Banī Isrā’īl
Makkan Period
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate
[1] Holy is He Who carried His servant by night from the Holy Mosque (in Makkah) to the farther Mosque (in Jerusalem) whose surroundings We have blessed that We might show him some of Our Signs.1 Indeed He alone is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.
[2] We gave Moses the Book, and made it a source of guidance for the children of Israel, commanding: “Take no other Guardian beside Me.”2 [3] You are the descendants of those whom We carried (in the Ark) with Noah. He was truly a thankful servant. [4] Then We clearly declared to the Children of Israel in the Book:3 “Twice you will make mischief in the land and will commit transgression.” [5] So, when the occasion for the first of the transgressions arrived, We raised against you some of Our creatures who were full of might, and they ran over the whole of your land.4 This was a promise that was bound to be fulfilled. [6] Then We granted you an upper hand against them, and strengthened you with wealth and children, and multiplied your numbers. [7] Whenever you did good, it was to your own advantage; and whenever you committed evil, it was to your own disadvantage. So, when the time of the fulfilment of the second promise arrived, (We raised other enemies that would) disfigure your faces and enter the Temple (of Jerusalem) as they had entered the first time, and destroy whatever they could lay their hands on.5 [8] Your Lord may well show Mercy to you, but if you revert to your evil behaviour, We shall revert to chastising you. We have made Hell a prison for those who are thankless of Allah’s bounties.
[9] Verily this Qur’ān guides to the Way that is the Straightmost. To those who believe in it, and do righteous works, it gives the good news that a great reward awaits them, [10] and warns those who do not believe in the Hereafter that We have prepared for them a grievous chastisement.
[11] Man prays for evil in the manner he ought to pray for good. Man is ever hasty.6
[12] We have made night and day as two signs. We made the sign of the night devoid of light, and made the sign of the day radiant that you may seek the bounty of your Lord and know the computation of years and numbers. Thus We have expounded everything in detail to keep everything distinct from the other.
[13] We have fastened every man’s omen to his neck.7 On the Day of Resurrection We shall produce for him his scroll in the shape of a wide open book, (saying):
[14] “Read your scroll; this Day you suffice to take account of yourself.”
[15] He who follows the Right Way shall do so to his own advantage; and he who strays shall incur his own loss. No one shall bear another’s burden.8 And never do We punish any people until We send a Messenger (to make the Truth distinct from falsehood).
[16] When We decide to destroy a town We command the affluent among them, whereupon they commit sins in it, then the decree (of chastisement) becomes due against them and thereafter We destroy that town utterly.9 [17] Many a generation has been destroyed by Our command since Noah’s time. Your Lord is well aware and fully observant of the sins of His servants.
[18] If anyone desires immediate benefits, (We hasten to grant whatever benefits We will in the present life to whomsoever We please, but thereafter We decree for him Hell wherein he shall burn, condemned and rejected.
[19] But he who desires the Hereafter and strives for it in the manner he should, and is a true believer, his striving will come to fruition.10 [20] To all of these as well as those We shall provide the wherewithal of this life in the present world by dint of your Lord’s Bounty; and from none shall the Bounty of your Lord be withheld. [21] See, how We have exalted some above others in this world,11 and in the Life to Come they will have higher ranks and greater degrees of excellence over others.
[22] Do not set up any other god with Allah lest you are rendered humiliated and helpless.
