Surah 21. Al-Anbya

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-29 [2], 30-41 [3], 42-50 [4], 51-75 [5], 76-93 [6], 94-112 [7]

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Quran Text of Verse 30-41اَوَ لَمْDo notیَرَseeالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْۤاdisbelievedاَنَّthatالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضَand the earthكَانَتَاwereرَتْقًاa joined entityفَفَتَقْنٰهُمَا ؕthen We parted themوَ جَعَلْنَاand We madeمِنَfromالْمَآءِ[the] waterكُلَّeveryشَیْءٍliving thingحَیٍّ ؕliving thingاَفَلَاThen will notیُؤْمِنُوْنَ they believe وَ جَعَلْنَاAnd We (have) placedفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthرَوَاسِیَfirmly set mountainsاَنْlestتَمِیْدَit (should) shakeبِهِمْ ۪with themوَ جَعَلْنَاand We madeفِیْهَاthereinفِجَاجًاbroad passesسُبُلًا(as) waysلَّعَلَّهُمْso that they mayیَهْتَدُوْنَ (be) guided وَ جَعَلْنَاAnd We madeالسَّمَآءَthe skyسَقْفًاa roofمَّحْفُوْظًا ۖۚprotectedوَّ هُمْBut theyعَنْfromاٰیٰتِهَاits Signsمُعْرِضُوْنَ turn away وَ هُوَAnd Heالَّذِیْ(is) the One Whoخَلَقَcreatedالَّیْلَthe nightوَ النَّهَارَand the dayوَ الشَّمْسَand the sunوَ الْقَمَرَ ؕand the moonكُلٌّeachفِیْinفَلَكٍan orbitیَّسْبَحُوْنَ floating وَ مَاAnd notجَعَلْنَاWe madeلِبَشَرٍfor any manمِّنْbefore youقَبْلِكَbefore youالْخُلْدَ ؕ[the] immortalityاَفَاۡىِٕنْso ifمِّتَّyou dieفَهُمُthen (would) theyالْخٰلِدُوْنَ live forever كُلُّEveryنَفْسٍsoulذَآىِٕقَةُ(will) tasteالْمَوْتِ ؕ[the] deathوَ نَبْلُوْكُمْAnd We test youبِالشَّرِّwith [the] badوَ الْخَیْرِand [the] goodفِتْنَةً ؕ(as) a trialوَ اِلَیْنَاand to Usتُرْجَعُوْنَ you will be returned 21. Al-Anbya Page 325وَ اِذَاAnd whenرَاٰكَyou seeالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْۤاdisbelieveاِنْnotیَّتَّخِذُوْنَكَthey take youاِلَّاexceptهُزُوًا ؕ(in) ridiculeاَهٰذَاIs thisالَّذِیْthe one whoیَذْكُرُmentionsاٰلِهَتَكُمْ ۚyour godsوَ هُمْAnd theyبِذِكْرِat (the) mentionالرَّحْمٰنِ(of) the Most Graciousهُمْ[they]كٰفِرُوْنَ (are) disbelievers خُلِقَIs createdالْاِنْسَانُthe manمِنْofعَجَلٍ ؕhasteسَاُورِیْكُمْI will show youاٰیٰتِیْMy Signsفَلَاso (do) notتَسْتَعْجِلُوْنِ ask Me to hasten وَ یَقُوْلُوْنَAnd they sayمَتٰیWhen (will be fulfilled)هٰذَاthisالْوَعْدُpromiseاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou areصٰدِقِیْنَ truthful لَوْIfیَعْلَمُknewالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedحِیْنَ(the) timeلَا(when) notیَكُفُّوْنَthey will avertعَنْfromوُّجُوْهِهِمُtheir facesالنَّارَthe Fireوَ لَاand notعَنْfromظُهُوْرِهِمْtheir backsوَ لَاand notهُمْtheyیُنْصَرُوْنَ will be helped! بَلْNayتَاْتِیْهِمْit will come to themبَغْتَةًunexpectedlyفَتَبْهَتُهُمْand bewilder themفَلَاthen notیَسْتَطِیْعُوْنَthey will be ableرَدَّهَاto repel itوَ لَاand notهُمْtheyیُنْظَرُوْنَ will be given respite وَ لَقَدِAnd verilyاسْتُهْزِئَwere mockedبِرُسُلٍMessengersمِّنْbefore youقَبْلِكَbefore youفَحَاقَthen surroundedبِالَّذِیْنَthose whoسَخِرُوْاmockedمِنْهُمْfrom themمَّاwhatكَانُوْاthey usedبِهٖat itیَسْتَهْزِءُوْنَ۠(to) mock

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Translation of Verse 30-41

(21:30) Did the unbelievers (who do not accept the teaching of the Prophet) not realize that the heavens and the earth were one solid mass, then We tore them apart,²⁸ and We made every living being out of water?²⁹ Will they, then, not believe (that We created all this)?

