Surah 47. Muhammad

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Verses [Section]: 1-11[1], 12-19 [2], 20-28 [3], 29-38 [4]

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Quran Text of Verse 20-2847. Muhammad Page 509وَ یَقُوْلُAnd sayالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْاbelieveلَوْ لَاWhy notنُزِّلَتْhas been revealedسُوْرَةٌ ۚa SurahفَاِذَاۤBut whenاُنْزِلَتْis revealedسُوْرَةٌa Surahمُّحْكَمَةٌpreciseوَّ ذُكِرَand is mentionedفِیْهَاin itالْقِتَالُ ۙthe fightingرَاَیْتَyou seeالَّذِیْنَthose whoفِیْinقُلُوْبِهِمْtheir heartsمَّرَضٌ(is) a diseaseیَّنْظُرُوْنَlookingاِلَیْكَat youنَظَرَa lookالْمَغْشِیِّ(of) one faintingعَلَیْهِ(of) one faintingمِنَfromالْمَوْتِ ؕthe deathفَاَوْلٰیBut more appropriateلَهُمْۚfor them طَاعَةٌ(Is) obedienceوَّ قَوْلٌand a wordمَّعْرُوْفٌ ۫kindفَاِذَاAnd whenعَزَمَ(is) determinedالْاَمْرُ ۫the matterفَلَوْthen ifصَدَقُواthey had been trueاللّٰهَ(to) Allahلَكَانَsurely it would have beenخَیْرًاbetterلَّهُمْۚfor them فَهَلْThen wouldعَسَیْتُمْyou perhapsاِنْifتَوَلَّیْتُمْyou are given authorityاَنْthatتُفْسِدُوْاyou cause corruptionفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthوَ تُقَطِّعُوْۤاand cut offاَرْحَامَكُمْ your ties of kinship اُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseالَّذِیْنَ(are) the onesلَعَنَهُمُAllah has cursed themاللّٰهُAllah has cursed themفَاَصَمَّهُمْso He made them deafوَ اَعْمٰۤیand blindedاَبْصَارَهُمْ their vision اَفَلَاThen do notیَتَدَبَّرُوْنَthey ponderالْقُرْاٰنَ(over) the Quranاَمْorعَلٰیuponقُلُوْبٍ(their) heartsاَقْفَالُهَا (are) locks اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoارْتَدُّوْاreturnعَلٰۤیonاَدْبَارِهِمْtheir backsمِّنْۢafterبَعْدِafterمَاwhatتَبَیَّنَ(has) become clearلَهُمُto themالْهُدَی ۙthe guidanceالشَّیْطٰنُShaitaanسَوَّلَenticedلَهُمْ ؕ[for] themوَ اَمْلٰیand prolonged hopeلَهُمْ for them ذٰلِكَThatبِاَنَّهُمْ(is) because theyقَالُوْا[they] saidلِلَّذِیْنَto those whoكَرِهُوْاhateمَاwhatنَزَّلَAllah has revealedاللّٰهُAllah has revealedسَنُطِیْعُكُمْWe will obey youفِیْinبَعْضِpartالْاَمْرِ ۖۚ(of) the matterوَ اللّٰهُBut Allahیَعْلَمُknowsاِسْرَارَهُمْ their secrets فَكَیْفَThen howاِذَاwhenتَوَفَّتْهُمُtake them in deathالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةُthe Angelsیَضْرِبُوْنَstrikingوُجُوْهَهُمْtheir facesوَ اَدْبَارَهُمْ and their backs ذٰلِكَThatبِاَنَّهُمُ(is) because theyاتَّبَعُوْاfollowedمَاۤwhatاَسْخَطَangeredاللّٰهَAllahوَ كَرِهُوْاand hatedرِضْوَانَهٗHis pleasureفَاَحْبَطَso He made worthlessاَعْمَالَهُمْ۠their deeds

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Translation of Verse 20-28

20. The believers were saying: Why a Surah (commanding jihad) is not being sent down? But when a Surah with a categorical commandment is revealed, containing the mention of Qital (War), you saw that those in whose hearts is a disease are looking at you with the look of one fainting into death.³⁸ So Woe unto them.

