42. Surah Ash-Shura

الشورىConsultation · 53 ayahsمعارف القرآن انگلش

Read Surah Ash-Shura in the Quran reader
Ayahs 42:1–4

كَذٰلِكَ یُوْحِیْۤ اِلَیْكَ وَ اِلَى الَّذِیْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ١ۙ اللّٰهُ الْعَزِیْزُ الْحَكِیْمُ Open ayah 42:3 in the Quran reader

]. This is how Allah, the Mighty, the Wise, sends revelation to you and to those who were before you.

لَهٗ مَا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَا فِی الْاَرْضِ١ؕ وَ هُوَ الْعَلِیُّ الْعَظِیْمُ Open ayah 42:4 in the Quran reader

To him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And He is the High, the Supreme.

Commentary (Ha Meem ` Ayn Seen Qaf) Only Allah knows the meaning of these letters. The gist of the first five verses is as follows: Just as this surah was revealed to the Holy Prophet ﷺ for the ascertainment of the religious principles and for other benefits, similarly Allah Ta’ ala has been sending other prophets who preceded him. His Magnificence is such that whatever there is in the heavens and in the earth is His. He is the Supreme, the Most Magnificent. Even though some of the people of this world do not recognize and do not admit the greatness of His magnificence, yet the number of the angels in the heavens, who know Him and recognize His greatness, is so large that their load may, quite likely, cause the heavens to burst apart from above. A hadith narrated in Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah states that due to the large number of the angels, such crackling sounds are produced in the heavens as are produced when an excessive load is placed on something. And that is how it should be, because throughout the heavens there is not even a space of four fingers left vacant by angels who are in the state of prostration.
Ayahs 42:5–6

تَكَادُ السَّمٰوٰتُ یَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْ فَوْقِهِنَّ وَ الْمَلٰٓئِكَةُ یُسَبِّحُوْنَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَ یَسْتَغْفِرُوْنَ لِمَنْ فِی الْاَرْضِ١ؕ اَلَاۤ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ هُوَ الْغَفُوْرُ الرَّحِیْمُ Open ayah 42:5 in the Quran reader

The heavens almost burst apart from their above side, and the angels proclaim the purity and praise of their Lord, and pray for the forgiveness of those on the earth. Be aware that Allah is the Most-Forgiving, the Very-Merciful.

وَ الَّذِیْنَ اتَّخَذُوْا مِنْ دُوْنِهٖۤ اَوْلِیَآءَ اللّٰهُ حَفِیْظٌ عَلَیْهِمْ١ۖ٘ وَ مَاۤ اَنْتَ عَلَیْهِمْ بِوَكِیْلٍ Open ayah 42:6 in the Quran reader

And those who have adopted patrons instead of Him, Allah is on watch against them, and you are not responsible for them.

يَتَفَطَّرْ‌نَ (burst apart). It has been stated in the above hadith that the load of angels began producing such crackling sounds in the heavens as are produced when excessive load is placed on something. This tells us that angels have weight and this is not beyond reason, because it is confirmed that angels also have physical bodies, even though very light in weight. And even light bodies add up to a considerable load when they are in huge numbers. (Bayan-u1-Qur'an) These angels in the heavens proclaim the perfection of their Lord and utter His praises. They also ask for forgiveness of the dwellers of this earth who do not give what is due to Allah's greatness, rather indulge in associating others with Him and in infidelity and hence become liable to suffer scourge. Their asking for forgiveness for disbelievers is for a limited period only and is a supplication that some severe worldly scourge may not befall the humans which may destroy all of them; their safety against ordinary punishments of this world and the real scourge of the Hereafter are not included in this supplication. And Allah, the Almighty accepts this supplication, and saves them from the general scourge in this world. It must be understood thoroughly that Allah and Allah alone is the forgiver and Merciful although this forgiveness of infidels is for a limited duration and is limited to this world only.
Ayahs 42:7–9

وَ كَذٰلِكَ اَوْحَیْنَاۤ اِلَیْكَ قُرْاٰنًا عَرَبِیًّا لِّتُنْذِرَ اُمَّ الْقُرٰى وَ مَنْ حَوْلَهَا وَ تُنْذِرَ یَوْمَ الْجَمْعِ لَا رَیْبَ فِیْهِ١ؕ فَرِیْقٌ فِی الْجَنَّةِ وَ فَرِیْقٌ فِی السَّعِیْرِ Open ayah 42:7 in the Quran reader

And thus We have revealed to you an Arabic Qur'an, so that you may warn the town that is the mother of all towns, and those around it, and warn (them) of the Day of Gathering, about which there is no doubt (when) one group of people will be in Paradise, and another group in the blazing Fire.

وَ لَوْ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ لَجَعَلَهُمْ اُمَّةً وَّاحِدَةً وَّ لٰكِنْ یُّدْخِلُ مَنْ یَّشَآءُ فِیْ رَحْمَتِهٖ١ؕ وَ الظّٰلِمُوْنَ مَا لَهُمْ مِّنْ وَّلِیٍّ وَّ لَا نَصِیْرٍ Open ayah 42:8 in the Quran reader

And had Allah willed, He would have made all of them a single group; but He admits whomsoever He wills into His mercy. As for the wrongdoers, they have neither a patron nor a helper.

اَمِ اتَّخَذُوْا مِنْ دُوْنِهٖۤ اَوْلِیَآءَ١ۚ فَاللّٰهُ هُوَ الْوَلِیُّ وَ هُوَ یُحْیِ الْمَوْتٰى١٘ وَ هُوَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَیْءٍ قَدِیْرٌ۠ Open ayah 42:9 in the Quran reader

Is it that they have adopted patrons instead of Him? So, it is Allah who is the Patron, and He gives life to the dead, and He is Powerful to do everything.

