/َِﻴءﺪءUNIfcce/نءUNI670ءﻗُﺮءا "" "THE HOLY QURAN WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY VOLUME 5 SURAH AL-AHQAF– SURAH AN-NAS Published under the auspices of Hadrat Mirz a Masroor A hmad, Fifth Successor of the Promised Messiah, and Supreme Head of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Published by ISLAM INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS LIMITED " "The first volume comprising the first nine chapters along with an introduction appeared in 1947. The book was found t o be too voluminous to be easily handled and, therefore, for the convenience of the readers, it was split up into two parts. Vol . 1 part I was reprinted in 1964 in Pakistan (now Vol. 1) containi ng the introduction & the first two chapters, and Vol. 1 p art II dealing with the next seven chapters (now Vol. 2) was reprinted in 1965. This volume 5 contains S urah Al-Ahqaf chapter 46 –– S urah An-Nas chapter 114. The Holy Quran with English Translation and Comment ary Volume:5 First Published in Pakistan in 1963 First Published in U.K. in 1988 (ISBN:1-85372-045- 3) Reprinted in India in 2002, 2008 (ISBN:81-7912-018-X) Present Edition (with a new format and typesetting) Published in U.K. in 2018 Reprinted in Qadian, India in 2019 © Islam International Publications Limited Published by: Islam International Publications Limited Unit 3, Bourne Mill Business Park, Guildford Road, Farnham, Surrey U.K. GU9 9PS No part of this translation and commentary may be r eproduced in any form without prior written permission from the Publisher, except for the quotation of brief passages in criti cism. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data [Koran, English & Arabic, 1988] The Holy Quran with English Translation and Commentary. I. Alhaj, Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad 1889 – 1965 297’. 1227 ISBN:978-1-84880-021-2 (5 Volume Set) 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 " "PUBLISHER’S NOTE (1988 Edition) This five volume commentary of the Holy Quran is an English translation of the commentary on the Holy Quran by the Second Head of the Ahmadiyya Community, Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih II. His published work on the Holy Quran comprises a ten volume commentary in Urdu ( Tafseer-e-Kabir ) covering the following Surahs: Al-Fatihah & Al-Baqarah, Yunus to Al-Ankabut and from Al-Naba to Al-Nas. The present English commentary is based on that commentary. As far as the remaining Surahs are concerned, that is chapters:Al-i-Imran to Al-Taubah and from Al-Ahqaf to Al-Mursalat, the compiling Editors have made use of the extensive notes prepared by the late Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II in preparing a detailed and comprehensive commentary which he was unfortunately unable to complete in his life time. The commentary of such chapters is nonetheless based on his own deliberations. This commentary is a unique masterpiece. It is an excellent exegesis on the true meaning of the Holy Quran. Although no commentary can ever claim to encompass the final interpretation of the Holy Quran, the manner in which this rich treasure has been prised open by an author who had deep insight into the meaning of the Holy Quran, has certainly set the standard by which all future commentaries ought to be judged. An index and the following listings have been added in the present edition at the end of the fifth volume: Table of contents of the Index Alphabetical listing of chapters of the Holy Quran. Important Arabic words and expressions explained in the commentary The Index of subjects. The Publishers acknowledge and sincerely thank the following members of U. S. A. Jamaat in particular and their helpers in general for the very careful and hard work in preparing these listings and the index so exhaustively: Aisha Sharif, Nyceemah Yaqub, Aisha Hakim, Shakura Nooriah, Salma Ghani, Kadija el Hadi, Rafia Ramah, Khulat Alladin, Dhiya Tahira, Uzma Saeed, Farzana Qader and Fatima Haneef. The Publishers also wish to acknowledge the work of M. Zafar " " Mahmood and Munir-ud-Din Shams Add. Vakil-ul-Ishaat in revising the index and listings and then checking the proofs with the cooperation of Lajna and Ansar of U. K. May Allah bless them all. The cost of publishing this five-volume commentary has been met jointly by members of the Ahmadiyya Community in the United States of America and the United Kingdom on the happy occasion of the thanks giving Centenary Jubilee Celebrations of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Community in Islam. The funds generated from its sale will be recycled in the further publication of the Holy Quran. May Allah grant abundant reward to all those who have contributed towards t his publication. " "CONTENTS FOREWORD .................................................................................................. k PREFACE....................................................................................................... m System of Transliteration ................................ ................................ ............... p Chapter 46 (Al-Ahqaf) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 2897 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 2900 Chapter 47 (Muhammad) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 2917 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 2919 Chapter 48 (Al-Fath) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 2935 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 2937 Chapter 49 (Al-Hujurat) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 2956 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 2958 Chapter 50 (Qaf) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 2967 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 2969 Chapter 51 (Adh-Dhariyat) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 2983 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 2984 Chapter 52 (At-Tur) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 2998 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 2999 Chapter 53 (An-Najm) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3014 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 3016 Chapter 54 (Al-Qamar) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3031 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 3032 Chapter 55 (Ar-Rahman) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3047 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 3049 Chapter 56 (Al-Waqi‘ah) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3069 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 3071 " "CONTENTS f Chapter 57 (Al-Hadid) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3090 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 3092 Chapter 58 (Al-Mujadalah) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3107 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 3109 Chapter 59 (Al-Hashr) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3118 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 3120 Chapter 60 (Al-Mumta hinah) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3133 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 3134 Chapter 61 (As-Saff) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3142 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 3143 Chapter 62 (Al-Jumu‘ah) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3150 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 3151 Chapter 63 (Al-Munafiqun) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3156 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 3157 Chapter 64 (At-Tagh abun) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3162 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 3163 Chapter 65 (At-Talaq) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3169 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 3171 Chapter 66 (At-Tahrim) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3177 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 3178 Chapter 67 (Al-Mulk) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3186 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 3187 Chapter 68 (Al-Qalam) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3195 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 3196 Chapter 69 (Al-Haqqah) Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3207 Text, Translation and Commentary .......................................................................... 3208 " "CONTENTS g Chapter 7 0 (Al-Ma‘arij) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3219 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3220 Chapter 7 1 (Nuh) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3228 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3229 Chapter 7 2 (Al-Jinn ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3235 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3236 Chapter 7 3 (Al-Muzzammil ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3244 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3245 Chapter 7 4 (Al-Muddaththir ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3253 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3254 Chapter 7 5 (Al-Qiyamah ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3263 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3264 Chapter 7 6 (Ad-Dahr ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3272 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3273 Chapter 7 7 (Al-Mursal at) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3281 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3282 Chapter 7 8 (An-Naba’ ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3290 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3291 Chapter 7 9 (An-Nazi‘at) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3300 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3301 Chapter 8 0 (‘Abasa ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3310 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3312 Chapter 8 1 (At-Takw ir) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3319 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3320 Chapter 8 2 (Al-Infitar) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3328 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3329 " "CONTENTS h Chapter 8 3 (At-Tatfif) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3333 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3334 Chapter 8 4 (Al-Inshiq aq) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3341 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3342 Chapter 8 5 (Al-Buruj) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3347 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3348 Chapter 8 6 (At-Tariq) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3353 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3354 Chapter 8 7 (Al-A‘la) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3358 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3359 Chapter 8 8 (Al-Ghashiyah ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3364 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3365 Chapter 8 9 (Al-Fajr ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3369 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3370 Chapter 9 0 (Al-Balad ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3377 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3378 Chapter 9 1 (Ash-Shams ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3383 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3384 Chapter 9 2 (Al-Lail) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3389 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3390 Chapter 9 3 (Ad-Duha) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3394 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3395 Chapter 9 4 (Al-Inshir ah) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3399 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3400 Chapter 9 5 (At-Tin) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3403 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3404 " "CONTENTS i Chapter 9 6 (Al-‘Alaq ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3408 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3409 Chapter 9 7 (Al-Qadr ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3413 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3414 Chapter 9 8 (Al-Bayyinah ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3417 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3418 Chapter 9 9 (Az-Zilzal) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3421 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3422 Chapter 1 00 (Al-‘Adiyat) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3425 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3426 Chapter 10 1 (Al-Qari‘ah ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3430 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3431 Chapter 10 2 (At-Takathur ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3433 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3434 Chapter 10 3 (Al-‘Asr) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3437 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3438 Chapter 10 4 (Al-Humazah ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3440 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3441 Chapter 10 5 (Al-Fil) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3444 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3446 Chapter 10 6 (Al-Quraish ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3448 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3449 Chapter 10 7 (Al-Ma‘un) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3451 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3452 Chapter 10 8 (Al-Kauthar ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3454 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3455 " "CONTENTS j Chapter 10 9 (Al-Kafirun) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3458 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3459 Chapter 110 (An-Nasr) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3461 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3462 Chapter 111 (Al-Lahab ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3464 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3465 Chapter 112 (Al-Ikhlas) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3468 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3469 Chapter 113 (Al-Falaq ) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3472 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3473 Chapter 114 (An-Nas) Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3476 Text, Translation and Commentary ................................ ................................ .......... 3477 Index Table of Contents of the Index ................................ ................................ ................. 3481 Alphabetical Listing of Chapters of the Holy Quran ................................ ................ 3491 Important Arabic Words and Expressions Explained in the Commentary ............... 3493 The Index of Subjects ................................ ................................ ............................... 3507 " " FOREWORD The Holy Quran is the Word of God Almighty that was revealed to the Holy Prophet Mu hammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, over a period of 23 years. Since its revelation, the inimitability of its text has been widely acclaimed and acknowledged by friend and foe alike. Its verses made such a miraculous impact that some enemies of Islam, driven by extreme frustration, resorted to calling it magic, accusing the Holy Prophetsa of being a sorcerer, and preve nting their fellow non-Muslims from hearing its recitation. Nevertheless, it was only a matter of time before its greatest enemies became its greatest admirers, or were destroyed in the very process of seeking its destruction. Allah the Exalted says in the Holy Quran that He Himself would safeguard it: اِنَِّّا َنَّْنُ نَّزَِّّلْنَّا الذِِّکْرَّ وَّاِنَِّّا لَّہٗ َلَّٰفِظُوْنَّ Verily We Ourself have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We will be its Guardian. (Al-Hijr 15:10) Under the close and careful guidance of the Holy Prophetsa, the earliest Muslims —including the scribes, and those who had memorized the Book — exercised great care and precaution in its compilation, recitation, and preservation. Meticulous care was taken to ensure that the words of the Holy Prophetsa and the personal notes of his Companionsra were not intermixed with the Word of God. Once the text had been fully preserved and disseminated widely, the need was felt for commentaries. However, as the Word of God is replete with sublime prophecies and profound verities, the infinite magnificence of the Holy Quran can never be fully comprehended in any commentary. Nevertheless, to help readers understand the historical context and significance of the revealed verse s, several commentaries were written by eminent scholars. These commentaries generally relied on the Hadith, Sunnah, lexicons, and historical texts. However, in this process, some went to the extent of accepting the traditions of the Jews and Christians in commenting upon some verses. In the last few centuries, some orientalists have written commentaries on the Holy Quran and have critiqued some verses based upon their own traditi ons and perceptions of history. The Founder of the A hmadiyya Muslim Community, Hadrat Mirz a Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah and Im am Mahd ias was commissioned to revive faith and establish the law of Islam. Accordingly, his very first book, " "FOREWORD l Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, was devoted to establish the divine origin of the Holy Quran and the P rophethood of the Holy Prophet Mu hammadsa. The Five V olume Commentary is based upon the divinely inspired commentaries made by Hadrat al-Musleh al-Mau‘ ud, Mirz a Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra, the second Successor of the Promised Messiahas. It builds upon the early Islamic sources and the divinely inspired insights of the Promised Messiahas to bring a fresh new perspective on the Quran’s versatility and meaning. It also effectively and forcefully responds to the criticism of the Latter Day orientalists. The current edition of the Five V olume Commentary corrects scribal errors and makes minor editorial changes to promote readability. Typesetting and initial formatting of this edition of the Five V olume Commentary was done by Wakalat-e-Isha‘at under the supervision of Mirza Anas A hmad, M.A., M.Litt., (Oxon.). Final proofreading and valuable suggestions for improvement were provided by various individuals, including the following: Khalil Malik, Rashida Kalim Rana, Naser-ud-Din Shams, Sardar Ane es Ahmad, Sabahat Ahmad Cheema, Hassan Khan, Faraz Husain, Abdul-Wahab Mirza, Qamar Ahmed Zafar, Zulfiqar Abbasi, Ahmad Nooruddeen Jangeerkhan, Aneeq ur Rehman, Nafees Qamar Ahmed, and Syed Tanwir Mujtaba. May Allah the Almighty grant all of them the best reward in this life and the Hereafter. Amin. Al-Haj Munir-ud-Din Shams Additional Wak il-ut-Tasnif London, England September 2018 " " PREFACE (1988 Edition) Glory be to the name of our Lord that the great and noble work of preparing an exhaustive Commentary of the Qur ’an has come to a successful end. Enormous labour, money and time have gone into the preparation of this Commentary, covering, as it does over 3, 300 page s, including a very learned Introduction from the pen of Hadrat Mirz a Bashir-ud-Din, Mahmud Ahmad, Second Successor of the Promised Messiah. The present book constitutes the Third V olume of the Commentary and deals with 69 chapters —from Sura Al-Ahqaf to Sura An-Nas. The preparation of the Commentary was originally entrusted to a Board of Editors, Consisting of the late Maulaw i Sher ‘Al i, Mirz a Bashir Ahmad, M.A., and Malik Ghul am Far id, M.A., present Editor of the Commentary. The Commentary is based mainly on the material culled and collected from the writings and speeches of Hadrat Mirz a Bashir-ud-Din Ma hmud Ahmad, present Head of the A hmadiyya Community. The First V olume had hardly appeared w hen, with the Partition of India, in 1947, the whole work was thrown out of gear. The Headquarters of the Movement had to be shifted to Pakistan, and much of the very useful religious literature produced by the Community in the past five decades was left b ehind . Immediately after, Maulaw i Sher ‘Al i died and Mirz a Bashir Ahmad was called to other important duties, and the writer of these lines was left alone to carry on the work which by the grace of God has now been successfully completed. This V olume follo ws the same scheme and arrangement with regard to Test, Translation & Commentary of the Holy Book as followed in the earlier V olumes. It would be useful, therefore, to reproduce here the relevant extract from the Preface of V olume I. The Arabic text has be en given side by side with the English translation. A mere translation without the text is likely to endanger the purity of the text, besides depriving the reader of the opportunity of comparison, verification, and of making a critical study of the Holy Bo ok. The annotations of the text have been generally divided into two parts. The first deals with Important Words in the verse under comment. These words, along with other words derived from the same root, particularly those occurring in other parts of the Qur’an, have been explained and examples given to illustrate their different uses. These explanations are based on the standard lexicons of the Arabic language, such as the Lis an al-‘Arab, the T aj " "PREFACE n al-‘Arus, the Mufrad at of Im am Raghib, the Arabic-English L exicon by E. W. Lane and the Aqrab al-Maw arid. As regards the Translation, our procedure has been to base the meaning of every word first on the corroborative testimony of other parts of the Quran and secondly on the context. The words printed in italics h ave been added to explain the meaning of the text, in case where are no words corresponding to them in the original. The second part consists of Explanatory Notes or Commentary. Every Note first derives its authority from the tenor and spirit of the Qur’an as expressed in various other places. Next to the Qur’an precedence is given to the Hadith and then come the standard dictionaries of the Arabic language. Last of all, recourse has been had to the evidence of history which is necessary for the explanatio n of such verses as refer to well-known historical events. In the course of the preparation of these notes light has been thrown from time to time on the order which runs through the verses of each chapter, the one following the other in natural sequence; and a careful perusal of these Notes will convince the reader that the Qur’an forms a thoroughly consistent and coherent reading. A system of cross-references has been introduced. These cross- references ha ve been placed below the text and the translation. They give at a glance the various places where the subject of a particular verse has been dealt with elsewhere in the Qur’ an. An Introduction is prefixed to each chapter (a General Introduction appears in volume I, which serves as an introduction to a scientific study of whole Book). The Introduction to each chapter discusses the place and date of its revelation and gives a summary of its contents and the relation it has with the chapters precedi ng or following it. It also provides sufficient material for the reader to understand and realize that not only the position of every chapter of the Qur’an as a whole but also the verses of each chapter themselves are governed by an intelligent order. The abbreviations, CH. and PT. appearing at the top of each page stand for Chapter and Part respectively. The Qur’ an has been divided into ( a) Suras or Chapters, and ( b) Siparas or Parts. The division of the Qur’ an into Suras is made according to its subject matter and has behind it the authority of the Holy Prophet and the Qur’ an; each of these Suras having been so designated in the Holy Book, as in 2:24 and 24:2. The total number of the Suras is 114. The number of Chapter and that of Part is shown at the top of each " "PREFACE o page. In numbering the verses we have followed the system in vogue in the standard editions of the Qur’ an in India and Pakistan, with the exception that in our numbering Bismillah is counted as the first verse of every chapter, while in other editions the verse following Bismillah is numbered as the first verse of the chapter . Chapter 9, however, is an exception to this rule. It does not begin with Bismillah, and, therefore, numbering in this chapter is identical with that of o ther editions of the Qur’ an. Numbering of the Notes, however, is continuous. It does not end where a Sura ends but is continued into the next Sura throughout the book. References to verses have been made by two figures separated by a colon; the first figur e shows the number of the chapter, while the second that of the verse. When the reference is to a chapter of the Qur’an, the word “Qur’ an” is invariably omitted for the sake of brevity. Thus, 20:8 refers to the 8th verse of the 20th chapter of the Qur’an. In the case of references to other religious Scriptures, however, the name of the Book is always mentioned, though in an abbreviated form. Thus Gen. 5:6 means the 6th verse of the fifth chapter of Genesis, the first Book of Moses. Index of the whole book i s under preparation and will take some time to be ready as it is expected to run into several hundred pages. It will be published as a separate volume. The Editor thanks Maulaw i Nurud-Din Mun ir, M.A., Maulaw i Muhammad A hmad Jal il, B.A., H.A., and particularly Q azi ‘Abdul Hamid. B.A., LL.B., for carefully reading the proofs and making useful suggestions. Rabwah, West Pakistan 10th March, 1963. " " System of Transliteration In transliterating Arabic words we have followed the system adopted by the Royal Asiatic Society. ا at the beginning of a word, pronounced as a, i, u preceded by a very slight aspiration, like h in the English word 'honour'. ث th, pronounced like th in the English word 'thing'. ح h, a guttural aspirate, stronger than h. خ kh, pronounced, like the Scotch ch in 'loch'. ذ dh, pronounced like the English th in 'that', 'with'. ص ṣ, strongly artic ulated s. ض ḍ, similar to the English th in 'this'. ط ṭ, strongly articulated palatal t. ظ ẓ, strongly articulated z. ع ,‘a strong guttural, the pronunciation of which must be learnt by the ear. غ gh, a sound approaches very nearly in the r 'grasseye ' in French, and in the German r. It requires the muscles of the throat to be in the 'gargling' position whilst pronouncing it. ق q, a deep guttural k sound. ء ,’a sort of catch in the voice. Short vowels are represented by a for – َ– (like u in 'bud'); i for – َ– (like i in 'bid'); u for – َ– (like oo in 'wood'); the long vowels by ā for – َ– or ٓا (like a in 'father'); ī for ی or – َ– (like ee in 'deep'); ai for ی –َ – (like i in 'site'); ū for و –َ – (like oo in 'root'); au for و –َ – (resembling ou in 'sound'). The consonants not included in the above list have the same phonetic value as in the principal languages of Europe. " "2897 CHAPTER 46 AL-AHQA F (Revealed before Hijrah ) General Remarks This is the seventh and last Surah of the Ha Mim group. Like other Surahs of this group, it was revealed at Mecca towards the middle of the Prophet’s ministry before Hijrah, at a time when opposition to the new Message had become bitter, persistent and organized. N öldeke places the revelation of the Surah immediately after chapter 7. It seems to resemble its sister Surahs of the Ha Mim group in tone and tenor. The Surah has 36 verses including Bismillah and takes its title from v. 22. The preceding Surah had ended on the solemn declaration that ""God is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, His is the Majesty, and He is the Mighty, the Wise. "" In the present Surah the claim made in th ese words is justified. The Qura n has been revealed by the Wise and Mighty God. God is Wise in the sense that the Quranic teaching is based on sound and solid foundations, and is supported by reason, common sense and accumulated human experience; and He is Mighty in the sense that by living up to its ideals and principles the Muslims will gain ascendancy and predominance over their opponents. The Surah deals primarily with the subjects of prophethood and Divine revelation, with special reference to the revelation of the Qur an, and with Unity of God, and life after death, in regard to which fulfilment of prophecies made in the Quran is adduced as an argument. Subject Matter Like its six predecessors of the Ha Mim group, the Surah opens with the subject of the Quranic revelation and Divine Unity which constitutes its main theme, and gives the following few argu ments in refutation of idolatry : (a) Onl y that being can command and demand of us that we should adore and worship Him Who, besides being our Creator and Sustainer, is Almighty and All-Powerful and can therefore compel obedience to His laws and commandments; but the false gods of idolaters are n ot only not creators but are themselves created. (b) Idolatry finds no suppo rt in any revealed Scripture. (c ) Human knowledge, reason, and experience repel it and revolt against it. (d) A deity which cannot, and does not, answer our prayer is of no " "2898 use, and the so-called gods of idolaters not only are incapable of responding to the prayers of their votaries, they are even unconscious of having been called upon by them. The Surah then proceeds to say t hat by laying claim to prophethood, the Holy Prophet has not brought forward any innovation . Divine Messengers have been appearing at all times and among all peoples to teach them Unity of God and their duty to their fellow beings, and the revelation vouch safed to the Holy Prophet contains the essentials of all those revealed teachings. The Surah further says that the truth of the Quranic revelation is supported not only by the intrinsic worth of its teaching but also by the prophecies which Moses, the greatest Israelite Prophet, centuries ago, had made about it. The Surah then dismisses as foolish and unfounded the disbelievers’ plea which, in their conceit and ignorance, they put forward as an excuse for rejecting the Divine revelation, viz. ""if there had been any good in the revelation presented to us, we, being better informed and better placed in life, would have been the first to accept it. "" The Surah further says that whereas disbelievers, proud of their great material resources and social status, reje ct the Divine Message, others who are endowed with faith and spiritual wealth, accept it, and stick to it under the severest trials and tribulations, till they are comforted with the Divine assurance, viz. ""no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grie ve. These are the fortunate ones from whom God shall accept their good works and overlook their ill deeds. "" The Surah then cites the fate of ‘ Ad—a people who had flouri shed in the neighbourhood of the Meccans —to show that disbelief never prospers and is su re to come to grief in the long run. The Adites were so completely destroyed that not a vestige of their great and gloriou s civilization remained behind. Towards its end the Surah sounds a note of warning to the people of the Holy Prophet. They are told that they should not be misled by their wealth and prosperity and by the poverty and weakness of Muslims, and that if they persisted in rejecting the Divine Message, their present p rosperity itself would prove to be their ruin, because rejection of Truth never goes unpunished. The Surah ends with an exhortation to the Holy Prophet and his followers, calling upon them, as brave votaries of Truth, to bear with patience and fortitude, a ll the suffering and persecution to which they were being subjected, as the time was fast approaching when the cause of Truth would " "2899 triumph and their persecutors would stand before them in utter disgrace and humiliation, begging for forgiveness and mercy. " "CH.46 PT.26 2900 (AL-AHQAF) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious the Merciful.3757 2. bHa Mim. 3758 3. cThe revelation of this Book is from Allah, the Mighty, the Wise. 3759 4. dWe have not created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, but with truth, and for an appointed term; but those who disbelieve turn away aSee 1:1. b40:2; 41:2; 42:2; 43:2; 44:2; 45:2. c20:5; 32:3; 36:6; 40:3; 45:3. d21:17; 38:28; 44:39. 3757 . Commentary: See 1:1. 3758 . Commentary: For general treatment of abbreviated letters see 2:2 & 19:2. Verses 40:2, 42:2 & 45:2, however, deal particularly with the letters حم which, as in the preceding six chapters, are placed at the beginning of the present Surah . These letters may be taken as s tanding for one of the following pairs of Divine attributes, i.e. محید جمید (Praiseworthy, and Lord of honour), یح قیوم ( Living, Self- Subsisting and All-Sustaining), مزنل الکتاب، حافظ الکتاب (Guardian of the Book and Revealer of the Book). These Divine att ributes, as also others that are represented by these abbreviated letters, have a strong bearing on the subject matter of the Surah . Unity of God, refutation and denunciation of idolatry, Divine revelation, with special reference to the revelation of the Quran, life after death and the triumph of truth over falsehood are some of the important topics dealt with in the seven Surahs of the حم group, as Divine attributes represented by these abbreviated letters indicate. 3759 . Commentary: The verse signifies t hat the Message of this Book —the Quran — is bound to succeed as it has been revealed by God Who is Mighty. And because its Revealer is the Wise God, it contains the quintessence of the accumulated wisdom of saints and seers of the past ages and is also the compendium of the imperishable teachings of all revealed Scriptures. " "PT.26 AL-AHQĀF CH.46 2901 3760 . Commentary: The verse means to say that the creation of heavens and the earth is intended to serve an eternal purpose which is to serve man who is, God’s noblest handiwork, and the aim and object of whose life is to develop in himself Divine attributes. For the attainment by man of this grand and sublime object, God raised His Messengers in all times and among all peoples. To these Messengers He revealed Himself, and to them He gave His teaching. The greatest and noblest of these Divine Messengers was the Holy Prophet Muhammad, and the last and most complete and perfect code o f Divine laws is the Quran. The creation of the heavens and the earth also establishes the eternal truth that there is only One Designer, Creator and Controller of the universe. It constitutes an unassailable argument against idolatry. The words ""for an ap pointed t ime"" signify that the universe had a beginning and will also have an end. It is to this great truth that the verses, ""All that is on it will pass away. And there will remain only the Person of thy Lord, Master of Glory and Honour "" (55:27-28), refer. 3761. Important Words: ةأثار( vestige) is the inf. noun from أثر and means, a remain or relic of a thing; a trace; sign or mark ; vestige or track; a footprint ; impression or mark made by the foot of a man upon the ground (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: With this verse begins a systematic refutation and condemnation of شرک i.e. idolatry. It means to say that only that Being can command adoration and is fit to be worshipped Who as the Architect and Creator of the universe controls our destinies. But the false gods of idolaters not only have not created anything but are themselves created. They do not even possess any power to harm or benefit from that of which they have been warned. 3760 5.Say, a‘Do you know what it is you call on beside Allah? Show me what they have created of the earth. Or have they a share in the creation of the heavens? Bring me a Book revealed before this or some vestige of knowledge in your support, if you indeed speak the truth.’ 3761 a35:41. " "CH.46 AL-AHQĀF PT.26 2902 themselves, nor have they any power over death, life or Resurrection (25:4). Then what title or right have they to man’s worship of them? The verse further says that in reality no authority except that of a revealed Scripture can form the basis for determining whether a certain belief is right or wrong. The words ""Or some vestige of knowledge in your support "" signify tha t human science and reason as well lend no support to idolatrous beliefs or practices. Thus this little verse embodies three very strong and cogent arguments to repudiate and demolish polytheistic and idolatrous doctrines. 3762. Important Words: The verse embodies yet another very convincing argument against idol worship . Islam presents a Living God Who listens to the prayers of His devotees and has given proof of this fact in every age. He reveals Himself to His true votaries by accepting their prayers and consoles them in the hour of distress by speaking to them words of comfort. How encouraging and hope- raising are the Quranic words: ""And when My s ervants ask thee about Me, say, I am near. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to Me "" (2:187). Other religions hold out no such promise to their followers. Let them cry hoarse, the Quran says, their false gods will never answer their prayer because they do not possess any such power. Of what use, then, is that deity which is deaf and dumb and hears and answers not the agonised cries of its votaries? 3763. Commentary: In this verse the votaries of false gods are told that not only will their gods not answer their prayers unto the Day of Resurrection, but will disown them on that awful day when they (the idolaters) will be made to face the consequences of their idolatrous beliefs and practices. 6.And who is in greater error than those who, instead of Allah, pray unto such as will not answer them till the Day of Resurrection, and athey are even unaware of their prayer?3762 7. bAnd when mankind is gathered together, they (false deities) will be enemies to them (their wors hippers) and will deny their worship.3763 a10:30. b6:23; 10:29. " "PT.26 AL-AHQĀF CH.46 2903 3764 . Commentary: After effectively refuting شرک (idolatry) in the preceding few verses, the Surah, in the present verse, proceeds to deal with the next important topic —Divine revelation. It purports to say that forging lies about God, being a fatal poison, is bound to bring about the spiritual death and destruction of the forger. This is the significance of the words:""You cannot avail me aught against Allah. "" The words, ""Sufficient is He for a witness bet ween me and you, "" signify that ""if I am a forger of lies against God, He would not let me go unpunished, but if you reject the Message of Truth, you too will have to suffer the evil consequences of your rejection. "" The expression من اّللٰه means:(a) in opposition to Allah; (b) from the punishment of A llah. 3765 . Commentary: بدعا ه( new) is derived from بدع which means, he originated a thing or brought it into existence for the first time, the thing not having existed 8. aAnd when Our clear Signs are recited unto them, those who disbelieve say of the truth when it comes to them, ‘This is manifest sorcery.’ 9.Do they say, ‘He has forged it?b’ Say, ‘If I have forged it, you cannot avail me aught against Allah. He knows best what idle talk you indulge in. Sufficient is He for a Witness between me and you. And He is the Most Forgiving, the Merciful.’ 3764 10.Say, ‘I am no t a novelty among the Messenger s, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you in this life . cI do but follow what is revealed to me; and I am but a plain Warner.’ 3765 a34:44; 61:7. b11:36. c6:51; 7:204; 10:16; 33:3. " "CH.46 AL-AHQĀF PT.26 2904 before, and not after the similitude of anything pre-existing. They say فالن بدع یف ھذا االمر i.e. such a one is the first person to do this thing. بدع means, first; new; a first doer of a thing; nove l; a thing existing for the first time; an innovator (Lane & Aqrab). See also 2:118 . Commentary: The Holy Prophet is here enjoined to tell his people that his being raised as a Divine Messenger was not a new thing. He was no innovator. They were already conversant with the phenomenon of prophethood. God had been raising His Messengers during the ages when people forsook the path of righteousness. He had raised Prophets in their neighbourhood, and, now, He had selected them for the bestowal of this great gift. They should, therefore, judge the Holy Prophet by the criteria by which the former Prophets were judged. The Holy Prophet is further asked to tell them that though there was no doubt that ultimately his cause would triumph, he was not vouchsafed the knowledge of the vicissitudes of circumstances through which he himself would h ave to pass during the interven ing period, nor did he know how God would treat his opponents. His mission was confined to delivering the Divine Message to them and to warn them that if they did not behave they would come to grief. 3766. Commentary: The witn ess from among the Children of I srael is Moses . It is to his prophecy concerning the advent of the Holy Prophet that reference has been made in this verse. The prophecy is to this effect: I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee, and will put M y words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass that who soever will not hearken unto My words which he shall speak in My name, I w ill require it of him (Deut. 18:l8-19). See also 11:18. The referen ce in the words 'a witness from among the Children of 11.Say, ‘Tell me, if this is from Allah and you disbelieve therein, and a awitness from among the Children of Israel bears witness to the advent of one like him, and he believed, but you are too proud to believe, how should you fare?’ Verily, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.3766 a11:18; 61:7. " "PT.26 AL-AHQĀF CH.46 2905 Israel ' could not be, as generally misunderstood, to ‘Abdull ah bin Sa lam, a learned Jew, because ‘Abdull ah had accepted Islam in M edina while this Surah was revealed at Mecca. 3767 . Commentary: One of the great impediments that stand in the way of truth being accepted by disbelievers is conceit and arrogance. Since it is the poor people and those not high placed in life and generally not conversant with current material sciences, who first accept the Divine Message, the so- called learned and wealthy people regard it beneath their dignity to associate themselves with the humble and lowly believers. It is to this proud attitude of dis believers that the verse refers. It depicts conceited and arrogant disbelieve rs as saying to believers, that if there h ad been any good in the new Teaching, they (disbelievers), who were better placed in life and possessed better knowledge, could not have been outstripped by the former in accepting it, and that, as it was an old, old lie, they could not accept it . 3768 . Commentary: Verse 11 above referred to the appearance of a Prophet among the Ishmaelit es. The present verse refers to Arabia as the scene of the advent of the Prophet who was to be the like of Moses and to the Book (the Quran) which was to fulfil the prophecies contained in the Book of Moses and which also was to supersede it. The relevant prophecy is as follows: The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye R. 2. 12.And those who disbelieve say of those who believe:a‘If it were any good, they could not have been ahead of us in attaining it .’ And since they have not been guided thereby, they will say, ‘This is an old lie.’3767 13.And before it there was bthe Book of Moses, a guide and a mercy; and cthis is a Book in the Arabic language fulfilling previous prophecies, that it may warn those who do wrong; and as glad tidings to those who do good.3768 a11:28. b28:44. c20:114; 42:8; 43:4. " "CH.46 AL-AHQĀF PT.26 2906 travelling companies of Dedanim. The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they presented with their bread him that fled (Isaiah 21:13-15). See also 26:198. 3769. Commentary: What fear or grief, even under the severest trial, can possibly disturb the equanimity and mental poise of a true believer, who possesses an invincible faith that Allah, the Creator and Lord of the whole universe, is at his back? It is th is certain faith that has caused the Faithful in all ages to lay down their lives smilingly in the cause of Truth. Such believers have been called حمسننی( doers of good) in verse 13 above. They abide in the Garden of heavenly bliss and bask in the sun of God’s love. See also 41:31 . 14. aVerily, those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah,’ and then are steadfast —no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.3769 15.These are the dwellers of the Garden; they shall abide therein —a recompense for what they did. 16. bAnd We have enjoined on man to be good to his parents. His mother bears him with pain, and brings him forth with pain, and the bearing of him and his weaning takes thirty months, till, when he attains his full maturity and reaches the age of forty years, he says, c‘My Lord, grant me that I may be grateful for Thy favour which Thou hast bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and I may do such good works as may please Thee. And establish righteous ness among my progeny for me. I do a41:31. b6:152; 19:33 ; 29:9. c27:20. " "PT.26 AL-AHQĀF CH.46 2907 3770. Important Words: أشد( full maturity) is derived from شد . They say شد الیشء i.e. he made the thing hard, firm, compact, strong, or he bound it fast. أشد( ashudd) means, physical and intellectual and also spiritual mat urity as gives evidence of rectitude of conduct or course of life; firmness or soundness of judg ement produced by experience . (Lane). Commentary: The word seems to have been used in the sense of spiritual maturity in the present verse and in 12:23 ; and in the sense of intellec tual and physical maturity in 6:153 and 18:83. Generally, Divine Messengers are invested with their divine mission at the age of forty. The belief that Jesus was made a Prophet at the age of 33 seems to be an historical anachronism, as recent research into Christian history has proved his birth to have taken place about six years earlier than generally understood (Enc. B rit. under ""Chronicle ""). أوزعین( grant me the power) is derived from وزع .They say وزع فالنا او بفالن i.e. he hindered or led or drove forth such a one and restrained him; he urged or incited such a one. فالنا أوزع اّللٰه means, God inspired or granted such a one the power to do a thing. See also 27:18. In verse 13 above a brief reference has been made to حمسننی( doers of good). The present verse enjoins a believer to do good )(احسان to all his fellow beings, irrespective of caste, colour or clime, starting, however, with his parents, the mother having secured a special mention, as also in 31:15 because ""she bears him with pain, and brings him forth with pain"". In 31:15, it was sta ted that the weaning of a child takes two years, but in the verse under comment the combi ned period of pregnancy and suckling is given as thirty months which leaves six months as the period of gestation, and that seems to be the period during which a pregnant woman feels the burden of pregnancy, the fourth month being the time when she begins to have such a feeling. 3771 . Important Words: نتجاوز( We shall overlook) is derived from جاز.They say جاز املکان او جاوزہ i.e. heturn to Thee; and, truly, I am of those who submit to Thee .’3770 17.Those are they from whom We accept their good works and overlook their ill deeds. They shall be among the inmates of the Garden, in fulfilment of athe true promise which was made to them.3771 a17:109; 19:62; 73:19. " "CH.46 AL-AHQĀF PT.26 2908 passed along the place and left it behind. جاوز احلد means, he exceeded the proper limit or became extravagant or exorbitant. هجتاوز عن ذنب means, he overlooked sin; he forgave him. (Lane) . 3772 . Commentary: In verse 16, reference was made to a class of men who spend their God- given gifts in the service of noble causes in order to win the pleasure of God, and who are anxious that they might be succeeded by a generation who should carry on their noble work. The verse under comment speaks of those unfortunate people who ar e born of good and righteous parents and are brought up in very healthy environments and yet lead a life of disbelief and sin. 3773 . Commentary: The verse purports to say that all 18.But the one who says to his parents, ‘Fie on you both! do you threaten me that I shall be brought forth again, when generations have already passed away b efore me?’ And they both cry unto Allah for help and say to him :‘Woe unto thee! believe; for the promise of Allah is true.’ But he says, ‘This is nothing but the fables of the ancients.’3772 19.These are they against whom the sentence of punishment became due, aalong with the communities of the jinn and mankind that had gone before them. Indeed, they were the losers. 20.And for all are degrees of rank according to what they did,b and that Allah may fully repay them for their deeds; and they sh all not be wronged.3773 a3:138; 7:39; 13:31; 41:26. b6:133. " "PT.26 AL-AHQĀF CH.46 2909 the works, good or evil, of the two classes of men mentioned in vv. 16 and 18 above, will be properl y judged and weighed, and, while being requited, their motives and intentions and all relevant circumst ances, will be taken into consideration, as the Divine law of compensation works in this way that whereas the reward of a good deed is many times greater than the deed itself, the punishment of the evil deed is proportionate to the deed committed. 3774 . Commentary: When confronted with the consequences of their evil deeds, the disbelievers will be told on the Day of Reckoning that as they had fully exploited and drained to dregs the material gifts that God had bestowed upon them and had used them not in the service of good causes but to further their own sordid ends, they should be prepared to suffer disgrace and ignominy as a fit requital for their misdeeds. 3775 . Commentary: ‘Ad was not the name of one tribe but of a group of tribes. The tribe has 21.And on the day when those who disbelieve will be brought before the Fire, it will be said to them, ‘You exhausted your good things in the life of the world, and you fully enjoyed them. aNow this day you shall be requited with ignominious punishment because you were arrogant in the earth without justification, and because you acted rebelliously.’3774 R. 3. 22.And make mention ofbthe brother of ‘ Ad, when he warned his people among the sandhills —and Warners there have been before him and after him — saying, ‘Worship none but Allah. I fear for you the punishment of a great day.’3775 a6:94. b7:66; 11:51. " "CH.46 AL-AHQĀF PT.26 2910 been called ‘Adi Iram in the Qura n (89:8). They were a highly powerful and cultured people and had specialized in architecture. They ruled over rich and ferti le territories in Yemen. As a result of their rejection of the Prophet H ud, and their wicked and immoral deeds, they were destroyed by a violent wind which continued to lash them for seven consecutive days, burying their chief cities under heaps of sand and dust. For detailed notes on ‘ Ad see 11:51 and 26:124. 3776 . Important Words: لتأفکنا( that thou turn us away) is derived from أفک( afaka ). هأفک means, he changed his or its condition or manner of being; he turned him o r it away or back from a thing by lying; he perverted his judg ement; he deceived or beguiled him; he lied or said what was untrue (Lane & Aqrab ). Almost all these meanings are applicable here. 3777 . Commentary: When tauntingly asked by his people, when and how they would be punished for rejecting him, H ud pleaded ignorance of the time and manner of the Divine punishment. But he warned them at the same time that Divine punishment was sure to overtake them and that if they had some wisdom left with them they should have read th e writing on the wall because the rejection of Divine Message never goes unpunished. This is the significance of the words :""but I see you to be a very ignorant people. "" 23.They said, ‘Hast thou come to us to turn us away from our gods? Bring us then that with which thou dost threaten us, if indeed thou art of the truthful.’a 3776 24.He said, ‘The knowledge thereof is only with Allah.b And I convey to you what I have been sent with, but I see you to be a very ignorant people.’3777 25.Then, when they saw it coming towards their valleys as a cloud, they said, ‘This is a cloud which will give us rain.’ ‘Nay, but it is that which you a7:71. b11:34. " "PT.26 AL-AHQĀF CH.46 2911 3778 . Important Words: عارض( cloud) is the act. part. from عرض Theyهsay ءعرض الیش i.e. he showed, manifested, presented the thing. عارض means, anything showing its breadth or side, hence appearing; a collection of clouds extending sideways in the horizon or a collection of clouds that come over in the sky unexpectedly or appear like a mountain; a gift appearing from a person (Lane & Aqrab). Whereas the word ریح( wind) has been used in the Qura n both in a good and a bad sen se, its plural always is used in a good sense. 3779 . Commentary: As mentioned above, the Adites were specially advanced in architecture. They built monuments on high places and erected palatial buildings. They had their summer residences, their factories a nd mechanical works. But they were so completely destroyed that it seemed that they had never existed and only the ruined remnants of their once lofty and strongly-built dwellings could be seen. 3780 . Important Words: أفئدة( hearts) is the plural of فؤادsought to hasten —aa wind wherein is a grievous punishment.3778 26.‘It will destroy everything by the command of its Lord.’ bAnd they became such that there was n aught to be seen, except their dwellings. Thus do We requite the guilty people.3779 27.AndcWe had established them in wherein We have not established you; and We gave them ears and eyes and hearts. But their ears and their eyes and their hearts availed them naught, since they denied the Signs of Allah; and dthat at which they used to mock encompassed them.3780 a41:17. b7:73. c6:7; 7:11 . d11:9; 21:42. " "CH.46 AL-AHQĀF PT.26 2912 which is derived from فاد .They say فادہ, i.e. he or it hit, struck, smote or hurt his فؤاد i.e. heart. فاد اللحم یف النار means, he roasted the flesh meat in the fire. فؤاد is synonymous with قلب both meaning heart, mind or intellect. In the Qur an, too, b oth these words have been used synonymously. In 28 :11, both the words have been used together, signifying the heart. It is the context which determines where any of these words is used in the sense of mind or heart. Some authors, however, make a distinction between فؤاد and قلب ; the latter is said to have a more special signification than the former which is said to be the غشاء or the وعاء of the قلب or the middle or the interior thereof. They say طار فؤادہ i.e. his mind or intellect or courage ti ed (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: This verse also shows that the Adites were a very powerful and prosperous people. Their dominions extended over vast areas. 3781 . Commentary: The reference in the words ""We did destroy townships round about you "" is to the destruction of the once very powerful and prosperous people of ‘Ad and of Tubba’ who held sway over vast territories in the south of Arabia. To the northwest, the complete ruin of the Tham ud tribe held out a severe warning and on the shores of the Dead Sea were situated the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah which were turned upside down on account of the vice indulged in b y them. The destruction of all these places constituted an eye-opener to the Meccans. If they did not eschew their evil ways and con tinued to reject the Divine Message, they would meet with no better fate. As the Quran, the final Law for all mankind, was revealed at Mecca, the words, ما حولکم من القری ه may also signify the whole world. The Quran reverts again and again to the fundamental problems of faith, morals and other kindred subjects, and deals with them from different angles and points of view in order to satisfy doubts and misgivings of men of varied attitudes, mental make-up or outlook on life. People of shallow thinki ng and prejudiced minds may call it a repetition, but in fact it is the right approach to different human problems. R. 4. 28.And We did destroy townships round about you; and We have varied the Signs, that they might turn to Us .3781 29.Why,athen, did not those help them whom they had taken for gods beside Allah, seeking a42:47. " "PT.26 AL-AHQĀF CH.46 2913 3782 . Important Words: قربانا ه( seeking nearness) is infinitive noun from قرب .They say هومن هقرب الی i.e. he was or became near to him or it. قربانا ه قرب ّللٰه (qarra ba):he made an offeri ng to God. قربان means, an offering or oblation; a sacrifice; anything by means of which one seeks nearness to God; a near or favourite associate or companion (Lane & Aqrab). The word has been used in the latter sense in 39:4. Commentary: The verse contains a very challenging argument against idolatry and drives home to polytheists the futility of their idolatrous beliefs and practices, saying that their false gods can never help them in time of need while the True Almighty God comes to the rescue of His servants when they are in distress and call for His help. 3783. Important Words: نفرا ه( a party) is derived from نفر(nafara ) which means, he ran away at random; he broke loose and went hither and thither; he became separated and returned to a distance . نفر( nafar un) means, a numb er of men from three to ten or l ess than ten; a man’s people or tribe consisting of his near relations (Lane). Commentary: The party of men referred to in the verse were the Jews of N usaybi n or, as some say, from Mosul or Nineveh in Iraq. Being apprehen sive of the Meccans’ opposition, they met the Holy Prophet at night and after listening to the Quran and to the Holy Prophet ’s discourse, they converted to Islam and carried the new Message to their people who also re adily accepted it. The next verse leaves no doubt that they were Jews and seemed to be the leaders of their people (Bay an, vol. 8). See also 72:2. His nearness through them ? Nay, they were lost to them. That was the result of their lie, and of what they fabricated.3782 30.And remember whenaWe turned towards thee a party of the jinn who wished to hear the Quran and, when they were present at its recitation, they said to one another, ‘Be silent and listen,’ and, when it was finished, they went back to their people, warning them .3783 a72:2. " "CH.46 AL-AHQĀF PT.26 2914 3784 . Commentary: This verse clearly shows that the party of men mentioned in the previous verse were Jews because they spoke of the Qura n as ""the Book which has been sent down after Moses "". 3785 . Commentary: This and the next verse contain some basic arguments which establish the truth of the claims of a Divine Reformer. First, people are cleansed of sins and impurities and become a model of virtue and righteousness through the Teaching revealed to him and by his own ennobling example. 3786 . Commentary: Secondly, the Divine Reformer does eventually succeed in his mission as it is God’s unalterable Decree and Law that Truth must prevail and falsehood must come to an evil end. The disbelievers cannot alter this Divine decree, try as they might. The gods which they adore leave them in the lurch when they are confronted with the consequences of their wicked deeds. 31.They said, ‘O our people awe have heard a Book, which has been sent down after Moses, fulfilling that which is before it; it guides to the truth, and to the right path.3784 32.‘O our people, respond to Allah’s Summoner and believe in Him. bHe will forgive you your sins, and protect you from a painful punishment.3785 33. c‘And whoso does not respond to Allah’s Summoner, he cannot escape Him in the earth, nor can he have any protector beside Him. Such are in manifest error.’3786 34.Have they not seen that Allah, Who created the he avens and the earth and was not a72:2-3. b72:14. c72:16. " "PT.26 AL-AHQĀF CH.46 2915 3787. Important Words: لم ییع( was not wearied). یع بأمرہ means, he lacked power, strength or ability for, or was unable to perform or execute, his affair thoroughly. أعیا means, he was or became disabled or incapacitated; he was or became fatigued, tired, wearied. اعیاء is weakness and fatigue which is the result of doing a thing (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse means to say that the process of the creation of new heavens and earth has not ceased. Neither is it an empty and unsub stantiated claim. With the coming of a great Divine Reformer the old order dies and a new one takes its place. This signifies the coming into being of a new heaven and a new ear th. wearied by their creation, ahas the power to give life to the dead? Yea, verily, He has power over all things .3787 35.And on the day when those who disbelieve wi ll be brought before the Fire, bit will be said to them, ‘Is not this the truth?’ They will say, ‘Aye, by our Lord.’ He will say, ‘Then taste the punishment, because you disbelieved.’ 36.Have patience, then, as the Messengers possessed of high resolve had patience ; and be in no haste about them. On the day when they see that with which they are threatened, it will appear to them cas though they had not tarried save for an hour of a day. This warning has been conveyed; and none but the a17:100; 36:82; 86:9. b6:28. c10:46; 30:56; 79:47 . " "CH.46 AL-AHQĀF PT.26 2916 3787A. Commentary: In this verse the Holy Prophet is told that with his advent a new heaven and a new earth would be born. The old decrepit order would die and a new and better one would emerge from its ruins. But before that great and glorious day his own mettle and that of his followers would be put to a sever e test. They will have to bear, with patience and fortitude, like great Prophets of God, very great hardships and privations, and it is after they will come out of the ordeal triumphantly and unscathed tha t their cause will prevail. That would be a glorious day for believers; and for the disbelievers a time of heart-burning and gnashing of teeth. So severe and swift and overwhelming would be God’s punishment that compared to it a whole life spent in comfort and ease would seem but an ""hour"". disobedient people shall be destroyed.3787A " "2917 CHAPTER 47 MUHAMMAD (Revealed after Hijrah ) Title, Date of Revelation and C ontext The Surah takes its title from its third verse. It is also known as قتال (war) because it devotes a large portion of its text to the subject of war —its causes, ethics and consequences. The fact that the Surah deals mainly with the fighting which took place after the Holy Prophet had Migrated to Medina and that it makes repeated mention of the hypocrites with whom the Muslims came in contact at that place, lends powerf ul support to the view held by Baidawi, Zamakhshar i, Suyuti, and others that the Surah was revealed after the H ijrah—a large part of it having been revealed probably before the Battle of Badr, in the early days of the life at Medina . Towards the end of the previous Surah, it was unambiguously and emphatically stated that opposition to the Divine Message, however powerfu l, organized, and persistent, can never succeed and that Truth must prevail. The subject assumes a certain definiteness in this Surah, and disbelievers are told that in conformity with the unal terable divine law that Truth must ultimately triumph over falsehood, the Holy Prophet and his followers, though in a weak state in the beginning and though their cause seemingly hopeless, will, after overcoming all difficulties and impediments, succeed in the long run, their weakness progressively giving place to strength. Subject Matter of the Surah The Surah opens with the challenging statement that all the efforts of disbelievers to retard and arrest the progress of Islam will come to naught and the condition of the Pr ophet’s followers will improve day by day. It then proceeds to say that since disbelievers have drawn the sword against the Prophet they shall perish by the sword. After holding out to Muslims a definite promise of success against their enemies, it briefly lays down important rules of war, as for instance, prisoners can be taken only after regular fighting in which the enemy is decisively beaten ( v. 5), but after the war is over, they are to be set free either as an act of favour, or, after taking proper ra nsom. Thus the Surah, in a little verse, strikes effectively at the evil practice of slavery. It is further stated that falsehood, though in a position of strength and power against Truth in the beginning, eventually must suffer defeat. This is a lesson wr it large on the pages of history, and the evil fate of peoples nearer home such as ‘ Ad, Tham ud, Midian and the people of Lot should open the eyes of the Meccans. Next, the Surah says a few words of comfort and good " "2918 cheer to the Holy Prophet, telling him that though he is being hounded out of his native place, friendless and apparently helpless, to seek refuge in a distant place among alien people, yet this very fact will lay the foundation of a great future for his Faith and his followers. H is opponents seem to be very powerful but ""there have been towns, more powerful than the town which has driven thee out, "" and yet God destroyed them and so will He destroy the enemies of the Prophet. They are satisfied with having driven him out of Mecca a nd seem to have a false sense of complacency that thereby they have nipped the tender plant of Islam in the bud, but in fact they have laid the foundation of their own ruin if they could but read the writing on the wall. Next, the Surah briefly mentions th e aims and objects of war according to Islam. Since it requires very sincere and honest adherence to a cause to imperil one’s life, honour, or property for it, war, which puts to test one’s sincerity or true adherence to a cause, was enjoined upon Muslims in self-defence so that true and sincere believers might be distinguished from the hypocrites and those wea k of faith. Whereas, says the Surah, the believers welcome a revelation enjoining them to fight in the way of Allah, for it is in fighting that the r eal mettle of a man is tested, the disbelievers, and the hypocrites feel as if they are being driven to death. Thus true believers are separated and sifted out from those who are insincere or false in the profession of their faith. The Surah closes with a further exhortation to Muslims to be prepared to spend whatever they possess for the cause they hold so dear, because to be stingy and niggardly when the cause requires its votaries to spend with both hands, is calculated not only to injure the cause but a lso the individual himself. " "PT.26 CH.47 2919 (MUHAMMAD ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.3788 2. bThose who disbelieve and hinder men from the way of Allah —He renders their works vain.3789 3.But as for those who believe and do good works and believe in that which has been revealed to Mu hammad —and it is the truth from their Lordc—He removes from them their sins and sets right their affairs .3790 aSee 1:1. b4:168; 16:89. c13:20; 22:55; 34:7. 3788 . Commentary: See 1:1. 3789 . Commentary: Works of disbelievers a re rendered vain in that their effort s to arrest the progress of the cause of Truth produce no results. The cause of Truth triumphs and prevails. 3790. Important Words: باھلم( their affairs) is substantive noun from بال( bala ) which means, it (fat) melted or dissolved. البال means, a state, condition or case (12:51). ھو یف البال means:(1) he is in ample and easy circumstances or condition. (2) A thing or affair to which one devotes his special care. They say لیس ھذا من بایل i.e. this is not of the things for which I care. (3) The heart or mind. خطر ببایل means, it occurred to me. (4) Attention. An Arab would say أعطین بالک i.e. give me thy attention (Lane & Aqrab). احلق( truth) means, an established fact which is undeniable; a right, equity or justice; a thing that is decreed; a thing suitable to the requirements of justice; truth; wisdom; what is binding ; obligatory, just, proper; right; genuine, authentic, real; prudence (Lane, Aqrab & Mufrad at). Commentary: Because belief in the Holy Prophet, as in all Divine Messengers, is included in the words ""those who believe and do good works, "" the expression ""and believe in what has been revealed to Mu hammad "" seems to be redundant. But nothing in the Quran is redundant or superfluous, the expression serves a definite " "CH.47 MUHAMMAD PT.26 2920 purpose. It removes a possible misconception, that belief in God and belief in life after death alone are the two fundamental articles of Faith (2:63). The verse leaves no doubt about the indispensability of belief in the Holy Prophet by saying that what has been revealed to him is احلق i.e. it is the whole truth and nothing but the truth; it agrees with the requirements of justice, truth and wisdom, and fully meets the exigencies and circumstances of time and the varying human needs, and by it moral lapses of those who believe in him ar e obliterated, their difficulties removed and their condition progressively bettered. 3791 . Important Words: أثخنتموھم( you have overcome them). أثخن is transitive from ثخن( thakhun a or thakhana ) which means, it was or became thick or coarse. هأثخن means, he4.That is because those who disbelieve follow falsehood while those who believe follow the truth from their Lord . Thus does Allah set forth for men their similitudes. 5.Andawhen you meet in regular battle those who disbelieve, smite their necks; and, when you have overcome them, bind fast the fetters —then afterwards either release them as a favour or by taking ransom —until the war lays down its burdens. That is the ordinance . And if Allah had so pleased, He could have punished them Himself, but He has willed that He may try some of you by others. And those who are killed in the way of Allah —He will never render their works vain.3791 a8:46, 68. " "PT.26 MUHAMMAD CH.47 2921 rendered him heavy or languid or enervated; or he overcame him after inflicting many wounds on him. أثخن یف العدو means, he made a great slaughter among the enemy or inflicted heavy wounds upon him. أثخن یف االرض means, he caused much slaughter in the land; or he fought vehemently in the land (Lane & Aqrab). انتصر منھم (He would have punished them) is derived from نصر . They say عیل عدوہ نصرہ اّللٰ i.e. God helped, aided or assisted him against his enemy or made him victorious. انتصر means, he defended himself against his injurer. هانتصر من means, he exacted his right or due completely from him; he avenged himself upon him; he punished him (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse, in a nutshell, lays down some important rules about the ethics of war and its conduct and incidentally deals a dea th blow to slavery. Briefly these are:(a) When they are engaged in regular battle in the defence of their faith, honour, lives or property, the Muslims are enjoined to fight bravely and relentlessly, giving no quarter, and expecting none from the enemy; a nd not to flee from the field of battle under lame or weak excuses. They must either win or die. ""He who turns his back to the enemy "", says the Quran, ""draws upon himself the wrath of Allah "" (8:13-17). (b) When war is once started, it should continue till peace is established and freedom of conscience secured (8:40). (c) Prisoners are to be taken from the enemy, only after regular and pitched battle has been fought, and the enemy is decidedly and positively beaten. Thus regular war is declared to be the only reason for taking prisoners for no other cause free men ar e to be deprived of their liberty. (d) When war is over, prisoners should be released, either as an act of favour, or on taking ransom or by negotiating mutual exchange. They should not be held pe rmanently in captivity or treated as slaves. The Holy Prophet carried this Divine commandment into actual practice by setting at liberty about a hundred families of Banu Mustaliq and several thousand prisoners of Haw azin after both these tribes had been de cisively beaten in battle. It was a fter the Battle of Badr that ransom was accepted for the prisoners who were set free. This was perhaps, because Islam was then in a very weak state. But, on this occasion too, those of them who could not pay their ransom in money but were literate, were required to teach reading and writing to some of the Muslims. The verse thus has struck very effectively at the roots of slavery, abolishing it completely and for ever. (Muir, Zurqani & Hish am). The words ""And if Allah had so pleased, he could have punished them Himself, but He has willed that He may try s ome of you by others,"" signify that God possessed the power to punish the enemies of Truth without the instrumentality of Muslims but H e got the latter engaged in fighting with disbelievers so that on the one hand their own good qualities of character should have an opportunity to come into play " "CH.47 MUHAMMAD PT.26 2922 and on the other the bad qualities of disbelievers should become exposed. Perhaps i n no other aspect of life was the moral superiority of the Companions of the Holy Prophet so clearly demonstrated as in their treatment of their fallen foes. The words ""And those who are killed in the way of Allah —He will never render their works vain, "" mean that the sacrifice of Muslims slain in the field of battle would not be wasted. It was their sacrifice that firmly laid the foundation of a bright future for Islam. 3792. Important Words: Since one of the meanings of ةھدای is to follow the right path till one reaches one’s destination and achieves the object of one’s quest (Lane), the verse purports to say that the martyred Muslims have achieved, by their death, the o bject for which they gave their lives which was to attain God’s pleasure and to make Islam secure and strong. 3793. Important Words: عرف( made known) is transitive verb from عرف(‘arafa ) which means, he knew it or became acquainted with it; he knew it by means of one of the senses and also by mental perception. هعرف االمر ‘(arrafa ) means, he acquainted him with the affair. عرف also means, rendering a thing fragrant, and adorning, decorating or embellishing it (Lane). Commentary: The verse means that the M uslims slain in the way of Allah will be admitted into gardens of Paradise of which they had a foretaste in the present life. They had a foretaste of them in the sense that they enjoyed in their physical form all those spiritual blessings and favours which are mentioned in the Qur an as having been promised to them in the next world. Or the verse may signify that Muslims had a spiritual foretaste of ""the Garden "" because they saw with their own eyes promises, made to 6.He will guide them and improve their condition .3792 7.Andaadmit them into the Garden which He has made known to them.3793 8.O ye who believe! if you help the cause of Allah, He will help you and will make your steps firm. 9.But as for those who disbelieve, perdition is their lot; a3:196; 9:111. " "PT.26 MUHAMMAD CH.47 2923 them in the Quran about Paradise, being fulfilled in this very life. 3794 . Important Words: تعسا( perdition) is inf. noun from تعس (ta’sa) which means, he stumbled and fell upon his face; he missed his proof in litigation and the object of his search in seeking; he became far- removed; he became degraded. اّللٰ هتعس means, God destroyed him; degraded him; made him fall on his face. هتعسا ل means, may he fall never to rise; may he perish; may ruin cleave to him or may he be degraded. تعس means, ruin, degradation, mischief, evil (Lane & Aqrab). 3795. Commentary: Three times in the few verses that have gone before is it stated that ""God has made the works of disbelievers vain."" This signifies that disbelievers had bent all their energies of mind and body, to the achievement of one supreme desire — to see Islam fail and come to naught . But Islam triumphed. It progressed and prospered and the disbelievers failed to have their desire fulfilled. 3796 . Commentary: As many as fifteen times, the disbelievers of the Holy Prophet have been warned in the Qur an to travel in the earth and see the dreadful end to which the disbelievers of former Prophets have come. How can they, the verse warns them, expect to escape a similar fate? The expression أمثاھلا shows that Divine punishment will overtake disbelievers in var ious forms and shapes. and He will make their works vain.3794 10.That is because they hate what Allah has revealed; so He has made their works futile .3795 11. aHave they not travelled in the earth and seen what was the end of those who were before them? Allah utterly destroyed them, and for the disbelievers there will be the like thereof.3796 12.That is because bAllah is the Protector of those who believe, and as for the disbelievers, there is no protector for them. a12:110; 22:47; 30:10; 35:45; 40:22. b3:151; 8:41. " "CH.47 MUHAMMAD PT.26 2924 3797. Commentary: The believers make use of the things of the world and eat and drink as do the disbelievers, but whereas the former eat to live in order to serve God and man, the latter live to eat, drink, and be merry, and have no nobler objects to pursue. They do not rise above the level of animals as their whole concept of life is materialistic. 3798 . Commentary: The verse constitutes a mighty prophecy. According to the ma jority of scholarly opinion it was revealed while the Holy Prophet was on his way from Mecca to Medina, having been driven out of his beloved native place, with a price put on his head. The Prophet was friendless and his cause seemed hopeless. He was hourly in fear of being caught, as Medina was far away and the countryside swarmed with adventurers wh o sought to bring him dead or alive to get the much-coveted prize. It was at that critical hour that the verse was revealed. It promised a safe journey for the Prophet and the eventual destruction of his enemies. R. 2. 13.Verily, Allah will make those who believe and do good works enter the Gardens underneath which rivers flow;a while those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat even as the cattle eat, and the Fire will be their resortb.3797 14.And how many a township, more powerful than thy town which has driven thee out, have We destroyed, and they had no helper!3798 15.Then,cis he who takes his stand upon a clear proof from his Lord like those to whom the evil of their deeds is made to a14:24; 22:24; 29:10 . b14:31; 15:4; 77:47. c11:29. " "PT.26 MUHAMMAD CH.47 2925 3799 . Commentary: The preceding verse promi sed a bright future for Islam and the ultimate destruction of disbelief, at a time when the Prophet’s cause seemed quite hopeless. The verse under comment continues the them e and says that the outcome could not possibly be otherwise a s the claim of the Hol y Prophet was reinforced an d substantiated by incontrovertible heavenly signs while disbelievers had nothing to their credit but wicked deeds and evil desires . 3800 . Important Words: أھنار( rivers) is the plural of ھنر which is inf. noun from ھنر( nahara ) which means, it flowed or flowed with force. ھنر means, a river, a brook, a stream.The word also means, amplitude, or light and amplitude (Lane). عسل( honey) is inf . noun fro m عسل ‘(asala). عسل الطعام means, h e prepared the food with honey. They say هعسل i.e. he made him an object of eulogy; he made him an object of love to men. عسل means, honey; flowers or blossoms because honey is made therefrom; a good or righteous deed, the eulogy for which a person is deeme d sweet (Lane). Commentary: The verse mentions four kinds of favours and blessings promised to believers in this and the next life, i.e. rivers of pure water, rivers of milk of which the taste does not change, rivers of wine which gives delight look beautiful and who follow their evil inclinations?3799 16. aA description of the Gar den promised to the righteous: Therein are rivers of water which corrupts not; and rivers of milk of which the taste changes not; and rivers of wine, a delight to those who drink, and rivers of clarified honey. And in it will they have all kinds of fruit, and forgiveness from their Lord. Can those who enjoy such bliss be like those who abide in the Fire and who are given boiling water to drink so that it tears their bowels?3800 a13:36. " "CH.47 MUHAMMAD PT.26 2926 and rivers of clarified honey. The word أھنار which has been used four times in the verse, besides other senses, signifies light and amplitude; and عسل among other things, means a good or righteous deed which wins for the doer the love and esteem of men. In view of the signification of these two words the verse may mean that the four things mentioned will be given to the righteous in plenty:viz. water which is the source of all life (21:31); milk which, besides giving health and vigour to the body, stands for spiritual knowledge; wine which gives pleasant sensations and forgetfulness of worries; and honey, being the means of curing many a disease, represents good and righteous deeds which make the believers beloved of men. Taken in the physical sense, i.e. pertaining to the present life, the verse would signify that in the present life the believers will have in plenty all those things which make life pleasant, delightful and useful; and taken symbolically and in a spiritual sense, it would mean that believ ers will have a full life, they will be endowed with spiritual knowledge, will drink the wine of God’s love and will do deeds that will win for them love and esteem of men. 3801 . Commentary: As the principal subject of the Surah is war, it naturally deals with three categories of men, viz. true believers, firm disbeli evers and the hypocrites who va cillate between faith and disbelief. The verse under comment deals wi th the third category of men. The expression ما ذا قال ٓانفا has a twofold meaning. A hypocrite being a double-faced person generally uses language susceptible of double meaning. This he does in order to extricate himself from an awkward position, wherein, should one construction of his speech land him in trouble, he might be able to avoid that consequence by putting quite a different construction on it. The above expression is an appropriate instance of the equivocal language used by the hypocrites of Medina . If 17.And among them are some who listen to thee till, when they go forth from thy presence, they say to those who have been given knowledge, ‘What has he been talking about just now?’ aThose are they whose hearts Allah has sealed, and who follow their own evil inclinations.3801 a9:93; 1 6:109; 63:4. " "PT.26 MUHAMMAD CH.47 2927 one of them, after a meeting with the Prophet, happened to meet a Muslim, he would say ""What was it that he said just now, "" meaning, what beautiful and highly useful things had the Prophet said. But if he chanced to meet a hypocrite like himself he would use the same expression but meaning ""what non sense talk had the Prophet indulged in. "" 3802. Commentary: The expression ٓاتا ھم تقواھم may mean: (a) God made them righteous; (b) He disclosed to them the ways and means by employing which they could attain تقوی( c) Allah bestowed upon believers favours and blessings which are the result of a life of righteousness. 3803 . Important Words: أشراط( signs) is the plural of شرط .They say بکذا هشرط علی i.e. he imposed upon him such a condition. لکذا هأشرط نفس means, he marked himself for such an affair. شرط means, a sign, token or mark. أشراط الناس means, the best or meanest of men (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: Disbelievers are so obstinate in rejecting the Divine Message that they would not listen to any argument but would conti nue to insist that the threatened punishment should come soon. But, the verse purports to say, the signs of their destruction have already appeared if they but read them. When, however, punishment would actually arrive, their repentance would be of no avai l. Why don’t they then take heed before it is too late? The reference in the word أشراط( signs) seems to be to the Holy Prophet’s flight from Mecca which 18.But as for those who follow guidance, aHe adds to their guidance, and bestows on them righteousness suited to their condition .3802 19.They wait not but for the Hour, that it should come upon them suddenly. bThe signs thereof have already come. But of what avail will their admonition be to them when it has actually come upon them?3803 20.Know, therefore, that there is no God other than Allah, and a8:3; 9:124; 18:14. b22:56; 43:67. " "CH.47 MUHAMMAD PT.26 2928 proved to be the prelude to the appearance of many signs. 3804 . Commentary: For the meaning and significance of the expression استغفر لذنبک see a detailed note on 40:56 & 48:3. The words متقلبکم و مثواکم may mean, when you move about transacting your affairs and when you take rest, or متقلبکم may apply to this world and مثواکم to the next. 3805. Important Words: أویل( ruin) is derived from ویل and means, nearer; more deserving; more competent; more fit. The expression لکأویل is used to give warning, andmeans mischief or trouble has approached near thee, so be on your guard. The expression also means, woe to thee; woe be thy lot (Aqrab). Commentary: The verse means to say that whereas true believers avidly wait for a verse to be revealed which should embody a Divine commandment directing them to fight in the way of Allah, ""those in whose heart is a disease, "" shudder at the very idea of being invited t o fight. 3806 . Important Words: صدقوا اّللٰ(were true to Allah). صدقask protection for thy frailties, and for believing men and believing women. And Allah knows the place where you move about and the place where you stay.3804 R. 3. 21.And those who believe say, ‘Why is not a Surah revealed?’ But when a decisive Surah is revealed and fighting is mentioned therein, thou seest those in whose hearts is a disease, looking towards thee with the look of one in a death- faint. So ruin seize them!3805 22.Obedience andareasonable speech is proper for them . And when the matter is determined upon, it is good for them if they were true to Allah.3806 a2:264. " "PT.26 MUHAMMAD CH.47 2929 یف احلدیث means, he told or spoke the truth. صدق یف القتال means, he fought well; he gave a good account of himself in the fight . صدق اللقاء means, he was firm in fight صدق الصبح means, the dawn shone clearly. صدقین وعدہ means, he fulfilled, or he was true to his promise with me. The Quranic expression هعلی صدقوا ما عاھدوا اّللٰ ( 33:24) means, they were tru e to their covenant with Allah and fulfilled it (Lane & Aqrab). 3807. Commentary: The verse signifies that believers have been allowed to fight because if the power of disbelievers had not been broken, they would have created disorder in the land and would have severed all tie s of kinship and trampled underfoot all rightful claims. The verse also signifies that if believers refused to fight the disbelievers now, Arabia would continue to suffer from disruption and disintegration and forces of evil would stalk the land. 3808. Commentary: This verse constitutes an enlargement of the one preceding it. It purports to say that it is because disbelievers do not ponder over the Qura n and do not try to understand and realise the real purpose of Islamic wars that they lose their spiritual sight and hearing and begin to find fault with the Quranic commandments about war. 23.Would you then, if you are placed in authority, create disorder in the land and sever your ties of kinship?3807 24.It is these whom Allah curses so that He makes them deaf and makes their eyes blind. 25. aWill they not, then, ponder over the Quran, or is it that on the hearts are their locks?3808 26.Surely, bthose who turn their backs after guidance has become manifest to them, Satan has seduced them, and holds out false hopes to them. 27.That is because they said t o those who hate what Allah has a4:83. b2:218; 3:87; 5:55 . " "CH.47 MUHAMMAD PT.26 2930 3809. Commentary: The reference in the words, ""those who hate what Allah has revealed, "" is to disbelievers who never like d that any good should be sent down to the Faithful from their Lord (2:106) . The hypocrites would not side with disbelievers openly and unreservedly. A hypocrite is too wily a person to burn his boats. He faces both ways. But, says the verse, God would expose their double-facedness. This is the significance of the words ""Allah knows their secrets. "" 3810 . Important Words: أضغاھنم( their ma lice) is the plural of ضغن( dighnun ) which is inf. noun from ضغن( daghana ). هضغن علی means, he was or became affected wi th rancour, malice or spite against him. ضغن means, rancour, malice, spite; violent hatred, enmity; desire or yearning or longing of the soul, etc. (Lane & Aqrab). revealed, ‘We will obey you in some matters;’ and Allah knows their secrets.3809 28.But how will they fare when the angels will cause them to diea, smiting their faces and their backs? 29.This is because they followed that which displeased Allah, and disliked the seeking of His pleasure . So He rendered their works vain. R. 4. 30. Do those in whose hearts is a disease suppose that Allah will not bring to light their malice?3810 31.And if We pleased, We could show them to thee so that thou shouldst know them by their marks. And thou sha lt surely recognize them by the a4:98; 8:51; 16:29. " "PT.26 MUHAMMAD CH.47 2931 3811. Important Words: حلن( tone) is inf. noun from حلن (Lahan a). They say حلن له i.e. he said to him something which he (the latter) understood but which was unintelligible to others; he intimated to him something which he alone understood; he spoke obliquely or ambiguously. حلن means, the meaning of speech; its intended sense or import; i ts intent (it is direct and also indirect); an oblique or ambiguous mode of speech; an inclining of speech to obliqueness, or ambiguity, and equivocal allusion (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: A hypocrite faces both ways. He never talks straight and always indulges in ambiguous and equivocal speech so that it conveys one sense to one person and quite another sense to another person. It is to this crooked manne r of speech of the hypocrites that reference has also been made in 2:105. 3812 . Important Words : نعلم( We distinguish). هعلم means; he knew it; he became acquainted with it. It is syn. with هعرف but علم ‘(ilm ) iswider and more general in signification than عرف and means, he knew it intuitively and inferentially (i.e. تیقن .)They say من عمر داّللٰ أل علم عب i.e. that I may distinguish ‘Abdull ah from ‘Umar. The root meaning of علم ‘(ilm ) is that of a mark or sign by which one thing is distinguished from another (Lane & Aqrab). See also 2:144 and 3:141. نبلو( make known) is derived from بال. They say ابتالہ or أبالہ or بالہ i.e. He (God) tested him with good or evil; he knew it or became acquainted with it; he informed him or acquainted him with it; he manifested it; he revealed it (Lane & Aqrab). أخبارکم( facts about you), أخبار is the plural of خرب which means, a piece of information; an announcement; an account; a man’s case or state, etc. The difference between خرب and نبأ is that while the former word means, an ordinary news, the latter signifies a news or announcement or information of g reat import and significance (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: Taking into consideration the root- meanings of the words بال and خرب andtone of their speech. And Allah knows your deeds.3811 32.And We will surely try you until We distinguish those among you who strive for the cause of God and those who are steadfasta. And We will make known the facts about you.3812 a3:141-143; 29:4, 12. " "CH.47 MUHAMMAD PT.26 2932 علم the verse would signify that God makes believers pass through travails, trials and tribulations and He has enjoined fighting on th em that sincere believers ma y become distinguished from the hypocrites and that the qualities of head and heart of believers and also the results of their steadfastness and fortitude amidst hardships and privations may have an opportunity to come into actual play. It may also be noted that knowledge ( علم )is of two kinds: (a) knowledge about a thing before its occurrence; and (b) knowledge about it after it has actually happened. Know ledge referred to in the verse under comment belongs to the latter category. 3813. Important Words: لن یرتکم ( will not deprive you). یرت is derived from وتر .They say هوترہ حق i.e. he made him to suffer loss or detriment in respect of his right; or he 33.Those who disbelieve and hinder men from the way of Allah and aoppose the Messenger after guidance has become manifest to them, shall not harm Allah in the least; and He will make their works fruitless. 34.O ye who believe ! Obey Allah and O bey the Messenger and let not your works go vain. 35. bVerily, those who disbelieve and hinder men from the way of Allah, and then die while they are disbelievers —Allah certainly will not forgive them. 36.So cbe not slack and sue not for peace; for you will certainly have the upper hand. And Allah is with you, and He will not deprive you of the reward of your actions.3813 a8:14; 59:5 . b3:92; 4:19. c3:140. " "PT.26 MUHAMMAD CH.47 2933 deprived him or defrauded him of it partially or wholly (Aqrab). Commentary: As the Surah primarily deals with the subject of war, the Muslims are enjoined here that when once the fighting has started, they are not to sue for peace, whatever form or shape the fortunes of war may take. They are to win either victory or martyrdom. The verse, besides laying this heavy responsibility on Muslims, makes to them an unequivocal promise of victory in the words ""You will certainly h ave the upper hand as Allah is with you. "" But whereas, on the one hand, Muslims are not to sue for peace under any circumstances, on the other, they are not to reject overtures of peace made by the enemy even if by doing so he seeks to deceive Muslims or t o gain time (8:62). Islam is a religion of peace. It has certainly permitted its followers to take up arms in self-defence, or, when refusal to fight means sure destruction. But it has also enjoined them to cease fighting, whatever the circumstances, when an offer of peace is made by the opposite side. 3814. Commentary: The verse purports to say that as Muslims have been enjoined to fight in the cause of God, they will have to bear the expenses of war and for this purpose they will have to make sacrifices o f life and money. But God does not ne ed their money. It is for their own benefit that sacrifices of life and money are demanded of them because no success is possible without such sacrifices. True believers must understand and realise this supreme lesson. 3815. Commentary: The verse applies to hypocrite s. Though professing to be Muslim s, they will not spend their money in the cause of Islam, however pressing its need might be, because their hearts are full of rancour, malice and spite against it. But whatev er they may or may not do, Islam will be victorious and their rancour and malevolence would be exposed. 37. aThe life of this world is but a sport and a pastime, and if you believe and be righteous, He will give you your rewards, and will not ask of you your possessions.3814 38.If He ask them of you, and press you, you would be niggardly, and He would bring to light your malice.3815 a6:33; 29:65; 57:21. " "CH.47 MUHAMMAD PT.26 2934 3816. Commentary: The address in this verse is of general application. Miserliness is a deadly moral disease that eats into the vitals of man’s moral and spiritual well-being. Elsewhere the Qur an has used very strong language about misers or niggardly people (9:35). When th e Holy Prophet was on ce asked as to whom the words, ""He will bring instead a people other than you,"" referred, he is reported to have said, ""If Faith were to go up to the Pleiades, a man of Persian descent will bring it back to the earth "" (Ruhul-Ma‘ani). 39.Behold, you are those who are called upon to spend in the way of Allah; but of you there are some who are niggardly. And whoso is niggardly, is niggardly only against his own soul. And Allah is Self- Sufficienta, and it is you that are needy. bAnd if you turn your backs, He will bring in your stead a people other than you, then they will not be like you.3816 a35:16. b5:55. " "2935 CHAPTER 48 AL-FATH (Revealed after Hijrah ) Title, Date of Revelation, and Context According to consensus of scholarly opinion the Surah was revealed when, after signing the Treaty of Hudaibi yyah, the Holy Prophet was on his way back to Medina, in the 6th year of H ijrah in the month of Dhul-Qa‘dah (Bukh ari). The Treaty being an epoch-making event, all incidents connected with it have been carefully preserved in Islamic history. So complete agreement exists concerning the date and place of the revelation of this Surah . The Surah is entitled A l-Fath (the Victory). The title is appropriate in that a seemingly diplomatic defeat eventually proved to be a master stroke of strategy and led to the Fall of Mecca, and consequently the conquest of the whole of Arabia. The Surah further, referring by implication to the Fall of the Roman and Persian Empires, embodies a prophecy about the eventual triumph of Islam over all the religions of the world. Towards the close of the preceding Surah, believers were given definite promise of victory over their opponents. The present Surah declares in clear and unequivocal terms that the promised victory is not a thing of some indefinite distant future, but is near at hand. It is so near that it may be said to have actually arrived, and it will be so d ecisive and overwhelming that even the most skeptic will find it hard to deny. Summary of Subject Matter The Surah opens with a firm and unequivocal declaration that the promised victory has actually arrived and that it would be clear, definite, and overwhelming. The Holy Prophet is told that as a result of the victory people will join the fold of Islam in such large numbers that it would prove a formidable task for him adequately to train and educate the new co nverts in the tenets and principles of Islam. He should therefore implore God’s assistance in the discharge of his onerous duty, and ask for His forgiveness and mercy lest, due to human limitations, some defects should remain in its full execution. The Surah proceeds to say that because of lack of proper realization of the import of the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah the believers were downcast. God would send down solace and tranquillity on them and their faith would increase, while the false satisfaction and delight of disbelievers would be short-lived. The believers are further told that they should not have doubted the wisdom of the Prophet’s action in signing the Treaty since he was God’s " "2936 Messenger and all his actions were done under His direction and guidance. Their duty was ""to believe in him, help him, and honour him "". Further, the Surah says that believers earned the pleasure of God when they swore allegiance to the Prophet under ""the tree"" that they would stand by him through thick and thin, even unto death. It was God’s own plan that fighting did not take place because in Mecca there lived tru e and sincere Muslims whom believers did not know, and some of whom would have unwittingly been killed, though disbelievers also would certainly have suffered a crushing defeat, since it is God’s unalterable law that disbelief should suffer defeat when it is face to face with belief. Next, the hypocrites and the laggers-behind receive a severe rebuke and their hypocrisy is exposed. Whenever the y are invited to fight in the cause of God, the Surah says, they invent false excuses to justify their tarrying behind, but by their foolish subterfuges they deceive no one but themselves, and their false excuses would not save them from Divine punishment that is in store for them . Towards the close, the Surah reverts to the subject that not only would the Treaty of Hudaibi yyah prove a great victory but other victories would also follow in its wake, and the neighbouring countries would fall to the victorious arms of Muslims, because it is decreed in the heavens that Islam, being the last Divine Message, should prevail over all religions and mankind should worship one God and follow one Prophet. " "PT.26 CH.48 2937 (AL-FATH) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.3816A 2.Verily, We have granted thee a clear victory, 3817 aSee 1:1. 3816A. Commentary: See 1:1. 3817 . Commentary: The reference in the words ""a clear victory "" seems to be to the Treaty of Hudaibi yyah. It is remarkable that though, during the previous brief six years of his life a t Medina, the Holy Prophet had gained great victories over his enemies which had crippled and crushed their fighting power, yet none of them is call ed ""a clear victory "" in the Quran. It was reserved for the Treaty of Hudaibi yyah to receive this single honour, in s pite of the fact that its terms were seemingly so humiliating that the M uslims were greatly perturbed over this apparently rude rebuff to the prestige of Islam, and even a stalwart like ‘Umar exclaimed in extreme grief and indignation that had the terms been settled by any other person than the Holy Prophet, he would have scorned to listen to them (Hish am). The Treaty was indeed a great victory in that it opened the way to the expansion an d spread of Islam and led to the Fall of Mecca and ultimately to the conquest of the whole of Arabia. It proved to be a master stroke of strategy as the Holy Prophet’s ""political status as an equal and independent power was acknowledged by the Quraish "" (Mohammad at Medina by Montgomery Watt). As the Treaty of Hudaibiy yah constitutes a great landmark in the early history of Islam and as it forms the principal topic dealt with in the Surah under comment, it needs to be treated at some length. The Holy Prophet had seen a vision that he was making a circuit of the Ka‘ba h along with a party of his followers. In fulfilment of his vision, the Prophet started for Mecca with about 1500 Muslims to perform the Lesser Pilgrimage in 6 A .H., in the month of Dhu l-Qa‘dah, o ne of the four sacred months in which, according to Arab tradition and usage, fighting was forbidden, even before Islam. When he reached ‘Usf an, a place a few miles distant from Mecca, he was informed by an advance party whom he had sent under the command of ‘Abb ad bin Bishar that the Quraish were bent upon barring his entry into Mecca. In order to avoid an armed clash the Prophet changed his route and ""after a " "CH.48 AL-FAT H PT.26 2938 fatiguing march through devious and rugged pathways reached Hudai- biyyah,"" where he encamped. The Prophet had declared t hat he would accept all the demands of the Quraish for the honour of the Holy Place (Hish am), but the Quraish were firmly resolved not to allow him to enter Mecca, whatever he might say or do. Messages were exchanged in an atte mpt to find a solution to the impass e. After heated and protracted parleys in which the Holy Prophet left no stone unturned, even at the cost of his prestige, to arrive at a reasonable compromise with the Quraish, a treaty was signed of which the terms were : War shall be suspended for ten years. Whosoever would like to join the Holy Prophet or enter into treaty with h im, shall have liberty to do so. The same will apply to whosoever would like to join the Quraish o r enter into treaty with them. If a believing man goes over to the Prophet from Mecca without the permission of his guardian, he shall be sent back to his guardian; but should any of the followers of the Prophet return to the Quraish, they shall not be sent back. The Prophet shall retire this year without entering the city. Next year he and his Companions may visit Mecca only for three days to perform عمرة( Lesser Pilgrimage), but they shall carry no arms save sheathed swords (Bukh ari, Hish am & Muir). The terms of the Treaty were demonstr ably very humiliating. The Muslims were greatly upset. No words could adequately describe their grief, and sense of humiliation and injured pride. The third term was particularly galling. But the Holy Prophet was quite calm and tranquil. Being convinced of the moral force of Islam, he knew that ""a believer who had once tasted the sweetness of faith would prefer to be cast into fire than to revert to disbelief "" (Bukh ari), and that he would be a source of strength to his religion and other believers wherever he might happen to be. The case of Ab u Basir, and that of Ab u Jandal and their associates fully justified his conviction. He wanted to have a peaceful atmosphere. He knew that a peaceful soil was most congenial for the spread of Islam, and Islam did spread very rapidly after the signing of the Treaty of Hudaibi yyah. When as a resu lt of violation by the Quraish of the terms of the Treaty, the Prophet marched on Mecca two years later, ten thousand faithful Companions were under his command, instead of the paltry 1500 who were with him on the occasion of the signing of the Treaty. Thus the Treaty and its aftermath gave in advance the direct lie to the false and foolish propaganda that was to be conducted by Christian missionaries in our own time, that Islam was propagated by the sword. One immediate effect of the Treaty was that the tribes of Ban u Khuz a‘ah entered into an alliance with the Holy Prophet, while the Ban u Bakar sided with the Quraish, an incident which 1ater on led to the march on Mecca . The Trea ty did indeed prove to be ""a clear victory. "" The Companions of the " "PT.26 AL-FAT H CH.48 2939 Holy Prophet were rightly proud of being present on the occasion, and quite justified in regarding the signing of the Treaty, and not the conquest of Mecca as ""the victory referred to in the present verse "" (Bukh ari). According to them n o victory was greater and more far- reaching in its results and effects than this Treaty (Hish am). And the Holy Prophet himself called it a victory (Baihaq i as quoted by Zurq ani). 3818 . Important Words: یغفرل( that He may cover up). They say املتاعغفر i.e. he put the goods into the bag and covered and protected them. غفران and مغفرة both infinitive nouns mean, protection and preservation. مغفر means, helmet and غفارة means, cloth worn beneath the veil to keep it clean (Lane, Mufrad at & Aqrab). See also 2:59; 14:42 & 40:56. ذنبک( thy shortc omings). هذنب means, he followed his trail, not q uitting his track. ذنب therefore, signifies such natural failings or frailties as adh ere to human nature. أذنب means, he committed a sin, a crime, a misdemeanour, fault, etc. According to Im am R aghib ذنب means, such errors and mistakes as bring about a harmful result. It di ffers from اثم in being either intentional or committed through inadvertence while اثم is peculiarly intentional (Lane). See also 3:17. Commentary: The verse has been deliberately misrepresented, or, through lack of knowledge of Arabic idiom and phrase, misinterpreted, by Christian missionaries as signifying that the Holy Prophet was guilty of some moral lapses. But it bears no such construction. It is an article of faith with Muslims, as enjoined by the Quran that God’s Prophets are born sinless and they remain sinless throughout their lives. They are incapable of saying or doing anything contrary to Divine commandments (21:28). As they are commissioned by God to purge men of sins, they cannot themselves commit sins. And of Divine Messengers the Holy Prophet was the noblest and the purest. The Quran abounds in verses which speak in glowing terms of the purity and spotlessness of his life. Here are a few of them: (a) Say, if you love Alla h, follow me; then will Allah love you (3:32). (b) Verily, Allah has conferred a favour on the believers by raising among them a Messenger from among themselves, who recites to them 3.That Allah may cover up for thee thy shortcomings, past and future, and that He may complete His favour upon thee, and may guide thee on a right path;3818 " "CH.48 AL-FAT H PT.26 2940 His signs, and purifies them and teaches them the Book and wisdom (3:165). (c) Say, my Prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of all the worlds (6:163). (d) Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet, the Immaculate (sinless) One …(7:158). (e) O ye who believe! respond to Allah, and the Messenger when he (the Messenger) calls you that he may give you life (8:25) . (f) Verily, you have in the Prophet of Allah an excellent model (33:22). (g) Verily, those who swear allegiance to thee, indeed, swear allegiance to Allah (48:11). (h) Your Compan ion has neither erred, nor has he gone astray, nor does he speak out of his own desire (53:3-4). (i ) And thou dost surely possess very high moral excell ences (68:5). ( j) A noble Messenger, possessor of power, established in the presence of the Lord of the Throne, one who should be obeyed and who is faithful to his trust (8 1:20- 22). A man of such high moral stature, as the Holy Prophet, who raised a whol e people sunk into the lowest depths of mora l turpitude to the highest pinnacles of spiritual eminence, co uld not possibly be guilty of such moral lapses as his detractors seek to impute to him. A quite simple and harmless word — ذنب —is taken advantage of to malign him. The word, among other things, signifies such frailties as adhere to human nature, and errors as are calculated to bring about harmful results. In this sense of the word the verse signifies that God would protect the Holy Prophet from the harmful results that would follow in the wake of the promised victory ref erred to in the preceding verse, inasmuch as, large masses of people would enter the fold of Islam, and naturally their moral and spiritual training and upbringing would not be of the desired standard. That is why wherever in the Qur an success and victories are promised to the Holy Prop het, he is enjoined to seek protection of God from his ذنب i.e. human weakness which might stand in the way of the realization of his great mission which is the spread and expansion of Islam and the creation of a disciplined community of high morals. The f act that of the four words جناح and جرم and اثم and ذنب, which possess almost similar connotations, the first three have not been used in the Qur an with regard to Prophets of God, shows that ذنب does not possess the sinister meaning which the other three words possess. Besides, according to the Quranic idiom, the expression ذنبک,if at all ذنب be taken to signify a sin or crime, would mean ""the sins attributed to thee or alleged to have been committed by thee or the sins committed against thee. "" Elsewhere in the Qur an (5:30) a similar expression یاث ( my sin) means, the sin committed against me. Thus the verse under comment means that as a result of the great victory, i.e. the Treaty of Hudaibi yyah, all the sins and crimes and faults which his enemies imputed to the Holy Prophet, viz. that he was a cheat, an impostor or forger of lies " "PT.26 AL-FATH CH.48 2941 against God and man, etc., would prove to be false, inasmuch as all sorts of people by coming into contact with Muslims would find out the truth about him. Moreover, the context also supports this meaning because grant of a clear victory and the completion of Divine favour upon the Holy Prophet, referred to in this and the preceding verse do not seem to possess any relevance to the forgiveness of sins, if ﺐﻧذ be taken to mean a sin. And the expression ﮏﻟ may also mean ""for thy sake"". The words ""past and present"" signify that the charges that have been levelled against the Holy Prophet in the past by the Quraish and those that will be levelled against him in future by his enemies, will all be dispelled and he will stand completely vindicated. The words seem to embody a great prophecy that in some future time the Holy Prophet will be misrepresented and misunderstood but that all misunderstandings will eventually be dissipated and Islam will shine forth in full glory, and its superiority will be established over all rival Faiths. 3819. Commentary:Allah’s help came in the form of the rapid spread of Islam in Arabia after the signing of the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah, and the Holy Prophet was acknowledged as the Head of an independent sovereign State. 3820. Commentary:Twice, in this Surah has the statement been made that ""God sent down tranquillity upon the believers"" (see v. 27) and twice the declaration that ""to Allah belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth."" These expressions show that though, due to a misunderstanding about the terms of the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah, the believers were temporarily perturbed, they never lost peace of mind so far as fighting in the cause of Allah was concerned, and were fully convinced that divine hosts were with them. That is why when a false news reached Hudaibiyyah that ‘Uthman, the Prophet’s envoy to the Meccans, had been killed, and the Prophet invited Muslims to take a solemn oath at his hand that they would 4. And that Allah may help thee with a mighty help.3819 5. He it is Who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believersa that they might add faith to their faith—band to Allah belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is All-Knowing, Wise—3820 a9:26. b33:10; 74:32. " "CH.48 AL-FAT H PT.26 2942 avenge the death of ‘Uthm an and would fight under his banner to the bitter end, all of them took the oath without evincing the least hesitation. 3821. Important Words: ةدائر ( calamity) is derived from دار which means, it (an event) came about. دار الدھر means, the time took a turn; it changed. الکأس مھیندار ب means, the wine- cup went round them. ةدائر means, the circuit of a thing; an evil turn of fortune; calamity; defeat; rout; slaughter; death. الدوائر مھیدارت عل mean s, calamities befell them (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse means that every turn of fortune adds to the faith of believers and any addition to faith of believers increases the heart- burning and jealousy of disbelievers and the hypocrites. The latter had entertained the false hope that the terms of the Treaty of Hudaibi yyah would bring about a weakening of faith among the believers but the opposite happened and this caused heart-6.That He may mak e the believing men and the believing women enter the Gardens beneath which streams flow, wherein they will abide, and that aHe may remove their evils from them —and that, in the sight of Allah, is the supreme triumph — 7.And that He may punish the hypocritical men and the hypocritical womenb, and the idolatrous men and the idolatrous women, who entertain evil thoughts concerning Allah. cOn them shall fall an evil calamity; and the wrath of Allah is upon them. And He has cursed the m, and has prepared Hell for them. And that indeed is an evil destination.3821 a8:30; 64:10; 66:9. b33:25. c9:98. " "PT.26 AL-FAT H CH.48 2943 burning among them. 3822 . Commentary: The verse warns disbelievers and hypocrites that all their evil thoughts and designs against believers would do the latter no harm, because Allah is with them and His hosts are at their back. 3822A. Commentary: The verse refers to three attributes of the Holy Prophet. He was شاھد i.e. his whole life constituted a stand ing testimony to the existence of the Almighty God Who gave him success against very heavy odds. He was مبشر because he gave believers th e glad tidings of bliss and benediction in this life as well as in the life to come, and he was یرنذ( Warner) for those who rejected his Message. 3823 . Commentary: The reference in the verse is to the oath taken by the believers at the hands of the Holy Prophet under a tree at Hudaibiyyah when a rumour reached him that ‘Uthm an, his special envoy, had been killed by the Meccans. The believers were asked to 8. aAnd to Allah belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is Mighty, Wise.3822 9.We have sent thee as a witness and ba bearer of glad tidings and a Warner,3822A 10.That you should believe in Allah and His Messenger, and may help him, and honour himc, and that you may glorify Him morning and evening. 11.Verily, those who swear allegiance to thee indeed swear allegiance to Allah. The hand of Allah is over their hands. So whoever breaks his oath, breaks it to his own loss; and whoever fulfils the covenant that he has made with Allah, He will surely give him a great reward.3823 aSee 48 :5. b25:57; 33:46; 35:25. c5:13. " "CH.48 AL-FAT H PT.26 2944 declare on solemn oath that they would stand by the Holy Prophet at all costs and would fight under his banner to the bitter end. 3824. Commentary: Reference in this verse is to those Bedouin tribes around Medina who apparently had friendly relations with the Muslims. These tribes were also invited to join the party of 1500 Muslims who were going to Mecca to perform the Lesser Pilgrimage ( عمرة .) Though the Prophet was going on a mission of peace, these desert tribes thought that the Quraish would not allow his entry into Mecca and that in all likelihood there would be a clash of arms and Muslims not being properly armed would be defeated, and therefore going with the Holy Prophet was tantamount to marching into the jaws of d eath (Muir, Hish am & Kathir). The verse may equally apply to those tribes who had remained behind in the expedition to Tab uk because analogous words have been used in Surah At-Tauba h about them. 3825. Commentary: Wish being father to the thought, the hypocrites, whenever invited by R. 2. 12.Those of the desert Arabs, who contrived to be left behind, will say to thee, a‘Our possessions and our families kept us occupied, so ask forgiveness for us.’ bThey say with their tongues that which is not in their hearts. Say, ‘cWho can avail you aught against Allah, if He intends you some harm, or if He intends you some benefit? Nay, Allah is Well- Aware of what you do.3824 13.‘Nay, you thought that the Messenger and the believers would never come back to their families, and that was made to appear pleasing to your hearts, and you thought an evil thought, and you were a ruined people.’3825 a102:2. b3:168. c13:17; 25:4 . " "PT.26 AL-FAT H CH.48 2945 the Prophet to join him in an expedition, entertained the fond hope that Muslims being very weak would never come back safe to their families. Therefore, on one pretext or another, they requested to be excused. But their wishful thinking, says the verse, always ended in frustration and severe disappointment, and the Muslims returned successful from almost every expedition. 3826. Commentary: The reference in the words, ""When you go forth to the spoils that you take them, "" is to the booty which fell into the hands of Muslims in the Khaibar expedition. The Surah under comment was revealed to the Prophet when he was on his way back from Hudaibi yyah . In v. 20, the Muslims have been promised great spoils. It is to these spoils that the present verse refers. Having returned from Hudaibi yyah, the Prophet, after a short stay at Medina, marched against the Jews of Khaibar to punish them 14.And as for those who believe not in Allah and His Messenger —aWe have surely prepared for the disbelievers a blazing fire. 15. bAnd to Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. cHe forgives whom He pleas es, and punishes whom He pleases . And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful. 16.Those who contrived to be left behind will say, when you go forth to the spoils to take them, ‘Let us follow you.’ They seek to change the decree of Allah. Say, ‘You shall not follow us. Thus has Allah said beforehand.’ Then they will say, ‘Nay, but you envy us.’ Not so, in fact they understand not except a little.3826 a18:103; 29:69; 33:9; 76:5. b40:17. c3:130; 5:19. " "CH.48 AL-FAT H PT.26 2946 for their repeated acts of treachery. Those Bedouin tribes who had contrived to remain behind when the Prophet went to Mecca for the Lesser Pilgrimage, finding that his cause had prospered and that they would have a good share of the booty if they joined the expedition to Khaibar, requested the Prophet to b e allowed to accompany the Muslim army. They were told that they could not do so as the promise of booty was made only to those sincere Muslims who were with th e Holy Prophet at Hudaibiyyah . 3827. Commentary: The words ""a people of mighty valour, "" may r efer to the mighty forces of the Byzantine and Iranian Empires which were far superior in means, material and numbers than any other enemy the Muslims had met so far. The verse constituted a warning that the Muslims would come into conflict with those mighty foes and would have to wage prolonged wars with them till the latter were broken and brought to their knees. The laggards are thus told that though they cannot be allowed to march against the Jews of Khaibar and partake of the booty, yet in the near future they would be called upon to fight against a much more powerful foe and, if they then responded to the call, they would receive a good reward. The verse also signifies that wars with the Byzantine and Iranian Empires would be fi erce and long. 17.Say to the desert Arabs who contrived to be left behind, ‘You shall be called to fight against a people of mighty valour ; you shall fight them until they surrender. Then, if you obey, Allah will give you a good reward, but if you turn your backs, as you turned your backs before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.’ 3827 18. aThere is no blame on the blind, nor is there blame on the lame, nor is there blame on the sick, if they go not forth to fight . bAnd whoso obeys Allah and His Messenger, He will make a9:91.b4:14; 24:53; 33:72. " "PT.26 AL-FAT H CH.48 2947 3827A. Commentary: The disbelievers have repeatedly been threatened with ""a grievous and burning punishment "" in the Surah . This is to warn them that the terms of the Treaty of Hudaibi yyah over which they and their fellows had gloated, would prove for them an abiding source of ignominious heart-burning. 3828 . Commentary: The swearing of allegiance referred to in the verse took place at Hudaibi yyah under an acacia tree after a report had reached the Holy Prophet that in breach of ambassadorial usage or etiquette his envoy, ‘Uthm an, had been killed at Mecca. It was, perhaps, not so much the reported murder of ‘Uthm an as the violation of a sacred and time- honoured custom that exhausted the Prophet’s patience. He invited his followers to take a solemn oath at his hand that they would fight the Quraish to the last breath of their lives. The oath came to be known as Bai‘atu r-Ridwan, which signified that those lucky people who had taken the oath had obtained God’s pleasure. The words, ""He knew what was in their hearts, "" mean that God was well conversant with the state of their minds, viz. that they were quite honest and sincere in their oaths and were anxious to vindicate their sincerity with their blood. What greater proof could there be that ""God sent down tranquillity on Muslims, "" than that, being only about 1500 in number and being far away from home, friendless and surrounded by hostile tribes and faced by a powerful enemy who was entrenched in his citadel, the Muslims were prepared to fight rather than agree to the proposed terms of the Treaty. The expression, ""He rewarded them with a victory near at hand "" refers to the victory of Khaibar. On his ret urn from Hudaibi yyah the Pro phet led an him enter the Gardens beneath which streams flow; but whoso turns his back, him will He punish with a grievous punishment.3827A R. 3. 19.Surely, Allah was well pleased with the believers when they were swearing allegiance to thee under the Tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down tranquillity on them, and He rewarded them with a victory at hand;3828 " "CH.48 AL-FAT H PT.26 2948 expedition against the Jews of Khaibar (a great hotbed of Jewish intrigue and conspiracy) with those Muslims who were with him at Hudaibi yyah. Judged by worldly standards of political strategy, and in view of the apparently humiliating terms of the Treaty and of the feeling of frustration that some of the Compani ons felt at those terms, the Holy Prophet should have been a beaten and embittered man, yet God has styled the Treaty ""a clear victory "" (v. 2), ""a grand achievement "" (v. 6); ""a mighty reward "" (v. 11); and ""the completion and perfection of His favour on the Prophet "" (v. 3). What was it that made this ""humiliating "" Treaty such a significant event in the annals of Islam? The answer is: Because it opened the floodgates of spiritual and political conquests for Islam. The signing of the Treaty of Hudaibi yyah was immediately followed by the conquest of Khaibar, a Jewish stronghold and a source of great danger and anxiety for Muslims. Besides, the Islamic Republic at Medina came to be recognized as an independent sovereign state, and within the brief space of three or four years the whole of Arabia was at the feet of the Holy Prophet, followed by a chain of victories which culminated in the defeat and destruction of the great and powerful Byzantine and Iranian Empires. 3829. Commentary: ""Great Spoils "" may refer to the great gains which the Muslims got as a result of the ""near victory "" promised in the preceding verse. The repeated mention in the Surah of the Divine attributes ""Mighty,"" ""Wise "" and ""Powerful over all things "" seems to signify that the seemingly humiliating Treaty of Hudaibiyyah proved a source of great power for Muslims, a s it had been signed by the Prophet in obedience to God’s command Who is Mighty, Wise and Powerful. 3830. Commentary: ""Great Spoils "" mentioned here may refer to the great booty which fell into 20.And great spoils that they will take. All ah is Mighty, Wise. 3829 21.Allah has promised you great spoils that you will take, and He has given you this in advance, and has arestrained the hands of men from you, that it may be a Sign for the believers, and that He may guide you on a right path.3830 a5:12. " "PT.26 AL-FAT H CH.48 2949 the hands of Muslims in the conquests which followed the victor y at Khaibar, in the rest of Arabia and the neighbouring countries, but the words ""He has given you this in advance, "" evidently refer to the spoils gained at Khaibar. The words فعجل لکم ھذہ may also signify the good things of the present life. The words, ""has restrained the hands of men from you"", mean that the Treaty of Hudaibi yyah had ushered in a period of peace for Muslims. 3831. Commentary: The verse embodies a prophecy that Muslims will achieve other great victories after the victory of Khaibar. 3832 . Commentary: The verse purports to say that whenever true believers will stand facing disbelievers in battle array, the disbelievers would suffer defeat. The verse may also mean that if fighting had broken out at Hudaibiy yah the disbelievers would certainly have suffered defe at. 3833. Commentary: The verse means that it has always been the Law of God that truth must ultimately triumph and falsehood suffer defeat; and God’s Law knows no change. This fact is writ large on the face of human history . 22.And He has promised you another victory, which you have not yet achieve d, but Allah has surely compassed it. And Allah has p ower over all things.3831 23.And if those who disbelieve should fight you, they would certainly turn their backs; then they would find neither protector nor helper.3832 24. aSuch has ever been the law of Allah; and thou shalt not find any change in the law of Allah.3833 25.And He it is Who withheld their hands from you and your hands from them in the vall ey of Mecca, after He had given a17:78; 33:63; 35:44. " "CH.48 AL-FAT H PT.26 2950 3834. Commentary: The words ""after He had given you victory over them, "" may signify that in view of the circumstances in which the Muslims were th en placed and of the far-reaching results it produced, the Treaty of Hudaibiy yah was tantamount to a great victory. The words may also refer to the victories that God h ad granted to Muslims before they came to Hudaibi yyah — the victory at Badr, the safe ret urn of Muslims and the Holy Prophet to Medina from Uhud after they had been placed in a very dangerous and delicate situation, and the complete frustration of the Meccans in their evil designs to destroy Islam in the Battle of the Ditch when they were repulsed with severe loss, etc. In a sense these were all victories of believers over disbelievers. 3835 . Important Words: معرة( blame) is derived from عرyou victory over them. And Allah sees all that you do.3834 26.It is they who disbelieved and ahindered you from the Sacred Mosque and bthe offering which was prevented from reaching its place of sacrifice. And had it not been for some believing men and believing women whom you knew not and whom you might have trampled down unwittingly, so that blame might have attached to you on their account, He would have permitted you to fight but He withheld you that He might admit into His mercy whom He will. If they had been separated from the disbelievers, We would have surely punished those of them who disbelieved with a grievou s punishment.3835 a8:35; 16:89; 22:26; 43:38 . b2:197. " "PT.26 AL-FAT H CH.48 2951 (‘arra ). They say عرت االبل i.e. the camels were or became mangy or scabby. عرہ means, he did to him an abominable thing ; he did t o him what he disliked; he disgraced him. عرہ بشر means, he aspersed him or charged or upbraided him with evil, or he wronged him. معرة means, a cause of reviling or being reviled ; a crime or sin that is no xious like mange or scab; a foul or abominable thing; a caus e of grief or vexation; disgrace; annoyance, hurt, harm or injury (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse means that though the Meccans gloated over the terms of the Treaty of Hudaibi yyah which, in their ignorance, they thought were very advantageous to them and humiliating for Muslims, and though the latter feeling that the terms were being forcibly wrung from them were crestfallen and did not know that in reality th e terms had laid the foundations of a very prosperous and bright future for Islam, yet God ha d His own design in not permitting the fight to take place. There was a nucleus of Muslims in Mecca and if the fight had taken place, the Muslim army would have unknowingly killed their own brethren in faith, thereby causing great injury to their own cause, and earning obloquy and opprobrium for themselves. In fact, from whatever angle the Treaty of Hudaibi yyah may be viewed it was indeed a great victory. 3836 . Important Words: ةمحی( prideful indignation) is inf. noun from محی which means, he refused to bear or endure or tolerate wrongful treatmen t. They say او همحی عن همن i.e. he was ashamed, and he disdained or scorned to do it. همحی علی means, he was angry with him. ةمحی (syn. ةأنف and غریة )means, disdain,27.When those who disbelieved harboured in their hearts prideful indignation, the indignation of the Days of Ignorance, aAllah sent down His tranquillity on His Messenger and on the believers, and made them adhere firmly to the principle of righteousness, and they were better entitled to it and more worthy of it. And Allah knows everything full well.3836 a9:26. " "CH.48 AL-FAT H PT.26 2952 scorn or indignation; jealousy; indignation which is the result of a feeling of pride (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse means that against their own tradition and usage that acces s to, and the circuit of, the Ka ‘bah was not to be prevented in the four Sacred Months, the pagans of Mecca, from a false sense of dignity and national pride, had made it a point of honour with them not to allow Muslims to enter Mecca and perform the Lesser Pilgrimage ( ةعمر .)But ""Allah sent His tranquillity "" upon the Muslims and though they were greatly upset over the seemingly humiliating terms of the Treaty, yet in deference to the command of their noble Master they bore it all with becoming restrai nt and patien t and did not abandon the path of rectitude and righteousness under the most severe provocation. The Companions of the Holy Prophet alone were capable of setting such a noble example. 3837. Commentary: The Holy Prophet had seen a vision that he was p erforming the circuit of the Ka‘ba h with his Compa nions (Bukh ari). The Prophet set out for Mecca with about 1500 of his Companions to perform the Lesser Pilgrimage. It is to this ""vision "" that the verse under comment refers. The Prophet was not allowed access to the Ka‘bah by the Quraish. On the contrary, he had to sign a treaty of which the terms as ment ioned above seemed to be very humi liating and hurtful to the Muslims’ self-respect. They were highly upset, the illustrious ‘Umar, more than anyone else, not only at the terms, but also at the fact that the vision as he understood it had not been fulfilled, could not understand how the Prophet’s journey had served its purpose. He was not quite satisfied with the explanation that the vision did not signify the Pilgrimage would be perform ed that very year. He was R. 4. 28.Surely has Allah fulfilled for His Messenger the vision. You will certainly enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah will, in security, some having their heads shaven, and others having their hair cut short; and you will have no fear. But He knew what you knew no t. He has, in fact, ordained for you, besides that, a victory near at hand.3837 " "PT.26 AL-FAT H CH.48 2953 in this frame of mind when, on the way back to Medina, this Surah was revealed and the Prophet called for him and recited it to him. The Surah was clear and emphatic that the Prophet’s vision was true and that the Muslims would most certainly enter the Ka‘ba h and perform the ceremonies of the Lesser Pilgrimage. The Prophet’s journey, besides serving other useful purp oses to which reference is already made, established an important precedent that sometimes even great Prophets of God are liable to place seemingly erroneous interpretations on their visio ns. 3838 . Commentary: In the preceding verse reference was made to the vision of the Holy Prophet which had brought about the Treaty of Hudaibi yyah which in turn 29. aHe it is Who has sent His Messenger, with guidance and the Religion of Truth, that He may make it prevail over all other religions. And bsufficient is Allah as a Witness.3838 30.Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. And those who are with him are chard against the disbelievers and tender among themselves. Thou seest them bowing and prostrating themselves in Prayer, dseeking Allah’s grace and ple asure. Their mark is upon their faces, being the traces of prostrations. This is their description in the Torah. And their description in the Gospel is like unto a seed- produce that sends forth its sprout, then makes it strong; it then becomes thick, and stands a61:10. b4:167; 6:20; 13:44; 29:53. c9:123. d59:9. " "CH.48 AL-FAT H PT.26 2954 led to the very rapid expansion of Islam in Arabia and to its consolidation, and ultimately to the Fall of Mecca and the submission of the whole of Arabia to the Holy Prophet . The present verse makes a very bold prophecy to the effect that not only would Islam prevail in Arabia but would also eventually triumph over all other religions. The signs of the fulfilment of this prophecy are already in evidence. 3839 . Important Words: أشداء( hard) is the plural of شدید which is derived from شد which means, he was o r became strong . شد عیل عدوہ means, he attacked his enemy. شدید means, firm or firm of heart; strong; compact; powerful; robust; courageous ; brave; keen or tenacious; niggardly; avaricious ; exalted (Lane & Aqrab). سیما( mark) is derived from سوم (saw wama). They say سوم الفرس i.e. h e put a mark upon the horse; he put the mark with iron such as is used for branding or with something whereby he should be known. سیما or ةسوم means, a mark, sign or token or badge by which a thing is known or by which the good is known from the bad (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The preceding verse had made a great prophecy about the eventual triumph of Islam over all other religious systems. The verse unde r comment signifies that the foundation of the grand and glorious future of Islam have already been lai d by ""Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah and those who are with him, "" and mentions some of the noble qualities of good and sincere believers, through whose selfless efforts this consummation will be brought about. They are brave, firm and courageous and not susceptible to the evil influenc es of bad per sons and environment ; on the contrary, they are loving and kind towards each other. These are the two essential characteristics of a progressive an d rising people who seek to leave their mark on the course of world events. Elsewhere in the Quran (5:55) the true and good Muslims have been described as الکافرینة عیل املؤمننی أعزة عیل أذل i.e. firm on its stem, delighting the sowers —that He may cause the disbelievers to burn with rage at the sight of them. Allah has promised, unto those of them who believe and do good works, forgiveness and a great reward.3839 " "PT.26 AL-FAT H CH.48 2955 kind and humble towards believers and hard and firm against disbelievers. The words, ""this is their description in the Torah,"" may refer to the Biblical description, viz. ""he shined forth from mount Paran and he came with ten thousands of saint s"" (Deut. 33:2). And the expression, ""and their description in the Gospel is like unto a seed-produce "" may refer to another Biblical parable, viz. ""Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed seeds some fell into good ground, and brought forth f ruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold "" (Matt. 13:3-8). The former description seems to apply to the Companions of the Holy Prophet and the latter parable to the followers of Jesus’ Counterpart, the Promised Messiah, who, from very small and insignificant beginning s, are destined to develop into a mighty organization and gradually but progressively to carry the Message of Islam to the ends of the earth till it will prevail and triumph over all religions, and its opponents will wonder at, and be jealous of, its power and prestige. " "2956 CHAPTER 49 AL-H UJURAT (Revealed after Hijrah ) Title, Context, and Date of Revelation By common consent this is a Medinite Surah . It was revealed in th e 9th year of H ijrah, after the Fall of Mecca. The Surah takes its title from its 5th verse in which calling out to the Holy Prophet from behind the Hujur at (private compartments) has been strongly condemned, since shouti ng out to him is bad manners and is also likely to intrude upon his privacy and precious time. As with the Fall of Mecca Islam had become a great political power, and large masses of people had entered its fold, the Surah was revealed to teach good manners and morals to the newly-initiated people. The Surah also deals with some social evils which find their way into a m aterially advanced and wealthy society (the Muslims had become such a society after the conquest of Arabia), and speaks of the accession to Islam of great political power and material wealth. Naturally, the Surah also embodies regulations for the settlement of international disputes. Summary of Subject Matter The Surah opens with strict injunctions to Muslims to show full regard and respect to the Holy Prophet which befits his station as a Divine Messenger. They are also enjoined not to anticipate his decisions but to give unquestioning obedience to his commands . They are further enjoined not to raise their voices above his voice; this not only constitutes bad manners but also shows lack of proper respect which is calculated to undermine discipline in the Muslim Community. The Surah then warns Muslims to be on their guard against giving credence to false rumours, as such rumours, if readily accepted as true, without being subjected to sifting and searching examination, are calculated to land Muslims into very awkward situations. It further lays down, in brief words, rules, on whic h, if carried out with sincere i ntent and honest motives, a League of Nations or a U nited Nations Organisation can be bu ilt on sound and solid foundations. Next, the Surah, mentions some socia l evils which, if not effectivel y checked in time, eat into the vitals of a community and undermine its whole social structure. Of these social evil s the common ones are suspicion, false accusation, spying, backbiting, and the most pronounced and far- reaching in its evil consequences, viz. conceit and pride born of a false sense of racial superiority . The Quran recognizes no basis of superiority save that of piety and righteous conduct. " "2957 The Surah ends on the note that true and sincere belief is a divine favour and the test of a true believer lies in the fact that if once he has given his allegiance to a noble cause, he strives with his whole being to p romote it. " "CH.49 PT.26 2958 (AL-HUJURA T) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.3840 2.O ye who believe! be not forward in the presence of Allah and His Messenger, but fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All- Hearing, All-Knowing.3841 3.O ye who believe! raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor speak aloud to him, as you speak aloud to one another, lest your works become vain while you perceive not.3842 4.Verily, those who lower their voices in the presence of the aSee 1:1. 3840. Commentary: See 1:1. 3841. Commentary: Mecca had fal len. The who le of Arabia lay prostrate at the Prophet’s feet. Life had become quite safe and secure for Muslims and wealth and great riches had come into their possession. A life of ease and comfort generally follows in the wake of riches, resulting in lack of discipline and other very se rious social evils. Therefore rules of conduct have been revealed in this Surah to safeguard the Mus lim Community against these evils. They ar e told to show proper respect and regard for the Holy Prophet and to give him unqualified obedience and not to anticipate his commands or to prefer their own wishes to his. 3842. Commentary: The verse lays great st ress on observing an attitude of utmost respectfulness towards the Holy Prophet . The Muslims should not talk loudly in his presence or address him aloud. This is not only bad manners " "PT.26 AL-HUJUR AT CH.49 2959 but is calculated to do moral injury to one so rude as not to show res pect due to the Leader. 3843 . Important Words: امتحن is derived from حمن . They say, حمن فالنا i.e. he tried or put to the t est such a one. عشرین سوطا هحمن means, he flogged him with twenty stripes. ةحمن الفض means, he purified the silver by putting it in the fire. حمن البئر means, he took out the earth from the well and cleared it (Ta j & Raghib). Commentar y: To speak in low tones in the presence of the Prophet is indicative of respect for him and of one’s own humility of heart which is a good moral quality; while unnecessarily raising of voice smacks of conceit and arrogance. 3844. Commentary: Calling out to the Prophet in a loud voice from outside his house amounts to intruding upon his privacy and shows lack of respect for his person and for his valuable time; and only an ill-mannered person would be guilty of such foolish behaviour. Messenger of Allah —those are they whose hearts Allah has purified for righteousness. For them is forgiveness and a great reward.3843 5.Those who shout out to thee from without thy private apartments —most of them lack understanding.3844 6.And if they had waited patien tly until thou came out to them it would be better for them. But Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful. 7.O ye who believe! if an unrighteous person brings you any news, ainvestigate it fully, lest you harm a people in ignorance, and then be a4:95. " "CH.49 AL-HUJUR AT PT.26 2960 3845 . Commentary: Though after the Fall of Mecca, at the time when this Surah was revealed, almost the whole of Arabia had entered the fold of Islam. Some tribes still refused to accep t the new order of things and were determined upon fighting the Muslims to the bitter end. Moreover, the neighbouring Byzantine and Persian Empires were awakening to a realization of the challenge to their power which they thought had arisen in Arabia, and war with Islam seemed inevitable. So the direction embodied in the verse under c omment was necessary. The Muslims are told that even when the exigencies of war necessitate prompt action to forestall a military move on the enemy’s part, rumours which ar e naturally very much rife in time of war should not be given ready credence. They should be tested and their correctness ascertained before action is taken upon them. 3846. Commentary: The verse continues the general theme of the Surah, the immediately preceding verse constitut ing a necessary parenthesis. In the earlier verses the Muslims were enjoined to give unquestioning obedience to the Holy Prophet and to show respect to him which befitted his station as God’s great Prophet. In this verse they are told that the Prophet would seek their counsel in matters concerning them but he should not be expected to follow their advice as he received guidance from on high and because also his was the final responsibility, and their judg ement, at best, might be defective. It was enough for them that God, through His Grac e, ""has endeared faith to you. "" repentant for what you have done.3845 8.And know that among you is the Messenger of Allah; if he were to comply with your wishes in most matters, you would surely come to trouble; but Allah has endeared the faith to you and ahas made it look beautiful to your hearts, and He has made disbelief, w ickedness and disobedience hateful to you. Such indeed are those who follow the right course .3846 a6:109. " "PT.26 AL-HUJUR AT CH.49 2961 3847 . Commentary: The central theme of the Surah is the solidarity of Islam. Directions and rules of conduct which are calculated to achieve and maintain this solidarity have been laid down in it in some detail. Some of these rules have been mentioned in the pre ceding verses, others follow in the verses that come later. A great danger to the security and solidarity of the Muslim State or Community are the disputes and quarrels that haply might arise between different Muslim groups or parties. The verse under comm ent provides a most effective remedy to compose these quarrels. Primarily, the verse deals with the settlement of disputes between Muslim parties, but it equally embodies a sound basis on which a really effective ""League of Nations "" or a ""United Nations Organis ation "" can be built. The verse lays down the following principle s for the maintenance of international peace. As soon as there are indications of disagreement between two nations, the other nations, instead of taking sides with one or the other, should at once serve notice upon them, calling upon them to submit their differences for settlement to a ""League of Nations "" or ""United Nations Organi sation"", as the case may be. If they agree, the dispute will be amicably settled. But if one of them refuses to submit to the ""League"", or having submitted refuses to accept the award of the ""League "" and prepares to make war, the other nations should all fight it. It is evident that one nation, however strong, cannot withstand the united might of all other nation s and is bound to ma ke a speedy submission. In that event, terms of peace should be settled 9.Through the grace and favour of Allah. And Allah is All- Knowing, Wise. 10.And if two parties of believers fight each other, amake peace between them; then if after that one of them transgresses against the other, fight the party that transgresses until it returns to the command of Allah. Then if it returns, make peace between them with equity, and act justly. Verily, Allah loves the just.3847 a8:2. " "CH.49 AL-HUJUR AT PT.26 2962 between the two original parties to the dispute. The other nations should act merely as mediators and not as parties to the dispute, and should not put forward new claims arising out of the conflict with the refractory nation, for that would lay the foundation of fresh disputes and quarrels. The terms of peace should be just and equitable with reference to the merits of the dispute; they should be confined to the original dispute between the parties and should not be allowed to travel beyond it. It is only such a ""League"" or ""Organi sation"" which can safely be entrusted with the maintenance of international peace, not a League or Organi sation whose very existence is dependent upon the goodwill of others. 3848. Commentary: The verse lays special stress on Islamic brotherhood. Islam tolerates no discord or dissensions between brothers. If there happens to arise a quarrel or dispute between two Muslim individuals or groups, other Muslims are bound at once to bring about reconciliation between the quarrelling parties. Islam’s real strength lies in this ideal of brotherhood which transcends all barriers of caste, colour or clime. 3849. Important Words: ال تلمزوا( defame not) is derived from ملز .They say ملزہ i.e. he made a sign to11.Surely all believers are brothers. So make peace between your brothers, and fear Allah that mercy may be shown to you.3848 R. 2. 12.O ye who believe! let not one people deride another people, haply they may be better than they, nor let women deride other women, haply they may be better than they. aAnd defame not your own people, nor call one another by nicknames. Bad indeed is evil reputation after the profession of belief; and those who repent not, such are the wrongdoers.3849 a68:12; 104:2. " "PT.26 AL-HUJUR AT CH.49 2963 him with the eye, or the like, as the head, and the lip, with low speech. This is the original signification; according to some other authorities the primary signification of the expression is:(1) he pushed him or impelled him or repelled him or he struck or beat him; (2) he blamed, upbraided, or reproached him; he found fault with him; or he did so in his face; or he spoke evil of him; or spoke of him in a ma nner that he disliked, mentioning vices or faults as chargeable to him, either behind his back or in his face, though it might be with truth (Lane, Aqrab & R aghib). See also 104:2. ال تنابزوا (call not by nickna mes) is derived from نبز which means, he called him by a surname or nick- name and is syn. with هلقب ( laqqaba ), mostly signifying, he called him by a nickname, or a name of reproach or an opprobrious appellation. It also signifies, he upbraided or reproached him; or the like, being syn. with ملزہ (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: See next verse. 3850. Commentary: As stated above the principal theme of the Surah is the establishment of concord, amity and goodwill between Muslim individuals and groups and therefore it has mentioned some of those social evils which cause discord, dissensions and diff erences, and corrode, corrupt and conta minate a society, eating into its vitals, and enjoins Muslims to be on their guard against them. Ridiculing and taunting others, spying, and calling by nick- names, and suspicion and backbiting are some of these socia l evils. Women have been particularly mentioned here in that they are more prone t o fall a victim to these evils. The main cause, which lies at the root of these evils, is conceit and a false sense of superiority, which the next verse expressly deals with. By remov ing the basic causes of disharmony and disagreement among Muslims the 13.O ye who believe! avoid much suspiciona; for suspicion in some cases is a sin. And spy not, n either backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his brother who is dead? Certainly you would loathe it. And fear Allah, surely, Allah is Oft-Returning with compassion and is Merciful.3850 a10:67; 53:29 . " "CH.49 AL-HUJUR AT PT.26 2964 Surah has laid the foundation of a firm and solid brotherhood of I slam. 3851. Important Words: شعوبا ً( tribes) is the plural of شعب (sha‘ bun) which is inf. noun from شعب (sha‘ ba) which means, he collected, brought together or united; or he separated, put asunder; divided or separated. شعب means, a great tribe; the parent of the tribes called قبائل,to which they refer their origin and which comprises them; a nation; a people; a cleft or crack (Lane & Aqrab). قبائل( subtribes) is the plural of قبیلة which is derived from قبل which means, he accepted; he took or received willingly. قبیلة means, a tribe; a subtribe; a family; a body of men from one father or mother (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: From the subject of Islamic brotherhood to which reference has been made in the preceding two verses, the Surah proceeds to lay down, in the verse under comment, the basis of an all-comprehensive, all-pervading brotherhood of man. The verse, in fact, constitutes the Magna Carta of human fraternity and equality. It has firmly laid the axe at the false and foolish notions of superiority, born of racial arrogance or national conceit. All men having been ""created from a male and a female "" as human beings have been declared equal in the sight of God. The worth of a man is not to be judged by the pigment of his skin, the amount of wealth he possesses or by his rank or social status, descent or pedigree, but by his moral greatness and the way in which he discharge s his obligations t o God and man. The whole human race is but one family. Division into tribes, nations, and races is meant to give them a better knowledge of one another, in order that they might benefit from one another’s national characteristics and good qualities. This, according to Islam, is the criterion of a person’s greatness and this is the only true and real criterion. The Holy Prophet explained the beautiful idea of the 14.O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female; and We have made you into tribes and subtribes tha t you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable among you, in the sight of Allah, is he who is the most righteous among you. Surely, Allah is All-Knowing, All- Aware.3851 " "PT.26 AL-HUJUR AT CH.49 2965 brotherhood of man inculcated in this verse in his own inimitable way on the occasion of the Last Pilgrimage at Mecca, a short time before his death. Addressing a vast concourse of Muslims the Prophet said, ""O ye men! Your God is One and your ancestor is one. An Arab possesses no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab over an Arab. A white is in no way superior to a red, nor, for that matter, a red to a white, but only to the e xtent to which he discharges his duty to God and man. The most honoured among you i n the sight of God is the one who is most righteous "" (Baihaq i). These noble words spoken by the Prophet during his Farewell Pilgrimage which have resounded through the centuries epitomize one of Islam’s loftiest ideals and strongest principles. It goes to the credit of the Holy Prophet that in a society riven with class distinction, he preached a message intensely democratic. 3852. Important Words: ال یلت ( will not detract) is derived from ألت which means, it (a thing) decreased, diminished, lessened; it became defective or deficient; incomplete or imperfect. هحق هاو ولت هألت means, he diminished to him his right or due or defrauded him of a portion of it (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: All Muslims form an integral part of Islamic brotherhood. Islam confers equal rights on the unlettered and uncultured sons of the desert as it does on the civilized and cultured dwellers of cities and towns; only it exhorts the former to make greater efforts to learn and assimilate the teachings of Islam and make them the rule of their lives. 15.The Arabs of the desert say, ‘We believe.’ Say, “You have not believed yet, but rather say, ‘We have submitted’, for true belief has not yet entered into your hearts.” But if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not detract anything from your deeds. Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.3852 16. aThe believers are only those who truly believe in Allah and His Messenger, and then doubt not, but strive with their a9:20; 61:12. " "CH.49 AL-HUJUR AT PT.26 2966 3853. Commentary: True and sincere belief to which reference has been made in the preceding verse consists of three important ingredients —strong and firm faith in Allah, absolute freedom from doubt and misgiving as to the truth of Islam and striving with all means within one’s power in the cause of God. It is only those sincere and steadfast Muslims who possess these qualifications who are entitled to be called ""the truthful ones "" i.e. those who have fulfilled their pledged word to God. 3854. Commentary: True and sincere fa ith is the most precious possession of a Muslim. By accepting Islam he does n o favour to anybody; on the contrary, it is a favour of God that one is guided to the Truth. possessions and thei r persons in the cause of Allah. It is they who are truthful.3853 17.Say,a‘Will you acquaint Allah with your faith, while bAllah knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and Allah knows all things full well?’ 18.They deem it as a favour to thee that they have embrac ed Islam. Say, ‘Deem not your embracing Islam a favour unto me. On the contrary,c Allah has bestowed a favour upon you in that He has guided you to the true Faith, if you are truthful.’ 3854 19.Verily,dAllah knows the secrets of the heavens and the earth. And Allah sees all what you do. a10:19. b20:8; 22:71; 27:66. c3:165. d11:124; 16:78 . " "2967 CHAPTER 50 QAF (Revealed before Hijrah ) Title, Date of Revelation, and Context This Surah is of Meccan origin. All competent authorities assign its revelation to the early Meccan period . Its tenor and contents support this view. The Surah is the first of a group of seven chapters which end with Surah Al-Waqi‘ah. Like all Meccan Surahs, it lays special stress, in emphatic and prophetic language, on the Quran being the revealed Word of God, on Resurrection being an undoubted reality, and particularly on the ultimate triumph of the cause o f Islam. The Surah points to the phenomena of nature and to the histories of the past Prophets as guides leading to this inevitable conclusion. The Surah takes its title from its initial abbreviated letter ق( Qaf). The preceding t wo Surahs had dealt with the prospects of a great and glorious future for Islam, and also with the social and political problems that arise when power and wealth come to a people. the present Surah having the abbreviated letter ق( Qaf) in its beginning, points to the fact that the Almighty God has the power to make the weak and disorganized Arabs into a powerful nation, and that He will certainly bring about this consummation, using the Quran as the means and instrument for achieving that purpose. Subject Matter The Surah opens with the abbreviated letter Qaf (ق )which is the last of the مقطعات( abbreviat ed letters) used in the Qur an. It represents the Divine attribute قادر or یرقد (Qadir or Qadi r) meaning, the Mighty, the Powerful, and at once starts to deal with the all-important subject of Resurrection ; and in order to prove the truth of this primal fact uses as an argument the phenomenon that a people, who for long centuries were spiritually dead and defunct, received a new and vigorous life through the Quran . The Surah proceeds to say that the Holy Prophet’s enemies cannot bring themselves to accept the fact of a Warner appearing from among them to tell them that the y will be raised to life after "" they are dead and have become dust. "" They are told to study the wonderful creation of the celestial firmament with the beautiful stars and planets which adorn it and which work with a regularity and punctuality that knows no deviation. They are further told to ponder over the creation of the vast expanse of earth which grows al l sorts of fruits and foods for its dwellers. The Author and Architect of this great and complex universe, the Surah says, possesses the power and wisdom to give man a new life after his physical habitat has disintegrated. " "2968 Next, the Surah points to the pur posefulness of the creation of man — God’s supreme creature and His noblest handiwork —and to man’s freedom and complete responsibility and accountability for his actions, in a life after death, wherein he will be punished or rewarded according to the good or bad life he might have led in this world. Those who had wasted their lives in the quest of evil pursuits would be thrown into Hell, the punishments of which would be the representations of their evil deeds done in this life. And so would the rewards of Pa radise be the representations of the good and noble actions of the righteous and the God-fearing in this life. Only the things of the next world would be of a nature different from those to which we are accustomed in this life. The Surah ends on the note t hat the creation of the universe, and of man—the apex and acme of creation —shows that the wise Creator could not have brought into existence this co mple x universe without a great purpose behind it. This leads to the conclusion that there must be and there is a life beyond the grave and that all Divine Messengers and Prophets were raised to teach man this important religious doctrine, and that those who refuse to believe in this divine mission of the Prophets incur a liability in the Hereafter. " "PT.26 CH.50 2969 QAF 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.3855 2.Qaf. By bthe glorious Quran, thou art a Messenger of God.3856 aSee 1:1. b56:78. 3855. Commentary: See 1:1. 3856 . Important Words: The letter ق( Qaf) may stand for the Divine attribute قادر or قدیر( Qadir or Qadir) which means, the Mighty God ; or the letter may stand for حق ةالقیام i.e. the Resurrection is an undoubted reality. This is the last abbreviated letter use d in the Quran and therefore possesses a special significance. For a detailed explanation, however, of the abbreviated letters (املقطعات ) see 2:2 & 19:2. The letter و( by) among other things may mean, 'by' or 'I swear ' or 'I cite as witness or evidence. ' See also 37:2. املجید( Glorious) is derived from جمد (majada ) which means, he was or became possessed of or characterized by glory, honour, dig nity, nobility, etc. or he was or became glorious, in a state of honour, dignity; noble. جمدت االبل means, the camels fed in a land abounding with pasture, and satiated themselves therewith, or lighted upon abundant herbage. أجمدہ means, he made it (a gift) large or abundant. They say أجمدنا فالن قری i.e. such a one gave us a sufficient and superabundan t entertainment. The Arabs say أجمدہ سباً و ذماً i.e. he reviled and dispraised him much. ةأجمد الدای means, he gave the beast of carnage much fodder. Thus the primary signification of the root word is abundance or superabundance. جمد( majdun ) means, glory, honour, dignity, nobility; (syn. شرف و عز & کرم )or ample glory, nobility, honour, dignity, etc., or the acquisition of glory, honour, etc., or acquired or personal glory, honour, etc., transmitted by one’s ancestors. جمید means, a man possessing or characterized by glory, honour, dignity; nobility. املجید as an epithet of God signifies the Glorious or Great in dignity, Who gives liberally or bountifully. جمید is also applied in the Quran as an epithet to the Throne (عرش )of God and to the Quran itself and signifies exalted, sublime, noble, glorious (Lane & Aqrab). Sec also 38:2. The words املجیدالقرٓان thus may mean, the Glorious Quran, the great Quran, the Quran possessing great and abundant good. In the last sense the word جمید may be synonymous with مبارک which is also one of the epithets used by the Quran for itself (6:156). Elsewhere the Quran has " "CH.50 QAF PT.26 2970 been called the Quran full of wisdom (36:3), the Quran full of exhortation (38:2), the Noble Quran (56:78), the Quran which explains things fully (12:3). Commentary: The construction of this verse exactly resembles that of 38:2. Taking the abbreviated letter ق as signifying 'the Powerful God, ' the verse may mean that the Powerful God swears by the Quran, or that He cites the Quran as witness, that by actin g upon its teaching and making it a rule of their lives, its followers will achieve glory, greatness and spiritual and material grandeur. And by taking the letter as signifying حق ةالقیام i.e. the Resurrection is an undoubted reality, the verse would signi fy that Resurrection will certainly take place and that the Glorious Quran can be cited as an evidence to prove this claim. The proof consists in the fact: (1) that the Quran has made two claims, viz. that by acting upon its teaching the weak, oppressed and persecuted followers of the Holy Prophet will achieve glory, greatness and spiritual and material eminence and an honoured place in the comity of the world’s great nations; and (2) that Resurrection will undoubtedly take place. The fulfi lment of the fi rst prophecy, the verse implies, will substantiate and establish the truth of the second claim. 3857. Commentary: The verse purports to say that in spite of the fact that from time immemorial God has been sending His Messengers and Prophets to guide men to the path of truth and righteousness, the people, whenever there appeared a Prophet, wondered, and considered it highly improbable that God should commission as His Messenger an ordinary man f rom among themselves. This attitude of disbelievers towards Divine Messengers has been referred to at several other places also in the Qur an (7:64; 10:3; 38:5). 3858. Commentary: Greater is the disbelievers’ wonder at the idea, says the verse, that when they are dead and are reduced to dust, they will get a new life. 3.But they wonder that there has come to them a Warner from among themselves.a And the disbeliever s say, ‘This is a strange thing.’3857 4.‘What! when we are dead and have become dust, shall we be raised up again ?b That is a return far from possible .’3858 a7:64. b13:6; 23:36; 27:68; 37:17. " "PT.26 QAF CH.50 2971 3859. Commentary: The verse refutes the disbelievers’ objection mentioned in the preceding verse, viz. that when they are dead and reduced to broken bones and particles of dust they would be raised again . It is the physical body, says the verse, tha t disintegrates and perishes. The soul is imperishable and will be given a new body to account for the deeds done in this world which are recorded in ""a Book that preserves everything. "" The verse may also mean that even the particles of objects which the earth disintegrates are well preserved in God’s knowledge. It may also signify that as compl ete knowledge about all the details of a thing presupposes the power to create it, and God being the Possessor of full knowledge of human anatomy and the process of its disintegration could recreate it after it had perished. The verse may also signify that just as the earth corrupts and swallows up dead bodies, it also possesses the means of nourishing living ones. 3860. Important Words: مریج( state of confusion) is derived from مرج( maraja ) which means, he mixed a thing with another thing or two things together. مرج االمر ( mari ja) means, the affair became corrupt, spoiled, disordered or in a confused or disordered state. مرج الناس means, the people became confused so that they could not extricate themselves from their perplexity (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse means that though disbelie vers always reject the Divine Message, their rejection or denial does not rest on sure ground. They are always in a con fused state of mind. They do not know what they should make of the Message. They call it poetry, sorcery, the day- dreaming of an ambitiou s visionary, the confused vapourings of an unhinged mind, or the forgery of an impostor (21:6). But the Holy Prophet and his followers stand on the bedrock of certainty and sure knowledge. 5.We know how much the earth diminishes of them and how much it adds to them, and with Us is a Book that preserves everything .3859 6.Nay, they rejected the truth when it came to them, and so they are in a state of confusion.3860 7.Have they not looked at the sky above them, how We have " "CH.50 QAF PT.26 2972 3861. Important Words: فروج( flaws) is the plural of فرج which means, a cleft, an opening, a gap, and hence a flaw or defect (Lane & Aqra b). Commentary: This and the following few verses draw attention to the marvels of creation, the wonderful design in the universe, to the celestial firmament with its countless beautiful planets and stars, to earth and its wide expanse teeming with human and animal life, and points to the inevitable inference that the Great and Wise Designer, the Arch itect and the Controller, Who could bring into being this wonderful universe and who placed man at its centre, does possess the power to recreate the universe after its disintegration, and to give man a new life after he is dead. 3862. Commentary: It is lo gical to assume a purpose behind physical nature. The concept of God as Designer and Creator of all things gives a coherent and complete picture of origin, design and purpose. And the existence of a purpose behind the creation implies the existence of a life after death because the very idea that with the dissolution of its physical tabernacle the human soul suffers death militates against the whole design of God and the purpose in creating the universe. 3863. Important Words: باسقات( tall) is the plural of ةباسق, fem.made it and adorned it,a and there are no flaws in it?3861 8.And the earth —We have spread it out, and placed therein firm mountains;b and We have made to grow therein cevery kind of beautiful species, 9.As a means of enlightenment and as a reminder to every servant that turns to God .3862 10. dAnd We send down from the sky water which is full of blessings, and We produce therewith gardens and grain harvests . 11.And tall palm-trees, with spathes piled one above the other .3863 a15:17; 3 7:7; 41:13; 67:6. b13:4; 15:20; 31:11; 77:28 . c27:61; 31:11 . d24:44; 2 5:49. " "PT.26 QAF CH.50 2973 gen. of باسق which is act. part. from بسق . They say بسق النخل i.e. the palm trees were or became tall or exceedingly tall and full grown or they bore fruit. مھبسق علی means, he overcame them, excelled them or was superior to them. همبسق یف عل means, he excelled in his knowledge or learned the whole of it. بسقت الشمس means, the sun rose high. باسق االخالق means, a person endowed with noble, moral and mental qualities. ةباسق ةخنل means, an exceedingly tall palm tree or palm tree bearing fruit (Lane & Aqrab). نضید or منضود( piled one above the other) is derived from نضد . They say نضد املتاع i.e. he put goods one upon the other or set them together in regular order or piled them up. تنضدت االسنان means, the teeth were set in regular order (Lane & Aqrab ). 