Verses 59–81
The previous verses presented a sample of stories that God recounted about His consistent custom regarding humankind. He guides His servants and shows them the path of salvation in this life. He honors those who follow His direction to the straight path by choosing them and blessing them with magnificent favors. As with those who set partners for Him, turn away from His remembrance, and plot against Him, He seizes them by uprooting punishment and excruciating pain.
Here God makes a transition from those stories to praising Himself and sending peace upon His chosen servants. He explains that only He is worthy of worship, not any of the partners that the people associate with Him. Then He moves on to discuss His oneness, the truth of the hereafter, and other relevant beliefs. Thus the flow of the verses in the chapter is comparable to the flow of the verses in Chapter 19 (Maryam), which we discussed above.
Commentary
قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَ سَلامٌ عَلى عِبادِهِ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفى آللَّهُ خَيْرٌ أَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ٥٩
(27:59) Say: Praise be to Allah and peace be upon His servants whom He has chosen: is Allah better, or what they associate (with Him)?
By recounting the stories of prophets and their nations in the previous verses, God outlined His ongoing custom in dealing with the previous nations. This includes how He treated their believers by choosing them and blessing them with abundant favors, as in the case of their prophets, and how He treated their disbelievers with punishment and destruction. Of course, He only does what is good and appropriate, and His custom follows His infinite wisdom. In this verse, God orders His prophet to praise and glorify Him, and to send peace upon His chosen servants. Then He asserts that He alone is the One Who shall be served and worshiped.
Thus, the verse involves a transition from telling stories to praising, sending peace and declaring God’s unity. These are not mentioned as a conclusion to the previous discussion, although they effectively serve that purpose. Otherwise, the verse should have started by the letter fāʾ (so, thus, therefore), which indicates consequence and conclusion.
Say: Praise be to Allah…: This is an order to praise God. The previous verses showed that the creation and management of everything go back to Him; He is the bestower of every good according to His wisdom; and He is the doer of every gracious action by His power. Therefore, this verse says that all praise ultimately belongs to Him.
… and peace be upon His servants whom He has chosen…: The conjunction “and” shows that the command “Say” also applies to this part of the verse. Therefore, this sentence is also part of what is ordered to be said. When one sends peace upon these chosen servants, it means that he must have removed any opposition or resistance that might be in his soul against them, for they bear God’s guidance and its splendid fruits. This is what sending peace (salām) necessitates. Hence, the order to send peace involves an implicit order to prepare oneself for accepting what they have brought: their message of guidance and its implications. This is in a sense equivalent to the verse: These are they whom Allah guided, therefore follow their guidance (). The reader should reflect on this.
… is Allah better, or what they associate (with Him)?: This is a continuation of God’s address to the Prophet. The question is rhetorical and is meant to make the audience acknowledge what is being said. The verse is effectively saying: Given that all praise is due to God and that He chooses His special servants, it follows that He is better than their gods whom they serve, for these gods have neither created anything nor direct any affair to be praised for it. Nor do they possess any good to bestow upon their worshipers.
أَمَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّماواتِ وَ الْأَرْضَ وَ أَنْزَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ السَّماءِ ماءً فَأَنْبَتْنا بِهِ حَدائِقَ ذاتَ بَهْجَةٍ ما كانَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تُنْبِتُوا شَجَرَها أَ إِلهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ يَعْدِلُونَ ٦٠
(27:60) Rather, He Who (am-man) created the heavens and the earth, and sent down for you water from the sky; then We cause to grow thereby delightful gardens (ḥadāʾiq dhāt bahjah); it is not possible for you that you should make the trees thereof to grow. Is there a god with Allah? Nay! They are people who deviate.
Ḥadāʾiq is the plural of ḥadīqah, which means “a garden that is surrounded and fenced by walls.” Dhāt bahjah (delightful) is an adjective for gardens. Majmaʿ al-bayān says:
Dhāt bahjah means possessor of a beautiful scene that delights the viewer. Since it is mentioned in the singular, it indicates that it is the quality of gardens as one unit. Otherwise, if the verse wanted to describe each garden individually, it would have said dhawāt bahjah (in plural).
The particle am (lit. “or”) at the beginning of the verse is disconnected from the previous verse, and it implies the meaning of “nay” or “rather.” The particle man (He Who…) is a subject whose predicate is omitted. The question in the verse is rhetorical, intended to make them acknowledge the truth. The verse only mentions one side of the comparison; the other side is omitted. The omitted parts can be inferred from the context as follows: “Rather, is He Who created the heavens and the earth… better, or what they associate with Him?” The next four verses follow the same style.
The verse is saying: “Rather, is He Who created the heavens and the earth, and sent down for you”—that is, for your benefit—“water from the sky”—that is, rain—“then We cause to grow thereby”—that is, by that water—“delightful gardens”—that is, green and fresh gardens—“it is not possible for you”—that is, it is not up to you and within your ability—“that you should make the trees thereof to grow. Is there a god with Allah?” —the last part implies censure and rebuke.
The verse switches from the third person to the second person when it addresses the polytheists [in “and sent down for you water…”]. The point in this transition is to intensify the rebuke by directly addressing the audience instead of assuming them to be absent. The context of the previous verses can be compared to a case where a master is speaking to some of his elites about his disobedient servants who shirk from his service and complains about them, while the disobedient servants can also hear. Then, once he has presented his argument and evidence against them fully—as God says, “is Allah better, or what they associate (with Him)?” ()—his excitement and frustration intensifies; therefore he addresses those servants directly after having turned his back to them. In like manner, God starts making the polytheists acknowledge the truth by reminding them of one sign after another, denying their association of partners for Him, and rebuking them for it. In these verses, God censures the polytheists because: (1) they have deviated and turned away from Him to others []; (2) most of them do not know []; and (3) it is seldom that they heed []. Meanwhile, He is exalted beyond their association of partners with Him [], and they have no proof or argument for the gods that they serve [].