لِّتُنذِرَ‌ أُمَّ الْقُرَ‌ىٰ (So that you may warn the town that is the mother of all towns) - Umm-ul- Qura (mother of all the towns) means the origin and foundation of all habitations and cities which is Makkah. This title has been given to this city because, to Allah Almighty, it is more distinguished and more excellent than all other cities, habitations and the whole earth. Imam Ahmad has narrated in Musnad, with the authority of Sayyidna ` Adiyy Ibn Hamra' Az-zuhri ؓ that he heard the Messenger of Allah at a market of Makkah when he ﷺ was migrating from the city. He ﷺ was addressing Makkah in the following words: انک لخیر ارض اللہ و احبّ ارض اللہ اَلَیَّ ولو لا اِنّی اُخرجت منک لما خرجت "To me, you are better and dearer than the whole of Allah's earth; if I had not been expelled from your vicinity, I would never have left it of my own accord." (At-tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah - rated as ` hasan ahib' by Tirmidhi) وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا - means the suburbs in the neighborhood of Makkah Mukarramah; it could mean the neighboring Arab countries as well as the whole of the earth from east to west.
Ayahs 42:10–12

وَ مَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِیْهِ مِنْ شَیْءٍ فَحُكْمُهٗۤ اِلَى اللّٰهِ١ؕ ذٰلِكُمُ اللّٰهُ رَبِّیْ عَلَیْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ١ۖۗ وَ اِلَیْهِ اُنِیْبُ Open ayah 42:10 in the Quran reader

And (Say 0 prophet to your opponents,) "Whatever dispute you have in any matter, its judgment lies with Allah. That One is Allah, the Lord of mine; in Him alone I have placed my trust, and to Him alone I turn (in every matter)."

فَاطِرُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ١ؕ جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنْ اَنْفُسِكُمْ اَزْوَاجًا وَّ مِنَ الْاَنْعَامِ اَزْوَاجًا١ۚ یَذْرَؤُكُمْ فِیْهِ١ؕ لَیْسَ كَمِثْلِهٖ شَیْءٌ١ۚ وَ هُوَ السَّمِیْعُ الْبَصِیْرُ Open ayah 42:11 in the Quran reader

He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has made for you pairs from among yourselves, and pairs from the cattle. He makes you expand in this way. Nothing is like Him. And He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

لَهٗ مَقَالِیْدُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ١ۚ یَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ یَّشَآءُ وَ یَقْدِرُ١ؕ اِنَّهٗ بِكُلِّ شَیْءٍ عَلِیْمٌ Open ayah 42:12 in the Quran reader

To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. He extends provision for whomsoever He wills and straitens (it for whomsoever He wills). Surely He is All-Knowing in respect of everything.

Commentary وَمَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِيهِ مِن شَيْءٍ فَحُكْمُهُ إِلَى اللَّـهِ (Whatever dispute you have in any matter, its judgment lies with Allah. - 10) It means that the judgment in all those matters in which you dispute lies with Allah, because the sovereignty belongs to Allah only, as stated in another verse:إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّـهِ (The Decision belongs to none but Allah - 6:57). The direction in many verses to obey Rasulullah ﷺ and in some verses to obey those in authority does not contradict the above, because the orders of Rasulullah ﷺ and of the authorities are also, in a way, orders of Allah. If the order has been received through ` wahy' or based upon the clear and definite verses (nusus) of the Qur'an and sunnah, then its being an order of Allah is obvious. And if the order is an 'ijtihad' (inference) which in turn is based upon nusus of Qur'an and sunnah, then also, in a way, it is an order of Allah. ijtihadat' (plural of ` ijtihad' ) of the ` mujtahidin' of the ummah (those who are competent to interpret the Qur'an and Sunnah, and infer Islamic laws from them) on this basis, are included in orders of Allah. That is why the learned scholars have declared that the fatwa (ruling) given by a ` mufti' (A competent Islamic scholar) is to be taken as a part of the religious law by the common masses who do not have the ability to understand the Qur'an and the Sunnah directly.
Ayah 42:13

شَرَعَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ الدِّیْنِ مَا وَصّٰى بِهٖ نُوْحًا وَّ الَّذِیْۤ اَوْحَیْنَاۤ اِلَیْكَ وَ مَا وَصَّیْنَا بِهٖۤ اِبْرٰهِیْمَ وَ مُوْسٰى وَ عِیْسٰۤى اَنْ اَقِیْمُوا الدِّیْنَ وَ لَا تَتَفَرَّقُوْا فِیْهِ١ؕ كَبُرَ عَلَى الْمُشْرِكِیْنَ مَا تَدْعُوْهُمْ اِلَیْهِ١ؕ اَللّٰهُ یَجْتَبِیْۤ اِلَیْهِ مَنْ یَّشَآءُ وَ یَهْدِیْۤ اِلَیْهِ مَنْ یُّنِیْبُ Open ayah 42:13 in the Quran reader

He has ordained for you the same religion as He had enjoined upon Nuh, and that which We have revealed to you, and that which We had enjoined upon Ibrahim and Musa and ` Isa by saying, " Establish the religion, and be not divided therein." Arduous for the mushriks (polytheists) is that to which you are inviting them. Allah chooses (and pulls) toward Himself anyone He wills, and guides to Himself anyone who turns to Him (to seek guidance).

