Surah 15. Al-Hijr

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Verses [Section]: 1-15[1], 16-25 [2], 26-44 [3], 45-60 [4], 61-79 [5], 80-99 [6]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-1515. Al-Hijr Page 26215. Al-Hijrبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِالٓرٰ ۫Alif Laam RaتِلْكَTheseاٰیٰتُ(are) the Versesالْكِتٰبِ(of) the Bookوَ قُرْاٰنٍand Quranمُّبِیْنٍ clear رُبَمَاPerhapsیَوَدُّwill wishالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedلَوْifكَانُوْاthey had beenمُسْلِمِیْنَ Muslims ذَرْهُمْLeave themیَاْكُلُوْا(to) eatوَ یَتَمَتَّعُوْاand enjoyوَ یُلْهِهِمُand diverted themالْاَمَلُthe hopeفَسَوْفَthen soonیَعْلَمُوْنَ they will come to know وَ مَاۤAnd notاَهْلَكْنَاWe destroyedمِنْanyقَرْیَةٍtownاِلَّاbutوَ لَهَا(there was) for itكِتَابٌa decreeمَّعْلُوْمٌ known مَاNotتَسْبِقُ(can) advanceمِنْanyاُمَّةٍnationاَجَلَهَاits termوَ مَاand notیَسْتَاْخِرُوْنَ (can) delay it وَ قَالُوْاAnd they sayیٰۤاَیُّهَاO youالَّذِیْ(to) whomنُزِّلَhas been sent downعَلَیْهِ[on him]الذِّكْرُthe Reminderاِنَّكَindeed youلَمَجْنُوْنٌؕ(are) surely mad لَوْWhyمَاnotتَاْتِیْنَاyou bring to usبِالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةِthe Angelsاِنْifكُنْتَyou areمِنَofالصّٰدِقِیْنَ the truthful مَاNotنُنَزِّلُWe send downالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةَthe Angelsاِلَّاexceptبِالْحَقِّwith the truthوَ مَاand notكَانُوْۤاthey would beاِذًاthenمُّنْظَرِیْنَ given respite اِنَّاIndeed WeنَحْنُWeنَزَّلْنَاhave sent downالذِّكْرَthe Reminderوَ اِنَّاand indeed Weلَهٗof itلَحٰفِظُوْنَ (are) surely Guardians وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyاَرْسَلْنَاWe (had) sentمِنْbefore youقَبْلِكَbefore youفِیْinشِیَعِthe sectsالْاَوَّلِیْنَ (of) the former (people) وَ مَاAnd notیَاْتِیْهِمْcame to themمِّنْanyرَّسُوْلٍMessengerاِلَّاbutكَانُوْاthey didبِهٖat himیَسْتَهْزِءُوْنَ mock كَذٰلِكَThusنَسْلُكُهٗWe let it enterفِیْinقُلُوْبِ(the) heartsالْمُجْرِمِیْنَۙ(of) the criminals لَاNotیُؤْمِنُوْنَthey believeبِهٖin itوَ قَدْand verilyخَلَتْhave passedسُنَّةُthe way(s)الْاَوَّلِیْنَ (of) the former (people) وَ لَوْAnd (even) ifفَتَحْنَاWe openedعَلَیْهِمْto themبَابًاa gateمِّنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe heavenفَظَلُّوْاand they were to continueفِیْهِthereinیَعْرُجُوْنَۙ(to) ascend لَقَالُوْۤاThey would surely sayاِنَّمَاOnlyسُكِّرَتْhave been dazzledاَبْصَارُنَاour eyesبَلْNayنَحْنُweقَوْمٌ(are) a peopleمَّسْحُوْرُوْنَ۠bewitched

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Translation of Verse 1-151. In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Alif. Laam. Raa¹. These are the ayaat (verses) of Al-Kitab,²(the Book) and the clear Qur’an.³

2. A time will come when (these) unbelievers will wish that they were Muslims.⁴

3. Leave them to eat and enjoy, and let (false) hope beguile them. Soon they will come to know.⁵

4. And We did not destroy a township but there was a prescribed decree for it.⁶

5. Never a nation can advance its (prescribed) term and nor can delay it.⁷

6. And they say: “O you to whom the reminder (Qur’an) has been sent down! verily you are a mad man.⁸”

7. Why do you not bring angels to us, if you are truthful.”

⁸. We do not send down angels except with true judgment, and in that case no reprieve is given⁹ (to unbelievers).

