنْ فِيهَا إِنْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
[23:85] Say, ‘To whom belongs the earth and whosoever is therein, if you know?’

سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ قُلْ أَفَلاَ تَذَكَّرُونَ
[23:86] ‘To Allah’, they will say. Say, ‘Will you not then be admonished?’

قُلْ مَنْ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ السَّبْعِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ
[23:87] Say, ‘Who is the Lord of the seven heavens, and the Lord of the Great Throne?’

سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ قُلْ أَفَلاَ تَتَّقُونَ
[23:88] They will say, ‘They are Allah’s.’ Say, ‘Will you not then take Him as your Protector?’

يُجَارُ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُون
[23:89] Say, ‘In Whose hand is the dominion over all things and Who protects, but against Whom there is not protection, if you know?’

سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ قُلْ فَأَنَّا تُسْحَرُونَ
[23:90] They will say, ‘All this belongs to Allah.’ Say, ‘How then are you deluded?’

بَلْ أَتَيْنَاهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ
[23:91] Yea, We have brought them the truth, and they are certainly liars.

مَا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ مِنْ وَلَدٍ وَمَا كَانَ مَعَهُ مِنْ إِلَهٍ إِذًا لَذَهَبَ كُلُّ إِلَهٍ بِمَا خَلَقَ وَلَعَلاَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ

[23:92] Allah has not taken unto Himself any son, nor is there any other God along with Him; in that case each god would have taken away what he had created, and some of them would surely have dominated over others. Glorified be Allah above all that which they attribute to Him[2013]

عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
[23:93] Knower of the unseen and of the seen! Exalted therefore is He above all that which they associate with Him!

قُلْ رَبِّ إِمَّا تُرِيَنِّي مَا يُوعَدُونَ
[23:94] Say, ‘My Lord, if Thou wilt show me that with which they are threatened.

رَبِّ فَلاَ تَجْعَلْنِي فِي الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ
[23:95] ‘My Lord, then place me not with the wrongdoing people.’[2014]

وَإِنَّا عَلَى أَنْ نُرِيَكَ مَا نَعِدُهُمْ لَقَادِرُونَ
[23:96] And certainly We have the power to show thee that with which We threaten them.

ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ السَّيِّئَةَ نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَصِفُونَ
[23:97] Repel evil with that which is best[2015]. We are well acquainted with the things they allege.

وَقُلْ رَبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِينِ
[23:98] And say, ‘My Lord, I seek refuge in Thee from the incitements of the evil ones.[2016]

وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَنْ يَحْضُرُونِ
[23:99] ‘And I seek refuge in Thee, my Lord, lest they come near me.’

حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمْ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ
[23:100] Until, when death comes to one of them, he says entreating, ‘My Lord, send me back,

لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ كَلاَّ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا وَمِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ بَرْزَخٌ إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ

[23:101] ‘That I may do righteous deeds in the life that I have left behind.’ Never, it is but a word that he utters. And behind them is a barrier[2017] until the day when they shall be raised again.

فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَلاَ أَنسَابَ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَلاَ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ
[23:102] And when the trumpet is blown, there will be no ties of relationship[2018] between them that day, nor will they ask after one another.

فَمَنْ ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
[23:103] Then those whose good works are heavy — these will be prosperous;

وَمَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ فِي جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدُونَ
[23:104] But those whose good works are light — these are they who ruin their souls; in Hell will they abide.

تَلْفَحُ وُجُوهَهُمْ النَّارُ وَهُمْ فِيهَا كَالِحُونَ
[23:105] The Fire will burn their faces and they will grin with fear therein.

أَلَمْ تَكُنْ آيَاتِي تُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ فَكُنتُمْ بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ
[23:106] ‘Were not My Signs recited unto you, and you treated them as lies?’

قَالُوا رَبَّنَا غَلَبَتْ عَلَيْنَا شِقْوَتُنَا وَكُنَّا قَوْمًا ضَالِّينَ
[23:107] They will say, ‘Our Lord, our wickedness overcame us, and we were an erring people.

رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْهَا فَإِنْ عُدْنَا فَإِنَّا ظَالِمُونَ
[23:108] ‘Our Lord, take us out of this, then if we return to disobedience, we shall indeed be wrongdoers.

قَالَ اخْسَئُوا فِيهَا وَلاَ تُكَلِّمُونِ
[23:109] God will say, “Away with you, despised[2019] therein, and speak not unto Me.

إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِنْ عِبَادِي يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
[23:110] “There was a party from among My servants who said, ‘Our Lord, we believe; forgive us therefore our sins, and have mercy on us; for Thou art the Best of those who show mercy.’

فَاتَّخَذْتُمُوهُمْ سِخْرِيًّا حَتَّى أَنسَوْكُمْ ذِكْرِي وَكُنتُمْ مِنْهُمْ تَضْحَكُونَ
[23:111] “But you made them a laughingstock[2020] until they became the cause of your forgetting My remembrance while you continued laughing at them.

إِنِّي جَزَيْتُهُمُ الْيَوْمَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا أَنَّهُمْ هُمْ الْفَائِزُونَ
[23:112] “I have rewarded them this day for their steadfastness so that they alone have triumphed.”

قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ عَدَدَ سِنِينَ
[23:113] God will say, ‘What number of years did you tarry in the earth?’

قَالُوا لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ فَاسْأَلِ الْعَادِّينَ
[23:114] They will say, ‘We tarried for a day or part of a day[2021], but ask those who keep count.’

قَالَ إِنْ لَبِثْتُمْ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً لَوْ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
[23:115] He will say, ‘You tarried but a little, if only you knew!

أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لاَ تُرْجَعُونَ
[23:116] ‘Did you then think that We had created you without purpose, and that you would not be brought back to Us?[2022]’

فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ
[23:117] Exalted then be Allah, the True King. There is no God but He, the Lord of the Glorious Throne.

وَمَنْ يَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ لاَ بُرْهَانَ لَهُ بِهِ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِ إِنَّهُ لاَ يُفْلِحُ الْكَافِرُونَ
[23:118] And he who calls on another God along with Allah, for which he has no proof, shall have to render an account to his Lord. Certainly the disbelievers will not prosper.

وَقُلْ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ وَارْحَمْ وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
[23:119] And say, ‘My Lord, forgive and have mercy, and Thou art the Best of those who show mercy.’

1978. The verse refers to believers of a very high spiritual caliber whose characteristics and special marks have been mentioned in the verses that follow. Such believers will achieve Falah (success) and not only Najah (salvation), because the achievement of Falah is a much higher spiritual stage than the attainment of Najah.

1979. With this verse begins a description of the conditions or prerequisites which a believer must fulfill before he should aspire to attain success in life and achieve the supreme object for which God has created him. These conditions may be regarded as so many stages in the spiritual development of man. The first stage or milestone in this journey of the human soul is that a believer turns to God in all humility, overawed by Divine Majesty, and with a penitent heart and humbled soul.

1980. The second stage consists in the avoidance of all vain talk and thoughts and also of idle; vain and futile actions. Life is a grim and serious fact and a believer must take it as such. He must employ every moment of it usefully and shun all vain and useless pursuits.

1981. The object of Zakat is not only to provide means for the relief of the distressed, or for the promotion of the welfare of the economically less favored sections of the community, but also to discourage the hoarding of money and commodities and thus to ensure a brisk circulation of both, resulting in healthy economic adjustments.

1981A. See 561.

1982. This verse marks the last and the highest stage of spiritual development, when remembrance of God becomes a second nature with the believer, a part and parcel of his being, the solace of his soul. At this stage he takes particular care about acts of collective worship which implies that the national instinct becomes very strong in him and he subordinates individual interests to communal and national good.

1983. AS believers mentioned in the foregoing verses combine in themselves all kinds of virtues, therefore they will be made to reside in Firdaus which contains everything that is found in any garden (Lane). As they brought death over their desires, so in return God will give them everlasting life and they will have everything they desired (50:36).

