Surah 15. Al-Hijr

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Verses [Section]: 1-15[1], 16-25 [2], 26-44 [3], 45-60 [4], 61-79 [5], 80-99 [6]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-1515. Al-Hijr Page 26215. Al-Hijrبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِالٓرٰ ۫Alif Laam RaتِلْكَTheseاٰیٰتُ(are) the Versesالْكِتٰبِ(of) the Bookوَ قُرْاٰنٍand Quranمُّبِیْنٍ clear رُبَمَاPerhapsیَوَدُّwill wishالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedلَوْifكَانُوْاthey had beenمُسْلِمِیْنَ Muslims ذَرْهُمْLeave themیَاْكُلُوْا(to) eatوَ یَتَمَتَّعُوْاand enjoyوَ یُلْهِهِمُand diverted themالْاَمَلُthe hopeفَسَوْفَthen soonیَعْلَمُوْنَ they will come to know وَ مَاۤAnd notاَهْلَكْنَاWe destroyedمِنْanyقَرْیَةٍtownاِلَّاbutوَ لَهَا(there was) for itكِتَابٌa decreeمَّعْلُوْمٌ known مَاNotتَسْبِقُ(can) advanceمِنْanyاُمَّةٍnationاَجَلَهَاits termوَ مَاand notیَسْتَاْخِرُوْنَ (can) delay it وَ قَالُوْاAnd they sayیٰۤاَیُّهَاO youالَّذِیْ(to) whomنُزِّلَhas been sent downعَلَیْهِ[on him]الذِّكْرُthe Reminderاِنَّكَindeed youلَمَجْنُوْنٌؕ(are) surely mad لَوْWhyمَاnotتَاْتِیْنَاyou bring to usبِالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةِthe Angelsاِنْifكُنْتَyou areمِنَofالصّٰدِقِیْنَ the truthful مَاNotنُنَزِّلُWe send downالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةَthe Angelsاِلَّاexceptبِالْحَقِّwith the truthوَ مَاand notكَانُوْۤاthey would beاِذًاthenمُّنْظَرِیْنَ given respite اِنَّاIndeed WeنَحْنُWeنَزَّلْنَاhave sent downالذِّكْرَthe Reminderوَ اِنَّاand indeed Weلَهٗof itلَحٰفِظُوْنَ (are) surely Guardians وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyاَرْسَلْنَاWe (had) sentمِنْbefore youقَبْلِكَbefore youفِیْinشِیَعِthe sectsالْاَوَّلِیْنَ (of) the former (people) وَ مَاAnd notیَاْتِیْهِمْcame to themمِّنْanyرَّسُوْلٍMessengerاِلَّاbutكَانُوْاthey didبِهٖat himیَسْتَهْزِءُوْنَ mock كَذٰلِكَThusنَسْلُكُهٗWe let it enterفِیْinقُلُوْبِ(the) heartsالْمُجْرِمِیْنَۙ(of) the criminals لَاNotیُؤْمِنُوْنَthey believeبِهٖin itوَ قَدْand verilyخَلَتْhave passedسُنَّةُthe way(s)الْاَوَّلِیْنَ (of) the former (people) وَ لَوْAnd (even) ifفَتَحْنَاWe openedعَلَیْهِمْto themبَابًاa gateمِّنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe heavenفَظَلُّوْاand they were to continueفِیْهِthereinیَعْرُجُوْنَۙ(to) ascend لَقَالُوْۤاThey would surely sayاِنَّمَاOnlyسُكِّرَتْhave been dazzledاَبْصَارُنَاour eyesبَلْNayنَحْنُweقَوْمٌ(are) a peopleمَّسْحُوْرُوْنَ۠bewitched

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Translation of Verse 1-15In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

(15:1) Alif. Lam. Ra'. These are the verses of the Book, and a Clear Qur'an.¹

(15:2) Soon will the time come when the unbelievers will wish they were Muslims.

(15:3) Leave them to eat and enjoy life and let false hopes amuse them. They will soon come to know.

(15:4) Whenever We destroyed a town, a definite term had previously been decreed for it.²

(15:5) No people can outstrip the term for its destruction nor can it delay it.

(15:6) They say: "O you to whom the Admonition³ has been revealed, you are surely crazed.

(15:7) Why do you not bring down angels upon us if you are indeed truthful?"

(15:8) We do not send down the angels (in frivolity); and when We do send them down,⁴ We do so with Truth; then people are granted no respite.⁵

(15:9) As for the Admonition, indeed it is We Who have revealed it and it is indeed We Who are its guardians.⁶

(15:10) (O Muhammad), certainly We did send Messengers before you among the nations which have gone by.

(15:11) And whenever a Messenger came to them, they never failed to mock him.

