Surah 26. Ash-Shu'ara

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Verses [Section]: 1-9[1], 10-33 [2], 34-51 [3], 52-68 [4], 69-104 [5], 105-122 [6], 123-140 [7], 141-159 [8], 160-175 [9], 176-191 [10], 192-227 [11]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-926. Ash-Shu'ara Page 36726. Ash-Shu'araبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِطٰسٓمّٓ Ta Seem Meem تِلْكَTheseاٰیٰتُ(are the) Versesالْكِتٰبِ(of) the Bookالْمُبِیْنِ clear لَعَلَّكَPerhaps youبَاخِعٌ(would) killنَّفْسَكَyourselfاَلَّاthat notیَكُوْنُوْاthey becomeمُؤْمِنِیْنَ believers اِنْIfنَّشَاْWe willنُنَزِّلْWe can send downعَلَیْهِمْto themمِّنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe skyاٰیَةًa Signفَظَلَّتْso would bendاَعْنَاقُهُمْtheir necksلَهَاto itخٰضِعِیْنَ (in) humility وَ مَاAnd (does) notیَاْتِیْهِمْcome to themمِّنْanyذِكْرٍreminderمِّنَfromالرَّحْمٰنِthe Most Graciousمُحْدَثٍnewاِلَّاbutكَانُوْاtheyعَنْهُfrom itمُعْرِضِیْنَ turn away فَقَدْSo verilyكَذَّبُوْاthey have deniedفَسَیَاْتِیْهِمْthen will come to themاَنْۢبٰٓؤُاthe newsمَا(of) whatكَانُوْاthey usedبِهٖat itیَسْتَهْزِءُوْنَ (to) mock اَوَ لَمْDo notیَرَوْاthey seeاِلَیatالْاَرْضِthe earthكَمْhow manyاَنْۢبَتْنَاWe producedفِیْهَاin itمِنْofكُلِّeveryزَوْجٍkindكَرِیْمٍ noble اِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَاٰیَةً ؕsurely (is) a signوَ مَاbut notكَانَareاَكْثَرُهُمْmost of themمُّؤْمِنِیْنَ believers وَ اِنَّAnd indeedرَبَّكَyour Lordلَهُوَsurely Heالْعَزِیْزُ(is) the All-Mightyالرَّحِیْمُ۠the Most Merciful

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Translation of Verse 1-9In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

(26:1) Ta'. Sin. Mim.

(26:2) These are the verses of the Clear Book.¹

(26:3) (O Muhammad), you will perhaps grieve yourself to death because these people do not believe.²

(26:4) If We will, We can send down a Sign to them from heaven, so their necks will be humbled to it.³

(26:5) Never does there come to them an admonition from the Merciful Lord but they turn away from it.

(26:6) They will soon come to know the truth of that which they have been scoffing at.⁴

(26:7) Do they not look at the earth, how We caused a variety of fine vegetation to grow from it (in abundance)?

(26:8) Surely there is a Sign in this,⁵ but most of them would not believe.⁶

(26:9) Verily Your Lord is Infinitely Mighty, Most Compassionate.

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Commentary

1. That is, the verses of this surah are from a clear and lucid Book.

Everyone who reads or listens to this Book can understand, without any difficulty, what it is calling people to: what it enjoins and what it forbids; what it regards as Truth and what it condemns as falsehood. To believe or not to believe is a different matter, but no one has any valid excuse to say that he cannot understand the teachings of the Book or cannot ascertain what that Book would like him to follow and what it urges him to give up.

To call the Qur’an a clear Book has another meaning too: that it is abundantly clear that the Qur’an is a Divine Book. Its language and diction, its subject matter and themes, the truths that it expounds and the circumstances in which it was revealed, all these testify that it is indeed the Book of the Lord of the Universe. In this sense, every verse of the Book is a sign and a miracle. Those who use their common sense need no other proof to be convinced about the Prophet hood of Muhammad (peace be on him). The verses of this Clear Book sufficiently prove it.

This brief introductory statement, in whichever of its two meanings it might be understood, is closely related to the subject matter of the Surah.

The Makkan unbelievers used to ask for miracles from the Prophet (peace be on him) so that they could be convinced that the Message he Had brought was indeed from God. In response to this demand, God says that the signs that could guide people to the Truth consist of the verses of the Clear Book. Likewise, the Makkan unbelievers used to call the Prophet (peace be on him) a poet and a soothsayer. Here, it is pointed out that the clarity and lucidity of the verses of the Qur’an are enough to refute this charge.

The Book is neither equivocal nor ambiguous. It is no jigsaw puzzle; it is not a jumble of sounds without any meaning. Instead, its Message is couched in clear and lucid terms. Could such a lucid Message be the work of a poet orof a soothsayer?

2. The Qur’an alludes to this state of the Prophet’s mind in many places.

For example, one verse reads: “(O Muhammad!) If they do not believe in this message, you will perhaps torment yourself to death with grief, sorrowing over them” (al-Kahf 18:6). Likewise, it is said in Surah Fatir: “So do not let your life be consumed by grief and regret over them” (35:8).

