Verses 21–31
These verses narrate another objection that the polytheists raised against God’s Messenger, concerning his mission. The gist of their argument was: Suppose that it is possible for a human being to be a messenger, meaning that an angel descends upon him with revelations from God, or he sees God and He talks to him through revelation. If this is possible for him, then inasmuch as he is a human being, he is no different from the rest of humankind. Thus, if his claim to be a messenger is true, then we—or some of us—should also be able to see what he claims to see, and should also find in ourselves what he feels in himself.
As a matter of fact, the people of the previous prophets also raised the same objection against them, as God narrates: They said: You are nothing but mortals like us (). We have already explained this line of argument repeatedly.
The above argument by the disbelievers complements their previous objection: What is the matter with this Messenger that he eats food (). Both of these objections boil down to one argument, which traps the opponent between two unwanted consequences. The argument can be summarized as follows: The mission claimed by this “messenger” is either (a) a heavenly bounty and a connection to the unseen; or (b) a specific position that humankind qua humankind can achieve. (a) If it is the former, then human beings cannot have a share of it inasmuch as they are human beings. Thus, an angel must come down to him to accompany him in his message of warning; or a treasure should be sent down to him; or he must be given a garden to eat from []. (b) If it is the latter, then why do we not find the same connection in ourselves? That is why the demanded: Why have not angels been sent down upon us, or (why) do we not see our Lord? ().
We saw and discussed God’s answer to the first part of the argument in the verses above. As with the second part, He says that they [the polytheists] too shall see the angels, but in realm other than this world. This answer is equivalent to His words: We do not send the angels but with truth, and then they would not be respited (), and we shall elaborate it below. These verses also involve a reference to afterlife and the Day of Resurrection.
Commentary
وَ قالَ الَّذِينَ لا يَرْجُونَ لِقاءَنا لَوْ لا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْمَلائِكَةُ أَوْ نَرى رَبَّنا لَقَدِ اسْتَكْبَرُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَ عَتَوْا عُتُوًّا كَبِيراً ٢١
(25:21) And those who do not hope (lā yarjūna, from rajāʾ) for Our meeting (liqāʾanā) say: Why have not angels been sent down upon us, or (why) do we not see our Lord? Now certainly they are too proud of themselves and have revolted in great revolt (ʿutuwwan).
Majmaʿ al-bayān says:
Rajāʾ is “the anticipation of some good which one deems to be likely to occur.” It is similar to ṭamaʿ (desire, craving, covetousness) and amal (hope, prospect, ambition). Liqāʾ is “to end up next to something without any barrier in between.” ʿUtuww means “deviation [from the truth] toward shameless and obscene wrongdoing.”
The return to God on the Day of Resurrection is called liqāʾ (meeting), in the sense that the people will appear before God in such a way that there will be no barrier of ignorance or heedlessness between them. It refers to the manifestation of divine majesty on that day. He says: And they shall know that Allah is the evident Truth ().
Therefore, “do not hope for Our meeting” refers to the disbelievers’ rejection of the hereafter. Unlike what we saw previously [in verse ], this verse does not talk about “denying” or “rejecting,” but it talks about “not hoping.” The significance of this expression is that “hope” indicates possibility. Having no hope in an event is a way of saying that the event is impossible. Therefore, the reason behind their demand—to have the angels descend upon them or to see their Lord—was that they deemed these events to be totally impossible. They pressed for these requests on the assumption that they are impossible to occur.
… Why have not angels been sent down upon us, or (why) do we not see our Lord?…: Given the above explanations, this statement is an objection that was raised against the Messenger’s mission, expressed in the form of a challenge. It is similar to what is narrated from them elsewhere: Why do you not bring to us the angels if you are of the truthful ones? (). This argument can be elaborated as follows: Suppose that divine risālah (messengership, mission, message)—which consists of either an angel coming down to a human being with revelation, or God speaking directly to a human being—is something that is possible for humankind. If so, then we are equally human, no less than this claimant of risālah. So how come no angel has come down upon us, nor have we seen our Lord? Why have not angels been sent down upon us, or (why) do we not see our Lord?
Note that the requests narrated in this verse are in an unconditional form. The disbelievers did not qualify their demands by saying. “Why have not angels been sent down upon us to confirm you, or why do we not see our Lord so that He may confirm you?” This confirms how we interpreted their argument. Not to mention that the qualified request was already narrated from them, where they said that an angel should be sent with the messenger to be a warner with him []. That implies the angel’s confirmation of the Prophet.
