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Title: An Enlightening Commentary into the Light of the Holy Quran Compiler. A Group of Muslin Scholars and Copyright 1998 Kamal Faghih Imani"

ISBN: 964-5691-45-1

Translator: Mr. Sayyid Abbas Şadr-Sameli Editor: Ms. Celeste Smith Published by: The Scientific and Religious Research Center

Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (as) Public Library, under the direction of

Ayatullah Allamah Mujahid Al-Haj Sayyid Kamal Faghih Imāni. Address: Shekar Shekan Crossroads, Ahmadabad Street, Post Office Box 81465/5151

Esfahan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Telephone: 2281000 , 2282000, 2296478 Far 98 - 311 - 2297028

Number of copies in this Print: 6,000

First Edition: 1997 A.D., 1375 / 1417 A.H.

Second Edition: 1998 A.D. , 1376 / 1418 A.H.

Third Edition: 1998 A.D., 1377 / 1419 A.H.

Fourth Edition: 1999 A.D. , 1378 / 1420 A.H.

Fifth Edition : 2003 A.D. , 1381 / 1423 A.H.

Sixth Edition : 2005 A.D. , 1384 | 1426 A.H.

Point

Please note the Internet Site Address

For the English Commentary of the Light of Holy Qur’ān

www.maaref-foundation.com/light.htm

E-mail: enlightening_commentary@yahoo.com

All rights reserved by the Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (a.s.) Library

Title: An English Commentary into the Light of the Holy Qur’ān

Compiler: A Group of Muslim Scholars and " Copyright 1998 Kamal Faghih Imani "

Translator: Mr. Sayyid ‘Abbās Sadr-‘āmelī

Published by: The Scientific and Religious Research Center

Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (a.s.) Public Library, under the direction of

Ayatullah Allamah Mujāhid Al-Haj Sayyid Kamāl Faghīh Īmānī.

Address: Shekar Shekan Crossroads, Ahmadabad Street, Post Ofice Box 81465/5151

Esfahan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Telephone: 2281000, 2282000, 2296478

Fax: 98-311-2297028

Number of Copies in this Print: 6,000

First Edition: 2008 A.D. , 1386 / 1429 A.H.

Table of Contents

Introduction …………….…………………………… 15

Transliteration ……….……………………………… 16

Part 21, Sura Al-‘Ankabūt, No. 29 ................................ 17

Section 5: To argue in the best way possible ........................................... 17

Commentary, verse 45 ......................................................................... 18

Some Traditions ................................................................................ 20

The effect of prayer in an individual and in society .............................. 23

Commentary, verse 46 ......................................................................... 29

Commentary, verse 47 ......................................................................... 33

Commentary, verse 48 ......................................................................... 38

Commentary, verse 49 ......................................................................... 40

Commentary, verse 50 ......................................................................... 43

Commentary, verse 51 ......................................................................... 46

Section 6: The disbelievers warned ......................................................... 48

Commentary, verse 52 ......................................................................... 48

Commentary, verses 53-54 ................................................................... 51

Commentary, verse 55 ......................................................................... 54

Occasion of revelation ....................................................................... 56

Commentary, verse 56 ......................................................................... 56

Commentary, verse 57 ......................................................................... 59

Commentary, verse 58 ......................................................................... 60

Commentary, verse 59 ......................................................................... 62

Some Tradition on Patience and Confidence ....................................... 63

Commentary, verse 60 ......................................................................... 64

Commentary, verse 61 ......................................................................... 66

Commentary, verse 62 ......................................................................... 69

Commentary, verse 63 ......................................................................... 71

Section 7: The sincere seekers shall be guided aright .............................. 73

Commentary, verse 64 ......................................................................... 73

Commentary, verse 65 ......................................................................... 76

Commentary, verse 66 ......................................................................... 78

Commentary, verse 67 ......................................................................... 80

Commentary, verse 68 ......................................................................... 81

Commentary, verse 69 ......................................................................... 83

Note to the following points ............................................................... 85

The End of Sura Al-‘Ankabūt

Sura Ar-Room, No. 30 ............................................................................. 88

The Virtue of the Sura ............................................................................ 88

The feature of the Sura .......................................................................... 89

Section 1: The Defeat of the Romans Prophesied .................................... 90

Commentary, verses 1-5 ....................................................................... 91

Occasion of revelation ....................................................................... 92

Commentary, verse 6 ........................................................................... 97

Commentary, verse 7 ........................................................................... 98

Commentary, verse 8 ......................................................................... 101

Commentary, verse 9 ......................................................................... 104

Commentary, verse 10 ....................................................................... 107

Section 2: The five times of the daily glorification of Allah .................... 109

Commentary, verses 11-13 ................................................................. 109

Commentary, verses 14-16 ................................................................. 112

Commentary, verses 17-18 ................................................................. 115

Commentary, verse 19 ....................................................................... 117

Section 3: The might of Allah Manifesting in Nature ............................. 121

Commentary, verse 20 ....................................................................... 121

Commentary, verse 21 ....................................................................... 124

Commentary, verse 22 ....................................................................... 127

Commentary, verse 23 ....................................................................... 130

Commentary, verse 24 ....................................................................... 133

Commentary, verse 25 ....................................................................... 135

A complete course of theology ......................................................... 137

Commentary, verses 26-27 ................................................................. 142

Section 4: Islam the natural religion ..................................................... 146

Commentary, verse 28 ....................................................................... 146

Commentary, verse 29 ....................................................................... 149

Commentary, verse 30 ....................................................................... 151

A few tradition upon the nature of theology ..................................... 154

Commentary, verse 31 ....................................................................... 157

Commentary, verse 32 ....................................................................... 159

Commentary, verse 33 ....................................................................... 161

Commentary, verses 34-35 ................................................................. 164

Commentary, verse 36 ....................................................................... 166

Commentary, verse 37 ....................................................................... 169

Commentary, verse 38 ....................................................................... 171

Commentary, verse 39 ....................................................................... 175

Commentary, verse 40 ....................................................................... 179

Section 5: Suffering of the world through what men have themselves wrought 181

Commentary, verse 41 ....................................................................... 181

Commentary, verse 42 ....................................................................... 183

Commentary, verse 43 ....................................................................... 185

Commentary, verses 44-45 ................................................................. 186

Note ............................................................................................... 187

Commentary, verse 46 ....................................................................... 190

Commentary, verse 47 ....................................................................... 193

Commentary, verse 48 ....................................................................... 195

Commentary, verses 49-50 ................................................................. 197

Commentary, verses 51-52 ................................................................. 201

Commentary, verse 53 ....................................................................... 204

Section 6: The evidence of those given Knowledge and faith ................. 207

Commentary, verse 54 ....................................................................... 207

Commentary, verse 55 ....................................................................... 210

Commentary, verse 56 ....................................................................... 213

Commentary, verse 57 ....................................................................... 215

Commentary, verse 58 ....................................................................... 217

Commentary, verse 59 ....................................................................... 219

Commentary, verse 60 ....................................................................... 220

The End of Sura Ar-Room

Sura Luqmān, No. 31 ............................................................................ 223

The Feature of the Sura ........................................................................ 223

The virtue of the Sura .......................................................................... 224

Section 1: Qur’ān, a Guidance and mercy for the Righteous .................. 225

Commentary, verses 1-4 .................................................................... 226

Commentary, verse 5 ......................................................................... 229

Commentary, verse 6 ......................................................................... 231

The occasion of revelation ............................................................... 231

Commentary, verse 7 ......................................................................... 236

Commentary, verses 8-9 .................................................................... 238

Commentary, verse 10 ....................................................................... 240

Commentary, verse 11 ....................................................................... 244

Section 2: The ethics preached through Luqmān ................................... 246

Commentary, verse 12 ....................................................................... 246

Luqmān, the Wise, and His feature ................................................... 249

Some parts of Luqmān’s admonitions ............................................... 251

Wisdom, Knowledge, and Worship ................................................... 252

The Value of Wisdom ...................................................................... 252

How Can Wisdom be Obtained? ....................................................... 253

Some Examples of Wisdom .............................................................. 254

Commentary, verse 13 ....................................................................... 255

A few Points: ................................................................................... 256

The signs of Polytheism ................................................................... 259

The Motives of Polytheism .............................................................. 259

Struggle against Polytheism ............................................................. 260

The personality of Luqmān .............................................................. 261

Commentary, verse 14 ....................................................................... 264

A few traditions about Parents ......................................................... 267

Commentary, verse 15 ....................................................................... 268

Commentary, verse 16 ....................................................................... 271

Commentary, verse 17 ....................................................................... 273

Commentary, verse 18 ....................................................................... 275

Commentary, verse 19 ....................................................................... 278

Some traditions on Islamic Rules of Etiquette ................................... 280

Section 3: He who submits himself to Allah holds the never-breaking firmest rope 282

Commentary, verse 20 ....................................................................... 282

Commentary, verse 21 ....................................................................... 286

Commentary, verse 22 ....................................................................... 288

Commentary, verses 23-24 ................................................................. 290

Commentary, verse 25 ....................................................................... 293

Commentary, verse 26 ....................................................................... 294

Commentary, verse 27 ....................................................................... 296

Commentary, verse 28 ....................................................................... 300

Commentary, verse 29 ....................................................................... 301

Commentary, verse 30 ....................................................................... 303

Section 4: Let not the life of this world Deceive any one 305

Commentary, verse 31 ....................................................................... 305

Commentary, verse 32 ....................................................................... 308

A few points upon sincerity .............................................................. 311

The ways of obtaining sincerity ........................................................ 312

Commentary, verse 33 ....................................................................... 315

Commentary, verse 34 ....................................................................... 319

The End of Sura Luqmān

Sura As-Sajdah, No. 32 ......................................................................... 322

The Feature of the Sura ........................................................................ 322

Section 1: Qur’ān, The Book from the Lord of the world ........................ 323

Commentary, verses 1-2 .................................................................... 324

Commentary, verse 3 ......................................................................... 327

Commentary, verse 4 ......................................................................... 329

Commentary, verse 5 ......................................................................... 333

Commentary, verse 6 ......................................................................... 336

Commentary, verses 7-8 .................................................................... 337

Commentary, verse 9 ......................................................................... 340

Commentary, verse 10 ....................................................................... 343

Commentary, verse 11 ....................................................................... 345

Section 2: A believer and disbeliever can not be equal .......................... 347

Commentary, verse 12 ....................................................................... 347

Commentary, verse 13 ....................................................................... 349

Commentary, verse 14 ....................................................................... 351

Commentary, verse 15 ....................................................................... 352

Commentary, verse 16 ....................................................................... 355

Commentary, verse 17 ....................................................................... 357

A Few traditions upon Midnight Prayer ............................................ 358

Commentary, verse 18 ....................................................................... 360

Commentary, verses 19-20 ................................................................. 362

Commentary, verse 21 ....................................................................... 365

Commentary, verse 22 ....................................................................... 368

Section 3: Similitude Of Moses’ Missions .............................................. 370

Commentary, verse 23 ....................................................................... 370

Commentary, verse 24 ....................................................................... 373

Explanation ..................................................................................... 375

Patience and Perseverance in Divine Leaders .................................... 375

Commentary, verse 25 ....................................................................... 379

Commentary, verse 26 ....................................................................... 380

Commentary, verse 27 ....................................................................... 382

Commentary, verses 28-30 ................................................................. 385

The End of Sura As-Sajdah

Sura Al-’Ahzāb, No. 33 ....................................................................... 387

The Feature of the Sura ........................................................................ 387

The Virtue of the Sura .......................................................................... 388

Section 1: The Prophet Muhammad’s claim upon the souls of the believers 389

Occasion of Revelation .................................................................... 390

Commentary, verse 1 ......................................................................... 390

Commentary, verses 2-3 .................................................................... 393

Commentary, verse 4 ......................................................................... 395

Commentary, verse 5 ......................................................................... 401

Commentary, verse 6 ......................................................................... 404

Commentary, verse 7 ......................................................................... 409

Commentary, verse 8 ......................................................................... 412

Section 2: The Treachery of the Hypocrites Exposed ............................. 415

Commentary, verse 9 ......................................................................... 415

Points Worthy to be Noted .............................................................. 418

Commentary, verses 10-11 ................................................................. 419

Commentary, verse 12 ....................................................................... 424

Commentary, verse 13 ....................................................................... 427

Commentary, verse 14 ....................................................................... 430

Commentary, verse 15 ....................................................................... 432

Commentary, verse 16 ....................................................................... 434

Commentary, verse 17 ....................................................................... 435

Commentary, verse 18 ....................................................................... 436

Commentary, verse 19 ....................................................................... 438

Commentary, verse 20 ....................................................................... 441

Section 3: An excellent pattern in the Apostle Muhammad ................... 443

Commentary, verse 21 ....................................................................... 443

Commentary, verse 22 ....................................................................... 446

Commentary, verse 23 ....................................................................... 448

Commentary, verse 24 ....................................................................... 451

Commentary, verse 25 ....................................................................... 453

Commentary, verses 26-27 ................................................................. 456

Some points .................................................................................... 460

The main root of the Battle of Banī Qurayzah ................................. 460

The Event of the Battle of Banī Qurayzah ....................................... 460

The Sequels of Battle of Banī Qurayzah .......................................... 463

Section 4: The People of the House (The Ahl-ul-Bayt) Divinely made pure (clean) 464

Commentary, verse 28 ....................................................................... 464

Commentary, verse 29 ....................................................................... 467

Commentary, verse 30 ....................................................................... 469

The End of Part 21

Part 22

Commentary, verse 31 ....................................................................... 472

Commentary, verse 32 ....................................................................... 474

Commentary, verse 33 ....................................................................... 476

Who Are the Prophet’s Family (Ahl-ul-Bayt) ..................................... 481

Commentary, verse 34 ....................................................................... 482

A few points .................................................................................... 484

Explanations ................................................................................... 490

Conclusion ...................................................................................... 491

Section 5: No believer shall have any choice against the command of the Prophet of Allah 492

The Occasion of Revelation .............................................................. 493

Commentary, verse 35 ....................................................................... 493

Commentary, verse 36 ....................................................................... 500

Commentary, verse 37 ....................................................................... 502

Commentary, verse 38 ....................................................................... 506

Commentary, verse 39 ....................................................................... 509

Commentary, verse 40 ....................................................................... 511

Section 6: The Prophet sent as a Witness, a Bearer of glad tiding and Bright Lamp 517

Commentary, verses 41-42 ................................................................. 517

A few traditions upon ‘Much Remembrance’ .................................... 519

Commentary, verses 43-44 ................................................................. 522

Commentary, verses 45-46 ................................................................. 525

Commentary, verses 47-48 ................................................................. 529

Commentary, verse 49 ....................................................................... 533

Commentary, verse 50 ....................................................................... 537

Commentary, verse 51 ....................................................................... 544

Commentary, verse 52 ....................................................................... 548

Section 7: Those who annoy Allah and His Prophet Muhammad ........... 551

Commentary, verse 53 ....................................................................... 552

Commentary, verse 54 ....................................................................... 556

Commentary, verse 55 ....................................................................... 557

Commentary, verse 56 ....................................................................... 560

A few points .................................................................................... 561

Commentary, verse 57 ....................................................................... 566

Commentary, verse 58 ....................................................................... 569

Section 8: The Knowledge of the Hour of Judgment .............................. 571

Commentary, verse 59 ....................................................................... 571

Some Corruptions of Unveiling ......................................................... 574

Commentary, verse 60 ....................................................................... 575

Commentary, verses 61-62 ................................................................. 577

Commentary, verse 63 ....................................................................... 580

Commentary, verses 64-65 ................................................................. 582

Commentary, verse 66 ....................................................................... 583

Commentary, verse 67 ....................................................................... 584

Commentary, verse 68 ....................................................................... 585

Section 9: He who obeys Allah and His Apostle achieves a mighty success 587

Commentary, verse 69 ....................................................................... 587

Commentary, verses 70-71 ................................................................. 591

Commentary, verse 72 ....................................................................... 594

Commentary, verse 73 ....................................................................... 602

The End of Sura Al-Ahzāb

References ......................................................................................... 604

Index ................................................................................................... 607

A Presentation to Muslims ................................................................... 632

The Rank and Importance of the Qur’ān ............................................... 634

Imām Mahdī (a.s.) ............................................................................... 635

The List of Publications of the Library .................................................... 638

Introduction

In the Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

This book contains Part 21rst of the Holy Qur’ān which begins with verse 45 from Sura Al-‘Ankabūt, No. 29 and ends with the last verse of Sura Al-’Ahzāb, No. 33. Then some verses of this Sura, which relate to Part 22nd of the Qur’ān, are involved in this book in order that, firstly, we complete the whole Sura in this volume and, secondly, to decrease the thickness of the next book, which will contain nearly two parts of the Qur’ān, Allah Willing.

As usual, we mention here that for being acquainted with more information about the source and purpose of providing this endeavour, and that how the dear reader or readers of it can utilize the text of this commentary best, we may recommend you to study the introduction detailed at the beginning of book No. one (part one) which will surely be helpful.

Now, again and again we ask Allah, the Almighty, to help us, as ever before, and to assist us to complete this sacred task successfully.

May He (s.w.t.) guide and succour all of us by the light of the Qur’ān to pave its Straight Path further and further, for we are always in need of His favours.

The Scientific and Religious Research Centre

Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (a.s.) Public Library

Sayyid ‘Abbās Sadr-‘Āmilī

The Translator

Transliteration of Arabic Letters

pic

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِیمِ

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

Part 21, Sura Al-‘Ankabūt

Section 5: To argue in the best way possible

Point

The Apostle (Muhammad) to rehearse mankind what has been revealed to him. To argue with people in the best way possible – The Apostle Muhammad did not recite any book before he received The Qur’ān nor did he write anything by himself – The Qur’ān consists of the clear verses which are in the breasts of those who are granted knowledge – Qur’ān is Mercy from Allah as well as the reminder for the believers.

}45{ اتْلُ مَآ اُوحِیَ إِلَیْکَ مِنَ الْکِتَابِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلاَةَ إِنَّ الصَّلاَةَ تَنْهَی عَنِ الْفَحْشَآءِ وَالْمُنکَرِ وَلَذِکْرُ اللَّهِ أَکْبَرُ وَاللَّهُ یَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ

Commentary, verse: 45

Point

In this verse Allah’s commands to the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) for reciting the Qur’ān and establishing the prayer have come beside each other and it is for the sake that Qur’ān and prayer are two strengthening sources of strength. Allah, Who informs His Prophet (p.b.u.h.) of a heavy responsibility, tells him to take help from two strengthening sources for performing this heavy responsibility; one is recitation of the Qur’ān, and the other is establishing prayers.

However, after the end of different parts of the life story of the former nations and the great prophets and the unpleasant manner of those nations with those Divine leaders, and the painful end of their lives, in order to comfort and console the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and for strengthening his spirit and showing a general and conclusive policy, the Qur’ān, addressing him, commands him and at first says:

“Recite that which has been revealed to you of the Book, …”

He (p.b.u.h.) is commanded to recite these verses, because whatever he wants is found in them: knowledge and wisdom, advice and admonition, the criterion of the cognition of right and wrong, the means of enlightening of the heart and spirit, and the path of every group and people to move along, all are in the Qur’ān. He should recite it and apply it in his life, recite it and be inspired by it and recite it and enlighten his heart by the light of its recitation.

Next to this command, which is, indeed, an instructive one, it pays to the second command which is the main branch of education. It says:

“… and establish the prayer, verily prayer keeps (one) away from indecency and evil, …”

Of course, since the nature of prayer reminds man the strongest restraining factor, i.e. the firm belief in origin and Resurrection, it has an impedimental effect from indecency and evil.

He who stands in prayer, says ‘Allahu Akbar’, and calls Allah higher than and beyond everything, he remembers his bounties, praises and glorifies Him, praises Him for His mercifulness and compassionateness, remembers the Day of His Judgment, confesses his servitude to Him, seeks for His help, asks Him to lead him to the straight Way, and he refuges to Him for the path of those inflicted with His wrath and those gone astray. (The content of Sura Al-Fātihah)

No doubt, there will appear a movement in the heart and spirit of such a person toward the truth, purity, and piety.

He bows for Allah, he falls in prostration before Him, he contemplates deeply in His greatness, and forgets overweening and self-admiration.

He certifies to His Oneness, attests to the prophecy of the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.), and he sends salutation to His Prophet and asks Allah in supplication that He appoints him among the righteous servants.

All these things create a wave of spirituality in him, a wave that can be considered as a barrier against sins.

This action is repeated several times in a day and night, and when he gets up in the morning he is drowned in the remembrance of Allah.

At midday, when he is busy with material life, suddenly he hears the sound of ‘Allāhu ’Akbar’ called by Mu’azzin, he ceases his current program and hastens to go to Him. And even at the end of the day and at the beginning of the night, before he goes to bed to rest, he prattles with Him and makes his heart the centre of the rays of His Light. Moreover, while he is

preparing himself for establishing prayer, he washes himself and purifies himself, he sends away unlawful things and anger from him and goes toward Him. All these affairs have an impedimental effect against the line of indecency and evil. But as much as every prayer contains the conditions of perfection and the essence of worship, it keeps one away from indecency and evil. Sometimes it is a general and inclusive prohibition and sometimes it is a limited and partial prohibition.

It is often impossible that someone keeps up prayer but it affects him nothing, even when his prayer is untrue, even if he is sinful. This kind of prayer, of course, has a little effect, and if such persons did not keep up that very prayer, they would be more polluted than that.

Speaking more clearly, the prohibition from indecency and evil has naturally many degrees, and according to observing its conditions, every prayer deserves some of these degrees.

Some Traditions:

1- A tradition indicates that the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) once said: “The five ritual prayers is like a stream with flowing wholesome water at the door of the house of one of you in which he washes himself five times a day, then there will remain no dirt (over his body).”⁽¹⁾

2- Imam Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (a.s.) said: “I recommend you to prayer and protecting it because verily it is the best deed and it is the pillar of your religion.”⁽²⁾

3- We recite in a tradition from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) that a young man from the Helpers (’Ansār) once established prayer with the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) while he was polluted with some ugly sins. Some persons went to the Prophet (p.b.u.h.)

and told him his circumstance. He (p.b.u.h.) said: “Verily his prayer will finally purify him from his pollution one day.”⁽¹⁾

4- This very effect of prayer is so important that some Islamic traditions refer to it as the criterion of the accepted prayer and the none-accepted prayer. For instance, Imam Sādiq (a.s.) says: “The one who likes to know whether his prayer has been accepted or not, he should see whether his prayer hindered him from indecency and evil, then with the same scale that it has hindered him, his prayer is accepted from him.”⁽²⁾

5- Imam Bāqir (a.s.) said: “Islam has been founded on five things: the prayer (Salāt), the poor-rate (Zakāt), Hajj pilgrimage, fasting, and wilāyat (mastership) of Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.).”⁽³⁾

6- The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) once said: “Whoever protects his five (ritual) prayers, on the Day of Hereafter they will be light, guide, and (means of) deliverance for him.”⁽⁴⁾

7- Imam Sādiq (a.s.) said: “The first thing that will be reckoned from a servant is the prayer. Then if the prayer is accepted, his other (good) deeds will be accepted, but if it is rejected his other (good) deeds will not be accepted either.”⁽⁵⁾

8- Imam Bāqir (a.s.) said: “When our children are five years old, we order them to establish the prayer, then when your children become seven years old, order them to establish the prayer.”⁽⁶⁾

9- The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: “Allah says: ‘Verily I have a covenant for my servant that if he establishes the prayer in its

time I may not punish him, and that I admit him in Paradise without reckoning.”⁽¹⁾

10- The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) said: “Whoever takes his prayer light will not be of me and by Allah he will not arrive unto me in the pond (of Kauthar).”⁽²⁾

11- The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) said: “Whoever intentionally abandons the prayer his name will be written on the door of Hell among those who enter it.”⁽³⁾

12- The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: “Never comes the time of prayer but an angel calls among people: ‘O people! Stand up and by means of your prayer, extinguish the fire you have kindled upon your selves’.”⁽⁴⁾

Finally, at the end of the verse the Qur’ān adds:

“… and certainly the remembrance of Allah is greater, …”

The appearance of the above sentence is that there is a more important statement for prayer than this. That is, one of other important effects and blessings of the prayer, which is also even more important than prohibition from indecency and evil, is that it reminds man of Allah that is the main cause of every goodness and prosperity. Even the main factor of prohibition from indecency and evil is this very ‘remembrance of Allah’, too. Its superiority, in fact, is in that it is also counted the cause and the basis.

In principle, the remembrance of Allah is the source of life and peace for the hearts, and nothing is comparable with it. The Qur’ān says: “… Behold! By Allah’s remembrance (only) the hearts are set at rest.”⁽⁵⁾

In principle, the essence of all worships, irrespective of prayer and other than that, is the remembrance of Allah: The sayings of prayer, the acts of prayer, the preliminary deeds of prayer and the supplications after prayer all, indeed, revive the remembrance of Allah in man’s heart.

It is noteworthy that in Sura Tā-Hā, No. 20, verse 14 this philosophy of prayer has been pointed out, and Allah tells Moses: “… and establish prayer for My remembrance.”

And in view of the fact that the men’s intentions and the level of the attention of their hearts in prayer, as well as other worships, is very different. So at the end of the verse, the Qur’ān says:

“… and Allah knows what you do.”

Allah knows the deeds you do in hidden or manifestly, the intentions you have in your mind, and the words you utter by your tongue.

The Effect of Prayer in an Individual and in Society:

Prayer is not a thing the philosophy of which can be concealed to anyone, yet attention to the text of the verses of the Qur’ān and Islamic narrations lead us to some more narrow points in this grand.

Of course, it must be a remembrance which paves the way for contemplation, and a contemplation which leads to action; as Imam Sādiq (a.s.) on the commentary of the phrase: /wa liŏikr-ullah-i-’akbar/ says: “The remembrance of Allah at the

time of performing a ‘lawful’ and ‘unlawful’ action.”⁽¹⁾(That is, one must remember Allah and goes to a lawful thing and renounces an unlawful one.)

Thus, the wounds which the man’s soul obtains because of sins will be cured by prayer as a vulnerary, and the rust covered the heart will be wiped out.

day and in different hours, it ceaselessly warns man and reminds him the aim of his creation; it reiterates him his situation in the world. This is a great bounty that man has a means which warns him earnestly several times a day of his duty.

Prayer removes the curtains of pride and self-loving and destroys arrogance and self-superiority. It is for this reason that Ali (a.s.) in his famous tradition, wherein the philosophies of Islamic worships are explained, next to Faith, refers to the first worship which is prayer with this very aim and says: “Allah has enjoined Faith for purification from polytheism, and Salāt (prayer) for purification from vanity, …”⁽¹⁾

The repetition of prayer during day and night, and emphasizing on the attributes of Allah, such as: mercifulness, compassionateness, and greatness, especially with taking help from the different suras of the Qur’ān, which are recited next to Sura Al-Fātihah, that are the best invitors to goodnesses and purifications, have a considerable effect in the growth of the ethical virtues in man.

Upon the philosophy of prayer, Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (a.s.) in a tradition says: “For the God-fearing, prayer is a means of seeking nearness (to Allah).”⁽¹⁾

We know that when the pillar of a tent breaks or falls, the ropes around it are useless. Such is when the relation of the servants through prayer abolishes, other deeds lose their effect.

Besides the content of the prayer, regarding its veracity conditions, it invites man to purification of his life, because we know the place where he perform prayer, the pieces of his clothing, the carpet on which he keeps up his prayer, the water with which he makes ablution or performs a total ablution, the place where he makes and performs his ablution, all must be purified from usurpation and from oppressing the rights of others. He who is polluted with oppression, injustice, usury, usurpation, defrauding, bribery, and obtaining some unlawful properties, how can he prepare the necessities of the prayer? Therefore, the repetition of prayer for five times a day itself is an invitation to observing the rights of others.

In jurisprudent books and tradition sources, there are also mentioned many things as the barriers of the acceptance of the prayer, including drinking alcoholic liquors, about which a tradition says: “The prayer of the drinker of alcoholic liquor is not accepted until forty days except that he repents.”⁽¹⁾

A large number of Islamic narrations indicate that among those whose prayer will not be accepted is the leader of oppressors.

In some other traditions, it has been declared that the prayer of the one who does not pay poor-alms (zakāt) will not be accepted. Also some Islamic traditions denote that eating unlawful food, or egotism, egoism, and overweening are among the barriers of the acceptance of prayer. It is evident that how much providing these conditions of acceptance is constructive.

All of these are the benefits which exist in prayer, and if we add the property of congregation prayer to it, that the spirit of prayer is its being in congregation, it has other abundant blessings that we do not explain them here.

We conclude our definition and explanation about the secrets and philosophy of prayer with a tradition narrated from Ali-ibn-Musar-Ridā (a.s.). In answer to a letter in which the

philosophy of prayer was asked, he said: “The reason of the legislation of prayer is acknowledgement to the Lordship of Allah, struggle against polytheism and idolatry, standing in front of Allah in utmost humbleness and submission, confession to the sins and asking forgiveness for the past faults, and putting forehead on the ground for glorification of Allah every day.

