Ayahs 36:45–48Commentary
In the previous verses, through a description of Divine manifestations of power and wisdom in the creation of the heavens and the earth, people were invited to recognize their creator and believe that He alone is worthy of worship and, on the acceptance of this invitation, a promise of everlasting blessings was made along with a warning of severe punishment on its rejection. In the present verses and in the verses following these, there is a description of the disbelieving people of Makkah who were their direct addressees and who remained unmoved and unaffected either when persuaded to do something reward worthy, or when warned against some likely punishment.
In this connection, two dialogues between believers and disbelievers have been narrated. Believers invite them to fear the punishment of Allah that can come before them even in this mortal world while, after their death, it has to come to them in the Hereafter after all. If they, it is said to them, were to believe in fear of this punishment, it would be better for them. But, the disbelievers show their aversion despite having heard all that. This aversion of theirs has not been expressly mentioned here in the words of the Qur'an, because the 'I` rad' or aversion mentioned in the next verse automatically proves their aversion here too. And in accordance with the rule of syntax, the apodosis or principal clause of the condition:إِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ (idha gila lahum: When it is said to them) remains elided. The word of the next verse (46) bear witness to this elision, that is, whenever a verse or sign from their Lord comes to them, they show nothing but their aversion to it. (And that is why the words "they pay no heed" are added in brackets in the translation of this verse above.)
The wisdom behind some people receiving their sustenance indirectly
In the second dialogue, believers exhort the disbelievers to help the poor and needy and feed the hungry and prompt them to give to the destitute from what Allah had given to them. In their sarcastic response, the disbelievers say: You say that Allah is the provider and sustainer of the entire creation, yet He did not give them anything. Why should we? As for your words of advice to us that we should provide for them, this is nothing but that you have gone astray. Do you want to make us their Razzaq: Provider? These disbelievers too confessed that Allah Ta’ ala was the Provider as in the Qur'an: وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّن نَّزَّلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْ‌ضَ مِن بَعْدِ مَوْتِهَا لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّـهُ (And if you ask them "as to who sends down water from the sky, then revives the land with it, they will certainly say, "Allah". - Al-Ankabut, 29:63)
This tells us that they too regarded Allah Ta’ ala as the ultimate Razzaq or Provider, but when in confrontation with believers, they sarcastically remarked: When Allah is the Razzaq, the Provider, let Him provide for them too - why should we? This was as if these dim-witted people thought that giving in the way of Allah and providing for the poor was contrary to Allah's attribute in being the Master-Provider of all sustenance! They just did not understand that as the absolute Giver and Provider, He has His own wise law operating in this world. By giving to one person, He makes that person a conduit for others and thus gives them indirectly - although, he is perfectly and certainly capable of having everyone's sustenance delivered personally and directly, as is the case with animals and insects where everyone in that kingdom receives sustenance directly. There is no one rich and no one, poor. No one gives to anyone. Everyone dines from nature's own food spread. But, human beings are different. It is to make their system of social living just and to inculcate in them the spirit of mutual help and cooperation, that He makes some of them the medium of delivering sustenance to some others, so that the one who spends gets its reward, and the one who receives becomes grateful to the giver. The reason is that this whole phenomenon of mutual human cooperation and help on which depends the entire functional order of the world can survive only when one person needs the other. A poor person needs the money a rich person has, and a rich person needs the labor of a poor person. Neither of the two is free of the need for the other - and a little reflection would reveal that nobody is doing a favor to anybody. Whatever a person gives to the other person gives, in the ultimate analysis, in one's own interest and for one's own good.
Now, there remains the question: On which basis, did the believers ask the disbelievers to spend in the way of Allah, particularly when they simply did not have the very faith in Allah and, as the jurists maintain, they were no addressees of the subsidiary injunctions of the Shari` ah? The answer to that is clear. When the believers said that, they had no intention to have disbelievers implement some religious injunction, it was said on the basis of the accepted norm of human good will, sympathy and gentleness.
