042- AL-SHURA
COUNSEL
IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE COMPASSIONATE, THE MERCIFUL
# Ḥā. Mīm. # ʿAyn. Sīn. Qāf. # Thus does He reveal unto thee and unto those before thee—God, the Mighty, the Wise. # Unto Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth, and He is the Exalted, the Magnificent. # The heavens are well-nigh rent asunder from above, while the angels hymn the praise of their Lord and seek forgiveness for those on earth. Yea! Truly God is the Forgiving, the Merciful. # As for those who take protectors apart from Him, God is Keeper over them, and thou art not a guardian over them. # Thus have We revealed unto thee an Arabic Quran that thou mayest warn the Mother of Cities and those around it, and that thou mayest warn of the Day of Gathering in which there is no doubt. A group shall be in the Garden and a group shall be in the Blaze. # Had God willed, He would have made them all one community. But He causes whomsoever He will to enter into His Mercy. And the wrongdoers have no protector and no helper. # Or have they taken protectors apart from Him? Yet God, He is the Protector; He gives life to the dead; and He is Powerful over all things. # As for anything wherein you differ, judgment thereof lies with God. That is God, my Lord. In Him do I trust and unto Him do I turn. # The Originator of the heavens and the earth, He has appointed for you mates from among yourselves, and has appointed mates also among the cattle. He multiplies you thereby; naught is like unto Him, yet He is the Hearer, the Seer. # Unto Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. He outspreads and straitens provision for whomsoever He will. Truly He is Knower of all things. # He has prescribed for you as religion that which He enjoined upon Noah, and that which We revealed unto thee, and that which We enjoined upon Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, that you uphold religion and not become divided therein. Grievous for the idolaters is that to which thou callest them. God chooses for Himself whomsoever He will and guides unto Himself whosoever turns in repentance. # They did not become divided till after knowledge had come unto them, out of envy among themselves. And were it not for a Word that had preceded from thy Lord unto a term appointed, judgment would have been made between them. Yet truly those who were bequeathed the Book after them are indeed confounded by doubt regarding it. # Therefore, summon, and stand firm as thou hast been commanded. Follow not their caprices, and say, “I believe in that which God has sent down as a Book, and I have been commanded to establish justice among you. God is our Lord and your Lord. Unto us our deeds, and unto you your deeds; there is no argument between us and you. God will gather us together and unto Him is the journey’s end.” # As for those who argue about God after having responded to Him, their argument is baseless in the eyes of their Lord. Upon them shall be wrath, and theirs shall be a severe punishment. # God it is Who sent down the Book in truth, and the Balance. And what will apprise thee? Perhaps the Hour is nigh? # Those who believe not in it seek to hasten it, and those who believe are wary of it and know that it is the truth. Are not those who dispute the Hour far astray? # God is kind unto His servants; He provides for whomsoever He will, and He is the Strong, the Mighty. # Whosoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter, We shall increase for him his harvest. And whosoever desires the harvest of this world, We shall give him some thereof, but he will have no share in the Hereafter. # Or have they partners who have prescribed for them as religion that which God did not permit? Were it not for the Word of Division, judgment would have been made between them. And truly the wrongdoers shall have a painful punishment. # Thou seest the wrongdoers wary of that which they have earned; for it will fall upon them. And those who believe and perform righteous deeds shall be in flowering meadows of the Gardens. With their Lord they shall have whatsoever they will. That is the great bounty. # This is that whereof God gives glad tidings to His servants, those who believe and perform righteous deeds. Say, “I ask not of you any reward for it, save affection among kinsfolk.” And whosoever accomplishes a good deed, We shall increase him in goodness thereby. Truly God is Forgiving, Thankful. # Or do they say, “He has fabricated a lie against God?” If God willed, He would put a seal upon thy heart. God wipes out falsehood and verifies the truth through His Words. Truly He knows what lies within breasts. # He it is Who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons evil deeds. And He knows whatsoever you do. # He responds to those who believe and perform righteous deeds, and will increase them from His Bounty. Yet as for the disbelievers, theirs shall be a severe punishment. ‘ Had God outspread His provision for His servants, they would have behaved tyrannically upon the earth. But He sends down whatsoever He will according to a measure. Verily of His servants He is Aware, Seeing. # He it is Who sends down the rain after they have despaired and spreads forth His Mercy. And He is the Protector, the Praised. # And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and all moving creatures that He has scattered therein, and He is able to gather them together whensoever He will. # Whatsoever misfortune befalls you is because of that which your hands have earned; and He pardons much. # You thwart not on earth, and you have no protector or helper apart from God. # Among His signs are the ships upon the sea like mountains; # if He so wills, He stills the wind, and they lie motionless upon its surface. Truly in that are signs for all who are patient, thankful. # Or He causes them to perish for that which they have earned—and He pardons much— # and so that those who dispute concerning Our signs will know that they have no refuge. # Whatsoever you have been given, it is the enjoyment of the life of this world, and that which lies with God is better and more lasting for those who believe and trust in their Lord, # who shun grave sins and indecencies and who when they are angry, they forgive, # who respond to their Lord and perform the prayer, their affair being counsel among them, who spend from that which We have provided them, # and who, when tyranny befalls them, they defend themselves. # The recompense of an evil is an evil like unto it. Yet whosoever pardons and sets matters aright, his reward is with God. Truly He loves not the wrongdoers. # And whosoever defends himself after having been wronged, for such there is no way against them. # There is only a way against those who wrong people and behave tyrannically upon the earth without right. For them, there shall be a painful punishment. # And whosoever is patient and forgives, that is indeed a course worthy of resolve. # And whomsoever God leads astray has no protector beyond Him. Thou shalt see the wrongdoers, when they see the punishment, saying, “Is there any way of return?” # And thou shalt see them exposed to it, diminished through abasement, looking furtively. And those who believe will say, “Truly the losers are those who have lost themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection.” Behold! Truly, the wrongdoers are in lasting punishment. # They have no protectors to help them apart from God. And whomsoever God leads astray, no way has he. # Respond to your Lord before there comes a day from God that none can repel. You will have no refuge that Day; nor shall you have any denial. # And if they turn away, We sent thee not as a keeper over them. Naught is incumbent upon thee, save the proclamation. Truly when We cause man to taste mercy from Us, he rejoices in it. Yet if an evil befalls them because of that which their hands have sent forth, truly man is ungrateful. # Unto God belongs sovereignty over the heavens and the earth; He creates whatsoever He will, bestowing females upon whomsoever He will, and bestowing males upon whomsoever He will, # or He couples males and females and causes whomsoever He will to be barren. Truly He is Knowing, Powerful. # It is not for any human being that God should speak unto him, save by revelation, or from behind a veil, or that He should send a messenger in order to reveal what He will by His Leave. Truly He is Exalted, Wise. # Thus have We revealed unto thee a Spirit from Our Command. Thou knewest not what scripture was, nor faith. But We made it a light whereby We guide whomsoever We will among Our servants. Truly thou dost guide unto a straight path, # the path of God, unto Whom belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth. Behold! All affairs are journeying unto God.
Commentary
# Ḥā. Mīm.
1 Al-Shūrā is the third in a series of seven sūrahs that open with the Arabic letters ḥāʾ and mīm and are referred to collectively as the Ḥawāmīm. The letters ḥāʾ and mīm are among the separated letters (al-muqaṭṭaʿāt) that are found at the beginning of twenty-nine sūrahs and whose meaning is considered by most commentators to be known only to God; see 2:1c. For some possible meanings of the letters ḥāʾ and mīm, see 40:1c.
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# ʿAyn. Sīn. Qāf.
