ءَايَٰتُ

12:2; 15:2; 26:3; 27:2.

Commentary:

This verse has been commented upon in some detail in 12:2; 26:3 & 27:2.

Commentary:

The story of Talut, Jalut and David has been fittingly concluded by God with the verse under comment to point out that these incidents have been referred to by the Quran not by way of telling a story but as divine signs in order to hint that the Prophet of Islam, being also a Messenger of God, is sure to receive at least the same help and succour as was received by His Messengers of yore.

Important Words:

The words بالحق (lit. 'with truth' and translated as, while they comprise the truth) signify, firstly, that these Signs or words of God are full of truths; secondly, that they have come as a matter of right, i.e. you had a right to receive them; thirdly, that this was the proper time for their recital. See also 3:4.

The words, Allah wills not any wrong, mean that by calling upon mankind to accept the Holy Prophet, God does not intend to cause them harm; in fact, He desires to have mercy on them. The interests of mankind required that a Prophet should have been sent to them.

4:147, 176.

Commentary:

The words, who holds fast to Allah, have two meanings: (1) whoever preserves himself from sin by acting on God’s commandments; (2) whoever connects himself with Allah and cleaves firmly to Him, thereby securing for himself an everlasting source of rise and progress.

6:38; 13:28.

22:50; 26:116; 51:51; 67:27.

Commentary:

In the Quran by the sign demanded by disbelievers is meant generally the sign of punishment. This meaning is clear from vv. 54, 55& 56 below. To this demand of disbelievers the Holy Prophet is commanded to say that it is not for him to fix the time when punishment should come, because he is only a Warner whose duty is confined to warning them that if they persisted in their rejection of the Divine Message and did not mend their ways they will perish.

10:2; 31:3.

Commentary:

The Quran has variously described itself as follows:

"The Book full of wisdom" as in the present verse; "the Book of Allah" (2:102); "the Book" (5:16); "a Book whose verses have been made unchangeable and then they have been expounded in detail" (11:2); "an enlightening Book" (22:9); "a mighty Book" (41:42); "the Book inscribed" (52:3); "a well-preserved Book" (56:79); "the Quran in Arabic" (12:3); "the illuminating Quran" (15:2); the Great Quran" (15:88); "the Quran full of wisdom" (36:2); "the Quran full of exhortation" (38:2); "the noble Quran" (56:78); "the wonderful Quran" (72:2); and "the glorious Quran" (85:22).

The Quran is indeed such a wise, and wonderful Book that "not a single one of the great truths, principles, and ideals enumerated and proclaimed by it has been contradicted or falsified by ancient learning or science, nor by modern discoveries and inventions." It has eminently held its own, and proved equal to the exigencies of time, in every age and period.

Like the abbreviated letters which have been placed in the beginning of different Surahs, the various qualifying words used for the Quran in the above-mentioned Surahs have a subtle connection with their subject matter. A deep study of the context reveals the connection between the two.

Commentary:

The verse under comment explains another verse of the Quran (2:8) wherein it is stated that God sets a seal on the hearts of disbelievers and on their ears and eyes. The present verse makes it clear that man first turns away disdainfully from truth, and behaves arrogantly, and turns a deaf ear to the Divine Message and heavenly admonition, and then, as a result of his arrogant behaviour and attitude, his heart becomes, as it were, sealed and he is rendered spiritually blind and deaf.

Important Words:

انـما (surely) is considered to be a compound of ان and ما . It imports restriction of that which it precedes to that which follows it, giving the sense of "only". The Quran says: انما الصدقات للفقراء i.e. the sadaqat (the alms) are meant only for the poor, etc. But the word does not always import restriction but sometimes only corroboration of an affirmation, giving the sense of "verily" or "surely", as in the tradition; انـما الربا فی النسیئة i.e. verily, (one form of) usury is in the delay of payment (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The latter part of the verse may also be rendered thus, "Say, 'Surely, Signs are with Allah, and that (too is with Allah) which will make you know that when it comes, they will not believe.'" In this rendering, the

particle ما rendered in the text as "what" would be taken as a relative pronoun, in the sense of الذی i.e. "that" and not as an interrogative pronoun. According to this rendering, the words "and that (too is with Allah) which will make you know that when it comes, they will not believe" would refer to the punishment of God and the clause would mean that not only are other signs with God, but the sign of punishment is also with Him and that when that sign comes, you will see that it will do them no good.

22:36.

9:124.

Commentary:

The preceding verse ended with the words, if you are believers, and the present fittingly describes a sure sign of true belief necessary for the fulfilment of the promise of victory contained in the previous verse. If a person claims to be a believer in God, but in practical life the name of God means nothing to him and quickens no chords in his heart, his belief is not a true one. Belief should be something real and living.