2770 As an introduction to the spiritual meaning of various symbolic

acts in this life, the serious

issues involved are indicated by

showing how terrible the

consequences will be for those

who disobey Allah's Will. The

terror will only be for those

who rebel and disobey: the

righteous will not suffer from

it, but on the contrary will be

greeted by angels with joy ( 21:103 ).

2771 Three metaphors are used for the extreme terror which the Awful

Day will inspire. (1) No mother

abandons the baby at her breast

in the greatest danger; yet that

will happen in this Dreadful

Hour. (2) An expectant mother

carries the young life within

her with great pride and hope:

"hope" is the actual word used

in Urdu for this physical state;

yet the terror will overpower

the hope at this "Hour", and

nature's working will be

reversed. (3) Men ordinarily

retain their self-possession

except under intoxicants; here,

without intoxication, they will

be driven to frenzy with terror.

2772 Even after the warnings, there are men who are such fools as to

turn away from Allah who created

them and cherishes them with His

love and care; they become

outlaws in His Kingdom, making

friends with Evil, which is a

rebel in Allah's Kingdom.

2773 If they really have doubts in their minds about the life after

death, they have only to turn

their attention, either to their

own nature, or to the nature

around. How wonderful is their

own physical growth, from

lifeless matter, to seed,

fertilised ovum, fetus, child,

youth, age, and death! How can

they doubt that the Author of

all these wonderful stages in

their life here can also give

them another kind of life after

the end of this life? Or, if

they look at external nature,

they see the earth dead and

barren, and Allah's fertilising

showers bring it to life,

growth, and beauty in various

forms. The Creator of this great

pageant of Beauty can surely

create yet another and a newer

world.

2774 The stages of a man's

physical growth from nothing

till he completes the cycle of

this life are described in words

whose accuracy, beauty, and

comprehensiveness can only be

fully understood by biologists.

Parallel to the physical growth,

may be understood man's inner

growth, also by stages and by

Allah's creative artistry.

2775 That is, a male or a

female child, a fair or an ugly

child, a good or a rebellious

child, etc., involving countless

mysteries of genetics and

heredity.

2776 Cf. 16:70 .

In that passage the mystery of

our life was used to illustrate

Allah's abundant mercies and

favours to us. Here it is used

to illustrate Allah's power in

giving us a future Life of even

greater promise (see also 40:67 ).

2777 A beautiful nature

passage so pregnant in meaning

that the earnest student wonders

what magic and truth have been

conveyed in so few words. M.

P.'s Egyptian colleague, Prof.

Ghamrawi (see M. P.'s note on

this passage) was but expressing

the feelings of every careful

student of the Qur'an. The

"subtlety and wealth of meaning"

are indeed marvellous.

2778 All these beautiful and well-articulated pageants of life and

nature point to the Reality

behind them, i.e., Allah. They

will perish, but He is eternal.

They are but shadows; the

substance (if such a word may be

used) is in Him. They are

shifting and illusory, in the

sense that they have neither

permanency nor independent

existence. But they have a sort

of secondary reality in the

sense in which a shadow is a

real reflection from substance.

No Power or Existence has any

meaning except as a reflection

of Allah's ineffable Glory.

2779 For "Book of Enlightenment" see 3:184 and n.

490 . I understand

"knowledge" to mean here their

human knowledge or intelligence,

"guidance" to mean divine

guidance, such as comes from

Allah or prophets of Allah or a

revelation from Allah, and the

"Book of Enlightenment" to mean

the fundamental guide to good

conduct, the clear rules laid

down in all Dispensations to

help men lead good lives. The

"Book of Enlightenment" may mean

a revealed Book in which case

"Guidance" would refer to divine

guidance through a prophet of

Allah. (R).

2780 Some Commentators think this refers to Abu J ahl, but the words

are perfectly general, and this

type of man is common in all

ages. The same may be said about

verse 3 above:

Commentators give the immediate

reference to one al Nadr ibn al

Harith.

2781 'What you suffer is the consequence of your own sinful deeds;

Allah is just; He is not unjust

in the least to any of His

creatures'. (R).

2782 They are men whose minds are not firm: they will have faith, if

all goes well with them, but as

soon as they are tried, they are

found wanting. They differ from

hypocrites. It is not fraud or

double dealing that is their

sin: it is a weak mind, petty

standards of judging right by

success, a selfishness that

gives nothing but asks for all,

a narrow-mindedness that does

not go beyond petty mundane

calculationsa "nicely calculated

less or more" of the good things

of this world. They fail in both

worlds and their failure in this

world is patent for every

on-looker.