… Nay! They are people who deviate (yaʿdilūna): That is: They deviate from the truth to falsehood, from God to other than Him. Some exegetes have said: It means that they set others equal (ʿidl) to Him and equate between the two sides [another meaning of yaʿdilūna, other than “to deviate and turn away”].
Either way, this sentence is addressed to the Prophet, which means another shift from the second person to the third person with regards to the polytheists. This transition is to indicate that there is no point in persuading them to follow the truth because they deviate from it.
أَمَّنْ جَعَلَ الْأَرْضَ قَراراً وَ جَعَلَ خِلالَها أَنْهاراً وَ جَعَلَ لَها رَواسِيَ وَ جَعَلَ بَيْنَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ حاجِزاً أَ إِلهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لا يَعْلَمُونَ ٦١
(27:61) Rather, He Who made the earth a resting place (qarāran), and made in it (khilālahā) rivers, and raised on it mountains (rawāsī) and placed between the two seas a barrier (ḥājizan). Is there a god with Allah? Nay! Most of them do not know!
Qarār is a verbal noun (maṣdar) that serves as a nominative case (fāʿil) here. Khilāl is the plural of khalal, meaning “a gap or opening between two things.” Rawāsī is the plural of rāsiyah, meaning thābitah (stable, constant, fixed). Here it means “fixed mountains.” Ḥājiz means a “barrier between two things”.
The implied meaning is: “Rather, is He—Who has stabilized the earth such that it does not shake you, Who has made rivers to flow in the earth’s fissures, Who has raised fixed mountains on the earth, and Who has placed a barrier between two seas that prevents them from mixing and blending—better or what you associate with Him?”
… Is there a god with Allah? Nay! Most of them do not know!: This part of the verse is similar to the end of the previous verse.
أَمَّنْ يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذا دَعاهُ وَ يَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَ يَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفاءَ الْأَرْضِ أَ إِلهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ قَلِيلاً ما تَذَكَّرُونَ ٦٢
(27:62) Rather, He Who answers the distressed one (al-muḍtarr) when he calls upon Him and removes the evil, and He will make you vicegerents in the earth. Is there a god with Allah? Little is it that you mind!
What is meant by “answering the distressed one when he calls” is that God answers the supplications of those who call unto Him, and grants their requests. However, this has been qualified by “being distressed” (iḍtirār), which shows that the caller has realized the essence of supplication and prayer. It is obvious that as long as one is not entrapped by distress—when he has other choices to resort to for his need—true request and petition do not emanate from him.
Then, the verse adds another condition: when he calls upon Him. This indicates that the one who is called upon should be God alone, and that happens when the caller has been cut off from all apparent means. It is only then that one’s heart clings to his Lord alone. But if one’s heart is attached only to the apparent means, or to both his Lord and the means, then he is not really calling his Lord [alone], but he is calling other than Him.
If the person is sincere in his supplication and calls his Lord alone, then He answers him and removes the evil that led him to supplication, as He he has promised: And your Lord says: Call upon Me, I will answer you (). In this verse [], His answering is conditional on only two things: (1) the servant should offer genuine supplication (duʿāʾ); and (2) the one who is called should be God alone. He also says: And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me (). We discussed the meaning of supplication elaborately under verse .
The above should clarify the implausibility of the following explanation offered by one exegete: The article al- in al-muḍtarr indicates jins, not istighrāq. That is, it does not mean all distressed individuals, but it means those who are distressed overall, as a genus. Otherwise, there are many distressed people who supplicate but whose calls are not answered. Thus the verse implies that God answers the calls of distressed people overall, not that He answers the call of every single one of them.
The problem with this interpretation is that the other two verses about supplication—“And your Lord says: Call upon Me, I will answer you” (), and: “Then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me” ()—do not comply with the idea that some supplications are not answered. Furthermore, we do not agree with his claim that “there are many distressed people who supplicate but whose calls are not answered.” As we explained above, every supplication will be answered as long as: (1) it is a genuine call; and (2) it is made to God alone.
In addition, many verses say that humans turns their attention sincerely to their Lord at times of distress and desperation—like when they get on a ship—and their calls are answered. For instance God says: And when affliction touches a man, he calls upon Us, whether lying on his side or sitting or standing (), and: Until you are in the ships…and they become certain that they are encompassed about, they pray to Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience (). How can one imagine that the soul instinctively and naturally turns to something that it is not confident about? This [case of distress and desperation] is no different from other cases, when our soul recognizes someone who can fulfill its need. Whenever the human fiṭrah (innate nature, primary disposition, makeup) feels that the direction of its affairs is in the hands of someone, it guides the person to that source. In cases of distress and desperation, it realizes that this source is God.
One might object: In many cases we seek the apparent means to fulfill our needs even though we are not certain about their effectiveness in removing our needs; we only do so because we hope that they may be beneficial to us.
The answer is: These cases can be classified as “mental supplication,” which is when we turn our attention to something based on some hope and speculation. What we said above, however, is about “instinctive and natural supplication.” Of course, even mental supplications involve a kind of instinctive supplication, in the sense that the person seeks some means in the absolute sense of it, and means in the absolute sense of it never fails. The reader should reflect on this.
Some exegetes have said: “The distressed who calls” means a sinner who asks for forgiveness. Surely God forgives him, and this is His answer.
