Surah Al-Mu'minun 23:1-22 - Quran Translation Commentary

14. Then We made the sperm a clot of blood, and the clot a lump of flesh, then we created the lump of bones,¹⁴ then clothed the bones with flesh, and then produced it as another creation.¹⁵ So Blessed be Allah, the Best of Creators! ¹⁶

15. Then verily! after that you surely die.¹⁷

16. Then verily! on the Day of Resurrection you will surely be raised (again).¹⁸

17. And We have created above you seven heavens, layer upon layer,¹⁹ and We are never unmindful of the created. ²⁰

18.And We sent down water from the sky in specific measure, and lodged it into the earth, And We are able to take it away.²¹

19. Then with it (water), We produced for you gardens of date-palms and grapes; therein is much fruit for you, and from thereof you eat;

20. And a tree which grows on Mount Sinai and produce oil and provides curry for the eaters.²²

21. And verily! in the cattle there is a lesson for you. We give you to drink of what is in their bellies (milk),²³ and many advantages you have in them, and of them you eat.²⁴

22.And on them and on the boats you are carried.²⁵

Commentary

1. By success is meant the success in the Hereafter, as is clear from the ayah No.11. And according to Qur’an the real success is the success in the Hereafter, for it will be as a reward and will be everlasting.

For the success the first condition is Faith, then those qualities which have been mentioned further on. It thus becomes clear that success in the Hereafter will be on the basis of merit, and not on the basis of a formal relationship with Islam .

2. ‘Khushu. (humbleness) means to tremble by the thought of the Grandest of All Being, to adopt lowliness and humility before Him. The spirit of salat is that the slave should be in awe of his Master; he should pray to Him in lowly tones; and should express his helplessness and obedience before Him. The guarantee of success is given to only those people of faith who offer prayer with humbleness. In reality humbleness comes from heart:

“Is not the time ripe for the hearts of those who believe to submit to Allah’s reminder.” (Al- Hadeed-16).

And when there is humbleness, in the heart, then this condition will also affect the body, that is the eyes will be lowered, the voice will be low, the attention will be towards Allah only, and the salat will be performed with tranquillity and satisfaction in a dignified way. The effects and the fruits that have been mentioned in the Qur’an are of this kind of salat only.

3. To be kept away from vain and purposeless things is the fruit that salat provides. For this reason it has been mentioned immediately after the mention of salat in this passage. The word ‘laghv’ used here means vain, purposeless, aimless, etc. It does not apply only to the forbidden (haram) and evil (munkar) things, but also to those acts which have no purpose and benefit. In modern times the improved or developed forms of vain things are vulgar songs, meetings of poetry recitation, comedy programmes, tales of fiction and stories, games of chess and carrom, cricket and football matches, etc. and COMMENTARY also those big functions which are an open manifestation of wastage of money and time. They create such a mentality that man is absorbed in these pastimes only. And today on T.V. very vulgar programmes are presented, but sincere Muslims are so virtuous and chaste in taste that they not only do not take any interest in these programmes but do not even throw a glance at them.

4. In the Meccan period also payment of zakat was necessary. For further explanation, please see Surah An’am. Note No.258.

Some commentators have opined that this passage means that they work for purity of self, but this is far fetched. Zakat in this specific connotation is a Quranic terminology, and therefore, it is not proper to take it to mean purification. If the verb working to pay is used here, so also the words acts of virtue is used in Surah Anbiya -73). Therefore, there is no reason to take its meaning as purification.

5. That is: They keep away from the illegal gratification of their carnal desires, and they observe all the norms of keeping hidden their private parts.

6. In this Ayah two forms of lawful sexual relationship have been enumerated. One is that a man may have sexual relationship with his own wedded wife, and secondly he may have sexual relationship’ with those female slaves who may be in his possession.

A man’s wife is the woman who is wedded to him. As for the female-slave, it is dependent on the condition that man must be her master, owner, that is a man can have sexual relationship only with that female-slave of whom he is the owner. The problem of slavery in those days was not only an international one, but it also involved the problem of the welfare of the very slaves, male and female, which had varying ramifications. Those who were slaves from earlier times, and if they were not to be recognised as such, or if they were to be set free at once, then apparently it would have brought relief to the slaves, male and female, but in the conditions then obtaining the problem of their livelihood, and particularly of staying and maintenance of the female slaves could attain serious proportions, as a result of which they could have been forced to live a sinful life. Therefore, realising the serious reality of their position, Islam, in its Meccan Period, declared that the sexual relationship between the owner and his female slaves was lawful; however, it advised that freeing them from slavery was a great virtue. Moreover, for this purpose appropriate measures were also taken.