2783 To such minds religion does not mean high endeavour,

self-sacrifice for noble ends,

the recognition of Allah's

infinite world, but just a small

concession to formalism, perhaps

a present to an idol (literal or

figurative), perhaps attendance

at worship if it can be done

without trouble! It is false

gods they worship, and the more

they worship, the more they

stray.

2784 Such false worship is not always neutral, bringing neither harm

nor good. Perhaps the harm comes

first, and there is no help from

Allah. Such minds are themselves

demoralised, and render

themselves unfit for help!

2785 Allah is both true to His promise, and He has power to give full

effect to His Will and Plan.

2786 There is some difference of opinion as to the interpretation of

this verse. Most Commentators

are agreed that the pronoun

"him" in the second line ("will

not help him") refers to the

Prophet, and that the "any" in

the first line refers to his

enemies, who wished to see him

destroyed and removed from the

scene of his labours, Ibn

'Abbas, whom I have followed

here, and whom a great number of

Commentators follow, construes

the later clauses in the sense

given in the text. Freely

paraphrased, it means: if the

enemies of Allah's Messenger are

enraged at his successes, let

them fix a rope to their ceiling

and hang themselves. Sama 1 is

thus rendered by the word

"ceiling". If Sama'' is rendered

by the word "heaven" (the usual

meaning), the paraphrase would

be: if the enemies of Allah's

Messenger are enraged at the

help he gets from heavens, let

them stretch a rope to heaven

and see if they can cut off the

help that way!-in other words,

they are fools if they think

they can intercept Allah's help

by their petty devices!

2787 Instead of plotting against Allah's Messenger, the Unbelievers

should observe the Clear Signs

which he has brought and obey

and follow the Guidance which

comes from Allah according to

the Laws which He has fixed by

His Holy Will and Plan.

2788 For Sabians, see n.

76 to 2:62 .

They are also referred to in 5:69 .

In both those passages, the

Muslims are mentioned with the

Jews, Christians, and Sabians,

as receiving Allah's protection

and mercy. Here, besides the

four religions, there is further

mention of Magians and

Polytheists: it is not said that

they would receive Allah's

Mercy, but only that Allah will

judge between the various forms

of faith. (R).

2789 This is the only place

where the Magians (Majus) are

mentioned in the Qur'an. Their

cult is a very ancient one. They

consider Fire as the purest and

noblest element, and worship it

as a fit emblem of Allah. Their

location was the Persian and

Median uplands and the

Mesopotamian valleys, their

religion was reformed by

Zardusht (date uncertain, about

B.C. 600?). Their scripture is

the Zend-Avesta, the bible of

the ParsTs. They were "the Wise

men of the East" mentioned in

the Gospels. (R).

2790 Cf. 21:79 ,

and n.

2733 . All created things,

animate and inanimate, depend on

Allah for their existence, and

this dependence can be construed

as their Sajda or bowing down in

worship. Their very existence

proclaims their dependence. How

can they be objects of worship?

For haqqa in this verse , Cf. 15:64 , n.

1990 .

2791 Cf. 22:16 .

There the argument was that

those who work in harmony with

Allah's Law and Will will get

their reward, for Allah always

carries out His Plan. Here is

the parallel argument: those who

defy Allah's Will must suffer

pain and disgrace, for Allah is

well able to carry out His Will

{see also 38:14 ).

2792 Two antagonists: i.e., parties of antagonists, viz., Men of Faith,

who confess their Lord and seek

to carry out His Will, and Men

who deny their Lord and defy His

Will.

2793 The punishment, expressed in physical terms, will be

all-pervading, not merely

superficial.

2794 Read this with the next verse. There will be no escape from the

final Punishment judged after

the time of repentance is past

(Cf. 32:20 ).

2795 In 22:14 above,

was described the meed of the

Righteous as compared with the

time-servers and those who

worshipped false gods (w.

10-13): here we have the case of

those who were persecuted,

abused, prevented from entering

the Ka'bah and deprived of all

that makes life smooth,

agreeable, and comfortable. For

them the meed is described in

metaphors that negative all

these afflictions: costly

adornments (as against being

stripped of home and property),

purity of speech (as against the

abuse they received), the Path

of the Lord of Praise (as

against the fierce and malignant

persecution to which they were

subjected) (see also 18:31 and 35:33 ).

