Verses 1–15
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
اقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ مُعْرِضُونَ ١ مَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ ذِكْرٍ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ مُحْدَثٍ إِلاَّ اسْتَمَعُوهُ وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ ٢ لاهِيَةً قُلُوبُهُمْ وَأَسَرُّوا النَّجْوَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا هَلْ هَذَا إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ أَفَتَأْتُونَ السِّحْرَ وَأَنْتُمْ تُبْصِرُونَ ٣ قَالَ رَبِّي يَعْلَمُ الْقَوْلَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ ٤ بَلْ قَالُوا أَضْغَاثُ أَحْلامٍ بَلْ افْتَرَاهُ بَلْ هُوَ شَاعِرٌ فَلْيَأْتِنَا بِآيَةٍ كَمَا أُرْسِلَ الأَوَّلُونَ ٥ مَا آمَنَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا أَفَهُمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ ٦ وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ إِلاَّ رِجَالاً نُوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنتُمْ لا تَعْلَمُونَ ٧ وَمَا جَعَلْنَاهُمْ جَسَداً لا يَأْكُلُونَ الطَّعَامَ وَمَا كَانُوا خَالِدِينَ ٨ ثُمَّ صَدَقْنَاهُمْ الْوَعْدَ فَأَنجَيْنَاهُمْ وَمَنْ نَشَاءُ وَأَهْلَكْنَا الْمُسْرِفِينَ ٩ لَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ كِتَاباً فِيهِ ذِكْرُكُمْ أَفَلا تَعْقِلُونَ ١٠ وَكَمْ قَصَمْنَا مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ كَانَتْ ظَالِمَةً وَأَنشَأْنَا بَعْدَهَا قَوْماً آخَرِينَ ١١ فَلَمَّا أَحَسُّوا بَأْسَنَا إِذَا هُمْ مِنْهَا يَرْكُضُونَ ١٢ لا تَرْكُضُوا وَارْجِعُوا إِلَى مَا أُتْرِفْتُمْ فِيهِ وَمَسَاكِنِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْأَلُونَ ١٣ قَالُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ ١٤ فَمَا زَالَتْ تِلْكَ دَعْوَاهُمْ حَتَّى جَعَلْنَاهُمْ حَصِيداً خَامِدِينَ ١٥
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
- Their reckoning has drawn near to mankind, while in heedlessness are they turning aside.
- There comes not to them a new reminder from their Lord but they hear it while they sport,
- Their hearts distracted; and those who are unjust hide their secret counsels: He is nothing but a mortal like yourselves. What! So will you then yield to enchantment while you see?
- He said: My Lord knows what is spoken in the heaven and the earth, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
- Nay! say they: Medleys of dreams; nay! he has forged it; nay! he is a poet; so let him bring to us a sign as the former (prophets) were sent (with).
- There did not believe before them any town which We destroyed; will they then believe?
- And We did not send before you any but men to whom We sent revelation, so ask the people of the reminder if you do not know.
- And We did not make them bodies not eating food, and they were not to abide (forever).
- Then We fulfilled Our promise to them, so We delivered them and those whom We wished, and We destroyed the extravagant.
- Certainly We have revealed to you a Book in which is their remembrance; what! Do you not then understand?
- And how many a town which was iniquitous did We shatter, and We raised up after it another people!
- So when they felt Our might, lo! They began to fly.
- Do not fly (now) and come back to where you lived luxuriously and to your dwellings; haply you will be questioned.
- They said: O woe to us! Surely we were unjust.
- And this ceased not to be their cry till We made them cut, stilled.
Introduction
The objective of this chapter is to address the subject of prophethood based on belief in monotheism and the resurrection. Thus, it begins with a reminder that the reckoning is nigh, people are not paying attention to it, and they are turning away from the call to the truth—namely, the heavenly revelation. It is this revelation that is the yardstick for reckoning on the Day of Judgment. The verses then talk about prophethood, how the people mocked the Prophet’s claim to prophethood, and how they charged him with various allegations including: (1) he is merely a human enchanter; (2) what he has brought is medleys of dreams; (3) rather, he has forged them; and (4) he is a poet. These statements are refuted by talking generally about the universal characteristics of the past prophets which show that the Prophet does not lack anything which they possessed, and what he has brought is consistent with what they brought.