2 This is the only one of the ḥā mīm sūrahs to have additional separated letters. Some say they were added to make this sūrah distinct, since it is the only ḥā mīm sūrah that does not begin with a declaration regarding the Quran; it begins instead with an allusion to what has been revealed to all prophets (Ṭs). Others say that the letters here represent an oath that God takes upon His Names; that they are simply a reference to certain of His Attributes (IJ), with the ʿayn referring to God’s Knowledge (ʿilm), the sīn to His Resplendence (sanāʾ), and the qāf to His Power (qudrah; IJ); or that they refer, respectively, to the Divine Names the Mighty (al-ʿAzīz), the Peace (al-Salām), and the Powerful (al-Qādir; IJ). Others propose that ʿAyn Sīn Qāf is a name for the Quran (IJ, Ṭs).
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# Thus does He reveal unto thee and unto those before thee—God, the Mighty, the Wise.
3 Just as God revealed His Words to Muhammad, so too did He reveal them to the prophets before him (IJ, IK, Ṭs). This verse could also refer to the contents of this sūrah as something all prophets have received (IJ, Ṭs) or more generally to God’s delivering reports from the realm of the Unseen to all prophets (IJ, Ṭs). The word thus could be understood as a reference to the manner in which God reveals, meaning, “In this way do We reveal unto thee” (IJ), an interpretation that harmonizes well with the final verses of the sūrah (vv. 51–53) which speak of the ways in which God communicates with human beings. When combined with the Name the Mighty, the Divine Name the Wise (al-ḥakīm) can also be understood to mean “the Determiner” (al-Muḥkim; Ṭs).
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# Unto Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth, and He is the Exalted, the Magnificent.
4 The first phrase of this verse is repeated throughout the Quran in various iterations (see, e.g., 2:255, 284; 3:109, 129; 4:126, 131–32; 171; 10:68; 22:64; 53:31).
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# The heavens are well-nigh rent asunder from above, while the angels hymn the praise of their Lord and seek forgiveness for those on earth. Yea! Truly God is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
5 That the heavens are well-nigh rent asunder may mean that they are separated from the greatness of what is above them (Ṭs), meaning the angels and the higher heavens, or from the Might and Greatness of God Himself (IJ, IK, Ṭ, Z). Viewed in light of a similar passage—The heavens are well-nigh rent thereby, and the earth split asunder, and the mountains made to come crashing down, that they should claim for the Compassionate a child (19:90–91)—this verse is also interpreted by some to mean that the heavens are nearly rent asunder because of the claim by the idolaters that God has offspring (IJ, Ṭs, Z). The rending asunder of the skies or heavens is referred to in several verses as one of the signs of the end of time: see 25:25; 55:37; 69:16c; 73:18; 82:1; 84:1. Regarding the angels hymning the praises of God and seeking forgiveness for those on the earth, see 40:7c.
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# As for those who take protectors apart from Him, God is Keeper over them, and thou art not a guardian over them.
6 Regarding those who take protectors apart from God, see also 7:3, 30; 29:41c; 39:3; 45:10. That God is Keeper over the idolaters means that He witnesses them, keeps a full account of their deeds, and will requite them in full (IK). That the Prophet is not a guardian over them (cf. 6:66, 107; 10:108; 17:54;
39:41) nor a keeper over them (cf. 4:80; 6:104; 11:86; 42:48) means that he has not been granted the authority to make them believers and that it is not his place to record their deeds (Ṭs), as he has only been sent as a warner (IK, Ṭs). In this respect, there is an aspect of consolation for the Prophet in this verse (Ṭs). That prophets are only responsible for proclaiming the message is emphasized in many passages (see, e.g., 3:20; 5:92, 99; 13:40; 16:35, 82; 24:54; 29:18; 36:17; 64:12).
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# Thus have We revealed unto thee an Arabic Quran that thou mayest warn the Mother of Cities and those around it, and that thou mayest warn of the Day of Gathering in which there is no doubt. A group shall be in the Garden and a group shall be in the Blaze.
7 Similar to v. 3, just as previous prophets were given revelations in the language of their respective peoples, so too was the Prophet Muhammad given revelation in the form of an Arabic Quran (cf. 12:2; 16:103; 20:113; 26:195; 39:28; 41:3; 43:3; Q, Ṭs), which should here be understood in its literal sense as an “Arabic recitation”; see 39:28c. Makkah is the Mother of Cities, a name understood to mean that it is nobler than all other cities (IK). In this regard, the Prophet is reported to have addressed Makkah saying, “By God! Thou art the best land of God, the most beloved land of God. Were it not for the fact that I was driven from thee, I would never have left thee” (IK). Regarding the nobility of Makkah, see commentary on 6:92; 27:91; 90:1–2. The Day of Gathering (cf. 64:9) refers to the Day of Resurrection, when all human beings of all generations and all jinn will be gathered, each community behind its prophet (see 17:71c), on a single open, barren plain for judgment (see, e.g., 3:25; 4:87; 6:128; 18:47; 20:106; 79:14); see also 64:9c.
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# Had God willed, He would have made them all one community. But He causes whomsoever He will to enter into His Mercy. And the wrongdoers have no protector and no helper.
8 Rather than sending these multiple revelations in various languages, God could have made all human beings one community following one religion and could have gathered them all to guidance (6:35; IJ, Ṭ); see also 2:213c. But God made people into different communities, that He might try them in that which He has given them (5:48); see 5:48c; 11:118–19c; 16:93c. From one perspective, this verse alludes to God’s providing various revelations so that people might vie with one another in good deeds (5:48). From another perspective, it could be said that God did not join all people in a single religion and save all from the punishment, since this would have removed the charge of moral and legal responsibility (taklīf) that can only be confirmed by also giving human beings choice (Ṭs).
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# Or have they taken protectors apart from Him? Yet God, He is the Protector; He gives life to the dead; and He is Powerful over all things.
9 This question is posed by way of rebuke (R). That God is the only Protector for human beings is a common Quranic theme (cf. 2:107, 120; 4:123, 173; 9:74, 116; 29:22; 33:18, 65; 42:31; 48:22).
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# As for anything wherein you differ, judgment thereof lies with God. That is God, my Lord. In Him do I trust and unto Him do I turn.
10 Although from a Quranic perspective the true and final judgment in all matters lies with God alone (see 6:57, 62; 12:40, 67), the means by which human beings come to know God’s Will and act accordingly are believed to be found in all revelations. The Torah (see 5:43; 45:16) and the Quran (see 13:37) are mentioned specifically, but the fact that messages about God’s Judgment of human beings on the basis of whether they have followed His Will are found in the revelations given to all prophets is alluded to in 6:84–89 (see also 21:78–79, which refer to David and Solomon in particular). Thus 4:59 enjoins believers, If you differ among yourselves concerning any matter, refer it to God and the Messenger, if you believe in God and the Last Day; and 5:44 warns, Whosoever judges not by that which God has sent down—it is they who are disbelievers. The present verse can also be understood as a reference to the Final Judgment, meaning that all people will be recompensed according to what each merits (Ṭs). Seen in this light, it provides assurance that the division between the two groups mentioned at the end of v. 7 will be just and that one should not be disheartened by the apparent injustices of this world, but rather trust in God and turn to Him, since unto God are all matters returned (2:110; 3:109; 8:44; 11:123; 22:76; 35:4; 57:5). Unto Him do I turn renders ilayhi unīb (cf. 11:88; 13:30), which in this context can also be understood to mean, “Unto Him do I return” (IJ) or “Unto Him do I turn in all my affairs” (IK, Ṭs).
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# The Originator of the heavens and the earth, He has appointed for you mates from among yourselves, and has appointed mates also among the cattle. He multiplies you thereby; naught is like unto Him, yet He is the Hearer, the Seer.
