Verses 41–62
These verses describe some of the attributes of the disbelievers who were mentioned above—those who mocked God’s Book and His Message, and who denied God’s unity and the hereafter. The qualities mentioned in these verses are relevant to the disbelievers’ objections and demands in the previous verses. Some of these qualities are: deriding the Messenger, following worldly desires, serving gods that neither benefit them nor harm them, and arrogant refusal to prostrate before God.
Commentary
وَ إِذا رَأَوْكَ إِنْ يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلاَّ هُزُ واً أَهذَا الَّذِي بَعَثَ اللَّهُ رَسُولاً ٤١
(25:41) And when they see you, they do not take you for aught but a mockery (huzuwan): Is this he whom Allah has raised to be a messenger?
The plural pronouns and conjugations here, refer to “those who disbelieve” who were mentioned above (in verses and ). Huzʾ is a verbal noun that is synonymous with istihzāʾ (mockery, derision). In this verse, however, it has an objective meaning (that is, “one who is mocked”). The meaning of the verse is: When those who disbelieve see you, they only take you as someone to be mocked.
… Is this he whom Allah has raised to be a messenger?: This is a description of the disbelievers’ mockery. In other words, they used to ridicule the Prophet by saying this.
إِنْ كادَ ل َيُضِلُّنا عَنْ آلِهَتِنا لَوْ لا أَنْ صَبَرْنا ع َلَيْها وَ سَوْفَ يَعْل َمُونَ حِينَ يَرَوْنَ الْع َذابَ مَنْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلاً ٤٢
(25:42) He had well-nigh (in kāda) led us astray from (li-yuḍillanā ʿan, from iḍlāl) our gods had we not adhered to them patiently! And they will know, when they see the punishment, who is straying farther off from the path.
In this verse, the particle in is an elided form of inna (truly, indeed). Using the verb iḍlāl (misguiding, leading astray) with the preposition ʿan (from, of) effectively means “turning away” (ṣarf). “Had we not” introduced a conditional sentence, but its complement (called the apodosis) is omitted, because it is understood from the previous part of the verse. The meaning of the first part of the verse is: He was almost going to turn us away from our gods; had we not persisted with our gods—that is, had we not persisted in worshiping them—he would have surely turned us away from them.
… And they will know, when they see the punishment, who is straying farther off from the path: This is a word of caution, threat and warning to the disbelievers from God’s. It says that they are heedless of the punishment which they shall see in the near future. Then they will know for certain that they were astray and in error.
أَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَ ذَ إِلهَهُ هَواهُ أَفَأَنْ تَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ وَكِ يلاً ٤٣
(25:43) Have you seen him who takes his god to be his low desire (hawāhu)? Will you then be a protector over him?
Hawā is “an inclination of the soul that is not checked or controlled by reason.” In this verse, “taking one’s low desire as a god” refers to obeying and following one’s material desires instead of God. God frequently criticizes the following of desires in His Book, and counts ṭāʿah (obedience, subservience) of something as being equivalent to its ʿibādah (worship, service). He says: Did I not make a covenant with you, O children of Adam, that you should not serve the Satan? Surely he is your open enemy. And that you should serve Me ().
… Will you then be a protector over him?: This is a rhetorical question that implies a negation. God is telling the Prophet: “You are not a protector over a disbeliever; you are not in charge of him or his affairs so that you may lead him to righteousness. You are unable to do so as long as God has led him astray, and has cut off his means of guidance.” This is equivalent in meaning to these verses: Surely you cannot guide whom you love (), and: And you cannot make those hear who are in the graves (). The current verse [] is a concise version of what is expressed more elaborately elsewhere in the Qur’an: Have you then considered him who takes his low desire for his god, and Allah has made him err in having knowledge and has set a seal upon his ear and his heart and put a covering upon his eye. Who can then guide him after Allah? ().
Given the above explanation, the phrase “who takes (ittakhadha) his god to be his low desire” follows a natural order. “Takes,” in the verse, is a ditransitive verb [that is, a transitive verb that takes two objects]. The first object is “his god,” and the second object is “his low desire.” This classification of the words is compatible with the context of the verse, which is about the polytheism of the idolaters, their deviation from serving God to serving the idols, and their aversion from obeying the Truth. They turned away from obeying God to obeying their desires, which made polytheism seem fair to their eyes. They correctly realized that there is some god which they should obey, but they incorrectly took this god to be their low desires. Thus, they obeyed their desires instead of obeying the Truth [that is, God]. Therefore, the verse does not mean that they denied obedience and devotion altogether, but it means that they assumed their desires as their object of obedience. They mistakenly replaced the Truth, which is the real object of obedience, with their desire. The reader should reflect on this.
The above explanation should clarify the implausibility of what several exegetes have said—that “his low desire” is the first object of the verb “takes,” and “his god” is its second object. According to some exegetes, the second object is mentioned first because that is the main focus of the verse, which conveys a sense of surprise, as implied by the rhetorical question: Have you seen him who takes…? While according to others, the second object is mentioned first to convey exclusivity. The exegetes have plunged into a lengthy debate about this order, which we shall skip. Our exposition above should be sufficient, by the will of God.
أَمْ تَحْسَبُ أَن َّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَسْمَع ُونَ أَوْ يَعْقِلُونَ إِن ْ هُمْ إِلاَّ كَالْأَنْعامِ ب َلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلاً ٤٤
(25:44) Or do you think (am taḥsabu, from ḥusbān) that most of them do hear or understand? They are nothing but as cattle; nay, they are straying farther off from the path.
The Arabic particle am (lit. “or”) at the beginning of this verse does not signify an alternative conjunction that links to the previous verse. Ḥusbān (to think), in this verse, means ẓann (suppose, imagine, reckon). The plural pronouns here refer to the subject of the previous verse, in the sense that they applied to a collection of individuals. The contrast between samʿ (hearing) and ʿaql (understanding, reasoning) is important, because an individual has two means to making right decisions: (1) If people can apply their reasoning independently, then they can understand the truth on their own and thus follow it. (2) If they cannot apply their reasoning independently, then they can refer to, and follow, someone who can reason and discern the truth, assuming that they would not withhold their sincere advice from those who refer to them. Therefore, the path to growth and righteousness is either hearing or understanding. In this sense the verse is similar in meaning to the verse: And they shall say: Had we but listened or pondered, we should not have been among the inmates of the burning fire ().
The meaning of the verse is: Rather, do you suppose that most of them have the capacity to give an ear to the truth and follow it, or have the ability to understand the truth and follow it? If so, then you may hope for their guidance, and thus exert your utmost effort to call them to it.
… They are nothing but as cattle…: The first part of the verse is equivalent to saying: “Most of the disbelievers neither hear, nor understand.” Now, this statement explains and justifies that by saying that they are just like animals, in terms of lacking proper understanding and hearing. They only hear some sounds, but cannot discern the meaning.