By referring to God as “our Lord,” the disbelievers were mocking the Prophet. The polytheists did not believe in God as their “Lord.” Instead, their lords were those whom they worshiped, and they viewed God as the Lord of the lords. Hence, it is as if they said to the Prophet: You suppose that God is your Lord and that He has kindly chosen you to speak to you directly. Well, if that is the case, then He is also our Lord, so let Him kindly choose us as well; let us see Him in a direct dialogue as you do.
It should also be noted that polytheism originated by the worship of angels, the souls of the stars, and other spiritual beings. However, they then deviated to the worship of idols representing those beings. They wanted to worship and offer sacrifice to something that is physically visible, as opposed to something that is concealed in the unseen.
… Now certainly they are too proud of themselves and have revolted in great revolt: Here God is saying: I swear that they have sought undue ascendency, have claimed unwarranted highness in themselves, and have revolted such a great revolt.
يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَ الْمَلائِكَةَ لا بُشْرى يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُجْرِمِينَ وَ يَقُولُونَ حِجْراً مَحْجُوراً٢٢
(25:22) On the day when they shall see the angels, there shall be no joy on that day for the guilty, and they shall say: A forbidden barrier! (ḥijran maḥjūran).
Al-Mufradāt says:
Ḥijr means “something that is not accessible because it has been prohibited.” God says: And they say: These are cattle and tilth prohibited (ḥijr) (), and: And they shall say: A forbidden barrier (). It was common that when someone met a person whom he did not feel secure about, he would say: ḥijran maḥjūrā (that is, “let there be a prohibiting barrier between us”). God says that the disbelievers will say this phrase when they shall see the angels, thinking that it will avail them.
It is narrated from Khalīl that in the pre-Islamic era, if someone met a person whom he feared might kill him in the sacred months, he would say: ḥijran maḥjūrā, meaning: “It is prohibited for you to harm me in this month, so do not start it.”
It is narrated from Abū ʿUbaydah that this was a formula of protection (ʿūḍah) among the Arabs. They used to say it to someone that they feared because of having some bloodshed between them, when they meet him in the Sanctuary (ḥaram) [of Mecca] or during one of the sacred months.
On the day (yawma) when they shall see the angels, there shall be no joy on that day for the guilty…: It is said that “on the day,” at the beginning of the verse, indicates the time of: there shall be no joy. Then the repetition of “on that day” (yawmaʾidh) in the middle of the verse is meant for emphasis. “There shall be no joy” denies the genus of joy [for those who are guilty on that day]. “The guilty” includes anyone who is characterized by guilt (ijrām, jurm), albeit the verse is specifically about “the guilt of polytheism,” which makes “the guilty” as those who do not anticipate the meeting with God, as discussed above []. The meaning of the verse is: When these people—who do not hope for Our meeting—shall see the angels, then on that day there shall be no joy of any kind for the guilty, including these people [that is, the Arab polytheists at the time of revelation].
… and they shall say: A forbidden barrier: The pronoun “they” refers to the polytheists. It means: On that day, the polytheists will say to the angels—who want to punish them—“ḥijran maḥjūrā,” meaning, “Let us be protected from you.”
Some have said that the pronoun “they” refers to the angels. Thus, the angels shall tell the polytheists, “It is totally forbidden and prohibited (ḥarāman muḥarramā),” meaning one of the following: it is prohibited for you to hear any good news; (2) it is prohibited for you to enter Paradise; (3) it is prohibited for you to seek refuge from the punishment; you shall not have any protection.
However, the first interpretation [that “they” refers to the polytheists] matches the theme and context of the verse better.
This verse responds to the polytheists’ first demand: Why have not angels been sent down upon us (), and not their other demand: or (why) do we not see our Lord? (). What they meant was to see God with the physical eye, which necessitates materiality and physicality, while God is transcendent and far above that. As for seeing God with the eye of conviction, meaning the heart’s insight, they were not a people who could comprehend such subtlety to ask for it. Even if they did comprehend it, that is not the sense of vision that they meant [given the context of the verse and other similar verses].
Concerning the sending of angels upon the polytheists and their seeing of the angels, the verse assumes it to be certain that there will surely come a day when they shall see the angels. Therefore, instead of informing them about seeing the angels, the verse speaks about their condition upon seeing the angels. It clarifies that the polytheists’ request to see the angels is not something to their benefit, because they shall see the angels on the day when they shall see the punishment of hell directly. Their request will be granted after this world is transformed to the realm of hereafter. God refers to this elsewhere: We do not send the angels but with truth, and then they would not be respited (). This means that the polytheists were in fact asking for the hastening of their punishment, even though they thought that they were defeating God and His Messenger with a decisive argument.
