Verses 92–112

Chapter 21: Al-Anbiyāʾ (The Prophets) · Printed edition: Volume 28, pp. 116–141

إِنَّ هَذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُونِ ٩٢ وَتَقَطَّعُوا أَمْرَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ كُلٌّ إِلَيْنَا رَاجِعُونَ ٩٣ فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِنْ الصَّالِحَاتِ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلا كُفْرَانَ لِسَعْيِهِ وَإِنَّا لَهُ كَاتِبُونَ ٩٤ وَحَرَامٌ عَلَى قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا أَنَّهُمْ لا يَرْجِعُونَ ٩٥ حَتَّى إِذَا فُتِحَتْ يَأْجُوجُ وَمَأْجُوجُ وَهُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ حَدَبٍ يَنسِلُونَ ٩٦ وَاقْتَرَبَ الْوَعْدُ الْحَقُّ فَإِذَا هِيَ شَاخِصَةٌ أَبْصَارُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا قَدْ كُنَّا فِي غَفْلَةٍ مِنْ هَذَا بَلْ كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ ٩٧ إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ أَنْتُمْ لَهَا وَارِدُونَ ٩٨ لَوْ كَانَ هَؤُلاءِ آلِهَةً مَا وَرَدُوهَا وَكُلٌّ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ ٩٩ لَهُمْ فِيهَا زَفِيرٌ وَهُمْ فِيهَا لا يَسْمَعُونَ ١٠٠ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ سَبَقَتْ لَهُمْ مِنَّا الْحُسْنَى أُوْلَئِكَ عَنْهَا مُبْعَدُونَ ١٠١ لا يَسْمَعُونَ حَسِيسَهَا وَهُمْ فِي مَا اشْتَهَتْ أَنفُسُهُمْ خَالِدُونَ ١٠٢ لا يَحْزُنُهُمْ الْفَزَعُ الأَكْبَرُ وَتَتَلَقَّاهُمْ الْمَلائِكَةُ هَذَا يَوْمُكُمْ الَّذِي كُنتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ ١٠٣ يَوْمَ نَطْوِي السَّمَاءَ كَطَيِّ السِّجِلِّ لِلْكُتُبِ كَمَا بَدَأْنَا أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُعِيدُهُ وَعْداً عَلَيْنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا فَاعِلِينَ ١٠٤ وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ أَنَّ الأَرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِي الصَّالِحُونَ ١٠٥ إِنَّ فِي هَذَا لَبَلاغاً لِقَوْمٍ عَابِدِينَ ١٠٦ وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلاَّ رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ ١٠٧ قُلْ إِنَّمَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ ١٠٨ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُلْ آذَنْتُكُمْ عَلَى سَوَاءٍ وَإِنْ أَدْرِي أَقَرِيبٌ أَمْ بَعِيدٌ مَا تُوعَدُونَ ١٠٩ إِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ الْجَهْرَ مِنْ الْقَوْلِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تَكْتُمُونَ ١١٠ وَإِنْ أَدْرِي لَعَلَّهُ فِتْنَةٌ لَكُمْ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَى حِينٍ ١١١ قَالَ رَبِّ احْكُمْ ‎بِالْحَقِّ وَرَبُّنَا الرَّحْمَنُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَى مَا تَصِفُونَ ١١٢

92. Surely this Islam is your religion, one religion (only), and I am your Lord; therefore, serve Me.
93. And they broke their religion (into sects) between them: to Us shall all come back.
94. Therefore whoever shall do good deeds and he is a believer, there shall be no denying of his exertion, and surely We will write (it) down for him.
95. And there is a ban on any town which We destroy that they shall not return.
96. Until when Gog and Magog are let loose and they shall break forth from every elevated place.
97. And the true promise shall draw nigh, then lo! The eyes of those who disbelieved shall be fixedly open: O woe to us! Surely we were in a state of heedlessness as to this; nay, we were unjust.
98. Surely you and what you worship besides Allah are the firewood of Hell; to it you shall come.
99. Had these been gods, they would not have come to it, and all shall abide therein forever.
100. For them therein shall be groaning and therein they shall not hear.
101. Surely (as for) those for whom the good has already gone forth from Us, they shall be kept far off from it;
102. They will not hear its faintest sound, and they shall abide in that which their souls long for.
103. The great fearful event shall not grieve them, and the angels shall meet them: This is your day which you were promised.
104. On the day when We will roll up heaven like the rolling up of the scroll for writings, as We originated the first creation, (so) We shall return it; a promise (binding on Us); surely We will bring it about.
105. And certainly We wrote in the Book after the reminder that (as for) the earth, My righteous servants shall inherit it.
106. Most surely in this is a message to a people who serve.
107. And We have not sent you but as a mercy to everyone.
108. Say: It is only revealed to me that your Allah is only one Allah; will you then submit?
109. But if they turn back, say: I have given you warning in fairness, and I do not know whether what you are threatened with is near or far:
110. Surely He knows what is spoken openly and He knows what you hide:
111. And I do not know if this may be a trial for you and a provision till a time.
112. He said: O my Lord! Judge Thou with truth; and our Lord is the Beneficent, Whose help is sought against what you ascribe (to Him).

Introduction

These verses return to the beginning of the discourse in the chapter. It was explained above that humanity has One God, and that is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Thus, they have to serve Him through prophethood and responding to its call, which is how they can prepare for the reckoning on the Day of Judgment. Prophethood is a single universal call to one religion, and that is the religion of monotheism. This is what was called to by Moses before, by Abraham before him, by Noah before him, and by those who came after Moses and before Noah. God mentioned the names of some of them and a synopsis of His blessings upon them, such as Job, Enoch and others.

Thus, humanity is nothing but a single nation which has a single Lord which is God, and a single religion which is the religion of monotheism where God alone is worshiped. This is what defines the divine call. However, the people have broken the matter of their religion amongst themselves, have divided into various religions and schools, and have made up for themselves gods other than God and religions other than God’s religion. That is why they have deviated from one another, pursuing different goals in their journeys in this world and in the Hereafter.

As far as the Hereafter is concerned, God will appreciate the striving of the righteous among them such that they will not see anything that will grieve them, but will ever abide in comfort and honour. As with others, they are off to chastisement and punishment.

As far as this world is concerned, God has promised to make the righteous among them inheritors of the earth and to give them the good end of this abode. As for the wicked ones, they are destined to doom, obliteration, destruction and loss of their efforts.

