53. Surah An-Najm
النجمThe Star · 62 ayahsمعارف القرآن انگلش
لَقَدْ رَاٰى مِنْ اٰیٰتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرٰى Open ayah 53:18 in the Quran reader
He has indeed seen a part of the biggest signs of your Lord.
وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ 'And indeed he saw him another time' is explicit on the point. This verse too has two possible interpretations: [ 1] he saw Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) ; and [ 2] he saw Allah. That he saw Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) is perfectly obvious to any scholar. But there may be a hint to the fact that he saw Allah also, because seeing requires proximity and closeness to Allah, and the verse 14 عِندَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنتَهَىٰ 'by sidrat-ul-muntaha (the lote-tree in the upper realm) indicates this closeness, meaning when the Holy Prophet ﷺ was near sidrat-ul-muntaha and had reached a high stage of nearness to Allah, he saw Him. The Tradition cited below supports the notion of the Vision of Allah:
وَاَتَیتُ سِدرَۃَ المُنتَھٰی فَغَشِیَتنِی ضَبابَۃ خَرَتُ لَھَا سَاجِداً وَھٰذِہِ الضّبابۃُ ھِیَ الظُّلَلُ مِنَ الغَمَامِ الَّتِی یَاتِی فِیھَا اللہُ وَیَتَجَلّٰی۔
'When I reached sidrat-ul-muntaha, I was overshadowed by something like the cloud and I fell prostrate for it. On the Day of Resurrection, there will be something like clouds overshadowing in which His Majestic Descent will manifest.'
Likewise, verse [ 53:17] مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ (The eye neither went wrong, nor did exceed the limit.) includes both possibilities - vision of Jibra'il I and Vision of Allah - and it further proves that the this vision took place in the state of wakefulness with his physical eyes [ that is, it was not a dream experience ].
In sum, verses that relate to the Night of Mi` raj and contain words pertaining to 'seeing' carry the equal possibility of seeing Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) and seeing Allah Ta’ ala Himself. Other scholars too have interpreted them as the Vision of Allah. The Qur'anic words have possibility to be interpreted in that way.
The Question of the Beatific Vision of the Creator
All Companions, their immediate followers and overwhelming majority of the Ummah concur that the inmates of Paradise and the believers in general will see Allah. Authentic Traditions bear ample testimony to this fact and verity. They indicate that the Vision and Witnessing of Allah is not impossible. However, human sight cannot bear to see Him in this mundane world, because the capacity of the eyes is not powerful enough. Thus nobody can see Allah in this world. Regarding the Hereafter, the Qur'an says:
فَكَشَفْنَا عَنكَ غِطَاءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيدٌ
"You were heedless of this. Now We have removed your veil from you; so your sight today is sharp." [ 50:22]
Venerable Imam Malik (رح) says that it is not possible for any human being to see Allah in this world, because his sight is perishable, and Allah is Eternal. In the Hereafter, man will be given non-perishable sight, as a result nothing will prevent it from the seeing Allah. Venerable Qadi ` Iyad says something similarly. A narration recorded in Muslim in the following words makes the point explicit:
وَاعلَمُوا اَنَّکُم لَن تَرَوا رَبَّکُم حَتّٰی تَمُوتُوا
"And know that you shall never see your Lord, until you die" (Fath-ul-Bari: vol 8/p. 493)
This indicates the possibility that if the Holy Prophet ﷺ is equipped with extraordinarily powerful faculty of sight, he should be able to see Allah in this world too on a special occasion. But on the Night of Ascension he was called in the most distinguishable manner from this world to see and witness the heavens, Paradise and Hell, and other great Signs of Allah and manifestation of His power. On this occasion, the Vision of Allah is an exception to the general rule, because he is out of the mundane world. The possibility of the Vision of Allah has thus been confirmed and verified.
So far we have proved that the possibility does exist, but the question is whether it really occurred. In this matter, the Traditions vary, and the Qur'anic verses are interpretable in two possible ways. Therefore, this question was always debatable among the Companions, their followers and leading authorities on religion. Ibn-Kathir says that under the interpretation of these verses Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Abbas ؓ verifies that the Holy Prophet ﷺ saw Allah and a group of righteous predecessors have followed him. Other groups of Companions ؓ and their followers have differed from this viewpoint. He further adduced the evidences of both the groups.
Likewise, Hafiz (رح) in Fath-ul-Bari [ vol 8/p.494] under the Tafsir of Surah An-Najm has cited the differences of the Companions and their followers and then quoted some such statements which reconcile the divergent views. He further says that Qurtubi in his work mufhim prefers to observe silence in the matter and not to decide either way, because this question does not concern our practical life so that we have to choose a particular direction. The question concerns our belief system, in which case incontestable evidence is required. In any matter which cannot be proved incontestably, the rule is to observe silence. This author believes that this is the most sound and circumspect approach to the issue. Therefore, the arguments of the two groups have not been cited. Allah, the Pure and the Exalted, knows best!
اَفَرَءَیْتُمُ اللّٰتَ وَ الْعُزّٰىۙ Open ayah 53:19 in the Quran reader
Have you ever considered about the (idols of) Lat and ` Uzza,
وَ مَنٰوةَ الثَّالِثَةَ الْاُخْرٰى Open ayah 53:20 in the Quran reader
and about the other, the third, the Manat?
اَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَ لَهُ الْاُنْثٰى Open ayah 53:21 in the Quran reader
Is it that you have males and He (Allah) has females?
Refuting Idolatry
The preceding verses declared the Glory of Allah, His Majesty and Dignity. They further confirmed and verified in the fullest details the Prophet-hood and messenger-ship of Muhammad ﷺ ، and the preservation of his revelation. The present two verses imply a subtle rebuke to the Makkah pagans. The purport of the verses is to say to them that without any proof, instead of adoring such a Mighty and Powerful Creator and Lord, they stoop so low as to worship gods made of wood and stone. They allege that the angels are the daughters of God. According to other narratives, they also alleged that these idols are the daughters of God.
Pagans of Arabia had countless idols that they worshipped. However, there were three of them that were most popular, and they were worshipped by strong and powerful tribes of Arabia. The three idols were Lat, ` Uzza and Manat. Lat was the idol of the tribe of Thaqif or of the residents of Ta'if , ` Uzza was the idol of Quraish, and Manat was the idol of Banu Hilal. They built houses for their idols to resemble the Ka'bah. After the conquest of Makkah, the Holy Prophet ﷺ demolished them. (Qurtubi)
تِلْكَ اِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِیْزٰى Open ayah 53:22 in the Quran reader
] If so, it is a totally unjust division.
قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَىٰ (If so, it is a totally unjust division.... 53:22) " Diza means to act or behave unjustly or to defraud one of one's right or due. Therefore, Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ interprets the phrase as unjust or unfair division.
اِنْ هِیَ اِلَّاۤ اَسْمَآءٌ سَمَّیْتُمُوْهَاۤ اَنْتُمْ وَ اٰبَآؤُكُمْ مَّاۤ اَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ بِهَا مِنْ سُلْطٰنٍ١ؕ اِنْ یَّتَّبِعُوْنَ اِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَ مَا تَهْوَى الْاَنْفُسُ١ۚ وَ لَقَدْ جَآءَهُمْ مِّنْ رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدٰىؕ Open ayah 53:23 in the Quran reader
These are nothing but names you and your fathers have invented; Allah has sent down no authority attached to them. They are following nothing but conjecture and what their own souls desire, while guidance from their Lord has surely reached them.
اَمْ لِلْاِنْسَانِ مَا تَمَنّٰى٘ۖ Open ayah 53:24 in the Quran reader
Is it that man gets whatever he wishes?
فَلِلّٰهِ الْاٰخِرَةُ وَ الْاُوْلٰى۠ Open ayah 53:25 in the Quran reader
(No,) because to Allah alone belongs the (good of) the Hereafter and the former life (of this world).
وَ كَمْ مِّنْ مَّلَكٍ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ لَا تُغْنِیْ شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَیْئًا اِلَّا مِنْۢ بَعْدِ اَنْ یَّاْذَنَ اللّٰهُ لِمَنْ یَّشَآءُ وَ یَرْضٰى Open ayah 53:26 in the Quran reader
And how many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession cannot benefit (any one) at all, but after Allah allows (it) for whomsoever He wills and pleases.
اِنَّ الَّذِیْنَ لَا یُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِالْاٰخِرَةِ لَیُسَمُّوْنَ الْمَلٰٓئِكَةَ تَسْمِیَةَ الْاُنْثٰى Open ayah 53:27 in the Quran reader
Those who do not believe in the Hereafter name the angels after the names of the females.
وَ مَا لَهُمْ بِهٖ مِنْ عِلْمٍ١ؕ اِنْ یَّتَّبِعُوْنَ اِلَّا الظَّنَّ١ۚ وَ اِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا یُغْنِیْ مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَیْئًاۚ Open ayah 53:28 in the Quran reader
And they do not have knowledge about it. They follow nothing but conjecture, and conjecture is of no use in (the matter of) Truth.
Various Types of Zann
إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا (and conjecture is of no use in [ the matter on Truth.... 53:28) The Arabic word ظَن Zann is used in several different senses, and one of them is baseless thoughts. This is the sense in which it is employed in the verse, because baseless thoughts were the cause of idolatry. And the verse purports to remove the cause. Zann is also used as the antonym of yaqin. Yaqin refers to assured or definitive knowledge about something that really exists, not the figment of someone's imagination. In this case, there is no room for any doubt or suspicion, as for instance knowledge gained from the Qur'an and Prophetic Traditions uninterruptedly reported by an indefinite number of people or by such a large number that it is impossible that they should agree upon falsehood. As opposed to this certain knowledge, zann is sometime used for the knowledge that is based on a proof, and not on baseless thoughts, but the proof is not so certain as may rule out other possibilities, as for example, injunctions based on general narratives of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . The first type of injunctions is referred to as qat'iyyat or yaqiniyyat and the second type is referred to as zanniyyat. This type of Zann is recognized by Shari` ah. There is ample evidence in Qur'an and Sunnah of its recognition. The entire Ummah concurs that it is obligatory to act upon it. The above verse when denouncing zann, refers to the first type of zann which connotes baseless thoughts. Thus there is no contradiction.
