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15: Al-Hijr - الحجر
Introduction
This is the last of the six Surahs of the Alif, Lam, Mim series (10 to 15). Its place in chronology is the late Makkan period, probably somewhere near the middle of that period. See Introduction to Surah 10, where will be found also an indication of the general subject matter of the whole series in the gradation of Quranic teaching. The special subject matter of this Surah is the protection of Allah's Revelation and Allah's Truth. Evil arose from Pride and the warping of man's will, but Allah's Mercy is the antidote, as was proved in the case of Abraham and Lut, and might have been proved by the people of the Aykah and the Hijr if they had only attended to Allah's "Signs". The Quran, beginning with the Seven Oft-Repeated Verses, is the precious vehicle for the praises of Allah. Summary- Allah will guard His Revelation, in spite of the cavils of the Unbelievers: Allah is the source of all things; He knows His own people, whom He will gather to Himself (15:1-25, and C. 119). How Evil arose through the pride of Iblis, to whom to respite was granted for a period; but neither fear evil affect those who receive Allah's Message (15:26-50, and C. 120). The Mercy of Allah to Abraham was conveyed by the same messengers that were sent to destroy the people of Lut for their unspeakable crimes; Evil brought its retribution also on the Companions of the Wood (Al Aykah) and of the Rocky Tract (Al Hijr) (15:51-84, and C. 121). The Quran and its Surahs teach you to celebrate Allah's praises, learn humility in worship, and serve Allah all your life (15:85-99, and C. 122).
15:1
[ Original ]
الر ۚ تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْكِتَابِ وَقُرْآنٍ مُبِينٍ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
A. L. R. These are the Ayat of Revelation,- of a Qur'an that makes things clear.
Tafseer Commentary
1932 For these mystic letters, see Introduction to Surah 10.
1933 Cf. 10:1. and n. 1382.
1934 Note how appropriately the different phrases in which the Qur'an is characterised bring out its different aspects as a Revelation. Let us just consider the phrases used at the beginning of the six Alif, Lam, Mim Surahs of which this is the last in order of arrangement. In 10:1 we read, "Ay at (or verses or Signs) of the Book of Wisdom", the theme being the wonders of Allah's creation, and its relation to His Revelation. In 11:1 we read, "a Book, with verses basic or fundamental, further explained in detail": the theme is Allah's Justice and Punishment, to preserve the fundamental scheme of His Laws. In 12:1 we read, "The Symbols (or verses) of the Perspicuous Book": the wonderful unfolding of Allah's Plan is explained in Joseph's story. In 13:1 we read, "The Signs (or verses) of the Book": the contrasts in the modes of Allah's Revelation and its reception by man are pointed out, but not illustrated by detailed examples as in Joseph's perspicuous story. In 14:1 we read "A Book . . . revealed ... to lead ... out of... darkness into light": the theme being Abraham's prayer for man to be rescued from the darkness of false worship into the light of Unity. Here in 15:1 we read, "Ayat (or verses) of Revelation-of a Qur'an that makes things clear (or perspicuous)": the theme being an explanation of evil, and how Allah's Truth is protected from it.
15:2
[ Original ]
رُبَمَا يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْ كَانُوا مُسْلِمِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Again and again will those who disbelieve, wish that they had bowed (to Allah's Will) in Islam.
Tafseer Commentary
1935 The time must inevitably come when those who allow themselves to be deceived by falsehood or deliberately break Allah's Law will find themselves in a terrible plight. They will then wish ardently and again and again, that they had sought Allah's Will and walked in the light of Truth. That time may be early or late-in this life, or death, or at the Day of Judgement, but it must come. Man's own highest interest requires Chat he should awake to the Reality before it is too late for repentance.
15:3
[ Original ]
ذَرْهُمْ يَأْكُلُوا وَيَتَمَتَّعُوا وَيُلْهِهِمُ الْأَمَلُ ۖ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Leave them alone, to enjoy (the good things of this life) and to please themselves: let (false) hope amuse them: soon will knowledge (undeceive them).
Tafseer Commentary
1936 Literally, "to eat", Cf. 5:66 and n. 776.
1937 The foolish and the wicked set great store by the pleasures of this world. In their pride they think they have all knowledge. In the fullness of knowledge they will see how wrong they were. Meanwhile those who have received the Light should not for a single moment wonder at the apparent prosperity of the ungodly in this world. They should leave them alone, confident in the goodness and justice of Allah.
15:4
[ Original ]
وَمَا أَهْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ إِلَّا وَلَهَا كِتَابٌ مَعْلُومٌ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Never did We destroy a population that had not a term decreed and assigned beforehand.
Tafseer Commentary
1938 Kitab malum: literally, "a writing known". There are many shades of meaning implied. (1) For every people, as for every individual, there is a definite Term assigned: their faculty of choice gives them the opportunity of moulding their will according to Allah's Will, and thus identifying themselves with Allah's Universal Law. During that Term they will be given plenty of rope: after that Term is past, there will be no opportunity for repentance. (2) Neither the righteous nor the ungodly can hasten or delay the doom: Allah's Will must prevail, and He is All- Wise. (3) The destruction of a people is not an arbitrary punishment from Allah: the people bring it on themselves by their own choice: for the fixed Law or Decree of Allah is always made known to them beforehand, and in many ways.
15:5
[ Original ]
مَا تَسْبِقُ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Neither can a people anticipate its term, nor delay it.
Tafseer Commentary
1939 Cf. 7:34. Also see the last note.
15:6
[ Original ]
وَقَالُوا يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِي نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الذِّكْرُ إِنَّكَ لَمَجْنُونٌ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
They say: "O thou to whom the Message is being revealed! truly thou art mad (or possessed)!
