Surah 35. Fatir

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Verses [Section]: 1-7[1], 8-14 [2], 15-26 [3], 27-37 [4], 38-45 [5]

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Quran Text of Verse 15-26یٰۤاَیُّهَاOالنَّاسُmankind!اَنْتُمُYouالْفُقَرَآءُ(are) those in needاِلَیofاللّٰهِ ۚAllahوَ اللّٰهُwhile AllahهُوَHeالْغَنِیُّ(is) Free of needالْحَمِیْدُ the Praiseworthy اِنْIfیَّشَاْHe willsیُذْهِبْكُمْHe (can) do away with youوَ یَاْتِand bringبِخَلْقٍin a creationجَدِیْدٍۚnew وَ مَاAnd notذٰلِكَthatعَلَی(is) onاللّٰهِAllahبِعَزِیْزٍ difficult وَ لَاAnd notتَزِرُwill bearوَازِرَةٌbearer of burdensوِّزْرَburdenاُخْرٰی ؕ(of) anotherوَ اِنْAnd ifتَدْعُcallsمُثْقَلَةٌa heavily ladenاِلٰیtoحِمْلِهَا(carry) its loadلَاnotیُحْمَلْwill be carriedمِنْهُof itشَیْءٌanythingوَّ لَوْeven ifكَانَhe beذَاnear of kinقُرْبٰی ؕnear of kinاِنَّمَاOnlyتُنْذِرُyou can warnالَّذِیْنَthose whoیَخْشَوْنَfearرَبَّهُمْtheir Lordبِالْغَیْبِunseenوَ اَقَامُواand establishالصَّلٰوةَ ؕthe prayerوَ مَنْAnd whoeverتَزَكّٰیpurifies himselfفَاِنَّمَاthen onlyیَتَزَكّٰیhe purifiesلِنَفْسِهٖ ؕfor his own selfوَ اِلَیAnd toاللّٰهِAllahالْمَصِیْرُ (is) the destination 35. Fatir Page 437وَ مَاAnd notیَسْتَوِیequalالْاَعْمٰی(are) the blindوَ الْبَصِیْرُۙand the seeing وَ لَاAnd notالظُّلُمٰتُthe darkness[es]وَ لَاand notالنُّوْرُۙ[the] light وَ لَاAnd notالظِّلُّthe shadeوَ لَاand notالْحَرُوْرُۚthe heat وَ مَاAnd notیَسْتَوِیequalالْاَحْیَآءُ(are) the livingوَ لَاand notالْاَمْوَاتُ ؕthe deadاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahیُسْمِعُcauses to hearمَنْwhomیَّشَآءُ ۚHe willsوَ مَاۤand notاَنْتَyouبِمُسْمِعٍcan make hearمَّنْ(those) whoفِی(are) inالْقُبُوْرِ the graves اِنْNotاَنْتَyou (are)اِلَّاbutنَذِیْرٌ a warner اِنَّاۤIndeed Weاَرْسَلْنٰكَ[We] have sent youبِالْحَقِّwith the truthبَشِیْرًا(as) a bearer of glad tidingsوَّ نَذِیْرًا ؕand (as) a warnerوَ اِنْAnd notمِّنْ(was) anyاُمَّةٍnationاِلَّاbutخَلَاhad passedفِیْهَاwithin itنَذِیْرٌ a warner وَ اِنْAnd ifیُّكَذِّبُوْكَthey deny youفَقَدْthen certainlyكَذَّبَdeniedالَّذِیْنَthose whoمِنْ(were) before themقَبْلِهِمْ ۚ(were) before themجَآءَتْهُمْCame to themرُسُلُهُمْtheir Messengersبِالْبَیِّنٰتِwith clear signsوَ بِالزُّبُرِand with Scripturesوَ بِالْكِتٰبِand with the Bookالْمُنِیْرِ [the] enlightening ثُمَّThenاَخَذْتُI seizedالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedفَكَیْفَand howكَانَwasنَكِیْرِ۠My rejection!