فَاَعْرِضْ عَنْ مَّنْ تَوَلّٰى١ۙ۬ عَنْ ذِكْرِنَا وَ لَمْ یُرِدْ اِلَّا الْحَیٰوةَ الدُّنْیَاؕ Open ayah 53:29 in the Quran reader
So, turn away from him who turns away from Our advice, and seeks nothing but (pleasure of) the worldly life.
ذٰلِكَ مَبْلَغُهُمْ مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ١ؕ اِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ اَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِیْلِهٖ١ۙ وَ هُوَ اَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اهْتَدٰى Open ayah 53:30 in the Quran reader
That is the limit of their excess in knowledge. Indeed only your Lord knows well about the one who has gone astray from his way, and He knows well about the one who has adopted the right path.
وَ لِلّٰهِ مَا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَا فِی الْاَرْضِ١ۙ لِیَجْزِیَ الَّذِیْنَ اَسَآءُوْا بِمَا عَمِلُوْا وَ یَجْزِیَ الَّذِیْنَ اَحْسَنُوْا بِالْحُسْنٰىۚ Open ayah 53:31 in the Quran reader
And to Allah belongs whatever there is in the heavens and whatever there is in the earth, so that He gives punishment to evil-doers for what they did and rewards those who did good for their good deed,
Necessity of turning away from the Misguided People
فَأَعْرِضْ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّىٰ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَلَمْ يُرِدْ إِلَّا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا ذَٰلِكَ مَبْلَغُهُم مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ (So, turn away from him who turns away from Our advice, and seeks nothing but (pleasure of) the worldly life.... 53:29-30)
A Special Warning
The Qur'an here describes the condition of those unbelievers who denied the Hereafter and the Day of Judgment. Regretfully, nowadays the Muslims have characterized themselves by the same condition as a result of Western education and material needs and desires. All our attempts to make progress in the fields of various branches of knowledge, sciences and arts pivot on, or revolve around, economics. They do not think even by mistake about ma'adiyyat (matters relating to the Life Hereinafter). We believe in the Holy Prophet ﷺ and hope for his intercession. But Allah commands the Holy Prophet ﷺ to withdraw from the people of misguidance and shun them. We seek refuge in Allah from such misguidance!
اَلَّذِیْنَ یَجْتَنِبُوْنَ كَبٰٓئِرَ الْاِثْمِ وَ الْفَوَاحِشَ اِلَّا اللَّمَمَ١ؕ اِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَاسِعُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ١ؕ هُوَ اَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ اِذْ اَنْشَاَكُمْ مِّنَ الْاَرْضِ وَ اِذْ اَنْتُمْ اَجِنَّةٌ فِیْ بُطُوْنِ اُمَّهٰتِكُمْ١ۚ فَلَا تُزَكُّوْۤا اَنْفُسَكُمْ١ؕ هُوَ اَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقٰى۠ Open ayah 53:32 in the Quran reader
those who abstain from the major sins and from shameful acts, except minor involvements. Indeed your Lord is One of extensive forgiveness. He knows you more than anyone else (from a time) when He created you from the earth and when you were embryos in the wombs of your mothers. So, do not claim purity (from faults) for your selves. He knows best who is God-fearing.
Allah Forgives the Small Faults, Al-Lamam
الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ إِلَّا اللَّمَمَ (those who abstain from the major sins and from shameful acts, except minor involvements....53:32) The preceding verse praises those who follow the right guidance of Allah and do good deeds. In the present verse, it is stated that the good-doers are those who avoid major sins and, especially immoral sins and shameful deeds. There is one exception made by the expression lamam [ which will be elaborated upon later ].It means that they sometimes do commit minor sins [ lamam ] but that does not exclude them from the category of being muhsinin [ good-doers ].
The Companions and their followers interpret the word لَمَم lamam in two different ways:
[ 1] Some commentators are of the view that it refers to small faults and minor errors which in Surah An-Nisa' has been described as sayyi'at: إِن تَجْتَنِبُوا كَبَائِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ نُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ " (if you abstain from the major (sins) out of what you have been forbidden from We shall write off your minor sins - 4:31". Ibn-Kathir has reported this from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas and Abu Hurairah ؓ
[ 2] Some other scholars have held that lamam means, a sin that a person commits incidentally and then repents. After repentance, he never repeats it. Ibn Kathir has reported a narration from Ibn Jarir, first through Sayyidna Mujahid, and again through Sayyidna ` Ata', from Ibn ` Abbas ؓ and through Hasan Basri (رح) from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ . The gist of that narration too is that even if a person were to commit a major sin incidentally and repents, he will not be excluded from the ranks of the God-fearing people. Verse [ 135] of Surah 'Al-` Imran:
[ 3]
وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا اللَّـهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا اللَّـهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّوا عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلُوا وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿135﴾
And those who, when they happen to commit a shameful act or wrong themselves, remember Allah, then, seek forgiveness for their sins - and who is there to forgive sins except Allah? - and do not persist in what they have done, knowingly. [ 3:135]
It should be noted that overwhelming majority of scholars concur that if a person persists in a minor sin and continues to do it in a determined way so that it becomes a habit, it will no longer be a minor sin, but will turn into a major sin. Therefore, Maulana Ashraf ` Ali Thanawi (رح) has explained the word lamam as those small sins in which the doer does not persist.