Commentary شَرَ‌عَ لَكُم مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا وَصَّىٰ بِهِ نُوحًا (He has ordained for you the same religion as He had enjoined upon Nuh (علیہ السلام) -- 42:13) Allah Almighty's obvious and material blessings were stated in the previous verses. Stated from here are the inner and spiritual blessings. That is, He has blessed you with that very cogent and infallible religion which has been common between all the prophets (علیہم السلام) . Five of the prophets (علیہم السلام) have been mentioned in the verse. Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) has been mentioned first, and our Prophet ﷺ in the end, while Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) in the middle, because he is the father of prophets and was accepted as a prophet even by Arabs, despite their ` kufr' and ` shirk'. Sayyidna Musa and ` Isa (علیہما السلام) have been mentioned after him, because their followers were the ones who were present when Qur'an was being revealed. These five prophets (علیہم السلام) are also the ones named in Surah Ahzab where the covenant of the prophets given to Allah is mentioned, the difference being that the last of the Prophets ﷺ has been mentioned before Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) in Surah Ahzab, whereas Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) has been mentioned before our Prophet ﷺ in the present surah. Perhaps this is to indicate that although the last of the Prophets ﷺ was born and sent as a prophet after all other prophets, yet he preceded everyone else in the originally destined (azali) distribution of prophethood and messenger-ship. This has been stated in a Hadith: ` I preceded all the other prophets in the original creation and I am last of all the prophets in being sent." (Reported by Ibn Majah, Darimi, from Bahz In Hakim, and rated as hasan=See Mishkah) Now the question arises that the very first prophet is Sayyidna 'Adam (علیہ السلام) but the mention of prophets does not commence with his name. The reason is that Sayyidna 'Adam (علیہ السلام) was the first prophet to have come in this world, and although he has commonality in principles of beliefs and important features of faith, yet during his period, no ` kufr' and ` shirk' had appeared in the people. Confrontation with ` kufr' and ` shirk' commenced with Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) who is the first prophet to have faced such problems which were to be faced by later prophets, and as such Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) has been mentioned first. (Allah knows best). أَنْ أَقِيمُوا الدِّينَ وَلَا تَتَفَرَّ‌قُوا فِيهِ (Establish the religion, and be not divided therein. - 42:13). - This is an explanation of the preceding sentence which means that the دِین ` din' (religion) which is common to all the prophets and in which all are agreed has to be established and maintained; opposing this religion or creating differences in it is not only impermissible, but also liable to a destructive end. Establishing the دِین Din is obligatory Duty and Dissension in it is forbidden Two orders have been given in this verse - one, ` Establish the religion' and the second, ` Be not divided therein.' which forbids dissension in religion. This sentence is preceded by the word 'an' which has been translated above as, ` by saying'. As such, this is an explanation of the word, ` ordained' occurring in the beginning. Therefore the word ` din' (religion) in this verse means the same دِین ` din' which has been common between all the prophets, and which calls for adherence to the belief in Oneness of Allah, prophethood, the life after death, and to the principles of worship as salah, fasting, hajj and zakah; it forbids theft, robbery, adultery, telling of lies, deceit, hurting others without a valid reason, breach of promise - all these have been common injunctions between all divine religions. On the other hand, It is also proved through an unambiguous verse of the Qur'an لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ شِرْ‌عَةً وَمِنْهَاجًا (For each of you We have made a way and a method - 5:48) that there are ancillary differences in the details of the revealed laws of different prophets (علیہم السلام) . In the light of all these facts taken together, it becomes clear that the order of establishing the religion and prohibition of dissension pertains to those divine laws which have been common and consistent in the codes of all the prophets (علیہم السلام) - It is these injunctions in which creating differences is forbidden. Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud ؓ states that one day Rasulullah ﷺ drew a straight line in front of us, and then drew other small lines on the right and left of the straight line and said that the lines on the right and left were the ways invented by devils, and each of those ways is controlled by a Shaitan (Satan) who incites people to follow that path; and then, pointing towards the straight line, he said وَاَنَّ ھٰذَا صِرَاطِی مُستقیماً فَاتَّبَعُوہُ (And this my path, straight. So follow it - 6:153.) (Ahmad, An-Nasa'i, Darimi - Mazhari) The straight path in the above simile means the same path of true دِین din' (religion) which has been common to all the prophets (علیہم السلام) creating diversions in it is to create differences which is forbidden and an act of Shaitans (Satan). Correct ahadith strictly forbid creating differences in such injunctions which are unanimously agreed. The Holy Prophet ﷺ said من فارق الجماعۃ شبرا فقد خلع ربقۃ الاسلام من عنقہ (Ahmad, Abu Dawud) meaning that the person who moves away even one span from the general body of Muslims has taken out the neck-band of Islamic beliefs from his neck. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ has stated that Rasulullah ﷺ said یَدُ اللہِ علی الجماعۃ (Tirmidhi, with rating as ` hasan) meaning that Allah's hand is upon the general body. Sayyidna Mu'adh Ibn Jabal ؓ has narrated that Rasulullah ﷺ said that for humans, Shaitan (Satan) is like a wolf after a herd of goats, catching hold of the goat which has strayed away from the herd. Therefore you should stay with the general body, and do not separate yourself. (Ahmad, as quoted by Tafsir Mazhari) Differences in the ancillaries between leading Mujtahidin is not covered by the dissension forbidden in this verse It is obvious from the above that differences of opinions between leading ` mujtahidin' in ancillary matters where express injunctions are not found in the Qur'an and ahadith or where there is an apparent contradiction between the nusus of the Qur'an and ahadith and where opinions are bound to differ, do not bear any relation to the forbidden dissension. Such differences have been continuing since the days of the Holy Prophet ﷺ starting with the noble companions ؓ themselves and are considered to be blessings by the jurisprudents unanimously. Establishing دِین ` din' that has been obligated in this verse means to hold on to the rules of religion steadfastly, not to let any doubt or distrust creep into it and not to give it up in any case. (Qurtubi) كَبُرَ‌ عَلَى الْمُشْرِ‌كِينَ مَا تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَيْهِ (Arduous for the mushriks (Polytheists) is that to which you are inviting them - 42:13). Addressing the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، the verse says, ` Your call to the belief in Oneness of Allah, which is the foundation of the true religion, seems very difficult to the polytheists, although it has been proved to be true through the consensus of all the prophets (علیہم السلام) ، because they follow their desires and the teachings of the Shaitan (Satan), and have therefore strayed from the right path, which is prohibited as mentioned above. اللَّـهُ يَجْتَبِي إِلَيْهِ مَن يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي إِلَيْهِ مَن يُنِيبُ (Allah chooses [ and pulls ] towards Himself anyone He wills and guides anyone who turns to Him. - 42:13). There are only two ways for one to have the straight path. One is that Allah Almighty himself selects him for the straight path of His religion and moulds his nature and inclinations accordingly, which happens in the case of prophets and His special friends. It is about them that Qur'an statesإِنَّا أَخْلَصْنَاهُم بِخَالِصَةٍ ذِكْرَ‌ى الدَّارِ‌ (We them chose for a trait of remembering the [ eternal ] Home [ in the Hereafter ] - 38:46). The Holy Qur'an has used the word, ` mukhlasin' for some particular prophets which means ` chosen'. This peculiar way of guidance has been mentioned in the first sentence of the present verse which says, اللَّـهُ يَجْتَبِي إِلَيْهِ مَن يَشَاءُ "Allah chooses [ and pulls ] towards Himself anyone He wills." This method of instruction is exceptional and limited. The other method which is general for getting guidance is that when someone turns towards Allah and intends to follow His ` din', then Allah Almighty guides him towards His دِین ` din'. This way of guidance is referred to in the second sentence of the verse which says, وَيَهْدِي إِلَيْهِ مَن يُنِيبُ...and guides anyone who turns to Him." The reason why the mushriki'n (polytheists) of Makkah found it difficult to accept the invitation towards the faith in Oneness of Allah is that they did not even have the intention of understanding and following the truth.
Ayah 42:14