11 Originator translates Fāṭir, a Divine Name related to the verb faṭara, meaning to “split” or “cleave.” In the Quran, Fāṭir always occurs as part of the phrase Originator of the heavens and the earth (cf. 6:14; 12:101; 14:10; 35:1; 39:46). When the end of the previous verse is understood as an allusion to returning to God, and thus to one’s final end, this phrase complements it by alluding to one’s beginning. That God appointed or created mates for all human beings is attested in several verses (see 4:1c; 16:72; 35:11; 78:8). Here, as in 16:72 and 35:11, the connection is made between mates and procreation. Elsewhere the emotional, psychological, and spiritual benefits of having mates are emphasized: And among His signs is that He created mates for you from among yourselves, that you might find rest in them, and that He established affection and mercy between you (30:21).
He multiplies you is also understood to mean, “He creates you” or “He sustains you” (IJ, Ṭ), which could be interpreted to mean that God creates human beings by means of human procreation, which occurs through the “pairing” of spouses. He then sustains human beings by providing them with cattle, whose numbers are maintained through analogous means of procreation between animal mates (Ṭ). Thereby renders fīhi, which literally means “in it” or “therein,” but is here interpreted to mean bihi, or “through it,” meaning He multiplies you through the mates that He appoints (IJ). If understood to mean “He multiplies you in it,” “it” is seen as a reference to the wombs in which creatures are generated (IJ), or the pairs from which human beings are generated and sustained (IJ), or the earth, meaning, “He multiplies you in that which He creates from the heavens and the earth” (IJ).
Naught is like unto Him (cf. 112:4) is among the most famous phrases of the Quran, as it provides a succinct and unequivocal assertion of God’s complete and utter transcendence (tanzīh). Like unto Him renders ka mithlihi, which literally reads “like His likeness.” But the ka is understood by the vast majority of exegetes to be added for emphasis (IJ, Q, Ṭ, Ṭs). Some Sufis maintain that the phrase alludes to both God’s Transcendence and His Immanence, or “likeness” (tashbīh). Thus, while they maintain that reading the ka as a particle added for emphasis is valid, they also maintain that the more literal reading—“like unto His likeness”—is valid, in which case the phrase alludes to the manner in which God’s creation must be subtly linked to God as His own Self-Manifestation or Self-Disclosure in order for creation to exist, lest there be any form of existence independent of God’s Being. In this vein, Ibn ʿArabī observes that God says naught is like unto Him in many different ways. The highest of these ways is that there is nothing in existence that resembles God or is a likeness of God, since existence is nothing but God’s own Self-Disclosure. So there is nothing in existence other than Him that might be His “likeness” or opposite (Futūḥāt, II 516.31–32). This reading provides an emphatic statement of God’s absolute transcendence in that it affirms not only that there is nothing like unto God, but that there cannot possibly be anything other than Him that is like unto Him or unto His likeness, since there is no existence other than emanations or theophanies of His Being. From this perspective, God’s absolute immanence becomes the greatest testimony to His absolute transcendence. Only in this way can one fully explain how it is that God is with you wheresoever you are (57:4) and nearer to human beings than their jugular vein (50:16) and at the same time completely transcendent.
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# Unto Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. He outspreads and straitens provision for whomsoever He will. Truly He is Knower of all things.
12 For the first phrase, see 39:63c; also see 6:50c. God outspreads provision for whomsoever He will as a test and straitens provision for whomsoever He will as a trial (JJ); cf. 13:6; 17:30; 28:82; 29:62; 30:37; 34:39; 39:52. In the context of this sūrah and especially the next verse, this verse can be seen as an allusion to the “keys to the treasuries” of provision, mercy, and knowledge, which belong only to God and which He provides or withholds as He wills; see 6:59c; 39:63c.
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# He has prescribed for you as religion that which He enjoined upon Noah, and that which We revealed unto thee, and that which We enjoined upon Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, that you uphold religion and not become divided therein. Grievous for the idolaters is that to which thou callest them. God chooses for Himself whomsoever He will and guides unto Himself whosoever turns in repentance.
13 The first part of this verse is similar to 4:163–64: Verily We have revealed unto thee, as We revealed unto Noah and the prophets after him, and as We revealed unto Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Tribes, and Jesus and Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and unto David We gave the Psalms, and messengers We have recounted unto thee before, and messengers We have not recounted unto thee; and unto Moses God spoke directly. Regarding the universality of revelation in the Quran, see the essay “The Quranic View of Sacred History and Other Religions.”
To uphold religion means that to act in accord with it (Ṭ) or to hold fast to it, perform its obligations, remain faithful to it, and call others to it (Ṭs), and to not become divided means to not be like earlier religious communities that divided into sects (Ṭ), but rather to remain united in religion as brothers (Ṭs). In this vein, al-Ṭabarī says that division is destruction and being unified is something upon which one can rely; regarding the importance of brotherhood within the Muslim community, see 49:6–12. The Prophet’s call to belief in Divine Unity and sincere devotion to God is grievous for the idolaters both because it undermines their religion and because it arouses jealousy that Muhammad and not someone else was given the revelation (see commentary on 38:5–8; Ṭs), as when they ask, Why was this Quran not sent down to a great man from one of the two towns? (43:31).
The antecedent of the pronoun here rendered Himself is not completely clear. The sentence could also be read, “God chooses for it whomsoever He will and guides unto it whomsoever He will,” in which case “it” is understood as a reference to religion (Z) or to bearing witness to Divine Unity (tawḥīd; Q). That God guides whosoever turns in repentance (cf. 13:27) evokes the famous ḥadīth qudsī, “If my servant draws nearer to Me by a span, I draw nearer to him by a cubit; and if he draws nearer to Me by a cubit, I draw nearer to him by the span of an outstretched arm; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running” (R).
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# They did not become divided till after knowledge had come unto them, out of envy among themselves. And were it not for a Word that had preceded from thy Lord unto a term appointed, judgment would have been made between them. Yet truly those who were bequeathed the Book after them are indeed confounded by doubt regarding it.
14 In this context, they did not become divided till after knowledge had come unto them is understood as a reference to the disbelievers who had not differed in their opinions regarding the Prophet until after the declaration of his prophethood (Ṭs). They then turned away out of jealousy and greed, as they did not want him to become their leader (Ṭs). In connection with v. 13, al-Ṭabarī understands this verse to be a reference to the people of Noah, who became divided after they became aware of the revelation sent to him (Ṭ). Others understand this verse to be similar to 3:19 and 98:4, which speak of the People of the Book differing among themselves after knowledge or the clear proof had come to them, out of envy of the revelation that had been given to the Prophet Muhammad (IJ); see also 2:213; 3:19c, 105; 10:93; 23:53; 43:63–65; 45:17; 98:4c. In this later context, dividing religion into factions is an error said to have been committed by previous religious communities, an error that Muslims are enjoined to avoid (cf. 6:65, 159; 3:103–5); regarding the nature of envy, see 113:5c.
If not for a word that had preceded from thy Lord means that if God had not promised to grant them respite until an appointed term, judgment would have been made at the moment that difference arose, and they would have had no opportunity to repent (cf. 10:19; 11:110; 41:45; 42:20). When viewed as a reference to the people of Noah, those who were bequeathed the Book is understood to mean those given subsequent revelations who are in doubt regarding the religion that God enjoined upon Noah and revealed to Muhammad and that they have been ordered to uphold (Ṭ). Others understand it to mean those who are in doubt regarding the Quran (Ṭs) and the prophethood of Muhammad (IJ).
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# Therefore, summon, and stand firm as thou hast been commanded. Follow not their caprices, and say, “I believe in that which God has sent down from a Book, and I have been commanded to establish justice among you. God is our Lord and your Lord. Unto us our deeds, and unto you your deeds; there is no argument between us and you. God will gather us together and unto Him is the journey’s end.”
