Verses 11–20
This passage appears to return to the original theme of the chapter, commanding the Prophet to inform them that he too must answer the call summoning them to monotheism and to dedicate their faith exclusively to God, and that he is no different from them in this regard. To this, he adds that he has been commanded to be the first of those who submit to this call, namely that he should be calling them to something that he has already believed in and submitted himself to, regardless of whether they accept his call or reject it.
Therefore, he says they should not expect his actions to differ from his words, or his way of life to differ from his proclamation; he answers the call of his Lord and submits to Him and follows His religion, afraid to disobey Him. Then he warns the disbelievers and gives glad tidings to the believers that what God has promised both groups in terms of punishment or blessings will surely come to pass.
Commentary
قُلْ إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَهُ الدِّينَ ١١ وَأُمِرْتُ لِأَنْ أَكُونَ أَوَّلَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ١٢
(39:11–12) Say, ‘Indeed I have been commanded to worship Allah with exclusive faith in Him, and I have been commanded to be the first of those who submit.’
This passage represents a recapitulation of the message at the beginning of the chapter: Indeed We have sent down the Book to you with the truth; so worship Allah, putting exclusive faith in Him (). God commands the Prophet to tell his people this so that they will realize they have no hope of convincing him to give up his mission or endorse their association of partners with God, just as is referenced at the beginning of Sūrah Ṣād and in other verses of the Qur’an.
It is as if God wants His Messenger to say: ‘Be aware that when I recited to you God’s commands to worship Him and dedicate my faith exclusively to Him, these commands were not merely directed to me as a form of indirect address to you, so that you would hear them and obey them. Rather, just like you, I am also commanded to worship God and dedicate my faith to Him. Not only that, but I have been commanded to be the first of those who submit to the revelation that has been sent down to me, so I submit to it first and then convey it to others, for I do indeed fear my Lord and worship Him with sincere devotion, whether you believe in Him or not, so do not expect me to change.’
The statement, And I have been commanded to be the first of those who submit, also alludes to the fact that the command addressed to the Prophet contains duties that are additional to those addressed to his audience, namely: ‘I have been commanded to do what you have been commanded to do, but it has been directed to me first, and the reason for this is so that I become the first to submit to this commandment and to believe in it.’
Some have said that the lām in li-an akūna (translated as ‘to be’) signifies an explanation, meaning ‘I have been commanded to do that so that I will be the first of those who submit.’ Others have said that the lām is superfluous, as it has been omitted in the verse, Say, ‘I have been commanded to be the first of those who submit’ (). However, both readings ultimately yield the same meaning, namely that his being the first of those who submit provides a rubric for his submission, but this rubric can also be the purpose behind the command for him to submit. For example, just as one can say, ‘Strike him for discipline’, one can also say, ‘discipline him with a strike.’
In al-Kashshāf, al-Zamakhsharī writes: ‘The most appropriate readings of the verse are as follows: (1) “To be the first of those who submit in my time and from my people,” because he was the first person to contravene the religion of his forefathers and to drag down the idols and break them, and (2) “to be the first of those who call them to submit,” and (3) “to be the first one to call himself to that to which he calls others,” and (4) “to be an exemplar in both my words and deeds, and not to be akin to those rulers who order others to do that which they do not do themselves,” and (5) “to act in such a way that my behavior becomes a model of submission for all others to follow.”’
However, the astute reader will see that the third meaning given here is the most appropriate for the overall context of the verse, and it is this meaning that we have presented above.
قُلْ إِنِّي أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّي عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ ١٣
(39:13) Say, ‘Indeed, should I disobey my Lord, I fear the punishment of a tremendous day.’
Based on the context in which it appears, disobey my Lord means to contravene His command to worship Him and exclusively dedicate one’s faith to Him, while the tremendous day is the Day of Resurrection. This verse lays the ground for the following one.
