رَبَّكُمْ

2:124; 82:20.

6:64; 7:206.

Commentary:

For an explanation of the words, in humility and in secret, see 6:64.

3:124.

Important Words:

تستغیثون (you implored the assistance) is derived from غاث. They say غاثه, or اغاثه i.e. he helped, assisted or succoured him; He (God) removed from him trouble or affliction. غوث or غواث means, a cry for aid or succour. غیاث means, aid or succour; deliverance from difficulty or distress. استغاثه means, he sought or desired aid or succour of him; or he called for his aid or succour or assistance (Lane & Aqrab).

مردفین (following one another) is derived from اردف which is derived from ردف. They say اردفه i.e. he rode behind him on the same beast; or it followed or came after him or it. اردف signifies the same as ردف. They say اردفه امر i.e. an event happened to him afterwards; or an event came upon him suddenly and unexpectedly so as to overwhelm him. اردف الشیء بشیء means, he made the thing follow another thing. ردیف means, one who rides behind another on the same beast; a star which is rising when its opposite star is setting or vice versa. ردف means, sequence or consequence of a thing or event; followers or assistants or auxiliaries; night and day following each other; the star that follows another star. So مردفین means, following one another (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

For the advent of angels, see 3:125-127 and 6:159. Also see 2:31.

11:53, 62; 71:11.

Important Words:

کبیر (dreadful) is derived from کبر which means, he or it was or became great in estimation or rank or dignity; or he or it became big or large in corporeal substance or in years. They say کبر الامر i.e. the affair was or became of great moment. کبر علیه الامر means, the affair was or became difficult, hard, severe, grievous, distressing or burdensome to him. کبیر means, great in corporeal substance; or in estimation or rank or dignity; great and noble; a lord or chief; greatest or oldest ancestor; old or advanced in age; also full-grown and adolescent; the most knowing or learned of a people; difficult, severe, grievous, distressing and burdensome. It is synonymous with عظیم with the difference that, whereas the latter word generally means great in comparison with others, the former means great in itself. الکبیر as an epithet applied to God is generally considered to be synonymous with العظیم which means, the Incomparably Great (Lane).

Commentary:

In the previous verse, the attention of man was drawn to the object of his creation. But as he has to face many obstacles and impediments which hinder the realization of his ideal, he has therefore been advised in the present verse to seek God’s help for the removal of those obstructions and hindrances which, in the form of the dross and rust of sin, continue to accumulate round his heart and eventually completely cover it. The Arabic word used here is استغفار (seeking forgiveness), which literally means "to pray to God that He should cover up". In this sense of the word the injunction embodied in the verse signifies that we should always pray to God that He should cover up and suppress those of our evil inclinations and desires which hinder us from attaining His nearness.

The expression, then turn to Him, means that when we have successfully suppressed and overcome our evil desires, we should turn to God that He may engender in our hearts such love for Himself as may help us to attain His nearness. This shows that it is only when evil desires, which excite the displeasure of God, have been successfully suppressed and the love of God becomes engendered in our hearts that we can truly turn to Him. Incidentally, the verse also shows that the stage of توبة (turning to God) comes after استغفار (seeking forgiveness and praying to God for the removal of the evil effects of our sins and the suppression of our evil inclinations).

Those who think that the Islamic doctrine of توبة (turning to God) encourages sin are utterly ignorant of its real significance. It is indeed foolish to think that the man who is engaged in making a sincere effort to remove the evil effects of his sins and to suppress his evil desires is making only a lip-profession. In fact, توبة (repentance) does not consist in merely uttering words of repentance. It is an act of sincere and whole-hearted turning to God after His protection has been sought against the evil effects of past sins. What better way than this can there be to attain the nearness of God? The words, an appointed term, mean the period ordained by God for the followers of a Prophet. The words, He will grant His grace to every one possessed of merit, refer to spiritual blessings in both this life and the life to come.

A thing is said to be کبیر (lit. great) both with regard to its extensiveness and its intensity and gravity. Hence the words, the punishment of a dreadful (lit. great) day, mean that in case the people rejected God’s teaching, they would be visited with a punishment which would not only be of long duration but would also be most distressing, so that it would indeed be hard for disbelievers to bear.

11:4, 62; 71:11.

Important Words:

مدرارا (pouring down abundant rain) is derived from در which means, it (the milk) was or became copious or abundant; or it flowed copiously or abundantly. They say درت الناقة بلبنھا i.e. the she-camel yielded her milk, or made it to flow, copiously or abundantly. درت السماء بالمطر means, the sky poured down rain abundantly. سماء مدرار means, a sky pouring down abundance of rain. رزق دار means, continual and, uninterrupted sustenance (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

This verse shows that the chief occupation of the people of ‘Ad was agriculture and that they depended on rainwater for the cultivation of their land, there being no wells or canals to irrigate it. It also hints that the acceptance of a Prophet of God improves and betters not only the moral and spiritual condition of a people but also their material condition and leads to all-round progress and prosperity.

