Surah 22. Al-Haj

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-22 [2], 23-25 [3], 26-33 [4], 34-38 [5], 39-48 [6], 49-57 [7], 58-64 [8], 65-72 [9], 73-78 [10]

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Quran Text of Verse 65-7222. Al-Haj Page 340اَلَمْDo notتَرَyou seeاَنَّthatاللّٰهَAllahسَخَّرَ(has) subjectedلَكُمْto youمَّاwhatفِی(is) inالْاَرْضِthe earthوَ الْفُلْكَand the shipsتَجْرِیْthat sailفِیthroughالْبَحْرِthe seaبِاَمْرِهٖ ؕby His Commandوَ یُمْسِكُAnd He withholdsالسَّمَآءَthe skyاَنْlestتَقَعَit fallsعَلَیonالْاَرْضِthe earthاِلَّاexceptبِاِذْنِهٖ ؕby His permissionاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahبِالنَّاسِto mankindلَرَءُوْفٌ(is) Full of Kindnessرَّحِیْمٌ Most Merciful وَ هُوَAnd Heالَّذِیْۤ(is) the One Whoاَحْیَاكُمْ ؗgave you lifeثُمَّthenیُمِیْتُكُمْHe will cause you to dieثُمَّthenیُحْیِیْكُمْ ؕHe will give you life (again)اِنَّIndeedالْاِنْسَانَmanلَكَفُوْرٌ (is) surely ungrateful لِكُلِّFor everyاُمَّةٍnationجَعَلْنَاWe have madeمَنْسَكًاrite(s)هُمْtheyنَاسِكُوْهُperform itفَلَاSo let them notیُنَازِعُنَّكَdispute with youفِیinالْاَمْرِthe matterوَ ادْعُbut invite (them)اِلٰیtoرَبِّكَ ؕyour LordاِنَّكَIndeed, youلَعَلٰی(are) surely onهُدًیguidanceمُّسْتَقِیْمٍ straight وَ اِنْAnd ifجٰدَلُوْكَthey argue (with) youفَقُلِthen sayاللّٰهُAllahاَعْلَمُ(is) most knowingبِمَاof whatتَعْمَلُوْنَ you do اَللّٰهُAllahیَحْكُمُwill judgeبَیْنَكُمْbetween youیَوْمَ(on the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrectionفِیْمَاconcerning whatكُنْتُمْyou used (to)فِیْهِin itتَخْتَلِفُوْنَ differ اَلَمْDo notتَعْلَمْyou knowاَنَّthatاللّٰهَAllahیَعْلَمُknowsمَاwhatفِی(is) inالسَّمَآءِthe heavenوَ الْاَرْضِ ؕand the earthاِنَّIndeedذٰلِكَthatفِیْ(is) inكِتٰبٍ ؕa Recordاِنَّindeedذٰلِكَthatعَلَی(is) forاللّٰهِAllahیَسِیْرٌ easy وَ یَعْبُدُوْنَAnd they worshipمِنْbesides Allahدُوْنِbesides Allahاللّٰهِbesides AllahمَاwhatلَمْnotیُنَزِّلْHe (has) sent downبِهٖfor itسُلْطٰنًاany authorityوَّ مَاand whatلَیْسَnotلَهُمْthey haveبِهٖof itعِلْمٌ ؕany knowledgeوَ مَاAnd notلِلظّٰلِمِیْنَ(will be) for the wrongdoersمِنْanyنَّصِیْرٍ helper وَ اِذَاAnd whenتُتْلٰیare recitedعَلَیْهِمْto themاٰیٰتُنَاOur Versesبَیِّنٰتٍclearتَعْرِفُyou will recognizeفِیْonوُجُوْهِ(the) facesالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whoكَفَرُواdisbelieveالْمُنْكَرَ ؕthe denialیَكَادُوْنَThey almostیَسْطُوْنَattackبِالَّذِیْنَthose whoیَتْلُوْنَreciteعَلَیْهِمْto themاٰیٰتِنَا ؕOur VersesقُلْSayاَفَاُنَبِّئُكُمْThen shall I inform youبِشَرٍّof worseمِّنْthanذٰلِكُمْ ؕthatاَلنَّارُ ؕThe FireوَعَدَهَاAllah (has) promised itاللّٰهُAllah (has) promised itالَّذِیْنَ(for) those whoكَفَرُوْا ؕdisbelieveوَ بِئْسَand wretchedالْمَصِیْرُ۠(is) the destination

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Translation of Verse 65-72

(22:65) Have you not seen how Allah has subjected to you all that is in the earth, and the vessels that sail in the sea by His command,¹¹³ and it is He Who holds back the sky that it may not fall on earth except by His leave? Surely Allah is Most Gentle, Ever Compassionate to people.

