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Tafsir Ishraq al-Ma'ani

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Introduction | Wiki
1. Al-Fatihah
2. Al-Baqarah
3. Al-Imran
4. Al-Nisa
5. Al-Maidah
6. Al-Anam
7. Al-Araf
8. Al-Anfal
9. Al-Taubah
10. Yunus
11. Hud
12. Yusuf
13. Al-Rad
14. Ibrahim
15. Al-Hijr
16. Al-Nahl
17. Bani Israil
18. Al-Kahf
19. Maryam
20. Ta-Ha
21. Al-Anbiya
22. Al-Hajj
23. Al-Muminun
24. An-Nur
25. Al-Furqan
26. Ash-Shuara
27. An-Naml
28. Al-Qasas
29. Al-Ankabut
30. Ar-Rum
31. Luqman
32. As-Sajdah
33. Al-Ahzab
34. Saba
35. Fatir
36. Yasin
37. As-Saffat
38. Saad
39. Az-Zumar
40. Al-Mumin
41. Ha-Meem-As-Sajdah
42. AShura
43. Az-Zukhruf
44. Ad-Dukhan
45. Al-Jathiyah
46. Al-Ahqaf
47. Muhammad
48. Al-Fath
49. Al-Hujurat
50. Al-Qaf
51. Adh-Dhariyat
52. At-Tur
53. An-Najm
54. Al-Qamar
55. Al-Rahman
56. Al-Waqiah
57. Al-Hadid
58. Al-Mujadalah
59. Al-Hashr
60. Al-Mumtahinah
61. As-Saff
62. Al-Jumuah
63. Al-Munafiqun
64. Al-Taghabun
65. At-Talaq
66. At-Tahrim
67. Al-Mulk
68. Al-Qalam
69. Al-Haqqah
70. Al-Maarij
71. Nuh
72. Al-Jinn
73. Al-Muzzammil
74. Al-Muddhththir
75. Al-Qiyamah
76. Ad-Dahr
77. Al-Mursalat
78. An-Naba
79. An-Naziat
80. Abas
81. At-Takwir
82. Al-Infitar
83. At-Tatfif
84. Al-Inshiqaq
85. Al-Buruj
86. At-Tariq
87. Al-Ala
88. Al-Ghashiyah
89. Al-Fajr
90. Al-Balad
91. Ash-Shams
92. Al-Lail
93. Ad-Duha
94. Al-Inshirah
95. At-Tin
96. Al-Alaq
97. Al-Qadr
98. Al-Bayyinah
99. Az-Zilzal
100. Al-Adiyat
101. Al-Qariah
102. At-Takathur
103. Al-Asr
104. Al-Humazah
105. Al-Fil
106. Al-Quraish
107. Al-Maun
108. Al-Kauthar
109. Al-Kafirun
110. An-Nasr
111. Al-Lahab
112. Al-Ikhlas
113. Al-Falaq
114. An-Nas
Surah 14. Ibrahim
Verses [Section]: 1-6[1], 7-12 [2], 13-21 [3], 22-27 [4], 28-34 [5], 35-41 [6], 42-52 [7]

