51. Surah Adh-Dhaariyat
الذارياتThe Winnowing Winds · 60 ayahsتفہیم القرآن انگلش
فَاَخَذْنٰهُ وَ جُنُوْدَهٗ فَنَبَذْنٰهُمْ فِی الْیَمِّ وَ هُوَ مُلِیْمٌؕ Open ayah 51:40 in the Quran reader
Consequently, We seized him and his hosts and cast them into the sea, aid he became blameworthy. 38 '
38 A whole history has been compressed into this brief sentence. To understand it well one should know that Pharaoh was the absolute ruler of the greatest centre of civilization and culture of the world in those days and the people of the adjoining lands were overawed by his power and might. Obviously, when he might have sunk suddenly one day in the sea along with his armies, the event must have become well known not only in Egypt but among aII the neighboring nations as well. At this, except for those whose kith and kin had sunk, there was no one else among their own people, or in the other nations of the world who would mourn them or write an elegy on them, or would at least express sorrow and say that good and noble people had become a victim of the disaster. Instead of this, as the world had become fed up with their wickedness and injustices, every person heaved a sigh of relief at their exemplary fate, everyone cursed them, and anyone who heard this news exclaimed that the wicked people had deserved the fate justly. In Surah Ad-Dukhan the same thing has been expressed, thus: "Then neither did the heavens weep on them nor the earth." (For explanation, see E.N. 26 of Surah Ad-Dukhan).
وَ فِیْ عَادٍ اِذْ اَرْسَلْنَا عَلَیْهِمُ الرِّیْحَ الْعَقِیْمَۚ Open ayah 51:41 in the Quran reader
And (for you is a sign) in `Ad when We sent upon them a blighting wind
مَا تَذَرُ مِنْ شَیْءٍ اَتَتْ عَلَیْهِ اِلَّا جَعَلَتْهُ كَالرَّمِیْمِؕ Open ayah 51:42 in the Quran reader
which made rotten everything that it blew on. 39
39 The word used for this wind is aqim, which is used for a barren woman, though literally it means dry. If the literal meaning is taken it would mean that it was such an intensely hot and dry wind that on whatever it blew it caused it to become absolutely dry; and if it is taken in the idiomatic sense it would mean that like a barren woman it was a wind without any benefit: neither it was pleasant, nor it brought rain, nor fertilized the trees, nor contained any other benefit for which the wind blows. At other places it has been stated that this wind was not only useless and dry but it blew so violently that it swept the people off the ground and it continued to rage for eight days and seven nights continuously, till it laid the entire land of the `Ad waste. (For explanation, see E.N.'s 20, 21 of Surah Ha Mim As-Sajdah, and E.N.'s 25 to 28 of Al-Ahqaf).
وَ فِیْ ثَمُوْدَ اِذْ قِیْلَ لَهُمْ تَمَتَّعُوْا حَتّٰى حِیْنٍ Open ayah 51:43 in the Quran reader
And (for you is a sign) in Thamud when it was said to them, "Enjoy yourselves for a while. " 40
40 The commentators have disputed as to which respite it implies. Hadrat Qatadah says that it alludes to that verse of Surah Hud in which it has been stated that when the Thamud killed the she camel of the Prophet Salih, they were warned by Allah that they had three more days to enjoy lift after which they would be overtaken by the torment. Contrary to this, Hadrat Hasan Basri has expressed the opinion that this thing had been said by the Prophet Salih to his people in the beginning of his mission and by this he meant that if they would not adopt the way of repentance and faith, they would be granted a respite to enjoy lift in the world only till an appointed tint, and then they would be overtaken by the tormnt. The second of these two commentaries seems to be more correct, for the following verse ("But in spite of this they defied the command of their Lord") indicates that the respite being mentioned here had been given before the defiance and they committed it after the warning. On the contrary, the three days' respite mentioned in Surah Hud had been given after the wicked people had committed the final defiance which became decisive in their cast and sealed their doom for ever afterwards
فَعَتَوْا عَنْ اَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ فَاَخَذَتْهُمُ الصّٰعِقَةُ وَ هُمْ یَنْظُرُوْنَ Open ayah 51:44 in the Quran reader
But in spite of this warning they defied the Command of their Lord. Consequently, they were overtaken by a thunderbolt 41 even while they looked on.
