Surah 25. Al-Furqan

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Verses [Section]: 1-9[1], 10-20 [2], 21-34 [3], 35-44 [4], 45-60 [5], 61-77 [6]

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Quran Text of Verse 21-3425. Al-Furqan Page 362وَ قَالَAnd saidالَّذِیْنَthose whoلَا(do) notیَرْجُوْنَexpectلِقَآءَنَا(the) meeting with Usلَوْ لَاۤWhy notاُنْزِلَare sent downعَلَیْنَاto usالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةُthe Angelsاَوْorنَرٰیwe seeرَبَّنَا ؕour LordلَقَدِIndeedاسْتَكْبَرُوْاthey have become arrogantفِیْۤwithinاَنْفُسِهِمْthemselvesوَ عَتَوْand (become) insolentعُتُوًّا(with) insolenceكَبِیْرًا great یَوْمَ(The) Dayیَرَوْنَthey seeالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةَthe Angelsلَاnoبُشْرٰیglad tidingsیَوْمَىِٕذٍ(will be) that Dayلِّلْمُجْرِمِیْنَfor the criminalsوَ یَقُوْلُوْنَand they will sayحِجْرًاA partitionمَّحْجُوْرًا forbidden وَ قَدِمْنَاۤAnd We will proceedاِلٰیtoمَاwhateverعَمِلُوْاthey didمِنْofعَمَلٍ(the) deed(s)فَجَعَلْنٰهُand We will make themهَبَآءً(as) dustمَّنْثُوْرًا dispersed اَصْحٰبُ(The) companionsالْجَنَّةِ(of) Paradiseیَوْمَىِٕذٍthat Dayخَیْرٌ(will be in) a betterمُّسْتَقَرًّاabodeوَّ اَحْسَنُand a betterمَقِیْلًا resting-place وَ یَوْمَAnd (the) Dayتَشَقَّقُwill split openالسَّمَآءُthe heavensبِالْغَمَامِwith the cloudsوَ نُزِّلَand (will be) sent downالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةُthe Angelsتَنْزِیْلًا descending اَلْمُلْكُThe Sovereigntyیَوْمَىِٕذِthat Dayلْحَقُّ(will be) trulyلِلرَّحْمٰنِ ؕfor the Most Graciousوَ كَانَAnd (it will) beیَوْمًاa Dayعَلَیforالْكٰفِرِیْنَthe disbelieversعَسِیْرًا difficult وَ یَوْمَAnd (the) Dayیَعَضُّwill biteالظَّالِمُthe wrongdoerعَلٰی[on]یَدَیْهِhis handsیَقُوْلُhe will sayیٰلَیْتَنِیO I wish!اتَّخَذْتُI had takenمَعَwithالرَّسُوْلِthe Messengerسَبِیْلًا a way یٰوَیْلَتٰیO woe to me!لَیْتَنِیْI wishلَمْnotاَتَّخِذْI had takenفُلَانًاthat oneخَلِیْلًا (as) a friend لَقَدْVerilyاَضَلَّنِیْhe led me astrayعَنِfromالذِّكْرِthe Reminderبَعْدَafterاِذْ[when]جَآءَنِیْ ؕit (had) come to meوَ كَانَAnd isالشَّیْطٰنُthe Shaitaanلِلْاِنْسَانِto the manخَذُوْلًا a deserter وَ قَالَAnd saidالرَّسُوْلُthe MessengerیٰرَبِّO my Lord!اِنَّIndeedقَوْمِیmy peopleاتَّخَذُوْاtookهٰذَاthisالْقُرْاٰنَthe Quranمَهْجُوْرًا (as) a forsaken thing وَ كَذٰلِكَAnd thusجَعَلْنَاWe have madeلِكُلِّfor everyنَبِیٍّProphetعَدُوًّاan enemyمِّنَamongالْمُجْرِمِیْنَ ؕthe criminalsوَ كَفٰیBut sufficient isبِرَبِّكَyour Lordهَادِیًا(as) a Guideوَّ نَصِیْرًا and a Helper وَ قَالَAnd saidالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelieveلَوْ لَاWhy notنُزِّلَwas revealedعَلَیْهِto himالْقُرْاٰنُthe Quranجُمْلَةًall at onceوَّاحِدَةً ۛۚall at onceكَذٰلِكَ ۛۚThusلِنُثَبِّتَthat We may strengthenبِهٖtherebyفُؤَادَكَyour heartوَ رَتَّلْنٰهُand We have recited itتَرْتِیْلًا (with distinct) recitation 25. Al-Furqan Page 363وَ لَاAnd notیَاْتُوْنَكَthey come to youبِمَثَلٍwith an exampleاِلَّاbutجِئْنٰكَWe bring youبِالْحَقِّthe truthوَ اَحْسَنَand (the) bestتَفْسِیْرًاؕexplanation اَلَّذِیْنَThose whoیُحْشَرُوْنَwill be gatheredعَلٰیonوُجُوْهِهِمْtheir facesاِلٰیtoجَهَنَّمَ ۙHellاُولٰٓىِٕكَthoseشَرٌّ(are the) worstمَّكَانًا(in) positionوَّ اَضَلُّand most astrayسَبِیْلًا۠(from the) way

