41
Expounded
Fuṣṣilat
Fuṣṣilat is a Makkan sūrah believed to have been revealed directly after the preceding sūrah, Ghāfir (JJ). It takes its name from the reference to the Quran in v. 3 as a Book whose signs have been expounded. This sūrah is also known as Sajdah, “Prostration,” and as ḥā Mīm Sajdah (Āl). Other less common names for this sūrah are “The Lamps” (al-Maṣābīḥ), for the phrase We adorned the lowest heaven with lamps and a guard in v. 12 (Āl, IJ), and “Means of Sustenance” (al-Aqwāt), from the reference to God having apportioned means of sustenance for all things on the earth in v. 10 (Āl).
According to some, Fuṣṣilat follows the previous sūrah, because the discussion of the punishments that befell the pre-Islamic Arabian tribes of ʿĀd and Thamūd and the similar punishments that are foretold for the Quraysh echo the warnings of 40:82: Have they not journeyed upon the earth and observed how those before them fared in the end? They were more numerous than them, and greater than them in strength, and left firmer traces upon the earth. But that which they used to earn availed them not (Āl). In this same vein, v. 2 can be seen as a warning to the Quraysh that echoes 40:83, And when their messengers brought them clear proofs, they exulted in the knowledge they possessed, and that which they used to mock beset them, since the Quraysh were said to mock the Quran, as in v. 26: And those who disbelieve will say, “Listen not to this Quran, but speak dismissively of it, that haply you might prevail” (Aj).
The sūrah begins with a brief discussion of the nature of the Quran (vv. 1–4), which is followed by advice to the Prophet regarding those who refuse to pay it heed (vv. 5–6), juxtaposing the disbelievers and the believers (vv. 7–8). After calling for reflection upon the manner in which God created the heavens and the earth (vv. 9–12), the sūrah invokes the calamities that befell the pre-Islamic Arabian tribes of ʿĀd and Thamūd as examples of the fate that awaits disbelievers in this world (vv. 13–18), followed by a warning of the fate that awaits them in the Hereafter (vv. 19–25). A discussion of the fate that awaits those who reject the Quran (vv. 26–28) then transitions into another juxtaposition of the believers and the disbelievers (vv. 29–32) and an exhortation to the believers to maintain respectful speech and conduct even with the disbelievers (vv. 33–39). This is followed by a return to a discussion of the nature of the Quran and the fate that awaits those who reject it (vv. 40–46). The final section (vv. 47–54), which reflects upon the vagaries of the human condition, includes one of the most important verses for the discussion of the manner in which God reveals the truth to human beings (v. 53).
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
¡ Ḥā. Mīm. * A revelation from the Compassionate, the Merciful, + a Book whose signs have been expounded as an Arabic Quran for a people who know, J as a bringer of glad tidings, and as a warner. But most of them have turned away, such that they hear not. Z They say, “Our hearts are under coverings from that to which you call us, and in our ears there is deafness, and between us and you there is a veil. So do [as you will]; we shall do [as we will].” j Say, “I am only a human being like you. It is revealed unto me that your God is only one God. So go straight unto Him and seek forgiveness from Him.” Woe unto the idolaters, z those who do not give alms and who disbelieve in the Hereafter. { Truly those who believe and perform righteous deeds, theirs shall be a reward unceasing. | Say, “Do you indeed disbelieve in the One Who created the earth in two days, and do you set up equals unto Him? That is the Lord of the worlds.” Ċ He placed firm mountains therein rising above it, blessed it, and apportioned its means of sustenance therein in four days, alike for all who ask. Ě Then He turned to heaven while it was smoke and said unto it and unto the earth, “Come willingly or unwillingly!” They said, “We come willingly.” Ī Then He decreed that they be seven heavens in two days and revealed to each heaven its command. And We adorned the lowest heaven with lamps and a guard. That is the Decree of the Mighty, the Knowing. ĺ So if they turn away, then say, “I warned you of a thunderbolt, like the thunderbolt of ʿĀd and Thamūd: Ŋ when messengers came unto them from before them and behind them, [saying], ‘Worship none but God,’ they said, ‘Had our Lord willed, He would have sent down angels; so truly we disbelieve in that wherewith you have been sent.’” Ś As for ʿĀd, they waxed arrogant upon the earth without right and said, “Who is greater than us in strength?” Have they not considered that God, Who created them, is greater than them in strength? Yet they rejected Our signs. Ū So We sent a howling wind against them in days of ill fortune, that they might taste the punishment of disgrace in the life of this world; yet the punishment of the Hereafter is more disgraceful, and they will not be helped. ź As for Thamūd, We guided them, but they preferred blindness to guidance; so the thunderbolt of humiliating punishment overtook them for that which they used to earn. Ɗ And We saved those who believed and were reverent. ƚ And on that Day the enemies of God are gathered unto the Fire and are marshaled in [ordered ranks], Ȋ till, when they come upon it, their ears, their eyes, and their skins will bear witness against them for that which they used to do. ! They will say to their skins, “Why did you bear witness against us?” They will reply, “God, Who makes all things speak, made us speak. He created you the first time, and unto Him shall you be returned. " You did not seek to conceal, lest your ears, your eyes, and your skins bear witness against you. But you thought that God knew not much of that which you did. # That thought which you thought about your Lord has destroyed you, such that you have come to be among the losers.” $ Then if they are patient, the Fire shall be an abode for them. And if they seek favor, they will not be granted favor. % We assigned to them companions, and they made that which is before them and that which is behind them seem fair to them. So the Word among the communities of jinn and men that have passed away before them came due for them. Truly they were lost. & And those who disbelieve will say, “Listen not to this Quran, but speak dismissively of it, that haply you might prevail.” ' We shall surely make those who disbelieve taste a severe punishment, and We shall surely requite them for the worst of that which they used to do. ( That is the recompense of the enemies of God—the Fire. The Abode of Perpetuity shall be theirs therein, a recompense for their having rejected Our signs. ) And those who disbelieve will say, “Our Lord, show us those who led us astray among jinn and men. Let us put them under our feet, that they might be among the lowliest.” Ð Truly those who say, “Our Lord is God,” then stand firm, the angels will descend upon them, [saying], “Fear not, nor grieve, and rejoice in the Garden that you have been promised. Ñ We are your protectors in the life of this world and in the Hereafter; therein you shall have whatsoever your souls desire, and therein you shall have whatsoever you call for: Ò a welcome from One Forgiving, Merciful.” Ó And who is more beautiful in speech than one who calls unto God, works righteousness, and says, “Truly I am among those who submit”? Ô The good deed and the evil deed are not equal. Repel by that which is better; then behold, the one between whom and thee there is enmity shall be as if he were a loyal, protecting friend. Õ Yet none shall receive it, save those who are patient; and none shall receive it, save those who possess great fortune. Ö And should a temptation from Satan provoke thee, seek refuge in God. Truly He is the Hearing, the Knowing. × Among His signs are the night and the day, the sun and the moon. Prostrate not unto the sun, nor unto the moon. Prostrate unto God, Who created them, if it is He Whom you worship. Ø And if they wax arrogant, then those who are with thy Lord glorify Him night and day, and they never weary. Ù Among His signs is that thou seest the earth diminished; then, when We send down water upon it, it quivers and swells. He Who gives it life is surely the One Who gives life to the dead. Truly He is Powerful over all things. @ Truly those who deviate with regard to Our signs are not hidden from Us. Is one who is cast in the Fire better, or one who comes in security on the Day of Resurrection? Do what you will; truly He sees whatsoever you do. A Truly those who disbelieve in the Reminder when it comes unto them [ . . .]