Surah 67, Al-Mulk (The
Kingdom), 30 Verses &
Surah 68, Al-Qalam (The
Pen), 52 Verses &
Surah 69, Al-Haaqa (The
Reality), 52 Verses &
Surah 70, Al-Ma'arij
(The Ascending Stairways), 44 Verses &
Surah 71, Nuh, 28 Verses
&
Surah 72, Al-Jinn (The
Jinn), 28 Verses &
Surah 73, Al-Muzzamil
(The Enshrouded One), 20 Verses &
Surah 74, Al-Muddaththir
(The Cloaked One), 56 Verses &
Surah 75, Al-Qiyaama
(The Resurrection), 40 Verses &
Surah 76, Al-Insaan
(Man), 31 Verses &
Surah 77, Al-Mursalaat
(The Emissaries) 50 Verses
Chapter 29 begins with Surah
67, Al-Mulk (The Kingdom). This Surah was revealed at Mecca and has 30 verses
in 2 sections.
Surah 67, Al-Mulk (The Kingdom)
Section 1: God's is the Kingdom
of the universe, verses 1-14
"Blessed is He in Whose hand is
the Sovereignty, and, He is Able to do all things. Who hath created life and
death that He may try you which of you is best in conduct; and He is the
Mighty, the Forgiving, Who hath created seven heavens in harmony. Thou
(Muhammad) canst see no fault in the Beneficent One's creation; then look
again: Canst thou see any rifts?" (Verses 1-3)
"And verily We have beautified
the world's heaven with lamps, and We have made them missiles for the devils,
and for them We have prepared the doom of flame." (Verse 5)
"And for those who disbelieve in
their Lord there is the doom of hell, a hapless journey's end! When they are
flung therein they hear its roaring as it boileth up, As it would burst with
rage. Whenever a (fresh) host is flung therein the wardens thereof ask them:
Came there unto you no warner?
They say: Yea, verily, a warner came unto us; but we denied and said: Allah
hath naught revealed; ye are in naught but a great error. And they say: Had we
been wont to listen or have sense, we had not been among the dwellers in the
flames.
So they acknowledge their sins; but far removed (from mercy) are the dwellers
in the flames." (Verses
6-11)
"And keep your opinion secret or
proclaim it, lo! He is Knower of all that is in the breasts (of men). Should He
not know what He created? And He is the Subtile, the Aware." (Verses 13-14)
As mentioned in previous
Chapters, Allah is the creator of the universe and the entire Kingdom is His
alone He has created the heavens and the earth, the stars and the comets. He
has created life and death so that we can be tried and rewarded accordingly.
Allah has given man intelligence, power of observation and contemplation and
discretion to decide which path he will walk on. The idea of death reminds him
about the life he will have after he crosses the frontiers of this life and
enters a new state of existence.
Verses 6-11 tell of the fate of the disbelievers.
When the disbelievers & hypocrites pass through the ordeal of judgement to
enter the fire of punishment they will freely confess their evil behaviour unto
the Holy Prophet and his Ahlul-Bayt, but the time for repentance and amendment
will have long been passed. Man has been given faculties to distinguish good
from evil, and he is further helped by the teachings of the Holy Prophet and
his Ahlul-Bayt, but when he fails to follow the light of guidance his
destination is degradation and blazing fire.
Section 2: The straying one and
those guided aright are not alike, verses 15-30
"Have ye taken security from Him
Who is in the heaven that He will not cause the earth to swallow you when lo!
it is convulsed? Or have ye taken security from Him Who is in the heaven that
He will not let loose on you a hurricane? But ye shall know the manner of My
warning." (Verses
16-17)
"Or who is he that will be an
army unto you to help you instead of the Beneficent? The disbelievers are in
naught but illusion. Or who is he that will provide for you if He should
withhold His providence? Nay, but they are set in pride and frowardness." (Verses 20-21)
"Is he who goeth groping on his
face more rightly guided, or he who walketh upright on a straight road? Say
(unto them, O Muhammad): He it is who gave you being, and hath assigned unto
you ears and eyes and hearts. Small thanks give ye! Say: He it is Who
multiplieth you in the earth, and unto Whom ye will be gathered." (Verses 22-24)
Should Allah choose he can
destroy mankind with an earthquake or an hurricane as has been done before
towards the disbelievers. Allah's mercy and grace are the only two sources of
man's strength. The greatest army of resources that man can muster is of no use
against His wrath when it befalls upon him. From verses 22-24, every man,
except those who have been thoroughly purified and guided by Allah, is in need
of guidance. The guidance can only come from the Holy Prophet and the
Ahlul-Bayt.
