Surah 46. Al-Ahqaf

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-20 [2], 21-26 [3], 27-35 [4]

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Quran Text of Verse 11-20وَ قَالَAnd sayالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelieveلِلَّذِیْنَof those whoاٰمَنُوْاbelieveلَوْIfكَانَit had beenخَیْرًاgoodمَّاnotسَبَقُوْنَاۤthey (would) have preceded usاِلَیْهِ ؕto itوَ اِذْAnd whenلَمْnotیَهْتَدُوْاthey (are) guidedبِهٖby itفَسَیَقُوْلُوْنَthey sayهٰذَاۤThisاِفْكٌ(is) a lieقَدِیْمٌ ancient وَ مِنْAnd before itقَبْلِهٖAnd before itكِتٰبُ(was the) Scriptureمُوْسٰۤی(of) Musaاِمَامًا(as) a guideوَّ رَحْمَةً ؕand a mercyوَ هٰذَاAnd thisكِتٰبٌ(is) a Bookمُّصَدِّقٌconfirmingلِّسَانًا(in) languageعَرَبِیًّاArabicلِّیُنْذِرَto warnالَّذِیْنَthose whoظَلَمُوْا ۖۗdo wrongوَ بُشْرٰیand (as) a glad tidingsلِلْمُحْسِنِیْنَۚfor the good-doers اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoقَالُوْاsayرَبُّنَاOur Lordاللّٰهُ(is) Allahثُمَّthenاسْتَقَامُوْاremain firmفَلَاthen noخَوْفٌfearعَلَیْهِمْon themوَ لَاand norهُمْtheyیَحْزَنُوْنَۚwill grieve اُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseاَصْحٰبُ(are the) companionsالْجَنَّةِ(of) Paradiseخٰلِدِیْنَabiding foreverفِیْهَا ۚthereinجَزَآءًۢa rewardبِمَاfor whatكَانُوْاthey used (to)یَعْمَلُوْنَ do 46. Al-Ahqaf Page 504وَ وَصَّیْنَاAnd We have enjoinedالْاِنْسَانَ(on) manبِوَالِدَیْهِto his parentsاِحْسٰنًا ؕkindnessحَمَلَتْهُCarried himاُمُّهٗhis motherكُرْهًا(with) hardshipوَّ وَضَعَتْهُand gave birth to himكُرْهًا ؕ(with) hardshipوَ حَمْلُهٗAnd (the) bearing of himوَ فِصٰلُهٗand (the) weaning of himثَلٰثُوْنَ(is) thirtyشَهْرًا ؕmonth(s)حَتّٰۤیuntilاِذَاwhenبَلَغَhe reachesاَشُدَّهٗhis maturityوَ بَلَغَand reachesاَرْبَعِیْنَfortyسَنَةً ۙyear(s)قَالَhe saysرَبِّMy Lordاَوْزِعْنِیْۤgrant me (the) powerاَنْthatاَشْكُرَI may be gratefulنِعْمَتَكَ(for) Your favorالَّتِیْۤwhichاَنْعَمْتَYou have bestowedعَلَیَّupon meوَ عَلٰیand uponوَالِدَیَّmy parentsوَ اَنْand thatاَعْمَلَI doصَالِحًاrighteous (deeds)تَرْضٰىهُwhich please Youوَ اَصْلِحْand make righteousلِیْfor meفِیْamongذُرِّیَّتِیْ ؕۚmy offspringاِنِّیْindeedتُبْتُI turnاِلَیْكَto Youوَ اِنِّیْand indeed I amمِنَofالْمُسْلِمِیْنَ those who submit اُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseالَّذِیْنَ(are) the onesنَتَقَبَّلُWe will acceptعَنْهُمْfrom themاَحْسَنَ(the) bestمَا(of) whatعَمِلُوْاthey didوَ نَتَجَاوَزُand We will overlookعَنْfromسَیِّاٰتِهِمْtheir evil deedsفِیْۤamongاَصْحٰبِ(the) companionsالْجَنَّةِ ؕ(of) ParadiseوَعْدَA promiseالصِّدْقِtrueالَّذِیْwhichكَانُوْاthey wereیُوْعَدُوْنَ promised وَ الَّذِیْBut the one whoقَالَsaysلِوَالِدَیْهِto his parentsاُفٍّUffلَّكُمَاۤto both of youاَتَعِدٰنِنِیْۤDo you promise meاَنْthatاُخْرَجَI will be brought forthوَ قَدْand have already passed awayخَلَتِand have already passed awayالْقُرُوْنُthe generationsمِنْbefore meقَبْلِیْ ۚbefore meوَ هُمَاAnd they bothیَسْتَغِیْثٰنِseek helpاللّٰهَ(of) AllahوَیْلَكَWoe to youاٰمِنْ ۖۗBelieveاِنَّIndeedوَعْدَ(the) Promiseاللّٰهِ(of) Allahحَقٌّ ۖۚ(is) trueفَیَقُوْلُBut he saysمَاNotهٰذَاۤ(is) thisاِلَّاۤbutاَسَاطِیْرُ(the) storiesالْاَوَّلِیْنَ (of) the former (people) اُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseالَّذِیْنَ(are) the onesحَقَّ(has) proved trueعَلَیْهِمُagainst themالْقَوْلُthe wordفِیْۤamongاُمَمٍnationsقَدْ(that) already passed awayخَلَتْ(that) already passed awayمِنْbefore themقَبْلِهِمْbefore themمِّنَofالْجِنِّ(the) jinnوَ الْاِنْسِ ؕand the menاِنَّهُمْIndeed, theyكَانُوْاareخٰسِرِیْنَ (the) losers وَ لِكُلٍّAnd for allدَرَجٰتٌ(are) degreesمِّمَّاfor whatعَمِلُوْا ۚthey didوَ لِیُوَفِّیَهُمْand that He may fully compensate themاَعْمَالَهُمْ(for) their deedsوَ هُمْand theyلَاwill not be wrongedیُظْلَمُوْنَ will not be wronged وَ یَوْمَAnd (the) Dayیُعْرَضُwill be exposedالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedعَلَیtoالنَّارِ ؕthe FireاَذْهَبْتُمْYou exhaustedطَیِّبٰتِكُمْyour good thingsفِیْinحَیَاتِكُمُyour lifeالدُّنْیَا(of) the worldوَ اسْتَمْتَعْتُمْand you took your pleasuresبِهَا ۚthereinفَالْیَوْمَSo todayتُجْزَوْنَyou will be recompensedعَذَابَ(with) a punishmentالْهُوْنِhumiliatingبِمَاbecauseكُنْتُمْyou wereتَسْتَكْبِرُوْنَarrogantفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthبِغَیْرِwithoutالْحَقِّ[the] rightوَ بِمَاand becauseكُنْتُمْyou wereتَفْسُقُوْنَ۠defiantly disobedient