… nay, they are straying farther off from the path: That is, they are farther off compared to the cattle. There are two reasons for this: (1) Animals do not rush toward and push for their harm, but these people prefer what harms them over what benefits them. (2) Although animals are astray from the right path, they are not created with faculties and means that would lead them to guidance. These people, however, have the faculties and means of guidance, yet they are straying.
Some exegetes have concluded, from this verse, that cattle have no knowledge of their Lord. However, the point of the verse is not to deny the animals’ knowledge of their Lord altogether. Neither does it deny the disbelievers’ knowledge of God altogether. Instead, the verse is primarily concerned with the faculty of reason, which is specifically found in human beings according to their nature, and which guides them to the truth. The disbelievers are veiled from following the direction of their reason due to following their desires. It is in this sense that the verse compares them to the cattle, who do not have that kind of cognition at all.
Some exegetes have answered the above view by saying that the verse is only about what is mentioned and apparent. However, there is no proof for this.
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلى رَب ِّكَ كَيْفَ مَدَّ الظِّلَّ وَ ل َوْ شاءَ لَجَعَلَهُ ساكِناً ث ُمَّ جَعَلْنَا الشَّمْسَ ع َلَيْهِ دَلِيلاً ٤٥ ثُمَّ قَبَضْناهُ إِلَيْنا قَبْ ضاً يَسِيراً ٤٦
(25:45-46) Have you not considered (the work of) your Lord, how He extends the shade? And if He had pleased, He would certainly have made it stationary; then We have made the sun an indication of it. Then We take it to Ourselves, taking gently.
These two verses, and what follows after—up to nine verses in total—provide illustrations for the previous verses. The last two verses—or rather, the last four—can be summarized as follows: God has sent His Messenger on a mission to guide the people to the right path, and to rescue them from error. Some people—whom God wills—find their way to guidance through his message. As with others—who take their god to be their low desires—are like beings that neither hear, nor understand; and thus, no one can guide them other than God.
The message of these verses [ff] is that, what was mentioned above about God sending guidance for humankind should not seem strange or unlikely, because God has many other astonishing acts and creations. They are all clear signs which show that His actions follow a consistent path. Some examples are:
(1) He has extended the shadow, with the sun indicating it and replacing it [].
(2) He has made the night a covering, has made sleep a rest, and has made the day a rising [].
(3) He has made the winds as bearers of good news; and by means of rain He revives the dead lands and quenches the thirst of cattle and people [].
Then, there are two more analogies for the believers and disbelievers, who differ in terms of guidance and error—yet they are all the servants of God, who live on the same land:
(1) They are like two waters, one being sweet and clean, the other being salty and bitter. God has placed them next to each other, but has drawn a barrier, and a forbidden barrier, between them [].
(2) They are like the water from which God has created humankind, whom He has divided into those of blood relationships and those of marriage relationships. Through these relationships He has diversified humankind, “and your Lord is Powerful” ().
The above explanation is an overview of what we can infer from reflecting on the content of these verses and their specific structure, which show how these verses connect to previous verses. Some exegetes have said that these verses are meant to explain some arguments for tawḥīd (monotheism, God’s unity), because the previous verses referred to the ignorance and error of those who turn away from it. However, the theme and context of the verses do not support this view, as we shall elaborate and clarify below.
As we said above, this verse [] is an analogy for the disbelievers’ immersion in ignorance and error, which God can lift as He wills by means of sending a messenger with a religious call to the truth. Given this analogy, “the extending of the shade” refers to after midday, when shadows grow gradually, extending from the west to the east as the sun approaches the horizon to set. They reach their maximum length at sunset, which is the beginning of the night. These shadows are ever on the move during this time, but had God wanted, He would have made them stationary.
Have you not considered (the work of) your Lord…?: This expression involves a shift of address. In the previous verses, God was the speaker, using first person plural form; but here, He is absent in third person singular. The reason for this transition is that this verse, and its subsequent verses, are meant to say that guidance is exclusively up to God, and that the Prophet has no say in it. God has not willed to guide the disbelievers. Error has extended over those who stray like the extending of shade, while the prophets’ messages and calls of truth oppose error and remove it like the sun that eliminates the shade. This is a general analogy for a universal custom that governs the extension of God’s mercy [at all times and in all nations]. Clearly, this address specifically applies to the Prophet, in the sense that it denies him from having the power to guide them [that is why “you” and “your” in the verse are in second person singular form]. As for the disbelievers, they are not worthy of being addressed here because they take their god to be their low desire, do not hear, and do not understand [].
… then We have made the sun an indication of it: This means that the sun is an indication for the existence of the shade. We realize the existence of shadows and their gradual expansions and contractions based on the presence, absence and extension of sunlight. Had it not been for the sun, we would be unaware of the existence of shades. A general cause that makes people perceive certain things is a change in the people’s condition, such as missing something after having them, or vice versa. When people miss what they used to have, they become mindful of its existence; and when they find what they did not have, they become aware of its non-existence. If something is fixed and stable, without any change of condition, then there is nothing to remind us to conceive and recognize it.
… then We have made the sun an indication of it: Here, again, the verse returns to the previous form of address, where the first person plural clearly indicates a sense of grandeur and magnificence.
In the subsequent verses, some parts are like the expression, “Have you not considered (the work of) your Lord?” () in terms of tone and address, such as: And He it is Who made the night… (), And He it is Who sends the winds… (), And He it is Who has merged the two seas (), and: And He it is Who has created man from the water… (). There are also some parts that are similar to the expression, “then We have made the sun” (), such as: and We send down from above pure water (), And certainly We have repeated this to them (), and: And if We had willed, We would certainly have raised… ().
ثُمَّ قَبَضْناهُ إِلَيْنا قَبْ ضاً يَسِيراً ٤٦
(25:46) Then We take it to Ourselves, taking gently.
That is: Then, We make the shade disappear as the sun shines and rises slowly, higher and higher, to the point where the shade is completely gone. God describes the disappearance and elimination of the shade as “taking it to Ourselves gently.” This expression indicates God’s absolute power, such that no action is difficult for Him to do. It also shows that when things are lost—after existing for some period of time—it does not mean that they are totally annihilated into non-existence. Rather, it they return to God.
Our interpretation above—that “the extending of the shade” refers to the period of time after midday, when shadows grow—is a unique interpretation and unprecedented by other exegetes. What the other exegetes have said, on the other hand, is implausible and incompatible with the theme and context of the verses. Here is a list of some of their suggested interpretations:
The verse refers to the extending of shadows between dawn (fajr) and sunrise.
It refers to the extending of shadows at night, between sunset and sunrise.
It refers to the appearance of a shadow when the sun shines on a solid object like a mountain, a building or a tree.
It refers to the day when God created the heaven and made it dome-shaped, then stretched the earth from beneath it, whereby the heaven’s shade fell on the earth.