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Translation of Verse 21-34

(25:21) Those who do not look forward to meet Us say:³³ "Why should angels not be sent to us, or why do we ourselves not observe our Lord?"³⁴ Surely they are too proud of themselves³⁵ and have gone beyond all limits in their rebellion.

(25:22) On that Day - the Day when they will behold angels - there will be no good news for those immersed in evil,³⁶ and they will cry out: "We seek refuge (in Allah)."

(25:23) And We shall turn to their deeds and shall reduce them to scattered dust.³⁷

(25:24) On that Day it is the inmates of Paradise that will be graced with a better abode and a fairer resting place.³⁸

(25:25) On that Day the sky shall be rent asunder by a cloud and a whole cavalcade of angels will be made to descend.

(25:26) On that Day the true kingdom will belong only to the Merciful Lord.³⁹ That will be a hard day for those that deny the Truth;

(25:27) a Day when the wrong-doer will bite his hands, saying: "Would that I had stood by the Messenger!

(25:28) Woe is me! Would that I had not taken such a one for a friend!

(25:29) He led me astray from the Admonition that had come to me. Satan proved to be a great betrayer of man."⁴⁰

(25:30) And the Messenger will say: "My Lord! My own people had made this Qur'an an object of laughter."⁴¹

(25:31) (O Muhammad), thus did We make for every Prophet enemies⁴² from among those immersed in evil. Your Lord suffices you as a Guide and a Helper.⁴³

(25:32) Those who disbelieve say: "Why was the Qur'an not revealed to him all at once?"⁴⁴ It was revealed thus that We may fully impress it on your mind;⁴⁵ (and for the same end) We have revealed it gradually (according to a scheme) in fragments.

(25:33) (This was also done so that) whenever they put any strange question to you, We sent its right answer and explained the matter in the best manner.⁴⁶

(25:34) Those who shall be mustered in the Hell upon their faces, their stand is the worst and their way most erroneous.⁴⁷

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Commentary

33. The unbelievers argued that if God really wanted His Message to be conveyed effectively, it was not enough to just choose a person as a Prophet and send an angel to him with His Message. Instead, God should have sent an angel to him with the charge that he conveys God's Guidance to each person individually. Or, at least, a delegation of angels should have come to convey God's Message publicly.

It is pertinent to recall that the same objection was mentioned in Surah al- An'am: "Whenever there comes to them a sign from Allah they say: We will not believe until we are given what was given to the Messengers of Allah.' Allah knows best where to place His Message" (6:124).

34. In other words, God should appear before them in person and make a public appeal to them to submit to His Guidance.

35. Another translation could be: "They considered themselves to be persons of great import".

36. This idea appears in greater detail in Surah al-An'am 6:8; and Surah al- Hijr 15:7-8 and 51-64. (In Surah Bant Isra'il 17:90-5, we find it along with several other strange demands made by the unbelievers where after the matter was explained. They are told to submit to God for so long as the present order of the universe remains intact and that if human beings were to come face to face with angels their arrival would spell the unbelievers' doom - Ed.)

37. For an explanation, see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, Vol. IV, Ibrāhim, 14: nn. 25-6, pp. 262-3.

