Verses 38–57
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُدَافِعُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ خَوَّانٍ كَفُورٍ ٣٨ أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَاتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوا ۚ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيرٌ ٣٩ الَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ إِلَّا أَنْ يَقُولُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ۗ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لَهُدِّمَتْ صَوَامِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَاتٌ وَمَسَاجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيرًا ۗ وَلَيَنْصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ ٤٠ الَّذِينَ إِنْ مَكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَمَرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَوْا عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ عَاقِبَةُ الْأُمُورِ ٤١ وَإِنْ يُكَذِّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَعَادٌ وَثَمُودُ ٤٢ وَقَوْمُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَقَوْمُ لُوطٍ ٤٣ وَأَصْحَابُ مَدْيَنَ ۖ وَكُذِّبَ مُوسَىٰ فَأَمْلَيْتُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ ٤٤فَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ فَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَبِئْرٍ مُعَطَّلَةٍ وَقَصْرٍ مَشِيدٍ ٤٥ أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَا أَوْ آذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا ۖ فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَٰكِنْ تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ ٤٦ وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَلَنْ يُخْلِفَ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ ۚ وَإِنَّ يَوْمًا عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ كَأَلْفِ سَنَةٍ مِمَّا تَعُدُّونَ ٤٧ وَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ أَمْلَيْتُ لَهَا وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهَا وَإِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ ٤٨ قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا أَنَا لَكُمْ نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ ٤٩ فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ ٥٠ وَالَّذِينَ سَعَوْا فِي آيَاتِنَا مُعَاجِزِينَ أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ ٥١ وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رَسُولٍ وَلَا نَبِيٍّ إِلَّا إِذَا تَمَنَّىٰ أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَانُ فِي أُمْنِيَّتِهِ فَيَنْسَخُ اللَّهُ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ ثُمَّ يُحْكِمُ اللَّهُ آيَاتِهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ ٥٢ لِيَجْعَلَ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ فِتْنَةً لِلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ وَالْقَاسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ ۗ وَإِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَفِي شِقَاقٍ بَعِيدٍ ٥٣ وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ فَيُؤْمِنُوا بِهِ فَتُخْبِتَ لَهُ قُلُوبُهُمْ ۗ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهَادِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ ٥٤ وَلَا يَزَالُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي مِرْيَةٍ مِنْهُ حَتَّىٰ تَأْتِيَهُمُ السَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً أَوْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمٍ عَقِيمٍ ٥٥ الْمُلْكُ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلَّهِ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ ٥٦ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا فَأُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ ٥٧
- Surely Allah will defend those who believe; surely Allah does not love any one who is unfaithful, ungrateful.
- Permission (to fight) is given to those upon whom war is made because they are oppressed, and most surely Allah is able to assist them;
- Those who have been expelled from their homes without just cause except that they say: Our Lord is Allah. And had Allah not repelled some people by others, certainly, many cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques in which Allah’s name is often remembered would have been destroyed; and surely Allah will help the one who helps His cause; most surely Allah is Strong, Mighty.
- Those who, should We establish them in the land, will keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and enjoin good and forbid evil; and Allah’s is the end of affairs.
- And if they reject you, then already before you did the people of Nuh and Ad and Thamud reject (prophets).
- And the people of Ibrahim and the people of Lut,
- As well as those of Madyan, and Musa (too) was rejected, but I gave respite to the unbelievers, then did I overtake them, so how (severe) was My disapproval.
- So how many a town did We destroy while it was unjust, so it fell down upon its roofs, and (how many a) deserted well and palace raised high.
- Have they not travelled in the land so that they would have hearts with which to understand, or ears with which to hear? For surely it is not the eyes that are blind, but blind are the hearts which are in the breasts.
- And they ask you to hasten on the punishment, and Allah will by no means fail in His promise, and surely a day with your Lord is as a thousand years of what you count.
- And how many a town did I give respite to while it was unjust; then I overtook it; and to Me is the return.
- Say: O people! I am only a plain warner to you.
- Then (as for) those who believe and do good, they shall have forgiveness and an honorable sustenance.
- And (as for) those who strive to oppose Our signs, they shall be the inmates of the flaming fire.
- And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet, but when he desired, the Satan made a suggestion respecting his desire; but Allah annuls that which the Satan casts; then does Allah establish His signs, and Allah is Knowing, Wise,
- So that He may make what the Satan casts a trial for those in whose hearts is disease and those whose hearts are hard; and most surely the unjust are in a great opposition,
- And that those who have been given knowledge may know that it is the truth from your Lord, so they may believe in it and their hearts may be lowly before it; and most surely Allah is the Guide of those who believe onto a right path.
- And those who disbelieve shall not cease to be in doubt concerning it until the Hour overtakes them suddenly, or there comes on them the chastisement of a destructive day.
- The kingdom on that day shall be Allah’s; He will judge between them; so those who believe and do good will be in gardens of bliss.
- And (as for) those who disbelieve in and reject Our signs, these it is who shall have a disgraceful chastisement.
Introduction
It is said that these were the first verses that were revealed concerning jihad, granting the believers permission to wage war. For a long time, the Muslims used to ask the Prophet for permission to fight back against the polytheists, but the Prophet’s response was, “I have not received any order to fight.” When he was in Mecca, the believers would come to him every day with beaten bodies and broken heads because of being tortured and persecuted. They would complain to him about what the oppressive polytheists of Mecca were putting them through. In return the Prophet used to console them and urge them to be patient and to have hope that relief shall soon come. This was the case until these verses were revealed, where God says: Permission (to fight) is given to those upon whom war is made… ().
As mentioned before, this was the first verse that was revealed about jihad. Some exegetes have said that the first verse concerning jihad was: And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight with you… (). Others have said: Surely Allah has bought of the believers their persons and their property… ().
It makes more sense that the current verses in Chapter 22 were revealed first, because: (1)they involve explicit permission; (2) this permission is accompanied by implicit and explicit promises of victory that fortify, prepare and motivate the believers, strengthen their hearts, and make their feet firm; and (3)they mention what God did to the unjust nations in the past. All of these points are characteristics of the first legislation and declarations of a set of important laws, especially jihad, which is based on sacrifice and selflessness. Indeed, jihad is the hardest and most difficult social responsibility in Islam, yet the most effective law in keeping the Muslim nation on its feet. The elaboration and awareness seen in these verses is most compliant with the first announcement of such a significant law.
