Surah An-Najm 53:33-62 - Quran Translation Commentary

39. That was Waleed b. al-Mughirah. He entered into Islam. But someone taunted him, and suggested that he (Waleed) pay him some amount, so that he could, as a favor returned, bear the burden of his sin. Waleed agreed and returned to paganism. But, subsequently he went back on his word, and did not pay the amount he had promised. “Kadaa” is from a man’s action of starting to dig a well but, encountering a rock, abandoning the digging. It would be said in such a situation: “kada (al-`amal)” i.e., he gave up the effort (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi). Although others have also been named, Waleed’s name has received greater mention (Alusi). As for the story that `Uthman b. `Affan was the one who behaved in this fashion, it is baseless (Ibn Kathir, Alusi, Sayyid).

40. “I.e., ‘How can he be so sure that there is no life in the hereafter, and no judgment?’” (Asad).

41. “Books of Moses: apparently not the Pentateuch, in the Taurat, but some other book or books now lost. For example, the Book of the Wars of Jehovah is referred to in the Old Testament (Num. xxi. 14) but is now lost. The present Pentateuch has no clear message at all of a Life to come” (Yusuf Ali).

42. That is, he fulfilled the covenant to deliver the message given him in full, as well as that of complete obedience, and fulfillment of the requirement of the dream to the effect that he was slaughtering his son (Tabari, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

43. Asad comments: “This basic ethical law appears in the Qur’an five times – in 6: 164, 17: 15, 35: 18, 39: 7, as well as in the above instance, which is the oldest in the chronology of revelation. Its implication is threefold: firstly, it expresses a categorical rejection of the Christian doctrine of the ‘original sin’ with which every human being is allegedly burdened from birth; secondly, it refuses the idea that a person’s sins could be ‘atoned for’ by a saint’s or prophet’s redemptive sacrifice (as evidenced, for instance, in the Christian doctrine of Jesus’ vicarious atonement for mankind’s sinfulness, or in the earlier, Persian doctrine of man’s vicarious redemption by Mithras); and, thirdly, it denies, by implication, the possibility of any (unauthorized: Au.) ‘mediation’ between the sinner and God.”

Being a follower of Shafe`i’s school of fiqh, Ibn Kathir points out, once again, that, basing his reasoning on this ayah, Imam Shafe`i held the opinion that rewards of Qura’nic recitation cannot be gifted to another. He presents a few evidences but they sound weak. Surely, Imam Shafe`i must have had other reasons, otherwise, that no one will profit from any other’s good efforts is disproved by the following ayah (52: 21):

وَالَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَاتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُمْ بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ

i.e., “As for those who believed and their progeny followed them in faith, We shall join to them their offspring (in Paradise), without decreasing aught of their deeds.” The explanation is that those of the offspring that could not come up with deeds of the quality of their progenitors will be allowed to dwell with their parents of higher ranks. Yes, it is not true the other way round. That is, transfer of reward is possible but not the transfer of sins. (Qurtubi also states this). Nonetheless, if applied to the unbelievers, this present ayah holds good both ways, that is, they will not benefit from any other’s faith or deeds nor will others be punished because of their faith or deeds. With reference to the particular issue of recitation of the Qur’an on behalf of a dead person, most Hanafiyy scholars have willy nilly approved it, while some of their major scholars would actually recite a few verses off and on, and gift the reward to their dead parents, teachers and others. Ashraf `Ali Thanwi, the last of the great Sufis of the Indian sub-continent however said that since there was difference in opinions, he would personally not recommend that the Qur’an be recited for the dead (Au.).

At all events, Imam Shafe`i has allowed non-obligatory Hajj on behalf of the dead. `A’isha is reported to have sat in “i`tikaf” on behalf of her brother `Abd al-Rahman, as well as freed slaves on his behalf (Qurtubi).

Alusi adds: It is reported that the governor of Khurasan asked `Abdullah b. Tahir al-Hussain b. al-Fadl about this ayah and how it could be reconciled with a verse that says,

وَاللَّهُ يُضَاعِفُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ [البقرة/261]

“Allah will double up (the reward) unto whom He will?” He answered that if one goes by justice (`adl), a man gets no more than what he strives for. But if one goes by Allah’s bounty (fadl), then he gets whatever Allah decides. It is said that the governor kissed `Abdullah’s forehead.

44. “In this connection it is to be noted that in the ethics of the Qur’an, the term ‘action’ (`amal) compromises also a deliberate omission of actions, whether good or bad, as well as a deliberate voicing of beliefs, both righteous and sinful: in short, everything that man consciously aims at and expresses by word or deed” (Asad).