1984. After having mentioned in the first ten verses of the Surah the different stages of spiritual evolution of man, the Qur'an proceeds to describe in this and the next few verses the different stages of his physical development and thus establishes a remarkable parallelism between his physical and spiritual birth and growth. Leaving out biological technicalities, the Surah gives the description in a clear and easily understandable language. Biology has not discovered anything which even remotely contradicts the Quranic description. The words, We created man from an extract of clay, mention the process of man's creation from the earliest stage when he lies dormant in the form of dust, and the inorganic constituents of the earth through a subtle process of change become converted into the life-germ by way of food which a human being eats. At the stage, then We clothed the bones with flesh, (23:15), the physical growth of the embryo becomes complete.

1985. The words, then We developed it into another creation, show that the soul is not imported into the human body from outside but grows in the body as it develops in the womb. At first it has no separate existence from the body but the processes through which the body passes during its development in the womb distil from the body a delicate essence, which is called the soul. As soon as the relationship between the soul and the body becomes completely adjusted, the heart begins to function. The soul then has a distinct existence of its own apart from the body which henceforth serves it as a shell.

1986. After man has attained full development, there sets in a process of decay which ends in his death. It is an immutable law of nature that all life must end in decay, dissolution and death. God alone is Ever-Living.

1987. After death man again will be restored to life in order that he might continue to make spiritual progress in the life to come which knows no end. The progress he makes in the present life constitutes only a preparatory stage. Here he is like a child in his mother's womb. After death he is born into a new and fuller life which is the beginning of a never-ending progress.

1988. The six stages of spiritual progress described in the first ten verses of this Surah become seven if "Paradise" (v. 12) be counted as the last stage of spiritual development.Similarly, if the preparatory stage previous to the formation of the sperm (v. 13) be added tothe six stages of the embryonic development, this number also becomes seven. Thus the'seven ways in the spiritual heaven' to which reference has been made in this verse correspondto the seven stages of the physical development of man mentioned in vv. 13-15.

1989. This verse gives an illustration of how God supplies the physical and spiritual needs of man. All life, it says, depends on water which descends from heaven, in the form of rain, snow or hail. Similarly, spiritual water descends from heaven in the form of Divine revelation without which no spiritual life can exist.

1990. The words, "Mount Sinai," remind us of the great prophecy of the Bible: 'The Lord came from Sinai, and rose from Seir unto them; He shined forth from Mount Paran and he came with ten thousands of saints; from his right hand went a fiery law for them' (Deut. 33:2). See also "Once to Sinai" by H.F. Prescott.

1991. The word, 'Ibrah, which means an 'indication or evidence whereby one passes from ignorance to knowledge' (Lane); seems to allude to the subtle process which takes place in the bellies of the animals and which turns grass or herbage eaten by them into pure and wholesome milk, and by pondering over which one is led to acquire an insight into God's great power and into the subtle ways through which Divine laws work.

1992. The disbelievers suffer from superiority complex and therefore reject Divine Messengers on the plea that they cannot accept the lead of one who is 'only a mortal like themselves.' The verse incidentally implies that belief in the existence of angels was entertained from time immemorial. As far back as Noah's time his opponents wanted to see angels descending on them.

1993. See 1315 & 1316.

1994. The reference in the words, "another generation," is to the 'Ad tribe, the people of the Prophet Hud, because the conditions and circumstances of "another generation" mentioned in the verse under comment and the following few verses closely resemble those of 'Ad mentioned in 7:66-70.

1995. Haihata denotes one's deeming a thing remote or improbable and despairing of it, and means; Ba'uda Jiddan (he or it was or became very far off'), or Ma ab'ada-hu (how far it is), signifying the intensification of the sense of being very far (Lane).

1996. Ghutha' means, the rubbish or particles of things or refuse and scum and rotten leaves with the scum borne upon the surface of a torrent. Ghutha' al-Nas means, the low and the vile and the refuse of mankind (Lane).