When is this day “when they shall see the angels”? The exegetes have said that it is the Day of Resurrection. However, it is more likely that it refers to when the polytheists shall death, as one can derive from the context of this verse [] and other verses which describe their death and what follows it. For example: And if you had seen when the unjust shall be in the agonies of death and the angels shall spread forth their hands: Give up your souls; today shall you be recompensed with an humiliating chastisement (), and: Surely (as for) those whom the angels cause to die while they are unjust to their souls, they shall say: In what state were you? They shall say: We were weak in the earth. They shall say: Was not Allah’s earth spacious, so that you should have migrated therein? (). These verses decisively show that the polytheists shall see the angels and talk to them directly after death, and before the Day of Resurrection. This period [marked by death] is called barzakh in the Qur’an. Note that this verse is a response to those who do not believe that they shall see the angels. Therefore, it should logically refer to the first instance when they will indeed see the angels in a way that will not be pleasing to them, and that is the day of their death. It is not appropriate in the context of this debate to tell the polytheists about seeing angels on the Day of Resurrection, given that the verse then says that they will tell the angels: A forbidden barrier! It is most befitting for them to say this to the angels right upon their death, not the Day of Resurrection—after having seen the angels upon their death, and being punished by them for a long time. This is evident.
Therefore, this verse and the next two verses apparently talk about the condition of the people in barzakh. These verses describe the polytheists’ encounter with the angels, the annulment of their deeds, and the condition of the people of Paradise in barzakh.
وَ قَدِمْنا إِلى ما عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْناهُ هَباءً مَنْثُوراً ٢٣
(25:23) And We will proceed to what they have done of deeds (ʿamal), so We shall render them as scattered floating dust (habāʾan manthūran, from nathr).
Al-Rāghib says in al-Mufradāt:
ʿAmal refers to the action (fiʿl) of a living being that is done voluntarily. Therefore, ʿamal is more specific than fiʿl, because fiʿl is also used for involuntary actions done by animals and inanimate objects. ʿAmal, on the contrary, is rarely used in these cases. It is not used for animals, except for al-baqar al-ʿawāmil (laboring cows)…
Habāʾ refers to the tiny dust particles (dust motes) that are scattered in the air, and are only visible when a ray of sunlight shines through an opening. Nathr means tafrīq (to divide, to disperse, to separate).
The meaning of the verse is: “We shall turn to every deed that the disbelievers have done, and We shall thoroughly disperse their deeds like scattered dust, such that they would not benefit from anything that they have done.” It should be noted that the condition and quality of one’s life after death will be determined by one’s deeds.
The above is an analogy that illustrates how God’s wrath will dominate and override every act that the disbelievers performed in order to have a happy life. He will annul their deeds in a way that their actions will have no impact in their eternal bliss and well-being. God’s domination is compared to the domination of a hero who defeats his enemy, enters the enemy’s house, destroys the house, obliterates his works, and burns his possessions and furniture to ashes. It is a way of referring to a total effacement of every object and vestige.
There are other verses, however, which suggest that the deeds of the disbelievers are already forfeited right in this world, due to their disbelief and iniquity. This idea does not contradict what is mentioned in the current verse. What is meant here is that the iḥbāṭ (forfeiture, cancellation, annulment) of their deeds was concealed from the disbelievers while they were in this world, but it will become manifest to them afterwards. We already had a detailed discussion on “forfeiture of Deeds” under verses . Readers who are interested to read more should refer to it.
أَصْحابُ الْجَنَّةِ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَيْرٌ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَ أَحْسَنُ مَقِيلاً ٢٤
(25:24) The dwellers of the garden shall on that day be in a better (khayr) abiding-place (mustaqarran) and a better (aḥsan) resting-place (maqīlan).
In this verse, “the dwellers of the garden” are the same as the muttaqūn (those who guard themselves) who were mentioned before: Say: Is this better or the abiding garden which those who guard (against evil) are promised? (). Mustaqarr and maqīl are locative nouns. Mustaqarr is derived from istiqrār (to abide, to be fixed, to be established), and maqīl is derived from qaylūlah, which means “midday rest,” irrespective of whether or not it involves sleep (although it is said that there is no sleep in Paradise).
Apparently, the words khayr and aḥsan (better, finer, fairer) in this verse are not meant in a comparative sense. Instead, their role is similar to the role of the comparative adjectives used in the following verses: And it is easy (ahwan) to Him (), and: What is with Allah is better (khayr) than sport ().