45. Quite a few commentators such as Razi, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir and Alusi seem to treat this ayah as a difficult one to explain and, consequently, quote a hadith (of which several versions are found in Abu al-Sheikh’s collection but none trustworthy as a hadith. Ibn Hajr treats it as a statement of Ibn `Abbas with a good chain of narrators. However, Sakhawi noted, as in Fayd al-Qadeer, that there are so many versions that add strength to the substance: Au.). It runs as follows:

تفكروا في خلق الله ، ولا تفكروا في الله فتهلكوا (أبو الشيخ عن أبي ذر).

i.e., “Ponder over Allah’s creation but do not ponder over Allah’s Person lest you are destroyed.”

Ubayy b. Ka`b cited “not pondering over God” as the context of revelation (Shawkani).

[43] And that it is He who makes to laugh and makes to weep.46 [44] And that it is He who deals death and brings to life. [45] And that He created the two kinds: male and female. [46] Of a sperm-drop, when it is emitted.47 [47] And that upon Him is the second raising. [48] That it is He who gives wealth and contentment.48 [49] And that He is the Lord of Sirius.49 [50] And that it is He who destroyed the earlier `Aad.50 [51] And Thamood, and spared (them) not. [52] And the folks of Nooh, earlier. Surely they, they indeed, were the most unjust and most rebellious.51 [53] And the overturned (towns): he hurled (them).52 [54] So that, that covered them which covered.53 [55] Then which of the bounties of your Lord will you dispute?

[56] This is a warner, of the warners of old.54 [57] The ever-approaching has drawn nigh. [58] It has none, apart from Allah, as a Discloser. [59] Do you then wonder at this discourse? [60] And laugh, but weep not? [61] While you indulge in vanities!55 [62] So, prostrate yourselves before Allah and worship (Him alone).56

46. Allah’s making the people to laugh in the world, or weep, is going to be carried on in the Hereafter where the pious will laugh in Paradise while the wicked will weep in Hellfire (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, reworded).

We have something close to this in a hadith:

عن ابن أم مكتوم قال خرج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ذات غداة فقال سعرت النار لأهل النار وجاءت الفتن كقطع الليل المظلم لو تعلمون ما أعلم لضحكتم قليلاً ولبكيتم كثيراً. (رواه الطبراني في الكبير والأوسط ورجالهما رجال الصحيح: مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد)

Ibn Umm Maktum reports that one day the Prophet emerged and said, “The Fire has been lit for the companions of the Fire and tribulations have arrived like patches of a dark night. If you knew what I know, surely, you would have laughed little and wept much.”

Dhannun said, “Allah makes the heart of the believers laugh by means of the light of knowledge and understanding while He makes the heart of the unbelievers weep because of the darkness of disbelief and disobedience” (Qurtubi).

Qurtubi also mentions that there is none among biological organism which both laughs as well as weeps except humans.

We might add that counting out other ways of expressing joy, there is no animal that laughs, although some weep (Au.).

47. Biologists realize, although they try to explain away the problem by invoking the gene goddess, that the appearance of two sexes is a mystery. They know very well that there is no reason why a single individual cannot reproduce without any external help. After all, cells replicate without any external command or help. Many hermaphrodite animals are able to reproduce without the need of a sexual partner. However, in addition to this mystery, determination of sex of the unborn is another inscrutable puzzle. The variety of ways adopted in a variety of animals is truly baffling. Finally, the ratio of male and female in every population has been another challenging mystery.

Sex determination varies from species to species. In many animals there are sex chromosome in the DNA, called X-Y chromosomes. Females typically have two X chromosomes (XX), whereas males have one X and one Y chromosomes. The presence of a Y chromosome in the fertilized egg normally means it is going to be male; and its absence means it is going to be female. So, XY pair means it is male, and XX means it is female. This can be said to apply to 99.9% cases. However, some butterflies and moths are exception to this rule: females are XY and males XX.

In some insects, such as ants and bees, sex seems to be determined by the insects themselves. E.g., in case of bees, the queen-bee mates with a male only once in her life-time of 15 years. The sperm of that mating is preserved for the rest of life, in its body. The queen determines the sex of the offspring at the time she lays the eggs. If she releases a tiny amount of the stored sperm to fertilize an egg passing through the duct, the offspring will be female; unfertilized eggs develop into males. Thus, she controls the sex ration in her hive – a feat humans cannot perform.