Commentary

إِنَّ هَٰذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُونِ ٩٢

(21:92) Surely this (hādhihi) is your nation (ummatukum), one nation (only), and I am your Lord; therefore, serve Me.

An ummah is a group united by a single purpose and destination. The context shows that the verse is addressed universally to all accountable humans. “Nation” means the human species, which is a single species [that includes all individuals]. The demonstrative pronoun “this” (hādhihi) is feminine because the predicate is feminine [that is, wāḥidah, “one”].

The meaning is: O people, you belong to this nation of the human species, which is a single nation, and I—that is, God—am your Lord, for I am your Owner and the Director of your affairs. Hence, serve Me and no one else.

One nation (only) involves a proof for the command to serve God. The proof is: The human species—as a single species and nation with a single purpose which is to achieve a happy human life—can have only one Lord. This is because lordship or divinity is not a conventional and honorific position such that humans can choose what, how many, and what kind of gods and lords they want. On the contrary, lordship is an existential position of regulating human affairs in the world of creation. Humankind is a single special reality (ḥaqīqat al-nawʿiyyah); the system in operation that regulates its affairs is a single system, the parts of which are connected and linked to each other; and a single regulatory system is only ever operated by a single regulator. Hence, it makes no sense for human beings to disagree over the matter of lordship (rubūbiyyah), where some of them adopt a lord that is different from the lord of others, and some of them pursue a course of devotion that is distinct from the path of others. Since humans are a single species, they must adopt a single lord which is the real possessor of lordship. That is God, Mighty is His Name.

Some exegetes have suggested that ummah means religion, and the demonstrative pronoun “this” (hādhihi) refers to the religion of Islam [in the general sense] which was the religion of all the prophets. What is meant by its unity is that all the prophets are gathered around it, or rather they agree on it. The meaning would be: The religion of submission to God (islām) is your nation, the borders of which you must guard. It is the nation agreed upon by all the prophets.

This, however, is an unlikely interpretation. Referring to religion as ummah is permissible only in a metaphorical sense, and there must be some evidence to choose a metaphorical interpretation over a literal one. There is no reason to divert a term from its apparent meaning when it is correct, robust, and supported by the rest of His words. For example He says: And people are naught but a single nation, but then they disagreed (), which, as you can see, summarizes what is mentioned in the current verse and the verse that follows []. Furthermore, the above interpretation does not explain the use of rabb (lord) instead of ilāh (god) in, and I am your Lord. On the other hand, if ummah is interpreted as group or community, then it would mean: Verily you are a single species and I am the Owner and Regulator of your affairs [that is, I am your rabb], so serve Me and adopt Me as your god (ilāh).

There are other explanations offered by the exegetes for the verse which are all far from the context. We have eschewed quoting them, but whoever is interested should consult the lengthy books of tafsīr.

وَتَقَطَّعُوا أَمْرَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ كُلٌّ إِلَيْنَا رَاجِعُونَ ٩٣

(21:93) And they broke (taqaṭṭaʿū) their religion (into sects) between them: to Us shall all come back.

Three meanings have been suggested for the word taqaṭṭuʿ:

(1) According to Majmaʿ al-bayān, taqaṭṭuʿ means taqṭīʿ, which is “to divide, break, and cut.”

(2) According to others, it has its apparent meaning, which is “to deviate, differ, and disagree (that is, to become divided).” In this case, amrahum (lit. “their affair” but translated as “their religion”) is manṣūb in terms of inflection because of the omission of the preposition (ḥarf al-jarr). The implied meaning is: taqaṭṭaʿū fī amrihim (they became divided in their affair).

(3) Others have suggested that taqaṭṭaʿū incorporates a sense of jaʿl (making, placement). That is why it is transitive without a preposition.

Whatever the case may be, breaking their affair and dividing their religion among themselves is a metaphorical expression. It means that they turned this single and unified matter—that is, the religion of monotheism which is called to via prophethood—into broken pieces which they divided among themselves, each of them taking something and leaving the rest. Thus has been the case of the idolaters, the Jews, the Christians, the Zoroastrians and the Sabeans with their various sects. This is a kind of rebuke of the people, and criticism of their disagreement over religion and their forsaking the divine command to worship Him alone.

… to Us shall all come back: This clarifies that their disagreement over the matter of religion will not be left unattended and without consequence. Rather, they will all return to God and be requited according to their different ways, as elaborated in His subsequent words: Therefore whoever shall do good deeds… ().

This sentence—to Us shall all come back—is not connected by a conjunction to the previous part because it is an answer to an implied question. It is as if one has asked: “Where will their disagreement over the matter of religion end, and what will be the result of it?” Thus the verse answers: “To Us shall all come back, and We shall requite them for what they have done.”

فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِنَ الصَّالِحَاتِ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَا كُفْرَانَ لِسَعْيِهِ وَإِنَّا لَهُ كَاتِبُونَ ٩٤

(21:94) Therefore whoever shall do good deeds and he is a believer, there shall be no denying of his exertion, and surely We will write (it) down for him.

This discusses those who have disagreed [in the matter of religion] in terms of their retribution in the Hereafter. Their worldly retribution is coming up where He says: And certainly We wrote in the Psalms after the reminder that (as for) the earth, My righteous servants shall inherit it. ()

Therefore whoever shall do good deeds (min al-ṣāliḥāt): This means “whoever does some good deeds…” Doing some good deeds is then qualified by belief, as He says: and he is a believer. This shows that doing good without belief is futile.

Given the context and especially the previous verse—and I am your Lord; therefore, serve Me ()—belief here certainly means belief in God. However, belief in God is inseparable from belief in all of His prophets without exception, as per His words: Surely those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers and (those who) desire to make a distinction between Allah and His messengers and say: We believe in some and disbelieve in others…these it is that are truly unbelievers ().

… there shall be no denying (kufrāna) of his exertion: That is: His goods deeds will not be covered, where kufrān is the opposite of gratitude (shukr), as the same idea is mentioned elsewhere as follows: And your exertion shall be thanked ().

… and surely We will write (it) down for him: That is: “We will write it in the scrolls of deeds, a writing that shall not be forgotten.” Thus, there shall be no denying of his exertion, and surely We will write (it) down for him means that his good deed will neither be forgotten nor left unappreciated.

This is one of the verses which indicate that the acceptance of good deeds is conditional upon belief, which is confirmed by verses that indicate the futility of [good] deeds with disbelief. It also indicates that a believer who does some good deeds is among those who will be saved.

