11. Surah Hud

هودHud · 123 ayahsتفہیم القرآن انگلش

Read Surah Hud in the Quran reader
Ayah 11:78

وَ جَآءَهٗ قَوْمُهٗ یُهْرَعُوْنَ اِلَیْهِ١ؕ وَ مِنْ قَبْلُ كَانُوْا یَعْمَلُوْنَ السَّیِّاٰتِ١ؕ قَالَ یٰقَوْمِ هٰۤؤُلَآءِ بَنَاتِیْ هُنَّ اَطْهَرُ لَكُمْ فَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ وَ لَا تُخْزُوْنِ فِیْ ضَیْفِیْ١ؕ اَلَیْسَ مِنْكُمْ رَجُلٌ رَّشِیْدٌ Open ayah 11:78 in the Quran reader

And his people came to him rushing. Before this they were wont to commit evil deeds. Lot said: 'My people! Here are my daughters; they are purer for you. 87 Have fear of Allah and do not disgrace me concerning my guests. Is there not even one right-minded person in your midst?'

87. It is possible that Lot (peace be on him) used the word 'daughters' to refer to the totality of females in his nation as such. For a Messenger is indeed like a father to his people, and all the females of that nation are to him like his own daughters. It is also possible that when Lot used the word 'daughters' he meant his own daughters. Whatever is the correct interpretation, one should not misunderstand the statement and think it an invitation for Lot's people to indulge in illegitimate sex. For the very next part of his remark, viz. 'they are purer for you', excludes all justification for such a misunderstanding. The whole thrust of Lot's statement was that if they wished to satisfy their sex-urge, they should do so in the natural and legitimate manner as laid down by God. Lot (peace be on him) wished to underscore the fact that the natural and legitimate means of sexual satisfaction were readily available as there was no dearth of women in their society.
Ayahs 11:79–80

قَالُوْا لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا لَنَا فِیْ بَنٰتِكَ مِنْ حَقٍّ١ۚ وَ اِنَّكَ لَتَعْلَمُ مَا نُرِیْدُ Open ayah 11:79 in the Quran reader

They said: 'Surely you already know that we have nothing to do with your daughters. 88 You also know well what we want.'

قَالَ لَوْ اَنَّ لِیْ بِكُمْ قُوَّةً اَوْ اٰوِیْۤ اِلٰى رُكْنٍ شَدِیْدٍ Open ayah 11:80 in the Quran reader

He said: 'Would that I had the strength to set you straight, or could seek refuge in some powerful support.'

88. This Qur'anic statement vividly portrays the moral degradation and perversity of those people. They had brazenly deviated from the natural way of satisfying their sexual desires and had adopted instead an altogether perverse and filthy way. What was even more heinous was that their interest had become confined only to those perverse forms of sexual gratification which had come into vogue in their society. This perversity had reached such a point where they felt no shame in stating that they were not interested at all in what was universally held to be the natural and legitimate way of sexual satisfaction. This is the lowest conceivable depth of moral degeneration and perversity. Such a case is very different from that of a person who might commit a sin in a moment of weakness when he is overwhelmed by his passions, but has not ceased to distinguish good from evil. For it is quite possible for such a person to mend his ways. But even if he does not mend his ways, he may, at the most, be considered a man who has lapsed into evil ways. But a person who becomes so thoroughly perverse that his interest is confined only to what is forbidden and sinful, and who believes that all that is right and permissible is simply not meant for him, is altogether a different situation. Such a person is not only wicked, but has sunk so low that he cannot be truly considered a human being. Such a person is a worm that thrives only on filth and finds all that is clean and pure totally disagreeable. Were such a worm to be found in the house of someone who loves cleanliness, he would use insecticide to get rid of it at the first available opportunity! Such being the case, how is it conceivable that God, the Lord of this universe, can allow such worms to concentrate and become strong at any given place or time?
Ayah 11:81

قَالُوْا یٰلُوْطُ اِنَّا رُسُلُ رَبِّكَ لَنْ یَّصِلُوْۤا اِلَیْكَ فَاَسْرِ بِاَهْلِكَ بِقِطْعٍ مِّنَ الَّیْلِ وَ لَا یَلْتَفِتْ مِنْكُمْ اَحَدٌ اِلَّا امْرَاَتَكَ١ؕ اِنَّهٗ مُصِیْبُهَا مَاۤ اَصَابَهُمْ١ؕ اِنَّ مَوْعِدَهُمُ الصُّبْحُ١ؕ اَلَیْسَ الصُّبْحُ بِقَرِیْبٍ Open ayah 11:81 in the Quran reader

Thereupon the angels said: 'O Lot! We indeed are messengers of your Lord. And your people will in no way be able to hurt you. So depart with your family in a part of the night and let no one of you turn around 89 excepting your wife (who shall not go); for what will befall them shall also befall her. 90 In the morning their promised hour will come. Is not the morning near?'