3864. Commentary: The verse means that just as God sends down rain from heaven and causes a dry dead land to bloom and blossom and pulsate with a new vigorous life, and brings forth from the earth all sorts of flowers and fruits, similarly He can and will give a new life to man after he is dead so that he might account for and be rewarded or punished for the actions good or bad he might have done in this world. 3865. Commentary: For the People of Noah se e 11:26- 49; for اصحاب الرس ( Companions of the Well ) 25:39, and for Tham ud 11:62-69. 3866. Commentary: For ‘A d see 11:51-61. 12.As a provision for Our servants; aand We quicken thereby a dead land. Even so shall be the Resurrection.3864 13. bThe people of Noah rejected the truth before them and so did the People of the Well, and Tham ud.3865 14.And ‘ Ad, and Pharaoh and the brethren of Lot .3866 15. cAnd the Dwellers of the Wood, and the people of Tubba‘. dAll of them rejected the Messengers with the result a25:50; 43:12. b9:70; 14:10; 38:13; 40:32 . c15:79; 26:177; 38:14. d15:80; 26:140; 38:15 . " "CH.50 QAF PT.26 2974 3867. Commentary: For ةاصحاب األیک ( Dwellers of the Wood) see 15:79 and for the People of Tubba ‘ 44:38. The verse purports to say that the above-mentioned peoples were warned by their respective Prophets that if they rejected them, they would be punished in this world and would also have to account for their sins in the next. The first warning was literally fulfilled and, therefore, the second one is also bound to be fulfilled. 3868 . Important Words: عیینا( We have become weary) is derived from یع ‘(ayya ). They say یع بأمرہ او عن أمرہ i.e. he lacked power, strength or ability to perform or accomplish his affair; was unable to execute it through or found not the right way to do it. یع االمر means, he was ignorant of the affair. أعیا means, he was or became tired, fatigued or wearie d هیع یف منطق means, he found not the right way to express himself (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: In these verses ""creation "", besides its ordinary meaning, signifies spiritual awakening or revolution brought about by a Prophet among his people . 3869. Commentary: Wonderful is God’s creation of the universe, but much more wonderful is the creation of man. The fact that man is master of his conduct and is responsible for his decisions is here put forward as another argument to support the inevitability of the Resurrection. In fact man’s life on Earth is "" the seedbed of an eternal future"" . that My threatened punishment befell them .3867 16. aHave We then become weary with the first creation? Nay, but they are in confusion about the new creation.3868 R. 2. 17.And assuredly, We have created man and We know what his mind whispers to him, and bWe are nearer to him than even his jugular vein.3869 18.When the two Recording angels record everything, one a50:39. b86:5. " "PT.26 QAF CH.50 2975 3870. Important Words: یتلیق( will record) is derived from لیق . They say تلیق الیشء منه i.e. he received or got the thing; h e learned it from him, hence preserved or recorded it (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: According to some commentators the angel sitting on man’s right records his good actions and that on his left, his bad actions; the words 'on the right ' standing for his good actions and 'on the left ' for his bad actions. Every deed or spoken word leaves its impress in the atmosphere and thus is preserved. Elsewhere in the Quran it is stated that the limbs of man—his hands, feet and to ngue — will bear witness against hi m on the Judg ement Day. Thus dif ferent parts of a man’s body may also be the recorders referred to in the present verse as the two recording angels. See also 24 :25; 36:66. 3871. Important Words: یلفظ( he utters) is aorist from لفظ . They say لفظه البحر i.e. the sea cast it forth upon the shore, لفظ فالن نفسه means, such a one died. لفظ القول او بالقول means, he uttered or spoke the word (Lane & Aqrab). عتید( ready) is derived from عتد .They say ءعتد الیش i.e. the thing was or became ready, at hand, prepared; it became great, big or bulky. عتید means, ready, at hand, near; bulky, big or great (Lane & Aqrab). 3872. Important Words: حتید( thou wast trying to run from) is derived from حاد .They say هاو من هحاد عن i.e. he turned aside or away from i t; he removed or went away or went far away from it; he shunned or avoided it from fear or disdain. حاد عن الطریق means, he turned aside from the road (Lane & Aqrab). sitting on his right and the other on his left,3870 19.He utters not a word but athere is by him a guardian angel ready to record it .3871 20. bAnd the stupor of death certainly comes. ‘This is what thou wast trying to run from.’ 3872 21. cAnd the trumpet shall be blown:‘This is the Day of Promise.’ 22.And every soul shall come forth and along with it there a43:81; 82:11-12. b6:94; 23:100. c18:100; 23:102; 36:52; 39:69; 69:14. " "CH.50 QAF PT.26 2976 3873. Commentary: سائق( driver) may be the angel that sits on man’s left and records his bad deeds and as a punishment for them will drive him to Hell, and یدھش may be the angel that sits on his right and records his good actions and will bear witness in his favour. Or the two words metaphorically may stand for man’s misused limbs and faculties and those well and proper ly used. See also verse 18 above; 24:25 and 36 :66. 3874. Important Words: بصر( eye) means, eye; the light whereby the organ of sight perceives the things; knowledge; discernment; intelligence (Lane & Aqrab). حدید( sharp) is derived from حد which means, he turned away or averted a person from a thing. حد شیئا عن غریہ means, he distinguished or separated by some mark a thing fro m another . السکحد نی means, he sharpenedthe knife. هحد بصرہ الی means, he looked sharply or attentively at him. رجل حدید means, a man sharp of intellect or understanding (La ne). Commentary: The verse means that in the next world the veil will be lifted fr om the eyes of man and his vision and mental perception will become clearer and sharper. He will see the consequences of his actions in an embodied form which were hidden from his eyes in this world and will realize that which he used to regard merely as an illusion, was a hard and stark reality. 3875. Commentary: هقرین( his companion) may signify his evil companion, or the Satan, who has been called elsewhere in the Quran, man’s evil companion 4:39; 43:39, because it is at his instigation that man defies God’s commandments. will be an angel to drive and an angel to bear witness.3873 23.Then We shall say, ‘Thou wast heedless of this; now We have removed from thee thy veil, and sharp is thy sight this day.’3874 24.And his companion will say, ‘This is what I have ready of his record ’.3875 25.We shall say to his two Companions, ‘Cast ye twain " "PT.26 QAF CH.50 2977 3876. Important Words: عنید( enemy) is derived from عند which means, he went aside from it; he opposed and rejected what was true or just; he overstepped or transgressed the proper bound or limit; he acted immoderately or in rebellion. عنید is used here in all the senses of the root word (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The dual form in ألقیا is used either because the command is given to the two angels —the سائق and the شھید —or in order to impart emphasis to the command. This form of expression is also used in 23:100 where a plural verb is used for the subject in the singular. The plural form ارجعون in that verse is used to lend emphasis to the disbelievers’ desire to be sent back to this world, and represents the repetition of the singular form ارجعین (irj‘ini). 3877 . Commentary: It is human nature that when an evildoer is confronted with the evil consequences of his deeds, he seeks to shift his responsibility to others. It is this state of mind of the disbeliever which is depi cted in this verse. He will hold the Satan responsible for his own transgressions and sins. See also 2:167-168. into Hell every ungrateful enemy of truth .3876 26. a‘Hinderer of good, transgressor, doubter, 27.‘Who sets up another God beside Allah. So do ye twain cast him into the dreadful torment.’ 28. bHis associate will say, ‘O our Lord, it was not I that caused him to rebel; but he himself was too far gone in error.’ 29.God will say, ‘Quarrel not in My presence, I gave you the warning beforehand. ’3877 30.‘The sentence passed by Me cannot be changed, cand I am a68:13. b14:23. c3:183; 8:52; 22:11; 41:47. " "CH.50 QAF PT.26 2978 3878. Commentary: God admonishes both the parties to stop wrangling and quarrelling and shifting the responsibility to one another as His sentence has already been pronounced and His Word never changes. 3879 . Commentary: The dialogue is metaphorical. Hell has been personified here and words are put in its mouth to express its state or condition and not that it will actually speak or, for that matter, it can speak. The word قال has been used in this sense in 41 :12 also where the heaven and the earth have been described as saying that they obey divine laws willingly. It is one of the peculiarities and beauties of the Arabic language that it uses words and expressions for inanimate things which are used for human beings. There is a famous Arabic proverb:قال اجلدار للوتد لم تشقین قالت سل من یدقین i.e. the wall said to the peg ""why dost thou pierce me?"" It said, ""Ask him who strikes me from behind. "" Similarly, a famous Arab poet says: یرید الرمح صدر أیب براء یعد ول عن دماء بین عقیل i.e. the spear intends to pierce the breast of Ab u Bara ’, but it turns away from the blood of the sons of ‘Uqail. (Lane). The expression ھل من مزید in fact, points to man’s unlimited capacity for committing sins and his inordinate desire for worldly comforts which pave his way to Hell. 3880. Commentary: If, as mentioned in the preceding verse, more and more sinners will be thrown into Hell for being purged and purified o f their spiritual maladies, the present verse says, that Heaven will a lso be brought near for the righteous and the God-fearing. not in the least unjust to My servants.’3878 R. 3. 31.On that day We will say to Hell, ‘Art thou filled up?’, and it will answer, ‘Is there any more?’3879 32. aAnd Heaven will be brought near to the righteous, no longer remote.3880 33.And it will be said, ‘This is what was promised to you —to everyone who always turned to God and was watchful of his actions . a26:91; 81:14. " "PT.26 QAF CH.50 2979 3881 . Commentary: However dreadful its punishments may appear, Hell, according to the Quran, is a temporary penitentiary, while Heaven is an eternal abode; its blessings know no limit or end (11:109). 3882. Commentary: The righ teous will have in Paradis e what they desire, to their hearts’ content, but as man’s desires at best are limited, they will be given much more than what they desire or deserve, much more than what they would even contemplate or conceive. They will see the beautiful face of God and will bask in the warmth of His countenance. This beautiful vision in which the veil which divides man from Allah will be lifted and His Heavenly Glory disclosed to the soul, untrammelled by its earthy raim ents is, according to some authorities, what is meant by the words ولدینا مزید i.e. and with Us is a good deal more. 3883. Important Words: نقبوا( went about) is the intensive form of نقب(naqaba ) which means, he made a hole through a wall; he perforated, pierced or made a hole through anything. نقب یف االرض means, he went or went away through the land or country or journeyed or traversed through the land. Commentary: Divine punishment, when it comes, is overwhelming and all- encompassing. There is no escape or 34.‘Who feared the Gracious God in private an d came to Him with a penitent heart. 35. a‘Enter ye therein in peace. This is the Day of Eternity.’3881 36. bThey will have therein whatever they desire, and with Us is a good deal more.3882 37. cAnd how many a generation, who were greater than they in power, have We destroyed before them . They went about the lands devising means to escape the punishment . Was there any place of refuge for them?3883 a14:24; 15:47; 36:59. b10:27. c17:18; 1 9:75; 21:12; 36:32 . " "CH.50 QAF PT.26 2980 refuge from it, however one may try. 3884. Important Words: قلب( heart) means, heart, the soul; the conscience ; the mind, meaning the intellect; the endeavour to understand, and consideration. They say ماله قلب i.e. he has no intellect or intelligence; the purest or best or choicest part of a thing; قلب اجلیش means, the main body of the army; as distinguished from the van and the rear and the two wings . The word also signifies, a man genuine or pure in respect of origin or lineage, holding a middle place among his people (Lane & Aqrab). 3885 . Important Words: أیام( periods) is the plural of یوم which properly means, time absolutely (1:4) or indefinite period or stage in the development of a thing. It does not always denote the day as determined by the rising and setting of the sun. In the Quran یوم has been spoken of as equal to one or even fifty thousand years (22:48; 70:5). Elsewhere in the Quran the division of these six days has been described in this wise; the making of the earth took two days; it took two more days for mountains, rivers, etc., to be placed upon it, and another two days for the growth of vegetable and animal life on it. See also 10:4; 41:10-13. لغوب( weariness) is infinitive noun from لغب which means, he was fatigued, tired or wearied to the utmost; he was languid in consequence of fatigue; he was wearied in spirit or mind (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: It is a characteristic of the Quran that not only does it exonerate God’s noble Prophets from all the vices and immoralities imputed to them in the Bible, but it also clears the Divine Being of the flaws and defects that are inconsistent with His Majesty and Holiness. The Bible depicts Go d as ""having rested on the seventh day from all His work which He h ad made "" (Gen. 2:2) but according to the Quran no weariness can touch Him. 38.Therei n, verily, is a reminder for him who has a heart, or who gives ear, and is attentive.3884 39. aAnd verily, We created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six periods and bno weariness touched Us.3885 40.So bear with patience what they say, and cglorify thy Lord a7:55; 10:4; 11:8; 25:60. b50:16. c15:99; 17:79; 20:131; 40:56 ; 110:4. " "PT.26 QAF CH.50 2981 3886. Commentary: The ""crier"" may refer to the Holy Prophet . The context supports this, as the next few verses seem to refer to the spiritual resurrection brought about by the Holy Prophet among his people who at his call rose, as it were, from their graves, as the next verse implies. The words ""from a place nearby "" may also signify that the call of the Holy Prophet will not remain a call in the wilderness, a distant cry. It will be listened to and accepted. 3887. Commentary: ""The blast "" may also signify the stentorian call to truth of the Holy Prophet . with His praise, before the rising of the sun and before its setting; 41. aAnd in a part of the night also do thou glorify Him, and after prescribed prostrations. 42.And listen, on the day when the crier will cry from a place nearby .3886 43.The day when they will hear the blast in truth; that will be the day of coming fort h from the graves .3887 44. bVerily, it is We Who give life and cause death, and to Us is the final return. 45. cOn the day when the earth will cleave asunder in consequence of their misdeeds and they will come forth hastening —that will be a gathering, quite easy for Us. 46.We know best what they say; and thou hast not been a17:80; 52:50; 73:3-5. b15:24. c84:4. " "CH.50 QAF PT.26 2982 3888. Commentary: The verse shows that the resurrection to which reference has been made in the preceding verse was to be brought about by the preaching and teaching o f the Quran . The Surah had opened with the subject of the Final Resurrection, and the great eminence and glory which the Muslims were to achieve through the Quran was advanced as an argument in its support. God, Man, Cr eation and Resurrection are the four pillars on which the whole edifice of the Quranic teaching stands, and the present Surah derives its importance from the fact that it has dealt with these subjects in some detail. appointed to compel them in any way.a So admonish, by means of the Quran, him who fears My warning. 3888 a6:108; 3 9:42; 42:7. " "2983 CHAPTER 51 ADH-DHARIYAT (Revealed before Hijrah) Title, Date of Revelation, and Context This is a Meccan Surah. Like its predecessor it was revealed early in the Holy Prophet’s ministry. Its contents and style seem to support this view. Nöldeke assigns its revelation to the fourth year of the Call. It derives its title from its first word —Adh- Dhariyat. It has 61 verses. The preceding Surah had dealt with two resurrections —a spiritual resurrection which was to be brought about by the teaching of the Quran, and the Final Resurrection in the life after death, the former resurrection being cited as an argument in support of the latter. In the present Surah it is stated that a body of highly righteous men would come into existence through the influence of Quranic teachings on their lives. Like moisture-laden clouds which give rain to vast areas of parched and burnt land and make them blossom into new life, this holy band of righteous believers, having themselves awakened to a new spiritual life would carry the Quranic Message to the ends of the earth, sweeping all opposition before their onward march. The prediction, seemingly impossible of fulfilment at the time of revelation of the Surah, would constitute, when turned into a palpable reality, a strong argument to establish the fact of the Great Resurrection in the afterlife. Subject Matter The Surah says that whenever a Divine Messenger appears in the world to tell his people that there is a life beyond the grave in which they will have to account for their deeds they laugh him to scorn, and oppose and persecute him. But from among these very people there arise a company of good men who accept the Divine Message. The Rejecters are punished and the believers receive God’s favours. The Surah proceeds to cite the case of Patriarch Abraham who was visited by certain messengers who came to tell him that a dreadful fate awaited the people of Lot because of their iniquities and unnatural and highly immoral practices. Next, it briefly refers to the punishment that overtook Pharaoh, ‘A d, Tham ud and the people of Noah. Towards the end the Surah draws pointed attention to the supreme object of man’s creation which is to cultivate and demonstrate in himself Divine attributes, and to discharge fully and faithfully his obligations to God and his fellow beings. " "CH.51 PT.26 2984 ADH- DHARIYAT 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious the Merciful.3889 2.By th ose that scatter with a true scattering,3890 3.Then carry the load .3891 4.Then speed lightly along,3892 5.And then distribute by command3893 aSee 1:1. 3889. Commentary: See 1:1. 3890 . Important Words: For the meanings of the particle واو (by), and for the philosophy of the Quranic oaths see 37:2; 5 0:2 and 91:2. الذاریات( those that scatter) is the plural of ذاریة which is act. part. From ذرو or ذری . They say ذری الیشء i.e. the thing flew in the air. ذرا او أذری الریح الرتاب means, the wind raised, carried away or dispersed the dust. الذاریات means, the winds tha t raise or carry away or disperse, or the angels that cause the scattering away of the created things. ذروا which is infinitive noun is added to الذاریات to add intensiveness to the meaning or to complete it (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: For a collective note on this and the next three verses see v. 5 below. 3891 . Important Words: وقرا( load) is derived from وقر whichmeans, (1) he was or became dull of hearing; (2) he or it was or became still or motionless; he rested; (3) he was or became grave, staid, steady, sedate or calm. They say وقرت النخل ة او أوقرت i.e. the palm tree became laden or heavily laden with fruit. أو قرہ الدین means, debt burdened him or burdened him heavily. وقر( wiqrun ) means, a load, a heavy load; a weight that is carried upon the back or head; a cloud laden with water. وقر( waqr un) means, a heaviness in the ear; or dullness of hearing; entire loss of hearing (Lane & Aqrab). 3892. Commentary: See next verse. 3893. Commentary: From a phenomenon in physical nature the four verses (2-5) draw attention to a parallel spiritual phenomenon. The parallelism is striking. The four words الذاریات( those that scatter), احلامالت( those that carry), " "PT.26 ADH-DHA RIYAT CH.51 2985 اجلاریات( those that speed lightly along) and املقسمات( those that distribute), when pointing to the physical phenomenon, may stand for winds that scatter far and wide the vapours that rise from the oceans, carry the clouds laden with rainwater, blow gently and then cause rain to fall on dry, parched and burnt land and turn it into a smiling, blooming and blossoming piece of earth, full of verdure, beautiful flowers and sweet fruits. These four words may also stand for the band of righteous men who drinking deep at the spiritual fountain that the Holy Prophet caused to flow:and after ; assimilating and becoming impregnated with the beautiful and life-giving Quranic teaching, went to the remote corners of Arabia and afterwards to far-off lands, carrying their blessed load, and scattering the revealed Word of God in countries, reeking with polytheistic beliefs and immoral practices —not with the sword but with love and peace, like winds that blow gently and carry rain to withered land. 3894 . Commentary: The verse purports to say that the holy men of God referred to in the preceding four verses will discharge their sacred obligations fully and faithfully, and will thus fulfil prophecies concerning the spread and triumph of Islam. This fact will show that the promise about life after death and about the Resurrection was true. 3895. Important Words: احلبک( tracks) is the plural of حبیکة (and حباک ) which i s derived from حبک . They say حبکه i.e. he tried it, and made it firm; he wore it firmly and well. حبیکة means, the track of the stars, the streak or track in the sky; the path or way. حبک السماء means, the tracks, paths, ways in the heaven. حباک means, the black thread with which are sewn the borders of a cloth:a streak or line; the ripples of sand . حبک املاء means, the ripples of water (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: Tracks or paths of heaven ( حبک السماء ) are the orbits of planets, comets, and stars with which the vault of heaven is strewn. These celestial bodies float, in their respective orbits performing their allotted tasks regularly, punctually and unerringly, without trespassing on one another’s sphere of action and all united forming a glorious harmony of structure and motion. Tha t the heaven is full of such tracks on which planets and stars travel, was a discovery made to 6.Surely, that which you are promised is truea;3894 7.And the Judg ement will surely come to pass. 8.And by the heaven full of tracks,3895 b52:8. " "CH.51 ADH-DHA RIYAT PT.26 2986 the world by the Quran at a time when it was believed that the heavens were solid in their formation. Does not this fact alone constitute an argument in support of th e Quran being the revealed Word of God? 3896 . Commentary: The verse means to say that the great astronomical truth revealed in the preceding verse leads to the inference that the Quran is God’s own revealed Word and that there exists a unity of purpose and harmony in Divine work, and yet the materialistic philosophers coin far-fetched theories, groping and floundering in ill-founded surmises and conjectures, not believing in God’s Word and H is Prophet. 3897. Commentary: The expression من أفک means, he on account of whose evil and wilful conduct the Divine Decree that he should be turned away from truth comes into operation. Or it means, he who himself would turn away . 3898. Important Words: اخلراصون( liars) is the plural of خراص (kharras) which is the intensive form of خارص which is act. part. from خرصwhich means, he lied, he said what was untrue. خرص النخل means, he computed by conjecture the quantity of the fruit upon the palm-trees. خترص و اخرتص( takharr asa) means, he forged a lie. خارص means, a liar and خراص a great liar (Lane & Aqrab). 3899. Important Words: ةغمر( depth of ignorance) is derived from غمر( ghamara ). They say غمرہ املاء i.e. the water rose above him and submerged him. غمر علی ه means, he fainted or swooned. غمر الرجل (ghamora ) means, the man was ignorant or inexperienced in the affair. غمرة means, depth or flood of ignorance; error; obstinacy and perplexity; overwhelming heedlessness or ignorance; a state of obstinate perseverance in a vain and false thing; water that rises above the stature of a man (Lane & Aqrab). ساھون( heedless) is the plural of سایھ (or سھوان )and is derived from سھا .They say سھا فیه او سھا عنه i.e. he was or became unmindful, forgetful, neglectful or heedless of it or inadvertent to it, his mind adverting to another thing or affair or case. According to some these two expressions slightly differ in their significations; سھا فیه meaning, 9.Truly you are discordant in what you say .3896 10.He alone is turned away from the truth who is decreed to be turned away.3897 11.Cursed be the liars,3898 12.Who are heedless of truth in the depth of ignorance .3899 " "PT.26 ADH-DHA RIYAT CH.51 2987 he neglected the thing and سھا عن ه means, he neglected the thing knowingly (Lane & Aqrab). 3900. Commentary: The verse may mean:(1) They ask, in derision or scoffingly, when the Day of Judgement will be? (2) Their behaviour, conduct or attitude shows that they do not believe in the Day of Judg ement. 3901. Commentary: In the preceding verse the disbelievers were mentioned as asking mockingly, ""When will be the Day of Judgement?"" Here they are answered with a retort that ""It will be the day when they will be burned in the fire."" 3902. Commentary: As against those who flounder in the welt er of wrong beliefs and evil deeds and deny the possibility of the Day of Judgement, the righteous and the God-fearing will reside in heavenly gardens, full of springs and streams —the spiritual embodiments of the good deeds they had done in this life. 3903. Commentary: Two different words have been used in the preceding and the present verse for the righteous believers —متقنی (God-fearing) and (those who do good). A متیق is one who discharges his obligations faithfully and fully to God and man, and a حمسن is he who does more good to others than the good he receives from them and acts and behaves as though he is actually seeing God or, in a lesser degree, he is conscious of God watching over him. Thus a حمسنis a person of higher spiritual stature than a متیق. 13.They ask:‘When will be the Day of Judg ement?a’3900 14.Say, ‘It will be the day when they will be tormented at the Fire.3901 15.‘Taste ye your torment. This is what you would hasten.’b 16.But surely the righteous will be in the midst of gardens and springsc,3902 17.Receiving what their Lord will bestow upon them; for they used to do good before that.3903 a7:188; 79:43. b22:48; 2 6:205; 27:72-73; 29:54-55. c15:46; 52:18; 68:35; 77 :42; 78:32. " "CH.51 ADH-DHA RIYAT PT.26 2988 3904. Important Words: یھجعون( they used to sleep) is derived from ھجع which means, he slept or slept in the night. ھجوع is sleeping at night and ھجود is sleeping in the day time, or remaining awake (Lane & Aqrab). See also 17:80 and 73:7. 3905. Commentary: In the wealth of a rich Muslim, according to Islam, those who can express their needs also, as those who cannot, have a share, as of right. Thus a Muslim’s wealth is a trust to the benefit of which the poor are also entitled. Elsewhere the Quran says: ""And give the relatives their rightful share in your property and to the poor and the needy"" (17:26). So when a Muslim meets the needs of a poor brother, he does him no special favour but only discharges the obligation he owes to him and returns to him what was his due. The word املحروم( those who cannot express their needs) not only includes in its connotation those poor people who, from a sense of self-respect or a feeling of shame, are prevented from asking (2:274), but also dumb animals. The word, therefore, has been taken here as signifying a person who is debarred from earning his livelihood due to physical infirmity or some other similar cause. رزق( sustenance) signifies both physical as well as spiritual sustenance. The words ""that which you are pro mised "" may signify promises of triumph and prosperity to believers and warnings to disbelievers. 3906. Commentary: Wonderful indeed is the creation of 18.They used to sleep but a little of the nighta;3904 19.And at the dawn of the day they sought forgivenessb; 20.And in their wealth was a share for one who asked for help and for one who could notc.3905 21.And in the earth are Signs for those who have certainty of faith, 22.And also in your own selves. Will you not then see? 23.And in heaven is your sustenanced, and also that which you are promised.3906 a32:17. b3:18. c70:25-26, d40:14; 45:6. " "PT.26 ADH-DHA RIYAT CH.51 2989 the universe. But much more wonderful is the creation of man, its centre and apex. There are signs in the creation of the physical universe and in that of man —the universe in miniature —to show that truth triumphs and prevails in the long run and falsehood suffers defeat and discomfiture. 3907. Commentary: The verse means that the fact mentioned in the preceding verse is neither wishful thinking on the Holy Prophet’s part, nor is it a figment of his imagination, but is solid and hard truth as sure and true as ""you speak"" . Or the verse may mean that the Qura n is as undoubtedly God’s own revealed Word as ""you speak."" 3908. Commentary: In the foregoing verses an implied reference was made to the great moral revolution that was to be brought about in the Arabian society through the selfless efforts of a band of holy men who were to carry the Message of Islam to the ends of the earth. The verse under comment and those that follow treat the same subject from a different angle. Here history is introduced and the examples of the Prophets Abraham, and Moses, and those of the people of Noah and of ‘Ad and Tham ud have been briefly mentioned. There seems to exist some difference of opinion among commentators of the Quran as to who these honoured guests were. Some hold them to be angels; others think that they were righteous men of the locality who had come to inform Abraham that the time of the punishment of Lot’s people had arrived, and to take Lot to a place of safety. The idea that they were angels might have arisen from the fact that they have been called ""Our messengers"" in the Quran (11 :78), and also because when food was placed before them, they refused to partake of it. But nowhere in the Quran are these ""messengers"" described as angels of punishment; nor do angels ever walk on earth as Divine Messengers (17:96). The mere fact that they refused to partake of the food, can lend no support to the view that they were angels. There might be other reasons for the refusal. 24.And by the Lord of the heaven and the earth, it is certainly the trut h, even as you speak.3907 R. 2. 25.Has the story of Abraham’s honoured guests reached theea? 3908 a11:70; 15:52. " "CH.51 ADH-DHA RIYAT PT.26 2990 3909. Commentary: This and the preceding verse shed some light on the rules of hospitality. 3910 . Important Words: أوجس( conceived) is derived from وجسand means, he conceived, perceived or felt a thing in his mind. See also 20:68. Commentary: In the present verse as also in 15:54 ""the promised son."" has been described as ""a son endowed with knowledge,"" while in 37:102, he has been called ""a forbearing son."" In the former verses the reference is to Isaac and in the latter to I shmael. 3911. Important Words: ةرص ( extreme embarrassment) is deriv ed from صر which means, it made a sound or noise or a prolonged sound he cried or raised a clamour with utmost vehemence. صرة means, vociferation or clamour or the most vehement clamour of crying; vehemence of grief, heat or anxiety; a contraction and moroseness of the face by reason of dislike or hatred or shame; a fit (Lane & Aqrab). صکت( smote). صکه means, he struck him or hit violently or he slapped him with his hand upon the back of his neck or upon his face. صک الباب means, he locked the door. صک وجھه means, he slapped his face (Lane & Aqrab). 26.When they came to him and said, ‘Peace!’a he said, ‘Peace!’ They were all strangers.b 27.And he went quietly to his household, and brought a fatted calf,c 28. And he placed it before them. and said, ‘Will you not eat?’3909 29.And he conceived a fear of them.d They said, ‘Fear not.’ And ethey gave him glad tidings of the birth of a son possessing knowledge.3910 30.Then his wife came forward extremely embarrassed, and smote her face and said, ‘A barren old woman!’f 3911 a11:70; 15:53. b11:71. c11:70. d11:71; 15:53. e11:72; 21:73; 29 :28; 37:113 . f11:73. " "PT.27 ADH-DHA RIYAT CH.51 2991 3912. Important Words: خطبکم( your errand). خطب means, a thing, an affair, or a business small or great; the cause or occasion of a thing or an event. They say ما خطبک i.e. what is the thing or affair or business that thou seekest or desirest to do; or what is the cause of thy coming? (Lane & Aqrab). Se e also 12:52. 3913. Commentary: The Divine punishment which seized the people of Lot is variously described in the Quran by the words حاصب i.e. storm of stones (54:35); صیحة i.e. a blast and حجار ة من سجیل i.e. stones of clay ( 11:83). These people seemed to have been destroyed by a violent earthquake which turned parts of the earth upside down (11:83). 3914. Commentary: The house referred to in the verse was that of Lot minus his wife, who chose to side with her disbelieving relatives and refused to go with Lot. 31.They said, a‘Even so has thy Lord said. Surely, He is the Wise, the All-Knowing.’ 32.Abraham said, ‘Now what is your errand,b O ye who have been sent ?’3912 33.They said, ‘We have been sent to a sinful people,c 34.‘That we may send down upon them stones of clay,d 35.‘Marked,e with thy Lord, for those guilty of excesses.’3913 36.And We brought forth therefrom such of the believers as were there,f 37.And We found not there except one house of those who were obedient to us .3914 38.And We left therein a Signg for those who fear painful punishment. a11:74. b15:58. c15:59. d11:83. e11:84. f15:60; 29:33, g15:76; 29:36. " "CH.51 ADH-DHA RIYAT PT.27 2992 3915. Commentary: For the story of Moses, the Divine Message he gave to Pharaoh, for his mission of the deliverance of Israelites from a most debasing and disgraceful bondage and for the causes that led to the undoing and destruction of Pharaoh and his mighty hosts see 7:104-156; 10:76-93; 20:1055; 26:11-69 & 28:4-45. 3916. Important Words: رکن( power) is derived from رکن (rakana or rakina ). They say رکن الی ه i.e. he inclined towards him or it; he trusted or relied upon him or it so as to be or become easy or quiet in mind; he was or became firm, still, grave, staid, sedate or cal m. رکن (ruknun ) means, side or outward part of a thing; a stay or support; power, might and resistance, a man’s kinsfolk or clan, his people or party; persons by whom he is aided and strengthened; a noble or high person. They say ھو رکن من ارکان قومه i.e. he is an important person among the great men of his people. The word also means, an affair of great importance; a formidable event; the essence of a thing whereby it subsists. ارکان الصلو ة means, the fundamentals of Prayer without which it is incomplete (Lane, Aqrab & Mufrad at). 3917. Commentary: For the story of ‘Ad see 11:51-61 39. aAnd in the story of Moses also there were many Signs when We sent him to Pharaoh with clear authority,3915 40.But he turned away from Moses on account of his power, and said, ‘A sorcerer, or a madman.’3916 41. bSo We seized him and his hosts and threw them into the sea; and he himself was to blame. 42.And there was a Sign in the story of the tribe of ‘Ad, when We sent against them the destructive wind.c 3917 43. dIt spared nothing whatever that it came upon, but made it like a rotten bone. a11:97; 23:46-47; 40:24. b10:91; 28:41; 79:26. c46:25, d46:26. " "PT.27 ADH-DHA RIYAT CH.51 2993 and 26:124-141. 3918. Commentary: For a detailed note on Tham ud see 11:62 and 26:142. 3919. Important Words: منتصرین( defend themselves) is derived from انتصر which means, he gained victory and power; he defended himself. They say انتصر من عدو i.e. he took revenge from his enemy. انتصر عیل عدوہ means, he triumphed over his enemy (Lane & Aqrab). 3920. Commentary: For a somewhat detailed account of Noah see 11:37-50. 3921. Important Words: أید( hands) is plural of ید which has a vast variety of meanings, some of which are:(1) benefit, bounty, favour; (2) power, might, influence ; dignity, rank or status; (3) assistance, help, protection; (4) possessions, wealth; (5) host, army; etc. See also 38:46. بنی یدیه means, before him, in his presence. مالک علیه ید means, you have no power or influence over him. سقط یف یدہ means, he was smitten with remorse, he repented. ھذا یف یدی means, it is in my possession. بنیناھا بأید may mean, We have created it with power and might, 44.And a Sign there was in the story of the tribe of Tham ud when it was said to them,a ‘Enjoy yourselves for a while.’ 3918 45.But they rebelled against the command of their Lord. So the thunderbolt overtook them while they gazedb; 46.And they were not able to rise up again, nor could they defend themselves.3919 47.And We destroyed the people of Noah before them ; they were a disobedient people.3920 R. 3. 48.And We have built the heaven with Our own hands, and verily We have vast powers.3921 a11:66, b11:68. " "CH.51 ADH-DHA RIYAT PT.27 2994 or We have made the heaven as a manifestation of Our power and might (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse makes pointed reference to God’s marvellous handiwork —the universe, creation of which leads directly to the object of the creation of man, who is the aim and object of its creation and its acme and apex. In the creation of the heavens and the earth there is proof of many Divine attributes, the prominent being His Glory, Might and Majesty. 3922. Commentary: The verse implies a subtle allusion to the object of man’s creation, one of the main themes of the Surah . The verse, like several other Quranic verses states that God has created all things in pairs. There are pairs not only in animal life, but also in vegetables, and even in inanimate things. There are pairs also in spiritual things. Even heaven and earth make a pair. Unless water comes from heaven and the sun gives warmth and light to the earth there can be no vegetation. Similarly, the human soul, which has been compared to earth in the foregoing verses, can find no scope for the manifestation of its latent and inherent powers and attributes unless the light of revelation descends upon it. 3923. Commentary: The verse purports to say that if believers really wish to establish a real and permanent connection with God, the best way to achieve it is to seek His help and protection and guidance. In this lies the quintessence of the Message which all Divine Prophets have given to the world. 3924. Commentary: True and unadulterated belief in Oneness and Unity is the pivotal and primal fact of all religions. 49. aAnd the earth We have spread out, and how excellently We lay it out !’ 50.And of everything have We created pairsb, that you may reflect.3922 51.Flee ye therefore unto Allah. Surely, I am a plain Warner unto you from Him.c 3923 52.And do not set up another god along with Allah.d Surely, I am a plain Warner unto you from Him.3924 a2:23; 20:54; 78:7. b13:4; 36:37. c22:50; 26:116; 29:51; 67:27 . d23:118; 50:27 . " "PT.27 ADH-DHA RIYAT CH.51 2995 3925. Commentary: So strikingly similar are the charges levelled against Divine Reformers by their opponents in all ages that it seems they bequeathed it as a legacy to their successors to go on repeating those accusations. 3926. Important Words: لیعبدون( they may worship Me) is derived from عبد‘( abada ). عبداّللٰ means, he served, worshipped or adored God alone or he rendered to God humble obedience. عبد‘( abuda) means, he was or became a slave, his forefathers having been so before him. عبد به means, he clave to it or him. عبدہ‘( abbada ) means, he enslaved him; he subdued him so that he did the work of slaves. عبد الطریق means, he trod the road so as to make it even or easy to walk or ride upon. عبد البعری means, he subdued or rendered the camel submissive (Lane, Aqrab & Mufrad at). Commentary: The primary signification of the word عبادة ‘(Ibadat) as shown under Important Words above, is to subject oneself to a rigorous spiritual discipline, working with all one’s inherent powers and capacities to their fullest scope, in perfect harmony with and in obedience to God’s design, so as to receive the Divine impress and thus be able to manifest in oneself God’s a ttributes. This is, as stated in the present verse, the great and noble aim and object of man’s creation and this is exactly what worship of God means. The external 53.Even so there came no Messenger to those before them, but they said, ‘A sorcerer, or a madman!’ 54.Have they bequeathed this attitude as a legacy to one another? Nay, they are all a rebellious people.3925 55.So turn away from them; and there will be no blame on thee. 56.And keep on exhorting; for verily, exhortation benefits those who would believe. 57.And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me.3926 " "CH.51 ADH-DHA RIYAT PT.27 2996 and internal endowments of human nature give us clearly to understand that of God-given faculties the highest is the one which awakens in man the urge to search after God and incites in him the noble desire completely to submit himself to His will. This being the great object of man’s existence the Quran has not failed to prescribe ways and means to attain it. The first means towards the attainment of this end is right knowledge and firm faith in a Living God and the recognition and realization of His beauty and goodness, because beauty and goodness are the two incentives to love (1:2-4 & 14:35). Another important means to realize this noble end is prayer. Repeated stress has been laid upon prayer in the Quran because man can reach God only with Divine help and assistance (40:61). Without mujahadah it is idle even to conceive of attaining this end. Mujahadah consists in seeking God by spending one’s money and time and applying one’s faculties, and sacrificing one’s life as well as using one’s knowledge and wisdom in the cause of God (9 :41; 2:4 & 29:70). Fitful or lopsided effort produces no lasting results. It is unwavering perseverance and constancy in his endeavours which are needed for a spiritual wayfarer to reach his goal. He should be indefatigable and untiring in the way in which he walks and should remain steadf ast under the hardest trials (41:31). When adversities encompass a man all around and when he is threatened with loss of life, property and honour in the way of God, and death stares him in the face and the last ray of hope departs, it is then that perseverance must be shown (2:208). It is such perseverance that leads one to God. Another important means to attain this supreme object is to keep company with the righteous and to imitate their example because man is by nature inclined to imitate a model and he constantly feels the need of it (9:119). Last but perhaps the most important factor which helps man to attain this great and noble object are pure dreams, visions and revelations from God. As the road which leads to God is very mysterious and intricate and is full of difficulties and dangers, the spiritual wayfarer may depart from the right course or despair of attaining the goal. The grace of God, therefore, continues to encourage and strengthen him in his spiritual journey with inspiring visions and revelations, and animates him with a still more zealous desire to pursue his journey eagerly. Thus strengthened he proceeds upon his journey with great vigour and zeal (10:65). 58.I desire no sustenance from them, nor do I desire that they " "PT.27 ADH-DHA RIYAT CH.51 2997 3927. Commentary: The verse purports to say that if the spiritual wayfarer pursues his course towards the noble object of his life steadfastly and with perseverance, he does no good to God, or to anybody else, but himself profits from it and attains the object of his quest. It is in a life led in obedience to, and harmony with, Divine laws that lie his spiritual development and the attainment of everlasting and eternal life. 3928. Important Words: ذنوب( lot) is derived from ذنب . Theysay ذنبه i.e. he followed his tail, not quitting his track. ذنوب means; a great bucket; a bucket full of water or nearly full of water (an empty bucket is called دلو ;)fate, lot, share or portion; requital. The word also signifies a day of prolonged evil (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse warns disbelievers that if they persisted in their evil course, they will meet with a fate similar to that of the opponents of former Prophets. Like them they will come to a sad end. should feed Me.a 3927 59.Surely, it is Allah Himself Who is the Great Sustainer, the Lord of Power, the Strong. 60.So the fate of those who do wrong shall surely be like the fate of their fellows of old; so let them not ask Me to hasten on the punishment .3928 61. bWoe, then, to those who disbelieve, because of that day of theirs which they have been promised . a6:15; 20:133. b14:3; 19:38; 38:28. " "2998 CHAPTER 52 AT-TUR (Revealed before Hijra h) Title, Date of Revelation, and C ontext This Surah, like its two predecessors, was revealed at Mecca in the early period of the Call. N öldeke places it after chapter 51, while according to Muir it was revealed somewhat later. The contents of the Surah show that it was revealed at a time when opposition to Islam had become severe and persistent, and even plots had begun to be hatched agains t the life of the Holy Prophet . The Surah has 50 verses and takes its title from its second verse. In the preceding Surah attention was drawn to the great spiritual revolution which was to be brought about by the Quran. It was in the fitness of things and quite in accordance with the laws of nature (the Surah stated) that because men had become corrupt and had forsaken God, a new Revelation should have come, like rain that descends upon dry land at the proper time and quickens it into a new life. The Surah had ended on the note that like former Prophets the Holy Prophet will meet with severe opposition, but the cause of truth will triumph and disbelievers will be punished. The present Surah refers also to the Biblical prophecies about the Holy Prophet and w arns disbelievers that if they persisted in their opposition they will be seized with Divine punishment. Summary The Surah opens with a direct and emphatic reference to the prophecies about the Quran and the Holy Prophet in the Bible, and states that the Bible, the Quran and the Ka‘ba h all bear evidence to the truth of Islam and the Holy Prophet, and proceeds to warn disbelievers that opposition to truth is never productive of good results and that their power would be broken and disgrace and humiliation wo uld be their lot. But those righteous servants of God who accept the Divine teaching and mould their lives in accordance with it would receive Divine favours. Not only they but also those of their children who followed in their footsteps and led righteous lives would be made to join with them in the Abode of Eternity. Next, the Surah says that the Holy Prophet is neither a soothsayer, nor a madman or a poet but a true Messenger of God, because the great moral and spiritual revolution brought about by him co uld not be the work of a madman or a poet; nor could the great Divine Book —the Quran —that has been revealed to him, be the work of a forger of lies or a fabricator. The Quran has been revealed by the Great Creator of the heavens and the earth. The Prophet seeks no reward from them nor would their plans against him succeed because he is under God’s protection. On the contrary Divine punishment would overtake disbelievers and the time of their chastisement is fast approaching. " "PT.27 CH.52 2999 (AT-TUR) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.3929 2.By the Mountb; 3930 3.And by the Book inscribed ; 3931 4.On parchment unfolded;3932 5.And by the Frequented House; 3933 aSee 1:1. b95:3. 3929. Commentary: See 1:1. 3930. Commentary: The particle واو may mean:""I swear"" ""I cite as witness; "" etc. For the philosophy, importance and significance of oaths s ee 37:2; 51:2 & 91:2. الطور( the Mount) stands for Mount Sinai. For a collective note on vv. 2-7 see v. 7 below. 3931. Commentary: The expression ""a Book inscribed,"" may refer to both the Quran and the Book of Moses, preferably to the former. 3932 . Important Words: رق( parchment) is the substantive noun from (raqqa ) which means, it was or became thin, delicate in texture. رق means, fine parchment; white or fine piece of paper or skin, used for the purpose of writing on it (Lane). Commentary: The words ""parchment unfolded,"" qualify the expression, ""the Book inscribed,"" which stands for the Quran or the Book of Moses. 3933 . Important Words: املعمور( Frequented) is derived from عمر .They say عمر باملکان i.e. he stayed in the house or he occupied, tenanted or inhabited it . عمرالبناء means, he kept the building in a good state. عمر املکان means, he visited the place . دارمعمور means, an inhabited or a visited or frequented house. عمرربه‘( ammara ) means, he worshipped his Creator (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The words ""the Frequented House,"" may refer to the t abernacle that Moses had constructed in the wilderness where the Israelites worshipped, or to the Temple at Jerusalem, or to any sacred house of worship. But preferably it refers to " "CH.52 AT-TUR PT.27 3000 the Ka‘ba h which is described in the Quran also as ""a Resort"" (2:126); ""the Sacred House"" (5:3); ""the Sacred Mosque"" (17:2); ""the Ancient House"" (22:30); and ""the Town of Security"" (95:4); etc. 3934. Commentary: 'The Elevated Roof' may also refer to the t abernacle which Moses set up in the wilderness in the form of a canopy under which the Israelites worshipped. Or it may refer to the Ka‘ba h or to the sky or heaven the last reference being more appropriate and relevant. 3935. Important Words: املسجور( swollen) is derived from سجر . They say سجر املاء النھ ر i.e. the water filled the stream. سجر التنور ( sajjara) means, he filled the oven with firewood and heated it. سجر املاء means, he made the water to flow forth whithersoever it would. مسجور means, filled; kindled; still or quiet, or still and full at the same time; empty (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: It is the characteristic of the Quran that when it has to make a firm declaration and impart emphasis and certainty to that declaration it swears by, or cites as witnesses, certain beings or objects or natural laws or phenomena. In the first few verses the Surah swears by certain things intimately connected with Moses — the counterpart of the Holy Prophet . It was on the Tur that the revelation was vouchsafed to Moses which embodied his Law and the prophecies which spoke about the appearance of a great Divine Prophet from among the brethren of the Israelites. That Prophet was to be the like of Moses and was to shine forth from mount Paran and to come with ten thousand saints, holding in his right hand a fiery law (Deut. 18:18 & 33:2). Evidently, the Holy Prophet was the Divine Messenger spoken of in the prophecy. His advent is likened in the Quran to the advent of Moses (73:16). He shined forth from mount Paran, holding the Quran in his right hand and entered Mecca at the head of ten thousand saintly warriors. The Surah then cites, as evidence, the ""Inscribed Book"" which is the Bible or the Quran, preferably the latter, and which stands as a standing and incontrovertible testimony to the truth of the claims of the Holy Prophet. ""The Frequented House"" —the Ka‘bah, —more than anything else, shows that the religion of which it forms the citadel and the centre is God’s Final Dispensation. The site where the Ka‘bah stands was a dry barren waste where no sign of human or animal life was visible. Here, long centuries ago, a holy man of God —6.And by the Elevated Roof; 3934 7.And by the Swollen Seaa; 3935 a81:7. " "PT.27 AT-TUR CH.52 3001 the Patriarch Abraham, aided and assisted by his son, Ishmael, while raising its foundations, had prayed that the place may become a haven of safety and security and may constitute the centre from where God’s Unity and Oneness may be proclaimed and preached. It was "" this barren waste that didst not bear and didst not travail with child "" which gave birth to the greatest son of man, as was spoken of old (Isa. 54:1). Here it was (as was foretold) that ""the glory of God rose and shone; the multitudes of camels came, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah, all came from Sheba and brought gold and incense and shewed forth the praises of the Lord"" (Isa. 60:1-6). The reference in the words ""the Elevated Roof,"" being to heaven, the verse (v.6) signifies that the disbelievers are so unwise as not to see this simple fact that whereas the Prophet continuously receives Divine help and his cause progresses and prospers, failure dogs their footsteps and all their designs and plans against the Prophet prove abortive. In the words ""the Swollen Sea,"" the reference may be to the Mediterranean Sea where Pharaoh and his mighty hosts were drowned while pursuing the Israelites or they may refer to the battlefield of Badr where all the great leaders of the Quraish were killed, as it was known as البحر i.e. the s ea (Niha yah). The words may also apply to the Quran which like a fathomless sea of spiritual knowledge continues to throw out treasures of divine knowledge. ""Why do not the disbelievers,"" the verse purports to say, ""take a lesson from these patent facts and realize that opposition to God’s Messengers does not pay and will end in their ruin?"" 3936. Commentary: All the facts mentioned in the preceding six verses show that if disbelievers do not give up their evil ways and opposition to the Holy Prophet, Divine punishment would descend upon them and would break them to pieces. ""The punishment of thy Lord,"" may also refer to the punishment of the Day of Resurrection. 3937 . Commentary: The verse may signify that on that 8.The punishment of thy Lord shall certainly come to pass;a 3936 9.There is none that can avert it. 10.On the day when the heaven will be in a state of terrific commotion,3937 a51:6. " "CH.52 AT-TUR PT.27 3002 day all the heavenly forces will operate in favour of the Holy Prophet. So did it happen on the Day of Badr. 3938. Commentary: The verse means that on the day of retribution the leaders of disbelievers will meet with a terrible end. They will be blown away like chaff before the wind. Or it may signify that the Iranian and Byzantine Empires will be broken and shattered. This and the preceding verse make a subtle allusion to the new order of things before which the old decrepit and decayed systems would be swept away. These verses may also apply to the Day of Judgement. 3939. Commentary: The dead bodies of leaders of the Quraish who were killed in the Battle of Badr were thrown into a pit and the Holy Prophet went up to its edge and, addressing the dead bodies, is reported to have said ""Did you find the promise of punishment of your Lord true? What God had promised me has been fulfilled"" (Bukh ari & Tabari). The verse is equally applicable to the punishment which will be meted out to disbelievers on the Resurrection Day. 3940. Commentary: When disbelievers will be confronted with the consequences of their evil deeds on the Day of Reckoning, they will be asked if they had realized that what God’s Messengers had told them was not a fake or forgery, or whether they still did not see the utter futility and falsity of their beliefs and doctrines. The verse may also refer to the day or reckoning for disbelievers in this life. 11.And the mountains will move, fast,a 3938 12.Then woe that day to those who reject the truth, 13.Who indulge in idle talk for pastime . 14.The day when they shall be thrust into the fire of Hell with a violent thrust.b 3939 15.‘This is the Fire which you treated as a lie.c 16.Is this then magic, or do you still not see?3940 17.Burn ye therein; a nd whether you show patience or a18:48; 78:21; 81:4. b18:54; 21:40; 38:86. c51:15; 55:44. " "PT.27 AT-TUR CH.52 3003 3941. Commentary: The verse depicts the disbelievers’ condition after their guilt will be fully established and the time for repentance will have passed. 3942. Commentary: The present and the following verses recount some of the Divine favours and blessings that are bestowed on the righteous. These may also be taken as embodying a prophecy which was literally fulfilled when the dwellers of the barren and sandy deserts of Arabia conquered the great Iranian and Byzantine Empires. 3943. Important Words: زوجنا( We shall consort). زوج الیشء بالیشء (zawwaja ) means, he paired or coupled a thing with a thing; united it as its fellow or like. یزوجھم ذکرانا واناثا means, He mixes them as males and females; He makes them pairs, males or females; H e makes them in different sorts or sexes (42:51). اذا النفوس زوجت means, when the souls shall be united or when people are brought together. زوج means, any sort of thing; sort or species; a woman’s husband or a man’s wife; mate, consort, comrade; class. أزواج( plural) means, species; classes or groups; mates; pairs; etc. you show it not, it will be the same for you.a You are requited only for what you used to do.’ 3941 18. bVerily, the righteous will surely be in Gardens and in bliss,3942 19.Enjoying what their Lord has bestowed on them; and their Lord will save them from the torment of the Fire. 20.And will say to them, ‘Eat and drink in happiness because of what you used to do . 21. c‘Reclining on couches arranged in rows.’ dAnd We shall consort them with fair maidens having wide, beautiful eyes.3943 a14:22; 41:25. b7:44; 1 5:46; 19:64; 43:73-74; 44:56; 77:42-43; 78:32-33. c18:32; 55:55; 76:14. d44:55; 56:23. " "CH.52 AT-TUR PT.27 3004 (Lane, Aqrab, T aj & Mufrad at). احشروا الذین ظلموا و أزواجھ م means, assemble those who acted wrongly along with their companions (37:23). حور is the plural of both أحور and حوراء which are derived from حار .They say حار الثوب i.e. he washed the cloth and made it white. أحور( fem . حوراء )means, a man whose eyes are characterized by the quality termed حور( hawarun ), i.e. intense whiteness of the white of the eye and intense blackness of the black thereof, with intense whiteness or fairness of the rest of the person. أحور also means, pure or clear intellect. مایعیش بأحور is said of a person whose affairs are not clean (Lane, Mufradat & Taj). عنی is the plural of both أعنی( a‘yan) and عیناء which are derived from عنی ‘(ayina ) which means, he had wide black eyes. أعنی and عیناء respectively mean, man and woman having black, wide and large eyes. عیناء also means, a good or beautiful saying or word (Lane, Mufrad at & Taj). Commentary: Description of the rewards and punishments of Heaven and Hell as given in some Quranic Surahs, particularly in Ar-Ra hman, Al- Waqi‘ah and in the present Surah call for an explanatory note. The following points may be borne in mind for an appreciation of life after death: 1. According to the Quran, God’s handiwork as manifested in the creation of the universe, and in that of man placed at its centre, shows that man’s life on earth has a purpose higher and nobler and beyond mere eating and drinking or leading a more or less circumscribed existence (23:115-116). 2.There is a life after death and that life is the continuation of the life which man leads in this world. One’s heaven or hell begins from this very world; death only opening up vast and unknown vistas of ever- expanding spiritual progress. 3. As soon as the human soul leaves this tabernacle of clay, it is given a new body, because the soul can make no progress or enjoy no bliss or feel no pain without a body. Its development and progress depend upon its permanent connection with a body. The new body is as fine and delicate as the soul was in this world. In fact, it is the very soul in a new transformation which after having passed through certain experiences develops a new soul which possesses far higher and finer and more delicate faculties and perception than the soul from which it emanates. To this new soul the old soul serves as a body and man is able to perceive things through his new senses which he could perceive formerly only through the soul, and is able to partake of the pains and pleasures of the next world —the present body of clay being quite unfit for the new experience. That is why the Quran says, ""And no soul knows what joy of the eyes is kept hidden for them, as a reward for their good works"" (32:18). And the Holy Prophet explained this Quranic verse in a well-known saying. viz. ""No eye has seen the blessings of Paradise, nor has any ear heard of them nor can human mind conceive of them"" ( Bukh ari, Kitab " "PT.27 AT-TUR CH.52 3005 bad’ul-khalq). 4. Life after death is only an image and manifestation of the present life and the rewards and punishments of the next world would be only embodiments and images of the actions done in this life. Heaven and Hell are not new material worlds which come from outside. It is true that they shall be visible and palpable, call them material, if you please, but they are only embodiments of the spiritual facts of this life. The spiritual torture of this world has b een represented in the Quran as a physical punishment in the next. The chains to be put round the necks of disbelievers, for instance, represent the desires of thi s world which keep a man’s head bent upon the earth, and it is these desires that shall assume the shape of chains. Similarly, the entanglements of this world shall be seen as fetters on the feet in the next. The heart-burning of this world shall likewise be clearly seen as flames of burning fire, and the love which a believer feels for his Lord and Creator will appear embodied as wine in the life to come, etc. Thus there will be gardens, streams, milk, honey, flesh of birds, wine, fruits, thrones, companions and many other things in Paradise; but they will not be the things of this world but the embodiments of spiritual facts of the life of this world. 5. There will be no sin, levity, or vain talk in Paradise, no pleasures of the flesh as we understand them, but all-pervading peace and pleasure of God (56:26-27). In view of this Quranic conception of Paradise, it is the height of ignorance or blind prejudice to suggest that the Quran promises a sensuous Paradise to its followers. Moreover, the words زوجنا and عنی and as explained under Important Words above, present no difficulty and, in view of these explanations, the verse may mean that in Paradise the righteous serv ants of God will be made to live with pure and clean companions whose faces will be shining with radiant spiritual beauty; or they will have as companions fair maidens, i.e. their wives. Besides, the promise, made to the righteous in this ands the following verses, was literally fulfilled when the Muslims conquered vast territories of the Byzantine and Iranian Empires, and all these things fell into their hands and thus the promise constituted an incontrovertible testimony to the fact that the promise about the next life is also true. 22.And those who believe and whose children follow them in faith—with them shall We join their children.a And We will not diminish anything from the a40:9. " "CH.52 AT-TUR PT.27 3006 3944. Important Words: ةذری( children) is derived fr om ذر . They say ذر اّللٰ عبادہ یف االرض i.e. God spread His servants upon the earth. ذریة used as both singular and plural (ذریات—plural) means, children or offspring of a man, male or female; little ones or young ones; descendants; progenitors or ancestors, women (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: This verse further explains its predecessor. Whereas in the former verse it was stated that the righteous will be made to live with their pure, beautiful wives, this verse explains that their offspring will also be united with them, thus making their joy complete. The words ""Every man stands pledged for what he has earned,"" remove one possible misu nderstanding, viz. that the mere fact of being related to a righteous man would do the believer no good. It is his own good works that will earn him his place in Paradise. The verse clearly speaks of man’s responsibility for his actions. 3945. Important Words: یتنازعون( will pass from one to another) is derived from نزع .They say نازع فالنا i.e. he shook hands with such a one. نازع الکأس means, he took the cup. تنازعوا الکأس means, they took the cup from one another’s hand (Aqrab). 3946. Commentary: غلمان( youths) is plural of غالم which means, youth; servant; son, etc. ( Lane & Aqrab). The word has also been used in the Quran synonymously with ولد in the sense of 'son' (3:41; 15:54; 19:8; 37:102; 51:29). Elsewhere in the Quran (76:20) the word ولدان (sons) has been substituted for غلمانreward of their works. Every man stands pledged for what he has earned.3944 23.And We shall bestow upon them every kind of fruita and meat such as they will wish for. 24.There they will pass from one to another a cup wherein is neither levity nor sin.b 3945 25. cAnd there will wait upon them youths of their own, pure as though they were pearls well- preserved.3946 a55:12; 56:21. b19:63; 56:26; 78:36. c56:18; 76:20. " "PT.27 AT-TUR CH.52 3007 which shows that the youths who will move about in the company of the righteous in Paradise will be their own sons. The verse may also refer to the Divine promise of great wealth and power coming into the possession of the poor Muslims, and to the hosts of servants who were to wait upon them. 3947 . Commentary: Besides the meaning given in the text the verse may also signify: ""Being surrounded by enemies, their threats would sometimes frighten and terrify us. But now we enjoy perfect peace and security."" 3948. Commentary: In the foregoing verses prophecies in former revealed Scriptures, particularly in the Book of Moses, were advanced as arguments to support and substantiate the truth of the Quran being the revealed Word of God. Those prophecies spoke of the appearance of a Prophet in the wilderness of Mecca and having a ""Fiery Law"" in his right hand (Deut. 33:2). In the present and the following several verses, however, the testimony of reason, common sense and human conscience has been adduced as proof to serve the same purpose. 26.And they will turn to one another, asking each other questions. 27.They will say, ‘Before this, when we were among our family, we were very much afraid of God’ s displeasure .3947 28.‘But Allah has been gracious unto us and has saved us from the torment of the burning blast.a 29.‘We used to pray to Him before. Surely, He is the Beneficent, the Merciful.’ R. 2. 30.Admonish then. By the grace of thy Lord, thou art neither a soothsayer,b nor a madman.3948 a44:57. b69:43. " "CH.52 AT-TUR PT.27 3008 3949. Important Words: ریب( calamity) is inf. noun from راب . They say رابین i.e. it or he occasioned in me disquiet or agitation of mind; he made me to doubt; he did with m e what I disliked or hated. ریب means, doubt; disquietude or uneasiness of mind; doubt combined with evil opinion; calamity; mise ry (Lane & Aqrab). املنون( time) is derived from من (manna ). They say من الرجل i.e. he weakened the man and took away his strength; من احلبل means, he cut of f the rope. من الیش ء means, the thing diminished. من الناقة means, he tired out or jaded the she-camel. منون means, death; time; destiny or fate . ریب املنون or ریب الزمان or ریب الدھر means, the calamities or vicissitudes of time (Lane). نرتبص( we are waiting for) is derived from ربص .They say ربص ب ه i.e. he waited for good or evil, particularly the latter, to befall him. تربص ب ه االمر means, he expected or waited for the event to befall him (Lane & Aqrab). An Arab poet says: تربص بھا ریب املنون لعلھا او یوما تطلق میوت حلیلھا i.e. wait thou for the vicissitudes of time to befall her; perhaps she might be divorced some day or her husband might die (Lane). Commentary: The Holy Prophet’s enemies accused him of being a soothsayer, a poet and even a madman. The verse implies the refutation of all these foolish charges. The Prophet is not a poet (the verse purports to say) because poets have no fixed ideal or programme in life. They only indulge in daydreaming, and as it were, ""wander about distractedly in every valley"" (26:226), but the Holy Prophet has before him a great and noble aim—the regeneration of a corrupt and degenerate society. He is neither a soothsayer, because soothsayers dabble in occult sciences and make mere conjectures and guesses. They try to hoodwink simple- minded peop le by clever contrivances but the Holy Prophet is universally known to be an honest and sincere man. Nor is he a madman because madmen are not known to have brought about the great and wonderful revolution that he has, among his completely demoralized, degenerate and degraded people. 3950. Commentary: The verse purports to say that disbelievers call the Holy Prophet a 31.Do they say, ‘ He is a poet;a we are waiting for some calamity which time will bring upon him?’3949 32. Say, b‘Await ye then! I too am with you among those who are waiting.’3950 a21:6; 69:42. b9:52; 32:31. " "PT.27 AT-TUR CH.52 3009 poet, who indulges in building castles in the air about his great future, a soothsayer who plays upon the credulity of simple-minded folk, a raving maniac and, as such, naturally they expect that sooner or later he will come to a sad end. The Prophet is enjoined to tell them that they will have to wait till Doomsday for the realization of their futile expectations. Time alone will decide the issue between them. 3951. Commentary: The words of the verse seem to have been spoken ironically. Even after seeing that the Holy Prophet has given a teaching which has brought about such a wonderful revolution among his people and that his mission is meeting with rapid and progressive success, does the disbelievers’ intellect lead them to the conclusion that he is a poet, a soothsayer or a madman? Is it their reason that has misled them or have they thrown all restraint and moderation to the winds, and in rejecting the Divine Message have transgressed all legitimate bounds? 3952. Important Words: تقول( he has forged) is derived from قال i.e. he said. تقولعیل means, he lied against me; he attributed to me a thing which I did not say (Lan e & Aqrab) . 3953. Commentary: The verse refutes the disbelievers’ allegation of forgery against the Holy Prophet. If the Prophet (the verse seems to hold out a challenge to them) receives no revelations from God and the Quran is his own fabrication, then let them produce a book like it which should possess such a simple and beautiful style and inapproachably exquisite diction as the Quran, and should thoroughly and effectively deal with all the complex and difficult moral and spiritual human problems, and should satisfy the multitudinous and multifarious needs of man, and should exert such powerful influence on the lives of its followers, and, above all, should be the repository of all eternal truths and imperishable teachings. The disbelievers are further challenged to produce a book like the Quran with 33.Do their intellect and reason enjoin this upon them or are they a rebellious people?3951 34. aDo they say, ‘He has fabricated it?’ Nay, but they would not believe.3952 35.Let them, then, bring forth a discourse like this, if they speak the truth ’.3953 a2:24; 10:39; 11:14; 17:89 . " "CH.52 AT-TUR PT.27 3010 their combined and concerted effort, calling in ""all the men and jinn"" to help and assist them. The Quran emphatically asserts that they will not be able to produce such a book because the Quran is God’s own revealed Word. See also 2:24; 14:25 and 17:89. 3954. Commentary: ""Do they think,"" the verse appears to tell disbelievers, ""that they have been created without a cause or purpose, or that they are their own creators?"" If that is not the case and God is their Creator, and their creation serves a noble and sublime purpose, and the Quran h as been revealed to help them to attain that noble object, then why do they not accept it?"" 3955. Commentary: God has been Gracious and Merciful to men, in that He has sent the Holy Prophet and has revealed the Quran to him that they may understand the object of their life and, by following him, may attain it and establish a true and real connection with God. But they refuse to accept him, thinking him to be too low to be entitled to demand and command their allegiance. The verse answers this objection of disbelievers by telling them that God in His infallible wisdom has chosen the Prophet to be humanity’s infallible Guide and Teacher. How can they dare arrogate to themselves the right and role of being the distributors or guardians of the treasures of God’s mercy? 3956. Commentary: In these verses (vv. 30-44) untenability and futility of their position in rejecting the Holy 36.Have they been created for nothing, or are they themselves the creatorsa?3954 37.Did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay, but they have no faith. 38.Do they own the treasures of thy Lordb, or are they the guardians thereof ?3955 39.Have they a ladder by means of which they can ascend into heaven and overhear? Then let their listener bring a manifest authority.3956 a56:60. b38:10 . " "PT.27 AT-TUR CH.52 3011 Prophet has been brought home to disbelievers. The present verse further tells them that if they claim to have access to the secrets of the heavens, then let them produce authority for the allegation that the Holy Prophet is not the appointed Messenger of God. 3957. Commentary: It is repugnant (says the verse) to God’s Unity, that He should be attributed with having even a son, and yet the disbelievers have the hardihood to assign to Him daughters whose birth is considered by them a mark of humiliation and disgrace. 3958. Commentary: The verse seems to appeal to the good sense of disbelievers and purports to say to them that when, out of a sincere solicitude for their moral and spiritual well-being, the Prophet calls them to the ways of righteousness and asks for no reward for his labours, then why do they not accept him? On the contrary, they oppose and persecute him. 3959. Important Words: کید( a plot) is i nf. n oun from کاد i.e. he contrived, devised or plotted a thing whether right or wrong. They say کادہ i.e. he deceived him, beguiled or circumvented him; he taught him how to deceive or cheat; he fought him. کید means, deceit, cunning, stratagem; war (Lane & Aq rab). Commentary: The verse means that disbelievers are hatching plots against Is lam but their plots will recoil on their own heads. The word کید meaning war, as it has been used in the Quran about the Battle of Badr, the reference in the verse may be particularly to that battle (8:19). According to some commentators of the Quran, the nex t three verses also refer to it. 40. aHas He daughters and for you are sons?3957 41. bDost thou ask a reward from them, so that they are weighed down with a load of debt?3958 42.Do they possess knowledge of the unseenc, so that they write it down? 43.Do they intend a plot? But it is those who disbelieve that will be the victims of their plot.d 3959 44.Have they a g od other than Allah? Exalted is Allah above a6:101; 37:154; 43:17; 53:22 . b23:73; 6 8:47. c68:48. d86:16-17. " "CH.52 AT-TUR PT.27 3012 3960. Commentary: In the preceding verse disbelievers were warned that they themselves would fall victims to the plots they were hatching against Islam. In this verse they are told that when the Day of Decision arrives, their false gods would not be able to render them any help, nor would they be able to help themselves, that idolatry would disappear from Arabia and the country would resound with Divine alleluias. 3961. Commentary: In the two previous verses disbelievers were warned that Divine punishment was about to overtake them. But such is their state of utter heedlessness and false sense of security (says the verse) that they do not benefit by the timely Divine warning, so that even if they see a piece of the sky actually falling upon them, they would deceive themselves by considering it as a piece of God’s mercy in the form of 'piled-up clouds.' The disbelievers go so far as to challenge the Prophet to ""cause a portion of the sky to fall upon us if thou art truthful"" (26:188). 3962. Commentary: The words 'that day of theirs' have been taken to refer to the Day of Badr. On that day a well-equipped Quraish army received a crushing defeat at the hands of a small, ill- armed and ill-equipped band of Muslims. The defeat came as a veritable bolt from the blue for the Quraish. The verse may equally refer to the day of the Fall of Mecca when the Quraish were completely all that which they associate with Him !3960 45. aAnd if they should see a piece of the sky falling down, they would say, ‘ just clouds piled up.’3961 46. bSo leave them until they meet that day of theirs, on which they will be overtaken by a thunderbolt,3962 47.The day when their plotting will not avail them aught, nor shall they be helped. 48. cAnd verily, for those who do wrong there is a punishment a46:25. b23:55; 52:46; 70:43. c32:22. " "PT.27 AT-TUR CH.52 3013 unnerved at seeing the Muslim army of ten thousand strong at the very gates of the city. 3963. Important Words: دون( besides) among other things means, before and behind in respect of place or time; at, near, nearby; with or present with; other than, beside or besides (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: If یوم( day) in the preceding ve rse be taken to refer to the Day of Badr, the expression دونذالک would signify the Divine punishment that overtook the Meccan disbelievers in the form of the destructive ""seven year famine, "" etc. But if یوم refers to the Day of Judge ment, the expression would mean the punishments that come upon disbelievers in this life. 3964. Commentary: 'The judgement of thy Lord' may signify the punishment that was soon to overtake disbelievers, and the words ‘thou art before Our eyes’ mean that the Holy Prophet was under Divine protection and plotting of the enemies could do him no harm. The reference is to the promise of protection given to him in the words: ""And Allah will protect thee from men"" (5:68). besides that. But most of them know not. 3963 49.So wait patiently for the judgement of thy Lord; for assuredly thou art before Our eyes;a and glorify thy Lord with His praise when thou risest up from sleep ; 3964 50. bAnd for part of the night also do thou glorify Him and at the setting of the stars. a5:68. b17:80; 50:41; 7 3:3-5; 76:27. " " 3014 CHAPTER 53 AN-NAJM (Revealed before Hijra h) Title, Date of Revelation, and Context The Surah takes its title fro m the very first word of its text. It is a Meccan Surah, having been revealed, according to ov erwhelming scholarly opinion, in the 5th year of the Cal l, shortly after the first migration to Abyssinia which took place in the month of Rajab of that year. Whereas the preceding Surah had ended on the injunction contained in the verse:""And for part of the night also do thou glorify Him and at the setting of the stars, "" the present Surah opens with the words, ""By the star when it falls. "" Moreover, in the preceding Surah the truth of the Quranic revelation and of the divine claim of the Holy Prophet was sought to be established by a fleeting reference to Biblic al prophecies and natural phenomena. In the Surah under comment the same subject has b een dealt with in a very exquisite and forceful style. It is stated that the Holy Prophet was not only a true Messenger of God but Prophet par excellence, and that he was commissioned by God as human ity’s last and infallible guide and preceptor. Summary of the Subject Matter The Surah opens with citing the falling of النجم (for an explanation of this word see under v. 2) as an evidence in support of the divine claim of the Holy Prophet, and proceeds to say:""Your companion has neither erred, nor has he gone astray, "" because, ""The Lord of mighty powers has taught him, the One Possessor of strength. "" The Prophet, having been initiated into divine mysteries, and having drunk deep at the fountain of Divine grace and knowledge, and o f the realization of God, attained to the highest peak of spiritual eminence to which a human being can conceivably rise. Then he became filled to the fullest extent with the milk of hum an kindness and sympathy, and, having been thus spiritually equipped, was appointed to preach Divine Unity to a world given to the worship of gods made of wood and s tone and creations of man’s own imagination. The Surah continues to give very strong, solid and sound arguments from human reason and history, and from the insignificant beginnings of man, in support of the doctrine of the Oneness of God; and condemns idolatry in forceful terms. This foolish doctrine, the Surah declares, is born of lack of true knowledge and rests on baseless conjecture which ""avails naught ag ainst truth. "" Next, it says that idolaters sh ould have learned from the life stories of Abraham, Moses and other Prophets that idolatrous beliefs and practices have always landed mankind into moral and spiritual ruin, and that every man will have to bear " "3015 his own cross and render account of his actions to God Who is the final goal of all, and Who gives life and causes death, and brings man to life after he is dead and reduced to partic les of earth. The Surah closes on a note of warning to disbelievers that if they persisted in rejection of the Divine Message, they would meet with a sad fate as did the people of Noah and ‘A d and Tham ud and that destruction of falsehood was inevitable and nothing could avert or avoid it. " "CH.53 PT.27 3016 (AN-NAJM ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.3965 2.By the star when it falls,3966 aSee 1:1. 3965. Commentary: See 1:1. 3966. Important Words: النجم( the star). The word has been variously interpreted. Generally it means, star or stemless plant, but when used as a proper noun it signifies ""the Ple iades. "" It is taken by some scholars to signify the gradual revelation of the Quran in pieces, and by some other authori ties to refer to the Holy Prophet himself. Its plural النجوم also me ans, chiefs of a people, or small states or principalities (Lane, Aqrab, Kashsh af, Taj & Ghar a’ibulQuran ). ھوی( falls). They say ھوی الیشء i.e. the thing fell from a high to a lo w place; it rose and ascended. It is sa id that (al-hawiy yu) is used for going up and اھلوی( al-huwiyyu ) for coming down (Aqrab). Commentary: In view of different meanings of the word النجم given under Important Words, the verse may refer ( 1) to a well-known saying of the Holy Prophet to the effect that when spiritual darkness will spread over the entire face of the earth and there will remain nothing of Islam but its name and of the Quran but its letters and faith will go up to heavens, a man of the Persian descent, will bring it back to earth (Tirmidh i & Bukh ari). Or (2) it may signify that the Quranic revelation hears witness to its own truth. Or (3) it may mean that the tender plant of Islam, which now seems to be going down before the strong and adverse winds of opposition that are fiercely blowing against it, would very shortly rise and develop into a mighty tree under whose cool shade great nations would take shelter. Or (4) the verse may mean that as the Arabs are used to determine the course and direction of, and are guided in, their travels by the movements of the stars in the sandy waste of Arabia (16:17), so they would now be led to the goal and end of their spiritual journey by the sta r par excellence, i.e. the Holy Prophet . (5) The verse may also embody a prophecy about the fall of the ramshackle State of Arabia, a prophecy much more explicitly stated in the verse, ""The Hour has drawn nigh and the moon is rent asund er"" (54:2). " "PT.27 AN-NAJM CH.53 3017 3967. Commentary: The verse signifies that the ideals and principles presented by the Holy Prophet are not wrong ( ما ضل,)nor has the Prophet in the least deviated from those principles ( ما غوی .)Thus, both as regards his great ideals, and the way he lives up to them, he is a sure and safe guide. The argument is reinforced in the next few verses. The words ""your companion"" seem to imply a subtle rebuke to the Meccan disbelievers, telling them in effect that the Holy Prophet has lived among them a whole lifetime and they had always looked upon him as a paragon of honesty, integrity and truthfulness but now they dare impute to him such a heinous sin as forging lies against God (l0:l7). How inconsistent is their attitude? 3968. Commentary: See next verse. 3969. Commentary: Whereas the present verse speaks of the Divine Source of the Holy Prophet’s revelation, the two preceding verses allude to the hallucinations of a deranged mind and to the ideas that proceed from one’s own desires and the promptings of the Evil One. The word ھو in the verse relates to the Quran . 3970. Important Words: القوی( powers) is the plural of قوة which is inf. noun from قوی i.e. he became strong; vigorous, robust or sturdy. قوة means, strength, power, potency, might or force (cont. of ضعف ) in body and also in intellect (Lane & Aqrab ). Commentary: The verse signifies that the Quran is a mighty and powerful Revelation before which all former revealed Scriptures pale into insignificance. 3971. Important Words: ةمر( strength) is derived from مر i.e. he went or went away. أمر احلبل means, he twisted the rope tightly. استمر مریرہ3.Your companion has neither erred, nor has he gone astray, 3967 4.Nor does he speak out of his own desire.3968 5.It is nothing but pure revelation revealed by God.3969 6.The Lord of mighty powers has taught him,3970 7.The One Possessor of strength. So He manifested His ascendance over everything,3971 " "CH.53 AN-NAJM PT.27 3018 means, his resolution or determination became firm or strong. استمر بالیشء means, he became strong enough to bear the thing. مرة means, strength; strength of make; strength of intellect; sound judg ement and firmness. They say ھو رجل ذومرة i.e. he is a strong man or he is possessed of strong intellect and sound judgement and firmness (Lane & Aqrab). استوی( gained ascendance over everything) is derived from سوی .They say استوی i.e. the affair of the man became right or straight. استوی means, he became full-grown and mature in body and intellect or he attained the completion of his make and intellect. استوی عیل ظھ ر دابة means, he was or became firm or became firmly seated or settled himself on the back of his beast. استوی عیل الیش ء also means, he gained or had the mastery or complete ascendancy over the thing. استوی الطعام means, the food became thoroughly cooked (Lane & Aqrab). See also 2:30 & 19:11. Commentary: The expression ذومرة,besides the meaning given under Important Words above, signifies:One Whose power perpetually manifest them- selves. The word استوی besides the meaning given in the text may also apply to the Holy Prophet, signifying that the Prophet’s physical and intellectual powers have attained their fullest vigour and maturity. For a collective note on this and the next two verses see v. 10. 3972 . Commentary: The verse purports to say that the Holy Prophet had attained to the highest point in his spiritual ascension when God revealed Himself to him in full glory and majesty. Or "" the Prophet’s being on the uppermost horizon"" may signify that the light of Islam was set on a very high place from where it could illumine the whole world. The word ھو may also refer to God. See also verse 10. 3973. Important Words: تدل( came down) is derived from دال . They say دال الدلو i.e. he sent down the bucket in the well; he pulled up or out the bucket from the well. دل رجلیه من السریر (dalla) means, he let down his legs from the couch. دل الیش ء means, he made or brought or drew the thing near to another thing. تدل means, it was let down, he or it lowered or came down; he was or became lowly, humble or submissive; he drew near or approached or increased in nearness. (Lane, Aqrab & Lis an). 8.And He revealed His Word when he was on the uppermost horizon,a 3972 9.Then he drew nearer to God; then he came down to mankind, 3973 a81:24. " "PT.27 AN-NAJM CH.53 3019 Commentary: The verse means that the Holy Prophet attained the utmost nearness to God. See next verse. 3974 . Important Words: قاب( chord) substantive noun from قاب( qaba) which means, he was or became near or he approached. قاب means, the portion of a bow that is between the part that is grasped by the hand and the curved extremity; or from one extrem ity of the bow to the other; measure or space. The Arabs say بینھما قاب قوسنی i.e. between them two is the measure of a bow, which means that there is a very close relationship between them. The Arabic proverb رمونا عن قوس واحد i.e. they shot at us from one bow, means, they were unanimous against us. The word thus denotes complete agreement (Lane, Lisan & Zamakhshar i). Commentary: Whatever may be the significance of the word قاب,the expression قابقوسنی indicates very close union between two persons. In this sense of the expression the verse purports to say that the Holy Prophet continued to scale the heights of spiritual ascension and to appro ach near God till all distance between them disappeared and the Prophet became, as it were, ""one chord to two bows. "" The verse reminds of an ancient Arab custom according to which when two persons pledged themselves to firm friendship they would join their bows in such a way that they appeared as one and then they wou ld shoot an arrow from that com bined bow; thus indicating that they had be come, as it were, one person, and that an attack on one was an attack on the other. If the word تدل be taken to apply to God, the verse would mean that the Holy Prophet went up to God and God came down to him till they both became, as it were, united into one person. The expression فکان قاب قوسنی possesses yet another very beautiful and subtle significance, viz. that while on the one hand the Holy Prophet became so completely merged in his Lord and Creator that he became, as it were, His image )(پیکر او شد سراسر صورت رب رحیم,on the other he came down to mankind and became so full of love, sympathy and solicitude that Divinity and humanity became united in him, and in the Quranic words he became the central point of the chord of the two bows of Divinity and humanity. The words أوأدین signify that the relationship between the Holy Prophet and God became closer and more intimate than could be conceived. Verses 8-18 describe the Spiritual Ascension ( معراج ) of the Holy Prophet, when he was spiritually transported to heavens and was vouchsafed the view of a spiritual manifestation of God, and ascended spiritually very close to his Maker. The Mi‘r aj was, in fact, a double 10.So that he became, as it were, one chord to two bows or closer still.3974 " "CH.53 AN-NAJM PT.27 3020 spiritual experience, comprising the spiritual ascent of the Holy Prophet, and the descent towards him of God’s manifestation. The Mi‘r aj (Spiritual Ascension) has become confused in popular mind w ith Isra’ اسرا( or Spiritual Night Journey of the Prophet to Jerusalem), from which it is quite distinct and separate. The Isra’ took place in the eleventh or twelfth year of the Call (Zurq ani) while the Holy Prophet had the experience of the Mi‘r aj or Spiritual Ascension to heavens in its 5th year, shortly after the first migration to Abyssinia, six or seven years earlier. A careful and minute study of the details of these two incidents mentioned in the Hadith also supports this view. For a detailed exposition of the two incidents, —the Mi‘r aj and the Isra’,—being separate and distinct from each other, see 17:2. 3975. Important Words: ما( what) is sometimes used, to denote honour, surprise, or for emphasis. ما أحسن زیدا means, how beautiful Zaid is. فیت ما فالن means, an excellent youth is such a one (Lane & Aqrab). 3976. Commentary: The verse implies that what the Holy Prophet had seen was his real personal experience; it was veritable truth and no figment of his imagination. 3977 . Commentary: The verse means that the Holy Prophet ’s vision was a double spiritual experience. 3978. Important Words: سدرة( Lote-tree) is derived from سدر which means, he was or became confounded, perplexed or dumb- founded. سدر( sadira) means, bewildered, perplexed, confounded. سدر( sadirun ) means, the sea (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: In view of the root meaning of the word the verse may signify that in his Spiritual Ascension ( معراج,) the Holy11.Then He revealed to His servant that which He revealed. 3975 12.The heart of the Prophet was not untrue to that which he saw. 13.Will you then dispute with him about what he saw?3976 14.And certainly, he saw Him a second time also,3977 15.Near the farthest Lote-tree, 3978 " "PT.27 AN-NAJM CH.53 3021 Prophet had reached a high stage of nearness to God which was beyond human mind to conceive; or it may signify that at that stage a sea of endless vistas of divine knowledge and eternal realities and verities opened out before him. Or the verse may possess a symb olic allusion to the fact that divine knowledge vouchsafed to the Holy Prophet would, like the Lotetree, give comfort and shelter to the tired and jaded limbs of the spiritual wayfarer. Or it may possess a prophetic reference to the tree under which the Companions of the Holy Prophet took the oath of fealty at his hands at the time of the Truce of Hudaibiyyah. Moreover, as the leaves of the Lote-tree possess the quality of safeguarding a dead body from corruption, the verse may signify that the Teaching revealed to the Holy Prophet not only is itself immune against corruption but is eminently fitted to save and preserve mankind from moral corruption. 3979. Commentary: The words ""that which covers,"" signify the manifestation of God. 3980. Commentary: The verse sheds a flood of light on the bedrock of certainty and invincible faith on which the Holy Prophet stood. 3981. Commentary: This and the preceding verse imply a subtle rebuke to the disbelievers. After having declared the Glory, Majesty and Dignity of God in the former verses, these two verses see m to say to them that, instead of adoring such a Mighty and Powerful Creator and Lord, they stoop so low as to worship gods made of wood and stone. It may be noted here that some prejudiced Christian critics of the Holy Prophet have woven quite a fantastic and foolish story of his having fallen a victim to the machinations of the Satan. 16.Near which is the Garden of Eternal Abode. 17.This was when that which covers covered the Lote-tree. 3979 18.The eye deviated not, nor did it wander.3980 19.Surely, he saw the greatest of the Signs of his Lord. 20.Now tell me about L at and ‘Uzz a, 21.And Man at, the third one, another goddess !3981 " "CH.53 AN-NAJM PT.27 3022 It is stated that one day at Mecca, when the Holy Prophet recited this Surah and as in his recitation he came upon these verses, before a mixed assembly of Muslims and disbelievers, Satan contrived to put in his mouth the words :تلکالغرانیق العیل و ان شفا عتھن لرتجتی i.e. these are exalted goddesses and their intercession is hoped for (Zurq ani). The critics call it the ""lapse of Muh ammad"" or his ""compromise with idolatry"" and seem to rely upon Waqidi—that inveterate liar and fabricator of reports —or on Tabar i, who is generally regarded as a credulous and indiscriminate narrator of events, for this entirely baseless story. These gentlemen have the audacity to attribute this blasphemous utterance to that great iconoclast (the Holy Prophet) whose whole life was spent in denouncing and condemning idolatry and who carried out his noble mission with unremitting vigour and fearless devotion, spurning all offers of compromise with idol worship, and whom blandishments, bribes, cajolery or intimidation failed to move an inch from his set purpose, and to whose unshakable firmness against idolatry the Almighty Himself has borne testimony in the words:ودوا لو تدھن فیدھنون i.e. it is their intense desire that thou shouldst show some pliancy so that they may also be pliant (68:10). Moreover, the whole context gives the direct lie to this baseless assertion. Not only do the verses that follow but the whole Surah contains an unsparing condemnation of idolatry and an uncompromising insistence on Divine Unity. It is strange that this patent fact should have escaped the notice of the Holy Prophet’s critics and carpers. Historical data, too, lend no support whatever to this so-called ""lapse."" The story has been rejected as completely unreliable by all the learned commentators of the Quran, Ibn Kath ir and R adi among them. The renowned leaders of Muslim religious thought, well versed in the science of Hadith, such as ‘ Aini, Qadi ‘Ayyad and Nawaw i, have regarded it as pure invention. No trace of this story is to be found in الصحاح الست ة( the Six Reliable Collections of Hadith). Imam Bukh ari, whose collection, the Sahih Al-Bukh ari, is regarded by Muslim scholars as the most reliable book next to the Quran and who himself was a contemporary of Waqidi to whom goes the unenviable credit of forging and reporting this story, makes no mention of it, nor does the great historian, Ibn Ishaq, who was born more than 40 years before him. It may be, as stated by Qastalani and Zurqa ni and supported by some other eminent scholars, that when the Holy Prophet, during the recital of the present Surah before a mixed assembly of Muslims and disbelievers, came to these vers es, some evil-minded person from among the disbelievers might have loudly interjected the words تلکالغرانیق العیل اخل, as was the disbelievers ’ wont to create confusion by resorting to such low tactics, when the Quran was being recited (41:27). It is also on record that in the ""Days of Ignorance,"" the Quraish, when making a circuit of the Ka‘bah, used to recite the sentence:تلک الغرانیق العیل و ان" "PT.27 AN-NAJM CH.53 3023 شفاعتھن لرتجتی ( Mu‘ jamul-Buld an, vol. 5, under ‘Uzz a). Besides, it is not possible for the Satan to interfere with the purity of the Quranic text. God has taken it upon Himself to protect and safeguard the Quran against all interference and interpolation (15:10 & 72:27-29). So the whole story as invented by W aqidi and taken undue advantage of by Muir and others of his class is a pure myth and possesses no basis in fact. It is further stated that the 53r d verse of Surah Al-Hajj was revealed in connection with this incident. The fact that the Surah under comment was revealed in the 5th year of the Call and Surah Al-Hajj in the 13th or 12th year, takes the bottom completely from under this baseless assertion. 3982 . Commentary: The verse administers a further rebuke to the Meccan pagans, purporting to say to them that apart from their blasphemous practice of associating gods, made of wood and stone, with God the Almighty, the Creator of heavens and earth and the Lord of Glory, Majesty and Dignity, they have the hardihood to assign to Him daughters whose birth they regard as a source of disgrace and humiliation in their own case. 3983. Important Words: ضیزی( unjust) is derived from ضاز which means, he deviated from the right course; he acted unjustly, wrongfully, tyrannically. ضاز یف احلکم means, he gave an unjust judg ement. ضاز حق ه means, he deprived him or defrauded him of a part or the whole of his right or due (Lane & Aqrab). 3984. Commentary: Whereas a true believer stands on the bedrock of certainty and sure knowledge (12:109), an idolater possesses no rational argument and no revealed authority for his false 22.‘What! for you the males and for Him the females!’a 3982 23.That indeed is an unfair division.3983 24.‘These are but names which you have namedb—you and your fathers —for which Allah has sent down no authority.’ They follow naught but conjecture and what their souls desire, while there has already come to them guidance from their Lord.3984 a6:101; 16:58; 37:154; 43:17; 52:40. b7:72; 12:41; 22:72. " "CH.53 AN-NAJM PT.27 3024 beliefs or doctrines. He falls a helpless victim to conjecture and superstition and is a slave to his own desires and fancies. The verse, as also v. 29, speaks of the utter untenability of an idolater’s position. He stands on a broken reed. 3985. Commentary: The verse means that idolaters hope that their gods will intercede for them with Allah. They are entertaining a false hope which will never be fulfilled. 3986 . Important Words: For a detailed note on شفاعة (intercession) see 2:49 and 19:88. The words ملن یشاء و یریض may also mean, regarding one who conforms to His will and with whom He is pleased. 25.Can man have whatever he desires? 3985 26.Nay, to Allah belong the Hereafter and this world . R. 2. 27.And how many an angel is there in the heavens, but their intercession shall be of no avail, except after Allah has given permission to whomsoever He wills and pleases.a 3986 28.Those who believe not in the Hereafter name the angels with names of females;b 29.But they have no knowledge thereof. They follow nothing but conjecture; and conjecture avails naught against truth.c 30.So turn aside from him who turns away from Our remembrance, and seeks nothing but the life of this world. a2:256; 20:110; 34:24. b4:118; 37:150-151; 43:20 . c6:117; 10:37. " "PT.27 AN-NAJM CH.53 3025 3987. Commentary: The words of the verse seem to have been spoken ironically or by way of reproach. The utmost limit of the knowledge of disbelievers (the verse purports to say) is that they worship gods, which can do them no good nor can they injure them, in preference to God the Almighty, to Whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth and Who has created all things for the service of man. Moreover their strivings are confined to the acquirement of material things of this life and they have no thought for the Hereafter. 3988. Important Words: اللمم( minor faults) is derived from لم .They say ألم بالقوم اوعیل املقوم i.e. he came to the people and alighted at their 31.That is the utmost limit of their knowledge. Verily, thy Lord knows best him who strays from His way, and He knows him best who follows guidance.a 3987 32.And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, that He may requite those who do evil for what they have wrought, and reward those who do good with what is best.b 33.Those who shun the grave sins and immoral actions except minor faultsc—verily, thy Lord is Master of vast forgiv eness .d He knows you full well from the time when He created you from the earth, and when you were embryos in the bellies of your mothers. So ascribe not purity to yourselves. He knows him best who is truly righteous.3988 a16:126; 28:57; 68:8. b4:124-125; 6:161; 41:47. c4:32; 42:38. d13:7; 41:44. " "CH.53 AN-NAJM PT.27 3026 abode temporarily as a guest. أملمت بکذا means, I appreciated it without committing it. ألم also means, he visited covertly or in a light, slight or hasty manner or rarely. ملم means, a chance leaning towards evil; a temporary and light lapse; a rare slight offenc e, a passing e vil idea which flashes across the mind and leaves no impression on it. The root word possesses the sense of temporariness, haste and infrequency and of doing a thing unintentionally. A chance, unintentional look at a woman has also been called اللمم by some authori ties (Lane & Aqrab). 3989 . Important Words: أکدی( gives grudgingly) is derived from کدی .They say أکدی الرجل i.e. the man gave niggardly or grudgingly; he did not succeed in getting what he wanted. أکداہ عن کذا means, he prevented him from such a thing. أکدی املعدن means, the mine refused to bring out diamonds and jewels. أکدی احلافر means, the digger in the course of digging came across a hard or stony piece of ground or c lod and could dig no further. سأله فأکدی means he begged of him but found him like a hard piece of ground and he did not give. أکدی املطر means, the rain decreased . (Aqrab). 3990. Commentary: Patriarch Abraham, the progenitor of the three great religious peoples — Jews, Christians and Muslims — fulfilled faithfully the covenant he had made with God. He carried out literally all Divine commandments. He was made to pass through severe trials and tribulations and successfully came out of those ordeals. Says the Quran :And remember when his Lord tried Abraham with certain commands, which he fulfilled (2:125). Abraham was commanded by God to leave his only son Ishmael, (the hope and prop of his old age), when a mere child, with his elderly mother, in the arid R. 3. 34.Seest thou him who turns away, 35.And gives a little, and does it grudgingly? 3989 36.Has he the knowledge o f the unseen so that he can see his own end ? 37.Has he not been informed of what is in the Scriptures of Moses 38.And of Abraham who fulfilled the commandments ?— 3990 " "PT.27 AN-NAJM CH.53 3027 and barren waste, near Mecca, and then, the child having grown up to be a young boy, he was commanded to slaughter him, which command Abraham prepared to carry out, without the least hesitancy. It were actions like these that earned for him the divine title of the Faithful, which is the significance of the word ویف. 3991 . Commentary: The verse purports to say that every man shall have to carry his own cross and bear his own burden. See also 17:14-16. 3992. Commentary: It is after unremitting, incessant and persistent striving, accompanied by noble ideals and sublime principles, that one can achieve the object of one’s quest. 3993 . Commentary: The kind of striving mentioned in the preceding verse never fails to produce the desired results. 3994. Commentary: The verse purports to say that the whole system of cause and effect ends with God. He is the Cause of all cause s or the First Cause. A natural order of cause and effect pervades the whole universe. Every cause, which is not itself primary, is traceable to some other cause and this to another and so on. But as the series of cause and effect in our finite world cannot be indefinite it must terminate at some point. The Final Cause is, therefore, the Author of the universe, it is to this Final Cause that the present verse calls attention. 39.That no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another;a 3991 40.And that man will have nothing but what he strives for; 3992 41.And that his striving shall soon be seen; 3993 42.Then will he be rewarded for it with the fullest reward; 43.And that to thy Lord do all things ultimately go; 3994 44.And that it is He Who makes men laugh and makes them weep; a6:165; 35:19; 39:8. " "CH.53 AN-NAJM PT.27 3028 3995. Important Words: أقین( grants wealth to one’s satisfaction) is the transitive form of قین .They say قیناملال i.e. he took for himself property for permanent use and not for possession. أقناہ اّللٰ means, God gave him wealth and pleased him, i.e. it made him contented and satisfied (Lane & Aqrab). 3996. Commentary: The Arabs worshipped the mighty star, Sirius, because they regarded it as a source of good or bad luck for them. 3997. Commentary: After pu tting forward argument in support of Divine Unity from human reason and the insignificant beginning of man, the Surah, from this verse introduces history to prove the same thesis. 3998. Commentary: The tribe of Tham ud is known as the second ‘A d. 45.And that it is He Who causes death and gives life;a 46.And that He creates the pairs, male and female,b 47. cFrom a sperm drop when it is poured forth; 48.And that it is for Him to bring forth the second creation; 49.And that it is He Who enriches and grants wealth to one’ s satisfaction;3995 50.And that He is the Lord of Sirius;3996 51.And that He destroyed the first tribe of ‘Ad,3997 52.And the tribe of Tham ud, and He spared not any of them, 3998 53.And He destroyed the people of Noah before them — verily, they were most unjust and most rebellious — a2:29; 30:41. b4:2; 7:190; 30:22. c56:59-60; 75:38. " "PT.27 AN-NAJM CH.53 3029 3999. Commentary: The particle ما has been used here to denote respect or dignity, meaning that an overwhelming punishment enveloped them. 4000. Important Words: After seeing so many and so clear and invincible arguments and signs that support and substantiate the claims of the Holy Prophet, the verse says to the obstinate disbelievers, in words full of pathos, mixed with irony, how long will they continue to deny truth and wander in the wilderness of disbelief? 4001. Important Wor ds: ةاالزف ( The Hour) is fe m. act. part. from أزف which means, he was or became or drew near; he hastened or was quick. االزفة means, the Hour of Judgement; the Resurrection; the near event; death (Lane). Commentary: The idolaters of Mecca, says the verse, have persisted in denying the Divine Message and as a result of their denial the hour of the overthrow of their power has drawn very near; nay it is knocking at their very door. 4002 . Commentary: This Surah was revealed very early in the Holy Prophet’s ministry, i.e. in the fifth year of the Call, when in the midst of mockery, threats and persecution, the fate of Islam was hanging in the balance. It was at that time that the prophecy was made about the overthrow of the Quraishite 54.And He overthrew the subverted cities of the people of Lot, 55.So that there covered them that which cover ed.3999 56.Which then, O believer, of the bounties of thy Lord wilt thou dispute?4000 57.This is a Warner from among the class of the Warners of old. 58.The Hour that was to come has drawn nigh,4001 59.None but Allah can avert it. 60.Do you then wonder at this announcement?4002 " "CH.53 AN-NAJM PT.27 3030 power in this Surah, and in much more forceful accents in the next (54:46). 4003. Important Words: سامدون( proudly heedless) is the plural of سامد which is act. part. from مسد which means, he was or became high and elevated; he raised his head in pride; he diverted himself, sported and played; he was or became negligent or heedless and went away leaving a thing; he was or becam e confounded, perplexed, amazed, and was unable to see the right course; he kept constantly to an affair (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The warning contained in vv. 58-61 is repeated here. 4004. Commentary: The verse seems to say to disbelievers, there is yet time that they should accept the Divine Message and worship God and repent so that mercy might be shown to them. It seems that as the Holy Prophet finished reciting the Surah, before a mixed gathering of Muslims a nd disbelievers, and, along with his followers, he prostrated himself on the ground, the disbelievers too, having been deeply impressed with the solemnity of the occasion and being overawed by the august recitation of the Quranic words, as well as by God’s Majesty and Glory, might also have fallen in prostration. This was not unlikely since they regarded God as the Supreme Lord and Creator and their own deities as mere intercessors with Him (10:19). By connecting this plausible incident, however, with the baseless legend woven round vv. 21-23 by some ""inventive minds,"" the traducers of the Holy Prophet have persuaded themselves to detect in it a ""lapse"" on his part. But the lapse, if any, is the creation of their own imagination. 61.And do you laugh, and weep not? 4003 62.And will you remain proudly heedless? 63.So prostrate yourselves before Allah, and worship Him.a 4004 a7:206; 22:78; 41:38; 96:20. " "3031 CHAPTER 54 AL-QAMAR (Revealed before Hijrah) Title, Date of Revelation, and Context The Surah takes its title from its opening verse. It definitely is an early Meccan Surah, having been revealed about the same time as the preceding Surah . An-Najm, which was revealed in the 5th year of the Call. The Surah so closely resembles Surah An- Najm in style and contents that it seems to supplement the latter’s subject matter. Whereas Surah An-Najm had ended on a note of warning to disbelievers in the words:أزفت االزفة i.e. the Hour of their doom has drawn near, the present Surah opens with the expression اقرتبت الساعة meaning, that the threatened Hour has almost arrived ; it is at thei r very door. Subject Matter The Surah is the fifth of the group of seven Surahs which begin with Surah Qaf and end with Al-Waqi‘ah. All these Surahs were revealed very early in the Holy Prophet’s ministry and deal with the basic doctrines of Islam —Existence and Unity of God, the Resurrection and Revelation. The Surahs adduce laws of nature, human reason, common sense and histories of the past Prophets as arguments to prove these theses. In some of these Surahs special emphasis has been laid on one kind of arguments with a fleeting reference to other kinds and vice versa. In the present Surah, however, the Holy Prophet’s divine claim and the Resurrection have been dealt with, with special reference to the histories of the past Prophets, particularly to those of Noah, the tribes of ‘A d and Tham ud and Lot’s people. Towards its end the Surah makes pointed reference to the fulfilment of the prophecy about the destruction and overthrow of the power of pagan Arabs about which a warning had been given in the preceding Surah (53:58). " "CH.54 PT.27 3032 (AL-QAMAR ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.4005 2.The Hour has drawn nighb, and the moon is rent asunder .4006 aSee 1:1. b21:2. 4005. Commentary: See 1:1. 4006 . Important Words: انشق( is rent asunder) is derived from شق .They say شق الیشء i.e. he split, clave, tore or rent the thing . شقالعصا means, he broke the staff, i.e. he separated himself from the community. An Arab would say, شق عصا املسلمنی i.e. he created disunion and dissension among the Muslims. انشق القمر means, the moon was or became rent asunder; or according to some, the affair became manifest (Lane, Aqrab & Mufrad at). القمر( the moon). قمر الیش ء means, th e light of the thing became intense. أقمر اللیل means, the night became bright with the light of the moon. القمر means, the moon in its third night and after; the moon absolutely. أقمار العلم و مشوسه means, the u lema or learned men of the people. القمران means, the sun and the moon (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: Whether or not "" splitting of the moon "" into two parts, observable by the naked eye, contravened any physical law of nature, it cannot be denied that the event lacks historical evidence which could at all be described as unimpeachable. At the same time no one can presume to have fathomed all divine mysteries or fully comprehended or encompassed all the secrets of nature. It is not possible to imagine that such an event, affecting a considerable area of the globe, should have remained unnoticed in the observatories of the world or that it should have remained unrecorded in books of history. But the incident having found a mention in such reliable collections of Hadith as Bukh ari and Muslim and having been narrated successively in traditions of reliable authority and reported by such learned Companions of the Holy Prophet as Ibn Mas‘ ud and Ibn ‘Abb as, does show that some natural phenomenon of unusual importance must have taken place in the time of the Holy Prophet. Some commentators of the Quran —Radi among them —have sought to solve the difficult problem by declaring the incident to be a lunar eclipse. Imam Ghaz ali and Sh ah Wal i Allah also hold the view that the moon had not in fact been rent asunder, but that God had so contrived that it appeared to the beholders as such. However, " "PT.27 AL-QAMAR CH.54 3033 taking into consideration the forceful language in which it has been mentioned in the Quran, the incident appears to be something more than a mere lunar eclipse. It indeed const ituted a great miracle shown by the Prophet at the insistent demand of disbelievers (see Bukh ari & Muslim). It seems to be a vision of the Holy Prophet in which the Companions of the Holy Prophet and some of the Quraish were made to share —just as the rod turning into a serpent was a vision of Moses in which the magicians were made to share. Alternatively, it may be that just as the striking of seawater by Moses with his rod coincided with the ebb of the tide and thus assumed the character of a miracle, because God alone knew when the sea would recede and it was He Who commanded Moses to strike the waters at the time of recession, similarly God may have commanded the Holy Prophet to show the miracle of the cleaving asunder of the moon at a time when a heavenly body was to take such a position in front of the moon that it caused the moon to appear to the beholders as split into two parts. But the most plausible explanation, which is also possessed of very deep spiritual significance of this, one of the most outstanding miracles shown by the Holy Prophet, lies in the fact that the moon was the national emblem of the Arabs and the symbol of their political power, just as the sun at that time was the national ensign of the Persians. When Safiyyah, the daughter of Huyay bin Akhtab, a leader of the Jews of Khaibar, mentioned to her father that she had seen in a dream that the moon had fallen into her lap, he slapped her face saying that she wanted to marry the leader of the Arabs. After the fall of Khaibar Safiyyah’s dream was fulfilled when she was married to the Holy Prophet (Zurq ani & Usdul-Ghabbah). Similarly, ‘ A’ishah had seen a dream that three moons had fallen in her private apartment which saw its fulfilment when the Holy Prophet, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar were buried there one after the other (Mu’a tta’, KitabuI-Jana’iz). According to this sense of the word و قمر the verse would signify that the hour of destruction of their political power with which the disbelieving Arabs had been threatened in 53:58 has already arrived. The word الساعه( Hour) in that case would refer to the Battle of Badr in which all the chiefs and leaders of the Quraish were killed and the foundations of the complete destruction of their power were laid. Thus the verse constituted a mighty prophecy which met with remarkable fulfilment, nearly eight or nine years after its announcement. Moreover, the Holy Prophet has been called ""illuminating moon "" ( قمرامنریا ) in the Quran . In this sense of the word the verse would mean that after the Holy Prophet’s separation from the Quraish, the ""Hour "" of the destruction of their power would arrive, and it happened likewise. About a year after the Migration of the Holy Prophet to Medina, the Battle of Badr was fought which broke the Quraishite power. " "CH.54 AL-QAMAR PT.27 3034 Taking the expression انشق القمر in the sense, ""the affair has become manifest, "" the verse would mean that the hour of the destruction of the Quraishite power has arrived and that now it would become manifest that the Prophet was a true Divine Messenger. The word الساعة, besides the Battle of Badr, may apply to the Battle of the Ditch and the Fall of Mecca, as these three events combined to bring about complete and total annihilation of the power of pagan Arabs. 4007 . Important Words: مستمر( continuous) is derived from استمر which means, he or it passed; went away; it (a thing) went on in one uniform course or manner; i t continued in the same state; he or it becam e strong or firm like a rope tightly twisted. استمر بالیشء means, he became strong to bear the thing. مستمر means. ( 1) passing, fleeting, transient; (2) continuous:(3) strong, firm (Lane & Aqrab). 4008. Commentary: The verse means that the destruction of the power of the pagan Quraish and the triumph of Islam has been decreed by God and the Divine decree must come to pass. 4009. Important Words: مزدجر( warning) is derived from ازدجر which means, he chid repelled, drove, spurned, checked him. They say ازدجرہ عن کذا i.e. he prevented or hindered him from doing so by cry or harsh speech. مزدجر means, prevention, prohibition; threatening ; something by which one is prevented, forbidden from doing a certain thing —a warning (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse purports to say that the pagan Arabs must have learnt from the accounts of disbelievers of the Prophets of yore that rejection of Truth does not pay. They should have taken a lesson from their evil end and should have abstained from following in their footsteps. 3. aAnd if they see a S ign, they turn away and say, ‘a continuous sorcery.’4007 4.They reject the truth and follow their own fancies. But every decree of God shall certainly come to pass.4008 5.And there has already come to them the great news wherein is a warning —4009 a21:2. " "PT.27 AL-QAMAR CH.54 3035 4010. Important Words: النذر( warning) is i nf. noun from أنذر and means, a warning. It is a lso the plural of نذیر i.e. a warner. They say أنذرہ باالمر i.e. he informed him or advised him of the affair; he warned him of it or put him on g uard or in fear against it (Aqrab & Lane). 4011. Important Words: نکر( disagreeable) is derived from نکر( nakira ) which means, it (a thing or affair) was or became bad, evil, abominable or foul; it was or became disallowed, disagreeable; it was or became difficult, hard, arduous or severe (Lane). Commentary: See v. 9. 4012. Commentary: 'Graves' here means the houses of disbelievers. At several places in the Quran disbelievers have been likened to the dead because of their being completely devoid of spiritual life (27:81; 35:23). 4013. Important Words: مھطعنی( hastening) is the plural of مھطع which is act . part. from أھطع which is transitive form of ھطع .They say ھطع الرجل i.e. the man came running in fright; or the man advanced with his eyes fixed on something from which he did not raise the m. أھطع یف السری means, he hastened and came in haste frightened. أھطع الرجل also means, the man looked with humility. مھطع means, one who looks at a thing without raising his eyes from it (Aqrab). See also 14:44. Commentary: This and the preceding two verses give a graphic picture of the confusion, consternation and bewilderment of the 6.Consummate wisdom; but the awarnings profit them not.4010 7.Therefore, turn thou away from them . The day when the Summoner will summon them to a disagreeable thing .4011 8. bWhil e their eyes will be cast down and they will come forth from their graves as though they were locusts scattered about, 4012 9. cHastening towards the Summoner. The disbelievers will say, ‘This is a hard day.’4013 a10:102. b70:45. c36:52; 14:44. " "CH.54 AL-QAMAR PT.27 3036 Quraish when they saw the Summoner —the Holy Prophet —whom they had driven out of Mecca and upon whose head they had set a price only a few years earlier, at the very gates of the city. The mighty prophecy embodied in these verses was made at a time when the fate of Islam itself was hanging in the balance and, humanly speaking, there was not the remotest possibility of its being fulfilled. 4014. Commentary: As briefly stated in the Introduction, almost the entire Surah is devoted to a discussion of the dreadful fate which the Rejecters of former Divine Prophets had met and this fact has been adduced as an argument to prove the truth of the Holy Prophet’s claim. The cases of the People of Noah, of the tribes of ‘Ad and Tham ud and that of the people of Lot have received a special and somewhat detailed mention because these peoples lived on the confines of the Hijaz and the Quraish were quite familiar with their histories and had commercial relations with them. The people to whom Noah preached his Message lived in Iraq which lies to the north- east of Arabia, and the tribe of ‘ Ad lived in Yemen and Hadramaut which form the southern part of it while the tribe of Tham ud throve and flourished in the north-west of Arabia which extends from the Hijaz to Palestine and the ill-fated people of Lot lived in Sodom and Gommorah in Palestine. 4015. Important Words: منھمر( pouring down) is derived from مھر .They say مھر املاء i.e. he poured out the water. مھر العنی بالدمع means, the eyes flowed with tears. اھنمر املاء means, the water poured out and flowed (Aqrab). 10.The people of Noah rejected the truth before thema; aye, they rejected Our servant and said, ‘A bmadman, and one who is spurned .’4014 11.He prayed to his Lord saying ‘I am overcome, so come Thou to my help c!’ 12.Thereupon We opened the gates of heaven with water pouring down;4015 13. dAnd We caused the earth to burst forth with springs, so the a6:35; 22:43; 35:26; 40:6. b23:26. c23:27; 26:118-119. d11:41; 21:78; 26:121; 37:83; 71:26. " "PT.27 AL-QAMAR CH.54 3037 4016. Commentary: The rainwater pouring down in torrents from the skies and also gushing forth from under the ground, caused a huge flood which engulfed the entire land and thus the Divine decree was fulfilled, destroying the people of Noah. 4017. Important Words: دسر( nails) is the plural of دسار which is derived from دسر which means, he drove a nail with force; he nailed anything; he fastened or repaired a ship with a nail, or with a cord of fibres of palm-tree. They say دسرہ i.e. he thrust, drove, pierced or stabbed him vehemently with a spear, he or it pushed, drove, propelled him or it. دسار means, a cord of fibres of the pa lm tree with which the planks of a ship are bound together; a nail of a ship (Lane & Aqrab). 4018. Important Words: مدکر( who would take heed) is act . part. from ادکر( iddak ara) which is synonymous with تذکر،ذکر (tadhakk ara) and اذکر( idhdhakara ) meaning, he remembered or became reminded of ; he took heed, reflected or was mindful. مدکر means, one who would take heed, reflect and be mindful (Lane & Aqrab). 4019. Commentary: All those basic ideals, principles two waters met for a purpose that was decreed.4016 14.AndaWe carried him upon that which was made of planks and nails.4017 15.It floated on under Our eyesb; a reward for him who had been rejected . 16. cAnd We left it as a Sign for the succeeding generations ; but is there anyone who would take heed?4018 17.How terrible then was My punishment and My warning! 18.And indeed We have made the Quran easyd to understand and to remember. But is there anyone who would take heed?4019 a26:120; 29:16. b11:42-43. c29:16. d19:98; 44:59. " "CH.54 AL-QAMAR PT.27 3038 and rules of conduct which concern man’s moral development and his physical and social progress and well- being, have been laid down in the Quran in simple and easy language and are easily comprehensible by persons of average intelligence and understanding and are also quite practical and practicable because they are in harmony with human nature. But the treasures of Divine realization and deep mysteries of the unknown which lie hidden in the Quran are accessible only to those few holy men of God who are endowed with special spiritual insight and who have scaled the dizzy heights of communion with the Divine Being and have been purified by Him. Moreover, the Quran has been made easy in this sense also that it comprehends all those permanent and imperishable teachings that are found in other revealed Scriptures, with a great deal more that is indispensable for the guidance of man till the end of time (98:4). 4020. Commentary: The verse does not mean that any particular time is auspicious or inauspicious or lucky or unlucky. The meaning is that for the tribe of ‘ Ad the day proved unlucky. 4021. Important Words: منقعر( uprooted) is derived from قعر . They say قعر الشجرہ means, he uprooted the tree. انقعرت الشجرہ means, the tree became uprooted. منقعر means, uprooted (Lane & Aqrab) . 19.The tribe of ‘Ad rejecteda the Truth . How terrible then was My punishment and My warning! 20. bWe sent against them a furious wind on a day of unending ill luck .4020 21.Tearing people away as though they were the trunks of uprooted palm treesc.4021 22.How terrible then was My punishment and My warning! 23.And indeed We have made the Quran easy to understand and to remember. But is there anyone who would take heed? a26:124. b41:17; 69:7. c69:8. " "PT.27 AL-QAMAR CH.54 3039 4022. Commentary: As all Prophets are commissioned by God and their revelation proceeds from the same Divine Source and contains analogous eternal basic principles, the rejection of one Prophet amounts to the rejection of all of them. That is why the verse describes the tribe of Tham ud as having rejected all Divine Messengers while, in fact, they had rejected only the Prophet Salih. 4023. Important Words: سعر( madness) is derived from سعر (sa‘ara ). They say سعر احلرب i.e. he provoked the war. سعر الرجل (su‘ira) means, the man was smitten by hot wind; he was or became vehemently hungry or thirsty; h e was or became mad. سعر means, madne ss, insanity,demoniacal posses sion; punishment; vehemence of heat, hunger or thirst; fury; pain (Lane & Aqrab). 4024. Important Words: أشر( boastful) is act. part. from أشر (ashira ) which means, he exulte d and behaved insolently; he behaved with pride and self-conceitedness. أشر means, one who is insolent and behaves with pride and e xults (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: Conceit, false pride and arrogance are man’s greatest spiritual enemies. They constitute the hard hurdles that bar the way to the acceptance of truth. The Quran has repeatedly mentioned disbelievers as having rejected the Divine Message due to these moral ills. See 25:8; 38:9, 43:32. R. 2. 24.The tribe of Tham ud also rejected the Warnersa.4022 25.And they said, ‘What! a man, from among ourselves a single mortal ! Shall we follow him? Then indeed we would be in manifest error, and would be mad.4023 26. bHas the Reminder been revealed to him alone of all of us? Nay, he is a boastful liar.’ 4024 27.‘Tomorrow will they know who is the boastful liar.’ a69:5. b38:9. " "CH.54 AL-QAMAR PT.27 3040 4025. Important Words: اصطرب means, he was patient or constant; he acquired patience; he was tried with patience. It is the intensive form of صرب( Lane & Aqrab). 4026. Important Words: شرب( drinking) is i nf. noun from شرب (shariba ) and means, water that one drinks; a draught of water; a share or portion of water that falls to one’s lot; the right to use water for watering fields and beasts:a watering place; a turn or ti me of drinking. شرب (shurbun ) means, the act of drinking (Lane & Aqrab). 4027. Important Words: تعایط( seized) i s derived from عطا. عطا الیه یدہ means, he raised his hand towards it. تعایط الیشء means, he took the thing . تعایط االمر means, he ventured upon the affair. تعایطالرجل means, the man stood upon the extremities of the toes and raised his hands to take a thing. عطو( inf. noun) signifies, the act of raising the head and hands to take a thing. تعاط( ta‘atin) is the act of taking a thing with the hand; taking with the hand what is not right or just or due; contending in taking; standing upon the extremities of the toes with raising the hands to a thing; being bold or courageous so as to venture upon a thing without consideration or hesitation (Lane & Aqrab). 4028 . Important Words: املحتظر (maker of enclosure) is act.28. a‘We will send the she- camel as a trial for them. So watch them . O Salih, and have patience ;4025 29.‘And tell them that the water is shared only between them, but as for the she-camel every drinking time may be attended by her .’4026 30.But they called their comrade, and he seized a sword and hamstrung herb.4027 31.How terrible then was My punishment and My warning! 32. cWe sent against them a single blast, and they became like the dry stubble, whittled down by a maker of enclosure .4028 a7:74; 11:65; 17:60; 26:156; 91:14. b7:78; 11:66; 26:158; 91:15. c7:79; 11:68; 26:159; 41:18. " "PT.27 AL-QAMAR CH.54 3041 part. from احتظرwhich is derived from حظر which means, he forbade, he prohibited. احتظر means he took for himself an enclosure . احتظر ب ه means, he took it for protection حمتظر means, a maker of enclosu re. (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse signifies either that the disbelievers were completely crushed or that they were as worthless in the sight of God as whittled down and crushed stubble, collected by a maker of hedges. 4029. Important Words: طمسنا أعینھم ( We blinded their eyes). طمس means, it quitted its form or shape. طمس الرجل means, the man went to a d istance or became distant. طمسه means, he obliterated the mark or trace thereof. طمس الغیم النجوم, means, the clouds concealed the stars. See also 10:89. Commentary: Lot’s people sought to take hold of his guests but it seems the latter went 33.And indeed We have made the Quran easy to understand and to remember. But is there anyone who w ould take heed? 34. aLot’s people also rejected the Warners. 35. bWe sent a storm of stones upon them except the family of Lot, whom We delivered by early dawn, 36.As a favour from Us. Thus do We reward him who is grateful. 37.And he indeed had warned them of Our punishment, but they doubted the warning. 38. cAnd they deceitfully sought to turn him away from his guests. So We blinded their eyes, and said, ‘Taste ye now My punishment and My warning.’4029 a7:83; 26 :161; 29:30. b25:41; 26:174. c11:79; 15:69. " "CH.54 AL-QAMAR PT.27 3042 into hiding and thus they could not be found out. Or that God so arranged that attention of Lot’s people became diverted from them. 4030. Important Words: صبحھم( came upon them early in the morn ing). صبح( sabba ha) is the intensive form of صبح( saba ha). They say صبح القوم i.e. he came to the people or attacked them in the morning (Lane & Aqrab). See also 7:79. 4031. Commentary: The account of each of the four peoples of antiquity with whose history the pagan Quraish were quite conversant —the peoples of Noah and Lot and the tribes of ‘A d and Tham ud— ends with a stern warning, coupled with a pathetic appeal to them to learn a lesson from the fate of these peoples and not to reject the Message of the Quran which is revealed only for their good and rejection of which would land them into ruin. 4032. Commentary: The use in the verse of the word مقتدر( The Powerful) is very significant. Pharaoh was a very powerful monarch. He regarded himself as ""the most high lord of the Israelites "" (79:25). So the might of the real Omnipot ent Lord of Moses and Aaron was pitted against that self-designated lord, and he was completely annihilated. 39. aAnd there came upon them early in the morning a lasting punishment.4030 40.‘Now taste ye My punishment and My warning.’ 41.And, indeed, We have made the Quran easy to understand and to remember. But is there anyone who would take heed? 4031 R. 3. 42. bAnd surely to the people of Pharaoh also came Warners. 43.They rejected all Our Signsc. So We seized them with the seizing of the Mighty, the Powerful.4032 a11:82. b20:48; 26:17. c20:57. " "PT.27 AL-QAMAR CH.54 3043 4033. Important Words: The verse repeats a warning to the pagan Quraish in another form. ""Are you in any way better,"" it asks them, ""than those who rejected Noah, H ud, Lot or Moses. Or have you received a Divine promise recorded in the Divine Scriptures that you will not be punished for your rejection of the Holy Prophet""? 4034. Commentary: The emphatic prophecy embodied in the verse is definitely about the crushing defeat which the Meccan army suffered at the hands of Muslims in the Battle of Badr. The odds were so heavy against the Muslims that when fighting began the Holy Prophet prayed to God in utmost humility and extreme agony, in a tent set up for him for this purpose, in the words:""O Lord, I humbly beseech Thee to fulfil Thy covenant and Thy promise. If this small band of Muslims were destroyed, Thou wilt never be worshipped again on this earth"" (Bukh ari & Muslim). After having finished the prayer, the Holy Prophet came out of the tent and facing the field of battle recited the verse سیھزم اجلمع و یولون الدبر i.e. the hosts shall soon be routed and shall turn their backs in flight. 4035 . Important Words: أدھ( most calamitous) is derived from دھ .They say مادھاک i.e. what has befallen thee. The Arabs say دھته داھیة i.e. a calamity befe ll him. أدھ means, more or most calamitous (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The defeat at Badr was indeed a most formidable and calamitous misfortune for the Quraish. Their power and prestige sustained a crushing blow. Most of their leaders and prominent chiefs were killed. Having suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of a handful of 44.Are your disbelievers better than those? Or have you an immunity in the Scriptures?a 4033 45.Do they say, ‘We are a victorious host?’ 46. bThe hosts shall soon be routed and will turn their backs in flight .4034 47.Aye, the Hour is their appointed time; and the Hour will be most calamitous and most bitter.4035 a2:81. b3:13; 8:37; 38:12. " "CH.54 AL-QAMAR PT.27 3044 inexperienced and ill-equipped Muslims, they felt deeply humiliated and mortified. The prophecy was fulfilled to the very letter. The الساعة( Hour) mentioned in this and the opening verse of the Surah refers to the Battle of Badr. 4036. Commentary: The disbelievers are described in v . 25 above as in the habit of saying in contempt and mockery that it would be madness on their part to give allegiance to or follow an ordinary man from among themselves. In the verse under comment tables are turned upon them, and they are told that rejection and not acceptance of a Divine Messenger is folly and madness. 4037. Important Words: یسحبون( dragged) is derived from سحب. They say سحبه i.e. he dragged or drew it along upon the ground. سحب الریح الرتاب means the wind drew along the dust upon the ground. One would say جاء یسحب ذیل ه i.e. he came dragging along his skirt on the ground, i.e. walking haughtily (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: How remarkably and to the very letter the prophecy made in this verse was fulfilled! It is reported that of the Quraishite leade rs and chiefs who were killed in the Battle of Badr, 24 were thrown in a pit for burial, and before he left the field of ba ttle, the Holy Prophet went to the pit, and calling each of them by name addressed them in the words:ھل وجدتم ما وعد کم ربکم حقا فاین وجدت ما وعدین ریب حقا i.e. Have you found true what your Lord promised you; I have indeed, fou nd true what my Lord promised me (Bukh ari, Kitabul-Magh azi). He further said:یا أھل القلیب بئس عشریة النیب کنتم لنبیکم، کذبتموین و صدقین الناس و أخرجتموین و آ واین الناس و قاتلتموین ونصرین الناس i.e. ""O fellows of the pit! you proved to be bad relatives of your Prophet. You declared me to be a liar but other people testified to my truth. You expelled me, but other people gave me asylum. You fought against me and other people helped me"" (Tabar i). 4038. Commentary: The verse purports to say that there is a determined measure for 48.Surely, the guilty are in manifest error and gone mad. 4036 49.On the day when they will be dragged into the Fire on their faces, and it will be said to them, ‘Taste ye the touch of Hell.’4037 50.Verily, We have created everything in due measurea.4038 a15:22; 25:3; 80:20. " "PT.27 AL-QAMAR CH.54 3045 everything. It has an appointed time and place. It is when the cup of iniquities of disbelievers becomes full, that they are seized with Divine punishment. God alone knows when and how to punish the wicked people. For the pagan Qurai sh, the Day of Badr was the appointed hour of punishment. 4039. Commentary: The defeat of the Meccans at the battlefield of Badr came like a bolt from the blue, so sudden and swift it was and so complete and destructive. The glory of Kedar departed, as if in the twinkling of an eye. 4040. Commentary: The verse purports to say that the former Scriptures contain a record of the treatment the disbelievers meted out to God’s Prophets and their followers and also of the sad end to which they came on account of their rejection of the Divine Message and their iniquities and evil deeds. The verse may also signify that the smallest action of man, good or bad, produces its inevitable result, according to the law of cause and effect, and, its indelible impress is preserved in the atmosphere. 4041. Important Words: ھنر besides the meaning given in the text, also means, amplitude; light (Aqrab). Commentary: After dealing with the punishment that overtakes disbelievers on account 51.And Our command is carried out by only one word, like the twinkling of an eye.a 4039 52.And indeed We have destroyed people before you— who were like unto you . But is there anyone who would take heed? 53. bAnd everything they have done is recorded in the Books. 4040 54.And every matter, small and great, is written down. 55.Verily, the righteous will be in the midst of Gardens and streams .4041 a7:188; 16:78. b18:50; 45:30. " "CH.54 AL-QAMAR PT.27 3046 of their rejection of the Divine Message and their evil deeds, the verse refers to the Divine favours and blessings that are bestowed upon the righteous, in this and the next world. 4042. Important Words: ملیک( King) is the intensive form of مالک which means, master.56.In the seat of truth with an Omnipotent King.4042 " "3047 CHAPTER 55 AR-RAHMAN (Revealed before Hijrah) Title, Date of Revelation, and Context Being the 6th of the special group of the Surahs which begin with Surah Qaf and end with Al-Waqi‘ah, and which were revealed, more or less at the same time at Mecca, in the early years of the Call, the Surah has close resemblance with other members of the group in subject matter, and deals, like them, with the basic principles of Islam —Divine attributes, particularly God’s Unity, and with Resurrection, and Revelation. The Surah bears such close resemblance with the five previous Surahs, particularly with the immediately preceding one —Surah Al-Qamar —that it seems to complement and complete its subject matter. In Surah Al-Qamar instances were given of the peoples of some Prophets of antiquity with whom the Arabs were quite familiar and who were punished for rejecting the Divine Message, and then the pagan Quraish were asked, would they not benefit from their fate and accept the Quranic Message which was quite easy to understand and to follow. The present Surah gives the reasons why the Quran was revealed. Subject Matter The Surah opens with the Divine attribute —Ar-Rahman, signifying that after having created the universe, God created man, the apex and crown of all creation, and that the creation of man was the result of God’s beneficence. After man’s creation, God revealed Himself to him through His Prophets and Messengers, because he was unable to attain the sublime object of his creation and to fulfil his high destiny without being guided to his great goal by Divine revelation. Prophethood found its most complete and perfect manifestation in the person of the Holy Prophet Muh ammad to whom God gave the Quran, the Last and Final Code of Divine laws for the guidance of the whole of humanity for all time. But God’s gifts to man did not end with his creation. The Beneficent God made the whole universe subservient to him. The heavens with all the celestial bodies, and the earth with all its treasures, the deep seas and high mountains were all created for his sake. Over and above that, God endowed man with great intellectual and discretionary powers so that by sifting right from wrong he might follow Divine guidance and thus attain the object of his creation. But man seems to be so constituted that instead of benefiting from the endless vistas of spiritual progress and development opened up to him by the Gracious, Beneficent and Merciful Providence, he, in his conceit and arrogance seeks to ignore and defy Divine laws, and consequently brings down upon himself God’s punishment. The " "3048 disobedience and defiance of Divine laws, the Surah hints, will assume a most heinous form in time to come, which seems to be the present time, and man will be visited with such destructive and annihilating punishment as he had not known before. But just as heavenly punishment which will be meted out to the guilty and the iniquitous will be most grievous and frightfu l, so would the Divine favours that will be bestowed upon the righteous and the God- fearing in that age of Mammon-worship and of hankering after pleasures of the flesh, be beyond measure or count, and thus both Divine punishment and favours would show that God is ""Swift at reckoning and the Master of Glory and Honour."" The Surah seems to deal particularly with the time when the power and prestige of western nations will be at their highest. And they will add to their wealth and glory by making extensive use of the great highways of the oceans and by harnessing the forces of nature. " "PT.27 CH.55 3049 (AR-RAHMAN) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.4043 2.The Gracious God 3.He taught the Quran.4044 4.He created man.b4045 5.He taught him plain speech.4046 6.The sun and the moon run their courses according to a fixed reckoning.c4047 7.And the stemless plants and the trees humbly submit to His will.d 4048 aSee 1:1. b96:3. c6:97; 10:6; 36:39-40. d13:16; 16:49; 22:19. 4043. Commentary: See 1:1. 4044. Commentary: God revealed Himself through His Prophets and Messengers to whom He gave His Word. The Quran constituted the culmination of Divine revelation. This revelation of God to man through His Word was not due to any good act on man’s part. It was a sheer gift flowing from God’s beneficence. 4045. Commentary: The word االنسان( man), besides its general conn otation, may also signify here "" the Perfect Man, "" i.e. the Holy Prophet, in whom Divine attributes found their most perfect and complete manifestation. The verse thus signifies that out of beneficence God created man in order that he may rise to the highest peaks of spiritual development and may reflect in his person Divine attributes. 4046. Commentary: Man’s creation and his power to express himself was also due to God’s beneficence. 4047. Commentary: See next verse. 4048. Commentary: The verse, read along with the preceding one, shows that from the largest celestial body to the smallest " "CH.55 AR-RAHMAN PT.27 3050 stemless plant, all things are subject to certain laws and they perform regularly, punctually, and unerringly their allotted tasks. In the huge solar system, which is but one of millions of such systems, every orb proceeds safely on its destined course and never deviates from it. A little disturbance in or deviation from their set course would bring down in pieces the whole universe which has been created for the service of man. It is inconceivable, therefore, that man for whose service this vast and complicated but perfectly regulated universe has been brought into being should have been created without a purpose. The life of man surely has a grand divine aim to which repeated reference has been made in the Quran. 4049. Important Words: املیزان( measure) is derived from وزن . They say وزن الیش ء i.e. he raised the thing in order to know i ts weight or measure. وزن الرجل ( wazuna), means, the man was or became of sound and weighty opinion. وزن means, weight; measure; توازن means to be equal to one another in weight, measure or value; equilibrium; املیزانmeans, balance; measure; counterpart; justice. They say, استقام میزان النھار i.e. it was midday (Aqrab). Commentary: The whole universe is subject to a uniform law and all its constituent parts unite to form a glorious harmony of structure and motion. If this harmony or equilibrium between different things is in the least disturbed, the whole universe would fall to pieces. But God has kept all the laws that regulate the world under His exclusive control, beyond the reach of man. 4050. Commentary: See next verse. 4051. Commentary: As there is an all-comprehensive harmony in the whole universe, so is man—the crown and object of creation —enjoined to maintain a just balance and to treat with equity and justice his fellow beings, giving, every one his due, and to avoid extremes, and follow the golden mean in the discharge of his duties towards his Creator. This is the significance of the expressions, ""you may not transgress the measure"" and ""fall not short of measure."" 8.And the heaven He has raised high and set up the measure,a 4049 9.That you may not transgress the measure.4050 10.So weigh all things with justice and fall not short of the measure.b 4051 a42:18; 57:26. b11:85-86; 17:36; 26:182; 83:2-4. " "PT.27 AR-RAHMAN CH.55 3051 4052 . Important Words: االنام( creatures) means, mankind or the jinn or all the creatures that are on the surface of the earth; everything having a soul (Lane & Aqrab). 4053 . Commentary: See next verse. 4054. Important Words: العصف( husk) is inf. noun from عصف (‘asafa). They say عصفالریح i.e. the wind blew violently or vehemently. The Arabs say عصف بھم الدھر i.e. the time destroyed them. عصف الزرع means, he cut the corn before it attained maturity. عصف means, the herb of corn or the seed-produce; the husk; straw; the stalk or stem of corn (Lane & Aqrab). الرحیان( fragrant plants) is derived from راح and means, any sw eetsmel ling plant; or its extremities when the first of its blossoms come forth upon it or its leaves; offspring; a bounty or gift of God; sustenance (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: This and the preceding two verses briefly point to all those natural things which are so essential for the physical development of man, عصف being the fodder for animals which form a n indispensable part of his life. The verses pur port to say that when, out of His unbounded grace and beneficence, God h as created all the things that are necessary for man’s physical life, is inconceivable that He should have omitted to provide the things which are so essential for his spiritual growth, which is the very aim and object of his life. For that purpose God sent His Messengers and Prophets and through them He revealed Himself. The words العصف (husk) and الرحیان( fragrance) may point respectively to the physical and spiritual needs and requirements of man. 4055. Important Words: آالء( favours) is the plural of إلو (ilwun) or ألو( alwu n) and إل( ilyun) or أل( alyun ), etc., which all mean, benefit, benefaction, favour, boon or blessin g; might or power; attribute or good quality. An Arab poet says :11.And He has set the earth for His creatures;4052 12.Therein are all kinds of fruita and palm-trees with sheaths,4053 13.And grain with its husk and fragrant plants.4054 14.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny, O men and Jinn ?4055 a50:10-11. " "CH.55 AR-RAHMAN PT.27 3052 ھم امللوک و أبناء امللوک ھلم فضل عیل الناس یف اال الء و النعم i.e. they are kings and the sons of kings; they possess superiority over people on account of their might (or attributes) and gifts (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The dual form in تکذبان may have been used for the two classes of jinn and men referred to in v.34 below, or it may signify two classes of men only, viz. believers and disbelievers, leaders and their followers, the rich and the poor, or the white or coloured races. Or it may have been used to impart emphasis to denote the dignity of the commandment embodied in the sentence. Such dual form is generally used in the Arabic language. Se e also 50:25. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said that when the verse فبأی آٓ الء ربکما تکذبان is recited the believers present should respond by the expression:اللھم وال بیشء من آال ئک نکذب فلک احلمد i.e. ""none of Thy favours, Our Lord, do we deny and for Thee is all praise. "" (Ibn Kathir) . 4056 . Important Words: صلصال( ringing clay) is derived from صلصل which means, i t sounded or made a clashing, ringing, tinkling or repeated sound. صلصال means, clay not made into pottery, so called because of its making a sound; or clay mixed with sand which, when it becomes dry, makes a sound and when baked is فخار or dry clay that makes a sound by reason of its dryness (Lane & Aqrab). See also 15:29. الفخار( baked pottery) is derived from فخر i.e. he boasted or recounted his glorious deeds or qualities, or he arrogated to himself greatness and nobility; he magnified himself by boasting. فخر( fakhira ) means, he disdained or scorned. فخار means, baked p ottery or baked vessels of clay, applied specially to empty vessels (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: After having mentioned the creation of the celestial firmament and of the placing in it of the sun and the moon and of their regular and punctual movements, followed by a mention of the vegetables spreading of the earth and of all the that grow on it, the Surah, in the present verse proceeds to refer to the coming into existence of man, the cl imax, of all creation. The creation of man from dry, ringing ( صلصال ) may signify that he has been created from matter in which the faculty and attribute of speech lay latent. As صلصال emits a sound only when struck with something extraneous, its use here is intended to hint that man’s po wer to respond is subj ect to his being able to receive the Divine Call. Three words have been used in the Quran to express the different stages 15.He created man from dry ringing clay which is like baked potterya.4056 a6:3; 1 5:27, 29. " "PT.27 AR-RAHMAN CH.55 3053 of the creation, and of the spiritual development of man. The first stage is expressed by the words خلقه من تراب i.e. God created him out of dust (3:60). The second stage is described by the expression خلقکم من طنی i.e. He created you from clay (6:3), which means that after having received a sprinkling of Divine Word man attained the power of discr imination by which he c ould dis tinguish between right and wrong. At the third stage which is called the stage of فخار (baked pottery) man is tested and tried and is made to pass through the fire of trials and tribulations. So it is after he has successfully passed the tests and has attained spiritual maturity that he is received into Divine Presence. 4057. Commentary: For a detailed note on the creation of the jinn from fire, see 15:28. 4058. Commentary: Every spot on earth, in relation to other spots, is an east and a west. This phenomenon is described as the two easts and the two wests. Moreover, the earth being round, the east of the Eastern Hemisphere is the west of the Western Hemisphere and the west of the Western Hemisphere is the east of the Eastern Hemisphere and thus there are two easts and two wests. In the modern political parlance the two easts may be the Near East and the Far East, and the two wests, Europe and America. The verse seems to signify that, God being the Lord of the whole world, the light of the Quran will first spread in the east and then will illumine the west and thus the ""whole earth will shine with the light of her God"" (39:70). 4059. Commentary: See next verse. 16.And the Jinn He created from the flame of fire.a 4057 17.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? 18.The Lord of the two Easts and the Lord of the two Wests!b 4058 19.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? 20. cHe has made the two bodies of water flow. They will one day meet.4059 a7:13; 15:28; 38:77. b2:116; 26:29. c25:54; 27:62; 35:13. " "CH.55 AR-RAHMAN PT.27 3054 4060. Commentary: ""The two bodies of water"" referred to in the preceding verse may be the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea on the one hand and the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean on the other, particularly the former two seas. The verse embodies a great prophecy which was remarkably fulfilled in the latter half of the nineteenth century when the Suez and the Panama Canals were constructed, the former linking the first two seas and the latter the mighty Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The world had to wait for thirteen long centuries to see the fulfilment of this prophecy, in an age of new and great discoveries and inventions in the material world. It was in the fitness of time that, concurrently, equally great discoveries should have been made in the spiritual world, the fulfilment of the above prophecy being one of them. Or البحرین( the two bodies of water) may signify the physical and spiritual sciences. In this sense of the word the verses would mean that the two sciences —natural laws and Divine revelation, were mistakenly considered to be at logger heads, and a barrier seemed to have kept them apart, till, in the latter half of the nineteenth century, the great Divine Reformer of the age, the Founder of the A hmadiyya Movement, succeeded in lifting that barrier and by his powerful writings unfolded the mighty truth that, instead of being antagonistic, these two sciences were corroborative of, and complementary to, each other, the one being the Work of God, and the other His Word. In this way the two seas were made to join each other. 4061. Commentary: Curiously enough pearls and corals are found in both the Suez and Panama Canals. Spiritually speaking, the verse would signify that physical sciences and Divine revelation both contain treasures of inestimable value. 21.Between them there is at present a barrier; they encroach not one upon the other .4060 22.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? 23.There come out from them pearls and coral.4061 24.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? " "PT.27 AR-RAHMAN CH.55 3055 4062. Important Words: اجلوار( ships) is the plural of جاریة which is fe m. act. part. from جری which means, it flowed. جاریة means, a ship because of its running upon the sea; the sun; a girl or young woman; a boon or blessing bestowed by God upon His servants, etc. (Lane & Aqrab). االعالم is the plural of علم‘( alamun ) which is derived from علم‘( alama ). علمه means, he marked it. علم means, an impression or impress; a footstep, track or trace of thing erected on the way for guidance; a banner, flag or standard; a minaret; a mountain or long mountain; the chief of a people (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse contains a reference to mode rn ""leviathans"", which ride the seas like mountains. The Surah seems to deal with the progress and prosperity of the western nations which is the result of their making use of the great sea routes for extending their commerce and trade. 4063. Commentary: The verse constitutes a befitting sequel to the description of the great boons and blessings bestowed upon mankind by God as mentioned in the foregoing verses. 4064. Commentary: Man with all his great works and achievements and all those things that have been created for his use and service, in fact, the whole universe, is subject to decay and death and is eventually destined to perish. God alone will abide because He is Self- Subsisting, All-Sustaining, Independent and Besought of all. See next verse. 4065. Commentary: For وجه( person) see 2:113. Among other things the word means, ""that which is under the care of God "" or ""to which God directs His attention. "" In 25.And His are the lofty ships reared aloft on the sea like mountains.a 4062 26.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny?4063 R. 2. 27.All that is on it (earth) will pass away.b 4064 28.And there will remain only the Person of thy Lord, Master of Glory and Honour.4065 a16:15; 35:13; 4 2:33. b28:89. " "CH.55 AR-RAHMAN PT.27 3056 28:89, we have کل یشء ھالک اال وجھ ه i.e. everything will perish except that which is under the care and protection of God or that by which His pleasure is sought. The word also means, the thing itself; object and motive; favour or countenance as جعل ذالک لوجه اّللٰ i.e. he did it in order to obtain the favour of God (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse embodies a very sound and solid argument to prove and support God’s existence. It purports to say that since the earth is to be reduced to nothing and heavenly bodies all brought to nought and the whole material universe made non-existent, still human reason demands that there should be a being who should remain and who should never die nor be subject to change or decay. Such a Being is God Who created the whole universe and Who is the First and Final Cause of all things. The present and the previous verse point to two immutable laws of nature working simultaneously, viz. (1) everything is subject to decline, decadence and death, and (2) compliance with divine laws ensures continuity of life. 4066 . Commentary: The verse signifies that all creatures depend for their life and sustenance on God Who is their Creator, Sustainer and Nourisher. He alone is Independent and the Besought of all. His attributes know no limit or count, and keep finding their manifestations in diverse ways all the time. He is very Kind and Merciful to him who deserves His Mercy and is Severe in punishing him who incurs His displeasure. 4067 . Important Words: سنفرغ( We shall soon attend) is formed from فرغ .They say فرغ من العمل i.e. he was or became free from occupation; he became free or unoccupied. فرغ له و الیه means, he made him or it his exclusive ob ject to which he directed himself (Lane & Aqrab). الثقالن( two big groups). ثقل means, it was or became heavy, weighty or 29.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? 30.Of Him do beg all that are in the heavens and the earth. Everyday He reveals Himself in a different state.4066 31.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? 32.Soon shall We attend to you, O ye two big groups!4067 " "PT.27 AR-RAHMAN CH.55 3057 ponderous; it was or became heavy, weighty or preponderant ideally; i t was or became onerous, oppressive or grievous; he was or became heavy, slow, lazy; want ing in activity, ability or intelligence; he became stupid. الثقالن meaning two weighty things, may signify ""the men "" and ""the jinn"" as the context shows, or it may si gnify the Arabs and the non-Arabs (Lane, Aqrab & Mu hit). In the present political parlance, however, the word may signify the two main blocs — Russia and its satellites on one side and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The context seems to support this meaning. The word may also signify the capitalist and the labour classes. Commentary: The verse seems to hold a severe warning to the United States of America with its allies, and Communist Russia with its satellites. The whole world practically has become divided into these two main groups; every one of the so-called neutral countries is inclined to one or the other of them. From the way in which these two great powers are behaving, it seems that the world is perilously standing on the brink of an abyss. Any day they may be locked into mortal conflict, completely destroying man’s accumulated labours of centuries spent in developing arts and sciences, and inevitably rendering life on earth practically extinct. 4068. Important Words: معشر( company) is derived from عاشر and عاشر ھم means, he mixed with them; consorted with them; held social and fami liar intercourse with them. معشر among other things means, any company of men whose state of circumstances is one (Lane & Aqrab). This meaning o f the word shows that معشر اجلن و االنس are the two classes of men and signify the same as الثقالن mentioned in v. 32 above. Commentary: The verse has been variously interpreted:According to one interpretation the scientists and philosophers who are proud of the great advance they have made in material sciences have been warned that they cannot however high they might rise in knowledge and science, so completely comprehend the laws 33.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? 34.O company of Jinn and men! if you have power to go beyond the confines of the heavens and the earth, then do go. But you cannot go save with authority.4068 " "CH.55 AR-RAHMAN PT.27 3058 of nature governing the universe as to overpower and master them. Try as they might, they will fail in their quest. This interpretation is in accordance with the context. According to another interpretation which also agrees with the context, the verse warns sinners:let them dare to break through the confines of the heavens and earth, they shall not be able to defy divine laws with impunity and escape Divine punishment. It may also point to the making of rockets, sputniks. etc., by means of which the Russians and the Americans seek to reach heavenly bodies. They are told that at best they can reach only those planets which are visible to human eye. Beyond that their efforts shall fail. God’s universe is unfathomable. 4069 . Important Words: شواظ( flame) is derived from شاظ . They say شاظ بفالن i.e. he abused such a one and accused him. شاظ الغضب means, he became excited; his anger became enkindled. شواظ means, flame or fire without smoke; heat of fire or sun; flame of fire; thirst or vehement thirst (Lane & Aqrab). حناس( smoke) is derived from حنس . They say أحنست النار i.e. the fire had much smoke. حناس means, molten copper; fire; sparks tha t fall from brass or iron when i t is beaten with the hammer; smoke; smoke in which there is no flame. (Lane, Aqrab & Mufrada t). Commentary: The verse points to the most destructive and dreadful punishment that might overtake the two hostile camps, if they did not desist from defying Divine commandments. God’s wrath has become excited for ""what man has wrought with his hands"" (30:42), and the world seems to stand on the brink of a terrible conflagration which threatens to consume in its flames the entire human civilization and to make life extinct. Man had a foretaste of Divine punishment in the last two World Wars but what is yet in store for him staggers imagination. The verse gives a clear picture of the coming catastrophe in the form of nuclear and cosmic horrors. The words فال تنتصران 35.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? 36.There shall be sent against you a flame of fire, and smoke; and you shall not be able to help yourselves.4069 37.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? " "PT.27 AR-RAHMAN CH.55 3059 signify that the two hostile camps will not be able to escape God’s punishment, try as they might. 4070. Commentary: What a graphic picture of the threatened punishment! 4071 . Commentary: The verse means that the misdeeds of the guilty will be writ large on their faces so that they will not be asked whether or not they had committed those crimes. As mentioned elsewhere in the Quran (41:21), the very organs of the bodies of disbelievers will bear witness against them. The next verse further explains this point. 4072. Important Words: النوایص( forelocks) is the plural of ناصیة .The expression أخذ بناصیته is used to denote one’s extreme disgrace and humiliation (Lane & Aqrab). 38.And when the heaven is rent asundera, and becomes red like red hide —4070 39.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? — 40.On that day neither man nor Jinn will be asked about his sin. 4071 41.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? 42.The guilty will be known by their marks, and they will be seized by the forelocks and the feet. 4072 43.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? 44.This is the Hell which the guilty denyb, a69:17; 84:2. b52:15. " "CH.55 AR-RAHMAN PT.27 3060 4073. Commentary: The foregoing few verses together with the present one seem to point to the state of restlessness which will seize humanity when the two blocs referred to above are pitted against each other and the fear of atomic war will, like the Sword of Damocles, hang over their heads. The present international groupings and tensions are bound to lead to an armed conflict of unparalleled destructiveness. The conflict itself would be a veritable Hell; but preparations for it have brought about conditions which are not far removed from perpetual torment of one kind or other. As applied to the next world, the verse may mean that the evil deeds of disbelievers and their ill-gotten gains will assume the form of the fire of Hell and boiling water. They will burn in the fire of Hell and will be given boiling water to quench their thirst. See also 14:17-18. 4074 . Commentary: The foregoing verses have dealt with the very important subject, viz. that progress and advance in material sciences which makes man devote his whole attention and effort to the pursuit of physical pleasures and comforts and leads him away from God, results in loss of mental poise and peace which in the Quranic terminology is also called Hell — another name for international conflicts and wars. In the present and the following few verses we are told that pursuit of spiritual knowledge and higher moral values gives man perfect contentment and equanimity in this life and in the Hereafter. The ""two Gardens"" referred to in the present verse may signify peace of mind which is the result of leading a good life and freedom from gnawing cares and anxieties which come in the wake of life spent in the 45.Between it and fierce boiling watera will they go round.4073 46.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? R. 3. 47.But for him who fears to stand before his Lord there are two Gardensb—4074 48.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? — a22:20; 44:49; 56:43 . b79:41-42. " "PT.27 AR-RAHMAN CH.55 3061 pursuit of material pleasures and comforts. One Paradise consists in giving up one’s desires for the sake of God in this world and the other in being blessed with God’s pleasure in the next. A true believer perpetually basks in the sun of God’s grace in this life which cares cannot disturb. This is Paradise upon earth which is granted to a God-fearing man and i n which he constantly dwells; the promised Heaven in the next world is only an image of the present Paradise, being an embodiment of the spiritual blessings which such a man enjoys in this life. It is to this paradisiacal state of a true believer that the two Quranic verses refer, viz. ""We are your friends in this life and in the Hereafter,"" (41:32) and ""for them are glad tidings in the present life and also in the Hereafter"" (10:65). The ""two Gardens"" may also refer to the mighty Byzantine and Iranian Empires of which the conquest was promised to the Muslims. The Holy Prophet in a vision was given the keys of the palaces of the Emperors of Constantinople and Iran. The vision was literally fulfilled during the Caliphate of ‘Umar when these countries were conquered by Muslim armies. The fact that in a hadith, Saihan and J aihan, the two rivers of Iran; and Fur at (the Euphrates) and Nil (the Nile) have been spoken of as the rivers of Paradise (Muslim), lends powerful support to the view that the ""Gardens"" spoken of in the verse were the fertile valleys watered by these two sets, each of two rive rs. 4075. Commentary: Just as in the present life true believers had undergone many kinds of sacrifice for the sake of their Lord and had done all sorts of good and righteous deeds, so in the next life those sacrifices and good works will assume the form of flowers and fruits of various hues and tastes. This seems to be the meaning of this verse. 