[23] Your Lord has decreed:
| (i) | Do not worship any but Him; |
| (ii) | Be good to your parents; and should both or any one of them attain old age with you, do not say to them even “fie” neither chide them, but speak to them with respect, [24] and be humble and tender to them and say: “Lord, show mercy to them as they nurtured me when I was small.” [25] Your Lord is best aware of what is in your hearts. If you are righteous, He will indeed forgive those who relent and revert (to serving Allah). |
| [26] (iii) | Give to the near of kin his due, and also to the needy and the wayfarer. |
| (iv) | Do not squander your wealth wastefully, [27] for those who squander wastefully are Satan’s brothers, and Satan is ever ungrateful to his Lord. |
| [28] (v) | And when you must turn away from them – (that is, from the destitute, the near of kin, the needy, and the wayfarer) – in pursuit of God’s Mercy which you expect to receive, then speak to them kindly. |
| [29] (vi) | Do not keep your hand fastened to your neck nor outspread it, altogether outspread, for you will be left sitting rebuked, destitute.12 [30] Certainly Your Lord makes plentiful the provision of whomsoever He wills and straitens it for whomsoever He wills. He is well-aware and is fully observant of all that relates to His servants. |
| [31] (vii) | Do not kill your children for fear of want. We will provide for them and for you. Surely killing them is a great sin. |
| [32] (viii) | Do not even approach fornication for it is an outrageous act, and an evil way. |
| [33] (ix) | Do not kill any person whom Allah has forbidden to kill, except with right. We have granted the heir of him who has been wrongfully killed the authority to (claim retribution);13 so let him not exceed in slaying.14 He shall be helped.15 |
| [34] (x) | And do not even go near the property of the orphan – except that it be in the best manner – till he attains his maturity. |
| (xi) | And fulfil the covenant, for you will be called to account regarding the covenant. |
| [35] (xii) | Give full measure when you measure, and weigh with even scales. That is fair and better in consequence. |
| [36] (xiii) | Do not follow that of which you have no knowledge.16 Surely the hearing, the sight, the heart – each of these shall be called to account. [37] (xiv) Do not strut about in the land arrogantly. Surely you cannot cleave the earth, nor reach the heights of the mountains in stature. |
[38] The wickedness of each of that is hateful to your Lord.17 [39] That is part of the wisdom your Lord has revealed to you. So do not set up any deity beside Allah lest you are cast into Hell, rebuked and deprived of every good.18 [40] What, has your Lord favoured you with sons and has taken for Himself daughters from among the angels? You are indeed uttering a monstrous lie.
[41] We have expounded (the Truth) in diverse ways in this Qur’ān that they might take it to heart but all this only aggravates their aversion. [42] Say, (O Muḥammad): “Had there been other gods with Him, as they claim, they would surely have attempted to find a way to the Lord of the Throne. [43] Holy is He and far above all that they say. [44] The seven heavens, the earth, and all that is within them give glory to Him.19 There is nothing but gives glory to Him with His praise, though you do not understand their hymns of praise. He is Most Forbearing, Exceedingly Forgiving.”
[45] When you recite the Qur’ān, We place a hidden barrier between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter; [46] and We place a covering on their hearts so that they do not comprehend it, and We cause a heaviness in their ears;20 and when you mention your Lord, the Only True Lord, in the Qur’ān, they turn their backs in aversion.21 [47] We are well aware of what they wish to hear when they listen to you and what they say when they confer in whispers, when the wrong-doers say: “You are only following one who is bewitched.”22 [48] Just see how strange are the things they invent about you. They have altogether strayed, and are unable to find the right way.
[49] They say: “When we are turned to bones and particles (of dust), shall we truly be raised up as a new creation?” [50] Tell them: “(You will be raised afresh even if) you turn to stone or iron, [51] or any other form of creation you deem hardest of all (to recreate from).” They will certainly ask: “Who will bring us back (to life)?” Say: “He Who created you in the first instance.” They will shake their heads at you23 and inquire: “When will that be?” Say: “Perhaps that time might have drawn near; [52] on the Day when He will call you and you will rise praising Him in response to His call, and you will believe that you had lain in this state only for a while.”24
[53] Tell My servants, (O Muḥammad), to say always that which is best.25 Verily it is Satan who sows discord among people. Satan indeed is an open enemy to mankind. [54] Your Lord knows you best. He will have mercy on you if He wills and chastise you if He wills.26 We have not sent you, (O Muḥammad), as an overseer over them.
[55] Your Lord knows all who dwell in the heavens and the earth. We have exalted some Prophets over others, and We gave the Psalms to David.