41 Different words have been used for this torment at different places in the Qur'an. Somewhere it has been called rajfah (a frightful and shocking calamity), somewhere saihah (a crashing and thundering disaster), somewhere taghiyah (a most severe affliction) and here it has been described as sa'iqah (a calamity that strikes like a thunderbolt). Probably this torment had occurred as an earthquake which was also accompanied by a terrible noise.
فَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوْا مِنْ قِیَامٍ وَّ مَا كَانُوْا مُنْتَصِرِیْنَۙ Open ayah 51:45 in the Quran reader
Then they could neither stand up nor were able to save themselves. 42
42 Intisar from which the word muntasirun in the original is derived means to save oneself from an attack by somebody as well as to avenge oneself on the attacker.
وَ قَوْمَ نُوْحٍ مِّنْ قَبْلُ١ؕ اِنَّهُمْ كَانُوْا قَوْمًا فٰسِقِیْنَ۠ Open ayah 51:46 in the Quran reader
And before them We destroyed the people of Noah because they were a sinful people.
وَ السَّمَآءَ بَنَیْنٰهَا بِاَیْىدٍ وَّ اِنَّا لَمُوْسِعُوْنَ Open ayah 51:47 in the Quran reader
We 43 have built the heaven with Our own might and We possess the power for it. 44
43 After presenting historical arguments 'for the Hereafter, now arguments from the universe arc being presented in proof of the same.
44 The word must' (pl. musi'un) may mean the one who possesses power and means, and also the one who can extend and expand something. According to the first meaning, the verse would mean: "We have built this heaven by Our own might and not with somebody else's help, and its erection was in no way beyond Us. Then how can you ever conceive that We shall not be able to recreate it ?" According to the second meaning, it would mean: "This huge universe that We have created, is not a finished work, but We are expanding it continuously, and new and ever new manifestations of Our creation are appearing in it every moment. How do you then think that such a marvelous Creator would not be able to repeat His creation.
وَ الْاَرْضَ فَرَشْنٰهَا فَنِعْمَ الْمٰهِدُوْنَ Open ayah 51:48 in the Quran reader
We have spread out the earth and (behold) how excellent Spreaders We are !. 45
45 . For explanation, sec E.N. 18 above. For further explanation, sec E.N. 74 of Surah An-Naml, E.N. 29 of Surah Ya Sin and E.N.'s 7 to 10 of AzZukhruf
وَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَیْءٍ خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَیْنِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُوْنَ Open ayah 51:49 in the Quran reader
And We have created everything in pairs 46 maybe that you learn a lesson from it 47
46 That is, "Everything in the world has been created on the principle of the pairs. The whole system of the Universe is functioning on the principle that certain things arc complementary and matching to certain others, and their combination brings into being countless new forms and combinations. Nothing here is so unique as may have no match, for the fact is that a thing becomes productive only after it has combined with its matching partner. " (For further explanation, sec E.N. 31 of Surah Ya Sin, and' E.N. 12 of Az-Zukhruf).
47 That is, "The erection of the whole Universe on the principle of the pairs and the existence of all things in the world in couples is a reality that testifies . expressly to the necessity of the Hereafter. If you consider it deeply you will yourself come to the conclusion that when everything in the world has a partner and nothing becomes productive without combining with its partner, how can the life of the world be without a match and partner? Its match and partner necessarily is the Hereafter. Without that partner it would be absolutely fruitless."
To understand what follows one should also understand that the discussion heretofore centers around the Hereafter, but this very discussion and. argument afford a proof of the Oneness of God. Just as the argument of the rain, the structure of the earth, the creation of the heavens, man's own existence, the wonderful working of the law of pairs in the Universe, testify to the possibility and necessity of the Hereafter, so they are also testifying that neither is this Godless nor it has many gods, but One All-Wise and All-Powerful God alone is its Creator and Master and Controller. That is why in the following verses the invitation to the Oneness of God is being presented on the basis of these very arguments. Furthermore, the inevitable result of believing in the Hereafter is that man should give up his attitude of rebellion against God and should adopt the way of obedience and servitude. He remains turned away from God as long as he remains involved in the false belief that he is not accountable before anyone and that he will not have to render an account of his deeds of the worldly life to anyone. Whenever this misunderstanding is removed, man immediately comes to the realization that he was committing a grave error by regarding himself as irresponsible, and this realization compels him to return to God. That is why immediately after concluding the arguments for the Hereafter, it has been said: "So flee unto AIlah."
