Verse:1 Commentary Commentary

Linkage of Surahs

The preceding Surah dealt with the existence of Allah, His Oneness, and His knowledge and power, and adduced, as a positive proof of these attributes, was the fact that Allah is the Creator of death and life, and of the entire universe through whose component parts there runs the beautiful order that pervades the cosmos. He has created man to serve a sublime object and to achieve a noble goal. But man in his ingratitude has always rejected the Divine Message and consequently has been incurring Divine scourge. This is mentioned, in Surah Al-Mulk, with particular reference to the pagans of Makkah. The present Surah deals with the truth of the Holy Prophet's صلى الله عليه وسلم claim, and gives sound and solid proof of it. Thus it rebuts the criticisms and taunts of the pagans against the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . Their first criticism was that he is [ God forbid!] insane whereas he was perfectly sane person, an embodiment of knowledge and a paragon of virtues. Another reason why they probably called him insane is that whenever an installment of revelation descended upon the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ، a physical change came over him. For instance the colour of his face would change and become red, or he would sometimes snore or he would at other times appear to be in grief, or there were times when he would hang his head down. When any of these states was over, he would recite the revealed verses to the people. This matter was beyond the understanding and perception of the pagans. Therefore, they regarded this experience of receiving revelation as insanity. Or they called him insane presumably because he put forward to his people and to the whole world that there is no object worthy of worship except Allah. He put it to them that their self-carved idols cannot be gods because they are insensate and lacking knowledge; and they lack the ability to benefit or harm anyone. His voice of Truth sounded alone yet with this lone voice of Truth without any apparent means and support, he stood unwaveringly against the whole world. People without any insight or foresight did not think that it was possible for him to achieve his goal and they called it insanity. Some called him insane for the sake of calling him insane, without any reason. Having no excuse to refute the teachings of Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم ، all the pagans could do was to dub him insane. The initial verses of Surah Al-Qalam refute under emphatic oath their false charges.

ن وَالْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُ‌ونَ مَا أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَ‌بِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍ (Nun, by the pen and what they write, with the grace of your Lord, you are not insane....68:1-2). The letter Nun is one of the isolated letters that have been revealed at the beginning of many Surahs. They are the secret signs and symbols and mysteries of Allah. Allah alone knows their hidden meaning, or Allah made their mysterious meanings known to His Messenger. The Ummah is not permitted to investigate the hidden meaning of such isolated letters.

Pen and its Significance

In the phrase wal-qalami, the waw is the particle of oath [ translated here as 'by the pen']. 'Qalam' refers to 'pen', and there are three types of pen: [ 1] the pen of destinies; [ 2] the pen of angels; and [ 3] the pen of human beings. It could refer to any or all of these types of pen. A pen is an object that is used for writing anything [ as is the view of Abu Hatim Al-Busti ]. According to Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، it specifically refers to the pen of destinies. Sayyidna ` Ubadah Ibn Samit ؓ narrates regarding the pen of destinies that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "The first thing Allah created was the pen, and He told it to write, and when it asked Him what it should write, He told it to write what was predestined, so it wrote what would take place to all eternity." [ Transmitted by At-Tirmidhi, saying that this is a Tradition whose chain of narrators is gharib ]. Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Umar ؓ narrated that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "Allah recorded the destiny of all creatures 50, 000 years before creating the heavens and the earth." [ Sahib Muslim ]. Qatadah (رح) says that pen is a great gift of Allah that He has endowed upon His servants. Some scholars say that Allah first created the pen, and that was the pen of decrees which recorded the destinies of the entire universe and all the creatures. Then He created the second pen that is used by the inhabitants of the earth. The second pen is referred to in Surah Iqra' in verse [ 96:4], thus: عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ '{ He who} taught by the pen'. And Allah knows best!

If qalam 'pen' in the verse under comment refers to the pen of destinies, its greatness and its superiority over everything is quite obvious and swearing by it is quite understandable. If it is taken to refer to all pens in general, including the pen of destinies, the pen of angels, and also the pen of human beings, swearing an oath by it is apt because all great tasks are accomplished by pen. In the conquests of territories, pen play a mighty role: 'The pen is mightier than the sword' goes the famous saying. Abu HatimAl-Busti has encapsulated this idea in two short verses:

اذا اقسم الابطال یوما بسیفھم وَعدّوہ ممّا یکسب المجد وَ الکرم

When the brave people swear by their sword some day,

And count it among things that give honour and veneration to men,

کفٰی قلم الکتاب عزّا ورفعۃ مدی الدّھر انّ اللہ اقسم بالقلم

The writers' pen is sufficient for their honour and superiority

For all times to come, because Allah has sworn oath by the pen

In any case, it is immaterial whether the pen in the verse refers to the pen of destinies or it refers to the pen of creation in general. Then it swears an oath by مَا يَسْطُرُ‌ونَ 'what they write [ 1] '.