This announcement starts off by stating that God is the Guardian and Defender of the believers. The following verses grant them permission to fight and say that they have been oppressed. Combat is what protects and maintains righteous societies, and the Muslims are righteous, for they have formed a society where they to attend righteous deeds. The verses then talk about how God treated the previous unjust societies, and that He will overtake the current oppressors as He overtook those who were before.
Commentary
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُدَافِعُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ خَوَّانٍ كَفُورٍ ٣٨
(22:38) Surely Allah will defend (yudāfiʿu, from mudāfaʿah) those who believe; surely Allah does not love any one who is unfaithful (khawwān), ungrateful (kafūr).
Mudāfaʿah is an exaggerated form of dafʿ (to protect, to deflect, tothrust). Khawwān is one who is characterized by an exaggerated degree of khiyānah (disloyalty, treachery, breach). Likewise, kafūr is one who is characterized by an exaggerated degree of kufrān (ingratitude, ungratefulness). Since these verses involve the first legislation of jihad, they initially corresponded to Muslims at the time of revelation. However, the specific instance of revelation does not limit the breadth of the verse. Hence, “those who believe” include all Muslims: they are all subject to the law of jihad.
“The unfaithful” and “the ungrateful” refer to the polytheists, because they were characterized by extreme disloyalty and ingratitude. God entrusted them the true religion by leaving it within their innate nature (fiṭrah) as a trust, so that they may achieve felicity in both worlds by observing and maintaining this trust. He further informed them of it through His messenger. Yet, they betrayed Him through denial and disbelief. He immersed them in His apparent and hidden bounties, but they were ungrateful and did not give thanks to Him through worship.
The verse also sets the scene for the next verse which grants the permission to fight. As a preliminary, it says that surely God will defend the believers against the polytheists, because He does not like the latter due to their unfaithfulness and ungratefulness. This implies that He likes the former due to their faithfulness and gratefulness. Thus, by defending the believers He is effectively defending His religion which is held by the believers. God is the Guardian and Protector of the believers; He protects them against His enemies, as He says: That is because Allah is the Protector of those who believe, and because the unbelievers shall have no protector for them ().
أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَاتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوا ۚ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيرٌ ٣٩
(22:39) Permission (to fight) is given to those upon whom war is made because they (bi-annahum) are oppressed, and most surely Allah is able to assist them.
Based on the apparent context of the verse, saying permission is given marks a new injunction, as opposed to stating or referring to a previous permission. It is about the permission to fight and wage war, as inferred from those upon whom war is made. These are the same as those who believe in the previous verse (), but described differently in order to convey what they are permitted to do.
The common recitation is yuqātalūna in the passive voice (those upon whom war is made), meaning “those whom the polytheists have fought against.” This shows that the polytheists were the first ones to wage war against the believers. The letter bāʾ in bi-annahum is for causality or justification (sababiyyah). It means: “They are given permission to fight because they are oppressed.” This oppression is then interpreted in the next verse: Those who have been expelled from their homes without just cause… ().
The verse does not explicitly identify the Subject Who is giving permission. This [vagueness] conveys exaltation and magnification [of the Subject]. A similar sense of exaltation and magnification can is found at the end of the verse: and most surely Allah is able to assist them. It only speaks about God’s ability and possibility to assist them, but it does not affirm whether He will actually assist them or not. This shows that aiding them is nothing significant or burdensome for God, because He has power over all things.
The meaning is: “Permission is given by God to those whom the polytheists have fought”—that is, the believers—“because they have been oppressed by the polytheists. God is most surely able to assist them”—which is an indirect way of saying that He will help and assist them.
الَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ إِلَّا أَنْ يَقُولُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ۗ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لَهُدِّمَتْ صَوَامِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَاتٌ وَمَسَاجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيرًا ۗ وَلَيَنْصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ ٤٠
(22:40) Those who have been expelled from their homes without just cause except that they say: Our Lord is Allah. And had Allah not repelled some people by others, certainly, many cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques in which Allah’s name is often remembered would have been demolished; and surely Allah will help the one who helps His cause; most surely Allah is Strong, Mighty.
This verse explains how the believers were oppressed: by being expelled from their homes. The polytheists expelled them from their homes in Mecca without just cause.
The polytheists did not physically transport the Muslims out of the city, but they began causing trouble for them, torturing them, and harassing them, until they had no alternative but to leave Mecca. Thus they were forced to leave their city and abandon their homes and belongings. Some migrated to Ethiopia, and others migrated to Medina after the Prophet’s migration. Therefore, saying that “the polytheists expelled the believers” means that the polytheists left them no other choice but to leave.
… except that they say: Our Lord is Allah: This is an unconnected exception (istithnāʾ munqaṭiʿ).They were expelled only because they said, Our Lord is Allah. This expression indicates the misunderstanding and poor judgment of the polytheists. They had deviated so far from the truth that they considered themselves justified in expelling people from their houses because they believed that Our Lord is Allah, which is rather the truth.
Some exegetes have said that this phrase is a connected exception (istithnāʾ muttaṣil), which takes an exception to “just cause” (ḥaqq). The meaning would be: “They were expelled from their homes without any truth, except the only truth which was their statement: Our Lord is Allah.” The reader would certainly agree that this does not comply with what is meant here. The verse intends to say that they were expelled from their homes without any justification, not that they were expelled because of only this word of truth as opposed to other truths.
Those who have been expelled from their homes are only a subset of believers: Muhājirīn (Meccan Immigrants). This is an example of referring to a whole by mentioning only some of its members—on the account of their unity and agreement. Indeed, the believers are brethren and form a united front against their opponents. There are countless cases in the Qur’an where a nation is described by the qualities of some of its members.
… And had Allah not repelled some people by others, certainly many cloisters (ṣawāmiʿ) and churches (biyaʿ) and synagogues (ṣalawāt) and mosques (masājid) in which Allah’s name is often remembered would have been demolished: Ṣawāmiʿ is the plural of ṣawmaʿah, meaning “a building with a pointed roof.” These buildings were built in mountains and deserts, and were inhabited by ascetics and hermits who used to seclude themselves to worship God. Biyaʿ is the plural of bīʿah, meaning “Jewish temples” and “Christian churches.” Ṣalawāt is the plural of ṣalāh, meaning “the Jewish place of prayer.” It is an example of calling a place by the name of its function. The same is seen in this verse: do not go near prayer when you are intoxicated…nor when you are under an obligation to perform a bath—unless (you are) traversing a way (), where “prayer” means “mosque” [for the latter rule].
