15
Ḥijr
al-Ḥijr
Al-Ḥijr is the last in a series of six sūrahs whose opening verses include the letters alif, lām, and rāʾ, and which speak of the Book. Like the previous five sūrahs in this series, it belongs to the Makkan period (JJ) and seeks to address the Makkan idolaters’ negative reactions to the Prophet’s message. The sūrah begins with a discussion of the inevitability of God’s Punishment and the inescapability of His Decree, after whose declaration it will be too late to submit to God or defer His Chastisement (vv. 2–5). It then offers responses to the Makkan idolaters’ challenge that the Prophet bring angels to them (vv. 7–8) and reminds them that nothing the Prophet brings them would cause them to gain faith and believe (vv. 14–15).
The sūrah also seeks to console the Prophet in light of the insults and mockery (v. 7) he received from the Makkan idolaters (vv. 95–97), reminding him that this was a common phenomenon among prophets (v. 11). The rebelliousness of the Makkan idolaters in face of the truth is then juxtaposed with the refusal of Iblīs to bow before Adam when Adam was created by God (vv. 28–43). The sūrah goes on to recount the stories of the prophets Abraham (vv. 51–60), Lot (vv. 61–77), and Shuʿayb (vv. 78–79). The account of the inhabitants of al-Ḥijr (vv. 80–84), the community to whom the Prophet Ṣāliḥ had been sent, then follows. They bear this name because they inhabited a rocky plain (ḥijr, from which the sūrah derives its title). The sūrah ends by encouraging the Prophet to have forbearance, to worship, to be resolute in spreading the message, and to not grieve over his people’s rejection of it (vv. 88–99).
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
¡ Alif. Lām. Rā. These are the signs of the Book and a clear Quran. * It may be that those who disbelieve will wish that they had submitted. + Leave them to eat and enjoy themselves and to be beguiled by hopes, for soon they will know. J Never did We destroy a town, but that it had a known decree. Z No community can hasten its term, nor delay it. j And they say, “O you unto whom the Reminder has been sent down, truly you are possessed. z Why do you not bring us the angels, if you are among the truthful?” { We do not send down the angels, save in truth, and were We to do so, they would be granted no respite. | Truly it is We Who have sent down the Reminder, and surely We are its Preserver. Ċ We indeed sent [messengers] before thee to communities among those of old. Ě And never did a messenger come unto them, but that they mocked him. Ī Thus do We place it into the hearts of the guilty. ĺ They believe not in it, though the wont of those of old has already passed away. Ŋ Were We to open for them a gate unto Heaven, that they might continue to ascend through it, Ś they would say, “Our eyes are merely spellbound. Nay, we are a people bewitched!” Ū We have set constellations in the sky, and We have adorned them for the onlookers. ź And We have preserved them from every satan outcast, Ɗ save he who gains a hearing by stealth, and then a manifest flaming star pursues him. ƚ And the earth We spread out, and cast therein firm mountains, and We caused to grow therein all manner of things in due balance. Ȋ And We placed therein means of livelihood for you and for those for whom you provide not. ! Naught is there, but that its treasuries lie with Us, and We do not send it down, save in a known measure. " And We sent forth the winds, fertilizing. And We sent down water from the sky, providing you with sufficient drink thereby, and you are not the keepers of its stores. # Surely it is We Who give life and cause death, and We are the Inheritor. $ We indeed know those among you who advance, and We indeed know those who lag behind, % and verily it is thy Lord who will gather them. Truly He is Wise, Knowing. & And We indeed created man from dried clay, made of molded mud, ' and the jinn We created earlier from scorching fire. ( And [remember] when thy Lord said unto the angels, “Behold! I am creating a human being from dried clay, made of molded mud; ) so when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My Spirit, fall down before him prostrating.” Ð Thereupon the angels prostrated, all of them together, Ñ save Iblīs. He refused to be with those who prostrated. Ò He said, “O Iblīs! What ails you that you are not with those who prostrate?” Ó He said, “I am not one to prostrate to a human being whom Thou hast created from dried clay, made of molded mud.” Ô He said, “Go forth from it! Surely thou art outcast, Õ and surely the curse shall be upon thee till the Day of Judgment!” Ö He said, “My Lord! Grant me respite till the Day they are resurrected.” × He said, “Then verily thou art among those granted respite Ø till the Day of the Moment Known.” Ù He said, “My Lord! Since Thou hast caused me to err, I shall surely make things seem fair unto them on earth, and I shall cause them to err all together, @ save Thy sincere servants among them.” A He said, “This is a straight path unto Me. B As for My servants, truly thou hast no authority over them, save for those in error who follow thee. C And verily Hell shall be their tryst, all together.” D Seven gates it has, and for each gate is appointed a separate portion of them. E Truly the reverent shall be amidst gardens and springs: F “Enter them in peace, secure”— G We shall remove whatever rancor lies within their breasts—“as brothers, upon couches, facing one another.” H No weariness shall befall them therein; nor shall they be expelled therefrom. I Tell My servants that I am indeed the Forgiving, the Merciful, P and that My Punishment is the painful punishment. Q And tell them of the guests of Abraham, R when they entered upon him and said, “Peace!” He said, “Verily of you we are afraid.” S They said, “Be not afraid. Truly we bring thee glad tidings of a knowing son.” T He said, “Do you bring me glad tidings when old age has befallen me? So of what do you bring me glad tidings?” U They said, “We bring thee glad tidings in truth; so be not among those who despair.” V He said, “Who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord, save those who are astray?” W He said, “What is your errand, O messengers?” X They said, “We have been sent unto a guilty people, Y save for the family of Lot. We shall surely save them, all together, ` except for his wife; We have determined that she is indeed among those who lagged behind.” a So when the messengers came to the family of Lot, b he said, “Verily you are an unfamiliar folk.” c They said, “Nay, but we bring thee that which they used to doubt. d And we bring thee the truth, and surely we are truthful. e So set out with thy family during the night, and follow behind them, and let not any of you turn around, but go forth wheresoever you are commanded.” f And We decreed this matter unto him: that the last remnant of those people will be rooted out in the morning. g And the people of the city came, rejoicing. h He said, “Truly these are my guests; so dishonor me not! i Reverence God, and disgrace me not.” p They said, “Did we not forbid you from [providing protection] to all the people?” q He said, “These are my daughters, if you must act.” r By thy life, they wandered confused in their drunkenness. s So the Cry seized them at sunrise, t then We made its uppermost to be its lowermost, and We rained down upon them stones of baked clay. u Truly in that are signs for those who discern, v and verily they are on a path still standing. w Truly in that is a sign for the believers. x And verily the inhabitants of the thicket were wrongdoers. y So We took vengeance upon them. Truly the two of them are on a clear road. À And indeed the inhabitants of al-Ḥijr denied the messengers. Á And We gave them Our signs, but they used to turn away therefrom. Â And they would hew dwellings in the mountains, [feeling] secure. Ã Yet the Cry seized them in the morning, Ä and that which they used to earn availed them not. Å And We did not create the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is between them, save in truth. And surely the Hour is coming; so forbear with beautiful forbearance. Æ Truly thy Lord is the knowing Creator. Ç And We have indeed given thee the seven oft-repeated, and the Mighty Quran. È Strain not thine eyes toward the enjoyments We have bestowed upon certain classes of them, and grieve not for them, and lower thy wing unto the believers, É and say, “Truly I am the clear warner.” Ґ Such as We have sent down for those who make division, ґ who made the Quran into fragments. Ғ So by thy Lord, We shall question them all ғ concerning that which they used to do. Ҕ So proclaim as thou hast been commanded, and turn away from the idolaters. ҕ Truly We shall suffice thee against those who mock, Җ those who set up another god along with God; yet soon they will know. җ And certainly We know that thy breast is straitened because of what they say. Ҙ So hymn the praise of thy Lord, and be among those who prostrate. ҙ And worship thy Lord, till certainty comes unto thee.