Again, the aim is that man may always be sensible and reminded, so that negligence does not encompass his heart, and he might not become proud, but he should be humble and be interested in increasing the merits of religion and worldly life.

Moreover, he must remember Allah every night and day which can be provided under the light of prayer. It causes man not to forget his Master, Divisor, and Creator, and the rebellious and disobedient soul does not overcome him.

And this very attention to Allah and standing in front of Him restrain man from committing sins and hinder him from kinds of mischief.” (Wasā’il-ush-Shī‘ah, Vol. 3, P. 4)

}46{ وَلاَ تُجَادِلُوا أَهْلَ الْکِتَابِ إِلاَّ بِالَّتِی هِیَ أَحْسَنُ إِلاَّ الَّذِینَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْهُمْ وَقُولُوا ءَامَنَّا بِالَّذِی اُنزِلَ إِلَیْنَا وَأُنزِلَ إِلَیْکُمْ وَإِلَهُنَا وَإِلَهُکُمْ وَاحِدٌ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ

Commentary, verse: 46

Islam accepts the change of ideas, correct debates between the followers of different schools of thought, cultures and nations. A dispute is accepted that the content of which and the style of its words are the best.

In the former holy verses, the words were mostly about the method of tackling the obstinate haughty, and ignorant ‘idol-worshippers’ that, because of their conjectures, they were spoken to with a harsh logic, and their objects of worship were considered weaker than the spider’s web. In the verses under discussion, the words are about the disputation with the ‘People of the Book’ which must be milder, because, at least, they had heard a part of the Divine prophets, instructions and the heavenly Books and they had some more receptivity for a logical debate, and every one must be talked with according to the standard of his wisdom, knowledge and morals. At first, it says:

“And do not dispute with the People of the Book save in the best way, …”

The Qur’ānic phrase: /lā tujādilū/ (do not dispute) is derived from /jidāl/ which originally means: ‘To spin thread’ and ‘fastening it’. This term is also used for a firm building and the like; and when two persons begin disputing, in fact, each of them tries to turn the other from his thought. This action is called ‘disputation’; a wrestling is also called in Arabic /jidāl/. The purpose of it, here, however, is logical discussions and argumentations.

The application of the Qur’ānic phrase /’allatī hiya ahsan/ (the best way) is a very inclusive phrase which envelopes all of the correct and suitable ways of discussion, including the expressions, the content of the speech, its tone, and other acts accompanied with it.

Thus, the concept of this sentence is that the expressions must be uttered politely, the tone of speech must be friendly and its content must be reasonable, the voice must be free from shouting and any roughness and rudeness which cause the aspersion of honour. Also the gesticulations, which are usually the complement of man’s statement, all must be performed with the same method and style.

How beautiful are the expressions of the Qur’ān that they carry a great deal of meaning by a very short sentence!

All these are for the sake that the aim of disputation and discussion is not self superiority and putty the other party to shame, but the aim is effect of the word and its penetration in the depth of the mind of the opposite party; and the best way for reaching this aim is this very method of the Qur’ān.

Many a time it happens that if the speaker states in a way that the opposite party takes it as his own thought not as the speaker’s thought, he may show inclination sooner since a man

is interested in his own thoughts as he is interested in his children.

It is just for the same reason that the Qur’ān propounds many issues in the form of question and answer so that their answers come out from the inside of the addressee’s mind and he considers it as his own thought.

But, of course, every law has usually an exception, too. For example, this very general principle in Islamic argumentation for some instances may be rendered as the sign of weakness and despicableness, or the opposite party may be so proud that this kind of humane treatment increases his dare and boldness. Therefore, continuing the verse, as an exception, it says:

“… except for those of them who act unjustly, …”

These are those who acted unjustly both to themselves and to others, and concealed many verses of Allah in order that people would not be acquainted with the characteristics of the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.).

These are those who constantly acted unjustly and trod on the commands of Allah where they were against their interests.

These are those who acted unjustly and brought forth some superstitions similar to that of the polytheists who called Jesus, or Ezra, as Allah’s child.

And, finally, those who often acted unjustly and, instead of logical argument, used swords, betook to force, and tended to naughtiness and conspiracy.

Then, at the end of the verse, the Qur’ān introduces one of the clear examples of ‘dispute in the best way’, which can be a living sample for this discussion, where it announces:

“… and say: ‘We believe in what has been sent down unto us and sent down unto you, and our God and your God is One, and to Him do we submit’.”

What a beautiful meaning, and what an interesting tone! It is the tone of Unity and faith unto whatever has been sent down from the side of Allah, and deleting all bigotries and

separations; and, finally, the Unity of the object of worship and submitting to Allah without any reservation.

This is an example of ‘disputation in the best way’ that whoever hears it will be attracted to it. This shows that Islam is not the seeker of a group, and is not the seeker of disunion, the call of Islam is the call of unity and being submitted to any right word.

There are many examples of this discussion in the Qur’ān. Among them is the sample to which Imam Sādiq (a.s.) refers in a tradition where he says: “Disputation in the best way is like the subject which has been mentioned at the end of Sura Yā-Sīn about the rejecters of Resurrection, when they brought the rotten bones before the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and said: ‘… Who will give life to the bones when they are rotten?’⁽¹⁾He (p.b.u.h.) answered: ‘… He will give life to them Who brought them into existence at first …’⁽²⁾‘He Who has made for you the fire (to burn) from the green tree…’”⁽³⁾(Nūr-uth-Thaqalayn, Vol. 4, P. 163)

}47{ وَکَذَلِکَ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَیْکَ الْکِتَابَ فَالَّذِینَ ءَاتَیْنَاهُمُ الْکِتَابَ یُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَمِنْ هَؤُلاَءِ مَن یُؤْمِنُ بِهِ وَمَا یَجْحَدُ بِاَیَاتِنَآ إِلاَّ الْکَافِرُونَ

Commentary, verse: 47

The Qur’ān invites all the followers of the former religions to Islam, because the Divine guidance is certain and necessary, though whole people do not accept the guidance.

As an emphasis upon the four principles mentioned in the previous verse, this verse says:

“And thus have We sent down unto you the Book. …”

Yes, this Book (the Qur’ān) has been sent down based on Unity of the object of worship, Unity of the invitation of the former true prophets, submitting to the command of Allah (s.w.t.) without any reservation, and disputation in the best way.

Some commentators have said that the purpose of the abovementioned sentence is the similarity of the descent of the Qur’ān upon the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) to the descent of the former Books to other Divine prophets. That is, in the same way that Allah sent down heavenly Books to the former prophets, He sent down the Qur’ān to him (p.b.u.h.), too.

But the first commentary seems more precise, though it is possible to consider both of them, too.

Then, the Qur’ān adds:

“… So (some of) those whom we have given the Book believe in it, …”

The reason of their belief is that not only they have found its characteristics in their own Books but also, from the view of general principles, its content is consistent with the content of their own Books.

Of course, we know that the entire People of the Book (the Jews and Christians) did not believe in the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.). Therefore, the above sentence refers to those true believers and truth seekers free from bigotry who deserve the appellation of ‘People of the Book’ to be used only for them. Then, the Qur’ān adds about some people of Mecca and the pagans of Allah:

“… and of these (pagans) there are those who

believe in it, …”

And, at the end of the verse, concerning the disbelievers of both groups, it says:

“… and none deny Our signs except the unbelievers.”

Regarding to the fact that the concept of the Qur’ānic word /jahd/ is that: one believes in something but he denies it, the above sentence means: even the disbelievers confess the greatness of these verses in their hearts, and they see the signs of veracity in them and consider the Prophet’s manner and his pure life, as well as that of his followers, as a reason for its nobility, but they deny often t as the result of their bigotry, stubbornness, blindly imitation from their ancestors, or for protecting their unlawful fleeting interests.

Thus, the Holy Qur’ān defines the opposition of different nations against this heavenly Book, On one line, there are believers, including the scholars of the People of the Book, True believers, and the polytheists who were thirsty of the Truth and when they found it they joined to it; and, on the

other line, there were the obstinate deniers who saw the truth but, like bats, they hid themselves from it, because the gloom of infidelity had become as a part of their entity and they were afraid of the light of Faith.

It is noteworthy that this group were also pagan, but the second emphasis on their infidelity may be for the sake that they were not offered proof before and the real infidelity exists in them just now that the argument has been completed to them and they have abandoned the Straight

Way knowingly and pave the wrong way.

By the way, for attracting the hearts and influencing the truth into others’ thoughts, only attaching the strong and powerful proofs are not enough, but, in this stage, the style of speaking with the opposite party and the method of discussion has the deepest effect. There are many persons who are careful and narrow in discussions and know the scientific subjects very well, but they are not so successful in influencing in others’ hearts by their speech since they are not acquainted well with the way of ‘dispute in the best way’ nor with the constructive discussions.

The fact is that satisfaction of ‘intellect and thought’ alone is not enough, but emotions, which form half of man’s entity, must become satisfied, too.

Studying the life of the prophets, and that of the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) and the Immaculate Imams (a.s.) in particular, shows that, for reaching to their educational and propagation aims, they used the social morals, psychological principles, and the best humane ways of influencing in hearts. When confronting people, they had a kind of behaviour that they could quickly attract them toward their own aims. Though some individuals wish to render these affairs as miracles, it is not such. If we apply their way and method of discussion with

others, we can affect them very soon and influence in the depths of their hearts.

The Qur’ān explicitly says to the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.): “Thus, it is due to the mercy from Allah that you have been lenient with them, and had you been rough, hard hearted, they would certainly have dispersed from around you. …”⁽¹⁾

It has happened many times that some persons, after hours of discussion, not only have not gained anything from their debates, but they find the opposite party more stable, steadfast, and zealous in his own wrong belief. Its reason is that the method of ‘dispute in the best way’ has not been used in that debate.

Roughness in discussion, self-superiority, despising the opposite party, expression of pride and haughtiness, the lack of respect to others’ thoughts and the absence of sincerity in discussions all are the things that cause the man’s failure in debates. That is why there is a section in Islamic morals under the title of prohibition of Jidāl (dispute) and Mirā’ (argument) the objective of which is the discussions in which there is not ‘seeking the truth’, but its aim is quarrel, self-superiority, and fixing one’s statement.

Besides the spiritual and ethical aspects, the prohibition of Jidāl (dispute) and Mirā’ (argument) is for the fact that they are not mentally successful in this kind of discussions.

The prohibition of Jidāl (dispute) and Mirā’ (argument) are close to each other; but the Islamic scholars have considered some differences between them. They believe that Mirā’ is for the expression of excellence and perfection, while Jidāl is for despising.

The Arabic word /Jidāl/ is used for the elementary attacks in discussion while /mirā’/ is applied for the defensive attacks.

The term /jidāl/ is used for the scientific issues, but the meaning of /mirā’/ is general. (Of course, there is not any contradiction between these commentaries.)

However, the dispute and discussion with others is sometimes ‘dispute in the best way’, and it is a discussion in which the abovementioned conditions are exactly observed, and sometimes it is other than that when the abovementioned affairs are forgotten in it.

We conclude this statement with a few expressive and instructive narrations:

A tradition from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) indicates he said: “No servant perceives the reality of Faith unless he abandons Mirā’ (argument) though he is right.”⁽¹⁾

Another tradition indicates that Solomon (a.s.), the Divine prophet, told his son: “O my son! Avoid /mirā’/ (argument) because not only it has no benefit, but also it stirs up enmity between the brothers.”⁽²⁾

Again, it has been narrated from the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) that he said: “No group went astray after when they were guided except by the dispute (in which the truth is not pursued).”⁽³⁾

}48{ وَمَا کُنتَ تَتْلُواْ مِن قَبْلِهِ مِن کِتَابٍ وَلاَ تَخُطَّهُ بِیَمِینِکَ إِذاً لاَّرْتَابَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ

Commentary, verse: 48

The descent of the Holy Qur’ān upon the illiterate Prophet (p.b.u.h.), who could neither read nor write, is one of the Divine ways of completing the argument to mankind.

We must not be proud and boast of our ability of reading and writing, sometimes it happens that, by the Will of Allah, an illiterate person changes the culture of human beings.

In this holy verse, one of the clear signs of veracity of the invitation of the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) has been pointed out which is an emphasis on the content of the previous verse. It says:

“And you did not recite before it any book, nor did you transcribe one with your right hand, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted.”

How is it possible to believe that an illiterate person, who has not been taught by a human teacher and has not gone to any school, brings a Book by himself and invites all mankind to challenge it but everybody is impotent to bring the like of it? Is this not a proof to the fact that his power gets help from the infinite power of Allah and his Book is a heavenly revelation which has been inspired to him from the side of Allah?

It is necessary to note this point that if a person asks how can we know that the holy Prophet of Islam never went to school and learned to write? In answer we say that he used to live in an environment where the literate and educated persons were very scanty, and it is also said that there were only seventeen persons in Mecca who could read and write. In such a place it is impossible for an individual to be able to conceal his being taught if he has gone to any school. If so, he will be known everywhere and his teacher and his lesson will be introduced. Thus, how can such a person claim that he is a true prophet while he tells a lie so manifest? In particular that these verses were sent down in Mecca where the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) lived and grew up, and before the obstinate enemies from whose view the smallest point of weakness was not hidden.

By the way, in the commentary of Sura Al-’A‘rāf, no. 7, verse 157 it was said that there have been mentioned three meanings for the Arabic word /’ummī/ among which the meaning: ‘unschooled’ is the most clear.⁽¹⁾

}49{ بَلْ هُوَ ءَایَاتٌ بَیّ-ِنَاتٌ فِی صُدُورِ الَّذِینَ اُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ وَمَا یَجْحَدُ بِاَیَاتِنَآ إِلاَّ الظَّالِمُونَ

Commentary, verse: 49

The verses of the Holy Qur’ān influence in scholars’ hearts and it is this group who apprehend the truthfulness of the Qur’ān with their whole selves.

In this holy verse, there are stated some other signs for the legitimacy of the Qur’ān. It implies that this heavenly Book is a collection of clear verses which influence in the breasts of the bearers of knowledge. The verse says:

“Nay! It (Qur’ān) is the clear signs in the breasts of those who have been granted the knowledge, …”

The application of the Qur’ānic phrase: /’āyātun bayyināt/ refers to this fact that the signs of legitimacy of the Qur’ān are found in the Qur’ān itself and in its verses, and its proof is with it.

In fact, it is the genetic verses that by the recitation of which man needs no other thing to understand the truth. These verses containing of divine legislation, from the point of both appearance and content, are in such a manner that they all are the proof of their own truthfulness.

Besides that, the adherents and lovers of these verses are those who have a portion of knowledge and awareness, though they are poor.

In other words, one of the ways of knowing the nobility of a school of thought, is verification of the state of the believers of that school. If some ignorant persons or charlatans are the supporters of someone, it seems that he is of the same group, but if some people, who carry the secrets of knowledge in their breasts, announce their loyalty to a school of thought, it is the evidence of legitimacy of that school. And, we see that a group of the learned among the People of the Book and some pious personalities, such as Abūthar, Salmān, Miqdād, ‘Ammār-i-Yāsir, and a high esteemed person like Hadrat Ali (a.s.) were the supporter, and lovers of this school.

According to a great deal of traditions narrated from the way of Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.) this holy verse has been rendered into the Imams of Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.). This does not mean exclusiveness, but it is the statement of a clear example for the Qur’ānic phrase: /’allaŏīna ’ūtul-‘ilm/ (those who have been granted the knowledge).

When we see that some Islamic narrations declare that the purpose of the verse is Imams, in particular, it, indeed, is an indication, to the perfect stage of the knowledge of the Qur’ān which is at their disposal, and it does not matter that scholars, learned ones, and the mass of people who have commonsense have a portion of the sciences of the Qur’ān.

However, this verse shows that knowledge is not limited to what is studied through books and what is learnt in front of teachers, because, as the Qur’ān explicitly says, the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) did not go to school and did not learn how to write but he was the highest referent of a concept of the Qur’ānic sentence saying: “Those who have been granted the knowledge”. Therefore, beyond the formal knowledge, there is a knowledge higher than that which may be inspired unto the heart of man in the form of a light, which is the essence of knowledge, and

other sciences are as an outward cover for it. An Islamic tradition says: “knowledge is a light that Allah puts it in the heart of whom He desires.”⁽¹⁾

At the end, verse the Qur’ān adds:

“… and none but the unjust reject Our Signs.”

It is because the sings of it are clear: the bringer of it is the unschooled Prophet (p.b.u.h.), and some thoughtful aware persons believe in it.

Moreover, the Qur’ān itself is a collection of clear verses, and its characteristics have also been mentioned in the former Divine Books.

Yet, do reject it save those who are unjust to their selves and to the society?

We repeat again that the Arabic word /jahd/ is used for a person who knows something but, in spite of his knowledge, he denies it.

}50{ وَقَالُوا لَوْلآ اُنزِلَ عَلَیْهِ ءَایَاتٌ مِن رَّبّ-ِهِ قُلْ إِنَّمَا الاَیَاتُ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَإِنَّمَآ أَنَاْ نَذِیرٌ مُّبِینٌ

Commentary, verse: 50

The act of ‘seeking for excuses’ in the obstinate people does not end. (After observing kinds of miracles they demanded other miracles either.) The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) resisted before the pretext-seekers and, answering them, he refused them, because miracle is a Divine wise affair, not a play for the pretext seekers. However, those unbelievers who, as the result of obstinacy and persisting on falsehood, never agreed to accept the logical argument of the Qur’ān, and bringing a Book, such as Qur’ān, by an illiterate person, like the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.), which was a clear proof upon his legitimacy, tried to seek a new pretext, as the Qur’ān through the verses under discussion, as well as the other verse, implicitly indicates that they mockingly used to say why there have not been sent down some miracles to the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) like the miracles which were sent down to Moses (a.s.) and Jesus (a.s.) from the side of Allah. Why has he not a Rod and white hand like Moses or a breath like the breath of Jesus?

Why does he not destroy his enemies by great miracles, in the same way that Moses, Shu‘ayb, Hūd, Noah, and Thamūd (a.s.) did?

Or as Sura ’Isrā’ from their tongue says, they used to claim some things as follows: “… We shall never believe in you till you make a spring to gush forth the earth for us,” “Or till you should have a garden of date-palms and grapes in the midst of which you cause streams to flow forth,” “Or you cause the heaven, as you think, to fall in pieces upon us, or bring Allah and the angels face to face with us,” “Or there be for you a house of gold, or you should be flying into the sky and never will we believe in your ascending unless you bring down to us a book which we may read…”⁽¹⁾

Without doubt, besides the Qur’ān, the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) had some other miracles which have explicitly been mentioned in history books, but by these words of theirs, they were not seeking for miracle. From one side, they wanted to ignore the miracle of the Qur’ān, and, from other side, they used to ask for extemporarily miracles. (The purpose of extemporarily miracles is that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) should do any extraordinary action they suggested according to their own desires. For instance, someone suggested him to make springs to gush forth, someone else said that he (p.b.u.h.) had to change the mountains of Mecca into gold; and the third sought pretext that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) should ascend to sky. Thus, they wanted to show miracles as a worthless play, and, finally, to call him a sorcerer.

Therefore, the Qur’ān in Sura Al-’An‘ām, No. 6, verse 111 says: “And even if We sent down the angels to them, and the dead spoke to them, and We mustered all things before them, (even then) they would not believe, unless Allah pleases; but most of them (deliberately) ignore.” However, in order to answer to these obstinate pretext-seekers, the Qur’ān uses two ways:

At first, it says to the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) to tell them that bringing miracle is not his job that he does it according to their desires, because all miracles are with Allah alone: “… The signs are only with Allah, …”, and He knows which miracle, in what time and for which nation, is appropriate. Allah knows who try to seek the truth and supernatural events must be shown to them, and who seek pretext and follow their carnal desires. Then the verse continues saying that the Prophet of Allah (p.b.u.h.) tells them that he is only a plain warner, and his duty is to state the word of Allah, while giving them miracles is only with His Pure Essence. “… and I am only a plain warner.”

}51{ أَوَلَمْ یَکْفِهِمْ أَنَّآ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَیْکَ الْکِتَابَ یُتْلَی عَلَیْهِمْ إِنَّ فِی ذَلِکَ لَرَحْمَةً وَذِکْرَی لِقَوْمٍ یُؤْمِنُونَ

Commentary, verse: 51

Qur’ān is an inclusive and complete Book and somehow it provides all spiritual needs, so that it is the cause of mercy and being off from negligence.

Following the previous verse, this holy verse says:

“And is it not enough for them that We have sent down to you the Book which is recited to them? …”

They ask for bodily miracles while the Qur’ān is the greatest spiritual miracle.

They ask for a temporary miracle while the Holy Qur’ān is a perpetual miracle and its verses are recited to them every night and day.

Is it possible that an unschooled person, or even supposing literate one, brings a Book with such contents and wonderful attraction, which is above the ability of mankind, and invites the whole human beings to challenge it while all of them remain impotent to bring like it?

If they really demand a miracle, by the descent of the Holy Qur’ān, Allah (s.w.t.) has given them more than what they ask for. Nay, they are not truth-seekers. They are pretext seekers.

This fact should be noted that the Qur’ānic sentence “Is it not enough for them?” is usually used for the aspects that one has accomplished something beyond the expectation of the opposite party, and he is neglectful of it and shows that he is

neglectful. For example, he says: “Why did you not do me that favour?” Now Allah refers to a greater favour that he has ignored it. Allah says: “Is it not enough for them that We have sent down to you the Book …?”

Besides them all, a miracle must be consistent with the conditions of the time, the place, and the circumstance of the Prophet’s call. The holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) whose religion is perpetual must have an everlasting miracle.

The prophet, whose invitation is worldly and it must also continue for many centuries in future, has to have a so clear, spiritual and intellectual miracle that it attracts the minds of wise and mindful persons to him. Surely the Qur’ān is suitable for such an aim, not the Rod of Moses and his white hand.

At the end of the verse, for an emphasis and for further explanation, the Qur’ān says:

“… Verily in this there is mercy and a reminder for a people who believe.”

Yes, the Holy Qur’ān is both mercy and the means of remembrance, but only for the believers; for those who have let the doors of their hearts open to the Truth; for those who seek for the Light to find the right path, such persons feel this Divine mercy with their whole entity, and they rest under its rays. Every time they recite the verses of the Qur’ān, they find a new admonition.

The difference between the Qur’ānic words /rahmat/ and /ŏikrā/ may be in this that the Qur’ān is not only one miracle and a source of admonition, but, in addition to that, it is full of merciful programs and laws, and it is full of constructive and educational instructions. For example, Moses’ Rod was only a miracle and it had not any effect in people’s daily life, but the Qur’ān is both a miracle and a complete program for life, and a source of mercy.

Section 6: The disbelievers warned

Point

The punishment for disbelief is certain and shall come suddenly – Reward for the believers and the doers of good deeds – Every creature carries with him his sustenance – Everything in the heavens and the earth is subservient to Allah – Allah provides in abundance the sustenance to whomever He wills and restrains it to whomever He wills.

}52{ قُلْ کَفَی بِاللَّهِ بَیْنِی وَبَیْنَکُمْ شَهِیداً یَعْلَمُ مَا فِی السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَرْضِ وَالَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا بِالْبَاطِلِ وَکَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ اُوْلَئِکَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

Commentary, verse: 52

This verse is a cause of solace for the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) and as a threat for the obstinate pretext-seekers, since Allah (s.w.t.) is a witness upon what happens between the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and pagans, and He reckons everything. So, this verse says:

“Say: ‘Allah is sufficient as a witness

between me and you’. …”

It is obvious that the more aware the witness is the more valuable his testimony is. That is why, by the next sentence, the verse adds:

“… He knows what is in the heavens and the earth; …”

Now, we are going to know how Allah has testified to the truthfulness of His prophet.

This witness may be a practical witness, for when Allah gives a great miracle, such as Qur’ān, to His Prophet (p.b.u.h.), He has signed the document of his legitimacy. Is it possible that Allah, the Wise, the Just, gives the Miracle to a liar (God forbid)? Therefore, giving such a miracle to the self of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) is the best way of Allah’s attestation to his prophecy.

In addition to the abovementioned practical witness, there has also been given some oral attestations in a lot of verses of the Qur’ān; as Sura Ahzāb, No. 33, verse 40 says: “Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets, and Allah is Cognizant of all things.”

And Sura Al-Fath, No. 48, verse 29 says: “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those who are with him are strong against unbelievers, (but) compassionate amongst each other. …”

Some commentators have said that the verse under discussion has been sent down in Medina in answer to some chiefs of the Jews, such as Ka‘b-ibn-’Ashraf, and his followers. They told the Prophet (p.b.u.h.): “Who testifies that you are the messenger of Allah?” The verse was sent down and said that Allah testifies to it.

By regarding to this statement, another commentary and explanation for the above verse can also be understood. It shows that the purpose of it is the testimony and witness of Allah mentioned in the former Divine Books of which the scholars of the People of the Book are well aware.

In the meanwhile, there is no contradiction between these three commentaries, and all of them may be found in the meaning of the verse.

At the end of the verse, as a warning, the Holy Qur’ān says:

“… and those who believe in the falsehood and disbelieve in Allah, these, they are the losers.”

What a loss is greater than this that once one loses all the capitals of his self for nothing, the same as the polytheists did. They set their heart and spirit at the disposal of idols and spent their whole bodily powers, social facilities and personal potentialities in the way of propagation and putting in circulation the belief of idolatry and wiping the Name of Allah, while they obtained nothing save that they became losers.

The Holy Qur’ān often refers to this great loss in its verses, and sometimes it shows this fact by the Arabic word /’axsar/ (more loser) and there is no loss greater than this. (Suras: Hūd, No. 11, verse 22; An-Naml, No. 27, verse 5; and Al-Kahf, No. 18, verse 103)

More important than this is that in a bargain, it happens that one loses his whole capital and he smashes up, but sometimes it goes further than this and a heavy debt remains for him, which is the worst kind of trade fallen; and polytheists are just in the same case. They sometimes cause the failure and aberration of others, too, and they form a chained failure.

}53{ وَیَسْتَعْجِلُونَکَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَلَوْلآ أَجَلٌ مُسَمًّی لَجَآءَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَلَیَأْتِیَنَّهُم بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لاَ یَشْعُرُونَ

}54{ یَسْتَعْجِلُونَکَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُ-حِیطَةٌ بِالْکَافِرِینَ

Commentary, verses: 53-54

The disbelievers, who were threatened to divine punishment because of disbelief or mockery, or that they frequently asked their prophet for a sudden punishment, have been referred to in the Qur’ān in several occurrences, and this haste of pagans has been criticized in all instances.

In the delay of Divine chastisement, of course, there are some bounties, including:

1- It is an opportunity for repentance.

2- There may come forth some righteous children from deluded fathers.

3- People are examined in religiousness and resistance, (perseverance).

However, the grace or wrath of Allah is wisely, accurate, and has order, so that it does not change with the haste of this one and that one. But the fall of man’s thought is so horrible that he agrees to be annihilated, but not to accept the truth.

In this holy verse, the third kind of their seeking pretext is pointed out. It implies that they hasten for the punishment and demand it from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) to fall swiftly. The verse says:

“And they demand of you to hasten the chastisement! …”

They say if the punishment of Allah (s.w.t.) is right and encompasses the pagans, then why does it not come to them? In reply to their statement, the Qur’ān delivers three answers. At first, it says:

“… And had not a term been appointed, the chastisement would certainly have come to them; …”

This appointed time is for the sake that the essential aim, i.e., vigilance, or the argument should be completed to them. Allah never makes haste in His Affairs when it is against His Wisdom.

The second is that those who say this statement, how much are they certain that every moment the Divine punishment may seize them? The verse continues saying:

“… but it shall certainly come upon them suddenly when they are not aware.”

The proper time of coming punishment is, indeed, defined and appointed, but the expedience is in this that they should not be aware of it and it comes suddenly. If its time were known, the pagans and sinners would become rather bold and they might continue their infidelity and committing sins until the last moment, and when the last moment of the appointed time of punishment was approaching, they would return toward the truth.

The educational philosophy of these punishments requires that their time should be concealed in order that the fear and terror of them in all moments may become an impedimental factor. By the way, it becomes clear from what was said that

the purpose of the Qur’ānic sentence: /wa hum lāyaš‘urūn/ (when they are not aware) is not that they do not perceive the principle of the existence of punishment, else the philosophy of punishment would be vanished, but the purpose of it is that they do not discriminate the moment of its occurrence and its preliminaries. In other words, the punishment suddenly, and like lightning, comes over them, attacking unawares.

It is well understood from the different verses of the holy Qur’ān that this pretext seeking was not confined to the pagans of Mecca, but many other nations persisted on the hastening of punishment, too.

The third answer has been stated in the next verse, where the Qur’ān says:

“They demand of you to hasten the chastisement! And verily Hell encompasses the unbeliever.”

