الشورى
Ash-Shura
The Consultation • makkah • 53 Verses
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حمٓ
41:2; 43:2; 44:2; 45:2; 46:2.
Commentary:
For an explanation of the abbreviated letters حم see the preceding two Surahs. It may, however, be briefly stated here that the abbreviated letters placed at the beginning of different Surahs stand for those Divine attributes which have specific bearing on the subject matter dealt within those Surahs. Thus the letters Ha Mim, besides meaning the "Praiseworthy" and "the Lord of Honour," may also mean حافظ الکتابi.e. Guardian of the Book, and منزل الکتاب i.e. Revealer of the Book, because all the Surahs which open with these two abbreviated letters deal particularly with the subject of revelation of the Quran and its protection and guardianship.
41:2; 43:2; 44:2; 45:2; 46:2.
Ha Mim may stand for Hafizul-Kitab (Guardian of the Book) and Munazzilul-Kitab (Revealer of the Book), because all the Chapters which open with these two abbreviated letters deal particularly with the subject of revelation of the Qur’an and its protection and guardianship.
عٓسٓقٓ
Commentary:
In the combined letters عسق, ع (‘ain) may stand for the Divine attribute العلی (the High), العلیم (the All-Knowing), العظیم (the Great) or العزیز (the Mighty). The subject matter of this Surah revolves round these attributes which are repeatedly mentioned in the text. س may stand for السمیع (All-Hearing) and ق may represent the Divine attributes, القادر or القدیر (the Possessor of Power and Authority), القوی (the Powerful) or القھار (the Most Supreme). These Divine attributes also are mentioned expressly or by implication at various places in this Surah.
‘Ain stands for Al-‘Aliyy (the High); Al-‘Alim (the All-Knowing); Al-‘Azim (the Great); Al-‘Aziz (the Mighty). Sin stands for As-Sami‘ (the All- Hearing), and Qaf may represent Al-Qadir (the Possessor of Power and Authority).
كَذَٰلِكَ يُوحِىٓ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
Commentary:
The Surah opens with the important subject of revelation of the Quran as implied in the Divine attributes Ha Mim, placed at its beginning.
لَهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
16:53; 22:65; 31:27.
16:53; 22:65; 31:27.
تَكَادُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِن فَوْقِهِنَّ ۚ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
13:14; 16:50-51.
Commentary:
The verse may mean that man’s sins and his ingratitude are so great that their enormity might cause the heavens to rend asunder but God’s mercy and forgiveness are greater than man’s sins. These Divine attributes demanded the revelation of the Quran in order that mankind might be delivered from sin. Besides this, angels beg of God forgiveness and mercy for His erring creatures. The reference in the verse may also be to the blasphemous dogma of the Sonship of Jesus, which is so heinous a doctrine that in spite of God’s grace and mercy and of the fact that angels beg of God forgiveness for His sinful creatures, God will destroy those people who hold this belief. But to those who repent God is Most Forgiving and Merciful.
13:14.
Man’s sin is great but greater is God’s mercy which transcends all His attributes. God’s mercy and the asking for forgiveness by angels for man combine to save him from Divine punishment and he is granted respite to make amends.
وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ ٱللَّهُ حَفِيظٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَمَآ أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِوَكِيلٍ
6:108; 88:23.
Commentary:
The particle علی (over) being generally used in the sense of "against," the meaning of the expression الله حفیظ علیم would be that God is watching over the blasphemous beliefs of men and is keeping an account of them and will punish them if they did not repent.
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ قُرْءَانًا عَرَبِيًّا لِّتُنذِرَ أُمَّ ٱلْقُرَىٰ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا وَتُنذِرَ يَوْمَ ٱلْجَمْعِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ ۚ فَرِيقٌ فِى ٱلْجَنَّةِ وَفَرِيقٌ فِى ٱلسَّعِيرِ
20:114; 39:29; 43:4; 46:13.
6:93.
Commentary:
For an explanation of قرآناً عربیاً see 12:3 and 41:4.
The reference in the words أم القری (Mother of Towns) may be to Mecca, because Mecca was not only the commercial and political metropolis of Arabia at the time when the Quran was revealed but was destined for all time to come to be the spiritual centre of the whole world and from its breast the whole of humanity was to suck the milk of spiritual life. Geographically also Mecca is situated in the centre of the world. The Quran has been called أم الکتاب (Mother of the Book) and Arabic in which the Quran has been revealed أم الالسنة (Mother of Tongues) and Mecca أم القری (Mother of Towns or Mother-Town).
