Surah 36. Ya-Sin

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Verses [Section]: 1-12[1], 13-32 [2], 33-50 [3], 51-67 [4], 68-83 [5]

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Quran Text of Verse 68-83وَ مَنْAnd (he) whomنُّعَمِّرْهُWe grant him long lifeنُنَكِّسْهُWe reverse himفِیinالْخَلْقِ ؕthe creationاَفَلَاThen will notیَعْقِلُوْنَ they use intellect وَ مَاAnd notعَلَّمْنٰهُWe taught himالشِّعْرَ[the] poetryوَ مَاand notیَنْۢبَغِیْit is befittingلَهٗ ؕfor himاِنْNotهُوَitاِلَّا(is) exceptذِكْرٌa Reminderوَّ قُرْاٰنٌand a Quranمُّبِیْنٌۙclear لِّیُنْذِرَTo warnمَنْ(him) whoكَانَisحَیًّاaliveوَّ یَحِقَّand may be proved trueالْقَوْلُthe Wordعَلَیagainstالْكٰفِرِیْنَ the disbelievers 36. Ya-Sin Page 445اَوَ لَمْDo notیَرَوْاthey seeاَنَّاthat Weخَلَقْنَا[We] createdلَهُمْfor themمِّمَّاfrom whatعَمِلَتْhave madeاَیْدِیْنَاۤOur handsاَنْعَامًاcattleفَهُمْthen theyلَهَا[for them]مٰلِكُوْنَ (are the) owners وَ ذَلَّلْنٰهَاAnd We have tamed themلَهُمْfor themفَمِنْهَاso some of themرَكُوْبُهُمْthey ride themوَ مِنْهَاand some of themیَاْكُلُوْنَ they eat وَ لَهُمْAnd for themفِیْهَاthereinمَنَافِعُ(are) benefitsوَ مَشَارِبُ ؕand drinksاَفَلَاso (will) notیَشْكُرُوْنَ they give thanks وَ اتَّخَذُوْاBut they have takenمِنْbesidesدُوْنِbesidesاللّٰهِAllahاٰلِهَةًgodsلَّعَلَّهُمْthat they mayیُنْصَرُوْنَؕbe helped لَاNotیَسْتَطِیْعُوْنَthey are ableنَصْرَهُمْ ۙto help themوَ هُمْbut theyلَهُمْfor themجُنْدٌ(are) host(s)مُّحْضَرُوْنَ (who will) be brought فَلَاSo (let) notیَحْزُنْكَgrieve youقَوْلُهُمْ ۘtheir speechاِنَّاIndeed Weنَعْلَمُ[We] knowمَاwhatیُسِرُّوْنَthey concealوَ مَاand whatیُعْلِنُوْنَ they declare اَوَ لَمْDoes notیَرَseeالْاِنْسَانُ[the] manاَنَّاthat Weخَلَقْنٰهُ[We] created himمِنْfromنُّطْفَةٍa sperm-dropفَاِذَاThen behold!هُوَHeخَصِیْمٌ(is) an opponentمُّبِیْنٌ clear وَ ضَرَبَAnd he sets forthلَنَاfor Usمَثَلًاan exampleوَّ نَسِیَand forgetsخَلْقَهٗ ؕhis (own) creationقَالَHe saysمَنْWhoیُّحْیِwill give lifeالْعِظَامَ(to) the bonesوَ هِیَwhile theyرَمِیْمٌ (are) decomposed قُلْSayیُحْیِیْهَاHe will give them lifeالَّذِیْۤWhoاَنْشَاَهَاۤproduced themاَوَّلَ(the) firstمَرَّةٍ ؕtimeوَ هُوَand Heبِكُلِّ(is) of everyخَلْقٍcreationعَلِیْمُۙAll-Knower لَّذِیْThe One Whoجَعَلَmadeلَكُمْfor youمِّنَfromالشَّجَرِthe treeالْاَخْضَرِ[the] greenنَارًاfireفَاِذَاۤand behold!اَنْتُمْYouمِّنْهُfrom itتُوْقِدُوْنَ ignite اَوَ لَیْسَIs it notالَّذِیْ(He) Whoخَلَقَcreatedالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضَand the earthبِقٰدِرٍAbleعَلٰۤیtoاَنْ[that]یَّخْلُقَcreateمِثْلَهُمْ ؔؕ(the) like of themبَلٰی ۗYes indeed!وَ هُوَand Heالْخَلّٰقُ(is) the Supreme Creatorالْعَلِیْمُ the All-Knower اِنَّمَاۤOnlyاَمْرُهٗۤHis CommandاِذَاۤwhenاَرَادَHe intendsشَیْـًٔاa thingاَنْthatیَّقُوْلَHe saysلَهٗto itكُنْBeفَیَكُوْنُ and it is فَسُبْحٰنَSo glorified beالَّذِیْ(He) Whoبِیَدِهٖin Whose handمَلَكُوْتُis (the) dominionكُلِّ(of) allشَیْءٍthingsوَّ اِلَیْهِand to Himتُرْجَعُوْنَ۠you will be returned