4076. Commentary: The ""two fountains running freely"" may be the spiritual embodiments of حقوق اّللٰ ( the obligations owed to God) and حقوق العباد( the obligations a Muslim owes to his fellow beings) which the 49.Having many varieties of trees .4075 50.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? 51.In both of them there are two fountains flowing freely .4076 52.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? " "CH.55 AR-RAHMAN PT.27 3062 believers had fully and faithfully discharged in this life. The discharge of these two obligations would assume the form of two fountains in the Hereafter. As a true believer ceaselessly continues to discharge these obligations, the fountains have been depicted as constantly flowing. 4077. Commentary: Again the word زوجان( pairs) may spiritually represent two kinds of righteous works of the believers —(1) those they had done for their own spiritual advancement and (2) those services which they had rendered to their fellow beings. 4078. Important Words: جنا( ripe fruits) is derived from جین . They say جین الثمرة i.e. he gathered or plucked the fruit from the tree while it was fresh. جین العیل means, he acquired eminence or nobility. جنا means,whatever is gathered or plucked from the tree while fresh; fruit just gathered or plucked; fruit ready to be plucked; ripe fruit (Lane). Commentary: Three times the words ""two Gardens"" have been used in this Surah . This is to emphasize that apart from the great blessings and boons of Paradise in the next world, true believers will have all the good things of this world also. The Surah was revealed early at Mecca when only a few persons had accepted Islam and even those few were very poor and without worldly means and were being harried and harassed and most of them had to take refuge in Abyssinia from the bitter persecution of the Quraish. It was then that the promise was made to them that one day they would recline on couches placed on rich carpets. This Divine 53.Therein will be every kind of fruit in pairsa.4077 54.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? 55.They will recline on couches over carpets,b the linings of which will be of thick brocade. And the ripe fruit of the two Gardens will be within easy reach.4078 56.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? a44:56 ; 52:23; 56:21. b18:32; 52:21; 76:14; 83:24 . " "PT.27 AR-RAHMAN CH.55 3063 promise was literally fulfilled in the lifetime of the very Muslims who, while at Mecca, did not know where to lay their heads. The ""inner linings being of thick brocade"" implies a beautiful hint that the inner-self of a believer is purer and more beautiful than his outer-self. 4079. Commentary: In the foregoing verses mention was made of gardens, couches, fruits, etc. that believers will get in the "" two Gardens."" In order to complete their peace and happiness, they will also enjoy the company of good companions. And there can be no better companion for a person than a beautiful and virtuous wife. The Quranic Paradise is not conclusively reser ved for righteous men. Righteous women will be equally entitled to it. It will be noticed that purity of heart of the companions of believers is given precedence over the beauty of their persons referred to in v.59. The expression قاصرات الطرف signifies that their whole attention would be devoted to God and they would not even cast a look at any other thing beside their Lord and Creator, and far from their bodies being touched by any man, even impure thoughts will not find access to their hearts, the word جن also signifying those invisible things that excite carnal passions in the mind. It is relevant to state here again that according to Islamic conception the blessings of Paradise would resemble the pleasures of the life on earth. There will be palaces, gardens, rivers, trees, fruits, wives, children, friends, etc., only the nature of these things would be different from that of the things of this world. They would be so highly spiritual that the human mind cannot conceive of them. But their existence cannot be denied. See also 32:18 & 52:21. Incidentally, the verse repudiates the false idea that women will not go to Paradise. 4080. Commentary: Whereas in v.57 above purity of mind and heart of the consorts of believers in Paradise has been mentioned, the verse under comment 57.Therein will also be chaste maidens of modest gaze,a whom neither man nor Jinn will have touched before them —4079 58.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? — 59.As if they were rubies and small pearlsb.4080 a37:49; 38:53. b56:24. " "CH.55 AR-RAHMAN PT.27 3064 speaks of the beauty of their persons. That women mentioned in these verses are the virtuous wives of believers in this life, is apparent from a well-known saying of the Holy Prophet, v iz. نساء الدنیا أفضل من احلور العنی i.e. the believing women of this world are superior to the huris of the next. 4081. Commentary: How adequately and beautifully the blessings of Paradise have been summed up in this brief verse! The word ""goodness"" is inclusive and fully expressive of all the conceivable favours that will be bestowed upon believers in the next life, and what greater good there could be than the pleasure of God ( رضوان اّللٰ )which believers will get in Paradise. (3:16) According to a saying of the Holy Prophet, أحسان means, ""worship God as if you are seeing Him or at least He is seeing you "" (Mishk at). This means that in all his deeds and actions God is constantly before the eyes of a believer and as a reward for his actions he receives God’s pleasure —the sum total of all the blessings of Heaven. 4082. Commentary: The ""two Gardens"" mentioned in v.47, may be the Gardens of Paradise; the "" two Gardens"" referred to in this verse may be the gardens of this world. The Muslims were promised gardens in the next world and as a proof of the fulfilment of this Divine promise they were also promised the gardens of this world which indeed they came to possess when they conquered the fertile valleys of Syria and Iraq. But the description of the ""two Gardens"" mentioned in v.47 being different from that in the present verse shows that two categories of believers have b een mentioned in this Surah; the believers to whom ""Gardens"" mentioned in v.47 have been promised seem to be of a higher spiritual status than those 60.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? 61.Is the reward of goodness anything but goodness.4081 62.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? 63.And besides these two, there are two other Gardens —4082 64.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? — " "PT.27 AR-RAHMAN CH.55 3065 to whom ""Gardens"" mentioned in the verse under comment have been promised. A careful study of the re1evant verses clearly brings out this fact. These two classes of believers have been mentioned in the next Surah, in vv.11 and 28, respectively. 4083 . Important Words: مدھامتان( dark green with foliage) is derived from ادھام . They say ادھام الزرع i.e. the seed produce became of a dark green colour by reason of abundance of moisture or irrigation. ادھامت الروض ة means, the meadow became of a dark green colour. حدیقة مدھامة means, a wall ed garden, having its green inclining to black (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: Whereas the ""Gardens"" mentioned in v. 47 above are described as ""having many varieties of trees"" which points to the vast variety of the good works of the believers to whom they are promised, the ""Gardens"" mentioned in the verse under comment are described as ""dark green with foliage"" which indicates the intensity of the goodness of their works. 4084 . Important Words: نضاختان( gushing forth with water) is derived from نضخ .They say نضخ املاء i.e. the water gushed forth from the fountain or boiled forth vehemently. عنی نضاخ ة means, a copious spring of water or a spring that gushes forth or boils forth copiously (Lane ). Commentary: In the present verse and in v. 51۱ above two different descriptions of the fountains and springs promised to believers have been given. In v. 51 fountains promised to believers have been described as flowing freely and ceaselessly while in the present verse these springs are described as gushing forth with water. This signifies that believers to whom springs mentioned in v. 51 have been promised are of a higher spiritual status than believers to whom springs mentioned in the present verse have been promised; since believers of former category are 65.Dark green with foliage. 4083 66.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? 67.Therein also will be two springs gushing forth with water. 4084 68.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? " "CH.55 AR-RAHMAN PT.27 3066 engaged in doing good to others ceaselessly and freely without any idea or expectation of reward while those of the latter class do good works out of natural impulse but the doing of good is mainly confined to themselves. 4085 . Commentary: Whereas in the ""Gardens"" referred to in v. 47 are to be found fruits of every kind in pairs (v. 53) fruits in the ""Garden"" mentioned in this verse are of a limited variety, especially dates and pomegranates. 4086. Commentary: As compared with the words ""good and beautiful"" used with regard to the maidens in the present verse which possess only a general connotation, the words ""rubies and pearls"" used in v.59 above have a particular significance and are expressive of beauty of special excellence. 4087 . Commentary: The words قاصرات الطرف ( restraining their glances) in v. 57 evidently are expressive of chastity and modesty of a higher degree than the expression مقصورات یف اخلیام( confined to pavilions) in the verse under comment. 69.In both of them there will be all kinds of fruita, and dates and pomegranates.4085 70.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? 71.Therein will be maidens, good and beautiful —4086 72.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? — 73.Fair maidens with lovely black eyes, well-guarded in pavilions —4087 74.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? — 75.Whom neither man nor Jinn will have touched before them — a36:58; 38:52; 43:74. " "PT.27 AR-RAHMAN CH.55 3067 4088. Commentary: عبقری is relative noun from عبقر,a place which the Arabs asserted to b e the land of the jinn; hence it is applied as an epithet to anything wondered at or admired, for th e skillfulness which it exhibits, or the excellence of its manufacture and its strength; or to any work great in estimation, and delicate. It is both singu lar and plural and the feminine is عبقریة .They say ثیاب عبقریة i.e. clothes or garments of admirable manufacture, so called in relation to a certain town عبقر in Yemen in which clothes or garments and carpets are figured and variegated and are of the utmost beauty. Thus عبقری means, a kind of carpet variously dyed and figured; perfect or complete applied to anything; a lord or chief of men; one who has none above him and is strong. ھذا عبقری قوم means, this is a chief or Lord of a people. The word is also applied as an epithet denoting superlativeness of any quality. ظلم عبقری means, an excessive tyranny. The Holy Prophet is reported to have related a dream, mentioning ‘Umar and said:فلم أر عبقریا یفری فریه i.e. I have not seen a chief of a people do his wonderful deed. حسان یعبقر means, beautiful variegated carpets (Lane & Aqrab). Again the words used in v. 55 about believers show that they possess a greater dignity, respect and authority than those to whom the present verse refers. With this verse the comparison between the two categories of believers specifically mentioned in the next Surah, i.e. ""the foremost "" (56:11) and ""those on the right hand"" (56:28) comes to an end. 4089. Commentary: It is not without significance that this verse has been used as many as 31 times in the present Surah . The Surah seems particularly to refer to the great favours and blessings which God has bestowed upon him. In view of these multifarious and multitudinous favours the repeated use of the verse seems quite appropriate. But the Surah also speaks of the unprecedentedly destructive Divine punishment in the form of atomic wars which will overtake man if he does not repent 76.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny? — 77. aReclining on green cushions and beautiful carpets. 4088 78.Which, then, of the favours of your Lord will you twain deny?4089 aSee 5 5:55. " "CH.55 AR-RAHMAN PT.27 3068 and mend his ways. This repeated warning of an imminent danger is also a blessing in disguise. 4090. Commentary: The verse signifies that those who benefit by the great favours that God has bestowed upon them and walk in the path of truth and righteousness will be granted more favours by the Lord of Honour but those who, on the contrary, defy Divine laws and adopt evil ways will be punished by the Lord of Majesty. 79.Blessed is the name of thy Lord, Master of Glory and Honour.4090 " "3069 CHAPTER 56 AL-WAQI‘AH (Revealed before Hijra h) Title, Date of Revelation, and C ontext This is the last of the group of seven chapters beginning with Surah Qaf. These seven Surahs were revealed at Mecca, more or less at the same time, in the early years of the Holy Prophet’s ministry. Naturally, therefore, they are very much similar in tone and tenor; but, in no other case perhaps, is this similarity so marked as it is between this Surah and Surah Ar-Rahman. The subject in Surah Ar-Rahman is completed in thi s Surah, and thus the Surah forms a befitting sequel to Surah Ar-Rahman. In Surah Ar-Rahman, for instance, three groups of people —(a) those fortunate ones who are granted special nearness to God, (b) the general body of believers who have achieved Divine p leasure, and (e) the Rejecters of Divine Messengers —were referred to only b y implication. In the present Surah, however, they have been expressly mentioned. The Surah takes its title, like the Surahs of this group, from its first verse, and like them, it d eals particularly with the important subjects of the Resurrection, Revelation, and the Repudiation of idolatry, appropriately revealed early at Mecca when the preaching of the Quranic Message was directed exclusively to the idolatrous Quraish. The seven Surahs also contain prophecies about the great and glorious future of Islam, side by side with direct and emphatic mention of the inevitability of the Resurrection, thus drawing attention to the inescapable conclusion that the fulfilment of those prophecies would prove that the Resurrection is also an undeniable fact. Subject Matter The Surah opens with a firm and emphatic declaration that the great and inevitable event which was foretold in the preceding Surah will most surely come to pass, and when it comes to pass the earth will be shaken to its depths, and the mountains shall be shattered, causing a new world to emerge from the ashes of the old. As a result of this great event people will be sorted out into three classes :(a) the fortunate ones enjoying Go d’s special nearness, (b) the true and righteous believers receiving handsome reward for their good deeds, and (c) the unfortunate disbelievers who rejected God’s Message and oppo sed and persecuted His Messengers being punished for their evil deeds. The Surah then proceeds to give a graphic description of the Divine blessings and favours in store for the first two classes, which is followed by a description of the punishment which will be meted out to the deniers of the Divine Message. Then, the Surah advan ces the usual argument of the creation of man from a seminal drop and of its development into a full-fledged human " "3070 being, to prove his second birth after death. Towards its end the Surah reveals to the subject with which it had begun and explains that the great reformation to which it had referred in the opening verses will be brought about by the Quran which is indubitably the revealed Word of God, and which is protected and guarded like a precious treasure, and the wealth of whose teachings is revealed only to the righteous and pure of heart. The Surah closes with a beautiful homily, viz. that when the inevitable end of all life is death, from which there is no escape, why should man be neglectful of that hard fact and consign God to oblivion? " "PT.27 CH.56 3071 (AL-WAQI‘AH) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.4091 2.When the Event comes to passb—4092 3.None can say that its coming to pass is a liec—4093 4.Some it will bring low, others it will exalt.4094 aSee 1:1. b52:8; 70:2. c52:9; 70:3. 4091. Commentary: See 1:1. 4092. Commentary: The ""Inevitable Event"" referred to in the verse is the Final Resurrection. Or it may signify total annihilation of idolatry from Arabia and complete defeat and discomfiture of the idolatrous Quraish. It may also signify the appearance of a great religious Reformer when the forces of darkness are routed, particularly the great reformation brought about by the Holy Prophet. 4093. Commentary: The word کاذبة is fem. act. part. from کذب and means, one who tells a lie. It is used here as مصدر to impart emphasis to its meaning (Jar ir). The verse means that nothing can avert that great event. Or that there is no belying its coming to pass or denying the fact that it will come to pass. Its happening is as sure as anything. It is a dead certainty. 4094. Commentary: The verse means that the ""Inevitable Event "" referred to in the preceding verse will bring about a great revolution in the lives of men. A new world will come into being, the high and the mighty will be laid low and the despised and downtrodden will be exalted. In fact, the advent of every great Divine Reformer is attended with changes of far-reaching consequences. Elsewhere speaking about the object of Moses’ advent the Quran says: َض َر ََاْ َاَف َو َف َع َض َت َاس ََن َی َذ ََاَّّ َل َع ََنّ َنّ ََن َا ََد َی َر َن ََو َ َم َل ََن َک َّن ََو ََی َث َار َو َاَّ ََم َھ َل َع َن ََوّ ََة َمّ َئ َا ََم َھ َل َع َن ََو َ ض َر ََاْ َف َ i.e. And We desired to show favour unto those who had been considered weak in the earth, and to make them leaders and to make them inheritors of Our favours, and to establish them in the earth (28:6-7). " "CH.56 AL-WAQIAH PT.27 3072 4095 . Important Words: رجت( shall be shaken ). رجه means, he put it in motion or i n a state of commotion or agita tion; he put it in a state of violent motion; or convulsion or made it to shake, quake or quiver. رج الباب means, he shook the door violently (Lane & Aq rab). Commentary: The verse means that the whole land of Arabia will be shaken to its foundations. Old beliefs, ideas, moral values, customs, ways of living, etc., will undergo a complete change. In fact, the whole old order will die, giving place to a completely new one. The verse along with its predecessor and successors is equally applicable to Resurrection after death, to the Last Judgement. 4096. Important Words: بست( shall be shattered). بسه means, he crumbled it. بست اجلبال بسا ً means, the mountains shall be crumbled with a vehement crumbling like flour and levelled to earth and reduced to powder and scattered in the wind (Lane). Commentary: اجلبال( the high and the mighty) shall be laid low. 4097. Commentary: What a graphic description of the great change that was to be brought about by the Holy Prophet, and of how the prophecy was fulfilled! 4098. Commentary: The verse applies particularly to the time of the Holy Prophet. But it can also be applied to the time of every great Divine Reformer. Whenever a Prophet of God or a great Divine Reformer preaches his Message, people become divided into three groups which have been mentioned in detail in the verses that follow. 4099. Commentary: In v. 28 below اصحاب املیمنة have been 5.When the earth will be shaken with a terrible shakinga, 4095 6.And the mountains will be shattered —a complete shatteringb.4096 7.They shall all become like dust particles scattered about,4097 8.And you shall be divided into three groups:4098 9.First, those on the right hand —how lucky are those on the right hand! —4099 a50:45; 84:4. b20:106; 70:10; 101:6. " "PT.27 AL-WAQIAH CH.56 3073 described as اصحاب الیمنی i.e. fellows or companions o f the right hand. Elsewhere (75 :3) the Quran applies the term النفس اللوام ة i.e. self-accusing spirit, to this group of believers, since they work out such a transformation in their souls as to become moral beings in the true sense of the word. 4100. Important Words: ةاصحاب املشئم ( those on the left hand). مشئمةً is derived from أشأم which means, he desired the left, as أمین signifies, he desired the right. ما أشأم ه means, how unlucky he is! مشئمة means, the left side or direction; contrary to مینة and میمنة .They say نظرت مینة وشأمة i.e. I looked in the right and in the left direction (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: In v. 42 this group of disbelievers have been called اصحاب الشمال i.e. companions of the left hand. In 12:54 the Quran describes them as النفس االمارة (the spirit prone to evil), i.e. those who choose not to walk in the light of wisdom and knowledge but are led into iniquities and immor al paths. 4101. Commentary: السابقون( foremost) are those believers who have scaled the highest peaks of spiritual progress. They are completely united with their Creator and cannot, as it were, exist in separation from Him. In Quranic terminology (89:28) they are called النفس املطمئنة ( the soul at rest). This is the highest stage of spiritual perfection which a believer can attain. 4102 . Important Words: ةثل( large party) is derived from ثل which means, he demolished a thing. ثلة means, a party or company of men or a large number of men. They say فالن ال یفرق بنی الثل ة و الثل ة i.e. such a one does not distinguish between ثلة (thallatun), i.e. a flock of sheep, and ثلة( thullatun ), i.e. a company of men . Commentary: The word االولنی may refer to the early Companions of the Holy Prophet or to the early Companions of any great Divine Reformer, preferably to the former. 10.Second, those on the left hand —how unlucky are those on the left hand! —4100 11.Third, the foremost; they are the foremost; 4101 12.They will have achieved nearness to God . 13.They will be in the Gardens of Bliss — 14.A large party from among the early believers, 4102 " "CH.56 AL-WAQIAH PT.27 3074 4103. Commentary: The blessings of Paradise to be bestowed upon السابقون i.e. those lucky believers who will be favou red with special Divine n earness mentioned in vv. 16-27 of the present Surah closely resemble those Divine gifts which have been mentioned in vv. 47-62 of Surah Ar-Rahman. This shows that the believers referred to in these verses of Surah Ar-Rahman are of the class of السابقون i.e. those who have been granted special nearness to God. 4104 . Commentary: The verse points to the innocence and perpetual freshness of the servants that will wait upon true believers. 4105. Important Words: ال یصدعون( no headache will they get )is derived f rom صدع( sada‘a). صدعه means, he split it so as to divide it in halves . صدع احلق means, he spoke the truth openly or aloud, discriminating between it and falsehood. صدعه (sadda‘a) means, it affected him with headache as though it made his head to split (Lane & Aqrab). ال یزنفون( nor will they be intoxicated) is derived from نزف .They say نزفت البئر (nazafa t), i.e. the well became empty, all the water having been taken out of it. أنزف الرجل means, the man became intoxicated, the spring of his senses having e xhausted ; his argument became exhausted in litigation. نزف فالن (nuzif a) means, such a o ne became intoxicated, the root meaning of نزف (nazfun ) being to become exhausted (Aqrab). 15.And a few from the later ones, 16.Seated on couches inwrou ght with gold and jewels, 4103 17. aReclining thereon facing each other. 18. bThere will wait on them youths, who will not age, 4104 19.Carrying gobletsc and ewers and cups filled out of a flowing spring — 20.No headache will they get therefrom, nor will they be intoxicatedd—4105 a37:45; 55:55; 76:14. b37:46; 7 6:20. c43:72; 76:16. d37:48. " "PT.27 AL-WAQIAH CH.56 3075 4106. Commentary: The verse signifies that in this world believers will have the blessings enumerated above because of their sacrifice and suffering for the cause of truth and in the next world the good deeds done by them in this world will assume the form of these blessings. The blessings mentioned in these verses (16-24) appear to be those which befit kings and princes, because they will be given to believers of the highest spiritual eminence. 4107. Commentary: This and the preceding verse, like many other verses of the Quran, effectively repudiate all those foolish notions about a sensual Paradise which ignorant and evil-minded carpers and critics of Islam pretend to find in the Quran, and gives an insight into its nature, essence and reality. The Heaven as conceived and promised to Muslims by the Quran would be a place of spiritual bliss where no sin, vain or idle talk, or lying will find access (78:36). All the blessings of Paradise would find their culmination and consummation in peace —complete peace of the mind and soul. And there could be no greater blessing than peace of mind. The Paradise promised to a Muslim has been designated as the ""abode of peace"" in the Quran (6:128); the highest stage of spiritual development to which a believer can rise is that of the ""soul at peace"" (89:28) and the greatest gift which the dwellers of Paradise will receive from God will be ""peace"" (36:59), because God Himself is the Author of peace 21.And carrying such fruits as they (the foremost believers) choose,a 22.And flesh of birds as they may desireb. 23.And there will be fair maidens with wide, lovely eyes,c 24.Like pearls, well preserved, 25.As a reward for what they did.4106 26.They will not hear therein any vain or sinful talk,d 27.Except only the word of salutation, ‘Peace, peace.’4107 a52:23; 55:53. b52:23. c44:55; 52:21. d19:63; 78:36; 88:12. " "CH.56 AL-WAQIAH PT.27 3076 (59:24). Such is the sublime Quranic conception of Paradise. 4108. Important Words: For سدر( lote-trees) see 53:17. خمضود( thorn less) is derived from خضد which means, he broke wood or a branch or twig or a soft thing so that its parts did not separate; he bent without breaking wood or a branch or twig. They say خضد الشجر i.e. he cut off or removed th e thorns of the trees; خمضود means, a tree having its thorns removed, a thornl ess tree. The word also means, a tree having the branches bent by reason of the abundance of its fruit (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: When the shade of Lote-tree becomes dense and crowded, it is very pleasant and in the hot and dry climate of Arabia the tired and fatigued travellers take shelter and find rest under it. The word سدر having been qualified by خمضود signifies that the trees of Paradise will not only give pleasant and plenteous shade but would also bend down on account of the abundance of their fruit, i.e. the blessings of Paradise would both be pleasant and plentiful. See also 53:17. 4109. Commentary: Whereas lote- tree mentioned in the preceding verse grows in dry climate, the banana requires plenty of water for its growth. The combining of سدر and طلح signifies that the fruits of Paradise will not only be plentiful and delightful but will be found in all climatic conditions. 4110. Commentary: The blessings promised to the inmates of Paradise in this and other Surahs of the Quran possess the 28. aAnd as for those on the right hand —how lucky are those on the right hand! — 29.They will be amidst thornless lote-trees,4108 30.And clustered bananas,4109 31.And extended shad e,b 32.And flowing water,c 33.And abundant fruit,d 34.Neither failing, nor for- bidden,4110 a69:20; 84:8-9; 90:19 . b4:58; 13:36. c88:13. dSee 56:21. " "PT.27 AL-WAQIAH CH.56 3077 following important qualities:(a) they will be in abundance; (b) they will be easily accessible and at the entire disposal of believers; (c) they will know no diminution or end; and (d) they will cause no discomfort or disease. 4111 . Important Words: فرش( spouses) is the plural of فراش which means, a thing spread on the ground for one to sit upon; a bed; a man’s wife; a woman’s husband; the master or owner of a female slave. The Ho ly Prophet is reported to have said:الولد للفراش و للعاھر احلجر i.e. the ch ild is for the hu sband or for the master of the bed who is the husband, or the owner of the woman, or for the bed; and for the adulterer shall be stone (Abu D awud, Kitabut-Talaq), The word فراش also means, the nest of a bird; a house, etc. (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: In order to complete their happiness and peace of mind, the believers will have for their companions pure, beautiful spouses of noble descent and high dignity. The promise may also be taken to have be en fulfilled when the Byzantine and Persian Empires fell to their victorious arms. In the next life the believers will have these things conformably to the spiritual conditions obtaining there. 4112 . Important Words: أبکار( virgins) is the plural of بکر (bikrun ) which means, a virgin; a man who has not touched a woman; an unpierced pearl; etc. (Lane & Aqrab). 4113. Important Words: عربا ً( loving) is the plural of عروب which is derived from عرب‘( ariba ). They say عربت البئر i.e. the water of the well became abundant. عروب means, a woman who loves her husband passionately and excessively and is obedient to him; also a woman disobedient to her husband and unfaithful to him (Lane & Aqrab). أتراب is the plural of ترب which i s derived from ترب( tariba ) which means, he was born at ًthe same time with another, an equal in age; an ً equal; a match; a peer; having similar tastes,ًhabits, views, etc. (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: A beautiful, chaste and faithful wife, having similar views and tastes 35.And they will have noble spouses —4111 36.Verily, We have created them a good creation, 37.And made them virgins,4112 38.Loving, of equal agea 4113 a78:34. " "CH.56 AL-WAQIAH PT.27 3078 and outlook on life with her husband is the greatest Divine blessing a person can possibly have. There will be good and virtuous women in Paradise, says the Quran, as there will be good and righteous men. It is good companionship that makes human life happy and complete. 4114. Commentary: اصحاب الشمال is another name for اصحاب املشئمة— those on the left hand. 4115. Commentary: The disbelievers in the heat of their passions indulged in all sorts of evil activities. That heat will take the form of hot water and scorching heat. 4116. Important Words: حیموم( black smoke) is derived from حم .They say حم الشحم ة i.e. he melted the fat. حیموم means, smoke or black smoke or in tensely black smoke; a black mountain; the canopy that is extended over the inmates of Hell (Lane & Aqrab). 4117. Commentary: The disbelievers fed fat on the hard-earned money of others, and in the pride and conceit of their wealth, prestige, and influence, arrogantly spurned the Divine Message. This and the next verse show that the root cause of all sins is inordinate desire 39.With those on the right hand: R. 2. 40.A large party from among the early believers, 41.And a large party from the later ones. 42.But as for those on the left handa—how unlucky are those on the left hand! —4114 43.They will be in the midst of scorching winds and scalding waterb,4115 44.And under the shadow of black smokec,4116 45.Neither cool nor of any good. 46.Before this they lived a life of ease and plenty .4117 a69:26; 84:11; 90:20 . b22:20; 44:49; 55:45 . c77:32. " "PT.27 AL-WAQIAH CH.56 3079 for wealth and the comforts and pleasures of life which prompts one to exploit other people and to deny accountability for one’s actions in afterlife. For مرتفنی see 23:65 and 17:17. 4118. Commentary: Denial of the Resurrection and afterlife whether by word of mouth or conduct is at the root of all sin and crime in the world. This is why, next to belief in the existence of God the greatest stress has been laid in the Quran on life after death. There can be no real and effective check on sin, or incentive to good works, without a true and real belief in life after death. 4119 . Commentary: The verse purports to say that disbelievers indulged in all sorts of iniquitous activities; they, as it were, drained life to the dregs. Therefore, as a punishment, their bellies will be filled with fire and they will drink of the hot water which instead of quenching will increase their thirst. 47.And used to persist in extreme sinfulness. 48.And they were wont to say, ‘What! when we are dead and have become dust and bones, shall we indeed be raised againa,4118 49.‘And our fathers of yore toob?’ 50.Say, ‘ Yes, the earlier ones and the later ones 51.‘Will all be gathered together unto the fixed time of an appointed day. 52.‘Then, O ye that have gone astray an d have rejected the truth, 53.‘You will surely eat of the tree of Zaqq umc,4119 a17:50; 23:83; 37:17; 56:48. b37:18. c37:63; 44:44-45. " "CH.56 AL-WAQIAH PT.27 3080 4120. Important Words: اھلیم( thirsty camels) is the plural of األھیم which is derived from ھام which means, he went at random, not knowing where he was going, he became thirsty. اھلیام means, (a) severe thirst; (b) dropsy; or a kind of disease from which camels suffer from insatiable thirst; (c) insanity caused by extreme love. رجل ھیمان means, a thirsty man. رجل ھائم means, a confused and perplexed man. اھلیم means, thirsty camels, sandy plains which suck all water (Aqrab). 4121. Commentary: This and the preceding three verses describe the punishment that will be meted out to the guilty in the afterlife, in a language which befits the enormity of their sins or crimes in the present life. They devoured what other people had earned with the sweat of their brows. They suffered from an insatiable lust for wealth, amassing it by fair means or foul, and being proud of their riches rejected the Divine Message. As punishment for their sins, they will be given the tree of Zaqq um to eat, which will burn their inside, and they will have scalding water to quench their thirst, and like diseased camels their thirst will remain unsatisfied. 4122. Commentary: نزھلم( their entertainment) means, their provision and food. The expression seems to have been used ironically. 4123. Commentary: With this verse begins a series of arguments in support of life after death. The first argument in the present verse is taken from the very subtle and wonderful phenomenon of man’s birth, starting with a drop of semen and developing into a fullfledged human being, —the crown of all creation —having been equipped 54.‘And will fill your bellies therewith,4120 55.‘And will drink thereon of boiling watera, 56.‘Drinking like the drinking of the camels that suffer from insatiable thirst.’4121 57.This will be their entertainment on the Day of Judg ement.4122 58.We have created you. Why, then, do you not accept the truth ?4123 a37:68. " "PT.27 AL-WAQIAH CH.56 3081 with all moral and spiritual powers in order that he might assimilate and demonstrate in himself Divine attributes. 4124. Commentary: The end of all physical life is death. This is the eternal law of God from which there is no escape. Death frees the human soul from the fetters and shackles of its physical habitat and enables it to start its journey on the road to spiritual development which knows no end. 4125. Commentary: The disintegration of man’s physical tabernacle does not mean the end of his life. Death is only a change of state or form. After its flight from the body the human soul is given another body, which, it is not possible for man to conceive. The verse may also imply a warning to disbelievers that they should not remain lulled into a false state of complacency that they would continue to enjoy power, prestige and prosperity. The time was fast approaching when all their power would be broken and their glory would depart and another people— the Mu slims —would take their place, and they could not conceive of this great change in their present prosperous condition. The fulfilment of this prophecy will constitute an argument in support of life after death. 4126. Commentary: The verse reinforces the argument begun in the above-mentioned verses. It, in effect, says to disbelievers that they know that God created man from a mere sperm drop and endowed him with wonderful powers and attributes 59.What thi nk ye of the sperm drop that you emit?a 60.Is it you who have created it or are We the Creator?b 61.We have ordained death for all of you; and We cannot be forestalled.c 4124 62.From bringing in your place others like you,d and from devel oping you into a form which at present you know not. 4125 63.And you have certainly known the first creation. Why, then, do you not reflect?4126 a75:38. b52:36. c71:5. d76:29. " "CH.56 AL-WAQIAH PT.27 3082 to grow and develop, and yet they dare deny that the Great Creato r could give him life again after his death. Does not this fact merit their reflection? 4127. Commentary: After referring to the birth of man from very insignificant beginning, the Surah, from the present verse, proceeds to give a brief account of things upon which man’s life on earth depends, which in fact, is a preparation for the eternal and everlasting life after death. There are three principal things upon which man’s life in this world depends — food, water and fire. The first thing is food to which this verse refers. 4128. Important Words: تفکھون( you would keep lamenting) isderived from فکه which means, he was or became cheerful, happy or free from straitness; jocose or was given to jesting and to laughing. تفکه منه means, he wondered at it; he repented, grieved, lamented or regretted (Lan e & Aqrab). حطاما ً( broken pieces) is derived from حطم .They say حطمه i.e. he broke it into pieces, he crushed it. حطام means, what is broken in pieces of dry things; fragments of eggs. حطام الدنیا means, the perishable goods of this world (Lane & Aqrab). 4129. Commentary: Next to food, water is the most important thing upon which human life depends for its sustenance. 64.Do you see what you sow? 4127 65.Is it you who grow it o r are We the Grower? 66.If We so pleased, We could reduce it all to broken pieces,a then you would keep lamenting: 4128 67.‘We are ruined! 68.‘Nay, we are deprived of everything .’ 69.Do you see the water which you drink?4129 70.Is it you who send it down from the clouds, or are We the Sender? a57:21 " "PT.27 AL-WAQIAH CH.56 3083 4130. Commentary: The sun makes the saltish and bitter water of oceans rise in the form of vapours which being buffeted by cold winds are turned into a cloud, and then fall as rain upon the dry and parched fields, and the seed which had lain buried deep in the ground sprouts and the sun causes it to grow into a smiling, flourishing crop. Who created the seas, the oceans, the wind and the warm th? It is all the work of the Great Creator and Sustainer, and yet ungrateful man has the hardihood to deny His beneficence; he refuses to believe that his life has a purpose to achieve, for which he will be given a new life after he has departed from this world. 4131 . Commentary: Fire plays a most important part in the life of man. Much of his physical comfort depends upon it. It is a thing of very great utility, also of des- truction if improperly used. In this mechanistic age, life is inconceivable witho ut the use of fire. No industry, trade or travel is possible without it. Spiritually speaking, there is latent in man a spiritual fire in whose flames, if kept under control, all his evil passions and desires are consumed; it kindles in him a yearning of the soul to establish a true and real connection with its Creator. 4132 . Important Words: املقوین( wayfarers of the desert) is derived from قوی . They say قوی الرجل i.e. the man bec ame extremely hungry. أقوی means, he alighted at a desolate place. اقوت الدار means,ًthe house became empty of dwellers . أقوی القوم means, the provisions of the people were exhausted. القواء means, waste, barren land, ruin; hunger . 71.If We so pleased, We could make it bitter. Why, then, are you not grateful?4130 72.Do you see the fire which you kindle?a 4131 73.Is it you who produce the tree for it, or are We the Producer? 74.We have made it a reminder and a benefit for the wayfarers. 4132 75.So glorify the name of thy Lord, the Greatb. a36:81. b69:53; 87:2. " "CH.56 AL-WAQIAH PT.27 3084 مقوین means, needy and hungry people; wayfarers of a desert or those who alight at a desolate place. بات القواء او القوی means, he spent the night hungry or in a desert (Aqrab). 4133 . Important Words: ال( nay) is generally used to impart emphasis to the oath, meaning that the thing which is going to be explained next is so self-evident that it does not need calling anything to bear witness to its truth. When the refutation of a certain hypothesis is intended ال is used to signify that which is said before is not correct but the right thing is that which follows. أقسم( I swear). For the significance and philosophy of oaths see 37:2; 41:2 and 91:2. مواقع( shooting) is the plural of موقع which is derived from وقع which means, it fell. موقع means, a place or time where and when a thing happens (Aqrab). النجوم( stars) is the plural of جنم which among other things means, a portion of the Quran (Mufrad at). See also 53:2. Commentary: In the foregoing verses it was pointed out that there lies hidden in the inmost recesses of the human heart a longing and yearning for eternity —death not being the end or goal of life —an d that adequate provision has been made in nature for the preservation of man’s body. The next few verses deal with his moral and spiritual development and progress. For that purpose God has been sending His Prophets and Messengers and has been revealing to them teachings by acting upon which man could attain the object of his life, that is, continuous and eternal progress of his soul. The Quran is the Last and Complete and Perfect Divine Teaching. The verse swears by, and holds forth مواقع النجوم ( portions of the Quran ) as evidence to support and substantiate the claim that the Qur an is emin ently fitted to fulfil the grand object referred to above, as well as to establish its Divine origin. Taking مواقع النجوم as meaning, the place and time of the falling of stars, the verse signifies that it is an unfailing divine law that, at the time of the appearance of a great Divine Reformer or Prophet, stars fall in unusually large numbers, and that this happened in the time of the Holy Prophet . Before him it also happened in the time of Jesus, and, in our own time, when the Founder of the A hmadiyya Movement announced his claim to be the Promised Reformer. النجوم may also mean those highly righteous persons among the followers of the Holy Prophet whom God favours with His special love and nearness. In this sense of the expression, the verse signifies that the treasures of divine knowledge and mysteries that are revealed to the Divinely-favoured ones constitute an irrefutable proof of the Quran being God’s own revealed Word. R. 3. 76.Nay, I swear by the shooting of the stars —4133 " "PT.27 AL-WAQIAH CH.56 3085 4134. Commentary: The verse purports to say that مواقع النجوم (shooting of the stars, or the places or times of their falling) constitutes evidence of the fact that the Quran is the revealed Word of God, if only the disbelievers had the intelligence to understand this simple fact. 4135. Commentary: The word کریم meaning noble, honourable, liberal, generous, bounteous, the verse signifi es that upon those who would act upon the teachings of this Noble Book will be bestowed bounteous blessings of God and that they will find a place of honour among the world’s great nations. 4136. Commentary: That the Quran is a well-preserved and well-protected Divinely revealed Book is an open challenge to the whole world which has remained unaccepted during the past fourteen centuries. No effort has been spared by its hostile critics to find fault with the purity of its text. But all efforts in this direction have led to but one inevitable —albeit unpalatable for its enemies —result that the Book which the Holy Prophet Muh ammad gave to the world fourteen hundred years back has come down to us without the change of a single vowel. The Quran stands unique in this respect among all revealed Scriptures. Books other than the Quran have been interpolated, mutilated and tampered with. And this was natural, because their teachings were meant for particular peoples and for limited periods of time. But the Quran, being the Last Divine Message for the whole of mankind, should naturally have been vouchsafed full, complete and eternal protection. Elsewhere, the Quran has made the firm assertion that it enjoys Divine protection: ""Verily, We Ourself have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We are its Guardian "" (15:10). The verse under comment along with 15:10 constitutes not only a forceful challenge but also a mighty prophecy that the Quranic text shall remain intact, which prophecy has been remarkably fulfilled. What adds weight and force to the prophecy is the fact that it was made at a time when even the art of writing had not much developed and that it was addressed to a people who did not even know how to read and write. ""There is probably in the world no other book"", says William Muir, 77.And, indeed, that is a grand oath, if you only knew —4134 78.That this is indeed a noble Qurana, 4135 79.In a well-preserved Bookb, 4136 a85:22 . b85:23. " "CH.56 AL-WAQIAH PT.27 3086 ""which has remained twelve centuries with so pure a text...There is otherwise every security, internal and external, that we possess the text which Mu hammad himself gave forth and used...To compare their pure text with the va rious readings of our Scriptures, is to compare things between which there is no analogy."" ""Efforts of European scholars to prove the existence of later interpolations in the Quran have failed "" (Enc. Brit. ). The verse may also signify that the ideals and principles embodied in the Quran are inscribed in the book of nature, i.e. they are in complete harmony with natural laws. Like the laws of nature they are immutable and unalterable and cannot be defied with impunity. Or it may mean that the Quran is preserved in ""the nature which God has bestowed upon man"" (30:31). Human nature is based upon fundamental truths and has been endowed with the faculty to arrive at true judgements. A person who honestly calls human nature into action can easily recognize the truth of the Quran. 4137. Commentary: The verse signifies that only those lucky ones who by leading righteous lives will have achieved purity of the heart will be granted true understanding of, and insight into, the meanings of the Quran, and they will be initiated into those spiritual mysteries of divine knowledge to which the impure of heart are denied access. Incidentally, one should not touch or read the Quran while one is not physically clean. 4138. Commentary: The fact that the Quran is a "" wellpreserved Book"" and that ""none shall touch it except who are purified"" constitutes a proof and a guarantee that ""it is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds. "" 4139. Commentary: The verse seems to administer a subtle rebuke to disbelievers that they are so inconsiderate that they reject a Book, i.e. the Quran, which possesses such excellences and beauties as are mentioned in the preceding verses. 4140. Commentary: The rebuke administered to 80.Which none shall touch except those who are purified. 4137 81. aIt is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds.4138 82. Is it this Divine discourse that you would rejectb?4139 83.And do you make the denial thereof your livelihood?4140 a20:5; 26:193. b17:74; 68:10 . " "PT.27 AL-WAQIAH CH.56 3087 disbelievers in the preceding verse has been continued here. They are told that they have become so degenerate that they do not accept the truth because they are afraid that by doing so they would be deprived of their means of livelihood. So it is for the sake of filthy lucre that they reject the Divine Message. Or the verse may mean that disbelievers have made rejection of truth something on which, as it were, their very lives depend. They will not accept it at any cost. 4141. Commentary: The rebuke implied in the preceding two verses is continued. The disbelievers are told that they deny truth because they seem to think that they will never die and will not be called to account for their denial. This and the next few verses contain a graphic picture of the moments when the soul departs from the body at death. 4142. Commentary: This and the next verse constitute two parenthetical clauses. 4143. Important Words: مدیننی( called to account) is derived from دان which means, he obeyed; he was or became abased and submissive. دانه means, he made him do what he disliked; he abased or enslave d him; he ruled, governed, managed him or it; he had authority over him or it; he called him to 84.Why, then, when the soul of the dy ing man reaches the throat,4141 85.And you are at that moment looking on —4142 86. aAnd We are nearer to him than you, but you see not — 87.Why, then, if you are not to be called to account,4143 88.You cannot bring it back, if you are tr uthful? 89.Now if he be of those who have attained nearness to God, 90.Then for him is comfort and fragrance of happiness and a Garden of Bliss; a50:17. " "CH.56 AL-WAQIAH PT.27 3088 account (Lane & Aqrab). 4144. Commentary: There are three degrees of certainty. viz. علم الیقنی and عنی الیقنی and حق الیقنی .Of these the first degree of cert ainty is knowledge of a thing acquired inferentially as we conclude the existence of fire from the presence of smoke in a place without witnessing the fire itself ( علم الیقنی .)ًBut if we see the fire itself, our knowledge of the existence of fire becomes c ertainty of the second degree ( عنی الیقنی .) Knowledge of a thing we witness with the eye may, however, be further improved through actual experience; for instance by thrusting our hand into the fir e. This is the highest stage of certainty which in the lang uage of the Quran is called حق الیقنی .The verse means that life after death is certainty of the highest degree. The Surah had opened with the subject of the Resurrection and life after death and has closed on the same subject. This is a special peculiarity of the Quran ic style that when a certain Surah begins with the discussion of a particular subject, after dealing exhaustively with it, it ends by briefly referring to the same subject. 4145. Commentary: The verse constitutes a suitable ending to the Surah. The main topic of the Surah was the provision which God has made in the form of food, water and fire for the sustenance of physical life. The description of these manifold and multifarious divine blessings ended with an exhortation to man to glorify the name of his Lord Who has created all these things for his use (v. 75). But life on earth is not the aim and object of man’s creation. It is only a prelude to, and a preparation for, a much higher and 91.And if he be of those who are on the right hand, 92.Then ‘Peace be on thee, who is from those on the right hand.’ 93.But if he be of those who reject the truth and are in error, 94.Then for him will be an entertainment of boiling water, 95.And burning in Hell. 96.Verily, this is the certain trutha.4144 97.So glorify the name of thy Lord, the Greatb.4145 a13:20 ; 22:55; 35:32. bSee 56:75. " "PT.27 AL-WAQIAH CH.56 3089 nobler life without end. For the achievement of the object of that life, God raised His Messengers and sent down Revelation, so that man should make preparation for the day of his death. In afterlife man shall have to render an account of his deeds. So, for this great favour he should glorify the name of his Lord, the Great. With this exhortation and reminder the Surah comes to a close. " "3090 CHAPTER 57 AL-HADID (Revealed after Hijra h) Title, Date of Revelation, and Context This is the first of the last ten Medinite Surahs of the Quran which end with chapter 66. It seems to have been revealed after the Conquest of Mecca or the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah, as is clear from the mention of الفتح( the Victory) in v.11 which refers to the Fall of Mecca or, according to some, more appropriately to the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah. The series of the Meccan Surah s which began with Surah As-Saba’ and which, with the exception of the three intervening Medinite chapters, i.e. Muhammad, Al-Fath and Al-Hujur at, had continued without interruption ended with the preceding chapter. This series completes the subject matter of the Meccan Surah s. With the present Surah, however, begins a new series of Medinite chapters which end with Surah At-Tahrim. The Surah takes its title from the word احلدید (the iron) occurring in v . 26. In the preceding Surah (v.79) it was stated that the Quran is کتاب مکنون (well-preserved Book), which among other things signifies that the teachings of the Quran are in perfect harmony with natural laws and with the dictates and demands of human nature, reason and common-sense. The present Surah opens with the Divine attributes:the Mighty, the Wise. And quite naturally, the Being Who is Wise and Mighty must have revealed a Book whose teachings are consistent with the laws of nature and with human reason and conscience. And, befittingly the Surah opens with the words ""Whatever is in the heavens and the earth declares the glory of Allah, "" and this is because the preceding Surah had ended on the Divine command, viz. "" So glorify the name of thy Lord, the Incomparably Great."" It is significant that five, out of these ten Medinite Surahs, open with the words, ""Whatever is in the heavens and in the earth declares the glory of Allah, the Mighty, the Wise."" Subject Matter In the previous seven Meccan Surahs, especially in the three immediately preceding —Al-Qamar, Ar-Rahman, and Al-Waqi‘ah—it was repeatedly declared, in forceful though metaphorical language, that a great reformation, a veritable resurrection, was about to be brought about by the Holy Prophet among a people who for long centuries had grovelled in dust and dirt; and who because they had no living relation with civilized society, were looked down upon as pariahs among the comity of great nations. The present Surah points out that the great day of the phenomenal progress and power of that pariah nation —the Arabs—has already dawned and that the " "3091 eventual victory of truth over falsehood is in sight. The Surah opens with a declaration of the power, might and knowledge of God, the Revealer of the Quran . ""His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth (v. 2),"" says the Surah, ""and it is He who causes the l ight of truth to penetrate the darkness of falsehood and the darkness of falsehood to disappear"" (v.7), hinting thereby that the hour of the Victory of Islam had approached near. But there were essential conditions to be fulfilled before that consummation could take place, i.e. there must be on the part of Muslims a firm and invincible faith in the truth of Islamic ideals and a preparedness to make necessary sacrifice of life and property for the furtherance of the cause of truth. This is how, the Surah proceeds to say, God gives life to earth after it is dead (v. 18), i.e. He raises a people morally corrupt and politically unsettled to spiritual eminence and material power and greatness. The believers, however, are warned that after they have acquired power and prosperity they should not neglect moral ideals and should not indulge in the pursuit of transitory material pleasures because that would lead them to a life of sin and vice. The Surah continues the theme namely, that from time immemorial God’s Messengers have been appearing in the world to lead men to the goal of their lives and that God has created "" iron"" (v. 26) which of all metals is perhaps of greater utility for mankind and which causes great violence and destruction. Next, the Surah very briefly traces back the account of Divine revelation to the time of Noah and the Prophets of Israel and closes by warning Muslims that God’s pleasure is not to be sought by leading a life of renunciation or flight from the world, as Jesus’s followers had mistakenly thought and practised, but by making proper use of powers and faculties bestowed by God on man, and of the things God has created for his benefit. " "CH.57 PT.27 3092 (AL-HAD ID) 1.In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Mercifu l.a 2.Whatever is in the heavens and earth glorifies Allah;b and He is Mighty, the Wise.4146 aSee 1:1. bl7:45; 24:42; 61:2; 62:2; 64:2. 4146 . Impor tant Words: سبح(glorifies) i s derived from (saba ha). They say سبح یف املاء i.e. he swam in the water. سبح یف االرض means, he went or travelled far in the land. سبح یف حوائجه means, he occupied himself in the accomplishment of his ne eds. سبح الرجل means, the man busied himself in earning his subsistence or in his affairs. سبح( sabhun) thus would signifyًdoing one’s task or doing it with utmost effort ًand quickly, and سبحان اّللًٰ denotes quickness in ًbetaking oneself to God and agility in serving ً or obeying Him and therefore may be rendered,ً""I betake myself quickly to the service of God and am prompt in obeying Him. "" In view of the root meaning of this word, the i nf. Noun تسبیح would mean, declaring God to be far removed from every imperfection, defect and impurity, or betaking oneself quickly to God’s service and to be prompt in obeying Him (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse purports to say that everything in the universe is doing its allotted task punctually and regularly, and by making use of the attributes and powers bestowed upon it by God is fulfilling the object of its creation in such a wonderful manner that one is irresistibly drawn to the conclusion that the Designer and Architect of the universe is indeed Mighty, and Wise, and that the whole universe collectively, and every created thing individually and in its own limited sphere, bears testimony to the undeniable fact that God’s handiwork is absolutely free from flaw, defect or imperfection in all its multifarious and multitudinous aspects. This is the meaning and significance of تسبیح . In fact, the perfection of a work presupposes two things:(a) that its doer possesses all the necessary means for accomplishing it and (b) that he possesses complete and perfect knowledge about it. God is Mighty and Wise, says the verse, i.e. His ha ndiwork being flawless demonstrates His wisdom and might. The verse may also signify that by the revelation of the Quran such a great change will come over Arabia that this land, reeking with superstition, ignorance and idol worship, will reverberate with the glorification of the Mighty and Wise Creator and Master of the universe. " "PT.27 AL-HADID CH.57 3093 4147 . Commentary: This verse explains the Divine attributes "" Mighty"" and ""Wise"" mentioned in the preceding verse. The words ""He gives life and He causes death,"" signify that the process of construction and destruction is operating every moment in every atom in the universe. 4148. Commentary: االول( the First) meaning that there was nothing before God, signifies that He created everything and He is the First Cause of all things. االخر( the Last) means that there is and there will be nothing after Him, i.e. He is the Last and Final Cause of all things or that whereas everything is subject to death and destruction, He alone will remain after all things had ceased to exist . الظاھر( the Manifest) may signify that all things are subject to divine laws and God has power over all things and is subordinate to no one and is subject to no laws, or that He is manifest in His works, or is more manifest than anything else, or that He comprehends everything. الباطن( the Hidden) may signify that God is the Knower of all things, so that there is nothing hidden from Him, or that whereas He comprehends everything He Himself is Incomprehensible. The expression may also signify that there is nothing nearer than God or that there is no refuge besides Him. These four Divine attributes show that God is above the limitations of space and time. 3.His is the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth; He gives life and He causes death,a and He has power over all things. 4147 4.He is the First and the Last, and the Manifest and the Hidden, and He knows all things full well.”4148 5.He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods,b then He settled Himself on the Throne. He knows what enters the earth and what comes out of it,c and what comes down from heaven and what goes up into it. And He is with you a3:157; 7:159; 44:9. b7:55; 11:8; 25:60; 32:5. c34:3 " "CH.57 AL-HADID PT.27 3094 4149. Commentary: For a detailed note on the first part of this verse see7:55; 10 :4 and 41:1 011, and for the latter part see 34:3. The six periods or stages of evolution referred to in the verse may be those of the ether, nebula, electrons, minerals, plants and animals. Very briefly, the verse may signify that after God had created the heavens and the earth in six periods or stages, He began to control and govern the universe through set laws, and that as He made provision for the physical sustenance and development of man, so did He make similar provision for his spiritual evolution. But God alone knew when a particular divine teaching was needed for a particular people; also when to take it back to heaven, i.e. to abrogate it, when it was corrupted and ceased to fulfil the spiritual needs of the people to whom it was given. And He alone knew when to reveal a new teaching. And now that God has revealed the Quran, He will be with the Muslims wheresoever they may be because to them is entrusted the preaching of the last Divine Message. 4150. Commentary: In the preceding verse it was pointed out that now that God has chosen the Companions of the Holy Prophet for the bestowal of His special favours and has entrusted to them the preaching of the Quranic Message, He will give them power and predominance in the world because His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. The present verse, continuing the theme, purports to say that the night of decline and degradation that had enveloped Arabia is about to pass away wheresoever you may be. And Allah sees all that you do.4149 6.His is the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth;a and to Allah are all affairs referred for final judg ement . 7.He causes the night to pass into the day and causes the day to pass into the night;b and He knows full well all that is in the breasts.4150 8.Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and spend in the way of Allah out of that to which He has made you heirs. a2:108 ; 7:159; 43:86 . b22:62; 31:30; 35:14. " "PT.27 AL-HADID CH.57 3095 and the day of its ascendance and progress is about to dawn. 4151 . Commentary: In the preceding verse Muslims were promised power, prestige and prosperity. In the present verse they are told that they will have to fulfil certain conditions to establish their title to the great favours promised to them. They must have firm faith in the truth of the Message the preaching of which is entrusted to them and must be prepared to ""spend in the way of Allah out of that to which He has made you heirs."" 4152. Commentary: The expression مالکم besides the meaning given in the text may also signify:""There is no earthly reason that… "" ""The covenant"" spoken of in the verse signifies the faith-in-God implanted in the nature of man, and the longing to get near to Him. And those of you who believe and spend will have a great reward.4151 9.Why is it that you believe not in Allah, while the Mes senger calls you to believe in your Lord, and He has already taken a covenant from you, if indeed you are believers?4152 10.He it is Who sends down clear Signs to His servant,a that He may bring you out of every kind of darkness into the Light.b And verily, Allah is Compassionate and Merciful to you. 11.And why is it that you spend not in the way of Allah, while to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth? Those of you who spent and fought before the Victory are not equal to those who did so later . They are greater in rank than those who spent and fought afterwardsc. a22:17; 24:35; 58:6. b14:6; 33:44; 65:12. c4:96; 9:20. " "CH.57 AL-HADID PT.27 3096 4153. Commentary: Man will have to leave behind in this world all his material possessions which in truth belong to God. الفتح( the Victory) may refer to the ً Fall of Mecca, soon after which the whole of Arabia submitted to the Holy Prophet, or it may refer to the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah which laid the foundation of the subsequent rapid spread of Islam and of the vast and very quick expansion of the political power of Muslims. 4154. Commentary: God regards monetary sacrifices, demanded of Muslims for their own progress and advancement, as a loan lent to Him which He promises to increase and return manifold. The sacrifices rendered by early Muslims in the cause of truth led to a comparatively much greater reward in the form of the conquest of the mightiest empires of the time. 4155. Commentary: The words, ""their light,"" mean the light of their faith and good actions which on the ""day of distress and darkness"", (i.e. for disbelievers) will lead believers to their goal. Thus their faith and good works will assume the form of light on the 'Day of Resurrection.' "" Light "" may also mean the light of Divine realization and the capacity to seek and achieve the pleasure of God in this very life. For And to all has Allah promised good. And Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.4153 R. 2. 12.Who is he that will lend to Allah a goodly loan ?a So He will increase it manifold for him, and he will have a generous reward.4154 13.And think of the day when thou wilt see the believing men and the beli eving women, their light running before them and on their right hands,b and it will be said to them, ‘Glad tidings for you this day! —Gardens through which streams flow, wherein you will abide. That is the supreme triumph.’4155 a2:246; 64:18; 73:21. b66:9. " "PT.27 AL-HADID CH.57 3097 ""divine l ight"" see 6:123. 4156. Important Words: It is characteristic of the Hypocrites that in time of trials and tribulations they seek to dissociate themselves from believers but in the hour of success and victory they loudly profess faith and ask for their share in the benefits of victory. ""Light "", as mentioned in the preceding verse, is bestowed upon believers in consequence of their good works in this life also, and the Hypoc rites are told in the present verse that the only way they could have received light in the Hereafter was by good actions in the present life; the expression وراءکم signifyingthe present life. The last part of the verse may also mean that God’s mercy and grace would accompany the believers wherever they go and Divine punishment would dog the footsteps of disbelievers and, try as they might, they will find no refuge from it. ""A wall"" referred to in the verse might signify the wall of Islam or of the Quran. The disbelievers remained outside this wall and so were deprived of Divine mercy which was granted to believers; and were seized with punishment in this life. Their having remained outside the fold of Islam will take the form of a wall in the Hereafter. 14.On the day when the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women will say to those who believe, ‘Wait a while for us that we may borrow from your light,’ it will be said to them, ‘Go back if you can, and seek for light.’ Then there, will be set up between them a wall with a door in it. The inside of it, will be all mercy and outside of it, in front, will be torment.4156 15.They will call out to them, saying, ‘Were we not with you?’ They will answer, ‘Yea, but you led your selves into temptation and you hesitateda and doubted and your vain desires deceived a4:142; 9:98. " "CH.57 AL-HADID PT.27 3098 4157. Commentary: أمر اّللًٰ ( decree of Allah) means the decree of Allah that Divine punishment will overtake the hypocrites. The reference may be to the punishment of the Jewish tribes of Medina for their repeated defection and treachery. 4158. Commentary: The words ""that is your friend"" seem to have been used ironically. Or the words may mean that only the fire of Hell will purify them of the impurities and dross of sins committed by disbelievers in this life and will make them fit for spiritual progress and thus will be a ""friend"" to them. 4159. Commentary: The verse seems to refer to the latter-day Muslims when as a result of neglecting the teachings of Islam they will have become spiritually corrupt, morally depraved and politically impotent. The verse means you till the decree of Allah came to pass. And the Deceiver deceived you in respect of Allah.4157 16.‘So this day no ransom shall be accepted from you, nor from those who disbelieved.a Your final abode is the Fire; that is your friend; and a very evil destination it is.4158 17.Has not the time arrived for those who believe that their hearts should feel humbled at the remembrance of Allah and at the truth which has come down to them, and that they should not become like those who were given the Book before them, but because the period of the descent of Allah’ s grace upon them was prolonged for them,b their hearts became hardened,c and many of them are wicked?4159 a2:49. b21:45. c2:75; 6:44. " "PT.27 AL-HADID CH.57 3099 to bring home to them the realization of their all-round degradation and makes to them a pathetic appeal. ""Has not the time arrived yet,"" it seems to say to them, ""now that they have sunk to the lowest depths of degradation, they should turn to God and act upon the teachings of their religion which once raised them to the highest peaks of greatness, grandeur and glory."" 4160. Commentary: In the preceding verse Muslims were told that a time would come when, as the result of ignoring and neglecting the teachings of their religion, their hearts would become hardened and they would turn away from God and incur His displeasure and consequently would become degraded and disgraced. But God would not leave them in the lurch. In conformity with His time-honoured Law, viz. that when the earth becomes dry, He sends down rain from the heavens and gives a new life to it. He will raise among them a great Divine Reformer and through him will bring about the renaissance of Islam, and Muslims will again see better days. 4161 . Commenta ry: After the appearance of a great Divine Reformer among them as promised in the preceding verse, the Muslims will be called upon to make great sacrifices, especially in money 18.Know that Allah is now quickening the earth after its death.a We have made the Signs manifest to you, that you may understand.4160 19.As to the men who give alms, and the women who give alms, and those who lend to Allah a goodly loanb—it will be increased manifold for them, and theirs will be a noble reward —4161 20.And those who believe in Allah and His Messengers and they are the Truthful and the Witnesses in the sight of their Lord, they will have their reward a22:7; 35:10. b2:246 ; 30:40. " "CH.57 AL-HADID PT.27 3100 and property, as at that time the teachings of Islam wi1l need to be preached and propagated to the ends of the earth and financial help will be very much in demand. 4162. Commentary: The verse purports to say that if Muslims believed in the great Divine Reformer, they will attain to those spiritual heights which the Truthful (الصدیقون ) and the Martyrs ( الشھداء ) attained. 4163 . Important Words: الکفار( tillers) is the plural of کافر which is act. part. from کفر .They say کفر الیشء او کفرہ (kaffara ), i.e. he concealed, hid or covered the thing. کفر نعمة اّللًٰ او بنعمة اّللًًٰ means, he denied or did not acknowledge the favour of God, he denied a nd concealed it. The husba ndman is called کافر because he concealed the seed under earth, and a disbeliever is so called because he conceals and denies the favour of God (Lane & Aqrab). and their light. But as for those awho disbelieve and reject Our Signs, these are the inmates of Hell.4162 R. 3. 21. bKnow that the life of this world is only a sport and a pastime, and an adornment, and a source of boasting among yourselves, and of rival ry in multiplying riches and children. This life is like the rain, the vegetation produced where by rejoices the tillers. Then it dries up and thou seest it turn yellow ; cthen it becomes broken pieces of straw . And in the Hereafter there is severe punishmen t, and also forgiveness from Allah. and His pleasure. And the life of this world is nothing but temporary enjoyment of deceitful things.4163 a2:40; 7:37; 22:58; 30:17; 64:11 ; 78:29. b6:33; 29:65; 47:37. c56:66. " "PT.27 AL-HADID CH.57 3101 Commentary:Life spent in forgetfulness of God and disregard of its higher values is, as described in the verse under comment, but a sport and a pastime, otherwise man’s life on earth is a most serious fact. It has a great mission and a noble object to fulfil. The verse implies that at the time when the great Promised Reformer to whom reference is impliedly made in the preceding verse would make his appearance, men would neglect the grim and noble purpose of their lives and would give themselves up, body and soul, to the pursuit of petty and paltry pleasures of life and there would be a mad craze and unhealthy competition among them, and vying with one another, for amassing wealth and material resources. But the end of all this competition and rivalry, says the verse, would be like the end of a blooming and blossoming crop over which a scorching wind has blown turning it into broken pieces of straw. 4164. Important Words:ﻋﺮض (value) is derived from ﻋﺮض (‘arada). ﻋﺮض اﻟ'ء نﻼﻔﻟ means, he showed, manifested, presented the thing to such a one means, breadth, width; vastness; latitude. ذﻫﺐ ﻃﻮﻻً و ﻋﺮﺿﺎً means, he went lengthwise and breadthwise. The word also means, worldly goods; price; gain; a compensation; a substitute; any goods or commodities except gold or silver; etc. (Lane). Commentary:In view of different meanings of ﻋﺮض given under Important Words the verse would mean that the heavens and the earth—the whole universe—would be given to believers as a reward for the good works they had done in this life, which signifies that the reward of the righteous in the afterlife would be beyond measure or count. Or the Paradise comprising both the heavens and the earth may signify that the believers will live in Paradise both in this life and in the 22. aVie with one another in seeking forgiveness from your Lord and for a Garden the value whereof is equal to the value of the heaven and the earth; it has been prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messengers. That is Allah’s grace; He bestows it upon whomsoever He pleases, and Allah is the Lord of immense grace.4164 a3:134; 35:33. " "CH.57 AL-HADID PT.27 3102 Hereafter. Moreover, the fact that Paradise as conceived by the Quran is as extensive as both the heavens and the earth —the whole space—shows that it comprises Hell also. This means that Paradise and Hell are not two distinct and separate places but two conditions or states of mind. A well-known saying of the Holy Prophet gives an insight into the Quranic conception of Paradise and Hell. Once on being asked by some of his Companions:""If Paradise comprises in its vastness heavens and earth, where is Hell,"" the Holy Prophet is reported to have replied, أین اللیل اذا جاء النھار i.e. where is the night when the day comes (Ibn Kath ir). Besides, the substitution of the words مغفرة من ربکم وجن ة in the verse under comment for مغفرةًمن اّللًٰ و رضوان in the preceding ًverse shows that Paradise (جنة ) in fact mean s the pleasure of God )(رضوان .What a beautiful conception of Paradise! 4165. Commentary: کتاب( Book) may signify divine law or knowledge. It may also signify the Quran . According to the first meaning, the verse would signify that everything is subject to a certain law of nature. According to the second it may mean that the causes and cures of misery befalling nations and individuals have been mentioned in the Quran, the words یف االرض signifying people in general, and یف أنفسکم meaning the Muslims as a wh ole or every individual. 23.There befalls not any calamity either in the earth or in your own persons, but it is recorded in a Book before We bring it into being —surely, that is easy for Allah —4165 24. aThat you ma y not grieve over what is lost to you nor exult because of that which He has given to you. And Allah loves not any self-conceited boaster, 25. bSuch as are niggardly and also enjoin upon men to be niggardly. And whoso turns his back, then surely Allah is Self- Sufficient, Worthy of all praise. a3:154. b4:38. " "PT.27 AL-HADID CH.57 3103 4166. Commentary: الکتاب signifies the eternal divine laws. املیزان has different senses with different scholars. Some of these are: (a) Principles of equity which people are enjoined to observe in their dealings with others. (b) S tandards by which human actions are measured, weighed, appraised and judged. (c) Balance which pervades the whole universe maintaining just equilibrium between all things. (d) Practice or example of the Holy Prophet and right use of the Book of God. (e) Th e capacity for leadership by means of which the Holy Prophet, in conformity with the Book of Allah, established a system of justice between the State, the society and the individual. (f) Following the golden means and avoiding extremes in the discharge of one’s obligations towards God and men. (g) Reasons and arguments based on observation and experience. See also 42:18 and 55:10. احلدید( iron) is the metal which has perhaps played the greatest and most useful part in the growth and development of human ci vilization. It may also signify the power to compel obedience to the laws upon which the whole existence of human society depends. Thus the verse means that God has sent down three things, vi z. (a) divine laws; (b) the system which maintains just equilibri um in human social relations and (c) the power to compel obedience to divine laws. 26.Verily, We sent Our Messengers with manifest Signsa and sent down wit h them the Book and the Balanceb that people may act with justice; and We sent down iron, wherein is material for vio lent warfare and many benefits for mankind, and that Allah may distinguish those who help Him and His Messengers without having seen Him. Surely, Allah is Powerful, Mighty.4166 R. 4. 27. And We did send Noah and Abraham, and We placed among their seed p rophethood and the Book.c So some of them a7:102; 14:10; 35:26. b42:18; 55:8. c29:28; 5:47. " "CH.57 AL-HADID PT.27 3104 4167. Commentary: In the preceding verse it was mentioned that in order to make men lead useful and righteous lives and realize the object for which God has brought this universe into existence, He sent His Messengers and revealed to them guidance from Himself and supported the claims of Divine Messengers with clear and sound arguments; and He also sent down iron which is of immense value and utility to mankind. The present verse gives the names of some of those Divine Messengers. Noah is probably the first l aw-bearing Prophet and Abraham the progenitor of the three great peoples —Jews, Christians and Muslims. After these two Prophets, the system of prophethood continued till it found its final exponent in the Mosaic Dispensation in the person of Jesus to whom the next verse makes a pointed reference. 4168. Commentary: The verse may mean that the followers of Jesus invented monasticism in order to seek Allah’s pleasure but Allah had not prescribed it for them; or they invented monasticism which God had not prescribed for them —He had only prescribed for them the seeking of His pleasure. followed the guidance, but many of them were rebellious.4167 28.Then Weacaused Our Messengers to follow in their footsteps; and We caused Jesus, son o f Mary, to follow them, and we gave him the Gospel, bAnd We created in the hearts of those who accepted him compassion and mercy. But monasticism which they invented for themselves —We did not prescribe it for them — for the seeking of Allah’s pleasure; but they did not observe it with due observance. Yet We gave those of them who believed their due reward, but many of them are rebellious.4168 a2:88; 5:47. b5:83. " "PT.27 AL-HADID CH.57 3105 In v. 26, it was stated that God had sent down املیزان( Balance) in order that people may act with equity and justice, i.e. by avoiding extremes they should adopt the golden mean or the middle course in all their affairs and actions because that was the best and the safest course. In the present verse the example of a people —the Christians —has been cited to show that the adoption of an extreme course by them, with howsoever good intentions, led them away from the goal they had sought to attain. They invented the institution of monkery in order, as they thought, to seek the pleasure of God, and in conformity with, according to them, Jesus’s own teaching and practice. The adage that the road to Heaven is paved with good intentions was never better illustrated than in the case of Christians for whom monke ry proved a source of many evils. They started with monasticism and ended with giving themselves up to the worship of Mammon. By implication the Muslims were told that because a great Prophet had been raised for them, by following whom they would be given great worldly power and wealth, they should not go to the other extreme and give themselves up to the pursuit of material gains and physical pleasures. While monasticism has been decried and deplored as repugnant to human nature, the Holy Prophet also is reported to have said:الرھبانیة یف االسالم i.e. there is no monasticism in Islam (Ibn Athir). Islam is not a religion for dreamers and visionaries who live in a world of their own conception, entirely divorced from the hard realities of life, but it is a practical system which gives effective and full guidance in mundane as well as spiritual affairs. It has not left any aspect of crowded human life for which it has not laid down practical guidance. There is no place in Islam for such an impracticable teaching as ""take no thought for the morrow"" (Mat t. 6:34). It emphatically enjoins a Muslim ""to look to what he sends forth for the morrow"" (59:19). According to Islam a true Muslim is one who discharges fully and completely the obligations he owes to his fellow beings ( حقوق العباد ) as he discharges those he owes to his Creator (حقوق اّللًٰ.) 4169. Commentary: As in the preceding verse the Christians were admonished for 29.O ye who believe! fear Allah and believe in His Messenger; He will give you a double portion of His mercy, and will provide for you a light wherein you will walk, and will grant you forgiveness —and verily Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful —4169 " "CH.57 AL-HADID PT.27 3106 regarding a life of renunciation and flight from the world as an ideal, the Muslims in the pres ent verse are told to devote as much care and attention to their mundane as to their spiritual affairs and to discharge the obligations they owe to their Creator and Lord with as much devotion as their obligations to their fellow beings, and that if they did so they would be granted the benefits and blessings of this life as well as those of the Hereafter. Elsewhere in the Quran, Muslims have been enjoined constantly to pray:""Our Lord, grant us good in this world as well as good in the world to come"" (2:202). 4170. Commentary: In the preceding verse the Muslims were promised both spiritual and material benefits and blessings in order to let People of the Book disabuse their minds of the false notion that Divine grace was their monopoly and also to remind them that now God had transferred it to another people —the followers of Islam. 30.That the People of the Book may not think that they (the Muslims) have no power to attain aught of the grace of Allah; awhereas grace is entirely in the hands of Allah.b He gives it to whomsoever He pleases. And Allah is the Master of immense grace.4170 a2:106. b2:106; 3:74. " "3107 CHAPTER 58 AL-MUJADALAH (Revealed after Hijra h) Title, Date of Revelation, and Context The Surah takes its title from the word جتادلک occurring in its opening verse. It is the second of the last seven Medinite chapters of the Quran and appears to have been revealed sometime before Surah Al-Ahzab (chapter 33), in which only a cursory reference was made to the evil custom of Zihar, i.e. calling one’s wife one’s ""mother."" This subject has been dealt with in some detail in the present Surah. Khaulah, wife of Aus bin Samit, complained to the Holy Prophet that her husband had called her ""mother,"" which rendered her a ""suspended "" woman neither divorced nor enjoying the status of a wife. The Holy Prophet pleaded his inability to do anything to help her in the absence of a revealed ordinance. This somewhat detailed reference to Zihar in this Surah shows that it was revealed before Surah Al-Ahzab. But as Surah Al-Ahzab was revealed between 5th and 7th year of the Hijrah, the present Surah therefore must have been revealed earlier, very likely between the 3rd and the 4th year. Moreover, in the immediately preceding Surah —Al-Hadid—the ""People of the Book"" were sternly told that Divine grace was not their monopoly and since they had repeatedly defied and had opposed and persecuted God’s Messengers, God’s favour would be transferred for all time to come to the House of Ishma el, and so Muslims are warned in the Surah under comment that their material prosperity would excite the enmity of their external and internal foes. They should, therefore, be on their guard against their machinations. And, it is an invariable practice of the Quran that whenever it deals with the enemies of Islam, it also makes a pointed reference to some social evil which may be regarded as the enemy of Islamic social system. This method was adopted in Surah Nur and A hzab and it has been adopted in the present Surah as well. Subject Matter The Surah opens with a sharp disapproval of the evil custom of Zihar and by citing the case of Khaulah lays down the ordinance that if anyone calls his wife ""mother"" he has to atone for this heinous moral lapse by either freeing a slave, if he has one, or by fasting for two successive months, or by feeding sixty needy persons. The punishment is commensurate with the offence as the evil practice is tantamount to ""opposing God and His Messenger"". After dealing a death blow to the custom of Zihar, the Surah proceeds to deal with the plots and conspiracies of the internal enemies of " "3108 Islam and condemns the formation of secret societies and holding secret conferences to injure the cause of truth. Then with befitting relevance the Surah lays down some rules of conduct about social gatherings. Towards its close, the Surah gives a warning to the enemies of truth that by their opposition they are incurring God’s wrath and that they shall not be able to arrest or impede the p rogress of Islam because it is a Divine decree that it shall prevail. The warning to disbelievers that their opposition to truth will not go unpunished is followed by an equally strong warning to believers, that under no circumstances should they make friends with the enemies of Islam, however nearly related the latter might be to them, as by opposing the Faith they have waged a veritable war against God, and friendship with God’s enemies is inconsistent with true Faith. " "PT.28 CH.58 3109 (AL-MUJADALAH ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Mercif ul.4171 2.Allah has indeed heard the speech of her who pleads with thee concerning her husband, and complains unto Allah. And Allah has heard your dialogue. Verily, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.4172 3. bThose among you who seek to put away th eir wives by calling them mothers —they do not thereby become their mothers; their mothers are only those who gave them birth; and they certainly utter words that are manifestly evil and untrue; aSee 1:1. b33:5 4171. Commentary: See 1:1. 4172. Commentary: The reference in the verse seems to be to Khau lah, wife of Aus bin Samit and daughter of Tha‘l abah. She had become separated from her husband because the latter had called her ""mother,"" the exact words used by him being, ""thou art to me as the ba ck of my mother."" According to an old Arab custom all conjugal relations ceased between a man and his wife when h e used these words about her. The unfortunate woman could neither demand divorce in order to contract a second marriage, nor could she enjoy conjugal rights . She remained uncared for. Khaulah came to the Holy Prophet and complained to him of the awkward situation in which she was placed, and sought his advice and help in the matter. The Holy Prophet pleaded his inability to do anything for her, as it was his wont not to give a decision in matters of this nature, unless he was guided by revelation. The revelation came, and the custom of Zihar was declared unlawful. Incidentally, the verse shows that " "CH.58 AL-MUJ ADALAH PT.28 3110 God hears the prayers and plaints of even the weakest of His servants. 4173. Commentary: Zihar or calling ones wife ""mother"" has been declared here a heinous sin. For a somewhat detailed note see 33:5. The words لعفو غفور mean that God in His great mercy has made allowance for man’s weakness and that He is always ready t o forgive his lapses, provided he comes to God with a penitent heart and make s amends. The verse has redeemed a right which through a cruel custom was denied to women and thus has raised them to the status to which they were entitled. 4174 . Commentary: The words ""they go back on what they have said,"" may signify that after calling their wives ""mothers"" they seek to re-establish conjugal relations with them. Or the words may mean that after having once called their wives ""mothers"" they repeat what they have said. According to this meaning, it is deliberate repetition of the obnoxious words and not their casual or inadvertent utterance that renders the utterer liable to the punishment prescribed in this and the following verse. but surely Allah is the Effacer of sins, Most Forgivi ng.4173 4.As to those who call their wives mothers, and then would go back on what they have said, the penalty for it is the freeing of a slave before they touch each other. This is what you are admonished with. And Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.4174 5.But whoso does not find a slave, he must fast for two successive months, before they touch each other. And whoso is not able to do so, must feed sixty poor people. This is so prescribed, that you may truly believe in Allah and His Messenger. A nd these are the limits prescribed by Allah; and " "PT.28 AL-MUJ ADALAH CH.58 3111 4175. Comment ary: The drastic punishment mentioned in these verses indicates the extreme seriousness of the crime of calling one’s wife ""mother."" The relationship with ""mother"" is too sacred to be trifled with. The expression لتؤمنوا باّللًٰ و رسوله means, you may learn to obey the commandments of Allah and his Messenger. 4176. Important Words: کبتوا( will be abused). کبته means, he threw him down prostrate. کبت اّللًٰ الکافر means, God prostrated the disbeliever, and deprived him of what he desired, or disappointed him, or caused him to fail in attaining his desire; he routed him or put him to flight; he turned him away or averted him; he abused; debased him, rendered him vile, despicable or ignominious. (Aqrab) Commentary: Calling one’s wife ""mother"" is tantamount to opposing God —so hideous is the offence. Befittingly the subject of opposition to truth by the Jews and hypocrites is introduced in this verse. The words ""and We have sent clear signs,"" show that Divine punishment overtakes the sinners after their sins have been fully established and their guilt brought home to them. for the disbelievers is a painful punishment.4175 6. aThose who oppose Allah and His Messenger will surely be abased even as those before them were abased; and We have already sent down clear Signs.b And the disbelievers will have a humiliating punishment.4176 7.On the day when Allah will raise them all together, He will inform them of what they did. Allah has kept account of it, while they forgot it. And Allah is Witness over all things. R. 2. 8.Dost thou not see that Allah knows all that is in the heaven s and all that is in the earth? a9:63. b22:17; 24:35; 57:10 . " "CH.58 AL-MUJ ADALAH PT.28 3112 4177. Commentary: The subject which was only indirectly introduced in v. 6 has been elaborated in this and the next few verses. The present verse refers to the secret plots and conspiracies against Islam of the Jews and hypocrites of Medina. It condemns this evil practice and warns them that their plots are not hidden from God. He has sent the Holy Prophet and He is his Guardian and Protector, and their conspiracies would do him no harm. They are further warned that they would be punished for their wicked designs. The expulsion of the three Jewish tribes from Medina was the result of their repeated acts of defection and infidelity and of their secret plots against Islam and against the life of the Holy Prophet. There is no secret counsel of three, but He is their fourth, nor of five, but He is their sixth, nor of less than that, nor of more, but He is with them wheresoever they may be. Then on the Day of Resurrection He will inform them of what they did. Surely, Allah knows all things well.4177 9.Hast thou not seen those who were forbidden to hold secret coun sels and again return to what they were forbidden, and confer in secret for sin and transgression and disobedience to the Messenger? And when they come to thee, they greet thee with a greeting with which Allah has not greeted thee;a but among themselves th ey say, ‘Why does not Allah punish us for what we say?’ Sufficient for them is Hell, wherein they will a2:105; 4 :47. " "PT.28 AL-MUJ ADALAH CH.58 3113 4178. Commentary: The words, ""they greet thee with which Allah has not greeted thee,"" may either mean that they go beyond proper limits in hypocritically praising thee, or that they invoke death and destruction upon thee. The words seem to refer to the evil practice of some of the Jews of Medina that when they came to see the Holy Prophet they, with a little twist of the tongue, would invoke curses upon him by saying السام علیک i.e. death to thee; instead of salutingًhim with the usual السالم علیک i.e. peace be upon thee (Bukh ari). See also 2:105. 4179. Commentary: In this and the preceding two verses secret societies such as Freemason Lodges, etc. have been condemned, but the condemnation is not unreserved or unqualified. There may be secret conferences held for good purposes. It is the object or motive of a particu1ar conference that determines its nature. In the present verse the believers have been allowed to hold secret conferences only to promote good and righteous causes. 4180 . Commentary: The disbelievers are warned that their secret societies and assemblies would not in any way harm the cause of truth, try as they might. burn; and a most evil destination it is!4178 10.O ye who believe! when you confer together in secret, confer not for the co mmission of sin and transgression and disobedience to the Messenger, but confer for the attainment of virtue and righteousness, and fear Allah unto Whom you shall all be gathered.4179 11.Holding of secret counsels for evil purposes is only of Satan, that he may cause grief to those who believe; but it cannot harm them in the least, except by Allah’s leave. And in Allah should the believers put their trust.4180 " "CH.58 AL-MUJ ADALAH PT.28 3114 4181. Commentary: As in the preceding verses the subject of holding an assembly was dealt with, it was in the fitness of things that the ethics and etiquette of an assemblage should also be pointed out and this has been done in the present verse. The commandment contained in the verse is of a general nature but it may also have special application for a particular assembly in which the Holy Prophet was present. 4182. Commentary: The believers have been enjoined, in this verse, to have due regard for the precious time of the Holy Prophet and as a compensation for taking his time to spend some money in charity before going to him for consultation. 12.O ye who believe! when it is said to you, ‘Make room!’ in your assemblies, the n do make room; Allah will make ample room for you. And when it is said, ‘Rise up!’then rise up;a Allah will raise those who believe from among you, and those to whom knowledge is given, to degrees of rank . And Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.4181 13.O ye who believe! when you consult the Messenger in private, give alms before your consultation. That is better for you and purer. But if you find not anything to give, then Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.4182 14.Are you afraid of giving alms before your consultation? So, when you do not do so and Allah has been merciful to you, then observe Prayer and pay the a4:159; 7:177 . " "PT.28 AL-MUJ ADALAH CH.58 3115 4183. Commentary: The verse shows that the commandment about the giving of alms before seeking the Holy Prophet’s consultation is not obligatory but optional, though its observance is preferable. The verse further signifies that the apprehension of the Companions of the Holy Prophet was whether they had given enough in alms to have complied with God’s commandment. 4184. Commentary: The words ""with whom Allah is wroth"" refer particularly to the Jews and hypocrites of Medina but they also possess a general application. 4185. Commentary: The verse means that the hypocrites protest loudly the sincerity of their faith by swearing, and seek to take shelter behind their false oaths. Zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. And Allah is Well- Aware of what you do.4183 R. 3. 15.Hast thou not seen those who take for friends a people with whom Allah is wroth?a They are neither of you nor of them, and they swear to falsehood knowingly. 16.Allah has prepared for them a severe punishment. Evil indeed is that which they used to do.4184 17.They have made their oaths a shield for their falsehoods, and thereby they seek to turn men away from the path of Allah; for them, therefore, will be an humiliating punishment.4185 a60:14. " "CH.58 AL-MUJ ADALAH PT.28 3116 4186 . Important Words: The verse shows that when a person becomes a habitual or hardened liar, he regards his falsehood as truth. The hypocrites will protest their innocence even before God on the Day of Reckoning. 4187. Commentary: It is writ large on the face of history that truth has always prevailed against falsehood in the long run. The verse speaks of the invincible faith and conviction which is implanted in the minds of believers about the eventual triumph of their cause. 18. aNeither their wealth nor their children will avail them aught against Allah. They are the inmates of the Fire wherein they will abide. 19.On the day when Allah will raise them all together, they will swear to Him even as they swear to you, and they will think that they have something to stand upon . Now, surely it is they who are the liars.4186 20.Satan has gained mastery over them, and has made them forget the remembrance of Allah. They are Satan’s party. Now surely, it is Satan’s party that are the losers. 21. bCertainly those who oppose Allah and His Messenger will be among the lowest. 22.Allah has decreed:‘Most surely I will prevail, I and My Messen gersc.’ Verily, Allah is Powerful, Mighty.4187 a3:11; 92 :12; 111 :3. b9:63. c5:57; 10:104; 30:48; 37:172-173; 40:52 . " "PT.28 AL-MUJ ADALAH CH.58 3117 4188. Commentary: Obviously, there could be no true or sincere friendship or relationship of love between the Faithful and the disbelievers. The ideals, principles, and religious beliefs of the two being poles apart and the community of interest which is the sine qua non of intimate relationship being non- existent, the verse requires believers not to have intimate, loving and affectionate friendship with disbelievers. The bond of belief transcends all other bonds even the close ties of blood. The verse seems to have a general application. But it applies specially to disbelievers who are at war with Muslims. See also 60:10. The word, ""Allah is well- pleased with them"" constitute a Divine certificate of honour that is bestowed upon the Faithful who prefer God and His Messengers to all worldly connections, even very near blood relationships. 23. aThou wi lt not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day loving those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even though they be their fathers, or their sons or their brethren, or their kindred. These are they in whose hearts Allah has inscribed true faith and whom He has strengthened with inspiration from Himself. And He will make them enter Gardens through which streams flow. Therein will they abide. bAllah is well pleased with them, and they are well pleased with Him. They are Allah’s party. Hearke n! it is Allah’s party who will be successful. 4188 a3:29; 4 :145; 9 :23. b5:120; 9 :100; 98 :9. " "3118 CHAPTER 59 AL-HASHR (Revealed after Hijrah ) Title, Date of Revelation, and C ontext The Surah is decidedly a Medinite revelation. It is the third of the seven last Med inite Surahs of the Qur an. It d eals with the banishment from Medina of the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir, which took place a fe w months after the Battle of Uhud, in the fourth year of the H ijrah. The preceding Surah had dealt with the s ecret plots and machinations against Islam of the Jews of Medina . The present Surah deals with their punishment, particularly with the banishment from Medina of the Banu Nadir, one of the three Jewish tribes –– Banu Qainuq a‘, Banu Nadir and Banu Qurai zah. Subject Matter The Surah opens with the glorification of the Mighty and Wise God, signifying that the time has arrived when the great might and wisdom of God would be man ifested and that whatever form the manifestation will take, it would demonstrate these two Divine attributes. The Surah then proceeds to deal with the expulsion from Medina of the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir by the Holy Prophet which was an act of great wisdom and political foresight on his part, because if the Jews had been allowed to remain i n Medina they would have prove d, on account of their conspiracies and secret plots, a source of constant danger to Islam. In view of their evil designs and machinations, their conspiracies and secre t plots, their repeated acts of treachery and infidelity and the breach of their plighted word every now and then, the punishment of exile was extremely light. What rendered the punishment much lighter and lenient was the fact th at they were allowed to tak e with them whatever they could. Next, the Surah deals with the hypocrites of Medina who were nei ther true to Muslims nor to Jews. A hypocrite is essentially a c oward, and a co ward person is never sincere or honest to anyone. The hypocrites of Medina proved dishon est even to the Jews in the hour of pe ril. The Surah opens with Divine glorification and e nds with an exhortation to Muslims to sing the p raises of the Beneficent and Merciful Lord, Who had nipped the wicked designs of their enemies in the bud and had opened out endless vistas of progress and prosperity for them. It is significant that the Surah opens with the g lorification of the Mighty and Wise God and ends with the prominent men tion of the se two Divine attributes. This signifies that the subject matter of the Surah deals with " "3119 incidents which shed a flood of lig ht on the mightiness and wisdom of God. The Surah has close resemblance with Surah Al-Anfal, in that besides the similarity of the subject matter of these t wo Surahs, the Divine attribut es, the Mighty, and the Severe in retribution, have been repeatedly mentioned in the latter Surah. " "CH.59 PT.28 3120 (AL-HASHR ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2. bAll that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorifies Allah; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.4189 3.He it is Who turned out the disbelievers among the People of the Book from their homes at the time of the first banishment. You did not think that they would go forth, and they thought that their fortresses would defend them against Allah. But Allah cam e upon themc whence they did not expect, and cast terror into their hearts,d so that they destroyed their houses with their own hands and the hands of the believers. So take a lesson, O ye who have eyes! 4190 aSee 1:1. b17:45; 24:42; 61:2; 62:2; 64:2. c16:27; 39:26. d3:152; 8:13. 4189. Commentary: For note on سبحّللٰه see 57:2. But whereas تسبیح( glorifying) is used with regard to God’s هattributes, تقدیس (extolling His holiness) is used concerning His actions. 4190. Commentary: There lived at Medina three Jewish tribes —Ban u Qainuq a‘, Ban u Nadir and Banu Qurai zah. The present verse refers to the banishment from Medina of the Ban u Nadir. This tribe like Banu Qainuq a‘ before them, had acted treacherously towards Muslims on several occasions. They had hatched plots and had entered into secret alliances against them, with their enemies. They had repeatedly broken their plighted word and had " "CH.59 AL-HASHR PT.28 3121 repudiated the solemn agreement that they would remain neutral between the Holy Prophet and his enemies, and even had conspired to take his life. Their leader Ka‘b bin Ashraf had gone to Mecca to enlist the help of the Quraish and of other pagan tribes around Mecca in order to drive out the Muslims from Medina. After the temporary reverse suffered by Muslims at U hud, their machinations and defiance of the Prophet had greatly increased. It was when the cup of their iniquities had become full to the brim and their presence in Medina had proved to be a constant source of mortal danger to Muslims and the Islamic State that the Holy Prophet had to take action against them. They were told to leave Medina . But the Prophet was exceptionally kind and considerate to them. He allowed them to carry their goods and chattels with them, and they departed from Medina in perfect safety, but not until they had despaired of the help they had expected from their Meccan allies and from the hypocrites of Medina, and had also found that their fortresses which they thought were impregnable could not save them. The Holy Prophet laid siege to the fortresses and after vainly holding out for about 21 days, they surrendered. They all left for Syria, only two families choosing to remain behind at Khai bar. The reference in the words, ""at the time of the first banishment"" may be to the banishment of the Jewish tribe of Ban u Qainuq a‘ who had been expelled from Medina, sometime after the Battle of Badr, for their intrigues and defiance of the authority of the Holy Prophet, to whom they had pledged allegiance as the acknowledged Head of the Medina Republic. Or the words may refer to the banishment by the Holy Prophet from Medina of the three above- mentioned Jewish tribes. This was the first banishment. ‘Umar, the Holy Prophet’s Second Successor, however, banished all Jews from the whole of Arabia for the second and last time. Thus the words, ""at the time of the first banishment"" may be taken as embodying a prophecy that after the Jewish tribes of Medina will have been banished by the Holy Prophet, all the Jews of Arabia would suffer the same fate at some later time. Before departing from Medina the Banu Nadir had destroyed their houses and other movable property before the very eyes of Muslims, because the Holy Prophet had given them ten days to dispose of their affairs as they liked. Thus the Jews of Medina were the originators of the scorched earth policy, centuries before the Russians had adopted it in the World War I1. The reference in the words ""they destroyed their houses with their own hands,"" is to that policy. The words, ""you would not think that they would go forth,"" show that in view of the material resources, political alliances and organization of the Jews of Medina, the Muslims could not conceive that they could be driven out of Medina so easily and without any loss of human life on either side. " "CH.59 AL-HASHR PT.28 3122 4191. Important Words: اجلالء( the banishment) is derived from جال( jala). They say جال عنبلدہ i.e. he migrated from his home. جال عنه اھلم means, he removed the grief from him or banished him. أجالہ means he exiled (Lane & A qrab). Commentary: The verse means that by their persistent evil designs and treachery the Jews of Medina, particularly the Banu Nadir, had incurred God’s wrath. Their exile from Medina was a very light punishment. They had deserved a much heavier punishment, and had they not been exiled they would have been severely punished in some other form. 4191A. Commentary: The verse shows tha t opposition to a Prophet is tantamount to opposing God Himself. 4192. Important Words: ةلین ( palm tree) is derived from الن which means, it was or became tender, smooth, gentle. لینة means, a palm tree. It is a kind of palm tree of which the dates ar e of very inferior quality and are unfit for human consumption (Aqrab & A r-Raudul-Anaf). Commentary: The reference in the verse is to the cutting, by orders of the Holy Prophet, of the palm trees of the Ban u Nadi r who, as stated in v. 3, had shut 4.And had it not been that Allah had decreed exile for them, He would have surely punished them otherwise in this world. And in the Hereafter they will certainly have the punishment of the Fire.4191 5.That is because they opposed Allah and His Messenger;a and whoso opposes Allah —then surely Allah is Severe in retribution.4191A 6.Whatever palm-trees you cut down or left standing on their roots, it was by Allah’s leave, and that He might disgrace the transgressors.4192 a4:116; 8:14; 47:33. " "CH.59 AL-HASHR PT.28 3123 themselves up in their fortresses in defiance of the Holy Prophet ’s orders to surrender. After the siege had lasted for a few days, the Holy Prophet, in order to compel them to surrender, ordered that some of their palm trees of the lina (لینة ) kind of which the dates are of very inferior quality and are quite unfit for human consumption should be cut down. It was after only six trees had been cut down, that the Banu Nadir surrendered (Zurq ani). The orders of the Holy Prophet were extremely lenient and were legitimate and quite in conformity with the laws of civilized warfare. 4193 . Important Words: أفاء( given as spoils) is transitive verb from فاء which means, he returned, particularly he returned to a good state or condition. أفاته means, I made it to return. فییء means, afternoon shade; spoil or boot y, so called because it returns from one party without difficulty ; such of the possessions of disbelievers as accrue to Muslims without war or such as are obtained from the m after laying down of arms. Loosely, the thre e words نفل and غنیمة and فییء areهused synonymously. But whereas according to some غنیمة signifies, what is obtained from disbelievers by force during war, فییء signifies, what is obtained from them after laying down of arms or what God has given to Muslims of the goods of disbelievers such as poll-tax and that for which peace has been made with them or which they acquire without difficulty. According to some authorities غنیمة is more general in signification than نفل, and فییء is more so than غنیمة. According to the lawyers everything that may be lawfully taken of the property and goods of disbelievers is فییء .Thus غنیمة is that which is acquired with or without difficulty or labour, before or after the victory and نفل is that which is had before the division of غنیمة or which is acquired without fighting, and i t differs from فییء in this respect that whereas فییء is applied to the spoi l from the disbelievers after they have made preparation for war against Muslims, this condition does not apply to نفل (Lane & Aqrab). رکاب( camels) is derived from رکب . They say رکب الدابة او عیل الدابة i.e. he rode 7.And whatever Allah has given to His Messenger as spoils from them, you urged neither horse nor camel for that; but Allah gives authority to His Messenger over whomsoever He pleases; and Allah has power over all things.4193 " "CH.59 AL-HASHR PT.28 3124 upon the beast. رکاب means camels used for riding. It has no proper singular; the word used for singular is راحلة. السحابرکاب means, the winds (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse may have special reference to the spoils the Muslims got from the Jews of Khaibar. See next verse also. 4194 . Important Words: دولة( to circulate) is derived from دال . They say دالتاالیام i.e. the days came round in their turns. دالت له الدولة means, good fortune came to him i.e. the turn of fortune was his. داولاّللٰههاالیامهبنی الناس means, God made days to compound among men in turns. دولة (daulatun) as also دولة( dulatun ) means, a turn of good fortune; a turn to share in wealth and to prevail in war; a turn of taking a thing. Or دولة( dulatun ) is in wealth and دولة( daulatun ) is in war; according to some the former signifies a thing that is taken by turns and the latter the act of taking by turns and a transition from one state to another. Or the former relates to the next world and the latter to the present world and it is said that the former signifies the transition of wealth from one people to another and the latter, prevalence, predominance or victory (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse deals with the subject as to how فییء should be spent. As فییء consists of هsuch booty as is attained without difficulty orهlabour and accrues to Muslims without war, هthe soldier s have no share in it and the wholeهof it forms part of the public8.Whatever Allah has given to His Messenger as spoilsa from the people of the towns is for Allah and for the Messenger and for the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, that it may not circulate only among those of you who are rich. And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take itb; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain from it. And fear Allah; surel y, Allah is Severe in retribution. 4194 a8:2, 42. b47:34; 49:8 . " "CH.59 AL-HASHR PT.28 3125 treasury to be هspent as mentioned in the verse. Where soldiers are paid by the State, allهspoils of war go to the public treasury i.e. Baitu1-Mal. Islam being a great advocate and protagonist of the cause of the poor and supporter and protector of their interests, the verse incidentally lays down the principle that the circulation of wealth should not remain continued to the privileged and propertied class. As an individual’s health requires that his physical needs be reasonably met, a society’s health requires that material goods be widely distributed and wealth be in easy circulation. This is the basic principle of Muslim economics and nowhere did the Holy Prophet’s democratic thunder speak with greater force or clarity than in this field. Finding humanity ground down under the tyranny of vested interests, he propounded measures that broke the barriers of economic caste and enormously reduced the injustices of special privilege. The main principle of Muslim economics is that the wealth of the people be widely shared. Islam does not oppose the profit motive or economic competition. It does not discourage a man from working harder than his neighbour, nor does it object to his earning a large income. It simply insists that acquisitiveness and competition be balanced by fair play and compassion. Since human nature automatically takes care of the former, it falls to social laws to safeguard the latter. The Zak ah is Islam’s basic device for institutionalizing regard for others, but it is supplemented by a number of other measures ( The Religions of Man by Huston Smith) . The words, ""whatever the Messenger gives you, take it,"" shows conclusively that the Sunnah forms an integral part of the Islamic Law. 4195 . Commentary: الفقراء seems to be case in apposition to the categories of recipients of the فییء mentioned in the preceding verse. From Hadith it appears that the poor Refugees were the greatest beneficiaries from فییء obtained from Banu Nadir. 9.These spoils are for the poor Refugees who have been driven out from their homes and their possessions while seeking grace from Allah and His pleasure,a and helping Allah and His Messenger. These it is who are true in their faith .4195 a5:3; 48:30 . " "CH.59 AL-HASHR PT.28 3126 4196 . Important Words: ةحاج ( desire) is derived from حاج which means, he was or became poor; he desired, sought or sought after. حاج و احتاج الی ه means, he needed i t. حاجة means, want, need, necessity; هa thing wanted; an object of want; desire (Laneه &Aqrab). ةخصاص ( poverty) is in f. noun from خص which means, he was or bec ame poor, in a sta te of poverty. خصاصة means, poverty, need; straightness or difficulty; an evil state or condition; thirst; hunger (Lane & A qrab). Commentary: Whereas the preceding verse constituted an eloquent commentary on the sincerity and devotion of the Refugees (مھاجرین) to their faith, in that they left their hearths and homes for the sake of God and his Messenger, the verse under comment embodies a great testimonial to the spirit of self- sacrifice, hospitality and goodwill of the Helpers ( انصار .)The Refugees from Mecca came to the Helpers, deprived and denuded of all their possessions, and the latter received them with open arms and made them equal partners in their belongings. The bond of love and brotherhood which the Holy Prophet established between the Refugees and the Helpers, and to which this verse bears an eloquent testimony, stands unrivalled in the whole history of human relationships. The verse may have special reference to the Helpers having foregone their share in the spoils that accru ed to Muslims from the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir. 10.And for those who had established their home in this city and had accepted the faith before them, they love those who c ome to them for refuge, and find not in their breasts any desire for that which is given them (Refugees), but prefer the Refugees alone thems elves, even though poverty be their own lot . And whoso is rid of the covetousness of his own soul—it is these who will be successful.a 4196 a64:17. " "CH.59 AL-HASHR PT.28 3127 4197. Commentary: The words ""those who came after them,"" may apply to the Refugees who came later to Medina, or to all the coming generations of Muslims, or particularly to the followers of the Promised Messiah to whom a pointed reference is made in 62:3. The later generations of Muslims have been commanded here to pray for their brethren in Faith of earlier generations and to pray also that their own hearts be completely cleansed of all bitterness and spite towards true and sincere Muslims. What a beautiful recipe by which Muslims can become cemented into a well-knit community! 4198. Commentary: A hypocrite is a liar and a coward. He is completely unreliable and devoid of all honour. The hypocrites of Medina had urged the Jews of Medina to defy the Holy Prophet and break their plighted word with him, holding out to them false promises of help and succour in time of need. But when relying upon their promises the Jews defied the Prophet and he, in order to punish them, marched against them, the Hypoc rites left them in the lurch. 11.And the spoils are also for those who came after them. They say, ‘Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in the faith, and leave not in our hearts any rancour against those who believe. Our Lord! Thou art indeed Com- passionate, Merciful.’4197 R. 2. 12.Hast thou no t seen those who are hypocrites? They say to their brethren who disbelieve among the People of the Book, ‘If you are turned out, we will surely go out with you, and we will never obey anyone against you:and if you are fought against, we will certainly hel p you.’ But Allah bears witness that surely they are liars.4198 " "CH.59 AL-HASHR PT.28 3128 4199. Commentary: This verse, like vv. 15-16 below, is a sad commentary on the infidelity of the hypocrites. When the hour arrived for the Jews to be de servedly punished for their evil designs and deeds, the hypocrites of Medina did not raise a finger in their support. ""And, "" says the verse, ""if they had summoned up courage enough to come to the help of the Jews, they certainly would have suffered a most crushing and ignominious defeat."" 4200. Commentary: The verse means that disbelievers — particularly the Jews and the hypocrites of Medina —seem to present a false facade of unity against Islam, but as they have no common cause to fight for, and as their interests are diverse and divergent, there can possibly exist no real unity among them. There were three parties in Arabia who appeared to be united against the Islamic State —the Jews, the hypocrites of Medina and the pagan Quraish of Mecca. The Quraish 13.If they are turned out, they will never go out with them; and if they are fought against they will never help them. And even if they help them, the y will assuredly turn their backs;a and then they shall not be helped.4199 14.Of a truth, they have greater fear of you in their hearts than of Allah.b That is because they are a people who are devoid of all reason. 15.They will not fight you in a body except in fortified towns or from behind walls. Their fighting among themselves is severe. Thou thinkest them to be united, but their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people who have no sense.4200 a3:112. b4:78. " "CH.59 AL-HASHR PT.28 3129 found in the rising power of Islam a danger to their autocracy, the hypocrites (of whom ‘Abdull ah bin Ubayy was the leader) to their domination in Medina, and the Jews to their organization and racial superiority. Having no common objective their seeming unity had no real basis and it never materialized in time of danger. 4201. Commentary: The reference in the verse may be to the Quraish of Mecca who sustained an ignominious defeat at Badr or to Ban u Qainuq a‘ who were punished for their mischief and machinations after Badr. They were the first of the three Jewish tribes who broke their pledged word with the Holy Prophet and were banished from Medina one month after the Battle of Badr. They settled in Syria. 4202. Commentary: The verse mentions one more mark of a hypocrite. When relying upon his seductive promises his victim gets involved in trouble, he leaves hi m alone, disowning all responsibility for his misfortune. 16.Their case is like the case of those who have, a short time before them, tasted the evil consequences of their doings. And for them is a painful punishment.4201 17.Or ait is like that of Satan, when he says to man, ‘Disbelieve;’ but when he disbelieves, he says, ‘I have nothing to do with thee; I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds.’4202 18.And the end of both will be that they will both be in the Fire, abiding therein. Such is the reward of the wrongdoers. R. 3. 19. bO ye who believe! fear Allah; and let every soul look to a8:49; 14:23. b4:2; 33:71 . " "CH.59 AL-HASHR PT.28 3130 4203. Commentary: The root cause of all sin is neglect and negligence. The believers here are enjoined to take care of the morrow. And there could be no real moral or spiritual progress without a sure, sincere and true belief in God. 4204. Commentary: Man forgets God in three ways:(1 ) He rejects the very belief in the existence of God. (2) He has no real, true or living belief in a Supreme Being before Whom he shall have to render an account of his deeds (3) Forgetfulness. The inevitable and never-failing consequence of consigning God to oblivion is that man gets involved in matters which bring about his moral degradation and spiritual downfall, ending with loss of peace of mind. 4205. Commentary: The inmates of the Fire have been mentioned in the preceding verse and the inmates of the Garden in the verse before that. The present verse states that the two parties are not, and never can be, equal. 4206. Commentary: Metaphorically, the word جبلwhat it sends forth for the morrow. And fear Allah; verily Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.4203 20.And be not like those who forgot Allah,a so He has caused to forget their own souls. It is they that are the rebellious.4204 21.The inmates of the Fire and the inmates of the Garden are not equalb. It is the inmates of the Garden that will triumph.4205 22.If We had sent down this Quran on a mountainc, thou wouldst certainly have seen it humbled and rent asunder for fear of Allah. And these are similitudes that We set forth for mankind that they may reflect.4206 a9:67. b38:29; 45:22. c13:32. " "CH.59 AL-HASHR PT.28 3131 signifies a big and proud man; the chief or leader of a people. In this sense of the word the verse would mean that the Quran contains such a sublime and powerful Message that it would make the heart of even a prou d man melt. Or the verse may signify that the proud pagan Arabs whom no pre-Islamic teaching could wean from their polytheistic beliefs and idolatrous practices and who like a strong rock remained unmoved and firmly wedded to their Bedouin usages unaffected by the erosive influence of the glamour and glitter of the neighbouring Christian civilization, would be humbled before its sublime and powerful Message, and from their stony hearts would gush forth fountains of light and learning. 4207. Commentary: The verse means that the Quran, before whose powerful Message even tall and firm mountains would crumble and fall, has been revealed by God Whose attributes are inimitable and matchless. He knows everything and nothing is hidden from Him. He provides his creatures, out of His bountiful grace and mercy, and not in return for anything done by them, all the means of their development and progress even before they are born. 4208 . Commentary: God is the King Who is free from every fault, defect, or deficiency. He is the Source of all peace, and the Granter of safety and security. He is Guardian over all, overcoming every power, the Mender of every breakage and the Restorer of every loss; and He is above every need and is the Besought of al l. 23.He is Allah, and there is no God beside Him, the Knower of the unseen and the seen.a He is the Gracious, the Merciful.4207 24.He is Allah, and there is no God beside Him, the Sovereign, the Holy One,b the Source of Peace, the Bestower of Security, the Protector, the Mighty, the Subduer, the Exalted. Holy is Allah far above that which they associate with Him .4208 25.He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner. His are the a6:74; 9:94; 13:10 ; 64:19 . b7:181; 20:9; 62:2 . " "CH.59 AL-HASHR PT.28 3132 4209. Commentary: God, as represented by the Quran, is the Maker of bodies, the Creator of souls, the Fashioner i.e. the Giver of final touches to things created by Him. Such is the God of Islam, the Mighty, the Wise. To Him belong all excellent titles that man can imagine. The dwellers of the heavens and the earth declare His sanctity and holiness. He is the Great, and the Powerful. most beautiful names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Him,a and He is the Mighty, the Wise.4209 a17:45; 24:42; 61:2; 62:2; 64 :2. " "3133 CHAPTER 60 AL-MUMTA HINAH (Revealed after H ijrah ) Title, Date of Revelation, and Context Like its three predecessors this Surah was revealed, as its contents show, at Medina, in the 7th or 8th year of Hijrah, sometime during the interval between the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah and the Fall of Mecca. The Surah takes its title from the 11th verse in which it is enjoined that believing women should be examined when they come as refugees. The preceding Surah had dealt with the intrigues and machinations of the hypocrites and the Jews of Medina and with the punishm ent which was meted out to them. The present Surah deals with the believers’ social relations with disbelievers in general, and with those at war with Islam in particular, making a pointed reference to the status and position in Muslim society of believing women who migrated to Medina, and also to those disbelieving women who left their believing husbands at Medina and went to Mecca. Subject Matter The Surah opens with an emphatic prohibitory injunction to Muslims against having friendly relations with those disbelievers who are at war with, and are bent upon extirpating Islam. The injunction is so strict and comprehensive that even very near blood relationships have not been exempted from it. The noble conduct in this respect of the Patriarch Abraham, who did not hesitate to sever all connections with his uncle, Azar, who had proved himself to be an enemy of God, has been held out as an example to be followed. The prohibitory injunction is followed by an implied prophecy that very soon the implacable enemies of Islam would become its devoted followers. The injunction, however, has its exception. It does not apply to those disbelievers who have good neighbourly relations with Muslims and are not inimically disposed towards them. Such disbelievers are to be treated equitably and with kindness. Next, the Surah lays down some important directions with regard to believing women who migrated to Medina, and also with regard to women who left Medina and went over to disbelievers. In order to bring home to Muslims the seriousness and importance of the matter, the Surah closes with a reminder of the injunction that Muslims are not to make friends with those people, who, by adopting an openly hostile attitude towards Islam, have incurred God’s wrath. " "CH.60 PT.28 3134 (AL-MUMTA HINAH) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.O ye who believe! take not My enemy and your enemy for friends,b offering them love, while they disbelieve in the truth which has come to you andc drive out the Messenger and yourselves merely because you believe in Allah, your Lord. If you go forth, to strive in My cause and seek My pleasure, take them not for friends, sending them messages of love in secret, while I know best what you conceal and what you reveal. And whoever of you does it, has, surely, lost the right path.4210 aSee 1:1. b3:119; 4:145; 5:58. c17:77. 4210. Commentary: The prohibitory injunction contained in the verse is of a very strict character. Muslims are not to have friendly relations with the avowed enemies of God —those who drove out the Prophet and the Muslims from their hearths and homes and sought to destroy Islam. The prohibition is all- comprehensive in this respect that no consideration of bonds or ties of even the nearest blood relationships is allowed to interfere with it. The enemy of Islam is God’s enemy, whos oever he may be. The immediate occasion of the revelation of the verse under comment was that when the Quraish did not honour the Treaty of Hudaibiyyah, and the Holy Prophet had to take stern punitive action against them, Hatib bin Ab i Balta‘h had written a secret letter to the Meccans informing them of the Holy " "PT.28 AL-MUMTA HINAH CH.60 3135 Prophet’s intended march on Mecca. The Prophet, informed by revelation about it sent ‘Al i, Zubair and Miqd ad, in search of the bearer of the letter. They overtook the messenger —she was a woman —on the way to Mecca and the letter was brought back to Medina. H atib’s offence was extremely grave. He had sought to divulge an important State secret. H e deserved exemplary punishment. Incidentally, the episode of the letter fixes the date of revelation of the Surah . 4211 . Important Words: کم یثقفو( get the upper hand of you) is derived from ثقف and ثقفه means, he perceived it or attained it by deed or by knowledge; he reac hed him; he found him; he overtook him; he gained mastery over him; be overcame him and got possession of him (Lane). Commentary: The verse indicates how bitter the feelings of disbelievers are towards Muslims. They would use all means, their hands and tongues, etc. and would spare no effort to harm Muslims, and the greatest desire of their hearts is to see them revert to disbelief. 4212. Commentary: The verse constitutes a severe warning to those Muslims who, in defiance of the above clear Divine commandment, maintain friendly relations with their relatives, if the latter are at war with them or entertain hostile feelings towards Islam. The commandment makes no exception even of the nearest blood relations. 3.If they get the upper hand of you, they will be your active enemies, and will stretch forth their hands and their tongues towards you with evil intent ; and they ardently desire that you should become disbelievers.4211 4. aNeither your ties of kindred nor your children will avail aught on the Day of Resurrection. He will decide between you. And Allah sees all that you do.4212 a3:11; 31:34. " "CH.60 AL-MUMTA HINAH PT.28 3136 4213. Commentary: Abraham, as elsewhere stated in the Quran (11:76), was a model of forbearance and tender-heartedness. His example has been mentioned here to emphasize the fact that whenever it becomes clear that a certain person or people are inimically disposed towards Truth and are bent upon extirpating it, all friendly relat ions with them are to be given up. The verse also implies that when God has brought into being a better brotherhood —the Brotherhood of Faith —than blood relationships, then why should Muslims be anxious to have friendly relations with those who are the enemies of God and His Prophet? The expression کفرنا بکم which is generally translated as, ""we disbelieve all that you believe "" may also mean, ""we have nothing to do with you;"" the words کفر بکذا meaning, he declared himself to be clear or quit of such a thing (Lane). 5. aThere is a good model for you in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people, b‘We have nothing to do with you and with that which you worship beside Allah. We disbelieve all that you believe . There has arisen enmity and hatred between us and you for ever, until you believe in Allah alone’ —except that Abraham said to his father, c‘I will surely ask forgiveness for thee, though I have no power to do aught for thee against Allah.’ They prayed to God saying, ‘Our Lord, in Thee do we put our trust and to Thee do we turn repentant, and towards Thee is the final return. 4213 a60:7. b6:79; 43:27. c9:114; 1 9:48; 26:87 . " "PT.28 AL-MUMTA HINAH CH.60 3137 4214. Commentary: In the preceding verses believers were enjoined not to have friendly relations with those disbelievers who were at war with them as it was calculated to weaken the solidarity of the former. The verse under comment, teaches them to pray that God may save them from disobeying this wise Divine commandment, as its disregard is sure to weaken Muslim solidarity and thus to provide encour- agement to disbelievers to attack them. 4215. Commentary: The verse implied a prophecy. The Companions of the Holy Prophet were told that if they were enjoined to renounce all friendly relations with the enemies of their Faith, even though the latter were their very near blood relations, the prohibition was indeed destined to be very short- lived. The time was fast approaching when the erstwhile enemies would become their loving friends. The prophecy was soon fulfilled. After the Fall of Mecca, the Quraish joined the fold of Islam en masse and became 6.‘Our Lord, make us not a trial for those who disbelieve,a and forgive us, our Lord; for Thou alone art the Mighty, the Wise.’4214 7.Surely, there is a good example in them for youb—for all who have hope in Allah and the Last Day. And whosoever turns away —truly, Allah is Self- Sufficient, Worthy of all praise. R. 2. 8. It may be that Allah will bring about love between you and those of them with whom you are now at enmity; and Allah is All-Powerful; and Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.4215 9.Allah forbids you not, respecting those who have not a10:86. b60:5. " "CH.60 AL-MUMTA HINAH PT.28 3138 united with Muslims into one brotherhood. 4216. Commentary: The verse makes it clear that the commandment to Muslims to have nothing to do with disbelievers has a proviso. It applies only to those disbelievers, as the next verse shows, who are at war with Muslims and are inimically disposed towards Islam. Friendly relations as such with non- Muslims are not forbidden. Besides, extra emphasis has been laid, in this verse, on kind and equitable treatment of non-Muslims. The fact that this and the following verse were revealed at a time when relations between Muslims and disbelievers were highly strained helps to understand the real purpose and object of the prohibitory commandment. 4217. Commentary: See preceding verse. fought against you on account of your religion, and who have not driven you forth from your homes, that you be kind to them and deal equitably with them; surely, Allah loves those who are equitable.4216 10. aAllah only forbids you, respecting those who have fought against you on account of your religion, and have driven you out of your homes, and have helped others in driving you out, that you make friends with them, and whosoever makes friends with them —it is these that are the transgressors. 4217 11.O ye who believe! when believing women come to you as Refugees, examine them. Allah knows best their faith. then, if a4:145; 5:52 . " "PT.28 AL-MUMTA HINAH CH.60 3139 4218. Commentary: Here is a testimony to the irresistible appeal of the Message of Islam. At a time when Muslims were being bitterly persecuted and it was not safe to leave Mecca and join the Muslim Community at Medina, a continuous stream of believers was pouring into Medina, leaving behind in Mecca their dear and near ones. These Refugees contained a fair number of women among them. The verse under comment refers to such refugee Muslim women. The verse also constitutes an eloquent commentary on the Holy Prophet’s anxiety not to accept into the Muslim Community any woman who had fled from Mecca unless there was proof available, after subjecting her to searching examination, that she was sincere, and honest in her faith an d that she was accepting Islam out of no ulterior or otherwise objectionable motives. The verse further states that the marriage-tie between a refugee believing woman and her dis- believing husband becomes dissolved when she joins the Muslim you find them true believers, send them not back t o the disbelievers. These women are not lawful for them, nor are they lawful for these women . But give their disbelieving husbands what they have spent on them . Thereafter it is no sin for you to marry them, when you have given them their dowries.a And hol d not to your matrimonial ties with the disbelieving women;b but demand the return of that which you have spent; and let the disbelievers demand that which they have spent. That is the judgement of Allah. He judges between you. And Allah is All- Knowing, Wise.4218 a4:5, 25. b2:222. " "CH.60 AL-MUMTA HINAH PT.28 3140 Community, and a believer is allowed to marry such a woman, provided he fulfils two conditions:(a) He should have paid back to the disbelieving husband of such woman what the latter had spent on her, and (b) he should also have fixed or paid her dowry. Similarly, the ma rriage-tie between a Muslim and his wife who gives up Islam could not continue and the same procedure would be adopted if such an apostate woman marries a disbeliever as in the case of marriage between a Muslim and a refugee believing woman. The reciprocal arrangement prescribed in this verse is not the private affair of the individuals concerned but is to be carried out by the State, as is the practice in time of war, to which the verses particularly apply; there could not and should not continue any socia l relations between individual believers and individual disbelievers. 4219. Important Words: عاقبتم( you have your turn) is derived from عقب .They say عقب الرجل i.e. he took from the man’s property the like of what the latter had taken from him. عاقبه means, he d id a thing with the man alternately and taking his turn; he retaliated (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: If the wife of a Muslim deserts to disbelievers and thereafter a woman from among disbelievers is taken by Muslims as prisoner of war, or she flees from disbelievers and joins the Muslim Community, then the believing husband is to be compensated for the loss of the dowry paid by him to his deserting wife from the sum due to the disbelieving husband whose wife has joined the Muslim Community if the dowries are equal, but the deficiency, if any, is to be made up collectively by Muslims, or, as some authorities say, from the booty acquired by Muslims in war; the word عاقبتم meaning غنمتم i.e. you have acquired booty. This arrangement was necessary as disbelievers refused to return the dowries paid by their believing husbands to the women who had deserted to them. 12.And if any of your wives goes away from you to the disbelievers, and you have your turn of triumph and get some spoils from them, then give to those believers whose wives have gone away the like of that which they had spent on their wives . And fear Allah in Whom you believe.4219 " "PT.28 AL-MUMTA HINAH CH.60 3141 4220. Commentary: The expression, بنیهأیدیهھهن و أرجلھن means from thems elves or by themselves. 4221. Commentary: The verse sums up the subject matter of the Surah, viz. that there could be no real union of hearts without community of ideals and principles and that the beliefs and ideas of believers and disbelievers are poles apart from each other. The last sentence of the verse may mean that disbelievers have despaired of the Hereafter i.e. they have absolute no faith in the Hereafter, just as they have no faith that the dead would ever again come to life. The word ""they"" may also refer to the Jews, since the expression ""with whom Allah is wroth,"" has been used about the Jews in several verses of the Quran. 13.O Prophet! when believing women come to thee, taking the oath of allegiance at thy hands that they will not associate anything with Allah, and that they will not steal, and will not commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor bring forth a scandalous cha rge which they themselves have deliberately forged, nor disobey thee in what is right, then accept their allegiance and ask Allah to forgive them. Verily, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.4220 14.O ye who believe! take not for friends a people with whom Allah is wroth;a they have indeed despaired of the Hereafter just as have the disbelievers despaired of those who are in the graves.4221 a58:15. " "3142 CHAPTER 61 AS-SAFF (Revealed after H ijrah ) Title, Date of Revelation, and Context This Surah takes its title from v. 5 which enjoins Mus lims to fight in the cause of Allah in solid ranks ( صفا ه "",)as if they were a strong, cemented structure."" The Surah was revealed at Medina, probably in the third or fourth year of Hijrah, after the Battle of U hud, as v. 5 seems to possess an implied reference to the lack of discipline or unquestioning obedience to the Holy Prophet, of which some of the Muslims were guilty in that battl e. The preceding two Surahs had dealt with the subject of war against disbelievers, and with social and political problems arising out of it. The Surah under comment emphasizes the importance of giving unqualified and unquestioning obedience to the leader, and of presenting, under his guidance, a solid, compact and united front to disbelievers. Subject Matter The Surah opens with the glorification of God’s Wisdom and Might, and proceeds to admonish believers that when they glorify God and extol His holiness with their tongues, they should also glorify Him with their actions, thus making their actions harmonize with their verbal declarations. So, when they are called upon to fight in the cause of truth, they should present a firm and solid front to disbelievers, and should give unqualified obedience to their Leader. The Surah then makes a brief reference to the misbehaviour of the followers of Moses who, by disobeying and defying him, caused him much vexation and mental anguish, and, by implication, warns Muslims never to behave like them. Next, mention is made of the prophecy of Jesus about the advent of the Holy Prophet, followed by a fi rm declaration that all the attempts of the votaries of darkness to extinguish the Light of Allah would come to nought. The Light will continue to shine in all its glory and effulgence and Islam will prevail over all religions. But before this comes to pass, the followers of Islam shall have to ""strive with their wealth and persons in the cause of Allah."" Only then will they deserve to be blessed with God’s pleasure and material glory— ""with Gardens through which streams flow."" The Surah closes with exhorting Muslims to help God’s cause, as did the disciples of Jesus by undergoing all manner of sacrifice and suffering for it. " "PT.28 CH.61 3143 (AS-SAFF) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2. bWhatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth glorifies Allah; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.4222 3.O ye who believe! why do you say what you do not ?4223 4.Most hateful is it in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not. 5. cVerily, Allah loves those who fight in His cause arrayed in solid ranks, as though they were a strong structure cemented with molten lead.4224 aSee 1:1. b17:45; 24:42; 57:2; 62:2; 64:2. c9:111. 4222. Commentary: See 57:2. 4223. Commentary: Muslims are told here that their actions should correspond to their professions. Boastful, empty talk carries one nowhere and verbal professions unattended by deeds smack of hypocrisy and insincerity. 4224 . Important Words: مرصوص( strong). They say رص البناء i.e. he made the building fi rm and compact, or he made it firm and strong; he joined it together; he stuck it together, one part to another, so that there might be no interstice in it; he plastered it with lead. تراصوا means, they placed themselves close together in prayer or in battle so that there was no intervening space among them. بئرمرصوصة means, a well cased with lead (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: Muslims are expected to present a firm, compact and united front to the forces of evil under the command of their leader whom they should give full and unqualified obedience. But for a people to become united into a solid " "CH.61 AS-SAFF PT.28 3144 and strong community, they must possess one code of life, one ideal, one objective and destination and one programme to achieve that objective. 4225. Commentary: Perhaps no Prophet of God suffered so much mental agony at the hands of his followers as did Moses. Among many other signs Moses’s people had seen the mighty hosts of Pharaoh drown before their very eyes and yet they had hardly crossed the sea when they wanted to revert to idolatry, and seeing some people worshipping idols asked Moses to set up one such idol for them. They defied Moses’s brother, the Prophet Aaron, and worshipped the calf (7:149). When asked to march into Canaan which God had promised to them they scornfully and quite brazen-facedly told Moses to go with his Lord upon Whom he had relied so much; they were not going to budge an inch from the place where they had settled (5:25). Thus Moses was repeatedly insulted by, and baulked in his efforts to reclaim from idolatry, the very people whom he had delivered from the crushing bondage of Pharaoh. They even slandered and defamed him. It is to such vexatious act of these ungrateful people that the Quran has referred in 33:70. 6.And remember when Moses said to his people, ‘O my people, why do you vex and slander me and you know that I am Allah’s Messenger unto you?’ So when they deviated from the right course, Allah caused their hearts to deviate, for Allah guides not the rebellious people.4225 7.And remember when Jesus, son of Mary, said, ‘O children of Israel, surely I am Allah’s Messenger unto you, fulfilling that which is before me of the Torah, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger who will come after me; his name being A hmad.’ And when he came to them w ith clear " "PT.28 AS-SAFF CH.61 3145 4226 . Important Words: أمحد( Ahmad) is derived from محد and محدہ means, he praised, eulogise d or commended him; spoke well of him; he requited him; he gave him his due. أمحد( Ahmada) means, he did or said that for which he should be praised or which was praiseworthy. أمحد الیش ء means, the thing was or became praiseworthy. أمحد means, one who praises much or who is praised much or most (Lane & T aj). Commentary: The prophecy of Jesus about the coming of Para clete or the Comforter or the Spirit of Truth as given in the Gospels is as follows: I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. Even the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it sees him not, neither knoweth him… but when the Comforter is co me, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me… for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you… I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you unto all truth, for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come… He shall glorify me (John 14:16-17. 15:26; 16:7, 12- 14). From these verses of the Gospel of John the following inferences are clearly deducible: (1) That Paracl ete or the Comforter or the Spirit of Truth could not come unless Jesus should have departed from the world. (2) That the Comforter was to abide in the world for ever. (3) That he was to say many things which Jesus himself could not tell because the world could not then bear them. (4) That he would guide men unto all truth. (5) That he would not speak of himself, but whatever he would hear that would he speak. (6) That the Comforter would glorify Jesus and testify of him. This description of Paraclete or the Comforter or the Spirit of Truth is in complete harmony with the status and mission of the Holy Prophet as given in the Quran: (1) The Holy Prophet appeared after Jesus had departed from this world. (2) He is the last Law-giving Prophet and the Quran the last revealed Divine Law for the whole of mankind till the end of time (5:4). (3) Jesus could not guide mankind to all truth because his Message was meant only for a particular people and for a particular pe riod. And the proofs,a they said, ‘This is manifest sorcery.’ 4226 a27:14; 43:31. " "CH.61 AS-SAFF PT.28 3146 Law as amended and given to the Jews by him was not and could not be a complete and perfect Law because they had not yet mentally and morally so developed as to be the bearers of a complete Shar i‘ah and the world had to wait till it was given a perfect Law in the form of the Qur an (5:4) and a Prophet par excellence i.e. the Holy Prophet who could guide all mankind. (4) The Holy Prophet gave to the world a Law complete in all its details which alone could guide mankind unto all truth (5:4). (5) The Holy Prophet did not speak of himself but whatever he heard from God that did he speak (53:4). (6) The Holy Prophet glorified Jesus (2:254; 3:56). The prophecy in the Gospel of John resembles the prophecy mentioned in the verse under comment except that instead of A hmad the name stated therein is Paraclete . Christian writers challenge the correctness of the Quranic version of the prophecy, basing their contention on this difference of names, irrespective of the otherwise similar features of Biblical & Quranic versions. In fact, Jesus spoke Aramaic and Hebrew. Aramaic was his mother tongue and Hebrew his religious language. The present Biblical version is the translation of Aramaic and Hebrew into Greek. A translation naturally cannot fully convey the beauty of the text . Languages have their limitations. The same is true of the people who speak them. Their limitations are reflected in their works. The Greek language has another word, i.e. Periklutos, with a similar meaning as Ah mad in Arabic. Jack Finegan, the renowne d theologian, in his book, "" The Archaeology of World Religions, "" says: ""Where in Greek the word Comforter (Parak letos) is very similar to the word for 'renowned' (Periklutos), the latter being the meaning of the names A hmad & Mu hammad. "" Moreover, ""The Damascus Document "" a scripture discovered towards the end of the nineteenth century in Ezra synagogue, Old Cairo (p. 2. lines 12, 13) describes Jesus as having foretold the advent of a ""Holy Spirit, "" named Emeth. بفروش هوهههةامی ههھوا ههشو وههقد ههروح همشیحو ههبید ههیعیمهههود ویه مھمشو تی ههمشو i.e. And by His Messiah, He has made them know His Holy Spirit. For it is He who is Emeth i.e. “The Truthful One”, and in accordance with His name are also theirs. ""Emeth "" in Hebrew means ""the Truth, "" or ""the Truthful one and a person of constant goodness "" (Strachan’s Fourth Gospel, page 141). The word was interpreted by the Jews as ""God’s Seal."" Naturally, though Jesus must have used the name A hmad, the phonetic resemblance of the two words (A hmad & Emeth) caused later writers to substitute ""Emeth "" for Ahmad, its Hebrew synonym. Thus the prophecy mentioned in the verse under comment applies to the Holy Prophet, but as a corollary it may also apply to the Promised Messiah, Founder of the A hmadiyya Movement, since in his person the Second Manifestation of the Holy Prophet took place. To this Second Manifestation or Second Coming of " "PT.28 AS-SAFF CH.61 3147 the Holy Prophet, the third verse of the next Surah —Al-Jumu‘ah pointedly refers. It may be mentioned here that a prophecy about the Holy Prophet is also clearly stated in Gospel of Barnabas which is treated by the Church as apocryphal but which has as much claim to be accepted as authentic as any of the four Gospels. 4227. Commentary: The preceding verse having been applied to the Holy Prophet, the expression ""who can be more unjust than one who forges a lie against Allah while he is called to Islam"" would refer to those Rejecters of Truth to whom he addressed his Message, since he was the Inviter (دایع )and they the invitees (20:109 & 33:47), and having rejected his Message and by intentionally misinterpreting divine prophecies they belonged to that class of people who in the Qur an have been called forgers of lies against God (6:138- 141). But if the prophecy be taken to apply to the Promised Messiah the expression, ""he is called to Islam,"" would signify that the Promised Messiah would be invited by the so- called defenders of Islam to recant, repent and be a Muslim like them, for, according to them, by his claim to be the Promised Messiah and Mahdi he would cease to be one. 4228. Commentary: The Holy Prophet has been repeatedly called the ""Light of Allah,"" in the Quran (4:175; 5:17; 64:9). All the e fforts of the enemies of Islam to extinguish this divine l ight has signally failed and Islam has gone on from strength to strength and will one day embrace in its fold the major enlightened part of al l mankind. 8. aBut who does greater wrong than one who forges a lie against Allah while he is called to Islam? Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.4227 9. bThey desire to extinguish the light of Allah with the breath of their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, however much the disbelievers hate it.4228 10. cHe it is Who has sent His Messenger with th e guidance and the Religion of T ruth, that He may cause it to prevail over a6:22; 10:18; 11:19. b9:32. c9:33; 48:29. " "CH.61 AS-SAFF PT.28 3148 4229. Commentary: Most commentators of the Quran are agreed that this verse applies to the Promised Messiah in whose time all religions will make their appearance and the superiority of Islam over all of them will be established. This and the previous verse contain two very challenging prophecies, the present one about the establishment of the superiority of Islam over other Faiths and the preceding one about the total failure of the enemies of Islam to extinguish its light. 4230 . Commentary: This verse seems to refer to the time of the Promised Messiah when trade and commerce will flourish and there will be a mad rush for striking profitable bargains. 4231. Commentary: The reference in the verse again seems to be to the present time —the era of the Promised Messiah, in which, in the absence of religious wars, monetary sacrifice is given precedence over other forms of sacrifice. The present is the time for propagation of Islamic principles and ideals for which money, more than anything else, is urgently needed. The two verses (11, 12) equa lly are of general application. all religions, even if those who associate partners with God hate it.4229 R. 2. 11.O ye who believe! shall I point out to you a bargain that will save you from a painful punishment?4230 12. aThat you believe in Allah and His Messenger, and strive in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your persons. That is better for you, if you did but know.4231 13.He will forgive you your sins, and make you enter the Gardens through which streams flow, and pure and pleasant dwellings in Gardens of a9:20, 41. " "PT.28 AS-SAFF CH.61 3149 4232. Commentary: The verse purports to say that Muslims, by preaching Islamic ideals and principles to the world, will prosper and Islam will advance and make progress. 4233. Commentary: Of the three religious groups among the Jews to whom Jesus preached his Message —the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Essenes —Jesus belonged to the last, while he had not yet been commissioned as a Divine Preacher. The Essenes were a highly religious and righteous people who lived away from the world’s hustle and bustle, passing their time i n meditation and prayer and in the service of humanity. It was from these people that most of Jesus’s early followers came ( ""The Dead Sea Community "" by Kurt Schubert and ""The Crucifixion by an Eye- Witness""). They have been called ""Helpers"" by Eusephus. The concluding words of the Surah are indeed very prophetic. Throughout the ages the followers of Jesus have enjoyed power and precedence over their enemies —the Jews. They have founded and ruled over vast and powerful empires while the Jews have been a dispersed people so much so that ""The Wandering Jew"" has become a byword. Eternitya. That is the supreme triumph.4232 14.And He will bestow upon you another favour which you love:help from Allah and a near victory. So give glad tidings to the believers. 15.O ye who believe! be helpers of Allah, as said Jesus, son of Mary, to his disciples, ‘Who are my helpers in the cause of Allah.’ The disciples said, ‘We are helpers of Allahb.’ So a party of the children of Israel believed, while a party disbelieved. Then We gave power to those who believed against their enemy, and they became victorious.4233 a9:72; 19:62; 20:77. b3:53; 5:112. " "3150 CHAPTER 62 AL-JUMU ‘AH (Revealed after H ijrah ) Title, Date of Revelation, and Context The Surah takes its title from v.10, wherein Muslims are enjoined to leave off all business when call is made for the Jumu‘ah Prayer. It is a Medinite Surah and seems to have been revealed several years after Hijrah (see v. 3). In the previous Surah Jesus’s prophecy about the advent of the Prophet A hmad was mentioned. The present Surah further deals with that prophecy. Subject Matter The Surah like its predecessor opens with the glorification of the Might and Wisdom of God, and, as a proof and demonstration of these two Divine attributes, points to the appearance of the Holy Prophet among the unlettered Arabs, who from an unlettered and uncultured people became, through the teaching of the Quran and the Prophet’s noble example, the teachers and leaders for mankind, spreading light and learning wherever they went. The Surah then refers to the same spiritual phenomenon through a great Deputy of the Holy Prophet —the Promised Messiah —and proceeds to condemn the Jewish people for their rejection of the Holy Prophet, in spite of the fact that their Scriptures abound in prophecies about him. Thus by implication the Surah warns Muslims against behaving like the Jews, when the Great Deputy appears among them. Towards the close of the Surah importance of the Friday Prayer is emphasized and an implied hint is made that at the time of the Second Advent of the Holy Prophet which has been likened to the Friday Prayer, there would be a mad craze for trade, commerce, and worldly gains and many other diversions to amuse and turn men away from God, and Muslims are exhorted not to let these things distract them in the midst of their religious duties. " "PT.28 CH.62 3151 (AL-JUMU‘AH) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth glorifies Allah,b the Sovereign, the Holy, the Mighty, the Wise. 4234 3.He it is Who has raised among the Unlettered people a Messenger from among themselvesc who recites unto them His Signs, and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and wisdom, although they were before, in manifest misguidance;4235 aSee 1:1. bSee 61:2. c3:165; 7:158; 9:128. 4234. Commentary: The verse speaks of four Divine attributes which specially concern the fourfold mission of the Holy Prophet, mentioned in the next verse. 4235. Commentary: For األمینی see 3:76 & 7:158. The divine mission of the Holy Prophet consisted in the performance of the fourfold sacred duty referred to in the verse under comment. This was the noble task which was to be entrusted to that great Prophet for whose appearance among the unlettered Arabs the Patriarch Abraham had prayed several thousand years in advance, when in company with his son, I shma el, h e was raising the foundations of the Ka‘b ah (2:130). In fact, no Reformer can truly succeed in his mission unless he prepares, by his no ble and purifying example, a community of sincere, devoted and righteous followers, whom he teaches the ideals and principles of his Message and their philosophy, significance and importance, and then sends them out to preach that Message to other people. The training he imparts to " "CH.62 AL-JUMU‘AH PT.28 3152 them refines their intellect, and the philosophy of his teaching engenders in them certainty of faith, and his noble example creates in them purity of heart and refines character. It is to this basic fact of religion that the verse under comment refers. 4236. Commentary: The verse signifies that the Message of the Holy Prophet was meant not only for the Arabs among whom he was raised but for all non- Arabs as well, and not only for his contemporaries but also for the coming generations till the end of time. Or the meaning may be that the Holy Prophet will be raised among another peop le who have not yet joined his immediate followers. The reference in the verse and in a well- known saying of the Holy Prophet is to the Second Advent of the Holy Prophet in the person of the Promised Messiah in the latter days. Says Ab u Hurairah:""One Day we were sitting with the Holy Prophet when Surah Jumu‘ah was revealed. I asked the Holy Prophet, ""Who are the people to whom the words And among others from among them who have not yet joined them, refer. Salm an the Persian was sitting among us. Upon my repeatedly asking him the same question, the Prophet put his hand on Salm an and said, “If Faith were to go up to the Pleiades, a man from these would surely find it” (Bukhar i). This hadith shows that the verse applies to a man of Persian descent. Now, the Promised Messiah, the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement, was of Persian descent. Other sayings of the Holy Prophet speak of the appearance of the Messiah at a time when there would remain nothing of the Qura n but its words and of Islam but its name i.e. the true spirit of Islamic teaching will be lost (Baihaq i). Thus the Quran and Hadith both seem to agree that the present verse refers to the Second Advent of the Holy Prophet in the person of the Promised Messiah. 4237. Commentary: The verse refers to the good fortune of the people among whom the Holy Prophetsa will be raised for the second time in the person of one of his 4.And among others from among them who have not yet joined them. He is the Mighty, the Wise.4236 5.That is Allah’s grace; He bestows it on whom He pleases; and Allah is the Lord of immense grace.4237 6.The likeness of those who were entrusted with the law of " "PT.28 AL-JUMU‘AH CH.62 3153 followers —the Promised Messiah. 4238 . Important Words: أسفار( books) is the plural of سفر (sifru n) which is derived from سفر (safara ). They say سفر الکتاب i.e. he wrote the book means, a book; a large book; a writing (Lane). Commentary: The verse contains an implied warning to Muslims not to reject the Promised M essiah like the Jews before them who had rejected the Holy Prophet. 4239 . Commentary: The verse shows that the Promised Messiah will challenge the Muslim ulema who will reject his claim to مباھله i.e. a prayer contest in which Divine curse is invoked against those who forge lies against God (3:62). 4240. Commentary: The reference in the verse seems to be to those Muslim ulema whom the Promised Messiah will invite to Mub ahalah . Being convinced of the falsity of their position the ulema will refuse to accept the challenge. Torah, but did not carry out its commandments, is as the likeness of an ass carrying a load of books. Evil is the likeness of the people who reject the Signs of Allah. And Allah guides not the wrongdoing peo ple.4238 7.Say, ‘O ye who are Jews, if you claim you are the friends of Allah to the exclusion of all other people, then wish for Death, if indeed you are truthfula.’4239 8. bBut they will never wish for it, because of that which their hands have sent on before them . And Allah knows well those who do wrong.4240 9.Say, ‘The Death from which you flee will surely overtake a2:95. b2:96. " "CH.62 AL-JUMU‘AH PT.28 3154 4241. Commentary: In the previous verses mention was made of the Jews who rejected the Holy Prophet’s Message and who profaned their Sabbath and consequently incurred God’s displeasure. In the present verse, however, Muslims have been enjoined to be particularly careful about the obligatory Friday Prayer. Every people has a Sabbath and the Muslim Sabbath is Friday. As soon as call for Prayer is made all business is to cease and the Faithful should attend the mosque to listen to the Imam’s sermon (khutbah ), which usually deals with some topical subject concerning the moral and social needs of the community and how to fulfil them. As the Surah seems particularly to deal with the time of the Promised Messiah, the call for Friday Prayer may also signify his clarion call to Muslims to listen to his Message. 4242. Commentary: Unlike Jewish or Christian Sabbath, the Muslim Sabbath is not a day of rest. Before the Friday Prayer and after it Muslims are exhorted to follow their daily avocations. The you.a Then will you be returned unto Him Who knows the unseen and the seen, and He will inform you of what you had been doing.’ R. 2. 10.O ye who believe! when the call is made for Prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off all business. That is better for you, if you only knew.4241 11.And when the Prayer is finished, then disperse in the land and seek of Allah’s grace, and remember Allah much, that you may prosperb.4242 a2:97; 4:79; 33:17. b3:192; 4:104; 8:46 . " "PT.28 AL-JUMU‘AH CH.62 3155 words ""of Allah’s grace,"" have generally been understood to mean ""doing business and earning one’s livelihood."" 4243. Commentary: It is apparent from v. 3, that the Surah, particularly deals with the time of the Promised Messiah whose advent has been referred to as the advent of the Holy Prophet himself. The verse under comment shows that in the Messiah’s time trade and commerce will engross people’s attention and they will have little time to give to God Whom they will consign to complete oblivion. To add to man’s forgetfulness of God, there will be all sorts of amusements, sports and pastimes to divert his attention from God. Muslims have been admonished in the verse not to neglect the ir spiritual well-being in the pursuit of material gains and sensuous pleasures. 12.But when they see some merchandise o r amusement, they break up for it, and leave thee standing. Say, ‘That which is with Allah is better than amusement and merchandise, and Allah is the Best Provider.’ 4243 " "3156 CHAPTER 63 AL-MUNA FIQUN (Revealed after H ijrah ) Title, Date of Revelation, and Context The Surah takes its name from the opening verse. It is a Medinite Surah, having been revealed, as its subject matter shows, sometime after the Battle of Uhud which exposed the hypocrites. Whereas the previous Surah had specifically dealt with the Jews of Medina, this Surah deals with other enemies of Islam—the hypocrites. At the very outset the Surah exposes the infidelity and dishonesty of the hypocrites and condemns their loud profession of faith as false and treacherous. They are, says the Surah, the real enemies of Islam, as they try to deceive Muslims by their oaths and by their false profession of faith using them as a screen for that purpose. The Surah further says that by their evil designs and nefarious activities the hypocrites have condemned themselves beyond redemption. They have gone so far in mischief that God will not forgive them. They mistakenly think that, perhaps, like themselves, the Companions of the Holy Prophet are a band of self-seekers who will leave their Leader the moment their material interests so demanded. The Surah closes with the exhortation to Muslims that instead of seeking to get any material benefit from the Holy Prophet, as the hypocrites foolishly think, they should spend their wealth in the cause of God, before the time comes when Islam will no longer stand in need of the wealth of its followers. " "PT.28 CH.63 3157 (AL-MUNA FIQUN) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.When the Hypocrites come to thee, they say, ‘We bear witness that thou art indeed the Messenger of Allah.’ And Allah knows that thou art indeed His Messenger, but Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are certainly liars.4244 3.They have made their oaths a shield; thus they turn men away from the way of Allah .b Surely, evil is that which they have been doing.4245 4.That is because they first believed (and), then disbelieved.c So a seal was set upon their hearts and consequently they understand not.4246 aSee 1:1. b9:9. c3:91; 4:138; 16:107. 