In support of this concise and general introduction, the chapter then presents the stories of a number of prophets including Moses, Aaron, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Lot, Noah, David, Solomon, Job, Ishmael, Enoch (Idrīs), Ezekiel (Dhū al-Kifl), Jonah (Dhū al-Nūn), Zachariah, John and Jesus.
Then the chapter talks about the Day of Reckoning and what the sinners and the God-fearing shall encounter, that the good outcome is for the God-fearing, and that the earth will be inherited by His righteous servants. It then says that the people turn their backs to prophethood because they are averse to monotheism, which it proves through arguments as it proved prophethood. The chapter contains more threats and warnings than promises or glad tidings. It is unanimously agreed that the chapter is Meccan, and its content and context testify to this.
Commentary
اقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ مُعْرِضُونَ ١
(21:1) Their reckoning has drawn near (iqtaraba) to mankind (lil-nās), while in heedlessness are they turning aside.
Iqtirāb is from the root qurb (closeness, proximity). Iqtaraba and qaruba mean the same thing (to draw near, to approach, to come close). The only difference is that iqtaraba is more expressive in conveying a sense of closeness because it has more letters; it indicates a higher degree of nearness. Both qurb and iqtirāb are made transitive with particles min (from) and ilā (to). When it is said that “Zayd has drawn near min (lit. ‘from’) ʿAmr,” closeness is measured with ʿAmr as a point of reference. When it is said that “Zayd is close ilā (lit. ‘to’) ʿAmr,” closeness is measured from Zayd’s point of view. This is because etymologically min refers to the beginning of a course while ilā marks its end.
Therefore, in this verse, the letter lām (lit. “for”) in lil-nās (to mankind) means “to” (ilā), not “from” (min), because the verse is talking about how the reckoning is approaching the people. Their reckoning is seeking them and nearing them while they heedlessly turn away [from it].
What is meant by “reckoning” here is God’s reckoning and calculating their deeds on the Day of Resurrection. Some exegetes have insisted that “reckoning” here does not refer to the very act of reckoning, but it refers to the time of reckoning, which means that “reckoning” is used metaphorically to indicate the time of reckoning, or that “time” is an implied omitted term in the verse. Others have justified this by arguing that proximity and remoteness are applicable to time [not the act of reckoning]. Thus, when events are described as being near or far, it is always through the intermediary of time.
However, the objective sought here necessitates a reminder of reckoning itself, because the context is about the people’s deeds for which they are accountable. God’s wisdom necessitates that an admonition should come down to them from their Lord to draw their attention to what they will be accountable for. And in return, it is incumbent upon them to listen to it earnestly, not frivolously or inattentively. If the theme of these verses were to describe the horrors of the Hour and the punishment promised to the sinners, then it would have been more appropriate to talk about the “day” of reckoning, or to assume that “time” or something similar to it is implied in the verse.
Al-nās (the people) means the genus; that is, human society, most of whom happened to be polytheists at that time. It does not specifically mean the polytheists, even though the qualities described here—such as heedlessness, turning away, and mockery—were attributes of the polytheists. In other words, this is not an example of metaphorically applying the rule for some to all, or a part to the whole. On the contrary, the rule is applied literally to the entire human society, but then those who are free from these qualities are exempted, as alluded to in: And those who are unjust hide their secret counsels () and: So We delivered them and those whom We wished (). The Qur’an habitually uses this language when it addresses the society in general: it attributes something to the entire society, but then it makes exceptions for those who are not characterized by it.
In brief, there is a difference between the following: (1) taking the entire society to be subject to a rule, but then taking exception to individuals who are not characterized by it; and (2) taking the majority of individuals to be the subject of a rule, but then applying the rule to everyone as a metaphorical ascription and generalization. The matter at hand is an example of the former, not the latter.
There are two explanations suggested by the exegetes about how the reckoning has drawn near to the people:
Every day the world draws closer to the reckoning from the last day.
The reckoning has drawn near in the sense that the Prophet was sent at the end of time, as he said: “The raising of me [as a messenger] and that of the Hour are like these two” [and he held up and pressed his index and middle fingers together].
