surah al-dhariyat final

COMMENTARY ON

Sūrah al-Dhāriyāt from

-Qur’ n

wa

t ’wī -Furq n b -furq n

am d al-D n Farāh

Translated by

Tariq Mahmood Hashmi

AL-MAWRID

51-K Model Town, Lahore

A Study of the Qur‟ānic Oaths

2

Sūr h -Dh r y t The ones Scattering Dust

1

‘Umūd1 and N m

This is the second of the group of seven sūrahs (from sūrah 50 to 56) which prove the veracity of the

prophethood and holy Qur‘ān, a source of news of the Last Judgment and a warning to those who

ascribe patterns to God and reject the Messengers and their message, as their central theme around

which they all revolve. Though these sūrahs share the same theme as ‗umūd yet each deals with

different aspects of this theme, as has been mentioned in the commentary on the previous sūrah

(Sūrah Qāf, Q. 50). Here I will confine myself to the aspects of the theme that are specific to this

sūrah. In other words this discussion will aim at explaining how this sūrah is different from the

previous ones.

The previous sūrah substantiates the resurrection and clarifies the doubts and objections of the

contenders. In the present sūrah the need for retribution has been established. The previous sūrah, as

we have learnt, starts with the words: ―Qāf. By Gracious Qur'ān. (O Muhammad you are a rasūl of

Allah). Yet they are surprised that there has come to them a warner from amongst themselves. So the

unbelievers say, ―This indeed is very strange: that after we are dead and have become dust, we shall

be raised to life again. Such a resurrection is far from possible.‖ (Q. 50:1-3)

This has been followed by proofs corroborating the last judgment. The retribution ordained for the

rejecters has also been reckoned. God Almighty says: ―Previously the people of Noah (sws) and the

people of al-Ras denied this truth, and so did Thamūd, ‗ d, Pharaoh, the brethren of Lū , the dwellers

of al-Aykah and the people of Tubba‗; all of them disbelieved in their Messengers. And my warning

was fulfilled.‖ (Q. 50:12-4)

The punishment stories have not been mentioned in detail. The sūrah limits the discussion to a brief

allusion to the parties and their fates. It has also not gone further in supporting the resurrection beyond

clear and simple proofs. The sūrah ends with the advice to the holy Prophet (sws) to remain firm in

his mission, to offer the alāh, and to remind his addressees of the realities. The sūrah then concludes

with the following warning: ―On the day when the earth will split asunder from them, while they will

be hastening forth. That is a gathering easy for Us to make. We are fully aware of what they say, and

you (O Muhammad) are in no way a compeller over them. And warn through the Qur‘ān him who

fears My threat.‖(Q. 50:44-5)

Since the central theme of the present sūrah is retribution, which implies rewarding the believers and

punishing the disbelievers, the discussion starts with a mention of the arguments substantiating the

1 „Umūd (literally pillar, column) has been used here as a term. Mustansir Mir, in his doctoral thesis, the

Coherence in the Qur‟ān, has defined the term, based on a thorough study of Farāh ‘s treatment of the word, as

follows: ―In a word, the „umūd is hermeneutically significant theme characterized by centrality, concreteness,

distinctiveness, and universality.‖ Mir, The Coherence in the Qur‟ān: A Study of lā i‟s Concept of i ām in

Tadabbur-i Qur‟ān (Indianapolis: American Trust Publications, 1986), 39.


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promised retribution. God Almighty says: ―What you are being promised is true; and verily Judgment

(al-dīn) must indeed come to pass.‖(Q. 51:5) The promise of reward and retribution cover divine

mercy as well as wrath. The sūrah promises mercy to the believers and threatens the rejecters of

punishment. The word ―dīn‖ is a general term. It implies that everyone shall be rewarded according to

his conduct in this worldly life. In consideration of this general meaning of the promise, the

subsequent stories consistently deal with both mercy and punishment. Consider the verse, for

example: ―And in the heavens is your sustenance and also that which you are promised. (mā tū„adūn)‖

(Q. 51:22) ―That you are promised‖ is a general statement. It implies both reward and punishment.

The blessing of the clouds and lightening/thunder both relate to the phenomenon of rain. This is

followed by a reference to the encounter of Abraham (sws) with his guests. ―Have you learnt the story

of Abraham‘s honored guests?‖ (Q. 51:24) This story, containing the tale of Abraham‘s (sws)

encounter with his guests, contained news of reward for one nation and of warning of destruction to

another. This reality has been put in Sūrah al- ijr (Q. 15) in most clear words. The Almighty says: ―O

Prophet! Tell My devote servants that I am indeed forgiving, merciful and that my punishment is the

most painful one. And tell them about the guests of Abraham (sws).‖ (Q. 15:49:51)

Since God‘s warning is a prominent theme in the present sūrah, the destruction of earlier nations

receives great stress. Yet we observe in the subsequent discussions that all the stories quoted here

relating to punishment and wrath also cover divine blessings and mercy. Mercy and blessings are not

prominent because this aspect has been covered in other sūrahs, which use the same incidents with

additional stress on the aspect of blessings, mercy and reward for the believers.

Thus, in the present sūrah, this aspect of the divine sunnah has not been detailed and explained.

However, a brief account of the referred to punishment stories have been followed by a general rule

governing both punishment and reward. The general rule is this: Allah Almighty has created

everything with a particular wisdom. All creatures are created in pairs. It is only the co-ordination of

its pair that each is complemented, and that the purpose of its creation is fulfilled. Nothing among the

creation exists purposeless. Everything has a necessary end. This requires that a particular time is set

for the fulfillment of this purpose. The divine punishment is a direct corollary of His mercy.

In the end, the sūrah calls us to believe in the idea of ta īd in such a way that its qualities

necessitate retribution and final accountability. Here I intend to confine my discussion to this

overview of the themes. Details will be offered at the proper place during the course of the

commentary.

Text and Translation: Q. 51:1-14

اوازاس صادق وإ ا حىعذو شا إ اث أ مس اث ولشا فاجاساث سشا فا اء راث اث رسوا فاذا ىالع واس ذ اخشاصى أفه لخ خخف ؤفه ع ف لىي اذبه إى ى اذ ى أا سأى ى شة سا ف غ از

حسخعجى زا از وخ ب رولىا فخخى ع ااس فخىThe winds that scatter dust, carry the load, speed lightly along, and differentiate the affair, bear

witness that what you are being promised is true; and verily Judgment must indeed come to

pass. By the rippled clouds, indeed you are in a doctrine discordant. Those who have lost their

power to discern are unable to believe in it. Woe to the conjecturers, those who are engulfed in

ignorance and are heedless. They ask: ―when is the Day of Retribution?‖ It is when they will be

heated on the fire. ―Taste the consequence of your trials. This is what you used to ask to be

hastened.‖


4

2

Explanation of Words and T ’wīl2 of Sentences and Phrases (Q. 51: 1-14)

wa al-dhāriyāt, that scatter dust

The noun al-riyā (winds) qualified by the adjective al-dhāriyāt (that which scatter dust) has been

left unexpressed. The verb zarā means to scatter dust or soot. The adjective dhāriyāt is very widely

used to describe riyā (winds) and that is why they not been explicitly mentioned. A‗shā Bakr b.

Wā‘il says:

ajarā i‟l ghulāmi shi h arīqin

ī ya īsin tadhrūhu rī u shimāl

The horse fled with the young man after the manner of a fire, in the way dry leaves are carried

away by the North winds.3

Since the adjective al-dhāriyāt famously qualifies winds, the noun has been omitted according to the

convention of the Arabs. The sufficient quality has been considered a complete indicator to the

relevant phenomenon. This style of omitting the qualified noun is frequently employed in the holy

Qur‘ān and the classical Arabic literature.

f l- āmilāt-i-wiqran, then carry the load (clouds)

Conjugation (‗a f) of adjectives by the particle ―F‖ implies chronological sequence in the ordered

adjectives. This indicates that all the adjectives in the structure qualify a single noun. Sometimes, the

holy Qur‘ān employs the conjunction waw to conjugate different adjectives in the oath formulas yet

the oath is taken by a single entity. An example of this use can be found in Sūrah al-Mursalāt. (Q. 77)

The above shows that it would not be correct to hold that these adjectives qualify different things, as

has been held by some. They believe, for example, that some of the adjectives, mentioned in this oath

cluster, qualify angels while others qualify things such as winds. This view militates against the

conventions of the Arabic language. It also ignores the parallels of the same sentence structures used

in the holy Qur‘ān. The Almighty says: ―The ones that run while panting, then strike sparks of fire,

then make raids at dawn, then raise the dust, then penetrate into the ranks.‖ (Q. 100:1-5) Obviously all

these adjectives qualify a single noun. These are not the qualities of different entities. Consider the

following verse attributed to Ibn Ziyābah.

ā lahfa iyā ah li al- ārith

Al- ā‟i u fa al-ghānimu fa al-‟ā‟i u

Pity Ziyābah for ārith, who raided at dawn, looted the spoils and returned.4

Moreover, there is no need to attribute these adjectives to more than a single entity. All these

adjectives and the corresponding noun properly and fully collocate. Details shall soon follow.

The word wiqr signifies weight and burden. In this instance the word has been used in its general

sense. It refers to anything that is carried by the winds. This too will also be discussed in detail later.

We can take this word to refer to clouds, since they are heavy. The holy Qur‘ān says: ―And (he)

brings up heavy clouds (al-si ā al-thiqāl).‖(Q. 13:12) The most well-known function of the winds is

that they carry clouds. It has been said in the holy Qur‘ān: ―He is the one who, before his mercy,

sends forth the winds as good news, until they lift up the heavy clouds; we drive them to a dead

countryside and make the rain fall upon it.‖(Q. 7:57)

fa al-muq ssimāt-i-’ mr n, then differentiate the affair

2 By Ta‟ īl the author means identification and determination of the intended significance of the plurivocal

words, phrases and sentences. 3 Abū Zayd Muhammad b. Ab al-Kha āb, Jamharah Ash„ār al-„Ara , (Beirut: Dār ādir, N.D.), 127.

4 Marzūq A mad b Mu ammad, Shar al- amāsah A ī Tamām, 1

st ed., vol. 1, (Beirut: Dār al-J l, 1991), 147.


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Qassama al-amr means he separated and set apart different aspects of the matter. The expression

qasama al-amra gives the same meaning. The former expression, however, contains an element of

rigor as compared to the latter one. An example is the use of the verbs kassara (he broke something

into pieces) and kasara (he broke it). Murād b. Manqadh describes a donkey in search for fresh grass:

alla fī a„lā yafā„in jādhilan

Yuqassimu al-amra ka qasmi al-mu‟tamir

He (the donkey) stood at the top of the hillock keeping its head high. He discerned different

aspects of the matter, after the manner of a careful deliberator.5

The winds differentiate between nations by different functions. They prove to be a bounty for one

nation, in that they produce life by giving rain, and bring punishment for another, as they cause floods

and hurricanes resulting in utter destruction. We will discuss this issue later in detail. These verses

ascribe a willful act to an inanimate force. This is not unusual. Many examples of the kind can be

found in the classical Arabic literature as well as the holy Qur‘ān.

inn mā tū‘ dūn l ādiq, what you are being promised is true

The word tū„adūna is a derivation of a„d (promise/threat). It refers to the reward and retribution the

Almighty promised the people. He communicated this promise/threat ( a„d) through the Messenger.

The promise has been clarified and established with clear examples and sound proofs. The holy

Qur‘ān repeatedly asserts that the Day of Judgment will certainly come. People will be resurrected

and judged for their actions and beliefs. Proper reward for the pious deeds and suitable punishment for

bad conduct are promised by the Almighty Allah. For example, the Almighty says: ―All of you will

return to Him. God‘s promise is always fulfilled. It is He who creates initially and He will surely

repeat this act (of creation again) so that He may reward the believers.‖ (Q. 10:4)

At another place the holy Qur‘ān says: ―They swore that Allah will never raise the dead to life. Why

not? This is what He promised. He shall surely fulfill this (promise).‖ (Q. 16:138)

Q. 21:104 reads: ―Just as We produced the first creation, so shall We produce a new one: a promise

We have undertaken: truly shall We fulfill it.‖ Yet another time God Almighty says: ―So that they

might know that the promise is true and that there is no doubt about the coming of the hour of the

Judgment.‖ (Q. 18:21)

A great number of verses can be cited in order to explain that the holy Qur‘ān proves the need for the

Last Judgment.

The promise (mā tū„adūna) stated in this verse includes the good news to the believers that they will

be granted success. It also implies that the unbelievers shall fail in the end and will be punished. The

Almighty says: ―Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good deeds that He will surely

make them inherit the earth as He made their ancestors [inherit it] before them.‖ (Q. 24:55)

This issue has been abundantly discussed in the holy Quran. The term tū„adūna generally includes

all these things. However, in this context, it specifically refers to the resurrection. The preceding verse

as well as the succeeding one deal with the reward. This interpretation—that the promise of reward is

dominating here—fits in the context more closely.

5 A mad Mu ammad Shākir and ‗Abd al-Salām Mu ammad Hārūn, Al- ufa aliyāt, 7

th Ed., (Cairo: Dār al-

Ma‗ārif, N.D.), 86.


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wa inna al-dīn l wāqi‘, Judgment must indeed come to pass

Dīn, meaning retribution, is implied by the phrase mā tū„adoona. The conjunction (waw) in the

beginning of the verse indicates that dīn too is included in the promised facts. A general entity (mā

tū„adoona) has been coordinated to a specific one (dīn). This style of expression is called conjugation

of a general statement with a specific case („a af khā „ala al-„ām). It can also be compared to the

conjugation of the whole with its part („a af al-kull „ala al-juz‟). This style of conjugating components

of an address is usually applied to emphasize the conjugated thing. Its special position is highlighted.

The benefit obtained by this style of expression in this verse is evident. The implication is that the

main purpose of resurrection is to reward the pious. Punishing the wicked is a corollary of the

rewarding of the pious. This has been clearly stated in the holy Qur‘ān at more than one occasion.

wa al-s mā’-i- dhāt l- u uk, By the rippled clouds

The word al-samā‟ gives different meanings which include clouds. Consider the following verse: ―O

earth! Swallow up your water and O clouds! Cease your rain.‖ (Q. 11:44)

I base my interpretation of the word samā‟ on the following arguments:

1. The sūrah swears by the winds and clouds in the inaugurating verses. Elsewhere in the Qur‘ān,

these two have been mentioned together several times.

2. It collocates with the muqsam ‗alayhi (sworn fact) and muqsam ihī (the entity/phenomenon

sworn by). This point will be detailed later.

3. The adjective of dhāt al- u uk corroborates this meaning. u uk means to tie the knot. Abū

Dā‘ūd says:

a‟anna al-ghu ūn min al-fahdatayn

„ilā arafi al-za ri u k al-„uadq

The pleats in the flesh projecting from the side of his thorax are like layers of a knot.6

In this context it connotes strength and force that binds something in proper order. i āk (sing.

u uk) is another derivative of the same word which is used for the tides, currents, or plaits that are

prominent in well woven cloth. Zuhayr b. Ab Sulmā, in one of his verses, depicts water in a spring

rippled by currents of passing air. He says:

Mukallalin i u ūl al-nabati tansujuhū

ī un kharīqun li ā ī mā‟ihī u ukū

Objects have covered it. Air passing through it creates ripples ( u uk) on its surface.7

6 Al-Lisān al-„Ara , FHD.

7 Zuhayr b. Ab Sulmā, Dī ān, (Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-‗Ilmiyya, 1998), 82.


7

Farrā‘ has commented on the verse. He says that u uk is used for the tides or currents that are

formed when air disturbs water. A adīth describes dajjāl as follows: ―His hair will be weaved into

plaits (inna sha„rahū u ukun u ukun).‖ ( usnad A mad No: 23534) Clouds too are often described

by the adjective u uk. This is because they are like ripples of water currents crowned by foam or

wool. Imra‘ al-Qays describes a palace covered with clouds.

Tulā„i u a lād al- a„ūl ri ā„ahā

Duwayn al-samā‟i fī ru‟ūs al-majādil

ukallatan amrā‟ dhāta asirratin

Lahā abakun ka‟annahā min abā‟il

(Camel) calves play with the young camels on the top of mountains just below the sky while

(the mountain tops) are crowned by the rubicund clouds with paths weaved like asā‟il (a

stripy cloth of Yemenite make). 8

This depicts wintery clouds specifically noting its colour and pattern.

Khansā‘ describes winter clouds in these words:

īna al-riyā u ilā‟ilun

uk un ha ā‟ijuhā a ārid

a fīna „an lī al-samā„i

alā‟ilan wa al-mā‟u jāmid

Mizaqan tu arriduhā al-riyā u

ka‟annahā khiraqun arā‟id

Wild currents of cold and blind winds blew, driving the clouds ahead and leaving water frozen.