Quran Text of Verse 28-34
اَلَمْHave notتَرَyou seenاِلَی[to]الَّذِیْنَthose whoبَدَّلُوْا(have) changedنِعْمَتَ(the) Favorاللّٰهِ(of) Allahكُفْرًا(for) disbeliefوَّ اَحَلُّوْاand they ledقَوْمَهُمْtheir peopleدَارَ(to the) houseالْبَوَارِۙ(of) destruction جَهَنَّمَ ۚHellیَصْلَوْنَهَا ؕ(in) it they will burnوَ بِئْسَand a wretchedالْقَرَارُ place to settle وَ جَعَلُوْاAnd they set upلِلّٰهِto Allahاَنْدَادًاequalsلِّیُضِلُّوْاso that they misleadعَنْfromسَبِیْلِهٖ ؕHis PathقُلْSayتَمَتَّعُوْاEnjoyفَاِنَّbut indeedمَصِیْرَكُمْyour destinationاِلَی(is) toالنَّارِ the Fire قُلْSayلِّعِبَادِیَto My slavesالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْاbelieveیُقِیْمُوا(to) establishالصَّلٰوةَthe prayersوَ یُنْفِقُوْاand (to) spendمِمَّاfrom whatرَزَقْنٰهُمْWe have provided themسِرًّاsecretlyوَّ عَلَانِیَةًand publiclyمِّنْbeforeقَبْلِbeforeاَنْ[that]یَّاْتِیَcomesیَوْمٌa Dayلَّاnotبَیْعٌany tradeفِیْهِin itوَ لَاand notخِلٰلٌ any friendship اَللّٰهُAllahالَّذِیْ(is) the One Whoخَلَقَcreatedالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضَand the earthوَ اَنْزَلَand sent downمِنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe skyمَآءًwaterفَاَخْرَجَthen brought forthبِهٖfrom itمِنَofالثَّمَرٰتِthe fruitsرِزْقًا(as) a provisionلَّكُمْ ۚfor youوَ سَخَّرَand subjectedلَكُمُfor youالْفُلْكَthe shipsلِتَجْرِیَso that they may sailفِیinالْبَحْرِthe seaبِاَمْرِهٖ ۚby His commandوَ سَخَّرَand subjectedلَكُمُfor youالْاَنْهٰرَۚthe rivers وَ سَخَّرَAnd He subjectedلَكُمُfor youالشَّمْسَthe sunوَ الْقَمَرَand the moonدَآىِٕبَیْنِ ۚboth constantly pursuing their coursesوَ سَخَّرَand subjectedلَكُمُfor youالَّیْلَthe nightوَ النَّهَارَۚand the day 14. Ibrahim Page 260وَ اٰتٰىكُمْAnd He gave youمِّنْofكُلِّallمَاwhatسَاَلْتُمُوْهُ ؕyou asked of Himوَ اِنْAnd ifتَعُدُّوْاyou countنِعْمَتَ(the) Favor of Allahاللّٰهِ(the) Favor of Allahلَاnotتُحْصُوْهَا ؕyou will (be able to) count themاِنَّIndeedالْاِنْسَانَthe mankindلَظَلُوْمٌ(is) surely unjustكَفَّارٌ۠(and) ungrateful
Translation of Verse 28-34

(14:28) Have you considered those who exchanged Allah’s blessings with disbelief and led their people to the abode of ruin?55

(14:29) Jahannum, where they will burn, an evil resting place.

(14:30| And they set up Allah’s equal so as to lead away from His path. Say, ‘Enjoy yourselves briefly, your destination is the Fire.’

(14:31) Say to those of My slaves who have believed that they (should) perform the Prayers (regularly and properly), expend out of what We have provided them secretly and openly, before a day comes when there will be neither trading nor mutual befriending.

(14:32) Allah it is who created the heavens and the earth and sent down out of heaven water. He brought forth thereby fruits for your sustenance. And He subjected the ships to you that sail in the seas by His command. And He subjected to you the rivers.

(14:33| And He subjected to you the sun and the moon constantly pursuing (their courses); and He subjected to you the night and the day.56

(14:34) And He gave you all that you asked Him.57 If you count Allah’s bounties, you will never number them.58 Verily, Man is given to much wrong-doing, much ingratitude.59


Commentary

55. The immediate reference at the time of revelation was, according to the widely reportedly opinions of `Ali ibn Abi Talib, Ibn `Abbas, Sa`id b. Jubayr and others, to the leaders of the Quraysh who led their people to destruction at Badr and to the everlasting punishment in Hell-fire (Ibn Jarir).

The report is also in Bukhari (Shawkani).

However, it is also reported of `Umar ibn al-Khattab, `Ali, Ibn `Umar and Ibn `Abbas that the allusion is to the two corrupt Quraysh clans: Banu al-Mughira and Banu Umayyah (Ibn Jarir). `Umar said, “As for Banu al-Mughira, you took care of them at Badr. As regards Banu Umayyah, they have been given respite.” The reports are in Bukhari’s “Tarikh” (not the Sahih collection), Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Marduwayh, Ibn Abi Hatim, Tabarani in his Awsat and Hakim, who declared it as trustworthy (Alusi, Shawkani).