وَحَرَامٌ عَلَىٰ قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا أَنَّهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ ٩٥

(21:95) And there is a ban on any town which We destroy that they shall not return.

The primary meaning that springs to the mind from this verse given its context is that the people of a town that is destroyed will not return to the world a second time to be blessed with life again and to make up for the good deeds that they missed. This, in fact, corresponds to a group on the other side of the division, opposite to those whom were discussed in the previous verse: Therefore whoever shall do good deeds and he is a believer… (). Thus, by contrast, the opposite group corresponds to those who were not believers with some good deeds. As a result, they have no good deed recorded for them, nor any exertion to be appreciated. They are disappointed losers whose exertions were wasted in this world, and who have no possibility of a second life in the world to recover what they missed.

The difference is that here God describes the society instead of the individual, because He says “any town” instead of “anyone” in: And there is a ban on any town which We destroy. An individual’s corruption may naturally spread to the society and ultimately lead to their rebellion. That is when they qualify for [God’s] word of punishment, and are thus destroyed, as He says: And there is not a town but We will destroy it before the Day of Resurrection or chastise it with a severe chastisement ().

A remote possibility is that destruction here means destruction through sins in the sense of losing the potential for felicity and guidance, as in His words: and they only bring destruction upon their own souls while they do not perceive (). If so, then the verse would be equivalent to the verse: yet surely Allah does not guide one who leads astray (). The meaning would be: There is a ban that prevents from repentance and uprightness on any town which We have destroyed in the sense of decreeing error for them due to their sins.

The meaning of the verse [either way] is: It is impossible for a town—which did not do good deeds with belief and which ends up in destruction—to return and compensate what they missed—in terms of efforts that will be appreciated, and good deeds that will be recorded and accepted.

… that they shall not return: It would have been expected for it to say, “There is a ban that they should return,” but the verse says, “that they should not return.” This [additional negation] is a rational metaphor where the net outcome of the prohibition—indicated by “there is a ban”—is mentioned instead of the object of the prohibition. In this case, the prohibition is against “returning” and the net outcome would be that “they shall not return;” thus the verse is saying, “it is prohibited for them that they shall not return.” This literary technique shows a sense of the fait accompli; as if by the mere ban of their return, their non-return is established immediately.

A similar case is seen in His words [where God addresses Satan]: He said: What hindered you (manaʿaka) so that you did not make obeisance (an lā tasjuda) when I commanded you? (). The result of being hindered from obeisance is non-obeisance. Then this non-obeisance—which is the result of hindrance—is mentioned as the object of hindrance.

Another example is the verse: Say: Come; I will recite what your Lord has forbidden (ḥarrama) to you—that you do not associate (an lā tushrikū) anything with Him (). The forbiddance of associating partners with God results in “not associating anything with Him.” The verse mentions this result as what has been forbidden instead of the association itself. We also explained these two verses [ and ] in a different way previously [in our exposition of the two verses].

Exegetes have suggested other interpretations for the verse, including:

(1) The negative particle lā (“not” in “shall not return”) is extra. What is really meant is “that they shall return” (annahum yarjiʿūna).

(2) Ḥarām (banned, forbidden, unlawful) sometimes means wājib (incumbent, obligatory). They have drawn on the following poem by al-Khansāʾ as evidence for this meaning:

It is incumbent (ḥarām) on me that I should cry

For Ṣakhr whenever I see another guy

Over a dear one weeping with sigh.

(3) The object of the ban is omitted, and what is implied is: There is a ban on the acceptance of deeds from a town which We destroy due to their sins—that is, which We find to be doomed because of their sins—because they do not return to repentance.

(4) “Not returning” means not returning to God through resurrection, as opposed to not returning to this world again. Therefore, maintaining the literal meaning of the words, it means: And it is impossible for a town, the people of which We have destroyed on account of their rebellion, not to return to Us to be punished.

The reader would surely realize the weakness of all of these explanations.

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا فُتِحَتْ يَأْجُوجُ وَمَأْجُوجُ وَهُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ حَدَبٍ يَنْسِلُونَ ٩٦

(21:96) Until when Gog and Magog are let loose (futiḥat) and they shall break forth (yansilūna, from nusūl) from every elevated place (ḥadabin).

Ḥadab means “an elevated land in the middle of lowlands.” Nusūl means “exiting quickly,” as it is used in nislān al-dhiʾb (the wolf’s breaking forth). The context dictates that “Until when…” marks the end point of the elaboration of the two groups discussed in the last two verses: Therefore whoever shall do good deeds… (). The plural pronoun “they” refers to Gog and Magog.

The meaning is: The affair will continue to follow this course—where We record the good deeds of the believers and appreciate their exertions, and We destroy the iniquitous towns and ban their return once they are destroyed—until the time when Gog and Magog are futiḥat. Futiḥat means “to be opened,” and here the “opening of Gog and Magog” means the opening of the barrier that was blocking their way. Thus, Gog and Magog will rush down toward the rest of the people from the highlands, and this is one of the conditions of the Hour and one of the signs of the Resurrection, as God has mentioned where He says: But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will make it level with the ground, and the promise of my Lord is ever true. And on that day We will leave a part of them in conflict with another part, and the trumpet will be blown, so We will gather them all together (). We sufficiently addressed the topic of Gog and Magog and the barrier raised against them in the exposition of Sūrah al-Kahf [under the cited verses].

One exegete has suggested that the plural pronoun “they” refers to the people, and what is meant is the people’s exit from their graves to the land of Resurrection.

The problem with this interpretation is that it neither complies with what is mentioned before it—Until when Gog and Magog are let loose…—nor with what comes after—And the true promise shall draw nigh (). Moreover this very sentence—that is, “and they shall break forth…”—serves as a ḥāl, meaning that it describes the state of the subject in the previous part (that is, it describes the condition of Gog and Magog in: Until when Gog and Magog are let loose). This also does not comply with the pronoun referring to the people. Furthermore, the sentence talks about breaking forth from every “elevated place,” and that does not apply to coming out of “graves.” That is why the proponent of the above interpretation—Mujāhid—read the word as jadath which means grave.

وَاقْتَرَبَ الْوَعْدُ الْحَقُّ فَإِذَا هِيَ شَاخِصَةٌ أَبْصَارُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا قَدْ كُنَّا فِي غَفْلَةٍ مِنْ هَٰذَا بَلْ كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ ٩٧

(21:97) And the true promise shall draw nigh, then lo! The eyes of those who disbelieved shall be fixedly open (shākhiṣah, from shukhūṣ): O woe to us! Surely we were in a state of heedlessness as to this; nay, we were unjust.