The patches of clouds they carried seemed like swarms of grasshoppers riding the air.9

Some scholars have held that u uk describes the starry sky. Some hold that the heavens can be

called dhāt al- u uk for it is firm and established. Some others hold that it can be characterized as

u uk for it is decorated and is full of stars. I do not believe these interpretations to be plausible. The

word u uk in this place has not been used as a ma dar (verbal noun). It is plural form of i āk which

means a ripple, path and branch. This, therefore, does not fit a description of the heavens, neither with

reference to the firmness of the firmament nor to its starriness.

inn kum l fī q wlin mukht lif, indeed you are in a doctrine discordant

The implication is that you differ on the position of the Day of Judgment. Elsewhere it has been put

explicitly: ―About what are they asking? Are they asking about the mighty event, concerning which

they differ with each other? Very soon they shall come to know.‖ (Q. 78: 1-4)

The placement and the context of situation make this sentence a rebuke and censure of the view of

the contenders. Semantically it is not the complement of the oath (ja ā al-qasam) which was already

mentioned after the first group of oaths, rendering the repetition redundant. The complement of the

oath is left unstated yet is understood. We know that at times the holy Qur‘ān prefaces rebukes and

censures with an oath. In such instances jawab al-qasam is understood from the context. Again it is

8 Imr al-Qays, Dī ān, (Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-‗Ilmiyyah, 2004), 136.

9 Khansā‘, Di ān, 2

nd ed., (Beirut: Dār al-Ma‗rifah, 2004), 35.


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not necessarily mentioned. The following verse offers an example: ―Qāf. By the glorious Qur‘ān, (O

Muhammad you are a rasūl of Allah). Yet they wonder that there came to them a warner from among

themselves. So the unbelievers say: This indeed is very strange that after we are dead and have

become dust, we shall be raised to life again. Such a resurrection is far from possible.‖ (Q. 50: 1-2)

In this verse, an oath follows a reproof and a censure instead of a muqsim „alayhi (object of oath).

Another example of this style of omission of the ja ā al-qasam is found in Sūrah al-Burūj: ―By the

heaven and its constellations! by the promised Day of Judgment, by the witnesses and that which is

being witnessed, doomed be the companions of the ditch.‖ (Q. 85:1-4)

A great number of examples can be cited from the Qur‘ān in this regard.

yu’f ku ‘ nhu m n ufik , those void of insight are unable to believe in it.

This is an independent statement and it does not describe the phrase qawlin mukhtalif (dispute)

occurring in the previous verse. The implication is that those deprived of insight fail to believe in the

resurrection. Ifk means overturning of something. It is understandable why the word ifk is used to

mean falsity. āfūk is the one void of insight. Layth says:

mā lī arāka „ājizan ufīkā

Why is it that I see you humble and deprived of insight (ufīkan)?10

qutila al-kh rrāsūn, Woe to the conjecturers.

Al-kharrā ūn (singular kharrā ) signifies conjecturers. They say kharra a al-nakhl (he estimated the

quantity of the dates on the date-palms). harra a fī al- adīth means he said what he did not know.

Al-kharrāsūn are, therefore, people who throw wild guesses regarding the Day of Judgment. Their

views have no supporting grounds. This theme has been repeatedly discussed in the holy Qur‘ān. The

Almighty says: ―They have confused knowledge of the Hereafter. Rather they are in doubt about it.‖

(Q. 27:66)

At another occasion their views over the hereafter have been mentioned as follows: ―We believe it to

be a mere conjecture. We are not convinced of it.‖ (Q. 45:32)

ll dhīn hum fī gh mr tin sāhūn, those who are engulfed in ignorance and are heedless

ī ghamratin, in utter ignorance. This meaning can also be expressed by phrase fī ghitā‟in a

‗amāyatin. Sāhūn (singular: sāhin) is the second khabar (enunciative, the first eing fī ghamratin).

Sāhūn implies that the ignorance of the rejecters of the Last Judgment is perpetual. They are wholly

caught in an unbreakable spell of ignorance. Consequently they cannot feel and understand facts

which they could have realized otherwise. This, therefore, is their state which is the real cause of their

disease. They are fully caught in ignorance and have indulged in desires of the flesh. This does not

leave them a moment to come to senses and realize the consequences of their behavior. The basic

thrust of the sentence is condemnation of the doubts they cherish about the afterlife. Their doubts

originate from heedlessness to the preaching of the prophets. This origin of their doubts is evident

from their following quizzical question.

10

Lisān al-„Ara , ‘-F-K


9

yyān y wm l-dīn?, ―when will be the Day of Retribution?

This question implies negation as well as mockery of the Last Judgment. It also expresses their

demand that the Retribution should be brought upon them quickly if it is possible. Each of these three

senses expresses the worst kind of disobedience as has been attested in Sūrah al-Qiyāmah. The

Almighty says: ―But man desires to show disobedience even in front of his Lord. He asks, ‗When will

this Day of Judgment be?‘‖ (Q. 75:5-6)

The response from the Almighty (immediately following the question) truly considers the base

mentality of the questioners.

y wm hum ‘ l l-nāri yuft nūn, It is when they will be heated on the fire.

The accusative form of the word yawma, in this verse, indicates that it is an adverb ( arf). Here it

marks time ( arf al-zamān). The implication is ―the Day of Judgment will come when they will be

tried in the fire.‖ In other words the time they will find themselves in this situation would be the Day

of Judgment. The word yawma is used to mark a point of time (not the day as opposed to night) as is

evidenced by the following verse: ―That day, (i.e. at that time), will be a hard day.‖ (Q. 74:9)

Some people have opined that the word yawma in this instance is originally in the nominative case

(marfū‗). Its apparent form is na (accusative case) for in this case it (yawm) has been ascribed to

something indeclinable. I believe that this explanation and analysis is grammatically correct. Yet,

however, I believe this is not plausible. It does not fit in the context. We see that the question that has

been previously mentioned pertains to the Judgment. It does not enquire about the Day of Judgment.

However, it is possible that one interprets the answer according to one‘s understanding of the

question. Thus one could say that the question asks when this Day of Judgment is. And the response

would be: ―it will be held this and this day.‖

atanahū means ―he tested/assessed him‖ as in wa fatannāka fatūnā (we tested you thoroughly. Q.

20:40) The word fitnah is derived from this verb (fatana). Fitnah connotes every such enjoyment or

pain that tests one‘s mettle as well as determination. It is said: fatanathu al-mar‟atu to mean that the

woman enticed/tempted him and also fatanahū al-shay ān means Satan misled him. I can say fatantu

al-dhahba to mean that I put gold on fire to assess its quality. A tested pure dīnār is called dīnār

maftūn. Waraq fatīn is fire-tested sliver. Lava field and volcanic area are called fatīn because the

stones look as if they are burnt. All the above usages of the word share some aspect of the theme of

trial and test.

The words ―yuftanūn‖ (they shall be heated) alludes to two things. First, they would be burnt in it.

Second, the fire in which they are burning is fueled with the worldly attractions which made them

forget the Judgment. They will be told that they remained forgetful of this Day amidst the riches of

the ephemeral world. This has been clearly put in the next verses. Since their question was toned to

reflect conceitedness and mockery, the answer is but only appropriate.

dhūqū fitn t kum, taste (the consequence of) your trials

Taste what you cherished in the worldly life. The reality of what you courted of the charms of the

worldly life has manifested itself to you. In the life of the world, you were overpowered by

forgetfulness. You could not test its true taste. Now you have to taste it. This sentence has been


10

addressed directly to the non-believers. We, however, do not need to suppose that the vocative

particle have been suppressed. In fact the address has been changed from indirect to direct to obtain a

specific rhetorical purpose. It assumes the third person addressee as present. This gives the impression

that the Day of Judgment is already there. The addressees seem to have already been presented to the

Fire before this address takes place.

3

Winds and the Promised Retribution

The above discussion makes it clear that the verses 1-4 (The winds that scatter dust, then carry the

load, then speed lightly along, and then differentiate the affair) evoke the winds to substantiate the

claim that follows. It is also clear that verse 7 (By the rippled clouds) cites the wintery clouds which

frequently bring thunder and lightning to prove the claim that follows it. Clouds and thunder offer a

more effective tool of warning and inspiring fear. It fits the occasion well. It highlights the gravity of

their persistence in ignorance, conceitedness, indifference, and false assumptions. In the story of ‗ d

we find those fallen in these evils continue to shut their minds. Even after observing the signs of the

impending punishment they joyfully welcomed it as clouds of rain. They were told that it was not

what they expected. They were engrossed in sheer ignorance. The holy Qur‘ān puts this incident in

the following words:

They said, ―Here is a passing cloud that will bring us rain.‖ No! It is but what you have sought

to hasten: a hurricane bringing a woeful punishment. (Q. 46:24)

Both the proofs are of the same kind. The winds as well as clouds are clear signs of God. Both are

natural phenomena God created. Winds are employed in useful as well destructive natural

phenomena. Winds carry heavy watery clouds to a barren dead land. They carry the loaded ships to

their destinations. These are their positive and benevolent operations. They, however, at times, blow

violently and rain the land with sandstones. At times they bring cold, thunder, and lightning. At other

occasions they bring incessant rains and flood the rivers, seas, and the land. All these operations and

uses of winds are implied in the phrase muqassimāt amran (which differentiate the affair). God has

power and control over the winds. His acts are always characterized by wisdom. He makes winds a

beneficial natural phenomenon even in its extreme form. At occasions He makes them destroy nations

despite their apparent lean and weak blowing abilities. The punishment of Pharaoh proves this. We

can even say that a single operation of winds proves blessing for the believers and punishment for the

rejecters. This is how winds differentiate between those who receive mercy and those who meet

punishment. They in these operations act as rational beings, differentiating between the parties by the

command of the Lord. The following passage from the Psalms contains a similar theme:

He sends his command to the earth. And his word runs swiftly. He showers down snow, white

as wool, and sprinkles hoar-frost thick as ashes; crystals of ice he scatters like bread crumbs; he

sends the cold, and the water stands frozen; he utters his words and the ice is melted; he blows

with his wind and the waters flow. (Psalm 147: 15-18)


11

The last verse refers to winds as the word of God. This passage is very difficult yet delicate

discourse because original Hebrew uses the same term for the word and the winds.

The most comprehensive Qur‘ānic statement, regarding the signs of God, is the following verse:

Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of night and day; in the

boats that sail the oceans with cargoes beneficial to man; and in the water, which God sent

down from the sky and with which He revived the earth after its death and dispersed over it all

kinds of living creatures; in the variation of the winds and in the clouds put to service, between

earth and the skies: surely, in these there are many signs (i.e. signs leading to ta īd, God‘s

power, providence, mercy, wisdom and justice) for rational men. (Q. 2:164)

In the variations of the winds and clouds— which benefit one people and harm another at the will of

God— there are signs indicating that the affairs of all the created things in the universe are not

purposelessly conducted. In the group of verses under discussion the Almighty has specifically hinted

towards this fact. He says that the winds differentiate between the virtuous and the rebellious. These

verses also point out that God has power and cosmic jurisdiction over everything. Everything acts

according to His will. The winds, which have no free will in the general meaning of the word, are also

found working under the will of God. They perform acts which accord to His wisdom and justice.

God has said: ―To God belong the armies of the heavens and the earth.‖ (Q. 48:4) They work for the

domination of the party of God. This group of verses includes the two messages of glad tidings and

warnings, as has been clearly put in Sūrah al- āffāt. God swears by His representative armies in the

beginning of Sūrah al- āffāt. Then He says: ―We have already decreed concerning Our chosen

apostles that they would receive Our help and that Our armies would be victorious.‖ (Q. 37:171-3)

All these things clearly evidence divine retribution. The subsequent discussions contain further

detail. In my commentary on the punishment stories mentioned in the sūrah you shall learn the other

fine points the winds and the clouds imply.

4

Coherence and Context (1-14)

The winds, which have been evoked in this passage, prove to be a blessing for one people and

punishment for another. The holy Qur‘ān, in most places, refers to the beneficial aspect of the winds.

When it points out their use as a tool of punishment, it does so subtly by pointing out that they are

under the control of the Wise Lord. That is why, here too, the initial oaths have been followed by a

general assertion as a complement of oath (ja ā al-qasam), which implies mercy as well as

punishment. The Almighty says: ―What you are being promised is true and verily Judgment must

indeed come to pass.‖ (Q. 51:5-6)

The sense of warning in the evidence sought from the ripply clouds is more vividly expressed. The

very picture of the heavens with such clouds creates a strong impression of warning and rebuke. That

is why it is immediately followed by a mention of those rejecters who mocked the idea of punishment


12

and demanded that it be unleashed to them instantly. Allah refers to the punishment they deserve.

Since the fate of the rejecters exemplified only one aspect of the promise of retribution the mention of

the other party, the believers, and their reward becomes necessary which is afforded in the next

verses. The Qur‘ān generally contrasts encouragement with threats. Here God mentions the rejecters

and their attributes first. It requires, as per the general Qur‘ānic style, that their opposite, the party of

believers, find a mention as well along with their attributes. This leads to the fact that these rejecters

and mockers are not going to be rewarded like the believers. This fact has clearly been mentioned in

many parts of the Qur‘ān. The verses mentioning the second party, or the believers, follow:

Text and Translation: Q. 51: 15-19

ا ذسني واىا لإ ره واىا لب إه سبه ا آحا آخز وباأسذاس خمني ف جاث وعى ا هجعى ا ا ذشو وا دك سائ ىاه وف أ سخغفشو

The righteous shall dwell amidst gardens and fountains. They shall be receiving what their Lord

has decreed for them. For they have previously been virtuous. They would sleep but little in the

night-time and would pray at dawn for God‘s pardon. The beggars and the deprived had a share

in their wealth. (Q. 51: 15-19)

5

Explanation of Words and T ’wīl of Sentences and Phrases: Q.51: 15-19)

al-mutt qīn, the righteous

This adjective gives a comprehensive meaning. It is a distinguishing quality. Detail can be found in

our commentary on the initial verses of Sūrah al-Baqarah.11 In this context it implies, though subtly,

the qualities opposite to that of the rejecters mentioned in the previous verses.

fī j nnātin w ‘uyūn, amidst gardens and fountains

This is expressive of success and pleasure. It also connotes permanence of the blessings.

Ākhidhīn , receiving

11

The author has explained in his commentary on Sūrah al-Baqarah that ittiqā‟ in the Qur‘an is used in four

senses.

1. Protection against something that threatens with harms.

2. Fear of any harm and evil.

3. Fearfulness of a person conscious of the al-knowing Allah who blesses a grateful person and does not approve

of rejection and sinfulness.

4. Combination of these three senses. When used in this sense it refers to persisting in avoiding sin fearing its

harmful effects and corresponding displeasure from the Almighty. The verb and its cognates are abundantly

used unaccompanied by the objects in the Qur‘an. In this sense the word taq ā is often employed. (Farāh ,

izām al-Qur‟ān, Sūrah al-Baqarah, pp. 60-61)


13

It is the best expression of permanence of the blessings. Instead of saying that they have received

what God has bestowed upon them, it says that they would be the receivers of divine blessings. This

clearly indicates that what they would have already been blessed with shall remain with them forever.

This meaning is obtained in this phrase by its placement next to the previous sentence indicating

continuity of the blessings. The meaning of the whole would be as follows: they would live forever in

the gardens and would continue enjoying the blessings of their Lord.

inn hum kānū, indeed they were

This expression too depicts the state of the successful believers. This state, however, has an

argumentative aspect. This further corroborates the conclusion that the rejecters were not

characterized by these qualities as has been clearly stated in many verses of the holy Qur‘ān. The

form and placement of the sentence makes it similar to iltifāt (direct address). It, in ways, resembles

the divine saying in the previous group of verses: ―Taste your fitnah” i.e. what you cherished in the

worldly life. Here again it assumes that the Day of Judgment has already come. That is why the deeds

and acts of the believers in the worldly life are expressed in the past tense.

Mu sinīn, best performers

The word, in this context, has been used in a general sense. This adjective is specially and pointedly

noted in the context of the best performance of the alāh and the zakāh for two reasons. First, these

two worship rituals are the most important practices in the religion. They have been considered the

distinguishing signs of the believers. That is why we see that, in this passage, a mention of them is

followed by two relevant qualities of the believers. Less sleep relates to the alāh and generosity

alludes to the zakāh.

kānū q līl n min al-l yli mā y hj ‘ūn, They sleep but little in the night-time

Al-hujū„ is sleep. The implication is that they interest themselves in offering the alāh and

remembering God during night-time. Elsewhere it has been stated: ―They forsake their beds to pray to

their Lord in fear and hope and give in alms from what We gave them.‖ (Q. 32:14) At another

occasion God says: ―O Muzzammil, (the one wrapped up in your mantle), keep vigil all night save for

a little portion of it.‖ (Q. 73:1)

This sentence explains their quality of being mu sin. The grammatical structure of the sentence can

be explained in various ways without affecting the meaning. All the possible structures give a single

meaning, i.e. they sleep little. The following structures are possible. 1. Their sleep has been little

(innahum kānū qalīlan hujū„uhum). 2. The time they sleep during the night was short (mā yahja„ūna

fīhī min al-layl). 3. They slept little time of the night (kānū yahja„ūna qalīlan min al-layl). Imām Rāz

opines that the sentence structure is as follows: kānū qalīlīna a innahum lā yahja„ūna min al-layl

i.e. they were less in number and that they do not sleep during the night-time. This is indeed a very

improbable sentence structure.

w i l- s ār, at dawn

Sa r is used for the time a little before the daylight. This is the most appropriate time for seeking

forgiveness. Concerning the muttaqīn it has been said: ―(They are) steadfast, virtuous, heedful to God,

and charitable. They implore forgiveness at dawn.‖ (Q. 3:17)


14

In one of the sound adīths the Prophet (sws) mentioned this fact in no unclear terms. I have

explained this issue in my commentary on the referred to verses forming part of Sūrah Āl-‗Imrān.