[56] Tell them: “Call upon those whom you fancy to be (your helpers) instead of Him! They have no power to remove any affliction from you, nor can they shift it (to any other).”27 [57] Those whom they call upon are themselves seeking the means of access to their Lord, each trying to be nearer to Him. They crave for His Mercy and dread His chastisement.28 Surely your Lord’s punishment is to be feared.
[58] There is not a town but We shall destroy it or upon which We shall inflict severe chastisement before the Day of Resurrection. This is written down in the Eternal Book (of Allah).
[59] Nothing hindered Us from sending Our Signs except that the people of olden times rejected them as lies.29 We publicly sent the she-camel to the Thamūd to open their eyes but they wronged her. We never send Our Signs except to cause people to fear. [60] And recall when We said to you, (O Muḥammad), that your Lord encompasses these people; and that We have made that vision that We have shown you,30 and the tree accursed in the Qur’ān,31 but as a trial for people.32 We go about warning them, but each warning leads them to greater transgression.
[61] And recall when We asked the angels to prostrate themselves before Adam; all prostrated themselves except Iblīs, who said: “Shall I prostrate myself before him whom You created of clay?” [62] He then continued: “Look! This is he whom You have exalted above me! If you will grant me respite till the Day of Resurrection I shall uproot the whole of his progeny except only a few.” [63] Thereupon He retorted: “Be gone! Hell shall be the recompense – and a most ample one – of whosoever of them who follows you. [64] Tempt with your call all whom you wish. Muster against them all your forces – your cavalry and your foot soldiers; share with them riches and offspring, and seduce them with rosy promises – and Satan’s promise is nothing but a deception – [65] but know well that you will have no power against My servants. Your Lord suffices for them to place their trust in.”
[66] Your Lord is He Who steers your vessels across the seas that you may seek of His Bounty. He is ever Merciful towards you. [67] When a calamity befalls you on the sea, all those whom you invoke forsake you except Him. But when He delivers you safely to the shore you turn away from Him, for man is indeed most thankless. [68] Do you, then, feel secure against His causing you to be swallowed up by a tract of the earth, or letting loose a deadly whirlwind charged with stones towards you, and there you will find none to protect you? [69] Or do you feel secure that He will not cause you to revert to the sea, and let a tempest loose upon you and then drown you for your ingratitude whereupon you will find none even to inquire of Us what happened to you? [70] Indeed, We honoured the progeny of Adam, and bore them across land and sea and provided them with good things for their sustenance, and exalted them above many of Our creatures. [71] Then think of the Day We shall summon every community with its leader. Those who are given their Record in their right hand shall read the Record of their deeds and shall not be wronged a whit. [72] Whoever lived in this world as blind shall live as blind in the Life to Come; rather, he will be even farther astray than if he were (just) blind.
[73] (O Muḥammad), they had all but tempted you away from what We have revealed to you that you may invent something else in Our Name. Had you done so, they would have taken you as their trusted friend. [74] Indeed, had We not strengthened you, you might have inclined to them a little, [75] whereupon We would have made you taste double (the chastisement) in the world and double (the chastisement) after death, and then you would have found none to help you against Us.
[76] They were bent upon uprooting you from this land and driving you away from it. But were they to succeed, they would not be able to remain after you more than a little while.
[77] This has been Our Way with the Messengers whom We sent before you. You will find no change in Our Way.
[78] Establish Prayer from the declining of the sun to the darkness of the night;33 and hold fast to the recitation of the Qur’ān at dawn, for the recitation of the Qur’ān at dawn is witnessed.34 [79] And rise from sleep during the night as well35 – this is an additional Prayer for you. Possibly your Lord will raise you to an honoured position.36
[80] And pray: “My Lord! Cause me to enter wherever it be, with Truth, and cause me to exit, wherever it be, with Truth, and support me with authority from Yourself.”37
[81] And proclaim: “The Truth has come, and falsehood has vanished. Surely falsehood is ever bound to vanish.”