See 11:4.

Important Words:

ودود (Most Loving) is derived from ود. They say ودہ i.e. he loved him or it. وددت لو کان کذا means, I wished that it had been so. ود(wud) ود (wid), ود (wad) and مودة (mawaddat) as also وداد (widad), وداد (wadad) and وداد (wudad) are all infinitive nouns meaning love and affection. ود (wid), ود (wud) and ود (wad) also mean, a person loved, an object of love. ودود means, a person who loves much; very loving or affectionate. الودود is an attribute of God meaning, the Loving towards His servants; Very Loving or Most Loving; also He Who is beloved in the hearts of His servants (Taj & Aqrab).

Commentary:

It is often asserted by the opponents of Islam that it encourages sin as it keeps open the door of repentance. This objection is based on a misunderstanding of توبة i.e. Islamic repentance توبة does not consist in merely uttering the words "I regret" or "I repent" and then thinking that one’s sins will be forgiven. Such is not the Islamic conception of repentance. Islam does not recognize that transition from evil to virtue or ascent from a lower grade of virtue to a higher one can be attained in one jump. These conditions are attained through many stages of spiritual development. When a sinner turns to God, he begins by subjecting himself to a sort of inner stock-taking which makes him feel a sense of shame or contrition as a result of which he endeavours to seek shelter in God. This is the stage of استغفار. Then comes the stage of استعاذة i.e. seeking Divine protection from the evil consequences of one’s misdeeds. Finally there is the stage of توبة (repentance) which signifies turning to God and loving Him with heart and soul and establishing a true connection with Him. In short, توبة (repentance) does not mean mere verbal asking for forgiveness but constitutes one of the several stages which a man has to traverse when he eschews evil and turns to virtue or when he ascends from one stage of virtue to a higher one. It is difficult to find fault with this concept of توبة (repentance) and only one ignorant of human psychology can take exception to it.

The grades and stages of spiritual development briefly referred to above are all described in the Quran in detail.

6:143; 36:73; 40:81.

Commentary:

When God has provided so many facilities for the physical journeys of man, how can He fail to provide similar facilities for his spiritual journey? To say that God is too exalted a Being to have such regard for the welfare of man as to provide for his spiritual needs is only a puerile pretext to deny Divine revelation. If God is Exalted, the verse seems to say, He is also Kind and Merciful to His creatures and therefore His solicitude for the spiritual wellbeing of man is not at all inconsistent with His Dignity and Majesty, and instead of detracting anything from His Glory, it rather enhances it. This Divinesolicitude for man’s welfare may metaphorically be called God’s carrying man’s burden for him.

The use of the word رءوف translated here as 'Compassionate' is intended to express that feeling of sympathy and love which one feels at seeing a person in trouble and distress. The verse means to say that as God is رءوف (Compassionate) He cannot bear to see man in distress.

Important Words:

تخوف (process of gradual destruction) is derived from خاف which means, he feared, he was afraid.تخوفه means, he took by little and little from it or from its sides or he took from its extremities. They say تخوفنا السنة i.e. the year of drought took from us by little and little. تخوفنا حقی means, he diminished to me by little and little my right or due. The Quranic expression او یاخذھم علی تخوفmeans, or are they secure from His destroying them by causing them to suffer loss (by little and little) in their bodies and their possessions or cattle, and their fruits, etc.? (Lane).

Commentary:

The verse mentions another form of the punishment that would overtake the disbelievers of Mecca, viz. the tribes and territories which formerly owed allegiance to them would gradually break off their alliance with them and would join Muslims. This happened immediately before the conquest of Mecca.

The verse may also mean that even before their final overthrow, the Meccans would be seized with a consuming fear of the growing power of Islam and its ultimate triumph. This fear of the fast-increasing power of Muslims unnerved disbelievers and led to loss of the will to resist on their part which eventually brought about their complete downfall.

Mention of the Divine attributes of "Compassionate" and "Merciful," after referring to different forms of punishment that were to overtake disbelievers looks rather strange. The fact that the verse refers to Divine punishments which overtook disbelievers gradually and in stages, thus affording them many opportunities to save themselves by accepting Islam justifies the placing of the words "Compassionate" and "Merciful" at its end. Or the expression, Your Lord is indeed Compassionate, Merciful, may apply to Muslims, suggesting that whereas God was punishing disbelievers for their rejecting His Prophet, He was Compassionate and Merciful to Muslims because they had accepted him.

16:31.

3:58; 11:112; 16:97.

Commentary:

This verse warns believers that they will be made to pass through trials and tribulations and will have to leave even their hearths and homes for the sake of God. It is when they have successfully met the ordeal that they will find God’s earth wide and spacious for them and will have their reward from God without measure. The reference in the verse seems to be to the Holy Prophet’s Hijrah to Medina. It is in Medina that Islam found a congenial soil for expansion and consolidation and it is there that Muslims were given possession of God’s spacious earth.