However, this interpretation would still suffer from the problem of total inclusion (istighrāq), because not every request for forgiveness is followed by forgiveness, nor is everyone who asks for forgiveness is forgiven. Moreover, there is no reason to qualify the absolute sense of al-muḍtarr (the distressed) to a sinner who has erred.
Some exegetes have said: Al-muḍtarr includes all distressed individuals, but God’s answering should be qualified by His will, based on what He says elsewhere: So He clears away that for which you pray if He wills ().
The problem with this view is that verse is in a context that prevents it from qualifying the current verse. That context is: Say: Tell me if the chastisement of Allah should overtake you or the Hour should come upon you, will you call (on others) besides Allah, if you are truthful? Nay, Him you call upon, so He clears away that for which you pray if He wills and you forget what you set up (with Him) (). The occurrence of “the Hour” [that is, the Resurrection] is an inevitable decree that one cannot ask to be removed. As with “the chastisement of Allah,” if one wants to remove it by repentance and sincere belief, then God will remove it as He did so for the people of Jonah. But if one only asks for it verbally in order to be saved, then it will not be removed, because that is not a sincere request but is only a guile in the form of a request. That is what God has narrated from Pharaoh when he was about to drown: He said: I believe that there is no god but He in Whom the Children of Israel believe and I am of those who submit. What? Now! And indeed you disobeyed before and were of the mischief-makers? (). He has also narrated from others who were overtaken by punishment: They said: O woe to us! Surely we were unjust. And this ceased not to be their cry till We made them cut ().
In short, verse is qualified by “God’s will” because it includes supplications that could be either real or unreal: so He clears away that for which you pray if He wills (). It means that He clears them away when He wills, which is when there is a real request made out of belief. Otherwise, He does not clear them away if He does not will. That is different from the context of the current verse and the other verses that talk about how calls that are truly unto God alone are answered.
… and He will make you vicegerents (khulafāʾ, from khilāfah) in the earth…: Given the context, this pertains to the khilāfah (successorship, vicegerency) that God has bestowed upon humankind to reign over the earth and the creatures therein as they want. This refers to the verse: And when your Lord said to the angels, I am going to place in the earth a viceroy ().
The vicegerency of humans refers to their use of the earth and its resources. It applies to human activities that pertain to their life and survival on the planet. Given this context, what is meant by “evil” in this verse—which puts people in a state of distress, where they ask God to remove it from them—must be events that prevent or limit their reign over the earth and their usage of its resources. Hence, the verse is about events that limit the life and survival of humankind in this world. This means that God’s removal of evil [as He answers the call of the distressed] completes the reign and vicegerency of humankind [on earth].
The above meaning is further clarified if we interpret duʿāʾ (call, supplication, request) in “when he calls upon Him” in a broad sense that is not limited to verbal requests. This general sense can be inferred from the verses: And He gives you of all that you ask Him (), and: All those who are in the heavens and the earth ask of Him (). Based on this meaning, all the power and blessings that humans are given in this life, would be instances and applications of “the removal of evil from the distressed when he calls upon his Lord.” Thus, humans are made vicegerents on the earth as a result of their call being answered and their evil being removal after their distress.
Here are two other suggested interpretations for the verse:
He makes you successors to the disbelievers by having you settle in their towns and obey God there after their polytheism and defiance.
The problem with this interpretation is that the address in this verse—just as in the previous five verses—is to the disbelievers, but this interpretation assumes that the address is made to be the believers.
He makes you successors to the previous nations on the earth, where you settle in their homes and live after them.
However, our interpretation above complies better with the context.
… Little is it that you mind (tadhakkarūna): This sentence rebukes the disbelievers. It has also been recited as a third person verb (yadhdhakkarūna), which is more plausible because it complies better with the endings of the other five verses in this thread, such as: Nay! They are people who deviate (), and: Nay! Most of them do not know! (). All of those endings are directed at the Prophet and they indicate a shift of address, as we discussed above [under verse ].
أَمَّنْ يَهْدِيكُمْ فِي ظُلُماتِ الْبَرِّ وَ الْبَحْرِ وَ مَنْ يُرْسِلُ الرِّياحَ بُشْراً بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَحْمَتِهِ أَ إِلهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ تَعالَى اللَّهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ٦٣
(27:63) Rather, He Who guides you in utter darkness of the land and the sea, and Who sends the winds as good news before His mercy. Is there a god with Allah? Exalted by Allah above what they associate (with Him).
Saying “utter darkness of the land and the sea” is a figurative expression, because what is really meant is “utter darkness of night in the land and in the sea.” Winds are sent as good news in the sense that they harbinger rain before its fall. “Mercy” here means “rain.” The rest of the verse is clear.
أَمَّنْ يَبْدَؤُا الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَ مَنْ يَرْزُقُكُمْ مِنَ السَّماءِ وَ الْأَرْضِ أَ إِلهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ قُلْ هاتُوا بُرْهانَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صادِقِينَ ٦٤
(27:64) Rather, He Who originates the creation, then reproduces it and Who gives you sustenance from the heaven and the earth. Is there a god With Allah? Say: Bring your proof if you are truthful.
The “origination of creation” refers to the beginning of its existence. Its “reproduction” refers to giving it existence again after the Resurrection. The verse draws on the Resurrection to argue against polytheists even though they do not accept it, as He mentions below: And those who disbelieve say… (). This is because the Resurrection is taken as an accepted fact in the Qur’an due to many decisive proofs for it in the Book. Then the following verses complement the discussion by referring to their denial and/or doubt concerning the hereafter.