Definition of Major and Minor Sins
This subject is taken up in full detail in Surah An-Nisa' in this book Vol. 2/pp 404-410, under verse [ 31] إِن تَجْتَنِبُوا كَبَائِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ "If you abstain from major [ sins ] out of what you have been forbidden from, We shall write off your minor sins..." , [ q.v.].
هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ وَإِذْ أَنتُمْ أَجِنَّةٌ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ (He knows you more than anyone else [ from a time ] when He created you from the earth and when you were embryos in the wombs of your mothers...53:32) The word ajinnatun is the plural of janin which means embryo or foetus. This verse purports to say that man does not have knowledge of himself as much as Allah knows him. When he went through the various phases of his creation in his mother's womb, he did not have any knowledge or sense. But his Creator knows fully well how wisely He was creating him. Thus he is made aware of his inability and lack of sufficient knowledge. Having said this, he is further made aware of the fact that any good he does is not his personal accomplishment. The ultimate source of his achievement is Allah: It is Allah who has given him limbs, organs and other parts of the body to perform the righteous deeds; it is He who has equipped him with the ability to move his limbs; then He has created the urge, will and determination to perform righteous actions. Hence, not even the greatest righteous, pious and God-fearing person has the right to pride upon his works and behave arrogantly. Besides, no one yet knows what the end result of his activities will be. Yet the end result is the most important factor in our life. Therefore, pride and arrogance is meaningless.
The concluding part of the verse puts it thus:
فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنفُسَكُمْ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقَىٰ
So, do not claim purity [ from faults ] for your selves. He knows best who is God-fearing... (53:32).
In other words, the merit of a person lies not only in his outer actions, but in taqwa in one's heart and in his inner moral excellence and uprightness which endures till his death. Only Allah knows who is perfect in this quality.
Sayyidah Zainab bint Abi Salamah ؓ was named by her parents as Barrah which means 'righteous or upright'. The Holy Prophet ﷺ recited the concluding part of this verse فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنفُسَكُمْ (Do not claim purity for your selves.) and suggested the name be changed. Therefore, they changed her name to 'Zainab'. Imam Ahmad records on the authority of ` Abdur-Rahman Ibn Abi Bakrah ؓ that a person praised another person in the presence of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . He stopped him and said "If you have to praise a person, then say, 'according to my knowledge the person appears to be upright and God-fearing وَلَا اُزَکِّی عَلَی اللہِ - and I cannot say that he is so` in the sight of Allah as well'.
اَفَرَءَیْتَ الَّذِیْ تَوَلّٰىۙ Open ayah 53:33 in the Quran reader
Did you see the one who turned away,
Background of Revelation
Ad-Durr-ul-Manthur reports from Ibn Jarir that a person embraced Islam and one of his friends rebuked him for having abandoned his forefather's religion. He responded that he fears Allah's chastisement. The friend told him to make a certain payment to him, and he will take upon himself his punishment of the Hereafter. Thus he [ the new Muslim ] will be spared from the chastisement, and consequently he made the payment to him. The friend demanded more payment. After a scuffle, he made the additional payment to him, and for the balance a document was drawn up with signatures of witnesses. That person, according to Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani, was Walid Ibn Mughirah who was inclined towards Islam. But his friend reproached him and took the responsibility of punishment upon his own shoulders.
أَفَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي تَوَلَّىٰ (Did you see the one who turned away,… 53:33 word tawalla literally means 'to turn the face away', and it connotes in this context a person who turns away from Allah's obedience.
وَ اَعْطٰى قَلِیْلًا وَّ اَكْدٰى Open ayah 53:34 in the Quran reader
] and gave a little, and stopped?
وَأَعْطَىٰ قَلِيلًا وَأَكْدَىٰ (and gave a little, and stopped? ...53:34) The word akda is derived from kudyah which refers to a hard or stony piece of ground or clod that appears in the course of digging a well or a trench. As a result, the digger cannot dig any further. Thus the meaning of the verse is that at first he gave a little, then he stopped giving. In view of the incident narrated under the heading of "Background of Revelation", the meaning is quite clear. [ For the person in that incident paid a little amount and then stopped payment.] Apart from this meaning, Sayyidna Mujahid, Said Ibn Jubair, ` Ikrimah, Qatadah and others interpret this word to imply that a person spent a little in Allah's way, then stopped it; or at first he was somewhat inclined towards Allah's obedience, and he obeyed Him for a while, and then gave it up [ vide Ibn Kathir ].
اَعِنْدَهٗ عِلْمُ الْغَیْبِ فَهُوَ یَرٰى Open ayah 53:35 in the Quran reader
Does he have knowledge of the Unseen whereby he sees (what he believes)?