[82] What We are sending down in the course of revealing the Qur’ān is a healing and a grace for those who have faith; but it adds only to the ruin of the wrong-doers. [83] Whenever We bestow favours upon man, he arrogantly turns away and draws aside; and whenever evil visits him, he is in utter despair. [84] Say, (O Prophet): “Each one acts according to his own manner. Your Lord knows well who is best-guided to the Right Path.”
[85] They ask you about “the spirit”. Say: “The spirit descends by the command of my Lord, but you have been given only a little knowledge.”38 [86] Had We willed, We could take away what We have revealed to you, then you would find none to help you in recovering it from Us. [87] (Whatever you have received) is nothing but grace from your Lord. Indeed His favour to you is great.
[88] Say: “Surely, if mankind and jinn were to get together to produce the like of this Qur’ān, they will never be able to produce the like of it, howsoever they might help one another.”
[89] We have explained things for people in this Qur’ān in diverse ways to make them understand the Message, yet most people obstinately persist in unbelief. [90] They said: “We shall not accept your Message until you cause a spring to gush forth for us from the earth; [91] or that there be a garden of palms and vines for you and then you cause rivers to Abūndantly flow forth through them; [92] or cause the sky to fall on us in pieces as you claimed, or bring Allah and the angels before us, face to face; [93] or that there come to be for you a house of gold, or that you ascend to the sky – though we shall not believe in your ascension (to the sky) – until you bring down a book for us that we can read.” Say to them, (O Muḥammad): “Holy is my Lord! Am I anything else than a human being, who bears a Message (from Allah)?”
[94] Whenever Guidance came to people, nothing prevented them from believing except that they said: “Has Allah sent a human being as a Messenger?” [95] Say: “Had angels been walking about in peace on the earth, We would surely have sent to them an angel from the heavens as Messenger.”
[96] Tell them, (O Prophet): “Allah suffices as a witness between me and you. Allah is well aware and fully observes everything pertaining to His servants.”
[97] Whomsoever Allah guides is rightly guided; and whomsoever Allah lets go astray, you shall find none – apart from Him – who could protect him. We shall muster them all on the Day of Resurrection, on their faces – blind and dumb and deaf. Hell shall be their refuge. Every time its Fire subsides, We will intensify for them its flame. [98] That will be their recompense because they disbelieved in Our Signs and said: “What, when we shall be reduced to bones and particles (of dust), shall we be raised again as a new creation?” [99] Have they not perceived that Allah, Who has created the heavens and the earth, has the power to create the like of them? He has fixed a term for them about which there is no doubt. And yet the wrong-doers obstinately persist in unbelief.
[100] Tell them, (O Prophet): “Even if you owned the treasures of my Lord’s Mercy you would have held them back for fear of spending them.” Man is indeed ever niggardly.39
[101] We granted Moses nine clear signs.40 Ask the Children of Israel about that: when these signs came forth, Pharaoh said to him: “Moses, I think that you are bewitched.” [102] Moses replied: “You know well that no one but the Lord of the heavens and the earth has sent these as eye-opening proofs.41 I truly think, O Pharaoh, that you are indeed doomed.” [103] At last Pharaoh decided to uproot Moses and the Children of Israel from the land, but We drowned him together with all who were with him; [104] and thereafter We said to the Children of Israel: “Now dwell in the land, but when the promised time of the Hereafter comes, We shall bring you all together.”
[105] We have sent down the Qur’ān with the Truth, and it is with the Truth that it has descended. And We have not sent you but to proclaim good news and to warn. [106] We have revealed the Qur’ān in parts that you may recite it to people slowly and with deliberation; and (for that reason) We have revealed it gradually (to suit particular occasions). [107] Tell them, (O Prophet): “Whether you believe in it, or do not believe,” but when it is recited to those who were given the knowledge before its revelation, they fall down upon their faces in prostration [108] and say: “Glory be to our Lord. Surely the promise of our Lord was bound to be fulfilled.” [109] And they fall down upon their faces, weeping, and their humility increases when (the Qur’ān) is recited to them.