The first suggested explanation fits a wording that indicates continuity, but the verse is in the past tense [iqtaraba] which indicates that an action has already occurred. A similar explanation offered to this view is that the use of past tense here indicates the inevitability of its occurrence, as it is said, “Everything which shall come is near” (kullu mā huwa ātin qarībun).
… while in heedlessness are they turning aside: They are engrossed in the life and affairs of this the world and have busied themselves with its pleasure. Their hearts are filled with the love of this life, leaving no room for an effective and awakening remembrance of the reckoning that is to come. Their case is so severe that even if they are reminded, they do not take heed. That is called ghaflah (inadvertence, negligence, heedlessness), and it equally applies to two cases: (1) when something is not noticed in the first place; and (2) when something is noted but not in a way that affects the soul.
This would answer the objection that “inadvertence” necessitates not noticing something, but the verse has coupled it with “turning aside” which necessitates being aware of something, and these two are contradictory. The answer, in short, is that their inadvertence of the reckoning refers to their inability to give it due recognition, and their turning aside refers to their preoccupation with things that prevent them from taking their knowledge [of the reckoning] seriously.
Al-Zamakhsharī has answered the above objection as follows:
The verse says that they are both heedless and turning aside. This means that: (1) They are inattentive of their reckoning, do not pay attention to it, do not think about their end, and pay no heed to the outcome of their affair, even though their minds dictate that the requital of the good-doers and evil-doers is something inevitable. (2) Then, whenever they are warned, reminded, and awakened from their sleep by the recitation of God’s communications and warnings, they turn aside, plug their ears, and flee.
The difference between our explanation and Zamakhsharī’s is that he views “heedlessness” and “turning aside” as two different, sequential stages, as opposed to being two simultaneous, parallel behaviors. However, it should be admitted that the apparent meaning of the verse is that they are characterized by these two qualities at the same time, not one building on the other.
Some exegetes have responded to the objection by saying that iʿrāḍ (turning aside) here means to have a wide scope and expanse. The meaning would be: “They are extensively heedless of it.” Others have said that heedlessness (ghaflah) here means negligence (ihmāl), and there is no contradiction between negligence and turning aside. However, both explanations are examples of an unnecessary restriction of the meaning.
The meaning is: The reckoning of their deeds has neared people while they are constantly or mostly inadvertent. They have turned their backs to it since they are distracted by worldly occupations; they are not prepared for it through repentance, belief, and guarding against evil.
مَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ ذِكْرٍ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ مُحْدَثٍ إِلاَّ اسْتَمَعُوهُ وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ ٢ لاهِيَةً قُلُوبُهُمْ
(21:2-3) There comes not to them a new (muḥdathin) reminder from their Lord but they hear it while they sport (yalʿabūna, from laʿib), their hearts distracted (lāhiyatan, from lahw)…
This is an explanation for His words: and in heedlessness are they turning aside (). If they had not been heedless or turning aside, they would not have played around or trifled upon hearing a reminder that was only meant to draw their attention to something that they should prepare for. The verse is mentioned as a new sentence—not joined to the last with a conjunction [like “and” or “then”]—because it is an explanation for the previous verse [not a consequence or complement of it].
“Reminder” (dhikr) here means that by which God is remembered. That would be divine revelations like heavenly scriptures, including the Noble Qur’an. Its “coming to them” means it has been revealed to the Prophet, he has communicated it to them, and they have heard it. Muḥdath means “new,” which has a relative meaning. Here it is an adjective for reminder (dhikr). For example, the Qur’an is a new reminder since it came after the Gospel, and the Gospel was a new reminder since it came after the Torah. Similarly, some of the chapters and verses of the Qur’an are new reminders relative to others which came before them.
But they hear it eliminates all possible conditions that one may have upon receiving a new reminder from one’s Lord, except for two conditions: while they sport and their hearts distracted. Therefore, these are two intertwined qualifiers which describe their state when they hear it.
Laʿib is a coherent act that has no purpose beyond the imaginary, like the games that children play. Lahw is when people are distracted from what should concern them. Alhāhu kadhā means that something has distracted a person from an important matter. That is why musical instruments are called ālāt al-lahw (instruments of distraction) and malāhī (means of distraction). Lahw is a characteristic of the heart; that is why it is attributed to the heart in the verse: their hearts are distracted.