قُلِ اللَّهَ أَعْبُدُ مُخْلِصًا لَهُ دِينِي ١٤ فَاعْبُدُوا مَا شِئْتُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ الْخَاسِرِينَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۗ أَلَا ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ ١٥
(39:14–15) Say, ‘Only Allah do I worship, putting my exclusive faith in Him. So worship whatever you wish besides Him.’ Say, ‘Indeed the losers are those who lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection.’ Look! That is a manifest loss!
This verse makes explicit that he is acting in obedience to his Lord’s command, which is what the previous verse hinted at, showing them that they have no hope for him to disobey God.
Placing the object before its verb in the phrase, Only Allah do I worship, signifies exclusivity (ḥaṣr), and the adverbial phrase, putting my exclusive faith in Him emphasizes this meaning. While the imperative, So worship whatever you wish besides Him, is used as a threat, namely that whatever they worship besides Him will not avail them in the least, for they will suffer the consequences of their turning aside from worshipping God exclusively, which is also alluded to by the last part of the verse: Say, ‘Indeed the losers…’
Say, ‘Indeed the losers are those who lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection’: Khusr and khusrān means to lose one’s capital, whether in part or in full, and khusrān is a more profound statement of loss than khusr. To lose one’s self means to expose it to danger and misery, such that it loses the potential for perfection and, thereby, loses out on happiness in such a way that it does not even hope for it. The same is true for the loss of one’s family.
The verse speaks obliquely to the idolaters whom it addresses with the words: So worship whatever you wish besides Him, as if to say: ‘No matter what you worship, you are losing yourselves by placing them in danger through your disbelief, and you are losing your nearest and dearest by inciting them to disbelief and idolatry, which is a true state of loss.’
Look! That is a manifest loss! This is because even the losses associated with this world are ultimately transient and fleeting, while losses on the Day of Judgment are permanent and eternal, they will never come to an end. Whatever worldly wealth or status a person loses, after this loss subsides, they might yet regain what they had lost or even attain something better than it as a result. This is not the case with someone who loses themselves.
The interpretation given above assumes that the meaning of ahl (family) in the verse refers to a person’s nearest and dearest in this world. However, some have suggested that it might also refer to what God has placed in store for the human being in paradise, should they believe and act righteously, in the form of wives, servants, and others. They argue that this reading is better and more appropriate because all familial ties and worldly social bonds are broken on the Day of Judgment. For example, we read in the verse: there will be no ties between them on that day (), It is a day when no soul will be of any avail to another soul (). And there are other verses besides this.
This reading is also supported by the verse: Then as for him who is given his record in his right hand, he shall soon receive an easy reckoning, and he will return to his folks joyfully ().
لَهُمْ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ ظُلَلٌ مِنَ النَّارِ وَمِنْ تَحْتِهِمْ ظُلَلٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ يُخَوِّفُ اللَّهُ بِهِ عِبَادَهُ ۚ يَا عِبَادِ فَاتَّقُونِ ١٦
(39:16) There will be canopies of fire above them, and canopies beneath them. With that Allah deters His servants. So, My servants, be wary of Me!
Ẓilal (canopies) is the plural of ẓulla, which some have said refers to an elevated covering.
The reason this verse says there is a canopy of fire above them and another below is to show that they are completely surrounded by the flames. The remainder of the meaning is clear.
وَالَّذِينَ اجْتَنَبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ أَنْ يَعْبُدُوهَا وَأَنَابُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ لَهُمُ الْبُشْرَىٰ ۚ فَبَشِّرْ عِبَادِ ١٧ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَاهُمُ اللَّهُ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ ١٨
(39:17-18) As for those who stay clear of the worship of the Rebel and turn penitently to Allah, there is good news for them. So give good news to My servants who listen to the word and follow the best of it. They are the ones whom Allah has guided, and it is they who possess intellect.