[110] Say to them (O Prophet!): “Call upon Him as Allah or call upon Him as al-Raḥmān; call Him by whichever name you will, all His names are beautiful.42 Neither offer your Prayer in too loud a voice, nor in a voice too low; but follow a middle course.”43 [111] And say: “All praise be to Allah Who has neither taken to Himself a son, nor has He any partner in His kingdom, nor does He need anyone, out of weakness, to protect Him.” So glorify Him in a manner worthy of His glory.
1. This is an allusion to the event known as Miʿrāj (ascension) and Isrā’ (night journey). According to most traditions – and especially the authentic ones – this event took place one year before Hijrah. Detailed reports about it are found in the works of Ḥadīth and Sīrah and have been narrated from as many as twenty-five Companions. The Qur’ān here only mentions that the Prophet (peace be on him) was taken from the Ka ‘bah to the Mosque in Jerusalem. However, Ḥadīth reports give copious details of the onward journey from Jerusalem to the highest point in the heavens and the experience of the Divine Presence. What was the nature of this journey? Did it take place while the Prophet (peace be on him) was asleep or while he was awake? Did he actually undertake a journey in the physical sense or did he have a spiritual vision while remaining in his own place? These questions, in our view, have been resolved by the text of the Qur’ān itself. The opening statement: “Holy is He Who carried His servant by night from the Holy Mosque to the farther Mosque …” (verse 1) itself indicates that it was an extraordinary event which took place by dint of the infinite power of God. For quite obviously, to be able to perceive the kind of things mentioned in connection with the event either in a dream or by means of intuition is not so wondrous that it should be prefaced by the statement: “Holy is He Who carried His servant by night…”; a statement which amounts to proclaiming that God was free from every imperfection and flaw. Such a statement would make absolutely no sense if the purpose of it was merely to affirm that God had the power to enable man to have either visions in the course of a dream, or to receive information intuitively. In our view, the words of the verse clearly indicate that the event, far from being merely a spiritual experience or a dream vision, was an actual journey, and the observation in question was a visual observation.
2. The word wakīl signifies one upon whom a person totally relies; one in whom full trust is reposed; one to whose care one entrusts one’s affairs, to whom one looks for guidance and support.
3. The word “Book” here does not specifically signify the Torah. Rather, it stands for the heavenly Scripture as such. On several occasions the Qur’ān uses the term al-kitāb in the sense of heavenly Scripture as such rather than in the sense of one particular Book.
4. This alludes to the terrible destruction suffered by the Israelites at the hands of the Assyrians and Babylonians.
5. This refers to the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem completely and drove the Israelites out of Palestine. Since then they remained dispirited and dispersed throughout the world for nearly two thousand years.
6. This is in response to the foolish demands that the unbelievers of Makkah occasionally made upon the Prophet (peace be on him). Again and again they asked him to bring upon them the punishment of which he had so often warned them. This particular statement follows the preceding verse which promises a large reward for those who believe and do good and a painful chastisement for those who do not believe in the After-Life, and is intended to jolt the persons concerned into recognizing their folly. For, instead of asking for good, they were asking for God’s punishment. Do they have no idea at all of the havoc that God’s punishment wreaks upon those who are smitten by it? Implicit in this statement is a subtle warning to the Muslims as well. Irked by constant persecution at the hands of the unbelievers the Muslims sometimes prayed that God’s scourge might seize the unbelievers. They did so without realizing that there were many among the unbelievers who would embrace Islam and uphold its cause all across the world at one time or another in the future. Hence, it was deemed necessary to point out that man is impatient; that he is prone to ask for whatever he is immediately in need of and which he wants to have forthwith. However, in the course of time, it becomes evident to him that had his prayer been answered instantly, it would have been no good for him.
7. The causes that lead a man to his ultimate salvation or perdition, to his perpetual happiness or unending misery, lie within himself.
8. The statement made here emphasizes that every man has been encumbered with moral responsibility, that each person is accountable to God in his personal capacity, that no one shares this accountability with any other.