Commentary
¡ Alif. Lām. Rā. These are the signs of the Book and a clear Quran.
1 The Arabic letters alif, lām, and rāʾ, which also appear in 10:1; 11:1; 12:1; 13:1; and 14:1, are among the separated letters (al-muqaṭṭaʿāt) found at the beginning of twenty-nine sūrahs; their true meaning, most commentators maintain, is known ultimately only to God; see 2:1c. The Book and a clear Quran (see also 36:69) may refer to the same reality, either the Quran (Bḍ, R, Z) or this particular sūrah (Bḍ). Others understand the Book to refer to the revelations prior to the Quran, such as the Torah and the Gospel (Q, Ṭ). A clear Quran denotes the Quran’s ability to make known with clarity what is true as distinct from what is false (JJ).
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* It may be that those who disbelieve will wish that they had submitted.
+ Leave them to eat and enjoy themselves and to be beguiled by hopes, for soon they will know.
2–3 That the disbelievers will wish that they had submitted is a reference to their state at the time of death or on the Day of Judgment (Kl); see also 4:42; 78:40. The injunction to leave the disbelievers in their state of rebellion is a recurrent theme in the Quran (see also 6:91, 112, 137; 23:54; 43:83; 52:45; 70:42), which is parallel to God’s leaving them in this state (cf. 2:15; 6:110; 7:186; 10:11; 27:4). Here they are to be left to eat and enjoy themselves—that is, to be immersed in this worldly life (Bḍ)—and beguiled by hopes, preoccupied with the thought that they will live long lives, while failing to prepare for their final return to God (Bḍ); cf. 31:24: We grant them enjoyment a little; then We compel them toward a grave punishment (see also 3:178; 10:69–70; 16:55; 26:205–7). Being beguiled by one’s false hopes is known in Islamic spiritual psychology as the malady of “extended hope” (ṭūl al-amal), which can also be thought of as “overconfidence,” and which ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib says is what causes one to forget about the Hereafter (R). The warning that soon they will know is a theme frequently encountered in the Quran (see 15:96; 29:66; 37:170; 40:70; 43:89). V. 3 is similar to 29:66: So let them be ungrateful for that which We have given them, and let them enjoy themselves, for soon they will know!
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J Never did We destroy a town, but that it had a known decree.
4 A known decree refers to the appointed time for the town’s destruction as inscribed upon the Preserved Tablet (see 85:22c; Q, Z). This means that God will not destroy a community until its appointed time arrives (Ṭ); cf. 17:15.
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Z No community can hasten its term, nor delay it.
5 Since the term of each community is fixed, its members cannot do anything to hurry or delay it, as in 7:34: And for every community there is a term appointed. When their term comes, they shall not delay it by a single hour, nor shall they advance it (see also 10:49; 16:61).
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j And they say, “O you unto whom the Reminder has been sent down, truly you are possessed.
6 The Reminder here refers to the Quran (JJ; see also v. 9; 7:2c; 16:44; 20:3; 36:11), whereas elsewhere in the Quran the Reminder can also refer to the scriptures preceding the Quran (16:43; 21:2, 7; 40:53). It is reported that the Makkan idolaters heard the Prophet say, “Verily God (Most High) has sent down the Reminder unto me” (R). This then prompted his opponents’ reference to him as the one unto whom the Reminder has been sent down. This was not an affirmation of their belief in him as God’s Messenger; rather, as al-ṭabrisī notes, it was a way of mocking him. For the accusation that the Prophet was possessed, see 23:70; 34:8; 44:14; 51:39; 68:51. Elsewhere, the Quran states that this charge of being possessed is also leveled against the other prophets by the people to whom they were sent, as in 51:52: Likewise, there came no messenger unto those before them, but that they said, “A sorcerer or one possessed.” More specifically, this accusation is also leveled against Moses (26:27) and Noah (54:9).
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z Why do you not bring us the angels, if you are among the truthful?”
{ We do not send down the angels, save in truth, and were We to do so, they would be granted no respite.
7–8 The pre-Islamic Arabs understood angels to be the “daughters of God” (see 4:117; 16:57–59; 17:40; 37:149–53; 52:39; 53:19–21, 27; commentary on 43:16–17). V. 7 cites the desire to see an angel as one of the many disingenuous requests made by the Makkan idolaters of the Prophet (see 17:92, where they ask the Prophet to bring God and the angels); for more of these kinds of challenges, see 13:31c; 17:90–93c. The demand described in this verse is a variation on a theme related to the Makkans’ asking why an angel was not sent with the Prophet (6:8; 11:12; 21:3; 25:7, 21; 43:53), and why angels were not sent as messengers instead of human beings (see 17:94–95c).
Perhaps in response to their request, the Prophet is told to say in 17:95: Were there angels walking about upon the earth in peace, We would have sent down upon them an angel from Heaven as a messenger. Although they demanded to see the angels as a proof of the Prophet’s truthfulness, this request was motivated by the desire to mock (see v. 6), and they would not necessarily have believed in his message even if angels did come down to them (see 6:111). V. 8 also forms a response to the Makkan idolaters’ challenge, namely, that God will only send the angels in truth—that is, in this case with God’s Punishment (JJ, Ṭ)—at which time the disbelievers would be granted no respite from the event, which is to say that they would not be able to delay it (JJ). See also 6:8: Had We sent down an angel, then the matter would be decreed, and they would be granted no respite.