1997. Bu'd means, perdition or death; curse or malediction, etc. (Lane).

1998. No people can thwart their decreed destiny, and rejection of Divine Prophets never goes unpunished, but it is for God to determine the form and the time of the punishment to be meted out to disbelievers.

1999. Their destruction was so complete that generations coming after them talked of them as of a people who once lived on this earth, as no trace of their existence was left.

2000. As Jesus's death, like his birth, has become a subject of great controversy, and some confusion and doubt still persist as to how and where he passed the last days of his crowded life, and as the question of the manner of his death also forms a vital question with the Christian Faith, a somewhat exhaustive note on this very important, albeit baffling religious question is called for. The Qur'an and the Bible, reinforced by authenticated facts of history, lend powerful support to the view that Jesus did not die on the Cross. The following arguments substantiate and support this contention:

(1) In his book "The Unknown Life of Jesus" Nicholas Notovitch, a Russian traveler, who visited the Far East in about 1877 tells us that Jesus came to Kashmir and Afghanistan. Sir Francis Young husband, who at the time when Nicholas Notovitch visited Kashmir, was British resident at the court of the Maharaja of Kashmir, met him near the Zojila Pass. Recent research about Jesus's travels in the East lends powerful support to Notovitch's book. 'In Srinagar,' says Professor Nicholus Roerich in his book "Heart of Asia," 'we first encountered the curious legend about Christ's visit to the place. Afterwards we saw how widely spread in India, in Laddakh and in Central Asia, was the legend of the visit of Christ to those parts.. . All over Central Asia, in Kashmir and Laddakh and Tibet and even further north, there still exists
a strong belief that Jesus or Issa travelled about there' ("Glimpses of World History" by Jawaharlal Nehru).

Some scholars have taken refuge behind some obscure passages in Notovitch's book to claim that Jesus came to East before and not after he was commissioned as a Divine Prophet. But a mere boy of 13 or 14 years of age as Jesus is stated to have been when he came to India, he could not have conceived of undertaking so long and arduous a journey to a far-off land; and thus of exposing himself to mortal danger on the way. After all, what attraction or motives Jesus had. at such an early age, in coming over to India? And if at all he came to India at that time, what interest the people of India and Kashmir had in keeping a record of the activities doings and wanderings of a boy of 13 or 14? The fact based on historical data is that after he had been rejected by the Jews and his life had become unsafe in Palestine, Jesus forsook that country to search. in fulfillment of the old biblical prophecies. for 'The Lost Ten Tribes of Israel,' and undertook the long and dangerous journey to India and Kashmir and lived an eventful life to the very ripe age of 120 (Kanz al-'Ummal, vol. 6). It is then that records came to be kept of his activities. These 'Lost Tribes of Israel' had, after their great dispersion by the Assyrians and Babylonians, lived in Iraq and Iran; and later, when the Iranians under Darius and Cyrus extended their territories further East to Afghanistan and India, these tribes migrated with them to these countries.

(2) The Kashmiris and Afghans are the descendants of 'The Lost Tribes of Israel.' This fact is quite evident from the traditions, history and written records of these two peoples. The names of their towns and tribes, their customs, habits, mode and manner of living, their dress,  their physical features, etc., all resemble those of the Jews. Their ancient monuments and old inscriptions also support this view. Their folklore is full of Jewish stories. The name Kashmir itself is in reality Kashir meaning "like Syria" (or it seems to have been named after Kash or Cush, a grandson of Noah). All these facts impart certainty to the view that the Afghans and Kashmiris are largely the descendants of "The Lost Ten Tribes of Israel."

(3) These proofs are evidence enough to establish the fact that Jesus did come to Kashmir and that the Kashmiris are the descendants of "The Lost Ten Tribes of Israel." But the greatest and best proof of his having come to Kashmir and of having lived and died there is the presence of his tomb in Khanyar Street; Srinagar, Kashmir. This tomb which is called Rauzabal is variously known as the tomb of Yuz Asaf, of Nabi Sahib, of Shahzadah Nabi and even of 'Isa Sahib. According to well-established historical accounts this Yuz Asaf came to Kashmir more than 1900 years ago and preached in parables and used many of the parables recorded in the Gospels. In certain books of history he is described as a Nabi (Prophet). Moreover, Yuz Asaf is a biblical name meaning 'Yasu', the gatherer' which is one of the descriptive names of Jesus as his mission was to gather the lost tribes of Israel into the Master's fold as he himself says: 'And other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd' (John 10: 16).