(22:66) And it is He Who has endowed you with life and it is He who causes you to die, and it is He Who will then resurrect you. Man is indeed extremely prone to denying the Truth.¹¹⁴

(22:67) For every people¹¹⁵ We have prescribed a way of worship¹¹⁶ which they follow. So, (O Muhammad), let them not dispute with you concerning this,¹¹⁷ and call them to Your Lord. You are certainly on the Straight Way.¹¹⁸

(22:68) And if they dispute with you, say: "Allah knows well what you do.

(22:69) Allah will judge among you on the Day of Resurrection concerning matters about which you disagreed."

(22:70) Are you not aware that Allah knows all that is in the heaven and the earth? Surely it is all preserved in a Book. Indeed that is easy with Allah.¹¹⁹

(22:71) Instead of Allah they worship those concerning whom He has revealed no sanction and concerning whom they have no true knowledge.¹²⁰ None shall be able to help such evil-doers.¹²¹

(22:72) When Our Signs are plainly recited to them, you will perceive utter repugnance on their faces and it all but seems as if they will soon pounce upon those who recite Our Signs to them. Say: "Shall I tell you what is worse than that?¹²² The Fire with which Allah has threatened those who disbelieve. That is truly an evil end."

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Commentary

1 13. The word ‘heaven’ signifies the whole celestial sphere every part of which is held in its proper place solely by the Will and Power of God.

114, This refers to deliberate denials of the truth expounded by the Prophets.

115. That is, the community of each Prophet.

116. The word mansak is not used here in the limited sense of ritual sacrifice.

It rather signifies the whole system of worship. In an earlier instance, we translated the same word as ‘the ritual of sacrifice’ because in that context what was indicated was the ritual of sacrifice and nothing else. The use of the word on that occasion was followed by the Qur’anic statement: ‘that they pronounce the name of Allah over the cattle He has provided them’. (See verse 34 of the present surah — Ed.) However, in the present verse there is no basis for taking this word in its limited sense of just the ‘ritual of sacrifice’. Likewise, in translating the word mansak we have used the expression ‘way of worship and service’ since here both situations are meant. In other words, it refers to the mode of worship and service which is synonymous with the word Shari‘ah in the Qur’4n as: ‘For each of you We have appointed a Law and a way of Life’ (al-Ma’idah 5S: 48).

117. The earlier Prophets prescribed a particular way (mansak) for their communities. In like manner, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) also prescribed a particular way for his community. No one is entitled to dispute this because this is the only way that is suitable for the present age. This point is put forward in the Qur’an as follows: ‘Then We put you on the right way of religion: so follow that and do not follow the desires of those who do not know’ (al-Jathiyah 45: 18). For further details, see Tafhim al-Qur’an, vol. IV, al-Shura 42, n. 20.

118. This statement further elaborates the point we identified in n. 117 above in explaining the preceding verse.

119. For a better understanding of the nexus between the contents of the present paragraph and the present discourse, one should recall verses 55-7 of the present surah.

120. None of the Scriptures specifically state that God associated others with Him in His Godhead, and that consequently such others should also be worshipped beside God. Nor have any of those who are considered to be God’s partners been able to know from any truly authentic source that they are indeed God’s partners.

Hence, the whole pantheon of false deities, the myriad of different notions and inventions about their attributes and powers, the diverse forms of worship, acts of devotion and various Prayers that are addressed to them, the offerings and Pilgrimages performed in order to please them, none has any sanction. Those. who engage in such things do no more than follow the baseless fancies of the ignorant.

121. These foolish people think that their false deities will help them in this world and in the Next. In point of fact, they have none to help them. So far as the false deities are concerned, they will be unable to assist for they are absolutely helpless. Nor will God help them for they have rebelled against Him. Hence, they are harming only themselves by engaging in this folly.

122. The unbelievers fly into a bitter rage when they hear God’s Messages.

The unbelievers also subject those who rehearse God’s Message to the worst kind of maltreatment. Such people are here told that they should look forward to a retribution for their deeds that is much more severe than the treatment they have meted out to those who are righteous. Essentially, they should look forward to God’s awesome punishment.