. And truly it is a mighty Book. B Falsehood comes not upon it from before it or from behind it; a revelation from One Wise, Praised. C Naught has been said unto thee save that which has been said unto the messengers before thee. Truly thy Lord is Possessed of Forgiveness and Possessed of a Painful Retribution. D Had We made it a Quran in a foreign tongue, they would say, “If only its signs were expounded. What! A foreign tongue and an Arab [messenger]?” Say, “It is a guidance and a healing for those who believe, and those who do not believe have a deafness in their ears, and it is a blindness for them. Such are called from a place far off.” E Indeed, We gave Moses the Book; then difference arose concerning it. And were it not for a Word that had already gone forth from thy Lord, judgment would have been made between them. Yet truly they are confounded by doubt regarding it. F Whosoever works righteousness, it is for his own soul. And whosoever commits evil, it is to the detriment thereof. It is not for thy Lord to wrong His servants. G Unto Him is knowledge of the Hour referred. No fruits come forth from their sheaths, nor does any female bear or bring forth, save by His Knowledge. And on the Day when He will call unto them, “Where are My partners?” they will say, “We admit unto Thee that none among us bears witness.” H That which they used to call upon before will forsake them, and they will know for certain that they have no refuge. I Man wearies not of supplicating for good, and if evil befalls him, he is despondent, despairing. P And if We make him taste some mercy from Us after hardship has befallen him, surely he will say, “This is mine; I think not that the Hour will come. If I am returned unto my Lord, surely with Him shall I have that which is most beautiful.” So We shall inform those who disbelieved of that which they have done, and We shall cause them to taste of a grave punishment. Q And when We bless man, he turns away and withdraws. Yet when evil befalls him, he is full of prolonged supplication. R Say, “What think you, if it is from God, yet you disbelieve in it? Who is more astray than one in extreme schism?” S We shall show them Our signs upon the horizons and within themselves till it becomes clear to them that it is the truth. Does it not suffice that thy Lord is Witness over all things? T Behold! They are in doubt regarding the meeting with their Lord. Behold! Truly He encompasses all things.
Commentary
¡ Ḥā. Mīm.
1 Sūrah 41 is the second in a series of seven sūrahs that open with the Arabic letters ḥāʾ and mīm and are referred to collectively as the ḥawāmīm. The letters ḥāʾ and mīm are among the separated letters (al-muqaṭṭaʿāt) that are found at the beginning of twenty-nine sūrahs and whose meaning is considered by most commentators to be known only to God; see 2:1c. For some possible meanings of these letters, see 40:1c. Some propose that the ḥāʾ mīm here could allude to the “wisdom of Muhammad” (Ḥikmat Muḥammad; Bq).
***
* A revelation from the Compassionate, the Merciful,
2 As with the other seven sūrahs that begin with the letters ḥāʾ and mīm, this sūrah opens with a description of the Quran. For those who take ḥā Mīm as a name of the Quran, vv. 1–2 can be read to mean, “ḥā Mīm is a revelation from the Compassionate, the Merciful” (Q). The connection of revelation to the Divine Names of Mercy bespeaks its being sent to benefit the world and particularly religion, as when the Quran says of the Prophet, And We sent thee not, save as a mercy unto the worlds (21:107; Aj).
***
+ a Book whose signs have been expounded as an Arabic Quran for a people who know,
3 That the signs, or verses, of the Quran have been expounded means that they have been explained and made clear (Q, Ṭ) through the variety of arguments and proofs for the Oneness of God and the truth of prophethood given throughout (cf. 6:55, 97–98, 126; 7:32, 174; 9:11; 10:5, 24; 13:2; 30:28). The Quran is thus described as a Book whose signs have been determined, then expounded, from the Presence of One Wise, Aware (11:1; IK). In this context, Quran is best understood in accord with its linguistic meaning, “recitation,” indicating that God expounded the signs in the form of an Arabic recitation; see also 12:2; 16:103; 20:113; 26:195; 39:28c; 42:7; 43:3. In other verses this expounding is said to have been done for a people who know (cf. 7:32; 9:11; 10:5), for a people who take heed (6:126), for a people who reflect (10:24), and for a people who understand (30:28), so that people may be certain of the meeting with their Lord (13:2), and so that haply they may return (7:174).
***
J as a bringer of glad tidings, and as a warner. But most of them have turned away, such that they hear not.
4 The Quran is a bringer of glad tidings for the believers and a warner for the disbelievers (Q, Ṭs). But most of the people of Makkah at the time of the revelation of this sūrah (Q, Ṭ, Ṭs) had turned away from the Quran (Ṭ), or from belief in God (Ṭs), and refused to listen to it. This verse could thus be understood to refer to their failure to both hear with their ears and reflect, consider, and understand (Aj), meaning that they did not “hear” with their hearts, as alluded to in the next verse.
***
Z They say, “Our hearts are under coverings from that to which you call us, and in our ears there is deafness, and between us and you there is a veil. So do [as you will]; we shall do [as we will].”
5 The objection posed here by the disbelievers is similar to that stated by the Jews of Madinah in 2:88: And they say, “Our hearts are uncircumcised” (see also 4:155c). The present verse is one of several where the hearts of the disbelievers are said to be “veiled,” “covered,” or “sealed” to prevent spiritual comprehension (see 2:7c; 6:25c, 46; 7:100–101; 9:87, 93; 10:74; 16:108; 17:46; 18:57c, 101; 30:59; 45:23; 47:16c; 63:3c; 83:14c; 83:15c). From one perspective, when the disbelievers say this of themselves, they in fact speak the truth about their spiritual condition, but it is God Who has placed coverings over their hearts, such that they understand it not, and in their ears a deafness (6:25; 17:46; 18:57). Thus their hearts are veiled with the coverings of spiritual neglect, inclining toward worldliness, lust, caprice, and other sins, so that they cannot comprehend the call, and their ears are deaf to the good, so that they cannot hear the call of God (ST); see 6:25c. Their declaration that there is a veil between them and the Prophet indicates that they see no possibility of rapprochement with him. Thus they say, “Act and pray according to the dictates of your religion, and we will act and pray according to the dictates of our religion” (Ṭ, Ṭs). This is reported to have been a declaration by Abū Jahl and other leaders of the Quraysh (Ṭs).
***
j Say, “I am only a human being like you. It is revealed unto me that your God is only one God. So go straight unto Him and seek forgiveness from Him.” Woe unto the idolaters,
z those who do not give alms and who disbelieve in the Hereafter.