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| Truly it is We Who have sent down the Reminder, and surely We are its Preserver.
9 For the Reminder as a reference to the Quran, see v. 6. We are its Preserver, which is one of the Quranic phrases most often quoted by Muslims as proof of the inviolability of the Quranic text, is understood to mean that God will protect the Quran from any alterations or additions to its words, as in 41:42: Falsehood comes not upon it from before it or from behind it; a revelation from One Wise, Praised; and 4:82: Do they not contemplate the Quran? Had it been from other than God, they would surely have found much discrepancy therein (R); see also 18:1; 75:17. Based upon the understanding of this and other verses, Muslims maintain that the Quran is not susceptible to being falsified, owing to the widespread manner in which it has been memorized, studied, and proliferated among believers (R). It is also said that God’s Protection of the Quran extends to the miraculous nature of its order, which protects the Quran just as the walls surrounding a city fortify and protect the city (R). According to another interpretation, God preserves the Quran through the Quran reciters (qurrāʾ), who traditionally memorize it and whose hearts are “the treasuries of His Book” (Qu). See also the essay “The Islamic View of the Quran.”
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Ċ We indeed sent [messengers] before thee to communities among those of old.
Ě And never did a messenger come unto them, but that they mocked him.
10–11 The stories of the messengers whom God sent to their respective communities are related throughout the Quran. In this sūrah, the stories of Abraham, Lot, Shuʿayb, and Ṣāliḥ are told in vv. 51–84. The common thread in these narratives is that the prophets were mocked by their people (just as Muhammad was mocked by his people, as described in v. 6), but that in the end God destroyed these people for their mockery. For the manner in which those who mocked God’s messengers were punished, see 6:10; 11:8; 16:34; 39:48; 40:83; 45:33; 46:26.
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Ī Thus do We place it into the hearts of the guilty.
ĺ They believe not in it, though the wont of those of old has already passed away.
12–13 Cf. 26:200 and commentary. The it in We place it into the hearts of the guilty can refer to misguidance, disbelief, mockery, or idolatry (Q). Alternately, it can refer to the Quran (Kl, R, Ṭb, Z), since the pronoun may refer to the Reminder mentioned in v. 9. According to this interpretation, God causes the Quran to enter the hearts of the guilty, meaning that He causes them to hear it, but on account of their hardened hearts, ignorance, and obstinacy they disbelieve in it (R) and mock it (Kl). This latter interpretation is supported by the understanding that in it in v. 13 refers to the Quran (Bḍ, R, Ṭb, Ṭs). In other words, vv. 12–13 refer to the Quran, which, although accessible to the guilty, is denied by them. The verb in the phrase We place it into (naslukuhu) might also be understood to mean “cause it to pass through,” as a thread passes through the eye of a needle or a spear passes through what it pierces (R). For the wont of those of old, see 8:38c; 35:43c.
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Ŋ Were We to open for them a gate unto Heaven, that they might continue to ascend through it,
Ś they would say, “Our eyes are merely spellbound. Nay, we are a people bewitched!”
14–15 They refers to those who requested that the Prophet come with angels (see 15:7c; Bg). Taken together, vv. 14–15 mean that even if God were to cause them to ascend to Heaven and witness all of its wonders, they would still reject what they saw because they were in a state of denial and doubt regarding the truth, claiming that they had merely been thrown into a state of bewilderment through sorcery (siḥr), of which they were known to have accused the Prophet (Aj). For the Makkans’ labeling of the Prophet as a sorcerer, see 10:2; 38:4; 40:24; 51:39; 51:52. For similar accusations of sorcery made against Moses, Jesus, and other Divine messengers, see 5:110c.
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Ū We have set constellations in the sky, and We have adorned them for the onlookers.
16 Constellations (burūj; see also 25:61c; 85:1c) is believed by many to refer to the twelve constellations of the zodiac (Kl).
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ź And We have preserved them from every satan outcast,
Ɗ save he who gains a hearing by stealth, and then a manifest flaming star pursues him.
17–18 These verses address the role played by the jinn, here referred to as “satans,” in providing information for fortune-tellers and sorcerers. See the commentary on the similar verses at 37:6–10 and the introduction to Sūrah 72.
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ƚ And the earth We spread out, and cast therein firm mountains, and We caused to grow therein all manner of things in due balance.
19 Cf. 50:7. The reference to the earth being spread out by God is generally believed to mean that the earth was spread out over the surface of the water (N). Mountains are fixed firmly in the earth so that the earth does not quake (Q; cf. 16:15); as a spiritual metaphor, mountains are often interpreted as a reference to God’s signs, the Sacred Law, and prophethood, since, like mountains, these realities are fixed and firmly rooted and also cause human life to be firm and rooted in the truth; see 14:46c; 21:30–31c. In due balance refers to something that is weighed on the scales of God’s Wisdom and apportioned accordingly (Z), or it can refer more specifically to a measure of something that is weighed (Bg). Therein in We caused to grow therein can refer to either the mountains or the earth (Aj). If the former, then all manner of things would refer to the different kinds of rocks and minerals that one finds on and in mountains (Q), such as gold, silver, copper, and iron (Z). If, however, therein refers to the earth, then all manner of things refers specifically to the fruits and vegetation that grow on the earth (Q; see 15:21c). V. 20 indicates that this reading is the more likely of the two.
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Ȋ And We placed therein means of livelihood for you and for those for whom you provide not.
20 Cf. 7:10c. Therein refers to the earth, and means of livelihood pertains to the food and drink through which people maintain life (Q). Those for whom you provide not refers to one’s cattle and beasts of burden (Ṭ), or to one’s dependants, such as family members (Z). Concerning those who “provide” for their dependants, al-Zamakhsharī says, “They deem that they are providing sustenance for them, but they err. God is the Provider, and He provides for both of them.” See also 51:58: Truly God is the Provider, the Possessor of Strength, the Firm.
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! Naught is there, but that its treasuries lie with Us, and We do not send it down, save in a known measure.
