Surah 22. Al-Haj

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-22 [2], 23-25 [3], 26-33 [4], 34-38 [5], 39-48 [6], 49-57 [7], 58-64 [8], 65-72 [9], 73-78 [10]

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Quran Text of Verse 11-22وَ مِنَAnd amongالنَّاسِthe mankindمَنْ(is he) whoیَّعْبُدُworshipsاللّٰهَAllahعَلٰیonحَرْفٍ ۚan edgeفَاِنْAnd ifاَصَابَهٗbefalls himخَیْرُgoodطْمَاَنَّhe is contentبِهٖ ۚwith itوَ اِنْand ifاَصَابَتْهُbefalls himفِتْنَةُa trialنْقَلَبَhe turnsعَلٰیonوَجْهِهٖ ۚ۫his faceخَسِرَHe has lostالدُّنْیَاthe worldوَ الْاٰخِرَةَ ؕand the HereafterذٰلِكَThatهُوَ[it]الْخُسْرَانُ(is) the lossالْمُبِیْنُ clear یَدْعُوْاHe callsمِنْbesidesدُوْنِbesidesاللّٰهِAllahمَاwhatلَاnotیَضُرُّهٗharms himوَ مَاand whatلَاnotیَنْفَعُهٗ ؕbenefits himذٰلِكَThatهُوَ[it]الضَّلٰلُ(is) the strayingالْبَعِیْدُۚfar away یَدْعُوْاHe callsلَمَنْ(one) whoضَرُّهٗۤhis harmاَقْرَبُ(is) closerمِنْthanنَّفْعِهٖ ؕhis benefitلَبِئْسَSurely an evilالْمَوْلٰیprotectorوَ لَبِئْسَand surely an evilالْعَشِیْرُ friend! اِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahیُدْخِلُwill admitالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْاbelieveوَ عَمِلُواand doالصّٰلِحٰتِthe righteous deedsجَنّٰتٍ(to) Gardensتَجْرِیْflowمِنْfromتَحْتِهَاunderneath itالْاَنْهٰرُ ؕthe riversاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahیَفْعَلُdoesمَاwhatیُرِیْدُ He intends مَنْWhoeverكَانَ[is]یَظُنُّthinksاَنْthatلَّنْnotیَّنْصُرَهُAllah will help himاللّٰهُAllah will help himفِیinالدُّنْیَاthe worldوَ الْاٰخِرَةِand the Hereafterفَلْیَمْدُدْthen let him extendبِسَبَبٍa ropeاِلَیtoالسَّمَآءِthe skyثُمَّthenلْیَقْطَعْlet him cut offفَلْیَنْظُرْthen let him seeهَلْwhetherیُذْهِبَنَّwill removeكَیْدُهٗhis planمَاwhatیَغِیْظُ enrages 22. Al-Haj Page 334وَ كَذٰلِكَAnd thusاَنْزَلْنٰهُWe sent it downاٰیٰتٍۭ(as) clear Versesبَیِّنٰتٍ ۙ(as) clear Versesوَّ اَنَّand thatاللّٰهَAllahیَهْدِیْguidesمَنْwhomیُّرِیْدُ He intends اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْاhave believedوَ الَّذِیْنَand those whoهَادُوْاwere Jewsوَ الصّٰبِـِٕیْنَand the Sabiansوَ النَّصٰرٰیand the Christiansوَ الْمَجُوْسَand the Majusوَ الَّذِیْنَand those whoاَشْرَكُوْۤا ۖۗ(are) polytheistsاِنَّindeedاللّٰهَAllahیَفْصِلُwill judgeبَیْنَهُمْbetween themیَوْمَ(on) the Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ ؕ(of) the ResurrectionاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahعَلٰیoverكُلِّeveryشَیْءٍthingشَهِیْدٌ (is) a Witness اَلَمْDo notتَرَyou seeاَنَّthatاللّٰهَAllahیَسْجُدُprostratesلَهٗto Himمَنْwhoeverفِی(is) inالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ مَنْand whoeverفِی(is) inالْاَرْضِthe earthوَ الشَّمْسُand the sunوَ الْقَمَرُand the moonوَ النُّجُوْمُand the starsوَ الْجِبَالُand the mountainsوَ الشَّجَرُand the treesوَ الدَّوَآبُّand the moving creaturesوَ كَثِیْرٌand manyمِّنَofالنَّاسِ ؕthe peopleوَ كَثِیْرٌBut manyحَقَّ(is) justly dueعَلَیْهِon himالْعَذَابُ ؕthe punishmentوَ مَنْAnd whoeverیُّهِنِAllah humiliatesاللّٰهُAllah humiliatesفَمَاthen notلَهٗfor himمِنْanyمُّكْرِمٍ ؕbestower of honorاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahیَفْعَلُdoesمَاwhatیَشَآءُؕ۩He wills هٰذٰنِThese twoخَصْمٰنِopponentsاخْتَصَمُوْاdisputeفِیْconcerningرَبِّهِمْ ؗtheir LordفَالَّذِیْنَBut those whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedقُطِّعَتْwill be cut outلَهُمْfor themثِیَابٌgarmentsمِّنْofنَّارٍ ؕfireیُصَبُّWill be pouredمِنْoverفَوْقِoverرُءُوْسِهِمُtheir headsالْحَمِیْمُۚ[the] scalding water یُصْهَرُWill be meltedبِهٖwith itمَاwhatفِیْ(is) inبُطُوْنِهِمْtheir belliesوَ الْجُلُوْدُؕand the skins وَ لَهُمْAnd for themمَّقَامِعُ(are) hooked rodsمِنْofحَدِیْدٍ iron كُلَّمَاۤEvery timeاَرَادُوْۤاthey wantاَنْtoیَّخْرُجُوْاcome outمِنْهَاfrom itمِنْfromغَمٍّanguishاُعِیْدُوْاthey will be returnedفِیْهَا ۗthereinوَ ذُوْقُوْاTasteعَذَابَ(the) punishmentالْحَرِیْقِ۠(of) the Burning Fire!