89. The warning implied in directing Lot (peace be on him) and his household to depart at their earliest was loud and clear. They were told not to tarry behind in the region which had been marked for total destruction. 90. This is the third instructive event related in this surah. The purpose of relating it is to underscore the fact that family connections with, and the intercession of, people of high spiritual standing can be of no avail in rescuing a people from the punishment they invite upon themselves by their evil deeds.
Ayah 11:82

فَلَمَّا جَآءَ اَمْرُنَا جَعَلْنَا عَالِیَهَا سَافِلَهَا وَ اَمْطَرْنَا عَلَیْهَا حِجَارَةً مِّنْ سِجِّیْلٍ١ۙ۬ مَّنْضُوْدٍۙ Open ayah 11:82 in the Quran reader

And when Our command came to pass, We turned the town upside down, and rained on it stones of baked clay, one on another, 91

91. This scourge probably took the form of a severe earthquake combined with volcanic eruptions. The earthquake turned their dwellings upside down and by means of a volcanic eruption they were subjected to a severe rain of stones. The expression 'stones of baked clay' perhaps refers to the stones formed by the underground heat and lava in volcanic regions. The signs of this volcanic eruption can be noticed almost everywhere in the region south and east of the Dead Sea even today.
Ayah 11:83

مُّسَوَّمَةً عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ١ؕ وَ مَا هِیَ مِنَ الظّٰلِمِیْنَ بِبَعِیْدٍ۠ Open ayah 11:83 in the Quran reader

marked from your Lord. 92 Nor is the punishment far off from the wrong-doers. 93

92. This implies that each stone had been earmarked for a specific act of destruction. 93. The moral of the story is that those who engage in acts of transgression should not delude themselves into believing that they are safe from God's punishment. For, if the people of Prophet Lot (peace be on him) could be overtaken by a severe chastisement, so can they. For none can overwhelm God or frustrate His plan: neither the people of Lot nor any other.
Ayahs 11:84–85

وَ اِلٰى مَدْیَنَ اَخَاهُمْ شُعَیْبًا١ؕ قَالَ یٰقَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللّٰهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِّنْ اِلٰهٍ غَیْرُهٗ١ؕ وَ لَا تَنْقُصُوا الْمِكْیَالَ وَ الْمِیْزَانَ اِنِّیْۤ اَرٰىكُمْ بِخَیْرٍ وَّ اِنِّیْۤ اَخَافُ عَلَیْكُمْ عَذَابَ یَوْمٍ مُّحِیْطٍ Open ayah 11:84 in the Quran reader

And to (the people of) Midian We sent their brother Shu'ayb. 94 He said: 'My people! Serve Allah; you have no god other than Him. And do not diminish the measure and weight. Indeed I see that you are prospering now, but I fear for you the chastisement of an encompassing day in the future.

وَ یٰقَوْمِ اَوْفُوا الْمِكْیَالَ وَ الْمِیْزَانَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَ لَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ اَشْیَآءَهُمْ وَ لَا تَعْثَوْا فِی الْاَرْضِ مُفْسِدِیْنَ Open ayah 11:85 in the Quran reader

My people! Give full measure and weight with justice, do not diminish the goods of others, and do not go about creating corruption in the land.

94. For details see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. Ill, al-A'raf, nn. 69-75, pp. 53-7.
Ayah 11:86

بَقِیَّتُ اللّٰهِ خَیْرٌ لَّكُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِیْنَ١ۚ۬ وَ مَاۤ اَنَا عَلَیْكُمْ بِحَفِیْظٍ Open ayah 11:86 in the Quran reader

The gains that Allah lets you retain are better for you, if you indeed believe. In any case, I have not been appointed a keeper over you. 95

95. Shu'ayb (peace be on him) made it clear to his people that he had no power to compel them to adopt one kind of behaviour or another. His task was merely that of a sincere adviser. All he could do was to admonish and warn them. It was up to them either to pay heed to that advice or to disregard it. What really mattered was that one day all human beings will be mustered by God to render an account of their deeds. It is this - the rendering of an account before God - that people should truly fear. It matters little whether they care for Shu'ayb or not. What really matters is whether they have any fear of standing before God's judgement. If they do fear this, it is essential that they give up the iniquity in which they are engrossed.
Ayah 11:87

قَالُوْا یٰشُعَیْبُ اَصَلٰوتُكَ تَاْمُرُكَ اَنْ نَّتْرُكَ مَا یَعْبُدُ اٰبَآؤُنَاۤ اَوْ اَنْ نَّفْعَلَ فِیْۤ اَمْوَالِنَا مَا نَشٰٓؤُا١ؕ اِنَّكَ لَاَنْتَ الْحَلِیْمُ الرَّشِیْدُ Open ayah 11:87 in the Quran reader

They replied: 'O Shu'ayb! Does your Prayer enjoin upon you 96 that we should forsake the deities whom our forefathers worshipped, or that we should give up using our wealth as we please? 97 Do you fancy that you, and only you, are forbearing and right-directed?'

