Tafsir Maariful Quran
Quran Translation and Commentary by Maulana Mufti Mohammad Shafi. Translation by Prof. Muhammad Hasan Askari & Prof. Muhammad Shamim. Revised by Justice Mufti Muhammad Taqi UsmaniQuran Translation
Word for Word by
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh
& Kausar Khatri
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
21. Al-Anbya Page 323 وَ كَمْ And how many قَصَمْنَا We (have) shattered مِنْ of قَرْیَةٍ a town كَانَتْ (that) was ظَالِمَةً unjust وَّ اَنْشَاْنَا and We produced بَعْدَهَا after them قَوْمًا another people اٰخَرِیْنَ another people فَلَمَّاۤ Then when اَحَسُّوْا they perceived بَاْسَنَاۤ Our torment اِذَا behold هُمْ they مِّنْهَا from it یَرْكُضُوْنَؕ were fleeing لَا Flee not تَرْكُضُوْا Flee not وَ ارْجِعُوْۤا but return اِلٰی to مَاۤ what اُتْرِفْتُمْ you were given luxury فِیْهِ in it وَ مَسٰكِنِكُمْ and to your homes لَعَلَّكُمْ so that you may تُسْـَٔلُوْنَ be questioned قَالُوْا They said یٰوَیْلَنَاۤ O woe to us! اِنَّا Indeed [we] كُنَّا we were ظٰلِمِیْنَ wrongdoers فَمَا Then not زَالَتْ ceased تِّلْكَ [this] دَعْوٰىهُمْ their cry حَتّٰی until جَعَلْنٰهُمْ We made them حَصِیْدًا reaped خٰمِدِیْنَ extinct وَ مَا And not خَلَقْنَا We created السَّمَآءَ the heavens وَ الْاَرْضَ and the earth وَ مَا and what بَیْنَهُمَا (is) between them لٰعِبِیْنَ (for) playing لَوْ If اَرَدْنَاۤ We intended اَنْ that نَّتَّخِذَ We take لَهْوًا a pastime لَّاتَّخَذْنٰهُ surely We (could have) taken it مِنْ from لَّدُنَّاۤ ۖۗ Us اِنْ if كُنَّا We were فٰعِلِیْنَ doers بَلْ Nay نَقْذِفُ We hurl بِالْحَقِّ the truth عَلَی against الْبَاطِلِ [the] falsehood فَیَدْمَغُهٗ and it breaks its head فَاِذَا behold هُوَ it (is) زَاهِقٌ ؕ vanishing وَ لَكُمُ And for you الْوَیْلُ (is) destruction مِمَّا for what تَصِفُوْنَ you ascribe وَ لَهٗ And to Him (belongs) مَنْ whoever فِی (is) in السَّمٰوٰتِ the heavens وَ الْاَرْضِ ؕ and the earth وَ مَنْ And (those) who عِنْدَهٗ (are) near Him لَا not یَسْتَكْبِرُوْنَ they are arrogant عَنْ to عِبَادَتِهٖ worship Him وَ لَا and not یَسْتَحْسِرُوْنَۚ they tire یُسَبِّحُوْنَ They glorify (Him) الَّیْلَ [the] night وَ النَّهَارَ and [the] day لَا not یَفْتُرُوْنَ they slacken اَمِ Or اتَّخَذُوْۤا (have) they taken اٰلِهَةً gods مِّنَ from الْاَرْضِ the earth هُمْ they یُنْشِرُوْنَ raise (the dead) لَوْ If كَانَ (there) were فِیْهِمَاۤ in both of them اٰلِهَةٌ gods اِلَّا besides اللّٰهُ Allah لَفَسَدَتَا ۚ surely they (would) have been ruined فَسُبْحٰنَ So glorified اللّٰهِ (is) Allah رَبِّ Lord الْعَرْشِ (of) the Throne عَمَّا (above) what یَصِفُوْنَ they attribute لَا Not یُسْـَٔلُ He (can) be questioned عَمَّا about what یَفْعَلُ He does وَ هُمْ but they یُسْـَٔلُوْنَ will be questioned اَمِ Or اتَّخَذُوْا (have) they taken مِنْ besides Him دُوْنِهٖۤ besides Him اٰلِهَةً ؕ gods قُلْ Say هَاتُوْا Bring بُرْهَانَكُمْ ۚ your proof هٰذَا This ذِكْرُ (is) a Reminder مَنْ (for those) who مَّعِیَ (are) with me وَ ذِكْرُ and a Reminder مَنْ (for those) who قَبْلِیْ ؕ (were) before me بَلْ But