It has also been said that ṣalawāt is the Arabic form of ṣalūthā, which is Hebrew for “place of prayer.” Masājid is the plural of masjid, which is the Muslim place of worship.
This verse justifies the legislation of jihad and battle. It says that fighting is prescribed as a means of protecting religious societies against the enemies of religion who seek to extinguish God’s light [of guidance and revelation]. Had it not been for jihad, God’s signs and places of devotion would be demolished, and religious rituals and acts of worship would be abolished.
God’s repulsion of some people by others is not limited to war. It also includes when people fend off each other in order to preserve their life and well-being according to their human nature and instinct. Human beings have an innate tendency and an established custom among themselves which ultimately comes from God. He has equipped them—as He has equipped other beings—with the required means and faculties to defend themselves. In case of human beings, God has further equipped them with a mental power that guides them to take up instruments to defend themselves, to maintain anything that contributes to their well-being, and to acquire what they need in order to flourish.
Fending off others by fighting is the last means that is sought for protection: it is only used when other means fail. One resorts to battle as an example of “the last remedy is cauterization” (ākhir al-dawāʾ al-kayy). It involves eliminating one thing to preserve another. Enduring hardship in order to obtain comfort is a prevalent custom within human societies, and even among other beings that have some sense of personality and independence.
This verse implies that fighting is one branch of this common natural custom. It is when people defend some aspect of their life by repelling others. This verse attributes this repulsion to God in the sense that He repels some people by others in order to preserve His religion.
It is evident that without such repulsion, religion would be entirely uprooted, and no sign of it would remain. Instead of talking about the destruction of “religion,” the verse talks about the destruction of “houses of worship”because these buildings are the signs and symbols that guide people to religion, remind them of it, and maintain its mental image in their minds.
… and surely Allah will help the one who helps His cause; most surely Allah is Strong, Mighty: This is an emphasized vow that God will help one who helps Him through jihad in order to protect His religion. Indeed God fulfilled His promise and helped the Muslims in their wars and battles. He assisted them against their enemies as long as the Muslims assisted Him, and thus elevated His name.
The meaning is: I swear that God will surely help one who helps Him by protecting His religion. Surely He is a Strong God that no one can weaken or hinder from anything that He wants. He is a Mighty and Unconquerable God, Whose breadth of might cannot be encroached upon by anyone, and Whose sovereignty and dominion cannot be matched by anyone.
It is deduced from this verse that defense laws also existed in the previous religions in one way or another, although their details are not specified.
الَّذِينَ إِنْ مَكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَمَرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَوْا عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ عَاقِبَةُ الْأُمُورِ ٤١
(22:41) Those who, should We establish them in the land, will keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and enjoin good and forbid evil; and Allah’s is the end of affairs.
This is another description of the believers that were mentioned at the beginning of these verses []. It describes the entire community as a whole, and does not concern specific individuals. “Establishing them in the land” means giving them the ability to choose the kind of life that they want, without being blocked by any impediment or rival.
God is saying that these are people who, if they are established in the land and given the freedom to choose the kind of life that they like, will found a righteous society in which prayer is established, alms are given, good is enjoined and evil is forbidden. The verse specifically mentions prayer out of all acts of worship, and the poor-rate (zakāh) out of all financial offerings because of the significance of each in its category.
This verse is a general description of those who establish a righteous society, and it refers to those who believe which were mentioned at the beginning of this set of verses [in ]. Moreover, since the law of jihad is not limited to any particular group of Muslims, it follows that the verse includes all believers at the time of revelation, or rather all Muslims until the Day of Resurrection. The qualities mentioned here are a part of their nature: the Muslim nature in and of itself is characterized by righteousness, even though at times it might be covered by some veils.
Even though these verses talk about those who have been expelled from their homes without just cause (), the verses are not just about the Muhājirīn (Meccan Immigrants). This is because the title those who believe at the beginning of these verses () is a more universal description, and the law of jihad surely applies to both the Muhājirīn and others. Therefore, these verses include all believers, regardless of whether these verses were revealed in Mecca or Medina.
Besides, the Anṣār (Medinite Supporters) and not the Muhājirīn were the first ones to initiate and then support the righteous society at the time of the Prophet that was first founded in Medina and later spread out to the entire Arabian Peninsula. That society is certainly an example of this verse, for it has been the best society in the history of Islam, where prayer was established, the poor-rate was paid, good was enjoined and evil was forbidden.
Historically speaking, the Muhājirīn never founded a society where they established the truth and abolished falsehood on their own and without the contribution of the Anṣār. The only way to say that the verse pertains only to the Muhājirīn is to say that it specifically refers to either (1) the four Rightly Guided Caliphs, according to the Sunnis; or (2) ImamʿAlī, according to the Shias. However, such interpretation would ruin the entire meaning of these verses.
Furthermore, historical records bear witness to certain acts by the first generation of Muslims, especially the Muhājirīn, that cannot by any means be classified as reviving the truth or eliminating falsehood—even if we excuse these individuals on the account of acting according to their individual reasoning (ijtihād). Therefore, these verses do not concern individuals, but rather the community as a whole.
… and Allah’s is the end of affairs: This emphasizes God’s previous promise to support the believers to defeat the enemies of religion who have oppressed them.
وَإِنْ يُكَذِّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَعَادٌ وَثَمُودُ ٤٢ وَقَوْمُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَقَوْمُ لُوطٍ ٤٣ وَأَصْحَابُ مَدْيَنَ ۖ وَكُذِّبَ مُوسَىٰ فَأَمْلَيْتُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ ٤٤
(22:42-44) And if they reject you, then already before you did the people of Noah and ʿĀd and Thamūd reject (prophets). And the people of Abraham and the people of Lot, As well as those of Madyan, and Moses (too) was rejected, but I gave respite to the unbelievers, then did I overtake them, so how (severe) was My disapproval.
These verses comfort the Prophet by saying that the denial of his people is not a new thing, for indeed the previous nations also rejected their prophets. The verses also warn and threaten the deniers by hinting at what the denial of the previous nations brought about for them: extermination through divine punishment.
