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Surah 2 Al-Baqarah, Ayat 25-25

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وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ اَنَّ لَهُمۡ جَنّٰتٍ تَجۡرِىۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِهَا الۡاَنۡهٰرُ​ؕ ڪُلَّمَا رُزِقُوۡا مِنۡهَا مِنۡ ثَمَرَةٍ رِّزۡقًا ​ۙ قَالُوۡا هٰذَا الَّذِىۡ رُزِقۡنَا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ وَاُتُوۡا بِهٖ مُتَشَابِهًا ​ؕ وَلَهُمۡ فِيۡهَآ اَزۡوَاجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ ​ۙ وَّهُمۡ فِيۡهَا خٰلِدُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:25﴾

(2:25) (O Prophet), announce glad tidings to those who believe in this Book and do righteous deeds (in accordance with its teachings), that for them are gardens beneath which rivers flow. Their fruits will have such resemblance to those of the earth that whenever they will be provided with those fruits they will say: “It was this which was granted to us on earth before.”26 For them there shall be pure spouses,27 and there they shall abide forever. 

Notes

26. The fruits of Paradise will not be so exotic in appearance as to be unfamiliar to people. They will resemble the fruits to which human beings are accustomed in this world, though infinitely excelling them in delicacy of taste. In appearance they may resemble, say mangoes, pomegranates and oranges, and the people of Paradise will be able to identify them as such. In taste, however, there will be no comparison between the terrestrial and heavenly fruits. 

27. The Qur’anic text has the Arabic word azwaj which means ‘spouses’ or ‘couples’, and embraces both husband and wife. The husband is the zawj of his wife, and vice versa. In the Next World, however, this relationship of spouses will be qualified by purity. If a man has been virtuous in this world while his wife has not, their relationship in the Next World will be sundered and the man will receive another spouse who will be pure and virtuous. On the other hand, if a virtuous woman has had an evil husband she will be tied in companionship with a virtuous man. Where husband and wife have both been virtuous their relationship will become everlasting.

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Surah 2 Al-Baqarah, Ayat 23-24

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وَاِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ فِىۡ رَيۡبٍ مِّمَّا نَزَّلۡنَا عَلٰى عَبۡدِنَا فَاۡتُوۡا بِسُوۡرَةٍ مِّنۡ مِّثۡلِهٖ وَادۡعُوۡا شُهَدَآءَكُمۡ مِّنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِيۡنَ‏  ﴿2:23﴾ فَاِنۡ لَّمۡ تَفۡعَلُوۡا وَلَنۡ تَفۡعَلُوۡا فَاتَّقُوۡا النَّارَ الَّتِىۡ وَقُوۡدُهَا النَّاسُ وَالۡحِجَارَةُ  ۖۚ اُعِدَّتۡ لِلۡكٰفِرِيۡنَ‏ ﴿2:24﴾

(2:23) If you are in any doubt whether it is We Who have revealed this Book to Our servant, then produce just a surah like it, and call all your supporters and seek in it the support of all others save Allah. Accomplish this if you are truthful.24 (2:24) But if you fail to do this – and you will most certainly fail – then have fear of the Fire whose fuel is men and stones25 and which has been prepared for those who deny the Truth. 

Notes

24. Before this, in Makka, opponents had often been challenged to produce anything of comparable merit if they believed the Qur’an to be the work of a human being. In Madina the same challenge was reiterated. (For similar challenges made elsewhere in the Qur’an, see (10: 38); (11: 13); (17: 88) and (52: 33) 

25. This suggests, in a subtle manner, that in the Next Life not only will the unbelievers become the fuel of hell-fire, but that the same fate will befall the idol-stones they worshipped and before which they had prostrated themselves. They will then know, for sure, how far their idols had any share in godhead.

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Surah 2 Al-Baqarah, Ayat 21-22

يٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعۡبُدُوۡا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِىۡ خَلَقَكُمۡ وَالَّذِيۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُوۡنَ ۙ‏ ﴿2:21﴾ الَّذِىۡ جَعَلَ لَـكُمُ الۡاَرۡضَ فِرَاشًا وَّالسَّمَآءَ بِنَآءً وَّاَنۡزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَاَخۡرَجَ بِهٖ مِنَ الثَّمَرٰتِ رِزۡقًا لَّـكُمۡ​ۚ فَلَا تَجۡعَلُوۡا لِلّٰهِ اَنۡدَادًا وَّاَنۡـتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ‏ ﴿2:22﴾

(2:21) O mankind,21 serve your Lord Who has created you as well as those before you; do so that you are saved.22 (2:22) It is He Who has made the earth a resting-place for you, and the sky a canopy, and sent down water from above wherewith He brought forth fruits for your sustenance. Do not, then, set up rivals23 to Allah when you know (the Truth). 

Notes

21. Even though the message of the Qur’an is addressed to all, benefiting from it depends on ones willingness and on God’s succour in relation to that willingness. This is why the Qur’an first explained which kind of people can and which kind of people cannot benefit from the Qur’an. As this has been explained in the foregoing verses, the quintessence of the message to which the Qur’an invites all mankind is now put forth. 

22. So that you are saved from false beliefs and unrighteous conduct in this life, and from the punishment of God in the Next. 

23. That is, when man recognizes that all those things were done by none but God, then worship, devotion and service must be exclusively for Him. For who besides the Creator can legitimately claim these things from man? 

Not to set up others as rivals to Allah means not to make anyone other than God the object of worship, service and obedience that one owes to God alone. Later on we shall see, in some detail, how the Qur’an itself specifies the forms of worship and service which we owe exclusively to God, and wherein associating anyone else amounts to shirk (associating others with God in His divinity). This, the Qur’an seeks to eradicate.