The question of sexual relationship with female slaves should be viewed in this background only. Anyway there is an open declaration from Allah that the people of faith are not to blame for having sexual relationship with their female slaves. What right then anybody has to blame them ?

7. That is: It is lawful to have sexual relationship only with one’s wife and one’s own female slave. If any person would desire to have sexual relationship with someone else, then he would be considered as transgressing the shariah as well as the natural limits. Any sexual relationship with a woman other than the wife or the female slave will be unlawful sex (zina), and if a man has sexual relationship with another male, then it will be sodomy. All these forms of sexual relationships are haram and they are emphatically forbidden.

From this ayah is also clearly proved the illegality of “muta’h”(to have sexual relationship with a woman with her consent for a fixed period), for the woman with whom the sexual relationship is established is neither the wife nor a female slave. She is not the wife, because she is not under the contract of nikah of the man, nor are the commands about maintenance, divorce, and iddat (waiting time) etc. applicable to her, nor can she get any share from that man’s inheritance. And she is not a female slave, because the man is not her owner. In short, there is not only no argument in favour of “muta’h” in Qur’an, but on the contrary the commands that have been given concerning the married life go to prove that it is forbidden. Surah Muminoon is Meccan in whose ayah under reference every form of sexual relationship, except the two given forms, is forbidden, in other words the command for forbidding “muta’h” is operative from the Meccan period only.

From the hadith also it is proved that “muta’h” is forbidden:

“Ali bin Abu Talib (R) reports that the messenger of Allah (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) forbade muta’h on the day of Khaibar.”(Bukhari Kitabul Mughazi)

And scholars and jurists are agreed on its having been forbidden :

“Khattabi says as if there is agreement on muta’h being haram except for a few Shiahs” (Fathul Bari. Vol. 9 . page 142 ).

“There is agreement among the imams of schools of Fiqh on this nikah being haram “ - (Fiqhus Sunnah-As-Sayed Sabiq- Vol. 2 , page 1 42.

As for those a hadith about which it is stated that the Prophet had permitted muta’h at the time of certain ‘ghazavat’ (battles) and subsequently cancelled it; contradictory statements have been made in these ahadith.

When in the battle of Khaibar (06A.H. ) it was forbidden, then where does the question of permitting it again at the time of victory of Makkah (08A.H.)arise? And at the time of the victory of Makkah the religion had reached the point of perfection, and Muslims had become a power to reckon with. Therefore, that was not the occasion for permitting muta’h. Then according to another narrative, its permission was given only for three days and afterwards it was forbidden, and according to another narrative it was permitted for one day and the following day it was cancelled. According to a narrative in Muslim the Prophet (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) had declared on the occasion of the victory of Makkah :

“I have given you permission to have muta’h with women and now Allah has declared it haram till the Doomsday.”

And it is also a narrative in Muslim that on the occasion of the Battle of Autas, which took place after the victory of Makkah (in Shawwal, 08A.H., the Prophet had given its permission and later on forbade it. (See Sahih Muslim, Kitabun Nikah).

The Battle of Autas was after the victory of Makkah, so inevitably only one of the two narratives can be true. How is it possible that at the time of the victory of Makkah, the Prophet may declare that muta’h has been forbidden till the Doomsday, and when a battle takes place at Autas, he again permits it. Such narratives cannot be the sayings of the Prophet (S.A.W.), when they are openly contrary to the command of the Qur’an. In accepting these narratives as correct, the question crops up: who were these women in Makkah and Autas that were prepared to enter into nikah for three days only and in return for ‘chadar’ ? What was the means of contacting them ? Was any Muslim approaching a stranger lady and asking her whether she was agreeable to wed him for three days only? Then if she was agreeable, how could sexual relationship be established immediately, without ‘istibra’ (waiting for passing of a menstrual period), since there is a condition for waiting for the passing of a menstrual period before having sexual relationship with a female slave ? If it is said that there is no pre-condition for istibra (waiting) for muta’h, then how could it be ascertained whose child it would be, if pregnancy results ? And in the case of pregnancy, was the responsibility of maintenance for the child devolved on the temporary husband of the mother or not ? If the responsibility fell on him, then what was the benefit of the temporary nikah? These questions are enough to show the unreasonableness of muta’h, but the Shiah sect of Muslims believes in the lawfulness of muta’h. It ignores Quran and relies on the traditional narratives. Instead of looking at the narratives in the light of Quran, it judges Quran in the light of narratives. It is this Himalayan blunder which prepares men to interpret Quran in a wrong way and to accept nonsensical propositions.