Imām asan drew a very subtle meaning from the use of the conjunction ā in the phrase wa bi al-

as ār (and at dawn). He held that this ā indicates that the believers join this quality (praying at

dawn) with the previous one (praying in the night time). He said: ―they wholly remained engaged in

praying during the night and prolong it till the time of seeking forgiveness in the morning

approaches.‖12

I believe the text does not reflect it plainly. Yet, however, this point is not very

farfetched one. God knows best.

l-m rūm, deprived

The word al-ma rūm has been placed after the word al-sā‟il (seeker). This placement entails that it

connotes those of the needy who do not ask others for help as word sā‟il already covers them.

Qatādah holds the same view. He is reported to have said that it is applied to such among the needy

who do not ask for help.13

Al-Zuhr said that it refers to the self-restrained.14

Perhaps both of these

exegetes base their view on the following verse: ―(Alms are) for the poor who are restricted in the

cause of God – cannot move about in the land for work: the ignorant take them for men of wealth on

account of their self-restraint. You can recognize them by their look—they do not beg from men

importunately.‖ (Q. 2:273)

6

Coherence and Context: Q. 51: 15-19

This passage contrasts the rejecters with the believers. A discourse marked with brevity (‗ījāz), this

passage beautifully points to unstated things by contrasting them with the stated facts. These verses

state that the rejecters are fallen in the depths of heedlessness. We can learn that the believers,

contrarily, are fully conscious and are certain that they will meet their Lord. The attribute muttaqīn

(God-conscious) guides us to this inference for the essence of consciousness is taq ā (God-

consciousness). This has been explained earlier. Similarly when these verses state that the God-

conscious perform good deeds in their best form and that they offer the alāh and pay the zakāh we

learn that the rejecters are hard hearted, wretched and misers. That is why the holy Qur‘ān quotes

them saying: ―They would say, ‗We were not to offer the alāh. We would not feed the needy.‘‖ (Q.

74:43-4)

12

Ibn Jar r, Al- abar , Jāmi„ al-Bayān fī Tafsīr al-Qur‟ān, 26:122-3 13

Ibid., 26:125 14

Ibid.


15

Verses 8-9 form a parenthetical comment. These follow arguments for the last accountability. These

verses start with a disapproval of the conduct of the unbelievers. This is further followed by a mention

of the fate of those showing the opposite conduct, the believers. This way the verses combine

encouragement for the believers with warning to the rejecters. Then (in the below mentioned verses)

the topic of arguments for the Last Judgment has been taken up yet another time, for it is the central

theme („umūd) of the discourse. That is why the following passage has been conjoined with the

preceding one by the use of the conjunction ā (and). This points out that the oaths in the initial

verses are based on arguments and signs. Now ponder over the next verses:

Text and Translation Q. 51: 20-23

فى ا حىعذو و اء سصلى وف اس أفا حبصشو ىلني وف أفسى وف اأسض آاث ث ذك اء واأسض إ سب اس حطمى ا أى

On earth, and in your selves, there are signs for believers. Can you not see? Heavens holds your

sustenance and all that you are promised. I swear by the Lord of heaven and earth, that this is

true, as true as you speak! (Q. 51: 20-23)

7

Explanation of Words and T ’wīl of Sentences and Phrases: Q. 51: 20-23

w fī l- r , On earth

This passage is joined with the meaning of the preceding oaths. It is as though it has been said,

―verily in the alteration of the winds and the clouds there are signs which prove the Last Judgment.

Similarly there are signs on earth and in your selves also proving the same reality.‖ The phrase ‗āyāt

lil-mūqinīn (signs for the believers), in this place, serves to state that only the mūqinīn (believers) may

benefit from the signs. This restriction of the benefit of the signs to the muttaqīn follows a very

frequently used Qur‘ānic style. Consider the following verses:

Guidance for the muttaqīn (the God-fearing). (Q. 2:2)

Surely in this there is a reminder for every man who has a heart, and who hears heedfully. (Q.

50:37)

An insight ( a īrah) and a reminder to every heedful man. (Q. 50:8)

Surely in this there is a sign for him that dreads the torment of the hereafter. (Q. 11:103)

Signs for men of understanding. (Q. 45:5, Q. 13:4, Q. 16:12, Q. 30:24)

All these verses tell us that there are signs for those who intend to make use of and take guidance

from them, just as the saying goes: ―Day has dawned for those who have eyes.‖ These kinds of the

verses give important lessons of two kinds.

First, all are not forced to take heed and benefit from the signs. These signs do not benefit everyone.

We know that the rejecters could not benefit from them. These signs benefit only those who pay heed.

One thing, however, is clear. These signs and arguments are clear and evident. It is only the people

who fail to benefit from them.


16

Second, these verses explain the conditions that are to be fulfilled for taking benefit from these signs

and arguments. The indicators and the conditions they allude to require analysis and deliberation. I

intend to discuss some of these conditions here.

That only the mūqinīn may take benefit from these signs entails that signs help only those who make

them a point of ponder and infer guidance from them. We discern this from the fact that the

argumentation from these signs is based on one‘s tendency to rely on and believe in what they lead to

for argumentation and inference is based on two things:

a. recognition of universally acknowledged facts upon which the argument rests, a priori data for

example.

b. agreement to accept sound conclusions.

This is important because the rejecters of a fact can be of two kinds: a) those adopting sophistry and

rejecting even the first principles, not to say of other forms of valid arguments and b) the blind

followers and wrongdoers.

The second category of the rejecters, at times, do not actually reject the first principles, but reject the

sound conclusions immediately resulting from the first principles because of their conceitedness. We

see that the holy Qur‘ān frequently exposes this kind of contradiction in their view. It refers to this

very wrong from them in frequent comments like the following ones: fa annā tu‟fakūn (how then do

you turn away?) and fa annā tus arūn (how then can you be so bewitched).

In short, the holy Qur‘ān, in this context, has referred to the first condition for one can obtain sound

knowledge through arguments. I believe those who lack this quality may not be considered humans.

They belong to animals lacking rationality. They do not merit being addressed in this connection.

Then in the next verses the holy Qur‘ān has indicated to the essence of yaqīn (belief) as you shall soon

learn.

The Almighty has not mentioned the direct object of the implied verb in the adjective mūqinīn. It has

not stated what the referred to people believe in what they have firm faith in. This, I believe, is

because the Qur‘ān intends to keep it general so that all such things can be understood as that which

ought to be believed in. The most fundamental realities among these include ta id (unicity of God),

risālah (prophethood) and the Last Judgment.

aqīn, in this place, is not belief in obvious imperial phenomena. This kind of yaqīn is found in all

the humans including the rejecters (kāfir) and even the animals. aqīn here refers to the belief

obtained through careful deliberation over the signs of God in the world and then inferring certain

realities. Only this kind of yaqīn proves that one has a sound mind and intellect. This fact has been

explained in detail in our commentary on verse three of Sūrah al-Baqarah.15

15 uqinūn, ayqana bi al-shay‟ means he knows it surely and does not have any doubt regarding it. The almighty

says: ―Nay. were you to know with certainty of mind, you shall certainly see Hell-Fire! Again, you shall see it

with certainty of sight!‖ (Q. 102:5-7)


17

The word mūqinīn too is used in this passage in its general sense, as mentioned above. The context,

however, guides us to know that it implies belief in the Afterlife. Besides, at other places, the Qur‘ān

makes this fact explicit, such as in the verse: wa bi al-ākhirati hum yūqinūn (of the Judgment are they

certain.)

flā tu irūn, Can you not see?

This interrogative is expressive of wonder as well as repulsion. The signs of God found in oneself

are the more manifest and clearest ones of all. The one who fails to notice these is in fact blind.

w fī l- r […..] w mā tū‘ dūn (verses 20-22)

This passage covers an uncountable number of signs of ta īd, God‘s providence, and wisdom. A

Qur‘ānic parallel follows: ―Many of the signs in the heavens and the earth they pass by while not

heeding them.‖ (Q. 12:105) The holy Qur‘ān contains a lot of brief as well as detailed verses on this

issue. I do not feel a need to repeat them all. Some of them, however, will be discussed later in this

sūrah. The context of the verse indicates that the word āyāt implies only those of the signs which lead

to the Afterlife. In fact all the signs of God‘s providence, power, wisdom, and mercy lead to the

Afterlife. This I have explained elsewhere in the book.

This passage follows a particular style of terseness. Sometimes a speaker confines the discussion to

the mention of only one aspect of a thing. He considers it sufficient and leaves it for the listeners to

deduce the complements. Thus the mention of the earth as sign of God suffices. Its opposite, the

heavens, has been omitted. Similar the Almighty has mentioned the sustenance from the heavens and

left out the part played by the earth. What has been promised concerning the heavens too has been

considered sufficient and the part played by the earth again has been omitted. There are, however,

many verses in which it has been explicitly mentioned that the heavens too contain the signs. That the

earth too contains sources of sustenance and what is promised has also been made explicit in many

other verses. As for the part played by the earth with regards to the promise of the Last Judgment, we

can refer to the following verse: ―It (the Last Day) is a heavy thing, in the heavens and on earth.‖ (Q.

What is the difference between īmān and īqān? Īmān implies recognition and acceptance. Its opposite is

(takdhī ) belying, (ju ūd) knowingly rejection and kufr (rejection). Opposite of īqān is doubt and uncertainity.

Every mūqin (the one who is certain of something) is not necessarily true in his statement. Rather men at time

reject facts out of haughtiness and conceit while they are certain of them. An example is afforded by Pharaoh

and his allies. The Qur‘ān says: ―But when Our Signs came to them, clear and manifest, they said: "This is

sorcery manifest!" And they rejected those Signs in iniquity and arrogance.‖ (Q. 27:13-4)

Similarly not everyone who believes (āmanā) is certain in his belief. At times one believes in this on the basis of

probability. Then Allah Almighty blesses him with the capability and he is escaped from the impression of ann.

However, the īmān is not perfect unless attended by certitude (īqān). Thus āmān is two parts: knowledge and

submission. With the perfect presence of these two the īmān is perfected. However, when a man of pure

unaffected heart has knowledge it suffices him because the knowledge necessarily lends submission and ability

to act according to the knowledge to a man of pure heart to the level of his knowledge.

As for īqān it is the cognitive part of īmān yet it adds a degree in the knowledge. (Farāh , i ām al-Qur‟ān, al-

Baqarah: p. 3)


18

7:187) The implication is that they (the heavens and the earth) are heavy with the signs of the Last

Day which they carry. These are waiting for the command of their Lord to bear those signs.

w r i l-s mā’i w l- r , I swear by the Lord of heaven and earth

This oath contains a clear argument for the Last Judgment for the signs found in the heavens and the

earth mentioned earlier clearly lead to the afterlife. Then the Lord of the heavens and the earth has

been referred to as witness to the fact that the Last Judgment is sure to come. If this oath would not be

based on the signs recounted earlier, the oath would not have been conjugated with the previous

verses by the particle fa (and/therefore) which connotes necessary immediate consequence. The

preposition fa joins this sentence with the previous one very strongly and expressly. The word rabb

(lord) also indicates to the implied argumentation. Every sign in the heavens and the earth, and also in

humans themselves, is a sign of the providence of God. All the arguments for the Last Judgment are

based on this fact alone. This issue will be further explained in the next section.

inn hū l qqun, that this is true

The muqsam „alayhi (complement of the oath) repeats the assertion made in the oaths in beginning

of the sūrah. In those verses it has been said, ―that which you are being promised is true; and verily

Judgment must indeed come to pass.‖ (Q. 51:5-6). The phrase mā tū„adūna has again been repeated in

the previous verse. That is why in this place the pronoun sufficed to indicate to it. This can, therefore,

be paraphrased as follows: By the Lord of the Heavens and the earth you will surely be resurrected

and judged. There is no doubt in that.

mithl mā ntum t n iqūn, as true as you speak

The word mithla has been put in the accusative (na a ) form. It is an expression of circumstance or

state of the pronoun ―hū, (it)‖ in innahū (it is). There is no verb in the sentence to govern this adverb.

The function of the absent verb is substituted by the word la aqqun (it is true). The grammarians call

such a replacement shibh al-fi„l, that takes the stead of a verb. An example is the sentence: ―zayd

asunun ā ikan (Zayd looks good while smiling).‖ In this sentence the noun asanun

(good/beautiful) works as a verb. This verbal sense becomes apparent in English. The sentence thus

can be paraphrased as follows. What you are being promised, including resurrection, returning to God

and reward and punishment, is true. There is no doubt in it. It is as true as you find yourselves

speaking.

The earlier authorities do not differ over the interpretation of the verse. They, however, differ over

the original (not apparent) declensions of the word mithla. Some commentators hold that its original

case is nominative (raf„). They hold that it has only been put in accusative form (na a ) only because

it has, in this place, been attributed to something which is indeclinable (ghayr mutamakkin). This

follows the use of the phrase ya ma‟idhin (that day). A group of the reciters of the Qur‘ān including

amzah, Kisā‘ and Abū Bakr have read the word as mithlu with the final ammah making it marfū„

(in the nominative case). All these grammatical structures give the same meaning. The best

explanation of the use of this similitude (likeness of promise with the phenomenon of human speech),

in this occasion, is that it implies certain arguments. This issue will be discussed in the ninth section.


19

8

Nature of Evidence for Accountability in Q. 51: 20-23

These four signs cover all the evidences for accountability found in the heavens, the earth and in

humans themselves. We know that God has created wonders in humans as well as in the earth and the

heavens and what lies between these two. He has created things which reveal His power to create.

Everything corresponds to the needs and requirements of others. One thing supports the function of

the other. Thus in every such wonder and creature of God there are signs which contain clear

arguments for ta īd and God‘s providence. A little deliberation on the order of the universe shows

that the creator of this universe is dominant, powerful, knowing, wise, just and merciful. Further

deliberation shows that a creator possessing these attributes must hold humans accountable for their

actions in life. All these attributes demand that He holds final judgment. The signs in the universe and

in humans lead to the fact that there is one God (ta īd). Then unicity of God leads to the necessity of

retribution and accountability. The holy Qur‘ān has put this order of the arguments elsewhere in clear

terms. I have discussed some of such arguments in my work ujaj al-Qur‟ān (Arguments in the

Qur‘ān).16 In this passage, God Almighty started by a reference to the signs of God‘s providence in

general terms. Then He has referred specifically to the signs which call for retribution. He has

indicated to this line of argument in the verse: ―And in the heavens is your sustenance and also that

which you are promised.‖ (Q. 51:22). It argues that the Lord who provides sustenance from the

heavens and the earth has not created humans without purpose. He will not leave them unaccountable.

Elsewhere it has been put plainly in the following words: ―Do you think that We created you in jest,

and that you would not be brought back to Us (for account)?‖ (Q. 23:115)

This theme has been put clearly in the next verse. God says: ―By the Lord of heaven and earth, this is

true, as true as the fact that you speak!‖ (Q. 51:23). The verse bases retribution and accountability on

the fact that God is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. This includes all the signs found in the

heavens and earth and human beings themselves which lead to accountability. This fact has been

explicitly mentioned in the holy Qur‘ān at another occasion, for one part of the Qur‘ān explains other

parts. God says: ―Soon will We show them our signs in the (furthest) regions (of the earth), and in

their own persons, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the truth.‖ (Q. 41:53) The implication

is that it the last judgment is true. This implication becomes clear when we study the last part of the

same verse. God says: ―Is it not enough that your Lord does witness all things?‖ (Q. 41:53) That He is

the Lord and that He observes everything sufficiently proves that He will hold a final judgment. This

has further been explained in the verse immediately following the above mentioned one. God says:

―Beware! Are they in doubt concerning the meeting with their Lord? Beware! It is He that does

encompass all things!‖ (Q. 41:54). Omniscience, power, dominion, rule, wisdom and mercy of God,

all entail final judgment.

The above is an analysis of the argumentation contained in the group of verses under discussion.

These arguments have been detailed and explained in other parts of the Qur‘ān. I do not afford

detailing them all in this place. I will confine the discussion to the part of this argumentation that is

necessary to detail here.

16

The author could not complete the manual. The manuscript is still unpublished.


20

9

The Speech Faculty as Evidence for the Last Judgment

It is clear that when the phrase ―mithla mā annakum tan iqūn (as true as the fact that you are

speaking now)‖ is joined with what precedes it, it means that the Last Judgment, which includes

resurrection and retribution, is a reality. It is sure to come. It is as sure as the reality in which you find

yourselves speaking. Do not then doubt it. This much obviously follows from the wording of the

statement. However, comparison of the possibility of the last judgment with the possibility of the

human speech is a kind of similitude. It contains some points of wisdom calling for deliberation. God

has chosen to refer to the speech phenomenon in order to make us consider something important. He

could have said, ―as true as you see, or hear, or eat or drink‖. But he has not. When we ponder over

the question why speech has been specifically mentioned we understand two great realities:

Speech phenomenon is the most certain observation. We are sure of this experience more than any

other human activity.