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Translation of Verse 68-83

68. He whom We bring to old age, We reverse him in Creation. Then do they not understand ?⁷³

69. We have not taught him (the Prophet) poetry, nor does it behave him. This is nothing less than a Reminder, and a clear Quran. ⁷⁴

70. To warn the living, and the sentence may be justified on the disbelievers. ⁷⁵

71. Do they not see how among the things Our hands have made We have created for them the cattle of which they are masters? ⁷⁶

72. And We subjugated these to them so that they may ride on some and eat the flesh of others.

73. And for them there are (other) benefits⁷⁷ and drinks ⁷⁸ from them. Will they not then give thanks?⁷⁹

74. And they have taken (other) gods beside Allah in order that they may be helped.

75. They cannot help them, but they will be hauled up as their army.⁸⁰

76. Let their speech not grieve you.⁸¹ We know what they conceal and what they proclaim.

77. Does man not realise that We created him from a drop of human seed? Yet he is an open disputer.⁸²

78. He invents similarities ⁸³ for Us and forgets his own creation.⁸⁴ He says: “Who will give life to rotten bones?”

79. Say : “He will give them life again who created them at the first time, and He has knowledge of every creation.⁸⁵

80. ”Who produced for you fire from the green tree, and from that you kindle (your fuel).”⁸⁶

81. Is He Who has created the heavens and the earth not able to create their like?⁸⁷ He surely is! for He is the All-Knowing, Great Creator.⁸⁸

82. His command, When He intends, is only that He says: “Be”! and it is.⁸⁹

83. Immaculate is He in whose hands is the control of everything ! To Him you all will be returned.⁹⁰

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Commentary

73. For further explanation please see Surah Nahl, Note No.104.

Here it may be noted that the God who diminishes the energy and faculties of man in old age can take away these faculties from men at any time at any stage. If man contemplates on his capabilities from this aspect then he cannot feel proud over his strength, capabilities or achievement, and he would bow before God.

74. This is the refutation of this charge of the disbelievers that the Prophet is a poet and the Quran is a collection of verses. It states that We did not teach Our Prophet to compose poetry nor does anyone become a Prophet by writing poetry. These words are nothing but reminders and admonition and a plain book worthy of reading. In poetry there is rhyming and balancing, therefore, a poet in order to rhyme and balance his words brings in far off ideas and imaginative things. Instead of presenting any well-knit idea he presents scattered views and disparate thoughts. In other words the characteristic of poetry is mere imaginative writing. Therefore, it is very much below dignity for a prophet. Whatever a prophet says, it is solid, unchangeable and based on reality. For this reason Allah did not teach the Prophet, Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam, to write poetry. The Quran which was revealed to the Prophet has no relation with poetry. Any person who has studied it can feel that there is no room for conjecture or imaginative statements. There has not been any balancing of words in this for merely rhyming, but this Book reminds man of his forgotten lesson, and it is out and out a counsel and such a clear word that everybody can understand it and can achieve guidance and piety.

75. That is: Those whose hearts are not dead but are living, they will accept the influence of the Prophet’s warning that is being given through the Quran. As for those whose hearts are totally dead, they cannot take any benefit and advice from it. However for them Allah’s message has been convincingly conveyed to them and on the Day of Judgment they will not be able to put up this excuse that they did not know about this adverse consequence.

76. It means that these cattle which man possesses are the creation of Allah only and not of any other being. From these cattle man derives immense benefit.