21 Naught is there, but that its treasuries lie with Us is understood by some to be a specific reference to rain (Kl, R, Th), which causes vegetation to grow on the earth and produces the means of livelihood mentioned in vv. 19–20 (R; see also 15:22c). More generally, it refers to every existing thing (IJ), meaning that there is nothing that God cannot bring into existence (Bḍ). In this reading, God’s treasuries symbolize God’s Power, and the treasures within them symbolize what is subsumed under His Power (maqdūrāt), all of which can be brought into existence by Him easily (Bḍ). See also 6:50; 11:31; 52:37; 63:7, which speak of God’s treasuries, and 17:100; 38:9, which speak of the treasuries of God’s Mercy. In Islamic theology God’s Power (qudrah) is directed by His Will (irādah), which is determined by His Knowledge (ʿilm). Many Islamic thinkers, such as those in the school of Ibn ʿArabī, have conceived of the treasuries metaphysically as the archetypes or unmanifested essences of all things in God’s Knowledge.
Following this latter interpretation, the reference to “sending down” in We . . . send it down signifies creation (as in 39:6; 57:25; R), meaning that God brings things into existence after they had been nonexistent (R), that is, nonexistent in the world, but with their archetypes residing in His treasuries. For a known measure, see also 42:27: But He sends down whatsoever He will according to a measure; and 54:49: Truly We have created everything according to a measure (and the commentary on this verse). According to the famous Sufi Abū Saʿīd al-Kharrāz (d. 286/899), only those who do not fully believe the truth of this verse would depend on other than God for either their worldly or otherworldly affairs (Su).
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" And We sent forth the winds, fertilizing. And We sent down water from the sky, providing you with sufficient drink thereby, and you are not the keepers of its stores.
22 Winds are mentioned as signs of God and His Blessings in several places in the Quran; see 7:57; 25:48; 27:63; 30:46; 45:5. The winds are described as fertilizing in reference to the rain-laden clouds they carry (Ṭs), which some commentators juxtapose to the barren wind mentioned in 51:41 (Ṭ, Z). You are not the keepers of its stores means that people are not guardians of the rain, and that they cannot produce rain whenever they wish (Ās). See also 56:68–70: Have you considered the water that you drink? Is it you who sent it down from the clouds, or is it We Who send down? If We had willed We would have made it bitter; will you not, then, give thanks?
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# Surely it is We Who give life and cause death, and We are the Inheritor.
23 For give life and cause death, see 50:43c. The Inheritor, which is one of the Divine Names (see also 28:58; cf. 57:10), means that God is the only Reality unto which everything will return after all of creation has perished, and is the Reality that will remain after all of creation has perished (Aj, Āl, R), as in 28:88: All things perish, save His Face; cf. 55:26–27.
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$ We indeed know those among you who advance, and We indeed know those who lag behind,
% and verily it is thy Lord who will gather them. Truly He is Wise, Knowing.
24–25 Those among you who advance refers to those who are dedicated to acts of obedience to God, and those who lag behind to those who are not given to these acts (R). Alternately, the former can mean those who have already passed away, and the latter those who are still alive (R). Them refers to both of these groups, since all people will be raised from the dead and judged by God, who is the Reviver of the dead (30:50; see also 41:39).
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& And We indeed created man from dried clay, made of molded mud,
' and the jinn We created earlier from scorching fire.
26–27 The clay from which human beings have been created is variously described as simply clay (6:2); a draught of clay (23:12); a viscous clay (37:11); and dried clay, like earthen vessels (55:14); see 55:14c. Elsewhere, the jinn are described as created from smokeless fire (55:15).
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( And [remember] when thy Lord said unto the angels, “Behold! I am creating a human being from dried clay, made of molded mud;
28 The narrative in vv. 28–43 describing the fall of Iblīs from Heaven is similar to the one in 38:71–85; these two accounts are the only ones in which there is no specific reference to Adam. Other accounts throughout the Quran situate the story of Iblīs in the context of the creation, temptation, and banishment of Adam from the Garden; see 2:30–39; 7:11–25; 17:61–65; 20:115–24. The opening verse of the account here is almost identical to 38:71, the major difference being that the latter has clay whereas this verse has molded mud (see 23:12c). God tells the angels in these two verses that He is going to create a human being, but in 2:30 He informs them that He is going to place a vicegerent upon the earth (for the meaning of vicegerent in this context, see 2:30c.). Although the human being or vicegerent refers to Adam, it also represents humanity as such; see 7:11c.
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) so when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My Spirit, fall down before him prostrating.”
29 This verse is identical to 38:72; cf. 32:9. I have proportioned him is understood to be a reference to God’s creating the human being in the most perfect manner in order to receive His Spirit (Z); cf. 95:4: Truly We created man in the most beautiful stature. In interpreting I . . . breathed into him of My Spirit, many commentators see My Spirit as a reference to God’s Power, though others take the phrase more literally as the Spirit (al-rūḥ) and see it as explaining why Iblīs would be called upon to bow before Adam; see 38:72c.
God’s commanding the angels to bow before Adam is an essential part of the Quranic account of his creation; see 2:34; 7:11; 17:61; 18:50; 20:116; 38:73–74. The angels’ bowing implies that before falling from Heaven, human beings occupied a station higher than that of the angels, or that the angels were bowing to God but taking Adam as their qiblah (i.e., the direction of prayer); see 7:11c. See also 12:100, where Joseph’s family bows down to him in fulfillment of his dream in 12:4.
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Ð Thereupon the angels prostrated, all of them together,
Ñ save Iblīs. He refused to be with those who prostrated.
30–31 Iblīs is said to have refused God’s Command to prostrate before Adam and thus to have deviated from the Command of his Lord (18:50), because he waxed arrogant, and was among the disbelievers (2:34; cf. 7:13; 38:74); see also 20:115–16. That the angels prostrated, all of them together, save Iblīs suggests that Iblīs was among the angels, although in 18:50 he is said to be of the jinn. These verses have given rise to debate among Muslim scholars about whether Iblīs should be classified as an angel or as a jinn; see 2:30c; 7:11c.
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Ò He said, “O Iblīs! What ails you that you are not with those who prostrate?”
Ó He said, “I am not one to prostrate to a human being whom Thou hast created from dried clay, made of molded mud.”
32–33 Iblīs’s reply, that he is not one to prostrate to a human being whom God created from dried clay, made of molded mud, is motivated by pride and false analogical reasoning (see also 2:34; 38:74–76). Iblīs, as one of the jinn (18:50), perceives his origin from a smokeless fire (55:15) to be superior to an origin from clay, as when he says, I am better than him. Thou hast created me from fire, while Thou hast created him from clay (7:12; 38:76). In his commentary on 5:6, al-Maybudī notes that fire can symbolize pride and arrogance, since by nature fire flames up and reaches for the sky, whereas the clay from which Adam was made represents humility, since clay by nature is from the earth and therefore lowly; see also commentary on 7:12–13.