38. On the Day of Judgement, those who deserve Paradise will be treated differently from those who are sinners. The former will be treated with deference and will be protected from the scorching hardship of the Last Day. As for the latter, they will meet with all manner of hardship. According to one hadith, the Prophet (peace be on him) said: "By Him in Whose Hand is my life [the long and awesome Day of Judgement) will be made lighter for the believer than the time (needed) for offering an obligatory Prayer in this world." (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, on the authority of Abu Sa'id al- Khudri. See Vol. 3, p. 75. - Ed.)

39. In the Next Life, all the pomp and glory, and power and wealth which delude people in the present life will come to an end. There, only one kingdom will endure and that will be the kingdom of God, the true Sovereign of the entire Universe. It has been stated in Surah al-Mu'min: "On that Day they will stand exposed and nothing will be hidden from Allah. (It will then be asked): "Whose is sovereignty today?" (The response from everywhere will be:] "Allah's, the One, the Omnipotent" (40:16).

One hadith further elucidates this point. The Prophet (peace be on him) said: "God will hold the heavens in one Hand and the earth in the Other, and say: I am the Sovereign, I am the Dominant Ruler. Where are the sovereigns of the earth? Where are the tyrants? Where are the vainglorious?" (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Abu Da'ud Bukhari, and Muslim have all reported this with slight variations in wording.) (K. Tafstr Surah al-Zumar'. 'Bab Qawlihi: wa mã qadara Allah haqqa qadrihi': Muslim. 'K. Şifat al-Munafiqin wa Ahkāmihim'; 'K. Şifat al- Qiyāmah wa al-Jannah wa al-Nar'. Abu Da'ud, 'K. al-Sunnah, Bab Fi al- Radd 'ala al-Jahmiyah", Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, Vol. 2, p. 72.)

40. Maybe this is a part of the unbeliever's lament. Alternatively, it may be God's response to the unbeliever's statement in which case the appropriate translation would be: "Satan is indeed a betrayer of man."

41. The Arabic word mahjur has more than one meaning. Taken as a derivative of hajr, it means that which is ignored. (Ibn Manzur, Lisan al- 'Arab, q.v. HJ R - Ed.) In this sense of the word, the verse would mean that the unbelievers will be blamed for not regarding the Qur’an as worthy of due attention. They neither accepted the Qur’an., nor allowed themselves to be influenced by it: Alternatively, if mahjur is taken as a derivative of hujr, it means (i) that they considered the Qur’an to be a delirious discourse, a nonsense; and (ii) that they made it the target of their ridicule and mockery.

42. The Prophet (peace be on him) is told that the unbelievers' enmity towards him is nothing new. The unbelievers had always been inimical to the Prophets. Whenever any Prophet called people to the Truth, the evil- doers of the time ganged up in opposition. The same point is made in Surah al-An'am 6:12-13.

The statement, "Thus did We make for every Prophet enemy from among those immersed in evil", means that this is the Divine Law. Hence, one ought to be patient and face the inevitable adversities with a cool head and firm determination. Moreover, one should do so without expecting that hosts of people will rush forward to embrace the Truth and that the evil-doers will hasten to repent and instantly take the fealty.

43. To say that God is the Guide does not simply mean that He grants people knowledge of the Truth. It also means that He provides directives by means of which the Islamic movement is enabled to function properly. He also gives timely Guidance to the Islamic movement so that it is able to defeat the designs of its enemies.

In like manner, to say that God is the Helper means that God provides every kind of help to the believers. No matter how many fronts are opened in the battle between Truth and falsehood, God provides help in each respect. If it is a matter of altercation, God assists the believers with persuasive arguments. If it is a battle to determine a superior moral stature, God helps the believers by endowing them with excellent moral qualities. If the believers' victory is contingent upon unity in their ranks, God unites their hearts and causes dissension in the ranks of the votaries of falsehood. If it is a battle requiring of manpower, God aids His devotees by providing them with suitably qualified people. If material resources are needed, God blesses the scant resources of the believers and makes them ample. In short, God's Help and Guidance is always sufficient for the believers; they have no need for any other assistance.

The only requirement in this regard is that the believers should have full Faith and absolute trust in God. Then, instead of sitting idle, they will do their utmost in their encounter against falsehood in order to make Truth prevail.

