Surah Saba 34:46-54 - Quran Translation Commentary

(34:46) Say, 'I exhort you to one (thing) only: that you stand up for Allah in pairs and singly⁷⁷ and then reflect:' there is no madness in your companion.⁷⁸ He is no more than a warner to you of an impending severe chastisement.⁷⁹

(34:47) Say, '(If) I have asked you any wage, it is yours. My wage is only upon Allah. And He is over all things a Witness.'

(34:48) Say, 'Verily my Lord casts the Truth:⁸⁰ the Great Knower of the Unseen.'

(34:49) Say, 'The truth has come, and falsehood will neither originate (anything) nor repeat (it).'⁸¹

(34:50) Say, 'If I should go astray, then I would go astray against myself. But if I am rightly guided, then it is by what my Lord reveals to me.⁸² He indeed is the Hearer, the Ever-nigh.'⁸³

(34:51) And, if you could see when they will be smitten with fright; but (there will be) no escape.⁸⁴ And they will be seized from a place nearby.⁸⁵

(34:52) And they will say, 'We believe in it (now).' But, how could they receive (faith)⁸⁶ from a place far off?⁸⁷

(34:53) Seeing they denied it earlier. And they are casting at the Unseen from a place far off.⁸⁸

(34:54) And a barrier is placed between them and what they desire,⁸⁹ as was done with the likes of them earlier.⁹⁰ They were (also) in a doubt disquieting.

Commentary

77. In ones and twos, but threes were left out, for, as an English proverb goes, two is company, three is crowd - larger the number, lesser is the intellectual content of a pool. If you have a hundred people before you, and you want everyone to understand what you are saying, you will have to bear in mind the lowest of intellect among them to successfully communicate your ideas. In contrast, if it is not simply communication of an idea, but discussion of some sort is involved, then, one might remember that crowds are always not quite rational (Au.). Yusuf Ali comments with another aspect in mind: "A crowd mentality is not the best for the perception of the final spiritual truths. For these, it is necessary that each soul should commune within itself with earnest sincerity as before Allah: if it requires a Teacher, let it seek out one, or it may be that it wants the strengthening of the inner convictions that dawn on it, by the support of a sympathiser or friend. But careful and heart-felt reflection is necessary to appraise the higher Truths."

78. What the Quraysh meant perhaps is that the Prophet exhibited signs of madness by not seeing where his true tribal and personal interests lay, and that the very nobleness of his teachings promised its failure (Au.).

79. We have a hadith that speaks of the closeness of the Hour. It is in Ahmad declared trustworthy by Haythamiyy. Buraydah reports: One day the Prophet (saws) came out and called out three times saying,

أَيُّها النَّاسُ ! أَتَدْروْنَ ما مَثَلي وَمثَلُكم قالوا اللهُ ورسولُه أعلَمُ قال إنَّمَا مَثَلي وَمَثَلُكم كَمثَلِ قومٍ خَافُوا عَدُوًّا يَأْتيهم فبَعثُوا رَجُلاً يَرْبؤُّهُمْ فَبَيْنَا هُم كذلكَ أبْصَرَ العَدُوَّ فأقْبَل لِيُنْذِرَهُم - أراه قال خشيةَ أن يُدْرِكَه العَدُوُّ قبل أن يُنْذِرَ قومَه فأهْوَى بثوبه ) أيُّها النَّاسُ ! أُتِيتُم ! أيُّها النَّاسُ ! أُتِيتُم !

"People! Do you know the example that fits me and you? It is the example of a people who feared their enemy that should pounce upon them. So they sent a man to watch out. While he was thus engaged, he spotted the enemy. So he went back (to them) to warn them but was afraid that the enemy will seize them even before he could reach his people. So he signaled with his garment (and said), 'People! They are upon you. People! They are upon you’ – three times" (Ibn Kathir).

80. The allusion is, according to Qatadah and Ibn Zayd, to Revelation (Ibn Jarir). Another possible connotation is, ‘He casts the Truth in the hearts of the truthful’ (Razi).

