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 39-4822. Al-Haj Page 337اُذِنَPermission is givenلِلَّذِیْنَto those whoیُقٰتَلُوْنَare being foughtبِاَنَّهُمْbecause theyظُلِمُوْا ؕwere wrongedوَ اِنَّAnd indeedاللّٰهَAllahعَلٰیforنَصْرِهِمْtheir victoryلَقَدِیْرُۙ(is) surely Able لَّذِیْنَThose whoاُخْرِجُوْاhave been evictedمِنْfromدِیَارِهِمْtheir homesبِغَیْرِwithoutحَقٍّrightاِلَّاۤexceptاَنْthatیَّقُوْلُوْاthey saidرَبُّنَاOur Lordاللّٰهُ ؕ(is) Allahوَ لَوْ لَاAnd if notدَفْعُAllah checksاللّٰهِAllah checksالنَّاسَthe peopleبَعْضَهُمْsome of themبِبَعْضٍby othersلَّهُدِّمَتْsurely (would) have been demolishedصَوَامِعُmonasteriesوَ بِیَعٌand churchesوَّ صَلَوٰتٌand synagoguesوَّ مَسٰجِدُand masajidیُذْكَرُis mentionedفِیْهَاin itاسْمُ(the) name of Allahاللّٰهِ(the) name of Allahكَثِیْرًا ؕmuchوَ لَیَنْصُرَنَّAnd surely Allah will helpاللّٰهُAnd surely Allah will helpمَنْ(those) whoیَّنْصُرُهٗ ؕhelp HimاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahلَقَوِیٌّ(is) surely All-Strongعَزِیْزٌ All-Mighty اَلَّذِیْنَThose whoاِنْifمَّكَّنّٰهُمْWe establish themفِیinالْاَرْضِthe landاَقَامُواthey establishالصَّلٰوةَthe prayerوَ اٰتَوُاand they giveالزَّكٰوةَzakahوَ اَمَرُوْاand they enjoinبِالْمَعْرُوْفِthe rightوَ نَهَوْاand forbidعَنِfromالْمُنْكَرِ ؕthe wrongوَ لِلّٰهِAnd for Allahعَاقِبَةُ(is the) endالْاُمُوْرِ (of) the matters وَ اِنْAnd ifیُّكَذِّبُوْكَthey deny youفَقَدْso verilyكَذَّبَتْdeniedقَبْلَهُمْbefore themقَوْمُ(the) peopleنُوْحٍ(of) Nuhوَّ عَادٌand Aadوَّ ثَمُوْدُۙand Thamud وَ قَوْمُAnd (the) peopleاِبْرٰهِیْمَ(of) Ibrahimوَ قَوْمُand (the) peopleلُوْطٍۙ(of) Lut وَّ اَصْحٰبُAnd the inhabitantsمَدْیَنَ ۚ(of) Madyanوَ كُذِّبَAnd Musa was deniedمُوْسٰیAnd Musa was deniedفَاَمْلَیْتُso I granted respiteلِلْكٰفِرِیْنَto the disbelieversثُمَّthenاَخَذْتُهُمْ ۚI seized themفَكَیْفَand howكَانَwasنَكِیْرِ My punishment فَكَاَیِّنْAnd how manyمِّنْofقَرْیَةٍa townshipاَهْلَكْنٰهَاWe have destroyed itوَ هِیَwhile itظَالِمَةٌwas doing wrongفَهِیَso itخَاوِیَةٌfellعَلٰیonعُرُوْشِهَاits roofsوَ بِئْرٍand wellمُّعَطَّلَةٍabandonedوَّ قَصْرٍand castleمَّشِیْدٍ lofty اَفَلَمْSo have notیَسِیْرُوْاthey traveledفِیinالْاَرْضِthe landفَتَكُوْنَand isلَهُمْfor themقُلُوْبٌheartsیَّعْقِلُوْنَ(to) reasonبِهَاۤwith itاَوْorاٰذَانٌearsیَّسْمَعُوْنَ(to) hearبِهَا ۚwith itفَاِنَّهَاFor indeed [it]لَاnotتَعْمَی(are) blindedالْاَبْصَارُthe eyesوَ لٰكِنْbutتَعْمَی(are) blindedالْقُلُوْبُthe heartsالَّتِیْwhichفِی(are) inالصُّدُوْرِ the breasts 22. Al-Haj Page 338وَ یَسْتَعْجِلُوْنَكَAnd they ask you to hastenبِالْعَذَابِthe punishmentوَ لَنْBut never willیُّخْلِفَAllah failاللّٰهُAllah failوَعْدَهٗ ؕ(in) His Promiseوَ اِنَّAnd indeedیَوْمًاa dayعِنْدَwithرَبِّكَyour Lordكَاَلْفِ(is) like a thousandسَنَةٍyear(s)مِّمَّاof whatتَعُدُّوْنَ you count وَ كَاَیِّنْAnd how manyمِّنْofقَرْیَةٍa townshipاَمْلَیْتُI gave respiteلَهَاto itوَ هِیَwhile itظَالِمَةٌ(was) doing wrongثُمَّThenاَخَذْتُهَا ۚI seized itوَ اِلَیَّand to Meالْمَصِیْرُ۠(is) the destination