In connection with the permission of muta’h there is a hadith in Sahih Muslim. narrated by Abdul Malik bin Ar-Rabis bin Sabrah, but the well-known scholar of hadith Yahya bin Mueen has termed it weak, and Abdul Hasan bin Al-Qattan says that his being honest is not proven. Although Muslim has narrated his hadith but it is not worthy of reliance (Tahzeebut Tahzeeb,Ibn Hijr Asqalani. Vol. 6 , page 393 ). In Bukhari as well as in Muslim, in both this has been stated about Abdullah Ibn Masood that the Prophet (S.A.W.) had permitted him to do muta’h at the times of battles. This narrative is by Qais bin Abi Hazim, and about Qais bin Abi Hazim Al-Madini says that he was told by Yahya bin Saeed that he is a denier of hadith (Tahzeebut Tahzeeb. Vol. 8 , page 388 ).

A hadith in Bukhari has been narrated by Hasan bin Muhammad through the sources of Jabir bin Abdullah and Salmah bin Aku’ that both of them said that a messenger from the Prophet (S.A. W.) came to them when they were in the Prophet’s army saying that the Prophet had allowed them to take benefit from women, therefore, take benefit (Bukhari, Kitabun Nikah). At the same time Bukhari has also narrated through Hasan bin Muhammad this narrative of Ali (R) that the Prophet (S.A. W.) has forbidden muta’h on the occasion of Khaibar. (Bukhari, Kitabul Mughazi).

There is a narrative by Ibn Jareej that Jabir bin Abdullah (R) reports that they had performed m’uta’h in the time of Prophet (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) and Abu Bakr (R) and Umar (R). (Muslim , Kitabun Nikah).’ This is Abdul Malik bin Abdul Aziz bin Jareej about whom Atharam has quoted the Saying of Imam Ahmed that when Jareej says that so and so said that or informed him then he narrates false hadith, and when he says that he has been informed by so and so or that he has heard it from him, then it is sufficient for your confidence. And Azhaqi has quoted this saying of Imam Malik that Ibn Jareej is collector of wood in the darkness of night, i.e. collector of true and false statements. Dar Qutni advises to be wary of the machination of Ibn Jareej, and Yahya bin Saeed says that he is weak. (Tahzeebut Tahzeeb, Vol. 6 , pages 402-406.

From this one can get an idea that in the matter of permitting muta’h when the condition of the sahihain (the two reliable books of hadith) is like this, then what will be the condition of the narratives quoted by the Shiahs !

The fact is that in these contradictory and involved narratives out of which most are not without questionable sources, it is not proved that the prophet (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) had given permission to have muta’h, however, since the custom of muta’h was being practised, he forbade it with great emphasis. It should also be understood that inclusion of any narrative in the books of Bukhari and Muslim does not give it sanctity, when it openly clashes with the unambiguous command of Qur’an.

If even after these arguments somebody insists that muta’h was permitted, then let him say what is the difference between illegal sex and muta’h? Besides, let him also clarify that muta’h is not against the commands relating to marriage regulations. Only after that we will review this opinion of ours.

8. By trusts are meant those trusts which Allah has given to man and also those which men give to other men.

9. Pledges and promises mean those pledges and promises which men make with Allah and those which they make among themselves.

10. Guarding the salat means offering prayer with regularity, to offer it on time, to offer it in the manner shown by the Prophet (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam ), and also includes all the conditions and etiquette concerning salat. In Ayah No.2the spirit of salat was made clear, and here its manner of establishment is emphasised.

In these verses the qualities of the people of faith began with the mention of salat and it also ended on salat. In other words it is a pointer that these qualities are the fruits of the salat which is offered with right attitude and devotion.

11. To inherit Firdaus or Paradise is in fact the real success which will be the share or the people of faith. In the hadith, Firdaus has been stated to be an excellent part of Paradise.