Some exegetes have said: The origination and reproduction of creation means the creation of one individual of a species, followed by the creation of other members of the species after its death. In other words, it refers to the creation of creatures of the same kind, one after another. This way one cannot object that the verse is arguing based on the hereafter against polytheists who do not believe in it.
However, this interpretation cannot easily be inferred from the apparent sense of the verse.
One of the subtle Qur’anic realities that this verse implies is that there is no extinction of existence whatsoever. Rather, what God brings to existence by origination returns to Him by His returning of it. What we observe as “extermination of something” is rather our missing it after having it for a while.
Theologians agree that it is impossible to bring certain things back to existence (called iʿādat al-maʿdūm) such as accidents (aʿrāḍ), but they differ about the possibility of bringing back other beings such as substances (jawāhir). That discussion, however, has nothing to do with the topic of resurrection as outlined in this verse, because resurrection is not a case of bringing back an annihilated thing. Therefore, the problem of whether that is possible or not is not applicable here. Instead, resurrection means that creatures return and go back to their Lord Who originated them, without any extinction or termination of their existence.
… and Who gives you sustenance from the heaven and the earth…: This sentence refers to God’s direction of the affairs of people between their origination and their return. He provides them with sustenance through heavenly means like rain, as well as earthly ones like all that nurtures humankind.
… Say: Bring your proof if you are truthful: In the previous discussions, God provided various arguments about His creation and direction of everything, the connection between the direction of different affairs, and the connection of all of them to creation. The verses showed that creation (khalq, khilqah) and direction (tadbīr) are of the same reality which belongs to God and relies on Him. Through the above discussions, God proved that He is the Lord of everything and has no partner. A corollary of this is that whatever is invoked besides God is not really a god and there is no valid argument for its divinity.
This is because ulūhiyyah (divinity, the quality of being worthy of worship) is a consequence of lordship, and a lord is one who directs the affairs of what he owns. A lord is to be served and worshiped as a means of showing gratitude for his blessings, or as a means of securing oneself from his punishment. Either way, worship directly relates to the direction of affairs, which is a branch of lordship.
The purpose of the arguments in the above verses was to negate the divinity of gods other than God, as indicated by His rhetorical question after each argument: Is there a god with Allah? That is why here God commands His Prophet to ask them to provide a proof for their gods being worthy of worship: Say: Bring your proof (). This way, when they fail to do so it becomes clear that they are wrong in their claim. If they had any proof for the divinity of their gods, they must have attributed some role in the direction of affairs in the universe to them, but the fact of the matter is that all creation and direction belongs to God alone.
قُلْ لا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِي السَّماواتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَ ما يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ ٦٥
(27:65) Say: No one in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen but Allah; and they do not know when they shall be raised.
In the previous verses God refuted the divinity of the gods of the polytheists by affirming that creation and direction solely belong to God. Then He commanded His prophet to ask them to bring a proof for their claim. Here He commands him for a second time to raise another argument against them that negates the divinity of their gods. The argument here is that their gods have no knowledge of the unseen, are ignorant of the Hour, and have no idea when they shall be raised. No one in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen or when they shall be raised, including their gods who consisted of the angels, the jinn, and human saints. Had they been gods that direct the affairs of the creatures, they should have known about the Hour, because retribution on the Day of Resurrection is a part of the direction of affairs of the creatures.
Given the above explanation, the first part of the verse—“no one in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen but Allah”—is a separate argument that denies the divinity of their gods and proves it for God alone. Then, the second part of the verse—“and they do not know when they shall be raised”—is the most evident instance of the unseen and the most important type of it with regard to the direction of affairs, which has been added to the general argument.
This also clarifies that the two plural pronouns “they”—in “they do not know” and “when they shall be raised”—refer to “those in the heavens and the earth” [at the beginning of the verse]. Otherwise, the argument would be incomplete.
Some exegetes have said: Although the lack of knowledge includes their gods as well, these pronouns refer to the polytheists. Otherwise, there will be a split between the pronouns in this verse and the ones in the following verse—which certainly describe the polytheists.
The problem with this view is that it contradicts the purpose of the verse that we discussed above [that is, providing another argument against the divinity of their gods]. There is no problem in having a split between pronouns as long as there is a sign to indicate it.
بَلِ ادَّارَكَ عِلْمُهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ بَلْ هُمْ فِي شَكٍّ مِنْها بَلْ هُمْ مِنْها عَمُونَ ٦٦
(27:66) Nay, their knowledge fails (iddāraka) respecting the hereafter and hasty; nay, they are in doubt about it; nay, they are quite blind to (minhā ʿamūn).
ʿAmūn is the plural of ʿumy (blind). Iddāraka is originally the same as tadāraka, which is used when the parts of something follow one another in sequence [like a chain] until the end, where no part of the whole remains. What is meant by “their knowledge fails respecting the hereafter” is that they have used their share of knowledge for other matters to the point of exhaustion; thus they are left with no knowledge to apply to the matter of the hereafter. This is according to the verse: therefore turn aside from him who turns his back upon Our reminder and does not desire anything but this world’s life. That is their attainment of knowledge ().
After completing His arguments against the polytheists about how no one other than Him knows the time of the Resurrection, God turns back to His prophet and tells him that the polytheists are far from being addressed about this topic. This is because they have no knowledge about anything respecting the affairs of the hereafter, let alone the time of the Hour. The reason for this is that they have used their share of knowledge in matters pertaining to the life of this world. As a result, they are in absolute ignorance about the hereafter. Even more, they doubt the hereafter and are uncertain whether it is real, as it is seen in their arguments against it, merely on the grounds that it seems unlikely. In fact, they are blind to it: God has made their hearts blind to accepting it and believing its truth.