The reference in the expression یوم الـجمع i.e. the Day of Gathering, may preferably be to the Judgement Day which has also been called یوم الـحشر i.e. the Day of Resurrection (41:20), یوم التناد i.e. the Day of Mutual Calling (40:33), یوم التلاق i.e. the Day of Meeting (40:16) and یوم الـحساب i.e. the Day of Reckoning (40:28), in the Quran. یوم الـجمع may also refer to that Day of Gathering when all the forces of disbelief assembled in the Battle of the Ditch to administer a coup de grace to the rising power of Islam. It may also refer to the Latter Days when the whole of mankind was to become, as it were, like one family. See also 38:12; 54:46.
20:114; 39:29; 43:4; 46:13.
6:93.
The reference may be to Mecca, because Mecca was not only the commercial and political metropolis of Arabia at the time when the Qur’an was revealed but was destined for all time to be the spiritual centre of the whole world and from its breast the whole of humanity was to suck the milk of spiritual life. Geographically also Mecca is situated in the centre of the world. The Qur’an has also been called Ummul-Kitab (Mother of the Book) and Arabic in which it has been revealed Ummul-Alsinah (Mother of tongues) and Mecca has been called Ummul-Qura (Mother of towns or Mother-town).
وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَعَلَهُمْ أُمَّةً وَٰحِدَةً وَلَٰكِن يُدْخِلُ مَن يَشَآءُ فِى رَحْمَتِهِۦ ۚ وَٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ مَا لَهُم مِّن وَلِىٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ
2:214; 10:20; 11:119.
Commentary:
The expression یدخل من یشاء فی رحمته besides the translation given in the text, may also mean, "He admits into His mercy him who himself seeks to be admitted into it."
11:119.
أَمِ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ ۖ فَٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلْوَلِىُّ وَهُوَ يُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
13:17; 39:44.
13:17; 39:44.
وَمَا ٱخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِيهِ مِن شَىْءٍ فَحُكْمُهُۥٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ رَبِّى عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ
20:70; 39:47.
Commentary:
The verse means to say that as it has been the invariable Divine practice that whenever differences among the followers of different religions assume dangerous dimensions God sends down a new revelation to reveal His will; so now that great differences have arisen among the followers of different faiths, God has revealed the Quran to which men should now refer all their disagreements and differences for decision and judgement.
فَاطِرُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًا وَمِنَ ٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ أَزْوَٰجًا ۖ يَذْرَؤُكُمْ فِيهِ ۚ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِۦ شَىْءٌ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ
6:15; 14:11; 35:2.
Commentary:
The pronoun ہ in فیه (therein) being taken as referring to the relationship subsisting between man and wife, the expression "He multiplies you therein" would mean that God multiplies mankind by the relationship that exists between husband and wife.
The words, is nothing whatever like unto Him, are meant to remove a possible misunderstanding to which the sentence, "God has made a pair of everything", might have given rise, viz. that God also needs a consort to make a pair. The words signify that it is impossible to conceive of anything like God. He is far above human perception and comprehension. It is, therefore, foolish to try to find a likeness between Divine and human attributes though the two possess some very remote and incomplete resemblance.
6:15; 14:11; 35:2.
God multiplies mankind by the relationship that exists between husband and wife.
The words, 'There is nothing whatever like unto Him,' remove a possible misunderstanding to which the sentence, 'God has made a pair of everything,' might have given rise, viz. that God also needs a consort to make a pair. The words signify that it is impossible to conceive of anything like God. He is far above human perception and comprehension. It is, therefore, foolish to try to find likeness between Divine and human attributes, though the two may possess some remote and incomplete resemblance.
لَهُۥ مَقَالِيدُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
۞ شَرَعَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّينِ مَا وَصَّىٰ بِهِۦ نُوحًا وَٱلَّذِىٓ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا وَصَّيْنَا بِهِۦٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰٓ ۖ أَنْ أَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلدِّينَ وَلَا تَتَفَرَّقُوا۟ فِيهِ ۚ كَبُرَ عَلَى ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ مَا تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَيْهِ ۚ ٱللَّهُ يَجْتَبِىٓ إِلَيْهِ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِىٓ إِلَيْهِ مَن يُنِيبُ
Commentary:
It is worthy of special note that while for great Prophets such as Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus the expression وصی (He has prescribed) has been used, for the Holy Prophet a different expression, viz. أوحینا (We have revealed) has been used which shows that though other Prophets also received Divine revelation, yet the most Perfect and Complete revelation —the revelation par excellence—was given to the Holy Prophet.
وَمَا تَفَرَّقُوٓا۟ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْعِلْمُ بَغْيًۢا بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى لَّقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُورِثُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ مُرِيبٍ
45:18; 98:5.
10:20; 20:130; 41:46.
Commentary:
While the pronoun "they" in the expression "and they did not become divided" refers to the followers of the Prophets mentioned in the previous verse, the reference in the words, "those who were made to inherit the Book after them," is either to those followers of the above-mentioned Prophets who inherited the Book after those Prophets had passed away or to the people in the time of the Holy Prophet who became heirs to Divine revelation after the followers of the Israelite Prophets had defied and disobeyed the Divine Message.
