Surah 11. Hud

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Verses [Section]: 1-8[1], 9-24 [2], 25-35 [3], 36-49 [4], 50-60 [5], 61-68 [6], 69-83 [7], 84-95 [8], 96-109 [9], 110-123 [10]

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Quran Text of Verse 110-123وَ لَقَدْAnd verilyاٰتَیْنَاWe gaveمُوْسَیMusaالْكِتٰبَthe Bookفَاخْتُلِفَbut differences aroseفِیْهِ ؕthereinوَ لَوْ لَاAnd if notكَلِمَةٌ(for) a Wordسَبَقَتْ(that) precededمِنْfromرَّبِّكَyour Lordلَقُضِیَsurely would have been judgedبَیْنَهُمْ ؕbetween themوَ اِنَّهُمْAnd indeed theyلَفِیْsurely (are) inشَكٍّdoubtمِّنْهُconcerning itمُرِیْبٍ suspicious وَ اِنَّAnd indeedكُلًّاto each [when]لَّمَّاto each [when]لَیُوَفِّیَنَّهُمْsurely will pay them in fullرَبُّكَyour Lordاَعْمَالَهُمْ ؕtheir deedsاِنَّهٗIndeed, Heبِمَاof whatیَعْمَلُوْنَthey doخَبِیْرٌ (is) All-Aware فَاسْتَقِمْSo stand firmكَمَاۤasاُمِرْتَyou are commandedوَ مَنْand (those) whoتَابَturn (in repentance)مَعَكَwith youوَ لَاand (do) notتَطْغَوْا ؕtransgressاِنَّهٗIndeed Heبِمَاof whatتَعْمَلُوْنَyou doبَصِیْرٌ (is) All-Seer وَ لَاAnd (do) notتَرْكَنُوْۤاinclineاِلَیtoالَّذِیْنَthose whoظَلَمُوْاdo wrongفَتَمَسَّكُمُlest touches youالنَّارُ ۙthe Fireوَ مَاand notلَكُمْ(is) for youمِّنْbesides Allahدُوْنِbesides Allahاللّٰهِbesides Allahمِنْanyاَوْلِیَآءَprotectorsثُمَّthenلَاnotتُنْصَرُوْنَ you will be helped وَ اَقِمِAnd establishالصَّلٰوةَthe prayerطَرَفَیِ(at the) two endsالنَّهَارِ(of) the dayوَ زُلَفًاand (at) the approachمِّنَofالَّیْلِ ؕthe nightاِنَّIndeedالْحَسَنٰتِthe good deedsیُذْهِبْنَremoveالسَّیِّاٰتِ ؕthe evil deedsذٰلِكَThatذِكْرٰی(is) a reminderلِلذّٰكِرِیْنَۚfor those who remember وَ اصْبِرْAnd be patientفَاِنَّfor indeedاللّٰهَAllahلَا(does) notیُضِیْعُlet go wasteاَجْرَ(the) rewardالْمُحْسِنِیْنَ (of) the good-doers فَلَوْ لَاSo why notكَانَhad beenمِنَofالْقُرُوْنِthe generationsمِنْbefore youقَبْلِكُمْbefore youاُولُوْاthose possessing a remnantبَقِیَّةٍthose possessing a remnantیَّنْهَوْنَforbiddingعَنِfromالْفَسَادِthe corruptionفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthاِلَّاexceptقَلِیْلًاa fewمِّمَّنْof thoseاَنْجَیْنَاWe savedمِنْهُمْ ۚamong themوَ اتَّبَعَBut followedالَّذِیْنَthose whoظَلَمُوْاdid wrongمَاۤwhatاُتْرِفُوْاluxury they were givenفِیْهِthereinوَ كَانُوْاand they wereمُجْرِمِیْنَ criminals وَ مَاAnd notكَانَwouldرَبُّكَyour Lordلِیُهْلِكَdestroyالْقُرٰیthe citiesبِظُلْمٍunjustlyوَّ اَهْلُهَاwhile its peopleمُصْلِحُوْنَ (were) reformers 11. Hud Page 235وَ لَوْAnd ifشَآءَyour Lord (had) willedرَبُّكَyour Lord (had) willedلَجَعَلَsurely He (could) have madeالنَّاسَthe mankindاُمَّةًone communityوَّاحِدَةًone communityوَّ لَاbut notیَزَالُوْنَthey will ceaseمُخْتَلِفِیْنَۙto differ اِلَّاExceptمَنْ(on) whomرَّحِمَyour Lord has bestowed Mercyرَبُّكَ ؕyour Lord has bestowed Mercyوَ لِذٰلِكَand for thatخَلَقَهُمْ ؕHe created themوَ تَمَّتْAnd will be fulfilledكَلِمَةُ(the) Word of your Lordرَبِّكَ(the) Word of your LordلَاَمْلَـَٔنَّSurely I will fillجَهَنَّمَHellمِنَwithالْجِنَّةِthe Jinnوَ النَّاسِand the menاَجْمَعِیْنَ all together وَ كُلًّاAnd eachنَّقُصُّWe relateعَلَیْكَto youمِنْofاَنْۢبَآءِ(the) newsالرُّسُلِ(of) the Messengersمَا(for) thatنُثَبِّتُWe may make firmبِهٖwith itفُؤَادَكَ ۚyour heartوَ جَآءَكَAnd has come to youفِیْinهٰذِهِthisالْحَقُّthe truthوَ مَوْعِظَةٌand an admonitionوَّ ذِكْرٰیand a reminderلِلْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ for the believers وَ قُلْAnd sayلِّلَّذِیْنَto those whoلَا(do) notیُؤْمِنُوْنَbelieveاعْمَلُوْاWorkعَلٰی(according) toمَكَانَتِكُمْ ؕyour positionاِنَّاindeed weعٰمِلُوْنَۙ(are also) working وَ انْتَظِرُوْا ۚAnd waitاِنَّاindeed weمُنْتَظِرُوْنَ (are) ones who wait وَ لِلّٰهِAnd for Allahغَیْبُ(is the) unseenالسَّمٰوٰتِ(of) the heavensوَ الْاَرْضِand the earthوَ اِلَیْهِand to Himیُرْجَعُwill be returnedالْاَمْرُthe matterكُلُّهٗall (of) itفَاعْبُدْهُso worship Himوَ تَوَكَّلْand put your trustعَلَیْهِ ؕupon Himوَ مَاAnd your Lord is notرَبُّكَAnd your Lord is notبِغَافِلٍunawareعَمَّاof whatتَعْمَلُوْنَ۠you do