“The true promise” means the Hour [that is, the Resurrection]. Shukhūṣ of eyes means “to look without blinking,” according to al-Rāghib. It is concomitant to the person’s full attention and concern toward what he is looking at, such that he is not distracted by anything else. It is usually during a sudden evil event.

… O woe to us! Surely we were in a state of heedlessness as to this; nay, we were unjust: This is a narration of what the unbelievers will say when they suddenly witness the Hour. They will cry “Woe be upon us!” claiming that they had been heedless of what they now see, as if they had been deceived into total heedlessness by someone else. However, they will then move on to acknowledge that their heedlessness in fact stemmed from their unjustness: they occupied themselves with worldly affairs that make one forget and become heedless of the Hereafter. This is expressed by their words: nay, we were unjust ().

إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ أَنْتُمْ لَهَا وَارِدُونَ ٩٨

(21:98) Surely you and what (mā) you worship besides Allah are the fuel (ḥaṣabu) of Hell; to it you shall come.

Ḥaṣab means “fuel.” Some have defined it as ḥaṭab (firewood). Others have said that etymologically it is “that which is thrown into fire,” which would apply to both.

God usually refers to the idols in His Book by words that are used for intelligent beings, as seen in His subsequent statement: they would not have come to it (). However, here He uses the particle mā (lit. “what”) instead of the particle man (lit. “who, whom”). The verse says “what you worship” instead of “whom you worship.” As the exegetes have pointed out, this expression is meant to include only the idols and images which they used to worship, not other objects of worship such as prophets, saints and angels. This exclusion is confirmed by His subsequent words: Surely (as for) those (alladhīna) for whom the good has already gone forth from Us… ().

Apparently the address in these verses is directed to the unbelievers on the Day of Resurrection [not to the unbelievers in this world]. The verses describe what the unbelievers will be told on that day: they will be sentenced to enter the Hellfire and abide therein forever. The address is not directed at the unbelievers in this world, informing them about what will happen to them in the Hereafter as a means of refuting polytheism and idolatry.

… to it (lahā) you shall come (wāridūna): The verb warada is transitive without a preposition. Therefore, the letter lām in lahā serves to emphasize this transitivity [that is, “you shall certainly come by Hell and stand by it”]. It could also mean ilā (lit. “to”) [as translated here]. Given the context, the address is apparently directed to both the unbelievers and their gods. That is, you and your gods shall come by Hell, or shall come to it.

لَوْ كَانَ هَٰؤُلَاءِ آلِهَةً مَا وَرَدُوهَا ۖ وَكُلٌّ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ ٩٩

(21:99) Had these been gods, they would not have come to it, and all shall abide therein forever.

This builds on the previous verse and shows the reality of the gods which they used to worship so that they would intercede for them.

… all shall abide therein forever: that is, every one of you and your gods.

لَهُمْ فِيهَا زَفِيرٌ وَهُمْ فِيهَا لَا يَسْمَعُونَ ١٠٠

(21:100) For them therein shall be groaning (zafīr) and therein they shall not hear.

Zafīr is “the sound of inhaling air.” That is why it has been interpreted as “braying of donkeys.” Their lack of hearing is their punishment for not listening to the word of truth in this world, just as their lack of vision is their punishment for turning away from reflecting on God’s signs in this world.

This verse involves a switch from addressing the unbelievers to addressing the Prophet. This turning away from addressing them is to show to others the dismal conditions that they face. Based on this, the plural pronouns here refer to the unbelievers alone, not both to them and their gods.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ سَبَقَتْ لَهُمْ مِنَّا الْحُسْنَىٰ أُولَٰئِكَ عَنْهَا مُبْعَدُونَ ١٠١

(21:101) Surely (as for) those for whom the good (al-ḥusnā) has already gone forth from Us, they shall be kept far off from it.

Ḥuṣnā is the feminine form of aḥsan (better, best). It is an adjective taking the place of the noun that it describes. It implies “the best promise,” and that is the promise of deliverance, or heaven. Both promises appear in His words: And We will deliver the Allah-fearing and We will leave the unjust therein on their knees (), and: Allah has promised to the believing men and the believing women gardens ().

لَا يَسْمَعُونَ حَسِيسَهَا ۖ وَهُمْ فِي مَا اشْتَهَتْ أَنْفُسُهُمْ خَالِدُونَ ١٠٢ لَا يَحْزُنُهُمُ الْفَزَعُ الْأَكْبَرُ وَتَتَلَقَّاهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ هَٰذَا يَوْمُكُمُ الَّذِي كُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ ١٠٣

(21:102-103) They will not hear its faintest sound (ḥasīsahā), and they shall abide in that which their souls long for. The great fearful event (al-fazaʿ al-akbar) shall not grieve them, and the angels shall meet them: This is your day which you were promised.

Ḥasīs is “a sound which can be sensed.” Al-fazaʿ al-akbar means “the greatest terror.” God has mentioned its occurrence upon the blow of the Trumpet: And on the day when the trumpet shall be blown, then those who are in the heavens and those who are in the earth shall be terrified ().

… And the angels shall meet them: the angels will meet them with glad tidings, which is their saying: This is your day which you were promised.

يَوْمَ نَطْوِي السَّمَاءَ كَطَيِّ السِّجِلِّ لِلْكُتُبِ ۚ كَمَا بَدَأْنَا أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُعِيدُهُ ۚ وَعْدًا عَلَيْنَا ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا فَاعِلِينَ ١٠٤

(21:104) On the day when We will roll up (naṭwī, from ṭayy) heaven like the rolling up of the scroll (al-sijill) for writings (lil-kutub), as (kamā) We originated the first creation, (so) We shall return it; a promise (binding on Us); surely We will bring it about.

Al-Mufradāt says:

It is said that people used to write on certain rocks called sijill. Thereafter, anything that was written on was called a sijill. He says: like the rolling up of the scroll (al-sijill) for writing (). It [the heaven] will be rolled up like a piece of writing that is rolled up as a means of protection.

This is the clearest and simplest interpretation given for the term.

Based on the above meaning, “writings” (al-kutub) is the object of “rolling up” (ṭayy), and “the scroll” (al-sijill) is its subject.