The last one is the weakest of these interpretations.
وَ هُوَ الَّذ ِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْل َ لِباساً وَ النَّوْمَ سُباتاً وَ ج َعَلَ النَّهارَ نُشُوراً ٤٧
(25:47) And He it is Who made the night a covering (libāsan) for you, and the sleep a rest, and He made the day to rise up again.
The night is a libās (covering, clothes), in the sense that its darkness covers a person like a germent that one wears.
… and the sleep a rest (subātan), and He made the day to rise up again (nushūran): Based on al-Rāghib’s definition, subāt means qaṭʿ (termination, cessation); and nushūr means intishār (spreading, dispersion, dissemination). The meaning is: He has made sleep a termination and cease of activity, and has made the day a time of spreading out [from one’s home] to seek sustenance.
God covers the people by the night, disconnects them from activity and movement by its darkness [and by their sleep], and then brings about the day and spreads its light to make them rise again, work, and endeavor. God does these things just like He extends the shade, makes the sun indicator of it, and then takes the shade to Himself gently.
وَ هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ الرِّ ياحَ بُشْراً بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَحْمَتِهِ وَ أَنْزَلْ نا مِنَ السَّماءِ ماءً طَهُوراً ٤٨
(25:48) And He it is Who sends the winds as good news (bushran) before His mercy; and We send down from above pure water.
Bushr is an elided form of bushur, which is the plural of bushūr, meaning mubashshir (bearer of good news and glad tidings). In this verse, “His mercy” refers to rain. The meaning is: God is the One Who sends the winds as bearers of good news before His mercy.
… and We send down from above (al-samāʾ) pure water (ṭahūran): Samāʾ here, means “up, above,” which would be the atmosphere above the earth. It is said that ṭahūr is an adjective in an exaggerated form, meaning that rain water has the utmost degree of purity. It is pure itself, and also purifies other things. It removes dirt, takes away filth, and gets rid of defilement.
لِنُحْيِيَ بِهِ بَلْد َةً مَيْتاً وَ نُسْقِيَه ُ مِمَّا خَلَقْنا أَنْعاما ً وَ أَناسِيَّ كَثِيراً ٤٩
(25:49) That We may give life thereby to a dead land (baldatan maytan) and give it for drink, out of what We have created, to cattle and many people (anāsiyya kathīran).
The meaning of baldah is known (town, city, country), but in this verse it denotes a more general meaning of makān (place, location, land). The same general meaning is seen in the verse: And as for the good land (al-balad al-ṭayyib), its vegetation springs forth (abundantly) by the permission of its Lord (). This is why the adjective of baldah is mentioned in the masculine form: mayt. A “dead land” is one which has no plants growing in it. “Giving it life” means “making it grow plants.” Anāsī is the plural of insān (human).
The verse talks about the land being overcome by death and needing water for itself, its animals and its people. Then, God sends down pure water from the sky, with which He revives the dead land and quenches the thirst of the cattle and the people. This again, is similar to the analogy of extending of the shade, indicating it by the sun and eradicating the shade by the sun, as mentioned above.
وَ لَقَدْ صَرَّفْناهُ بَيْنَ هُمْ لِيَذَّكَّرُوا فَأَ بى أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ إِلاَّ ك ُفُوراً ٥٠
(25:50) And certainly We have turned it about among them that they may be mindful, but the greater number of people do not consent to aught except denying.
Given the apparent connection of this verse to the previous verse, the pronoun “it” in “turned it about” refers to “water” [in verse ]. “Turning it about them” means directing rain water away from one community to another from time to time, on a regular basis. Thus, it does not rain all the time in one place only, lest its people may perish; nor does it not rain at all in one place, lest its people may perish. Instead, it takes turns among them, such that every place gets its suitable and befitting share. Some have said that “turning it about” means “directing rain water away from one place to another.”
… that they may be mindful, but the greater number of people do not consent to aught except denying: This explains and justifies why water is turned about among them. The verse means: I swear that We have certainly turned water about, by distributing it among the people so that they may take heed and give thanks, but most of them refuse to do so and refrain from anything other than being ungrateful toward Our blessings.
وَ لَوْ شِئْنا لَبَعَثْنا فِي كُلِّ قَ رْيَةٍ نَذِيراً ٥١
(25:51) And if We had willed, We would certainly have raised a warner in every town.
It means: Had We wanted to raise a warner in every town to warn the people, and a messenger to convey Our message to them, We would have certainly done so. But instead, We have raised you [O Muḥammad] as a warner and messenger to all towns, because of your grand status and position in Our eye.
This is how the exegetes have interpreted the verse, which can be confirmed by the next verse, and is also compatible with the explanation that we suggested about the connection of the verses. Another possible meaning of the verse is: We are capable of raising a messenger in every town, but We only chose you because of some wisdom and consideration in doing so.
فَلا ت ُطِعِ الْكافِرِينَ وَ جاهِدْه ُمْ بِهِ جِهاداً كَبِيراً ٥٢
(25:52) So do not follow the disbelievers, and strive against them (jāhidhum, from mujāhadah) a mighty striving (jihādan) with it.
The letter fāʾ (so, then, therefore) at the beginning of the verse shows that this verse is mentioned as a conclusion of the previous verse. The pronoun “it” in “with it” refers to the Qur’an, as verified by the theme and context of the verses. Mujāhadah and jihād mean “exerting the utmost effort in one’s ability against the enemy.” Doing so “with the Qur’an,” means reciting the Qur’an to the disbelievers, explaining its realities to them, and leaving them no excuse.
The gist of the verse is that the Prophet should remove the veils of ignorance and heedlessness that have covered the hearts of the people, by clarifying the truth for them and leaving them no excuse. In doing so, the role of his divine mission can be compared to the examples given in the previous verses: (1) His message is like the sun, which indicates the extension of shades, and also eradicates them, by God’s command. (2) His message is also like the day, in contrast to the night and its rest. (3) Finally, his message is like the rain, which is sent to a dead land and its thirsty cattle and people. The verse means: We have sent you as a warner for all towns, so do not follow the disbelievers, because doing so would violate this universal practise of guidance. Instead, exert your maximum effort and ability to convey the message and complete your argument by means of the Qur’an, which comprises the true call. Strive with it a mighty striving.
وَ هُوَ الَّذِي مَرَجَ الْ بَحْرَيْنِ هذا عَذْبٌ فُ راتٌ وَ هذا مِلْحٌ أُجاجٌ وَ جَ عَلَ بَيْنَهُما بَرْزَ خاً وَ حِجْراً مَحْجُوراً ٥٣
(25:53) And He it is Who has merged (maraja) the two seas, one sweet and potable (ʿadhbun furāt), the other salty and bitter (milḥun ujāj); and between the two He has made a barrier (barzakhan) and forbidden barrier (ḥijran maḥjūran).