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Translation of Verse 110-123

(11:110) And We certainly gave Moses the Book before, and there arose disagreements about it (even as there are disagreements now about the Book revealed to you).¹¹¹ Had it not been for a decree that had already gone forth from your Lord, the matter would have long been decided between them.¹¹² Indeed they are in a disquieting doubt about it.

(11:111) Surely your Lord will recompense all to the full for their deeds. For indeed He is well aware of all what they do.

(11:112) So remain, (O Muhammad), you and those who have returned with you (to the fold of faith and obedience from unbelief and rebellion) steadfast (in adhering to the straight way) as you were commanded. And do not exceed the limits of (service to Allah). For certainly He is aware of all what you do.

(11:113) And do not incline towards the wrong-doers lest the Fire might seize you and you will have none as your protector against Allah; and then you will not be helped from anywhere.

(11:114) And establish the Prayer at the two ends of the day and in the first hours of the night.¹¹³ Indeed the good deeds drive away the evil deeds. This is a Reminder to those who are mindful of Allah.¹¹⁴

(11:115) And be patient; for indeed Allah never lets the reward of those who do good go to waste.

(11:116) Why were there not, out of the generations that passed away before you, righteous men who would forbid others from causing corruption on the earth? And if such were there, they were only a few whom We had saved from those generations, or else the wrong-doers kept pursuing the ease and comfort which had been conferred upon them, thus losing themselves in sinfulness.