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Surah 2 Al-Baqarah, Ayat 17-20

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مَثَلُهُمۡ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِى اسۡتَوۡقَدَ نَارًا ​ۚ فَلَمَّاۤ اَضَآءَتۡ مَا حَوۡلَهٗ ذَهَبَ اللّٰهُ بِنُوۡرِهِمۡ وَتَرَكَهُمۡ فِىۡ ظُلُمٰتٍ لَّا يُبۡصِرُوۡنَ‏  ﴿2:17﴾صُمٌّۢ بُكۡمٌ عُمۡىٌ فَهُمۡ لَا يَرۡجِعُوۡنَ ۙ‏ ﴿2:18﴾اَوۡ كَصَيِّبٍ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ فِيۡهِ ظُلُمٰتٌ وَّرَعۡدٌ وَّبَرۡقٌ​ ۚ يَجۡعَلُوۡنَ اَصَابِعَهُمۡ فِىۡۤ اٰذَانِهِمۡ مِّنَ الصَّوَاعِقِ حَذَرَ الۡمَوۡتِ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ مُحِيۡطٌ​ۢ بِالۡكٰفِرِيۡنَ‏ ﴿2:19﴾ يَكَادُ الۡبَرۡقُ يَخۡطَفُ اَبۡصَارَهُمۡ​ؕ كُلَّمَاۤ اَضَآءَ لَهُمۡ مَّشَوۡا فِيۡهِۙ وَاِذَاۤ اَظۡلَمَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ قَامُوۡا​ؕ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ لَذَهَبَ بِسَمۡعِهِمۡ وَاَبۡصَارِهِمۡ​ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ قَدِيۡرٌ‏ ﴿2:20﴾

(2:17) They are like him who kindled a fire, and when it lit up all around him, Allah took away the light (of their perception) and left them in utter darkness where they can see nothing. (2:18) They are deaf, they are dumb, they are blind;17 they will never return (to the Right Way). (2:19) Or they are like those who encounter a violent rainstorm from the sky, accompanied by pitch-dark clouds, thunder-claps and flashes of lightning: on hearing thunder-claps they thrust their fingers into their ears in fear of death. Allah encompasses these deniers of the Truth.18 (2:20) It is as if the lightning would snatch their sight; whenever it gleams a while for them they walk a little, and when darkness covers them they halt.19 If Allah so willed, He could indeed take away their hearing and their sight.20 Surely Allah is All-Powerful. 

Notes

17. They have become deaf to hear, dumb to utter and blind to perceive the truth. 

18. By thrusting their fingers into their ears they temporarily deceive themselves into believing that they can escape the catastrophic end that awaits them. However, they cannot escape that end since God with all His might, encompasses them.

19. The first parable refers to those hypocrites who disbelieved completely but had become Muslims merely, to further their worldly interests. The second parable refers to those who were prone to doubt and hesitation or whose faith was weak; who believed in the Truth but not to the extent of exposing themselves to hardships for its sake. The ‘violent rainstorm’ here alludes to Islam, which came to the world as a blessing. ‘Pitch-dark clouds, thunder and lightning’ refer to trials, tribulations and difficulties which confronted the Islamic movement, owing to the violent opposition and resistance of those committed to Ignorance. The last part of the parable portrays the state of mind of the hypocrites. They move a little ahead when circumstances seem favourable, but when either difficulties cloud the horizon, or when they are given directives which run counter to their desires or inherited prejudices, they are seized with alarm and come to a halt. 

20. Just as God has completely deprived the first category of hypocrites of their ‘light of perception’, He could have rendered these other hypocrites totally blind and deaf. But it is not God’s way to deprive anyone of sight and hearing while he is willing to see and hear. Hence, God allowed them to retain their sight and hearing to the extent they were prepared to see and hear the Truth.

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Surah 2 Al-Baqarah, Ayat 8-16

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وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنۡ يَّقُوۡلُ اٰمَنَّا بِاللّٰهِ وَبِالۡيَوۡمِ الۡاٰخِرِ وَمَا هُمۡ بِمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ​ۘ‏ ﴿2:8﴾يُخٰدِعُوۡنَ اللّٰهَ وَالَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا ​ۚ وَمَا يَخۡدَعُوۡنَ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡفُسَهُمۡ وَمَا يَشۡعُرُوۡنَؕ‏﴿2:9﴾ فِىۡ قُلُوۡبِهِمۡ مَّرَضٌۙ فَزَادَهُمُ اللّٰهُ مَرَضًا ​ۚ وَّلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ اَلِيۡمٌۙۢبِمَا كَانُوۡا يَكۡذِبُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:10﴾ وَاِذَا قِيۡلَ لَهُمۡ لَا تُفۡسِدُوۡا فِىۡ الۡاَرۡضِۙ قَالُوۡاۤ اِنَّمَا نَحۡنُ مُصۡلِحُوۡنَ‏﴿2:11﴾ اَلَا ۤ اِنَّهُمۡ هُمُ الۡمُفۡسِدُوۡنَ وَلٰـكِنۡ لَّا يَشۡعُرُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:12﴾ وَاِذَا قِيۡلَ لَهُمۡ اٰمِنُوۡا كَمَاۤ اٰمَنَ النَّاسُ قَالُوۡاۤ اَنُؤۡمِنُ كَمَاۤ اٰمَنَ السُّفَهَآءُ​ ؕ اَلَاۤ اِنَّهُمۡ هُمُ السُّفَهَآءُ وَلٰـكِنۡ لَّا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ‏ ﴿2:13﴾ وَاِذَا لَقُوۡا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا قَالُوۡاۤ اٰمَنَّا ۖۚ وَاِذَا خَلَوۡا اِلٰى شَيٰطِيۡنِهِمۡۙ قَالُوۡاۤ اِنَّا مَعَكُمۡۙ اِنَّمَا نَحۡنُ مُسۡتَهۡزِءُوۡنَ‏  ﴿2:14﴾اَللّٰهُ يَسۡتَهۡزِئُ بِهِمۡ وَيَمُدُّهُمۡ فِىۡ طُغۡيَانِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُوۡنَ‏  ﴿2:15﴾ اُولٰٓـئِكَ الَّذِيۡنَ اشۡتَرَوُا الضَّلٰلَةَ بِالۡهُدٰى فَمَا رَبِحَتۡ تِّجَارَتُهُمۡ وَمَا كَانُوۡا مُهۡتَدِيۡنَ‏ ﴿2:16﴾

