Surah Muhammad 47:12-19 - Quran Translation Commentary

(47:12) Allah will surely admit those who believed and did righteous deeds into gardens beneath which rivers flow. As for the unbelievers, they enjoy themselves and eat like the cattle eat,¹⁹ while Fire is their ultimate abode.

(47:13) And how many a town (there has been) that was stronger in might than the town that expelled you, (but) which We destroyed? Then, there was no helper for them.

(47:14) Is he then, who is upon clear evidence from His Lord, like him, to whom his evil deeds have been decked out fair, and such as those who followed their base desires?

(47:15) The description²⁰ of the Paradise that the pious have been promised: rivers of unpolluted water, rivers of milk of unchanging taste, rivers of wine, tasty for the drinkers, and rivers of pure honey;²¹ and for them therein all kinds of fruits - and forgiveness from their Lord. (Is someone who is in such bliss) like him who will abide in the Fire (among those) who will be served boiling liquid which will tear their intestines into pieces!?²²

(47:16) And among them are some who listen to you, till, when they depart from you ask those who have been given knowledge, ‘What did he say just now?’²³ They are the ones upon whose hearts Allah has set a seal, and so they follow their base desires.²⁴

(47:17) As for those who are guided aright, He increased them in guidance, and gave them their piety.

(47:18) Are they then waiting for (anything) but the Hour, that it should come upon them suddenly? Already, its signs have arrived.²⁵ But how (usefull) for them their reminder (will be) when it appears to them?

(47:19) Know then that there is no deity save Allah, seek forgiveness for your sins and for the (sins of the) believing men and believing women.²⁶ Allah knows your movements about, and your end abode.²⁷

Commentary

19. That is, they devour food as cattle devours pasture without any regard for anything higher (Tabari).

Razi writes: There are a few differences between the partaking of a believer and an unbeliever. A believer eats and drinks in order to (gain strength and) obey Allah. The unbeliever has no aim whatsoever. Second, a believer is led to his Lord, while an unbeliever sees no evidence of the creator of his food. Third, an unbeliever devours to get larger and fatter, just like an animal, without realizing that it is the fat one of the herd which is slaughtered first.

Hence the Prophet’s words (as in the Sahihayn: Sami):

“A believer eats with a single intestine while an unbeliever eats with seven intestines” (Ibn Kathir).

Qurtubi adds: It is said that while a believer is preparatory (for next life: Au.), a hypocrite is ostentatious, and the unbeliever relishing. The Arabic text is as follows:

20. The translation of “mathal” as “description” is based on the understanding of `Ikrimah as in Ibn Kathir.

21. Reports tell us that the milk of Paradise will not be the product of udders, that the wine thereof would not have been pressed by the feet, and the honey, not the regurgitation of the bee. And, in a report preserved by Imam Ahmad, the Prophet said,

“Surely, in Paradise there are seas of water, seas of honey, sees of milk and seas of wine. It is out of them that rivers spring out” (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

Ibn Kathir adds: A hadith tells us, (as in Bukhari: Au.),

“When you ask Allah, ask Him Firdaws, for it is in the best part of Paradise, in the highest part of it. Above it is the Rahman’s `Arsh, and from it flow out the rivers of Paradise.”

In this context another hadith might be quoted. In full length it is in Ahmad, (as also in Zawa’id of Ahmad’s son, and Tabarani: Sami but whose authenticity could not be traced: Au.). It reports the narrator as saying,

“Messenger of Allah. What is it that we will see in Paradise?” He replied, “Rivers of pure honey, rivers of wine that will neither cause headache nor regret, rivers of milk whose flavor would not have changed, and rivers of unpolluted water - and fruit. And, I swear by the eternity of your Lord, that which you do not know; and better than that would be with Him, and spouses, purified.” I asked, “Messenger of Allah. Shall we have spouses, or, will there be among them reformed ones?” He answered, “The righteous women will be for righteous men. They will enjoy them like you enjoy them in this world, and they will enjoy you except that you will not have children.”