Maraja means “to mix, to blend.” Marīj [as an adjective] means “mixed, confused.” Water is called ʿadhb if it tastes good, and it is called furāt if it is very sweet and potable. On the other hand, water is called milḥ if it has undergone a change of taste, and it is called ujāj if it is very salty. Barzakh means “a boundary that separates between two things.” Ḥijran maḥjūran means that it is forbidden and prohibited for one water to mix with the other.
… and between the two He has made…: This expression clarifies the meaning of “the merging of the two seas” in the verse. It does not mean that the two seas are mixed into one another, but means that they are placed next to each other.
The conjunction “and” at the beginning of the verse, joins this verse to: And He it is Who sends the winds… (). This verse is an analogy for the religious message, in the sense that the message results in a distinction between believers and disbelievers. Although the two groups live in the same land and mingle with one another, they are nevertheless distinct from each other, as we mentioned at the beginning of this set of nine verses [under verses ].
وَ هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ م ِنَ الْماءِ بَشَراً فَجَعَل َهُ نَسَباً وَ صِهْراً وَ كان َ رَبُّكَ قَدِيراً ٥٤
(25:54) And He it is Who has created man (basharan) from the water, then He has made for him blood relationship (nasaban) and marriage relationship (ṣihran), and your Lord is Powerful.
Ṣihr means “in-laws, the relatives of one’s wife,” as narrated from al-Khalīl. Therefore, the word nasab refers to related individuals from the man’s side, while ṣihr refers to related individuals from the woman’s side; thus has been said. This interpretation is confirmed by the contrast between the two terms in the verse.
Some have said that in this verse, both nasab and ṣihr are meant in the genitive case, with an implied prefix dhū which has been omitted. The implied meaning of the verse would then be: “He has made humankind possessors of blood relationship and marriage relationship.” The pronoun “him” in the verse refers to bashar (human, mortal). It is also said that in this verse, al-māʾ (the water) means nuṭfah (sperm, seed, seminal fluid). It is also possible that al-māʾ refers to water in its absolute sense [as indicated by the particle al-], from which God created all living beings, as He says: And We have made of water everything living ().
The meaning of the verse is: “It is He Who has created from sperm—which is a type of water—the human being, and has divided it into two: possessors of nasab and possessors of ṣihr, meaning man and woman, respectively.” This is another example that conveys the same idea as the last verse: God preserves plurality in the midst of unity, and dispersal in the midst of union. Likewise, even though all humans are united in humanity and mingle with each other in the society, God maintains their differences in terms of belief and disbelief. He does so by sending messengers who lift the veil of error and misguidance, which would have covered the people were it not for the call to truth [by God’s messengers and religions].
… and your Lord is Powerful: Here God refers to Himself as “Lord” and ascribes it to the Prophet in the second person. The point of this ascription is the same as what we saw in the verse: Have you not considered (the work of) your Lord ().
وَ يَ عْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ ما لا يَنْفَعُهُمْ وَ لا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَ كانَ الْكافِرُ عَلى رَبِّهِ ظَهِيراً ٥٥
(25:55) And they serve besides Allah that which neither profits them nor causes them harm; and the disbeliever is a partisan (ẓahīran) against his Lord.
The conjunction “and” joins this verse to: And when they see you, they do not take you for aught but a mockery (). It is said that ẓahīr is synonymous with muẓāhir, derived from muẓāhirah, which means muʿāwanah (to assist, to help, to aid).
The meaning of the verse is: These polytheists and disbelievers serve others besides God, who do not benefit the people when they serve them, nor harm their worshipers if they stop serving them. The disbelievers are assistants of Satan against their Lord.
Apparently, “those who are served besides Allah” refer to the idols. Saying that “they cause the people no harm” does not contradict the harmfulness of idolatry. What the verse means is that these idols themselves have no harm, because they have no power to be able to do anything, but this does not necessitate that serving them is also harmless. Rather, serving the idols necessarily leads one to eternal punishment and wretchedness.
وَ ما أَرْسَلْناكَ إِلاَّ مُ بَشِّراً وَ نَذِيراً ٥٦
(25:56) And We have not sent you but as a giver of good news and as a warner.
That is: We have sent you only on a mission of giving good news and warnings. You are not in charge of anything beyond that. Hence, you are not held accountable if the people oppose their Lord and assist His enemy against Him, because they shall never cause God to be helpless. Rather, they only plot against themselves.
This is the meaning of the verse according to the context. Given this interpretation, what is said in this verse—“And We have not sent you but as a giver of good news and as a warner”—is similar to what was said previously: Will you then be a protector over him? (). The same idea is reiterated in two parts of the chapter.
Some exegetes have suggested: Here, God comforts His Prophet by saying that We have only sent you as a bearer of good news for the believers, and a warner for the disbelievers, so do not grieve over their lack of belief.
However, our interpretation [based on the context of the verse and its connection to the previous verses] should clarify the implausibility of this suggested view.
قُل ْ ما أَسْئَلُكُمْ عَلَي ْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ إِلاَّ مَن ْ شاءَ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَ إِلى رَبِّهِ سَبِيلاً ٥٧
(25:57) Say: I do not ask you any reward for it except for him who wishes to take a way to his Lord.
The pronoun “it” in “for it” refers to the Qur’an, in the sense that its recitation conveys God’s message to the people and fulfills the Prophet’s mission. God says: Surely this is a reminder, so whoever pleases takes to his Lord a way ( and ), and: Say: I do not ask you for any reward for it; nor am I of those who affect: It is nothing but a reminder to the nations ().
… except for him who wishes to take a way to his Lord: This is a disconnected exception that implies a connected exception, because the effective meaning of it is: “except that one should take a way to his Lord; whoever wants to do so.” It is along the lines of His words: The day on which property will not avail, nor sons, except for one who comes to Allah with a sound heart (), which means, “except coming to God with a sound heart; by anyone who may do so.” In both verses [ and ] what is meant is the action, although the verse mentions the subject who does that action instead of the action itself.
What the current verse implies is that if one takes a way toward God by answering the call of truth, this act counts as a reward for the Prophet. This shows the Prophet’s utmost selflessness and indifference to any financial or honorific reward from the people. It shows that the Prophet does not want anything from them except answering the call of God and following the truth. He does not require wealth, status, or any other conceivable payment in return for his service. Thus, the people shall rest assured about him, and should have no doubt about his sincerity.
The verse also qualifies their “taking a way” by their “wish” [as it says: him who wishes to take a way]. This shows their total freedom as far as the Prophet is concerned. There is no compulsion because the Prophet’s only duty from his Lord is to make warnings and give glad tidings to the people. He is not a guardian over them. The final matter is up to God to decide, and He will judge among them as He wills.