81. That is, whatever is 'other than God,' cannot make anything appear, or, re-generate (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir from some of the Salaf). In a deeper sense, "I.e., in contrast to the creativeness inherent in every true idea, falsehood – being in itself an illusion – cannot really create anything or revive any value that may have been alive in the past" (Asad).

82. That is, the Prophet has not worked out the guidance or the means of salvation he is offering with his own mind: it is Allah's own bestowal.

83. Yusuf Ali explains: "If it could possibly be supposed that the Prophet was a self-deceived visionary, it would affect him only, and could not fail to appear in his personality. But in fact he was steady in his constancy and Faith, and he not only went from strength to strength, but won the enduring and whole-hearted love and devotion of his nearest and dearest and of those who most came into contact with him. How was this possible, unless he had the Truth and the inspiration of Allah behind him? This is the fifth and last argument in this passage."

84. This is how Ibn `Abbas explained the term "fawta", viz., “escape,” as in Ibn Jarir. Report concerning the above is in Ibn abi al-Mundhir also (Shawkani).

85. Although Ibn Jarir keeps it open, the preferred opinion is that this seizing will be on the Day of Judgment (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir), and the import is, writes Razi, they will not be able to flee, but rather, will be seized from a place close at hand.

86. "Tanawush" is different from its close synonym "tanaawul" in that the former implies an easy attaining, or what does not involve any effort (while the latter would need some effort). The implication is, the faith that was being offered to them in the world, was within easy reach. But now, in the Next world, that easy reach has become a distant wish (Au.).

87. An alternative understanding is that the textual word "tanaawush" is for return. That is, how can they be returned to the world of “the past,” to facilitate them to repent? This was the opinion of Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and others (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

88. Ibn Jarir points out that several interpretations are possible: (a) they are conjecturing about the Prophet that he is either a sorcerer, a soothsayer, or a poet (Mujahid), (b) they are conjecturing that there will be no raising after death, no reckoning, no rewards or punishments (Qatadah), (c) they cast aspersions against the Qur'an from a distance (Ibn Zayd). Note the contrast. Allah casts the truth. The unbelievers also cast, but they cast that which is insubstantial, which is what "bi 'l ghayb" implies here (Razi). Asad adds: "The obvious implication is that man's fate in the Hereafter will be a consequence of, and invariably conditioned by, his spiritual attitude and the manner of his life during the first, earthly stage of his existence. In this instance, the expression 'from far away' is apparently used in a sense similar to saying like, 'far off the mark' or 'without rhyme or reason', and is meant to qualify as groundless and futile all negative speculation about what the Qur'an describes as al-ghayb ('that which is beyond the reach of human [or created being's] perception'): in this case, life after death."

89. Hasan, Mujahid, Qatadah and others interpreted the verse as meaning, a barrier will be placed between the unbelievers and their wishes to believe in Allah and return to1. The chapter is Makkan by consensus, except for a single verse – number 6 - that some have thought is Madinan (Qurtubi). 2. That is, what goes into the earth of the seeds or the dead, what comes out of it of the vegetation, or living beings; what comes down from the heaven of Allah's mercy, such as rains, or angels, or the Revelation, and what ascends into it of the good word as mentioned in 35: 10):

إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ

"To Him rises the good word", or the souls, or good deeds (that rise up) could all have been alluded to (Razi, Qurtubi and others in parts). Asad puts it in contemporary terms, “This definition comprises things physical and spiritual: waters disappearing underground and reappearing; the metamorphosis of seed into plant, and of decaying plant into oil and coal; traces of old artefacts and entire civilizations buried in the earth and then reappearing within the sight and consciousness of later generations of men; the transformation of dead bodies of animals and men into elements of nourishment for new life; the ascent of earthly vapours towards the skies, and their descent as rain, snow or hail; the ascent towards the heaven of men’s longings, hopes and ambitions, and the descent of divine inspiration into the minds of men, and thus a revival of faith and thought and, with it, the growth of new artefacts, new skills and new hopes: in short, the endless recurrence of birth, death and re-birth which characterises all of God’s creation.” 3. This is how Ibn `Abbas, Mujhahid, and Qatadah understood the word "ya`zubu" of the text – as in Ibn Jarir; reflecting Allah's Quality: the Shaheed (Au.). 4. As noted earlier, "dharrah" alludes to a very small ant, or the speck of dust that is visible when a ray of light penetrates a dark room. Adoption of its modern meaning, atom, although correct, is actually more for reasons of sound than sense (Au.). 5. That is, the "Lawh al-Mahfooz" (Alusi). 6. Asad writes: “The particle min (lit., “out of”) which precedes the noun rijz (“vileness” or “vile conduct”) indicates that the suffering which awaits such sinners in the life to come is an organic consequence of their deliberately evil conduct in this world.” 7. In its brevity, the Qur'an uses "waaw" to express, apart from its standard meanings of "and," "while," "but," "yet," “although,” etc., several other meanings, such as, "for," "further," "moreover," "to be sure," etc. At this point, "on the other hand" seems to fit quite well (Au.). 8. Sayyid comments on” And guides to the path of the All-mighty, the All-laudable: "The path of the All-mighty, the All-laudable is that path which He has approved for His creation, and has chosen it for the humans so that their footsteps may match with the footsteps of the material world in which they live. The path is none other than the system which rules over all that is there in the universe including human life. Human life then, cannot sever its relationship with the universe which provides it with the basis of existence as well as the system that governs its continuation. “(It) guides on to the ‘path of the All-mighty, the All-laudable,’ by creating in the hearts of a believer clear perceptions with regard to his own existence, his relationships (with the world around him), and the laws (that govern the world). It tells him about his place in it, his role, and the nature of relationship between its various parts, in their joint effort towards the realization of Allah's will, and His wisdom in their creation; and towards the realization of the harmony between various elements as the whole journeys to its ultimate destination. "(It) guides to the ‘path of the All-mighty, the All-laudable,’ by correcting man’s modes and manners of thought, placing them on a sound footing; those that agree with the created world on the one side, and with his own natural instincts on the other. It helps the human beings to understand well the laws that govern the world, how they could be made use of, and how to respond to its demands without clashing with it, or running into a conflict with it. "(It) guides to the ‘path of the All-mighty, the All-laudable,’ with the help of its own methods of training which prepare an individual to conform with the society, and prepare the society to conform with the individual, thus creating a harmony which extends to all the creations that inhabit the globe. But more, it prepares all the creations to fall in harmony with the nature of the universe in which they live. And all this is achieved with extreme ease and comfort. (It) guides to the ‘path of the All-mighty, the All-laudable,’ – a guidance that consists of a system of laws which is in accord with human nature, his circumstances of life, and its economics, in harmony with the laws of the universe that govern the rest of the creations. In the process, man does not break away from them with his own organizations and laws. He is after all, only one of the many communities that inhabit this world." 9. Qurtubi draws our attention to the derision hidden in alluding to a prominent figure of Makkah in words, "Shall we point you to a man.." (as if he was just any man, unworthy of any term better than this: Au.) 10. The pagans contemporary to the Prophet (saws) could be pardoned for thinking that Allah (swt) will resurrect after, "you are torn to complete tearing." But many Muslims contemporary to us fail to notice that the promise, as in the Qur'an and prophetic traditions, is not about recreation after a complete tearing resulting in disintegration of the body into bits and pieces. But rather, the promise involves an earth that will be completely destroyed, leaving no trace on it of any traces of biological life whatsoever: no bones, no fossils, no living forms, however slight, on the surface or buried deep inside with its life arrested by Time. The earth will undergo such massive geological and physical changes as will juggle together its every single atom, to leave mountains moving like clouds and the waters – a source of life – on fire. When the present sun will be gone, the stars will disappear and a new universe brought into existence governed by entirely new set of laws. It is from that "new" situation, when the earth will be held in one hand, and the universe folded around another, that Allah will "resurrect the dead" from atoms (Au.). 