9. Surely We sent down this reminder, and surely We are its Guardian.¹⁰

10. And verily we sent (messengers) before you among the nations of old.

11. And never came a messenger to them but they did mock at him.

12. Thus do We let it creep into the hearts of the criminals.¹¹

13. They do not believe therein, (though) the events of the ancients nations have gone forth. ¹²

14. And even If We opened for them a gate from the sky, and they kept mounting through it.

15. They would surely say: “Our eyes have been intoxicated, nay, we are a people bewitched.”¹³

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Commentary

1. For explanation, please see Surah Yunus Note No.1, and Surah Baqarah Note No.1

2. Means the Divine Book. In the meaning of Quran’s being The Book, the following points are included:

Firstly, it is a perfect book, the arrangement of whose verses and chapters (ayat and surahs) is done by Allah, because the arrangement concerning the order of every book is done by its author, and nobody has a right to change its order or arrangement.

Secondly it is a book that can be put down in writing, for in Arabic Kitab (book) means a written thing.

Thirdly it is a well-coordinated book, because no important book can have its parts uncoordinated.

3. In Arabic the word Qur’an means to read. This infinitive name of the Divine Book signifies its readable quality, and that this book is worth reading again and again and is read frequently. The beginning of revelation was marked by the word Iqra (read or recite), which reference also makes the name of the Book as Qur’an most appropriate.

As for its quality of being ‘Mubeen’ that is clear, this has been explained in Surah Yusuf Note No.2

4. Means the time of death and also the time of Doomsday, when the unbelievers will feel repentant for their being deprived of belonging to the religion of Truth and will wish that they were Muslims.

Qur’an has placed this point very clearly before the people so that they may come out of the whirlpool of the false religions and may enter the domain of Islam straightway, for this is the only way of salvation in the Hereafter.

5. That is: Those who are not prepared to listen and follow the truth which Qur’an is presenting should be left to their fate; they will be absorbed for a few days in the pleasures of the world, but on closing of their eyes after death they will know what is the reality.

6. That is: Allah had already decided that, that particular township should have a respite for a fixed term. It means that Allah’s work is done according to a definite plan.

7. No nation will be destroyed before the time fixed for it by Allah, nor can it survive beyond such a time, even for a moment.

8. The deniers used to say to the Prophet that his claim that the revelation to remind them had come to him from Allah was sheer madness, and the state of trance into which the Prophet went at the time of divine revelation was nothing but a state of madness.

History has proved this charge of the deniers to be wrong, because the Prophet not only came out as a history-maker and a revolutionary leader but he also left behind him his footsteps as the best of teachers and a character-building man, making him an ideal man for posterity. The words which were called madness are still with us today as the best example of the most wise counsel and admonition. Can these achievements be attributed to a mad man?

9. This is the reply to their objection, which means that if angels are sent down as demanded by them, then where is the question of testing them. Angels are sent down only at a time when the time of reprieve for a nation comes to an end and the final blow of that nation’s fate is to be delivered.

10. That is: Qur’an which is full of reminders and good counsels has been revealed by Allah. This is neither authored by Prophet Muhammad (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam), nor has Satan anything to do with its authorship.

And the statement that Allah is its guardian provides a guarantee for its preservation for all time to come; no part of Qur’an will be lost; nor will there be any amendment or modification of its contents; it will remain in its original form so that from its clear and clean spring humanity may derive benefit till the last.

And this is the clear proof of Quran’s truthfulness that today Qur’an is with us in its original form, word by word; Not only it is being transferred from one generation to the following generation by the huffaz but it is also being copied in writing from the time of the Prophet (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) right up to date. Its oldest manuscript, which is copied down by the third Khalifa, Usman (R) and which is known as ‘Mushaf-i-Usmani’ exists even today. (Please see photo copy on page 176 )

11. That is: when they do not accept guidance, Allah puts such thoughts as mislead them in to their hearts.

12. The events of the unbelieving nations have passed before, which show what is the divine law in such cases.

And even If We opened for them a gate from the sky, and they kept mounting through it. They would surely say: “Our eyes have been intoxicated, nay, we are a people bewitched.” (Al-Quran)

13. That is: If Allah had caused such a miracle to happen that a gate was to open in the heaven and the unbelievers were to climb up through that gate into the heaven, even then they would not have embraced Islam and would have said that this man has mesmerized their eyes and what they were seeing was only an illusion; and that this man has put such a spell on them that they felt that they were climbing into the heaven.

The idea is to expose the obstinacy of the unbelievers that even the biggest miracle performed in their presence would not convince them of the truth and they would not embrace the religion of truth.