Verse:38 Commentary فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِمَا تُبْصِرُ‌ونَ وَمَا لَا تُبْصِرُ‌ونَ (I swear by what you see, and what you do not see....69:38-39). This comprehends the entire body of creation. Some say 'what you do not see' refers to the Being of Allah Ta` ala and His attributes. Others say 'what you see' refers to things of the mortal world, and 'what you do not see,' refers to things of the Hereafter. [ Mazhari ] And Allah, the Pure and Exalted, Knows best! Verse:39 Commentary - - - Verse:40 Commentary - - - Verse:41 Commentary - - - Verse:42 Commentary - - - Verse:43 Commentary - - - Verse:44 Commentary وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ الْأَقَاوِيلِ ﴿44﴾ لَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِالْيَمِينِ ﴿45﴾ ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ الْوَتِينَ ﴿46﴾

And had he forged some statements in Our name, We would have certainly seized him by the right hand, and then severed his life-astery,...(69:44-46)

The word taqawwul means 'to forge, fabricate or concoct' and the word watin refers to 'aorta or life-artery'. This is the main artery that carries blood from the heart to other parts of the body. Once this artery is cut off, death occurs instantly.

The foregoing verses refute the outrageous thoughts of the disbelievers. They used to accuse the Prophet o صلى الله عليه وسلم of being a poet and a soothsayer. They said that the Qur'an was the word of a poet or the word of a soothsayer. The Qur'an denounces their argument - it is not the word of a poet nor the word of a soothsayer; it is a revelation from Allah to His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم . In other words, in verses [ 37-38] it was claimed that all visible and invisible things prove that the Prophet is Allah's true Messenger and that the Qur'an is Allah's revealed Word and not the imaginary flight of a poet's mind or the wild conjectures of a diviner. In this and the preceding three verses another invincible argument is given in support of his claim. The argument is to the effect that if the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had been a forger of lies against Allah, Allah's strong hand would have seized him by the throat and cut off his life-artery and he would have certainly met with a violent death. The invincible argument is put forward in a strong language - assuming the impossible - to make the ignorant realise the worst-case scenario. The expression 'right hand' is used probably because when a convicted criminal is to be executed, the executioner stands in front facing the condemned person. The executioner's left hand faces the guilty person's right hand. The executioner holds the condemned person with his left hand and attacks him with his right hand.

A Cautionary Note

This verse refers to a theoretical situation relating to the Apostle of Allah in particular that lest, God forbid, if he were to concoct a word and impute it to Allah, this is the way he would have been dealt with. A hypothetical situation is a possible situation, not an actual situation. Thus this does not necessarily set down a universal principle that any and every impostor, who lays claim to prophethood, would be destroyed as a matter of general rule. History records that many impostors laid claim to prophethood, but no such destructive punishment was ever imposed on them. Verse:45 Commentary - - - Verse:46 Commentary - - - Verse:47 Commentary - - - Verse:48 Commentary - - - Verse:49 Commentary - - - Verse:50 Commentary - - - Verse:51 Commentary - - - Verse:52 Commentary فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَ‌بِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ 'So, pronounce the purity of the name of your magnificent Lord. [ 69:52] '. It was shown in the preceding verses that Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم never speak from his own whims and fancies. He only conveys pure revelation revealed to him by Allah. The Divine Word is a reminder and an admonition for the God-conscious people. Allah knows that despite knowing the absolutely incontestable truth many people will continue to reject it. Consequently, it will be a source of eternal remorse, disappointment and punishment in the Hereafter for the disbelievers. In the end, Allah says:

وَإِنَّهُ لَحَقُّ الْيَقِينِ 'And it is surely an absolute truth. [ 69:51] '. In other words, the Qur'an is undeniably the Truth of Certainty. There is no room for any doubt or suspicion in it.

Finally, Allah addresses the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ; to say:

فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَ‌بِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ 'So, pronounce the purity of the name of your magnificent Lord.' [ 69:52]. This signifies that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم should not pay any heed to the criticisms of the obdurate disbelievers nor should he feel distressed. He should rather pronounce the purity of Allah's name. This will relieve his distress and grief. On another occasion, the Qur'an says:

وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ يَضِيقُ صَدْرُ‌كَ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَ‌بِّكَ وَكُن مِّنَ السَّاجِدِينَ 'And We know that your heart feels distressed for what they say. [ 15:97-98]. So, proclaim the purity, and glory of your Lord and be among those who prostrate. [ 98] ' The Prophet is advised not to pay any attention to the disbelievers talking nonsense. The best remedy for his distress and grief is to glorify Allah, praise Him and prostrate before Him.

Abu Dawud records a narration from Sayyidna 'Uqbah bin Amir Juhani ؓ that when the verse, فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَ‌بِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ 'So, pronounce the purity of the name of your magnificent Lord. [ 521' was revealed, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم instructed this tasbih to be reserved for the posture of ruku` and when the verse سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَ‌بِّكَ الْأَعْلَى 'Pronounce the purity of the name of your most Exalted Lord. [ 87:1] ' was revealed, he instructed this tasbih to be reserved for the posture of sajdah. Therefore, by common consent of the Ummah these tasbihat are recited in ruku` and sajdah respectively. According to overwhelming majority, it is Sunnah to recite them and repeat them thrice. Some scholars say it is obligatory.