15 As rendered, this opening phrase means that, because people are confounded by doubt, the Prophet must call them to the Truth (Ṭs). The phrase can also be read “and unto that, summon,” meaning “unto the Quran” (IJ, Ṭ), but it can be understood more broadly as an injunction to summon people to the religion that has been prescribed for them (v. 13) and that was enjoined upon the prophets before them (IK, Q, Ṭ, Ṭs). Then the Prophet is to stand firm by adhering to what God has enjoined and holding fast to it (Ṭs), worshipping as God has commanded (IK), or “holding firm” to the Quran (Q). The antecedent of their in their caprices could be the idolaters (IK), the People of the Book (IJ), or all who doubt what has been revealed to the Prophet (Ṭ). To follow their caprices would then be the opposite of following what God enjoined upon the messengers (see also 2:120, 145; 5:48–49; 6:56, 150; 13:37; 45:18; 2:145c; 45:18c). It is thus the opposite of affirming the underlying unity of revelations, as the Prophet is here commanded to do; see the essay “The Quranic View of Sacred History and Other Religions.” To establish justice among you means either “to be equitable among you” in spreading the message, calling everyone to the Truth and not being partial to anyone (IJ, Q, Ṭ, Ṭs), or “to judge according to the decrees of revelation” (IJ, IK, Q, Ṭs), as when the Prophet is told, Verily We have sent down unto thee the Book in truth, that thou mightest judge between men according to what God has shown thee (4:105).
That each group has its own deeds means that each will receive the reward or recompense commensurate with those deeds (IJ, Ṭ, Ṭs) and bears no responsibility for those of others, as in 10:41: And if they deny thee, say, “Unto me, my deeds, and unto you, your deeds. You are quit of that which I do, and I am quit of that which you do” (cf. 2:139; 28:55). That there is no argument or dispute between the believers and the disbelievers means that, since the truth has appeared, the dispute is settled (Ṭs) or, as implied by the final sentence of the verse, that as God will gather all people together and judge between them, there is no need to dispute the matter, since unto God are all matters returned (2:210; 3:109; 8:44; 11:123; 22:76; 35:4; 57:5).
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# As for those who argue about God after having responded to Him, their argument is baseless in the eyes of their Lord. Upon them shall be wrath, and theirs shall be a severe punishment.
16 Those who argue about God after having responded to Him are those who argue about religion after people have responded to the revelation sent to Muhammad. Although this verse most likely refers to the Makkan idolaters and their efforts to prevent those who responded to the Prophet’s call from following him, some interpret it as a reference to Jews and Christians who argue that their religion is superior because their prophets and scriptures were sent prior to those of Islam (IJ, IK, Ṭs). It may also be seen as a criticism of those who argue, in contrast to the affirmation of the underlying unity of revelations advocated in v. 15, that there is no unity between the message of the Quran and that of the Torah and the Gospel and refuse to accept the validity of Muhammad’s prophethood (R).
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# God it is Who sent down the Book in truth, and the Balance. And what will apprise thee? Perhaps the Hour is nigh?
17 Regarding the sending down of the Quran in truth or “with truth” (cf. 2:176, 213; 3:3; 4:105; 5:48; 6:114; 39:2, 41), see 39:2c. God establishes justice in the world at large by setting the Balance (mīzān) within creation itself (15:19; 55:7; 57:25); He does so among human beings by commanding justice through revelation (4:135; 6:152; 7:29, 85; 11:85; 16:90; 42:17; 57:25) and by weighing deeds on scales (mawāzīn) on the Day of Judgment (see 7:8–9; 21:47; 23:102–3; 101:6–9); see commentary on 57:25, where the Book is also coupled with the Balance. That the Hour may be nigh (cf. 33:63) is understood as an injunction to prepare for it and the judgment that will ensue, as when a man asked the Prophet, “When will the Hour come?” The Prophet responded, “Woe unto you! What have you done to prepare for it?” To which the man replied, “Love for God and His Messenger.” The Prophet then said, “You will be with those whom you love” (IK).
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# Those who believe not in it seek to hasten it, and those who believe are wary of it and know that it is the truth. Are not those who dispute the Hour far astray?
18 The disbelievers seek to hasten the Hour and hence the punishment when they mock it, saying, When will this promise come to pass, if you are truthful? (10:48; 21:38; 27:71; 34:29; 36:48; 67:25), and, O God, if this be the truth from
Thee, rain down stones upon us from the sky, or bring us a painful punishment (8:32); see also 6:57; 10:50–51; 22:47; 26:204–7; 29:53–54c; 37:176–77. In contrast, those who believe seek to prepare for it out of fear of what may befall them.
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# God is kind unto His servants; He provides for whomsoever He will, and He is the Strong, the Mighty.
19 Some scholars consider this verse to be among the most hopeful verses of the Quran (others are 24:22; 33:47; 39:53, 42:22; 93:5). Kind translates laṭīf, which when used in relation to God means that He is Kind, receiving His servants with honor (Ṭs), as well as Righteous and Merciful (R), and that He is Subtle in that He is aware of the most intimate and minute details (Ṭs); hence the repeated reference to God as the Subtle, the Aware (6:103; 22:63; 31:16; 33:34; 67:14). Laṭīf thus conveys both gentleness in action and acuteness in perception. In relation to other Divine Attributes, al-Ghazzālī writes, “He is Wise insofar as He directs things, Generous insofar as He brings them into existence, Fashioner insofar as He gives them order, Just insofar as He puts each thing in its proper place, and Subtle insofar as He does not overlook the intricacies of gentleness regarding them” (Asmāʾ Allāh al-ḥusnā, 111). Thus it is through the Attribute of kindness and subtlety that God provides for whomsoever He will, since it is by virtue of this Attribute that God knows the precise needs of every created thing and provides for them, as in 11:6: There is no creature that crawls upon the earth, but that its provision lies with God. And He knows its dwelling place and its repository.
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# Whosoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter, We shall increase for him his harvest. And whosoever desires the harvest of this world, We shall give him some thereof, but he will have no share in the Hereafter.
20 This verse is similar to several passages contrasting those who desire the fruits of the Hereafter with those who desire the fruits of this world; see 3:145, 152; 4:134; 17:18–19; 18:28; 28:79–80. In 2:86 there is also a warning for those who have purchased the world at the price of the Hereafter. To desire the harvest of the Hereafter means to work for its sake (IK, Ṭs). God will increase their reward tenfold or even seven hundred fold (IK), as in 2:261: The parable of those who spend their wealth in the way of God is that of a grain that grows seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains. In contrast, whoever strives only for worldly gains may or may not receive benefits in this world, but will receive none in the Hereafter; see 102:1c. In this vein, the Prophet said of the Muslim community, “Whosoever among them performs the deeds of the Hereafter for the sake of this world will have no portion in the Hereafter” (IK).
Several Sufi commentaries add that for those who work for God out of love for him, not desiring recompense, all things other than God will be diminished in their eyes and they will not seek the harvest of this world or of the Hereafter; rather, they will seek God alone (Aj, Bq, Su).
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# Or have they partners who have prescribed for them as religion that which God did not permit? Were it not for the Word of Division, judgment would have been made between them. And truly the wrongdoers shall have a painful punishment.
21 This question asks, “Do they have gods who have created another religion for them that God did not prescribe for them?” (IJ); see also 10:34–35, and “Do they follow what the satans among human beings and jinn have prescribed, such as the contrived rulings and superstitious customs practiced in pre-Islamic Arabia?” In this regard, see 5:103–4, which criticizes the custom of making certain kinds of camels sacred; see also 6:136–39, 143–45; 10:59. Division translates faṣl, which denotes making one of two things clear from the other (Iṣ). The Word of Division refers to the Divine Judgment, which divides the believers and the disbelievers and makes truth distinct from falsehood. In this same vein, the Day of Judgment is referred to as the Day of Division (37:21; 44:40; 77:13, 38; 78:17). In this context Word of Division indicates that, had God not already decreed that the division between the believers and disbelievers would take place on the Day of the Resurrection, those who make the innovations alluded to in the first part of the verse would already have been judged (cf. 10:19; 11:110; 41:45; 42:14). Faṣl can also be understood to mean “decisive,” as in 86:13, where the decree of the Day of Judgment is referred to as a decisive Word (qawl faṣl).