4244. Commentary: It is characteristic of a hypocrite that he makes loud profession of his faith and thus seeks to conceal the treachery and infidelity of his heart. 4245. Commentary: The hypocrites make loud professions of their faith and repeatedly declare on solemn oaths that they are sincere believers. This they do in order to hoodwink honest and unsuspecting believers into thinking that they are sincere and faithful followers of Islam like themselves, and thus by winning the believers’ confidence they seek to create mischief among them. This is how they make their oaths a scr een for their wicked designs. 4246. Commentary: The hypocrites, the verse purports " "CH.63 AL-MUN AFIQUN PT.28 3158 to say, appear to have lost all reason and understanding since they labour under the misconception that by their wiles and glib talk they can deceive Allah and His Prophet. 4247 . Important Words: ةمسند ( propped up ) is derived from سند .They say سندالیه i.e. he leaned, rested orهstayed himself against it or upon it. سندیف اجلبل means, he ascended the mountain. سند( sannada ) means, he set up pieces of wood as stays or props against a wall; he wore or clad himself with garments called سند (sanadun ). The wo rd also means, a thing upon or against which one leans, rests or stays himself, or a person upon whom one leans; mountain slope (Lan e & Aqrab). Commentary: In this verse the hypocrites have been compared to blocks of wood propped up, or pieces of wood dressed up with clothes, which signifies that a hypocrite lacks self- reliance. He is always in search of some person or thing upon which to rest or lean. Or the word may signify that his interior does not correspond to his exterior. He so conducts himself that while outwardly he appears to be a reasonable, dignified and honest person, inwardly he is quite hollow and rotten to the core. 5.And when thou seest them, their figures please thee;a and if they speak, thou listenest to their speech. They are as though they were blocks of wood propped up. They think that every cry is against them. They are the enemy, so beware of them. Allah’s curse be upon them! How are they being turned away from the truth !4247 6.And when it is said to them, ‘Come,b that the Messenger of Allah may ask forgiveness for you,’ they turn their heads aside, and thou seest them keeping back while they are big with pride. a2:205. b4:62. " "PT.28 AL-MUN AFIQUN CH.63 3159 He seeks to please with his glib talk but, being a coward, he suspects danger in every crisis. 4248. Commentary: The hypocrites are the real enemies of Islam, much worse than the disbelievers (v. 5). By their secret wicked designs and machinations against Islam they irretrievably condemn themselves. As they have no faith, the verse says, asking forgiveness for them cannot benefit them in any way. 4249 . Commentary: Insincere and dishonest himself, a hypocrite considers others to be like him. The verse points out that the hypocrites of Medina had made an entirely foolish and wrong estimate of the sincerity of purpose of the Holy Prophet’s Companions. They had quite a wrong notion that the Companions of the Holy Prophet had gathered round him from considerations of material interest, and that the moment they would find that their hopes had not materialised, they would desert him. Time completely belied their fond and futile expectations. 7.It is equal to them whether thou ask forgiveness for them or ask not forgiveness for them .a Allah will never forgive them. Surely, Allah guides not the rebellious people.4248 8.They it is who say, ‘Spend not on those who are with the Messenger of Allah that they may disperse and leave him ;’ while to Allah belong the treasures of the heavens and the earth; but the Hypocrites understand not.4249 9.They say, ‘If we return to Medinah, the one most exalted will surely drive out therefrom the one most mean, ’ while true honour belongs to Allah and to a9:80. " "CH.63 AL-MUN AFIQUN PT.28 3160 4250. Commentary: In the course of a campaign, (probably the one against Ban u Mustaliq) ‘Abdull ah bin Ubayy, leader of the hypocrites of Medina, is reported to have said that on his return he, ""the most honourable of the inhabitants of Medina,"" would drive out therefrom ""the meanest of them,"" meaning thereby that he would drive out of Medina the Holy Prophet, along with the entire band of his followers. ‘Abdull ah bin Ubayy was bitterly hostile to the Holy Prophet because his hopes of becoming the Chief of Medina were shattered by the Holy Prophet’s a rrival on the scene. ‘Abdull ah’s son heard of this vile boast of his father, and as the party returned to Medina, he drew his sword and barred his father’s entry into the town till he had confessed and declared that he himself was the meanest of the citizens of Medina and the Holy Prophet the most honourable of them. Thus his boast recoiled on his own head. 4251. Commentary: The believers have been informed in this and the next verse that God demands from them the sacrifice of their wealth and offsprings in the cause of Truth, since it is sacrifice that distinguishes true believers from the hypocrites. His Messenger and the believers; but the Hypocrites know not.4250 R. 2. 10.O ye who believe! let not your wealth and your children diverta you from the remembrance of Allah. And whoever does so —it is they who are the losers.4251 11. bAnd spend out of that with which We have provided you before death comes upon one of you and he says, ‘My Lord! i f only Thou wouldst grant me respite for a little while,c then I a8:29; 24:38; 64:16; 102:2. b2:196; 9:34. c14:45. " "PT.28 AL-MUN AFIQUN CH.63 3161 4252. Commentary: The verse exhorts believers to make the best of their opportunities to serve the cause of truth with all the gifts that God had bestowed upon them, before death comes upon them i.e. before they lose the opportunity or the power to serve. 4253. Commentary: The word أجل signifies a Divine decree, and the verse means that a people should make the best of their opportunities before the Divine decree comes into force; that is, because they will have outlived their usefulness, they would deserve to live no more. would give alms and be among the righteous.’4252 12. aAnd Allah will not grant respite to a soul when its appointed time has come; and Allah is Well-Aware of what you do.4253 a71:5. " "3162 CHAPTER 64 AT-TAGHABUN (Revealed after H ijrah ) Date of Revelation and Context As its contents show this Surah was revealed at Medina . The time of revelation appears to be shortly after Hijrah. It takes its name from v. 10. The previous Surah had closed on an exhortation to believers to spend liberally in the cause of truth, out of what Allah had bestowed upon them, before it was too late and the day arrived when they would have to render an account of their deeds and actions to God. In this Surah some description is given of the awful day, called the Day of Losing and Gaining. The believers are exhorted again with greater emphasis not to allow any considerations of ties of relationship to stand in the way of their resolve to spend their wealth in Allah’s way. Subject Matter The Surah opens with the declaration that the whole creation proclaims the glory and greatness of God, to whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and Who has power over all things. He created man and brought into existence the whole universe for his service and endowed him with great natural powers and faculties in order that he should achieve the object of his creation. Unfortunately, however, the disbelievers defy God’s commandments and reject His Messengers, with the result that they incur Divine displeasure. They are told that they should make preparation for the Day when the loss resulting from disobedience of heavenly Messengers will be brought home to them. Towards the end of the Surah believers are told that they can make up for any remissness in the discharge of their obligations to God and man, by giving full obedience to the commandments of God and the behests of His Messenger, and by spending in the cause of Truth, out of the great gifts God has bestowed upon them, and that they should not allow any ties of relationship to stand in their way. " "PT.28 CH.64 3163 (AT-TAGH ABUN) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2. bWhatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth glorifies Allah; His is the kingdom and His is the praise, and He has power over all things.4254 3.It is He Who has created you, but some of you are disbelievers and some of you are believers; and Allah sees what you do. 4255 4.He created the heavens and the earth with truth, and He shaped youc and made your shapes beautiful, and to Him is the ultimate return.4256 aSee 1:1. b17:45; 24:42; 59:25; 61:2; 62:2. c3:7; 7:12. 4254. Commentary: Every creature by discharging its allotted task punctually and regularly and thus fulfilling the object for which it has been created, declares God to be free from every defect, imperfection or impurity and to be its Master, Creator and Controller. See also 57:2. 4255. Commentary: God has provided to all men adequate powers and opportunities for moral and spiritual development but some of them, by their failure to make proper use of those opportunities, practically refuse to acknowledge God’s beneficence and disobey His laws and commandments, while others by employing them in the service of their fellow beings succeed in winning His pleasure. 4256. Commentary: The universe is governed and controlled by fixed natural laws and " "CH.64 AT-TAGH ABUN PT.28 3164 man is not the victim of chance, but being the crown and acme of the whole creation he has been endowed with such powers and faculties as are suited to his position as God’s vicegerent on earth:and because of these powers he will have to render to God an account of his deeds and actions. 4257. Commentary: As man has to render an account of his actions to God, he must realise that God being the Creator and Controller of the universe, nothing is hidden from Him or can escape His notice. It is therefore futile on man’s part to think that he can avoid or escape responsibility for his actions. 4258. Commentary: See next verse. 4259. Commentary: As man has been endowed with great faculties of head and heart and as he has to render an account of his deeds in the life hereafter, God sent 5.He knows whatever is in the heavens and the earth, and He knows what you conceal and what you disclosea; and Allah knows well that which is hidden in the breasts .4257 6. bHas not the story reached you of those who disbelieved before? So they tasted th e evil consequences of their conduct, and they had a painful punishment.4258 7.That was because their Messengers came to them with manifest Signs, but they said, ‘Shall mere mortals guide us?’ So they disbelieved and turned away, but Allah had no need of them ; and Allah is Self- Sufficient, Worthy of all praise. 4259 a2:78; 16:20; 27:26. b40:22-23. " "PT.28 AT-TAGH ABUN CH.64 3165 His Messengers to guide him to the goal of his life. But man, in his ingratitude and conceit, defies and opposes Divine Messengers, thereby incurring Divine punishment. 4260 . Commentary: Does man think (the verse seems to say) that there is no future life or that he has been endowed with great powers, attributes and faculties for nothing, or, does he imagine that he can escape responsibility for his actions? He is sadly mistaken if he so imagines. There is a life after death wherein ""shall you surely be informed of what you did."" 4261. Commentary: النور( the Light) may me an, the light of revelation, or the wisdom, spiritual enlightenment and insight, and divine knowledge and discernment, with which the Holy Prophet was specially gifted. 8.Those who disbelieve assert that they will not be raised up.a Say, ‘Yea, by my Lord, you shall surely be raised up; then shall you surely be informed of what you did. And that is easy for Allah.’4260 9.Believe, therefore, in Allah and His Messenger, and in the Light which We have sent down.b And Allah is Well- Aware of all that you do.4261 10.The day when He shall gather you, on the Day of Gathering, that will be the day of mutual loss and gain . And whoso believes in Allah and acts righteously —He will remove from them the evil consequences of their deedsc and He will make them enter Gardens through which streams flow, to a36:79-80; 46:18; 50:4. b4:175; 7:158. c8:30; 48:6; 66:9. " "CH.64 AT-TAGH ABUN PT.28 3166 4262. Important Words: التغابن( mutual gain and loss) is derived from غنب .They say غبنه i.e. he deprived, cheated or made him suffer loss in selling or overcame him in buying and selling. غنب رأیه( ghabina ) means, he was or became deficient in his opinion or judg ement. غنب الیش ء means, he was unmindful or neglectful of the thing. In view of the root meaning of the word, the expression یوم التغابن has been variously interpreted as:( 1) The Day of mutual gain and loss i.e. when believers will know what they had gained and disbelievers what they had lost. (2) The Day of the Manifestation of Loss i.e. people will realize how far they had been deficient in the discharge of their duties to God and man and thus their loss will become manifest. (3) The Day when the inmates of Paradise will over-reach the inmates of Hell by the state of enjoyment in which the former will be and the punishment which the latter will experience. (4) The Day when believers will attribute defect or deficiency to the lack of wisdom of disbelievers in that they had preferred disbelief to belief (Lane, Mufrad at & Aqrab). 4263. Commentary: God controls the universe according to certain laws. When man contravenes any of these laws, he involves himself in trouble. But as God is the Creator of all natural laws and man’s affliction is due to the contradiction of one or other of these abide therein for ever. That is the supreme triumph.4262 11. aBut as to those who disbelieve and reject Our Signs, these shall be the inmates of the Fire, wherein they shall abide; and an evil destination it is! R. 2. 12.There befalls not any affliction but by the leave of Allah.b And whosoever believes in Allah —He guides his heart aright . And Allah knows all things well.4263 13.And obey Allah and obey the Messenger.c But if you turn a2:40; 7:37; 22:58; 30:17; 78:29. b4:79. c5:93; 24:55. " "PT.28 AT-TAGH ABUN CH.64 3167 laws or to one of God’s special decrees, the trouble may be said to have emanated from Him or to have come into being by His leave. 4264. Commentary: The best way to avoid being involved in miseries and misfortunes is to obey Allah and His Messenger — the laws of the Shar i‘ah and divine natural laws, because man’s troubles, as mentioned in the preceding Surah, stem from the contravention of these laws. 4265. Commentary: Whereas in the previous verses emphasis was laid on obedience to Allah and His Messenger, the present verse draws attention to the necessity of guarding against some of the things that militate against that obedience —our love for our near and dear ones. If we allow them to stand in the way of our loyalty to God and submission to Divi ne laws, they away, then Our Messenger is responsible only for the clear conveying of the Message . 4264 14.Allah! there is no God but He; so in Allah let the believers put their trust . 15.O ye who believe! surely among your wives and your children are some who are your enemies, so beware of them. And if you overlook and forgive and pardon, then surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful. 4265 16.Verily, your wealth and your children are a triala; but with Allah is an immense reward. 17.So fear Allah as best you can, and listen, and obey, and spend in His cause ; it will be good for yourselves. bAnd whoso a8:29; 63:10. b59:10. " "CH.64 AT-TAGH ABUN PT.28 3168 become our enemies whom we should specially guard against. 4266. Commentary: In the preceding verse believers were told that their wealth and their children would put their mettle to test, whether they would help in promoting the cause of Truth or would prove an impediment or hindrance. In the verse under comment they are told that they should obey all the commandments of the Shar i‘ah, particularly they should not be hesitant when they are called upon to make monetary sacrifice for the advancement of a good cause. Only that way lies success and prosperity. 4267. Commentary: Spending one’s wealth in the cause of God is tantamount to giving a loan to Him which the Bountiful and Appreciating God pays back manifold. is rid of the covetousness of his own soul —it is they who shall be successful.4266 18. aIf you lend to Allah a goodly loan, He will multiply it for you, and will forgive you; and Allah is Most Appreciating, Forbearing .4267 19. bThe Knower of the unseen and the seen, the Mighty, the Wise. a2:246; 57:12; 73:21. b6:74; 9:94; 13:10; 59:23. " "3169 CHAPTER 65 AT-TAL AQ (Revealed after H ijrah ) Date of Revelation and C ontext The Surah derives its title from the subject matter of the opening verse. It was revealed at Medina, sometime in the 5th or 6th year of Hijrah. The immediate cause of its revelation seems to be the divorce pronounced by ‘Abdull ah bin ‘Umar against his wife during her monthly course, a procedure which the Surah is intended to prohibit (Bukh ari). In the preceding Surah a note of warning was sounded against some of the wives and children of believers, as sometimes they tend to become an impediment in the way of men wishing to make monetary sacrifice in the cause of truth. This may possibly lead to estrangement between the husband and the wife and ultimately to divorce, or the divorce may result from incompatibility of dispositions or from some other cause. It was therefore necessary to lay down the correct procedure for divorce. This may be regarded as the immediate connection of this Surah with its predecessor. But there also runs a deeper connection in the subject matter of the Quran as a whole. It is characteristic of the style of the Quran that when any of its Surah deals with a particular subject in its opening verses, then in order to emphasize and impress the importance of that subject upon the mind of the reader, the Surah, briefly but pointedly reverts to the same subject in its closing verses. The same procedure has been adopted in the Quran as regards whole Surahs . Thus some of the social and political problems which have been dealt with in detail in the opening Medinite Surahs such as Al-Baqarah, Al-e-‘Imran, An-Nis a’, have again been briefly treated in the last ten Medinite Surahs . The subject of divorce with which this Surah briefly deals has already been dealt with in detail in Surah Al-Baqarah. Subject Matter The Surah opens with the procedure to be adopted when a man intends to divorce his wife, and with the treatment to be extended to her after the divorce has been pronounced and she is waiting for her ‘iddah (period of waiting) to expire. It is enjoined that during this period she should be treated well and provided with all the necessities, commensurate with the financial resources of the husband. It is significant that four times in the course of five brief verses of the Surah believers have been exhorted to observe fear of God in their dealings. This indicates that in the matter of divorce husbands are generally tempted to treat their divorced wives unjustly. Hence the injunction to observe fear of God. " "3170 From the subject of divorce the Surah passes on to the subject of rejection of the Divine Message by disbelievers. There seems to exist a subtle connection between the two. Those who reject the Divine Message divorce themselves from the grace of God. " "PT.28 CH.65 3171 (AT-TALAQ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.O Prophet! when you divorce women, divorce them for the prescribed period,b and reckon the period; and fear Allah. Turn them not out of their houses, nor should they themselves leave unless they commi t an act which is manifestly foul. And these are the limits set by Allah; and whoso transgresses the limits of Allah, he indeed wrongs his own soul.c Thou knowest not; it may be that thereafter Allah will bring something new to pass.4268 aSee 1:1. b2:232-233. c2:230. 4268. Commentary: This is one of those verses of the Quran in which the address made to the Holy Prophet, is, in reality, meant for the believers. Since the Holy Prophet was debarred from divorcing any of his wives (33:53), the injunction is meant clearly for his followers. The procedure of divorce given in this Surah is as follows: The first pronouncement of divorce should be in the interval between two monthly courses, during which the husband and wife should not have conjugal relations. This ensures that the decision to divorce has not been taken hastily in a fit of anger or under the influence of some other momentary impulse but after cool and deliberate reflection. Moreover, a divorced wife is to remain in her house till the expiry of ‘ iddah (the period of waiting) which extends over three courses. The words ""it may be that thereafter Allah will bring about something new to pass,"" signify that the above- mentioned procedure is enjoined because it is possible that during the period of waiting the causes of " "CH.65 AT-TALAQ PT.28 3172 friction may wear out and reconciliation may take place between the estranged parties. 4269. Commentary:The two witnesses referred to in the verse are to be called when the wife is about to be divorced, or when and if she is taken back by her husband. See also 2:230-234. ""A way out"" may mean a way out of the difficult situation in which both the wife and the husband are placed by their apparently irreconcilable differences. 4270. Commentary:The verse means that if differences between husband and wife are due to the poverty of the husband, God will provide for him from sources he never could imagine, provided he fears Allah and honestly wishes to tide over the difficult situation. 3. Then, awhen they are about to reach their prescribed term, keep them with kindness, or put them away with kindness, and call to witness two just persons from among you; and bear true witness for Allah. This is by which is admonished he who believes in Allah and the Last Day. And he who fears Allah—He will make for him a way out,4269 4. And will provide for him from whence he expects not. And he who puts his trust in Allah—He is sufficient for him. Verily, Allah will accomplish His purpose. For everything has Allah appointed a measure.4270 5. And if you are in doubt as to the prescribed period for such of your women as have despaired of monthly courses, then know that the prescribed a2:232. " "PT.28 AT-TALAQ CH.65 3173 4271. Commentary: The words ""if you are in doubt"" have been added because the stoppage of monthly course may be due to some disorder in the womb or to some other cause, though menopause may not yet have arrived. 4272. Commentary: In the brief space of five verses the believers have been enjoined to fear God. This shows that in the matter of divorce men may be generally tempted to deal unjustly with their divorced wives and thus deprive them of their just rights. It was in the fitness of things that they should h ave been warned against falling a victim to this temptation. period for them is three months, and the same is for such as do not have their monthly courses yet. And as for those who are with child, their period shall be until they are delivered of their burden.a And whoso fears Allah, He will provide facil ities for him in his affair.4271 6.That is the command of Allah which He has sent down to you. And whoso fears Allah —He will remove the evil consequences of his deeds and will enlarge his reward.4272 7.Lodge divorced women during the prescribed period in the houses wherein you dwell, according to the best of your means; and harass them not that you may create hardships for them. And if they be with child, spend on them until they are delivered of their burden. bAnd a2:229. b2:234. " "CH.65 AT-TALAQ PT.28 3174 4273 . Important Words: وجد کم ( your best means) is derived from وجد which means, he found or h e got. The three forms of the word وجد i.e. wajdun or wijdun or wujdun mean the same thing i.e. ampleness of means; capacity ; riches or wealth. They say ھذا من وجدی i.e. it is within my capacity. (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: In this verse all the possible needs of a divorced woman have been adequately met. In her ‘ iddah a divorced woman is to be looked after by the husband with the same care and consideration as when she was the mistress of his house, according to the best of his means, till she leaves the house and is free to adopt the way of life she chooses. 4274. Commentary: From the subject of divorce the if they give suck to the child for you, give them their due recompense, and consult together in kindness; but if you meet with difficulty from each other, then another woman shall suckle the child for him (the father).4273 8. aLet him who has abundance spend out of his abundance. And let him whose means of subsistence are straitened spend out of what Allah has given him. Allah burdens not any soul beyond that which He has bestowed upon it. Allah will soon bring about ease after hardship. R. 2. 9. bHow many a city rebelled against the command of its Lord and His Messengers, and We called it to severe account, and punished it with dire punishment!4274 a2:234. b7:5-6; 17:18; 21:12; 22:46. " "PT.28 AT-TALAQ CH.65 3175 verse makes a subtle diversion to the subject of defiance of God and His Messengers. In fact, in religious phraseology a woman is described as standing in the same relation to her husband as do the followers of a Prophet in relation to the Prophet. This comparison between the two relationships has been made quite clear in the last verse of Surah At- Tahrim, where disbelievers have been compared to the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot, and believers of different grades of righteousness and spirituality to the wife of Pharaoh, and to Mary, mother of Jesus. 4275 . Important Words: وبال( evil consequences) is derived from وبل .They say وبل فالنا i.e. he beat such a one harshly and with consecutive strokes. وبلت السماء means, the rain fell in torrents. وبل الصید means, he chased the hunt. وبال means, injury, damage; harshness; vexation; sin; punishment of sin. وبیل means, dangerous, pernicious violent (Aqrab). 10.So it tasted the evil consequences of its conduct, and the end of its affair was ruin.4275 11.Allah has prepared for them a severe punishment; so fear Allah, O ye men of understanding, who have believed. aAllah has indeed sent down to you a Reminder — 12.A Messenger, who recites unto you the clear Signs of Allah, that he may bring those who bel ieve and do good deeds out of every kind of darkness into light.b And whoso believes in Allah and does good deeds — He will make him enter Gardens, through which rivers flow, to abide therein for ever. Allah has indeed made excellent provision for him. a15:10; 36:70. b2:258; 5:17 ; 14:6 . " "CH.65 AT-TALAQ PT.28 3176 4276. Commentary: The verse purports to say that God’s decree works in heavens and earth to the effect that His Messengers and their righteous followers are blessed with a divine light which guides them in their affairs and leads them to success and prosperity, while disbelievers suffer the evil consequences of their rejection of the Divine Message . In the preceding two verses a pointed reference is made to this subject. ""Seven earths"" may be the seven major planets of the solar system and seven heavens their orbits or ways as elsewhere so called in the Quran (23:18). Or spiritually speaking ""seven heavens"" may signify seven stages of the spiritual development of man and ""seven earths"" those of his physical growth. For a detailed discussion of this subject, see 23:1-18. 13.Allah is He Who created seven heavens, and of the earth the like thereof.a The divine command comes down in their midst, that you may know that Allah has power over all things, and that Allah encompasses all things in His knowledge.4276 a67:4; 71:16. " "3177 CHAPTER 66 AT-TAHRIM (Revealed after H ijrah ) General Remarks With this chapter ends the series of Medinite Surahs which began with Surah Al-Hadid. Its revelation may be assigned to the 7th or 8th year of Hijrah and of a part of it to a later period, as the incident mentioned therein shows. The preceding Surah had dealt with some aspects of Talaq— permanent separation between husband and wife. The present Surah, however, deals with the subject of temporary separation, that is to say, with cases wherein a man, due to disagreement or conflict in domestic affairs temporarily gives up conjugal relations with his wife—or swears not to benefit from a lawful practice. The Surah takes its title from the opening verse. Summary of Subject Matter The Surah opens with an injunction addressed personally to the Holy Prophet not to forbid himself the use of things which God has made lawful for him. The specific incident referred to in the opening verse indicates that due to misunderstanding, disagreement that may disturb, though temporarily, domestic harmony and peace, might sometimes arise in the otherwise most peaceful atmosphere of even a Prophet’s household. The injunction, which applies to the Holy Prophet as much as to his followers, signifies that in such a case of temporary disharmony extreme measures should not be resorted to. The Holy Prophet’s wives are further warned that they should never lose sight of the Prophet’s very exalted status as God’s Messenger and should not make demands from him which are inconsistent with his high station. The Surah proceeds to tell believers to take care that members of their household do not deviate from the path of rectitude lest they might land themselves in trouble, and that if they happen to err or falter they should make proper amends and repent truly and sincerely, so that they might deserve Divine grace and mercy. As the Surah opens with the mention of an incident concerning relationship of the Holy Proph et with his wives, it ends fittingly with a simile, comparing disbelievers to the wives of Prophets Noah and Lot, and believers to the wife of Pharaoh and to the pious and righteous Mary, mother of Jesus. " "CH.66 PT.28 3178 (AT-TAHRIM) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.4277 2.O Prophet! why dost thou forbid thyself that which Allah has made lawful to thee . Thou seekest the pleasure of thy wives? And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.4278 aSee 1:1. 4277. Commentary: See 1:1. 4278. Commentary: It is related that one day one of the wives of the Holy Prophet gave him a drink made from honey, which he seemed to like. Some of his other wives, out of pique, pointed out to him that his breath smelt of Magh afir, a shrub the taste of which resembled that of honey but having a bad smell. The Holy Prophet, because of his delicate nature, promised not to take honey any more (Buld an). It is to this incident that the verse under comment is generally taken to refer. But it seems improbable that the Holy Prophet, merely to satisfy the pique of his wife or wives, should have taken such a drastic step as to have forbidden himself the use of some- thing which was lawful, particularly that in which, according to the Quran, ""there is cure for men"" (16:70). It appears the narrator or narrators of this incident in the traditions suffered from some misunderstanding or confusion, particularly when, accor- ding to one tradition, the Holy Prophet took honey from the house of Zainab, and it were ‘A ’ishah and Hafsah who contrived to draw him into making the aforesaid promise, while, according to another tradition, it was at the house of Hafsah that he was served with honey and that the wives who objected were ‘A’ishah, Zainab and Safiyya. It appears, moreover, that according to the hadith, two, or at the most three, of the Holy Prophet’s wives were concerned in the incident, but, according to vv. 2 & 6 of the present Surah, all were connected with it, two of them taking a leading part (v.5). These considerations indicate that the Surah refers to some incident of much greater significance than the mere taking of honey by the Holy Prophet at the house of one of his wives and of having been drawn into making a promise not to take it anymore. In the commentary on this " "PT.28 AT-TAHRIM CH.66 3179 Surah, Bukha ri (Kit abul-Ma zalim wal Gha sb) quotes Ibn ‘Abb as as relating that he was always on the lookout to enquire of ‘Umar as to who were the two wives to whom reference had been made in the verse:""Now, if you two turn unto Allah, it will be better for you, and your hearts are already so inclined."" One day, finding ‘Umar alone, he sought to satisfy his curiosity. He had hardly finished his question, says Ibn ‘Abb as, when ‘Umar said that they were ‘A’ishah and Hafsah and then proceeded to relate the s tory:""Once, when my wife offered me her advice concerning some domestic affair, I curtly told her that it was no business of hers to advise me, for in those days we did not hold our womenfolk in much respect. My wife sternly replied : 'Your daughter Hafsah takes so much liberty with the Holy Prophet that she retorts back, when he says something not to her liking till he feels offended, and you do not allow me to speak to you even about our domestic affairs.' Upon this I went to Hafsah and sternly told her that she should not be misled by ‘A ’ishah in this matter as she was nearer to the Prophet’s heart. Then I went to Ummi Salma and had hardly broached the matter with her when she also curtly told me not to interfere in affairs concerning the Prophet and his wives. A short time after this, the Prophet separated himself from his wives and decided not to go to the house of any of them. The news went round that the Prophet had divorced his wives. I went to him and asked him if it was true that he had divorced his wives to which he replied in the negative."" This incident shows that ‘Umar, and Ibn ‘Abb as were of the view that the relevant verses of the Surah referred to this temporary separation of the Holy Prophet from his wives. The fact that the preceding Sura h mentions the subject of Talaq which is separation of a permanent character, lends weight to the inference that these verses relate to the Prophet’s separation from his wives, which, however, was of a temporary nature. Besides, as reported by ‘A ’ishah in the above mentioned hadith, immediately after the period of separation was over, v. 33:29 was revealed, and the Prophet’s wives were given the choice between the Prophet’s companionship and a life of poverty and austere simplicity on the one hand, and separation from him with a life of ease and comfort and all sorts of material benefit on the other. The choice was given to all the wives and the verse under comment speaks of all the wives, as also does v. 4. This shows that the incident referred to in these verses concerns all the wives in which two of them took a more prominent part. And this was when the Prophet’s wives, led by ‘A’ishah and Hafsah, demanded of him that like other Muslim women they should also have amenities of life and comfortable living (Fat hulQadir). In this context the words أزواجک ةمرضا تبتیغ would seem to mean something like this:""Since thou always desirest to please thy wives and meet their wishes, they have been encouraged by this loving attitude of thine naturally to lose sight of thy " "CH.66 AT-TAHRIM PT.28 3180 high position as a Prophet of God and to make excessive demands on thee."" The alleged incident of Mariah, the Copt, being too foolish and fantastic a concoction of Christian writers and lacking all reliable historical evidence, does not merit serious notice. Mary was the Holy Prophet’s wedded consort and the respected mother of the Faithful. The Prophet never kept a slave girl. 4279. Commentary: The Holy Prophet had severely taken to heart his wives’ demand for amenities of life, and in order to show his extreme displeasure had sworn to keep away from them for one month. The verse under comment prescribes that a lawful thing does not become unlawful to a person merely by his swearing not to use it. In such a contingency he is required only to expiate his broken oath. 4280. Commentary: It is difficult to say to what particular incident the present verse in fact refers. The reference which seems to be supported by the context may be to the incident described by ‘A’ishah herself, which is to this effect:When verse 33:29 was revealed, giving the Holy Prophet’s wives a choice between his companionship and separation from him, by way of a reply to their demand for a life of comfort and ease, the Prophet first of all, broached the matter with ‘A ’ishah (Bukha ri, Kitabul-Ma zalim wal Gha sb). The Holy Prophet appears to have taken 3.Allah has indeed allowed to you the dissolution of your oaths, and Allah is your Friend; and He is All-Knowing, Wise. 4279 4.And when the Prophet confided a matter unto one of his wives and she then divulged it, and Allah informed him of it he made known to her part thereof, and avoided mentioning part of it . And when he informed her of it, she said, ‘Who has informed thee of it?’ He said, ‘The All-Knowing, the All-Aware God has informed me.’ 4280 " "PT.28 AT-TAHRIM CH.66 3181 that course because it was ‘A ’ishah who had led the demand along with Hafsah, and it is not unlikely that ‘A’ishah passed on the Holy Prophet’s secret communication to Hafsah. Whatever the actual facts may be, the verse emphasizes the obligation of a person to whom a secret is confided not to divulge it, particularly when the parties concerned are husband and wife and the secret relates to a private domestic affair; or for that matter when they are a Prophet of God and one of his followers. 4281. Commentary: The words ""you two,"" seem to refer to ‘A’ishah and Hafsah who led the demand for worldly comforts in their homes. All the wives of the Holy Prophet had, however, joined in the demand, though the leading part was taken by these two, and this, perhaps because they were daughter s respectively of Ab u Bakr and ‘Umar, the two most respected among the Holy Prophet ’s Companions. See also v. 2 above. The phraseology of the verse indicates that the matter referred to in these verses was of a very serious nature, but taking honey from the house of one’s wife evidently is not so serious an affair as to have led to separation of the Holy Prophet from all his wives for nearly a month. Nor was the reprimand to the Prophet’s wives implied in the words ""Allah is his Helper and Gabriel and believers…"" called for. 4282. Important Words: سائحات (given to fasting) is feminine5.Now if you two turn unto Allah repentant, it will be better for you, and your hearts are already so inclined. But if you back up each other against him, surely Allah is his Helper and Gabriel and the righteous among the believers; and furthermore, angels too are his helpers.4281 6.It may be that, if he divorce you, his Lord will give him instead wives better than you — resigned, believing, obedient, always turning to God, devout in worship, given to fasting, both widows and virgins.4282 " "CH.66 AT-TAHRIM PT.28 3182 of سائحون which is plural of سائح which is act. part. from ساح . They say ساح یف االرض i.e. he went through the land for the purpose of devoting himself to religious services . سائح means, one who (1) goes through the land as a devotee; or forsakes his home for the sake of God; (2) who observes the obligatory fasts; (3) one who fasts constantly (Lane & Aqrab). ثیبات( widows) is the plural of ثیب which is derived from ثاب . They sa y ثیبت املرأة i.e. the woman became a ثیب which means. (1) a woman who has become separated from her husband by his death or by being divorced by him; (2) one who is not a virgin; (3) a woman to whom a man has gone in; (4) a man who has gone in to a woman; (5) a person who has married, whether man or woman; (6) a woman who has attained the age of puberty, though a virgin. رجلثیب means a man who has been married to a woman (Lane & Aqrab.) 4283. Commentary: As the Surah deals particularly with domestic disagreements and conflicts, believers are enjoined to train and educate members of their household in such a way that there should reign complete harmony, peace and concord in the house as it prevails in Paradise. 7.O ye who believe! save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is men and stones,a over which are appointed angels, stern and severe, who disobey not Allah in what He commands them and do as they are commanded.4283 8. bO ye who disbelieve! make no excuses this day. You are requited for what you did. R. 2. 9.O ye who believe! turn to Allah in sincere repentance. It may be that your Lord will remove the evil consequences of your deeds and make you enter Gardens through which a2:25. b9:66. 77:37. " "PT.28 AT-TAHRIM CH.66 3183 4284 . Commentary: The never-ceasing desire for perfection on the part of believers in Paradise as expressed in the words, ""Our Lord perfect our light for us,"" shows that life in Paradise will not be a life of inaction. On the contrary, spiritual advance in Parad ise will know no end, for as the believers will attain excellence, characteristic of a certain stage, they will not stop at that, but seeing in front of it a higher stage of excellence and thus finding that the stage at which they had arrived was not the highest stage, will desire the attainment of the next higher stage, and so on without end. In short the believers will go on making advancement in Paradise and shall never recede a step. Their activity far from ceasing will rather increase. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said that in Paradise the believers will be imparted knowledge of new attributes of God which they will try to copy in themselves. From the verse it further appears that after entering Paradise, the believers will seek maghfirah, i.e. ""suppression of a defect."" In this sense of maghfira h the verse means that the righteous will be continually praying to God for the attainment of perfection and complete immersion in divine light. They will be continually going upwards and will regard each state as defective in comparison with a higher one to which they will aspire and will, therefore, pray to God to suppress the defective state that they may be able to get to the higher one. This is the true significance of Istighf ar of which the literal meaning is, ""asking forgiveness for one’s lapses."" rivers flow,a on the day when Allah will not abase the Prophet nor those who have believed with him. Their light will run before them and on their right hands. The y will say, ‘Our Lord, perfect our light for us and forgive us; surely, Thou hast power over all things.’4284 10.O Prophet! strive hard against the disbelievers and the Hypocrites; and be strict against a8:30; 4 8:6; 64 :10. " "CH.66 AT-TAHRIM PT.28 3184 4285. Commentary: Whereas, in the preceding verse it was stated that spiritual progress, not only in this world but in the life after death, is endless, in the verse under comment we are told that no advance is possible unless the disbelievers and the hypocrites are strenuously striven against. Incidentally, the verse explains the real significance of jihad which means, "" striving against"" . Since the hypocrites were regarded as part of the Muslim Community, jihad in the sense of fighting with the sword was never waged against them. them, their resort is Hell, and an evil destination it is!4285 11.Allah sets forth for those who disbelieve the example of the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were under two righteous servants of Ours, but they acted unfaithfully towards them. So they availed them naught against Allah, and it was said to them, ‘Enter the Fire, ye twain, along with those who enter.’ 12.And Allah sets forth for those who believe the example of the wife of Pharaoh when she said, ‘My Lord! build for me a house with Thee in the Garden; and deliver me from Pharaoh and his work, and deliver me from the wrongdoing people;’ 13.And the example of Mary, the daughter of ‘Imr an, who guarded her chastitya—so We breathed therein of Our Spirit — and she fulfilled in her person a21:92. " "PT.28 AT-TAHRIM CH.66 3185 4286. Commentary: In this and the preceding two verses, examples of the wives of the Prophets Noah and Lot, of the wife of Pharaoh, and the example of Mary, the mother of Jesus, are set forth. The disbelievers are compared to the wives of Noah and Lot in order to show that the companionship of a righteous man, even of a Prophet of God, does not benefit an evilly minded person who is bent upon rejecting t ruth. Prophet Noah’s wife was of a more wicked disposition than the wife of Lot since the latter only preferred the company of her relatives to that of Lot, while Noah’s son, probably under the corrupting influence of his mother, had rejected his father’s Message. The wife of Pharaoh stands for those believers who, though passionately desiring and praying to get rid of sin, yet cannot fully dissociate themselves from evil influences, represented by Pharaoh, and having arrived at the stage of the self-accusing soul ( النفس اللوامة ) sometimes fail and falter. Mary, the mother of Jesus, represents those right eous servants of God, who having closed all avenues of sin and having made peace with God, are blessed with Divine inspiration; the pronoun (masculine gender) in فیه standing for such fortunate believers. Or, the pronoun may stand for فرج which, literally meaning a cleft or fissure, signifies an opening through which sin can find access. the words of her Lord and His Books and was one of the obedient.4286 " "3186 CHAPTER 67 AL-MULK (Revealed before Hijrah) General Remarks With this chapter begins a series of Surahs, extending to the end of the Quran, which were revealed before Hijrah, with the so litary exception of Surah An-Nasr which, though belonging to the Medinite period, was actually revealed at Mecca on the occasion of the Holy Prophet’s l ast Pilgrimage. The whole of the Quran is God’s own revealed Word and so is simply inimitable and inapproachable in subject matter, style and diction, but the Surahs revealed at Mecca in the early years of the Prophet’s Call possess a majesty and grandeur, all their own. The beauty of rhythm and the charm of cadence of the revelation of this period are beyond human power adequately to describe. As these Surahs generally deal with matters of belief and doctrine, e.g. prophecies about the great and glorious future of Islam, existence of God and His attributes, Revelation, Resurrection, and Life after death, much symbolism has necessarily been used to describe the mystical and the spiritual in terms of what we can perceive by our physical senses. The Surah belongs to the middle Meccan period —8th year of the Call being the approximate time when, according to competent authorities the Surah was revealed. Subject Matter As stated above, the Meccan Surahs generally deal with matters of belief. The present Surah, being the first of this series, naturally opens with proclaiming the Lordship, the Sovereignty, and the Almightiness of God, and as proof of these attributes adduces the fact that God is the Creator of life and death, and of the whole universe through whose component parts, from the smallest atom to the largest planet, there runs a wonderful and flawless design and arrangement. The creation of the universe and the beautiful order that pervades the cosmos, are proofs positive of the fact that God is and that He has created man to serve a sublime object and to achieve a noble goal. But man in his ingratitude has always rejected God’s Message and consequently has been incurring Divine punishment. The Surah then proceeds to recount the manifold Divine blessings and favours without which man cannot exist for a single moment; it, then, by implication, calls upon him to make proper use of them for the realization of the purpose for which he is created. The Surah closes with a beautiful homily, thereby bringing home to man the supreme truth that just as no physical life can exist without water, so spiritual life needs for its sustenance the heavenly water of Divine revelation. " "PT.29 CH.67 3187 (AL-MULK) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.4287 2. bBlessed is He in Whose hand is the kingdom, and He has power over all things;4288 3.Who has created death and life that He might try youc— which of you is best in deeds; and He is the Mighty, the Most Forgiving.4289 aSee 1:1. b25:2-3. c5:49; 6:166; 11:8; 18:8. 4287. Commentary: See 1:1. 4288. Commentary: The Surah was revealed at Mecca when Islam was yet in its infancy and its enemies were straining every nerve to nip it in the bud. It opens with the mention of Divine attributes which are expressive of God’s Power, Might and Majesty, and, appropriately the verse under comment implies a prophecy that the poor, persecuted and helpless Muslims would soon be granted the kingdom, not only of Arabia but of vast lands beyond its confines. 4289. Commentary: The law of life and death works in all nature. Every living creature is subject to decay and death. Nations, like individuals, are subject to this inexorable law. The implication of the verse seems to be that with the advent of Islam God’s decree has come into operation, that is to say that some nations will receive new life and others will decay and fall. This will show that God is Mighty. The linking together of the attribute ""Most Forgiving"" with the attribute "" Mighty "" may imply that when Islam will triumph the enemies of the new Faith will be at the mercy of the Holy Prophet who will forgive them. The prophecy was fulfilled in the Fall of Mecca. ""Death"", as in vv. 2:29 and 53:45, has been mentioned in this verse before ""life."" The reason seems to be that death or non-existence, is the state before life, or perhaps because ""death"" is more important and is of greater significance than ""life,"" because, it opens to man the portals of everlasting life and unending spiritual progress, while his life on earth is only a temporary sojourn and " "CH.67 AL-MULK PT.29 3188 a preparation for a permanent and everlasting life beyond the grave. 4290 . Important Words: طباقا( in grades) is derived from طبق . They say أطبق الثوب i.e. he folded together the piece of cloth. طبق means, a thing that is the equal of another thing in its measure so that it covers the whole extent of the latter like the lid; a layer of the earth; a fold; a generation; any of the stages of heaven. السماواتطباق means, the heavens are composed of stages, one above another (Lane & Aqrab). تفاوت( incongruity) is derived from فات . They say تفاوت الشیئان i.e. the two things were distinct or were different . تفاوت means, defect, fault, or imperfection; incongruity or discordance (Lane & Aqrab). فطور( flaw) is derived from فطر .They say فطرہ i.e. God created it or brought it into existence for the first time, it not having existed before. انفطر means, it became split, rent or cleft. فطور means, cleft; flaw; disorder (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: Wonderful indeed is God’s creation. The solar system of which our earth is but a small member is vast, varied and orderly and yet this system is but one of hundreds of millions of systems, some of which are incalculably larger than it, yet the countless millions of suns and stars are so arranged and distributed in relation to one another as to produce everywhere harmony and beauty. The order that covers and pervades the universe is obvious to the ordinary naked eye, and is spread far beyond the range of disciplined vision, assisted by all the instruments and appliances which science and art have been able to invent (Flint). 4291. Important Words: خاسئا( confused) is derived from خسأ which means, he wa s or became vi le, despised and hated. خاسأ الرجل الکل ب means, the man drove away the dog. خسأ البصر means, the eyesight became dazzled or confused and dim. خایسء when applied to a dog or a swine 4.Who has created seven heavens in grades.a No incongruity canst thou see in the creation of the Gracious God. Then look again:Seest thou any flaw?4290 5.Aye, look again, and yet again, thy sight will only return unto thee confused and fatigued.4291 a65:13; 67:4; 71:16. " "PT.29 AL-MULK CH.67 3189 means, driven away and repelled, and when applied to a man means, contemptible, despicable, vile or confused; and when applied to the eyesight means, dazzled or confused and dim (Lane). 4292. Commentary: For a detailed note on the subject, briefly stated in this verse, see 15 :17-19. The word السماء( heaven) may also signify the spiritual firmament and مصابیح( lamps) Divinely inspired teachers and Reformers and شیاطن may mean satanic peop le. 4293. Commentary: When Divine Reformers appear in the world to remove distortions and interpolations that find their way into heavenly teachings, those who reject Divine Reformers deserve and get God’s punishment. This is mentioned by implication also in the preceding verse. 4294 . Important Words: شھیق( roaring) signifies the ending or final part of the crying or braying of an ass. It also signifies a high sound; a cry of distress (Lane). See also 11:107. 6.And verily, We have adorned the lowest heavena with lamps, and We have made them the means of driving away satans, band We have prepared for them the punishment of the blazing Fire.4292 7.And for those who disbelieve in their Lord there is the punishment of Hell, and an evil resort it is!4293 8.When they are cast therein, they will hear it roaring as it boils up.c 4294 9.It would almost burst with fury. dWhenever a host of wrongdoers is cast into it the wardens thereof will ask them, ‘Did no Warner come to you?’ a15:17; 37:7; 41:13; 50:7. b15:18; 37:11. c11:107; 21:101; 25:13. d6:131; 3 9:72; 40:51. " "CH.67 AL-MULK PT.29 3190 4295. Important Words: سحقا( be far away) is derived from سحق which means, it was or became distant or remote. سحقه means, he bruised or powdered or pulverized it; he destroyed it. سحیق means, powdered, pulverized; distant, remote . سحق means, remoteness, curse; destruction (Lane & Aqrab). 10.They will say, “Yea, verily, a Warner did come to us, but we treated him as a liar, and we said:‘Allah has not revealed anything; you are but in manifest error.’ ” 11.And they will say,a ‘Had we but listened or possessed sense, we should not hav e been among the inmates of the blazing Fire.’ 12.Thus will they confess their sins; but far away are the inmates of the blazing Fire from God’ s mercy .4295 13. bVerily, those who fear their Lord in secret —for them is forgiveness and a great reward. 14. cAnd whether you conceal what you say or say it openly, He knows well what is in your breasts. 15.Does He Who has created you not know it? He is the Knower of all subtleties, the All-Aware. R. 2. 16.He it is Who has made the earth even and smooth for you;d a25:28. b21:50; 55:47; 79:41-42. c2:78; 6:4; 11:6; 20:8. d2:23; 20:54. " "PT.29 AL-MULK CH.67 3191 4296. Commentary: Journeying in the earth is recommended again and again in the Quran, because leaving one’s home and travelling to other lands and countries helps to add to one’s knowledge and experience. The verse also recommends making full use of mountains, which may also signify entertaining high ambitions and lofty aspirations, as the word منکب which also means a loftyplace, suggests . 4297. Commentary: It is because punishment is generally spoken of in the Quran as coming down from heaven that God is referred to, here and in the next verse, as being in heaven; otherwise God is here, there and everywhere. ""He is in the heaven and He is in the earth and He is where man is, even nearer to him that his jugular vein"" (43:85; 50:17 & 57:4). so walk in the spacious sides thereof, and eat of His provision. And unto Him will be the resurrection.4296 17. aDo you feel secure from Him Who is in the heaven that He will not cause the earth to sink with you when lo! it begins to shake?4297 18.Do you feel secure from Him Who is in the heaven that He will not send against you a sandstorm ? Then will you know how terrible was My warning. 19.And indeed those before them also treated My Messengers as liars; then how grievous was My punishment! 20. bHave they not seen the birds above them, spreading out their wings without moving them and then drawing them in a6:66; 1 6:46; 17:69; 34:10. b16:80. " "CH.67 AL-MULK PT.29 3192 4298. Commentary: The verse as the context shows, refers to Divine punishment that is in store for disbelievers. It purports to say that if they continue to oppose truth, they will be destroyed by famines, earthquakes and particularly by wars, and the birds of the skies will feast on their dead bodies. The Merciful God grants them respite that they might accept the Heavenly Message and save themselves from Divine punishment. See also 16:80. 4299 . Commentary: The verse warns disbelievers that if on account of their persistent rejection of the Divine Message and opposition to, and persecution of, the believers they (believers) were allowed to take up arms against them, their armies will be entirely helpless against Heavenly forces that would come to the help of believers. 4300. Commentary: The reference may be to the terrible famine that held Mecca in its grip for several years till the Meccans begged the Holy Prophet to pray for their deliverance from the scourge. See also 44:13. 4301. Commentary: The verse means that disbelievers to swoop down upon the prey ? None withholds them but the Gracious God. Verily, He sees all things well.4298 21.Or who is he that can be an army for you to help you against the Gracious God? The disbelievers are only in deception.4299 22.Or who is he that will provide for you,a if He should withhold His provision? Nay, but they obstinately persist in rebellion and aversion.4300 23.What! is he who walks grovelling upon his face better guided or he who walks upright on the straight path?4301 a10:32; 34:25. " "PT.29 AL-MULK CH.67 3193 walk on the wrong path, hanging down their heads and grovelling in the darkness of doubt and disbelief, while believers, in the certainty of faith, go straight on the path of truth, holding their head high. Can the two be equal? 4302. Commentary: Disbelievers are told that God has given them eyes to see so that they might benefit from the signs He has shown in support of truth. He has given them ears to listen to the Divine Message. He has given them powers of mind that they might understand and realize the Divine Message . People do not make use of these God-given faculties and choose to welter in the quagmire of doubt; شکر (shukr ) meaning to make proper use of a thing. 4303. Commentary: Man has been created that he may lead a purposeful life on earth and may achieve the grand object of his creation after which he will have to render an account of his deeds and actions. 4304. Commentary: ""This promise"" may refer to the promise of Divine punishment made in 17-22 above. 24.Say, ‘He it is Who brought you into being, and made for you ears and aeyes and hearts; but little thanks do you give.’ 4302 25.Say,b‘He it is Who multiplied you in the earth, and unto Him will you be gathered.’ 4303 26. cAnd they say, ‘When will this promise come to pass, if indeed you are truthful?’ 4304 27.Say, ‘The knowledge of it is with Allah, and I am only a plain Warner.’d 28. eBut when they see it nigh, the faces of those who disbelieve a16:79; 23:79. b23:80. c21:39; 34:30; 36:49. d22:50; 26:116; 29:51. e21:40. " "CH.67 AL-MULK PT.29 3194 4305. Commentary: It is characteristic of disbelievers that as long as punishment does not overtake them, they boast and brag and hurl jibes and railleries at believers, but when they are face to face with it, they are seized with a sense of extreme frustration, dismay, and dejection. 4306. Commentary: The Divine attribute الرمحان( the Beneficent) has been repeatedly mentioned in the Surah because all the Divine gifts and favours mentioned in it, whether pertaining to man’s physical sustenance or his spiritual development, are the direct result of God’s beneficence ( رمحانیة.) 4307. Commentary: All life, whether physical or spiritual depends on water, —the former, on rainwater and the latter on the water of Divine revelation. will become grief-stricken, and it will be said, ‘This is what you used to ask for.’4305 29.Say, ‘Tell me, if Allah should destroy me and those who are with me, or have mercy on us, who will protect the disbelievers from a painful punishment?’ 30.Say, ‘He is the Gracious God; in Him have we believed and in Him have we put our trust. And you will soon know who is in manifest error.’4306 31.Say, ‘Tell me, if all your water were to disappear in the depths of the earth, who then will bring you pure flowing water?’4307 " "3195 CHAPTER 68 AL-QALAM (Revealed before Hijrah) General Remarks This Surah is one of the first four or five Surahs revealed at Mecca in the very beginning of the Call. According to some authorities it was revealed just after Surah Al-‘Alaq which was the first Qur anic Surah to be revealed, but some other authorities place it after Surahs Muzzammil and Muddaththir. There is, however, no doubt that all these Surahs were revealed more or less in consecutive order because there exists a strong likeness in their subject matter. The Surah takes its title from the opening verse, and deals principally with the Holy Prophet’s claim as a Messenger of God. Subject Matter Like the Meccan chapters which mainly deal with matters of doctrine and belief, the present Surah deals with the truth of the Holy Prophet ’s claim, and gives sound and solid arguments in proof of it. After this a large part of the Surah is devoted to a discussion of the fight of disbelievers against truth, and to the evil end to which they ultimately come, giving reasons why they reject truth and why they strive and struggle against it, and how, when their efforts appear to be on the point of bearing fruit they come to nought, and truth, instead of going under, begins to prosper, prevail and predominate. The Surah further declares complete frustration and disappointment to be the lot of the disbelievers; they burn in the fire of disgrace and humiliation. Towards the close, the Holy Prophet is enjoined to bear with patience and fortitude all the mockery, opposition, and persecution to which he was subjected, because his cause was bound to succeed. " "CH.68 PT.29 3196 (AL-QALAM ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.By the inkstand and by the pen and by that which they write,4308 3.Thou art not, by the grace of thy Lord, a madman.b4309 4.And for thee, most surely, there is an unending reward.4310 aSee 1:1. b34:47; 52:30. 4308. Important Words: واو( by), means, I swear; I cite as witness or evidence. For the philosophy and significance of Quranic oaths, see 37:2; 51:2 & 91:2. Commentary: In this verse the inkstand, the pen and all the written material is cited as evidence to support and substantiate the statement made in the next three verses. 4309. Commentary: The verse means that by whatever test of knowledge and learning the claim of the Holy Prophet is examined, he will be found to be not a maniac, as the disbelievers say, but the sanest and the wisest of men. It further says that all other Divine Messengers were also stigmatised as lunatics because, in view of very heavy odds against them and of their own helpless weak position, their claim that despite the great power, prestige and resources of their opponents they would succeed and their enemies would fail, appeared to the latter to be nothing better than the ravings of a madman. The next verse gives the reason why this charge is not only unfounded but also foolish and fantastic. 4310. Commentary: This verse, along with the next, exposes the absurdity of the charge of madness. It purports to say that the actions of a madman produce no useful result, but that the Holy Prophet will eminently succeed in fulfilling the object of his Divine mission and in bringing about a wonderful revolution in the lives of his degenerate people. And this revolution will not end with his death. On the contrary, whenever in future his followers will deviate from the path of rectitude, God will raise among them Reformers who will regenerate them and will infuse in them a new life. And this process will continue till the end of time. This is " "PT.29 AL-QALAM CH.68 3197 the significance of the words, "" and for thee is an unending reward."" 4311. Commentary: This verse constitutes a further eloquent commentary on the charge of madness imputed to the Holy Prophet. It purports to say that the Prophet, not only is not a maniac but is the noblest and sublimest of men possessing in full measure all those moral excellences that combine to make their possessor a perfect image of his Creator. The Holy Prophet ’s humanity was of the most perfect character. He was a complete embodiment of all good moral qualities that a man is capable of possessing. It is to this aspect of the Holy Prophet’s greatness that his talented wife, ‘A ’ishah, referred, when, on being asked to shed some light on the Prophet’s habits and morals she said کان خلق ه القران i.e. he possessed all those moral excellences which are mentioned in the Qur an as the special marks of its true followers (Bukh ari). See also 20:2 & 33:22. 4312. Commentary: The verse turns tables upon the accusers of the Holy Prophet, and tells them in challenging words that time will show whether it was he or they who suffered from madness, or whether his claim to be God’s Messenger was the outpouring of a heated brain, or whether they themselves were so demented as not to read the signs of time and thus refuse to believe in him. 4313. Important Words: تدھن( thou shouldst be pliant ) is derived from دھن which means, he was or became weak. أدھن فالنا means, he5.And thou dost surely possess high moral excellences.4311 6.And thou wilt soon see and they too will see . 7.Which of you is afflicted with madness .4312 8.Surely, thy Lord knows best those who go astray from His way,a and He knows best those who follow guidance. 9.So comply not with the wishes of those who reject the truth . 10. bThey wish that thou shouldst be pliant so that they may also be pliant.4313 a16:126; 53:31 . b17:74; 56:82. " "CH.68 AL-QALAM PT.29 3198 endeavoured to conciliate or make peace with such a one; he treated him with gentleness; he acted towards him with dishonesty or dissimulation; h e pretended the contrary of what he concealed in his mind with regard to him; he strove to deceive him (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse may have special reference to the offers which the Quraish of Mecca had made to the Holy Prophet in order to tempt him away from his fixed purpose, or it may possess general application, since truth is as firm as rock while falsehood has no legs to stand upon and gives way to pressure or temptation and is ready to make compromises. 4314. Important Words: منیم( slander) is derived from نم which means, he uttered calumny or excited discord . منیم means, mischievous and malicious misrepresentation; calumny, slander (Lane & Aqrab ). 4315. Important Words: عتل( ill-mannered) is derived from عتل‘( atala ). عتله means, he dragged him or drove him along roughly. عتل means, a great eater who refuses to give; gross, coarse, rough or rude person; low, ignoble; mean (Lane). زنیم( of doubtful birth) is derived from زنم( zannama ) and تزنیم is conjoining anyone with a people or party to which he does not belong. زنیم means, one adopted among a people to whom he does not belong, not being needed by them; base, ignoble, mean; the son of an adulteress or fornicatress (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The reference in this and the three verses preceding it may be to Wal id bin Mugh irah or Ab u Jahl, etc. or to every leader of falsehood. 4316. Commentary: The verse signifies that all sin, vice and opposition to Truth is born of conceit or false pride which are 11.And yield thou not to any mean swearer, 12. aBackbiter, one who goes about slandering,4314 13. bForbidder of good, transgressor, sinful, 14.Ill-mannered and, in addition to that, of doubtful birth.4315 15. cThis is because he possesses riches and children.4316 a49:12; 1 04:2. b50:26. c23:56; 74:13-14. " "PT.29 AL-QALAM CH.68 3199 maladies of one who manages to amass great wealth and who wields great power and influence. Or, the verse, in conjunction with those preceding it, may mean that base and vile man should not be shown consideration or respect, simply because he happens to possess wealth and influence. 4317 . Commentary: As, disbelievers, out of pride and a false sense of power reject the Divine Message, God will disgrace and humiliate them. ""Branding on the snout "" is a metaphor for disgracing a person. 4318. Commentary: Here the base, greedy and conceited disbelievers have been compared to the owner of a garden who would devour all its fruit and would not allow any share to those who had also put in their labour in developing the gardens and would defraud them of their just rights. 4319 . Important Words: نیستثنو( made no exception) is derived from ثین . They say استثناہ i.e. he excluded it or excepted it. االستثناء in the case of an oath means, saying انشاء اّللٰ i.e. if God please (Lane). Commentary: The owners of the ""garden"" greedily devoured the fruit of the labour of others and fed fat on it, excluding the latter from sharing it with them. Or, the verse may mean that they spent no part of their wealth for the benefit of their poor brethren. Or, it may signify that they were so sure of the successful outcome of their labours and were so certain of gathering in their harvest without any mishap that they completely forgot God, omitting to seek Divine protection by uttering the words "" If God please."" 16. aWhen Our Signs are recited unto him, he says, ‘Stories of the ancients!’ 17.We will brand him on the snout.4317 18.We will surely try them as We tried the owners of the garden when they vowed that they would certainly pluck all its fruit in the morning,4318 19.And they made no exception and said not, ‘If God please .’4319 a8:32; 16:25; 83:14. " "CH.68 AL-QALAM PT.29 3200 4320. Commentary: The verse means that Divine punishment overtook the ""garden"" in a sudden and swift sweep . 4321. Important Words: الصریم( cut down) is derived from صرم .They say صرمه i.e. he cut it, cut it through or severed it; or he ceased to associate with him. صریم means, cut off, cut through or severed; black land that does not grow anything; night; the dark night or a portion thereof. The words أصبحت کالصریم mean, it became burnt up and black like the night (Lane). 4322. Commentary: The rich owners of the ""garden"" in the parable are compared to those selfish, cruel and greedy persons who, besides exploiting the labour of others, are so stingy that they do not spend any part of their ill-gotten gains for the needy and the poor. 4323 . Important Words: حرد( hardun ) infinitive noun from حرد (harada ) which means, (1) he tended, repaired, or betook himself; (2) he sought, pursued or desired:(3) he prevented, hindered, prohibited, debarred; (4) he separated himself 20. aThen a visitation from thy Lord visited it while the y were asleep;4320 21.And the morning found it like a garden cut down overnight .4321 22.So they called to one another at the break of dawn, 23.Saying, ‘Go forth early in the morning, to your field, if you would gather the fruit.’ 24.And they set out talking to one another in low tones, 25.Saying, ‘Let no poor man today enter it against you r will.’ 4322 26.And they went forth early in the morning, determined to be niggardly .4323 a3:118; 18:43. " "PT.29 AL-QALAM CH.68 3201 from others or he forsook his people (Lane). Commenta ry: The exploiters of the labour of others are a class by themselves. They seek and scheme to debar the latter from the benefits of what they earn by the sweat of their brow. They revel in wealth, while the poor grovel in dirt and squalor before their very eyes. 4324. Commentary: Sooner or later nemesis overtakes these exploiters and their contrivances to deprive others of the fruit of their labour fail altogether in their purpose. 4325. Commentary: The parable of the owners of the ""garden"" may apply also to the leaders of the Quraish who had made life very miserable for the poor Muslims. They were sternly warned that all their designs against Islam would come to nought and all their efforts would prove abortive and they would be deprived of all their gardens 27.But when they saw it, they said, ‘Surely, we have lost our way!’ 28.‘Nay, we have been deprived of all our fruit .’4324 29.The best among them said, ‘Did I not say to you, “ Why do you not glorify God?” ’ 30.Thereupon, they said, ‘Glory be to our Lord. Surely, we have been wrongdoers.’ 31.Then some of them turned to the others, reproaching one another. 32.They said, ‘Woe to us! We were indeed rebellious against God.’ 33.‘Maybe, if we repent, our Lord will give us instead a better garden than this; we do humbly entreat our Lord.’4325 " "CH.68 AL-QALAM PT.29 3202 and "" fruit. "" But those who turn to God with true repentance would be rewarded many times more than what they will lose. 4326. Commentary: The verse speaks of two kinds of punishment. The punishment referred to in the preceding several verses i n the words ""such is the punishment"" is the chastisement which overtook the opponents of Islam in this life. Those of them who repented were received in God’s grace and were blessed with worldly gifts many times more than what they had lost. But those who persisted in their opposition to Tru th and died in disbelief, will have a great punishment in the Hereafter. 4327. Commentary: The verse purports to say that while the rebellious owners of the ""garden"" (v. 18) will be deprived of it, the righteous believers will have ""Gardens of Bliss"" from their Lord. 4328. Commentary: See next verse. 34.Such is the punishment of this world . aAnd surely the punishment of the Hereafter is greater. Did they but know!4326 R. 2. 35. bFor the righteous, indeed, there are Gardens of Bliss with their Lord.4327 36. cShall We then treat those who submit to Us as We treat the guilty? 37.What is the matter with you? How judge ye! 38.Have you a Book wherein you read, 39.That you shall surely have in it whatever you choose?4328 40.Or have you any covenant binding on Us till the Day of Resurrection that you shall a13:35; 39:27. b13:30; 3 0:16; 68:35; 78:32-33. c32:19; 38:29; 45:22. " "PT.29 AL-QALAM CH.68 3203 4329. Commentary: In vv. 36-39 above, it was stated that a person who severs all connection with God and defies and contravenes His laws, can never be treated like one who makes those laws a rule of life. Both these classes of men choose different ways of life and inevitably come to different ends. This is God’s eternal and unchangeable laws which cannot be altered to suit anybody’s wishful thinking. Further, disbelievers were asked whether there was any authority in any revealed Scripture that they would be allowed to choose a way of life of their own liking and would escape the consequences of their evil deeds. In the present verse they are told that if they possess no Scriptural authority to support their foolish ideas, and if reason and logic too, do not support them, have they then taken a covenant from God which will remain in force till the Day of Judgement that they will have whatever they like and do whatever they like and yet not suffer the consequences flowing from their actions? If they think so, the verse warns them, they are mistaken. 4330. Important Words: عن ساق یکشف ( truth shall be laid bare). They say قامت القومعیل ساق i.e. the people were or became in a state of distress. The Arabic idiom کشفت احلرب عن ساق means, the fight became vehement. ساق meaning i.e. severity or hardness, the expression کشف االمر عن ساق is explained as meaning, when the affair became distressful or when the truth of the matter was laid bare (Lane, Kashsh af and Bai dawi). See also 27:45. Commentary: The verse may refer to the hardness and severity of the Day of Resurrection or to the lifting of the surely have whatever you judge ?4329 41.Ask them which of them will vouch for that. 42.Or have they any ‘partners’ of God ? Let them, then, produce those ‘partners’ of theirs, if they speak the truth. 43.On the day when the truth shall be laid bare and they will be called upon to prostrate themselves, they will not be able to do so ;4330 " "CH.68 AL-QALAM PT.29 3204 veil from all mysteries and coming to light of all secrets on that Day. The words, ""They will not be able to do so,"" signify that the guilty w ill not be able to make amends for their sins of omission or commission, the time for repentance having passed long ago. 4331. Important Words: مھترھق ( will cover them). رھقه means, it reached or over took him or it; he followed him and was about to overtake him; it covered him or it. رھقت امثا means, I committed a sin. رھقه الدین means, debt covered him. أرھقه عسرا means, he constrained him to do a difficult thing (Lane and Aqrab). Commentary: When disbelievers were in full possession of all their faculties and were enjoying peace, prosperity and security, they defied and violated Divine laws, but when, on the Judgement Day, punishment will stare them in the face, they will beg to be allowed to repent and make amends, but then it will be too late. 4332. Commentary: The verse shows that Divine punishment will overtake disbelievers by degrees and in stages and thus they will have ample opportunities to repent and make amends by accepting the Message of the Quran. The punishment began with the Battle of Badr and reached its culmination in the Fall of Mecca, extending over a period of about eight years. 4333. Commentary: God grants respite to sinful people in order that they might repent and give up their evil ways. He is not in a hurry to punish because they are within His control and in His grip and cannot evade or elude the mills of 44.Their eyes will be cast downa, and humiliation will cover them; and they were indeed called upon to prostrate themselves when they were safe and sound, but they obeyed not . 4331 45. bSo leave Me alone with those who reject this Word of Ours . cWe shall draw them near to destruction step by step from whence they know not.4332 46. dAnd I give them respite; for My plan is strong.4333 a75:25-26; 88:3-4. b73:12; 74:12. c7:183. d7:184. " "PT.29 AL-QALAM CH.68 3205 God, which grind slowly but grind exceedingly small. 4334. Commentar y: The verse purports to say that God has granted respite to disbelievers that they may listen to and accept the Message of the Prophet who asks for no reward from them, but, on the contrary, actuated by sincere sympathy and solicitude for their spiritual well-being, preaches the Divine Word to them and suffers hardships for their sake. 4335. Commentary: The disbelievers do not know what is in store for them —what is and what is not good for them. The unseen has been revealed to the Prophet only. This is another reason why they should accept his Message. 4336. Commentary: The Holy Prophet is here comforted not to lose patience or give way to disappointment just because his people do not believe in him and oppose him. The time was fast approaching when they will listen, and give their allegiance, to him. 4337. Commentary: The verse may also imply a subtle hint to the Holy Prophet’s Hijrah (Migration) to Medina. 47. aDost thou ask a reward of them that they are as if being weighed down by its burden ? 4334 48. bHave They the knowledge of the unseen so that they write it down?4335 49.So be thou steadfast in carrying out the command of thy Lord, and cbe not like the Man of the Fish when he called to his Lord and he was full of grief.4336 50. dHad not a favour from his Lord reached him, he would have surely been cast upon a bare tract of land, while he would have been held to be blameworthy by his people .4337 a23:73; 52:41 . b52:42 . c21:88; 37:141 . d21:89; 3 7:144-146. " "CH.68 AL-QALAM PT.29 3206 4338. Commentary: The verse appears to say to the Holy Prophet that disbelievers cast severe looks at him that might frighten a person of a lesser calibre into giving up his mission, but he has a Divine Message to deliver to the world and so he can hardly be intimidated into yielding to such pressure tactics. They call him a madman. But far from this, his teaching contains the quintessence of wisdom; through it not only his own people —the Arabs —would be lifted from the lowest depths of degradation to the highest summits of greatness and glory, but it would also cleanse other peoples, freeing them from moral blemishes and raising their spiritual stature ( v. 52). 4339. Commentary: See the preceding verse. 51.But his Lord chose him and made him one of the righteous. 52.And those who disbelieve would fain have dislodge d thee from thy God-given station with their angry looks when they heard the Reminder; and they say, ‘He is certainly mad.’4338 53.Nay, it is naught but a source of honour for all the worlds.4339 " "3207 CHAPTER 69 AL-HAQQAH (Revealed before Hijrah) General Remarks The Surah, like its predecessor, was, as its subject matter shows, among the earliest chapters revealed at Mecca. It is almost entirely devoted to the subject of the inevitability of the Resurrection; and adduces the sure and certain success of the Holy Prophet against heavy odds as an argument in support of that hypothesis. As the Holy Prophet’s ultimate success, and the Resurrection were regarded by the disbelievers as impossible, the coming to pass of the one did indeed constitute an incontrovertible proof that the other would also happen. Thus the Surah opens with a firm and emphatic declaration that enemies of truth shall be routed, and disbelievers are warned that if they do not desist from their evil course, they will be punished like the people of Noah, the ‘ Ad and Tham ud tribes and the mighty hosts of Pharaoh. They ""disobeyed the Messenger of their Lord, so He seized them —a severe seizing."" The Surah draws a parallel between the destruction of the rejecters of Divine Message and the Resurrection, and proceeds to say that for disbelievers the ""hour"" of punishment will be most distressful and agonizing; for the believers it will be a time of perennial joy and happiness. The righteous servants of God ""will have a delightful life in a lofty Garden,"" and the deniers of truth ""will be seized, fettered and cast into Hell."" The Surah closes with a firm and emphatic declaration that both these events —the Resurrection and the success of the Prophet’s cause, will most surely come to pass, because what the Prophet says is God’s own revealed Word and not the bragging of a poet or the idle conjecture of a soothsayer, for, if he had forged a lie against God, he would have met with sure and violent death, because a forger is never allowed to prosper. " "CH.69 PT.29 3208 (AL-HAQQAH ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.4340 2.The Inevitable! 4341 3.What is the Inevitable? 4.And what should make thee know what the Inevitable is? 5.The tribe of Tham ud and the tribe of ‘Ad treated as a lie the sudden calamity.4342 aSee 1:1. 4340. Commentary: See 1:1. 4341. Important Words: احلاقة( the Inevitable) is derived from حق which means, it was or became suitable to the requirements of wisdom, justice or truth; it was or became established as a fact. حق االمر means, he established it as a fact. احلاقة being synonymous with حقیقة means, an inevitable event, reality or truth. See also 2:148, 181; 3:109 ; 23:63; 32:4. (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The word احلاقة having the sense of an established or inevitable fact, or a catastrophe which is sure to happen, or according to some authorities, the final overthrow of disbelief, the verse may refer to the Day of Judg ement or to a calamitous event that would befall disbelievers. The calamitous event may particularly refer to the Fall of Mecca when Islam became firmly and finally establ ished in Arabia and idol worship disappeared from the land for all time. The three brief opening verses of the Surah embodied a great prophecy that the overthrow of disbelievers was inevitable. The inevitability of their doom was declared at a time when Islam was yet in its infancy and was fighting for its very existence. The inevitable proved to be literally true, and thus set the seal on the inevitability of the Day of Judgement. See also 13:32. 4342. Important Words: القارعة( the sudden calamity) is derived from قرع .They say قرع رأسه بالعصا i.e. he struck his head with a stick. قرع الباب means, he knocked at the door. القارعة means, a great calamity which strikes terror into the hearts of people (Lane & Aqrab) . Commentary: Whereas, in the preceding three " "PT.29 AL-HAQQAH CH.69 3209 verses, the inevitability of the doom in store for the opponents of the Holy Prophet was emphasized, in the verse under comment the case of the ‘ Ad and the Tham ud tribes is cited to warn them that they should learn a lesson from the evil fate of these peoples, who in the remote past, flourished in their neighbourhood. 4343. Commentary: طاغیة having been derived from طیغ which means, he exceeded the limits, signifies an extremely severe punishment. For the nature of the calamity which befell the tribe of Tham ud see 7:79; 41:18 & 54:32. It has been variously described in the Quran as الصیحة( the violent cry):الرجفة (the earthquake):and الصاعقه( the thunderbolt). In fact it was a severe earthquake. 4344. Important Words: حسوما( continuously) is deri ved from حسم .They say حسمه i.e. he cut it off entirely. حسمھم means, he caused them to perish completely. حسم یف العمل means, he laboured hard and wearied himself with continuous work. حسمت الدابة means, I caute rized the beast by successive operat ions. االیام احلسوم means, evil or unlucky days that are consecutive or permanent, or days preventing good or prosperity; disastrous days (Lane & Aqrab). صرعٰ( lying prostrate) is the plural of صریع which is derived from صرع .They say صرعه he threw him down on the ground. صریع means, thrown down or prostrated in the ground; affected with epilepsy or madness; slain. One would say رأیت شجرھم صرعٰ i.e. I saw their trees cut down (Lane & Aqrab). 6. aThen, as for Tham ud they were destroyed with a violent blast.4343 7. bAnd as for ‘ Ad, they were destroyed by a fierce roaring wind, 8.Which God caused to blow against them for seven nights and eight days continuously, so that thou mightest have seen the people therein lying prostratec, as though they were trunks of palm trees fallen down.4344 1 9.Dost thou see any remnant of them? a41:18; 54:32. b41:17; 54:20. c54:21. " "CH.69 AL-HAQQAH PT.29 3210 4345. Commentary: ""The overthrown cities"" were Sodom and Gomorra h. See also 11:83. 4346. Commentary: The reference in the verse is to Noah’s Flood. 4347. Important Words: اھتعی ( might retain it) is derived from وع . They say وع احلدیث i.e. he kept or retained the narrative in his mind or memory; he learned it by heart (Aqrab). Commentary: The various punishments which overtook disbelievers for their sins and opposition to Divine Prophets at different times have been mentioned as a standing and permanent reminder to those who defy God’s laws and His Message, implying that opponents of the Holy Prophet would meet with no better fate if they did not repent and give up their evil ways. 4348. Commentary: From this verse begins a description of the punishment that overtook the opponents of the Holy Prophet, namely, the Fall of Mecca, their greatest stronghold and the centre of their power and glory. The Holy Prophet’s march on Mecca was so swift and sudden that the Meccans were taken completely by surprise. It came, as it were, as a bolt from the blue. The description may equally apply to the Day of Resurrection, when with the blowing of the trumpet both 10. aAnd Pharaoh, and those who were before him, and the overthrown cities persistently committed sins.4345 11.And they disobeyed the Messenger of their Lordb, therefore He seized them —a severe seizing. 12. cVerily, when the waters rose high, We bore you in the boat,4346 1 13.That We might make it a reminder for you, dand that retaining ears might retain it.4347 14. eAnd when a single blast is sounded on the trumpet,4348 a28:9. b73:17. c11:41; 54:14. d29:16; 54:16 . e18:100; 23:102; 36:52; 39:69; 50 :21. " "PT.29 AL-HAQQAH CH.69 3211 the righteous and the guilty will stand before God’s Great Judgement Seat to render an account of their actions and deeds. 4349. Commentary: The verse may also signify that the whole of Arabia will be shaken from one end to the other; leaders of Arab aristocracy and the common folk will feel the strong impact of the conquests of Islam and of the great and violent change it will bring about in their lives. اجلبال may signify leaders of men and االرض common folk. 4350. Commentary: On that day Mecca, the great centre of idol worship in Arabia will fall. The great event referred to here is also mentioned in 56:2, along with the results that followed from it. 4351. Important Words: واھیة( frail) is derived from ویھ .Theysay ویھ الیشء i.e. the thing became worn out and weak. ویھ احلائط means, the wall was about to fall. ویھ الثوب means, the cloth was worn out. واھیة means, weak, frail; broken or rent (Aqrab). Commen tary: The reference in the verse may be to some natural phenomenon which took the form of Divine punishment. Or the word السماء meaning the covering overhead, the verse may signify that the covering over the heads of disbelie vers would cleav e asunder, i.e. with the Fa ll of Mecca their political power would vanish and no protection or asylum would remain for them except that they should join the fold of Islam. 4352. Important Words: For عرش see 7:55, 10:4 and 20:6. The word represents God’s transcendent attributes ( صفات تزنیھیة ) which are His exclusive prerogative. 15.And the earth and the mountains are heaved up and then are crushed in a single crash.4349 16.On that day will the great Event come to pass.4350 17.And the heaven will cleave asunder,a and it will be frail that day.4351 18. bAnd the angels will be standing on the sides thereof, and above them on that day eight angels will bear the throne of thy Lord.4352 a55:38; 84:2. b39:76; 40:8. " "CH.69 AL-HAQQAH PT.29 3212 These attributes are manifested through God’s attributes of similitude (صفات تشبیھیة ) which have been described in the verse as the bearers of God’s Throne. Commentary: God’s attributes of similitude which have been described here as the bearers of the Divine Throne are رب العاملنی i.e. the Creator and Sustainer of the world; الرمحن i.e. the Gracious, Who fulfils all the needs of m an, even before he is born and without any effort on his part; الرحیم i.e. the Merciful. Who causes man’s labours to produce the best possible results, and مالک یوم الدین i.e. Master of the Day of Judg ement, to Whom all will have to render an account of th eir actions. These are the basic Divine attributes by which the world subsists and which mainly concern man’s life and destiny. In view of their majesty, and greatness these four Divine attributes will have a double manifestation on the Day of Judge ment. And as Divine attributes ar e manifested through angels, therefore, eight angels are mentioned to be the bearers of the Throne of God on that Great Day. Or the verse may signify that on the day of the Fall of Mecca the four basic Divine attributes will have a double manifestation, as on that day the foundations of Islam, humanity’s last and most perfect religious system, will be firmly laid and God’s power and glory will be manifested through, and for the sake of, the Holy Prophet. The clause ""the angels would be standing on the sides thereof"" may also signify that when the heavens of Arabia would be cleft asunder, i.e. when old order will vanish, the angels of God will lay the foundation of a new and better one. Or the words may mean that when the heavens will be cleft asunder, i.e. when terrible punishment will overtake the Meccans, God’s angels will take their stand on its sides in order to protect the Holy Prophet and the Muslims. 4353. Commentary: Besides the meaning given in the text, the verse signifies that on the day of the Fall of Mecca falsity of the idolatrous beliefs and practices of the Meccans will stand completely exposed. 4354. Commentary: Elsewhere in the Quran (56:28) the righteous are called ""fellows or 19.On that day you will be presented before God ; and none of your secrets will remain hiddena.4353 20. bThen, as for him who is given his record in his right hand, he will say, ‘Come, read my record. ’4354 a4:43; 41:21. b17:72; 45:30; 84:8-9. " "PT.29 AL-HAQQAH CH.69 3213 companions of the right hand."" To be given one’s record in one’s right hand is a Quranic metaphor for having passed the test successfully. 4355. Commentary: The verse shows the firmness of the belief of the righteous believers in the Hereafter. 4356. Commentary: This and the following several verses give a graphic description of the blissful life that the righteous would lead in Paradise. The blessings and gifts mentioned in these verses are physical representations in Paradise of actions and deeds the believers had done in the present life. Incidentally, the verses may apply to the life of comfort and the joy and peace the followers of the Holy Prophet came to enjoy after they had conquered the vast fertile valleys of the Persian and Byzantine Empires. Those who used to live in miserable hovels and huts, became, in a few years, the dwellers of stately palaces. 4357. Important Words: قطوف( clusters of fruit) is plural of قطف( qitfun) which is derived from قطف .They say قطف الثمر i.e. he culled, plucked and gathered the fruit. ءقطف الیش means, he took hastily the thing or snatched it. قطف means, a bunch of grapes; culled fruit (Aqrab). Commentary: Besides referring to the blessings and boons of Paradise, the verse may be taken also to refer to the worldl y comforts that were at the disposa l of the Holy Prophet’s Companions. 21.‘Surely, I knew that I would meet my reckoning.’4355 22. aSo he will enjoy a delightful life, 23. bln a lofty Garden,4356 24. cWhereof clusters of fruit will be within easy reach.4357 25. dIt will be said to the righteous believers, ‘Eat and drink joyfully because of the good deeds you did in days gone by.’ 26. eBut as for him who is given his record in his left hand, he a88:10; 101:8. b43:73; 88:11. c55:55; 76:15. d77:44. e56:42-43; 84:11-13. " "CH.69 AL-HAQQAH PT.29 3214 4358. Commentary: To be given one’s record in one’s left hand, in Quranic terminology represents failure in a test. Elsewhere in the Quran (56:42) the guilty have been described as ""fellows of the left hand."" 4359. Commentary: Disbelievers would wish death to be the end of all things so that there should be no other life and no rendering of account of their actions before God. 4360. Commentary: It has repeatedly been explained in the Quran that life after death is not a new life but only an image and manifestation of the present one. In these verses the spiritual torture of the present world has been represented as a physical punishment in the next world. The chain to be put round the neck, for instance, represents the desires of this world which keep a man’s head bent upon the earth, and it is these desires that will assume the form of a chain in the life to come. Similarly, the entanglements of this world will be seen as chains on the feet. The heart- burning of this world will likewise appear as the flames of burning fire. The wicked man in fact has in this very world within himself a hell of will say, ‘O! would that I had not been given my record!4358 27.Nor known what my reckoning was! 28.O! would that death had made an end of me !4359 29.My wealth has been of no avail to me. 30.My power has gone from me.’ 31.The angels will be commanded, a‘Seize him and fetter him, 32.Then cast him into Hell. 33.Then put him into a chain the length of which is seventy cubits;4360 a76:5. " "PT.29 AL-HAQQAH CH.69 3215 his passions and inextinguishable desires; he feels the burning of that hell in the failures he meets within this life. When, therefore, he will see a never-ending despair before him in the new world, his desires will assume the shape of burning fire. The ""securing"" of the sinful with the chain of a length of seventy cubits revea ls the same secret. The limit of man’s age may generally be fixed at seventy, and a wicked person often lives up to that age in his wickedness. Sometimes, he even enjoys seventy years excluding the periods of childhood and decrepitude. These seventy years, during which he could work with honesty, wisdom and zeal he wastes away in the entanglements of the world and in satisfying his sensual passions. He does not try to free himself from the chain of desires, and, therefore, in the next world the chain of desires which he indulged in for seventy years shall be embodied in a chain of a length of seventy cubits, every cubit representing a year, with which the wicked shall be fettered. 4361. Commentary: The disbelievers did not befriend the poor and did not discharge their obligations to them. So they will have no friend at a time when they will stand in need of one on the Day of Reckoning, and will be given the washing of wounds to satisfy their hunger, because they did not feed the needy and the hungry in this life; their acts of omission in this life will take the form of the punishment described in these verses in the next life. 4362. Commentary: The things which we see in the physical world, i.e. the visible facts of life, and the things which are hidden from our view, i.e. human reason and conscience, have been cited in the verses 39- 40 as proofs to establish the 34.Verily, he did not believe in Allah, the Great, 35. aAnd he did not urge the feeding of the poor.4361 36. bNo friend, therefore has he here this day: 37.Nor any food save the washing of wounds,c 38.Which none but the sinners eat.’ R. 2. 39.But nay, I swear by all that you see,4362 a74:45; 89:19; 107:4. b43:68; 70:11; 80:38. c14:17; 78:25-26. " "CH.69 AL-HAQQAH PT.29 3216 Divine origin of the Quran. Or the verse s 39-40 may mean that the great signs which disbelievers in the Holy Prophet’s time witnessed with their own eyes, and the prophecies about the bright future of Islam which yet await fulfilment constitute an irrefutable argument, that the Quran is God’s own Word which He revealed to His noble Prophet Muh ammad. It deals with the hard facts of life and is not a poet’s fond dream, nor the groping in the dark of a soothsayer. See also 26:225-227. 4362A. Important Words: اقاویل( sayings) is the plural of اقوال which is the plural of قول which is derived from قال which means, he said. تقول علیه means, he forged a lie against him (Aqrab). 4362B. Important Words: مینی( right hand) is derived from مین . They say مین الر جل i.e. he came from the side of the man. مین اهلل فالنًا means, God made him blessed. مینی means, blessing, good luck; power, strength, right side (Aqrab). 40.And by all that you see not, 41.That it is surely the word brought by a noble Messenger; 42.And it is not the word of a poet;a little is it that you believe! 43. bNor is it the word of a soothsayer; little is it that you heed! 44.It is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds. 45. cAnd if he had forged and attributed any sayings to Us,4362A 46.We would surely, have seized him by the right hand,4362B 47.And then surely, We would have severed his life-artery, a21:6; 26:225; 3 6:70; 52:31. b52:30. c40:29. " "PT.29 AL-HAQQAH CH.69 3217 4363. Commentary: In verses 39- 40 above it was claimed that all visible and invisible things prove that the Holy Prophet is God’s true Messenger and that the Quran is God’s revealed Word and not the imaginary flight of a poet’s mind or the wild conjectures of a diviner. In this and the preceding three verses another irrefutable argument is given to support his claim. The argument is to the effect that if the Holy Prophet had been a forger of lies against God, God’s strong hand would have seized him by the throat and the Prophet would certainly have met with a violent death; his whole work and mission would have gone to pieces, because such is the fate of a false prophet. The claim and arguments contained in these verses seem to be an exact reproduction of the following Biblical statement:""I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren (i.e. the Ishmaelites) like unto thee and will put My word in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. But the Prophet which shall presume to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak even that Prophet shall die"" (Deut. 18:20). 4364. Commentary: Only the righteous believers and those who have fear of God in their hearts will benefit from the arguments given in the above verse. Or the meaning is that the Qura n would prove a potent means of raising those, who would believe in it, to great eminence —the root word ذکر from which تذکرة is derived meaning eminence. 4365. Commentary: The verse means that disbelievers would some day regret the rejection of the Message of the Quran. Or it may mean that upon seeing the great boons and blessings bestowed upon Muslims as a result of following the teaching of the Quran, disbelievers would regret their rejection of it. 48.And not one of you could have held Our punishment off from him.4363 49.And verily, it is a reminder for the righteous.4364 50.And surely, We know that there are some among you who reject Our Signs . 51.And, verily, it will be a source of regret for the disbelievers.4365 " "CH.69 AL-HAQQAH PT.29 3218 4366. Commentary: That the Quran is God’s revealed Word is a certain truth which no honest man can deny. So, glory be to the Lord Who revealed it. 52.And surely, it is the true certainty. 53. aSo glorify the name of thy Lord, the Great.4366 a56:75; 87:2. " "3219 CHAPTER 70 AL-MA‘ARIJ (Revealed before Hijrah) Introductory Remarks The Surah derives its title from the 4th verse. It was revealed at Mecca circa the 5th year of the Call, not later than the close of the early Meccan period. Nöldeke, Muir, and some other eminent authorities, assign this date to the revelation of the Surah. In the preceding Surah the disbelievers were warned that the great Calamity ( احلاقة )would soon overtake them if they did not repent of their sins and accept the Divine Message . The present Surah opens with a mention of the disbelievers’ demand, viz. when will the threatened punishment be? They are told that it would soon be upon them, nay, it is at their door, and that when it comes, it would be so overwhelming and devastating that it would cause the mountains to fly like flakes of wool, and that the disbelievers would wish to part with their near and dear ones —their wives, children and brothers as a ransom for themselves. Then it would be too late to repent and they would burn in hellfire which would strip off their skins. But God’s righteous servants will enjoy perfect happiness and security in ""Gardens"" —honoured and loved by their Lord. Towards the close of the Surah, disbelievers are told again, that due to the Muslims now being few in number, and weak, the disbelievers consider prophecies about the glorious future of Islam as only the dream of a visionary, but the time was fast approaching when, with their eyes cast down, they would hasten to the Holy Prophet to accept Islam. Then they would realize, to their shame and sorrow, that what the Prophet had foretold about their eventual defeat was only too true. " "CH.70 PT.29 3220 (AL-MA‘ARIJ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.An inquirer inquires concerning the punishment about to befallb 4367 3.The disbelievers, which none can repel.c 4.It is from Allah, Lord of great ascents.4368 5.The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a day, the measure of which is fifty thousand years.4369 aSee 1:1. b52:8; 56:2. c52:9; 56:3. 4367. Commentary: ""The inquirer"" in the verse is taken by some commentators to refer to Nadr bin Al-Harith, or Ab u Jahl. But it need not refer to any particular person. The disbelievers had repeatedly challenged the Holy Prophet to bring down upon them the threatened punishment (10:49; 21:39; 27:72; 32:29; 34:30; 36:49; 67:26). The demand was made in doubt and mockery. They had gone so far as to challenge the Prophet with the words, ""O Allah, if this be indeed the truth from Thee, then rain down upon us stones from heaven or bring down upon us a grievous punishment"" (8:33). The word ""inquirer"" may refer to all such questioners. 4368. Commentary: The verse may mean that instead of demanding punishment the disbelievers should have accepted the Message of Islam and thus should have won the pleasure of God. Or it may mean that while the punishment that will overtake disbelievers will be highly destructive, the ascent of the believers to heights of spiritual perfection will also be without end. Or the verse may signify that as the attributes of God are manifested in stages, the punishment of disbelievers will also come in stages. The verse may also signify that the day wh en disbelievers will receive the most humiliating punishment in the form of the Fall of Mecca will be the most auspicious day in the Holy Prophet’s life —the day of his معراج (Ascension), when he will be at the height o f his power. 4369. Important Words: لروحا ( Spirit) means, the human soul; " "PT.29 AL-MA‘ARIJ CH.70 3221 spirit; the vital principle; inspiration; revelation; Word of God; the Quran; angel Gabriel; joy; happiness; mercy of God, etc. (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: الروح meaning human soul, the word may signify that development and progress of the human soul will know no end. Or the verse may mean that Divine plans and programmes take thousands of years to mature. Or, the words ""fifty thousand years"" may have reference to the age of the world as estimated by some geologists from a study of the layers of earth. Or the reference may be to a specific cycle of fifty thousand years in which a great change was decreed to take place, because Divine prophecies have their fixed periods, epochs and cycles in which they are fulfilled. 4370. Commentary: Divine prophecies sometimes take thousands of years for their fulfilment. The Holy Prophetsa is enjoined to bear with patience the mockery and jibes of disbelievers because the hour of their punishment is delayed in order that they may have time to take heed, repent or make amends. 4371. Commentary: In this age of atom and hydrogen bombs, the flying of mountains like flakes of wool, is not an impossible occurrence. These verses may also have metaphorical reference to the Fall of Mecca. 6. aSo be patient with admirable patience.4370 7.They see it to be far off, 8. bBut We see it to be nigh. 9.The day when the heaven will become like molten copper, 10. cAnd the mountains will become like flakes of wool,4371 11. dAnd a friend will not inquire after a friend. 12.Though they will be placed in sight of one another, eand the guilty one would fain ransom himself from the punishment of a15:86. b17:52; 78:41. c20:106; 70:10; 101:6. d44:42; 69:36; 37:35 . e5:37; 13:19; 39:48. " "CH.70 AL-MA‘ARIJ PT.29 3222 4372. Commentary: What an awe-inspiring picture of the Day of Judgement is given in these verses! Face to face with a calamity man is prepared to part with everything, even to sacrifice his dearest and nearest ones if only by doing so he can save his own skin. 4373. Important Words: الشویٰ( extremities) is derived from شوی( .shawa ). They say شوی اللحم i.e. he roasted meat. شوی means, the arms or hands and the legs or feet, or the fore and hind legs and the extremities collectively; (2) the head of a human being or the bone above the brain. It is also the plural of شواة,whi ch means, the skin of the head in which grow the hair (Lane & Aqrab). 4374. Commentary: The hoarding of wealth, and not spending it in the service or promotion of good causes is very strongly condemned in these verses. 4375. Important Words: ھلوعًا( impati ent & miserly) is derived from ھلع which m eans, he was or became agitated, restless, seized that day by offering his children,4372 13. aAnd his wife and his brother, 14.And his kinsfolk who sheltered him, 15.And by offering all those who are on the earth, if only thus he might save himself. 16.But no! surely it is a flame of Fire, 17. bStripping off the skin even to the extremities of the body .4373 18.It will call him who turned his back and retreated. 19. cAnd hoarded wealth, and held it.4374 20.Verily, man is born impatient and miserly.4375 a31:34; 80:37. b74:30. c9:34; 53:35; 104:3. " "PT.29 AL-MA‘ARIJ CH.70 3223 with abject discouragement; he became hungry. ھلوع means, one who becomes restless and easily agitated and discouraged when in difficulty; one who is greedy about wealth and miserly in spending it; one who is much grieved and loses patience when in trouble (Aqrab). Commentary: The words, ""man is born impa tient and miserly,"" mean that man by nature is impatient and miserly. For this meaning of خلق see 21:38 & 30:55. 4376. Commentary: Prayer is the best form of worship; it is an obligation which man owes to God, as the ""giving of wealth to the poor"" is his obligation to his fellow man. These two together constitute the quintessence of all religious teaching. 4376A. Commentar y: This verse shows that all things in the universe being the common property of all mankind, there can be no absolute ownership of anything vesting in any individual, with the poor having a rightful share in the wealth of the rich. 4377. Important Words: املحروم may signify those persons who from a sense of dignity or from some infirmity would not ask for alms. The word includes animals also in its signification. 4378. Commentary: There can be no real sense of responsibility without a true and living belief in the Hereafter when man shall have to render account of his actions to his Lord and Creator. 21. aWhen evil touches him, he is full of lamentations, 22.But when good falls to his lot, he is niggardly. 23.Save those who pray. 24. bThose who are constant in their Prayer,4376 25. cAnd those in whose wealth there is a recognized right4376A 26.For one who asks for help and for one who does not.4377 27. dAnd those who believe in the Day of Judgement to be a reality,4378 a33:20. b6:93; 23:10. c51:20. d37:53-54. " "CH.70 AL-MA‘ARIJ PT.29 3224 Belief in the Hereafter is the second cardinal belief of Islam, next to belief in the existence of God. 4379. Commentary: For a detailed explanation of this verse see 23:7 and 24:34. 4380. Commentary: These verses ( vv. 24-33) mention those seven special marks of a true believer the possession of which leaves nothing to be desired and renders him fully deserving of the highest reward —the love and 28.And those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord — 29.Verily the punishment of their Lord is not a thing to feel secure from — 30. aAnd those who guard their private parts — 31. bExcept from their wives and from those whom their right hands possess; such indeed are not to blame;4379 32. cBut those who seek to go beyond that, it is these who are transgressors — 33. dAnd those who are watchful of their trusts, and their covenants. 34.And those who are upright in their testimonies, 35.And those who are strict in the observance of their Prayer. 36. eThese will be in the Gardens, duly honoured.4380 a23:6. b23:7. c23:8. d23:9. e18:108; 23:12. " "PT.29 AL-MA‘ARIJ CH.70 3225 pleasure of God —which in the Quran is termed as الفردوس( 23:12) or اجلنة( the Garden). See also 23 :12. 4381. Commentary: This and the preceding verse give a prophetic description of the coming triumph of Islam when the pagan tribes of Arabia, from every part of the country, hastened to wait in deputations upon the Holy Prophet, begging to be taken into the fold of Islam. Or the verses may refer to the highly alluring offers made by the leaders of the Quraish to the Holy Prophet, if only he should give up preaching against their idols. By some authorities, however, the verses have been taken to refer to the dangerous attacks that were made on the Holy Prophet in different forms by his opponents. 4382. Commentary: Taken along with its predecessor, the verse would mean that a man cannot hope to be received into God’s favour by mere expression of a pious wish . He has first to discharge his obligations to God, and his fellow- beings, and by making full use of God-given powers and faculties he has to traverse all the different stages of spiritual progress before he can hope to enter ""the Garden of Bliss."" The word مما signifies natural powers and faculties with w hich God has endowed him. 4382A. Commentary: See 37:6. R. 2. 37.But what is the matter with those who disbelieve, that they come hastening towards thee,a 38.From the right hand and from the left, in different parties?4381 39.Does every man among them hope to enter the Garden of Bliss? 40.Never! We have created them of that which they know.4382 41.But nay! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and of the Wests, that We have the power4382A a14:43-44. " "CH.70 AL-MA‘ARIJ PT.29 3226 4382B. Commentary: The opponents of the Holy Prophet are told here that it is an unalterable Divine decree that Islam shall succeed and prevail in Arabia and that if they rejected it, other people would enter its fold and inherit God’s blessings. The old order would change and from its ruins would emerge a new and better order. 4383. Commentary: The expression, ""that day of theirs which they are promised,"" means the day of the final triumph of Islam in Arabia and the complete defeat and discomfiture of disbelief —the day of the Fall of Mecca. 4384. Important Words: اجداث( graves) being the plural ofجدث which means, a grave; a sepulchre (Lane), it stands here for the houses of the disbelievers who were spiritually no better than dead. نصب means, a thing set up; a mile- stone; a goal or target (Aqrab). Commentary: See next verse. 4385. Commentary: What a true and graphic picture of the leaders of the Quraish, after the Fall of Mecca, when they came to the Holy Prophet, completely dejected, dispirited and dismayed, their eyes cast down, and disappointment, and a sense of guilt and regret, writ large on their faces? They deserved a very severe punishment, but the Holy Prophet forgave them out of such 42.To bring in their place others better than they, and We cannot be frustrated in Our plans.4382B 43. aSo leave them alone to indulge in idle talk and play until they meet that day of theirs which they are promised,4383 44. bThe day when they will come forth from their graves hastening, as though they were racing to a target,4384 45.Their eyes cast down, humiliation covering themc. Such is the day which they are promised.4385 a23:55; 43:84; 52:46. b36:52; 50:45; 54:8. c10:28; 54:8. " "PT.29 AL-MA‘ARIJ CH.70 3227 magnanimity of heart, as is unparalleled in history, not uttering even a word of reproach or taunt. That was their promised day —the day of their utter disgrace and humiliation. " "3228 CHAPTER 71 NUH (Revealed before Hijrah) Title, Context, and Date of Revelation As the Surah records the spiritual experiences of the Prophet Noah, it has been named after him. Wherry gives the date of its revelation as the 7th year of the Call, while Nöld eke places it in the 5th year but according to other authorities it was revealed in the first Meccan period, about the time when some of the immediately preceding Surahs were revealed. Towards the end of the preceding Surah it was stated that wicked people invariably reject the Divine Message; they oppose and persecute God’s Messengers till the hour of their punishment arrives, and they meet their deserved end. The present Surah gives a brief account of the missionary activities of one of the great Prophets of antiquity —Noah —who was so bitterly and stubbornly opposed that he prayed to God:""Let not a single disbeliever remain alive in the land"". A very destructive flood engulfed the whole country, bringing in its wake utter ruin and devastation. Summary of Subject Matter Noah’s account appears at several places in the Quran —with some detail in Surah H ud (vv. 26-50). In the present Surah, however, he pours out the agony of his heart before his Lord and Creator, in words full of extreme pathos. He preached to his people day and night, he says, and spoke to them in public and in private. He reminded them of the great favours and gifts that God had bestowed upon them. He warned them of the evil consequences of rejection of the Divine Message. But all his preaching and warning, his sympathy with and solicitude for, their well-being was only met with ridicule, opposition and abuse; and instead of following one whose heart was full of love for them, they chose to follow those leaders who led them to destruction. When Noah’s exhortations and preachings of a whole lifetime proved a voice in the wilderness, he prayed to God to ruin and destroy the enemies of truth. The Surah closes with this prayer of Noah. " "PT.29 CH.71 3229 (NUH) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2. bWe sent Noah to his people, saying, ‘Warn thy people before there comes upon them a grievous punishment. ’4386 3. cHe said, ‘O my people! surely I am a plain Warner unto you, 4. d’That you serve Allah and fear Him and obey me.4387 5.He will forgive you your sins and grant you respite till an appointed time. eVerily, the time appointed by Allah cannot be put back when it comes, if only you knew!’4388 6.He said, ‘ My Lord, I have called my people night and day, aSee 1:1. b11:26; 23:24. c7:60; 11:26. d7:60; 11:27 ; 23:24 . e63:12. 4386. Commentary: The Holy Prophet represented in himself all the Divine Messengers that had gone before him. The account given in this Surah of the Prophet Noah applies with equal effect to the conditions and circum- stances through which the Holy Prophet had to pass. It is in this light that the meaning of the Surah should be read and appreciated. 4387. Commentary: Observance of Divine laws, discharge of obligations due to God, and obedience to the commands and behests of His Prophets constitute the sum and substance of all religious teaching. 4388. Commentar y: When a Divine decree of " "CH.71 NUH PT.29 3230 punishment is in active operation, repentance is of no use. 4389. Important Words: For a detailed discussion of ثیاب,see 74:5, and for اسغشوا 11:6. The phrase استغشوا ثیابھم metaphorically means, they refused to listen to the Divine Message . They closed up all the avenues of their hearts against it. 4390. Commentary: These verses signify that the Prophet Noah employed all means t o make his people listen to the Divine Message. But they were equally determined not to listen to it. 7.But my calling them, has only made them flee from me all the more. 8.And every time I called them that Thou mightest forgive them, they put their fingers into their ears, and acovered themselves with their garments, and persisted in their iniquity, and were disdainfully proud.4389 9.Then, I called them to righteousness openly. 10.Then I preached to them in public, and admonished them in private.4390 11. bAnd I said, “Seek forgiveness of your Lord; for He is the Great Forgiver. 12.He will send down rain for you in abundance, 13.And He will grant you increase of wealth and children, and He will cause gardens to grow for you and will cause rivers to flow for you. a11:6. b11:4, 53. " "PT.29 NUH CH.71 3231 4391. Important Words: وقاراً( wisdom and staidness) is derived from وقر .They say وقر الرجل i.e. the man was or became grave, steady, wise, dignified, patient. وقار means, wisdom, staidness, dignity, gravity; greatness (Aqrab). Commentary: God (said Noah to his people) had conferred innumerable blessings upon them, the greatest being that He raised among them a Prophet by following whose teaching they could achieve greatness, a place of dignity and respect among the nations of the world. 4392. Important Words: اطوار( forms and conditi ons) is the plural of طور which, among other things, means, one time; quantity; measure; limit; state and condition; quality; capability; mode or manner. They say الناس ا طوار i.e. people are of divers e sorts, of different conditions and forms; of various d ispositions; capabilities; in different stages (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse may refer to the different stages and conditions of development through which the foetus passes — from the stage of a drop of sperm to that of a fully developed human being. This development of the foetus is fully described in 23:14-15. The verse may also signify that God has endowed different persons with different natural capacities and capabilities and that the existence, growth and development of human society depends on this disparity of attitudes and physical conditions. 4393. Commentary: The verse refers to the process of 14.What is the matter with you that you exp ect not wisdom and staidness from Allah?4391 15. aAnd He has created you in different forms and different conditions.4392 16. bHave you not seen how Allah has created seven heavens in perfect harmony, 17. cAnd has placed the moon therein as a light, and made the sun as a lamp? 18. d“And Allah has caused you to grow as a good growth from the earth,4393 a23:13-15; 40:68 . b65:13; 67:4. c10:6; 25:62. d7:26; 20:56. " "CH.71 NUH PT.29 3232 man’s creation from the earliest stage when he lies dormant in the form of dust. The inorganic constituents of the earth, through a subtle process of change, become converted into the life-germ through the agency of food which man eats. 4394. Commentary: The reference in the verse is to the Resurrection. Man will get a new life in the Hereafter in which his works and actions done in this life will assume the form of rewards and punishments of Heaven and Hell. 4395. Important Words: ود( Wadd ) is derived from ود (Wadda ). They say ودہ i.e. he loved him or it. ود( Wadd ) was an idol worshipped by the tribe of Banu Kalb in Daumatul-Jandal. It was in a man’s figure, representing manly power. سواع( Suw a‘) is derived from ساع . They say ساع الیش ء i.e. the thing was wasted (Lane). سواع was an idol which the Ban u Hudhail worshipped. It was in a woman’s shape, representing female beauty. یغوث( Yaghuth ) is derived from غاث . They say أغاثه i.e. he aided or helped19. a“Then will He cause you to return thereto, and He will bring you forth a new bringing forth.4394 20. b“And Allah has made the earth for you a wide expanse 21. c“That you may traverse the open ways thereof.”’ R. 2. 22.Noah said, ‘My Lord, they have disobeyedd and followed one whose wealth and children have only added to his ruin. 23.And they have planned a mighty plan. 24.And they say to one another, “Forsake not your gods.e And forsake neither Wadd nor Suwa‘, nor Yagh uth and Ya’ uq and Nasr.’4395 a7:26; 20:56. b20:54; 6 7:16; 78:7. c21:32. d26:118; 54:10 . e38:7. " "PT.29 NUH CH.71 3233 him. یغوث was an idol belonging to the tribe of Murad. Its votaries believed that it helped them when they called for help. یعوق( Ya‘uq) is derived from عاق . They say عاقه عن کذا i.e. he hindered or prevented or withheld him from such a thing (Lane). یعوق was an idol belonging to the tribe of Hamd an. It was in the shape of a horse, representing swiftness. Its votarie s believed that it prevented the enemy from doing harm to its worshippers, and warded off calamities from them. نسر( Nasr) is derived from نسر .They say نسر الطری i.e. the bird tore it with its beak. نسر means, eagle or vulture (Aqrab). It was an idol of the Dhu lKila‘ tribe. It was in the shape of an eagle or vulture, representing long life or insight. Commentary: From time immemorial, man, in his ignorance, has worshipped forces of nature, idols made of wood or stone, and human beings. Noah’s people were steeped in idol worship. They had many idols, the five mentioned in the verse under comment being the most popular. The Arabs, several centuries afterwards, are supposed to have brought them from Iraq; Hubal, their most famous idol, was brought from Syria by ‘ Amir bin Loh ay; their own principal idols being La t, Manat and ‘Uzz a. Or the Arabs might have named their own idols after the idols of the tribe of Noah as the two peoples were not very distant from each other and there was general intercourse between them. There is nothing impossible or improbable in the two neighbouring idolatrous peoples having identical names for their idols. 4396. Important Words: دیار is derived from دار and means, one who lives in a house. Th ey say ما یف الدار دیار i.e. there is no one in the house (Lane). Commentary: God’s Prophets are full of the milk 25.And they have led many astray;a so increase Thou not the wrongdoers but in error.’ 26. bBecause of their sins they were drowned and made to enter Fire. And they found no helpers for themselves against Allah. 27.And Noah said, ‘My Lord, leave not on the land a single dweller of the disbelievers;4396 a14:37. b21:78; 26:121; 37:83; 54:12-13. " "CH.71 NUH PT.29 3234 of human kindness. Noah’s prayer shows that opposition to him must have been long, persistent and unremitting, and that all his efforts to bring his people to the right path must have been abortive, and that there had remained no possibility for any further addition to his small following, and also that his opponents must have exceeded all legitimate bounds in opposing and persecuting him and his followers, and in indulging in evil pursuits. Matters must have come to such a pass that a man o f a compassionate disposition like Noah was constrained to pray against his people. In an identical situation the Holy Prophet’s attitude to his opponents presents a vivid contrast. In the Battle of U hud, the Holy Prophet had two of his teeth broken. He was badly wounded and bled profusely, and yet the only words that escaped his lips on that occasion, were, ""How will a people get salvation who have wounded their Prophet and have smeared his face with blood, for no fault but that he calls them to God. My Lord! forgive my people, they know not what they do"" (Zurq ani & Hish am). االرض( the land) in the verse signifies Noah’s own land ––Iraq ––and not the whole earth. This word has been used at several places in the Quran in the sense of a particular land or country (5:27 & 28:82). 4397. Commentary: Noah’s prayer, embodied in this and the preceding verse may be read as not against but rather for his people. Besides the meaning given in the text the prayer may signify that not a single disbeliever should remain in the land, i.e. all should become believers. 28.For, if Thou dost leave them, they will only lead astray Thy servants and will not beget but sinners and disbelievers.4397 29. aMy Lord! forgive me and my parents, and him who enters my house as a believer, and the believing men and the believing women; and increase Thou not the wrongdoers but in perdition.’ a14:42. " "3235 CHAPTER 72 AL-JINN (Revealed before Hijrah) General Remarks This Surah is generally considered to have been revealed on the Holy Prophet’s return from Ta’if, where, after he was despaired of the Meccans from whom he received nothing but ridicule, opposition and persecution, he had gone to preach his Message. The visit to Ta’if took place two years before Hijrah when the opposition to the new Faith had taken an ugly turn and the condition of the Prophet and his followers had become desperate in the extreme. If, as some authorities are of the view, the Surah relates to an incident other than the one mentioned in Surah Ahqaf (46:30- 33), then it might have been revealed much earlier. The context and contents of the Surah seem to lend some weight to the latter view. Subject Matter In the preceding Surah it was stated that the lifelong preaching of Prophet Noah had been met with only jibes and jeers, and that only a few persons other than his near relatives had given him their allegiance —his son and wife taking an active part in opposition to his mission. In order to show that there existed a similarity between the circumstances which Noah had to meet with and the circumstances which the Holy Prophet had to face, it is stated that a party of the j inn,—a people not known to the Prophet before — visited him, listened to the Quran and at once believed in him. The Surah gives a fairly long account of the beliefs and doctrines of these people, their conduct and outlook on life. They denounce the doctrine that God can ever take unto Himself a son or a wife as an extravagant lie, and the Surah gives strong arguments in refutation of this doctrine. Next, the Surah emphatically affirms that it is impossible for anyone to distort or tamper with the revealed Word of God because, like a precious treasure, it is strongly guarded by divine sentinels. Towards the close of the Surah, it is stated that whenever a Divine teacher calls men to God, the forces of evil try to stifle his voice, but the Teacher carries on his mission, undeterred by the machinations of evilly disposed people. The Surah closes with an infallible criterion to test the Divine Source of the Message of a Prophet viz. that it contains prophecies about great world events which human knowledge cannot foresee or foretell, and that the Prophet succeeds in delivering his Message because God ""causes an escort of guarding angels to go before him and after him"". " "CH.72 PT.29 3236 (AL-JINN ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.Say, ‘ It has been revealed to me that a company of the jinn listened, and they sa id:“ Truly, we have heard a Quran that is wonderfulb.4398 3. cIt guides to the right way; so we have believed in it, and we will not associate anyone with our Lord.4399 4.The truth is that the majesty of our Lord is exalted. dHe has taken neither wife nor son unto Himself. aSee 1:1. b46:30. c46:31-32. d17:112; 18:5; 25:3. 4398. Important Words: جن( jinn) is derived from جن( Janna) which means, it veiled, concealed, covered or protected him or it. جن (jinn) means, such beings as remain aloof from the people concealing themselves; strangers; the main or chief part or body of mankind, etc. (Lane & Aqrab). See also 6:101,129 and 27:18. Commentary: The reference in the words "" a company of the j inn"" may be to a party of Jews of Na sibin. They were non-Arabs and being strangers they have been called جن( jinn) which word among other things means, a stranger. The incident mentioned in the verse seems to be different from the one referred to in vv. 46:30-33, though the verse is taken by some authorities to refer to those verses; the words put in the mouth of "" a company of the j inn"" mentioned in the present verse having a seeming resem blance with the words spoken by ""a party of the j inn"" referred to in vv. 46:30- 33. The word جن also meaning a large body of mankind, the verse may be taken as embodying a pro phecy that at some time in future large numbers of men from among the powerful nations of the world will accept Islam. 4399. Commen tary: This verse shows that ""a company " "PT.29 AL-JINN CH.72 3237 of the jinn"" were either Unita rian Christians or such Jews, as were closely associated with Christians, or being under their influence, were conversant with Christian beliefs. 4400. Important Words: شططاً( extra vagan t lies) is deriv ed from شط( shatta) which means, he transgressed or acted wrongfully or unjustly; he exceeded the legi timate bounds; he became removed far away from the right path. أمر ذوشطط means, an affair that is extravagant or exorbitant, or which exceeds legitimate bounds. شطط means, enormity; enormous or extravagant lie (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: It appears from the relevant verses that ""a company of the j inn"" were believers in Divine Unity. 4401. Important Words: رھقاً( arro gance) is derived from رھق (rahiqa ) which means, he was or became stupid and frivolous; he did wrong, abominable things; he told a lie. رھق( rahqun) means, wrongdoing, injustice, tyrannical conduct; sin; levity; compelling or urging a person to do a thing which he is not able to do; folly; arrogance or pride (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: As the word رجال is us ed only wi th regard to human beings, the verse shows that ""a company of the jinn,” mentioned in this and in Surah Ahqaf were human beings and not any other species of creation. Moreover, جن here may signify big or influential men and إنس lowly and humb le ones who by following the former and seeking 5.And that the foolish amongst us used to utter extravagant lies concerning Allah.4400 6.And we had thought that men and jinn would never speak a lie concerning Allah. 7. a“Indeed some men from among the common folk used to seek the protection of some men from among the jinn, and they thus increased the latter in arrogance ;4401 8.And indeed they thought, even as you think, that Allah a6:129. " "CH.72 AL-JINN PT.29 3238 their protection increase their conceit and arrogance. 4401A. Commentary: The Jews had ceased to believe as early as in the time of the Prophet Joseph that no Divine Messenger would ever appear after him (40:35). 4402. Important Words: حرساً( guards) is derived from حرس which means, he guarded, took care; he stole or stole by night. حرس (harasun ) is the plural of حراس which means, a guard or guardian; a thief, used ironically because guardians are sometimes found to be thieves (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse shows that when a Divine Reformer is about to make his appearance in the world, an unusual shooting of stars takes place. It is to this exceptional natural phenomenon that reference is made in this verse. ""Seeking to reach heaven,"" means, trying to steal the secrets of the unknown. See next verse. 4403. Important Words: رصدا( in ambush) is noun-infinitive from رصد( rasada ). They say أرصده i.e. he watched or waited for him; lay in ambush for him. مرصاد and رصد and مرصد all mean, a hiding place; an ambush قعد له با ملرصد or کان له باملرصد means, he lay in ambush for him. An Arab poet says:إن املنایا للرجال مبرصد i.e. verily deaths are lying in ambush for men (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: Before the appearance of a Divine Reformer, soothsayers and div iners dabble in occult sciences, and with the help of their questionable practices seek to hoodwink simple people by posing to be able to have access to the secrets of the unknown, and as they are generally quite adept in the art of cheating they succeed in playing upon people’s credulity. But with the advent of the heavenly Reformer they are exposed and their counterfeit knowledge of the unseen becomes unmasked as only a superficial and fragmentary acquaint-would never raise any Messenger .4401A 9.And we sought to reach heaven, but we found it filled with strong guards and shooting starsa.4402 10.And we used to sit in some of its seats to listen. But whoso listens now, finds a shooting star in ambush for him.4403 a15:17-19; 37:7-9. " "PT.29 AL-JINN CH.72 3239 ance with astrology. For a detailed explanation, however, of this and the preceding verse see 15:17.19 and 37:7- 8. The word آالن( now) i s used here particularly with respect to the time of the Holy Prophet, but it may also signify the time of every great Divine Reformer. 4404. Commentary: Whereas before the appearance of a Divine Reformer, soothsayers and diviners ply their evil trade of prying into the unknown with impunity, with the appearance of such a one they practically confess their lack of knowledge of the unseen by giving up their evil practices. It is not given to these people to foretell what great changes in the world are decreed t o take place. On the other hand, only God’s great Messengers can foretell the future. 4405. Important Words: قددا( sects fol lowing different paths) is the plural of قدة( qidda tun) which is derived from قد . They say قدہ i.e. he cut it or cut it entire ly, rent it. قدر means, pieces of a thing; parties, divisions, sects or distinct bodies or classes of men, holding particular tenets or body of tenets, creeds, opinions. صار القوم قددا means, the pe ople became divided into their states or conditions and their desires or erroneous opinions (Lane & Aqrab). 11.And we know not whether evil is intended for those who are in the earth or whether their Lord intends guidance for them.4404 12.And some of us are righteous and some of us are otherwise; and we are sects following different paths.4405 13.And we know that we cannot frustrate the plan of Allah in the earth,a nor can we escape Him by flight. 14. bAnd when we heard the Call to guidance, we believed in it. And he who believes in his Lord has no fear of loss or injustice. a55:34. b46:32. " "CH.72 AL-JINN PT.29 3240 4406. Important Words: غدقاً( abundant) is infinitive-noun from غدق( ghadiqa ). They say غدقت العنی i.e. the spring or fountain abounded with water. غدقت االرض means, the land abounded with herbage (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse points out that if people had accepted the Divine Message and had kept to the right path, God would have bestowed upon them worldly gifts and benefits in abundance. Water being the source of all life, ""abundant water"" signifies abundance of wealth and other material gains. 4407. Commentary: Wealth is a source of great trial and temptation. Instead of being grateful to God for His bestowing riches upon them, wealthy people generally are neglectful of their duties to God and man. 4407A. Commentary: In the foregoing verses it is 15.And some of us submit to God and some of us have deviated from the right course .”’ And those who submit to God —it is these who seek the right course. 16.And as for those who deviate from the right course, they are the fuel of Hell. 17. aAnd if they keep to the right path, We shall certainly provide them with abundant water to drink.4406 18.That We may try them thereby. bAnd whoso turns away from the remembrance of his Lord —He will drive him into an overwhelmingly severe punishment.4407 19. cAnd all places of worship belong to Allah; so call not on anyone beside Allah.4407A a46:33. b20:101; 43:37. c2:115; 22:41. " "PT.29 AL-JINN CH.72 3241 declared that with the advent of the Holy Prophet, God’s plan with regard to the establishment of His Unity has become manifest. The verse under comment states that mosques would henceforth be the centres from which the light of truth will emanate and spread throughout the world. 4408. Important Words: لبداً( crowd upon him suffocating) is derived from لبد .They say لبد باملکان i.e. he remained, stayed, continued to dwell in the house لبد الیشء بالیشء means, the things became heaped one upon the other. لبد( labida ) also means, he (a camel) became choked and suffered from a contortion in the chest and the throat (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: ""The Servant of Allah"" refers to the Holy Prophet, he being God’s servant par excellence. These words may equally be applied to every Divine Messenger or Reformer. Whenever 20. aAnd when the Servant of Allah stands up praying to Him, they crowd upon him, well-nigh suffocating him.4408 R. 2. 21.Say, ‘I pray to my Lord only, and I associate no one with Him.’b 22.Say, ‘I have no power to do you either harm or good.’ 23.Say, ‘Surely none can protect me against Allah, nor can I find any place of refuge besides Him.c 24.My responsibility is only to convey what is revealed to me from Allah, and His Messages.’ dAnd for those who disobey Allah and His Messenger there is the fire of Hell, wherein they will abide for a long, long period. a96:10-11. b13:37; 18:39. c18:28. d4:15. " "CH.72 AL-JINN PT.29 3242 such a one ca lls men to God and invites them to give up their evil ways and adopt the path of virtue and righteousness, the sons of darkness place all sorts of obstacles and impediments in his way and harass him in every conceivable manner in order to stifle and smother his voice. 4409. Commentary: Relying on their power, prestige and great numbers the Meccans rejected the Divine Message. They are warned here that when punishment will come upon them, these things will not in the least avail them. The punishment took the form of the Fall of Mecca. 4410. Commentary: The Holy Prophet is enjoined to say to disbelievers that it is not for him to say when the threatened punishment will be, but come it must. 4411. Commentary: رھ یظ( reveals) is aorist from أظھ ر which means, he made it manifest, evident; he showed, discovered or revealed it. أظھ رہ اهلل علیه means, God made him to know it. أظھ رہ اهلل عیل العدو means, God made him to overcome or prevail over or gain mastery over his enemy (Lane). In view of literal meaning of the word إظھار the expression إظھار عیل الغیب means, being given very frequently knowledge of the secrets o f the unknown that relate 25. aThey will cont inue to disbelieve until they see that which they are promised, and soon they will know who is weaker as regards helpers and fewer as regards numbers.4409 26. bSay, ‘I know not whether that which you are promised is nigh or whether my Lord has fixed for it a distant term.’4410 27. cHe is the Knower of the unseen:and He reveals not His secrets to anyone,4411 28.Except to him whom He chooses, namely a Messenger of His. And then He causes an a19:76. b21:110. c3:180. " "PT.29 AL-JINN CH.72 3243 to and concern events of the greatest import. See also next verse. 4412. Commentary: The verse embodies an incontestable criterion to dis tinguish between the nature and scope of the secrets of the unknown that are revealed to a Divine Messenger and those that are disclosed to oth er righteous believers. The distinction lies in the fact that whereas God’s Messengers are granted إظھار عیل الغیب i.e. predominance over the unseen; secrets revealed to other righteous and holy men of God do not enjoy this distinction. Moreover, revelation granted to God’s Messengers, being under special Divine protection, is completely secure against being distorte d or tampered with by the evil one, while secrets revealed to ordinary righteous men are not so safe. 4413. Commentary: The revelation of Divine Messengers is granted security against being distorted or tampered with, because they have a great divine mission to fulfil and a great heavenly Message to deliver. It is also intended that people should realize that the Prophets would succeed in their mission and that obstacles and impediments placed in their way by disbelievers could not arrest or retard its progress. escort of guarding angels to go before him and behind him,4412 29.That He may know that they (Divine Messengers) have delivered the Messages of their Lord. And He encompasses all that is with them and He keeps count of all things.4413 " "3244 CHAPTER 73 AL-MUZZAMMIL (Revealed before Hijrah) Introductory Remarks A consensus of scholarly opinion assigns the revelation of this Surah to the earliest period of the Call; some consider it to be the third chapter to be revealed. It receives its title from the opening verse. In the preceding Surah (Al-Jinn) it was stated that angels descend upon Divine Messengers to guard the Word of God revealed to them from being distorted or tampered with. In the present Surah the Holy Prophet is enjoined to devote a part of the night to Prayer and the remembrance of God so that angels may descend upon him to help him against the evil plots and machinations of his enemies. Like all Meccan Surahs, this Surah also deals mainly with the divine mission of the Holy Prophet and with the truth of the Quranic revelation. It foretells, in brief but in very graceful words, the eventual triumph of the Holy Prophet and adduces the fulfilment of the prophecy as an argument in support of Life after death and the Resurrection. Particular emphasis has been laid on Prayer and the remembrance of God which was a most effective means to draw Divine help and succour in preparation for the mighty task that lay ahead of the Prophet. " "PT.29 CH.73 3245 (AL-MUZZAMMIL) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.O thou wrapped in thy mantle awaiting the grace of God 4414 aSee 1:1. 4414. Important Words: املزمل( wrapped in mantle) is derived from the root زمل which means, he ran and went along quickly. زمله means, he bore or carried it, namely, a load. زمله عیل البعری means, be made him to ride behind him on the camel so as to counterbalance him. زمله یف ثوبه means, he wrapped him in his garment. تزمل means, he wrapped himself. مزمل (ordinarily متزمل ) means, a man wrapped in his garments; one bearing a heavy responsibility (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: In view of different significations of the word مزمل the verse has been variously interpreted. The simple explanation is the one given in Bukh ari. After his first spiritual experience when the angel of God came to the Holy Prophet with Divine revelation he rushed home very much frightened. The fright was quite natural because the experience was quite novel. The Prophet asked to be wrapped in a mantle. As wrapping also implies the sense of joining together and uniting, the meaning of the verse may be something like this, ""O thou who art to unite the nations of the world under one banner!"" The Holy Prophet has been described in the Hadith as احلاشر i.e. the Joiner and Uniter of the nations of the world (Bukh ari, Kitab Man aqibun-Nabi ). Applying the other root meanings of زمل given under Important Words, it may be said:(1) That the Holy Prophet is described in the verse as one who has to go a long distance on the road to awaken humanity to the realization of its high destiny, and therefore he has to run fast i.e. work hard, incessantly and fast. (2) That he is one who is to carry a heavy load, a very great responsibility of preaching the Divine Message to the world. (3) That the Holy Prophet may have been reminded of his onerous task of preparing a community of God-fearing followers, who, imbued with the same noble ideals and fired with the same unflagging zeal as himself, should help him to convey to mankind the Message of Islam. زمل also means to make another person ride behind oneself on the camel so as to maintain balance. It is to the onerous duties and responsibilities of the Holy Prophet and to his high status as a Divine teacher that in reality reference has been made in the verse under comment, and not to his being wrapped in his mantle. From the time " "CH.73 AL-MUZZAMMIL PT.29 3246 be received this revelation, the Holy Prophet’s life was not his own. It became dedicated to God and mankind. 4415. Commentary: In this and the next verse the Holy Prophet is told that praying to God in the stillness of the night will prepare him for the heavy task entrusted to him. 4416. Important Words: رتل( recite) is derived from رتل (ratila). They say رتل الیشء i.e. the thing was or became well arranged. رتل الثغری means, the front teeth were or became even in their growth or separated one from another; were well set together and were white and lustrous. رتل الکالم (rattala ) means, he put together and arranged well the component parts of the speech and made it distinct. ترتیل in its original sense relates to the teeth, signifying their being separated one from the other, and when used with regard to a speech it signifies, putting together and arranging well its component parts and making it distinct. رتلت القرٓان means, I recited the Quran in a leisurely manner, deliberately, distinctly and well (Lane & Aqrab). 4417. Commen tary: قوال ثقیال may have any one of the following meanings:(a) The Quran is pregnant with the highest import. (b) It is too heavy to be displaced or dislocated i.e. the Quranic Teaching will continue to guide mankind and no other teaching would ever take its place or improve upon it. (c) No word or letter of the Quran could be changed, altered or amended. (d) The Quran will break all opposition and (e) no single book or a collection of books could encompass all the knowledge contained in it. Briefly, the collective and concerted effort of all mankind will not be able to produce a Book like the Quran. According to an oft-quoted hadith, the Holy Prophet, whenever a revelation descended upon him, went into a trance and felt a peculiar sensation so that even on an extremely cold day big drops of sweat fell from his forehead and he felt a dead weight of his body (Bukh ari). The Qura nic revelation being ""a weighty word "", his 3. aStand up in Prayer at night except a small portion thereof –– 4415 4.Half of it, or reduce it a little 5.Or add to it a little ––band the Quran, a good recital.4416 6.Verily, We shall charge thee with a weighty Word.4417 a17:80; 50:41; 52:50; 76:27 . b17:107; 25:33. " "PT.29 AL-MUZZAMMIL CH.73 3247 paroxysm was due to this sensation. 4418. Important Words: وطأ( subduing) is derived from ویطء . They say ویطء الیشء i.e. he trod under foot the thing. ویطء الفرس means, he mounted the horse. ویطء أرض عدوہ means, he entered the enemy’s land (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: Getting up in the night for Prayer is a potent means of subduing one’s self and of bringing under effective control one’s evil propensities and inclinations. It is a proven experience of all spiritual wayfarers and holy men that nothing conduces to one’s spiritual developme nt so much as Prayers at night. In the stillness and solitude of night, a peculiar sort of peace prevails and all nature is quiet, and man, being all alone with his Creator, enjoys special communion with Him, and becomes illumined with a special heavenly light which he imparts to others. The time is eminently suited for man to develop strength of character and to make his speech sane, solid and sound. Effective speech and infinite capacity for hard work are two very necessary qualifications for a Reformer to succeed in his mission, Prayer at night helps in the development of these two qualities. Having acquired control over one’s mind and tongue one comes to exercise control over others. This is the significance of the verse under comment. The verse may also mean that Night Prayer causes the actions of man to correspond t o his words, which constitutes another sure sign of the strength of his character and the sincerity of his heart. 4419. Important Words: سبحاً( long chain of engagements) is derived from سبح .They say سبح یف املاء i.e. he swam in the water and took pleasure in it. سبح یف االرض means, he went far into the land. سبح یف حوائجه means, he busied himself in the accomplishment of his needs . سبح (sab hun) also signifies the running of a horse in which the forelegs are stretched forth well as are the arms of a man in swimming; being quick or swift (Lane & Aqrab). Commen tary: The reference in the verse is to the multifarious duties of the Holy Prophet which he performed with alacrity and took pleasure in doing them. As Head of a newly-established Republic, surrounded on all sides by bitter foes and beset with the plots and machinations of internal enemies, 7.Verily, getting up at night for prayer is the most potent means of subduing the self and most effective in speech.4418 8.Thou hast indeed, during the day, a long chain of engagements.4419 " "CH.73 AL-MUZZAMMIL PT.29 3248 and as a Divine teacher and Reformer who had to prepare a community, which was unacquainted with even the rudiments of knowledge, to become the leaders of nations in civilization and culture, the Prophet’s task was indeed very difficult, which can better be imagined than described, but which he performed with a success which has baffled the world. 4420. Important Words: تبتل( devote) is derived from بتل (batta la). They say بتله i.e. he severed it or separated it from another thing. بتل ایل اهلل means, he detached himself from worldly things and devoted himself exclusively and sincerely to the service of God. بتول means, a woman detached from worldly things and entirely devoted to God (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: In this verse the Holy Prophet is told that he could accomplish his heavy task of reforming a corrupt community and preparing it for the leadership of the world by devoting himself completely to God. 4421. Commen tary: The Holy Prophet is told here again that while preaching his divine mission he will meet with bitter opposition and persecution. Therefore, he should, on the one hand, put his full trust in God, the Lord of the East and the West, and, on the other, bear with patience and fortitude the jibes, opposition and persecution of his enemies. 4422. Commentary: Rejecters of truth are reprimanded that instead of being grateful to God 9.So remember the name of thy Lord, and devote thyself to Him with full devotion.4420 10. aHe is the Lord of the East and the West; there is no God but He; so take Him for thy Guardian.4421 11.And bear patiently all that they say; and part with them in a decent manner. 12. bAnd leave Me alone with those who reject the truth, possessors of ease and plenty; and give them a little respite.4422 a26:29; 37:6. b68:45; 74:12. " "PT.29 AL-MUZZAMMIL CH.73 3249 for ""ease and plenty"" provided to them they reject the Divine Message. 4423. Important Words: أنکاال( fetters) is the plural of نکل which means, fetter, chain, bracelet, necklace; a kind of bridle. نکل بفالن means, he inflicted upon him such a punishment as to make him an example for others (Aqrab). 4424. Important Words: غصة( choking) is derived from غص . They say غص بالغیظ i.e. he was or became choked with wrath. غص املجل س بأھله means, the sitting place became choked with people. غص also means, he became grieved or disquieted in mind. غصة means, a thing by which one is choked; choking wrath or rage; grief or disquietude of mind ( Lane & Aqrab). 4425. Important Words: کثیباً is derived from کثب . They say کثب الرتاب i.e. he scattered dust part overpart. کثیب means, a sand hill heaped up by the wind (Lane). مھیال( crumbling) is derived from ھال . They say ھال علیه الرتاب i.e. he put the earth over it. اھلیل which is infinitive noun means, sand that does not remain steady in its place . مھیل means, running sand. کثیب م ھیل means, a crumbling sandhill (Aqrab). Commentary: The reference in the verse is to the Day of Resurrection, or to the Day of the Fall of Mecca, or to any calamitous day when catastrophic changes take place and deeply-rooted institutions totter and fall and very powerful and big and influential people are blown away like chaff before the wind. 4426. Commentary: The reference in the verse is to the following Biblical prophecy about the appearance among the Ishmaelites of a great Prophet of God like unto Moses:13.Surely, with Us are heavy fetters and a raging fire,4423 14.And food that chokes, and a painful punishment 4424 15.On the day when the earth and the mountains shall quake,a and the mountains will become like crumbling sandhills.4425 16.Verily, We have sent to you a Messenger, who is a witness over you,b even as We sent a Messenger to Pharaoh.4426 a56:5-6; 79:7. b33:46; 48:9. " "CH.73 AL-MUZZAMMIL PT.29 3250 ""I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put My word in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which he shall speak in My name, I will require it of him"" (Deut. 18:18-19). 4427. Commentary: ""Turning children grey-headed"" in the present verse, ""grinding asunder of the heaven"" in the next, "" rolling up of heaven"" in 21:105, and similar expressions used in the Quran (81:12; 82:2 & 84:2) are metaphors for most calamitous happenings which bring about disastrous changes. The reference in this and in the next verse and also in verse 15 above is to the Day of Resurrection or the Day of the Fall of Mecca. See also v. 15. 4428. Commenta ry: The promise referred to in the verse was the total defeat and destruction of the forces of evil followed by the triumph of Islam which was fully manifested in the Fall of Mecca, when the old corrupt order died and from its ruins emerged a new and better order. This may be the meaning of the words, ""the heaven will be rent asunder."" 4429. Commentary: The verse contains an invincible argument in support of the Divine origin of the Quranic revelation. The Surah was one of the earliest two or three chapters revealed at Mecca at a time when the Holy Prophet himself perhaps had no very clear idea of the momentous significance of his 17.But Pharaoh disobeyed the Messenger,a so We seized him with a terrible punishment. 18.How will you then, if you disbelieve, guard yourselves against a day which will turn children grey-headed? 4427 19. bOn that day the heaven will be rent asunder and His promise is bound to be fulfilled.4428 20.This, surely, is a reminder.c So let him, who will, take a way unto his Lord.4429 a20:79; 26:67; 28:41. b82:2. c20:4; 74:55; 76:30; 80:12. " "PT.29 AL-MUZZAMMIL CH.73 3251 mission and of the strong opposition and bitter persecution he was to meet with at the hands of those very people who formerly looked upon him as the most trusted and honest man in Mecca. Under the circumstances, it could hardly be imagined that one day Mecca would lay prostrate at his feet and the Quraish leaders would be begging for mercy and forgiveness. The wildest stretch of human imagination could hardly conceive of such stupendous happenings as have been foretold in the preceding verses ; much less could a human be ing declare in such forceful terms that these prophecies would be fulfilled. The Quran is certainly a Reminder from God. R. 2. 21. Surely, thy Lord, knows that athou standest up praying for nearly two-thirds of the night, and sometimes half or a third thereof, band also a party of those who are with thee. And Allah determines the measure of the night and the day. He knows that you cannot keep its measure, so He has turned to you in mercy. Recite, then, as much of the Quran as is easy for you. He knows that there will be some among you wh o may be sick and others who may travel in the land seeking Allah’s bounty, and others who may fight in the cause of Allah. So recite of it that which is easy for you, and observe Prayer, and pay the Zakah, cand lend to Allah a goodly loan. dAnd whatever good you send on before you for your souls, you a26:219. b25:65; 41:39. c2:246; 57:12; 64:18. d2:211. " "CH.73 AL-MUZZAMMIL PT.29 3252 4430. Commentary: In the opening verse of the Surah the Holy Prophet was enjoined that he should constantly pray in the night, for this would give him the necessary strength to discharge the grave responsibility of preaching the Divine Message that was shortly going to devolve on him. In the verse under comment he is assured of Divine pleasure, and is told that he has faithfully carried out God’s command about the night prayer, not only he, but a party of believers also. The command was not specifically directed to the followers of the Holy Prophet, but being always desirous of following in his footsteps, they copied his example in this respect also. The sentence ""Allah determines the measu re of the night and the day,"" signifies that sometimes the nights are long and sometimes they are short and sometimes the day and the night are equal. The words ان لن حتصوه may apply to Muslims in general. In this sense they are told that all of them would not be able to say the Night Prayer regularly and punctually. Or the words may signify that as Muslims are longing to win God’s pleasure and attain nearness to Him, so they should read the Qur an thoughtfully. In this way they would acquire knowledge of, and insight into, Divine attri butes. Besides the meaning given in the text, the expression فاقرؤا ما تیسر منه may mean:( 1) recite of the Qur an as much as you possibly can. will find it with Allah. It will be better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.4430 " "3253 CHAPTER 74 AL-MUDDATHTHIR (Revealed before Hijrah) General Remarks By common consent this Surah was one of the first two or three revealed at Mecca. This and the preceding Surah (Al-Muzzammil) seem to be ""twins"" as they are closely linked in regard to the time of revelation and their tone and tenor. The present Surah, in fact, complements the subject matter of its predecessor. The مزمل( Muzzammil ) of the previous Surah, immersed in devotional prayers and contemplation, and passing through a period of intense preparation for the attainment of spiritual perfection, had developed from that into مدثر( Muddaththir ) i.e. the Destroyer of sin and Vanquisher of the forces of evil, the Deliverer of mankind, their Leader, Guide and Warner. From that time onward, the Prophet’s life was no more his own. It was devoted to God, and to man kind. He preached Divine Message with unswerving purpose, in the face of insult, opposition and pe rsecution. The Surah opens with a firm command to the Holy Prophet to stand upright, proclaim the truth he has and warn those who would not accept it — those whom wealth, power and position had rendered spiritually blind and deaf that the day of Divine punishment would be a day of extreme distress for them; they would burn in the fire of Hell. They are further told that they would suffer punishment because they did not offer prayers or feed the poor — duties which they owed to God, and man —and because also they ignored the Divine Message and indulged in vain pursuits, persisting in the denial of the Day of Judgement till death overtook them. The Surah ends on the note that the Quran is but a Reminder and an Exhortation. He who will accept its Message will accept it for the betterment of his own soul and he who wi ll reject it, would do so to his own detriment. " "CH.74 PT.29 3254 (AL-MUDDATHTHIR ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.O thou who hast covered thyself with a cloak,4431 3.Arise and warn.4432 4.And thy Lord do thou magnify. aSee 1:1. 4431. Important Words: املدثر( one who has covered himself with a cloak) is derived from دثر which means, it (a trace or mark) became effaced or obliterated. تدثر او ادثر (tadat hthara or iddaththara ) means, he wrapped himself with a garment. دثرہ( daththara ) means, he destroyed or obliterated him or it; he covered him with a warm garment. دثر الطائر (daththara ) means, the bird adjusted, or put in order, its nest. تدثر الفرس means, he leaped upon and rode the horse. تداثر العدو means, he vanquished the enemy (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: According to the different meanings of the root word, املدثر would mean: the effacer or obliterator; the reformer or the one who adjusts or puts things in order; the vanquisher; the one who is ready to leap upon and ride the horse. The word has also been interpreted as one entrusted with bearing the heavy load of the responsibilities of a Proph et (Qadir). The word also means, one adorned with the best human natural powers and qualities and prophetical dignity (Ruhul-Ma‘ani). All these epithets fully apply to the Holy Prophet. Traditions show that after a few verses of the Surah had been revealed, further revelation ceased for several months (Bukh ari). As revelation was a novel spiritual experience for the Holy Prophet, its cessation was intended to make the fright that had affected his mind wear away, and to attune him with the majesty and dignity of the Divine Word. 4432. Commentary: Being fully prepared by devotional Prayers, deep contemplation, and long night vigils for the onerous task of reforming the world, the Muzzamm il becomes the Muddaththir i.e. the leader and guide of mankind; and is commanded to rise up and proclaim the Divine Message and warn its rejecters of the evil consequences of rejection. " "PT.29 AL-MUDDATHTHIR CH.74 3255 4433. Important Words: ثیاب( garments) is plural of ثوب which means, a garment. The Arabs say, فالن نیق الثوب i.e. such a one is pure in heart, conduct or reputation. دنس الثوب means, vicious or perfidious; طاھ ر الثیاب means, a righte ous man who does good works. ثیاب means, clothes; dependants or followers of a person; weapons. It also means, the wearer’s body or self. They say خیل ثیابک عن ثیایب i.e. separate thyself from me. It also signifies, a person’s works. ان املیت لیبعث یف ثیابه الیت میوت فیھا means, the dead man will be raised according to the works with which his life ended (Lane, Aqrab & Steingas s). Commentary: The Holy Prophet is enjoined that before entering upon his great mission he should prepare a body of followers, pure of heart, conduct and reputation. Or the verse may mean that he should himself be a paragon of piety, righteousness and pure conduct. 4434. Commentary: الرجز meaning idol worship (Lane) the verse may be taken as enjoining the Holy Prophet to spare no pains to exterminat e idolatry. Idol worship is the basic sin, but it takes different forms with different people, for instance, worship of idols made of wood or stone; worship of human beings; worship of one’s desires, of old customs, usages, etc. 4435. Commentary: God’s Prophets serve, and suffer for, their peoples out of no motive other than sincere concern and solicitude for their moral and spiritual well-being. ""I ask of you no reward for it. My reward is only with the Lord of the worlds."" (26:110), has always been the motto which has prompted and guided their noble efforts to redeem their peoples from the bondage of sin. 4436. Commentary: The Holy Prophet is told in this verse that he will be opposed and persecuted by the forces of evil as the result of his missionary efforts. He should, therefore, be ready to bear all opposition and persecution with patience and fortitude, and with a loving and sympathetic heart. 5.And thyself do thou purify.4433 6.And uncleanliness do thou shun,4434 7.And bestow not favours seeking to get more in return,4435 8.And for the sake of thy Lord do thou endure trials patiently.4436 " "CH.74 AL-MUDDATHTHIR PT.29 3256 4437. Commentary: The words ""When the trumpet is sounded "" may mean; ""When the hour of punishment of disbelievers arrives."" The reference may be to the Fall of Mecca, when the Meccans, as if summoned by a bugle, stood as criminals before the Holy Prophet. Or, the verse may mean; when a Divine Reformer who is a Bugle by which God summons men to Himself makes his appearance and calls men to God. Or the verse may refer to the Holy Prophet’s own call to his people. 4438. Commentary: ""A distressful day"" signifies the Day of Resurrection or the day of the final defeat of disbelief and the complete triumph of Truth. This and the following several verses (vv. 1030) give a graphic description of the great material benefits which the enemies of Truth enjoy and as a consequence of which they reject the Divine Message, incurring punishment in this world and in the Hereafter. 4439. Commentary: The verse, besides the translation given in the text, may mean:""Leave Me alone to deal with him whom I created,"" or ""leave Me to deal with him who, on account of the great wealth, power and position God has bestowed upon him thinks himself to be peerless among his compatriots, وحید meaning unique, incomparable. "" Though the verse applies to every arrogant and conceited disbeliever, it may particularly apply to Wal id bin Mugh irah. He was an outstanding personality among the Quraish, and was known among his fellow citizens by such high sounding titles as وحید (unique) and رحیان قریش ( fragrance of the Quraish). He was extremely handsome and was well known for his elegant poems and other accomplishments. He had 10 to 13 sons and was a very rich man. 4440. Commentary: The verse means that Mugh ira’s 9. aAnd when the trumpet is sounded,4437 10. bThat day will be a distressful day.4438 11.For the disbelievers it will not be easy. 12. cLeave Me to deal with him whom I created alone.4439 13. dAnd then I gave him abundant wealth, 14. eAnd sons abiding in his presence,4440 a23:102; 50:21; 69:14. b25:27. c68:45; 73:12. d68:15. e68:15. " "PT.29 AL-MUDDATHTHIR CH.74 3257 sons also commanded respect like him. They, too, were offered a distinguished place in the assemblies which he attended. Or, Mugh ira was so rich that his sons always kept company with him; not wanting to go anywhere to earn their living. 4441. Commentary: The verse purports to say that disbelievers entertain very high ambitions but those ambitions shall not materialize. On the contrary, they shall be punished; the particle کال being used to reject the request of a person and to reprimand him for making it (Lane). 4442. Commentary: Ruin seized Wal id bin Mugh irah. Three of his sons, viz. Wal id, Kh alid and Hish am accepted Islam, others perished before his eyes. He suffered heavy financial losses and ultimately died in poverty and disgrace. 4443. Commentary: When the Quran was read to him, Mugh ira being himself a poet of distinction, said that it was not poetry, nor was the Prophet a liar, but only a magician. He frowned and scowled in 15.And I prepared for him all necessary things. 16.Yet he desires that I should give him more. 17.Certainly not! for he was opposed to Our Signs.4441 18.I shall soon impose on him an overwhelming hardship. 19.Lo! he reflected and calculated! 20.Ruin seize him! how he calculated!4442 21.Ruin seize him again! how he calculated! 22.Then he looked, 23. aThen he frowned and scowled,4443 24.Then he turned away and was disdainful. a80:2. " "CH.74 AL-MUDDATHTHIR PT.29 3258 disdain and went away in high huff. 4444. Commentary: ""Nineteen"", may refer here to man’s natural powers and faculties which, according to some Sufis or mystics are nineteen in number. Proper use of these faculties or powers helps a person’s spiritual development while their misuse causes his moral death. In consonance with these nineteen faculties, which constitute the real source or instrument of a man’s good or bad actions, nineteen angels will be appointed to cleanse the guilty of their sins; each angel being entrusted with the duty of cleansing sins committed through one particular faculty. In fact, Hell as conceived by the Quran is a purgatory where the human soul, after being cured of its spiritual maladies, will resume uniform spiritual development. 25.And said, a‘This is nothing but magic handed down; 26.This is nothing but the word of man.’ 27.Soon shall I cast him into the Fire of Hell.b 28.And what will make thee know what Hellfire is? 29.It spares not and it leaves naught. 