Surah 45. Al-Jathiyah

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Verses [Section]: 1-11[1], 12-21 [2], 22-26 [3], 27-37 [4]

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Quran Text of Verse 22-26وَ خَلَقَAnd Allah createdاللّٰهُAnd Allah createdالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضَand the earthبِالْحَقِّin truthوَ لِتُجْزٰیand that may be recompensedكُلُّeveryنَفْسٍۭsoulبِمَاfor whatكَسَبَتْit has earnedوَ هُمْand theyلَاwill not be wrongedیُظْلَمُوْنَ will not be wronged 45. Al-Jathiyah Page 501اَفَرَءَیْتَHave you seenمَنِ(he) whoاتَّخَذَtakesاِلٰهَهٗ(as) his godهَوٰىهُhis desireوَ اَضَلَّهُand Allah lets him go astrayاللّٰهُand Allah lets him go astrayعَلٰیknowinglyعِلْمٍknowinglyوَّ خَتَمَand He sets a sealعَلٰیuponسَمْعِهٖhis hearingوَ قَلْبِهٖand his heartوَ جَعَلَand putsعَلٰیoverبَصَرِهٖhis visionغِشٰوَةً ؕa veilفَمَنْThen whoیَّهْدِیْهِwill guide himمِنْۢafterبَعْدِafterاللّٰهِ ؕAllahاَفَلَاThen will notتَذَكَّرُوْنَ you receive admonition وَ قَالُوْاAnd they sayمَاNotهِیَitاِلَّا(is) butحَیَاتُنَاour lifeالدُّنْیَا(of) the worldنَمُوْتُwe dieوَ نَحْیَاand we liveوَ مَاand notیُهْلِكُنَاۤdestroys usاِلَّاexceptالدَّهْرُ ۚthe timeوَ مَاAnd notلَهُمْfor themبِذٰلِكَof thatمِنْanyعِلْمٍ ۚknowledgeاِنْnotهُمْtheyاِلَّا(do) butیَظُنُّوْنَ guess وَ اِذَاAnd whenتُتْلٰیare recitedعَلَیْهِمْto themاٰیٰتُنَاOur Versesبَیِّنٰتٍclearمَّاnotكَانَisحُجَّتَهُمْtheir argumentاِلَّاۤexceptاَنْthatقَالُواthey sayائْتُوْاBringبِاٰبَآىِٕنَاۤour forefathersاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou areصٰدِقِیْنَ truthful قُلِSayاللّٰهُAllahیُحْیِیْكُمْgives you lifeثُمَّthenیُمِیْتُكُمْcauses you to dieثُمَّthenیَجْمَعُكُمْHe will gather youاِلٰیtoیَوْمِ(the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrectionلَاnoرَیْبَdoubtفِیْهِabout itوَ لٰكِنَّButاَكْثَرَmostالنَّاسِ(of) the peopleلَا(do) notیَعْلَمُوْنَ۠know

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Translation of Verse 22-26

22. And Allah created the heavens and the earth with truth,³⁰and so that every soul may be repaid what it has earned.³¹And they will not be wronged.³²

23. Did you see him who makes his desire his god,³³the man whom Allah in error ,³⁴setting a seal upon his ears, and heart and drawing a veil over his eyes leaves? ³⁵Who can guide him after Allah³⁶(has withdrawn guidance)? Will you not then take heed?³⁷

24. And they say:“There is nothing but the life of the world we die and we live here, and nothing destroys us exept time.”³⁸(In fact) they have no knowledge of this, they do merely guess.³⁹

25. And when Our clear revelations are recited to them, they say: “Then bring back our fathers, if you are truthful.”⁴⁰

26. Say: “Allah gives you life, then causes you to die, then He will gather you all on the Day of Resurrection. Of this there is no doubt, yet most men do not know it.”⁴¹

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Commentary

30. Explanation has been given in Surah Dukhan Note No.42.

31. This is the truthful purpose for which the world was created. If the matter of reward and punishment was not to occur, then there would not have been any purpose for this universe. Those who deny the ultimate reward and punishment are not able to fix up any purpose for the creation of this universe. And what a tragedy that man is in darkness about this purpose of his own and the universe’s creation and should live without knowing what is going to happen in future, and what preparations are necessary for the final showdown. Can there be any doubt about the failure of a person who considers the examination Hall to be a place. for merrymaking?