أَعِندَهُ عِلْمُ الْغَيْبِ فَهُوَ يَرَىٰ (Does he have knowledge of the Unseen whereby he sees [ what he believes ]?...53:35) According to the story recounted in connection with the occasion of revelation, the verse means: The person who embraced Islam and later abandoned it because his friend assured him that he would bear the punishment in the Hereafter on his behalf, and spare him the pain. The fool believed him and took for granted the assurance given to him. Does he have the knowledge of the Unseen, so that he is able to see that the chastisement he deserves for disbelief will be taken over for sure by his friend? This is wholly a make-believe situation. He neither has the knowledge of the Unseen, nor can he take on the punishment of somebody else and save him. Apart from the story recounted in connection with the occasion of revelation, the verse would mean: Does this person, who stopped giving for fear of poverty and ended his acts of charity have knowledge of the Unseen and thus knows that if he does not stop spending, his wealth will go away? No. This is absolutely false. Such a person has neither the knowledge of the Unseen so that he is able to see that if he goes on spending, his wealth wi11 be depleted and not replenished. He stopped spending in charity for righteous causes, and did not keep relations with kith and kin because of his miserliness, being stingy and out of fear of poverty. The Qur'an makes plain in [ 34:39]
مَا أَنفَقْتُم مِّن شَيْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُ ۖ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ
And whatever thing you spend, He replaces it. And He is the best of the sustainers. [ 34:39]
اَمْ لَمْ یُنَبَّاْ بِمَا فِیْ صُحُفِ مُوْسٰىۙ Open ayah 53:36 in the Quran reader
Has he not been told of what was (revealed) in the scriptures of Musa
وَ اِبْرٰهِیْمَ الَّذِیْ وَفّٰۤىۙ Open ayah 53:37 in the Quran reader
and of Ibrahim who fulfilled (his covenant)?
أَمْ لَمْ يُنَبَّأْ بِمَا فِي صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ الَّذِي وَفَّىٰ (Has he not been told of what was [ revealed ] in the scriptures of Musa and of Ibrahim who fulfilled [ his covenant ]?... 53:36- 37) In verse [ 37], the Prophet Ibrahim I has been described by the expression waffa which is derived from the root word wafa' and it means to fulfill faithfully the covenant one has made with someone.
Special Characteristic of Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) : fulfillment of Covenant
Holy Prophet Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) had a covenant with Allah that he will obey Him and convey His Message to all the people. He fulfilled faithfully the covenant: He obeyed Allah and delivered His Message to His creatures. As a result, he was made to pass through severe trials and tribulations. This is the interpretation placed upon the expression waffa (fulfilled) by Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir and others.
Several narratives describe particular works of Holy Prophet Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) as a purport of the expression waffa, but the two versions are not contradictory, because fulfillment of covenant is general. It comprehends acting upon all the Divine injunctions, obeying Allah in all actions, fulfilling the duties of Prophet-hood and messenger-ship and reforming the creation of Allah.
Let us consider the narrative which Ibn Abi Hatim has reported on the authority of Sayyidna Abu 'Umamah ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ recited the verse 37, and asked: Do you know what is the meaning of waffa (fulfilled)? Sayyidna Abu 'Umamah ؓ replied: Allah and His Rasul know best. The Holy Prophet ﷺ said:
وَفّٰی عَمَلَ یَومِیہٖ بِاَربَعِ رَکعَاتِ فِی اَوَّلِ النَّھَارِ ۔ (ابن کثیر)
"He fulfilled the day's work by starting it with the performance of four rak'at [ that is, salat-ul-ishraq ]."
This is supported by the Tradition recorded in Tirmidhi on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Dharr ؓ ، according to whom the Holy Prophet ﷺ said:
اِبنَ آدَم ارکَع لِی اَربَعَ رَکعَاتِ مَّن اَوَّلِ النَّھَار اَکفِکَ اٰخِرَہ، (ابن کثیر)
"0 Son of 'Adam! Perform four rak’ at of prayer in the early part of the day, I shall take of you in all your affairs till the end of the day."
Ibn Abi Hatim reports another Tradition from Sayyidna Muadh Ibn Anas ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: "Do you know why Allah gave Ibrahim علیہ السلام the title of al-ladhi waffa (the one who fulfilled)? Then, he said, 'Because he used to recite the following dhikr every morning and evening:
فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّـهِ حِينَ تُمْسُونَ وَحِينَ تُصْبِحُونَ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَعَشِيًّا وَحِينَ تُظْهِرُونَ (ابن کثیر)
اَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِّزْرَ اُخْرٰىۙ Open ayah 53:38 in the Quran reader
(It was) that no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of the other,
Scriptures of Musa and Ibrahim علیہما السلام Special Guidance and Teachings
Whenever any command, statement, action or teaching of Allah is quoted in the Qur'an from the scriptures of the former Prophets (علیہم السلام) it means that it is obligatory for this 'Ummah to act upon it, unless there is an explicit text abrogating the previous teachings. Forthcoming eighteen verses elaborate on the special teachings of the scriptures of Holy Prophets Musa and Ibrahim (علیہما السلام) . Of them only two of the previous teachings are concerned with practical life. The rest are meant to advise, warn and draw attention to the Signs of Allah. The two verses [ 38] and [ 39] concerned with prescriptive teachings are as follows:
None shall carry the Burden of Any Other on the Day of Resurrection
أَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ ﴿38﴾ وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَانِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ ﴿39﴾
(It was) that no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of the other, [ 38] and that a man shall not deserve but (the reward of) his own effort, [ 39]
The word wizr originally means a burden, and the verse purports to say that every man shall have to carry his own wrongdoings, whether disbelief or sin, and none else shall carry his burden of sin, as Allah states in [ 35:18].