Say: I do not ask you any reward for it except for him who wishes to take…: After confirming that the Prophet’s mission is only to bear good news and warnings, God orders him to tell the people that he has no ulterior goal in calling to them, except that they accept his call and take a way toward their Lord. He has no other incentive whatsoever beyond that, such as gaining some sort of reward. Moreover, the people have total freedom of choice; they are not forced to accept the Prophet’s message. Thus, it is them and the call of truth: if they wish, they can believe; otherwise, they can disbelieve.
This is what concerns the Prophet: simply conveying the message, without expecting anything in return, without imposing God’s message on the people by force, and without avenging them by any punishment. What happens beyond that is left up to God; the Prophet should refer to and rely on Him about it, as indicated in the next verse: And rely on the Ever-living Who dies not ().
Here are some alternative views suggested by the exegetes:
The exception in the verse is disconnected, and the implied meaning is: “I do not ask of you any payment for my mission and delivering God’s message to you. However, if anyone wishes to pay me a compensation [for my religious mission], then he can instead pay charity in the way of God. This is what is meant by: take a way to his Lord.” This is the view of the majority of exegetes.
Comment: This is a weak interpretation that is neither supported by the verse’s content, nor by its context.
The exception in the verse is a connected exception, but the verse involves an omitted annexed noun (muḍāf). The implied meaning of the verse is: “Except the action of he who wishes to take a way to his Lord through belief and obedience alone, for I only call to these two things.”
Comment: This interpretation implies that the Prophet is asking for their positive response as his reward, which comforts their souls and assures them that he has no selfish interests. Therefore, this interpretation reduces to the same meaning that we mentioned above. The only problem with it is that it also assumes an omitted annexed noun, while omissions are not a primary choice in interpretation [of any text].
The exception in the verse is a connected exception, but the verse involves an omitted annexed noun. The implied meaning is: “I do not ask of you any reward for following me, except the reward of him who wishes…” In other words, I am happy with the reward that God will give me for the people’s belief, because “the guide to good is like its doer.”
Comment: The problem with this interpretation is that if it were the intended meaning, then the verse should have said, “except for him who takes a way to his Lord,” without qualifying it by the person’s wish. This is because reward is given for action, not for merely wishing an action.
وَ تَو َكَّلْ عَلَى الْحَيِّ الَّذ ِي لا يَمُوتُ وَ سَبِّحْ ب ِحَمْدِهِ وَ كَفى بِهِ بِذُنُوبِ عِبادِهِ خَبِيراً ٥٨
(25:58) And rely on the Ever-living Who dies not, and glorify Him with praise; and Sufficient is He as being aware of the sins of His servants.
In the previous verses, God clarified it to His Prophet that he is not responsible for anything other than conveying the message of truth to the people. God also ordered the Prophet to tell them two things: (1) his sole objective his mission is that they would accept Islam; and (2) they are free to choose whether to believe or not. In this verse, God complements the above theme by ordering the Prophet to take Him as his guardian, with regards to the affairs of the people. God is a Protector and a Guardian over everything, including the people; and He is well aware of the sins of His servants.
And rely on the Ever-living Who dies not…: That is: Take God as your guardian concerning their affair; He shall judge amongst them as He wills, and treat them as He sees fit. Indeed, He is a Guardian over them and over all things.
Instead of naming Allah, the verse describes Him as “the Ever-living Who dies not.” This is meant to explain and justify the verse’s command to rely on God. The implied argument is: Given that He is the Ever-living Who never dies, nothing can escape from Him and He does not miss anything. It thus follows that He can be relied upon.
… and glorify Him with praise…: That is: Declare God’s purity, clearness and exaltedness from weakness, ignorance, and any imperfection that does not befit His Sacred Precinct. Then, couple that with praise for Him by declaring His qualities of excellence.
This means that if God gives the people relief and bounties in order to draw them to doom step by step (istidrāj), then it is not due to His weakness or His ignorance of their sins. Similarly, if He hastens to punish them for their sins, then it is because His wisdom has necessitated so, and because their worth and capacity has called for it. Therefore, glory and praise belong to Him.
… and Sufficient is He as being aware of the sins of His servants: The purpose of this statement is to prove God’s unity in His actions and attributes. He is the sole authority Who manages the affairs of His servants; He alone is aware of their sins; and He alone judges among them. He does not need anyone else to help Him in His knowledge or judgment.
There are three descriptions in this verse and the next which complement one another: (1) “The Ever-living Who dies not,” which refers to God’s life. (2) “Sufficient is He…,” which refers to God’s knowledge and awareness [of everything]. (3) “Who created the heavens and the earth” (), which indicates God’s unity in His kingdom and direction of affairs. Adding them up, these statements affirm God’s life, knowledge and kingdom, which suffice to prove His qualification to be relied upon and taken a wakīl (representative, agent, guardian, delegate).
الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّماواتِ و َ الْأَرْضَ وَ ما بَيْنَه ُما فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ث ُمَّ اسْتَوى عَلَى الْعَ رْشِ الرَّحْمنُ فَسْئَلْ بِ هِ خَبِيراً ٥٩
(25:59) Who created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six periods, and He is firmly established on the Throne of authority; the Beneficent (al-Raḥmān), so ask from Him (Who is) Aware (fa-isʾal bihi khabīran).
Given the context and connection of the verses, the pronoun “Who” at the beginning of the verse refers to “the Ever-living Who dies not” in the last verse. This verse completes the explanation for the previous command: And rely on the Ever-living Who dies not (). A representative (wakīl), on whom one relies, must have a few qualities:
(1) Life [which was mentioned at the beginning of verse ].
(2) Knowledge, which was mentioned in: and Sufficient is He as being aware of the sins of His servants ().
(3) Authority to rule and manage. The current verse () refers to this condition by talking about God’s creation of the heavens and the earth, and His establishment on the Throne.
We have already discussed the first portion of this verse [Who created the heavens and the earth … and He is firmly established on the Throne of authority] in several parts of the previous chapters. As with the subsequent part—“the Beneficent, so ask from Him (Who is) Aware”—the theme and flow of the verse suggest that “the Beneficent” must be a predicate for an omitted subject, implying: “God is the Beneficent.” Then, a conclusion is drawn from this verse by saying: “So ask (fa-isʾal),” where the letter fāʾ indicates tafrīʿ (consequence, conclusion). The letter bāʾ (lit. “from, of, about”) in bihi (from Him) serves to connect the transitive verb “ask” to its object. It also implies that this question is important and worthy of attention and care to the command to ask God. The word khabīran (Aware) serves as ḥal (circumstantial qualifier): it indicates the condition of the pronoun in bihi (from Him).
The meaning of the verse is: God is the Beneficent Who is firmly established on the Throne of authority; He maintains the creation and directs the affairs by His mercy and grace; everything has begun from Him, and to Him everything returns. Therefore, ask Him about the fact of the matter and He shall inform you of it, for He is Aware.