The worldly punishment may be postponed, but the punishment of Hereafter is one hundred percent certain. It is so certain that the Qur’ān mentions it as an existing thing at the present time, and says: “… verily Hell encompasses the unbelievers”. As the result of being polluted by infidelity and sin, they burn in the Hell which they themselves have provided for them i.e. the Hell of war and blood, the Hell of conflict and discord, the Hell of insecurity, the Hell of injustice and oppression, and the Hell of evil passions and ungovernable desires.

}55{ یَوْمَ یَغْشَاهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِمْ وَیَقُولُ ذُوقُوا مَا کُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

Commentary, verse: 55

The encompassing punishment of Hell is because of the continuation of our wrong deeds. This verse says:

“On the Day when the chastisement shall cover them from above them, and from beneath their feet, and He shall say: ‘Taste now what you were doing’.”

This verse may be an explanation for the punishment of Hell upon disbelievers on the Day of Hereafter, or it may be considered as an independent statement for their painful punishment which, as the result of their deeds, has surrounded them today, and tomorrow it will appear manifestly.

However, that the verse says: “… from above them, and from beneath their feet, …” but it does not mention other limbs and other sides, it is, in fact, because of the evidence of the subject and clarity of the discussion. Moreover, when the flames of Fire come from under their feet and are poured over their heads from above them, the Fire will envelop the entire of their body and it will be from all sides to cover them.

Principally, this kind of meaning is used in languages including Persian and Arabic that they say so and so, from head to feet is covered with, for example, the pollution of impurity, which means his whole entity is covered with sin. Thus, keeping this explanation in mind, the question that some

commentators have faced with saying that why the sides of above and below have been mentioned and the rest of four sides are not pointed out is removed.

The sentence that Allah says: “Taste now what you were doing” not only is a kind of psychological punishment for such persons, but also declares this fact that the divine punishment is nothing but the reflection of the man’s own deeds in the growth of Hereafter.

}56{ یَا عِبَادِیَ الَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا إِنَّ أَرْضِی وَاسِعَةٌ فإِِیَّایَ فَاعْبُدُونِ

Occasion of Revelation, verse: 56

Many of the commentators believe that this verse has been sent down about the believers who were under such a so hard pressure of the pagans in Mecca that they were not able to perform their Islamic duties. So, they were commanded to migrate from that region.

Commentary, verse: 56

Since the words in previous holy verses were about the different reactions of polytheists against Islam and Muslims, now the verses under discussion refer to the situation of the early Muslims themselves and their duty and responsibility concerning one of their problems in connection with the pagans, i.e., the problem of restriction, pressure, and harm and trouble they were faced with. This holy verse addresses the Muslim believers who were under the pressure of the enemy because of fulfilling their religious duties and implies that Allah’s land is vast and they should migrate to somewhere else and worship Him alone. The verse says:

“O’ My servants who believe! Verily My earth is vast, therefore, Me alone should you worship!”

However, Islam has enjoined migration for a group of people. Those who live in places where infidelity and tyrant govern, who are involved with cruelty and restrictions and

who find their own growth and deliverance in emigration, they must migrate. But, for fulfilling this duty, there will be some temptations cast on man from inside and outside, the answer of which will be given through later verses. One of these temptations is the danger of death and one may say: if he migrates death might not come to him, but the next verse announces that wherever he lives he tastes death.

Another temptation is for detaching one’s heart from his residence, which is difficult for him, and he may hesitate not to migrate. Verse No. 58 answers them that instead of the worldly residence, those believers who migrate will be rewarded with lofty chambers of Paradise; and verse 59 implies that this temptation must be removed by patience and relying on the Lord.

Another temptation is for providing provision. He who thinks of emigration may say that his emigration deprives him from income and sustenance. Verse No. 60 answers him that how many a moving creature that does not carry its own provision but Allah sustains it, let alone those emigrants who work and struggle.

Emigration is the factor of creating sincerity. Those who do not migrate, when they ought to do, and depend themselves on an individual, party, region, tribe and possibilities of this and that one, desirably or undesirably, the regional, racial, and tribal problems, and insularities raised from jealousies, and negative rivals from the side of both familiar and foreign persons bring out man from sincerity. Thus, emigration to the places wherein these affairs are absent is the best circumstance for the appearance of sincerity and devotion.

In the explanation of this verse, Imam Bāqir (a.s.) says: “Do not follow the mischievous governor, and if you fear that they cause you deviate from your religion, then do migrate.”⁽¹⁾

Of course, we must bear the bitter hardships of emigration by the Divine friendly call, because Allah (s.w.t.) has a special attention to the believers when He in this verse says: “O’ My servants …”.

}57{ کُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ثُمَّ إِلَیْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ

Commentary, verse: 57

Perhaps this verse is in connection with the previous one, explaining the man’s duty if his death approaches when he is in emigration.

This verse announces that do not afraid of death when emigration is necessary, because death is the certain fate of everybody, but it is not an end. The verse says:

“Every soul tastes death, then unto Us you shall be returned.”

You will come to Us and We will bestow the reward of the death in the path of emigration on you; and We will chastise the oppressors who forced you to migrate, though reaching that reward and retribution prolongs.

The application of the Arabic word /θumma/, in this verse, indicates a long length of time.

}58{ وَالَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَنُبَوِّئَنَّهُم مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ غُرَفاً تَجْرِی مِن تَحْتِهَا الاَنْهَارُ خَالِدِینَ فِیهَا نِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِینَ

Commentary, verse: 58

The condition of being admitted to Heaven is Faith and righteous deed. Allah has promised Paradise unto the believers, so, in this verse, He says:

“And those who believe and do righteous deeds, We will certainly lodge them in lofty chambers of Paradise beneath which rivers flow, therein dwelling forever; …”

Such believers will surely abide in the castles which are surrounded by Heavenly trees from every side, and beneath which, according to other verses of the Qur’ān, various rivers, with different special tests and views, flow.

Be attentive that the Arabic word /quraf/ is the plural form of /qurfah/ which means a lofty building that is dominant over its sides.

Another privilege of the chambers of Paradise is that they are not like the houses and castles of this world where after a short time and before a complete rest of man, the call of movement is heard, but they will dwell there forever.

Then, at the end of the verse, the Qur’ān adds:

“… how excellent is the recompense of those who act (aright).”

A simple comparison between what was said about pagans and sinners in the previous verses, and what is said in this holy verse, makes the greatness of the believers’ reward clear.

The disbelievers will be in a Fire and punishment which envelops their whole body from head to feet, and as a scorn they will be told taste whatever you used to do.

But the believers will be in the midst of bounties of Heaven, and the mercy of Allah encompasses them from every side. They do not hear any scorn, but instead they hear some words all of which are the signs of love and grace of the Gracious Lord. Yes, they will be told: “… how excellent is the recompense of those who act (aright).”

It is obvious that the objective meaning of the Qur’ānic word /‘āmilīn/ (those who act), with the frame of reference of the sentences before it, is those who have faith and do righteous deeds, though the word /‘āmilīn/ is absolute.

The holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) in a tradition said: “Verily there are some chambers in the Heaven so transparent that their outwards are seen from their inwards, and their inwards are seen from their outwards.” Someone asked him: “To whom do these chambers belong, O’ Messenger of Allah?” He (p.b.u.h.) answered: “These chambers belong to those who purify their speech, satiate the hungry (ones), observe the fact frequently, and keep prayer at night (for the sake of Allah) when people are asleep.”⁽¹⁾

}59{ الَّذِینَ صَبَرُوا وَعَلَی رَبّ-ِهِمْ یَتَوَکَّلُونَ

Commentary, verse: 59

Point

Patience and relying on Allah are two clear examples of righteous deed; and it is the righteous ones who must remove the spiritual pressures, barriers and difficulties of life by patience and relying on Allah.

This verse states the most important characteristics of the believers who act aright. It says as follows:

“Those who are (patiently) steadfast and on their Lord do they rely.”

When it requires, they separate from their wife, children, friends, relatives, and houses and they tolerate patience. They taste the troubles of loneliness, the hardships of being vagrant from home, and they are patient.

In order to protect their Faith, they usually tolerate the hurts of the enemies, and receive kinds of difficulties in the path of struggling against their selves (which is ‘the greater’ warfare), and they are patient.

Yes, patience and perseverance are the secrets of their triumph, and they are two great factors for their honour, without which no positive action is possible in the life.

Moreover, they rely neither on their properties, nor on their friends and relatives. They rely only on Allah; and they trust only on His Pure Essence. If thousand of enemies try to destroy them, they stand firm and do not fear because they know Him as their friend.

If we think properly, we find out that the root of man’s all virtues is this very patience and relying on Allah. Patience is the cause of steadfastness in front of barriers and difficulties; and confidence is the motive of moving in this way which is full of ascent and descent.

For performing righteous deed we must get help from these two ethical virtues, patience and confidence. Without these two, doing righteous deed, in a large scale, is impossible.

Some Traditions on Patience and Confidence:

}60{ وَکَأَیّ-ِن مِن دَآبَةٍ لاَّ تَحْمِلُ رِزْقَهَا اللَّهُ یَرْزُقُهَا وَإِیَّاکُمْ وَهُوَ السَّمِیعُ الْعَلِیمُ

Commentary, verse: 60

The Arabic word /tahmil/ is derived from /himālah/ in the sense of ‘suretyship’ and ‘to undertake’, and the purpose of ‘carrying provision’ may be used in the sense of: ‘storing up things for the future’.

Emigration was recommended through verse 56, now the abovementioned verse indicates that the knowledge of Allah provides the sustenance of all creatures:

“And how many a moving creature that does not carry its own provision, (but) Allah sustains it and you! …”

However, the Qur’ān says that you should not be worried about your sustenance, and do not accept any shame, disgrace, and captivity for it, because He Who gives sustenance is Allah. He sustains not only you but also many of the creatures that cannot even carry their provision, and have no food stored in their nests while every new day they need a new provision and Allah does not let them be hungry. He sustains them and you, too.

Among moving creatures, animals, and insects, besides man, there are a few kinds that, like ants and bees, carry their own foodstuff from fields and deserts toward their dwelling places and store it up, and concerning their provision most of them are like sparrow, that is, every new day they must seek

for the provision of that day. There are millions of millions of them around us, far and near, in deserts, in the depth of valleys, on the top of mountains, and inside the seas that are sustained at the table of His endless bounties.

And you, O’ man! who are cleverer and more capable than them for earning and storing up your provision, why do you clasp the pollute and shameful life because of the fear of cease of sustenance and admit any injustice, cruelty, disgrace and abjectness for it? You, too, can come out from inside of this narrow, limited and dark life of yours and sit at the stretched table of your Lord and do not care for sustenance.

On that day when you were prisoner in the womb of mother as a weak and feeble embryo, and nobody, even your kind parents, had the chance to reach you, your Lord did not forsake you and whatever you needed He gave you properly, it is the same today that you are a capable and strong being. And in view of the fact that giving provision to the needy is in the secondary of the awareness of their existence and their need, at the end of the verse, the Qur’ān says:

“… And He is he Hearing, the knowing.”

He hears the words of you all, and He even knows the mute tongue of you and all moving creatures. He knows the needs of all of you, and nothing is hidden from the realm of His infinite knowledge.

}61{ وَلَئِن سَاَلْتَهُم مَنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَرْضَ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ لَیَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ فَاَنَّی یُؤْفَکُونَ

Commentary, verse: 61

The Arabic term /’ifk/ means ‘changing something from its real form’, viz. someone changes a fact into something else consciously.

The purpose of ‘making the sun and the moon subservient’ is their subservience in the way which is useful for us.⁽¹⁾

In this holy verse, as well as the next verses, the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.), and in fact all believers, are addressed and the proofs of Unity through the way of creation, Lordship, and nature, viz. by three different ways, have been stated, and they are admonished that their fate is with Allah Whose effects are found in heavens and souls, not with idols, since idols have no function in this regard.

At first, it refers to the creation of the heaven and the earth and, taking help from their intrinsic beliefs, it says:

“And if you ask them: ‘Who created the heavens and the earth and made the sun and the moon subservient?’ They will certainly say: ‘Allah!’…”

Their answer is such, because neither idolaters nor other than them say that the creator of the heavens and the earth and the subjective factor of making the sun and the moon subservient is some pieces of stone and wood which have been manufactured by their own hands.

In other words, even idolaters had no doubt in the ‘Unity of Creator’. They were polytheists in worship. They used to say that they worshipped idols for the sake that they would intercede them before Allah, as Sura Yūnus, No. 10, verse 18 announces: “… and they say: ‘these are our intercessors with Allah’ …”

They wanted to say that they were not eligible to directly communicate with Allah and they had to relate to Him by the way of idols. They used to say: “… We do not serve them save that they make us nearer to Allah, …”⁽¹⁾

They were inattentive that there is no gap between the Creator and the created, and He is nearer to us than our jugular vein.⁽²⁾Moreover, if man, who is the best creature in the world of existence, cannot communicate with Allah, what can be his intercessor?

However, after mentioning this clear proof, at the end of the verse the Qur’ān questions that after having these evidences how are they returned from worshipping Allah to the worship of some idols made of some pieces of stone and wood? It says:

“… Whence are they then perverted?”

The Qur’ānic term /yu’fakūn/ is derived from /’ifk/ which means: ‘changing something from its real form’, and in this

connection it is used for falsehood, and also for some apposite winds.

The application of the term /yu’fakūn/ in its Arabic passive form, points to this fact that they have not any ability to make decision, as if they were unintentionally drawn toward idolatry!

By the way, the purpose of objecting the sun and the moon is the systems that Allah has arranged for them and by these systems He has sent them in the way of man’s benefits.

}62{ اللَّهُ یُبْسُطُ الرّ ِزْقَ لِمَن یَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَیَقْدِرُ لَهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِکُلّ ِ شَیْءٍ عَلِیمٌ

Commentary, verse: 62

Increasing and decreasing men’s sustenance is knowingly and wisely done by Allah (s.w.t.) on the base of seen and unseen criterions. Some Islamic traditions indicate that the common good of some servants of Allah is in that they have vast sustenance and if they fall in the straitened circumstances of life, they become corruptive. On the contrary, the common good of another group is that they have a strict measure of sustenance, and if they are granted plenty of it, they will fall in decadence. Therefore, in this verse the Qur’ān says:

“Allah enlarges the sustenance for whichever of His servants He pleases, and He grants him by (strict) measure, (as He pleases); …”

The key of sustenance is in His hand, not in the hand of men, nor with idols.

That in the former verses it was said that the true believers rely only on Him is for this very fact that the authority of all things is with Him. Then why should they fear to express forth and sometimes think that their life is in danger from the side of their enemies?

If they believe that Allah is powerful but He is not aware of their state, they are in a great error, because:

“… verily Allah is Well-Cognizant of all things.”

Is it possible that someone is the creator and the administrator of the affairs and whose favour reaches to the creatures, and in the meantime He is not aware of their circumstance? This is not imaginable.

}63{ وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَن نَزَّلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَاَحْیَا بِهِ الاَرْضَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَوْتِهَا لَیَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ بَلْ أَکْثَرُهُمْ لاَیَعْقِلُونَ

Commentary, verse: 63

One of the great bounties for which we must be thankful, is the light of Faith and natural disposition. Knowing of Allah is natural, and if the dust of sin and deviation is removed from the nature of deviated ones, their clear and manifest confessions will be found out.

In this verse, where the words are about Unity of Lordship and that the descent of the main origin of provisions is from the side of Allah, it says:

“And if you ask them: ‘Who sends down water from the heaven and gives life with it unto the earth after its death?’ They will certainly say: ‘Allah!’ …”

This is the inner belief of idolaters that they even did not refuse to express it by their tongue, because they both knew the Creator as Allah, and introduced Allah as the Lord and also the administrator of the whole world. Then, the verse continues saying:

“… Say: ‘All praise is due to Allah.’ …”

Praise is for the One from Whose side all bounties come, because when water, which is the main source of life and by which all living creatures are alive, is from His side, it is clear that other provisions are from His side, too.

Therefore praise must also belong to Him alone, and other objects of worship have no share in it.

We must thank Allah, for our logic is so alive and strong that nobody is able to nullify it.

And since the polytheists’ sayings, from one side, and their speech and actions, from other side, contradicted with each other, at the end of the verse the Qur’ān adds:

“…But most of them so not ponder.”

Else, how is it possible that a wise and thoughtful person speaks so much scattered and contrarily? From one side, he knows Allah (s.w.t.) as the creator, the giver of sustenance, and administrator of the world, and, on the other side, he falls in prostration before some idols that have no role in his fate.

From one side, they believe in the Unity of Creator and Unity of Lordship, but, on the other side, they practically worship other than Allah.

It is interesting that the Holy Qur’ān does not say that they do not have mind and wisdom, but it says: “… (they) do not ponder”, which means they have intellect while they do not use it.

Section 7: The sincere seekers shall be guided aright

Point

Life of this world is a vain sport, the Hereafter is a lasting Reality – The timely devotion of the hypocrites – Those who strive sincerely in the way of Allah are promised to be shown the Way of the Lord

}64{ وَمَا هَذِهِ الْحَیَاةُ الدُّنْیَآ إِلاَّ لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الأَخِرَةَ لَهِیَ الْحَیَوَانُ لَوْ کَانُوا یَعْلَمُونَ

Commentary, verse: 64

The Qur’ānic word /lahw/ is used for the amusements which hinder man from the main aims and fundamental affairs. The Arabic term /la‘ib/ is doing something like play in which there is no particular aim. (Mufradāt by Rāqib)

The creation of the world has been done wisely and for a particular aim, while being mammonist and neglectful from the Hereafter is done foolishly.

In order that men can promote their thought higher than the horizon of this limited life, and that they open the doors of some vaster worlds to the scope of the vision of their intellect, in this verse the Holy Qur’ān, through a short and very expressive sentence, compares the life of the present world with the eternal life in another world, where it says:

“And this life of the world is nothing but a sport and a play …”

There is not anything in this world save sport and play, while the life in another world is the real life. The above verse continues:

“… and verily the abode of the hereafter, is certainly the (real) life: did they but know!”

What an interesting and expressive meaning this Qur’ānic phrase /la hiyal hayawān/ is! Because the Arabic word /lahw/ means ‘sport’ and anything that makes man busy to it and turns him away from the essential affairs of life, while the word /la‘ib/ (a play) is used for the acts that have a kind of imaginary order for an imaginary aim, (play).

In a ‘play’ someone plays as a king and another one as a minister, another one is the commander of the army, and some others play as a caravan or as a thief. But after their struggles and conflicts, we see that all of their deeds have been some imaginary acts. The Qur’ān implies that the life of this world is a kind of sport and play. In it, there are some people who pursue some imaginary things. After a few days they scatter and their bodies will be buried under the ground, and, then everything will be forgotten. But the real life, which has no declension or destruction, will remain. There is neither pain, nor toleration, nor distress, nor fear, nor any trouble in the life of hereafter, but it is with the condition that man knows it and studies it carefully.

Those who love the life of this world and became happy and beguiled by its dazzling glare are like some children, though they have lived a long life.

However, it must be noted that, as some commentators and philologists believe, the Qur’ānic word /haywān/ means ‘life/, It points to this fact that ‘the abode of hereafter’ is the abode of

real life, as if life gushed from all of it and there were nothing in it but ‘life’.

It is evident that never the Qur’ān intends to negate the Divine merits of this world by this meaning, but it intends to illustrate the value of this life comparing with that life by an explicit and clear comparison. Moreover, it wants to warn man that he must not be as captive for these merits; he must be a commander upon them, and he must never exchange the noble values of his own self for them.

}65{ فَإِذَا رَکِبُوا فِی الْفُلْکِ دَعَوُا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِینَ لَهُ الدّ ِینَ فَلَمَّا نَجَّاهُمْ إِلَی الْبَرّ ِ إِذَا هُمْ یُشْرِکُونَ

Commentary, verse: 65

Being in awe of Allah removes the dusts of negligence, and awakens the nature of seeking-Allah in man.

This verse refers to the nature and fate of man and it pays to the manifestation of the Light of Unity inside the selves of men at the most severe states, and, through a very expressive example, it says:

“So when they ride in the ships, they call upon Allah sincerely vowing worship (only) unto Him, and when He brings them safe to the land, they associate others (with Him),”

Yes, the difficulties and calamities are the preparations for the growth of man’s nature. The Light of Unity is hidden inside the spirit of all human beings. Superstitious customs, wrong educations, and evil indoctrinations cast some curtains over it, but at the time of attack of calamities from every side and when the pile of difficulties appear in front of man and he sees he cannot apparently do anything, he involuntarily goes toward the world of super nature and he wipes out any polytheistic thought from his heart and, in the furnace of these events, he becomes pure and free from any impurity.

Shortly speaking, there is always a luminous point inside the man’s heart which is the nearest mean of his communication with the world of super nature and the shortest path toward Allah.

Wrong teachings, negligence, and pride, specially at the time of health and affluence, draw some curtains over it, but the mass of calamities and terrible events tear these curtains, put the ashes away from it and that luminous point inside the man’s heart appears.

It was for this very reason that the great leaders of Islam used to guide those who were seriously doubtful in the subject of theology by this way.

We have heard the story of the wandering man who was in doubt for the subject of theology and Imam Sādiq (a.s.) guided him aright through this very natural and innate way.

The man said: “O son of the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.)! (Please) guide me to Allah that who He is, because the tempters have made me bewildered.” Then the Imam told him: “O’ servant of Allah! Have you ever embarked a ship?” The man answered he had. Then Imam said: “Has it happened that your ship was broken where there was no other ship to save you and you did not know how to swim?” The man answered: “Yes.” He said: “In that state, did your heart tend to this matter that there is something that can save you from that affliction?” He answered: “Yes.” Imam Sādiq (a.s.) said: “This thing is Allah Who is able to save (anyone) where there is no deliverer and succours and where there is no helper.”⁽¹⁾

}66{ لِیَکْفُرُوا بِمَآ ءَاتَیْنَاهُمْ وَلِیَتَمَتَّعُوا فَسَوْفَ یَعْلَمُونَ

Commentary, verse: 66

Polytheism is a kind of ungratefulness and ingratitude unto the favours of Allah.

We must not be happy with those successes which are accompanied with blasphemy and ungratefulness, because they usually have an evil end.

After mentioning so many reasoning upon Monotheism and theology, this verse confronts the opponents with a sharp and serious threat when it says:

“(Thus) let them be ungrateful for what We have given them and let them enjoy, but they shall soon know.”

They will enjoy of the fleeting pleasures, but they shall know very soon what the end of their disbelief and polytheism will be, and what an evil fate they will have.

It is true that the appearance of the verse here seems to be a command to disbelief and denial of the Divine verses, but it is evident that its purpose is a warning. It is just like that we tell a criminal person: “Perform whatever crime you can, but soon you will taste the bitter fruit of your deeds in a lump.”

In such sentences where the form of the verb is imperative the main aim is a threat against the opposite party, not a state of imperative nature.

It is interesting that here the Qur’ānic sentence /fasaufa ta‘lamūn/ (they shall soon know) has been stated in an absolute form. It does not say what they know, but it simply says: “They shall soon know”. This vastness in meaning is for

the sake that the mind of hearers might not be limited in its concept. The fruit of bad deeds is the divine punishment, disgrace in both worlds, and all kinds of other miseries.

At the end you may note these two verses: “And whatever of favour is (bestowed) on you, it is from Allah; then whenever any calamity afflicts upon you, unto Him you cry (for assistance).” “Then when He removes the affliction from you, behold! A group of you associate others with their Lord.”⁽¹⁾

This very meaning is mentioned in Sura Yūnus in another form. It says: “And when an affliction touches a man, he calls Us (while reclining), on his side, or sitting, or standing, but when We remove from him his affliction, he passes on, as if he never called Us to an affliction that touched him. …”⁽²⁾

The above meaning has also been stated in Sura Ar-Rūm, verse 33, Sura Az-Zumar, verse 49, and Sura ’Asrā’, verses 67-69 in some other phrases and with some comprehensive words.

}67{ أَوَلَمْ یَرَوْا أَنَّا جَعَلْنَا حَرَماً ءَامِناً وَیُتَخَطَّفُ النَّاسُ مِنْ حَوْلِهِمْ أَفَبِالْبَاطِلِ یُؤْمِنُونَ وَبِنِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ یَکْفُرُونَ

Commentary, verse: 67

One of the ways of inviting people to Allah is attracting their attention unto the divine bounties. This verse says:

“Have they not seen that We have appointed a sanctuary secure, while the people are snatched away from all around them? …”

Arabs were in insecurity then, but in spite of that insecure environment, He caused Mecca to be a sanctuary secure, then how can He not protect them against their enemies? And their enemies were afraid of these weak people before Allah, the Great, the Mighty.

The verse continues saying:

“… Will they still believe in the falsehood and disbelieve in bounty of Allah?”

Shortly speaking, the Lord Who is able to cause a small piece of land to be secure inside a vast area of the earth where a group of half wild people used to live, how can He not protect the faithful people amongst some pagans and unbelievers?

}68{ وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَی عَلَی اللَّهِ کَذِباً أَوْ کَذَّبَ بِالْحَقّ ِ لَمَّا جَآءَهُ أَلَیْسَ فِی جَهَنَّمَ مَثْوًی لِلْکَافِرِینَ

Commentary, verse: 68

The Divine revelation should be accepted completely and without decreasing anything from it. Adding anything to the religion is invention and false allegation, and it is the worse injustice. Therefore, in this verse the Qur’ān says:

“And who is more unjust than one who forges a lie against Allah, or belies the truth when it has come to him? …”

Allah has delivered many clear evidences which prove that there is nothing to be worthy of being worshipped save Allah, but polytheists forge some lies to Him and associate some partners with Him, too. They even claim that this is a divine program!

On the other hand, Allah sent down the Qur’ān for them, in which the signs of Truth are clear, but they ignored them and put them at their back. Can any injustice and oppression be considered more superior than this? It is certainly injustice against their own selves and against all humankind, because polytheism and disbelief is a great injustice.

In other word, is injustice, in its vast scope of meaning, anything save deviation and bringing something out of its proper place? Is there anything worse than this that one puts some pieces of worthless stone and wood in a row with the Creator of the heavens and the earth?

Moreover, polytheism is the source of all social corruptions, and in fact other kinds of injustice originate from it. Sensualism, mammonism, and worshipping ranks, each one is a kind of polytheism.

But do know that an evil fate is waiting for the polytheists. The Qur’ān questions:

“… Is there not a home in Hell for the disbelievers?”

It is noteworthy that in fifteen occurrences of the Qur’ān some people have been introduced as ‘the most unjust ones’, and in all of these occurrences the Qur’ānic sentence is a positive interrogation with a negative sense and it begins with /man ’azlama/.

A careful study upon these verses shows that all of them return to polytheism, though there are apparently some different matters mentioned in them. Therefore, it can be said that there is not any contradiction in them.⁽¹⁾

}69{ وَالَّذِینَ جَاهَدُوا فِینَا لَنَهْدِیَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا وإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُ-حْسِنِینَ

Commentary, verse: 69

Point

In order to reach the special guidance of Allah, effort and endeavour is necessary, and it is the man who must take the first step.

Sometimes, a step and a sincere struggle consequences both the Divine guidance and eternal salvation.

This holy verse, which is, in fact, the last verse of Sura Al-‘Ankabūt, points to an important fact, which is the epitome of the whole Sura and is consistent with its beginning.

It implies that though there are many difficulties for those who pave the path of Allah, the Almighty, the difficulty from the point of recognizing the truth, the difficulty of temptations of the Satans of man and Jinn; the difficulty of facing with the opposition of the obstinate and cruel enemies; and the difficulty of probable mistakes. Here, there is one true thing which strengthens you, supports you, and gives you power and certainty for these difficulties, as follows:

“And those who strive hard for Us, We will certainly guide them in Our ways, and verily Allah is with the good-doers.”

Upon the purpose of struggle here, the commentators have delivered numerous probabilities. Is it the struggle against enemies? Is it the struggle against carnal soul? Or is it the struggle in the path of knowing Allah by a scientific and logical way?

They have also discussed about the objective meaning of the Arabic term /fīnā/ (in Us), applied in this verse, whether it means in the way of Allah’s pleasure, or in the way of struggle against carnal soul, or in the path of worship, or in the path of struggle against enemy.

But it makes manifest that the application of both /jihād/ which has a vast and absolute meaning, and /fīnā/ are correct. Therefore, it envelops any kind of struggle and effort which is performed in the way of Allah and for Him and with the purpose of gaining the divine aims, whether they are in the way of obtaining knowledge, or struggle against carnal soul, or struggle against enemy, or showing patience in obedience, or having patience against temptation of committing sin, or in the way of helping the weak persons, or doing any other good action.

Those who strive in these ways for Allah, in any form and any manner, will be involved in the support and guidance of Allah.

By the way, through what was said, it became clear that the purpose of the Arabic word /subul/ (ways), used here, is different ways which are led to Allah: the way of struggle against carnal soul, the way of struggling against enemies, and the way of learning knowledge and culture. In short, struggle in any one of these ways causes one to be led to a path which ends to Allah.