Al-Rāghib al-Iṣfahānī says that al-ṭāghūt (the Rebel) refers to anything that people invoke or worship besides God, and that the same term can be used for the singular and the plural. Based on the context, it appears that what is meant by ṭāghūt in this verse are the idols and every false deity besides God.
Note that this verse does not merely say to stay clear of worshipping ṭāghūt, it also says that they should turn penitently to Allah. This shows that it is not enough simply to negate the false gods, but, rather, in order to profit, the human being must combine this negation with positive action in the forming of worshipping God while forsaking the worship of all others. And this is the meaning of worshipping Him while placing exclusive faith in Him.
There is good news for them is the predicate of the phrase those who stay clear… and it means they will be delivered good news.
So give good news to My servants, who listen to the word and follow the best of it…: At first glance, it would have seemed more straightforward to say so give them good news. Instead, however, the verse says give good news to My servants, with the addition of the possessive pronoun My. This is both to show their nobility and to facilitate the description of them with who listen…
Based on what has already been said about to follow suggesting a connection to practical actions, it would appear that the best of the word is the part that best guides people to the truth and contains the most useful advice for the human being. If a person is one of those who loves what is good and is attracted to what is beautiful, the more good he sees, the more attracted to it he will be; if he is given the choice between good and bad, he will incline to good, and if he is given the choice between good and better, he will aim for what is better. On the other hand, if someone does not incline to what is best but contents themselves with what is good, this shows that they are not actually attracted to it because it is good, or else they would have been more strongly attracted to that which was better.
Therefore, when this verse describes them as following the best of the word, this means that it is in their character to seek the truth, pursue good guidance, and find the reality of things, such that whenever there is a choice to be made between truth and falsehood or between guidance and error, they follow truth and guidance and turn away from falsehood and error. Conversely, whenever there is a choice to be made between what is true and what is truer, or between good guidance and better guidance, they will also choose what is truer and better over what is not.
In other words, their goal is truth and guidance, and for this reason they listen to the word and do not reject something because it is unfamiliar to them or because it conflicts with their own personal desires; before making a decision, they will first ponder upon it and comprehend it.
Therefore, the meaning of who listen to the word and follow the best of it, is that it is because they are already seeking truth and guidance that they listen to the word in the hope that they might find truth in it and out of fear that they might miss any truth it contains.
Some have said that the meaning of them listening to the word and following the best of it is that they listen to the Qur’an and other words as well, but they follow the Qur’an.
Others have said that it means that they listen to God’s commandments and follow the best of them. For example, when given the choice between retribution (qiṣāṣ) or forgiveness (ʿafuww) in the case of the murderer, they choose forgiveness; or given the choice between giving charity openly and giving it secretly, they opt for the latter.
However, both of these interpretations arbitrarily render the meaning of the verse specific without any specifier.
The sentence, they are the ones whom Allah has guided…, shows that this characteristic of theirs is a form of divine guidance, and this guidance—by which I mean the quality of seeking the truth and being completely prepared to follow the truth wherever it leads—is a form of general guidance, from which flows all other forms of specific guidance to the divine teachings.
…and it is they who possess intellect: The word lubb (‘intellect,’ pl. albāb) here is used as equivalent to ʿaql (pl. ʿuqūl). This shows that the intellect is the faculty through which the human being is guided to the truth and the mark of someone who possesses intellect is that they follow the truth. We have already discussed in our commentary on the verse, And who will renounce Abraham’s creed except one who fools himself? (), that the intellect is the faculty through which one follows the religion of God.
أَفَمَنْ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ كَلِمَةُ الْعَذَابِ أَفَأَنْتَ تُنْقِذُ مَنْ فِي النَّارِ ١٩
(39:19) Can he against whom the word of punishment has become due? Can you rescue someone who is in the Fire?
To say that the word of punishment has become due against someone means that they must enter hellfire for their disbelief, based on what God told Adam when he fell to earth, But those who are faithless and deny Our signs, they shall be the inmates of the Fire and they shall remain in it forever (), and other similar verses.