96. This, in fact, is a taunting remark. Remarks which are expressive of the same spirit are heard today among every group of people who are heedless of God and who are engrossed in sin and evil. Prayer is obviously the first and the most obvious symbol of man's religious orientation. That orientation is not simply considered a dangerous disease, but the most dangerous one by irreligious people. Hence, Prayer is looked upon by these people as a manifestation of mental derailment rather than what it actually is - an act of worship. Irreligious people are also aware that those who become religiously committed are not content merely with self-reform. Such people are wont to go a step further and strive to reform others. Not only that, but it even becomes difficult for such people to refrain from criticizing attitudes opposed to religion and morality. Hence, irreligious people feel jittery because they fear that Prayer is not simply performed as a religious ritual but that it is the precursor of endless sermonizing on religion and morality. In addition, it may even lead to scathing criticisms of every aspect of social life. It is for this reason that Prayer is often singled out for every kind of taunt and reproach. Moreover, if those who observe Prayer criticize the evils rampant in their society and urge people to act righteously, this inspires opponents of religion to direct every possible invective against Prayer and to lash out at it as the source of every conceivable evil. 97. This is a full-blooded expression of the world-view of Ignorance (Jahiliyah) as distinguished from that of Islam. The Islamic view is that all worship except the worship of God is erroneous. It is erroneous because worshipping any other than the One True God is supported by nothing - neither reason, knowledge, nor revelation. Moreover, God should not only be worshipped in the limited sphere of life called 'religion'. God's worship should extend to all aspects of life - social, cultural, economic and political. For all that man has in the world belongs only to God. Man, therefore, has no right to consider any aspect of his life to be independent of God's guidance. The contrary of this is Jahiliyah. According to this view, man ought to observe the customs and usages he inherits from his ancestors, and he ought to do so merely because they come down from the past. This world-view considers religion to be confined to the domain of ritual; the ritual of worship. As for the ordinary affairs of worldly life, man ought to act as he pleases. It is thus quite clear that there is nothing so 'modern' about the tendency of driving a wedge between the religious and secular spheres of life. For some three and a half thousand years ago the nation of Shu'ayb was as emphatically insistent on bifurcating life into two water-tight compartments - the secular and the religious - as Westerners and their Eastern disciples of our time are wont to do. There seems little justification, therefore, to characterize the attitude of the present-day secularists as something altogether novel, as an attitude that has emerged in modern times as a result of the cumulative intellectual progress of mankind. Far from it, the new-fangled ideology which is being played up everywhere for its freshness and newness is, in fact, the same stale, old-fashioned obscurantism which characterized Jahiliyah several thousand years ago. Likewise, the Islamic defiance of, and opposition to, Jahiliyah is also a perennial reality of human history.
Ayah 11:88

قَالَ یٰقَوْمِ اَرَءَیْتُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُ عَلٰى بَیِّنَةٍ مِّنْ رَّبِّیْ وَ رَزَقَنِیْ مِنْهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًا١ؕ وَ مَاۤ اُرِیْدُ اَنْ اُخَالِفَكُمْ اِلٰى مَاۤ اَنْهٰىكُمْ عَنْهُ١ؕ اِنْ اُرِیْدُ اِلَّا الْاِصْلَاحَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ١ؕ وَ مَا تَوْفِیْقِیْۤ اِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ١ؕ عَلَیْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَ اِلَیْهِ اُنِیْبُ Open ayah 11:88 in the Quran reader

Shu'ayb said: 'My people! What do you think? If I stand on clear evidence from my Lord, and He has also provided me a handsome provision from Himself 98 -(should I be ungrateful to Him and share your error and iniquity?) Nor do I desire to act contrary to what I admonish you. 99 I desire nothing but to set things right as far as I can. My succour is only with Allah. In Him have I put my trust, and to Him do I always turn.

98. 'Provision' in this context has two connotations. It might signify, in the first place, the provision of knowledge of the truth communicated by God to someone. Secondly, it might also signify, as it commonly does, the provision of the means bestowed by God on His creatures in order that they may be able to live. Were we to understand this word in the first sense, the verse substantially repeats the same point that has been expressed earlier in this surah through the Prophets Muhammad, Noah and Salih (peace be on them). Common to their statements is their affirmation that they found the signs of the truth in their own beings and in the universe around them. Those signs were corroborated by direct knowledge of the truth intimated to them by God. (See verses 17,28 and 63 above - Ed.) Hence it was not possible for them to join their people in their errors of belief and in their acts of wickedness. However, if the word is taken in the latter sense, it amounts to a response to the sarcastic remark hurled at Shu'ayb: 'Do you fancy that you, and only you, are forbearing and right-directed?' (See verse 87 above.) It is noteworthy that the answer to this most bitter and caustic query is couched in exceedingly moderate and dispassionate words. The answer amounts to telling his opponents that if his Lord had granted Shu'ayb knowledge of reality and also a livelihood that is pure and lawful, how could their sarcastic remarks change the fact that Shu'ayb had received God's favours? Also, in view of the favours which God had lavished upon Shu'ayb, how could it be appropriate for him to act ungratefully towards God by legitimizing their erroneous beliefs and acts of corruption? 99. Shu'ayb pointed out to his detractors that they could measure his integrity by only one thing: whether he practised what he preached. Had he forbidden others from visiting false deities, and then had become the custodian of some such shrine, people would have been justified in reproaching him for inconsistency and self-contradiction. They could have rightly criticized him for preaching something and practising its opposite. Had he asked them to abstain from unlawful earnings and had himself resorted to dishonest practices they would have been perfectly justified in accusing him of talking of honesty merely to build up a good image of himself and then exploiting it for his personal ends. It was clear, however, that Shu'ayb could be accused of nothing like that. It was crystal clear that he had stayed well away from all those vices which he asked others to abstain from. He had no stains on him of which he wanted others to remain free. Shu'ayb also practised all those acts of goodness to which he invited others. All this was sufficient to establish that Shu'ayb was fully sincere about his mission.
Ayah 11:89

