مِّن قَبْلِكَ

20:12-13; 79:17.

32:4; 36:7.

Commentary:

The present verse continues the theme of the preceding two verses and purports to say that God spoke to Moses at the side of Mount Sinai, giving him the glad tidings that a Prophet like unto him would appear among the brethren of the Israelites (Deut. 18:18). It further implies that it was not possible for the Holy Prophet first to have caused Moses to make a prophecy concerning him and then to have claimed to have come in fulfilment of that prophecy. The verse emphasizes the fact that one Prophet (Moses) made a prophecy concerning another Prophet (the Holy Prophet) about two thousand years ago in a place far away from the scene of the activities of the latter, and that that prophecy was literally fulfilled in him. It proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that the maker of the prophecy, and he about whom the prophecy was made were both true Prophets of God.

35:5, 26.

Important Words:

زبر (books of wisdom) is the plural of زبور which is derived from زبر. They say زبر البئر i.e. he cased or lined the well with stones or bricks, etc. زبر البناء means, he raised the wall by placing layers of stones or bricks on one another. زبر الکتاب means, he wrote the writing or the book. زبر السائل means, he chid or scolded the beggar. زبور (zabur) means, a writing or a book: a book of wisdom and intellectual science, not containing legal statutes, ordinances or commandments. Based on its verbal senses, the word would also mean a book that protects and beautifies a source of knowledge just as a casing protects and beautifies a well; or a book that contains warnings. The word is particularly used about the Book of David containing the Psalms. زبور (zubur) is the plural of زبر (zibr) which means, a writing or a book; also wisdom and reason (Aqrab & Lane).

Commentary:

It is worthy of note that unlike its predecessor, the present verse makes no reference to a burnt offering after the word بینات (clear signs) which shows that a burnt offering formed no proof of the truth of a claimant to prophethood.

It will be noted that whereas the words زبر (books of wisdom) and بینات (clear signs) are both in the plural number, the word الکتاب المنیر(the Shining Book) has been put in the singular number, the reason being that all the Israelite Prophets followed one Book of Law only, viz. the Torah given to Moses, while each of them came with separate clear signs as well as with separate Books or revelations containing things of wisdom and warnings.

21:42.

Commentary:

The words, And surely have the Messengers been mocked at before thee, imply a hint that the demand of disbelievers regarding the coming of an angel is really nothing but a mockery. The verse also contains a prophecy about the destruction of the enemies of the Holy Prophet. The enemies of the former Prophets laughed them to scorn and were consequently punished by God, the very object of their mockery becoming the means of their destruction. The enemies of the Holy Prophet were also scoffing at him and so they too would meet with the same fate which befell their predecessors.

2:215; 40:52.

6:116.

Commentary:

In this verse God, lovingly addresses the Holy Prophet with words of comfort and solace, as if saying: "We know that thou art indeed pained to see people denying God, but the law of God cannot be changed. We never compel men to become believers." The words, There is none that can change the words of Allah, refer to this very law of God, which is unalterable. The law is twofold: firstly, that whenever a Prophet of God appears, there are always men who deny and oppose him; secondly, that God never compels such men to accept the truth. See 2:257; 3:21; 36:31.

7:95.

Commentary:

The previous verses referred to Divine punishment in general. In this verse its various forms have been mentioned. Many have an erroneous idea of Divine punishment, which not unoften comes veiled in the form of ordinary afflictions. In fact, all financial and bodily misfortunes, e.g. poverty, disease, etc. are in one sense or another, punishments from God. They are not generally meant to destroy men but to make them reform themselves and turn to God.

28:47; 36:7.

Important Words:

الحق (the truth) is substantive-noun from حق (haqqa) which means, it was or became just, proper, right, true, authentic, genuine, substantial or real; it was or became an established fact or confirmed truth; it was or became binding, incumbent or due or it was or became suitable to the requirements of wisdom, justice, truth and right (Aqrab & Lane). See also 2:43, 148.

Commentary:

In view of the different meanings of the word الحق the verse would mean that the fact that the Quran is الحق i.e. it has been revealed consistently with the requirements of wisdom, truth and justice, constitutes an infallible argument that it is not a forgery. Long centuries had passed since no Divine Messenger had appeared among the Arabs. It was, therefore, in the fitness of things that a Prophet should have been sent to these people. The Holy Prophet has come in the fulness of time, in accordance with the Divine plan, and the prophecies of God’s great Prophets such as Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Daniel, Jesus, etc.

36:31.

22:45.