وَ مَا تَفَرَّقُوْۤا اِلَّا مِنْۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ بَغْیًۢا بَیْنَهُمْ١ؕ وَ لَوْ لَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِنْ رَّبِّكَ اِلٰۤى اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى لَّقُضِیَ بَیْنَهُمْ١ؕ وَ اِنَّ الَّذِیْنَ اُوْرِثُوا الْكِتٰبَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِهِمْ لَفِیْ شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ مُرِیْبٍ Open ayah 42:14 in the Quran reader

And they were not divided, in jealousy with each other, but after the knowledge had come to them. And had it not been for a word that had come forth earlier from your Lord (and was effective) until a specified time, the matter would have been decided between them. And those who were made to inherit the Book after them are in confounding doubt about it.

وَمَا تَفَرَّ‌قُوا إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ (And they were not divided, in jealousy with each other, but after knowledge had come to them - 42:14). Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ has explained that the pronoun ` they' in this sentence refers to the Quraysh of Makkah, and thus he has taken the verse to mean that the aversion of the infidels of Quraysh to the straight path was in itself a matter of utter ignorance, but on top of it they did so even after knowledge had been imparted by Allah. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ has held the coming of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ who was the source of all Divine knowledge, to be the imparting of knowledge by Allah. Some scholars, however, have referred the pronoun ` they' towards the past ummahs, and held the meaning to be that the people of the bygone ummahs created dissension in the true faith of their respective prophets, and adopted separate ways despite their having received the knowledge of the straight path from then prophets (علیہم السلام) . Be that as it may, the pagans of Makkah and the infidels of the early ages, both demanded that their prophets should also follow the misguidance they themselves had adopted. Therefore the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been addressed in the following verse as follows:
Ayah 42:15

فَلِذٰلِكَ فَادْعُ١ۚ وَ اسْتَقِمْ كَمَاۤ اُمِرْتَ١ۚ وَ لَا تَتَّبِعْ اَهْوَآءَهُمْ١ۚ وَ قُلْ اٰمَنْتُ بِمَاۤ اَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ مِنْ كِتٰبٍ١ۚ وَ اُمِرْتُ لِاَعْدِلَ بَیْنَكُمْ١ؕ اَللّٰهُ رَبُّنَا وَ رَبُّكُمْ١ؕ لَنَاۤ اَعْمَالُنَا وَ لَكُمْ اَعْمَالُكُمْ١ؕ لَا حُجَّةَ بَیْنَنَا وَ بَیْنَكُمْ١ؕ اَللّٰهُ یَجْمَعُ بَیْنَنَا١ۚ وَ اِلَیْهِ الْمَصِیْرُؕ Open ayah 42:15 in the Quran reader

So, (0 prophet,) towards that (faith) invite (people), and be steadfast as you are commanded, and do not follow their desires, and say, "I believe in whatever book Allah has sent down. And I have been ordered to do justice among you. Allah is our Lord and your Lord. For us are our deeds, and for you, your deeds. There is no argumentation between us and you. Allah will bring us together, and to Him is the final return."