9. The essence of the matter, as embodied in the present verse, is that what truly brings about a society’s destruction is corruption of its affluent sections, the corruption of its upper classes. When a nation is close to its doom, its wealthy and influential sections blatantly resort to all kinds of evil practices, to injustice and oppression, to wickedness and mischief, and this leads to its destruction. Hence, if a people truly care about their collective well-being, they should ensure that its political power and riches do not pass on to those that are unworthy of them, to those that are conspicuously iniquitous, to those that are altogether incapable of Jūdīciously using political and economic power.
10. He who seeks success in the Hereafter will receive full reward for his efforts towards that end, a reward that will fully correspond to that effort.
11. It is quite evident even during the course of this life that the seekers of the Hereafter are perceptibly better than those who seek the good of this worldly life alone. Quite obviously, the superiority of the former does not consist in the fact that they eat tastier food, or clothe themselves in more attractive garments, or dwell in more splendid houses, or go about in impressive vehicles, or enjoy any other trappings of material progress and prosperity. The true cause of their superiority is essentially their moral excellence. Regardless of whether the worldly possessions of people of the former category are Abūndant or meagre, it is certain that they earned them by honest and fair means. This is in sharp contrast to the predicament of those who exclusively seek the good of this world. For scarcely anything prevents them from employing illegitimate means to achieve their worldly objectives. Similarly, the people who essentially seek the success of the Hereafter, can also be distinguished by the manner in which they spend their earnings: they spend them with moderation. They allocate a part of their earnings to discharge their obligations to their kith and kin. They also devote a part of their earnings to assisting the needy and the indigent, as well as to other charitable purposes with a view to pleasing God. In sharp contrast to this, the people who seek nothing but worldly prosperity, are intent upon self-indulgence, upon satisfying their lusts in every conceivable way, whether legitimate or illegitimate. In sum, the life of the former group of people is distinct from and superior in all respects.
12. “To keep one’s hand fastened to one’s neck” is an Arabic idiom that denotes miserliness, and “to outspread it, altogether outspread,” denotes extravagance.
13. That “We have granted the heir of him who has been wrongfully killed the authority to demand qiṣāṣ (retribution)” means that the heir of someone who has been murdered is entitled to claim retribution for that crime.
14. There are many ways in which one can overstep the legitimate bounds of “slaying,” and all of them are prohibited. For instance, swayed by vengefulness, a wronged person may kill others than the actual culprit, or subject the culprit to torture, mutilation of his corpse, or even kill him after he has taken blood-money.
15. As the Islamic state had not been established when this verse was revealed, who will “help” the heir is not specified. However, after the Islamic state was established, it was made clear that “helping” the legal heir was neither the responsibility of the slain person’s tribe nor of that tribe’s allies. Instead, the responsibility fell upon the Islamic state and its Jūdīcial system. Individuals or groups were no longer entitled to seek retribution for murder on their own; rather, they were required to approach the Islamic state to bring the murderer to justice.
16. The purpose of this Qur’ānic verse is that people should be guided by knowledge rather than conjecture, and this both in their individual and collective lives.
17. Infraction of any of the commands mentioned above is disapproved of by God.
18. Although here the discourse is ostensibly addressed to the Prophet (peace be on him), the purpose of the discourse on such occasions is to provide directives to all human beings.
19. The Universe and all that there is in it bear ample testimony to the fact that its Creator, Master and Lord is free from every blemish, weakness and fault; He is far too exalted to have anyone as an associate or partner in His Godhead.
20. When a man denies the Hereafter, it naturally leads to his heart being sealed, and his ears becoming incapable of heeding the Message of the Qur’ān. For, the very cornerstone of the Qur’ānic Message to man is that he should not be deceived by the external manifestations of this worldly life. What is true and what is false is not going to be determined in this world but will be made manifest in the Hereafter. Good deed is that which will earn a reward in the Hereafter regardless of the hardship to which it may subject its doer in this world. Wrong is the deed that will incur punishment in the Hereafter irrespective of how enjoyable and beneficial it may be in the present life. But the person who does not believe in the Hereafter will scarcely pay attention to this Qur’ānic message.