2796 All these were enormities of which the Pagan clique in power in

Makkah were guilty before and

during the Hijrah.

2797 The site of Makkah was granted to Abraham (and his son Isma'i 1)

for a place of worship that was

to be pure {without idols, the

worship being paid to Allah, the

One True God) and universal,

without being reserved (like

Solomon's Temple of later times)

to any one People or Race. (R).

2798 Cf. 2:125 .

Note that here the word qa'imin

(who stand up for prayer) occurs

in place of 'akifin (who use it

as a retreat). In practice the

meaning is the same. Those who

go for a retreat to the Ka'bah

stay there for the time being.

2799 When the Pilgrimage was proclaimed, people carne to it from every

quarter, near and far, on foot

and mounted. The "lean camel"

coming after a fatiguing journey

through distant mountain roads

typifies the difficulties of

travel, which Pilgrims disregard

on account of the temporal and

spiritual benefits referred to

in the next verse.

2800 There are benefits both for this our material life and for our

spiritual life. Of the former

kind are those associated with

social intercourse which

furthers trade and increases

knowledge. Of the latter kind

are the opportunities of

realising some of our spiritual

yearnings in sacred associations

that go back to the most ancient

times. Of both kinds may be

considered the opportunities

which the Pilgrimage provides

for strengthening our

international Brotherhood.

2801 The three special days

of Hajj are the 8th, 9th, and

10th of the month of Dhu al

Hijjah, and the two or three

subsequent days of Tashriqisee

the rites explained in n.

217 to 2:197 .

But we may ordinarily include

the first ten days of Dhu al

Hijjah in the term.

2802 The great day of

commemorative Sacrifice ('Id al

Adha) is the 10th of Dhu al

Hijjah: the meat then killed is

meant to be eaten for food and

distributed to the poor and

needy. (R).

2803 Tafath- t he superfluous growth on one's body, such as nails,

hair, etc., which is not

permitted to remove in Ihram.

These may be removed on the 10th

day, when the Hajj is completed:

that is the rite of completion.

2804 The spirit of Pilgrimage

is not completed by the

performance of the outward

rites. The Pilgrim should carry

in mind some vow or spiritual

service and endeavour to perform

it. Then comes the final Tawaf.

2805 The general food prohibitions will be found in 2:173 , 5:4-5 ,

and 6:121 , 6:138-146 .

They are meant for health and

cleanliness, but the worst

abominations to shun are those

of false worship and false

speech. Here the question is

about food during Pilgrimage.

Lawful meat but not game is

allowed.

2806 A parable full of meaning. The man who falls from the worship of

the One True God. is like a man

who falls from heaven. His being

taken up with false objects of

worship is like the falling man

being picked up in the air by

birds of prey. But the false

objects of worship cannot hold

him permanently in their grip. A

fierce blast of wind-the Wrath

of Allah-comes and snatches him

away and throws him into a place

far, far away from any place he

could have imagined-into the

hell of those who defied Allah.

(R).

2807 Sha'a'ir, symbols, signs, marks by which something is known to

belong to some particular body

of men, such as flags. In 2:158 the

word was applied to Safa and

Marwah: see n.

160 there.

Here it seems to be applied to

the rites of sacrifice. Such

sacrifice is symbolic: it should

betoken dedication and piety of

heart. See below, 22:37 .

2808 In them: in cattle, or animals offered for sacrifice. It is quite

true that they are useful in

many ways to man, e.g., camels

in desert countries are useful

as mounts or for carrying

burdens, or for giving milk, and

so for horses and oxen; and

camels and oxen are also good

for meat, and camel's hair can

be woven into cloth; goats and

sheep also yield milk and meat,

and hair or wool. But if they

are used for sacrifice, they

become symbols by which men show

that they are willing to give up

some of their own benefits for

the sake of satisfying the needs

of their poorer brethren.

2809 Ila= towards, near. The

actual sacrifice is not

performed in the Ka'bah, but at

Mina, five or six miles off,

where the Pilgrims encamp: see n.

217 to 2:197 .

Thumma=then, finally, in the

end; i.e., after all the rites

have been performed, Tawaf,

Sara, and Marwah, and 'Arafat.