It is also plausible, as we prefer, to say that these adjectives—which are apparently in the comparative form afʿal, or what is equivalent to it, like khayr (better)—are ṣifah mushabbahah. In cases like this verse, these adjectives convey a comparative meaning, not because of their verbal pattern [of afʿal], but because of their root [which varies from one adjective to another]. The usage of comparison and preference here can be explained and justified as follows: Their choice of polytheism and wicked behavior implies that they deemed these to be good. However, these deeds necessitate hell in the hereafter. Therefore, the polytheists are told that the garden is better than the consequence of what they chose. Either way, they must choose the garden over the fire, and belief (īmān) over disbelief (kufr).
Some exegetes have said that in cases like this, comparative adjectives are used to imply mocking and derision.
وَ يَوْمَ تَشَقَّقُ السَّماءُ بِالْغَمامِ وَ نُزِّلَ الْمَلائِكَةُ تَنْزِيلاً ٢٥
(25:25) And the day when the heaven shall burst asunder with the clouds, and the angels shall be sent down descending (in ranks).
Since the inflectional mood of the word yawma (day) is manṣūb, it is apparently an object for an omitted verb that is implied: “And remember the day when…” This verse talks about another day when the disbelievers shall see the angels, and that is the Day of Resurrection, as shown in the next verse: The kingdom on that day shall rightly belong to the most Merciful (). Concerning the implied verb for the word yawma (day) in this verse, the exegetes have made other suggestions, but there is no benefit in discussing them.
… shall burst asunder (tashaqqaqu) with the clouds (bil-ghamām)…: The original form of this word is tatashaqqaqu [but the first letter tāʾ is dropped in contraction]. It follows the verbal pattern tafaʿʿul, derived from the root shaqq, which means kharm (to pierce, to split, to tear). Tashaqquq means tafattuḥ (to open, to cleave, to unfold). Ghamām means “cloud,” in the sense that the cloud covers and blocks the light of the sun. Ghamām is derived from ghamm, which means satr (to cover, to veil).
There are two possible meanings for the preposition bāʾ in bil-ghamām:
(1) It indicates mulābasah (association, accompanying circumstance). The meaning of the verse would be: The heaven shall split open, while it is covered by clouds (that is, while it is cloudy).
(2) It means ʿan (of, from, through). The meaning would be: The heaven shall split open through the clouds, meaning that its opening will begin by the clouds or by the parting of the clouds.
Either way, the apparent meaning of the verse is that the heaven—including the clouds that cover it—will split apart on the Day of Resurrection. Then the angels that inhabit the heaven will descend from it, and the people will see them. Therefore, this verse is similar in meaning to these verses: And the heaven shall cleave asunder, so that on that day it shall be frail. And the angels shall be on the sides thereof ().
It is quite possible that what is said in this verse is meant in a metaphorical sense, where “clouds” refer to the veils of ignorance, and “the heaven” refers to part of the unseen which shall appear. Then the inhabitants of that realm, which are called “the angels” will come into view and will descent to the realm of the earth, which is the human world.
According to some exegetes, this verse is similar to the verse: They do not wait aught but that Allah should come to them in the shadows of the clouds along with the angels, and the matter has (already) been decided; and (all) matters are returned to Allah (). Therefore, what is meant here is that the clouds will split the heaven open. We already discussed this idea in our exposition of verse .
Referring to the Resurrection by the word tashaqquq (to burst asunder), instead of other words like tafattuḥ (to open up), is meant to convey a sense of terror. The same goes for using the indefinite form of the word tanzīlān, which conveys magnification and exaggeration.
الْمُلْكُ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْحَقُّ لِلرَّحْمنِ وَ كانَ يَوْماً عَلَى الْكافِرِينَ عَسِيراً ٢٦
(25:26) The kingdom on that day (yawmaʾidh) shall rightly belong to the most Merciful, and a hard day shall it be for the disbelievers.
That is: On that day, absolute and unconditional kingdom will be an established right of the most Merciful. This refers to the cancellation of the apparent means, and the disappearance of the connections between the various causes and effects in this world. As we have repeatedly said, what happens on the Day of Resurrection is the appearance of, and realization that, all rules, kingdoms and affairs are in the hands of God alone; and that no force, means or factor is independent in its effects. This is contrary to the apparent state of affairs that is visible to the eye in this world, before the occurrence of the Hour and before the return of everything to Him.
… and a hard day shall it be for the disbelievers: It will be a hard day for them because they relied on the apparent means during their lifetime, and plunged into the earthly life which is transitory and short-lived. Thus, they severed their tie with the true Cause of all events, Who is the real possessor of all kingdom. They cut themselves from their everlasting life and eternal bliss. That is why on that day they shall have no refuge or shelter.