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Translation of Verse 15-26

(35:15) O people, it is you who stand in need of Allah;³⁶ as for Allah, He is Self-Sufficient, Immensely Praiseworthy.³⁷

(35:16) If He wishes, He can remove you and put in your place a new creation.

(35:17) That surely is not difficult for Allah.³⁸

(35:18) No one can bear another's burden.³⁹ If a heavily laden one should call another to carry his load, none of it shall be carried by the other, even though he be a near of kin.⁴⁰ (O Prophet), you can warn only those who fear their Lord without seeing Him and establish Prayer.⁴¹ Whoever purifies himself does so to his own good. To Allah is the final return.

(35:19) The blind and the seeing are not alike,

(35:20) nor darkness and light;

(35:21) nor cool shade and torrid heat;

(35:22) nor are the living and the dead alike.⁴² Allah makes to hear whomsoever He wishes, but you, (O Prophet), cannot cause to hear those who are in their graves.⁴³

(35:23) You are no more than a warner.⁴⁴

(35:24) We have sent you with the Truth to proclaim good news and to warn. Never has there been a nation but a warner came to it.⁴⁵

(35:25) If they give the lie to you now, those that went before them also gave the lie to their Messengers when they came to them with Clear Proofs,⁴⁶ with Scriptures, and with the Illuminating Book.⁴⁷

(35:26) Then I seized those who denied the Truth, and how terrible was My punishment!

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Commentary

36. It is clearly emphasized here that it is man who stands in need of God, rather than God standing in need of man. God’s dominion is not contingent upon human beings’ acceptance of Him as their Lord. Even if they were to disbelieve in Him, it would not cause Him the least harm.

On the contrary, man does need God. For he cannot survive for even a moment unless God so wills. Furthermore, it is God Who provides man with the wherewithal to keep him alive and active. Hence, when human beings are told to serve and worship God the reason for it is not that God is sorely in need of their service and worship. Rather, the reason for this urging is that human beings’ own success in this world and the Next hinges on it. Were they to pay no heed to this, they will hurt themselves: rather than God.

37. God is “Self-Sufficient” because everything that exists is His.

He, therefore, does not stand in need of anyone. For Him, no one is indispensable. Moreover, God is “Immensely Praiseworthy” meaning that He is intrinsically worthy of praise. Regardless of whether someone: praises him or not, He is worthy of praise and thanks. These two attributes of Self-Sufficiency and being Immensely Praiseworthy have deliberately been juxtaposed. The reason for this is that it is possible for someone to be self-sufficient, but the mere fact that he is self-sufficient does not make: him worthy of praise. For it is quite conceivable for someone to have an abundance of resources, but which he does not use to provide benefit to others. Such a person will become praiseworthy when, rather than.

deriving benefit from others, he diverts his resources to provide them with benefit. God is not simply Self-Sufficient but also Praiseworthy because of His benevolence in providing for the needs of all.

38. People should not forget that if they are strutting about on earth it is not because of any intrinsic power of their own. It would take no more than a word from God to have them removed from the scene, replacing them by an altogether different people. Hence, they better bear in mind their true position, entertain no illusions, and beware of that evil course which led to the doom of many nations in the past. For, once God decides to destroy a people, no power in the whole universe can prevent that decision from taking effect.

39. The word “burden” here means the burden of responsibility to God. In other words, everyone will be responsible for his deeds, and (God will never transfer a person’s responsibility to another. Thus, it is not possible for someone to assume another’s burden nor is it possible for someone to have themselves seized on another’s behalf. This was occasioned by the fact that the relatives and clansmen of those who were converting to Islam said to them: “Abjure this new faith and return to the faith of your ancestors. We bear responsibility for the consequences that will follow”.

40. Just prior to this, God’s law of justice was enunciated: “No one can bear another’s burden”. This is an assurance that no one will be seized on account of another person’s misdeeds; that God will hold every person responsible for his own sins. Here, reference is made to those who encouraged people to unbelief and sin by assuring them that they would own these acts on the Day of Judgement and volunteer to suffer retribution on their behalf. It was made clear that those people were extending false assurance. When the Day of Judgement comes, everyone will realize how horrible the impending punishment is. Each one will then become absorbed with their own fate. So horrendous will the circumstances facing all be that a brother will distance himself from his brother and a father from his son. No one will show the least inclination to voluntarily bear an atom’s weight of any other person’s sins.