2810 This is the true end of sacrifice, not propitiation of higher

powers, for Allah is One, and He

does not delight in flesh or

blood ( 22:37 ),

but a symbol of thanksgiving to

Allah by sharing meat with

fellow-men. The solemn

pronouncement of Allah's name

over the sacrifice is an

essential part of the rite.

2811 The good news: i.e., the

Message of Allah, that He will

accept in us the sacrifice of

self for the benefit of our

fellow-men.

2812 Some qualities of Allah's devotees are mentioned here, in

ascending order: (1) Humility

before Allah makes them

receptive, and prepares them to

listen to Allah's Message; (2)

fear of Allah, which is akin to

love, touches their heart, and

penetrates through their inmost

being; (3) they are not afraid

of anything in mortal life; they

take their trials patiently, and

they go on in a course of

righteousness with constancy;

(4) their prayer now is not a

matter of form, but a real

communion with Allah, with a

sense of confidence such as a

faithful servant feels in the

presence of a kind and loving

master; and (5) gratitude to

Allah, as shown by practical

acts of charity to all

fellow-creatures.

2813 See n.

2808 to 22:33 above.

What was expressed in general

terms is applied here more

particularly to camels, the most

precious and useful animals of

Arabia , whose mode of slaughter

for sacrifice is different from

that of smaller animals: the

special word for such sacrifice

is Nahr ( 108:2 ).

2814 There are ethics in

begging, as in charity. No

approval is given to arrogant

and insolent begging, though the

relief of distress of all kinds,

deserved and undeserved, is

included in charity. But those

who beg with humility and those

who receive gifts with gratitude

and contentment are both

mentioned for special attention.

Charity should not be given for

show, or to get rid of

importunate demands. It should

find out real needs and meet

them.

2815 The essence of sacrifice has been explained in n.

2810 . No one should suppose

that meat or blood is acceptable

to the One True God. It was a

Pagan fancy that Allah could be

appeased by blood sacrifice. But

Allah does accept the offering

of our hearts, and as a symbol

of such offer, some visible

institution is necessary. He has

given us power over the brute

creation, and permitted us to

eat meat, but only if we

pronounce His name at the solemn

act of taking life, for without

this solemn invocation, we are

apt to forget the sacredness of

life. By the invocation we are

reminded that wanton cruelty is

not in our thoughts, but only

the need of food. Now if we

further deny ourselves the

greater part of the food (some

theologians fix the proportion

at three-quarters or two-thirds)

for the sake of our poorer

brethren in solemn assembly in

the precincts of the Haram

(sacred territory), our symbolic

act finds practical expression

in benevolence, and that is the

virtue sought to be taught. We

should be grateful to Allah for

His guidance in this matter, in

which many Peoples have gone

wrong, and we should proclaim

the true doctrine, so that

virtue and charity may increase

among men.

2816 Several translators have failed to notice that yuqa taluna is in

the passive voice, "against whom

war is made"-not "who take arms

against the unbelievers" as Sale

translates it. The clause "and

verily... their aid" is

parenthetical. Verse 40 connects

on with "they are wronged". The

wrong is indicated: 'driven by

persecution from their home, for

no other reason than that they

worshipped the One True God 1 .

This was the first occasion on

which fighting-in

self-defence-was permitted. This

passage therefore undoubtedly

dates from Madinah.

2817 Cf. 2:251 ,

where the expression is used in

connection with David's fight

against the Philistines. To

allow a righteous people to

fight against a ferocious and

mischief-loving people was fully

justified. But the justification

was far greater here, when the

little Muslim community was not

only fighting for its own

existence against the Makkan

Quraysh, but for the very

existence of the Faith in the

One True God. They had as much

right to be in Makkah and

worship in the Ka'bah as the

other Quraysh; yet they were

exiled for their Faith. It

affected not the faith of one

particular people. The principle

involved was that of all

worship, Jewish or Christian as

well as Muslim, and of all

foundations built for pious

uses.

2818 'Aziz means Exalted in

power, rank, dignity;

Incomparable; Full of might and

majesty; Able to enforce His

Will. The last signification is

the one that predominates here

(Cf. 22:74 ).

2819 'Enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong" is an essential

duty of the Muslim Ummah and one

of the main purposes for which

it has been raised. (See 3:104 ,

110; 9:71 ,

111-112). (Eds.).