The meaning is: There comes not to them—by way of revelation and communication—any new reminder from their Lord in any state except that they are playing and their hearts are distracted; they listen to it in such a state. In other words, the arrival and renewal of a reminder does not have the slightest effect on them; it does not prevent them from being distracted by the sport and play of this world; it does not make them conscious of what lies ahead. Clearly the implied meaning is that no reminder has any effect on them in any condition, not that a new reminder has no effect on them but older reminders do.
The literal meaning of the verse has been used as evidence that the Qur’an is created (muḥdath) and not eternal (qadīm). In response, the Ashʿairites have said that the reminder [that is, the Qur’an] is created on the account of its revelation, which does not contradict its inherent eternality. Yet, the apparent meaning of the verse is against them. There is more to this topic which we shall address in a separate discussion [below].
Discourse
The discussion “Discussion Concerning the Createdness or Eternity of God’s Speech” appears here in the printed volume. Read it in the Al-Mizan App.
لاهِيَةً قُلُوبُهُمْ وَأَسَرُّوا النَّجْوَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا هَلْ هَذَا إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ أَفَتَأْتُونَ السِّحْرَ وَأَنْتُمْ تُبْصِرُونَ ٣
(21:3) Their hearts distracted (lāhiyatan, from lahw); and those who are unjust hide their secret counsels (asarru al-najwā, from isrār): He is nothing but a mortal like yourselves. What! So will you then yield to enchantment while you see?
Isrār is the opposite of iʿlān (to declare, to announce, to proclaim). Therefore, using isrār with najwā emphasizes the sense of concealment. In other words, isrār of any regular speech means concealing it, which is equivalent to najwā (lit. whisper), but here the verse is talking about “the concealment of najwā.” The subject of the verb in asarrū al-najwā (they hide their secret counsels) is “people” [mentioned in verse ]. This could be attributed to all people on the account of the overall spirit of heedlessness and turning away in their society, but other than that, such counsels and conspiracies were not the act of all of them or even most of them. There were among them those who were disadvantaged and those who took no interest in such counsels. For this reason, He has qualified the ascription by saying those who are unjust, which is a descriptive addition meant to clarify that only the unjust among them had these secret counsels, not all of them.
… He is nothing but a mortal like yourselves. What! So will you then yield to enchantment while you see? This is what they counseled secretly about. Of course, they were more than open in rejecting the Prophet, stating that he was only a mortal, and calling the Qur’an an enchantment. None of these were things that they kept secret. However, what is said here is about a stage prior to that, where they conspired with one another about how to confront the Prophet and respond to his call to believe in God and his messengership. At that point they had no choice but to hide their conversation, although afterwards they would publicly announce their stand in opposition to his call.
Their counsel incorporated two ideas that they expressed as firm statements or negative rhetorical questions in denial: Is this ought but a mortal like yourselves? and What! Will you then yield to enchantment while you see?
The first claim was an argument to refute his prophethood. They used a demonstrative pronoun “this” (hādhā) instead of the regular pronoun “he” (huwa) to indicate that “this is a person whom you can see.” Their argument was: As you can see he is just a mortal like yourselves and does not differ from you in any way that is exclusive to him. Thus, if his claim of having a connection to the unseen and a link to the divine were true, then you should have had the same connection, for you are humans just like him. Since you do not have any such connection or information, it shows that he has no such connection or information either. Thus, he is not a prophet as he claims to be.
… What! So will you then yield to enchantment while you see? The letter fāʾ (lit. “so, then”) indicates that they said this as a consequence and conclusion following their claim that he is not a prophet because he is a mortal. The meaning is: Since he is not a prophet connected to the unseen, what he has brought to you as a sign of his prophethood is not a miraculous sign from God. Rather, it is only an enchantment that you are unable to reproduce. No one who sees clearly should give in to an enchantment and believe in an enchanter.
قَالَ رَبِّي يَعْلَمُ الْقَوْلَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ ٤
(21:4) He said: My Lord knows what is spoken in the heaven and the earth, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
That is, His knowledge embraces anything that is spoken in any place, whether secretly or openly. He is the Hearer of all the things that you say and Knower of everything that you do. Thus, all matters and decisions are up to Him, and no part of it is mine.