The verses name the following nations:
Noah’s tribe;
The tribe of ʿĀd, who were the people of Prophet Hūd;
The tribe of Thamūd, who were the people of Prophet Ṣāliḥ;
Abraham’s tribe;
Lot’s tribe;
The people of Madyan (Midian), who were the people of Prophet Shuʿayb (Jethro, Reuel).
Then, concerning those who rejected Moses it does not say “the people of Moses,” because his people were the Israelites, and they believed in him. Instead, he was denied by Pharaoh and his tribe. That is why the verse says: and Moses (too) was rejected ().
… but I gave respite (amlaytu, from imlāʾ) to the unbelievers, then did I overtake them, so how (severe) was My disapproval (nakīr): Imlāʾ means “to postpone, to give time.” Nakīr means inkār (disapproval, denial). The meaning is: “I gave time to the disbelievers”—referring to the above mentioned nations who rejected their prophets—“then I overtook them”—which is a way of talking about His punishment.
… so how (severe) was My disapproval: That is, how was My repudiation of their disbelief? This is a way of indicating the intensity of God’s disapproval and the severity of His punishment.
فَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ فَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَبِئْرٍ مُعَطَّلَةٍ وَقَصْرٍ مَشِيدٍ ٤٥
(22:45) So how many a town did We destroy while it was unjust, so it fell down upon its roofs, and (how many a) deserted well and palace raised high (mashīd from shāda and shīd).
It fell down upon its roofs means that it was ruined by the roofs of the buildings collapsing first, and then the walls falling on them. A “deserted well” is a well that no one visits to draw water from. Shāda means “to plaster a building.” Shīd means “plaster.”
Given the apparent context of these verses, this verse is an elaboration of: so how (severe) was My disapproval (). The conjunction “and” in “and a deserted well and palace raised high” add these two items to “town” at the beginning of the verse.
The meaning is: There are so many towns that We destroyed their inhabitants while they were unjust, such that the walls of those towns fell on the roofs. And there are many wells that were deserted as their users vanished, such that no one goes to them to draw water any more. And there are many plastered palaces whose residents have perished, such that there remains no sign of them to be seen and no sound of them to be heard.
In this verse, saying “wells” and “palaces” is a way of talking about “nomads” and “city-dwellers,” respectively.
أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَا أَوْ آذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا ۖ فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَٰكِنْ تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ ٤٦
(22:46) Have they not travelled in the land so that they would have hearts with which to understand, or ears with which to hear? For surely it is not the eyes that are blind, but blind are the hearts which are in the breasts.
This verse urges and encourages the audience to travel in order to learn from what was mentioned in the previous verse: towns that have been destroyed, wells that have been deserted, and plastered palaces that remain from the past generations that were exterminated. As one travels on land he has the opportunity to reflect on where these nations went wrong and what caused their destruction. Then one will realize that this happened to them because they associated partners with God, turned away from His signs, and acted arrogantly against the truth by rejecting God’s messengers. As a result, those who have a capacity for independent thinking and contemplation will develop understanding hearts that will dissuade them from polytheism and disbelief. As for those who are not at that caliber, the lesson and warning that they draw from this journey will make them listen to the speech of a compassionate advisor who only wishes them well. Then they will listen to the admonition of a preacher who can distinguish between what benefits them from what harms them. Meanwhile, there is no admonition like God’s Book, and there is no advisor like His Messenger. Hence, they will have ears by which they learn about their path to salvation.
This clarifies the dichotomy between “heart” and “ear” in this verse, without reference to the eye. The verse is about understanding the truth,distinguishing good from evil, and discerning what is beneficial from what is harmful. It presents two ways to achieve this:(1)independent intellection; and (2) following one that is permissible to be followed. These two are the functions of the heart and the ear, respectively.
Meanwhile, both of these tasks—that is, intellection and hearing—are functions of the heart in reality, where the heart means the rational soul which bears our cognitive faculties. It is this soul that makes the person follow what he understands himself or what hears from a compassionate advisor. The verse refers to this understanding and comprehension of the heart as the heart’s “vision.” Likewise, it refers to one who neither contemplates nor listens as “blind-hearted.” The verse emphasizes this idea by saying that real blindness is that of the heart, not that of the eyes. After all, if one’s eye loses its sight, he can recover some of his loss by using a cane or a guide who takes his hand. However, if one’s heart loses its sight, then there is no substitute to make up for its loss. This is why the verse says: for surely it is not the eyes that are blind, but blind are the hearts which are in the breasts.
The verse refers to the “breast” (ṣadr) as the container of the heart, which is an allegory similar to the other allegories in the verse: it talks about the understanding of the “heart” (qalb), while understanding is a function of the soul (nafs), as we discussed above.
وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَلَنْ يُخْلِفَ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ ۚ وَإِنَّ يَوْمًا عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ كَأَلْفِ سَنَةٍ مِمَّا تَعُدُّونَ ٤٧
(22:47) And they ask you to hasten on the punishment, and Allah will by no means fail in His promise, and surely a day with your Lord is as a thousand years of your measurement.
The people used to reject the Prophet when he warned them that God will punish them if they do not believe in Him. They used to challenge God’s power, demand that His punishment should come immediately, and ask mockingly, “When will this promise be fulfilled?” God answers them here by saying: Allah will by no means fail in His promise. One possibility is that this relates to the polytheists of Mecca. Then their promised punishment would be the great loss that they suffered in the Battle of Badr. Another possibility is that it pertains to a promised punishment that will settle the dispute between the Prophet and his people. That final judgment has not occurred yet. God has discussed the latter in verse and what follows after: And every nation had a messenger; so when their messenger came, the matter was decided between them with justice ().
… and surely a day with your Lord is as a thousand years of your measurement: What is meant here is that a single day and a thousand years are equal to God. He does not belittle the former, and is not overwhelmed by the latter. This declines the people’s push for the hastening of punishment by saying that short and long durations of time are equal to God. He is not affected by the shortness of one day or the length of a thousand years. That is why He does not hasten to punish them, for He is not afraid of losing the opportunity. Rather, He is a forbearing God. He gives them time and respite until they complete their degrees of wretchedness; then He will overtake them when their appointed time is up. That is a time that will neither be delayed nor advanced. This is why the verse says: and how many a town did I give respite to while it was unjust; then I overtook it; and to Me is the return ()
… Allah will by no means fail in His promise: This sentence serves two purposes: (1) It assures and strengthens the Prophet. (2) It rejects the mocking, challenge and denial of the people against the Prophet’s warnings about God’s threats.