The above explanation should clarify that the repetition of the word bal (nay, rather) shows that they have climbed the ladder of ignorance about the hereafter step by step, until they have reached the highest degree. These degrees are presented in the following sequence:
Nay, their knowledge fails respecting the hereafter…: That is, they have no knowledge of the hereafter, as if they have never heard of it.
Nay, they are in doubt about it: That is, they have heard about it and it has entered their hearts, but they doubted it and failed to accept it.
Nay, they are quite blind to it: That is, they have not rejected the belief in the hereafter on their own and by their volition, but they have become blind because God has blinded the eyes of their hearts. That is why there is no way that they can understand anything about its facts.
Some exegetes have said: Tadāruk here means “completion.” The first part of the verse is saying is that their knowledge has reached the level of certainty as the arguments that prove the truth of the Resurrection have been perfected for them. This is said to rebuke their denial.
The problem with this interpretation is that it does not comply with the subsequent part of the verse, which makes a transitions to doubt and blindness.
وَ قالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَ إِذا كُنَّا تُراباً وَ آباؤُنا أَ إِنَّا لَمُخْرَجُونَ ٦٧
(27:67) And those who disbelieve say: What? When we have become dust and our fathers (too), shall we certainly be brought forth?
This verse narrates the polytheists’ arguments against the resurrection on the account that it is unlikely. That is: How could it be that we shall be brought forth from the earth as full human beings—as we are today—after we have died and turned into dust? And how could this be about our fathers?
لَقَدْ وُعِدْنا هذا نَحْنُ وَ آباؤُنا مِنْ قَبْلُ إِنْ هذا إِلاَّ أَساطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ٦٨
(27:68) We have certainly been promised this, we and our fathers before; these are naught but stories of the ancients.
This verse is another argument by the polytheists that shows the improbability of the Resurrection. That is: We and our fathers were both promised by this Prophet and the previous prophets that we would be raised up after death. It is an old promise that we have always been told. Had it been true, it would have happened by now. Since it has not happened, it is one of those fables that the ancient people used to fabricate according to their imaginations and superstitions; the kind of tales that they enjoyed listening to.
قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كانَ عاقِبَةُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ ٦٩
(27:69) Say: travel in the earth, then see how was the end of the sinners.
Here is how some exegetes have interpreted the verse: This is a threat and warning to the polytheists for denying the promises of God’s prophet about the Resurrection. It orders them to journey throughout the land and see what was the end of the guilty people who rejected their prophets who warned them about the Resurrection. Indeed it should suffice as a lesson for those who are insightful to observe the end of their affair in their ruined homes and empty towns. In reality the verse is about “the deniers” (al-mukadhdhibūn) but it refers to them as “the sinners” (al-mujrimūn) in order to convey a subtle admonition to the believers: that they must abstain from sin.
However, it is also possible to interpret the verse as an argument for the hereafter. It says that the sinners of the past nations ended up with exterminating punishment, which shows that sin and wrongdoing are not overlooked in this universe. Any action—whether good or evil—is recorded for its doer, and the doer shall be held accountable for it. Now, since not all actions are accounted for in this world—especially righteous deeds—they must be due for another realm, and that is the abode of the hereafter.
This makes the verse equivalent to the verse: Shall We treat those who believe and do good like the mischief-makers in the earth? Or shall We make those who guard (against evil) like the wicked? (). This interpretation is confirmed by the expression “the end of the sinners,” because if the point of the verse were to warn and threaten those who reject the messengers, then it should have said “the end of the deniers,” as we mentioned above.
وَ لا تَحْزَنْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَ لا تَكُنْ فِي ضَيْقٍ مِمَّا يَمْكُرُونَ ٧٠
(27:70) And grieve not for them and be not distressed because of what they plan.
That is: Let not their insistence in disbelief and defiance grieve you. Let not your breast feel tightened due to their plots to refute your call and to bar people from the path of God. They are under the eye of God; they cannot render Him helpless; and He shall certainly requite them for their actions.
This verse serves as solace to the Prophet. The second part of the verse—“and be not distressed because of what they plan”—is added to the first part as an interpretation of it.
وَ يَقُولُونَ مَتى هذَا الْوَعْدُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صادِقِينَ ٧١
(27:71) And they say: When will this promise come to pass, if you are truthful?
Apparently “this promise” means the threat of punishment, including both punishment in this world and punishment in the hereafter. This comprehensive meaning is based on the context of the verses. The rest of the verse is clear.
قُلْ عَسى أَنْ يَكُونَ رَدِفَ لَكُمْ بَعْضُ الَّذِي تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ ٧٢
(27:72) Say: Maybe (ʿasā) there may have drawn near to you (radifa lakum) some part of that which you seek to hasten on.
Some exegetes have said that the letter lām in lakum (“to” in “to you”) is added for emphasis, much like the letter bāʾ in the verse: And cast not yourselves to perdition with your own hands (bi-aydīkum) (). So the meaning of radifa lakum is: “The abovementioned promise is following you and will soon reach you.” Others have said that radifa is a verb which always takes the letter lām to express a transitive meaning. Either way, the expression radifa lakum (drawn near to you) alludes to the nearness of punishment.
… some part of that which you seek to hasten on: This refers to punishment in this world before the hereafter. The polytheists used to ask for the fulfillment of God’s promise of decisive judgment, and such a judgment would necessitate their punishment. Worldly punishment would be part of what they were pressing for by their request for the fulfillment of God’s promise. Perhaps the verse concerns their punishment in the Battle of Badr, as some have suggested.