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Translation of Verse 11-22

11. And among men there are Some who worship Allah, remaining on the very fringe (of true faith), so that when they are blessed with good fortune they are content, but when a ordeal befalls them, they turn around. They lose both the world and the Hereafter. This is the open loss.²⁴

12. They invoke, besides Allah, others which neither hurt them nor profit them . That is straying far.²⁵

13. They invoke him whose harm is nearer than his benefit ; ²⁶ verily an evil master and an evil companion ! ²⁷

14. Verily Allah will admit those, who believe and do good acts,²⁸ to Gardens underneath which rivers flow. Verily Allah does what He intends.

15. Whoever thinks that Allah will not help him in this world and in the world to come, let him stretch a rope to the sky and cut it off. Then let him see if his wiles have done away with that which had enraged him. ²⁹

16. And thus We have revealed it (Qur’an) as clear arguments, and verily Allah guides whom He will.³⁰

17. Verily, those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Sabieens and the Christians and the Magians and the Polytheists, verily Allah will decide between them on the Day of Resurrection.³¹ Verily Allah is witness over all things.

18. Do you not see that to Allah bow (in Sajdah) whosoever is in the heavens and whosoever is in the earth, and the sun and the moon, and the stars and the mountains, and the trees and the beasts, and many men? And there are many to whom the punishment is justly due.³² He who is humbled by Allah, there is none to honour him. Verily Allah does what He pleases.

19. Here are two opponents³³ who contended about their Lord. So those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be cut out for them; scalding water will be poured over their heads.

20. Whereby that which is in their bellies, and their skins too, will be melted;

21. And for them are hooked rods of iron.

22. Whenever they would desire to get out from it, out of anguish, they will be driven back therein: ‘Taste the torment of burning. ! ³⁴

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Commentary

24. This is the picture of those who not only claim to believe in Allah but also worship him; but they do so without sincerity and with mental reservations. If pleasant conditions are available, then they wil1 sing the praises of God and will also worship Him. But if adversity strike them, then they are averse to Him and complain against Him. Such people are deprived of those blessings which are available to men in consequence of their belief in Allah, in this world, and in the Hereafter also they will not be glorious.

It becomes clear that only that belief in God is reliable which is based on loyalty and to which man clings in all kinds of circumstances.

25. That is: Idolatry in place of belief in God is totally and absolutely wrong. But if a man wants to act against the reality then his straying from the right path is certain.

26. ‘The reality of the idols is nothing more than that they are bricks and stones which can neither benefit any one nor can harm any one. But their worshippers think that they have their godly existence too. This insensibility of theirs is being shown here that any expectation of benefit from them is a far cry, but there is an immediate and definite harm in worshipping them, which is the breaking up of relation between God and His slave, for regarding some one else as Relief- Giver is to deny that Allah is one and only Relief- Giver. In other words loyalty to the idols is disloyalty to Allah, and this is the biggest and obvious loss.