Based on the context of the verse, the question Can you rescue someone who is in the Fire? implies, ‘Can you rescue someone against whom the word of punishment has become due?’ This is more appropriate than reading the first part of the verse as meaning: ‘Is he against whom the word of punishment has become due better, or he to whom paradise is due?’
Some have said it means, ‘Can one against whom God’s threat of punishment has become due, can you save him from the Fire?’ but that God used the expression someone who is in the Fire instead of him and brought a second interrogative particle to emphasise this meaning.
Others have said it means ‘Can you rescue one of them who is in the Fire?’ but that the pronoun was omitted, and this is the weakest of interpretations.
لَٰكِنِ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ لَهُمْ غُرَفٌ مِنْ فَوْقِهَا غُرَفٌ مَبْنِيَّةٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ ۖ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ ۖ لَا يُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ الْمِيعَادَ ٢٠
(39:20) But as for those who are wary of their Lord, for them there will be lofty abodes with lofty abodes built above them, with streams running beneath them a promise of Allah. Allah does not break His promise.
Ghuruf (lofty abodes) is the plural of ghurfa, which means an elevated home. Some have said that this description of abodes above abodes is intended to contrast with the earlier description of the faithless in Hell: There will be canopies of fire above them, and canopies beneath them ().
…a promise of Allah—meaning that has God promised them that, the Arabic waʿd (promise) Allāh is an absolute object (mafʿūl al-muṭlaq) used in place of the verbal phrase ‘God has promised this’, and the saying Allah does not break his promise informs the Qur’an’s audience of the divine custom (sunna) with regard to promises, and this is intended to provide reassurance to them.
Examining Narrations
- In Tafsīr al-Qummī, it is narrated from Abū al-Jārūd, from Imam al-Bāqir, about the verse Say, ‘Indeed the losers are those who lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection’ (): ‘They have swindled themselves and their families out of paradise.’
- In Majmaʿ al-bayān, about the verse As for those who stay clear of the worship of the Rebel and turn penitently to Allah, there is good news for them (), al-Ṭabrisī narrates from Abū Baṣīr from Imam al-Ṣādiq: ‘You are those who stay clear of the worship of the Rebel and turn penitently to God, for whoever obeys a tyrant has worshipped them.’
Author’s comments: This is an extension of the verse’s meaning to a new issue (jarī).
- In al-Kāfī, al-Kulaynī narrates from some of his colleagues, with an incomplete chain (marfūʿ) from Hishām b. al-Ḥakam: ‘Abū al-Ḥasan Mūsā b. Jaʿfar said to me: “O Hishām! Surely God gives glad tidings to the people of intellect and understanding in His Book: So give good news to My servants who listen to the word and follow the best of it. They are the ones whom Allah has guided, and it is they who possess intellect ().”’
- In al-Durr al-manthūr, al-Suyūṭī narrates from Ibn Jarīr and Ibn Abī Ḥātim from Zayd b. Aslam, about the verse, As for those who stay clear of the worship of the Rebel, (): ‘These two verses were revealed about three persons who used to say in the Age of Ignorance: “There is no god but God.” This was Zayd b. ʿAmr b. Nufayl, Abū Dharr al-Ghifārī, and Salmān al-Fārsī.’
Author’s comments: This is also narrated by al-Ṭabrisī in Majmaʿ al-bayān, from ʿAbdallāh b. Zayd, and it is narrated in al-Durr al-manthūr again from Ibn Mardawayh, from Ibn ʿUmar, that it was revealed about Saʿīd b. Zayd, Abū Dharr, and Salmān. It is also narrated from Juwaybir from Jābir b. ʿAbdallāh that it was revealed about a man from the Helpers who freed seven slaves when the verse was revealed It has seven gates (). However, all of these appear to be cases of applying narratives to the verses, rather than genuine occasions of revelation.