32. It has become clear that the severe and eternal punishment which will be meted out to the disbelievers will be quite justified. Only those people can term it as unjust who are unaware of the balance of justice that has been established in the universe: “He raised high the sky and established the balance.”-(Surah Rahman:7)

33. For explanation please see Surah Furqan Note No.57. To leave aside knowledge, intelligence and the light of the divine revelation, and to follow the carnal desires is as good as worshipping them, that is why they have been termed as to have been made deities, otherwise nobody actually worships his own desires. Allama Aaloosi has explained the ayah thus: “This is an expression of amazement on the condition of a person, who inspite of following the divine guidance obeys his own desires, as if he is worshipping them. To make it more effective a metaphor is used here.” -(Roohul Ma’ani, part 25, page 152).

34. He has not been left in error unknowingly, but Allah did it with full knowledge of his condition that he is not prepared to accept the guidance. The condition of his thinking was known to Allah, so Allah left him to wander.

35. For explanation please see Surah Baqarah Note No.15.

36. Whoever comes under the divine law of misguidance none can make him understand nor guide him.

37. This is a warning for the listeners of Quran to take heed otherwise they would also become like worshippers of desires.

38. In the ayah the word ‘Dahr’ is used which means Time. The polytheists of Makkah were not the deniers of the existence of God, but they thought that other beings were in such a position that they could make or mar anybody. And among them was also a group which did not consider Allah as one who caused death, but that death occurred due to passage of time. They thought that death was neither a part of divine plan nor was there a second life after death. Therefore, they used to consider their end dependent on the passage of time, that a time comes and a man passes away, as man used to get young and old with the passage of time. For this reason they used to abuse the time if any disaster occurred causing inconvenience. This has been forbidden by the Prophet (S.A.W.) in a hadith : “Allah says children of Adam abuse Time, although I am Time, and the night and day are under my control.” (Sahih Bukhari -Kitabul Adab). The meaning of the words ‘I am Time’ is not that Allah exists in the material form as time. Allah is free from and beyond the possibility of having any material existence. All things that have material existence are created ones and not the Creator. Allah is the Creator of all material things, therefore, time is also a created thing and not the creator. The meaning of this Hadith Qudsi is this that when a person receives some harm from a thing, he abuses time considering it to have come from that source. But in fact it is Allah who causes changes in the circumstances and conditions of the world, therefore, whatever good or bad thing is received by man is not without the knowledge and bidding of Allah. To curse Time for this is to (God forbid) curse God, because time does not cause any harm to anybody. It may be noted that the word ‘Dahriya’ is presently used for a person who is an absolute denier of God or an atheist and thinks passage of time as the cause of all acts. But whatever is stated in the ayah is about the polytheists, though it applies to atheists also.

39. This assertion of theirs is not based on any logic, but is merely guesswork, on the basis of which they talk in this way, otherwise how do they know that there is no spirit which would face any problem after death and that all are to be revived on a certain day.

40. This argument of theirs is no argument at all. They present it and ask that if dead people can be made to come to life again, then bring their fathers back to life. This demand was totally absurd, because Quran states that revival of all humans will take place on the Day of Resurrection, and not at any time in this world. If it were to take place in the world, then where was the question of accepting faith and where was the occasion for taking test?

41.This is a positive answer to their question, that passage of time does not give life nor does it cause death of anybody. It is Allah who gives life and who causes death, and He has fixed the Day of Resurrection for reviving all mankind, but a very large number of people does not know this absolute Truth.