2820 It is nothing new if the Prophet of Allah is accused of imposture.

This was done in all ages: e.g.,

Noah ( 7:64 );

Hud the prophet of the 'Ad

people ( 7:66 );

Salih prophet of Thamud ( 7:76 );

Abraham ( 21:55 );

Lut ( 7:82 );

Shu'aib the prophet of the

Madyan people ( 7:85 )

and also of the Companions of

the Wood ( 15:78 ).

The case of Moses is mentioned

apart, as his people survived to

the time of our Prophet and

survive to the present, and they

frequently rebelled against

Moses ( 2:49-61 ).

2821 Were they the same as the Companions of the Wood? See n.

2000 to 15:78 .

2822 My Wrath on them, and

the complete reversal of their

fortune in consequence (Cf 34:45 and 35:26 ).

2823 The roofs fell in first, and the whole structure, walls and all,

came tumbling after, as happens

in ruins. The place was turned

upside down.

2824 In a dry country like

Arabia, a well stands as a

symbol for a living, flourishing

population, and many place-names

mean "the well of so-and-so"

e.g., Bir 'Ali, a village just

south of Madinah, the quality of

whose drinking water is famous,

or Abyar Ibn Hassan, a noted

stopping place on the road from

Makkah to Madinah, about 92

miles from Madinah.

2825 The word for "heart" in Arabic speech imports both the seat of

intelligent faculties and

understanding as well as the

seat of affections and emotions.

Those who reject Allah's Message

may have their physical eyes and

ears, but their hearts are blind

and deaf. If their faculties of

understanding were active, would

they not see the Signs of

Allah's Providence and Allah's

Wrath in nature around them and

in the cities and ruins if they

travel intelligently?

2826 If Allah gives respite, those to whom it is given have a real

chance of repentance and

amendment. He will not curtail

His promise of respite. But on

the other hand He has promised

to call everyone to account for

his deeds, and this involves

justice and punishment for sin.

This promise will also come

true. It is foolish to try to

hasten it. Time with Him is

nothing. We keep count of time

for our relative calculations.

His existence is absolute, and

not conditioned by Time or

Place. What we call a thousand

years may be nothing more than a

day or a minute to Him (Cf. 26:204 and 37:176 ).

2827 The argument begun in 22:45 is

now rounded oft and closed.

2828 It is the Messenger's duty to convey the warning in the clearest

terms to the wicked. It is not

part of his duty to coerce them

or judge them, or bring on the

Punishment for them. That only

rests with Allah. But the

warning itself is full of Mercy:

for it gives the highest hope to

the repentant sinner who turns

and comes to Allah.

2829 The "sustenance" must be construed in the widest sense, spiritual

as well as intellectual and

physical. The reward of

righteousness is far more

generous than any merit there

may be in the creature following

the Will of his Creator.

2830 It will not be in their power to frustrate Allah's Plan; all they

will do is to go further and

further down in their spiritual

state, deeper and deeper into

their Hell, (Cf. 34:5 ).

2831 Prophets and messengers (the distinction is explained in n.

2503 to 19:51 )

are but human. Their actions are

righteous and their motives

pure, but in judging things from

a human point of view, the

suggestion may come to their

mind (from Satan) that it would

be good to have power or wealth

or influence for furthering

Allah's cause, or that it may be

good to conciliate some faction

which may be irreconcilable. In

fact, in Allah's Plan, it may be

the opposite. Allah, in His

mercy and inspiration, will

cancel any false or vain

suggestions of this kind, and

confirm and strengthen His own

Commands and make known His Will

in His Signs or revelations.

2832 This clause and the

similar clause at the end of the

next verse are parenthetical.

2833 If any suggestion comes to the human mind that is not in

accordance with Allah's Will and

Plan, it has two opposite

effects: to evil minds it is a

trial and a temptation from the

Evil One, but to the mind

well-instructed in Faith, it

stands self-condemned at once,

and becomes a means of

strengthening the Faith and

stimulating redoubled efforts to

conform to the Will of Allah.

2834 Cf. 2:10 .

I understand the "disease in the

heart" to be an earlier state of

curse, which leads in an

intensified form to a complete

"hardening of the heart".

2835 The last clause in the last verse was parenthetical. Treat this

clause as parallel with the

first clause in verse 53 ,

"that he may make", etc. Both

will then connect with "Allah

will confirm (and establish) His

Signs" in verse 52 .

See n.

2833 above.

2836 The penalty of deliberately rejecting Faith is that the person

doing so closes the channels of

Mercy that flow from Allah. He

will always be subject to doubts

and superstitions, until the

time comes when all earthly

scales fall from his spiritual

eyes. But then there will be no

time for Repentance: it will be

too late to profit by the

guidance of Allah given through

Revelation.