This is the promise that Allah has strictly and emphatically given to all of the strivers in His way, and He has strengthened it by kinds of emphasis, and has considered success, progress, and triumph in the pledge of two important things: ‘Struggle’ and ‘sincerity of intention’.

Thus, man must strive in this way, but guidance is with Allah; and that a tradition indicates that knowledge is a light

that Allah casts in the heart of any one whom He desires and knows eligible for it, may also refer to this very meaning.

Note to the Following Points:

1- It is understood from the abovementioned verse that any kind of failure and dissatisfaction we are confronted is the effect of one of these two things: we have neglected the struggle, or there has not been enough sincerity in our action. If these two exist with together, according to the promise of Allah, victory and guidance will surely come forth.

And if we contemplate well, we can find out the origin of difficulties, and the afflictions of the Islamic societies in this very fact. Why the Muslims, who once were an advanced nation in the world, are backward and retarded today?

Why do they beg nearly all their needs, even for their own culture and laws, from foreigners? Why must they rely on others for protecting themselves against political storms and martial attacks? Why one day others were in need of the bounty of knowledge and rich culture of Muslims, but today these people have to sit at the table of other nations?

And, finally, why are they captured in the hand of others and their lands are occupied by the transgressors?

All these questions have only one answer, and it is that either they have neglected the holy struggle, or their intentions have become polluted.

Yes, struggle in the fields of science, culture, politics, and army has been neglected and love of self, mammonism, love of comfort, short sightedness, and private motives have overcome them so much that the number of those killed by their own forces is larger than the number of those killed by their enemy.

The despair of some persons affected by the West or the East, the treachery of a group of rulers and chiefs, and the hopelessness and the reclusion of some knowledgeable men and the possessors of reflection have taken from them both struggle and sincerity.

Whenever a little sincerity appears in us and strivers come in the scene, victories appear one after another, and the chains of captivity will be broken. Then, despairs change into hope and failures into success; disgrace changes into honour and eminence, and dispersion and hypocrisy changes into unity and flowing. Thus, how great and inspirational the Qur’ān is that has stated both the pain and its remedy in a short sentence.

Yes, those who struggle in the path of Allah are included in the guidance of Allah, the Almighty, and it is evident that wherever His guidance exists, aberration and failure does not have any place.

Some narrations of Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.) have rendered this verse into the Prophet’s progeny (a.s.) and his followers. It is the statement of a complete extension of it, because they were always pioneers and leaders in the way of struggle and sincerity, and it is not an evidence upon the limitation of the concept of the verse at all.

However, every one clearly feels this Qur’ānic fact in his effort and endeavour that when he strives in the path of Allah, the doors will be opened to him, difficulties become easy, and hardships will be tolerable.

2- People are divided into three groups: A group of people are some obstinate deniers for whom no guidance is useful. The second group are some sincere strivers who reach the Truth. The third group are more excellent than the second group. They are not far from the truth that must become near,

and are not separate from Him that must join Him, because they are always with Him.

The previous verse, saying: “And who is more unjust than one who forges a lie …” is about the first group.

The Qur’ānic sentence: “And those who strive hard for Us, …” is about the second group.

And the Qur’ānic phrase: “… verily Allah is with the good-doers” is about the third group.

By the way, this phrase makes it clear that the rank of good-doers is higher than that of strivers, because besides striving in the path of their own deliverance, they have the characteristic of donation and kindness and they strive for others, too.

O Allah! Give us such a success that in our whole lifetime we do not stop effort and striving in Your way!

O Allah! Bestow us such a sincerity that we do not think about anything but You and we do not take any step save for You!

O Allah! Take us higher than the rank of strivers and endow on us the rank of kindness and donation of the good-doers, and appoint us under the cover of Your guidance in our whole lifetime!

Amen, O the Lord of the Worlds!

The End of Sura Al-‘Ankabūt

Sura Ar-Room

Point

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِیمِ

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

(The Romans)

No. 30 (Revealed at Mecca)

60 Verses in 6 Sections

The Virtue of the Sura:

Imam Sādiq (a.s.) in a tradition said: “Whoever recites Suras Al-‘Ankabūt and Ar-Room in the month of Ramadān at the twenty third night, by Allah he will be admitted in Paradise, and I do not consider any exception in this word … (with the condition that he fulfils his religious duties). These two Suras have an important situation with Allah.”⁽¹⁾

In another tradition narrated from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), he has said: “Whoever recites Sura Ar-Room, will be rewarded ten rewards as the number of every angel who glorifies Allah between the heaven, and the earth, and whatever he has lost in that day and night will be recompensed.” ⁽²⁾

It is evident that he who puts the content of this Sura, which is full of teachings about Monotheism and the great court of Hereafter in his soul and manner, and observes the

constant watch of Allah over him, and knows the Day of Judgment and Divine court certain, the Divine devoutness will fill his heart in a manner that he will be eligible for such a great reward.

The Feature of the Sura:

This holy Sura contains 60 verses and has been revealed at Mecca.

Similar to many Meccan Suras, the main subject in this Sura is ‘Origin and End’ and the statements of the believers and disbelievers are in this relation.

This Sura begins with the Prophecy about the victory of Romans against Iranians in the war, and for this reason this Sura has been called Ar-Room.

A great part of the verses of this Sura is about the Divine bounties in the heaven and in the earth, the conjugality system in plants and animals, creation of man from dust, the relation between man and woman, effort in the day and sleep at night, the fall of rain, the winds, and the earth being revived after its death.

Sura Ar-Room

(The Romans)

No. 30, (Revealed at Mecca)

60 verses in 6 Sections

Section 1

Point

The Defeat of the Romans

Prophesied

The holy Prophet (Muhammad) prophecies that the Romans will be conquered but after a few years they will conquer the conquerors – This was as also a prophecy of the victory of the Muslims over the Mecans – Great powerful nations brought low

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِیمِ

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

}1{ الم

}2{ غُلِبَتِ الرُّومُ

}3{ فِی أَدْنَی الاَرْضِ وَهُم مّ-ِن بَعْدِ غَلَبِهِمْ سَیَغْلِبُونَ

}4{ فِی بِضْعِ سِنِینَ لِلَّهِ الأَمْرُ مِن قَبْلُ وَمِنْ بَعْدُ وَیَوْمَئِذٍ یَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

}5{ بِنَصْرِ اللَّهِ یَنصُرُ مَن یَشَآءُ وَهُوَ الْعَزِیزُ الرَّحِیمُ

Commentary, verses: 1-5

The Arabic word /bid‘/ means: ‘a piece’, as the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: “Fātimah is a piece from me.” Sometimes the objective meaning of /bid‘/ is a part of time between three to nine years.

Question: What relation is there between the triumph of the army of Room over Iranians and the Muslims that the Qur’ān says: “… that day the believers shall rejoice”?

Answer: The Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) wrote two letters to the kings of Iran and Room and invited them to the religion of Islam. The king of Iran, Khusrow Parvīz, tore the letter, but the king of Room respected Prophet’s letter. Muslims liked the Romans who respected Prophet’s letter to be victorious, but they failed in the war, so the Muslims became inconvenient because of that event. By these holy verses Allah gave a good tidings to the Muslims that although Romans failed, they would win the battle thereafter in near future and that victory could make the believers happy.⁽¹⁾Yes, a faithful society should not look only its own inside but it must show reaction unto the bitter and sweet events of other nations, too.

The Occasion of Revelation:

The great Islamic commentators all believe that the beginning verses of this Sura were sent down for the sake that at that time when the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) was at Mecca and the believers were in minority, there happened a fight between Iranians and Romans, and Iranians became victorious. Pagans of Mecca, then, took it as a good omen and considered it as a proof of legitimacy for their own polytheism. They said Iranians were Zoroastrians and polytheists (dualists), but Romans were Christians, the People of the Book’. Since Iranians overcame Romans, then the final victory belonged to polytheism and Islam would be vanished soon and they (the polytheists) might be victorious.

Though such conclusions had no foundation, but, in that atmosphere and that environment, they were not far from effect for propagation amongst those ignorant people. Therefore, that event seemed heavy for the early Muslims. The abovementioned verses were revealed, saying decisively that though Iranians became victorious in that war, after a short time they would bear a failure from Romans. The Qur’ān stated even the time of that prophecy and said that that event would happen during a few years.

This decisive prediction of the Qur’ān which, from one side, was the sign of the miracle of this heavenly Book and the sign of the relation of its bringer to the infinite knowledge of Allah (s.w.t.) unto the world of Unseen, and on the other side, it was a point opposite to the bibliomancy of the polytheists, encouraged the Muslims in a manner that, it is even said, some of them laid an important wager with the polytheists upon this matter. (At that time the command of the prohibition of these sorts of betting had not been sent down yet.)

However, this Sura is the twenty ninth Sura of the Qur’ān which begins with the abbreviated letters. We have repeatedly discussed on the commentary of these abbreviated letters, (specially at the beginning of Suras Al-Baqarah, ’Āl-i-‘Imrān, and Al-’A‘rāf). The only thing which attracts attention here is that, contrary to many Suras of the Qur’ān which begin with abbreviated letters and next to them the words are about the greatness of the Qur’ān, in this Sura there is not any discussion upon the greatness of the Qur’ān, while the words are about the Roman’s failure and their future victory. But a careful study makes it clear that this discussion is also the statement of the greatness of the Qur’ān, because this prediction is considered as one of the signs of the miracle of the Holy Qur’ān and the greatness of this heavenly Book.

After mentioning the abbreviated letters, it says:

“The Romans have been defeated.”

“In a near land, …”

This failure occurs in a land near you, the people of Mecca, in the North of Arabia, in the land of Syria, the western Rome.

Some commentators, like Shaykh Tūsī in Tibyān, have said that the purpose of it may be a place near the land of Iranians, that is, it happened in a land which was the nearest point between Tūrān and Rome.⁽¹⁾It is true that because of the existence of Alif and Lām in the Arabic word /’al ’ard/, the first commentary is more suitable, but as we will explain later, from some view points, the second commentary seems more proper.

Here, there is a third commentary that, maybe from the point of result, does not differ so much from the second commentary. According to this commentary the objective of it is the land of Rome. That is, they confronted defeat then in the nearest parts of their boundaries with Iran; and this points to the importance and depth of this failure. Defeat in far points and distanced boundaries, is not so important. The important matter is that a country is defeated in its nearest boundaries with enemy where it is more powerful and forceful than other places.

Therefore, mentioning the phrase: /fī ’adnal ’ard/ (in a near land) is a hint to the importance of this defeat, and predicting the triumph of the defeated party during a few years in future is of a greater magnificence and it is not predictable but by the way of miracle.

Then the verse adds:

“… but they, after being defeated, will soon be victorious,”

The Qur’ānic sentence /sayaqlibūn/ (they will soon be victorious) was enough for stating the purpose definitely, but the sentence /min ba‘d-i-qalabihim/ (after being defeated) has particularly been added to it in order that the importance of this victory becomes more manifest, because when a defeated group can overcome the enemy in its nearest and strongest boundaries and specially during a short time, it is something unexpectedly, and the Qur’ān explicitly predicts this event.

Then, through the next holy verse, the Noble Qur’ān states the approximate years of its occurrence, but saying:

“With in a few years. …”

And we know that the Arabic word /bid‘/ means a figure at least ‘three’ and at most ‘nine’.

If we see that Allah (s.w.t.) predicts the future, it is because everything and every affair is in His authority whether before victory or after the victory of this defeated nation. The verse says:

“… To Allah belongs the Command before and after, …”

It is evident that everything being in Allah’s authority and by His command does not hinder our freedom and will for effort and endeavour and striving in the path of obtaining our aims. In other words, this phrase does not intend to negate the authority of others, but it intends to make this matter clear that it is He Who is Mighty by Essence and is the absolute Owner, and whoever possesses anything he has it from His side.

Then the verse implies that if today that the Romans failed and the polytheists became happy, on that day when the Romans overcame the believers would become happy. The verse continues saying:

“… and on that day the believers shall rejoice.”

Yes, by Allah’s help they will be happy. The next Holy verse announces:

“With the help of Allah, He helps whom He pleases, and He is the Mighty, the Merciful.”

Upon the objective meaning of the sentence: “On that day the believers shall rejoice”, the commentators have delivered different ideas. Some of them have said that this rejoice is because of Roman’s victory, though they themselves were in the row of pagans, too, but since they had heavenly Book their victory over the Zoroastrians, who were polytheists, was one stage of victory of ‘Monotheism’ over ‘polytheism’.

Some other commentators have added that the believers became happy for they took this event as a good omen and as an evidence for their victory over the polytheists.

Or their happiness was for the sake that the greatness and truthfulness of the decisive prediction of the holy Qur’ān, which itself was counted as an important spiritual victory for the Muslims, appeared on that day.

This probability does not seem so far that the Roman victory was simultaneous with one of the Muslims’ victories over the polytheists in particular that some of the statements of the commentators indicate that this victory was simultaneous with the victory of the ‘Badr’ or with the peace agreement of Hudaybiyyah which was counted a great victory. In particular that the application of “With the help of Allah’ is in consonant with this meaning, too.

In short, the Muslims became happy from different points of view on that day because of the victory of the ‘People of the Book’ over the Zoroastrians, which was a scene of the victory of Monotheism against polytheism.

This happiness was because of spiritual victory for the appearance of the miracle of the Qur’ān. Or it was for the sake of its simultaneous victory of Muslims, probably the peace of Hudaybiyyah or one of other conquests of the Muslims.

}6{ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ لاَ یُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ وَلَکِنَّ أَکْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ یَعْلَمُونَ

Commentary, verse: 6

The cause of breach of promises is either powerlessness, or ignorance, or regret, but Allah, the Almighty, the Aware, is free from all of them.

The reason of unawareness of people is the lack of their knowledge due to the Knowledge and Power of Allah. They have not known Allah properly; therefore they are not aware of this fact that He never fails His promise. Breach of promise is either because of ignorance unto something that it had been concealed, then it has become revealed and has caused the change of idea. Or it is because of weakness and inability, when the giver of promise has not changed his mind but he is not able to perform his promise.

But Allah, Who is both aware of the sequences of the affairs and His Power is above all powers, will never breach His promise. The verse says:

“(This victory is ) Allah’s promise! Allah does not fail His promise, but most people do not know.”

}7{ یَعْلَمُونَ ظَاهِراً مِنَ الْحَیَاةِ الدُّنْیَا وَهُمْ عَنِ الأَخِرَةِ هُمْ غَافِلُونَ

Commentary, verse: 7

Being in the love of the materials of the world causes the negligence from Hereafter.

The world itself is not bad, but negligence from Hereafter is bad. This holy verse implies that these shortsighted people see only the outward of the life in this world but they are unaware of the hereafter and the end of the affairs. It says:

“They know (only) the appearance of the life of this world and they are heedless of the Hereafter.”

Common people are only aware of the life of the world, and they have also sufficed to the outward of this life. A collection of amusements, some temporary pleasures, and vain imaginations have formed their understanding from the life of this world. The pride and negligence, which is hidden in this understanding, is not concealed to anyone.

If they only knew the inward and innate of the life of this world, too, it was enough for the recognition of the Hereafter, because enough care in this temporary life shows that it is a ring from a long circle of affairs and it is a stage out of a great and long way. As the care upon the life of an embryo in its term shows that the final aim is not only this short life by itself, but it is a preliminary stage for a later vast life. Yes they see only the appearance of this life and are heedless of its content, its concepts, and what is in its inside.

It is interesting that here by the repetition of the Arabic pronoun /hum/ (they) the Holy Qur’ān points to this fact that

the people themselves are the cause of this negligence and heedlessness. It is just like that someone tells us “You neglected me from this thing”; and in answer to him we say: “You yourself neglected”. That is, you yourself were the cause of negligence.

At the end, one of the ways of proving the miracle of the Qur’ān is the prediction of the Qur’ān, one of which is clearly mentioned in these very verses. Through a few verses and with kinds of emphasis, the Qur’ān informs of a great victory in a few later years for a defeated army and introduces it as a promise of Allah which never fails.

From one side, the Holy Qur’ān predicts the reality of the victory itself, by saying: “… but they, after being defeated, will soon be victorious.”⁽¹⁾

From another side, it informs of another victory for the Muslims against the pagans simultaneous with it.

And, from the third side, the noble Qur’ān declares that this event will happen in a few future years.

In the fourth side, with two emphases, the Qur’ān confirms the decisiveness of the promise of Allah: “(This victory is) Allah’s promise! Allah does not fail His promise, …”⁽²⁾

The history indicates that it was before nine years that these two events happened: the Romans won a new separate war against Iranians, and at the same time the Muslims, by the peace of Hudaybiyyah (and according to a tradition in the Battle of Badr), obtained a considerable victory against the enemies.

Principally, the thought of a godly and faithful person is very different from that of a materialist or a polytheist.

A believer, according to his Monotheistic belief, thinks of the world as the creation of Allah, the Wise, the Aware, Whose all deeds are done accurately and regularly. For this reason, he believes that the world is a collection of some exact secrets and mysteries. Nothing is simple in this world. All the words of this Book are expressive and meaningful.

This Monotheistic belief tells him not to simply pass by any event and any matter, because the simplest problems may be the most complicated ones.

He always observes the depth of the things of this world and does not suffice to the appearance of the world. He has learnt this lesson in the school of monotheism. He considers a great aim for the world and he sees all things inside the circle of that aim; while an ordinary faithless person considers the world as a collection of events which have no aim, and he does not think but about its outward. In principle, he does not consider any innate and depth for it. Is it possible that we consider a depth and magnificence for a book which contains of only some lines that a little child have created on its pages with his own hand without having any aim?

According to some of the great scientists of the natural science, all those scientists who have contemplated about the system of the world have a sort of religious thought.

}8{ أَوَلَمْ یَتَفَکَّرُوا فِی أَنفُسِهِم مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ وَمَا بَیْنَهُمَآ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقّ ِ وَأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّی وَإِنَّ کَثِیراً مِنَ النَّاسِ بِلِقَآءِی رَبّ-ِهِمْ لَکَافِرُونَ

Commentary, verse: 8

Contemplation is usually the medicine of the sickness of negligence.

The consequence of a safe and sound thought is having belief in truthfulness and knowing that existence and Hereafter have an aim, while the consequence of thoughtlessness is often disbelief and denial of Resurrection.

The words in the previous verse were about those who see only the surface of the things and whose thoughts are limited to observing this world and the world of matter and they are not aware of the Hereafter and the world of super nature.

This holy verse, as well as the later verses, mentions some various matters around the Origin and Resurrection. At first, in the form of a question, the verse critically says:

“Have they not pondered upon themselves? Allah did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them but with truth and (for) an appointed term? …”

That is, if they do contemplate correctly and refer to both their own conscience and the judgment of their intellect, they

will be well familiar with these two things: that, firstly, the world has been created on the basis of truth, and it contains some systems which prove the existence of a complete wisdom and power with the creator of this world.

Secondly, this world goes toward downfall and destruction; and in view of the fact that it is impossible that the Wise Creator has created it in vain, this is an evidence that after this world there is another world which is the eternal abode, else the creation of this world, with all its things created only for a few days of life, would be meaningless, and by this we find out the existence of the Hereafter.

Thus, a careful observation in the regularity and legitimacy of this world leads to the existence of its origin, and a careful attention to its having ‘an appointed term’ is an evidence to the ‘Resurrection’. (Be careful)

That is why, at the end of this holy verse the Qur’ān adds:

“… And verily most of the people are deniers of the meeting of their Lord (at the Resurrection).”

Either the pagans are principally deniers of Resurrection, as the verses of the Qur’ān have repeatedly narrated from their tongue who used to say: When we have become dust, shall we certainly be brought forth again? This is impossible! This is evident that its talker is mad. (Sura Ar-Ra‘d, No. 13, verse 5; Sura Al-Mu’minūn, No. 23, verse 35; Sura An-Naml, No. 27, verse 67; and Sura Ghāf, No. 50, verse 3)

Or they do not deny it by their tongues, but their deeds are so polluted and shameful that they indicate that they do not believe in Resurrection, because if they believed they would not be so mischievous and corrupt.

By the Qur’ānic phrase /fī ’anfusihim/ (upon themselves) it is understood that they should study about the secrets of their selves, as Fakhr-Rāzi has said in his commentary, but the

purpose is that they may contemplate upon the creation of the heavens and the earth from inside of their selves and souls by the way of intellect and conscience.

The Arabic word /bil haqq/, applied in this verse, may have two meanings: one is that creation is accompanied with truth, law, and regularity. The second is that the aim of creation is a true aim, and, of course, these two recent commentaries do not contrast with each other.

As we have repeatedly said in this commentary, the Qur’ānic phrase /liqā’-i-rabbihim/ (meeting of their Lord) means Hereafter and Resurrection where the curtains will be removed and, by inner intuition, man will know Allah with His greatness.

}9{ أَوَلَمْ یَسِیرُوا فِی الأَرْضِ فَیَنظُرُوا کَیْفَ کَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِینَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ کَانُوا أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَأَثَارُوا الأَرْضَ وَعَمَرُوهَآ أَکْثَرَ مِمَّا عَمَرُوهَا وَجَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَیّ-ِنَاتِ فَمَا کَانَ اللَّهُ لِیَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَکِن کَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ یَظْلِمُونَ

Commentary, verse: 9

We must look at the fate and the end of the former nations, not at their daily glories.

Concerning the necessity of familiarity with the events in history and contemplating on them, Hadrat Ali (a.s.), addressing his son, says: “Though my age is not so old but I am familiar with the history of the former nations as if I have the lifetime of history.”⁽¹⁾

Explaining the meaning of the Qur’ānic sentence: “Have they not travelled in the earth” Imam Sādiq (a.s.) said: “The purpose of it is contemplation and study the history of the

former nations (who are mentioned) in the Qur’ān”.⁽¹⁾However, the Qur’ān in this verse says:

“Have they not travelled in the earth and seen how was the end of these before them? …”

These nations are those who had a better power than these ones and who had changed the land and had flourished it more than that they did. Here is what the verse says:

“… They were stronger than them in strength, and they ploughed up the earth and cultivated it more than they themselves have cultivated it; …”

Divine messengers came to them with clear miracles, but they showed stubbornness and did not submit to the Truth and, consequently, they encountered the painful chastisement of Allah. The verse continues saying:

“… and their messenger came to them with clear proofs (miracles) (which they rejected,

to their own destruction); …”

“… so Allah would never deal with them unjustly, but they dealt unjustly with their own selves.”

In fact, the holy Qur’ān here points to those nations who, comparing the polytheists coeval with the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), were considerably stronger than these people from the point of power, bodily strength, and finance, and it explains their painful end as a lesson for these people.

The Qur’ānic phrase: /’aθār-ul-’ard/ (they ploughed up the earth) may refer to ploughing the earth for farming and planting trees, or digging it for streams and irrigation systems, or preparing the land for building high buildings, or all of these

affairs, for this phrase has a vast concept which encompasses these things which are the preliminary of cultivation.⁽¹⁾

And since in the world of that day the utmost power was in the hand of those who were more developed from the point of agriculture and had considerably progressed in constructing buildings, the superiority of those nations, comparing the polytheists of Mecca whose ability, from this point of view, was very limited is made clear.

Yet, those nations, with all their power and abilities, when they rejected the Divine revelations and denied their messengers, could not escape from the grips of divine punishment, then how can you escape?

These painful punishments are the fruit and sequence of their own deeds. They themselves did unjustly against their own selves and Allah would never deal with them unjustly.

}10{ ثُمَّ کَانَ عَاقِبَةَ الَّذِینَ أَسَآءُوا السُّوأَی أَن کَذَّبُوا بِاَیَاتِ اللَّهِ وَکَانُوا بِهَا یَسْتَهْزِئُونَ

Commentary, verse: 10

Those who usually reject the verses of Allah and mock them do not often gain any benefit from their deeds except evil punishment.

The above holy verse, which is the last verse of the verses under discussion, states the last stage of their infidelity. It implies that the end of those who did evil in this world was that they rejected the revelations of Allah, and worse than that, they mocked them. The verse says:

“Then evil was the end of those that did evil, for they belied the signs of Allah, and at them they used to mock.”

Yes, sin and committing evil, like the sickness of gangrene, attacks man and consumes the soul of faith and destroys it. Such a person reaches a point that he belies the Divine verses and, beyond that, he mocks both the messengers and the revelations of Allah. Such a person will be in a stage that no advice, no admonition, and no warning is effective on him, and there will remain no way except the lash of the painful punishment of Allah.

A glance upon the life of a great deal of rebellious and criminal persons shows that at the beginning they were not like that. At least there was a slight and weak light of faith in their hearts, but committing consecutive sins caused them to get

distance from Faith and piety a day after another and, at last they reached the stage of infidelity.

This verse, with the same concept that was described in the above, was also mentioned in the famous sermon of Hadrat Zaynab (a.s.), the brave woman of Karbalā, that she delivered in Syria in front of Yazīd.

When Hadrat Zaynab (a.s.) observed that Yazīd, by saying some blasphemous words and reciting those famous poems, which showed his disbelief in the basis of Islam, was mocking everything, after praising Allah and greeting to the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), she clearly said: “It is not wonderful that today, by these poems, you deny Islam and Faith, and you tell your polytheistic ancestors, who were killed in the Battle of Badr by Muslims, that you wish they were here and would see that you have taken vengeance from the family of Banī Hāshim. It is the same thing that Allah (s.w.t.) has said and announced that the sinners will finally belie the signs of Allah. …”

She said many things in this regard. (For more explanation, you can refer to Bihār-ul-’Anwār, Vol. 45, P. 157)

Section 2

Point

The Five Times of the Daily Glorification of Allah

The righteous and the wicked shall be recompensed – The polytheists shall deny their imaginary gods of the Day of Judgment – The Five Times of the Daily Glorification of Allah (five compulsory Daily Prayers)

}11{ اللَّهُ یَبْدَؤُا الخَلْقَ ثُمَّ یُعِیدُهُ ثُمَّ إِلَیْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

}12{ وَیَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ یُبْلِسُ الْمُ-جْرِمُونَ

}13{ وَلَمْ یَکَن لَهُم مِن شُرَکَآئِهِمْ شُفَعَآءُ وَکَانُوا بِشُرَکَآئِهِمْ کَافِرِینَ

Commentary, verses: 11-13

The Arabic word /yublisu/ is derived from /’iblās/ which means a grief that has appeared because of intensity of despair. The term ’Iblīs is also derived from the same word.

The previous verses talked about the rejecters who used to mock the signs of Allah. By stating a part of discussions about Resurrection and the fate of the sinners in Hereafter, these holy

verses complete the discussions stated in the former verses about the Resurrection. At first, the Qur’ān says:

“Allah originates the creation, then reproduces it, then unto Him you shall be returned.”

The subject of Resurrection, which has also been mentioned in some other verses of the Qur’ān, has been stated through a short and expressive reasoning. The Qur’ān implies that the same One Who had the ability of originating the creation, has also the ability of bringing Resurrection forth, as well as the law of justice, and also the Divine Wisdom requires that this creation should be reproduced.

The Qur’ānic sentence: “… then unto Him you shall be returned” points to this fact that after this life, in Hereafter, all of you return to the Divine Court and to His reward and His compensation. And more than that, those believers who have come in the path of perfection of Allah will also go forth in their perfection toward infinite and toward the Pure Essence of Allah.

In the next verse, the state of the guilty in Hereafter has been illustrated as follows:

“And On the Day when the Hour will come, the guilty shall be in despair.”

However, on that Day, the guilty are right to be in despair and sorrow, because they neither have brought any faith and righteous deed with them into the resurrection plain, nor have they any helper, nor it is possible for them to return to the world and compensate their past faults.

Therefore, in the next verse, the Qur’ān says:

“And these shall not be for them any intercessors from among their ‘partner gods’ …”

These are the same idols and the objects of worship that whenever these idolaters were asked why they worshipped them, they used to say: “… these are our intercessors with Allah. …”⁽¹⁾

In Hereafter, they will surely understand that there is neither any peculiarity nor profit in these worthless hollow objects of worship.

It is for this reason that they will disbelieve in the objects of worship that they had associated them with Allah and they will hate them. The verse continues saying:

“… and they shall disbelieve in their partners.”

Why should they not disbelieve in them? These objects of worship not only do not solve any problem for them, but also, as the Qur’ān claims, they will belie them and say: “… they were not unto us worshipping.”⁽²⁾

And worse than this is that these objects of worship will be some enemies for their worshippers, as Sura Al-’Ahqāf, No. 46, verse 6 says: “And when mankind are mustered (at the Resurrection) they will be hostile to them and deny that (men) had worshipped them.”

}14{ وَیَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ یَوْمَئِذٍ یَتَفَرَّقُونَ

}15{ فَاَمَّا الَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فَهُمْ فِی رَوْضَةٍ یُحْبَرُونَ

}16{ وَأَمَّا الَّذِینَ کَفَرُوا وَکَذَّبُوا بِاَیَاتِنَا وَلِقَآءِی الأَخِرَةِ فَأُوْلَئِکَ فِی الْعَذَابِ مُحْضَرُونَ

Commentary, verses: 14-16

This verse points to the different groups of people on the Day of Hereafter, when it says:

“And on the Day when the Hour will come, that Day they shall be divided;”

It means that on the Hereafter Day the pure persons will be separated from the impure ones.

