Recitation by Mishary Al-Alfasy
Name
It takes its name from v. 16.
Period of Revelation
It was revealed before the Migration to
Habash. We learn from authentic Traditions that Hadrat Ja'afar recited vv. 1-40
of this Surah in the court of Negus when he called the migrants to his court.
Historical Background
We have already briefly
referred to the conditions of that period in the introduction to Surah Al-Kahf.
Here we shall give rather fuller details of the same conditions, which will be
helpful in grasping the meaning of this Surah and the other Surahs of the
period. When the chiefs of the Quraish felt that they had failed to suppress the
Islamic movement by ridicule, sarcasm, and by holding out promises and threats
and by making false accusations, they resorted to persecution, beating and
economic pressure. They would catch hold of the new Muslims of their clans and
persecute them, starve them and would even inflict physical torture on them in
order to coerce them to give up Islam. The most pitiful victims of their
persecution were the poor people and the slaves and the proteges of the Quraish.
They were beaten black and blue, were imprisoned and kept thirsty and hungry and
were dragged on the burning sands of Makkah. The people would get work from the
professional laborers but would not pay them their wages. As an instance we give
below the story of Hadrat Khabbab bin Arat, which is given in Bukhari and
Muslim:
"I used to work as a blacksmith in Makkah. Once I did some work
for As bin Wa'il. When I went to ask for my wages, he said, 'I will not pay your
wages unless you disown Muhammad'."
In the same connection Hadrat Khabbab
says, "One day the Holy Prophet was sitting in the shadow of the Ka'abah. I went
to him and said, '0 Messenger of Allah, now persecution has gone to its extreme;
why do you not pray to Allah (for relief)?' At this the Holy Prophet was greatly
moved. He said, 'The believers before you were persecuted much more than you.
Their bones were scraped with combs of iron and their heads were cut with saws,
but still they did not give up their Faith. I assure you that Allah will fulfill
this Mission, and there will come a period of such peace that one would travel
from Sanna to Hadramaut, and he will have no fear from anyone, save Allah. But
you people have already become impatient'." (Bukhari)
When the conditions
became unbearable, the Holy Prophet, in the month of Rajab of the fifth year of
Prophethood, gave advice to his Companions to this effect: "You may well migrate
to Habash, for there is a king, who does not allow any kind of injustice to
anyone, and there is good in his land. You should remain there till the time
that Allah provides a remedy for your affliction".
Accordingly, at first,
eleven men and four women left for Habash. The Quraish pursued them up to the
coast but fortunately they got a timely boat for Habash at the sea-port of
Shu'aibah, and they escaped attest. Then after a few months, other people
migrated to Habash and their number rose to eighty-three men and eleven women of
the Quraish and seven non-Quraish. After this, only forty persons were left with
the Holy Prophet at Makkah.
There was a great hue and cry in Makkah after
this Migration, for every family of the Quraish was adversely affected by this.
There was hardly a family of the Quraish which did not lose a son, a son-in-law,
a daughter, a brother or a sister. For instance, there were among the Migrants
the near relatives of Abu Jahl, Abu Sufyan and other chief of the Quraish who
were notorious for their persecution of the Muslims. As a result of this, some
of them became even more bitter in their enmity of Islam, while there were
others who were so moved by this that they embraced Islam. For instance, this
Migration left a deep mark on Hadrat Umar. One of his relatives, Laila, daughter
of Hathmah, says, "I was packing my luggage for Migration, while my husband, Amr
bin Rabiy'ah, had gone out. In the meantime Umar came there and began to watch
me, while I was engaged in preparation for the journey. Then he said, 'Are you
also going to migrate?' I answered, 'Yes by God, you people have persecuted us
much. But the wide earth of Allah is open for us. Now we are going to a place
where Allah will grant us peace'. At this, I noticed such signs of emotion on
the face of Umar as I had never seen before. He simply said, 'May God be with
you' and went away."