(2:8) There are some who say: “We believe in Allah and in the Last Day,” while in fact they do not believe. (2:9) They are trying to deceive Allah and those who believe, but they do not realize that in truth they are only deceiving themselves.11 (2:10) There is a disease in their hearts and Allah has intensified this disease.12 A painful chastisement awaits them for their lying. (2:11) Whenever they are told: “Do not spread mischief on earth,” they say: “Why! We indeed are the ones who set things right.” (2:12) They are the mischief makers, but they do not realize it. (2:13) Whenever they are told: “Believe as others believe,”13 they answer: “Shall we believe as the fools have believed?”14Indeed it is they who are the fools, but they are not aware of it. (2:14) When they meet the believers, they say: “We believe,” but when they meet their evil companions (in privacy),15they say: “Surely we are with you; we were merely jesting.” (2:15) Allah jests with them, leaving them to wander blindly on in their rebellion. (2:16) These are the ones who have purchased error in exchange for guidance. This bargain has brought them no profit and certainly they are not on the Right Way.16

Notes

11. These people delude themselves that their hypocritical behaviour will profit them when in fact it will prove harmful both in this world and the Next. A hypocrite may be able to fool people for a while, but it does not last long; his hypocrisy is ultimately seen through. As for the Next Life, it is obvious that his claim to be a true believer is contradicted by his own actions and is thus quite worthless. 

12. ‘ Disease’ here refers to the disease of hypocrisy. The statement that ‘Allah has intensified this disease’ means that He does not punish the hypocrites immediately but allows them to indulge in their hypocrisy and exult in the success of their ruses. This feeling of success intensifies their hypocrisy. 

13. They are being asked to become Muslims in the same manner as others of their community became Muslims 

14. They think that those people who sincerely embraced Islam and thereby exposed themselves to all kinds of trials and persecutions, and confronted risks and dangers, were merely fools. To them it seems sheer folly to invite the hostility of the entire land merely for the sake of Truth and righteousness. In their view, wisdom consists not in bothering oneself with the distinction between truth and falsehood, but in remaining concerned only with one’s own interests.

15. ‘Satan’ in Arabic means refractory, rebellious and headstrong, and is used for both human beings and jinn. Although this word is generally used in the Qur’an for the satans amongst the jinn, it is also used occasionally for human beings possessing satanic characteristics. The context generally explains whether the word ‘satan’ refers to jinn or to human beings. In this particular case the word ‘satans’ refers to those influential leaders of the time who were in the vanguard of opposition and hostility to Islam 

16. This means that two opposite effects emerged when a true servant of God radiated the light which made it possible to distinguish true from false and right from wrong, and made the straight way distinct from the ways of error. To those endowed with true perception, all truths became evident. But those who were almost blinded by the worship of their animal desires perceived nothing.

The expression, ‘Allah took away the light of their perception’ should not create the impression that these people were not responsible for their stumbling into darkness. Only those who do not seek the Truth, who prefer error to guidance and who are adamantly disinclined to pursue the Truth despite its luminosity, are deprived, by God, of the light of their perception. God simply enables such people to do what they wish.

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Surah Al-Baqarah,2: 6-7

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اِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا سَوَآءٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَاَنۡذَرۡتَهُمۡ اَمۡ لَمۡ تُنۡذِرۡهُمۡ لَا يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ‏﴿2:6﴾ خَتَمَ اللّٰهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوۡبِهِمۡ وَعَلٰى سَمۡعِهِمۡ​ؕ وَعَلٰىٓ اَبۡصَارِهِمۡ غِشَاوَةٌ  وَّلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ عَظِيۡمٌ‏ ﴿2:7﴾

(2:6) As for those who have rejected (these truths),9 it is all the same whether or not you warn them, for they will not believe. (2:7) Allah has sealed their hearts10 and their hearing, and a covering has fallen over their eyes. They deserve severe chastisement. 

Notes

9. That is, those people who do not meet these six requirements, or reject all or any one of the fundamentals set out above.

10. This does not mean that their rejection of the Truth is a consequence of God sealing their hearts. What is meant is that God sealed their hearts and ears as a consequence of their decision to reject the fundamentals of faith, of their deliberate choice of a path divergent from that charted out by the Qur’an. Anyone who has worked for the dissemination of the Truth often finds that if, after full consideration, a person decides against a doctrine, his mind begins to move in a completely opposite direction so that he fails to appreciate anything that is explained to him. His ears become deaf, his eyes are blinded to the merits of that doctrine, and one gets the distinct impression that the person’s heart has indeed been sealed.