It must involve something that can be presented as proof for the final judgment. This you shall learn

soon. You will see that both these issues contain substantial wisdom which polish reason and cure the

hearts.

I begin by explaining the first point. I base my view that speech is the most certain of phenomena on

three facts.

The speech faculty is the most direct experience of human beings. We know that human beings come

into contact and experience other things through the thinking process which is a mental speech. The

thinking process lies immediately connected to the self. There is no other connector between the self

and the mind. Thinking indeed is the original and pure form of speech. This is why the human self is

called the speaking self. As for the external manifestation of speech, the auditory speech, that is only a

manifestation and material form of the original speech activity. Thus experience and knowledge of the

speech faculty is the most obvious and immediate human knowledge. It is the most self-evident and

fundamental truth.

The speech faculty is the most deep-rooted and well ingrained in the human self. It is an essential

part of the human nature. That is why they define a human being as speaking animal. The Arabs

themselves acknowledge this fact. Al-Muraqqish al-Akbar says:

hal i al-diyāri ‟an tujī a amam

la kāna ayyun rasmun nā iqan kallam Is there only deafness in the settlement (which cannot) respond? Had there been someone alive

and with power of speech he would have spoken.17

17

Al- ufa aliyyāt, 7th

ed. Editors. Ahmad Muhammad Shakir and Abd al-Salam Muhammad Haroon, (Cairo:

Dar al-Ma‗ārif, Nd.), 237.


21

All the states and external manifestations of the human self provide various kinds of corroboratory

evidences proving certain facts. Speech, however, is the only faculty which combines in itself most of

such diverse signs and arguments.

Some facts are self-evident. They are natural truths. Yet sometimes we offer corroboratory evidences

for them. Such corroboratory evidences are independent from and above the self-evident nature of the

given facts. They are usually helpful in convincing us and adding to strength to our belief in these

facts.

If you consider the speech phenomenon with this perspective you will learn that it contains and

involves more evidences to the given facts than any other human faculty. A human being, endowed

with speech faculty, first engages in thinking and reasoning. This thinking and reasoning is the

original inner speech activity. By this he experiences himself. He learns that he exists. Then the

reasoning man expresses his thought by his tongue. He speaks of only that which he thinks. The voice

he utters returns to him. What he expresses he hears. This increases his belief in his existence. Then

these evidences based on human speech continue increasing. Every word, rather, every alphabet one

utters evidences these mutual corroboratory facts. Nothing is clearer a sign leading to the existence of

the speaking self, or the human being. This is why the Almighty has referred to mere human speech in

this place. He has not used the word mithla nu uqikum (like your speech). He has referred to human

activity and the experience of speech. He used the words mithla mā annakum tan iqūn (the way you

speak). The above discussion shows that our knowledge of and belief in anything we know in is a

branch (far„) of our reliance on and use of our speech: the origin of all beliefs and argumentations.

Now we discuss the second point, that this similitude implies certain evidences leading to the Last

Judgment. There is no denying the fact that, at times, similitude is based on mere claims. This aspect

of the figure of speech is frequently employed by poets. However, at times, the similitude implies a

sort of argument as is the case with the present example. We know based on the original form of

speech of reasoning and thinking, that there is a common bond between a thing and what is presented

as an example to it. It is based on this shared quality that the similitude is possible. This is similar to

the practice of analogy. Take the example of wine. You say that an intoxicant like khamar is arām.

By this you indicate towards the reason which makes something arām. This shared quality is

referred to as manā al- ukm (the cause of the directive). Then if the manāt al- ukm (the effective

cause) is more evident in the new case then the directive applies to it (far„) all the more. Such an

application is called qiyās a lā (superior qiyās).

Keeping the above in perspective we state that the comparison of human speech with the last

judgment is not a mere similitude. It contains an argument for the necessary final judgment. When

you ponder over the coherence in the discourse it would become clear to you that the phenomenon of

human speech in many aspects resembles and corresponds to the issue of the last divine judgment.

Now I proceed to explain these important similarities between the two.

1. The oath itself leads to the first common connector of the speech and the last judgment. This oath,

like many others, is an argumentative oath. I have explained this issue in my book m„ān fī Aqsām al-

Qur‟ān (A Study of Qur‘ānic Oaths).18 Here the evidence adduced is the providence of the Lord of the

heavens and the earth. We have explained in the preceding paragraphs that the heavens and the earth

are full of signs of providence of God leading to the necessity of the last judgment. This oath adduces

as evidence the heavens and the earth and the signs contained in both of these. All these, the heavens

18

Farāh , A Study of the Qur‟ānic Oaths, al-Mawrid, Lahore, 2010.


22

and the earth and the signs they contain, evidence that the people are being provided by God. Among

these signs, speech is the most clear and manifest one. God Himself has referred to it in the following

verse: ―They will say: ―(Allah) has given us speech,- (He) who gives speech to everything.‖‖ (Q.

41:21) At another occasion it has been stated: ―there is not a thing but celebrates His praise.‖ (Q.

17:44). It is as though it has been said, ―just as you have speech so do these things speak, thus return

to the Lord is an indubitable fact.‖

2. God has endowed human beings not only with the power to speak but to repeat what they speak.

By repeated efforts man can improve his expression. He speaks better the next time. This way he can

master perfection in speech. It is the greatest of God‘s blessings upon man. It has been said in the holy

Qur‘ān: ―He created man. He taught him how to speak.‖ (Q. 55:3-4) If man ponders over his power to

speak and repeats his statements he learns that it is not possible for him to deny that God has power to

create things after their destruction. This is just as humans can speak something and then speak it

again or continue to speak. It is even easier for God to recreate things because He has created

everything by His word (kalimah). He does not need to use any raw material for the making of things.

He says: ―For to anything which We have willed, We but say the word, ‗Be‘, and it is.‖ (Q. 16:40).

The entire creation of God is but a word from Him. He has created the heavens and earth by His

word. He can repeat this creation process through the word at will. Even more so, it is easier for Him

to recreate. He says: ―It is He Who begins creation; then repeats it; and for Him it is the easiest. (Q.

30:27) If this is correct that He creates everything and then continues creating it, then, it follows that,

He will not find it difficult to recreate humans after their death. God has said: ―Is not He who created

the heavens and the earth able to create the like thereof?‖ (Q. 36:81) ―To create the like thereof‖

implies that He is able to recreate them after giving them death. For, the discussion here revolves in

the context of proving the afterlife. Thus the mere fact that He is the creator of the heavens and the

earth is sufficient proof that He can recreate. This fact has been clearly put in other verses dealing

with the proofs for the afterlife. Those verses base their argument merely on the fact that God has the

perfect power to create and that He knows all. This has been indicated in the verses which follow the

above mentioned one (Q. 30:27). God says: ―Yes, indeed! for He is the Creator Supreme, of skill and

knowledge! Verily, when He intends a thing, His Command is, ―be‖, and it is! So glory to Him in

whose hands is the dominion of all things: and to Him will you be all brought back.‖ (Q. 36:81-3).

Similarly, He has stated, ―Verily, all things have We created in proportion and measure. And our

command is but single,—like the twinkling of an eye. (Q. 54:49-50)

To sum up, the implication is that in the fact that you speak, there is evidence that the Lord has great

power to resurrect you. He has more power over the recreation than that you have on repeating your

speech experience. It is easier for Him to recreate than for you to speak from another angle also.

When you speak you make use of some material means which God has created for the purpose. At

times you do not have access to such means, and then you fail to speak. At times you forget what you

say previously and are no more able to reproduce what you spoke of, completely or partially. As for

God, His power to resurrect is absolute. He is as powerful to recreate as He is to create. What we have

stated above has been mentioned in clear words in various places in the holy Qur‘ān. Consider the

following verse:

Does man think that We cannot assemble his bones? Nay, We are able to put together in perfect

order the very tips of his fingers. (Q. 75:3-4)

And you certainly know already the first form of creation: why then do you not celebrate His

praises? (Q. 56:62)


23

And He makes comparisons for Us, and forgets his own creation: He says, ―Who can give life

to dry bones and decomposed ones at that?‖ Say, ―He will give them life who created them for

the first time! for He is Well-versed in every kind of creation! (Q. 36:78-9)

There are numerous other verses on this theme. This kind of argumentation for the afterlife argues

with only those who negate the afterlife declaring it an impossible work. Response to their objection

is thus obtained in rejection of the view that it is impossible for God to resurrect them.

3. Speech returns to the speaker. Only the deaf cannot perceive it. Moreover, a deaf person is often

speechless. He cannot speak. Similarly the creations of God shall return to Him. Just as the voice of a

speaker‘s utterances return to him the creation must return to its creator for it is He who controls it

perfectly. All the creatures exist because of His will. It does not escape His rule, His power and His

knowledge. The following verses refer to this reality: ―Is not He who created the heavens and the

earth able to create the like thereof? Yes, indeed! for He is the Supreme Creator, of skill and

knowledge! Verily, when He intends a thing, His Command is, ―be‖, and it is! So glory to Him in

whose hands is the dominion of all things: and to Him will you be all brought back.‖ (Q. 36:81-3).

How is it possible that God creates all of creation and then they do not return to Him? Does God

speak but not hear? Does He create and yet lack the ability to observe His creation? Does he create

things ex nihilo and then loses control over them? Does He plan all the creation and then loses rule

over these? Certainly not.

This argumentation confutes the view that it is not possible for God to resurrect things once they are

destroyed completely. This view has been quoted in the following verse: ―What! When we die and

become dust, (shall we live again?) That is a sort of return far from our understanding.‖ We already

know how much of them the earth takes away: With Us is a guarding record.‖ (Q. 50:3-4) The same

theme has been expressed in the following verses: They say: ―What! when we die and become dust

and bones, could we really be raised up again? Such things have been promised to us and to our

fathers before! They are nothing but tales of the ancients!‖ Say: ―To whom belong the earth and all

beings therein if you know?‖ They will say: ―To Allah.‖ Say: ―Yet will you not receive admonition?‖

Say: ―Who is the Lord of the seven heavens, and the Lord of the Supreme throne?‖ They will say:

―(They belong) to Allah.‖ Say: ―Will you not then fear?‖ Say: ―Who is it in whose hands is the

governance of all things,- who protects (all), but is not protected (of any)? (Say) if you know.‖ They

will say: ―(It belongs) to Allah.‖ Say: ―Then how are you deluded?‖ (Q. 23:82-9)

Notice how emphatically these verses point that all the creation is in His grip and rule. All belongs to

Him. All lie in His dominion. He is the shelter. Nothing can shelter Him. He guards everything.

This kind of argument proving the power of God and His ability to resurrect is frequently found in

the holy Qur‘ān. I do not need to present all the verses in this regard. I consider the above specimen

sufficient a model of this form of arguments.

4. The fourth aspect of argumentation from the human speech for the afterlife is based on the

similarity between God‘s attributes of providence and justice and the human faculty of speech. We

know that the holy Qur‘ān forwards the arguments based on God‘s providence in many ways. A full

understanding of these arguments requires that one keeps in mind that God‘s providence and justice

are necessary complements of each other. The concept of providence cannot be imagined without

perfect justice. The holy Qur‘ān, therefore, clearly and unequivocally declares that the heavens and


24

the earth rest upon divine justice. It says: ―If the truth had been in accord with their desires, truly the

heavens and the earth, and all beings therein would have been in corruption.‖ (Q. 23:71)

In this passage, signs of the heavens and the earth have been mentioned first. This is followed by

evidence from God‘s providence proving the afterlife. The conclusion uses the example of human

speech to stress certainty of the afterlife. The entire structure of arguments can be put plainly as

follows:

All of your planned acts start from thinking. This is mental speech. Your faculty of speech

distinguishes you from the rest of the animals who lack this faculty. This is your distinctive attribute

and quality. Similarly God too has held distinctive qualities. He is characterized by the attribute of

justice and mercy. In this universe, you observe various wonderful phenomena. All of these indicate

that this universe has been created by someone possessed of profound wisdom. This in turn proves

that the universe has been created for a specific purpose and that it will surely meet an end involving

mercy and wisdom. It follows from this that you have not been created without purpose. It is,

therefore, necessary that everybody is held accountable for his conduct in this worldly life and is

rewarded or punished according to his deeds. God must differentiate between the good and the evil,

the virtuous and the pious.

This conclusion has been clearly affirmed in various places in the holy Qur‘ān. Consider a few such

verses:

Shall we then treat the believers like the criminals? What is the matter with you? How do you

judge? (Q. 67:35-6)

It is He who begins the process of creation. He shall repeat it so that He may reward with

justice those who believe and work righteousness. (Q. 10:4)

We did not create heaven and earth and all between without purpose! That was the thought of

those who do not believe in the afterlife. But woe to the rejecters because of the fire! Shall we

treat those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, the same as those who do mischief on

earth? Shall we treat those who fear God, the same as the disobedient? (Q. 30:27-8)

Such reminders are frequently sounded in the holy Qur‘ān. The basic argument behind all of them is

that the divine mercy, justice, and wisdom demand the final judgment. In other words it says that you

speak out of specific purposes and ends. God has similarly created the heavens and the earth and

humans themselves for a specific purpose. They will be led to fulfill this purpose. This latter fact is

rather sounder and well established and more obvious than the former, for the Lord is perfectly wise

and just. When humans perform acts and speak to meet specific purposes, the one who is more just

and wise must have also created the universe for a defined purpose.

This interpretation is better, sounder and truer to the text. Still however I do not claim that I have

covered all the meanings and significations of the text. Meanings and significations of the divine

speech may only exhaustively covered by God himself.


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10

Coherence and Context Q. 51: 20-23

The above discussion sufficiently explains that this comprehensive paragraph contains beauty of

order and arrangement. It connects the themes in best logical way. The divine statement starting from

the words, ― a fī al-ar ‟āyāt (and on the earth are signs)‖ to ― a mā tū„adūn (what you are

promised)‖ mention earth first, then nafs (human self) and finally the heavens. Nafs has been placed

in the middle. It works as an intermediary between the earth and the heavens. It is related to the two in

diverse aspects. Then God has indicated the kind of signs these three contain. Then the discourse

develops on to present the most comprehensive and basic argument, argument from God‘s

providence. God says: ―fa wa rabbi al-samā āti a al-ar i innahū la aqqun (by the Lord of the

heavens and the earth it is true).‖

The part of the next verse, mithla mā annakum tan iqūn, emphasizes the same argument. It is a

similitude comparing the speech faculty of the human self, which itself is a miniature universe. It

reflects what is contained in the heavens and the earth. This in a way refers to the statement a fī

anfusikum afalā tu irūn (and in your nafs also. Do not you see?), mentioned earlier. The example of

the human speech is in fact the foundation of all beliefs and arguments. This example in a way invites

the readers to ponder over the words ‟āyātun lilmūqinīn (signs for the believers) in the preceding

verse.

The above is the internal coherence in the group of verses. As for the relation of this passage with

the previous and the coming ones, as I have stated earlier, the statement starting from a fī al-ar i

āyatun lilmūqinīn (in the earth are signs for the believers) to mithla mā annakum tan iqūn are

conjugated with and revisit the theme taken in the start of the sūrah. This passage takes up again the

arguments for the inevitability of the afterlife. Thus, from the beginning of the sūrah to the last part of

this passage, argumentation for the afterlife based on the cosmic phenomena is the theme. God has

presented as proofs the winds, clouds, earth, heavens, and the human self (nafs). The verses following

this passage adduce historical evidence to prove the same fact. This kind of development of

arguments starting from natural phenomena leading to historical evidence is found in Sūrah al-Shams

as we have explained in our commentary on that sūrah. You will find frequent examples in the holy

Qur‘ān where the arguments start from natural phenomena and then culminate in historical proofs for

a claim. Following this style, here too, the Almighty has discussed famous punishment stories which

represent divine judgment that has already passed in this very world and which serve as a reminder for

the addressees and a warning for them. This issues a warning and presents the clearest evidence of the

fact that God holds judgment and that He will definitely hold a final one as has been said in Sūrah

Hūd:

Such is the retribution of your Lord when He chastises communities in the midst of their

wrong. Indeed grievous and severe is His punishment. In that is a sign for those who fear the

penalty of the Last Day. (Q. 11:102-3)

There is another beauty of discourse in the selection of the punishment stories in this context. God

has, in the evidentiary oaths of the inaugural verses, referred to the winds and clouds. Now such

punishment stories have been presented as employed winds and clouds working on divine bidding.

This has, in addition to creating coherence, lent strength to the evidentiary oaths which have become


26

clearer and more emphatic after this recourse to the punishment stories involving winds and clouds.