30. cIt scorches the face. 31.Over it are nineteen angels .4444 32.And none but angels have We made wardens of the Fire. And We have not fixed their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve, so that those who have been given the Book may attain certainty and those who believe may increase in faith, and those who have a11:8; 3 4:44; 37:16. b37:24. c70:17. " "PT.29 AL-MUDDATHTHIR CH.74 3259 4445. Commentary: The apparently enigmatic ""nineteen"" may concern some great Divine design or purpose which, when unfolded, will, on the one hand, greatly add to the faith of the believers and, on the other, to the embarrassment and mental confusion of the disbelievers and of ""those in whose heart is disease."" Otherwise the number of God’s angels is legion, beyond human count or computation, just as the stages of man’s spiritual progress in the Hereafter are number- less. 4446. Commentary: This and the preceding two verses name the things mentioned therein as evidence to prove the Divine origin of the Quranic revelation and of the Holy Prophet’s claim as God’s Messenger ––the two principal themes dealt with in this as in all other Meccan Surahs revealed in the early years of the Call. These things are the ""moon,"" the ""retreating night"" and the ""bright dawn."" The ""moon"" may signify the Promised Messiah who, after borrowing heavenly light from the Holy Prophet had to spread it in the world; the "" retreating night "" may mean the night of spiritual darkness that would begin to retreat after the appearance of the Promised Messiah, been given the Book as well as the believers may not doubt, and that those in whose hearts is disease and the disbelievers may say, ‘What does Allah mean by such an illustration?’a Thus does Allah adjudge astray whom He pleases and guide whom He pleases. bAnd none knows the hosts of thy Lord but He. And this is not hing but a Reminder for man.4445 R. 2. 33.Nay, by the moon, 34.And by the night when it retreats, 35. cAnd by the dawn when it shines forth,4446 a13:28; 14:5 . b33:10; 48:5. c81:19. " "CH.74 AL-MUDDATHTHIR PT.29 3260 and the ""bright dawn"" may signify his advent. 4447. Commentary: The verse means that the rejection of the Holy Prophet is one of the greatest calamities that can befall man. 4448. Commenta ry: The Message of Islam is intended equally for all men —for those who seek to develop their spiritual self and win God’s pleasure as well as for those who would wish to cling to the world. 4449. Important Words: رھینة( is pledged) is derived fromرھن .They say رھن الیش ء عند فالن i.e. he deposited the thing with him to be in lieu of that which he had taken or received from him; he deposited the thing with him as a security for a debt (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse purports to say that every soul shall remain in pledge unless it will have paid for the sins it had committed, i.e. unless it will have been cleansed of sins after suffering punishment for them. 4450. Commentary: The particle عن also means, 'from' (Lane). 36. aVerily, it is one of the greatest calamities .4447 37.A warning to man, 38.To him among you who wishes to advance in virtue or hang back.4448 39. bEvery soul is pledged for what it has earned;4449 40.Except those on the right hand.c 41.They will be in Gardens enquiring 42.From the guilty ones,4450 43.‘What has brought you into the Fire of Hell?’ a79:35. b14:52; 40:18; 45:23. c56:28; 69:20; 90:19. " "PT.29 AL-MUDDATHTHIR CH.74 3261 4451. Commentary: Offering of Prayers and feeding the poor constitute the two pillars on which the whole edifice of Islam stands. They represent man’s duties to God and to his fellow beings. 4452. Important Words: الیقنی( death) is derived from یقن . They say یقن االمر i.e. the matter became clear and established. یقنه or یقن به means, he knew it; he was or became certain or sure or he made sure of it, intuitively and inferentially . یقنیmeans, certainty; security (Lane & Aqrab). It also means, death, because death is as certain as anything. 4452A. Commentary: The verse means that nobody will dare intercede for disbelievers, their sins of omission and commission being many and of a heinous character. Elsewhere the Quran says that sinners will not be allowed to approach near the threshold of God, i.e. they will be completely denied God’s grace. 44.They will say, ‘We were not of those who offered Prayers,a 45.Nor did we feed the poorb.4451 46.‘And we indulged in idle talk with those who indulge therein. 47.And we used to deny the Day of Judgement,c 48.Until death overtook us’d.4452 49.So the intercession of intercessors will not avail them.e 4452A 50.Now what is the matter with them that they are turning away from the Exhortation, 51.As if they were frightened asses 52.Fleeing from a lion? a75:32. b69:35; 89:19; 107:4. c75:33. d15:100. e20:110; 34:24. " "CH.74 AL-MUDDATHTHIR PT.29 3262 4453. Commentary: The reference here may be to the impudent demand of disbelievers mentioned elsewhere in the Quran, viz. that they would not believe unless God spoke to them direct (2:119), or unless the Prophet should bring down a Book for them from heaven which they could read (17:94). 4454. Commentary: The disbelievers reject the Divine Message because they have no faith in the Hereafter where they shall have to render an account of their actions. 4455. Commentary: The demand of disbelievers can never be accepted as the Qura n has fully satisfied all needs and requirements of man. It is a Reminder and an Exhortation par excellence, and through it the nations that will accept its Message and act upon its teaching will rise to great eminence. 4456. Commentary: The verse may mean, as elsewhe re stated, that disbelievers will not benefit by the Quran unless they make their will conform to the will of God, i.e. they subordinate all the ir desires to the Divine Will (76:31). Or it may signify that it is not possible for man to find the right way unless God sends down His Word for his guidance. The words ""He alone is worthy to be feared,"" mean that we should take God alone as a shield for protection against sins (the root word ویق meaning, to guard or shield oneself). Or it may mean, that God alone can grant forgiveness when a man falters or falls. 53.Nay, every man among them desires to have open sheets of revelation given to him.4453 54.Never! verily, they fear not the Hereafter.4454 55.Never! verily this is an exhortation.4455 56.Let him, then, who will, remember it. 57.And they will not remember unless Allah so p1easea He alone is worthy to be feared and He alone is worthy to forgive.4456 a18:25; 76:31; 81:30. " "3263 CHAPTER 75 AL-QIYAMAH (Revealed before Hijrah) Genera l Remarks This Surah takes its title, القیامة( the Resurrection), from the opening verse. It wholly deals with the Resurrection. The Surah is decidedly one of the earliest chapters which were revealed at Mecca, because the Meccan Surahs specifically deal with God’s Unity, Resurrection and Revelation. Towards the end of the preceding Surah it was emphatically stated that those people who will accept the Quranic Message will rise to eminence and will find an honoured place among the comity of great and powerful nations. The present Surah opening with a discussion of the subject of Resurrection throws a broad hint that a great moral resurrection is going to be brought about among a morally degraded and degenerate people —the Arabs —through the ennobling teachings of the Quran and the purifying example of the Holy Prophet Mu hammad. Subject Matter The Surah opens with a solemn affirmation that the Resurrection undoubtedly will take place, and significantly enough adduces man’s spiritual resurrection, as evidence in support of this affirmation. As a further proof, it swears by نفس لوامة i.e. the self-accusing spirit, which in action is the first stage of the process of spiritual regeneration. Then an oft-repeated objection of disbelievers is mentioned, viz. when they are dead and reduced to dust, how will they be raised again to life. The Surah effectively rebuts this objection by saying that in their heart of hearts they know that man’s sins never go unpunished and, therefore, there must be a day when they will be called to account for what they had done in this life. Then the collection of the Qura n and the Divine protection of its text are offered as further arguments in the same connection, since of all revealed Scriptures the Quran has laid the greatest emphasis on the inevitability of the Resurrection. Next, a brief but graphic description is given of the agony of death and man’s intense desire to be spared of it. This shows that at the moment of death the fear that one will have to render an account of one’s actions gnaws at one’s heart. Towards the close of the Surah disbelievers are admonished that man has not been created without a purpose or without responsibility, and that he will have to account for his failure to discharge his duties to God and to his fellow beings . Disb elievers are further reminded that man’s physical development from a sperm drop into a full-fledged human being, endowed with unique powers and faculties, constitutes an irrebuttable argument that his creation is intended to serve a sublime purpose and that his life will not end with the departure of the soul from its physical tabernacle. " "CH.75 PT.29 3264 (AL-QIYAMAH ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.Nay! I call to witness the Day of Resurrection.4457 3.And I do call to witness the self-accusing soul, that the Day of Judg ement is a certainty .4458 aSee 1:1. 4457. Commentary: For the nature, significance and philosophy of Quranic oaths see detailed notes on 91:2 and 37:2. One object of oaths, however, is to lay emphasis on the importance of the subject about which an oath is taken. ال( nay) is used in different senses. Here it may signify, ""it is not like what they think. "" Sometimes, i t is used as an answe r to some objection or in repudiation of what is said before. In this and the next verse it is used to refute the disbelievers’ assertion made in v. 4, about the impossibility of the Resurrection and also to emphasize the importance of the oath. القیامة( the Resurrection) signifying a great and calamitous occurrence, may refer to three events:(a) The death of a person is called القیامة الصغریٰ i.e. the small resurrection. I t is to this resurrection that reference is made in the famous hadith, viz. من ما ت فقد قامت قیامته i.e. he who dies, his resurrection has indeed taken place. (b) The moral death of a whole people or nation. This is called القامةالوسیط i.e. the Middle Resurrection. (c) The Final Resurrection. The word قیامة (resurrec tion) has been use d in the Qura n in all these three senses. 4458. Commentary: The Quran has mentioned three stages of development of the human soul. The first stage is called النفس االمارة i.e. the uncontrollable spirit or the spirit prone to evil, when the animal in man is predominant. The second stage is that of النفس اللوامة i.e. the self- accusing spirit, when man begins to be conscious of evil, that is, when his awakened conscience upbraids him for doing bad deeds and restrains his passions and appetites. In moments of weakness of the flesh, in this stage, he may falter or fall, but will not perish, every failure bringing with it a fresh reproach and repentance. The human in man gets the upper hand in him. It is the beginning of his spiritual resurrection. النفس اللوامة has been cited here in evidence of the Final Resurrection. If man has no " "PT.29 AL-QIYAMAH CH.75 3265 responsibility, if he has not to account for his deeds in an afterlife, why this pricking of conscience at the doing of an evil deed? The highest stage of development of the human soul, however, is that of النفس املطمئنة i.e. the spirit at rest. At this stage the human soul becomes practically immune to failure or faltering and is at peace with its Creator. 4459. Commentary: The objection of disbelievers, viz. when they are dead and reduced to bones and dust how would they be given a new life, is repeatedly mentioned and effectively answered in the Quran. See 17:50-52 and 36:78-80. 4460. Important Words: بنان( finger tips) is the plural of بنانة which is derived from بن which means, he remained or stayed in a place. بنان means, fingers; ends or extremities thereof; finger tips; toes; all the limbs or members of the body; any part or all the limbs; arms or hands or legs or feet (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: At another place in the Quran (36:78-80), the objection of disbelievers about life after death has been answered by stating that the Almighty Creator Who has created man from a mere sperm drop has the power to restore him to life after he is dead, but in the present verse the restoration of his fingertips has been adduced as an argument to refute the same objection. In fact, the word بنان represents man’s power and strength, as by means of his hand he grasps an object and defends himself. In fact man’s hands, i.e. his fingers, are the most important members of his body. The word بنان as given under Important Words may stand for the whole human body. Thus the verse signifies that God has the power to restore all the powers o f man, or even of a whole people when, to all intents and purposes, they are dead and defunct. 4461. Commentary: The question seems to have been 4.Does man think that We shall not assemble his bonesa?4459 5.Yea, We have the power to restore his very fingertipsb.4460 6.But man desires to continue to send forth evil deeds in front of him. 7.He asks, ‘When will be the Day of Resurrectionc?’4461 a23:83; 37:54; 56:48; 79:12. b17:100; 36:78-80. c78:2; 79:43. " "CH.75 AL-QIYAMAH PT.29 3266 asked in derision or doubt. In fact, doubt about the Hereafter gives rise to a mocking attitude on the disbelievers’ part. 4462. Important Words: برق( is dazzled) means, he feared so that he was astonished or amazed or stupefied at seeing the gleam of lightning; he was frightened, or he became perplexed or unable to see his right course. برق بصرہ means, his eye became dazzled or it became weak. برقت قدماہ means, his feet became weak (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The metaphor ""when the eye is dazzled, "" signifies, ""when the opponents of truth are comp letely confused and baffled"". 4463. Commentary: ""Moon"" being a symbol of the political power of the Arabs, the verse may mean:when the power of the Arabs will break and their glory will depart. Or the darkening of the moon may mean the darkening of both the sun and the moon, as the moon borrows its light from the sun, so that when the moon is darkened it means that the sun also has become dark. 4464. Commentary: The expression, ""the sun and the moon are brought together"" may signify that the whole solar system will be completely d isrupted. Or the words may signify the destruction of the political power of the Arabs and of the Iranian dynasty, the moon being the symbol of the political power of the former and the sun that of the latter. Or the reference may be to the lunar and solar eclipses —a highly unusual phenomenon, which, according to a hadith was to occur in the time of the Promised Mahd i. The hadith is to the following effect: لم تکونا منذ خلق السموات و االرض اخل اٰیتنیان ملھدینا i.e. For our Mahd i there are two signs which have never been witnessed since the time when the heavens and the earth were created, viz. that the moon will be eclipsed on the first night and the sun on the second day in the month of Ramadan (Baihaq i). This meant that the day of the final triumph of Islam and that of the defeat and destruction of the forces of evil will dawn with the Mahd i’s appearance in the world. Strangely enough, both the sun and the moon were eclipsed in the month of Rama dan in 1894 after 8.When the eye is dazzled,4462 9.And the moon is eclipsed,4463 10.And the sun and the moon are brought together,4464 11.On that day man will say, ‘Whither to fleea?’ a80:35. " "PT.29 AL-QIYAMAH CH.75 3267 Ahmad, the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement had made the claim that he was the Promised Messiah and Mahd i. 4465. Important Words: وزر( refuge) is derived from أوزر . They say أوزر الیش ء i.e. he protected, guarded the thing; concealed it or took it away. أوزر الرجل means, he gave asylum to the man. وزر( wazar un) means, place of refuge; a high mountain; a mountain where one takes refuge (Lane & Aqrab). 4466. Commentary: The words ""that which he has sent forward and has left behind,"" may mean, the evil deeds which man did but which he should not have done and the good deeds which he should have done but he failed to do, i.e. his sins of omission and commission. 4467-4468. Commentary: Bukhar i reports that in the beginning when a certain portion of the Quran was revealed to the Holy Prophet, in his anxiety lest he should forget it, he would start hurriedly repeating it. It is this practice that the Prophet was enjoined in this verse to give up, because, as stated in the following three verses, God had taken upon Himself not only to safeguard the text of the Quran from being tampered with but also to see that it was collected in the form of an immaculately arranged Book (see General Introduction) and that its Message was conveyed and explained 12.Nay! There is no refuge!4465 13.With thy Lord alone will be the place of rest that day. 14.That day will man be informed of that which he has sent forward and has left behind.4466 15.Nay, man is a witness against himself; 16.Even though he puts forward his excuses. 17.Move not thy tongue with this revelation that thou mayest hasten to preserve it.4467 18. aSurely, upon Us rests its collection and its recital.4468 a15:10. " "CH.75 AL-QIYAMAH PT.29 3268 to the whole world (15:10). Or the meaning may be that, because the preceding verses referred to a day of reckoning for disbelievers, the Holy Prophet was naturally anxious that the revelation bearing upon the promised punishment should come soon. He is here told that he need have no anxiety on that score, as it was God’s own responsibility, when a revelation should descend and what form the punishment should take, and that the Quran should be collected, read and explained to the world. It may be convenient to set out here three quotations:""There is otherwise every security, internal and external, that we possess the text (of the Quran) which Mu hammad himself gave forth and used"" (Muir). ""Efforts of European scholars to prove the existence of later interpolations in the Quran have failed"" (Enc. Brit.). ""The Quran is perhaps the most read book in the world. Certainly it is the most often memorized, and possibly it exerts the greatest influence on those who read it"" (The Religions of Man). Besides the meaning given in the text, the verse has also been interpreted as follows:""It is Our responsibility that We should explain the Quranic revelation through your tongue"" (Ruhul-Ma‘ani). This speaks volumes for the inviolability of the Holy Prophet’s Sunnah and its indispensability as a safe and sure guide, next only to the Quran itself. For a detailed exposition, however, of this and the preceding verse see General Introduction and 15:10. 4469. Commentary The particle کال besides meaning, ""your assertion tha t Resurrection will not take place is false, "" has been taken to mean, ""it is as certain as anything that the Resurrection shall take place (Kab ir)."" 4470. Commentary: The verse means that the righteous 19.So when We recite it, then follow thou its recital. 20.Then upon Us rests the expounding thereof. 21.Nay, but you love the present lifea;4469 22.And you neglect the Hereafter. 23.Some faces on that day will be bright,b 24.Looking eagerly towards their Lord;4470 a87:17. b88:9. " "PT.29 AL-QIYAMAH CH.75 3269 believers will look to their Lord, expecting to be rewarded for the good deeds they had done in this world. Or the meaning may be that they will be endowed with special spiritual eyes to see God; but it does not mean that God has a body and that He can be seen with our physical eyes. "" Eyes cannot reach Him and He reaches the eyes and He is Incomprehensible "" (6:104). The sight of God will be a special Divine manifestation, which will be unfolded to the human soul untrammelled by its earthly raiment. 4470A. Important Words: باسرة( dismal) is derived from بسر which means, he frowned; contracted his face; he grinned; he was gloomy or dismal. بسر وجھه means, he frowned or he contracted his face excessively or he looked with intense dislike or hatred (Lane & Aqrab). 4471. Important Words: فاقرة( back-breaking) is derived from فقر which means, he stigmatized a man. فقر البعری means, he made an incision in the nose of the camel. فقرتهالداھیة, means, the calamity broke the vertebrae of his back. فاقرة means, an act that breaks the vertebrae of the back; a back-breaking calamity. They say عمل به الفاقرة i.e. he did to him that which broke his back (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The Fall of Mecca broke the back of the Quraishite power. 4472. Important Words: الرتایق( throat) is the plural of ترقوة meani ng, the collarbone. They say بلغت روحه الرتایق i.e. he was about to die. رایق means, the uppermost parts of the chest or parts of the throat ne xt of the chest (Lane & Aqrab). 4473. Important Words: راق( wizard) is derived from ریق . They say ریق اجلبل i.e. he ascended the mountain. رقاه( raqqa ) means, he charmed him or fascinated him by uttering a spell. راق means, one who charms; a charmer; one who ascends (Lane & Aqrab) . Commentary: The verse may mean:(a) Who will 25. aAnd some faces on that day will be dismal,4470A 26.Thinking that a back- breaking calamity is about to befall them.4471 27.Hearken! when the soul of the dying man comes up to the throatb,4472 28.And it is said, ‘Who is the wizard to save him ?’4473 a68:44; 80:41; 88:3-4. b56:84. " "CH.75 AL-QIYAMAH PT.29 3270 ascend with the soul of the dying man, the angel of mercy who will take him to Paradise or the angel of punishment who will drag him to Hell? (b) Where is the wizard or charmer who will avert the approaching death or relieve the dying man of his agony? 4474. Commentary: The word الساق literally meaning shank, metaphorically signifies a calamity or affliction (27:45 & 68:43). The verse signifies that one affliction will be joined to another for the departed soul; the agony of leaving his near and dear ones behind will be joined to the agony of death and the punishment awaiting the disbeliever in the next world. 4475. Commentary: صدق( accepted the truth) stands forright belief and صیل( offered Prayers) for good conduct, the two basic principles of the Islamic teaching. Prayer is the essence of عبادة which is total submission and conforming one’s conduct to Divin e laws. Thus the verse purports to say that both the mind and body of disbelievers rebelled against God. 4476. Important Words: یتمیط( strutting) is from مط .They say میط الیشء i.e. he stretched or length ened the thing. مط خده means, he behaved proudly. یتمیط means, he strutted along (Aqrab). Commentary: False pride, arrogance and concei t are, as repeatedly stated in the Quran, at the root of all disbelief and rejection of the Divine Message and of opposition to God’s Prophets and Messengers. 29.And he is sure that it is the hour of parting; 30.And one shank rubs against another shank in death agony ;4474 31.Unto thy Lord that day will be the driving. R. 2. 32.For he neither accepted the truth, nor offered Prayersa;4475 33. bBut he rejected the truth and turned his back; 34.Then he went to his kinsfolk, strutting along in pride .4476 a74:44. b74:47. " "PT.29 AL-QIYAMAH CH.75 3271 4477. Commentary: These two verses speak of a double punishment —mental agony and physical punishment, or punishment in this world and in the next. 4478. Important Words: سدی( uncontrolled) is derived from سدا .سدو( sadw un) which is inf. noun signifies going at random, heedlessly or in a headlong manner, without aim or object, not following a guide to the right course. ذھب کالمه سدی means, his discourse proved useless (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse reproachfully reminds the conceited and disdainful disbeliever of the grand object of his life and of his accountability before his Lord and Master in the Hereafter. Does man think that he has been created without an aim or object and that death is the end of all things, and that he will not be called upon to explain his conduct before his Lord in the next life? The whole idea is inconsistent with God’s Wisdom. It is inconceivable that God should have created man from an insignificant thing —from a sperm drop —and should have endowed him with such great natural powers and faculties as to make him the centre and pivot of all creation and then should have left him without control, to eat, drink and be merry. It is further clear from this verse that the Lord Who created him from such an insignificant beginning will give him a new life when he is dead and is reduced to crumbled bones and dust, to make spiritual progress which knows no end. This is the substance of the next four verses. 35.‘Woe unto thee! and woe again! 36.Then woe unto thee! and woe again!’ 4477 37.Does man think that he is to be left to himself uncontrolled?4478 38. aWas he not a drop of fluid, emitted forth? 39. bThen he became a clot, then He shaped and perfected him. 40. cThen He made of him a pair, the male and female. 41.Has not such a One the power to raise the dead to life?d a18:38; 36:78; 80:20. b23:15; 40:68; 96:3. c92:4. d17:51-52; 36:80; 46:34. " "3272 CHAPTER 76 AD-DAHR (Revealed before Hijrah) Introductory Remarks This Surah like its predecessor belongs to the early Meccan period and takes its title from the word Ad-Dahr, occurring in its opening verse. It has also appropriately been called Al-Insan. Towards the end of the previous Surah, it was stated that man’s creation from an insignificant fluid and his development into a full-fledged human being, endowed with great natural powers, leads to the inescapable inference that his life has a divine purpose to serve and that the Great God Who created him from a sperm drop possesses the power to give him a new life after he is dead. The present Surah is an extension of the same theme, viz. that man has been gifted with wonderful natural capabilities to rise to great spiritual heights. Subject Matter The Surah in its opening verses reminds man of his insignificant beginning by the words, ""Has there not come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing spoken of?"" and proceeds to say that he has been endowe d with reason and understanding, in order that, following the path shown to him by God’s Prophets, he may make interminable spiritual progress and thus achieve the object for which he has been created. But when Divine teachers appear to guide men to God, some of them reject God’s Message and incur His displeasure, while others, more fortunate, respond to the Divine Call, follow the Teacher of the age and earn great heavenly blessings. Then, the Surah gives a beautiful description of the Divine favours which are bestowed upon the righteous believers, in this world and in the Hereafter, referring briefly also to the kind of punishment which the disbelievers receive for their wilful rejection of God’s Message. The Surah fittingly closes with the observation that God has revealed the Qur an, the most perfect teaching to guide man to the path which leads to the Lord and Creator of all creation, but he can derive no benefit from the Divine teaching unless he conforms his will to the will of God. " "PT.29 CH.76 3273 (AD-DAHR ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.Has there not come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing spoken of b,4479 3. cWe have created man from a mingled sperm drop that We might try him; so We made him hearing, seeing.4480 aSee 1:1. b19:68. c18:38; 35:12; 36:78; 40:68; 80:20. 4479. Important Words: حنی( period) is derived from حان . They say حان الیش ء i.e. the time of the thing came near, it happened. حنی means, time or a space or period of time, any time; a continuous time; an appointed time; time absolutely; the time when an event takes place; time without end ( Lane & Aqrab). الدھر( time) is infinitive noun from دھر .They say دھر القوم أمر مکروہ i.e. an evil even t befell the people. دھر means, time from the beginning of th e world to the end; any long or unlimited period of time; a period of time whether long or short; time without end, differing from زمان which means, time havin g end. دھر also means, an age; fate or fortune; an evil event or accident; a misfortune; a calamity, a purpose; a desire; the end that one has in view; a custom or habit (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: االنسان( man) in this and the nextverse does not mean hu man species as such, but every man. The verse means that before man is born, he is not mentioned, spoken of, or referred to; the reference being to his insignificant and unmentionable beginning. 4480. Commentary: أمشاج is the plural of مشیج which means, a mixture. Man is created from a sperm drop which itself is a mixture of several things, the implication being that he has been endowed with various natural powers, faculties and attributes meant for his moral and spiritual advance. This process of the cre ation of man points only to a general rule of creation; not that in no case could it be otherwise. The fact t hat man is gifted with insight and understanding signifies that he is a free agent, enjoying discretion and volition; therefore he is responsible for his actions. The belief in man’s freedom of action and " "CH.76 AD-DAHR PT.29 3274 responsibility leads inevitably to the belief in the Hereafter. 4481. Commentary: God has given man reason and understanding. He has made him responsible for his actions, and through His Messengers and Prophets has shown him the way that leads to God-realization. But it is for man to make right use of God-given faculti es and opportunities (this being the meaning of شکر,)and by submitting to Divine laws to achieve the object of his creation or by flouting them to bring about his spiritual death. 4482. Commentary: For a detailed explanation of the nature and significance of the punishments of Hell, see 69:30-33. Briefly, the verse alludes to the fact that every deed which a man does is followed by a corresponding act of God. The entanglements of dis-believers in worldly affairs will take the form of chains in the next wor ld, cares of the world will take the form of iron-collars, and greed and carnal desires that of Hellfire. 4483. Importan t Words: کافورا( camphor) is derived from کفر i.e. to cover or to suppress. The meaning is that the quaffing of camphor-drink will have the effect of cooling down animal passions. The heart of righteous believers will be cleansed of every impure thought and they will be refrigerated with the coolness of deep divine knowledge. 4484. Commentary: Righteous believers will drink of cups which will be filled from springs which they have dug with great labour, i.e. the deeds which they had done in the earthly life would appear in the next world in the form of springs. This is the first stage of 4.We have shown him the way,a whether he be grateful or ungrateful.4481 5. bVerily, We have prepared for the disbelievers chains and iron- collars and a blazing Fire.4482 6.But the virtuous drink of a cup, tempered with camphor — 4483 7.A spring wherefrom the servants of Allah drink, making it gush forth abundantly.4484 a90:11. b18:103; 29:69; 33:9; 48:14. " "PT.29 AD-DAHR CH.76 3275 spiritual evolution which requires hard and continuous striving on the part of believers, because unless man brings under control, and suppresses, his evil propensities, he cannot make any spiritual progress. The "" spring "" mentioned in the verse is the spring of God’s love and Divine realization. 4484A. Co mmentary: Fulfilling ""the vow"" signifies the discharging of man’s duties to God. Man’s obligations to his fellow- beings are mentioned in the next verse. 4485. Important Wor ds: طعام( food) is inf. noun from طعم i.e. he tasted or ate. طعام means, food; wholesome and agreeable food which satisfies the eater. They say ما یطعم ٓاکل ھذا الطعام i.e. the eater of this food does not become satisfied (Lane). Commentary: The verse may mean:(1) Because they love God, so, in order to win His pleasure, they feed the poor and the captives. (2) They feed the poor for the sake of feeding them, i.e. they do the good act of feeding for the sake of doing good, seeking no reward, appreciation or approbation for what they do. (3) They feed the poor while they themselves need the money which they spend on others. The verse also signifies that the righteous believers give the poor wholesome and agreeable food, طعام meaning agreeable and wholesome food (Lane). Thi s implies that the believers are expected to give in charity the things they love most. Elsewhere the Quran says:""You cannot attain to righteousness unless you spend in the way of Allah out of that which you love best (3:93). 4485A. Commentary: In everything that a believer does his whole attention is directed towards winning the pleasure of God—his highest ambition. He wants no return, reward or appreciation. His reward is with his Lord and Master. 8.They f ulfil their vow, and fear a day the evil of which is widespread.4484A 9. aAnd they feed, for love of Him, the poor, the orphan, and the prisoner,4485 10.Saying, ‘We feed you for Allah’s pleasure only. We desire no reward nor thanks from you.4485A a2:178; 9 0:15-17. " "CH.76 AD-DAHR PT.29 3276 4486. Important Words: عبوسا ً( frowning) is derived from عبس . They say عبس وجھه i.e. he frowned; he grinned, frowning or looking sternly or austerely. یوم عبوس means, a distressful or calamitous day, or a day that makes one distressful (Lane). قمطریر( calamitous) is derived from اقمطر which means, it was or became distressful or calamitous. یوم قمطریر means, a distressful or calamitous day, or a day that makes one knit the brow or contract the skin between the eyes. شر قمطریر means, an intense evil (Lane). 4487. Important W ords: زمھریرا( excessive cold) is derived from زمھر .They say زمھرت العنی او ازمھرت i.e. the eye became red on account of anger. ازمھر الیوم means, the day became intensely cold. ازمھر وجھه means, his face became contracted with a stern or morose look. زمھریر means, cold or intense cold (Lane & Aqra b). 11.Verily, we fear from our Lord a frowning, distressful day.’4486 12.So Allah will save them from the evil of that day, and will grant them cheerfulness and happiness. 13. aAnd He will reward them, for their steadfastness, with a Garden and a raiment of silk, 14.Reclining therein upon couches,b they will experience there neither excessive heat nor excessive coldc.4487 15.And its shades will be close over them, and its clustered fruits will be brought within easy reach. 16. dAnd vessels of silver will be passed round among them, and also goblets of glass, a22:24. b18:32; 36:57; 83:24. c20:120. d43:72. " "PT.29 AD-DAHR CH.76 3277 4488. Commentary: The vessel from which the righteous will drink will be as white as silver and as bright and crystal clear as glass, and they will receive the paradisiacal drink in quantity according to the measure of the good deeds they had done in this life. 4489. Commentary: زجنبیل( ginger) is a compound of زین (meaning to ascend) and جبل( meaning mountain). The compound word زجنبیل therefore means, ""he ascended the mountain. "" زجنبیل or ginger is the root of a plant, very useful in promoting the natural heat of the body. The name given to it points to this property, for it gives strength to and generates heat in the weak body so as to enable a person to ascend precipitous heights. These two verses in which کافور( camphor) and زجنبیل (ginger) are respectively spoken of call attention to the two stages through which a believer h as to pass in order to make advance, from the low position of slavery to passion, to the heights of virtue and righteousness. The first stage is that in which poisonous materials are suppressed and the flood of passions begins to subside. This we term the کافور( camphor) stage; for in this stage what is effected is only the suppressio n of poisonous matter, just as کافور has the property of nullifying the strong effect of passion. But the spiritual power which is required to overcome all difficulties is acquired in the second stage which is called the زجنبیل stage. The spiritual ginger (زجنبیل )which has the effect of a tonic on the spiritual system is the manifestation of Divine Beauty and Glory which affords nourishment to the soul. Braced with this manifestation, the spiritual wayfarer is able to traverse the dreary deserts and to climb the steep heights to be met with on his spiritual journey. To make men understand these two spiritual stages two words have been employed by the Quran, viz. کافور or that which suppresses poisonous matters and زجنبیل or that which gives strength to a scend spiritual heights and overcome all difficulties in the spiritual journey. Whereas at the کافور (camphor) stage the righteous will themselves drink the wine of God’s love, at the much higher زجنبیل( ginger) stage they will be served with this elixir. 17.Bright as glass but made of silver, which they will measure according to their own measure.4488 18.And therein will they be given to drink a cup tempered with ginger,4489 " "CH.76 AD-DAHR PT.29 3278 4490. Commentary: The word سلسبیل literally meaning ""enquire about the way, "" the verse purports to say that at the زجنبیل (ginger) stage the spiritual wayfarer becomes so much intoxicated with Divine love that, in his overbearing anxiety to meet God, he en quires everywhere and of everyone about the nearest and speediest approach to the Divine threshold. 4491. Commen tary: In addition to the spiritual kingdom that the righteous believers have been promised for the Hereafter, they were given mastery of the great empires of the time in this very life. 4492. Commenta ry: At the کافور stage of spirit ual journey the God-intoxicated wayfarer is described as himself seeking to drink the wine of God’s love (v. 6) and at the زجنبیل stage, he is served by others with the life-giving beverage (v. 18), but at the last or سلسبیل stage God Himself gives him to drink the elixir of everlasting life. 4493. Commen tary: For a full discussion of the nature, form and scope of the paradisiacal blessings, see chapters 52, 55 & 56. This verse and those preceding it may 19.There will be a spring herein named Salsab il.4490 20. aAnd there will wait upon them youths who will not age. When thou seest them thou thinkest them to be pearls scattered about. 21.And when thou seest thou wilt see there a bliss and a great kingdom.4491 22.On them will be garments of fine green silk and thick brocade.b And they will be made to wear bracelets of silver.c And their Lord will give them to drink a pure beverage.4492 23. d‘This is your reward, and your labour is appreciated.’4493 a52:25; 56:18. b18:32; 44:54. c18:32; 22:24; 35:34. d32:18; 43:73. " "PT.29 AD-DAHR CH.76 3279 also apply to the great Divine favours that were bestowed upon the followers of the Holy Prophet in this very life. 4494. Comment ary: The Quran was revealed gradually and piecemeal. Its revelation spread over a period of 23 years. This gradual process served two great purposes. It helped believers to learn, remember and assimilate it and to mould their lives in accordance with its teaching. The gradual process was also intended to meet the increasing needs of changing circumstances and to strengthen the belief and conviction of Muslims, since, during the interval, they had opportunities to witness fulfilment of prophecies made earlier in the Quran. The piecemeal revelation of the Qura n also fulfilled the following Biblical prophecy, viz. ""For it is precept upon precept; line upon line, here a little and there a little:for with strange lips and another tongue will he speak to this people"" (Isaiah 28:11). The construction of the verse and the words used in the Biblical prophecy are expressive of Divine purpose in the gradual revelation of the Quran. 4495. Commentary: The verse purports to say that the hopes and fears of disbelievers are confined to this world. They have no thought for the Hereafter. They want to see promises of prosperity and progress made to Muslims and of those of punishment to themselves fulfilled here and now. But God is not R. 2. 24.Surely, We have revealed unto thee the Quran piecemeal.4494 25.So wait patiently for the judgement of thy Lord, and yield not to any sinful or ungrateful one among them. 26. aAnd remember the name of thy Lord morning and evening. 27. bAnd during the night prostrate thyself before Him, and extol His glory for a long part of the night. 28. cVerily, these people love the present life, and they neglect a heavy day before them.4495 a3:42; 48:10. b17:80; 50:41; 52:50; 73:3-5. c17:19. " "CH.76 AD-DAHR PT.29 3280 in a hurry to punish. The Holy Prophet is enjoined to pay no heed to their demand for punishment but to prepare himself and his followers morally and spiritually by N ight Prayer and glorification of God. ""Heav y day"" may mean the Resurrection Day or the Day when disbelievers are punished in this life. 4496. Commentary: This verse, in conjunction with the verses preceding it, means that Truth will spread gradually, either that there will come about a great moral revolution in the lives of the people or if they refused to benefit by the Quranic teaching they will be replac ed by another people who will carry out the Divine will and plan. God is not in a hurry to punish them because He ""has created man in the best make"" (95:5) that he may develop and manifest in himself Divine attributes and not that he may incur His displeasure and be punished. 4497. Commentary: Besides the meaning given in the text, the verse may also mean:(1) It is God’s Will that you should exercise your will "" to take a way unto your Lord, "" and so be admitted into His mercy. (2) You cannot ""take the way unto your Lord"" unless you subordinate and conform your will to the will of God. (3) You should have subordinated your will to the will of God, but you seem not t o have done so. 4498. Commentary: The verse may also mean that God admits into His mercy him who himself wishes to be admitted into God’s mercy by obeying Divine commandments; من being the subject of the verb یشاء. 29.We have created them and strengthened their make; and when We will, We can replace them by others like thema.4496 30. bVerily, this is a Reminder. So whoever wishes, may take a way unto his Lord. 31. cBut you will not unless Allah so wills. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, Wise.4497 32.He causes whom He pleases to enter His mercyd, and for the wrong doers He has prepared a painful punishment.4498 a56:62. b20:4; 7 3:20; 74:55; 80:12. c18:25; 74:57; 81:30. d48:26. " "3281 CHAPTER 77 AL-MURSALA T (Revealed before Hijrah) Introductory Remarks Nöldeke and Muir assign the revelation of this Surah, probably correctly, to the 4th year of the Call. Ibn Mas‘ud, one of the earliest Companions of the Holy Prophet, however, is reported to have said that one day when they were sitting with the Holy Prophet in a cave near Mina, this Surah was revealed. At that time a snake appeared but before they could kill it, the reptile disappeared. Upon this the Holy Prophet said that they had remained safe from the snake as the snake had been safe from them (Qad ir). The Surah receives its title from the first word of the opening verse. Subject Matter Like other early Meccan chapters, this Surah also deals with the subject of the Resurrection, and as an argument in support of it, adduces the great spiritual revolution that is brought about by Divine Messengers among their peoples, especially the marvellous moral change that the Holy Prophet wrought in the lives of the degenerate and decadent Arabs. The advent of Divine Prophets has been compared in the Surah to the Day of Decision when bad men are separated from good men or, to use a beautiful metaphor, when grain becomes sifted from chaff. On that Day of Judgement the guilty are punished and the righteous receive the rewards of their good deeds. The Surah gives very apt and adequate description of the punishment —fittingly corresponding to their evil deeds —that will be meted out in the Hereafter, to the defiers and violators of Divine laws and goes on to describe the blessings and boons of Paradise which will be bestowed upon those who regulate their lives and conduct in accordance with them. In support of the doctrine of the Resurrection, the Surah also alludes, quite convincingly, to the development of the sperm drop into a properly shaped human being, equipped with great natural powers ––in itself a wonder of creation. Towards the end, the Surah brings home to disbelievers the untenability of their rejection of the Quranic revelation which has so effectively proved, by drawing attention to man’s own creation and to the forces that work in the physical and spiritual worlds, that there is and there must be a life after death in which man shall have to explain his conduct. " "CH.77 PT.29 3282 (AL-MURSAL AT) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.By those who are sent forth with goodness,4499 3.Then they push on with a forceful pushing,4500 aSee 1:1. 4499. Important Words: واو( by). For the philosophy and significance of Quranic oaths see 37:2 & 91:2. عرفا( goodness) is derived from عرف ‘(arafa) which means, he knew it or he knew it by means of any of the five senses, also by mental perception. عرف‘(urfun) means, acknowledg ment or confession ; goodness or a good action or quality; gentleness; beneficence, a benefit or bounty; common parlance or usage. They say جاء القوم عرفا عرفا i.e. the people came one after another (Lane). Commentary: The things, agencies or beings mentioned in this and the following four verses have been taken by various authorities to refer to winds; angels; God’s Messengers and their followers; and particularly and very appropriately, to the Companions of the Holy Prophet. As referring to the Companions of the Holy Prophet the verse would mean that in the beginning of Islam the Companions of the Prophet spread the Message of truth slowly and gently; as referring to Divine Messengers it means that they appear one after the other with the Message of truth which they spread with love. 4500. Important Words: عصفاً( forceful pushing) . عصف means, he was quick or swift. عصفت الریح means, the wind blew violently or vehemently. عصف الزرع means, he cut the corn from its stalks or before its maturity. عصف means, straw or broken straw ( Lane). Commentary: In view of the different meanings of عصف the verse may be taken to mean that after the initial difficulties in the preaching had been overcome, the Companions of the Holy Prophet were able to proceed much faster and carry on the Quranic Message with great vigour; or that, with the help of the Quranic teaching, they scattered before the m falsehood and the forces of evil as broken straw is carried before the wind. " "PT.29 AL-MURSAL AT CH.77 3283 4501. Commentary: The verse means that they proclaimed and spread the Message of truth far and wide, or scattered the seeds of goodness everywhere. 4502. Commentary: With the dissemination of the Quranic Message, truth became distinct from falsehood and good men from bad men. 4503. Comm entary: Divine Messengers, or the Companions of the Holy Prophet, spread the Divine Message in order to warn people and also to establish the fact that they had conveyed the Message and thus had discharged the duty entrusted to them. 4504. Commentary: The promised event is either the final triumph of truth over falsehood, or the Resurrection. 4505. Important Words: طمست( are made to lose their light). طمس means, it became effaced or obliterated. طمس النجم means, the star lost or became deprived of its light طمس الغیم النجوم means, the clouds concealed or covered the stars. (Lane & Aqrab). See also 10:89. Commentary: The verse means:When the religious divines become corrupt and cease to provide guidance to the masses, or when diverse calamities are about to befall people. The Arabs regarded the disappearance of stars as a sign of impending calamities. 4506. Commentary: The verse means, when a new revelation begins to be sent down, or when great calamities and miseries befall the world. 4.And by those who spread the truth, a good spreading,4501 5.And then they distinguish fully between good and evil .4502 6.Then they carry the exhortation far and wide4503 7.To excuse some and warn others . 8. aVerily, that which you are promised must come to pass.4504 9.So when the stars are made to lose their lightb,4505 10.And when the heaven is rent asunder,4506 a51:6; 52:8 . b82:3. " "CH.77 AL-MURSAL AT PT.29 3284 4507. Commentary: The purport of the verse is:When great changes take place, or when powerful and influential men are brought low; or when old and time- honoured institutions are destroyed, root and branch. In short, when the whole corrupt order changes. For جبال see 14:47. 4508. Commentary: The meaning is:When prophecies concerning the second advent of various Messengers will be fulfilled with the appearance in the world of a great heavenly Reformer who will come in the power and spirit of such Messengers, clad, as it were, in the mantles of all of them. 4509. Important Words: أجلت( deferred) is derived from أجل(ajila ) which means, it was or became delayed, postponed, kept back or it had a term or period appointed for it at which it should fall due or come to pass. أجل ءالیش ( ajjala ) means, he delayed or postponed or deferred the thing or he appointed a period or term for it. (Lane & Aqrab). 4510. Commentary: The Day of Decision may mean the day of the triumph of Islam over all other Faiths in the time of the Promised Messiah. Or it may mean the Resurrection Day. 4511. Commentary: The reference in the verse may be to the disbelievers in the Holy Prophet’s time or in that of the Promised Messiah. 11.And when the mountains are blown awaya,4507 12.And when the Messengers are made to appear at the appointed time —4508 13.To what day have these portents been deferred?4509 14.To the Day of Decision. 15.And what should make thee know what the Day of Decision is!4510 16.Woe on that day unto those who reject the truth !4511 17. bDid We not destroy the earlier peoples? a78:21; 81:4. b6:134. " "PT.29 AL-MURSAL AT CH.77 3285 4512. Commentary: The guilty never go unpunished, and the punishment, in the time of a Divine Messenger, takes place on a larger scale, involving whole communities and nations. 4513. Commentary: This and the preceding three verses refer to the extremely subtle process of development of the sperm drop in the womb into a full-fledged human being, which indeed is a great wonder of creation. This process of creation is advanced as an argument in support of the Resurrection. The Quran has repeatedly used this argument, for there exists a beautiful parallelism between the two, the mother’s womb being likened in the Quran to man’s life on earth and his birth to the Resurrection. 4514. Important Words: کفاتاً( so as to hold) is derived from کفت which means, he or it hastened or was quick or swift. They say کفت الیشء الیه i.e. he drew the thing together to himself and contracted, graspe d or took it. کفات is a place in which a thing is drawn together or comprehended and collected or cong regated. The words الم جنعل االرض کفاتا أحیاء و أمواتاً mean:""Have 18.We will now cause the later ones to follow them. 19.Thus do We deal with the guilty.4512 20.Woe on that day unto those who reject the truth ! 21.Did We not create you from an insignificant fluid,a 22.And We placed it in a safe resting place, 23.For a known measure of time? 24. bThus did We determine and what excellent Determiner We are!4513 25.Woe on that day unto those who reject the truth ! 26. cHave We not made the earth so as to hold 4514 a23:14; 3 2:9; 36:78 . b23:15. c7:26. " "CH.77 AL-MURSAL AT PT.29 3286 We not made the earth a place which comprehends the living and the dead, or which draws to itself the living and the dead, or which is quick in its motion"" (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: All mortals live on earth, and when they are dead their remains in one form or other abide in the earth. The verse may also refer to the law of gravitation or to the earth’s motion on its axis or round the sun. The word کفات may also signify that all the physical needs of man have been met in the earth . 4515. Important Words: شاخمات( high) is derived from شـ مخ which means, it was high or lofty. مخ أنفهـ ش means, he r aised his nose from pride, i.e. he exalted himself, he was proud or behaved proudly . جبل شامخ means, a high or lofty mountain. نسب شامخ means, a proud or high lineage. (Lane & Aqrab). روایس( mountains) is the plural of راسیةand جبال راسیة means, firm mountains (Lane). Commentary: The firm and high mountains not only serve as a safeguard against earthquakes but also as natural reservoirs of water on which all life depends for its sustenance. 4516. Commentary: ظل( shadow), as given under Important Words, serves three main purposes:it is cool; gives protection and is a means of comfort. As is mentioned in the following two verses disbelievers will be denied all these three things. The verse may also have reference to the wrong beliefs; evil deeds; usages, and practices of disbeliev ers which would take the form of three-pronged shadow in the next world. Or, according to some authorities, Ibn ‘Abb as being prominent among them, the reference in the verse may be to the Christian 27.The living and the dead? 28. aAnd We placed therein high mountains, and gave you sweet water to drink.4515 29.Woe on that day unto those who reject the truth ! 30.‘Now move on towards that which you treated as a lie, 31.Aye, move on towards a three-pronged shadow,4516 a13:4; 15:20; 21:32; 31:11. " "PT.29 AL-MURSAL AT CH.77 3287 doctrine of the Trinity. Or the verse may mean that disbelievers will be punished from the right, the left and from above. 4517. Commentary: See 56:43-44. 4518. Commentary: As disbelievers sought ease and comfort and took pride in castles and stately buildings, their sins and transgressions will take the form of flames of fire rising high like huge castles. 4519. Commentary: The Arabs took pride in their camels of yellow colour which formed the greatest source of their wealth. 4520. Commentary: See 36:66. 4521. Commentary: The guilt of disbelievers having been fully established, they will not be allowed to o ffer any excuse or explanation. 4522. Commentary: The Holy Prophet’s enemies have been challenged to do their worst against him. 32.Neither affording shade, nor protecting from the flame.’4517 33.It throws up sparks like huge castles,4518 34.As if they were yellow camels.4519 35.Woe on that day unto those who reject the truth ! 36.This is a day when they shall not be able to speaka.4520 37. bNor shall they be permitted to offer excuses.4521 38.Woe on that day unto those who reject the truth ! 39. c‘This is the Day of Decision; We have gathered you and all the earlier peoples together. 40.‘If now you have any stratagem, use it against Me.’4522 a36:66; 78:39.b9:66; 66:8. c37:22. " "CH.77 AL-MURSAL AT PT.29 3288 4523. Important Words: ال یرکعون (do not bow down). رکع means, he bowed down. The word is sometimes used to denote humility and self-abasement. رکع ایل اهلل means, he humbled himself to God; he completely turned towards God and worshipped Him alone. The famous pre-Islamic poet N abighah says: امرء من جنا أو عذرا سیبلغ راکع یة الرب رب ربه ایل i.e. he who worships God alone, the Creator of the world, will have a good plea and will get salvation. 41.Woe on that day unto those who reject the truth ! R. 2. 42. aThe righteous will be in the midst of shades and springs, 43. bAnd fruits, such as they will desire. 44.‘Eat and drink pleasantly as a reward for what you did.’ 45.Thus surely do We reward those who do good. 46.Woe on that day unto those who reject the truth ! 47. c‘Eat and enjoy yourselves a little while in this world, O rejecters of truth ; surely you are the guilty ones.’ 48.Woe on that day unto those who reject the truth ! 49.And when it is said unto them, ‘Bow down,’ they do not bow down.4523 50.Woe on that day unto those who reject the truth ! a56:31. b52:23; 55:53; 56:33. c14:31; 47:13. " "PT.29 AL-MURSAL AT CH.77 3289 4524. Commentary: The verse purports to say that as these ill-fated people have refused to accept such an infallible Book as the Quran, they will never listen to truth or find the right path. 51.In what discourse then, after this, will they believe?4524 " "3290 CHAPTER 78 AN-NABA’ (Revealed befor e Hijra h) General Remarks This Surah is entitled An-Naba’ (news of tremendous import or great event), because it deals with a subject of exceptional importance, i.e. certainty of the Resurrection, predominance of the Quran over all other revealed Scriptures, and of Islam over other faiths. The Day of Decision, i.e. the day when this Quranic claim will become an established fact, is mentioned twice in the preceding Surah and is repeated in the present Surah . The Surah, according to Muslim scholarly opinion, was revealed very early in the Holy Prophet’s ministry at Mecca. Nöldeke agrees with this opinion. The Su rah opens with an enumeration of great Divine gifts upon man, and directs his attention to the implied suggestion that man has been placed upon this earth to serve a certain object and that his life here is the seedbed of an eternal future and will be followed by a Day of Reckoning. The Surah then gives a brief but awe-inspiring picture of that Day, and a graphic description of the heavenly blessings that await the righteous and of the punishment which will be meted out to the rejecters of truth, in this and in the next life. " "PT.30 CH.78 3291 (AN-NABA’) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.About what do th ey question one another? 3. bIt is about the great Event,4525 4. cConcerning which they differ.4526 5.Nay, soon they will come to know.d 6.Nay, We say it again, they will soon come to know.4527 aSee 1:1. b38:68. c38:69-70. d102:4-5. 4525. Important Words: النبأ( the great Event) among other things means, an announcement of great utility which results either in great knowledge or predominance of opinion and which inspires awe and makes the heart tremble with fear (Lane, Ku lliyya t & Raghib). Commentary: The addition of the qualifying word العظیم( great) to النبأ which itself means, a great news or event, bespeaks of the tremendous import of the event referred to here. The words النبأ العظیم are taken to signify either the Day of Reckoning or the predominance of the Quran over all revealed Scriptures and that of Islam over other Faiths and religious systems. The disbelievers (the verse purports to say) persuade themselves to believe that the predicted event will never take place. So they ask halfmockingly and half in doubt, when that event, so loudly proclaimed, will happen. 4526. Commentary: The disbelievers do not believe that there will ever be a Day of Reckoning, or that Islam will ever predominate over other religions. Or the verse may mean that they hold divergent views about these things. Some of them call the Qur an a jumble of ancient sto ries, others dub it as magic, yet others say that it is a forgery or at best the creation of the Holy Prophet’s own heated imagination. About the Holy Prophet also their views differ. Some call him a mad man, others a magician, and yet others a poet. 4527. Commentary: The verse means that disbelievers " "CH.78 AN-NABA’ PT.30 3292 are indulging in wild conjectures about the Resurrection, the Quran, and about the Holy Prophet’s future. But time will show that they suffered from illusions, and that the Holy Prophet was bound to succeed in his mission and, as a corollary, that what the Quran has said about the Day of Reckoning is also sure to happen. 4528. Commentary: In these verses (vv. 7-9) we are told that God has created the earth and in it all physical needs of man have been provided, and that He has created the mountains which constitute a storehouse of mineral wealth and serve as great reservoirs of water, and that God has created for man his mate in order that his progeny may continue. This shows that man’s life for whose sake all this machinery has been made is not without a definite purpose and that death is not the end of man; it is followed by a better and fuller life where human soul will make everlasting progress. 4529. Important Words: سبات( rest) is derived from سبت whichmeans, he rested; he abstained from work. سبات signifies rest and hence sleep, or light or heavy sleep. It also means, a period; a long period, being syn. with دھر( Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: Nations and communities, a fter undergoing heavy sacrifices are disposed to take rest. Consequently there comes upon them a period of forgetfulness. This period is sometimes very long. Then a Divine Reformer appears and they are required again to make sacrifices for the cause of tru th. Thus the circle continues. In fact, سبات( rest) is a great Divine gift. After a day’s hard work, sleep gives rest to man’s jaded nerves and tired limbs, and thus he is refreshed and replenished for the next day’s work. 4529A. Commentary: As it is difficult to distinguish between different things in the darkness of night, similarly, in the period of spiritual darkness, before the advent of a Divine Reformer, good and bad people remain mixed 7. aHave We not made the earth as a bed, 8.And the mountains as pegs? 9. bAnd We have created you in pairs,4528 10.And We have made your sleep for rest,4529 11. cAnd We have made th e night as a covering,4529A a2:23; 20:54; 27:62; 51:49. b36:37; 51:50; 75:40; 92:4. c6:97; 25:48; 28:74. " "PT.30 AN-NABA’ CH.78 3293 up, and it is after a Reformer’s appearance that the good people are separated from the bad people. 4530. Commentary: Just as man’s body regains new vigour and strength after restful sleep at night, similarly, after a long period of sloth and inertia in relation to spiritual ma tters a people become invigorated to make new sacrifices when a Divine Reformer appears among them. 4531. Commentary: The reference in the verse seemingly being to the seven major planets of the solar system, of which the sun is the centre, the verse means that the fact that God has created such a vast, complex and flawless system for the service of man inevitably leads to the conclusion that man has been placed on the earth to serve a specific, albeit a very noble and sublime purpose. Seven heavens may also refer to seven stages of spiritual development of man mentioned in Surah Al-Mu’ minun. 4532. Important Words: وھاج( bright) is derived from وھج . They say وھجت النار i.e. the fire burned or blazed. یوم وھجmeans, a hot day. وھاج means, burning very brightly; very hot; very shining (Lane & Aqrab). 4533. Important Words: املعصرات( the dripping clouds) is derived from عصر which means, he pressed or squeezed the thing so as to force out its juice, etc. he aided or succoured or saved or preserved someone; he did some benefit to someone. They say أعصر السحاب i.e. the clouds were at the point of having rain pressed forth from them by the winds (Lane & Aqrab). ثجاج( pouring forth abundantly) is derived from ثج .They say ثج املاء i.e. the water flowed or poured forth vehemently or much. مطر ثجاج means, rain pouring forth vehemently or much (Lane) . 12. aAnd We have made the day for the pursuits of life.4530 13. bAnd We have built above you seven strong heavens ;4531 14.And We hav e made the sun a bright lamp.4532 15. cAnd We send down from the dripping clouds water pouring forth abundantly,4533 16. dThat We may bring forth thereby grain and vegetation, a17:13; 28:74. b23:18. c6:7; 71:12; 80:26. d80:28-29. " "CH.78 AN-NABA’ PT.30 3294 4534. Commentary: In these verses (7-17) some of the basic Divine bounties on which man’s physical sustenance mainly depends have been mentioned, the implication being that God Who has made such adequate arrangement for the physical sustenance of man could not have omitted to make a similar provision for his spiritual sustenance. The verses also point to a striking parallelism between the physical and the spiritual universes. Just as the sun is the centre of the whole solar system, similarly the Holy Prophet is the pivotal point of the spiritual universe. Like the physical universe the spiritual universe has its ""earth"", ""mountains"", ""rivers"", etc. 4535. Commentary: ""The Day of Decision"" may signify the Day of Resurrection or the day of the final and complete triumph of Truth and the utter defeat, discomfiture and destruction of the forces of darkness —the day of the Fall of Mecca which was the centre and citadel of idolatry in Arabia. 4536. Commentary: On the day of the Fall of Mecca the Quraish, as if by the blowing of the trumpet, were gathered before the Holy Prophet, before whom they placed their request that their tyrannies and transgressions might be forgiven and they might be accepted into the fold of Islam. 4537. Commentary: The verse means that at that time heavenly signs will be shown in large numbers in support of the righteous, and to the confusion of the wrongdoers. 4538. Commentary: The verse signifies that men of power and position will lose their authority or influence; or that before 17. aAnd gardens of luxuriant growth.4534 18.Surely, the Day of Decision has an appointed time:4435 19. bThe day when the trumpet will be blown; and you will come in large groups;4536 20.And the heaven shall be opened and shall become all doors;4537 21. cAnd the mountains shall be made to move and shall become as if they were a mirage.4538 a80:30-31. b18:100; 20:103; 27:88; 36:52. c18:48; 52:11; 81:4. " "PT.30 AN-NABA’ CH.78 3295 the onrush of the conquests of Islam, great and firmly established empires will crumble like mounds of loose sand and will disappear so completely that it would seem that their erstwhile existence was only an optical illusion. 4539. Important Words: أحقاب( Ages ) is the plural of حقب which means, time; long time; a year or years; seventy years; eighty years or more (Lane & Mufrad at). Commentary: To continue the metaphor, the verse may refer to the long centuries when Islam was in ascendance and its enemies continued to burn in the fire of malice and envy at the uninterrupted progress and prosperity of Muslims. As referring to the punishment of Hell, the verse signifies that though its duration will be very, very long yet it will not be eternal, the word أحقابا as shown under Important Words signifying a limited period of time, however, long. 4540. Important Words: برد( sleep) is inf. noun from برد which means, he slep t; he died; it became cool, etc. برد( bardun ) means, coolness; pleasantness; enjoyment; comfort; ease; sleep (Lane & Aqrab). 4541. Important Words: غساق( stinking fluid intensely cold) means, ichor; the washings of wounds; intense cold that burns by reason of its coolness; cold and stinking. محیم و غساق means, boiling fluid and intensely cold and stinki ng drink (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The turbulent pursuit of evil, and cold indifference towards virtue, of wrongdoers will take the form of boiling water and intensely cold and stinking drink. 22.Surely, Hell lies in ambush, 23.A home for the rebellious, 24. aWho wi ll tarry therein for ages.4539 25.They will taste therein neither sleep nor drink,4540 26. bSave boiling water and a stinking fluid, intensely cold — 4541 27.A meet requital. a11:108. b6:71; 69:37. " "CH.78 AN-NABA’ PT.30 3296 4542. Important Words: یرجعون( feared) is formed from رجا . They say رجا الیش ء i.e. he hoped to get the thing; he feared the thing (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The disbelievers did not believe in the Hereafter where they would be rewarded for their good deeds and had no apprehensions that they would be punished for their evil actions. Thus they lacked both the motives —hope and fear —which prompt a man to do good, and refrain from bad, deeds. 4543. Commentary: Invention of television, wireless and other kindred instruments has established the fact that not only man’s actions but even his spoken words can be preserved and reproduced. See also 24:25 & 36:66. 4544. Commentary: Divine punishment will continue to dog the footsteps of disbelievers. Punishments in various forms will be inflicted upon them one after the other. This is the meaning of the words:""We will give you no increase except in torment."" 4545. Important Words: مفاز( triumph) is derived from فاز which means, he gained what he wished or desired; he was successful; he gained the victory. فازبه means he attained, acquired or won it. فاز من مکروه means, he became safe and secure from what he disliked. مفاز means victory; triumph, a place of safety or security; a cause or means of prosperity or success or of the attainment of that which he deserves; the state of safety. Contrarily it also means, a place of perdition (Lane). 28.Verily, they feared not the reckoning,4542 29. aAnd rejected Our Signs totally. 30. bAnd everything have We recorded in a Book.4543 31.‘Taste ye therefore the punishment ; We will give you no increase except in torment.’4544 R. 2. 32. cVerily, for the righteous is a triumph:4545 a2:40; 7:36-37; 22:58; 30:17; 64:11. b36:13. c4:176; 13:30; 14:24; 30:16; 68:35. " "PT.30 AN-NABA’ CH.78 3297 4546. Commentary: حدائق being the plural of حدیقة which means, a garden surrounded by a wall or fence, the verse purports to say that as the righteous believers guarded themselves against si n and vice, their virtuous deeds will take the form of gardens protected by wa lls in the next life. Among the paradisiacal blessings أعناب( grapevines) finds very frequent mention in the Quran. This is because grape is a delicious and substantial food, can be preserved for a long time, and causes intoxication. تقوی ٰ (righteousness) also possesses all these three characteristics. So grapevine is a fit reward for متقنی( the righteous). 4547. Important Words: For أتراب see 56:38. کواعب( young maidens) is the plural of کاعب or کاعبة which is derived from کعب .They say کعبت اجلاریة i.e. the breasts of the girl began to swell or became prominent. کعب( ka‘bun) means, any joint; nobility; glory; eminence. أعیل اهلل کعبھم means, may God exalt their glory. ذھب کعب ھم means, their glory departed. جاریة کاعب means, a girl whose breasts are beginning to swell (Aqrab & Lane). Commentary: The righteous will have companions or wives possessing freshness and vigour of youth and enjoying eminent positions, being of noble descent, and fired with high and noble ambitions. Elsewhere (56:35) in the Quran the companions of the righteous have been described as فرش مرفوعة i.e. noble spouses. For a full discussion of the nature and significance of heavenly blessings, see Surahs Tur, Rah man and Waqi‘ah 4548. Important Words: دھاق( overflowing) is derived from دھق .They say دھق الکأس i.e. he filled the cup. دھق املاء means, he vehemently poured the water. کأس دھاق means, a cup so full as to overflow (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The God-intoxicated pilgrim whose heart is so full of love of God as to overflow with it, will deservedly be given to drink cups, full of beverage that will add to spiritual intoxication which will not abate. As life in the Hereafter will be a highly developed spiritual copy of the life of this world, therefore, the pleasures of that life have been described in words which we can understand. Otherwise the Qur an 33.Walled gardens and grape- vines,4546 34. aAnd young maidens of equal age,4547 35.And overflowing cups.4548 a56:38. " "CH.78 AN-NABA’ PT.30 3298 says:""No soul knows what joy of the eyes is kept hidden for them"" (32:18). And the Holy Prophet is reported to have said:""No eye has seen them, nor has any ear heard of them, nor can any mind conceive them"" (Bukha ri, Kitab bad’ al-Khalq). 4549. Commentary: ""The Spirit"" here may signify the perfect Spirit —the Holy Prophet; and ""the day"" may mean the Day of Resurrection. As applied to the present world, ""the day"" may signify the day of the Fall of Mecca and ""the angels "" may stand for the angelic Companions of the Holy Prophet who were with him on that day. For الروح see 16:3; 19:18; 32:10; 42:53. 36. aTherein they will hear no idle talk nor lying: 37.A recompense from thy Lord —a gift amply sufficient. 38. bLord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, the Gracious God. They shall not have the power to address Him. 39.On the day wh en the Spirit and the angels will stand in rows, cthey shall not speak, except he whom the Gracious God will permit and who will speak only what is right.4549 40.That day is sure to come. So let him, who will, seek recourse unto his Lord. 41.Verily, We have warned you of a punishment which is near at hand; da day when man will see what his hands have sent on before, and the disbeliever will a19:63; 52:24; 56:26. b19:66; 37:6; 38:67; 44:8. c11:106; 20:110. d4:43. " "PT.30 AN-NABA’ CH.78 3299 4550. Commentary: ""The punishment which is near at hand, "" seems to refer to the punishm ent which is meted out to the sinful disbelievers in this world. Elsewhere in the Quran (32:22) this punishm ent has been described as العذابٰاالدین( nearer punishment) as against العذابٰاالکرب( the greater punishment) which is punishment in the Hereafter. This nearer punishment took the form of the defeats which the disbelievers suffered at the hands of Muslims, and finally that of th e Fall of Mecca when the cup of their utter mortification and humiliation became full to the brim. The verse gives a befitting picture of the state of mind of the Quraish leaders on that day.say, ‘Would that I were mere dust!’4550 " "3300 CHAPTER 79 AN-NAZI‘A T (Revealed before Hijrah) General Remarks The Surah takes its title from the first word of its opening verse. All competent authorities, including ‘Abdull ah bin ‘Abb as and Ibn Zubair, agree that, like its predecessor, this is a very early Meccan Surah . In the preceding Surah, the Muslims were promised power, prosperity and predominance in the world at a time when in the whole of Mecca hardly forty persons had accepted Islam. In the present Surah, however, light is shed on the ways and means by which the Muslims were to achieve greatness and glory, as well as on the signs and marks that point towards the imminent fulfilment of that promise. The Surah opens with a description of some of the special traits of character of the Holy Prophet’s Companions and of other groups of righteous men who, by bringing into play these characteristics, achieve glory, power, victory and prominence. The Surah then points out that power will come to Muslims as a result of wars that will break the strength of the enemies of Islam. Pharaoh’s case is then cited to show that opposition to truth never goes unpunished. Next, we are told that in the extremely weak condition of early Muslims, prophecies about a glorious future of Islam seemed impossible of fulfilment, but the Great God Who created the vast heavens and earth, and Who placed on it rivers and mountains and highways had the power to make the impossible possible, as He can give a new life to the dead in the next world. Towards the close of the Surah it is stated that when the great event — the complete triumph of Truth or the Final Resurrection —takes place, the guilty will burn in the fire of Hell, but those who had lived a life of righteousness will enjoy the blessings of Paradise. " "PT.30 CH.79 3301 (AN-NAZI‘AT) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.By those who draw people to true faith vigorously,4551 3.And by those who tie their knots firmly,4552 aSee 1:1. 4551. Important Words: النازعات( who draw vigorously) is the plural of نازعة which is act. part. fem. gender from نزع . They say نزع الیشء عن مکانه i.e. he p lucked, picked out, the thing from its place, or displaced it. نزع األمری العامل means, the chief deposed the governor. نزع بالسھم means, he threw the arrow. نزع أباہ means, he resembled his father. نزع یف القوس means, he drew the bow wi th great vigour. نزع عن کذا means, he abstained from such a thing. نزع ایل الیش ء means, he desired the thing. نزع بفالن کذا means, he invited such a one to do it (Lane & Aqrab). غرقا( vigorously) is used here in the sense of إغراقا which is inf. noun from أغرق . They say أغرقه i.e. he drowned him. أغرق الکأس means, he filled the wine cup. أغرق یف القوس means, he drew the bow to the full. االغراق signifies, the sending of the arrows to the utmost extent. أغرق یف الیش ء means, he exerted himself much or to the utmost in the thing. أغرق الناس فالنا means, the people fell upon him and overcame him (Lane & Aqrab). In view of the different meanings of the words نزع and أغرق the expression النازعات غرقا means:those beings or groups of men who root out evil from its roots; who do their duties to the best of their capacity; who carry out their plans effectively when deposing incompetent rulers; who fight their enemies with the utmost vigour; who abstain from evil things; who fully resemble their spiritual fathers; who are fired with intense zeal for the success of their mission and invite other people to it with fervour and enthusiasm. 4552. Important Words: الناشطات( who tie the knots firmly) is the plural of ناشطة which is act. part. from نشط( nasha ta). They say نشط احلبل i.e. he tied the cord or rope firmly so as to form a knot. نشط الدلو means, he pulled out the bucket from the well without a pulley i.e. h e had to exert himself much to pull out the bucket. نشط من بلد ایل بلد means, he travelled from one town to another. نشط زیدا means, he pierced Zaid with an arrow. الناشطات means, those beings or groups of people who e xert themselves vigorously in the disc harge of their " "CH.79 AN-NAZI‘ AT PT.30 3302 duties (Lane & Aqrab). 4553. Important Words: الساحبات( who glide along swiftly) is the plural of ساحبة which is act. part. fem. gender from سبح . They say سبح الرجل i.e. the man occupied himself in the management of his affairs and in earni ng his subsistence. سبح یف االرض means, he travelled far into the land. سبح یف الکالم means, he was profuse or eloquent in his speech. سبح یف النھر means, he swam in the canal and went far in swimming (Lane & Aqrab). الساحبات means:(1) Those beings or gro ups of people who go far into the country in the pursuit of their quest. (2) Who are eloquent and powerful speakers. (3) Who swim fast, and go far in swimming i.e. who try to excel one another in carrying out their mission. (4) Who earn their own subsisten ce and are not a burden upon others. 4554. Important Words: املدبرات( manage their affairs in an excellent manner) is the plural of مدبرة which is act. part. fe m. gender from دبر( dabbara ). They say دبر االمر i.e. he performed or executed the affair with thoughtfulness or consideration; he devised or planned the af fair; he governed, managed, conducted or regulated the affair (Lane & Aqrab). املدبرات means, those beings or groups of people who plan, manage and conduct the affairs entrusted to them in an excellent manner. Commentary: The five verses (2-6) are taken to apply to angels by some scholars and commentators of the Quran, and واو being a particle of swearing and meaning ""I call to witness, "" they have been understood as signifying that angels bear witness to the occurrence of the great event mentioned in vv. 7- 8. But the evidence of angels is beyond human knowledge or comprehension. The verses, therefore, as the context shows, seem to refer to the Companions of the Holy Prophet and may be taken as embodying a prophecy about the spread of Islam far and wide through their selfless and vigorous efforts and a further prophecy about their being entrusted with the responsibility of conducting and administering public affairs of great importance with ability and justice. Briefly, the verses mention some of the prominent qualities of the Holy Prophet’s Companions, viz. that they will diligently acquire spiritual knowledge, and will establish firm relationship with God, and then will carry the Message of Islam to the 4.And by those who glide along swiftly,4553 5.Then they advance and greatly excel others, 6.Then they administer the affairs entrusted to them in an excellent manner .4554 " "PT.30 AN-NAZI‘ AT CH.79 3303 farthest ends of the earth, will try to excel one another in carrying out their mission and will attain high standards of righteousness in administering public affairs. See also 77:2- 6. 4555. Important Words: رجف( shall quake). رجف means, it was or became in a state of commotion, convulsion or disturbance. They say رجفت االرض i.e. the earth quaked. رجف القلب means, the heart became agitated. رجفته احلیم means, the fever caused him to shiver. رجف القوم means, the people prepared for war. (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse means that the prophecy proclaimed in the foregoing verses will be fulfilled as the result of fighting that will take place between God’s righteous servants and the forces of evil in which the latter shall be routed ( رجف meaning to prepare for war). The utter defeat of disbe lief announced long time before hand will constitute a strong proof of the Resurrection. The verse may apply to the Day of Reckoning also. 4556. Important Words: الرادفة( that which follows) is deriv edfrom ردف which means, it followed or came after. ردفھم األمر means, the event came upon them suddenly so as to overwhelm them (Lane). Commentary: The verse purports to say that once the fighting starts between Muslims and infidels, it will not cease till the forces of evil are fully and finally crushed as the result of successive blows. 4557. Commentary: When disbelievers will suffer defeats in quick succession and they will see Islam prevailing and predominating, then will a feeling of disquietude seize them and doubts about the possibility of the Resurrection will begin to assail their minds. They will be led to think that the triumph of Islam which was predicted at a time when the new Faith was engaged in a seemingly hopeless struggle for its very existence, and which was declared to be a piece of evidence in support of the Last Day, had come true. Therefore the Resurrection was also true. 7.This will happen on the day when the quaking earth shall quakea,4555 8.And a second quaking shall follow it.4556 9.On that day hearts will tremble,4557 a56:5-6; 73:15. " "CH.79 AN-NAZI‘ AT PT.30 3304 4558. Commentary: The disbelievers will get the worst of the war and their pride will be humbled into dust. 4559. Important Words: احلافرة( former state) is derived from حفر i.e. he dug the ground. حافرة means, the original state of a thing; turning back of a thing so that the end thereof is brought back to its beginning. رجع ایل حافرته i.e. he became old and decrepit. رجع عیل حافرته means, he returned by the way by which he had gone. The verse means, ""shall we be restored to our first state, i.e. to life on earth as we were "" (Lane & Aqrab). 4560. Commentary: The reference in the verse seems to be to the Battle of Badr when disbelievers had a foretaste of the crushing defeats which they were destined subsequently to suffer at the hands of Muslims. 4561. Commentary: Here the Meccan disbelievers are told that they are not the first to reject God’s Message. Divine Messengers had come before. They were also rejected, opposed and persecuted. Moses, was one of them. He preached the Divine Message to Pharaoh, who courted his own destruction by refusing to listen to the voice of God. The Holy Prophet’s opponents should take a lesson from the ignominious end to which Pharaoh came. 10. aAnd their eyes will be cast down —4558 11.They will say, ‘Shall we really be restored to ou r former state?4559 12. bWhat! even when we are rotten bones?’ 13.They will say, ‘Then that indeed would be a losing return.’ 14.It will only be a single cry, 15.And behold! they will all come out in the open.4560 16. cHas the s tory of Moses reached thee?4561 a70:45. b17:50; 36:79; 46:34. c19:52; 20:10. " "PT.30 AN-NAZI‘ AT CH.79 3305 4562. Commentary: ""The great Sign"" was the sign of the rod, which had precedence over all other signs of Moses (20:21). When confronted with the magic of the magicians it was his rod that swallowed that which the magicians had wrought (20:70). When Moses had to cross the sea he was enjoined to strike the sea with his rod (26:64); and when he prayed for water for his people he was told to strike the rock with his rod (2:61). The sign of the white hand was shown only after the sign of the rod (20:23). 4563. Commentary: The basic doctrine of Islam (in fact of all religions), second in importance only to belief in the existence of God, is belief in life after death. The primary mission of all Divine Prophets was to instil this belief in 17. aWhen his Lord called him in the holy Valley of Tuwa, saying, 18. b‘Go thou to Pharaoh; he has rebelled. 19.And say to him, “Wouldst thou like to be purifie d? 20.And I will guide thee to thy Lord so that thou mayest fear Him.” ’ 21. cSo he showed him the great Sign,4562 22.But he rejected him and disobeyed. 23.Then he turned away from Moses, striving against him . 24.And he gathered his people and proclaimed, 25.Saying, ‘I am your Lord, the Most High.’d 26.So Allah seized him with the punishment of the Hereafter and the present world.4563 a19:53; 20:12-13; 28:31. b20:44. c20:57. d26:30; 28:39. " "CH.79 AN-NAZI‘ AT PT.30 3306 the minds of men. The Quran has given four arguments in support of this belief:(a) Complete knowledge of God about a thing which presupposes His power to create it. (b) Creation and development of man in the mother’s womb, from an insignifica nt sperm drop into a full- fledged human being. (c) Rising up of a people from the depths of moral degradation to the heights of spiritual glory through a Divine Reformer, such rising, in Quranic terminology, being known as their resurrection. (d) The triumph of a Prophet over his enemies, predicted at a time when the Prophet and his community are fighti ng for their very life, and the human mind cannot even conceive of a happy sequel to their efforts. It is to this last argument that reference has been made in the verse under comment. Incidentally, the verse refers to the double punishment of disbe lievers — in this life and in the Hereafter. 4564. Commentary: The complex, but flawless and consummate, creation of the solar system, constitutes, indeed, an invin cible argument about life after death, viz. that the Great God Who could bring into being from nothing such a vast universe could also give man, who is but a mere speck in it, a new life after he is dead. This is the purport of the present and the followin g six verses. The verses further point out that when God has created such a complete system for man’s physical needs. He could not have failed to make similar provision for his spiritual needs. 4565. Commentary: The verse points to the fact that it is due to the sun, the moon and other heavenly bodies that life exists on earth. 4566. Commentary: The phenomenon of night and day, which pertains to the earth, has been 27.Therein surely is a lesson for him who fears his Lord. R. 2. 28.Are you harder to create or the heaven that He has built?4564 29. aHe has raised the height thereof and has made it perfect.4565 30.And He has made its night darkb; and has brought forth the morn thereof;4566 a21:33; 31:11 . b17:13. " "PT.30 AN-NAZI‘ AT CH.79 3307 attributed to the heaven because it is due to the working of the solar system that we have day and night. 4567. Important Words: دحاھا( spread it). دحا اهلل االرض means, God had spread, expanded or extended the earth. دحا احلجر بیدہ means, he threw or cast the stone with his hand. دحا البطن means, the belly was or became inflated (Lane). Commentary: Besides the meaning given in the text the verse signifies that the earth became cast away from a bigger mass which shows that it was part of a larger planet from which it became separated in the very remote past. 4568. Important Words: الطامة( Calamity) is derived from طم . They say طم الٰوادی i.e. the torrent of the valley rose high and predominated . طم االمر means, the affair was or became great or formidable. طمت الفتنة means, the conflict was or became severe. طامة means, a calamity that predominates over others; a formidable thing; a v ehement cry that overcomes everything. (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: Besides the Final Resurrection the reference here may be to the Fall of Mecca which proved to be a great calamity for the Meccans. 4569. Commentary: Hell has been mentioned twice, in the present verse and in v. 40 signifying the punishment of this world and of the H ereafter. This double punishment is mentioned in v . 26 above in the words نکال االخٰرة و االویل i.e. punishment of the Hereafter and of 31.And the earth, along with it, He spread fortha.4567 32. bHe produced therefrom its water and its pasture, 33. cAnd the mountains, He made them firm. 34. dAll this is a provision for you an d for your cattle. 35. eBut when the great Calamity comes, 4568 36. fThe day when man will call to mind all that he strove for, 37. gAnd Hell will be made manifest to him who sees,4569 a20:54; 51:49. b20:54; 50:8. c50:8. d80:33. e74:36; 80:34. f89:24. g26:92. " "CH.79 AN-NAZI‘ AT PT.30 3308 the present world. 4570. Commentary: The verse means:(1) who fears to stand before his Lord as a guilty person; (2) who fears the Majesty of his Lord. 4570A. Commentary: It is disbelievers’ way that whenever they are warned that they will be overtaken by Divine punishment if they rejected the Divine Message they impudently demand from their Prophet, half mockingly and half in doubt, that he should let them know the exact time when the punishment will take place. In verses 43- 46 they are told that 38.Then, as for him who rebels, 39.And who chooses the life of this world, 40.The fire of Hell shall surely be his abode. 41. aBut as for him who fears to stand before his Lord, and restrains his soul from evil desires,4570 42.The Garden shall surely be his abode. 43. bThey ask thee concerning the Hour:‘When will it come?’ 44.Wherein art thou concerned with the declaration of its coming ? 45.The ultimate knowledge of it rests with thy Lord. 46.Thou art only a Warner unto him who fears it. 47. cOn the day when they see it, it will be as if they had not tarried in the world but an evening or a morn thereof.4570A a23:58; 55:47 . b7:188; 33:64; 51:13. c10:46; 30:56; 46:36; 79:47. " "PT.30 AN-NAZI‘ AT CH.79 3309 knowledge of the time when they would render themselves deserving of God’s punishment is within God’s own special prerogative; the Prophet’s duty is only to administer a warning to them. But, says the verse, it is not the time, or the place or the manner or the form of the punishment that matters. What matters is that disbelievers should realize that when Divine punishment comes, it will be so swift, sudden and severe that they will feel as if the period of their prosperity and enjoyment was of a very short duration, and that the punishment had come too soon. This seems to be the purport of vv. 43-47. " "3310 CHAPTER 80 ‘ABASA (Revealed before Hijrah) Date of Revelation and Context This Surah, like the two preceding it, with whose subject matter it has a close association, is among those Surahs which were revealed at Mecca in the early years of the Call. Nöldeke and Muir, besides Muslim scholars, subscribe to this view. The Surah takes its title from the opening verse and deals with an incident in the Holy Prophet’s life which, though of not much historical importance, contains a lesson of abiding moral significance. Towards the end of the preceding chapter, the Holy Prophet was told that his duty was confined to conveying the Divine Message to his people. In the present Surah he is enjoined to be more careful of and pay greater attention to the poor, God-fearing believers who were likely to profit from his preachings more than the conceited and arrogant disbelievers. Moreover, in the previous Surah, it was stated that the knowledge about ""the Hour,"" rested with God; in this Surah it is added that the people who will bring about in themselves a moral resurrection (""the Hour"") spoken of in the preceding Surah were known only to God. They are those poor people who are small in the eyes of proud and worldly-minded disbelievers but are great in the sight of God and who in fact, possess all the qualities of leadership. Subject Matter The Surah begins to deal with the incident of ‘Abdull ah bin Ummi Makt um, a poor blind man, and proceeds to teach the lesson, viz. that it is not worldly riches and social status which determine the real worth of a person but the goodness of heart and willingness on his part to listen to t ruth and accept it. The Surah also constitutes an eloquent commentary on the Holy Prophet’s regard for the susceptibilities of the poor and oppressed people, and proceeds to say that the Quran will raise them to great eminence. It further says that being the Last Divine Message for mankind it will be respected and read all over the world and will continue to be protected and preserved. The disbelievers are then warned that they are rejecting this great and glorious Divine M essage —the Quran— to their own spiritual detriment, and are so foolish as not to understand that God who created man from an insignificant fluid and then endowed him with great natural powers and faculties and made excellent provision for his physical sustenance, could not have ignored to make similar provision for his moral and spiritual development. He has made this provision by the revelation of His Word for their guidance. The Surah ends on a note of warning to disbelievers that if they rejected the Quranic " "3311 Message and persisted in opposition to the Prophet they will have to face a day of reckoning when misery, shame and ignominy will be their lot. The righteous believers, however, will reside in ""Gardens of Bliss,"" their faces beaming with divine joy and happiness. . " "CH.80 PT.30 3312 (‘ABASA ) 1. aIn th e name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2. bHe frowned and turned aside,4571 3.Because there came to him the blind man. 4.And what makes thee know that he might be seeking to purify himself,4572 aSee 1:1. b74:23. 4571. Commen tary: The verse refers to a well-known historical incident. As the Holy Prophet was engaged one day in a talk with some of the Quraish Chiefs about some matters of belief, there came up ‘Abdull ah bin Ummi Makt um and, thinking that the Holy Prophet’s precious time and energy were being wasted on the confirmed leaders of disbelief, he sought to divert his attention and asked to be enlightened on some religious questions. The Holy Prophet disliked the intrusion, and showed his displeasure by turning aside from ‘Abdull ah (Tabari and Bay an). The incident, while it showed the Holy Prophet’s solicitude for the spiritual well-being of the Quraish leaders, in that he continued his discourse with them and paid no heed to ‘Abdull ah’s interruption was evidence of his great regard for the tender susceptibilities of the poor blind man, inasmuch as the Prophet merely turned his face from ‘Abdull ah, an act which the latter could not see, not saying even a word of reproach or disapprobation to him for his inopportune and rash interruption. The verse thus throws a flood of light on the moral stature of the Holy Prophet; and instead of implying a reproach or rebuke, as some commentators seem to think, enjoins him and, through him, his followers, to have due regard for the tender susceptibilities of the poor, the humble, and the downtrodden. The words ""he frowned and turned aside, "" according to most commentators of the Quran refer to the Holy Prophet, but more correctly they seem to refer to the arrogant attitude of the conceited Quraish leader with whom the Holy Prophet was engaged in conversation and who turned away his face disdainfully, thinking how a humble and lowly person could dare interfere in the talk he was having with the Prophet. 4572. Commentary: The pronoun ""thee"" has been taken " "PT.30 ‘ABASA CH.80 3313 as applying to the Holy Prophet and the pronoun ""he"" to the Quraish leader with whom the Holy Prophet was holding conversation. But ""thee "" may more appropriately be applied lo those carping critics who, being hypersensitive, would not relish the attitude of the Holy Prophet on that occasion which was the only right and correct attitude for him to adopt. 4573. Important Words: استغین( is disdainfully indifferent) is derived from غین which means, he became rich. استغین means, he wanted to be ri ch. استغین عنه به means, he became indifferent after he got what he desired . The verse thus means, he desires wealth, or he is indifferent or careless (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: See a collective note, on this and the following six verses, on v. 11 below. 4574. Important Words: تصدی( thou dost pay attention) is derived from صد .They say تصدی له i.e.he addressed or applied or directed himself or his regard or attention or mind to him or it; and he asked him or petitioned him for a thing that he wanted; he inclined towards him or it; he raised head towards him or it (Lane & Aqrab). 4574A. Commentary: The verse seems to constitute an effective justification of the Holy Prophet’s attitude towards ‘Abdull ah bin Ummi Maktum. It purports to say that it would have brought no good to the Holy Prophet if ‘Abdull ah or, for that matter, the Quraish leader did or did not benefit by his talk. Thus the attitude of fancied indifference towards ‘Abdull ah or of deference towards the Quraish leader shown by the Holy Prophet p roceeded from no consideration of any personal interest. The Holy Prophet’s reaction was solely due to compliance with the commandments of the Shar i‘ah about behaving kindly and courteously towards one’s guests and visitors. 5.Or he may take heed and the reminder may benefit him? 6.As for him who is disdainfully indifferent.4573 7.Unto him thou dost pay attention,4574 8.Though thou art not responsible if he does not become purifìed.4574A 9.But he who comes to thee hastening, " "CH.80 ‘ABASA PT.30 3314 4575. Commentary: If vv. 6-11 are taken to apply to the Holy Prophet, then the particle أما in the 6th verse would signify ""how could it be that "" i.e. it cannot be; and these verses would be interpreted as: ""How could it be possible that thou shouldst pay attention to him who is disdainfu lly indifferent and should neglect him who fears God and comes to thee hastening. "" These verses again constitute an eloquent commentary on the Holy Prophet’s regard for the humble and the suppressed. But the v erse under comment may be applied more fittingly to those critics who would find fault with the Holy P rophet’s attitude towards ‘ Abdull ah bin Ummi Makt um on that particular occasion but who themselves, in their conceit and pride, would behave arrogantly towards the poor and the lowly. Thus these verses have been used ironically; they bring home to the critics their own state of mind; and do not refer to any weakness of the Holy Prophet. The next verse also supports this interpretation. 4576. Important Words: کال( nay) means, nay; by no means; on the contrary. The particle is also used to remonstrate with a person and to tell him that he is saying something which is not correct (Aqrab & Baq a). Commentary: The verse means that the charge of indifference is not correct. Moreover, why at all the Prophet should have adopted an attitude of sullen indifference towards a poor man when the Quran, being meant equally for the rich and the poor, it was not only inconsistent with his own high moral stature but also against human reason to do so? What the Prophet did on the specific occasion was dictated by the exigency of the occasion and was demanded by the situation and, therefore, was the right thing to do. 4577. Commentary: The Quran being a compendium of all permanent and imperishable teachings which are embodied in various revealed Scriptures, 10.And he fears God, 11.Him dost thou neglect.4575 12.Nay! surely it is a Remindera. 4576 13.So let him who desires pay heed to it — 14.Contained in honoured Books,4577 a20:4; 73:20; 74:55; 76:30. " "PT.30 ‘ABASA CH.80 3315 constitutes, as it were, a collection of all heavenly Books. This is the significance of the words ""Contained in honoured Books. "" The verse further says that the Quran will be written in the form of a Book, will be honoured and respected and will be protected and preserved against every kind of interpolation and interference. 4578. Important Words: سفرة( writers) is derived from سفر which means, he travelled. They say سفر الکتاب i.e. he wrote the book. سفر الصبح means, the morning shone forth (Lane & Aqrab). 4579. Commentary: As against three prominent characteristics of the Quran mentioned in the preceding vv. 12-15 above, three equally marked qualities of the bearers of its Message have been mentioned in this and the preceding verse. The bearers of the Quranic Message are not only noble and virtuous but travel far and wide to explain and spread it. 4580. Commentary: How ungrateful are disbelievers, says the verse, that they should reject such a great and noble Book as the Quran which has been revealed to raise them from the dust and squalor of moral turpitude to the heights of spiritual glory. 4581. Commentary: The verse draws pointed attention to the very humble beginning of man, so that it may be brought home to him that God having created him from such an insignificant thing as a sperm drop, did not endow him with an infinite capacity for progress or 15.Exalted, purified, 16.In the hands of writers,4578 17.Noble and virtuous.4579 18.Ruin seize man! how ungrateful he is!4580 19.From what does He create him? 20. aFrom a sperm drop ! He creates him and proportion s him;4581 21.Then He makes the way easy for him, a18:38; 35:12; 36:78; 40:68. " "CH.80 ‘ABASA PT.30 3316 did not reveal the Quran for his guidance, for nothing. Man has been created to pursue a noble ideal and achieve a great goal. 4582. Commentary: The natural powers with which man has been endowed signify that a very high spiritual destiny awaits him. But the physical body of man is too dense for an immeasurable and unending spiritual progress. To achieve his high destiny, God has decreed death for man, so that when the human soul i s freed from the trammels of its physical tabernacle it should travel on the path leading to the goal of its infinite progress. The 'grave' in this verse does not mean the tomb to which a dead body is consigned, but the state of the soul after death. 4583. Commenta ry: Man’s humble and insignificant beginning, his having been endowed with marvellous natural powers, his death —all this shows (says the verse) that death is not the end of man but that there is a life beyond. 4584. Commentary: Though God endowed man with great natural faculties and revealed Himself to him through His 22.Then He causes him to die and assigns a grave to him;4582 23.Then, when He pleases, He will raise him up again.4583 24.Nay! he has not yet done what He commanded him to do.4584 25.Now let man look at his food: 26. aHow We pour down water in abundance, 27.Then We cleave the earth — a proper cleaving — 28. bThen We cause to grow therein grain, 29.And grapes and vegetables, 30.And the olive and the date- palm, a71:12; 78:15. b78:16. " "PT.30 ‘ABASA CH.80 3317 Messengers and heavenly Scriptures, yet unregenerate man fails to carry out the purpose of his creation which the Quran has summarized in the words:ما خلقت اجلن و االنس اال لیعبدون i.e. man has been created to develop divine attributes and imbue himself with divine personality. 4585. Commentary: These verses (v. 25-33) contain a beautiful description of the consummate arrangement that God has made for the physical sustenance of man, and from it the moral is drawn that when God has made so complete and full a provision for man’s temporary and limited life, He could not have omitted to make a similar provision for his everlasting spiritual life, and fur ther that if there was no life after death, God would not have made such consummate arrangement. 4586. Commentary: The word الصاخة( the deafening shout) signifies that as disbelievers turned a deaf ear to Quranic te aching, the punishment that will be inflicted upon them will take the fo rm of ""a deafening shout. "" 4587. Commentary: In time of tribulation and sorrow a man is apt to forget even his nearest relations. He has his own troubles to 31. aAnd walled gardens thickly planted, 32.And fruits and herbage; 33. bProvision for you and your cattle.4585 34. cBut when the deafening Shout comes,4586 35. dOn the day when a man flees from his brother, 36.And from his mother and his father, 37.And from his wife eand his sons, 38.Every man among them that day will have concern enough to make him indifferent to others .4587 a78:17. b79:34. c79:35. d44:42. e70:13. " "CH.80 ‘ABASA PT.30 3318 keep him occupied. Such will be the condition of disbelievers on the Day of Resurrection. The advent of the Holy Prophet has also been likened to ""Resurrection"" in the Quran, as also the advent of every great Divine Reformer. With the advent of a Divine Messenger a wide gulf intervenes between believers and disbelievers, however closely related they may be. It is to this unpalatable truth that Jesus referred when he said: I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, young wife against her mother-in-law. (Matt. 10:35 ). 4588. Important Words: کفرة is plural of کافر which being act . part. from کفر means:(1) one who disbelieves in the Divine Message ; (2) one who conc eals a thing (Aqrab). فجرة is plural of فاجر which is act . part. from فجر and means:( 1) one who turns away from truth; (2) a false swearer of oaths; (3) a reject er and disbeliever of Divine commandments; (4) a shameless fellow; and (5) one whose affair h as become spoilt (Lane & Aqrab). 39. aOn that day some faces will be bright, 40.Laughing, joyous! 41. bAnd some faces, on that day, will have dust upon them, 42. cDarkness covering them. 43.Those are the disbelievers, doers of evil.4588 a3:107; 10:27. b68:44; 75:25; 88:3-4. c14:51; 23:105. " "3319 CHAPTER 81 AT-TAKWI R (Revealed before Hijrah) General Remarks The Surah takes its title from the word کورت( is folded up), occurring in the opening verse. It was revealed early at Mecca, very probably in the 6th year of the Call or even earlier. The preceding Surahs had dealt with the subject of Final Resurrection and with the great and marvellous revolution which was brought about by the Holy Prophet and which has been called ""resurrection"" in the Quran. This resurrection was to take place twice, first by the advent of the Holy Prophet himself and the revelation of the Quran, and second by his Second Coming in the person of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi to which a clear reference is made in 62:4. It is this second renaissance of Islam at the hands of the Promised Messiah, and the great changes which were to take place in his time in the world, which this Surah speaks of. The Surah opens with a description of those changes, and follows it up with a fleeting reference to the moral degeneration of Muslims at that time and to the causes thereof, and ends with striking a note of optimism and cheerfulness to the Muslims, holding out the promise that eventually the night of degradation of Muslims will give place to the dawn of success, because Islam, being God’s last Message for the whole of mankind, has come to stay. " "CH.81 PT.30 3320 (AT-TAKWIR ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.When the sun is wrapped up,4589 3.And when the stars are obscured,4590 aSee 1:1. 4589. Important Words: کورت( wrapped up) is derived from کور .They say کور العمامة i.e. he wound round the turban upon his head. کورت الشمس means, the light of the sun became folded up or became dim or it disappeared or the sun became eclipsed (Aqrab). اذا الشمس کورت means, when the sun shall be wound with darkness like a turban; or when it shall be wrapped up and have its light taken away or shall lose its light; or shall be divested of its light; or shall be cast away. These are some of the meanings of the verse given by Jalalain, Qat adah, ‘Ikri mah and Mujahid as quoted by Lane. Commentary: It is generally said that this Surah deals with the Resurrection, when the laws and processes of nature as we know them, will cease to operate. But this does not appear to be plausible, the whole trend and tenor of the Surah speaks so patently of the conditions which obtain in the physical world that some of the verses will lose all sense if they are taken as referring to the Final Resurrection. In fact, the Surah speaks of the great changes that have taken place in the material world and in human life since the time of the Holy Prophet, particularly in our own time. The Surah thus makes a special reference to the present era —the era of the Promised Messiah. Some verses may equally be interpret ed literally as well as metaphorically. The Holy Prophet is described in the Quran as the Bright Sun (25:62). The verse, therefore, may mean: When there will be spiritual darkness all over the world —the light of the Spiritual Sun having become dim or having disappeared altogether. Or the verse may refer to the eclipse of the sun and the moon, which according to a well-known saying of the Holy Prophet, was to take place in the time of the Mahdi, a phenomenon that the world had never witnessed before (Qutni, p. 188). A reference to this is also to be found in 75:10. This predicted eclipse of the sun and the moon took place in 1894 in the month of Ramadan. 4590. Commentary: The word النجوم meaning stars, " "PT.30 AT-TAKW IR CH.81 3321 signifies religious ulema. The w ellknown hadith أصحایب ک النجوم بأیھم اقتدیتم اھتدیتم i.e. My Companions are like stars, whomsoever you will follow, you will receive right guidance (Baihaq i), supports this meaning. In this sense of the word, the verse means:""When religious leaders become corrupt, and cease to exercise any influence. "" Literally, the verse means:""When stars fall in large numbers."" This may be a reference to the falling of stars in exceptionally large numbers in 1885 when the Promised Messiah, Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement, had already announced his claim to be a Divine Reformer. 4591. Important Words: سریت( made to move) is derived from سار i.e. he or it went, passed away or departed. سریہ من بلده means, he expelled him from his town (Lane & Aqrab). اجلبال( mountains) is plural of جبل which means, a mountain; a man who does not move from his place, i.e. a big man ; the chief of a people; a learned man (Lane). Commentary: The verse means:When mountains will be blown away by dynamite and roads will be made through them; or (metaphorically) when men wielding great authority and influence will be expelled from their own countries; or when the authority of rulers will become undermined. 4592. Important Words: عشار( she-camels, ten months with young) is the plural of عشراء which means, a she-camel that has been ten months with young. عشار is applied to she-camels until some of them have brought forth and others are expected to bring forth. Such she-camels were considered to be a very valuable possession by the Arabs (Lane & Aqrab). عطلت( are abandoned) is derived from عطل . They say عطل األجری i.e. the hired man was without occupation. عطل الیش ء( attala) means, he left the thing unattended or neglected. عطل البئر means, he left off going to the well for taking water (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The reference in the verse is to the replacement of camels by better and swifter means of transport —railway trains, steamships motor cars, aeroplanes, etc. Or the verse may signify that, in Promised Mahdi’s time, camels —she-camels ten months with young —will lose their importance, even in Arabia. There is a pointed reference to camels being replaced by other means of transport 4. aAnd when the mountains are made to move.4591 5.And when the she-camels, ten months with young, are abandoned,4592 a18:48; 52:11; 78:21. " "CH.81 AT-TAKW IR PT.30 3322 in a saying of the Holy Prophet which is to the effect:ولیرتکن القالص فال یسیع علیھا i.e. the camels will be abandoned and will not be used for going from one place to another (Muslim ). 4593. Important Words: حشرت( gathered together) is passive voice in the fem. gen. from حشر .They say حشر الناس i.e. he collected the people. حشر اجلمع means, he drove the people from one place to another. حشره عن وطنه means, he banished him from his native country. حشرت الوحوش means, the wild beasts died or were destroyed (Lane) Commentary: In view of different meanings of the root word حشر the verse would signify:When animals will be collected in zoos or when primitive people will be settled in organized, civil communities; or when they will be compelled to leave their homelands, as the natives in Ug anda and the Kenya Col ony, etc. were told to till their lands or go out; or when they will be destroyed as the Native Americans in the United States of America and the Aborig ines i n Australia and New Zealand, etc. have been practically annihilated. 4594. Important Words: البحار( seas) is the plural of حبر whichmeans, a sea; a great river; a spacious place comprising a large quantity of water. It is also the plural of حبرة which means, a town or village (Lane & Aqrab). سجرت( made to flow forth). They say سجر املاء النھر i.e. the water filled the stream. سجر املاء (sajjara) means, he made the water to flow forth whithe rsoever it would. Thus ار سجرتحاذا الب means :When the seas are filled; when the rivers are made to flow into one another; when the seas will be set on fire; when the seas will meet together and become one; when towns or cities will swell with their populations (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: In view of different meanings of the words سجرت and البحار given under Important Words the verse signifies: When the waters of riv ers will be drained away for irrigation and other purposes, and rivers will be linked up together for these purposes; when in sea battles very large ships will be set on fire and it would seem as if the seas were on fire; when large oceans will be joined t ogether by means of canals; when the rural population will go into towns and cities and they will overflow with their inhabitants. 6.And when the beasts are gathered together,4593 7. aAnd when the seas are made to flow forth one into the other,4594 a52:7; 82:4. " "PT.30 AT-TAKW IR CH.81 3323 4595. Commentary: The verse means:When the means of transport and communication will become so developed and when intercourse between peoples living in far off lands will become so easy and frequent as to make them unite into one people. Or the verse may signify that people holding analogous social or political views will form themselves into ""parties."" The reference may be to the Labour, Communist, Nazi and Fascist parties. 4596 . Commentary: The burying or burning alive of girls will be declared a capital crime. 4597. Commentary: The reference clearly seems to be to the vast circulation of newspapers, journals, and books and to the system of libraries and reading rooms and such other places and means of spreading knowledge in the latter days—in the time of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi. 4598. Important Words: کشطت( laid bare). کشط الیشء means, he removed, took o ff or stripped off from the thing what had covered it. کشطت البعری means, I skinned the camel. کشط روعه means, his fright was removed (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The reference in the verse may be to the vast strides that the science of astronomy has made in the latter days. The advance in this branch of science during the past decade has startled the world. The verse also signifies that with the advent of the Promised Messiah the doors of spiritual sciences will be thrown wide open. 4599. Commentary: On account of the sinful and iniquitous behaviour of man, God’s wrath will be kindled, and a veritable Hell will be let loose upon the world in the form of destructive wars in which all that human civilization has 8.And when people are brought together,4595 9.And when the girl-child buried alive is questioned about, 10.‘For what crime was she killed?’4596 11.And when books are spread abroad,4597 12.And when the heaven is laid bare,4598 13.And when Hell is set ablaze,4599 " "CH.81 AT-TAKW IR PT.30 3324 achieved will be consumed in the fire caused by shots, shells and bombs. Mankind had a foretaste of this Hell ""let loose"" in the last two World Wars, and the world now stands in terrible fright of a third war, compared to which the last Two Wars would appear to be mere child’s play, and which will reduce to ashes all human achievements. 4600. Commentary: As in the latter days, evil will abound and man will abandon himself to vice and the worship of Mammon, even a small act of righteousness will make him deserving of great reward and will draw him closer to Heaven. The verse may also mean that God will reveal Himself through the Reformer of the day and so many signs and miracles will be shown by him that reality will be easy to realize, and Paradise, as it were, will be brought near to man. 4601. Commentary: The verse means that fulfilment of prophecies mentioned in the foregoing verse will serve as a strong proof that life after death is a certain reality. Or it may signify that God’s special decree will come into force and the punishment of man’s evil deeds will take the form of wide- spread calamities and miseries. 4602. Important Words: اخلنس( those that recede) is the plural of خانس which is act. part. from خنس . They say خنس عنه i.e. he drew back ; receded; retracted or held back from it or him خنس الکوکب means, the s tar receded or became hidden or concealed in the day time. خناس means, a sneaking whisperer; one who whispers an evil suggestion and then stealthily retires and con ceals himself (Lane & Aqrab) . Commentary: See next verse. 4603. Important Words: الکنس( thos e that hide) is the plural of کانس which is act. part. from کنس which means, it entered into its cave or hiding place among the trees. کنست النجوم means, the stars hid themselves in their places of setting; or continued their course and then departed returning or became stationary in their revolving (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: In the preceding verse it was stated 14. aAnd when Paradise is brought nigh,4600 15. bThen every soul will know what it has produced.4601 16.Nay! I call to witness the planets that recede,4602 17.Go ahead and then hide.4603 a2:91; 5 0:32. b3:31; 82:6. " "PT.30 AT-TAKW IR CH.81 3325 that in the latter days —in the time of the Promised Messiah —Muslims will begin to decline from their position of eminence. This verse gives some of the reasons that will lead to their decline and downfall, vi z. that they will either rush forward headlong thoughtlessly for the carrying out of their contemplated programmes; or will give up all creative and constructive efforts in despair. 4604. Impo rtant Words: عسعس( passes away) means, he went round by night to guard the people; he made search by night after suspected persons. عسعس اللیل means, the night came on with its darkness; the night departed; the night was dark (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: This and the next verse mean that with the advent of the Promised Messiah, the night of moral decline and degradation of Muslims will begin to depart, giving place to the dawn of a great and glorious future for Islam. 4605. Important Words: تنفس( begins to b reathe) is derived from نفس which means, he breathed. تنفس الصبح means, the morning advanced so that it became noon or it e xtended so that it became clear, bright, cheerful, etc. (Aqrab). 4605A. Commentary: The verse signifies that though the prediction that after the decline of Islam had touched its nadir it will again co me to its own, may seem to be a far cry, it shall certainly be fulfilled because the prediction is embodied in the revealed Word of God, spoken through the mouth of a noble Messenger. The words ""a noble Messenger"" refer to the Holy Prophet and not to Archangel Gabriel as generally misunderstood. 4606. Commentary: The verse embodies yet another mighty prophecy, viz. that the Holy Prophet will triumph over his enemies. 18.And I call to witness the night as it passes away,4604 19. aAnd the dawn as it begins to breathe,4605 20. bThat this is surely the revealed word of a noble Messenger,4605A 21.Possessor of power, established in the presence of the Lord of the Throne,4606 a74:35. b69:41. " "CH.81 AT-TAKW IR PT.30 3326 4607. Important Words: ثم means, there; yonder; syn. ھناک .It is a noun of indication denoting a place that is remote from the speaker (Lane). Elsewhere the Quran says with respect to the Holy Prophet:""And We sent not a Messenger but that he should be obeyed by Allah’s permission"" (4:65). In the verse under comment it is added that he is also امنی i.e. when the Holy Prophet will come to gain great power he will not lose his balance of mind, but will have proper regard for other peoples’ rights and will give everyone his due. This word may also refer to the well- known title by which the Holy Prophet was known among his compatriots. All the five attributes — noble Messenger, possessor of power, enjoying a high rank before the Lord of the Throne, the one obeyed, and faithful to his trust in the sight of God, quite fittingly apply to the Holy Prophet. 4608. Commentary: The verse clearly shows that vv. 20-22 apply to the Holy Prophet and not to Gabriel as wrongly understood by certain commentators of the Quran. 4609. Commentary: The pronoun "" ہ ""may mean ""it"" or ""him."" In the first place it may signify the fulfilment of the prophecy about the glorious future of Islam. In the second, it may refer to the Holy Prophet himself, meaning that the Holy Prophet saw himself in the distant East in the person of the Promised Messiah. The words األفق املبنی meaning the side of the East, the verse not only points to a remote future but to the distant East where the foundations for the renaissance of Islam would be laid through the Holy Prophet in his Second Coming in the person of the Promised Messiah. 4610. Important Words: ضننی( niggardly) is d erived from ضن . They say ضن به i.e. he was or became niggardly of it. ضننی means, niggardly; tenacious, stingy; or avaricious (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse means that it is not only the prophecy about the dawn of a 22.Obeyed there, and faithful to his trust.4607 23. aAnd your companion i s not mad. 4608 24.And he assuredly saw him on the clear horizonb.4609 25.And he is not niggardly with respect to the unseen.4610 a34:47; 52:30. b53:8 " "PT.30 AT-TAKW IR CH.81 3327 glorious future of Islam in a far-off eastern country which the Prophet has made, but God has disclosed to the world many other very weighty secrets of the unknown from the mouth of the Holy P rophet. The fulfilment of the prophecies will prove that their origin is Divine. 4611. Commentary: The verse drives home to disbelievers the untenability of their position and asks them in forcible terms whether in view of very solid and strong arguments, given in the above verses about the truth of the Holy Prophet’s claim as a Messenger of God, is it possible for them, consistently with honesty, reason and common sense, to reject his Message? 4612. Commentary: The verse purports to say that the Quran is a safe guidance for men of all temperaments, dispositions, aptitudes, and of every age, clime and status, if only they are honest seekers after truth. 4613. Commentary: The verse along with the one preceding it may mean:(1) He alone would be guided to the right path who makes an attempt to find it and conforms his will to the will of God. (2) It is only when God’s decree comes into ope ration and He manifests His will by sending down guidance that men feel an inward urge to discover and walk on the right path. 26. aNor is this the word of Satan, the rejected. 27.Whither, then, are you going?4611 28. bIt is nothing but a Reminder unto all the worlds,4612 29.Unto such among you as desire to go straight. 30. cAnd you desire not a thing except that Allah, the Lord of the worlds, desires it.4613 a26:211. b12:105; 38:88. c18:40; 7 4:57; 76:31. " "3328 CHAPTER 82 AL-INFITAR (Revealed before Hijrah) Introductory Remarks This Surah is so similar in style and subject matter to the one preceding it that it forms, as it were, its counterpart, with this difference that it lays special emphasis on the signs concerning Christianity of the present time. It is characteristic of the Quran that, in view of their importance, it takes out certain parts of the text of a Surah and gives them a distinct name and individuality, in order to draw pointed attention to the subject dealt with in the separated verses and in order also that the separated parts may be easily committed to memory. The Surah, as mentioned above, deals particularly with the conditions obtaining in the latter days when Christian doctrines and way s of life were to impress very deeply the conduct and concepts of non-Christian peoples, especially the Muslims. All the prophecies mentioned in the Surah have been literally fulfilled. The Surah as revealed at Mecca in the early years of the Call about the time of the revelation of the preceding chapter. It takes its name from the word انفطرت in the opening verse." "PT.30 CH.82 3329 (AL-INFITAR) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2. bWhen the heaven is cleft asunder,4614 3.And when the stars are scattered,4615 4. cAnd when the oceans are made to flow forth and are joined toge ther,4616 aSee 1:1. b73:19. c52:7; 81:7. 4614. Commentary: As mentioned in the Introduction, the Surah deals particularly with the time when Christianity would be very much in the ascendant, and Christian doctrines of the Trinity and the Sonship of Jesus Christ would reign supreme. To this dominance of Christian beliefs, the Quran has referred in very strong language in the words :""The heavens might well- nigh be rent thereat, and the earth cleave asunder, and the mountains fall down in pieces, because they ascribe a son to the Gracious God "" (19:91-92). The verse under comment thus signifies that at that time false doctrines of Christianity would dominate the world, and as a result of it God’s wrath would be excited and Divine punishment would overtake the world in various forms. The reference is clearly to the present time. The verse may also signify that God’s righteous servants would feel so grieved at seeing sin and iniquity spreading all round in the world as a result of false Christian doctrines that their heart s would, as it were, become rent; the word ""heavens"" referring to the hearts of the righteous believers which in religious phraseology are called God’s Throne. 4615. Commentary: Metaphorically, the verse means that in the latter d ays men possessing true spiritual knowledge and guidance would disappear or become rare. The difference in the words in this and the corresponding verse of the preceding Surah is significant. Whereas the verse under comment signifies that wealthy people and skilled craftsmen would yield place to Labour and Communist organisations, the corresponding verse of the preceding Surah meant that old aristocratic houses would lose their influence and prestige. 4616. Commentary: The verse signifies that great seas and oceans would be made to flow " "CH.82 AL-INFI TAR PT.30 3330 into one another by means of canals; or their mouths would be dug wide open so as to make large ships ply in them. The reference may be to the Panama and Suez canals. The substitution of the word فجرت in the present verse for سجرت in the 7th verse of the preceding Surah is also worthy of note. 4617. Commentary: The verse may signify that in the latter days graves will be laid open as has been done in the case of the tombs of the ancient kings of Egypt; or it may mean that towns and monuments submerged and long forgot ten would be dug out. These verses (2-5) may also refer to the great spiritual resolution brought about by the Holy Prophet. In this case ""the cleaving asunder of the heaven"" would signify that the gates of heaven would be thrown open and heavenly signs in support of the Holy Prophet would appear in large numbers. And ""the scattering of the stars"" would mean that the Companions of the Holy Prophet would spread out in the world and scatte r the seeds of the Quranic Message far and wide. ""The flowing forth of the rivers"" would signify that the rivers of Quranic knowledge would be made to flow and would fertilize the land that had lain dry and parched for long centuries. And "" the laying open of the graves"" would mean that through the teachings of Islam the spiritually dead people would receive a new life and, as it were, come out of their graves. Or the verse may mean that the earth would throw out its treasures of mineral wealth. 4618. Commentary: In this and the next few verses the address is to the protagonists and propagandists of the false Christian doctrines. They will come to realize the enormity and heinousness of their false teaching. 4619. Commentary: The reference in the verse may b e to preachers of the false doctrines of Christianity and may imply a subtle rebuke to them, saying in effect:How could they dare invent such self- contradictory doctrines as those of Atonement and the Sonship of Jesus, describing God as a loving Father an d 5. aAnd when the graves are laid open,4617 6. bEvery soul shall then know what it has sent forth and what it has kept back.4618 7.O man! what has deceived thee and emboldened thee against thy Gracious Lord,4619 a100:10. b3:31; 81:15. " "PT.30 AL-INFI TAR CH.82 3331 at the same time accusing Him of condemning an innocent man ––""His own so-called son,"" that he might wash away the sins of corrupt humanity? 4620. Commentary: The verse contains a refutation of Atonement. It purports to say that man is not born sinful and he does not stand in need of the vicarious sacrifice of anybody for H is redemption. Instead of being born sinful, he has been endowed with great natural powers and faculties in order that he may rise to the highest peaks of spiritual eminence. The verse may also signify that God revealed His guidance in every age in the form best suited to man’s needs. 4621. Commentary: Christians are here told that by their false doctrines they, in fact, deny the Last Judgement, that is to say, man’s responsibility for his actions and his accountability before God. The doctrine of Atonement and man’s sinful birth directly negative man’s freedom of action and responsibility. 4622. Commentary: See 50:18- 19. 4623. Commentary: The verse purports to say that man is born fully free and is responsible for the decisions he takes and for the deeds he does, which are recorded by ""noble recorders."" 8. aWho created thee, then perfected thee, then proportioned thee aright?4620 9.In whatever form He pleased, He fashioned thee. 10.Nay, but you deny the Judgement. 4621 11. bBut there are guardians over you, 12. cNoble recorders,4622 13.Who know all that you do.4623 14. dVerily, the virtuous will be in Bliss; 15. eAnd the wicked will be in Hell; a87:3; 91:8. b6:62. c43:81; 50:19. d45:31; 83 :23. e83:8. " "CH.82 AL-INFI TAR PT.30 3332 4624. Commentary: This and the preceding verse again signify that man will be punished and rewarded according to his actions and that the vicarious sacrifice of no one will be of any use to him. 4625. Commentary: The verse constitutes an emphati c repudiation of the doctrine of Atonement. It purports to say that every person shall have to carry his own cross and to answer for his actions. Only God’s mercy and grace can help him on the Day of Reckoning, and not anyone’s suffering or sacrifice. Applied to this life, the verse may be taken to hold a message of solace and good cheer to the followers of Islam. They are consoled and comforted that they should not be discouraged by the temporary glory and ascendancy of Christian doctrines and political power. The day is fast approaching when the kingdom of God would be established on earth and Islam would come into its own after routing false Christian doctrines. 16. aThey will burn therein on the Day of Judgement; 17.And they will not be able to escape therefrom. 18.And what should make thee know what the Day of Judgement is!4624 19.Again, what should make thee know what the Day of Judgement is! 20. bThe day when a soul shall have no power to do aught for another soul! cAnd the command on that day will be Allah’s alone .4625 a23:104; 83:17. b2:124; 31:34. c18:45; 40:17. " "3333 CHAPTER 83 AT-TATFIF (Revealed before Hijrah) Introductory Remarks The Surah opens with a severe condemnation of the use of false measures and weights for the purpose of defrauding others. It takes its title from the word مطففنی which means ""who give short measure. "" According to scholarly opinion, it was revealed early in the Meccan period. Nöldeke and Muir assign its revelation to about the fourth year of the Call . The preceding Surah had ended with a warning to disbelievers that they will have to render account of their deeds and will have to make up their spiritual loss themselves, and that the sacrifice or intercession of no one else would be of any use to them on the Day of Judgement. In that Surah man’s relations with his Creator were discussed, particularly the grave injustice perpetrated by Christians in relation to Divine attributes, in that they have set up a weak human being as God and have invented other untenable doctrines. In the present Surah stress has been laid on man’s dealings with his fellow- beings, with special reference to the cruel exploitation by Christian powers of weaker and less developed nations after depriving them of their liberty of action. The Surah ends on a note of stern warning to the unjust and dishonest people that they will not be allowed to go unpunished. The Day of Reckoning awaits them in all its frightfulness and severity. " "CH.83 PT.30 3334 (AT-TATFIF) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2. bWoe unto those who give short measure;4626 3.Those who, when they take by measure from other people, take it full; 4. cBut when they give by measure to others or weigh to them, they give them less. 5.Do not such people know that they will be raised again4627 6.Unto an awful day,4628 aSee 1:1. b11:85; 26:182-184; 55:9. c55:10. 4626. Important Words: املطففنی( those who give short measure) is derived from طفف which means, he made defective and deficient. طفف عیل عیاله means, he was niggardly to his family. طفف املکیال واملیزان means, he gave short measure and short weight. طفیف means, little in quantity; also base, low, vile, mean; paltry or contemptible (Lane) . Commentary: The word املطففنی has been used here in a general sense. Stress is laid on honesty, justice and equity in all sorts of dealings with men. See Introduction to the Surah. 4627. Commentary: In the heyday of their power and prosperity nations, like individuals, are apt to forget the most sure and certain truth writ large on the face of history that sin and inju stice never go unpunished. There is a Day of Reckoning in the afterlife, when men shall have to render account of their actions to their Lord and Master, but a day of reckoning comes upon a people in this very life, when their evil doings exceed legitimate bounds and they meet their nemesis. 4628. Commentary: ""An awful day"", besides referring to the Last Day of Judgement, signifies the day of reckoning when a whole people are punished for their sins of omission and commission. Their power and glory depart and they sink into " "PT.30 AT-TATFIF CH.83 3335 the depths of misery and degradation. The history of mankind is the story of the rise of different peoples at different times to the dizzy heights of grandeur and prosperity and of their day of reckoning when they sink into oblivion. 4629. Important Words: سجنی( Sijjin) is wrongly considered by some commentators of the Quran as a non-Arabic word. According to such eminent authorities as Farr a’, Zajjaj. Ab u ‘Ubaidah and Mubarrad, it is an Arabic word derived from the root سجن( sajana ). Lis an considers it as equivalent to سجن( sijn) meaning, a prison. سجنی is a register or book in which the record of evil deeds of the wicked is said to be kept in the next world. The word also means, anything hard, vehement and severe; continuous, lasting or everlasting (Lane & Aqrab). 4629A. Commentary: It is worthy of note that two expressions of almost identical import have been used in the Quran, viz. ما أدرک and ما یدریک, both meaning,""what should make thee know. "" The former expression is used in ans wer to an inquiry in the past tense, thus making the answer definite and certain. The latter expression is invariably followed by the word لعل which connotes that the answer is vague and indefinite. 4630. Important Words: کتاب means, a book ; a record or regist er; a rev ealed Scripture ; Divine decree ; judgement or sentence. etc. (Lane & Aqrab) . Commentar y: In view of different significations of سجنی and کتاب the verse under comment, along with v. 8, would signify that the register in which the record of the evil deeds of the wicked are kept is known by the name سجنی i.e. the name of the book would show that their punishment would be severe and lasting. Or the verse may mean that the wicked will be kept in a place of disgrace and ignominy and this is an irrevocable decision. Or سجنی and علینی may be the names of two portions of the Qur an, the former dealing with 7.The day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the worlds? 8. aNay! the record of the wicked is in Sijj in.4629 9.And what should make thee know what Sijj in is?4629A 10.It is a Book written comprehensively .4630 a45:29; 69:26 . " "CH.83 AT-TATFIF PT.30 3336 the wicked rejecters of the Divine Message and with the punishments to be meted out to them, and the latter with the righteous servants of God and the rewards to be bestowed upon them. Thus the meaning of the verse would be that the verdicts recorded in these two portions cannot be recalled and so cannot be altered or changed. 4631. Important Words: ران( has rusted). ران الثوب means, the garment was or becam e rusty or covered with rust, dust, or filth. ران ھواہ عیل قلبه means, his evil desire covered or overcame his heart. رین means, rust that overspreads the sword; dirt, filth or soil (Lane & Aqrab). 4632. Commentary: The sight of God is granted to a believer in two stages. The first stage is that of belief, when the believer acquires a firm faith in the Divine attributes. This is the initial stage. The second or the higher stage consists in his being granted realization of the Divine Being. This stage is achieved after one has witnessed the manifestation of God’s powers and attributes in the form of great signs and miracles. The sinners, on account of their rusted hearts, will remain deprived of the realization of the Divine Being on the Day of Judgement. They will not see the face of God. The Surah particularly deals with the fraudulent behaviour of the Christian powers of the west. The use of the particle کال( by no means) three times after referring to 11.Woe, on that day, unto those who reject, 12.Who deny the Day of Judgement. 13.And none den ies it save every sinful transgressor, 14. aWho, when Our Signs are recited unto him, says:‘Fables of the ancients!’ 15.Nay, but that which they have earned has rusted their hearts.4631 16. bNay, they will surely be debarred from seeing their Lord on that day.4632 a8:32; 16:25; 68:16. b3:78. " "PT.30 AT-TATFIF CH.83 3337 the wicked deeds of disbelievers seems to suggest that the Christian powers of the west will receive three severe shocks, may be in the form of three world wars, two of which have already taken place. 4633. Important Words: علینی is considered by some to have been derived from عال which means, it was or becam e high, and thus may mean, the most exalted ranks which the righteous will enjoy. The word may also mean liberty or freedom which signifies that the righteous will be free to go anywhere in Paradise. The word may also stand for those parts of the Quran whi ch contain prophecies about the great progress and prosperity of believers. According to Ibn ‘Abb as the word means Paradise (Ibn Kath ir), while Imam R aghib considers it to be the name of the dwellers thereof. Commentary: The word سجنی being singular and علینی plural it appears that the punishment of evildoers will be static, i.e. stationary in one place, but the spiritual progress of the righteous will continue without interruption, assuming different forms. They will go from one r ank to another. 4634. Commentary: The verse means that it is an unalterable Divine decree that the righteous will make unending progress. 17. aThen, verily, they will burn in Hell, 18. bThen it will be said to them, ‘This is what you used to reject.’ 19.Nay! but the record of the virtuous is surely in ‘Illiyyin.4633 20.And what should make thee know what ‘Ill iyyun is? 21. cIt is a Book written comprehensively . 22.The chosen ones of God will witness it. 23. dSurely, the virtuous will be in Bliss,4634 a23:104; 82:16. b52:15. c45:30; 69:20. d45:31; 82:14. " "CH.83 AT-TATFIF PT.30 3338 4635. Commentary: Sinners will not be able to see the face of God, but the righteous believers will be granted the favour of having a view of the Divine Being. 4636. Important Words: رحیق( pure beverage) means, the oldest, choicest, sweetest, most excellent of wine; wine easy to swallow; honey; a sort of perfume. مسک رحیق means, unadu lterated musk (Lane). 4637. Important Words: تسنیم( tasni m) is inf. noun from سنم (sann ama). They say سنم الیش ء i.e. he raised the thing. سنم فالن االناء means, such a one filled the vessel. تسنیم is taken to be a fountain in Paradise; water coming from above:the knowledge of God. Figuratively, it means, the Word of God. Comme ntary: If رحیق( pure beverage) be taken as referring to the Quran, تسنیم are revelations that are sent down to the Chosen Ones of God —the righteous followers of the Holy Prophet. 4638. C ommen tary: The Chosen Ones of God, from among the Holy Prophet’s followers, will be made to drink deep at the fountain of Divine realization that God will cause to flow. 4639. Commentary: The verse means that disbelievers used to laugh in their sleeves at the 24. aSeated on couches, gazing.4635 25.Thou will find in their faces the freshness of Bliss.b 26.They will be given to drink of a pure beverage, sealed.4636 27.The sealing of it will be with musk —for this let the aspirants aspire— 28.And it will be tempered with the water of Tasnim,4637 29.A spring of which the chosen ones will drink.4638 30. cThose who were guilty used to laugh at those who believed;4639 a15:48; 18:32; 36:57; 76:14. b75:23; 76:12 . c23:111. " "PT.30 AT-TATFIF CH.83 3339 frequent prophecies about the rapid spread and triumph of Islam, made at a time when it was fighting a seemingly losing battle for its existence. 4640. Important Words: یتغامزون( they winked at one another in mockery) is derived from غمز .They say غمزہ بالعنی i.e. he made a sign to him with the eye. تغامزوا means, they made signs to one another with their eyes, eyebrows, hands, indicating something blameable and faulty (Lane) . 4641. Commentar y: The verses (31- 33) refer to the jibes, jests, and insults to which the Muslims were subjected at Mecca; in fact, to the mockeries and railleries hurled at believers in the time of every Prophet of God and Divine Reformer. 4642. Commentary: The verse says that disbeliev ers will have tables turned on them, and that they will be made to realize, to their shame and chagrin, that it were they and not the believers who deserved to be laughed at for rejecting the Divine Message. ""This day"" means the day of the triumph of truth over untruth. 4643. Important Words: ینظرون(viewing) نظرmeans, he looked. Contemplated, judged, 31.And when they passed by them, they winked at one another.4640 32. aAnd when they returned to their families they returned exulting;4641 33.And when they saw them they said, ‘These indeed are the lost ones!’ 34.But they were not se nt as keepers over them. 35.This day, therefore, it is the believers who will laugh at the disbelieversb,4642 36.Seated on couches, gazing.4643 a84:14. b2:213. " "CH.83 AT-TATFIF PT.30 3340 decided; he paid regard to; he supervised or had superintendence over. نظربینھم means, he judged between them, نظریفٰاحوال الیتایم means, he examined the property of the orphans to manage it (Lane & Aqrab ). Commentary: Seated on the thrones of dignity the believers will witness the sad fate of arrogant disbelievers. Or, the meaning may be:seated on the thrones of authority they will administer justice to men, or will pay due regard to the needs of others. 37.Are not the disbelievers duly requited for what they used to do? " "3341 CHAPTER 84 AL-INSHIQ AQ (Revealed before Hijrah) General Remarks Like the preceding three chapters, the present Surah was revealed early at Mecca. The four Surahs very much resemble in style, composition and subject matter. Nöldeke and Muir agree with Muslim scholars about the early date of the revelation of this Surah —near about the time of revelation of the Surahs that immediately precede it. In fact, the present Surah completes the chain of which the preceding three Surahs also form the component part. Towards the end of the last Surah, disbelievers were warned in emphatic terms that their power would break and their glory depart. In the present Surah it is stated that belief will take the place of disbelief and from the ruins of the old decadent and decrepit order a new, vigorous and vibrant order would emerge. The Surah continues the theme of Surah Infitar (Chap. 82), the intervening Surah Tatfif (Chap. 83) being merely its extension. Surah Infitar had opened with the subject of the cleaving asunder of the heaven; and the present Surah begins with an analogous expression, with this difference that whereas in Surah Infitar ""cleaving asunder of the heaven"" was connected with the false doctrines of Christianity which would excite God’s wrath, in the present Surah by ""the bursting asunder of the heaven"" is meant the descent of Divine revelation and the emergence and spread of spiritual sciences. Thus the present Surah, with its three predecessors, forms a chain of chapters which deal with the subject of the regeneration and renaissance of Islam in the latter days, and with the sins and iniquities of the previous period. The present Surah specifically deals with the rena issance of Islam while the preceding Surahs deal with corruption and immorality. " "CH.84 PT.30 3342 (AL-INSHIQ AQ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.When the heaven bursts as- underb,4643A 3.And gives ear to her Lordc— and this is incumb ent upon her—4644 4.And when the earth is spread outd,4645 aSee 1:1. b55:38; 69:17. c41:12. d50:45. 4643A. Commentary: The verse refers to the time when the gates of heaven will open and heavenly signs in support of Islam will appear in large numbers and highly placed persons will begin to give serious thought to the revealed guidance. For a detailed note on this spiritual phenomenon of the bursting forth or opening out of the heaven see 21:31. 4644. Important Words: أذنت لربھا( hearkens to her Lord). They say أذن الیه و له i.e. he listened to him, being pleased with him (Lane). The Holy Prophet is reported to have said: ما أذن اهلل لیش ء ما أذن للنیب یتغین بالقرٓان i.e. God is not so fond of listening to anything as when the Prophet recites the Qur an (Bukh ari, chapter Fada ’ilul Qur’an). حقت( this is incumbent upon her). حق means, it was or became necessary or unavoidable; it was or became binding, obligatory, incumbent or due. حق لک أن تفعل کذا i.e. it is incumbent, obligatory, necessary, e tc. for thee that thou shouldst do this (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse taken with its predecessor purports to say that a new Adam will be born and the angels of the heaven will take their stand on his side, ready to help him in the furtherance and propagation of his divine mission (69:18), because that is mainly the object of their creation. The verse further implies that a new order will come into being and great heavenly signs will appear and the Word of God will descend in quick succession, disclosing to the God- fearing heavenly mysteries and spiritual sciences. 4645. Important Word: مدت( is spread out). مد اهلل االرض means, God expanded or stretched out and made level the earth. مد یف عمره means, he had his life lengthened. أمد له یف األجل " "PT.30 AL-INSHIQ AQ CH.84 3343 means, he deferred or postponed for him the period of duration. مد القوم means, he aided or succoured the people or became an auxiliary to them. مد االرض means, he put manure in the land (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse signifies that the earth will get a new lease of life and the destruction which it had deserved on account of men’s sins will be deferred; and it will receive fresh manure, i.e. new means will be provided for the spiritual progress of its dwellers. The verse may also signify that some planets which appear to pertain to the heaven will be discovered to form a part of the earth and men will try to reach them by means of rockets, etc. 4646. Commentary: The verse may mean: (a) The earth will throw out its hidden treasures so abundantly that it would appear as if it was going to empty itself out. (b) Spiritual sciences will make great progress. (c) The science of archaeology will specially develop and expand. (d) The earth will become cleansed of sin and iniquity on account of great miracles and signs that it will witness and people will listen to the Divine Message. 4647. Import ant Words: کادح( toiling hard) is act. part. from کدح which means, he labour ed hard and actively; he toiled or laboured hard till he wearied himself (Lane & Aqra b). Commentary: Man has to work hard to attain to God. To suffer physical, mental and monetary sacrifice in order to achieve this goal. 4648. C ommenta ry: ""The right hand"" being a metaphor for power and strength, the verse 5.And casts out all that is in her, and appears to become empty;4646 6.And gives ear to her Lord — and this is incumbent upon her— 7.Verily, thou, O man, art toiling on towards thy Lord, a hard toiling; then thou wilt meet Hima.4647 8.Then as for him who is given his Record in his right handb,4648 a2:224; 11:30; 18:111; 29:6 . b17:72; 56:28; 69:20. " "CH.84 AL-INSHIQ AQ PT.30 3344 means that those fortunate people who had acted upon the teachings of the Quran with patience and perseverance will be given their record in their right hand, signifying that they had lived up to its commandments to the best of their ability. 4649. Commentary: Those ""who had thrown the Book of God behind their backs, i.e. those who had treated the Quran as a discarded thing"" (25:31), will be given their record behind their backs. This will constitute a sign that they had not acted upon its teaching. 4650. Important Words: ثبور( destruction) is derived from ثرب which means, he perished; he suffered loss; he erred; he became lost. ثبور means, loss, perdition;complete destruction, woe, etc. (Lane). See also 25:15. Commentary: When a man is in extreme distress, he desires death might end his life. The verse under comment describes this state of mind of the disbelievers. Face to face with Divine punishment in the form of blazing fire, the disbelievers will wish death to come upon them and ""death will come to them from every direction but they will not die"" (14:18). 4651. Important Words: حیور( would return) is formed from حار which means, he returned from a good state to a bad state. They say نعوذ باهلل من احلور بعد الکور i.e. we seek protection with God that we should return to a bad state after a good state. حار also means, it decreased or became9.He will surely have an easy reckoning, 10.And he will return to his family, rejoicing. 11.But as for him who will have his Record given to him behind his backa,4649 12.He will soon call for destruction,4650 13.And he will burn in a blazing Fire. 14.Verily, before this he lived joyfully among his people.b 15.He indeed thought that he would never return to God c.4651 a56:42; 6 9:26. b83:32. c18:36. " "PT.30 AL-INSHIQ AQ CH.84 3345 defective or deficient; he perished or died; he became changed from one state or condition to another; he was or became perplexed and confounded and was unable to see his right course. The Arabs say حار و بار i.e. he was reduced to or became in a defective and bad state (Lane & Aqrab). 4651A. Commentary: See note on v. 19. 4651B. Commentary: See note on v. 19. 4652. Important Words: اتسق( becomes full) is derived from وسق . They say وسق الیشء i.e. he gathered and heaped up the thing. اتسق االمر means, the affair became in good order, complete, perfect, whole. اتسق القمر means, the moon became full; its light became complete and it became بدر( moon of the 14th night); the moon became full and its light became complete, from the 13th to the 16th night (Lane, Farra’). Commentary: In this verse reference is made to the moon of the 14th night which, shining in all its brightness, would dispel the spiritual darkness that had enshrouded the entire face of the earth. This moon was the Promised Messiah who was born in the 13th century of Hijrah and who announced his claim in the 14th century, the period of his ministry extending to the end of the 16th century, A. H. (Tary aqul-Qulub). Thus these verses (17-19) contained a prophecy about the temporary decline of Muslims, and their renaissance through the Promised Messiah who was to reflect in his person fully and faithfully the glorious light of the sun, i.e. the Holy Prophet. 4653. Commentary: The verse purports to say that the renaissance of Islam will take place through the indefatigable missionary efforts of the Promised Messiah and his devoted followers, gradually and in stages. Or the verse may mean that Musli ms will pass through all the conditions referred to in the preceding verses —periods of light 16.Yea! surely, his Lord was ever watchful of him. 17.But nay! I call to witness the glow of sunset,4651A 18.And the night and all that it envelops,4651B 19.And the moon when it becomes fu1l,4652 20.That you shall assuredly pass on from one stage to another.4653 " "CH.84 AL-INSHIQ AQ PT.30 3346 and darkness. 4654. C omme ntary: What is the matter with the disbelievers (the verse asks) that after having witnessed the fulfilment of the first two parts of the prophecy, they have despaired of the fulfilment of the third part? They have seen the ruddy glow of the sunset of Islam, followed by the darkness of spiritual night for thirteen hundred years after the Holy Prophet, and yet they do not believe that the moon of the 14th night will appear to dispel darkness. 4655. Commentary: The allusion in the verse may be t o the renaissance of Islam in the Latter Days and the bringing back of faith from the P leiades by a man of Persian descent —the Promised Messiah, which, as it were, will amount to the Qura n being revealed again. Instead of being grateful to God for this great boon, the disbelievers will oppose him and reject the Divine Message. 4656. Important Words: یٰوعون( keep hidden in their hearts) is derived from ویع which means, he gathered and preserved, grasped together and put in a receptacle. أویع الکالم means, he preserved in his memory, remembered and gathered the talk (Aqrab). Commentary: The verse warns disbelievers that God knows well the animosity and malice they harbour in their hearts against God’s Messenger; He also knows the secret plots they hatch to bring to nought his mission and his efforts to promote the cause of Truth. 21.So what is the matter with them that they believe nota,4654 22.And when the Quran is recited unto them, they do not bow in submission ;4655 23.On the contrary, those who disbelieve reject it.b 24.And Allah knows best what they keep hidden in their hearts .4656 25. cSo give them tidings of a painful punishment. 26. dBut as to those who believe and do good works, theirs is an unen ding reward. a43:89. b85:20. c9:34. d11:12; 41:9; 95:7. " "3347 CHAPTER 85 AL-BURUJ (Revealed before Hijrah) Introductory Remarks This Surah was revealed at Mecca in the first few years of the Call. It takes its title from the word Buru j in the first verse. The connection of this Surah with its predecessor —Surah Inshiq aq—is indicated by the fact that in the latter Surah the moon of the 13th night was invoked as a witness, and in the present Surah ""mansions of stars and the Promised Day"" have been invoked to serve the same purpose. The Buruj or mansions of stars may represent the twelve Divine Reformers ( Mujaddids ), each of whom was raised at the beginning of a century of Hijrah, and the Promised Day stands for the 14th Century of Hijrah when the Muslims stood in great need of a Divine Reformer, their fortunes having sunk to the lowest ebb, and thus, befittingly, the greatest of these Reformers —the Promised Messiah —was raised to restore to them their spiritual glory. This Surah presents the subject matter of the preceding Surah in a different form and points to the severe persecution to which the followers of the Promised Messiah would be subjected, ending appropriately on the note that because in the time of the Promised Messiah the integrity of the Quran as God’s revealed Word would be assailed from all quarters, particularly by Christian writers, the Promised Messiah would devote all his energies and his great God-given gifts to rebut these attacks and to prove the infallibility and inviolability of the Quran. " "CH.85 PT.30 3348 (AL-BURU J) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.By the heaven having mansions of starsb,4657 3.And by the Promised Day,4658 4.And by the Witness and by him about Whom witness is borne,4659 aSee 1:1. b15:17; 25:62. 4657. Important Words: الربوج( mansions of stars) is the plural of برج( burj) which is substantive noun from برج( baraja ) which means, it was or became apparent, manifest or conspicuous or it was or became high or elevated. برج means, a tower; a sign of the Zodiac. بروج means, mansions (i.e. courses or stages) of the moon or the stars; or asterisms or constellations. See also 15:17 (Lane). Commentary: The verse purports to say that just as there are twelve mansions of stars in the physical heaven, similarly there will be twelve Divine Reformers or Muja ddids or twelve mansions in the spiritual firmament of Islam who will keep its light burning after the sun had set, i.e. after the first three best centuries of Islam will have passed resulting in the spread of spiritual darkness over the whole world. These Reformers will bear witness to the truth of Islam, the Quran and that of the Holy Prophet. 4658. Commentary: ""The Promised Day"" here signifies the day when the Promised Messiah will be raised to bring about the renaissance of Islam. There have been many such days in the history of Islam which could be called the ""Promised Day,"" namely, the day of the Battle of Badr, the day when the Battle of Ditch came to a glorious end, and the day of the Fall of Mecca. But the Promised Day par excellence was the time of the Second Coming of the Holy Prophet in the person of the Promised Messiah in the 14th Century A.H. when Islam was to receive a new life and to prevail over all other religions. The verse may also signify the day when the righteous will enjoy the ecstasy of meeting with their Lord. 4659. Commentary: Every Prophet or Divine Reformer is شاھد i.e. bearer of witness, because " "PT.30 AL-BUR UJ CH.85 3349 he is a living witness to the existence of God, and he is also مشٰھٰود( about whom witness is borne) because God bears witness to his truth by showing signs and miracles at his hands, and by creating conditions and circum stances which establish the truth of his Message and mission. But here, as the text shows, the شاھد (bearer of witness) is the Promised Messiah and (about whom witness is borne) is the Holy Prophet, and the verse signifies that the Promised Messiah will be ar witness to the truth of the Holy Prophet by his speeches, discourses and writings, and by the signs that God will show at his hands. The Promised Messiah will also bear witness to the truth of the Holy Prophet in the sense that in his person the prophec y of the Ho ly Prophet about the appearance of the Messiah and Mahd i in the 14th century A.H. will be fulfilled. The Promised Messiah will also be مشٰھٰود in the sense that the hadith of the Holy Prophet will bear witness to his truth. Thus the Holy Prophet and the Promised Messiah will both be شاھد( bearer of witness) and مشٰھٰود( about whom witness is borne). 4660. Commentary: By some commentators of the Quran the verse is taken to refer to the burning to death of some Christians by the Jewish King, Dhu Nuw as of Yemen; by some others to the casting into a burning furnace of some Israelite leaders by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (Dan. 3:19- 22). The verse may also apply to those enemies of truth, who in the time of every Divine Reformer bitterly oppose and persecute believers. But as the context shows, the verse applies particularly to the enemies of the Promised Messiah and the persecutors and tormentors of his righteous followers. The word ""trench"" may possess a prophetical reference to the trenches of modern warfare. It is not intended there to refer to any past incident of doubtful authenticity. Nowhere in the Quran has God sworn by past incidents. I n v. 3. God swears by the ""Promised Day."" In the present and the next few verses it is hinted that the followers of the Promised Messiah will have to render great sacrifices to usher in that Great Day. 4661. Commentary: These verses (vv. 5-8) show that all the forces of darkness will combine to oppose and persecute the Promised Messiah and his righteous followers, and that the persecution will be severe and continuous. In fact, in these verses a description is given of 5.Cursed be the fellows of the trench —4660 6.The fire fed with fuel — 7.As they sat by it,4661 " "CH.85 AL-BUR UJ PT.30 3350 those enemies of truth who kindle the fire of persecution against righteous believers in all ages and constantly keep it ablaze. Their end is predicted in v. 11 . 4662. Commentary: The enemies of truth know in their heart of hearts that their opposition is cruel and unjustified and that the victims of their tyranny are innocent. 4663. Commentary: The verse is full of pathos. The only fault of the believers is that they believe in One, Merciful and Almighty God. Is belief in God really such a heinous crime that its holders should be subjected to cruel persecution? These verses may also refer to the persecution of the early Muslims at Mecca. They had done nothing to excite the enmity of their compatriots except that they had given up worshipping idols of wood and stone and instead had believed in God, the Maker of the heavens and earth. 4664. Commentary: The verse at once holds a message of comfort for the believers and a severe warning to their persecutors. Let the disbelievers, it says, vent their spleen against God’s holy men and persecute them to their heart’s content. God is witness to all the ir inhumanities and barbarities, and the time is fast approaching when they will be punished for their evil deeds 8.And they were witnesses of what they did to the believers.4662 9. aAnd they hated them not but only because they believed in Allah, the Almighty, the Praiseworthy,4663 10.To Whom belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth;b and Allah is Witness over all things.4664 11.Those who persecute the believi ng men and the believing women and then repent not, for them is surely the punishment of Hell, and for them is the punishment of burning. a5:60; 7 :127. b14:3. " "PT.30 AL-BURUJ CH.85 3351 and the kingdom of the earth will be given over to the persecuted believers. 4665. Commentary:The verse means that God will punish the cruel and tyrannical persecutors of believers, in this world and in the life to come. 4666. Commentary:The word ﻋﺮش (Throne) signifying regal might, power and sovereignty (Lane), the verse means that God has the power to punish evildoers and to confer the kingdom of the earth on His righteous servants. He can do what He likes. 4667. Commentary:The believers are again comforted by this verse and the disbelievers warned. Both of them are told that not only will the followers of the Holy Prophet or, for that matter, the followers of the Promised Messiah, be subjected to persecution, but during the ages the votaries of Satan have harried and harassed men of God and in the long run were themselves destroyed. The cases of Pharaoh’s hosts and of the tribe of Thamud are cited as instances of Divine retribution. These two peoples 12. aBut those who believe and do good works, for them are Gardens through which streams flow. That is the great triumph. 13. Surely, the grip of thy Lord is severe.b 14. cHe it is Who originates and reproduces;4665 15. And He is the Most Forgiving, the Loving; 16. The Lord of the Throne, the Lord of Honour;4666 17. dDoer of whatever He wills. 18. eHas not the story of the hosts come to thee? 19. Of Pharaoh and Thamud?4667 a11:24; 31:9; 41:9; 98:8-9.b11:103; 22:3. c29:20; 30:12.d2:254; 22:15. e10:91; 28:40-41; 51:41. " "CH.85 AL-BUR UJ PT.30 3352 of antiquity possessed great power and ruled over vast dominions. For the might, majesty and material resources of Pharaoh and the tribe of Tham ud see 43:52-55 and 11:62. 4668. Commentary: The verse challenges disbelievers to do their worst to discredit the Qur an. The Quran however, will continue to be read and held in high esteem all over the world. 4669. Commentary: The verse constitutes a challenging prophecy about the Quran being guarded against every kind of interference and distortion. See also 15:l0. 20. aNay, but those who disbeliev e persist in rejecting the truth . 21.And Allah encompasses them from before them and from behind them. 22. bNay, but it is a glorious Quran,4668 23. cIn a well-guarded tablet.4669 a84:23. b50:2; 56:78. c41:43; 56:79. " "3353 CHAPTER 86 AT-TA RIQ (Revealed before Hijrah) General Remarks The Surah derives its title from the word At-Ta riq in its opening verse. The consensus of Muslim scholarly opinion assigns the Surah to the early period of the Holy Prophet’s ministry. Nöldeke and Muir, among European scholars, agree with this view. The Surah is the last of the chain of chapters which began with Surah Infitar. In all these Surahs, the opening verse, in one form or another, furnishes an argument in support of the claim of the Promised Messiah. The intervening Surah Tatfif, which has a different opening, forms, in fact, a part of Surah Infitar. The present Surah continues and completes the topics which were dealt with in Surah Infitar and in the chapters that follow it and serves as a sort of برزخ between the Surah that precede and those that follow that Surah . From this Surah, however, begins a new subject. " "CH.86 PT.30 3354 (AT-TARIQ ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.By the heaven and the Morning Star —4670 3.And what should make thee know what the Morning Star is?4671 4.It is the Star of piercing brightness —4672 aSee 1:1. 4670. Important Words: الطارق( Morning Star) is deri ved from طرق .They say طرق الباب i.e. he knocked at the door. طرق أھله لیالاٰ means, he came to his family by night. The Arabs say, طرقه الزمان بنوائبه i.e. the time visited him with its calamities like one knocking at the door in the night. طارق means, a comer by night, because he has generally to knock; the star that appears in the nigh t; the morning star because it comes in the end of night (Lane, Aqrab & Q adir). The word also means, a chief or great man, as the expression used by Hind on the day of Uh ud shows, viz. حنن بنات طارق نـمیش عیل النمارق i.e. we are the daughters of great men; and we walk upon pillows (T arikhul-Kamil, vol. 2. and ""The Life of Mahomet"" by Muir). Commentary: The reference in the verse may be to the Promised Messiah whose advent like the morning star was to herald the dawn of the triumph and spread of Islam, after the night of spiritual darkness had passed. According to some commentators, however, the verse refers to the Holy Prophet who appeared when the night of spiritual darkness had spread over the entire world, it being pitch dark in Arabia, the land where he made his appearance. 4671. Commentary: The expression ما ادر اک ما which occurs in several places in the Qur an is used to impart a particular sense to the word or expression used after it. The word الطارق having several meanings may therefore be taken in one particular sense here, vi z. النجم الثاقب i.e. the star of piercing brightness in the next verse. 4672. Important Words: الثاقب( of piercing brightness) is act . part. from ثقب which means, he bored or pierced a thing. ثقب الکوکب means, the star shone brightly as though it pierced through the darkness, " "PT.30 AT-TARIQ CH.86 3355 dispelling it. ثاقب الرأی means, a man of sound and penetrating judg ement. حسب ثاقب means, a famous, exalted lineage (Lane & Aqrab). 4673. Commentary: ""Soul"" signifying the souls or persons of the class of النجم الثاقب i.e. the bright stars that dispel spiritual darkness, the verse means that God will guard and protect the Promised Messiah, the الطارق( the Morning Star) or النجم الثاقب ( the Star of Piercing Brightness) of Islam. The verse has also been taken to mean that God has appointed a guardian over every person who records his good or bad deeds. For this meaning of the verse see 50:19. 4674. Commentary: The fact that man has been created from a fluid which gushes forth may signify that he has been endowed with great natural faculties to make rapid progress, but he is also likely to sink to the lowest depths of degradation, if he does not make use of those God-gifted powers. Thus the verse means that man’s spiritual development is subject to alternate periods of progression and retrogression, like the seminal fluid that gushes forth and falls. 4674A. Commentary: It is characteristic of the Quranic style that it substitutes mild or vague words or expressions for harsh and blunt ones. ""From between the loin s and the breastbones,"" is one of such euphemisms used by the Quran. Or the verse may mean that man is born of the water that comes out of the loins of his father and is fed by the breast of his mother. 4675. Commentary: The verse means that all the evil designs of the enemies of the 5.That there i s no soul but has a guardian over it.4673 6.So let man consider from what he is created. 7. aHe is created from a gushing fluid,4674 8.Which issues forth from between the loins and the breastbones.4674A 9. bSurely, He has the power to bring him back to life 10. cOn the day when secrets shall be disclosed.4675 a24:46; 25:55. b17:100; 36:82; 4 6:34. c10:31. " "CH.86 AT-TARIQ PT.30 3356 Promised Messiah will be brought to light and they will suffer the consequences of their evil deeds. It may also mean that man will be called to account on the Day of Reckoning for the actions he had done in this life, when all secrets will become unmasked and all his actions, motives and thoughts will come to light, nothing will remain hidden, so much so that even his hands, feet and, tongue will bear witness against him (24:25). 