In other words, swearing an oath by what the pens have written or what they will record in the future, Allah refutes the unbelievers' false charge of madness that they made against the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ، thus:

مَا أَنتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَ‌بِّكَ بِمَجْنُونٍ (with the grace of your Lord, you are not insane....68:2). The verse contains the phrases بِنِعْمَةِ رَ‌بِّكَ (with the grace of your Lord....68:2). It states not only the claim, but also evidence to support and substantiate the statement of claim. [ See special note below.] Man is required to turn the pages of history, and he will realize that a person as great as the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم ، upon whom Allah has conferred great blessings and grace, cannot be insane. Calling such a sane person insane is itself insanity.

Special Note

Scholars have explained the Qur'anic concept of 'oath': Wherever Allah has sworn an oath by an object or a phenomenon, its subject has been cited as evidence or testimony to support and substantiate the claim. Here the phrase مَا يَسْطُرُ‌ونَ 'what they write [ 1] '. Is the proof of the claim, that is, world history has been cited as testimony for critics to look into the pages of history, if they can ever find a person of such lofty calibre as the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم ، with high morals insane. He takes care of other people's sanity. The next verse reinforces the subject. Verse:2 Commentary - - - Verse:3 Commentary وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرً‌ا غَيْرَ‌ مَمْنُونٍ (And you will definitely have a reward that will never end....68:3). The verse exposes the absurdity of the charge of madness. It purports to say that the actions of a madman produce no useful result, but the Holy Prophet will eminently succeed in fulfilling the object of his Divine mission, and in bringing about a wonderful revolution in the lives of his degenerate and demented people. This is the significance of the words in the verse 'and for you is a reward that will never end.' No insane person is ever rewarded for his actions. The next verse constitutes a further eloquent comment on the charge of insanity imputed to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ، thus: Verse:4 Commentary وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ (And you are surely on exalted quality of character 68:4). In this verse, the demented people are invited to think carefully about the lofty morals of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم .

The Holy Prophet's Exalted Quality of Character

Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ has said that 'exalted quality of character' signifies a 'great religion, and it is Islam, a religion dearest to Allah'. Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ was asked about the Holy Prophet's صلى الله عليه وسلم character. She replied: "The Holy Prophet's صلى الله عليه وسلم character was the Qur'an itself'. In other words, he is the living example of the Qur'an that teaches high morals. Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ said that 'exalted quality of character' signifies the 'good manners which the Qur'an has taught'. All these interpretations have almost the same significance. That is to say, not only that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is not an insane person, but he is the sublime and noblest of men possessing in full measure all the moral excellence that combine to make their possessor a perfect image of his Creator. The Holy Prophet's صلى الله عليه وسلم humanity was of the most perfect character. He was a complete embodiment of all good moral qualities that a man is capable of possessing. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself said:

بعثت لاتمم مکارم الاخلاق

"I have only been sent to perfect noble character/conduct." [ Abu Hayyan ].

Sayyidna Anas ؓ said:

"I served Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم for ten years, and he never said a word of displeasure to me, nor did he ever say to me concerning something I had done: 'Why did you do that?' And he never said to me concerning what I had not done: 'Why did you not do this?'" [ Bukhari and Muslim ].

Obviously, a ten-year period is a long time during which some unpleasant or objectionable thing might have happened.

Sayyidna Anas ؓ said:

"As a result of the Holy Prophet's noble character, any slave-girl of Madinah would hold his hand and take him wherever she would like to."

Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ said: "Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم never struck anyone with his hands except when he was fighting in jihad in the cause of Allah." It is confirmed that when he fought jihad in the cause of Allah, he killed unbelievers. Otherwise he did not hit any servant, nor any woman. He would never take revenge for any harm or mistake done. He would only implement Shar' i punishment on those who violated Allah's laws. [ Transmitted by Muslim ].

Sayyidna Jabir ؓ says that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم was never asked for anything for which he said 'No'. [ Bukhari and Muslim ].

Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ said:

"Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم was never vulgar, never pretended to be vulgar and he never shouted in the marketplaces. He never responded to evil by evil, but always pardoned and overlooked."