After the migration, the Quraish held consultations,
and decided to send Abdullah bin Abi Rabiy'ah, half brother of Abu Jahl, and Amr
bin As to Habash with precious gifts so as to persuade Negus to send the
migrants back to Makkah. Hadrat Umm Salmah (a wife of the Holy Prophet), who was
among the migrants, has related this part of the story in detail. She says,
"When these two clever statesmen of the Quraish reached Habash, they distributed
the gifts among the courtiers of the King and persuaded them to recommend
strongly to him to send the migrants back. Then they saw Negus himself and,
presenting rich gifts to him, said, "Some headstrong brats of our city have come
to your land and our chiefs have sent us to you with the request that you may
kindly send them back. These brats have forsaken our faith and have not embraced
your faith either, but have invented a new faith". As soon as they had finished
their speech, all the courtiers recommended their case, saying, "We should send
such people back to their city for their people know them better. It is not
proper for us to keep them here." At this the King was annoyed and said, "I am
not going to give them back without proper inquiry. As these people have put
their trust in my country rather than in any other country and have come here to
take shelter, I will not betray them. At first I will send for them and
investigate into the allegations these people have made against them. Then I
will make my final decision". Accordingly, the King sent for the Companions of
the Holy Prophet and asked them to come to his court.
When the migrants
received the message of the King, they assembled and held consultations as to
what they should say to the King. At last they came to this unanimous decision:
"We will present before the King the teachings of the Holy Prophet without
adding anything to or withholding anything from them and leave it to him whether
he lets us remain here or turns us out of his country". When they came to the
court, the King put this problem abruptly before them:"I understand that you
have given up the faith of your own people and have neither embraced my faith
nor any other existing faith. I would like to know what your new faith is." At
this, Jafar bin Abi Talib, on behalf of the migrants, made an extempore speech
to this effect: "O King! We were sunk deep in ignorance and had become very
corrupt; then Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) came to us as a Messenger of
God, and did his best to reform us. But the Quraish began to persecute his
followers, so we have come to your country in the hope that here we will be free
from persecution". After his speech, the King said, "Please recite a piece of
the Revelation which has been sent down by God to your Prophet". In response,
Hadrat Jafar recited that portion of Surah Maryam which relates the story of
Prophets John and Jesus (Allah's peace be upon them). The King listened to it
and wept, so much so that his beard became wet with tears. When Hadrat Jafar
finished the recital, he said:"Most surely this Revelation and the Message of
Jesus have come from the same source. By God I will not give you up into the
hands of these people".
Next day `Amr bin `As went to Negus and said,
"Please send for them again and ask them concerning the creed they hold about
Jesus, the son of Mary, for they say a horrible thing about him". The King again
sent for the migrants, who had already learned about the scheme of Amr. They
again sat together and held consultations in regard to the answer they should
give to the King, if he asked about the belief they held about Prophet Jesus.
Though this was a very critical situation and all of them were uneasy about it,
they decided that they would say the same thing that Allah and His Messenger had
taught them. Accordingly, when they went to the court, the King put them the
question that had been suggested by Amr bin As. So Jafar bin Abi Talib stood up
and answered without the least hesitation: "He was a Servant of Allah and His
Messenger. He was a Spirit and a Word of Allah which had been sent to virgin
Mary." At this the King picked up a straw from the ground and said, 'Bye God,
Jesus was not worth this straw more than what you have said about him." After
this the King returned the gifts sent by the Quraish, saying, "I do not take any
bribe". Then he said to the migrants, "You are allowed to stay here in perfect
peace."
Theme and Subject
Keeping in view this historical
background, it becomes quite obvious that this Surah was sent down to serve the
migrants as a "provision" for their journey to Habash, as if to say, "Though you
are leaving your country as persecuted emigrants to a Christian country, you
should not in the least hide anything from the teachings you have received.
There- fore you should plainly say to the Christians that Prophet Jesus was not
the son of God."
After relating the story of Prophets John and Jesus in
vv. 1-40, the story of Prophet Abraham has been related (vv. 41-50) also for the
benefit of the Migrants for he also had been forced like them to leave his
country by the persecution of his father, his family and his country men. On the
one hand, this meant to console the Emigrants that they were following the
footsteps of Prophet Abraham and would attain the same good end as that Prophet
did. On the other hand, it meant to warn the disbeliever, of Makkah that they
should note it well that they were in the position of the cruel people who had
persecuted their forefather and leader, Abraham, while the Muslim Emigrants were
in the position of Prophet Abraham himself.