Given the above explanations, al-mulk (the kingdom) is the subject, and al-ḥaqq (the right, the truth) is its predicate. The definite form of al-ḥaqq shows exclusivity. “On that day” (yawmaʾidh) is the temporal container for the abovementioned subject and predicate. What is meant by this qualification—“on that day—is that this fact will manifest and appear on that day. Otherwise, the kingdom always belongs to God. What distinguishes the Day of Resurrection is that it is that the means, forces and factors of the other realms fade away at that point. They no longer wield the power, influence and authority which they seemed to have on the surface.
Here are some other interpretations by the exegetes:
(1) Mulk (kingdom, sovereignty) in the verse means mālikiyyah (ownership, possession); its object is “that day”; and al-ḥaqq is the predicate of al-mulk.
(2) “On that day” is the container of an omitted attribute of al-ḥaqq.
(3) “On that day” means “the Day of God” (yawm Allāh).
(4) Yawmaʾidh is the predicate of al-mulk, and al-ḥaqq is an attribute for the subject [al-mulk].
These are all implausible views that are not worthy of discussion [given the context of the verse and our exposition above].
وَ يَوْمَ يَعَضُّ الظَّالِمُ عَلى يَدَيْهِ يَقُولُ يا لَيْتَنِي اتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ الرَّسُولِ سَبِيلاً ٢٧
(25:27) And the day when the unjust one shall bite (yaʿaḍḍu, from ʿaḍḍ) his hands saying: O! Would that I had taken a way with the Messenger!
Al-Rāghib says in al-Mufradāt:
ʿAḍḍ means “to bite with the teeth.” He says: They [the People of the Book] bite the ends of their fingers in rage against you (), and: And the day when the unjust one shall bite… (). This is an expression for remorse and regret, as per a common practice of people who bite their fingers when they are regretful.
This regret is reflected in what God narrates from them at the end of the verse and in the next verse: O woe is me! Would that I had not taken so-and-so for a friend! (). The disbelievers will wish that they had not missed their obligatory duties.
Apparently, “the unjust” in this verse has a generic meaning. It includes anyone who does not follow the messenger’s guidance. Similarly, “the messenger” is also meant in a generic sense. Nevertheless, even though “the unjust” and “the messenger” are meant as general titles, at the time of revelation, they particularly applied to “the unjust in this nation” and “Muḥammad”, respectively.
The meaning of the verse is: And remember the day when the unjust shall regret immensely, and shall say out of the intensity of their remorse: “O, I wish I had taken some way with the messenger; any way [with the messenger] would be better than this.”
يا وَيْلَتى لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ فُلاناً خَلِيلاً ٢٨
(25:28) O woe is me! Would that I had not taken so-and-so (fulānan) for a friend!
This verse is a continuation of the wish of the unjust person who shall grieve over his iniquity. Fulān (so-and-so) is an indirect and ambiguous way of talking about a male person. Fulānah is the same, but for a female. Al-Rāghib says, “Fulān and fulānah allude to human beings, while al-fulān and al-fulānah (with the article al-) allude to animals.”
The meaning of the verse is: “Woe is me! Such a disaster! I wish I had not chosen so-and-so as a friend.” This refers to someone that the person had befriended, had sought advice from, had listened to, and had wrongly followed.
One exegete has said that “so-and-so” (fulān) in the verse refers to Satan. Apparently, he made this interpretation based on the next verse, which talks about Satan forsaking the people. However, the thread and context of the verses do not support this interpretation.
The wording of this verse and the last one involve two subtle points: (1) The exclamation yā (O, Oh) is used to call someone, but in the last verse the sinners just say yā, without identifying whom they are calling: yā laytanī, “O! would that I…” (). This shows that they look for any means of rescue that can deliver them from their wretchedness. (2) In the current verse they again say yā, but they call out for their own wayl (woe, curse, devastation) as they say: ya waylatā, “O woe is me” (). This indicates that it becomes clear to them that nothing can ever free them from the punishment except death and destruction. Therefore, the two verses show a gradual escalation of their desperation and helplessness.
لَقَدْ أَضَلَّنِي عَنِ الذِّكْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ جاءَنِي وَ كانَ الشَّيْطانُ لِلْإِنْسانِ خَذُولاً ٢٩
(25:29) Certainly he led me astray from the reminder after it had come to me; and Satan fails to aid man.
This verse explains and justifies the wish mentioned above. The “reminder” (dhikr) is meant in an absolute sense, including all teachings of the messengers. It could also refer specifically to their scriptures—which, in case of Prophet Muḥammad, would be the Qur’an.