The following historical quotations also shed some light on this subject:
'The tomb is generally known as that of a Prophet. He was a Prince who came to Kashmir from a foreign land, and was engaged in preaching to the Kashmiris. His name was Yuz Asaf (Tarikh A'zami, pp. 82-85) ......' Yuz Asaf wandered about in several lands till he reached a country called Kashmir. He travelled in it far and wide and lived and stayed there till death overtook him' (Ikmal al-Din, pp. 358, 359). . . . 'Kashmir legend, I have been told, contains reference to a Prophet who lived here and taught as Jesus did by parables and little stories that are repeated in Kashmir to the present day' (John Noel's article in Asia, Oct. 1930) ... ... 'The flight of Jesus, therefore, to India and his death in Srinagar is not foreign to the truth rationally or historically (Tafsir al-Manar, vol. 6).

For a better and fuller treatment, however; of this subject see "Masih Hindustan Main" by Ahmad , the Promised Messiah. See also the well-known book, 'Nazarene Gospel Restored,' whose authors maintain that though officially crucified in A.D. 30, Jesus was still alive some twenty years after the Resurrection.
There could be no better description of the place where after his deliverance from accursed death on the Cross, Jesus and his mother lived in peace and tranquility and went to their eternal rest, than in the Quranic words, viz., 'elevated land of green valleys and springs of running water,' which is quite an apt description of the beautiful Valley of Kashmir. Nicholas Notovitch calls Kashmir "the Valley of Eternal Bliss."

2001. The fact that there exists a deep and subtle connection between the food that a person eats and his actions, good or bad, has now begun to be increasingly recognized by medical science. But Islam laid down as far back as 1400 years directions relating to food which possess great moral significance. The basic principle laid down by Islam in this regard is that as man must develop all his natural instincts and faculties, therefore he should partake of all kinds of food, except those that are likely to do him physical, moral or spiritual harm. The use of pure and good food produces healthy mental condition which in turn produces good and righteous actions.

2002. All the Messengers of God formed one brotherhood; as they came from the same Divine Source and their basic teachings were more or less identical and the object and purpose of their advent was also one and the same-to establish upon earth Unity of God and oneness of humanity.

2003. After the death of a Prophet his followers generally begin to differ among themselves and split up into sects and sections, each sect regarding itself as his true followers and other sects as devoid of all truth.

2004. Man is so constituted that he regards abundance of wealth and the power and prestige of his party as the measure of success and even as the only criterion of being the recipient of God's favor. It is this common error that the present and the preceding verse seek to correct.

2005. The laws which God has laid down in the Qur'an for the moral and spiritual development of man are such as are within his power and capacity to act upon. They are suited to all conditions, circumstances, temperaments and dispositions.

2006. These verses may also signify that the teaching embodied in the Qur'an is based on wisdom and is suited to all conditions and circumstances, and to men of different temperaments and dispositions and is in agreement with the requirements of justice, equity and wisdom. This is the meaning of the words Yanfiqu bi'l Haqqi.

2007. The word, Mustakbirin, may signify that disbelievers regard the revelation of the Qur'an to be too big and important an affair to be entrusted to a weak human being. Or, it means that when disbelievers hear the Qur'an being recited, they turn away from it in pride and arrogance.

2008. An appeal to the good sense and reasonableness of the opponents of the Holy Prophet has been made in this verse. They are told that his life lies like an open book before them. They are quite familiar with all its different phases. It is spotless. For years they have known him as an honest man, a model of virtue and uprightness and yet they dare ascribe falsehood to him. See also 1245.

