Surah 21. Al-Anbya

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-29 [2], 30-41 [3], 42-50 [4], 51-75 [5], 76-93 [6], 94-112 [7]

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Quran Text of Verse 11-2921. Al-Anbya Page 323وَ كَمْAnd how manyقَصَمْنَاWe (have) shatteredمِنْofقَرْیَةٍa townكَانَتْ(that) wasظَالِمَةًunjustوَّ اَنْشَاْنَاand We producedبَعْدَهَاafter themقَوْمًاanother peopleاٰخَرِیْنَ another people فَلَمَّاۤThen whenاَحَسُّوْاthey perceivedبَاْسَنَاۤOur tormentاِذَاbeholdهُمْtheyمِّنْهَاfrom itیَرْكُضُوْنَؕwere fleeing لَاFlee notتَرْكُضُوْاFlee notوَ ارْجِعُوْۤاbut returnاِلٰیtoمَاۤwhatاُتْرِفْتُمْyou were given luxuryفِیْهِin itوَ مَسٰكِنِكُمْand to your homesلَعَلَّكُمْso that you mayتُسْـَٔلُوْنَ be questioned قَالُوْاThey saidیٰوَیْلَنَاۤO woe to us!اِنَّاIndeed [we]كُنَّاwe wereظٰلِمِیْنَ wrongdoers فَمَاThen notزَالَتْceasedتِّلْكَ[this]دَعْوٰىهُمْtheir cryحَتّٰیuntilجَعَلْنٰهُمْWe made themحَصِیْدًاreapedخٰمِدِیْنَ extinct وَ مَاAnd notخَلَقْنَاWe createdالسَّمَآءَthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضَand the earthوَ مَاand whatبَیْنَهُمَا(is) between themلٰعِبِیْنَ (for) playing لَوْIfاَرَدْنَاۤWe intendedاَنْthatنَّتَّخِذَWe takeلَهْوًاa pastimeلَّاتَّخَذْنٰهُsurely We (could have) taken itمِنْfromلَّدُنَّاۤ ۖۗUsاِنْifكُنَّاWe wereفٰعِلِیْنَ doers بَلْNayنَقْذِفُWe hurlبِالْحَقِّthe truthعَلَیagainstالْبَاطِلِ[the] falsehoodفَیَدْمَغُهٗand it breaks its headفَاِذَاbeholdهُوَit (is)زَاهِقٌ ؕvanishingوَ لَكُمُAnd for youالْوَیْلُ(is) destructionمِمَّاfor whatتَصِفُوْنَ you ascribe وَ لَهٗAnd to Him (belongs)مَنْwhoeverفِی(is) inالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضِ ؕand the earthوَ مَنْAnd (those) whoعِنْدَهٗ(are) near Himلَاnotیَسْتَكْبِرُوْنَthey are arrogantعَنْtoعِبَادَتِهٖworship Himوَ لَاand notیَسْتَحْسِرُوْنَۚthey tire یُسَبِّحُوْنَThey glorify (Him)الَّیْلَ[the] nightوَ النَّهَارَand [the] dayلَاnotیَفْتُرُوْنَ they slacken اَمِOrاتَّخَذُوْۤا(have) they takenاٰلِهَةًgodsمِّنَfromالْاَرْضِthe earthهُمْtheyیُنْشِرُوْنَ raise (the dead) لَوْIfكَانَ(there) wereفِیْهِمَاۤin both of themاٰلِهَةٌgodsاِلَّاbesidesاللّٰهُAllahلَفَسَدَتَا ۚsurely they (would) have been ruinedفَسُبْحٰنَSo glorifiedاللّٰهِ(is) AllahرَبِّLordالْعَرْشِ(of) the Throneعَمَّا(above) whatیَصِفُوْنَ they attribute لَاNotیُسْـَٔلُHe (can) be questionedعَمَّاabout whatیَفْعَلُHe doesوَ هُمْbut theyیُسْـَٔلُوْنَ will be questioned اَمِOrاتَّخَذُوْا(have) they takenمِنْbesides Himدُوْنِهٖۤbesides Himاٰلِهَةً ؕgodsقُلْSayهَاتُوْاBringبُرْهَانَكُمْ ۚyour proofهٰذَاThisذِكْرُ(is) a Reminderمَنْ(for those) whoمَّعِیَ(are) with meوَ ذِكْرُand a Reminderمَنْ(for those) whoقَبْلِیْ ؕ(were) before meبَلْButاَكْثَرُهُمْmost of themلَا(do) notیَعْلَمُوْنَ ۙknowالْحَقَّthe truthفَهُمْso theyمُّعْرِضُوْنَ (are) averse 21. Al-Anbya Page 324وَ مَاۤAnd notاَرْسَلْنَاWe sentمِنْbefore youقَبْلِكَbefore youمِنْanyرَّسُوْلٍMessengerاِلَّاbutنُوْحِیْۤWe reveal(ed)اِلَیْهِto himاَنَّهٗthat [He]لَاۤ(There is) noاِلٰهَgodاِلَّاۤexceptاَنَاMeفَاعْبُدُوْنِ so worship Me وَ قَالُواAnd they sayاتَّخَذَHas takenالرَّحْمٰنُthe Most Graciousوَلَدًاa sonسُبْحٰنَهٗ ؕGlorified is He!بَلْNayعِبَادٌ(they are) slavesمُّكْرَمُوْنَۙhonored لَاNotیَسْبِقُوْنَهٗthey (can) precede Himبِالْقَوْلِin wordوَ هُمْand theyبِاَمْرِهٖby His commandیَعْمَلُوْنَ act یَعْلَمُHe knowsمَاwhatبَیْنَ(is) before themاَیْدِیْهِمْ(is) before themوَ مَاand whatخَلْفَهُمْ(is) behind themوَ لَاand notیَشْفَعُوْنَ ۙthey (can) intercedeاِلَّاexceptلِمَنِfor whomارْتَضٰیHe approvesوَ هُمْAnd theyمِّنْfromخَشْیَتِهٖfear of Himمُشْفِقُوْنَ stand in awe وَ مَنْAnd whoeverیَّقُلْsaysمِنْهُمْof themاِنِّیْۤIndeed, I amاِلٰهٌa godمِّنْbesides Himدُوْنِهٖbesides HimفَذٰلِكَThen thatنَجْزِیْهِWe will recompenseجَهَنَّمَ ؕ(with) HellكَذٰلِكَThusنَجْزِیWe recompenseالظّٰلِمِیْنَ۠the wrongdoers