Some exegetes have said that when God uses words like ʿasā and laʿalla (maybe, perhaps, haply) it means wujūb (necessity, certainty, inevitability). This is because the idea of hoping for something is based on ignorance [about the future], which is not applicable to God. Therefore, “maybe there may have drawn near to you” means “punishment will draw near you and overtake you for sure.”
The problem with the above view is that an expression of hope is not always based on the speaker’s position, but sometimes it is based on the context, the audience or other factors. This is the case in God’s Book, where expressions of hope and expectation are not vis-à-vis the speaker. In this verse, since the answer is attributed to the Prophet, the prospect implied by ʿasā is based on the Prophet’s noble soul. The meaning is: “Say: I expect the punishment may have drawn near to you.” Tafsīr Abī al-Suʿūd says:
When kings and rulers use words like ʿasā, laʿalla and sawfa (maybe, perhaps, will) it is equivalent to definite expressions by others. They use these words to show grandiosity: to suggest that subtle hints by people like them are like explicit expressions by others. Thus is the case with God’s promises of reward and punishment.
This is a plausible explanation.
The meaning of the verse is: Say to those who ask you about the time of God’s promise: “I hope that part of the promise that you are pressing for may be close to you, and that is punishment in this world which will take you closer to the punishment in the hereafter and lead you to it.”
وَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَ لَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لا يَشْكُرُونَ ٧٣
(27:73) And surely your Lord is the Lord of grace to men, but most of them are not grateful.
This verse, by itself, has a clear meaning. In the current context of warning and threat, it suggests that God is withholding His punishment from them while they deserve it only out of His grace upon them. However, instead of being grateful to Him for this grace, they ask for the hastening of His punishment.
وَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَيَعْلَمُ ما تُكِنُّ صُدُورُهُمْ وَ ما يُعْلِنُونَ ٧٤ وَ ما مِنْ غائِبَةٍ فِي السَّماءِ وَ الْأَرْضِ إِلاَّ فِي كِتابٍ مُبِينٍ ٧٥
(27:74-75) And most surely your Lord knows what their breasts conceal and what they manifest. And there is nothing hidden in the heaven and the earth but it is in a clear book.
The first verse means that the delay in their punishment is not because of God’s ignorance about their condition and what they deserve due to their disbelief and defiance. Rather, He knows what their breasts hide and conceal within, and what they manifest outwardly [through action].
Then the second verse emphasizes that anything that is hidden—that is, anything which may be hidden in one way or another in the universe—is written and recorded with God.
إِنَّ هذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَقُصُّ عَلى بَنِي إِسْرائِيلَ أَكْثَرَ الَّذِي هُمْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ٧٦ وَ إِنَّهُ لَهُدىً وَ رَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٧٧ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَقْضِي بَيْنَهُمْ بِحُكْمِهِ وَ هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْعَلِيمُ ٧٨
(27:76-78) Surely this Qur’an declares to the Children of Israel most of what they differ in. And most surely it is a guidance and a mercy for the believers. Surely your Lord will judge between them by His judgment, and He is the Mighty, the Knowing.
These verses strengthen the faith of the believers, comfort the Prophet’s soul, and prepare the grounds for what is mentioned below about the truth of his call. Thus they are related to what was said before: “And grieve not for them…” (), which was a hint at the truth of his call.
Surely this Qur’an declares to the Children of Israel most of what they differ in: This verse refers to the stories of the prophets in the Qur’an, which serve to clarify the Israelites’ points of difference about the prophets. One example is the truth about the Christ. In addition to stories, the verse also refers to the true beliefs and laws that are explained in the Qur’an, which were a matter of dispute among the Children of Israel.
And most surely it is a guidance and a mercy for the believers: The Qur’an guides the believers to the truth through what it recounts for the Children of Israel. It is also a mercy for the believers since it assures their hearts and solidifies their faith.
Surely your Lord will judge between them by His judgment, and He is the Mighty, the Knowing: This verse refers to the fact that the judgment between people will be up to God. He is “the Mighty Lord” Who is never overcome in His command; and He is “the Knowing Lord” Who is free from any form of ignorance or mistake in His verdict. Such is the Judge Who shall settle their disputes by His rule. Hence, the Prophet must be satisfied with his Mighty and Knowing Lord as a judge and arbiter. He should entrust the judgment [of the Israelites, or of all people] to Him, just as he should leave the punishment of the polytheists to Him. And grieve not for them and be not distressed because of what they plan ().
فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِنَّكَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ الْمُبِينِ ٧٩ إِنَّكَ لا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتى وَ لا تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعاءَ إِذا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِرِينَ ٨٠ وَ ما أَنْتَ بِهادِي الْعُمْيِ عَنْ ضَلالَتِهِمْ إِنْ تُسْمِعُ إِلاَّ مَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِآياتِنا فَهُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ ٨١
(27:79-81) Therefore rely on Allah; surely you are on the clear truth. Surely you do not make the dead hear (tusmiʿu, from ismāʿ), and you do not make the deaf hear the call when they go back retreating. Nor can you guide the blind out of their error; you cannot make anyone listen except for those who believe in Our communications (bi-āyātinā), so they submit.
This is a conclusion to everything that the Prophet was charged with concerning the polytheists and the differences of the Israelites. That is: Their affair is up to God not up to you. Therefore take God as your guardian, for He shall suffice you, and fear not anything because you are in the security of the truth.