56. Ibn Kathir writes: Allah mentioned some of the favors He showed to mankind, such as, He made the sky a protective ceiling, earth a bed, brought forth vegetation in the aftermath of rains that yield fruits of different tastes and colors, as well as grain and grass. He also made ships to sail on the surface of water by His command, and rivers that help in irrigation and transport from one region to another. This is the meaning of making these things subservient.

Asad comments: “Almost all classical commentators agree that God’s having made the natural phenomena “subservient” to man is a metaphor (majaz) for His having enabled man to derive lasting benefit from them.”

Mawdudi elaborates: “Some (people) think that it means that the forces of nature have been placed under the control of man. Such an assumption leads people to develop a variety of odd ideas. Some even go so far as to say that to achieve mastery over the heavens and the earth is the true end of man’s existence. However, what the Qur’anic statement means by the subjection of the natural phenomena is simply that God has bound them to laws which are beneficial for mankind. Had sailing in the sea not been subject to any law, it would not have been possible for man to undertake sea voyages. Had the rivers not been subject to any laws, man could not have used them for irrigation. Likewise, had the sun, the moon, the day and the night not been regulated, there could have been no life on earth, let alone any flourishing human civilization.”

57. Qadi Baydawi has said that the meaning is: Allah provided everything for you that you will ever need, whether you asked for it or not (Ma`arif).

Some commentators have however understood the “min” of the text as meaning, “out of.” That is, He gave you something out of all that you asked Him, following His wisdom, withholding that alone which was harmful (Razi and others).

58. Bayhaqi has reported Abu Darda’ as saying, “He who does not see Allah’s bounties except in his food and drinks, will be poor in the obedience of his Lord, and his punishment is close” (Shawkani). And a tradition in Bukhari reports that the Prophet used to say,

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ ، غَيْرَ مَكْفِىٍّ ، وَلاَ مُوَدَّعٍ وَلاَ مُسْتَغْنًى عَنْهُ ، رَبَّنَا

“Praises to Allah in great measure, goodly, blessed - of the kind that can never be sufficient, nor that which will be the last one, nor something we can feel self-sufficient about - O our Lord” (Ibn Kathir).

It was either Abu `Ali Shibli or Ibn Ali Sina who reportedly belittled the blessing of this life in a poem, a part of which is reproduced here:

Time scatters our years over here and there

Like the leaves of a branch scattered around

Whenever the world lays a new born

It is devoured by the vicissitudes of the wet-nurse

We are watched from the time earlier than we were born

While any disagreement is in the mother’s womb cut down

We only wait for misfortunes and calamities

And thereafter? Ah, threats (of punishments) await us

We leave, unwilling, as does the lizard leaves when forced out of its hole

Why should we be taunted over our existence?

When we had no choice to be or not to be?

It would have been a better blessing if we were

Consulted earlier, or given a choice

This is a malady that has no cure

This is a breaking down, that has no mending.

(Alusi)

Obviously, it is a cynic who sees the world as a clock-work, in which men are denied any role, awaiting only calamities as life’s events unfold themselves: a view which is somewhat different from the real world, in which every living being wishes to live as long as possible, obviously not out of grief. That apart, we are sure the poet must have been well pleased with his lines, as will all those be, who are, for some reason or the other, of similar skeptic temperament. They will pass these lines around in delight, to men of similar dispositions. But, ignoring other things, can they deny that the life’s pains are worth the pleasure which these lines offer: to the writer and those of similar disposition? After all, rocks do not say poetry. Would a man choose to be a rock, rather than someone who enjoys reading and writing poetry? As regards not having been consulted before creation, let us suppose a piece of rock is consulted: “Do you wish to come alive?” We all know what the answer would be. Life itself is a reward and a blessing (Au.).

59. Man is given to “much wrong-doing,” (zalum), making noise and complaining to everyone he comes across when he faces hard times, and is given to “much ingratitude” (kaffar), amassing and refusing to share with others when bestowed with bounties (Zamakhshari).

(Accordingly) a report in Ibn Abi Hatim has `Umar saying, “O Allah, forgive me my zulm and my kufr.” He was asked, “Zulm, yes. But what about kufr?” He replied, “Allah said, ‘Surely man is zalum, kaffar’” (Shawkani).