11. Asad thinks that this is in reference to the tortuous life of those who reject Allah’s call. However, since, not all such societies 'definitely' suffer such consequences as alluded to in the verse, we may take his following, but brilliant note as a point for further brooding. He writes: “The construction of this phrase (fi al-`adhaabi wa dalaalim ba`aeed: Au.) points definitely to suffering in this world (in contrast with the suffering in the hereafter spoken of in verse 5 above): for whereas the concept of “aberration” (Asad’s rendering of “dalaal”) is meaningless in the context of the life to come, it has an obvious meaning in the context of moral and social confusion – and, hence, of the individual and social suffering – which is the unavoidable consequence of people’s loss of belief in the existence of absolute moral values and, thus, in an ultimate divine judgment on the basis of values.” 12. If reference to the words, "what lies behind them of the heaven and the earth," Qatadah has remarked that the justification is that wherever you look, (not only to the left or right, or front), but also at the rear, you see the earth and the heaven (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir). In other words, there is no madness in the Messenger of truth, but it could be in those who are surrounded by signs all around them, that they find it impossible to escape from, but cling to illogical notions (Au.). Asad again, “.. how can anyone be so presumptuous as to deny the reality of resurrection and life after death, seeing that it is a phenomenon beyond man’s experience, while, on the other hand, everything within the universe points to God’s unlimited creative power.” 13. “This allusion is to unpredictable geological and cosmic occurrences – earthquakes, the fall of meteors and meteorites, cosmic rays, and so forth..” (Asad). 14. That is, signs that are a personal gift of Allah to a slave of His, for, they are not visible, although they surround the humankind, except to those who establish a Master-slave relationship with Him. On the other hand, if they decide that they can "work out things" all by themselves, "including the discovery of signs - if there are any," to them, the challenge is: do it if you can. The key to discovery of higher truths is bondage to the slavery of the Creator (Au.). 15. So, there is no limit to bestowal of signs upon those who turn to Him. Da'ud (asws) was one of them. He was an "oft-turning" person to Allah (28: 34). So He conferred upon him such signs and miracles as no one will ever achieve by himself: iron was made wax for him (as a material gift) and, hearts of mountains and birds were softened for him (as spiritual gift), so that when he sang his Lord's praises they joined him in chorus in a language and voice that he could understand and derive ecstatic pleasure from (Au.). Majid comments: “This may also refer to the greatness of David as a king. After the death and defeat of Saul at the hands of the formidable Philistines, ‘Israel rallied to David as the one possible saviour, though the succession was disputed by a rival faction; and under David’s leadership the supremacy of Hebrew kingdom was decisively established, the Philistine power was shattered and the hostile tribes were forced to become David’s tributaries.’ (UHW. I. p.447).” Mawdudi adds: “This is an allusion to the countless favours with which Allah had blessed the Prophet David (asws). He was an ordinary young man of the tribe of Judah, living in Bethlehem. In a campaign against the Phillistines he slew the giant Goliath. This increased his esteem among the Israelites, and ultimately he was made a king over the whole of Israel, having first been made a ruler over Hebron. He took Jerusalem and made it the capital of his kingdom whose boundaries extended between the Gulf of `Aqabah in the east and river Euphrates in the west. In addition, he was divinely bestowed with knowledge and wisdom.” 16. "Sing praises": This is how Ibn `Abbas, Abu `Abd al-Rahman, Abu Maysarah, Mujahid, Dahhak and others understood the textual "awwibi" (Ibn Jarir). 17. It is reported that Da'ud's beautiful recitation of the Zabur created such effects that the mountains, birds and other animals sang along with him. In Sayyid's words, "It seems Da'ud had attained such high quality of Praises for his Lord that the veils between him and Allah's other creations stood removed. They all sang in a chorus with him. This was the special blessing that was bestowed upon him." The Prophet (saws) said about Abu Musa al-Ash`ari's recitation as he heard him recite the Qur'an one night,