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Surah 2 Al-Baqarah, Ayat 1-5

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الٓمّٓۚ‏ ﴿2:1﴾ ذٰ لِكَ الۡڪِتٰبُ لَا رَيۡبَ ۛۚ ۖ فِيۡهِ ۛۚ هُدًى لِّلۡمُتَّقِيۡنَۙ‏ ﴿2:2﴾ الَّذِيۡنَ يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِالۡغَيۡبِ وَ يُقِيۡمُوۡنَ الصَّلٰوةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنٰهُمۡ يُنۡفِقُوۡنَۙ‏ ﴿2:3﴾ وَالَّذِيۡنَ يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِمَۤا اُنۡزِلَ اِلَيۡكَ وَمَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِكَۚ وَبِالۡاٰخِرَةِ هُمۡ يُوۡقِنُوۡنَؕ‏ ﴿2:4﴾ اُولٰٓـئِكَ عَلٰى هُدًى مِّنۡ رَّبِّهِمۡ​ وَاُولٰٓـئِكَ هُمُ الۡمُفۡلِحُوۡنَ‏  ﴿2:5﴾

(2:1) Alif, Lam, Mim.1 (2:2) This is the Book of Allah, there is no doubt in it;2 it is a guidance for the pious,3 (2:3) for those who believe in the existence of that which is beyond the reach of perception,4 who establish Prayer5 and spend out of what We have provided them,6 (2:4) who believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you,7 and have firm faith in the Hereafter.8 (2:5) Such are on true guidance from their Lord; such are the truly successful.

Notes

1. The names of letters of the Arabic alphabet, called huruf muqatta’at, occur at the beginning of several surahs of the Qur’an. At the time of the Qur’anic revelation the use of such letters was a well-known literary device, used by both poets and orators, and we find several instances in the pre-Islamic Arabic literature that has come down to us. 

Since the muqatta’at were commonly used the Arabs of that period generally knew what they meant and so they did not present a puzzle. We do not notice, therefore, any contemporaries of the Prophet (peace be on him) raising objections against the Qur’an on the ground that the letters at the beginning of some of its surahs were absurd. For the same reason no Tradition has come down to us of any Companion asking the Prophet about the significance of the muqatta’at. Later on this literary device gradually fell into disuse and hence it became difficult for commentators to determine their precise meanings. It is obvious, however, that deriving right guidance from the Qur’an does not depend on grasping the meaning of these vocables, and that anyone who fails to understand them may still live a righteous life and attain salvation. The ordinary reader, therefore, need not delve too deeply into this matter. 

2. One obvious meaning of this verse is that this Book, the Qur’an, is undoubtedly from God. Another possible meaning is that nothing contained in it can be subject to doubt. Books which deal with supernatural questions, with matters that lie beyond the range of sense perception, are invariably based on conjecture and their authors, despite their brave show of competence, are therefore not immune from a degree of scepticism regarding their statements. This Book, which is based wholly on Truth, a Book which is the work of none other than the All-Knowing God Himself is distinguishable from all other books. Hence, there is no room for doubt about its contents despite the hesitation some people might express either through ignorance or folly. 

3. This means that while the Book is potentially for all, only those who possess certain qualities can benefit from it. The first such quality is piety: those who want to benefit should be disposed to distinguish between good and evil, and to shun evil and do good. Those who lead an animal existence, who never to consider whether their actions are either good or bad, whose cynically follow the prevailing winds, who are helplessly tossed about by the animal desires that dominate their minds, such persons are all together incapable of deriving any benefit from the guidance embodied in the Qur’an. 

4. This is the second prerequisite for deriving benefit from the Qur’an. Ghayb signifies the verities which are hidden from man’s senses and which are beyond the scope of man’s ordinary observation and experience, for example the existence and attributes of God, the angels. the process of revelation, Paradise, Hell and so on. ‘Belief in the ghaib’ means having faith in such matters, based on an absolute confidence in the Messengers of God and despite the fact that it is impossible to experience them. 

According to this verse, Qur’anic guidance can prove helpful only to those prepared to affirm the truths of the suprasensory realm. People who make their belief in these questions conditional upon sensory perception of the object of belief, and who are not prepared even to consider the possibility of the existence of things that cannot be weighed or measured, cannot profit from this Book. 

5. This is the third requirement. It is pointed out that those to whom belief means merely the pronouncement of a formula, who think that a mere verbal confession of faith is enough and that it makes no practical demands on them, can derive no guidance from the Qur’an. To benefit from the Qur’an it is essential that a man’s decision to believe should be followed immediately by practical obedience to God. 

Prayer is the first and continuing sign of practical obedience. No more than a few hours can pass after a man has embraced Islam than the mu’adhin calls to Prayer and it becomes evident whether or not the profession of faith has been genuine. Moreover, the mu’adhin calls to Prayer five times every day and whenever a man fails to respond to his call it becomes clear that he has transgressed the bounds of practical obedience. An abandonment of Prayer amounts to an abandonment of obedience. Obviously, if a man is not prepared to follow the directives of his guide, it is immaterial whether or not true guidance is available to him.

It should also be noted that the expression ‘establishment of Prayer’ has a wider meaning than mere performance of Prayer. It means that the system of Prayer should be organized on a collective basis. If there is a person in a locality who prays individually but no arrangements are made for congregational Prayer, it cannot be claimed that Prayer is established in that locality. 

6. This, the fourth prerequisite for a person to benefit from the Qur’an, demands that the person concerned should neither be niggardly nor a worshipper of money. On the contrary, he should be willing to pay the claims on his property of both God and man, and should not flinch from making financial sacrifices for the sake of his convictions. 