6–7 Cf. 18:110. That the Prophet is only a human being is seen by the Quraysh as evidence that he has not come with a true revelation (see 6:8–9; 11:12; 14:10; 17:94; 21:3c; 23:33; 25:7; 36:15; 41:14; 54:24; 64:6c). But here it illustrates that there is not in reality a veil between them. Rather, the Prophet brings them a revelation in their language, an Arabic Quran, whose signs have been expounded, but they choose to ignore it and not act in accord with it. Go straight unto Him derives from the same word as the central Quranic concept of the straight path. It thus indicates not deviating from the worship of the One God and remaining steadfast; see 1:6c. In this context, give alms may refer to required alms (Ṭs), but as this is a Makkan sūrah and alms were not formally instituted until the second year of the Madinan period (see 2:43c; 2:215c), it most likely refers to charity in general, as in 19:31 and 19:55, where Jesus and Ishmael refer to alms (zakāh) and more broadly to the purification of the soul (IK); as in 91:9, which employs the same root, z-k-y, in saying of the soul, Indeed, he prospers who purifies it (zakkāhā); and as in 87:14: He indeed prospers who is purified (tazakkā).
***
{ Truly those who believe and perform righteous deeds, theirs shall be a reward unceasing.
8 Cf. 84:25; 95:6. A reward unceasing (cf. 68:3) indicates a reward that comes directly from God and is never cut off, as opposed to the rewards of this world; see 95:6c. Also see 11:108, which refers to the Garden as a gift unfailing.
***
| Say, “Do you indeed disbelieve in the One Who created the earth in two days, and do you set up equals unto Him? That is the Lord of the worlds.”
9 This verse is an expression of rebuke in the form of a question (IK, R). As in other instances, this line of questioning is meant to challenge the logic of the pre-Islamic system of polytheism, since many idolaters believed in a supreme deity, but ascribed to that deity partners who had a share in the creative process; see 23:85–89; 29:61c; 31:25.
***
Ċ He placed firm mountains therein rising above it, blessed it, and apportioned its means of sustenance therein in four days, alike for all who ask.
10 Placed firm mountains therein (cf. 13:3; 21:31; 27:61; 77:27) or cast therein firm mountains (15:19; 50:7; cf. 16:15; 31:10) refers to God’s making the earth firm. That God apportioned its means of sustenance refers to God’s placing the mountains, rivers, and trees in various lands (IJ, Ṭ); providing sustenance for human beings and animals (IJ, Ṭ, Ṭs); apportioning the rains (IJ, Ṭ); apportioning different things to each land, so that they would remain interdependent (IJ, Ṭ, Ṭs); or all of these functions. The days mentioned here and in the surrounding verses do not denote the same measure of time as the days ordinarily experienced by human beings; see 22:47: Truly a day with your Lord is as a thousand years of that which you reckon (cf. 32:5). The reference to creating the earth in two days in v. 9, apportioning its means of sustenance therein in four days in this verse, then to creating the seven heavens in two days in v. 12 can be understood as further elaboration of other verses that state that God created the heavens and the earth in six days (7:54; 10:3; 11:7; 57:4; cf. 25:59; 32:4; 50:38; IK). The two days in v. 9 would then be a part of the four days in which the apportioning took place (IK, R, Ṭs). In this vein, the Prophet is reported to have said, “God created the earth on Sunday and Monday; He created the mountains on Tuesday; and He created the trees, the water, and the populated and the unpopulated [lands] on Wednesday; so these are the four days. Then He created the sky on Thursday, and the sun, the moon, the stars, the angels, and Adam on Friday” (Ṭs).
***
Ě Then He turned to heaven while it was smoke and said unto it and unto the earth, “Come willingly or unwillingly!” They said, “We come willingly.”
11 Turned to renders the verb istawā, which is also translated “mounted” when employed in relation to God’s Throne (see 7:54c; 10:3; 20:5; 25:59; 32:4; 57:4). In this context, as in 2:29, it means that after creating the earth God turned His attention to the creation of the heavens (Ṭs). That the heavens and the earth agreed to come willingly indicates that all things are obedient and subservient to God, as in 2:116: Unto Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and on the earth. All are devoutly obedient to Him (cf. 16:52); and 19:93: There is none in the heavens and on the earth, save that it comes unto the Compassionate as a servant.
***
Ī Then He decreed that they be seven heavens in two days and revealed to each heaven its command. And We adorned the lowest heaven with lamps and a guard. That is the Decree of the Mighty, the Knowing.
12 Most commentators understand the two days to be Thursday and Friday (IJ, Ṭ), though others who say that the heavens were created before the earth say that the two days are Sunday and Monday (IJ); for the seven heavens, see 23:17c; 65:12; 67:3; 71:15. That God revealed to each heaven its command, or its affair, is understood to mean that He created for each all that would pertain to it, such as angels, stars, the sun, and the moon (IJ, Ṭ). This is one of several instances where the Quran employs the verb “to reveal” (awḥā), which can also mean “to inspire,” when speaking outside the context of sending prophetic revelations, as in 16:68: And thy Lord revealed unto the bee; and 99:5, which says of the earth at the end of time: thy Lord inspired her (awḥāhā). Such passages can be understood as references to making all aspects of creation fulfill the purpose for which they were created. Regarding the adornment of the lowest heaven with lamps, which are said to protect against intrusions from those who wish to listen to the heavenly discourse (cf. 15:16–18; 37:6–10; 67:5; 72:8–9), see the introduction to Sūrah 72.
***
ĺ So if they turn away, then say, “I warned you of a thunderbolt, like the thunderbolt of ʿĀd and Thamūd:
13 Here the Prophet is told to warn the Quraysh that if they turn away, as did other Arabian tribes before them, namely, the ʿĀd and the Thamūd, who rejected the prophets sent to them, they might suffer a similar fate. For the account of the ʿĀd, also see 7:65–72; 11:50–60; and for that of the Thamūd, see 7:73–79; 11:61–68; 26:141–58; 54:23–31. The tribe of Thamūd is also said to have been destroyed by a thunderbolt in 51:44, by the Cry in 11:67 (cf. 54:31), and by an earthquake in 7:78. These are not contradictory, but rather different aspects of the overwhelming (Ṭāghiyah) that befalls them, as described in 69:5.
***
Ŋ when messengers came unto them from before them and behind them, [saying], ‘Worship none but God,’ they said, ‘Had our Lord willed, He would have sent down angels; so truly we disbelieve in that wherewith you have been sent.’”
14 The ʿĀd and the Thamūd’s rejection of their prophets, saying, Had our Lord willed, He would have sent down angels, reflects the manner in which other communities are said to have rejected their prophets. As 17:94 states, And naught hindered men from believing when guidance came unto them, save that they said, “Has God sent a human being as a messenger?” (see also 6:8–9; 6:50; 11:12; 14:10–11; 23:24, 33–34, 47; 26:154, 186; 36:15; 54:24; 64:6c; 74:25). In other verses, this same objection is attributed to those who rejected the prophethood of Muhammad: And they say, “What ails this Messenger, who eats food and walks in the markets? Why is there not an angel sent down unto him to be a warner with him?” (25:7). In 6:8 it is said that had an angel been sent, it would have come not with a revelation, but to carry out God’s Judgment: Had We sent down an angel, then the matter would be decreed, and they would be granted no respite; see also 17:94–95c.
***
Ś As for ʿĀd, they waxed arrogant upon the earth without right and said, “Who is greater than us in strength?” Have they not considered that God, Who created them, is greater than them in strength? Yet they rejected Our signs.