Now study the next group of verses:

Text and Translation Q. 51:24-37

ني إر دخى ىش ا أحان دذث ضف إبشا ني س فجاء بعج فشاغ إ أ ىشو لى ا لاي سا فماىا سا ا ع ع خفت لاىا ا حخف وبششو بغا ه فأوجس لاي أا حاوى إه شأحفمشب ف صشة فصىج وجهها فألبج ا

أها ا ا خطبى لاي ف اع ى اذى لاىا وزه لاي سبه إ ولاج عجىص عم لاىا إا أسسا إ لى شسى دجاس عه ني شس ا وجذا فجش ني ف ؤ ا فها وا سشفني فأخشجا ت عذ سبه سى طني ها غش ة

اعزاب اأ خافى ني وحشوا فها آت ز س ا بج Have you heard the story of the honoured guests of Abraham (sws)? When they entered upon

him and said: ―Peace!‖ He responded, ―Peace!‖ ―Strangers‖ (he thought). Then he turned to his

household, brought out a fatted calf, and placed it before them. He said, ―Will you not eat?‖ He

conceived a fear of them. They said, ―Fear not.‖ They gave him glad tidings of a

knowledgeable son. But his wife came forward utterly surprised. She smote her forehead and

said: ―(Will) a barren old woman (bear one)!‖ They said, ―That is what your Lord has said. He

is full of wisdom and knowledge.‖ He (Abraham) said: ―And what, O Messengers, is your

errand then?‖ They said, ―We have been sent to a sinful people to bring them a shower of

stones of clay which are marked by your Lord for those who trespass beyond bounds.‖ Then

We evacuated those of the believers who were there, but We found not there any persons

submitting to the truth except in one house. We left there a sign for such as fear the grievous

penalty. (Q. 51: 24-37)

11

Explanation of Words and T ’wīl of Sentences and Phrases (Q. 51:24-37)

This story has been recounted earlier in Sūrah Hūd. We shall, however, explain some important

points in the story which are exclusively relevant here.

al-mukr mīn, honored

The word al-mukramīn qualifying the guests, in this context, leads us to that a host is obliged to

honor his guests. He should welcome them gladly. It also tells us that Abraham (sws) was a kind and

generous person.

q wmun munk rūn, stranger people

Abraham (sws) noticed that the guests were apparently noble and virtuous people. Noble and

virtuous people were rare to see at that time. Those characterized by these qualities were already

among the companions and followers of Abraham (sws). Thus finding some other people of the sort

astonished him.


27

f rāgh ilā hlihī, turned to his household

This tells us that Abraham (sws) was a very generous host. He was very social person. A truly

generous person arranges for the entertainment of the guests secretly. He does not make a show of

such actions so that the guests do not feel that they have troubled the host. This corresponds with the

ideal of avoiding hinting towards one‘s favors to others and the virtue of benefiting others secretly.

lā t ’kulūn, Will you not eat?

When Abraham (sws) placed the feast before the guests they did not taste it. Abraham (sws) called

them to help themselves in a very kind and friendly manner.

f wj s minhum khīf h, He conceived a fear of them.

The verb awjasa connotes a feeling, especially of fear, in the heart. hīfah denotes a mild fear.

Abraham (sws) feared the guests a little because they firmly refused to eat. Thus they inspired awe in

his heart. It alarmed Abraham (sws) even more. Sūrah Hūd depicts this in the following words:

But when he saw their hands went not towards the meal, he felt them strange, and conceived a

fear of them. (Q. 11:70)

B shsh rūhu, they gave him glad tidings of

They gave the glad tidings loudly enough. Sarah could hear it. She was just near as has been clearly

put in Sūrah Hūd.

And his wife was standing nearby, and she laughed: then we gave her glad tidings of Isaac. (Q.

11:71)

Since the angels did not communicate the glad tidings to Sarah it has not been ascribed to the angels.

They did not talk to her directly. It concerned her however.

‘ līm, knowledgeable

This attribute of the promised son indicates that the glad tiding would be fulfilled only if the son was

of worthy qualities. Attribute of knowledge alone has been mentioned because it is the source of all

positive attributes and praiseworthy qualities.

f ’ q l t, she came forward

Having heard the glad tiding Sarah paid attention to the discussion between the angels and her

husband. She came forward to express her surprise as has been made clear in the next part of the

discussion.

fī rr tin, surprised


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It implies surprise and lack of belief. The Arabs say: arrat al-faras udhunayhi to mean that the

horse raised his ears. This happens when one hears something unbelievable.

f kk t w jh hā, She smote her forehead

She struck her forehead. Women usually express their surprise and their lack of belief in what they

hear of unimaginable things. Sūrah Hūd puts her feelings in words as follows:

She said: ‗Alas for me! Shall I bear a child, while I am an old woman, and my husband here is

an old man? That would indeed be a strange thing!‖ (Q. 11:72)

ijār t n min īn, stones of clay

Elsewhere such stones are termed sijjīl. It is arabicisation of the Persian compound sang-i gil which

means stones of clay. Sūrah Hūd uses the latter term in this very story:

And we rained down on them pebbles of baked clay ( ijāratan min sijjīl). (Q. 11:82)

Here the holy Qur‘ān has clarified the meaning of the word sijjīl occurring in Sūrah Hūd. It is a

marked feature of the Qur‘ān that parts of it explain their parallels.

Musawwamah, marked

Grammatically the word musawwamah in this construction can be taken to function as an adjective

qualifying the word ijārah. It can also be taken to function as an adverb ( āl) of state. As for the

meaning of the word, I quote the grammarian Akhfash: ―It means marked. The stones marked thus are

the ones dispatched. They say: sa ama fīhā al-khayl, he dispatched/sent the horses forth.‖19

Abū Zayd says: ―al-khayl al-musawwamah, the horses sent forth/dispatched while carrying their

riders. This expression is developed from a common expression: sa amtu fulānan: I let him free.

They say sa amahū i.e. he let him do what he likes.‖20

If the word musawwamah is taken to mean that the stones are marked, that would entail that the

stones would be marked for their victims as if God had written the names of the victims on the stones

striking them. They do not strike except for those whose names are written on them. If the word

musawwmah gives the meaning takhliyah, the dispatched ones, then it would mean that these stones

are ready to strike the rebels. The version of the story in Sūrah Hūd corroborates this meaning of the

word. There it has been said:

Layer on layer of the stones of clay, ready as from your Lord. Nor are they ever far from those

who do wrong. (Q. 11:82:83)

There is no fundamental difference between both of these interpretations.

Lilmusrifīn, trespassers beyond bounds

19

Al-lisān al-„Ara , SWM. 20

Ibid.


29

srāf means trespassing beyond limits. This word connotes all types of sins. The holy Qur‘ān

frequently employs this word for sins.

O My servants who have transgressed (asrafū) against their souls, don‘t be despair of Allah‘s

mercy, for Allah forgives all sins. (Q. 39:53)

General terms of this type are usually explained through textual indicators and context. Here this

word has been used for the sin that spoilt the people of Lot.

The part of the discourse starting from akhrajnā to alīm is not spoken by angels. It has been

attributed directly to God. After having delivered the divine message to Abraham (sws), the angels

went to Lot and brought Lot and his companions out of the town. They ensured that the Messenger

and his party were saved from the imminent ruin. The word fīhā (in it), discussed below, supports this

interpretation of the statement.

īhā, in it

Its antecedent is not put plainly. However, the context shows that it refers to the abode of the people

of Lot. It refers to the area that was overturned in the impending punishment. The textual indicator

proving my claim that these words are not uttered by angels but by Allah is that this verse is deeply

and strongly connected with the verse a fil ar i ayātun lilmūqinīna. This verse gives a detailed

account of the portents of the earth alluded to in the above mentioned verse. We have already

explained that the history of these towns was known to the Arabs. These towns were situated on their

trade routes. They frequently passed through these routes.

min al-muslimīn , from among submitters

Lot‘s family was the only believing household in the town. The believers among his family members

were rescued and saved by God Almighty. Lot‘s wife sided with the rejecters even though she was a

member of the family of the Prophet. This is why the holy Qur‘ān uses the phrase min al-muslimīn for

the household of Lot instead of mu‟minīn. Those hypocritically attached to the believers can be called

Muslims.


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12

Coherence and Context (Q. 51: 24-37)

The previous passage tells us that there are signs for the believers in the earth. The earth contains

many portents of Allah‘s blessing and providence. He provides for His servants from the earth.

Similarly in it there are signs of His wrath and retribution for the rejecters. The earth is filled with the

relics of punishments meted out to the rejecters of the divine message and the Prophets.

On the other hand, the above mentioned verses proclaim that the heavens contain sustenance for

people as well as damnation. This is this damnation which is being discussed in this passage. Thus in

this combined story of Abraham (sws) and Lot, both glad tidings and admonition have been put

together. The same angels who bring glad tidings for Abraham (sws) bring damnation for the nation

of Lot. If we study the story while keeping this in mind we learn that it provides proofs for the claims

made in the verses a fi al-ar āyāt and a fī al-samā‟ rizkuqum amā tū„adūn. The Almighty has

connected this passage with the pervious lesson more explicitly by following it with the verse wa

taraknā fīhā a‟āyatan lilladhīna yakhāfūna al-„adhā al-alīm. The word fīhā used later also indicates

to the interconnection of the two passages. Besides, the story of Moses (sws) presented in the

following verses have been connected through conjunction (wa) with the passage under discussion.

The Holy Qur‘ān says: a fī mūsā isul ānin mu īn (Q. 51:38). This also illustrates that the purpose

is to proclaim that there are portents in this story, as well as in the story of Abraham (sws) and his

guests, and in the wreckage of the people of Lot. Likewise, this story along with the proceeding ones,

exemplifies the reality expressed in the beginning of this sūrah. This issue will be detailed later. The

following verses tell another punishment and reward story similar to that of Lot and Abraham (sws):

Text and Translation Q. 51: 38:46

فأخوف جى ولاي سادش أو بني فخى بشو بسطا إ فشعى ىس إر أسسا ى و ف ا فبزا وجىد زاا حز اشخ اعم وف عاد إر أسسا عه خعىا دخ ح ه ىد إر ل وف ث واش إا جعخ ء أحج ع ش س

ا وا و لا ا اسخطاعىا ف ظشو اصاعمت و فأخزحه ش سبه أ ودني فعخىا ع خصش ىا إه لب ىح لىا فاسمني واىا لى

And in the story of Moses (sws) is a sign. We sent him to Pharaoh, with manifest authority.

Pharaoh turned away conceitedly. He said, ―this is a sorcerer or possessed one!‖ So We took

him and his forces, and threw them into the sea; and his was the blame. And in the people of

‗ d, there is another sign. Behold, We sent against them the abortive wind (‗aqīm). It left

nothing whatever that it came up against, but reduced it to ruin and rottenness. And in the story

of Thamūd is a lesson. They were told, ―Enjoy for a little while!‖ But they insolently defied the

command of their Lord. So the stunning noise seized them, even before their eyes. Then they

could not even stand on their feet, nor could they help themselves. So were the People of Noah

(sws) before them for they wickedly transgressed. (Q. 51:38-46)


31

13

Explanation of Words and T ’wīl of Sentences and Phrases (Q. 51:38-46)

fī mūsā, in (the story of) Moses

There are portents of God‘s revenge and His help in the story of Abraham (sws). Likewise, there are

signs of Allah‘s blessings and punishment in the story of Moses (sws) and Pharaoh. It has been

mentioned in Sūrah al-Shu‗arā‘ in these words:

We delivered Moses (sws) and all his companions. But We drowned the others. Verily in this

story there is a great lesson. (Q. 26: 66-68)

isul ānin mu īn, manifest proof.

The word sul ān covers all the things provided to Moses (sws) by God including clear signs proving

his prophethood. It also includes the domination and victory granted to Moses (sws). This is why the

word sul ān has been described as clear (mu īn). This meaning of this construction is corroborated by

many other verses of the holy Qur‘ān dealing with this issue. God says:

He said: ―We will certainly strengthen your arm through your brother, and invest you both with

sul ānan, so they shall not be able to touch you. You two as well as those who follow you shall

triumph with the help of Our signs. When Moses (sws) came to them with Our clear signs...‖

(Q. 28:35-6)

At another occasion it is said:

Proceed then, both of you, with Our signs. We are with you listening. So go forth, both of you,

to Pharaoh, and tell him: ―We have been sent by the Lord and Cherisher of the worlds.‖ (Q.

26:15-6)

After a few verses the Almighty says:

(Moses (sws)) said: ―Even if I showed you something clear and convincing?‖ (Pharaoh) said:

―Show it then, if you tell the truth!‖ (Q. 26:30-1)

f t w llā iruknihī, he turned away arrogantly

Pharaoh turned away arrogantly gesturing rejection. Rukn here means shoulder and the preposition

ba serves to make the verb ta allā transitive (ta„dīah) as has been stated at another place:

Yet when We bestow Our favours on man, he turns away (a„ra a) and turns his face arrogantly

(na‟ā ijāni ihī). (Q. 17:83)

Arrogance of Pharaoh and his people has been described at another place in these words:


32

But when Our signs came to them that should have opened their eyes, they said: ―This is

sorcery manifest!‖ And they rejected those signs in iniquity and arrogance, though their souls

were convinced thereof. (Q. 27:13-4)

Mulīm, blameful

‟Ālam means to commit something that renders one condemnable. In this context it implies that that

the arrogance Pharaoh showed was apparent. All those who heard this story later held Pharaoh

responsible for his dreadful end.

l-rī l-‘ qīm, unproductive winds

Winds that do not bring rain, hence useless. In Arabic, winds which cause rain are qualified with the

adjective la āqi meaning valuable. Harmful wind is described as ‗aqīm meaning futile. It is dry.

Cold winter winds are described in the following verse:

So We sent against them a furious wind in days of disaster. (Q. 41:16)

It will be discussed in detail later on.

Ka all-r mīm, ruined and rotten

The word ramīm refers to decayed pieces of a rope, wood, or bone. Cold and dry air destroys power,

freshness, and life. Its coldness and dryness and its furious gales rend everything asunder. A similar

statement says:

We sent against them a furious wind, on a day of violent disaster, plucking out men as if they

were roots of palm-trees torn up from the ground. (Q. 54:19-20)

t m tt ‘ū ttā īn, Enjoy for a little while

When the miscreant Thamūd crippled the she-camel and cut its hamstrings, they were threatened by

the Prophet āli of impending doom. He told them that they did not have much time to live. They

would meet the promised doom in exact three days. The Almighty says in Sūrah Hūd:

But they did ham-string her. So he said: ―Enjoy yourselves in your homes for three days, this

promise will not be belied!‖ (Q. 11:65)

f ‘ t w ‘ n mri r ihim, and they insolently defied and ignored the command of their Lord

„Ata signifies showing disobedience and arrogance. When used with the preposition „an it gives the

extended meaning of rejecting and ignoring something.

l- ā‘iq h, a chide or yell

It means chide or yell. The version of the same story in Sūrah Hūd employs the word al- ay ah

which again means censure. a akhadha al-ladhīna alamū al- ay ah (The mighty cry overtook the


33

wrong-doers) (Q. 11:67). Some reciters read this word as al- a„aqah. They have in a way glossed the

original. In that case this word would mean unconsciousness, as result of the cry/yell, as is clear from

the following details of the story.

w hum y n urūn, before their eyes.

It covers a number of implications. The first meaning is that the punishment came upon them openly.

They were left gazing at it. They observed it openly. They could not doubt it. Elsewhere the same

story includes the following verse:

Then the cry overtook them with what was destined to befall, and We left them as rubbish of

dead leaves! (Q. 23:41)

The following verse too supports this meaning:

And We drowned Pharaoh‘s people within your very sight. (Q. 2:50)

Numerous examples can be cited in support of this meaning of the expression.

Another possible meaning is that the punishment struck them suddenly. The people had no time to

settle themselves. Elsewhere the holy Qur‘ān says:

We sent against them a single mighty cry, and they became like the dry stubble used by one

who pens cattle. (Q. 54:31)

A third possible meaning of the expression is that they were bewildered. They could not understand

what to do. This meaning is supported by the remaining details of the story.

f m st ā‘ū min qiyāmin, Then they could not even stand on their feet

When they heard the thunder from the heavens, they were stunned and fell down. Their state has

been described in Sūrah al-A‗rāf in these words:

So the tremor took them unaware, and they lay prostrate in their homes in the morning! (Q.

7:78)

They stuck to the earth shivering and died in this very position.

munt irīn, defending themselves

They could not defend themselves. Imr‘ al-Qays has used this word in a verse to connote the same

meaning.

fa ansha a a fārahū fī al-nisā

fa qultu hubilta alā tanta ira

The dog dug his jaws into the limbs of the cow and I said to the cow, ―For God‘s sake, will not

you defend yourself?21

21

Imr al-Qays, Dī ān, 70.