In turtles, temperature during incubation determines the sex of the embryo in the egg. In most cases of tortoise, low incubation temperature results in male offspring. Higher temperatures result in female offspring. But crocodiles and lizards exhibit the opposite pattern, females being produced at low incubation temperatures and males at higher ones. In yet another twist, in few crocodiles, turtles and lizards, females are produced at “high” and “low” incubation temperatures while males at “intermediate” temperatures.

In ants, sex is determined by those that groom the larvae. If they decide to feed a few copiously, they will grow into queens. Whether the larvae will develop into worker bees or soldier bees is also determined by how they are fed. Ultimately, however, and somehow, a proper ratio of males and females are maintained in the hive or nest (Au.).

48. There are at least five possible different meanings of the word “aqna,” one another being “reduced to poverty,” as mentioned by Ibn Jarir. The meaning expressed in the translation above reflects the understanding of Ibn `Abbas and Mujahid.

49. This bright star was worshipped by a few Arab tribes (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

Actually, writes Zamakhshari, there were two stars called Shi`ra. They were named Ghumaysa and `Aboor. Introduced as a deity by one of the ancient chiefs Abu Kabsha, it was `Aboor that was worshipped by Khuza`ah (as well as some Yemenis: Qurtubi). Initially, the Quraysh referred to the Prophet also as Abu Kabsha, for, he too had changed his religion (Zamakhshari, Qurtubi, Alusi, each in his own words).

Yusuf Ali adds: “(This) .. refers to a mighty phenomenon of nature, the magnificent star Sirius, which is such a prominent object in the skies, in the early part of the solar year, say, from January to April. It is the brightest star in the firmament, and its bluish light causes wonder and terror in Pagan minds. The Pagan Arabs worshipped it as a divinity. But Allah is the Lord, Creator and Cherisher, of the most magnificent part of Creation, and worship is due to Him alone.”

For details of beliefs of the Arabs regarding Sirius, one may look into Alusi’s discourse. A quality shared by every pagan religion and pagan thought is that stars play a role in human destiny (Au.).

50. There were two major nations of `Aad: the earlier and the later. Here, the reference is to those who were destroyed by the stormy winds: (the tribe of: `Aad b. Iram b. `Iwas b. Saam b. Nooh). Allah said about them (89: 6,7),

أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ إِرَمَ ذَاتِ الْعِمَادِ

“Have you not considered how your Lord treated `Aad, Iram of the columns?” (Tabari). But Zamakhshari thinks Iram were the later `Aad.

51. They were the most unjust and rebellious of nations because Nooh (asws) stayed with them for a thousand but fifty years, but generation after generation of them rejected him. It is said that a man would walk by holding his little son’s hand and tell him, “Son, this is how my father would walk me up (telling us not to believe in Nooh).” Some scholars have said that they were so described here because they were the most unjust and most insolent of the nations after Nooh (Ibn Jarir and others).

52. The allusion is to Loot’s towns, which Jibril scooped up high into the air and then hurled them down (Ibn Jarir, Zamakhshari, Ibn Kathir and others).

53. The answer to what it was that covered is that it was stones – one over another in several layers - that covered the town after it had been smashed down (Ibn Jarir).

54. That is, the warning contained in these words is one of the warnings that were issued through the Scriptures of old: of Musa and Ibrahim (Tabari). The allusion could also be to our Prophet (Zamakhshari, Ibn Kathir).

55. In the Hymyatite Arabic “samad” stood for music, which could as well be the allusion to, as thought by `Ikrimah, although one or two other meanings are also possible (Ibn Jarir, Zamakhshari, Ibn Kathir).

56. Referring to the reports that the Makkans were present when the Prophet recited this Surah, and that when he ended with prostration, they also prostrated themselves except for a single man who lifted a bunch of pebbles and touching them to his forehead said, “This should do,” Sayyid Qutb writes that he used to wonder how the pagans present there , during that incident, could ever have prostrated themselves. But it should so happen that he and a few others were strolling at night when they heard this Surah being recited. The recitation was musical and ear-catching. He and his friends felt themselves fixed to the ground, unable to take off their ears from the beautiful words and beautiful recitation. By the end of the Surah, Sayyid felt his whole body quivering, while his mind was completely transported to the scenes that were portrayed. It was then that he realized that if this recitation, by an ordinary Muslim, had thus affected him, how could the pagan Arabs who understood the nuances and implications better, escape the effect when the reciter was no other than the Prophet himself!