7. The fifth requirement is that one should believe in the Books revealed by God to His Prophets in the various ages and regions of the world, in the Book revealed to Muhammad (peace be on him) as well as in those revealed to the other Prophets who preceded him. The door of the Qur’an is closed to all those who do not consider it necessary for man to receive guidance from God. It is also closed to those who, even if they believe in the need for such guidance, do not consider it necessary to seek it through the channel of revelation and prophethood, but would rather weave their own set of ideas and concepts and regard them as equivalent to Divine Guidance. 

This door is also closed to those who believe in Divine books as such, but confine this belief to those books accepted by their forefathers, and spurn Divine Guidance revealed to anyone born beyond their own racial and national boundaries. The Qur’an excludes all such people and is prepared to open the source of its grace only to those who believe that mankind does require Divine Guidance, who acknowledge that this guidance does not come to people individually but reaches them through Prophets and Divine Books and who are not given to racial or national chauvinism but are devotees of Truth alone, and are therefore prepared to submit to Divine Guidance wherever it be found. 

8. Belief in the After-life is the sixth and last requirement. The term al-Akhirah embraces a whole set of ideas: (i) that man is not an irresponsible being, but is answerable to God for all his conduct in this world; (ii) that the present order of the world is not timeless, but will come to an end at an appointed hour known only to God; (iii) that when this world comes to an end God will bring into being another world in which He will resurrect, at one and the same moment, all the human beings ever born on earth. He will gather them together, examine their conduct and grant each one just reward for his actions; (iv) that those who are accounted good in God’s judgement will be sent to Heaven, and those judged by Him as evil-doers will be consigned to Hell; (v) that the real measure of success and failure is not one’s prosperity in the present life, but one’s success or failure according to God’s judgement in the Next. Those who do not accept this set of beliefs can derive no benefit from the Qur’an. For if a man is merely in a state of doubt and hesitation with regard to these matters – let alone disbelieving them – he cannot advance even one step forward along the path charted out by the Qur’an.

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Surah AnNazi’at,79:34-46

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فَاِذَا جَآءَتِ الطَّآمَّةُ الۡكُبۡرٰى ۖ‏ ﴿79:34﴾يَوۡمَ يَتَذَكَّرُ الۡاِنۡسَانُ مَا سَعٰىۙ‏ ﴿79:35﴾وَبُرِّزَتِ الۡجَحِيۡمُ لِمَنۡ يَّرٰى‏ ﴿79:36﴾ فَاَمَّا مَنۡ طَغٰىۙ‏ ﴿79:37﴾ وَاٰثَرَ الۡحَيٰوةَ الدُّنۡيَا ۙ‏﴿79:38﴾ فَاِنَّ الۡجَحِيۡمَ هِىَ الۡمَاۡوٰىؕ‏ ﴿79:39﴾وَاَمَّا مَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهٖ وَ نَهَى النَّفۡسَ عَنِ الۡهَوٰىۙ‏ ﴿79:40﴾ فَاِنَّ الۡجَـنَّةَ هِىَ الۡمَاۡوٰىؕ‏ ﴿79:41﴾ يَسۡـئَلُوۡنَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ اَيَّانَ مُرۡسٰٮهَا ؕ‏ ﴿79:42﴾ فِيۡمَ اَنۡتَ مِنۡ ذِكۡرٰٮهَاؕ‏ ﴿79:43﴾ اِلٰى رَبِّكَ مُنۡتَهٰٮهَاؕ‏ ﴿79:44﴾اِنَّمَاۤ اَنۡتَ مُنۡذِرُ مَنۡ يَّخۡشٰٮهَاؕ‏ ﴿79:45﴾كَاَنَّهُمۡ يَوۡمَ يَرَوۡنَهَا لَمۡ يَلۡبَثُوۡۤا اِلَّا عَشِيَّةً اَوۡ ضُحٰٮهَا‏  ﴿79:46﴾

(79:34) But when the great calamity will come about19 (79:35) on the Day when man will recall all his strivings,20 (79:36) and Hell will be brought in sight for anyone to see: (79:37) then he who transgressed (79:38) and preferred the life of this world, (79:39) most surely his abode shall be Hell. (79:40) But he who feared to stand before his Lord, and restrained himself from evil desires, (79:41) most surely his abode shall be Paradise.21 (79:42) They ask you about the Hour: “When will it be?”22 (79:43) What concern do you have to speak about that? (79:44) Its knowledge rests with your Lord. (79:45) You are only a warner to him who has a fear of it.23 (79:46) On the Day they see it, they will feel as though they had stayed (in the grave) no more than one evening or one morning.24

Notes

19. This implies the Resurrection for which the words at- Taammat alkubra have been used. Taammah by itself is a grievous calamity which afflicts everybody. Then it has been further qualified by the word kubra (great), which shows that the mere word taammah is not enough to describe fully its intensity and severity.

20. That is, when man will see that the same Day of accountability of which he was being foretold in the world, has come, he will start remembering each one of his misdeeds done in the world even before his records are handed over to him. Some people experience this even in the world. If at some time they come across a dangerous situation suddenly when death seems to be staring them in the face, their whole life-film flashes across their mind’s eye all at once.

21. Here, in a few words, it has been told briefly what shall be the criterion of the final judgment in the Hereafter. One kind of the conduct of life in the world is that transgressing all bounds of service man should rebel against his God and should make up his mind that he would seek only the benefits and pleasures of this world in whatever way they could be sought and achieved. The other kind of conduct is that while man passes life in the world he should constantly keep in view the truth that ultimately one day he has to stand before his Lord, and should refrain from fulfilling the evil desires of the self only for the fear that if he earned an unlawful benefit in obedience to his self, or enjoyed an evil pleasure, what answer he would give to his Lord. The criterion of the judgment in the Hereafter will be which of the two kinds of conduct he adopted in the world. If he had adopted the first kind of conduct, his permanent abode would be Hell, and if he had adopted the second kind of conduct, his permanent home would be Paradise. 