Next is Surah 68, Al-Qalam (The
Pen), which was revealed at Mecca and has 52 verses in 2 sections.
Surah 68, Al-Qalam (The Pen)
Section 1: The Prophet owns the
highest character, verses 1-33
"And lo! thine verily will be a
reward unfailing. And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature. And thou wilt see
and they will see Which of you is the demented. Lo! thy Lord is Best Aware of
him who strayeth from His way, and He is Best Aware of those who walk
aright." (Verses
3-7)
"Therefor obey not thou the
rejecters Who would have had thee compromise, that they may compromise. Neither
obey thou each feeble oath-monger, Detracter, spreader abroad of slanders,
Hinderer of the good, transgressor, malefactor Greedy therewithal,
intrusive." (Verses
8-12)
"It may be that our Lord will
give us better than this in place thereof. Lo! we beseech our Lord. Such was
the punishment. And verily the punishment of the Hereafter is greater if they
did but know." (Verses
32-33)
A continuous and abundant flow of Allah's grace and mercy always surrounded the
Holy Prophet from all sides in every moment of his life. He stands on a
most exalted standard of character and his life is an incomparable living
illustration and explanation of the Quran. It is more appropriate if said that
the Quran is a mirror of his most honoured being. His life pattern is now the
standard for his followers.
The enemies of truth, in order to save their skin and to cling to their fast
disappearing privileges, try to make compromise with the upholders of truth,
but the rightly guided believers who submit themselves to the will of Allah do
not ever choose the easy path of compromise. The hateful qualities mentioned
in verses 10-13 made the enemies of the Holy Prophet
peculiarly despicable, as was Walid ibn Mughayra, a ringleader of those who
used to belie and slander the Holy Prophet.
Verses 17-33 tell the parable of the owners of the
garden. In Yemen the owner of a beautiful and bountiful garden used to hand out
the produce to the poor and needy. After his death, two his sons decided to
horde the fruits for themselves. A third son wanted to continue in his father's
tradition but was not allowed. Soon, Allah destroyed the garden and laid is
barren. The third son advised the sons to repent and the sons realising their
error, turned to Allah in repentance and were soon forgiven. The garden
returned to its state and the legacy of the father continued. If the repentance
is sincere, there is hope. Allah turns evil into good. If repentance is not
sincere, it becomes hypocrisy.
Section 2: How the guilty will
be punished, verses 34-52
"Lo! for those who keep from evil
are gardens of bliss with their Lord. Shall We then treat those who have
surrendered as We treat the guilty?" (Verses 34-35)
"On the day when it befalleth in
earnest, and they are ordered to prostrate themselves but are not able, With
eyes downcast, abasement stupefying them. And they had been summoned to
prostrate themselves while they were yet unhurt." (Verses 42-43)
"Leave Me (to deal) with those
who give the lie to this pronouncement. We shall lead them on by steps from
whence they know not. Yet I bear with them, for lo! My scheme is firm. Or dost
thou (Muhammad) ask a fee from them so that they are heavily taxed?" (Verses 44-46)
"But wait thou for thy Lord's
decree, and be not like him of the fish, who cried out in despair. Had it not
been that favour from his Lord had reached him he surely had been cast into the
wilderness while he was reprobate. But his Lord chose him and placed him among
the righteous." (Verses
48-50)
The fate of the believers will
be in complete contrast to the disbelievers as should be the case. When the
light of the glory of Allah will manifest the sincere believers will bow in
adoration but the disbelievers whose past deliberate refusal, when they had
freedom to believe and yet disbelieved, will stand in their way and their past
memories will fill them with deepest dismay and humiliation, and the sure
punishment shall surround them from all sides.
In verses 44-46, the Holy
Prophet is advised not to worry over the fate of the disbelievers. Allah shall
deal with them as he wills. Allah's plan is so decisive that they will never be
able to escape from it. The Holy Prophet never charged any compensation to
preach the message of Allah but was advised to be patient. Verses 48-50 compare this with the fate of Prophet
Younus who lost patience with his followers but soon turned repentant towards
Allah.
Following on, next comes Surah
69, Al-Haqqa (The Reality). This Surah was revealed at Mecca and has 52 verses
in 2 sections.