Note that the word khabīr literally means “one who is informed.” Therefore, the statement “ask from Him (Who is) khabīr” implies that whatever God informs you about is the exact truth of the matter. It is similar to when someone says, “Ask me and I shall answer you in detail.” Putting it more simply, it is like the saying: “I’m your man!”
The exegetes have suggested many other interpretations for the last part of the verse: the Beneficent, so ask from Him (Who is) Aware. Some of their views are:
“The Beneficent” (al-Raḥmānu) is mentioned as a praise of God, standing on its own in the middle of the verse, and disconnected from the rest of the verse, as indicated by its marfūʿ inflection [indicated by the vowel u at its end].
“The Beneficent” is the subject, and its predicate is “so ask Him.”
“The Beneficent” is the subject, and its predicate is “Who,” at the beginning of the verse.
“The Beneficent” is a substitute (badal) for the pronoun “He” in “He is firmly established” (istawā).
“Ask Him” is the predicate of “the Beneficent,” and the letter fāʾ (lit. “so, then”) in fa-isʾal is al-fāʾ al-faṣīḥah (revealing or clarifying fāʾ). This is the same as number (2) above.
“So ask Him” is an independent phrase that is mentioned as a conclusion of its previous part. The letter fāʾ indicates consequence and conclusion (tafrīʿ). The letter bāʾ in bihi means “who is…”
The letter bāʾ in bihi means ʿan (about), and the pronoun in bihi either refers to God or to the previous part of the verse about His creation of the universe and His establishment on the Throne.
Khabīran describes the state of the pronoun in “Ask Him.” The meaning would be: “Ask God while He is Aware.”
Khabīran is the [second] object of the verb “ask” [that is, one who is asked] and the letter bāʾ in bihi means ʿan (about). The meaning would be: “Ask someone who is aware about the Beneficent—or about the story of God’s creation and establishment.”
The exegetes have also suggested many individuals for who is being referred to by khabīr (aware):
God.
Gabriel.
Muḥammad.
Those who had read the previous scriptures, who were familiar with God’s attributes and actions, and who knew about how the universe was created and brought into existence.
Anyone who has knowledge of these realities.
Most or all of these diverse views do not comply with what is understood from the theme and context of these noble verses. Thus, there is no reason to talk about them or discuss them in detail.
وَ إِذا قِيل َ لَهُمُ اسْجُدُوا لِلرَّح ْمنِ قالُوا وَ مَا الرَّحْمنُ أ َ نَسْجُدُ لِما تَأْمُر ُنا وَ زادَهُمْ نُفُوراً ٦٠
(25:60) And when it is said to them: Make obeisance to the Beneficent, they say: And what is the Beneficent? Shall we make obeisance to what you bid us? And it adds to their aversion.
This verse marks another one of the people’s mistreatments of God’s Messenger and his call to truth. It refers to their arrogant refusal and aversion to prostrate before God when they are called to do so. This verse has a specific connection to the previous verse, because it mentions the title al-Raḥmān (the Beneficent), which was described in the last verse. Thus, the article al- (“the” in “the Beneficent,” al-Raḥmān) could be a definite article.
And when it is said to them: Make obeisance to the Beneficent…: The pronoun “them” refers to the disbelievers. The speaker who says this phrase to them is the Prophet, as inferred from their response: Shall we make obeisance to what you bid us? The verse does not explicitly identify the Prophet as their audience in order to show that their arrogant behavior is really opposition to God.
… they say: And what (mā) is the Beneficent?…: By using the word “what” (the particle mā) instead of “who” (the particle man), the disbelievers ask the Prophet about the reality and “whatness” of God, pretending to be totally ignorant about Him. This language itself stems from their pride and arrogance against God. Otherwise, they would have simply asked, “And who is the Beneficent?” This question from the disbelievers is similar to what Pharaoh asked Moses when Moses called him to the Lord of all realms: And what is the Lord of all realms? (). It is also similar to Abraham’s question: What are these images to whose worship you cleave? (). In questions like these, the one asking the question implies that he does not know anything about the subject that he is asking about, except its name. In this sense, it is similar to what Prophet Hūd said to his people: What! Do you dispute with me about names which you and your fathers have given? ().
… Shall we make obeisance to what (li-mā) you bid us?…: Here again, the disbelievers refer to God by the word “what” (mā), which shows their disrespect and adamant arrogance. They also use the word amr (bidding, command, order) in reference to what the Prophet told them—“Make obeisance”—which implies a sense of mocking and derision.
… And it adds to their aversion: The conjunction “and” joins this sentence to “they say.” The pronoun “it” in “it adds” refers to the Prophet’s command to “make obeisance to the Beneficent.” The meaning is: When they are told to prostrate [before God], they show arrogance and it only adds to their aversion.
It is narrated that once the disbelievers saw the Prophet and his Companions prostrating, whereby they turned away from them in a disparaging manner. Based on this account, some exegetes have said that the pronoun “it” in “it adds” refers to the Prophet’s act of sujūd (obeisance, prostration). However, this is not a plausible view, because the occurrence of an event cannot define the meaning of a text as long as there is no reference to that event in the text, which is the case with the current verse. The verses make no reference to this story whatsoever.
تَبارَكَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ فِ ي السَّماءِ بُرُوجاً وَ جَعَلَ فِيها سِراجاً وَ قَمَراً مُنِ يراً ٦١
(25:61) Blessed is He Who made the strongholds (burūjan) in the heavens and made therein a lamp and a shining moon.
In this verse, “lamp” (sirāj) refers to the sun, as seen in the verse: And He made the sun a lamp (). Apparently, the word burūj (constellations, mansions, strongholds) refers to either of two things: (1) the solar and lunar mansions in the sky; or (2) the stars that are in the heavens. We discussed this under the verse: And certainly We have made constellations in the heaven and We have made it fair seeming to the beholders. And We guard it against every accursed devil (). These constellations are specifically called burūj (lit. “tower, castle”) in order to signify their aspect of being guards and missiles [against the devils], as mentioned in verses .
According to the exegetes, this verse proves that there is a Single Director for the heavens and the earth, because of the astonishingly uniform and consistent system that governs both the heavens and the earth. Hence, one should direct one’s service to the Sole Director of the universe, and should turn one’s face toward Him alone.
However, having pondered over the connection between this verse, the previous verses, and the overall theme of these verses, we find that this interpretation is not plausible. The last verse talked about the disbelievers’ defiance against the Beneficent when they are ordered to prostrate before Him, and their mocking of His Messenger. These themes, in the last verse, are not directed to an argument for the unity of God’s Lordship. Instead, it is more relevant to say that the current verse [] is about God’s dominance and needlessness. It says that the disbelievers cannot render God helpless by these actions that they do, and can never step out of His kingdom and authority.