فَفِرُّوْۤا اِلَى اللّٰهِ١ؕ اِنِّیْ لَكُمْ مِّنْهُ نَذِیْرٌ مُّبِیْنٌۚ Open ayah 51:50 in the Quran reader
So flee unto Allah: I am an open warner from Him to you.
وَ لَا تَجْعَلُوْا مَعَ اللّٰهِ اِلٰهًا اٰخَرَ١ؕ اِنِّیْ لَكُمْ مِّنْهُ نَذِیْرٌ مُّبِیْنٌۚ Open ayah 51:51 in the Quran reader
And do not set up another god with God; I am on open warner from Him to you 48 .
48 Though these sentences are the Word of Allah, the speaker here is not AIIah but the Holy Messenger of Allah. In fact, Allah has made his Messenger say: "Flee unto Allah: I am warning you from Him." An instance of this style is found in the very first Surah of the Qur'an, Surah AI-Fatihah, where the Word is of Allah, but the speakers are the servants, who say: Iyyaka na `budu wa lyyaka nasta 'in; ihdi-nas sirat al-mustaqim: "Thee alone we worship and to Thee alone we pray for help. Show us the Straight Way." Just as there it has not been said: "O believers, pray to your Lord thus," but the context itself shows that it is a supplication which Allah is teaching His servants, so here also it has not been said; "O Prophet, say to these people,".but the context itself indicates that it is an invitation to the Oneness of God, which the Holy Prophet is presenting according to Allah's command. Besides Surah Al-Fatihah, there are several other instances also of this style in the Qur'an, where though the Word is of Allah, the speakers somewhere are the angels and somewhere the Holy Prophet, and the context shows as through whom AIlah is speaking at that particular place. For instance, see Surah Maryam: 64-65, As-Saaffat :159-167, Ash-Shu`ara': 10.
كَذٰلِكَ مَاۤ اَتَى الَّذِیْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِّنْ رَّسُوْلٍ اِلَّا قَالُوْا سَاحِرٌ اَوْ مَجْنُوْنٌۚ Open ayah 51:52 in the Quran reader
This has always been so. Whenever a Messenger came to the peoples before them, they said, "He is a sorcerer or a madman. „ 49
49 That is, °This has not happened for the first time that the people are calling the Messenger sent by Allah a sorcerer and a madman when they heard the news of the Hereafter and the invitation to the Oneness of Allah from him. The whole history of Apostleship bears evidence that ever since the Messengers started coming for the guidance of mankind, ignorant people have been repeating the same folly in the same manner. Whichever Messenger came and gave them the warning that they were not the servants of many gods but One God alone is their Creator and Deity and Master of their destinies, ignorant people said that he was a sorcerer, who wanted to beguile and misguide them by his sorcery. Whichever Messenger came and warned them that they had not been created and left irresponsible in the world, but that at the conclusion of their life-work they would have to present themselves before their Creator and Master and render an account of their deeds and in consequence thereof they will be rewarded or punished accordingly, the foolish people cried out that he was a madman and had lost his reason because no one could be resurrected after death. "
اَتَوَاصَوْا بِهٖ١ۚ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ طَاغُوْنَۚ Open ayah 51:53 in the Quran reader
Have they reached a mutual understanding concerning this? Nay, but they are all a rebellious people. 50
50 That is, °The fact that the people of different countries and nations adopted the same attitude as against the invitation of the Prophets and opposed them in the same manner in different ages for thousands of years could not be due to the reason that all the former and the latter generations had settled in a conference that whenever a prophet came with his message, he should be given such and such an answer. Then, what could be the reason for the uniformity of their attitude and behavior? There could be no other reason for this than that rebellion and transgression was their common characteristic. As all the ignorant people of every age have been desirous of living a life free of Allah's service and fearless of His accountability, whoever called them to the service of Allah and to lead a God-conscious life, they gave him one and the same fixed answer. "
This also throws light on an important truth and it is this: The motives that man has been naturally endowed with for adopting error and guidance, goodness and evil, justice and injustice, and similar other conducts, have been appearing in every age and in every corner of the world in the like manner no matter how different might have been their forms due to advancement of means and resources. Whether the man of today fights by means of the tanks and aircraft and hydrogen bombs and the man of the ancient time fought with stones and sticks, the basic motives for fighting between men have always been the same. Likewise, the atheist of today might heap up his arguments for atheism as he likes, his motives for following that creed are precisely the same as had been of an atheist six thousand years ago and in his reasoning also he is not basically any different from his predecessor
فَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ فَمَاۤ اَنْتَ بِمَلُوْمٍ٢ۗ٘ Open ayah 51:54 in the Quran reader