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Translation of Verse 11-20

11. The disbelievers say regarding the believers that if this (Quran) were a good thing, then these people would not have attained it first, before us.¹⁵ And since they have not obtained Guidance from it, they will say this is an old falsehood. ¹⁶

12. Though before this the Book of Moses has arrived as a guide and a mercy.¹⁷ And this Book confirms it ¹⁸ in the Arabic language so that it may warn the wrongdoers ¹⁹ and it is a glad tiding for the righteous.

13. Those who said: Allah is our Lord and then remained firm thereon there is no fear for them and neither will they grieve.²⁰

14. These are the people of the Garden where they will dwell for ever. This will be the Reward for their deeds.²¹

15. We have commended unto man kindness to his parents.²² His mother bore him in pain and gave birth to him in pain.²³ The bearing of him and the weaning of him is thirty months.²⁴ Till when he attains the prime of life and reaches the age of forty ²⁵ he prayed: O my Lord! Grant me that I may give thanks for the favour which you have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and I may do right acceptable to you. And be gracious to me in my issue. I have turned to You and I am of the Muslimeen (Your obedient). ²⁶

16. We shall accept the best deeds of such people ²⁷ and overlook their evil deeds. They shall be among the companions of the Garden. True promise which was made to them.

17. And he who says to his parents: Fie on you! Do you threaten me that I shall he brought forth again (from the grave) whereas several generations have passed before me.²⁸ And both of them seek Allah’s help and say to him: Woe to you ! Believe. The promise of Allah is true. But he says that these are fables of the ancient people.²⁹

18. Such are the people against whom is proved the dictum of Allah (His sentence) among the previous generations of jinns and men.³⁰ Certainly they will he the losers.

19. And for each there will be ranks according to his deeds.³¹ And that He may pay them fully for their deeds. And no injustice will be done to them.

20. And on the Day when those who disbelieve shall be placed before the Fire (it will be said to them) you obtained your good things in the life of the world and you took pleasure from them.³² So this Day you will be awarded the punishment of ignominy because you were arrogant on earth without just cause and because you disobeyed.³³

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Commentary

15. These are the words of the leaders of disbelievers and the owners of worldly status. They thought that we possess this pomp and glory only because Allah is pleased with us.

Therefore, had this Quran been revealed by Allah, then, first of all He would have bestowed such a big good (advantage) upon us. But since we did not get such guidance and those people have accepted it who are poor and without access and influence then how could it be a God sent good? It was only due to this wrong mentality of theirs that they remained deprived of Guidance.

16. That is: all the Quranic talks about reward and punishment are totally false and that the history of this falsehood is very old because, the people of the past were also being terrified with such talks.