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# Thou seest the wrongdoers wary of that which they have earned; for it will fall upon them. And those who believe and perform righteous deeds shall be in flowering meadows of the Gardens. With their Lord they shall have whatsoever they will. That is the great bounty.
22 When everyone is gathered on the plain of Resurrection (see 17:71c; 18:47; 79:14c), the wrongdoers will be wary of the recompense they will receive for the deeds they committed in this world (IK, Ṭ). In contrast, the believers were wary in this world (see v. 18) and therefore performed righteous deeds for which they will be rewarded with meadows in the Hereafter. Meadows renders rawḍāt, the plural of rawḍah, a word meaning a place in which vegetation is plentiful (Ṭ), and is used to designate the most pleasing part of a garden (R). Some read this verse to mean that even the iniquitous among those who performed their prayers will be in the Garden, while those who performed righteous deeds will be in a specially designated part of Paradise (R). Some also understand being in meadows of the Gardens as a figurative reference to the happiness and blessings they enjoy (Ṭ). That they shall have whatsoever they will (cf. 16:31; 25:16; 39:34; 50:35) refers to the many bounties of Paradise being already prepared for them (R); see also 52:22; 56:21; 77:41–44.
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# This is that whereof God gives glad tidings to His servants, those who believe and perform righteous deeds. Say, “I ask not of you any reward for it, save affection among kinsfolk.” And whosoever accomplishes a good deed, We shall increase him in goodness thereby. Truly God is Forgiving, Thankful.
23 This refers to what was said regarding the Gardens in the previous verse (IJ) or to the great bounty (Ṭs). No prophet seeks personal gain from the transmission of revelation. Thus the Prophet is enjoined, Say, “I ask not of you any reward for it. It is naught but a reminder for the worlds” (6:90; cf. 25:57; 38:86) and the prophets Noah (26:109), Hūd (11:51; 26:127), Ṣāliḥ (26:145), Lot (26:164), and Shuʿayb (26:180) all say to their respective communities, I ask not of you any reward for it. Elsewhere the Prophet states that he only delivers the message so that whosoever will may take a way unto his Lord (25:57), but here he enjoins affection among kinsfolk; that is, he is asking the Makkans to honor and uphold the ties of kinship that he had with them (IJ, IK, Q, Ṭ, Ṭū), as nearly all of the Makkans were related by virtue of being members of the same tribe, the Quraysh. In this vein, Ibn ʿAbbās said, “There was not a single house [i.e., subtribe] of the Quraysh, but that it had kinship with the Prophet, and so [42:23] was revealed in this regard, and its interpretation is, ‘O Quraysh! You should keep good relations between me and you’” (IK, Ṭ). Others say that the call to affection among kinsfolk is an appeal to follow the Prophet’s kin (Aj, IJ, Qm, Ṭ, Ṭs), specifically his cousin and son-in-law ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib and his daughter Fāṭimah and their descendants (Aj, IJ, Q), though al-Ṭabarī argues that it would need to be phrased “affection for kinsfolk” (mawaddat al-qurbā) for this meaning to obtain. Ibn ʿAjībah, however, maintains that the manner in which it is phrased provides a more emphatic injunction to love the Prophet’s kinsfolk. Still others understand the phrase to mean that one should love the Prophet as one loves one’s own kinsfolk (IJ) or that one should love one’s kinsfolk and maintain relations with them (IJ, Ṭ). Kinsfolk renders qurbā, which derives from a root (q-r-b) that indicates nearness and approach. Thus some suggest this verse means “love through nearness” and that it enjoins love for God and drawing near to Him through pious deeds (Aj, IJ, Q, Ṭ, Ṭū).
For increase in goodness, cf. 10:26: Unto those who are virtuous shall be that which is most beautiful and more besides (see also 2:245, 261; 4:40; 6:160; 64:17; 10:26–27c; 55:60c). That God is Forgiving, Thankful (cf. 35:30, 34) indicates that He forgives bad deeds and accepts good ones.
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# Or do they say, “He has fabricated a lie against God?” If God willed, He would put a seal upon thy heart. God wipes out falsehood and verifies the truth through His Words. Truly He knows what lies within breasts.
24 Regarding the charge that the Prophet fabricated the revelation, see 10:38: Or do they say, “He has fabricated it”? Say, “Then bring a sūrah like it, and call upon whomsoever you can apart from God, if you are truthful” (cf. 11:13, 35; 32:3; 46:8; 52:33). That God would put a seal upon thy heart indicates either that God would fortify the Prophet’s heart with patience to endure the insults hurled against him (JJ) or that He would not allow the Prophet’s heart to continue to understand the revelation, had the Prophet added anything to it, since God would then cause him to forget what He had already revealed (IJ, IK, Ṭ). This latter interpretation is more in line with the use of “sealing,” “veiling,” and “covering” hearts that is employed throughout the Quran to indicate the condition in which people are closed to spiritual comprehension (see 2:7c; 6:25, 46; 7:100–101; 9:87, 93; 10:74; 16:108; 17:46; 18:57, 101; 30:59; 41:5; 45:23; 47:16; 63:3; 83:14–15). In this sense, this verse is similar to 69:44–47: Had he ascribed any statements to Us, We would have taken him by the right hand. And then We would have severed his life vein. And none among you could have shielded him from it.
God wipes out falsehood by means of the truth, as in 17:81: Truth has come, and falsehood has vanished. Truly falsehood is ever vanishing; and 21:18: Nay, but We cast truth against falsehood, and it crushes it, and, behold, it vanishes. Then God verifies the truth (cf. 10:82) through revelation. The idea that God knows what lies within breasts (3:119, 154; 5:7; 8:43; 11:5; 29:10; 31:23; 35:38; 39:7; 57:6; 64:4; 67:13) is usually a general statement regarding all human beings, but in this context it also implies that, were the Prophet’s own soul to suggest that he fabricate a lie against God, God would seal his heart, since He eradicates falsehood and verifies the truth (Ṭ). In this sense, this verse provides an unequivocal rejection of the charge that the Prophet could have fabricated the Quran or any part of it.
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# He it is Who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons evil deeds. And He knows whatsoever you do.
25 Although repentance is enjoined throughout the Quran, this is one of two verses to state that God accepts repentance (see also 9:104; cf. 20:82). In 40:3 God is referred to as Accepter of Repentance. In this vein, the Prophet said, “God rejoices more emphatically over the repentance of His servant than one of you who finds his stray camel in a place where he had feared that thirst would slay him” (IK). The extent of God’s Forgiveness toward those who repent was expressed by ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd, who recited this verse when asked about a man who fornicates with a woman and then marries her (IK). God then pardons past sins for those who repent (Ṭ). Nonetheless, such repentance must be sincere, for truly those who disbelieve after having believed, then increase in disbelief, their repentance shall not be accepted, and they are the ones astray (3:90); And repentance is not accepted from those who do evil deeds till, when death confronts one of them, he says, “Truly, now I repent,” nor from those who die as disbelievers (4:18).
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# He responds to those who believe and perform righteous deeds, and will increase them from His Bounty. Yet as for the disbelievers, theirs shall be a severe punishment.
26 God answers the supplications of those who believe and perform righteous deeds (Bg, IK, Ṭ) and rewards them (Bg), and He will increase them by granting them even more than what they requested (Ṭ). Some understand this verse to mean that God allows them to intercede for their companions; the increase then means that they can intercede for the companions of their companions (Bg, IK, Q, Ṭ). Alternately, those who could be understood as the subject of this sentence, meaning that those who believe and perform righteous deeds respond to their Lord when He calls them to faith and obedience (Ṭ), and in return He grants them increase.