Yet another hadith that describes the rivers of Paradise (but, as Mundhiri said in “Al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib,” it is the words of the first narrator: Sami) says that rivers of Paradise will not be flowing in sunken earth, but rather, right on the surface, cordoned by pearls, whose bottom will be musk and azfar grass (Ibn Kathir).

22. The Prophet (saws) said, “(A drink) will be brought near to him but he will be averse to it. When brought nearer, it will burn his face and his forehead skin will rip off. When he drinks, his intestine will be torn to pieces until it comes out of his rear” (Ibn Jarir).

23. These were hypocrites in their previous life. They paid scant attention to what the Prophet was saying. When they left, they asked one of the true believers, merely out of jest, “What was he saying?” (Kashshaf).

24. “The people spoken of in the above verse are the hypocrites among the contemporaries of the Prophet as well as all people, at all times, who pretend to approach the Qur’anic message with a show of ‘reverence’ but are in their innermost unwilling to admit that there is any sense in it” (Asad).

25. Literally, its conditions have been met (Au.).

Prophet Muhammad has described the signs of the approaching hour in such details as no other Prophet did. In fact, he himself – being last of the Prophets - was a sign. Hence his various names that give out the meaning of being last). He said (in a hadith of Bukhari),

“I have been sent with the Hour like this” pointing with his two fingers, stretching them forward (Ibn Kathir).

According to a hadith in Bukhari, the Prophet said,

“I have five names. I am Muhammad, and Ahmad, I am Mahi, the obliterator by whom Allah will obliterate disbelief, I am Hashir after whom Allah will gather together the people, and I am the `Aqib (who is followed by none) – Au.

Since the ayah speaks of the appearance of some of the signs of the end of the world, we feel appropriate to go beyond the commentaries to gather together a few traditions from various Hadith works, that describe such signs of the Hour as seem to have come true by our times. We shall not be presenting those predictions of the Prophet, which do not seem to have yet been fulfilled. A hadith of Bukhari says,

`Awf b. Malik said, “I went to the Prophet during the Tabuk expedition. He was in a leather tent. He said, ‘Count six before the Hour: (i) My death; then, (ii) the fall of Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem); then, (iii) two (mass) deaths that will take you like the illness of the sheep; then, (iv) abundance of wealth so that a man will be given a 100 Dinar but he will be unhappy; then (v) a tribulation that will not leave an Arab house but would enter it; and then (vi), there will be a peace-treaty between you and the white race. But they will be treacherous and will come to you as eighty companies, in each company there will be twelve thousand (soldiers).’”

The above figure works out to about a million souls. However, other reports of similar nature say that the ultimate victory will be for Muslims.

At all events, first four of the above predictions have come true. We are going through the fourth, when a 100 Dinar increase in the salary of a professional (doctor, engineer) is considered worthless. As regards the fifth, it is not clear what is meant by it (Au.).

Abu Hurayrah says he heard the Prophet say to Thawban, “How will you be O Thawban when the nations will fall upon you like you fall upon food at the table?” He answered, “May my parents be sacrificed for you, will it be because of our fewness?” He answered, “No. You will be large in numbers, but ‘wahn’ would be cast in your hearts.” They asked, “What is ‘wahn’ Messenger of Allah?” He answered, “Your love of this world and dislike of a fight.”

Abu Hurayrah reports the Prophet as having said that the Hour will not strike until two large groups will clash leading to great many deaths between them, each making the same claim; until near about 30 lying Dajjals will appear, each of them claiming that he is Allah’s messenger; until earthquakes will become frequent; time will appear close; tribulations will appear and there will be lot of (senseless) killing; until there will be so much wealth that a man of wealth will be at a loss to find someone to accept his charity; until he offers it to someone, but that person will say, ‘I have no need for it;’ until, people will compete with each other over tallness of buildings; until a man will pass by a grave and say, ‘O that I was in his place;’ and until the sun appears from the West. Now when it would have thus appeared and the people would have seen it, they will all believe; that will be at a time when ‘a man’s faith will not profit him, if he had not believed earlier or had not earned any good in his faith’”

Except for two or three, it will be noticed that the rest of the preductions have come true, some wholly, some partially, the first prediction being an allusion perhaps to the battles between two claimants to Khilafah during the time of the Companions.