In the ‘Sahihain’ it is stated :

“When you pray to Allah for Paradises, pray for Firdaus, because it is an excellent and high kind or Paradise, and from here only the rivers of the Paradise flow.” -(Ibn Katheer, Vol. 3 , page 1 08. And there will be many gardens in the Firdaus as is clear from Surah Kahf, ayah 107 .

12. As if it was the essence of the dust, earth, ‘ from which the first man was created. For this reason all the characteristics that are found in the different regions is found in men’s temperaments. Some earths are soft and some hard, similarly some men’s temperaments are soft and some men’s temperaments are hard, The earth is of different colours, so also are the men of different regions. The earth has the capability of producing various things, so different men also have the capability of producing or manufacturing different things. (For further explanation, see Surah Hijr, Note No, 24 ),

13. That is: After first creating men from earth, man’s race was subsequently generated from life sperm, which is a fluid which He arranged to be kept safe in a safe place like womb.

14. The explanation of the stages through which the sperm has to pass and attain the embryonic form has been given in Note No.8to 11 of Surah Hajj.

It may be noted that the form of clotted blood, etc., were things which could be commonly observed, i.e. after an abortion people could watch how the embryo looked in the beginning and what changes took place in it later on. The Quranic argument is based on these things which are commonly observed. As for the modern science of Embryology, which has made wonderful discoveries, these are the details of the Quranic hints, and from this the Quranic argument has attained greater support that this observation creates stronger belief in this information of Qur’an that the Lord will raise His slaves again on the Day of Resurrection.

15. That is: ‘Then comes that stage when the spirit is breathed into the embryo and it becomes a hearing and seeing human being. What was a lump of flesh became a complete person! Seeing the lump of flesh nobody could imagine that it would attain an existence which would be blessed with the vicegerency of the earth, but in a few months’ time such a great change takes place in it that it emerges as a new creation altogether.

16. Man’s passing through these varying conditions and stages and coming out as a complete human is the open proof of the creativeness of the one and only Creator. Moreover it also reflects that He is a Being of unimaginable power and perfection, and there is no limit to His favours and blessings.

PICTURES OF THE CLOTTED BLOOD’ AND ‘ THE LUMP OF FLESH EMBRYONIC AND FETAL STAGES Cut edge of amnion Neural groove Somite Yolk sac Primitive streak Body stalk A PICTURES OF THE 20 DAYS OLD EMBRYO WHEN THE CLOTTED BLOOD IS CHANGING INTO A LUMP OF FLESH. B Tail fold Yolk sac Closed neun fold Pericardial region Fore-brain B FOETUS WHEN IT IS A LUMP OF FLESH (The Pictures are enlarged)

17. What happens after death with the spirits in the interregnum known as ‘Barzakh’, is not mentioned here, because what was purported here to be mentioned was the argument on the raising of men on the Day of Resurrection, and this raising will be with the physical body and then men will get full recompense for what they did in the world.

18. When man came into existence for the first time, then cannot he come into existence for the second time? When man’s present life has been given after it has been made to pass through various stages and even after this he passes through various situations then how can it be said that there will be no stages after death ? Life is a thing to continue, but people are under a wrong impression that death ends life permanently, though death is the name of passing from one stage into another stage.

19. The word used in the text is ‘Taraiq’ which means paths and also layer upon layer. In Arabic they say ‘Reeshun taraiq’,i.e. (As-siyah Lil Johari Jild 4 Page No. 151 6) those feathers which have been placed one over the other. And in the holy Qur’an at another place it is said: “seven skies one upon another” (Suruh Mulk,ayah3), therefore, it would be proper here to take it to mean layer upon layer.

Some commentators have taken it to mean seven orbits of the seven planets, but such a meaning is not supported by any ayah of the Qur’an.

20. That is: Along with the seven heavens all the creatures that are in the entire universe, Allah is well aware of all of them.

21. Without water life is not possible, therefore, Allah showers treasures of water through the rains, which collects in the earth and is utilised by man. If Allah may desire, He can cause the water to disappear, therefore, man should be thankful to Him and should fear Him.

22. Means the olive tree, which grows near the Mount Sinai near Arabia. Its fruits is famous for its oil. This oil is of a very high standard, and it was used as a curry also.

23. That is: from amidst the unclean things in their bellies, Allah causes milk to be produced for the use of man.

24. The flesh of these cattle is used by men for eating.

25. All these are Allah’s blessings and favours, and the idea in mentioning them is to create a sense of Allah’s being the Lord, and to argue in favour of raising man after death.