34

The previous comment that they could not stay on their legs has been further elucidated by this

word.

w q wm nū in, and the people of Noah

The conjunction wa (and) uncovers the meaning buried in all these stories. In the mention of the

story of Pharaoh the meaning was clearly put. There it has been said: fa akhadhnāhu a junūdahū (we

caught Pharaoh and his army.) The meaning, therefore, is that we caught these nations the way we

caught the nation of Noah (sws) earlier. This is strengthened by other parallels in the book. Sūrah al-

‗Ankabūt says:

Then the mighty cry seized them, and they lay prostrate in their homes by the morning. And

‗ d and Thamūd [….] (Q. 29:37-8)

A little later the Almighty referred to Qārūn, Pharaoh, and Hāmmān. (Q. 29:39). The entire

discussion then culminates in the comment: ―Each one of them We seized for his crime‖. (Q. 29:40)

Yet another similar passage reads:

And that it is He Who destroyed the ancient people of ‗ d, and the Thamūd. Thus they were

not left to live long. And before them, the people of Noah (sws). (Q. 53:50-2)

I.e. He killed and destroyed the people of Noah (sws). The verses under discussion too express the

same theme. The two words used in different versions of the stories including akhdha (he caught) and

ahlaka (he destroyed) give the same meaning.

14

Relationship of the Punishment Stories with the Oaths

The people of Lot, Noah (sws), Pharaoh, and ‗ d find frequent mention in the holy Qur‘ān. If part of

a story is put briefly in one place it is detailed in another. The style is, however, different each time to

avoid repetition and to keep characteristic brevity of the holy Qur‘ān. Coherence and preciseness is

carefully observed in all parts. The Qur‘ān confines the stories to the elements that which suffice as a

warning and as an admonition. Even at times a very subtle beckoning has been considered sufficient,

as is shown in the following verse:

Has the story reached you, of the forces of Pharaoh and the Thamūd? And yet the unbelievers

persist in rejecting. (Q. 85:17-9)


35

This style of subtle allusions to known facts is visibly employed in Psalm. Such allusions give a very

subtle reference to a story to prove some claims. If a person skims such texts, he fails to grasp the

coherence. This is not a proper place to detail this issue here. However, we believe we must examine

the connection of the stories mentioned in the Sūrah with the oaths sworn at the opening.

The Almighty punished the rejecters among these nations and helped the believers against them by

employing winds or thunders and lightening, or a combination of both. You shall learn this in the

following discussions. The initial oaths adduce winds and clouds. Under the next heading we will

discuss this in detail.

15

The People of Lot

Allah sent a sooty wind over the people of Lot which later turned into a violent gale. It rained stones

and pebbles on them. Eventually it turned their abodes over. At another occasion the holy Qur‘ān

describes this as follows: Against some We sent a violent tornado with showers of stones. (Q. 29:40)

The holy Qur‘ān also states: We turned (the cities) upside down, and rained down on them brimstones

hard as baked clay, spread layer on layer. (Q. 11:82).

The implication is that God unleashed strong winds which left their houses and roofs plain. Pebbles

and dust covered them. This has been alluded to in the following verse: He destroyed the overthrown

cities (mu‟tafikah). So that covers covered them up. (53:53-4)

The renowned Arabic lexicon Lisān al-„Ara explains the word al-mu‟tafikāt as follows:

1. It connotes winds which overturn the earth and leave it inside out as a farmer ploughs the field.

2. It can also be taken to mean a great flood which strikes a piece of land and puts new layers of sand

on the surface.

3. The winds which blow over a land and leave the earth covered with pebble or dirt is also called

mu‟tafikah.‖22

An Important Point

One thing is important to appreciate. Allegedly the Bible and the Qur‘ān differ over the object used

in the destruction of the people of Lot. It is, however, not true. The apparent contradiction owes itself

to misunderstanding of the translators of the Old Testament. The translator of the Torah could not

22

Al-Lisān al-„Ara , ‘-F-K


36

understand what struck the people of Lot. They mistook it as fire or sulfur. On the contrary, it is quite

clear that the object they rendered as ―fire‖ is nothing other than thunder or lightning.

The Torah often uses the word ―fire‖ for thunder and lightning. It is clear from a detailed analysis of

the miracles given to Moses (sws) to be shown to Pharaoh. Exodus 9:23 reads: ―The Lord sent

thunder and hails, and fire flowed on the earth.‖ While making a mention of this miracle, the holy

Qur‘ān uses a comprehensive term, ūfān, which covers all three; fire, thunder, and lightning. God

says: ―We sent a ūfān on them.‖ (7:133) We will discuss this issue in detail in the story of Noah

(sws).

What corroborates my understanding of the Torah in this regards is the fact that in all the seven

instances, where the Torah mentions thunders and hail in this context, it does not say that anything on

earth was burnt. It has rather clarified in one instance that it was rain. God says: ―When Pharaoh saw

that the downpour, hail, and the thunder ceased, he sinned again.‖ (Exodus: 9:34) The damages

caused by rain and lightning have also been discussed in the Bible. Exodus 9:31 reads: ―The flax and

barley were destroyed because the barley was in the ear and the flax in bud, but the wheat and spelt

were not destroyed because they come later.‖ Notice there is not a slightest indication of anything

being destroyed and burnt by fire.

My understanding is also supported by the following verse of the Psalms: ―Fire and hail, snow and

ice, gales of wind obeying His voice.‖ (Psalms: 148:8) Obviously, ―fire‖ refers to thunder and

lightning in this context. The Bible mentions, in the context of the story of destruction of the people of

Lot, that Abraham (sws) saw smoke rising from the remains of the abodes of the people of Lot. The

smoke was nothing but black soot and dust rising from the doomed abodes. When viewed from

distance it looked like smoke. The Bible also mentions sulfur. Genesis 19:34 reads: ―God sent fire and

sulfur on Sadūm and ‗Amūrah.‖ Here the word which the translators of the Bible rendered as sulfur

connotes stones. The word they translated as sulfur is a ba‘. It stands for pebbles. A similar mistake

has been committed by the translators of the Bible with regards to the use of brimstone. They thought

it to be sulfur. It is quite clear from the Torah that the word in this context stands for stones. Job 18:15

mentions the destruction of the miscreants in these words: ―Strangers will occupy his lodging and his

house will be destroyed by as ah.‖ It means his grave will be covered with stones. It does not make

sense to hold that sulfur will be rained on his grave. This shows that Allah sent stones and a storm on

the people of Lot. It covered their houses. If we consider the interpretation of the Torah as correct, it

would mean that rain accompanied thunder and lightning.


37

16

Pharaoh and his People

The story of Moses (sws) and Pharaoh has been described both in the holy Qur'ān and the Torah a

number of times. Both these sources sometimes fairly detail the story while at some others briefly

allude to it. The holy Qur'ān does not mention the whole story in one sūrah with detail. It does not

produce a sustained narrative. Rather it has treated the relic as a well-known historical fact on more

than one occasion. On the other hand, the Torah mentions the whole story in a complete sustained

narrative in a single instance. In this story different functions of winds have been described. This fact

obtains a mere passing reference in the holy Qur'ān and is fairly detailed in the Torah.

Exodus 14:21 recounts the story in these words: ―Then Moses (sws) stretched out his hand over the

sea and the Almighty drove the sea away all night with a strong east wind and turned the seabed into

dry land. The waters were torn apart.‖ This storm continued to havoc till the next morning. It stopped

at dawn. The air pressure forced the sea water to the Gulf of Suez in the west. It dried the eastern gulf,

or the Gulf of ‗Aqabah. When the storm stopped, the sea water rushed off to fill the space and the

armies of Pharaoh chasing the Israelites were drowned. This has been confirmed by the holy Qur'ān in

Sūrah al-Dukhkhān: ―March forth with My Servants by night: for you are sure to be pursued. And

leave the sea when it is peaceful ( a „utrukī al- a ra rah an): for they are a host (destined) to be

drowned.‖ (al-Dukhkhan: 23-4)

In ― a „utrukī al- a ra rah an‖, the word rahwan signifies relief. The relief in a river is obtained if

there is no commotion in the air. Allah says in Sūrah Tāhā: ―We sent an inspiration to Moses (sws):

‗Travel by night with My servants, and strike a dry path for them through the sea, without fear of

being overtaken (by Pharaoh) and without (any other) fear.‘ Then Pharaoh pursued them with his

forces, but the waters completely overwhelmed them and covered them up.‖ (Q. 20:77-8)

In Exodus 15:10 Moses (sws) praises his Lord in these words: ―You blew your blast and the sea

covered them.‖ Deuteronomy 11:4 lays out this as follows: ―…and all that he did to the Egyptian

army, its horses and chariots, when he caused the waters of the Red Sea to flow over them as they

pursued you. In this way the Lord destroyed them, and so things remain to this day.‖

In short, Allah rescued Moses (sws) through a violent wind. He killed Pharaoh and his armies with

the usual function of air. This is how winds are employed by God miraculously. We see that two

different functions, blessing and punishment, were accomplished through the employment of different

kinds of winds.

The People of the Book have differed over the place where the Children of Israel crossed the sea.

The majority of them think that they crossed the Gulf of Suez. I believe that they crossed the Gulf of

‗Aqabah. Some scholars, in the present day, hold that Allah got Moses (sws) across the sea by

lowering the sea water and that He Killed Pharaoh and his armies through the rising of the sea water. I

have refuted both these claims elsewhere.


38

17

‘Ād nd Th ūd

A careful analysis of the detailed account of the destruction of ‗Ād as depicted in the holy Qur‘ān

does not leave one deny the fact that the winds sent on them worked along with winter clouds that

always accompany thunder and lightning. Wherever the Qur‘ān mentions their destruction it mentions

dry clouds and winds as well as thunder. Consider this verse from Sūrah al-A qāf:

Then, when they saw a cloud traversing the sky, coming to meet their valleys, they said, ‗This

cloud will give us rain!‘ ‗Nay, it is that which you were asking to be hastened!- A wind wherein

is a grievous penalty! Everything will it destroy by the command of its Lord. (Q. 46:24-5)

Obviously these are the signs of winter. In this season the searing cold northern winds enter Arabia,

spreading dryness, famine, and destruction everywhere. Sūrah al-Qamar puts this clearly: ―For We

sent against them a furious wind, on a day of violent disaster‖ (Q. 54:19) The same thing is presented

in Sūrah -M al-Sajdah: ―So We sent against them a furious wind through days of disaster.‖ (Q.

41:16) Such cold searing winds, as we have told earlier, appear in winter and this is the time they

prove most disastrous. Laylā al-Akh lah, the famous poetess of the pagan era, says:

alā ta‟khudhu al-kūmuu al-jalādu salā ahā

Li ta ata fī irr al-shitā‟i al- anā irī Freshness of strong she-camels and cold winds of winter do not hinder the slaughter.23

Another famous poet Farazduq says:

Ba„athtu lahū dahmā‟a laysat i nāqatin

Tadurru idhā mā ha a na san „aqīmuhā

I sent for him a brown healthy camel that gave milk during searing winds of winter.24

These cold wintery winds accompany layers of red clouds, thunder, and lightning. Arabic literature

contains various proofs which can be adduced to provide a detailed account of these winds. Some

important points in this regard have been discussed in section two.

Sūrah H-M al-Sajdah mentions thunder and lightning in connection with the divine punishment

meted out to ‗Ād: ―But if they turn away, say you: ―I have warned you of a stunning punishment like

that which overtook the ‗ d and the Thamud!‖ (Q. 41:13)

This verse makes it quite clear that they were crushed through heavy thunders. Allah punished them

through the clouds, cold winds and thunder. The actual destruction was brought through the winds.

However, it can be said that Allah sent on Thamūd a kind of layered clouds in which a frightful

23

Ibn Qutaybah, al-Shi„r a al-Shu„arā‟, (Cairo: Dār al-Ma‗ārif, 1967), 451. 24

Farazduq, Di ān, 1st ed. (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, 1987), 572.


39

lightning and a deafening cry was hidden. It is just like He sent thunder and lightning over the ‗Ād.

Thamūd were destroyed by lightning as depicted in Sūrah al-Qamar: ―We sent against them a furious

wind, on a day of violent disaster‖ (Q. 54:19). Therefore, a mention of the lightning has been

considered enough. Clouds have not been highlighted though the subsequent events prove that clouds

were also involved. Likewise, in the story of ‗Ād, winds have been frequently mentioned while clouds

have not been mentioned except on one occasion. It is a characteristic of the Qur‘ān that for the sake

of brevity it avoids details. This fact has been mentioned in the fourteenth section.

18

The People of Noah

The present sūrah does not detail the story of punishment meted out to the people of Noah (sws). It

merely says that Allah seized and punished the people of Noah (sws) just as He punished other

nations for their sins. But the punishment story of the People of Noah (sws) as described in the Torah

and other sūrahs of the holy Qur‘ān makes it quite clear that they too were destroyed through winds.

Allah says in Sūrah al-‗Ankabūt: ―We sent Noah (sws) to his people, and he tarried among them a

thousand years less fifty: but the ūfān overwhelmed them while they persisted in sin.‖ (Q. 29:14)

Here the word ūfān is noteworthy. The word ūfān is derived from a root that means to encircle or to

wind. Arabs use this word for whirlwind. A pagan poet Ra‗ lauds his she-camel in these words:

tumsa idhā al-„īsu adraknā nakā‟ithahā

kharqā‟a ya„tāduhā al- ūfānu a al-zu‟ud

She (the she-camel) enters evening (sturdily) while the best breeds of camels reach us about to

having consumed their last bit of power to go on. She is quick in her pace and familiar with

whirlwinds and troubles. 25

Such terrible winds are called gird ād in Persian, cyclones in English, and Bagolās in Hindi.

Egyptians worshipped a god of winds. They called it taifūn. Such winds are distinguished from others

because they bring heavy rain with them. Thus they cause the sea water to rise. I myself have

witnessed such a scene when living in Karachi. A hurricane started from the eastern part of the Indian

Ocean and passed to the West. It caused a mighty rain. Ships crashed on mountains causing great

causalities. The details of the Hurricane which destroyed the people of Noah (sws) as described in the

Torah and holy Qur‘ān are similar to the one I witnessed in Karachi. Allah Almighty says in Sūrah al-

Qamar: ―So We opened the gates of heaven, with water pouring forth. And We caused the earth to

gush forth with springs, so the waters met (and rose) to the extent decreed.‖ (Q. 54:11-2) Genesis 7:11

recounts this story as follows: ―On that very day, all the springs of the great abyss broke through. The

windows of the sky were opened.‖ The holy Qur‘ān says: ―So the Ark floated with them on the waves

like mountains.‖ (Q. 11:42) People who experience sea voyage know that currents rise to the

mountains only when a whirlwind is at work. So the presence of tides in the Noachian flood indicates

that the tornado was already blowing. Mentioning an effect leads one to the cause. This literary

technique has been applied in the holy Qur‘ān in more than one place. It has jointly mentioned the

25

Al-Lisān al-„Ara , N.K.TH.


40

winds and the sea currents so as to show that both are interdependent. Both work together to create the

meaning. For example the Almighty says: ―He it is Who enables you to traverse through land and sea;

so that you even board ships;- they sail with them with a favorable wind, and they rejoice thereat; then

comes a stormy wind and the waves come to them from all sides‖ (Q. 10:22)

Another important and noteworthy fact is that the words: ―So the Ark floated with them‖ prove that

winds were blowing. We know that the holy Qur‘ān, at another occasion, has clarified that had God

stopped the airs, the arks would stand still. The Almighty says: ―And among His signs are the ships,

smooth-running through the ocean, as mountains. If it be His will He can still the wind: then would

they become motionless on the back of the ocean.‖ (Q. 42:32-3) Elsewhere, the holy Qur‘ān says:

―Among His signs is this, that He sends the winds, as heralds of glad tidings, giving you a taste of His

mercy,- that the ships may sail by His command‖ (Q. 30:46)

This explanation shows that the source of punishment for the People of Noah (sws) was a hurricane

that brought heavy rains. Water from the sea nearby gushed and heavy floods sprang from

everywhere. In this hurricane, the ark of Noah (sws) stopped at the mountain Jūd . It is important to

note here that the interpreters of the Torah have committed a blunder. Genesis 8:1 says: ―And He

made a wind pass over the earth, and the waters began to subside. The springs of the abyss were

stopped up, and so were the windows of the sky. The downpour from the sky was checked.‖

Apparently it means that God sent normal wind to stop the cyclone but this is not true. The more

probable interpretation is that it was merely the command of God. This we understand in light of

Sūrah Hūd: ―Then the word went forth: ―O earth! Swallow up thy water, and O sky! Withhold!‖ And

the water abated, and the matter was ended.‖ (Q. 11:44)

This misinterpretation owes itself to the fact that the order was first recorded in Hebrew. In Hebrew,

order and command and winds are expressed by a single common word. The holy Qur‘ān has

corrected this misinterpretation is this verse. The holy Qur‘ān often mentions the misinterpretations

given by the people of the book and corrects it. We have already discussed it at length.


41

19

Sequence of the Stories, their relation with the oaths and their Context

These stories are obviously related with the oaths sworn in the beginning of the sūrah. We have

already explained this. However, it requires a detailed analysis. The stories of the Qur‘ān contain

different aspects of advice and admonition as well as proofs and arguments. This makes it possible to

alter the sequence of the stories to suite the themes discussed. We will discuss briefly the order in

which the stories have been put in this sūrah.