Surah 69, Al-Haqqa (The
Reality)
Section 1: The inevitable,
verse 1-37
"The Reality! What is the
Reality? Ah, what will convey unto thee what the reality is!" (Verses 1-3)
"And when the trumpet shall sound
one blast And the earth with the mountains shall be lifted up and crushed with
one crash, Then, on that day will the Event befall. And the heaven will split
asunder, for that day it will be frail. And the angels will be on the sides
thereof, and eight will uphold the Throne of thy Lord that day, above
them." (Verses 13-17)
"Then, as for him who is given
his record in his right hand, he will say: Take, read my book! Surely I knew
that I should have to meet my reckoning." (Verses 19-20)
"But as for him who is given his
record in his left hand, he will say: Oh, would that I had not been given my
book And knew not what my reckoning! Oh, would that it had been death!" (Verses 25-27)
This section talks about the
inevitable arrival of the Day of Judgement. The earth will come crashing down
and the heavens will be split asunder. We will be given our book of deeds,
those who receive it in their right hand will have the blessings of Allah. For
those who receive it in their left hand, much punishment lies await in hell.
Section 2: The Prophet
and the Quran testified, verses 38-52
"But nay! I swear by all that ye
see And all that ye see not That it is indeed the speech of an illustrious
messenger." (Verses 38-40)
"It is a revelation from the Lord
of the Worlds. And if he had invented false sayings concerning Us, We assuredly
had taken him by the right hand And then severed his life-artery, And not one
of you could have held Us off from him." (Verses 43-47)
"And lo! We know that some among
you will deny (it). And lo! it is indeed an anguish for the disbelievers. And
lo! it is absolute truth. So glorify the name of thy Tremendous Lord." (Verses 49-52)
Regardless of the prosecution
and suffering inflicted upon the Holy Prophet, his message never wavered, it
was divine revelation. The protection which the Holy Prophet received from
Allah in circumstances of danger and difficulty, insurmountable from every
material points of view, would not be available to an impostor.
The message of Allah is glad tidings for those who believe in Him and His Prophet
and follow their laws, but in the case of the unjust it is a cause of sorrow,
because it denounces sin and punishes the sinners. As Allah has given us this "absolute truth" through the Holy Prophet, we must
understand it, follow it and be grateful to Him and His messenger, the Holy
Prophet. We must celebrate His praises in thought, word and deed.
Moving through the Surahs, we
arrive at Surah 70, Al-Ma'arij (The Ascending Stairways). This Surah was
revealed at Mecca and has 44 verses in 2 sections.
Surah 70, Al-Ma'arij
(The Ascending Stairways)
Section 1: The
punishment and the ways of spiritual elevations, verses 1-35
"But be patient (O Muhammad) with
a patience fair to see. Lo! they behold it afar off While we behold it nigh.
The day when the sky will become as
molten copper, And the hills become as flakes of wool,
And no familiar friend will ask a
question of his friend Though they will be given sight of them. The guilty man
will long to be able to ransom himself from the punishment of that day at the
price of his children And his spouse and his brother." (Verses 5-12)
"And those who believe in the Day
of Judgment, And those who are fearful of their Lord's doom - Lo! the doom of
their Lord is that before which none can feel secure." (Verses 26-28)
These verses once again behold
the differences between the disbelievers and the believers on the Day of
Judgement. The evil-doers imagine that the retribution for their sins is so far
off that it may not come at all. The sinners will be so overcome with terror at
the realisation of their horrible end that they will desert their most intimate
friends, offer their children, their families and those who had protected and
sheltered them, in fact everything they can, as a ransom to obtain salvation,
but nothing will save them from the fire of hell.
Verses 22-35 describe the believers. They are those
who are devoted to worship of Allah, by surrendering completely to Allah and to
seek His nearness and pleasure, manifesting the attributes of Allah in
thoughts, words and deeds. They live the life on this earth in the interest of
the life of hereafter. The perfect models of such beings are the Holy Prophet
and his Ahlul-Bayt.