اَكْثَرُهُمْ most of them لَا (do) not یَعْلَمُوْنَ ۙ know الْحَقَّ the truth فَهُمْ so they مُّعْرِضُوْنَ (are) averse 21. Al-Anbya Page 324 وَ مَاۤ And not اَرْسَلْنَا We sent مِنْ before you قَبْلِكَ before you مِنْ any رَّسُوْلٍ Messenger اِلَّا but نُوْحِیْۤ We reveal(ed) اِلَیْهِ to him اَنَّهٗ that [He] لَاۤ (There is) no اِلٰهَ god اِلَّاۤ except اَنَا Me فَاعْبُدُوْنِ so worship Me وَ قَالُوا And they say اتَّخَذَ Has taken الرَّحْمٰنُ the Most Gracious وَلَدًا a son سُبْحٰنَهٗ ؕ Glorified is He! بَلْ Nay عِبَادٌ (they are) slaves مُّكْرَمُوْنَۙ honored لَا Not یَسْبِقُوْنَهٗ they (can) precede Him بِالْقَوْلِ in word وَ هُمْ and they بِاَمْرِهٖ by His command یَعْمَلُوْنَ act یَعْلَمُ He knows مَا what بَیْنَ (is) before them اَیْدِیْهِمْ (is) before them وَ مَا and what خَلْفَهُمْ (is) behind them وَ لَا and not یَشْفَعُوْنَ ۙ they (can) intercede اِلَّا except لِمَنِ for whom ارْتَضٰی He approves وَ هُمْ And they مِّنْ from خَشْیَتِهٖ fear of Him مُشْفِقُوْنَ stand in awe وَ مَنْ And whoever یَّقُلْ says مِنْهُمْ of them اِنِّیْۤ Indeed, I am اِلٰهٌ a god مِّنْ besides Him دُوْنِهٖ besides Him فَذٰلِكَ Then that نَجْزِیْهِ We will recompense جَهَنَّمَ ؕ (with) Hell كَذٰلِكَ Thus نَجْزِی We recompense الظّٰلِمِیْنَ۠ the wrongdoers
(21:11) How many a town, that were unjust, have We crushed and raised up after them another people
(21:12) So, as soon as they sensed Our punishment (approaching them), they started fleeing from it
(21:13) (It was said to them,) “Do not flee, and go back to the luxuries you were made to enjoy, and to your dwellings. May be you are asked questions.”
(21:14) They said, “Alas for us! We were wrongdoers indeed.”
(21:15) Then, this continued to be their cry till We turned them into stubble, totally extinguished
(21:16) We did not create the heavens and the earth and what lies between them for play
(21:17) Had We intended to have a pastime, We would have had it from Our own, if We were ever to do so
(21:18) Instead, We launch the truth against falsehood, which gets it smashed, and in no time it is gone. Alas to you for what you describe
(21:19) To Him belong all those in the heavens and the earth. And those who are near to Him are not arrogant against His worship, nor are they sluggish
(21:20) They proclaim His purity night and day, never slackening
(21:21) Or have they adopted gods from the earth, who raise the dead
(21:22) Had there been gods beside Allah, in the heavens and the earth, both of them would have fallen in disorder. So pure is Allah, the Lord of the Throne, from what they describe
(21:23) He is not questioned of what He does, and they are questioned
(21:24) Is it that they have adopted gods besides Him? Say, “Bring your proof.” Here is the (book carrying) advice for those with me, and the (books carrying) advice for those before me. Yet most of them do not know the truth, and therefore they are averse
(21:25) We did not send before you any messenger but We revealed to him that there is no god but I, so worship Me.”