Ayah 36:49Commentary
مَا يَنظُرُ‌ونَ إِلَّا صَيْحَةً وَاحِدَةً (They are looking for nothing but for a single Cry that will seize them - 36:49). The question of the disbelievers quoted here is the one they used to'-ask the Muslims by way of mockery, and the real purpose was to deny the Day of Judgment. It was not asked for finding out the truth, nor as a serious effort to reach the reality. It was simply a way of taunting the Muslims and making fun of them. And even if it were for finding out the true nature of the event, then, the mercy of the Lord of the universe requires that the full and precise knowledge of the year and day of the coming of Qiyamah should not be given to anyone, so much so that it was not given even to any one from among His noble prophets and messengers. Even if this question asked by these dimwit people was no more than a fact-finding exercise on their part, it was patently absurd. Therefore, rather than tell them, in response, the time when Qiyamah will come, they were admonished. They were told that reasonable people, once they become aware of something that is bound to come in all certainty, should start making necessary preparations ahead of it, and not go about wasting precious time in trying to find out its precise hour and day. Common sense required that, once they had heard the foreboding of Qiyamah, they should have believed and did what it takes to achieve success in that life to come. But, so entangled they are in their heedlessness that they virtually seem to be waiting for nothing short of the time when the day of Qiyamah comes before them - and then, they would think about it. Therefore, it was said that these people were waiting for the Qiyamah - while, Qiyamah will have a scenario of its own, for it would be just one terrible sound of the Horn صُور (Sur) that will seize everyone all of a sudden in a way that people will be busy in their businesses settling their disputes and they all, in this very condition, will lie dead.
It appears in Hadith that two men will be engaged in their activity of buying and selling cloth. Stretched before them will be the yardage of the cloth pieces while, of a sudden, Qiyamah will come - and they would be unable to complete their deal of cloth. Then, there will be someone else busy plastering his water tank who will fall dead in the same state (reported by Abu Nu'aym from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ - al-Qurtubi).
Ayah 36:50In verse 50, it was said فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ تَوْصِيَةً وَلَا إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِمْ يَرْ‌جِعُونَ (So they will not be able to make a bequest, nor will they return to their household.), that is, people who are gathered there will not have the respite to make a will among themselves to do something on their behalf, and those who are still outside their houses will not find the respite even to go into their houses. They will lie dead in the very state in which they would be at that time. This is a description of the first blowing of the Horn of the day of Qiyamah as a result of which the entire gamut of the earth and heavens will be destroyed.
Ayah 36:51After that, it was said: وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَإِذَا هُم مِّنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَنسِلُونَ (And the Horn will be blown, and suddenly they will be rushing from their graves towards their Lord. (36:51). Here, the word: أَجْدَاثِ (ajdath) is the plural form of: جَدَث (jadath) which means a grave. And: يَنسِلُونَ (yansilun) is a derivation from: نَسلان (nasalan) which means to walk swiftly as it appears in another verse: يَخْرُ‌جُونَ مِنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَ‌اعًا (they will come out of their graves in haste - Al-Ma۔ arij, 70:43). As for what is said in another verse: فَإِذَا هُمْ قِيَامٌ يَنظُرُ‌ونَ (and suddenly, they will stand up, looking around - Az-Zumar, 39:68), it is not contrary to that, for first came the instant of standing up in wonder and then came the act of racing toward the plains of the Resurrection. There is no contradiction in between these two. Then, as it is already proved from the verses of the Qur'an that the angels will call them to come to the plains of the Resurrection, it becomes clear that the presence of disbelievers on the plain of the Resurrection will not be out of their pleasure, rather, it would be out of compulsion whereby the call of the angels will prompt them to come hastening toward it.
Ayahs 36:52–54In verse 52, it was said: قَالُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا مَن بَعَثَنَا مِن مَّرْقَدِنَا (They will say, "Woe to us! Who has raised us from our sleeping place?" ). Though the disbelievers were already having their punishment in their graves with no sign of any relief, yet this punishment will appear as nothing when compared with the punishing circumstances of the day of Qiyamah, therefore, they will cry out as to why they had to be taken out of their graves, for it would have been better if they had stayed right there. A response to this will come from either the angels or the common believers.