Sayyidna Abu-d-Darda' ؓ narrates that Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

"Noble character will be the heaviest thing on a Muslim's scale of good deeds on the Day of Resurrection. Allah detests the rude and foul-mouthed person." [ Transmitted by Tirmidhi, grading it as a Tradition which is 'hasan'].

Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ narrates that Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم "said:

"Indeed by virtue of good character, a believer can attain the status of votaries who spend their nights in worship and their days in fasting." [ Abu Dawud ].

Sayyidna Mu'dh Ibn Jabal ؓ narrates that when he placed his foot into the stirrup of his mount, as he was departing for Yemen as the governor of that province, Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم advised him:

یا مَعَاذ اَحسِن خُلُقَکَ لِلنَّاس

"0 Mu` adh, display your best character with people." [ Transmitted by Malik ].

All narratives cited here have been adopted from Tafsir Mazhari. Verse:5 Commentary فَسَتُبْصِرُ‌ وَيُبْصِرُ‌ونَ بِأَييِّكُمُ الْمَفْتُونُ (So, you will see, and they will see which of you is demented....68:5-6]. The word maftun, in this context, means 'demented'. In the preceding verses, the Holy Prophet ', was accused of being an insane and demented. This verse turns tables upon the accusers of the Holy Prophet , and making a prophecy, tells them in challenging words that time will show whether it was he or they who suffered from insanity, or whether his claim to be Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم was the outpouring of heated brain, or whether they themselves were so demented as not to read the signs of time, and thus refuse to believe in him. These were the unfortunate, wretched ones who did not see the light of Truth and were thus disgraced and defeated in this world. But, on the other hand, there were thousands of other lucky ones who, at first did not see the light of Truth and denounced him as demented, soon saw the light and embraced the Faith of Islam. They took the love and obedience of the Holy Prophet as the capital asset of success, prosperity and happiness. Verse:6 Commentary - - - Verse:7 Commentary - - - Verse:8 Commentary فَلَا تُطِعِ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ وَدُّوا لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ (So, do not obey those who reject [ the true faith ]. They wish that you become flexible [ in your faith ], and they will become flexible [ in their hostile attitude.]....68:8-9]. The interpretation of this verse as adopted in this translation is based on the interpretation of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ as reported by Qurtubi.

Ruling

This verse indicates that any such compromise with the unbelievers is tantamount to mudahanah fid-din, flexibility in religion, and this is forbidden. [ Mazhari ]. Such a pact of leniency in matters of religion is not permissible, unless compelled by necessity. Verse:9 Commentary - - - Verse:10 Commentary لَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ ﴿10﴾ هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّاءٍ بِنَمِيمٍ ﴿11﴾ مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ‌ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ ﴿12﴾ عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ ﴿13﴾

(And do not obey any contemptible one who swears much, a slanderer who goes about with calumnies, one who prevents good, [ and who is ] transgressor, sinful, harsh, [ and ] after all that, notorious,.. _68:10-13)

The word zanim refers to 'a person whose legitimate birth from a father is not proved'. The person referred to in this verse was of doubtful birth or his lineage was uncertain.

The preceding verse prohibited any compromise with the unbelievers in general in matters of religion. The current verse prohibits specifically yielding to such mean leader of falsehood as Walid Ibn Mughirah, who possessed the base characteristics as listed in verses [ 10] to [ 13], the worst mischief-maker. [ As transmitted by Ibn Jarir on the authority of Ibn ` Abbas ؓ . Having described this person's bad manners and his arrogance in several verses that follow, verse [ 16] says:

سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى الْخُرْ‌طُومِ (We will soon brand him on the snout...68:16). That is, as, disbelievers, out of pride and false sense of power rejected the Divine Message in this world, Allah will disgrace and humiliate them on the Day of Resurrection so that the earlier and later generations will be able to see it. His nose has been described by way of reproach as khurtum (snout). This refers specifically to the long nose of a pig or a trunk of an elephant.

لَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ ﴿10﴾ هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّاءٍ بِنَمِيمٍ ﴿11﴾ مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ‌ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ ﴿12﴾ عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ ﴿13﴾

(And do not obey any contemptible one who swears much, a slanderer who goes about with calumnies, one who prevents good, [ and who is ] transgressor, sinful, harsh, [ and ] after all that, notorious,.. _68:10-13)

The word zanim refers to 'a person whose legitimate birth from a father is not proved'. The person referred to in this verse was of doubtful birth or his lineage was uncertain.