أُعْطِيَ مِزْمَاراً مِنْ مَزَامِيرِ آلِ دَاوُد"َ"

"Indeed he has been given a musical voice that was given to Da'ud's folks" (Bukhari and Muslim: Ibn Kathir). The above implies that the skill went down the line. 18. The allusion is not allegorical, but real, to a miracle. It was not melting of the metal for ease of moulding but rather softening of it in his hands, so that he bent it to the shape of his desire with ease – yet another of the special blessings bestowed on Da'ud (Sayyid). It is said that making armour was Da'ud's means of sustenance also (Ibn Kathir). 19. The apparent meaning is efficient design and skilled manufacture of the armour. But Imam Razi thinks that the directive is not to spend time on the manufacture of the armour beyond an acceptable limit of time and quantity. In different words, "qaddir" is for spending just the right time and efforts. The rest of the time should be devoted to the counsel that follows: "And do you all act righteously." 20. It is said that it was Da'ud who first made chained armours. Earlier, it were shields (made from beaten sheets of iron) that were in use (but they were heavy: Au.) - Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir. 21. Either the whole family has been addressed, or perhaps the plural form has been adopted for reverence (Alusi). 22. That is, it covered two month's course in a day's time, morning to evening (Ibn Jarir). 23. That is, of the Jinn some were subjected to him to help him in construction works. 24. That is, the Jinn worked for Sulayman, joining hands in whatever he wished to build or manufacture. 25. "Mihrab" is the front part of any (significant) building, place of worship, or prayer-hall. Metaphorically, it can be used for any constructed place, such as mosques, medium sized palaces, or even villas (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir from the Salaf). 26. According to Lisan al-`Arab, “timthaal” (pl. tamaatheel) is for every artefact that may have been made to resemble a living creation of Allah. `Atiyyah al-`Awfi, Dahhak and Suddi's opinion was that the allusion is to pictures (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir). It might be asked, 'How could Sulayman have been allowed to make pictures when it is disallowed in our religion?' The answer is, it was perhaps not forbidden in his Shari`ah, for, after all, this is not a moral issue such as truthfulness, or lies, (that have remained unlawful throughout the ages in every Shari`ah). Further, Abu al-`Aaliyyah has said that (it is not necessary that those were human figures, but rather) pictures of non-living objects, such as natural sceneries, or, if of living beings then, headless (Zamakshari). Qurtubi comments: Reports from the Prophet (saws) on this topic lead us to believe that all kinds of pictures are prohibited in Islam, except for some designs on clothes. Indeed, there are a few ahadith that do not allow even for this exception. One is in Muslim which says that,

"إِنّ أَصْحَابَ هَذِهِ الصّوَرِ يُعَذّبُونَ. وَيُقَالُ لَهُمْ: أَحْيُوا مَا خَلَقْتُمْ"

"Artists will be punished in the Hereafter and told, 'Now, blow life into these.' Another hadith of Hasan Ghareeb Saheeh status in Tirmidhi says,

عَنْ أَبي هُرَيْرَةَ قالَ: قالَ رَسُولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: "تَخْرُجُ عُنُقٌ مِنَ النّارِ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ لَها عَيْنَانِ تُبْصِرَانِ وَأُذُنَانِ تَسْمَعَانِ وَلِسَانٌ يَنْطِقُ يَقُولُ إِنّي: وُكّلْتُ بِثَلاَثَةٍ: بِكُلّ جَبّارٍ عَنِيدٍ، وَبِكُلّ مَنْ دَعَا مَعَ الله إِلَهَاً آخَرَ، وَبِالمُصَوّرِينَ".

