Verse 4
The Abundance • makkah
View Aspects
111:2.
Important Words:
الابتر (one without issue) is derived from بتر which means, he cut off or cut off utterly or entirely. أبترہ means, he cut off his tail. أبتر means, any beast having the tail cut off; a short-tailed serpent; one in want or poor; defective, deficient, imperfect; suffering loss; from whom all good or prosperity is cut off; having no offspring or no male issue (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
It is very significant that in this verse enemies of the Holy Prophet have been emphatically referred to as ابتر i.e., having no male issue; while the historical fact is that all the sons of the Holy Prophet himself born before and after the revelation of this Surah died and he left no male issue after him. This shows that "ابتر" mentioned in the verse only means, one deprived of spiritual issues and not of sons commonly so called. In fact, it was God’s own design that the Holy Prophetshould leave no male issue as he was destined to be the spiritual father of a multitude of sons in all ages to the end of time, sons who were to be far more faithful, obedient and loving than the sons of any father. He was not only the spiritual father of the Faithful but in a sense the father also of all the Prophets of God before and after him. This is the significance of the verse ما کان محمد أبا احد من رجالکم ولکن رسول الله و خاتم النبین i.e. Muhammad is not (and will not be) the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets; (33:41). And this also seems to be the significance of the verse النبی أولی بالمومنین من أنفسھم و أزواجه أمھاتھم i.e. the Prophet is nearer to the believers than their ownselves and his wives are as mothers to them (33:7). Thus, it was not the Holy Prophet but his enemies who died issueless, since by joining the fold of Islam their sons became the spiritual issues of the Holy Prophet, who felt a sense of shame and humiliation at their pedigree being attributed to their own fathers.
The verse may also signify: "Surely, it is thy enemy who is cut off from all good or prosperity."
111:2.
It is very significant that in this verse enemies of the Holy Prophet have been emphatically referred to as Abtar (having no male issue), while the historical fact is that all the sons of the Holy Prophet himself born before and after the revelation of this Surah died and he left no male issue after him. This shows that the word Abtar here only means, 'one deprived of spiritual issues and not of sons commonly so called.' In fact, it was God’s own design that the Holy Prophet should have left no male issue as he was destined to be the spiritual father of a multitude of sons in all ages to the end of time—sons who were to be far more faithful, obedient and loving than the physical sons of any father. Thus, it was not the Holy Prophet but his enemies who died issueless, since by joining the fold of Islam their sons had become the spiritual sons of the Holy Prophet, and they felt a sense of shame and humiliation at their pedigree being attributed to their own fathers.