وَ یٰقَوْمِ لَا یَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شِقَاقِیْۤ اَنْ یُّصِیْبَكُمْ مِّثْلُ مَاۤ اَصَابَ قَوْمَ نُوْحٍ اَوْ قَوْمَ هُوْدٍ اَوْ قَوْمَ صٰلِحٍ١ؕ وَ مَا قَوْمُ لُوْطٍ مِّنْكُمْ بِبَعِیْدٍ Open ayah 11:89 in the Quran reader

My people! Let not your opposition to me lead you to guilt that would bring upon you the chastisement that struck earlier the people of Noah, and the people of Hud, and the people of Salih. And the land of the people of Lot is not far from you! 100

100. Shu'ayb reminded his people of the story of the people of Lot (peace be on him). This tragic episode took place not far from where the people of Shu'ayb lived. In addition, it was no more than six or seven centuries previously that the people of Lot were utterly destroyed.
Ayah 11:90

وَ اسْتَغْفِرُوْا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوْبُوْۤا اِلَیْهِ١ؕ اِنَّ رَبِّیْ رَحِیْمٌ وَّدُوْدٌ Open ayah 11:90 in the Quran reader

Seek the forgiveness of your Lord and turn to Him in repentance. Surely my Lord is Ever Merciful, Most Loving. 101

101. God is neither callous nor merciless. He has no enmity towards His own creatures. It cannot even be conceived that God would want to punish people just for the fun of it. It is only when people exceed all reasonable limits and exercise no restraint in their wickedness that God punishes them, and then only reluctantly. He is so prone to forgiveness that no matter how sinful a person may have become, God's mercy encompasses him if only he sincerely repents and turns to God. For God's love and compassion for His creatures is simply immense. The Prophet (peace be on him) fully illustrated this by two examples. One is that of a man who had a camel carrying his food and water provisions. The camel strays away in a dreary desert. The person continues to search for the camel until he retires under the shade of a tree in utter despair. Then, suddenly, he finds the camel standing right in front of him. When a sinner repents and turns to God, He is even more joyous than the owner of the camel who suddenly finds his lost beast in a moment of total despair. (See Muslin-, al-Tawbah, Bab fi al-Hadd 'ala al-Tawbah, traditions 1-8.) The second example is perhaps even more moving. 'Umar narrated that once a few prisoners of war were brought to the Prophet (peace be on him). One of them was a woman whose infant child had been left behind. Her motherly compassion overwhelmed her to such an extent that she would grab any baby she could lay her hands on, would clasp him to her bosom, and start suckling him. When the Prophet (peace be on him) saw that woman in such a state of mind he asked the Companions whether they thought she would cast her children into fire. The Companions replied in the negative. They said that rather than throw her children into a fire, she would make every possible effort lest they slide into it. The Prophet (peace be on him) added: 'God is even more merciful to His servants than this woman is to her child.' (Muslim, al-Tawbah, Bab Sa'at Rahmat Allah - Ed.) A little reflection may help one appreciate that it is God Who has created compassion in the hearts of parents for their children. Had God not created this compassion for children, their parents may, in fact, have been quite inimical to them. For a child is indeed one of the greatest causes of parents' discomfort and annoyance. If one remembers that it is God Who planted love and compassion for children in the hearts of parents it is quite easy to grasp the extent of God's love and compassion for His creatures.
Ayahs 11:91–97

قَالُوْا یٰشُعَیْبُ مَا نَفْقَهُ كَثِیْرًا مِّمَّا تَقُوْلُ وَ اِنَّا لَنَرٰىكَ فِیْنَا ضَعِیْفًا١ۚ وَ لَوْ لَا رَهْطُكَ لَرَجَمْنٰكَ١٘ وَ مَاۤ اَنْتَ عَلَیْنَا بِعَزِیْزٍ Open ayah 11:91 in the Quran reader

They said: 'O Shu'ayb! We do not understand much of what you say. 102 Indeed we see you weak in our midst. Were it not for your kinsmen, we would surely have stoned you for you have no strength to overpower us. 103

قَالَ یٰقَوْمِ اَرَهْطِیْۤ اَعَزُّ عَلَیْكُمْ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ١ؕ وَ اتَّخَذْتُمُوْهُ وَرَآءَكُمْ ظِهْرِیًّا١ؕ اِنَّ رَبِّیْ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ مُحِیْطٌ Open ayah 11:92 in the Quran reader

Shu'ayb said: 'My people! Are my kinsmen mightier with you than Allah that you (hold the kinsmen in awe while) you cast Allah behind your back? Surely my Lord encompasses all what you do.