… and Satan fails to aid (khadhūlan) man: This is a comment made by God. It could also be an addition said by the unjust individual, stated out of grief and remorse.
Khudhlān refers to when one who is expected to help refuses to do so. Satan’s khudhlān is that he promises people that if they cling to the apparent means and instruments of this world and forsake their Lord, he will aid them in every difficulty. However, when these means are severed by the appearance of God’s dominance—either partially on the day of one’s death, or totally on the Day of Resurrection—Satan leaves those people alone and entrusts them to misery and wretchedness. God says: Like Satan when he says to man: Disbelieve, but when he disbelieves, he says: I am surely quit of you (). Also, part of what Satan will say [to the disbelievers] on the Day of Resurrection is, as narrates by God: I cannot be your aider (now) nor can you be my aiders; surely I disbelieved in your associating me with Allah before ().
The last three verses () involve an allusion, or rather a clear indication, that the main cause that leads to the error of those who err is their subscription to, and association with, people of base desires and Satan’s crew. This is indeed confirmed by what we observe around us.
وَ قالَ الرَّسُولُ يا رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي اتَّخَذُوا هذَا الْقُرْآنَ مَهْجُوراً ٣٠
(25:30) And the Messenger said: O my Lord! Surely my people have treated this Qur’an as a forsaken thing (mahjūran, from hajr).
“The Messenger” (al-rasūl) here refers to Muḥammad, because the verse specifically talks about the Qur’an. God refers to the Prophet as a “messenger” in order to assert his messengership and refute those who criticized his mission and disparaged his Book. Hajr means tark (to abandon, to leave, to forsake).
And the Messenger said…: Apparently, the conjunction “and” joins this statement to “the unjust one shall bite…” (). Therefore, this verse states a complaint that the Messenger will make to his Lord on the Day of Resurrection. The verb “said” is used in the past tense to indicate that this event will inevitably occur. The “people” (qawm) of the Prophet would be either all Arabs, who were of the same race as the Prophet, or rather all of the Prophet’s ummah (nation, audience), on the account of including disbelievers and wrongdoers.
Two alternative views are: (1) The conjunction “and” joins this verse to: And those who do not hope for Our meeting say… (). (2) “And” is not meant as a conjunction, but it simply marks a new statement. Both of these views mean that the verses in between [that is, verses -] were asides and parenthetical remarks. However, this is unlikely, given the flow and theme of the verses. Therefore, the verb “said” (qāla) has its own significance, and “people” (qawm) refers to those who criticized the Prophet’s message and derided his Book.
Another weak view by some exegetes is that mahjūr, in the verse, is derived from hujr, meaning “delirium, hallucination.” The unlikelihood of this view is obvious.
وَ كَذلِكَ جَعَلْنا لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ عَدُوًّا مِنَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ وَ كَفى بِرَبِّكَ هادِياً وَ نَصِيراً٣١
(25:31) And thus have We made for every prophet an enemy from among the sinners, and sufficient is your Lord as a Guide and a Helper.
In this verse, God comforts the Prophet by saying: As We let these sinners to be your enemy, We also made enemies for all prophets from among the sinners. This is part of Our ongoing custom with all prophets and their nations. Hence, do not be grieved by their enmity that you face, and let this not be too hard on you.
What is meant by “making enemies from among the sinners” is that God avenges the sinners for their disobedience by sealing their hearts. As a result, they oppose the truth and dislike the caller to truth, who is the Prophet. Therefore, their enmity can be attributed to God, in the sense that it is a matter of His retribution [for their wrongdoing and bad choice].
… and sufficient is your Lord as a Guide and a Helper: Given the context of the verse, this statement means: Let not their enmity and opposition frighten you; do not be afraid of them with regards to what happens to the people’s guidance and the spread of your religion among them. This is because your Lord suffices as a Guide: He guides whoever among the people deserves guidance and is prepared for it. Even though these individuals [that is, the polytheists] may deny and defy you, the guidance of the rest of the people does not depend on their misguidance. Your Lord also suffices as a Helper: He shall help you and your religion—which He sent you with—even if these individuals restrain their support from you and your religion. Therefore, this sentence expresses the sufficiency and independence [of God, His Messenger and His religion] from the sinners.
Given the above explanation, the first part of the verse serves to comfort the Prophet, and its subsequent part implies that he is needless of the sinners among his people. This sense of God’s support and sufficiency for the Prophet is confirmed by referring to God as “your Lord,” which highlights God’s attribute of Lordship (rubūbiyyah), and ascribes it personally to the Prophet in second person.
