Surah 24. An-Nur

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-20 [2], 21-26 [3], 27-34 [4], 35-40 [5], 41-50 [6], 51-57 [7], 58-61 [8], 62-64 [9]

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Quran Text of Verse 41-50اَلَمْDo notتَرَyou seeاَنَّthatاللّٰهَAllahیُسَبِّحُglorifyلَهٗHimمَنْwhoeverفِی(is) inالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضِand the earthوَ الطَّیْرُand the birdsصٰٓفّٰتٍ ؕ(with) wings outspreadكُلٌّEach oneقَدْverilyعَلِمَknowsصَلَاتَهٗits prayerوَ تَسْبِیْحَهٗ ؕand its glorificationوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahعَلِیْمٌۢ(is) All-Knowerبِمَاof whatیَفْعَلُوْنَ they do وَ لِلّٰهِAnd to Allah (belongs)مُلْكُ(the) dominionالسَّمٰوٰتِ(of) the heavensوَ الْاَرْضِ ۚand the earthوَ اِلَیAnd toاللّٰهِAllahالْمَصِیْرُ (is) the destination اَلَمْDo notتَرَyou seeاَنَّthatاللّٰهَAllahیُزْجِیْdrivesسَحَابًاcloudsثُمَّthenیُؤَلِّفُjoinsبَیْنَهٗbetween themثُمَّthenیَجْعَلُهٗmakes themرُكَامًا(into) a massفَتَرَیthen you seeالْوَدْقَthe rainیَخْرُجُcome forthمِنْfromخِلٰلِهٖ ۚtheir midstوَ یُنَزِّلُAnd He sends downمِنَfromالسَّمَآءِ(the) skyمِنْ[from]جِبَالٍmountainsفِیْهَاwithin itمِنْۢ[of]بَرَدٍ(is) hailفَیُصِیْبُand He strikesبِهٖwith itمَنْwhomیَّشَآءُHe willsوَ یَصْرِفُهٗand averts itعَنْfromمَّنْwhomیَّشَآءُ ؕHe willsیَكَادُNearlyسَنَا(the) flashبَرْقِهٖ(of) its lightingیَذْهَبُtakes awayبِالْاَبْصَارِؕthe sight 24. An-Nur Page 356یُقَلِّبُAllah alternatesاللّٰهُAllah alternatesالَّیْلَthe nightوَ النَّهَارَ ؕand the dayاِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَعِبْرَةًsurely is a lessonلِّاُولِیfor those who have visionالْاَبْصَارِ for those who have vision وَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahخَلَقَcreatedكُلَّeveryدَآبَّةٍmoving creatureمِّنْfromمَّآءٍ ۚwaterفَمِنْهُمْOf themمَّنْ(is a kind) whoیَّمْشِیْwalksعَلٰیonبَطْنِهٖ ۚits bellyوَ مِنْهُمْand of themمَّنْ(is a kind) whoیَّمْشِیْwalksعَلٰیonرِجْلَیْنِ ۚtwo legsوَ مِنْهُمْand of themمَّنْ(is a kind) whoیَّمْشِیْwalksعَلٰۤیonاَرْبَعٍ ؕfourیَخْلُقُAllah createsاللّٰهُAllah createsمَاwhatیَشَآءُ ؕHe willsاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahعَلٰیonكُلِّeveryشَیْءٍthingقَدِیْرٌ (is) All-Powerful لَقَدْVerilyاَنْزَلْنَاۤWe have sent downاٰیٰتٍVersesمُّبَیِّنٰتٍ ؕclearوَ اللّٰهُAnd AllahیَهْدِیْguidesمَنْwhomیَّشَآءُHe willsاِلٰیtoصِرَاطٍa pathمُّسْتَقِیْمٍ straight وَ یَقُوْلُوْنَAnd they sayاٰمَنَّاWe believeبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ بِالرَّسُوْلِand in the Messengerوَ اَطَعْنَاand we obeyثُمَّThenیَتَوَلّٰیturns awayفَرِیْقٌa partyمِّنْهُمْof themمِّنْۢafterبَعْدِafterذٰلِكَ ؕthatوَ مَاۤAnd notاُولٰٓىِٕكَthoseبِالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ (are) believers وَ اِذَاAnd whenدُعُوْۤاthey are calledاِلَیtoاللّٰهِAllahوَ رَسُوْلِهٖand His Messengerلِیَحْكُمَto judgeبَیْنَهُمْbetween themاِذَاbeholdفَرِیْقٌa partyمِّنْهُمْof themمُّعْرِضُوْنَ (is) averse وَ اِنْBut ifیَّكُنْisلَّهُمُwith themالْحَقُّthe truthیَاْتُوْۤاthey comeاِلَیْهِto himمُذْعِنِیْنَؕ(as) promptly obedient اَفِیْIs (there) inقُلُوْبِهِمْtheir heartsمَّرَضٌa diseaseاَمِorارْتَابُوْۤاdo they doubtاَمْorیَخَافُوْنَthey fearاَنْthatیَّحِیْفَAllah will be unjustاللّٰهُAllah will be unjustعَلَیْهِمْto themوَ رَسُوْلُهٗ ؕand His MessengerبَلْNayاُولٰٓىِٕكَthoseهُمُ[they]الظّٰلِمُوْنَ۠(are) the wrongdoers

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Translation of Verse 41-50

(24:41) Do you not see that all that is in the heavens and the earth, even the birds that go about spreading their wings in flight, extol His glory? Each knows the way of its prayer and of its extolling Allah's glory. Allah is well aware of whatever they do.

(24:42) Allah's is the dominion of the heavens and the earth and to Him are all destined to return.