4676. Important Words: ذات الرجع (which gives water repeatedly ) is derived from رجع meaning, he returned. رجع( raj‘un) means, rain; hail, because it gives back the water that it takes; rain that returns; the place that retains water; a pool of water left by torrent ; a place in which the torrent has returned; water in general; benefit; a good turn (Lane & Aqrab ). Commentary: See next verse. 4677. Commen tary: This and the preceding verse signify that rain on which depends very largely the greenness and vegetation of the earth comes down from heaven in times of need. If it ceases for a time, the water in upper strata of the earth gradually dries up. Thus there exists a connection between heavenly and earthly water. As with the cessation of heavenly water, earthly water begins gradual ly to dry up, so does human reason lose its purity and strength without heavenly revelation. 4678. Commentary: See next verse. 4679. Commentary: In vv. 12-13, the Quran is represented as life-giving rain whereby those who believe in it and act upon its teaching are purified and fostered in the ways of righteousness. This constitutes a strong proof, not a ""joke,"" that the Quran is God’s own revealed Word which distinguishes and discriminates between truth and falsehood; ( ھزل meaning, a joke, jest or obscene talk or weak discourse) (Aqrab). 11.Then he will have no strength and no helper. 12.By the cloud which gives rain repeatedly, 4676 13.And by the earth which opens out with herbage,4677 14.Surely, it is a decisive word.4678 15.Surely, it is not a vain talk.4679 " "PT.30 AT-TARIQ CH.86 3357 4680 . Commentary: Disbelievers are granted respite that they may try all their evil plans and employ all the strength and resources they possess against Islam and the Holy Prophet. The triumph of Islam, despite all their planning and their boasted strength, will be an irrefutable proof that it is from Allah and has His full support. 16.And they plan a plan,a 17.And I also plan a plan. 18. bSo give respite to the dis- believers. Aye, give them respite for a little while.4680 a52:43. b68:45-46; 73:12. " "3358 CHAPTER 87 AL-A‘LA (Revealed before Hijrah) Title and Date of Revelation This Surah was revealed very early in the Holy Prophet’s ministry at Mecca. Besides most commentators of the Quran, Muir and Nöldeke hold this view, the latter (Nöldeke) places its revelation after chapter 78, while some Muslim scholars assign it the eighth place in the chronological order of revelation of the Quran. The Surah takes its title from its opening verse in which glorification of the most High Lord has been enjoined. Context and Subject Matter In the preceding Surah it was stated that the Promised Reformer would not only be the Badr (moon of the 14th night) but also the Tariq i.e. Morning Star, which heralds the dawn. Besides, it was stated that the Quran was not only a complete and perfect code of Divine laws for those to whom it was originally addressed but is also capable of meeting the needs and requirements of all mankind for all time, and that at no time will it be subject to change, abrogation or interpolation. This Quranic claim gives rise to the natural and inevitable question, viz. where was the need of a new Reformer in the presence of such a complete and perfect revelation. The Surah seeks to answer this important question. It was further mentioned in Surah A t-Tariq that man is so constituted that his development is subject to periods of rise and fall. This fact again gives rise to another equally important question, viz. that after the revelation of a Law, complete in all respects, man’s progress should naturally become uniform and uninterrupted and immune against all possibility of retrogression. This being so, why was a complete Shar i‘ah not revealed in the beginning of the world; why was it deferred till the time of the Holy Prophet? The Surah supplies an answer to this question also. The Surah possesses another intimate connection with its predecessor. In that Surah it was stated that man is born of a fluid which issues forth from the loins of his father and gets his sustenance from the breast of his mother. This constituted a subtle hint of the gradual process of man’s physical development. In the Surah under comment we are told that like his physical development man’s spiritual development will also be gradual. The Holy Prophet generally recited this and the next Surah during Friday and ‘ Id Prayers. " "PT.30 CH.87 3359 (AL-A‘LA) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Mercif ul. 2.Glorify the name of thy Lord,b the Most High,4681 3. cWho creates and perfects,4682 aSee 1:1. b56:75; 69:53. c82:8; 91:8. 4681. Important Words: For سبح( glorify) see 61:2. Commentary: The verse may be interpreted as:(a) glorify the name of thy Lord, the most High; and (b) glorify the most high name of thy Lord. The words ربک االعیل ٰ ( the most High Lord) signify that as God has created man for unlimited progress, therefore, He has endowed him with great natural powers and facultie s that he may fulfil his high destiny; only his development is to be progressive and in stages. Incidentally, the Divine attribute رب( The Lord Who makes things grow and develop by stages) disposes of the objection, viz. why the perfect Law was not reveale d in the beginning of creation? The word implies that perfect Law could only have been revealed after man’s intellect and reason had attained their highest development which happened after a long and gradual process of evolution. 4682. Important Words: قدر means, he measured; determined; decreed; designed (Lane & Aqrab). سوی( perfected). سواه means, he made it equal, uniform, right; (2) he made it symmetrical; made it congruous or consistent in its several par ts; (3) he made it to be adapted to the requirem ents of wisdom; ( 4) he made it complete, or perfected its make; he adjusted it; ( 5) God made his constitution symmetrical or made him complete and perfect (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse shows that a high destiny awaits man and that for the fulfilmen t of it God has endowed him with the highest natural faculties and capacities. He can attain the highest spiritual stature; can reflect in his person Divine attributes so as to become the mirror of his Creator. This implies that the Creator Himself is perfect and is completely free from all conceivable defects and weaknesses. " "CH.87 AL-A‘LA PT.30 3360 4683. Commentary: This and the preceding verse give four reasons for the glorification of God, viz. (1) God brought us into being. (2) He endowed us with all the faculties and capacities that are needed for our spiritual and intellectual development. (3) He determined man’s physical and spiritual needs and (4) for the fulfilment of those needs He revealed guidance that man might attain the object of his creation. 4684. Important Words: اءثغ ( stubble) means, the rubbish or refuse and scum and rotten leaves mixed with the scum borne upon the surface of a torrent; decayed and broken pieces of herbage that are seen upon a torrent; a perishable thing. They say ماله غثاء وعمله ھباء و سعیه خفا ء i.e. his property is as rubbish borne by a torrent and his work is as motes and his labour is unseen. غثاء الناس means, the refuse of mankind (Lane). Commentary: The verse constitutes a subtle answer to the objection:Why God first revealed incomplete laws, suited only to the needs of the peoples and the periods in which they were revealed, and then revealed the last and most perfect Shar i‘ah in the form of the Quran, which was meant to guide mankind for all time? It purports to say that God has created two kinds of things:(1) Those that like herbage and pasture satisfy man’s temporary needs and thus have a limited tenure of life. The former Scriptures, like these things, fulfilled man’s temporary needs and, therefore, were subject to decay and death. (2) Those things such as the sun, the moon, the earth, etc. which are of permanent use for man. They will last with the universe. Like the latter the Quran is meant to be man’s unerring guide till the end of time; hence it is immune to change, replacement and the wasting effect of time. 4685. Commentary: The verse develops the argument implied in the preceding one. It purports to say that the Quran being God’s last Message for mankind has 4. aAnd Who measures and guides,4683 5.And Who brings forth the pasturage, 6.Then turns it into black stubbleb.4684 7.We shall teach thee the Quran, and thou shalt forget it not,4685 a80:20. b18:46; 57:21. " "PT.30 AL-A‘LA CH.87 3361 been granted Divine protection against interference, distortion or interpolation. The promise of protection has been given in emphatic and clear terms, viz. “Verily, We Ourse lf have sent down the Reminder, and most surely We will be its Guardian” (15:10). The last fourteen centuries have witnessed the fulfilment of this mighty prophecy, in that the Quran has become a part of the thought and life of the Muslims as a whole, so much, that at all times there is found in the world a section of Muslims who proclaim and uphold its true teachings and learn its text by heart. The Quran that we have with us today is the same, without the change of a word or letter, which was given to the world by the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet was human and as such he was apt to forget and he did forget things as far as the affairs of life were concerned. But God, in His infallible wisdom, had so arranged that despite the fact that the Prophet was not literate and sometimes long Surahs were revealed to him in one piece, the revelation remained so indelibly imprinted on his mind that he was never found to forget or falter in reciting the revealed portions. It is marvellous indeed that very long Surahs such as Al-Baqarah, Al-e-‘Imran or An- Nisa’, were revealed piecemeal, and a period of several years had intervened between the revelation of different parts of each of those Surahs and yet the Prophet never for a moment fumbled or faltered in putting the revealed verses in their proper places. 4686. Commentary: The expression ""as God wills"", pertains only to matters of ordinary everyday life. The words, ""He knows what is manifest and what is hidden,"" mean that as God knew all the needs of man of which man himself was unconscious and which he was incapable of knowing, God provided those needs in the Quran, and so there could be no possibility of the Holy Prophet forgetting what was revealed to him. 4687. Commentary: The verse signifies:(a) that it is easy to commit the Quran to memory; (b) that its teachings possess an adaptability all their own, which makes them conform to, and meet, the exigencies of changing conditions and circumstances and the needs and requirements of men of different 8. aExcept as Allah wills. Surely, He knows what is manifest and what is hidden.4686 9. bAnd We shall provide for thee every facility.4687 a2:34; 20:8; 21:111; 24:30. b92:8. " "CH.87 AL-A‘LA PT.30 3362 temperaments and dispositions; and (c) that the Quranic injunctions are not arbitrary but wise and rational. These factors combined together make the Quran a Book easy to le arn and to act upon. These, among others, are some of the means which God has provided for the eternal protection and preservation of the Quranic text and its meaning. 4688. Commentary: The verse means that only those people profit by admonition who have fear of God in their hearts. But as it is not given to one to know when admonition would be beneficial to a man, no opportunity should be lost to preach truth and righteousness. 4689. C ommentary: The verse signifies that for those people who, on account of their persistent defiance and rejection of truth and blind opposition to God’s Messengers, incur punishment, a Divine decree comes into operation that they will not benefit by admonition. 4690. Commentary: The unfortunate disbelievers will burn in grievous torment of an abiding character and death will not be allowed to end it; on the other hand, ""death will come to him from every quarter but he will not die"" (14:18). See also 20:75. 10.So keep on reminding: surely, reminding is profitable.4688 11. aHe who fears will heed; 12.But the most wretched will turn aside from it,4689 13.He who is to enter the great Fire.b 14. cThen he will neither die therein nor live.4690 15. dVerily, he truly prospers who purifies himself, 16.And remembers the name of his Lord and offers Prayers. 17. eBut you prefer the life of this world, a51:56. b88:5. c14:18; 20:75. d91:10. e75:21. " "PT.30 AL-A‘LA CH.87 3363 4691. Commentary: Because the essential principles of all religions are basically identical, the teachings mentioned in the foregoing verses ar e also found in the Scriptures of Moses and Abraham. The verse may also signify that the prophecy about the appearance of a great Prophet who was to give to the world the Last Divine Message and the most perfect teaching is found in the Scriptures of Moses (Deut. 18:1819 & 33:2) and Abraham. 18. aWhereas the Hereafter is better and more lasting. 19. bThis indeed is what is taught in the former Scriptures — 20.The Scriptures of Abraham and Moses.4691 a93:5. b20:134. " "3364 CHAPTER 88 AL-GHASHIYAH (Revealed before Hijrah) Date of Revelation The Surah, like its predecessor, was revealed early at Mecca. Eminent early Muslim scholars such as Ibn ‘Abb as and Ibn Zubair regard it as of Meccan origin. The famous German orientalist N öldeke places it in the fourth year of the Call. Context and Subject Matter This and the preceding Surahs deal with the collective life of the Muslim Community in the time of the Holy Prophet and also in the latter days, when the Promised Messiah was to appear. This is why the Holy Prophet generally used to recite these two chapters during Friday and ‘ Id Prayers. In previous Surahs it was stated that the progress of Islam will never be due to material means but will come about through Divine Reformers. When Muslims will decline and decay and the Quran will, as it were, go up to heaven, God will raise the Promised Messiah who will bring it back to earth and will make its ideals and principles shine in resplendent glory. It was also stated that Islam will continue to have, in every age, sincere and devoted followers who will preach and propagate the teaching of the Quran, and that other unpredictable circumstances will also arise that will contribute to the progress and prosperity of Islam. In the present Surah, we are told that Muslims will have to face severe opposition and cruel persecution, and that after they will have patiently stood the test, success will come to them. Though the Surah deals primarily with the vicissitudes through which Muslims have to pass in this life, it also refers, as its name shows, to the Day of Resurrection. On the Day of Reckoning whether in this or in the next life, when the scales are set up, some faces will be downcast, covered with disgrace and ignominy and some others will beam with joy, being pleased with the results of their labour. Incidentally, the Surah contains a subtle hint that sometimes the followers of Islam will have to take up arms, and its success will then be due to the swords and spears of its warriors. " "PT.30 CH.88 3365 (AL-GHASHIYAH) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.Has there come to thee the news of the Overwhelming Calamityb?4692 3.Some faces on that day will be downcastc;4693 4.Toiling, weary.4694 5.They shall enter a blazing Fire;d 6.And will be made to drink from a boiling spring;e 7.They will have no food save that of dry, bitter and thorny herbage,4695 aSee 1:1. b12:108. c68:44; 75:25; 80:41-42. d87:13; 101:12. e47:16; 55 :45. 4692. Important Words: الغاشیه( Overwhelming Calamity) is derived from غیش .They say غشیه i.e. it covered or overwhelmed him. غیش اللیل means, the night was dark. غاشیة means, an overwhelming calamity; a terrific misery (Lane). Commenta ry: The reference in the verse may be to the Judg ement Day or to a terrific calamity that overtakes a people in this life, on account of their misdeeds. The severe famine that held Mecca in its grip for about seven years in the time of the Holy Prophet has also been referred to in the Quran as غاشیة( 44:11-12). It was indeed a terrific calamity for the Meccans. 4693. Commentary: وجوه meaning 'chiefs ' or 'leaders' of men; the verse signifies that on the Day of Reckoning the ٰgreat leaders of disbelief will be debased and ٰ humiliation will be writ l arge on their faces. 4694. Commentary: The verse means to say that all the endeavoursٰof the leaders of disbelief against Islam will be wasted as they will fail to arrest or retard its progress. 4695. Important Words: ضریع( dry, bitter and thorny herbage) " "CH.88 AL-GHASHIYAH PT.30 3366 is derived from ضرع i.e. he (kid) took with his mouth the udder. This seems to be regarded by some as the primary signification of the word. All the three forms, viz. dara‘a & dari‘a & daru‘a mean, he was or became weak. ضریع means, a bad sort of pasture b y which cattle do not become fat or fresh and which renders their condition bad; a cert ain dry, bitter, thorny plant (Lane). 4696. Commentary: Vv. 3-8 signify that the enemies of Islam will try hard to check its progress. But all their efforts will prove abortive. Before their very eyes the tender plant of Islam will grow into a mighty tree and their own power and glory will depart. Their sons and grandsons will enter the fold of Islam, and they will be consumed with rage and will burn in the fire of envy at seeing it spread fast; utter humiliation and ignominy will be their lot; they will be given hot water to drink and to eat which, instead of giving them nourishment or slaking their thirst and satisfying their hunger, will add to their weakness and haste n the withering away of their bodies — they will be utterly deprived of peace of mind, and calamities will overwhelm them in varying forms. 4697. Commentary: The righteous believers will be well pleased with the marvellous results of the sacrifices they had made for the cause of Islam. 4698. Commentary: Like a running spring their 8.Which will neither nourish nor satisfy hunger.4696 9.And some faces on that day will be joyful,a 10.Well pleased with their past striving,4697 11.In a lofty Garden,b 12.Wherein thou wilt hear no vain talk;c 13. dTherein is a running spring,4698 14.Therein are raised couches, 15. eAnd goblets properly placed, a75:23. b69:23. c56:26; 78:36. d56:32. e43:72. " "PT.30 AL-GHASHIYAH CH.88 3367 beneficence and goodness will flow unceasingly. 4699. Commentary: The Surah contains a contrast between the heavenly rewards that the righteous will receive and the severe punishment which will be meted out to the sinful for rejecting the Divine Message. The construction of this and the preceding eight verses shows that Muslims collectively will share in the gifts and rewards mentioned in them. 4700. Important Words: االبل( camels) used as plural means, camels; a herd of camels; clouds (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse means that the believers, like camels, going straight in a line all behind the one that leads them, give unquestioning obedience to their Leader. Or like camels which can go on for days without water in the hot sandy desert of Arabia, the believers have infinite patience under trials and go on their spiritual journey without complaining. ابل as meaning clouds, the verse would signify that God will spr ead the teachings of the Quran which is spiritua l water over the whole of the earth. 4701. Commentary: And just as the heaven has been raised high, so will the Holy Prophet, the spiritual heaven, be exalted. Or the verse may mean that just as God has placed the sun, the moon, the stars and planets in the physical heaven and through them He sustains the physical world, so will the spiritual sun (the Holy Prophet), the spiritual moon (the Promised Messiah), the spiritual planets and stars (Muslim divines) sustain the spiritual world. 4702. Commentary: The verse may signify that like mountains the believers are firm in 16.And cushions beautifully ranged in rows, 17.And carpets tastefully spread.4699 18.Do they not then look at the camels, how they are created?4700 19. aAnd at the heaven, how it is raised high?4701 20. bAnd at the mountains, how they are set up?4702 a13:3; 55:8. b50:8. " "CH.88 AL-GHASHIYAH PT.30 3368 their faith, or like mountains which secure the earth against earthquakes and violent commotions and render it stable, the righteous servants of God are the cause of the stability of the spiritual world. But for them the violent earthquakes of disbelief and sin should shake the spiritual earth to its foundations and cause great havoc in it. 4703. Commentary: The verse purports to say that the earth has been spread out for the Companions of the Holy Prophet that they might carry the Message of Islam far and wide. The four verses (vv. 18-21) teach a Muslim the supreme moral lesson that he should be generous like the clouds, exalted like the heaven, of fixed resolve like the mountains, and soft and humble like the earth. 4704. Commentary: The verse constitutes a wonderful commentary on the Divine origin of the Quran. The Surah was revealed at Mecca in the early years of the Call when only a handful of weak and poor persons had accepted Islam and yet the verse hints that a time would come when the Holy Prophet would be given power and authority, and he is enjoined in advance that when he should have power he should not use it for imposing his opinions on others. 4705. Commentary: These last two verses show that the subject which had commenced in Surah Al-A‘la has come to an end here and disbelievers are told that they shall return to God to render account of their deeds and actions. 21. aAnd at the earth, how it is spread out?4703 22.Admonish, therefore, for thou art but an admonisher; 23. bThou art not appointed a warden over them.4704 24.But whoever turns away and disbelieves, 25.Allah will punish him with the greatest punishment. 26.Unto Us surely is their return,4705 27.Then, surely, it is for Us to call them to account. a50:8; 79:31. b6:108; 39:42; 42:7. " "3369 CHAPTER 89 AL-FAJR (Revealed before Hijrah) Introduction This Surah was among the earliest revealed at Mecca. From historical data and the contents of the Surah itself, it appears to have been revealed sometime in the fourth year of the Call. Nöldeke places it immediately after Surah Al-Ghashiyah, which, according to Muslim scholars was also revealed in the fourth year, when opposition of the Quraish to the new Faith had not yet become determined, persistent and organized. The Surah takes its title from the first word of the opening verse, viz. Al-Fajr. It contains a double prophecy which applies both to the Holy Prophet and the Promised Messiah. In a beautiful allegory, the Surah alludes to the ten years of hardship at Mecca and the Prophet’s Migration to Medina, accompanied by his very faithful Companion, Ab u Bakr, and to the first year of his life at Medina which was also full of anxieties. The Surah may also be read as applying to the decline of Islam during the ten centuries after the first three hundred years of uniform success, and to the appearance of the Promised Messiah, as well as to the first century of trials and hardships for his mission and followers. After this brief allegorical description of the vicissitudes and fluctuations of the fortunes of Islam in the time of the Holy Prophet and that of the Promised Messiah, the Surah mentions the case of Pharaoh as representing the opposition which the cause of truth always encounters from the votaries of falsehood. Opposition to truth (the Surah further states) springs from accumulation of power and wealth in the hands of a particular class, and misuse of riches and authority by the people of that class brings about their decline and destruction. The Surah concludes that it is only a few fortunate people who accept the Divine Message and by walking in the ways of righteousness succeed in winning God’s pleasure, and consequently enjoy complete immunity from fear of failure or faltering, and who, after joining the company of His Elect, enter His Heaven. " "CH.89 PT.30 3370 (AL-FAJR ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.By the Dawn,4706 3.And the Ten Nights,4707 aSee 1:1. 4706. Commentary: ""The Dawn"" may mean the Holy Prophet’s Migration to Medina with which ended the ten dark nights or ten years of persecution of the Holy Prophet and his righteous and noble Companions at Mecca. ""The Dawn"" may also signify the advent of the Promised Messiah who brought a message of hope and of a bright future for Islam after ten dark centuries of its decline and decadence. See also Introduction to the Surah . 4707. Commentary: The word لیل meaning, a night, may signify one year after the H ijrah in the case of the Holy Prophet and one century in the case of the Promised Messiah. Thus ""the Ten Nights "" represent the ten dar k years of severe persecution to which Muslim s were subjec ted at Mecca before the Holy Prophet’s Migration to Medina which has been likened to the break of the dawn in the preceding verse. Or ""the Ten Nights "" may refer to the ten centuries of the decline a nd decadence of Islam before the advent of the Promised Messiah, with which ended a dark period of degradation, and which ushered in the dawn of a glorious future for Islam. An i mplied reference to these ""Ten Nights "" of the decline of Islam is also to be found in the Quranic verse :""He will plan the Divine Ordinance from the heavens unto the earth, then shall it go up to Him in a day the duration of which is thousand years according to what you reckon "" (32:6). These ten centuries (or a thousand years) of th e moral decadence of Muslims came after the first three centuries of the heyday of their glory and grandeur which have been called the best three centuries of Islam by the Holy Prophet (Bukh ari, Kitabur-Riqaq). The decline of Islam began towards the end of the third century A. H. when on the one hand an Umayyad Caliph of Spain signed a pact of mutual assistance with the Pope against the Abbasid Empire of Baghdad and, on the other, the Caliph of Baghdad entered into a treaty of friendship with the Caesar of Rome against the Umayyad Caliph of Spain. " "PT.30 AL-FAJR CH.89 3371 4708. Commen tary: Continuing the allegory the word الشفع( the Even) may al lude to the Holy Prophet and Ab u Bakr —his ever faithful Companion. The two of them made the number even, and God Who was with them in the hour of tribulation was الوتر( the Odd) . To this ""Even and Odd"" number a pointed reference is to be found in the words ""One of the two when they were both in the cave, when he said to his Companion, ' Grieve not, for Allah is with us ' (9:40). Or the Holy Prophet and the Promised Messiah may be taken as making an even number and Allah an odd, because, whil e the Prophet in his first advent took refuge along with Ab u Bakr in the Mount Thaur, Allah being with them; in his second advent, according to a revelation of the Promised Messiah, the Holy Prophet ""took refuge in the fortress of India"" (Tadhkirah), along with the Promised Messiah, Allah being the third of them. Or ""the Even and the Odd"" may signify that though the Holy Prophet and the Promised Messiah were two separate individuals, the Promised Messiah was completely lost in the Holy Prophet as to become one person with him. 4709. Co mment ary: ""The Night"" may represent the first year of the Hijrah which did not see any abatement of the Holy Prophet’s anxieties and in which the Quraish of Mecca marched to the battlefield of Badr with a powerful army to give Islam a coup de grace from which it should never recover. It was in the Battle of Badr, about one year after the Hijrah, that the Quraish suffered an ignominious defeat and this literally fulfilled Prophet Isaiah’s prophecy:""For thus hath the Lord said unto me, within a year, according to the years of an hireling, all the glory of Kedar shall fail."" (Isa., 21:16) Thus though after the Migration to Medina the 'morning' had dawned for the Muslims, still they were not completely out of the wood; they had to suffer hardships for another night, i.e. a year. Or the verse may signify that after the advent of the Promised Messiah which heralded the break of the Dawn for Islam, its difficulties would not altogether disappear. One night of darkness —one century of difficulties —seems to lie ahead; after which Islam would march forward on a uniform course of success. Thus the Surah embodies a double prophecy which was made at a time when the prospects for Islam appeared to be very bleak indeed. It was remarkably fulfilled first, in the first phase of the chequered career of Islam, and it is at present in the process of being fulfilled in the shape of the 4.And the Even and the Odd,4708 5.And the Night when it moves on to its close,4709 " "CH.89 AL-FAJR PT.30 3372 renaissance being wrought at the hands of the Promi sed Messiah, the Founder of the A hmadiyya Movement. 4710. Important Words: حجر( understanding) is in f. noun from حجر which means, he prevented, he hindered, debarred, withheld. They say فالن یف حجر فالن i.e. such a one is in the protection of such a one. حجر means, the ante rior pud endum of a man and of a woman; relationship; understanding, intelligence or reason. ذو حجر means, a person who possesses understanding (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The prophecy contained in the above verses constitutes an invincible argument in support of the Divine origin of the Quran. 4711. Commentary: The ‘ Ad were a powerful and prosperous people of antiquity. They defied their Prophet H ud and were destroyed. For a detailed note on ‘ Ad and Tham ud see 11:62. 4712. Important Words: العماد( lofty buildings) is the plural of عمود and عمادة which are both derived from عمد . They say عمده i.e. he supported it. اعتمدت علیه means, I relied upon him in such a case. عماد means, lofty buildings. ذات العماد mean s, possessing lofty buildings supported by columns or possessing tallness; possessor of tents. فالن رفیع العماد means, such a one is a person of exalted nobility. ھو عماد القوم means, he is the support of his people (Lane & Aqrab). 4713. Commentary: The verse signifies that ‘ Ad were a very powerful people in their time. They excelled their contemporary nations in material means and resources. 4714. Commentary: See 7 :75 & 11:62. 6.Is there not in it strong evidence for one of understanding?4710 7.Hast thou not seen how thy Lord dealt with ‘ Ad—4711 8.The tribe of Iram, possessors of lofty buildings,4712 9.The like of whom have not been created in these parts — 4713 10. aAnd with Tham ud who hewed out rocks in the valley,4714 a7:75; 26:150. " "PT.30 AL-FAJR CH.89 3373 4714A. Commentary: See 38:13. 4715. Important Words: سوط( whip) is derived from ساط .They say ساط i.e. he mixed it, one part with another, and stirred it about and beat it; he whipped him. فالن یسوط احلرب means, such a one manages or conducts the war in person. سوط means, a whip; scourge; a portion or share; vehemence or severity; a mixture; a place where water collects and stagnates (Lane & Aqrab). 4716. Commentary: Favours are bestowed upon man, sometimes to test his mettle, at other times, to reward him for his good actions. Similarly, he is caused to be involved in troubles that he may be tried, rewarded or punished according to his actions. But man is so constituted that when he is in ease and affluence, he regards it as the fruit of his labour and superior intelligence (28:79); but when misfortunes overtake him, he attributes them to God. The Quran has treated the question, whether God, or man himself, is the author of his destiny, from different angles. Whereas in 41:47 it says that man 11.And with Pharaoh, lord of vast camps? 4714A 12. aWho transgressed in the cities, 13. bAnd wrought much corruption therein. 14.Thy Lord then let fall on them the scourge of punishment.4715 15.Surely, thy Lord is ever on the watch. 16.As for man, when his Lord tries him and honours him and bestows favours on him, he says, ‘My Lord has honoured mec.’ 17.But when He tries him and straitens for him his means of subsistence,d he says ‘My Lord has disgraced me.’4716 a28:5. b28:5. c17:84. d17:84. " "CH.89 AL-FAJR PT.30 3374 himself makes or mars his destiny, in 4:80 it says that good comes from God but evil from man’s ownself, and yet in 4:79 it observes that both good and evil come from God. In fact, as God has created everything for the good of man, and it is by misusing God-given gifts that he involves himself in trouble, good is said to proceed from God and evil from man. But as God produces the results of the good or bad actions of man, good or evil are both said to come from God. And as man is a free agent, both good and evil are attributed to him. Thus these verses explain and support one another, there being no contradiction between them. 4717. Important Words: ملا( wholly). لم الیش ء means, he gathered, amassed, concentrated the thing. They say لم اهلل شعث فالن i.e. God rectified or repaired and consolidated what was disorganised of the affairs of such a one. ملا means, the whole; altogether; one’s own part and that of another (Aqrab). Commentary: See next verse. 4718. Important Words: مجا( exceeding). جم املاء means, the water became much or abundant. مجوا means, they became many. جاؤا مجا کثریا means, they came all of them, none of them remaining behind. مال جم means, much property. جم means, plenty, abundance; exceeding; numerous (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: Taken along with the preceding three verses, the verse under comment drives home to hoarders of wealth the evils of hoarding and says to them in effect:""You have been given wealth in abundance not as of right or as the result of superior intellect; you should not, therefore, feel injured or humiliated when you are deprived of it. It is given to you that you should spend it to meet the needs of the orphans and the poor, but you squander it in immoral pursuits, depriving others of their rights in it, or else you hoard it and refuse to spend it in noble causes."" In fact inordinate love of money leads to three inevitable results:(a) It creates in man an excessive desire to keep on 18. aNay, but you honour not the orphan, 19. bAnd you urge not one another to feed the poor. 20.And you devour the heritage of other people wholly,4717 21. cAnd you love wealth with exceeding 1ove.4718 a107:3. b69:35; 90:17; 107:4. c104:3. " "PT.30 AL-FAJR CH.89 3375 adding to his wealth, without spending it on good causes or on meeting the needs of the orphans and the poor. (b) It makes him careless about whether he acquires wealth by fair or by dishonest means. (c) In time of national peril, fear of possible success of the enemy renders his loyalty to his country doubtful. With the desire, in such an eventuality, to keep his life and property safe he does not take an active part in his country’s defence. These are the main causes that lead to the destruction of a people. Islam takes as mu ch care of the moral health of society as it takes of that of the individual; and society’s health requires that material goods be widely distributed and wealth kept in easy circulation. 4719. Commentary: The verse warns disbelievers that as they do not possess the ingredients mentioned in the foregoing verses which are so essential for the maintenance of the moral health of a people, the time would surely come when they will become morally corrupt and will be seized with Divine punishment. 4720. Commentary: ""The coming of the Lord attended by the angels"" is the Quranic idiom for imminent and destructive Divine punishment. 22.Hearken when the earth is completely broken into pieces;4719 23. aAnd thy Lord comes, attended by the angels, rank upon rank;4720 24.And Hell is brought near that day;b on that day man will remember,c but of what avail shall that remembrance be to him? 25.He will say, ‘O would that I had sent on some good works for my life here!’ 26.So on that day none can punish like unto His punishment, a2:111; 6:159; 16:34. b26:92. c79:36. " "CH.89 AL-FAJR PT.30 3376 4721. Co mmentary: The Mill of God grinds slowly but it grinds exceeding ly small. God is slow to punish but when His punishment overtakes a people, it is most destructive. ""It spares not and it leaves naught"" (74:29). 4722. C ommentary: The last four verses of the Surah constitute a befitting climax. They purport to say that he who acquires the prerequisites for full moral development, mentioned in the foregoing verses, becomes immune to all possib ility of faltering or falling. He attains the highest stage of spiritual development; ""he is well pleased with his Lord and his Lord is well pleased with him."" At this stage, called the heavenly stage, man is freed from all weakness and frailty and is braced with a peculiar spiritual strength. He becomes ""united"" with God and cannot exist without Him. As water flows with great force down a slope and, on account of its great mass and the total absence of all obstacles, dashes down with irresistible force, so the God- intoxicated man, at this stage, casting off all trammels, becomes attracted unrestrainedly towards his Maker. It is in this life and not after death that this great transformation takes place in him and it is in this world and not elsewhere that access to Paradise is granted to him. He finds his support only in God; He drinks deep at this fountain of spiritual life and is delivered from death. 27. And none can bind like unto His binding;4721 28. And thou, O soul at peace!4722 29. Return to thy Lord well pleased with Him and He well pleased with thee . 30. So enter thou among My chosen servants, 31. And enter thou My Garden. " "3377 CHAPTER 90 AL-BALAD (Revealed before Hijrah) General Rema rks This Surah is one of the earliest revealed at Mecca. According to some Christian writers, Mr. Wherry among them, it was revealed in the first year of the Call. If not as early as that it was certainly revealed towards the end of the third or the beginning of the fourth year, inasmuch as it has a close connection with a number of some preceding Surahs. It takes its title from the opening verse. In Surah Al-Fajr, it was stated that jibes, mockery and taunts to which the Holy Prophet had been subjected in the first three years of his mission, were about to give place to determined, persistent and organized opposition and persecution and that this pe rsecution would continue for ten long years which allegorically were mentioned as ""Ten Nights."" In the Surah under comment the Holy Prophet is told that it is in Mecca, his beloved native town, and by his own kith and kin, that he and his followers will be persecuted . It is further mentioned that centuries ago, in pursuance of Divine command, the Patriarch Abraham and his righteous son, Ishmael, had laid the foundations of this sacred town and had prayed to God that it should become the centre from where should emanate the light which should illumine the world for all time to come. Both the father and the son made great sacrifices in carrying out the commands of God. Abraham’s prayer was heard and the Holy Prophet appeared in the fullness of time, and gave to the world the perfect teaching which enabled man to achieve the noble object of his creation and to lead a happy and prosperous life. But man chose the easy path and refused to attemp t ""the ascent "" that led to the achievement of his great goal. The Surah ends on the note that only those who place before them high ideals and then live up to them achieve their goal, while those who have no noble ideals and make no sacrifice are condemned to a life of failure and frustration." "CH.90 PT.30 3378 (AL-BALAD) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2. bNay, I call to witness this City—4723 3.And thou art a dw eller in this City—4724 aSee 1:1. b52:5; 95:4. 4723. Commentary: According to some authorities, the particle ال has been used here to draw pointed attention to the subject which is about to be introduced. According to them, the meaning of the verse is: ""Listen! Listen! I call to witness this city."" Some other scholars think that the verse signifies that the subje ct which is going to be introduced is so clear and obvious that it needs no swearing to support it. Yet according to another school the particle is intended to refute an understood objection and the meaning of the verse is:""Not that thou art a forger, as the disbelievers think. Thou art not a forger but a true Prophet of God and this city is called to bear witness to this fact. "" But more appropriately the verse would mean something like this:""You harbour evil designs about Islam, O, disbelievers! I know what is in your minds, but I tell you that it would never happen as you desire, and I cite this city as a witness to this fact."" 4724. Important Words: حل( dweller) is derived from حلwhichٰmeans, he was or became free from an obligation or responsibility; it was or became lawful. They say حل علیھم العذاب i.e. the punishment alighted upon them or the punishment was necessitated by the requirements of justice to take effect upon them. کانحل بامل means, he alighted or dwelt in the house. حل حیق علیه means, the discharge of my right became obligatory on him. حل( hillun) means: (1) the place outside the sacred precincts of Mecca; (2) the thing the doing of which is lawful; (3) target; (4) free from obligation; (5) alighting or dwelling in a place (Lane & Aqrab ). Commentary: According to the different meanings of the word حل given under Important Words the verse would signify :(1) It is considered lawful to do you any harm, even to kill you, in this city of Mecca which is so sacred that the doing of harm to a li ving creature in its precincts, not to say of killing it, is strictly forbidden. (2) Thou alone art the target of every conceivable abuse, harm, injury, cruelty or violence against life, property or honour in this " "PT.30 AL-BALAD CH.90 3379 Sacred City. (3) Thou wilt alight as a conqueror in this city from where thou art being driven out as a fugitive. (4) Thou wilt be freed from obligation to observe the sacredness of this city when thou wilt enter it as a victor and wilt punish those wicked persons who had placed themselves outside the pale of law by perpetrating unutterable cruelties on innocent Muslims. What a mighty prophecy! It was made at a ti me when opposition to the Holy Prophet was still confined to mocking and jeering at him. The Surah as stated in the Introduction, was revealed towards the end of the third year of the Call when Islam had not yet begun to be preached openly nor had the Meccans awakened to a realization of the danger which the new Faith subsequently proved to be and, therefore, considered it beneath their dignity to offer it any opposition. 4725. Commentary: While raising the foundations of the Ka‘ba h, the Patriarch Abraham and his son Ishma el had prayed :""And our Lord, raise among them a Messenger from among themselves, who ma y recite to them Thy signs and teach them the Book and wisdom and may purify them"" (2:130). The expression ""the father and the son"" refers to Abraham and Ishmael, and the verse purports to say that God had His own plan to accomplish by getting the structure of the Ka‘ bah raised up by Abraham and Ishmael. This plan was to send the greatest of His Messengers and to give him the Final and most Perfect Law in the form of the Quran for the eternal guidance of mankind. That Divine plan has been fulfilled in the person of the Holy Prophet. Thus ""the father and the son"" stand as a witness to the truth of his Divine claim. Or ""the father and the son,"" may refer to the Holy Prophet and his noble followers, and the verse may signify that the Holy Prophet himself and his followers constitute a proof of the Divine origin of his mission. Their spotless character, their good qualities of head and heart, the great sacrifices they are making in the cause of t ruth—all leave no room for doubt that they will succeed in their mission and that those who stand in their way will fail. 4726. Important Words: کبد( toil). کبده means, he smote his ٰ liver or stomach . کبد means, difficulty; distress; affliction; the middle of the sky. یف کبد means, in a state in which he has to work hard. It also means, in a right and just state; in just proportion; in an erect state (Aqrab). Commentary: The verse purports to say that the prophecy made in the foregoing 4.And the begetter and whom he begot,4725 5. aWe have surely created man to toil and struggle.4726 a84:7. " "CH.90 AL-BALAD PT.30 3380 verses, viz. that the Holy Prophet will be expelled from Mecca but will come back to it as a conqueror and that Mecca will submit to him, and its inhabitants will enter his fold, will be fulfilled only after he and his followers had gone through great hardships, that is to say, great toil and incessant struggle will be demanded of them to achieve their great goal. 4727. Commentary: The verse warns disbelievers that if they think that they can suppress Islam and by means of their wealth and influence can arrest its progress, they labour under a serious misconception. God is aware of their evil designs and He has the power and will bring them to nought. 4728. Important Words: لبد( enormous) means, much wealth; wealth so abundant that there is no fear of its being exhausted; wealth collected in heaps ( Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: Let the opponents of Islam use all their means (the verse purports to say) and spend heaps of wealth t o stop spread of Islam, they will not succeed in their evil designs and Islam will continue to make both spiritual and political conquests. 4729. Commentary: The verse means that God sees deep into the hearts of opponents of the Holy Prophet. All their endeavours and designs to bring about the failure of his Movement will prove abortive. 4730. Important Words: النجدین( two highways). جند is inf. noun from جند( najada). جندہ means, he helped him. أجند البناء means, the building rose high. جند( najdun) means, high and elevated land; an elevated or conspicuous road; a road in a mountain; a plain or evident 6. aDoes he think that no one has power over him?4727 7.He says, ‘I have spent enormous wealth. ’4728 8.Does he think that no one sees him?4729 9.Have We not given hi m two eyes, 10.And a tongue and two lips? 11. bAnd We have pointed out to him the two highways of good and evil .4730 a96:15. b76:4. " "PT.30 AL-BALAD CH.90 3381 affair; a skilful guide (L ane & Aqrab). النجدین signifies, the two high or conspicuous ways of good and evil, of truth and falsehood, of spiritual and material progress (Aqrab). Commentary: God has provided man with all those means by which he can find out the right path, can sift right from wrong and truth from falsehood. He has been endowed with both spiritual and physical eyes that he may distinguish good from evil. He has been given a tongue and two lips that he might ask for guidance, and above all God has pla ced before him a supreme object that he may devote all his faculties and energies to achieve i t. 4731. Important Words: اقتحم( attempted). They say اقتحم یف االمر i.e. he rushed or plunged into the affair without consideration. اقتحم املزنل means, he entered the place suddenl y and without permission; rushed suddenly upon the place ; he invaded or attacked the place. اقتحم العقبة means, he ascended or a ttacked or rushed upon عقبه which means, hil l; mountain ; high place; steep road (Lane & Aqrab). Commentar y: The verse means that through the Holy Prophet God had opened up for the Arabs all the ways and means by using which they could make unlimited spiritual and material progress but they refused to make the necessary sacrifices required to achieve the two objectives. See also next verse. 4732. Important Words: مسغبة( hunger) is deri ved from سغب which means, he was or became hungry or suffered hunger, together with fatigue. أسغب القوم means, the people entered upon a state of hunger. They say به مسغبة i.e. in him is hunger or hunger together with fatigue (Lane & Aqrab). 4733. Commentary: These verses (vv. 14- 17) speak of 12.But he attempted not the steep ascent.4731 13.And what should make thee know what the steep asc ent is? 14.It is the freeing of a slave. 15. aOr feeding on a day of hunger4732 16.An orphan near of kin. 17.Or a poor man lying in the dust.4733 a76:9; 89:19. " "CH.90 AL-BALAD PT.30 3382 theٰtwo methods to raise the moral stature of a ٰpeople:(a) Freeing of the slaves, i.e. raisingٰthe suppressed, oppressed and depressed sec tions of the community to a n equal partnership in life. (b) Helping the orphans and the poor to stand on their own legs and t o become useful members of the community. 4734. Commentary: The verse points out that the doing only of good actions mentioned in the foregoing verses is not enough for raising the all round stature of a community. Good ideals and right principles, combined with continuous and sustained adherence to the path of moral rectitude and the teaching of virtues to others, are equally essential for the attainment of the above- mentioned high aim. 4735. Commentary: See 56:9. 4735A. Commentary: See 56:10. 4736. Impor tant Words: مؤصدة( closed over) is derived from وصد . They say, وصد باملکان i.e. he remained in the place. أوصد الباب means, he closed or shut the door. موصدة means, shut, closed (Aqrab). Commentary: The disbelievers will burn in a species of fire which being closed o n all sides will be most destructive. 18.Then, he should have been of those who believe and exhort one another to perseverance and exhort one another to mercya.4734 19.These are the people of the right handb.4735 20.But those who disbelieve Our Signs, they are the people of the left handc.4735A 21.Around them will be a fire closed overd.4736 a103:4. b56:28; 69:20; 84:8-9. c56:42; 69:26; 84:11-12. d104:9. " "3383 CHAPTER 91 ASH-SHAMS (Revealed before Hijrah) Introduction This Surah admittedly belongs to the very early Me ccan period. Some scholars regard it as having b een revealed in the first year of the Call; others assign it to the second or third year. It takes its title from the first word of the opening verse. The five Surahs (89-93) possess a striking similarity in subject matter. In all of them great stress has been laid on the development of good morals, specially those good qualities tha t intimately concern and affect the progress and prosperity of a community. Muslims have been exhorted to create an atmosphere and an environment which should help to raise the standing and stature of the poor, depressed and suppressed section of their Community and should enable them to take their proper share in its activities. The preceding chapter contained a hint about the supreme object for which Abraham and his son, Ishmael, had built the Ka‘bah. That supreme object is explained in the prayer —""Our Lord raise up among them a Messenger from among themselves, who may recite to them Thy signs and teach them the Book and Wisdom and may purify them; surely Thou art the Mighty, the Wise (2:130). It is to the Holy Prophet, Muh ammad, and his great moral qualities that this Surah refers. Towards its close the Surah points out that moral greatness can be achieved by anyone who eschews evil and walks in the path of righteousness. The Surah ends on the note that those who choose to defy Divine laws and adopt evil ways work out their own ruin. " "CH.91 PT.30 3384 (ASH-SHAMS ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.By the sun and his growing brightness,4737 3.And by the moon when she follows him (the sun),4738 aSee 1:1. 4737. Important Words: واو is a particle of swearing, meaning 'by' or 'I swear' or 'I cite as witness or call to witness' (Lane & Aqrab). See also 37:2. الشمس( the sun), is a substantive noun from شـمس( shamasa ). They say شـمس الرجل i.e. the man abstained from and refused to obe y because he considered himself too big to give allegiance to anyone. شـمس الفرس means, the horse refused to be ridden or became rebellious against its rider and ran away refusing to be ridden by reason of the vehemence of its force of resistance. شـمس یلفالن means, such a one showed enmity to me (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: God’s swearing by His creatures is a method adopted by the Quran. The Quranic oaths have deep meaning underlying them. In ordinary transactions when a person takes an oath, his object is to supply the deficiency of insufficient testimony. The object and meaning of God’s oaths must, however, be distinguished from those of the oaths of mortals. Divine laws reveal two aspects of the works of God, viz. the obvious and the inferential. The former are easily comprehensible; in the comprehension of the lat ter there is room for error. In the taking of oaths God has called attention to what may be inferred from what is obvious. Taking the oaths mentioned in the following verses, we see that the s un and the moon, the day and the night, heavens and earth belong to the ""obvious;"" their properties as referred to in these verses are universally known and acknowledged. But the same properties found in man’s soul are not obvious. To lead to an inference of the existence of these properties in the soul of man God has called to witness His obvious works. ""The sun"" in the verse may refer to the sun of the spiritual universe —the Holy Prophet —who is the source of all light and who will continue to enlighten the world till the end of time. For a detailed note on this and the following five verses see v. 7. 4738. Impo rtant Words: القمر( the moon). They say قمر الیش ء " "PT.30 ASH-SHAMS CH.91 3385 i.e. the brightness of the thing became intense. قمر means, the moon; a star which borrows its lig ht from the sun and reflects it on to the earth and thus removes the darkness of the night. (Lane & Aqrab). See also 54:2. تالھا( follows him). تلوته means, I followed him or it immediately or without intervention. ھو یتلو فالنااٰ means, he imitates such a one and follows what he does (Lane & Aqrab). See also 2:103. Commentary: ""The moon"" may be taken as referring to the Holy Prophet, who like the moon, draws his light from God and transmits it to the spiritually dark world. Or it may refer to those religious divines and Reformers — particularly the Promised Messiah — who borrow the light of truth from the Holy Prophet and transmit it to the world to remove the darkness of moral and spiritual turpitude. 4739. Commentary: ""The day"" may signify the time during whi ch the Message of Islam and the truth of its Founder was further fortified and foundations were laid for the universal propagation of the vital doctrines of the new Faith. The reference in the verse may particularly be to the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs —the first four Successors of the Holy Prophet. In their time the light of Islam revealed its glory and splendour to the world. 4740. Commentary: ""The night"" may refer to the period of decline and decadence of Muslims when the light of Islam had becom e veiled from the eyes of the world. These four verses (2-5) refer to four periods in the eventful career of Islam, vi z. (1) the time of the Holy Prophet himself when the spiritual sun (the Holy Prophet) was shining in full splendour in the spiritual heaven; (2) the time of the Promised Messiah when the light derived from the Holy Prophet was being reflected on to a dark world; (3) the time of the Holy Prophet’s immediate Successors when the light of Islam was still shining and, (4) the period when spiritual darkness had spread over the world after the first three centuries of Islam which was its most glorious period. 4741. Commentary: The particle ما( ma) in this and the next two verses is either مصدریة (masdariy yah) as in the text, or it stands for من meaning, 'He Who. ' Thus in these verses attention has 4.And by the day when it reveals his glory,4739 5.And by the night when it draws a veil over him.4740 6.And by the heaven and its make,4741 " "CH.91 ASH-SHAMS PT.30 3386 been focused on the great Designer and Architect of the universe, and on the perfection and complete freedom from flaw or defect in the design and creation of man and the universe. 4742. Commentary: The verse means that all the properties and forces which the great heavenly bodies such as the sun and the moon, etc. devote to the service of God’s creatures and to which reference has been made in the following verses bear witness to man having been endowed with similar qualities in a high degree. In fact, man is a universe in miniature and in his soul is represented, on a small scale, all that exists in the external universe. Like the sun he sheds his lustre over the world and enlightens it with the light of wisdom and knowledge. Like the moon he transmits to those who are in the dark the light of vision, inspiration and revelation which he borrows from the Great Original Source. He is bright like the day, and shows the ways of truth and virtue. Like the night he draws the veil over the faults and misdeeds of others, lightens their burdens and gives rest to the tired and the weary. Like the heavens he takes every distressed soul under his shelter and revives the lifeless earth, with salubrious rain. Like the earth he submits in all humility and lowliness to be trampled under the feet by others as a trial for them, and from his purified soul various sorts of trees of knowledge and truth grow up in abundance, and with their shade, flowers and fruits, he spiritual ly regales the world. Such are the great divines and Heavenly Reformers, of whom the greatest and the most perfect was the Holy Prophet. 4743. Commentary: The verse means that after creating the celestial and the terrestrial systems, and bringing into existence man—the acme and apex of the whole creation —and endowing him with great natural potentialities and qualities, God did not leave him alone. He implanted in his nature a feeling or sense of what is good or bad. Or the verse may mean that God reveals to man that he could achieve spiritual perfection by eschewing what is bad and wrong and adopting what is right and good because it is through Divine revelation that man could achieve it. 7.And by th e earth and its expanse, 8.And by the soul and its perfection —4742 9.And He revealed to it the ways of evil and the ways of righteousness —4743 " "PT.30 ASH-SHAMS CH.91 3387 4744. Important Words:ﺎ""ز (purifies) is transitive from ﺎ""ز (zaka) which means, it increased or augmented. ز""ﺎ اﻟﺰرع means, the harvest grew and increased. مﻼﻐﻟا ﺎ""ز means, the boy grew up. اﻟﻌﻠﻢ ﻳﺰﮐﻮ ﻋ4 اﻻﻧﻔﺎق means, knowledge increases by expending (Lane & Aqrab). 4745. Important Words:ﺎﺳد (corrupts). هﺎﺳد means, he hid it; he buried it; he corrupted it. ﻣﻦ ﺎﻫﺎﺳد means, who corrupts it; makes it vile by evil works; who makes it obscure or stuns its growth (Lane & Aqrab). 4746. Commentary:In this and the next four verses is cited the example of the tribe of Thamud who defied Divine guidance and opposed their Prophet working out thereby their own ruin. 4747. Commentary:The Prophet Salih kept the she-camel for travels. He rode on it from place to place to preach the Divine Message. Putting obstacles in the way of its free movements was tantamount to placing impediments in the way of Salih himself and preventing him from discharging the sacred duty entrusted to him. In fact, every Divine Reformer is ﺔﻗﺎﻧ  ﷲا (God’s she-camel). 10. He indeed truly prospers who purifies it,4744 11. And he who corrupts it is ruined.4745 12. The tribe of Thamud rejected the Divine Messenger because of their rebelliousness.4746 13. When the most wretched among them got up, 14. Then the Messenger of Allah said, ‘Leave alone the she-camel of Allah, and let her drink.’4747 15. But they rejected him and hamstrung her, so their Lord destroyed them completely because of their sin, and made it " "CH.91 ASH-SHAMS PT.30 3388 4748. Important Words: مھدمدم علی ( destroyed them completely). They say دمدم فالن عیل فالن i.e. such a one spoke to such a one in anger. دمدم علیه means, he destroyed or crushed him completely or punished him thoroughly. دمدم علیھم ربھم means, their Lord crushed them, punished them and destroyed them completely; or made the earth to quake with them or was angry with them (Lane & Aqrab). 4749. Commentary: When a people incur Divine punishment and are thus destroyed. God does not care for those who survive the destruction or for the utterly miserable state to which they are reduced. The verse may also be taken as containing a warning to the Meccans that if they behaved like the Tham ud, they will be punishe d like them. (destruction) overtake all of them alike.4748 16.And He cared not for the consequence thereof.4749 " "3389 CHAPTER 92 AL-LAIL (Revealed before Hijrah) General Remarks Prominent Muslim scholars, including two distinguished Companions of the Holy Prophet —‘Abdullah bin ‘Abb as and ‘Abdull ah bin Zubair —are of the view that the Surah was revealed very early at Mecca. William Muir also agrees with this opinion. The Surah takes its title from the first word of the opening verse. The Surah possesses very close resemblance with some previous chapters, especially with Al-Fajr and Al-Balad. In the immediately preceding Surah, Ash-Shams, it was hinted that the supreme object of the building of the Ka‘bah, which is the principal theme of Surah Al-Balad, could not have been achieved without a great Divine Messenger —the soul par excellence. In the present Surah we are told that when an ideal teacher, as the Holy Prophet, is blessed with ideal disciples like his Companions, advance of the cause of truth is doubly accelerated. The Surah also mentions some of the prominent moral qualities that distinguished the Companions of the Holy Prophet. In contrast, two glaring bad qualities that lead to the undoing of a man are also mentioned. " "CH.92 PT.30 3390 (AL-LAIL ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2. bBy the night when it covers up!4750 3. cAnd by the day when it shines fo rth,4751 4. dAnd by the creation of the male and the female,4752 aSee 1:1. b91:5. c91:4. d36:37; 51:50; 78:9. 4750. Commentary: In this verse ""the night when it covers up"" has been cited as a witness to the truth of the Holy Prophet. It is a Divine law that when darkness spreads over the earth, a heavenly Reformer is raised. And now that humanity is groping in spiritual darkness God has raised the Holy Prophet in order that His servants might be rescued from the ""Slough of Despond"" in which they are stuck up. In the preceding Surah the principal subject of discussion was Ash-Shams, i.e. the Holy Prophet, who is the source and spring of all light. This is why mention of the sun and the day precedes that of the moon and the night. But in the present Surah a contrast is instituted between believers and disbelievers, and as the latter are generally larger in number and wield greater power and influence, mention of the night precedes that of the day. 4751. Commentary: The verse signifies that with the appearance of the Holy Prophet the night of disbelief is about to give place to the day of belief. By the substitution of the word جتیل (shines forth) in this verse in place of جالھا( reveals its glory) in the corresponding verse in the preceding Surah it is hinted that whereas in the preceding Surah the emphasis was on the high spiritual stature of the teacher, in the present Surah it is on the great ability of the pupils to learn and assimilate the teaching. 4752. Commentary: Procreation of man depends upon the coming together of two individuals of opposite sexes. The characteristic quality of the one (the male) is to give, of the other (the female) to receive. Like the physical world there are in the spiritual world males —God’s great Prophets and Divine Reformers —who teach and " "PT.30 AL-LAIL CH.92 3391 guide, and the re are also spiritual females —their followers —who receive and benefit by the Divine teaching. The verse embodies a hint that by the coming together of the perfect teacher —the Holy Prophet — and the ideal pupils —his Compa nions —a new world is about to be born. 4753. Important Words: شیت( diverse). They say شت االشیاء i.e. he disunited or dispersed the things. أمرشت means, a broken or disorganized state of affairs. قوم شیت means, a people separated or consisting of sundry bodies. جاؤوا اشتاتااٰ means, they came separate (Lane). Commenta ry: The verse draws attention to the widely divergent goals of beli evers and disbelievers, and also to the disparity in the endeavours they make to achieve their respective goals. Whereas the efforts of believers are devoted to the dissemination of truth, those of disbe lievers are directed towards opposing it and putting obstacles and impediments in its way. The results of the two efforts must inevitably be different. 4754. Commentary: This and the preceding verse mention three characteristics of persons who are successful in life, viz. they spend in the cause of truth out of what God has bestowed upon them, and are always on their guard against doing anything that may harm others. Over and above this, they adopt good principles and right ideals. Briefly, right action, right feeling and right thinking are the three essential prerequisites for national progress and prosperity which believers possess in an ample measure. 4755. Commentary: The verse means that the person who possesses the three characteristic qualities mentioned in the preceding two verses, will find that his actions are productive of the desired results. Or it may mean that the doing of good deeds will become easy for such a person and he will enjoy doing them. 5.Surely, your strivings are diverse.4753 6.Then as for him who gives for the cause of Allah and is righteous, 7.And testifies to the truth, of what is right,4754 8. aWe will provide for him every facility.4755 a87:9. " "CH.92 AL-LAIL PT.30 3392 4756. Commentary: In contrast to the three good qualities mentioned in the preceding two verses (6-7), the three bad qualities that lead to the undoing of a man are mentioned in these two verses (9-10). 4757. Commentary: The verse means that the actions of the person referred to in the preceding verse miss their mark and produce results contrary to what he expects or desires. Or it may mean that the doing of good deeds becomes difficult for such a person. 4758. Commentary: The expression ""When he perishes"" signifies, that when Divine decre e regarding his destruction comes into operation, nothing can avail him to avert or escape Divine punishment. 4759. Commentary: The wicked disbelievers face failure in this life and will suffer punishment in the Hereafter because both the worlds are under God’s control. 4760. Commentary: کذب (rejects the truth) signifies that9.But as fo r him who is niggardly and is disdainfully indifferent,4756 10.And rejects what is right, 11.We will make easy for him the path to distress.4757 12. aAnd his wealth shall not avail him when he perishes.4758 13. bSurely, it is for Us t o guide; 14.And to Us belongs the Hereafter as well as the present world.4759 15.So I warn you of a flaming Fire. 16. cNone shall enter it but the most wicked one, 17. dWho rejects the truth and turns his back.4760 a3:11; 58:18; 111:3. b2:273; 28:57. c20:75; 87:12-13. d20:49. " "PT.30 AL-LAIL CH.92 3393 the sinful disbeliever holds wrong beliefs and تویل implies that he does not make use of right feeling, right thinking and right actions. Thus he is deprived of these qualities. 4761. Commentary: The righteous believer does good to others not in return for any good received from them but actuated by a desire to be of use to God’s creatures and to win the pleasure of his heavenly Lord and Master. 18.But the righteous one shall be kept away from it, 19.Who gives his wealth that he may be purified. 20.And he owes no favour to anyone, which is to be repaid, 21.Except that he gives his wealth to seek the pleasure of his Lord, the Most High.4761 22.And soon will He be well pleased with him . " "3394 CHAPTER 93 AD-DUHA (Revealed before Hijrah) Introduction After the first two or three Surahs had been revealed, revelation ceased to come to the Holy Prophet for sometime. The present Surah is among those which were revealed soon after revelation started coming again. Thus the Surah should be deemed to have been revealed very early at Mecca. Nöldeke places it after Al-Balad, and Muir puts it near to Surah Al- Inshir ah in chronological order. It is surprising that such a bigoted Christian missionary as Mr. Wherry should also have assigned a very early date to this Surah which embodies a prophecy that every morrow of the Holy Prophet would be better than his yesterday, and this process will continue till his cause would meet with complete success. This prophecy had remarkable fulfilment in the mounting triumphs of the Holy Prophet. In subject matter, the Surah very much resembles some of its predecessors. Like them, it lays stress on the evils to which the Meccans were specially addicted, with this difference that in this Surah the Holy Prophet an d his followers have been enjoined to make proper use of their money, but in the preceding Surahs a contrast was drawn between the believers’ and the disbelievers’ treatment of the orphans and the needy. Moreover, in the preceding Surah it was briefly stated that the righteous believer spends his wealth in the way of God but in the Surah under comment mention is made of the blessings that God bestows upon His chosen servants with a particular reference to the Holy Prophet. Thus the Surah serves as a sequel to the one preceding it. " "PT.30 CH.93 3395 (AD-DUHA) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.By the growing brightness of the Forenoon,4762 3. bAnd by the night when its darkness spreads out,4763 4.Thy Lord has not forsaken thee, nor i s He displeased with thee.4764 aSee 1:1. b81:18 4762. Commentary: ""The brightness of the Forenoon"" signifies the rise and progress of Islam. The verse, therefore, purports to say that the phenomenal use of Islam will establish the truth of the Holy Prophet. الضحـی ٰ may also refer to the particular forenoon when the Holy Prophet entered Mecca at the head of an army of ten thousand holy warriors and the Ka‘ba h was cleared of idols. 4763. Important Words: سجـی ٰ( spreads out). سجا اللیل means, the night was quiet ; was or became dark and its darkness extended; was or became continuous; or the night was covered by its darkness (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse signifies that the prolonged period of the decline of Islam will also bear witness to the truth of the Holy Prophet in that according to his prophecies the decline will be followed by its renaissance. ""The Night"" may also have reference to that particular night when after the fall of darkness the Holy Prophet went out of his house and took refuge in Cave Thaur along with Ab u Bakr. In fact the night when the Holy Prophet left Mecca and the day on which Mecca fell, give in a nutshell the various ups and downs of the Holy Prophet’s whole career. 4764. Important Words: قلـی ٰ( has forsaken). They say قیل الرجل i.e. he hated the man and disliked him so much that he forsook him (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: Every day and night of the Holy Prophet; his great successes and temporary setbacks; his joys and tribulations; his devotions at night and activities in the day, all bear out that God was with him. " "CH.93 AD-DUHA PT.30 3396 4765. Commentary: The verse means that every succeeding moment of the Holy Prophet’s life is better than the one that precedes. To mention a few landmarks in his career, one may observe that he left Mecca with a single Companion, a price having been put on his head. He entered the same town after a brief period of eight years at the head of ten thousand devoted followers. At Badr there were only 313 Muslims with him and at U hud more than double that number, and in the Battle of the Ditch the number grew to several thousand, till at the last Pilgrimage more than one hundred thousand believers marched under his banner. The successes of the Holy Prophet continued after his death. Islam went from strength to strength till it spread, within a few decades, over a large part of the then known world. The reference in the verse may also be to the latter days when the renaissance of Islam was to take place. The verse may also mean that Divine Reformers will continue to appear among Muslims during periods of decline to impart to the Faith a new life and a new vigour. 4765A. Commentary: The Surah being one of the earliest revelations received at a time when those who had responded to the Call of the Holy Prophet could be counted on one’s fingers, the verse under comment contains a message of hope and good cheer wherein the Prophet is told that the time is fast approaching when his cause will triumph and he will be blessed with Divine favours —in this life and the Hereafter —to his heart’s content. 4766. Important Words: یتیم( orphan) is derived from یتم (yatama ) which means, he became fatherless, an orphan; was or became unique; incomparable; (Aqrab). Commentary: The Holy Prophet was an orphan in fact, as well as figuratively. His orphanhood was of the extreme kind. His father died before he was born, leaving no property. His mother died when he was hardly six years old and 5.Surely every hourathat follows is better for thee than the one that precedes.4765 6.And thy Lord will bsoon give thee and thou wilt be well pleased.4765A 7.Did He not find thee an orphan and give thee shelter?4766 a87:18. b108:2 " "PT.30 AD-DUHA CH.93 3397 his grandfather ‘Abdul-Muttalib, who took charge of him after his mother’s death, died two years later, leaving him under the care of his uncle, a man of scanty means. Thus the Prophet was deprived of parental care and love in his early childhood. Yet he received love and affection from his juniors and seniors, his Companions and compatriots in a large measure such that no woman- born had ever received the like of it before or after him or is likely to receive in future. 4767. Important Words: ضال( wandering) is derived from ضل which means, he erred or went astray; he was perplexed and was unable to see the right course; he was entirel y engrossed or was l ost in the love of a thing; he wandered in search of a thing and perse vered in the search. ضل املاء یف اللنب means, the water became hidden in the milk, etc. (Lane, Aqrab & Mufrad at). Commentary: In view of different meanings of the word ضل given above un der Important Words, the verse may be interpreted thus:(1) The Holy Prophet wandered in search of the ways and means to attain to God, and God revealed to him the law which guided him to the desired goal. (2) He was perplexed and did not know how to find the path that led to the attainment of his quest and God guided him to it (42:53). (3) He was entirely lost in the love of God and did not know how to find Him but God led him to Himself (12:9). (4) He was hidden from the eyes of the world. God discovered him and chose him for the task of leading people to Him. Thus the word ضال has not been used in disapprobation but in praise of the Holy Prophet. The word in the sense of 'gone astray ' does not and cannot apply to the Holy Prophet since according to another Quranic verse (53:3) he was immune to error or going astray. Moreover, the six concluding verses of the Surah reveal a certain seque nce—vv. 7, 8 & 9 standing in close relationship and corresponding to vv. 10, 11 & 12 respectively; the ضال of verse 8 being substituted by سائل of verse 11, explains the significance of the former word which is, ""one who sought God’s help to be guided to Him. "" The verse may also be interpreted as:And He found thee lost in thy love for thy people, and provided thee with guidance for them. 4768. Important Words: عائل( one in want) is derived from عال . They say عال الرجل i.e. the man had a large family to support; he became poor. عال عیاله means, he fed,8.And He found thee wandering in search of Him and guided thee unto Himself .4767 9.And He found thee in want and enriched thee.4768 " "CH.93 AD-DUHA PT.30 3398 nourished or supported his family. عال الیشء فالنا means, the thing oppre ssed or distressed such a one (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The Holy Prophet started life as a poor orphan but ended by being the undisputed master of the whole of Arabia. 4769. Commentary: Verses 7, 8 & 9, speak of God’s favours on the Holy Prophet and in vv.10, 11 and 12, the Prophet is enjoined to show his gratitude for Divine favours by doing similar favours to his fellow beings. The commandment applies equally to his followers. 10.So the orphan, oppress not, 11.And him who seeks thy help, achide not, 12.And the bounty of thy Lord, proclaim.4769 a17:24 " "3399 CHAPTER 94 AL-INSHIR AH (Revealed before Hijrah) Introductory Remarks Since the Surah is closely connected with the one preceding it so as to form an extension of the subject matter of the latter Surah, it was obviously revealed at Mecca, about the same time as the other Surah, i.e. in the second or third year of the Call. Whereas the preceding Surah spoke of the increasing prosperity of the Holy Prophet’s cause, the present Surah alludes to some distinguishing signs and marks which constitute a sure guarantee of the ultimate triumph of a mission. First of all, one should be firmly convinced of the truth of one’s claim and should possess necessary means for propagating it; one should be able to attract people’s attention, and the Divine decree should be working in his favour. In the Surah under comment, the Holy Prophet is described as being in possession of all these in full measure. His cause is, therefore, bound to prevail. " "CH.94 PT.30 3400 (AL-INSHIR AH) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.Have We not opened for thee thy bosom,4770 3.And removed from thee thy burden 4.Which had well-nigh broken thy back,4771 aSee 1:1. 4770. Important Words: شرح( opened). شرح املسألة mean s, he explained the question. شرح الکالم means, he understood the talk. شرح الیشء means, he guarded the thing, he prese rved i t شرح صدرہ للٰ یشء means, he was pleased with the thing. The breast symbolica lly being the seat of knowledge and feelings, its expansion (in the present context) signifies its illumination with wisdom, divine light and peace and i ts vastness for the receptio n of what was to be revealed to the Holy Prophet (Lane, Aqrab & Mu hit). Commentary: In view of different meanings of the word شرح,the verse may have one or all of the following interpretations: (1) God had protected the heart of the Holy Prophet from all ha rmful influences. It was impossible for evil to enter it. (2) God was the Prophet’s own Preceptor and Teacher and besides temporal knowledge He had opened his breast to comprehend the divine mysteries. (3) The Prophet never suffered from straitness of the heart and was endowed with patience and fortitude to such a degree tha t even the hardest tribulation could not disturb his peace of mind. 4771. Commentary: The Holy Prophet had been saddled with such a nerve-racking and back-breaking task as had never been entrusted to a human being, i.e. first to raise a degenerate people from the depths of moral turpitude to the peaks of spiritual excellence and, then through them to cleanse and purify the whole of mankind of the dross of iniquity, ignorance and superstition. This was indeed a very heavy responsibility which had almost crushed the Prophet under its weight, but God lightened his burden in that He gave him devoted and sincere Companions who shared his burden and helped him in the discharge of his manifold and hard duties. " "PT.30 AL-INSHIR AH CH.94 3401 4772. Commentary: The Surah was revealed in the second or third year of the Call, at a time when the Prophet was hardly known outside his immediate neighbourhood, but very soon he rose to be the best known and most respected and success ful of all religious teachers. No leader, religious or temporal, has so commanded the love and respect of his followers as has the Holy Prophet. 4773. Commentary: The verse holds a message of hope and good cheer for the Holy Prophet. He is comforted with the assurance that whenever Islam would be in difficulty, God would raise a Reformer from among his followers who would restore to it its former glory and greatness. Pointing out the fact that one has to face difficulties and hardships in this life, the Prophet is assured that his tribulation would prove to be of short duration and would soon be followed by increasing ease, success and prosperity. 4774. Commentary: Repetition of the words, ""Surely, there is ease after hardship,"" signifies that Islam will have to pass through very hard times but on two occasions it will have to face a challenge to its very existence, first at its birth and then in the latter days, ––and on both these occasions it will emerge from the ordeal with renewed strength. These verses also indicate that the hardships with which the Holy Prophet and Muslims are faced are temporary, but his successes would be permanent and ever-expanding. 4775. Commentary: The Holy Prophet is told here that as endless vistas of spiritual progress lie before him, after he has conquered the difficulties that bar his way, he should not rest satisfied with his success, but having scaled one peak he should strive to climb the next, and his attention should be wholly directed towards regenerating the fallen humanity and towards establishing God’s kingdom on earth. 5.And We exalted thy name?4772 6.Surely, there is ease after hardship.4773 7.Aye, surely, there is ease after hardship.4774 8.So when thou art free from thy immediate task, strive hard, 9. aAnd to thy Lord do thou turn with full attention .4775 a73:9; 110:4. " "CH.94 AL-INSHIR AH PT.30 3402 The verse may also signify that when the Prophet has finished his day’s work of teaching and training his followers and other temporal affairs, he should turn to God as ever with all his hear t, for his spiritual journey knows no end. " "3403 CHAPTER 95 AT-TI N (Revealed before Hijrah) General Remarks This is an early Meccan Surah. That is the view of ‘Abdull ah bin ‘Abbas and Ibn Zubair. Nöldeke places it after chapter 85. In the preceding Surah arguments based on reason and common sense were given in support of the claim that the Holy Prophet’s future would be very glorious as he possessed all those qualities which are necessary for making a success of one’s mission. In the present Surah examples of some Divine Messengers have been cited to show that as the Holy Prophet’ s circumstances resembled the circumstances of these Messengers, therefore, like them he too will achieve success. In chapters 89-94 the Holy Prophet’s Migration to Medina and his subsequent success were hinted at in one form or another —in some by implication, in others by oblique references, and in yet others in clear words. In the Surah under comment it is hinted that the former Prophets also had to leave their homes for the sake of their mission s. " "CH.95 PT.30 3404 (AT-TIN) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.4776 2.By the Fig and the Olive, 3.And by bMount Sinai.4777 4.And by this City of Securityc,4778 aSee 1:1. b52:2. c90:2. 4776. Commentary: See 1:1. 4777. Commentary: See next verse. The word سیننی being in the plural shows that there are several mountains of this name in that region. On one of these God manifested Himself to Moses. 4778. Commentary. The Fig, the Olive, Mount Sinai and ""this City of Security"" have been invoked as witnesses to support and substantiate the claim made in the Surah that the Holy Prophet will succeed in his mission. Various views have been expressed as to what is meant by these things and how they support the above-mentioned claim. Here are some of these views: 1.""The Fig"" and ""the Olive"" are symbolic of Jesus, ""Mount Sinai"" of Moses; and "" this City of Security"" of the Holy Prophet. These three verses together point to the well-known Biblical reference, viz. ""The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir with them; and 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). 2.""The Fig"" is symbolic of the Mosaic Dispensation and ""the Olive"" of the Islamic Dispensation. In the Bible good people and the bad among the Israelites have been likened to two baskets of good and bad figs (Jer. chap. 24:1-5); and in the Quran Islamic teaching has been likened to ""the oil of a blessed olive tree which is neither of the East nor of the West "" (24:36). This simile has been further expressed in more concrete form by the words ""Mount Sinai "" and ""this City of Security."" The simile is very apt, since ""the Fig"" and ""the Olive"" are both used as medicines and as articles of food, with this difference that the former tastes sweet but rots very soon while the latter is used as fruit, its oil is in general use and when mixed with condiments it preserves and protects pickled articles " "PT.30 AT-TIN CH.95 3405 from rotting and decaying. 3.According to some commentators ""the Fig"" stands for Buddhism, ""the Olive"" for Christianity, ""Mount Sinai"" for Judaism and ""this City of Security"" for the Holy Prophet of Islam. 4.But perhaps the best explanation of the symbolism used in these verses is the one according to which the four words represent four periods in the history of human evolution, ""the Fig"" representing the era of Adam, ""the Olive"" that of Noah, ""Mount Sinai"" that of Moses and ""this City of Security"" the Islamic epoch. This explanation finds ample support from the Bible and the Quran. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and found themselves naked, they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons (Gen. 3:7). About Noah we read:""And the dove came in to him in the evening; and lo! in her mouth was an olive leaf pluck ed off; so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth"" (Gen. 8:11 ) And it is an accepted fact that Moses received the Divine Law on Mount Sinai and that Mecca, the birthplace of Islam was, from time immemorial, regarded as, and proved to be, the ""City of Security."" These four periods represent the four cycles through which man had to pass to reach the stage of complete development. In the cycle of Adam the foundations of human civilization were laid. Noah was the founder of the Shar i‘ah. In the cycle of Moses the details of the Shari‘ah were revealed, while with the advent of the Holy Prophet the Divine Law became complete and perfect in all its manifold aspects, and man attained his complete intellectual, social, moral and spiritual development. The verse signifies that the circumstances of the Holy Prophet resemble those of Adam, Noah and Moses. Like them he will suffer hardships in the beginning and like them will succeed in the end. 4779. Important Words: تقویم( make, formation or build) is inf. noun from قوم . They say قوم األمر i.e. he managed the affair well. قوم الیشء means, he set the thing right or made it straight or even (Aqrab & Lane). Commentary: The verse may mean: 1.Man has been endowed with the best natural powers and qualities, by making use of which he can make infinite progress. 2.God has endowed man with a creative power, i.e. he can be a good architect and builder in both the physical and spiritual senses. The question naturally arises:When man has been endowed with such wonderful natural powers and capacities, why does he sin? Various schools have their own explanations for this baffling question. According 5.Surely, We have created man in athe best make;4779 a23:13-15. " "CH.95 AT-TIN PT.30 3406 to one school man is prone to evil, though he has also been endowed with the power to correct and reform himself. This is the Buddhist conception of evil. (ii) According to Christian belief man is by nature sinful, because Adam faltered and committed a sin, and his progeny inherited the taint of sin from their progenitor. (iii) The third school holds the view that man is not born with a good or bad nature. He comes into the world with some natural inclinations and instinctive impulses and it is the sort of education which he gets or the atmosphere in which he moves that make him good or bad. Some mystics hold the view that man is deprived of all freedom of will or action and is completely denied discretion or volition and that he is a helpless victim of predetermined set of conditions and circumstances which he cannot overcome. (iv) The protagonists of the theory of transmigration of souls are of the view that man is born to suffer for the evil deeds he does in a former existence and goes through various forms of rebirth to cleanse himself of his sins. All these views evidently contravene human reason and offend against his moral sense. According to Islam, however, man is born with a pure and unsullied nature, with a natural tendency to do good, but he has also been given a large measure of freedom of will and action to mould himself as he chooses. He has been endowed with great natural powers and qualities to make unlimited moral progress and to rise spiritually so high as to become the mirror in which Divine attributes are reflected. But if he misuses God- given powers and attributes, he sinks lower than even beasts and brutes and becomes the Devil incarnate as the next verse sho ws. Briefly, the verse signifies that man is blessed with great potentialities for good or evil. 4780. Commentary: If ""man"" is taken to mean the whole mankind the verse signifies that good precedes evil. This is Islam’s main difference with the protagonists of the theory of man’s moral evolution, according to whom evil precedes good. If man is taken as an individual the verse means that God has bestowed upon man great natural faculties and powers and has revealed guidance in order that by making right use of them and following Divinely- revealed guidance he might reach the high destiny intended for him. 6.Then, if he acts unjustly, We degrade him as the lowest of the low,4780 7. aSave those who believe and do good works; so for them is an unfailing reward. a11:12; 41:9; 84:26. " "PT.30 AT-TIN CH.95 3407 4781. Important Words: دین( judg ement) is inf. noun from دان which means, he obeyed. دین means, judgement; religion ; compulsion against wi ll; righteousness; argument; plan, etc. (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse purports to say that when man has been created to achieve a very high spiritual destiny and God sent His Messengers such as Adam, Noah, Moses and the Holy Prophet, to help him achieve his great goal and that if he does not make proper use of his natural faculties and rejects the Divine Message, opposing God’s Messengers he is punished, then, who can, with reason, deny that there is a Day of Judgement in this life and in the Hereafter, and that the commandments of God Who is the Best of Judges cannot be defied with impunity and man’s actions will not go unrequited. This is the simple explanation of this verse. But in view of the different significations of the word دین given under Important Words, the verse may also mean: (1) How can the pagan Quraish, after having seen the evil end to which opponents of God’s Messengers always come, possibly hope that they will escape God’s judgement and will not be punished and the Holy Prophet will not succeed? (2) When God has been revealing the Shar i‘ah from time immemorial, then why do disbelievers find fault with the Holy Prophet, if he has brought a new Law? (3) The disbelievers can advance no sane or solid argument against the claim of the Holy Prophet. Any charge or objection they raise against him equally applies to all Divine Messengers. (4) In view of the innumerable signs shown in favour of the Holy Prophet, no plan or argument can succeed against him or can disprove his claim. (5) No truly righteous man can reject the Holy Prophet. (6) After having known the tragic end of the opponents of God’s Messengers who will dare say that he can compel the Holy Prophet to give up his mission? 8.Then what is there to give the lie to thee, after this, with regard to the judgement?4781 9.Is not Allah the Best of Judges? " "3408 CHAPTER 96 AL-‘ALAQ (Revealed before Hijrah) Date of Revelation and Context The first five verses of the Surah have been universally admitted to be the first revelation which descended upon the Holy Prophet in Cave Hira’, on a night in the month of Ramadan, 13th years before Hijrah, corresponding to 610 A.D. On that ""Night of Destiny"" when the Prophet lay on the floor of the Cave, his mind locked in deep contemplation, these verses were revealed and the words became branded on his soul. ""These blessed verses,"" says Ibn Kath ir, ""are the first act of mercy with which God blessed His servants."" After the first revelation some verses of Surah Al-Qalam are said to have been revealed, followed by some verses of Surah Al-Muzzammil. Then there occurred a break of a year or so after which revelation started coming in quick succession. The connection of this Surah with the one preceding it consists in the fact that in that Surah it was stated that from time immemorial, in order to meet the need of the age, God had been sending His Messengers and Prophets and had been revealing His will to them. First came Adam who was followed by Prophet Noah, and after a succession of Divine Messengers, appeared Moses, the greatest of the Israelite Prophets, and last of all came the Holy Prophet. In the Surah under comment it is stated that just as the birth of man is the result of a gradual process of development, so is his spiritual evolution. The Prophets whose examples were cited in the preceding Surah attained to different stages of spiritual development, but the Holy Prophet represents in his person the best specimen of man’s complete spiritual evolution. Incidentally, one possible objection relating to the revelation of this Surah and its place in the existing order of the Surahs of the Quran, may b e removed here. It may well be asked, if this Surah was revealed long before the one preceding it, why it should have been placed after the latter Surah? The answer is that it is an outstanding miracle of the Quran that it was revealed i n an order which was best suited for the needs of the period during which it was revealed and was arranged for permanent use in the existing order which was best suited for the needs of coming generations till the end of time. That is why the present Surah, some of whose verses were the first to be revealed, finds a place among the last few chapters of the Quran. " "PT.30 CH.96 3409 (AL-‘ALAQ ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2. bProclaim thou in the name of thy Lord Who created,4782 3.Created man from a clot of blood.4783 aSee 1:1. b23:15; 40:68; 75:39. 4782. Important Words: اقرأ( proclaim) is derived from قرء which means, he collected together the thin g; put it together part to part. قرأت القرٓان means, I recited or read the Quran uninterruptedly or recited it chanting (s yn. أنشد .)قرء علیه القرٓان means, he read or recited t o him the Qur an. قرأعلیهٰالسالم means, he conveyed or delivered to him the salutation. Thus اقرأmeans, read, recite, convey, proclaim or collect (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The very first word of the verse shows that the Quran was meant to be read and proclaimed, to be collected and put together and conveyed to the whole world. Moreover, the verse embodies a prophecy that the Quran will be written and repeatedly read and recited. It is an undeniable fact of history that as soon as a portion of the Quran was revealed it was committed to writing and that among all religious Scriptures the Quran is the most widely read. The mention in the verse of the Divine attribute رب( the Lord) Who cherishes and sustains man through all the different stages of his development signifies that the spiritual development o f man was to be gradual and in stages till it was to find its full consummation in the Holy Prophet. 4783. Important Words: علق( clot of blood) is in f. noun from علق‘( aliqa ). They say علق به i.e. it hung to it, clung, clave or stuck fast to it; i t concerned him or it. علقھا او علق بھا means, he loved her. علق means, a clot of blood; love (Lane & Aqrab). خلق من علق is an Arabic phrase meaning, love forms a part of his nature ; it is ingrai ned in his nature. See also 21:38 & 30:55 . Commentary: The verse signifies that love of God is ingrained in the nature of man, and that it was natural that there should have been someone in whom this instinctive impulse should find its completest manifestation. This was the Holy Prophet who loved his Creator with all his mind, heart and soul. The verse also signifies that as man’s physical development is gradual, so is his spiritual development, and this gradual " "CH.96 AL-‘ALAQ PT.30 3410 development culminated in the Holy Prophet. 4784. Commentary: The verse purports to say that the more the Quran is read and proclaimed to the world, the more the Holiness of God and the dignity of man will be recognised and appreciated. The verse may also imply a prophecy that through the reading, preaching and proclaiming of the Quran a place of great honour will accrue to the Holy Prophet and his followers. 4785. Commentary: This verse also embodies a prophecy that the ""pen"" would play a great part in committing the Quran to writing and in preserving and protecting it from being lost or interfered with. It further refers to the great contribution that ""the pen"" was to make towards the propagation and dissemination of spiritual sciences and the d ivine secrets revealed by the Quran and of the physical sciences to which the study of the Quran imparted a great stimulus. It is really very significant that frequent mention should have been made of ""pen"" in a Book which was revealed among a people who had no respect for, and made rare use of it, and which was revealed to a person who himself did not know how to read and write. 4786. Commenta ry: Not even one hundredth part of what the Quran has taught about Divine Unity, Revelation, Angels, life after death, Ethics, and other kindred subjects is to be found in any other revealed Scripture. 4787. Commentary: The particle کال is sometimes used to impart emphasis and is expressive of certainty. Or it is used in the sense of 'nay' or 'never '. The verse means that though man has been endowed with great natural powers and has been created in the best make, he errs grievously if he thinks tha the can ignore God’s help and guidance. He constantly stands in need of Divine assistance because his capacities and capabilities are at best limited. 4.Proclaim! And thy Lord is Most Generous,4784 5.Who taught by the pen,4785 6. aTaught man what he knew not.4786 7.Nay! man does indeed transgressb,4787 8.Because he thinks himself to be independent. a4:114; 55:5. b37:31. " "PT.30 AL-‘ALAQ CH.96 3411 4788. Commentary: The verse is of general application. But it may in particular refer to the Holy Prophet. 4789. Commentary: کذب( rejects) relates to beliefs and تویل( turns his back) to actions and deeds, meaning that his beliefs are wrong and his deeds bad. 4790. Important Words: نسفعا( we shall seize him and drag him). سفعه means, he made a mark upon it with hot iron ; he stru ck or slapped his face. سفع بناصیته means, he seized his forelock and dragged him (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verses (10-18) though generally applying to every haughty and hardened disbeliever, have been taken by some commentators to refer particularly to Abu Jahl, leader of the Quraish of Mecca. He was in the forefront in annoying, opposing and persecuting the Holy Prophet and the Muslims. Some of the slaves who had embraced Islam were dragged at his instance by the forelock in the streets of Mecca. After the defeat at Badr, the dead bodies of some of the leaders of the Quraish, Abu Jahl among them, were dragged by their forelocks and thrown into a pit dug 9.Surely, unto thy Lord is the return.a 10.Hast thou seen him who forbidsb 11.A servant of Ours when he prays?4788 12.Tell me if he (Our serv ant) follows the guidance 13.Or enjoins righteousness, what will be the end of the forbidder? 14.Tell me if he (the forbidder) rejects and turns his back,4789 15. cDoes he not know that Allah sees him? 16.Nay, if he desist not, We will assuredly seize and drag him by the forelock,4790 a5:49; 21:36; 53:43. b2:115; 72:20. c90:8. " "CH.96 AL-‘ALAQ PT.30 3412 for that purpose. That was a fit punishment for the treatment they had meted out to the helpless Muslims years before at Mecca. 4791. Important Words: نادی( associates) is derived from ندا . They say ندا القوم the people gathered and came to the meeting. ندی or النادی means, an assembly (Aqrab). 4792. Important Words: زبانیه( angels of punish ment) is theplural of زبنیة which is derived from زبٰن .They say زبنه he pushed or thrust it, or thrust it away. زبنت الناقة means, the she-camel pushed away the milker on the occasion of being milked. زبانیة means, armed attendants or officers or soldiers or the p refect of police (syn. شرطة ;) angels or guards of hell because they push the sinners into it; angels of punishment (Lane & Aqrab). 17.A forelock, lying, sinful. 18.Then let him call his associates,4791 19.We too will call Our angels of punishment .4792 20.Nay, yie ld not thou to him, but aprostrate thyself and draw near to Allah . a3:44; 22:78; 41:38. " "3413 CHAPTER 97 AL-QADR (Revealed before Hijrah) Introduction Some commentators of the Quran think that this Surah was revealed at Medina. This, however, is a mistaken opinion, being against all historical data. Al-Qadr is definitely a Meccan Surah and belongs to the very early phase of the Call. Such eminent and respected authorities as Ibn ‘Abb as, Ibn Zubair and ‘ A’ishah subscribe to this view. Nöldeke places it after chapter 91, which was one of the earliest Surahs revealed at Mecca. The preceding Surah had opened with the Divine command to the Prophet to recite the Quran and preach and proclaim its Message to the world. The present Surah deals with the high status, dignity and exce llence of the Quran, which is declared in the opening verse to have been revealed in ""Lailat ul-Qadr "" i.e. the Night of Destiny, Decree or Dignity. This Night of Destiny or Decree, has been described, elsewhere in the Quran, as the Blessed Night (44:4). The Surah has only five little verses, excluding the Bisim illah and yet its meaning and content is of deep spiritual significance. " "CH.97 PT.30 3414 (AL-QADR) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.Surely, We sent it down on the Night of Destinyb.4793 aSee 1:1. b44:4. 4793. Important Words: القدر( Destiny) is derived from قدر (qadara ). They say قدر الیش ء i.e. he measured or decreed the things; he thought upon the thing or affair and considered its issue, or result and compared one part of it with another; he estimated, hono ured or magnified the thing. قدرت عیل الیش ء means, I had power or ability to do the thing. قدر means, measure, limit or number; value, worth, greatness; dignity, majesty; p ower; decree or destiny, ordinance (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: Generally لیل and لیلة mean the same thing, i.e. night, but according to the famous lexicographer, Marzuqi, لیل is used as opposed to ھنار and لیلة as opposed to یوم .لیلة like عالمة and نسابة is expressive of exaggeration, and possesses a wider and more extensive meaning than لیل as یوم which is its opposite has a wider sense than ھنار which is opposite of لیل .The word لیلة has been used as many as eight times in the Quran (2 :52; 2:188; 44:4; twice in 7:143 & three times in the verse under comment), and everywhere it has been used in connection with the revelation of the Qur an and other kindred subjects . It thus points to the dignity, majesty and greatness of those nights in which the Qu ran was revealed. In view of different meanings of قدر given under Important Words and of the significance of the word لیلة the present verse may be interpreted as follows: 1.We have revealed the Quran in the night which We had specifically set apart for the manifestation of Our special powers, i.e. We have revealed the Quran at a time about which prophecies were to be found in previous Scriptures. 2.We have revealed it in a night which is equal in worth to all the other nights put together, i.e. this one night is equal in worth to the life of the whole of humanity. 3.We have revealed it in a night of dignity, majesty and honour, i.e. the Quranic teaching is too dignified to be successfully assailed. 4.We have revealed it in the night of sufficiency, i.e. the Quran fully meets all moral and spiritual human needs and requirements so as to render man independent of all other scriptures. 5.We have revealed it in the Night " "PT.30 AL-QADR CH.97 3415 of Decree or Destiny, i.e. the Quran was revealed at a time when man’s destiny was decreed, the future pattern of the universe was settled, and right principles of guidance for humanity were laid down for all time to come. The time of the appearance of a great Divine Reformer is also called لیلة القدر because at that time sin and vice hold widespread sway and the powers of darkness reign supreme. It has also been taken to mean the particular night among the odd nights in the last ten days of Ramadan when the Quran first began to be revealed. Or it may signify the whole period of 23 years of the Holy Prophet ’s ministry when the Quran gradually was being revealed. 4794. Commentary: The verse means that the blessings of the Night of Destiny are beyond count or calculation. 4795. Commentary: ألف( a thousand) being the highest number of count in Arabic signifies a number beyond count, and the verse means, that the Night of Destiny is better than countless number of months, i.e. the period of the Holy Prophet is infinitely better and superior to all other periods put together. Or the verse may signify that the sacrifices which the Muslims were required to make at Mecca in the night of their distress and agony which had taken out of their lives all light and happiness, were infinitely greater than tho se sacrifices which they made afterwards. The word شھر also means a learned man. The verse in this sense may signify that the mysteries of spiritual sciences and heavenly knowledge which will be revealed in the Book which is being revealed in the Night of Decree are greater in quantity and superior in quality than the knowledge produced by the concerted and combined efforts of all learned men. The verse, however, embodies an allusion to the appearance of Divine Reformers among the Muslims when they would stand in need of them. One thousand months roughly make one century and the Holy Prophet is reported to have said that God would continue to raise from among his followers, at the head of every century, a Reformer who would regenerate Islam and give it new life and new vigour (M ajah). Thus لیلة القدر (Night of Destiny) may signify the period of each one of these Divine Reformers. 3.And what should make thee know what the Night of Destiny is?4794 4.The Night of Destiny is better than a thousand months.4795 " "CH.97 AL-QADR PT.30 3416 4796. Commentary: الروح here signifies a new spirit, awakening, zeal and determination. The verse purports to say that in the Night of Destiny the angels of God descend to help the Divine Messenger or Reformer to promote and further the cause of truth and that his followers are inspired with a new life, a new spirit and a new awakening, to spread and propagate the Divine Message. The expression من کل أمر signifies that the angels of God descend to meet and satisfy every religious need and to remove all obstacles and impediments from the way of the expansion and spread of the new Message. 4797. Commentary: The word سالم( peace) stands for a comple te sentence meaning, ""it is all peace. "" In the time of a Prophet or Divine Reformer a peculiar kind of mental peace or equanimity d escends upon the belie vers amidst hardships and privations. The heavenly happiness which inspires believers at that time tran scends all material and sensuous joys. The expression مطلع الفجر means, the passing of the night of hardships and the rising of the dawn of predominance and ascendancy of the cause of truth. 5.Therein d escend angelsa and the Spirit by the command of their Lord with Divine decree concerning every matterb.4796 6.It is all peace till the rising of the dawn.4797 a16:3; 40:16. b44:5. " "3417 CHAPTER 98 AL-BAYYINAH (Revealed before Hijrah) Introduction Scholars differ about the time of revelation of this Surah. Ibn Marduwaih reports that ‘A ’ishah, the talented wife of the Holy Prophet, said that it was revealed at Mecca, while according to Ibn ‘Abb as, as reported by the same authority, it was revealed in the early Medinite period. After taking all relevant facts into consideration, the majority of scholars have adhered to the view attributed to ‘ A’ishah. The preceding several Surahs had dealt with the important subject of revelation of the Quran and its incomparable beauty and excellence. The present Surah, however, deals with the change that the Quran was intended to bring about. At the very outset, it states that the People of the Book and the idolaters would have continued to grope in the dark and to live a life of sin and iniquity if the Quran had not been revealed. It is the Holy Prophet who brought them out of the darkness of doubt and disbelief and led them to the path of right beliefs and righteous deeds. " "CH.98 PT.30 3418 (AL-BAYYINAH ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.Those who disb elieve from among the People of the Book and the idolaters would not desist from disbelief until there came to them the bclear evidence —4798 3.A Messenger from Allah, reciting unto them the pure Scripturesc,4799 4.Wherein are lasting commandmen ts.4800 aSee 1:1. b16:34. c3:165; 62:3; 87:19. 4798. Important Words: منفکنی is derived from انفک .They say انفک الیش ء عن الیش ء i.e. the thing became separated from another thing. ما انفک یفعل کذا means, he continued to do so or did not cease to do so or did not desist from doing so (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The Quran has divided all disbelievers into two categories —the People of the Book and the idolaters, i.e. those who do not believe in any revealed Scripture. The verse purports to say that before the advent of the Holy Prophet those who had received revealed guidance as well as those who were complete strangers to it were all sunk in immorality and iniquity and had held false beliefs and wrong ideals and principles, and that if the Holy Prophet had not come and the Quran had not been revealed, they would have continued to flounder in darkness. It is to this universal moral decline that the Quran has referred in the words ظٰھٰر الفساد یف الرب و البحر i.e. corruption had appeared on land and on sea ( 30:42 ). 4799. Commentary: The expression رسول من اهلل is case in apposition wi th the word البینة in the preceding verse. The word مطھرة( pure) signifies that the Quran is completely free from all possible flaws, blemishes or defects. It possesses, on the contrary all conceivable beauty and excellence. 4800. Important Words: قیمة( lasting) is derived from قام . They say قام باالمر i.e. he managed, " "PT.30 AL-BAYYINAH CH.98 3419 conducted or superintended the affair. قومه means, he put it right or made it straight. قیم means, true, perfect; superintendent; guardian (Lane, Mufrad at & Aqrab). Commentary: The Quran i s the compendium of all that is good, lasting and imperishable in the teachings of former revealed Scriptures, with a good deal more which those Scriptures lack but which man needed for his moral and spiritual development. All those right ideals and principles and ordinances and commandments which were of permanent utility to man have been incorporated in it. The Quran stands, as it were, not only as a guardian over those Books but comprises additional teachings that guard and protect man from moral decline and degeneration and teaches him how to make right use of his God-given faculties. In the words صحفا مطھرة ( pure Scriptures ) stress is laid on the fact that the Quran has steered clear of all those defects and impurities which were found in the former Scriptures . In the expression دین القیمة ( right religion) the emphasis is on those lasting and unalterable teachings which are its exclusive possession. 4801. Commentary: The verse means to say that the People of the Book had eagerly awaited the coming of a great Prophet about whom clear prophecies were found in their scriptures, but when he appeared in fact, then instead of accepting him they rejected him. 4802. Commentary: دین(religion) means obedience; mastery; command; plan; righteousness; habit or custom; behaviour or conduct (Lane & Aqrab). The verse may signify: (1) They should have rendered full and sincere obedience to Divine commandments. (2) When they got mastery or ascendancy, they should have devoted 5.And those to whom the Book was given did not become divideda until after clear evidence had come to them.4801 6.And they were not commanded but to serve Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience,b and being upright, and to observe Prayer, and pay the Zak ah. And that is the right religion.4802 a42:15; 45 :18. b31:33; 40:15. " "CH.98 AL-BAYYINAH PT.30 3420 all their power and prestige to obtaining God’s pleasure. (3) All their plans should have been directed towards the achievement of the one supreme object —pleasure of God. (4) Their fear of God and love for Him should have been completely sincere and honest. (5) They should have imbibed Divine attributes; and all their friendships and enmities should have been for the sake of God. 4803. Commentary: The highest stage of spiritual development is reached when man’s will becomes completely identified with the W ill of God. 7.Verily, those who disbelieve from among the People of the Book and the idolaters will be in the fire of Hell,a abiding therein. They are the worst of creatures.b 8.Verily, those who believe and do righteous deeds —they are the best of creatures.c 9.Their reward is with their Lord ––Gardens of Eternity,d through which streams flow; they will abide therein forever. Allah is well pleased with Him. That is for him who fears his Lorde.4803 a19:69; 21:99. b8:56; 95:6. c3:199. d9:72; 13:24; 16:32; 35:34. e36:12; 55:47; 67:13. " "3421 CHAPTER 99 AZ-ZILZAL (Revealed before Hijrah) Introductory Remarks Scholars differ about the time of revelation of this Surah . The majority, including Muj ahid, ‘A ta’ and Ibn ‘Abb as, are of the view that it was revealed at Mecca, while others think that it was revealed at Medina. But, taking into consideration all the relevant facts the latter view does not appear to be sound, since, in subject matter, the Surah resembles its predecessor which is a Meccan Surah. Whereas in the preceding Surah mention was made of the great moral revolution that was brought about by the Holy Prophet, in the Surah under comment we are told that a similar change will take place at a later date, in the time of the Promised Messiah and Mahd i, when all human institutions will be shaken to their foundations, and ne w discoveries and inventions in the domain of science and knowledge will change the entire shape of things, and the ideals and ideas of men will be given a new orientation. " "CH.99 PT.30 3422 (AZ-ZILZAL ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.Whe n the earth is shaken with her violent shaking,4804 3.And the earth throws up her burdens,4805 aSee 1:1. 4804. Important Words: زلزلت( is shaken). زلزل اهلل االرض means, God made the earth to quake violently, or put the earth into a state of convulsion or violent motion. زلزل فالنا means, he frightened such a one and terrified him. زلزل االبل means, he drove the camels with violenc e or vehemence, means an earthquake, convulsion, commotion or violent agitation; a great calamity (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The expression زلزلت االرض زلزاھلا means that the whole earth will experience all manner of internal as well as external commotion and upheavals. In our time not only has the earth been constantly shaken by most destructive earthquakes, wars and other calamities a nd catastrophes at frequent intervals, but also its dwellers have been subjected to violent and virulent agitation in ever y walk of life. Man has experienced catastrophic changes never witnesse d by him before. 4805. Important Words: أثقاھلا( her burdens) is the plural of ثقل which is in f. noun from ثقل (thaqula ) which means, it was or became heavy, weighty or ponderous, or it became preponderant ideally ; it was or became oppressive or grievous. ثقل( thiq lun) means, luggage of a travel ler; household goods; anything h eld in high estimate or anything which is in much demand and is preserved ; treasure or buried treasure; burden (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The ve rse may have one of the following interpretations: 1.The bowels of the earth will be ripped open and it will throw up its treasures of mineral wealth. 2.There will be a vast release and upsurge of knowledge of all kinds, relating to physical as well as spiritual sciences, especially in the sciences of geology and archaeology. 3.People will throw off the yoke of their rulers and religious leaders and will revolt against oppression, throwing the yoke of subjection off their shoulders. " "PT.30 AZ-ZILZ AL CH.99 3423 4806. Commentary: The changes will be so many and so far reaching and the discoveries made so great that one will exclaim in wonder and bewilderment:""What is the matter with the earth!"" 4807. Commentary: All prophecies concerning the present age will be fulfilled and all that had hitherto remained obscure will become manifest. The verse may also mean that the science of geology will make great strides. When asked about the meaning of the verse, the Holy Prophet is reported to have said that every action done in secret will come to light (Tirmidh i). 4808. Commentary: At about 65 places in the Quran, excluding the present verse, wherever the word ویح has been used, it is followed by the preposition ایل .In the verse under comment, however, it is followed by the particle ل which being synonymous with یف means, ""concerning, "" and the verse means, the Lord has sent down the revelation concerning her, the recipient of the revelation —the Holy Prophet —being left unmentioned. The word أوحـی also means, he commanded. In this sense of the word, the verse would mean that the earth wil l throw out its treasures because i t is commanded by God to do so. 4809. Commentary: The verse means that in the time of the Promised Messiah, in order to protect and safeguard their political, social and economic interests, people will form themselves into parties, companies and groups. There will be political parties and parties formed on economic basis; and powerful guilds, cartels and syndicates will also come into existence. The words ""that they may be shown the results of their works "" signify that individuals will pool their resources, and collective effort will take the place of individual effort in order that they might make their weight felt and their labours might lead to some result. 4.And man says, ‘What is the matter with her?’4806 5.That day will she tell her news,4807 6.For thy Lord will have revealed about her.4808 7.On that day will men come forth in scat tered groups that they may be shown the results of their works.4809 " "CH.99 AZ-ZILZ AL PT.30 3424 4810. Commentary: The principle that no action of man, good or bad, is wasted and must produce some result, has been explained variously in the Quran. These two verses contain at once a message of solace and comfort for the righteous, and a warning for the evildoers, that they shall reap the consequences of their actions. 8. aThen whoso does an atom’s weight of good will see it, 9. bAnd whoso does an atom’s weight of evil will also see it.4810 a4:124-125; 17:8; 28:85; 41:47. b99:8. " "3425 CHAPTER 100 AL-‘ADIYA T (Revealed before Hijrah) Introduction A large majority of eminent Muslim scholars, including Ja bir, ‘Ikrimah, and ‘Abdull ah bin Mas‘ ud, one of the earliest Companions of the Holy Prophet and a great authority on Quranic chronology, are of the view that the Surah was revealed very early at Mecca. One or two writers who disagree with this view, therefore, do not count. The Surah takes its place in point of the time n ext to the preceding Surah . In some of the foregoing Surahs, the conditions both in the time of the Holy Prophet and the Promised Messiah as well as the great transformation that was to be brought about by them were simultaneously mentioned, and Surah Zilzal had dealt with the great advances in science and knowledge, especially in the science of geology, and with the vast changes that were to take place in the political, social and economic spheres. The present Surah, deals with the zeal and enthusiasm of the Companions of the Holy Prophet, with their great sacrifices and the battles they fought against unequal odds, in the way of God. The Surah may also be taken to refer to the mode of fighting in the present age. Some mystics, however, take the Surah, to refer to the constant war that the righteous believers have to wage against their passions and evil propensities, and to the heavenly light they receive as a result of the successful outcome of that fight. " "CH.100 PT.30 3426 (AL-‘ADIYAT ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.By the snorting chargers of the warriors,4811 3.Striking sparks of fire with their hoofs.4812 aSee 1:1. 4811. Important Words: العادیات( the chargers) is the plural of عادیة which is fe m. act. part. from عدا which means, he ran vehemently. عدا علیه means, he attacked or assaulted him. عادیات means, companies of warriors; horses or chargers of the warriors (Lane & Aqrab). ضبحااٰ( snorting) is derived from ضبح which means, he or it uttered a sound or cry. They say ضبحت اخلیل یف العدو i.e. the horses breathed pantingly or hard with a sound from the chest when running fast, or breathed hard or laborious ly when running a race and fatigued; they snorted. ضبح( dabhun) is a kind of race of the animals, particularly of the horses; the sound coming out of the chest of a horse when it runs fast and breathes laboriously; running of the horse with long strides. (Lane & Mufrad at). Commentary: How dear to God must be those fighters who wage relentless war against the forces of evil that He has sworn by them or even by their horses. The verse speaks volumes for the zeal and enthusiasm of the Companions of the Holy Prophet to fight and give up their lives in the way of God. It says that they march to the field of battle with extreme delight and zeal to score a victory or be killed in the way of Allah and thus obtain His pleasure which is their most coveted goal in life. The verse also refers admiringly to the swiftness of movement of their chargers and the suddenness of their assault. The verse was revealed in Mecca at a time when Muslims had no horses. In the Battle of Badr, there were only two horses with the Muslim army, one belonging to Miqd ad and the other to Zubair. The verse, in fact, constituted a prophecy that soon the Muslims will have horses. It also was a command to them to have cavalry along with infantry. 4812. Important Words: املوریات( striking) is fe m. act. part. from أوری . They say أوری الزند i.e. he produced fire from the piece of wood called زند .قدح النار means, he struck or produced fire with a flint (Lane & Aqrab). " "PT.30 AL-‘ADIYAT CH.100 3427 Commentary: The chargers of Muslim warriors run so fast that they produce sparks of fire when they strike their hoofs against the ground. The allusion in the verse is to the eagerness and zeal of the Muslim warriors to fight in the way of God. 4813. Important Words: املغریات( making raids) is the plural of مغریة which is fem . act. part. from أغار which is the transitive form of غار . They say غار یف االمر i.e. he remained deeply engaged into the affair. أغار means, he went far into the country . أغار الفرس means, the horse ran vehemently and was quick in sudden attack. أغار عیل العدو means, he made a sudden raid upon the enemy. خیل مغریة means, horses making a sudden attack upon the enemy. مغریات means, companies that go far into the country; that make a swift and sudden attack upon the enemy (Lane & Aqrab) . Commentary: The verse mentions one more characteristic of the brave Muslim warriors. They do not take undue advantage of the neglect and unwariness of the enemy by attacking them at night. They attack them in the full glare of the dawn. The verse shows that Muslims are brave and clean fighters. 4814. Important Words: أثرن( raise) is transitive verb from ثار . They say ثار الغبار means, the dust became stirred up and spread upon the horizon. أثار االرض means, he tilled the ground. أثار الفتنة means, he stirred up the mischief (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The assault of the Muslim forces is so fierce and overwhelming that the whole horizon becomes dark with the dust raised by the quick steps of their horses. 4815. Commentary: Muslim warriors do not attack single individuals or weak helpless women, children or old men, but they attack in a body the whole enemy force and penetrate far into the heart of their ranks. The reference in these verses (2-6) may also be to those God-intoxicated spiritual wayfarers who constantly and relentlessly are engaged in fighting the forces of evil and in making strenuous efforts to get nearness to God and by their noble efforts cause a heavenly light to burn in them; and when by the light of Divine realization they acquire the 4.And making raids at dawn.4813 5.And raising clouds of dust thereby,4814 6.And penetrating thereby into the centre of the enemy forces,4815 " "CH.100 AL-‘ADIYAT PT.30 3428 capability to detect their own shortcomings and those of others, they make a vehement attack on them. Their next stage in this spiritual journey is reached when they pour out the agony of their hearts before their Creator and invoke His grace and mercy by prayer and devotional cries. These are the persons who succeed in obtaining their great object. 4816. Important Words: کنود( ungrateful) is derived from کند . They say کند النعمة i.e. he dis- acknowledged a benefit; he was ungrateful. کند الیش ء means, he cut the thing. کنود means, ungrateful man or woman; an unbeliever; a blamer of his Lord who remembers misfortunes and forgets favours; rebellious; niggardly; avaricious; who eats alone and beats his slaves. أرض کنود means, land that produces nothing (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The reference in the verse is to the arrogant, base and miserly disbeliever who is also a coward. He is cruel towards the weak and does not feed the poor. 4817. Commentary: Such a one indulges not only in the evils mentioned in the preceding verse but also takes pride in doing so. 4818. Commentary: The verse means that there is no life left in the disbelievers. They seem to be lying dead in their graves —their houses. But soon they will rise in opposition to Islam and will march many miles to attack the Holy Prophet in Medina. 4819. Important Words: حصل( brought forth) is transitive from حصل( hasala ), which means, it became apparent; it came into existence; it became realized; it came to pass. حصل( hasala) means, he produced, retracted or fetched out; he made a thing apparent; he prepared; he separated, discriminated or 7.Surely, man is ungrateful to his Lord;4816 8.And surely, he bears witness to it by his conduct that;4817 9.And surely, in his love of wealth he is violent.a 10.Does not such a one know that when those in the graves are raisedb,4818 11.And that which is hidden in the breasts is brought forth,4819 a89:21. b82:5. " "PT.30 AL-‘ADIYAT CH.100 3429 distinguished; he perceived a thing; he obtained or attained it; he acquired it; he collected (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The evil designs of the enemies of Islam will come to light. 4820. Commentary: God is well aware of their evil designs and He will punish them for their evil actions. 12.Surely, their Lord will, on that day, be fully Aware of them.4820 " "3430 CHAPTER 101 AL-QARI‘AH (Revealed before Hijrah) Introduction This Surah was revealed early at Mecca. All commentators agree on this point. Nöldeke and Muir, too, subscribe to this view. The Surah like Surah Zilzal primarily gives a brief but lucid description of the tremendous convulsions and catastrophic upheavals that will shake the foundations of the world in the time of the Promised Messiah, while the immediately preceding Surah had dealt with the great fight that the Companions of the Holy Prophet put up against the forces of darkness. The Surah may equally apply to the Day of Judgement, in comparison to which there could be no greater calamity. " "PT.30 CH.101 3431 (AL-QARI‘AH) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2. bThe Great Calamity!4820A 3.What is the Great Calamity? 4821 4.And what should make thee know what the Great Calamity is?4822 5.The day when mankind will be like scattered moths,4823 aSee 1:1. b13:32 . 4820A . Important Words: ةالقارع ( the Great Calamity) is derived from قرع .They say قرع الباب i.e. he knocked at the door. قرعه أمر means, the affair came on him all of a sudden. قارعة means, a great and sudden calamity; the Day of Resurrection; an army marching forth and striking the enemy suddenly (Aqrab & Taj). See also 13:32. Commentary: The particle ال particularizes قارعة (calamity) and imparts to it a special significance. القارعة thus means, a great calamity; the Promised Calamity or the Day of Judg ement. 4821. Commentary: Whereas the particle ال added to قارعة has particularized the calamity and heightened its dreadfulness, the addition of the particle ما( what) makesit still more severe an d destructive. 4822. Commentary: The verse signifies that the calamity would be so catastrophic that it is impossible to conceive of its dreadfulness, much less to describe it in words. See also 69:2-5 where an identical expression to produce an analogous effect has been used. القارعة besides a great calamity, signifies punishment that suddenly comes upon disbelievers. 4823. Commentary: Because it is beyond human mind to conceive of the dreadfulness of the calamity, a few of its horrible effects have been pointed out. This and the next verse give some idea of the confusion and distress it will cause. The terrific and cataclysmic happening will scatter the people like flakes of carded wool, not finding " "CH.101 AL-QARI‘AH PT.30 3432 refuge anywhere. 4824. Commentary: When used in relation to an individual موازین means, his works, but when used in relation to a nation, it means, its material means and resources; and according to the present-day terminology of war, 'tonnage' seems to be an exact rendering of the word. In the latter sense of the word the verse would mean that a nation whose material resources or tonnage of steamships or aeroplanes is heavy will predominate over its adversaries and this fact will add to its prestige and power and consequently to its happiness. 4825. Commentary: أم primarily meaning, 'mother ' has a variety of secondary significations such as source, origin; support; an abode, etc. (Lane & Aqrab). The verse signifies that the connection of the sinful people with Hell will be like that of a baby with its mother. Just as the embryo goes through various stages of development in the womb till it is born as a full-fledged human being, so will the guilty people pass through different stages of spiritual torture, till their souls are completely cleansed of the taint of sin and they will thus receive a new birth. Thus the punishments of Hell are intended to make the wicked repent of their sins and so reform themselves. According to Islamic concept Hell is a penitentiary. 4826. Commentary: The expression, ""it is a burning fire"" signifies that the fire of Hell will be so hot as to defy description. The heat released by an atom bomb may perhaps give some idea, albeit an entirely incomplete one, of the heat of the Hell. 6.And the mountains will be like carded wool. 7.Then, as for him whose scales are heavy,a 4824 8.He will have a pleasant life. 9.But as for him whose scales are light,b 10.Hell will be his nursing mother.4825 11.And what should make thee know what that is? 12.It is a cblazing Fire.4826 a7:9; 23:103. b7:10; 23:104 . c87:13; 88:5. " "3433 CHAPTER 102 AT-TAKATHUR (Revealed before Hijrah) Introduction By common consent this is one of the ear liest Surahs revealed at Mecca. Its subject matter also shows that it belongs to that period. In the preceding Surah, mention was made of the communi ties of disbelievers whom the Holy Prophet was to reform in his own time, in times following his death, and later, particularly, in the time of his Second Coming, in the person of the Promised Messiah. In the two chapters that immediately precede the present Surah, special mention was made of the punishment that was to overtake disbelievers in the Holy Prophet’s own time and in the subsequent long career of Islam including the Age of his Second Advent. The Surah under comment deals with the factors which engender in man an inclination to, or a liking for, disbelief and which divert his attention away from God and t ruth. The Surah deals with a very common and deadly spiritual disease, viz. vying with one another in amassing worldly goods and taking pride in their abundance. The Holy Prophet often used to recite the Surah ; he is reported to have said that the Surah was equal in weight and worth to a thousand verses (Bay an, Baihaq i & Dailam i), thus stressing its great importance. " "CH.102 PT.30 3434 (AT-TAKATHUR) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.Mutual rivalry in seeking worldly increase, bdiverts you from God 4827 3.Till you reach the graves.4828 4.Nay! you will soon come to know the truth . aSee 1:1. b24:38; 48:12; 62:10. 4827. Important Words: التکاثر( mutual rivalry in worldly increase) is derived from کثر i.e. it was or became much, abundant, copious, great i n number ; it multiplied ; it accumulated. تکاثروا means, they contended, one wi th another, for superiority in numbers. التکاثر means, contending with one another for superiority in numbers or proper ty, children and men. تکاثرت أمواله means, his riches multiplied by degrees (Lane). Commentary: Acquisitiveness and man’s inordinate desire to outstrip others in wealth, position and prestige lies at the root of all human troubles and the neglect of the higher values of life. It is man’s great misfo rtune that his passion for acquiring worldly things knows no limit and leaves him no time to think of God or the Hereafter. He remains entirely engrossed in these things till death comes upon him. Against general practice, the verb اھلا has not been followed by the preposition عن in this verse. This enlarges the meaning of the verb, covering, as it does, all the things that are calculated to divert man’s attention from God and not from any particular thing or object. 4828. Commentary: Man remains engrossed in acquiring worldly goods till death comes upon him and then he finds that he had wasted all his precious life. The verse also signifies that competition for superiority in wealth, position and numbers has led to the undoing of individuals and even of nations. Moral rather than physical death is meant here, because physical death comes uninvited, but man himself brings about his moral death. So it is not unqualified rivalry and vying with one another that is condemned here. On the contrary, believers have been exhorted in the Quran to endeavour to outstrip one another in doing good (2:149 & " "PT.30 AT-TAK ATHUR CH.102 3435 35:32). It is the blind craze for worldly things, to the detriment of higher values, to which exception has been taken in this verse. 4829. Commentary: Repetition of the verse is intended to add emphasis to and render more effective the warning contained in the Surah . Or the Surah may refer to the Nemesis that will come in the wake of blind engrossment in the acquisition of worldly things in this life and in the Hereafter. 4830. Commentary: The verse administers a severe rebuke to disbelievers. It seems to say to them:""Why can’t you understand the simple thing, that the wages of sin is death and that no spiritual life is left in you. Had you used common sense and what little amount of knowledge you possess, you would have seen a veritable Hell yawning before your eyes in this very life, i.e. you would have realized that your engrossment in the pursuit of pomp, circumstance and the material advantages of this temporary existence will cause your total ruin. But you give no thought to these stark realities of life. You do not believe that such a thing will ever happen, but the time is fast approaching when you will see Divine punishment overtaking you in the form of diverse calamities."" It may be stated here that there are three stages of certainty, viz. علمالیقنی i.e."" certainty by inference, عنیالیقنی i.e. ""certainty by sight "" and حق الیقنی i.e. ""certainty by realization. "" In the first stage a thing itself is not visible but from its visible effects a man can conclude that it exists. In the second stage not only the effects of a thing but the thing itself is visible, though its nature is not completely comprehended. In the third stage which is the stage of perfect realization or personal experience a man both through observation of the effects of a thing on others and through realization of its effect on himself, can have as complete an understanding of the nature of a thing as it is possible for him to have. These are also the stages of human knowledge with regard to Hell. A man can, by inference, attain certainty about the existence of Hell in this very life but it is after death 5.Nay again! you will soon come to know.4829 6.Nay! if you only knew with certain knowledge, 7.You will surely see Hell in this very life . 8.Aye, you will surely see it with the eye of certainty in the Hereafter .4830 " "CH.102 AT-TAK ATHUR PT.30 3436 that he will see it with his own eyes, though it is on the Day of Resurrection that a sinful man will have full realization of it by personally experiencing it. 4831 . Commentary: When disbelievers will be brought face to face to Hell, they will be told that God had bestowed upon them all kinds of favours, especially His greatest favour —the Holy Prophet —but they rejected and opposed him. 9.Then, on that day you shall be questioned about the favours bestowed upon you .4831 " "3437 CHAPTER 103 AL-‘ASR (Revealed before Hijrah) Introduction By general agreement, this Surah was revealed in the early years of the Call. Western orien talists, besides Muslim commentators of the Quran, assign it to the early Meccan period. The preceding Surah had dealt with man’s passion for amassing wealth and worldly goods and its evil consequences. In the present Surah we are told that a purposeless life having no ideals to pursue goes to waste; and that material progress and prosperity cannot save a people if they do not possess faith and do not lead clean and pure lives. This is the unfailing testimony of time. Drunk with great material resources and power, prestige and prosperity, disbelievers, especially the Christian nations of today, labour under the misconception that these things will never see decline or diminut ion. On the other hand, Muslims for their part, seem to have despaired of their future. The Surah relates particularly to the present time. It may, however, be taken also to relate to the Holy Prophet’s own time since by العصر is meant, his time. " "CH.103 PT.30 3438 (Al-‘ASR) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.By the Time,4832 3.Surely, man is in a state of lossb,4833 4.Except those who believe and do righteous deeds, and cexhort one another to accept truth, and exhort one another to be steadfast.4834 aSee 1:1. b10:46; 65:10. c90:18. 4832 . Important Words: العصر( the Time) is inf. noun from عصر. They say عصرہ i.e. he aided, succoured or assisted him; he saved and preserved him:he gave a gift and did some favour to him. عصر means; time or history or succes sion of ages: a period of time (syn. دھر ;)a day as opposed to night; a night as opposed to day; the afternoon; or evening. العصران means, the night and the day: the morning and the evening (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: See a collective note on the whole Surah under v:4. 4833 . Important Words: خسر( in a state of loss) . خسر( khasira) means, he suffered a loss; he lost his way; he was ruined (Lane). Commentary: االنسان( man) here signifies man asmentioned in 17:12; 18:55 ; 36:78; 70:20, viz. the hasty, the contentious, the quarrelling and the impatient man . 4834 . Important Words: صربال( to be steadfast) is inf. noun from صرب( sabara ) which means, he was or became patient or enduring; he endured trial or affliction with dignity or he was contented in affliction or trial without complaining; he was steadfast amid trials; he made no difference between a state of ease and comfort and a state of affliction, preserving calmness of mind in both states (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: It is history’s infallib le testimony that those individuals or nations who do not make full use of their God- given powers and faculties and of the opportunities that come to them in this life, and who defy the eternal natural laws which determine the " "PT.30 AL-‘ASR CH.103 3439 destiny of man inevitably come to grief. It is such individuals and nations who are the losers in the race against time and it is to these that the word االنسان in the Surah refers. Divine laws cannot be defied with impu nity and the Quran repeatedly draws pointed attention to the sad fate of those people who have the audacity to do so, in the words:"" Have they not travelled in the earth and seen what was the end of those before them?"" (40:22). Firm faith in eternal truths and the practical carrying out of them in our dealings in everyday life constitutes a sure guarantee for a happy, contented, prosperous and progressive life; and this is the meaning of the words ""such as have faith and do righteous deeds."" Man cannot escape ""loss"" which is the purpose or object of his life without possessing true and real faith in Divinely-revealed truths and adjusting his conduct in harmony with them. Human reason without the assistance of a revealed guidance cannot be a safe guide. It is Divine guidance received through God’s great Messengers that can lead safely to the desired goal. But a person, however, good and great, cannot bring about any real and permanent reformation single-handed unless the whole environment is changed, because man is strongly influenced by his environment. In this Surah and at several other places in the Quran, believers have been enjoined not only to adopt right and good principles and ideals themselves but to preach them to others and thus help in the creation of a hea lthy atmosphere around them. They are further enjoined not to be discouraged or dismayed by opposition and persecution they might have to face in the discharge of their very difficult task but to bear it with patience and fortitude. Thus the Surah, in one brief verse, has laid down the golden rules by observing which one can lead a successful and happy life. Taking the word العصر to mean the time of the Holy Prophet (Bukh ari) or taking it as applying to the latter days, the Surah emphatically declares that the disbelieving nations, with all their material resources and great power and prestige will suffer loss; only the righteous believers will achieve the noble goal they desire and pursue. " "3440 CHAPTER 104 AL-HUMAZAH (Revealed before Hijrah) Introduction This Surah, like the preceding one, was revealed very early at Mecca; it was in fact among the earliest Surahs to be revealed. There is complete unanimity of opinion among the commentators of the Quran on this point, and western o rientalists also agree with this view. In Surah At-Tak athur a warning was held out that unhealthy competition in amassing wealth and taking pride in it, is calculated to draw man’s attention from God and from true values of life, and in Surah Al-‘Asr it was stated that only by noble ideals and righteous behaviour can man save himself from a life of "" loss."" In this Surah mention is made of the dreadful end of those wicked disbelievers who, instead of spending their hoarded wealth in promoting good causes, indulge in finding fault with, and slandering good and righteous believers. Hence the title "" Al-Humazah."" " "PT.30 CH.104 3441 (AL-HUMAZAH) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2. bWoe to every backbiter, slanderer,4835 3.Who amasses wealth and counts it over and over .c 4836 aSee 1:1. b49:12 ; 68:12. c9:34; 89:21. 4835 . Important Words: ةمھز( back biter is derived from مھز ) which means he goaded or spurred him, he beat him; he broke it; he drove him ; he reproached him or found fau lt with him; he spoke ill of him behind his back. They say مھزته الیه احلاجة i.e. want drove him to it; مھزة means, one who finds fault with others behind their backs much or habitually; one who backbites others; who defames men (Lane & Aqrab). ةملز( slanderer) possesses all th e meanings of مھزة with this difference that whereas مھزة means, one who finds fault with people behind their backs, ملزة means, who finds fault with them behind their backs or before their faces. ملزہ also means, he made a sign to him with the eye or the head and the lip with low speech (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The Surah is of general application but has been applied in particular to those evil-minded opponents of the Holy Prophet, who not being satisfied with persecuting him, defamed him and spread all sorts of lies and slanders about him. As against two basic good qualities, viz. goodness and patience, mentioned in the preceding Surah, two evil qualities which cut at the root of all social peace and ha rmony have been mentioned in this Surah. Backbiting and slander-mong ering are the two main evils from which the so-called civilized society badly suffers today. 4836. Important Words: عدد( counts it over and over) is syn. with عدد‘( adada ) and also has an intensive signification. عددہ means, he reckoned it time af ter time; he made it numerous; he made it a provision against the casualties of time. عددت املیت means, I enumerated the good qualities of the dead person (Lane & Aqrab). ماال( wealth) means, great wealth; small wealth; worthless wealth w hich is great in the eyes of him who amasses it but small and worthless in the sight of God. Commentary: The verse constitutes a sad commentary on man’s passion for worldly riches. Worship of Mammon " "CH.104 AL-HUMAZAH PT.30 3442 is the bane of the materialistic civilization of the day. 4837. Commentary: The verse signifies that the ill-fated miser goes on earning wealth by using all means and amasses and hoards it, taking pride in it and refraining from spending it in good causes, thinking that this will immortalize him, will rescue his name from oblivion and will render his prosperity abiding. He labours under a serious misconception. His hoarded wealth will prove his undoing and will be a constant source of heart-burning for him. 4838 . Commentary: ةاحلطم ( crushing punishment) is derived from حطم .They say حطمته السن i.e. old age broke him. حطمت الداب ة (hatima) means, the beast became aged and emaciated and weak and broken with age. حطمة means, avehement fire that breaks into pieces everything that is cast into it; it is also a name for Hell or Hellfire; a man who eats much, i.e. breaks everything in eating; an insatiable man (Lane & Aqrab). 4839. Commentary: There could be no greater humiliation or agony for a person than that he should see that the cause against which he had fought tooth and nail and which he had tried with might and main to crush, is progressing and prospering before his very eyes. It is this sense of burning and anguish of the heart which the leaders of the Quraish felt when they saw the tender plant of Islam growing into a big tree. 4840. Commentary: If fire is enclosed on all sides, its effects become more intense. 4.He thinks that his wealth will make him immortal.4837 5.Nay! he shall surely be cast into the crushing punishment. 4838 6.And what should make thee know what the crushing punishment is? 7.It is Allah’s kindled fire, 8.Which rises over the hearts. 4839 9.It will be closed in on thema4840 a90:21. " "PT.30 AL-HUMAZAH CH.104 3443 4841. Commentary: The verse may mean : (1) Disbelievers will be bound down to tall columns when the fire will burn them, i.e. they will be quite helpless and will find no escape or refuge from Divine punishment. (2) They will burn in a furnace of which the columns will be very tall. This again is a metaphor pointing to the severity of the punishment of Hell. The tall columns may also signify evil customs and usages of disbelievers. These bad customs and traditions will take the form of tall columns in the next life. 10.In extended columns.4841 " "3444 CHAPTER 105 AL-FIL (Revealed before Hijrah) Title & Date of Revelation As its subject matter shows the Surah is among the earliest Surahs revealed at Mecca. The title of the Surah is taken from the expression الفیلاصحاب ( Fellows of the Elephant), occurring in the first verse, Abraha’s army being so called because of one or more elephants with them. The Surah refers to the invasion of Mecca by Abraha Ashram, the viceroy in Yemen of the Christian King of Abyssinia, who came with the object of destroying the Ka‘bah. Subject Matter Dhu Nuw as, the Jewish Himyar ruler of Yemen had put 20,000 Christians to death in cold blood. The Kaiser of Rome had ordered the Negus, King of Abyssinia, which then formed part of the Roman Empire, to avenge this cruel act of Dhu Nuw as. The Negus sent Abraha to Yemen. He defeated the Himyar ruler and Yemen became part of the Abyssinian dominion and Abraha was appointed its viceroy. In order to curry favour with the Negus and to break the unity of the Arabs or, as tradition goes, to stem the apprehended tide of Arab nationalism under a great Prophet whose appearance was eagerly awaited and was expected to take place very soon, and in order also to divert the attention of the Arabs from the Ka‘bah, and to preach and disseminate Christianity in Arabia, Abraha built a church at San a’, the capital of Yemen. When, however, he failed to cajole or intimidate the Arabs into accepting the church at San a’ in place of the Ka‘bah as their central place of worship, he was stung with rage, and being intoxicated with his great military power he marched on Mecca with an army of 20,000 strong in order to raze the Ka‘bah to the ground. Arriving at a place, a few miles from Mecca, he sent for the leaders of the Quraish in order to negotiate with them about the fate of the Ka‘bah. The Quraish deputation, led by the venerable ‘Abdul-Muttalib, grandfather of the Holy Prophet, met Abraha who treated ‘Abdul-Muttalib with great honour. But to Abraha’s great surprise, ‘Abdul-Muttalib, instead of beseeching that the Ka‘bah be spared, only requested that his two hundred camels which Abraha’s men had seized be restored. ‘Abd ul-Muttalib on being told by Abraha that he had not expected such a paltry request from him, poured out the anguish of his heart and expressed his firm faith in the invulnerability of the Ka‘ba h in the words:این أنا رب االبل و ان للبیت ربا مینعه i.e. I am the master of the camels and the Ka‘bah has a Master who will protect it "" (Al-Kamil, vol. 1). The negotiations, however, broke down and finding that " "3445 they were too weak to offer effective resistance to Abraha, ‘Abd ul-Muttalib advised his compatriots to repair to the surrounding hills. Before leaving the city, ‘Abd ul-Muttalib, holding the skirts of the Ka‘bah, prayed in the following words full of extreme pathos: کلحال فامنع هرحل مینع املرء ان ھم ال حمالک غدوا محماھل و صلیبھم یغلنب ال i.e. just as a man protects his house and property from plunder, so do Thou o Lord, defend Thine own House and suffer not the Cross to triumph over the Ka‘bah (""Tar ikh Al-Kamil,"" by Ibn Athir, vol. 1, p. 156 & Muir). Abraha’s army had hardly moved when the Divine scourge overtook them. "" A pestilential distemper,"" says Muir, ""had shown itself in the camp of Abraha. It broke out with deadly pustules and blains and was probably an aggravated form of smallpox. In confusion and dismay the army commenced retreat. Abandoned by their guides, they perished among the valleys, and a flood swept multitudes into the sea. Scarcely any recovered who had once been smitten by it and Abraha himself, a mass of malignant and putrid sores, died miserably on his return to San a’."" It is to this incident particularly that the Surah refers. The fact that the disease which destroyed Abraha’s army was smallpox in a virulently epidemic form is supported by the great historian Ibn Ishaq. He quotes ‘ A’isha h as saying that she saw two blind beggars in Mecca and on enquiring who they were, she was told that they were the drivers of Abraha’s elephant. (Du rr-e-Manth ur) " "CH.105 PT.30 3446 (Al-Fil) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.Hast thou not seen how thy Lord dealt with the People of the Elephant?4842 3.Did He not cause their bplan to miscarry?4843 4.And He sent against them swarms of birds,4844 aSee 1:1. b27:51-52. 4842. Commentary: This verse refers to Abraha, who marched on Mecca with a large army in 570 A.D., the year of the Holy Prophet’s birth, in order to destroy the Ka‘ba h. The Holy Prophet’s birth taking place in the year of Abraha’s attack on the Ka‘bah and the utter destruction of his army implied a Divine hint that because the great Prophet for whose sake the Ka‘bah had been built and who was to preach the Last Heavenly Message from there was about to be born, it militated against God’s eternal plan that it should suffer destruction at the hands of an arch-infidel. Abraha ha d a number of elephants with him. They were destroyed by a plague or epidemic, of the nature of smallpox, and their rotting bodies were eaten up by swarms of birds. For a detailed account of this incident se e Introduction. The expression کیف فعل refers more to the dreadfulness of the scourge which destroyed Abraha’s army than to the manner of their destruction. 4843 . Commentary: How Abraha was foiled in his design is writ large on the pages of history. 4844. Important Words: أبابیل( swarms) :the word is said to have no singular. According to some its singular is أبول which means, a separate or distinct portion of a number of birds or horses or camels following one another . أبابیل signifies, according to some, a company in a state of dispersion, or dispersed companies following one another, or distinct or separate companies like camels. They say جاءتابلک أبابیل i.e. thy camels came in distinct or separate companies. طری أبابیل means, birds in separate flocks or bevies, or birds in companies from this or that quarter, or following one another, flock after flock (Lane & Aqrab). " "PT.30 AL-FIL CH.105 3447 Commentary: See Introduction. 4845. Important Words: ب( against). Among a variety meanings, this particle is syn. with عیل meaning, over, upon, at, or against. An Arab poet says: أ رب یبول الثعلبان برأسه الثعالب هلقد ھان من بالت علی i.e. how can he be رب( Lord) upon whose head jackals make water and how base he is (Al-Yawaqit wal- Jawahir, vol . 1). In the Quran we have منھم من ان تأمن ه بدینار i.e. ""of them is he that if thou give him charge over a dinar (3:76). "" Commentary: Swarms of birds feasted themselves upon dead bodies of the invaders, striking the severed pieces against stones, as birds generally do when eating the small and severed pieces of the dead body of an animal. 5.Which ate their carrion, striking them against stones of clay.4845 6.And thus made them like broken straw, eaten up. " "3448 CHAPTER 106 QURAISH (Revealed before Hijrah) Introduction This Surah, like its predecessor, was revealed at Mecca in the early years of the Call. Though an independent Surah, complete in all respects, its subject matter is so closely related to Surah Al-Fil that it has been wrongly regarded by some commentators as a part of that Surah . In Surah Al-Fil a brief but graphic and forceful description was given of the utter annihilation of Abraha’s army (who had come to destroy the Ka‘bah) by a heavenly scourge which took the form of a virulent variety of smallpox. In the present Surah, God reminds the Quraish that it behoved them to worship ""the Lord of this House"" —the ""House"" to serve which they were granted security from fear and hunger. In the preceding Surah mention was made of an enemy of the Ka‘bah and of the Divine punishment that overtook him for his audacity to launch an attack on it. In the present Surah, it is stated how in the utterly bleak and arid valley of Mecca God provided the custodians of His House with every kind of food and made them secure against fear or danger. " "PT.30 CH.106 3449 (QURAISH) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.For the attachment of the Quraish —4846 3.His making them attached to their journey in winter and summer —4847 aSee 1:1. 4846 . Important Words: ل is a particle which, besides many other meanings, is used in exclamation of wonder (Steingass). ایالف( attachment) is inf. noun from الف( alafa ). They say الفه i.e. he made him to cleave or keep to the place; he made him love him or it; he made him stick to it; he made a covenant with him for the purpose of trade, he traded with him; he provided him with necessary things and prepared him. ایالف means, sticking or making one stick to a thing; loving and making one love a p erson or thing; providing a person with a thing; a covenant or an obligation involving responsibility for safety; protection (Lane & Aqrab). قریش( the Quraish) is derived from قرش .They say قرشه i.e. he collected it from here and there and att ached one part of it to another (Aqrab). The Quraish were so called because one of their ancestors Qu ssayy bin Kil ab bin Nadr had prevailed upon them to migrate from all parts of Arabia where they had lived a scattered life, and to settle in Mecca. Of Ban u Kananah only the progeny of Na dr settled in Mecca and as they (Quraish) were a small group, they were called قریش which means, a small group gathered from here and there. Commentary: See next verse. 4847 . Commentary: As ل is a particle and in Arabic a new sentence never begins with a particle, a sentence or clause or expression therefore must be taken as under stood before the words الیالف قریش as before بسم اهلل الرمحان الرحیم the word أقرء (I read) or أشرع( I begin) is taken to be understood. In the present case the understood expression, according to some commentators, is اعجبیا حممد and the verse is supposed to read something like this :اعجبیا حممد لنعم اهلل عیل قریش یف ایالفھم رحلة الشتاء والصیف i.e. do thou wonder O Mu hammad at God’s great favour upon the Quraish that He has created in their hearts love for journeying in winter and summer. The Divine favour consisted in the fact that by taking trade caravans in " "CH.106 QURAISH PT.30 3450 winter to Yemen and in summer to Syria and Palestine, the Quraish brought necessities of life to Mecca. By this trading activity, they developed a certain prestige and also became acquainted with the prophecies about the appearance of a great Prophet in Arabia by coming into contact with Jews of Yemen and Christians of Syria who knew those prophecies. It was indeed a great Divine favour that God created in the hearts of the Quraish a liking, for making journeys to Yemen and Syria. They were so rooted in the soil and had such great attachment for the Ka‘bah that they would rather starve than leave it, even temporarily. It was by the exhortation of H ashim, the Holy Prophet’s great grandfather, that they took to this calling. Thus it constituted a great Divine favour upon the Quraish that by their journeys to these places they, besides other advantages of these journeys, were being prepared to accept the coming Prophet when he appeared. Apart from the expression اعجب یا حممد لنعم اهلل عیل قریش taken as understood, there is another explanation of the verses which fits in, perhaps more appropriately, with the context. This is as follows:""Thy L ord destroyed the Owner of the Elephant to attach the hearts of the Quraish to their journeying freely in winter and summer, which constituted a great Divine favour upon them. "" This is because if Abraha had not been destroyed it would have been impossible for the Quraish to make journeys to Yemen. The destruction of Abraha, therefore, besides opening the way for trade journeys to Yemen, made the Ka‘bah all the more sacred in the eyes of the Arabs for whom it was already a place of Pilgrimage. This in its turn gave added impetus to the trade of the Quraish. 4848. Commentary: It was indeed a great Divine favour that as servants of the Ka ‘bah the Quraish were granted perfect security from fear, while all around them raged fear and insecurity. Besides, they were provided round the year, with every kind of fruit and food. All this was not due to mere chance. I t was in pursuance of a Divine plan and in fulfilment of a prophecy made by the Patriarch Abraham 2500 years before (14:36, 38 & 2:127, 130). The verse drives home to the disbelieving Quraish their guilt of ingratitude by telling them that they had taken to the worship of gods made of wood and stone. 4.They should worship the Lord of this House,a 5.Who has fed them against hunger, and has given them security against fear.4848 a3:97; 27:92. " "3451 CHAPTER 107 AL-MA‘UN (Revealed before Hijrah) Introduction This Surah, like the one preceding it, is among those revealed very early at Mecca. It takes its title from the word املاعون with which it ends. In the preceding Surah the Quraish were told that God had granted them peace and security from danger, and had provided them with all necessities of life purely out of His grace and mercy and not due to any effort on their part or because they deserved a ll these favours. They were warned, therefore, that as an act of gratitude they should have rendered sincere and devoted service to their Gracious Maker. But they became engrossed in the pursuit of worldly affairs and took to idol worship . In this Surah it is stated that love of the world causes nations to lose faith in the Hereafter and to consign God to oblivion. The Surah deals with two basic principles of Islam, whose neglect constitutes denial of religion itself. The principles are the worship of God and the service of fellow human beings. " "CH.107 PT.30 3452 (AL-MA‘UN) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.Hast thou seen him who denies the Judg ement ?b4849 3.That is the one who drives away the orphan,4850 aSee 1:1. b82:10. 4849 . Important Words: الدین( the Judg ement) is inf. noun from دان which means, he obeyed. دین means:(1) requital or recompense; (2) obedience; (3) judgement or reckoning; (4) ascendancy or predominance; (5) mastery or rule; (6) plan; (7) prayer; (8) religious organisation; (9) righteousness; (10) state or condition; (11) Divine decree; (12) habit or custom (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: In view of the different meanings of دین the verse may s ignify:He is indeed a very bad man (1) who has no faith in Divine reckoning; (2) who disobeys and defies the organization of the community to which he belongs; (3) who does not believe that good prevails over evil in the long run; (4) who does not believe in خالفة عیل منھاج النبوة i.e. Khilafat on the pattern of prophethood; (5) who does not believe in religion which is the source and basis of all morals; (6) who does not give up evil ways and does not lead a righteous life; (7) one with whom the doing of good does not become a habit; (8) who does not conform his conduct to the Divine decree, i.e. does not develop in him Divine attributes; (9) who does not worship God with true and sincere devotion; and (10) who has no plan in life, i.e. who despairs of his future. Thus the word الدین includes in its signification all those things, violation of which results in complete moral ruin of individuals and nations . 4850. Important Words: یدع( drives away). دعه means, he pushed him away; thrust him away or drove him away; or he repelled him or he did so harshly, roughly or violently (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: In the preceding verse we were told that denial of religion opens the way to all manner of evil. This and the next verse speak of two most deadly ills of society, which, if not scrupulously guarded against, bring about decline and disintegration of a community. The failure to take proper care of the orphans kills in a people the spirit of sacrifice; neglect of the poor and the needy deprives a useful " "PT.30 AL-MA‘UN CH.107 3453 section of the community of all initiative and the will to improve their lot. These two verses represent one of the two basic principles of Islam i.e. service of humanity ( شفقة عیل خلق اهلل.) 4851. Commentary: Prayer represents the duties and obligations we owe to God. They are called حقوق اهلل( obligations due to God) in religious terminology. The verse purports to say that the prayers of those hypocritical Pharisees who do not discharge the obligations they owe to God’s creatur es are a body without soul, a shell without substance. All their actions are hypocritical which, instead of doing them any good, add to their hypocrisy and insincerity. 4852 . Commentary: The املصلنی( worshippers) of the preceding verse have been condemned here as unmindful of their Prayers, since their Prayers fail to bring about in them moral change which Prayers are intended to create and develop. 4853. Commentary: The hypocritical Pharisees make only a show of soulless acts of goodness and charity. 4854. Important Words: املاعون( legal alms) is derived from معن and means, rainwater; small household articles of common use such as axe, cooking pot, etc; good; an act of kindness, any useful thing; obedience; Zakah (Aqrab). 4.And urges not the feeding of the po or.a 5.So woe to those who pray,4851 6.But are unmindful of their Prayer. 4852 7.They like only to be seen of men,b 4853 8.And withhold legal almsc. 4854 a69:35; 74:45; 89:19. b4:143. c4:54. " "3454 CHAPTER 108 AL-KAUTHAR (Revealed before Hijrah) Introduction Being one of the earliest revelations, this Surah constitutes a strong proof of the Quran being the revealed Word of God, and of the serial arrangement of the Surahs having been adopted under Divine direction, for, while the Surah was revealed very early at Mecca, sometime in the first four years of the Call, it has been placed almost at the end of the Holy Book. The order in which the Quran exists today is different from the order in which it was revealed. It is indeed a miracle of the Quran that the order in which the various Surahs were revealed was best suited to the needs of the period duri ng which they were revealed, but they were arranged as its component parts in the order which was best suited for the needs of all human beings for all time to come. The promise contained in the Surah was made at a time when the Holy Prophet was hardly known outside Mecca and his claim that he was the last Deliverer of humanity was looked upon by his compatriots as unworthy of serious consideration. The promise is in emphatic and certain terms. The words, ""We have given thee abundance of good,"" show that the promised good has already been given to the Prophet. It was in the fitness of things that in order to prove the Divine origin of the Surah it should have been revealed at a time when, humanly speaking, there was hardly any possibility of fulfilment of the promise and that it should have been placed at the end of the Quran when the promise had already been fulfilled. The connection of the Surah with its predecessor lies in the fact that whereas in the preceding Surah four prominent moral sins of the hypocrites and of Muslims of weak faith were mentioned, in the Surah under comment the corresponding four virtues of the righteous believers have been referred to, viz. generosity, regularity in saying daily Prayers, devotion to God, and willingn ess to make sacrifices for national causes. " "PT.30 CH.108 3455 (AL-KAUTHAR) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.Surely, We have given theeb abundance of good ; 4855 aSee 1:1. b93:6. 4855 . Important Words: الکوثر( abundance of good) is derived from کثر which means, it was or became much, copious, abundant, many, numerous, great in number or quantity; it multiplied or accumulated. کوثر means, abundance of good; a lord or master abounding in good; a man possessing good or much good, and one who gives much and often. According to some of the sayings of the Holy Prophet it is a certain river in Paradise, from which flow all other rivers. It is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey and has its margin composed of pavilions of hallowed pearls (Lane, Aqrab, Mufrad at and Jarir). Commentary: The Surah refers to the Holy Prophet as one on whom abundant good has been bestowed. It was revealed at a time when the Prophet had nothing to give. He was living the life of a poor man and his claim to prophethood was looked upon with contempt and as unworthy of serious consideration. For years after the Surah had been revealed he was mocked and jeered at, opposed and persecuted and at last had to leave his native town as a fugitive, a price having been laid on his head. Fo r several years at Medina, too, his life was in constant peril and Islam was eagerly expected (and humanly speaking justif iably) by its enemies to come to an early and tragic end. Then towards the end of his life an abundance of good in every shape and form began to pour down upon him like a cataract, and the promise contained in the Surah was literally fulfilled. The ""outlaw"" of Mecca became the arbiter of the destinies of the whole of Arabia, and the unlettered son of the desert proved to be the living Teacher of all mankind. God gave him a Book which is humanity’s infallible guide for all time to come. He imbibed and manifested in his pers on Divine attributes and rose to such high degree of nearness to his Creator as is possible for any human being to attain. He was blessed with a company of devoted followers whose loyalty and devotion has never been equalled, and when the call came to him from his Creator to leave the world he was satisfied that he had fully discharged the sacred task entrusted to him. In short, all kinds of " "CH.108 AL-KAUTHAR PT.30 3456 good, material and moral, were bestowed upon the Holy Prophet in full measure. He, therefore, eminently deserved the title, ""the most successful of all Prophets"" (Enc. B rit.). The word کوثر also signifies, a man possessing much good and one who gives much and often (Lane). The Holy Prophet was given الکوثر in this sense also, because God raised among his followers a galaxy of Divinely inspired Reformers who successfully defended him and Isla m in every age and guided and led the erring Muslims to the right path. Hadrat Mirz a Ghul am Ahmad, Founder of the A hmadiyya Movement, was the most distinguished of these Reformers. He distributed most lavishly the treasures of divine wealth given to him by God, thus fulfilling the prophecy of the Holy Prophet about the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, viz. یفیض املال حیت ال یقبله أحد (Bukh ari) i.e. he will spend spiritual wealth so lavishly that there will be none left to accept it. So the Promised Messiah may b e الکوثر referred to in this verse. 