Commentary:

To the repeated objection of the opponents of the Holy Prophet as to why punishment was not sent down upon them immediately, they are told that, as the sending down of punishment is postponed in order that disbelievers may have time to think and accept truth, the respite granted to them was no novel thing. The opponents of all the Prophets were given such respite with the same object in view, and former Prophets were also mocked at because of the delay in punishment, but that in no way injured their cause. The objection would have been justified if disbelievers had escaped punishment altogether; or if, when at last it came, it was not exemplary; or if its delay, during the intervening period, in any way, proved detrimental to the cause of truth. The postponement only served to fulfil its noble object for it afforded those, who were good at heart and were destined to believe, an opportunity to ponder over the truth and accept it.

14:12; 40:79.

Commentary:

Disbelievers objected that the Holy Prophet had come without any worldly resources. The verse under comment replies to this objection by stating that earlier Prophets were also without any worldly resources. They, like him, had their physical needs and requirements. They, too, had wives and children whom they had to support and look after and had their duties to perform. Yet in spite of all the impediments and obstacles in their way and in spite of their physical needs and requirements and of the absence of material resources, they succeeded and triumphed. So shall the Holy Prophet.

The verse also makes it clear that signs of punishment are certainly shown to disbelievers but not at the time and in the form in which they demand them. The form and time of signs are determined by God alone, for they are shown only "by the command of Allah."

It may be asked here what, if God raised Messengers for the reformation of man, prevented Him from delegating to these Messengers the power of punishment, particularly when He knew that Signs would be demanded of them by their opponents and also when even earthly governments invest their officials with certain magisterial powers? Again, if God had invested His Prophets with the power to punish the people, it would have at least this advantage that the people would have feared and respected them and dared not oppose them. The Quran answers this question in the words, For every term there is a divine decree, which means that, as it is God Who determines the nature and form of each punishment and the time of its occurrence and He alone, being All-Knowing, knows in what form and at what time the sending down of a certain punishment will prove beneficial to the people, the power of punishing cannot be delegated to any other person. For if that delegation can at all be fair and useful, it must be accompanied by the delegation of many other divine powers, which is simply unthinkable. The infliction of punishment, therefore, could not be entrusted to the Prophets or to anybody else.

6:35; 22:43; 40:6; 54:10.

Commentary:

After it has been mentioned in the preceding verses that a great Divine gift is about to be bestowed on mankind in the form of the Quran and after the would-be rejecters have been warned not to hasten to reject it, the Holy Prophet is told in the present verse that he will be rejected, opposed and persecuted but this should not discourage or dismay him because his opposition and persecution would be no new thing as all the Divine Messengers and Prophets before him were also rejected, opposed and persecuted, but the enemies of truth could never frustrate God’s plan but themselves always came to grief.

6:43; 22:53.

6:44; 8:49.

Commentary:

The verse purports to say that the disbelievers of Mecca like disbelievers of former Prophets have been lulled by Satan into a false sense of security. Like their predecessors and prototypes, they labour under the delusion that they would not have to answer for their wrongdoings. They feel themselves to be secure while a terrible punishment is about to overtake them.

Important Words:

خلد is syn. with خلود which is infinitive noun from خلد (khalada) which means, he stayed for long. خلد بالمکان means, he stayed in the place. خلد الی الارض means, he stuck to the earth. خلد الیه means, he inclined to him. خلد (khuld) or خلود means, the immunity of a thing from speedy decay or deterioration and its remaining in a certain condition for a long time. The mountains are called خوالد (khawalid) on account of their long life (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse seems to signify that all the different Dispensations and religious systems before the Holy Prophet were decreed and destined to suffer spiritual decay and death and that it was only the Dispensation of the Holy Prophet—the Islamic Dispensation, which was to live and continue till the end of time. That is to say that all avenues to spiritual progress are closed after the Holy Prophet and only the door of Islam is left open to mankind to attain salvation and nearness to God. The words, "if then thou shouldst die shall they live forever," also seem to signify that if the Islamic Dispensation were to die, which is inconceivable, then there will be no spiritual light left and all humanity will suffer spiritual death. The implication of the verse may also be that no human being is immune from decay or death, not even the Holy Prophet. Eternity and everlastingness are God’s own exclusive attributes.

6:11; 13:33.

11:9; 46:27.

Commentary:

The verse makes mention of two things which never fail to occur when a Prophet preaches his message: (a) the message is held up to scorn and the Prophet himself is mocked and jeered at; and (b) the jeering and mocking of the scoffers always recoils on their own heads and they themselves become the laughing-stock of the world.

4:165.

13:39; 14:12.

Commentary:

The verse purports to say that though the prophecies containing warnings and threats meant for disbelievers are subject to postponement, revocation or cancel-lation, yet, if by closing the door of repentance, the disbelievers make themselves deserving of Divine punishment they are punished. But it is not for the Prophet to say when and how they are to be punished.