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Translation of Verse 39-48

39. Permission (to take up arms) is given to those who are being attacked, because they have been oppressed,⁷² and Allah has power to provide them help;

40. Those who have been unjustly driven from their homes, only because they said: “Our Lord is Allah’.⁷³ Had Allah not repelled some men by (the might of) others, the monasteries and churches, the synagogues and mosques, in which Allah’s name is frequently remembered, would have been totally destroyed.⁷⁴ Allah will surely help one who helps His.⁷⁵ Verily Allah is Strong.

41. Those who, if We give them power in the land, will establish salat (Prayer) and will pay Zakat, will enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil.⁷⁶ And the results of all matters is in Allah’s control.⁷⁷

42. And if they belie you (O Prophet!), before you the community of Nooh, and (the tribes of) A’d and Thamud, belied (Our messengers);⁷⁸

43. And the community of Ibrahim and the community of Loot;

44. And the residents of Madian (had also denied).⁷⁹ And Moosa was also belied,⁸⁰ but I bore a while with the unbelievers, then I seized them, so how terrible was My rejection (punishment)!

45. And how many a city have we destroyed while it was sinful, so that it lies upside down in ruins, and how many a deserted well and lofty palace ! ⁸¹

46. Have they not travelled through the land that they would have hearts to understand with and ears to hear with?⁸² For indeed it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts within the bosoms, that grow blind.⁸³

47. O Prophet ! ) They ask you to hasten the punishment, although Allah does not break His promise. And a day with your Lord is like a thousand years in your reckoning.⁸⁴

48. And to how many a township did I give respite though it was sinful! Then I seized it. To Me is the return.

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Commentary

72. This is the first ayah in which permission is given for jihad (fighting for Allah). This occurred by the end of the year 01 A. H. In this ayah the reasons given for taking up arms are two. One is that the idolaters of Makkah themselves had started a war against the Muslims, and the situation was that whenever the infidels got an opportunity they assaulted some people of faith, i.e. they were not allowed to live peacefully even in Madina, and a series of assaults were launched on Muslims. (These details can be found in books on Prophet’s life). The second reason given is that the people of faith are a community of wronged people. Muslims being unjustly wronged is obvious, because they were compelled to leave their homes in Makkah. If in these circumstances Muslims take up swords to defend themselves, they are absolutely justified. Those who have been unjustly driven from their homes, only because they said: “Our Lord is Allah’. Had Allah not repelled some men by (the might of) others, the monasteries and churches, the synagogues and mosques, in which Allah’s name is frequently remembered, would have been totally destroyed. Allah will surely help one who helps His. Verily Allah is Strong. (Al-Quran)

73.That is: The only reason for which the idolaters had driven the Muslims from their homes in Makkah was that they had declared their belief in one God, and they hated polytheism and idolatry. The polytheists of Makkah considered this quality of Muslims as a defect, as well as a crime, and denied the loyal slaves of Allah, the right to live in the land of Allah.

74. This is the declaration of that tradition (rule) of Allah according to which Allah raises some other nation to crush the nation which has become exceedingly corrupt and tyrannical. And the history of the world is a witness that whenever any nation or group had indulged in tyranny and utmost corruption, provision was made to remove that nation or group by some other nation or group. Its reasonableness has been made clear here that if it were not so, then the places of worship in which the name of Allah is remembered frequently, whether belonging to Christians or Jews or Muslims, would have been utterly destroyed by the tyrants.

The idea for clarifying this divine tradition here is that the people of Quraish had not maintained the holiness of the Sacred Mosque, and closed its doors to the Muslims from Madina. To terminate this wrong-doing and tyranny of the Quraish, Allah had brought out the group of people of faith into the battle-field.

It may be noted that the worship-places that have been mentioned in the ayah belong to either the people of the Book or to the Muslims, because in them Allah’s name is mentioned often and remembered frequently, and for this reason they are worthy of respect. As for the temple of the idolaters, in them Allah’s name is not mentioned but idols are worshipped therein. Their nature is different from the worship-places of the Muslims and the people of the Book.