4856 . Commentary: The verse enjoins the Holy Prophet to turn to God with utmost devotion and be prepared to undergo all manner of sacrifice for the achievement of his great goal —the attainment of الکوثر. 4857 . Important Words: االبرت( one without issue ) is derived from برت which means, he cut of f or cut off utterly or entirely. أبرتہ means, he cut off his tail. أبرت means, any beast having the tail cut off; a short-tailed serpent; one in want or poor; defective, deficient, imperfect; suffering loss; from whom all good or prosperity is cut off; having no offspring or no male issue (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: It is very significant that in this verse enemies of the Holy Prophet have been emphatically referred to as ابرت i.e., having no male issue; while the historical fact is that all the sons of the Holy Prophet himself born before and after the revelation of this Surah died and he left no male issue after him. This shows that "" ابرت "" mentioned in the verse only means, one deprived of spiritual issues and not of sons commonly so called. In fact, it was God’s own design that the Holy Prophet should leave no male issue as he was destined to be the spiritual father of a multitude of sons in all ages to the end of time, sons who were to be far more faithful, obedient and loving than the sons of any father. He was not only the spiritual father of the Fai thful but in a 3.So pray to thy Lord, and offer sacrifice. 4856 4.Surely, it is thy enemy who is without issuea. 4857 a111:2. " "PT.30 AL-KAUTHAR CH.108 3457 sense the father also of all the Prophets of God before and after him. This is the significance of the verse و خاتم النبنی ما کان حممد أبا احد من رجالکم ولکن رسول اهلل i.e. Mu hammad is not (and will not be) the father of any of your men, bu t he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets; (33:41). And this also seems to be the significance of the verse النیب أویل باملومننی من أنفسھ م و أزواجه أمھاھتم i.e. the Prophet is nearer to the believers than their ownselves and his wives are as mothers to them (33 :7). Thus, it was not the Holy Prophet but his enemies who died issueless, since by joining the fold of Islam their sons became the spiritual issues of the Holy Prophet, who felt a sense of shame and humiliation at their pedigree being attributed to their own fathers. The verse may also signify: ""Surely, it is thy enemy who is cut off from all good or prosperity."" " "3458 CHAPTER 109 AL-KAFIR UN (Revealed before Hijrah) Date of Revelation & Context It is generally agreed that this Surah was revealed at Mecca. Hasan, ‘Ikrimah and Ibn Mas‘ud are of this opinion. Ibn Mas‘ ud being one of the earliest Companions of the Holy Prophet, his opinion about the date of the revelation of a particular Surah naturally carries great weight. Nöldeke places this chapter in the beginning of the fourth year of the Call. This fact, incidentally, belies the baseless accusation of some Christian hostile critics of Islam that the Holy Prophet had agreed to make a compromise with idolatry at the time of revelation of chapter 53, which by common consent was revealed in the fifth year of the Call, as in the Surah under comment which was revealed only one year before the supposed compromise with idolatry in every shape or form has been emphatically rejected. Subject Matter The subject matter of the Surah has a deep connection with that of the Surah preceding it. No two Surahs, perhaps, are so intimately connected with each other as these are. The subject dealt with in the opening verses of the Surah inevitably flows from, and is the direct result of, the subject treated in Surah Al-Kauthar. In Surah Al-Kauthar it was stated that spiritual and material blessings will be bestowed upon the Holy Prophet such as have no parallel or precedent in human history. As a new Adam, he will be the progenitor of a new world, and his progeny alone will continue to prosper. In the Surah under comm ent those disbelievers against whom a Divine decree had gone forth that they will not accept Islam are admonished that if having seen manifest signs in support of the Holy Prophet they refused to accept him, how could they expect Muslims to give up their Faith and accept their foolish and fantastic doctrines? If disbelievers entertained any such hope they were mistaken. The only reasonable course left to them was to wait for God’s judgement to come into operation. In view of the importance of the subject matter of th e Surah, the Holy Prophet enjoined its frequent recital. He is reported to have said that Surah Ikhlas was equal to 1/3 of the Quran, the present Surah to 1/4 of it, and whosoever would frequently recite these two Surahs and deliberate over their subject matter would command great respect and prestige, (Ibn Mard awaih), meaning, that as Surah Ikhlas, deals with a basic principle of Islam —Divine Unity —and as in the present Surah believers are enjoined courageously to stick to their Faith, in an hostile environment or under adverse circumstances, he who will comprehend and realize the significance and importance of these Surahs will necessarily command great respect. " "PT.30 CH.109 3459 (AL-K AFIRUN) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.Say, ‘O ye disbelievers! 4858 3.I worship not as you worship;b4859 aSee 1:1. b10:105; 39:15-16. 4858. Commentary: The Divine command expressed by قل( say) applies, besides the Holy Prophet, to every Muslim. Besides the present Surah, this word is placed at the beginning of chapters 72, 112, 113 and 114, and is used in about 306 verses of the Quran, and wherever it is used it emphasizes the importance of the subject governed by it. Thus believers are enjoined to proclaim loudly and repeatedly, and to convey to disbelievers in clear and definite terms, the great principles of Islam enunciated and emphasized in the present Surah. The use of ایھا( O ye) is intended to draw pointed attention to the subject matter of the Surah and to emphasize its importance. The expression has frequently been used in the Quran to serve this purpose. The word الکافرون( the disbelievers) has a general application, or it may refer to those confirmed disbelievers who by their persistent and defiant rejection of truth rule out all possibility of accepting it and disbelief becomes, as it were, a part of their being. 4859 . Commentary: Various explanations have been given to the present and the next three verses by commentators. Some say that as the pagan Meccans had put their question in two forms, therefore two forms have been adopted in answer to their question. Others say that the repetition is for the sake of emphasis. Yet some others like Zajj aj are of the opinion that the first two sentences signify denial of worship in the present time and the last two sentences denial of it in future. As against this, Zamakhshar i says that the first two sentences stand for denial of worship in future while the last two for that in the past. Be that as it may, when ال( no, not) governs مضارع, it signifies future tense. According to this us age of the particle the expression would mean:""I will never worship. "" Moreover, the particle ما is used in two ways; as مصدریه transforming into infinitive the verb which it governs, and as موصوله meaning الذی i.e. ""that which. "" Sometimes it is also used for " "CH.109 AL-KAFIR UN PT.30 3460 rational beings and means من i.e. ""he who. "" According to the various uses of the particle the verses would mean: I will not adopt your way of worship, or, I will not worship those that you worship, whet her rational beings or irrational inanimate things. But the verses have a better and more appropriate translation if ما is taken as مصدریه in the former two verses and as موصوله in the latter two. Thus, the four verses would be interpreted something like this ""I will never adopt your mode or manner of worship, nor will you adopt the manner in which I worship. And I shall not worship those things (idols) or rational or irrational beings whom you worship, nor will you worship Him Whom I worship. "" 4860 . Commentary: For different meanings of دین see 107:2. According to these the verse signifies:""As there is absolutely no meeting ground between your way of life and mine and as we are in complete disagreement not only with regard to the basic concepts of religion but also with regard to its details and other aspects, therefore, there cannot possibly be any compromise between us. 4.Nor do you worship as I worship, 5.And I shall not worship that which you worship; 6.Nor will you worship Him whom I worship. 7.For you your religion, and for me my religion.’a 4860 a2:140; 10:42. " "3461 CHAPTER 110 AN-NASR (Revealed at Mecca after Hijrah ) Introduction This is a Medinite Surah in the sense that it was revealed after Hijrah in the Medinite period, but is a Meccan Surah in the sense that it was revealed at Mecca on the occasion of the last Pilgrimage, only about 70 or 80 days before the Holy Prophet’s demise. All relevant historical data, coupled with reliable traditions and supported by such eminent authority as ‘ Abdull ah bin ‘Umar, one of the very early and distinguished Companions of the Holy Prophet, have assigned this date to its revelation. This was the last whole Surah to be revealed, though the last verse with which the Quranic revelation came to an end was the 4th verse of Surah Al-Ma’idah, viz:""This day have those who disbelieve despaired of harming your religion. So fear them not, but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favour upon you and have chosen for you Islam as religion."" In the preceding Surah disbelievers were plainly told that as their outlook on life, their ideals and principles, their religious practices and mode and manner of worship were quite different from those of believers, there was no possibility of a compromise between the two. They shall reap the consequences of their deeds while the Muslims will enjoy the fruits of their labour. In the present Surah believers are told that the victory promised to them has already come and people have joined the fold of Islam in large numbers. Therefore, they, particularly the Holy Prophet, should give thanks to his Lord, extol His praises and seek protection from Him against shortcomings and moral weaknesses that generally find their way into a new Movement at a time when large groups of people join its fold, because, in view of a vast number of new converts and owing to lack of adequate number of experienced teachers to teach them the essentials of the new Movement, they fail to comprehend and assimilate properly its teaching or imbibe its spirit. " "CH.110 PT.30 3462 (AN-NASR) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.When the help of Allah comes, and the victory,4861 3.And thou seest men entering the religion of Allah in troops, 4. bGlorify thy Lord, with His praise, and seek forgiveness of Him. Surely, He is Oft- Returning with compassion .4862 aSee 1:1. b15:99; 20:131; 50:40. 4861. Commentary: الفتح means, the promised victory. 4862. Commentary: The Holy Prophet is here enjoined that since God’s promise has been fulfilled and large masses of people have begun to enter the fold of Islam, he should give thanks to his Lord for fulfilling His promise about victory, sing His praises and seek His protection and forgiveness. The expression استغفرہ has a very wide significance. The Holy Prophet is here told that since victory h as come to him and Islam has become predominant in the land and his erstwhile enemies have become his devoted servants, he should ask God to forgive them the grave wrongs they had done to him in the past. This seems to be the meaning and significance of the injunction to the Holy Prophet to seek God’s forgiveness. Or the Holy Prophet might have been enjoined to ask God’s protection against weaknesses and shortcomings that might find their way into the Muslim Community on account of lack of adequate training or education for the new converts. It is significant that whenever mention is made in the Quran of a destined victory or some great success falling to the Holy Prophet, he is generally told to ask God’s forgiveness and to seek His protection. This clearly shows that he is enjoined here to ask for God’s forgiveness and to seek His protection not for himself but for others; he is asked to pray that whenever there was any danger of his followers deviating from I slamic principles or precepts, God may save them from such a crisis. Thus there is " "PT.30 AN-NAS R CH.110 3463 no question here of the Prophet’s asking forgiveness for any of his own actions. According to the Quran, he enjoyed complete immunity from every moral lapse or deviation from the right course (53:3). For a detailed treatment, however, of the word استغفار see 40:56 & 48:3. The expression, ""He is Oft- Returning with compassion,"" holds a message of hope for the Holy Prophet. He is told that whenever there was any danger of his followers deviating from the path of Islam and falling victims to moral decay on a large scale, God will return to them with compassion and will raise from among them a Reformer who will lead them to the right path. " "3464 CHAPTER 111 AL-LAHAB (Revealed before Hijrah) Introduction There is complete unanimity of opinion among Muslim scholars and commentators, that this Surah was revealed at Mecca during the early years of the Call. Nöldeke and Muir also subscribe to this view. Some scholars, however, are of the opinion that the Surah was the fifth to be revealed, the four Surahs —‘Alaq, Qalam, Muzzammil and Muddaththir, preceding it. The Surah seems to deal with people having red faces and fiery tempers; hence its title. In Surah Al-Kauthar, the Holy Prophet was given a two-fold promise about the great and rapid increase of his following and about the failure of the machinations of his enemies against Islam. In the preceding Surah — An-Nasr —reference was made to the first part of the promise; the present Surah refers to its second part. " "PT.30 CH.111 3465 (AL-LAHAB) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2. bPerish the two hands of Ab u Lahab, and perish he!4863 aSee 1:1. b108:4. 4863 . Important Words: یدان( two hands), is the dual form of ید which among other things means, power, influence; assistance, help, protection ; troops, host, army; possession; wealth (Lane). See also 5:65, & 38:46. تب( perish) means, he suffered loss ; he became lost ; he perished; he died. تباب ,تبیب and تب( tabbun ) are all infinitive nouns meaning, loss; death; destruction; perdition. They say تباله i.e. may he perish; may perdition be his lot. تبت یدہ also means, may he perish (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: ابوھلب( Father of Flame) was the nick name of ‘Abd ul-‘Uzz a, the Holy Prophet’s uncle and his inveterate enemy and persecutor. He was so called either because his complexion and hair were ruddy or because he had a fiery temper. The Surah recalls an incident during the early preachings of the Holy Prophet. On being informed by God to call together his relatives and to deliver to them the Divine Message the Holy Prophet stood on the Mount Safa and called the different Meccan tribes by name —the tribes of Laww i, Murr a, Kilab and Quss ayy, and his near relatives, and told them that he was God’s Messenger, and that if they did not accept his Message and did not give up their evil ways, Divine punishment would overtake them. The Holy Prophet had hardly finished his speech, when Ab u Lahab stood up and said, تبالک أھلذا مجعتنا ھذا الیوم i.e. ruin seize thee, is it for this that thou hast called us together (Bukh ari). The sobriquet ""Father of Flame"" may either refer to the Holy Prophet’s uncle or to any hot tempered enemy of Islam or better still it may apply to the western powers of the latter days who own and control atomic and nuclear weapons —one group of them repudiating God altogether, and the other denying His Unity but both being equally opposed to Islam. In this sense ""the two hands"" would signify these two groups. The verse purports to say that all endeavours and machinations of the enemies of Islam, particularly of the two groups of western powers and their satellites, would utterly fail and all their nefarious designs would recoil on their own heads; they would " "CH.111 AL-LAHAB PT.30 3466 burn with rage at seeing Islam progressing, and their own wealth, power and possessions ( أید )perishing before their very eyes. 4864 . Commentary: This verse appropriately may also apply to the wealthy western powers who have great material resources at their disposal. The words ""his wealth "" may mean the wealth produced in their own countries, and ""what he has earned"" may signify the riches they have earned by exploiting weaker nations and despoiling them of their natural resources. 4865. Commentary: The expression أبوھلب may also mean, one who invents something which produces fire and flames, or one who is himself consumed in the flames of fire. In this sense, the verse may be interpreted as predicting the destruction of the two major political Blocs of the latter days by their own fire-producing weapons, such as atom bombs and other nuclear weapons. The verse also shows that the day of reckoning for these nations is not far off. It seems to have already arrived. 4865A. Commentary: احلطب ةمحال (the carrier of firewood). حطب is inf. noun from حطب( hataba) which means, he collected firewood, حطب به means he slandered him. They say ھو حیمل احلطب بنی الناس i.e. he goes about spreading calumny or slander among the people (Lane & Aqrab) . هامرأت ( his wife) is syn. with زوج which among other things means, an associate, a comrade, wife (Lane). Commentary: The reference in the verse seems to be to Ab u Lahab’s wife, Ummi Jamil who strewed the Holy Prophet’s path with thorns and went about spreading calumnies against him. The verse may also apply to people in Western democracies or in the Communist bloc who spread calumnies and false accusations against Islam and urge their leaders to break its power. The verse may also signify that these nations would be constantly engaged in manufacturing weapons for their own destruction. 4866. Commentary: Though apparently free, these nations will be so strongly tied to 3. aHis wealth and what he has earned shall avail him not.4864 4.Soon shall he burn in a flaming fire;4865 5.And his wife the carrier of the firewood .4865A 6.Round her neck shall be a halter of twisted palm-fibre.4866 a3:11; 58:18. " "PT.30 AL-LAHAB CH.111 3467 their respective political ideologies and systems that they will not be able to break away from them. Or like Ummi Jamil who is said to have become strangled by the very rope by which she carried firewood, these nations would perish by the very means by which they would seek to destroy others. As a fitting postscript to the Surah two of the prophecies, one from the Quran and the other from the Bible which speak of the terrible fate of these nations may be given below: But when the promise of My Lord shall come to pass, He will break it into pieces. And the promise of my Lord is certainly true. And on that day We shall leave some of them to surge against others and the trumpet will be blown. Then shall We gather them all together. And on that day We shall present Hell, face to face, to disbelievers (18:99-101). And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that My fury shall come up in My face. For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath have I spoken. Surely, in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel. So the fishes of the sea and the fowls of the heaven and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at My presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall and every wall shall fall to the ground… And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood:and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands and upon the many people that are with him an overflowing rain, and great pestilence, fire and b rimstone (Ezek. 38:18-22). " "3468 CHAPTER 112 AL-IKHLAS (Revealed before Hijrah) Introduction That this is one of the earliest Meccan Surahs is the view of Hasan, ‘Ikrimah and, above all, Ibn Mas‘ud, one of the earliest of the Holy Prophet’s Companions. However, Ibn ‘Abb as, though much younger than ‘Abdull ah bin Mas‘ ud but regarded as one of the most learned Companions, thinks that the Surah was revealed at Medina. In view of these conflicting opinions of these two very respected Companions of the Holy Prophet some commentators of the Quran are inclined to think that the Surah was revealed twice, first at Mecca and then at Medina . Among the orientalists, Muir places it among the earliest Meccan Surahs, while Nöldeke assigns it to the end of the first period —about the fourth year of the Call. In view of the importance of its subject matter, the Surah has come to be known by several names, of which some are:At-Tafrid; At-Tajrid; At-Tauhid, Al- Ikhlas; Al- Ma‘rifah; A s-Samad; Al- Athath; An-N ur, etc. Because it deals with the basic religious belief —Unity of God —the Surah has the distinction of being called by the Holy Prophet as the greatest of all the Quranic Surahs (Ma‘ ani). ‘A’ishah is reported to have said that before going to bed the Holy Prophet used to recite this and the last two Surahs, at least thrice (Ab u-Dawud). The Surah is entitled Ikhl as because its recitation and deliberation over its subject matter, is calculated to foster in the reader a deep attachment to God. What adds to the great importance of the Surah is the fact that while Al-Fatihah is considered to be a resume of the whole of the Quran, the present Surah, together with the two succeeding it repeats and rehearses the theme of the subject matter of Al-Fa tihah. " "PT.30 CH.112 3469 (AL-IKHL AS) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.Say, ‘He is Allah, thebOne and only ;4867 3.Allah, the Independent and Besought of all.4868 aSee 1:1. b16:23; 22:35; 59:23 . 4867. Commentary: The word قل( say) here embodies a permanent command to all Muslims to keep proclaiming ""God is One. "" ھو( He) used as ضمری الشأن and meaning, ""the truth is, "" signifies that the truth is embedded in human nature that God is and that He is One and Alone. اهلل is the di stinctive name use d for the Supreme Being in the Quran . In the Arabic language the word is never used for any other thing or being. It is a persona l name of God, neither attributive nor descriptive. See also 1:1. احد( the One) is an epithet applied to God alone and signifies, the One; the Sole; He Who has been and will ever be One and Alone; Who has no second to share in His Lordship, nor in His Essence (Lane). According to Aqrab the difference between أحد and واحد when used about God is that whereas أحد signifies Oneness of God in His Person, the idea of a second being inconceivable, واحد signifies uniqueness of God in His attributes. Commentary: In view of the above-mentioned signification of أحد and واحد the expression اهلل واحد would signify that God is that Supreme Being Who is the Source and Fountainh ead from Whom all creation has emanated; and اهلل أحد would mean that Allah is that Being Who is One and Alone in the sense that when we think of Him, the very idea that there is any other being or thing is absent from our minds. He is One and Alone in every s ense. He is neither the starting link of any chain, nor its last link. Nothing is like Him nor is He like anything else. This is Allah as conceived and presented by the Quran . 4868 . Important Words: الصمد( Independent and Besought of all) is substantive noun from صمد . They say صمد اهلل یف احلوائج i.e. he betook himself or had recourse to Allah in needs and exigencies . صمد( samad ) means, a person to whom one betakes oneself in one’s needs. سید صمد means, a chief to whom recourse is had; a lord to whom obedience is rendered; without whom no affair is " "CH.112 AL-IKHL AS PT.30 3470 accomplished. صمد also means, a person or place above whom or which there is no one. الصمد means, the Supreme Being to Whom recourse is had for the accomplishment of needs; Who is Independent of all and upon Whom all depend for their needs ; Who will continue forever after all creation has ceased to exit; above Whom there is no one. (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: In the preceding verse the claim was made that God is One, Alone, and Unique. The present verse substantiates that claim. It says that God is الصمد i.e. all things and beings depend upon Him and He is Independent and Besought of all. All have need of Him and He has need of none. He needed the help of no being or material to create the universe. So when all things and beings ar e dependent on Him and to Him we have recourse for our needs and requirements and He fulfils them, then where is the necessity of any other God? In fact, nothing in the universe is complete in itself, not even the smallest atom. Nothing is selfsubsisting; everything depends on some other thing for its existence. God alone is such a Being Who depends on no being or thing. He is above conception and conjecture. His attributes know no bound or limit. This is the meaning of الصمد. 4869 . Commentary: The Divine attribute الصمد (Independent and Besought of all) was mentioned in the previous verse to establish the claim that Allah is احد (One, Alone, the Unique), and now in the verse under comment the Divine attribute لمیلد و لم یولد( He begets not, nor is He begotten) is mentioned to show that He is الصمد i.e. God is above need, because the presence of need presupposes that He requires the assistance of someone without whom He cannot carry on His work, and who should continue His work, after He is dead, inasmuch as all those beings that succeed, or ar e succeeded by others, are subject to death, but those things which need no successor and do not di e before fulfilling the object of their creation, such as the sun, the moon, the oceans, the mountains, etc., are not subject to death or destruction. Thus Allah Who has succeeded no one and will be succeeded by no one is complete in all His attributes and is Eternal, Everlasting and Absolute. 4870. Commentary: This verse disposes of a possible doubt that the previous verses might have created:Granted that Allah is One, Alone, Absolute and Independent of all and that He neither 4.He begets not,a nor is He begotten; 4869 5.And there is none like unto Him.’ 4870 a17:112; 19:93; 25:3; 37:153. " "PT.30 AL-IKHL AS CH.112 3471 begets nor is He begotten, but there might be in existence another being who, like Him, might also possess all the attributes He possesses. The verse effectively removes this misgiving. It says that there is none like Allah. Human reason demands, and the Quran has conceded the reasonableness of this demand, that there should be One Creator and Controller of the whole universe. The perfect order that pervades and permeates it leads to the inevitable result that one uniform law must govern it, and the unity and uniformity of the law and the design proves and proclaims the Unity of its Maker (21:23). Thus the Surah cuts at the root of all polytheistic be liefs that exist in one form or other in other faiths —belief in two, three or more gods, or the belief that soul and matter or any other thing co-exists with Allah. God, as conceived and held out by Islam, is a personal God and not a mere philosophical conception; One, Alone, Unique, Eternal and Absolute, without beginning or end, Incomparable, above the need of being succeeded by anyone, nor ever having succeeded anyone. This is the sublime definition of the Supreme Being as given in the Quran; and nothing in any other revealed Scripture touches even the fringes of the beauty, sublimity and majesty of this definition. " "3472 CHAPTER 113 AL-FALAQ (Revealed before Hijrah) Date of Revelation, and Context This and the next Surah are so closely linked as regards their subject matter that though they are complete in themselves and independent of each other, the Surah that follows, viz. An-N as, may be regarded as complementary to the present Surah. This Surah deals with one aspect of the same subject while the next Surah deals with the other. Both the Surahs together are called Mu‘awwidhat an meaning, ""the two Surahs that afford protection,"" because both of them open with the expression ""I seek refuge in the Lord."" There is a wide divergence of opinion among scholars regarding the place where these Surahs were revealed. In view of this divergence it is rather difficult to determine the exact date of their revelation. Some scholars, including Ibn ‘Abb as and Qat adah, assign them to Medina while according to Hasan, ‘Ikrimah, ‘A ta’ and J abir, they were revealed at Mecca. Among western scholars Nöldeke and Muir hold no definite opinion, but Weil thinks that they belong to Mecca. Taking all relevant facts and historical data into consideration, the majority of Muslim scholars and commentators of the Quran are inclined to place them among the Meccan Surahs . The present Surah is entitled Al-Falaq (the Dawn). Subject Matter The connection of these two Surahs with Surah Al-Ikhl as consists in the fact that in that Surah believers were enjoined to proclaim to the whole world that God is One and Unique, that He is far above anything or any person being a partner in His Divinity. In these two Surahs the believers are told that they should not be afraid of any tyrant, dictator or ruler in the discharge of this sacred duty and should hold the firm belief that God is the sole Director and Controller of the whole universe and that He has the power to protect His votaries from any harm or injury which the forces of darkness might seek to do them. Though constituting an integral part of the Quran, these two Surahs may be regarded as forming a sort of epilogue to it. The main body of the Quran seems to end with Surah Al-Ikhl as, which recapitulates, as it were, in a nutshell, the basic Quranic principles, and in these two Surahs believers are enjoined to seek Divine protection against deviating from the right path and against the mischief and evils which might adversely affect their material well-being and spiritual development. The Holy Prophet used to recite these two Surahs regularly before going to bed. " "PT.30 CH.113 3473 (AL-FALAQ) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.Say, ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn,b4871 3.From the evil of that which He has created, 4.And from the evil of darkness when it overspreads,4872 aSee 1:1. b6:96. 4871 . Important Words: الفلق( dawn) is subs. noun from فلق . They say فلق الصبح i.e. He (God) made the dawn to break. ‘Ali, the Holy Prophet’s Fourth Successor used generally to swear by the words ةأ النسمرو ب ةفلق احلب والذی i.e. By Him Who clove the grain, making it to germinate and Who created man or the soul. فلق among other things means, the daybreak or dawn; the whole creation; Hell; the plain appearance of the truth after it had been dubious; a low or depressed place of the earth between two hills; an elevated ground (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: A believer is enjoined to invoke the protection of God, the Lord of فلق .In view of different meanings of the word, he is told to pray : (1) That when the night of darkness over Islam has passed away and the morning of its bright future dawns, its sun should continue to shine till it reaches the Meridian. (2) That God might protect him from the hidden and manifest evil of all that He has created, including the evils of heredity, bad environment, defective education or other corrupting influences. (3) That God should save him from the torments of Hell in this life and in the Hereafter. (4) That God should enable him to avoid extremes and to adopt the middle course in all things which is the safest course, since the idea implied in ربوبیة is development by degrees and in stages. See also v . 6 below. 4872 . Commentary: غاسق( darkness) is derived from غسق which means, it became dark or intensely dark. غسقت العنی means, the eyes flowed with water . غسق اللنب means, the milk poured fourth from the udder. الغاسق means, the night; darkness; the Pleiades when it sets ; the moon when it is eclipsed; the sun when it sets; the day when it enters " "CH.113 AL-FALAQ PT.30 3474 upon the night, etc. (Lane & Aqrab). وقب( overspreads). They say وقب الظالم i.e. the darkness overspread. وقبت الشمس means, the sun set. وقب الرجل means, the eyes of the man sank. وقب القمر means, the moon became eclipsed (Aqrab). Commentary: The verse may refer to the evils of the time when the light of truth becomes extinguished and the darkness of sin and iniquity spreads over the entire face of the earth. Or it may refer to the evils of the time when one is overwhelmed by distress and privation, when it is darkness all around him, and the last ray of hope disappears. See also last verse of the Surah. 4873 . Important Words: النفاثات( who blow) is derived from نفث which means, he spat. نفثت احلی ة الدم means, the serpent emitted poison . نفث اهلل ال یشء یف القلب means, God inspired him with a thing. نفاثات means; those groups that spit or emit much poison; those who whisper evil suggestions (Aqrab). Commentary: The reference in the verse is to those whisperers of evil suggestions who cause solemn contracts and friendships to break down, and who inspire people with a spirit of defiance of established authority or with violating the oath of fealty, and thus seek to create discord and dissension in the Muslim Community and to encourage fissiparous tendencies among them. For a detailed note on the whole Surah see next verse. 4874. Commentary: The Surah deals with the material side of man’s life as does the next Surah with its spiritual side. Man is confronted with various kinds of dangers and difficulties in life. When he is engaged in an undertaking of a serious import, particularly when he takes upon himself to spread the light of truth, forces of darkness surround him on all sides; and when he proceeds further men of evil designs bar his way and create all sorts of impediments and difficulties. When at last success dawns on him, persons of a jealous nature seek to deprive him of the fruit of his labour. As protection against all these difficulties, obstacles and perils in life, a believer is enjoined to invoke the help and assistance of the Lord of فلق( dawn) to give him light when there is darkness all around; to protect him from the evil designs of mischief-makers and the nefarious machinations of jealous persons. 5.And from the evil of those who blow upon the knots of mutual relationships to undo them,4873 6.And from the evil of the envier when he envies.’4874 " "PT.30 AL-FALAQ CH.113 3475 What a complete and comprehensive prayer! The last two Surah s of the Quran may also specially refer to the time of the Promised Messiah and Mahd i. Verse 4 of the present Surah may refer to the eclipses of the sun and the moon which, according to a well- known saying of the Holy Prophet were to take place in the time of the Mahdi (Qu tni), and the last two verses may refer to his enemies who will create all sorts of difficulties for him and will burn with rage as they will see his mission making rapid progress. حاسد( the envious one) may also refer to the Dajj al, the Arch Envier who will give the Promised Mahdi an obstinate fight. " "3476 CHAPTER 114 AN-NAS (Revealed before Hijrah) Introduction This Surah, the second of the Mu‘awwidhat an, constitutes an extension of its predecessor and is in a way complementary to it, in that in Surah Al-Falaq the believers were enjoined to seek protection from God against the hardships and privations of life, in the present Surah protection is sought from trials and tribulations that hamper man’s spiritual development, and the protection is to be invoked not only by verbal solicitation but by deeds and actions that may attract God’s Grace. This is the true significance of the commandment conveyed by the word قل( say). The Surah is quite fittingly entitled الناس( mankind), since protection has been solicited from the Lord, King and God of mankind ( الناس ) against the mischief of whisperers from among the jinn and men, who whi sper evil thoughts into the hearts of men (الناس .)The Surah was evidently revealed at the same time as Surah Al-Falaq, both the Surahs constituting an appropriate ending of the Quran. " "PT.30 CH.114 3477 (AN-NAS) 1. aIn the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. 2.Say, ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,4875 3.The bKing of mankind, 4.The God of mankind, 5.From the evil of the whisperings of the sneaking whisperer, 6.Who whispers into the hearts of men, aSee 1:1. b59:24; 62:2. 4875. Commentary: In the present Surah three Divine attributes, viz. رب الناس (Lord of mankind), ملک الناس( King of mankind ), اله الناس( God of mankind), have been invoked as against one attribute, viz. رب الفلق ( Lord of the dawn) in the preceding Surah, because this one attribute comprises all the three above-mentioned attributes. Whereas one Divine attribute, viz. رب الفلق( Lord of the dawn) has been invoked against four kinds of mischief in the previous Surah, in the Surah under comment three Divine attributes have been invoked against one mischief, i.e. whispering of the Evil One. This is because promptings or insinuations of Satan cover all conceivable evils. Mention of three Divine attributes in the Surah implies that all sin proceeds from three causes, viz. when a person looks upon other men as his رب( Lord) or ملک( King), or اله( God), that is to say, he regards them as the main prop or support of his life or slavishly surrenders to their undue authority or makes them the object of his love and adoration. A believer is enjoined here to look up to God alone as the real support of his life, and to render to Him alone true and unconditional obedience and to make Him alone the real object of his love and adoration. Or, the believer may have been enjoined in these verses constantly to seek protection against the ravages of exploiting capitalists, tyrannical rulers and from the crafty priestly class who, taking undue advantage of the unwary and simple- minded folk exploit them mercilessly. " "CH.114 AN-NAS PT.30 3478 The reference seems particularly to be to the conditions obtaining during the latter days. 4876 . Commentary: The verse may mean that the Evil One whispers evil thoughts into the hearts of the jinn (big men) and common men, sparing nobody. O r it may mean that whisperers of evil are to be found both among the jinn and common men. The verse may also refer to the evils of western democracies and of the Communist powers that work from behind the iron curtain. 7.From among the Jinn and men.’4876 " " Index " "" "Table of Contents of The Index Heading, Page Number 3481 Aaron (Prophet H arun), 3507 ‘Abasa, Al (chapter ), 3507 Abbre viated letters (Muqa tta‘at), 3507 Abdul ‘Uzz a, 3507 Abdullah b in Mas‘ ud, 3507 Abdullah b in Ubayy, 3507 Abdulla h bin Ummi Maktum, 3507 Ablut ion, 3507 Abortion, 3507 Abraha Ashram (Vicero y of Yemen), 3507 Abraham (Prophet Ibrahim), 3507 Abraham and Ishma el (Prophets), 3508 Abraham, Prayers of, 3508 Abrogation, Theory of, 3508 Abu ‘Amir Madan i, 3508 Abu Bakr, 3508 Abu Jahl, 3509 Abu Sufyan, 3509 Abu Talib, 3509 Abyssinia, 3509 Actions, 3509 ‘Ad and Tham ud, People of, 3509 ‘Ad, People of, 3509 Adam (Prophet), 3509 Address, Form of, 3509 ‘Adh abul-Khuld (The Abiding Punishment), 3509 ‘Adiyat, Al (chapter ), 3509 Adoption, 3509 Adul tery/Fornication, 3509 Agriculture, 3510 Ahad (One) and W ahid (One), 3510 Ahmad (Promised Messiah), 3510 Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam, 3511 Ahqaf, Al (chapter ), 3511 Ahzab, Al (chapter ), 3511 Aila (Elath), 3511 ‘A’isha h, 3511 A‘la, Al (chapter), 3511 ‘Ala Harfin (On the Verge:Vicissitudinous Faith), 3511 ‘Alaq, Al (chapter ), 3511 Alexander’s Wall, 3511 Al-e-‘Imran (chapter ), 3511 Allah, 3511 Allah, Attributes of, 3513 Allah, Creation of, 3516 Allah, Existence of, 3516 Allah, Friends of, 3516 Allah, Signs of, 3516 Allah, Unity of, 3516 Allah, Word of, 3516 Alms, obligatory ( Sadaq at) (see Zak ah), 3517 Amalekites, 3517 America, 3517 ‘Amm ara (see Bait ul-Ma‘mur), 3517 ‘Amr bin Al-‘As, 3517 An‘am, Al (chapter ), 3517 Anbiy a’, Al (chapter ), 3517 Anfal (Spoils), 3517 Anfal, Al and Tau bah, At (chapter ), 3517 Angels (also see Gabriel), 3517 Animal Consumption, 3517 ‘Ankab ut, Al (chapter ), 3517 Ansar (Helpers), 3517 Apostas y 3517 Apostates, 3517 Arabia, 3517 Arabic Language, 3517 Arabs, 3517 A‘raf, Al (chapter ), 3517 Arguments and Reasoning, 3517 Ark, 3518 Arrogance, 3518 ‘Arsh (Throne), 3518 Ashabur-Rass (People of Well), 3518 Ashhurul Hurum (Forbidden Months), 3518 ‘Asr, Al (chapter ), 3518 Associating Partners with Allah (see Idolatry), 3518 Astrology, 3518 Atlantic Ocean, 3518 Atonement, 3518 Attributes, 3518 Aus and Khazraj, 3518 Authority, 3518 Ayah (Token, Sign), 3518 Ayyam (Periods of time ), 3518 Azar, 3518 Backbiting, 3518 Badr, Battle of, 3518 Badr, The Smaller ( Badr A s-Sughra), 3519 Baghd ad, 3519 Baha’ullah, 3519 Bahisht i Maqbarah, 3519 Bahrain, 3519 Bahr il-Masjur (The swollen Sea), 3519 Baitul-Ma‘mur (Frequented House), 3519 Bai‘atur-Ridwan, 3519 " "Table of Contents of The Index Heading, Page Number 3482 Balad, Al (chapter ), 3519 Bani Isra’il (chapter ), 3519 Banu Mustaliq, 3519 Banu Nadir:Ban u Qainuq a‘, 3519 Banu Qainuq a‘:Ban u Qurai zah, 3519 Banu Qurai zah, 3519 Baqarah, Al ( chapter ), 3519 Bara’at (Declaration of Absolution), 3519 Barzakh (A Barrier), 3519 Bayyinah, Al (chapter ), 3519 Bedouin, Tribes of, 3519 Bee, 3519 Begging, 3519 Belief, 3519 Believ ers, 3519 Belie vers, Foremost, 3521 Believ ers, Righteous, 3522 Belie vers, True, 3522 Benjamin, 3522 Bible (Holy), 3522 Bilal, 3522 Birds, 3522 Birth Control, 3522 Bismill ahir Ra hmanir Ra him, 3522 Blessings, 3522 Blind, Spiritually, 3522 Book(s) (Scriptures), 3522 Book, People of the, 3522 Boyco tting, 3523 Bracelets of Gold, 3523 Bribes, 3523 Brotherhood, 3523 Buruj, Al (chapter ), 3523 Byzantine and Iranian Empires, 3523 Cain and Abel (Sons of Adam), 3523 Calamities, 3523 Calendar, 3523 Camphor (K afur), 3523 Canals, Panama and Suez, 3523 Capitalism and Communism, 3523 Captives, 3523 Cattle, 3523 Cave, 3523 Cave, People of, 3523 Challenge, 3523 Charity ( Sadaqah), 3524 Chastity, 3524 Children, 3524 Chosroes, 3524 Christian Nations, Western, 3524 Christianity, 3524 Christians, 3524 Civilization and Culture, 3524 Civilizations, 3525 Commercial Transactions, 3525 Community, 3525 Community, Islam ic, 3525 Compacts, 3525 Companions of the Holy Prophet, 3525 Compulsion in Faith, 3525 Conceit and Self Praise, 3525 Confucianism, 3525 Consu ltation (Sh ura), 3525 Covenant (of Allah ), 3525 Creation, 3525 Creation, Purpose of, 3526 Creator, 3526 Crucifixion, The, 3526 Cyrus (Prophet Dhul-Qarnain), 3526 Dahr, Ad (chapter ), 3526 Dajjal, 3526 Daniel (Prophet), 3526 David (Prophet D awud), 3526 Dawud (see David, Prophet), 3526 Day (Yaum), 3526 Dead in their Grav es, 3526 Deaf, Spiritually, 3526 Death, 3526 Debts, 3527 Decision, Day of, 3527 Decius, Roman Emperor, 3527 Decree, Divine, 3527 Deeds, Evil, 3527 Deeds, Good, 3527 Deluge, The Great, 3528 Dependents, 3528 Despair, 3528 Destruction, Divine, 3528 Development Spiritual, 3528 Dhariyat, Adh (chapter ), 3528 Dhikr (Remembrance or Eminence), 3528 Dhu Nuwas of Yemen, 3528 Dhul-Kifl (see Prophet Ezekiel), 3528 Dhun-Nun (see Jonah, Prophet), 3528 Dhul-Qarnain (see Cyrus, Prophet), 3528 Dietar y Laws (also see Food), 3528 Disbelief, 3528 Disbelievers, 3528 Discoveries and Inventions, 3532 Dispensation, Mosaic and Islam ic, 3532 " "Table of Contents of The Index Heading, Page Number 3483 Disputes, 3532 Dissension, 3532 Distinction, Day of (see Bad r, Battle of), 3532 Ditch, Battle of, 3532 Divorce, 3532 Dog, 3532 Dreams and Visions, 3532 Duha, Ad (chapter ), 3532 Dukh an, Ad (chapter ), 3532 Dwellers of the Ca ve, 3532 Earth, 3532 Economic Principles, 3532 Eden, Garden of, 3532 Egypt, 3532 Elephant, People of the, 3532 Elijah (Prophet Ilyas), 3532 Elisha (Prophet), 3533 Enchantment, 3533 Enemies (of Islam ), 3533 Enemies of Prophets, 3533 Enoch (Prophet Idr is), 3533 Ethereal Wav es, 3533 Etiquette, Islam ic, 3533 Evil Ones (Sha yatin), 3533 Evil Suggestions, 3533 Evolution, 3533 Experiences, Spiritual, 3533 Expulsion, 3533 Ezekiel (Prophet Dhul-Kifl), 3533 Ezra (Prophet ‘Uz air), 3534 Faith, 3534 Faithful, The, 3534 Fajr, Al (chapter ), 3534 Falaq, Al (chapter ), 3534 False Deities, 3534 False Prophets, 3534 Falsehood, 3534 Fasting, 3534 Fath, Al (Chaper), 3534 Fathul Bayan, 3534 Fatihah, Al (chapter ), 3534 Fatir (Maker), 3534 Fatir, Al (chapter ), 3534 Fault and Sin, 3534 Favours, Divine, 3534 Fighting, 3534 Fil, Al (chapter ), 3534 Firdaus (Paradise), 3534 Flogging, 3534 Food (also see Dietar y Laws), 3534 Forgi vene ss, 3535 Fortune Telling, 3535 Frequented House (Bait ul-Ma‘mur), 3535 Furq an (Distinction ), 3535 Furq an, Al (chapter ), 3535 Gabriel (see also Angels), 3535 Gambling, 3535 Garden, The, 3535 Ghashiyah, A l (chapter ), 3535 Gibbon ( Historian), 3535 Gideon ( Talut), 3535 Gifts, Divine, 3535 Ginger, 3535 Glad Tidings, 3535 God, 3535 Gog and Magog, 3535 Goliath, 3535 Good and E vil, 3535 Gospel ( Injil), 3535 Governments, 3535 Gratitude, 3535 Great Wall (see Alexander’s Wall), 3536 Greeting of Peace, 3536 Guardians, 3536 Guidance, 3536 Habakkuk, 3536 Hadid, Al (chapter ), 3536 Hadith, 3536 Hagar, 3537 Hajj (see Pilgrimage), 3537 Hajj, Al (chapter ), 3537 Halal (A Lawful Thing), 3537 Haman, 3537 Hamd (Praise Applied Exclusiv ely to Allah ) 3537 Ha Mim, Sajdah, As (chapter ), 3537 Happiness, 3537 Haqqah, Al (Chaper), 3537 Haram (Unlawful), 3538 Harith, 3538 Harun (see Aaron, Prophet), 3538 Harut and M arut, 3538 Hashr, Al (chapter ), 3538 Hatib bin Ab i Balta ‘h, 3538 Heart, 3538 Heaven (also see Paradise), 3538 Heaven and Hell, 3538 Heaven(s), 3538 " "Table of Contents of The Index Heading, Page Number 3484 Hebrew, 3538 Hell, 3538 Heraclius, 3539 Hijr, Al (chapter ), 3539 Hijr, People of (see Tham ud, People of), 3539 Hijrah (the Migration of the Holy Prophet to Medina ), 3539 Hikmah (Wisdom ; Knowledge), 3539 Hinduism, 3539 Hira’, 3539 History, 3539 History of Islam, 3539 Holy Land, 3539 Honour, 3539 Hour, The, 3539 Hud (chapter ), 3539 Hud (Prophet), 3539 Hudaibiyyah, Treaty of, 3539 Hudhud, 3539 Hujurat, Al (chapter ), 3539 Human Nature, 3539 Humanity, 3540 Humazah, Al (chapter ), 3540 Hunain, Battle of, 3540 Hunting, 3540 Husna (Eternal Good), 3540 Huyy bin Akh tab, 3540 Hypocrites, 3540 ‘Ibadah (Rigorous, Spiritual Self Discipline), 3540 Iblis, 3540 Ibni Ishaq (Historian), 3541 Ibrahim (chapter ), 3541 Ibrahim (see Abraham, Prophet), 3541 Idolaters, 3541 Idolatry, 3541 Idols (Nu sub), 3541 Idris (see Enoch, Prophet), 3542 Ifkun (A Great Lie), 3542 Ikhlas, Al (chapter ), 3542 ‘Ikrimah, 3542 Illiyyin, Illiyyun, 3542 Ilyas (see Elijah, Prophet), 3542 Iman (Faith), 3542 Immigrants, 3542 Immoral Conduct, 3542 Immortality, 3542 ‘Imran, Family of, 3542 Infanticide, 3542 Infidels, 3542 Infitar, Al ( chapter ), 3542 Inheritance, 3542 Injil (see Gospel), 3542 Insan, Al (Man, 'Perfect Man'), 3542 Insha’-Allah (If God Wills), 3542 Inshiq aq, Al (chapter ), 3542 Inshir ah, Al (chapter ), 3542 Intercession, 3542 Interest (Rib a), 3542 Intermediary, 3542 International Peace, 3542 Intoxicants, 3542 Iran, 3542 Iron, 3542 ‘Isa (see Jesus, Prophet), 3542 Isaac (Prophet Is haq), 3542 Isaiah (Prophet), 3542 Ishaq (see Isaac, Prophet), 3542 Ishmae l (see Isma’il, Prophet), 3542 Ishm aelites, 3542 Islam, 3542 Islam, History of, 3544 Islam, Triumph of, 3544 Isma’il (Prophet Ishmael), 3544 Israel, 3545 Israelites (also see Jews), 3544 Istighf ar (To ask Forgi veness), 3545 Jacob (Prophet Ya‘qub), 3545 Ja‘far (Bin Ab i Talib), 3545 Jalabib (Outer Garments), 3545 Jaldah (Flogging), 3545 Jalut (see Goliath), 3545 Jathiyah, Al (chapter ), 3545 Jeremiah (Prophet), 3545 Jerusalem, 3545 Jesus (Messiah), 3545 Jesus (Messiah), Disciples o f, 3546 Jewish Scholars, 3546 Jewish Tribes, 3546 Jews, 3546 Jewish and Christian Scho lars, 3547 Jews and Christians, 3547 Jibril (see Gabriel), 3547 Jihad (Striving for the Cause of Allah ), 3547 Jinn, 3547 Jinn (Veiled, Concealed ), 3547 Jinn, Al (chapter ), 3548 Jinn and Men, 3548 Jizyah (Ta x Paid by Non-Muslims), 3548 Job (Prophet Ayy ub), 3548 " "Table of Contents of The Index Heading, Page Number 3485 John (Prophet Ya hya), 3548 Jonah (Prophet Y unus), 3548 Jonah, People of, 3548 Joseph (Prophet Yusuf), 3548 Joseph of Arimathaea, 3548 Judah, 3548 Judgment, Day of, 3548 Judi, Al, 3549 Jumu‘ah, Al ( chapter ), 3549 Justice, 3549 K‘ab bin Ashraf, 3549 Ka‘bah, 3549 Kafirun, Al (chapter ), 3549 Kahf, Al (chapter ), 3549 Kauthar, Al (chapter ), 3549 Khad ijah, 3549 Khaibar, 3549 Khal ifah (Inheritor of God’s Fa vours), 3549 Khal ifah (Successor), 3549 Khan, Hulagu, 3550 Khatm-i-Nabu wwat, 3550 Khazraj, 3550 Khilafat (Successorship), 3550 Khim ar (Head Cove ring), 3550 Khutbah (Sermon), 3550 Killing, 3550 Kitab (Book), 3550 Knowledge, 3550 Korah, 3550 Kufr (Disbelief), 3550 Kursi yy, Ayatul, 3550 Lahab, Al (chapter ), 3550 Lail, Al (chapter ), 3550 Land and Sea, 3550 Lat, 3550 Latter Da ys, 3550 Law, 3550 Law, Dietary, 3550 Law, Divine, 3550 Law, Islamic (Sha ri‘ah), 3551 Law, Natural, 3551 Leaders, 3551 Life, 3551 Life after Death, 3551 Light (N ur), 3552 Light, Spiritual, 3552 Lightening (Thunder and Clouds), 3552 Loan Transactions, 3552 Lord (Rabb), 3552 Lot (Prophet Lut), 3552 Lote-tree, 3552 Loyalty, 3553 Lunar System, 3553 Luqm an (chapter ), 3553 Luqm an (Prophet), 3553 Lut (see Lot, Prophet), 3553 Ma‘arij, Al (chapter ), 3553 Magians, 3553 Magicians, 3553 Ma’idah, Al (chapter ), 3553 Male and Female, 3553 Man, 3553 Man and Jinn, 3555 Man and Woman, 3555 Mankind, 3555 Manna, 3555 Mansak (Rites of Sacrifice), 3555 Marriage, 3555 Marriage Sermon, 3556 Martyrs, 3556 Mary, 3556 Mary, the Cop t, 3556 Maryam (chapter ), 3556 Material Progress, 3556 Material Wealth, 3556 Ma‘un, Al (chapter ), 3556 Mecca, 3556 Meccans, 3556 Medina, 3557 Mediterranean Sea, 3557 Menstruation, 3557 Mercy, Divine 3557 Mercy and Fo rgiveness, 3557 Mernep tah (Mereneptah), 3557 Message, Divine, 3557 Messengers of Allah (also see Prophets), 3557 Midian, 3557 Midianites, 3557 Migration, 35 57 Miracles, 3557 Miserliness, 3558 Misfortune, 3558 Monastic ism, 3558 Monotheism, 3558 Moon, 3558 Moral Conduct, 3558 Moral De velopment, 3558 Morning and E vening, 3558 Mortality, 3558 " "Table of Contents of The Index Heading, Page Number 3486 Mosaic Dispensation, 3558 Moses (Prophet Musa), 3558 Moses, Visions of, 3559 Mosque (also see Worship, Houses of), 3559 Mount P aran, 359 Mount Sinai, 3559 Moun tains, 3559 Moun t Tur, 3559 Mub arak (Blessed), 3559 Muddaththir, Al (chapter ), 3560 Muhajirin (Refugees), 3560 Muhammad ( chapter ), 3560 Muhammad (Holy Prophet), 3560 Muhsin (One who do es good), 3564 Muir, Sir William, 3564 Mujadalah, Al (chapter ), 3564 Mujaddid (se e Reformer, Divine), 3564 Mujahid (True Stri ver in Way of Allah ), 3564 Mulk, Al (chapter ), 3564 Mu’min (One Who Trusts), 3564 Mu’min, Al (chapter ), 3564 Mu’minun, Al (chapter ), 3564 Mumtah inah, Al (chapter ), 3564 Mun afiqun, Al (chapter ), 3564 Muqanna’, Ibn and Sabbah, Hassan bin, 3564 Muqa tta‘at, Al (see Abbreviated Letters), 3564 Murder, 3564 Mursal at, Al (chapter ), 3564 Musa (see Moses, Prophe t), 3564 Mushrik un (Idolaters), 3564 Muslim Disputes, 3564 Muslims, 3564 Mu’tah, Battle of, 3565 Muttaqi (Righteous), 3565 Mutual Consultation, 3565 Muzzammil, Al (chapter ), 3565 Najm, An (chapter ), 3565 Nam l, An (chapter ), 3565 Naml (Namlah), 3565 Napoleon, 3565 Nas, An (chapter ), 3565 Nasibin, Jews of, 3566 5 Nasr, An (chapter ), 3565 National Progress, 3565 Nations, 3565 Nature, 3565 Navigation, 3565 Nazi‘at, An (chapter ), 3565 Nebuchadnezzar, 3565 Needs, Spiritual, 3565 Negus (Najj ashi), 3566 New Testament, 3566 New World Order, 3566 Night and Day, 3566 Night Journey to Jerusalem (Isr a’), 3566 Night of Destiny ( Lailatul-Qadr), 3566 Nisa’, An (chapter ), 3566 Noah (Prophet N uh), 3566 Non-Muslim Enemies, 3567 Nuh (chapter ), 3567 Nuh (see Noah, Prophet), 3567 Nur, An (chapter ), 3567 Oaths, 3567 Obedience and Submission, 3567 Occult Practices, 3567 Old Testament, 3567 Opponents, 3567 Orbs, 3567 Ordinances, 3567 Orphans, 3567 Pacific Ocean, 3567 Pagans, 3567 Parable (of), 3567 Paradise (also see Heaven and Resurrection, Day of), 3568 Pardon, 3568 Parents, 3568 Paths, 3568 Patience ( Sabr), 3568 Patient Person (see Sabir), 3569 Paul, St., 3569 Peace (Sal am), 3569 Persecution, 3569 Persian Empire, 3569 Pessimism, 3569 Pharaoh, 3569 Physical and Spiritual System, 3569 Physical Sciences, 3569 Physical World, 3569 Pilgrimage ( Hajj), 3569 Poet, 3570 Polygamy 3570 Polytheism, 3570 Potiphar (also known as ‘Aziz), 3570 Praise, 3570 Prayer, 3570 Prayer (for), 3571 Preacher, 3572 Preaching of Islam, 3572 " "Table of Contents of The Index Heading, Page Number 3487 Predestination, 3572 Pride, 3572 Prom ises of divine favour, 3572 Property, 3572 Prophecy, 3572 Prophethood, 3575 Prophets (also see Messengers of Allah ), 3575 Prophets, Follo wers of, 3577 Prostration (Sajdah), 3577 Punishment in the Gra ve, 3577 Punishment, Divine, 3577 Purdah (see Etiquette, Islam ic), 3578 Purification, 3578 Qadr, Al ( chapter ), 3578 Qaf (chapter ), 3578 Qalam, Al (chapter ), 3578 Qamar, Al (chapter ), 3578 Qari‘ah, Al (chapter ), 3578 Qasas, Al (chapter ), 3579 Qiblah (Direction One Faces in Prayer), 3579 Quraish, 3579 Qura n (The Holy), 3579 Ra‘d, Ar (chapter ), 3582 Rahman, Ar (chapter ), 3582 Ramadan, Holy Month of, 3582 Rameses II, 3583 Rank of Honour, 3583 Ranks, 3583 Rebirth, Spiritual, 3583 Reformation, 3583 Reformers, Di vine, 3583 Relationships, 3583 Religion(s), 3583 Religion, True, 3583 Religious Leaders, 3583 Renaissance, 3583 Repentance, 3583 Resurrection, Day of (also see Paradise), 3583 Retaliation, Principle of, 3584 Retribution, Day of, 3584 Revealed Books, 3584 Revelation, Divine, 3584 Reward, 3585 Reward and Punishment, 3585 Right Hand, 3585 Righteous Men, 3585 Righteous, The, 3585 Righteousness, 3585 Rija’ (Hope/Fear), 3585 Rod, 3585 Roman Empire, 3585 Ruh (Revelation) (also see Soul, The), 3585 Rum, Ar (chapter ), 3585 Rumours, 3585 Russia, 3585 Sa‘ah, As (The Hour), 3585 Saba’ (see Sheba Queen of), 3585 Saba’, As (chapter ), 3585 Sab‘amminal Mathani (Oft-Repeated Seven Verses), 3585 Sabr (see Patience), 3585 Sabir (a Patient Person), 3586 Sacred Mosque (see Ka‘bah), 3586 Sacrifice, 3586 Sad (chapter ), 3586 Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh, 3586 Saff, As (chapter ), 3586 Saffat, As (chapter ), 3586 Safiyyah, 3586 Sahib (Companion), 3586 Sajdah, As (chapter ), 3586 Salam (Peace), 3586 Salamun ‘Alaikum (Peace be unto You), 3586 Salih, 3586 Salih (Prophet), 3586 Salvation, 3586 Salwa, 3586 Samiri, 3586 Sarah, 3586 Satan (Shai tan), 3586 Scandal-Mongering, 3587 Science, 3587 Sea, 3587 Seas, Two, 3587 Secret Meetings, 3587 Secret Societies, 3587 Secrets of Unknow n, 3587 Sectarianism, 3587 Sects (in Islam ), 3587 Seir (see Mount P aran), 3587 Selfishness, 3587 Servants of Allah, 3587 Seven Year Famine, 3587 Shaitan (also see Satan), 3587 Shams, Ash (chapter ), 3587 Shari‘ah (see La w, Islamic), 3587 Shayatin (Ev il Ones), 3587 Sheba (Sabeans), 3587 Sheba, Queen of, 3587 " "Table of Contents of The Index Heading, Page Number 3488 Shi‘ah (a Distinct Sect of Men), 3588 Shirk (see Idolatr y), 3588 Shu‘aib (Prophet), 3588 Shu‘ara’, Ash (chapter ), 3588 Shukr (Thankfulness), 3588 Shukr (To Make Proper use of Div ine Gift), 3588 Shura, Ash (chapter ), 3588 Shura (Consultation), 3588 Sign, 3588 Signs, Divine, 3588 Sihr (Enchantment), 3588 Sijjin, 3588 Sin, 3588 Sin, Inherited, 3588 Sinai (see Mount P aran), 3588 Sinners, 3588 Slander, 3589 Slavery, 3589 Slaves, 3589 Socialism, 389 Society, 3589 Sodom and Gomorrah, 3589 Solar System 3589 Solomon (Prophet Sulaim an), 3589 Soul, The, 3589 Spending, 3589 Spirit, 3590 Spirit, Holy (see Gabriel), 3590 Spiritual Ascension (Mi‘raj), 3590 Spiritual Development, 3590 Spiritual Journey, 3590 Spirituality, 3590 Spoils, 3590 Star, The, 3590 Stars, 3590 Stars, Shooting, 3590 Steadfastness, 3590 Stealing, 3590 Stoning to Death, 3590 Struggle, Spiritual (see Jih ad), 3590 Success, 3590 Successor (see Khal ifah), 3591 Sulaiman (see Solomon, Prophet), 3591 Sun, 3591 Sun and Moon, 3591 Sunnah (Practice of the Holy Prophet), 3591 Superiority, 3591 Surah (chapter ), 3591 Surah (Rank, Dignity), 3591 Suraqah bin M alik bin Juhsham (Meccan Chief), 3591 Suspicion, 3591 Tabari, 3591 Tabuk, 3591 Tagh abun, At ( chapter ), 3591 Taghut (One who Exceeds the Bounds), 3592 Taha (chapter ), 3591 Tahajjud Prayer, 3591 Tahrim, At (chapter ), 3591 Takathur, At (chapter ), 3591 Takw ir, At (chapter ), 3591 Talaq, At (chapter ), 3591 Talut (Gideon of The Bible), 3591 Taqd ir (Predestination), 3591 Tariq, At (chapter ), 3591 Tatfif, At (chapter ), 3591 Tauba h (Repent ance), 3591 Taubah, At (chapter ), 3591 Tawaf (Circuits around Ka‘bah), 3591 Tayyib (Good, Pure), 3591 Teacher, Divine, 3461 Teachings, 3591 Teachings of Islam, 3591 Teachings, Revealed 3591 Temple, Israelite, 3591 Ten Commandments, 3591 Tham ud, People of, 3591 Thaur, Cave of, 3592 Throne, The ( ‘Arsh), 3592 Tin, At (chapter ), 3592 Titus, 3592 Torah, The, 3592 Transmigration of Souls, 3592 Travel, 3592 Treaties, 3592 Tree, 3592 Tree of Eternity, 3592 Tree, The Forbidden, 3592 Trials, 3592 Tribe of Tham ud (see Tham ud, People of), 3592 Trinity, 3592 True Followers, 3592 Trusts, 3592 Truth, 3592 Truthful, The, 3593 Tubba ‘, People of, 3593 Tulaihah bin Khu wailad, 3593 Tur, At (chapter ), 3593 " "Table of Contents of The Index Heading, Page Number 3489 Tuwa, Valley of, 3593 Uhud, Ba ttle of, 3593 ‘Umar, 3593 Ummi Jam il (Wife of Ab u Lahab), 3593 Ummi H ani, 3593 Umm i (Immaculate One), 3593 ‘Umrah (L esser Pilgrimage) (see also Pilgrimage), 3593 Understanding, 3593 United Nat ions, 3593 Unity (see God or Allah ), 3593 Universe, 3593 Universe, Creation of, 3593 ‘Uthman, 3593 ‘Uzza, 3593 Vedas, The, 3593 Veil, 3593 Vicegerent (see Khal ifah), 3593 Victory, The, 3593 Visions, 3594 Waliyyan (Successor), 3594 Wall, 3594 Wall of Cyrus (see Alexander’s Wall), 3594 Waqi‘ah, Al ( chapter ), 3594 Waqidi, 3594 War, 3594 War, Nuclear, 3595 War, Prisoners of, 3595 Waraqah bin Naufal, 3595 Warnings, 3595 Wasiyyat, Al (also see Will), 3595 Water, 3595 Wealth, 3595 Wealthy, The, 3595 Well, People of The (A shabur-Rass), 3595 Widow, 3595 Will (Al-Wasiyyat), 3595 Witness, Bearing of, 3595 Witnesses, 3595 Women, 3595 Wood, People of, 3596 Works, Good and B ad, 3596 Worldliness, 3596 Worship ( ‘Ibadah), 3596 Worship, Houses of (also see Mosque), 3596 Wrongdoers, 3596 Yahya (see John, Prophet), 3596 Ya’juj wa Ma ’juj (see Gog and Magog), 3596 Ya‘qub (see Jacob, Prophet), 3596 Ya Sin (chapter ), 3596 Yaum ul-Qiyamah (Day of Resurrection), 3596 Yunus (also see Jonah, Prophet), 3596 Yunus ( chapter ), 3596 Yusuf (see Prophet Joseph), 3596 Yusuf (chapter ), 3596 Zachariah (Prophet), 3596 Zaid, 3596 Zainab, 3596 Zakah (Tax; Capital Levy), 3596 Zihar (Calling One’s Wife Mother) (see Marriage), 3596 Zilzal, Az (chapter ), 3596 Zinah (Display of Beauty), 3596 Zoroastrianism, 3596 Zukhruf, Az (chapter ), 3596 Zumar, Az (chapter ), 3596 " "" "Alphabetical Listing of Chapters of the Holy Quran Heading, Volume Number, Page Number, Chapter Number 3491 ‘Abasa, V, 3310, 80 ‘Adiyat, Al, V, 3425, 100 Ahqaf, Al, V, 2897, 46 Ahzab, Al, IV, 2548, 33 A‘la, Al, V, 3358, 87 ‘Alaq, Al, V, 3408, 96 Al-e-‘Imran, II, 441, 3 An‘am, Al, II, 835, 6 Anbiy a’, Al, IV, 2061, 21 Anfal, Al, (and Taubah, At), II, 1077, 8 and 9 ‘Ankab ut, Al, IV, 2466, 29 A‘raf, Al, II, 953, 7 ‘Asr, Al, V, 3437, 103 Balad, Al, V, 3377, 90 Bani Isra’il, III, 1740, 17 Baqarah, Al, I, 28, 2 Bayyinah, Al, V, 3417, 98 Buruj, Al, V, 3347, 85 Dahr, Ad, V, 3272, 76 Dhariyat, Adh, V, 2983, 51 Duha, Ad, V, 3394, 93 Dukh an, Ad, IV, 2870, 44 Fajr, Al, V, 3369, 89 Falaq, Al,V, 3472, 113 Fath, Al, V, 2935, 48 Fatihah, Al, I, 1, 1 Fatir, IV, 2623, 35 Fil, Al, V, 3444, 105 Furq an, Al, IV, 2297, 25 Ghashiyah, Al, V, 3364, 88 Hadid, Al, V, 3090, 57 Hajj, Al, IV, 2127, 22 Ha Mim As-Sajdah, IV, 2799, 41 Haqqah, Al, V, 3207, 69 Hashr, Al, V, 3118, 59 Hijr, Al, III, 1565, 15 Hud, III, 1305, 11 Hujurat, Al, V, 2956, 49 Humazah, Al, V, 3440, 104 Ibrahim, III, 1523, 14 Ikhlas, Al, V, 3468, 112 Infitar, Al, V, 3328, 82 Inshiq aq, Al, V, 3341, 84 Inshir ah, Al, V, 3399, 94 Jathiyah, Al, IV, 2884, 45 Jinn, Al, V, 3235, 72 Jumu‘ah, Al, V, 3150, 62 Kafirun, Al, V, 3458, 109 Kahf, Al, III, 1829, 18 Kauthar, Al, V, 3454, 108 Lahab, Al, V, 3464, 111 Lail, Al, V, 3389, 92 Luqm an, IV, 2521, 31 Ma‘arij, A l, V, 3219, 70 Ma’idah, Al, II, 741, 5 Maryam, IV, 1915, 19 Ma‘un, Al, V, 3451, 107 Muddaththir, A l, V, 3253, 74 Muhammad, V, 2917, 47 Mujadalah, A l, V, 3107, 58 Mulk, A l, V, 3186, 67 Mu’min, Al, IV, 2768, 40 Mu’min un, Al, IV, 2181, 23 Mumta hinah, A l, V, 3133, 60 Mun afiqun, Al, V, 3156, 63 Mursal at, Al, V, 3281, 77 Muzzammi l, Al, V, 3244, 73 Naba’, An, V, 3290, 78 Nahl, An, III, 1637, 16 Najm, An, V, 3014, 53 Naml, An, IV, 2388, 27 Nas, An, V, 3476, 114 Nasr, An, V, 3461, 110 Nazi‘at, An, V, 3300, 79 Nisa’, An, II, 608, 4 Nuh, V, 3228, 71 Nur, An, IV, 2244, 24 Qadr, Al, V, 3413, 97 Qaf, V, 2967, 50 Qalam, Al, V, 3195, 68 Qamar, Al, V, 3031, 54 Qari‘ah, Al, V, 3430, 101 Qasas, Al, IV, 2426, 28 Qiyamah, Al, V, 3263, 75 Quraish, Al, V, 3448, 106 Ra‘d, Ar, III, 1480, 13 Rahman, Ar, V, 3047, 55 Rum, Ar, IV, 2494, 30 " "Alphabetical Listing of Chapter s of the Holy Quran Heading, Volume Number, Page Number, Chapter Number 3492 Saba’, IV, 2595, 34 Sad, IV, 2711, 38 Saff, A s, V, 3142, 61 Saffat, As, IV, 2674, 37 Sajdah, A s, IV, 2536, 32 Shams, Ash, V, 3383, 91 Shu‘ar a’, Ash, IV, 2334, 26 Shura, Ash, IV, 2821, 42 Tagh abun, At, V, 3162, 64 Ta Ha, IV, 1995, 20 Tahrim, At, V, 3177, 66 Takathur, At, V, 3433, 102 Takw ir, At, V, 3319, 81 Talaq, At, V, 3169, 65 Tariq, A t, V, 3353, 86 Tatfif, At, V, 3333, 83 Taubah, At, II, 1131, 9 Tin, At, V, 3403, 95 Tur, At, V, 2998, 52 Waqi‘ah, Al, V, 3069, 56 Ya Sin, IV, 2647, 36 Yunus, III, 1209, 10 Yusuf, III, 1413, 12 Zilzal, Az, V, 3421, 99 Zukhruf, Az, IV, 2845, 43 Zumar, Az, IV, 2739, 39 " "Important Arabic Words and Expressions Explained in the Commentary Word, Volume Number, Page Number 3493 A‘alam [al], V, 3055 Ab, II, 882; IV, 1966 Ababil, V, 3446 Abathan, IV, 2242 Abawaihi, II, 624 ‘Abd, I, 16; IV, 2867 ‘Abidina, IV, 2867 ‘Abir i sabilin, II, 653 ‘Abqariyyun, V, 3067 Abrar, II, 60 5 Abra sa [al], II, 497 Absar, II, 90 7 Abtar, V, 3456 Abu Lahab, V, 3465 ‘Abusan, V, 3276 ‘Ad, II, 996; III, 1353 Ad‘afan Mu da‘afah, II, 558 Addu, IV, 2876 Adghanuhum, V, 2930 Adghathu, III, 1442 ‘Adhab [al], I, 4 5 ‘Adh abul-Khuld, III, 1263 Adhan, I, 36 0; I, 41 2 Adhan, II, 1132 Adhillah, II, 7 90 Ad‘iy a’, IV, 2553 ‘Adiyat [al], V, 3426 ‘Adl, I, 12 5; III, 1708 ‘Adudaka, IV, 2 444 Afa’, V, 3 123 ‘Afallahu ‘anka, II, 11 62 Afana dribu ‘Ankumudh Dhikra, IV, 2 849 Afaq, IV, 2819 Afda, II, 634 Af’idah, V, 2911 Afidu, II, 9 87 ‘Afin [al], II, 56 0 Afrigh, II, 1025 ‘Afw, I, 352; II, 560 Aghl al, II, 10 46 Aghwaitan i, II, 9 67 ‘Ahada, II, 11 31 Ahad, III, 1 499; V, 3469 Ahbar, II, 1153 ‘Ahidn a, IV, 2049 Ahillah, I, 3 08 Ahlal-Bait, IV, 2569 Ahmad, V, 3 145 Ahzab, III, 1 517; IV, 27 81 Aidi, IV, 2730 Aidin, V, 29 93 Aikah [al], III, 1 623; IV, 23 73 Aiman, I, 36 3 Aiman, IV, 19 72 ‘Ain, IV, 26 88 ‘Ainul-Yaqin, V, 3 435 ‘Ain S in Qaf, IV, 2825 ‘Aini, IV, 2016 Aiqazan, III, 18 53 A‘izzah, II, 7 91 Ajal, I, 373; II, 10 31; III, 1 396 ‘Ajal, IV, 20 88 ‘Ajilah [al], III, 17 66 A‘jamiyyun, III, 1 720 Ajdar, II, 11 88 Ajnihah, IV, 2 626 Akhb ar, V, 2 931 Akhd an, II, 64 1 Akhf a, IV, 2003 Akhirah [al], I, 41 Akif, IV, 2 144 Akmah [al], II, 49 7 Akmaltu, II, 75 2 Aknantum, I, 3 79 Al, I, 9 Al, I, 13 1; III, 1 614 ‘Ala, II, 85 5 ‘Alamin [al], I, 10 ‘Alaq, V, 3 409 ‘Alaqah, IV, 2 134 Alf, V, 3 415 Alhusna, III, 12 44 Alif L am M im, I, 31 Alif L am M im Ra, III, 14 82 Alif L am M im Sad, II, 9 60 Alif L am Ra, III, 1 211 ‘Aliyyan, II, 646; IV, 1970 Allah, I, 5 Alqa, IV, 25 25 Alqiy a, V, 29 77 Alwanuha, IV, 2 637 ‘Am II, 10 28 Amada, III, 18 49 ‘Amal, III, 13 48 Amanah, I, 43 5; II, 66 2 Amanata, Hamalal, IV, 25 93 ‘Amin, II, 9 96 Amin [al], IV, 23 77 " "Important Arabic Words and Expressions Explained in the Commentary Word, Volume Number, Page Number 3494 ‘Amiq, IV, 2 146 ‘Amiyat, IV, 24 56 Ammina, II, 748 Amr, II, 990 ; III, 1812 Amrullah, V, 3098 Amta, IV, 2046 Amth al, II, 860; III, 1560 Amw at, I, 86; II, 589 ‘An, III, 1803 ; IV, 2724 An‘am [al], IV, 2638 Anam [al], V, 3051 An‘am, Bah imatul, II, 745 A‘naq, IV, 2340 Anastu, IV, 2006 ‘Anata [al], II, 641 A‘natakum, I, 3 57 Anba’, II, 8 42; IV, 24 56 Andad, III, 1547 Anfal, II, 10 83 Anfusa-hum, II, 699 Anfusa-kum, I, 14 2 Anhar, V, 2 925 ‘Anid, V, 29 77 Anna, I, 36 2 Ansha’akum, II, 902 ‘An Yadin, II, 11 50 Anzala, IV, 2 744 ‘Aqabtum, V, 3 140 Aqama, I, 37 ‘Aqar u, II, 1002 ‘Aqim, IV, 21 67 ‘Aqiran, IV, 1 929 Aqlam, II, 48 7 Aqna, V, 3028 Aqrab ina, I, 34 5 Aqw atiha, IV, 2 803 ‘Ara’, IV, 2 705 ‘Arabiyyan, III, 1 414; IV, 2 801 A‘raf, II, 9 85 ‘Arafa, V, 2 931 ‘Araf at, I, 32 1 Ara’ik, III, 18 64 Arbaban, II, 51 3 ‘Ard, II, 5 59 Ard [al], V, 3 211 Arham, I, 3 67 ‘Arimi, Sailal, IV, 2 607 Arjumannaka [ la], IV, 19 68 ‘Arra dtum, I, 3 79 ‘Arsh, II, 9 89; III, 1214; IV, 2002 ; V, 3 211 ‘Arsh, Dhul, IV, 2776 ‘Asa, IV, 2010 Asarr u, III, 12 65 Asbagha, IV, 2 529 Asbat, I, 237 ‘Asf, [al], V, 3051 Asfala, II, 7 19 Asfar, V, 3 153 Ashabul-Aikah, III, 13 83 Ashabul-Hijr, III, 1625 Ashabul-Kahf, III, 1861 Ashabul-Maimanah, V, 3072 Ashabul-Mash’amah, V, 3073 Ashabul-Qaryah, IV, 2654 Ashabur-Rass, IV, 2318 Ashabush-Shim al, V, 3078 Ashhur ul-Hurum [al], II, 1135 Ashidd a’, V, 2954 Ashi hhah, IV, 2560 ‘Ashiruhunna, II, 633 ‘Ashiyyu [al], II, 867 Ashr at, V, 2927 Ashudd, V, 2907 ‘Asif, III, 1240 ‘Asim, III, 1245 ‘Asiran, IV, 2313 Aslama, I, 207 ‘Aslun, V, 2925 Asm a’, I, 96 Asm a’ul-husna [al], II, 1063 Asnam [al], III, 1550 ‘Asr [al], V, 3438 Asra, III, 1743 ‘Ataba, IV, 2518 Athaman, IV, 2331 Athar, IV, 2038 Atharah, V, 2901 Atharu, IV, 2501 Athkhana-fil-Ardi, V, 2921 Athq alaha, V, 3422 ‘Atid, V, 2975 ‘Atiq [al], IV, 2148 Atrab, IV, 2731 Atwar, V, 3231 Auha, IV, 1934; V, 3423 (Auha) ma Yuha IV, 2015 (Auha) Wahyan, IV, 2843 Aujasa, IV, 2027 Aula Lahum, V, 2928 Aulay an, II, 823 ‘Aur at, IV, 2269 Ausa t, II, 810 " "Important Arabic Words and Expressions Explained in the Commentary Word, Volume Number, Page Number 3495 Autad, IV, 2717 Awain ahuma, IV, 2213 Awau, II, 1128 Awi, III, 1345 Awwal un [al], II, 1190 Awwib i, IV, 2602 Ayah, I, 200; IV, 1933; IV, 2060 Ayama, IV, 2272 Ayatul-Kursiyy, I, 401 A‘yun, III, 1341 Ayy, III, 1790 Ayyam, II, 990 Ayyam-Allah, IV, 2889 Ayyana murs aha, II, 1067 Ayyub, II, 889 ‘Azam u, I, 366 Azar, II, 882 Azifah [al], V, 3029 ‘Azim [al], V, 3291 ‘Aziz [al], I, 225 Azka, I, 374 Azlam, II, 751 Azw aj, I, 78; II, 936 Azzartum uhum, II, 760 Ba’, I, 5 Bacca h, II, 533 Ba‘d, IV, 2795 Ba‘d, IV, 2887 Ba‘dan, IV, 2211 Badi ar-Ra’yi, III, 1333 Ba‘dih i, min, II, 583 Badr, II, 553 Baghyan, I, 183 Bahij, IV, 2134 Bahimatul-An‘am, II, 745 Bahirah, II, 819 Ba’is, II, 1054 Baitul ‘At iq [al], IV, 2148 Baitul Ma‘m ur, V, 2 999 Bai‘atur-Ridwan, V, 2947 Bal, IV, 2098 Bala, II, 555 Balaghna, I, 373 Bala-hum, V, 2919 Ba‘lan, IV, 2702 Banan, V, 3265 Baqiyyah, III, 1384 Bara’ah, II, 1131 Bari, I, 141 Bariqa, V, 3266 Barq [al], I, 60 Barzakh, IV, 2238 Ba’sa’, I, 280 Basa’ir, II, 908 ; IV, 2446 Basar, V, 2976 Bashar, IV, 2504 Bash ir, I, 77 Basiqat, V, 2972 Basurtu, IV, 2042 Ba‘th, IV, 2358 Batil [al], I, 119 Batirat, IV, 2453 Ba‘ulah, I, 367 Bi-a‘yunin a, III, 1341; IV, 2206 Bid‘an, V, 2903 Bid‘un, III, 1441; IV, 2497 Bil-Haqq, II, 449 ; II, 1086; III, 1572 Birru [al], II, 530 Birrun, I, 121 Bismillahir Ra hmanir Ra him, I, 6 Bi’sun, III, 1340 Bitanah, II, 548 Biya‘un, IV, 2158 Bu‘dan, IV, 2211 Buht an, II, 633 Buq‘ah, IV, 2442 Buran, IV, 2310 Burrizat, IV, 2359 Buruj, IV, 2328 Buruj [al], V, 3348 Burujan, III, 1580 Bussat, V, 3072 Da’b, II, 460; IV, 2781 Dabbah, IV, 2421; IV, 2646 Dabbara, III, 1214 Dabbara & Mudabbir at [al], V, 3302 Dabir, II, 863 Dahidah, IV, 2831 Dahikan, IV, 2400 Dahr, [ad], IV, 2893; V, 3273 Da‘i, V, 3147 Da’irah, II, 78 9; V, 2942 Dakhalan, III, 1711 Dakhirin, IV, 2791 Dakhirun, IV, 2683 Dakkan, II, 1035 Dalal, III, 1469 Dalalah, II, 517 Dalilan, IV, 2321 Dall, V, 3397 " "Important Arabic Words and Expressions Explained in the Commentary Word, Volume Number, Page Number 3496 Dallahuma, II, 970 Dallin, IV, 2344 Damaghah u & Yadmaghuh u, IV, 2075 Damdama ‘Alaihim, V, 3388 Damir, IV, 2146 Dammarn a, IV, 2703 Da’n [ad], II, 936 Daqa bi-him Dhar‘an, III, 1376, IV, 24 79 Dar, II, 1039 Daraj at, II, 584 Daras u, II, 1057 Dark, II, 719 Daw abb [ad], IV, 2638 Dawud, II, 889 Dhalika, I, 32; II, 1117 Dhanbun, IV, 2788; V, 2939 Dhariyat [ad], V, 2984 Dharrah, II, 651 Dhatir Raj‘i, V, 3356 Dhatussudur, III, 1313 Dhikr, IV, 2815 Dhikr a, II, 876 Dhikrukum, IV, 2072 Dhil-Qurb a, III, 1707 Dhimmah, II, 1138 Dhu Mirrah, V, 3018 Dhul-‘Arsh, IV, 2776 Dhul-‘Autad, IV, 2717 Dhul-Kifl, IV, 2730 Dhul-Qarnain, III, 1898 Dhuntiq am, II, 451 Dhun ub, II, 464 Dhurriyyah, I, 417 Dighnun, V, 2930 Din, IV, 2357; V, 3452; V, 3460 Din, Yaum al, I, 14 Diya’, III, 1220 Diza, V, 3023 Duhuran, IV, 2680 Du‘f, IV, 2517 Duha [ad], V, 3395 Dukh an, IV, 2804 Dulukush Shams, III, 1806 Dun, V, 3013 Fa’dhan u, I, 429 Fadhkur u, I, 324 Fadl, II, 701 Fatah, IV, 2363 Fa‘fu, I, 204 Fahishah [al], II, 629 Fahishah, IV, 2567 Fahsha, I, 272 Fakhkh ar [al], V, 3052 Fala‘allaka, III, 1319 Falah, IV, 2186 Falaq [al], V, 3473 Falayubatti-kunna, II, 705 Faqirah, V, 3269 Faqrun, I, 418; II, 1170 Farada, IV, 2463 Faradnaha, IV, 2249 Farighan, IV, 2434 Farihin, IV, 2369 Fariyyan, IV, 1951 Farra tna, II, 855 Fasiqin, I, 84 Faslul Khit ab, IV, 2719 Fatahajjad bih i, III, 1807 Fatilan, II, 659 Fatir, II, 847; III, 1532; IV, 2626 Fatratun, II, 766 Fattah [al], IV, 2611 Fauqahum, I, 339 Fawaq, IV, 2718 Fi, III, 1506 Fi & M a‘, II, 669 Fillah, III, 1673 Firdaus, IV, 2194 Firqun, IV, 2354 Fisalan, I, 376 Fisq, II, 938 Fitnah [al], II, 686 ; II, 1100 Fitrat-Allah, IV, 2509 Furq an [al], I, 140 Furuj, IV, 2188 Furushun, V, 3077 Fussilat, III, 1307 Fusuq, I, 319 Ghad ati [al], II, 867 Ghafarn a, IV, 2721 Ghafilat, IV, 2264 Ghafil in, II, 947 Ghaib [al ], I, 37 Ghaib, bil, IV, 1977 Ghaib, I zhar ‘alal, V, 3242 Ghaira Musma‘i n, II, 656 Ghairu Salih, III, 1348 Ghairu Mamn un, IV, 2802 Gha’it, II, 653 Gha’izun, IV, 2352 " "Important Arabic Words and Expressions Explained in the Commentary Word, Volume Number, Page Number 3497 Ghal iz, III, 1359 Gham am [al], I, 336 Ghamratun, V, 2986 Ghanam al-Qaum, IV, 2104 Ghan i, I, 413 Ghar aman, IV, 2330 Gharqan, V, 3301 Ghasaqa, III, 1806 Ghashiyah, III, 1475 Ghashiyah [al], V, 3365 Ghasiq, V, 3473 Ghass aq, IV, 2732 Ghaw a, IV, 2054 Ghaww as, IV, 2726 Ghawin, IV, 2359 Ghayyan, IV, 1977 Ghilm an, V, 3006 Ghufr anaka, I, 438 Ghul am, II, 485; III, 1895 Ghulf, I, 181 Ghummatun, III, 1279 Ghurafan, IV, 2490 Ghurfatun, IV, 2333 Ghur uran, II, 705 Ghuth a’, IV, 2211 Ha Mim, IV, 2771 Hablun, II, 538 Hada’iq, V, 3297 Hadid [al], V, 3103; V, 2976 Hadim, IV, 2369 Hadith, IV, 2887 Hadithan, II, 651 Hadman, IV, 2048 Hadya [al], II, 747 Hadyah, II, 747 Hafadatun, III, 1694 Hafirah [al], V, 3304 Hafiyyan, IV, 1969 Hafiyyun, II, 1067 Hafiz, III, 1358 Hafizan, II, 677 Hafizina Fur ujahum, IV, 2571 Hafizu, I, 382 Hai‘ah, II, 496 Haih ata, IV, 2209 Hairan, II, 880 Haita, III, 1430 Hajaru, I, 350 Hajatan, IV, 2797 Hajj, I, 262 Hakaman, II, 648 Hakim [al], I, 225 Hal, II, 793 Hala’il, II, 636 Halal, I, 271 Hal Min Maz id, V, 2978 Halim, I, 364 Halu‘an, V, 32 22 Halumma, II, 941 Hamalah a, IV, 2592 Haman, IV, 2432 Hama’un, III, 1552 Hamd, I, 9 Hamid, II, 711 Hamidah, IV, 2134 Hamilat [al], V, 2984 Hamim, II, 878 Hamiyyatun, V, 2951 Hamsan, IV, 2047 Hanifan, I, 236 Haqiqun, II, 1016 Haqq, III, 1572; IV, 2224 Haradan, III, 1464 Haram, IV, 2116 Harbun, I, 430 Harfun, IV, 2137 Harth, IV, 2104 Harth[al], I, 332 Harun, II, 890 Harut & M arut, I, 193 Hasharn a, III, 1873 Hasiban, III, 1799 Hasidan, III, 1242 Hasidun, V, 3475 Hatab, V, 3466 Haulain, I, 376 Hawariyyuna [al], II, 503 Hayy [al], I, 401 Hazzin, IV, 2813 Hidhr, II, 672 Hijr, II, 932 Hijran, Mahj uran, IV, 2312 Hikmah, I, 225; III, 1736 Hilah, II, 692 Hisad, II, 934 Hizb, IV, 2509 Huban, II, 613 Hubuk [al], V, 2985 Hud, I, 205 ; II, 996 Hudhud, IV, 2401 Hudud, I, 370 " "Important Arabic Words and Expressions Explained in the Commentary Word, Volume Number, Page Number 3498 Hujur, II, 636 Hukman, IV, 2358 Humazah, V, 3441 Hunain, II, 1147 Huquban, III, 1880 Hur, IV, 2882 ; V, 3004 Hurum, ‘Ashhurul, al, II, 1135 Husbanan, II, 901; III, 1869 Hushirat, V, 3322 Husna [al], III, 1244 Hut, III, 1885 Hutamah [al], V, 3442 Hutaman, V, 3082; IV, 2749 Huwa, V, 3469 Huyyitum, II, 681 ‘Ibadah, I, 16; IV, 1967; V, 2995 Ibilu, al, V, 3367 Iblis, I, 100 Ibn-i-Marym, II, 489; IV, 1959 ‘Ibrah, III, 1688 Ibrahim, III, 1370 Ibtila’, I, 217 Ibyaddat ‘Ain ahu, III, 1464 ‘Id, II, 830 Iddan, IV, 1990 Iddaraka, IV, 2418 Iddaraku, II, 980 ‘Idda h, I, 368; V, 3171 Idribuhunna, II, 646 Idris, IV, 1974 Ifk, IV, 2258 ‘Ifrit, IV, 2407 Ihdi, I, 18 Ihsan, III, 1708; V, 2907; V, 3064 Ihtad a, IV, 2037 Ihtazzat, IV, 2134 ‘Ijafun, III, 1442 Iktasaba, I, 440 Iktatabah a, IV, 2305 Ila’ Yu’l una, I, 365 Ilaf, V, 3449 Ilah, V, 3477; I, 235 Ilhafan, I, 423 Illa, I, 10 0; IV, 1978; IV, 2326 Illa Nafsa-ka, II, 680 ‘Illiyy in, V, 3337 ‘Ilmun, IV, 2136 Iltaqa tahu, IV, 2 433 Ilyas, II, 891 Ilyasin, IV, 2702 ‘Imad [al], V, 3372 Imam, I, 218; III, 1801; IV, 2332 Iman, III, 1287 Imlaq, II, 942; III, 1774 ‘Imran, II, 475 Imsak, I, 370 Imsh aj, V, 3273 Imtahana, V, 2959 In, II, 563 Inatha, II, 703 ‘Inda, I, 425 Injil, II, 450 Insan [al], IV, 1979; V, 3438; V, 3049 Inshaqqal-Qamar, V, 3032 Intalaqa, III, 1892 Intiq am, II, 814 ‘Iqab [al], III, 1488 Iqra’, V, 3409 Iqtatal u, I, 397 Irbah, IV, 2269 Irka‘ u, IV, 2177; I, 120 ‘Isa, II, 489 ‘Isha’, III, 1425 Ishaq, III, 1555 ‘Ishar, V, 3321 Ishma’azzat, IV, 2757 ‘Isiyyuhum IV, 2026 Islah, II, 1007 Islam, II, 466; III, 1287; IV, 2571 Ism, I, 5 Ism & Asm a’, I, 96 Isma’il, III, 1555 Isra’ & Mi‘r aj, III, 1743 Isra’il, I, 1 09 Isran, I, 439 Istaghfir u, I, 322 Istaghn a, V, 3313 Istaghshau Thiy abahum, V, 3230 Istahaqqa Ithman, II, 823 Istahwathu, II, 880 Istak anu, II, 570 Istakthartum, II, 926 Istamta‘tum, II, 639 Istaraqas Sam‘a, III, 1583 Istaw a, I, 87; V, 3018 Istighf ar, II, 698; IV, 2788; V, 3462 Istuhfizu, II, 783 I‘tamara, I, 261 I‘tazil u, I, 360 Ithma, Qaulihimul, II, 795 Ithmun, I, 275 " "Important Arabic Words and Expressions Explained in the Commentary Word, Volume Number, Page Number 3499 I‘tikaf, I, 305 ‘Itiyyan, IV, 1931 Itminan, I, 409 ‘Iwajan, III, 1526 Izhar ‘alal Ghaib, V, 3242 Izzatu [al], I, 333 Jabal, III, 1346; V, 3130 Jabbarina, II, 768 Jahadu, I, 350; IV, 2178 Jahannam, I, 333; IV, 1980 Jahil, II, 858 Jahulan, IV, 2593 Jala’ [al], V, 3122 Jalabib, IV, 2588 Jalut, I, 396 Jamal [al], II, 981 Jami‘, Amrin, IV, 229 4 Jami‘un, II, 458 Janahadh dhulli, III, 1770 Jann [al], III, 1598 Janna, II, 885; II, 925 Jannatun, I, 77; I, 104 Jaril Junubi, II, 649 Jawar, IV, 2837 Jawar [al], V, 3055 Jawarih, II, 753 Jibril, I, 188 Jibt [al], II, 659 Jidal, I, 320 Jifan, IV, 2605 Jildah, IV, 2250 Jinn, II, 925; IV, 2398; V, 3063 Jinn [al], II, 906; II, 925; IV, 2398 Ji’ta, IV, 1951 Jiyad, IV, 2724 Jizyah, II, 1149 Jufa’an, III, 1499 Junud, I, 394 Jurufun, II, 1195 Juruzan, III, 1842 Juyubihinna, IV, 2269 Juz’un, I, 411 Ka‘ba h, IV, 2145 Kabir, III, 1310; III, 1461 Kabir [al], III, 1491 Kadhdhaba, V, 3392 Kadih, V, 3343 Kaf Ha Ya ‘Ain Sad, IV, 1924 Kafarn a bi-kum, V, 3136 Kafar u, I, 43 Kaffah, I, 335 Kafirun [al], V, 3459 Kafuran, V, 3274 Kahf [al], III, 1843 Kahlan, II, 492 Kailun, III, 1452 Kalalah, II, 627 Kalihun, IV, 2239 Kalimah, II, 488 Kalim at, I, 107 Kalla, IV, 1986; V, 3257 Kam a, II, 1085 Kanzun, III, 1 319 Karhan, IV, 2804 Kariha, IV, 2804 Karim, IV, 21 64 Ka’san Dih aqa, V, 3297 Kashafa‘an S aqin, IV, 2410; V, 3203 Ka’sin, IV, 2687 Katabn a, II, 1038 Katibuhum, IV, 2274 Kaukabun, III, 1417 Kauthar [al], V, 3455 Kaw a‘ib, V, 3297 Kazimina, IV, 2777 Khab al, II, 548 Khab ir, III, 1307 Khab ithat [al], IV, 2265 Khad‘, I, 47 Kha’inah, II, 761; IV, 2777 Khair, I, 422; II, 539 Khair [al], III, 1226 Khal aq, I, 325 Khalaqa, II, 496 Khal a’if, III, 1230 Khala su Najiyyan, III, 1461 Khalfun, II, 1057 Khalidin, III, 1399 Khal ifah, I, 89 Khal il, II, 707 Khalq, II, 990 Khamidin, IV, 2073 Khamr [al], I, 351 Kharajta, I, 252 Kharr asun [al], V, 2986 Khashi‘in, I, 1 22 Khasi’an, V, 3188 Khasi’in, I, 160 Khasir u anfusahum, II, 845 Khatam, IV, 2576 " "Important Arabic Words and Expressions Explained in the Commentary Word, Volume Number, Page Number 3500 Khatama, I, 44 Khataman Nabiyy in, IV, 2576 Khatbun, IV, 2042 Khat i’ah, I, 174; II, 700; IV, 2357 Khauf, I, 108 Khawiyah, I, 406; IV, 2162 Khilafin [min], IV, 2028 Khinz ir [al], I, 275 Khisam [al], I, 331 Khitbah, I, 379 Khulaf a’, II, 998 Khuliqal Ins anu min ‘Ajal, IV, 2088 Khuluqun, IV, 2367 Khumurihinna, IV, 2268 Khunnas [al], V, 3324 Kibrun, IV, 2790 Kidhbun, III, 1426 Kifatan, V, 3285 Kitab, II, 1156; V, 3103 Kitab [al], I, 32; IV, 2451 Kitaban Mutash abihan, IV, 2750 Kudhib u, III, 1477 Kuff ar [al], V, 3100 Kuhulah, II, 493 Kun, III, 1961; IV, 2794 Kurhun, I, 346 Kursiyy, Ayatul, I, 401 Kuwwirat, V, 3320 La, V, 3084 ; V, 3 264 La‘alla, III, 1319 La‘annahum, I, 181 Lafifan, III, 1823 Laghw, al, I, 36 4; IV, 2186 Lahnun, V, 2931 Lahw, II, 856 Lahwan, IV, 2074 Lail, V, 3414 Lailatul Qadr, V, 3415 Lam, II, 594; III, 1795 Lamam [al], V, 3025 La‘nah [al], I, 181 Lan-Naqdira ‘alai-hi, IV, 2112 Lata Hina Man as, IV, 2714 Latif, II, 907 Lawaqih, III, 1592 Layaq ulunna, IV, 2531 Lazib, IV, 2682 Linatun, V, 3122 Lisana Sidqin, IV, 1970 Liya’bud un, V, 2995 Lugh ub, V, 2980 Lujjiyyun, IV, 2281 Lumazah, V, 3441 Lut, III, 1 372 Ma’ad, IV, 2463 Ma‘adhall ah, III, 1430 Ma’arib, IV, 2010 Ma‘arrah, V, 2950 Ma Kana Lah u, II, 523 Ma Kana Lill ahi, IV, 1959 Ma Qatal uhu, II, 725 Ma Salabuhu, II, 726 Madyan (M idian), II, 1006; III, 1382 Mafatih, IV, 2459 Mafazah, II, 600 Mafazan, V, 3296 Magh anim, II, 689 Maghfirah, I, 413 Maharib, IV, 2605 Mahd [al], II, 491 Mahid, I, 360 Mahis, IV, 2818 Mahrum [al], V, 2988 Mahsuran, III, 1773 Mahz umun, IV, 2716 Maisir, I, 352 Mais uran, III, 1773 Majid, III, 1374; V, 2969 Majma ‘ul Ba hrain, III, 1883 Majn un, III, 1571 Majus [al], IV, 2140 Makar u, II, 504 Makarun, III, 1239 Makdh ub, III, 1368 Makh ad, IV, 1945 Makh dud, V, 3076 Makhma sah, II, 751 Mala’ikah [al], I, 89 Malakat Aim anuhum[m a], IV, 2188 Malakat Aim anukum [m a], II, 639 Malak ut, IV, 2233 Mala’u [al], I, 389 Malik, I, 13; IV, 2866 Malikun, V, 3477 Manas, IV, 2714 Manna, I, 145; IV, 2035 Mannan, I, 412 Mansakan, IV, 2151 Mansiyyan, IV, 1945 Mantiq, IV, 2397 " "Important Arabic Words and Expressions Explained in the Commentary Word, Volume Number, Page Number 3501 Maqamam Ma hmudan, III, 1808 Maqb uhin, IV, 2446 Maqdiyyan, IV, 1942 Maqtan, II, 635 Maraja, IV, 2324 Marid, IV, 2679 Marij, V, 2971 Marrat an, I, 370 Marsus, V, 3143 Ma‘r uf [al], I, 368 Ma‘r ushat, II, 934 Ma’un, V, 3453 Marwah [al], I, 261 Maryam, II, 479; IV, 1937 Maryam, Ibni, II, 489 Ma‘shar, II, 925; V, 3057 Mash‘arul Haram, I, 321 Masih [al], II, 488 Masjid, II, 975 Masjidul Aq sa, III, 1743 Masj ur, V, 3000 Maskanah, I I, 545 Masn un, III, 1595 Math abatan, I, 218 Mathal, I, 57; IV, 2519 Mathal Amth al, II, 860; III, 1560 Math ani [al], III, 1630 Mathul at, III, 1488 Mathw a, II, 926; III, 1429 Matl‘ail Fajr, V, 3416 Matti‘ uhunna, I, 380 Maubiqan, III, 1876 Mau‘i zah, III, 1266 Mauq udhah, II, 750 Maut, I, 60 Mauthaqan, III, 1455 Maw ali, II, 645 Maw aqit, I, 308 Maw azin, IV, 2239; V, 3432 Maw azinuhu, II, 962; IV, 2239 Midian (Madyan), II, 1006; III, 1382 Midr aran, III, 1356 Mihad, II, 460 Mihal, III, 1494 Mihrab [al], II, 482 Mikal, I, 189 Min, I, 421; IV, 2682 Minh ajan, II, 786 Minsa’atun, IV, 2605 Mi‘raj & Isr a’, III, 1743; V, 3020 Mirath, II, 595 Mirrah, V, 3017 Misbah, IV, 2277 Mi‘shar, IV, 2619 Mishk at, IV, 2277 Mithaq, I, 158 Mithaqun-Nabiyy in, II, 525 Mizan, IV, 2831; V, 3050 Mu‘aqqib at [al], III, 1492 Mu‘azzir un [al], II, 1185 Mub arakun, II, 897; IV, 2093 Mub in, I, 271; III, 1283; III, 1567; IV, 2339 Mublis un, IV, 2230 Mub sirah, IV, 2395 Mudabbir at [al], V, 3302 Muddaththir [al], V, 3254 Mudghatun, IV, 2134 Mudhabdhab in, II, 718 Mudkhal, III, 1808 Mudh ammat an, V, 3065 Mudkhalan, IV, 2169 Muflih un [al], I, 43 Mugh irat [al], V, 3427 Muhaiminan, II, 786 Muharraran, II, 476 Muhit, III, 1381 Muhkamat & Mutash abihat, II, 4 57 Muhsan at [al], II, 638; IV, 2256 Muhsin, II, 991; III, 1739; IV, 2435; V, 2987 Muhti’ in, III, 1558 Mujahadah, V, 2996 Mujahids, II, 690 Mujib, III, 1361 Muk atabah, IV, 2274 Mu’min, II, 1138 Mun afiqun [al], II, 1174 Munhamir, V, 3036 Mun ib, III, 1375 Munkar, III, 1707 Munkhaniqah [al], II, 750 Muqarran in and Muqrin in, III, 1562; IV, 2851 Muqassim at [al], V, 2985 Muqa tta‘at [al], I, 31; IV, 2338 Muq im, III, 1622 Muq imin [al], II, 732 Muqtahim, IV, 2732 Muqtasim in [al], III, 1633 Muqtir [al], I, 380 Muriyat, V, 3426 Murs aha, II, 1067 Musa, I, 138 Musaddiq, I, 115 " "Important Arabic Words and Expressions Explained in the Commentary Word, Volume Number, Page Number 3502 Musannadah, V, 3158 Musawwim in, II, 554 Mushayyadah, II, 676 Mushrik, I, 358 Musrif in, III, 1228 Mustab srin, IV, 2480 Mustakbir in, IV, 2226 Mustaqarrun, II, 902; III, 1313 Mustauda‘un, II, 902; III, 1313 Muta‘ al [al], III, 1491 Mu‘tab in, IV, 2809 Mutaffifin, V, 3334 Mutaj awirat, III, 1486 Mutaraddiyyah [al], II, 750 Mutash abihan, IV, 2750 Mutash abihat, II, 454 Mutawff ika, II, 505 Mutawassim in [a1], III, 1622 Muthqalah, IV, 2634 Mutraf, III, 1764 Mutraf iha, III, 1764 Muttaq in, I, 33 Muzdajar V, 3034 Naba’un, Naba’ [al] IV, 2734; V, 3291 Nabi & Ras ul, IV, 1971 Nabi [an], II, 806; IV, 2552 Nabtahil, II, 511 Naddakhatan, V, 3065 Nadh ir, III, 1309 Nadh irum Mub in, III, 1332 Nadid, V, 2973 Nafad, IV, 2731 Nafaran, V, 2913 Naffathat [an], V, 3474 Nafilah, III, 1807 Nafsah u, II, 472 Nafsan, I, 165 Nafsi ‘Amm arah, III, 1449 Nafsi Laww amah, V, 3264 Nafsun W ahidah, II, 611 Nahar [an], IV, 2171 Nahar [an] & Lail [al], IV, 2633 Nahis at, IV, 2807 Najasun, II, 1148 Najdain [ an], V, 3380 Najiyyan, IV, 1972 Najmun, V, 3016 Najmuth Th aqib [ an], V, 3354 Najw ahum, II, 702 Nakibun, IV, 2229 Nakkir u, IV, 2408 Nam im, V, 3198 Naml, IV, 2399 Nansakh, I, 200 Naqiban, II, 760 Nas [an ], I, 76 ; IV, 2638 Nasaban, IV, 2326 Nashitat [an], V, 3301 Nasiyah, III, 1357; V, 3059 Nasiyahum, II, 1174 Nasl [ an], I, 332 Nasta hwidh ‘alaikum, II, 717 Naw asi [an], V, 3059 Nazi’at [an], V, 3301 Na‘im, II, 797 Nihlah, II, 618 Nikah, IV, 2253 Nisy an, I, 440 Nuh, II, 994 Nujum, V, 3084 Nur, III, 1220; IV, 2277 Nusabbi hu, I, 90 Nush ur, IV, 2630 Nush uz, II, 64 6 Nuskhatih a, II, 1043 Nusubun, II, 751; IV, 2 727 Nusukun, Mansak, II, 950; IV, 2151 Nutfah, III,1644; IV, 2744 Nuwalliyannaka, I, 246 Nuzul, II, 605 Qaba Qausaini, V, 3019 Qaba’il, V, 2964 Qabd & Bas t, IV, 2285 Qadama, III, 1212 Qadr [al], V, 3414 Qadr & Qa da, IV, 1943 Qaf, V, 2969 Qahir [al], II, 848 Qala, I, 89 Qala’id [al], II, 748 Qalb, V, 2980 Qallaba, III, 1870 Qamar, V, 3032 Qam tarir, V, 3276 Qanitun, I, 382 Qarnun, II, 842 Qari‘ah [al], V, 3431 Qasas, II, 1061 Qasdun, III, 1649 Qasifan, III, 1800 " "Important Arabic Words and Expressions Explained in the Commentary Word, Volume Number, Page Number 3503 Qasiratut Tarf, V, 3066 Qasiyah, II, 761 Qata‘at Tar iqa, IV, 2478 Qataltum, I, 164 Qatara, III, 1244 Qatl, I, 151; II, 576 Qaulan Thaq ilan, V, 3246 Qawiyy [al], III, 1369 Qawwam una, II, 646 Qayy um [al], I, 401 Qiblah, III, 1288 Qinw an, II, 904 Qirtas II, 843 Qissisina, II, 806 Qitm ir, IV, 2632 Qittana, IV, 2718 Qiyaman, II, 619 Qul, V, 3459 Qummal [al], II, 1029 Quraish, V, 3449 Quran [al], I, 297 Quranul Maj id [al], V, 2969 Qurb anan, V, 2913 Quru’, I, 369 Qurun [al], III, 1229 Rabat, IV, 2134 Rabb, I, 10 Rabb aniyyin, II, 523 Rabbikal, A‘l a, V, 3359 Rabitu, II, 606 Rabwah, I, 416; IV, 2213 Ra‘d, I, 60 Rafa‘a, III, 1472 Rafa‘n a, I, 158 Rafath, I, 303 Rafi‘uka, II, 506 Rahim [ar], I, 12 Rahinah, V, 3260 Rahman [ar], I, 12; III, 1 509; V, 3194 Rahmatun, II, 992 Raht, III, 1387; IV, 2412 Rahwan, IV, 2877 Raiba, I, 32 Ra‘ina, I, 198 Rajamah u, IV, 1968 Rajfun, V, 3303 Rajim, II, 479 Rajulun, IV, 2656 Raka‘a, V, 3288 Raki‘una, II, 792 Rama dan, I, 296 Raqim [ar], III, 1843 Raqqin, V, 2999 Rasadan, V, 3238 Rasikhuna [ ar], II, 454 Rasul, IV, 2343 Rasul & Nab i, IV, 1971 Rattil, V, 3246 Ra’ufun, I, 334 Rawadathu, III, 1430 Rawakid, IV, 2837 Rawasi, III, 1656 Riba, I, 426 Ribatul Khail, II, 1121 Ribbiyy una, II, 570 Ridwan, II, 464 Rifd, III, 1392 Rih, II, 1113; IV, 2417 Rihan, I, 435 Rihan, IV, 2807 Rija’, III, 1223 Rijal, V, 3237 Rijs, II, 811; IV, 2569 Rijzan, IV, 2480 Rufatan, III, 1786 Ruh [ar], III, 1642; III, 1812, V, 3220 Ruhb anun, II, 807 Rujjat, V, 3072 Rujza [ ar], V, 3255 Rukaman, IV, 2283 Rukb anan, I, 383 Rukh a’, IV, 2726 Ruknun, III, 1379 Ruqudun, III, 1853 Ru’y a’, III, 1419 Sa‘a, I, 332 Sa‘ah [as], III, 1 628; IV, 2130 Sabba ha, V, 3092 Sabihat [as], V, 3302 Sabi’ina [a s], I, 154 Sabilillah, I, 309 Sabiquna [a s], II, 1190; V, 3073 Sabiru, II, 60 6 Sabr, I, 2 56; IV, 25 71; V, 3 438 Sadaqah, II, 618 Saddaqa, V, 3270 Sadid, III, 1537 Saduq at, II, 618 Safa [as], I, 261 Safiha Nafsah u, I, 232 " "Important Arabic Words and Expressions Explained in the Commentary Word, Volume Number, Page Number 3504 Safinat, IV, 2724 Sahib, II, 1065 Sahir, II, 1020 Sa‘idan, III, 1842 Sa’ighan, IV, 2632 Saihah [as], III, 1369; IV, 2211 Sa’ihat, V, 3181 Sa’im, IV, 2571 Sakinah, I, 393 Salam, III, 1243 Salat [as], I, 37 Salaw at, IV, 2158 Salih, II, 1000 Salim, IV, 2359 Salsab il, V, 3278 Salsal, III, 1594; V, 3052 Sama’ [as], I, 60 Samad [as], V, 3469 Samiriyy[as], IV, 2038 Samiyyan, IV, 1930 Sanah, IV, 2472 Sarab, IV, 2281 Sarim, V, 3200 Sarrafn a, III, 1782 Sarrah, V, 2990 Sarsaran, IV, 2807 Sawami‘, IV, 2158 Saww ahunna, I, 87 Sayyi’un, IV, 2479 Shaf‘ [ash] & Watr [al], V, 3371 Shafa‘ah, I, 124 Shafa‘ah [ash], IV, 1990 Shahaw at[ash], II, 463 Shah id & Shuhad a’, I, 70 Shah iq, III, 1397; V, 3189 Shahrul Haram [ash], I, 313 Shait an, I, 53 Shai’un, I, 62 Shajarah, I, 103 Shajaratul Mal‘ unah, III, 1793 Shakilah, III, 1811 Shamikh at, V, 3286 Shams [ash ], V, 3384 Sha’n, III, 1271 Shaqiyy, III, 1396 Sharrid, I I, 1119 Shaukah [a sh], II, 1087 Shawir, II, 581 Shay atin, I, 53 Shihab, III, 1583 Shir‘ah, II 786 Shirdhimah, IV, 2352 Shirk, II, 658; III, 1768; V, 2901 Shiya‘un, III, 2694 Shubbiha lahum, II, 726 Shuhad a’ I, 70 Shukr, I, 9; II, 720; III, 1529; IV, 2526 Shuk ur, IV, 2639 Shurra‘an, II, 1053 Shu‘ uban, V, 2964 Shuw az, V, 3058 Sibghah, I, 239 Sidrah, V, 3020 Sidq, V, 2929 Sihr, III, 1022 Sihrum Mub in, III, 1284 Sijjil, III, 1380 Sijjin, V, 3335 Sikhriyyan, IV, 2240 Silm [as], I, 335 Sinatun, I, 401 Siyam [as], I, 292 Subatan, IV, 2322 Subhan All ah, V, 3092 Sudur [as], III, 1266 Suhqan, V, 3190 Sujjadan, I, 146 Sukara, II, 654 Sulaim an, II, 889 Sultan, III, 1606 Sunanun, II, 562 Sunnatul Awwal in, III, 1878 Suqita fi Aidihim, II, 1040 Suradiquh a, III, 1862 Surah, IV, 2249 Sur-hunna Ilaika, I, 409 Sururin, IV, 2687 Ta’affuf, I, 423 Taba ttal, V, 3248 Tabbat Yad a, V, 3465 Tabut [at], I, 392 Tab Ya ddu, II, 541 Tadalla, V, 3018 Tadarru‘an, II, 874 Tagh abun [at], V, 3166 Ta Ha, IV, 2000 Tahassunan, IV, 2274 Tahid, V, 2975 Tahtiha, IV, 1945 Tair, IV, 2398 Tair [at], II, 496 " "Important Arabic Words and Expressions Explained in the Commentary Word, Volume Number, Page Number 3505 Ta’irah u, III, 1761 Tajall a, II, 1035; V, 3390 Takathur [at], V, 3434 Takfur una, I, 86 Takhawwuf, III, 1677 Takhsh a, IV, 2030 Takh tanuna, I, 304 Talut, I, 390 Tammah [at], V, 3307 Tann ur [at], III, 1343 Taqw im, V, 3405 Taraqi, V, 3269 Tariq [at], V, 3354 Tariqatukum, IV, 2025 Ta‘san, V, 2923 Tasb ih, V, 3120 Tasb ih and Taqd is, V, 3120 Tasn im, V, 3338 Taswaddu, II, 541 Taufiq, III, 1385 Taurah [at], II, 449 Ta’w il, II, 454 Tayammam u, II, 653 Tayyibah, III, 1544 Tham ud, II, 1000 Thiy ab, V, 3255 Tibaqan, V, 3188 Tin [at], II, 496 Tubadhdhir, III, 1771 Tuhsharuna, II, 460 Udhun, II, 1171 ‘Udw an, I, 312 Ufuqil Mub in, V, 3326 Uhjur uhunna, II, 646 Uhkimat, III, 1307 Ujur, II, 639 Ulil Alb ab, I, 287 Ulil-‘Amr, II, 664 Umma h, III, 1713 Ummatun Q a’imah, II, 546 Ummiyy, II, 1046 Ummun, II, 454 ‘Umrah, I, 314 ‘Umyun, I, 59 Unzila, I, 40 Unzurna, I, 198 Urkis u, II, 686 Ushdud Qalbah u, III, 1290 Ushriba, I, 185 ‘Uqbadd ar, III, 1503 ‘Urdah, I, 364 ‘Usbah, III, 1422 Utbi‘ u, III, 13 60 ‘Utullin, V, 3198 ‘Uzair, II, 1151 Wadud, III, 1386 Wadud, Wuddan, IV, 1993 Wahh ab [al], II, 457 Wajhah u, I, 207 Wajhah u; Ibya dda & Iswadda, II, 541 Wajhun, V, 3055 Wakil [al], II, 592 Waladun, II, 624 Wali, I, 202; III, 1777 Waliyyan, IV, 1929 Waraq, IV, 2053 Wasa tan, I, 243 Wasid, III, 1854 Wasi‘, II, 791 Wasilah [al], II, 777 Waswasa, II, 968 Wiqran, V, 2984 Wujuh, IV, 2591 Wujuhan, II, 657 Ya‘ba’u, IV, 2333 Yabur, IV, 2630 Yadaka, Yada, IV, 2012 Yadhkuruhum, IV, 2097 Yafru ta, IV, 2019 Yafturun, IV, 2076 Ya‘fu, I, 381 Yaghu ddu, IV, 2267 Yahud, I, 209 Yahya, II, 484 Ya‘izukum, I, 373 Yaj’ar un, IV, 2225 Ya’juj & Ma’j uj, IV, 2116 Yakbitahum, II, 556 Yakhrus un, II, 917 Yalqunas Sam‘a, IV, 2386 Yamhaqu, I, 428 Yamin, IV, 2763 Yamm, II, 1031 Yan‘ih i, II, 904 Yanta sirun, IV, 2359 Yaqin, III, 1635; V, 3435 Yaqin, Haqqul, V, 3088 Yaqtarif u, II, 915 Yaqtul una, I, 151 " "Important Arabic Words and Expressions Explained in the Commentary Word, Volume Number, Page Number 3506 Ya‘q ub, III, 1420 Ya‘rif unahu, I, 249 Ya‘rish un, II, 1031 Yarku dun, IV, 2073 Yarshud un, I, 300 Yarudd ukum, I, 348 Yas‘a [al] (Elisha), II, 892 Yaskhar un, I, 339 Yaslauna, II, 623 Yastaft unaka, II, 708 Yasta hsirun, IV, 2075 Yastahzi’u, I, 54 Yastakhiffannaka, IV, 2520 Yastankif, II, 737 Yastaqdim un, II, 978 Yastarikh un, IV, 2642 Yatakhabba tuhu, I, 426 Yatar aji‘an, I, 372 Yatasannah, I, 407 Yatawaff akum, II, 872 Yatawakkal, II, 552 Yathn un, III, 1312 Yatim, V, 3396 Yatluna, I, 209 Yatma’inna, I, 409 Yattayyar u, II, 1028 Yaum, I, 14 Yauman ‘Ab usan Qam tarira, V, 3276 Yaumul A hzab, IV, 2781 Yaumul, Qiy amah, I, 339 Yaumut-Tagh abun, V, 3166 Yazunnun, I, 123 Yudabb iru, III, 1214 Yudillu, I, 84 Yu’fak un, II, 802 Yuhbarun, IV, 2503 Yuhra‘ un, III, 1377 Yu‘jibuka, I, 331 Yukh adi’una, I, 47 Yulhid una, III, 1720 Yu’luna, I, 365 Yunus, II, 892 Yuqallibu Kaffaihi, III, 1870 Yurb i, I, 428 Yusawwiru, II, 452 Yushrik, Shirk, I I, 658 Yusta‘tab un, IV, 2518 Yusuf, III, 1417 Yutawaffauna, I, 377 Yuthkhina, II, 1125 Yutiqunahu, I, 294 Zabaniyah, V, 3412 Zabur, II, 598 Zachariah, II, 482; IV, 1927 Zafir, III, 1397 Zahfan, II, 1092 Zaighun, II, 454 Zakatun, I, 120 Zakk a, V, 3387 Zalamtu, IV, 2436 Zalam u biha, III, 1792 Zalimin, IV, 2112 Zalzalah, IV, 2130 Zamhar ir, V, 3276 Zammala, Al-Muzzammil, V, 3245 Zani [az], IV, 2250 Zanim, V, 3198 Zanjab il, V, 3277 Zann [a z], III, 1251 Zaqq um, IV, 2690 Zarqan, IV, 2044 Zayyann a, II, 911 Zihar, V, 3109 Zilzalaha, V, 3422 Zuhur, II, 1058 Zukhruf, II, 914 Zulalun, I, 336 Zulm, III, 1792 Zuluman, IV, 2593 Zulum at, IV, 2436 Zur, IV, 2332 Zuyyina, I, 3 39 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number:Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3507 Aaron (Prophet H arun) Cleared of Biblical condemnation, IV, 20 :9195, 2304-07 Deputy of Moses, II, 7:143, 1032; IV, 19:54, 2196; IV, 26 :14-16, 2714-16 Moses’ assistant, IV, 25:36, 2671 Not guilty in worship or the calf, II, 7:153, 1042 Origin and mission of, II, 6:85, 828 Prayer of Moses for, II, 7:152, 1041 Reprimanded by Moses, II, 7:151, 1040 Rewards of, IV, 37:115-22, 3343-45 Sent to help Moses, IV, 20:30-37, 2259-61 Story of, III, 10:76-93, 1349-65 The descendants o f, I, 2:249, 255 ‘Abasa, Al (chapter ), V, 80 Abbreviated Letters (Muqa tta‘at) Alif L am M im, I, 2:2, 8A; II, 3:2, 293A; IV, 29:2, 2939-A; IV, 30:2, 2989A; IV, 31:2, 3034A; IV, 32:2, 3058A Alif L am M im Ra, III, 13:2, 1613 Alif L am Sad, II, 7:2, 906A Alif L am Ra, III, 10:2, 1277A; III, 11:2; III, 12:2, 1506; III, 14:2, 1656; III, 15 :2, 1709 Ha Mim, IV, 40 :2, 3493; IV, 41:2, 3554A; IV, 43:2, 3641; IV, 44 :2, 3699; IV, 45 :2, 3732; V, 46:2, 3758 Ha Mim, ‘A in Sin Qaf, IV, 42:2-3, 3602-03 Kaf Ha Ya ‘Ain Sad, IV, 19:2, 2147 Nun, V, 68:2, 4308 Qaf, V, 50:2, 3856 Sad, IV, 38:2, 3373 Ta Ha, IV, 20:2, 2238 Ta Sin, IV, 27:2, 2814A Ta Sin Mim, IV, 26:2, 2705; IV, 28:2, 2876A Ya Sin, IV, 36:2, 3213A Connection with subject of a chapter, IV, 19:2, 2147 Meaning of, III, 10:2, 1277A Numerical value, IV, 30:2, 2989A Quranic plan for chapter s with and without, III, 16 Specific attributes of God, IV, 19:2, 2147 Three main categories of, IV, 19:2, 2147 ‘Abdul-‘Uzza (Ab u Lahab) Enemy of the Holy Prophet, V, 111:2-6, 4863-66 ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ ud Opinion regarding origin of chapter Maryam, IV, 19 Adullah bin ‘Ubayy Arch-hypocrite and enemy of Holy Prophet, II, 8:21, 1109 Believer turned hypocrite, II, 9:74, 1228 Ignominy of, IV, 24:12, 2600 Leader of Medinite hypocrite s, I, 2:10, 16; V, 63:9, 4250 Tries to create mischief between Meccans and Medinites, I, clxv i Withdrew with 300 followers in Battle of Uhud, I, cliv ‘Abdullah bin Ummi Makt um Blind man who interrupted Holy Prophet’s discourse with Quraish leaders, V, 80:2-3, 4571 Ablution Preparation for worship of Allah (wu du), II, 5:7, 646 Useful purpose of, II, 7:30, 931 With pure dust (Tayammum), II, 4:44, 520; II, 5:7, 646 With water (wu du), II, 4:44, 520 Abortion, III, 17:32, 1961 Abraha Ashram (Viceroy of Yemen) Destruction of army of, as a favour to Quraish, V, 106:2-5, 4846-48 Sought to destroy the Ka‘bah, V, 105:2-6, 4842-45 Abraham (Prophet Ibr ahim), I, 2:259, 265 Allah’s promise to, I, lxxiv; I, ccxxiv And Ishmael, III, 14:38, 1692 Breaks Idols and exposes their weaknesses, IV, 21:58-64, 2395-99 Called 'the Faithful' by Allah, V, 53:38, 3990 Cooling of fire for, IV, 21:70, 2403 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3508 Covenant with, I, 2:41, 47 Covenants made within Bible, I, 2:130, 136 Denounces idolatry, IV, 26:71-105, 2748-64 Destruction of idols, I, 2:259, 265 Disbelievers cast him into fire, IV, 21:69, 2402 Dispute over Father’s name, IV, 19:43, 2186 Exemplar for Jews, Christians and Arabs, III, 16:124, 1924 Exemplary characteristics of, III, 16:121-124, 1921-1924 Family of, II, 3:34-35, 324-25 Follower of Noah’s law, IV, 37:84, 3322 Fulfilment of the Great Prophecy, I, 2:152, 158 God’s promise to, I, lxiv Guided by Allah, IV, 21:52, 2392 Honoured guests, V, 51:25-35, 3908-13 Humiliation of disbelievers, IV, 37:99, 3334 Immigration to Can‘ an, IV, 19:49, 2191 Isaac, Son of, IV, 37:113-14, 3342 Judeo-Christian claims rejected, II, 3:66-69, 354-57 Keturah, Children from, II, 7:87, 985 King Nimrod confounded by, I, 2:259, 265 Lived in the presence of Allah, II, 6:76, 821 Method for handling disbelievers hostile to Islam, V, 60:5, 4213 Migration of, IV, 21:72, 2404 Portrait of the two branches of his progeny, I, 2:130, 136 Prays for wisdom, good reputation salvation, IV, 26:84-90, 2755-58 Prays to Allah to forgive father, IV, 26:87, 2756 Progenitor and patriarch of the Quraish, II, 6:75, 820 Progeny were Prophets, IV, 21:73-74, 2405-06 Promise of leadership to, I, 2:125, 131 Purity and nobility of motives, III, 14:38-39, 1692-93 Questions guests, V, 51:32, 3912 Reason guest s sent to, V, 51:33-35, 3913 Rebuilt the Ka‘ba h, V, 52:5-7, 3933-35 Receives news of birth of enlightened son, III, 15:54-57, 1757-60 Repudiation of idol worship, IV, 37:86-99, 3324-34 Rise and fall of posterity four times, I, 2 :261, 267 Sacrifice of his son Ishmael, IV, 37:101-08, 3335-40 Sent to idol worshippers, IV, 21:53, 2392A Special friend of Allah (Khal il), II, 4:126, 591 Story of, IV, 19:42, 2185; IV, 21:52-74, 2392-06; IV, 26:70- 105, 2747-2763 Talks to idolatrous father, IV, 19:43-49, 2186-91 Teachings against idolatry, IV, 29:18, 2952 The Great Patriarch, III, 11:70, 1450 The upright, II, 6 :162, 901 True monotheist, II, 6:77-82, 822-26 Truthful man ( Siddiq), IV, 19:42, 2185 Vision of life and death, I, 2:261, 267 Was 'Oft-turni ng' to Allah (Mun ib), III, 11:76, 1456 Why Allah’s messengers came to, III, 11:70, 1450 Willingness of, to sacrifice, I, 2:159, 165 Abraham and Ishmael (Prophets) Part of Allah’s plan, V, 90:4, 4725 Abraham, Prayers of For forgiveness, III, 14:42, 1696 For progeny to establish worship of Allah, III, 14:41, 1695 For security and prosperity of Mecca, III, 14:36, 1690; III, 14:38, 1692 For the Holy Prophet, I, 2 :130, 136 Peace and security of Mecca, I, 2:127, 133 Abrogation, Theory of Argument against, III, 10:16-17, 1291-92 Abu ‘Amir Madan i, I, ccxxxiv Abu Bakr, I, cxvii ; I, cx xxvi; I, cx li; I, cl ii; I, cxcii; I, cc xxiii; I, ccxli Accompanies Holy Prophet to Medina, II, 8:31, 1119 Ever faithful companion of the Holy Prophet, V, 89:4, 4708 Spiritual status of, II, 9:40, 1199 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3509 Abu Jahl, I, cx iv; I, cxli v; I, cl; I, ccxxvi Death of, I, cl ii In forefront of persecuting the Muslims, V, 96:10-18, 4788-91 Leaders meet at D arun-Nadwah, II, 8:31, 1119 Prayed for own destruction if claim of Holy Prophet true, II, 8:33, 1121 Abu Sufy an, I, cxcix ; I, clvii; I, ccxx; I, cxlvi; I, ccxxx; I, ccxxi i; I, cli ii; I, ccx viiccxix ; I, ccxvi ; I, clxxvii Marvelled at Prophet’s growing success, III, 12:58, 1561 AbuTalib, I, cxx viii; I, cxx iv; I, cclx; I, cxi ii Disbelievers propose compromise to, III, 17:74, 2003 Abyssinia, I, cxx iv Prophet’s letter to Negus of, I, cci v; I, ccv Response to Muslim refugees in, II, 5:84-86, 714-15 Actions Every, has possibility for good or evil, III, 17:39, 1968 Preservation of, in atmosphere, V, 50:18-30, 3870-78 Stay with each person permanently, III, 17:14, 1943 ‘Ad and Tham ud, People of Destruction of, IV, 29:39, 2965 ‘Ad, People of Ancient people destr oyed, V, 89:7-9, 4711-13 Denied signs of Allah and were cursed, III, 11:60-61, 1440-41 Destroyed by furious wind, II, 7:73, 971 Destruction of, V, 46:22-28, 3775-81; V, 69:5-9, 4342 Great civilization of, IV, 26:129-31, 2772-74 Lived in greater Arabia, II, 7:66, 964 People of Prophet H ud, IV, 23:32, 2 533A Punishment for rejecting Prophets, IV, 41:1415, 3566-67 Punishment for rejecting truth, V, 54:19-23, 4020 Quran confirms existence of, and gives facts of, III, 11:51, 1431 Tribe of, identified, IV, 26:124, 2771 Warned against idolatry, V, 46:22, 3775 Adam (Prophet) And Eve and the forbidden tree, II, 7:20, 922A Angels’ objection to appointment of, as messenger, I, 2:31, 37 Chosen by Allah, II, 3:34-35, 324-25 Creation of, connected with Resurrection, III, 15:27, 1733 Description of the leaves used by, II, 7:23, 924 Emigration of, II, 7:25, 926 Exonerated of committing sin by Quran, II, 7:29, 930 Garden of, not the same as Paradise, II, 7:25, 926 Human Race, IV, 20:116, 2324 Identified, IV, 20:117, 2325 Lived on earth, I, 2:31, 37 Mesopotamia, land of his birth, II, 7:25, 926 More than one sent as messenger, I, 2:31, 37 Natural weaknesses of, II, 7:23, 924 Not the first man to be created, II, 7:12, 916 Place of dwelling of, II, 7:12, 916 Prayed to God for forgiveness and mercy, II, 7:27, 928 Received a vision of righteous progeny, I, 2:32, 38 Repentance of, II, 7:24, 925 Result of disobedience, IV, 20:122, 2330 Shown Divine mercy, IV, 20:123, 2331 The garden of, II, 7:12, 916 Address, Forms of 'O ye people', II, 4:2, 484 'O ye who believe', II, 4:20, 499 ‘Adh abul-Khuld (The Abiding Punishment), III, 10:53, 1328 ‘Adiyat, Al (chapter ), V, 100 Adoption Islamic attitude towards, IV, 5-6, 3077-78 Adultery/Fornication, IV, 25:69-72, 2696-98 Accusing spouses of, IV, 24:7-10, 2596-98 Defamation of, IV, 24:3, 2592 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3510 Evidence required to prove, IV, 24:5, 2594; IV, 24:14, 2601 Forbiddance of, II, 6:152, 891 Forbidden, IV, 25:69-72, 2696-98 Highest social crime, IV, 24:4, 2593 Is a form of killing on e’s children, II, 6:152, 891 Islam seeks to shut avenues to, III, 17:33, 1962 Preventive measures against, IV, 24:28-32, 2610-14 Procedure to protect those innocent of, IV, 24:5, 2594 Punishment for, IV, 24:3, 2592 Who can marry an adulterer, IV, 24:4, 259 3 Agriculture Compared to spiritual growth, III, 16:12, 1813 Ahad (one) and W ahid (one) Difference between, III, 13:17, 1628 Ahmad (Promised Messiah), I, cccxl iii Advent of foreseen by Holy Prophet, V, 81:24, 4609 Advent of foretold, V, 81:2-30, 4589-4613 Advent of, foretold by Jesus, V, 61:7, 4226 Advent of, opened doors of spiritual science, V, 81:12, 4598 Advent of, signalled end of decline of Muslim eminence, V, 81:18-19, 4604-05 Advent of, so herald the dawn of triumph of Islam, V, 86:2-5, 4670-73 Biblical description of followers of, V, 48:30, 3839 Dhul Qarnain of present age, III, 18:102, 2138 Diverse world disasters with advent of, III, 15:5, 1712 'Great man' born in a place far from Arabia, IV, 36:21, 3226 Greatest spiritual Khal ifah, IV, 24:56, 2630 Holy Prophet prophesied advent of, I, 1:7, 7 In story of Dhul-Qarnain, III, 18:84, 2122 Islam ’s regeneration through, IV, 21:105, 2430 Islam’s triumph through, IV, 21:98, 2424 Likened to the Moon, V, 91:3, 4738 Message of, IV, 36:26-27, 3229-30 Messe nger of Latter Days, I, 2:5, 11 Most distinguished reformer, V, 108:2, 4855 No new religion, IV, 36 :26, 3229 People will be concerned with material things at advent of, V, 57:21, 4163 Prophecies of canals and irrigation systems at his advent, V, 81:7, 4594 Prophecies of capital punishment for murdering children, V, 81:9-10, 4596 Prophecies of decline of Muslim eminence, V, 81:16-17, 4603 Prophecies of destruction of tribes of people, V, 81:6, 4593 Prophecies of eclipse of sun and moon, V, 81:2, 4589 Prophec ies of establishment of zoos a t his advent, V, 81:6, 4593 Prophecies of his advent; signs, and decline of Islam, V, 81:2, 4589 Prophecies of improved transportation and formation of political parties, V, 81:8, 4595 Prophecies of libraries; circulation of newspapers and books, V, 81:11, 4597 Prophecies of mountains blown a way at his advent, V, 81:4, 4591 Prophecies of shooting stars at his advent, V, 81:3, 4590 Prophecies of transportation advances at his advent, V, 81:5, 4592 Prophecies of vast strides in science of Astronomy, V, 81:12, 4598 Prophecies of World Wars, V, 81:13, 4599 Prophecy of coming of, V, 53:2, 3966; V, 77:8, 4504; IV, 23:19, 2523 Prophecy of Islam’s final victory through, II, 9:33, 1193 Protected b y Allah, V, 86:5, 4673 Protection for Jews, II, 3:113-15, 398-99 Raised before calamities visited earth, III, 17:16, 1945 References to appearance of, III, 11:18, 1399 Referred to as 'Great Man' (Rajulun), IV, 36:21-28, 3226-30 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3511 Restoration of Islam, I, 2:261, 267 Revelation from 'Tadhkirah' concerning relationship with Holy Prophet, V, 89:4, 4708 Sacrifice of, V, 85:5-9, 4660-63 Second advent of Holy Prophet, I, 2:5, 11; IV, 36:21, 3226; V, 62:4-5, 4236-37; V, 81:24, 4609 Signs at the time of appearance, IV, 37:11, 3280 Son of, I, ccxlix Spiritual status of, likened to moon, I V, 25:62, 2690 'The witness', V, 85 :4, 4659 Vindicated honour of Holy Prophet, III, 17:80, 2009 Will bring renaissance of Islam, V, 57:18, 4160 Ahmadiyyah Movement in Islam Success foretold after one hundred years of difficulties, V, 89:5, 4709 Success of, foretold by Prophet Isaiah, V, 89:5, 4709 Ahqaf, Al (chapter ), V, 46 Ahzab, Al (chapter ), IV, 33 Aila (Elath) A town on the Red Sea, II, 7:164, 1053 ‘A’ishah, I, cclxx vi; I, ccxl iv; I, cx; I, ccl ixcclx Authority on revelation of chapter An-Nisa’, II, 4 Complete innocence of, IV, 24:24, 2606 Scandal against, IV, 24:12, 2600 A‘la, Al (chapter ), V, 87 ‘Ala Harfin (On the Verge; Vicissitudinous faith), IV, 22:12, 2446 ‘Alaq, Al (chapter ), V, 96 Contains the first revelation received by the Holy Prophet, V, 96 Alexander’s Wall, III, 18:96-99, 2132-35 Al-e-‘Imr an (chapter ), II, 3 Connection with A l-Baqarah, II, 3 Known by other names in Hadith, II, 3 Allah Accepts prayers of the obedient, I, 2:187, 193 Admits seekers into His Mercy as He wills, IV, 42:9, 3608 All acts should be performed for, II, 6:121, 862 All creatures glorify, V, 64:2, 4254 All praise belongs to, IV, 34:2-4, 3131-33 Alone has power to purify hearts, II, 8:25, 1113 Alone is Judge in religious matters, II, 6:115, 856 Alone knows future and past, IV, 21:29, 2369 Alone to be worshipped, III, 11:3, 1383 Answering of prayers by, IV, 21:85; IV, 21 :89 As represented by Islam, IV, 40:4, 3495 Associate nothing with, IV, 22:27, 2458 Authority is Supreme, IV, 21:24, 2364 Belief in, should be real and living, II, 8:3, 1093 Believers of truth have perfect faith in, II, 7:90, 988 Believers trust in, II, 3:160-61, 442-43 Call upon Him in fear and hope, II, 7:57, 956 Causes rise and fall of nations, II, 3:27-28, 318 Characteristics of, IV, 21:26, 2366; V, 61:2, 4222; V, 72:4 Clarification of power of, IV, 30:3-9, 2991-95 Cleared of flaws and defects, V, 50:39, 3885 Commandments of, II, 4:59-60, 532-33 Controls all aspects of life, V, 53:44-49, 3995 Curse and wrath of, on disbelievers, II, 5:6164, 691-94 Decides who follows the right path, II, 6:118, 859 Determines time for punishment, II, 6:62, 807 Divine attributes, I, cclvi Divine guidance of, IV, 45:11, 3738 Doctrine of sonship repudiated, IV, 21:27, 2367 Does not exercise compulsion in matters of faith, III, 10:100, 1371 Dominion of, IV, 23:85-89, 2568-70 Everything belongs to, V, 57:11, 4153 Exhorts man to seek forgiveness, III, 11:4, 1385 Exhorts man to turn to Him, III, 11:4, 1385 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3512 Faithfulness to, is absolute, II, 8:28, 111 6 Families chosen by Allah, II, 3:34-35, 324-325 Favour bestowed upon Muslims, II, 5:8, 647 Favour unto Israelites of, IV, 28:6-7, 2880-81 Favours of, enumerated, III, 14:33-35, 1687-89 Fear of, II, 4:132-134, 597-598; II, 5 :94, 721 Fear of, leads to reward, V, 67:13 Forgiveness by, V, 64:10, 4262; V, 66:9, 4284 Gifts of, I, 2 :212, 218; IV, 23:79-80, 2564-65 Gives life and causes death, V, 57:3, 4147 Gives life to spiritually dead, II, 6:37, 784 Gives protection against Satan, IV, 23:98, 2577 Glorification of, by all things, IV, 24:42, 2623 God of all peoples, I, cccxxi His attributes mentioned in Quran and Hadith, II, 7:181, 1067 His Mercy encompasses all things, II, 7:157, 1046 His Mercy for those who repent and believe, II, 7:154, 1043 His provisions are shared by believers and disbelievers alike, II, 7:33, 933 His Throne rests on water, III, 11:8, 1389 Holds creatures by the for elock, III, 11:57, 1437 How to achieve nearness to, II, 5:36, 671 Indispensible attributes of, IV, 25:3, 2642 Injunction to fulfil covenant of, II, 6:153, 892 Is above limitations of space and time, V, 57:4, 4148 Is accessible to all, I, 2:187, 193 Knowledge of, IV, 34:2-3, 3131-32 Knows all hidden thoughts, V, 67:14-15 Knows all messengers and their people, III, 17:55-56, 1984-85 Knows believers and disbelievers, V, 53:3133, 3987-88 Knows the overt and the hidden, II, 3:30, 320 Knows true characters of all, II, 6:61, 806 Knows well the physical and spiritual needs of man, III, 16:71, 1871 Knows what is hidden in breast, V, 64:5, 4257 Knows what men conceal and reveal, III, 11:6, 1387 Lapses covered by, IV, 39:36, 3459 Likes gratefulness, IV, 39:8, 3443 Lord of all things (Rabbu Kulli Shai’in), II, 6:165, 904 Lordship of, IV, 34:2-3, 3131-32 Love for and Love of, II, 3:32-33, 322-23 Makes victorious, forgives and/or punishes, IV, 26:192, 2794 Man progresses spiritually who cheerfully obey, II, 6:126-27, 867 Man’s needs provided by, IV, 43:11-14, 3648-50 Meaning of, IV, 29:43, 2968 Mercy in punishment, IV, 29:56, 2979 Mercy of, transcends His wrath, II, 6:161, 900 Metaphor of His light, IV, 24:36, 2618 Metaphorical dialogue with Satan, IV 84-89, 3435-38 Method of obtaining mercy of, V, 76:32, 4498 No need of a son for, II, 6:102, 844; IV, 19:36, 2180 None worthy of worship except, II, 4:88, 556 Obedience to, IV, 39:3-4, 3440 Oneness of, V, 112:2, 4867 Origin of the concept of, I, 2:23, 29 Owner of whatever is in the heavens and the earth, II, 4:132-35, 597-99 Perfect and free of weakness, V, 87:3, 4682 Perfection of, IV, 20:9, 2245 Power of, to punish the disobedient, II, 4:132-34, 597-98 Power of, to reward, protect the righteous, II, 4:132-34, 597-98 Powers of, IV, 30 :12-41, 2998-3019 Prayer, sacrifice, life, death are all for, II, 6:163, 902 Promise of, IV, 30 :7, 2993 Promises to fill hell with Satan’s followers, III, 11:120, 1500 Proof of His knowledge and power, IV, 42:30, 3622 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3513 Proper name for supreme being who is self existing and perfect, I, 1:1, 1 Proper name of God, II, 7:181, 1067 Provides for man’s spiritual and physical needs, V, 79:28-34, 4564-67; V, 80:25-33, 4585 Provide s sustenance for all creatures, III, 11:7, 1388 Punishes those who defy the Prophets, V, 89:7-14, 4711-15 Punishes those who wrong themselves, III, 11:102, 1482 Purifies, IV, 24:22, 2604 Reasons for glorification of, V, 87:3-4, 4683 Refutation of ha ving a son, IV, 39:5, 3440A Refutes sonship of Jesus, IV, 19:92-94, 223l-32 Remembrance of, attracts His love, I, 2:153, 159 Remembrance of, brings comfort, III, 13:29, 1640 Remembrance of, key to success in life, IV, 20:131, 2337 Responsible for showing man th e right path, III, 16:10, 1811 Reward for those who answer ed the Holy Prophets call at Uhud, II, 3:173-78, 435-38 Safety in obedience to, II, 3:102-04, 388-90 Secrets of, inexhaustible and incomprehensible, III, 18:110, 2144 Self-subsisting, V, 112:3, 4868 Singular and plural used in reference to, III, 14:15, 1669 Slow to punishment, V, 89:27, 4721 Sole Creator and Owner of all things, II, 6:137, 876 Sole source of happiness, II, 6:18, 765 Source of all life, IV, 29:62, 2984 Sovereignty of, IV, 25:3, 2642 Spending in the way of, II, 8:61, 1148 Spiritual progress requires submission to will of, V, 76:31, 4497 Steadfastness of servants of, IV, 37:161-63, 3362; IV, 37:165-67, 3363 Submission willingly or unwillingly to, III, 13:16, 1627 Supreme independence of, II, 6:16, 763 Teachings which bring us under protection of, II, 6:154, 893 Testifies to truth of Holy Prophet, II, 6:20-22, 767-769 The Being who feeds all, II, 6:15, 762 The Ultimate Cause I, cc cxxii Those who love are blessed, IV, 27:9, 2818 Those whom He adjudges astray, II, 7:179, 1065 Treats men according to their motives, III, 17:85, 2014 Ultimate cause of all creation, I, cccxx ii Ungrateful servants of, IV, 39:8-9, 3443 Wants to save mankind, III, 13:7-8, 1618-19 Will be Gua rdian of Quran, III, 15:10, 1716 Will of, I, 2:254, 260 Winning the pleasure of, IV, 40:42, 3526 Work of, I II, 13:3, 1614 Allah, Attributes of, I, cccxx Acceptor of Repentance, The (At-Taww ab), IV, 4 0:4, 3495 All-Aware, The (Al-Khab ir), II, 6:104, 846; III, 11:2, 1383; IV, 35:32 All-Hearing, The (As-Sami’), II, 8:43, 1131; II, 6:116, 857; IV, 22:62, 2491; I, 2:182, 188; I, 2:228, 234; I, 2:245, 251; I, 2:257, 263; II, 4:135, 599; II, 4:149, 612; II, 6:14, 761; IV, 24:22, 2604; IV, 42:12, 3610 All-Knowing, The (Al-‘Alim), II, 6:116, 857; I, 2:182, 188; I, 2:228, 234; I, 2:245, 251; I, 2:257, 263; I, 2:262, 268; I, 2:269, 275; II, 4:171, 634; II, 6:14, 761; III, 15:87, 1790; IV, 19:2, 2147; IV, 24:22, 2604; IV, 35:45, 3211; IV, 40:3, 3494; V, 57:4, 4148; IV, 22:60, 2489 All-Powerful The (Al-Qadir), IV, 25:55, 2686; IV, 35:45, 3211 All-Powerful, The (Al-Qaw iyy), IV, 42:3, 3603 All-Seeing, The (Al-Basir), V, 57:5, 4149; II, 4:135, 599; IV, 22:76, 2504 All Sufficient, The (Al-Kafi), IV, 19:2, 2147 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3514 Answerer of Prayers, The (Al-Mujib), III, 11:62, 1442 Appreciating, The (Ash-Shakir), II, 4:148, 611 Bearers of Divine Throne described, V, 69:18, 4352 Beneficent, The (Ar-Rahman), V, 67:30, 4306 Benignant, The (Al-Latif), III, 12:101, 1600 Besought of all; Independent, The (A sSamad), V, 55:27, 4064; V, 112:2, 4868 Best of Provider s (Khairur-Raziqin), V, 62:12, 4243; IV, 22:59, 2488 Bestower of Security, The (Al-Mu’min), V, 59:24, 4208 Bountiful, The (Al-Wasi’), II, 4:131, 596; I, 2:262, 268; I, 2:269, 275; II, 4:131, 596 Bounty, Lord of (Zi ttaul), IV, 40:4, 3495 Compassionate, The (Ar-Ra’uf), I, 2:208, 214; II, 3:31, 321; IV, 29:56, 2979 Creator, The (Al-Khaliq), II, 6:103, 845; III, 15:87, 1790; V, 57:5, 4149; V, 59:23-25, 4207-09 Creators, Best of (A hsan-ul-Khaliqin), IV, 23:15, 2520 Disposer of Affairs, The (Al-Wakil), II, 4:82, 550 Effacer of Sins, The (Al-‘Afuww), II, 4:150, 613; IV, 22:61, 2490 Exalted, The (Al-Mutakabbir), V, 59:23-25, 4207-09 Fashioner, The (Al-Muswwir), V, 59:23-25, 4207-09 First, The (Al-Awwal), V, 57:4, 4148 Forbearing, The (Al-Halim), I, 2:226, 232; I, 2:236, 242; I, 2:264, 270; IV, 35:42, 3208; IV, 22:60, 2489 Forgiver of Sin (Gh afir-udh-Dhanb), IV, 40:4, 3495 Forgiver, The (Al-Ghaff ar), IV, 39:6, 3441 Friend, The (Al-Waliyy), II, 4:46; I, 2:258, 264 Fundamental attributes of, I, 1:4, 4 Generous, The Most (Al-Karim), IV, 27:41, 284 Gracious, (Ra hman), III, 13:31, 1642; IV, 19:45-46, 2187-88; IV, 19:59, 2200; IV, 19:86, 2203; IV, 19:86, 2225; IV, 19:92-94, 2231-32; I, 2:164, 170; IV, 19:70, 2210; IV, 19:76, 2215; IV, 19:88-89, 2227-8; IV, 19:97, 2234; IV, 20:6, 2242; IV, 20:91, 2304; IV, 20:109-110, 2319; IV, 19:19, 2163; I, 1:1, 1 Great Creator, (Al-Khallaq), III, 15:87, 1790 Great Nourisher, The (Ar-Rabb), II, 6:152, 891 Great, The (Al-‘Azim), I, 2:256, 262 Great, The (Al-Kabir) IV, 22 :63, 2492 Guardian, The (Al, Wak il), II, 6:103, 845; II, 4:133, 598; II, 4:172, 635 ; IV, 33:4, 3076 Guardian, The (Al-Hafiz), III, 11:58, 1438 Guide, The (Al-Hadi), IV, 19:2, 2147; IV, 22:55, 2484 Helper, The (An-Nasir), II, 4:46; IV, 25:32 Hidden, The (Al-Batin), V, 57:4, 4148 High, The (Al-’Aliyy), I, 2:256, 262; IV, 40:13, 3504; IV, 22:63, 2492 High, The Most (Al-Muta‘ al), III, 13:10, 1621 Holy One, The (Al-Qudd us), V, 59:23-25, 4207-09; V, 62:2, 4234 Incomparably Great, The (Al-Kabir), III, 13:10, 1621; IV, 40:13, 3504 Incomprehensible, The (Al-Latif), II, 6:104, 846 Inheritor, The (Al-Warith), III, 15:24, 1730 Inheritors, the Best of, (Khair-ul-Warithin), IV, 2 1:90, 2416A Light, The, IV, 24:36, 2618 Judges, The best of (Khair-ul-Hakimin), III, 10:110, 1381 Judges, The best of (Khair-ul-Fasilin), II, 6:58, 803 King, The (Al-Malik), IV, 22:57, 2486 Knower of subtleties, The (Al-Latif), IV, 22:64, 2493 Knower of the unseen (‘ Alimul Ghaib), III, 13:9-10, 1620-21 Last, The (Al-’Akhir), V, 57 :4, 4148 Living, The (Al-Hayy), I, 2:256, 262; II, 3:3, 294; IV, 25:59; IV, 40:66-69, 3542-44 Lord (Rabb), I, 2:22, 28; I, 1:2, 2 Lord of Honour, The (Al-Majid), IV, 40:2, 3493 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3515 Lord of Retribution (Dhuntiq am), III, 14:48, 1702 Lord of Sovereignty, The (Al-Malik), II, 3:27, 318 Lord of the heavens and the earth (Rabbus Samawati Wal ‘Ard, IV, 19:66 Lord of the Throne ( Dhul-‘Arsh), IV, 21:23, 2363; IV, 40:36, 3506 Lord of the Glorious Throne (Rabbul-‘Arshil Karim), IV, 23:117, 2588 Lord of the worlds (Rabbul ‘Alamin), I, 1:2, 2; I, 2:132, 138 Loving, The most (Al-Wadud), III, 11:91, 1471; V, 85 :15-17, 4666 Maker, The (Al-Bari), V, 59:23-25, 4207-09 Maker, The (Al-Fatir), II, 6:15, 762 Manifest, The (Az-Zahir), V, 57:4, 4148 Manifest Truth, The (Haqq-ul-Mub in), IV, 24:26, 2608 Master, Excellent (Ni’mul-Maul a), IV, 22:79, 2507 Master of Glory and Honour (Dhul Jal ali wal-Ikram), V, 55:28, 4065 Master, The (Al-Malik), IV, 22:57, 2486; I, 2:4, 4 Merciful, The (Ar-Rahim), I, 2:161, 167; I, 2:174, 180; I, 2:183, 189; I, 2:193, 199; I, 2:219, 225; I, 2:227, 233; II, 5:99, 726; IV, 42:6, 3605; I, 1:1, 1 Mighty, The (Al-‘Aziz), I, 2:229, 235; I, 2:130, 136; I, 2:210, 216; I, 2:221, 227; II, 3:7, 298; II, 4:166, 629; III, 14:2-4, 1656-58; IV, 27:10, 2818A; IV, 35:29, 3198; V, 46:3, 3759; V, 59:2, 4189; V, 59:23-25, 4207-09; V, 62:2, 4234; IV, 22:41, 247l; IV, 22:75, 2503; V, 48:20, 3829; III, 16:61, 1861 Most Appreciating, The (Ash-Shak ur), IV, 35:35, 3202; IV, 42:24, 3619 ; V, 64:18-19, 4267 Most Forgiving, The (Al-Ghaf ur), I, 2:174, 180; I, 2:193, 199; I, 2:227, 233; I, 2:183, 189; I, 2:200, 206; I, 2:219, 225; I, 2:226, 232; I, 2:236, 242; II, 5:99, 726; IV, 35:42, 3208; IV, 42:24, 3619 IV, 42:6, 3605; V, 85:15; V, 22:61, 2490 Oft-Returning with compassion, The (At- Taww ab), I, 2:38, 44; I, 2:161, 167; V, 11 0:4, 4862 One, The (Al-Wahid), I, 2:164, 170 ; III, 12:40, 1543 Originator, The (Al-Fatir), IV, 35:2-4, 3177-78 Peace, The Source of (As-Salam), V, 59:2325, 4207-09 Possessor of Power and Authority, The (Al- Qadir), V, 57:3, 4147; I, 2:285, 291; II, 4:150, 613; IV, 42:3, 3603 Possessor of Power to Requite (Dhuntiq am), II, 3:5, 296 Powerful, The (Al-Qawiyy), IV, 22:75, 2503 Praiseworthy, The (Al-Hamid), II, 4:132, 597; III, 14:2-4, 1656-58; IV, 22:65, 2494 Protector, The (Al-Muhaimin), V, 59:23-25, 4207-09 Repentance, Acceptor of (Q abilit Taub), IV, 40:4, 3495 Self-subsisting, All-Sustaining, The (Al- Qayy um), I, 2:256, 262; II, 3:3, 294; V, 55:27, 4064 Self-sufficient, (Al-Ghan i), III, 14:9, 1663; IV, 22:65, 2494; IV, 27:41, 2841; II, 6:134, 873 Severe in Punishment, The (Shad idul ‘Iqab), IV, 40:4, 3495 Sovereign, The (Al-Malik), V, 59:23-25, 4207-09; V, 62:2, 4234 Strong, The (Al-Matin), V, 51:59 Supreme, The Most (Al-Qahh ar), III, 14:49, 1703; IV, 40:17, 3507 Supreme, The (Al-Qahir), II, 6:19, 766 Sustainer, The Great (Ar-Razz aq), V, 51:59 Swift in account (Sari’ul-Hisab), II, 3:200, 481 Taught to Adam, I, 2:32, 38 Truth, The (Al-Haqq), IV, 22:7, 2442; IV, 22:63, 2492 Truthful, The (A s-Sadiq), IV, 19:2, 2147 Types explained, II, 9:128, 1275 Watcher, The (Ar-Raqib), II, 4:2, 484 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3516 Watchful, The ( Ash-Shahid ), II, 3:99, 385 Well-Aware, The (Al-Khab ir), II, 4:136, 600 Wise, The ( Al-Hakim), I, 2:210, 216; I, 2:221, 227; I, 2:229, 235; II, 3:7, 298; II, 4:166, 629; III, 16:61, 1861; IV, 27:10, 2818A; V, 46:3, 3759; V, 57:2, 4146; V, 59:2, 4189; V, 59:23-25, 4207-09; V, 62:2, 4234; IV, 22:53, 2482; V, 48:20, 3829; I, 2:130, 136 Witness, The (Ash-Shah id), II, 4:80, 548; II, 4:167, 630 Allah, Creation of Darkness and light, II, 6:166, 905 Heaven and earth, II, 3:190-92, 472-74; IV, 43:10, 3647 Heavens and earth in six periods, III, 11:8, 1389 Man and universe, IV, 39:6-7, 3441-42 Allah, Existence of Argument supporting, V, 55:27-28, 4064-65; IV, 27:61-67, 2853-58A Proof of, IV, 20:54-55, 2273-74; IV, 30:2028, 3001A-09 Allah, Friends of Description of, III, 10:64, 1339; II, 5 :55-57, 685 Promised His nearness of, II, 6:128, 868 Allah, Signs of, IV, 42:33, 3625; IV, 36:3447, 3235-44 A person’s face reflects his deeds, II, 3:10709, 393-94 A proof of Allah’s existence, IV, 30:21, 3002 Are of two kinds, III, 10:16, 1291 Consequences of denying, II, 6:111, 852 Creation of pairs, IV, 30:22-26, 3003-07 Demands of disbelievers for, II, 7:204, 1088 Disbelievers do not benefit from, III, 13:28, 1639 Disbelievers refuse to accept, II, 6:26-29, 773-76 Impossible for reject ers of, to enter Heaven, II, 7:41, 940 Nine, manifested to Moses, III, 17:102, 2030 Prophecies shown and aid given to Prophets, II, 6:5, 752 Punishment for disobedience of, II, 8:54, 1142 Rejection of, by disbelievers, IV, 45:7, 3736 Reject ers not granted nearness of God, II, 7:41, 940 Sacrificial animals in Sacred Month s, II, 5:3, 642 She-camel, a sign to people of Tham ud, II, 7:78, 976 Spiritual awakening, IV, 36:34-35, 3235-36 To Tribe of ‘ Ad, V, 51:42-43, 3917 Varied for different people, II, 6:47, 793 Varied for disbelievers, II, 6:47, 793 Warning of punishment (Lot’s people), V, 51:38 Allah, Unity of, IV, 29 :9, 2946; IV, 23:9293, 2572-73; IV, 37:5-6, 3274-75 All Prophets confirm, IV, 21:22-26, 2362-66 All revealed Scriptures confirm, IV, 21:25, 2365 Arguments in support of, IV, 31:11-12, 3038; IV, 41:38-40, 3587-89; IV, 43:83, 3693 Attributes linked to, IV, 39:47, 3470 Basic principles of religions confirm, II, 3:19, 310 Biblical support of, IV, 19:36, 2180 Books and prophets sent to establish truth of, IV, 39:2-3, 3439-40 Chapter Maryam removes misconceptions about, IV, 19 Disbelievers insult, II, 7:174, 1062 Doctrine of, IV, 40:13, 3504 Evidence in creation of, II, 3:19, 310 Impediments to establishing, IV, 39:3-4, 3440 Insulted by disbelievers (idolators), V, 52:40, 3957 Perfect works confirm, IV, 21:23-24, 2363-64 Prophet’s teachings of, IV, 43:46-47, 3671-72 Two concepts described, III, 13:17, 1628 Warns against idolatry, V, 51:52, 3924 Whole universe bears witness to, III, 17:45, 1974 Allah, Word of Angels descend with ( Haqq), according to due right of the recipient, III, 15:9, 1715 'Be' and it is, III, 16:41-42, 1842-43 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3517 Preservation of, IV, 37:11, 3280 Revealed first to a Prophet, IV, 37:9, 3278 Revealed gradually in pieces, III, 16:3, 1804 Safe against interference and stealing, III, 15:19, 1725 Alms, obligatory ( Sadaq at) see Zak ah Amalekites Helpers of Midianites, I, 2:250, 256 America Warning to, and its allies, V, 55:32, 4067 ‘Ammara (see Baitul-Ma‘m ur) ‘Amr bin Al-‘As Leader of deputation of Meccans to Abyssinia, IV, 19 An‘am, Al ( chapter ) Lawful use of cattle (An‘ am) for man, II, 5:2, 641 Anbiy a’, Al (chapter ), IV, 21 Anfal (Spoils), II, 8:2, 1092A Anfal, Al and Taubah, At ( chapter ) Anfal first Medinite chapter and Taubah the last, II, 8 and 9 Chapter Taubah is a part of Anf al, II, 8 and 9 Taubah (Bar a’ah) fulfilment of prophecy in Anfal, II, 8 and 9 Angels (also see Gabriel) Allah rebukes enemies of Gabriel and Michael, I, 2:98-99, 104-05 Appointed for e very man, III, 13:12, 1623 Assist Muslims in battle, II, 3:125-27, 409-11 Belief in, since antiquity, IV, 23:25, 2529 Capabilities of, I, 2:33-35, 39-41 Commanded to postrate before Adam, II, 7:12, 916 Conversation with Allah, I, 2:31, 37 Condemnation of believing them to be God’s daughters, IV, 37:150-156, 3358-3359A Responsibilities to Divine Messengers, IV, 20:117, 2325 Submit to man, IV, 38:73-74, 3429 The exalted Assembly, IV, 38:70, 3427 Animal Consumption Requirements in slaughter for, II, 6:119-22, 860-63 Those forbidden in Hinduism and Judaism, II, 6:145, 884 ‘Ankab ut, Al (chapter ), IV, 29 Ansar (Helpers), II, 8:75, 1162 Apostasy Forgiven by repentance, II, 3:87-91, 375-77 Not punishable by death in Islam, II, 4:138, 602 Punishment for, II, 3:91-92, 377-78 Apostates Replaced by friends of Allah, II, 5:55, 685 Arabia At the birth of Mu hammad, I, cx Education in the time of Mu hammad, II, 7:158, 1047 Place of reform, IV, 36:69-70, 3258-59 Arabic Language Beauty of, I, i; V, 50:31, 3879 Vastness and depth of, III, 12 :3, 1507 Arabs, I, cxi; I, cxi i Obnoxious customs of, IV, 33:5, 3077 Scribes (amanuenses) in Mu hammad’s time, II, 7:158, 1047 Spiritual rebirth of, IV, 40:69, 3544 Warned of their coming defeat, V, 54:2-56, 4006-42 A‘raf, Al (chapter ), II, 7 Arguments and Reasoning Against the so-called lapse of the Holy Prophet, V, 48:3, 3818 All objects in universe form links of one chain, III, 16:4-23, 1805-24 Allah arranged for physical and spiritual needs, III, 16:9-16, 1810-17 Existence of life after death, III, 17:100, 2028 For reject ers of Holy Prophet, IV, 35:41-46, 3207-12 Futility of idolatry, V, 46:29, 3782 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3518 Holy Prophet not a madman, IV, 37:38-39, 3295-96 In support of the Unity of God, IV, 45:14, 3739; III, 16 :73, 1873 Only Allah can provide both physical and spiritual blessings, III, 16:18-20, l819-21 Prove and support Allah’s existence, V, 55:28, 4065 Quran establishes truth of Holy Prophet’s claim, IV, 36:3, 3214 Refutation of alleged divinity o f false deities, III, 16:21-22, 1822-23 Refutes disbelievers rejection of doctrine of life after death, V, 50:5, 3859 Repudiation of idol worship, IV, 37:93-97, 3330-33 Ark Embarkation of the, III, 11:41, 1422 Noah’s, rested on Mt, J udi, IV, 23:30, 2532 Arrogance Obstacle to moral progress, III, 17:38, 1967 ‘Arsh (Throne), III, 10:4, 1279; IV, 20 :6, 2242 Ashab-ur-Rass (People of Well), IV, 25:39, 2672 Ashhurul-Hurum (Forbidden Months), II, 9:5, 1168 ‘Asr, Al (chapter ), V, 103 Associating Partners with Allah (see Idolatry) Astrology Islam is opposed to, III, 15:19, 1725 Atlantic Ocean Prophecy of two bodies of water joining, V, 55:20-21, 4060 Atonement Christian doctrine refuted, II, 3:136-137, 419-420 Refutation of, I, 1:3, 3; I, 2:287, 29 2A; III, 12:80, 1579; IV, 35:19, 3191 Attributes Divine and human, IV, 42:12, 3610 Aus and Khazraj, I, cxxxi; I, ccxxxvi ii Aus tribe converted to Islam, I, 2:10, 16 Authority Obedience to, II, 4:65-71, 537-42 Ayah (Token or Sign), IV, 19:11, 2155; I, 2:130, 136 Ayyam (Periods of Time), V, 50:39, 3885 Azar Abraham’s uncle, II, 6:75, 820 Backbiting Evil quality, V, 104:2, 4835 Badr, Battle of, I, cxlvi A prophecy about, I, 2:221, 217 Allah’s Might and Mercy established, IV, 30:6-8, 2992-95 Angel’s assistance in, II, 8:10, 1100; IV, 25:26, 2662 Disbelievers had foretaste of subsequent crushing defeat, V, 79:15, 4560 Disposition of opposing forces of, II, 8:4345, 1131-33 Fulfilment of Prophet Isaiah’s prophecy, V, 89:5, 4709 Hadith Prop hecy fulfilled, V, 54:49, 4037 Instruction in disposition of enemy, II, 8:13, 1103 Means for establishment of truth, II, 8:8-9, 1098-99 Number killed at, II, 8:13, 1103 One of the greatest battles in history, IV, 25:27, 2663 Promise of triumph immediately prior to battle, V, 54:46, 4034 Promise of triumph over one of the two parties in, II, 8:8, 1098 Prophecy concerning, II, 6:6, 753; I, lxxvii; III, 17:69, 1998 Prophecy concerning Quraish, V, 54:2, 4006 Punishment of hypocrites, II, 8:50-52, 1138-40 Revelation about, II, 8:8, 1098 Significance of, II, 8:42, 1130; IV, 25 :27, 2663 Strategies used in, II, 8:45, 1133 Success for Believers prophesied, II, 3:14, 305 Two favours bestowed upon Muslims, II, 8:12, 1102 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3519 Usefulness of rain at, II, 8:12, 1102 Victory of believers at, II, 8:8-13, 1098-1103 Victory was an act of God, II, 8:18, 1107 Badr, The Smaller (Badr A s-Sughr a), II, 3:173, 455 Baghd ad Fall of, III, 11:9, 1938 Baha’ullah False claims of, III, 10:18, 1293 Bahisht i Maqbarah The righteous believers, IV, 36:27, 3230 Bahrain Prophet’s letter to Chief of, I, ccvii Bahril-Masj ur (The swollen sea) Where Pharoah’s army drowned, V, 52:7, 3935 Baitul-Ma‘m ur (Frequented house), also see Ka‘ba h, V, 52:5, 3933 Bai‘atur-Ridwan Oath taken by Muslims to intensify fight against Quraish, V, 48:19, 3828 Balad, Al (chapter ), V, 90 Bani Isra’il (chapter ), III, 17 Banu Mustaliq, I, clxv Banu Nadir; Ban u Qainuqa‘ Jewish tribe banished for treachery to Muslims, V, 59:3-4, 4190-91 Palm trees of, cut down by order of Holy Prophet, V, 59:6, 4192 Banu Qainuqa‘; Ban u Qurai zah Jewish tribes in Medina, I, 2:10, 16 Banu Qurai zah, I, cxxxi; I, clxx vii; I, clxx ix Baqarah, Al (chapter ), I, 2 Bara’at (Declaration of Absolution), II, 9:1, 1164 Barzakh (A Barrier), IV, 23:101, 2579 Bayyinah, Al (chapter ), V, 98 Bedouin, Tribes of Remained behind, did not join Holy Prophet for ‘Umrah, V, 48:12-13, 3824-25 Bee Allegorical meaning of, III, 16 Allegory comparing man an —’s proper use of natural instincts, III, 16:69, 1869 Begging Impropriety of, I, 2:274, 280 Belief Criterion to judge, IV, 45:22, 3745 In the unseen, 1, 2:4, 10 Lip-profession and true belief compared, II, 4:137-38, 601-02 Believers Act justly to Muslims and non-Muslims, II, 5:9, 648 Actions recorded by Allah in clear Book, III, 10:62, 1337 Allah defends, IV, 22:39, 2469 Allah safeguards obedient, II, 5:12-13, 649-50 Allah’s peace and mercy promised to, II, 6:55-56, 800-01 Allah’s pleasure better than heaven for, II, 9:72, 1226 Alone will enjoy Allah’s provisions in next life, II, 7 :33, 933 Are not angered by taunts, II, 6:71, 816 Avoid vain discourse, II, 6:69, 814 Believe in life after death, V, 70:27-29, 4378 Categories of, in Paradise, V, 55:61-77, 4082-88 Characteristics of, V, 72:14 Characteristics of, and disbelievers, V, 47:13, 3797 Classes of, who stayed behind from Tab uk, II, 9:95, 1245 Conduct in war, II, 8:58, 1145 Criteria for success, IV, 23:2-12, 2509-17 Deeds of this life will appear as springs in next life, V, 76:7, 4484 Described, V, 70:24-35, 4376A-79 Difference in ranks o f, IV, 39:21, 3449 Different from disbelievers, IV, 39:23, 345 1 Directed to fear Allah, IV, 33:71-74, 3127-29 Dissension among, over treatment of hypocrites, II, 4:89, 557 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3520 Distinguishing signs of, II, 9:71, 1225 Divine promise to, IV, 40:52, 3532 Do good to seek Allah’s pleasure alone, V, 76:9-1l, 4485-85A Earn 'Garden of Eternity', IV, 25:16-17, 2653-54 Enjoined not to associate with enemies of Islam, V, 60:14, 4221 Enjoined to correspond actions to their profession of belief, V, 61:3-4, 4223 Enjoined to declare their faith, V, 109:3-6, 4859 Enjoined to do good to win pleasure of Allah, V, 92:18-22, 4761 Enjoined to migrate when religious freedom denied, II, 8:75, 1162 Enjoined to have virtues of honesty, justice, obedience, II, 4:59-60, 532-33 Enjoined to invoke protection of Allah, V, 113:2-6, 487l-74 Enjoined to pray for protection from evil, V, 113:2-4, 4871-72 Enjoined to preach truth, V, 87:10-11, 4688 Enjoined to proclaim principles of Islam, V, 109:2, 4858 Enjoined to sacrifice money and family for Islam, V, 63:10, 4251 Enjoined to sever all relations that are hostile to Islam, V, 60:4, 4212 Enjoined to shun evil society, II, 8:26, 1114 Enjoined to spend in the cause of Islam, V, 63:10-12, 4251-53 Eternal life for, IV, 37:59-63, 3309-11 Exhorted to w orship Allah and trust in Him alone, III, 11:124, 1504 Experience peace and heavenly happiness amidst deprivation, V, 97:6, 4797 Experience spiritual rebirth at Messenger's call, II, 8:25, 1113 Expiation for killing inadvert ently, II, 4:9394, 561-62 Faith and good works will become 'light' on Day of Judgement, V, 57:13, 4155 Fate of, V, 70:36, 4380 Fate of, in after-life, V, 69:20-25, 4354-57 Forbidden friendship with enemies at war with Muslims, II, 5:52, 683 Gardens of eternity for, IV, 38:50-56, 3416-18 Glad tidings to, III, 10:65, 1340 Goals different from those of disbelievers, V, 92:5-12, 4753-58 Good relationship with man and God, V, 57:28-29, 4168-69 Good tidings to, IV, 39:18-19, 3448 Granted Paradise in this world and next, V, 55:47, 4074 Granted sight of Allah, V, 83:16, 4632 Guidance for, IV, 39:19, 3448 Guidelines for, II, 5:88-107, 716-34 Have certainty of rational arguments, V, 53:24, 3984 Honoured if they prefer God and His messengers to worldly connections, V, 58:23, 4188 Instructed to take Holy Prophet as a model, III, 11:113, 1493 Likened to Mary, mother of Jesus, V, 66:13, 4286 Likened to wife of Pharaoh, V, 66:12, 4286 Muh ajirin and An sar as two classes of, II, 8:75, 1162 Must fulfil duties to God and mankind, V, 76:8-10, 4484A-85A Must spend in the way of Allah, V, 76:9, 4485 Must strive to suppress all evil propensities, V, 76:6-7, 4483-84 Need for obedience to God and His Messengers, II, 8:21, 1109 Need to preach to disbelievers, II, 6:71, 816 No compromise with disbelievers, V, 109:2-7, 4858-60 Noble qualities of, II, 9:112, 1261 Obey Allah and His Messengers, IV, 24:5255, 2628A-29 On straight path to Allah, II, 4:176, 638 Paradise for, described, IV, 22:24-25, 2456-56A Possess different spiritual ranks, II, 9:20, 1183 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3521 Prayers enjo ined upon, to disassociate from disbelievers, V, 60:6-7, 4214 Principles for success for, IV, 22:42, 2472 Promise of Allah’s help always true, II, 8:41, 1129 Promises made by Allah to, II, 8:15, 1104 Prosperity through worship, IV, 22:78, 2506 Protected against disbelievers and hypocrites, II, 4:142-44, 605-07 Qualities of, II, 3:17-18, 309; V, 48 :30, 3839 Referred to as heirs and asked t o spend in the way of Allah, V, 57:8, 4151 Relations with disbelievers who are friend ly to Islam, V, 60:9-10, 4216-17 Respect others’ beliefs, II, 6:109, 850 Reward of, V, 98:8-9, 4803 Rewarded in this life as well as in the Hereafter, V, 76:19-23, 4490-93 Rewarded with Paradise, V, 76:12-23, 4487-93 Rewards for, IV, 28:55, 2916; IV, 35:8, 3181; III, 18:108-09, 2143; V, 56:12-39, 4102-13; IV, 34:5, 3134 Rewards for true, II, 8:5, 1095 Rewards in paradise, IV, 39:21, 3449 Rewards in paradise described, V, 55:47-61, 4074-81 Rewards on earth described, V, 55:63-77, 4082-88 Sacrifice everything for the sake of God, IV, 29:57-60, 2980-82 Seek Allah’s guidance to have true relationship with Him, V, 51:51, 3923 Should be firm in faith, V, 88:20, 4702 Should follow leadership and be patient, V, 88:18, 4700 Stages of spiritual development of, IV, 35:3335, 3201-02 Strivers and sitters ranked by Allah, II, 4:9697, 564-65 Success, five ways to, II, 3:201, 482 Taking of disbelievers as friends forbidden to, II, 4:140, 603 Ten outstanding qualities of, IV, 33:36-37, 3102-03 Those who persecute, will be punished in present and Hereafter, V, 85:14, 4665 Told by the disbelievers to renounce their faith, II, 7:89, 987 Told not to follow hypocrites, II, 6:57, 802 Told not to pray for idolaters, II, 9:113-14, 1262-63 Told not to put worldly affairs before service to Islam, II, 9:24, 1185 Told to listen to Allah and His Messengers, II, 8:25, 1113 Told to remove feelings of rancour and malice, II, 7:44, 943 True recompense is forgiveness and reward, III, 11:12, 1393 Warned against company of disbelievers, V, 58:15-16, 4184; V, 60:2-4, 4210-12 Warned of Day of Resurrection, II, 6:52, 797 Warned of intimate relationship with disbelievers, V, 58:23, 4188 Warned to accept bounties of Allah, II, 5:88, 716 Warning not to sit with those who deny signs of God, II, 4:141-42, 604-05 Warning of tri als, IV, 39:14-17, 3446-47 Warning to, IV, 40:5, 3496 Who are righteous, blessed with success on earth, V, 65:13, 4276 Who do good works rewarded, V, 85:12 'Who range themselves in close rows', IV, 37:2, 3271 Will abide in Gardens, V, 57:13, 4155 Will be pleased with results of their sacrifices for Islam, V, 88:10, 4697 Will be rewarded for their sacrifices in cause of Islam, V, 88:9-17, 4697-99 Will be tried, IV, 29:3-4, 2940-41 Will witness fate of disbelievers, V, 83:36, 4643 Witnesses for Islam, II, 5:9, 648 Believers, Foremost Highest stage of spiritual perfection (As- Sabiqun), V, 56:11, 4101 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3522 Believers, Righteous Description of, V, 51:17, 3903 Believers, True, IV, 40:39-46, 3524-28 Belief and submission necessary for development of, III, 10:85, 1358 Faith of a, V, 46:14, 3769 Firm faith in preaching true Islam, V, 57:8, 4151 Good actions of, rewarded, IV, 21:95, 2421 Great struggle against worldly beliefs, I, 2:287, 29 2A Possess clear proofs, III, 12:109, 1608 Qualities of, II, 9:100, 1249; II, 8:3-4, 1093- 94; IV, 24:52-53, 2628A; IV, 21:20-21, 2360- 61; IV, 23:58-62, 2549-51 Requirements for success of, IV, 24:53 Success of, IV, 40:10, 3501 Victories of believers over disbelievers, V, 48:25, 3834 Vie with each other and help those who stumble, I, 2:149, 155 Benjamin Resemblance with the Holy Prophet Muhammad, III, 12:67, 1568 Bible (Holy) A sacred trust which was obliterated, II, 7:170, 1059 Account of Cyrus as Dhul-Qarnain, III, 18:84, 2122 Biblical prophecy fulfilled in revelation of Quran, V, 76:24, 4494 Covenant with Israelites, I, 2:41, 47 Distortion of, I, 2:80, 86 Parallel to Quran, V, 52:3, 393l; V, 52:7, 3935 Prophecies of advent of Islam in, IV, 23:21, 2525 Bilal Severely tortured because of conversion to Islam, I, c xviii-cxix Birds Symbolic of defeat of people in Arabic idiom, III, 16:80, 188 0 Birth Control, III, 17:32, 1961 Bismill ahir Ra hmanir Ra him Discussion of the pre-Islamic use of, IV, 27:31, 2833 In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful, I, 1:1, 1 Recited before important work, I, 1:1 Blessings Condition for withdrawal of Allah’s, II, 8:54, 1142 In heaven and earth, II, 7:97, 993 Blind, Spiritually Difference between spiritually seeing and, IV, 40:59, 3536 Disbelievers, cannot see their error, IV, 27:82 Doubting leads to conditions of, II, 6:8, 755 In this world and the next, III, 17:73, 2002 Meaning of, IV, 31:8, 3037 Two parties; the seeing and the blind compared, III, 11:25, 1406 Book(s) (Scriptures) A clear, sent to the People of the Book, II, 5:16, 653 Belief in previous required, I, 2:5, 11 Description of fake, III, 14:27, 1681 Essential characteristics of the Perfect, III, 16:91, 1891 Holy Prophet’s belief in prior revealed scriptures, IV, 42:16, 3613 Infalli ble criterion for testing truth of a revealed, III, 14:25-26, 1679 Knowledge of divine, given to all Prophets, II, 6:90, 832 Of wisdom, IV, 31:3, 3035 Record of one’s actions preserved in a, IV, 22:71 Revealed by Allah, V, 46:3, 3759 Signifies knowledge, II, 6:60, 805 Tablet on which Moses ’ Ten Commandments were written, I, 2:54, 60 That which is written (Kit ab), III, 15:2, 1709 Book, People of the Breaking of the Covenant, II, 4:155-56, 618-19 Concealed portions of their book, II, 6:92, 834 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3523 Deny re velation in their own age, II, 6:92, 834 Dishonest with Muslims, II, 3:76, 364 Exclusive claim to Allah’s favour rejected, II, 3:74-75, 362-63 Incited co-religionists against Islam, II, 9:32, 1192 Lie against Allah, II, 3:76, 364 Many Jews and Christians will finally accept Islam, II, 3:200, 481 Notion of superiority, II, 3:76-77, 364-65 Reject Holy Prophet Mu hammad, II, 3:70-76, 358-364 Reject ers of Islam, II, 3:24-26, 315-17 Some accepted Islam while the Holy Prophet was yet in Mecca, III, 13:37, 1647 Took their learned men for gods, II, 9:31, 1191 Transgressed the Sabbath, II, 4:155, 618 Boycotting Injunction against, II, 6:152, 891 Bracelets of Gold V aried metaphorical meanings, III, 18:32, 2072 Bribes Muslims should guard themselves against, III, 16:96-97, 1896-97 Brotherhood All believers are brothers, V, 49:11, 3848 Based on human fraternity and equality, V, 49:14, 3851 Between Muslims, better than Muslim/non- Muslim blood relationship, V, 60:5, 4213 Equal rights of Islamic, V, 49:15, 3852 In the matters of civil law, equality of man, I, 2:179, 185 Islam enjoins social equality, IV, 24:62, 2636 Unity of Muslims, II, 3:106, 392 Buruj, Al (chapter ), V, 85 Byzantine and Iranian Empires Christian power in cahoots with hypocrites to undermine Islam, I, 2:10, 16 Muslims warned of prolonged wars with mighty foes, V, 48:17-18, 3827 Promise to righteous fulfilled, V, 52:21, 3943 Promised to believers, V, 55:47, 4074 Cain and Abel (Sons of Adam) Spirit underlying sacrifice, II, 5:28-31, 663-666 Story of a warning to Israelites, II, 5:33, 668 Calamities Law of Allah about, IV, 26:209, 2803; III, 11:59, 1439 Preceded coming of the Promised Messiah as prophesied, II, 6:132, 872 Calendar Four Sacred months of, II, 9:36, 1196 Postponement of sacred month repudiated, II, 9:37, 1197 Reckoning of months by Divine ordinance, II, 9:36, 1196 Camphor (K afur) Metaphorical usage in Quran, V, 76:6, 4483 Canals, Panama and Suez Prophecy concerning, V, 55:20-21, 4059-60 Capitalism and Communism Evils of Western democracies and Communist powers commit evil, V, 114:7, 4876 War to the finish will take place between, III, 18:48, 2088 Captives Muslims enjoined to treat with kindness and mercy, II, 8:69, 1156 Rules in taking of, II, 8:68, 1 155 Cattle Benefits derived from, III, 16:6-9, 1807-10 Eating of lawful, II, 6:143, 882 Moral lesson related to, IV, 40:80-81, 3550-51 Cave Catacombs at Rome, III, 18:10, 2050 Location of catacombs concurs with the location given in Quran, III, 18:18, 2058 Cave, People of No object of wonder, only sign of All ah, III, 18:10, 2050 Challenge To produce a book like Quran, III, 17:89, 2018 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3524 Charity ( Sadaqah) An expression of love rather than mere duty, I, 2:178, 184 By night and day, I, 2:275, 281 Fear of poverty Satanic, I, 2:269, 275 For display, II, 4:39-40, 516 For relatives, wayfarers, and human sympathy, I, 2:178, 184 For those detained in cause of Allah, I, 2:274, 280 Fulfilment of vow to give, I, 2:271, 277 Givers receive wisdom, I, 2:270, 276 Made worthless by insult, I, 2:263-65, 269-271 May be denied if e ffect is adverse, III, 17:29, 1958 Purposes of, I, 2:266-67, 272-73 Secret and open, I, 2:272, 278 Secret of national advancement, I, 2:270, 276 Two kinds in Islam, II, 6:142, 881 Chastity Definition of, IV, 23:6, 2513 Islamic laws of, IV, 24:3, 2592 Children A trial and means of purification, II, 8:29, 1117 Limitations of love for, III, 14:37, 1691 Muslims exhorted not to kill, through neglect, IV, 17:32, 1961 Chosroes, I, ccii; I, ccviii Christian Nations, Western Awakening of, III, 18:20, 2060 Decline and destruction of, IV, 19:75-76, 2214-15 Enemies of Islam, V, 111:2-6, 4863-66 Greatest losers in respect of their works, III, 18:104-07, 2140-42 Means of avoiding divine punishment, IV, 20:114, 2322A Muslims helpless against the mighty, if they use material means, III, 18:24-25, 2064-65 Prophecy of destruction of, IV, 20:106-09, 23l5-18 System of credit destructive to peace, I, 2:280, 286 Temporary progress of, II, 3:197-98, 478-79 Warning of their fate, III, 18:5, 2045; IV, 19:99, 2236 Christianity, I, xviii Ascendency of, is temporary, V, 82:20, 4625 Blasphemous dogma of sonship of Jesus, IV, 42:6, 3605 Divinity of Jesus condemned, II, 5:18, 655 Doctrine of Atonement repudiated, II, 3:3, 294; V, 82:7, 4619; V, 82:16-20, 4624-25 Doctrines, false, V, 82:6-10, 4618-21 Jesus never taught that he was the son of God, III, 18:6, 2046 Original Sin doctrine false, V, 82:7-10, 4619-21 Perversion of, II, 3:8, 299 Trinity and sonship of Jesus refuted, II, 3:52, 341; V, 82:2-5, 4614-17 Two periods of, great material progress of, III, 18:84, 2122 Christians Abyssinian response to Muslim migration, II, 5:84-85, 714-15 Early period of persecution, III, 18:26-27, 2066-67 Enmity among them, II, 5:15, 652 Example of wrong preaching, II, 5:106, 73 3 Forgot their covenant with Allah, II, 5:15, 652 Misunderstood Allah’s commands, V, 57:28, 4168 Only people to erect churches in memory of Saints, III, 18:22, 2062 Prosperity of, II, 5:113-15, 741-42 Punishment in store for, II, 5:116, 743 Sympathetic to b elievers, II, 5:83-85, 713-15 Unreasonable demands of, I, 2:119, 125 Warned about paganism, II, 5:104, 731 Civilization and Culture Different periods of, I, xviii Jewish and Christian, I, xix Meaning of, I, xv i " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3525 Civilizations Advanced, unequalled, but still destroyed, II, 6:7, 754 Ancient, referred to in Quran prior to archeology, IV, 30:10, 2996 Condition at the advent of Islam, IV, 30:42, 3020 Commercial Transactions Success lies in honesty in, III, 17:3633, 1965 Community Methods to raise moral stature, V, 90:13-17, 4732-33 Recipe for 'well knit', V, 59:11, 4197 Should honour martyrs for its cause, I, 2:155, 161 Community, Islamic Muslim association with enemies of Islam weakens community, V, 60:6, 4214 Compacts Fulfilment of obligations to Allah, II, 5:2, 641 Made with Khal ifah are binding, III, 16:93, 1893 Companions of the Holy Prophet Biblical description of, V, 48:30, 3839 Example of, V, 48:27, 3836 Followers of the Holy Prophet subjected to severe trials, V, 46:36, 3787A Holy Prophet ’s followers will prevail on a glorious day, V, 46:36, 3787A Metaphor of followers of Holy Prophet who studied Quran deeply, V, 51:2, 3890 Noble and manly virtues of, compared with the companions of Moses, II, 5:24-25, 660-661 Praised by God, IV, 33:24, 3092 Compulsion in Faith Wisdom of Allah’s commandments require no, II, 6:150, 889 Conceit and Self Praise Results of, IV, 39:53, 3474 Confucianism, I, vii Consultation (Sh ura) Importance in Islamic administration, II, 3:l60, 442 Covenant (of Allah) Meaning of, III, 92-93, 1892-93 Punishment for breaking, II, 3:78-79, 366-67 To preach the message, II, 3:188, 470 Creation Allah created and governs the universe, providing for man’s need, V, 57:5, 4149 Allah is creator of all, III, 16:4, 1805 Allah’s work, not man’s, V, 56:59-66, 4124-28 Alteration of day and night, II, 3:192, 474 Comparison between spiritual and physical, IV, 35:28-29, 3197-98 Earth set for all creatures, V, 55:11, 4052 Eternal purpose of, of heaven and earth, V, 46:4, 3760 Every thing has a use and some good, III, 18:8, 2048 Gradual process of Man’s spiritual and physical evolution, IV, 40:68, 3543 Heavens and earth created in six periods, V, 57:5, 4149 Man and woman, II, 4:2, 484 Man’s physical and spiritual evolution is gradual, IV, 22:6-7, 2441-42 Marvels of, V, 50:7-12, 3861-64 Object of man’s, IV, 40:42, 3526 Of everything in pairs, IV, 26:8-9, 2711-12 Of Heavens and earth demonstrates perfection of God, III, 16:4, 1805 Of heavens and earth in six periods, III, 10:4, 1279 Of man and universe, III, 16:4-17, 1807-18 Of pairs, V, 51:50, 3922; V, 51:50, 3922 Of physical universe in stages, IV, 41:13, 3565 Of seven heavens, V, 67:4-6, 4290-92 Of spiritual and physical worlds, IV, 35:2, 3177 Of stars serves great purpose, III, 15:17-19, 1723-25 Of the earth, IV, 41:10, 3562; IV, 32:5, 3061 Of the physical world a lesson for thinkers, III, 16:66-68, 1866-68 Original and subsequent, III, 17:86, 2015 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3526 Perfection of, IV, 32:8-10, 3064-65 Periods of, IV, 25:60, 2689 Physical and spiritual development in womb, gradual, II, 3:7, 298 Purpose of man’s, IV, 41:14, 3566; V, 51:57, 3926; V, 52:36, 3954 Purpose of, The, II, 3:191-2, 473-4; III, 16:73, 1873; V, 50:9, 3862 Role of God and man in, V, 55 Significance of spiritual awakening, V, 50:16, 3868 Six stages of, IV, 32:5, 3061 Solar systems, IV, 45:4-5, 3734; V, 67:4, 4290 Stages of, III, 14:11, 1665 Stages of earth’s, IV, 41:11, 3563 Stages of man’s physical and spiritual development, V, 55:15, 4056 Time, indefinite, IV, 41:10, 3562 Creation, Purpose of To reach Allah through devotion, sacrifice and prayer (Muj adalah), V, 51:57, 3926 Creator True test of the, III, 10:35, 1310 Crucifixion, The Interpretation by Jews, II, 4:158, 621 Cyrus (Prophet Dhul-Qarnain), III, 18:84102, 2122-38; III, 18:96-99, 2132-35 Expeditions of, III, 18:86-94, 2124-30 Identity of, discussed, III, 18:84, 2122 Inseparably linked to Gog and Magog, III, 18:84, 2122 Returns Jews to Jerusalem, IV, 19 Revelation to, concerning Gog and Magog in the future, III, 18:99, 2135 Zoroastrian who believed in life after death, III, 18:88, 2125 Dahr, Ad (chapter ), V, 76 Dajj al Description of, IV, 40:58, 3535 Daniel (Prophet) Dream about Dhul-Qarnain, III, 18:84, 2122 David (Prophet D awud) Allah gave Him knowledge, IV, 27:16, 2823 And subjects praised Allah, IV, 21:80, 2410 Attempted assassination of, IV, 38:22-23, 3392-93 Builder of Hebrew Kingdom, II, 6:85, 828 Decisive judgement of, IV, 38:21-25, 3391-95 Difficult tasks accomplished by, I, 2:254, 260 Divine graces bestowed upon, IV, 34:11-12, 3137-38 Divine protection for, IV, 38:26, 3396 Israelites final zenith of power under, IV, 21:81, 2411 Jews laid the foundation of great Kingdom in time of, III, 17:6, 1935 Origin of the king of Judah, II, 6:85, 828 Position as vicegerent, IV, 38:27, 3397 Power of, described, IV, 27:16, 2823 Skilled in armour design, IV, 21:81, 2411 Steadfastness in faith, IV, 38:18, 3388 Story of, IV, 34:12-13, 3137-38 Subjects of, IV, 38:19-21, 3389-91 Victory of, over Goliath, I, 2:252, 258 Dawud (see David, Prophet) Day (Yaum) Of victory at Badr, V, 52:47, 3963 One, equals one thousand years, IV, 22:48, 2477 Dead in their Graves Metaphor for reject ers of the call, IV, 35:23, 3194 Deaf, Spiritually Cannot hear the call, IV, 27:81, 2865 Meaning of, IV, 31:8, 3037 Death Barrier after (barzakh), IV, 23:101, 2579 Blessings of, IV, 26:82, 2754; IV, 22:67, 2496 Cannot be forestalled, V, 56:61-62, 4124-25 Departure of soul from body, V, 56:84-88, 4141-43 Everything is constantly being constructed and destroyed, V, 57:3, 4147 Figurative meanings of, I, 2:244, 250 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3527 Inevitability of, II, 4:79, 547; IV, 21 :36, 2376; IV, 23 :16, 2521 Kinds of, IV, 40:12, 3503 Necessary for man to achieve his spiritual destiny, V, 80:22, 4582 No return of the dead after, IV, 21:96, 2422; IV, 23:100-01, 2578-79 Opens door to unending spiritual progress, V, 67:3, 4289 Permitted only by Allah, II, 3:146-47, 429-30 Purpose of, I, 2:29, 35 While in pure state, III, 16:33, 1834 While wronging one’s soul, III, 16:29, 1830 Debts Creditor, kindness of, I, 2:281, 287 Decision, Day of Description of, IV, 44:41, 3719 Decius, Roman Emperor Persecuted Christians, III, 18:10, 2050 Decree, Divine, V, 72:26-27, 4410-11 Followers of Islam will increase by, IV, 42:51, 3636 Postponement of, II, 9:106, 1255; II, 9:118, 1265 When operating, repentance is of no ava il, IV, 40:86, 355 3 Deeds, Evil Adultery/fornication, IV, 24:3-4, 2592-93 Backbiting, V, 104:2, 4836 Bribery, I, 2:189, 195 Cause man to go astray, II, 6:126, 867 Cause of, V, 49:13, 3850 Caused by disbelief in life after death, IV, 27:5-6, 2815A Consequences of, IV, 39:48, 3471; V, 46:21, 3774 Continuous, appear fair and good to man, II, 6:123, 864 Dividing other people, V, 49:13, 3850 Divining arrows, II, 5:4, 643 Make Allah’s commandments burdensome, II, 6:126, 867 Open and secret, II, 7:34, 934 Punishment for, III, 10:28, 1303 Punishment for slander, IV, 24:5, 2594 Scandal-mongering, IV, 24:20, 2603 Secret param ours, II, 5:6, 645 Selfishness, V, 68:18-34, 4318-26 Slander, IV, 24:15-20, 2602-03 Suspicion, V, 49:13, 3850 Telling lies, IV, 24:12, 2600; IV, 25:73, 2699; IV, 22:31, 2461 That retard material, moral, spiritual growth, IV, 40:25, 3512 Three classes of, II, 7:34, 934 Unseemly speech is, unless one is wronged, II, 4:149, 612 Use of obscene language, IV, 24:27, 2609 Deeds, Good Chastity, IV, 24:31-32, 2613-14; IV, 24:3, 2592 Description and benefits of, III, 10:15, 1290 Doer of, in three classes, III, 14:24, 1678 Doers of, rewarded, II, 4:123-26, 589-91 Easy for person with three certain qualities, V, 92:6-8, 4754 Evidence, giving of true, IV, 25:73, 2699 Forgiveness, IV, 24:23, 2605 Helping the poor, IV, 24:23, 2605 Honesty, V, 83:2-5, 4626-27 Humility; peac e, IV, 25:64, 2692 Must be accompanied by true faith for full reward, III, 17:19-20, 1949 Obedience to Allah, IV, 41:34-36, 3585 Of all people rewarded, III, 17:21, 1950 One who strives to be perfect in his deeds, II, 7:57, 956 Only, count for reward, II, 7:148, 1037 Prayer, II, 9:54, 1210 Prayer and obligatory alms are, I, 2:278, 284 Preaching of Islam, IV, 41:34-36, 3583-85 Produce ten times its number, II, 6:161, 900 Repel evil with good, III, 13:23, 1634; IV, 23:97, 2576 Return prayers and greetings, II, 4:87, 555 Spend moderately, IV, 25:68, 2695 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3528 Spiritual embodiments of, V, 51:16, 3902 To lower one’s gaze, IV, 24:31-32, 2613-14 Trustworthiness, IV, 23:9, 2515 Truthfulness, IV, 22:31, 2461 Work to uplift community, II, 9:54, 1210 Deluge, The Great Punishment of a grievous day, III, 11:27, 1408 Traditions about, in scriptures of three great religions, III, 11:50, 1430 Dependents Protection of, II, 4:6, 488 Despair Never give way to, III, 12:88, 1587 Destruction, Divine Always preceded by warning, III, 17:60, 1989 Result of natural law, III, 13:28, 1639 Development, Spiritual (also see Spiritual Development) Stages to achieve very high degree of, IV, 35:33-35, 3201-02 Dhariyat, Adh (chapter ), V, 51 Dhikr (Remembrance or Eminence), III, 12:105, 1604; III, 15:7, 1713; III, 16:45, 1846 Dhu Nuw as of Yemen Cursed, V, 85:5, 4660 Dhul-Kifl (see Prophet Ezekiel), IV, 38:49, 3415 Dhun-Nun (see Jonah, Prophet) Dhul-Qarnain (see Cyrus, Prophet) Dietary Laws (also see Food), III, 16:116, 1916 Be temperate in eating, II, 6:142, 881 Disobedience in eating that on which Allah’s name has not been pronounced, II, 6:122, 863 Four types of foods forbidden in Islam, II, 6:146, 885 In Islam made with reason and wisdom, II, 6:146, 885 Muslims relieved from punishment of, II, 6:148, 887 Pagan laws forbid arbitrarily, II, 6:146, 885 Pronounce name of Allah before partaking of food, II, 6:119, 860 Regulations of, regarding food, III, 10:60, 1335 Disbelief After belief, circumstances of, III, 16:107, 1907 Origin in ignorance and superstition, IV, 40:43, 3527 Roots of, V, 75:34-36, 4476-77 Sin blunts spiritual insight, IV, 26:201, 2801 Zaqq um (Tree of Disbelief), IV, 37:63-71, 3312-17 Disbelievers A criticism of, IV, 34:8-10, 3135- 36 Abhor truth, II, 8:7, 1097 Accept new worldly ideas, II, 5:105, 732 Admonishment of, V, 50:30, 3878 Allah’s mercy towards, II, 6:13-14, 760-61 Always mock Allah’s message, IV, 21:3, 2344 Always warned before punishment, IV, 28:48, 2910 An evil place for IV, 38:56-59, 3419-20 An objection and response to, III, 16:36-37, 1837-38 Answer to all their objections, IV, 34:45-46, 3166-67 Apparent inconsistency in the description of, IV, 27:5, 2815A Appointed term for, III, 10:50, 1325 Are like cattle, IV, 25:45, 2677 Are not always punished in this life, III, 16:62-63, 1862-63 Arrogance of, IV, 25:22, 2658 Arrogantly demand punishment, II, 6:12, 759 Ask for another chance after death, II, 7:54 Attitude after being defeated, IV, 34:32-34, 3156-57 Attitude of, to Qu ran, IV, 23:67-68, 2555 Attitude towards divine Message, IV, 31:8, 3037 Barter the signs of Allah, II, 9:9, 1172 Believing servants of disbelievers will be above them on Day of Judgement, II, 7:42, 941 Bigotry of, II, 6:28-29, 776 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3529 Both rich and poor will be punished for rejecting the truth, II, 6:129, 869 Called to account, IV, 25:18, 2655 Cannot Harm Allah nor his religion, II, 4:171, 634 Chained to 'shackles' of customs and prejudices, IV, 36:9-1l, 3217-19 Chains and barriers on, IV, 36:9-10, 3217-18 Challenge to, to arrest the progress of Islam, IV, 34:23, 3149; IV, 39:40, 3463 Challenge by Allah to, to create a book like Holy Quran, V, 52:35, 3953 Challenge to, discredit the Holy Quran, V, 85:22-23, 4668-69 Challenge to, produce a teaching equal to the Holy Quran, II, 6:151, 890 Challenge to, produce ten chapter s like the Holy Quran, III, 11:14, 1395 Characteristics of, II, 7:46, 945; IV, 41:8, 3560; V, 100:7-9, 4816-17 Classes of, II, 4:151-153, 61 6 Compared to an Ass, III, 11:107, 1487 Conceit and arrogance of, V, 46:12, 3767 Conceit of, IV, 43:32, 3662 Condition of soul in Hereafter, IV, 20:125127, 2333-34 Conditions for the punishment of, IV, 28:60, 2920 Confused state of mind of, V, 50:6, 3860 Continued doubt of, IV, 41:55, 3600 Covering over hearts and ears of, III, 17:4648, 1975-77 Cry for help, IV, 35:38, 3205 Deceived by their leaders, III, 16:26, 1827 Defeat of, promised to believers, V, 48:23-24, 3832-33 Degradation of, IV, 39:53, 3474 Demand a sign, IV, 29:52-53, 2976-77 Demand personal revelation, IV, 25:22, 2658 Demand proof of Quran’s comprehensiveness, III, 17:91-94, 2020-22 Deny existence of Divine powers, III, 14:19, 1673 Deprived of Allah ’s blessings, III, 11:17, 1398 Description of, II, 3:111-14, 39 7 Desire to see Muslims revert to disbelief, V, 60:3, 4211 Destiny of, IV, 39:72-73, 3488 Destruction of, blessing for mankind, II, 6:46, 792 Destruction of past generations of, V, 47:11, 3796 Different forms of punishments for Meccans, III, 16:46-48, 1847-49 Differentiation of punishment for, III, 16:2325, 182 5 Divine punishment of, IV, 21 :12-16, 2353-56; IV, 37:175-181, 3366-70 Ears, eyes, skins bear witness against, IV, 41:21, 3572 Eventually abandoned by Prophets and left to Allah, II, 7:88, 986 Evil associates of, IV, 41:26, 3577 Excuses not accepted from, V, 77:37, 4521 Explain away signs, III, 12:107, 1606 Fail in this life and suffer in the next, V, 92:14, 4759 Failed in extreme evil design to stop Holy Prophet, III, 17:74, 2003 Fall prey to their own design, III, 13:34, 1645 False pride of, IV, 44:50, 3724 Fate as opposers of truth, V, 69:5-19, 4342-53 Fate in afterlife, V, 69:26-38, 4358-61 Fate of, V, 51:61 Fate of previous, V, 54:10-43, 41 31; V, 53:51-55, 3997-99 Fate of those who do not heed admonitions of truthful, V, 87:13-14, 4690 Fate of those who reject the truth, V, 68:4348, 433 1 Foolish conjectures of, IV, 34:54, 3174 Forgiven if desist from future fighting, II, 8:39, 1127 Fundamental difference from believers, III, 12:106, 1605 Futile desires and energies of, V, 47:10, 3795 Given a fair chance to change, IV, 35:46, 3212 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3530 Hate truth, IV, 23:71, 2558 Heaped together against Islam and in Hell, II, 8:37-38, 1125-26 Hearts of, become hardened, II, 6 :44-51, 790-796 Hearts of, shrink, IV, 39:46, 3469 Heinous crimes of, IV, 41:25-29, 3579 Hour of doom looms for, IV, 41:48, 3595 Hour of reckoning for, IV, 40:17, 3507 Imitate those whom they taunt, IV, 35:43 Impediments to belief, V, 46:12, 3767 In state of loss, V, 103:2-4, 4832-34 Inevitability of defeat and punishment of, III, 10:51-54, 1326-29 Invoke Allah’s punishment, III, 13:7-8, 1618-19 Knowledge limited, V, 53:28-63, 3987-4004 Leaders and followers in the next life, IV, 37:23-33, 3288-94 Leaders of, addressed, IV, 38:60, 3420 Likened to wi ves of Noah and Lot, V, 66:1113, 4286 Love for the present life, V, 76:28, 4495 Machination against Muslims by, II, 9:3, 1166 May be friendly with Muslims if not actively anti-Islam, V, 60:9-10, 4216-17 Mercy doubted by, shown to inmates of Heaven, II, 7:50, 949 Muslims commanded not to take, for friends, II, 9:16, 1179; II, 9:23-24, 1184-85 Must accept Holy Prophet through their Holy Books, II, 6:21, 768 Must render account of their deeds, V, 88:2427, 4705 Nature of deeds determines reward in afterlife, III, 14:50-52, 1704-06 No escape from punishment, IV, 38:4, 3375 No intercessors on Day of Resurrection for, II, 6:95, 837 Not all, will go to hell, III, 14:5, 1659 Not equal to believers, V, 67:23, 4301; V, 68:36 Objections of, to Mu hammad as Prophet answered, IV, 34:44-49, 3165-70 Obstacles to accepting Islam, III, 15:4, 1711 On the Day of Resurrection, IV, 39:25-27, 3453 Organs of bodies of, will denounce them on Day of Judgement, V, 55:40-42, 4071-72 Pardoned at Fall of Mecca, II, 6:42, 788 Pass their lives in negligence, III, 10:46, 1321 Plea of, IV, 43:25, 3658 Pleas of, to inmates of Heaven to share blessings, II, 7:51, 950 Position of, unsupported by reason and common sense, V, 81:26-27, 4611 Powerlessness of, III, 13:17, 1628 Prophecies concerning, II, 8:37, 1125 Prophet Abraham’s dealings with, V, 60:5, 4213 Punished for own disbelief and misleading others, IV, 29:13-14, 2949-50 Punished in stages, V, 70:2-4, 4368 Punished in this life and in the hereafter, V, 68:33, 4326; V, 79:26, 4563 Punished in this world, V, 78:41, 4550 Punishment described, IV, 22:20-23, 2452-55 Punishment for, II, 8:15, 1104 Punishment for leaders of, IV, 31:7, 3036 Punishment of, IV, 25:12-15, 2650-52; IV, 29:69, 2987; IV, 35:8, 3181; IV, 39:16-17, 3447; IV, 39:41, 3464; V, 56:42-96, 4114-44; V, 67:7-12, 4293-95; V, 67:19-20, 4298; V, 67:26-28, 4304-05; IV, 23:42, 2540; IV, 36:48-51, 3245-46 Punishment prophesied for the powerful, II, 3:11-14, 30 3 Quarrel in afterlife, IV, 38:65, 3424 Questioned about power, V, 54:44, 4033 Questioned about the Hour, II, 6:41, 787 Questioned about their power, V, 52:36-45, 3954-61 Realization of, IV, 34:52-54, 3172-74 Rebel in mind and body, V, 75:32, 4475 Rebellious attitude towards Allah, III, 16:6-8, 1807-09 Rebuke to, IV, 42:25, 3620 Refuse to accept signs, II, 6:47, 793 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3531 Refuse to acknowledge truth of Islam’s progress, II, 7:199, 1083 Refuse to recognize afflictions as heavenly signs, II, 7:96, 992 Reject Signs of Allah, II, 3:5, 296 Reject the mention of Allah, IV, 21:37, 2377 Reject warning of Allah, IV, 34:4, 3133 Rejection of Divine Messengers, IV, 36:1516, 3224 Rejection of Quran evidence of ungratefulness of, V, 80:18, 4580 Rejection of Unity of God, IV, 38:6-8, 3377-78 Reject ers of truth, IV, 36:11-12, 3219-20 Reminded of Holy Prophet’s honesty, V, 53:3, 3967 Repaid for their works in this life, III, 11:16, 1397 Request a lightened punishment, IV, 40:50, 3530 Requital for taking religion as a pastime, II, 7:52, 951 Ridicule Holy Quran and Holy Prophet, III, 15:7-8, 1713-14 Self-devised wrong criteria for truthfulness, IV, 25:10-11, 2648-49 Signs of destruction of, V, 47:19, 3803 Some objections of, against Holy Prophet, IV, 34:44, 3165 Some, will not benefit from admonition, V, 87:12-14, 4689 Spiritual death of, IV, 39:64, 3481 State of, IV, 39:57-59, 3478 State of the mind of, V, 50:6, 3860; V, 50:29, 3877 Stumbling block in the way of, IV, 43:24, 3657 Suffer a s uperiority-complex of, IV, 23:25, 2529 The Holy Prophet expresses sympathy for, II, 6:67, 812 Their works fail to achieve real object, III, 14:19, 1673 Throughout history have met sad end, IV, 40:22, 3510 Told to listen to Quran carefully, II, 7:205206, 1089-90 Treatment of the rebellious, II, 4:61-64, 534- 536 Triumph of Islam will cause, to consider truth of resurrection, V, 79:9-13, 4557-59 Two categories of, V, 98:2, 4798 Vain works of, V, 47:2, 3789 Wait for fulfilment of warnings, II, 7:54, 953 Warned, V, 72:25, 4409 Warned against opposing Islam, V, 90:6-8, 4727-29 Warned against rejecting truth, V, 77:16-51, 4511-24 Warned not to reject the Holy Prophet, IV, 29:20-24, 2954-56 Warned of defeat, IV, 30:5, 2991 Warned of divine punishment, V, 78:31, 4544 Warned of fate, V, 53:34-63, 4002 Warned of fire, V, 92:15, 4760 Warned of misuse of divine bounties, V, 89:21-27, 4718-21 Warned of punishment for rejecting Quranic teachings, V, 80:34, 4586 Warned strongly to worship Allah, V, 53:5863, 4004 Warned that divine punishment is sudden and swift, V, 79:47, 4570A Warning for, IV, 39:25-27, 3453 Warning to, IV, 37 :168-176, 3364-67; IV, 40:22, 3510; IV, 42:31, 3623 Who oppose Islam destined to fail, V, 86:1618, 4680 Who oppose Islam will be punished, V, 96:10-18, 4788-91 Who oppose truth will be humiliated, V, 68:12-17, 4314-17 Who witness signs of God, but still reject them, II, 7:176, 1063 Whose hearts are wholly corrupt, II, 8:24, 1112 Why divine punishment of, is delayed, III, 10:41, 1316 Why, reject the truth, III, 10:43-45, 1318-20 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3532 Will ask to share light of believers on Day of Judgement, V, 57:14-15, 4156-57 Will burn in fire, V, 90:20-21, 4735A-4736 Will meet same fate as earlier opponents of Prophets, V, 51:60, 3928 Will not believe, even after fulfilment of prophecies, IV, 28:49, 2911 Will regret their rejection of the message, V, 69:51, 4365 Will suffer consequences for rejecting Allah’s message, V, 65:13, 4276 Wish they were believers, IV, 25:28, 2664 Wish they were Muslims, III, 15:3, 1710 Wish to see angels, II, 6:9, 756 Works of, are destroyed, IV, 25:24, 2660 Worse than beasts, II, 8:56, 1144 Discoveries and Inventions Have not brought peace and beauty to the world, III, 18:9, 2049 Dispensation, Mosaic and Islamic Parallelism of, IV, 19 Disputes Settlement of, II, 4:66, 538 Dissension Secret plotting, II, 4:82, 550 Distinction, Day of (see Badr, Battle of ) Ditch, Battle of Divine aid in, IV, 33:10-28, 3082-95 Turning point for Muslims, IV, 33:26, 3093 Divorce Additional favour on a divorced women, I, 2:242, 248 Before the Consummation of marriage, I, 2:237-238, 243-244 Custody of a child after, I, 2:234, 240 Irrevocable, I, 2:230, 236 Islamic laws of, I, 2:228-231, 234-237 Procedure for, V, 65:2-8, 4268-73 Remarrying after irrevocable divorce, I, 2:231, 237 Revocable, I, 2:230, 236 The most hateful of all lawful things, I, 2:229, 235 Treatment of divorced women after, I, 2:232, 238 Dog Symbolic reference to Byzatine Empire, III, 18:19, 2059 Dreams and Visions Evil, should not be communicated, III, 12:42, 1545 Joseph’s interpretation of King’s dreams, III, 12:48-50, 1551-53 The Holy Prophet’s, of making circuit of Ka‘bah with Companions, V, 48:2, 3817 Usually fulfilled upon interpretation, III, 12:42, 1545 Duha, Ad (chapter ), V, 93 Dukh an, Ad (chapter ), IV, 44 Dwellers of the Cave Attempts to know details about, leads to confusion, III, 18:23, 2063 Muslim historians solve baffling questions about, III, 18:10, 2050 Part of disciplined religious community, III, 18:17, 2057 Earth A common inheritance of humanity, I, 2:30, 36 Created for benefit of mankind, V, 67:16, 4296 Natural cycles sustain, III, 15:20, 1726 Originally part of a larger mass, V, 79:31, 4567 Purpose of mountains on, IV, 31:11, 3038 Economic Principles Of distribution of wealth in Islam, V, 59:9-11, 4195-97 Of Islam, V, 70:25-26, 4376A-77; V, 89:1821, 4717-18 Eden, Garden of Location of, IV, 20:118, 2326 Egypt Prophecy concerning, I, xci ii; I, xc iv Prophet’s letter to Muqauqis the ruler of, I, c cv Elephant, People of the Story of, V, 105:2-6, 4842 Elijah (Prophet Ily as) One of the Messengers, IV, 37:124-133, 3346-48 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3533 Origin and significance of, II, 6:86, 829 Succeeding generations of, IV, 37:130-132, 3348 Treatment of, IV, 37:128 Warning against idolatry, IV, 37:124-128, 3346-47 Elisha (Prophet) Disciple and successor of Elijah, IV, 38:49, 3415 Origin of, II, 6:87, 830 Enchantment Used as a weapon against Messengers of Allah, III, 10:77, 1350 Enemies (of Islam) Description of, internal, II, 4:73-75, 544 Destruction prophesied for, II, 6:135, 874 God will stop designs of, no matter how powerful, III, 14:47-48, 1701-02 Initiated hostilities against Islam, II, 9:14-15, 1177-78 Muslims warned of non-Muslims, who are at war with Muslims, II, 3:119-121, 403-405 Prophecy that many, would become Muslim, V, 60:8, 4215 Secret plots of, II, 3:29-31, 319-321 Secret plots of, against Islam condemned, V, 58:6-9, 417 7 Enemies of Prophets Rules about prophecies foretelling punishment of, III, 11:34, 1415 Enoch (Prophet Idr is) Biblical Messenger whom Allah raised to an exalted position, IV, 19:57, 2199 Spiritual resemblance to Jesus, IV, 19 Was steadfast, IV, 21:86-87, 2415 Ethereal Waves Discovery of, confirms Islamic truth of effects of sin, III, 17:14, 1943 Etiquette, Islamic Basic commandment with regard to, IV, 33:56-60, 3115-19 Bathing prior to Friday prayer, II, 7:32, 932 Display of beauty, IV, 24:32, 2614 For meetings, V, 58:12, 4181 Intermingling of sexes prohibited in, IV, 24:32, 2614 On entering mosque, II, 7:32, 932 Permission to enter homes required, IV, 24:28-30, 2610-12 Privacy of, IV, 24:28-30, 2610-12 Proper respect for the Holy Prophet, V, 49:26, 3841-44 Purpose of clothing, II, 7:27, 928 Rules of conduct in National Assemblies, IV, 24:63, 2637 Salutation in, i mportance of, IV, 24:28-30, 2610-12 Social conduct in, IV, 24:62, 2636 Time of personal privacy, IV, 24:59-60, 2633-34 Variety and limits in following, II, 7:32, 932 Evil Ones (Shay atin) Of men and jinn lead opposition to Prophets, II, 6:113, 854 Evil Suggestions Means to guard against, II, 7:201-203, 1085-87 Evolution Islamic theory of, III, 11:8, 1389 Islamic view of moral, V, 95:5-6, 4779-80 Man’s physical and spiritual, IV, 32:8-13, 3064-66A Quranic support for, I, 1:2, 2 Simile representing four developmental stages of man, V, 95:2-4, 4777-78 Experiences, Spiritual Not all men in a position to understand, II, 15:15-16, 1722 Expulsion Threat of, by disbelievers, III, 14:14, 1668 Ezekiel (Prophet Dhul-Kifl) Identity of, I, 2 :260, 266; IV, 21:86-87, 2415 Predicted rise/fall of Christian/Communist nations, IV, 21:86, 2415 Prophesied destruction/restoration of Jerusalem, IV, 21:86, 2415 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3534 Vision of, I, 2:260, 266 Ezra (Prophet ‘Uzair), I, xxii Sonship of Allah Repudiated, II, 9:30, 1190 Faith Allah increased believers’, V, 48:5-6, 3820 Conditions which make, of no avail, II, 6:159, 898 Great power of, II, 7:126, 1015 Truth of, not decided by verdict of majority, II, 6:117, 858 Faithful, The Angels descend upon, IV, 41:31-33, 3581-82 As guests of Alla h, IV, 41 :33, 3582 Opinion about Quran and reward, III, 16:31-33, 1832-34 Fajr, Al (chapter ), V, 89 Falaq, Al (chapter ), V, 113 Connected to chapter s Al-Ikhlas, V, 113 First of the Mu‘awwidhat an chapter s that afford protection, V, 113 Part of an 'epilogue' to Quran, V, 113 False Deities Futility of, IV, 39:65-66, 3482-83 Lifelessness, helplessness of, II, 4:117-118, 584 False Prophets Fate of, III, 16:117-18, 1917-18 Falsehood Gradual weakening, III, 17:82, 2011 Fasting, I, cc cxii Also prescribed for other religions, I, 2:184, 190 Concessions regarding, I, 2:185, 191 Continuous fasting is forbidden, I, 2:184, 190 Intimacy with spouse during, I, 2:188, 194 The object of, I, 2:184-88, 190-94 Fath, Al (chapter ), V, 48 Fathul Bay an Time of latter days according to Commentary of, III, 17 :105, 2033 Fatihah, Al (chapter ), I, 1 A challenge to Jews and Christians, I, 1:1, 1 Christians mentioned in as having gone astray, I, 1:7, 7 Comprehensive and perfect prayer taught in, I, 1:6, 6 Different names for, I, 1 Jews mentioned in as having displeased Allah, I, 1:7, 7 Mentioned in New Testament prophecy, I, 1 Must precede recitation of Quran, I, 1 The seven oft-repeated verses, III, 15:88, 1791 Those gone astray ( Dallin), I, 1:7, 7 Those who have incurred displeasure (Magh dub-i-‘Alaihim), I, 1:7, 7 Fatir (Maker), III, 14:11, 1665 Fatir, Al (chapter ), IV, 35 Fault and Sin Difference between, II, 4:112-13, 579 Favours, Divine Prayer for, I, 1:7, 7 Fighting Limits of, II, 8:40, 1128 Fil, Al (chapter ), V, 105 ‘Abdul Mu ttalib negotiated with those who sought to destroy Ka‘bah, V, 105 Attack on Ka‘bah by Abraha, story of, V, 105 Firdaus (Paradise), IV, 23:12, 2517 Flogging Punishment for adultery/fornication, IV, 24:3, 2592 Punishment for calumniating women without evidence, IV, 24:5, 2594 Food (also see Dietary Laws) Allegory of adulterated, and corrupted teachings, III, 16:68, 1868 Animal that dies of itself is forbidden, II, 6:120, 861 Connection of, with human actions, IV, 23:52, 2545 Faith strengthened by pure and holy, II, 6:119, 860 Lawful, I, 2:169, 175 Lawful and unlawful, II, 5:2, 641; II, 5 :94, 721 Laws about, during pilgrimage, II, 5:96-97, 723-24 Restrictions of, IV, 23:52, 2545 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3535 Those forbidden to the Jews by Go d, II, 6:147, 886 Unlawful, I, 2:174, 180 Forgiveness Also needed