2009. Could there be any better evidence of the Holy Prophet's sincerity of motives and honesty of purpose and of his complete disregard for any recompense or reward for his selfless service than the answer he gave to his kind and loving uncle, Abu Talib, when he asked him to make a compromise with the idolaters and give up preaching against idol-worship? The never to- be-forgotten answer was: "If they would place the sun on my right hand and the moon on my left and ask me to give up preaching against idolatry, I will never do so till my mission is fulfilled, or I perish in the attempt" (Tabari, vol. 3).

2010. Man is so constituted that when he is in comfort and easy circumstances, he throws all caution to the winds and begins to indulge in unseemly conduct. But when his transgression and wicked pursuits produce evil results; he gives himself up to despair.

2011. One of the meanings of Shukr being to make proper use of a gift (14:8), the verse signifies that God has given us ears, eyes and hearts that we may make proper use of them and benefit thereby materially and spiritually, observe His Signs, listen to the Divine Message and ponder over it.

2012. The verse alludes to the phenomenon of the rise and fall of nations. At one time a people rise to power and eminence and the sun of progress and prosperity seems to shine upon them, at another time decadence and death overtake them as a consequence of their evil deeds.

2013. The verse very effectively demonstrates the futility and falsity of the Christian dogma that Jesus is God's son. It purports to say that a son is needed by a person to help him to carry on his affairs, but as God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and the sole Master and Controller of the whole universe, He does not need the help or assistance of any helper or son. Moreover, the whole universe appears to be subject to one uniform law, and the unity of the design, purpose and control points to the unity of the Designer and the Controller. The duality of control and authority implies confusion and disorder.

2014. The Surah was revealed towards the end of the Meccan period. The Holy Prophet was about to leave Mecca. His departure was a signal and a sign that as the result of his persistent denial, persecution and expulsion from Mecca by the Quraish, Divine punishment was about to overtake them. He is taught to pray to God that when the threatened punishment should seize them he might not be present with them in Mecca.

2015. The Holy Prophet is here enjoined that as long as he is with disbelievers in Mecca he should patiently bear up with all the abuse and persecution to which he is subjected and should return good for evil.

2016. The words, "evil ones" refer to the leading men among the Holy Prophet's enemies; and the word, "incitements" signifies the campaign of vilification and misrepresentation by which they sought to incite the people against him.

2017. Barzakh means, a barrier; or a thing that intervenes between any two things. The word is technically applied to the period or state from the day of death to the day of Resurrection (Lane). It is an intermediate state of incomplete realization of the punishments and rewards of Hell and Heaven. The Qur'an has compared it to the embryonic state and the Resurrection to the birth of the fully developed soul.

2018. When punishment overtakes a people, pedigree, descent and relationship prove of no avail. On the Judgment Day good works alone will be of any use or benefit to man and not his blood relations or friendships.

2019. On the Judgment Day the despisers and deniers of God's Messengers will be dragged into Hell, hated and despised. They will not be allowed to offer an explanation of the wicked deeds they would have committed in their lives, God being fully conversant with their doings.

2020. Sakhkhara-hu means, he compelled him to do what he did not like or to work without recompense (Lane). The verse, therefore, may also mean that believers being poor and weak, the disbelievers employed them against their will or desire, exploited them and exacted compulsory service from them without paying them any wages or compensation for the work they did.

2021. A whole life spent in ease and comfort, when followed by pain and punishment, appears very short and even becomes a source of regret and mortification. The reply of the disbelievers shows how vain and short-lived are the comforts of this life.

2022. Man has been created to serve a great purpose-to develop and reflect in his person Divine attributes. He has been endowed with a Divine personality and is manifestly the central figure in the whole creation or at least that part of the creation which is related to our universe. Having a great purpose to fulfill, his life will not end with his departure from this world and with the soul's flight from its physical habitat. The human soul will continue its never-ending journey in a new world, in a new form and a new body. The very idea that with the dissolution of its physical tabernacle the human soul suffers death militates against God's wisdom and His whole design and purpose in creating the universe.