The “scroll” is a sheet that includes some writings. “Writings” are words or ideas that have some share of existence and subsistence in the scroll through the lines and inscriptions on it. When the scroll is rolled up, the writings are also rolled up with it. As a result, the writings disappear, where neither they nor any sign or trace of them will be visible. The verse is saying that the heavens are rolled up by divine power in like manner, as per His words: and the heavens rolled up in His right hand (). As a result, they become hidden from everyone else, and neither the heavens nor any trace of them will be visible. Of course, they will not disappear from the world of the unseen even though they disappear from elsewhere, just as the writing does not disappear from the scroll even though it may be hidden from others.

Based on this explanation, the “rolling up of the heavens” means their returning to the treasure troves of the unseen after being sent down from it in known measure. He says: And there is not a thing but with Us are the treasures of it, and We do not send it down but in a known measure (). He also says in an absolute sense: and to Allah is the eventual coming (), and: Surely to your Lord is the return ().

Perhaps it is in this sense that “as We originated the first creation, We shall return it” has been interpreted as the return of everything to how it was before its creation, where everything was in a state of being nothing worthy of mention. He says: and indeed I created you before, when you were nothing (), and: There surely came over man a period of time when he was a thing not worth mentioning ().

This interpretation matches what has been narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās, that “the verse means: everything will perish, just as it was at the beginning.” This meaning is plausible as it explains the previous part of the verse—On the day when We roll up heaven…—but the previous verses were predominantly about “return” in the sense of things coming back [to existence] after their annihilation, not “return” in the sense of their annihilation and going back to their initial state before coming to existence.

Hence, the apparent meaning based on the context of the verses is: “We will resurrect creation just as We originated it.” This means that the letter kāf in kamā (lit. “as”) is to liken; the particle mā serves to render the following verb into an infinitive; and “the first creation” is the object of “We originated.” It means: Verily We will bring the creation back, and that will not be difficult for Us, but it will be as easy for us as its origination.

… a promise (binding on Us); surely We will bring it about: That is: We have made this a binding promise which shall be incumbent upon Us to fulfil. Surely We will bring about what We have promised, as per Our custom.

وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ ١٠٥

(21:105) And certainly We wrote in the Zabūr after the reminder that (as for) the earth, My righteous servants shall inherit it.

Apparently Zabūr (Psalms) refers to David’s scripture, as it is identified in the verse: And We gave Zabūr to David (; ). Other suggested interpretations for it are:

(i) the Qur’an;

(ii) any scripture revealed to the prophets, in an unconditional sense;

(iii) any scripture revealed to the prophets after Moses.

However, there is no evidence for any of these.

“The reminder” means the Torah. God has given it this name in two places in the current chapter: so ask the followers of the reminder if you do not know (), and: and a reminder for to those who would guard (against evil) ().

Some have interpreted it as the Qur’an, which God has called a reminder in various places in His Book. Based on this opinion, the Psalms being “after the reminder” is according to their hierarchical as opposed to chronological order. Others have said that “the reminder” means the Guarded Tablet. The weakness of these interpretations is clear.

… that (as for) the earth, My righteous servants shall inherit it (yarithuhā, from wirāthah and irth): According to al-Rāghib, wirāthah and irth mean “the transfer of property to someone without involving a transaction.”

To “inherit the earth” means the transfer of control over its benefits and the blessings of life to them. These blessings could be either worldly or otherworldly. Worldly blessings are those that pertain to life in this world, such as the rightful enjoyment of its resources and pleasures. The verse would thus mean that the earth will be cleansed of polytheism and disobedience, and will be inhabited by a righteous human society which worships God without associating any partners with Him. God refers to this in the verse: Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth…they shall serve Me, not associating aught with Me… ().

Otherworldly blessings—that is, blessings pertaining to the Hereafter—are stations of nearness [to God] which they acquire during their life in this world. This eternal bliss and comfort is a blessing that stems from their worldly life, as He narrates from the inhabitants of Paradise: And they shall say: (All) praise is due to Allah, Who has made good to us His promise, and He has made us inherit the land; we may abide in the garden where we please (), and as He says: These are they who are the heirs, who shall inherit the Paradise ().

The above explanation shows that the verse is meant in an unconditional sense, and there is no need to restrict it to one kind of inheritance as some exegetes have done. Some have restricted it to inheritance in the Hereafter and have quoted relevant verses as evidence. One of their arguments is that the verse is joined by “and” to the previous verse which was about the return to life [in the Hereafter], while there will be no earth after the return so that the righteous may inherit it. The answer to this is: It is not certain that the verse is joined with the conjunction to the preceding one. It could be that it is joined to an earlier verse—Therefore, whoever shall do good deeds… ()—as we shall explain below.

Others have restricted the verse to worldly inheritance. They construe it as the time when Islam will prevail or when the Mahdi will appear, which the Prophet has said in mutawātir (repeatedly reported, mass-transmitted) narrations reported by both Shias and Sunnis. They have cited relevant verses to this meaning to prove their point, some of which we cited above.

In short, the verse is absolute and applies to both kinds of inheritance. Meanwhile, the thread and tone of the verses suggest that it is joined with a conjunction to His earlier words: Therefore whoever shall do good deeds and he is a believer… (ff). Those verses [] explained the case of two opposite groups in terms of their reward in the Hereafter. Thus, this verse complements that by explaining how the two groups differ in terms of their reward in this world. The effective meaning is: Surely We commanded them [to follow] a single religion, but they divided and disagreed with one another, and so Our reward for them shall be different. As for the Hereafter, the believers’ effort will be appreciated and their work will be recorded, while the unbelievers will have the opposite of that. And as for this world, the righteous will inherit the earth, unlike the others.

إِنَّ فِي هَٰذَا لَبَلَاغًا لِقَوْمٍ عَابِدِينَ ١٠٦

(21:106) Most surely in this (hādhā) is a message (la-balāghan) to a people who serve.

There are three possible meanings for balāgh: (1) sufficiency (kifāyah); (2) the means of reaching a goal or objective; (3) reaching per se. The verse makes sense based on any of the three meanings. The demonstrative pronoun “this” (hādha) refers to the content and teachings of the chapter.

It means: Verily in what We have explained in the chapter—that the Lord is One, besides whom there is no other lord; that He should be served through prophethood, which prepares one for the Day of Reckoning; and that the reward of the believers is such and such, while the reward of the unbelievers is such and such—there is sufficiency for people who [wish to] serve [God]. If they adopt and follow it, it will suffice them and they will reach their goal.