(11:117) And your Lord is not such as would wrongfully destroy human habitations while their inhabitants are righteous.¹¹⁵

(11:118) Had your Lord so willed, He would surely have made mankind one community. But as things stand, now they will not cease to differ among themselves and to follow erroneous ways

(11:119) except for those on whom your Lord has mercy. And it is for this (exercise of freedom of choice) that He has created them.¹¹⁶ And the word of your Lord was fulfilled: 'Indeed I will fill the Hell, with men and jinn, altogether.'

(11:120) (O Muhammad!) We narrate these anecdotes of Messengers to you that We may strengthen through them your heart. In these anecdotes come to you the truth, and an exhortation, and a reminder for the believers.

(11:121) As for those who are bent on not believing, tell them: 'Work according to your way and we are working according to our way.

(11:122) And do wait for the end of things; we too are waiting.

(11:123) All that is hidden in the heavens and the earth lies within the power of Allah. To Him are all matters referred for judgement. So do serve Him, and place in Him all your trust. Your Lord is not heedless of what you do.¹¹⁷

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Commentary

111. If people launch scurrilous attacks on the Qur’an, this is not altogether novel. The same happened before. When Moses (peace be on him) was granted the scripture, people raised a variety of objections against it. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) should not, therefore, feel disheartened that his people rejected the teachings of the Qur’an despite their lucidity.

112. This is being said in order to comfort the Prophet (peace be on him) and his Companions. They are being asked to be patient and not to seek a hasty judgement from God concerning those who differ about the Qur’an. For God will soon come forth with His judgement. He has determined that this judgement will neither come a moment before, nor a moment after the expiry of the term. It is true human beings wish God’s judgement to come hastily. As for God, He never judges hastily.

113. The ‘two ends of the day’ refer to the morning and the sunset.

Similarly, the ‘first hours of the night’ refer to the time of the ‘Isha’ Prayer. We thus learn that this Qur’adnic verse dates back to the time when the five daily Prayers had as yet not been prescribed. The Prophet’s ascension took place at a later time than the revelation of these verses and it is then that the five daily Prayers were prescribed. (For further explanation see al-Isra’ 17,n. 95; Ta Ha 20: 111; and al-Rum 30: 124.)

114. The Qur’an informs the believers of the best way to drive away the evils which are rampant in the world and how to obliterate the wrongs perpetuated by the inveterate enemies of Islam. It counsels the believers to become increasingly righteous. For the righteousness of the believers will ultimately overwhelm evil and corruption. Now, since Prayers constantly remind people of God, they are the best means of making people righteous. The power that the believers receive from Prayer will not only enable them to repulse the onslaught of the organized forces of evil, but also to establish a righteous and benevolent order in the world. (For further elaboration see al-‘Ankabut 29, nn. 77-9.)

115. These verses bring out, in a significantly instructive manner, the real factors which caused the destruction of those nations whose history has been narrated earlier (see verse 36 ff. above). Reviewing that history, the Qur’an points out the single common denominator of all those nations which met their doom in the past. All those nations had formerly been favored with God’s blessings. But drunk with affluence, they resorted to mischief on earth. Their collective conscience was also completely vitiated. The result was that no righteous person was left among them to prevent them from committing evils.

And if any such person did exist, their number was either too small, or their voice too feeble to prevent evils from predominating. This situation eventually invited God’s wrath upon them. Had they not been so evil, there was no reason why God should punish them. After all, He bears no such grudge against His creatures that would prompt Him to punish people even when they act righteously.

The above statement is intended to underscore three points. Firstly, that it is imperative that there should always be a good number of righteous people in every society; those who would invite people to righteousness and prevent them from evil. For God likes to see that there is righteousness in the world.

And if God does tolerate the existence of evil in human society, He does so since the potential for righteousness continues to exist in that society. But such tolerance endures only as long as that potential remains. However, if the condition of a community deteriorates, rendering it altogether devoid of good people, or if the good people in that community become an insignificant minority, too weak to prevent it from proceeding along its evil ways, then God’s chastisement begins to loom large over it. That much can be said for sure. However, it is difficult to say with any precision when God’s chastisement will actually smite that community and destroy it.