2837 Such power as Evil has over those who yield to it ( 17:62-64 )

will then be gone, as the

respite granted to Satan will be

over, and Allah's Kingdom will

be established.

2838 Rizq: sustenance, provision. I have preferred the latter word

here, because after death we can

only think of rizq in a large

metaphorical sense, i.e., all

the provision necessary to equip

the person for a full and happy

Future Life, and also, I think,

a provision for his dependants

and near and dear ones in this

life. (R).

2839 Martyrdom is the sacrifice of life in the service of Allah. Its

reward is therefore even greater

than that of an ordinarily good

life. The martyr's sins are

forgiven by the very act of

martyrdom, which implies service

and self-surrender in the

highest sense of the word. Allah

knows all his past life but will

forbear from calling him to

account for things that should

strictly come into his account.

2840 Ordinarily Muslims are enjoined to bear injuries with patience and

return good for evil ( 23:96 ).

But there are occasions when

human feelings get the better of

our wise resolutions, or when,

in a state of conflict or war,

we return "as good as we get ".

In that case our retaliation is

permissible, provided the injury

we inflict is not greater than

that we receive. After such

retaliation, we are even, but if

the other side again acts

aggressively and goes beyond all

bounds in attacking us, we are

entitled to protection from

Allah in spite of all our

faults; for Allah is One that

blots out our sins, and forgives

again and again.

2841 To some it may appear strange or even irreconcilable that Allah

should be both Merciful and

Just: that He should both

protect His devotees and yet ask

for their self-sacrifice; that

he should command them to return

good for evil, and yet permit

retaliation under certain

restrictions. But such thoughts

are shortsighted. Do they not

see many inconsistencies in all

Life, all Nature, and all

Creation? Why, even in such

simple phenomena as Night and

Day, the one merges into the

other, and no one can tell when

precisely the one begins and the

other ends. Yet we can see in a

rough sort of way that the one

gives rest and the other

activity, that the one reveals

the beauties of the starry

heavens and the other the

splendour of the sun. In

countless ways we can see there

the wisdom and the fine artistry

of Allah. And there are subtle

nuances and mergings in nature

that our intelligence can hardly

penetrate. Now human life and

human relations are far more

complicated, and it is Allah

alone Who can see all the subtle

distinctions and hear the cries

of all His creatures, in a world

which Tennyson described as "red

in tooth and claw " (Cf. 35:13 ).'

2842 The emphatic construction calls attention to the fact that Allah

is the only abiding Reality. All

else is like shadows that will

pass away (Cf. 31:30 ).

2843 See n.

2841 above

Our vain imaginings, groundless

doubts, foolish subtleties, and

false worship should all give

place to trust and faith in the

one and only Reality.

2844 La tif, as a name of Allah, is as difficult to define in words as

the idea it seeks to represent

is difficult to grasp in our

minds. It implies: (1) fine,

subtle (the basic meaning); (2)

so fine and subtle as to be

imperceptible to human sight;

(3) so pure as to be

incomprehensible; (4) with sight

so perfect as to see and

understand the finest subtleties

and mysteries ( Cf. 33:34 );

(5) so kind and gracious as to

bestow gifts of the most refined

kind; extraordinarily gracious

and understanding. No. 4 is the

predominant meaning here and in 12:100 ;

Nos. 2 and 3 in 6:103 ;

and No. 5 in 42:19 ;

but every shade of meaning must

be borne in mind in each case,

as a subsidiary factor in the

spiritual melody.

2845 Each of the verses 22:61-63 mentioned

two attributes of Allah with

reference to the contents of

that verse. This verse now sums

up the whole argument, and the

two attributes with which it

closes sum up the idea by which

we can understand Allah's

goodness. Allah's loving

kindness and mercies are not

like those of human creatures

who all depend upon one another,

and often expect some kindness

or recognition in return. Allah

is above all wants and depends

in no way whatever on His

creatures. His mercies have

therefore a special quality,

which we cannot describe except

by gratefully singing the

praises of Allah. Cf. 2:267 .

2846 Land and sea have been made subject to man by Allah's command, so

that man can develop his life

freely on earth.