(21:31) And We placed firm mountains on earth lest it should sway with them,³⁰ and We made wide paths³¹ in them that they may find their way;³²

(21:32) and We made the sky a secure canopy;³³ and yet they turn away from these Signs.³⁴

(21:33) It is He Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Each of them is floating in its orbit.³⁵

(21:34) (O Muhammad),³⁶ We did not grant everlasting life to any human being even before you. If you were to die, will they live for ever?

(21:35) Every living being shall taste death³⁷ and We shall subject you to ill and good by way of trial,³⁸ and to Us shall all of you be eventually sent back.

(21:36) When the unbelievers see you they make you an object of fun, saying: "Is he the one who mentions your gods?"³⁹ They say so, and yet they reject with disdain the very mention of the Most Compassionate Lord.⁴⁰

(21:37) Man is hasty by nature.⁴¹ I shall certainly show you My Signs.⁴² Do not ask Me to be hasty.

(21:38) They say: "(Tell us) when will the threat of punishment come to pass if you are truthful?"

(21:39) If only the unbelievers knew of the Hour when they shall not be able to keep off the Fire from their faces, nor from their backs; nor shall they be helped.

(21:40) That will suddenly come upon them and stupefy them. They shall not be able to ward it off, nor shall they be granted any respite.

(21:41) Other Messengers before you were also mocked, but those who scoffed at the Messengers were overtaken by the same scourge that they had scoffed at.

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Commentary

28. The two words used here are ratq and fatq. Ratq meaning to be together, to be conjoined, to be homogeneous and adjacent; fatq meaning to separate or to split apart. The verse seems to suggest that this universe was initially one huge mass which was later separated into different parts so that the earth and other heavenly bodies were given shape as separate entities. (For further details see al-Sajdah 32, nn. 13-15.)

29. It seems that God not only made water a means of life, but also its very basis from which He caused all life to originate in and from. The same point is made elsewhere in the Qur’an: ‘And God has created every living being from water’ (al-Nur 24: 45).

30. For an explanation of this see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. IV, al-Nahl 16, n. 12, p. 317.

31. God placed passes between mountains and also made it possible for people to traverse mountainous regions and journey from one territory to another along rivers. Likewise, God has so constituted the earth that either there are pre-existing routes to travel from one area to another, or man is able to fashion alternatives for himself.

32. This statement has more than one meaning. The first means that these mountain passes are intended to help people find ways to traverse the earth. The second means that by observing the wisdom and dexterity of the well-ordered arrangement of things that sufficiently minister to man’s needs, people will be able to find their way to the ultimate truth.

33. For details see Towards Understanding the Qur’ an, vol. IV, al-Hijr 15, nn, 8, 10-12, pp. 285-6.

34. Here reference is made to the signs God has placed in the heavens.

35. The words and used in this verse suggest that the reference is not only to the sun and the moon, but also to other heavenly bodies such as the stars and planets. This is borne out by the use of the verb in its plural rather than dual form. Another word used here is which is a familiar term in Arabic for sky. Since the verse says that each is floating in its falak, two points. clearly emerge. First, that all the heavenly bodies are not floating in one and the same orbit; rather each has its own orbit. Second, an orbit is not something static with a planet fixed on to it. It rather seems to be something fluid, something seemingly vacuous, like space where if any heavenly bodies move their movement gives the impression of floating. (For further details see Ya Sin 36, n. 37.) In ancient times, the concepts that people held about the heavens and the earth, about their being conjoined (ratq), separated (fatq), about every living being made from water, and heavenly bodies in their respective orbits (see verses 30 to 33) were quite different from what we now believe. Our present notions pertaining to those matters — thanks to advancements in physics, biology and astronomy — have greatly changed. It cannot be definitely said how the statements made on these matters by the Qur’an will be understood in the future for man’s expanding knowledge is bound to have a bearing on this. It is significant, however, that contemporary man finds these’ Qur’anic statements in verses 30 to 33 to fully conform with the latest scientific information on the subject. It should also be noted that whilst the discourse in verses 18 to 29 is concerned with a return to polytheism, that in verses 30 to 33 consists of advancing evidence in support of God’s unity. The core of the matter is that the very order of the universe negates even the faintest suggestion that anyone other than God has any role whatsoever in its workings. Is it possible that such a perfectly well-ordered universe could have come into existence and then functioned with such ease and smoothness had it been under the control of more than one god? Can any rational person even imagine that a universe which seems geared to achieve a myriad of good purposes has no other meaning than that afforded by a mere area? Is the universe no more than a set of playthings designed to entertain their Creator for a while only then to be discarded and reduced by Him to nothingness? Does it stand to reason that people can encounter all that we have mentioned above, and yet deny what the Prophet (peace be on him) taught them? Why when everything in the heavens and on earth bears testimony to the unity of God, do the unbelievers deny the call of the Prophet (peace be on him) which is after all a call to God’s unity? Why is it that despite all these signs, the unbelievers continue to ask him to come forward with some miraculous sign (see verse 5 above)? Are the countless signs which they have already insufficient to corroborate the veracity of the Prophet’s call to affirm the unity of God?