(24:43) Do you not see⁷⁴ that it is Allah Who gently drives the clouds, then He joins them together and then turns them into a thick mass and thereafter you see rain-drops fall down from its midst? And then He sends down hail from the heaven - thanks to the mountains⁷⁵ - and causes it to smite whom He wills and averts it from whom He wills. The flash of His lightning almost takes away the sight.

(24:44) It is Allah Who alternates the night and the day. Surely there is a lesson in it for those that have sight.

(24:45) Allah has created every animal from water. Of them some move on their bellies, some move on two legs and some on four. Allah creates whatever He wills. Surely Allah has power over everything.

(24:46) Verily We have sent down revelations that clearly explain the Truth. Allah guides whomsoever He wills to a Straight Way.

(24:47) They say: "We believe in Allah and the Messenger, and we obey," but thereafter a faction of them turns away (from obedience). These indeed are not believers.⁷⁶

(24:48) When they are called to Allah and His Messenger that he (that is, the Messenger) may judge (the disputes) among them,⁷⁷ a faction of them turns away.⁷⁸

(24:49) However if the right is on their side they come to him (professing) their submissiveness.⁷⁹

(24:50) Do their hearts suffer from the disease (of hypocrisy)? Or have they fallen prey to doubts? Or do they fear that Allah and His Messenger will wrong them? Nay, the truth is that they themselves are wrong-doers.⁸⁰

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Commentary

74. It has been pointed out earlier (see n. 70 above) that although God is the Light of the whole universe, only those who truly believe and act righteously will benefit from this light. As for all others, even though light abounds around them, they will continue to stumble in darkness. There are many signs that point to this light. Anyone who looks at these signs with his heart's eye will perceive God at work all around him. But those whose hearts are blind, no matter how much they strain their eyes, their perception will not go beyond biology, zoology and other such ologies, and they will utterly fail to see God's hand operating in the universe.

75. This statement may refer to snow-laden clouds which have figuratively been called the mountains of heaven. It could, however, also mean in quite literal terms the mountains of the earth which rise high in the sky. As a result, the winds there occasionally become so cold that they freeze the clouds. This, in turn, leads to hailstorms.

76. Their disobedience contradicts their profession of faith. Their action fully reveals that they lied when they claimed to believe.

77. These words clearly establish that the Messenger's verdict is the same as God's and the Messenger's command is the same as God's. Likewise, when someone is called to the Messenger (peace be on him), this call is not merely to the Messenger. In fact, it amounts to calling him to both God and the Messenger.

The present verse, in combination with the preceding one, makes it clear beyond any shadow of a doubt that it is meaningless for anyone to claim that he believes unless his claim is supported by obedience to God and to His Messenger. Likewise, a person's claim that he obeys God and His Messenger is devoid of meaning unless he follows, both in his individual and collective spheres of life, the laws expounded by God and His Messenger. If anyone is found deficient in this respect, his claim to faith betrays his sheer hypocrisy. (Cf. Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. II, al-Nisa' 4, verses 59-61, nn. 89-92, pp. 50-4.)

78. Here people are urged to willingly accept the judgements made in accordance with the Qur'an and the Sunnah. It is quite obvious that this requirement is not restricted to the time of the Prophet (peace be on him) alone. Instead, this is something that will always be required of Muslims, whether they lived in the time of the Prophet (peace be on him) or in any subsequent period. Thus, whenever a judge, who decides cases according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah, sends a summons to someone, it will be deemed to be the summons of the court of God and of His Messenger. The person who declines to respond to this summons and who turns away from it, does not simply turn away from the judge who sent the summons; in reality he turns away from God and His Messenger. This point is made abundantly clear by the following mursal tradition narrated by Hasan al-Basri: 'He who is summoned by a Muslim hakim (magistrate), and then fails to turn up is a wrong-doer who is devoid of all rights.' (See Jassas, Ahkam al-Qur'an, vol. 3, p. 229, comments on Surah al-Nur 24: 48 - Ed.) Such a person deserves to be punished for not responding to the summons. Additionally, he will be presumed to be in the wrong and an ex pane judgement may be awarded against him.

79. This verse characterizes those who follow the rulings of the Shan'ah which suit them but turn away from those which run counter to their interests and desires. As a result, such people turn to man-made laws in those matters where the rulings of the Shari'ah appear to be inconvenient and irksome. Such people are not sincere believers; they are hypocrites. Their claim to faith is false for they do not truly believe in God and His Messenger; they rather believe in their own interests and desires. With such conduct even if they were to follow a part of the Shari'ah, it would carry no weight with God.

80. There can only be three possible reasons for such conduct. First, that the person concerned does not truly believe, but only hypocritically pretends to be a Muslim so us to deceive others and draw benefits as a member of the Muslim society. Second, that even after becoming a Muslim he is still in doubt about whether the Messenger has truly been designated by God, whether the Hereafter is a reality (rather than a fantasy) which will inevitably come to pass. In fact, he might even be in doubt whether God truly exists or has been invented to achieve some beneficial purpose. Third, that even when he believes in God and is convinced that the Prophet (peace be on him) is indeed His Messenger, he entertains the fear that he might be treated unjustly, or he thinks that certain injunctions of the Qur'an or certain directives of God's Messenger are harmful for him.

Regardless of the category to which such a person belongs, he is undoubtedly steeped in error. Anyone who holds these views and still claims to be a believer and a member of the Muslim society and who seeks to derive benefits from this association is indeed a cheat, a betrayer of trust, a fake and perfidious person. He also wrongs himself because his constant deception and cheating make him the embodiment of the worst moral traits. He also wrongs his Fellow-Muslims who take him at his word, consider him to be a part of the Muslim society, and establish a myriad of social, cultural and political relations with him.