So, O Prophet, turn away from them: you are not at all to blame. 51
51 In this verse a method of the preaching of religion has been taught, which should be well understood. When a preacher of the truth has presented his message clearly before a person with rational arguments, and has also removed his doubts and objections and answered his arguments, he becomes relieved of his duty of making the truth plain. Even after this if the other person persists in his belief and creed, the responsibility for it does not lie on the preacher of the truth. It is no more necessary that he should pursue the same person, should go on spending his time in discussing things with him, and should make it a point that he has somehow to convince the same one man of the truth. The preacher, in fact, has done his duty; if the other man is not convinced, let hire alone. If the preacher does not any more attend to him, he cannot be blamed for letting a person remain involved in error, because now the other person himself is responsible for his deviation and error.
وَّ ذَكِّرْ فَاِنَّ الذِّكْرٰى تَنْفَعُ الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ Open ayah 51:55 in the Quran reader
But go on admonishing them, for the admonition is beneficial for the believers. 52
52 The Holy Prophet has not been addressed here to be taught this method because, God forbid, in his preaching he unnecessarily pursued the people and Allah wanted to stop him from this fact, the actual reason for stating this method is that when a preacher of the truth has done his best to make the people understand his message in a rational way and then seeing the signs of stubbornness in them withdraws from them, the people inveigh against him and start accusing him of indifference and inattention whereas, they, as they say, want to discuss things in order to understand his message. The fact, however, is that they do not intend to understand anything but only to involve the preacher in disputation and waste his time. Therefore, Allah Himself said in clear words: "Turn away from them: you are not at all to blame for showing any indifference towards them." After this nobody could blame the Holy Prophet that according to the Book that he had brought he had been appointed to make them understand his religion: then why he did not answer their objections.
وَ مَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَ الْاِنْسَ اِلَّا لِیَعْبُدُوْنِ Open ayah 51:56 in the Quran reader
I have not created the jinn and the men except for this that they should worship Me. 53
53 That is, "I have not created them for the service of others but for My own service. They should serve Me, for I am their Creator. When no one else has created them, no one else has the right that they should serve him; and how can it be admissible for them that they should serve others instead of Me, their Creator?" Here, the question arises that Allah Almighty is not the Creator only of the jinn and men but of the entire Universe and of every thing in it. Then, why has it been said only about the jinn and men that He has not created them for the service of others but of Himself ? whereas every single creature is there to serve Allah. The answer is: On the earth only the jinn and men have been granted the freedom that they may serve Allah within their sphere of choice if they so like; otherwise they can turn away from Allah's service as well as serve others beside Hun. The rest of the creatures in the world do not have this kind of freedom. They do not havc any choice whatever that they may not worship and serve AIIah, or may serve any other. Therefore, only about the jinn and men it has been said here that by turning away from the obedience and servitude of their Creator within the bounds of their option and choice and by serving others than the Creator, they are fighting their own nature. They should know that they have not been created for the service of any other but the Creator, and for them the right way is that they should not abuse the freedom granted them, but within the bounds of this freedom also they should serve God voluntarily just as every particle of their body is serving Him involuntarily in the sphere where they have not been granted any freedom,
The word `ibadat (service, worship) in this verse has not been used in the sense of only prayer, fasting and other kinds of such worship so that one may understand that the jinn and men have been created only for performing the Prayer, observing the Fast and for praising and glorifying AIIah. Although this sense also is included in it, this is not its complete sense. Its complete sense is that the jinn and men have not been created for the worship, obedience and carrying out of the orders of any other but Allah. They are not there to bow to any other, to carry out the orders of any other, to live in fear of any other, to follow the religion enjoined by any other, to look upon any other as the maker and destroyer of ones destiny, and to supplicate any other than Allah for help. (For further explanation, see E.N. 63 of Surah Saba, E.N. 2 of Az-Zumar, E.N. 30 of A1 Jathiyah).