This response appears immediately next in verse 52: هَـٰذَا مَا وَعَدَ الرَّ‌حْمَـٰنُ وَصَدَقَ الْمُرْ‌سَلُونَ ("This is what the Rahman had promised, and the messengers had told the truth.) - to which they paid no attention. At this place, a choice has been made in using the word: رَّ‌حْمَـٰنُ (Rahman: The Most Merciful) out of the many attributes of Allah. It serves as an indicator - as for Him, He had already made elaborate arrangements, in His mercy, that you remain safe from this punishment, and that His act of alerting you in advance through His promise and through His Books and Prophets was, in fact, but a dictate of His attribute of mercy.
Ayah 36:55Then, in verse 55, it was said:إِنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ الْيَوْمَ فِي شُغُلٍ فَاكِهُونَ (The people of the Paradise are engaged today in (their) activities, happily enjoying [ them ]) - 36:55). After having mentioned the worries of the people of Jahannam, described here is the state of the people of Paradise on the day of Qiyamah that they will be enjoying themselves. The word: فَاكِهُونَ (fakihun) is the plural form of: فَاکِہُ (fakih). It signifies happiness of the heart as well as happiness out of one's surroundings. As for the expression: فِي شُغُلٍ (fi shughul) appearing before it, it could also mean that they will be totally unaffected by the misfortunes afflicting the people of Jahannam (as said by some commentators).
And then it is also possible that, at this place, this expression: فِي شُغُلٍ (fi shughul) has been added to remove the thought - when, in Jannah, there will be no religious duty like obligatory or necessary worship, nor the job of earning one's livelihood, would this lack of activity not leave one uptight or bored? - hence, it was said that their enjoyment itself will be their principal activity, and the question of any boredom simply does not arise.
Ayah 36:56Next, in verse 56, it was said: هُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُهُمْ They and their spouses...). The word: اَزوَاج (azwaj) as used here includes the Hurs حُور of Jannah as well as wives of the mortal world.
Ayahs 36:57–58The word: يَدَّعُونَ (yadda’ un) appearing in verse 57: وَلَهُم مَّا يَدَّعُونَ (wa lahum ma yadda un) is a derivation from: دَعوَیٰ (da'wah) which means to call, that is, the thing the people of Jannah will call or wish to have, will come to them. The Qur'an has not used the word: يَسْأَلُونَ Yas’ alun: they ask) at this place, because having something after having asked for it is also a sort of exertion, something the Jannah will be free from, in fact, it will be a place where everything needed will be ready and present.
Ayah 36:59In verse 59, it was said: وَامْتَازُوا الْيَوْمَ أَيُّهَا الْمُجْرِ‌مُونَ (And get apart (from the believers) today 0 the guilty ones.- 36:59) On the plains of the Resurrection, initially when people rise from their graves, they will be scattered all mixed up as said in the Qur'an: كَأَنَّهُمْ جَرَ‌ادٌ مُّنتَشِرٌ- (kaannahum jaradum-muntashir: as if they are scattered locusts - Al-Qamar, 54:7). But, later on, group by group, they will be separated in terms of their deeds - disbelievers at one place and the believers, at another, and sinners at one place and the righteous and the accepted, at another - as it has been stated elsewhere: وَإِذَا النُّفُوسُ زُوِّجَتْ (And when the persons will be divided into pairs- at-Takwir, 81:7) In the said verse, this same distinction to be made has been described.
Ayahs 36:60–64In verse 60, it was said: أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يَا بَنِي آدَمَ أَن لَّا تَعْبُدُوا الشَّيْطَانَ (Did I not direct you, 0 children of 'Adam, that you must not worship the Shaitan, (because) he is an open enemy for you,- 36:60). In other words, this would be said on the day of Qiyamah to all human beings, (even to the Jinn). But, the question remains that the disbelievers did not generally worship the Shaitan. They worshipped idols or other things. Therefore, how does this blame fall on them? The answer is that submitting before some entity in the absolute sense and to obey that entity in word and deed in everything and under all conditions is nothing but worship. Since these people always followed Shaitanic teachings, therefore, they were called the worshipers of the Shaitan - as said in Hadith that a person who, driven by love for money or spouse, starts doing everything that would increase wealth or please the spouse, even at the cost of the displeasure of Allah, is an obedient servant of the silver coin and the obedient servant of the spouse (Abd-ud-dirham, Abd-uz-zawjah).