وَإِن تَدْعُ مُثْقَلَةٌ إِلَىٰ حِمْلِهَا لَا يُحْمَلْ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ
And if a person carrying a heavy load calls (someone) to (share) his load, nothing from it shall be carried (by the latter), even though he be a near of kin [ 18]
By load or burden is meant the load or burden of sin and its punishment, signifying that on the Day of Resurrection the punishment of one will not be given to another, nor will anyone have the choice to pay for another's sin as the verse quoted above clearly indicates.
This verse also refutes the thinking of the person which was narrated above as Background of Revelation: He had become a Muslim or was going to become one, and his friend rebuked him, saying that if any punishment is meted out to him, he guarantees him that no harm will come to him. The friend assured him that he would bear the burden of his punishment, and save him. This verse further clarifies that in matters, such as these, there is no possibility that one person may commit the sin and another is held accountable to pay the price.
As for the Hadith of Ibn ` Umar ؓ ، as recorded in Sahihain, that the dead are punished because of the weeping and wailing of their families on his death, it relates to the person who himself used to weep and wail for the deceased and was wont to it, or who had advised his heirs to weep and wail for him after his death. (Mazhari). In this case he is punished for his own deed, not on account of other people's deed.1
(1). It should be noted here that if one weeps on the death of a person in a way that he or she cannot control his or her emotions, it is not a sin in Shari'ah. The wailing that has been prohibited is a particular type of wailing that was customary in Pre-Islam Arab society, and is still in vogue in some areas, in which one would cry loudly, often in an artificial manner, and would invite others to weep, slapping his face, tearing his clothes and complaining of the destiny. It is this type of formal wailing that is meant here by the esteemed author. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani)
وَ اَنْ لَّیْسَ لِلْاِنْسَانِ اِلَّا مَا سَعٰىۙ Open ayah 53:39 in the Quran reader
] and that a man does not deserve but (the reward of) his own effort,
The second injunction is contained in verse [ 39[وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَانِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ
(and that a man does not deserve but [ the reward of ] his own effort,....53:39) The summary of this verse is that just as no person shall carry the burden of sin of any other, so shall he benefit only from the good that he himself has done. It is not the case that a person performs a righteous act instead of someone else, and the latter is absolved of his responsibility. For example, if a person performs the obligatory prayers and fasts on behalf of somebody else, the latter will not be absolved of his religious duties and obligations. He is still liable for them. Likewise, if a person embraces faith on behalf of somebody else, the latter cannot be regarded as a believer.
Thus interpreted, no juristic problems arise in connection with this verse. However, some superficial questions do arise regarding Hajj and Zakah. In times of necessity Shari` ah permits to perform Hajj on behalf of somebody else, or pay Zakah on his behalf with his permission. How is this possible? A careful analysis of the two situations does not pose any problem: In the case of Hajj-e-Badal, the sender of a person to perform this type of pilgrimage bears the expenses himself, 2 and thus it is his [ the sender's ] own act for which he will be rewarded. In the case of Zakah, appointing someone to pay is also the act of the person who made the appointment, and not that of the appointee. Therefore, the two cases are not in conflict with verse [ 39].
(2). It should be kept in mind that this is allowed only when one is unable to perform Hajj due to a physical constraint, and therefore his obligation becomes limited to sending someone else with his own expense. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani)
Offering Reward of Good Deeds to others
In the foregoing section we have explained that verse [ 39] means that no person can perform an obligatory act, such as faith, prayers and fasts, on behalf of some other person to free him of his religious duties. He will be able to benefit only from the good he himself has done. This, however, does not imply that a person cannot perform supererogatory acts and proffer their reward to someone else. There is ample textual evidence of Shari'ah that a person can supplicate or give charity or do any other good deed and proffer its reward to others. Further, there is an overwhelming consensus of the Ummah on this issue. (Ibn Kathir)
However, only Imam Shafi` i (رح) differs on this issue. He says that the reward of recitation of the Qur'an cannot be proffered to anyone else. He takes the above verse in a general sense and argues that the rewards of the purely bodily acts of worship, such as the prayer, fasting and recitation of the Qur'an and so on, cannot be passed on to any other person. According to Imam Abu Hanifah (رح) and majority of the leading jurists, it is permissible. They are that just as it is possible to pray for and proffer the reward of charity to another person, so likewise it is possible to recite the Qur'an and perform other voluntary prayers to pass the reward to another person who will receive it. Qurtubi says, in his Tafsir, a large number of Traditions bear testimony to the fact that a believer will receive the reward of the righteous acts of another person. Tafsir Mazhari has, on this occasion, collected all the relevant Traditions which prove that another person does receive the benefit of اِیصِالِ ثَوَاب Isal-e-Thawab (proffering the reward of good acts).