by holy men of Allah, IV, 40:56, 3534 Asking forgiveness, (Istighf ar), II, 4:106-11, 575-78 Meaning of, varies according to supplicant, III, 14:42, 1696 Significance of, III, 11:48, 1428 Fortune Telling Provides superficial, fragmentary and fraudulent information, V, 72:10-11, 4403-04 Frequented House (Baitul-Ma‘m ur) Houses of Worship, V, 52:5, 3933 Furq an (Distinction), II, 8:30, 1118 Furq an, Al (chapter ), IV, 25 Quran revealed in seven different dialects, IV, 25 Gabriel (see also Angels) Arch angel, was faithful medium of Quran, IV, 26:194, 2796 Gambling Ban on, I, 2:220, 226 Evil effects of, I, 2:220, 226 Prohibited, II, 5:91, 718-19 Garden, The Description of, IV, 43:72, 3688 Description of, reward for righteousness, V, 47:15-16, 3799-800 Meaning s of two,––s V, 55:47, 4074 Reward of the faithful, IV, 19:62-64, 2203-05 'Ripe Fruit' of, for the righteous, V, 55:55, 4078 Two Gardens for the righteous (earthly), V, 55:63, 4082 Ghashiyah, Al (chapter ), V, 88 Gibbon (Historian) Provided clue in solving the mystery of the Dwellers of the Cave, III, 18:10, 2050 Gideon( Talut) Defeated Midianites, I, 2:252, 258 Identity of, I, 248-53, 254-59 Gifts, Divine Increase with proper use, III, 14:8, 1662 Proper use of, IV, 23:79-80, 2564-65 Ginger Metaphorical usage in Quran, V, 76:18, 4489 Glad Tidings Interpretation of, IV, 42:24, 3619 God Biblical, I, v Definition of, V, 112:2-5, 4867-70 Embedded in the nature of man is the idea of, II, 7:173, 1061 Is one, I, vii Quranic belief in, I, ccv Gog and Magog (Y a’juj wa M a’juj) Conditions at time of rise of power, III, 18:100-02, 2136-38 Identity of, III, 18:84, 2122; IV 21 :97, 2423 Islam to spread after destruction of, IV, 21:98, 2424 Promised He ll, IV, 21:99-101, 2425-27 Righteous will not taste punishment of, IV, 21:102-03, 2428-29 Rise/fall of, IV, 21:97-105, 2423-30 Goliath Identified, I, 2:250-51, 256 Good and EviI Are of two kinds, III, 10:108, 1379 Not predetermined, III, 16:37, 1838 Perfect goodness has three stages, I, 2:113, 119 Sources of, II, 4:140, 548 Gospel (Inj il) In the time of the Holy Prophet, III, 16:104, 1904 Meaning and origin of, II, 3:4, 295 Prophecies from Torah regarding Holy Prophet, II, 5:48, 679 Governments Duties to citizens, IV, 20:119-20, 2327-28 Islamic form of, I, cccxi v Obedience to, III, 12:77, 1576 Gratitude Significance of, IV, 39:67, 3484 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3536 Great Wall (see Alexander’s Wall) Greeting of Peace Show respect in returning, to all who extend it, II, 4:95, 5 63 Guardians Warning to deal equitably with orphans, II, 4:6-7, 489 Guidance Following, is the way to prosperity, I, 2:6, 12 Following divine, is way to assure success, III, 16:20, 1821 How to achieve, III, 10:10, 1285 Habakkuk, I, lxxviii Hadid, Al, (chapter ), V, 57 Hadith Abbreviated letters (K af Ha Ya ‘Ain Sad), IV, 19:2, 2147 About Waraqah bin Naufal, III, 16:104, 1904 Adultery and its punishment, IV, 24:3, 2592 Al-Kafirun equals one-fourth of the Quran, V, 109 All salvation depends on grace of God, III, 14:24, 1678 Ar-Rahim (Merciful) applies to life to come, I, 1:1, 1 Ar-Rahman (Gracious) applies to this life, I, 1:1, 1 As-Salat (prayer) is divided equally between man and Allah, I, 1:6, 6 Battle of Badr, V, 54:46, 4034 Believing Women, V, 55:59, 4080 Bismill ah is the first verse of Quranic chapter s, I, 1:1, 1 Blessings of paradise, IV, 32:18, 3068 Blessings of Paradise unknown to man, I, 2:26, 32 Chief of children of Adam, III, 10:99, 1370 Children are born in the likeness of Islam, I, 1:5, 5; I, 2 :35, 41 Children, fortune of, II, 3:7, 298 Companions of Battle of Badr/U hud granted paradise, IV, 19:72, 2212 Companions of the Holy Prophet, II, 3:4, 295 Conception of paradise and hell, V, 57:22, 4164 Concerning Ayatul Kurs iyy, I, 2 Concerning doubt, I, 2:3, 9 Concerning Surah Al-Baqarah, I, 2 Condition of Hour of Resurrection, III, 10:10, 1285 Dajjal, might and power of, IV, 40:58, 3535 Day of Resurrection, III, 17:98, 2026 Decline of Islam, IV, 32:6, 3062 Definition of Muslim, IV, 22:79, 2507 Description of Paradise, IV, 32:18, 3068 Evil dreams, III, 12:42, 1545 Exalted station of Prophet Mu hammad, III, 17:80, 2009 Explanation of Manna, I, 2:58, 64 Faith ascending to Pleiades, V, 47:39, 3816; V, 53:2, 3966; V, 62:4, 4236 Farewell pilgrimage, V, 49:14, 3851 Fighting against Christianity, III, 18:41, 2081 First Messenger of Allah, III, 11:50, 1430 Future mode of transportation, V, 81:5, 4592 Give up that which creates doubt, I, 2:3, 9 Glad tidings in the present life, III, 10:65, 1340 God, III, 17:2, 1931 Good deeds, I, 2:38, 44 Grades of the 'Friends of God', III, 10:64, 1339 Heavens, III, 15:88, 1791 Hell, III, 11:109, 1489 Hell likened to fever, IV, 19:72, 2212 Holy Prophet, Eliminat ing Satan, II, 3:46, 335 Holy Prophet for all mankind, III, 14:5, 1659 Holy Prophet in Moses’ vision, III, 18:66, 2105 Holy Prophet, prestige and power of, IV, 27:20, 2826 Holy Prophet sent for whole mankind, I, 2:112, 118 Holy Prophet’s bravery during battle, IV, 20:30, 2259 Holy Prophet’s companions are like stars, III, 15:18, 1724 Holy Spirit, I, 2:88, 94 Humbling of disbelievers, III, 17:98, 2026 Hypocrisy, I, 2:11, 17 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3537 'If faith were to ascend to the Pleiades', III, 13:32, 1643 Imam Mahd i, III, 18:28, 2068 Immunity from Dajjal, III, 18 Importance of acquiring knowledge, IV, 20:115, 2323 Jesus, Death of, II, 3:56, 345 Jihad, II, 3:144, 427 Jonah (Prophet Y unus), III, 10:99, 1370 Joys of Heaven, V, 78:35, 4548 Lote-tree, III, 17 :2, 1931 Manna, IV, 20:81, 2295 Marriage, Importance of, IV, 24:33, 2615 Martyrdom different from jihad, IV, 25:53, 2684 Mi‘raj, III, 17:2, 1931 Moral force of Islam, V, 48:2, 3817 Morals, I, 2:32, 38 Moses’ vision, III, 18:61, 2101 No cure for death, III, 12:88, 1587 No escape from Allah, III, 15:51, 1754 Nobility of Joseph, III, 12:5, 1509 Obligations, I, 2:4, 10 Paradise, two rivers in, V, 55:47, 4074 Parents, III, 17:26, 1955 Praise Allah sincerely, I, 1:2, 2 Preaching Oneness of Allah, III, 12:25, 1528 Preaching truth, II, 5:106, 733 Prophecy of coming of Promised Messiah, III, 13:32, 1643 Prophecy :Promised Messiah would return faith to the earth, IV, 36 :21, 3226 Prophet’s immunity from evil, IV, 23 :97, 2576 Prophet’s wives, V, 66:4, 4280 Punishment, justificat ion of, IV, 42 :42, 3631 Purdah, IV, 24 :32, 2614 Quranic chapter is called a Surah, I, 1 Ranks of Heaven, III, 17 :22, 1951 Refutation of Astrology, III, 15:19, 1725 Refutation of theory of abrogation, II, 3:8, 299 Repentance, I, 2:8, 14 Safiyyah called 'Jewess' by other wives, IV, 19:29, 2173 Satan, I, 2 :37, 43 Satan, keeping free from, II, 3:37, 327 Satan, relating to birth of child, II, 3:37, 327 Shaitan, I, 2:15, 21 Shirk, III, 10:107, 3378 Slavery and conditions mentioned in, IV, 24:34, 2616 Spirit of Holiness descends on true believers, I, 2:88, 94 Spouses, V, 56:35, 4111 Spread of falsehood after promised time of Islamic prosperity, IV, 32:6, 3062 Status of chapter in Holy Quran, III, 15:88, 1791 The second great punishment, III, 17:59, 1988 Time when Islam and Quran will be ignored and neglected, IV, 25:31, 2667 Treaty of Hudaibiy yah, V, 48:2, 3817 True prayers are accepted, I, 1:5, 5 Vision of being offered wine, III, 18:75, 2114 Warning for non-believers, IV, 26:215, 2807 Wayfarer, III, 17:27, 1956 Wisdom, III, 11:25, 1406 Worship, III, 11:3, 1384 Worship of Allah (‘Ib adah), I, 1:5, 5; V, 55:61, 4081 Wrong to say a person is dead, III, 12:88, 1587 Hagar Abraham’s wife, I, 2:130, 136 The patience of, search for water and help, I, 2:159, 165 Hajj (see Pilgrimage) Hajj, Al (chapter ), IV, 22 Halal (A Lawful Thing), I, 2:169, 175 Haman The high priest of god Amon, IV, 28:7, 2881 Hamd (Praise Applied Exclusively to Allah), I, 1:2, 2 Ha-Mim, Sajdah, As (chapter ), IV, 41 Happiness Guarantee for, V, 103:2-4, 4834 Haqqah, Al (chapter ), V, 69 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3538 Haram (Unlawful), I, 2:174, 180 Harith Name of Satan who tempted Adam, II, 7:23, 924 Harun (see Aaron, Prophet) Harut and M arut Two descriptive names, I, 2:103, 109 Hashr, Al (chapter ), V, 59 Hatib bin Ab i Balta ‘h Attempted espionage against Holy Prophet, V, 60:2, 4210 Heart Blindness of, IV, 22:47, 2476 Sealing of, IV, 30:60, 3032 Tranquility of, I, 2:249, 255 Heaven (also see Paradise) A protective roof, I, 2:23, 29 Bringing near of, V, 50:32, 3880 Entrance into, ultimately by God’s Grace, III, 14:24, 1678 Gates of, represent various deeds, III, 13:2425, 1635-36 Meaning of, I, 2:215, 221 Spiritual heaven analogous to physical heaven, V, 88:19, 4701 Streams, fruit, and shade of, III, 13:36, 1646 Heaven and Hell Islamic conception of, IV, 40:40-44, 3525-27 Heaven(s) A protective roof, I, 2:23, 29 Characteristics of, IV, 21:33, 2373 Quran explains the path of the, V, 51 :8, 3895 Seven, seven earths, created by Allah, V, 65:13, 4276 Without visible support, III, 13:3, 1614 Hebrew, I, xxxviii Hell Abode of disbelievers, IV, 19:72-73, 2212 Christian nations punished in, IV, 19:71, 2210-11 Condition of, V, 50:31, 3879 Described, IV, 35 :37, 3204; V, 78:22-31, 4539-44; V, 88:2-8, 4692-96 Double punishment for rebellious in this life and the Hereafter, V, 79:37-40, 4569 Explanation of significance of punishments of Hell, V, 76:5, 4482 Final abode of disbelievers, V, 57:16, 4158 For those who persecute believers, V, 85:1011, 4664 Hot water used as a cure in, III, 14:17, 1671 In this world, IV, 35:37, 3204 Insatiable thirst in, for disbelievers, V, 56:5556, 4121 Is not eternal, I, 2:168, 174 Is not everlasting, I, 2:40, 46; IV, 21:48, 2388; V, 78:24, 4539 Jewish concept of, I, 2:81, 87 Jinn and men who are destined for, II, 7:180, 1066 Lasting punishment for disbelievers, II, 5:3738, 67lA Nature and significance of punishments of, V, 69:33, 4360 Origin of word, IV, 19:69, 2209 Promised to disbelievers in this life and in the Hereafter, V, 102:6-9, 4830 Punishment of burning of skin in, II, 4:57, 530 Punishment of disbelievers in, V, 104:5-10, 4838-41 Quranic conception of Paradise and, V, 57:22, 4164 Quranic evidence of its limi ted duration, III, 11:109, 1489 Reformatory for the wicked, V, 101:10, 4825 Result of evil deeds, V, 55:44-45, 4073 Seven gates of, III, 15:45, 1748 Sins assume forms of death in, III, 14:18, 1672 State of sinner in, IV, 20:75, 2293 Temporary penitentiary, V, 50:35, 3881 Three categories of disbelievers in, IV, 26:96, 2763 Uncovered to erring ones, IV, 26:92, 2760 Why disbelievers rewarded with fire in, III, 13:36, 1646 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3539 Will eventually cleanse disbelievers, V, 57:16, 4158 Heraclius, I, cxcix Concluded Proph et had come, from meteor phenomenon, III, 15:19, 1725 Hijr, Al (chapter ), III, 15 Basic theme of, is that no scripture can rival Quran, III, 15 Hijr, People of (see Tham ud, People of) Hijrah (Migration of Holy Prophet to Medina), V, 68:50, 4337 Migration to Medina, I, cxxxvi Muhammad’s flight to Medina, II, 8:31, 1119 Hikmah (Wisdom; Knowledge), I, 2:130, 136; III, 16 :126, 1926 Hinduism, I, lv Interpolations in Vedas, I, lv Number of Vedic Gods, I, 1 Savage teachings in Vedas, I, lix Superstitions an d contradictions, I, lxi-lxiii Hira’ A place near Mecca, I, cxvi History Should be a lessen for Meccans, III, 16:44, 1845 Shows phenomenon of the rise and decline of nations, IV, 29:21, 2955 History of Islam, IV, 30:4-10, 2990-96 Holy Land Faith and courage required to enter, II, 5:22 Jews gathered in, from ends of earth, III, 17:105, 2033 Honour Human, sacred, III, 17:38, 1966 Hour, The Battle of Badr and conquest of Mecca, III, 16:78, 1878 Displacement of old order by new one, IV, 25:12-15, 2650-52 Resurrection, Day of, IV, 22:8, 2443 Significance of, IV, 34:4, 3133 Hud (chapter ), III, 11 Hud (Prophet), III, 11 ‘Ad destroyed, IV, 26:140 ‘Ad rejected, IV, 26:137-38, 2777 Answers changes of lying, II, 7:69, 967 Denounces materialism and imperialism, IV, 26:133, 2774 Prophet sent to the people of ‘ Ad, II, 7:66, 964 Rejected by Adites, V, 46:22, 3775 Sent to ‘ Ad, IV, 26:124-25, 2771 Story of, III, 11:51-61, 1431-41; IV, 26 :124140, 2771-77; IV, 23:32-42, 2533A-2540 Warner to his people, V, 46:22-24, 3775-77 Hudaibiy yah, Treaty of, I, cxcvi A clear victory, V, 48:2, 3817 Blessing in disguise, III, 16:46, 1847 History of, V, 48:2, 3817 Led to Muslim conquest of Mecca, IV, 22:26, 2457 Muslims 'kept back' from performing pilgrimage, I, 2:197, 203 Oath taken at, V, 48:11, 3823 Quraish did not honour, V, 60:2, 4210 Terms of, V, 48:2, 3817 Hudhud Solomans state envoy to Sheba, IV, 27:21-29, 2827-32 Hujur at, Al (chapter ), V, 49 Human Nature Arrogance of, IV, 39:50, 3472 Believers and Holy men seek protection against weakness of, IV, 40:56, 3534 Conceited and arrogant when in affluence, IV, 41:51, 3597 Consequences of evil deeds cause regret in man, IV, 40:11, 3502 Despondent and despairing wh en in trouble, IV, 41:51, 3597 Faculties of, III, 15:45, 1748 Humble in distress and arrogant when not, III, 17:68, 1997 Innately good, III, 17:63, 1992 Islamic concept contrasted with Christian concept, III, 17:65, 1994 Principles of, IV, 44:39, 3718 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3540 Reason and, urge man to face trials boldly, II, 5:24, 660 Seeks to escape punishment, IV, 39:50, 3472 Submission through love and fear, I, 1:7, 7 Vanity of, IV, 42:37, 3627 Humanity Equality of, IV, 22:26, 2457 Humazah, Al (chapter ), V, 104 Hunain, Battle of, I, ccxxviii Between Muslims and Pagan tribes, II, 9:25, 1186 Details of, II, 9:25, 1186 Hunting Prohibited during pilgrimage, II, 5:96-97, 723-24 Rules guiding, II, 5:96-97, 723-24 Husna (Eternal Good), III, 13:19, 1630 Huyy bin Akh tab His daughter Safiyya’s prophetic dream, V, 54:2, 4006 Hypocrites A warning of fate of, IV, 33:61-62, 3120-21 Allah's curse on, more dreadful than Hell, II, 9:68-69, 1222-23 Allah knows the secrets of their diseased hearts, V, 47:26-30, 3809-10 Always creat e mischief, II, 9:48, 1205 Ambiguous speech of, V, 47:31, 3811 Become Muslims outwardly, II, 9:56, 1212 Behaviour of, V, 47:17, 3801 Can not harm Allah, II, 3:177-78, 459-60 Classes of, I, 2:20, 26; II, 9:95, 1245 Condition of, II, 9:74-87, 1228-39 Described, V, 63:2-9, 4244-50 Description of, I, 2:9, 15; I, 2:11-19, 17-25; II, 9:58, 1214; II, 9:67, 1221 Enemies of Islam, V, 63:7, 4248 Evade obligations, II, 9:38, 1198 Exposed rancour of, V, 47:38, 3815 Fate of, V, 59:18 Fate of, as habitual liars, V, 58:18-22, 4186-87 Holy Prophet’s prayers for, II, 9:80, 1232 How divine revelation effects, II, 9:124-27, 1271-74 Liars and cowards, V, 59:12-18, 4198-02 Likened to beasts, II, 8:23, 1111 Mocked at Holy Prophet, II, 9:64, 1218 Overthrown by Allah, II, 4:89, 557 Persistence of, II, 9:101, 1250 Plan of, hatched by Ab u ‘Amir, II, 9:107, 1256 Prayer forbidden in mosques built by, II, 9:107-10, 1256-60 Punishment of, II, 9:55, 1211 Repentant, reckoned as believers, II, 4:146-8, 609-611 Role in the Battle of Di tch, IV, 12 :21, 3084-89 Say no funeral prayers for, II, 9:84, 1236 Take shelter behind their false oaths, V, 58:17, 4185 Treatment of, is conditional, II, 4:90-92, 558-560 Warning to, V, 48:7-8, 3822 Weak of faith, in contrast to believers, IV, 29:12, 2948 Who defected and stayed away from battle, II, 9:43-50, 1202-06 Who repent reckoned as believers, II, 7:177, 1064 Wishful thought that Muslims would never return safely, V, 48:13, 3825 Zakah from, refused as punishment, II, 9:5354, 1209-10 ‘Ibadah (Rigorous, Spiritual Self Discipline), V, 51:57, 3926 Iblis, I, 2:35, 41 Arrogance of, IV, 38:77, 3431 Commanded to submit to Adam, II, 7:12, 916 Dialogue between God and, II, 7:13-19, 917-922 Disobedience of, IV, 38:73-75, 3429-30 Divine curse for, IV, 38:79 Divine rejection of, IV, 38:76-78, 3431-32 Divine respite for, IV, 38:80-82, 3433-34 Function to tempt men, II, 7:17, 920 Identity of, II, 7:12, 916 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3541 Not allowed to waylay chosen servants of God, II, 7:19, 922 Not 'fallen angel', I, 2:35, 41 Opposed A dam, III, 17:62, 1991 Punishment of, IV, 38:86, 3436 Reasons for disobeying Adam, IV, 20:117, 2325 Refused to submit to Adam, III, 18:51, 2091 Refuses to submit to man, III, 15:32-35, 1737-39 Rejection of Allah’s creation, IV, 38:76 Ibn Is haq (Historian) Account of migration to Abyssinia of early Muslims, IV, 19 Ibrahim (chapter ), III, 14 Ibrahim (see Abraham, Prophet) Idolaters Abraham condemns, II, 6:77-80, 825 Are of two classes, III, 10:37, 1312 Challenge to, II, 7:191-95, 1077-80 Commonly claim pure m otives and innocence, III, 16:29, 1830 Dedicated crops and animals to deities, II, 6:139, 878 Deny all forms of revelation II, 6:92, 834 Devoid of characteristics of Allah’s beloved, III, 17:43, 1972 Gods of, no help to them, V, 53:27-31, 3986-87 Muslims commanded to wage war against, II, 9:10, 1173 Prohibited from approaching the Ka‘bah, II, 9:17, 1180 Sacrilegious use of the Sacred Mosque, II, 8:36, 1124 Uncleanliness of, II, 9:28, 1188 Untenability of position of, III, 10:36, 1310 Will deny their beliefs on Day of Judgement, IV, 19:78-85, 2217-24 Will face punishment, I, 2:166, 172 Will lie on Day of Judgement, II, 6:23-25, 770-72 Idolatry, IV, 35:41, 3207 All objects of human worship are dead, III, 16:4-23, 1805-24 Arguments against, II, 6:149-150, 888-89; V, 46:4-7, 3760-63; IV, 21:53, 2392A; IV, 28:69-76, 2925-29; IV, 22:72-76, 2500-04 Arguments against sonship of Jesus, IV, 43:86, 3694 Arguments disproving, III, 13:34, 1645 Avoidance of all forms of, III, 10:106-07, 1377-78 Cause and refutation of, III, 10:19, 1294 Condemnation of, IV, 19:45-46, 2187-88 Condemned, II, 6:15, 762; V, 71:24, 4395; II, 7:174, 1062 Conditions regarding, II, 4:49, 523 Denouncement of, IV, 39:3-4, 3440 Forbiddance of, II, 6:152, 891 Forbidden, IV, 2 5:69, 2696 Futile, no power to provide sustenance, IV, 29:18, 2952 Futility of, II, 6:72, 817; V, 46:29, 3782; V, 52:44, 3960 Led to conquest of Mecca by Muslims, I, 2:151, 157 Meaning of, I, 2 :222, 228 No progress unless eradicated, III, 17:23, 1952 Partners set up as equals to Allah, III, 10:29, 1304 Prophecy of, IV, 34:50, 3171 Prophecy of disappearance of, in Arabia, II, 7:198, 1082 Punishment of, II, 3:152, 434; IV, 42 :7, 3606 Reasons for condemnation of, IV, 28:69-72, 2925-26 Rebuttal of, IV, 43:19-21, 3653-55 The deified will disown worshippers, III, 10:29, 1304 The different forms of, IV, 29:26, 2958 The futility of, IV, 35:41-42, 3207-08 True Prophets can never be guilty of, II, 3:81, 369 Various forms of, IV, 22:32, 2462 Worship of own desires, IV, 25:44, 2676 Idols (Nu sub) Forbidden under Islamic law, II, 5:4, 643 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3542 Idris (see Enoch, Prophet), IV, 21:86-87, 2415 Ifkun (A Great Lie), IV, 24:12, 2600 Ikhlas, Al (chapter ), V, 112 Greatest of all chapter s, V, 112 Recited thrice nightly by Holy Prophet, V, 112 ‘Ikrimah, I, ccxxvi ‘Illiyy in; ‘Illiyy un Meaning of, V, 83:19-21, 4633 Record of virtuous kept in, V, 83:19-21, 4633 Ilyas (see Elijah, Prophet) Iman (Faith), I, 2:257, 263 Immigrants Rules regarding treatment of, II, 8:73, 1160 Immoral Conduct Punishment of, II, 4:16-17, 496-97 Immortality Belongs only to Allah, V, 55:27-28, 4064 ‘Imr an, Family of Identity of, II, 3:34-36, 324-26 Infanticide As practic ed by some idolaters, II, 6:138, 877 Infidels Reject prophets then fight among themselv es, IV, 21:94, 2420 Infitar, Al (chapter ), V, 82 Inheritance Blood relations are entitled to, II, 8:76, 1163 Equality of men and women, II, 4:8, 490 Heirs, groups of, II, 4:13, 495 Islamic law of, II, 4:8-15, 490-95 Needy and distant relatives, II, 4:9, 491 Who is entitled to, of a person who dies leaving neither parents nor children (Kalalah), II, 4:13, 495 Injil (see Gospel) Insan, Al (Man, 'Perfect man'), V, 55:4, 4045 Insh a’-Allah (If God Wills) Muslims enjoined to say, III, 12:100, 1599 Inshiq aq, Al (chapter ), V, 84 Inshir ah, Al (chapter ), V, 94 Intercession All former intercession ends with Muhammad, I, 2:49, 55 Four conditions of, IV, 19:88, 2227 Is not confined to one person only, I, 2:49, 55 Meaning of, I, 2:49, 55 Requires Allah’s permission, IV, 21:29, 2369 Rests with Allah alone, IV, 45:45, 3468 Righteous and evil, II, 4:86, 554 Interest (Rib a) Contrasted with Zak ah, IV, 30:40, 3018 Forbidden in Islam, I, 2:276-77, 282-83 Prohibition related to war, II, 3:131-32, 415-17 Intermediary Not to be confused with Allah, II, 8:11, 1101 International Peace Maintenance of, V, 49:10, 3847 Intoxicants Ban on, I, 2:220, 226 Evil effects of, I, 2:220, 226 Prohibited, II, 5:91-92, 718-19 Iran The Prophet’ s letter to the King of, I, ccii Iron Given to man for warfare and other uses, V, 57:26, 4166 ‘Isa (see Jesus, Prophet) Isaac (Prophet Is haq) Abraham’s son, IV, 21:73, 2405 Identity of, III, 14:40, 1694 One of the Righteous, IV, 37:113-14, 3342 Recipient of Allah’s special mercy, IV, 19:51, 2193 Isaiah (Prophet) Foretold early success of Holy Prophet and success of A hmadiyyat, V, 89:5, 4709 Fulfilment of prophecy of, I, clii Prophecies of, I, lxxxiii Ishaq (see Isaac, Prophet) Ishmael (see Ism a‘il, Prophet) Ishmaelites, I, xcix Islam, I, cxxi Allah decreed its triumph, V, 54:4, 4008 Allah named the religion of, IV, 22:79, 2507 And free will, IV, 25:58, 2688 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3543 Attacked by pen and tongue, IV, 21:113, 2435 Basic doctrines of, IV, 40:13, 3504 Beginning of, V, 89:2-3, 4706-07 Belief in Unity of God in, IV, 38:6-8, 3377 Bravery in, I, cclxxxi Catholicity and broad-mindedness of, III, 10:42, 1317 Clemency for the enemies of, I, 2:193, 199 Conversion to, brought about gradually, II, 15:26, 1732 Conversion to, makes past life seem wasted, III, 17:53, 1982 Conversion to, rests with Allah, III, 17:98, 2026 Cruelty to ani mals prohibited in, I, cclxxx Decline of, IV, 25:47, 2679 Devotion to service of Allah, II, 4:126, 591 Disbelievers remain outside wall of, V, 57:14, 4156 Does not recognize narrow nationalism, III, 10:85, 1358 Empires will crumble in wake of triumph of, V, 78:21, 4538 Enemies of, will be exposed, V, 100:10-12, 4818-20 Enemies of, will not retard its progress, V, 88:3-8, 4693-96 Equality of men and women in, II, 3:196, 477 Essence of, is submission to the will of Allah, II, 4:126, 591 Everyone equal in, II, 6:53, 798 Exhortation against Inquisitiveness in, I, cclxxix Fasting in, I, cccxii Final triumph of, V, 77:8, 4504 For the believers in, IV, 39:23, 3451 Form of Governmen t in, I, cccxiv Frank dealing in, I, cclxxix Fundamental beliefs of, I, 2:286, 292 Hospitality in, promotes good will, III, 17:27, 1956 Hours of five daily prayers in, III, 17:79, 2008 It’s message, I, cxxii Latter Days renaissance of, foretold, V, 93:5, 4765 Lesson of tolerance in, I, 2:115, 121 Light of, illumines world, IV, 24:36, 2618 Means total submission to Allah, I, 2:209, 215 Method of preaching of, II, 3:105, 391 Monotheism in, II, 3:65, 353 Mutual co-operation in, 1, c clxxvii No compulsion in, I, 2:257, 263; II, 6 :105, 847 No hardship in, IV, 22:79, 2507 Nominal belief in, is no surety for victory, III, 14:15, 1669 Only path to Allah is, IV, 36:5, 3215 Only religion acceptable to Allah is, II, 3:86, 374; IV, 22:18, 2450 Opponents of, suffer disaster step by step, II, 7:183, 1069 Other religions compared to, IV, 25:54, 2685 Path of true faith in, IV, 42:54, 3639 Patience in adversity in, I, cclxx vii Perfect code of laws is, IV, 24:52, 2628A Persecution forbidden in, I, 2:257, 263 Pessimism, I, cclxxx Poor seem to be favoured in, II, 6:54, 799 Practical, effective system for spiritual and temporal affairs, V, 57:28, 4168 Preaching methods of, IV, 29:47, 2971 Prophesied, I, xc Protected everlastingly, IV, 25:54, 2685 Readine ss to fight in cause of, II, 9:38, 1198 Rise and decline of, IV, 32:6-7, 3062-63 Rise through the Promised Messiah, IV, 20:109, 2318 Rooted in the nature of man, IV, 30:31, 3011 Signs of triumph of, III, 13:42, 1652 Source of divine knowledge, IV, 39:23, 3451 Source of divine love, IV, 39:23, 3451 Spread as result of efforts of righteous servants of Allah, V, 79:7, 4555 Spread of, through efforts of Prophet’s companions, V, 79:2-6, 4551-54 Teaches oneness of God, I, v ii " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3544 Teachings of, I, 2:114, 120 Teaching s of, attacked by critics, II, 3:8, 299 Teachings of, regarding obedience to rulers, III, 10:91, 1363 Thousand year decay in, IV, 22:48, 2477 Three parties opposed to spread of, V, 59:1516, 4200-01 Tolerance in r eligious matters in, I, cclxxxi Treatm ent of neighbours in, I, cclxxi Treatment of slaves in, I, cclxvii Treatment of women in, I, cclxviii Triumph of, at Fall of Mecca, V, 78:18-19, 4535-36 Triumph of, certain, V, 78:2-6, 4525-27 Triumph of, prophesied, IV, 21:45, 2385 True religion of Allah, II, 3:20-21, 311-12 Truthfulness of, I, cclxx viii Two basic principles described, V, 107:3-4, 4850 Unassailability of fundamental teachings of III, 11:2, 1383 Under divine protection, V, 94 :6-7, 4773-74 Victory of, I, 2:116, 122; V, 110:2, 4861 Victory of, prophesied, V, 79 :7-15, 4555-60 Victory promised for, II, 6:38, 785 What is gained by accepting, III, 13:27, 1638 Will rise in face of adversity, V, 53:2, 3966 Zakah in, I, cc cxiii Islam, History of After migration Muslims still persecuted, V, 89:5, 4709 Christian nations planned concerted attack upon, III, 18:20, 2060 Hatib bin Ab i Balta ‘h, V, 60:2, 4210 Holy Prophet’s hazardous journey to Tabuk, III, 17:104, 2032 Muslims warned about dormant Christian nations, III, 18:19, 2059 Punishment of disbelievers also of triumph of, III, 15:95-100, 1797-1801 Refugees examined for sincerity before admission to Muslim strongholds, V, 60:11, 4218; V, 60:13, 4220 Sabotage attempt thwarted before march on Mecca, V, 60:2, 4210 Islam, Triumph of False doctrines of trinity demolished, III, 17:112, 2040 Hour of, IV, 40:60, 3537 Isma’il (Prophet Ishmael ), I, lxv Close resemblance to Idr is, IV, 19:56-57, 2199 Helped to rebuild the Ka‘bah, V, 52:5-7, 3933-35 His descendants, I, lxx iv His sons, I, c Identity of, III, 14:40, 1694 Progenitor of the Holy Prophet of Islam, IV, 19:56, 2198; IV, 38:49, 3415 Second part of God’s covenant with Abraham fulfillment through, IV, 19:55, 2197 Son of Abraham, I, 2:126, 132 Steadfastness of IV, 21:86-87, 2415 Israel Muslims first occupied Palestine, under Khal ifah ‘Umar, IV, 21:106, 2431 To revert to Muslim’s possession, IV, 21:106107, 2431 Israelites (also see Jews) A warning for, I, 2:49, 55 Allah makes covenant with, I, 2:84-85, 90-91 And the earthquake of Mount Sinai, II, 7:172, 1060 Bondage & degradation in Egypt, IV, 28:5-6, 2879-80 Breaking of promise in Moses’ absence, IV, 20:87-90, 2300-03 Broke their covenant with Allah, II, 5:13-14, 650-51 Children of, I, 2:212, 218 Comparison between Muslims and, I, 2:245, 251 Condemned to wander 40 years in desert, II, 5:27, 662 Date of Exodus, IV, 20:78, 2 293A Defied divine commandments twice, III, 17:5-8, 1934-37 Distorted the meaning of the Book, II, 5:14, 651 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3545 Exalted above all people, I, 2:48, 54 Exodus of, I, 2:244, 250 Favours upon, I, 2:41, 47 Given special favours, I, 1:7, 7 History of, I, 2:41, 47 Improvement in the condition of, I, 2:247, 253 Inherited Promised Land (Can‘ an), IV, 26:60, 2743 Instructed how to live by Allah, III, 10:88, 1360 Lacked faith and courage to fight, II, 5:23, 659 Misdeeds of, I, 2:73-74, 79-80 Profaned the Sabbath by catching fish, II, 7:164, 1053 Rise and fall of, twice, I, 2:260, 266 Sacrifice of cow, I, 2:68-72, 74-78 Sending down of Manna and Salw a, I, 2:58, 64 Severe punishment of the, II, 7:167, 1056 Shades of clouds over, as they marched through Sinai desert, I, 2:58, 64 Spiritual sterility of, IV, 43:62, 3681 The incident of thunderbolt, I, 2:56, 62 The number of, who left Egypt with Moses, I, 2:55, 61 Took a calf for worship, I, 2:52, 58 Transgresso rs distinguished from believers, II, 7:157, 1046 Treachery of, II, 5:14, 651 Trivial questioning to Moses by, II, 5:103, 730 Twelve springs provided for, drinking water for, I, 2:61, 67 Wished to make an image of God, II, 7:33941, 1030 Istighf ar (To ask Forgiveness), III, 11:48, 1428; IV, 40:56, 3534 Jacob (Prophet Ya‘q ub), III, 12:7, 1511 Abraham’s grandson, IV, 21:73, 2405 Allah perfected his favour upon the family of, meaning of, III, 12:7, 1511 Blindness of, refuted, III, 12:85, 1584 Recipient of Allah’s special mercy, IV, 19:51, 2193 Ja‘far (Bin Ab i Talib) Relates Muslim belief of Jesus to Abyssinian King, II, 5:84-85, 714-15 Jalabib (Outer Garments), IV, 24:32, 2614 Jaldah (Flogging), IV, 24:3, 2592 Jalut (see Goliath) Jathiyah, Al (chapter ), IV, 45 Jeremiah (Prophet) Warned Israelites to give up iniquities, III, 17:6, 1935 Jerusalem Destruction and rebuilding of, IV, 21:86, 2415 Destruction and restoration of, I, 2:260, 266 Jesus (Messiah), I, li Advent a mercy from God, IV, 19:22, 2166 And lost tribes, IV, 23:51, 2544 Attainment of prophethood, IV, 19:28, 2172 Belonged to Essene group of Israelites, V, 61:15, 4233 Birth of, sign for the Israelites, IV, 19:22, 2166 Blessed with Spirit of Holiness, I, 2:88, 94 Claim to prophethood supported by Bible, IV, 19:31-33, 2175-77 Condemnation of status of, as God’s son, IV, 19:89-93, 2228-31 Death on cross repudiated, IV, 23:51, 2544 Denial of divinity of, II, 5:117, 744 Differing views about, IV, 19:35, 2179 Divinity n ever claimed by, IV, 43:65, 3683 Divinity of, refuted, II, 3:60-63, 348-51; II, 4:172-73, 635-36 Evidence of his fatherless birth, II, 4:158, 621 Exalted towards Allah, II, 4:159, 622 Foretold advent of Promised Messiah, V, 61:7, 4226 Foretold coming of Mu hammad, V, 61:7, 4226 Fulfilled prophecies of the Torah, II, 3:51, 340 Fulfilment of Law of the Torah, II, 5:47, 678 Given special knowledge of Torah, IV, 19:31, 2175 Glad news of his birth, II, 3:46, 335 Godhead of, I, 2:117, 123 His ministry to the Jews, II, 3:50, 339 His mission, I, v Humanness of, II, 5:76-77, 706-707 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3546 Jewish and Christian views of, birth, II, 3:48, 337 Left no successor (Kal alah), II, 4:177, 639 Luke’s account of date of birth of, IV, 19:26, 2170 Messenger of Allah, II, 4:172-73, 635-36 Natural death of, II, 5:118, 745 Non-divinity of, IV, 21:22, 2362 Not a universal teacher, I, xiv Not born on 25th December, IV, 19:26, 2170 Objections of Jews against, II, 4:158, 621 Persecution of, IV, 23:51, 2544 Physical ascension denied, II, 4:159-60, 622-623 Physical ascension of, refu ted, II, 3:56, 345 Piety of, IV, 43:60, 3679 Prayer for food, II, 5:115, 742 Proof of death of, II, 3:145-146, 428-429 Prophecy regarding crucifixion and travels to the East, IV, 19:32, 2176 Refutation of sonship, IV, 39:5, 3440 Rejected by Israelites, I, 2:88, 94 Saved from cross, evidence of, II, 4:158, 621; II, 3:55-57, 344-46 Second coming of, I, 1:7, 7; IV, 43:58, 3678; IV, 43:64, 3682 Showed exceptional wisdom in youth, IV, 19:30, 2174 Sign of Allah (spiritual miracles), II, 3:50, 339 Sign, Spirit of Holiness, I, 2:254, 260 Similarity to Ishmael, IV, 19:25, 2169 Son of God claim condemned, IV, 23:92, 2572 Son of Mary, II, 3:46, 335 Sonship denied, V, 82:6-10, 4618-21 Sonship of, blasphemous Christian dogma, IV, 42:6, 3605 Spiritual qualities of, IV, 19:16, 2160 Story of, II, 5:111-21, 738-48 The Gospel given to, V, 57:28, 4168 Tomb of, in Kashmir, IV, 23:51, 2544 Trinity doctrine refuted, II, 4:172-73, 635-636 Wisdom in childhood, II, 3:47, 336 Word of Allah, meaning of, II, 3:46, 335 Jesus (Messiah), Disciples of Helpers of Allah, II, 3:53-54, 342-43 Receive food from heaven, II, 5:112-116, 739-743 Jewish Scholars, I, iii; I, cx Jewish Tribes, I, clxix Banishe d from Medin a, I, c lxvii Banu Qainuq a‘ banished for treachery, V, 59:16, 4201 Banu Quraizah banished for treachery, V, 59:3-4, 4190-91 In Medina; Ban u Nadir, Ban u Qainuq a‘ Banu Qurai zah, I, 2:10, 16 The fate of Ban u Qurai zah, IV, 33:27, 3094 Jews, I, ccvii; I, cl iv; I, lxxxii; I, lxxxvii; I, clix; I, clxxiii ; I, xciv; I, ccliv A challenge to, I, 2:95-96, 101-02 All banned from Arabia by Hadrat ‘Umar, V, 59:3, 4190 Ambiguous speech (purpose of), II, 4:47, 521 And occult practices, III, 17:86, 2015 Attempt to belittle the Holy Prophet, I, 2:105, 111 Banishment of the three Jewish tribes from Medina, V, 58:8, 4177 Believe national degradation due to breaking Sabbath, III, 16:125, 1925 Can be delivered only through Islam, III, 16:125, 1925 Can be forgiven if they repent, III, 16:120, 1920 Can rise to former glory through Islam, III, 17:9, 1938 Conversion of, II, 3:114-16, 399-400 Denied themselves lawful food, II, 3:94-95, 380-81 If not exiled would have received worse punishment, V, 59:4, 4191 Imitation of, by Muslims, III, 17:5, 1934 Jewish tribes banished for treachery to Muslims, V, 59:3-4, 4190-91; V, 59:16, 4201 Looked upon themselves as superior, III, 17:62, 1991 Machination of, against Islam, I, 2:103, 109 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3547 Machinations of, have extend ed to Palestine, III, 17:61, 1990 Methods for Muslims to discuss religion with, III, 17:3, 1932 National Death of, for taking interest, II, 4:162, 625 Of Khaibar; spoils of war received from, V, 59:7, 4193 Originated 'scorched earth' policy, V, 59:3, 4190 Pervert the words, listen to falsehood, II, 5:42-44, 673-675 Pretext for rejecting Messengers of Allah, II, 3:184-85, 466-67 Prophecy of banishment from Arabia, V, 59:3, 4190 Prophecy of destruction and curse, II, 4:48, 522 Prophecy of dispersion and degradation, II, 7:169, 1058 Prophecy of punishment, II, 3:113, 398 Prophetic consequences of disbelief, II, 4:5256, 526-30 Punishment of their transgressions, II, 4:16162, 624-25 Referred to as 'those with whom Allah is wroth', V, 60:14, 4221 Rejected the Holy Prophet because he was of a different nationality, I, 2:91, 97 Rupture of relations with the Holy Prophet, III, 18:77, 2115 Taking of interest forbidden to, II, 4:162, 625 Two secret societies of, I, 2:103, 109 Unreasonable demands of, I, 2:119, 125 Warned not to oppose the Messengers of Allah, V, 58:6-9, 4176-78 Would be persecuted and tormented through the ages, II, 7:168, 1057 Jewish and Christian Scholars, I, xxiv Jews and Christians Claim to be sons of God, II, 5:19, 656 Criticize Quran without considering their own scripture, II, 5:65-67, 695-97 Folly in persecuting Muslims, II, 5:58-87, 688-715 Friends, united against Muslims, II, 5:52, 683 Jibril (see Gabriel) Jihad (Striving for the Cause of Allah), IV, 29:7, 2944 Duty of Muslims, II, 5:106, 733 Essence of, IV, 29:70, 2988 Of Islam, IV, 22:79, 2507 Prescribed, IV, 22:79, 2507 Quran best weapon for, IV, 25:53, 2684 Quran has explained self-defence before permitting it, III, 16:127, 1927 Real significance of, V, 66:10, 4285 Rewarded, IV, 29:6-7, 2943-44 Serving cause of truth under divinely appointed Reformer is best, IV, 29:70, 2988 Spiritual means of, against the disbelievers, IV, 19:85, 2224 The essence of, IV, 29:70, 2988 Jinn, III, 15:28, 1734 A class of men, not a separate creation, II, 6:129-131, 869-870 'A company of', V, 72:2-7, 4398-4401 And men, punishment of, IV, 41:30, 3580 Are falsely ascribed as partners with Allah, II, 6:101, 843 Created of fire, V, 55:16, 4057 Defined, IV, 27:18, 2824 Fearful of losing power by accepting the truth, II, 6:129, 869 Great and powerful men are, II, 6:129, 869 Identity of, III, 15:28, 1734 Important people, V, 114:7, 4876 Men and, V, 55:14, 4055 Misled the masses against the truth, II, 6:129, 869 Offici al loyal to Solomon’s command, IV, 27:40, 2840 Rejection of original sin by Islam, II, 7:29, 930 Repudiation of blood relationship of, to Allah, IV, 37:159-160, 3361 Significance of, IV, 34:42, 3164 Those who attempt to break confines of heavens and earth, V, 55:34, 4068 Jinn (Veiled, Concealed), II, 6:129, 869 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3548 Jinn, Al (chapter ), V, 72 Jinn and Men Characteristic of, II, 7:180, 1066 Jizyah (Tax Paid by Non-Muslims), II, 9:29, 1189 Job (Prophet Ayy ub) Fortitude displayed by, IV, 21:84-85, 2414 From land of Uz, II, 6:85, 828 His torments, IV, 38:42-43, 3410-11 Identified, IV, 21:84, 2414 Mercy from Allah, IV, 44:3412 Origin and mission of, II, 6:85, 828 Reunited with family, IV, 21:85 Reunited with family and followers, IV, 38:44-45, 3412-13 Steadfastness in faith, IV, 38:45, 3413 John (Prophet Ya hya) Birth announced, II, 3:40, 330 Brought no new book, IV, 19:13, 2157 Significance of name, IV, 19:8, 2152 Some prophecies fulfilled, II, 3:40-42, 330-331 Spiritual qualities of, IV, 19:14-16, 2158-60 Three periods of life, IV, 19:16, 2160 Unique status among Israelite prophets, IV, 19:8, 2152 Jonah (Prophet Y unus) Anger of, IV, 21:88, 2416 Believers benefit from warning of, IV, 37:148-49, 3357 Case of the people of, III, 10:99, 1370 Master of the Fish (Dhun-Nun), IV, 37:140, 3353 One of the Messengers, IV, 37:140, 3353 Origin and miracle of, II, 6:87, 830 Prayer for deliverance from distress, IV, 21:88-89, 2416 Significance of frequent mention in Quran and Bible, III, 10:99, 1370 Swallowed by fish after abandoning his people, IV, 37:140-48, 3353-56 Jonah, People of An examp1e of Disbelievers, IV, 37:148-149, 3357 Joseph (Prophet Y usuf) And the Holy Prophet Mu hammad, comparison, III, 12:57, 1560; III, 12:59, 1561; III, 12:63, 1564 Appointed head of finance department, III, 12:56, 1559 Brothers of, III, 12:98, 1597 Camel used by the brothers of, III, 12:66, 1567 Differences between Quranic and Biblical accounts of, III, 12:5-7, 1509-11 Forgiveness by, resembles the Holy Prophet, III, 12:93, 1592 His dream, description of, III, 12:5, 1509 Imprisonment of, III, 12:36, 1539 Interpretation of King’s dreams, III, 12:48-50, 1551-53 Is absolved of any wrong doing, III, 12:51-54, 1554-57 Life is a Sign for inquirers, III, 12:8, 1512 Resemblan ce to Holy Prophet through similar dreams, III, 12:5-6, 1509-10 Resemblances between, and the Holy Prophet, III, 12:10, 1514; III, 12:19, 1522; III, 12:25, 1528; III, 12:49, 1552 Reunion of with family, III, 12:59-102, 1561-1601 Story of, III, 12:5-112, 1 509-1611 Whole truth about, found only in Quran, III, 12:4, 1508 Why story of, revealed to Holy Prophet, III, 12:4, 1508 Joseph of Arimathaea, III, 18:10, 2050 Judah Jacob’s prediction about, III, 12:81, 1580 Judgement, Day of Accounting for evil deeds on, IV, 41:45, 3593 Actions of disbelievers on, IV, 42:23, 3618 All comprehensiveness of God’s knowledge will be shown on, II, 7:8, 911-912 All prophets will bear witness against their opponents on, III, 16:90, 1890 All sins will be exposed on, V, 83:5-7, 4627-28 And afterlife described, V, 82:14-20, 4624-25 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3549 Argument in support of, V, 95:8, 4781 Bodies will bear witness to deeds on, IV, 36:66, 3255 Description of, IV, 23:102-16, 2580-87; V, 64:10-11, 4262; V, 70:9-17, 4371-73; V, 83:6-18, 4628-32; V, 101:2-12, 4820A-4826 Disbeliever’s perception of, IV, 42:19, 3616 Disbelievers’ repentance will not help them, III, 16:86-88, 1886-88 Disbelievers will ask to share light of believers on, V, 57:14-15, 4156-57 For the disbelievers, IV, 36:52-55, 3247-49; IV, 36:60-68, 3253-57 For the righteous, IV, 36:56-59, 3250-52 Friendship on, I, 2:255, 261 Mankind assembled on, II, 3:10, 301 Neither friendship nor intercession, I, 2:255, 261 No buying and selling on, I, 2:255, 261 No intercession on, II, 6:71, 816 People and their Messengers will be questioned on, II, 7:7, 911 Punishment of disbelievers (Battle of Badr), V, 52:49, 3964 Judi, Al Mountain where Noah’s Ark anchored, III, 11:45, 1425; IV, 26:120, 2770 Jumu‘ah, Al (chapt er), V, 62 Muslims enjoined to attend Friday prayer, V, 62:10-11, 4241-42 Sermon given during, (Khutbah), V, 62:10, 4241 Justice Man must render to Allah His due, III, 16:91, 1891 Ka‘b bin Ashraf Leader of Ban u Nadir tribe of Jews banished from Medina, V, 59:3, 4190 Ka‘ba h A believer possess greater sanctity than the, II, 9:19, 1182 Adopted as Qiblah, II, 3:97-98, 383-384 Allah’s own Sacred House, IV, 29:68, 2986 Antiquity of, IV, 22:30, 2460 Appointment as Qiblah made conquest of Mecca necessary, I, 2:150-51, 156-57 Believers alone can keep sanctity of, II, 9:18, 1181 Circuits (Taw af) of, IV, 22:30, 2460 Cleared of idols, I, ccxxiii Eminence of, IV, 22:27, 2458 First house of God for mankind, II, 3:97, 383 'Frequented house', V, 52:5, 3933 History of, I, 2:128, 134; IV, 22:27, 2458 Idolaters forbidden approach to, II, 9:3, 1166 Meaning of, IV, 29:68, 2986 Muslims true guardians of, II, 8:35, 1123 Object of building Ka‘bah, V, 90:4, 4725 Open to all mankind, IV, 22:26, 2457 Prophecy, II, 8:35, 1123 Protected by Allah, V, 105:2-6, 4842-45 Sacred place of prayer, I, 2:126, 132 Sacrilegious use of, II, 8:36, 1124 Various names for, IV, 22:27, 2458 Kafirun, Al (Chpater), V, 109 Deeply connected with Al-Kauthar, V, 109 Holy Prophet said this chapter is one-fourth of the Quran, V, 109 Kahf, Al (chapter ), III, 18 Guarded by 70, 000 angels, III, 18 Kauthar, Al (chapter ), V, 108 Order of chapter s in Quran explained, V, 108 Khad ijah, I, ccx lvi; I, cxv; I, ccl ix-cclx Khaibar, I, ccvii Great spoils of, V, 48:20, 3829 Spoils and booty of, V, 48:16, 3826 Khal ifah (Inheritor of God’s Favours), II, 7:70, 968 Khal ifah (Successor) Commands obedience in religious affairs, IV, 24:64, 2638 Defined, IV, 24:56, 2630 Jesus as a, I, 2:31, 37 Kinds of, IV, 24:56, 2630 Mirz a Ghul am Ahmad as a, I, 2:31, 37 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3550 Special marks and characteristics of, IV, 24:56, 2630 Successor, of Holy Prophet, IV, 24:56, 2630 Unconditional obedience is due to, IV, 24:56, 2630 Khan, Hulagu First destruction of Muslim political power, IV, 19 Khatm-i-Nabuwwat Door of Prophethood not closed, IV, 40:35-36, 3521; V, 72:8, 4401A Seal of the Prophets, IV, 33:41, 3106 Khazraj A pagan tribe converted to Islam, I, 2:10, 16 Khil afat (Successorship) Condition for, IV, 24:57, 2631 Divine blessing of, IV, 24:56, 2630 Establishment of, IV, 24:36, 2618 Promise of, IV, 24:56, 2630 Purpose of, IV, 24:36, 2618; IV, 24:56, 2630 Khim ar (Head Covering), IV, 24:32, 2614 Khutbah (Sermon ), V, 62:10, 4241 Killing Guilty slayer condemned in this world and Hereafter, II, 5:31, 666 In self-defence, II, 5:29-30, 664-665 Kitab (Book), II, 3:49, 338 Knowledge Divinity of Jesus refuted, II, 3:6, 297 Importance of gaining, IV, 20:115, 2323 Man rules forces of nature with, IV, 21:80, 2410 Necessary for divine help ( Mujahadah), V, 51:57, 3926 Two kinds of, IV, 20:115, 2323; V, 47:32, 3812 Korah Revolted against Moses and perished, IV, 28:77-83, 2930-34 Ruin of, IV, 28:77-83, 2930-34 Symbol of materially wealthy disbelievers, IV, 28:77-80, 2930-32 Kufr (Disbelief), I, 2:7, 13 Kursiyy, Ayatul Loftiest verse, I, 2:256, 262 Lahab, Al (chapter ), V, 111 Lail, Al (chapter ), V, 92 Land and Sea All nations became corrupt, IV, 30:42, 3020 Lat Arabian goddess, V, 53:20, 3981 Latter Days A small act of righteousness will receive great reward, V, 81:14, 4600 Dangers of, I, 1:7, 7 Messengers preach to humanity at large, IV, 36:14, 3222 Law Absurdity of man made, II, 6:137-141, 876-880 Favours interests of those devising, III, 16:10, 1811 Man subject to physical and spiritual, IV, 22:19, 2451 Law, Dietary Basis for good morals and spiritual progress, II, 5:4, 643 Guidance for Muslims, II, 5:5-6, 644-645 If forced by hunger exceptions allowed in, II, 5:5-4, 643 Pronounce thereon the name of Allah, II, 5:5, 644 Law, Divine, IV, 30:47, 3024 All creation subject to, III, 13:16, 1627 All things subject to, V, 57:23, 4165 Cannot be defied, V, 55:34, 4068 Commandments/doctrines perfected in Quran (Holy), II, 5:4, 643 Compensation of, IV, 28:85, 2935 Decreed victory for Islam, IV, 42:32, 3624 Degr ees of rank according to deeds, V, 46:20, 3773 Different scholars hold different interpretations of, V, 57:26, 4166 Everything subject to decline, III, 16:49, 1850 For man’s physical, moral and spiritual development, II, 5:4, 643 Holy Quran is final, II, 5:49-50, 680 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3551 Islam shall prosper, IV, 43:80, 3691 Nature reflect ed in, IV, 30:47-54, 3024-27 No change in, V, 48:24, 3833 Obedience to, IV, 39:56, 3477 Of compensation, benefits man, IV, 28:85, 2935 Of creation, IV, 29:20, 2954 Patience in trials leads to success, IV, 29:3-4, 2940-41 Purpose of, IV, 35:8, 3181 Significance of, IV, 32:6, 3062 The Holy Quran perfect code of, V, 46:4, 3760 Throughout human history Truth must triumph, V, 48:24, 3833 Trials and afflictions distinguish believers from disbelievers, IV, 29:4, 2941 Law, Islamic (Shar i‘ah), V, 64:13, 4264 About private ownership, III, 16:72, 1872 Allah sends Messengers before punishment, IV, 28:60-62, 2920-21 And law of Nature, I, cccxxxvi ii At home, IV, 33:54, 3114 Chaste, believing women made lawful, II, 5:6, 645 Cleanliness, importance of, II, 5:7, 646 Commandments of (Shar i‘ah), II, 4 Commercial transactions in, II, 4:30, 508 Covetousness Prohibited, II, 4:33, 510 Dietary, II, 5:4, 643 Employ justice and truthfuln ess in, II, 6:153, 892 Fighting forbidden in sacred month, II, 5:3, 642 Food of people of the Book allowed for Muslims, II, 5:6, 645 Fundamentals of, II, 5:102, 729 Grievous Sins forbidden, II, 4:30-33, 508-510 Marriage, contracting valid, II, 5:6, 645 Penal Laws of, IV, 42:41, 3630 Prohibitions regarding, II, 4:30-33, 508-10 Purpose of, II, 4:27-29, 506-07 Revealed in four cycles, IV, 23:24, 2528 Source of divine mercy and blessing, IV, 20:3, 2239 Source of, is with God, III, 13:40, 1650 Suicide forbidden in, II, 4:30-31, 508 Law, Natural, III, 13:3-5, 1614-16 Agricultural production adequate, IV, 41:11, 3563 Man makes or mars his own destiny, IV, 30:54, 3027 Universe governed by, V, 64:4, 4256 Universe subject to, IV, 41:12, 3564 Leaders Mischievous ones lead others astray, I, 2:258, 264 Life All aspects controlled by Allah, V, 53:44-49, 3995 Is temporary, V, 57:21, 4163 Islam’s purpose of, compared to other religions, IV, 40:42, 3526 Present, likened to water, III, 10:25, 1300 Preservation of one human life equals saving all mankind, II, 5:33, 668 Real goal of, III, 13:29, 1640 The sublimity of, IV, 31:7, 3036 Water is source of, IV, 21:31, 2371 Worldly, is purposeless, IV, 29:65, 2985 Life after Death A new heaven and earth wil l exist, III, 14:49, 1703 Actions manifested in, IV, 39:70, 3487 Arguments confirming certainty of, IV, 22:68, 2441-43 Belief in divine revelation connected with, III, 16:61, 1861 Blessings of, those deprived of, IV, 42:21, 3617 Condition of believers and disbelievers in, IV, 27:84-91, 2868-72A Continual spiritual progression in, I, 1:3, 3 Creation of solar system constitutes invincible arguments in support of, V, 79:2830, 4564-66 Denial of, produces arrogance, III, 16:23, 1824 Disbelievers’ denial of, II, 6:30, 777 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3552 Disbelievers reject, IV, 27:67-69, 2858A-59 Doctrine of, IV, 40:13, 3504 Doubts of Christians about, IV, 19:69, 2209 Enjoyment of, II, 9:38, 1198 Evil appears good to deniers of, IV, 27:5-6, 2815A Faith in, IV, 27 :4 Four arguments in support of belief in, V, 79:26, 4563 Man granted eternal life in, IV, 20:56, 2275 Man restored in, IV, 23:17, 2522 Man unconcerned about, II, 6:33, 780 Manifestation of Present Life in, V, 71:19, 4394; V, 69:33, 4360 Metaphor for sharper vision and mental perception of man in next world, V, 50:23, 3874 Proof of, V, 80:23, 4583 Rejection of, by disbelievers, IV, 23:38, 2536A Resurrection certain in, IV, 23:116, 2587 Second to belief in God is belief in, V, 79:26, 4563 Spiritual copy of life in this world, V, 78:35, 4548 Light (N ur) Capacity to win pleasure of Allah, V, 57:13, 4155 Holy Prophet sent as, to People of the Book, II, 5:16, 653 Light, Spiritual A reward to believers for their good works, V, 57:14, 4156 Believers will be led to their goal by, on day of distress, V, 57:13, 4155 Criterion by which to test it, III, 14:2, 1656 Lightening, (Thunder and Clouds) Two-fold purpose, III, 13:13-14, 1624- 25 Loan Transactions Pledge of trust, I, 2:284, 290 Written record of, I, 2:283, 289 Lord (Rabb) Significance and different meanings of, III, 10:33, 1308 Lot (Prophet L ut) A nephew and contemporary of Abraham, II, 7:81, 979 Allah gave wisdom to, IV, 21:75-76, 2406A And family saved, IV, 37:134-137, 3349-50 Bible and Quran differ about story of, III, 11:84, 1464; III, 15:61-62, 1764-65; III, 15:71-72, 1774-75 Comparison with Mu hammad (Holy Prophet), III, 15:73, 1776 Connection with Abraham, III, 15:52, 1755 Denounces homosexuality, IV, 26:166-67, 2786-86A; IV, 27:55-56 Destruction of the people of, II, 7:85, 983; IV, 29:29-35, 2960-63 Disbelievers likened to wife of, V, 66:11, 4286 Fate of wife of, II, 7:84, 982 His people innovated sodomy, II, 7:82, 980 Migrated with Abraham, IV, 21:72, 2404 News about impending destruction of people of, III, 15:54, 17 57; III, 15:58-67, 1761-70 People of, destroyed by earthquake, III, 11:83, 1463; IV, 26:174; IV, 27:59 Prays to be kept untainted, IV, 26:170 Punishment for rejection of, III, 15:75, 1778; IV, 37:134-39, 3349-52; V, 51:33-35, 3913; V, 54 :24-39, 4022-30 Resented by his people for sheltering wayfarers, III, 15 :70-72, 1773-75 Ruins of people of, on a road still used, III 15:77-78, 1750-81 Story of, III, 11:78-84, 1458-64; IV, 26:161175, 2786-88; IV, 27:55-59, 2852 Story of, given in Quran as warning, III, 11:84, 1464 The vices ascribed to the people of, IV, 29:30, 2960 Threatened with exile, IV, 26:168; IV, 27:57, 2852 Words used to describe punishment of, people of, V, 51:35, 3913 Lote-tree Divine knowledge given to the Holy Prophet like a, V, 53:15, 3978 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3553 Prophetic reference to Treaty of Hudaibiy yah, V, 53:17, 3979 Loyalty Man’s, first and last, is to Allah, IV, 29:9, 2946 Lunar System Used when worship connected to a particular month, I, 2:190, 196 Luqm an (chapter ), IV, 31 Luqm an (Prophet) Advises son on oneness of Allah, IV, 31:1420, 3040-46 Brief story of, IV, 31:13-18, 3039-44 Lut (see Lot, Prophet) Ma‘arij, Al (chapter ), V, 70 Magians Identified, IV, 22:18, 2450 Magicians Believed in Moses, II, 7:124, 1013 Ma’idah, Al (chapter ), II, 5 Male and Female Everything created in pairs of, III, 13:4, 1615 Man Advised how to avoid miseries and misfortune, V, 64:13, 4264 Allah’s vicegerent on earth, V, 64:4, 4256 And the universe, subject to death and decay, V, 55:27, 4064 Bad qualities that lead to undoing of, V, 92:910, 4756 Born with pure nature, V, 95:5, 4779 Can attain highest spiritual stature, V, 87:3, 4682 Can be one with God in this life, V, 89:28-31, 4722 Centre of the universe, I, cccxxx iv Complete course of moral and spiritual growth for, III, 16:91, 1891 Completely dependent upon Allah, V, 55:30, 4066 Connection with earth of, II, 7:26, 927 Created for purpose of pursuing a great goal V, 80:19-20, 4581 Created from black mud wrought into shape, III, 15:27, 1733 Created from clay, dust and mud, V, 55:15, 4056 Created from insignificant fluid, V, 75:38-40, 4478; V, 77 :21-24, 4513 Created from mere sperm and given noble qualities, III, 16:5, 1806 Created from water, IV, 25:55, 2686 Created in a state of weakness, IV, 30:55, 3028 Created t o be vicegerent over creation, III, 17:71, 2000 Created with facility for unlimited progress, V, 87:2, 4681 Created with purpose, V, 67:25, 4303 Created with varied capacities, V, 71:15, 4392 Creates his own misfortune, IV, 26:81, 2753 Creation of, III, 15:27, 1733 Creation of, from dust, clay and divine word, V, 55:15, 4056 Creation of Ibl is and Adam, IV, 38:72-73, 3428-29 Creation of, in stages, V, 71:18, 4393 Culmi nation of evolution, I, cccxxxv Deeds recorded, V, 82:12-13, 4622-23 Dependent on Allah’s mercy, V, 67:29-31, 4306-07 Dependent upon heavenly revelation, V, 86:12-13, 4676-77 Destiny of, V, 89:15-17, 4716 Directive for guarding chastity of, IV, 24:31, 2613 Divided into three groups after advent of the Holy Prophet, V, 56:8-96, 4098-4144 Duties to Allah of, V, 71:4, 4387; V, 70:39-40, 4382 Each soul has a guardian appointed to record his deeds, V, 85:5, 4673 Earth created for the benefit of, V, 78:7-9, 4528 Earth subordinate to, IV, 22:66, 2495 Endowed with faculties for moral and spiritual advance, V, 76:3, 4480 Endowed with great qualities, V, 91:8-9, 4742-43 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3554 Endowed with power and opportunity for spiritual development, V, 64:3, 4255 Enjoined to believe in Allah and his Messengers, V, 64:9, 4261 Enjoined to honesty, V, 83:2-5, 4626-27 Enjoi ned to pray for protection from evil doers, V, 113:5-6, 4873-74 Enjoined to remember Allah, V, 59:20, 4204; V, 87:15-20, 4691 Enjoined to spend in the way of Allah, V, 64:16-19, 4266-67 Family and relations of warned against interference in worship of Alla h, V, 64:14-16, 4265 Fate of, who misuses God-given powers, V, 95:5-6, 4779-80 Free agent, III, 16:38, 1839 Free will of, I, 2:32, 38 Freedom of conscience inviolable, IV, 22:39, 2469 Frivolity in, strongly condemned, IV, 31:7, 3036 Gets in trouble by defying laws of Allah, V, 64:12, 4263 Given ability to distinguish right from wrong, V, 55:15, 4056 Given faculties for acceptance of truth, V, 67:24, 4302 Given means to find right path, V, 90:9-12, 4730-31 Good qualities that lead to his success, V, 92:6-7, 4754 Gradual spiritual development of, culminated in the Holy Prophet, V, 96:3, 4783 Has ingrained love of Allah, V, 96:3, 4783 Has seven stages of spiritual and physical growth, V, 65:13, 4276 His development in progressive stages, V, 87:2, 4681 His natural powers signify high spiritual destiny, V, 80:22, 4582 Holy Prophet is ‘The Perfect Man’, V, 55:4, 4045 In constant need of divine guidance, V, 96:78, 4787 In control of his destiny, IV, 30:54, 3027 In latter days rewarded for small act of righteou sness, V, 81:14, 4600 Influenced by environment, V, 103:2-4, 4832, 34 Is hasty by nature, IV, 21:38, 2378 King of Allah’s creation, IV, 22:39, 2469 Life’s amenities bestowed upon, III, 17:67, 1996 Limited power of, despite vast technology, V, 55:34, 4068 Males are guardians over females, II, 4:35, 512 Method of finding right path described for, V, 81:30, 4613 Mortality of, IV, 21:35-36, 2375-76 Must obey commands of Allah, IV, 39:10-16, 3444-47 Must render account for his actions, V, 83:57, 4627-28 Natura lly seeks nearness to Allah, V, 57:9, 4152 Needs divine guidance for spiritual progress, III, 16:79, 1879 Needs of, IV, 35:16, 3139 Neglects duties in hour of glory, III, 17:12, 1941 Noblest handiwork of Allah, IV, 31:21, 3047 Not tasked beyond his capacity, II, 7:43, 942 Not the victim of chance, V, 64:4, 4256 Owes duties to Allah, V, 76:8, 4484-A Owes duty to mankind, V, 76:9-10, 4485-85A Physical and spiritual sustenance result of Allah’s mercy, V, 67:30, 4306 Physical sustenance of, provided by Allah, V, 78:7-17, 4528-34 Proper use of divine favours by, IV, 39:8-9, 3443 Provided with his physical & spiritual needs, V, 55:3-14, 4044-4055 Provisions for, physical needs proof of provision for spiritual needs, V, 79:28-34, 4564-67 Punished by widespread calamity and misery for evil deeds, V, 81:15, 4601 Purpose of creation of, V, 80:24, 4584 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3555 Real object of creation of universe, III, 11:8, 1389 Reaps consequences of his action, V, 99:8-9, 4810 Responsible for his actions, V, 76:4, 4481 Responsible for his decisions, V, 82:13, 4623 Sent divine scriptures according to his needs and capacity, V, 87:2-7, 4681-85 Shall bear his own burden, II, 6:165, 904 Solar system created for benefit of, V, 78:13, 4531 Spiritual development in s even stages, V, 78:13, 4531 Spiritual goal of, is upward and onward, IV, 43:15, 3651 Spiritual progress knows no end, V, 75:37, 4478 Stages of foetal development, V, 71:15, 4392 Stages of moral development, III, 16:91, 1891 Subject to alternate periods of progression and retrogression, V, 86 :6-8, 4674 Subject to laws of & equity as is the universe, V, 55:6-14, 4047-55 Synopsis of His creation and future, V, 55 The object of, man’s creation, I, cccx xxvii The two powers in, II, 8:25, 1113 Three stages of crea tion of, IV, 39:7, 3442 Three ways, forgets Allah, V, 59:20, 4204 Tried by life and death, V, 67:3, 4289 Various spiritual conditions of, II, 6:60, 805 Warned against covetousness, V, 59:10, 4196; V, 64 :17, 4266 Warned against hoarding wealth, V, 70:19, 4374 Warned against miserliness, V, 70:20-22, 4375 Warned not to oppose truth, V, 67:17-21, 4297-99 Warned to be sincere and charitable, V, 107:6-8, 4852-54 Why chosen to bear trust of creation and divine law, IV, 33:73, 3128 Will be punished for rebellion, V, 65:9-12, 4274-75 Will not be left uncontrolled, V, 64:4-11, 4256-62 Man and Jinn Two classes of men in Quran, II, 6:113, 854 Will fill Hell, IV, 32:14, 3067 Man and Woman Have equal share in the favours of Allah, III, 16:98, 1898 Mankind Common errors of, IV, 23:54-57, 2547-48 Comparison of physical/spiritual development, IV, 23:15, 2520 Created for a great purpose, IV, 23:116, 2587 Created from clay, IV, 23:13, 2518 Development of soul, IV, 23:15, 2520 Differ among themselves, III, 10:20, 1295 Divine attributes in, IV, 23:116-17, 2587-88 Five s tages of the history of, I, 2:214, 220 Given free will by God, II, 6:108, 849 Human soul of, I, cccx vi Most of, are not believers, IV, 25:51 No Nation or Tribe favoured over the other, III, 17:71, 2000 Only a human can serve as a Prophet for, III, 17:96, 2024 Powers of man develop in the direction in which they are exercised, II, 6:113, 854 Produced from a single being, II, 6:99, 841 Stages of physical creation, IV, 23:13-15, 2518-20 Manna Divine gift of food to the Israelites, IV, 20:81-82, 2295-96 Mansak (Rites of Sacrifice), IV, 22:35, 2465 Marriage, II, 4:20-23, 500-02 Abstinence from wives without divorce, I, 2:227, 233 ‘Arab custom of calling one’s wife 'mother' condemned ( Zihar), IV, 33:5, 3077; V, 58:26, 4172-76 Between a Muslim and idolater is forbidden, I, 2:222, 228 Between believers and idolaters is prohibited, V, 60:11-12, 4218-19 Confidences between spouses should be honoured, V, 66:4, 4280 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3556 Domestic disagreements, V, 66:2-7, 4278-83 Explanation of calling wife mother ( Zihar), IV, 33:5, 3077 Forbidden degrees of relationships, II, 4:24, 503 Importance of, IV, 33-34, 2615-16 Islamic law regarding, IV, 33:51-54, 3111-14 Of slaves, IV, 24:33-34, 2615- 16 Of widows, IV, 24:33, 2615 One obj ect of, II, 7:190, 1076 Philosophy of, I, 2:224, 230 Status of free woman/bondwoman, IV, 23:7, 2514 The object of, I, 2:188, 194 Two idolatrous women destroyed Abbaside Empire, III, 17:57, 1986 Treatment of disobedient wives, II, 4:35, 512 Treatment of dissension in, II, 4:36, 513 Unjustified discontinuation of conjugal relations condemned, V, 58:2-6, 4172-76 With prisoners of war, IV, 23:7, 2514 Wives should be treated well, I, 2:225, 231 Marriage Sermon Treatment of relatives, II, 4:2, 484 Martyrs Are living, their work continues after death, I, 2:155, 161 Blessings on, II, 3:170-72, 452-54 Condition improved and admitted into Paradise, V, 47:6-7, 3792-93 Eternal spiritual life of, II, 3:157-59, 439-41 Works never rendered vain, V, 47:5-7, 3791-93 Mary Believers likened to, V, 66:13, 4286 Chosen of Allah, obedient, II, 3:43-46, 333-335 Conception and birth of Jesus, IV, 19:23-27, 2167-71 Contrasting views of Holy Quran and Bible, IV, 19:17, 2161 Date of conception of Jesus, IV, 19:26, 2170 Dedicated to serve Allah, II, 3:36-38, 326-28 Denial of divinity of, II, 5:117, 744 Family background, II, 3:36, 326 Grievous calumny against, II, 4:157, 620 High status of, IV, 21:92, 2418 Marriage to Joseph, II, 3:48, 337 Significance of Jesus’ fatherles s birth, IV, 21:92, 2418 Vision of, IV, 19:18-22, 2162-66 Mary, the Copt Legality of marriage, V, 66:2, 4278 Maryam (chapter ), IV, 19 Material Progress Islamic view of, III, 10:8, 1283 Material Wealth Right beliefs and not, will secure the good of the Hereafter, III, 17:19-20, 1948-49 Will be useless in the Hereafter, V, 57:21, 4163 Ma‘un, Al (chapter ), V, 107 Mecca A prophecy about the Holy Prophet’s return to, IV, 28:86, 2936 Conquest of, caused ‘Arabs to join Islam in 'troops', I, 2:151, 157 Destiny of, IV, 42:8, 3607 Fall of, I, ccx vii Famine of, IV, 44:11, 3705 Geographic location of, IV, 42:8, 3607 Judgement Day for, IV, 37:20-22, 3286-87 Mother of towns, IV, 42:8, 3607 Prophecy about the fall of, IV, 19:27, 2152 Prophet leaves, I, cxxxvi Prophet’s birth place, I, cxx iv; I, cix Regarded as 'city of security', V, 95:4, 4778 Spiritual centre of the world, IV, 42:8, 3607 Will be revered till the end of time, IV, 27:92, 2873 Would never be conquered by any false prophet, I, 2:151, 157 Meccans Announcement of impending destruction of, III, 15:90-96, 1793-98 Challenged their gods to triumph against Islam, II, 7:196, 1081 Destroyed for opposing prophets, II, 6:7, 753 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3557 Divine punishment of, IV, 44:14, 3706 Fate of, similar to that of Lot’s people, III, 15:76, 1779 Prepare attack, I, cxlv Told the Holy Prophet is their companion, II, 7:185, 1071 Told to observe decline of idolatry, II, 7:186, 1072 Medina Advent of the Holy Prophet increased prosperity of, II, 9:74, 1228 Hypocrites of, plotted against Holy Prophet, V, 59:12-18, 4198-02 Islam spreads to, I, cxxxi Life unsafe at, I, cxli Migration of Prophets to, I, cxxxvi The Holy Prophet Muhammad’s flight to, II, 8:31, 1119 Tribal pacts of, I, cxli ii Tribes of, I, 2:10, 16 Mediterranean Sea Prophecy of two bodies of water joining, V, 55:20-21, 4059-60 Menstruation Restrictions regarding, I, 2:223, 229 Mercy, Divine Attainment of, IV, 39:56, 3477 Mercy and Forgiveness Promise of, IV, 39:54, 3475 Merneptah (Me reneptah) Pharaoh at time of Moses’ mission, III, 10:93, 1365 Pharaoh whose drowned body was preserved as a sign, III, 10:93, 1365 Message, Divine Rejection and acceptance of, IV, 44:44-49, 3721-23 Messengers of Allah (also see Prophets) Acceptance of, improves total condition of a people, III, 11:53, 1433 Allah chooses from men and ange ls, IV, 22:76, 2504 Allah protects Message of, V, 72:29, 4413 Bearers of glad tidings and warnings, II, 5:20, 657 Chosen by Allah, II, 3:180, 462 Divine promise to, IV, 40:52, 3532 Meaning of, II, 7:158, 1047 Message strengthened by the Holy Prophet, IV, 36:15, 3223 Obedience to, II, 4:65-71, 537-42 Punishment for opposing, IV, 40:83-86, 3552-53 Rebellion against, V, 51:53-54, 3925 Scorn of, IV, 43:48, 3673 Sent before a people are punished, II, 5:20, 657 Spiritual maturity at age 40 for divine mission, V, 46:16, 3770 Steadfastness of followers upon death of, II, 3:145-46, 428-29 Through periods of history, IV, 41:14, 3566 Tidings of related to believers as reminder, III, 11:121, 1501 Midian Abraham’s son b y Keturah, II, 7:86, 984 Description of town and people of, III, 11:85, 1465 Moses in, IV, 20:41, 2264 Punishment of, III, 11:95-96, 1475-76 Midianites Referred to in Bible as J alut, I, 2:250, 256 Migration Encouraged if persecuted, III, 16:111, 1911 For sake of Allah, II, 4:98-101, 566-569 In Allah’s cause; rewards of, IV, 22:59-60, 2488-89 Reward for, in cause of Allah outweighs loss, IV, 29:57-59, 2980-82 Miracles, II, 7:108, 1001 Of the Battle of Hunain, II, 9:25, 1186 Quranic Teachings, I, ccc vi Shown at Battle of Badr, II, 8:44, 1132 Similarity in fate of Ab u Jahl and Pharaoh, II, 8:18, 1107 Similarity of Moses and Holy Prophet, II, 8:18, 1107 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3558 Miserliness Condemned, V, 104:3-4, 4837 Not spending money in cause of Islam, V, 47:38-39, 3815-16 Misfo rtune Causes of, II, 3:166-69, 448-450 Monasticism Islam does not believe in, IV, 28:78, 2931 Not prescribed by Allah, V, 57:28, 4168 Monotheism Did not evolve out of polytheism, III, 14:36, 1690 Historically preceded polytheism, III, 13:34, 1645 Moon Dream of Hadrat ‘A’ishah regarding three, in her apartment, V, 54:2, 4006 Dream of Safiyyah about her marriage to the Holy Prophet, V, 54:2, 4006 Miracle shown by the Holy Prophet, V, 54:2, 4006 Regulated by fixed laws to unerringly perform its tasks, V, 55:6, 4048 Symbol of ‘Arab power, V, 54:2, 4006 Moral Conduct Anger is source of many sins, IV, 42:38, 3628 Attainment of, IV, 41:36, 3585 Method to achieve progress in good, V, 90:13-19, 4732-35 Neglect of orphans and poor results in decline of, V, 107:3-4, 4850 Reason for moral ruin, V, 107:2, 4849 Moral Development Stages of, IV, 23:97, 2576 Morning and Evening Significance of, II, 6:53, 798 Mortality Of man and Universe, V, 55:27, 4064 Mosaic Dispensation End of, signaled by Jesus’ fatherless birth, IV, 43:62, 3681 Moses (Prophet M usa), I, lxxxix; I, xxiv; I, cclxiii; I, x xviii; I, xx xiii; I, c A vision of, IV, 20:11, 2246A Account of the people of, III, 17:3-9, 1932-38 All his followers were not corrupt, II, 7:160, 1049 Allah spoke to him particularly, II, 4:165, 628 And pharaoh, II, 7:105-20, 1000-10 And the Holy land, II, 7:129-30, 1018-19 And the magicians, II, 7:114-24, 1005-13 And twelve tribes, II, 7:161-63, 1050-52 Appointed by God and given the 'Book', IV, 25:36-37, 2671 Aspirations of, II, 7:145, 1034 Cleared of allegations against him, IV, 33:70, 3126 Commanded to take Israelites from Egypt, IV, 26:53 Commissioned as Prophet, IV, 26:11, 2713 Contrast with the Holy Prophet, IV, 20:30, 2259 Crossing the Red Sea, IV, 44:25, 3711 Debates with Pharaoh, IV, 26:19-34, 2718-29 Denied cooperation of Jews, III, 18:78, 2116 Descendant of Abraham, IV, 37:115, 3343 Details of Shari‘ah revealed in cycle of, V, 95:2-4, 4777-78 Did not break commandment tablets, II, 7:156, 1045 Enemies of, IV, 40:24-28, 3511-15 Exhortation to Jews to remember favours of Allah, II, 5:21, 658 Exhorts Jews to fight for Holy land, II, 5:22 Exodus of, II, 7:139, 1028 Flight out of Egypt, IV, 20:78, 22 93A Four ways which Torah helped men to accept truth, III, 11:18, 1399 Freud’s theory of nationality of, refuted, IV, 20:10, 2246 Given a revealed Book, II, 6:155, 894 Given the Book, IV, 23:50 Greatest Prophet after Abraham, IV, 37:115, 3343 His message w as meant primarily for the Israelites, II, 7:106, 1000 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3559 His rod 'a great sign', V, 79:21, 4562 Meeting with God of, II, 7:144, 1033 Meets God in a vision, IV, 27:8-10, 2817- 2818 A Miracle of the Red Sea, IV, 26:64-67, 2746 Miracle of the rod, II, 7:307-8, 1001; IV, 28:32, 2897 Miracle of the white hand, II, 7:109, 1002 Miracles of the rod and white hand, IV, 26:33-34, 2729 Mount Paran, I, lxx viii Name of, Hebrew and Arabic derivation, IV, 20:10, 2246 Nine signs for Pharaoh, IV, 27:13, 2821 Not of Egy ptian origin, IV, 20:10, 2246 Opposed by his people, IV, 28:48-52, 2910-13 Parallel to the Holy Prophet, V, 52:2-7, 3935 Parting of the sea for, I, 2 :51, 57; IV, 20:7879, 2293A-94 Pharaoh ascribed his misfortunes to, II, 7:132, 1021 Phases and circumstances of his life, IV, 28:4, 2878 Prayer against cowardly Israelites, II, 5:26, 661A Prophecies in Deuteronomy, I, lxix Prophecy about advent of the Holy Prophet, IV, 28:45, 2907 Punishment of Pharaoh, V, 51 :39-41, 3915 Quranic description of different Biblical Prophets, III, 11:97, 1477 Received the Book and Prophethood, IV, 28:44-47, 2906-09 Rejected by Israelites, I, 2:88, 94 Rejected by Pharaoh, V, 79:16-27, 4561-63 Revelation of the commandments to, II, 7:146, 1035 Revelation to mother of, IV, 20:39-40, 2262-63 Rewards of, IV, 37:115-22, 3343-45 Rod of, IV, 27:11, 2819 Sent to Pharaoh whom Allah destroyed, IV, 23:46-50, 2543 Sent with Aaron to Pharoah, IV, 26:16-18, 2716-17 Story of, IV, 19:52-54, 2194-96; IV, 20:1099, 2246-2310; IV, 26:11-67, 2713-46; IV, 27:8-15, 2817-22; IV, 28:8-38, 2882-2902; IV, 28:4-49, 2878-2911 Suffered at hands of his followers, V, 61:6, 4225 Tabernacle constructed by, V, 52:5-6, 3933-34 Taking of cow for worship by people of, II, 7:149, 1038 The descendants of, I, 2:249, 255 The messages of, I, 2:109, 115 Time of the vision, IV, 20:11, 2246A Vision of fire, IV, 27:8, 2817 Warning to Jews, III, 17:6, 1935 Was given Torah, IV, 21:49, 2389 Moses, Visions of A precursor of the Islamic dispensation, III, 18:83, 2121 Significance of killing youth, III, 18:81, 2119 Spiritual night journey, III, 18:61-79, 2101-17 Mosque (also see Worship, Houses of) Centres of truth, V, 72:19, 4407A Journey to distant mosque meant migration to Medina, III, 17:2, 1931 Physical cleanliness required before entering, II, 7:32, 932 Sacrificial animals brought to sacred, II, 5:3, 642 Mount Paran, I, lxxv iii Moses, prophecy was fulfilled that Muhammad would begin mission from, I, lxxvii Mount Sinai Mentioned in A t-Tur, V, 52:2, 3930 Mountains And natural highways, III, 16:16, 1817 Purpose of, IV, 21:32, 2372 Symbolic reference to prominent, learned person or chief, IV, 21:80, 2410 Mount Tur Law revealed to Moses on, V, 52:7, 3935 Mub arak (Blessed), IV, 21:51, 2391; II, 6:93, 835 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3560 Muddaththir, Al (chapter ), V, 74 Muh ajirin (Refugees), II, 8:75, 1162 Muhammad (chapter ), V, 47 Muhammad (Holy Prophet), V, 47 Abraham’s prayer for, I, 2:130, 136 Accused of being magician, IV, 21:4, 2345 Achievements of, IV, 23:70-71, 2557-8 Addressed as 'The Prophet', IV, 33:2, 3075A Addressed buriel pit of dead Quraish leaders after Battle of Badr, V, 54:49, 4037 Advent established spiritual kingdom for mankind, II, 7:159, 1048 Advent of, IV, 35:14-17, 3187-90 Advent of, foretold in Bible, V, 61:7, 4226 Advent prophesied in previous scriptures, II, 6:21, 768 'Affair' relates to 'advent' of, and Quranic revelation, IV, 45:19, 3743 Allah comforted, IV, 29:19, 2953 Allah strengthened, in severe persecution, IV, 28:88-89, 2937-38 Allah was with, throughout temporary setbacks, V, 93:4-5, 4764-65 Allah’s protection and love for, II, 8:6, 1096 An argument to test the truth of, IV, 34:47-52, 3168-72 Argument for, IV, 34:45-47, 3166-68 As a warner, IV, 35:24-38, 3 195-3205 'Ascension' of, V, 70:4, 4368 Asked to shun disbelievers, III, 15:95, 1797 Attitude towards his wi ves, I, ccli x Attitude towards the dead, I, cclxxi Attributes of, described, V, 81:20-22, 4605A- 4607 Banu Mustaliq, I, clxv Battle of Badr, I, cl xvi Battle of Ditch, I, clx vii Battle of Hunain, I, ccxx viii Battle of M utah, I, ccxii Battle of U hud, I, cliii Bears witness to truth, IV, 43:87, 3695 Believers enjoined to give alms before private consultation with, V, 58:13-14, 4182-83 Biblical prophecy regarding advent of, IV, 19:3, 2148 Blessed with divine favours in this life and Hereafter, V, 93:6, 4765A Brought spiritual revolution, V, 82:2-5, 4614-17 Challenge to his enemies, V, 77:40, 4522 Character of; proof of divine origin of his Mission, V, 90:4, 4725 Charge of madness against, refuted, V, 68:28, 4308-12 Charter of Freedom, IV, 22:41, 2471 Childhood circumstances described, V, 93:7, 4766 Christian response to, II, 5:84-85, 714-715 Circumstances like those of Adam, Noah, Moses, V, 95:2-4, 4777-78 Claim of, IV, 29:69, 2987 Clearest light for spiritual wayfarers, II, 4:175, 637 Companions devoted to prayer, IV, 26 :220, 2809 Companions’ love and devotion for, II, 8:6, 1096 Companions of, IV, 24:38-39, 2620 Compared to day break, II, 6:97, 839 Compassion of, V, 71:27, 4396 Complete and perfect man, IV, 20:2, 2238 Consolation for, IV, 35:26, 3196 Consolation given to, IV, 43:90, 3697 Consolation that all Messengers suffered opposition, IV, 41:44, 3592 Consoled that Prophets prevail despite rejection, IV, 29:19, 2953 Conspiracies against, IV, 27:75, 2863 Consummation of spiritual development of man, V, 96:2, 4782 Crier (Al-Mun adi) refers to, V, 50:42, 3886 Death of, I, cc xliii Denied cooperation of Christians, III, 18:78, 2116 Departure from Mecca of, IV, 23:95, 2574 Description of consequences of his coming, V, 56:2-8, 4092-98 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3561 Description of his religion, II, 6:163-164, 902-903 Devotion to Allah, II, 6:163, 902 Disapproval of penance, I, ccl viii Disbeliever’s response to, IV, 41:6, 3558 Divine favours upon, V, 48:3, 3818 Divine light of, IV, 24:36, 2618 Divine revelation exalted him to highest point in spiritual ascension, V, 53:2, 3966 Early life of, I, cxi v Education in Arabia in the time of, II, 7:158, 1047 Eminence acquire d by followers of, IV, 43:45, 3670 Endowed with special qualities, V, 94:2, 4770 Enemies brought to destruction, II, 6:22, 769 Enemies forgiven, I, ccxxv Enjoined to pray for converts to Islam, V, 110:2-4, 4861-62 Enjoined to show gratitude for divine favours, V, 93:10-12, 4769 Entry of Prophet into Mecca, I, c xxxviii Etiquette for visiting, explained, IV, 33:54, 3114 Evolution o f spiritual universe, I, cccxl Expedition of Tab uk, I, ccxxxiv Extreme grief over Christian's opposition to truth, III, 18:7, 2047 Fall of Khaibar, I, ccvii Fall of Mecca, I, ccxvii False claim against, of assistance in composing Quran, III, 16:104, 1904 False report of death of II, II, 3:145-146, 428-429 Fate of enemies of, II, 6:7, 754 Fate of opponents of, V, 69:14-19, 4348-53 Father of all Prophets before and after him, V, 108:4, 4857 Final authority, IV, 24:52-55, 2628A-2629 First converts to follow, I, cxvii First pledge of Aqabah, I, cxxx iv First Revelation received by, I, cxvi Five prominent qualities of, IV, 33:46-51, 3108-11 Flight to Medina, II, 8:31, 1119 Followed the religion of Abraham, II, 6:162, 901 Followers of, are of a different grade than hypocrites, II, 3:163-64, 445-46 Followers of, more faithful than of Moses, II, 6:158, 897 Foresaw coming of Promised Messiah, V, 81:24, 4609 Four duties of, V, 62:3, 4235 Fulfilment of prayer of Abraham in the person of, II, 3:165, 447 Fulfilment of promise to, IV, 39:75, 3490 Futile to reject, V, 52:39, 3956 Given great responsibility, V, 94:3-5, 4771 Great ide als and principles of, V, 53:3, 3967 Grief and solicitude of, IV, 43:89, 3696 Grief over disbelievers, II, 6:34, 781 Guarded by ang els and companions, III, 13:12, 1623 Guided by Allah, V, 93:8, 4767 Guides to straight path, IV, 23:74-75, 2560A Heart of, IV, 42:25, 3620 High Moral Qualities of, I, cclx High moral stature of, V, 48:3, 3818 His claim cannot be disproved, V, 95:8, 4781 His concern for humanity, IV, 26:4-5, 2707-08 His concern to save people from Divine wrath, IV, 35:9, 3182 History shows truth of, III, 12:112, 1611 Human being, IV, 41:7, 3559 Identified with Lote-tree, V, 53:15, 3978 Illiteracy of, II, 7:158, 1047 Illiteracy of, proof of Quran’s Divine source, IV, 29:49, 2973 Is prophesied in the Bible, II, 7:158, 1047 Islam’s progress through, IV, 22:16, 2449 Jews of Arabia rejected, as Promised Prophet, III, 10:94, 1366 Jews rejected out of every, IV, 45:18, 3742 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3562 Journey to Ta’if, I, cxx viii Justice and fair dealing, I, cclx ii Kindness to believers enjoined on, IV, 26:216 Landmarks in career of, V, 93:5, 4765 Language of, III, 14:5, 3659 Last Days of, I, cclxi Leaves for Mecca, I, cxc iv Letters to various kings, I, c xcix Life and mission of, IV, 33:46-60, 3108-19 Life sketch of, I, cvii Life unsafe at Medina, I, cxli Likened to moon, V, 91:3, 4738 Limitless spiritual journey of, V, 94:8-9, 4775 Machinations of Meccans against, II, 8:31, 1119 Manifest sign of, I, 2:100, 106 Marches on Mecca, I, c cxvi Marriage with Khad ijah of, I, cxv Marriages of, IV, 33:51-53, 3111-13 Mentioned in previous scriptures, IV, 26:197, 2799 Mercy of, II, 3:160, 442 Message of Islam, I, cxxii Message of, universal, IV, 22:50, 2479; V, 62:4, 4236 Messenger to world, IV, 21:108, 2432 Migration to Medina, Pursuit, I, cxxxvi Mission of, IV, 34:44, 316; V, 46 :10, 3765 Moral status of, IV, 40:56, 3534 Most complete manifestation of love of Allah in, V, 96:3, 4783 Must testify to Allah’s unity, II, 6:20, 767 New Heaven and Earth born with the advent of, V, 46:36, 3787A New order with the advent of, IV, 35:14-17, 3187-90 Nine enemies, destroyed, IV, 27:49-52, 2848-51 No spiritual rank without the stamp of, III, 13:9, 1620 Nobility of character during battles, IV, 33:22, 3090 Noble aim of, V, 52:31, 3949 Not guardian of mankind, II, 6:105, 847 Objecti ons against, IV, 25:32, 2668 Objections against and rebuttal, IV, 25 :5-10, 2644-48 Ordinary mortal, IV, 25:21, 2657 Only a human being, III, 18:111, 2145 Only a warner, III, 11:13, 1394 Only a warner and bearer of good tidings, II, 7:189, 1075 Only interceder on the Last Day, IV, 19:88, 2227 Only true path to Allah, IV, 36:2-8, 3213-16 Opposed secretly and openly, II, 4:114-116, 580-582 Opposition to, tantamount to opposing God, V, 59:5, 4191A Other virtues of, I, cclxx iv Parallel to Moses, V, 52:2-7, 3935 Persecution of, at Mecca, IV, 23:97, 2576 Persecution of, intensifies, I, cxxvii Personality and character, I, ccxl vi Pivot al point of the spiritual uni verse, V, 78:7-17, 4528-34 Poethood of, rebutted, IV, 26:225-228, 2812-13A Possesses two powerful witnesses, III, 13:44, 1654 Prayer before Battle of Badr and Divine reply, V, 54:46, 4034 Prayer for protection against Gog and Magog, IV, 21:113, 2435 Prayer to be distinguished from wrongdoers, IV, 23:95-96, 2574-75 Promised Prophe t of the Old Testament, II, 7:159, 1048 Promised spiritual/temporal treasures, IV, 25:11, 2649 Proof of, IV, 39:53, 3474 Proof of truth of, V, 92:2, 4750 Prophecy in Deuteronomy, I, lx viii Prophecy in Daniel I, xcv Prophecy in Habakkuk, I, lxxviii Prophecy in Isaiah, I, lxxxiii Prophecy in New Testament, I, xcix " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3563 Prophesied coming of Promised Messiah, V, 53:2, 3966 Prophets rejected before, II, 6:33, 782 Protected by Allah, IV, 33:2, 3075A Protected from enemies by Allah, V, 52:49, 3964 Purity of heart and g reatness of spiritual stature, III, 17:75, 2004 Qualities of the companions of, V, 79:2-6, 4551-54 Quran revealed to IV, 26 :193-196, 2795-98 Received True divine revelation, V, 53:4-19, 3968-80 Receives hint about migration to Medina, III, 15:89, 1792 Recipient of divine favours, V, 93:7-9, 4766-68 Refutation of charges of insanity of, II, 7:185, 1071 Regard for poor, V, 80:2-12, 4 771-76; I, cclx iii Rejection of, IV, 38:9-10, 3379-80 Rejection of the message brought by, IV, 19 Reject ers of, IV, 35:5-8, 3179-81 Relationship with followers likened to that of male and female, V, 92:4, 4752 Relationship with God, I, cclii Repentance of the enemies of, IV, 42:26, 3621 Resemblance to Jonah and Jesus of, II, 8:31, 1119 Respect for, IV, 24:63-64, 2637-38 Respon sible for progress of followers and their generations, III, 11:113, 1493 Seal of the Prophets, IV, 33:41, 3106 Second coming of, IV, 36:14, 3222 Self Control of, I, cclxi Selflessness of, IV, 23:73, 2560 Sent to help people establish connection with Allah, V, 52:38, 3955 Sent to unite all religions, IV, 23:53, 2546 Served humanity to the best of his capacity, III, 16:76, 1876 Similarity to Moses, I, 1:1, 1; IV, 20:100, 2311 Sought only spirit of good from Allah, II, 7:189, 1075 Sowed seeds for future Arab g enerations, IV, 41:48, 3595 Spiritual Ascension (Mi‘r aj) of, V, 53:8-18, 3972-80 Spiritual status of, likened to sun, IV, 25:62, 2690 Spoils of war received, V, 59:7-11, 4193-97 Success of, IV, 34 :49, 3170 Sun of the spiritual universe, V, 91:2-7, 4737-41 Superiority explained, III, 13:5, 1616 Teachings of, removes curse of original sin, II, 7:158, 1047 Temporary separation of, from his wives, the story of, V, 66:2-7, 4278-83 The alleged lapse, IV, 22:53, 2482 The first Muslim, II, 6:164, 903 The Last Pilg rimage of, I, ccxxx vi 'The light of Allah', V, 61:9, 4228 The most successful of all Prophets, V, 108:2, 4855 The one capable of being entrusted with perfect law, IV, 33:73, 3128 'The prayer personified of Abraham', I, 2:130, 136 'The Servant of Allah', V, 72:20, 4408 The universe was created for, I, 2:31, 37 Those who believe in the Message of, V, 47:3-4, 3790 Three kinds of evidence in support of, III, 11:18, 1399 Told not to grieve over disbeliever’s attitude, III, 15:89, 1792 Treated as false by reje cters IV, 35 :26, 3196 Treatment of guests by, V, 80:2-11, 4571-75 Treatment of neighbours by, I, cclxxi Treatment of opposition in warfare, V, 59:6, 4192 Treatment of relatives by, I, cclxx ii Treatment of slaves by, I, cclxvii Treatment of women by, I, cclxviii Treaty of Hudaibiy yah, I, cxcvi Tribal pacts with va rious tribes of Medina, I, cxliii " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3564 Truth of, V, 69:38-48, 4362-63; IV, 21:6, 2347 Two events that signify the different stages of the career of, V, 93:3, 4763 Unequalled example of patience and tolerances, II, 7:200, 1084 Vision of entering Sacred Mosque led to Treaty of Hudaibiy yah, V, 48:28, 3837 Vision of, leading all other Prophets, III, 17:61, 1990 Warned Muslims against rejection of the Promised Messiah, I, 1:7, 7 Warning against rejection of, IV, 40:70-76, 3545-47 Was guardian of slaves, IV, 24:34, 2616 Will be opposed severely, IV, 28:88, 2937 Witness, bearer of glad tidings and a warner, V, 48:9, 3822 A Wives of, an example for Muslim women, IV, 33:29-35, 3096-3101 Wives of, are Muslim’s spiritual mothers, IV, 33:7, 3079 Muhsin (One who do es good), II, 7:57, 956 Muir, Sir William Affirms purity of Quran, III, 15:10, 1716 Mujadalah, Al (chapter ), V, 58 Mujaddid (see reformer, Divine) Mujahid (True Striver in the Way of Allah), IV, 29:8, 2945 Mulk, Al (chapter ), V, 67 First Meccan chapter in Quran; Characteristics of Meccan chapter s, V, 67 Mu’min (One Who Trusts), II, 9:10, 1173 Mu’min, Al (chapter ), IV, 40 Mumin un, Al (chapter ), IV, 23 Mumtah inah, Al (chapter ), V, 60 Mun afiqun, Al (chapter ), V, 63 Muqanna’, Ibn and Sabbah, Hassan Bin Product of idolatrous ideas, III, 17:57, 1986 Muqa tta‘at, Al (see Abbreviated Letters) Murder Avenged, martyrs are living, I, 2:155, 161 Forbidden, III, 17:35, 1963; IV, 25:69, 2696 Injunction against, II, 6 :152, 891 Of believers increases conversion rate, I, 2:155, 161 Of human being equals to killing all mankind, II, 5:33, 668 Question of punishment or reformation for, III, 17:33, 1963 Mursal at, Al (chapter ), V, 77 Those sent forth with goodness; winds; Companions of Holy Prophet, V, 77:2, 4499 Musa (see Moses, Prophet) Mushrik un (Idolaters), II, 9:33, 1193 Muslim Disputes Settlement of, V, 49:10, 3847 Muslims Accept Jesus as Messiah, II, 5:120, 747 Allah named them, IV, 22:79, 2507 Alliance with believers preferred, II, 3:29, 319 Allowed divine realization, V, 83:29, 4638 As a group will share rewards of sacrifice in cause of Islam, V, 88:9-17, 4697-99 Comforted after hardships, II, 3:190-191, 472-473 Corrupt after neglecting Islam in Latter Days, V, 57:17, 4159 Destiny of, IV, 34:40, 3163 Duty of kindness to Allah’s creatures, II, 4:37-38, 514-15 Duty to forbid shirk, II, 4:37, 514 Early, gave up homes for Allah’s sake, III, 16:42, 1843 Enjoined not to neglect their spiritual well being, V, 62:12, 4243 Enjoined to be faithful to their trusts, II, 8:28, 1116 Enjoined to follow the Quran above all, II, 6:156, 895 Enjoined to observe the Friday Prayer (Salatul-Jumu‘ah), V, 62:10, 4241 Enjoined to pray for brethren in faith of earlier generations, V, 59:11, 4197 Enjoined to preach Islam, V, 61:13, 4232 Enjoined to unite against forces of evil, V, 61:5, 4224 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3565 Fears allayed about commerce in Mecca, II, 9:28, 1188 Levels of, III, 16:129, 1929 Mighty help from Allah led to the rapid spread o f Islam, V, 48:4, 3819 Promised power, prestige and prosperity, V, 57:6-7, 4150 Prophecy of their greatness, IV, 23:81, 2566 Quranic moral lesson taught for, V, 88:18-21, 4700-03 Quranic principle governing social relations of, II, 8:73, 1160 Should excel in all spheres, II, 8:58, 1145 Spiritual ranks of, II, 4:70-71, 541-42 Told to never oppress the weak, II, 8:28, 1115 Warned against materialism IV, 20:132, 2338 Warned not to forget Allah in prosperity, III, 17:68, 1997 Warned not to reject the Promised M essiah V, 62:6-9, 4238-40 Warned of future trials, II, 9:16, 1179 Warned to remain steadfast, II, 5:106, 733 Why, are the best people, II, 3:111, 396 Will be punished twice like Jews, III, 17:9, 1938 Will suffer national disaster twice, like Jews, III, 17:105, 2033 Mutah, Battle of, I, ccxii Muttaqi (Righteous), I, 2:3, 9 Mutual Consultation Basic principles of, IV, 42:39, 3629 Muzzammil, Al (chapter ), V, 73 Najm, An (chapter ), V, 53 Chiefs of a people, small States o r Principalities, V, 53:2, 3966 Defined as star, 'the Pleiades', V, 53:2, 3966 Islam as tender plant will develop into mighty tree, V, 53:2, 3966 Muhammad as guided star, V, 53:2, 3966 Naml, An (chapter ), IV, 27 Naml (Namlah) A tribe, IV, 27:19, 2825 Valley of, IV, 27:19, 2825 Napoleon Incident of the Red Sea, I, 2:51, 57 Nas, An (chapter ), V, 114 Extension of chapter Al-Falaq, V, 114 Second of the Mu’awwidhat an chapter s which provide protection, V, 114 Nasibin, Jews of Leaders of, converted to Islam, V, 46:30-33, 3783-86 Nasr, An (chapter ), V, 110 Revealed 70-80 days before Holy Prophet’s death, V, 110 Was the last whole chapter to be revealed, V, 110 National Progress Prayer for, I, 2:287, 29 2A Nations Accountable for injustice, V, 83:2-6, 4626-28 Disbelieving, will suffer loss, V, 103:2-4, 4832-34 Principle of strength and victory of, II, 3:140, 423 Rise and fall of, IV, 23:81, 2566 Western Democracies and Communist bloc countries, enemies to Islam, V, 111:5-6, 4865A-66 Nature Muslims exhorted to explore, III, 18:8, 2048 Navigation Muslims improve d commerce through, III, 17:69, 1998 Muslims blessed with great ability in, III, 17:67, 1996 Nazi‘at, An (chapter ), V, 79 Nebuchadnezzar Cursed, V, 85:5, 4660 Destruction of Jerusalem, I, 2:260, 266 First destruction of Jerusalem, IV, 19 History of, III, 17:6, 1935 Jerusalem destroyed by, IV, 21:86, 2415 Needs, Spiritual Provided for man, IV, 40:63-65, 3540-41 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3566 Negus (Najj ashi) Accepts truth of Islam, II, 5:84-86, 714-15 Assures protection for Muslims, IV, 19 Shelter given to Muslims by, II, 5:84-85, 714-15 New Testament, The, I, xxxviii Contradictions, I, xlvi Doubtful Ethics, I, li Prophecy about chapter Al-Fatihah, I, 2:1 Superst itions in the Gospels, I, xlvii Testimony of Christian scholars, I, xli New World Order Establishment of, IV, 21:105, 2430 Night and Day Alternation of, provides signs for people, III, 10:7, 1282 Both have benefits for man, III, 17:13, 1942 Create sin and virtue, II, 7:55, 954 Created with purpose, II, 6:14-15, 761-62 Example of power of Allah, IV, 28:72-75, 2927-29 Explanation of, IV, 28:73-75, 2927-29 Metaphors for decline and prosperity, IV, 35:14, 3187 Physical representation or spiritual, IV, 36:38-40, 3238-40 Signs therein, III, 10:68, 1343 Spiritual significance of, IV, 40:62, 3539 Night Journey to Jeru salem (lsr a’) Detailed account of, III, 17:2, 1931 Different from Spiritual Ascension (Mi‘r aj), V, 53:10, 3974; III, 17:2, 1931 Night of Destiny (Lailatul-Qadr) Angels help divine Prophets, V, 97:5, 4796 Blessings of, innumerous, V, 97:3-4, 4794-95 Explanation of, IV, 44:5, 3702 Most blessed night, IV, 44:4, 3701 Period of each Muslim reformer, V, 97:4, 4795 Revealed in Quran, V, 97:2, 4793 Nisa’, An (chapter ), II, 4 Controversy on date of revelation, II, 4 Noah (Prophet N uh), I, xii A plain Warner, III, 11:26, 1407 Allah’s blessings on his and followers progeny, III, 11:49, 1429 Ark of, anchored on Mount Al-Judi, IV, 26:120, 2770 Ark, saved in, IV, 26:120, 2770 Calls people to God, IV, 23:24, 2528 Chosen by Allah, II, 3:34-35, 324-25 Commanded to build Ark, III, 11:38, 1419; IV, 23:28-29, 2531 Defends himself and followers against disbelievers, III, 11:30, 1411 Destruction of, his people a sign, IV, 25:38 Destruction of people of, V, 51:47, 3920 Did not desire destruction of his people, III, 11:35, 1416 Disbelievers likened to wife of, V, 66:11, 4286 Disbelievers reject, IV, 23:25-26, 2529-30 Fate of people of, II, 7:65, 963; V, 54:10-16, 4014-18 Flood of, not universal, II, 7:60, 959 Followers of, description of, III, 11:28, 1409 Foundation for civilization, IV, 37:78-79, 3321 Founder of cycle of spiritual laws, IV, 23:24, 2528 Founder of the Shari‘ah, V, 95:2-4, 4778 His people think he made an error in judge ment, II, 7:61, 960 History of, IV, 37:76-82, 3319-21 Origin of, II, 7:60, 959 People of, II, 7:60-65, 959-63 People of, destroyed, IV, 26:121 People of, drowned, IV, 21:78, 2408 People of, rejected him, IV, 26:117, 2768 Praises Allah for help and asks blessed landing, IV, 23:29-30, 2532 Prayer of, a submission to Allah’s Decree, III, 11:37, 1418 Prayers of, V, 71:27-29, 4396-97 Prays for his son, and Allah replies, III, 11:46-47, 1426-27 Prays for victory of truth, IV, 26:118-19, 2769 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3567 Progenitor of greater part of mankind, II, 7:60, 959 Promised flood and destruction of wrong doers, IV, 23:28, 2531 Story of, III, 10:72, I345; III, 11:26-50, 1407- 30; IV, 26:106-122, 2765-70; V, 71:2-29, 4386-97; IV, 23:24-31, 2528-33 The age of, IV, 29:15, 2 951 Was first law-bearing Prophet, IV, 21:77, 2407 Non-Muslim Enemies Muslims warned, II, 3:119-121, 403-405 Nuh (chapter ), V, 71 Nuh (see Noah, Prophet) Nur, An (chapter ), IV, 24 Obligatory Commandments in, IV, 24:2, 2591 Special importance of 'S urah', IV, 24:2, 2591 Oaths Expiation for broken, II, 5:90, 717 Method of dissolving, V, 66:3, 4279 Solemn oaths must be fulfilled, II, 5:90, 717 To swear in vain, I, 225-26, 231-32 Obedience and Submission Pleasure of God, II, 3:83-84, 371-72 Occult Practices Challenge to those who indulge, III, 17:89, 2018 Old Testament, I, xix ; I, xxii; I, xxxviii Contradictions, I, xxvi Irrational teachings, I, xxxii Opponents Secretly desire a compromise with Prophet, III, 14:14, 1668 Orbs Adhere to their spheres, IV, 21:34, 2373 Ordinances Mentioned Fasting, Pilgrimage, Prayer, Zakah, I, 2:169, 175 Orphans Divine covenant to safeguard property of, III, 17:35, 1964 Injunctions concerning property of, II, 6:153, 892 Marriage of females with guardians restricted, II, 4:128, 593 Protection of rights of, II, 4:3-4, 485-6 The kind treatment of, I, 2:221, 227 Pacific Ocean Of two bodies of water joining, V, 55:20-21, 4060 Pagans Reject belief of revelation, II, 6:145, 884 Parable (of) A gnat, I, 2:27, 33 A thirsty dog, II, 7:177, 1064 Arrogant rich man and humble poor man, III, 18:33-45, 2073-85 Ass carrying a load of books, V, 62:6, 4238 Birds obeying call, I, 2:261, 267 Disbelievers in thick darkness, IV, 24:41, 2622 Dumb man and one who enjoins justice, III, 16:77, 1877 Evil tree, III, 14:27, 1681 Flood of rainwater bearing foam, III, 13:18, 1629 Garden on elevated ground, I, 2:266, 272 Garden smitten by a fiery whirlwind, I, 2:267, 273 Good tree, III, 14:25-26, 1679-80 Grain of corn growing seven ears, I, 2:262, 268 Heavens being rolled up like scr olls, IV, 21:105, 2430 Heavy rain and lightning, I, 2:20-21, 26-27 Idols’ powerlessness, IV, 22:74, 2502 Light of heavens and earth, IV, 24:36, 2618 Master and slave, IV, 30:29, 3010 Master and slave cannot be partners, IV, 30:29, 3010 Mirage in the desert, IV, 24:40, 2621 One bewildered, II, 6:72, 817 One who breaks her strong yarn to pieces, III, 16:93, 1893 One who compromises Divine Unity, IV, 22:32, 2462 One who rejects divine signs, II, 7:116-177, 1063-64 Owners of Garden, V, 68:18-34, 4318-26 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3568 People of the town, IV, 36:14, 3222 Person kindling fire, I, 2:18, 24 Polytheism, IV, 39:30, 3456 Process of spiritual development, IV, 24:44, 2624 Rainwater on dry parched land, IV, 35:28, 3197 Secure and peaceful city which neglected the favours of Allah, III, 16:113, 1913 Seeds sow n on stones, I, 2:265, 271 Slave and free man, III, 16:76, 1876 Slave belonging to several people, IV, 39:30, 3456 Spider who makes a house, IV, 29:42, 2967 Support of Promised Messiah, IV, 36:21-30, 3226-31 Vanity of life of this world, III, 18:46, 2086 Water and foam, III, 13:18, 1629 Paradise (also see Heaven and Resurrection, Day of) A description of, I, 2:26, 32 A reward for the believers, V, 76:12-23, 4487-93 Allah seen in, V, 50:36, 3882 Bahishti Maqbarah (Paradise graveyard), IV, 36:27, 3230 Believers promised mastery of great empires in this life, V, 76:21, 4491 Blessing of the righteous, V, 78:32-37, 4545-48 Constant work in, without fatigue, III, 15:49, 1752 Described, V, 83:22-29, 4634-38 Description of, IV, 23:12, 2517; V, 76:19-23, 4490-93 Description of rewards of, IV, 37:41-50, 3297-3303 Dwellers of, IV, 37:52-56, 3304-08 Dwellers will have freedom and independence, III, 15:48, 1751 For the Promised Messiah, IV, 36:27, 3230 For those who fear Allah and refrain from evil, V, 79:41-42, 4570 Foretaste of, in present life, V, 47:7, 3793 Heirs of, IV, 23:12, 2517 Inmates of, description of, II, 3:134-137, 417-420 Is everlasting, IV, 21:48, 2388 More valuable than any earthly thing, V, 57:22, 4164 Not home of Adam, I, 2:36, 42 On earth for believers, V, 55:47, 4074 Promised Messiah’s revelation about, IV, 36:27, 3230 Quranic conception of Hell and, V, 57:22, 4164 Quranic, criticized by Sir William Muir, I, 2:26, 32 Reward of the believers, V, 58:23, 4188 Reward of those who do good, V, 77:42-45 Rewards in, IV, 25:11, 2649 Righteous to experience keenly, IV, 26:91, 2759 Some distinguishing features, IV, 22:15, 2448 Spiritual advancement in, V, 66:9, 4284 Spiritual law regarding, IV, 36:27, 3230 Stages of, IV, 23:18, 2522A The blessings of, are spiritual, IV, 32:18, 3068 Will be easier to attain in latter days, V, 81:14, 4600 Pardon Believers, wrongs done to them, II, 4:150, 613 Parents Bidden to nourish and bring up children well, II, 6:152, 891 Children enjoined to do good to, II, 6:152, 891 Obligations towards, III, 17:24-26, 1953-55 Of unrighteous progeny, V, 46:18, 3772 The lesser nourishers after God, II, 6:152, 891 Paths Allah guides to the right, those seeking His pleasure, II, 5:17, 654 Former, leading to Allah, closed, IV, 36:5, 3215 Lead out of darkness into light, II, 5:17, 654 Of peace lead s man to Allah, II, 5:17, 654 Those whom Allah guides on the right, II, 5:17, 654 Patience ( Sabr) Rewards of, I, 2 :158, 164 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3569 Seek goals with prayer and steadfastness, I, 2:154, 160 Steadfast, uncomplaining endurance to divine law, I, 2:154, 160 Patient Person (see Sabir) Paul, St. Found law a burden, I, 2:186, 192 Peace (Salam) Allah alone brings about, II, 8:64, 1151 Allah’s call to, III, 10:26, 1301 From Allah descended on 1500 Muslims at Hudaibiy yah, V, 48:19, 3828 Granted to hearts of believers, V, 48:5-6, 3820 Muslims welcome hazards to establish, II, 8:62-63, 1149 Source of, II, 6 :128, 868 Worldly leaders will never be able to achieve, III, 18:52, 2092 Persecution Meccans apportioned among themselves task of, III, 15:91-92, 1794-95 Persian Empire A short history of, IV, 30:5, 2991 Pessimism Effects of, IV, 39:54, 34 75 Pharaoh, IV, 26:16-18, 2716-17 An example for disbelievers and believers, V, 79:16, 4561 And army drown, IV, 26:67 Arrogance of, IV, 44:30, 3713 Believers likened to wife of, V, 66:12, 4286 'Believing man' confronts, IV, 40:29-36, 3516-21 Breach of promise of, IV, 43:51, 3675 Calls his magicians, IV, 26:37-41, 2731 Defiance to submit despite signs, II, 7:133, 1022 Demands sign and shown, IV, 26:32-34, 2729 Destruction of the people of, II, 7:131-138, 1020-27 Drowning of, II, 8:55, 1143; IV, 43:56, 3677 Drowning of, and his people, I, 2:51, 57 Example of, cited as an instance of divine retribution, V, 85:18-21, 4667 His magicians accept Allah, IV, 26:47-49, 2736-37 His people plot to kill 'believing man', IV, 40:46, 3528 His people punished for plots against believers, IV, 40:47, 3529 His people were polytheists, IV, 26:30, 2727 Israelites delivered from, IV, 44:31, 3714 Kept Israelites under permanent subjugation, IV, 28:39-43, 2903-05 Led his people to destruction, III, 11:99-100, 1479-80 Materialism of, IV, 44:28, 3712 Mern eptah II, IV, 20:78, 2293A Persistently committed sin, V, 69:10, 4345 Policy of divide and rule, IV, 28:5, 2879 Preservation of body of, as a sign, III, 10:93, 1365 Punishment of, II, 8:53, 1141; V, 51 :41 Punishment of people of, V, 54:42-43, 4032 Rameses II, I, 2:50, 56; IV, 70, 2293A Rejected message of Moses, V, 79:16-27, 4561-63 Speech of, IV, 43:53, 3676 The story of, IV, 28:4-49, 2878-2911 Threat to the magicians by, II, 7:125-126, 1014-15 Two kinds of punishments for the people of, II, 7:131, 1020 Warning of punishment, V, 51:38-39, 3915 Wicked design of, IV, 40:26, 3513 Physical and Spiritual System Strong resemblance between, III, 15:18, 1724 Physical Sciences Complement divine revelation, with no contradiction, V, 55:20-23, 4060-61 Physical World A reflection of spiritual world, III, 16:69-70, 1869-70 Pilgrimage (Hajj), II, 5:3, 642; I, cc cxii; I, cccxiii " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3570 First institutionalized ( Hajj), IV, 22:28, 2458A Hunting prohibited during, II, 5:96-97, 723 In remembrance of Abraham’s sacrifice, I, 2:159, 165 Object of, IV, 22:29-34, 2459-64 Occasion of, II, 9:3, 1166 Political and social significance of, IV, 22:29, 245 9 Profane not the Laws of, II, 5:3, 642 Purpose of, II, 5:98, 725; II, 5:3, 642 Reasons for, II, 3:98-99, 384-85 Rites of, IV, 22:29-30, 2459-60 Safa and Marwah are signs of Allah, I, 2:159, 165 The rites of ( Hajj and ‘Umrah), I, 2:197-204, 203-210 The significance of, I, 2:204, 210 ‘Umrah is le sser, and Hajj is great er, II, 5:3, 642 Poet Characteristics of, IV, 26:225-28, 2812-13A Polygamy Special Circumstances and permission for, II, 4:4, 486 Polytheism An effective argument against, IV, 30:29, 3010 Antagonism of polytheists, IV, 39:30, 3456 Arguments against, IV, 30:34-37, 3014-16 Dissipates human attention, III, 16:52-53, 1853-54 In Hinduism, II, 6:2, 749A Mixed into Judaism/Christianity from Pagan practices, II, 9:30, 1190 Origins of, II, 6:2, 749A Refutation of, II, 6:3, 750; III, 16:57, 1 858; IV, 21:23-25, 2363-65 Retards metal advancement, III, 16:74-75, 1874-75 Potiphar (also known as ‘Az iz) Prophet Joseph’s master, III, 12:53, 1556 Purchased Joseph as a slave, III, 12:22, 1525 Praise All, belongs to Allah exclusively, I, 1:2 Prayer A comprehensive, for men of all grades, I, 2:202, 208 A proof of the existence of Allah, IV, 27:63, 2856 Attention prior to, II, 7:30, 931 Attributes of Allah particular to that, should be invoked, III, 17:111, 2039 Benefits of, IV, 29:46, 2970 Comprehensi ve, I, 1:1-7 Conditions for the acceptance of, I, 2:187, 193 First commandment given to Moses was observing of, IV, 20:15, 2248 For Allah’s protection, forms true connections with Him, V, 51:51, 3923 Glorify Him during night in, V, 52:49-50, 3964 Humility in, IV, 23:3, 2510 Importance of, I, 2:239-40, 245-46 In a state of fear, I, 2:240, 246 Injunction regarding observance of, III, 11:115, 1495 Invoking attributes of Allah in, II, 7:181, 1067 Lack of, kills connection with Allah, IV, 19:60, 2201 Ladder to heaven, II, 6:36, 783 Leading to Allah, V, 51:57, 3926 Man enjoined to invoke attributes in, I, 2:32, 38 Meaning and object of ( Salat), IV, 24:42, 2623 Must be offered in humility, II, 6:64, 809 Necessity of, V, 70:23-24, 4376 Need for, IV, 25:78, 2703 Night, enjoined, V, 76:27 Of Abraham, III, 14:36-42, 1690-96 Only God hears, II, 6:65, 810 Performance of, for individuals in journey or in state of fear, II, 4:102, 570 Performance of, in congregation during war, II, 4:103-105, 571-573 Postures o f, IV, 22:27, 2458 Power of, II, 8:43, 1131 Proper performance of, II, 4:44, 520 Protection against future and past evil, IV, 36:46, 3244 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3571 Qualities of a successful, IV, 19:7, 2151 Rising from sleep to patiently glorify Allah, V, 52:49-50, 3964 Rules and conditions of, IV, 10, 2516 Security against spiritual onslaught of Dajj al, III, 18:111, 2145 Silent, value of, II, 7:207, 1090 Similarity between, of Abraham and Muhammad, I, 2:152, 158 Specific conditions of, IV, 29:46, 2970 Spiritual meaning of, IV, 31:18, 3044 Strict observance of, IV, 23:10, 2516 The 'guide us in the right path' is perfect, I, 1:6, 6 To seek refuge from evil, IV, 23:98-99, 2577 Prayer (For) A better livelihood and peace, I, 2:127, 133 Acknowledgement of Godhead and admitting wrongdoing, IV, 21:88 Allah’s chosen ones, IV, 27:60 Averting punishment, IV, 25:66-67, 2694 Avoiding divine punishment and receiving blessings, I, 2:287 Bearing witness to acceptance of Allah’s Prophet, II, 3:54, 343 Better livelihood and pious children, III, 14:36-42 Blessed landing, IV, 23:30 Blessing in world/ Hereafter and forgiveness for parents, IV, 26:84-90 Blessings in this world and the Hereafter, II, 7:157 Blessings o r achievements of, conscious and unconscious share rs, IV, 40:8-10, 3499-3501 Boarding any means of transportation, III, 11:42 Completion of divine favours, V, 66:9 Declaration of belief in Allah and for salvation, II, 3:194-195, 476 Declaring faith and asking forgiveness, II, 3:17, 308 Deliverance from affliction, IV, 21:84 Deliverance from rancour, V, 59:11 Destruction of evil doers/forgiveness of believers, V, 71:27-29 Destruction of transgressors, III, 10:89 Distinction between truth and falsehood, II, 7:90 Divine blessings, II, 7:150 Divine help, V, 54:11 Divine help against disbelievers, I, 2:251 Entering and leaving a new place, III, 11:81 Essence of Islam and means to success, I, 2:154, 160 Family, IV, 25:75, 2701 Forgiveness, IV, 23:110; IV, 28:17 Forgiveness and a heavenly kingdom, IV, 38:36 Forgiveness and blessings, II, 7:156 Forgiveness and mercy, II, 7:152; IV, 23:119; IV, 23:110 Forgiveness of sins, II, 7:24 Good on this world and Hereafter, I, 2:202, 208 Granting of pious children, IV, 19:5-7 Gratitude for divine blessings, V, 46:16 Gratitude for divine favours, IV, 28:18 Greater sustenance and happiness, II, 5:115, 742 Help against wicked people, IV, 29:31 Help and a divine judgement, IV, 21:113, 2435 Homeless person, IV, 28:25 Improvement of family, IV, 25:75 Increase in knowledge, IV, 20:115 Invoking peace on God’s Messengers, IV, 27:60, 2853 Nearness to Allah and deliverance from wrongdoers, V, 66:12 Not going astray after receiving guidance, II, 3:9, 300 Parents, III, 17:24-25, 1954 Parents’ wellbeing, III, 17:25 Patience and steadfastness, II, 3:148, 431 Praise of Allah and request for spiritual progress, II, 3:27-28 Protection against disbelievers, V, 60:5-6 Protection against divine punishment, IV, 23:94-95, 2574 Protection against enemies, IV, 26:170 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3572 Protection against evil thoughts, IV, 23:98-99 Protection against injustice, II, 7:48; IV, 28:22 Protection against loneliness and childlessness, IV, 21:90, 2416A Protection against making improper prayer, III, 11:48 Protection from Hell, II, 3:192-193, 474-475; IV, 25:66-67 Protection from Hell and Blessings of Paradise, IV, 40:8-10 Protection from oppression, II, 4:76, 545 Righteousness, II, 5:84-85, 715 Righteous son, IV, 37:101 Safety from machination of enemies, III, 10:86-87 Seeking Allah’s protection and formi ng true connections with, V, 51:51, 3923 Showing gratitude for being given power and knowledge, III, 12:102 Steadfastness and resignation to Allah’s will, II, 7:127, 1016 Success, III, 18:11 Success in propagation, IV, 20:26-36 Thankfulness for transportat ion, IV, 43:14-15 Victory of truth, IV, 26:118-19 Victory over liars, IV, 23:27 Way to reach Allah V, 51:57, 3926 Will and power to be grateful, IV, 27:20 Preacher Qualities of the successful, IV, 20:26-28, 2257-58 Preaching of Islam By arguments based on knowledge and reason, III, 16:126, 1926 Duty of Muslims, III, 16:45, 1846 Enjoined, V, 87:10-11, 4688 Metaphor for carrying message through peace, not by the sword, V, 51:5, 3893 Metaphor for righteous followers of Holy Prophet who sp read Islam, V, 51:4, 3892 Method of, II, 3:105, 391; II, 6:52, 797; IV, 26:215, 2807; II, 6:72, 817 Patience in seeking Allah’s protection IV, 41:35-37, 3484-86 Prayer for, II, 6:36, 783 Qualities of, IV, 20:45, 2266A Quran should be source for arguments for, III, 16:126, 1926 Reasons for, II, 7:165, 1054 Stress beliefs in common with adversary, IV, 29:47, 2971 Trial for Prophets and followers, II, 3:187, 469 Predestination Creation’s capacity predetermined and limited by Allah, IV, 25:3, 2642 Refutation of, I, 1:5, 5 Significance of, IV, 23:44, 2541 Pride Consequences of, IV, 40:58, 3535 Promises of divine favour In Torah, Gospel and Quran, II, 9:111, 1260 Property Injunction against fraud and cheating of, II, 6:153, 892 Prophecy About Fall of Mecca, II, 6:116, 857 About Islam in account of Joseph, III, 12:103, 1602 About the victory of Islam, I, 2:213, 219 About the victory of Romans, IV, 30:5, 2991 Acceptance of Islam, V, 68:49, 4336 Advent of Holy Prophet, V, 46:11-13, 3766-68 Advent of Holy Prophet on Mount Paran, V, 52:7, 3935 Advent of Holy Prophet will bring a new world, V, 56:4, 4094 Advent of Promised Messiah, I, 2:5, 11; V, 62:4-5, 4236-37 Advent of Promised Messiah heralded dawn on triumph of Islam, V, 86:2-5, 4670-73 Advent of Promised Messiah will end decline of Muslim eminence, V, 81:18-19, 4604-05 Advent of Reformers, V, 68:4, 4310 Advent of Reformers after Holy Prophet, V, 85:2, 4657 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3573 All, have fixed time, II, 6:68, 813 Appearance of divine Prophet from brethren of Israelites, V, 52:7, 3935 Are of two kinds, III, 10:47, 1322 Arms race, V, 111:5:4865 Ascendency of Holy Prophet, V, 88:23, 4704 Attack on Medina, V, 100:10-12, 4818-20 Attention to trade and commerce at time of Promised Messiah, V, 62:12, 4243 Banishment of all Jews from Arabia, V, 59:3, 4190 Battle of Badr and victory for Muslims, IV, 30:6, 2992; V, 79:7, 4555 Battle of the Ditch, IV, 38:12, 3382 Biblical, of second punishment of Jews, III, 17:8, 1937 Bye-gone People bear witness to truth of Quran, III, 13:32, 1643 Cancellation of, III, 10:47, 1322 Catastrophic change in latter days, V, 99:2-6, 4804-08 Concerning the disbelievers, II, 8:37, 1125 Decline of Islam, V, 93:3, 4763 Defeat of idolatrous Arabs and Persian and Roman Empires, III, 16:78, 1878 Defeat of Quraish (Battle of Badr, Ditch, Fall of Mecca), V, 54:2, 4006 Destruction of forces of evil (Gog and Magog), III, 18:48, 2088 Destruction of two major political blocs by nuclear warfare, V, 111:4, 4865 Discoveries of mineral wealth, V, 99:3-4, 4805-06 Divine punishment at Mecca IV, 23:95-96, 2574-75 Early triumph of Islam, V, 93:6, 4765 Enemies of Islam becoming Muslims, V, 60:8, 4215 Eradication of infidel rule in Arabia, II, 8:2, 1165 Establishment of Islamic state of Medina, III, 17:2, 1931 Exalted homes lit with Quranic light, IV, 24:36-38, 2618-20 Fall of Arabia, V, 53:2, 3966 Fall of Mecca, IV, 43:90, 3697; V, 67:3, 4289; V, 79:35, 4568 Fall of Meccans, III, 13:32, 1643 Fate of disbe1ievers, IV, 27:83-91, 2866-72A Fate of Jews and Christians, I, 2:121, 127 Fate of Western democracies and Communist bloc, V, 111:2-6, 4863-66 Few men possessing true spiritual Knowledge, V, 82:3, 4615 Followers of other revealed books will join Islam, IV, 28:53-56 For Abraham that Mecca would be safe, I, 2:130, 136 Fulfilment of, III, 13:39-41, 1649-51 Future of Islam, I, 2:116, 122 Holy Prophet compared to Moses, IV, 20:100, 2311 Holy Prophet’s instructions regarding interpretation of, II, 3:8, 299 Holy Prophet to end period of spiritual darkness, V, 92:2-3, 4750-51 Holy Prophet to meet opposition and persecution, IV, 28:89, 2938 Holy Prophet to preach and fight for success, IV, 28:88, 2937 Holy Prophet’s migration from and return to Mecca, IV, 28:86, 2936; III, 17:81, 2010 Holy Prophet’s expulsion from and later victory over Mecca, V, 90:2-3, 4723-24 Holy Prophet’s migration and return, IV, 28:86, 2936 Holy Prophet’s name would be exalted, V, 94:5, 4772 Holy Prop het’s persecution at Mecca and migration to Medina, V, 89:2-3, 4706-07 Holy Prophet’s triumph over his enemies, V, 81:20-21, 4605A-06 Holy Prophet’s victory over Mecca only after great hardship suffered, V, 90:5, 4726 Hostility from Greeks and Persians, II, 8:61, 1148 Hypocrites’ Punishment, II, 9:82, 1234 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3574 In Bible ab out the Quran and the Holy Prophet, I, 2:92, 98 In Torah and Gospel regarding Holy Prophet, II, 5:48, 679 Increase in knowledge, V, 99:3-4, 4805-06 Islam standing firm, V, 48:30, 3839 Islam’s domination in the world, IV, 24:58, 2632 Jesus’ crucifixion and travels to the East, IV, 19:32, 2176 Joining of two bodies of water (Suez and Panama Canals), V, 55:20-21, 4060 Ka‘ba h to be cleared of idols, IV, 22:27, 2458 Ka‘bah to be humanity’s spiritual center, IV, 22:28, 2458A Kinds of, II, 3 :8, 299 Likeness to Moses of the Holy Prophet, V, 46:13, 3768 Material glory of Western Christian nations will crumble, III, 18:30, 2070 Meccans will lose fight with Muslims, after Hijra h, II, 6:6, 753 Muhammad in Bible, I, 2:41, 47 Muslim triumph in battle of Badr, V, 54:46, 4034 Muslims conquering Iraq and Syria, IV, 22:24, 2456 Muslims prevailing over their enemies, II, 8:60, 1147 Muslims promised victory over enemy though outnumbered, II, 8:66, 1153 Muslims’ victory over enemy though outnumbered, II, 8:62, 1154 National and global calamities, IV, 22:2-3, 2437-38 Nuclear warfare, V, 111:2-4, 4863-65 Objects of, is material and spiritual well being of the people, III, 16:103, 1903 Of Holy Prophet’s triumph over Quraish, V, 54:7-9, 4011-13 Of Old Testament fulfilled by the Quran, I, 2:98, 104 Of Promised Messiah in account of Dhul- Qarnain, III, 18:102, 2138 Of punishment for disbelievers, III, 13:14, 1625 Of punishment of Jews, II, 3:113, 398 Old Testament about the Holy Prophet, I, 2:42, 48 One century of difficulti es foretold for followers of Promised Messiah, V, 89:5, 4709 Palestine to revert to Muslims, IV, 21:106-07, 2431 Permanent triumph of Islam, II, 9:33, 1193 Persecution of Promised Messiah, V, 85:5, 4660 Pilgrimage to Mecca to continue to the end of time, II, 5:98, 725 Political parties formed at the time of Promised Messiah, V, 99:7, 4809 Power and precedence of Christians over Jews, V, 61:15, 4233 Prayer established as institution, III, 14:41, 1695 Principle of, IV, 40:78-79, 3548-49 Promise of the Latter Days, III, 17:105, 2033 Promised Messiah bringing faith back to earth from 'the Pleiades', V, 51:2, 3966 Promised Messiah would challenge ulema to prayer duel, V, 62:7, 4239 Promised Messiah’s advent, V, 113:4-6, 4872-74 Promised victory at Khaibar, V, 48:22, 3831 Prophets in the person of the Promised Messiah concerning their second advent, V, 77:13-15, 4504-10 Prophet’s praise by Allah and His Elect, III, 17:80, 2009 Protection of Islam, V, 94:6-7, 4773-74 Punishment of Jews, II, 3:113, 398 Quran fulfils Biblical, I, 2:92, 98 Rapid spread of Islam, IV, 41:51, 3599 Related to glory of Islam, IV, 32:7, 3063 Related to rapid spread of Islam after Hudaibiy yah, V, 48:29, 3838 Revolution at the time of Promised Messiah, V, 99:3-4, 4805-06 Rise and decline of Islam, V, 91:2-5, 4740 Rise and fall of Christian power, IV, 19:41, 2184 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3575 Rise and fall of nations, V, 67:3, 4289 Rise and progress of Islam, V, 93:2, 4762 Rise and fall of Gog and Magog, IV, 21:97105, 2423 Sacrifice of Promised Messiah and his followers, V, 85:5-9, 4660-63 Safe journey to Mecca from Medina when cause seemed helpless, V, 47:14, 3798 Safe return of Holy Prophet from Tab uk, II, 9:83, 1235 Safeguarding of Quran by Allah, III, 15:10, 1716 Second Punishment in Latter Days, III, 17:59, 1988 Significance of tidings of unseen, III, 11:50, 1430 Signs of Allah as, II, 6:5, 752 Spread and success of Islam, V, 51:6, 3894 Spread and triumph of Islam, IV, 19:41, 2184 Subject to postponement, revocation or cancellation, IV, 40:79, 3549 Subjectio n of enemy to Muslims, IV, 45:15, 3740 Success of Holy Prophet, V, 68:4, 4310 Success of Muslims in statecraft, IV, 42:39, 3629 Ten centuries of decline of Islam, V, 89:2-3, 4706-07 That Quran would move mountains, cut earth asunder, III, 13:32, 1643 The Battle of Badr, I, 2:211, 217 The role of the 'pen', V, 96:5, 4785 Three world wars, V, 83:16, 4632 Time when Quranic knowledge will depart from earth, III, 17:87, 2016 Triumph of Holy Prophet and Fall of Mecca, III, 14:43-44, 1697-98 Triumph of Islam, II, 6:74, 819; V, 58:22, 4187; V, 61:9-10, 4228-29; V, 67:2, 4288; V, 70:37-38, 4381; V, 70:41-45, 4382A-85; V, 81:24-25, 4609-10; V, 82:20, 4625; V, 83:30-35, 4639-42 Vessels for travel, IV, 36:42-44, 3242-43 Warning of two kinds of dan gers for Muslims, I, 1:7, 7 Western Christian dominion in Latter Days, I, 1:7, 7 Prophethood A boon for all people, III, 12:39, 1542 After Mu hammad, I, 1:7, 7 False claimants to, III, 11:19-23, 1400-04 Fate of false Prophets, IV, 20:62, 2281 Forfeited by Jews, IV, 43:62, 3681 Greatest spiritual reward, I, 1:7, 7 Holy Prophet was no innovat or, V, 46:10, 3765 Meaning of, II, 7:158, 1047 Measuring truth of claimant to, III, 10:17, 1292 Messenger (Ras ul) and Prophet (Nab i), IV, 19:52, 2194 Outside sphere of women, III, 12:110, 1609 Transferred from House of Isaac to House of Ishmael, IV, 19:42, 2185; IV, 19 Trumpet of God, II, 6:74, 819 Will continue among Muslims, I, 2:41, 47 Prophets (also see Messengers of Allah), I, viii Afflictions and disasters occur at the advent of, II, 7:95, 991 After Mu hammad cannot be rejected with impunity, II, 7:37, 937 All, are mocked at, IV, 21:42, 2382 All, have an arch-enemy, IV, 25:32 All, revered in Islam, IV, 31:13, 3039 Always prevail over opponents, IV, 21:10, 2351 Angels submit to, IV, 38:72-74, 3428-29 Appear within time periods wherein divine reformers sent, V, 78:10-12, 4529A-30 Are given knowledge of unseen, V, 72:27-28, 4411-12 Are human beings, III, 14:11-12, 1665-66 As witness concerning believers and disbelievers, II, 4:42-43, 518-19 As witnesses, IV, 21:57, 2394 As warners, IV, 38:66-71, 3425-27 Bear glad tidings to acceptors, II, 4:166, 629 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3576 Bring message of Divine Unity, IV, 38:66-68, 3425-26 Brotherhood of, IV, 23 :53, 2546 Characteristics of, IV, 20:67-68, 2286-87 Consequences of rejection of, III, 11:58, 1438; IV, 36:31-33, 3232-34 Creation of, IV, 38:72-73, 3428-29 Death of, II, 3:145-146, 428-429 Defamed by Bible, I, xxxvi Devotion of, to Allah alone, II, 3:80, 368 Disbeliever’s attitude towards past, V, 50:3, 3857 Disbelievers destroyed for mocking, II, 6:11, 758 Disbelievers of, historically destroyed, IV, 23:45, 2542 Distinction between, forbidden, II, 4:151153, 614-616 Divide men into pious and corrupt, II, 6:100, 842 Do not stand between Allah and Man, III, 17:44, 1973 Duty of, II, 5:100, 727 Early law-bearing, given Divine guidance with sound arguments, V, 57:27, 4167 Failure of false, III, 10:18, 1293 Fate of false, IV, 20:62, 2281; IV, 21:30, 2370 Fate of those who oppose, V, 58:18-22, 4186-87 First followers of, from among poor, IV, 26:112, 2766 Followers of, steadfast in Allah’s cause, II, 3:147-151, 430-433 Four important pre-Islamic, IV, 33:8, 3080 From among their own people, I, viii Functions of, II, 6:49, 795; IV, 21:31, 2371 Have immediate access to God, III, 15:42, 1745 Help comes in the final hour for, III, 12:111, 1610 Honesty of, II, 3:162, 444; IV, 34:48, 3169 Iblis’ rejection of, IV, 38:72-75, 3428-30 Imposters do not prosper, II, 6:22, 769 Intimidation useless against, IV, 39:37, 3460 Judaic and Islamic views of, II, 3:85, 373 Law bringing, I, 2:254, 260 Likened to star s which guide mankind, II, 6:98, 840 Limitations of power of, II, 6:51, 796; III, 13:39, 1649 Lives are proof of God’s attr ibutes, III, 12:102, 1601 Mankind bears witness to the appearance of, II, 7:173, 1061 Mentioned and unmentioned, II, 4:165, 628 Meteors at the time of appearance of, IV, 37:11, 3280 Mockery of, rebounds on scoffers, IV, 21:42, 2382 Mortality and sinlessness of, IV, 19:59, 2200 Mortality of, IV, 21:35, 2375; IV, 21:8-9, 2349-50 Nature bears testimony to truth of, II, 6:112, 853 Nature of, IV, 40:56, 3534 No new law after Mu hammad, II, 7:36, 936 Non-law giving, I, 2:254, 260 Not mentioned in Bible or Quran, III, 14:10, 1664 Obedience due to, IV, 26:109, 2765A Objection to mortality of, III, 17:95, 2023 Objections of disbelievers to, IV, 23:34-39, 2535-37 Of Allah will appear until end of time, II, 7:36, 936 Opposed historicall y, IV, 40 :6, 3497; IV, 40:35, 3521 Over one-hundred thousand, sent to world, II, 4:165, 628 Persecution of, II, 3:22-23, 313-14 Preach by command of Allah, III, 14:11, 1665 Protected from evil, III, 12:54, 1557 Punishment for rejection of, II, 6:94, 836; IV, 38:13-16, 3383-86 Purpose of, IV, 43:6, 3645 Raised to oppose tyranny and untruth, III, 16:72, 1872 Ranks of, I, 2:254, 260 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3577 Reaction at sight of inmates of Hell, II, 7:48, 947 Reason why, pray, III, 14:36, 1690 Reasons for rejection of, III, 10:76, 134 9 Rebuke of the dwellers of Hell, II, 7:49, 948 Refusal of rewards by, IV, 38:87, 3437 Rejected by disbelievers, IV, 36:16, 3224 Rejection of, IV, 30 :43, 3021 Rejection of one, means rejection of all, IV, 26:106, 2765 Religious awakening prior to appearance of, II, 7:58, 957 Responsible only for conveying message, IV, 29:19, 2953 Revive latent truths as water revives soil, III, 16:12, 1813 Satan’s opposition to, fails, IV, 22:53-54, 2482-83 Seek refuge with Allah, IV, 40:28, 3515 Sent to all peoples, IV, 35:25, 3195 Sinlessness of, IV, 21:28, 2368; V, 48:3, 3818 Some given power and prosperity, II, 6:85, 828 Some granted grace and excellence, II, 6:8587, 828-830 Some who appeared in the Arabian peninsula, II, 7:102, 998; II, 6 :85, 828 Some without temporal power, II, 6:86, 828-829 Special purpose of, IV, 38:46-48, 3414 Steadfas tness of followers upon death of, II, 3:145-46, 428-29 Teachings of, basically same, II, 6:91, 833 The guidance of, a blessing, not a curse, II, 7:44, 943 The reject ers of, will be defeated, II, 7:38, 938 The teachings of, I, x Three ways Allah deals with enemies of, III, 10:72, 1345 Triumph of, over enemies, proof of life after death, V, 79:26, 4563 True nature of all, III, 11:52, 1432 Truth of, IV, 21:4-6, 2345-47 Two-fold mission of, I, 2:212, 218 Types of knowledge of, III, 12:97, 1596 Use prayer as weapon, IV, 23:40, 2538 Warners of misery to their reject ers, II, 4:166, 629 Wicked leaders of common people are hostile to, II, 6:124, 865 Will be saved by Allah, III, 10:104, 1375 Will invite the righteous to enter Heaven, II, 7:50, 949 Will know rank/position of others in the Hereafter, II, 7:47, 946 Prophets, Followers of Steadfast in Allah’s cause, II, 3:147-151, 430-433 Prostration (Sajdah) Holy Prophet and mixed gathering performed, during so-called lapse, V, 53:63, 4004 Muslims response upon recitation of Quran, III, 17:108-110, 2036-38 Performance of, in certain verses, II, 7:207, 1091 Punishment in the Grave Knowledge of fate in grave ('Adh abul Qabr), II, 6:94, 836 Punishment, Divine, IV, 32:21-22, 3068-69 All aspects determined by Allah, III, 13:3941, 1649-51 All ruined civilizations destroyed after reformer sent, II, 6:132, 872 Allah alone decides, II, 6:58-59, 803-04 Allah is never in a hurry for, II, 7:184, 1070 Allah relates tidings of ruined cities, III, 11:101, 1481 Are of two kinds, III, 10:14, 1289 Born within man himself, III, 17:15-16, 1944-45 Can be postponed or cancelled, III, 13:42, 1652 Cannot be averted, II, 7:35, 935 Cannot be averted by man, V, 92:12, 4758 Deferred and postponement of, IV, 41:46, 3594 Deserved by disbelievers, IV, 29:22, 2955 Destructive wind as an allegory for, V, 51:4243, 3917 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3578 Determined by Allah, II, 6:65, 810 Disbeliever’s demand for, IV, 29:53-56, 2977-79 Disbelievers earn, IV, 40:7, 3498 Divine warning precedes, IV, 26:209, 2803 Examples of retribution of, V, 85:19, 4667 Follows rejection of perfect book and example, II, 7:54, 953 For hoarding treasures, II, 9:35, 1195 For leaving battlefield, II, 8:17, 1106 For the disbelievers, IV, 36:32-33, 3233-34 For wicked people, IV, 36:29-30, 3231 Forms of, in Quran, II, 6:159, 898 Frequency and form of, IV, 28:60-65, 2920-22 God grants respite before sending, IV, 22:4549, 2475-78 Have two different effects on man, III, 10:55, 1330 Holy Prophet’s example of, IV, 42:44, 3633 Holy Prophet’s prayer for refugees from, III, 15:51, 1754 How to avert, III, 11:118, 1498 If all sins punished, world would end, III, 16:62, 1862 In form of widespread, virulent epidemics, III, 10:14, 1289 Inquiry about the Hour, of, II, 7:188, 1074 Meccans warned of approaching, at times of negligence and forgetfulness, II, 7:98-99, 994-995 Never without warning and signs, III, 17:60, 1989 No escap e from, V, 50:37, 3883 No escape from, by plotting, V, 52:46-48, 3962-63 No man will bear, of another, III, 17:16, 1945; V, 53:39, 3991 Of evil doers, V, 83:19, 4633 Of Israelites, II, 4:154, 617 Of Lot’s people, V, 51:33-35, 3913 Of past nations a warning to present nations, III, 18:60, 2100 Opponents of Mu hammad warned of, by the example of the fate of previous people, II, 7:98-103, 994-998 Prescribed in the Torah, II, 5:46, 677 Principles of, IV, 42:42-43, 3631-32 Promised to Western nations, IV, 22:48, 2477 Protection against, II, 8:34, 1122 Purpose of, IV, 23:77-78, 2562-63 Reason for postponement of, III, 13:33-34, 1644-45 Reference to Atomic bombs, IV, 36:54, 3249 Satan’s adornment of evil doings is Allah’s, II, 6:123, 864 Sending down of, III, 10:21-22, 1296-97 Sent only after corruption, III, 11:118, 1498 Sign for those who fear the Hereafter, III, 11:104, 1484 Similarity, in, for enemies of Mu hammad and Moses, II, 8:53, 1141 Smaller, comes before trial, III, 12:108, 1607 Terms applying to internatio nal and national, III, 16:34, 1835 Those who incur Divine wrath never escape, IV, 39:38, 3461 Time of, IV, 43:42, 3668A Two kinds of, IV, 29:40-41, 2966 Two times of divine visitations, II, 7:5, 909 Types of, IV, 39:41, 3464 Various kinds of, III, 11:40, 1421 Warning of, ignored by the heedless, V, 52:43-45, 3959-61 Purdah (see Etiquette, Islamic) Purification Bestowed by Allah, II, 4:50, 524 Children and possessions as a means of, II, 8:29, 1117 Means of, I, 2:285-93, 291-93 Means of achieving, I, 2:286, 292 Qadr, Al (chapter ), V, 97 Qaf (chapter ), V, 50 Mighty Allah, The Powerful Allah, V, 50:2, 3856 Resurrection is undoubted reality, V, 50:2, 3856 Qalam, Al (chapter ), V, 68 Qamar, Al (chapter ), V, 54 Qari‘ah, Al (chapter ), V, 101 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3579 Qasas, Al (chapter ), IV, 28 Date of revelation and subject matter, IV, 28 Relation to Ka‘bah, II, 3:97-98, 383-384 Qiblah (Direction one Faces in Prayer) Adoption of the Temple at Jerusalem as, a great trial for Arabs, I, 2:144, 150 Arguments in favour of changing the, I, 2:143-147, 149-153 Relation to Ka‘bah, II, 3 :97-98, 383-384 Quraish (see also Arabs) Darun-Nadwah, council room of the, II, 8:31, 1119 Descendants of Ishmael, I, lxx iv Disdain for poor, V, 80:2-3, 4571 'He frowned and turned aside', reference to, leader, V, 80:2, 4571 Not true guardians of Sacred Mosque, II, 8:35, 1123 Prophecy of defeat in Battle of Badr for, V, 54:47-51, 4035-39 Prophetic description of their defeat of, V, 54:7-8, 4011-12 Questioned about power, V, 54:44, 4033 Recipients of divine favour, V, 106 :2-5, 4846-48 Quran (The Holy) A blessing against sin, II, 6:156, 895 A book of guidance, IV, 39:24, 3452 A Clear Book, explanation of, III, 12:2, 1506 A cure for all spiritual diseases, III, 10:58, 1333 A guidance and a mercy for the believers, III, 10:58, 1333 A guidance for mankind, V, 81:28-29, 4612 A message of mercy, III, 16:103, 1903 A perfect Book, I, 2:3, 9 A revealed Book, II, 6:156, 895 Abrogation theory refuted, II, 3:8, 299 Abrogator of previous teachings, I, 2:107, 113 Allah swears by, and p raises, V, 56:76-82, 4133-39 Allah’s gift to man from His Flowing Beneficence, V, 55:3, 4044 Allah’s spoken word, IV, 26:194-195, 2796-97 An answer to all important questions, I, 2:3, 9 And its unique clarity, IV, 26:3, 2706 And science, IV, 21:31-34, 2371-74 Angels witness to divine origin of, II, 4:167, 630 Anticipated all legitimate objections for all people, III, 18 Argument in support of, V, 51:8, 3895 Argument in support of divine origin of, V, 89:6, 4710 Arrangement of chapter s and verses of, I, ccxcviis; II, 4:141, 604; III, 17:107, 2035 As a light, IV, 42:53, 3638 As the manifest proof (Burh an), II, 4:175, 637 Astronomical truth support Allah’s revealed word, V, 51:9, 3896 Balance of, IV, 42:18, 3615 Basic and universal principles of all religions in, IV, 38:30, 3400 Believers preferred giving up their lives for the teaching of, II, 6:115, 856 Best discourse of subjects in, IV, 39:24, 3452 Book expressly named, IV, 27:2, 28l4A Brought new Law, II, 5:49, 680 Brought new teachings, II, 6:92, 834 Challenge to those who disbelieve in divin e origin of, III, 10:39, 1314 Challenges disbelievers, V, 52:34-35, 3953 chapter s and verses arranged in intelligent order, III, 17:54, 1983 Choice of words point to long sequence of events, III, 17:82, 2011 Collected into one volume, I, cc lxxxix Collection of all revealed scriptures, V, 80:14, 4577 Commentaries of, I, ii Committed to memory, I, cclxxxviii Comp rises teachings of all revealed Scriptures, II, 6:156, 895 Compilation of, I, cclxxxvi ii Comprehensibility of repeatedly mentioned, V, 54:18, 4019-31 Comprehensiveness of, IV, 39:24, 3452 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3580 Concept of Allah in, I, 2:3, 9 Consistent with scientific research, IV, 24:25, 2607 Criterion for Day of Judg ement is belief in, II, 6:93, 835 Declares all prophets to be innocent, I, 2:3, 9 Defends its own truth, IV, 25:34, 2669 Definitions of, IV, 31:3, 3035 Denying divine origin of, is grievous sin, II, 6:94, 836 Depth of arrangement, III, 17 Devices a dopted to safeguard text of, I, cclxxxiv Disbelievers reject, because of false pride, IV, 38:3, 3374 Discriminates truth/falsehood, IV, 25:2, 2641 Distinct qualities of, III, 10:2, 1277A Distinctive message of hope, IV, 41:5, 35 57 Divine origin of, V, 69:39-53, 4362-66 Divine origin of, and superiority over Bible, III, 10:93, 1365 Divine revelation of, IV, 39:2, 3439 A Divine scale of, IV, 42:18, 3615 Embodies three distinct things, II, 7:53, 952 Encompasses all previous scriptures, V, 98:4, 4800 Enjoi ns belief in living God, I, ccci Established after root evils became manifest, II, 7:81, 979 Excellence of terminology, III, 16:13-14, 1814-15 Excellences inexhaustible, IV, 21:51, 2391 Excellent moral teaching of, III, 16:91, 1891 Exhorts man to use reasonin g, III, 13:20, 1631 Final Book of Divine law, IV, 21:11, 2352 First chapter contains abridgement of whole, III, 15:88, 1791 First prostration in the (sajdah), II, 7:207, 1091 For whole of mankind, IV, 27:93, 2874 Four features of the, II, 6:93, 835 Free from defeat, V, 98:3, 4799 Fulfilment of prophecies in, proof that origin is Divine, V, 81:25, 4610 Fulfils the prophecies in the Bible, I, 2:92, 98 Full of Exhortation; helps believers achieve eminence, IV, 38:2, 3377 Full of wisdom, IV, 36:3, 3214 Fundamental teachings of, IV, 25:3, 2642 Geographical facts in, substantiated only recently, III, 16:16, 1817 God’s own revealed word, V, 86:12-15, 4676-79 Gospels are not the origin of, III, 16:104, 1904 Greatest testimony to the Holy Prophet’s truth, IV, 36:3, 3214 Guardian of previous scriptures, III, 18:3, 2043 Guardian over previous scriptures, II, 5:49, 680 Guidance and mercy for humanity, IV, 45:21, 3744 Guidance and truth for man, IV, 39:42, 3465 Harmonious truth of, II, 4:83, 551 Has come in fulfilment of prophecies of previous scriptures, II, 6:115, 856 Higher than other scriptures, V, 53:6, 3970 Humans/satan debarred input in, IV, 26:211213, 2803A-05 Incomparable in excellence, I, 2:24, 30 Inexhaustible store of knowledge, III, 15:2122, 1727-28 Inscribed, V, 52:3, 3935 Instructors of, I, cclxxxv Instrumental store of knowledge, III, 15:2122, 1727-28 Is divinely protected, IV, 26:194, 2796 Is free from all doubt, I, 2:3, 9 Is guide for righteous, I, 2:3, 9 Is source of honour, IV, 21:25, 2365 Is without any anachronism, I, 2:248, 254 It warns, IV, 36:70-71, 3259-60 Its comprehensiveness, IV, 39:28, 3454 Its exhortation to humanity, III, 10:58, 1333 Last guidance of Divine law, IV, 25:2, 2641 Last heavenly message, IV, 39:24, 345 2 Last revealed law, IV, 23:63, 2552 Last revealed scripture, V, 87:5-7, 4684-85 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3581 Laws of, agree with human nature, IV, 23:63, 2552 Laws of nature and the law of Shar i‘ah in, I, cccxxxviii Like life giving rain, V, 86:12-13, 4676-77 Listening to recitation of, II, 7:205, 1089 Made unchangeable, III, 11:2, 1383 Meaning of, I, 2:186, 192 Mentioned in previous scriptures, IV, 26:197, 2799 Metaphorical descriptions of the followers of Holy Prophet who took to far-off lands, V, 51:2-5, 389 3 Method of interpreting, II, 3:8, 299 Method of preservation of, III, 15:10, 1716 Miracles of, I, ccc vii More comprehensive than other scriptures, V, 96:6, 4786 Most widely read scripture, V, 96:2, 4782 Muslim’s apathy to, IV, 25:31, 2667 Need of, I, v Neither ancient nor modern discoveries contradict, IV, 41:43, 3591 No contradictions in, IV, 41:43, 3591 Not a verse is abrogated, I, 2:107, 113 Not taught to Mu hammad by any human being, III, 16:104, 1904 Objections against, IV, 25 :33, 2668; IV, 21:36, 2344-47 Only righteous will understand its message, V, 56:80-81, 4137-38 Only scripture designed blessed (Mub arak), IV, 21:51, 2391 Original source of, IV, 43:5, 3644 Perfect book, I, 2:3, 9; V, 87:7-10, 4685-88 Perfect law, I, cccxl Perfect law of, IV, 43:5, 3644 Persons falsely claimed as helpers in composing Quran, III, 16:104, 1904 Pillars of, V, 50:46, 3888 Plan of sp iritual universe in, I, cccxix Poetic rhythm of, III, 17:82, 2011 Power of its message, V, 59:22, 4206 Preservation of teachings of Moses and Jesus in, 18:83, 2121 Preserved by reading and writing, III, 15:2, 1709 Proof of, IV, 32:4, 3060 Proof of Divine origin of, V, 88:23, 4704 Prophecies of spread of Islam, V, 79:2-6, 4551-54 Prophecy of Islam’s future in, IV, 38:2, 3373 Prophecy of triumph of 'Allah’s Party' in, V, 58:23, 4188 Protected by Allah, V, 75:17-18, 4467-68 Protection and preservation of, III, 15:19-25, 1725-30 Provides for believers’ glory and eminence, IV, 21:11, 2352 Qualities of, III, 16:45, 1846 Reader can bear no dou bt of truth of, II, 6:115, 856 Reasons why disbelievers reject, III, 10:40, 1315 Recitation at dawn of, III, 17:79, 2008 Reciters of, I, cclxxxvii Reference of 'Noble Messenger' to Holy Prophet not archangel Gabriel, V, 81:20-23, 4605A-08 Refutes doctrine of plurality of gods, III, 10:69, 1344 Rejection of, IV, 41:53, 3598 Reject ers of, not forgiven, II, 4:168-170, 631-133 Reminder, the, III, 16:45, 1846 Repetition in, serves useful purpose, III, 17:42, 1971 Resealed Book from God, II, 7:3, 907; IV, 27:7, 2816 Revealed in Arabic, IV, 39:29, 3455 Revealed in stages, II, 5:49-51, 680-82 Revealed in the month of Ramad an, I, 2:186, 192 Revealed piecemeal, V, 76:24, 4494 Revealed replete with Allah’s knowledge, III, 11:15, 1396 Revelation of, IV, 32:3, 3059 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3582 Salvation can be f ound through, I, ccciv Satisfies all needs, III, 12:112, 1611 Scientific facts unknown until now, III, 16:79, 1879 Scientific knowledge in, III, 16:13-17, 1814-18 Scientific references in, continually disclosed, III, 16:14, 1815 Seeking refuge from satan before reciting, III, 16:99-101, 1899-1901 Sent down to the pagan Arabia, II, 6:157, 896 Serves purpose of destruction and construction, III, 14:53, 1707 Should be read repeatedly, V, 96:4, 4784 Sign of mercy, IV, 29:52-53, 2976-77 Signif icance of first verse of, I, 1:1, 1 Significance of piecemeal revelation, IV, 25:33-34, 2668-69 Sin must be punished after revelation of, II, 7:57, 956 Some characteristics of the teachings of, I, ccci Some prophecies of, I, ccxc vi Standardized copies of, I, ccxc Substantiates theory of vegetation in pairs, IV, 70, 54, 2273 Suited for man who has been endowed with reason, III, 18:55-56, 2095-96 Superiority established, IV, 25:2, 2641 Supports every assertion it makes, I, 2:186, 192 Swears by beings or objec ts to emphasize an important point, V, 52:7, 3935 Testimony of, IV, 42:30, 3622; IV, 42:34, 3626 The Best book of guidance, I, 2:22, 28 The illuminating, III, 15:2, 1709 Those who reject it will not find right path, V, 77:51, 4524 Three characteristics of, V, 80:12-15, 4576-79 Three characteristics of bearers of Quranic message, V, 80:16-17, 4578-79 Translations into other languages, I, i; I, cccxlvii True promises proof of, II, 8:41, 1129 True promises proof of God’s Word, II, 8:41, 1129 True spiritual knowledge, treasury of, II, 4:167, 630 True teachings of, II, 3:4, 295 Truth of, V, 69:53, 4366; IV, 21:11, 2352 Truthfulness of, IV, 38:2, 3373 Two descriptive works for, IV, 27:2, 2814A Two prominent characteristics of, IV, 27:3, 2815 Unchangeability of, V, 56:79, 4136 Under Divine protection, V, 85:22-23, 4668-69 Universality of, IV, 26:193, 2795 Unrivalled in its manifold excellences, III, 11:15, 1396 Validity of, IV, 32:3-4, 3060 Verses are expounded in detail, III, 11:2, 1383 Verse s clear in meaning (Mu hkamat), II, 3:8, 299 V oice of truth always succeeds in, IV, 41:27, 3578 Why it is called Reminder, IV, 41:42-43, 3590-91 Why referred to as the 'Book' and the 'Quran', III, 12:3, 1507 Why revealed in Arabic, III, 12:3, 1507 Widely read Book, IV, 27:2, 2814A Will cause great change in Arabia, V, 57:2, 4146 Will spread from east to west (Lord of two Easts), V, 55:18, 4058 Will spread in the West, V, 55:18, 4058 Wisdom of, IV, 23:63, 2552 Witness of truth of Holy Prophet, II, 6:20, 767 Words in, denote different senses, III, 17:49, 1978 Ra‘d, Ar (chapter ), III, 13 Title explained, III, 13 Rahman, Ar (chapter ), V, 55 Ramadan, Holy Month of I‘tikaf observed during the last days of, I, 2:188, 19 4 Meaning of, I, 2:186, 192 Why fasting is prescribed in, I, 2:186, 192 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3583 Rameses II Pharaoh at time of Moses’ birth, III, 10:93, 1365 Rank of Honour Significance of, III, 10:3, 1278 Ranks Differences more distinct in after-life, III, 17:22, 1951 Rebirth, Spiritual Point at which immunity to Satan is reached, III, 15:37, 1741 Reformation Physical and material means can never produce, III, 13:31, 1642 Reformers, Divine Advent of, IV, 44:7, 3703 Advent of, prophesied, V, 97:4, 4795 Appear during time of spiritual darkn ess, IV, 36:38-40, 3238-40 As a new light, IV, 45:6, 3735 Come when earth spiritually parched, IV, 39:22, 3450 Criterion to test truth of, IV, 40:29, 3516 Effect of advent of, V, 80:38, 4587 Object of, IV, 44:8, 3704 Preserve the spirit of the Holy Quran, III, 15:10, 1716 True claim of, V, 46:32-33, 3785-86 Relationships Treatment of relatives, II, 4:2, 484 Religion(s), I, viii Allah will judge between, IV, 22:18, 2450 Compulsion is prohibited in, II, 5:93, 720 Definition of, V, 98:6, 4802 Dissension between, I, 2:254, 260 Essential elements of all true religions identical, V, 87:19-20, 4691 If true, saves men from idolatry, III, 12:41, 1544 Islamic teaching about no compulsion in, I, 2:257, 263 Muhammad sent to establish, for whole world, IV, 23:53, 2546 Needs Divine authority on which to base claim, III, 12:41, 1544 No compulsion in, II, 6:35, 782; II, 7:89, 987; III, 16:38, 1839 Real object of, III, 11:113, 1493 Reason for difference in, II, 6:92, 834 Religion, True Rooted in nature of man, IV, 30:31, 3011 Religious Leaders Corruption among, II, 9:34, 1194 Renaissance Spiritual and moral, IV, 30:47-51, 3024-26 Repentance, IV, 28:68, 2924 Acceptance of, II, 4:18-19, 498; II, 9:104105, 1253-54 Door to, always open, IV, 28:68, 2924 Explanation of Islamic, III, 11:91, 1471 Meaning and true significance of, II, 3:90, 376-378 Requirements of, IV, 25:71-72, 2697-98 Resurrection, Day of (also see Paradise) Advent of Holy Prophet, IV, 39:70-71, 3487 After death/Moral transformation through the Holy Prophet, IV, 37:17, 3284 Arguments confirming certainty of, IV, 22:68, 244l-43 Believer in atonement must account for beliefs on, IV, 19:96, 2233 Believers promised spiritual kingdom on, V, 76:21, 4491 Believers saved on, II, 3:186, 468 Believers will be above disbelievers on, I, 2:213, 219 Certain to occur, V, 78:2-6, 4525-27 Creation of man supports truth of, V, 77:2124, 4513 Described, V, 68:43-44, 4330-31; V, 69:1438, 4348-61; V, 71:19, 4394; V, 78 :39-40, 4549; V, 80:34-43, 4586-88; V, 88:2-17, 4692-99 Description of, III, 17:98, 2026; IV, 20:101110, 23 11A-19 Disbelievers’ rejection of, IV, 37:17-19, 3284-85 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3584 Ecological cycle implied as well as spiritual, III, 17:50-52, 1979-81 Explanation of, IV, 30:57, 3030; IV, 32:26, 3072 Final triumph of truth over falsehood, V, 77:8, 4504 For the spiritually dead, IV, 36:76-78, 3263-64 For those who doubt, IV, 36:78-84, 3264-69 Fulfilment in Quranic prophecies proof of, V, 81:15, 4601 Good deeds shall carry we ight on the, II, 7:911, 913-915 Hell or heaven rewarded on, II, 3:186, 468 Inevitability of, V, 50:17-20, 3869-72 Judgement with justice on, IV, 39:70-71, 3487 Justice to prevail on, IV, 21:48, 2388 Men and animals on the, II, 6:39, 786 Nature and significance of punishments of, V, 69:33, 4360 No escape from, IV, 39:48, 3471 No intercessors, II, 6:52, 797 On that day all secrets unmasked, V, 86:9-11, 4675 Proof of, V, 75:41 Proofs of, based on creation of man, III, 15:27, 1733 Punishment in, IV, 22:10-11, 2445 Purpose of, V, 50:12, 3864 Reality of, II, 6:3, 750 Reason for, III, 16:40, 1841 Regrets related to, IV, 39:61, 3480 Significances of, IV, 39:69, 3486 Small, middle and final, V, 75:2, 4457 The Day of Decision, V, 78:18, 4535 Those who reject truth warned of, V, 77:2529, 4514-15 Timing of, rests only with Allah, V, 79:43-47, 4570A Triumph of Islam will cause disbelievers to consider truth of, V, 79:9-13, 4557-59 Types of, IV, 19:86, 2225 Universal and simultaneous for all, II, 6:63, 808 Univer sal triumph of Islam at advent of Promised Messiah, V, 77:14-15, 4510 Witnessed in the time of every prophet, IV, 30:20, 3001A Retaliation, Principle of Boundaries of, IV, 22:61, 2490 Equitable application of punishment, I, 2:179, 185 Retribution, Day of Description of, II, 11:104-106, 1484-86 Revealed Books Four objects of, II, 6:155, 894 Revelation, Divine A form of divine mercy, IV, 35:3, 3178 A universal privilege, I, 1:2, 2 Affects man in three ways, II, 7:59, 958 All false c laimants will die miserably, IV, 20:62, 2281 All Prophets’ greatness due to, III, 17:75-76, 2004-05 Allah knows best to whom, is given, II, 6:125, 866 And human reason, relationship between, III, 10:32, 1307 Arguments supporting, IV, 39:33-34, 3457-58 As op posed to man-made laws, II, 6:141, 880 As spiritual waters, IV, 43:12, 3649 Brings spiritually dead to life, II, 7:58, 957 Complimented, not contradicted by physical science, V, 55:20-23, 4060-61 Consequences for rejection of V, 46:9, 3764 Continuity of, II, 7:149, 1038 Descends upon the heart, IV, 26:193-95, 2795-97 Disbelievers ask for, II, 6:125, 866 Essential for spiritual life, I, 2:30, 36 Followers of earlier religions differ amongst themselves about, IV, 42:15, 3612 Holy Prophet’s Spiritual Ascension (Mir‘ aj), V, 53:8-18, 3974 Is Heavenly Water, Sign for people who understand, I, 2:165, 171 Is sent down to Allah’s chosen servant, III, 16:3, 1804 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3585 Jacob enlightened by, III, 12:97, 1596 Likened to Heavenly Water, IV, 35:28, 3197 Metaphor for, IV, 39:22, 3450 No spiritual life without, IV, 21:31, 2371 Other prophets, received, but Holy Prophet received completest, IV, 42:114, 3611 Resolves differences among nations, III, 16:65, 1865 Revealed in stages as man’s intellect developed, V, 87:2, 4681 Revealed to suit needs of mankind, V, 87:5-6, 4684 Role of angels in, IV, 19:10, 2154 Sent to Prophets of God, II, 4:164-66, 627-29 Separates good from the wicked, II, 3:180, 462 To settle differences and disagreements between men, IV, 42:11, 3609 True claimants of, IV, 39:34-38, 3458-61 Types of, IV, 42:52, 3637 Unity of God related to, IV, 45:3-4, 3734-34A Usually opposed by privileged classes, IV, 34 Varies in quality according to the spiritual condition of the recipient, III, 15:9, 1715 Reward Conscious and unconscious sharers in, IV, 40:9, 3500 Equal for male and female, II, 4:125, 590 Means for believers achieving, I, 2:278, 284 Of believers, IV, 32:18, 3068 Of righteous continuous, V, 83:19, 4633 Of this world and the life to come, II, 4:135, 599 Received by the Faithful for monetary sacrifices, V, 57:12, 4 154 Reward and Punishment In life after death, IV, 32:20-23, 3068A-70 Must be a system and law for, II, 6:161, 900 Will be double for the institutors, II, 7:39, 939 Right Hand Symbol of blessings and strength, III, 17:72, 2001 Righteous Men Examples of manliness and courage, II, 5:24, 660 Righteous, The All who guard their Souls (muttaq in), II, 3:139, 422 Allah adds to their righteousness, V, 47:18, 3802 Destiny of, IV, 39:74-76, 3489-91 Gardens of, II, 3:199, 480 Most, both eschew and forbid evil, II, 7:166, 1055 Paradise the reward of, V, 78:32-37, 4545-48 Past action of, IV, 43:69, 3686 Prefer Allah’s forgiveness in materialism, I, 2:269, 275 Recompense of, IV, 44:52-57, 3725-28 The qualities of (muttaqi), I, 2:4-5, 10-11 Will see face of God, V, 83:24, 4635 Righteousness Covers man’s spiritual and moral nakedness, II, 8:27, 928 Only criterion to spiritual success, II, 6:96, 838 The true spirit of, I, 2:178, 184 Rija’ (Hope/Fear), III, 10:8, 1283 Rod Vision of serpent shown to Moses, IV, 20:1922, 2251-53 Roman Empire A short history of, IV, 30:5, 2991 History, shortly before advent of Holy Prophet, IV, 30:3-4, 2991 Ruh (Revelation), III, 16:3, 1804 Rum, Ar (chapter ), IV, 30 Rumours Prohibited, II, 4:84, 552 Testing the truth of, V, 49:7, 3845 Russia Warning to, and its 'Satellites', V, 55:32, 4067 Sa‘ah, As (The Hour), IV, 22:2-3, 2437-38; IV, 25:12, 2650 Saba’ (see Sheba, Queen of) Saba’, As (chapter ), IV, 34 Sab’amminal Math ani (Oft-repeated Seven verses), III, 15:88, 1791 Sabr (see Patience) " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3586 Sabir (A Patient Person) Definition of, I, 2:157, 163 Sacred Mosque (see Ka‘ba h) Sacrifice All religions have rites of, IV, 22:35, 2465 Allah accepts, only from the righteous, II, 5:28-29, 663-64 Criteria of, IV, 22:35, 2465 Events that ended human, III, 14:38, 1692 For the sake of Allah, II, 5:3, 642 Monetary, Importance of, V, 61:12, 4231 Monetary, to win Allah’s pleasure, I, 2:216, 222 Need for monetary, after appearance of Divine Reformer, V, 57:19, 4161 Of martyrs purifies their souls, I, 2:155, 161 Of money referred in as a 'loan' to Allah, V, 57:12, 4154 Purpose of, IV, 22:37-38, 2467-68 Story of Cain and Abel (sons of Adam), II, 5:28-32, 663-67 Those who give monetary, will be rewarded, V, 57:19, 4161 Sad (chapter ), IV, 38 Sa‘d bin Mu‘ adh, I, cxliv; I, clx; I, c lxxv; I, clxxviii Saff, A s (chapter ), V, 61 Saffat, As (chapter ), IV, 37 Safiyyah Her dream of moon falling in her lip, V, 54:2, 4006 Sahib (Companion), II, 7:185, 1071 Sajdah, As (chapter ), IV, 32 Salam (Peace), III, 10:26, 1301 Salamun ‘Alaikum (Peace be unto you) Signifies everlasting peace to steadfast, III, 13:25, 1636 Salih, II, 7:74, 972 Salih, (Prophet) Accused of madness, IV, 26:154, 2782 Character of unimpeachable, IV, 26:154-155, 2782 Contemporary of Abraham, II, 7:74, 972 Denounced materialism/arrogance, IV, 26:147-53, 2779-81 Earthquake seized reject ers of, II, 7:79, 977 Enemies of, destroyed, IV, 27:49-53, 2848-51 Sent to Tham ud, IV, 26:142-46, 2778 Sent to Tham ud who rejected, IV, 27:46-48, 2845-47 Sent to tribe of Tham ud, II, 7:74, 972; V, 91:12, 4746 She-camel, a symbol of sanctity of his work, II, 7:74, 972 She-camel as trial for Tham ud, IV, 26 :15658, 2783-85 Story of, III, 11:62-69, 1442-49 Tham ud punished, IV, 26:159 Salvation Belief in all revealed books is necessary for, I, 2:5, 11 Islamic, vs other religions, III, 11:109, 1489 Not only for Jews and Christians, I, 2:112, 118 Promise of, for the righteous, I, 2:6, 12 Quranic Conception of, I, ccciv Success (Fal ah) a higher stage of, IV, 23:2, 2509 Salw a Divine gift of food to the Israelites, IV, 20:81, 2295 Samiri Admonished by Moses, IV, 20:96-98, 2308-10 Identity of, IV, 20:86, 2299 Sarah Abraham’s wife, gave birth to Isaac and Jacob, III, 11:72-74, 1452-54 Satan (Shai tan) Agent for manifestation of human weaknesses, III, 14:23, 1677 An agent of Ibl is, II, 7:23, 924 An evil companion for man, II, 4:39, 516 Attempts to obstruct prophets, IV, 22:53-54, 2482-83 Beguiling of Adam and Eve by, II, 7:21, 923 Calls people to evil practices, II, 4:118-22, 584-88 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3587 Created by Allah to test man, IV, 22:4, 2439 Disbelievers follow his weak strategy, II, 4:77 False report of power of, over Holy Prophet, V, 53:21, 3981 Friends of, led astray (Shai tan), IV, 22:4-5, 2439-40 Has no authority over man, IV, 34:22, 3148 Has no control over physical/spiritual blessings, III, 15:18, 1724 Has no control over universe, III, 18:52, 209 2 His creation as a trial for man, II, 7:29, 930 Identity different from Ibl is, I, 2:37, 43 Leads to moral ruin, IV, 24:22, 2604 Lures to evil then deserts, IV, 25:29-30, 2665-66 Meaning of, IV, 20:121, 2329; IV, 35:6-7, 3180 Prefers wealth to good name, I, 2:269, 275 Retarding of man’s progress by, II, 7:28, 929 Secret of becoming safe from, III, 17:66, 1995 Seductions of, II, 7:18, 921 The ways of, I, 2:170-72, 176-78 Threat to lead men astray, III, 17:63-65, 1992-94 Uses fear to mislead his followers, II, 3:176, 458 Will not succeed in seducing God’s chosen servants, III, 15:40-43, 1744-46 Scandal-Mongering Effects on Community of, IV, 24:20-21, 2603 Limbs bear witness against, IV, 24:25, 2607 Severely condemned, IV, 24:20, 2603 Science Colours influence and benefit man, III, 16:14, 1815 Discovery of pairs in vegetation, IV, 20:54, 2273 Influence of inorganic matter upon life of man requires deep study, III, 16:13, 1814 Influence of organic world upon life of man, a matter of common obser vation, III, 16:13, 1814 Sea Parting of Red Sea for Israelite crossing, I, 2:51, 57 Seas, Two Metaphor for true and false religions, IV, 35:13, 3186 Metaphorical comparison between true and false, IV, 35:13-15, 3186-88 Secret Meetings Condemned, V, 58:8-11, 4177-80 Disbelievers hatched plots against Islam, V, 52:43-47, 3959-60 Secret Societies Condemned, V, 58:10, 4179 Freemasons condemned, V, 58:10, 4179 Secrets of Unknown Revealed to Prophets and believers, V, 72:2728, 4411-12 Sectarianism Denunciation of, II, 6:160, 899 Sects (in Islam) Deviation from true religion causes, IV, 30:33, 3013 Seir (see Mount Paran) Selfishness Condemned, V, 68:18-34, 4318-26 Fate of those who are selfish, V, 69:35-38, 4361 Servants of Allah Characteristics of, IV, 25:64-75, 2692-701 Rewards of, IV, 25:76-77, 2702 Seven Year Famine Warning to Meccans of, V, 52:48, 3963 Shai tan (also see Satan), I, 2:15, 21 Shams, Ash (chapter ), V, 91 Shar i‘ah (see Law, Islamic) Shay atin (Evil Ones), II, 6:113, 854 Sheba (Sabeans) Identified, IV, 27:23-26, 2828-30 Sheba, Queen of And Solomon, IV, 27:23-45, 2828-40 Capitulates to Solomon, IV, 27:43, 2843 Incident of uncovering her shanks, IV, 27:45, 2844 Submits to Allah, IV, 27:45, 2844 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3588 Shi‘ah (A Distinct Sect of Men), II, 6:160, 899 Shirk (see Idolatry) Shu‘aib (Prophet) Accused of bewitchment and lying, IV, 26:186-188 Deep grief at the ruin of his people, II, 7:94, 990 Denounces commercial dishonesty, IV, 26:182-185, 2790-92 Destruction of his people, IV, 29:37-38, 2964 Earthquak e destroyed people of, II, 7:92, 988A His tribe and Meccans hindered work of prophets, II, 7:87, 985 Identity of, II, 7:86, 984 People cheated in weights and measurement, II, 7:86, 984 People of Wood and Midian identified, IV, 26:177, 2789 Punishment of People of Wood/Midian, IV, 26:190 Reject ers accuse him of lying, II, 7:93, 989 Sent to people of the wood, III, 15:79, 1782 Sent to people of wood and Midian, IV, 26:177-81, 2789 Story of, III, 11:85-96, 1465-76; IV, 26:177190, 2789-93 Shu’a ra’, Ash (chapter ), IV, 26 Significance of man’s free will, IV, 26 Shukr, (Thankfulness), III, 14:8, 1662 Shukr (To make proper use of Divine gift), IV, 23:79, 2564 Shura, Ash (chapter ), IV, 42 Shura (Consultation), II, 3:160, 442 Sign For reject ers, IV, 34:39, 3162 Meaning of ( Ayah), III, 16:102, 1902 Signs, Divine A proof of God’s existence, IV, 30:21, 3002 Answers to, IV, 29:51-52, 2975-76 Continuation of advent of prophets, IV, 43:67, 3645-46 Descend from heaven, IV, 40:14, 3505 Heavenly, appearance of, IV, 43:43, 3669 Making wrong use of Allah’s, II, 7:104, 999 Of all calamities and great changes in Quran, IV, 43:62, 3681 Of creation, IV, 30:21-27, 3002-08 Relate to triumph of Islam, IV, 34:10, 3136 Repentance of, IV, 34:10, 3136 Showing of, in hands of Allah, II, 7:204, 1088 Shown to enemies at Badr, II, 6:112, 853 Spiritual and moral life depend on, IV, 40:14, 3505 Verses of the Quran ( ayat) are, II, 7:204, 1088 Will never cease to appear, III, 17:60, 1989 Sihr (Enchantment), III, 10:77, 1350 Sijjin Recover y of the wicked kept in, V, 83:8-10, 4629-30 Sin Christian dogma of original, II, 7:43, 942 Different religions attempt to explain, V, 95:5, 4779 Falsely accusing innocent person, II, 4:113, 579 Lies against Allah, II, 4:51, 5 25 Muslims enjoined to abstain from, both open and secret, II, 6:121, 862 Preaching, reading Quran, praying, and remembering Allah deliver from, IV, 29:46, 2970 Proceeds from three causes, V, 114:2-6, 4875 Quran ex onerates Adam from committing, II, 7:29, 930 Result of false pride and conceit, V, 68:15, 4316 Result of lack of faith in Allah, IV, 41:24, 3575 Root cause of, V, 59:19-20, 4203-04 Ways to, IV, 29:46, 2970 Sin, Inherited Refutation of, I, 1:5, 5 Sinai (see Mount Paran) Sinners Deprived of realization of Divine Being, V, 83:16, 4632 Message of hope to, IV, 39:54, 3475 Will not view Divine Being, V, 83:24, 4635 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3589 Slander A moral sin, IV, 24:15-20, 2602-03 Prohibition of, IV, 24:24-27, 2606-09 Punishment after repentance in, IV, 24:6, 2595 Punis hment for, IV, 24:5, 2594 Slavery, I, cccxv Abolition of, IV, 24:34, 2616; V, 47:5, 3791 And Deed of Manumission (Muk atabat), IV, 24:34, 2616 Condemned, IV, 23:7, 2514 Slaves Freeing of, way of making unlimited spiritual progress, V, 90:12-14, 4731 Socialism Rise of, IV, 20:108, 2317 Society Believers told to reform, II, 8:26, 1114 Disparity of means essential for functioning of, IV, 43:36, 3664 Equality in, IV, 20:119-20, 2327-28 Quranic princ iples of, established, I, cccxli Sodom and Gomorrah Description of people of, III, 11:79, 1459 Solar System Created by God as benefit to man, V, 79:2831, 4564-67 Created for benefit of Mankind, V, 78:13, 4531 Scientific facts discovered after revelations, IV, 36:41, 3241 Used when worship performed during different parts of the day, I, 2:190, 196 Solomon (Prophet Sulaim an) Allah gave, knowledge, IV, 27:16, 2823 Allah gave, wisdom, IV, 21:80, 2410 And gift from Queen of Sheba, IV, 27:36-37, 2837 And Queen of Sheba, IV, 27:23-45, 2828-44 Bestowed on David, IV, 38:31, 3401 Built Temple of Jerusalem, II, 6:85, 828 Cleared of a charge levelled against him by Jews IV, 27:77, 2864 Converted Queen of Sheba, IV, 27:77, 2864 David’s heir, IV, 27:17, 2823A Discipline of the army of, IV, 27:18, 2824 Disintegration of kingdom of, IV, 38:35, 3405 Exchange with Namlite, IV, 27:19-20, 2825-26 Faith in Allah, IV, 38:31, 3401 Has throne built for Sheba, IV, 27:39-42, 2839-42 His power and wealth, IV, 38:32-34, 3402- 3204 His wealth, IV, 38:37-39, 3407-09 Invites Sheba to submit, IV, 27:29-32, 2832-34 Nearness of Allah, IV, 38:40-41 Origin and mission of, II, 6:85, 828 Policies of, IV, 21:79-80, 2409-10 Prayer of, for a spiritual kingdom, IV, 38:36, 3406 Prays to be grateful and righteous, IV, 27:20, 2826 Progress of arts under, IV, 27:16-18, 2823- 24; IV, 21:82-83, 2412-13 Reign and dominions of, IV, 34:13-14, 3139-40 Reign of, I, 2:103, 109 Story of, IV, 34:13-15, 3139-41 Taught language of birds, IV, 27:17, 2823A The decline of his empire, IV, 34:15, 3140 The song of, I, lxxx Soul, The, I, cccxvi Abode after death, IV, 20:56, 2275 At rest, a stage of spiritual perfection, V, 56:11, 4101 Body serves as shell for, IV, 23:15, 2520 Cause of impurity of, IV, 39:44, 3467 Created by command of Allah, III, 17:86, 2015 Given new body to account for worldly deeds, V, 50:5, 3859 Immortality of, IV, 39:43, 3466 Manner of development of the, II, 7 :30, 931 Transmigration of, I, 1:3, 3 Transmigration of refuted, V, 95:5, 4779 Spending By disbelievers, II, 3:117-118, 401-402 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3590 By hypocrites is miserly, II, 3:181-183, 463-465 Financial sacrifice, I, 2:255, 261 Helps individuals and community, I, 2:4, 10 Importance of monetary sacrifice, V, 61:12, 4231 Kinds of, I, 2:4, 10 Spirit Allah’s breath of revelation, IV, 21:92, 2418 Medium through which Quran sent is, of holiness, III, 16:103, 1903 Spirit, Holy (see Gabriel) Spiritual Ascension (Mi‘r aj) Ahadith (Traditions) regarding, III, 17:2, 1931 Of Holy Prophet, V, 53:8-18, 3972-80 Truth of Holy Prophet, V, 53:8-18, 3972-80 Spiritual Development Allegory of formation of milk in the cow, III, 16:67, 1867 Attitudi nal impediments to, IV, 24:48-51, 2628 'Camphor' 1st stage of, V, 76:6, 4483 Commandments and prohibitions of stages, III, 16:91, 1891 Contraction and expansion process, IV, 24:45, 2625 Diseases which hinder, IV, 24:51, 2628 Elements of, V, 100:2-6, 4811-15 'Ginger' (Zanjab il) and Salsab il, 2nd and 3rd stages of, V, 76:18-19, 4489-90 Highest stage of, V, 98:9, 4803 Metaphoric reformer for, IV, 39:22, 3450 Method of finding right path described, V, 81:30, 4613 Sacrifice of life, time, money, and faculties for Allah (Muj ahadah) essential for, V, 51:57, 3926 Showing respect where due, is means of, IV, 24:64, 2638 Speed varies in, IV, 24:46, 2626 Stages of, controlled by Allah, IV, 25:4, 2643 Very high stage of, achieved by the Companions of Holy Prophet, I, 2:116, 122 Way to achieve, V, 91:9-11, 4743-44 Spiritual Journey Prophets serve as guiding stars for man on his, III, 16:17, 1818 Spirituality Stages of, I, 2:4, 10 Spoils Distribution of, II, 8:42, 1130 Star, The The Holy Prophet described as An, Najm, (The Star Par excellence), V, 53:2, 3966 Stars Fall in great numbers at the advent of a reformer, V, 56:76, 4133 Metaphors for prophets, III, 15:19, 1725 Shooting, sign of advent of prophet, III, 15:19, 1725 Worshipped by people of Abraham, II, 6:7780, 822-825 Stars, Shooting Seen at the advent of a Reformer, V, 72:9-10, 4402-03 Steadfastness And perseverance in adversity leads o ne to God, V, 51:57, 3926 Striving necessary to achieve objective, V, 53:40-41, 3992-93 Stealing Punishment for men and women, II, 5:39-41, 672-672A Stoning to Death Is not law of Islam, IV, 24:3, 2592 Jewish law for adultery, IV, 24:3, 2592 Struggle, Spiritual (see Jih ad) Success Adhere constantly to good, without losing heart, I, 2:154, 160 Five rules leading to, III, 10:72, 1345 Healthy competition among Muslims leads to, I, 2:149, 155 Principle of, IV, 40:9, 3500 Promised for those without covetousness, V, 59:10, 4196 Stages of, IV, 23:2-12, 2509-17 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3591 Three characteristics that bring, V, 92:6-7, 4754 Successor (see Khal ifah) Sulaim an (see Solomon, Prophet) Sun Gives light, moon reflects, IV, 25:62, 2690 Regulated by fixed laws to unerringly perform its tasks, V, 55:6, 4048 Significance of phenomenon of shadow, IV, 25:46-47, 2678-79 Sun and Moon Significance of physical/spiritual stages, III, 10:6, 1281 Sunnah (Practice of Holy Prophet) Part of Islamic Law (Shar i‘ah), II, 5:102, 729 Superiority False notion of, V, 49:14, 3851 Surah (chapter ), I, 1 Surah (Rank, Dignity), IV, 24 :2, 2591 Suraqah bin M alik bin Juhsham (Meccan Chief) Incited Meccans against Muslims, II, 8:49, 1137 Suspicion Protection of the senses from, III, 17:37, 1966 Tabari Falsely reported alleged lapse of Muhammad, V, 53:21, 3981 Tabuk, II, 9:117, 1264; I, ccxxx iv Expedition to, II, 9:38, 1198 Hypocrites attempt to conspire with Byzantine Christian power, I, 2:10, 16 Muslim’s Tab uk expedition (Ghazwatul ‘Usrah), II, 9:117, 1264 Taghabun, At (chapter ), V, 64 Taghut (One Who Exceeds the Bounds), I, 2:257-58, 263-64 Taha (chapter ), IV, 20 Connection with chapter Maryam, IV, 20 Meaning of, IV, 20:2, 2238 Tahajjud Prayer Supererogatory service in latter part of night, III, 17:80, 2009 Tahrim, At (chapter ), V, 66 Takathur, At (chapter ), V, 102 Takw ir, At (chapter ), V, 81 Talaq, At (chapter ), V, 65 Talut (Gideon of the Bible), I, 2:248, 254 Taqd ir (Predestination), IV, 25:3, 2642 Tariq, A t (chapter ), V, 86 Tatfif, At (chapter ), V, 83 Taubah (Repentence), IV, 25:70, 2696A Taubah, At (chapter ), II, 9 Bara’at another name for, II, 8 & 9 Not prefixed by Bismillah, in the name of Allah, II, 8-9 Tawaf (Circuits around Ka‘ba h), IV, 22:30, 2460 Tayyib (Good, Pure), I, 2:173, 179; III, 14:25, 1679 Teacher, Divine Effects of a, IV, 39:69, 3486 Teachings Man-made cannot stand against Allah’s, II, 6:123, 864 Teachings of Islam Fundamental tenets for the righteous, I, 2:178, 184 Teachings, Revealed Always against current ideas, I, x Temple, Israelite Rebuilding of, under King Cyrus, III, 17:7, 1936 Ten Commandments Last given to Prophet Moses, I, 2:54, 60 Tham ud, People of Description of Tribe of, III, 11:62, 1442 Divine punishment of, V, 51:44-46, 3918-19 Highly cultured civilization of, II, 7:75, 973 Highly developed state of architecture, III, 15:83, 1786 Huge buildings added to means of destruction, III, 15:84-85, 1787-88 Lived in west Arabia, II, 7:74, 972 Prehistoric tribe, III, 11:62, 1442 Prophet Salih sent to, III, 15:81, 1784 Punishment for rejecting Prophets, IV, 41:1415, 3566-67 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3592 Punishment for rejecting truth, V, 54:24-39, 4022-30 Punishment of, III, 11:67-69, 1447-49 Ruined by their rebelliousness, V, 91:12-16, 4746-49 She-Camel, a sign of Allah for people of, III, 11:65, 1 445 Tribe of, punished, V, 85:18-21, 4667 Tribe of, V, 69:5-6, 4342-43 Thaur, Cave of Mountain in which Holy Prophet and Ab u Bakr took refuge in the cave, V, 89:4, 4708 Sheltered Holy Prophet on flight to Medina, II, 9:40, 1199 Throne, The ( ‘Arsh) A metaphor, III, 13:3, 1614 Bearers of, IV, 40:8, 3499 Meaning of, IV, 32:5, 3061 Represents transcendent attributes of Allah, III, 10:4, 1279 Tin, At (chapter ), V, 95 Titus Second destruction of Jerusalem, IV, 19 Torah, The, I, xxii; I, cclxxv ; I, xx iii; I, xxxv Attributes and characteristics of, IV, 28:44, 2906 Guidance and light for judging, II, 5:45, 676 Meaning and origin of, II, 3:4, 295 Prophecies about Holy Prophet in, II, 5 :45, 676 Prophets after Moses followed, IV, 45:17, 3741 Ranks second to Quran, IV, 28:50, 2912 Transmigration of Souls Refutation of, I, 1:3, 3 Travel Recommended, V, 67:16, 4296 Treaties Injunction regarding honouring of, II, 9:4, 1167 Muslims should not make, with dishonest motives, III, 16:94, 1894 Quran inculcates high regard for, II, 8:73, 1160 Sacred and noble, III, 16:93, 1893 With other nations and peoples, III, 16:93-95, 1893-95 Tree Accursed, refers to Jews, III, 17:61, 1990 Similitude for word of God, III, 14:25-30, 1679-84 Tree of Eternity Meaning of, IV, 20:121, 2329 Tree, The Forbidden Mentioned in the Bible, I, 2:36, 42 Trials Children and possession as, II, 8:29, 1117 Distinguish steadfast believers from disbelievers, V, 47:32, 3812 Purpose behind, IV, 21:36, 2376 Purpose of, II, 3:141-43, 424-26 Reform man, II, 6:43, 789 Reform, purify and strengthen man, I, 2:156, 162 Source of advancement for believers, III, 13:14, 1625 The forms of, I, 2:156, 162 Tribe of Tham ud (see Tham ud, People of) Trinity Refutation of doctrine of, II, 6:2, 749A True Followers Different grade from hypocrites, II, 3:163-64, 445-446 Trusts Treatment of, IV, 23:9, 2515 Truth Always prevails over falsehood, V, 58:22, 4187 Disbelievers regret rejection of, IV, 39:61, 3480 Divine plan for spreading, V, 76:29, 4496 Fate of those who oppose Allah and His messengers, V, 58:6-7, 4176 Means for distinguishing, II, 8:30, 1118 Of religion or faith cannot be decided by majority, II, 6:117, 858 Opponents of, cursed, V, 85:5-11, 4660-64 Significance of, Holy Prophet’s call to, V, 50:43, 3887 Spreading of the message of, V, 77:2-7, 4499-4503 Triumph of, IV, 21:19, 2359; IV, 42:25, 3620 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3593 Truthful, The Admonition to k eep company with, II, 9:119, 1266 Qualifications of, V, 49:16-19, 3853-54 Tubba‘, People of Royal title of the Kings of Hi myar in Yemen, IV, 44:38, 3717 Warning to, V, 50:15, 3867 Tulaihah bin Khuwailad Example of reconversion, III, 16:111, 1911 Tur, At (chapter ), V, 52 Tuwa, Valley of Moses called to prophethood in, V, 79:17 Uhud, Battle of, I, cliii; II, 3:122-78, 406-60 After Muslim setback at, defiance against Prophet increased, V, 59:3, 4190 Disobedience of archers in, II, 3:153-154, 435-436 Disobedient pardoned, II, 3:756, 438 Holy Prophet wounded in, V, 71:27, 4396 Hypocrites; their behaviour during, II, 3:155, 437 Sorrow in, II, 3:153-54, 435-36 ‘Umar, I, clvii; I, ccxliii-ccxlv ; I, ccli; I, cxxv ; I, cliii Accepts Islam, I, cxxvi Prophecy concerning, I, xciv Second successor to Holy Prophet, banished Jews from Arabia, V, 59:3, 4190 Ummi Jam il (Wife of Abu Lahab) Enemy of the Holy Prophet, V, 111:5-6, 4865A-66 Ummi H ani Witness to Night Journey to Jerusalem (Isra’), III, 17:2, 1931 Umm i (Immaculate One), II, 7:158, 1047 ‘Umrah (Lesser Pilgrimage) (see also Pilgrimage), II, 9:5, 1168 Understanding Signs of those endowed with, III, 13:21-23, 1632-34 United Nations Principles for effective, V, 49:10, 3847 Unity (see God or Allah) Universe Allah comprehends all in, II, 6:4-5, 751-52 Created for the benefit of man, V, 79:28-34, 4564-67 Design and order of, IV, 45:4-5, 3734 Functioning perfectly in tribute to Allah, V, 57:2, 4146 Governed by fixed laws, V, 64:4, 4256 Importance of in illustrating perfectness of God, III, 16:4, 1805 Man allowed only limited knowledge of, V, 55:34, 4068 Physical and spiritual, compared, IV, 25:6063, 2689-91 Subject to uniform law of harmony, V, 55:610, 4047-4051 Universe, Creation of Arguments proving Allah is responsible for, III, 16:5, 1806 Big bang theory of, IV, 21:31, 2371 Diversity in, incomprehensible, III, 16:14, 1815 For sublime purpose, IV, 21:17-18, 2357-58 Only in power of God, II, 7:55, 954 Repudiates idea of temporary human life, III, 15:86, 1789 Six periods in, II, 7:55, 954 ‘Uthm an, I, cx cvi; I, cx xv Oath related to, V, 48:5, 3820 ‘Uzz a Arabian goddess, V, 53:20, 3981 Vedas, The, I, vi Contradictions in, I, lxii Interpolations in, I, lv Savage teachings of, I, lix Superstitions, I, lxi Veil Covering over hearts of disbelievers, III, 17:46-48, 1975-77 Vicegerent (see Khal ifah) Victory, The May refer Treaty of Hudaibiy yah and Fall of Mecca, V, 57:11, 4153 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3594 Muslims pray and work for even after promise of, III, 14:16, 1670 Promised by Being with unlimited power, I, 2:256, 262 Visions Categories of, IV, 20:11, 2246A Waliyyan (Successor), IV, 19:6, 2150 Wall Meaning in a vision, III, 18:78, 2116 Wall of Cyrus (see Alexander’s wall) Waqi‘ah, Al (chapter ), V, 56 Waqidi Responsible for fabricating 'lapse of Muhammad', V, 53:21, 3981 War A necessary evil, I, 2:217, 223 Allah strengthens believers in, II, 4:85, 553 Allowed to Muslims to prevent disorder, V, 47:23, 3807 Ansar were helpers of refugees from Mecca, V, 59:10, 4196 Believers fearful of, II, 4:78, 546 Believers win, by martyrdom or victory, II, 9:52, 1208 Bondwomen from, IV, 23:7, 2514 Characteristics of Muslim warriors, V, 100:27, 4811-15 Commandment of 20 as minimum fighting unit, II, 8:66, 1153 Conditions for (Jihad), I, 2:191-92, 197-98 Conditions for victory in, II, 8:2, 1092A Conditions for waging, II, 9:8, 1171 Consequences of, against Allah and His Messenger, II, 5:34-35, 669 Consumption of spoils of, II, 8:5, 1095 Defensive, nature of, II, 4:76-77, 545 Defence not to exceed offence (Jihad), IV, 22:61, 2490 Desist hostility if enemy sues for peace, II, 8:62, 1149 Disbelieving nations of West facing, III, 18:54, 2094 Fighting in Sacred months, I, 2:195, 201; I, 2:218, 224 Gains and spoils of, II, 8:2, 1092A Injunction not to kill enemy who declares faith, II, 9:5, 1168 Islamic teaching of, II, 3:144, 427 Islamic warfare, and distribution of spoils, V, 59:7-11, 4193-97 Justice and mercy in, II, 8:59, 1146 Killing of non-aggressors not allowed in (Jihad), I, 2:194, 200 Muslims forbidden to flee from battle, II, 8:16-17, 1105-06 Near Ka‘bah (Jihad), I, 2:192, 198 No compulsion in faith even during, II, 9:6, 1169 Of Islam and Moses compared, II, 9:13, 1176 Of truth and justice, I, 2:252, 258 Only two forms of retreat allowed, II, 8:17, 1106 Preparation for defence, II, 4:72, 543 Preparedness for, II, 8:61, 1148 Ransom money from, is lawful and good, II, 8:70, 1157 Regulations of defensive war (Jihad), IV, 22:40-42, 2470-72 Rules of conduct in, V, 47:5, 3791 Rules of success in, II, 8:46-48, 1134-36 Sacrifices, responsibilities related to, V, 47:36-38, 3813-15 Should be for se lf-defence only, III, 16:127, 1927 Significance and purpose of (Jihad), IV, 22:39-42, 2469-72 Spoils of, for poor; refugees, V, 59:9, 4195 Steadfastness in, II, 3:147, 430 Suing for peace prohibited, V, 47:36, 3813 Teachings of Juda ism and Christianity about, I, clxxx iv The Prophet’s Policy to assume a measure of peace, I, cxli ii; I, clxxxii The Prophet’s Precepts about, I, cxci The Quranic Teaching about, I, clxxxv Three world war s prophesied, V, 83:16, 4632 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3595 Treatment of prisoners of, IV, 23:7, 2514 When enjoined, V, 47:36, 3813 War, Nuclear Destruction of two major political blocs by nuclear warfare, V, 111:4, 4865 Warning given to super powers, V, 55:36-45, 4069-73 War, Prisoners of Muslims promised greater return on their ransom cost, II, 8:71, 1158 Muslims told not to kill, II, 8:72, 1159 Waraqa bin Naufal, I, iv; I, cxvii Warnings To Muslims and Jews to be careful to preach truth, I, 2:160, 166 Wasiyyat, Al (also see Will), I, 2:181, 187 Water All things created from, IV, 21:31, 2371 Physical/spiritual needed for life, IV, 23:19, 2523 Uses and benefits of, III, 16:1l-15, 1812-15 Wealth A Divine gift, V, 89:I8-21, 4717-18 A trial, V, 64 :16-17, 4266; V, 68:15-34, 4316- 26; V, 72:18, 4407 Believers enjoined to give to win pleasure of Allah, V, 92:18-22, 4761 Children and, are worldly ornaments, III, 18:47, 2087 Golden mean to follow when spending, III, 17:30, 1959 Hoarding of, condemned, V, 70:19, 4374 Just balance in distribution of, III, 16:72, 1872 Passion for, condemned, V, 104:2-5, 4836-38 Result of inordinate love of, V, 89:18-21, 4717-18 Rivalry for acquisition of, V, 102:2-5, 4827-29 Spending, in the cause of Allah, I, 2:246, 252 Spent in cause of Allah rewarded, I, 2:262, 268 Spiritual, superior to material, II, 3:15-16, 306-307 Those who are entitled to a share of, III, 17:27, 1956 Unlawful acquisition of, I, 2:189, 195 Wealthy, The Obligation of, V, 51:20, 3905 Well, People of the (A shabur-Rass) Destroyed, IV, 25:39, 2672 Widow Remarriage of a, I, 2:236, 242 Rights of a, I, 2:241, 247 Waiting period for remarriage of a, I, 2:235, 241 Will (A l-Wasiyyat) A testator can be convinced to make a just alteration, I, 2:183, 189 No heir gets more than his prescribed share, I, 2:181, 187 Non-Muslim relatives are excluded, I, 2:181, 187 Orphaned grandchildren’s share, I, 2:181, 187 Rules concerning witnesses, II, 5:107-09, 734-736 Share of non-heir relatives, I, 2:181, 187 The need of a, in case of much wealth, I, 2:181, 187 Witness, Bearing of Be strict in truth and justice, II, 4:136, 600 Witnesses Fig, olive, and Mt. Sinai are, of man’s potential for progress, V, 95:2-4, 4777-78 Women Best character trait of, II, 4:2, 484 Character of virtuous, II, 4:35, 512 Creation of, II, 4:2, 484; II, 4:2, 484 Dowries for, (rules regarding), II, 4:5, 487 Enjoined to cover beauty in public, IV, 24:32, 2614 Equality with men in Islam, IV, 33:36, 3102 Further instructions regarding, II, 4:128-131, 593-595 In early Arabia, I, cclxx ; I, cxii Marriage with disbelieving, II, 4:26, 505 Prisoners of war (Bondwomen), II, 4:25-26, 504-506 Right of, II, 4:4-5, 486-87 " "The Index of Subjects Heading, Volume Number, Chapter Number :Verse Number, Commentary (For General Introduction:Heading, V olume Number, Page Number in Roman Numerals) 3596 Rights in marriage of, protected, V, 58:2-3, 4172-73 Spiritual equality of, II, 3:196, 477 Status of, among Arabs, III, 16:59-60, 1860 The Prophet’s Treatment of, I, cclx viii Treatment of, II, 4:20-22, 499-501 Wood, People of And People of Midian related, III, 15:79, 1782 Chastised for evil business practices, III, 15:79-80, 1782-83 Warning to, V, 50:15, 3867 Works, Good and Bad Shared by many other persons, III, 13:24, 1635 Worldliness Temporary enjoyment, II, 3:186, 468 Worship (‘Ib adah) All the places are sacred, I, 2:115, 121 Fasting, I, cccx ii Of Allah, I, cccx Of one God and idolatry occurs in cycles, III, 14:36, 1690 Pilgrimage, I, cccxii Purpose of, I, 2:4, 10; I, 2 :22, 28 Purpose for the creation of men and Jinn, V, 51:57, 3926 Worship, Houses of (also see Mosque) 'Elevated roof', V, 52:6, 3934 'Frequented House', V, 52:5, 3933 Mosques, I, cccxi Wrongdoers Status ind efensible on Judgement Day, IV, 40:53, 3533 Yahya (see John, Prophet) Ya’juj wa Ma’j uj (see Gog and Magog) Ya‘q ub (see Jacob, Prophet) Ya Sin (chapter ), IV, 36 Yaumul-Qiyamah (Day of Resurrection), III, 10:61, 1336 Yunus ( see Jonah, Prophet) Yunus (chapter ), III, 10 Yusuf (see Prophet Joseph) Yusuf (chapter ), III, 12 Zachariah (Prophet) Allah bestowed favour upon, II, 3:39-42, 329-332 Allah’s commandment to, IV, 19:11-12, 2155-56 Birth of son of, IV, 21:91, 2417 Granted a son, IV, 19:3-12, 2148-56 Guardian of Mary, II, 3:38, 328 Prayer for a son partially fulfilled, IV, 19:7, 2151 Prayer for son, IV, 19:4-7, 2149-51 Prays for an heir, IV, 21:90, 2416A Spiritual creation of, IV, 19:10, 2154 The reason his account precedes that of Jesus, IV, 19:3, 214 8 Zaid, I, cxvi; I, cxviii Account of his divorce, IV, 33:38, 3104 Execution of, I, ccxiv Zainab Account of her divorce, IV, 33:38-40, 3104- 05A Zakah (Tax; Capital Levy), I, cccx iii A principal to guard self-respect of needy, IV, 30:39, 3017 Give a portion thereof after harvest, II, 6:142, 881 'Give to the kinsman his due', IV, 30:38-39, 3017 Islamic system for distributing wealth, V, 59:8, 4194 Kinds of, I, 2:275, 281 Purpose of, IV, 23:5, 2512 Zihar (Calling One’s Wife Mother) (see Marriage) Zilzal, Az (chapter ), V, 99 Zinah (Display of Beauty), IV, 24:32, 2614 Zoroastrianism, I, vii Followers of, believe in a spirit called Ahriman, II, 6:2, 749A Refutation of, I, vii; II, 6:2, 749A Zukhruf, Az (chapter ), IV, 43 Zumar, Az (chapter ), IV, 39 "