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ ١٠٧

(21:107) And We have not sent you but as a mercy to everyone (al-ʿālamīn).

That is: You are a mercy sent to all human communities. Since the word al-ʿālamīn is in the plural form and also preceded with the article al, it indicates the universality of the Prophet’s messengership.

He is a mercy to the people of the world because he has brought a religion that if the people of the world adopt it, they will reach both worldly and otherworldly happiness.

He is also a mercy to the people of the world in terms of the good effects which spread from his rising with the call of truth in their societies. This can be evidently seen by comparing the general state of human life today with its state before the Prophet’s mission.

قُلْ إِنَّمَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ ۖ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ ١٠٨

(21:108) Say: It is only (innamā) revealed to me that your Allah is only (annamā) one Allah; will you then submit?

That is: The religion that has been revealed to me is nothing but monotheism. Whether it is belief or religious rulings, it is either an implication of monotheism or it boils down to it and can be traced back to it. The proof of this interpretation is the emphasized exclusivity in the verse by repeating “only” twice, which suggests a real exclusivity [as opposed to a relative exclusivity].

فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُلْ آذَنْتُكُمْ عَلَىٰ سَوَاءٍ ۖ وَإِنْ أَدْرِي أَقَرِيبٌ أَمْ بَعِيدٌ مَا تُوعَدُونَ ١٠٩

(21:109-110) But if they turn back, say: I have given you a warning (ādhantukum, from īdhān) in fairness (ʿalā sawāʾ), and I do not know whether what you are threatened with is near or far: Surely He knows what is spoken openly and He knows what you hide.

It is said that īdhān is from the root idhn (permission), in the transitive form ifʿāl. Idhn originally means “knowing about the permissibility and possibility of something,” but it is used metaphorically to refer to “any kind of knowledge.” Thus its transitive form īdhān is derived from it (meaning “to inform, to make known”). The term is often used to convey a sense of caution and warning.

ʿAlā sawāʾ (in fairness, equally) apparently describes the state of the object of ādhantukum (that is, “you” in “I have given you warning”). The meaning is: “If they turn away from your call and turn away from submitting to God through monotheism, then tell them: I let you know that you are in danger of it [that is, of your aversion] because you are equally warned, or because you are equally in danger.” Some have said that it means: “I warned you of war,” but this is an unlikely meaning in a Meccan chapter.

… and I do not know whether what you are threatened with is near or far: Surely He knows what is spoken openly and He knows what you hide: This is a continuation of what the Prophet was commanded to say. What you are threatened with refers to the threat of punishment which is implied by I have given you warning in fairness (). Therefore, these verses order the Prophet to two things: (1) to inform them of the risk and threat which they would face in case they turned away from Islam (or submission); and (2) to deny knowledge of the nearness or remoteness of its occurrence. This is justified by restricting knowledge of what they say out loud—that is, their open criticism and mockery of Islam—and what they hide to God. He knows the truth of the matter.

Given the above, it can be inferred that God’s punishment is targeting them because of both their open sneering and their hidden plots against Islam. It is as if to say: They deserve punishment for openly speaking ill about this divine call, and secretly scheming against it, so threaten them with it. However, since you do not have comprehensive knowledge of their open speech and their secret schemes, you do not know how much punishment their crime warrants in terms of proximity or remoteness of its occurrence. So deny knowledge of its specific time from yourself, and defer such knowledge to God alone.

Thus we can deduce that what is spoken openly means what the polytheists openly said about Islam in mocking and derision, and what you hide means their hidden plots and schemes against it.

وَإِنْ أَدْرِي لَعَلَّهُ فِتْنَةٌ لَكُمْ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ ١١١

(21:111) And I do not know if this may be a trial for you and a provision till a time.

This is a continuation of what the Prophet was commanded to say. The pronoun “this” in “this may be” (laʿallahu) is said to indirectly refer to something that is not mentioned. Perhaps it refers to the warning that he was commanded to give. The meaning would be: I do not know, perhaps this warning that I was commanded to give—that is, God’s intent in commanding me to inform you of danger—is a test, so that you may expose what you really think with regard to the matter of my call. In other words, this is how He wants to test you by letting you enjoy yourselves for a while until an appointed time, as a way of giving you respite (imhāl) and/or leading you step-by-step [to temptation and perdition] (istidrāj).

قَالَ رَبِّ احْكُمْ بِالْحَقِّ ۗ وَرَبُّنَا الرَّحْمَٰنُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ ١١٢

(21:112) He said: O my Lord! Judge Thou with truth; and our Lord is the Beneficent, Whose help is sought against what you ascribe (to Him).

The pronoun “he” in He said refers to the Prophet. The verse relates his words calling them to the truth, and their rejection and turning away from him in response. It is as if when he called them and communicated to them what he had been commanded to convey to them, they insistently and vehemently denied him. Thus he left them on their own and turned to his Lord saying: O my Lord! Judge Thou with truth… “With truth” is an interpretive or explanatory qualification (tawḍīḥī) for God’s judgment, not a restrictive or confining one (iḥtirāzī), because His judgment is only ever with truth. It is as if to say: “O my Lord! Judge with the true judgment of Yours.” It means, manifest the truth in favor of a certain group [that is, the followers of truth] and against a certain group [that is, its opponents].

… and our Lord is the Beneficent, Whose help is sought against what you ascribe (to Him): Here the Prophet turns again to them [the polytheists] and addresses them. It is as if he is explaining why he forsook them, turned to God, and asked Him to judge with truth. The reason is that He is the Lord of both him and them, and thus it is up to Him to settle the disputes between His subjects and bondsmen. Furthermore, since He is the Beneficent, He does not turn down one who turns to Him in petition. He it is the One Who judges, and Whose rule no one can defer. He establishes the truth and eradicates falsehood though His words.

Therefore, the Prophet’s prayer, O my Lord! Judge Thou with truth is itself an example of turning to Him Who is his and their Lord, asking Him by His mercy to judge with truth, and seeking His help against the falsehood that they ascribe to Him. Their false ascriptions included describing their religion by virtues that it lacked, and ascribing to the religion of truth vices that it was free of.

Our exposition above should clarify a few points about the wording and language of the verse. Some of these points are:

(i) the shift from second person to third person in He said;

(ii) referring to God first as my Lord and later as our Lord; and

(iii) describing Him as the Beneficent and Whose help is sought.