Tafseer Commentary
1940 Al Mustafa was accused by the ungodly of being mad or possessed, because he spoke of higher things than they knew, and acted from motives purer and nobler than they could understand. So, in a minor degree, is the lot of all the righteous in the presence of an ungodly world. Their motives, actions, words, hopes, and aspirations are unintelligible to their fellows, and they are accused of being mad or out of their senses. But they know that they are on the right path, and it is the ungodly who are really acting against their own best interests.
15:7
[ Original ]
لَوْ مَا تَأْتِينَا بِالْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
"Why bringest thou not angels to us if it be that thou hast the Truth?"
Tafseer Commentary
1941 Cf. 6:8-9 and notes n. 840, n. 841. On the part of the unbelievers, this is a mere taunt. They neither believe in Allah nor in angels nor in revelation nor in any but material things. It is ridiculous to suppose that they could be taken seriously, (see also 41:44).
15:8
[ Original ]
مَا نُنَزِّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةَ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَمَا كَانُوا إِذًا مُنْظَرِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
We send not the angels down except for just cause: if they came (to the ungodly), behold! no respite would they have!
Tafseer Commentary
1942 Angels are not sent down to satisfy the whim or curiosity of the unbelievers. They are sent to bring inspiration to Allah's messengers and to execute Allah's decrees.
1943 If the angels were to appear before the ungodly, it would mean that they came to execute just punishment, and then there would be no hope of respite possible for the ungodly.
15:9
[ Original ]
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).
Tafseer Commentary
1944 The purity of the text of the Qur'an through fourteen centuries is a foretaste of the eternal care with which Allah's Truth is guarded through all ages. All corruptions, inventions, and accretions pass away, but Allah's Pure and Holy Truth will never suffer eclipse even though the whole world mocked at it and was bent on destroying it. (R).
15:10
[ Original ]
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فِي شِيَعِ الْأَوَّلِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
We did send messengers before thee amongst the religious sects of old:
Tafseer Commentary
1945 Shiya', plural of Shi'ah= a sect , a religious division. Mankind sees fragments of Truth at a time, and is apt to fall into fragments and divisions. All true Messengers of Allah come to reconcile these fragments or divisions, for they preach the true Gospel of Unity. So came Al Mustafa to bring back to Unity the many jarring sects among the Jews, Christians, and Pagans. His mission was held up to ridicule, but so was the mission of his predecessors. Mockery itself should not discourage the preachers of Truth.
15:11
[ Original ]
وَمَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
But never came a messenger to them but they mocked him.
15:12
[ Original ]
كَذَٰلِكَ نَسْلُكُهُ فِي قُلُوبِ الْمُجْرِمِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Even so do we let it creep into the hearts of the sinners -
Tafseer Commentary
1946 If evil and disbelief exist in the world, we must not be impatient or lose our faith. We must recognise that if such things are permitted, they are part of the Universal Plan and purpose of Allah, Who is All-Wise and All-Good, but Whose wisdom and goodness we cannot fully fathom. One consolation we have, and that is stated in the next verse and the next note.
15:13
[ Original ]
لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ ۖ وَقَدْ خَلَتْ سُنَّةُ الْأَوَّلِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
That they should not believe in the (Message); but the ways of the ancients have passed away.
Tafseer Commentary
1947 Sects, divisions, and systems invented by men tend to pass away, but Allah's pure Truth of Unity endures forever. This we see in history when we study it on a large scale. Cf. the parable in 14:24-26. Khalat I have translated it here in the same sense as in 13:30, 10:102, and other places. Some Commentators give it a slightly different shade of meaning. The other meaning is seen in 48:23.
15:14
[ Original ]
وَلَوْ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَابًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَظَلُّوا فِيهِ يَعْرُجُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Even if We opened out to them a gate from heaven, and they were to continue (all day) ascending therein,
Tafseer Commentary
1948 Cf. 6:35. The spiritual kingdom is open to all to enter. But the entrance is not a mere matter of physical movement. It is a question of total change of heart. Evil must cease to be evil, before it can see or enjoy Good. If we could suppose Evil, like Bottom the weaver, to be "translated" or in some way carried up to Heaven, it would only think that the Truth was an illusion and the reality mere witchery. The taint is in its very nature, which must be purified and rendered fit for the reception of light, truth, and bliss.
15:15
[ Original ]
لَقَالُوا إِنَّمَا سُكِّرَتْ أَبْصَارُنَا بَلْ نَحْنُ قَوْمٌ مَسْحُورُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
They would only say: "Our eyes have been intoxicated: Nay, we have been bewitched by sorcery."
15:16
[ Original ]
وَلَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا فِي السَّمَاءِ بُرُوجًا وَزَيَّنَّاهَا لِلنَّاظِرِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
It is We Who have set out The Zodiacal Signs in the heavens, and made them fairseeming to (all) beholders;
Tafseer Commentary
1949 Evil having been described, not as an external thing, hut as a taint of the soul, we have in this section a glorious account of the purity and beauty of Allah's Creation. Evil is a blot on it, not a normal feature of it. Indeed, the normal feature is the guard which Allah has put on it, to protect it from evil.
1950 In the countless millions of stars in the universe which we see, the first step in our astronomical knowledge is to find marvellous order, beauty, and harmony, on a scale of grandeur which we appreciate more and more as our knowledge increases. The first broad belt that we distinguish is the Zodiac, which marks the sun's path through the heavens year after year and the limit of the wanderings of the moon and the planets. We make twelve divisions of it and call them Signs of the Zodiac. Each marks the solar path through the heavens as we see it, month after month. We can thus mark off the seasons in our solar year, and express in definite laws the most important facts in meteorology, agriculture, seasonal winds, and tides. Then there are the mansions of the moon, the mapping out of the Constellations, and other marvellous facts of the heavens, some of which affect our physical life on this earth. But the highest lessons we can draw from them are spiritual. The author of this wonderful Order and Beauty is One, and He alone is entitled to our worship (Cf. 25:63).