Some exegetes have said that “a day” in this verse refers to a day in the Hereafter when they will be punished. Each of those days is equivalent to a thousand worldly years,as measured by the people in this world. Others have said that due to the severity of punishment, one day of being punished by God will seem to them like a thousand years of punishment in this world. However, neither of these two interpretations complies with the first part of the verse or the next verse.
وَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ أَمْلَيْتُ لَهَا وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهَا وَإِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ ٤٨
(22:48) And how many a town did I give respite to while it was unjust; then I overtook it; and to Me is the return.
As just mentioned above, this verse complements the last part of the previous: surely a day with your Lord is as a thousand years of your measurement (). It serves as evidence for the claim made there. The meaning is: Short and long periods of time are the same to your Lord. Indeed He gave time and respite to many unjust towns, but then overtook them.
… and to Me is the return: This explains why God does not hasten to punish them. Since the end and return of everything is to God, there is no need for Him to hasten to their punishment, for He is not alarmed by losing the opportunity.
The above points show that this verse is not merely a repetition of verse 45 above (So how many a town did We destroy while it was unjust…) because each of these verses has its own message.
The last verse mentioned God in the third person, this verse switches to the first person. This is according to God’s position in the two verses: the previous verse was a description of an attribute of God, namely forbearance (ḥilm). This verse, on the other hand, is saying that God Himself is the opponent of those who oppose His Prophet.
قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا أَنَا لَكُمْ نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ ٤٩ فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ ٥٠ وَالَّذِينَ سَعَوْا فِي آيَاتِنَا مُعَاجِزِينَ أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ ٥١
(22:49-51) Say: O people! I am only a plain warner to you. Then (as for) those who believe and do good, they shall have forgiveness and an honorable sustenance. And (as for) those who strive to oppose Our signs, they shall be the inmates of the flaming fire.
These verses order the Prophet to proclaim and introduce his message as one of warning, and to describe the magnificent rewards that await those who believe in this message and do good, as well as the evil consequences of denial and disbelief. God’s “forgiveness” is the reward of faith, while “honorable sustenance”—which refers to Paradise and all of its bounties and pleasures—is the reward of good deeds. The evil reward of the disbelievers is to become perpetual inmates of the flaming fire.
… And (as for) those who strive (saʿaw, from saʿy) to oppose Our signs: Saʿy means “to walk very fast.” Here it is a way of talking about expending one’s maximum effort against God’s signs and communications, where one does his best to render them void, and to extinguish their light by outstripping God. These verses are in the first person plural, in compliance with the previous verses, with the exception of the last verse where a transition was made to the first person singular: I gave respite… ().
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رَسُولٍ وَلَا نَبِيٍّ إِلَّا إِذَا تَمَنَّىٰ أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَانُ فِي أُمْنِيَّتِهِ فَيَنْسَخُ اللَّهُ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ ثُمَّ يُحْكِمُ اللَّهُ آيَاتِهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ ٥٢
(22:52) And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet except that when he envisioned (tamannā), Satan made an interjection (alqā, from ilqāʾ) with regard to his vision (umniyyatihi); but Allah annuls that which Satan casts; then does Allah establish His signs, and Allah is Knowing, Wise.
Key Debate: Satan's Interjection and the Story of the “Cranes” →
Tamannī means “to assumes and supposes something that one likes, whether that is possible or impossible.” Some examples are: a poor person’s desire to be rich; a childless person’s desire to have a child; and a person’s wish to be immortal or be able to fly. Umniyyah means the imagined form of such desire which is a source of pleasure for the person. The root of this term is mīm-nūn-yāʾ [pronounced many, with the last two letters being consonants], which means “to suppose, to assume.”
It has also been said that sometimes tamannī means qirāʾah or tilāwah (to read, to recite). Tamannaytu al-kitāb means “I read the book.” Then, ilqāʾ in one’s tamannī means interfering in one’s recitation to distort it and pervert its meaning.
If tamannī means “what one desires and envisions in his heart,” then the meaning of the verse would be: We did not send any messenger or prophet before you except that when he planned how to help his religion progress and convince the people to accept him, Satan interfered and meddled in his plans by tempting the people, enticing the wrongdoers and arousing the corrupt against him. Thus, Satan would ruin the plan of that messenger or prophet, and would render his efforts void. However, God would always annul and remove what Satan throws in. Then He would affirm His signs and communications by making the efforts of His messenger or prophet to succeed, and by manifesting the truth. God is Knowing and Wise.
If tamannī means “reading” or “recitation,” then the meaning of the verse would be: We did not send any messenger or prophet before you except that when he read and recited God’s verses, Satan cast misleading doubts and questions into them by tempting the people to dispute with him concerning those verses. Satan would do so in order to corrupt the belief of the believers. However, God would always annul the doubts that Satan throws in by making his prophets succeed in rejecting them, or by revealing something that would refute them.
This verse involves a clear distinction between the meanings of nubuwwah (prophethood) and risālah (messengership). Unlike what most exegetes have said, the relationship between the two cannot be that of absolute generality and particularity, where the former includes all instances of the latter, but not vice versa. Exegetes have commonly said that a messenger (rasūl) is one who has been given a message [through revelation] and commanded to propagate it, but a prophet (nabī) is anyone who has been given a message [through revelation] irrespective of the duty to propagate it. However, this interpretation of rasūl and nabī contradicts the verse. Since the verse has used the two terms in contradistinction, it implies that nabī here is not rasūl. Based on their suggested interpretation, this means that a nabī (prophet) is one who does not have the duty of propagation (tablīgh).However, this idea contravenes the phrase We did not send at the beginning of the verse, because “sending” means being charged with a message to propagate. As we discussed under verse , the traditions from Ahl al-Bayt suggest that a messenger (rasūl) is one who receives revelation through an angel that he sees and speaks to, but a prophet (nabī) is one who receives revelation in a dream. We deduced the same meaning from the verse: Say: Had there been on the earth angels walking about as settlers, We would certainly have sent down to them from the heaven an angel as a messenger ().