Then the mention of the other
Prophets has been made in vv. 51-65 with a view to impress that Muhammad
(Allah's peace be upon him) had brought the same way of Life that had been
brought by the former Prophets but their followers had become corrupt and
adopted wrong ways.
In the concluding passage (vv. 66-98), a strong
criticism has been made of the evil ways of the disbelievers of Makkah, while
the Believers have been given the good news that they would come out successful
and become the beloved of the people, in spite of the worst efforts of the
enemies of the Truth.
1For comparison please see the story of Zachariah as given in vv. 34-57 of
Al-i-Imran (III) and the E.N.'s thereof.
2In order to understand the
position held by Hadrat Zachariah, a descendant ' of Prophet Aaron, one should
be acquainted with the system of priesthood among the children of Israel.
After the conquest of Palestine, the whole land was divided among the 12
tribes of the descendants of Prophet Jacob as inheritance, and the 13th tribe
(the Levites) were entrusted with religious services and duties. Even among the
Levites, the house that was separated "to sanctify the most holy things .... to
burn incense before the Lord, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for
ever" was the house of Prophet Aaron. The other Levites were not allowed to
enter the Temple "Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the
service of the house of the Lord, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the
purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of the
God .... And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the Lord in the Sabbaths, in the
new moon, and on the set festivals." The descendants of Aaron were divided into
24 families, who came to serve the house of the Lord by turns. One of these
families was of Abiah whose chief was Zachariah. Thus it was Zachariah's duty to
go into the house on his family's turn and burn incense before the Lord. (For
details, see I Chronicles, chapters 23, 24).
3That is, "I see none among
my kinsmen, the family of Abiah, who is religiously and morally sound and
capable of carrying on the work of the mission that has been entrusted to me."
4That is, "I do not pray for a successor to inherit me alone, but a
successor who may inherit the good ways of the house of Jacob."
5In Luke
the words are: "There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name." (1:
61)
6This dialogue is meant to impress that Allah is able to do whatever
He wills and can make an impotent man and a barren woman give birth to a child,
and likewise a virgin can be made to conceive a child.
7For the
explanation of mihrab (sanctuary), see E.N. 36 of Al-i-Imran
8Below we
reproduce the details of this event as given in Luke's Gospel so that the.
reader may study and compare the Quranic with the Christian version. The
references and additions within the brackets are ours:
"There was in the
days of Herod, the king of Judaea, (see Bani Isra'il (XVII): E.N. 9) a certain
priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abiah: and his wife was of the
daughters of Aaron, and her name wag Elisabeth. And they were both righteous
before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord
blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they
both were now well stricken in years. And it came to pass, that while he
executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, according to
the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into
the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying
without at the time of incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord
standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him,
he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not,
Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; (there is no mention of Zacharias' prayer
anywhere in the Bible) and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou
shalt call his name John (that is, Yahya). And thou shalt have joy and gladness;
and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the
Lord (Sayyidan: a great Leader according to the Qur'an, III: 39), and shall
drink neither wine nor strong drink (the Quranic version: Taqiyynr. pious and
pure); and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb
(the Qur'an says: `We blessed him with "judgment" while he was yet a child').
And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he
shall go before him in the spirit of the power of Elias, to turn the hearts of
the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to
make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
"And Zacharias said unto the
angel, Whereby shall I know this for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken
in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the
presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad
tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day
that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which
shall be fulfilled in their season. (This is different from the Qur'an, which
gives it as a Sign, whereas according to Luke, it was a punishment. Moreover,
the Qur'an mentions it as the silence for `three consecutive days', but Luke
says that Zacharias remained dumb till the birth of John). And the people
.waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple. And
when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had
seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained
speechless." (Luke 1: 5-22).
9The details regarding the birth of Prophet
John, according to the Divine will, and his coming of age, have been left out.
Here, in one sentence, the Mission of Prophethood entrusted to him on attaining
maturity has been stated, which was "to observe and follow the Torah in letter
and spirit, and to exhort the Israelites as well to do the same."
10The
Arabic word hukm implies ability (1) to make decisions, (2) to form right
opinions, (3) to interpret the Divine Law, (4) to solve problems, and (5) it
also means authority from Allah to decide affairs.