One aspect of the order in the stories described here is quite clear. The story of Moses (sws) and Lot

very clearly contain both the glad tiding and the admonition. If we ponder over the issue we learn that

the same is the case with the winds. They sometimes appear as blessing and at another occasion as

source of punishment. This explains why the story of Abraham (sws) prefaces the rest of the stories.

It is followed by the story of Lot considering the fact that Arabs frequently passed through the trade

routes where the remains of the destroyed towns were found. The addressees of the Qur‘ān were

therefore able to witness these signs with their very eyes. The sūrah opens with an oath by the winds

which scatter dust, then carry the burden. It refers to the function of the winds employed in the

destruction of the people of Lot: For they were crushed through stifling winds that covered their

abodes with sand and stone pebbles. These were so heavily piled that the whole town was buried

beneath them.

Furthermore, as has been explained earlier, the Divine statement that ―On the earth are signs for

those of assured faith‖ has a clear proof in the story of Lot. This has been fairly detailed in the

eleventh section.

In short, these are the four reasons that the story of Lot has sequential preference.

The next story is that of Moses (sws). Firstly, this story has been related many times in the holy

Qur‘ān. It contains many valuable signs and morals. Secondly, it has a deep connection with the

second portion of the muqsim ihī, that is “and those that lift and bear away heavy weights, and those

that flow with ease and gentleness‖ as discussed earlier.

There is point to be noted here. This story and the previous one start with the name of the Prophets.

It gives a slight hint that the aspect of blessing is prominent in these stories. The later stories start with

the name of the nation of the respective Prophets showing that the aspect of punishment is dominant.

In this regard, ‗Ād and Thamūd are specially mentioned. This is well understood that the source of

punishment inflicted on them (i.e. By the rippled clouds) was rippled clouds. A little more

deliberation will take us to the conclusion that the sequence adopted in the oaths is also kept up while

relating the stories of parallel nations. In the mention of ‗Ād and Thamūd, the former has been

preferred. The reason is that they were destroyed first. Another reason is that the source of their

destruction was a combination of winds and the clouds.

In the last comes the story of Noah (sws). It presents an everlasting portent of Allah‘s blessing on all

the nations and ummahs. The following verse hints towards this reality: ―When the water overflowed


42

beyond its limits, we carried you in the floating Ark that We might make it a reminder to you, and that

bearing ears retain it.‖ (69:11-2) We have seen in the previous discussion that in this story, the earth,

heaven, wind, clouds, boat and water, in short, all the signs of God have been put together. This

quality has made the story a collection of internal as well as external signs and arguments. This makes

this story correspond to the oaths by the winds in the beginning and also for the conclusion. However,

it has been mentioned after the portents of the earth and the heaven along with the mentioned

arguments. Thus in a way this story befittingly recapitulates the previously mentioned arguments.

Besides, the ‗Ād and Thamūd were given the rule on the earth later than Noah (sws). It entails that

the story of Noah (sws) is mentioned after the d and Thamūd. Another example of this type of

ordering themes is found in the following verse: ―And that it is He Who destroyed the ancient 'Ad

(people), And the Thamūd nor gave them a lease of perpetual life. And before them, the people of

Noah (sws), for that they were most unjust and most insolent transgressors.‖ (Q. 53:50-3) Since this

story is well known and famous the holy Qur‘ān merely gave a passing reference to it. Also it has

been mentioned as a final story.

Besides, it is an outstanding form of brief introduction and a change of style that illustrates that it has

a greater importance for its special and permanent connection with the past events. Therefore, the

word a fī nū in has not been used as is the case with the story of Moses (sws), ‗ d and Thamūd.

That is why this story does not come with connection to the story of Abraham (sws).

20

Relation of the Passage 47-51 with the Succeeding Verses

Islamic teachings are based on three fundamental articles. These include ta īd, the Last Judgment

and risālah. Because these three beliefs are strongly interrelated, these are often mentioned together.

Sometimes the discourse suddenly shifts from one of these to another.

We have clarified in the beginning of the eighth section that all proofs for the Day of Judgment and

the risālah basically appear as the necessary and substantial result of belief in the unicity of God. The

first two are considered branches of ta īd. This general reality made it possible that proofs for

ta īd have been given just after mentioning the reward and punishment to close the argument. The

style of expression adopted here is so outstanding that the discourse is never broken. However, it

continues shifting from one point to another giving a slight indication of the belief in risālah. The

holy Qur‘ān says:


ش و و ذو ا ا ا فع واأسض فششا ىسعى ا بأذ وإا اء با ففشوا إ واس حزوشو عى ء خما صوجبني زش إها آخش إ ى ع ا بني وا حجعىا زش إ ى ا


43

With power and skill did We construct the firmament: We have boundless power. And We

have spread out the earth: How excellently We do spread out! And of everything We have

created pairs: That you may receive instruction. Hasten you then to Allah. I am from Him a

Warner to you, clear and open! And make not another object of worship with Allah. I am from

Him a Warner to you, clear and open! (Q. 51:47-51)

21

Explanation of Words and T ’wīl of Sentences and Phrases Q. 51: 47-51

wa al-s mā’ ..............l mūsi‘ūn

This part of the discourse is joined to the evidences given above regarding reward and punishment.

Thus the adduced evidence follows circumstantial demonstrations.

i’ ydin, with power

The phrase ayyadahū means: He lent power to him. The Qur‘ān reckons it at another occasion that

the sky is a symbol of God‘s invincible power and strength and His abounding wisdom: ―What! Are

you the more difficult to create or the heaven? He has constructed it.‖ (Q. 79:27)

l mūsi‘ūn , having boundless power

God‘s power is boundless. One cannot deny the fact that the maker of the sky has boundless power.

He has vast choices. This becomes obvious if one observes the vastness of the sky, its height, its

beauty, and its shore-less corners.

r shnāhā, spread it out

Allah made the earth the floor for His creatures. Elsewhere the holy Qur‘ān says: ―Who has made

the earth your couch.‖ (Q. 2:22) It declares at another occasion: ―Have We not made the earth as a

wide expanse?‖ (Q. 78:6) At another occasion, the Almighty says: ―It is He Who has made the earth

manageable for you, so traverse you through its tracts.‖ (Q. 67:15)

Kh l qnā, We created

The context and placement of the verse shows that the heightening of heaven and the spreading of

earth is also included in the meaning of creation (khalaqnā). In considering this aspect, the whole

verse can be paraphrased as follows: He raised the heaven and unfolded the earth and created a

countless number of benefits out of it. Likewise, He has made everything in pairs so that you know

that the Last Judgment will be held and learn that He alone is the provider of every creature. He is


44

above every creature. He is powerful, merciful and wise. This will be discussed in next chapter in

detail.

Zawjayni, pairs

The word zawj implies two significations. Firstly, it connotes that one part complements the other.

The one suits and corresponds to the other. Both cooperate to produce a common result. It is clear

from the following verse: ―We made his partner suit him.‖ (Q. 21:90) Secondly, each part of the pair

parallels and contrasts the other. For instance: ―And have sent down water from the sky. With it have

We produced diverse pairs of plants each separate from the others.‖ (Q. 20:53) At another place the

holy Qur‘ān says: ―And We produced therein every kind (zawj) of beautiful growth.‖ (Q. 50:7)

minhu n dhīrun mu īnun, from Him a Warner

Minhu in this phrase means: from him. This is not a preposition used with the word nadhīrun. The

Arabic word andhara does not require a preposition. The verb attaches a direct object. It is said

andharahu iyyāhu. A warned B of something. It is not said: andharahū minhu.

A number of such examples can be found in the holy Qur‘ān. The phrase minhu nadhīrun mu īnun

occurs twice in this passage. It is not repetition. The phrase in both of its occurrences delivers a

different message. In the first instance of its use here it implies encouragement. It shows that Allah

has sent the Warner with His special blessing to stop you from ignorance and to urge you upon

seeking His nearness. In the second instance it has been used as a warning. It conveys that polytheism

is a great sin which is unforgiveable. So He sent a Warner whose duty is to inform you of the severe

consequences of this great sin so that you could avoid it.

22

Creation in Pairs and T w īd, Risāl h and Day of Judgment

The belief in ta īd is very natural and clear to the human intellect. It does not need proofs. That is

why most of the worldly religions teach belief in one God. It is a universally accepted reality. This

wide universe and its contents distinctly witness His existence. It is impossible to deny the belief in

ta īd. Conflicts and dissention are based on the way of accepting God instead of His acceptance or

rejection. People believe in Allah but do not do so as they should. Consequently, they are considered

as rejecters in spite of their belief in His existence. The holy Qur‘ān has described this reality in these

words: ―And most of them believe not in Allah without associating other as partners with Him!‖ (Q.

12:106) Therefore, whenever the holy Qur‘ān calls the human to believe in Allah, it adopts such a

style which negates polytheism. It aims at removing the basis of the evil. It also explains that ta īd,

risālah and the Day of Judgment are a necessary corollary of belief in God. The holy Qur‘ān adopts

this manner of argument in brief as well as in concise descriptions. But finding no time to go into

details we will lean on necessary points only.


45

Creation of everything in pairs has two different aspects. Both the aspects come from different

meanings of the same word i.e. al-zawj.

1. The first aspect is that, the whole universe, in spite of its vastness and the differences of its

contents, witnesses that its Creator is one and only. He, alone, is managing this universe. He alone is

its occupant and owner. If each part of it had a different creator or manager, it would have been

impossible to make these different things to cooperate with each other. These different classes of

creations could never agree to work for a shared result that is not to their personal benefit. Whereas on

the other hand, we find all parts of the universe always ready for the service to the rest.

A group of atheists and philosophers think that the germination or development and completion of

everything are resulting from forces working hidden within the things. Those forces create suitable

parts for a thing and fulfill all of its needs. We don‘t consider this to be the right thinking. If the

development of everything is based on the movement or instruction of its inner forces, how can these

forces make it compatible with other objects which are far away from its needs or knowledge? The

compatibility of one part of a pair with its other part is clear evidence that their creator is an entity

totally different and above them who knows their benefits and makes each part of a pair suitable for

the other.

Furthermore, it should not be ignored that this world is a unit as a whole. Many of its aspects seem to

be faulty and its existence is dependent on a complement entity that could bring it to perfection such

that it is no more suffering from these faults and is able to fulfill its purposes. This very thing is called

the Day of Judgment.

Looking carefully into this reasoning leads us to two great realities.

Firstly, it proves the existence of a powerful and wise creator, who made one thing a complementing

counterpart of another so that both work united for the benefits of human beings.

Secondly, it supports that a resurrection and Day of Judgment function as a pair of this temporary

world. For more detail on this aspect, see my commentary of Sūrah al-Shams.

2. The second aspect of the argument is that God has created numberless creations. The created

things differ with each other in many aspects despite their unity of origin. This proves that there is a

Creator who manages the system of this universe. He is taking care of the needs of these things.

Necessarily He is alone and above these created things. That is why, in spite of the differences

between the objects, He manages the system in such a way that none of the parts clashes with the

others and the whole system of the world is working harmoniously.

As much as it proves that Allah has no partner to share His power, dominion, knowledge and

wisdom, it also establishes that He will deal with everything on merit. He will not deal with the pious

and sinners, and the obedient and the arrogant, in the same way. This is a clear and manifest argument

for reward and punishment. This has been expressed numerous times in the holy Qur‘ān. We need not

detail it here.

This argument regarding the creation of everything in pairs, in both of the aspects, leads to the

conclusion that the universe has a creator who alone is managing the universe. It also proves that the

Creator is kind and loving. His knowledge and mercy enshrouds everything. Everything from the


46

heaven to the earth is in His shelter and possession. He has put the created things in service to human

beings.

Since His mercy and power cover everything He is the only source of help and support. In His hands

is all good. It is only by His permission that any harm comes to those who disobey Him and seek help

from other than Him. This has been openly explained in many places in the holy Qur‘ān. The

Almighty, for example, says:

―What Allah out of his Mercy does bestow on mankind there is none that can withhold: what

He does withhold, there is none that can grant, apart from Him: and He is the Exalted in Power,

full of Wisdom. O men! Call to mind the grace of Allah unto you! Is there a creator, other than

Allah, to give you sustenance from heaven or earth? There is no god but He: how then are you

deluded away?‖ (Q. 35:2-3)

The implication is that how, then, are you turning away from Him, Who is your refuge and protector

while you find His blessings abundant and His mercy boundless.

The best expression of His mercy is the fact that He sends Messengers and Prophets for the guidance

of human beings. They are sent to warn people from the way of the sinners who turn their face from

their real Creator and go astray. The main duty of the divine messengers, therefore, is to invite people

to adopt the path leading to their real Lord and to admonish them of the painful doom nearing them

every second.

A person rejecting the advice of these Messengers, who come with clearly established evidence,

leads himself into destruction. He himself is to be blamed for the unfortunate consequences. This is

because firstly he flees from His Lord. Secondly, he does not accept what His Messengers tell him.

Thirdly, he rejects all the painful inflictions waiting for him as a result of his wrongdoings. The last

three verses guide us to these three things. These invite to the belief in ta īd in a way that includes

belief in risālah and the Day of Judgment. These verses also reveal that believing in the Divine

Messengers and the Resurrection is a necessary corollary of belief in the most kind, powerful and

wise God.


47

23

Coherence and Context Q. 51: 47-51

The above proves that the basic thrust of these verses is to invite the unbelievers towards Allah, who

provides them with food and shelter. These verses employ natural evidence. These also tell us that the

disobedient to God and the rejecters of the admonition of His Messenger are awaited by a horrible

treatment. These verses warn people that if they follow the path of such unfortunate folks, they would

meet the fate of their leaders. The holy Qur‘ān says:

But if they turn away, tell them: ―I have warned you of a stunning punishment like that which

overtook the ‗ d and the Thamūd!‖ (Q. 41:13)

These verses also clarify that there is no God but Allah who alone provides His servants with shelter.

He protects all, but is not protected. Everything in the universe evidences His blessings, power,

knowledge and wisdom. So worship Him and listen to the advice of His Messengers who have been

sent to ask people to follow the way of virtue and do good deeds so that He might forgive them. The

same message was delivered by Noah (sws) to his people. The holy Qur‘ān says in this regard:

We sent Noah (sws) to his People (with the command): ―Do warn your people before there

comes to them a grievous penalty.‖ He said: ―O my People! I am to you a warner, clear and

open: ―That you should worship Allah, fear Him and obey me: ―So He may forgive you your

sins and give you respite for a stated term.‖ (Q. 71:1-4).

If we carefully analyze this passage it becomes clear that it mixes warning with encouragement. This

is not the only instance that the Qur‘ān mixes warning and glad tidings. Indeed most of the stories of

the Qur‘ān combine the two. For example, the story of Abraham (sws) and Lot in Sūrah al- ijr starts

as follows:

Tell My servants that I am indeed the Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful; And that My penalty will

be indeed the most grievous penalty. Tell them about the guests of Abraham (sws). (Q. 15:49-

51)

Likewise, the stories of ancient people related here do not only warn the people but draw their

attention towards the beneficent and merciful Lord.

After a mention of the three basic articles of faith i.e. ta īd (unicity of God), ma„ād (Resurrection)

and the risālah (the institution of prophecy), the discourse turns to console the holy Prophet (sws).

This consolation also has some meaningful aspects. This consolation has been repeated throughout the

holy Qur‘ān. Sometimes it is put at the end of surāhs. Some examples have been cited in the

commentary on the previous sūrah. On this basis, this sūrah also concludes in consolation to the

Prophet (sws). Here it adopts a style which is so precise that it covers most of the important aspects in

this regard. The Almighty says:



48

ل ب أحىاصىا ب جى سسىي إا لاىا سادش أو لبه ا أح از فخىيوزه طاغى ى ى ا أج ب ف عهه ا أسذ وائس إا عبذو ا خمج اج ني و ؤ ازوشي حفع ا ى وروش فئ ا إ ى ا أسذ أ طع سصق و

وفشوا اشصاق رو امىة ا ز فى فا سخعجى رىب أصذابه ث ىا رىبا ظ ز از خني فئ ه ى ىعذو

Similarly, no apostle came to the peoples before them, but they said in like manner, ―A

sorcerer, or one possessed‖! Is this the legacy they have transmitted, one to another? Nay, they

are themselves a people transgressing beyond bounds! So turn away from them: not yours is the

blame. But teach for teaching benefits the believers. I have only created Jinns and men, that

they may serve Me. No sustenance do I require of them, nor do I require that they should feed

Me. For Allah is He Who gives sustenance,- powerful, mighty. The wrong-doers are granted a

respite similar to the one granted to their fellows: then let them not ask Me to hasten that! Woe,

then, to the unbelievers, on account of that day of theirs which they have been promised! (Q.

51: 52-60)

24

Explanation of Words and T ’wīl of Sentences and Phrases Q. 51: 52-60

K dhālik , similarly

This word introduces a new independent passage. This means that it is a totally new discussion. This

word i.e. kadhālika beckons to the rejection of the Prophets (sws) by the people of earlier nations. The

whole message can be paraphrased as follows:

Every nation that rejected the Messengers raised among them did so after the fashion of the above

mentioned people. Therefore, you do not have to worry over their deeds. Do not let the delay of

domination of the truth overcome you and do not hurry towards the day of triumph.