`Awf b. Malik said, “O plague, seize me.” They said, “Have you not heard from the Prophet, ‘A Muslim enjoying long life is good for him?’ He said, “Indeed yes. But I fear six things: (i) Leadership of the foolish; (ii) sale of justice (through bribes); (iii) excessive police (presence); (iv) severance of kinship ties; (v) a people who will treat the Qur’an as a musical work and (vi) bloodshed.” The hadith is in Ahmad and Tabarani. Haythami declared Tabarani’s version as trustworthy: Au.).

Hudhayfah b. al-Yaman reports the Prophet as having said that “the Hour will not strike before the luckiest of men so considered will be a mean one, son of a mean one.” Tirmidhi said that the report is of Hasan status.

Ibn Hajr mentions the hadith of Anas, originally in Ahmad and other works that, “Before the advent of Dajjal they will have years of deceit in which a truthful one will be treated as a liar while a liar will be treated as believable; a trustworthy will be treated as treacherous and a treacherous trusted; and in which common men will speak in affairs of governance.”

The above hadith clearly indicates in its ending passage the scourge of the modern times viz., democracy in the hands of the inept.

Abu Hurayrah reports the Prophet as having said, “The Hour will not strike until river Furat (Euphrates) spews out mountains of gold over which the people will fight resulting in the killing of ninety-nine out of every hundred. Each of the men will say, ‘Maybe, I will be the one to survive.’”

It is not clear from the above whether the allusion is to oil, called black gold or to gold itself. Huge amounts of high-quality and cheap oil is said to be buried everywhere in Iraq. At the moment Iraq is occupied by the USA and other Western invaders and, so far, a million people have died while millions are eking out their living on bread crumbs. Another report is in Muslim:

Jabir reports (that the Prophet) said, “It is likely that the people of Iraq would not be allowed to have their measure (of food) or Dirham.” We asked, “How would that be?” He replied, “At the hands of the non-Arabs. They will prevent it.” Then he added, “It is likely that the people of Syria would not be allowed their measure (of food) or Dirham.” We asked, “How would that be?” He replied, “At the hands of the white race.”

Above were some of the ahadith that have predicted what have either come true, or seem to be happening now. Here is a long report from Abu al-Sheikh but whose authenticity-status could not be traced. Perhaps it is a collection of several reports. It has piquant references to so many things of our contemporary world that as if it is not from a book of old, but written down in our own times:

“`Ali reports the Prophet as having said, ‘Of the signs of the Hour is that you will see the people not dong their Prayers, loss of trust, legalization of major sins, devouring of interest, acceptance of bribe, (massive) construction of buildings, following of base desires, bartering of religion for worldly gains, treating the Qur’an as a musical instrument, spreading of the skins of wild animals, mosques as places to pass through, wearing of silk, spread of oppression, common occurrence of adultery, treating divorce as something easy, dependence on the treacherous, treating the trustworthy as treacherous, skin-deep rains, coarse (indisciplined) children, debauch rulers, lying viziers, those trusted proving treacherous, oppressive secret agencies, fewness of scholars, numerousness of Qur’an reciters, fewness of the knowledgeable, decoration of the Qur’an with gold, ornamenting of mosques, raising of the pulpits, corruption of the hearts, popularity of singing girls, legalizing of musical instruments, drinking of wine, discontinuation of capital punishments, shortness of the months, breaking of the oaths, women participating in business with their husbands, women riding mules, men imitating women and women imitating men, swearing by other than Allah, a man testifying without being asked, when zakah is considered a penalty, trust as booty, a man obeying his wife abandoning his mother and distancing his father, governance becoming inheritable, the last of this Ummah criticizing its firsts, a man respected simply because of fear of his evil, numerousness of the police, the ignorant climbing pulpits, men wearing crowns, congestion of roads, (massive) construction of buildings, men’s needs met by men and women’s needs by women, plethora of speech-makers on your pulpits, your scholars depending on your rulers to make the unlawful lawful to them and lawful unlawful, passing religious rulings following their wishes, your scholars gaining knowledge in order to milk your Dinars and Dirhams and when you will take the Qur’an as a means of trading, when you will neglect Allah’s share in your wealth, when your wealth will be in the hands of the most evil among you, when you break asunder the ties of kinship, drink wine in your gatherings, when you gamble, when you begin to use musical instruments, when you deny your needy ones your charity, and consider it a penalty, killing of the innocent in order to anger the common people from their killing, when your opinions are at variance, and when all charity will fall into the hands of the slaves and the lowly ones, when weights and measures are played with and when you hand over your affairs (of the government) to the inept.”