11The Arabic word
hanan is almost synonymous with `mother love'. In other words, Prophet John bore
in his heart the same kind of intense love for Allah's servants as a mother has
for her child.
12In order to have a fuller understanding of the Mission
and the pure character of Prophet John, about which brief references have been
made in this Surah and Surah Al-i-`Imran, it will be useful to study this story
as given in different Books of the New Testament in the following order:
According to Luke, Prophet John was older than Prophet Jesus by six months and
their mothers were cousins. He was appointed a Prophet at the age of 30 years,
and according to the Gospel of John, he started his mission of inviting the
people toward God in Jordan. He would say: "I am the voice of one crying in the
wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord." (John, I: 23)
According
to Mark, "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptizm of
repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land
of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of
Jordan, confessing their sins." (Mark, I: 45). He thus came to be known as John
the Baptist, and the Israelites held him as a prophet. (Mat. 21: 26). Prophet
Jesus said about John: "Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a
man greater than John the Baptist." (Mat. 11 : 11)
"John had his raiment
of camel's hair, and a leather girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts
and wild honey." (Mat. 3: 4). He would say: "Repent ye: for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand." (Mat. 3: 2). By this he meant that very soon Prophet Jesus
was going to start his Mission of Prophethood. The same thing has been said
about him in the Qur'an: ". . . he (John) will come to confirm a Command from
Allah." (III: 39). For the same reason he has been called `a sign of or pointer
to' Prophet Jesus.
He urged the people to observe the Fast and Prayers.
(Mat. 9: 14, Luke, 5: 33, I1: 1). He would also tell them, ". . . He that hath
two coats, let him -impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him
do likewise." (Luke 3: 11). When the tax-collectors asked, "Master, what shall
we do?" He said unto them, "Exact no more than that what is appointed you."
(12-13), and when the soldiers sought his guidance, he said: "Do violence to no
man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages." (Luke, 3: 14)'
When the corrupt scholars, Pharisees and Sadducees of the Israelites, came
to be baptized by him, he rebuked them, saying: "O generation of vipers, who
hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?..think not to say within
yourselves, We have Abraham to our father... now also the ax is laid unto the
root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is
hewn down, and cast into the fire." (Mat-3 :7-10)
The Jewish ruler of his
time, Herod Antipas, in whose tetrarchy he was performing his Mission of
inviting the people to the Truth, had been so deeply influenced by the Roman
civilization that he was causing sin and evil to spread freely in the land. He
had kept Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, unlawfully in his house; when
Prophet John reproved him for this and raised his voice against other evils
being committed by him, Herod got him arrested and sent to jail. However, he
held him in high esteem for his piety and righteousness and even feared him on
account of the great respect he enjoyed among the people. On the contrary,
Herodias thought that the moral consciousness that Prophet John was producing
among the people was directly aimed at women like herself and pulling them down
in the public eye. Thus she nursed a grudge against him and would have him
killed but could not. Soon an opportunity came her way. On the birthday banquet
of Herod, her daughter danced and so delighted Herod and others that the king
said to her, 'Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.' The girl
asked her mother what she should ask for. The mother said, `Ask for the head of
John the Baptist.' The girl went back to the king and requested to have there
and then the head of John the Baptist on a dish. Herod felt sorry to hear this,
but could not reject the demand of the daughter of his beloved. He at once got
Prophet John killed in the prison and presented his head on a dish to the
dancing girl. (Mat. 14: 3-12, Mark, 6 :17-29, Luke, 3 :19-20).
13For
comparison, see Al-i-Imran (III): 34-57, and An-Nina (IV) :156 and E.N.'s
thereof.
14The Sanctuary where she had retired for devotion was an
eastern chamber in the Temple, and as was customary she had hung a curtain to
conceal herself from the people. It cannot be Nazareth as some people have
wrongly taken it to be, because Nazareth is to the north of Jerusalem.
15The word "So shall it be" are very significant as has been stated in E.N. 6.