Blessed is He Who made the strongholds in the heavens…: Given the above contemplation, this verse serves to indicate God’s dominance and needlessness, and that the disbelievers cannot defeat God by being arrogant against Him and deriding His Messenger. They are blocked from getting close to the Holy Precinct of God and rising to the heaven of His proximity; that is, they have no access to divine teachings. This [spiritual] heaven, nevertheless, shines brightly for God’s servants who have a special connection with Him, because God has illuminated the heaven by the light of His guidance, which is the light of the message [brought by Muḥammad].
God praises Himself here by saying that “He is Blessed” (tabāraka). He praises Himself for having done two things: (1) He has created guarded constellations which fend off the devils with flames in the physical universe. (2) He has made a luminous sun and a shining moon in order to illuminate the physical world. These physical examples are used as an illustration of His real illumination of the human world by the light of guidance through messengership, which gives insight and understanding to His true servants. That is why the chapter continues to describe these special servants of God [in verses ff]. The guarded constellations, with their repelling flames, also represent how God prevents the agents of the devils from rising toward Him.
The above explanation is what we can infer from the context and thread of the verse, which is consistent with the overall theme of this set of verses, as we mentioned under the verse: Have you not considered (the work of) your Lord, how He extends the shade? (). What we said here is not a hidden or esoteric interpretation (taʾwīl) of the verses. In other words, it does not dismiss or deviate from the apparent meaning of the text.
وَ هُوَ الَّذِي جَع َلَ اللَّيْلَ وَ النَّهارَ خِلْف َةً لِمَنْ أَرادَ أَنْ يَذ َّكَّرَ أَوْ أَرادَ شُكُوراً ٦٢
(25:62) And He it is Who made the night and the day to follow each other (khilfah) for him who desires to remember or desires to be thankful.
Khilfah means “the replacement of something by something else, and vice versa.” The verbal pattern fiʿlah signifies nawʿ (type, kind) and serves as an adjective. Therefore, khilfah should be interpreted as an adjective for night and day. It means that each of them replaces the other in a way. Then, this notion of replacement is qualified by, “for him who desires to remember or desires to be thankful,” which indicates that each of those creations can take the place of the other for the purpose of invoking God and giving thanks to Him.
Given the contrast between “remembrance” and “thankfulness” in this verse, we can interpret them as follows: (1) “Remembrance” refers to being mindful of one’s inherent knowledge about God. The innate human nature and disposition (fiṭrah) points to the unity of one’s Lord, and the names and attributes that He deserves. Hence, “remembrance” boils down to belief in God. (2) “Thankfulness,” on the other hand, refers to speech or action that shows one’s appreciation of God for the blessings that He has bestowed upon the person. Therefore, “thankfulness” boils down to God’s ʿibādah (service, worship), and consequently righteous deeds.
The verse implies God’s domination and/or His grace over His servants, by creating the night and the day in such a way that each of them replaces the other. Thus, if one fails to be a believer in one period of time, he can make up for it in the other, and if one misses an act of worship or any righteous deed in either of these two times, he can do it in the other.
The above interpretation is what we can infer from the verse, which is also relevant to the previous verse, where it says: and made therein a lamp and a shining moon (). It means that even though God has blocked the arrogant disbelievers from rising to His Precinct of Proximity, He has not prevented His servants from seeking proximity to Him and benefiting from His light. He has illuminated the day by a bright sun, has illuminated the night by a shining moon, and has made the two follow one another. Thus, if one misses to remember Him or thank Him in one of them, he can do so in the other.
Some exegetes have interpreted “remembrance” as the obligatory prayers, and “thankfulness” as the recommended prayers. This is one possible application of the verse, but the verse cannot be restricted to this application.
Examining Narrations
- Concerning verse (Have you seen him who takes his god to be his low desire?), the Messenger of God said: Among the gods that are served besides Allah under the shade of the sky, none is greater to Allah [in evil and reprehensibility] than one’s desires which is complied with.
- Concerning verse (Have you not considered (the work of) your Lord, how He extends the shade?) Imam al-Bāqir said: The shade refers to the period between dawn and sunrise.
- Concerning verse (And He it is Who has created man from the water…), Ibn Sīrīn said: This verse was revealed about the Prophet and ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib. ʿAlī was both the cousin and the son-in-law of the Prophet, as he was married to Fāṭimah. He was both, a nasab (blood-related), and a ṣiḥr (marriage-related).
- Concerning “and the disbeliever is a partisan against his Lord” (), Ibn ʿAbbās said: It refers to Abū al-Ḥakam b. Hishām, whom the Messenger of God named Abū Jahl.
Author’s comment: The last two narrations are more probably cases of jary wa taṭbīq (stating a particular application in conformity to the universal sense of the verse).
- Concerning “Blessed is He Who made the strongholds (burūjan) in the heavens” () Imam al-Bāqir said: Burūj (constellations, strongholds) are the stars. The constellations of spring and summer are: 1. Aries the Ram (Ḥamal); 2. Taurus the Bull (Thawr); 3. Gemini the Twins (Jawzā); 4. Cancer the Crab (Saraṭān); 5. Leo the Lion (Asad); 6. Virgo the Virgin (Sunbulah). The constellations of fall and winter are: 7. Libra the Balance (Mīzān); 8. Scorpio the Scorpion (ʿaqrab); 9. Sagittarius the Archer (Qaws); 10. Capricorn the Goat (Jady); 11. Aquarius the Water Bearer (Dalw); 12. Pices the Fishes (Ḥūt). They add up to twelve constellations.
- Imam al-Ṣādiq said: If you miss anything at night [of the obligatory or supererogatory acts of worship], you can compensate it in the [next] day. God says: And He it is Who made the night and the day to follow each other for him who desires to remember or desires to be thankful (). It means that if one misses something in the night, he can make up for it in the day; and if one misses something in the day, he can make up for it in the night.