Secondly, a community that is prepared to put up with everything except a group of righteous people in its midst — people that call men to do good and forbid them from doing evil — is certainly destined for self-destruction. The attitude of that community clearly shows that it cherishes all that would lead to its destruction, and that it is intolerant of all that would ensure its survival. ' Thirdly, God’s final decision whether to punish a community or not depends on the extent to which that community is possessed of the elements that would enable it to respond to the call of truth. If it has such people in good numbers that would suffice to extirpate evil and establish a righteous order, such a community is spared the kind of chastisement which embraces whole communities and totally destroys them. If it is subjected to some partial rather than an all-embracing chastisement, the purpose of it is to enable its righteous elements to mend their ways.

It is possible, however, that in spite of continued efforts, the community will be unable to throw up a sufficient number of good people needed to bring about its reform. It is also possible that the community will demonstrate by its action that it is full of corrupt people and altogether bereft of virtuous ones. The community, in such a case, has obviously become a heap of coal in which no diamonds are left. When such a stage is reached God causes a fire to erupt, a fire that reduces this heap of coal to a heap of ashes. (For further elaboration see al-Dhariyat 51, n. 34.)

116. This is being said in order to remove misconceptions which are often put forward under the appellation ‘fate’.

The explanation of the destruction of those ancient nations mentioned above is liable to give rise to serious objections. For, in the context of the above explanation it might be pointed out that the non-existence of righteous persons in a nation, or their existence in very small numbers, depends entirely on God’s will. If such is the case, how can any blame be directed at those nations? For, after all, why did God not create a large number of. good people in those nations? In the course of clarifying this misconception, it is pointed out here that God’s will with regard to human beings does not consist of binding them to follow an inalterable course of conduct in the manner of plants, animals and other similar living beings who, as we know, have no choice except to follow the course determined for them either by the laws of nature or their instincts.

Had such been the case, there would be no point in inviting human beings to believe, to raise Prophets, to reveal scriptures. All human beings would have been born as ones who would believe and submit to God’s command.

However; it was God's will be regarding man that he should be granted free will and be vested with the power to follow the ways of his choice. It was God’s will that the ways leading both to Paradise and Hell should remain open to him, and that everyone be provided with the opportunity to make a choice between them. Thus, whatever one is able to acquire is the fruit of his own labor.

Now, the very scheme of man’s creation consists of granting him free will and providing the opportunity to choose between belief and unbelief. In such a case it is simply inconceivable that a nation would willfully decide to go astray and God compel it to righteousness. If a nation decides to set up a system that produces rogues who try to excel one another in their evil, wrong-doing and sin, how can God forcibly direct them, by means of His direct interference, to the course of righteousness? Such an interference is simply not a part of God's scheme of things. Members of a community become good or bad as a result of the measures taken by that nation itself. But a time may come when a community immerses itself so deeply in evil that no sizeable group of good people are left in it to champion righteousness. Alternatively, the social system of that community may be so geared as to leave no room for reform. When such a stage is reached, God simply lets that community proceed to the tragic end that it has chosen for itself.

Those nations which deserve God’s mercy are possessed of altogether different characteristics. Such nations abound in persons who respond to the call of righteousness. Moreover, their social values make it possible for righteous people to carry on their efforts to bring about reform. (For further elaboration see Towards Understanding the Qur’ an, vol. II, al-An‘am 6, n. 24, — pp. 228-9.)

117. God is cognizant of all that is being done by the two parties engaged in the encounter between belief and unbelief. It is simply inconceivable that there should be chaos and disorder in God’s realm. For God’s realm is not the realm of a negligent, heedless sovereign who is unaware of what is going on.

However, since God is Wise and Forbearing, He does not resort to punishing people hastily. However, justice is eventually meted out and those who deserve punishment are ultimately punished. Thus, all those who are engaged in the effort to bring about reform, should feel reassured that their efforts will not be wasted.

On the other hand, there are also those who are engaged in making and perpetuating mischief, who have focused all their efforts on brutally persecuting reformers and suppressing their reform efforts. Such people should know that all their evil deeds are known to God, and that they will be made to pay very dearly for these misdeeds.