Another suggested difference between messengership and prophethood is that messengers are those who are sent with a new shariah (religious code of law), while prophets also include those who confirm and follow a previous shariah. However, this distinction is also problematic, as we stated in our discussions on prophethood [under verse ]. The problem is that there have been no more than five divinely prescribed codes of law, namely those of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muḥammad. This is while the Qur’an has explicitly used the title “messenger” for many others. Not to mention that there is no proof or evidence for this suggested difference.
Two other suggestions are: (1) Messengers had official scriptures, but prophets did not. (2) Messengers had some form of scripture or writing, but prophets did not. Both of these views suffer from the same problems as the last one.
… but Allah annuls that which Satan casts; then does Allah establish His signs: Here the verse changes from the first person to the third person. The reason for this transition is to explicitly name Allah as the One Who annuls and establishes, for He is the One Whom no one can resist. It is for the same reason that the name Allah has been repeated even though naturally a pronoun should have been used. Similarly, Satan’s name has been repeated in order to stress that the one who casts is the Devil, who is of no significance before God. The plots and schemes of Satan are void with regard to Him. Otherwise, if it were not to emphasize these points, the verse would have simply used pronouns: “He annuls what he casts, and then He establishes His signs.”
لِيَجْعَلَ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ فِتْنَةً لِلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ وَالْقَاسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ ۗ وَإِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَفِي شِقَاقٍ بَعِيدٍ ٥٣
(22:53) So that He may make what Satan casts a trial for those in whose hearts is disease and those whose hearts are hard (al-qāsiyah, from qasāwah); and most surely the unjust are in a great opposition.
The “disease of the heart” is its inconsistency in intellection and understanding, meaning its failure to admit a truth that must be admitted. It is equivalent to being doubtful and suspicious about the truth. Qasāwah of the heart means “hard-heartedness, cold-heartedness.” It is taken from al-ḥajar al-qāsī, meaning “hard rock.” “Hardness of the heart” means its loss of gentle emotions—such as humility, compassion, modesty and love—that help a person comprehend true statements. A diseased heart is quick to apprehend the truth but slow to accept it. A hardened heart, however, is slow in both. Both of these hearts, on the other hand, are quick to accept Satanic whispers and temptations.
Satan’s interjections ruin the circumstances against the truth and its people, and prevent the efforts of the messengers and prophets from being effective and bearing fruit. Even though this interference is attributed to Satan, it is also attributed to God inasmuch as His permission is required for the effectiveness of any phenomenon or action that takes place in His kingdom. Of course, what is attributed to God is only that in which there is some good, benefit and objective.
That is why God says here that there is some wisdom in these Satanic interjections: they are trials to test all people. Trial is one of God’s universal customs that embraces the human world. It is through trial that the salvation of the felicitous and the damnation of the wretched are realized. But the trial of “those in whose hearts is disease and those whose hearts are hard” is a specific trial that makes the wretched perfect their wretchedness. This is per God’s universal rule of assisting and fostering everyone in the world, as He says: All do We aid—these as well as those—out of the bounty of your Lord, and the bounty of your Lord is not confined ().
So that He may make (li-yajʿala) what Satan casts a trial (fitnah) for those in whose hearts is disease and those whose hearts are hard: The letter lām in li-yajʿala indicates explanation and justification (taʿlīl). It explains why Satan interjects in the desires and visions of the messengers and prophets: Satan does this so that God may do that. This means that Satan is under the command and authority of God—so that God’s servants may be tested, and the people of doubt and denial may be tempted and deceived.
The following points should be clear by now: (1) Fitnah means a test or trial that results in deception and error. (2) “Those in whose hearts is disease” are the disbelievers who are doubtful [about the truth]. (3) “those whose hearts are hard” are the people of denial and defiance among the doubtful.
… and most surely the unjust are in a great opposition (shiqāq baʿīd): Shiqāq and mushāqqah mean “disagreement, opposition.” It is described as “far” (baʿīd), where “far” is really the attribute of the person who is characterized by opposition. The implied meaning is: And most surely the unjust are in such an opposition that makes them far from the truth and its people. Given the context of the verse, “the unjust” are the same as the deniers. It could also be that they are both the deniers and the doubters.
وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ فَيُؤْمِنُوا بِهِ فَتُخْبِتَ لَهُ قُلُوبُهُمْ ۗ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهَادِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ ٥٤
(22:54) And that those who have been given knowledge may know that it is (annahū) the truth from your Lord, so they may believe in it and their hearts may be lowly (fa-tukhbita, from ikhbāt) before it; and most surely Allah is the Guide of those who believe onto a right path.
Based on the context, this verse adds to “so that He may make” in the previous verse (where the addition is indicated by the conjunction “and” at the beginning of the verse). The word “that” at the beginning of the verse (the letter lām in li-yaʿlama) shows that this verse explains and justifies what was mentioned in the last verse: but Allah annuls that which Satan casts; then does Allah establish His signs (). Based on this, the pronoun “it” in “it is (annahū)” refers to what the messenger or prophet envisions and desires, which is understood from when he envisioned (). There is no reason for assuming that this pronoun refers to the Qur’an. Ikhbāt of the heart is when the heart becomes soft and humble.
The meaning is: God annuls that which Satan casts. Then God establishes His signs so that—by the means of this annulment and establishment—those who have been given knowledge may know that what the messenger or the prophet had planned and desired is the truth from your Lord. This in turn is meant to invalidate what Satan casts. Thus, they [those who have been given knowledge] would believe in it [that is, in the truth from your Lord] and their hearts may become soft and humble before it.
Another possibility is that the conjunction “and” joins this verse to an omitted [implied]statement, where both statements together justify what was mentioned in the last verse: So that He may make what Satan casts a trial for those in whose hearts is disease and those whose hearts are hard… ().
The meaning in this case would be: “We talked about this fact for such-and-such a reason [which is omitted], and also so that those who have been given knowledge may know that it is the truth from your Lord.” Adding a statement to an omitted statement is rather a common usage in the Qur’an. Another similar example is the use of “and” in the following verse: We bring these days to people in turns, and that Allah may know those who believe ().
… and most surely Allah is the Guide of those who believe onto a right path: This statement explains and justifies why God has the above mentioned purpose in His actions. The first part of the verse implied that God’s purpose in annulling what Satan casts and establishing His signs is “that those who have been given knowledge may know” that the plans and desires of His messengers and prophets are the truth. Then this last part of the further adds that God has this purpose because He is their Guide. He wants to guide them to a right path by this teaching and instruction of His.