45:18; 98:5.
10:20; 20:130; 41:46.
فَلِذَٰلِكَ فَٱدْعُ ۖ وَٱسْتَقِمْ كَمَآ أُمِرْتَ ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ ۖ وَقُلْ ءَامَنتُ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِن كِتَٰبٍ ۖ وَأُمِرْتُ لِأَعْدِلَ بَيْنَكُمُ ۖ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّكُمْ ۖ لَنَآ أَعْمَٰلُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَٰلُكُمْ ۖ لَا حُجَّةَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ ۖ ٱللَّهُ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَنَا ۖ وَإِلَيْهِ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
11:113.
5:50; 6:57.
2:140; 10:42.
Commentary:
The Holy Prophet is here enjoined to tell the followers of earlier Prophets that he believes in all the revealed Scriptures that had come before him. There was, therefore, no cause for them to quarrel with him. But since they continued to reject him, so time will show who is in the right and who in the wrong. The words, "Allah will gather us together" may imply a prophecy that disbelievers will join the fold of Islam.
2:140; 10:42.
11:113.
5:50.
The Holy Prophet is here enjoined to tell the followers of earlier Prophets that he believes in all the revealed Scriptures that had come before him. There exists, therefore, no cause for them to quarrel with him.
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُحَآجُّونَ فِى ٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا ٱسْتُجِيبَ لَهُۥ حُجَّتُهُمْ دَاحِضَةٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ
40:6.
Important Words:
داحضة (futile) is feminine active participle from دحض. They say دحضت رجله i.e. his foot slipped. دحضت حجته means, his argument, plea or evidence was or became null and void; it proved false. داحضة means, null and void; futile; false; slippery (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The words, "after He has been accepted," mean, after the truth of Islam has been established and people have begun to join its fold in large numbers. After such an irrebuttable testimony in favour of Islam, the verse purports to say, it is foolish and futile on the part of disbelievers to go on disputing and doubting its truth.
The truth of Islam has been established and people have begun to enter its fold in large numbers, so it is futile on the part of disbelievers to go on disputing and doubting its Divine origin.
ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَٱلْمِيزَانَ ۗ وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ قَرِيبٌ
55:8, 57:26.
Commentary:
The verse mentions two very important things which God has sent down for man’s guidance and benefit: (a) "the Book" i.e. the laws of the Shari‘ah, (b) "the Balance" i.e. standards by which human actions are appraised, judged, measured and weighed; or it may mean the faculty by which man can distinguish between right and wrong or, as some say, عدل (justice), which signifies the right use of the Book. In fact, in this life (and more so in the next life) all human actions are weighed in divine scales and he whose good actions outweigh his bad actions leads a life of bliss and happiness, and he whose bad deeds outweigh his good deeds burns in the fire of failure, regrets and sighs (101:7-12).
The word میزان (balance) may also refer to the Quran, meaning that the Quran does not say anything which is not supported by reason. Thus the Quran constitutes an infallible criterion (میزان) to judge what is right and what is wrong.
Elsewhere in the Quran (57:26) the expression أنزل (He has sent down) has also been used about الـحدید (iron) which represents power that enforces the Divine Law.
The words, and what will make thee know that the hour may be near at hand, mean that if disbelievers did not accept the Message of Islam and their bad deeds outstripped their good deeds, Divine punishment would overtake them very soon.
55:8; 57:26.
God has sent down two important things for man’s guidance and benefit: (a) "The Book," i.e. the laws of the Shari‘ah; (b) "The Balance," i.e. standards by which human actions are appraised, judged, measured and weighed. Or, "The Balance" may signify the faculty by which man can distinguish between right and wrong. In fact, in this life (and more so in the next life) all human actions are weighed in Divine scales. "The Balance" may also refer to the Qur’an itself, because it constitutes an infallible criterion (Mizan) to judge what is right and what is wrong.
Elsewhere in the Qur’an (57:26) the expression, 'He has sent down,' has also been used about "iron" which represents power that enforces Divine and human laws.
يَسْتَعْجِلُ بِهَا ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهَا ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مُشْفِقُونَ مِنْهَا وَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهَا ٱلْحَقُّ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُمَارُونَ فِى ٱلسَّاعَةِ لَفِى ضَلَٰلٍۭ بَعِيدٍ
13:7; 27:47.
Commentary:
Disbelievers do not believe in the Day of Judgement, so they demand its speedy coming; but with true believers, the case is quite different. They know that on the Day of Judgement they will have to render an account of their actions and, therefore, while they make every preparation for it, they are also afraid to face it.
13:7.
As disbelievers do not believe in the Day of Judgment, they have no fear of it, so they demand its speedy coming; but believers know that on that awful Day they will have to render an account of their actions and, therefore, while they make every preparation for it, they are at the same time afraid of facing it.