"A neck will rise out from the Fire on the Day of Judgment, with two eyes that will see, two ears that will hear, and a tongue that will speak. It will say, 'I have been given custody of three: Every stubborn tyrant, every one who evoked a deity other than Allah, and, those who made pictures.'" Exempted however, adds Qurtubi, are dolls for children. `A'isha herself used to play with them and the Prophet did not object. Another narrative preserved by Bukhari, Muslim and Tirmidhi, narrated by Abu Talha says,

عن عُبَيْدِ الله بنِ عَبْدِ الله بنِ عُتْبَةَ، أَنّهُ سَمِعَ ابنَ عَبّاسٍ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا طَلْحَةَ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ: "لاَ تَدْخُلُ المَلاَئِكَةُ بَيْتاً فِيهِ كَلْبٌ وَلاَ صُورَةُ تَمَاثِيلَ". (قال أبو عيسى: هذا حديثٌ حسنٌ صحيحٌ).‏

"Angels do not enter a house which has a dog or graven images." The following is also preserved:

عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ. قَالَ: جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبّاسٍ. فَقَالَ: إِنّي رَجُلٌ أُصَوّرُ هَذِهِ الصّوَرَ. فَأَفْتِنِي فِيهَا. فَقَالَ لَهُ: ادْنُ مِنّي. فَدَنَا مِنْهُ. ثُمّ قَالَ: ادْنُ مِنّي. فَدَنَا حَتّىَ وَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَىَ رَأْسِهِ. قَالَ: أُنَبّئُكَ بِمَا سَمِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم. سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ "كُلّ مُصَوّرٍ فِي النّارِ. يَجْعَلُ لَهُ، بِكُلّ صُورَةٍ صَوّرَهَا، نَفْساً فَتُعَذّبُهُ فِي جَهَنّمَ". وَقَالَ: إنْ كُنْتَ لاَ بُدّ فَاعِلاً، فَاصْنَعِ الشّجَرَ وَمَا لاَ نَفْسَ لَهُ (مسلم)

Sa'id ibn Abi al-Hasan narrated that a man went to Ibn `Abbas and said, "I make pictures. So tell me about it." He said, "Come nearer." He went nearer. He told him, "Come nearer." He went nearer until Ibn `Abbas placed his hand on his head and then said, "Let me tell you what I heard from the Messenger of Allah. I heard him say, 'Every artist will be in the Fire. Every picture that he made will be turned into a body that will torture him in Hell.' "Then he added, 'If you have to do it at all, then make trees and other lifeless objects" (Au.). Mawdudi devotes a goodly space to the topic. Herewith in short: “Some people have argued that since picture-making was allowed during the time of Sulayman, it should be allowable in our Shari`ah also. But, this argument is not tenable. The prohibition was equally there during his times too. Torah had already been revealed to Musa and contains unambiguous references to picture making and its prohibition. E.g. ‘Thou shall not make unto thee graven images, or any likeness of anything that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth below or that is in the water under the earth (Exod. 20:4)’. And, ‘Ye shall make no idols, nor graven images, nor rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it (Levi. 26:1).’ And, ‘Lest you corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth’ (Deut. 4: 16-18).’ “Further, a strong argument cannot be built on the basis of a simple word like “tamaatheel” which has unclear connotations, especially in the light of the strongly worded prohibitions in the Prophetic traditions. A hadith preserved in Bukhari tells us that once a few of the Prophet’s wives were around him. They were talking among themselves and `A'isha tells us that,

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنَّ أُمَّ حَبِيبَةَ وَأُمَّ سَلَمَةَ ذَكَرَتَا كَنِيسَةً رَأَيْنَهَا بِالْحَبَشَةِ فِيهَا تَصَاوِيرُ فَذَكَرَتَا لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ أُولَئِكَ إِذَا كَانَ فِيهِمْ الرَّجُلُ الصَّالِحُ فَمَاتَ بَنَوْا عَلَى قَبْرِهِ مَسْجِدًا وَصَوَّرُوا فِيهِ تِلْكَ الصُّوَرَ فَأُولَئِكَ شِرَارُ الْخَلْقِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ).البخاري)

Umm Habibah and Umm Salamah casually mentioned that they had been into a Church in Abyssinia where they had found pictures (of humans). The Prophet remarked, “The custom among the past peoples was that when one of their righteous men died, they built a house of worship over his grave and decorated it with pictures. On the Day of Judgement these people will be the worst of creations in the sight of Allah.” `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud reported the Prophet,