فَلِذَٰلِكَ فَادْعُ ۖ وَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْ‌تَ ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ ۖ وَقُلْ آمَنتُ بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّـهُ مِن كِتَابٍ ۖ وَأُمِرْ‌تُ لِأَعْدِلَ بَيْنَكُمُ ۖ اللَّـهُ رَ‌بُّنَا وَرَ‌بُّكُمْ ۖ لَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ ۖ لَا حُجَّةَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ ۖ اللَّـهُ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَنَا ۖ وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ‌ "So, (0 prophet,) towards that (faith) invite (people), and be steadfast as you are commanded, and do not follow their desires, and say, "I believe in whatever book Allah has sent down. And I have been ordered to do justice among you. Allah is our Lord and your Lord. For us are our deeds, and for you, your deeds. There is no argumentation between us and you. Allah will bring us together, and to Him is the final return." (42:15) Hafiz Ibn Kathir has stated that this verse comprises ten sentences, and each sentence carries a specific order. As such, ten types of precepts are stated in this one verse. No other verse in the entire Qur'an has this peculiarity, except 'Ayat-ul-kursiyy which comprises ten types of precepts as well. The first order فَلِذٰلِکَ فَادعُ (So, 0 Prophet, towards that faith invite people) means: ` Although your call towards ` tauhid' (Oneness of Allah) sits very heavy on the polytheists, it is no cause for you to give up your invitational call, and you should continue with it. The second order وَاستَقِم کَمَآ اُمِرتَ (and be steadfast as you are commanded) says, ` You yourself ought to stand firm in the religion towards which you are inviting other people. This firmness has to be in accordance with the command of Allah, that is, to be on the moderate side in your beliefs, deeds, morals, habits and social behavior - there should not be even the slightest inclination towards the extremes of ifrat (overdoing something) or tafrit (falling short in something). Obviously such a firmness is not easy. That is why when some noble companions pointed out to the Holy Prophet ﷺ that some of hairs have turned grey, he said, "Surah Hud has turned me old." This very order (of standing firm as commanded) has been given in Surah Hud also in the same very words. (The meaning of standing firm, the difficulties in observing it and its importance are discussed in detail in the commentary on Surah Hud on page 673 of volume 4 of Ma'ariful Qur'an). The third command وَلَا تَتَّبِع اَھوَآَء ھُم (do not follow their desires - ) directs the Holy Prophet ﷺ not to be concerned about the opposition of any opponent in his duty of propagation. The fourth command قُل اٰمَنتُ بِمَآ اَنزَلَ اللہُ مَن کِتابً (and say "I believe in whatever book Allah has sent down" ) is to announce that the Holy Prophet ﷺ believes not only in the Book that has been revealed to him, but he believes in all the former divine books. The fifth command اُمِرتُ لِاَعدِلَ بَینَکُم (I have been ordered to do justice among you) apparently relates to doing justice in the matters of dispute brought to him. But some exegetes have taken the meaning of adl' to be ` equality' and thus have taken the sentence to mean that he should treat all the commands of religion equally by believing in all the prophets (علیہم السلام) ، in all the Books and by obeying all the Divine laws without any exception. The sixth sentence اَللہُ رَبُّنَا is ` Allah is our Lord and you Lord.' which means that all of us are nourished by Allah. The seventh sentence لَنَآ اعمالُنَا وَ لَکُم اَعمَالُکُم (For us are our deeds and for you, your deeds) states that our deeds would be for us only and you would neither gain nor lose due to our deeds, and your deeds would be for you only and we would neither gain nor lose due to your deeds. Some exegetes have stated that this verse was revealed in Makkah before the command for jihad with non-Muslims was revealed; the verses conveying the command for jihad have cancelled this command, because the essence of jihad is to subjugate those people by fighting who do not accept the advice and exhortation - not to let them remain in the state of kufr. And some exegetes have stated that this command has not been cancelled; what it means is that since the truth has been proved through logical arguments, its non-acceptance can only be due to enmity and obstinacy, and as such, everybody is responsible for his own deeds. (Qurtubi) The eighth command لَا حُجَّۃ بَینَنَا و بینَکُم (there is no argumentations between us and you -) is that since the disbelievers do not accept the truth, despite its having been proved, which demonstrates their enmity, therefore, further discussion is useless and now there would be no more arguments between the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the disbelievers. The ninth sentence اَللہُ یَجمَع بیننَا (Allah will bring us together -) states that on the Day of Judgment, Allah Almighty would gather all of us together and would requite every deed. The tenth declaration وَاِلَیہِ المَصِیر (and to Him is the final return -) is that all of us would return to Him.
Ayah 42:16

وَ الَّذِیْنَ یُحَآجُّوْنَ فِی اللّٰهِ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ مَا اسْتُجِیْبَ لَهٗ حُجَّتُهُمْ دَاحِضَةٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَ عَلَیْهِمْ غَضَبٌ وَّ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِیْدٌ Open ayah 42:16 in the Quran reader

And those who argue about Allah after He has been responded tol, their argument is void in the sight of their Lord, and upon them is wrath, and for them is a severe punishment.

1. i.e. after many people responded to the call of His prophets by accepting Islam. Commentary In the previous verses, all the people of the whole world had been invited towards the original ` din' (religion) common between all the revealed Books and between all the prophets (علیہم السلام) ، and were advised to be faithful to it and be steadfast in it. But some infidels, who had no intention of listening and accepting, started arguing with the Muslims, even at this invitation. Some narrations have it that some people of the Book, the Jews and the Christians, put forward the argument that our prophet came before yours and our Book was given before yours, hence our religion is superior to yours. And some narrations have it that this very argument was put forward by the infidels of Quraysh, because they called themselves followers of the religion of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) . The Noble Qur'an has warned these people that the explanations and proofs in favour of Islam and Qur'an have been fully provided to you, and your own sensible and fair minded people, having accepted them, have embraced Islam, and now their argumentation is nothing but falsehood and misguidance. If they do not accept it, then divine punishment will visit them. This warning is followed by the statement that the Qur'an is from Allah and contains comprehensive commandments regarding Allah's rights and the rights of the human beings between one another.
Ayahs 42:17–18

اَللّٰهُ الَّذِیْۤ اَنْزَلَ الْكِتٰبَ بِالْحَقِّ وَ الْمِیْزَانَ١ؕ وَ مَا یُدْرِیْكَ لَعَلَّ السَّاعَةَ قَرِیْبٌ Open ayah 42:17 in the Quran reader

Allah is the One who has sent down the Book with truth, and the Balance as well. And what can let you know? May be, the Hour is near.