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Translation of Verse 11-29

11. How many a community that lived sinfully have We destroyed, and raised up after them another nation :

12. And when they felt¹¹ Our might, they fled from (their cities).

13. ’Do not run away, return to your comforts and your dwellings, so that you may be questioned!’¹²

14. They wailed: “Alas for us! Indeed, we were wrong-doers.”¹³

15. This wailing of theirs went on till We mowed them down like reaped corn,¹⁴ extinguished. ¹⁵

16. We did not create the heavens and the earth in sport.¹⁶

17. If We had wished to choose a pastime, We would have chosen it from Our presence if We were to do it.¹⁷

18. Nay, but We hurl the Truth at the Falsehood, and it does break its head and it (falsehood) vanishes.¹⁸ And woe to you for all that you have uttered.¹⁹

19. To Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and the earth,²⁰ and those who dwell in His presence²¹ are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they weary,

20. They recite His Immaculateness day and night, unflaggingly.²²

21. Or have they chosen from the earth gods who raised the dead ?²³

22. Had there been other gods in these (heaven and earth) beside Allah, surely both would have²⁴ disordered gone to ruin. Immaculate be Allah, Lord of the Throne, free from that which they ascribe to Him.

23. He is not accountable²⁵ for what He does, but all others are accountable.²⁶

24. Or have they chosen other gods beside Him ? Say: “Bring your proof. This is the teaching for those with me and those before me.” ²⁷ But most of them do not know the truth, that is why they turn away.

25. We did not send a messenger before you but We revealed to him that : “There is no god but Me, so worship Me.”²⁸

26. And they say: “Rahman (Most Gracious) has taken children.” Immaculate is He! Nay, but they are His honoured slaves.²⁹

27. They Precede Him not in speech,³⁰ and they act by His command.

28. He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede except for him whom He accepts,³¹ and they tremble for awe of Him.³²

29. And whoever of them should claim : “I am a god beside Him, such a one We shall requite with Hell. Thus We requite the wrongdoers.³³

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Commentary

11. That is : When they saw the signs of the coming punishment.

12. This is a taunt, which means why you are fleeing now, when you were ridiculing the coming of this punishment; if it is in your power, return to your houses of amusement so that your companions may know your condition as to what transpired that you had to leave your homes.

13.At that time they admitted their guilt and were sorry for what they did.

14.That is: Their condition became like that of a farm whose harvest has been mowed down, leaving behind only straw and stubble.

15. Their warmth of life disappeared and they became lifeless.

16. After denying the Hereafter, man cannot give a reasonable explanation of the creation of the universe. For such people the existence of the universe is not the result of a sober and serious decision of God, but it is merely a creation of sport, which God has done for Himself. Hindu philosophers term it as ‘Leela’.

“In the beginning God was alone, and he desired to become many. As a consequence, he created the world out of mere pleasure, as a sport (lila).” -(Outlines of Hinduism, by T. M. P. Mahadevan p. 163).

The fact is that only those people consider God casual and unserious who themselves are not sober and serious.