ālū sā irun w m jnūn, they said: a sorcerer, or possessed

The comment of Pharaoh has been discussed above where the Almighty says: ―But (Pharaoh) turned

back with his chiefs, and said, ―A sorcerer, or one possessed!‖‖ (Q. 51-39) The same words were used

for other Prophets of the past. The Qur‘ān points out that the holy Prophet (sws) received the same

response. The above phrase refers to the response of the addressees of the Prophet (sws).

t wā w ihī l hum q wmun āghūn, Is this the legacy they have transmitted, one to another?

Nay, they are themselves a people transgressing beyond bounds!

The question here implies an exclamation. The conjunction ‗ al‟ draws the attention of the listener

to the reality. The whole sentence can be interpreted as follows: Their statement that the divine

Messenger is a sorcerer or possessed one is utterly against reality. It seems that their ancestors advised


49

this to them and that is what they followed. They have been utterly blind refusing to use their brains.

It also draws their attention toward the fact that what they say is based on their pride and ignorance.

t w ll ‘ nhum f mā nt im lūm, So turn away from them: not yours is the blame.

Leave them for a considerable time so that they can revise their stance. Such a command to the holy

Prophet (sws) does not mean that he should let them go astray but it contains the following pieces of

advice.

First, they should be left alone for a short time so that their enmity loses heat.

Second, their rudeness should be cured sympathetically. Their matter should be left to God to decide.

The holy Qur‘ān asserts:

Therefore do give admonition, for you are one to admonish. You are not one to manage (their)

affairs. But if any turn away and reject Allah,- Allah will punish him with a mighty

punishment, for to Us will be their return; Then it will be for Us to call them to account. (Q.

88:21-6)

At another place, the Qur‘ān puts in: ―Your duty is to make (the Message) reach them: it is Our part

to call them to account.‖ (Q. 13:40)

Thirdly, the Messenger should not run after their addressees to make their wish to convert them into

Muslims come true and should not lose his energy for their cause. This has been repeated many times

in the holy Qur‘ān. Consider the following verse: ―You would only, perchance, fret yourself to death,

following after them, in grief, if they believe not in this Message.‖ (Q. 18:6) At another occasion it

warns him (the Prophet) in the following words: ―So let not your soul go out in sighing after them: for

Allah knows well all that they do!‖ (Q. 35:8)

For these reasons, whenever the Qur‘ān orders the Prophet (sws) to leave the rejecters, it also

conveys the following messages:

First, it threatens the rejecters.

Second, it promises divine help to the faithful.

Third, there is consolation to the Prophet stating that he has fulfilled his duty. He needs not worry

about the result.

Fourth, it advises the holy Prophet (sws) to remain steadfast in his belief and to offer the prayer. It

also advises him not to worry about the respite given them and to accept Allah‘s decision as He is the

savior. He shows the right path to whomever He chooses. He never hastens to punishment and gives a

chance to those who repent over their deeds. Therefore, it is a duty of every Muslim and the

Messenger to show patience, and to tolerate the rejection and wait for the triumph of the truth.

The holy Qur‘ān presents clear evidences in support of this interpretation. For example, it declares in

Sūrah al-Muzzammil:


50

And have patience with what they say, and leave them with noble dignity. And leave Me (deal

with) those in possession of the good things of life, who yet deny the truth; and bear with them

for a little while. With Us are fetters, and a fire, and a food that chokes, and a penalty grievous.

(Q. 73:10-13)

At another place, this theme has been put in as follows:

And turn away from those who join false gods with Allah. For sufficient are We unto you

against those who scoff,- Those who adopt, with Allah, another god: but soon will they come to

know. We do indeed know how your heart is distressed at what they say. But celebrate the

praises of your Lord, and be of those who prostrate themselves in adoration. And serve your

Lord until there come unto you the Hour that is certain. (Q. 15:94-9)

Sūrah al-Sāffāt says:

Already has Our word been passed before to our servants sent, that they would certainly be

assisted, and that Our forces,- they surely must conquer. So turn you away from them for a little

while, and watch them, and they soon shall see! Do they wish to hurry on our punishment? But

when it descends into the open space before them, evil will be the morning for those who were

warned! So turn you away from them for a little while, and watch and they soon shall see! (Q.

37:171-9)

The whole of Surāh al-Shu‗arā‘ explicates aspects of this reality. It says that although most of the

rejecters do not accept the faith, Allah never rushes towards the infliction of His doom. So the

Messenger should not be disheartened over the delay in appearance of divine judgment. To prove this

point, the sūrah presents the stories of the past people. Each story is followed by the verse: ―Verily, in

this is a sign: but most of them do not believe. And verily, your Lord is the one, exalted in might,

Most Merciful.‖ (Q. 26:8-9, 103-4, 121-2, 139,40, 158-9, 174-5, 190-1)

Wa dhakkir, and warn

Besides ignoring the previously mentioned group of rejecters, you must continue advising the

general addressees. It is useful for them all. The wisdom of the continuous reminder to the generality

is explained in the following verses.

al-dhikrā, reminder

Although the word is used for advice in general, here it refers to the reminder of the Day of

Judgment as is clear from the following verse from Sūrah Ibrāhim: ―And teach them to remember the

days of Allah.‖ (Q. 14:5) We know that in the holy Qur‘ān the arguments for reward and punishment

are mostly followed by the verses which contain the word dhikrā as in: ―Verily in this is a message

(dhikrā).‖ (Q. 39:21 and Q. 50: Elsewhere the words ta siratan a dhikrā (there is a reminder and a

message in it (Q. 50:8) have also been mentioned in the same context.

Dhū l-quwwatin al-m tīn, powerful, mighty

Due to the stop at the word matīn, we cannot judge its right declension (i„rā ). Due to absence of

any i„rā difference of reading and pronunciation of the ending of the sentence is out of question.


51

However, the scholars have differed over the i„rā of the word. Some people consider it to be in the

genitive (majrūr). They hold that it is an adjective qualifying the preceding noun al-quwwah (might).

Actually, al-quwwah originally signified the strength of a rope. We know that the word matīn and the

word abl collocate. This makes it more probable that the word matīn here qualifies the noun al-

quwwah. The word matīn is not used in the feminine form since it is formed after the formation fa„īl

which is used both for the masculine as well as the feminine gender. For instance, the holy Qur‘ān

says: ―inna ra mata Allahi qarī um (for the Mercy of Allah is always near) to those who do good.‖

(Q. 7:56) In this sentence the feminine word ra mah has been described as qarī which is masculine.

Yet both agree.

Some other scholars think that the word matīn is in the nominative (marfū„). Thus they make it an

adjective of the phrase dhu al-quwwah (the one possessed of quwwah, strong). But this word (matīn)

has not been used as an attribute of Allah. Therefore, it seems better to consider that a pronoun hū

(his) has been left unstated. The proper construction would be al-matīn qu atihī which means the

one whose power is matīn, i.e. strong. Thus both the views on the declension of the word matīn do not

affect the meaning.

Dh nū n, respite

Dhanū is used for a filled bucket. An empty vessel is not called dhanū . From this signification this

word has been used for fortune. Abu Dhu‘ib says in one of his verses:

La „amriki a al-manāyā ghāli āt

Li kulli anī a in minhā dhanū

By your life! None can escape death. Every son born of a father has a certain share (dhanū ) in

it.26

‗Aqlamah b. ‗Abdah, in his laudatory remarks for arath, says:

a fī kulli qa min qad kha a a i ni„mat

a uqqa li Sha‟sin min nadāka dhanū

You have honored every nation with your generosities and Shāsh has a right to enjoy a share

from it.27

In the above verse, the word dhunū has been used for a short respite granted to the unbelievers. The

holy Qur‘ān says that whatever they want to enjoy from the short life, let them do, until the time is

over. Time and food destined for them from Allah should reach them. Let them do whatever evil they

want to commit. They have to face a dreadful doom. Notice how the word dhunū has embellished the

expression and lent great eloquence to it. The next verse supports this interpretation. Many other

verses can be found in the holy Qur‘ān supporting this point of view. For example, the verse:

But your Lord is Most forgiving, full of mercy. If He were to call them to account for what they

have earned, then surely He would have hastened their punishment, but they have their

appointed time, beyond which they will find no refuge.‖ (Q. 18:58)

26

Lisān al-„Ara , Dh-N-B 27

See Al- a arī‟s commentary on Q. 27:9.


52

In this verse, the promise signifies the exact time of punishment. Similarly, dhunū illustrates the life

given to unbelievers by Allah. When they would have used up the bounties of Allah destined for them

and they would have finished with what they wanted to do, their bowl will be filled i.e. their time

would be over.

25

T ’wīl of the Last Three Verses

These three verses give a very important message. In these verses, the purpose of the creation of

human beings has been stated. These also refer to the Last Judgment which is a necessary corollary of

this purpose of creation. These contain a glad tiding for the faithful and a threat for the rejecters.

Therefore, under this heading, we will discuss these things connecting them with some other realities.

In the interconnection and coherence of these verses, important evidence to the necessity of reward

and punishment is buried. They also clear the doubt of the disbelievers about the reward and

punishment, who infer from the delay in the seizure that the judgment might never come. This aspect

of these verses makes plain their relationship with the preceding and the succeeding passages. I intend

to highlight all these indications and discuss these verses in detail.

The context of the verses clearly shows that their main purpose is to express the wisdom behind the

delay in the seizure of the rejecters and the unbelievers. This theme has been clarified at different

occasions in the holy Qur‘ān. However, these verses provide the clearest evidence to the fact. In this

context they come as evidence to the fact mentioned in the previous verses: fata alla „anhum to al-

mu‟minīn (So turn away from them: not yours is the blame. But teach (your Message) for teaching

benefits the Believers. (Q. 51:54-5).

The detail of the argument follows. Worldly masters put their servants in service to them. They want

them to be a source of provision of food, or power and honor for them. Allah has, however, not

created humans and the jinns for such a purpose. He himself provides all the sources, including

sustenance and wealth to His creatures. He does not need their help in any situation. But it does not

mean that He has let the human free after creating them nor that He does not have anything to do with

them. Such a view is sheer nonsense. There is no room to doubt that Allah has not created the human

beings for His personal benefit. He is above receiving help from others. He has created them so that

they can take benefit from His bounties, win His favor and enjoy the blessing of this world as well as

the Hereafter. Those who look into the matter carefully cannot ignore that the perfect success for the

human beings lies in worshipping God, winning His favor and obeying His orders for He has

commanded them only that which brings success to them and lends them excellence and perfection.

They have been created to achieve such excellence and perfection. The good things (khayrāt) are

hidden. It is through the creation that they become manifest. The potential materializes into reality.

This gives rise to further good. This way the created things develop and progress on the plan of


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excellence and perfection. The holy Qur‘ān says in this regard: ―If any do seek for glory and power,-

to Allah belongs all glory and power. To Him mount up all words of purity.‖ (Q. 35:10)

This reality gives rise to two important points. Firstly, Allah never hastens to punish people for their

misdeeds. He gives them respite so that those capable of bringing a change in them should use this

opportunity. Allah says:

If Allah were to punish men for their wrong-doing, He would not leave, on the earth, a single

living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated term. (Q. 16:61)

Secondly, when they do not abandon their evil activities even after Allah has given His warnings,

they are necessarily annihilated. In this regard, the holy Qur‘ān says: ―Such were the populations we

destroyed when they committed iniquities; but we fixed an appointed time for their destruction.‖ (Q.

18:59)

The Qur‘ānic words dhū al-quwwata al-matīn combine two points:

First, humans and the jinns are not related to Allah the way slaves are related to their masters.

Masters totally depend on their servants who are a source of their sustenance, honour and dignity. If

their servants rebel against them, their high status is ruined. Allah is totally free of such need for help.

His kingdom is built on His own scheme. Neither is He in need of any help nor does enmity of

someone affect Him.

Second, the respite Allah Almighty gives to the rejecters does not mean that they are beyond His

control or that He will not hold them into account or that they will always remain at large. No, they

are always under His control. He can seize them anytime. Confident in His power and strength, He

leaves them for a while as He knows no one can cross the boundaries He marks. This has been

explicitly mentioned in the succeeding verse (verse 59).

In the light of above discussion, we can see that the verses 56-58 bring two things to light about the

rejecters. Firstly, the rejecters are granted respite to think over their issue and change their behavior.

Secondly, if they do not utilize the respite and persist in rejection of the truth they would be executed.

Similarly, these verses give the Prophet (sws) two messages. Firstly, he should continue with his call

to the faith. Secondly, he should not worry about the response of the rejecters. He should spend his

spare time in prayer and singing hymns to God.

A parallel in the holy Qur‘ān explains this topic in the following words: ―Enjoin prayer on thy

people, and be constant therein. We ask you not to provide sustenance: We provide it for you. But the

Hereafter is for righteousness.‖ (Q. 20:132)

If you consider both groups of the verses (Q. 20:132 and Q. 51:56-8) you will learn that both of them

elucidate that Allah does not need any help from His human servants. Worshiping and serving Him is

their duty and to their benefit. Similarly, at more than one place, advice has been given to offer

prayer, to be attentive to God and to leave the matter of the disbelievers to Allah. Here, it has been

told that we all are servants of God and all the systems are working according to His schemes.

All this detail shows that, in these verses, some points of wisdom have been discussed. Some of

them are given below.


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1. The purpose of the creation of mankind and the jinns is that they should serve God.

2. Worship and service to the masters are different things. Allah requires obedience from His

servants, not service. It explains the nature and reality of the lordship of God.

3. The purpose for which the mankind have been created and the blessings of God require that the

rejecters are not caught imminently for their sins. They are given considerable time to mend their

behavior to the truth.

4. The wisdom behind the creation of mankind and the divine attribute of justice require that

reward and punishment are applied and that the truth be made triumph over falsehood.

5. The faithful should not hurry for the triumph of truth over falsehood. They should rather remain

content with Allah‘s decision. Whatever happens is approved by the wise God. It is the demand

of God‘s wisdom, justice and blessing.

6. The soul of all the worship rituals is the prayer and the celebration of the praises of God for it

implies submission (to God) as well as reliance on Him.

The central theme („umūd) of these verses is the necessity of the Last Judgment. The creation of

mankind and jinns for a specific purpose requires that they should be held accountable for their deeds

one day. It also entails that this world is ephemeral and not everlasting. The humans and other

creatures must meet an end. Therefore, the truth will triumph over short-lived falsehood. Several

verses of the holy Qur‘ān explain this reality. Consider the following passage:

How many were the populations We utterly destroyed because of their iniquities, setting up in

their places other peoples? Yet, when they felt Our punishment, behold, they flee from it. ―Flee

not, but return to the good things of this life which were given to you, and to your homes in

order that you may be called to account.‖ They said: ―Ah! woe to us! We were indeed wrong-

doers!‖ And that cry of theirs ceased not, till We made them as a field that is mown, as ashes

silent and quenched. Not for idle sport did We create the heavens and the earth and all that is

between! If it had been Our wish to take just a pastime, We would surely have taken it from the

things nearest to Us, if We would do (such a thing)!28 Nay, We hurl the truth against falsehood,

and it knocks out its brain, and behold, falsehood does perish! Ah! Woe be to you for the false

things you ascribe to Us. To Him belong all creatures in the heavens and on earth: Even those

who are in His (very) presence are not too proud to serve Him, nor are they ever weary of His

service: They celebrate His praises night and day, and do not ever flag or intermit.‖ (Q. 21:11-

20)

These verses clearly explain that Allah has been replacing the cruel and miscreants with other

people, for He had not created them to have fun or make merry. He would not sit and watch them

ignoring whatever good or evil they make and not take them into account for their deeds. Allah is

truth and He loves the truth. Therefore, he distinguishes truth from falsehood. Everything except God

is false. If anything truly exists, it is only because it garments itself in the truth by worshipping and

submitting to God. All the respected angels live only on account of their worship to God and

submission before Him. They worship Allah continuously and earn a right to living. One refusing to

enter Allah‘s submission exposes himself to destruction and makes himself a target of Allah‘s wrath.

All these things signify Allah‘s greatness, His wisdom, justice and His blessing. They bear a threat for

the cruel reprobates and a good tiding for the God-fearing and the pious.

The above discussion clearly shows that these nine verses were revealed for the consolation of the

holy Prophet (sws). But along with the consolation, they carry a few other messages to him which

follow:

28

I.e. He is exalted enough for taking something as sport from this lowly universe.


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1. Gossip and comments by the cruel and miscreants should be ignored.

2. To have patience and wait for the victory of the truth.

3. Allah is wise, Just and Merciful.

4. Giving the cruel a delay is a part of the divine wisdom.

5. Allah has set up a specific time for everything.

6. Allah has created all the creatures for a defined purpose.

7. Essence of worship and reality of service are totally distinct things.

8. The Last Judgment and resultant grant of reward and infliction of punishment is inevitable.

All these themes have been put in a striking sequence. Each among these proves and leads to the

other. The discussion culminates in a mention of the theme of the sūrah, that is, to admonition and

threat (takh īf) so that the people can relent to their Lord.

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