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# Had God outspread His provision for His servants, they would have behaved tyrannically upon the earth. But He sends down whatsoever He will according to a measure. Verily of His servants He is Aware, Seeing.
27 In relation to v. 26, this verse emphasizes that one’s focus should be upon increase in the Hereafter rather than in this world. It can thus be seen as clarifying what is meant by We shall increase him in goodness in v. 23. This verse is reported to have been revealed regarding some of the poor and destitute among the early believers who desired the wealth and ease of this world (Ṭ). Some say that it pertained specifically to the homeless emigrants known as the “People of the Veranda” (Ṭ), who may have looked with desire upon the wealth of other tribes in Madinah (Bg, Q). The verse suggests that, were God to have increased the provision He had destined for some people, they would transgress the limits set by God (Ṭ) by being tyrannical and acting disobediently toward Him (Q). They would seek one abode, then another, one mount and then another, one outfit and then another (Q), meaning that, were God to give them much wealth, they would only seek more, as stated in a famous ḥadīth, “If the son of Adam had a valley of gold, he would wish that he had two valleys” (Q). Rather, God gives provision according to what He knows to be in the best interest of His servants (IK) and what suffices them (Q). In this regard, Islamic scholars note that God knows best the state of His servants and when increasing their provision will lead to corruption. Thus reduction of provision is not abasement and increase in provision is not necessarily a sign of Divine Favor (Q), as in a ḥadīth qudsī, “Among My believing servants are those for whom nothing but wealth will make them righteous; were I to make them poor, poverty would corrupt them. And among My believing servants are those for whom nothing but poverty will make them righteous; were I to make them wealthy, wealth would corrupt them. Verily, I arrange for My servants according to My Knowledge of their hearts; for truly I am Knowing, Aware” (Q).
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# He it is Who sends down the rain after they have despaired and spreads forth His Mercy. And He is the Protector, the Praised.
28 When people have given up hope that rain will fall, God sends it upon them at their time of need (cf. 30:49; 41:39) and bestows it upon all who are in that region (IK). From a spiritual perspective, “God sends the rain of Divine inspirations down upon dead hearts such that they are revived through remembrance [of God] and knowledge, after they have despaired” (Aj).
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# And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and all moving creatures that He has scattered therein, and He is able to gather them together whensoever He will.
29 This is one of many verses to cite, as a sign of Divine Omnipotence, God’s creation of all that exists (IK) and His ability to resurrect the dead (Ṭ); see 2:165; 3:190–91; 30:20–26; 56:57–73. Moving creatures refers to human beings and angels (Q, Ṭ); or to human beings, angels, jinn, and all the various kinds of animals that God has distributed throughout the earth (IK); or just to all animals (Ṭs). Just as He created them the first time, He is able to gather them all together on the Day of Resurrection (IK, Ṭ).
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# Whatsoever misfortune befalls you is because of that which your hands have earned; and He pardons much.
# You thwart not on earth, and you have no protector or helper apart from God.
30-31 Here misfortune is understood as a general reference to all afflictions that may befall human beings (IK, Ṭ, Ṭs), similar to 4:79: Whatever good befalls thee, it is from God, and whatever evil befalls thee, it is from thyself. It may also be a specific reference to the punishments for violations of Islamic Law (Q, Ṭs). In this sense, the small afflictions one bears are seen as alleviating the burden of sins for which one would have to pay a greater price in the Hereafter, as stated in a ḥadīth, “No believer is afflicted with fatigue, exhaustion, anxiety, or sorrow but that God absolves him of some of his sins thereby—even the prick of a thorn” (IK, Ṭ). But should God desire to punish someone, there is nothing anyone can do to thwart it (IJ); this is a recurring Quranic theme: see 8:59; 9:2–3; 11:20; 24:57; 29:22; 35:44; 46:32; 72:12. That no one has any protector or helper apart from God and that God is the only Protector for human beings is also reiterated in several verses throughout the Quran (see, e.g., 2:107, 120; 4:123, 173; 9:74, 116; 11:20, 113; 29:22; 33:17–18, 65; 42:8–9; 48:22).
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# Among His signs are the ships upon the sea like mountains;
# if He so wills, He stills the wind, and they lie motionless upon its surface. Truly in that are signs for all who are patient, thankful.
# Or He causes them to perish for that which they have earned—and He pardons much—
32-34 That God subjugates the sea and allows ships to travel upon it without hindering their travel by withholding the wind or causing travelers to perish by sending too much wind is here invoked as a sign of His Mercy toward human beings (see also 2:164c; 14:32; 17:66; 23:21–22; 30:46; 31:31; 35:12; 40:80; 43:12; 45:12; 55:24). In these verses, the ships also indicate the frailty of the human condition, and the metaphor relates to the manner in which God bestows and withholds provision in accord with what He knows is best for each individual (IK), as in vv. 27–28. Those who are patient when affliction befalls them, which could be seen as the times of too much or too little wind, and who are thankful when able to travel with ease, benefit from reflecting upon these signs. As in v. 30, people only perish and are punished because of their own iniquities, since God does not wrong human beings in the least, but rather human beings wrong themselves (10:44; see also 27:90; 36:54; 37:39; 52:16; 66:7). For more on the symbolism of seafaring as it pertains to the spiritual life, see 30:46c.
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# and so that those who dispute concerning Our signs will know that they have no refuge.
35 The disbelievers know that they have no refuge when the water overcomes them and they drown (IJ), or after the Resurrection they know that there is no escape from the punishment (Aj, IJ, Ṭ).
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# Whatsoever you have been given, it is the enjoyment of the life of this world, and that which lies with God is better and more lasting for those who believe and trust in their Lord,
36 Cf. 28:60. Enjoyment of the life of this world indicates the ephemeral delights of this world, which are naught but the enjoyment of delusion (3:185; 57:20). They stand in stark contrast to the rewards of the next life (see 3:14; 4:77; 9:38; 13:26; 20:131; 28:60; 40:39; 43:35), which are more lasting; see 29:64c.
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# who shun grave sins and indecencies and who when they are angry, they forgive,
37 Grave sins refers to transgressions such as idolatry, murder, and usury, though there is no agreement on a single definition; see 4:31c, where they are compared with minor evil deeds (sayyiʾāt). Indecencies translates fawāḥish (sing. fāḥishah), which may refer specifically to sexual transgressions (IJ, Ṭ; see 4:15c; 4:22c) or more broadly to transgressing the limits set by God (IJ). Other verses specify that one must avoid sin or indecency, both outward and inward (see 6:120c; 6:151–52c); for more on the various categories of sins, see 4:31c; 7:33c. To forgive when angry implies also controlling one’s rage, as in 3:134, which extols those who curb their rage, and pardon others. Regarding the virtue of restraining one’s anger, the Prophet said, “A strong person is not one who throws his adversaries to the ground. A strong person is one who contains himself when he is angry.” He also advised, “Anger comes from the Devil; the Devil was created of fire, and fire is extinguished only with water; so when one of you becomes angry, he should perform ablution.” In this regard, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib is reported to have said, “Anger is a ball of fire, but when you swallow it, it is sweeter than honey.”