15:17
[ Original ]
وَحَفِظْنَاهَا مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ رَجِيمٍ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
And (moreover) We have guarded them from every evil spirit accursed:
Tafseer Commentary
1951 Taking the physical heavens, we can imagine the supreme melody or harmony-the Music of the Spheres-guarded from every disturbing force. If by any chance any rebellious force of evil seeks to obtain, by stealth, a sound of that harmony to which all who make themselves consonant are freely invited, it is pursued by a shooting star, for there can be no consonance between evil and good.
1952 Rajim: driven away with stones, rejected, accursed. Cf. 3:36.
15:18
[ Original ]
إِلَّا مَنِ اسْتَرَقَ السَّمْعَ فَأَتْبَعَهُ شِهَابٌ مُبِينٌ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
But any that gains a hearing by stealth, is pursued by a flaming fire, bright (to see).
Tafseer Commentary
1953 Cf. 72:8-9. (Eds.).
1954 A shooting star appears to be meant. Cf. 37:10.
15:19
[ Original ]
وَالْأَرْضَ مَدَدْنَاهَا وَأَلْقَيْنَا فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ وَأَنْبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مَوْزُونٍ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
And the earth We have spread out (like a carpet); set thereon mountains firm and immovable; and produced therein all kinds of things in due balance.
Tafseer Commentary
1955 Majesty, order, beauty, and harmony are shown in all Allah's Creation, but especially in the heavens. Coming nearer to man, Allah's care for man and His goodness are shown (besides His other qualities) in His creation of the earth. In highly poetical language, the earth is described as spread out like carpet, on which the eternal hills act as weights to keep it steady (Cf. 13:3 and 16:15).
1956 And every kind of thing is produced on the earth in due balance and measure. The mineral kingdom supports the vegetable and they, in their turn, support the animal, and there is a link of mutual dependence between them. Excess is eliminated. The waste of one is made the food of another, and vice versa. And this is an infinite chain of gradation and interdependence.
15:20
[ Original ]
وَجَعَلْنَا لَكُمْ فِيهَا مَعَايِشَ وَمَنْ لَسْتُمْ لَهُ بِرَازِقِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
And We have provided therein means of subsistence,- for you and for those for whose sustenance ye are not responsible.
Tafseer Commentary
1957 See last note. 'We provide sustenance of every kind, physical, mental, spiritual, etc., for you (i.e., for mankind). But We do more. We provide for every one of Our creatures. And there are those of which mankind is not even cognisant. We provide for them also. There are those who may at first sight appear hostile to man, or whom man may consider hostile, such as wild and noxious animals. They are Our creatures, and We provide for them also, as they are Our creatures. But there is due order and balance in the economy of Our Universal Plan.
15:21
[ Original ]
وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا عِنْدَنَا خَزَائِنُهُ وَمَا نُنَزِّلُهُ إِلَّا بِقَدَرٍ مَعْلُومٍ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
And there is not a thing but its (sources and) treasures (inexhaustible) are with Us; but We only send down thereof in due and ascertainable measures.
Tafseer Commentary
1958 Khaza'in: treasures; store houses; places where valuable things are accumulated, from which supplies are distributed from time to time as need arises.
1959 All the wonderful gifts and forces and energies which we see in the world around us have their sources and fountainheads with Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of the Worlds. And what we see or perceive or imagine is just a small portion of what exists. That portion is sent out to us and to our world according to our needs or its needs from time to time as the occasion arises. It is strictly limited according to rule and plan. Its source is unlimited and inexhaustible. In the same way the forces which we see operating around us, in nature or in the spiritual world, according to laws which we can grasp and ascertain, are mere derived forces, in the 2nd, 3rd, or 9th degree. Their source and ultimate fountainhead is with Allah.
15:22
[ Original ]
وَأَرْسَلْنَا الرِّيَاحَ لَوَاقِحَ فَأَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَسْقَيْنَاكُمُوهُ وَمَا أَنْتُمْ لَهُ بِخَازِنِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
And We send the fecundating winds, then cause the rain to descend from the sky, therewith providing you with water (in abundance), though ye are not the guardians of its stores.
Tafseer Commentary
1960 Lawaqih, plural of l aqih, from laqaha, to impregnate or fecundate the female date palm by putting the pollen of the male tree on to the ovaries of the female tree. The date palm is unisexual. The wind performs this office for many flowers. Here, by a bold metaphor, its fecundating quality is transferred to the clouds, which by means of rain produce all kinds of fruit, grain, and vegetation. The clouds as vapour are manipulated by the winds, which set up atmospheric currents resulting in condensation and the descent of rain. Note the appropriateness of the little particle "then", showing the connection of winds with rain.
1961 Cf. the previous verse, and n. 1958. Man may store water in cisterns, tanks, lakes, and headwaters of canals. But he has no control over its original sources, which are the clouds, which by the help of the winds, act as grand distributors of water over wide spaces of the world's surface.
1962 This verse must be understood as furnishing an example of illustration of what is said in the last verse.
15:23
[ Original ]
وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ نُحْيِي وَنُمِيتُ وَنَحْنُ الْوَارِثُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
And verily, it is We Who give life, and Who give death: it is We Who remain inheritors (after all else passes away).
Tafseer Commentary
1963 Note how the argument has mounted up from 15:16 onwards to 15:23 from things most remote from man to things touching his inmost being, and each of them in its own way is a wonderful instance of Allah's glory and goodness, and the beauty, order, and harmony of His creation. First, the heavens, the Zodiacal Signs, the stars, and the mysterious phenomena that we see above us; then the earth, and the perfect balance of life and forces therein, with man as an important factor, but not the only factor; then, the inexhaustible sources of energy, of which Allah alone is the fountainhead, but which come to us in measured proportions, as needed; and lastly, Life and Death itself, which will pass away but Allah will remain. A noble passage, and a fine vindication of Allah's wisdom and providence in dealing with His creatures.