22. The disbelievers of Makkah asked this question of the Prophet (peace be upon him) over and over again. By this they did not mean to know the time and date of the coming of Resurrection but to mock it. (For further explanation, see( E.N. 35 of Surah Al-Mulk). 

23. This we also have explained in( E.N. 36 of Surah Al- Mulk). As for the words “you are only a Warner to him who fears it”, they do not mean that it is not your duty to warn those who do not fear, but it means: Your warning will benefit only him who fears the coming of that Day. 

24. This theme has occurred at several places in the Quran and been explained in the following notes. For it, see (E.N. 53 of Surah Younus); (E.N. 56 of Surah Bani Israil); (E.N. 80 of Surah TaHa); (E.N. 101 of Surah Al-Mominoon); (E.Ns 81, 82 of Surah Ar-Room); E.N. 48 of Surah

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Surah An-Nazi’at, 79:15-26

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هَلۡ اَتٰٮكَ حَدِيۡثُ مُوۡسٰى​ۘ‏ ﴿79:15﴾ اِذۡ نَادٰٮهُ رَبُّهٗ بِالۡوَادِ الۡمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى​ۚ‏ ﴿79:16﴾ اِذۡهَبۡ اِلٰى فِرۡعَوۡنَ اِنَّهٗ طَغٰى ۖ‏ ﴿79:17﴾ فَقُلۡ هَلۡ لَّكَ اِلٰٓى اَنۡ تَزَكّٰى ۙ‏ ﴿79:18﴾ وَاَهۡدِيَكَ اِلٰى رَبِّكَ فَتَخۡشٰى​ۚ‏ ﴿79:19﴾ فَاَرٰٮهُ الۡاٰيَةَ الۡكُبۡرٰى ۖ‏ ﴿79:20﴾ فَكَذَّبَ وَعَصٰى ۖ‏ ﴿79:21﴾ثُمَّ اَدۡبَرَ يَسۡعٰىۖ‏ ﴿79:22﴾ فَحَشَرَ فَنَادٰىۖ‏﴿79:23﴾ فَقَالَ اَنَا رَبُّكُمُ الۡاَعۡلٰى ۖ‏ ﴿79:24﴾فَاَخَذَهُ اللّٰهُ نَڪَالَ الۡاٰخِرَةِ وَالۡاُوۡلٰى ؕ‏﴿79:25﴾ اِنَّ فِىۡ ذٰلِكَ لَعِبۡرَةً لِّمَنۡ يَّخۡشٰىؕ‏﴿79:26﴾

(79:15) Has6 Moses’ story reached you? (79:16) When his Lord called him in the sacred valley of Tuwa,7 (79:17) and directed him: “Go to Pharaoh, he has rebelled, (79:18) and say to him: ‘Are you willing to be purified, (79:19) that I may direct you to your Lord and then you hold Him8 in awe?’ ” (79:20) Then Moses (went to Pharaoh and) showed him the Great Sign;9(79:21) but he denied it as false and disobeyed, (79:22) and then he turned back to have recourse to his craftiness,10 (79:23) and gathered his people and declared:11 (79:24) “I am the supreme lord of you all.” (79:25) Thereupon Allah seized him for the chastisement of the World to Come as well as of the present. (79:26) Surely there is a great lesson in it for whoever would fear (Allah).12

Notes

6. As the denial of the Resurrection and Hereafter by the disbelievers of Makkah and their mockery of it was not, in fact, rejection of a philosophy but belying Allah’s Messengers, and the tricks that they were employing against the Prophet (peace be upon him) were not against an ordinary man but were meant to frustrate the mission of Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him), the story of the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and the Pharaoh is being related before giving additional arguments for the occurrence of the Hereafter so that they are warned of the consequences of fighting with the Messenger and resisting the God Who sent him. 

7. According to general opinion among the commentators the sacred valley of Tuwa means the sacred valley which was named Tuwa. But, besides this, two other meanings of it also have been given: 

(1) The valley that was blessed and made sacred twice, for it was first made sacred when Allah spoke to Moses (peace be upon him) in it for the first time, and it was blessed and made sacred for the second time when the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) led the children of Israel out of Egypt and brought them into it. 

(2) Called out to him in the sacred valley in the night, and this is according to the meaning of tuwa in the Arabic idiom. 

8. Here, one should understand a few things well: 

(1) The dialogue that took place between the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and Allah Almighty at the time of appointing him to the office of Prophethood has been related at some places briefly and at others in full detail in the Quran as the occasion demanded. Here, brevity was the need, therefore, only a resume has been given. Full details are found in(Surah TaHa, Ayats 9-48); (Surah Ash-Shuara, Ayats 10-17); (Surah An-Naml, Ayats 7-12), (Surah Al-Qasas, Ayats: 29-35). 

(2) The rebellion of the Pharaoh referred to here relates to his transgressing the bounds of service and rebelling both against the Creator and against His creatures. As for his rebellion against the Creator, it is being mentioned a little below when he gathered his people together and proclaimed: I am your lord, the supreme. As against the creatures his rebellion was that he had divided his subjects into classes; he treated the weak classes tyrannically and had reduced his entire nation to slavery as has been mentioned in(Surah Al-Qasas, Ayat 4) and ( Surah Az- Zukhruf, Ayat 54). 