یَسْتَعْجِلُ بِهَا الَّذِیْنَ لَا یُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِهَا١ۚ وَ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا مُشْفِقُوْنَ مِنْهَا١ۙ وَ یَعْلَمُوْنَ اَنَّهَا الْحَقُّ١ؕ اَلَاۤ اِنَّ الَّذِیْنَ یُمَارُوْنَ فِی السَّاعَةِ لَفِیْ ضَلٰلٍۭ بَعِیْدٍ Open ayah 42:18 in the Quran reader

Those who do not believe in it demand for its coming soon, and those who believe are fearful of it, and know it to be a truth. Be aware that those who dispute concerning the Hour are wandering afar from the right path.

This fact is stated in the next sentence, أَنزَلَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ وَالْمِيزَانَ "has sent down the Book with truth and the Balance as well - 17." Here ` the Book' means the Qur'an, and all the previous revealed Books, and ` truth' means the divine religion mentioned above, and ` the Balance' literally means a weighing balance. Since it is an instrument of weighing one's due and establishing justice, Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ has taken it to mean ` equity' and ` justice'. Mujahid (رح) leading exegete, has said that here the ` Balance' means full payment of everyone's rights and doing justice. As such the word ` truth' points towards Allah's rights over His servants, and the word مِیزَان mizan (Balance) points towards the rights of human beings over one another. The statement that those who believe are fearful of the Doomsday means the fear generated due to cognizance of the awesome horrifying happenings which will take place on the Doomsday, and also due to cognizance of one's own short comings and wrong-doings. However, sometimes a believer's eagerness to meet his Lord Allah Almighty overcomes that fear, which does not contradict this statement; some dead ones are proved to have said in their graves that they wish Doomsday would come soon because the glad tidings given by angels that they would be forgiven and treated kindly, had overcome the fear of Doomsday.
Ayahs 42:19–22

اَللّٰهُ لَطِیْفٌۢ بِعِبَادِهٖ یَرْزُقُ مَنْ یَّشَآءُ١ۚ وَ هُوَ الْقَوِیُّ الْعَزِیْزُ۠ Open ayah 42:19 in the Quran reader

Allah is kind to His slaves. He gives provision to whom He wills. And He is the Strong, the Mighty.

مَنْ كَانَ یُرِیْدُ حَرْثَ الْاٰخِرَةِ نَزِدْ لَهٗ فِیْ حَرْثِهٖ١ۚ وَ مَنْ كَانَ یُرِیْدُ حَرْثَ الدُّنْیَا نُؤْتِهٖ مِنْهَا وَ مَا لَهٗ فِی الْاٰخِرَةِ مِنْ نَّصِیْبٍ Open ayah 42:20 in the Quran reader

Whoever intends (to have) the harvest of the Hereafter, We will increase in his harvest; and whoever intends (to have) the harvest of the world (only), We will give him thereof, while in the Hereafter there is no share for him.

اَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكٰٓؤُا شَرَعُوْا لَهُمْ مِّنَ الدِّیْنِ مَا لَمْ یَاْذَنْۢ بِهِ اللّٰهُ١ؕ وَ لَوْ لَا كَلِمَةُ الْفَصْلِ لَقُضِیَ بَیْنَهُمْ١ؕ وَ اِنَّ الظّٰلِمِیْنَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ اَلِیْمٌ Open ayah 42:21 in the Quran reader

Is it that they have associate-gods who have prescribed for them a religion that is not sanctioned by Allah? And, had it not been for a decisive word, the matter would have been decided between them (here in this world). And of course, for the wrongdoer there is a painful punishment (in the Hereafter).

تَرَى الظّٰلِمِیْنَ مُشْفِقِیْنَ مِمَّا كَسَبُوْا وَ هُوَ وَاقِعٌۢ بِهِمْ١ؕ وَ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ فِیْ رَوْضٰتِ الْجَنّٰتِ١ۚ لَهُمْ مَّا یَشَآءُوْنَ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ١ؕ ذٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْكَبِیْرُ Open ayah 42:22 in the Quran reader

You will see the wrongdoers fearful of what they earned, and (the punishment) it (entails) is sure to befall them. As for those who believed and did righteous deeds, they will be in meadows of the Gardens. For them there is, with their Lord, whatever they wish. That is the great bounty.

Commentary اللَّـهُ لَطِيفٌ بِعِبَادِهِ (Allah is kind to His slaves - 42:19). The word, latif used in the text has more than one lexical meanings. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ has translated it here as kind, and Sayyidna ` Ikrimah ؓ has translated it as benefactor. Muqatil (رح) has said that Allah Almighty is kind to all His servants, so much so that even the infidels and sinners keep on being showered with His worldly blessings. There are many types and kinds of the divine bounties, graces and favours showered upon His servants. That is why many meanings of the word latif have been stated in the Tafsir of Qurtubi, all of which are covered by the words ` kind' and ` benefactor'. Although Allah Ta’ ala provides sustenance to all His creatures without any exception - even to those animals on land and in waters whom nobody knows, yet the present verse states that He provides sustenance ` to whom He wills'. This is better understood from the explanation given in Tafsir Mazhari which says that there are countless' types and kinds of sustenance provided by Allah Ta’ ala; sustenance as necessary is provided to all and sundry, whereas some special kinds of sustenance are distributed by Him in degrees and quantities determined by His perfect wisdom. Somebody is given more of wealth and goods, somebody is given more of health and strength, somebody is given more of learning and knowledge and somebody is given more of other types and kinds; in this way everybody is dependent on another person and it is this dependence which persuades people to co-operate with and help each other and which is the foundation of human civilization. Ja'far Ibn Muhammad (رح) has said that Allah Ta’ ala's kindness to His servants in the matter of sustenance is in two ways. Firstly, He provides food and other necessities to every living being as per his needs, and secondly, He does not provide sustenance for anyone for the whole of his life all at once, rather gives him gradually according to his need, otherwise its preservation would not have been feasible. (Mazhari, Qurtubi) Note Shah ` Abdul Ghani Phulpuri رحمۃ اللہ علیہ relates from Haji Imdadullah (رح) that anyone who recites the above verse i.e. اللَّـهُ لَطِيفٌ بِعِبَادِهِ يَرْ‌زُقُ مَن يَشَاءُ ۖ وَهُوَ الْقَوِيُّ الْعَزِيزُ seventy times every morning regularly, would be preserved from shortage of sustenance and said that experience has shown it to be very effective.
Ayah 42:23