The verse is quoting the Prophet’s answer to their secret counsels and their resolution to reject his prophethood and accuse his miracle—that is, his book—of being an enchantment. The matter is referred back to God in the verse as it is in most places where the people asked him to bring their desired miracle. For example: Say: The knowledge (thereof is only with Allah and I am only a plain warner (); He said: The knowledge is only with Allah, and I deliver to you the message with which I am sent (); Say: The signs are only with Allah, and I am only a plain warner (). The same idea is seen in the stories of the other prophets.
بَلْ قَالُوا أَضْغَاثُ أَحْلَامٍ بَلِ افْتَرَاهُ بَلْ هُوَ شَاعِرٌ فَلْيَأْتِنَا بِآيَةٍ كَمَا أُرْسِلَ الْأَوَّلُونَ٥
(21:5) Nay! say they: Medleys of dreams; nay! he has forged it; nay! he is a poet; so let him bring to us a sign as the former (prophets) were sent (with).
This is a series of their escalating accusations in rejecting the Prophet. Medleys of dreams means that he has seen a mishmash of things in dreams and has reckoned them to be a prophetic message and a scripture. This is a more despicable accusation than that of enchantment [in ].
… nay! he has forged it: This is an escalation from the previous accusation because medleys of dreams implies that he was mistaken or confused, whereas forging implies intent and deliberation.
… nay! he is a poet: This is a further escalation because what a forger says is thought out and planned, but a poet’s speech arises from imagination and emotion. He says what his feelings dictate to him without pondering or reflecting. That is why a poet may praise the foul in spite of its foulness, or criticize the fair notwithstanding its fairness. Likewise, he may deny a fundamental belief, insist on pure falsehood, confirm a lie, or negate a truth
… so let him bring to us a sign as the former (prophets) were sent (with): This is their conclusion based on the first part of the verse. “The former” (al-awwalīn) here means the previous prophets. It means: Since what he has brought as a sign—that is, the Qur’an—is medleys of dreams, a forgery, or poetry, his claim to prophecy is not proven through it and we are not convinced. Thus he should bring a sign like the former prophets did such as the she-camel, the staff, or the white hand.
It would have been expected for the verse to say “as the former brought” but it says “as the former were sent.” This alludes to the fact that bringing a sign is a necessary requirement of being sent [by God as a messenger]. Thus, if he is truly a messenger, then he should follow the former ones with regard to their proof of their message.
The polytheists among the idolaters categorically denied prophethood. Therefore there is a clear sign of contradiction and confusion in their words: So let him bring us a sign as the former (prophets) were sent (with). Their claims show that they did not know what to do. In one case they confronted him through mockery; then they started making accusations; and then they contradicted their own beliefs by asking for a sign like the signs of the former ones even though they did not believe in their message and did not acknowledge their signs.
… so let him bring to us a sign as the former (prophets) were sent (with): This statement of theirs implies a promise that if he were to bring one of the suggested signs, then they would believe.
مَا آمَنَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا ۖ أَفَهُمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ ٦
(21:6) There did not believe before them any town which We destroyed; will they then believe?
This refutes and denies the implied promise above—that they would believe if he brought any of the suggested signs of the former ones: So let him bring us a sign as the former (prophets) were sent (with) (). The gist of the verse according to the context is: They are not truthful in their promise. If We did send down to them any of the signs of the former ones which they have suggested, then they will not believe, and this will lead to their doom and destruction. This is because the people of the previous towns and nations suggested such signs and We granted their request, but they did not believe in Our signs and so We destroyed them. Since the nature of these people is the same as that of their predecessors in terms of extravagance and arrogance, they will not believe either. Hence, the verse is in a sense similar to His words: But they would not believe in what they had rejected before ().
Based on the above, the verse involves some implied omission and abridgment to this effect: The inhabitants of the towns who lived before them and who demanded a sign which We granted, none of them believed. Thus We destroyed them because they still did not believe despite receiving Our signs. So will they—that is, the Arab polytheists—believe even though they are just like the previous nations in extravagance?