21. The unbelievers of Makkah found that the Prophet (peace be on him) regarded God as the only true Lord, to the exclusion of all other deities. It was, therefore, intolerable for them that the Prophet (peace be on him) should talk only about God. They were astonished that a person should believe that God – and He alone – possessed virtually everything – full knowledge of the realm beyond the ken of sense-perception, absolute power to do as He pleased, and total control over everything. It was inconceivable to them that someone should pay no heed to the saints by dint of whose grace people were granted offspring, the sick were healed, sagging businesses began to flourish, and all wishes were fulfilled.
22. This is an allusion to conversations among the leaders of the Makkan unbelievers. They were wont, surreptitiously, to listen to the Qur’ān and then consult with one another as to how they could effectively refute it. At times they suspected that some among their ranks were gradually succumbing to the spell of the Qur’ān. Whenever they became aware of this they approached the persons concerned and tried to dissuade them from taking the Prophet (peace be on him) seriously, arguing that he was under a magic spell and thus was given to saying crazy things.
23. The gesture referred to here consists of shaking one’s head up and down, something one resorts to either to express amazement or derision.
24. The period between a person’s death and resurrection on the Last Day will appear as if no longer than, say, a few hours. One will assume that one has just had a brief sleep and been woken by the din and noise of the Day of Reckoning.
25. In their discussions with the unbelievers and polytheists, in fact with all opponents of their faith, Muslims should refrain from losing their temper. Even in the face of provocation from their opponents, they should never utter a word that is contrary to the truth; nor should they lose their temper at the vulgarities which are flung at them by their opponents, nor be provoked to the point of paying back their opponents in the latters’ own coins. Instead, they should keep their composure and say only that which is balanced and true and is in keeping with the grace and dignity of the faith which they seek to uphold.
26. The believers should never go about bragging that they are going to enter Paradise, or cockily name other persons or groups as the ones destined to enter Hell. For it is God alone Who has the authority to decide such matters. It is He alone Who fully knows about all human beings, about all things both apparent and hidden which took place before or which will take place in the future. It is He alone Who will judge, He alone Who will decide, to whom He should show Mercy and whom He should punish. All that a human being can say, eNūnciating the teachings of the Qur’ān, is what kind of people deserve Mercy, and what kind deserve punishment. No one has the right to categorically say that a particular person will be either chastised or pardoned by God.
27. This clearly shows that not only prostrating oneself before someone other than God, but also praying to and invoking anyone other than God amounts to associating others with God in His Divinity, i.e. to polytheism.
28. The actual words used in the verse make it clear that the polytheists’ deities and objects of prayer were angels and saints of the past rather than idols made of stone.
29. This is in response to the unbelievers’ demand that Muḥammad (peace be on him) produce Signs in support of his claim to prophethood. It is pointed out that once people witness a miracle and still refuse to believe it, they inevitably invite God’s chastisement upon themselves. Such people are not spared total destruction. If God is not sending his Signs it is purely out of Mercy. Is it then not sheer folly for people to continuously ask God for miracles? For if they do not care to accept the Truth even after witnessing miracles, then they are bound to meet the calamitous end of nations like the Thamūd.
30. This is an allusion to the Ascension. The word ru’yā. is not used here as a synonym of dream; rather, it signifies seeing something with one’s own eyes.
31. According to the Qur’ān, zaqqūm is the name of the tree that will grow in the depths of Hell and the inmates of Hell will be obliged to eat of it. To describe zaqqūm as an accursed tree suggests its remoteness from God’s Mercy.
32. God enabled the Prophet (peace be on him) to witness a number of things in the course of the Ascension. This was in order that people might learn certain truths for sure through no less truthful and trustworthy a person than the Prophet (peace be on him) who could report to them the truths that he had witnessed at first hand. This was done in order to help people follow the Right Way as a result of their having fully dependable knowledge of the Truth. However, far from taking any heed of all this, the unbelievers launched a campaign of ridicule against the Prophet (peace be on him). For example, they had been told by the Prophet (peace be on him) that their wilful disregard of the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate earning would lead them to live upon zaqqūm. Rather than this producing a healthy response from them, the unbelievers made fun of the Prophet, saying, in effect: “Look at this man! In one breath he says that Hell is a pit of blazing fire, and in the next, that trees grow in it.”