The plain meaning is this: "A pure son shall be born to you just as your Lord
has decreed, even though no man has touched you. " The same was the response to
prophet Zachariah as stated in v. 9 above. And it is a sheer perversion to
interpret it as: "So shall it be that a man will touch you and a son will be
born to you." For, if it were to mean: "You will bear a son like all other women
of the world," the subsequent two sentences: "Your Lord says, 'This is an easy
thing for Me to do, and We will make that boy a Sign for the people'," would
have become meaningless: Had this birth been an ordinary birth like the birth of
every other child, there would have been no occasion to boast: "It is an easy
thing, and that it will be made a Sign (miracle). This will be so because the
child will speak in the cradle."
16When she conceived the child, she left
the Sanctuary and went to a distant place (Bethlehem) in order to escape the
bitter criticism of the people. They would have said, "Look at the virgin
daughter of the pious house of Aaron! She has conceived a child and that, too,
in the Sanctuary where she had retired for devotion!" Thus she temporarily
succeeded in concealing the shame of the conception, but this event itself is a
proof that prophet Jesus was born without a father. Had Mary been married and
had a husband, she would not have left his or her parents house by herself and
chosen a distant place for the purpose of delivery.
17The words "Would
that..." show the extreme state of anxiety in which Mary found herself at the
time. She did not utter these words on account of the labor pains but due to the
pangs of sorrow as to how she would conceal the child from her people. The
angel's words---"Grieve not at all"explain why she had spoken these desperate
words. When a married girl is delivering her first baby, she might be dying with
pains, but she is never so sorrowful and grieved.
18That is, "You need
not say anything with regard to the child. It is now Our responsibility to
answer the critics." This also indicates why Mary was so sad and grieved. Had
she been married and given birth to her first baby like any other mother, there
was no occasion to tell her to observe "a fast of silence", though it was a
common custom among the Jews."
19"Sister of Aaron" may either mean that
Mary had a brother of the name of Aaron, or it may mean that she belonged to the
family of Prophet Aaron. The first meaning is supported by a tradition of the
Holy Prophet and the second is plausible because that is supported by the Arabic
idiom. But we are inclined to the second meaning, for the wording of the said
tradition does not necessarily mean that she actually had a brother named Aaron.
The tradition as related in Muslim, Nasa'i, Tirmizi, etc. says that when the
Christians of Najran criticized the Quranic version of stating Mary as the
sister of Aaron before Hadrat Mughirah bin Shu`bah, he was not able to satisfy
them, because Prophet Aaron had passed away centuries earlier. When he presented
the problem before the Holy Prophet, he replied, "Why didn't you say that the
Israelites named their children after their Prophets and other pious men?" That
is, "You could have answered their objection like this as well." (See also E.N.
32 of Al-i-Imran).
19aHow can the people who reject the miraculous birth
of Prophet Jesus, explain why Mary's whole community had come out to curse and
condemn her when she had appeared before them with the child?
20People
who misinterpret the Qur'an translate this verse as: "How shall we talk with
him, who is but a child of yesterday?".They attribute these words to the elderly
people of the Jews, who said years later, when Jesus was a grown up boy, that
they could not have any useful dialogue with a mere kid. But the person who
keeps the whole context in view, will realize that this interpretation is absurd
and has been given merely to avoid the miracle. As a matter of fact, the
dialogue took place when the people were condemning Mary who being unmarried,
had brought forth a child, and not when the child had grown up into manhood. V.
46 of AI-i-`Imran (III) and v. 110 of Al-Ma'idah (V) also support the view that
Prophet Jesus had uttered these words as a baby in the cradle and not when grown
up. In the first verse, the angel while giving the good news of a son to Mary,
says: "He will speak to the people alike when in the cradle and when grown up";
in the other verse, Allah Himself says to Prophet Jesus: ".......you talked to
the people even in the cradle as you talked when you were grown up."
20aThe words used are: "......dutiful to my mother", and not."dutiful to my
parents" . This is another proof of the fact that Jesus had no father, and for
the same reason he has been called `Jesus son of Mary' everywhere in the Qur'an.