Another thing that incidentally becomes quilt obvious from this verse is that the jinn arc a separate and independent creation from men. This brings out the error of the thinking of those people, who assert that sonic people from among mankind have been called the jinn in the Qur'an. This same thing is also confirmed and testified by the following verses of the Qur'an: AI-An'am :100, 128, AI-A`raf, 38, 179, Hud: 119, AI-Hijr: 27 to 33, Bani Isra`il: 88, AI-Kahf: S0, As-Sajdah: 13, Saba: 41, Suad: 75, 76, Ha Mim As-Sajdah: 25, AI-Ahqaf: 18, Ar-Rahman: 15, 39, 56. (For a complete discussion of this question, see E. N . 21 of AI-Anbiya', E.N.'s 23, 45 of An-Naml, E.N. 24 of Saba).
مَاۤ اُرِیْدُ مِنْهُمْ مِّنْ رِّزْقٍ وَّ مَاۤ اُرِیْدُ اَنْ یُّطْعِمُوْنِ Open ayah 51:57 in the Quran reader
I do not ask any sustenance of them, nor do I ask them to feed Me. 54
54 That is, "I do not stand in need of any kind of help from the jinn and men: that My Godhead would not function if they did not worship Me: that I would be no more God if they turned away from My service. I indeed do not stand in need of their service, but it is the demand of their own nature that they should serve Me. They have been created for this very object, and fighting nature would be to their own detriment."
And in saying: "I do not ask any sustenance of them nor do I ask them to feed Me," there is a subtle hint to this Those whom the people who have turned away from God worship in the world, worship, indeed, stand in need of these their worshippers. If they do not help sustain their godhead, it would not function even for a day. The gods do not provide for the worshippers but the worshippers provide for the gods instead. The gods do not feed them but they feed the gods instead. The gods do not protect them but the worshippers protect the gods instead. The worshippers, in fact, are their army through whom their godhead functions. Wherever the worshippers of the, false gods have ceased to exist, or the worshippers have given up their worship, the gods have lost aII their pomp and glory and the world has seen how helpless they have become. Of alI the deities AIlah Almighty is the only real Deity Whose Godhead is functioning by His own power and might, Who does not take anything from His servants, but He alone gives His servants everything.
اِنَّ اللّٰهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِیْنُ Open ayah 51:58 in the Quran reader
Allah Himself is the Sustainer, Possessor of power and might. 55
55 The word matin as used in the original means strong and stable whom nobody can shake and move.
فَاِنَّ لِلَّذِیْنَ ظَلَمُوْا ذَنُوْبًا مِّثْلَ ذَنُوْبِ اَصْحٰبِهِمْ فَلَا یَسْتَعْجِلُوْنِ Open ayah 51:59 in the Quran reader
Therefore, those who have done wrong, 56 have also their portion of a similar torment ready as the people like them have been meted out their portions before. So let them not ask Me to hasten.
56 "Those, . . . . . . wrong" Those who have violated the reality and the truth and their own nature The context itself shows that `those who have done wrong", here implies the people who are serving others than the Lord of the Universe, who disbelieve in the Hereafter, who regard themselves as irresponsible in the world, and have denied those Prophets who have tried to make them understand the reality.
57 This is the answer to the disbelievers' demand: "Why doesn't the Day of Retribution Overtake us? Why is it being delayed?"
فَوَیْلٌ لِّلَّذِیْنَ كَفَرُوْا مِنْ یَّوْمِهِمُ الَّذِیْ یُوْعَدُوْنَ۠ Open ayah 51:60 in the Quran reader
Ultimately, there will be destruction for those who have disbelieved, on the Day with which they are being threatened.
It is derived from the very first word wadh-dhariyat, which implies that it is a Surah which begins with the word adh-dhariyat.