Section 2: Better nations can
easily be raised instead, verses 36-44
"What aileth those who
disbelieve, that they keep staring toward thee (O Muhammad), open-eyed, On the
right and on the left, in groups? Doth every man among them hope to enter the
Garden of Delight?" (Verses 36-38)
"But nay! I swear by the Lord of
the rising-places and the setting-places of the planets that We verily are Able
To replace them by (others) better than them. And we are not to be outrun." (Verses 40-41)
"So let them chat and play until
they meet their Day which they are promised, The day when they come forth from
the graves in haste, as racing to a goal, With eyes aghast, abasement
stupefying them: Such is the Day which they are promised." (Verses 42-44)
From verse 36, the disbelievers
not only do not believe in the hereafter but also ridicule the bliss of the
hereafter when it is described to them. Man's natural growth from a living
germ, without discipline and good deeds, will not result in virtue. The animal
part of man is nothing to be proud of. It is by spiritual effort and hard
preparation through a good life that man can obtain the dignity and honour of a
noble human being which is his destiny.
Next comes Surah 71, Nuh. It
was revealed at Mecca and has 28 verses in 2 sections.
Surah 71, Nuh
Sections 1 & 2: Noah's
exhortation to his people & Noah prays for the destruction of the people,
verses 1-28
"Lo! We sent Noah unto his people
(saying): Warn thy people ere the painful doom come unto them. He said: O my
people! Lo! I am a plain warner unto you." (Verses 1-2)
"He said: My Lord! Lo! I have
called unto my people night and day But all my calling doth but add to their
repugnance; And lo! whenever I call unto them that Thou mayst pardon them they
thrust their fingers in their ears and cover themselves with their garments and
persist (in their refusal) and magnify themselves in pride.
And lo! I have called unto them aloud, And lo! I have made public proclamation
unto them, and I have appealed to them in private.And I have said: Seek pardon
of your Lord. Lo! He was ever Forgiving." (Verses 5-10)
"See ye not how Allah hath
created seven heavens in harmony, And hath made the moon a light therein, and
made the sun a lamp? And Allah hath caused you to grow as a growth from the
earth, And afterward He maketh you return thereto, and He will bring you forth
again, a (new) forthbringing." (Verses 15-18)
"Noah said: My Lord! Lo! they
have disobeyed me and followed one whose wealth and children increase him in
naught save ruin." (Verse 21)
"And they have said: Forsake not
your gods. Forsake not Wadd, nor Suwa', nor Yaghuth and Ya'uq and Nasr." (Verse 23)
"Because of their sins they were
drowned, then made to enter a Fire. And they found they had no helpers in place
of Allah. And Noah said: My Lord! Leave not one of the disbelievers in the
land. If Thou shouldst leave them, they will mislead Thy slaves and will beget
none save lewd ingrates.
My Lord! Forgive me and my parents and him who entereth my house believing, and
believing men and believing women, and increase not the wrong-doers in aught
save ruin." (Verses 25-28)
The people of Prophet Nuh have
been discussed in previous chapters. Here, Prophet Nuh declares all the efforts
he has made to make the people believe in the message of Allah. Many of his
people continued to disbelieve him and refused to turn away from their own gods
(named in verse 23) and so they were duly punished by Allah after Prophet Nuh
prays for their destruction in verse 26.
Moving on to Surah 72, Al-Jinn
(The Jinn), this was revealed at Mecca and has 28 verses in 2 sections.
Surah 72, Al-Jinn (The Jinn)
Section 1: Believers among the
Jinn, verses 1-19
"Say (O Muhammad): It is revealed
unto me that a company of the Jinn gave ear, and they said: Lo! we have heard a
marvellous Qur'an, Which guideth unto righteousness, so we believe in it and we
ascribe no partner unto our Lord." (Verses 1-2)
"And indeed (O Muhammad)
individuals of humankind used to invoke the protection of individuals of the
jinn, so that they increased them in revolt against Allah); And indeed they
supposed, even as ye suppose, that Allah would not raise anyone (from the dead)
- And (the Jinn who had listened to the Qur'an said): We had sought the heaven
but had found it filled with strong warders and meteors." (Verses 6-8)
"And among us there are righteous
folk and among us there are far from that. We are sects having different rules.
And we know that we cannot escape from Allah in the earth, nor can we escape by
flight." (Verses 11-12)
There are many Jinns, like humans who believe
in the unity of Allah and have read the Holy Quran. Humans started to idolise jinns which in turn made
some of them arrogant and thought that they should be the guardians of mankind.
They became daring and tried to pry the higher realms but were defeated by
vigilant guards in heaven (verse
8). As verses 11-12 state, there are among the jinn some who are righteous and some
otherwise, but all of them know that Allah's truth and Allah's plan must
prevail, and no one can frustrate His purpose or escape from it. Those who do
not follow the right path and deviate shall be the fuel of the fire.