وَلَا يَزَالُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي مِرْيَةٍ مِنْهُ حَتَّىٰ تَأْتِيَهُمُ السَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً أَوْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمٍ عَقِيمٍ ٥٥
(22:55) And those who disbelieve shall not cease to be in doubt concerning it until the Hour overtakes them suddenly, or there comes upon them the chastisement of a barren day (ʿaqīm).
This verse, as one can see, states that the above mentioned disbelievers will remain deprived of faith until the end of their lives. Since some of the disbelievers at the time of revelation became believers later on, this verse cannot be about all disbelievers of the time. Therefore, it must be about the prominent figures and leaders of the Quraysh [tribe] who did not believe [in Islam] until they died. Thus, the subject here is the same as the subject in the verse: Surely those who disbelieve, it is the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe ().
A day is ʿaqīm (barren, infertile) if it is not followed by another day. There are two possible meanings for it: (1) the Day of Resurrection [in the sense that it is eternal]; or (2) the a day of one’s death or a community’s destruction [in this world]. Given the next two verses, what is meant here is the Day of Resurrection.
The meaning is: those who disbelieve will continue to doubt the Qur’an until they are overtaken by the Day of Resurrection or by the chastisement of that day. That is a day that will come suddenly, without giving them a chance to make any preparations or plans for it. Nor does it leave any day after it so that they may make up for what they missed before.
The verse alternates between the Day of Resurrection and its chastisement [by using the term “or”] because either of them is sufficient in removing their doubt and suspicion, and making them to confess the truth. God says: They shall say: O woe to us! Who has raised us up from our sleeping place? This is what the Beneficent Allah promised, and the messengers told the truth (). He also says: And on the day when those who disbelieve shall be brought before the fire: Is it not true? They shall say: Aye! By our Lord! ().
It should thus be clear that the two descriptions of “that day” in this verse—that is, being “sudden” and “barren”—serve two meanings: (1) it is a day which cannot be evaded by any plot or effort; and (2) it is a day beyond which there will be no chance to rectify the past.
الْمُلْكُ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلَّهِ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ ٥٦ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا فَأُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ ٥٧
(22:56-57) The kingdom on that day shall be Allah’s; He will judge between them; so those who believe and do good will be in gardens of bliss. And (as for) those who disbelieve in and reject Our signs, these it is who shall have a disgraceful chastisement.
As we have mentioned a few times, the kingdom on that day shall be Allah’s means that God’s possession of the kingdom will become evident and manifest on that day. Otherwise, the kingdom always belongs to Him. The same applies to the other qualities and descriptions of the Day of Resurrection in the Qur’an, such as the idea that “all affairs on that day will belong to God”and the idea that “all power on that day will be God’s.”
However, it should be clarified that this manifestation of God’s kingdom is not meant in a metaphorical or figurative sense. There are two types of kingdom: (1) real authority that is based on existential ownership (called mulk ḥaqīqī); and (2)apparent, formal and notional authority that is based on social conventions (called mulk majāzī or ṣūrī). The authority that is found in anything other than God is an apparent, notional authority that God has given that being, while at the same time He possesses the real authority over that thing in the truest sense. What happens on the Day of Resurrection is that this cover of apparent authority will be lifted from all things. Hence, no authority will remain except real authority, which exclusively belongs to God [and has ever belonged to Him]. It is in this sense that the Day of Resurrection is specifically characterized by: the kingdom on that day shall be Allah’s. The same logic applies to the other qualities of that day [such as God’s exclusive possession of command and power].
… He will judge between them: There shall be no judge other than God, because judgment is a branch and division of kingdom. Since no one will have any share of kingdom and authority on that day, no one will have any share of judgment either.
… so those who believe and do good will be in gardens of bliss. And (as for) those who disbelieve in and reject Our signs, these it is who shall have a disgraceful chastisement: These verses present God’s judgment on that day. Those who disbelieve in and reject Our signs () are those who arrogantly oppose God’s signs and revelation.
Examining Narrations
- Imam al-Bāqir said: The Messenger of God was not commanded or permitted to fight until Gabriel descended with the verse: Permission (to fight) is given to those upon whom war is made because they are oppressed (), and tied a sword around his neck.
- The polytheists constantly used to bother the Muslims, who would then go to the Messenger of God and complain to him while they had been beaten and tortured. He used to tell them, “Be patient, because I have not been ordered to fight.” This was the case until the Prophet migrated. It was there in Medina that God revealed to him this verse, which is the first verse that was revealed concerning battle.
Author’s comment: This verse is also identified as the first verse that was revealed about battle by al-Durr al-manthūr, which narrates this from many collections of hadith, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās and others.
Some of these narrations say that the verse was revealed only about the Muhājirīn (Meccan Immigrants) among the Prophet’s Companions. Assuming these accounts to be authentic, this should be viewed as the interpretation of the narrators. Otherwise,the verse is unconditional, as we discussed above. The law of jihad is a universal and comprehensive law, and thus it does not make sense to address it only to a specific group in the community. The same argument applies to verse (Those who, should We establish them in the land…) and even to verse (Those who have been expelled from their homes without just cause…), as we discussed above. The next five narrations [numbers 3 to 7] should also be viewed in the same light:
- Concerning Those who have been expelled from their homes ()Imam al-Bāqir said: This was revealed about the Muhājirīn, and it also applies to Muḥammad’s Household, who have been frightened and driven out of their homes.
- In another narration about this verse, Imam al-Bāqir said: That is us; it has been revealed about us.
- Imam al-Bāqir also said: This applies to al-Ḥusayn.
- Concerning those who will enjoin good and forbid evil ()Imam al-Bāqir said: We are the ones.
- Concerning the verse a deserted well and a palace raised high () Imams al-Ṣādiq and al-Kāẓim said: A deserted well is a silent Imam, and a palace raised high is a speaking Imam [that is, an Imam without and with sociopolitical authority, respectively].
- The Messenger of God said: A blind person [in reality] is not one whose sight (baṣar) is blind, but a [truly] blind person is one whose insight (baṣīrah) is blind.