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# who respond to their Lord and perform the prayer, their affair being counsel among them, who spend from that which We have provided them,
38 Those who respond to their Lord are those who testify to God’s Oneness (Ṭ), fulfill the dictates of religion (Ṭs), and establish the prayer in the manner prescribed at the designated times (Ṭ, Ṭs) or those in whose hearts there is no dispute with any of God’s Commands (R). In this sense, they stand in direct contrast to those who dispute concerning Our signs (v. 35). The reference to counsel is understood as an allusion to the Helpers (Anṣār) of Madinah who responded with faith to the call from the Prophet and sought counsel with one another before embracing Islam (Q, Ṭs). It also invokes a general principle, as it is said that if people seek counsel with one another, they will be guided to sound judgment (Q, R, Ṭs). From another perspective, those whose affair is counsel among them refers to those who refer all matters back to the religion, as in 4:83: And whenever tidings come unto them, whether of security or fear, they spread it about, whereas had they referred it to the Messenger and to those in authority among them, those of them whose task it is to investigate would have known it (Qm).
In 3:159, the Prophet is also instructed to consult them in affairs, that is, to seek the opinion of his Companions, especially in governance and military questions, but not in questions pertaining to Divine Decrees, since the Prophet has direct guidance from God for such matters (Q). But after the death of the Prophet, the Companions would seek counsel from one another in seeking to understand the Divine Decrees and finding the means of extracting them from the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet (Q). Regarding the importance of counsel in governing the affairs of the community, the Prophet is reported to have said, “If your leaders are the best of you and your wealthy are the magnanimous among you and your affair is counsel among you, the outside of the earth will be better for you than its inside” (Q).
Regarding those who spend from that which We have provided them, see 2:3c; 8:3; 13:22; 28:54; 32:16.
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# and who, when tyranny befalls them, they defend themselves.
39 When tyranny befalls them (Q, Ṭ) refers to the idolaters’ expulsion of the Muslims from Makkah (Q), after which they were granted permission to defend themselves, as in 22:39–40: Permission is granted to those who are fought, because they have been wronged—and truly God is able to help them— who were expelled from their homes without right, only for saying, “Our Lord is God” (Q). The present verse establishes a general principle that no one should submit to the tyranny of an oppressor and thus reaffirms the Quranic injunction to enjoin right and forbid wrong (see 3:104c; Q).
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# The recompense of an evil is an evil like unto it. Yet whosoever pardons and sets matters aright, his reward is with God. Truly He loves not the wrongdoers.
40 If understood as a general statement, this verse alludes to the Quranic dictum that people are only punished for their bad deeds in a measure that is equal to the sins they have committed, but that they are rewarded tenfold or greater for good deeds; see 6:160c; 28:84; 40:40c. In the present context, it refers to the bounds within which justice can be pursued when defending against those who are tyrannical or when seeking retribution after an offense; see the essay “Conquest and Conversion, War and Peace in the Quran.” According to some, evil here refers to physical harm, cursing another, or insulting another (Bg). With regard to seeking retribution for the sins or misdeeds of individuals, if the offender is an inveterate wrongdoer who engages in immoral acts publicly and shamelessly while bringing harm to society, then seeking retribution is preferable, as in v. 39. If, however, the insult or crime is a minor slip and the wrongdoer acknowledges the error and seeks forgiveness, then pardoning is preferable, as in 24:22: And let them pardon and forbear. Do you not desire that God forgive you? (IA, Q). In this sense, this passage gives permission for self-defense or seeking retribution when wronged, but does not enjoin them, as alluded to by the praise given to those who are patient and forgive in v. 43 after permission to seek retribution is granted in v. 41 (Q). From another perspective, v. 39 is general, enjoining Muslims to defend one another in the face of oppression, while v. 40 applies to particular instances when a person is allowed to seek retribution for an offense, which is then limited in scope and degree to the like of the offense (see 2:190–94c; 5:45c; 16:26), or when a person chooses to pardon and forgive (Ṭs).
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# And whosoever defends himself after having been wronged, forsuch there is no way against them.
# There is only a way against those who wrong people and behavetyrannically upon the earth without right. For them, there shall be a painful punishment.
41-42 In this context, a way against means “blame upon” (IK) or a means of recourse against someone. Although pardoning and forgiveness may be preferred, there is still no blame upon one who seeks retribution (IK); see 5:45c. There is only blame upon one who transgresses the rights of another or seeks retribution greater than the initial offense, as stated in a ḥadīth: “When two people insult one another, the one who began it is at fault, so long as the one who is wronged does not transgress” (IK). One is also prevented from seeking retribution after having already made amends; see 2:178c.
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# And whosoever is patient and forgives, that is indeed a course worthy of resolve.
43 Whoever bears an injury or insult with patience and conceals the evil deeds of others (IK) has chosen a course worthy of resolve (cf. 3:186; 31:17), a course for which there is much reward and great praise (IK). Regarding the virtue of patience, see 11:11c.
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# And whomsoever God leads astray has no protector beyond Him.Thou shalt see the wrongdoers, when they see the punishment, saying, “Is there any way of return?”
44 For those whom God leads astray the Quran says, there is no way (4:88, 143; 42:46), no guide (7:186; 13:33; 39:23, 36; 40:33), and no protector (18:17). Hence on the Day of Judgment, their fate is sealed, and there is no one upon whom they can call in seeking to return to this world and make amends (Bg). They are denied such requests because even if they were sent back, they would return to the very thing they had been forbidden (6:28); see 32:12c; 35:37c.
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# And thou shalt see them exposed to it, diminished through abasement, looking furtively. And those who believe will say, “Truly the losers are those who have lost themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection.” Behold! Truly, the wrongdoers are in lasting punishment.
45 What the wrongdoers will be exposed to is the Fire; they will lower their eyes because of their abasement and steal glances at the Fire because of their fear of it (Bg, IK). Looking furtively could also be understood to mean “looking with veiled eyes,” implying that they look with their hearts since they have been resurrected blind (Ṭ, Z), as in 17:72: And whosoever was blind in this [life] will be blind in the Hereafter, and further astray from the way. Such people have lost themselves by virtue of coming to dwell in the Fire and lost their families because, if they themselves are in the Fire, they can be of no benefit to their family members; yet if their family members are in the Garden, they are given others in the place of those family members who are in the Fire (Q). That the wrongdoers are in lasting punishment is understood to mean that the punishment is perpetual and there is no possibility of escaping it (IK). But interpreting this verse in light of 2:254, The disbelievers, they are the wrongdoers, al-Rāzī argues that this reference applies only to those who are “absolute wrongdoers,” that is, the disbelievers. This interpretation, he maintains, is supported by v. 46 when it is understood to mean that the idols they had worshipped will not be able to intercede for them.
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# They have no protectors to help them apart from God. And whomsoever God leads astray, no way has he.
46 Regarding protectors . . . apart from God, see 29:41c. That those who are led astray by God have no way means that they have no path to the truth or path toward God (Ṭ). It also indicates that God is the only guide (R) and that guiding and leading astray lie in His Hands alone (Ṭ). For those whom God leads astray, see 42:44c.
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# Respond to your Lord before there comes a day from God thatnone can repel. You will have no refuge that Day; nor shall you have any denial.
47 Respond to your Lord is understood to mean, “Respond to the one who calls you to your Lord, believe in him, and follow him” (Bg, Ṭ), that is, the Prophet Muhammad (Bg), or “Respond to that which calls you to Him, such as faith and obedience” (Q). Responding to God is also understood to mean maintaining the covenant with God (see 7:172c) and observing His due (Qu). The Day of Judgment is referred to as a day that none can repel (cf. 13:11; 30:43) or avert, because once the Divine Command has been decreed, God will no longer grant reprieve (Q). Therefore, after the Decree has been made, there is no opportunity for repentance and atonement, as expressed in 75:10–12: That Day man will say, “Where is the escape?” Nay! But there shall be no refuge. Unto your Lord that Day is the dwelling place. Unable to deny the reality of their condition, those who had been profligate or who had disbelieved will no longer be able to deny their iniquity and will admit their sins, as in 67:10–11: They say, “Had we listened or had we understood, we would not be among the inhabitants of the Blaze.” Thus do they admit their sin; so away with the inhabitants of the Blaze! (cf. 40:11; 41:47). A day from God that none can repel can also be understood as a reference to the moment of death, in which case this verse also implies that the door of response and thus repentance is open until that time.