The foregoing verses have elaborated on two issues with reference to the scriptures of Prophets Musa and Ibrahim (علیہما السلام) [ 1] No one will bear the burden of another's sin and punishment; and [ 2] No one shall be freed of his Shar’ i obligations, unless he himself performs them. These two rules of law were available in the Shari’ ah of all the Prophets. However, they are especially mentioned in relation to Musa and Ibrahim (علیہما السلام) probably because in their days an evil custom had taken deep root that the son used to be killed instead of the father; and father, brother, sister or some other member of the family used to be killed instead of the son. The Shari’ ah of these prophets abolished all the evil customs of the Dark Age.
وَ اَنَّ سَعْیَهٗ سَوْفَ یُرٰى۪ Open ayah 53:40 in the Quran reader
and that his effort will soon be seen,
ثُمَّ یُجْزٰىهُ الْجَزَآءَ الْاَوْفٰىۙ Open ayah 53:41 in the Quran reader
then he will be recompensed for it in full,
وَأَنَّ سَعْيَهُ سَوْفَ يُرَىٰ (and that his effort will soon be seen...53:40) In other words, outer actions of a person are not sufficient. Allah will take into account the real, inner motive and driving force behind them whether they were performed with the sincerity of purpose, or they were done with some ulterior motive. The Holy Prophet t is reported to have said:
اِنَّمَا الاَعمَال بِالنِّیَّاتِ
"Actions shall be judged only by the intentions."
That is, the outer aspect of actions is not sufficient. The inner aspect is also necessary. Actions must be performed purely for the good pleasure of Allah and in compliance with His command.
وَ اَنَّ اِلٰى رَبِّكَ الْمُنْتَهٰىۙ Open ayah 53:42 in the Quran reader
and that to your Lord is the end (of every one),
وَأَنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ الْمُنتَهَىٰ (and that to your Lord is the end [ of every one ],... 53:42) This means that ultimately everyone will return to Allah on the Day of Resurrection, and give an account of his actions.
Some of the commentators interpret that this statement purports to say that the access of human thought and imagination ends with Allah. The reality of His Being and attributes cannot be discovered by human imagination, because they are beyond conceptualization. Thus we are clearly prohibited from deliberating (See Ma’ ariful Qur’ an, Vol.2/pp 277-280 [ Tr.]) in His Being and His Attributes. There are narrations that tell us to ponder over the manifestation of His Attributes and bounties, and not to conceptualize His Being and His Attributes or Qualities, the reality of which should be left to the Divine Knowledge only.
وَ اَنَّهٗ هُوَ اَضْحَكَ وَ اَبْكٰىۙ Open ayah 53:43 in the Quran reader
and that He is the One who makes (one) laugh and makes (him) weep,
وَ اَنَّهٗ هُوَ اَمَاتَ وَ اَحْیَاۙ Open ayah 53:44 in the Quran reader
and that He is the One who gives death and gives life,
وَ اَنَّهٗ خَلَقَ الزَّوْجَیْنِ الذَّكَرَ وَ الْاُنْثٰىۙ Open ayah 53:45 in the Quran reader
and that He creates the pairs, male and female,
مِنْ نُّطْفَةٍ اِذَا تُمْنٰى۪ Open ayah 53:46 in the Quran reader
] from a sperm-drop when it is poured (into a womb),
وَ اَنَّ عَلَیْهِ النَّشْاَةَ الْاُخْرٰىۙ Open ayah 53:47 in the Quran reader
and that the second creation is undertaken by Him,
وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَضْحَكَ وَأَبْكَىٰ (and that He is the One who makes [ one ] laugh and makes [ him ] weep,...53:43) Mankind experiences happiness and grief, and consequently laughing and weeping. Man assigns this to the secondary causes [ which refer to every existent thing in this universe, and that is where he ends the matter. If we analyze carefully and profoundly, the whole system of cause and effect ends with Allah, the Primary and Supreme Cause. No secondary cause makes anyone happy or sad, nor does it make him to laugh or weep. Both of these things are created by Allah. He created the series of secondary causes and effects in our finite world. But as the Primary and Supreme Cause, He can at any moment make the laughing person weep, and make the weeping person laugh. How well it has been versified!
بگوش گُل چہ سخن گفتہ کن خندان ست بعند لیب چہ فرسودہ کہ نالان ست
What have You whispered to the ear of a flower (0 Allah) whereby it is smiling?
And what have You said to the nightingale whereby it is weeping all the times?
وَ اَنَّهٗ هُوَ اَغْنٰى وَ اَقْنٰىۙ Open ayah 53:48 in the Quran reader
and that He is the One who gives wealth and preserves (it),
وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَغْنَىٰ وَأَقْنَىٰ (and that He is the One who gives wealth and preserves [ it ]...53:48) The word ghina means affluence, and ighna' means to give wealth to somebody else, and enrich him. The word aqna is derived from qinyatun which means preserving and reserve wealth. The meaning of the verse is that it is Allah Who enriches His servants and grants wealth to them to their satisfaction, so that they are able to use some and keep some in their reserve fund for future use.