- Imam al-Bāqir said: A prophet is one who does not see the angel [of revelation] when he is awake, but he sees it in a dream and hears its voice. A messenger, however, is one who sees the angel both in wakefulness and in dreams, and hears its voice.
Author’s comment: There are other narrations that confirm this. According to the narrations, “seeing the angel” refers to the angel coming down to the messenger,appearing to him, and conveying the revelation to him by speech. Some of these narrations were presented in our discussion on prophethood under verse .
- Saʿīd b. Jubayr said: The Messenger of God recited Chapter 53 (al-Najm) in Mecca. When he reached verses (Have you then considered Lāt and Uzzā, and Manāt, the third, the last?), Satan cast these words onto his tongue: “They are the exalted and splendid idols whose intercession is hoped for.”
The polytheists said, “He had never expressed a positive view of our gods until this day.” So he and they all prostrated.
Then Gabriel came to the Prophet and said, “Iterate what I revealed to you.” The Prophet did so, and when he reached, “They are the exalted and splendid idols whose intercession is hoped for,” Gabriel said, “I did not bring this to you. This is from Satan.”
At that point God revealed: And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet… ().
Author’s comment: This account is also narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās and a group of the Followers (Tābiʿīn), through several chains of transmission. Many scholars of hadith have authenticated it, including Ibn Ḥajar. However, the decisive proofs of the Prophet’s infallibility refute the content of this account even if we assume its transmission to be authentic. It is incumbent to clear the Prophet’s sacred position from such mistakes. Moreover, this account attributes the worst and most abhorrent form of ignorance to the Prophet, because he recited “They are the exalted and splendid idols whose intercession is hoped for” without realizing that these were not God’s words that Gabriel had brought. He did not realize that this statement was explicit heresy and entailed apostasy (irtidād). He continued with this until he and they prostrated at the end of the chapter, without realizing his ignorance. Even when Gabriel descended to him and ordered him to iterate the chapter, he uttered these two sentences again, insisting on his ignorance, which caused Gabriel to deny him. Then a verse was revealed to him, affirming a similar abhorrent ignorance and patent mistake for all prophets and messengers by saying: And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet, but when he spoke, Satan made an interjection with regard to his speech ().
A common excuse in defense of this story is that what the Prophet said was a slip of the tongue and an error that he did not realize, because Satan had taken over his tongue for the moment. However, this cannot be the case, as we just explained. It is not supported by the detailed content of the account, nor do the proofs of the Prophet’s infallibility allow for such mistake and error.
Moreover, if there is a possibility for Satan to have such control over the Prophet’s tongue and cast a verse or two in the middle of the Noble Qur’an, then one cannot be sure of what is God’s word and what is not. In other words, the other verses of the Qur’an could also involve Satan’s interference and interjection. If that were a possibility, then this very verse—And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet… ()—could also be something that Satan cast on the Prophet’s tongue, which the Prophet took to be the word of God revealed by Gabriel, just like what happened in the story of “the exalted and splendid idols.” That would mean that Satan threw in this verse () to disprove some of his interjections—that is, “the exalted and splendid idols”—in order to leave his other interjections unnoticed.
Furthermore, if Satan’s interference in the Qur’an is a possibility, then one could equally say that perhaps what God really said was the statements about “the exalted and splendid idols,” while all the other verses against idolatry and this very verse—And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet… ()—are the words of Satan. In other words, Satan has used this verse () to refute the verses about “the exalted and splendid idols” [which were supposedly revealed by God] and to disguise his many other interjections in the Qur’an [as God’s words]. Such a possibility would completely eradicate the credibility and reliability of the Qur’an. Then one cannot trust God’s Book whatsoever. That would render the Prophet’s mission totally vain and his claim of prophethood entirely void. The Holy Precinct of God is far exalted above that.
An “unconnected exception” (istithnāʾ munqaṭiʿ) means that what is excepted is not a member of the original group, as opposed to an ordinary exception, called “connected exception” (istithnāʾ muttaṣil). Declaring that “Our Lord is Allah” is clearly no “just cause” for being “expelled from their homes.” That is why this phrase is an unconnected exception, which means that it is a new independent statement with a complete meaning by itself. (Trans.) ↩︎
It could also be that since these verses were revealed early on in Medina, many other devotional and financial practices were not prescribed yet. (Trans.) ↩︎
In jurisprudence, ijtihād means making the utmost effort (based on the available resources) to extract and infer Islamic laws (the shariah). It is also defined as the competence and ability to extract and infer the law of the shariah in any situation, including new ones. The Sunnis explain and justify the apparent errors, conflicts and contradictions among the Prophet’s Companions as a result of their differences in extracting these rules and discerning their responsibility. This is sometimes referred to as tanzīh al-ṣaḥābah (exonerating the Companions). (Trans.) ↩︎
Therefore, qaṣrin mashīd means “a plastered palace,” indicating luxury and elegance. Another lexical meaning for mashīd is “strong and/or high.” The common point is that plaster was a means of making buildings strong. Since the verse is about God’s power and the destruction of buildings, the primary meaning of mashīd here is “strong,” although “plastered” is also appropriate in the sense that it serves the same meaning. (Trans.) ↩︎
It is as if God is saying: “now this is personal!” (Trans.) ↩︎
To be more precise, only verses 41 and 45 above are explicitly in the first person plural. The rest of the verses seem to be in the third person. (Trans.) ↩︎
See volume 3, pp. 187ff of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎
See volume 25, p. 283 of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎
See verse . (Trans.) ↩︎
In such cases, the conjunction “and” (wāw) may seem superfluous because there is nothing to connect to. However, it is a subtle hint at there being other considerations, wisdoms and secrets. In short, the conjunction “and” implies that “there is more to it than this.” (Trans.) ↩︎
See verse . (Trans.) ↩︎
See verse . (Trans.) ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
Al-Manāqib. ↩︎
Rawḍat al-kāfī. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
Al-Kāfī,Maʿānī al-akhbār and Kamāl al-dīn. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Tirmidhī’s Nawādir al-uṣūl, Abū Naṣr al-Sajzī’s al-Ibānah, al-Bayhaqī’s Shuʿab al-īmān and al-Daylamī’s Musnad al-firdaws, on the authority of ʿAbd-Allāh b. Jarād. ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Zurārah. ↩︎
See volume 3, pp. 187ff of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Jarīr, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abī Ḥātim and Ibn Mardawayh, via an authentic chain of transmission. ↩︎