Section 2: Selected Prophet
specially protected, verses 20-28
"(Mine is) but conveyance (of the
Truth) from Allah, and His messages; and whoso disobeyeth Allah and His messenger,
lo! his is fire of hell, wherein such dwell for ever." (Verse 23)
"Say (O Muhammad, unto the
disbelievers): I know not whether that which ye are promised is nigh, or if my
Lord hath set a distant term for it. (He is) the Knower of the Unseen, and He
revealeth unto none His secret, Save unto every messenger whom He hath chosen,
and then He maketh a guard to go before him and a guard behind him That He may
know that they have indeed conveyed the messages of their Lord. He surroundeth
all their doings, and He keepeth count of all things." (Verses 25-28)
As the Holy Prophet always carried out the commands of Allah in letter and
spirit, no matter how much the odds were against him, he is addressed as the
servant of Allah: Abdullah.
Allah alone knows the unseen. It was not made known to any save the Holy
Prophet. The universal will of Allah exercises absolute authority and takes
affect as soon as it is willed.
That concludes Surah 72 and we
move on to Surah 73, Al-Muzzamil (The Enshrouded One). This Surah was revealed
at Mecca and has 20 verses in 2 sections.
Surah 73, Al-Muzzamil (The
Enshrouded One)
Sections 1 & 2: Extra importance
of night prayer & Prayer and the recital of Quran enjoined, verses 1-20
"Keep vigil the night long, save
a little - A half thereof, or abate a little thereof Or add (a little) thereto
- and chant the Qur'an in measure, For we shall charge thee with a word of
weight." (Verses 2-5)
"Lo! the vigil of the night is (a
time) when impression is more keen and speech more certain. Lo! thou hast by
day a chain of business. So remember the name of thy Lord and devote thyself
with a complete devotion." (Verses 6-8)
"And bear with patience what they
utter, and part from them with a fair leave-taking. Leave Me to deal with the
deniers, lords of ease and comfort (in this life); and do thou respite them
awhile." (Verses 10-11)
"Lo! thy Lord knoweth how thou
keepest vigil sometimes nearly two-thirds of the night, or (sometimes) half or
a third thereof, as do a party of those with thee. Allah measureth the night
and the day. He knoweth that ye count it not, and turneth unto you in mercy.
Recite, then, of the Qur'an that which is easy for you. He knoweth that there
are sick folk among you, while others travel in the land in search of Allah's
bounty, and others (still) are fighting for the cause of Allah. So recite of it
that which is easy (for you), and establish worship and pay the poor-due, and
(so) lend unto Allah a goodly loan. Whatsoever good ye send before you for your
souls, ye will find it with Allah, better and greater in the recompense. And
seek forgiveness of Allah. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (Verse 20)
The midnight and after midnight
prayers are called the tahajjud prayers.
The Holy Prophet has been advised to pray for only a small part of the night so
as to not overburden the Muslims. However the tahajjud prayers come highly
recommended. For contemplation, prayer and talking directly to Allah, night is
the most suitable time, when calm and silence prevail, free from the
distracting business of the day.
Verse 20 is a long
all-encompassing verse. It enjoins regularity in prayer, giving charity and
recitation of the Quran. The Quran must be recited whole-heartedly and
willingly, not as a mechanical ritual nor its recitation should be felt as a
burden. It concludes with the reminder that whatever good mankind does the more
greater the recompense from Allah.
Moving on to Surah 74, Al-Muddaththir
(The Cloaked One). It was revealed at Mecca and has 56 verses in 2 sections.
Surah 74, Al-Muddaththir (The
Cloaked One)
Section 1: The Prophet
commissioned to warn mankind, verses 1-31
"O thou enveloped in thy cloak,
Arise and warn! Thy Lord magnify, Thy raiment purify, Pollution shun!