وَ اَنَّهٗ هُوَ رَبُّ الشِّعْرٰىۙ Open ayah 53:49 in the Quran reader
and that He is the One who is the Lord of Sirius (the star worshipped by pagans),
وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ رَبُّ الشِّعْرَىٰ (and that He is the One who is the Lord of Sirius ...53:49) The word shi` ra with the diacritical symbol kasrah under the letter shin is the name of a star, called Sirius which is behind Jauza'. Some of the Arab tribes worshipped the mighty star, Sirius, because they regarded it as a source of good or bad luck for them. Allah mentions this star in particular in order to refute their false notion and to affirm that He is the Lord and Master of this star as well, although He is the Creator, Master and Lord of all the stars, heavens and the earth.
وَ اَنَّهٗۤ اَهْلَكَ عَادَا اِ۟لْاُوْلٰىۙ Open ayah 53:50 in the Quran reader
and that He has destroyed the earlier ` Ad,
وَ ثَمُوْدَاۡ فَمَاۤ اَبْقٰىۙ Open ayah 53:51 in the Quran reader
and Thamud, so spared none,
وَ قَوْمَ نُوْحٍ مِّنْ قَبْلُ١ؕ اِنَّهُمْ كَانُوْا هُمْ اَظْلَمَ وَ اَطْغٰىؕ Open ayah 53:52 in the Quran reader
and (destroyed) the people of Nuh even before. Surely they were more unjust and more rebellious.
وَأَنَّهُ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا الْأُولَىٰ وَثَمُودَ فَمَا أَبْقَىٰ (and that He has destroyed the earlier ` Ad, and Thamud, so spared none,...53:50-51) The people of ` Ad were among the strongest, fiercest people and the most rebellious against Allah. There are two branches of this people: one of them is known as 'ula [ the first ] and ` ukhra [ the latter or the second ]. Holy Prophet Hud (علیہ السلام) was sent to ` Ad, but they disobeyed him, as a result Allah annihilated the entire nation by a violently furious wind. This is the first nation that was destroyed in punishment after the destruction of the people of Holy Prophet Nuh علیہ السلام (Mazhari) Holy Prophet Salih (علیہ السلام) was sent to the tribe of Thamud, being the second ` Ad, but they too disobeyed their Prophet. Those who transgressed were caught by the awesome Cry of Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) and their hearts were burst by the horrific sound resulting in the mass destruction of those people. (See Ma` ariful Qur'an Vol. 4/p. 651 and the cross-reference given there. [ Tr.])
وَ الْمُؤْتَفِكَةَ اَهْوٰىۙ Open ayah 53:53 in the Quran reader
And He destroyed the overturned towns (of the people of Lut) also,
وَالْمُؤْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَىٰ (And He destroyed the overturned towns also,... 53:53) The word Mu'tafikah literally means mu'talifah (joined together). These were a few settlements adjacent to the city. Holy Prophet Lut (علیہ السلام) was sent to them. Because of disobedience and commission of shameful and unspeakable sins, their cities [ of Sodom and Gomorrah ] were turned upside down by Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) .
فَغَشّٰىهَا مَا غَشّٰىۚ Open ayah 53:54 in the Quran reader
so covered they were by that which covered.
فَغَشَّاهَا مَا غَشَّىٰ (so covered they were by that which covered.... 53:54). This refers to the fact that the cities were first overturned, and after that stones of hard clay were sent down on them, which covered them.
Here ends the teachings of the scriptures of Musa and Ibrahim (علیہما السلام) .
فَبِاَیِّ اٰلَآءِ رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارٰى Open ayah 53:55 in the Quran reader
Then, concerning which of your Lord's bounties would you remain in doubt?
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَىٰ (Then, which of your Lord's bounties would you dispute?....53:55). Tamara means to dispute and oppose. According to Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، the verse is addressed to every human being. After seeing so many and so clear and invincible arguments in the preceding verses and the Signs in the scriptures of Musa and Ibrahim (علیہما السلام) that support and substantiate the claims of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about the truth of his revelation, the verse says to the obstinate disbelievers: How long will you continue to deny the truth and wander in the wilderness of disbelief? The verse further makes it abundantly clear for those who think and deliberate that there should be no room for any doubt in the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ، his revelation and his teachings. Having heard about the stories of destruction and punishment of past nations, this is an opportune occasion for them to straighten out. This well-timed occasion is a favour of Allah. They should take advantage of it instead of fighting and opposing it.
هٰذَا نَذِیْرٌ مِّنَ النُّذُرِ الْاُوْلٰى Open ayah 53:56 in the Quran reader
This (Holy Prophet) is a warner from the (genus of the) previous warners.
هَـٰذَا نَذِيرٌ مِّنَ النُّذُرِ الْأُولَىٰ (This [ Holy Prophet ] is a warner from the (genus of the) previous warners...53:56). Hadha is a demonstrative pronoun and points either to the Holy Prophet ﷺ or to the Qur'an. With reference to the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، it means that in the past, many Prophets were sent to their respective nations, and the Holy Prophet ﷺ is sent to all mankind, and he is not a new thing among the Messengers (علیہم السلام) . He is well-established in the straight path. With reference to the Qur'an, it means that he has come with a book of guidance which, if complied with, assures them of success in this world and in the Hereafter. The opponents should fear the Divine punishment.