Ū So We sent a howling wind against them in days of ill fortune, that they might taste the punishment of disgrace in the life of this world; yet the punishment of the Hereafter is more disgraceful, and they will not be helped.
15–16 Here the tribe of ʿĀd displays the same attitude as the tribe of Quraysh, believing that their worldly power will somehow protect them from God’s Power. While this wind is also described as howling in 54:19 and as the barren wind in 51:41, 69:6 is more emphatic: And as for ʿĀd, they were destroyed by a howling, raging wind. When employed in the singular, “wind” conveys God’s Wrath and Punishment (also see 3:117; 10:22; 17:69; 22:31; 30:51; 33:9; 46:24). But the plural, “winds,” conveys the coming of God’s Mercy, as in 7:57: He it is Who sends forth the winds as glad tidings ahead of His Mercy (see also 25:48; 35:9). Regarding the wind that came upon the tribe of ʿĀd, the Prophet is reported to have said, “I have been helped by the east wind and the ʿĀd was destroyed by the west wind.”
***
ź As for Thamūd, We guided them, but they preferred blindness to guidance; so the thunderbolt of humiliating punishment overtook them for that which they used to earn.
Ɗ And We saved those who believed and were reverent.
17–18 God guided the tribe of Thamūd by showing them the truth and making it clear when He sent them the prophet Ṣāliḥ. But they opposed and rejected him and slaughtered the she-camel that had been sent to them as a sign from God (IK); regarding the she-camel, see commentary on 7:73, 77–78; 11:64–65. In this way they willfully chose to ignore the sign God had sent them and thus preferred blindness. After three days (see 11:65) they were overcome by God’s Punishment. After the punishment, morning found them lying lifeless in their abode (7:78; 11:67). But as in the case of other prophets, God saved Ṣāliḥ and those who believed in his message from the punishment He had sent upon those who opposed him (see 11:66).
***
ƚ And on that Day the enemies of God are gathered unto the Fire and are marshaled in [ordered ranks],
19 On the Day when the enemies of God from all generations are gathered together before the Fire, they will be driven unto Hell (39:71) by those angels who are the keepers of Hell; see 39:71–72c. In a variant reading of the text, several commentators prefer “We gather” (naḥshuru; Aj, Q, R) in place of are gathered (yuḥsharu).
***
Ȋ till, when they come upon it, their ears, their eyes, and their skins will bear witness against them for that which they used to do.
! They will say to their skins, “Why did you bear witness against us?” They will reply, “God, Who makes all things speak, made us speak. He created you the first time, and unto Him shall you be returned.
20–21 This is one of a few passages asserting that human beings’ faculties or body parts will bear witness against them on the Day of Judgment (cf. 24:24; 36:65); that is, they will testify to the deeds that issued from them (R). Human beings are thus forced to bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers (6:130; 7:37), and to each of them it is said, On this Day, your soul suffices as a reckoner against you (17:14). Some commentators understand v. 20 to mean that God will bestow upon each limb or organ a voice with which it will speak, or that each will exhibit states that indicate the actions committed with it (R). The reference to skins can be understood as an allusion to the sensation of touch (R), the hands and feet (IJ), or the private parts (Aj, IJ, Q, R, Ṭs); or it can simply mean the skins themselves (IJ).
According to several aḥādīth, the limbs and organs will speak after a man has denied some of the actions recorded for him: “Then he will say, ‘My Lord, didst Thou not promise me that Thou wouldst not wrong me.’ God will say, ‘Yea.’ The man will say, ‘I will not accept anyone other than myself as a witness.’ Then God will say, ‘Does it suffice to have Me and My angels, the noble scribes [see 80:15–16c], as witness?’ Then these words will be repeated several times, and a seal will be placed over [the man’s] mouth [see 36:65c], and his limbs (arkān) will speak about what he used to do. Then [the man] will say, ‘Away with you! For your sake did I argue’” (Aj, IK, Q, Ṭ).
The response of the limbs and organs indicates that they will not speak of their own volition, but only by God’s Command (Aj). Their reference to God’s creating human beings and returning them can be understood to mean that people should not be amazed that God made them speak, since His ability to create and resurrect human beings is even more amazing (Aj). According to some commentators, the response of the limbs and organs ends after made us speak (IJ, Ṭs), though most do not specify where the discourse ends.
***
" You did not seek to conceal, lest your ears, your eyes, and your skins bear witness against you. But you thought that God knew not much of that which you did.
# That thought which you thought about your Lord has destroyed you, such that you have come to be among the losers.”
22–23 Their limbs and organs continue speaking to the disbelievers, chastising them for having had no shame regarding the sins they committed in this world. Some say that these verses mean that they were not being reverent (Ṭ). To conceal can thus be understood to mean refraining from bad deeds and in this sense concealing them from oneself (Q, Ṭ). Those who do not conceal or leave off bad deeds act as if they are oblivious to the fact that not a mote’s weight evades Him in the heavens or on earth, nor smaller than that, nor larger, but that it is in a clear Book (34:3; cf. 6:59; 10:61; 27:75). Their underestimation of God’s Omnipotence has thus led to their being cast in the Fire. Expanding upon this issue, al-Ṭabarī observes that it leaves hope for those who are disobedient but nonetheless know that they will be taken to account for their actions, since such persons do not underestimate God or think poorly of Him, but instead hope for His Forgiveness, as in a saying attributed to the Prophet, “God is in accord with the thought that His servant has of Him; if it is good, then good; but if it is bad, then bad” (Aj, Ṭ, Ṭs).
***
$ Then if they are patient, the Fire shall be an abode for them. And if they seek favor, they will not be granted favor.
24 Most commentators understand this verse to mean that evildoers will not be rewarded for patience in the Hereafter if they had not already turned to God (IJ, Ṭs), since God had provided them ample opportunity to repent and conduct themselves with virtue before the punishment came upon them (see 23:63–67; 40:84–85c; as well as the story of Pharaoh in 10:90–91). Alternately, this verse can be understood to mean that if they were patient with evil deeds during the life of this world, not seeking to avoid them or (at least) to conceal their own evil deeds, then the Fire will be their abode in the Hereafter (Q). Likewise, if they seek favor by asking that what they love be returned to them, it will not be returned to them, since they do not deserve that response (IJ), or by asking that God be pleased with them, God will not be pleased with them (Q, Ṭs), since their excuses will not be accepted (Ṭs).
***
% We assigned to them companions, and they made that which is before them and that which is behind them seem fair to them. So the Word among the communities of jinn and men that have passed away before them came due for them. Truly they were lost.
25 The companions that God decrees for the disbelievers could be the human beings and jinn who lead them astray, both of whom are referred to as “satans” when they suggest evil to others, as in 6:112: Thus have We made for every prophet an enemy—satans from among mankind and jinn, who inspire each other with flowery discourse in order to deceive. God condemns these “satans” to one another, as in 43:36: And whosoever turns blindly away from the remembrance of the Compassionate, We assign to him a satan who is then a companion unto him (cf. 17:27). These companions then delude such human beings into preferring that which is before them of the adornments of this world, into working to attain such delusions, and into thinking that there will be no resurrection and no recompense in the Hereafter (Ṭ, Ṭs). Such people have thus become like communities before them for whom the Word—that is, God’s threat of an impending punishment—came due; regarding the concept of “the Word coming due,” see 10:33c; 36:7c.