17.That is: To create anything in sport or as a pastime is against the magnificence of the Almighty’s grand Personality. Even supposing that God wanted to do that, He would have done it near at hand; there was no necessity of creating such a grand universe, and such a sensible and sophisticated creature as man. In short, this workshop is not a thing of sport, but it has behind it a purpose and a reasonable objective.

18. It is not correct to think that this world is a play and we are the spectators, but that God has created it as a testing ground, and God is putting mankind to test. Therefore, this world has become a battle-ground for the conflict of Truth and falsehood, the result of this conflict will appear in the Hereafter, where there will be Truth and only Truth and Falsehood would have become extinct. However in this world too, God arranges for the Truth to register a telling blow at the Falsehood. Accordingly it has happened so many times in the history of world that when Falsehood raised its head, God crushed it through the agency of His messengers. Eventually Truth triumphed and Falsehood had to face defeat. Therefore, through this Prophet also Truth has to overcome Falsehood, and Qur’an is that invincible argument of Allah before which Falsehood cannot stand. After this only those people will term this world as a play who have closed their eyes from the reality.

19. That is: By imputing false statements to God, you are preparing means of your own destruction.

20. That is: He is the Master of all and every one, and all belong to Him and every one is His slave.

21. Means Honoured angels who are close to God.

22. As man does not get weary by breathing, so the angels do not get weary by singing praises of God. They are always busy glorifying Him and singing His praises. In these ayat a glimpse of the elevated beings is shown, which gives an idea of what magnificence the presence of Allah will be! It gives the right concept of Allah’s greatness and creates an inclination for worship and singing His praises.

23. The polytheists think that the god of the heavens is not the sole ruler of the earth, but that there are many small deities who are looking after the administration of the earth, and these are the very deities who cause profit or loss to humans in their dealings. As a rebuttal of this supposition, the question is asked whether they have chosen these other gods, and whether these gods are going to revive them after their death, and for worshipping them, whether they would receive any rewards. If it is not so—and even you yourselves cannot claim that they are going to raise them again—then what is the use of worshipping them ? If you are not to be revived after you are dead, when would these Gods come to help you or be of use to you ?

24. If there were to be many gods, then the working of this universe would have been chaotic. Every god would have used his power to run the world according to his own wishes, and at one time or another there would have a been some clash of interests and chaos. In such a case there would not have been the orderliness which is seen in the present system of the universe, and it would then not have been possible to execute any work according to plan in this world. For example for the rains, the compatibility of the land, sea, the sun and the winds is absolutely necessary, otherwise man’s efforts to provide water supply to every nook and corner of the earth would not have been successful. If these things were under the control of different gods, then their compatibility or agreement would not have been possible.

This is a great argument in favour of monotheism, which refutes polytheism and atheism. If this universe were to be without its Creator God, how could such a great workshop work in such an orderly manner ! Have not the disbelievers pondered that the heavens and the earth were of one piece, then We separated them, and that We made of water every living thing ? Will they not then believe?(Al-Quran)

25. Allah is the Absolute Master and the Highest Ruler. Therefore, there is no question of His being accountable or answerable before anyone, nor does anybody have any right to question His decisions and His acts.

26.As all are Allah’s creatures and His slaves, everyone of them is answerable before Allah. Anyone who does not think himself accountable before Allah, places himself in a wrong position, as a result of which his whole life takes a wrong turn.

27. That is: There is no proof of anybody other than Allah being God in the divine teachings. Today the teachings that have been imparted to my (i.e. Prophet’s) companions are absolutely the same teachings which were imparted to the followers of the preceding prophets (Peace be upon all of them), which were the teachings of monotheism.

It may be noted that in the various religious books of the polytheists the concept of more than one god being found is not an argument in favour of that being the divine decree or the saying of a prophet, for these books are not sent down or revealed by God but are authored by men.

28.Therefore, the teachings against monotheism found in different religions are not the teachings of any prophet. If such a teaching is ascribed to any prophet. then it is a falsehood and an allegation against that prophet.

29. The Meccan polytheists used to claim that the angels were the children of God. This is a rebuttal of that falsehood. The Qur’an says that they are not Allah’s children but they are His honoured slaves.

30. It is not the place of the angels to speak before Allah has spoken. They dare not do so, but you are under the wrong impression that they are the dear ones of Allah and may do anything with impunity, and get things accepted by Him.

31. That is: angels will intercede only in the case of those humans about whom Allah may allow them to do so. The idea is to refute the belief of the polytheists that if at all Doomsday occurs, the angels whom they worship will intercede on their behalf and will save them from divine punishment. For further explanation regarding intercession, see Surah Baqarah Note No.412, and Surah Maryam Note No.111.

32. Angels are never guilty of disobedience, but they tremble in awe of His wrath. It would behove man if he also inculcates this angelic attribute.

33. That is: You have made angels gods, but they do not claim divinity. They are ever busy in the worship of Allah. Even if it is presumed that anyone of them claims to be god, he will be thrown into the Hell, because that is the punishment for such a crime.