وَ یٰقَوْمِ اعْمَلُوْا عَلٰى مَكَانَتِكُمْ اِنِّیْ عَامِلٌ١ؕ سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُوْنَ١ۙ مَنْ یَّاْتِیْهِ عَذَابٌ یُّخْزِیْهِ وَ مَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ١ؕ وَ ارْتَقِبُوْۤا اِنِّیْ مَعَكُمْ رَقِیْبٌ Open ayah 11:93 in the Quran reader

My people! Go on working according to your way and I will keep working (according to mine). Soon you will come to know who will be afflicted by a humiliating chastisement, and who is proved a liar. And watch, I shall also watch with you.'

وَ لَمَّا جَآءَ اَمْرُنَا نَجَّیْنَا شُعَیْبًا وَّ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا مَعَهٗ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَ اَخَذَتِ الَّذِیْنَ ظَلَمُوا الصَّیْحَةُ فَاَصْبَحُوْا فِیْ دِیَارِهِمْ جٰثِمِیْنَۙ Open ayah 11:94 in the Quran reader

And when Our command came to pass, We delivered Shu'ayb and those who shared his faith, through Our mercy, and the Blast seized those who were engaged in wrong-doing, so they lay lifeless in their homes

كَاَنْ لَّمْ یَغْنَوْا فِیْهَا١ؕ اَلَا بُعْدًا لِّمَدْیَنَ كَمَا بَعِدَتْ ثَمُوْدُ۠ Open ayah 11:95 in the Quran reader

as though they had never dwelt in them before. Lo! Away with (the people of) Midian, even as the Thamud were done away with!

وَ لَقَدْ اَرْسَلْنَا مُوْسٰى بِاٰیٰتِنَا وَ سُلْطٰنٍ مُّبِیْنٍۙ Open ayah 11:96 in the Quran reader

And indeed We sent Moses with Our signs and with a clear authority

اِلٰى فِرْعَوْنَ وَ مَلَاۡئِهٖ فَاتَّبَعُوْۤا اَمْرَ فِرْعَوْنَ١ۚ وَ مَاۤ اَمْرُ فِرْعَوْنَ بِرَشِیْدٍ Open ayah 11:97 in the Quran reader

to Pharaoh and his nobles. But they obeyed the command of Pharaoh even though Pharaoh's command was not rightly-directed.

102. When Shu'ayb's people stated that they did not understand much of what Shu'ayb said, they did not say so because Shu'ayb (peace be on him) spoke in some foreign language, or because he talked in an ambiguous or complicated manner. On the contrary, Shu'ayb's teaching was quite clear and simple and was conveyed to his people in a language they fully understood - their own. The difficulty in understanding Shu'ayb's teaching arose from the fact that his people had become simply too perverse to grasp it. It is always the case that when some people become fully seized by their prejudice, are overpowered by their lusts, or begin to move vehemently in one particular intellectual direction, they hardly have the patience to give ear to any idea which is different from their own. But even if they were to listen to any unfamiliar idea, it would only sound to them as gibberish, as something coming to them from some other planet. 103. It should be borne in mind that exactly the same situation that had obtained in the past among the people of Shu'ayb also obtained in Makka at the time these verses were revealed. The Quraysh were seething with enmity towards Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) and wanted to put an end to his life in much the same way as Shu'ayb's people were inimical to him. The only reason which prevented the Quraysh from violently laying their hands on the Prophet (peace be on him) was that his clan, Hashim, stood firmly behind him. Thus, the story of Shu'ayb in relation to his people was exactly the same as that of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) in relation to the Quraysh. The story of Shu'ayb is narrated here precisely because of the obvious resemblance it bears to the predicament of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him). Soon we will also come across (see verse 93) a very instructive statement of Shu'ayb's in response to the harsh expression of hostility (see verse 91). The implication is quite clear. The same statement would be addressed by Muhammad (peace be on him) to his own unbelieving people.
Ayahs 11:98–102

یَقْدُمُ قَوْمَهٗ یَوْمَ الْقِیٰمَةِ فَاَوْرَدَهُمُ النَّارَ١ؕ وَ بِئْسَ الْوِرْدُ الْمَوْرُوْدُ Open ayah 11:98 in the Quran reader

He shall stand at the head of his people on the Day of Resurrection, and will bring them down to the Fire. 104 What a wretched destination to be led to!

وَ اُتْبِعُوْا فِیْ هٰذِهٖ لَعْنَةً وَّ یَوْمَ الْقِیٰمَةِ١ؕ بِئْسَ الرِّفْدُ الْمَرْفُوْدُ Open ayah 11:99 in the Quran reader

They were pursued by a curse in this world and so will they be on the Day of Resurrection. What an evil reward will they receive!

ذٰلِكَ مِنْ اَنْۢبَآءِ الْقُرٰى نَقُصُّهٗ عَلَیْكَ مِنْهَا قَآئِمٌ وَّ حَصِیْدٌ Open ayah 11:100 in the Quran reader

That is an account of some towns which We recount to you. Of them some are still standing and some have been mown down.

