68. Mawdudi also writes: "When either some great calamity befalls a man or when death starkly stares him in the face, it is only to God that he turns for refuge. On such occasions even the staunchest polytheists forget their false gods and cry out to the One True God, and even the most rabid atheists stretch their hands in prayer to Him. This phenomenon is mentioned here in order to draw an instructive lesson. It shows that devotion to God and monotheism are ingrained in the human soul. No matter how overlaid this truth might be, some day it shakes off man's heedlessness and ignorance and manifests itself fully. It was the observation of this sign which had led `Ikrimah, the son of Abu Jahl, to the true faith. For when Makkah was conquered at the hands of the Prophet (peace be on him), `Ikrimah fled to Jeddah and sailed from there towards Abyssinia. During the voyage the boat ran into severe storm which threatened to capsize it. At first people began calling on their gods and goddesses. Later on, when the storm grew even worse and the passengers were sure that the boat would sink, they began to feel that it was time to call on God alone, for He alone could save them. This opened the eyes of `Ikrimah, whose heart cried out to him that if there was no effective helper for them in that situation, how could there be one elsewhere? He also recalled that this was precisely what the Prophet (peace be on him) had constantly told the people and that it was precisely because of this preaching that they had been engaged in unnecessary violent conflict with him. This was a turning point in `Ikrimah's life. He instantly made up his mind that if he survived the storm he would go straight to the Prophet Muhammad (peace on him) and place his hand in his."

69. "The ba'sa' of the text has special reference to poverty, while darra' to sickness" (Majid).

Sa`id b. Jubayr has said that oppressive rulers and high inflation are some of the forms that ba'sa' and darra' can take (Shawkani).

70. The sending of ease and comfort after hardships were of the same nature as that of a kind father who both punishes his son as well as softens up at other times, hoping that the son will amend himself (Razi). As Allah said at another place (7: 94, 95):

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ إِلَّا أَخَذْنَا أَهْلَهَا بِالْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَضَّرَّعُونَ (94) ثُمَّ بَدَّلْنَا مَكَانَ السَّيِّئَةِ الْحَسَنَةَ حَتَّى عَفَوْا وَقَالُوا قَدْ مَسَّ آبَاءَنَا الضَّرَّاءُ وَالسَّرَّاءُ فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ [الأعراف : 94 ، 95]

"We did not send a Prophet to a town but We seized them with afflictions and adversity in the hope that they will soften up. Then We altered the evil with good, until they multiplied (in wealth and progeny) and said, ‘Surely, our forefathers had also experienced (both) misery and ease (and so there is nothing extraordinary about it).' Then We seized them suddenly while they were unaware" (Ibn Jarir).

This grant of ease and comfort to an unbelieving or corrupt people, by way of test, is known as istidraj (Au.).

The Prophet has said in a hadith of Ahmad:

إِذَا رَأَيْتَ اللَّهَ يُعْطِي الْعَبْدَ مَا يُحِبُّ وَهُوَ مُقِيمٌ عَلَى مَعَاصِيهِ، فَإِنَّمَا ذَلِكَ لَهُ مِنْهُ اسْتِدْرَاجٌ

"When you see one of Allah’s slave being given what he loves, while he continues with his sins, then be sure it is istidraj.” Then he recited this verse,

فَلَمَّا نَسُوا مَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَبْوَابَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَتَّى إِذَا فَرِحُوا بِمَا أُوتُوا أَخَذْنَاهُمْ بَغْتَةً فَإِذَا هُمْ مُبْلِسُونَ

‘When they had clean forgotten what they were reminded of, We opened up for them the doors of every (good) thing until, when they were rejoicing in what they were given, We suddenly seized them and they were left in a quiet despair.'"

In another hadith of Ahmad and Ibn abi Hatim he said:

إن الله [تبارك وتعالى] إذا أراد الله بقوم بقاء - أو: نماء - رزقهم القصد والعفاف، وإذا أراد الله بقوم اقتطاعًا فتح لهم - أو فتح عليهم - باب خيانة

"When Allah wishes to prolong the term of a people, or grant them progress and prosperity, He bestows upon them (the gifts of) thrift and self satisfaction. But when He intends to uproot a people He opens up for them the door of dishonesty" (Ibn Kathir).

The status of the hadith could not be traced (Au.).

وقال الحسن البصري: من وسع الله عليه فلم ير أنه يمكر به، فلا رأي له

And Hasan al-Busri has said. “He unto whom Allah opens up affluence but did not see that he is being duped, is not a man of opinion” (Ibn Kathir).

Thanwi adds: The rule enacted by the above verse is equally applicable to sinning Muslims.

71. All praise to Allah for having cleansed the earth (Alusi).

72. Shah `Abdul Qadir has said: A sinner should not delay his repentance. The sight and the hearing he possesses could be lost and, eventually, he might lose the ability to repent (Shabbir).

73. Broadly speaking, the pagans made three demands on the Prophet: (i) He ease their lives by bringing them treasures of the world, (ii) He foretell them all that was to happen, in order that they could avoid evil and seek the good, and, (iii) He explain to them how he could, as a mortal (in need of food and drink), be chosen for messengership instead of an angel? Allah responded with this verse. Further, the verse also makes clear that although the Prophet was given "some" knowledge pertaining to the realm of the Unseen, he did not have the knowledge of "all the Unseen" (`ilm al ghayb). It is only Allah who is All knowledgeable (Shafi`).

In the words of Asad: "The denial on the part of the Prophet of any claim to supernatural powers refers, primarily, to the demand of the unbelievers (mentioned in verse 37) that he should prove his prophetic mission by causing a "miraculous sign" to be bestowed on him. Beyond this specific reference, however, the above passage is meant to prevent any deification of the Prophet and to make it clear that he like all other prophets before him was but a mortal human being, a servant whom God had chosen to convey His message to mankind."

74. It does not mean that Prophets depend on revelation alone for every little detail of the Law. Rather, they exercise their own Judgment as well as employ analogy to work out details (Qurtubi).

75. Asad writes: "Can those who remain blind and deaf to God's messages find their way through life equally well as those who have achieved a spiritual vision and guidance through God's revelation?"

76. Mawdudi writes: "Feeble minded people have always entertained the foolish misconception that the more godly a man is, the more liberated he should be from the limitations of human nature."