"Ah, what will convey unto thee
what that burning is! - It leaveth naught; it spareth naught It shrivelleth the
man. Above it are nineteen." (Verses 27-30)
"We have appointed only angels to
be wardens of the Fire, and their number have We made to be a stumbling-block
for those who disbelieve; that those to whom the Scripture hath been given may
have certainty, and that believers may increase in faith; and that those to
whom the Scripture hath been given and believers may not doubt; and that those
in whose hearts there is disease, and disbelievers, may say: What meaneth Allah
by this similitude? Thus Allah sendeth astray whom He will, and whom He will He
guideth. None knoweth the hosts of thy Lord save Him. This is naught else than
a Reminder unto mortals." (Verse 31)
Al-Muddaththir, like al-Muzzamil is one of the
titles of the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet was now to go forth boldly to
deliver the divine message, publicly proclaim the unity of Allah and invite
mankind to worship Allah alone and follow His religion. Verses 11-30 were revealed in reference to Walid
bin Mughayra who tried to claim the Holy Prophet was a sorcerer. There are
Walids in all ages. They do not understand divine guidance and seek to explain
its rational influence over the lives of intelligent men by some such
meaningless formula as magic or sorcery. Their perversity can only end in the
fire of punishment. Verse
30 refers to the nineteen
angels who guard and administer hell.
Section 2: Quran, a warning to
mankind, verses 32-56
"Lo! this is one of the greatest
(portents) As a warning unto men, Unto him of you who will advance or hang
back." (Verses 35-37)
"Every soul is a pledge for its
own deeds; Save those who will stand on the right hand. In gardens they will
ask one another Concerning the guilty: What hath brought you to this burning?
They will answer: We were not of those who prayed Nor did we feed the wretched.
We used to wade (in vain dispute) with (all) waders, And we used to deny the
Day of Judgment, Till the Inevitable came unto us. The mediation of no
mediators will avail them then." (Verses 38-48)
"Nay, but everyone of them
desireth that he should be given open pages (from Allah). Nay, verily. They
fear not the Hereafter. Nay, verily. Lo! this is an Admonishment. So whosoever
will may heed. And they will not heed unless Allah willeth (it). He is the
fount of fear. He is the fount of Mercy." (Verses 52-56)
The Quran has been sent as a
warning to mankind. The disbelievers will be questioned by the believers in the
hereafter and they will admit to the failings. In verse 48, Allah states
that even requesting intercession will be of no avail for some. The Quran is a
reminder, the last and final among the revealed books of Allah. If man has the
will to be guided aright he will follow its message. There is no compulsion in
the religion of Allah.
Three more Surahs left in
Chapter 29 and next up is Surah 75, Al-Qiyaama (The Resurrection). This Surah
was revealed at Mecca and has 40 verses in 2 sections.
Surah 75, Al-Qiyaama (The
Resurrection)
Section 1: The Resurrection,
verses 1-30
"Thinketh man that We shall not
assemble his bones? Yea, verily. We are Able to restore his very fingers! But
man would fain deny what is before him." (Verses 3-5)
"He asketh: When will be this Day
of Resurrection? But when sight is confounded And the moon is eclipsed And sun
and moon are united, On that day man will cry: Whither to flee! Alas! No
refuge!" (Verses 6-11)
"Stir not thy tongue herewith to
hasten it. Lo! upon Us (resteth) the putting together thereof and the reading
thereof. And when We read it, follow thou the reading;Then lo! upon Us
(resteth) the explanation thereof." (Verses 16-19)
"That day will faces be
resplendent, Looking toward their Lord; And that day will other faces be
despondent, Thou wilt know that some great disaster is about to fall on
them." (Verses 22-25)
Resurrection is discussed yet
again here. Verses 6-11 describe what will happen to the sun
and the moon. Verses 16-19 explain that the recitation of the
Holy Quran on that day is the divine responsibility. Verses 22-25 talk of the Day of Judgement being a
source of great calamity for the guilty ones.
Section 2: The dead shall be
resurrected, verses 31-40
"Thinketh man that he is to be
left aimless? Was he not a drop of fluid which gushed forth? Then he became a
clot; then (Allah) shaped and fashioned And made of him a pair, the male and
female. Is not He (Who doeth so) Able to bring the dead to life?" (Verses 36-40)
Allah reiterates how mankind
has been created from a drop of semen and made into male and female. People
continue to doubt whether the resurrection will actually take place.
The penultimate Surah of
Chapter 29 is Surah 76, Al-Insaan (Man), which was revealed at Mecca and has 31
verses in 2 sections.
Surah 76, Al-Insaan (Man)
Section 1: The origin of
mankind, verses 1-22
"Lo! We create man from a drop of
thickened fluid to test him; so We make him hearing, knowing. Lo! We have shown
him the way, whether he be grateful or disbelieving.
Lo! We have prepared for disbelievers manacles and carcans and a raging fire.