In Arabic, a maṣdar (verbal noun, infinitive, gerund) is sometimes used instead of a subject or object, usually for emphasis. In this verse, this usage means that all of their interaction and dealing with you is that of derision and mockery. (Trans.) ↩︎
That is, the phrase in kāda, is in fact innahu kāda, where the stress in the particle inna has been omitted, whereby the pronoun -hu would also drop. (Trans.) ↩︎
It could also be that the verse simply involves a change of order, where the complement (apodosis) is mentioned before the condition (called the protasis). This is a more apparent interpretation, and requires no omission in the verse. Either way, the meaning would be the same. (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, the disbelievers’ problem is not that they reject to obey anyone or anything. Rather, their problem is how they apply this in practice. They know and accept that there is someone to obey (called a “god”) but they take this god to be their low desire. If we interpret the two objects of the verb “take” in the opposite order—that is, “Have you seen him who takes his low desire to be his god”—then it would mean that they totally dispense with the idea of having a god to obey, without going about to find an instance or application for it. (Trans.) ↩︎
The case of surprise would mean: “Is it not strange that some people take their low desire to be their god?” It is surprising because desire is the last thing to be taken as a god. The case of exclusivity would mean: “Have you seen people those who have no god to be obeyed except their low desire?” (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, it serves as a transition to a new statement in this verse. (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, some have said that the verse only pertains to the apparent sense and impression that animals have no understanding, but it should not be taken as literally or factually. The author’s answer is that there is no argument to prove this view. (Trans.) ↩︎
This is called the majestic plural, or the royal “we.” (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, the verses alternate between first person singular and first person plural. (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, even though baldah is feminine, it has taken a masculine adjective (mayt) on the account of its meaning (makān) which is masculine. (Trans.) ↩︎
The expression, “and certainly We have turned about” appears in three other places in the Qur’an (, , ), all of which are about providing a variety of examples and clarifications for the people in the Qur’an, and all of which end with the disbelief and aversion of the people. One can especially see a close connection between the current verse [] and the verse: And certainly We have explained for men in this Quran every kind of similitude, but most men do not consent to aught but denying (). Given this Qur’anic evidence, it could be that the pronoun “it” in the current verse refers to God’s communications and warnings in the Qur’an. Note that the author makes a similar interpretation about the pronoun “it” in verses and below. (Trans.) ↩︎
In this case the connection would be that the Prophet’s message and warning would be like the sun which takes away the extended shade of ignorance and error. (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, the verse resumes the discussion about the signs of God. (Trans.) ↩︎
Apparently, what is meant is that nasab includes individuals that connect to one through one’s father, brother, or son; while ṣihr includes individuals that connect to one through one’s mother, sister, or daughter. (Trans.) ↩︎
The prefix dhū indicates possession. It literally means, “possessor of…” (Trans.) ↩︎
The point, as discussed above in detail, is that the address is specifically made to the Prophet because it is a matter of guidance, in which he has no say because only God is the All-Powerful. As for the disbelievers, they are not worthy of being addressed because they follow their base desire. (Trans.) ↩︎
The exception in both verses is disconnected (munqaṭiʿ), because what is excepted is a “person” while the subject of the previous part is an action or attribute, not “people.” However, they both reduce to connected (muttaṣil) exceptions because what is meant by the “excepted person” is the action or attribute of such a person. (Trans.) ↩︎
This is a famous Prophetic hadith which encourages people to help and guide others to do good deeds. (Trans.) ↩︎
The suggested interpretation is saying that the Prophet is only interested in the reward that God will give him for being a means for others to believe. The other’s objection is that such reward would materialize when the people actually believe, not when they wish to believe. Therefore, it is incompatible with the text of the verse. (Trans.) ↩︎
See the author’s discussion under verses , and . (Trans.) ↩︎
The verb “ask” is itself transitive, but the addition of bihi shows emphasis. Therefore, the last part of the verse means: “Ask God Who is Aware,” where the Prophet is told to refer to God for information. (Trans.) ↩︎
The meaning would be: “Ask God Who is Aware,” or “Ask God while He is Aware,” which implies justification. That is: “Ask God because He is Aware.” (Trans.) ↩︎
Based on the author’s interpretation, the verse tells the Prophet to ask God, without specifying what to ask about. That is why the author has interpreted this in an absolute sense: “Ask Him about the fact of the matter.” In other words: “Refer to God for any question that you may have.” Most English translations have interpreted this otherwise: “Ask about God from someone who is aware and knowledgeable,” where the Prophet is told to refer to someone who is aware—such as Jewish scholars—in order to verify God’s abovementioned qualities. What strengthens the author’s interpretation is that the Qur’an always uses the attribute khabīr (aware) in reference to God, which adds up to 45 times. The following Qur’anic evidence is also insightful and much relevant to the current discussion: and none can inform you like the One Who is Aware (). ↩︎
The Arabic expression is: ʿalā al-khabīr saqaṭta, which literally means, “You have fallen on the person who knows.” In other words, “You have come across the right person for it.” (Trans.) ↩︎
That is: “He is the Beneficent,” with a tone of praise. Being “disconnected” means that the word is neither a subject nor a predicate for any other part of the verse, or for any omitted part. (Trans.) ↩︎
The meaning would be: “The Beneficent is the One Whom you should ask.” (Trans.) ↩︎
That is: “He Who created the heavens… is the Beneficent.” (Trans.) ↩︎
The meaning would be: “He, the Beneficent, is firmly established on the Throne.” Badal works much like a pronoun, in the sense that it replaces another word. In some cases, like this one, it functions similar to an apposition in English. (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, the letter fāʾ does not show a conclusion that is made from the previous part of the verse, but it is meant to clearly outline and emphasize the command “ask Him.” (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, “the Beneficent” is neither a subject nor a predicate for the command at the end of the verse: So ask Him… This can correspond to any of the first four suggested views above for “the Beneficent” (al-Raḥmān). Note that in the English translation of the verse used here, the role of “the Beneficent” is kept ambiguous in conformity to the original Arabic. Thus it is open to many interpretations. (Trans.) ↩︎
The meaning would be: “Ask Him Who is Aware,” referring to God; or “Ask him who is aware,” referring to Jewish scholars. (Trans.) ↩︎
If the pronoun refers to God, the meaning would be, “Ask about God from one who is aware.” If the pronoun refers to God’s creation and establishment the meaning would be, “Ask about God’s creation of the universe and His establishment on the Throne from one who is aware.” It could also be that “who is aware” refers to God, meaning that the Prophet is ordered to ask God about Himself or about His creation and establishment. (Trans.) ↩︎
In this case, the verse would not be addressed to the Prophet, even though it is in the second person singular. Instead, it orders any listener or reader to refer to the Prophet in order to learn about God and His creation. (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, the previous verse () defines al-Raḥmān, and this verse () refers to the same al-Raḥmān Who was just described. (Trans.) ↩︎
The use of a strong term—like amr (command)—shows their sarcastic tone. It effectively means, “Who are you to bid us what to do and what not to do?” It is like when one ridicules another person by saying, “Yes, Your Majesty! You may command as you wish!” (Trans.) ↩︎
The overall theme of the verses is about God’s guidance through sending a messenger, and the contrast between believers and disbelievers. (Trans.) ↩︎
Apparently, “vice versa” here, means that khilfah is “a mutual replacement between two things” as is the case between night and day. Another possibility is that khilfah means “either replacing another thing or being replaced by another thing.” This possibility is also true about day and night. (Trans.) ↩︎
Note that this narration implicitly sets ittibāʿ (following, complying with, obedience) equal to ʿibādah (service, worship). (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of al-Ṭabarānī, on the authority of Abū Umāmah. ↩︎
Tafsīr al-Qummī, on the authority of Abū al-Jārūd. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Jarīr and Ibn Mardawayh. ↩︎
Tafsīr al-Qummī, on the authority of Abū al-Jārūd. ↩︎
Man lā yaḥḍuruhu al-faqīh. ↩︎