1964 Literally, "We are the Heirs, or Inheritors," Cf. 3:180: "To Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth." See also the latter part of n. 988 to 6:165.
15:24
[ Original ]
وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَقْدِمِينَ مِنْكُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَأْخِرِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
To Us are known those of you who hasten forward, and those who lag behind.
Tafseer Commentary
1965 Cf. 9:100, where the Sabiqun may perhaps correspond to the Mustaqdimin where. In that case the two classes are those who are the first to accept Faith and do deeds of righteousness and those who come later, but are still numbered with the righteous. A second alternative meaning may be: "those who preceded you in point of time and those who come after you in point of time: they are all known to Allah, and He will gather them all together on the Day of Judgement."
15:25
[ Original ]
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Assuredly it is thy Lord Who will gather them together: for He is perfect in Wisdom and Knowledge.
15:26
[ Original ]
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ مِنْ حَمَإٍ مَسْنُونٍ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
We created man from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape;
Tafseer Commentary
1966 Salsal: dry clay which produces a sound, like pottery, Cf. 55:14. Taking verses 26 and 29 together, I understand the meaning to be: that man's body was formed from wet clay moulded into shape and then dried until it could emit sound (perhaps referring to speech); that it was then further fashioned and completed; that into the animal form thus fashioned was breathed the Spirit of Allah, which gave it a superiority over other Creation: and that the order for obeisance was then given.
15:27
[ Original ]
وَالْجَانَّ خَلَقْنَاهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ مِنْ نَارِ السَّمُومِ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
And the Jinn race, We had created before, from the fire of a scorching wind.
Tafseer Commentary
1967 Cf. 6:100 and n. 929. Hidden or invisible forces are aptly typified as arising "from the fire of scorching winds."
15:28
[ Original ]
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي خَالِقٌ بَشَرًا مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ مِنْ حَمَإٍ مَسْنُونٍ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Behold! thy Lord said to the angels: "I am about to create man, from sounding clay from mud moulded into shape;
15:29
[ Original ]
فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِي فَقَعُوا لَهُ سَاجِدِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
"When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him."
Tafseer Commentary
1968 Among other passages where the creation of Adam is referred to cf. the following: 2:30-39; 7:11-25. Note that here the emphasis is on three points: (1) the breathing of Allah's Spirit into man, i.e., the faculty of God-like knowledge and will, which, if rightly used, would give man superiority over other creatures; (2) the origin of evil in arrogance and jealousy on the part of Satan, who saw only the lower side of man (his clay) and failed to see the higher side, the faculty brought in by the Spirit of Allah; (3) that this evil only touches those who yield to it, and has no power over Allah's sincere servants, purified by His grace (15:40, 42). Adam is not here mentioned by name, but only Man, whose symbol is Adam (see also 87:1-6).
15:30
[ Original ]
فَسَجَدَ الْمَلَائِكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
So the angels prostrated themselves, all of them together:
15:31
[ Original ]
إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Not so Iblis: he refused to be among those who prostrated themselves.
Tafseer Commentary
1969 Cf. n. 49 to 2:34.
1970 Iblis: the name has in it the root idea of desperateness or rebellion. (Cf. n. 52 to 2:36).
1971 Apparently Iblis's arrogance has two grounds: (1) that man was made of clay while he was made of fire: (2) that he did not wish to do what others did. Both grounds were false: (1) because man had the spirit of Allah breathed into him: (2) because contempt of the angels who obeyed Allah's word showed not Iblis's superiority but his inferiority. The word "bashar" for man (verse 33) suggests a gross physical body.
15:32
[ Original ]
قَالَ يَا إِبْلِيسُ مَا لَكَ أَلَّا تَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
((Allah)) said: "O Iblis! what is your reason for not being among those who prostrated themselves?"
15:33
[ Original ]
قَالَ لَمْ أَكُنْ لِأَسْجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقْتَهُ مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ مِنْ حَمَإٍ مَسْنُونٍ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
(Iblis) said: "I am not one to prostrate myself to man, whom Thou didst create from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape."
15:34
[ Original ]
قَالَ فَاخْرُجْ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّكَ رَجِيمٌ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
((Allah)) said: "Then get thee out from here; for thou art rejected, accursed.
15:35
[ Original ]
وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكَ اللَّعْنَةَ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
"And the curse shall be on thee till the day of Judgment."
Tafseer Commentary
1972 After the Day of Judgement the whole constitution of the universe will be different. There will be a new world altogether, on a wholly different plane. (Cf. 21:104).
15:36
[ Original ]
قَالَ رَبِّ فَأَنْظِرْنِي إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
(Iblis) said: "O my Lord! give me then respite till the Day the (dead) are raised."
Tafseer Commentary
1973 What was this respite! The curse on Iblis remained, i.e., he was deprived of Allah's Grace and became in the spiritual world what an outlaw is in a political kingdom. An earthly kingdom may not be able to catch and destroy an outlaw. But Allah is Omnipotent, and such power as IblTs may have had can only come through the respite granted by Allah. The respite then is what is expressed in 15:39 below. In Allah's grant of limited free will to man is implied the faculty of choosing between good and evil, and the faculty is exercised through the temptations and allurements put forward by Satan, "the open enemy" of man. This is for the period of man's probation on this earth. Even so, no temptations have power over the sincere worshippers of Allah, who are purified by His grace.
15:37
[ Original ]
قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ الْمُنْظَرِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
((Allah)) said: "Respite is granted thee
15:38
[ Original ]
إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْوَقْتِ الْمَعْلُومِ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
"Till the Day of the Time appointed."