Examining Narrations

1. Concerning verse (And there is a ban on any town which We destroy…) Imam al-Bāqir said: “[It means:] any town that God destroys by [exterminating] punishment will not return.”
2. Imam al-Bāqir said: When this verse—Surely you and what you worship besides Allah are the fuel of Hell ()—was revealed, the people of Mecca became extremely distressed. At that point ʿAbd-Allāh b. al-Zabaʿrā met them while the unbelievers of Quraysh were immersed in conversation about this verse.

Ibn al-Zabaʿrā asked them, “Did Muḥammad really utter this verse?”

They replied: “Yes.”

Ibn al-Zabaʿrā said, “If he acknowledges it, then I will most assuredly have a case against him.” So he gathered him and them and then asked: “O Muḥammad, this verse that you just recited, is it exclusively about us and our gods, or does it apply to all nations and their gods?”

He replied: “Indeed it is about you and your gods as well as other nations and their gods except those excluded by God.”

Ibn al-Zabaʿrā said: “By God I have got you now! Is it not that you praise Jesus even though you know that the Christians worship Jesus and his mother, and some people worship the angels. So shall they also be in Hell along with the other gods?”

The Messenger of God answered: “No.”

Thereupon the Quraysh burst out laughing and said: “Ibn al-Zabaʿrā has defeated you.”

God’s Messenger said: “That is not true. Did I not say ‘except those excluded by God’? That is where He says: Surely (as for) those for whom the good has already gone forth from Us, they shall be kept far off from it; They will not hear its faintest sound, and they shall abide in that which their souls long for ().”

Author’s comment: This account is also narrated via Sunni chains of transmission, but the text of the above account is more robust and acceptable.

3. The Sunni narration of the above is that Ibn ʿAbbās said: When this verse was revealed—Surely you and what you worship besides Allah are the firewood of Hell; to it you shall come ()—it greatly troubled the people of Mecca. They said: “He has vilified the gods.”

Ibn al-Zabaʿrā then said: “I will defeat Muḥammad for you. Call him to me.” He was called and so he asked: “O Muḥammad! Is this thing exclusively about our gods or is it about anyone worshiped apart from Allah?”

He replied: “Rather it is about anyone worshiped apart from Allah.”

Ibn al-Zabaʿrā said: “I have defeated you by the Lord of this building,” meaning the Kaʿbah. “Do you not believe, O Muḥammad, that Jesus was a righteous servant, that Ezra (ʿUzayr) was a righteous servant, and that the angels are righteous?”

He said: “That is true.”

He replied: “There you go. Here we have the Christians worshiping Jesus, the Jews worshiping Ezra, and Banū Mulayh [tribe] worshiping the angels.” Thereupon, the people of Mecca erupted in joy and cheers.

That is when it was revealed: Surely (as for) those for whom the good has already gone forth from Us—that is, Ezra, Jesus and the angels—They shall be kept far off from it (), and also: And when the son of Mary is adduced as an example, lo! Your people raise a clamor thereat ().

Author’s comment: The problems with the text of this account are:

(i) It refers to Ezra in an incident that occurred at the beginning of the Prophetic mission in Mecca, while Ezra’s name is nowhere to be found in any of the Meccan chapters. It is only mentioned in Chapter 9 (Sūrah al-Tawbah) which was one of the last chapters revealed in Medina.

(ii) It says that the Jews worship Ezra, while in fact the Jews did not worship Ezra. They only said Ezra is the son of Allah () as an honorific ascription, in the same way that they said: We are the children of Allah and His beloved ones ().

(iii) It implies that the verse Surely (as for) those for whom the good has already gone forth from Us, they shall be kept far off from it () was revealed after the Prophet’s concession that Surely you and what you worship () applies to every object of worship other than God and Ibn al-Zabaʿrā’s refutation by referring to Jesus, Ezra and the angels. This is an example of an explanation coming after the time when it is needed, which is more supportive of the accusation [against the Prophet’s messengership].

(iv) It says that the verse And when the son of Mary is adduced as an example… () was revealed in this incident, but there is no link whatsoever between the above incident and the import of this verse.

4. The same goes for another similar account that is commonly narrated in Sunni sources, saying that when Ibn al-Zabaʿrā challenged the Prophet, the Prophet replied to him: “Young man! How ignorant you are of the language of your people, because I said, ‘what you worship’ not ‘whom you worship.’ ”

Author’s comment: The problem with this account is the statement attributed to the Prophet, that “I said x and did not say y.” The Prophet should be set above attributing a Qur’anic verse to himself, saying “I said this.” Moreover, it is narrated from al-Ḥāfiẓ ibn Ḥajar that this narration is baseless and is not to be found in any of the hadith books either with or without a chain of narration.

5. There is another version of this account that is similar in weakness to the above: Ibn al-Zabaʿrā said, “Did you say this?” He [the Prophet] replied: “Yes.” He said: “I have defeated you, by the Lord of Kaʿbah. Is it not that the Jews worship Ezra, the Christians worship Christ, and Banū Mulayh [tribe] worship the angels?” He answered: “Rather they worship the devils who command them to do so.” Then God revealed: Surely (as for) those for whom the good has already gone forth from Us… ().

Author’s comment: The problem here is that the argument attributed to the Prophet is more helpful than harmful for Ibn al-Zabaʿrā, because it is equally applicable to the worshiped idols as it applies to Ezra, Jesus and the angels. The idols are also unaware of being worshiped by their worshipers and not satisfied with being worshiped since they are not intelligent beings. This would make the verse only applicable to the devils and not the idols. However, it is narrated from the Prophet that the verse applies to their gods and that he confirmed their inclusion in the verse.

6. Another similarly weak account is narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās is: This verse—Surely you and what you worship besides Allah are the fuel of Hell; to it you shall come ()—was initially revealed but then abrogated by: Surely (as for) those for whom the good has already gone forth from Us, they shall be kept far off from it ().

Author’s comment: The weakness of this interpretation is obvious. If there were anything [in verse with respect to verse ], it would be an exception [not an abrogation].

7. The Prophet said [to Imam ʿAlī] in a hadith: O ʿAli! You and your followers (lit. shīʿah) will be at the Pond (al-ḥawḍ) [on the Day of Resurrection]. You will give a drink to whomever you like, and you will withhold from whomever you dislike. You will be safe on “the day of the great terror” under the shade of the Throne. The people will be fearful but you will have no fear. The people will be grieved, but you will have no grief. It is about you that this verse was revealed: Surely (as for) those for whom the good has already gone forth from Us, they shall be kept far off from it (), and The great fearful event shall not grieve them, and the angels shall meet them: This is your day which you were promised ().