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Ô He said, “Go forth from it! Surely thou art outcast,
Õ and surely the curse shall be upon thee till the Day of Judgment!”
34–35 In 7:13, Iblīs’s arrogance is cited as the cause for his expulsion from Heaven, at which time God tells him, Thou art surely among those who are humbled. See also the almost identical verses 38:77–78, where Iblīs is banished with God’s curse upon him: Go forth from it! Surely thou art outcast! And surely My curse shall be upon thee till the Day of Judgment. Iblīs’s banishment from Heaven on account of his pride is in accordance with a well-known ḥadīth qudsī in which God says, “Pride is My mantle and greatness My garment. Whoever vies with Me for either of them, I shall cast him into the Fire.”
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Ö He said, “My Lord! Grant me respite till the Day they are resurrected.”
× He said, “Then verily thou art among those granted respite
Ø till the Day of the Moment Known.”
36–38 These verses are identical with 38:79–81. One of the signs of Iblīs’s pride is that when he is banished from Heaven by God, he does not ask God to forgive him for his pride, but rather asks for respite till the Day they are resurrected (see also 7:14; 38:79 for identical wording; see also 7:14–15c). Iblīs’s request here contrasts with the response in 7:23 of Adam and Eve after being fooled by Iblīs: Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If Thou dost not forgive us and have Mercy upon us, we shall surely be among the losers.
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Ù He said, “My Lord! Since Thou hast caused me to err, I shall surely make things seem fair unto them on earth, and I shall cause them to err all together,
@ save Thy sincere servants among them.”
39–40 Cf. 7:16–17. Unlike Adam and Eve, who attribute their mistake to themselves (7:23), Iblīs tells God, Thou hast caused me to err, which is consistent with Quranic verses that, on the surface, seem to indicate that God “misleads” certain people or allows them to go astray (see, e.g., 2:26; 40:74; 74:31). In a sense, God was the “cause” of Iblīs’s failure in that His Command to Iblīs to bow down to Adam was the means by which Iblīs’s inner pride became outwardly manifest (see 7:16c). It can be said that Iblīs’s resolve to misguide God’s creatures and make things seem fair unto them is the result of his state of despair after being banished from God’s Presence (“Iblīs” is said to be etymologically related to an Arabic root meaning “to despair,” though its true etymology most likely stems from the Greek diabolos, which had already entered into Arabic before the revelation of the Quran); cf. 15:56, where Abraham asks, Who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord, save those who are astray?
For other instances in the Quran where Iblīs makes people’s actions seem fair to them, see 6:43; 8:48; 16:63; 27:24; 29:38. This is one of many ways in which he can cause God’s servants to go astray. Other instances include his “whispering” to them (e.g., 114:4–5), as he does to Adam in 7:20 and 20:120; commanding indecency (2:268; 24:21); “deranging” human beings with his touch (2:275) or voice (17:64); making them slip (3:155); sowing fear (3:174); making them (false) promises (4:120; 14:22; 17:64); inciting evil between them (12:100; 17:53), sometimes through wine and gambling (5:90); causing them to forget God (6:68; 12:42; 18:63; 58:19); and even attempting to alter revelation (22:52). I shall cause them to err all together, save Thy sincere servants among them is identical to 38:82–83.
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A He said, “This is a straight path unto Me.
B As for My servants, truly thou hast no authority over them, save for those in error who follow thee.
41–42 The straight path to God here implies the true path of servitude and obedience to Him (R), by virtue of which one can avoid the evil insinuations of Satan. For Satan’s inability to exercise control over God’s servants, see also 16:99–100: Truly he has no authority over those who believe and trust in their Lord. His authority is only over those who take him as a protector, and those who take him as a partner.
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C And verily Hell shall be their tryst, all together.”
D Seven gates it has, and for each gate is appointed a separate portion of them.
43–44 Their in their tryst refers to Iblīs, his party, and those who follow him in error (v. 42; R); see also 7:18; 38:85. The mention of Hell’s seven gates alludes to the seven levels of Hell (Bg, JJ, Kl, Ṭ), which are a part of traditional Islamic eschatological beliefs. For each gate is appointed a separate portion of them means that the followers of Iblīs will occupy a level of Hell in accordance with the degree to which they followed him (Aj).
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E Truly the reverent shall be amidst gardens and springs:
F “Enter them in peace, secure”—
45–46 V. 45 is identical to 51:15; cf. 44:51–52. It is said that the springs refer to rivers of water, wine, milk, and honey in Paradise (Q), which are mentioned in 47:15: Therein lie rivers of water incorruptible, rivers of milk whose flavor does not change, rivers of wine delicious for those who imbibe, and rivers of purified honey.
Enter them in peace, secure is said to be the greeting that the reverent shall be met with by God (Q, R, Sh), the angels (Sh), or one of the angels (R) when they enter Paradise (see, e.g., 10:10c; 14:23; 33:44; 36:58; 39:73). For Paradise as the Abode of Peace, see 10:25c (see also 19:62; 56:26).
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G We shall remove whatever rancor lies within their breasts—“as brothers, upon couches, facing one another.”
47 By rancor is meant the hatred and enmity that existed among the believers during their earthly lives (Aj); see also the identical wording in part of 7:43 and its commentary; cf. 59:10. According to al-Rāzī, this verse alludes to the fact that since spirits in the Hereafter are free from the limitations of the faculties that characterize the embodied human state, they are also free from time-bound thoughts, which are what allow rancor to come about.
The couches upon which the inhabitants of Paradise will sit, facing one another (see also 37:41–44c) and reclining upon them (56:16), are elsewhere described as arrayed (52:20) and embroidered (56:15). According to al-Rāzī, brothers, upon couches, facing one another means that the souls in Paradise, being freed from bodily defilements, will be in such a pure state that they will become illumined by the Divine Lights of the next world and will reflect their light to the other purified souls.
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H No weariness shall befall them therein; nor shall they be expelled therefrom.
48 Weariness here means the fatigue and exhaustion that result from great exertion (R); see also 35:35. Al-Rāzī explains that their not being expelled therefrom means that the reverent will be in Paradise “eternally without loss, subsisting without annihilation, in a state of perfection without deficiency, and victorious without deprivation.”