إِنَّ أَشَدَّ النَّاسِ عَذَاباً عِنْدَ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ الْمُصَوِّرُونَ “The most severely punished on the day of Judgment would be those who made pictures.” (Sahihayn) `A’isha reports the following:

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ حَشَوْتُ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وِسَادَةً فِيهَا تَمَاثِيلُ كَأَنَّهَا نُمْرُقَةٌ فَجَاءَ فَقَامَ بَيْنَ الْبَابَيْنِ وَجَعَلَ يَتَغَيَّرُ وَجْهُهُ فَقُلْتُ مَا لَنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ مَا بَالُ هَذِهِ الْوِسَادَةِ قَالَتْ وِسَادَةٌ جَعَلْتُهَا لَكَ لِتَضْطَجِعَ عَلَيْهَا قَالَ أَمَا عَلِمْتِ أَنَّ الْمَلَائِكَةَ لَا تَدْخُلُ بَيْتًا فِيهِ صُورَةٌ وَأَنَّ مَنْ صَنَعَ الصُّورَةَ يُعَذَّبُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَقُولُ أَحْيُوا مَا خَلَقْتُمْ

“I made pillows – sort of small cushions - for the Prophet that had pictures. He entered and sat down between the two entrances. Then his countenance began to alter. She inquired, “What’s wrong with us, Messenger of Allah?” He asked, “What about these cushions?” She answered, “Well, cushions I made so that you could rest on them.” He said, “Have you not known that angels do not enter a house in which there are pictures and that whoever made a picture will be tormented on the day of Standing and told, ‘Now. Give life to what you made’” (Bukhari). “Some people try to make a distinction,” continues Mawdudi, “between a photograph and a painting, whereas the Shari`ah forbids the picture itself without discussing the process or methods of how such pictures are made. Yet others have argued that the forbiddance was meant to put an end to idol worship in early Islamic days; but since such a risk does not exist anymore, the prohibition should go. This argument is also untenable because there is no hadith that gives us the reason as being proffered now. Furthermore, the statement that paganism has been obliterated has no basis in reality. Paganism and polytheism of all sorts thrive in our contemporary world. Finally, that pictures lead to idol-worship, saint-worship, etc., could be only one of the reasons for its prohibitions; there are other ill-effects that are done away with by the prohibition. Pornography and obscenity are cases in point. Pictures are also used for misleading the masses and spreading discord among nations.” To the above we might add that far from decorating their homes with pictures, a report preserved by Bukhari reports `Umar as having said to the People of the Book,

إنا لا ندخل كنائسكم، من أجل التماثيل التي فيها الصور

“We do not enter your Churches because of the pictures you have there.” As for discord that Mawdudi spoke of, we could cite a single example from thousands: While relaying the event of the destruction of the Trade Centre buildings, live on the TV, CNN, America's most popular channel showed Palestinians celebrating the event. The announcer remarked: “We shall never forget this celebration.” Later it was discovered that the TV station had introduced an older film that depicted celebrations of some other occasion. The moment was used to sow permanent hatred of the Muslims in American minds. It achieved high level of success. There is no disputing the fact that no single element has done so much damage to the Islamic religion and its culture as the TV (Au.). 27. That is, the basins were as large as cisterns. 28. The cooking cauldrons were so large that they were, because of their weight, sort of anchored to the ground (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir). Abu Bakr Ibn al-`Arabi said that in pre-Islamic times the pots of `Abdullah b. Jud`an were also so large that one had to climb a ladder to look in. Tarafah b. al-`Abd has a poetical line describing them. Ibn al-`Arabi also reports having seen similarly large pot in one of the ribaat (zaawiyyah: Sufi resort) in Abu Sa`eed to serve the Sufis since they all – without exception – shared meal from one pot (Qurtubi). The details about Sulayman's activities confirm (the historical accounts) that Da'ud established the kingdom, while his son Sulayman attended to its development (with a point from Razi).