17. That is: how the thing which is being declared ‘falsehood’ by them can be false when it has been guiding people correctly. Accordingly people have been guided by the Torah and Allah’s mercy has sheltered them.

18. Basically Quran presents the same teaching as the Torah. This is not such a book which is teaching something new.

19. By ‘wrong doers’ is meant those people who are doing wrong to their own selves by indulging in a sin like polytheism.

20. For explanation please see Surah Haa Meem Sajdah, Notes 44,45

We have commended unto man kindness to his parents. His mother bore him in pain and gave birth to him in pain. The bearing of him and the weaning of him is thirty months. Till when he attains the prime of life and reaches the age of forty he prayed: O my Lord! Grant me that I may give thanks for the favour which you have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and I may do right acceptable to you. And be gracious to me in my issue. I have turned to You and I am of the Muslimeen (Your obedient

21. That is: Jannat (Paradise) is not a thing which can be gained without paying any price. It will be given as a reward for deeds. Hence whoever desires to get the Garden should show his being worthy of it in his practical life.

22. Parents’ right is the biggest of all rights to which Allah’s slaves are entitled. Hence Allah has very forcefully enjoined upon giving good treatment to parents. Good treatment includes giving respect and honour to them, serving them, helping them, efforts to please them, making sacrifice for them and praying to Allah for their wellbeing This is the demand of man’s natural relation with them. Therefore Shariat has attached great importance to it, and has termed it a very big virtue. But the western society which has become empty of morality does not recognize this right of parents. There children remain totally careless about their parents needs and feelings and do not feel any responsibility concerning them. How can those who do not recognized the rights of Allah recognize the rights of His slaves! For further clarification please see Surah Luqmaan, Note 17, 20 and 21 Surah Bani Israil Note 28 .

23. It is on the basis of this that, compared to father, the mother is more entitled to polite behavior. This point of the Ayah has been explicitly described by the Holy Prophet. The tradition goes: “ A man came before the Holy Prophet and said: Who is most entitled to my courtesy? The Prophet replied: Your mother.He asked: who after that? Replied:Your mother. He again inquired: who thereafter? Answered: Your mother. He again asked Thereafter?“Your father” came the reply of the Holy Prophet”. (Bukhari ‘Kitabul Adab’)

24. In this Ayah the duration of bearing and weaning is jointly shown thirty months whereas the period of weaning is mentioned as two years. “ And his weaning is in two years”. Moreover, in Surah Baqarah the weaning period is mentioned full two years (Surah Baqarah Ayat: 233). Therefore the religious jurisprudents (Fuqahaa) have, from this Ayat of Surah Ahqaaf, derived that the minimum period of pregnancy is six months. It means that if a child is born six months after Nikah (marriage) it will be regarded as a lawful offspring.

25. Man arrives at the age of discretion when he becomes a youth and his mind becomes ripe when he is forty.

26. This Ayah describes the character of a man who fears Allah and apprehends his responsibility to Allah. As soon as he arrives at the age of discretion he remembers Allah’s beneficence, especially His favour that He granted offspring to his parents and enabled them to nourish him. When he reaches the age of forty years this feeling becomes stronger and he prays for the grant of being thankful and virtuous. He also prays that his children too be virtuous. It has become clear that a virtuous man likes to see his children too virtuous. Such a man will inevitably give religious education and training to his children and rear them appropriately. In this Ayat the words “I may do right acceptable to You” indicate that only that deed is credible which is done with the pure intention of pleasing Allah and which does not have even an iota of show or pretence.

27. Since the good deeds of such persons are not only good in themselves but have also been done with a good intention and in proper spirit they are the best deeds in the sight of Allah and they will be acceptable to Him.

28. Those people who have died will not return alive.

29. This is the character of that fellow who denies Hereafter. When his parents tell him to accept Faith he says that the second life is a mere fable. Instead of accepting the advice of his parents he behaves arrogantly with them. This Ayat clearly indicates the circumstances prevailing at the time of its revelation. Both the characters described in this Ayat had then come forth to surface prominently.

30. The people of such character are worthy of punishment. They are among that group of men and jinn which has been worthy of punishment in the past.

31. The rank of a person in paradise will be in accordance with his virtuousness. Similarly the place of a sinner in Hell too will be in accordance with his evils. If man wants a high rank in Heaven he should do good deeds of high standard.

32. That is: You were so much involved in the worldly comforts bestowed upon you by Allah that you forgot both Allah and the Hereafter. The worldly favours are meant to make man thankful to his Lord. They should be so used that man may get its better exchange in the other life, and not be a mere hoarder and a materialist.

33. Arrogance indicates the pride in one’s heart and ‘Fisq’ (disobedience) indicates evil deeds.