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I Tell My servants that I am indeed the Forgiving, the Merciful,
P and that My Punishment is the painful punishment.
49–50 V. 49 is meant specifically to bring comfort and hope to God’s sinful servants, whose hearts will break upon reading in v. 48 of the rewards in store for the righteous, telling them, “If I am Thankful and Generous toward the obedient, then I am Forgiving and Merciful toward the sinful” (Qu). The Prophet is reported to have said that if the children of Adam did not sin, then God would replace them with a people who did sin and who then would repent to Him, so that He could forgive them. The Prophet also taught believers to pray, “O God, Thou art Forgiving. Thou lovest forgiveness; so forgive us.”
The mention of God’s Mercy and Forgiveness in v. 49 and the immediate reference to His Punishment in v. 50 indicate that, although God is Forgiving and Merciful, He is also Just and Severe toward those who disbelieve and are morally corrupt. In the end, however, God’s Mercy is given precedence over His Wrath, as mentioned in the ḥadīth qudsī in which God says, “Verily My Mercy precedeth My Wrath.” This is also why in the Quran it is said that God’s Mercy encompasses all things (7:156), while the same is not said of His Wrath; see also 6:12, 54, which say that God has prescribed Mercy for Himself, indicating that Mercy and Forgiveness, in contrast to Wrath, are essential aspects of the Divine Nature.
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Q And tell them of the guests of Abraham,
R when they entered upon him and said, “Peace!” He said, “Verily of you we are afraid.”
51–52 For the story of Abraham, see also 11:69–76; 14:35–41; 37:83–113; 51:24–36. Abraham’s guests, who are also referred to as God’s messengers (11:69) and Abraham’s honored guests (51:24), were a group of angels said in various traditional sources to number between three and twelve; see 11:69c; 51:24–25c. Abraham feared the guests because they did not eat of the roasted calf (11:69) or fattened calf (51:26) that he had offered them following the custom of his day. In the society in which Abraham lived, if guests did not eat the food that was brought to them by their host, it would have been considered a sign of hostility; see 11:70c; 51:27–28c.
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S They said, “Be not afraid. Truly we bring thee glad tidings of a knowing son.”
T He said, “Do you bring me glad tidings when old age has befallen me? So of what do you bring me glad tidings?”
53–54 The knowing son is a reference to Isaac (see 11:71). Abraham is said to have been 120 years old when the angels came to him, while his wife, Sarah, was 99 years old; see 51:29. Abraham’s question, So of what do you bring me glad tidings? expresses his shock (JJ); see also 11:71 where, upon receiving glad tidings of Isaac as well as his son Jacob, Sarah likewise expresses her astonishment: Oh, woe unto me! Shall I bear a child when I am an old woman, and this husband of mine is an old man? That would surely be an astounding thing.
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U They said, “We bring thee glad tidings in truth; so be not among those who despair.”
V He said, “Who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord, save those who are astray?”
55–56 In replying to the angels’ admonition to not be among those who despair, Abraham sought to clarify that his statement of shock (see 15:54c) was not on account of his despairing of God’s Mercy; rather, he found it hard to believe that he could have a son despite his old age (Q). By saying that only those who are astray despair of God’s Mercy, Abraham was distancing himself from any notion of despondency, since, as attested in 16:120–21, he was not among those who were astray. For the connection between despair and disbelief, see 12:87; 29:23.
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W He said, “What is your errand, O messengers?”
X They said, “We have been sent unto a guilty people,
57–58 These verses are identical to 51:31–32. In 11:70, the angels tell Abraham that they have been sent unto the people of Lot, by which they are indicating that they have come to destroy the people to whom they have been sent; see 11:70c. The story of Lot, the nephew of Abraham or his maternal cousin (see 7:80–81c), is also recounted in 7:80–84; 11:77–83; 26:160–73; 27:54–58; 29:28–35; 37:133–38; 54:33–38. Lot was sent to the people of Sodom and its surrounding towns, calling people to believe in the One God and to relinquish their sinful ways, namely, the indecency (7:80) of their coming with desire unto men instead of women (7:81); see also 7:80–81c; 26:165–66; 27:54–55; 29:28–29; 37:135.
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Y save for the family of Lot. We shall surely save them, all together,
` except for his wife; We have determined that she is indeed among those who lagged behind.”
59–60 For God’s saving Lot and his family, but not his wife, who was among those who lagged behind (7:83; 26:171; 27:57; 29:32), see 7:83c.
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a So when the messengers came to the family of Lot,
b he said, “Verily you are an unfamiliar folk.”
61–62 When the angels came to Lot in the form of handsome male youths, Lot did not know that they were angels; see 11:77–79c. As 11:77 states, he thus was distressed on their account, as he was fearful that his people would attempt to have sexual relations with them; see 7:80–81c; 11:77–79.
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c They said, “Nay, but we bring thee that which they used to doubt.
d And we bring thee the truth, and surely we are truthful.
63–64 That which they used to doubt refers to the impending punishment of which Lot had been warning his people; but they doubted him and accused him of lying (Z).
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e So set out with thy family during the night, and follow behind them, and let not any of you turn around, but go forth wheresoever you are commanded.”
65 See also 7:83c; 11:81. In the Biblical account (Genesis 19:26), Lot’s wife left with him, but turned into a pillar of salt when she looked back as they fled the city.
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f And We decreed this matter unto him: that the last remnant of those people will be rooted out in the morning.
66 In the morning the last of those remaining among Lot’s people will be destroyed (Ṭs). See also 11:81: Indeed, the morning shall be their tryst. Is not the morning nigh?
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g And the people of the city came, rejoicing.
h He said, “Truly these are my guests; so dishonor me not!
i Reverence God, and disgrace me not.”
67–69 Lot’s people came to him rejoicing, because they had received the news of the arrival of Lot’s male guests and wanted to satisfy their sexual desires with them (Ṭ); see also 11:78, where they come hurrying. According to a spiritual and esoteric interpretation of this verse, the people of Lot who come rejoicing represent people who are heedless of God: when they find those whom they think will conform to their caprices, they rejoice over them. But if others come to them and admonish them to leave their sinful ways, they turn away and are hostile toward them (Aj). It is said that Lot’s wife informed the people of the guests’ arrival (R); see also 26:170–71c. By telling his people not to bring dishonor or disgrace (cf. 11:78) upon him, Lot was asking them not to approach his guests with sexual intent, for if they did, it would bring shame upon him (R); see also 11:77–79c.
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p They said, “Did we not forbid you from [providing protection] to all the people?”