15:39
[ Original ]
قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
(Iblis) said: "O my Lord! because Thou hast put me in the wrong, I will make (wrong) fairseeming to them on the earth, and I will put them all in the wrong,-
Tafseer Commentary
1974 Aghwaytani : 'thrown me out of the way, put me in the wrong': Cf. 7:16. Satan as the Power of Evil cannot be straight or truthful even before Allah. By his arrogance and rebellion he fell; he attributes this to Allah. Between Allah's righteous judgement and Satan's snares and temptations there cannot be the remotest comparison. Yet he presumes to put them on an equal footing. He is taking advantage of the respite.
1975 Iblis (the Rebellious) is powerless against Allah. He turns therefore against man and becomes Satan (the Enemy).
15:40
[ Original ]
إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
"Except Thy servants among them, sincere and purified (by Thy Grace)."
15:41
[ Original ]
قَالَ هَٰذَا صِرَاطٌ عَلَيَّ مُسْتَقِيمٌ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
((Allah)) said: "This (way of My sincere servants) is indeed a way that leads straight to Me.
Tafseer Commentary
1976 To be sincere in the worship of Allah is to obtain purification from all stain of evil and exemption from all influence of evil. It changes the whole nature of man. After that, evil cannot touch him. Evil will acknowledge him to be beyond its power and will not even tempt him. Apart from such purified souls, everyone who worships Allah invites Allah's grace to protect him. But if he puts himself in the way of wrong and deliberately chooses evil, he must take the consequences. The blame is not even on Satan, the power of evil: it is on the sinner himself, who puts himself into his power: 14:22; 15:42.
15:42
[ Original ]
إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَانٌ إِلَّا مَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
"For over My servants no authority shalt thou have, except such as put themselves in the wrong and follow thee."
15:43
[ Original ]
وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمَوْعِدُهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
And verily, Hell is the promised abode for them all!
15:44
[ Original ]
لَهَا سَبْعَةُ أَبْوَابٍ لِكُلِّ بَابٍ مِنْهُمْ جُزْءٌ مَقْسُومٌ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
To it are seven Gates: for each of those gates is a (special) class (of sinners) assigned.
Tafseer Commentary
1977 The ways of sin are numerous, and if they are classified into seven, each of them points to a Gate that leads into Hell (Cf. 19:68).
15:45
[ Original ]
إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
The righteous (will be) amid gardens and fountains (of clear-flowing water).
15:46
[ Original ]
ادْخُلُوهَا بِسَلَامٍ آمِنِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
(Their greeting will be): "Enter ye here in peace and security."
15:47
[ Original ]
وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِي صُدُورِهِمْ مِنْ غِلٍّ إِخْوَانًا عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍ مُتَقَابِلِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
And We shall remove from their hearts any lurking sense of injury: (they will be) brothers (joyfully) facing each other on thrones (of dignity).
Tafseer Commentary
1978 Cf. 7:43, and n. 1021. The hearts and minds will be so purified that all past rancour, jealousy, or sense of injury will be obliterated. The true Brotherhood will be realised there, when each will have his own dignity; there will be no question of invidious comparisons; each will face the others with joy and confidence. There will be no sense of toil or fatigue, and joy will last forever.
15:48
[ Original ]
لَا يَمَسُّهُمْ فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَمَا هُمْ مِنْهَا بِمُخْرَجِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
There no sense of fatigue shall touch them, nor shall they (ever) be asked to leave.
15:49
[ Original ]
نَبِّئْ عِبَادِي أَنِّي أَنَا الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Tell My servants that I am indeed the Oftforgiving, Most Merciful;
Tafseer Commentary
1979 We must realise both sides of Allah's attributes: His Mercy, Grace, and Forgiveness are unbounded; if we reject all this, His justice and punishment will also be beyond all that we can conceive.
15:50
[ Original ]
وَأَنَّ عَذَابِي هُوَ الْعَذَابُ الْأَلِيمُ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
And that My Penalty will be indeed the most grievous Penalty.
15:51
[ Original ]
وَنَبِّئْهُمْ عَنْ ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Tell them about the guests of Abraham.
Tafseer Commentary
1980 In illustration of the contrasts between Good and Evil, and the consequences that flow from them, we now have a reference to four incidents from the past, viz.,: (1) an incident from the story of Abraham; (2) from that of Lot, nephew of Abraham and the end of the Cities of the Plain, which he was sent to warn; (3) the People of the Wood; and (4) the People of the Rocky Tract (Al Hijr), after whom this Surah is called. As usual, the recital of Allah's abounding Grace comes first.
15:52
[ Original ]
إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سَلَامًا قَالَ إِنَّا مِنْكُمْ وَجِلُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
When they entered his presence and said, "Peace!" He said, "We feel afraid of you!"
Tafseer Commentary
1981 For a full understanding of this reference to the angels who were Abraham's guests and came to announce the birth of a son to him in his old age, read 11:69-73 and notes. The appearance of two strangers of uncommon appearance, who refused to partake of the host's sumptuous hospitality, made Abraham at first suspicious and afraid.
15:53
[ Original ]
قَالُوا لَا تَوْجَلْ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَامٍ عَلِيمٍ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
They said: "Fear not! We give thee glad tidings of a son endowed with wisdom."
Tafseer Commentary
1982 The birth of a son in old age, to a sonless father was glad tidings to Abraham personally. The birth of a son endowed with wisdom promised something infinitely more. Considering that the angels were divine messengers, the wisdom referred to was divine wisdom, and the event became an event of prime importance in the world's religious history. For Abraham became, through his progeny, the root of the three great universal religions diffused throughout the world.
15:54
[ Original ]
قَالَ أَبَشَّرْتُمُونِي عَلَىٰ أَنْ مَسَّنِيَ الْكِبَرُ فَبِمَ تُبَشِّرُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
He said: "Do ye give me glad tidings that old age has seized me? Of what, then, is your good news?"