The preceding verse prohibited any compromise with the unbelievers in general in matters of religion. The current verse prohibits specifically yielding to such mean leader of falsehood as Walid Ibn Mughirah, who possessed the base characteristics as listed in verses [ 10] to [ 13], the worst mischief-maker. [ As transmitted by Ibn Jarir on the authority of Ibn ` Abbas ؓ . Having described this person's bad manners and his arrogance in several verses that follow, verse [ 16] says: Verse:11 Commentary - - - Verse:12 Commentary - - - Verse:13 Commentary - - - Verse:14 Commentary - - - Verse:15 Commentary - - - Verse:16 Commentary سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى الْخُرْ‌طُومِ (We will soon brand him on the snout...68:16). That is, as, disbelievers, out of pride and false sense of power rejected the Divine Message in this world, Allah will disgrace and humiliate them on the Day of Resurrection so that the earlier and later generations will be able to see it. His nose has been described by way of reproach as khurtum (snout). This refers specifically to the long nose of a pig or a trunk of an elephant. Verse:17 Commentary إِنَّا بَلَوْنَاهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَا أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ (We have tested them as We had tested the Owners of the Garden....68:17). The preceding verses rebutted the criticisms of pagan Arabs levelled against Allah's Messenger and gave reasons why the charges are not only unfounded, but also absurd. The present set of verses mentions a story of the past and the unbelievers of Makkah are threatened with punishment. 'Testing them' could refer to the forthcoming story, in which the owners of a garden were blessed with Divine favours, but they behaved ungratefully. As a result, a punishment came upon them and the favours were destroyed. The greatest Divine favour upon the Makkans was the advent of the Holy Messenger t. Besides, their businesses flourished and they prospered. This was a test for them to see whether they would behave gratefully to Allah and believe in Him and in His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم ، or whether they would obstinately persist in disbelief. In the other case, they should draw lessons from the story of the owners of the orchard, lest they be visited by a similar punishment on account of ingratitude. This interpretation would apply even in the case where these verses are taken as Makki, but most commentators take them to be Madani. The 'test' referred to here is the terrible famine that held Makkah in its grip, as a result of the Holy Prophet's prayer against them, for several years during which time people died of hunger and starvation, they were forced to eat carrion and leaves of trees till the Makkans begged the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to pray for their deliverance from the scourge. This incident took place after the migration.

The Story of the Owners of a Garden

Some elders, such as Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، mentioned that this orchard was in Yemen. According to one version of Sayyidna Said Ibn Jubair's narration, it was about six miles away from San` a', the famous capital city of Yemen. Other scholars think that it was in Ethiopia [ formerly known as Abyssinia ] [ Ibn Kathir ]. They were from amongst the People of the Book. This incident took place a while after the Ascension of Sayyidna Isa (علیہ السلام) [ Qurtubi ].

They are referred to as the 'Owners of the Garden' in the above verse. The description of the story given in the verses indicates that they did not only have a garden, but they also had large tracts of land which they cultivated and had fields of crops. Possibly, side by side with the orchard there were tracts of cultivated land and fields of crops in between the trees. However, they were called the owners of the garden on account of the popularity of the garden. The incident is reported according to the narration of Muhammad Ibn Marwan on the authority of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ as follows: There was a garden about two farsakhs (six miles) away from San` a' of Yemen. Its name was Darawan. This garden was set up by a pious and righteous person. His practice was to pick the fruits or harvest the crops with sickle. He would give some of the crop to the poor and indigent who gathered grains for themselves and did their living.

Likewise, when the crop was thrashed, and the grain separated from the chaff, he would leave the grain for the poor. So also when fruits were picked from the trees of the orchard, some fruits would fall down, and he would leave them for the indigent. For this reason, the poor always gathered at the orchard at the time of picking the fruit, and separating the grain from the chaff. When the righteous person passed away, he had three sons who inherited the orchard and crop-fields. They held a family meeting and discussed that their family has grown large, and the produce of the orchard and land is not sufficient for them. Therefore, it is no longer possible for them to spare any fruit or grain for the poor. According to other narratives, these boys, like other youngsters, felt that their father was a fool to give so much of fruits and grains to them. They thought it was necessary to put a stop to this. The rest of the story is told in the following verses of the Qur'an.

إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا لَيَصْرِ‌مُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ (...when they had sworn an oath that they would pluck its fruits on the next morning, and did not make any exception (by saying 'insha'Allah' ).... 68:17-18). In other words, they swore that they would harvest very early in the morning and return with it before the throng of poor people could arrive at the garden. They had so much of confidence in their plan that they did not say the redeeming words 'If Allah wills' whereas it is sunnah to say 'insha'Allah' when one mentions that one will do a particular work tomorrow. Verse:18 Commentary وَلَا يَسْتَثْنُونَ (and did not make any exception (by saying 'insha'Allah' ). [ 68:18] '. The word isthisna' in the original Arabic means 'to make an exception by saying "insha'Allah"'. However, some scholars interpret this word, in this context, to mean that 'they would devour the entire harvest themselves, with no exception for the poor. [ Mazhari ]. Verse:19 Commentary فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَائِفٌ مِّن رَّ‌بِّكَ (Then, there whirled around it a whirl (of calamity) from your Lord, while they were asleep....68:19). The word 'whirl' refers to 'a whirl of calamity' as a result of which Divine punishment overtook the garden in a sudden and swift sweep. Some narratives report that it was a fire which burnt every standing crop, and reduced it to black ashes.

وَهُمْ نَائِمُونَ (...while they were asleep.... 68:19). In other words, the devastating disaster overtook the entire garden while its owners were asleep. Verse:20 Commentary فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَالصَّرِ‌يمِ (Thus, on the next morning, it was like a harvested field ....68:20). The word sarim means to harvest or to collect a crop from the fields'. The word sarim in the context of the verse is used in the sense of masrum or maqtu`, meaning 'harvested or cut'. This signifies that the fire burnt the field and stripped it bare. The word sarim also means 'night'. From this point of view, the verse signifies 'the field became burnt up and black like night'. [ Mazhari ]. Verse:21 Commentary فَتَنَادَوْا مُصْبِحِينَ (So, they called out each other as the morning broke 68:21). This means that they starting waking up each other in the early morning that they should set out early if they wanted to harvest.

وَهُمْ يَتَخَافَتُونَ (...while they were whispering to each other ... 68:23). They were speaking in a low voice, lest a poor man should hear their talk and accompany them. Verse:22 Commentary - - - Verse:23 Commentary - - - Verse:24 Commentary - - - Verse:25 Commentary وَغَدَوْا عَلَىٰ حَرْ‌دٍ قَادِرِ‌ينَ And in early hours of the day they rushed quickly, while they were (assuming themselves) powerful (to pluck the fruits and prevent the poor.) [ 68:25] '. The word hard means 'to prevent' and 'to express anger'.5 In other words, they thought they had the power to pick the fruit for themselves and prevent the poor people from having a share in it, and even if they do come to the garden, the owners of the garden decided to chase them out.

(5). This word also means 'to rush quickly'. This meaning of the word has been adopted in the translation of the text. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani) Verse:26 Commentary فَلَمَّا رَ‌أَوْهَا قَالُوا إِنَّا لَضَالُّونَ (But when they saw it [ the place of the ruined garden ], they said, "We have missed the way."....68:26). In other words, when they did not find their garden on that spot, they first thought that they must have lost their way and gone to the wrong place. But when they saw the surroundings, they realized that it was the right place they have gone to, but the garden had been burnt up and destroyed. So, they exclaimed: بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُ‌ومُونَ "No, but we are deprived [ of the fruits ]....68:27) Verse:27 Commentary - - - Verse:28 Commentary قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ (Said he who was the best among them, "Did I not say to you, 'Why do you not pronounce tasbih (Allah's purity)?"....68:28). The middle brother was the best of them. He was righteous like his father. It used to please him to spend in the cause of Allah. He was not niggardly or stingy like the other brothers. He had advised them to recite tasbih which, literally, means to pronounce Allah's purity. He told them that they were withholding the share of the poor with the fear that their fruit will be depleted and will not be replenished by Allah, if they gave the poor their share. He told them that Allah is pure from such pettiness. Instead, those who spend in the way of Allah, He will not only make their wealth full again or replace what they have spent, but also will give them over and above what they have spent. [ Mazhari ]. Verse:29 Commentary قَالُوا سُبْحَانَ رَ‌بِّنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ (They said, "We pronounce the purity of our Lord. No doubt, we were wrongdoers." 68:29). Neither of the brothers had paid heed to this brother's advice at that point. But when the damage was done, they admitted that Allah is Pure, Free from any qualities of weaknesses and shortcomings, and that they were the wrongdoers, in that they were unjust to the poor intending to deprive them of their share and devour it themselves.