70 The reference here is to Lot’s people forbidding him from attempting to dissuade them when they intended to approach any man with sexual intent (Q, R). Alternately, it can be a reference to their forbidding Lot from hosting any guests (Kl, Q), for Lot’s people used to attempt to have sexual relations with strangers (Q); by hosting them, Lot was obligated to provide his guests protection.
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q He said, “These are my daughters, if you must act.”
71 For Lot’s offering his daughters to his people, which was an attempt to divert them from his guests, see 11:77–79c. If you must act refers to their satisfying their sexual desires. In other words, it is as if Lot was saying, “If you wish to satisfy your sexual desires, then marry them [the daughters]” (JJ).
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r By thy life, they wandered confused in their drunkenness.
72 By thy life is understood to mean that God is swearing by the life of the Prophet Muhammad (IK, Kl, M, R, Ṭ, Ṭs). Alternately, it can be the angels swearing by the life of Lot (Kl, R, Z). If the former, then God’s swearing by the life of the Prophet is seen as an honor for which he alone has been singled out (IK), since in the Quran God does not swear by the life of any other human being (M). There are many beautiful Sufi poems concerning the words by thy life, such as the lines of the great Persian poet and Sufi sage Farīd al-Dīn ʿAṭṭār (d. 618/1221): “When the crown of by thy life was placed upon his head, / the mountain became immediately like a hill at his threshold” (Manṭiq al-Ṭayr [Tehran, 2008], 248).
They may refer to the Quraysh (Ṭ) but, more likely, to the people of Lot (Kl). Confused refers to their state of misguidance and bewilderment (Bg), and drunkenness to their state of doubt and uncertainty (Bg, JJ).
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s So the Cry seized them at sunrise,
t then We made its uppermost to be its lowermost, and We rained down upon them stones of baked clay.
73–74 See 11:82–83c.
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u Truly in that are signs for those who discern,
v and verily they are on a path still standing.
w Truly in that is a sign for the believers.
75–77 By those who discern [the signs] are meant those who are so given to deep reflection that they can recognize the reality behind the outward forms (simah) of things (Z). On a path still standing refers to a road upon which people travel, where they can see the vestiges of the destroyed people of Lot (Aj).
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x And verily the inhabitants of the thicket were wrongdoers.
78 The inhabitants of the thicket (also in 26:176; 38:13; 50:14) refers to the Midianites, a mercantile people from northwestern Arabia who engaged in corrupt business transactions, or it can refer to some other people (see 7:85c). The Arabian prophet Shuʿayb called them to worship the one true God and to relinquish their sinful ways. For the story of Shuʿayb, see also 7:85–93; 11:84–95; 26:176–89.
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y So We took vengeance upon them. Truly the two of them are on a clear road.
79 The vengeance taken upon Shuʿayb’s people was in the form of a Cry that effaced them completely (for an explanation of the Cry, see 7:91–92c). The two of them are the people of Shuʿayb and the people of Lot (JJ), who were relatively close together in time (IK; see also 11:89–90c). A clear road refers to a road that is visible (Bg, Q, R) and appears to be identical to a path still standing (v. 76; see 15:75–77c).
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À And indeed the inhabitants of al-Ḥijr denied the messengers.
80 The inhabitants of al-Ḥijr are the tribe Thamūd, who inhabited a rocky plain (ḥijr, from which they derived their name; Z) located in western Arabia between the Ḥijāz and Syria; the prophet sent to them was Ṣāliḥ; see 7:73–79; 11:61–68; 26:141–58; 54:23–31; 7:73c. Although the Thamūd denied the messengers, the reference here is to their denial of the prophet Ṣāliḥ specifically (Bg, R, Z). Alternately, the messengers here could be interpreted to be a general reference to the prophet Ṣāliḥ and the believers who were with him (Z).
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Á And We gave them Our signs, but they used to turn away therefrom.
81 The signs given to the Thamūd refer to various proofs and miracles (Ṭs) or to the pregnant she-camel, which was accompanied by many other signs (Bḍ, Q), such as its enormous size and Ṣāliḥ’s miraculously producing it from a large rock (Q; see 7:73c). Elsewhere, the she-camel is referred to as a clear proof (7:73), a sign (11:64), and a trial for the Thamūd (54:27). Along with the injunction to let the she-camel graze freely on God’s earth and cause her no harm (see 7:73; 11:64; 26:155), Ṣāliḥ asked his people to let her drink from the well on an appointed day (26:155; see also 54:28). Yet they hamstrung her (11:65); see also 7:73c; 7:77–78c.
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 And they would hew dwellings in the mountains, [feeling] secure.
82 That the Thamūd would hew dwellings in the mountains is also mentioned in 7:74 (see also 26:149; 89:9). During the time of the Prophet Muhammad, the Arabs were familiar with the remains of these mountain dwellings; see 7:74c. It is said that the Thamūd built their homes in the mountains because they would be less vulnerable to destruction (Kl). Alternately, this could be interpreted to mean that they did so in order to evade God’s Punishment (Kl, R).
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à Yet the Cry seized them in the morning,
Ä and that which they used to earn availed them not.
83–84 The punishment visited upon the Thamūd, also referred to as the Cry in 11:67, is said to have been an earthquake (7:78) accompanied by a terrible, loud sound; see 7:77–78c. See also 11:67: Morning found them lying lifeless in their abode. The phrase that which they used to earn availed them not (cf. 39:50; 40:82) can be taken as a general reference to the communities of old that had rejected their messengers. For an alternate reading of this phrase, see 39:50c.
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Å And We did not create the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is between them, save in truth. And surely the Hour is coming; so forbear with beautiful forbearance.
Æ Truly thy Lord is the knowing Creator.
85–86 The first part of v. 85 is identical to a part of 46:3; cf. 10:5; 30:8. That God’s creation has been carried out in truth (see also, e.g., 16:3; 29:44) means that it possesses reality and purpose and has not been created in vain (3:191; 38:27). See also 44:38–39: And We did not create the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is between them in play. We did not create them, save in truth. But most of them know not (see also 21:16).
The Prophet spoke often of the imminence of the Hour, in one instance indicating symbolically that the time between him and the coming of the Hour was as the distance between his index and middle fingers; see 53:57; 54:1c. In a famous ḥadīth, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Prophet as a man and posed a set of questions to him, his last question was about the Hour. He asked, “When is the Hour?” The Prophet replied, “The one questioned knows no more than the questioner.” In 33:63 the Prophet is instructed to say that knowledge of the Hour is only with God: People question thee concerning the Hour. Say, “Knowledge thereof lies only with God. And what will apprise thee? Perhaps the Hour is nigh.” See also 42:17.