These verses justify the command to rely on God [in the last verse]. That is: We ordered you to rely on God concerning their belief and disbelief because they are dead—and it is not within your reach to make the dead hear. They are a group of deaf and blind people who do not hear, and who have strayed. You cannot make the deaf hear when they turn away retreating, nor can you guide the blind out of their error. You can only make the message reach the hearing of those who believe in Our communications that point to us. They are submissive to Us and confirm what Our signs show because they yield to Our sure proofs.
The first verse qualifies the Prophet’s inability to make the deaf hear by: when they go back, retreating. Perhaps this qualification is meant to indicate that if they were not to retreat, one could at least make them understand by some form of sign language.
We can conclude the following points from the above explanation: (1) Here, what is meant by “making one hear” (ismāʿ) is “guiding the person.” (2) What is meant by āyāt (communications, signs) is the proofs and arguments that prove tawḥīd (monotheism, God’s unity) and the other religious facts that stem from it. (3) One who applies sound judgment and reason to the true proofs conveyed by God’s signs in the horizons and the souls, understands them, and then submits to them with belief and obedience—such a person is not among the dead, nor among those whose hearing and sight God has sealed.
Examining Narrations
- Concerning peace be on His servants whom He has chosen () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: They are Muḥammad’s family.
Author’s comment: This has also been narrated in Jamʿ al-jawāmiʿ [that is, Jawāmiʿ al-jāmiʿ] from the Infallibles, via an incomplete chain of transmission (mursal) and without specifying the Imam.
Based on our exposition of the verse, you should know that what the context of the verses suggests is that “His servants whom He has chosen” refer to God’s prophets which were discussed in the previous verses. They were blessed as God chose them among His servants. Therefore, if the above narration about Muḥammad’s family is authentic, then it would be a case of matching the verse to an application beyond its context, by extension (al-jary wa al-inṭibāq).
- Ibn ʿAbbās said concerning this verse: “They are Muḥammad’s Companions.”
Author’s comment: This is similar to the last narration. If the narration is authentic, then it would again be a case of extending the verse to other applications.
- Sufyān al-Thawrī said about the verse: “It was revealed exclusively about Muḥammad’s Companions.”
Author’s comment: Our explanation above should clarify that the verse was not revealed about them [to begin with], let alone the exclusivity.
Concerning “Nay! They are people who deviate” () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: [They deviate] from the truth.
Concerning verse (Rather, He Who answers the distressed one when he calls upon Him…) Imam al-Ṣādiq said: This verse was revealed about the Qāʾim (the one who will rise up) from Muḥammad’s family. By God, he is the distressed one. When he shall pray two units of prayer by the maqām and call upon God, He shall answer him, remove the evil that he faces, and make him a vicegerent on earth.
Author’s comment: This narration is also an example of application; the verse itself is more general than the meaning suggested here.
- The Messenger of God said: Whoever parts from the jamāʿah (community, congregation, majority [of Muslims]) will be cast in the Fire on his face. God says: Rather, He Who answers the distressed one when he calls upon Him and removes the evil, and He will make you vicegerents in the earth (). Khilāfah (caliphate, vicegerency) is from God; if the caliph is good, then it is to his own benefit; and if he is evil, then he will be accountable to God. Your duty is to obey what God has commanded.
Author’s comment: This narration is not flawless. It was discussed above that given the context of the verse, vicegerency here means the vicegerency that has been ordained for every human being; that is, dominion over the earth to utilize its resources. It does not mean vicegerency in the sense of governance over the nation and spinning the wheel of society.
Besides, the text of this narration is self-contradictory. The idea that “khilāfah is from God” could mean that a ruler’s power over the people is according to God’s ordinance (taqdīr). In other words, it means that their power and government is attributable to God in a takwīnī (creational, existential) sense, as God says about Nimrod’s kingdom: Because Allah had given him the kingdom (). He also narrates from Pharaoh: Is not the kingdom of Egypt mine? (). If this is what is meant, then it is more than clear that such khilāfah neither makes obedience to the ruler obligatory, nor disobeying him unlawful. Otherwise, it would contradict the entire message and mission of religions, and would necessitate obedience to people like Nimrod, Pharaoh and other such rulers. Alternatively, the idea that “khilāfah is from God” could refer to the ruler’s appointment by religion. In other words, it means that their power and government is attributable to God legislatively (tashrīʿī), where God has made it obligatory to obey whatever the ruler commands, even if that is a sin. If so, then that would be an explicit contradiction of religious injunctions.
One may say that it is obligatory to obey a ruler as long as he does not command to the disobedience of God, as confirmed by the Prophetic narration: “No creature shall be obeyed in disobedience to the Creator.” However, this means that it is permissible to part from the jamāʿah in certain cases [when the ruler commands against the orders of God], which would be a contradiction to the first part of the narration.
The same problem applies to the last part of the narration: “Your duty is to obey what God has commanded.” If “what God has commanded” means obedience to the ruler even when it entails disobedience to God, then that would be explicitly contrary to the legislation of religious injunctions. And if it means obedience to God even when it entails disobedience to the ruler, then that would contradict the first part of the narration [about jamāʿah].
Sociological discussions have made it clear today that no mature, rational society would accept a ruler who does not respect the laws that are commonly followed and respected. Thus, we should consider religion clear from such sanctions and giving such blank checks. Sometimes it is claimed that there is a greater welfare in keeping the society integrated, and that it is more important to preserve the nation’s unity than preserving some of the religious injunctions. What this means, however, is permission to destroy the reality and essence of religion in order to maintain its name.