ذٰلِكَ الَّذِیْ یُبَشِّرُ اللّٰهُ عِبَادَهُ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ١ؕ قُلْ لَّاۤ اَسْئَلُكُمْ عَلَیْهِ اَجْرًا اِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِی الْقُرْبٰى١ؕ وَ مَنْ یَّقْتَرِفْ حَسَنَةً نَّزِدْ لَهٗ فِیْهَا حُسْنًا١ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَفُوْرٌ شَكُوْرٌ Open ayah 42:23 in the Quran reader

That is the good news that Allah gives to His slaves who believed and did righteous deeds. Say, "I do not ask you any fee for it, except the love of kinship." And whoever performs a good act, for him We will increase goodness therein. Surely Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very Appreciative.

Commentary قُل لَّا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرً‌ا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْ‌بَىٰ (Say, "I do not ask you any fee for it, except the love of kinship - 42:23 ). The explanation of this verse that has been adopted by most of the exegetes is that the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been directed to say the following to the infidels of Quraish, "My real right over all of you is that I am the Messenger of Allah, and you should admit it and obey me for your reformation and betterment; but even if you do not accept my prophethood and messenger-ship, there is still one more right I have over you which you cannot deny; and that is the right of relationship which I have with most of your tribes. You also do not deny the right of relatives and the need of behaving kindly towards them. Therefore, I am not asking you for any compensation for my preaching; all I want is that you should consider my right of being you relative, and refrain from animosity and hostility, irrespective of whether you accept what I am saying or you do not." Now it is obvious that consideration of the rights of kinship was their own obligation, and could not be taken as compensation for preaching services. Hence the use of the word ` except' in this verse is in its idiomatic sense meaning that although, in reality, it is no compensation, and if you consider it to be so, it is your own mistake. In fact, I do not charge any fee at all. However, I ask you to refrain from the hostile behavior, and to fulfill the rights of kinship which you should do any way. This explanation of this verse is reported from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ in the Sahih of Bukhari and Sahib of Muslim; Mujahid, Qatadah and a very large group of leading exegetes have also adopted this explanation. All prophets (علیہم السلام) in every age have openly told their people that they never asked any compensation or payment in lieu of the efforts that they were making for their betterment and well-being; their compensation would be given by Allah Almighty only. This being so, how could the chief of all the prophets (علیہم السلام) who is the most honoured and exalted of all of them, ask for compensation from his people. Said Ibn Mansur, Ibn Sa'd, ` Abd Ibn Humaid, Hakim and Baihaqi have related an incident of Imam Sha` bi, which has been certified by Hakim to be correct, that Imam Sha` bi was questioned by people regarding the explanation of this verse, and thereupon he wrote to Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ for the correct explanation. The reply he got was the same as explained above. Those interested may consult Tafsir Ruh-ul-Ma'ani for the full text of the reply given by Ibn ` Abbas ؓ . Some words of his reply are added in the report of Ibn Jarir which may be found in the same book. There is, however, another narration reported with a weak chain of reporters, according to which Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ says that when this verse was revealed, people asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ as to who are his kinsfolk, and he replied that Sayyidna Ali ؓ ، Sayyidah Fatimah ؓ and their offspring's. The authenticity of this narration has been considered weak by Suyuti in Ad-Dur-ul-Manthur and by Hafiz Ibn Hajar in Takhrij of the Ahadith of Kashshaf. According to this narration, the meaning would be that the only compensation the Holy Prophet ﷺ asks from the ummah for his services is that they should take care of his progeny. Obviously, this proposition does not befit the high stature of prophets (علیہم السلام) and specially that of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . Therefore the correct and preferred explanation which is generally favoured by the ummah is the one given above. But the Shiites have not only adopted this doubtful narration, but have also made up a huge stock of baseless presumptions on its basis. Respect and Love for the Holy Prophet's ﷺ family and progeny The explanation given above is to clarify that the Holy Prophet ﷺ did not ask his people to respect and love his progeny in exchange of his services. But it does not mean that the respect and love for the Holy Prophet's ﷺ progeny has no importance. Only an ill-fated, misguided person can think of such a thing. The fact is that one's being a Muslim depends on having reverence and love for the Holy Prophet ﷺ much more than any other person in the whole universe. Naturally, the logical consequence of this reverence and love is to have reverence and love for his close relatives according to the degree of their closeness to the Holy Prophet ﷺ which is obligatory for every Muslim. Since one's children are the closest relations, hence the reverence and love for the children of the Holy Prophet ﷺ is undoubtedly a necessary element of faith. But it does not mean that one should ignore or forget the pure wives ؓ or other noble Companions ؓ who had manifold associations, closeness and relationships with the Holy Prophet ﷺ . The gist is that love for the progeny and for the family members of the Holy Prophet ﷺ has never been a matter of controversy in the ummah. It has been taken by the entire ummah unanimously as an essential requirement of faith. Controversies arise when the reverence of others is attacked, otherwise reverence and love for even common descendents of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، known as sadat, no matter how distantly related to him, is an honour for a Muslim and is a source of reward in the Hereafter. Since many people started neglecting it, Imam Shafi` i (رح) denounced this attitude in a few couplets reproduced below: یا راکباً قف بالمحصّب من منیً واھتف بساکن خیفھا والناھض سِحراً اِذا فاضَ الحجیج الیٰ منیً فیضاً کملتطم الفرات الفایٔض إن کان رفضاً حُبُّ اٰلِ محَمَّد ﷺ فلیشھد الثقلان انّی رافضی "0 rider! Halt near the valley of Muhassab in Mina, and when the sea of Hajj pilgrims advances in quick waves towards Mina in the morning, announce to every passer-by and inhabitant of the area that if only the love of the progeny of the Holy Prophet ﷺ is rifd (extreme Shi'ism), then I ask all the jins and humans of this universe to witness that I am also a rafidi (staunch Shi` ah) " This statement of Imam Shafi` i, in fact, is the standpoint of the whole ummah.
Ayah 42:24