That is, Hereafter will be the Day of the end of ungodly relations and friendships.

Then in the next verse, the Qur’ān says:

“And as for those who believed and did righteous deeds, they shall be made happy in a garden (of Paradise).”

The Qur’ānic word /yuhbarūn/ is derived from /hibr/ with the sense of ‘an interesting and good effect’. It is also used for the state of rejoice and happiness the effect of which appears

in the face, and since the hearts of the people of Paradise are so full of rejoice and happiness that its effects appear in their whole entity, this meaning has been used concerning them.

The Arabic term /raudah/ is called to a place where there is plenty of water and trees; that is why the green gardens are called /raudah/. The reason why this word has been used in its indefinite Arabic form here, it is for veneration and dignifying it. That is, they will be in affluence inside the best and the most beautiful and joyful gardens of Paradise.

Then, in the next verse, it says:

“And as for those who disbelieved and rejected our signs and the meeting of the Hereafter, those shall be arraigned into the chastisement.”

It is interesting that the Qur’ān, qualifying the people of Paradise, uses the word /yuhbarūn/ (are made happy) which is the sign of their full consent, while the word /muhdarūn/ (they will be arraigned) is used concerning the people of Hell, which is an indication to their utmost dislike and unhappiness, because to be arraigned is used in the instances that are done against the inner desire of man.

Another point, which is mentioned about the people of Paradise, is both ‘Faith’ and ‘righteous deed’, while, concerning the people of Hell, the Qur’ān suffices to mentioning only their lack of Faith which leads to both the rejection of Divine signs and Resurrection. This points to the fact that, for entering into Paradise, mere Faith is not enough and righteous deed is also necessary. But for entering into Hell only disbelief is enough though the one has not committed any other sin, since disbelief itself is the greatest sin.

However, ’Ibn-i-Manzūr in ‘Lisān-ul-‘Arab’ says: “The Arabic word /sā‘at/ is an appellation for the time when the Blast of the end of the world is blown and suddenly all will die, and it is also a name for the time when people will be raised in Hereafter. This name has been chosen for the end of the world and for the occurrence of Resurrection, for the sake that by the first Blast, that Allah has pointed out in Sura Yāsīn, No. 36, verse 29, saying: “It was no more than a single mighty Blast, and behold! They were like ashes quenched and silent”, everybody will suddenly die, (and by the second Blast they will suddenly stand up and the Hereafter will be set).

Zubaydī in Tāj-ul-‘Arūs narrates from some commentators that /sā‘at/ is of three kinds: 1) ‘Sā‘at-ul-Kubrā’ (the great hour) which is the Day of Resurrection when people will be quickened for reckoning. 2) Sā‘at-ul-Wustā (the middle hour), the day of sudden death of the people of one age (by the Divine punishments and by the chastisements for some people who are not amendable). 3) Sā‘at-us-Suqrā (the lesser hour), the day of everyone’s death.

}17{ فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ حِینَ تُمْسُونَ وَحِینَ تُصْبِحُونَ

}18{ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِی السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَعَشِیّاً وَحِینَ تُظْهِرُونَ

Commentary, verses: 17-18

Some commentators believe that these verses point to the times of the five daily prayers done in the morning, noon, and evening. The Qur’ānic sentence ‘So glory be to Allah’ and the sentence: ‘To Him belongs praise’ may be a command for glorification and praising, which has been said in the form of declarative sentences.

Next to a great deal of detailed discussions about Origin and Resurrection and pointing to some rewards of the believers and retributions of the disbelievers mentioned in the former verses, in these verses which are under discussion, the Qur’ān refers to the glorification and praise of Allah (s.w.t.), and also removal and sanctification of His Pure Essence from any partners, defect and blemish, where it says:

“So glory be to Allah, when you enter the evening and when you enter the morning.”

“And to Him belongs praise in the heavens and the earth, and at nightfall and when you are at midday.”

Thus, in these two verses there have been stated about the glorification of Allah done in four times: at the beginning of night “… When you enter the evening …”, in the morning at the dawn: “.. When you enter the morning”, by the night:

“… and at nightfall …” and at the decline of noon: “… When you are at midday.”

But praise of Allah has been generalized from the point of place and it has encompassed the expanse of the heaven and the earth.

The announcement of these four different times cited in the abovementioned verses may be an allusion of the constance and permanence of glorification; as we may say: ‘Take care of so and so every morning and evening’ (which means always and at any time).

It is also necessary to be mentioned here that the Qur’ānic sentences: ‘glory be to Allah’ and ‘to Him belongs praise’ can be a statement of glorification and praise from the side of Allah, as in Sura Al-Mu’minūn, No. 23, verse 14 He says: “… So blessed be Allah, the Best of the creators”.

And this glorification and praise may be in the sense of command, which means: do glorify and praise Him. This meaning seems nearer to the fact that the above verses are as a command to all servants so that they glorify and praise Allah every morning and evening as well as every noon and night by prayer and other than that in order to wipe out the effects of polytheism and sin from their hearts and souls.

The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) in a tradition said: “Whoever recites these two holy verses and the verse after them in the morning whatever (of virtues) is lost from him on that day will be recompensed, and whoever recites them at the beginning of night whatever is lost from him at night will be recompensed.”⁽¹⁾

}19{ یُخْرِجُ الْحَیَّ مِنَ الْمَیّ-ِتِ وَیُخْرِجُ الْمَیّ-ِتَ مِنَ الْحیّ ِ وَیُحْیِ الاَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَکَذَلِکَ تُخْرَجُونَ

Commentary, verse: 19

There are many examples and expansions mentioned in the commentary books concerning the Qur’ānic sentence saying: “He brings forth the living from the dead and brings forth dead from the living …”, among them are: man produced from sperm drop and producing sperm drop from man; a faithful child from unfaithful parents and vice versa, all of which are the signs of absolute power of Allah in the world, and His ability in producing the Hereafter and Revivification of the creatures.

However, in this holy verse again the Qur’ān returns to the subject of Resurrection and, in another way, it answers the doubt of the deniers of it, as follows:

“He brings forth the living from the dead and brings forth dead from the living, and gives life to the earth after its death, and thus shall you bed brought forth.”

That is, ‘the scene of Resurrection’ and ‘the scene of the end of the world’, one of which is ‘coming out the living from the dead’ and the other is ‘coming out the dead from the living’ is constantly repeated before your eyes. Therefore, it is not surprising that at the end of the world all living beings pass away and, in Resurrection, all human beings return to a new life.

Then, as for the ‘coming out the living from the dead’ concerning the dead lands, which is repeatedly emphasized on in the Holy Qur’ān for the subject of Resurrection, is clear for everybody that the land turns to be dead in winter when neither there grows any plant on it nor does any flower smile, nor does any blossom blow. But in spring, with the change of weather, and by falling the life giving drops of rain, there will be a movement in the land: plants grow everywhere, flowers smile, and blossoms will appear on the trees; and this is the scene of Resurrection that we see in the world.

Then, as for coming out the dead from the living, which is not any thing concealed, either. It is seen that over the globe always the trees change into bare wood, or human beings and animals lose their life and become dead bodies.

But, concerning ‘coming out the living from the dead’, some commentators have rendered it into as coming out men and animals from sperm drop, while some others of them have rendered it into the birth of believers from disbelievers, and some into waking up from sleep. But the outward of the verse denotes that the main meaning of the verse is none of these meanings, because sperm drop itself is a living creature; and the subject of faith and disbelief is something from the parts inside of the holy verse not outward of it.

The outward of the verse means that Allah brings forth the living creatures from the dead and He changes the dead into living creatures.

According to the assured science of today, at least in the laboratories and daily observations of human beings, there have been seen no instances that living creatures would be produced by inanimate beings, but the living beings always are produced from egg, seed or sperm drop of other living beings. But certainly at the beginning, when this dust globe was wholly

a fiery globe, there existed no living creature. Later, in some particular conditions, that science has not properly discovered it yet, by a great evolution, some living creatures come into being from some inanimate things. This matter, of course, cannot be seen in the present conditions of the earth as far as it is available in man’s knowledge. (Yet, under some conditions in the depth of oceans this evolution may occur at the present time, too.) But what is sensible and completely tangible for us is that the inanimate beings are constantly absorbed to become as a part of living creatures’ bodies and wear the clothing of life. Neither of water and food we have is a living being, but when they arrive inside our body they change into some living beings, and some new cells are added to the cells of our body and, for example, by this very way a little child changes into a powerful young man with a strong body.

Is this not bringing forth the living from inside of the dead, or the living from dead?

Therefore, it can be said that in the system of the world of nature ceaselessly life comes out from death and death comes out from life. For this very reason the Lord, Who is the Creator of nature, is able to give life to the dead in the next world.

Of course, as we said before, the abovementioned verse have some other commentaries, too, from the spiritual point of view, including: the birth of some believers from disbelievers, disbelievers from believers, coming forth of learned ones from ignorant one, and ignorant ones from learned ones, and good doers from evildoers, and evildoers from good doers. These meanings have been mentioned in some of the Islamic narrations, too.

Again, these meanings may be among the innate meanings of the verse, because we know that the verses of the Qur’ān have both outward and inward meanings. And, also, death and life

may have a vast and conclusive meaning which encompasses both the material aspect and the spiritual aspect.

Upon the commentary of the Qur’ānic sentence: “… gives life to the earth after its death, …” Imam Musa-ibn-Ja‘far (a.s.) through a tradition says: “The purpose of it is not that He will make the land alive by the rain, but Allah will raise some men to establish justice and the earth will become alive by means of justice. (Do know that) the establishment of justice in the earth is more beneficial than forty days of rainfall.”⁽¹⁾

It is clear that when the Imam (a.s.) says the purpose is not rainfall, it is a negation of exclusiveness; that is, the verse should not be limitedly rendered into rain, because the spiritual giving life to the earth by means of justice is also more significant than rainfall.

Section 3: The Might of Allah Manifesting in Nature

Point

The serious manifestation of the Almighty Power in the heaven and in the earth – Evidence of the All-Merciful grace and bounties towards the creatures particularly for the human world, in changing the seasons, the alternation of the day and the night, in the creation of the males, the mutual love and attachment between them, in the various tongues, the complexions and other features in the physical world – All authority is Allah’s and all submit only to Him.

}20{ وَمِنْ ءَایَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَکُم مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ إِذَآ أَنتُم بَشَرٌ تَنتَشِرُونَ

Commentary, verse: 20

The best way of theology is contemplation in creation.

The signs of Allah are not countable; what is mentioned contains a few ones from a great deal of them.

This verse, as well as a part of the later verses, reiterates some interesting points from among the proofs of Monotheism and signs of Allah in the system of the world of existence, and it completes the former discussions. It can be said that these very noble verses, on the whole, form an important part of the monotheistic verses of the Qur’ān.

These verses, all of which begin with “one of His signs” and have a special harmony, an interesting tone, and deep and effective meaning with each other, have totally been formed by seven verses, six of which are consecutive and one of them is separate from others, (verse 46 of the current Sura).

These seven verses have an interesting division from the point of extroversive verses and introversive verses. Three

verses are about the introversive verses (the signs of Allah in the man’s self, and three verses are about extroversive verses, (the signs of the greatness of Allah outside of man’s self), and one verse talks about both of them.

It is interesting that the verses which begin with this sentence are not more than eleven that seven of them have occurred in this very Sura, Ar-Room, and two verses are mentioned in Sura Fussilat, No. 41 (verses 37 and 38), and two verses are in Sura Shawrā, No. 42, (verses 29 and 32). All of these eleven noble verses are truly as a complete collection about Monotheism.

Before beginning the commentary of these verses, it is necessary to mention that though what is stated in these verses, at first, is understandable for almost all people, but by the development of man’s knowledge in every field some new points are gradually revealed to the scientists, a part of which will be pointed out through the commentary of these verses.

At first, here the Qur’ān refers to the creation of man for whom is the first and the most important merit of Allah. It says:

“And one of His signs is that He created you from dust, and then, behold, you are human beings scattered (in the world).”

In this verse two signs of the greatness of Allah (s.w.t.) are pointed out: one is the creation of man from dust, which may be a hint to the creation of the first man, i.e. Adam, or the creation of all humankind from dust, because foodstuff, which constructs the man’s being, directly or indirectly, is wholly taken from dust.

The second matter is the increase of man and that Adam’s children are scattered throughout the earth. If the speciality of scattering human beings were not created in Adam’s offspring,

man would be destroyed soon and his posterity could be vanished.

Verily, how far is the distance between the dust and the man with these delicacies!

If we compare the delicate curtains inside the eye, which are more delicate, sensitive and tender than a petal, or the extraordinary delicate and sensitive cells of mind, with dust we will then understand how Excellent is the Lord Who has applied an amazing power to produce such sensitive, exact, and worthy systems from dust, a dark and worthless matter?

Dust itself has neither light, nor warmth, nor beauty, nor freshness, nor movement, but it is the origin of man with these wonderful qualities. The One Who, from such a dead being that is counted as the lowest beings, produces a wonderful living creature such as man, is worthy of any kind of praise for this His endless power and knowledge: “… Blessed be Allah, the Best of the creators.”⁽¹⁾

By the way, this statement points to this fact that there is no difference between human beings and the origin of all of them is one thing. All human beings have an unbreakable relation with dust and, naturally, they all will finally return to the dust, too.

It is noteworthy that in the Arabic language the word /’iŏā/ is usually used for the things which often suddenly occur. The application of it here may point to the fact that Allah gave such an ability of proliferation to man that in a short time suddenly his progeny scattered throughout the world and brought the organized human society into being.

}21{ وَمِنْ ءَایَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَکُم مِنْ أَنفُسِکُمْ أَزْوَاجاً لّ-ِتَسْکُنُوا إِلَیْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَیْنَکُم مَوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً إِنَّ فِی ذَلِکَ لاَیَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ یَتَفَکَّرُونَ

Commentary, verse: 21

A spouse must be the cause of peace, not the cause of agitation and anxiety.

The aim of marriage is not often only satisfying the sexual instinct, but the aim is mostly reaching to a spiritual and bodily tranquillity.

This holy verse refers to another part of the extroversive verses which are in a stage after the creation of man. It says:

“And of His signs is that He crated spouses for you from yourselves, that you may repose in them, …”

And since the continuation of this relation between spouses, in particular, and between all human beings, in general, needs a heartily and spiritual attraction, next to the above statement, the Qur’ān adds:

“… and He has set between you love and mercy; …”

For more emphasis, at the end of the holy verse, the Qur’ān continues saying:

“… verily there are signs in this, for a people who reflect.”

It is interesting that the Holy Qur’ān introduces the aim of marriage as peace and tranquillity, and here by applying the Arabic expressive phrase: /litaskunū/ (that you may repose) it has implicitly stated many subjects. Similar to this meaning is also mentioned in Sura Al-’A‘rāf, No. 7, verse 189.

Verily the existence of spouses with this special quality, which is the cause of tranquillity of their lives, is counted one of the great bounties of Allah, because these two genders are complementary of each other and each generally causes the mirth, fruitfulness, and development of the other, so that every one of them is imperfect without the other. And it is natural that there should be such an honourable attraction between a being and its complement.

From this statement we can conclude that those who turn away from this Allah’s way of treatment have an incomplete life, because one of their developing stages has stopped, (except that some particular conditions and a necessity truly requires that one remains single).

However, this tranquillity is from the point of both body and spirit, and from the point of both individual and social.

The sicknesses, which happen to the man’s body because of the abandonment of marriage, are not deniable.

Also, the lack of spiritual equilibrium and the psychological uneasiness, which the single persons are faced with, are, more or less, clear to everybody.

From the social viewpoint, the unmarried persons feel responsibility less than others and, for this reason, suicide is more common among them than among others, and they commit horrible crimes more than others, too.

When a person turns from the stage of celibacy into the stage of family and married life, he finds a new personality in him and feels a further responsibility; and this is the meaning of feeling tranquillity under the light of marriage.

The issues of ‘love’ and ‘mercy’, in fact, are the ‘clay’ and the ‘adhesive substance’, of constructional materials of the human society, because a society is formed by each one of the individuals of human beings, like a huge and glorious building

which is made of brakes and pieces of stone. If these separate individuals, and those different parts do not relate to each other and combine with each other, there will not appear a ‘society’ or ‘a building’. He, Who has created man for social life, has provided this necessary relation in his soul, too.

There may be some differences between the meaning of the Arabic words /mawaddat/ (love) and /rahmat/ (mercy, as follows:

1- ‘Love’ is the motive of relation and communication at the beginning, but at the end, when one of the two spouses may become so weak that can not give any service, ‘mercy’ substitutes it.

2- ‘Love’ is used concerning the adults who are able to serve each other, but little children and babies are fostered under the shadow of ‘Mercy’.

3- ‘Love’ is often mutual, but ‘mercy’ is unilateral and is done as an act of donation and altruism, because for the existence of a society the mutual services, the source of which is love, are sometimes necessary, and sometimes free services are needed, which require ‘donation’ and ‘mercy’.

This verse, of course, states ‘love’ and ‘mercy’ between two spouses, but this probability also exists that the application of the Qur’ānic word /baynakum/ (between you) refers to all human beings, and ‘two spouses’ is counted of its clear extensions, since not only the family life but also the life in the whole human society is not possible without these two principles: ‘love’ and ‘mercy’. So, the destruction of these two relations, and even with their weakness and scantiness, brings thousands of calamities, unhappiness, and social uneasiness.

}22{ وَمِنْ ءَایَاتِهِ خَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلاَفُ أَلْسِنَتِکُمْ وَأَلْوَانِکُمْ إِنَّ فِی ذَلِکَ لاَیَاتٍ لِلْعَالِمِینَ

Commentary, verse: 22

The difference of races and languages is a way toward theology.

This holy verse is a combination of the extroversive and introversive signs. At first, it refers to the divine creation of the heavens and the earth and says:

“And of his signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth …”

The heavens, with those plenty of spheres, those many systems and galaxies; are some things that the man’s thought can not perceive their greatness, and his mind gets tired by studying them. The more man’s knowledge develops the more new points are revealed from their greatness.

Once man considered the heavenly stars the same number of them that he could see by his eyes. (The scientists had counted the stars which can be been with natural eyes about five to six thousand stars.)

But when some stronger and greater telescopes were made, the greatness and multiplicity of stars of heaven increased more, so much that today the scientists believe that our galaxy, which is one of the abundant galaxies of the heaven, contains, more than one hundred million stars; and our sun, with its glary glory, is counted as one of its mean stars. And only Allah

knows how many stars exist in all galaxies, the number of which is not known to anyone yet.

Also, the more the natural sciences, geology, botany, zoology, anatomy, physiology, psychology and its branches develop, the more new wonders are discovered about the creation of the earth, each of which is a sign out of the signs of the greatness of Allah.

Then the words of the verse tend to speak about one of the great introversive signs, when it says:

“… and the variety of your languages and your colours;…”

No doubt, without knowing individuals, the recognition of social life of human beings is impossible. If it happens that one day all the members of humankind have the same form, the same feature, and the same size, on the same day the regularity of their life will be disturbed. Neither father, child and spouse is recognized from strangers, nor criminal from innocent, nor debtor from loaner, nor commander from the submissive, nor the boss from employee, nor host from guest, nor friend from enemy. Then, what a wonderful tumult appears!

Sometimes this case happens concerning the twins who are completely similar to each other, and there appear so many difficulties in their relations and communications with other people. We have heard that one of the similar twins once was sick and the Mother gave the medicine to the other. Therefore, in order to organize the human societies, Allah has made the sounds and colours different.

As Fakhr-i-Rāzī in the explanation of the verse under discussion says: the cognition of a person by another person should be performed either by the eyes, or by the ears. For recognition Allah has created eyes, colours, faces, and different shapes, and for the recognition by the ears He created difference in songs, tones and sounds so that no one can find two persons

in the world whose features and tones of sound are the same from all points of view, i.e., the man’s face which is a small limb, and the tone of his sound, which is a simple matter, by Allah’s power, are produced in many billions of different shapes, and this is among the signs of His greatness.

Of course, there is also another probability, to which some great commentators have pointed out, that the difference of languages means the difference in languages such as Arabic, Persian, and the like; and the difference of colours refers to the difference of races that every one of them has a colour.

However, the Arabic word /’ixtilāf/ (variety) can have a vast meaning which envelops both this commentary and the previous commentary, and whichever meaning it may have, this variety in creation testifies to His greatness and Power.

In his encyclopaedia, Farīd Wajdī narrates from Newton, the famous western scientist, who said: “Do never doubt about the Creator of the world, Allah, because it is not rational that necessity and cause and effect without sense alone be the leader of existence, since necessity in any place and any time can not be considered that these various heavens and colourful creatures are issued from Him. And it is not possible that the existence, with its system, order of its parts, and the needed proportions consistent with the changes of time and place, appear, but all these affairs must certainly originate from a source which has Knowledge, Wisdom, and Will.”⁽¹⁾

At the end of the above verse, the Holy Qur’ān says:

“… verily there are signs in this for the learned.”

The reason of it is that the learned ones are aware of these secrets more than other people.

}23{ وَمِنْ ءَایَاتِهِ مَنَامُکُم بِالَّیْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَابْتِغَآؤُکُم مِن فَضْلِهِ إِنَّ فِی ذَلِکَ لاَیَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ یَسْمَعُونَ

Commentary, verse: 23

This holy verse refers to another part of these great signs.

At first, the verse attracts the attentions to the phenomenon of ‘sleep’ as an important phenomenon of creation and a design from the wise system of its creator, and says:

“And of His signs is your sleeping by night and day and your seeking after His grace; …”

Then, at the end of the verse, the Qur’ān adds:

“… verily there are signs in this for a people who hear.”

This fact is not concealed for any one that all ‘living creatures’ are in need of rest in order to renew their strength and obtain necessary preparation for continuation of work and activity. It is a kind of rest that necessarily comes to them, and it forces the studious and greedy ones to have it.

For gaining this aim what can be considered better than sleep which compulsorily comes to man and forces him to sleep when he stops many bodily activities and an important part of his mental reactions? In sleep only some organs of body such as heart, the two lungs, and a part of mind, which are necessary for the continuation of life, go on their job very quietly and calmly.

This great merit of Allah causes man’s body and spirit to be cleaned, and by the occurrence of the state of sleep, which is a kind of pause in the work of the body, a rest will be

obtained, and man finds a sort of liveliness, mirth, and new strength in him.

Admittedly, if sleep did not exist, the man’s spirit would become faded and worn out very soon and before long senility and infirmity would meet him. That is why a suitable and calm sleep is usually the cause of health, prolongation of lifetime and duration of the youth cheerfulness.

It is noteworthy that, firstly, the word ‘sleeping’ has been stated before the Qur’ānic phrase ‘seeking after His grace’ which in the verses of the Qur’ān means: struggle for sustenance. This indicates that sleeping is considered as a foundation for it, since without having enough sleeping ‘seeking after His grace’ is difficult.

Secondly: it is true that sleeping usually happens at night, and struggle for ways of making a living is done during the day, but it is not so that man can not change this program when it is necessary. Allah has created man in a way that he can change his sleeping program and adapts it with his own necessities and needs. The application of ‘your sleeping by night and day’ seems to be a hint to this very point.

No doubt the main program of sleeping relates to night, and for the sake of the rest emerged from darkness, night consists of a special precedence in this respect. But sometimes there may appear some circumstances in man’s life that, for example, he has to travel by night and sleeps and rests during the day. What kind of difficulties would there happen if the program of arranging the time of sleeping were not at the disposal of man?

In our age, in particular, when many of the manufacturing, healing and medical institutes have to ceaselessly work during day and night and their cessation is impossible and, therefore, the employees and workers are busy working in three shifts,

the importance of the above subject is more manifest than any other time.

The need of both body and spirit of man to sleeping is so much so that man can rarely bear not to sleep for a long time, and this length of time is not more than a few nights and days. That is why hindrance from sleeping has always been known as the most painful tortures by the tyrant and the arrogant. And also it is for this very reason that one of the effective ways of treating many human diseases is that the patience is made sleep deeply, and by this way they increase the might and ability of the patience.

Of course, no one can define a proper amount of sleeping as ‘the necessary amount of sleeping’ for all people. This matter depends on the age, and conditions of persons and also on their spiritual and bodily state. What is important is that ‘enough sleeping’ is that amount after which man feels that he is satiated from this point of view, just like when he feels he has been satiated by water and food.

This is also notable that besides the ‘length’ of the time of sleeping, its depth has also a special importance. It happens that one hour of a deep sleeping has the effect of several hours of superficial sleeping in reconstruction of man’s spirit and body.

Of course, where a deep sleeping is not possible for a person, a ‘slumber’ is also among the bounties of Allah, as Sura Al-’Anfāl, No. 8, verse 11, concerning the strivers of the Battle of Badr, mentions it, because in battlefield sleeping is often neither possible nor useful.

However, the bounty of sleeping and rest and tranquillity resulted from it, and also the strength and the mirth which appear after sleeping, are among the divine bounties that are describable by no statement.

}24{ وَمِنْ ءَایَاتِهِ یُرِیکُمُ الْبَرْقَ خَوْفاً وَطَمَعاً وَیُنَزّ ِلُ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَیُحْیِی بِهِ الاَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا إِنَّ فِی ذَلِکَ لاَیَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ یَعْقِلُونَ

Commentary, verse: 24

Fear and hope with together can be constructive.

Neither heavenly lightning nor falling rain and growing plants on the earth are casual, but they are performed upon a just and accurate program. This holy verse, which states the fifth part of the signs of the greatness of Allah, again refers to the extroversive signs and pays attention to the subject of rain, lightning, and the life of the earth after its death. It says:

“And of His signs is that He shows you the lightning for fear and for hope …”

The danger emerged from lightning, which sometimes in the form of thunderbolt, burns everything in its realm and turns them into ashes, causes fear; and hope, here, appears because of rainfall which often falls after thunder-storm in the form of a shower.

Thus, lightning is a harbinger for the descent of rainfall. (This is besides the various important benefits of lightning which the modern science has revealed, and a few of which were pointed out at the beginning of Sura Ar-Ra‘d.)

Then the Qur’ān adds:

“… and that He sends down water from the heaven and gives life therewith to the earth after its death; …”

The dry and hot land, every spot of which seems dead, after receiving some refreshing drops of rain will become so alive and green that the effects of life are seen in it in the form of plants and flowers, and sometimes it is not really believable that this is the same former dead land.

At the end of the verse, as an emphasis, the Qur’ān says:

“… verily there are signs in this for a people who understand.”

These are those who understand that there is a proper power in this accurate program, which leads it, and such a power can never be the effect of casual events, and blind and deaf necessities.

}25{ وَمِنْ ءَایَاتِهِ أَن تَقُومَ السَّمَآءُ وَالأَرْضُ بِأَمْرِهِ ثُمَّ إِذَا دَعَاکُمْ دَعْوَةً مِنَ الأَرْضِ إِذَآ أَنتُمْ تَخْرُجُونَ

Commentary, verse: 25

Point

In these verses not only the creation of man from dust has been counted as a sign of Divine Power, but also both death and man’s coming out from his grave are the signs of His Power.

Of course, the belief in the Origin is preliminary for the belief in Resurrection. The One Who can set up the system of existence will also restore you to life after death.

In this holy verse and in the previous five verses, Allah has addressed people for fifteen times and has mentioned His bounties. This is one of the methods of propagation.

However, in this verse the Qur’ān continues the discussion upon the extroversive signs in the field of the contrivance of the regulation of the heaven and the earth as well as its perseverance and permanence, where it says:

“And of His signs is that the heaven and the earth subsist by His command, …”

That is, not only the creation of the heavens, which was mentioned in the previous holy verses, is a sign, but also their erecting and the permanence of their regulation is another sign, because, in their regular rotations, these tremendous bodies are in need of many things that the most important one among

them is the complicated computation of equilibrium of the power of polarization.

Allah, the Mighty, the Great, has arranged this equilibrium so minute that they rotate millions of years in their own orbits without any deviation.

In other words, the previous holy verse referred to Unity of creation while this verse refers to the Unity of Lordship and contrivance.

The application of the Arabic word /taqūm/ (subsist) is a tender application which has been taken out of the states of man, because the best state of man’s states for continuing the activities is the state of subsisting in which he is able to fulfil all his needs and he dominates over all his surroundings.

The application of /’amr/ (command) here refers to Allah’s utmost power that for the continuation of life and order of this vast world only His command is enough.

By using the existence of the preparation of Unity for Resurrection, at the end of the verse the Qur’ān has turned the discussion to this subject, Resurrection, and says:

“… then (after your death) when He summons you once (and) suddenly out of the Earth, behold, you come forth.”

We have repeatedly seen in the verses of the Qur’ān that Allah proves the subject of Resurrection by emphasizing on His signs in the heaven and the earth, and also the verse under discussion is one of them.