15:55
[ Original ]
قَالُوا بَشَّرْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلَا تَكُنْ مِنَ الْقَانِطِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
They said: "We give thee glad tidings in truth: be not then in despair!"
15:56
[ Original ]
قَالَ وَمَنْ يَقْنَطُ مِنْ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّهِ إِلَّا الضَّالُّونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
He said: "And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord, but such as go astray?"
Tafseer Commentary
1983 Cf. 11:69. [Eds.].
15:57
[ Original ]
قَالَ فَمَا خَطْبُكُمْ أَيُّهَا الْمُرْسَلُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Abraham said: "What then is the business on which ye (have come), O ye messengers (of Allah.?"
Tafseer Commentary
1984 When cordial understanding was established between Abraham and his guests and probably when the guests were about to depart, Abraham put a question to them. "What is the mission on which you are going?" It was further implied: "Is there anything I can do to help?" But no. The mission was one of punishment for abominable sins. Note that the mention of Allah's Wrath is always linked with that of Allah's Mercy, and the Mercy comes first. The same angels that came to punish Sodom and Gomorrah were charged first to give the good news of Allah's Mercy to Abraham in the shape of a long line of teachers of righteousness.
15:58
[ Original ]
قَالُوا إِنَّا أُرْسِلْنَا إِلَىٰ قَوْمٍ مُجْرِمِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
They said: "We have been sent to a people (deep) in sin,
Tafseer Commentary
1985 The Cities of the Plain round the Dead Sea , which to this day is called Bahr Lut. They were given to unspeakable abominations. Read in this connection 11:77-83 and notes.
15:59
[ Original ]
إِلَّا آلَ لُوطٍ إِنَّا لَمُنَجُّوهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
"Excepting the adherents of Lut: them we are certainly (charged) to save (from harm),- All -
Tafseer Commentary
1986 Here, again, Allah's saving Grace it linked with His Wrath, and is mentioned first.
15:60
[ Original ]
إِلَّا امْرَأَتَهُ قَدَّرْنَا ۙ إِنَّهَا لَمِنَ الْغَابِرِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
"Except his wife, who, We have ascertained, will be among those who will lag behind."
15:61
[ Original ]
فَلَمَّا جَاءَ آلَ لُوطٍ الْمُرْسَلُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
At length when the messengers arrived among the adherents of Lut,
Tafseer Commentary
1988 Al means people who adhere to the ways and teaching of a great teacher; e.g., Ali Muhammad: it does not necessarily mean race or descendants. Ahl ( 15:65 below ) usually implies "household" but maybe taken in an extended sense to include people generally, see 15:67. Qawm (15:62) maybe a collection of aggregate people. In 11:70 the hostile inhabitants of the Cities of the Plain are Called qawmi Lut (the People of Lut). Ashab (companions) refers to a Group rather than to a People: Cf. 15:78. (R).
15:62
[ Original ]
قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ مُنْكَرُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
He said: "Ye appear to be uncommon folk."
15:63
[ Original ]
قَالُوا بَلْ جِئْنَاكَ بِمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَمْتَرُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
They said: "Yea, we have come to thee to accomplish that of which they doubt.
Tafseer Commentary
1989 The unusual appearance of the angels struck Lot as it had struck Abraham, (Cf. n. 5007). Knowing the abominable vices to which the cities were addicted, he feared to entertain handsome young men. They at once disclosed their mission to him. In effect they said: "You, Lot , have been preaching in vain to these wicked cities. When you warn them of their inevitable end-Destruction-they laugh and doubt. Now their doubt will be resolved. Their destruction will be accomplished before the morning."
15:64
[ Original ]
وَأَتَيْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
"We have brought to thee that which is inevitably due, and assuredly we tell the truth.
Tafseer Commentary
1990 Another meaning of al Haqq. The Punishment which is justly and inevitably due, which must certainly come to pass. (Cf. 22:18, 16:36, and 16:38).
15:65
[ Original ]
فَأَسْرِ بِأَهْلِكَ بِقِطْعٍ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ وَاتَّبِعْ أَدْبَارَهُمْ وَلَا يَلْتَفِتْ مِنْكُمْ أَحَدٌ وَامْضُوا حَيْثُ تُؤْمَرُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
"Then travel by night with thy household, when a portion of the night (yet remains), and do thou bring up the rear: let no one amongst you look back, but pass on whither ye are ordered."
15:66
[ Original ]
وَقَضَيْنَا إِلَيْهِ ذَٰلِكَ الْأَمْرَ أَنَّ دَابِرَ هَٰؤُلَاءِ مَقْطُوعٌ مُصْبِحِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
And We made known this decree to him, that the last remnants of those (sinners) should be cut off by the morning.
Tafseer Commentary
1991 As the last remnants of the wicked were to be cut off, and as the Mercy of Allah wished to save every true soul who might be with Lot , Allah's decree was made known to Lot, so that he might save his adherents.
15:67
[ Original ]
وَجَاءَ أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
The inhabitants of the city came in (mad) joy (at news of the young men).
Tafseer Commentary
1992 They were addicted to unnatural crime, and the news of the advent of handsome young men inflamed them. How true it is that at the very verge of destruction, men rush blindly to their fate, and cut off any last hope of repentance and mercy for themselves. Cf. 15:72 below.
15:68
[ Original ]
قَالَ إِنَّ هَٰؤُلَاءِ ضَيْفِي فَلَا تَفْضَحُونِ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Lut said: "These are my guests: disgrace me not:
15:69
[ Original ]
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلَا تُخْزُونِ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
"But fear Allah, and shame me not."
15:70
[ Original ]
قَالُوا أَوَلَمْ نَنْهَكَ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
They said: "Did we not forbid thee (to speak) for all and sundry?"