Examining Narrations
- In a hadith about how a disbeliever’s soul shall be seized at death, Imam al-Bāqir said: When it [the spirit] reaches the throat [], the angels will hit his face and his back, and he will be told: Give up your souls; today shall you be recompensed with an ignominious chastisement because you spoke against Allah other than the truth and (because) you showed pride against His communications (). This is the meaning of His words: On the day when they shall see the angels, there shall be no joy on that day for the guilty, and they shall say: A forbidden barrier! (). What they mean by saying this [that is, “a forbidden barrier”] is that “Paradise is absolutely forbidden and prohibited for you.”
- ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib said: Habāʾ [used in verse ] is a dusty wind that blows and goes away, such that nothing of it remains. God shall make their deeds like that.
- Sālim, the Mawlā (client, freedman) of Ḥudayfah has narrated from the Messenger of God: “On the Day of Resurrection, a group shall be brought forth with good deeds as high as the mountains of Tihāmah [a land extending from the Sinai Peninsula to near Yemen, including Mecca]. When they are brought forth, God will turn their deeds into dust. Then He will fling them into the Fire.” Then Sālim said, “May my parents be your ransom, O Messenger of God! Please describe these people for us.” The Prophet said, “They used to pray, fast, and [even] do some of the recommended rituals of the night [that is, the optional night prayer]; however, whenever they were faced with something unlawful, they would jump on it. That is why God will invalidate their [good] deeds.”
- Sulaymān b. Khālid says: Once I asked Imam al-Ṣādiq about God’s words: And We will proceed to what they have done of deeds, so We shall render them as scattered floating dust (). He said, “By God, their deeds were whiter than white Egyptian veils, but whenever they came across something unlawful they would not say ‘no’ to it.”
Author’s comment: This idea is narrated through more than one chain of transmission in al-Kāfī and other books from Imam al-Ṣadiq and his father.
- In a hadith describing a believer’s condition when he is placed in the grave, Imam ʿAlī said: Then those two [that is, the two angels], will extend his grave as far as his eye can see. Then they will open a door to Paradise for him and tell him, “Sleep peacefully, as a healthy youth sleeps.” Indeed, God says: The dwellers of the garden shall on that day be in a better abiding-place and a better resting-place ().
Author’s comment: As you can see, according to this narration, this verse is among verses which talk about the barzakh. The part of the hadith where the believer is told, “Sleep peacefully…” clarifies why the verse has talked about maqīl (resting-place, place of midday sleep). This means that the person will have an awakening afterwards [on the Day of Resurrection].
- Ibn ʿAbbās said: ʿUqbah b. Abī Muʿayṭ used to sit a lot with the Prophet and was fond of his speech [that is, the Qur’an], but he was finally doomed to damnation. Whenever ʿUqbah returned from a journey, he would prepare a meal and invite all the people of Mecca.
Once, when ʿUqbah had returned from a journey, he prepared a meal and invited the Messenger of God to it. The Prophet told him, “I would not eat from your food unless you testify that there is no god but Allah and that I am his messenger.” ʿUqbah said, “Eat, O my nephew!” “I shall not do so,” the Prophet replied, “until you say that.” Thus, ʿUqbah testified and the Prophet ate from his food.
This news reached Ubayy b. Khalaf, who was ʿUqbah’s friend. Ubayy went to him and said, “Have you embraced [his religion], O ʿUqbah?” ʿUqbah answered, “No, by God, I have not embraced [his religion]. The thing is that, the man came to me but refrained from eating unless I testified for him. I felt ashamed that he may leave my house without eating, so I testified for him, and he ate.” “I will not take this excuse from you,” Ubayy said, “unless you go to him and spit in his face.” Thus, ʿUqbah did so. The Messenger of God told him, “I shall not see you outside Mecca, except when your head is raised by the sword.” Indeed, ʿUqbah was captured as a slave in the Battle of Badr and killed. He was the only slave who was killed in that war.
Author’s comment: Concerning verse (Saying: O! Would that I had taken a way with the Messenger!), there is more than one narration saying that “the way” (al-sabīl) is ʿAlī. These narrations refer to a hidden layer of the Qur’an. They could also be an application of the verse, but they are not the verse’s interpretation.