… which We destroyed: This is the last thing that happened to the towns, which shows that the consequence of granting their suggestion was nothing but destruction.
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ ۖ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ٧
(21:7) And We did not send before you any but men to whom We sent revelation, so ask the people of the reminder if you do not know.
This answers their argument against the Prophet’s prophethood on the account that: He is nothing but a mortal like yourselves (). The verse says that the past prophets were nothing but mortal men either, so mortality does not contradict prophethood.
Describing these men as to whom We sent revelation is to show the difference between prophets and others. The only thing that distinguishes a prophet from others is that “We reveal to prophets but not to others.” Revelation is a special gift that only they receive, not a universal rule that would apply to all human beings such that if it happens for one then it should happen for all, and if it is missing in a person then it cannot be found in others. Therefore you cannot conclude and judge that since you do not have it, the Prophet does not have it either. In this sense prophethood is like the other specific qualities that are found only in some individuals. The reality and existence of such qualities is undeniable.
The verse can be broken down into two proofs that refute their denial of his prophethood based on his mortality:
(1) A destructive answer (al-jawāb al-naqḍī) which breaks down their argument by referring to the case of other human beings who were prophets. This shows that there is no contradiction between being a mortal and being a prophet.
(2) A constructive answer (al-jawāb al-ḥallī) that solves the problem by saying that what makes a person a prophet is not a quality that must either be found in no one or everyone. Rather, it is divine revelation, which is a special favor and honor that God grants to whom He pleases. Hence, the verse from this perspective is similar to: They said: You are nothing but mortals like us…Their s said to them: We are nothing but mortals like yourselves, but Allah bestows (His) favors on whom He pleases of His servants ().
… so ask the people of the reminder if you do not know: This reinforces and supports the first part of the verse: And We did not send before you any but men. That is: if you know then that is it, but if you do not know, refer to the people of the reminder and ask them if the former prophets were anything but human beings. “Reminder” (dhikr) here means “scripture, heavenly book.” The people of the reminder are the People of the Book who went along with the polytheists in their enmity to the Prophet. The polytheists used to honor them, consult them at times regarding the Prophet, and ask them for questions by which they could test him. They were the ones who set the polytheists above the Muslims by saying that: These are better guided in the path than those who believe (). The imperative so ask is directed to the Prophet and anyone else who would hear this command, including both the people of knowledge and the ignorant. Proposing a challenge like this is common in speaking, and it is meant to confirm one’s view.
وَمَا جَعَلْنَاهُمْ جَسَدًا لَا يَأْكُلُونَ الطَّعَامَ وَمَا كَانُوا خَالِدِينَ ٨
(21:8) And We did not make them bodies not eating food, and they were not to abide (forever).
That is: They were mortal men. We did not remove from them any of the features of regular human beings by making them bodies that were devoid of the spirit of life, or were needless of food or drink. Nor did We protect them from death so that they might abide forever. Instead, they were created as mortals who used to eat food—which is a necessity for human beings—and they also died, which is also a necessity like eating.
ثُمَّ صَدَقْنَاهُمُ الْوَعْدَ فَأَنْجَيْنَاهُمْ وَمَنْ نَشَاءُ وَأَهْلَكْنَا الْمُسْرِفِينَ ٩
(21:9) Then We fulfilled Our promise to them, so We delivered them and those whom We wished, and We destroyed the extravagant.
This follows what was said earlier: And We did not send before you any but men (). It explains the consequence of their being sent and the end of the extravagant among their nations who requested miracles from them. It also elaborates on their destruction that was referred to above—any town which We destroyed ()—which threatens the polytheists as well.
“Promise” in Then We fulfilled Our promise to them means the promise of supporting their religion and establishing their call, which was to the word of truth. This promise is seen in many verses such as: And certainly Our word has already gone forth in respect of Our servants, the messengers: Most surely they shall be the assisted ones. And most surely Our host alone shall be the victorious ones ().
… so We delivered them and those whom We wished, and We destroyed the extravagant: Those whom We wished means the messengers and the believers. He promised to deliver them, as He says: It is binding on Us (that) We deliver the believers (). “The extravagant” are the polytheists in the sense that they transgressed the limits of servitude [to God]. The rest is clear.