These Qur’anic verses show how intensely grieved ‘the Prophet (peace be on him) was about his people. For they were steeped in error and: misguidance, engulfed in moral degradation, stubborn in clinging to their erroneous ways and intensely defiant in opposing all reform efforts. It can well be imagined how anguished the Prophet (peace be on him) felt when he observed such aspects of their lives.

3. It is not at all difficult for God to send a sign that would compel the unbelievers to believe and obey. If God does not send such a sign, it is not because this is beyond His power; rather, it is because He does not want people to have Faith compulsively. Instead, God likes people to use their intellect and to recognize the Truth with the help of the signs in His Book as well as those spread throughout the Universe and within human beings themselves.

When people are convinced and their hearts testify that whatever has been taught by the Prophets of God is indeed true and all beliefs opposed to it are false, it is only then that they should decide to accept the Truth and reject falsehood. This is why God has granted man free-will and the _ power to choose between the right and wrong paths. This is also why God has planted in man’s nature the twin urges to do good and evil and has opened up for him both paths: the path of piety and that of sin. It is for the same reason that God has given Satan freedom and respite till the end of time so that he may try to mislead mankind. Again, it is for the same reason that God has instituted Prophet hood, Revelation and a whole tradition of calling people to the Truth and righteousness. Furthermore, it is also for this very reason that God has endowed man with all the faculties ‘necessary to make an intelligent choice, and having done so, He’ has left’ him to face the test: to choose the path of Faith and submission or unbelief and sin.

If God were to force man to Faith and submission, it would defeat the very purpose of putting him to test and trial. Indeed, Had He really wanted to force man into submission, He was in no need of sending any miraculous signs: He could have created human beings in such a manner that they were incapable of disbelieving, disobeying and committing any evil. Like angels, man could also have been created as an inherently obedient species.

The Qur’an refers to this fact on several occasions. For instance, it says: “Had your Lord so willed, ail those who are on the earth would have believed” (Yunus 10:99). “Had your Lord willed, He would have made mankind one community. But as things stand, now they will not cease to differ among themselves ...” (Had 11:118). (For more details see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, Vol. 1V, Yunus 10: nn. 101-2, pp. 68-9; Had 11: n, 116, pp. 140-1.)

4. The remedy for those who remain contemptuously unresponsive to all rational efforts to direct them to the Truth is not to force them into submission with the help of Heavenly signs. Rather, what such people need is that the terrible consequences of their persistent denial of the Truth are fully impressed upon them. After the failure of all efforts to convince such people, this is the only thing that they deserve, especially when they not merely deny the Truth, but also openly mock it. The terrible consequences of their behavior can be shown to them in many forms. One way is that they be made to see that the Truth which they Had mocked was eventually able to overpower falsehood in spite of all their resistance. Another form could be that they be subjected to a woeful punishment that would totally destroy them. Still another form could be that they be made to encounter death after a few years of misguided life. Thereafter it would become absolutely clear to them that the path which they Had-pursued all along was absolutely erroneous whereas that which Had been shown them by the Prophets but which they mocked was the true one. Since there are many forms of this ultimate and painful end and because it can, and indeed has, come to different peoples in different forms, the verse expresses it via the plural anba’ rather than with the singular naba’. This usage also highlights the fact that what the opponents were wont to laugh and sneer at would emerge before them, in a variety of forms, as the Truth.

5. For any seeker of the Truth just a glance at the vegetation on the earth tells which of the two worldviews is true: the worldview of the Prophets who affirm God’s Unity, or alternatively the worldview expounded by either atheists or polytheists.

We see a great variety and abundance of vegetation on the earth. We also observe the various elements and factors which support its growth, and: the laws of nature under which all this happens. Additionally, there is perfect harmony between this vegetation growth and the countless needs and demands of all creatures in the presence of which only a fool can say that this Universe is a self-created phenomenon which is devoid of the wisdom, knowledge, power and design of an All-Wise, All-Knowing, All-Mighty, All-Powerful Creator.

We also observe perfect harmony characterizing the relationship between the earth and the heavens, between the sun and the moon, between air and water.

We also observe the vegetation which is produced through an intricate interplay of various forces and also note how this vegetation is attuned to the needs of the innumerable forms of living beings. Having seen all this, does it stand to reason that this integrated system of the Universe, this harmony and interconnection between its different parts and forces, is possible if there were a multiplicity of Gods overseeing the system on which the Universe operates? On the contrary, a sensible human being who has no preconceived bias is bound to cry out, after observing all this, that there is an abundance of signs in the Universe indicating that there indeed is a God, and that He is ‘Only One. After observing these myriad signs, does a person still stand in need of any miracle to convince him that there is no other God except the One True God?

6. God’s Power is such that He can instantly anNuhilate anyone. It is out of His Mercy, however, that God does not hasten to punish the guilty; rather, He grants them respite for years and years, possibly extending it to hundreds of years. He gives them time to think, to reflect and to correct themselves.

Furthermore, He even forgives the sins of a lifetime if the sinner truly repents, and does so just once.