21This speech in the cradle by Jesus was the `Sign' to which the angel
referred in v. 21. As Allah intended to punish the children of Israel for their
continuous wicked ways and evil deeds, He made a pious virgin girl of the family
of Prophet Aaron, who had devoted herself to worship in the Temple under the
patronage of Zachariah, bear a child and bring it before her people in order to
concentrate the whole attention of the thousands of people assembled there on
this extraordinary event. Then He made this new born child speak out even in the
cradle that he had been appointed a Prophet. Though they had seen this wonderful
Sign of Allah, they rejected the Prophethood of Jesus and brought him to the
court for crucifixion, and thus incurred the wrath of Allah. (For further
details, please see Al-i-Imran (III): E.N.'s 44 and 53, and An-Nina (IV): E.N.'s
212,213).
22In vv.1-35, it has been shown that the "Doctrine of the son
of God" in regard to Prophet Jesus is absolutely wrong. For just as the
miraculous birth of Prophet John did not make him the `son of God', so the
miraculous birth of Prophet Jesus could not make him the son of God. For the
births of both were the result of the same sort of miracle as they have been
mentioned together in the same context in the Gospel of Luke. Therefore, it is
mere distortion that the Christians should regard one as the servant of God and
the other as the son of God.
23This declaration by Jesus has been cited
to tell the Christians that Jesus also taught the same Doctrine of Tauhid as was
taught by all other Prophets. And it was they who had invented the doctrine of
shirk by making him the son of God. (Please also refer to Al-i-`Imran (III):
E.N. 68, and Al-Ma'idah (V): E.N.'s 100, 101 and 130).
24That is, the
sects of the Christians.
25Here the address which was meant to be
delivered before King Negus and his courtiers comes to an end. In the
Introduction to this Surah, we have already stated the historical background of
this address. In order to form an idea of its great significance, it should be
kept in mind that:
(a) this address was sent down at the time when the
persecuted Muslims of Makkah were going to migrate to a Christian kingdom so
that they may present before the Christians the true Islamic creed about Prophet
Jesus. This shows that the Muslims under no circumstances should conceal the
Truth;
(b) it shows a most wonderful moral courage of the Muslim Migrants
to Habash that they recited this address in the royal court at the critical
moment, when the courtiers who had been bribed were bent on handing them over to
their enemies. They indeed were faced with the real threat that this frank
Islamic criticism of the basic articles of the Christian Faith might turn the
king against them and he might hand them over to the Quraish. But in spite of
this, they presented the whole truth before the king without the least
hesitation.
26From here the address is directed towards the people of
Makkah, who had forced their own near and dear relatives to emigrate from their
homes, just as Prophet Abraham had been exiled by his own father and brethren.
The story of Prophet Abraham has been selected for this purpose because the
Quraish professed to accept him as their religious leader and were proud of
being his descendants.
27It should be noted that the literal translation
of the Arabic text is: "Do not worship Satan", though Abraham's father and the
other people did not worship Satan in the same sense as they worshiped idols.
But as they followed and obeyed Satan, he accused them of worshiping Satan. Thus
it is clear that if somebody follows and obeys , Satan, he virtually worships
him. For Satan has never been a deity in the sense that people have made him an
object of worship; nay, they have always been cursing him and following him at
the same time. (For further details see Surah Al-Kahf (XVIII) E.N.'s 49-50).
27aFor explanation, please see Surah At-Taubah (IX): E.N. 112.
28This
is to give comfort to the Migrants who had been forced to migrate from their
homes. They were told that they would be honored and blessed with true renown
just as Prophet Abraham had been blessed with true renown after his Migration.
29The word used is mukhlas, which means "purified". In other words, Allah
had specially chosen Prophet Moses for the Mission of Prophethood.
30"Rasul" literally means `the one who is sent'; therefore it is used for an
ambassador, envoy, messenger and representative. The Qur'an has used this title
for angels, who are sent by Allah on a special mission, or for the human beings
who brought His Message to mankind.
As regards the word "Nabi", it
literally means the one who brings news, or the one who is high in rank, or the
one who shows the way. This title is used for the Prophets in all the three
senses. Thus Moses was a Messenger Prophet because he was a Messenger of high
rank who gave news from Allah and showed the Right Way to the people.