لَقَدْ أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ كِتَابًا فِيهِ ذِكْرُكُمْ ۖ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ ١٠
(21:10) Certainly We have revealed to you a Book in which is their remembrance; what! Do you not then understand?
This is a description of how God has blessed and favored this nation by revealing the Qur’an to them. Their remembrance means a special reminder for them which is appropriate to their condition. They are given a Book that measures up to the highest level that the human capacity can reach in terms of sublime facts and teachings. It also includes the most proper and purest religious laws that can be implemented in human societies. The address is to the entire nation.
One of the exegetes has suggested that “remembrance” here means “honor.” That is: your honor lies in this Book if you cling to it, because you will be remembered by it. This is how he has also interpreted His words: And most surely it is a reminder for you and your people, and you shall soon be questioned (). This means that the verse is addressed to all believers or all Arabs, for the Qur’an was revealed in their language. This opinion, however, is unlikely.
وَكَمْ قَصَمْنَا مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ كَانَتْ ظَالِمَةً وَأَنْشَأْنَا بَعْدَهَا قَوْمًا آخَرِينَ ١١ فَلَمَّا أَحَسُّوا بَأْسَنَا إِذَا هُمْ مِنْهَا يَرْكُضُونَ ١٢ لَا تَرْكُضُوا وَارْجِعُوا إِلَىٰ مَا أُتْرِفْتُمْ فِيهِ وَمَسَاكِنِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْأَلُونَ ١٣ قَالُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ ١٤ فَمَا زَالَتْ تِلْكَ دَعْوَاهُمْ حَتَّىٰ جَعَلْنَاهُمْ حَصِيدًا خَامِدِينَ ١٥
(21:11-15) And how many a town which was iniquitous did We shatter (qaṣamnā, from qaṣm), and We raised up (anshaʾnā, from inshāʾ) after it another people! So when they felt (aḥassū, from iḥsās) Our might (baʾsanā), lo! They began to fly (yarkuḍūna, from rakḍ). Do not fly (now) and come back to where you lived luxuriously (utriftum fīhi, from itrāf) and to your dwellings; haply you will be questioned. They said: O woe to us! Surely we were unjust. And this ceased not to be their cry till We made them cut, stilled (ḥaṣīdan khāmidīna, from khumūd).
Qaṣm means “to break and shatter.” Qaṣama ẓahrahu means: “it [or he] broke his back.” It is used metaphorically for destruction. Inshāʾ means “to create, to raise up.” Iḥsās means “sensory perception.” Baʾs means “punishment.” Rakḍ means “to run fast and vigorously.” Itrāf means “to indulge in abundant ease and comfort.” Ḥaṣīd means “that which is cut,” as in ḥaṣād al-zarʿ (harvest). Khumūd means “stillness” and “silence.”
The meaning is: how many a town that is, the inhabitants thereof, which was iniquitous to themselves through extravagance and unbelief, did We shatter, meaning We destroyed. And We raised up: We brought into being, after it another people. So when they felt: when the people of the iniquitous town sensed and encountered Our might, that is, Our punishment, lo! They began to fly: they started running away like an escaping army. So they were told in rebuke and censure: Do not fly (now) and come back to where you lived luxuriously: come back to your bounties, and to your dwellings, return to your homes, haply you will be questioned so that the poor and the needy may rush to you, begging, so that you may [once again] be arrogant and pompous toward them, and/or veil yourselves from them. This is a metaphorical way of describing their pride and conceit, and how they deemed themselves—instead of God—to be lords that should be followed by the masses.
They said, regretfully, O woe to us! Surely we were unjust. And this ceased not to be their cry. Their saying O woe to us! shows their acknowledgement of God’s Lordship and their iniquity against themselves. Till We made them cut that is, harvested and cut, stilled: abated and quiet the way fire abates, no sound being heard from them, nor any name or fame remaining of them.
Some exegetes have provided other explanations for haply you will be questioned which are far from the apparent sense of the verse. We shall skip them.