***
& And those who disbelieve will say, “Listen not to this Quran, but speak dismissively of it, that haply you might prevail.”
26 The leaders among the Quraysh would tell people not to listen to the Quran. But speak dismissively renders the command wa ʾlghaw, which conveys the sense of “nullify” or “render ineffectual.” The injunction is therefore understood to mean that the Quraysh should make a ruckus, whistle, or speak loudly when the Prophet is reciting the Quran, so that the noise would prevail over his recitation and prevent others from hearing it (Ṭs). Such conduct with regard to the revelation is precisely the opposite of what is enjoined in 7:204: And when the Quran is recited, hearken unto it, and listen, that haply you may receive mercy. In 49:3 it is stated that those who lower their voices before the Messenger of God, they are the ones whose hearts God has tested for reverence. Theirs shall be forgiveness and a great reward.
***
' We shall surely make those who disbelieve taste a severe punishment, and We shall surely requite them for the worst of that which they used to do.
( That is the recompense of the enemies of God—the Fire. The Abode of Perpetuity shall be theirs therein, a recompense for their having rejected Our signs.
27–28 The enemies of God who seek to turn others away from the Quran will taste a severe punishment in this world and will also be requited in the Hereafter for the worst of that which they used to do (Ṭs). None of their good deeds, such as honoring guests and maintaining family ties, will avail them, because their actions have been rendered invalid by their disbelief (Aj), as in 47:28: They followed that which angers God and were averse to His good pleasure; so He made their deeds come to naught. In contrast, God is said to absolve the evil deeds of those who believe and perform righteous deeds and to recompense them according to the best of that which they used to do (29:7; cf. 9:121; 16:96–97; 39:35; 46:16). The Abode of Perpetuity refers here to the Fire itself (Ṭ, Ṭs, Z).
***
) And those who disbelieve will say, “Our Lord, show us those who led us astray among jinn and men. Let us put them under our feet, that they might be among the lowliest.”
29 Those who were misguided by the companions that God decreed for them in v. 25 will seek vengeance against the satans among human beings and jinn whose deceptions led them to the Fire. Elsewhere the disbelievers say of those who led them astray, Our Lord! Give them a twofold punishment, and curse them with a great curse (33:68; cf. 7:38), and God responds by promising, For each of you it shall be doubled (7:38). Some say that in this verse those who led us astray among jinn and men refers specifically to Satan and Cain, as they began the practices of disbelief and murder, respectively (IJ, Z).
***
Ð Truly those who say, “Our Lord is God,” then stand firm, the angels will descend upon them, [saying], “Fear not, nor grieve, and rejoice in the Garden that you have been promised.
30 Cf. 46:13. Stand firm translates istaqāmū, a word closely related to the common phrase “perform the prayer” (aqīmū ’l-ṣalāh) and to the central Quranic idea of the “straight path” (al-ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm; see 1:7c). In this context, it is understood to mean those who continue to say that God is One and do not turn to other gods (IJ, IK, Q, Ṭs), those who remain obedient to God and maintain their religious obligations (IJ, Q, Ṭs), or those who remain sincere and continue to perform good deeds until death (IJ). These and other interpretations all indicate maintaining obedience toward God in belief, speech, and action (Q). It is reported that the Prophet recited this verse and then said, “Some people have said it [“Our Lord is God”], and then most of them disbelieved. So whosoever says it until he dies is among those who stand firm” (Ṭs). The angels descend upon such believers either at the moment of death, at the moment they are drawn from their graves (Aj, IJ, Ṭs), or at the Resurrection, when all human beings are gathered (Aj, Ṭs). It can also be understood as a reference to angels descending upon people in this world, inspiring them to do good, expanding their breasts, and helping them in religious matters (Aj). Fear not refers to what is to come, while nor grieve refers to what has passed (IJ, Ṭs). And rejoice in the Garden, for Blessed indeed is the reward of the workers [of righteousness]! (3:136; My).
***
Ñ We are your protectors in the life of this world and in the Hereafter; therein you shall have whatsoever your souls desire, and therein you shall have whatsoever you call for:
31 Protectors translates awliyāʾ (sing. walī), which can also mean “friends” or “allies.” In this context it means both that the angels take responsibility for the believers by guarding them and that they love them (IJ). That they continue to do so in the Hereafter means that they will watch over the believers until the believers enter Paradise (IJ, Ṭs), providing them comfort while they are in their graves and when the trumpet is blown (see 39:68c) and escorting them across the traverse that leads from the plain of Judgment to the Garden (IK). Drawing upon the multiple meanings of awliyāʾ and the various functions of angels in relation to human beings, al-Qushayrī and al-Maybudī provide several interpretations for this verse: In the life of this world through the realization of gnosis and in the Hereafter by obtaining forgiveness; in the life of this world through contentment with the Decree and in the Hereafter through the meeting in the Abode of Subsistence; in the life of this world through faith and in the Hereafter through forgiveness; in the life of this world through love and in the Hereafter through nearness.
For the idea that the believers will have whatsoever they desire in the Hereafter, see commentary on 56:20–24. That such protection is afforded those who say, “Our Lord is God,” then stand firm could also be an allusion to the salvific nature of all revealed religions, as in 2:62: Truly those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabeans—whosoever believes in God and the Last Day and works righteousness shall have their reward with their Lord. No fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve (cf. 5:59).
***
Ò a welcome from One Forgiving, Merciful.”
32 A welcome renders nuzul, which derives from the root nazala, meaning, “to descend,” and refers to what has been prepared for and offered to a guest. Here it could also be rendered “as a welcome,” meaning, “Therein you will have whatsoever your souls desire, as a welcome from God.” That it is from One Forgiving, Merciful means that it is not from the angels, but only from God (Ṭs) and alludes to the idea that were it not for God’s Mercy, none would attain His Forgiveness (Qu).
***
Ó And who is more beautiful in speech than one who calls unto God, works righteousness, and says, “Truly I am among those who submit”?
33 The one who calls unto God is understood to be a reference to the Prophet (Qu, Ṭs, Z), to all the prophets (Qu), to those who call to prayer (IJ, IK, Ṭs, Ṭū, Z), to the leaders who call people to God (Qu), or to everyone who calls people to the good, works righteousness, and is among the submitters (IK, Z). For many Shiites, it is considered to refer to the Prophet and the Imams (Ṭs) or to the Prophet and his family (Ṭū). The combination of qualifications listed in this verse indicates that people cannot call to God unless they also act in accord with what they truly know, so that people will accept it (Ṭs). From a Sufi perspective, those who call unto God and work righteousness are those who seek no share for themselves in calling to God (Su) and “Those who know the path of God, then traverse upon the path of God, then call the people to God” (Qu).
***
Ô The good deed and the evil deed are not equal. Repel by that which is better; then behold, the one between whom and thee there is enmity shall be as if he were a loyal, protecting friend.