The
Qur'an does not necessarily differentiate between the use of the two titles, for
sometimes it uses the title Rasul for one person at one place and the title Nabi
for the same person at another place, and sometimes uses both the titles
together for one and the same person. However, at some places each title has
been used in a way as to show that there is some technical distinction between
the two, though that has not been precisely marked out, except that every Rasul
(Messenger) is a Nabi (Prophet) as well, but every Nabi may not be a Rasul, and
that a Rasul has a special and more important mission to perform. This is
supported by a Tradition of the Holy Prophet, which has been reported by Imam
Ahmad from Abu Umamah and by Hakim from Hadrat Abu Zarr. When the Holy Prophet
was asked how many "Messengers" and "Prophets" had been sent to the world, he
said that the number of the Messengers was 313 or 315 and of the Prophets
124,000
31"The right side of Tur" means the eastern side of the mountain.
As Prophet Moses, on his way from Midian to Egypt, was passing from the southern
side of Mt. Tur, the eastern side would lie on his right and the western on his
left if he faced the mountain, otherwise a mountain by itself cannot have a
right or a left side.
32See E.N. 206 of Surah An-Nisa (IV)
33There
is a difference of opinion as to who Prophet Idris was. Some commentators opine
that he was a Prophet from among the Israelites, but the majority of them are
inclined to the view that he was a Prophet before Noah. There is no authentic
Tradition which may help determine his identity. The next verse (58), however,
supports the view that he appeared before Prophet Noah. For of all the Prophets
mentioned, he alone was the one who may be said to be "from the descendants of
Adam."
The commentators are of the opinion that Idris was Enoch of the
Old Testament, about whom it is said:
"And Enoch lived sixty and five
years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah
three hundred years.... and he was not; for God took him." (Gen. 5: 21-24)
In Talmud, there are greater details about Enoch, which are briefly as
follows: "Before Noah when the descendants of Adam began to degenerate, the
angel of God called to Enoch, who led a pious life away from the people, and
said, 'O Enoch, arise, come out from seclusion, and go about among the people of
the earth, guiding them to the path which they should follow and the ways which
they should adopt.'
"Receiving this Divine Command, Enoch left his
seclusion and gathered the people together and preached to them what he had been
commanded, with the result that they listened to him and adopted the worship of
God. Enoch ruled over mankind for 353 years: his rule was based on justice and
truth, and consequently God favored mankind with all kinds of blessings." (H.
Polano: The Talmud Selections, pp. 18-21)
34The plain meaning is that
God had favored Idris with a high rank, but according to the Israelite
traditions, God took up Idris (Enoch) to heavens. The Bible says: "...and he was
not; for God took him", but the Talmud has a long story to tell, which ends with
the words: "Enoch ascended to heaven in a whirlwind, with chariot and horses of
fire."
35It appears that the degenerate people totally discarded Salat,
or they had become neglectful and careless in its observance. This is the first
evil that is committed by a degenerate people; for, after this there remains no
connection whatever between them and God. Here it has been stated as a universal
principle that the degeneration of the people of all the former Prophets started
with the abandonment of Salat by them.
36This was the inevitable result
of the loss of the connection with Allah. As they became more and more
neglectful of their Salat, their lusts took complete hold of them and they fell
to the lowest depths of moral depravity and began to follow their whims instead
of the Divine Commands.
37That is, the promised Gardens which are yet
unseen by His servants.
38The word used is salam, which means ' free from
defect and fault' . It implies to mean that the greatest blessing that man will
enjoy in Paradise will be that there he will hear no idle, vile or indecent
talk; all the dwellers of Paradise will be neat and clean and pure people and
every individual will be gentle and right-minded by nature; everybody will be
secure against backbiting, slander and indecent songs and other ugly sounds.
Whatever men will hear will be good, sensible and right.
This is indeed a
great blessing which only that person can fully appreciate, who possesses a neat
and fine taste, because only such a one can feel the misery of living among a
dirty society, where his ears are never immune against lies, backbiting,
slander, and mischievous and sensual talk.