Warning

Although the best of the three brothers offered the right advice, he joined the other brothers in following their wrong opinion. So he suffered the same loss. This indicates that anyone who prevents other people from committing sins but does not abstain from them himself and joins them in doing the wrong acts, he will suffer the same fate as the others. Verse:30 Commentary فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ يَتَلَاوَمُونَ (Then, (at the beginning,) they started reproaching one another; 68:30). That is to say, at the beginning they made admission of guilt, but then they turned to face each other in mutual accusation, blaming each other for the punishment that visited them, whereas the crime was not committed by only a single person from among them, but it was committed jointly by all or most of them.

A note of caution

A common misdeed, in our days, is that when a calamity befalls a group of people due to their collective conduct, an additional scourge that befalls them is that, (instead of reforming themselves,) they start wasting their time in accusing each other. Verse:31 Commentary قَالُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا طَاغِينَ ( [ and at last ] they said, "Woe to us! In fact, we [ all ] were outrageous....68:31). At the beginning, they accused one another of the sin. Then when they considered the matter carefully, they admitted that they were all on the wrong. As a result, they lamented and admitted their guilt that amounted to repentance. On the basis of this repentance they hoped that Allah will give them in exchange a garden better than the one destroyed.

Imam Baghawi reports from Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Masud ؓ that, according to his information, when these brothers repented truly, Allah blessed them with a better vineyard that bore such large bunches of grapes that a single bunch could be loaded on a mule. [ Mazhari ]. Verse:32 Commentary - - - Verse:33 Commentary كَذَٰلِكَ الْعَذَابُ (In this way the punishment comes. And, of course, the punishment of the Hereafter is even greater, if they but realize!....68:33). After a brief reference to the famine faced by the Makkans and a detailed account of the People of the Garden whose garden was burnt as a punishment, the present verse sets down a general rule. When a Divine punishment visits, it visits in this way, and this kind of punishment in the mortal world does not serve as an expiation for the punishment in the Hereafter. The punishment of the Hereafter is greater and more severe.

The following verses give a description of the reward of the righteous, followed by refutation of another false claim of the pagans of Makkah. They denied that Resurrection will ever occur. They thought the story of Resurrection and accountability is fiction. Even if that does happen, they thought, they will get the same type of blessings and wealth as they have in this world. Several verses respond to their false belief. In verse [ 35] Allah poses the rhetorical question to the disbelievers: 'Shall We make the obedient like the sinners? [ 35] This is a strange sort of assertion for which they have no authority, nor proof nor any celestial book. Nor is there any promise from Allah that they will get the same type of blessings.

A Rational Proof of Resurrection

These verses give a solid proof to the necessity of the Day of Judgment, because accountability, rewarding the righteous and punishing the evil are all rationally necessary. It is witnessed by every person in this mortal world, and no one can deny, that the wicked, the evil, the unjust, the thieves and the bandits generally lead a comfortable and enjoyable life in the mortal world. A thief or a bandit sometimes in one night gains so much of wealth that a righteous person might not gain as much in his entire life. The former has no fear of Allah or the Hereafter, nor does he have any sense of shame. He fulfills his selfish desires as he likes - by hook or by crook. The latter fears Allah, and if he does not have that, his sense of shame among his brotherhood overwhelms him. In short, in the mortal world the wicked and the evil ones seem to be successful, and the good people seem to be unsuccessful. If there does not arise an occasion where fair play and justice is established - where the good people would be rewarded and the evil ones would be punished? It would be meaningless to refer to evil as evil. There would be no reason to stop a person from fulfilling his selfish desires and doing the evil acts. On the other hand, justice will have no meaning or significance. How will the believers in God's existence respond to the following question: Where is God's justice?

One may argue that a criminal is apprehended, he is exposed to disgrace and is punished. This distinguishes the innocent persons from the evil ones right here in this world. Laws and statutes of a government' s establish standards of justice and fair play. But this is incorrect, because it is not possible for a government to keep an eye on every one, everywhere and in all circumstances. Wherever it does happen, it is not an easy task to gather the necessary judicial evidence, so that the guilty person may be convicted and punished. And even if the judicial evidence could be gathered, there are several escape doors through which the guilty person could get away, such as force, bribery, intercession and pressure. If we review the punishment history of the present-day governments and courts, it would appear that nowadays only those people are punished who are fools, brainless and helpless or without support. They are not cunning enough to find a loophole in the legal system, or an escape route, nor do they have enough money to pay for bribery, nor do they have an influential person to back them or intercede on their behalf or they cannot use these things because of their foolishness. The rest of the criminals are moving freely.