75.To help Allah means to help His religion, and to undertake jihad to raise the word of Allah, but actually Allah is not dependent or in need of help from anybody. On the contrary His slaves need His help. Further on two attributes are mentioned : one is that He has power and second He is Mighty, Victorious. After this there remains no room for any misunderstanding.

76. This is a declaration of the fact that a group has now come up, who if given power by Allah, will establish the important pillars of faith like Salat and Zakat. It will work for the reform of the society instead of corrupting it. It will spread good and put an end to evil.

It is learnt that people who have these qualities are worthy of receiving power and qualified to rule in the land.

This ayah clarifies that as a result of the leaching and training of the Prophet (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) a group of people had been raised, who was qualified to hold power and rule as khalifa. Accordingly when the Prophet came in to power, his companions became worthy of this description, and when after the death of the Prophet when the caliphate (khilafat) was established, they became the practical example of these qualities. But a sect of Muslims in its love for Ali (R) indulges into excess and utters insults and abuses against all the companions of the Prophet except a few. It considers the three khalifas to be the usurpers. This cult of theirs is an open deviation from what is stated in this ayah, and only this argument is sufficient to show that they have gone astray.

77. That is: The final decision of my matter is with Allah only. Therefore, whatever may be the conditions, whatever He will desire will surely come to pass. This was a hint of the fact that ultimately the people of faith will come into power.

78. That is: If they are denying you, then there is nothing strange in this. Before this, a number of nations had denied their prophets, e.g. the nation of Prophet Nooh (Noah) had belied him, similarly the tribe of A’d had denied its Prophet Hood, and the tribe of Thamud had denied its Prophet Salih.

79.The people of Madian had denied their Prophet Shuaib.

80.Prophet Moosa was not denied by his own community, but by the community of Firaun (pharaoh). For this reason the verb used here is in the passive voice “Moosa was denied”.

81. At the time when the Qur’an was being revealed, the ruins of the destroyed nations could be found in different parts of Arabia, and it was the historical proof of the fact that these nations became the target of Allah’s punishment as a result of their denial of their Prophets.

Wells were of great importance in deserts, and when the townships were destroyed, the wells had become useless. In the same way the magnificent palaces had also become deserted.

82. That is: These people travel through different lands and witness the ruins of many townships, but they fail to take a lesson from them.

The same is the condition of the present day archaeologists, surveyors and the tourists of the places of the archaeological importance that they see these ruins and articles only to admire the beautiful and artistic creations people have left behind and how advanced their civilization was. As for the points: whether they had worked for the moral upliftment of world, or corruption, whether they had adopted the attitude of gratitude towards their Lord or of ingratitude, whether the creations left behind them are artistic or they are the example of excesses, whether their civilization was worldly and materialistic or idealistic with the next world as their objective,—they do not care to ponder over these points and answer them, because they have no interest in this kind of enquiry, with the result that they are unable to reach the reality.

83.The meaning of hearts being blind is not having insight. Man sees external conditions by his external or physical eyes, but the provision for reaching to the reality hidden in external manifestations requires insight or the eyes of the heart to discern them, that is with the sight there is the necessity of insight also, otherwise man while seeing everything is unable to see anything. This is the blindness of heart. The hint at the important reality given in this ayah throws light on the fact that the center of all internal or spiritual parts of man is heart, which is inside the chest, that is his internal self. In a hadith of the Prophet this reality has been stated thus:

“Beware, there is a lump of flesh in the body; If it is in good condition, then the whole body is in , good condition.

And if it is in disorder, then the whole body is in disorder, Beware, that it is heart.” -(Bukhari. Kitabul Eeman).

And it is a fact that the center of man’s feelings and sensibilities is his heart, while the position of mind is that of a thinking instrument and an assistant. Love and hate, friendship and enmity, sincerity and opportunism, sympathy and unkindness, moralgrasping and insensitivity-all these are connected with heart. If Qur’an has considered heart to be the real motivator in the matter of belief and acts, then in reality it has guided to a great reality.

84. Do not be under wrong impression that your measurement of time on the basis of which you decide what is sooner or later is not the same with which Allah reckons time. Nay, but in dealing with the nations his measurement of time is quite different from that of your reckoning. For Him your one thousand years are equal to only one day. In other words a reprieve of a few years for a nation is reprieve of a few minutes according to the chronometer of the universe.

It has not been realised for certain that in different planets the duration of a day is different from the duration of a day on this earth. Therefore, when Qur’an informs us that if in dealing with the nations of the world the measurement of time with Allah is different, what is strange in that ?

And to how many a township did I give respite though it was sinful! Then I seized it. To Me is the return. (O Prophet ! ) Say: “O mankind! I am a plain warner to you. ”So those who believe and do good acts, for them is pardon and provision with honour,And those who strive to denigrate Our revelations, such will be the people of Fire.(Al-Quran)