The Qur’ānic phrase /da‘ākum/ (He summons you) points to this fact that as for the contrivance and the order of the world His one command is enough, for quickening of the dead, uprising, and Resurrection His one command is enough, too; specially with regard to the Qur’ānic sentence /’iŏā ’antum taxrujūn/ (behold, you come forth) wherein the Arabic word

/’iŏā/ makes it clear that by one invitation everybody suddenly comes out.

By the way, the application of /da‘watan minal ’ard/ (He summons you once (and) suddenly out of the earth) is a clear indication to ‘the resurrection of the body’, meaning that on the Day of Resurrection man will be summoned from this earth. (Be careful)

A Complete Course of Theology:

1- Through former six holy verses, there were mentioned different discussions about theology which, on the whole, form an interesting course, including: the creation of the heaven, and the creation of man from dust; the love of family, and the restful sleep at night and during the day; the contrivance of the order and the above world, and the lightning of the sky, the rainfall, and the difference in languages and colours. All of these subjects are a suitable collection of the extroversive and introversive verses.

It is interesting that in every one of these six verses two sections of the proofs of Unity have been mentioned in order that one prepares the preparation and the other strengthens and approves it. It is just like bringing two witnesses for proving a claim; thus, these six verses form twelve truthful witnesses for the unlimited Power of Allah.

2- At the end of four verses out of these six verses, there has been emphasized that there are clear signs in these affairs for a people who reflect, for the learned, for a people who hear, for a people who understand, but this meaning is not seen in the first nor in the last verse.

In this regard, Fakhr-i-Rāzī explains as follows: the lack of its mentioning in the first verse may be for the sake that the first and the second verses, which have come one after another

and both of them are among the introversive verses, are the same.

And in the last verse, the matter is so evident that it needs not further explanation and emphasizing on understanding and contemplation.⁽¹⁾

It is interesting that at first the Holy Qur’ān speaks of ‘reflection’ and then of ‘knowledge’, because contemplation is the foundation and preparation of knowledge. Next to it the words are about ‘the hearing ear’, since under the light of knowledge and awareness man is ready to hear and accept the Truth, as the Holy Qur’ān says: “… therefore give good news to my servants,” “those who listen to the word, then follow the best of it; …”⁽²⁾

And at the last stage, the words are about ‘wisdom’, because those who have a hearing ear will finally reach the stage of good understanding.

This point is also noteworthy that at the end of the first verse the Qur’ān refers to the creation of man and that his progeny have been scattered in the earth: “… then, behold, you are human beings scattered (in the world)”⁽³⁾, and in the last verse the words are also about the man’s resurrection in the Hereafter, “… behold, you come forth.”

3- The concerning scientists have abundantly discussed about sleeping and its specialties, but it seems that its all parts and secrets have not been made manifest yet, and its whole complicated facts have not been revealed.

There is still a discussion among the scientists that what action and reaction happen in the body of man that in a moment suddenly a part of the activities of his mind and body stop and

there appears a change throughout his spirit and body? Some believe that the main factor of sleeping is a ‘physical factor’. They believe that the circulation of blood from brain to other parts of the body causes this phenomenon to happen. In order to prove their own belief, they have used a special bed called ‘scale bed’ which distinguishes the circulation of the blood from brain to other limbs.

Some other scientists believe that the factor of sleeping is a ‘chemical factor’. They believe that at the time of effort and struggle there appear some poisons in the body, which cause a part of brain to stop working, and, as a result, man falls asleep. Then, when these poisons are absorbed by the body and are frustrated, the person awakes and gets up.

Some others believe in a nervous factor for sleeping. They say there is a special active nervous system in brain which works automatically and, as the result of tiredness, it temporarily stops working.

But concerning all of these various attitudes, there are many questions and ambiguous points the answers of which have not been clearly given yet, and sleeping has ever kept its mysterious feature.

One of the wonders of the world of sleeping, which some scientists have recently revealed, is that at the time of sleeping and temporarily stopping of a great part of mind, some of its cells, which must be called ‘the guardian cells’, will remain vigilant, and they never forget the recommendations that man gives them before the time of sleeping about the moment of vigilance so that, at the necessary time, they awaken the brain wholly and cause it to work.

For example, when the tired mother goes to bed at night while her suckling child is inside the cradle beside her, she involuntarily recommends this matter to her ‘guardian cells’,

which are the communicator between soul and body, that whenever her child makes the least sound they would awaken her, but other sounds and noises are not so important for them. Therefore, a thunderbolt may not cause her to wake up. Those guardian cells have undertaken this important duty!

We ourselves have also experimented this matter that whenever we have decided to get up soon in the morning, or even in midnight, when we want to travel or pursue an important program and recommend this matter to us, often we wake up on time, while in other times we may remain in sleeping for hours.

In short, since sleeping is one of the spiritual phenomena, and spirit is a world full of secrets, it is not surprising that its all dimensions have not been made clear yet, but the more we contemplate upon it we will be more acquainted with the greatness of the Creator of this phenomenon.

All these statements were about sleeping, but there are a great deal of discussions concerning dream and to dream a dream a part of which was referred to in the commentary of Sura Yūsuf, No. 12.

4- The love of two spouses: Though the relation of a person with his parents and his brother is a genealogical relation, and it concerns to the relative deep roots while the relation of two spouses is because of a legal agreement, but many times it happens that the love and affection emerged from it precedes even the relative love of parents, and this, in fact, is the same thing that has been referred to in verses under discussion with the expressive sentence: “… and He has set between you love and mercy, …”

An Islamic tradition indicates that, after the Battle of ’Uhud, the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) told Jahish’s daughter:

“Your uncle, Hamzah, became martyr.” She answered: “Verily We belong to Allah, and certainly unto Him shall we return. I want the recompense of this calamity from Allah.” But when she was informed of the martyrdom of her husband, she put her hand on her head and cried loudly: The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: “Nothing is equal to husband with a woman!”⁽¹⁾

}26{ وَلَهُ مَن فِی السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ کُلٌّ لَّهُ قَانِتُونَ

}27{ وَهُوَ الَّذِی یَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ یُعِیدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَیْهِ وَلَهُ الْمَثَلُ الأَعْلَی فِی السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِیزُ الْحَکِیمُ

Commentary, verses: 26-27

The objective meaning of the Qur’ānic phrase /man fis-samāwāt/ (every being that is in the heavens) is either the angels, who are obedient to the command of Allah, or some other intelligent beings over there whom are not recognized to humankind. This holy verse says:

“To Him belongs every being that is the heavens and the earth; …”

And since all of them belong to Him, they are humble and subservient before Him. The verse says:

“… all are subservient unto Him.”

Thus, it is clear here that the purpose of ownership and also obedience is a genetic ownership and obedience; that is, from the point of the laws of creation everything in His authority and, desirably or undesirably, all are subservient to His laws in the world of creation.

Even the disobedient haughty persons and the sinful law-breakers also have to obey Allah’s genetic laws.

The reason of this ownership is His divinity and Lordship. The One Who has created the beings from the beginning and has undertaken their management, surely He must be the essential owner, too, not other than Him.

And in view of the fact that all the beings of the world of existence are equal from this point of view, it makes clear that there is no partner for Him in ownership; even the polytheists’ imaginary objects of worship are totally owned by the Lord of sovereignty and they obey His command. By the way, it should be noted that the Qur’ānic word /qānit/ is derived from /qunūt/ which originally means: ‘obedience accompanied with humility’. (Mufradāt by Rāqib)

The holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) in a tradition said: “Every time (the word) /qunūt/ (is mentioned) in the Qur’ān it means obedience.” But sometimes it is either genetic obedience and sometimes it is religious obedience.

Some commentators have rendered the word /qānitūn/ here into ‘being witnessed unto ‘Unity of Allah’ which, in fact, is the statement of one of the extensions of obedience, because giving witness to the Unity of Allah is a kind of obedience to Him.

In this verse the themes of Origin and Resurrection have been woven into each other. In the next verse, the Holy Qur’ān returns again to the subject of Resurrection and says:

“And He it is Who originates the creation, then He brings it back again, and it is easier for Him (than the first creation), …”

The noble Qur’ān has proved the subject of possibility of Resurrection with the shortest reasoning in this holy verse. It announces that you believe that the origin of creation belongs

to Him, why does its return again, which is easier than that, not belong to Him?

The reason of its being easier than its originating at first is that: at the beginning there was nothing existed and Allah absolutely created it, while in returning something, at least, the main materials are present: a part of it is inside the dust of the earth, another part is scattered in the sky, and the only problem is to organize and to shape it.

Here, there is a point which must be noted, and it is from the window of our thought that something is easy and another one is difficult. For the Essence Who is infinite, being easy or difficult is the same. In principle, being difficult or easy is meaningful where a limited power is spoken of, that the possessor of that power can fulfil something well and easily, or rather with difficulty. But when the words are about an infinite power, being difficult or easy becomes meaningless.

In other words, taking the greatest mountains from the earth for Allah is as easy as taking a piece of straw.

And perhaps it is why that at the end of the holy verse the Qur’ān says:

“… and His is the Sublime Similitude in the heavens and the earth, …”

Its reason is that any complete description we consider for anything in the heavens and in the earth from the point of knowledge, power, ownership, greatness, graciousness, its most complete and perfect extension is with Allah, because all of beings have a limited scale of it, but His is unlimited. The attributes of all things are casual, but those of His are essential and He is the main source of all virtues. Even our words which are often used for stating our daily aims cannot describe His qualifications, as we already saw its example in the Qur’ānic word /’ahwan/ (easier).

The abovementioned sentence is similar to what is said in Sura Al-’A‘rāf, No. 7, verse 180: “And to Allah belong the most beautiful names, so call on Him by them, …”, and in Sura Ash-Shaurā, No. 42, verse 11 Qur’ān says: “… there is nothing whatever like unto Him, …”

Finally, at the end of this holy verse, as an emphasis or as reasoning, it says:

“… and He is the Might, the Wise.”

He is Mighty and invincible but, in the meantime that He Has an infinite Power, He does not do anything undue and all His deeds are based on Wisdom.

Section 4: Islam, the Natural Religion

Point

None can guide anyone who has been allowed by Allah to stray – Man to submit himself upright to the Natural Religion in its proper way – Allah’s plan, none can ever alter – Man to fear only Allah and keep up prayer – Those who divide religion in sects and rejoice at their own dissensions – Allah is remembered and called upon in distress and when He causes to taste His mercy He is forgotten and partners to Him are set up – Charity among fellow men and belief in the Unity of Allah, to serve Him alone and none else, the two main basic principles of Islam the Natural Religion for mankind as a whole.

}28{ ضَرَبَ لَکُم مَثَلاً مِنْ أَنفُسِکُمْ هَل لَکُم مِن مَا مَلَکَتْ أَیْمَانُکُم مِن شُرَکَآءَ فِی مَا رَزَقْنَاکُمْ فَاَنتُمْ فِیهِ سَوَآءٌ تَخَافُونَهُمْ کَخِیفَتِکُمْ أَنفُسَکُمْ کَذَلِکَ نُفَصّ-ِلُ الاَیَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ یَعْقِلُونَ

Commentary, verse: 28

Using parables is sometimes one of the ways of propagation and education.

You are not the real owner; yet you are not ready to have partner, then how do you take pieces of stone and wood as partners of the Creator and the real Owner. So the Qur’ān also

mentions a proof upon the negation of polytheism in the form of stating a parable. It says:

“He sets forth to you a parable relating to yourselves. …”

That parable is as follows:

“… Have you among those whom your right hands possess partners in what We have given you for sustenance, so that with respect to it you are alike, …”

So that you fear that they, independently and without your permission, interfere in your properties as you fear about free partners in your own properties or heritage. The above verse continues saying:

“… you fear them as you fear each other? …”

When you consider such a thing wrong concerning your slaves, who are in your casual possession, how do you take the creatures that are in Allah’s true possession as His partners? Or you count some prophets as Jesus (a.s.), or Divine angels, or some creatures as jinn, or idols made of stone and wood as the partners of Allah? What an ugly judgment and far from logic it is?

The casual owned objects, that may become free very soon and come in the same row with you (as Islam had designed it) they, as an owned one, never stand in the row of their owner and they have no right to interfere in his realm, then how the true owned ones whose whole entity belong to Allah, and it is impossible that this dependence be ceased, because whatever they have are from Him and without Him they are nothing, how have they chosen them as partners with Allah?

Some of the commentators have said that the verse refers to the words that polytheists of Quraysh mentioned at the time of Hajj rites when saying: /labbayk/, because in their Hajj rites they used to say: “O Allah! You have a partner that You are its owner as well as the owner of what it possesses.” (The

Commentary of Majma‘-ul-Bayān, and Nūr-uth-Thaqalayn, under the verse)

It is obvious that, like other occasions of revelation, this occasion of revelation does not limit the meaning of the verse and, however, the verse is an answer to the whole polytheists and, taking their life which used to turn upon the pivot of slavery, it brings argumentation for them.

The application of the Qur’ānic phrase: /mā razaqnākum/ (what We have given you for sustenance) points to this matter that you are neither the true owner of these slaves nor the true owner of your properties, because all of them belong to Allah, yet you are not ready to transfer your own casual properties to your own casual slaves and accept them as your partners, while there will not appear any difficulty and impossibility from the genetic point, because the statement is upon the axis of authenticities.

But the difference between Allah and His creatures is a genetic difference which is invariable, and their taking partner is impossible!

On the other side, worshipping a creature is either because of its greatness, or for the benefit or harm that man gets from it, but these artificial objects of worship have neither that nor this.

For emphasis on being more careful of the content of this question, at the end of the verse the Qur’ān says:

“… Thus do We explain the signs in detail for a people who understand.”

Yes, by mentioning some clear parables from the inside of your life, the facts are reiterated in order that you contemplate and do not accept at least something for Allah, the Lord of the worlds, that you do not admit it for yourself.

}29{ بَلِ اتَّبَعَ الَّذِینَ ظَلَمُوا أَهْوَآءَهُم بِغَیْرِ عِلْمٍ فَمَن یَهْدِی مَنْ أَضَلَّ اللَّهُ وَمَا لَهُم مِن نَاصِرِینَ

Commentary, verse: 29

The polytheists do not ponder wisely and they are unjust to themselves. They do not have any scientific argument for their own polytheism, and the origin of their deviation is their inner low desires. The verse says:

“Nay! Those who are unjust follow their low desires without any knowledge, …”

These clear noble verses and such evident and manifest examples are for the possessors of mind, not for the unjust, sensual and unaware persons that the curtains of ignorance and unawareness have covered their whole hearts, and superstitions and the bigotries of the Age of Ignorance have severely darkened the atmosphere of their thought.

Because of their deeds, Allah has put these unjust people, who follow no logic, in the valley of misguidance, and who can guide those whom Allah (s.w.t.) has left astray? The verse continues saying:

“… so who can guide him whom Allah leaves astray? …”

The application of the Qur’ānic phrase /zalamū/ (are unjust) instead of /’ašrakū/ (are polytheists) points to this fact that ‘polytheism’ is considered the greatest ‘injustice’. Their injustice is upon the Creator, because they have set His creature in the same low with Him; (and we know that

injustice is when something is put somewhere other than its own place).

They are also unjust to Allah’s creatures, because they have certainly restrained them from the path of benevolence and happiness which is the path of Monotheism.

They are unjust even to themselves, because they have destroyed the capitals of their existence, and they are in the wrong way.

By the way, this meaning is preliminary for the next sentence indicating that if Allah has let them be astray from the Path of Truth, it is for their injustice; as Sura ’Ibrāhīm, No. 14, verse 27 says: “… and Allah leaves the unjust to stray; …”

Thus, it is certain that those, whom Allah leaves to them and lets them alone, will not have any helper, as the verse announces:

“… And they shall have no helpers.”

So, in this way, the verse makes the evil end of this group clear. Why not? They have committed the greatest inequities when they have dismissed their wisdom and thought and have turned their backs to the light of knowledge by going to the darkness of low desires. It is natural that Allah negates His succour from them and leaves them in darkness so that there will remain no helper for them.

}30{ فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَکَ لِلدّ ِینِ حَنِیفاً فِطْرَتَ اللَّهِ الَّتِی فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَیْهَا لاَ تَبْدِیلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ ذَلِکَ الدّ ِینُ الْقَیّ-ِمُ وَلَکِنَّ أَکْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ یَعْلَمُونَ

Commentary, verse: 30

Point

The Arabic word /Fitrat/ in lexicon means: creation and tearing the curtain of non-existence for the creation of a being. It seems that Allah has created man in a form that he inclines for the Truth and repudiates from wrong. It is just like the mother’s love to her child, which is not something taught but it is natural and instinctive.

Yes, walking along the path of religion is walking along the path of nature. The man’s natural affairs may decrease or increase, but they will never be abolished absolutely, and also the truth seeking wishes, which are hidden inside of man, will not change by the change of place and time.

Up to here, we have had some detailed discussions about Monotheism and theology by the way of observing the system of creation and using it for proving an origin of knowledge and power in the world of super nature through the noble verses of Monotheism in this Sura.

Next to them, in the first holy verse out of the verses under discussion, the words are about the natural Monotheism. In other words, it pursues the same subject from the way of inside and innate observation, and through necessary apprehension of conscience. It says:

“So set your face to the religion being upright, the nature (framed) of Allah, in which He has created mankind. There is no altering of Allah’s creation. …”

“… That is the right religion, but most people do not know.”

The Arabic word /wajh/ means ‘face’, and here the purpose of it is the innate face, and the face of the heart. Therefore, the objective meaning of it is not attention only by the face, but attention with the entire entity, because the face is the most important limb of the body and its symbol.

The Arabic term /’aqim/ is derived from /’iqāmah/ here in the sense of ‘to straighten’ and ‘to establish’.

The Qur’ānic word /hanīf/ is derived from /hanaf/ with the sense of inclining from falsehood toward the truth and from crookedness toward straightness and it is, of course, contrary to the Arabic word /janaf/ with the sense of inclination from straightness to aberration.

Therefore, ‘the religion upright’ means a religion which has inclined from crookedness, deviations, superstitions and aberrations toward straightness.

This sentence on the whole means that we must constantly turn our attention toward the religion which is far from any crookedness, the religion of Islam, the pure religion of Allah (s.w.t.).

The above verse emphasizes that the pure religion which is free from any polytheism is the religion that Allah has created in the nature of all human beings and it is a permanent and unchangeable nature, though a great deal of people do not pay attention to this fact.

The abovementioned verse points to some facts:

because monotheistic studies tell us that there should be an agreement between the system of genesis and divine religion. Whatever is found in religion has certainly a root in nature, and whatever is in creation and man’s ego is a complement for the religious laws.

In other words, ‘genesis’ and religion are two powerful arms that act harmoniously in all fields. It is impossible that you find an invitation in religion the root of which is not in man’s nature; and it is impossible that there can be something in the depth of man’s entity but religion opposes it.

No doubt religion defines some limits and conditions for the leadership of nature so that it does not fall in the way of deviation, but it never struggle against the principle of natural demand, and it will guide it by means of a lawful way, else there will appear a contradiction between religion and creation which is not consistent with the basis of Monotheism.

In a more clear statement, never Allah, the Wise, does some contradictory deeds in a way that His creation command says: ‘Do’, and His religious command says: ‘Do not do’!

It is also necessary to pay attention to this point that the Arabic term /fitrat/ is originally derived from /fatr/ in the sense of splitting something from its length, and in those instances it is used in the sense of ‘creation’, as if, at the time of the creation of beings, the curtain of non-existence were cleft and they appear.

However, from the first day that man comes into the world of existence, this Divine light is flaming inside his soul.

The Islamic traditions, which have been narrated upon the commentary of this holy verse, verify what was said in the above, which will be referred to later in addition to other discussions on the subject of Monotheism as being natural.

A few Traditions upon the Nature of Theology:

Not only in the verses of the Qur’ān, but also in the Islamic traditions there are some considerable explanations about the ‘knowledge of Allah’ and ‘Monotheism’ as being natural. In some of them the ‘monotheistic nature’ is emphasized, and in some other concerning traditions, this meaning has often been discussed under the title of ‘gnosis’ or ‘Islamic gnosis’ or ‘knowing mastership’.

An authentic tradition, which the famous scholar Kulaynī has narrated from Hushām-ibn-Sālim, indicates that he said: “I asked Imam Sādiq (a.s.) about the purpose of the Qur’ānic phrase: /fitrat allāh-illatī fatar-an-nāsa ‘alayhā/ (the nature (framed) of Allah, in which He has created mankind), and he (a.s.) answered: ‘Its purpose is Monotheism’.”⁽¹⁾

Also in the same book, Kāfī, it has been narrated from one of the companions of Imam Sādiq (a.s.) that when he asked

the Imam about the commentary of this verse, Imam said: “It is Islam”.⁽¹⁾

A similar tradition from Imam Bāqir (a.s.) indicates that in answer to Zurārah, one of his learned companions, who had asked about the commentary of this verse, Imam (a.s.) said: “Allah set their nature on knowing Him.”⁽²⁾

A well known tradition narrated from the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) indicates that he said: “Every new born child is born with the nature of Islam, (a religion free from any polytheism) but the child will be brought up by his parents in a deviated way such as Jewish and Christianity.”⁽³⁾

Upon the commentary of this verse, Imam Sādiq (a.s.) also said: “The purpose of ‘nature’ is mastership (and accepting the leadership of the saints of Allah)”⁽⁴⁾

In the first sermon of Nahj-ul-Balāqah Amir-ul-Mu’minīn Ali (a.s.), in a short but expressive sentence, says: “… then Allah sent His Messengers and series of His prophets (one after another) towards them to get them fulfil the pledges of His creation, to recall to them His forgotten bounties, to exhort them by preaching, and to unveil them the hidden virtues of wisdom …”

According to the abovementioned narrations, not only ‘the knowledge of Allah’, but also the whole Islam, in an intensive form has been put in man’s nature, including Monotheism to the leadership of Divine leaders and true successors of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), and even ‘the articles of the Practice of the Faith’.

Therefore, according to the meaning mentioned in Nahj-ul-Balaqah, the prophets’ job is to get men fulfil their nature and to recall to them the forgotten bounties of Allah including the monotheistic fate and to unveil the treasures of wisdom which are covered and hidden inside the soul and thought of man.

It is interesting that the Qur’ān, through numerous verses, mentions the afflictions, difficulties, and painful events that may happen in man’s life as a preliminary factor for arousing and developing the religious sense, among them is that it says: “So when they ride in the ships they call upon Allah sincerely vowing worship (only) unto Him, and when He brings them safe to the land, they associate others (with Him)”.⁽¹⁾

In this field, of course, we will explain more vastly when commenting on the next verse of this very Sura which is fairly similar to the verse of Sura Al- ‘Ankabūt.

}31{ مُنِیبِینَ إِلَیْهِ وَاتَّقُوهُ وَأَقِیمُوا الصَّلاَةَ وَلاَ تَکُونُوا مِنَ الْمُشْرِکِینَ

Commentary, verse: 31

By supplication, turning to Him, being in awe of Him, and by establishing prayer we must make the natural and innate tendency to religion active. In the previous verse, the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) was addressed saying: “So set your face…”, while in this verse all people are commanded to turn to Allah, and it implicitly says that their attention to the pure and natural religion is in the case that they turn to Allah. It says:

“Turn you to Him, …”

The Qur’ānic word /munībīn/ is derived from /’inābah/ which originally means: ‘return to the monotheistic nature’, indicating that whenever there may appear a factor that may deviate and dissuade man, from the point of belief and action, and from the principle of Monotheism, he must return to Him. It does not matter that this event repeats again and again so that, at last the foundations of nature become so strong, and the barriers become so weak and ineffective that he stands constantly in the front point of Monotheism and becomes a complete example of the verse which says: “So set your face to the religion being upright, …”⁽¹⁾

It is noteworthy that the Qur’ānic phrase /’aqim wajhika/ (set your face) is in the singular form while the Arabic term /mubīnīn/ (turn you) is mentioned in the plural form. This shows that, though the first command is singular and its

addressee is the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), the real addressees, in fact, are all believers and all Muslims.

Next to the command of ‘turn’, the Qur’ān orders to piety, which is consistent of all Divine orders and prohibitions. It says:

“… and fear Him, …”

This Qur’ānic sentence means that we must fear to oppose His command. Then, among all His commands, the holy verse emphasizes on the subject of prayer and says:

“… and perform the prayer …”

Its reason is that prayer, with all its dimensions, is the most important program of struggling against polytheism and the most effective means for strengthening the foundations of Monotheism and Faith in Allah.

That is why, among all prohibitions, the verse emphasizes on ‘polytheism’, and says:

“… and be not of the idolaters,”

It says so because polytheism is one of the greatest sins and Allah may forgive any sin but He never forgives polytheism, as the Qur’ān says: “Verily Allah does not forgive that any thing should be associated with Him, and forgives what is besides that to whom He pleases; …”⁽¹⁾

It is clear that the four commands mentioned in this verse all are as emphasis on the subject of Monotheism and its practical issues, irrespective of repentance; returning to Him, piety, establishing prayer, and avoiding polytheism.

}32{ مِنَ الَّذِینَ فَرَّقُوا دِینَهُمْ وَکَانُوا شِیَعاً کُلُّ حِزْبٍ بِمَا لَدَیْهِمْ فَرِحُونَ

Commentary, verse: 32

Polytheism is not only worshipping the sun, the moon, and idols; every one who is the cause of separation in the religion of Allah is polytheist.

Under the shade of repentance, piety, and prayer a person can obtain the power of being distanced from polytheism. The verse under discussion has stated one of the signs and sequels of polytheism in a short and expressive sentence. It implies: you should not be among the polytheists, those who scattered their religion and divided into groups. It says:

“Of those who split up their religion, and have become sects, …”

And it is wonderful that, with all the ethical differences that they had, every group of them was happy with their own sect. The verse says:

“… every party rejoicing in what is with them.”

Yes, one of the symptoms of polytheism is separation in belief, because having different objects of worship is the cause of having different methods which is the origin of separations and deviations, in particular that polytheism is always with carnal desire and bigotry, and pride, individualism, and selfishness are its sequels. Therefore, union and Unity is impossible save under the shade of theology, wisdom, humility, and donation.

Thus, wherever we see discord, deviation, and separation we must know that a kind of polytheism domains there. This subject can be stated as a clear conclusion that the fruit of

polytheism is separation of rows, opposition, and powers being spoiled and its end is weakness, vileness, and inability.

The reason why every group of deviated persons and polytheists are rejoicing in the way they have chosen, and imagine it as True, is clear, because carnal desire decorates the wishes in the man’s view, and the fruit of this decoration is an increasing affection and rejoice for the way he has chosen, though that way is wrong and aberration. Sensuality never lets man see the feature of truth in its real form and find a correct judgment free from love and wrath.

In Sura Fātir, No. 35, verse 8, the Holy Qur’ān says: “Is he whose evil deed is made fair seeming to him so much so that he considers it good? …”, and is he like the one who is on the Path of Truth and sees the facts as they are?

}33{ وَإِذَا مَسَّ النَّاسَ ضُرٌّ دَعَوْا رَبَّهُم مُّنِیبِینَ إِلَیْهِ ثُمَّ إِذَآ أَذَاقَهُم مِنْهُ رَحْمَةً إِذَا فَرِیقٌ مّ-ِنْهُم بِرَبّ-ِهِمْ یُشْرِکُونَ

Commentary, verse: 33

The losses we bear are from our own side, but the mercy and favours are from the side of Allah.

There are some people who call on Allah only at the time of afflictions and difficulties, but a believer ought to call upon Allah at all times.

The verse under discussion, in fact, is reasoning and an emphasis on the discussion mentioned in the previous verse indicating that monotheism is natural and that this divine light will develop with the existence of afflictions and difficulties. It says:

“And when harm afflicts men, they call upon their Lord, turning to Him, …”

But they are so incapacious, short sighted, and captive of the bigotry and blind imitation of their ancestors’, polytheistic ideas that as soon as the terrible events remove and they feel the breeze of peacefulness and Allah makes them taste of mercy from His side, a group of them become polytheist. The verse says:

“… then, when He makes them taste of mercy from Him, behold, some of them associate partners with their Lord,”

The use of ‘harm afflicts men’ points to a little distress as the phrase ‘when He makes them taste of mercy from Him’ indicates to receiving a little bounty, because the application of ‘taste’ in these instances is used for showing the scanty of something, specially with mentioning the Arabic words /durr/ (harm) and /rahmah/ (mercy) in an indefinite form.

That is, there are some persons who with a little stress go toward Allah (s.w.t.) and the curtain of over their nature of Monotheism will be removed, but by a little bounty they will change the way and become neglectful of Him and may forget everything.

For the first case, of course, it speaks in a general form and says that all people are such that they remember Allah (s.w.t.) when confronting afflictions, because the monotheistic nature is general and for all.

But for the second case, i.e. mercy, the verse mentions only those who pave the path of polytheism, since some of the servants of Allah usually remember Him both when they confront difficulties and when they face with Divine bounties, and the variations of life never cause them to be neglectful of the Truth.