34 Cf. 23:96: Repel evil by that which is better (see also 29:46). Better can also mean “more beautiful” or “more virtuous.” In the present verse, the absence of a direct object after repel opens the meaning to other possibilities: people should repel anger with patience (IJ), error with truth (Ṭs), ignorance with clemency (Ṭs), and the commission of evil with pardon (IJ, Ṭs); if others disobey God in how they treat an individual, then that person should obey God in how he or she treats them (IK). Such conduct can lead to reconciliation, love, and empathy (IK). To repel evil with good (cf. 13:27; 23:96; 28:54) does not mean to surrender before one’s enemy or to accept falsehood over truth, but instead to avoid reciprocating harm whenever such avoidance will not lead to greater evil. In this vein, a ḥadīth taken by many as a foundational principle of Islam states, “Let there be no harming and no reciprocating harm.” Another states, “Keep relations with those who cut them off with you, give to those who deny you, and ignore those who oppress you.” Repel with that which is better can also be understood to apply to oneself, meaning that one should repel one’s own base tendencies toward vice by practicing virtue.
***
Õ Yet none shall receive it, save those who are patient; and none shall receive it, save those who possess great fortune.
35 The ability to repel evil with good is attained only by those who conceal their anger and bear what harm is done to them with patience (Ṭs). A great share refers to one of good fortune (IJ), an abundance of intellect and vision (Ṭs), or a high degree of virtue, spiritual strength, and inner purity (R). Great fortune may also be understood as a reference to Paradise (IJ, Ṭ, Ṭs).
***
Ö And should a temptation from Satan provoke thee, seek refuge in God. Truly He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
36 Cf. 7:200; 23:97–98. This verse repeats a general injunction stated in various ways in the Quran. In this context it also implies that if one is enticed to anger and thus to requite evil in a manner that is not better or “more virtuous” than the action of which one has been the object, one should seek refuge in God (Ṭ); see 7:200c.
***
× Among His signs are the night and the day, the sun and the moon. Prostrate not unto the sun, nor unto the moon. Prostrate unto God, Who created them, if it is He Whom you worship.
37 This is one of many verses to mention the signs that can be found in the night and the day, and the movement of the sun and the moon, as in 31:29: Hast thou not considered that God makes the night pass into the day and makes the day pass into the night, and that He made the sun and the moon subservient (cf. 16:12; 35:13; 39:5); see commentary on 36:37–40. Outwardly, the command to prostrate only to God is clear, but it can also be understood as an injunction to overcome the baser self, which turns toward all kinds of worldly distractions at the expense of remembering God (Aj, Q).
***
Ø And if they wax arrogant, then those who are with thy Lord glorify Him night and day, and they never weary.
38 Whether the disbelievers prostrate to God or not makes no difference to God or to those who worship God; it is only to the detriment of those who fail to do so (see 41:46c). Those who are with thy Lord is understood by most commentators as a reference to the angels (Aj, IJ, IK, Ṭ, Ṭs), but it can also mean all human beings who are near to God and honored by Him (Z) and could thus be understood as a reference to the foremost among them (K), who are said to be the ones brought nigh (56:11). The angels never weary of worshipping, since they never disobey God in what He commands of them (66:6); see also 21:19–20c. The foremost among human beings never weary, because they worship God devoid of veils, remembering Him at all times (K).
Together with the previous verse, this is one of fifteen passages after which one should prostrate when reciting the Quran; see 19:58c. In this instance, there is debate as to whether one should prostrate at the end of v. 37 or at the end of v. 38 (IJ, Ṭs).
***
Ù Among His signs is that thou seest the earth diminished; then, when We send down water upon it, it quivers and swells. He Who gives it life is surely the One Who gives life to the dead. Truly He is Powerful over all things.
39 This is one of several verses to invoke God’s ability to revive barren land as an argument for His ability to resurrect human beings (cf. 7:57; 16:65; 22:5; 25:48–89; 29:63; 30:19, 24, 50; 35:9; 36:33; 43:11; 45:5; 50:9–11). The use of this metaphor can also been seen as a reference to the state of the soul that has become desiccated through heedlessness and hardened by ignorance. Yet when the water of life or the wine of Divine Love is poured upon it, it stirs and rises and is revived by the remembrance of God and knowledge of Him (Aj). Similarly, al-Qushayrī sees this verse as a metaphor for the condition of a heart to which God draws near when it is humbled by the awareness of the sins that afflict it and then exhibits the blessings of regret and repentance.
***
@ Truly those who deviate with regard to Our signs are not hidden from Us. Is one who is cast in the Fire better, or one who comes in security on the Day of Resurrection? Do what you will; truly He sees whatsoever you do.
40 Deviate translates ilḥād, which literally means “to incline toward” or “to refrain from” (Q) and is here understood to mean altering the words of the Quran and putting them in an improper order (IJ, IK, Q, Ṭs, Z); making clamor and whistling when the Quran is recited (IJ, Ṭs), as in v. 26 (Q); being obstinate (IJ, IK, Q); denying God’s signs (IJ, Q); inclining away from belief in them (IJ, Ṭs); or inclining away from the truth and what points to it (Q). Though many attempt to identify one who is cast in the Fire with certain of the Prophet’s enemies, especially Abū Jahl, and one who comes in security with the Prophet or one of his Companions (IJ, Q, Ṭs), the meaning of the sentence is also considered more general (IJ, Ṭs). In its immediate context, one who is cast in the Fire is best understood as referring back to those who deviate with regard to Our signs and more broadly to the contrast between the believer and the disbeliever (Ṭs). Do what you will is a threat, meaning that since He sees whatsoever you do (cf. 2:110, 233, 237, 265; 3:156; 8:72; 11:112; 33:9; 48:24; 49:18; 57:4; 60:3; 64:2), all people will be requited for their evil deeds (IK, Q).
***
A Truly those who disbelieve in the Reminder when it comes unto them [ . . .]. And truly it is a mighty Book.
B Falsehood comes not upon it from before it or from behind it; a revelation from One Wise, Praised.
41–42 Those who disbelieve in the Reminder are those who disbelieve in the Quran (IJ, IK, Q, Ṭs, Z). The elided phrase indicated by the ellipsis in this verse is understood to be “are punished” (Q, Ṭs), “are destroyed” (Bḍ, Q), “are obstinate” (Bḍ), or “are recompensed for their disbelief” (IJ). It could also be understood as a form of emphasis, in which case the elided phrase would be “disbelieve” (IJ). Others say that the phrase is completed by the last part of v. 44: Such are called from a place far off (IJ, Q, Ṭs).
Mighty renders ʿAzīz, which is also one of the Names of God, meaning Powerful, Overwhelming, and without peer (R). In relation to the Quran, it is understood to indicate that the Quran is protected by God from corruption by Satan or any other being (IJ, IK), that it is honored by God (IJ), and that no one can produce its like (IJ, IK, Ṭs). V. 42 can then be understood as a confirmation that nothing can corrupt the Quran (IJ, IK, Ṭs), as in 15:9: Truly it is We Who have sent down the Reminder, and surely We are its Preserver (R). Alternately, that falsehood comes not upon it from before it indicates that none of the scriptures before it contradicts it, while from behind it, which can also mean “after it,” indicates that no revelation will come after it that would contradict or abrogate it (Q, R, Ṭs).