2847 Sama 'means (1)

something high, (2) a roof, a

ceiling, (3) the sky, the canopy

of heaven, (4) cloud or rain. I

understand the last meaning

here, though most authorities

seem to render it by some such

word as "sky". If we understand

rain here, we have a complete

picture of the three elements in

which man lives-land, air and

sea. Rain is also appropriate

for mention with Allah's

kindness and mercy. He regulates

the rain for man's benefit.

2848 Rites and ceremonies may appear to be an unimportant matter

compared with "weightier matters

of the Law" and with the higher

needs of man's spiritual nature.

But they are necessary for

social and religious

organisation, and their effect

on the individual himself is not

to be despised. In any case, as

they are visible external

symbols, they give rise to the

most heated controversies. Such

controversies are to be

deprecated. That does not mean

that our rites and ceremonies

are to be made light of. Those

in Islam rest on the highest

social and religious needs of

man, and if we are convinced

that we are on the Right Way ,

we should invite all to join us,

without entering into

controversies about such

matters.

2849 You are only wrangling about matters about which you have no

knowledge nor any deep religious

feeling. The springs of your

conduct are all open before

Allah, and He will judge you.'

2850 You not only find fault with the very few and simple rites and

ceremonies in Islam: you,

outside Islam, have no rites and

ceremonies which you are

yourselves agreed upon, either

as Christians or as Jews, or one

compared with the other.'

2851 We human beings can only think of knowledge being accurately and

permanently preserved by means

of a record. Allah's knowledge

has all the qualities of a

perfect record, and it is

moreover complete and

comprehensive. This is not

difficult for Him from whom

flows all knowledge and

intelligence (Cf. 27:74-75 ).

2852 When plain common-sense shows the absurdity of false worship,

behind which there is neither

knowledge, intelligence, nor

authority (quite the contrary),

who or what can help the false

misguided creatures who

dishonour Allah by false

worship?

2853 Munkar. (1) a refusal to accept something offered; (2) a denial of

something stated or pointed out;

(3) a feeling of disapproval or

active aversion, or disgust.

2854 There is irony here.

'You think Allah's revelations

and Signs are distasteful to

you! There will be something far

more distasteful to you if you

do not repent! What do you say

to the inevitable Punishment?'

2855 Both idols and their worshippers are poor, foolish, feeble

creatures!

2856 No one who descends to the base forms of false worship can have a

true idea of Allah. Allah has

all power, and He is fully able

to carry out every part of His

Will and Plan. He is exalted

above all in power and dignity.

Cf. 22:40 and n.

2818 for

the full meaning of ' Aziz (see

also 26:9 ).

2857 Men are chosen as Messengers to ordinary men; for ordinary men

will riot be able to understand

and be in communion with beings

so refined as angels. But angels

are sent as Messengers to

Allah's chosen prophets, to

convey the Message from time to

time. In either case they are

chosen by Allah, are subject to

Allah's Will, and should not be

worshipped as gods.

2858 As Allah regards the

humblest of His creatures and

hears their prayer, He sends men

messengers out of their own

brethren (see last note), and to

such messengers He communicates

the highest spiritual Truths

through His angels.

2859 Time, before or behind, may be of some importance to men. They may

dispute as to what was the first

Message, and what is the last

Message. To Allah this question

of priority and posteriority is

of no consequence. All questions

go back ultimately to him and

are judged on their merits.

2860 Prosper, in a spiritual sense, both in this life and the

Hereafter.

2861 As far as the striving is concerned with Jihad in the narrow

sense, see the limitations in n.

204 to 2:190 and n.

205 to 2:191 .

But the words are perfectly

general and apply to all true

and unselfish striving for

spiritual good.

2862 The Jews were hampered

by many restrictions, and their

religion was racial.

Christianity, as originally

preached, was a hermit religion:

"sell whatsoever thou hast"

(Mark 10:21): "take no thought

for the morrow" (Matt. 6:34).

Islam, as originally preached,

gives freedom and full play to

man's faculties of every kind.

It is universal, and claims to

date from Adam: father Abraham

is mentioned as the great

Ancestor of those among whom

Islam was first preached (Jews,

Christians, and Arab Quraysh).

2863 Before: see Abraham's

prayer in 2:128 .

In this revelation: in this very

verse, as well as in other

places.

2864 See 2:143 ,

and notes n.

143 and n.

144 . As the Prophet is a

guide and witnesses among us, so

Muslims ought to be witneses

amongst mankind. The best

witness to Allah's Truth are

those who show its light in

their lives.