33. This refers to four Prayers, from Ẓuhr to ‘Ishā’.
34. The expression Qur’ān al-fajr means recitation of the Qur’ān in the Fajr Prayer. The statement that “Qur’ān al-fajr is witnessed” means that it is witnessed by angels because recitation of the Qur’ān in Fajr Prayer has a significance of its own.
35. The word taḤajjud means to rouse oneself from sleep. To perform taḤajjud at night signifies the act of rising from sleep during the night and then praying.
36. Here it is proclaimed that God will bestow upon the Prophet (peace be on him) an exalted position in both the present world and the Next. It will be a position of eminence, one which will evoke universal appreciation and praise.
37. The prayer here consists of asking God either to endow him with authority, or to aid him by causing some governmental authority to be his supporter such that he might restore righteousness, stem the tide of lewdness and sin, and make God’s law of justice prevail in a world steeped in corruption.
38. It is generally assumed that the word rūḥ here signifies “life”. Some people had asked the Prophet (peace be on him) about the essence of life. In response, they are told that it comes by the command of God. The context of the verse makes it quite clear that the word rūḥ here signifies either revelation or the spirit of prophethood. At different points in the Qur’ān when such a statement is made, recourse is had to more or less the same words. See for example, al-Naḥl (16: 2), al-Mu’min (40: 15) and al-Shūrā (42: 52). Among the early scholars, Ibn ‘Abbās, Qatādah and Ḥasan al-Baṣrī interpret the verse along similar lines. In rūḥ al-Maʿānī the opinion of Ḥasan al-Baṣrī and Qatādah has been quoted in the following words: “The rūḥ (here) stands for Gabriel, and the question (in the context of which it arose was) in fact how he (i.e. Gabriel) came down and how he conveyed revelation to the heart of the Prophet (peace be on him).”
39. One of the psychological reasons why the Makkan polytheists were unable to affirm the prophethood of Muḥammad (peace be on him) was that such an affirmation clearly implied an acceptance of the Prophet’s greatness. Such an attitude is understandable since people are generally disinclined to recognize the greatness of their contemporaries. In view of this common shortcoming, it is being pointed out here that those who are so predisposed to niggardliness will hardly act with liberality if they are given the keys to God’s infinite treasures.
40. The nine clear signs of God to which this verse alludes are specifically mentioned in al-Aʿrāf (see verses 107-33).
41. The Prophet Moses (peace be on him) made this statement to emphasize the fact that the calamities which befell people could only be from God. There was widespread famine across the land. Frogs in large numbers infested a vast area, covering hundreds of thousands of square miles. Food stocks in the barns throughout the land were eaten up by weevils. Calamities such as these could not be the result of some magician’s sorcery, or the manifestation of some human being’s extraordinary power. A magician can only bewitch a crowd of people confined to a specific place. Even then his tricks have nothing to do with reality and are mere illusions.
42. This is in response to the polytheists’ objection to calling God by the name al-Raḥmān. They claimed that while they were familiar with the appellation Allah, there seemed no justification for using the appellation al-Raḥmān. Their objection was based on their unfamiliarity with this word as a personal name of God.
43. According to Ibn ʿAbbās, when the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be on him) or his Companions offered Prayers in Makkah or recited the Qur’ān, the unbelievers often made noises and even hurled Abūse at them. The believers were, therefore, counselled neither to recite in such a loud voice that would attract the attention of the unbelievers who might interrupt their Prayers, nor to recite in a voice inaudible even to people close by. During the Madīnan period of the Prophet’s life when the situation altogether changed, there was no need to follow this injunction. However, whenever Muslims are faced with the kind of circumstances which they encountered during the Makkan period of the Prophet’s life, they should follow the directive laid down here.