41. That is, the Prophet's warnings ‘will have no effect on those that are obstinate and haughty. Admonition can avail only those who fear God and are ready to surrender themselves to God, their true Master.

42. These similitudes bring out the distinction between the present and the future of the believers as well as unbelievers. The unbelievers turn a blind eye to the truths that are manifest in their own beings and in the universe at large. By contrast, the believers consider all things with an open and reflective mind and perceive everything to testify to monotheism and to man’s ultimate accountability to God.

At one end are those who stray in the dark alleys of assumption, conjecture and superstition and who are averse to going even close to the effulgent lamp kindled by the Prophet (peace be on him). At the other end are those who keep their eyes wide open. Hence, no sooner are they exposed to the light kindled by the Prophet (peace be on him) — than it becomes clear to them that the ways followed by the polytheists, unbelievers and atheists lead to doom and destruction. It also becomes clear to them that the way shown by the Prophet (peace be on him) alone leads to true success and felicity.

It follows from this that the people of the two categories pursue different paths in the life of this world. How, then, can their destinations in the Hereafter be the same? In other words, how can those who follow two different paths end up alike, both becoming extinct? How is it possible that the errant will not be punished, and those who follow the Right Way, will be denied their reward? As the following verse eloquently puts it: “The blind and the seeing are not alike, nor darkness and light; nor cool shade and torrid heat nor are the living and the dead alike.” (vv. 19-22). | The allusion in these verses is to the fact that while the people of one category will enjoy the “cool shade” of God’s mercy, those belonging to the other category will suffer the “torrid heat” of Hell. There is no basis for the illusion that the end of all of them will be the same. It is also significant that the believers have been likened to “the living”, and the obstinate unbelievers to “the dead”. In other words, the believer is possessed of sensitivity, consciousness and understanding, his living, throbbing conscience constantly reminding him of the distinction between good and evil. As for those who are steeped in obdurateness and the bigotry of unbelief, they are worse than the blind who stagger in darkness. Such people are like the dead who are devoid of every sense and feeling.

43. As for God’s Will, it is sui generis and no limits can be placed on it.

Hence, if God so wills, He can grant the faculty of hearing even to stones.

However, there are limits to what the Prophet (peace be on him) can do.

For instance, he cannot make his message enter the hearts of those whose conscience is dead. Likewise, he cannot penetrate deaf ears. He can have an impact only on those who are ready to pay heed to that which is fair and reasonable.

44. The Prophet's assigned task is no more than to warn mankind. If the Prophet (peace be on him) fulfils that task and despite this, someone does not come to his senses but keeps stumbling in darkness, then the Prophet (peace be on him) is required to do no more. He is not expected to do the impossible — to make the blind see and the deaf hear.

45. It is stated quite frequently in the Qur'an that there has not been a people in the world among whom fno Prophet was raised.

You are only a warner and every people has its guide. (Al-Ra'd 13:7.) (O Muhammad), certainly We did send Messengers before you among the nations that have gone by. (Al-Hijr 15:10.) We raised a Messenger in every community. (Al-Naḥl 16:36.) We never destroyed any habitation but that it had warner. (Al- Shu'arā' 26:208.) However, one should also comprehend the following two points to avoid any misconception. First, that a Prophet suffices for the entire territory where to his message reaches. It is not at all necessary for separate Prophets to be raised in every town and every nation. Secondly, that the need for a new Prophet does not arise as long as the teachings of an earlier Prophet remain extant and his example is available. It is, therefore, not at all necessary for a separate Prophet to be designated to every generation of people.

46. That is, the Messengers came with "Clear Proofs", thereby corroborating that they were God's Messengers.

47. Presumably the distinction made here between the "Scriptures" and "the Illuminating Book" is that while the former were mainly comprised. of counsels and moral directives, the latter represents a pervasive, all-embracing Shariah.