The Prophet is encouraged in several instances in the Quran to forbear and have patience in the face of the hostility he was encountering, in both Makkah and Madinah; see 5:13; 43:89; cf. 70:5.
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Ç And We have indeed given thee the seven oft-repeated, and the Mighty Quran.
87 Some say that the seven oft-repeated refers to the first seven sūrahs of the Quran (Ṭ, Z), but many others believe it refers to the first sūrah of the Quran, the Fātiḥah (Aj, Qm, R, Ṭ, Z), which consists of seven verses (Aj, R) if one counts as a verse the opening formula In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful; see 1:1c. The Fātiḥah is also referred to as oft-repeated because it is the most often recited sūrah of the Quran, recited in each of the daily prayers (ṣalāh; Aj, R).
The Prophet is reported to have referred to the Fātiḥah as the seven oft-repeated (R) and moreover to have said, “By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, God did not reveal the like of the Fātiḥah in the Torah, Gospel, Psalms, or [anywhere else in] the Quran. It is the Mother of the Book [43:4] and the seven oft-repeated. It is divided between God and His servant, and for His servant is what he asks”; see the introduction to Sūrah 1.
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È Strain not thine eyes toward the enjoyments We have bestowed upon certain classes of them, and grieve not for them, and lower thy wing unto the believers,
88 In the first part of this verse, the Prophet is admonished not to desire the things of the world that have been given to the Makkans who are rejecting him (Aj, Bḍ), since what he has been given, namely, the seven oft-repeated, and the Mighty Quran (v. 87), is greater than anything they have (Aj). It is reported that the first Caliph, Abū Bakr, said, “Whoever is given the Quran and thinks that anything given [to him] from this world is better than what he has been given, has deemed a great thing small, and a small thing great” (Aj, Bḍ).
The injunction to the Prophet to grieve not on behalf of the Makkan idolaters is in reference to the grief he experienced when they did not believe in the message (Bḍ); see 18:6: Yet perhaps thou wouldst destroy thyself with grief for their sake, should they believe not in this account (see also 3:176; 5:41, 68; 6:33; 10:65; 16:127; 18:6; 26:3; 27:70; 35:8; 36:76). Lower thy wing unto the believers means that the Prophet should be humble and gentle toward them (Aj); see also 17:24c; 26:215.
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É and say, “Truly I am the clear warner.”
89 For the Prophet as a clear warner, see also 22:49; 29:50; 38:70; 46:9; 51:50; 67:26.
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Ґ Such as We have sent down for those who make division,
ґ who made the Quran into fragments.
Ғ So by thy Lord, We shall question them all
ғ concerning that which they used to do.
90–93 V. 90 can be connected with v. 89, such that together they could be read to mean, “I am a clear warner to you of a punishment like the punishment that visited those who make division” (Bg, R). Those who make division may refer to a group of Makkans who were stationed on the outskirts of Makkah by al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah, one of the main enemies of the Prophet, in order to tell people entering Makkah that there was a man in Makkah who was claiming prophethood, but who was in reality a possessed magician, soothsayer, and poet (R; see 26:224–26c). It may also be a more general reference to the Makkan idolaters who rejected the Quran. Thus, those . . . who made the Quran into fragments refers to the Makkans who rejected the Quran by calling it sorcery, fables of the ancients (e.g., 83:13), or soothsaying rather (see 26:224–26c; Bg), meaning that it was not a whole, but rather was cobbled together from these false sources (R). Others say that those who made the Quran into fragments refers to those who believe in the parts of the Quran they like and reject the rest (Q; cf. 2:85). According to one reading, fragments is understood to come originally from the root ʿ-ḍ-h rather than ʿ-ḍ-w; if so, it would mean “lies” (Q, R).
According to a ḥadīth, God’s questioning the Makkan idolaters concerning that which they used to do refers to how they responded to the statement, “There is no god but God,” that is, whether or not they believed in it and acted in accordance with it or not (Q).
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Ҕ So proclaim as thou hast been commanded, and turn away from the idolaters.
94 This verse enjoins the Prophet to declare openly the teachings that have been revealed to him and to pay no attention to the idolaters (Bḍ); see also 6:106: Follow that which has been revealed unto thee from thy Lord—there is no god but He—and turn away from the idolaters.
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ҕ Truly We shall suffice thee against those who mock,
Җ those who set up another god along with God; yet soon they will know.
95–96 This verse is understood as an assurance to the Prophet that God will destroy a particular group of Makkan idolaters known as the “mockers,” among whom was al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah (JJ). They were the ones most bitterly opposed to the Prophet’s message and, in addition to insulting and mocking him, were known to spit and throw animal entrails on him. That God will suffice the Prophet against them is understood to mean that He will destroy them without need of any effort on the part of the Prophet (Kl). On the idea of God’s being “enough” or “sufficient,” see 2:137c. It is reported that members of this group all died before the Battle of Badr (Kl, Z).
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җ And certainly We know that thy breast is straitened because of what they say.
97 For the grief experienced by the Prophet on account of the Makkan idolaters’ failure to believe, see 11:12c. See, moreover, 5:68; 16:127; 18:6; 26:3; 27:70; 35:8, where the Prophet is consoled by God for his people’s rejection of his message; see also 27:70c.
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Ҙ So hymn the praise of thy Lord, and be among those who prostrate.
ҙ And worship thy Lord, till certainty comes unto thee.
98–99 Certainty here refers to death (Q, R, Ṭ, Z), because of death’s inevitable nature (R) and because with death one attains to certainty of all that is promised in the Hereafter (Ṭ). In this sense, these verses are understood as an injunction to continue to hymn God’s praises and worship Him until the moment of death. Others understand certainty here as a reference to the station where the worshipper is with the Worshipped and thus knows God with certainty (Bq, K), so that nothing distracts from the fullness of worship (Bq); this station is known in Islamic sapiential teachings as the truth of certainty (56:95; see 56:95c; 69:51; 102:5c).
This verse also alludes to a deep connection between certainty and death: to be certain of the truth is to die to falsehood, since nothing of one’s being can dwell any longer in falsehood. In this state one sees nothing but God and converses with none but Him (Su). This type of death, characterized by the station of certainty (maqām al-yaqīn), is what is known in Islamic thought as “voluntary death”; in it one undergoes a spiritual transformation while still alive in this world, dying to one’s ego and to worldly attachments.