The hadith is from the collection of Abu al-Sheikh (Al-Fitan) who appeared in the 4th Islamic century. Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, who dies at the end of the 17th century (C.E.) placed it in his collection called Kanz al-`Ummal. This single hadith should be enough for anyone to embrace Islam on the spot. It makes predictions such as which no mind even of the nineteenth century could make. Consider the following which are entirely non-moral, but rather economic, political or social: “massive construction of buildings (there are so many vacant in Dubai alone that the entire Sharjah population can be accommodated); treating divorce as something easy (averagely 25% all over the world); treating the trustworthy as treacherous; coarse (indisciplined) childrene; lying viziers (two presidents of the USA lied to the world for starting war in Iraq and Libya); oppressive secret agencies; (they have now become a scourge even upon white, Christian, Wesern citizens), numerousness of Qur’an reciters, fewness of the knowledgeable; popularity of singing girls, discontinuation of capital punishments (now it is univerally banned); women participating in business with their husbands, men imitating women and women imitating men, when trust is treated as booty, a man obeying his wife abandoning his mother and distancing his father; the last of this Ummah criticizing its firsts; numerousness of the police; congestion of roads; (massive) construction of buildings; men’s needs met by men and women’s needs by women; plethora of speech-makers on your pulpits; when you break asunder the ties of kinship; when you deny your needy ones your charity (in some Arab countries, even sending out of country to feed the starving is denied); killing of the innocent in order to anger the common people from their killing.”

What human could have predicted these happenings of the 21st century? (Au.).

26. Sins and errors are judged by the ranks (of the sinners). What is sin for one may not be for another. A Prophet’s minor misstep is referred to as sin, although, ordinarily, no sin at all. Hence they say,

“Good deeds of the pious are evil for those brought nigh” (Shabbir).

Accordingly, the Prophet’s prayer-words used to be, as in Bukhari: Sami):

“My Lord, forgive me my errors, my ignorance, my excesses in all my affairs, and of what You know better than me. O Allah, forgive me my unintended errors and the intended ones, my ignorance, my sallies - and (I admit) all these are in me.”

He would also say at the end of Prayers, as in a Sahih report (in Muslim: Sami),

“O Allah forgive me: what I have sent forward and what I have held back; what I have concealed and what I have done openly: surely You are the One who pulls forward and the One who pushes backward, and You have power over all things.”

Another trustworthy report (as in Bukhari: Sami) records his words as,

“By Allah! I seek Allah’s forgiveness and turn to Him more than seventy times a day.”

Yet another report (of Ahmad: Sami) says,

Iblis said, “My Lord. I shall not cease misguiding mankind so long as there is life in their bodies.” The Lord the Mighty, the Exalted answered, “I shall not cease forgiving them so long as they seek forgiveness from Me” (Ibn Kathir).

27. The translation is based on the explanation offered by Ibn `Abbas as in Ibn Kathir.

But, as should be obvious, the words can apply to all kinds of human movements, including those from the sperm to the child; and to all kinds of returns: from return to homes, to graves, to the ultimate abode, etc. (Qurtubi).