Note that without the second part of the statement, the first part would have been very discouraging for the Prophet (peace be on him), For what could have been more disheartening for someone than to learn that he had been entrusted with a task which would arouse fierce opposition and enmity? But the dread that such a Message might inspire is removed by God's assurance that He will provide help and support in the battle that will ensue. What would be more inspiring for the believers than to know that God Himself undertakes to provide all possible Help and Guidance to them? After such an assurance, only those who are weak Faith and faint-hearted would hesitate to enter the fray.

44. This was the Makkan unbelievers' favorite objection which they repeated over and over again. The Qur’an also mentions this in several places and then refutes it. (See Towards Understanding the Qur'an, Vol. IV, al-Nahl 16: nn. 101-6, pp. 363-70.) The objection, couched in the form of a query.

contended that if the Qur’an was not fabricated by the Prophet (peace be on him) with the help of others, and if it was not copied or translated from other works, then why did God not send down the whole Book all at once? Since the whole Book would be in God's knowledge - if it really were He Who sent it down- why was it dispatched over such a long time? For the unbelievers, this seemed a self-evident proof that the Qur'an was a forgery.

45. An alternative translation could be: "So that We may strengthen your heart by it" or "encourage you by it". The words of the verse suggest both meanings. Thus, in one sentence many good considerations underlying the piecemeal revelation of the Qur’an were explained. The reasons for this mode of revelation being as follows: This manner of revelation made it possible for people to retain the Qur’an in their memory, word for word. This was necessary for it was sent down in the form of a verbal discourse through an unlettered Messenger; a Revealed Guidance addressed primarily to an illiterate people.

(ii) In order to make the teachings of the Qur’an fully comprehensible it was imperative to impart it slowly, in small instalments. These often conveyed the same idea but employed a variety of expressions (iii) This mode of revelation also made it possible for people to become firmly convinced about the way of life that the Qur’an expounded.

If the commandments and the entire way of life prescribed by Islam were to be revealed all at once along with a requirement that they be put into effect, this could have left people baffled. Moreover, if an injunction is revealed at the proper moment in response to an actual problem of life, that injunction is more likely to be understood along with its true spirit and underlying wisdom.

(iv) This mode of revelation was also adopted in order to strengthen the hearts of the believers who were engaged in the struggle between (i) Truth and falsehood. It was, thus, more effective to receive Messages from God at intervals rather than to receive the whole Book all at once which would have left them unaided against the onslaught of opposition and hostility. The manner in which the Qur’an was actually revealed makes a person feel that God has not forgotten him; that He is right there beside him, watching him, guiding him through the difficulties that he faces, providing him with counsel at each critical moment, and honoring him by constantly attending to him and addressing him. This provides encouragement and strengthens the nerve of those to whom the revelation was primarily addressed.

46. This provides yet another reason for the gradual revelation of the Qur'an.

God did not desire to write a book on the subject of Guidance and then have it published through the agency of a Prophet. If that had been the plan, the demand made by the unbelievers that the whole book should have been given to the Prophet in one go would have been reasonable. But the reason behind revealing the Qur'an was quite different. God revealed the Qur’an because He desired that a movement be launched against Ignorance, disbelief and transgression - a movement which sought to promote the true Faith, to promote obedience to and fear of God. It is for this purpose that He raised a Prophet so that he might become the I and leader of that movement. God took it upon Himself to guide both the leader and the followers of this movement and to clarify any objections raised by its opponents and to elucidate and explain any doubts and misperceptions which arose.

The Qur’an is nothing but the collection of God's own Words spoken for all these reasons. It should be clear, however, that this is not a text-book of philosophy, ethics or constitution, but a Book which seeks to guide the Islamic movement. The most natural way for the Book to come into existence was that it appears at the time the movement was launched and that it be able to guide its followers through its various phases with revelations that were sent down as and when needed. (For further elaboration see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, Vol. I. pp. 7-17.)

47. Those who misconstrue a straightforward message and derive from it meanings that are quite contrary to its true meaning and purpose are those whose minds are warped. They are those who distort the evident facts which testify to the Truth of the Qur’an and who strain instead to show them as evidence of its falsity. It is precisely for this reason that they will be dragged upon their faces through Hell.