Examining Narrations
- Imam al-Riḍā said to Abū Qurrah, Shubrumah’s companion: “The Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, the Qur’an and every Scripture that has been revealed are God’s speech revealed to everyone as light and guidance. They are all originated (muḥdathah) and other-than-God, for indeed He says: Or that it may produce a [new] reminder (yuḥdithu) for them (), and He says: There comes not to them a new reminder (muḥdathin) from their Lord but they hear it while they sport (). God has originated all the Scriptures which He has revealed.”
Abū Qurrah then asked: “So will they perish?” The Imam replied: “The Muslims agree that everything apart from God is His work and action (fiʿl). The Torah, the Gospel and the Qur’an are God’s works. Have you not heard the people say, ‘The Lord of the Qur’an’? Have you not heard that on the Day of Resurrection the Qur’an will come and say—even though God knows everyone better than it does: ‘O, Lord, this is so-and-so! I made his day thirsty and his night sleepless, so let me intercede for him.’ Similarly, the Torah, the Gospel and the Psalms are all created, originated, and have a Lord. They are originated by He Who has no likeness, for people endowed with reason. Thus, anyone who claims that they have eternally existed is effectively saying that God is not the First and Only Eternal Being, and that His speech has always has been with Him without having a beginning…
- Concerning His Words, Their hearts distracted (lāhiyatan) () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: it [lāhiyatan] is from talahhī (diversion, distraction).
- Concerning His Words, There did not believe before them any town which We destroyed; will they then believe? () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: “how would they believe [that is, how are they expected to believe] when those before them did not believe in the signs until they were destroyed?”
- Zurārah says: Concerning His Words, so ask the people of the reminder if you do not (), I asked Imam al-Bāqir, “Who is meant by that?” He said, “We are.” I asked, “So you are those who should be asked?” He replied, “Yes.” I asked: “And we are those who should ask?” He replied: “Yes.” I asked: “So we have to ask you?” He said: “Yes.” I asked: “And then you have to answer us?” He replied: “No, that is up to us. We will do so if we want, and will not do so if we do not want.” He then recited: This is Our free gift; therefore, give freely or withhold, without reckoning ().
Author’s comment: The same idea is also narrated by al-Tabrisī in Majmaʿ al-bayān, from Imams ʿAlī and al-Bāqir. It then adds: “This is supported by the fact that God has referred to the Prophet as: a reminder—a messenger” ().
This is certainly an application of the verse to a particular instance (jary); otherwise the verse’s meaning is general. The “reminder” is the Qur’an, all heavenly scriptures, or all forms of divine teaching. Needless to say, the Imams are certainly the first people and the foremost possessors of such knowledge. The above narration is clearly not an exegesis of the verse according to the specific circumstances in which it was revealed, because it would make no sense to refer the polytheists to the Messenger’s Household or the people of the Qur’an given that they were their enemies. If they were to accept from them, they would have accepted from the Prophet himself.
- Here are some of Imam ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn’s words where he admonishes the people and urges them to disinclination toward this world: God has indeed made you hear through His Book what He did to iniquitous people among the people of the towns before you, where He says: And how many a town which was iniquitous did We demolish (). What He means by “town” is its inhabitants, because He then says: And We raised up after it another people (). Then He says: So when they felt Our might, lo! They began to fly (): that is, they began to escape. He continues: Do not fly (now) and come back to where you lived luxuriously and to your dwellings; haply you will be questioned (). Thereafter, when the punishment came to them, They said: O woe to us! Surely we were unjust. And this ceased not to be their cry till We made them cut, stilled (). I swear by God that verily this is an admonition and warning for you, if you were to be admonished and warned.
This is an exception in the sense that evil counseling is attributed only and specifically to the unjust. (Trans.) ↩︎
This is a famous expression that is also used in the narrations. (Trans.) ↩︎
This is based on one of the lexical meanings of ʿarḍ, which is “width” or “expanse.” (Trans.) ↩︎
That is, if you are familiar with the case of the previous prophets, then you would know that they were mortals. (Trans.) ↩︎
That is, the audience of the verse is everyone from the time of Prophet Muḥammad onwards, for whom the Qur’an was sent. (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Iḥtijāj, on the authority of Ṣafwān b. Yaḥyā. ↩︎
Tafsīr al-Qummī, via its chain of narration. ↩︎
Rawḍat al-kāfī. ↩︎