27. By giving undue veneration to the idols they have created for them very evil masters and friends, who are the cause of their doom.

28.The context shows that having faith and doing acts include the fact that such people practice this with sincerity believing Allah only to be their Relief-Giver and they attach themselves to Allah in all circumstances-good or adverse.

29. This is a warning for a person who becomes pessimistic about Allah’s help in the event of some adverse conditions. He thinks that when Allah does not help him in this world, He will not help in the next world also. Thus such a disappointment from God creates a sense of rebellion in his mind. In the modern times lot of people can be found who are not prepared to regard God as kind and Gracious because they have undergone some hardships, and they therefore, rebel against God. This is nothing but pessimism concerning God’s kindness and His help which has produced an irritation in their minds. Such people are being told that if they can do something against Divine planning, let them do it. If they can throw a rope and stretch it to the sky and reach it, and then cut off the rope so that their relation with the world is severed. Let them find out if by doing this their irritation and anger is removed. It means that if by experiencing delay in Allah’s help if man becomes pessimistic and expresses his anger against him, it is absolutely of no use at all. For he cannot act in a way which would ensure his freedom from the divine planning or he cannot escape from this world of trials to other world. Therefore, the correct line of action is that he should be hopeful of the real help coming from Allah. He should consider Him alone as the Ultimate Help-Giver and should rely on Him only even in adverse circumstances that He alone would come to his rescue.

It may be noted that as stretching the rope to the sky is stated in this ayah similarly in Surah Saad climbing on to the sky has been mentioned: “ Is theirs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them? ‘Then let them climb up to the sky by ropes !” -(Saad-10)

It is obvious that in this ayah climbing up to the sky is meant to reflect the helplessness of the idolaters. Similarly in the ayah under explanation the stretching of the rope to sky, etc. is also to express the helplessness of the infidels. Do you not see that to Allah bow (in Sajdah) whosoever is in the heavens and whosoever is in the earth, and the sun and the moon, and the stars and the mountains, and the trees and the beasts, and many men? And there are many to whom the punishment is justly due. He who is humbled by Allah, there is none to honour him. Verily Allah does what He pleases. (Al-Quran)

30. Here the guidance of Qur’an is quite clear and supported by arguments, but from this light is derived only by him whom Allah grants the sight to see it.

31. Here the six religious groups are mentioned who were found in Arabia and the lands surrounding it, viz. Muslims, Jews, Sabieens, christians, Magians and polytheists.

“Sabieens has been explained in Note No.86, Surah Baqarah.

Magians are Fire-worshippers, who call themselves followers of Zoroaster. At that time that was the religion of Iran. For further explanation, see Surah An’am Note No.3.

By polytheists are meant worshippers of various gods, worshippers of deities other than Allah, and idolaters. Other religions outside Arabia, whatever their names, are categorised under these heads only.

Every one of this group claims that in the matter of religion and god the path adopted by them is the right one. Declaring false these claims and complicated arguments of the religious people, Quran explained that the path of right is the path adopted by the people of Faith (Islam), i.e. of those people who accepted the call of the Qur’an, or in other words sincere Muslims whose religion is Islam. If inspite of this people want to stick to their own religions then on the Day of Resurrection they will see the result of their obstinacy, when Allah will deliver His judgment in this dispute.

32. for explanation see Surah Ra’d Note No. 38, and Surah Nahl Note. No.71.

In this ayah contemplation is invited on the fact that all the creatures, whether animate or inanimate, vegetable or minerals, are in bowing position before their Creator, and they bow in sajdah before Him in their own ways. In various symbols their bowing down before their Creator is manifest, and so far as men are concerned many men bow before Allah, but there still are many who are not willing to bow before Him. On such men the whip of Allah’s wrath and punishment is definite to crack. Inspite of this wrong attitude of theirs this reality is unassailable that this universe is paying obeisance to Allah, and when this is the reality, then why do you not change your attitude?

This is the ayat-e-sajdah. therefore. it is essential that sajdah (prostration) be performed whenever it is recited.

33. That is: One group is of the Momins. people of the faith who believe in Qur’an and the other group is that of the infidels, who do not believe in Qur’an, however divided it may be in various religious sects.

34.The very thought of this painful punishment is spine-chilling and blood-curdling. But those whose sensibility has become dead, how can they be expected to take a lesson from this?