V. 42 also represents one of several responses to the challenges posed by the Quran’s detractors in order to convince them of its Divine Origin, as in 18:1: Praise be to God, Who sent down the Book unto His servant, and placed no crookedness therein; and 4:82: Had it been from other than God, they would surely have found much discrepancy therein. Elsewhere the Quran challenges those who disbelieve to produce a single sūrah like it (see 2:23; 10:38) or ten sūrahs like it (11:13), suggesting that they will be unable to do so.
***
C Naught has been said unto thee save that which has been said unto the messengers before thee. Truly thy Lord is Possessed of Forgiveness and Possessed of a Painful Retribution.
43 In the context of the previous verses, this verse is understood to mean that the message sent to the Prophet is in principle the same as that sent to the prophets before him (IJ, Ṭs), as in 87:18–19, which says of the Quranic teachings, Truly this is in the scriptures of old, the scriptures of Abraham and Moses. Nonetheless, the particular laws with which each prophet is sent are different, as in 5:48: For each among you We have appointed a law and a way. And had God willed, He would have made you one community, but [He willed otherwise], that He might try you in that which He has given you; see the essay “The Quranic View of Sacred History and Other Religions.”
The most widespread reading of this verse is that the insults and denials that have been hurled at the Prophet are no different from those employed against prophets before him (IJ, IK, Q, R, Ṭs). This reading would fit better with the second half of the verse, meaning that God is then Possessed of Forgiveness for those who repent for what they have said to the messengers, but Possessed of a Painful Retribution for those who do not.
***
D Had We made it a Quran in a foreign tongue, they would say, “If only its signs were expounded. What! A foreign tongue and an Arab [messenger]?” Say, “It is a guidance and a healing for those who believe, and those who do not believe have a deafness in their ears, and it is a blindness for them. Such are called from a place far off.”
44 In this context, Quran should be understood in accord with its lexical definition, “recitation,” meaning, “If We had recited this revelation in a language other than Arabic, people would reject it saying ‘What! Not in Arabic and from an Arab!’ or ‘A foreign book and an Arab prophet!’” (IK, Ṭs), as in 26:198–99: And had We sent it down upon some non-Arab, and he recited it unto them, they would not have believed in it. But they have a revelation in their own language from a person of their own kind and thus have no excuse for rejecting it (see also 14:4). Yet it is still not clear to them, for although they hear the Quran, they are spiritually deaf and thus do not understand (cf. 2:171; 5:71; 6:25, 39; 8:22; 10:42; 17:46; 18:57; 21:45; 31:7; 41:5; 47:23). Thus they are not able to benefit from the “healing” that the revelation is said to contain, as in 17:82: And We send down of the Quran that which is a cure and a mercy for the believers. And it increases the wrongdoers in naught but loss (see also 10:57). That they are called from a place far off means a place far away from their hearts (IK, Ṭ), so that when one addresses them directly, it is as if one is calling them from afar (IK, Ṭs). In this sense they are like cattle (R), as in 25:44: Or do you suppose that most of them hear or understand? Truly they are but as cattle. Nay, they are further astray from the way (see also 7:179c).
***
E Indeed, We gave Moses the Book; then difference arose concerning it. And were it not for a Word that had already gone forth from thy Lord, judgment would have been made between them. Yet truly they are confounded by doubt regarding it.
45 Cf. 11:110. The example of Moses and the manner in which his people became divided is cited by way of consolation for the Prophet (IJ, Ṭs), as if God is saying to the Prophet, Be patient, as the resolute among the messengers were patient (46:35; IK); see 11:110–11c. If not for a Word that had preceded from thy Lord means that, had God not promised to grant the disbelievers respite until an appointed term, judgment would have been made at the moment that difference arose, and they would have had no opportunity to repent (see 3:19c; 10:19; 42:14). Truly they are confounded by doubt means that their rejection of the Prophet and the Quran does not derive from any form of wisdom or insight; rather, they speak without examining God’s Word (IK, Ṭ).
***
F Whosoever works righteousness, it is for his own soul. And whosoever commits evil, it is to the detriment thereof. It is not for thy Lord to wrong His servants.
46 Whosoever works righteousness in obedience to God during the life of this world will receive the reward for it in the Hereafter, while whosoever commits evil and is thus disobedient will receive a painful punishment (Ṭ); cf. 45:15. That it is not for thy Lord to wrong His servants (cf. 3:182; 8:51; 22:10; 50:29) reiterates a major theme of the Quran. On the one hand, it means that God will not punish individuals for things they have not done. On the other hand, it means that God will not punish a people unless He has sent them a messenger to remind them (IK). According to the Quran, every human community has been sent a warner (see 16:36), and thus its members will be held accountable for heeding or rejecting the warning; see 67:9c.
***
G Unto Him is knowledge of the Hour referred. No fruits come forth from their sheaths, nor does any female bear or bring forth, save by His Knowledge. And on the Day when He will call unto them, “Where are My partners?” they will say, “We admit unto Thee that none among us bears witness.”
47 That knowledge of the Hour, or the end of time, lies only with God is mentioned in several verses (see 7:187; 31:34; 33:63; 43:85; 67:25–26; 79:42–46); thus none save He shall manifest it at its proper time (7:187). This exclusion applies to the Prophet as well, who said to the Archangel Gabriel when asked of the Hour, “The one questioned about it knows no more than the questioner” (IK). The allusion to the exclusivity of such knowledge in this verse can be seen as an answer to one who asks when the rewards and punishments alluded to in v. 46 will come to pass (R). Just as only God knows the ends of all things, so too God alone knows the beginnings of all things, and only He has certain knowledge of future events in this world (cf. 6:59; 13:8; 35:11). Those who admit are either the idolaters, who now profess that none of them bear witness to the partners they had once ascribed to God (IJ, IK, R, Ṭ; cf. 6:23), or the idols and false deities, who now declare that none of them attests to the partnership that the idolaters had attributed to them (IJ, R; cf. 16:86).
***
H That which they used to call upon before will forsake them, and they will know for certain that they have no refuge.
48 The partners the disbelievers ascribe to God in this life will forsake them or fail them in the Hereafter (see also 6:22–24, 94; 7:37, 53; 10:30; 11:21; 14:22; 16:86–87; 28:75; 40:73–74c). Upon this realization, the idolaters will say, They have forsaken us. Nay, but we were not calling upon aught before (40:74). Thus they know for certain that those whom they thought they could turn to for help and protection have no power and realize that they themselves have no refuge (cf. 18:53).
***
I Man wearies not of supplicating for good, and if evil befalls him, he is despondent, despairing.
P And if We make him taste some mercy from Us after hardship has befallen him, surely he will say, “This is mine; I think not that the Hour will come. If I am returned unto my Lord, surely with Him shall I have that which is most beautiful.” So We shall inform those who disbelieved of that which they have done, and We shall cause them to taste of a grave punishment.