- Masrūq said: Once I was in the presence of ʿĀʾishah, where I was sitting and leaning back [against the wall]. In that session she said, “There are three things—if one utters any of them, he has ascribed a great lie to God.” I asked, “What are they?” She said, “1. Whoever thinks that Muḥammad saw his Lord has indeed ascribed a great lie to God.”
I was leaning back until then, but I sat up and asked, “O mother of the believers (Umm al-Muʾminīn), give me a second and do not rush me. Is it not that God says: And of a truth he saw him [or Him] on the clear horizon (); And certainly he saw him [or Him] in another descent ()?” She replied, “I was the first person in this nation to ask the Messenger of God about this. He told me: ‘That was Gabriel. Those were the only two times when I saw him in his original form of creation. I saw him descending from the heaven as an enormous being, so much so that he filled the distance between the heaven and the earth.’”
ʿĀʾishah continued, “Have you not heard God’s words: Eyes comprehend Him not, but He comprehends (all) eyes ()? Have you not heard that God says: And it is not for any mortal that Allah should speak to him except by Revelation, or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger and revealing by His permission what He pleases. Surely He is High, Wise ()?”
Then she continued, “2. Whoever thinks that Muḥammad left out anything from God’s Book undisclosed has indeed ascribed a great lie to God, for God says: O Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people ().”
She continued, “3. Whoever thinks that he can inform the people about what will happen tomorrow has ascribed a great lie to God, for God says: Say: No one in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen but Allah ().”
Author’s comment: The content of this narration has certain problems. Concerning the verses that negate the possibility of seeing God, they negate the eye’s sight, not the heart’s insight. The vision of the heart is something beyond īmān (belief, faith) in the sense of iʿtiqād (conviction, dogma). We discussed this kind of vision in detail in its own place.
As with the verse, “O Messenger! Deliver…” (), we clarified in our exposition of the verse that it pertains to a particular subject, not a universal rule. Even if we assume that it expresses a general rule, it would mean that the Prophet did not fail to deliver anything that was revealed to him as a part of his message. This, however, does not contradict the Prophet concealing certain things that were revealed to him only for himself to know.
As with the verse, “Say: No one in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen but Allah” (), it means that God is the only one who knows about the unseen inherently and by virtue of His essence. The same is true about the other verses which exclusively ascribe knowledge of the unseen to God: they are only about inherent and essential knowledge. This does not contradict the possibility of others knowing about the unseen through His teaching, as indicated in these verses: The Knower of the unseen! He does not reveal His secrets to any, except to him whom He chooses as a messenger (). God has narrated some examples of informing people about the unseen from the Messiah, where he says: And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses (). It is evident that if one claims that the Prophet informed the people about future events, it does not mean that he knew the unseen by himself and without being taught by God. Indeed, there are mass-transmitted (mutawātir) narrations by both Shias and Sunnis—despite their differences and variety—about many future events that the Prophet forecasted.
See volume 27 of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎
Bahjah literally means “delight, joy”; and dhāt is a prefix for possession. So dhāt bahjah literally means “possessor of delight,” or more fluently, “delightful.” (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, the verse is essentially saying: “Rather, is God—Who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the sender of rain, and the grower of delightful gardens that you could not have otherwise grown—better or the gods that you associate with Him as partners?” The latter part (italicized) is omitted as it is implied by the context of the verses. The same comparison and omission applies to the next four verses. (Trans.) ↩︎
That is, qarār, in this verse, is synonymous with qārr or mustaqirr, meaning “something that is resting, established, and fixed.” (Trans.) ↩︎
See volume 3, pp. 35ff of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎
All of these interpretations, including the author’s, are meant to explain why many prayers seem to be unanswered. They contradict the absolute and universal promise that is inferred from the word al-muḍtarr (the distressed). The author’s arguments in these paragraphs are meant to prove that his explanation is more plausible than its rival explanations. (Trans.) ↩︎
“Sinners” is a broader group than “deniers” (that is, disbelievers). Not all sinners are among the disbelievers. Therefore, the verse wants to remind the believers that they should forsake sin, because sin is disliked by God, regardless of who commits it. The author has narrated this interpretation from Ālūsī’s Rūḥ al-maʿānī in an abridged form. (Trans.) ↩︎
According to the first interpretation, radifa means “drawn near to” and the letter lām emphasizes the nearness of the promise. According to the second interpretation, radifa means “drawn near” and the letter lām means “to.” (Trans.) ↩︎
This expression is extracted from verse . It refers to God’s signs in the external world and the internal world; the macrocosm and the microcosm. (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, reporting from several books. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of ʿAbd b. Ḥamīd and Ibn Jarīr. ↩︎
That is Abraham’s station next to the Kaʿbah. (Trans. ↩︎
Tafsīr al-Qummī, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī b. Faḍḍāl, on the authority of Ṣāliḥ b. ʿUqbah. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of al-Ṭabarānī, on the authority of Saʿd b. Junādah. ↩︎
That is, the pronoun “him” in verses and refers to Gabriel, not to God. (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of al-Ṭayālisī, Saʿīd b. Manṣūr, Aḥmad, ʿAbd b. Ḥamīd, al-Bukhārī, Muslim, al-Tirmidhī, al-Nasāʾī, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abī Ḥātim, Abū al-Shaykh, Ibn Mardawayh and al-Bayhaqī’s al-Asmāʾ wa al-ṣifāt. ↩︎
This refers to many narrations which say, “The hearts see God through the reality of īmān.” The author’s point is that “the reality of īmān” is something beyond a mental conception that one accepts and believes in. (Trans.) ↩︎
See the author’s discussions under verses and . (Trans.) ↩︎
See volume 11, pp. 48ff of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