With regard to the concept of the Arabic word /’inābah/ which is derived from /noub/ in the sense of: ‘returning again to something, the application of the Qur’ānic phrase: /munībīna ’ilayh/ (turning to Him) is a tender hint to this meaning that the basis and foundation in man’s nature is certainly monotheism and theology, but polytheism is something casual, because when his hope is ceased from it, he, desirably or undesirably, returns to Faith and Monotheism.

It is interesting that in the abovementioned verse, ‘mercy’ is counted from the side of Allah, but harm has not been attributed to Him, for a great deal of our difficulties and afflictions are

the consequences of our own deeds and sins, while all bounties are from Allah whether directly or indirectly.

The Qur’ānic word /rabbahum/, which has been mentioned twice in this verse, is an emphasis on this fact that man feels the Divine Lordship and administration on his own self, if wrong training does not drive him toward polytheism.

This point is also necessary to be mentioned here that the pronoun mentioned in the word /minhu/ relates to Allah and it is an emphasis on this fact that all bounties are from the side of Allah, the Exalted. Many of the commentators, such as the authors of Al-Mīzān, Tibyān, and Abul-Futūh Razī, have chosen this meaning, though some other commentators, such as Fakhr-i-Rāzī, have considered this pronoun for /durr/ (harm) and have rendered the verse as this: ‘When Allah gives them mercy after harm and stress, some of them associate partners with their Lord’.

But it is clear that the first commentary is more consistent with the appearance of the verse.

}34{ لِیَکْفُرُوا بِمَآ ءَاتَیْنَاهُمْ فَتَمَتَّعُوا فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ

}35{ أَمْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَیْهِمْ سُلْطَاناً فَهُوَ یَتَکَلَّمُ بِمَا کَانُوا بِهِ یُشْرِکُونَ

Commentary, verses: 34-35

Polytheism is a step towards paganism and being unthankful, and returning to polytheism is a kind of being unthankful of divine bounties.

As a threat to these incapacious polytheistic persons who neglect Allah when they reach bounties, this verse says:

“That they may be ungrateful for what We have given them. ‘Take your enjoyment, certainly you will soon know’.”

Here, though the polytheists are addressed, it is probable that the verse has a vast concept and it encompasses all those who forget Allah (s.w.t.) at the time of affluence of bounties and are only busy enjoying them and neglect the endower of the bounties.

It is evident that the application of the imperative form of the Arabic verb here is for threatening.

In order to condemn this polytheistic group, next verse in the form of an objurgatory question says:

“Or have We sent down any authority upon them, such as it speaks of what they associate with Him?”

The word /’am/ here is used for the aim of question and this is an objurgatory question with negative sense. That is, following this path and this custom must be either for the sake of the call of ‘nature’, or it is the judgment of intellect the command of Allah. But their conscience and nature is made manifest at the time of afflictions and difficulties and it cries for a call of monotheism. The intellect also says we must go to the One Who is ‘the giver of bounties’.

There remains the command of Allah that in this verse it has been negated and the Qur’ān says: He has not sent down such a command upon them. Thus, they are not relying on any acceptable principle for their own belief.

The Arabic word /sultān/ is in the sense of something which creates dominion and victory, and here it means a firm and convenient reasoning.

The application of the Arabic term /yatakallam/ (it speaks) is a kind of figurative meaning which is used when a proof is clear. Here it implies that this is an expressive proof that speaks with man.

Some commentators have said that the word /sultān/ here probably means an angel with authority. In this case, the word ‘speak’ has its real meaning. It means: “We have not sent down upon them an angel that speaks of what they associate with Him”.

}36{ وَإِذَآ أَذَقْنَا النَّاسَ رَحْمَةً فَرِحُوا بِهَا وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَیّ-ِئَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَیْدِیهِمْ إِذَا هُمْ یَقْنَطُونَ

Commentary, verse: 36

In this holy verse, which is another illustration of the kind of thought and spirituality of these in capacious ignorant persons, the Qur’ān says:

“And when We make people taste of mercy they rejoice in it, and if an evil befalls them for what their own hands have forwarded, behold, they despair.”

But the true believers are those who are not proud and neglectful at the time of affluence nor are they hopeless at the time of affliction. They believe that the bounties are from the side of Allah (s.w.t.) and they thank Him; they also consider the afflictions as an examination and divine test, or as the fruit of their own deeds, then they are almost always patient and they turn to Him.

In the meantime that the faithless persons are wandering in the midst of pride and hopelessness, the faithful persons are often spending time in the midst of ‘gratitude’ and ‘patience with perseverance’.

By the way, it is understood from this verse that at least a part of afflictions that afflict man is the consequence of his own deeds and sins. By this means, Allah intends to warn them and He causes them to become purified and brings them towards Him.

This point is also necessary to be remembered that the Qur’ānic sentence /farihū bihā/ (they rejoice in it) here does not mean only ‘to be happy with the bounty’, but the purpose is a rejoice together with pride and a kind of unawareness, the same mood that the incapacious poor persons feel when they sometimes find affluence, else rejoice together with thanks and remembrance of Allah not only is not bad, but also it has been enjoined, as the Qur’ān says: “Say: ‘In the grace of Allah and in His mercy …”

The application of the Qur’ānic phrase / bimā qaddamat ’aydīhim/ (for what their own hands have forwarded) which refers only to sins, is for the reason that most of the deeds of man are fulfilled by the help of his hands, though there are some sins which are also committed by the heart, the eyes, and the tongues, but the abundance of the deeds of hands are the cause of this usage.

There appears a question here that whether this verse does not contradict with the verse No. 33 of this Sura, since this verse refers to their despair at the time of afflictions while in that verse the words are about their attention to Allah at the time of coming afflictions and stresses. In other words, that verse speaks about hopefulness, but this verse speaks about despair.

With regard to one point, the answer to this question is made clear. In the former verse the words were about ‘harm’, i.e., the harmful events such as torments, earthquakes, and other afflictions that in that position all people, irrespective of monotheist and polytheist ones, remember Allah, and this is one of the signs of monotheistic nature.

But in the verse under discussion the words are about the sequels of man’s sins and the despair emerged from them, because some people are so that if they did a good action they

would become proud and would consider themselves secure from the Divine punishment, and when they commit an evil action and its sequel comes to them, a despair from the mercy of Allah encompasses their whole entity. Both that pride and this despair from the mercy of Allah are blameworthy.

Therefore, either of these two verses mentions a matter which is separate from the other.

}37{ أَوَ لَمْ یَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ یَبْسُطُ الرّ ِزْقَ لِمَن یَشَآءُ وَیَقْدِرُ إِنَّ فِی ذَلِکَ لاَیَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ یُؤْمِنُونَ

Commentary, verse: 37

Being attentive that the sustenance is with Allah, it hinders man of being despair. Every body must struggle for earning his livelihood, but he must know that determining the proportions of livelihood is in Allah’s authority so, the Qur’ān in this verse says:

“Do they not see that Allah enlarges the provision for whomever He pleases and straitens? …”

Neither the manifestation of bounties must cause man’s pride, negligence, and disobedience, nor should its absence bring despair for him, because affluence and straitening of sustenance is in the power of Allah, and sometimes He assigns the former and sometimes the latter.

It is true that the world is the world of means and those who strive more usually obtain a better portion of provisions, and those who are lazy and do not work hard have a smaller share, but in the meantime this is not a general and permanent principle. It happens that sometimes some very earnest, studious and eligible persons do their best but they gain nothing and, on the contrary, there are some maladroit ones to whom the doors of provision are open from every side.

These exceptions may be for the sake that Allah shows that, with all effects that He has created in the world of means,

they should not be lost in the world of means, and they should not forget that behind this system there is another strong hand that turns it. Sometimes He takes it so straitened that the more he strives the less he gets, because all doors are shut to him, and sometime He takes it so easy that before reaching to a door that door may be opened in front of him.

This fact with the examples of which we have, more or less, been familiar in our own life, besides that it struggles against the pride for affluence and despair emerged from poverty, it is an evidence upon the fact that, beyond our will and our wish, there is another powerful hand in affairs.

Therefore, at the end of the verse, the Qur’ān says:

“… Verily there are signs in this for a people who believe.”

Some of the Islamic commentators have stated that once a knowledgeable man was asked: “What is the proof that there is only one creator for the world?” Then he answered: “For three proofs: that the clever persons are (usually) backward, the artists and learned men are often poor, and the physicians are (sometimes) sick.”

Yes, the existence of these exceptions is a sign for the fact that the affairs are entirely in the hand of another one. A famous tradition narrated from Hadrat Ali (a.s.) indicates that he said: “I came to know Allah, the Glorified, through the breaking of determinations, change of intentions, and losing of courage.”⁽¹⁾

}38{ فَاَتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَی حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْکِینَ وَابْنَ السَّبِیلِ ذَلِکَ خَیْرٌ لّ-ِلَّذِینَ یُرِیدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ وَأُوْلَئِکَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

Commentary, verse: 38

The real owner of properties is Allah, and then it is He Who defines how the properties must be used. In spending out and helping others, relatives are prior to every other one, either. Therefore, this verse says:

“So give what is due to kindred, the needy, and the wayfarer, …”

At the time of affluence, you should not think that whatever provision you have, you are the owner of it, but others have a share in it, too, among them are your relatives and the needy who are paralytic because of the intensity of poverty, and also those reputable persons who are far from home and as the result of an event have remained in the way and are in need of help.

The application of the Arabic word /haqqah/ (due to) in the holy verse points to this fact that they have a share in man’s properties and if one pays something to them he has paid their own right to them and he has no reproach over them.

Some of the commentators have considered the addressee in this verse is only the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) and they have rendered the Qur’ānic phrase /ŏilqurbā/ (kindred) into his relatives. A famous narration from Abū-Sa‘īd-Khidrī, as well as others, indicates that when the abovementioned verse was

sent down the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) bestowed Fadak on Fātimah (a.s.) and delivered it to her.⁽¹⁾This very meaning has been narrated from Imam Bāqir (a.s.) and Imam Sādiq (a.s.). The content of this tradition has been mentioned in a very detailed narration from Hadrat Imam Sādiq (a.s.) containing the dialogue of the Lady of Islam, Fātimah Zahrā (a.s.) with Abū-Bakr.⁽²⁾

But some of other commentators have taken the addressee in this verse as general and believe that it includes the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and other people. According to this commentary all people are obliged not to neglect the right of their relatives.

These two commentaries, of course, do not contradict each other and they can come along with together, in this way that the verse has a vast concept and the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and his relatives, specially his daughter, Fātimah Zahrā (a.s.), are its perfect denotation expansion.

This makes it clear that neither of the above interpretations contradicts with this noble Sura as a Meccan Sura, because the concept of the verse is a conclusive concept so that it must be fulfilled in both Mecca and Medinā, and, according to this holy verse bestowing Fadak on Fātimah (a.s.) is completely acceptable.

The only thing which remains rather ambiguous here is the sentence: “When the abovementioned verse was sent down…” mentioned in the narration of Abū-Sa‘īd Khidrī the appearance of which indicates that the bestowal of Fadak was after the revelation of the verse. But if we take the Arabic term /lammā/ here in the sense of cause, not in the sense of a particular time, this problem will also be solved, and the concept of the narration will be that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) for the sake of this

Divine commandment bestowed Fadak on Fātimah (a.s.). In addition to that, some of the verses of the Qur’ān have been sent down twice.

As for the matter that why among all the needy persons and possessors of right only these three groups have been mentioned the reason may be for the importance of them, because the right of relatives is more significant than any other right, and among the deprived and the poor, the needy and the wayfarers are in need more than all.

Or it is for the sake of the point that Fakhr-i-Razī has said here. He says: “The eight groups to whom alms must be given is in the case of that alms is obligatory, while the three groups who are mentioned in the verse must also be helped even at the time when giving alms is not obligatory, because some of the relatives are those to whom giving alimony is obligatory for a person but the needy is the deprived person that if he is not helped his life may be in danger. Also a wayfarer may be in some circumstances that with the lack of succour he dies. The order of mentioning these three groups in the holy verse is also appropriate to the order of their importance.

However, for the encouragement of the benevolent, and also for stating the condition of the acceptance of expending, at the end of the verse the Qur’ān says:

“…that is best for those who seek the pleasure of Allah,…”

“… and those are they that are prosperous.”

They will be prosperous both in this world and the next, since expending brings some wonderful bounties with it in this life and the next both, because it is one of the heaviest deeds in the Divine scale.

With regard to the fact that the Qur’ānic phrase /wajh-ullah/ does not mean the bodily face of Allah, because He has not any bodily face, and it means the pure Essence of the Lord,

this verse shows that the act of expending and paying the right of relatives, as well as that of the possessors of rights, is not enough. It is important that this action must be accompanied with sincerity, pure intention, and free from any kind of hypocrisy, gaudiness, approach, scorn, and expectation of compensation.

This point is also necessary to be mentioned that, opposite to the statement of some commentators who have stipulated that expending for the sake of reaching Paradise is not the extension of /wajh-ullah/, all the deeds that one does and have a kind of communication with Allah whether they have been done for the pleasure of Allah, or reaching to His compensation, or being delivered from His punishment all are the extensions of /wajh-ullah/ though the high and complete stage of it is that the one does not consider in his view anything save servitude and obedience to Him.

}39{ وَمَآ ءَاتَیْتُم مِن رِباً لِیَرْبُوَا فِی أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ فَلاَ یَرْبُوا عِندَ اللَّهِ وَمآ ءَاتَیْتُم مِن زَکَاةٍ تُرِیدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ فَأُوْلَئِکَ هُمُ الْمُضْعِفُونَ

Commentary, verse: 39

The privilege of Islam is in this fact that, besides wiping out poverty from the deprived, it considers the spiritual growth of those who pay expending, too.

This verse refers to two kinds of expending: one of which is for the cause of Allah, and the other is for the purpose of reaching the worldly wealth. It says:

“And that which you give in present so that it may increase in the property of men it will not increase with Allah, …”

“… and whatever you give in charity (Zakāt) seeking the pleasure of Allah, it is these (persons) that shall get manifold.”

The concept of the second sentence, viz., giving Zakāt and paying expending in the path of Allah which causes abundant compensation and an immense reward, is clear, but as for the first sentence, regarding to the fact that /ribā/ originally means ‘increase’, the commentators have cited different interpretation.

The first commentary, which is the most clear one and is the most consistent with the concept of the verse and adapts to the narrations of Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.), is that its purpose is the gifts and presents that some persons sent to others specially to

the possessors of wealth and properties hoping to receive some more and better reward from them. It is obvious that in giving such presents neither the need nor the eligibility of their receivers are considered, but all attention is focused on this that the present should be sent to a place where a better sum can be hunted, and it is natural that such presents that have not any sincerity in them are worthless from the point of ethics and spiritual aspects.

Therefore, the purpose of /ribā/, in this verse, is ‘present’ or ‘gift’ and the objective of the Qur’ānic sentence: /liyar bū fī ’amwālin-nās/, mentioned in this verse, is taking some more reward from people.

No doubt taking such a reward is not unlawful, since there is no condition or agreement between them, but it lacks the spiritual and ethical value. Therefore, some narrations from Imam Sādiq (a.s.), recorded in authentic sources of tradition, it has been rendered into ‘lawful /ribā/’ (interest) in spite of ‘unlawful /ribā/’ in which there is condition and agreement contract.

In the book entitled Tahthīb-ul-’Ahkām there is a tradition which has been narrated from Imam Sādiq (a.s.) who, on the commentary of this verse, said: “Its purpose is a present which you give to another person and you seek a reward from him more than that and this is a lawful interest.”

In another tradition Imam Sādiq (a.s.) says: “Interest is of two kinds: one is lawful and the other is unlawful. The lawful interest is that one lends his (Muslim) brother (something) as a loan hoping that when he returns it he adds something to what he has taken from him without any condition between them, and if the borrower gives the lender something more than that which he has taken without any condition between them, this excess is lawful for him, but there will be no reward for him

with Allah concerning his loan, and this is what the Qur’ān says in sentence /falāyarbū ‘indallah/ (it will not increase with Allah). But the unlawful excess is the case that one loans someone with the condition that he returns it with something added to it. This is the unlawful interest.”⁽¹⁾

Another commentary which has been mentioned on the above verse says that the purpose in this verse is unlawful interest. According to this commentary, in fact, the Qur’ān intends to compare usury with pure expending and to say that although usury is apparently an increase in wealth, but it is not an increase with Allah. The real increase is found in expending in the path of Allah. Upon this foundation, they consider the verse as a preliminary on the prohibition of usury that, at first, before the migration of the prophet (p.b.u.h.), it was stated as an ethical advice, and later, after the migration, its prohibition was gradually announced in three Suras of the Qur’ān: (Al-Baqarah, ’Āl-i-‘Imrān, and An-Nisā’).

There is not, of course, any contradiction between these two meanings. The verse can be rendered into a vaster scope of meaning which contains both the lawful interest and unlawful interest, and both of them may be matched with the expending in the path of Allah, but the concept of the verse is more consistent with the first commentary.

The apparent of the holy verse shows that here an action is fulfilled that has not any reward, but it is lawful, since it says: “… it will not increase with Allah…”, and this meaning fits with ‘the lawful interest’ which has neither any reward nor any sin, i.e. it is not a thing that causes the wrath and punishment of Allah (s.w.t.), and we said before that the Islamic narrations approve it, too.

It is also necessary to be mentioned that the Arabic term /mud‘ifūn/ does not here mean ‘increaser’, but it means the possessor of the increased reward. This matter must not be neglected that the words /du‘f/ and /mudā‘af/ in the Arabic philology do not mean ‘increase’ but they mean ‘two fold’ and ‘several folds’ and, in this verse, the word means ‘twofold’ at least; as the Qur’ān in other occurrence says: “Whoever brings a good (deed), he shall have ten times its like, …”⁽¹⁾

Concerning the reward of ‘loan’, it increases into eighteen times, as in a tradition Imam Sādiq (a.s.) said: “It has been written on the door of Paradise that the reward of loan is eighteen times and (that of) alms is ten times.”⁽²⁾

Concerning the loan without interest in the path of Allah, it can be increased into seven hundred times, as Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 261 announces.

}40{ اللَّهُ الَّذِی خَلَقَکُمْ ثُمَّ رَزَقَکُمْ ثُمَّ یُمِیتُکُمْ ثُمَّ یُحْیِیکُمْ هَلْ مِن شُرَکَآئِکُم مَّن یَفْعَلُ مِن ذَلِکُم مِن شَیْءٍ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالی عَمَّا یُشْرِکُونَ

Commentary, verse: 40

Our life and death, our past, present and future, as well as our sustenance are in the authority of Allah. In this verse, the Qur’ān returns again to the subject of Origin and Resurrection which form the basic matter of many verses of this Sura, and Qualifies Allah with four attributes so that it can be both a hint to monotheism and struggle against polytheism, and a proof upon Resurrection. It says:

“Allah is He Who created you, then gave you sustenance, then He shall make you die, then He shall bring you to life; is there any of your associate-gods

who does aught of that? …”

“… Glory be to Him and Exalted High is He far above what they associate (with Him).”

It is certain that none of the polytheists believed that the creation was done by idols, or that their sustenance was given by idols, or the end of their lives was under the control of the idols, because they used to consider these artificial objects of worship as a medium and some intercessors between them and Allah (s.w.t.), not the creators of the heaven and the earth and sustainers. Therefore the answer to these questions is negative

and this question is a positive interrogation with a negative sense.

Another matter which will be asked here is that they mostly did not believe in the life after death, how does the Qur’ān emphasize on it here by means of the last attribute of Allah?

This application may be for the sake that the question of the life after death, as we have said in the discussion of Resurrection, has an innate aspect, and here the Holy Qur’ān does not emphasize on their beliefs, but it emphasizes on their innate disposition.

Besides, sometimes it happens that when a capable speaker encounter a person who denies a matter, he mentions it among some other facts which that person accepts and he decisively emphasizes on it so that it affects on him. Now the life after death is an unbreakable relation, and regarding this logical relation both of them have been mentioned in one sentence.

However, the Qur’ān implies that when all of these affairs (such as creation, sustenance and death) are in His Power, worshipping must be done only for Him, too, and the sentence: “… Glory be to Him and Exalted High is He far above what they associate (with Him)” restates this fact that they have made the rank of Allah extraordinarily low when they have put Allah in the row of idols and artificial objects of worship.

Section 5: Suffering of the World through what men have themselves wrought

Point

The world’s sufferings through what men themselves have wrought – signs of the previous disbelieving people who have been punished, available for those who wish to travel and see them – Every one’s actions are for the profit or loss of each individual soul – Apostles had already been sent before – Men are happy when Allah causes them to taste His mercy – As Allah quickens the earth with the rain water from heaven after the earth is dead, so also can Allah raise the dead – The blind can not be led aright

}41{ ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِی الْبَرّ ِ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا کَسَبَتْ أَیْدِی النَّاسِ لِیُذِیقَهُم بَعْضَ الَّذِی عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ یَرْجِعُونَ

Commentary, verse: 41

Man’s deeds affect on the nature. The evil deeds of man hinder the water, and the land to give benefit and they cause some undesirable phenomena to be created. So, in this verse it says:

“Mischief has appeared in the land and the sea because of what the hands of men have wrought, that He may make them taste a part of what they have done, so that they may turn (away from evil).”

The above holy verse has a vast scope of meaning around the relation between ‘mischief’ and ‘sin’ which is neither

allocated to the lands of Mecca and Arabic nor to the age of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), but it is a verity-proposition which states the link of ‘predicate’ and ‘subject’. In other words, wherever a mischief appears, it is the effect of the people’s deeds; and, in the meantime, it contains an educational goal, so that people taste the bitter fruit of their deeds, perhaps they turn away from evil.

Some commentators believe that this verse refers to the drought and famine which seized the pagans of Mecca as the result of the Prophet’s curse. The sky did not rain, the deserts dried and became drier, and even fishing in the sea (the Red Sea) became difficult for them. Supposing this statement is correct, it is only the statement of one example and it never restrains the meaning of the verse in the relation of ‘mischief’ and ‘sin’; restrains neither to that time and that place, not to the drought and scanty of rain.

We read in a tradition from Imam Sādiq (a.s.) who once said: “The life of the animals of the sea depends on rain; so when it does not rain, decadence appears in both the land and the sea, and this is at the time when sins increase.”⁽¹⁾

Of course, whatever is mentioned in this noble narration is the statement of a clear expansion of mischief, and what is mentioned in this tradition about the rainfall and the life of animals in the sea is a matter which has exactly been experienced that whenever it rains less, there will be found less fish in the sea. We heard some of the dwellers of the sea banks say: “The benefit of rain for the sea is more than its benefit for the desert.

}42{ قُلْ سِیرُوا فِی الأَرْضِ فَانظُرُوا کَیْفَ کَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِینَ مِن قَبْلُ کَانَ أَکْثَرُهُم مُّشْرِکِینَ

Commentary, verse: 42

A purposeful travelling is recommended by Islam, and the protection of the instructive building is necessary for the future generations.

In order that people actually see with their eyes some lively evidences in connection with the appearance of corruption on the earth as the result of sin, the verse commands for travelling in the earth, and He tells the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) as follows:

“Say: ‘Travel in the land, then see how was the end of those before, most of them were polytheists.”

You may see the ruined castles and palaces of those who used to live before you, watch their treasures which have been spoilt, study the strong nations who are scattered and their graves contain the rotten bones of their bodies. You can see what was the end of their injustice, cruelty, sin, vice, and polytheism? You can see if they burnt the nests of some birds, how were the houses of these hunters destroyed? Yes, most of them were polytheists, and polytheism was the source of their mischief and caused them to be annihilated.

It is interesting that when the words in the former verses were about the bounties of Allah, at first the creation of man was mentioned and next to it the words were about his sustenance: “Allah is He Who created you, then gave you

sustenance, …”,⁽¹⁾but in the verses under discussion, when it speaks about the Divine punishment, at first it points to the destruction of bounties as the result of sin, and then it refers to the destruction because of polytheism. Its reason is that at the time of remittal the merit of creation is first and sustenance is next to it; but at the time of taking it back, the destruction of bounties is first and annihilation is next to it.

In regard to the fact that this Sura is a Meccan Sura and the Muslims were in minority at that time, the application of the Qur’ānic sentence /’akθaruhum mušrikīn/ (most of them were polytheists) may point to this matter that you should not fear of the polytheists who are in majority, because Allah has annihilated many large groups of such people in the past. It is also a severe warning unto the disobedient persons that they should travel in the earth and see the end of the former nations who were similar to them in action.

}43{ فَاَقِمْ وَجْهَکَ لِلدّ ِینِ الْقَیّ-ِمِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن یَأْتِیَ یَوْمٌ لاَّ مَرَدَّ لَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ یَوْمَئِذٍ یَصَّدَّعُونَ

Commentary, verse: 43

Then addressee in this verse is the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) when it says:

“Then Set your face to the established religion before there comes a day from Allah which cannot be averted; on that day shall become separated.”

No one, on that Day, has any power to turn back that Day and to stop the program of Allah when people will become divided into different groups and the rows will be separated from each other; a group will be admitted in Paradise and the other group will be sent into Hell.

The Arabic word /qayyim/ in this verse means: ‘subsistent’ and ‘establisher’, and it, qualifying the religion by this attribute, in fact, points to the constant regard to the religion. That is, since the religion of Islam is a subsistent, and straight religion which establishes the peoples’ system of material and spiritual life, the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) should never deviate from it.

Allah addresses the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) in this verse so that others take care of their own account.

The Arabic phrase /yassadda‘ūn/ is derived from /sad‘/ which originally means: ‘to break or cleave a plate’ but gradually it has been used for any separation. Here it refers to the separation of the rows of the people of Heaven and the people of Hell that either of them will also be divided into some rows according to their degrees in Paradise and in Hell.

}44{ مَن کَفَرَ فَعَلَیْهِ کُفْرُهُ وَمَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحاً فَلاَِنفُسِهِمْ یَمْهَدُونَ

}45{ لِیَجْزِیَ الَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ مِن فَضْلِهِ إِنَّهُ لاَ یُحِبُّ الْکَافِرِینَ

Commentary, verses: 44-45

Point

The previous verse implied that on the Day of Hereafter people will scatter and become separated into different groups. This verse explains that this separation is so that each group of believers and disbelievers will be given their appropriate reward and retribution. In Hereafter, of course, the grace of Allah (s.w.t.) will involve those who have both faith and righteous deed. Thus, for entering Paradise only Faith is not enough but good deed is also necessary.

This verse is, in fact, an explanation for this separation of rows in Hereafter. The verse says:

“Whoever disbelieves, his unbelief shall be (charged) against him, and whoever does good deed, for their own selves they are preparing,”

The Qur’ānic term /yamhadūn/ is derived from /mahd/ and, as Rāqib has said in Mufradāt, it originally means cradle or a place which is prepared for a child. Then the words /mahd/ and /mihād/ have been used in a vaster sense, that is, it is called to

any prepared place wherein the utmost ease and tranquillity is found. It is for this point of view that this meaning has been chosen for the people of Paradise and righteous believers.

In short, you should not think that belief and disbelief, or your ugly and beautiful deeds have any effect on the Pure Essence of Allah, but it is you who become pleased and happy, or worried and sad.

It is interesting that concerning the disbelievers, the Holy Qur’ān has sufficed with the sentence: “Whoever disbelieves, his unbelief shall be (charged) against him, …”, but concerning the believers, in the next verse, the Qur’ān explains that not only they will see their deeds there but also Allah will bestow some more merits on them because of His Grace. The verse says:

“That He may reward those who believe and do righteous deeds out of His Grace, …”

This is the aim and it is certain that this Divine Grace (in Hereafter) does not reach the disbelievers, since:

“… verily He does not love the unbelievers.”

It is evident that He will treat them with His justice, too, and He will not punish them more than their due, but they will not receive any grace or merit from Him either.

Note:

No doubt any evil action effects on the situation of society and by means of it the situation of individuals will be affected and a kind of corruption will appear in the social system. Sin, vice, and breaking law is like a poisonous food which, willingly or unwillingly, will have some unpleasant effects on

man’s system of body and he will encounter its natural reaction:

Falsehood causes confidence to be vanished.

Treachery of trust disturbs the social communications.

Injustice is always the cause of another injustice.

Misuse from freedom will usually lead to dictatorship and dictatorship will lead to bursting.

‘The abandonment of the rights of the deprived’ often creates hostility, and compression of rancour and enmities causes the foundation of society to become unstable.

However, any wrong action, whether in a limited measure or a vast one, has often an unpleasant reaction, and one of the commentaries on the holy verse which says: “Mischief has appeared in the land and the sea because of what the hands of men have wrought, …”⁽¹⁾is this very thing. (This is the natural relation of ‘sin’ and mischief’.)