49–50 The attitudes of human beings toward God are often conditioned by their relative circumstances rather than by true belief, as in 70:19–21: Truly man was created anxious; when evil befalls him, fretful; and when good befalls him, begrudging (cf. 11:9–10; 17:83; 22:11). Man wearies not of asking God for wealth, health, and other blessings (IJ, IK, Ṭ), meaning there is no amount that will sate them so that they cease asking for more (R). Conversely, there is no end to the despair they feel when afflicted with trials and privations. Although some view v. 49 as a reference to disbelievers (IJ, Ṭ), it can also be understood as a more general reflection upon the frailty of the human condition, in which people vacillate between hope and despair, from one state to the other (R). When individuals of this disposition receive a blessing or mercy from God, they say, This is mine, meaning that it is something they feel they deserve (IJ, IK, R) because God is pleased with them (Ṭ), as when one says, I was only given it because of knowledge (39:49); or else they think that there will be no end to what they will be given (R). Such an attitude reveals that they do not ultimately believe in the Hour, the Judgment, and the Reckoning before God. Believing that they deserve what they have received from God, such individuals also believe that if there is in fact a return to God, they will be among those who are rewarded, just as they were rewarded in this life (IJ, R). But when the Hour does come, God will “inform” them of the true nature of their actions in this life; see also 5:14, 105; 6:60, 108, 159; 9:94, 105; 10:23; 24:64; 29:8; 31:15, 23; 39:7; 58:6–7; 62:8; 64:7; 75:13.
***
Q And when We bless man, he turns away and withdraws. Yet when evil befalls him, he is full of prolonged supplication.
51 Human beings turn away and withdraw because they consider themselves self-sufficient, beyond the need for God, as in 96:6–7: Nay, truly man is rebellious in that he considers himself beyond need. But when misfortune befalls them, they nonetheless take recourse to God. Some understand prolonged supplication to indicate supplication that is long on words but short on meaning (IK), while others understand it to mean that the disbelievers genuinely beseech God (Q, Ṭs), but that they only acknowledge God when afflicted by trial and not when blessed with ease (Q).
***
R Say, “What think you, if it is from God, yet you disbelieve in it? Who is more astray than one in extreme schism?”
52 Cf. 46:10. This command to the Prophet to challenge the people of Makkah regarding their refusal to accept the Quran can be seen as a response to their claims in v. 5: Our hearts are under coverings from that to which you call us, and in our ears there is deafness, and between us and you there is a veil. So do [as you will]; we shall do [as we will] (R). Schism renders shiqāq (also in 2:137, 176; 22:53; 38:2), which conveys a sense of fracture or separation together with a sense of defiance and indicates that they are far from God in both conduct and character (R).
***
S We shall show them Our signs upon the horizons and within themselves till it becomes clear to them that it is the truth. Does it not suffice that thy Lord is Witness over all things?
53 This verse is among the most famous of the Quran as it provides a succinct summation of the broad Quranic theme of God’s displaying His signs in various ways to reveal the truth and to guide human beings. In the immediate context, many understand Our signs upon the horizons as a reference to the conquering of the lands surrounding Makkah (R) or the various regions to which Islam eventually spread (IJ, Q, Ṭ), and those within themselves, or “among themselves,” as a reference to the conquest of Makkah itself (Q, R, Ṭ) or to the Prophet’s victory at the Battle of Badr (IJ). Others understand upon the horizons as a reference to God’s victories over other peoples, and within themselves as a reference to the defeat of the Makkans at the Battle of Badr (IJ, Q). Alternately, upon the horizons could mean the destruction of other civilizations (Q) or God’s withholding rain from the earth (IJ), and within themselves could mean the afflictions and illnesses people experience in their own bodies (IJ, Q). Others say that signs upon the horizons refers to celestial bodies as well as the night and the day and the signs of the created order referred to throughout the Quran, and those within themselves refers to the many phases of human life (Q, R), from conception, through gestation, to birth, maturation, and death, as in 22:5 and 23:13–14, or to the wisdom behind the composition of human beings (Q) and the various natures and inclinations they exhibit (IK). Still others propose that signs upon the horizons refers only to the celestial bodies that are signs in the sky, while the signs within or among themselves refer to the signs upon the earth (IJ, Q).
The antecedent of the pronoun it (hu) in it is the truth is ambiguous and is variously understood as a reference to the Quran (IJ, Q), the religion of Islam (Q), everything to which the Prophet calls the people (IJ), or the true prophethood of Muhammad (Q). Alternately, it could be seen as a reference to an unstated “everything,” meaning all of creation, both macrocosmic and microcosmic, or to God, in which case it would be rendered “that He is the Truth.” In this regard, Sufis understand this verse as a reference to the Self-Manifestation (ẓuhūr) or Self-Disclosure (tajallī) of God in all things. As the early Sufi Abū Bakr al-Wāsiṭī (d. 320/932) is reported to have said, “He is manifest in everything through that of it which He makes manifest, and His making things manifest is His Own manifestation through them. So if one scrutinizes them, one does not find [anything] other than God” (Su). This cosmological understanding is developed extensively in the school of Ibn ʿArabī, who often cites this verse. In establishing the correspondence between the microcosm, the macrocosm, and the verses of the Quran, he understands Our signs upon the horizons as a reference to everything outside of the human being, thus the entire cosmos, and those within themselves as a reference to all that is within the human being, a microcosm in which are brought together all of the realities of the cosmos. Concerning this reality, Ibn ʿArabī writes, “When we come to understand these two affairs together, we come to know Him and it becomes clear to us that ‘He is the Truth.’” (Futūḥāt, II 298). From this perspective, does it not suffice that thy Lord is Witness over all things (cf. 4:33; 5:117; 22:17; 33:55; 34:47; 58:6; 85:9) refers to God’s bearing witness to His own Self-Disclosure and Self-Manifestation within each existent thing (Futūḥāt, II 151.5). In this sense, the present verse echoes 51:20–21: And upon the earth are signs for those possessing certainty, and within your souls. Do you not then behold?
***
T Behold! They are in doubt regarding the meeting with their Lord. Behold! Truly He encompasses all things.
54 That people doubt the meeting with God refers in general to their denial of Resurrection and Judgment and in other verses is associated with disbelieving or rejecting God’s signs; see 10:7; 18:105; 29:23; 30:16. In this vein, the present verse can be seen as a reference to those who are veiled from recognizing the signs on the horizons and within themselves due to the fact that they are veiled from the Creator by that which is created (K). Most understand God’s encompassing all things as a reference to God’s Power and Knowledge (IK, Q, R), but, seen in light of the other verses, it may refer to God’s Knowledge and Mercy, the only two Attributes said to encompass all things, as when the angels say, Our Lord, Thou dost encompass all things in Mercy and Knowledge (40:7; cf. 6:80; 7:89, 156; 20:98; 65:12). Viewed in relation to the interpretation of v. 53 offered by Ibn ʿArabī, God’s encompassing all things would refer to the idea that nothing would exist, were it not for His Reality, by which every existent thing is made manifest and then returns unto Him, as in 28:88: All things perish, save His Face; and 55:26–27: All upon it passes away. And there remains the Face of thy Lord, Possessed of Majesty and Bounty (K). As al-Kāshānī writes, “Nothing escapes His Encompassing; otherwise it would not exist, since the true nature of everything is the reality of His Knowledge and His Being through it, and His Knowledge is the reality of His Self (Dhāt) and His Self is the reality of His Being. So nothing escapes His Encompassing, since nothing has being, or reality, or self other than Him” (K).