(3) The instruction given to Moses (peace be upon him) was: Go, you and your brother Aaron, to Pharaoh for he has transgressed all bounds. Talk to him gently; maybe that he is convinced by admonition or is imbued with fear. (Surah TaHa, Ayat 44). One model of the gentle speech has been given in these verses, which shows what right method a preacher should adopt when preaching to a perverted man. Other models are given in (Surah TaHa, Ayats 49-52); (Surah Ash-Shuara, Ayats 23-28) and (Surah Al-Qasas, Ayat 37). These verses are of those in which Allah has taught the correct methods of preaching Islam in the Quran. 

(4) The Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) had not been sent to Pharaoh only for the deliverance of the children of Israel as some people seem to think but the primary object of his appointment was to show Pharaoh and his people the right way, and the second object was that if he did not accept the right way, the children of Israel (who in fact were a Muslim people) should be taken out of his slavery and from Egypt. This thing becomes plain from these verses too, for there is no mention whatsoever in these of the deliverance of the children of Israel, but the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) has been commanded to present the message of the truth before Pharaoh, and this is confirmed by those verses also in which the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) has preached Islam as well as demanded freedom of the children of Israel, e.g. see (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayats 104-105), (Surah TaHa, Ayats 47-52); (Surah Ash-Shuara, Ayats 16-17, 23-28). (For further explanation, see (E.N. 74 of Younus). 

(5) Here, to adopt purity means to adopt purity of belief, morals and deeds, or, in other words, to accept Islam. Ibn Zaid says: Wherever in the Quran the word tazakka (purity) has been use, it implies acceptance of Islam. As an example of this he has cited the following three verses: And this is the reward of him who adopts purity, i.e. accepts Islam; and what would make you know that he might adopt purity, i.e. becomes a Muslim (Surah Abasa, Ayat 3); And you would not be responsible if he did not adapt purity, i.e. did not become a Muslim (Surah Abasa, Ayat 7). (Ibn Jarir). 

(6) That I may guide you to your Lord so that you may have fear (of Him) means: When you recognize your Lord and come to know that you are His slave, and not a free man, you will inevitably have fear of Him in your heart, for fear of God is the thing on which depends the right attitude of man in the world. Without the knowledge and fear of God no purity of the self can be possible. 

9. The great sign: The turning of the staff into a serpent, as has been mentioned at several places in the Quran. Obviously there could be no greater sign than that a lifeless staff should turn into a living serpent right in front of the eyes of the people, that it should devour the artificial serpents produced by the magicians out of their staffs and cords, and when the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) should pick it up, it should become a walking stick again. This was proof that it was Allah, Lord of the worlds, Who had sent Moses (peace be upon him) as a Prophet. 

10. According to the details given at other places in the Quran, he summoned skilful magicians from all over Egypt and made them produce serpents out of sticks and cords in front of the assembled people so that they were convinced that Moses (peace be upon him) was not a Prophet but a magician, and that the miracle worked by him of turning a staff into a serpent, could also be worked by other magicians. But this device of his recoiled upon himself and the defeated magicians themselves admitted that what Moses (peace be upon him) had displayed was no magic but a miracle. 

11. This proclamation of Pharaoh has been mentioned at several places in the Quran. On one occasion he said to the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him): If you took another one as a deity beside me, I would cast you in the prison. (Surah Ash-Shuara, Ayat 29). On another occasion he had addressed his courtiers, saying: O chiefs, I do not know of any god of yours other than myself. (Surah Al-Qasas, Ayat 38). By this Pharaoh did not mean, nor could he ever mean, that he himself was the creator of the universe and he had made the world, nor that he denied the existence of Allah and claimed to be lord of the universe, nor that he regarded only himself as a deity of the people in the religious sense. In the Quran itself there is a clear testimony that as regards to religion he himself worshipped other gods. Once his courtiers said to him: Will you leave Moses (peace be upon him) and his people free to spread chaos in the land, and let them discard you and your deities? (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayat 127). And in the Quran itself this saying of the Pharaoh has also been cited: Had Moses (peace be upon him) been sent by Allah, why were not bracelets of gold sent down to him, or a company of angels as attendants? (Surah Az-Zukhruf, Ayat 53). Thus, in fact, he called himself a god and supreme deity not in the religious but in the political sense. What he meant was that he possessed the sovereign rights: no one beside him had the right to rule in his kingdom and there was no superior power whose orders could be enforced in the land. (For further explanation. see (E.N. 85 of Surah Al- Aaraf); (E.N. 21 of Surah TaHa); (E.Ns 24, 26 of Surah Ash- Shuara); ( E-Ns 52, 53 of Surah Al-Qasas); ( E.N. 49 of Surah Az-Zukhruf). 

12. Who fears: who fears the consequences of denying God’s Messenger, which the Pharaoh experienced in the past.

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Surah An-Nazi’at,79: 27-33

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ءَاَنۡتُمۡ اَشَدُّ خَلۡقًا اَمِ السَّمَآءُ​ ؕ بَنٰٮهَا‏﴿79:27﴾ رَفَعَ سَمۡكَهَا فَسَوَّٮهَا ۙ‏ ﴿79:28﴾ وَ اَغۡطَشَ لَيۡلَهَا وَاَخۡرَجَ ضُحٰٮهَا‏ ﴿79:29﴾وَالۡاَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ ذٰلِكَ دَحٰٮهَا ؕ‏ ﴿79:30﴾ اَخۡرَجَ مِنۡهَا مَآءَهَا وَمَرۡعٰٮهَا‏ ﴿79:31﴾ وَالۡجِبَالَ اَرۡسٰٮهَا ۙ‏ ﴿79:32﴾ مَتَاعًا لَّـكُمۡ وَلِاَنۡعَامِكُمۡؕ‏﴿79:33﴾

(79:27) Is13 it harder to create you or the heaven?14 But Allah built it, (79:28) and raised its vault high and proportioned it; (79:29) and covered its night with darkness and brought forth from it its day;15 (79:30) and thereafter spread out the earth,16 (79:31) and brought out of it its water and its pasture,17 (79:32) and firmly fixed in it mountains; (79:33) all this as provision for you and your cattle.18

Notes

13. Now arguments are being given for the possibility of Resurrection and life after death and their being the very demand and requirement of wisdom.