وَ مَا ظَلَمْنٰهُمْ وَ لٰكِنْ ظَلَمُوْۤا اَنْفُسَهُمْ فَمَاۤ اَغْنَتْ عَنْهُمْ اٰلِهَتُهُمُ الَّتِیْ یَدْعُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ مِنْ شَیْءٍ لَّمَّا جَآءَ اَمْرُ رَبِّكَ١ؕ وَ مَا زَادُوْهُمْ غَیْرَ تَتْبِیْبٍ Open ayah 11:101 in the Quran reader

We did not wrong them; it is rather they who wronged themselves. And when the command of your Lord came to pass, the gods besides Allah whom they had called upon, did not avail them in the least. They added nothing to them except ruin.

وَ كَذٰلِكَ اَخْذُ رَبِّكَ اِذَاۤ اَخَذَ الْقُرٰى وَ هِیَ ظَالِمَةٌ١ؕ اِنَّ اَخْذَهٗۤ اَلِیْمٌ شَدِیْدٌ Open ayah 11:102 in the Quran reader

Such is the seizing of your Lord that when He does seize the towns immersed in wrong-doing, His seizing is painful, terrible.

104. It clearly emerges from this verse as well as from other verses of the Qur'an that those who lead a nation or a group of people in the present world will also be their leaders on the Day of Resurrection. If the leaders had directed their people to truth, virtue and righteousness their followers will gather under their banner on the Day of Resurrection and will march to Paradise under their leadership. On the other hand, if these leaders called their people to erroneous beliefs, to immorality, or to false ways of conduct, they will continue to follow them even on the Day of Resurrection and until they end up in Hell. This seems evident from the remark made by the Prophet (peace be on him) about Imr al-Qays: 'Imr al-Qays will bear the standard of the poets of Jahiliyah to the Fire.' (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 2, p. 228 - Ed.) Now everyone can visualize what kind of procession both these would be, each pressing on to their destined goal. There would be the procession of those who had been misled by their so-called leaders. On that Day they would be fully conscious of the dangerous end to which they would be in due course dragged. They would, therefore, quite naturally look upon those leaders as the ones responsible for all their suffering and misfortune. In the front line of the procession would be the so-called leaders and behind them would be throngs of their followers hurling abuses and curses at them. In sharp contrast, will be the other procession, the one led by those whose leadership made their followers merit entry into Paradise. With this blissful end in view, the followers will joyously press ahead, lavishing prayers and grateful tributes on their leaders.
Ayahs 11:103–104

اِنَّ فِیْ ذٰلِكَ لَاٰیَةً لِّمَنْ خَافَ عَذَابَ الْاٰخِرَةِ١ؕ ذٰلِكَ یَوْمٌ مَّجْمُوْعٌ١ۙ لَّهُ النَّاسُ وَ ذٰلِكَ یَوْمٌ مَّشْهُوْدٌ Open ayah 11:103 in the Quran reader

Surely in that is a sign for him who fears the chastisement of the Hereafter. 105 That will be a Day when all men shall be mustered together; that will be a Day when whatever happens shall be witnessed by all.

وَ مَا نُؤَخِّرُهٗۤ اِلَّا لِاَجَلٍ مَّعْدُوْدٍؕ Open ayah 11:104 in the Quran reader

Nor shall We withhold it except till an appointed term.

105. In such incidents of history there are instructive signs for all people. Only a little reflection will make them realize that the punishment of the unrighteous is inevitable and that the information provided by the Prophets (peace be on them) in this respect is absolutely true. These signs can also help men have some idea of how horrible the Day of Judgement will be. This realization is likely to create in man's heart a fear which will direct him to righteous behaviour. One may well ask, what are the signs in human history which indicate that there is an After-life, one in which people are liable to suffer punishment? These signs can easily be appreciated by those who do not consider history to consist merely of a series of unrelated events and who are inclined to reflect over the underlying logic of those events and so derive some conclusion from them. What is most conspicuous in the long record of history is the constantly recurring phenomenon of the rise and fall of nations. Moreover, this rise and fall seems to be tied up with certain moral factors. The way in which certain nations have encountered significant falls and have suffered destruction clearly indicates that man, in this universe, is under a dispensation in which blind physical laws do not predominate. Instead, under that dispensation a moral law is also in operation. The result is that the nations which maintain a given minimum level of adherence to moral principles are rewarded. Those who slide below that minimum level of adherence to moral principles, are granted a temporary respite. However, once a nation falls perceptibly below that minimum level, it meets its tragic end and is made a lesson of for future generations. The occurrence and repetition of these events at regular intervals leaves no doubt whatsoever that retribution is a permanent feature, a fully-fledged law that operates in human history. Moreover, were one to carefully reflect upon the different forms of punishment which visited these different nations of the world, one would also realize that those punishments only partially accord with the requirements of justice and retribution. Were total justice to be meted out, it would be necessary to do a great deal more. For the punishments which struck the nations of the world in the past, struck only those generations which lived at the time when the punishment visited them. But there are generations of men who sowed the wind of wickedness but disappeared when that wind developed into a whirlwind. The consequences of their evil deeds were faced by the generations that followed after them. It is obvious in this case that the real culprits escaped retribution. Now, if we are able to grasp the inner workings of this universe by our study of history, this should lead us to the conclusion that the unfulfilled requirements of justice call for a new order of existence to be brought into being. It is only then that those transgressors and wrong-doers who escaped divine punishment in the worldly life can be duly punished and their punishment will be much more severe than that suffered by the evil-doers in the world. (See Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. Ill, al-A'raf, n. 30, pp. 23-6 and vol. IV, Yunus 10, n. 10, p. 9.)
Ayahs 11:105–106

یَوْمَ یَاْتِ لَا تَكَلَّمُ نَفْسٌ اِلَّا بِاِذْنِهٖ١ۚ فَمِنْهُمْ شَقِیٌّ وَّ سَعِیْدٌ Open ayah 11:105 in the Quran reader

And when the appointed Day comes, no one shall even dare to speak except by the leave of Allah. 106 Then some will be declared wretched, others blessed.