Thus they had a similar expectation about God. In other words, they were effectively telling the Prophet: If you say that God is our Lord Whom we should serve, then we should be able to see Him just as we see the other lords whom we serve. (Trans.) ↩︎
Denying genus (jins) means denying all forms and kinds of something. (Trans.) ↩︎
Another possibility is: “It is prohibited for you to return to the world.” This meaning is especially possible because one of the meanings of ḥijr is “barrier,” as used in verse below. This idea is confirmed by verse . (Trans.) ↩︎
See verse . Barzakh is the intermediate realm between this world and the hereafter. (Trans.) ↩︎
See volume 3, pp. 218ff of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎
Here is an elaboration of this view: Ahwan (easier) and khayr (better) are both comparative adjectives, but they are not meant in the comparative sense in the above verses. The reason for this in verse is that nothing is easier to God than something else, because of His omnipotence. In verse , khayr (better) does not mean that sport is “good” but what is with God is “better.” Rather, all good is with God, and there is no good in sport. (Trans.) ↩︎
Ṣifah mushabbahah (also called ṣifah mushbihah) is an adjective that is similar to an active participle. It serves as an adjective, and it indicates the establishment, subsistence, and strength of a quality in the subject. (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, one should look at the context to see in what sense a comparative meaning can be justified. Otherwise, the mere verbal pattern of afʿal does not show that both sides of the comparison really possess the root quality. A counter example is this very verse, because the use of “better” does not mean that their deeds and ends are “really good” but they are good only in their impression and assumption. (Trans.) ↩︎
They subscribed to polytheism and wickedness, which result in hell as a consequence. The meaning would be: “Even if we grant that polytheism and wickedness are good, they are not worthy of being chosen because they are inseparable from hell as their consequence. The garden, which is a consequence of belief and Godwariness, is a much better choice. (Trans.) ↩︎
In this case the verse would be saying mockingly, “Such good place to abide and rest do the dwellers of hell have!” and then adding earnestly, “The dwellers of the garden…” (Trans.) ↩︎
See volume 3, pp. 135ff of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎
That is: The angels shall be sent down; such a mighty descending. (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, yawmaʾidh marks the time of the above statement. The meaning is: On that day the kingdom is the truth, and this one and only truth belongs to the most Merciful. (Trans.) ↩︎
The meaning would be: The ownership of that day is the right of the most Merciful. (Trans.) ↩︎
The meaning could be something like: The kingdom shall be the evident truth of that day, which belongs to the most Merciful. (Trans.) ↩︎
The meaning would be: True kingdom that belongs to the most Merciful will be on that day. (Trans.) ↩︎
Most English translations have interpreted al-ḥaqq (true) to be an adjective for al-mulk (kingdom), where they are separated by yawmaʾidh (on that day). This is arguably the most apparent and straightforward meaning for the verse, which springs to the mind at first. It is also confirmed by the definite form of al-mulk and al-ḥaqq. The meaning would be: On that day, true kingdom will belong to the most Merciful. (Trans.) ↩︎
“Any way” is inferred from the indefinite form of the word sabīlan (a way, some path). (Trans.) ↩︎
Ya waylatā can better be translated as: “I wish I would die”; “May I perish”; “Let me be dead.” (Trans.) ↩︎
Also see verse . (Trans.) ↩︎
The Prophet’s ummah would be all individuals who lived during his time or later. (Trans.) ↩︎
This means that the discussion of the hereafter in verses was a digression. The main discussion was a description of the Prophetic mission and the people’s reaction to it. Verse narrates what the disbelievers said, and verse narrates the Prophet’s response, both pertaining to this world. (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, this statement is apparently the Prophet’s complaint to God on the Day of Resurrection, as the author explained above. (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, clearly the first meaning which comes to mind is not that “the people treated this Qur’an as hallucinations,” but that “the people forsook this Qur’an in terms of their beliefs and practice.” (Trans.) ↩︎
That is: You are not alone in this, nor the first one to have enemies. (Trans.) ↩︎
A “lord” (rabb) is an owner that cares about, fosters, manages, and directs the affairs of his property toward its growth and perfection. (Trans.) ↩︎
See verses and . (Trans.) ↩︎
Tafsīr al-Burhān, on the authority of al-Jannah wa al-Nār, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Jābir b. Yazīd al-Juʿfī. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Razzāq, al-Fāryābī, Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn Abī Ḥātim. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Summūyah’s Fawāʾid. ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration. ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Aʿlā, and via another chain of narration, on the authority of Suwayd b. Ghaflah. ↩︎
This is concerning the verse: O woe is me! Would that I had not taken so-and-so for a friend! (). (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Abū Nuʿaym, through the chain of al-Kalbī, on the authority of Abū Ṣāliḥ. ↩︎
In other words, the verse has a general meaning which is not restricted to this one particular application. (Trans.) ↩︎