Ayahs 36:65–67In verse 65, it was said: الْيَوْمَ نَخْتِمُ عَلَىٰ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ (Today We will set a seal on their mouths). On the day of Resurrection, when comes the time to account for deeds, everyone will be free to offer any excuse one has. But, Mushriks, the practitioners of shirk, those who associate partners in the pristine divinity of Allah Ta’ ala, will declare on oaths that they never had anything to do with shirk and kufr: وَاللَّـهِ رَ‌بِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِ‌كِينَ (By Allah, our Lord, we ascribed no partners to Allah - A1-An` am, 6:23).
And some of them will also say that they were free of whatever the angels had written down in their book of deeds. At that time, Allah Ta’ ala will put a seal on their mouths, so that they would not speak. Then, He will give power of speech to their own body parts, the hands and the feet, who will testify to all their deeds as court witnesses against them. As for the present verse, it mentions the speaking of hands and feet only. In another verse, mentioned there is the speaking of one's ear, eye and skin: شَهِدَ عَلَيْهِمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَأَبْصَارُ‌هُمْ وَجُلُودُهُم ' (their ears and their eyes and their skins will testify against them - 41:20). As for what has been said at one place: تَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ (and their tongues will testify against them - An-Nur, 24:24), it is not contrary to 'putting a seal on their mouths' because putting a seal means that they will be unable to say anything out of their own volition. Their tongue will speak counter to their personal choice and will testify to the truth.
As for the question how these parts of the body would acquire power of speech, the Qur'an has already answered that by saying: أَنطَقَنَا اللَّـهُ الَّذِي أَنطَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ (Why did you testify against us? - 41:21) that is, these parts of the body will say that Allah, who has given power of speech to all things endowed with the ability to speak, has also enabled us to speak.
Ayah 36:68In the last of the verses cited above, it was said: وَمَن نُّعَمِّرْهُ نُنَكِّسْهُ فِي الْخَلْقِ أَفَلَا يَعْقِلُونَ (And whomsoever We give long life, we reverse him in creation. Do they then not have sense?). The word: نُّعَمِّر (nu'ammir: We give a long life) in this verse has been derived from: تَمِیر (ta` mir) which means to prolong years of life. And the word: نُنَكِّسْهُ (nunakkishu) is a derivation from: تَنکِیس (tankis) which means to reverse, invert or turn upside down. In this verse, Allah Ta’ ala has described yet another manifestation of His perfect power and eloquent wisdom in that every living being lies under the free will of Allah Ta’ ala all the time. The process of nature is going on. The thing started from a lifeless drop. Wrapped with three layers of darkness in the womb of the mother, that which came to be was this essence of the universe, and a small world in its own right. Countless was the number of most delicate mechanisms that were embedded into its life form. Then it was made to come alive with the infusion of the spirit. After having been nourished and grown for nine months inside the womb of the mother, a perfect human being came into this world. Of course, perfect it was, but the body it had was weak. Nature took care of that by placing in the breast of the mother food that would suit an infant's physical requirement. This gave it the gradual supply of needed energy. From that time to the time of youth, passed many stages and then came a strong body at its total bloom. Then came claims of the power thus acquired and rose the desire to defeat every conceivable adversary.
