44. Means the Torah, which began to be revealed from the beginning of the prophethood. Some part of it was revealed before the drowning of Firaun (Pharaoh), and the remaining part thereafter. It is not correct to think that the Torah was revealed all at once because this point is neither mentioned in the Qur’an nor is it anywhere mentioned in the existing Torah itself. Therefore, the correct point is that the revelation of the divine books had been in parts in accordance with the demands of the occasion.

45. for explanation, please see Surah Taha, Note Nos.29 and 30.

46. Means the nation of the people Firaun (Pharaoh) and denying the signs of God means those divine signs, which are spread out in the universe and ingrained in the nature of humans and which prove the unity of Allah. Firaun was guilty of denying these signs from the beginning. Besides he had completely ignored the evidence of prophetic history and the signs which Prophet Yusuf had left in that country, and the same was the case with his nation. Therefore, before Prophet Moosa’s conveying the divine message to them, Firaun and his people were guilty, and after his conveying the divine message to them, their crime had become more serious, and his opposition to truth became clearly manifest.

It is elicited that any people, to whom a prophet might or might not have conveyed the divine message, but who had denied the divine signs which are spread out in the universe and which are ingrained in the human nature, and had gone astray, will be called transgressor and infidel.

47. Firaun and his army were drowned and his people in Egypt were destroyed.

48. The people of Nooh (Noah) had denied Prophet Noah, but this act was termed as denying all the prophets, for denying a messenger is denying all the messengers.

49. For explanation, please see Surah Hood, Note No.74, and Surah Fajr, Notes Nos. 8 to 11.

50. For explanation please see Surah Hood, Note No.68, Surah Fajr. Notes Nos. 12 to 14.

51. Ashabur Rass or the Prophet of Ar-Rass means owners of the well, this was a community to whom a prophet was sent. When the people denied him, the community was annihilated. Where this community lived, and which prophet was sent to them is not mentioned in the Qur’an, but its mention is made in it to provide a lesson to others, the details concerning this community are also not stated in any Sahih Hadith, therefore we will have to rest content with the broad outlines given in the Qur’an. The different statements quoted by the commentators are their flight of fancy.

52. It is learnt that there are many peoples to whom messengers were sent and as a result of their not being accepted by their people these communities were destroyed. But the Qur’an has not mentioned the names of these communities. These communities might have lived within various bigger nations, and no wonder that some community of the ancient India might have been annihilated for this reason.

53. That is: They were explained by means of examples, and the example of the destroyed communities was presented

54. Means the townships of the people of Loot (Lot). For explanation, see Surah Hood, Note No.¹¹⁹.

55.If a man is neither serious nor sober, he does not take any lesson from the events around him. Those who do not want that they should get another life and that their Lord should give them reward for their virtuous deeds, they interpret the prophetic histories in a wrong way and are complacent and happy in their materialistic pleasures.

56.That is: Today they are considering the message of unity of Allah conveyed by the Prophet is a danger for their religion and they term it as waywardness, but when they will see the dreadful consequence of their idolatry and polytheism, then will they realise that devotion to their idols and deities was a totally wayward act and that they had gone too far in their waywardness. The path of guidance was that very path towards which Allah’s messenger was calling them.

57. Making their desire as their god, means that man becomes a slave to his own desires and lust. Instead of listening to the nature’s invitation and following the guidance of healthy common sense such a person surrenders himself to his carnal desires. He opposes the divine revelation because his desires do not obey him, and it is only the materialistic and desire-worshipping attitude which knocks a man from his higher pedestal to the level of an animal. In modern times this line of no resistance helps man to carve an idol of his desire in his heart and he becomes its worshipper.

58. One can make a man understand a thing if that man uses his intellect. If a man has become blind in pursuit of his carnal desires, a prophet cannot make him understand any good thing.

59. For explanation, please see Surah A’raf, Note No.276.