39This paragraph is a
parenthesis, which has been inserted at the end of one theme and before the
commencement of the other. It is obvious from this that this Surah was sent down
after a long delay. At that time the Holy Prophet and his Companions were
passing through very hard times and were always expecting a Revelation to guide
and comfort them. When Gabriel (peace be upon him) came with the angels with
this Revelation, he at first delivered that part of the Message which was
immediately needed. Then before proceeding further, he said these words by the
leave of Allah as an explanation for the delay and to give them comfort from
Allah and counsel of fortitude. This interpretation is not only borne out by the
wording of the passage but also by some Traditions of the Holy Prophet, which
have been cited by Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir, and the author of Ruh ulMa `ani in
their commentary on this passage.
40That is, You should not only follow
strictly the Way of service and face all the obstacles and afflictions with
patience, but also should not get uneasy, if there is a delay in Revelation and
help. You should rest content with His service as an obedient servant and
perform persistently the duties and responsibilities entrusted to you as a
Servant and Messenger.
41The word Sami literally means a name sake. Here
it implies: "Allah is the only Deity: do you know of any other deity besides
Him? If there is none, and you know that there is none, then you do not have any
alternative but to serve Him and obey His Commands."
42The "Satans" are
the leaders who persuade the wicked people to enjoy themselves in this worldly
life, for there is no life in the Hereafter, where they shall have to present
themselves before Allah and give an account of their deeds.
43The leader
of every rebel band.
44According to some traditions, "to be presented
before the confines of Hell" means `to enter Hell', but none of these traditions
is authentic. Then this interpretation goes against the Qur'an and a great many
authentic Traditions, which clearly state that the true Believers will never be
cast into Hell. Lexically also, vurud (being presented unto) is not synonymous
with dukhul (causing to enter). Therefore, the correct meaning would be that
every human being will be presented before Hell, but then, as the next verse
clarifies, the pious people will be rescued and the transgressors left therein
on their knees.
45In response to the recital of clear Revelations,
instead of accepting their Message, the unbelievers put such questions as these
to the Believers to show that they were in the right: Who has grander houses to
live in? Who has a higher standard of life? Who enjoys splendid meetings? If we
are enjoying all these things while you are deprived of them, you may decide for
yourselves whether we, who are enjoying happy worldly lives, are in the wrong,
or you who are living miserable lives of indigence are in the right? (Also see
Surah Al-Kahf (XVIII): E.N.'s 37-38).
46That is, "On every critical
occasion, Allah guides them to make right decisions and helps them to adopt the
right way, and protects them from evil and wrong things; thus they go on making
more and more progress on the right way."
47The boastful person was not a
particular man but a typical chief of the disbelievers of Makkah. Everyone of
them claimed, "Howsoever you may call the an erroneous and un-righteous person
and threaten me with the Divine scourge, the tact is that I am more prosperous
than you today and shall continue being blessed with favors in future as well.
lust have a look at my riches, at my grandeur and at my estate, and at my
well-known sons, and then say where you see any signs of the wrath of God.
48That is, the boastful words of his shall also be included in the record of
his crimes and he shall have to bear the consequences of his arrogant claim.
49The Arabic word 'Izzan (from 'Izat) implies a powerful and strong person
whom nobody may dare do any harm; here it means a person's having such a strong
supporter that no enemy or opponent of his may even cherish an evil intention
against him.
50That is, they will say, "We never asked them to worship us
nor were we aware that these foolish people were worshiping us."
51That
is: "Endure their persecutions patiently a little more, for the time of their
punishment is coming near, for We have given them respite for a fixed term, and
let that term expire."
52This implies two things: (1) Intercession will
be allowed only for the one who might have received permission for it from the
Merciful, that is, the one who believed in Allah in the world and made himself
deserving of His pardon. (2) Only that one will be able to plead intercession
who might have got permission for this from the Merciful, and not those ones
whom people themselves had made their intercessors without any reason.
53This is to comfort the righteous people who were being persecuted and insulted
in the streets of Makkah. They are being assured that the time is coming near
when the people will honor and love them because of their righteous deeds and
good conduct. Hearts will be attracted towards them and the world will hold them
in high esteem. And this will happen according to a universal principle. Those
who are wicked, proud and haughty and try to rule over the people with falsehood
and hypocrisy can never captivate the hearts of the people; on the other hand,
those who invite the people to the right way with truth, honesty, sincerity and
good conduct succeed in winning their hearts in the end, even though at first
they might have to face the indifference and opposition of the dishonest people.