But, that was not the end. When the creator and master of this new aspirant into the world decided otherwise, all these strengths started waning. Even the decline was not sudden. It took time. There were countless stages. Finally, came the fag end of the years of life. Once there, just imagine, has this person not reached back into the stage of one's childhood. Habits started changing. Reflexes became different. Things that used to be the dearest started appearing hateful. What was comfort once turned into suffering. This is what the Qur'an calls "tankis," that is, being turned upside down. One trusts what one sees with one's own eyes and what one hears with one's own ears in the life of this world. This too does not remain trustworthy during the later years of old age. Clearly understanding what is being said becomes difficult because one becomes hard of hearing. The same thing happens to the sense of sight that becomes weak. One cannot see well enough. The classical Arab poet, al-Mutanabbi has said:
و من صحب الدّنیا طویلا تقلَّبّت ---- علی عینہٖ حَتّٰی یری صدقھا کذبا
And for one who lives long in the world, it will turn upside down right before his eyes to the extent that what he saw as truth will start appearing to be a lie.
Not only that this major change in man's frame of existence is a standing manifestation of the unique power of Allah Ta’ ala, it is also a great favor to him. Is it not that all strengths the supreme Creator has placed in the living presence of man are, in reality, the God-given functional devices issued to him with the clarification that they were neither his property nor were they everlasting and that, finally, they will be taken back from him. This obviously required that, once came the time of such take over, all such strengths should have been taken back simultaneously. But, the most merciful and sublime Lord has not elected to do that. Instead, He has allowed that these strengths be taken back in installments that too are prominently long and spaced apart. Thus, these are taken back gradually, bit by bit, so that one gets alerted and starts getting ready to embark on the ultimate journey of the Hereafter. And Allah knows best.
Ayahs 36:69–70Commentary
In the first verse cited here, it was said: وَمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ الشِّعْرَ وَمَا يَنبَغِي لَهُ (And We did not teach him poetry and it is not proper for him.) Since the deniers of the appearance of a prophet and messenger with a mission could not deny the unique effectiveness of the Qur'an and its ability to move hearts that was a matter of common experience, therefore, they invented convenient excuses. At times, they would call this Divine Word, some magic and the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، a magician. Then, on other occasions, they would say that this Word was poetry and he was a poet. By saying that, they wanted to prove that this unique effectiveness did not come out of the Divine Word as such, instead, they were either words of magic or sorcery that made an impression on hearts, or it is poetic speech for that too affects hearts.
In this verse, Allah Ta’ ala said that He did not teach His prophet the art of poetry, nor was it appropriate to his station and saying that he was a poet, is false and wrong.
Here, we have a question. Is it not that Arabs are a people who have poetry in their blood? Even their women and children would compose impromptu lines of poetry. They knew poetry and its reality. How could they say that the Qur'an was poetry and the Holy Prophet ﷺ was a poet? On what basis could this be because neither is the Qur'an restricted by the compulsion of poetic meter, nor of radif (the unchanging word that appears at the end of the hemistich) and qafiyah (the changing rhymed word that appears before the radif) anywhere in the text? Not even someone who is pathetically ignorant of the mores of poetry would think of calling this poetry.
To answer this, it can be said that, essentially, poetry is composed of self-structured imaginary subjects, whether in poetry or prose. By calling the Qur'an, poetry and the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، a poet their purpose was to tell him that the Divine Word he claims to have brought, is no more than imaginary tales. Or, may be, they called him a poet in terms of the well recognized meaning of poetry with a certain congruity in mind, that is, the effect produced by the Qur'an is similar to the effect produced by poetic compositions.
Quoting his own chain of authority, Imam Abu Bakr al-Jassas (رح) has reported that someone asked Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ if the Holy Prophet ﷺ used to recite some verse of poetry once in a while. To that, she said, "No, however, he once did recite a verse of Ibn Tarfah:
----۔ و یأتیک بالاخبار من لّم تزوّدِ ستبدی لک الایام ما کنت جاھلاً-----
"The time will reveal to you that which you did not know, and the news will be brought to you by one whom you did not appoint to do so.
But the holy Prophet ﷺ recited this as: وزن شعری in a manner that broke the poetic measure. Sayyidna Abu Bakr ؓ submitted, 'Ya RasulAllah, this verse is not like that.' He said, 'I am not a poet, nor is poetry appropriate for me."