Tafseer Commentary
1993 I understand the meaning to be that Lot, the only righteous man in the city, had frequently remonstrated with the inhabitants against their unnatural crimes, and they had forbidden him to speak to them again on behalf of anyone, "as if (they might tauntingly say) "he was the protector of all and sundry." Some Commentators understand the verse to mean: 'Did we not forbid thee to entertain any strangers?'
15:71
[ Original ]
قَالَ هَٰؤُلَاءِ بَنَاتِي إِنْ كُنْتُمْ فَاعِلِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
He said: "There are my daughters (to marry), if ye must act (so)."
Tafseer Commentary
1994 Cf. 11:78, n. 1575. "My daughters" in the mouth of a venerable man may mean young girls of the city, which would be appropriate considering the large number of men who came to besiege Lot 's house.
15:72
[ Original ]
لَعَمْرُكَ إِنَّهُمْ لَفِي سَكْرَتِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Verily, by thy life (O Prophet), in their wild intoxication, they wander in distraction, to and fro.
Tafseer Commentary
1995 The wild, mad fury of passion and sin attains its own destruction and cuts off the fast hope of repentance or mercy.
15:73
[ Original ]
فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّيْحَةُ مُشْرِقِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
But the (mighty) Blast overtook them before morning,
Tafseer Commentary
1996 Al Sayhah, the mighty Blast, is mentioned as accompanying earthquakes: Cf. 11:67-94. Here it was the violent wind and noise accompanying the shower of brimstones, possibly with some volcanic action.
15:74
[ Original ]
فَجَعَلْنَا عَالِيَهَا سَافِلَهَا وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ حِجَارَةً مِنْ سِجِّيلٍ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
And We turned (the cities) upside down, and rained down on them brimstones hard as baked clay.
Tafseer Commentary
1997 Cf. 11:82 and notes, in which the word Sijil and its origin are explained.
15:75
[ Original ]
إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Behold! in this are Signs for those who by tokens do understand.
15:76
[ Original ]
وَإِنَّهَا لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُقِيمٍ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
And the (cities were) right on the highroad.
Tafseer Commentary
1998 The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were utterly destroyed, and even their precise position cannot be identified. But the brimstone plain of the tract still exists, right on the highway between Arabia and Syria . To the traveller in the neighbourhood of the Dead Sea , the whole locality presents a sense of dismal desolation which truly suggests the awful punishment for unspeakable crimes. (Cf. 37:137).
15:77
[ Original ]
إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Behold! in this is a sign for those who believe!
Tafseer Commentary
1999 Verse 75 refers to all who have the intelligence to grasp the Signs of Allah. Verses 76-77 especially refer to those who use the Arabia-Syrian highroad. The desolation is especially brought home to them.
15:78
[ Original ]
وَإِنْ كَانَ أَصْحَابُ الْأَيْكَةِ لَظَالِمِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
And the Companions of the Wood were also wrong-doers;
Tafseer Commentary
2000 "Companions of the Wood": Ashab al Aykah. Perhaps Aykah is after all a proper noun, the name of a town or tract. Who were the Companions of the Aykah? They are mentioned four times in the Qur'an, viz., here, and in 26:176-191; 38:13; and 50:14. The only passage in which any details are given is26:176-191. There we are told that their Prophet was Shu'ayb, and other details given correspond to those of the Madyan, to whom Shu'ayb was sent as Prophet: see 7:85-93. In my notes to that passage 1 have discussed the question of Shu'ayb and the Madyan people. It is reasonable to suppose that the Companions of the Wood were either the same as the Madyan, or a group among them or in their neighbourhood.
15:79
[ Original ]
فَانْتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ وَإِنَّهُمَا لَبِإِمَامٍ مُبِينٍ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
So We exacted retribution from them. They were both on an open highway, plain to see.
Tafseer Commentary
2001 Both: i.e., The Cities of the Plain and the Companions of the Aykah.
15:80
[ Original ]
وَلَقَدْ كَذَّبَ أَصْحَابُ الْحِجْرِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
The Companions of the Rocky Tract also rejected the messengers:
Tafseer Commentary
2002 "The Rocky Tract" is undoubtedly a geographical name. On the maps of Arabia will be found a tract called the Hijr, north of Madinah. Jabal Hijr is about 150 miles north of Madinah. The tract would fall on the highway to Syria . This was the country of Thamud. For them and the country see 7:73, n. 1043.
15:81
[ Original ]
وَآتَيْنَاهُمْ آيَاتِنَا فَكَانُوا عَنْهَا مُعْرِضِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
We sent them Our Sings, but they persisted in turning away from them.
15:82
[ Original ]
وَكَانُوا يَنْحِتُونَ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا آمِنِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Out of the mountains did they hew (their) edifices, (feeling themselves) secure.
Tafseer Commentary
2003 Remains of these rock edifices in the Hijrare still found, and the City of Petra is not more than 380 miles from Jabal Hijr. See n. 1043 to 7:73. " Petra " in Greek means "Rock". For the Inscriptions found there, and their significance, see Appendix VII to S. 26.
15:83
[ Original ]
فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّيْحَةُ مُصْبِحِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
But the (mighty) Blast seized them of a morning,
Tafseer Commentary
2004 The mighty rumbling noise and wind accompanying an earthquake. See 7:78, n. 1047.
15:84
[ Original ]
فَمَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
And of no avail to them was all that they did (with such art and care)!
15:85
[ Original ]
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ ۗ وَإِنَّ السَّاعَةَ لَآتِيَةٌ ۖ فَاصْفَحِ الصَّفْحَ الْجَمِيلَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
We created not the heavens, the earth, and all between them, but for just ends. And the Hour is surely coming (when this will be manifest). So overlook (any human faults) with gracious forgiveness.