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# And if they turn away, We sent thee not as a keeper over them.Naught is incumbent upon thee, save the proclamation. Truly when We cause man to taste mercy from Us, he rejoices in it. Yet if an evil befalls them because of that which their hands have sent forth, truly man is ungrateful.
48 The Prophet is not the keeper over those to whom he delivers the message (cf. 4:80; 11:86); nor is he their guardian (6:66, 107; 10:108; 17:54; 39:41; 42:6; also see 25:43), since prophets are only responsible for proclaiming the message with which they have been sent; see also 3:20; 5:92, 99; 13:40; 16:35, 82; 24:54; 29:18; 36:17; 64:12. Regarding the last two sentences of this verse, see 30:36c. The judgment wrongdoers receive in the next life is the result of that which their hands have sent forth (2:95; 4:62; 28:47–48; 62:7; see also 5:80; 18:57; 36:12; 78:40), meaning the deeds they have committed. Likewise, much of the evil that befalls them in this life results from their own actions. In this context, ungrateful renders kafūr, which derives from the root k-f-r, indicating “covering over,” a root from which the Quranic words for “disbelief” (kufr) and “disbeliever” (kāfir) also derive.
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# Unto God belongs sovereignty over the heavens and the earth; Hecreates whatsoever He will, bestowing females upon whomsoever He will, and bestowing males upon whomsoever He will,
# or He couples males and females and causes whomsoever He willto be barren. Truly He is Knowing, Powerful.
49-50 In the context of the various kinds of offspring mentioned here, that unto God belongs sovereignty over the heavens and the earth (2:107; 3:189; 5:17, 18, 40, 120; 9:116; 24:42; 45:27; 48:14) and that He creates whatsoever He will (cf. 5:17; 24:45; 30:54) indicate that offspring come as a blessing willed by God and are not due to the particular merits of the parents to whom children are born (R). The mention of the different ways in which God grants offspring to people—only daughters, only sons, a mixture of the two, or no children at all—is in part a response to the pre-Islamic belief that daughters were a burden or trial, as expressed in 16:58–59: And when one of them receives tidings of a female [child], his face darkens, and he is choked with anguish. He hides from the people on account of the evil of the tidings he has been given. Shall he keep it in humiliation, or bury it in the dust? Behold! Evil indeed is the judgment they make!
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# It is not for any human being that God should speak unto him,save by revelation, or from behind a veil, or that He should send a messenger in order to reveal what He will by His Leave. Truly He is Exalted, Wise.
51 This verse is understood to refer to the various modes in which God delivers revelation to prophets (IK, Q, R, Ṭ, Z). Save by revelation is interpreted as a reference to a revelation that is cast into the breast or heart of a prophet, a means by which some say the Psalms were revealed to David (R, Z), or to revelation that comes in a dream, as when Abraham saw that he was to sacrifice his son (see 37:102c; Q, R, Z). From behind a veil is then interpreted as a reference to the moments when prophets hear the Speech of God directly with no intermediary, but do not see God, as when God spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai but did not grant him the vision of Himself (IK, Q, R, Ṭ, Z), and when God spoke to the Prophet Muhammad during the Night Journey, as in 53:10: Then He revealed to His servant what He revealed (see also 17:1c). That God should send a messenger in order to reveal then refers to the moments when prophets receive revelation through the intermediary of an angel (IK, Q, R, Ṭ, Z), as when the Prophet Muhammad received the first revelation through the agency of the Archangel Gabriel; see the introduction to Sūrah 96. That God should send a messenger can also be understood as a general reference to God sending various prophets to human beings (Z).
Mullā Ṣadrā sees these three modes of Divine Speech as allusions to the manner in which God pours knowledge upon the human heart through revelation or inspiration or by means of messengers and teachers (al-Mabdaʾ wa-l-maʿād, 609). A message that comes by means of revelation and inspiration is whole, without fragmentation, whereas one that comes through other means can be disjointed. The only receptacle for sheer unfragmented knowledge is the pure human heart. In this vein, Mullā Ṣadrā writes, “When God becomes the master of the heart, Mercy pours forth and light shines upon it, the breast is expanded, the secrets of Divine Sovereignty (malakūt) are unveiled to it, and the greatest veil is removed from the face of the heart through the benevolence of Mercy, and the realities of Divine Affairs illumine it” (al-Mabdaʾ wa-l-maʿād, 609).
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# Thus have We revealed unto thee a Spirit from Our Command.Thou knewest not what scripture was, nor faith. But We made it a light whereby We guide whomsoever We will among Our servants. Truly thou dost guide unto a straight path,
# the path of God, unto Whom belongs whatsoever is in the heavensand whatsoever is on the earth. Behold! All affairs are journeying unto God.
52-53 Thus have We revealed unto thee indicates that the Prophet Muhammad received revelation as did the prophets before him (Q, Ṭū) or that he received revelation in all three modes mentioned in the previous verse (Ṭb). In the context of the previous verse, a Spirit from Our Command can here be understood as a reference to the Quran (IK, Q, R, Ṭb, Ṭū), which is referred to as a Spirit because it brings life forth from the death of ignorance and disbelief (Q, R) and revives hearts with guidance (Ṭb). Others see a Spirit as a reference to prophethood (Q); the Archangel Gabriel (Q, Ṭb), who is also known as the Holy Spirit, by which revelation is said to have been brought down (see 16:102c); or the capacity for understanding that God grants to those to whom He grants knowledge (Ka). Scripture renders kitāb, which is usually translated “book,” but is rendered here as scripture, since in this context it could refer to revelation in general or to the Quran in particular (R).
A light refers to the Quran (IK, Ṭb) or to the Quran and faith (R). Light is frequently associated with the guidance that comes through the prophets and revelation (see 6:91; 7:157; 21:48; 57:9, 28; 64:8), and in 9:32–33 and 61:8–9 the Quran mentions those who would try to extinguish the Light of God, which, in its context, could be read to mean those who attempt to conceal Divine Revelation. That God guides whomsoever He will with it is similar to 41:44, which enjoins the Prophet to say of the Quran, It is a guidance and a healing for those who believe. In the present verse, the antecedent of it in We made it a light is understood by some commentators to be a Spirit from Our Command (Ṭb). From a Shiite perspective, it is seen as a reference to the Holy Spirit, which is said to have been with the Prophet and the Imams, supporting them and protecting them from sin and error (Qm). A light is then interpreted as a reference to the first Imam, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (Ka, Qm). In this sense, some commentators connect this verse to 21:73: And We made them leaders, guiding according to Our Command. And We revealed unto them the doing of good deeds, the performance of prayer, and the giving of alms. And they were worshippers of Us.
Regarding a straight path, see 1:6c. Although God is said to be the only guide, the Prophet is a guide insofar as he is the messenger appointed to call a particular people to God and therefore to function as a means of Divine Guidance, as in 13:7: For every people there is a guide (Ṭ). In this sense, he guides people insofar as he assists them in following the message that God has revealed through him; see 28:56: Surely thou dost not guide whomsoever thou lovest, but God guides whomsoever He will. And He knows best those who are rightly guided. According to some Shiite commentators, this phrase means that the Prophet guides people to believe in the walāyah/wilāyah, or sanctified authority, that God has bestowed upon the Prophet and upon ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib and the subsequent Imams (Ka, Qm).
That all affairs are journeying unto God (cf. 2:210; 3:109; 8:44; 22:76; 35:4; 57:5) alludes to the Resurrection, when all human affairs will be brought before God in the Hereafter and He will judge between the people with justice (Ṭ), and to the fact that there is no judge other than God (R).
Source: The Study Quran, by Sayyed Hossein Nasr and 4 Others
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