(15:12) Even so We make a way for it (that is, the Admonition) in the hearts of the culprits (like a hot rod);

(15:13) they do not believe in it.⁷ This has been the wont of people of this kind from ancient times.

(15:14) If We were even to open for them a way to the heavens, and they could continually climb up to it in broad daylight,

(15:15) they would still have said: "Surely our eyes have been dazzled; rather, we have been enchanted."

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Commentary

1. This is a brief introductory statement about the surah which is immediately followed by the main discourse.

The Qur’an is characterized by its clarity. The purpose of this characterization is to emphasize that the Qur’an has set out its teachings in lucid terms, rendering them understandable.

2. God never punished a people immediately in the wake of their rejecting the message of a Prophet. They should, however, entertain no misgiving on that account. There is no justification for people to believe that, merely because ‘they had so far remained unpunished for rejecting the Prophet (peace be on him), insulting him, and publicly insisting that he was not a genuine Messenger of God. They should bear in mind that it is God’s law to earmark a definite period of time for a people so that they may heed the call of the Messenger, to carefully consider it, and to mend their attitude. During this period that nation _ is allowed to act as it wishes, and God magnanimously tolerates its behavior despite full knowledge of its wickedness. Throughout the appointed term of respite, the nation is not punished. (For further elaboration of this idea see Ibrahim 14, n. 18.)

3. The term ‘Admonition’ has been used to signify the Book of God. This characterization is quite apt since the whole of the Qur’an consists of admonition and good counsel. All the earlier scriptures were based on admonition, and so is the Qur’an. (Literally, dhikr means to remind, to caution, to tender good advice.)

4. The unbelievers referred to the Qur’an as ‘admonition’ by way of sarcasm. They did not believe that it was a revelation from God to Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him). Had they so believed, they would not have called him ‘crazed’. If this element of sarcasm is borne in mind, it is easy to appreciate what was meant by saying: “O you to whom the Admonition. has been revealed!” What this statement really meant was: ‘O you who claim that the Admonition was revealed to him!’ Such a statement closely resembles the sarcastic remark that Pharaoh made to his courtiers with regard to Moses (peace be on him): ‘Your Messenger — one sent for you — is indeed crazed’ (al-Shu‘ara’ 26: 27).

5. Angels are not dispatched to a people merely to entertain them. Hence, it makes no sense that whenever a people ask God to send angels down to earth, God accepts it forthwith. Nor are angels sent down in order to disclose the realities which are beyond man’s sense-perception and in which men are required to believe. Instead, angels are sent down to a people after a definitive decision has been made by God to destroy them. When that moment comes, the angels do not go to that people with the message: ‘Believe, and you will be spared God’s punishment!’ The respite granted to the unbelievers to accept the teaching of the Prophet lasts only as long as the reality remains concealed from their sense-perception. Once that reality stands fully disclosed, the time for believing is over. The statement that ‘angels are sent down in truth’ implies that they descend in order to wipe out falsehood and replace it with the truth. In other words, they are sent down with God’s decree to destroy a people and make sure that the decree is fully enforced.

6. The unbelievers dubbed the Prophet (peace be on him) — the bearer of the ‘Admonition’ — as crazed. It is emphasized here that the ‘Admonition’ was not something which the Prophet (peace be on him) made up; instead it was revealed to him by God. Hence, the taunts and abuse hurled at the Prophet (peace be on him) is in fact aimed at God.

The unbelievers are also asked to disabuse their minds of the idea that they would be able to cause any hurt to the Book of God. For God stands guard over it. No one can, therefore, destroy the Book, nor suppress its message. The taunts and attacks that the unbelievers throw at the Qur’an will not detract from its value. Nor will their opposition to it impede the spread of its message. Nor will God allow anyone to distort or alter it.

7. To whom does the pronoun (third person, singular) in the expressions refer. In the former instance, translators and commentators on the Qur’an consider the pronoun ‘J to refer to the act of mocking (see verse 11 above) and in the latter to refer to ‘the Admonition’ (see verse 9). On the’ basis of that assumption, the verse means that God causes mocking to enter into the hearts of culprits. As a result, they do not believe in ‘Admonition’. From a purely grammatical standpoint, this explanation cannot be faulted. However, both from a grammatical viewpoint as well as otherwise, we are of the view that in both cases the pronoun should preferably be deemed to refer to ‘the Admonition’.

The Arabic word salaka literally means to penetrate, to put something into another as thread is put into a needle. What the verse, therefore, means is that so far as the believers are concerned, when ‘the Admonition’ penetrates their hearts, it provides them with peace of mind and spiritual nourishment. On the contrary, when it penetrates the hearts of the unbelievers, they feel as if it was a hot, burning rod.