اَمْ یَقُوْلُوْنَ افْتَرٰى عَلَى اللّٰهِ كَذِبًا١ۚ فَاِنْ یَّشَاِ اللّٰهُ یَخْتِمْ عَلٰى قَلْبِكَ١ؕ وَ یَمْحُ اللّٰهُ الْبَاطِلَ وَ یُحِقُّ الْحَقَّ بِكَلِمٰتِهٖ١ؕ اِنَّهٗ عَلِیْمٌۢ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُوْرِ Open ayah 42:24 in the Quran reader

Is it that they say, "He has forged a lie against Allah"? So, if Allah wills, He may put a seal on your heart.1 And Allah blots out falsehood and establishes truth with His words. Surely, He is fully aware of what lies in the hearts.

1. It means that the miraculous Qur'an recited by the unlettered Prophet is in itself a clear proof of its being revealed by Allah Ta’ ala. Allah's practice is such that if a person falsely claims to be a prophet, He does not let him show any miracle. Therefore, had there been, God forbid, something forged by the Holy Prophet ﷺ in the Qur'an, Allah would have put a seal on his heart, and he would have never been able to come up with such a miraculous discourse. Commentary The first verse conveys Allah Almighty's reply to those who held the prophethood and messenger-ship of the Holy Prophet ﷺ to be false, the Qur'an to be wrong and forged. The reply is based on a divine rule that miracles or events occurring against normal course which cannot be performed by ordinary human beings are created and shown through prophets, by Allah Almighty's Grace, to prove their prophethood, without any discretion of the prophets themselves. Although some magicians also do perform such magical tricks, but obviously neither the prophets nor the magicians can perform any of these things without Allah Almighty's intent and scheme. He allows the magicians to perform their tricks as a measure of test and trial. However, to differentiate between magic and miracle and between a magician and a prophet, the rule devised by Him is that no false claimant of prophethood can perform any magical trick successfully; magical tricks can be performed successfully by one until he claims prophethood, but the magic vanishes as soon as one lays a false claim of prophethood. When Allah Ta’ ala bestows prophethood and messenger-ship on anyone, He also favours him with miracles and makes those miracles highly visible. Thus He provides physical and decreed proof of his prophethood. And He also confirms him in His Divine Book. In view of this rule, it should be understood that the Noble Qur'an is such a miracle that all the humans and all the jins of this world are unable to produce even one verse comparable to the verse of the Qur'an. Their inability to do so was proved in the days of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and continues till today. Such an open and obvious miracle cannot be accomplished by a false claimant of prophethood. The Holy Prophet's claim to ` wahy' and messenger-ship is, therefore, correct and true, and those who hold it to be incorrect and forged are misguided calumniators.
Ayahs 42:25–26

وَ هُوَ الَّذِیْ یَقْبَلُ التَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهٖ وَ یَعْفُوْا عَنِ السَّیِّاٰتِ وَ یَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُوْنَۙ Open ayah 42:25 in the Quran reader

And He is the One who accepts repentance from His slaves, and forgives evil deeds, and knows whatever you do.

وَ یَسْتَجِیْبُ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ وَ یَزِیْدُهُمْ مِّنْ فَضْلِهٖ١ؕ وَ الْكٰفِرُوْنَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِیْدٌ Open ayah 42:26 in the Quran reader

And He responds to (the prayer of) those who believe and do righteous deeds, and gives them more out of His grace. As for the disbelievers, for them there is a severe punishment.

The deniers and opponents have been advised in the second verse that there is still time to give up and renounce their disbelief and ` kufr'. Allah is very merciful and Most Beneficent; He accepts the repentance of those who truly repent, and forgives their sins. The Reality of Taubah' (Repentance) The literal meaning of ` taubah' is to return and turn to; in religious terminology, giving up and renunciation of any sin is called ` taubah'. There are three conditions for its being proper and genuine. One is to give up, immediately, the sin one is involved in. The second is to repent for the past sin, and the third is to determine firmly not to commit it in future. If it pertains to neglect of any obligatory duty (fard), one has to start observing it or start offering 'gala" (prescribed compensation). If it relates to the rights of another person and if that right is monetary or material and the concerned person is alive, then the material or money has to be returned to him, unless he agrees to forgo, and if that person is not alive, but his heirs are available, then the material or money has to be returned to the heirs; if the heirs are also not available, then the material or money has to be deposited in the Islamic public treasury (bait-ul-mal) - if there is no public treasury, or it is not managed properly, then the material or money has to be given as alms on his behalf. If the right owed to another person is not monetary or material, for example, if another person has been distressed unduly, or he has been abused or his backbiting has been committed, then he has to be pleased and forgiveness has to be sought and obtained from him or her. It is important to note that for all kinds of ` taubah', giving up of sin must be for the sake of Allah, and not due to any physical inability or weakness. The ` Shari'ah' demands that one ought to renounce all the sins, but if someone renounces only a particular sin, Ahl-us-Sunnah hold that that particular sin would be forgiven, whereas his liability for other sins would continue.