Surah 15. Al-Hijr

---

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

---

Quran Text of Verse 16-2515. Al-Hijr Page 263وَ لَقَدْAnd verilyجَعَلْنَاWe have placedفِیinالسَّمَآءِthe heavensبُرُوْجًاconstellationsوَّ زَیَّنّٰهَاand We have beautified itلِلنّٰظِرِیْنَۙfor the observers وَ حَفِظْنٰهَاAnd We have protected itمِنْfromكُلِّeveryشَیْطٰنٍdevilرَّجِیْمٍۙaccursed اِلَّاExceptمَنِ(one) whoاسْتَرَقَstealsالسَّمْعَthe hearingفَاَتْبَعَهٗthen follows himشِهَابٌa burning flameمُّبِیْنٌ clear وَ الْاَرْضَAnd the earthمَدَدْنٰهَاWe have spread itوَ اَلْقَیْنَاand [We] castفِیْهَاthereinرَوَاسِیَfirm mountainsوَ اَنْۢبَتْنَاand [We] caused to growفِیْهَاthereinمِنْofكُلِّeveryشَیْءٍthingمَّوْزُوْنٍ well-balanced وَ جَعَلْنَاAnd We have madeلَكُمْfor youفِیْهَاthereinمَعَایِشَmeans of livingوَ مَنْand whomلَّسْتُمْyou are notلَهٗfor himبِرٰزِقِیْنَ providers وَ اِنْAnd notمِّنْ(is) anyشَیْءٍthingاِلَّاbutعِنْدَنَاwith Usخَزَآىِٕنُهٗ ؗ(are) its treasuresوَ مَاand notنُنَزِّلُهٗۤWe send it downاِلَّاexceptبِقَدَرٍin a measureمَّعْلُوْمٍ known وَ اَرْسَلْنَاAnd We have sentالرِّیٰحَthe windsلَوَاقِحَfertilizingفَاَنْزَلْنَاand We sent downمِنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe skyمَآءًwaterفَاَسْقَیْنٰكُمُوْهُ ۚand We gave it to you to drinkوَ مَاۤAnd notاَنْتُمْyouلَهٗof itبِخٰزِنِیْنَ (are) retainers وَ اِنَّاAnd indeed Weلَنَحْنُsurely [We]نُحْیٖWe give lifeوَ نُمِیْتُand We cause deathوَ نَحْنُand Weالْوٰرِثُوْنَ (are) the Inheritors وَ لَقَدْAnd verilyعَلِمْنَاWe knowالْمُسْتَقْدِمِیْنَthe preceding onesمِنْكُمْamong youوَ لَقَدْand verilyعَلِمْنَاWe knowالْمُسْتَاْخِرِیْنَ the later ones وَ اِنَّAnd indeedرَبَّكَyour LordهُوَHeیَحْشُرُهُمْ ؕwill gather themاِنَّهٗIndeed Heحَكِیْمٌ(is) All-Wiseعَلِیْمٌ۠All-Knowing

---

Translation of Verse 16-25

16. And verily in the sky We set constellation of stars and We beautified it for beholders.¹⁴

17. And guarded it from every outcast satan.¹⁵

18. Except him who tries to hear stealthily, so a clear flaming fire pursues him.¹⁶

19. And We spread out the earth, and placed therein mountains, and caused to grow therein everything in due proportions.¹⁷

20. And We provided therein means of subsistence for you and for those of whom you are not providers.¹⁸

21There is not a thing but there are treasures thereof with us, and We do not send it down except in a known measure.¹⁹

22. And We send the winds fertilizing and cause water to descend from the sky and provide it to you to drink, otherwise you were unable to store it.²⁰

23. And verily it is We who give life and who give death, and it is We who are the Inheritors.²¹

24. And surely We know those who have gone before you and surely We know those who will come after you.²²

25. And verily your Lord will gather them all together. He is All-Wise, All-Knowing.²³

---

Commentary

14. The word ‘Burooj’ used in the text means constellation, which presents a very beautiful spectacle for the viewer. For further explanation, please see Note No.2, Surah Burooj.

15. That is: Satans have no access to the heavens. They cannot enter the limits of the skies. So they have neither the opportunity for spreading evil there nor of bringing any news from there.