فَاَمَّا الَّذِیْنَ شَقُوْا فَفِی النَّارِ لَهُمْ فِیْهَا زَفِیْرٌ وَّ شَهِیْقٌۙ Open ayah 11:106 in the Quran reader

As for the wretched, they shall be in the Fire, and in it they shall sigh and groan.

106. Some people entertain the misconception that their saintly patrons will intercede on their behalf and obtain salvation for them on the Day of Resurrection. They believe that some of the saints will simply stage a sit-in protest before God, and will thus virtually extract from Him a pardon for their devotees. All this, of course, is sheer nonsense. For in God's majestic court, everyone - howsoever great they may otherwise be, including angels - will be in a state of spellbinding awe. At that awe-inspiring moment - the Day of Judgement - none will even dare speak until God Himself permits him to do so. There are of course many in this world who make offerings at the altars of many beside God in the belief that they will simply have an overwhelming influence with God. Many people continue to commit misdeeds in the hope that the intercession of such beings will bring about their rescue. Such people will face utter disappointment on that Day.
Ayah 11:107

خٰلِدِیْنَ فِیْهَا مَا دَامَتِ السَّمٰوٰتُ وَ الْاَرْضُ اِلَّا مَا شَآءَ رَبُّكَ١ؕ اِنَّ رَبَّكَ فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا یُرِیْدُ Open ayah 11:107 in the Quran reader

They shall abide in it as long as the heavens and the earth endure, 107 unless your Lord may will otherwise. Surely your Lord does whatsoever He wills. 108

107. There are two possible interpretations for the words, 'as long as the heavens and the earth endure'. One possibility is that they refer to the heavens 108. There is no power other than God's that can prevent the sinners from suffering eternal punishment. However, God may Himself will that someone may be spared His unending punishment. He may also decide to pardon such a person after he has been made to suffer a period of punishment in the After-life. In such cases, God certainly has both the authority and the power to do that. For if there is any law, it is God Who has made it, and hence that law can set no limit upon His power and authority.
Ayah 11:108

وَ اَمَّا الَّذِیْنَ سُعِدُوْا فَفِی الْجَنَّةِ خٰلِدِیْنَ فِیْهَا مَا دَامَتِ السَّمٰوٰتُ وَ الْاَرْضُ اِلَّا مَا شَآءَ رَبُّكَ١ؕ عَطَآءً غَیْرَ مَجْذُوْذٍ Open ayah 11:108 in the Quran reader

And as for those who are blessed, they shall abide in the Garden as long as the heavens and the earth endure, unless your Lord may will otherwise. 109 They shall enjoy an unceasing gift.

109. A person's permanent stay in Paradise is equally not contingent upon some higher law that would compel God to facilitate this. On the contrary, people will be able to stay there permanently only by dint of God's grace and mercy. If God were to act otherwise, He obviously has both the power and the authority to do so.
Ayah 11:109

فَلَا تَكُ فِیْ مِرْیَةٍ مِّمَّا یَعْبُدُ هٰۤؤُلَآءِ١ؕ مَا یَعْبُدُوْنَ اِلَّا كَمَا یَعْبُدُ اٰبَآؤُهُمْ مِّنْ قَبْلُ١ؕ وَ اِنَّا لَمُوَفُّوْهُمْ نَصِیْبَهُمْ غَیْرَ مَنْقُوْصٍ۠ Open ayah 11:109 in the Quran reader

[O Prophet!] Have no doubt about what they worship. For they worship what their fathers worshipped before. 110 And (yet) We shall grant them their due portion in full, diminishing of it nothing.

110. This does not mean that the Prophet (peace be on him) entertained any 'doubts' concerning the deities whom the unbelievers associated with God in His divinity. Though this verse is ostensibly addressed to the Prophet (peace be on him), it is really aimed at conveying a message to the people of Makka. The thrust of the verse is that no sensible person should entertain the notion that those who worship false gods and pray to them have any plausible grounds for doing so and for expecting some benefit from such worship. The fact of the matter is that the worship of false deities and the offerings, sacrifices and invocations addressed to them were supported neither by knowledge, careful observation, nor any scientific experimentation. The only basis for such worship was blind imitation of their ancestors. The same shrines found amongst today's polytheists were also found among several past nations of the world. The same miraculous feats which are popular today were equally popular in the past among other nations. However, when God's punishment seized those nations which worshipped false deities, they were utterly destroyed. Their shrines proved altogether unavailing.
Ayahs 11:110–113

وَ لَقَدْ اٰتَیْنَا مُوْسَى الْكِتٰبَ فَاخْتُلِفَ فِیْهِ١ؕ وَ لَوْ لَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِنْ رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِیَ بَیْنَهُمْ١ؕ وَ اِنَّهُمْ لَفِیْ شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ مُرِیْبٍ Open ayah 11:110 in the Quran reader

And We certainly gave Moses the Book before, and there arose disagreements about it (even as there are disagreements now about the Book revealed to you). 111 Had it not been for a decree that had already gone forth from your Lord, the matter would have long been decided between them. 112 Indeed they are in a disquieting doubt about it.