21. To obey and to say what is just (was the right attitude for them). So when a decisive order is given, it would have been the best for them to prove their truthfulness to Allah.³⁹

22. And if you turn away then what can be expected from you except that you will spread corruption in land and sever ties of kinship.⁴⁰

23. These are people whom Allah cursed and deafened them and blinded their eyes.⁴¹

24. Do they not ponder on the Quran, or are there locks on their hearts.⁴²

25. Those who turned back after the guidance had become manifest to them, Satan seduced them and lengthened a chain of hopes for them.⁴³

26. This is because they said to those who disliked the guidance revealed by Allah that we will obey you in some of the affairs ⁴⁴ Allah knows their Secrets.

27. So what will be their condition when the angels will take their souls, smiting their faces and their backs! ⁴⁵

28. This is because they followed the path which angered Allah and disliked His pleasure. So He frustrated their deeds.⁴⁶

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Commentary

38. That is the hypocrites almost fainted on hearing the order to wage the war (jihad). Only he who is sincere in his faith can put his life on stake, in the path of Allah. How can one who loves his life and property desire to sacrifice his life?

39. That is: when a categorical command for war (jihad) was issued it was essential for them to accept it wholeheartedly and to take practical steps to obey it. Had they done so it would have been only in their favour.

40. You are being asked to obey Allah and His prophet. You do not like it, even though welfare work is possible only in that way. During disobedience, man indulges in evil deeds believing them to be good. He behaves badly with his kith and kin due to selfishness. He thus cuts off the bonds of human brotherhood. It is only the consequence of turning away from the obedience to Allah and His prophet that the whole world has become corrupt today. A brother kills his brother and human brotherhood is being mercilessly broken. Anarchy and wars have rendered people restless. The current affairs amply prove that each and every word of the holy Quran is true. But man is not prepared to understand.

41. When Allah curses one, one becomes deaf for hearing the truth and blind to see the truth.

42. That is: had they pondered over Quran they would have gained guidance. But they never paid any attention to Quran and stuck to their wrong path. As a result of their insistence on their attitude the doors of their hearts closed and they could not accept truth. Like other Ayah of the holy Quran this ayah also invites the disbelievers and the hypocrites to ponder over Quran. It means that the Quran is for the understanding of everybody. Now those who do not know the Arabic language can benefit from any translation which, in their view, may be reliable. But we find a group among Muslims in whose opinion Quran can be understood only by Ulama (scholars).They do not only refrain from encouraging Muslim masses to read Quran with understanding but also stop them from reading it with translation and says that they might go astray by reading Quran with translation. The truth, however, is that there are many Muslims whose eyes opened after reading Quran with meaning. They are being constantly benefited by it. Several non- Muslims have embraced Islam after reading the meaning of the Quran. The fact is that whoever studies the holy Quran with a clean and open mind will only get guidance therefrom. The more he ponders over it the more enlightenment he will obtain. Of course, one whose heart has been locked for accepting the truth will always remain deprived of this blessing.

43. That is: those who became disbelievers after accepting Islam. This means the hypocrites who became Muslims and then turned away. They returned to the wrong path after understanding the truth because Satan deceived them and they fell in his trap. Satan said to them that you will gain such and such worldly benefits by returning to the religion of your ancestors.

44. They conspired with the unbelievers and told them that in the event of war with the Muslims they would be with the unbelievers. These talks were held in secret.

45.Now they are conspiring with the unbelievers just to save their lives from the danger of jihad. But they will have to die one day. So when they will die in the state of unbelief and when the angels of death will beat them while taking away their souls what will happen to them?! These Ayah also clarify that the souls of unbelievers have to suffer torment in the life of Barzakh,that is, between death and resurrection. It is called “Azab-e- Qabr” (Torment of the grave) in the holy prophet’s sayings. There is no sign of this torture on the body of the dead fellow, which clearly shows that what is punished is the soul. Face and back mentioned here mean the face and the back of the soul which are beaten by angels. (For further explanation see Surah Mumin, Note 71).

46. The worship and good deeds of the hypocrites which appeared righteous could not gain acceptance of Allah because of their unbelief. Hence they went in vain.