Tafseer Commentary
2005 Allah's Creation is all for a true, just, and righteous purpose. Cf. 10:5. It is not for mere whim or sport: 21:16.
2006 The Hour will not be long delayed when the true Design and Pattern of Life will be manifest. We must not be impatient, if there appear to be, to our limited vision, apparent injustices. We must bear and forbear, and as far as our own personal feelings are concerned, we must overlook other people's faults with "a gracious forgiveness" (Cf. 30:8).
15:86
[ Original ]
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ الْخَلَّاقُ الْعَلِيمُ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
For verily it is thy Lord who is the Master- Creator, knowing all things.
Tafseer Commentary
2007 Khallaq: the emphatic intensive form, as meaning the Creator, Who is perfected in His skill and knowledge, and Whose creation answers perfectly to His designs. Therefore no one should think that anything has gone wrong in Allah's creation. What may seem out of joint is merely the result of our shortsighted standards. It often happens that what appears to us to be evil or imperfect or unjust is a reflection of our own imperfect minds. See the next two verses and notes.
15:87
[ Original ]
وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَاكَ سَبْعًا مِنَ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنَ الْعَظِيمَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
And We have bestowed upon thee the Seven Oftrepeated (Verses) and the Grand Qur'an.
Tafseer Commentary
2008 The Seven Oft-repeated Verses are usually understood to be the Opening Surah, the Fatihah. They sum up the whole teaching of the Qur'an. What can be a more precious gift to a Muslim than the glorious Qur'an or any Surah of it? Worldly wealth, honour, possessions, or anything else, sinks into insignificance in comparison with it (Cf. n. 17).
15:88
[ Original ]
لَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَىٰ مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِنْهُمْ وَلَا تَحْزَنْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَاخْفِضْ جَنَاحَكَ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Strain not thine eyes. (Wistfully) at what We have bestowed on some of them, nor grieve over them: but lower thy wing (in gentleness) to the believers.
Tafseer Commentary
2009 It may be that other people have worldly goods which worldly men envy. Do they necessarily bring happiness? Even the temporary pleasure that they may give is not unmixed with spiritual poisons, and even so, will not last. The man of God looks with wistful eyes at other things-the favour and countenance of Allah.
2010 The Prophet of Allah, in his human love and sympathy, may grieve over certain classes of people who are puffed up with false notions and callous to the Message of Allah. But he should not make himself unhappy. There is no flaw in Allah's Plan, and it must prevail. This was addressed in the first instance to Al Mustafa, but in a minor degree, it applies to all righteous men. (R).
2011 The metaphor is from a bird who lowers her wing in tender solicitude for her little ones. Cf. 1 7:24, where it is applied to "lowering the wing" to aged parents.
15:89
[ Original ]
وَقُلْ إِنِّي أَنَا النَّذِيرُ الْمُبِينُ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
And say: "I am indeed he that warneth openly and without ambiguity,"-
Tafseer Commentary
2012 In the ministry of Al Mustafa there was no mincing of matters, no compromises with evil. Evil was denounced in unambiguous terms. Mubin implies both openness and clearness, i.e., freedom from ambiguity.
15:90
[ Original ]
كَمَا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَى الْمُقْتَسِمِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
(Of just such wrath) as We sent down on those who divided (Scripture into arbitrary parts),-
Tafseer Commentary
2013 The Commentators differ as to the precise significance of verses 90 and 91. Are the persons referred to in the two verses the same, or different? And who were they? I adopt the view, for which there is good authority, that the two classes of persons were different but similar. Verse 90,1 think, refers to the Jews and Christians, who took out of Scripture what suited them, and ignored or rejected the rest: 2:85 and2:101. For verse 91 see next note.
15:91
[ Original ]
الَّذِينَ جَعَلُوا الْقُرْآنَ عِضِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
(So also on such) as have made Qur'an into shreds (as they please).
Tafseer Commentary
2014 The Makkan Pagans, in the early days of Islam, in order to dishonour and ridicule the Qur'an, divided what was so far revealed, into bits, and apportioned them to people coming on pilgrimage to Makkah by different routes, slandering and abusing the Prophet of Allah.
15:92
[ Original ]
فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْأَلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Therefore, by the Lord, We will, of a surety, call them to account,
15:93
[ Original ]
عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
For all their deeds.
Tafseer Commentary
2015 Those who ridicule Scripture in any form will all be called to account for their insolence, for they are all alike.
15:94
[ Original ]
فَاصْدَعْ بِمَا تُؤْمَرُ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Therefore expound openly what thou art commanded, and turn away from those who join false gods with Allah.
15:95
[ Original ]
إِنَّا كَفَيْنَاكَ الْمُسْتَهْزِئِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
For sufficient are We unto thee against those who scoff,-
Tafseer Commentary
2016 If the whole world is ranged against the Prophet of Allah, as was at one time the case with the Prophet, and scoffs at all that is sacred, the sense of Allah's presence and protection outweighs all. And after all, the scoffers are creatures of a day. Soon will they find their level, and be undeceived as to all their falsehoods. But the Truth of Allah endures forever. (R).
15:96
[ Original ]
الَّذِينَ يَجْعَلُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ ۚ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
Those who adopt, with Allah, another god: but soon will they come to know.
15:97
[ Original ]
وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ يَضِيقُ صَدْرُكَ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
We do indeed know how thy heart is distressed at what they say.
Tafseer Commentary
2017 Literally, 'that thy breast is constrained.'
15:98
[ Original ]
فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَكُنْ مِنَ السَّاجِدِينَ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
But celebrate the praises of thy Lord, and be of those who prostrate themselves in adoration.
15:99
[ Original ]
وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ
[ Abdullah Yusuf Ali ]
And serve thy Lord until there come unto thee the Hour that is Certain.
Tafseer Commentary
2018 Yaqin: Certainty; the Hour that is Certain; death.
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