36. This marks the resumption of the discourse on the conflict between the Prophet (peace be on him) and his enemies at the time this surah was revealed...

37. This. is a succinct rejoinder to the threats, warnings, curses and conspiracies directed against the Prophet (peace be on him). In the first instance the Quraysh leaders had threatened the Prophet (peace be on him) with dire consequences if he continued to call people to his teachings; indeed, some had even hatched a conspiracy to end his life. Additionally, even though only one person in a family may have embraced Islam, the rest of that family usually became hostile towards that believer. The ladies of the family in particular would curse the Prophet (peace be on him). As for its male members, they too were not averse to threatening the Prophet (peace be on him).

After the migration to Abyssinia, the Makkans felt hard hit for there was scarcely a house in Makka that had not witnessed one of its member’s migration. For all this they blamed the Prophet (peace be on him) and they further charged him with ruining their lives. The verse in question responds to these allegations. Additionally, it urges the Prophet (peace be on him) to continue his mission, and to disregard the Makkans’ attitude.

38. Man is tested throughout all states of his being — in sorrow, poverty, affluence, victory, defeat, weakness, strength, health or sickness. This is done to establish whether or not prosperity and success makes a person arrogant and oppressive, oblivious to God and totally self-indulgent. Likewise, it tests whether or not adversity demoralizes man and makes him resort to unlawful and immoral means to improve his lot. An intelligent person makes no mistake in assessing these different states of his being. Whatever conditions he faces he should remember that he is being tested and that he should do his best to pass that test. Only a foolish and shallow person tums into a Pharaoh when he succeeds and becomes prosperous, but falls to the ground in utter disgrace when confronted with adversity.

39, That is, he speaks of their gods in unsavory terms. Note that this sentence does not contain the content of the unbelievers’ statements about the Prophet (peace be on him) when they tried to ridicule him. Rather than report the derisive words they used, the present sentence highlights the underlying reason for their derision of the Prophet (peace be on him). For obviously, the remark made here contains no element of derision or ridicule; alternative expressions of sarcasm and derision would have been chosen to mock the Prophet (peace be on him). We do know, however, from the present verse the reason behind the unbelievers’ venomous attacks on the Prophet (peace be on him) — his denial of the godhead of the deities they had contrived for themselves.

40. The unbelievers felt no shame in taking their revenge on the Prophet (peace be on him) on account of his opposition to their deities. Nor did they feel shame at having become so averse and indifferent to God; indeed, the very mention of Him enraged them.

41. The words used here literally mean: ‘Man is created of haste.’ This, however, does not convey the true purpose of the statement. To understand this note: if one says in Arabic that someone is made of something, it amounts to saying that this particular trait is a part of his nature. The same idea is expressed elsewhere in the Qur’an as followes:

Man is given to hasty deeds (Bani Isra’il 17: 11).

42. The subsequent discourse provides a clue as to what is meant by the word ayat (‘signs’) in this verse (see verse 37). The unbelievers derided the very notion of God’s punishment, of the Hereafter, and of Hell. They accepted that the Prophet (peace be on him) had warned them that if they rejected his call, they would be seized by God’s punishment, would be called to account on the Day of Judgement and would suffer the agonies of His Hell-Fire. However, they contended that even though they had heard the Prophet’s warnings and had rejected his teachings, they nevertheless continued to flourish. God’s punishment, they argued, was not forthcoming nor did it appear as if the Day of Judgement was imminent. This verse then ‘is in response to such statements from the unbelievers.