(21:26) They said, “The RaHmān (the All-Merciful, Allah) has taken children for Himself.” Pure is He (from having children). They are but (His) honored servants
(21:27) They do not precede Him in speech, and only under His command they act
(21:28) He knows what is in front of them and what is behind them, and they make recommendation for none but for whom He likes, and in awe of Him they are fearful
(21:29) Should any one of them say, “I am god besides Him”, We will recompense him with Jahannam (Hell). This is how We recompense the transgressors
These verses describe the destruction of those settlements which some exegesists have taken as Fladhura' ) حضُوراء) and Qilabah (قلابہ) of Yemen. Allah Ta` ala had sent there a prophet about whose name there are different versions. Some say he was Musa Ibn Misha while others say his name was Shu` aib, in which case he was a different prophet from the one who lived in Madyan. This Prophet was killed by his people, who were, as a punishment annihilated by the infidel King Nabucad Nazzar.
This King was placed in authority over them just as he was used as an instrument for the punishment of Bani Isra'i1 when they strayed from the righteous path in Palestine. In fact, Qur'an has not identified any specific settlement. Hence it will be apt to leave the subject open, so that these settlements of Yemen may also come in its ambit. واللہ (Only Allah knows best).
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاءَ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَاعِبِينَ (And We did not create the heavens and the earth ... 21:16.) It means that we have not created the sky and the earth, and everything that lies in between them for mere amusement. In the preceding verses a reference has been made to the annihilation of certain settlements. In this verse there is a suggestion that just as the creation of the earth and the sky and all other created things was according to a set design, the destruction of the settlements was also the result of a definite purpose. Having witnessed the marvels and wonders of creation which are so abundantly spread all over, manifesting Allah's omnipotence and omniscience, do they still think that all these things are futile and without significance?
The word لَاعِبِينَ is taken from لِعَب (play), which means having no useful objective (Raghib) while لَھَو (pastime) means an act which has no purpose at all except to provide amusement in free time. The disbelievers who argue against the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the Holy Qur'an and reject the Oneness of Allah and deny His Power, despite its abundant manifestations, then it is apparent that they have a notion that all this creation is meant for amusement and pastime. The verse rejects this false view and says that Allah's creation is not for fun and pastime. A little reflection will show that even the minutest particle of the universe has its utility and each and everything created by Allah has a purpose which speaks by itself for His omniscience and Oneness.
In Arabic language the word لَو is used for imaginary and non-existent things. Here also it is used in the same sense i.e. those foolish people who regard all the wonderful things of the earth and the sky objects of fun and frolic do not realize that creation on such a gigantic scale cannot be undertaken for amusement. The suggestion here is that even a person of ordinary common sense would not indulge in a project which has no serious purpose, to say nothing of Allah Ta` ala who is Supreme and Exalted.
The commonly accepted meaning of لَھو is a purposeless pastime, and this meaning has been adopted in translating this verse. According to some commentators this word لَھو is also used sometimes for wife or children in which case the meaning of the verse would be a denial of the belief of the Jews and Christians, who thought that Sayyidna ` Uzair and Sayyidna Masih (علیہما السلام) were God's sons. If Allah wished to have children why should they be from humans and not from other creatures around Him. (Allah knows best).
This verse explains that Allah has not created this marvelous universe with earth and the sky for amusement. This creation is the result of a carefully thought out plan which aims at distinguishing right from wrong. Observation of Nature's creations leads people along the righteous path and protects them from evil. This idea is conveyed in the verse by saying that virtue is hurled against evil and smashes its head so completely that it disappears without a trace.
Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Harith ؓ عنہ said that he asked Ka` b al-Abbar ؓ how it was that angels kept reciting tasbih (proclaiming Allah's purity) all the time. Did they not have anything else to do? And if they did how could they do both things simultaneously, that is reciting tasbih and do other things. To this Ka'b replied "0 my nephew! Does performance of any of your jobs prevent you from breathing?" The truth is that tasbih comes to angels just as breathing comes to human beings which continues without stopping whatever else he may be doing.(Qurtubi, Al-Bahr ul-Muhit)