Ibn Kathir has reported this narration in his Tafsir, and at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'I and Imam Ahmad have also reported it. This tells us that he simply did not consider reciting verses of poetry composed by others as appropriate for him. That he would compose it himself was unthinkable. As for some sentences having the resonance of poetic measure reported from the Holy Prophet ﷺ himself, they did not issue forth from him with the intention of composing formal poetry. They were casual, and should some one or two lines issue forth from a person that fall into poetic measure, these do not make him a poet. But, from this natural condition of the Holy Prophet ﷺ that was based on great considerations of wisdom, it does not become necessary that poetry should be taken as blameworthy in any absolute sense - as explained under the details of injunctions relating to poetry in our commentary on verse 224 of Surah Ash-Shu` ara' (26) appearing at its end in Volume VI of Ma’ ariful-Qur'an, English. Those interested may see it there.
Ayah 36:71In verse 71, it was said: أَوَلَمْ يَرَ‌وْا أَنَّا خَلَقْنَا لَهُم مِّمَّا عَمِلَتْ أَيْدِينَا أَنْعَامًا فَهُمْ لَهَا مَالِكُونَ (Did they not see that We have created for them cattle, among things made (directly) by Our hands, then they are their owners?). Along with the mention of the Divine novelty and beneficence in the creation of the cattle in this verse, yet another great favor of Allah Ta’ ala has been identified. It has been said that man has played no role in the creation of these cattle. Allah Ta’ ala made them, exclusively, by His own hands, so to say. Then, He not only let human beings benefit from these cattle with His permission, but also made them their owners, so that they could dispose them off in any manner they chose - use them to their advantage or sell them off and use the money thus acquired.
Gift of God - not capital or labor - is the real wisdom behind the ownership of things
In our day, debate is still going on between various economic theories as to the basis of production of things and their ownership. Is it wealth, or is it labor? The votaries of the capitalist economic system declare capital and wealth as its basis. The protagonists of the socialist and communist system support labor as the real reason or justification behind production of things and their ownership. This decree of the Qur'an tells us that none of these two has any role to play in the creation of things and their ownership. The creation of anything does not rest in the possession or control of human beings. That is an act of Allah Ta’ ala, directly. Then, reason demands that the one who creates something should also be its owner. Therefore, when it comes to things of this world, the essential and real ownership is that of Allah Ta’ ala. The ownership of human beings in anything whatsoever can take effect only when Allah Ta’ ala passes it on to them in His mercy. Allah Ta’ ala has already revealed the law of the proof and transfer of ownership through his prophets. Counter to this law, no one can become the owner of anything.
Ayahs 36:72–74In verse 72: وَذَلَّلْنَاهَا لَهُمْ (And We have brought them under their control), yet another favor and blessing has been pointed to. If one were to look at the camel, horse, elephant, ox and other animals, it will be realized that they are seemingly far stronger than human beings. Man is weak as compared to them - as a result of which, it should have not been possible for him to tame and control them. But, Allah Ta` la had it arranged in His own way. The way He created these animals and gifted them to human beings, in the same way, He made these free animals naturally subservient to man. A boy reins a strong horse and rides on its back to anywhere he likes to go. This thing too is no achievement of man. This comes from Allah Ta` H1a as His grace, a blessing that is given to man without asking.
Ayahs 36:75–76In the last verse cited above (75), it was said: وَهُمْ لَهُمْ جُندٌ مُّحْضَرُ‌ونَ (rather they are an army brought forth for them). One sense of this verse is to take the word: جُندٌ (army) in the text to mean an opponent or adversary and take the verse to mean that the things they have made their objects of worship in the mortal world will turn against them on the Day of Judgment and also bear witness against them.
And according to a Tafsir reported from Hasan and Qatadah رحمۃ اللہ علیہما ، it means that these people had taken to idols as gods in the hope that they would help them. But, the reality on the ground proved to be that they were already incapable of helping them. As a result, the very people who used to worship them as their servants and soldiers are now guarding them to the extent that they would take their side and fight against anyone who opposes them (a1-Qurtubi). The translation given in the text (with brackets) is based on this interpretation.