Important Words:

زلزلة (earthquake) is derived from زلزل. They say زلزل اللّٰه الارض i.e. God shook the earth. زلزله means, he frightened him. زلزل الابل means, he drove the camels harshly. زلزلة means, a shaking of the earth; an earthquake; a calamity; a terrible visitation; زلازل (plural) i.e. calamities, miseries, trials, afflictions (Aqrab). The word also means: a war or the effects of war. The last two World Wars were called زلزلة (an earthquake) because they shook the foundation of human society and brought about new political and social changes and also a revolutionary change in the beliefs, ideas and ideals of men. The word has been used in the Quran in the sense of a calamity (2:215) and also in the sense of war or the effects of war (33:11, 12).

الساعة (Hour) is derived from ساع. They say ساع الشیء i.e. the thing was lost, it degraded. ساعت الابل means, the camels went away grazing without a driver. ساعة means, an hour; a part of time; a while or a little while; a space; a period; an indefinite time; a watch. الساعة means, the present time; now; just now; this moment. It also means, difficulty, distress or affliction; distance; remoteness. الساعة (Hour) or القیامة is used in three senses: (a) death of a great and famous person. It is called القیامة الصغری or الساعةالصغری i.e. the small resurrection; (b) a national calamity or the doom that overtakes a whole people on account of their evil deeds. It is called الساعة الوسطی i.e. the Middle Hour; (c) the Day of Judgement. It is called القیامة الکبری or الساعة الکبری i.e. the Great Hour (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The word الساعة has been used in the Quran in the last two senses mentioned under "Important Words" above. The context shows that in the verse under comment it has been used in the second sense, i.e. in the sense of a national calamity that shakes the very foundation of a people. It may have particular reference to the impending doom of the Arabs when Mecca, the citadel of their political power, would fall and their political power and whole social system would break and crumble or it may refer to a terrible calamity that would overtake mankind in the form of a global war and would bring calamitous changes in its wake. The present verse read along with 2:213 lends further support to the inference that the words الساعة (the Hour) or یوم القیامة (the Day of Judgement) used in the Quran generally signify a great national calamity that overtakes a people.

3:44; 41:38; 96:20.

Important Words:

ارکعوا (bow down) is derived from رکع which means, he bowed down, his condition became lowered or abased. رکعت النخلةmeans, the palm-tree inclined. رکع الی اللّٰه means he completely turned towards God and leaned upon Him, he humbled himself to Him, and found peace of mind in Him. The word راکع as used by the Arabs meant, one who worshipped God alone to the exclusion of all sorts of idols and images (Asas). The famous pre-Islamic poet Nabighah says:

سیبلغ عذراً اونجاحاً من امرئ

الی ربه رب البریة راکع

i.e. he who turns to God alone, the Creator of the world, will have a sound argument in his favour and will obtain salvation ( Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse points to the following four means which it is very essential to adopt for attaining spiritual eminence and success and prosperity in life: (a) To possess firm, sincere and unadulterated faith in God. This is the meaning of the word آمنوا. (b) To have full and complete reliance and dependence on God and to renounce all unfair and doubtful means for the attainment of one’s object. This is the significance of ارکعوا. (c) To give unquestioning obedience to God’s commandments and unqualified submission to His will, and to develop in oneself Divine attributes so as to become God’s own manifestation. This is the import and purport of the expression واسجدوا واعبدوا (d) To do righteous deeds and serve mankind (وافعلواالخیر). Thus this brief verse covers the entire extent and scope of the ways and means that lead to material and moral progress.

6:28; 23:108.

Commentary:

The word یوم meaning time absolutely; a day or part of a day (Lane), the verse purports to say that disbelievers will implore the keepers of Hell to intercede with God on their behalf that He may lighten their punishment—it may be, for a little while.

2:232-233.

2:230.

Commentary:

This is one of those verses of the Quran in which the address made to the Holy Prophet, is, in reality, meant for the believers. Since the Holy Prophet was debarred from divorcing any of his wives (33:53), the injunction is meant clearly for his followers.

The procedure of divorce given in this Surah is as follows:

The first pronouncement of divorce should be in the interval between two monthly courses, during which the husband and wife should not have conjugal relations. This ensures that the decision to divorce has not been taken hastily in a fit of anger or under the influence of some other momentary impulse but after cool and deliberate reflection. Moreover, a divorced wife is to remain in her house till the expiry of ‘iddah (the period of waiting) which extends over three courses.

The words "it may be that thereafter Allah will bring about something new to pass," signify that the above-mentioned procedure is enjoined because it is possible that during the period of waiting the causes of friction may wear out and reconciliation may take place between the estranged parties.

11:4, 53.