وَ اِنَّ كُلًّا لَّمَّا لَیُوَفِّیَنَّهُمْ رَبُّكَ اَعْمَالَهُمْ١ؕ اِنَّهٗ بِمَا یَعْمَلُوْنَ خَبِیْرٌ Open ayah 11:111 in the Quran reader

Surely your Lord will recompense all to the full for their deeds. For indeed He is well aware of all what they do.

فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَاۤ اُمِرْتَ وَ مَنْ تَابَ مَعَكَ وَ لَا تَطْغَوْا١ؕ اِنَّهٗ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ بَصِیْرٌ Open ayah 11:112 in the Quran reader

So remain, (O Muhammad), you and those who have returned with you (to the fold of faith and obedience from unbelief and rebellion) steadfast (in adhering to the straight way) as you were commanded. And do not exceed the limits of (service to Allah). For certainly He is aware of all what you do.

وَ لَا تَرْكَنُوْۤا اِلَى الَّذِیْنَ ظَلَمُوْا فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ١ۙ وَ مَا لَكُمْ مِّنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ مِنْ اَوْلِیَآءَ ثُمَّ لَا تُنْصَرُوْنَ Open ayah 11:113 in the Quran reader

And do not incline towards the wrong-doers lest the Fire might seize you and you will have none as your protector against Allah; and then you will not be helped from anywhere.

111. If people launch scurrilous attacks on the Qur'an, this is not altogether novel. The same happened before. When Moses (peace be on him) was granted the scripture, people raised a variety of objections against it. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) should not, therefore, feel disheartened that his people rejected the teachings of the Qur'an despite their lucidity. 112. This is being said in order to comfort the Prophet (peace be on him) and his Companions. They are being asked to be patient and not to seek a hasty judgement from God concerning those who differ about the Qur'an. For God will soon come forth with His judgement. He has determined that this judgement will neither come a moment before, nor a moment after the expiry of the term. It is true human beings wish God's judgement to come hastily. As for God, He never judges hastily.
Ayahs 11:114–116

وَ اَقِمِ الصَّلٰوةَ طَرَفَیِ النَّهَارِ وَ زُلَفًا مِّنَ الَّیْلِ١ؕ اِنَّ الْحَسَنٰتِ یُذْهِبْنَ السَّیِّاٰتِ١ؕ ذٰلِكَ ذِكْرٰى لِلذّٰكِرِیْنَۚ Open ayah 11:114 in the Quran reader

And establish the Prayer at the two ends of the day and in the first hours of the night. 113 Indeed the good deeds drive away the evil deeds. This is a Reminder to those who are mindful of Allah. 114

وَ اصْبِرْ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا یُضِیْعُ اَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِیْنَ Open ayah 11:115 in the Quran reader

And be patient; for indeed Allah never lets the reward of those who do good go to waste.

فَلَوْ لَا كَانَ مِنَ الْقُرُوْنِ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ اُولُوْا بَقِیَّةٍ یَّنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْفَسَادِ فِی الْاَرْضِ اِلَّا قَلِیْلًا مِّمَّنْ اَنْجَیْنَا مِنْهُمْ١ۚ وَ اتَّبَعَ الَّذِیْنَ ظَلَمُوْا مَاۤ اُتْرِفُوْا فِیْهِ وَ كَانُوْا مُجْرِمِیْنَ Open ayah 11:116 in the Quran reader

Why were there not, out of the generations that passed away before you, righteous men who would forbid others from causing corruption on the earth? And if such were there, they were only a few whom We had saved from those generations, or else the wrong-doers kept pursuing the ease and comfort which had been conferred upon them, thus losing themselves in sinfulness.

113. The 'two ends of the day' refer to the morning and the sunset. Similarly, the 'first hours of the night' refer to the time of the 'Isha' Prayer. We thus learn that this Qur'anic verse dates back to the time when the five daily Prayers had as yet not been prescribed. The Prophet's ascension took place at a later time than the revelation of these verses and it is then that the five daily Prayers were prescribed. (For further explanation see alIsra 17, n. 95; Ta Ha 20: 111; and al-Rum 30: 124.) 114. The Qur'an informs the believers of the best way to drive away the evils which are rampant in the world and how to obliterate the wrongs perpetuated by the inveterate enemies of Islam. It counsels the believers to become increasingly righteous. For the righteousness of the believers will ultimately overwhelm evil and corruption. Now, since Prayers constantly remind people of God, they are the best means of making people righteous. The power that the believers receive from Prayer will not only enable them to repulse the onslaught of the organized forces of evil, but also to establish a righteous and benevolent order in the world. (For further elaboration see al-'Ankabut 29, nn. 77-9.)