Author’s comment: The verses being revealed about the Imam and his followers can mean either of two things: (1) they are some specific applications of the verses (called jary); or (2) the verses were initially and/or primarily revealed about them [but are not limited to them]. There are indeed other groups of believers whom have been identified as applications of these verses—especially the second one []—in other narrations. Some examples are: (a) one who recites the Qur’an seeking God’s reward and then leads a congregation with it [the Qur’an] seeking God’s reward; (b) one who makes the call to prayer (adhān) seeking God’s reward; (c) a slave who fulfills his duty both to God and to his master.

8. According to Prophetic narrations, the verse [] applies to: (a) those who love each other for the sake of God; (b) those who set out in the darkness of night [in the way of God]; and (c) the emigrants.

Author’s comment: These three groups are mentioned in three Prophetic narrations in al-Durr al-manthūr: the first on the authority of Abū al-Dardāʾ, the second on the authority of Abū Umāmah, and the third on the authority of al-Khūdrī. Many other people have been mentioned in narrations from the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt as applications of these verses.

9. Concerning like the rolling up of the Sijill () ʿAlī said: “That [Sijill] is an angel.”

Author’s comment: Al-Durr al-manthūr has also narrated this on the authority of Ibn Abī Ḥātim and Ibn ʿAsākir from al-Bāqir.

10. Concerning verse (On the day when We will roll up heaven like the rolling up of al-Sijill) Tafsīr al-Qummī says: “Al-Sijill is the name of an angel who rolls up the scrolls [that is, the heaven]. ‘Rolling up’ means destroying it, whereby it turns into smoke and the earth into fire.”
11. Imam ʿAlī says in describing the dead: They have exchanged the surface of the earth for its interior, vastness for narrowness, family for loneliness, and light for darkness. They came back to it as they came forth from it: barefoot and naked. They have departed from it with their deeds toward everlasting life and the eternal abode, as He says: as We originated the first creation, (so) We shall return it; a promise (binding on Us); surely We will bring it about ().

Author’s comment: The Imam’s reference to the verse can be matched with both meanings of returning: (i) the return of creation to its original point, and (ii) the resurrection of the dead and their return back to life. The two meanings were discussed above in the exposition of the verse.

12. The Prophet said: You will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection barefoot, naked and empty-handed; as We originated the first creation, (so) We shall return it; a promise (binding on Us); surely We will bring it about ().

Author’s comment: A similar narration is reported in Nūr al-thaqalayn, on the authority of al-Dūryastī’s book, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, from the Prophet.

13. Concerning And certainly We wrote in the Zabūr after the reminder () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: “All the Books [that is, divine scriptures] are a reminder.” Concerning that (as for) the earth, My righteous servants shall inherit it () it says: “That is al-Qāʾim [the Mahdi] and his Companions.” It also says: “Al-Zabūr (the Psalms) is comprised of forecasts of tribulations (malāḥim), praise, glorification, and supplication.”

Author’s comment: The narrations on the Mahdi, his appearance, and his filling the earth with justice and equity after being filled with injustice and oppression reach the level of tawātur (mass-transmission) through both Sunni and Shia chains of narration from the Prophet and the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt. Whoever is interested should refer to the relevant Sunni and Shia books.

14. The Messenger of God said: “I am naught but a mercy given as a gift [by God to His servants].”

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1. This is called nazʿ al-khāfiḍ (omission of a preposition), where in this case the particle fī (lit. “in”) has been omitted. (Trans.) ↩︎

2. In other words, there is no implied omitted preposition to justify amrahum as the object of taqaṭṭaʿū. (Trans.) ↩︎

3. In this case, such usage shows the strength and effectiveness of the factor—that is, arrogance—which hindered Satan from obeisance. (Trans.) ↩︎

4. In some versions the name is ʿAmrw. Ibn Manẓūr, Lisān al-ʿArab, under ḥ-r-m. (Trans.) ↩︎

5. When the conjunction “and” (wāw) is followed by a pronoun (like “they” in this case) it means “while” and it is called wāw ḥāliyyah. What is meant here is: “Until when Gog and Magog are let loose while they shall break forth…” This shows that the subject in the second part of the verse should be the same as the subject in the first part. (Trans.) ↩︎

6. Note that jadath (grave) and ḥadab (highland) differ only in the dots on the letters. Not including dots in writing was rather common in the past, which could justify different readings. (Trans.) ↩︎

7. “Coming to something” (waradūhā in verse ) is a voluntary act by an intelligent being. Besides what the author’s explanation here, another possible explanation for verse is that the idolaters and their idols are all referred to by the same pronoun “they” (imbedded in waradūhā), which involves the inclusion of the idols with the idolaters as intelligent beings. The same two points can be said about the last part of this very verse: to it you shall come, where an act of intelligent beings is ascribed to both the idolaters and their idols, both included in the same plural pronoun. (Trans.) ↩︎

8. The demonstrative pronoun “those” (alladhīna) is specifically used for intelligent beings. (Trans.) ↩︎

9. Warada itself means to “come to the brink of something,” as used in this meaning and without a preposition in verse . (Trans.) ↩︎

10. This clarifies the apparent contradiction in the verse: they will hear the painful sounds of groaning of Hellfire, but they will not hear anything pleasant or promising. (Trans.) ↩︎

11. Therefore kamā badaʾnā means “just like Our origination [of creation].” (Trans.) ↩︎

12. Giving respite is for one to actualize one’s potentials, repent from error, and find rectitude. Istidrāj is a subtle form of punishment and God’s hidden plot against those who deny His signs and communications, where He gives them time and enjoyment whereby they feel secure of God’s punishment and add to their iniquity. See verses and . (Trans.) ↩︎

13. Majmaʿ al-bayān, the authority of Muḥammad b. Muslim. ↩︎

14. Tafsīr al-Qummī, on the authority of Abū al-Jārūd. ↩︎

15. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of al-Bazzār. ↩︎

16. It is obvious because the two verses are in the same chapter following the same thread. It does not make sense for a verse to be revealed and then immediately abrogated, as if the initial revelation was a mistake. (Trans.) ↩︎

17. Al-Ṣaduq’s Amālī. ↩︎

18. Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority of Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī. ↩︎

19. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of ʿAbd b. Ḥāmid. ↩︎

20. Nahj al-balāghah. ↩︎

21. Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎

22. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of al-Bayhaqī’s al-Dalāʾil, on the authority of Abū Hurayrah. ↩︎