14. Here, creation implies the recreation of men, and the heaven the entire firmament which contains countless stars and planets, and innumerable solar systems and galaxies, means to say: You think that your resurrection after death is something extremely improbable and you express wonder saying: How is it possible that when our very bones will have decayed and become rotten the scattered particles of our bodies will be reassembled and made living once again. But have you ever also considered whether the great universe is harder to create or your own re-creation in the form in which you were created in the first instance. The God Who created you in the first instance cannot be powerless to create you once again. This same argument for life after death has been given at several places in the Quran. For example, in Surah YaSeen it has been said: Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create the like of them (again). Why not, when He is the skillful Creator. (verse 81). And in Surah Al-Momin it has been said: Surely the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater task than the creation of man, but most people do not know. (verse 57). 

15. The night and the day have been attributed to the heaven, for the night falls when the sun of the heavens sets and the day dawns when it rises. The word cover has been used for the night in the sense that after the sun has set the darkness of the night so spreads over the earth as though it has covered it from above by a curtain. 

16. After that He spread out the earth, does not mean that Allah created the earth after the creation of the heavens, but it is a style of expression just like our saying after making mention of something: Then this is noteworthy. The object is not to express the sequence of occurrence between the two things but to draw attention from the first to the second thing although both may exist together. Several instances of this style are found in the Quran, e.g. in Surah Al-Qalam it is said: (He is) oppressive, and after that, ignoble by birth. This does not mean that first he became oppressive and then he turned ignoble by birth, but it means: He is oppressive, and above all, ignoble by birth. Likewise, in Surah Al-Balad it is said: Should free a slave, then be of those who believe. This also does not mean that first he should act righteously and then believe, but that along with doing righteous deeds he should also be characterized by belief. Here, one should also understand that at some places in the Quran the creation of the earth has been mentioned first and then the creation of the heavens, as in (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayat 29), and at others the creation of the heavens has been mentioned first and then of the earth, as in these verses. There is, in fact, no contradiction in this. At no place the object is to tell what was created first and what afterwards, but wherever the context requires that the excellences of the power of Allah be made prominent, the heavens have been mentioned first and then the earth, and where the context requires that the people be made to appreciate and acknowledge the blessings that they are benefiting by on the earth, the mention of the earth has been made before that of the heavens. (For further explanation, see( E.Ns 13,14 of Surah HaMim As-Sajdah).

17. Pasture, here does not only imply pasture and fodder for the animals but all kinds of herbal produce suitable for consumption both by man and by animal. An example of the use of raat, which is generally used in Arabic for the grazing animals, is found in (Surah Yusuf, Ayat 12), signifying that this word is sometimes used for man also. The brothers of Joseph said to their father: Send Joseph with us tomorrow that he may freely graze and enjoy sport. Here, the word grace (raat) for the child has been used in the meaning that he may move about freely in the jungle and pluck and eat fruit. 

18. In these verses arguments have been given for the Resurrection and life after death from two aspects: First, that it is not at all difficult to establish these for the power of that God Who has made this vast and huge universe with such wonderful balance and this earth with such provisions. Second, that the pointers to the perfect wisdom of Allah which are clearly visible in the universe and the earth, point out that nothing is happening here purposelessly. The balance that exists between countless stars and planets and galaxies in the heavens, testifies that all this has not happened haphazardly, but there is a well thought-out plan working behind it. The regular alternation of the night and day is an evidence that this system has been established with supreme wisdom and knowledge for making the earth a home and place of settlement. On this very earth are found regions where the alternation of the night and day takes place within 24 hours and also those regions where there are longer days and longer nights. A very large part of the earth’s population lives in the first kind of the regions. Then as the days and nights go on becoming longer and longer, life goes on becoming harder and harder and population thinner and thinner. So much so that the regions where there are six-month-long days and six-month-long nights, are not at all fit for human settlement. Arranging both these types of the land on this very earth Allah has provided the evidence that this regular order of the alternation of night and day has not come about accidentally but has been brought about with great wisdom precisely in accordance with a scheme to make the earth a place fit for human settlement. Likewise, spreading out the earth so that it becomes a fit place to live in, providing in it that water which should be palatable for man and animal and a cause of growth for vegetation, setting in it mountains and creating all those things which may become a means of life for both man and animal. All these are a manifest sign that they are not chance happenings of the purposeless works of a care-free person but each one of these has been arranged purposefully by a Supreme, Wise Being. Now every sensible and intelligent man can consider for himself whether the necessity and occurrence of the Hereafter is the requirement of wisdom or its negation. The person who in spite of seeing all this says that there is no Hereafter, in fact, says that everything in the universe is happening wisely and purposefully, but only the creation of man on the earth as a being endowed with sense and power is meaningless and foolish. For there could be nothing more purposeless than delegating to man vast powers of appropriation in the earth and providing him an opportunity to do good as well as evil deeds but then failing to ever subject him to accountability.

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