Verse:1 Commentary Commentary

(Ha Meem ` Ayn Seen Qaf) Only Allah knows the meaning of these letters. The gist of the first five verses is as follows:

Just as this surah was revealed to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم for the ascertainment of the religious principles and for other benefits, similarly Allah Ta' ala has been sending other prophets who preceded him. His Magnificence is such that whatever there is in the heavens and in the earth is His. He is the Supreme, the Most Magnificent. Even though some of the people of this world do not recognize and do not admit the greatness of His magnificence, yet the number of the angels in the heavens, who know Him and recognize His greatness, is so large that their load may, quite likely, cause the heavens to burst apart from above. A hadith narrated in Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah states that due to the large number of the angels, such crackling sounds are produced in the heavens as are produced when an excessive load is placed on something. And that is how it should be, because throughout the heavens there is not even a space of four fingers left vacant by angels who are in the state of prostration. Verse:2 Commentary - - - Verse:3 Commentary - - - Verse:4 Commentary - - - Verse:5 Commentary يَتَفَطَّرْ‌نَ (burst apart). It has been stated in the above hadith that the load of angels began producing such crackling sounds in the heavens as are produced when excessive load is placed on something. This tells us that angels have weight and this is not beyond reason, because it is confirmed that angels also have physical bodies, even though very light in weight. And even light bodies add up to a considerable load when they are in huge numbers. (Bayan-u1-Qur'an)

These angels in the heavens proclaim the perfection of their Lord and utter His praises. They also ask for forgiveness of the dwellers of this earth who do not give what is due to Allah's greatness, rather indulge in associating others with Him and in infidelity and hence become liable to suffer scourge. Their asking for forgiveness for disbelievers is for a limited period only and is a supplication that some severe worldly scourge may not befall the humans which may destroy all of them; their safety against ordinary punishments of this world and the real scourge of the Hereafter are not included in this supplication. And Allah, the Almighty accepts this supplication, and saves them from the general scourge in this world. It must be understood thoroughly that Allah and Allah alone is the forgiver and Merciful although this forgiveness of infidels is for a limited duration and is limited to this world only. Verse:6 Commentary - - - Verse:7 Commentary لِّتُنذِرَ‌ أُمَّ الْقُرَ‌ىٰ (So that you may warn the town that is the mother of all towns) - Umm-ul- Qura (mother of all the towns) means the origin and foundation of all habitations and cities which is Makkah. This title has been given to this city because, to Allah Almighty, it is more distinguished and more excellent than all other cities, habitations and the whole earth. Imam Ahmad has narrated in Musnad, with the authority of Sayyidna ` Adiyy Ibn Hamra' Az-zuhri ؓ that he heard the Messenger of Allah at a market of Makkah when he صلى الله عليه وسلم was migrating from the city. He صلى الله عليه وسلم was addressing Makkah in the following words:

انک لخیر ارض اللہ و احبّ ارض اللہ اَلَیَّ ولو لا اِنّی اُخرجت منک لما خرجت

"To me, you are better and dearer than the whole of Allah's earth; if I had not been expelled from your vicinity, I would never have left it of my own accord." (At-tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah - rated as ` hasan ahib' by Tirmidhi)

وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا - means the suburbs in the neighborhood of Makkah Mukarramah; it could mean the neighboring Arab countries as well as the whole of the earth from east to west. Verse:8 Commentary - - - Verse:9 Commentary - - -