Lo! the righteous shall drink of a cup whereof the mixture is of Kafur." (Verses 2-5)
"And feed with food the needy
wretch, the orphan and the prisoner, for love of Him, (Saying): We feed you,
for the sake of Allah only. We wish for no reward nor thanks from you; Lo! we
fear from our Lord a day of frowning and of fate. Therefor Allah hath warded
off from them the evil of that day, and hath made them find brightness and
joy." (Verses 8-11)
"Their raiment will be fine green
silk and gold embroidery. Bracelets of silver will they wear. Their Lord will
slake their thirst with a pure drink. (And it will be said unto them): Lo! this
is a reward for you. Your endeavour (upon earth) hath found acceptance." (Verses 21-22)
Man has been created from a
fertilised egg and then endowed with faculties of intellect and insight
allowing him to make a choice towards Allah if he wills. Verses 8-22 refer to the Ahlul-Bayt and were
revealed after a specific event. Both Imam Hasan (as) and Imam Hussain (as)
were taken ill. The Holy Prophet advised Imam Ali (as) to promise Allah that
they would all observe 3 days of fasting if they recover. Soon they returned to
good health, so Imam Ali (as), Imam Hasan (as), Imam Hussain (as), Bibi Fatima
(as) and Bibi Fizza fasted for 3 consecutive days.
When it came to breaking the
fast at sunset, each time a visitor knocked on the door requesting food. First
was a poor man, second time was an orphan and the on the last night a recently
freed slave visited the house. Each time the family gave their food to the
visitor and broke their own fast with only water. The Holy Prophet revealed
that these verses were revealed in their praise and they go on to describe some
of the bounties available to the Ahlul-Bayt in heaven, culminating in verse 22.
Section 2: If God wills,
another generation will be raised, verses 23-31
"We, even We, created them, and
strengthened their frame. And when We will, We can replace them, bringing
others like them in their stead." (Verse 28)
"Lo! this is an Admonishment,
that whosoever will may choose a way unto his Lord. Yet ye will not, unless
Allah willeth. Lo! Allah is Knower, Wise. He maketh whom He will to enter His
mercy, and for evil-doers hath prepared a painful doom." (Verses 29-31)
Allah created man and gave him
strength to resist evil and follow the path of goodness. Multiple generations
have come and gone; all advised to follow the same message and all with the
same ability to chose their path, right or wrong. This whole Surah is an
acknowledgement of the unique excellence of the Ahlul-Bayt, who
always turned to Allah and only desired what Allah desired as he has purified
them with a thorough purification (Surah 33, Verse 33).
The final Surah of Chapter 29
is Surah 77, Al-Mursalaat (The Emissaries). This Surah was revealed at Mecca
and has 50 verses in 2 sections.
Surah 77, Al-Mursalaat (The
Emissaries)
Section 1: The day of requital,
verses 1-40
"By the emissary winds, (sent)
one after another... By those who bring down the Reminder, To excuse or to
warn, Surely that which ye are promised will befall." (Verse 1, 5-7)
"And when the messengers are
brought unto their time appointed - For what day is the time appointed? For the
Day of Decision. And what will convey unto thee what the Day of Decision is! -
Woe unto the repudiators on that day!" (Verses 11-15)
"This is a day wherein they speak
not, Nor are they suffered to put forth excuses. Woe unto the repudiators on
that day!
This is the Day of Decision, We have brought you and the men of old together.
If now ye have any wit, outwit Me. Woe unto the repudiators on that day!" (Verses 35-40)
This section describes the fate
of the disbelievers yet again. It highlights how they continued to deny Allah's
creation and blessings and on the "Day of
Decision," they will surely suffer the consequences.
Section 2: The reward and the
punishment, verses 41-50
"Lo! those who kept their duty
are amid shade and fountains, And fruits such as they desire. (Unto them it is
said:) Eat, drink and welcome, O ye blessed, in return for what ye did." (Verses 41-43)
"Woe unto the repudiators on that
day! Eat and take your ease (on earth) a little. Lo! ye are guilty.
Woe unto the repudiators on that day! When it is said unto them: Bow down, they
bow not down!
Woe unto the repudiators on that day! In what statement, after this, will they
believe?" (Verses 45-50)
Chapter 29 concludes with more
clarification on the rewards and punishments for the believers and disbelievers
respectively. That just leaves the final chapter of the Holy Quran that I will
complete later today inshallah.
Thank you for reading.
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