16. Jinns and satans have somewhat intangible existence and they have the power to fly towards the sky, but they have been prevented from entering the limits of the sky. Before the revelation of Qur’an they were trying to get an access to the sky in order to know what was going on in the higher world, but they could not succeed. However, they succeeded in influencing the Sooth-Sayers to believe that they were able to get the news from the Unseen, and on this account before the revelation of Qur’an the business of sooth-saying was being carried on a large scale. The Sooth-Sayers, under the influence of satans, used to do roaring business by fooling the people and thus misleading them. Their sooth-saying was based on falsehood, but since they claimed to dole out news from the Unseen, their business was in full swing. When the Prophet (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) began imparting news from the Unseen on the basis of the Divine revelation, the unbelievers accused him of being a soothsayer, though there is a world of difference between prophethood and sooth-saying, and the difference between the truth and the falsehood is quite obvious. An additional arrangement in connection with the divine revelation was that if a jinn or a satan tried to find out stealthily something, a flaming fire used to pursue him. Such an arrangement finished the practice of sooth-saying, which was opposed to prophethood, for good. Accordingly, there is now no trace of this kind of sooth-saying in the world, which existed before the revelation of Qur’an and the termination of prophethood. Today the sooth-saying that exists is of the type of Palmistry and Astrology, and these present day Sooth-Sayers claim to reveal the destiny of men.

In Surah Jinn, the statement of jinns themselves has been recorded as under:

“We had sought the heaven but had found it filled with strong warders and meteors, and we used to sit on place (high) therein to listen. But he who listened now finds a flame in wait for him.” (Surah Jinn,7 to 9)

When this flight of the jinns is to the area near the borders of the heaven, it is obvious that the flaming fire is sent in their pursuit in that region only, and from the statement of Qur’an it is clear ‘that this flaming fire is released from the stars (planets):

“And verily We have beautified the world’s heaven with lamps, and We have made them missiles for the devils.” -(Al-Mulk 5).

In other words, this flame-throwing to prevent the flight of jinns and the devil to the heavens takes place at a very great height in the regions of the stars. Therefore, from the reference to meteors in the Qur’an it would not be correct to presume that these are the meteors which fall down from a height of about 50 miles from the earth daily, because when these meteors do not prevent men from flying up to the moon, then how can they prevent jinns or devils flight? And when man can fly up to the moon, then why jinns cannot fly beyond that?

17. The purpose of this statement is to show that as the signs of Allah’s power, wisdom and Lordship are spread out in the heavens in the same way His signs are spread out on the earth also. The earth produces various kinds of things, but in appropriate proportions. If only corns were produced, then men would have longed for fruits, and if only fruits were produced, then men would have longed for corns. But it is the creative wonder of man’s Creator that He has produced various kinds of produce according to the taste that he gave to men, and He has created them in such proportions which satisfies man’s needs and nature. What a clear sign is this of Allah’s Lordship and wisdom.

18. There are innumerable animals walking and creeping on the land and there are countless birds flying in the air for whose subsistence man does not and cannot provide food, but their Lord directly provides it. Looking to this all-pervading universal system of maintenance can anyone nurse even the slightest doubt about the Lordship of Allah!

19. When the human population on the earth was limited, the produce of the earth at that time was also limited. But today when the population has risen to billions, the produce of the earth has also increased tremendously. It is a clear proof of the fact that Allah has the treasures of everything and He produces them according to a definite plan. The quantity of air, water, corns, fruits, etc., used by such a vast masses of humanity is limitless, but this has not caused any shortage in the treasures of Allah.

20. Allah causes such winds to blow as carry rain-laden clouds. These clouds provide rain-water which men and animals use for drinking. This system of rainfall has made the availability of water very easy for men, otherwise it was not easy for them to store very large quantities of water for their drinking purpose, which would last them for the whole life.

21. When a man dies, he leaves behind him properties and wealth. Though his relatives are his inheritors, but only in an artificial way, because their being inheritors depends on the will of Allah. Therefore, in reality Allah is the real inheritor of all that property. And a more clear reality is the fact that on the Doomsday when the bugle will be sounded and the entire mankind will pass away from this earth, leaving behind all wealth and property, which will go to Allah. Therefore, Allah is the inheritor of all wealth and property, that is He is the Master and Owner of everything.

22. That is: It is not at all difficult for Allah to have an account of all the humans that are born up to the Day of Resurrection, for He knows all those who have died and He also knows those that will come afterwards. An individual, whether of the past, present or future, Allah’s knowledge covers him and all, and no error can creep in His knowledge.

23. His attribute of wisdom demands that Allah should gather all humans before Him one day, and when He is All-Knowing, then it is not possible that He would be unaware of the doings of each individual.