The meaning and sense of the ayah is fully clear, and it is not at all necessary to go into the discussion as to what is the reality of Allah’s hands. It is sufficient for us to know that there is nothing like Him. Therefore, Allah’s hands cannot be imagined to be on the lines of the hands of His creatures.

77. Benefits like hide (skin), wool, etc. and farm work with the oxen.

78. That is: Various kinds of milk from goats, cows and she-camels.

79. When these delectable things are provided by Allah, then it is obligatory that He should be given His due thanks, and these thanks will be acceptable only when He will be recognized as the only God and will be worshipped and obeyed sincerely.

80. That is : How will these deities of theirs help them, when the devotees will be hauled up before God as the army of their deities for the punishment. In the world they shouted slogans of their gods’ victories, they made the idols of their deities and built their temples and harassed and quarreled with the worshippers of the One and Only God, so much so that they fought battles in support of their deities. Thus they lived as the army of their deities. Therefore, on the Day of Judgment they will be hauled up before Allah as the sena (army) of these deities.

81. These are the comforting words for the Prophet, Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam, that when his opponents are not ready to accept his reasonable suggestions and points, then he need not grieve, for they will get what is coming to them, their due punishment.

82. Although man is created from a little drop of sperm, which is very lowly, yet he is so conceited with his greatness that he is not prepared to listen to the words of His Lord and standsup as an opponent. Had he contemplated his insignificance, he would have developed in himself a sense of worship for the Lord, and of humility and indebtedness, but he forgets his own reality and says such things which are contrary to truth, and to utter such words does not become man.

83. That is: Imagining Allah to be like other creatures, he says such things about Him which amount to there being defects and deficiencies in the being and attributes of Allah, when Allah is absolutely free of every kind of defect and deficiency.

84. That is: Thinks that Allah cannot revive dead humans, and he forgets about his own creation that Allah created him from a little drop of sperm (semen) and made him into a living human being. The Being who can do this, how can His power be limited?

85. He knows fully well every minute detail about His creatures. He is also aware about the components of every creature and of every quality and attribute of every creature. Then is if difficult for him to create again all mankind?

86. In the ancient times when the matches and the lighter were not invented, branches of particular trees were used for kindling fire by rubbing them against each other. In those days in Arabia two kinds of trees were found which were known as ‘Markh’; and A ‘far’.One was supposed to be male other female. The wellknown Arabic Dictionary, Lisanul Arab, gives the following clarification about them :

“These are Markh and A ‘far, and both these trees have fire in them, which is not found in other trees. From their branches ‘striking’ or ‘rubbing’ pieces are made and by their friction fire is kindled. Azhari says that he has seen these trees in the desert.” -(Lisanul Arab Vol.4, page 589).

To produce fire from green trees is a great wonderful phenomenon, and it is also God’s wonderful power that the wood that is used for burning also comes from the green trees. Water is also a compound of oxygen and hydrogen gases, and oxygen is highly inflammable. These discoveries of Science has presented to us various amazing examples of Allah’s great power.

87. That is: To create human beings similar to those that were created on this earth.

88. He is not tired after creating such a huge number of humans, He has unimaginable power, and nothing is going to be reduced from the power house at His command. He has knowledge of everything and there is no likelihood of there being any mistake by Him.

89. For creating a thing, He has not to take any trouble or make any efforts, He has merely to desire or wish a thing and say ‘Be’ and instantly that thing comes into existence.

This is absolutely the most correct knowledge about Allah’s creative power that Quran has given to mankind. After this there remains no room for those philosophical discussions in which the people of religions have engaged themselves.

90. This is the last ayah of this surah in which in a few words three important points have been stated, and they have been stated in such a way that they strike the right chords in our heart: First is this that Allah’s being is free of every kind of defect and deficiency, secondly everything is under His control, and He rules over everything. In this universe all authority vests in Him. And thirdly this that ultimately everybody has to go back to appear before Him so that he may give an account of what good or evil he has done to get the reward or the punishment, as the case may be. Thus the topics of Tawheed (monotheism) and the Hereafter both have been collected in this ayah, and from these the topic of Prophethood automatically emerges. This is an obvious example of Quranic brevity and miracle of speech.