It is understood from the Islamic narrations that many of sins, besides this, have a series of evil sequels with them, the relation of which with those effects is, at least, unknown. For example, some Islamic narrations indicate that ‘breaking off ties of relationship causes life to become short; consuming unlawful things causes heart to become dark; and publicity of fornication causes the destruction of men and decreases the provision. …

The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) in a tradition said: “Fornication has six sequels; three sequels in the world, and three sequels in Hereafter. In the world, it decreases the person’s luminosity, brings death sooner than its proper time, and ceases the sustenance. In the Hereafter, it causes the severity of reckoning, the wrath of Allah, and eternity in Fire.”⁽²⁾

We read in a narration form Imam Sādiq (a.s.) who said: “Those who die because of sins are more than those who die by a natural death.”⁽¹⁾

Similar to this meaning with another form is said in the Qur’ān, where it says: “And if the people of the towns had believed and kept from evil, we would have certainly opened up for them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they belied; so We seized them for what they used to earn.”⁽²⁾

Thus, the Qur’ānic word /fasād/ mentioned in verse 41 encompasses the social corruptions, calamities, and negation of blessings.

Another attractive point is that the above verse denoted to the fact that one of the philosophies of calamities and pests is their educational effect on human beings. They must receive the fruit of their own deeds so that they awaken from the sleep of negligence and return toward purity and piety.

We do not say that all vices and calamities are of this kind, but we say at least a part of them has such a philosophy. There are, of course, some other philosophies for it, too, which will be discussed in their appropriate places.

}46{ وَمِنْ ءَایَاتِهِ أَن یُرْسِلَ الرّ ِیَاحَ مُبَشّ-ِرَاتٍ وَلِیُذِیقَکُم مِن رَّحْمَتِهِ وَلِتَجْرِیَ الْفُلْکُ بِاَمْرِهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّکُمْ تَشْکُرُونَ

Commentary, verse: 46

Nothing happens accidentally, even the winds blow with the will of Allah, the Wise, too. Whatever we receive from the blessings of the winds is a part of His signs and graces. Again, the movement of a ship on the sea is in the hand of Allah, not in the hand of its captain.

The previous verse was about faith and righteous deed and in this verse Monotheism and its evidences are referred to. It says:

“And among His signs is that He sends forth the winds bearing good tidings (of rain), …”

The winds come before rainfall. They take the scattered pieces of cloud with them and join them together and send them toward the dry and thirst lands. They cover some parts of the sky and, by altering the heat of atmosphere, they cause the cloud to be prepared for raining.

The importance of the arrival of these harbingers of rain may not be so clear to those citizens who enjoy the comforts of life, but those thirsty people who are in need of some drops of water in the desert, when the winds come and move the pieces of cloud with them, and they smell the special odour of rain

which has come down on the plants somewhere else, the light of hope appears in their hearts.

Though the verses of the Holy Qur’ān have emphasized on wind as a harbinger of the descent of rain, the Qur’ānic term /mubašširāt/ (bearing good tidings of rain) cannot be confined in it, because winds have many other good tidings with them, too.

Winds adjust the heat and cold of the weather.

Winds can amortize affections on vast atmosphere and purify the air.

Winds decrease the pressure of sun’s heat on leaves and plants, and work as a barrier against sunburn.

Winds bring the oxygen produced by the leaves of the trees for men, and take the carbonic gas produced by men’s breath as a present for plants.

Winds inoculate a lot of plants and join the male and female seeds to each other in the world of plants.

Winds are a means for mills to move, as well as a factor for filtering the heaps of corn.

Winds often carry the seeds of some plants from the places where there are a great deal of them and, like a compassionate gardener, scatter them throughout the desert.

Winds take sailors and ships with passengers and much heavy loads to different parts of the world, and even today, when machinery has substituted the wind force, the winds are still very effective in the work of ships to be slow or fast.

Yes, they are givers of glad tidings in different ways.

Thus, in the continuation of the verse, we recite as follows:

“… and that He may make you taste of His mercy, and that the ships may run by His command, and that you may seek (sustenance) of His grace, and that you may be grateful.”

Yes, winds are both a means of creating abundant bounties in the fields of agriculture and breeding livestock, and a means of carrying kinds of loads, and a cause of lustre in commerce. The Qur’ānic sentence: “… that He may make you taste of His mercy …” refers to the first blessing, and the sentence: “… that the ships may run by His command, …” points to the second one and the sentence: “… that you may seek (sustenance) of His grace, …” refers to the third one. It is interesting that all these bounties are the results of ‘movement’, a movement in the atoms existed in the air near the earth.

But the magnitude of no bounty is recognized until it is taken from man. In the same way, man does not understand what calamity has come to him unless these winds and breezes stop.

The stop of winds makes life, even in the best gardens, like life in the dark holes of a prison; and if a breeze blows in the cells of solitary prisons it makes it like an open place and, in principle, one of the factors of torture in prisons is the stop of weather therein.

Even on the surface of oceans, if wind stops and waves do not exist, the life of the living creatures therein will be in danger as the result of the scarcity of oxygen of the air, and the sea will be altered into a terrible fetid marsh.

Fakhr-i-Rāzī says: “Regarding to the fact that ‘to taste’ is used for a scanty thing’, the sentence: “… and that He may make you taste of His mercy …” points to this meaning that the whole world and the bounty of the world is not more than a little mercy, and the vast mercy of Allah belongs to the next world.

}47{ وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِکَ رُسُلاً إِلَی قَوْمِهِمْ فَجَآءُوهُم بِالْبَیّ-ِنَاتِ فَانتَقَمْنَا مِنَ الَّذِینَ أَجْرَمُوا وَکَانَ حَقّاً عَلَیْنَا نَصْرُ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ

Commentary, verse: 47

In this holy verse, four ways of Allah’s treatment have been referred to:

1- The practice of sending prophets.

2- The practice of prophets having miracles.

3- The retribution of the wrong doers.

4- The triumph of the believers.

So, the holy verse says:

“And We did indeed send, before you, messengers unto their people, and they came to them with clear proofs, …”

“… then We took vengeance upon those

who were guilty, …”

And Allah (s.w.t.) helped the believers. The verse continues saying:

“… and helping the believers is ever incumbent on Us.”

The application of the Arabic word /kāna/ is an indication that this custom has some roots, and the application of the word /haqq/ and next to it the term /‘alaynā/ (on Us), which also states the truth, are counted some consecutive emphases in this regard, and mentioning the Qur’ānic phrase /haqqan ‘alaynā/ before the Qur’ānic phrase /nasrul mu’minīn/, which denotes to restriction, is another emphasis. On the whole, the

holy verse means that surely Allah has undertaken helping the believers and without being in need of any one else, He will fulfil this promise of His. By the way, also this sentence was a console for those Muslims who, at that time, were under the severe pressure of the enemies of Islam in Mecca that were stronger than them from the point of both number and equipment.

In principle, that the enemies of Allah (s.w.t.) are drowned in pollution and sin it itself is one of the factors of triumph and help of the believers, because this very sin will finally root out them and will provide the means of their destruction by their own hands when it sends the Divine revenge to them.

}48{ اللَّهُ الَّذِی یُرْسِلُ الرّ ِیَاحَ فَتُثِیرُ سَحَاباً فَیَبْسُطُهُ فِی السَّمَآءِ کَیْفَ یَشَآءُ وَیَجْعَلُهُ کِسَفاً فَتَرَی الْوَدْقَ یَخْرُجُ مِنْ خِلاَلِهِ فَإِذَآ أَصَابَ بِهِ مَن یَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ إِذَا هُمْ یَسْتَبْشِرُونَ

Commentary, verse: 48

The natural changes are the signs of power, wisdom, and device of Allah, and also the movement of pieces of cloud, and rainfalls are performed by the will of Allah.

In this holy verse the Qur’ān refers again to the bounty of blowing winds, where it says:

“It is Allah Who sends forth the winds so they raise a cloud, then He spreads it forth in the sky as He pleases, and breaks it into fragments so that you see the rain coming forth from inside it, …”

Yes, at the time of raining, one of the important functions has been given unto the winds. It is they that carry the pieces of cloud from over seas toward dry and thirsty lands, and it is they that have the duty of stretching pieces of cloud and preparing them for being creative of rain.

The winds are like an aware and experienced shepherd that in time gathers the cattle of sheep from here and there in the

desert and makes them move on a certain way and then he prepares them to be milked.

The Qur’ānic sentence: “… So that you see the rain coming forth from inside it, …” may point to this meaning that the intense of clouds and the blow of winds is not so much that hinders the exist of small drops of rain from cloud and their descent on the earth, but, in spite of the storm and cloud that have covered the expanse of sky, these small drops find their way from inside them toward the earth and in the meantime, they do not create destruction.

The wind and storm that sometimes root out the great trees and move rocks, lets the small tender drop of rain pass through it and come down on the land.

This point is also noteworthy that though on a cloudy day when cloud has covered the expanse of the sky, the pieces of cloud are not so sensible for us, but they are completely visible when we pass through these pieces of cloud or fly over them by airplane.

The verse at the end says:

“… then when He causes it to fall upon whom He pleases of His servants, behold, they rejoice.”

}49{ وَإِن کَانُوا مِن قَبْلِ أَن یُنَزَّلَ عَلَیْهِم مِن قَبْلِهِ لَمُبْلِسِینَ

}50{ فَانظُرْ إِلَی ءَاثَارِ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ کَیْفَ یُحْیِ الأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَآ إِنَّ ذَلِکَ لَ-مُحْیِ الْمَوْتَی وَهُوَ عَلَی کُلّ ِ شَیْءٍ قَدِیرٌ

Commentary, verses: 49-50

Hardships and kinds of hopelessness increase the pleasure of bounties very much.

Rainfall and the new life of the earth is a divine sign for the reality of Resurrection. This holy verse says:

“Although before it was sent down on them before that they had been in despair.”

The Arabic term /mublis/ is derived from /’iblās/ in the sense of: ‘despair’ and ‘hopelessness’.

Those people, such as wandering Arabs, whose life and living is closely depended on these very drops of rain, will conceive this despair and that glad tidings very well. While despair and hopelessness has last its evil and heavy shadow over their soul and spirit and the sign of thirst has appeared in them as well as in their cattle and their farming lands; then suddenly the winds, which are the harbingers of rain, start to come through which these people smell the smell of rain. After some minutes, the pieces of cloud will scatter in the sky and become more intensive and more compressed and then it

begins to rain. The ditches will be filled with wholesome water, and small and big streams will contain of this heavenly bounty. Life and living will be seen in dry lands and in the depth of the hearts of these wanderers of the desert both. The light of hope enlightens their hearts and the dark cloud of despair will disappear thereof.

The repetition of the Arabic word /qabl/ (before) in the verse apparently is for emphasis. It says: “before it”, yes, a few minutes before rain, the features are frowned, but suddenly it rains and the smile of happiness appears on the lips. What a weak being are man, and what a kind Lord He is!

In the Persian language, too, the time is sometimes stated repeatedly for emphasis. The Persian speakers may say: ‘Until yesterday’ -Yes, until that very yesterday- so and so was a friend with me, but now he is seriously in hostility”, and the purpose of this repetition is an emphasis on the change of man’s moods.

The next verse, addressing the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.), says:

“Look then at the traces of Allah’s mercy, how He gives life to the earth after its death; …”

The Arabic term /fanzur/ (look then) as an emphasis in the verse, points to this fact that the effect of Allah’s mercy in giving life to the dead lands by means of rain is so much manifest that it appears for any man by a glance without being in need of searching and seeking for it.

Thus, the application of the Qur’ānic phrase /rahmat-illah/ (Allah’s mercy) about rainfall in the verse refers to the effects of its bountifulness from different dimensions.

Rain waters the dry lands and causes the seeds of plants grow.

Rain gives new life to the trees in order that they continue their living.

Rain clears out the dust of the air and makes the man’s living environment safe and clean.

Rain washes the plants and gives them freshness.

Rain makes the weather moist and mild so that it will be appropriate for human beings to inhale.

Rain penetrates inside the ground and after some time it will appear on the ground in the form of springs and water pipes.

Rain creates some floods, which, after being controlled at the back of dams, produces electricity, light, and energy.

Finally, rain usually adjusts both cold and hot weather. It decreases the heat and makes cold tolerable.

Rain is also mentioned in some other verses of the Qur’ān as ‘mercy’, among them is Sura Furqān, No. 25 verse 48, and Sura An-Naml, No. 27, verse 63.

Also, Sura Shourā, No. 42, verse 28 says: “He is the One that sends down rain (even) after (men) have given up all hope, and scatters His Mercy (far and wide)…”

Then, regarding to the relation that origin and Resurrection have in different issues, at the end of the verse it says:

“… verily He is the giver of life to the dead; and He is All-powerful over all things.”

The application of the Arabic phrase /muhy il mautā/ (the giver of life to the dead) in the form of Arabic noun-agent instead of the verb in the simple present tense, specially with ‘l’ as an Arabic sign of emphasis, is the indication of the utmost emphasis.

We have repeatedly seen in the verses of the Qur’ān that this heavenly Book chooses the dead land, which is quickened after the descent of rain, as a reference to prove the subject of Resurrection.

Sura Qāf, No. 50, verse eleven, after mentioning the life of the dead lands, it says: “… that will be the Resurrection”.

Similar to this meaning is also found in Sura Fātir, No. 35, verse 9 where it says: “… even so (will be) the Resurrection.”

In fact, the law of life and death is always similar to each other everywhere. The One, Who gives life to the dead land and creates movement and liveliness in it, and also this thing repeats every year and sometime every day, has this ability that after their death gives life to all human beings, too. Everywhere death is in His authority, and life is also by His command.

It is true that apparently the dead land does not turn to be alive, and it is the seeds of the plants that are under the soil of the ground and grow up, but we know that these small seeds have attracted a great part of the ground in their own body and have changed some dead beings into living beings, and even the scattered parts of these plants give power again to the ground for life, too.

The deniers of resurrection, in deed, had no proof for their claim except improbability, and in order to break it, the Holy Qur’ān brings these examples.

}51{ وَلَئِنْ أَرْسَلْنَا رِیحاً فَرَأَوْهُ مُصْفَرّاً لَّظَلُّوا مِن بَعْدِهِ یَکْفُرُونَ

}52{ فَإِنَّکَ لاَ تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَی وَلاَ تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَآءَ إِذَا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِرِینَ

Commentary, verses: 51-52

The fatal winds and those winds that cause impediments are not undue and accidental. The destructive winds are less than the useful winds.

The previous verses were about the bountiful winds which are the harbingers of the rains that bring mercy. Now, the first verse points to harmful winds. It says:

“And if We send a wind (from which) they see (their tilth turned) yellow, they certainly become, thereafter, disbelievers (ungrateful).”

These are some weak and incapacious people. They are such that before rainfall they are hopeless and after it they are very happy. If one day a poisonous wind blows and their life temporarily faces with some difficulties, they cry and become disbelievers.

On the contrary, the true believers who are happy and gratitude with the bounties of Allah, when they face with afflictions and difficulties they are patient and steadfast. The changes of material life never affect in their faith and they are not as the blind-hearted people whose faith is weak and with

the blow of a wind they become faithful and with the blow of another wind become disbelievers.

The Arabic word /musfarran/ is derived from /sufrih/ which means ‘yellow’, and as the majority of commentators believe, the pronoun in the word /ra’auhu/ refers to the plants and trees that as the result of harmful winds they may become yellow and faded.

Some commentators have also said that the pronoun may refer to ‘cloud’, because the yellow clouds are naturally some thin clouds which usually have not rain while dark and intensed clouds often bring rain. Some others also believe that ‘wind’ is the antecedent of the pronoun, since the ordinary winds are usually colourless and the poisonous winds, which sometimes carry the dust of the desert with them, are yellow and dim.

There is also a fourth probability which indicates that the Arabic term /musfar/ means ‘empty’, because as Rāqib says in Mufradāt: an empty plate and a stomach empty of food and vessels empty of blood in Arabic called /safir/. Thus the above meaning is an indication to the winds which are empty of rain. (In this case the pronoun in the word /ra’auhu/ (they see it) refers to ‘wind’.) (Be careful).

But the first commentary is the most famous one among them all.

This point is also worthy to be noted that here the useful winds, which cause rain to fall, are said in plural form, while the harmful winds are stated in singular form. This matter implies that most of the winds are useful, and the poisonous winds are expressed as an exceptional one, which sometimes blows once a month or once a year, while useful winds blow during all days and nights.

Or it points to this fact that useful winds are beneficial if they come repeatedly, while the harmful winds affect their evil only once.

The last matter, which is necessary to be mentioned here, is the difference between the Qur’ānic term /yastabširun/ (they rejoice) which has been stated about useful winds in former verses, and the Qur’ānic sentence: “… they certainly become, thereafter, disbelievers (ungrateful).”

This difference shows that they see those masses of great and continuous blessings of Allah (s.w.t.) and become happy, but if there comes an affliction once and for one day to them, they cry so severely and go toward disbelief that as if they did not desist from it.

It is just like those who are safe for a life time and do not say a word of gratitude, but one night when they burn in fever they say all words of disbelief and ingratitude; and this is the state of ignorant and faithless people.

In this regard, there have been stated some other matters in the commentary of verse 35 of the current Sura, and Sura Hūd, No. 11, verses 9 and 10, and Sura Al-Hajj, No. 22, verse 11.

}53{ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِهَادِی الْعُمْیِ عَن ضَلاَلَتِهِمْ إِن تُسْمِعُ إِلاَّ مَن یُؤْمِنُ بِاَیَاتِنَا فَهُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

Commentary, verse: 53

The divine prophet’s duty is to guide people to accept the truth, not to force them to be guided; since having a submissive mood before the truth is a preliminary state for some spiritual apprehensions.

In connection with the former discussion mentioned in the commentary of the previous verse, through this verse and the next one, people are divided into four groups:

1- The dead: That is, those who do not apprehend any fact, though they are apparently alive.

2- The deaf, those who cannot hear the truth.

3- Those people who are deprived from seeing the feature of the truth.

4- The true believers who have aware hearts, hearing ears, and seeing eyes.

At first, the holy verse implies that the words of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) do not affect on those who have dead hearts. It says: “For verily you can not make the dead to listen …” Then it continues saying: “… nor can you make the deaf to hear the call, when they turn away backward.” And also, the verse says:

“Nor can you lead the blind out of their straying. Only those will you make to hear who believe in Our signs and so they submit.”

As we said formerly, too, besides ‘life’ and ‘death’ of the body, as well as the apparent hearing and sight, the Qur’ān considers a superior kind of life and death as well as sight and hearing in which the main root of man’s happiness and wretchedness is found.

The assessment of the Qur’ān from these issues is not a material and physical assessment, but it is, in fact, a spiritual and humane assessment.

The first condition for comprehending the reality is to have a ready and receptive heart, a seeing eye and a hearing ear, otherwise if all prophets and saints come and recite all Divine verses to the one who has lost his discriminating sense and apprehension of the facts, as the result of committing many sins, obstinacy, and hostility, there will not appear a change in him.

And that the Qur’ān points to only two parts of the apparent senses, added to the innate apprehension, is for the sake that the majority of man’s data are gained either by the means of these two senses (eye and ear) or through sensa and analysis of wisdom.

It is interesting that the three stages, which are mentioned in the above verses, are three different stages of deviation and the lack of understanding the reality which has begun from an intensive case and ended to the mild one.

The first stage is the state of despondency which in the Qur’ān has been rendered into /mautā/ (the dead) that there is no way to be possible to penetrate into them.

The second stage is the stage of being deaf when they turn away backward and run away so violently that even the loud shouting, which may affect on them when they are near, are useless in this stage.

This group, of course, are not like the dead. It is sometimes possible that a matter can be conveyed to them by some signs

and gesticulations, but we know that many facts can not be made understand by this way, specially when they turn away.

The third stage is the state of blindness. Of course, living with the blind is much easier, because the meanings can orally be explained to them.

However, mere stating the subjects is not enough. Supposing a blind person is told to take the right direction or the left direction, acting this instruction is not so easy and sometimes, because of a slight mistake in measuring, that blind person may fall into a precipice.

When commenting on Sura An-Naml, No. 27, verses 80 and 81 in the explanation of the reality of ‘life’ and ‘death’ in the Qur’ān, we pointed to the weak rejection of a group of Wahhābites who, in order to negate the resorting to the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and Imams (a.s.) take help from the verses under discussion, and the like, and say that the dead (even the Prophet (p.b.u.h.)) never understand anything.

But, in that place, we proved that man, specially the great leaders and the martyr have a kind of life in purgatory after their death. There are many documents from the Qur’ān and tradition that testify to it. In this purgatory life they have a kind of perceive and understanding which is vaster than that in the worldly life.

Here we must add that all of the Muslims in their prayers always address the holy Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) and send salutation to him by saying: “As-salāmu ‘alayka ’ayyuhannabiyu wa rahmatullāh-i-wa barakātuh” and we know that the real addressee, not the figurative one, is certainly the one who hears and understands. Therefore, addressing and sending salutation to him from far and near distances is an indication to the fact that his holy soul hears all these salutation and it needs not reason that we consider these salutation as figurative ones.

Section 6: The evidence of those given Knowledge and Faith

Point

The various state in man brought by Allah – On the Day of Judgment the guilty shall be sifted away from the righteous – No excuse shall be accepted from the guilty nor will they be entitled to seek Allah’s grace – the holy Prophet (Muhammad) to be patient and to await the Promise

}54{ اللَّهُ الَّذِی خَلَقَکُم مِن ضَعْفٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِن بَعْدِ ضَعْفٍ قُوَّةً ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِن بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ ضَعْفاً وَشَیْبَةً یَخْلُقُ مَا یَشَآءُ

وَهُوَ الْعَلِیمُ الْقَدِیرُ

Commentary, verse: 54

At the beginning of his creation, man is thoroughly full of weakness.

The man’s stages of weakness and power are designed wisely in a program.

Of course, this noble verse refers to one of the proofs of Monotheism, i.e., the proof of poverty and needlessness. It completes the discussions about Monotheism cited throughout this Sura. It says:

“Allah is He Who created you out of weakness, then He gave strength after weakness, then after strength He appointed weakness and grey hair; He creates what He pleases, and He is the Knowing, the Powerful.”

At the beginning you were so weak that you were not able even to send away a fly from yourself, or hold up your saliva; this is from the point of body; and from the mental view-point, as the Qur’ānic term /lā ta‘lamūn/ indicates, (you did not know anything) you did not know even your kind parents who permanently took care of you. But, little by little, you became bodily and mentally powerful and, just like a person who ascend a mountain from its lap until he reaches its top, you began to come down from other side of it and you reached the bottom of the valley of weakness and became unable bodily and spiritually.

These changes, and these ascents and descents are the best proof for this fact that neither that power was yours nor was this weakness, but both of them were from the side of Allah, and this itself is a sign that another one turns the wheel of your entity, and whatever you have is accidental.

This is the same meaning that Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (a.s.) has pointed to in his saying where he says: “I came to know Allah, the Glorifies, through the breaking of determinations, change of intentions and losing of courage.”⁽¹⁾

It is interesting that the Holy Qur’ān also adds the Arabic word /šaybah/ (grey hair) for the second weakness of man during his lifetime, but in regard to the first weakness it does not mention ‘childhood’.

This difference may point to the fact that the weakness of senility is rather more painful, because firstly contrary to the weakness of childhood, it has a direction toward death and

annihilation and, secondly, the expectation from the aged, old, and experienced persons is never like that from the babies, while sometimes their weakness and disability are equal, and this is very instructive.

It is this stage that draws the disobedient powerful persons to weakness, despicableness, and helplessness.

The last sentence of the verse, which is an indication to the knowledge and Power of Allah, is both a glad tidings and a warning implying that He is aware of all your deeds and intentions and also He is able to give you both reward and retribution.

}55{ وَیَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ یُقْسِمُ الْمُ-جْرِمُونَ مَا لَبِثُوا غَیْرَ سَاعَةٍ کَذَلِکَ کَانُوا یُؤْفَکُونَ

Commentary, verse: 55

He who is accustomed to perjure in this world, will use it in the Hereafter, too.

We formerly said that the discussions around ‘Origin’ and ‘Resurrection’ are said close to each other in this Sura. In the above verse, following the former discussions about Origin and Resurrection, again the Qur’ān speaks about the subject of Resurrection and illustrates another painful scene of the state of the guilty on that Day. It says:

“And on the Day that the Hour (of Judgment) will be established, the guilty will swear that they tarried not but an hour; …”

Yes, in the past, too, the guilty were wholly deprived from understanding the reality in such a way. The verse continues saying:

“… thus were they used to being deluded.”

The application of the Qur’ānic word /sā‘ah/ (hour) instead of ‘the Day of Hereafter’, as we have formerly pointed out, is either for the sake that the Hereafter will be set in a sudden moment, or because the men’s deeds will quickly be reckoned because Allah, the Aware, is swift at reckoning. And we know that the word /sā‘ah/ in the Arabic language means a very small part of time.

Since there is no word mentioned about the place of this establishment in the verse, some commentators have said that it may refer to the time of staying in the world, which is, in fact, no more than a fleet moment. But the next verse is a clear evidence that the purpose of it is staying in the purgatory world, or the world after death and before Resurrection, because the Qur’ānic sentence “… Certainly you have tarried according to Allah’s Book till the Day of Resurrection, …” concludes the end of these two to the Hereafter, and this is not correct but concerning the purgatory world.

We also know this fact that the quality of purgatory is not the same for all. Some people have an aware life in purgatory (intermediate world), while there is another group who are like ones who go asleep deeply as if they would awake from their sleep on the Hereafter Day and consider thousands of days as one hour.

There will remain two matters here to be discussed. The first is that how can the guilty make such a wrong oath?

The answer to this question is clear. They truly think such that the purgatory term is a very short course, because they have had a state similar to sleep. Did not ‘the people of the cave’, who were some believing righteous people, consider that they had slept for a day or a part of a day after awakening from their very long sleeping? Or one of the Divine prophets, whose story is mentioned in Sura Al-Baqarah, verse 259, after one hundred years that he had passed away; returned to life again and he did not say that the gap between two kinds of life was one day or a part of a day. What is the problem that, regarding to the particular state of the people of the Hell, the guilty have such a consideration because of unawareness?

That is why, as the next verse announces, the aware believers will tell them that they are wrong and they have tarried in the

purgatory world until the Day of Hereafter and they are in the Day of Resurrection.

By this statement, the second matter i.e., the commentary of the Qur’ānic sentence: “… thus were they used to being deluded” is made clear, for the Arabic word: originally means: ‘the change of real feature and declining from Truth, and because of their peculiar condition in purgatory, this group have naturally remained far from realities and cannot discriminate the length of the time of their staying in purgatory.

Regarding to what was said in the above, there seems no need to pose the long discussions of a group of commentators who explain why the guilty ones tell intentionally lies on the Hereafter Day, since, in this stage, there is no reference of their intentional falsehood in the verse.

Of course, in other verses of the holy Qur’ān, there are seen some examples concerning the lie and falsehood of the guilty on the Day of Resurrection the answer of which has been given in detail when commenting on Sura Al-’An‘ām, No. 6, verse 187, but this discussion does not relate to the subject of the discussion concerning these verses.

}56{ وَقَالَ الَّذِینَ اُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ وَالإِیمَانَ لَقَدْ لَبِثْتُمْ فِی کِتَابِ اللَّهِ إِلَی یَوْمِ الْبَعْثِ فَهَذَا یَوْمُ الْبَعْثِ وَلَکِنَّکُمْ کُنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ

Commentary, verse: 56

Knowledge and faith are two great Divine gifts which are bestowed on men: “… who have been given knowledge and faith …”.

This holy verse also reiterates the response of the aware believers to the words of unaware guilty who have no proper information about the situation of purgatory and Hereafter. It says:

“And those who have been given knowledge and faith will say (to the guilty); ‘certainly you have tarried according to Allah’s Book till the Day of Resurrection, so this is the Day of Resurrection, but you did not know’.”

Mentioning the word of knowledge before the word faith in the holy verse is for the sake that knowledge is the foundation of faith.

The application of the Qur’ānic phrase /fī kitāb-i-llāh/ (according to Allah’s Book) may refer to the genetic Book, or to the heavenly Book, or both of them. It means it was by the genetic and religious command of Allah (s.w.t.) that they were determined to remain in purgatory for such a length of time and then be mustered on the Day of Resurrection.

As for the purpose of /’allaŏīna ’ūtul ‘il mawal ’īmān/ (those who have been given knowledge and faith) that who they are, some commentators have said that it points to the Divine angels who have both knowledge and faith, while some others have said that it refers to the aware believers; and the second interpretation is more apparent.

Some authentic Islamic narrations indicate that it has been rendered into the progeny of Hadrat Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (a.s.), the Immaculate Imams (a.s.) which is of the statement of clear extensions and it does not confine the vast meaning of the verse.

This point is also necessary to be mentioned that some commentators believe that the dialogue between these two groups about ‘purgatory’, that one of them imagines its time as long as one hour and the next one knows its real amount of time originates from this point that since the first group are waiting for the Divine punishment they are willing that it can be postponed more and they consider the distances short though they are very long. But the second group, who are waiting for Paradise and its bounties knowingly, see this distance long.⁽¹⁾