Ayah 36:77Commentary
The last five verses of Surah Ya Sin were revealed in the background of a particular event. This event has been attributed to Ubayy Ibn Khalaf in some narrations, and to 'As ibn Wa'il in some others. And there is no improbability in that such an event came to pass with both of them. The first narration was reported by al-Baihaqi in Shu` abul-'Iman, and the other reported by Ibn Abi Haatim from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ says that 'As Ibn Wa'il picked up a bone from the sandy and pebble-strewn valley of Makkah and after breaking it with his hands rubbed it into a handful of bone meal and then said to the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، "Will Allah revive this bone you are seeing in my hands?" The Holy Prophet ﷺ said, "Yes, Allah Ta’ ala will put you to death, then bring you back to life and then He will put you in Hell." (Ibn Kathir)
The expression: خَصِيمٌ مُّبِينٌ (an open adversary) in verse 77 means that this man was created from a lowly drop, yet he has the audacity to challenge Allah, and refuse to accept His power.
Ayahs 36:78–79In verse 78, it was said: ضَرَبَ لَنَا مَثَلًا (And he has set up an argument about Us). Here, the expression refers to the event described above, that is, while smashing and rubbing the bone into bone meal, its revival was considered improbable. After that, it was said: وَنَسِيَ خَلْقَهُ (and forgot his own creation). It means while he was giving that example, he forgot the example of his own creation as to how he himself was created by infusing life in a lowly, impure and lifeless drop - a bland anatomy of his creation indeed. Had he not forgotten his real genetic origin, he would have never come up with such examples and would have never dared saying no to Divine power.
Ayahs 36:80–81In verse 80, it was said: جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ الشَّجَرِ الْأَخْضَرِ نَارًا (the One who created for you fire from the green tree). Two trees used to be well known in ` Arabia - Markh (Cynanchum Vinimale) and ` Afar. The Arabs were accustomed to cutting two twigs from these two trees as they did with siwak or miswak. These twigs would be solid, green, and full of fresh water inside. By rubbing one on the other, it worked like firestone. They could strike fire out of these. This is what has been alluded to in striking fire out of the green tree. (Qurtubi) And if we were to consider the ultimate fate of trees, every green tree that flourishes initially, then, later on, once dried, it becomes a source of fuel and fire. Seen from this angle, every tree can be meant here - as seems to be the sense in the following verse of the noble Qur'an: أَفَرَ‌أَيْتُمُ النَّارَ الَّتِي تُورُ‌ونَ ﴿71﴾ أَأَنتُمْ أَنشَأْتُمْ شَجَرَ‌تَهَا أَمْ نَحْنُ الْمُنشِئُونَ (Now tell Me about the fire you kindle: Is it you who have originated its tree, are We the Orginiator? - 56:71-72).
But, in the present verse, since the quality of the 'shajar' or tree has also been mentioned as being 'akhdar' or green, therefore, here it seems that meant here are those particular trees that used to be a source of fire despite being green and moisturized.
Ayahs 36:82–83In verse 82, it was said: إِنَّمَا أَمْرُ‌هُ إِذَا أَرَ‌ادَ شَيْئًا أَن يَقُولَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ (His practice, when He intends to do something, is no more than He says, "Be", and it comes to be.). In other words, the verse means that when Allah Ta’ ala intends to create something, He has no need to follow the way things are made by human beings who have to collect raw materials, assemble technicians and work for a certain period of time until the thing is ready. His way, to use an understatement, is different. Whenever, He intends to create something, for Him it is sufficient to give the command: "Be." Right then, the thing so commanded comes into existence. From this, it does not necessarily follow that the creation of everything should invariably be instant. Instead, when the creation of something instantly under the dictate of the wisdom of the Creator is expedient, it stands created on the beam without any gradual mode or respite. And when the creation of something is decreed to be appropriate only as gradual due to some wise consideration, it comes into existence gradually - whether it is destined to be created along with a particular gradual mode in the very first decree, or it is addressed with a separate command of کُن 'kun' or 'be' at each gradual stage. وَاللہ سبحانہ و تعالیٰ اَعلَم (And Allah, the Pure, the High knows best).
Alhamdu1i11ah
The Commentary on
Surah Y a Sin
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